Woman struck by car, in critical condition A 46-year-old was struck by a vehicle and critically injured on Loring Street in Pacific Beach on Feb. 10, according to police. The woman had gotten out of the passenger side of a car on westbound Loring shortly after 5 p.m. when she began to cross near Cass Street. The woman was struck by a Jeep pulling a trailer that was passing the pedestrian’s parked vehicle, said police. The Jeep, driven by a 45-year-old man, pinned the woman underneath the trailer. The injured woman suffered severe head injuries and was transported to a local trauma center, where she was listed in critical condition. Investigators said alcohol did not appear to play a factor in the accident, but the case is still being investigated.   PB man faces animal cruelty, burglary counts A man was arrested and held on animal cruelty counts after he allegedly entered another man’s Pacific Beach home on Feb. 3 and began kicking and punching the homeowner’s dog. The victim, identified as Alex Lopez, called police and relayed that the suspect, Brian Minch, was inside Lopez’s Yosemite Street home and was kicking and punching Lopez’s dog shortly after 4:30 p.m. The victim told told officers that Minch walked up to his fence and yelled at Lopez’s dog, ordering it to stop licking his hand. Minch then allegedly punched the dog between eight and 10 times and reportedly kicked the dog twice. After Lopez’s dog ran into the house, Minch allegedly followed, chasing the dog into a bedroom where Lopez said he could hear his dog squealing. Lopez called police, fearing his dog was dead. Officers arrived and found Minch at Riviera Drive and Moorland Drive, where they arrested him on counts of cruelty to animals and residential burglary. The dog was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment. Public’s help sought to ID serial bank robber The Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego police and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the man believed to be responsible for three bank robberies dating back to Jan. 17 — including the most recent heist at Home Bank of California on Garnet Avenue on Feb. 6. On that date, shortly after 9 a.m., the robber demanded cash and simulated a weapon by lifting his shirt. After receiving an undisclosed sum of money, the suspect fled. No injuries were reported. The white man is described as about 40 years old, 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds with a gray, scruffy beard. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, a navy-blue jacket with a zipper and a baseball hat. Assemblywoman fields concerns with PB locals State Assemblywoman Toni Atkins met with Pacific Beach residents during a “Community Coffee” event on Feb. 4 to discuss legislative and state matters affecting the community. The event was held at Belmont Park. Atkins shared details of California’s $9 billion budget deficit and Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to allow state residents to decide if they want to vote for a tax-increase in November to help make up for the shortfall. Atkins said that unless the budget deficit can be resolved, there will probably be further cuts to the state’s education budget. Pacific Beach residents voiced their concerns about the near-closure of local elementary schools this last fall, which Atkins said was due to decisions made by the San Diego Unified School District. Atkins also brought up the next round of possible military base closures with the military’s upcoming budget cuts and vowed to do what she could to make ensure all military facilities in San Diego County remain intact. Along with the possible base closures will be personnel cutbacks, she said. Atkins said she would like to focus on helping veterans transition to the civilian work force. — Keith Antigiovanni

SeaWorld releases sea lions back into wild Four California sea lions that were rescued and brought into SeaWorld San Diego’s care malnourished and dehydrated over the past couple of months, were nursed to health and returned to the ocean on Feb. 6. The first of three male pups returned to the sea was rescued in Del Mar on Dec. 13; a second was rescued in Encinitas on Dec. 30; while the third was rescued off La Jolla Cove on Jan. 15. Each of the pups returned to the sea weighed between 45 and 55 pounds. The sole sub-adult 160-pound female sea lion was rescued along the shores of San Diego Bay on Jan. 30.