MAN KILLED AFTER FALL FROM SUNSET CLIFFS
A man was killed after falling roughly 50 feet to his death at Sunset Cliffs on July 15, authorities said.
A friend of the victim reportedly called 9-1-1 shortly before 4 a.m. and said the man appeared to have been startled before falling from the cliffs near Ladera Street, according to officials with San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and San Diego police. The victim was apparently with a woman and another couple at Ladera Park.
Although emergency workers administered CPR, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, said police officials. The identity of the victim, who is reportedly an Ocean Beach resident, was not immediately available. FAULCONER, KERSEY WARN OF FIRE-SEASON DANGERS
San Diego residents, especially those living near open space, can take measures to help protect their homes from fires this season – and on July 7, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and City Councilman Mark Kelsey issued a reminder to that effect.
“Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Faulconer said. “The city is doing its part by increasing funding for brush management efforts within our open-space parks and canyons. Homeowners also must take common-sense steps to protect themselves, because we are all in this together.”
Kelsey concurred.
“Fires can go from bad to worse in a very short time,” Kersey said, “so firefighters need every advantage they can get in order to successfully protect homes. It is critical that homeowners are proactive in doing their part so, in turn, firefighters can do their jobs more effectively.”
Kersey represents the city’s District 5, in which the Bernardo fires burned 1,500 acres last May. The city’s brush management regulations require all homes in wildland-urban interface areas to have 100 feet of defensible space and for homeowners to take other precautions to help prevent the spread of wildfires, including trimming of trees and clearing debris from roofs and gutters. In coming months, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department will be conducting door-to-door inspections to help educate residents and make sure they are properly clearing brush around their homes.
San Diego has more than 500 linear miles of wildland-urban interface in which backyards meet the native-naturalized vegetation in canyons and other open-space areas. At the same time, years of drought have increased the flammability of vegetation.
For information on how to properly prepare or wildfires, download the city’s brush management guide at sandiego.gov/fire/pdf/brushpdf.pdf. MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO HOLDING UP SERVICE STATION
A man who held up a USA service station at gunpoint in the Sunset Cliffs area has pleaded guilty to all charges, which include a separate case, and he faces a maximum term of 31 years to life in prison.
Sentencing for Steven Joshua Balistreri, 36, has been set for Aug. 12 by San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh. Balistreri remains in jail on $350,000 bail.
Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber said the admitted use of a gun in the March 9 incident adds 10 years to the other charges of robbery, auto theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Balistreri also admitted to being out on bond in a Riverside County case when he committed the robbery.
Balistreri also pleaded guilty to stealing a car in Chula Vista. His prior conviction for residential burglary adds five years to the sentence, said Koerber.
Koerber said Balistreri stole more than $240 from the service station and apologized to the female clerk before fleeing in a stolen Nissan Pathfinder. During a traffic stop, a police officer discovered the gun and arrested him near Robb Field.
— Neal Putnam BANK OFFICIAL PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES
A former assistant branch manager at a Point Loma bank has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $37,000 from the J.P. Morgan Chase branch.
Sentencing for Mark Masiglat, 25, of San Diego, is set for Aug. 22. He could face a maximum term of 30 years in federal prison, though judicial sentencing guidelines do not recommend such a long sentence if there is no prior record.
Masiglat embezzled the funds in 46 unauthorized cash withdrawals between Jan. 4, 2011, and Aug. 27, 2012, according to court records. Masiglat is expected to pay some restitution before being sentenced by U.S. District Court Anthony Battaglia, who allowed Masiglat to remain free on his own recognizance.
“Corrupt bankers cannot be allowed to treat federally-insured accounts as their own personal piggy bank,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy in a statement.
“My office will not tolerate abuse of the public’s trust in our financial institutions. I want to thank the FBI for its commitment to ensuring the integrity of our local banks,” said Duffy.
The bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
— Neal Putnam ‘ART?IN THE PARK’ EVENT SET FOR JULY 19
The Point Loma Artists Association is poised to host its 15th annual “Art in the Park” event on the lawn of the Hervey/Point Loma Branch Library, located at 3701 Voltaire St. on Saturday, July 19.
The free event will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Founded in 1999, the Point Loma Artists Association is a juried-arts organization. Current membership of 47 creatively talented men and women represent a variety of mediums which include oil paint, watercolor, acrylic, photography, sculpture, wood,  papiermache, ceramics, glass, textiles, collage and creative jewelry. Event organizers and members said they are looking forward to meeting with the public and showing their work. Be on the lookout, as some of the artists plan to do some onsite artistic demonstrations.
A percentage of all art sales from this event will be donated to the Point Loma/Hervey Branch Library in appreciation for ongoing support of the local artists.
For more information, visit www.pointlomaartists.com, or call (619) 222 9825.