By LGBTQ San Diego County News Staff
San Diego (AP) — The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) has arrested three suspects in connection with a series of hate crime-related assaults that occurred in the Hillcrest neighborhood in early September. The incidents took place between the 600 and 1000 blocks of University Avenue, where several pedestrians were struck with gel-style pellets as they walked on the sidewalk.
SDPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit launched an investigation, collecting video surveillance and other evidence. Detectives reviewed footage from a nearby camera and uploaded information about a suspect vehicle to SDPD’s Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. Using the license plate reader, police were able to identify the vehicle and subsequently track down multiple suspects involved in the incidents.
On Wednesday, SDPD detectives and patrol officers executed search warrants at three locations, leading to the arrests of Anthony Lopez-Quiniones, 19; Arturo Herrera-Sustaita, 19; and Angelo Nathaniel Aron, 19. Each faces multiple charges related to hate crimes and has been booked into the San Diego County Jail.
“SDPD is committed to ensuring a safe space for all members of our community, and acts of hate will not be tolerated,” the department said in a statement. The case has been forwarded to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for further action.
SDPD has not indicated whether these arrests are related to a shooting incident in May involving Eddie Reynoso, publisher of LGBTQ San Diego County News, who has actively advocated for license plate readers as a tool for public safety. San Diego Crime Stoppers is offering a $2000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for that incident or information leading to identification and location of the vehicle involved.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact SDPD at (619) 531-2000 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
