• Home
  • Advertising
  • Support Us
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Digital Archive
Saturday, July 19, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo-475x166
DONATE
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • C…Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
      • The C Word … Community
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
Subscribe
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • C…Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
      • The C Word … Community
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
Home News Court News

Bail set for Gossip Grill arsonist

11/03/2023
in Court News, Cover stories, Feature, Featured, Featured News, Features, News, News & Features, Top Story
0
Bail set for Gossip Grill arsonist
0
SHARES
331
VIEWS

Suspect is a local homeless man reported to be a former bartender

By Neal Putnam

A judge set bail at $150,000 on Oct. 24 for a man suspected of arson at Gossip Grill that caused $7,000 in damages to the LGBTQ establishment on University Avenue.

A former employee of Urban MO’s was arrested Oct. 20, not far from the scene. The arson is not believed to be a hate crime, said Gossip Grill owner Moe Girton.

Girton told KPBS she believed the fire was set as “an action from a person living on the streets and experiencing a mental health crisis.”

The fire department estimated the $7,000 in damages were mostly to the awnings, a large rainbow flag and electrical equipment on the two front patios.

“There was no structural damage to the actual building,” Girton told KPBS.

“We have it all on video. We have one patio of him using an accelerant and then lighting it on fire, and another camera has him walking away giggling and smiling.”

The fire was set around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, after the bar had already closed for the previous Thursday evening. Gossip Grill reopened later that Friday as usual.

“We’re just grateful for the fire department getting here quickly and nobody was hurt,” said Girton to KPBS. “And the damage is, it’s manageable, you know.”

Police arrested Ryan Scott Habrel, 38, around 1:45 p.m. Friday, shortly after KGTV (Channel 10) showed up to interview Girton. The channel’s TV camera captured the arrest.

Habrel pleaded not guilty to arson and possession of arson materials when he appeared via video from jail before San Diego Superior Court Judge Theodore Weathers.

Weathers ordered Habrel to stay 100 yards away from all businesses associated with Girton, who was in the audience but did not speak, in case Habrel happens to post bond.

Those businesses include “the conglomerate of MO’s Universe: Urban MO’s, Gossip Grill, InsideOUT, Hillcrest Brewing Company, Baja Betty’s, and Barrel & Board,” said District Attorney spokesperson Tanya Sierra.

Sierra said Judge Weathers “issued a criminal protective order for the owner of the establishment and the defendant was ordered to stay away from all of the other establishments.”

The prosecutor and defense attorney, who was beside Habrel in jail, did not discuss the facts of the case in court.

Habrel currently has another case of felony vandalism and presenting false identification to police. He had been free on a $10,000 bond on that case, but that bail amount is added to the $150,000 on the new case, so his total bail figure is now $160,000.

On Oct. 25, his preliminary hearing was reset from Nov. 6 to Nov. 21, but the latter date is just two days before Thanksgiving, so they have since changed the date again to Dec. 6.

Habrel remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility.

The incident at Gossip Grill has been widely reported in all LGBTQ media. To read LGBTQ San Diego County News’ exclusive breaking news report about the fire, visit https://lgbtqsd.news/suspect-identified-in-early-morning-gossip-grill-arson-fire/.

–Neal Putnam is a local crime reporter. You can reach him at [email protected].

Editor’s Note: “MO’s Universe” is only a nickname and was never the name of a conglomerated business group. All the above mentioned restaurants are independently owned and operated. Moe Girton is not an owner, a manager, or shareholder of Urban MO’s.

Tags: ArsoncrimeGossip GrillRyan Habrel
Next Post
New San Diego Border Patrol Chief Is A Lesbian

Spectrum News Briefs; November 2023

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THANK YOU!!!! Please Stay Tuned!

LGBTQ San Diego County News is Updating!

After a necessary pause for my healing, I am making important adjustments and updates to the company and website.  These changes are vital for the survival of our community’s only LGBTQ newspaper.

I appreciate your patience and support. Stay tuned for more updates, including a relaunch of the website, and the return of our print edition in the near future. Give at LGBTQSD.news/Support

Still here, still fighting. Onward!

SUPPORT OUR PAPER!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

READ PAST DIGITAL ISSUES

lgbtq_san_diego_county_news

© 2024 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.

Navigate our site

  • About
  • Support Our Newspaper
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • Gay News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • A Note from Assemblymember Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • The C Word … Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
  • About
    • Advertising
    • Support Our Newspaper
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Archive

© 2024 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.