Officials laud preschools

By Corey Streeper

GROSSMONT COLLEGE – Can’t get your child into preschool? He may be 70 percent more likely to become a juvenile delinquent than will be your neighbor children who do go to preschool.

That was one of the startling findings of a survey revealed during a press conference last Tuesday at Grossmont College’s Child Development Center by a bevy of public officials including District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Sheriff Bill Gore, Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, and San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne and El Cajon Police Chief Pat Sprecco.

Police report a sexual assault on Grossmont campus

GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release)–The following communication is from Joel Javines, the district’s director of public safety:

“In keeping with the federal Jeanne Clery Act, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Public Safety Department is providing notice of an alleged sexual assault incident that took place on the Grossmont College campus on Tuesday, April 12.

“GCCCD Public Safety received a report of an alleged sexual assault that occurred in a campus parking lot at Grossmont College on the evening of April 12.  The victim reported that the assailant approached her while she was entering her vehicle and sexually assaulted her.  The incident was reported to the El Cajon Police Department.”

Any information about this alleged incident can be reported to the following:

El Cajon Police Department              (619) 579-3311

http://www.elcajonpolice.org/onlinereport.html

GCCCD Public Safety                     (619) 644-7654

Anonymous Crime Reporting       http://www.sdcrimestoppers.com or http://www.wetip.com

These are prevention methods for safety while walking. Naturally, you won’t be able to follow them to the letter, but use them as guides.

·       Remain vigilant. Be aware of your surroundings.

·       Walk with a friend.

·       Try to stay in well-lighted areas.

·       Use caution in parking lots.

·       Look around when getting off a bus or getting into your  car.

·       Cross the street if you see someone suspicious following you.

·       Call the police if you feel that someone is following you or acting suspiciously.

·       Have your keys in your hand so you can open your door immediately.

·       Be alert. Look around you.

·       As a reminder, there are Yellow Emergency Phones located in all campus parking lots.

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Tim Flood, Grossmont College’s vice president for administrative services, issued the following statement: “Let me assure you that we are committed to taking every precaution with available resources to ensure the safety of our staff.  Our campus is served by District Police who are professionally trained to serve and protect. We encourage all staff to remain vigilant and be aware of your surroundings. Stay in well-lighted areas and use caution in parking lots.  We encourage students, faculty and staff to be responsible for their own safety and look out for the safety of others who are part of the Grossmont family. Alertness, common sense precautions and concern for others are keys to preventing crime and helping us ensure the safety of our campus.  We urge you to report any suspicious persons or anything out of the ordinary in the buildings or parking lots to District Police or to your supervisor. Upon request, security personnel will escort you to your vehicle for added protection.  Let’s work together for safety.”

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Preceding provided by the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District



Paramedics respond to student’s possible stroke

Campus police, nurses and paramedics surround the unnamed student (Photo: Russ Lindquist)

By Russell Lindquist

GROSSMONT COLLEGE–An unnamed student of Grossmont’s ESL program suffered a possible stroke on Monday, in the tech-mall. At approximately 4pm, the 35-year-old female sought help from Crisa Montes de Oca, a tech mall tutor, saying, according to Montes de Oca, that she “felt very bad.” (The conversation was in Spanish but later explained, in English, by Montes de Oca.)

Of the unnamed student, Montes de Oca said, “After I talked to her some, she had wanted to leave; but I would not let her–she was having trouble pronouncing words, and said that she could not feel her mouth, her arm, or one side of her body, so I kept trying to keep her [at the tech mall]. I asked her about her family, about her classes–anything keep her here.”

Montes de Oca said, in total, she spoke with the woman for about 20 minutes and that the campus nurse, upon arrival, had called 9-11, that subsequently paramedics arrived, and that she (Montes de Oca) had served as an interpreter for the  student until Campus Policeman Hector Schlemmer took over translation duties for the paramedics and the student.

The student was taken by ambulance to a hospital. There was no immediate report on her condition.

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Lindquist is Managing Editor of the GC Summit; email him at russL@gcsummit.com

Assaulted student needs help to find her attacker

ATTACKER’S DESCRIPTION UPDATED: 2/10/2010, 7:50pm

(from left) Officer Bashir Abdi receives info from Tanya Barho, while Health Services nurse Anne Taylor comforts the victim who is accompanied by a friend (Photo: Russ Lindquist)

By Russ Lindquist

Russ Lindquist

GROSSMONT COLLEGE, Feb. 8–Sara, a Grossmont student, was attacked in broad daylight and in front of her friends.  Eye-witness Tanya Barho, the victim’s cousin said of the attacker, “The girl seemed high.”

Campus Police Officers Frank Laveaga and Bashir Abdi responded to the assault which occurred at about 3:30pm, in front of the tech-mall.  The officers were unable to comment, having left to search for the attacker who, according to witness Barho, “kept asking my [cousin] if she knew her.”

Of the incident, Barho said, “Inside the tech mall she was just trying to pretty much befriend us – she kept asking my cousin to exchange phone numbers with her, but then outside, my cousin was saying bye to her friend, then turned around to look at me, and the girl punched her in the face, yelled at my cousin, and ran.”