Woman arrested in threat with rifle in Escondido

ESCONDIDO

A 32-year-old driver accused of threatening a pedestrian with a rifle on Wednesday night was arrested after a two-hour standoff with police on an Escondido street, officials said.

The woman, who was not identified, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and brandishing a weapon at a person, said Escondido police Lt. Damien Jackson.

The incident began around 8:40 p.m. near the intersection of Conway Drive and Cleveland Avenue. Police were called by a person who said she got into a verbal altercation with a woman in a vehicle who pointed what appeared to be a rifle at her.

Police responded and made contact with the woman, who refused to exit her vehicle or hand over her weapon, Jackson said.

Police negotiators responded and tried to talk with the woman. Eventually, officers diverted her attention to one side of her vehicle while other police entered the car from the other side and pulled her out of the vehicle.

Jackson said the rifle turned out to be a pellet gun, one of three pellet guns she had in the car. Police also found a machete, he said. All the weapons were seized.

Police called a relative of the driver and took possession of a dog, rabbit and turtle she had in the car with her, Jackson said.

“The incident went on for a little over two hours,” Jackson said. “We were trying to negotiate with her and de-escalate the situation but she was less than cooperative.”

No one was injured and the woman was arrested without incident, he said.

KAREN KUCHER

U-T

Public’s help sought with unsolved 2002 murder

NATIONAL CITY

Authorities are asking the public for information to help find the people responsible for a killing that took place 20 years ago in National City.

Just after 7 p.m. Dec. 28, 2002, authorities responded to a call of shots fired at a house on Mann Avenue near Alpha Street. When officers arrived, Cynthia “Denise” Peppers, 39, was found dead at the scene with a gunshot wound to her face, according to authorities.

Investigators determined Peppers, a mother of four, was carrying groceries to her house when two vehicles pulled up. Suspects in both vehicles fired multiple shots at three gang members who were standing near Peppers, according to police.

Both vehicles were occupied by four to six people, identified as male.

The suspects and victims were from rival gangs, according to officials.

Both vehicles drove away from the area, and the three gang members who were standing near Peppers suffered gunshot wounds but survived their injuries, authorities said.

The vehicles were described by witnesses as being a red or orange Nissan 280 or 300ZX and a gray Honda Accord or Acura hatchback.

Anyone with information about the case was asked to call the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office at (619) 5314277 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.