Gun found in student’s backpack at grade school

OTAY MESA

San Diego police were called to an Otay Mesa elementary school Monday after a student brought a gun onto campus, the school’s principal said in a letter to parents.

Officers were called to Myrtle S. Finney Elementary School on Byrd Street near Palm Avenue after the gun was found in the student’s backpack, Principal Beverly Prange said in the letter Monday.

Authorities learned that an adult at the student’s home had put the gun into the backpack by mistake, Prange said.

The school went into a “secure campus” procedure, meaning that access to the school was restricted more than usual, Prange said. Classes and normal school business were not interrupted.

Officers arrived and took possession of the gun, Prange said. Police cleared the school and the “secure campus” procedure was lifted.

In her letter to parents, Prange listed multiple steps the that school takes to protect students and staff in these types of situations, including: having students, staff and police officers participate in evacuation drills, talking to students about reporting unsafe behavior and looking to regularly improve their safety plan and goals.

“Everyone can play a vital role in making our schools safe by contacting school and law enforcement officials to make them aware of any potential danger that threatens our school,” Prange said.

The San Diego Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Woman gets 11 years in prison for committing manslaughter

CHULA VISTA

A woman who fatally stabbed a 42year-old man in National City last year was sentenced this week to 11 years in state prison.

Amalia Maria Samaniego, 45, pleaded guilty in Chula Vista Superior Court to voluntary manslaughter and an allegation of using a knife in the killing of Calvin Martin on April 28, 2022.

National City police said Martin was found gravely wounded in the area of East Ninth Street and L Avenue. Paramedics took him to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he died.

Samaniego was arrested near the scene.

Prosecutors alleged she stabbed Martin, then later struck him with a broom handle or stick.

A motive for the stabbing has not been disclosed, but during her arraignment last year, Samaniego stated in court that the victim had choked her and threatened to kill her.

A motive for the stabbings has not been disclosed. Deputy District Attorney Melissa Vasel said Siddle was a friend of Brandenburgh’s son and at one point, the defendant had lived at the victims’ home.

Siddle pleaded guilty to all charges over the objection of his defense attorney, Karen Stevens, who said she had sought a “different, appropriate resolution to this case,” but recognized her client had been “adamant throughout these proceedings that he has been wanting to plead and take responsibility for the event.”

Before accepting the plea, San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Groch asked the defendant why he wanted to plead guilty at a relatively early stage of his case.

“It’s clear. I did it. It’s obvious I did it,” Siddle said. “There’s no doubt about it ... I could waste the court’s time and taxpayer money to drag something out that is cut and dry. It should just be over with.”

He faces up to 34 years to life in state prison at sentencing, which is set for June 26.

On the night of the crime, the surviving victim’s daughter was at the home on Pagoda Way, according to the prosecutor. The daughter ran to a neighbor’s home to get help, and the neighbor took a picture of the license plate of the car Siddle drove away from the scene.

In addition to the photograph of his license plate, a Ring camera in the neighborhood captured a picture of Siddle leaving the home with a knife in his back pocket, Vasel said.

A warrant was obtained for Siddle’s arrest and he was taken into custody June 1, 2022, in Cave Junction, Ore.