A former San Diego television journalist, Ricardo Berron, was arrested on March 10 at San Diego International Airport in connection with two shootings on Palomar Mountain that authorities say involved racially motivated attacks. Berron, 46, was preparing to leave for vacation when deputies took him into custody.
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The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office reported that forensic evidence linked Berron to the shootings. The first incident occurred on October 6 along South Grade Road near Palomar Mountain’s summit. A victim identified as Joseph told Fox 5 San Diego that he was sitting in his car around 9:30 p.m. when a man holding a rifle approached, asked if he was Mexican, and then fired. Joseph was struck in the arm and managed to drive to safety, receiving medical treatment at Palomar Medical Center.
A second shooting took place on February 23 in the same area. Officials said a man sitting in his parked vehicle was fired upon through the driver’s side window but was not hit. Deputies later executed a search warrant at Berron’s home in Chula Vista and recovered a 9mm handgun believed to be used in at least one of the shootings.
Both victims were Hispanic, and investigators reported that the suspect questioned their ethnicity before shooting. Prosecutors are seeking hate crime enhancements in the case.
Berron, formerly a reporter for Univision and Telemundo, was released on bail and was scheduled for a court appearance on March 17. He declined to comment when approached outside his home, and his wife denied the allegations, stating authorities have the wrong person. Legal representatives for Berron have not responded to requests for comment.
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