Today’s newsletter is presented by Kaiser Permanente.
Good morning, San Diego ☀️
Here’s what we have for you today:
- No need to take a trip to the tropics, it’s coming to us. Temperatures are rising, dew is doing more than usual: El Niño is a-brewing.
- There was an hours-long SWAT standoff in Normal Heights yesterday, after a landlord allegedly attacked a tenant of his with a baseball bat.
Tessa Balc
Audience engagement producer
Top story
Squatters took over an ADU developer’s vacant homes, bringing chaos and crime to Encanto
What happens to a property when plans to build fall through? Especially when the plans are to build not something entirely complex, but one of the most permissible builds in California right now — the ADU.
Well, that’s playing out in Encanto right now.
Christian Spicer’s company is capitalizing on the relative ease that comes with developing properties with large numbers of accessory dwelling units. You might have heard of Chalifica in Pacific Beach, which would turn two parcels into 136 units. That’s part of his portfolio. His company, currently known as Infill Innovations, has had projects that have spanned across San Diego. Residents have pushed back on some of these, causing them to be delayed.
Infill Innovations’ latest endeavor in Encanto has fallen into disarray.
Investors have taken legal action, claiming that their investments have gone down the drain. Neighbors who live next to the property told our Dorian Hargrove that the neglect has worsened their quality of life, as they’ve witnessed drug use and sex trafficking next door from people who have taken up the vacant residence as their own.
At least, that was the scene at one two-story home in Encanto, set to be converted by Infill Innovations — until Times of San Diego inquired about the property.
Two days later, San Diego police and code enforcement officers executed a massive clean-up on the property. Before that, neighbors say, squatters had been living there and engaging in lawless behavior for nearly eight months.
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.
Stories you should know about
📝 La Mesa studies busy intersection where a pedestrian died in 2025: Residents have urged the city to repair the intersection’s broken street light months after a 61-year-old women was fatally struck by a car while walking across an unmarked crosswalk.
🐎 Off to the races, Weekend Guide: There’s plenty to do, like attend Del Mar’s Summer Racing Season Opening, the Filipino American Friendship Festival, or the Imperial Beach’s Sun & Sea Festival.
🧫 New study shows promising step forward in improving Parkinson’s treatment: A small molecule, tested in rodents, was found to increase the benefits and reduce the side effects of the standard drug for Parkinson’s disease
🕯️ Commentary: Open palms and open hearts at Light up the Cathedral
💻 Opinion: Big tech isn’t making our lives better — here’s how to fight back
What else we’re reading
📝 Chula Vista councilmembers voted to place an initiative on the November ballot that would reshape the local governments structure along with granting them a $45,000 pay raise and extending their time in office by up to 12 years. (Voice of San Diego)
🔥 Temecula City Council and an east San Diego County planning group both passed resolutions expressing concern about two separate SDG&E projects and the risks they pose for wildfires. (KPBS)
Times of San Diego thanks our corporate sponsors. Find out more about sponsorships and advertising opportunities here.
Locals Only
☕️ We asked you: What’s the best coffee spot in Point Loma/Ocean Beach? Here’s what San Diegans had to say:
🥞 Jennings House Eatery on Rosecrans St. from Nancy A.
🍰 Azúcar on Newport Ave. from MJ R.
🫖 Acento on Rosecrans St. from Pete S.
☕️ OB Beans on Newport Ave. from Lauren H.
🧁 Marvelous Muffins on Shelter Island Dr. from Wendy G.
🌴 Selva Coffee House inside Terra Bella Nursery from Lindsey S.
☕️ Val’s Coffee Corner on Cable St. from Alex A.
⚓️ Coronado Coffee Company on 1st St. from Jess H.