Two men arrested in organized retail theft

Coast News:

Two men have been arrested in connection with a series of organized retail thefts in Encinitas involving nearly $6,700 in stolen goods, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

On Aug. 29, deputies from the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station responded to a reported theft at the REI store in the 1500 block of Leucadia Boulevard.

Authorities said a suspect, identified as 60-year-old Daniel Dipinto, fled the scene in a black Audi after allegedly stealing a Yeti cooler valued at nearly $300. The vehicle matched descriptions linked to previous shoplifting incidents in the area.

Investigators from the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) Unit connected Dipinto to additional thefts at multiple stores, including Target, REI, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Authorities said stolen items included Yeti coolers, Legos, Tumi bags and women’s clothing.

The investigation also led deputies to identify 34-year-old Omar Najera as an alleged accomplice. Officials allege Najera provided Dipinto with stolen credit card numbers in exchange for merchandise obtained during the thefts.

Dipinto appears to be a Cardiff resident.

Destiny Preston is down by 10 points and still won’t concede

Coast News:

District 2 candidate Destiny Preston, trailing Jim O’Hara by nearly 600 votes, told The Coast News she would “wait until all votes are counted and the final results are certified before making any statements.”

O’Hara currently leads with 3,218 votes, or 55.13%, over Preston’s 2,619 votes (44.87%). According to the Registrar of Voters, a total of 6,688 ballots were cast in District 2, with 851 votes remaining to be counted at the time of publication.

Reported rape of teenage girl in broad daylight in downtown Encinitas

At the time of the assault, the suspect was out on bail (or no bail) in another criminal case. HT: The Coast News:

Ehlers, Shaffer, O’Hara lead in early returns

San Diego Registrar:

Measure G, the SANDAG Tax, and Measure K, the Kranz tax, are trailing but close.

UPDATE: Next update Thursday evening, apparently:

Happy Election Day!

 Where are you watching the results and what are your best sources for real-time updates?