Crime and Public-Safety News: Arrest made in Point Loma Heights homicide, Ocean Beach home-invasion reported
Arrest made in Point Loma Heights homicide
Peter Bentz, 68, was reported missing to the San Diego Police Department on Dec. 7, 2017, after he failed to attend Thanksgiving dinner at a relative’s house. When he was not heard from for several days, family members called police. Bentz was last seen on Nov. 19, 2017 at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach .
The case was initially investigated by the Adult Missing Person’s Unit. During the course of the investigation, several searches were conducted and numerous leads were pursued. Missing Person and Homicide Detectives conducted an extensive investigation, but were unable to locate Bentz. Developments led investigators to classify the case as a homicide.
San Diego Homicide Detectives continued the investigation and identified the suspect in Bentz’s murder to be his former acquaintance, Brian Hancock, 47, of National City.
Hancock was in-custody on another matter and was charged with the murder of Peter Bentz. He was slated to be arraigned on June 12 in San Diego Superior Court.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
Ocean Beach home-invasion reported
San Diego Police report that on May 31 at about 11:22 p.m., two male suspects knocked on the front door of a home on the 4900 block of West Point Loma Boulevard. The victim, a 69-year-old female, told police she started to open the door when they pushed it open and knocked her onto the floor.
The suspects went through the victim’s cabinets and then fled out the front door in an unknown direction. There was no loss. The suspects were both described as black males, 6 feet tall, thin with short hair. They were in their 20s and wearing black sweatsuits.
Robbery detectives are investigating.
Pot dispensary raided for second time in Midway District
Narcotics agents were on familiar ground a few weeks ago when they raided a Midway District marijuana dispensary — for the second time. Officials said the dispensary that had operated under the name Sacred Source Dispensary reopened as Cannabis Sanctuary.
A San Diego police narcotics team had raided the place on Midway Drive near Fordham Street on Feb. 9, Lt. Matt Novak said. At that time, police seized about 7 pounds of cannabis products, $1,200 in cash and a handgun, and cited five employees for running Sacred Source Sanctuary without a City permit.
The business changed its name to Cannabis Sanctuary and kept operating “in defiance of local and state laws,” Novak said in a statement. Officers served a new search warrant at the business April 17.
They seized 1.5 pounds of high-grade marijuana, cannabis edibles and concentrates, and about $1,300 in cash, Novak said.
Two employees were cited on charges of possession of marijuana for sale and operating a business without a permit. Novak said the owners were not there but will face charges.
Narcotics teams have been hitting unlicensed marijuana dispensaries for several months. — The San Diego-Union Tribune
FBI says ‘Think Before You Post’
The FBI has launched a national campaign that highlights the consequences people can face if they post hoax threats online that target schools and other public places.
The effort, dubbed #ThinkBeforeYouPost, reminds would-be pranksters that hoax threats are not a joke and could result in federal or state charges. If convicted, people making hoax threats could face up to five years in prison.
This FBI campaign follows similar moves by police and school districts over the issue of school threats, including the “if you see something, say something” public service announcements produced by San Diego students this month.
“We are all trying to do the same thing,” said FBI spokeswoman Davene Butler.
“We want to have people be aware we are looking at this and are taking it seriously. ... Everybody is looking for it.”
A video on the campaign has been posted on YouTube and a FBI podcast explores the topic.
“If there is any reason to believe the safety of others is at risk, we ask that the public immediately reach out to their local police department by calling 911, or contact the FBI via tips.fbi.gov or over the phone (1-800-CALL-FBI),” reads a statement from the FBI.