El Cajon Boulevard : 16 Held in Police Probe of Bars and Card Rooms

Sixteen San Diego men were arrested Wednesday morning after a seven-month probe of El Cajon Boulevard bars and card rooms by the San Diego police Crime Intelligence Unit, Lt. Ken Moller said.

An investigation into criminal activities occurring in eastern San Diego and Loma Portal area bars and card rooms resulted in 25 arrest warrants on 92 felony charges of bookmaking, selling narcotics and weapons, loan sharking, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

Those arrested were owners, employees and customers of Joni’s East bar, Oasis II Card Room, Royal Grande Card Room, College Billiards and the Star and Garter bar, all on El Cajon Boulevard, and Tommy’s Steak House on West Point Loma Boulevard. Moller said there was no conspiracy between those arrested.

Officers from the Narcotics Task Force, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), and federal and state parole departments helped in the roundup, serving the warrants simultaneously at the suspects’ homes at 7 a.m. Three of the 25 men were arrested earlier and are in custody, and authorities are still searching for six suspects, said Moller, who is in charge of the intelligence unit.