East County Probation Sweep Nets 17 Arrests

Editor's Note: The San Diego Sheriff's Department made the following announcement on Friday, Feb. 21.

17 arrests were made following a multi-agency probation sweep in the East County. The probation checks were held from 6 a.m. through 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. Deputies and officers visited probationers in Santee, Lakeside and El Cajon to see if they were following the conditions of their release. Deputies and officers also worked closely with Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Enforcement at San Diego Trolley stations in the area to conduct compliance checks on passengers. 

This operation is part of the Regional Realignment Response Group. The goal is to track known offenders and their associates. Deputies then tie that information to actual crimes and devote resources to address safety issues in our neighborhoods. 

Realignment went into effect in 2011, in response to a federal court order for California to reduce overcrowding in its prisons. It shifts responsibility for non-violent criminals from the state to local level by sending some offenders to county jails instead of prisons. 

The following were arrested during the probation sweep: 

• Rebecca Bashaw - Warrant 
• Reyna Doerr - Possession of a controlled substance, under the influence of a controlled substance and child endangerment 
• Marco Gaona - Obstruction of justice 
• Steven Hopkins - Warrant
• Phillip Johnson - Under the influence of a controlled substance and narcotics paraphernalia
• Max Leonard - Warrant 
• Dennis Miljour - Warrant
• Erik Nemec - Multiple warrants 
• Nathan Raaka - Unlicensed driver
• Javier Rodriguez - Probation violation 
• Mark Smithson - Narcotics and possession of a controlled substance
• Anthony Sotelo - Narcotics and probation violation 
• David Walker - Arrested for two separate cases: probation violation and restraining order violation 
• Rico Welch - Obstruction of justice and probation violation
• Arthur Whitney - Warrant 
• John Wayne Young - Warrant 

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department worked with the following agencies in conducting the probation sweep: La Mesa Police, Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Enforcement, San Diego County Probation and San Diego Police.