GTT is the beneficiary of an art raffle to support our new Project AVOW!  (Take a vow to end violence against women).  Come out next Thursday to benefit GTT at a mixer and recycle/reuse clothing swap at the Hive downtown, 770 11th Avenue, from 6-9 pm.   There will be food, drink and speakers on “greening” businesses and sustainable materials in the fashion industry.  Proceeds from the benefit will also support GTT partner Shakti Rising, a local organization devoted to transforming young women’s lives after suffering trauma such as violence or abuse.  Cost of the event is $10.  Invite your friends!   

We will hold a Project AVOW committee meeting at 5:15 pm at the Hive before the benefit begins.  Feel free to join us and/or email Helen at helenz@zhlaw.com if you would like more information about this project.

Pattern of assaults prompts warning to women

Robberies, sex attacks have targeted Asians

By Kristina Davis (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO — Police are asking San Diego women to remain vigilant as investigators hunt for a man believed to be responsible for a string of violent home-invasion robberies and sexual assaults against Asian women.

Authorities said yesterday they have tentatively linked the assailant to at least five attacks over the past nine months, including the recent robberies in Carmel Valley.

In all five cases, the attacker has targeted Asian women as they arrived home, threatened them with a knife and demanded money, said San Diego police Capt. Jim Collins. Two of the victims were raped, one was groped and one was threatened with rape.

All the attacks occurred between noon and 5 p.m.

“There are a lot of similarities. When we see a pattern like this, we feel the need to warn the public,” Collins said.

The two rapes occurred June 6 in the College Area on Montezuma Road and Nov. 7 at the Mesa graduate student housing complex at the University of California San Diego.

Both victims had just arrived home and left the front door unlocked.

The third attack occurred Jan. 16 on Camino Playa de Oro in Tierrasanta, where a woman was knocked down in her garage as she arrived home.

The two most recent cases occurred in Carmel Valley, on Feb. 10 on Whispering Hills Lane and on March 4 on Carmel View Road. In both instances, a man followed the victims into their garages. He threatened to rape one woman and groped the other.

The description, while vague, is similar in all the attacks: a white or Latino male in his 20s or 30s, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, of thin to medium build.

The victim in the UCSD incident is the only one who has been able to provide a detailed description for a sketch.

Residents are encouraged to keep all doors locked when at home and to be aware of their surroundings when returning home.

Authorities suggest that if a suspicious person is spotted near your home, drive around the block first to see if the person is gone. If not, call police and keep a safe distance.

Anyone with information on the attacks is asked to call San Diego police at (619) 531-2299. Anonymous tips can also be left with Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Today in the San Diego Tribune it was reported that crime has fallen in San Diego with only a blip on the screen that rape is up nearly 1/3!   How are San Diego’s women not outraged by this?  Join us in our dignified rage about sexual violence in our community.  We have to bring this silent epidemic out into the light in our communities and stop rape in San Diego. 

Crime falls for a third year in a row

Number of rapes rises significantly

By Kristina Davis

2:00 a.m. January 30, 2009

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Online: For a detailed crime report, go to sandiego.gov/ mayor/news

SAN DIEGO — Crime in San Diego dropped by 8 percent over the past year, marking the third consecutive year of declining crime, Mayor Jerry Sanders announced yesterday.

Violent crime, including homicide, robbery and assault, was down about 5 percent, while property crime, including auto theft and burglary, was down about 9 percent.

The only type of crime to jump substantially was rape, from 296 incidents in 2007 to 376 in 2008, an increase of 27 percent.

Police Chief William Lansdowne said much of that rise can be attributed to programs in high schools and colleges that encourage young people to report the crime, especially acquaintance rape and rape involving alcohol.

“We found that people were very reluctant to report the crime, and now we’re seeing a lot of that reluctance has gone away,” Lansdowne said during a news conference at the department’s Northern Division. “We hope next year to see a reduction.”

Crime attributed to gangs had an 8 percent increase overall, but police say a concentrated effort to combat gang violence over the year has made quite a difference.

According to the data, gang homicides decreased 25 percent; drive-by shootings are were down 42 percent; and arrests of gang members were up 5 percent.

However, robberies and assaults by gang members continue to be an issue.

“Gangs are a cancer on every city in America today,” Lansdowne said.

Assistant Chief Cesar Solis said gang officers are focusing on the growing trend of gang members targeting people leaving parties.

In December, high school students Monique Palmer, 17, and Michael Taylor, 15, were shot to death after leaving a party in Valencia Park.

In an effort to quell some of the violence, authorities had a sit-down with all the members of a large southeastern San Diego gang and offered them help to get out of the lifestyle. Those in the meeting included Lansdowne and representatives from the District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and several other social service providers. The idea of the gang summit came from the mayor’s wife, Rana Sampson.

Solis said a few gang members have since expressed interest in the help.

Kristina Davis: (619) 542-4591; kristina.davis@uniontrib.com