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Private ownership and restored icon mark Memorial Day at Soledad cross
LAJOLLAVILLAGENEWS.COM | VOLUME 18, NUMBER 16
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016
DEEP FRIED WALKING
Miller pleads not guilty in mall stabbing
By DAVE SCHWAB
By NEAL PUTNAM
Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Association's mission is to create and maintain a monument paying homage to veterans who've honorably served our country and to educate the public on the contributions of military personnel throughout our nation's history. And recent developments are contributing toward that end. Most important, after more than two decades of controversy, the area immediately surrounding the landmark 40-foot-tall cross is privately owned. It was a watershed year in 2015 for the association. “We took possession of the memorial from the federal government as a result of the Defense Appropriations Act of 2014,” said Lou Scanlon, the association's chief executive. “The association paid the government a little more than $1.4 million and now owns the memorial and the property within the inner sidewalk that encircles the memorial.” Since taking ownership, the association has also brought electricity to the site and lit the United States flag, which was previously
The suspect accused of repeatedly stabbing a biotech executive near the Westfield UTC in 2014 has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Odie James Miller, Jr., now 22, has another psychiatric evaluation set for June 28 from jail. He returned from Patton State Hospital months ago after a judge and doctors determined he was mentally competent to stand trial. Deputy District Attorney Geoff Allard said Tuesday a trial date will be set on July 21 in San Diego Superior Court. The concept of insanity is separate from mental competency to stand trial. If a jury found he was insane at the time of the crime, he would be committed to a state mental hospital. Miller is accused of attempted murder and assault of the 44year-old victim on Aug. 6, 2014. He was stabbed several dozen times at 12:15 p.m. in the vicinity of Renaissance Avenue and Towne Centre Drive. Miller did not know the victim, and so far, it appears to be a random attack. Miller’s father said at the time his son has a mental illness and was off his medications at the time of the attack.
SEE CROSS >> PG. 4
Deep-fried pizza, deep-fried lemonade and just about anything that can fit in the fryer, plus steampunkers and an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme, should keep fairgoers Mad About the Fair, which starts June 3 in Del Mar. See story on page 17 for more on the fair. PHOTO BY LAINIE FRASER