FOUR STRIP-CLUB WORKERS ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES - U-T San Diego

lemon grove

Four employees were arrested and narcotics were seized after an undercover operation at a Lemon Grove strip club turned up illegal activity, sheriff's officials said Friday.

Search warrants were served at 10:55 p.m. Thursday at the Little Darlings nightclub on Broadway near state Route 125, sheriff's Lt. Hank Turner said.

Detectives took one man into custody on suspicion of selling drugs and three women on drug possession charges. Cocaine and ecstasy were the drugs confiscated, Turner said.

He said the raid followed an eight month uncover investigation prompted by citizen complaints. Detectives found the club's dancers and employees were selling narcotics and that prostitution was occurring there, Turner said.

The business was also selling alcohol without a license and had an illegal, indoor hookah lounge, he said.

About 15 dancers were at the all-nude entertainment business when the raid occurred, and fewer than a dozen customers, he said.

Debbi Baker • U-T

Ramona woman, 18, dies in crash on San Vicente Road

east county

An 18-year-old Ramona woman died Thursday night in a single-vehicle crash on San Vicente Road, the Medical Examiner's Office said.

The crash was reported about 9:30 p.m. near Wildcat Canyon Road.

Authorities said the 2004 Hyundai Elantra went off the road on a westbound curve at about 65 mph. The car hit a patch of rocks on the right shoulder, then went off the road and slammed against a tree, California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein said.

The driver, whose name was not released, died at the scene.

A motorist who reported the crash said the car almost hit his vehicle head-on, according to the CHP website.

Pauline Repard • U-T

Man who tried to burglarize truck shoots at homeowner

Scripps Ranch

A Scripps Ranch resident was shot at early Friday by a man who had been trying to burglarize the resident's truck, San Diego police said.

The man called police at 1:41 a.m. from his home on Olive Knoll Court and said he found the man inside his truck, which was parked inside his open garage, police said. He appeared to be rifling through the glove compartment, police said.

When the intruder spotted the homeowner, he ran away. But as he ran, he turned and fired a shot at the resident, who was not hit, police said.

Debbi Baker • U-T

Fire out on Camp Pendleton after burning 50 to 70 acres

camp pendleton

A blaze that charred 50 to 70 acres on Camp Pendleton on Thursday burned itself out by evening, a base fire department spokesman said Friday.

Artillery training in the Whiskey Impact area at the north end of the base sparked the fire in a brushy canyon about 2:30 p.m., said Fire Inspector Bill Gick of the Camp Pendleton Fire Department.

Smoke billowed into Riverside County, but the fire was not a threat to structures, Gick said. He said the smoke settled down in the late afternoon air and drifted into Fallbrook.

"It burned itself out when it ran out of fuel," the inspector said.