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Marriott strike – from both sides

By Mike Madriaga On October 13, as we neared The Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, next door to Horton Plaza, the chants of the strikers in red shirts became louder. At the glass door entrances by the hotel loop, there were stanchions separating us from two protestors. “We are on strike and we ask you […]

2 months ago

Boy Pablo

By Mike Madriaga Bedroom pop fans can post a thank-you emoji to the algorithmic cupids of YouTube for reuniting Boy Pablo and Cuco at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Monday, Nov. 1. Los Angeles is the fifth city to host Boy Pablo’s Wachito Rico North America Tour. “‘Wachito Rico’ is Chilean slang for […]

3 months ago

Unexpected pain caused by Covid-19 Tenant Relief Act

By Mike Madriaga Bonnie Anderson is a 76-year-old business and property owner from Webster. Like many San Diegans, she’s rented part of her house near Federal and Euclid to pay for bills and the balance of her home’s mortgage . “The rent is only $1,200 a month, and I pay all utilities,” Anderson said to […]

3 months ago

Writerz Blok knocked down

By Mike Madriaga When word reached me that the walls of Writerz Blok, the first legal graffiti art park in the United States, were knocked down, I had to hear it and see it to believe it. On October 9, I pulled up to the Walgreens on Euclid and Market and parked my car. Writerz […]

3 months ago

700 gallons of used oil found in Otay Mesa

By Mike Madriaga On the morning of July 12, workers in the Otay Mesa area called the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to check on an abandoned, white-colored, Isuzu flatbed truck that contained about 700 gallons of used motor oil. “[It’s] a truck leaking what appeared to be motor oil, leaking possibly into the storm drain,” […]

3 months ago

Why Vespa theft in San Diego now?

By Mike Madriaga On June 2, the San Diego Police Department Facebooked a photo of a stolen red moped. “A community member notified us of a man parking a moped and then running away, which [the man who reported it] thought was suspicious,” SDPD captioned the photo in part. “After tracking down the registered owner, […]

3 months ago

Blue Frida Kahlo house southwest of San Diego State draws comments

By Mike Madriaga A day or so before June 24, an anonymous person living by the El Cerrito neighborhood enclosed a hand-written letter in an envelope that read “Why?” and “my gosh …. how sad,” — poking fun at the owner of a “bright Frida Kahlo blue color” painted home. On June 24, the owner […]

3 months ago

San Diego skate parks rule Tokyo

By Mike Madriaga North County athletes are sendin’ it from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games — including Bryce Wettstein, Jordyn Barratt, Cory Juneau, and Heimana Reynolds. Per their Olympic Games’ profiles, Bryce Wettstein, who is 17, was born and still resides in Encinitas; Barratt is 22 and dwells in Oceanside; Juneau, 22, was born in […]

3 months ago

Second person killed in Pershing Drive bike lane

By Mike Madriaga On September 28, City of San Diego personnel installed reflective bollards along Pershing Drive by the Balboa Park Golf Course across the street from the Morley Field Golf Disc Course by North Park. “The dividers went up the week [and three days] after the scooter incident,” Mary Garton said to me on […]

3 months ago

San Diego bike thefts soar

By Mike Madriaga “In 2020, 243 stolen bikes were reported to us, and ten were recovered,” he continued, “then, in 2021, 332 stolen bikes were reported to us, and it’s only October; 14 were reported recovered. These are our internal numbers showing results for a 25-mile radius around San Diego.” The nonprofit organization’s website and […]

4 months ago

240SX up in flames

By Mike Madriaga On September 16, a person who wore a dark-colored hoodie and carried a red-colored gas container walked up to Mervynn Fernandez’s 1990 Nissan 240SX near the Paradise Valley neighborhood on Dillard Street. “He poured gas on it and lit it on fire at 2:50 a.m.,” Fernandez said to me on September 26. […]

4 months ago

Teledyne touts San Diego and Chula Vista cop drones

By Mike Madriaga “I found your third suspect,” said Elias Rodriguez from the San Diego Police Department. “There’s a patrol unit parked on the [805] freeway with the flashers on. He’s between you and Franklin, midway up the hill hiding in the treeline.” Rodriguez, a tactical flight officer, was about 1386 feet above the Imperial […]

4 months ago

Were the crashes at Sycamore Den and Manhattan Club DUIs?

By Mike Madriaga On August 26, a driver of a yellow Kia Rio crashed into a tree in front of Top Gun Wash & Groom on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. “I had just crossed the street,” Jonathan Conklin explained to me via DM on September 4. “So, if I were 15 seconds slower in […]

5 months ago

Private train car “The America” broken into last week

By Mike Madriaga Over a week ago, a man broke into a private train car, which former President John F. Kennedy allegedly traveled in. It was parked at the Santa Fe Depot train station. “We attempted to speak to him, but he refused and went back into the railroad car,” posted the San Diego Police […]

5 months ago

Karol G in “Spotlight”

By Mike Madriaga The palabra within the off-road community is that reggaeton star Karol G has brought some new fans and racers into off-roadin’ culture. “I think it’s awesome that more women are getting involved in off-roading,” said Yolie Stover, who has covered the off-road racing scene since the ’90s, when Karol G was birthed […]

7 months ago

Redefining Media

Mike Madriaga is an award-winning multimedia journalist who has created content for various media outlets, including newspapers, television, magazines, radio stations, and blogs.

Mike is a writer, photographer, videographer, reporter, social-media editor, and video editor. In 2017-2021, his Mike Madriaga byline was attributed to over 400 articles worldwide.

With society’s demand for instant gratification at its fingertips, Mike has the knowledge and experience to document an event or subject and create a professional and timely multimedia package for your audience.

Marriott strike – from both sides

Boy Pablo

Unexpected pain caused by Covid-19 Tenant Relief Act

Writerz Blok knocked down

700 gallons of used oil found in Otay Mesa

Why Vespa theft in San Diego now?

San Diego skate parks rule Tokyo

San Diego bike thefts soar

240SX up in flames

Teledyne touts San Diego and Chula Vista cop drones

Were the crashes at Sycamore Den and Manhattan Club DUIs?

Private train car “The America” broken into last week

Karol G in “Spotlight”