SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Multiple teens were taken into custody early Monday morning after police said they led officers on a pursuit that spanned several North County cities and then ended in a crash through the front gate to Camp Pendleton Escondido Police told ABC 10News that officers were responding to a report of a Hyundai Sonata that was stolen Sunday when they spotted the vehicle at El Norte Parkway and Iris Lane in Escondido just after 12 a.m When officers tried to pull the driver over Police said the car went onto state Route 78 and Interstate 5 After the car exited on Vandegrift Boulevard it proceeded towards the Camp Pendleton main gate the six occupants in the car — between the ages of 15 and 17 — were arrested; the teen driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft driving the vehicle without the owner’s consent The other teens were arrested for other unspecified crimes All of the teens sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment They were released to their parents at around 4 a.m. Police told ABC 10News there were empty bottles of alcohol in the car but it was unknown if the teens were drinking ABC 10News learned the California Highway Patrol and Camp Pendleton base police assisted Escondido Police with the response A U.S. Marine from California was identified by military officials Sunday as one of four people killed when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines died Thursday in the crash of an aircraft that was conducting a routine mission “providing intelligence and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies,” officials at Camp Pendleton Officials said the cause of the crash was under investigation Three defense contractors also were killed in the crash The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines confirmed the crash of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province The bodies of the four people were retrieved from the wreckage in Ampatuan town forces have been deployed in a Philippine military camp in the country’s south for decades to help provide training and advice to Filipino forces battling Muslim militants The region is home to minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation told The Associated Press on Thursday that she received reports that residents saw smoke coming from the plane and heard an explosion before the aircraft plummeted to the ground less than a kilometer (about half a mile) from a cluster of farmhouses Durham was trained as an electronic intelligence/electromagnetic warfare analyst assigned to 1st Radio Battalion I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group He joined the Marines in January 2021 and was promoted to his current rank on Feb Durham's awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Durham embodied the highest traditions of the Marine Corps — exemplifying composure “He was deeply respected and loved by his fellow Marines.” SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A Camp Pendleton-based Marine who was reported missing over two weeks ago was located by law enforcement and detained was last seen leaving the Coyote Bar & Grill in Carlsbad alone in the early morning hours of Aug He was reported missing after family members said Cameron’s phone and backpack were found the next morning on the curb outside Vigalucci’s law enforcement officials apprehended Bailey Cameron He was located and detained by the Provost Marshall’s Office aboard Camp Pendleton His parents have been notified of his current situation The Marine Corps is committed to ensuring the welfare of all its service members while upholding the highest standards of accountability further details regarding potential administrative or legal actions cannot be disclosed at this time We request that everyone respects the privacy of Bailey Cameron and his family We appreciate your understanding as we continue to process this matter in accordance with established military procedures and law.” 4 confirmed Cameron was located safe on the Camp Pendleton base but “he avoided” military officials who tried to contact him (KGTV) – One person was killed early Wednesday morning in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 just north of Camp Pendleton The crash was reported just after 1:30 a.m according to a California Highway Patrol sergeant at the scene The sergeant said an SUV and a sedan collided for unknown reasons on the freeway The vehicles then hit a tractor trailer that was parked on the right shoulder The crash left the occupants of both vehicles trapped ABC 10News learned one person in the SUV died at the scene; two of the SUV’s occupants were taken to the hospital The sedan’s lone occupant was freed from the wreckage and was also taken to the hospital for treatment The cause of the crash is under investigation (KGTV) — Crews are responding to a helicopter that made an emergency landing before bursting into flames According to the California Highway Patrol the military helicopter made an emergency landing on Camp Pendleton Smoke could be seen from I-5 north of the Aliso Creek Rest Area Delays were expected in the area following the incident — CHP Oceanside Area (@CHP_Oceanside) December 21, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Four Marines were killed Wednesday morning during a range maintenance operation at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Installations West — Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton “We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the Marines lost today in this tragic accident,” Bullard said “Our first priority is to provide the families with the support they need during this difficult time.” The identities of the Marines are being withheld pending notification of next of kin “Range maintenance is a regularly scheduled maintenance of our range to ensure safe use and to recover any obstructions to training,” base spokesman Cpl “That could be anything from cutting the grass “The accident took place in our Zulu impact area designed for artillery and bombs dropped from airplanes,” he said adding this specific incident is still under investigation This is the second time in two months that a Marine has been killed on a Southern California Marine Corps base a Marine died and four others were hurt during a training accident at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms was killed during an Integrated Training Exercise at the base the Corps’ largest West Coast expeditionary training facility encompasses more than 125,000 acres of Southern California terrain Located approximately 38 miles from downtown San Diego in north San Diego County and 82 miles south of Los Angeles Camp Pendleton has been the largest employer in North County for more than 60 years The base is home to the I Marine Expeditionary Force 1st Marine Logistics Group and many supporting units 2024 at 11:55 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Local aviation units will make scheduled flights in the area as part of standard operations ​ (Simone Hogan/Shutterstock)CAMP PENDLETON CA — Residents of coastal North San Diego County can expect increased military aircraft noise Friday from Camp Pendleton Camp Pendleton officials posted a noise advisory Thursday morning on social media warning residents about the noise Local aviation units will make scheduled flights Friday in the area as part of standard operations Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2025 at 12:08 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Agents found 19 packages of cocaine that weighed 47.51 pounds with an estimated street value of nearly $810,000 Customs and Border Protection)CAMP PENDLETON CA — Authorities seized nearly 50 pounds of cocaine after stopping a car on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton Agents from the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector stopped a sedan driving northbound on I-5 around 5:45 p.m "After a brief interview with the adult male driver the agents requested that a K-9 unit respond to the vehicle stop," a news release said "After a positive alert from the agency K-9 agents searched the trunk and discovered two white trash bags filled with cellophane-wrapped packages consistent with drug smuggling." The agents from the San Clemente station took the the vehicle driver and adult male passenger to a nearby patrol station They found 19 packages of cocaine that weighed 47.51 pounds The Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of the cocaine while the Border Patrol seized the vehicle The driver and passenger were facing drug trafficking charges The seizure was the most recent in a string of Border Patrol interdictions along interstate highways in the San Diego area Officials seized 18 pounds of fentanyl along I-15 on Feb 19 and 143 pounds of cocaine along I-5 on Feb 2025 at 2:43 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}There were 81 personnel assigned to the fire CA — Crews have fully contained a wildfire that sparked early Tuesday morning in the Pala area of San Diego County north of Interstate 15 and state Route 76 in Pala Cal Fire officials initially said the blaze blackened 30 acres before crews stopped forward progress of the flames. The burn area was later mapped at 17 acres The fire was 100 percent contained as of 11 a.m A total of 81 personnel were assigned to the fire "Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow," Cal Fire said Tuesday morning An evacuation order was issued for residents in the area but later lifted according to North County Fire Protection District and the San Diego County Sheriff's Office The cause of the fire was under investigation The fire was one of three blazes that sparked amid red flag weather conditions early Tuesday morning in North County The Lilac Fire blackened 80 acres in the Bonsall area, according to Cal Fire. Evacuation orders and warnings were in effect The Riverview Fire scorched about an acre in Fallbrook An evacuation order was issued but later lifted for residents in the area according to North County Fire Protection District A red flag warning was in effect until 10 p.m Tuesday for the county's inland valleys and mountains A high wind warning was in effect until 4 p.m A fire weather watch was also issued for 6 p.m SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A 20-year-old man killed in a rollover crash in the Oceanside area over the weekend was a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton with the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Logistics Group Burger also said two passengers who were injured in the incident are also Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton The California Highway Patrol said the single-vehicle crash happened at around 5:45 a.m a black BMW 440I was heading north when -- for reasons under investigation -- it veered to the left and into the center median guard rail overturned and collided with a call box and barbed wire fence Emergency crews arrived to perform life-saving measures on the male driver The CHP identified the driver as a 20-year-old from Mount Vernon A 21-year-old male passenger from Oceanside sustained major non-life threatening injuries and was hospitalized CHP officials said a 19-year-old female passenger suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment at the scene it is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs played a role in the crash Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Oceanside Area CHP office at 760-643-3400 SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The U.S. military Friday publicly identified two Navy men who were killed this week along with a third person in a predawn traffic pileup on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton and 37-year-old Stephen Williams of Texas were among a group of four motorcyclists whose two-wheelers crashed into one or more vehicles that had collided and become disabled in the southbound lanes of the freeway in the area of Las Pulgas Road at about 3 a.m according to the Navy and the California Highway Patrol Williams and Davis died at the scene of the accident along with one of the other motorcyclists The third rider's name has not been released Paramedics took the fourth motorcyclist to a hospital for treatment of serious trauma along with four other people who suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity in the wreck Davis served aboard the Point Loma-based attack submarine USS Alexandria and Williams was assigned to Southwest Regional Maintenance Center in San Diego The Marine killed Tuesday at Camp Pendleton in what base officials described as a “ground mishap” was a 23-year-old aircraft avionics technician Maya served with the Marine Helicopter Light Attack Training Squadron 303 based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton The squadron is attached to Marine Air Group 39 The wing has its headquarters at nearby Marine Corps Air Station Miramar The Marines first reported a fatality during “routine military operations” Tuesday but updated the incident to “an aviation ground mishap” when they identified Maya on Friday as the Marine who was killed Maya’s squadron conducts extensive training on the UH-1Y and AH-1W helicopters for pilots and ground crews It has about 300 Marines and sailors attached to the squadron The death of Maya is the latest of several fatal incidents involving Marines in the United States this year Colin Arslanbas died April 18 during a late-night training exercise near Camp Lejeune was assigned to the Maritime Special Purpose Force with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Two other Marines have died during training at Pendleton in recent months Bylski was an amphibious combat vehicle crewman assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1/5 of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Fourteen other Marines were in the vehicle when it flipped on land died during a live-fire training exercise at the service’s infantry school at Camp Pendleton 2025 at 10:35 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The crash was reported at 7:40 a.m Monday on state Route 78 in between El Camino Real and Jefferson Street in Oceanside according to the California Highway Patrol CA — A multi-vehicle crash involving a cement truck prompted traffic delays Monday morning in northern San Diego County on state Route 78 in between El Camino Real and Jefferson Street in Oceanside A cement truck overturned and collided with the center divider wall Smaller vehicles were involved in the crash and there was a significant amount of debris Authorities issued a SigAlert for the area All westbound and at least one eastbound lane on SR-78 at Jefferson Street were initially blocked two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane remained closed (KGTV) – A crash involving several vehicles on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton left at least three men dead and forced the closure of a stretch of the freeway early Thursday morning The crash on southbound I-5 at Las Pulgas Road occurred at around 3 a.m. with the California Highway Patrol reporting numerous motorcycles involved in the incident CHP officials said a Jeep -- for reasons unknown -- crashed into the left shoulder guardrail An oncoming Mercedes-Benz van struck the disabled Jeep a group of four oncoming motorcycles collided with the van and Jeep three of the motorcyclists were pronounced dead at the scene while the fourth was taken to the hospital Navy spokesman Brian O'Rourke confirmed to ABC 10News that two of the three men who died were sailors Two people who were inside the Jeep were flown to Scripps La Jolla Hospital to receive treatment for their major The driver and a passenger in the van suffered moderate injuries Due to the emergency response to the crash all southbound I-5 lanes between Las Pulgas Road and state Route 76 were shut down the right two lanes on I-5 south at Las Pulgas Road were reopened The left lanes were still closed at that time Update: SB I-5 at Las Pulgas Rd, right two lanes have reopened - left lanes remain closed. pic.twitter.com/ezCwoyc0d5 Officers were still in the process of finishing up their investigation and clearing debris CHP is still working to determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash motorists on southbound I-5 near the scene were being diverted to go onto northbound I-5 Drivers who were diverted northbound from the area and drivers coming from Orange or Los Angeles counties on southbound I-5 were advised to take state Route 74 or state route 91 to Interstate 15 At least two lanes and an offramp at northbound I-5 at Cristianitos Road were also closed OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — The Camp Pendleton Marine who was recently charged after a missing 14-year-old girl was found in the base's barracks at the end of June faces three counts of sexual assault and two "breach of restriction" counts A Marine Corps public affairs officer shared the redacted charge sheet with ABC 10News via email Wednesday morning Specifically, the sexual assault charges are "of a child who has attained the age of 12 years," the document states. It alleges the assault happened "on or about" June 27, which is the day before the girl was found at the base RELATED: Missing teenage girl found at Camp Pendleton The first breach of restriction charge alleges the Marine was supposed to stay on the base The second charge accuses the Marine of riding as a passenger in a non-government vehicle when he was ordered not to these violations happened "on or about" June 27 first reported her missing to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department on June 13 She told deputies the girl had run away on June 9 and several times beforehand it was strange for her to be gone for several days The missing teen's information was entered into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database which is accessible to a wide range of law enforcement agencies Military police informed the sheriff's department the teen was located at Camp Pendleton on June 28 ABC 10News spoke to the teen's aunt in July and again in August She described what happened to her as “upsetting and absolutely unacceptable.” “She's doing as well as you can in such a traumatic event RELATED: Family of missing teen found at Camp Pendleton demands transparency, justice The preliminary hearing for the Marine is scheduled for 8:30 a.m The command at the base will weigh all the charges and evidence before deciding whether to move forward with the court-martial process CAMP PENDLETON (CNS) — A pedestrian was killed Saturday after being fatally struck by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County The train collision occurred just before 2:20 a.m Saturday near mile-post marker 219.5 on the North County Transit District train tracks that travel through the base according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Military police and Camp Pendleton fire personnel responded to the collision and declared the victim dead at the scene ``The Sheriff's Transit Enforcement Unit investigates incidents that occur along the routes of the North County Transit District which BNSF uses,'' the department announced An identification and manner of death will be disclosed pending notification of the victim's family The sheriff's department assisted in the collision to conduct an investigation No further information was immediately available Authorities urged anyone with information about the collision to call the sheriff's department at 858-565-5200 2024 at 8:00 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Cpl Charles "Alex" Benfield​ was reported missing April 15 after failing to report for duty following weekend liberty in the San Diego area according to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.​ (Simone Hogan/Shutterstock)CAMP PENDLETON CA — A Camp Pendleton Marine was found safe after not reporting for duty last week Charles "Alex" Benfield was reported missing April 15 after failing to report for duty following weekend liberty in the San Diego area according to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Benfield was contacted by law enforcement Saturday evening the communication strategy and operations director for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit confirmed to Patch He initially reported that Benfield was found Sunday "Benfield was reported to be safe and is no longer considered a missing person," Tuthill said "He was contacted in person by a law enforcement officer and they determined that he is safe," Tuthill further told Patch in an interview Tuesday law enforcement took him off of their missing persons database." Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed with Patch on Wednesday that Benfield "is no longer considered a missing person." Tuthill noted that Benfield was not detained during his contact with law enforcement Benfield is a field artillery cannoneer assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Battalion Landing Team 1/5 He was detained by the San Diego Police Department on April 14 for public intoxication and released later that day Marines from Benfield's unit searched downtown San Diego for nearly eight hours to find him He was placed on unauthorized absence status "We will not speculate on any potential administrative or disciplinary actions related to his absence," he said "I'm sure the family is worried," Tuthill said Tuthill expressed the military's appreciation for the community's concern for Benfield "We sincerely appreciate the public's outpouring of concern for this Marine and his family especially from the San Diego community," he said "The Marine Corps deeply values its strong relationships with our local communities." The group of women will embark on a 29-day course, known as Marine Combat Training Battalion in infantry training and tactics alongside male Marines The new female students are expected to check in today MCT is a condensed replica of the School of Infantry that produces 0311 riflemen Marines not holding an infantry job attend MCT to maintain the Corps’ mantra of “every Marine a rifleman.” The other of the two MCT schools is located on Camp Geiger at Camp Lejeune Gender integration at MCT isn’t a new concept — male and female Marines have been training together at Camp Lejeune for some time now With all female recruits trained at MCRD Parris Island attending MCT just one state away made sense But as the Corps continues to push gender integration across combat arms and recruit training including the West Coast in that effort has become necessary Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force and her machine-gun team maneuver to their support by fire position in preparation to engage targets during a Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity assessment at Range 107 Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms the GCEITF will conduct individual and collective level skills training in designated ground combat arms occupational specialties in order to facilitate the standards-based assessment of the physical performance of Marines in a simulated operating environment performing specific ground combat arms tasks.Boot camp at MCRD San Diego is still all male males attending follow on training wound up in all-male MCT courses at Camp Pendleton One of the oft repeated criticisms of the Corps’ attempts at gender integration has been the lack of exposure for young male Marines to female colleagues and female leadership early in training has led to a perception by some junior male Marines that females cannot meet the same standards Slow and steady strides at basic training and MCT have been made to include some integrated training with male and female Marines at Parris Island but none of these changes have migrated west — until now “The Marines will be fully integrated at the platoon and squad level with their male counterparts as part of Lima Company,” Marine Corps Training Command said no other changes are being made to the MCT program The Corps expects to train 1,700 women there annually once the integration at MCT-West is complete Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran (KGTV) — Military officials say they are investigating an alleged assault that occurred at Camp Pendleton this week A Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed to ABC 10News that they "are aware of an alleged assault that occurred aboard Camp Pendleton 2021." The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla The spokesperson said Naval Criminal Investigative Service was currently investigating the incident No other information was immediately released Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is home to the I Marine Expeditionary Force and serves as the USMC's prime amphibious training base on the west coast Orange and Riverside counties to the north Amphibious and sea-to-shore training takes place at several key points along the base's 17 miles of coastline and the remote northern interior is an impact area Visit our Customer Support center for solutions or to contact us.