More than a quarter-century after a group of Rancho Penasquitos teenagers ambushed and beat five elderly Mexican nursery workers in McGonigle Canyon, the case is back in the local spotlight. The July 5, 2000 attack left one man, Andres Roman Diaz, badly injured and the others bruised and terrified. Prosecutors ultimately charged eight youths with robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and a hate crime, and the case quickly became a flashpoint in California’s drive to try more violent juveniles in adult court.
District Attorney Paul Pfingst pushed to move the teens into adult court under Proposition 21, the gang and juvenile crime initiative voters had approved earlier that year. As reported at the time by the Los Angeles Times, prosecutors argued that the planning and brutality of the assault justified treating the case like an adult prosecution. Coverage from CBS News noted that if the teens were convicted as adults, they were looking at roughly 12 to 16 years behind bars.
What Happened In The Canyon
The victims were five men who worked at Evergreen Nursery and slept in makeshift shelters tucked into McGonigle Canyon. According to a recent feature in the San Diego Reader, investigators say a group of local teens first drove by the encampment on Black Mountain Road, firing BBs from a vehicle. They later returned on foot, having armed themselves with a pellet pistol, rebar, a pitchfork and rocks, then beat and robbed the older men in their camp.
Victims and court records described a barrage of taunts and slurs, including “Mexican, go back to Mexico!” and “We’re gonna sic immigration on you!” Prosecutors pointed to those words when asking for hate crime enhancements, arguing that the violence was not just about theft but about targeting migrants who were already living on the margins.
Investigation And Arrests
After tips and follow-up leads, authorities moved in on several Rancho Penasquitos homes, arresting suspects who were then reported to be roughly 14 to 17 years old. The Los Angeles Times documented the arrests and highlighted Pfingst’s decision to file the charges in adult court, a move that drew immediate public scrutiny. Prosecutors described the attack in court as systematic and predatory, language that helped frame their push to keep the case out of juvenile court…