SAN DIEGO — As 2022 comes to a close, FOX 5 is taking a look back at some of the biggest local stories our newsroom covered this year.
Below are some of the major headlines that appeared on FOX5SanDiego.com over the last 12 months, listed by publish date.
January 15: San Diego under tsunami advisory after volcano erupts in Pacific
An undersea volcano erupted near the Pacific nation of Tonga, briefly prompting a tsunami advisory and hazardous conditions on the water in San Diego.
January 25: ‘Charlie Brown’ voice actor dies at 65
Carlsbad native Peter Robbins, the voice actor who brought Charlie Brown to life in the “Peanuts” cartoons from the 1960s, died at age 65.
January 29: 4 arrested after San Diego Zoo Skyfari ride shuts down for over an hour
Four Marines were arrested on suspicion of vandalizing the Skyfari Aerial Tram at San Diego Zoo, triggering a shutdown and causing some passengers to be stuck on the ride for up to two hours, authorities said.
February 2: Savaii Seau, brother of Chargers legend Junior Seau, dies in car crash
Savaii Seau, the older brother of San Diego Chargers legend Junior Seau, died in a car crash in Lakeside, officials said.
February 5: Navy SEAL candidate dies, another hospitalized in San Diego
A candidate for the Navy SEALs died, and another was hospitalized in San Diego, after completing a training phase commonly referred to as Hell Week, a representative for the Navy confirmed to the Associated Press.
March 5: Garth Brooks’ concert breaks attendance record at Petco Park
Country music legend Garth Brooks played to a sold-out crowd at Petco Park, breaking an attendance record with more than 50,000 fans filling the field and stands.
March 9: Video shows men brawl on freeway after crash
Two men brawled in the middle of the freeway after a crash on Interstate 5 near downtown San Diego.
April 16: Man dies after getting trapped in North County car wash
A man died after he got trapped between the machinery and his vehicle at an Escondido car wash, police said.
April 27: CHP officer hospitalized in freeway shooting
A California Highway Patrol officer was shot on Interstate 8 in the Mission Valley area, causing the freeway to shut down, authorities said.
May 1: $38M lottery ticket sold at San Diego 7-Eleven
A lottery ticket worth $38 million was sold at a San Diego-area 7-Eleven, according to the California Lottery.
May 4: Tom Cruise attends ‘Top Gun’ sequel screening for sailors at North Island
Ahead of the world premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick” in San Diego, the stars of the sequel came to town for a series of events.
May 15: ‘Fully operational’ cross-border drug tunnel found in San Diego
Tijuana police and members of Mexico’s National Guard discovered a drug tunnel, calling it “fully operational.”
June 13: Stray dog wanders into gorilla habitat at SD Zoo Safari Park
A stray dog was rescued after it wandered into the gorilla enclosure at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, San Diego Humane Society and zoo officials said.
June 15: Loved ones remember recent grad swept to sea off Mission Beach
The 18-year-old who was swept into the ocean was at Mission Beach celebrating his high school graduation, a friend of his family says.
June 15: Two ‘probable’ monkeypox cases identified in San Diego County
San Diego County health officials identified two “probable” cases of monkeypox in the region, marking the first known appearance of the virus in the area.
July 12: Sea lions in viral video were chasing each other, expert says
A marine mammal expert shed light on a viral video that shows two bull sea lions causing dozens of people to flee the La Jolla Cove area.
July 14: San Diego County enters ‘high’ COVID level: CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved San Diego County back into its highest level of local concern, the “high” category, after it had been listed as “medium” since May.
July 14: Officials shut down illicit nightclub in San Diego warehouse
Neighbors reported “noise, all-night parties, underage strippers” and more illegal activity at a San Diego warehouse that operated as an unpermitted nightclub until authorities shut it down, city officials said.
July 16: Brilliant fireball spotted over San Diego County
A streak of light caught the eye of San Diego residents and people across Southern California.
August 2: San Diego County declares public health emergency over monkeypox
San Diego County officials held a press conference declaring a public health emergency in response to monkeypox.
August 3: Dr. Seuss’ La Jolla home on sale for the first time in 75 years
The home of Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as “Dr. Seuss,” hit the market for the first time in 75 years.
August 12: Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. gets 80-game PED suspension
Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. will not play this season after Major League Baseball suspended him for a positive performance-enhancing drug test, the league announced.
August 12: Mexico violence prompts shelter-in-place warning from US Consulate
The U.S. Consulate General Tijuana instructed American government employees to shelter-in-place after violence in parts of Baja California.
September 7: $1.2 million in cash seized by police after anonymous tip sent in to Crime Stoppers
An anonymous tip sent into the San Diego Crime Stoppers led police to the discovery of more than $1.2 million in cash.
September 13: Vista High football players accused of misconduct
Deputies with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s Vista Station investigated a physical altercation at Vista High School, authorities said.
October 15: Padres win NLDS, eliminating Dodgers in Game 4 downpour
The San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park, winning the game 5-3 and championing the best-of-five series for the home team.
October 28: Group of thieves rob Nordstrom La Jolla at UTC during store hours
Surveillance video obtained by FOX 5 shows between seven to nine suspects taking what police say was around $140,000 worth of items and escape from the scene in a matter of two minutes.
October 28: California Lottery player makes last-minute claim for $38 million San Diego SuperLotto Plus prize
California Lottery player filled out a last-minute claim at the lottery’s San Diego office for the $38 million jackpot from the April 30 SuperLotto Plus that was set to expire the same day they came in, lottery officials said.
November 1: Longtime San Diego radio hosts Dave Rickards and Cookie ‘Chainsaw’ Randolph announce retirement
iHeartMedia San Diego announced Dave Rickards and Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph, co-hosts of the “DSC” morning radio show on 101.5 KGB, would be retiring this December.
November 4: Woman bitten by shark near Del Mar beach
A juvenile white shark bit a woman in the leg at Del Mar Beach shark, according to Del Mar Lifeguards.
November 8: California General Election
In San Diego County, residents voted for a new sheriff, and voters in several cities made their picks for mayor. Four San Diego City Council seats were up for grabs, along with the San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 4 and 5 seats.
December 6: San Diego restaurant awarded prestigious third Michelin star
The prestigious Michelin guide honored a new batch of restaurants in California with a highly coveted one, two or three stars, including San Diego’s first eatery to be awarded a third star.
December 9: Orion spacecraft no longer landing off San Diego coast: NASA
The Orion spacecraft was initially set to splash down off the San Diego coast when it returned to Earth’s surface, but NASA decided on a new landing site west of Baja California near Guadalupe Island due to weather conditions. The capsule then returned to dry land at Naval Base San Diego.
December 21: SEAL Team 1 commander found dead at home
The commanding officer of SEAL Team 1 was found dead at his San Diego County home, the U.S. Navy said.
December 21: Ex-SDSU football star Ronnie Hillman dead at 31, family says
Ronnie Hillman, a former San Diego State Aztec and NFL running back, died at the age of 31, his family announced on the football player’s social media account.
December 26: Southwest Airlines cancels all flights at San Diego airport amid holiday travel
There was mass confusion and frustration at San Diego International Airport, with travelers waiting for hours in long lines to find out when they can fly out after ongoing flight delays and cancelations.
