A former San Diego TV reporter, Ricardo Berron, has been arrested by San Diego police on potential hate crime charges for allegedly shooting at two men while inquiring about their ethnicities in separate incidents. Berron, 46, who previously worked for Univision and Telemundo, was apprehended at San Diego International Airport as he was about to depart for a vacation, as reported by Fox 5.
Forensic evidence has linked Berron to two distinct shootings on Palomar Mountain, with investigators noting similarities between the incidents that suggest they are connected. The alleged hate crime charges stem from Berron reportedly shooting at two men while questioning their ethnic backgrounds.
In a statement, police mentioned that similarities between a recent incident on February 23 and a previous shooting on October 6, 2025, where a victim was shot in the arm, led them to believe the same suspect was responsible for both crimes.
The initial shooting in October involved Berron allegedly shooting a man near the summit of Palomar Mountain, as reported by 10news. The victim, Joseph Valentino, recounted how the gunman asked if he was Mexican before firing a shot that struck his arm. Following the incident, police conducted a search at Berron’s residence in Chula Vista and seized a firearm believed to have been used in at least one of the shootings.
During the more recent incident on February 23, Berron purportedly fired a round through a person’s driver’s side window in the same vicinity of Palomar Mountain. The victim managed to escape unharmed, stating that the shooter inquired about his ethnicity.
Berron has been charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and is currently held at the Vista Detention Facility. He has been released on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on March 17. Despite the allegations, Berron's wife has denied the accusations, asserting that authorities have mistaken her husband for the perpetrator.
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