The Coast News
THE COAST NEWS
.com VISTA, SAN MARCOS, ESCONDIDO
VOL. 10, N0.16
AUG. 18, 2023
SAN MARCOS -NEWS
Former swim instructor, . 20, pleads guilty
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Piazza faces prison THE VISTA for child sex NEWS crimes By Laura Place
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al assistance to 96 Vista families since 2020, using Community Development Block Grant and state funds. Councilmember Joe Green said he is hopeful that with the boost from ARPA funds, this program can help four times as many families in need throughout Vista. “To be able to allocate those funds to help that many people is amazing,” Green said. “A lot of these people have never struggled financially like they’re struggling right now. With inflation and COVID and the economy, there’s just so much going on right now.” Experts say more residents are facing dire financial circumstances than ever before, with the Regional Task Force on Homelessness reporting an 18% increase in first-time homelessness between 2020 and 2022. Ongoing economic inflation and residual COVID-19 impacts
VISTA — A former North County swim instructor is set to serve eight years in prison after pleading guilty Aug. 8 in Vista to felony and misdemeanor child molestation charges. Nicholas Piazza, 20, pleaded guilty to one felony count of lewd and lascivious acts against RANCHO a minor under 14 and two misdemeanor counts of annoying or SFNEWS molesting a child. Piazza was arrested in the summer of 2021 on suspicion of inappropriately touching a six-year-old boy during a swim lesson while working as a swim instructor at Callan Swim School in San Marcos. He was later released on bail and prohibited from working with children. However, he was arrested again in the fall of 2022 on charges of inappropriately touching another child, age 7, while working as a private swim instructor in Rancho Santa Fe. Piazza has since been held without bail since September. Earlier this year, a felony charge was added after law enforcement identified a third young victim who was also allegedly touched inappropriately by Piazza during private swim lessons in the summer of 2022. While the plea deal resulted in just one felony charge, Deputy District Attorney Isaac Jackson, who prosecuted the case, said the plea deal and associated punishment took all the charges into account equally. “Although the change of plea lists one felony and two misdemeanors, we don’t see any of the acts as more or less serious than the others,” Jackson said. “I am hopeful the outcome will bring healing, but there is only so much the criminal justice system can do. This defendant’s acts have forever scarred these families and robbed this community of a feeling of safety when doing something as simple as getting swim lessons for a child. I’m glad the families will have some closure and the defendant will answer for these crimes. My hope is that ev-
TURN TO RENTAL ON 5
TURN TO PIAZZA ON 9
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PUP DAYS
Participants in the Devil Pups Youth Program for America stand in formation before hiking Old Smokey Mountain at Camp Pendleton on July 20. The 10-day program gave students 14-17 the chance to engage in Marine Corps activities. The program also gives Marines the opportunity to volunteer their time and make a positive impact on youth in the community. More than 54,000 students have graduated from the program since 1954. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mary Jenni
Zoo Safari Park begins work on Elephant Valley
Vista grows rental assistance program
By City News Service
By Laura Place
ESCONDIDO — Construction is underway on the Denny Sanford Elephant Valley, touted as the largest and most transformative project in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 50-year history, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced Aug. 10. Elephant Valley will turn the current elephant environment into a “dynamic savanna and a place of exploration,” according to a zoo statement. “We are thrilled to announce Denny Sanford Elephant Valley — a first-of-its-kind immersive experience for visitors, to further connect the vital work happening here in San Diego to the collaborative elephant conservation initiatives we support in the field,” Paul A. Baribault, president and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said in a statement. “Elephant Valley could not be achieved without the incredible TURN TO ELEPHANT ON 5
Photo by Laura Place
Where horses help with the healing At Laughing Pony Rescue in Rancho Santa Fe, mindfulness and movement workshops include four-legged friends. 9
Grads give back Two recent San Pasqual High School graduates hosted free reading workshops for young English learners. 3
Help for homeless This week’s Healthcare Day for the Homeless gave individuals an opportunity to get a medical checkup, haircut and more. 10
VISTA — Hundreds of Vista families facing the possibility of homelessness will be able to access a new pool of $1.4 million in rental assistance funds over the next few years. The Vista City Council on Aug. 8 allocated $1.4 million in leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the implementation of an ongoing rental assistance program that will assist qualifying families with the payment of rent or mortgage, utilities and delinquent property taxes and providing counseling and legal aid to prevent eviction. Funds will be available for households making 65% or less of the area median income, or AMI. Each family can receive up to $10,000, according to the city. The initiative will build on the success of the city’s Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program, operated by North County Lifeline. The pilot program has provided over $330,000 in rent-