3 Deputies Injured After Responding to Vista Rape Report

Three deputies were attacked and injured in Vista as they answered a call, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials said Monday.

Sgt. Dennis Yohonis and Deputies Chris Smith and Tom Vrabel were taken to Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside on Sunday night for treatment, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Yohonis had a foot injury, Vrabel had a chair broken over his back and Smith was hit on the head with an unknown object and suffered a concussion, Lt. Scott McClintock said.

Smith and Vrabel went to a house on North Citrus Avenue about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, after several calls from neighbors about a woman screaming and a possible rape, McClintock said. McClintock said it appeared later that no rape had occurred.

When Smith and Vrabel arrived, “they contacted some people who were in the front yard, and, apparently during this contact, others came from the house, and the fight began,” McClintock said.

McClintock said Yohonis then arrived, and, finding themselves outnumbered by about a dozen men, the deputies radioed for help.

The fight continued into the house, and other deputies arrived, McClintock said.

Arrested were Ramon Corona Lopez, 20; Miguel Mora Alvardo, 49; Rosalba Corona Medina, 52; Eduardo Humberto Leon, 18, and a 15-year-old boy who was not named because of his age.

A County Jail spokeswoman said Corona Lopez was arrested on suspicion of battering an officer with injury and assault with a deadly weapon on an officer. His bail was set at $27,000, and he is to be arraigned today.

Mora was arrested on suspicion of battering an officer without injury and was due to be released on his own recognizance Monday night or this morning.

Corona Medina was arrested on suspicion of three counts of battering an officer without injury and was released Monday afternoon on his own recognizance.

Humberto was arrested on suspicion of two counts of battering an officer without injury and was due to be released on his own recognizance Monday night or Tuesday morning.