Detectives said some suspects had ties to criminal street gangs and seized guns and cash during the sweep.
SAN DIEGO, CA — Nine U.S. Navy sailors and one civilian were arrested this week in connection with a violent assault at a Jamul house party last year, a case that investigators say involved firearms and suspected street gang ties.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service into a May 2025 attack that sent at least one victim to the hospital with major injuries. Officials said the suspects face multiple felony counts tied to assault and weapons violations. The case has drawn attention because most of those arrested are enlisted service members and because the sheriff’s office said several suspects were linked to criminal street gangs.
Deputies were called late on May 3, 2025, to a home in the 14000 block of Proctor Valley Road in Jamul, an unincorporated community east of San Diego, after a report of an assault at a house party. As deputies headed to the scene, dispatchers received additional information that the suspects were believed to be carrying firearms. Around the same time, the sheriff’s office said, one of the victims went to a nearby fire station for help. Deputies met the victim there and found the person bleeding heavily from the head and face. The victim told deputies they had been attacked by a group of people and pistol-whipped, according to the sheriff’s office.
NBC 7, citing sheriff’s officials, reported that three people were hurt in the violence, and that one victim was also struck with a bottle and punched. The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified the victims or said what led to the confrontation. Investigators have also not disclosed how many people were at the party, whether the victims knew the suspects, or whether the alleged gang associations were a motivating factor in the fight or a separate investigative finding.
The investigation stretched for months and drew in military investigators after detectives determined that nine of the 10 suspects were enlisted sailors, the sheriff’s office said. The agency contacted NCIS, which worked alongside sheriff’s detectives through the inquiry. The sheriff’s office said many of the suspects were associated with criminal street gangs, a detail that elevated the case and helped drive a coordinated enforcement effort involving specialized teams.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, sheriff’s detectives and NCIS agents carried out a joint operation to make arrests across multiple locations tied to the suspects’ military assignments and living arrangements. The sheriff’s office said the operation included members of the East County Gang Task Force, the San Diego Fugitive Task Force, and the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Detail, which includes SWAT personnel. Arrest teams took suspects into custody at Naval Air Station North Island, Naval Base San Diego, Naval Medical Center San Diego, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, and a home within the city of San Diego, officials said.
Authorities said they recovered five firearms and $20,000 in cash during the Feb. 24 operation. Investigators did not say whether any of the guns were used in the May 2025 assault, whether any were illegally possessed, or whether additional evidence was seized. The sheriff’s office said the suspects were arrested on several felony charges related to the assault and weapons possession and were booked into the San Diego Central Jail.
The sheriff’s office identified the 10 suspects as Ksahno Isles, Demario Ricks, Isaiah Pearson, Answer Adams, Lawrence Hodge, Jaharai Wiggins, Robert Green, Gary Cannon, Eric Frierson, and Timothy Blair. Officials said nine of the 10 are Navy sailors, but they did not specify which person is the civilian. The sheriff’s office also did not release ages, hometowns, or duty status for the sailors, and it did not say whether the Navy has taken separate administrative action, such as restricting base access, changing assignments, or placing any sailors on leave.
The arrests open the door to a criminal court process that could run alongside military discipline, depending on the facts of the case and each suspect’s status. Prosecutors have not yet publicly detailed the specific charges for each person, and officials have not announced whether any suspect has retained an attorney. The sheriff’s office did not provide a date for first court appearances, and it was not immediately clear whether any suspects had posted bail or were being held pending arraignment.
Jamul, where the alleged assault took place, sits along rural roads and open land in eastern San Diego County, an area that has seen its share of law enforcement attention tied to gang investigations and firearm cases. Investigators have not said whether the house on Proctor Valley Road was a rental, a party venue, or a private residence used for gatherings, nor have they said whether alcohol or other factors contributed to the violence. Officials have also not released information on the size of the group that attacked the victims or whether other partygoers tried to intervene.
In its announcement, the sheriff’s office emphasized the scope of the sweep and credited the partnership with NCIS. The agency said the operation was designed to locate suspects wanted in connection with the 2025 assault and to address the possibility that some were armed. The use of fugitive and enforcement teams suggests investigators believed the arrests could pose added risk, though officials did not report any injuries to officers or suspects during the takedowns and did not say whether any standoffs occurred.
For residents in the region, the case has raised new questions about how a party in a quiet, semi-rural area turned into a serious assault investigation involving multiple military sites. In a statement announcing the arrests, the sheriff’s office said the victim at the fire station was bleeding profusely and had suffered major injuries. The agency has not described the victim’s recovery, whether there were lasting injuries, or whether any victims will require long-term medical care.
The case is now expected to move through San Diego County courts, where prosecutors will decide how to file and pursue charges and whether to seek enhanced penalties tied to weapons allegations. Investigators have not said whether they expect more arrests, whether they are looking for additional witnesses, or whether any suspects are cooperating. The sheriff’s office did not release body camera video, 911 recordings, or other records tied to the night of the party.
As of Thursday, the suspects remained listed as booked into the San Diego Central Jail, and officials had not released a public timeline for arraignments or preliminary hearings. The next major milestone is expected to be the suspects’ first court appearances, where charges will be read and conditions of release, if any, will be set.
Author note: Last updated February 27, 2026.