Mike Madriaga

Freelance Writer and Journalist at Freelance

Multimedia Journalist (MMJ): trilingual freelancer, writer, videographer, photographer and post-production editor

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Articles

Watch Labubu doll get stolen in Escondido

3 days ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

On June 1, two men walked into Junot Ignacio's family toy store in Escondido and stole a rare Labubu doll—similar ones currently selling online for more than $1,000. The plush in question, a Labubu x Pronounce – Wings of Fantasy edition dressed in dark denim and purple sunglasses, is part of the latest blind-box craze captivating toy collectors across San Diego and beyond.
San Diego's animals buffetted by flooding, pollution, construction

1 week ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

Over the past year, San Diego County has become an unlikely backdrop for a series of unsettling animal displacements. On May 22, the Murphy Canyon plane crash claimed six lives—all passengers aboard the aircraft. While no one on the ground was killed, the destruction displaced pets. According to the San Diego Humane Society, “13 dogs, one cat, eight puppies, and five geckos were displaced” as a result.
U-Haul trucks mark San Diego civil decline

2 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

Across the country, U-Haul vehicles and trailers are showing up in headlines for all the wrong reasons — from a recent hate group demonstration in Kansas City to a Missouri man sentenced to eight years in January after ramming a U-Haul into a White House barrier. San Diego County is making its own mark with U-Haul trucks and trailers, contributing to this seemingly national trend.
Will vagabond vendors vamoose from Comic-Con 2025?

3 weeks ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

You got a permit for that hot dog, pal? Comic-Con International is set to take over the San Diego Convention Center from July 24–27. Each year, the pop culture extravaganza draws cosplayers, collectors, celebrities, and families into the 2.6 million-square-foot convention center and surrounding streets. Collectively, they’re expected to spend more than $165 million on hotels, badges, transportation, parking — and yes, food and drinks.
Murkemz has created a strong Valley presence and now the world is listening

3 weeks ago | phoenixnewtimes.com | Mike Madriaga

“We going pull up, hop out, spin, slide — tell them mutha fuckaz where you at, we outside.” It started as a catchphrase in the Valley. Now it’s an anthem echoing through the Footprint Center, local cruise strips and car meets, on top of a Que Suave Taco Shop on Corona Avenue, and in metro Phoenix classrooms. Thanks to TikTok, a viral snippet filmed at a metro Phoenix house has gone worldwide.
From Puebla, with mole: Hidden Tempe eatery serves family recipes with love

1 month ago | phoenixnewtimes.com | Mike Madriaga

He rushes off to help another customer and then returns to the table. “We’ve been here for almost eight months now, and the response from people has been great,” he says. “We’re in a bar and coffee shop space, but we run the restaurant part separately. Now we all work together.” The communal eatery-meets-self-serve shopping experience is very different from the larger-menu spot in Mesa.
Porch pirates get creative

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

It's not just grab 'n go any more Porch piracy is evolving — and members of this new wave of thieves aren't just grabbing boxes and running. Scammers are now dropping off fake parcels, disguising themselves as delivery drivers, and even swapping out packages right under security cameras.
Parked 20 feet from crosswalk? Expect a ticket if San Diego.

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

Since March 1, San Diego has issued over 4,200 citations under the new 2025 daylighting law, each carrying up to a $117 fine. Local parking enforcement officers cite cars facing marked and unmarked crosswalks within 20 feet. While the law aims to reduce blindspot-related accidents and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, its enforcement has sparked questions about equity across San Diego neighborhoods.
So many cars in San Diego water

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

La Jolla, Harbor Island, Rancho Bernardo, Del Mar Since the beginning of the year, San Diego County has seen a troubling series of incidents involving vehicles plunging into local waterways—including cars, a plane, and a boat—resulting in significant deaths. While most of these accidents occurred in natural bodies of water, a few happened in man-made waterways.
Skateboards used as weapons in La Mesa, Carlsbad, La Jolla

1 month ago | sandiegoreader.com | Mike Madriaga

San Diego’s skate scene has long been part of the city’s coastal culture—but over the past year, a series of violent incidents, one deadly, involving skateboards and skateboarders, has raised concerns. In just the past year, two police officers were assaulted by skateboarders in separate incidents. In another case, a skateboarder was killed near a popular skate park.