The Brief

I met Cesar Quijano in April of 2024 while he was training for the biggest race of his life — a 100-mile trek in the San Diego mountains.

Quijano didn’t want to just complete the San Diego 100. He wanted to run it in under 24 hours — a goal that would mean running under 9 minute miles for 24 hours straight. For someone who couldn’t run a mile a few years ago, this would be a feat.

“I never accomplished anything in my life,” he said. “I never started anything or wanted to start anything because I was afraid of failing.”

Cesar Quijano

Quijano is a recovering heroin addict who had been out of prison for two-and-a-half years. For him, the San Diego 100 wasn’t just about a physical triumph. It was about proving to himself that he could finish something for once in his life.

In many ways, running was keeping Quijano afloat, giving him a sense of purpose and structure. It was also consuming his life.

 ”People say that it's an obsession, and I think it is,” Quijano said. “I think I overdo it sometimes, but it's keeping me sane. ”

From prison to running his first mile

For the past 15 years, Quijano has been in and out of various prisons across California. He grew up in San Diego and had little guidance as a kid. He dropped out of school, and by the time he was 12, Quijano had joined a gang. Soon, he was going to juvenile hall and less than two months after getting out of juvenile hall at 18 years old, he was involved in a robbery. He got two years. Not long after he got out, he got in trouble again and he was sentenced to four years. Two years later, he was back serving a six-year sentence.. 

From Corcoran to Chino, Calipatria to Ironwood — every time Cesar got out of a state prison, he’d end up going back.

On Jan. 1, 2022, he wanted this reentry to be his last.

I reached out to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) — the agency that operates the state’s prison and parole systems. They said they provide a comprehensive reentry planning process, which connects formerly incarcerated people to various services outside of prison. Quijano learned about his reentry options, not from CDCR, but from a family member who had also been to prison.

And he decided to go to Amity, a transitional home in Vista, 60 miles outside San Diego, with comprehensive reentry services.

Amity's Vista campus about 60 miles east of San Diego, where Cesar lived when he got out of prison.

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Cesar Quijano

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At Amity, Quijano started attending self-help workshops for the first time in his life. He also grew close with the organization’s Associate Director of Residential Campus, Oswaldo “Ozzie” Terriquez, who introduced Quijano to running. At first, Quijano couldn’t finish a mile.

“I think it took me like two weeks, three weeks just to be able to finish that mile,” Quijano said. “But then something clicked. Now, I had a goal.”

California’s shifting focus towards reentry 

Cesar Quijano is one of 35,000 to 40,000 people released from prison each year in California and going through the process of reentering society, a process known as “reentry.” Nearly 30% of this total population will parole to Los Angeles County, more than any other county in the state.

A wave of criminal justice reforms and a national shift away from mass incarceration meant a refocusing of efforts toward supporting people in reentry. Since 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved the closure of three adult prison facilities. Another prison is set to close this year. He dismantled death row and is turning San Quentin, the state’s oldest prison, into a rehabilitation center based on Norway’s prison model. As the state plans for a continued reduction in the prison population, creating pathways to a successful reentry is crucial.

When it comes to supporting people getting out of prison, there are several key factors to successful reentry.

“ Housing and employment and trying to establish some source of income,” said Professor Elsa Chen, who teaches at Santa Clara University. “And then some of the other obstacles might seem a little bit more abstract.”

Those abstract elements include social networks, civic participation, mental health, and finding a sense of structure and purpose.

Quijano found a lot of those qualitative needs through Amity, his mentor Ozzie, and ultrarunning.

“ Things that I was missing my whole life I gained by going to Amity.” Cesar said.

As for running?

“ It's a spiritual experience,” Cesar told me. “Having this battle within yourself about whether I should keep going or stop, I see it as a spiritual experience. That's what running does for me.”

Race day: Running 100 miles 

On June 7, 2024, Quijano and 255 other ultrarunners gathered under a “Start” banner at Lake Cuyamaca in the San Diego Mountains. Quijano started the race strong, but by mile 30 he was in what runners call the “pain cave.” By mile 40, he lay down on a rock by the side of the road, and for the first time in the race, contemplated throwing in the towel. But even if Quijanowas ready to give up, other ultrarunners wouldn’t let him. It might be an individual sport, but there is a community mindset. A group ran by Quijano, hoisted him up, and carried him back to the road.

“For a long time…I was never willing to accept help," Quijano said. “But something deeper in me was like, you know what? I need help.”

Twenty-nine hours, 16 minutes and 28 seconds after leaving the starting line, Quijano completed the San Diego 100.

Cesar Quijano poses for a picture for Ozzie, his pacesetter.

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Cesar Quijano

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What made this reentry different 

This January, Quijano celebrated his third year of being out of prison. By CDCR metrics, he’s had a successful reentry. But when I asked Quijano what made this reentry different, he told me it was Amity, and all the people he met there, especially Ozzie. This support system has stood by him throughout his reentry, encouraging him as he trained for the San Diego 100 and showing up to the finish line to cheer him on.

As for direction and purpose? Cesar gets that from running.

Cesar Quijano and his Amity support team at the finish line of the San Diego 100.

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Lucy Copp

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A few weeks after the race I asked Quijano what it felt like to cross the finish line.

“I don't think happiness is the right word," he said. "I think it was something better than happiness because it was more meaningful to me. Just knowing that I've finally finished something that I started.”

To learn more about Cesar Quijano’s reentry and ultrarunning journey, listen to this episode of Imperfect Paradise:

Listen 48:29

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Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete  a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to successfully transition out of prison and into society.

How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time

Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete  a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to successfully transition out of prison and into society.

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MEXICO CITY — The Mexican army killed the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho, " in an operation Sunday, a federal official said.

The official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said it happened during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.

It followed several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations.

Videos circulating social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the city of Puerto Vallarta, a major city in Jalisco, and sprinting through the airport of the state's capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta "due to an ongoing security situation" and advised customers not to go to their airport.

The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fasted growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.

In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

It has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military—including helicopters—and a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital's police force and now head of federal security.

The DEA considers this cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico's most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states where it distributes tons of drugs. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines.

Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States and use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes is also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.
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Hermon — Some shoppers heading into Fresco Market were lost in their phones, but when they momentarily looked up, they were greeted by a flap of brilliant green feathers and a cheery squawk. Phones were put away.

“Pepe! Hey Pepe! So good to see you!”

Perched on the shoulder of T.J. Gonzalez, Pepe the Parrot was in full greeter mode. Wide-eyed and seeming to almost smile as he surveyed the parking lot and his approaching public, Pepe did what he naturally does: make people happy.

A common sight at the Hermon market, near where they live, Gonzalez and Pepe can also be found at community centers, farmers’ markets and local events. They often take the Metro into downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and other locations.

There’s no money asked, stressed Gonzalez, adding that Pepe simply adores the attention. “People want to see and talk with him more than me,” he joked as he cracked a nut and placed it in his mouth. On cue, the bird reached around Gonzalez’s mouth to retrieve it.

Michael Eagle-Hall of El Sereno is delighted to meet Pepe outside of the Fresco Market in Hermon.

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Brenda Rees

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The Eastsider

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A mail carrier for 37 years before he retired, Gonzalez found Pepe, a red-crowned Amazon (flocks are often seen in Northeast L.A.) in July 2021. The chick had fallen out of a nest and was flailing on a busy street in San Marino. “He was like roadkill,” said Gonzalez, who watched cars drive over (without striking) the bird.

Gonzalez retrieved the parrot and looked for help, but wildlife rehabbers said they’d euthanize the bird since it had a broken wing. Gonzalez instead brought him to a vet and christened him Pepe.

Since Pepe could not fly, Gonzalez started walking him around the neighborhood. He soon discovered how kids and adults enjoyed interacting with the parrot. Pepe is also a social media darling, with more than 8,600 followers on Instagram.

Pepe is more of a squawker than a talker, but Gonzalez has learned how to art-direct photos of people and the bird, instructing them on how to hold their hands and arms best. “We just want that smile because that’s all that Pepe wants from you,” said Gonzalez.

Crews have now recovered the bodies of all nine backcountry skiers who were killed in an avalanche in Northern California earlier this week. It marks an end to what authorities on Saturday described as an agonizing five-day search and recovery operation complicated by intense winter storms northwest of Lake Tahoe.

"While we wish we could have saved them all, we are grateful that we can bring them home," said Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon during a Saturday news conference.

Until Saturday, authorities had not confirmed the death of a ninth victim, a skier who had been missing and presumed dead. Officials say their body was found near the eight other victims that have now been recovered. Authorities said avalanche hazards and weather conditions were too dangerous most of the week to search for the remaining victim or recover the bodies.

Four of the bodies were recovered on Friday, and the rest of the bodies were recovered on Saturday, all in the Castle Peak area where the avalanche – one of the deadliest in California history — struck. Six people from the group of 15 skiers survived Tuesday's disaster, the last day of a three-day backcountry ski trip. One guide and five travelers were among the survivors.

Helicopters with the California National Guard as well as the California Highway Patrol were used to hoist the remaining bodies from the mountain, officials said at the press conference.

On Friday, officials were able to use specialized techniques with the help of Pacific Gas & Electric to reduce the avalanche risk.

The ski trip was organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides, an outdoor tour company based in Truckee, Calif. Moon confirmed the identities of the victims. Three guides were killed: Andrew Alissandratos, 34, from Verdi, Nev.; Michael Henry, 30, from Soda Springs, Calif.; and Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif. The other victims, who had signed up for the group trip, are: Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs; Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, Calif.; Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, Calif.; Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco; and Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, Calif.

The Sierra Avalanche Center classified the avalanche between a D2 and D3 on the avalanche danger scale.

"A D2 would take down a person. A D3 would take down a house, so it was right in between those. It was described by them as a football field length of a path of the avalanche," Sheriff Moon said on Saturday.

Multiple agencies are investigating.

"We are investigating the incident to determine if there were any factors that would be considered criminal negligence," Ashley Quadros with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said in an email to NPR on Sunday. "It is a standard investigation. It is too early to know if criminal charges will be applicable, as the investigation is preliminary and remains active and ongoing."

The area will be closed to visitors for several weeks.
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