As 2010 draws to a close, it's time for The Lists. You know, the ones recounting everything that happened in the past year: the 10 best movies, the top 10 fashion trends, the 10 least-likely-to-be-kept promises by politicians, and so forth.

But there is another list—a list of crimes that made headlines in 2010, some for their strangeness, some for their brutality.

We don't have to look across the nation or the world to compile this list. There were plenty of startling events in our collective backyards.

1. Chelsea King's Murder

The first, the worst, and most obviously horrendous crime of 2010—the one that shook our very souls and changed us as an entire community—was the brutal and senseless murder of a Poway High School student out for a solitary run in the park: Chelsea King. Not only did this crime hit home for many because of the sheer innocence of the victim, but also for the foreboding sense it instilled in many that none of us are safe, even in the most innocuous of suburban neighborhoods, such as the Rancho Bernardo Community Park trail where 17-year-old Chelsea was abducted, raped and murdered Feb. 25. Her body was found five days later.

As we all know by now, her killer, John Albert Gardner III, 31, a young man with a troubled past and a prior conviction for sexually assaulting a 13 year old, was apprehended and pleaded guilty in short order. And even if we may never know why he did what he did, at the very least Gardner saw fit to help solve the mystery of another missing teen, 14-year-old Amber Dubois of Escondido, who disappeared Feb. 13, 2009, while walking to school, and turned out to have suffered the same fate as Chelsea.

What makes this case remarkable, even beyond the fear, the randomness of the attacks and the heartbreak of it all, was that this was one of those cases that affected a community so deeply that actual change occurred in the justice system as a result with the introduction of Chelsea's law, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2011. It enacts a one-strike, life-without-parole sentencing option for the most dangerous sexual offenders, increases sentences for forcible sex crimes, increases parole terms for those who target children under the age of 14, and restricts sex offenders from entering parks, among other things.

Many tragic and horrible crimes, unfortunately, occur every year. Few, however, result in such a strong sense of community outrage that results in sweeping changes in the law. This, above all, is Chelsea's legacy.

2. Geezer Bandit

Also this year, the public was intrigued by the saga of the "Geezer Bandit"—and this story hasn't ended yet. The curious tale began in August 2009 when an elderly man robbed a bank in Santee. He then went on to rob banks in Poway, La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe, among other places. In the second half of the year, he expanded his range to include Temecula and Kern County. In early November, a bank robber who was caught in the act claimed to be the Geezer, but authorities doubted it. Another robbery, this one in Bakersfield, was attributed to the Geezer after that. He's known to have hit at least 12 banks so far.

Oddly, the public became enamored with the Geezer Bandit, as if he were some kind of Old West outlaw. Facebook pages were started in his honor. "Go Geezer!" was a common online comment following news stories of the latest robbery. Is it the idea that perhaps this is an elderly man in need of money for basic living expenses and medications in tough economic times who decides to take things into his own hands (albeit illegally) that appeals to people? Is it the idea many people have that banks aren't real victims but in fact are villains in their own right (especially the ones that tend to raise your credit card interest rates without cause or deny your much-needed home loan modifications)? Or is it just the Hollywood-like drama of the bandit who never gets caught that thrills onlookers?

Soon, however, questions began to be raised about whether the Geezer Bandit really is an old man or a younger person masquerading as a senior citizen, using a realistic mask. He is pretty tall and broad of shoulder for an elderly man, after all. Why then, can't the bank tellers tell the difference? Because, as one officer explained, when you're being robbed at gunpoint, all the victims are looking at is the gun. He has a point.

3. A Deportation Dupe

Deportations happen all the time—after all, we live on the border. But this case really took the cake: On Jan. 10 at Lindbergh Field in San Diego, a man dressed like a U.S. Marshal managed to bypass all the airport security that aggravates the rest of us as we remove our shoes and belts for inspection, and placed his handcuffed prisoner on a plane to the Philippines. Except he wasn't really in law enforcement, and the "prisoner" happened to be his cousin's wife.

Greg Denny of Hemet was arrested and charged with kidnapping, conspiracy and impersonating an officer, among other charges. The woman, whose unsuspecting family paid for her airfare, remains in the Philippines, and her husband has denied having anything to do with her fake deportation.

4. McStay Family Goes

It's not uncommon for people to disappear, and it often doesn't even make the news. Most cases involve teenage runaways, or adults who choose to disappear in order to escape mounting debts, a bad marriage or business failure. Then there are those sad cases of people who disappear accidentally—usually Alzheimer's patients or hikers—who may or may not be found alive.

But the bizarre case of the McStay family of Fallbrook fell into none of those categories. The McStays appeared to be happily married and had a thriving business. They were last seen Feb. 4. Concerned family members found a carton of eggs on the counter in their home and their hungry dogs in the backyard.

The family's SUV was later found near the San Ysidro border crossing, and there was a disputed security video that may or may not have shown the husband and wife and their two young sons crossing the border on foot. But the video wasn't clear enough to determine for sure if it was the McStays. Nearly a year later, they remain missing, while authorities have chased down and discarded numerous leads. Family members remain baffled—no one knows why the family would leave without contacting anyone, nor how it could be possible to make a family of four vanish without a trace.

5. The Major General Who Wasn't

This one won't qualify as the crime of the century, but the case of the major general who wasn't was an odd one. David Weber of Ramona, a 69-year-old former U.S. Marine, claimed to have attained the rank of major general … and he had the uniform and a chest full of medals, including two purple hearts, to prove it.

His ruse might never have been discovered if he hadn't attended a Veterans of Foreign Wars event in Ramona in November 2009 wearing his uniform. A photograph of Weber decked out in his military regalia was published in the local Ramona Sentinel, touching off the investigation and a community furor. While it was a victimless crime, many in the military felt his fakery cheapened the honors for those who truly earned them. Weber was sentenced in April to three years of probation and 240 hours of community service.

6. Elementary School Shooting in Carlsbad

School shootings ... aren't we past that? Apparently not. It's been 31 years since Brenda Spencer, the original school shooter, killed two people and injured nine when she opened fire on a San Diego elementary school playground. Then came the horrendous shootings at Columbine High School in 1999 that killed 13, followed by a shooting at Santana High in Santee, in which two were killed and 13 injured. (Shooter Andy Williams, who was 15 at the time, is serving a life term in prison.)

Then it happened again, shockingly, on a Carlsbad elementary school campus on Oct. 8. Brendan L. O'Rourke is alleged to have climbed a fence onto the grounds of Kelly Elementary school, laden with weapons and ammunition, and opened fire on a playground full of children, wounding two girls, ages 6 and 7. This time, however, fortunately (and sadly) because of the lessons learned elsewhere during school shootings, the teachers and administrators quickly put the school and its students in "lockdown" mode. Were it not for the quick and heroic actions of three construction workers on the school site and a couple of neighbors who chased down, tackled and disarmed the shooter, the outcome could have been much worse.

7. The Death of Officer Christopher Wilson

Fortunately, law enforcement officers in San Diego County rarely die in the line of duty. But the worst happened Oct. 27, when officers went to serve an arrest warrant on a parolee in a Skyline apartment complex. What should have been a routine knock-and-arrest turned into an ambush and a shootout with a heavily-armed gunman inside the apartment.

San Diego police Officer Christopher Wilson was shot and killed, and a police dog was shot in the face. The dog and his officer handler had to be rescued by other officers through the window of the apartment, and a couple who had hidden in a closet in the apartment during the shootout surrendered shortly thereafter.

Holim Lee, a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard who was discharged for using drugs, and Lucky Xayasene were found dead inside a bedroom. Forensic tests determined that it was Lee who shot Wilson, before Lee and Xayasene took their own lives.

Wilson is survived by his ex-wife, a 20-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son.

8. Famed Cookbook Author Robbed in La Jolla

Serious crime doesn't visit La Jolla often, so when famed cookbook author Jeanne Jones was robbed, it was the stuff of headlines. This was no mere smash-and-grab burglary either; it was a sophisticated, well-planned crime.

A caretaker answered the door at the Jones house on Nov. 5 to a man who claimed to have a flower delivery. Then four armed men forced their way inside the home, where they tied up, beat and robbed Jones and her husband.

The robbers were caught after a delivery driver saw the ski-masked men running from the house and called 911. It was the fourth time the author's home had been robbed in 16 months.

9. Abused Puppies Found with Ears Cut Off

No one who saw the heartbreaking photos of the sad, big-eyed earless puppies will ever forget them, or the brutality it took for someone to cut off the pups' ears. Found whimpering near a Mission Valley shopping mall dumpster Nov. 19, the male pup dubbed Sunny has been in foster care since.

Tragically, Sunny's litter-mate was later discovered in similar condition in Tijuana. The female pup, named Cher, after the iconic singing duo, was also turned over to San Diego County Animal Services the first week of December. County officials are reviewing more than 100 applications from prospective adoptive families to determine where the black Labrador retriever mixes will live.

10. Escondido Bomb House

And who can forget the infamous "bomb house" of Escondido. It started on Nov. 18 when a gardener in the backyard of an unassuming home on Via Scott stepped on something that blew up and injured his leg. When questioned, the renter of the home, Serbian immigrant George Jakubec, an unemployed computer consultant, told authorities he had some jars of "firecracker powder" in his yard. It turned out to be a whole lot more than that. What fire and police officials found were a house and garage piled high with explosives, gunpowder, bullet casings, wires, hand-made bombs and even homemade hand grenades. After an arson investigator stepped on something that exploded inside the house, authorities decided they'd had enough, that the house was too dangerous to clean up.

Over the vociferous objection of neighbors, authorities evacuated the neighborhood, built a fireproof wall around the home, cleared brush, shut down Interstate 15 and finally lit the thing on fire on the morning of Dec. 9. The bomb house burned in spectacular fashion for several hours, sending plumes of bright-orange flames and pitch-black smoke into the sky, while onlookers reported hearing occasional explosions coming from within the house. "Burning Down the House" was the song of the day on Facebook and YouTube, as onlookers who were both fascinated and horrified watched the spectacle. In the end, authorities happily concluded that it went as well as possible, with the dangerous chemicals fully incinerated without further harm to any people or property.