San Diego Gas & Electric Co. must pay $49.6 million to the families of four Marines who were killed in a 2004 helicopter crash at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, a San Diego Superior Court jury decided Sept. 3.

The helicopter struck a utility tower while flying in Talega Canyon, near San Clemente, at night. The families sued SDG&E, alleging the tower should have had lights or markers.

SDG&E said in a statement issued Sept. 3 that while it sympathized with the families it “respectfully disagreed” with the jury verdict and that it plans to appeal.

The firm is a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange as SRE. Shares stood at $55.98 in afternoon trading Sept. 4, down nearly 2 percent from the previous day’s closing price of $57.05.

— Brad Graves
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