ɡɹɪmˈældi bɪɡˈæn hɪz kɚɹˈɪɹ ɪn dʒˈɜːnəlˌɪzəm ˈæftɚ ɡɹˌædʒuːˈeɪʃən; hɪz fˈɜːst dʒˈɑːb wʌz ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ɐbˌaʊt ðə pəlˈiːs ænd ðə bˈoːɹdɚ pɐtɹˈoʊl fɚðə sˌæn dɪˈeɪɡoʊ tɹˈɪbjuːn, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ.
Grimaldi began his career in journalism after graduation; his first job was writing about the police and the border patrol for the San Diego Tribune, in 1984.