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Source: MedleyStory
Police have arrested a man who they say stole a Richmond police car and led officers on a chase in the culmination of an all-day crime spree Tuesday that spanned two counties.
Edgar James, 32, was arrested in Richmond shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday after hopping into a police patrol car and leading officers on a cross-town chase, Richmond police Lt. Bisa French said.
Police believe James is responsible for a rash of home invasion robberies and carjackings in Contra Costa and Solano counties earlier that day.
Shortly before the chase, officers had located James in the 700 block of 18th Street in Richmond after finding a car there that he had allegedly stolen from a Vacaville resident hours earlier, French said.
When officers arrived, James stole the patrol car and sped away, even after an officer shot at the car in an attempt to stop him, she said.
Officers chased him for about 10 minutes before cornering the patrol car in a cul-de-sac on Reid Court.
James struggled with police, who used a Taser to subdue him and take him into custody, French said.
French said James is suspected in a day-long series of crimes that included several home invasion robberies and carjackings in El Cerrito, Kensington, Martinez and Vacaville.
"He was on a one-man crime spree -- the final straw was taking a police car." French said. "This guy was very dangerous. We're glad he's off the street."
French said that James, who has an address in Castro Valley and ties to Richmond, has an extensive criminal history.
His alleged crime spree began around 9 a.m. in El Cerrito, when police responded to a report of a prowler at a home on Baron Court.
A short time later, police received a call from a resident on nearby King Drive who reported being attacked by an intruder who had kicked down the door. The resident said the intruder had taken property and fled, El Cerrito police said.
An El Cerrito officer saw the suspect fleeing the area in a car that had been stolen from a neighbor's home.
Later that day, a police officer in Kensington spotted the suspect driving through a residential area in a different car. That car had been stolen from a Kensington resident at gunpoint, El Cerrito police said.
Police trailed the driver through the hilly neighborhood, but lost track of him after he drove onto a fire trail.
Meanwhile, police in Martinez got a call around 12:48 p.m. from someone reporting that an armed man had entered a home on Donaleen Court and demanded cash.
After taking $200 from the resident, James stole a car at gunpoint from the home's other resident, police said.
At 2:37 p.m., police learned that the car stolen in Martinez had been found in Vacaville in front of another home where someone had entered and stolen a vehicle.
About three hours later, at 5:34 p.m., another resident of Donaleen Court in Martinez reported a suspicious vehicle parked in her driveway -- the same car reported stolen in Kensington hours earlier.
After the police chase and struggle with Richmond officers, James was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, then booked into jail.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:52:16 -0800
The city of San Bruno said Wednesday that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has broken off settlement talks with the city about a compensation fund for a deadly gas pipeline explosion.
Officials in the Northern California city want the utility to make good on its promise to pay restitution for the September 2010 blast that killed eight people, destroyed 38 homes and laid waste to a neighborhood overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
City spokesman Sam Singer said San Bruno officials have been negotiating a settlement with PG&E officials, including President Chris Johns, since last fall. But Singer said the utility abruptly walked away from the negotiating table last week.
"PG&E owes it to this community to pay restitution so it can build a library, a park, a memorial, and do something new to rebuild the spirit of this city that was devastated by this blast," Singer said. "PG&E has walked away from the table, and we want them to negotiate in good faith."
PG&E spokeswoman Brittany Chord declined to comment Wednesday.
Any settlement would be in addition to a trust fund PG&E created to pay up to $70 million to help the city cover the cost of rebuilding.
Federal accident investigators lay the blame squarely on Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for the explosion.
Escaping gas fed a pillar of flame 300 feet tall for more than 90 minutes before workers were able to manually close valves that cut off gas to the ruptured pipeline.
Dozens of people were injured and more than 100 homes destroyed or damaged.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:39:46 -0800
Three teens were arrested Tuesday in connection with a shooting that injured a person in a car on Air Base Parkway on Monday afternoon, Fairfield police said.
Giuliano Gomez, 18, of Vacaville, and two Fairfield residents, ages 15 and 17, were served with arrest warrants at their homes Tuesday and booked on attempted murder charges, according to police.
The arrests stem from a shooting reported around 1:20 p.m. Monday by employees at a Walmart store at 2701 N. Texas St.
The Walmart employees called police after someone arrived at the store and reported that a shooter had fired a gun into a car full of people on nearby Air Base Parkway.
One of the occupants was injured, and was taken to the hospital and later released, according to police.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:34:56 -0800
A Richmond man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a shooting at an after-school track meet at Pinole Valley High School 2010.
D'Nedric Dwayne Kelly, 20, was sentenced in Contra Costa County Superior Court on one felony charge of assault with a firearm, according to deputy District Attorney Satish Jallepalli.
He recently pleaded no contest to the charge in exchange for the eight-year sentence, the attorney said.
Kelly originally pleaded not guilty to five felony charges, including possession of a loaded gun on school property and attempted murder.
Prosecutors said that a fight broke out at the high school campus the afternoon of April 14, 2010 and Kelly fired multiple shots, striking a teen boy in the hand.
The victim now has only partial use of his hand, according to law enforcement officers who testified during Kelly's preliminary hearing in December.
Just after the shooting, witnesses say they saw Kelly and another teen boy running away from the high school track.
Police found him a short time later with a loaded gun at the Original Red Onion Restaurant located just north of the school and arrested him.
Police officers testified during the preliminary hearing that Kelly appears to be a Richmond gang member.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:29:00 -0800
A 23-year-old man struck by multiple bullets during a Vallejo shooting Tuesday afternoon was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.
Vallejo police received calls about a shooting at 4:42 p.m. in Fordham Circle in North Vallejo.
Arriving officers found the shooting scene, but no victim. Officers then learned a friend had driven the victim to the Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.
The man had been taken to the hospital in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries about an hour and a half after he arrived at the emergency room, according to police.
He was identified as Danel Lashwan Stevens, from Vallejo, according to police.
An autopsy is scheduled later this week.
No suspect information was immediately available.
Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call Vallejo police Detectives Todd Tribble or Bill Badour at (800) 488-9383.
This is the first homicide of the year within city limits, according to police.
On the evening of Jan. 31 in unincorporated Vallejo 38-year-old Dorian Walls, of Vallejo, was found in a driveway in the first block of Reis Avenue shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Solano County Sheriff's Office is investigating that murder.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:18:52 -0800
The San Jose City Council Tuesday agreed to rescind a medical marijuana ordinance that was passed five months ago and then repealed via a citizens' referendum.
The decision to repeal the city's medical marijuana regulations was made on a recommendation by Mayor Chuck Reed and council members Sam Liccardo, Rose Herrera and Pierluigi Oliverio, who recommended that it would be better to wait until the state establishes a regulatory system.
Until that happens, the council decided to focus enforcement efforts on collectives that are causing the most problems and generating complaints, including those that are not paying taxes and those that are too close to schools under state law. Thus far, four collectives have been closed for those reasons.
James Anthony, chairman of the Citizens Coalition for Patient Care, a group of patients, collectives, and activists that led the campaign to repeal the ordinance, was one of nearly 10 people who addressed the council this afternoon.
"Reluctantly, I find myself agreeing with the mayor's memo today that perhaps now is not the time for San Jose to craft a workable ordinance," Anthony said. "We are shifting our attention to the statewide level."
The ordinance approved by the city council in September would have limited the number of medical marijuana collectives to 10 in limited commercial and industrial areas, implemented a first come, first served registration process, and restricted marijuana cultivation to on-site only.
The council deferred action on Reed's proposal to raise the city's tax on medical marijuana collectives from 7 to 10 percent to pay for the cost of an election if the ordinance were to be placed on the ballot.
Medical marijuana facilities are not currently allowed to operate in San Jose and those that have opened in recent years are doing so illegally.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:11:20 -0800
BART police officials Tuesday unveiled a new zone geographical structure that they believe will spark proactive problem-solving to reduce crime and social disorder.
Speaking at a new conference at police headquarters at the Lake Merritt BART station, Police Chief Kenton Rainey said creating the new structure is one of the recommendations that the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives made following the fatal shooting of unarmed passenger Oscar Grant III at the hands of BART Officer Johannes Mehserle three years ago.
"We're very excited about the direction we're going in and believe it will result in more accountability for our officers," Rainey said.
Grant was fatally shot on the platform of the Fruitvale Station in Oakland on Jan. 1, 2009, by Mehserle, who claimed that he had meant to use a Taser on Grant instead of his service gun. Mehserle was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting.
Deputy Police Chief Benson Fairow said the new structure breaks the current zones down into smaller areas that are easier to manage.
Fairow said the department used to have four patrol zones but it will now have five zones.
He said each zone will have a lieutenant supervising a team of patrol sergeants, police officers and community service officers who will be responsible and accountable for providing service to their areas at all times.
Fairow said BART police will use an enhanced form of community policing they call Community Oriented Policing Problem Solving, or COPPS.
He said it is a policing philosophy and management approach that promotes community, government, police partnerships and proactive problem-solving.
The idea, Fairow said, is to create positive, productive relationships between the transit agency's police officers and its riders in order to make riders feel safer and promote greater job satisfaction for officers.
Rainey said he thinks "passengers will feel safer" because more police officers will be in BART's trains and stations.
Farrow said the new zones are: Zone I, which includes all Oakland Stations, Zone II, which includes all stations in Contra Costa County and Berkeley, Zone III, which consists of all other stations in Alameda County, which includes the area from San Leandro to Dublin/Pleasanton, Zone IV, which consists of all San Francisco stations, and Zone V, which includes the stations in San Mateo County.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:59:47 -0800
Alameda County Supervisor Nadia Lockyer announced Tuesday that she's in a wellness and recovery center to be treated for "chemical dependency and chronic pain" stemming from a past car accident as well as for injuries she said she suffered in a recent assault.
Lockyer, 40, who was elected to her post in November 2010 and is the wife of California state Treasurer Bill Lockyer, said in a statement, "Alcoholism and addiction are diseases from which many of us suffer, and unfortunately, I have not been spared."
She represents District 2, which consists of Hayward, Newark and Union City and parts of Fremont and Sunol.
She said, "With the strong encouragement of the people in my life who love me, including my husband, my family, and my friends, I decided to get help and treatment so that I may fully heal and recover."
Referring to the Feb. 3 incident, Lockyer said, "The injuries I suffered from that assault will require some time to heal, and I am receiving treatment for them."
Lockyer said, "I will continue to do all I can to heal from the assault as well as to understand and conquer this disease so that I may be healthier and stronger for my family and my work."
Lockyer's chief of staff, Ruben Briones, said Lockyer missed board meetings last week and Tuesday and doesn't know when she will return to work. She'll come back when she's healthy, he said.
Briones declined to disclose the location of the facility where Lockyer is being treated except to say it's somewhere in California.
Lockyer said a story in the San Francisco Chronicle that said she was violently assaulted by an ex-boyfriend when she met up with him at a Newark motel after she fought with her husband is "generally true."
The story said Nadia and Bill Lockyer had recently been separated but had gotten back together before the Feb. 3 incident.
A spokesman for Bill Lockyer, Tom Dresslar, said Lockyer doesn't want to comment on his wife's statement or the state of their marriage.
Alameda County District Attorney spokeswoman Teresa Drenick said her office is following up on the documents it's received from the Newark Police Department but she can't comment on the matter because there's still an open investigation.
Before she was elected to the Board of Supervisors, Lockyer was executive director of the Alameda County Family Justice Center, an agency in which the District Attorney's Office and other county departments work together to provide a variety of services to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse and sexual abuse and exploitation.
Lockyer says on her county website that she is the first Latina and the first woman of Native American heritage elected to the Board of Supervisors.
Board of Supervisors President Nathan Miley released a statement Tuesday on behalf of the board.
"She is dealing with issues that are personal in nature, and we support her decision to seek help with those issues," the statement read. "We stand in support of our colleague and look forward to her return."
Miley spoke with KTVU and said he thinks Lockyer is doing the right thing going public with her personal struggles and temporarily stepping aside from her post.
"The public needs to recognize that elected officials are human too," said Miley. "We are not gods, not super people. We have our fallacies. We have out faults."
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:39:49 -0800
The childhood friends killed for the first time less than three months after their high school graduation in 1984. Then they seemingly killed with impunity for the next 15 years, with one man making barroom boasts about their ability to make people disappear.
By the time the hunting buddies were finally arrested in 1999, investigators say the notorious "Speed Freak Killers" killed as many as 20 people during a 15-year spree that terrorized California's rural Central Valley. Some of their victims were left at the scene. Most were never seen again, especially their female victims.
Even after their convictions in 2001, Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog steadfastly refused to divulge any burial sites.
Now, motivated by a bounty hunter's promise to pay $33,000 for the location of the missing, Shermantine is breaking a long silence. Family members of the missing hope the new details will lead to the discovery of their loved ones' remains and closure after years of torment. Two victims have already been identified and hundreds of human remains have been recovered over the last several days.
More are expected to be found as the search resumed Tuesday after a daylong postponement due to rain.
"It is a happy occasion," said Paula Wheeler, mother of 16-year-old Chevelle "Chevy" Wheeler, who disappeared in 1985 and whose remains were tentatively identified Friday. Chevy's portrait hangs in the living room of the Wheelers' Crossville, Tenn., home. The Wheelers intend to have Chevy's remains cremated and displayed at their home.
Shermantine told Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla that he plans to use the $33,000 to pay $15,000 in court-ordered restitution to victims' families. The rest will buy headstones for his deceased parents and small luxuries in prison like candy bars and a private television set he can't buy because every penny he receives now is used to pay down the restitution debt. Padilla hopes to claim rewards offered by the state of California for information about missing persons thought to be the victims of Shermantine and Herzog.
Using crude maps Shermantine hand-drew in his Death Row cell, investigators have dug up three sites since Thursday that have yielded human remains.
The site of the biggest find is an abandoned well outside the city of Stockton, near the town of Linden, that produced hundreds of human bones, purses, shoes, jewelry and other evidence over the weekend. That raised Joan Shelley's hopes that her 16-year-old daughter JoAnn Hobson will be found.
"I feel they are going to find her," a tearful Shelley told The Associated Press in a phone interview from her Manteca home. JoAnn disappeared in 1985, and investigators have long suspected Shermantine and Herzog in the girl's abduction and murder. But they never had enough evidence to charge them.
Padilla said Shermantine calls the well "Herzog's boneyard," and pins all the bodies that will be found there on Herzog. That's nothing new. Beyond steadfastly refusing to disclose the location of bodies, the childhood friends have also maintained that the other single-handedly did all the killing.
Herzog hanged himself on Jan. 16 outside the Susanville trailer he was paroled to after an appeals court tossed out his confession as illegally coerced. He committed suicide hours after Padilla told him Shermantine was prepared to tell authorities about the missing.
"I could hear him catch his breath when I mentioned the well," Padilla said of his conversation with Herzog on Jan. 16. "He thanked me, and didn't say anything more, but I could hear him catch his breath."
On Thursday, at a site in Calaveras County near property Shermantine's parents once owned, searchers found a skull identified as Cyndi Vanderheiden's. She disappeared in 1998. The day after the skull was found, about a quarter-mile away, searchers found a blanket containing a partial skull and other remains believed to belong to Wheeler.
People who believe they have a loved one who fell prey to Loren Herzog or Wesley Shermantine are asked to call (209) 468-5087 or email their name, phone number, the name of the missing person and case number to coldcase@sjgov.org.
Shermantine was convicted of both women's murders in 2001. He was arrested in 1999 after his car was repossessed and investigators found Vanderheiden's blood in the trunk. Using a new collection technique not available in 1985, they also found Wheeler's DNA in a remote Calaveras County cabin owned by Shermantine. The cabin was near where Wheeler's body was found.
Shermantine was also convicted of robbing and killing two drifters as they sat in a car in a rural area about two miles west of Stockton. Tire tracks left at the scene matched those of a red pickup Shermantine drove at the time.
During his trial, which opened in 2000 and was moved to Santa Clara because of publicity in the Central Valley, prosecutor Thomas Testa told the jury that Shermantine was suspected of killing 20 people. Testa told the jury that Shermantine boasted publicly -- and threateningly ---- on several occasions about his ability to make people disappear.
"There are no fingerprints, no eyewitnesses, no smoking gun," Testa said in his opening statement. "Wes told several individuals that he had hunted the ultimate kill: humans."
John Vanderheiden, Cyndi's father, owns a Clement bar the deadly duo frequented. Vanderheiden said Shermantine boasted loudly on several occasions that he was a killer.
Vanderheiden said he chalked it up to drunken nonsense -- until his daughter disappeared.
Shermantine was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death.
Another Santa Clara jury rejected Testa's plea that Herzog also receive the death penalty after he was initially charged with five first-degree murders.
Instead, Herzog was convicted of first-degree murders for his involvement in the deaths of the drifters and Vanderheiden. The jury rejected the same charges for the murder of Henry Howell, who investigators suspect Shermantine killed in September of 1984 on a lonely stretch of highway in Hope Valley, between Lake Tahoe and Stockton. Howell is believed to be the duo's first victim.
Herzog was sentenced to 78 years in prison, but that sentence was reduced to 14 years after an appeals court tossed out his confession as coerced and prosecutors reluctantly offered him a deal to plead guilty to a voluntary manslaughter charge connected to Vanderheiden's death and three accessory to murder charges connected to the killings of the drifters and Howell. He was paroled in 2010.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:57:14 -0800
Caltrans officials green-lighted the weekend closure of the Bay Bridge early Wednesday, satisfied that skies would remain clear and dry, allowing the construction of the new eastern span to take a major step forward.
Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney confirmed that transit officials would shut down the span beginning 8 p.m. Friday and not re-open it until 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
"We've got enough time," Ney said. "We'll get it done this weekend.
He said that if things go well, it is "quite possible" that the upper deck could reopen earlier on Tuesday.
During the closure, motorists won't be able to drive from the East Bay to San Francisco. However, the lower deck will still be open, meaning drivers can travel from San Francisco to Oakland.
The upper deck will only be closed on the bridge's eastern span, meaning motorists can still drive from Treasure Island to San Francisco.
"We will keep that open for Treasure Island residents," Ney said.
The closure will make way for the creation of a detour that will enable crews to complete construction of the bridge's new eastern span.
Currently, on the approach to the span on the Oakland side, the bridge's westbound lanes stand in the path of where the new eastern span's eastbound lanes will be.
The detour will shift westbound traffic south of where it is now, and will allow construction crews to demolish sections of the existing roadway that are in the path of the new incline section.
Caltrans has launched a massive radio, television and print campaign, aware of the potential gridlock caused by the Presidents Weekend closure. The agency is also handing out flyers to commuters.
"Sometimes it's good to have a personal touch, so Teen Challenge is one of the groups we brought on to basically help get flyers out there and get information out there," said Ney. "I would say the majority of people we give flyers to are unaware of it or unaware of the specifics of it," said Teen Challenge member Matt Waite. Officials said the best bet for Bay Area residents to get around the closure is to take BART or ferries. "On the Alameda/Oakland Ferry on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we'll have 14 roundtrips per day," said Ernest Sanchez of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority. "We'll be using two boats. We have options for more vessels if we need them."
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:19:23 -0800
The air was thick with feathers Tuesday night at San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza, where hundreds of people gathered for the annual Valentine's Day pillow fight.
The first pillow-whacking was scheduled for 6 p.m., and the fight was still going strong an hour later.
At 6:30 p.m., Guillaume Mirambeau, 28, and Alban Drouet, 25, who hail from France and live in San Francisco, were just getting off of a Muni train at the Embarcadero station, carrying two pillows each and wearing sheepish grins.
They said they tried to go to the Valentine's Day pillow fight last year but it was raining, so this would be their first time.
"We're ready," they said.
Meanwhile, Sean Carroll, 22, and Travis James, 23, had just emerged from the fray and were calling it a night.
Dressed in full-body, footed pajamas, or "onesies," they said they had traveled to San Francisco from Folsom for the fight and had held their own.
"It was awesome," said Carroll, who was wearing pink pajamas with bunny-rabbit feet.
Tips for battle?
"Team up and wear a onesie," Carroll said.
Also on his way out was a pillow-less Walter Paulson, 49, best known for singing his comments during the public comment period at San Francisco Board of Supervisors meetings.
Asked where his pillow was, Paulson exclaimed, "It broke all over!"
He said the most difficult part was navigating the flying debris.
"The feathers all get in your eyes and everything," he said.
Paulson said he fought hard, and demonstrated his battle technique with an imaginary pillow, swinging his arms to one side then the other, then raising them above his head and whooshing them downward.
"One, two, three," he said, smiling broadly.
A police officer at the scene said at about 6:45 p.m. that there had been no problems he was aware of, and that the crowd was just "having fun."
In past years, cleaning up the plaza and the feather-jammed storm drains has cost the city thousands of dollars. A Department of Public Works spokeswoman said city workers are preparing for another big cleanup this year.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:59:30 -0800
Criminal charges are being filed against an airport shuttle company accused of making illegal donations to the campaign of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee last year, a district attorney's office spokeswoman said today.
Go Lorrie's Airport Shuttles, a company based at San Francisco International Airport, its general manager Jason Perez, 40, and its chief financial officer Hanan Qutami, 56, will be charged Wednesday with misdemeanor charges in the case, spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman said.
According to court documents, Perez solicited Go Lorrie's drivers, dispatchers, administrators and spouses to each write a $500 check to Lee's campaign for mayor in the November election and promised they would be reimbursed.
After gathering 23 contributions of $500 from various employees, Perez and Qutami then allegedly reimbursed the donors with funds from the company, prosecutors said.
The defendants are charged with 23 counts of violating state election law prohibiting contributions made in a name other than the true name of a contributor, as well as one count each of violating San Francisco election laws of contributing more than $500 to a campaign and making a contribution by a corporation.
Lee's campaign returned all 23 contributions upon becoming aware of the possible improprieties and were not implicated in the alleged crimes, campaign officials said at the time.
The allegations were cited by other candidates in the race who also accused Lee's campaign of other improprieties, including voter ballot fraud in the city's Chinatown neighborhood.
Nevertheless, Lee easily won the Nov. 8 election, defeating Supervisor John Avalos 60 percent to 40 percent after 12 rounds of ranked-choice voting in the 16-candidate field.
Mayoral spokeswoman Christine Falvey said following today's announcement of charges filed against Go Lorrie's that Lee supported the investigation.
"The mayor appreciates the district attorney's thorough investigation and expects anyone who knowingly breaks the law to be held fully accountable," Falvey said.
Perez and Qutami are expected to be arraigned in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday morning, while the case against Go Lorrie's will first appear in court on Feb. 23, Stillman said.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:46:59 -0800
Sixteen people died as a result of domestic violence in Santa Clara County last year -- the highest number of deaths in nearly a decade, the district attorney's office announced Tuesday.
Two of those who died were Imad Ed Daou and his 22-year-old son Andrew Daou. On the night of July 26, 2011, Ed Daou shot his son to death while he slept in the family's Los Gatos home and then took his own life with a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver.
Ed Daou's wife Carmen and daughter Christina appeared at a Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office news conference this morning.
Carmen Daou said her husband carried out the act three weeks after she filed for divorce and obtained a restraining order against him that required him to stay away from her and Christina.
She said the couple had a history of domestic violence, although no charges were ever filed.
Carmen Daou called for a stricter gun confiscation policy by law enforcement.
"It is time to take weapons out of abusers' hands," Daou said. "We can no longer allow them to have the tools to cause harm to innocent victims."
Deputy District Attorney Steve Dick announced a new approach Tuesday to mitigate the issue, in which local law enforcement agencies will ask individuals who are served with protective or restraining orders to voluntarily surrender their firearms and weapons immediately rather than within 24 hours, as is the policy now.
"We offer this in hopes of keeping all persons listed on the protective order safe, as well as the rest of Santa Clara County, in possible future incidents," sheriff's Sgt. Jason Brown said.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:36:19 -0800
A cruise ship well on its way around the world is now at the center of a federal cocaine bust after an unusual find by customs inspectors during a routine stop in San Francisco last month, federal investigators revealed Tuesday.
Federal officers told KTVU they seized a sizable amount of cocaine from the cruise ship Aurora when it docked at Pier 35 on January 25th.
The Aurora is billed as a "family friendly" cruise ship. But federal officers in San Francisco said what they found aboard the ship was anything but wholesome.
"In his luggage he had seven kilos of cocaine," said U.S. Customs & Border Protection officer Gary Horne.
The P&O Aurora was the site of two drug search and seizures after its arrival. The ship arrived in port from Curacao during a worldwide tour.
"It was during a normal interview of a passenger, as we normally do when they come in, explained Horne. We talk to them. We ask them where they're from and what they're bringing in. Based on that interview, there was an anomaly in the story."
That "anomaly" led to the arrest of Australian national Ahmed Rachid after inspectors said they found the seven kilos of cocaine in his cabin.
"We did a field test for the white powdery substance and it field tested positive for cocaine," said Horne.
Agents say the search of another cabin led to more coke and the arrest of New Zealanders Tony Wilkinson and Kirstie Harris.
"It was also in a briefcase under their bed," said Horne.
Customs inspectors won't say if the cases are related or where the drugs may've been headed.
But they told KTVU they found a total of 13 kilograms of cocaine -- about 28.6 pounds. Its estimated value was about $915,000.
The Aurora continued on its course after the arrests.
"It's been several years since we've had any type of seizure on a cruise ship vessel so that is a little unusual," said Horne.
The media relations department for P&O cruises did not return our calls.
The cocaine cases are now in the hands of immigration, customs enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice. They declined comment on Tuesday.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:09:08 -0800
A woman and her 13-year-old daughter were stabbed by a male family member in their Santa Cruz-area mobile home early Tuesday morning, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office was notified of a disturbance in the 2500 block of Portola Drive, between Santa Cruz and Capitola, at 6:52 a.m.
When Deputy Pat Dimick arrived at the home, he found the suspect, 45-year-old Christopher Lindner, choking the woman, sheriff's officials said.
Dimick use a Taser stun gun on Lindner and took him into custody.
The 36-year-old woman had suffered multiple slash and stab wounds to her face and hands, sheriff's Deputy April Skalland said. Her daughter had stab wounds on the inside of her throat and mouth.
The victims, who are related to Lindner, were transported to a hospital and treated for their injuries. Both are expected to recover, according to the sheriff's office.
Skalland declined to disclose the nature of Lindner's relationship to the victims.
Lindner was transported to a hospital for clearance, then booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:55:18 -0800
Throngs of San Franciscans crowded City Hall Tuesday in hopes of catching a glimpse of Tony Bennett, who was honored in a Valentine's Day tribute marking the 50th anniversary of his signature classic's recording.
Bennett, 85, recorded "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962, a tune that became the city's anthem and is played at AT&T Park after Giants' home wins.
With crowds stacked up to eight people deep on every level ringing the rotunda, City Hall resembled a concert hall during the midday celebration.
"I've never seen anything in my life as beautiful as these young people," Bennett told the crowd.
The San Francisco Boys and Girls Choruses led the audience in singing the famous tune, along with the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.
Before presenting Bennett with the key to the city, Mayor Ed Lee said the children's choruses "reflect Tony's dedicating his career" to encouraging young people to be leaders.
The ceremony included a video tribute with testimonials by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Bennett himself did not perform at the noon event, which rubbed some of the fans in the crowd the wrong way.
"It wouldn't be worth it, even for Whitney," one man said, referring to the late Whitney Houston, as he stalked away from the overflow crowd.
Others, like Betty Straka, who, like Bennett, is in her 80s, reveled in the chance to see the singer for the first time.
"It was wonderful," said Straka, a San Francisco native. "He looks so great for his age."
Even though she didn't grow up in San Francisco, Anita Groethe said she loved Bennett and his music even as a child living in Minneapolis.
"I've always been a fan of his," Groethe said, holding a single red rose that she had plucked, like scores of other people, from the floral displays after the event concluded.
Unlike those who had arrived well before the noon event to snag a view of the crooner, Groethe said she didn't make it to City Hall until after the event had started.
"It was so fun anyway," she said.
Bennett is scheduled to sing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" tonight at a sold-out benefit concert at the Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel in Nob Hill, where he first sand the song in December 1961.
"I always thought it would be a local song in this area," Bennett said at Tuesday's tribute.
The concert is to raise money for heart research at the University of California at San Francisco.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:42:57 -0800
An Alameda County supervisor who's married to California's treasurer is undergoing treatment for substance abuse problems after being assaulted in a motel room.
Nadia Lockyer announced Tuesday that she enrolled in a recovery center to treat her "chemical dependency" and injuries from the Feb. 3 assault.
The 40-year-old Lockyer told police that she met an ex-boyfriend at a Newark motel, where she was staying after having an argument with her husband. She didn't discuss details of the motel incident in Tuesday's statement.
Prosecutors are deciding whether to charge the ex-boyfriend.
Lockyer has been married since 2003 to Democrat Bill Lockyer, one of California's longest-serving elected officials.
Bill Lockyer's spokesman, Tom Dresslar, told the Oakland Tribune that the treasurer declined comment and is concerned only with protecting his wife and their 8-year-old son.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:26:28 -0800
A pedestrian was trapped under a shuttle bus in an accident that occurred in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, police and fire officials said.
The incident was reported at 2:18 p.m. at Eddy and Leavenworth streets.
San Francisco fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said the victim was struck by a transport van and pinned underneath the vehicle.
Fire crews responded and extricated the victim at 2:38 p.m., she said.
Two ambulances were called -- one for the pedestrian and another for the driver, who began suffering from a medical problem.
Talmadge said she did not yet have details about how the accident occurred.
Police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said the accident shut down a stretch of Eddy Street.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:19:50 -0800
SUMMARY: Sells television time to advertisers and their agencies. Service existing accounts with strong emphasis on the development of new-to-television and new-to-KICU business by performing the following duties:
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Compiles lists of prospective customers for use as sales leads, based on information from newspapers, business directories, and other sources.
Daily travel throughout the south bay to call on regular and prospective clients to solicit orders or talks with clients by phone. Client functions often fall on nights and weekends.
Presents or demonstrates KICU programming, using computer Power Point presentations, video tape, ratings, and sales pieces prepared by Research Department, emphasizing salable features.
Negotiates ratings and rates. Prepares paperwork for orders obtained.
Makes presentations to advertising agencies and clients. Responsible for selling sponsorships that may include promotions initiated by sales persons.
Prepares reports of business transactions and keeps expense accounts.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university in marketing, advertising, sales and/or broadcasting; or one to two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: Valid driver's license with good driving record required.
OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES: Must have good working knowledge of ratings, BAR reports, etc. Co-op and vendor support knowledge helpful. Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Power Point skills helpful.
Must be self motivated with lots of initiative.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions (driving to and from clients/agencies).
The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
Hours are irregular and often exceed a 40-hour week (preparation, travel and entertainment), based on business demand. Hours may include evenings and weekends.
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KICU is an equal opportunity employer. Discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status or disability is prohibited.
Send resumes to: KICU, Human Reources Department, 2 Jack London Square, Oakland, CA 94607.
Resumes may also be emailed to Human.Resources@KICU.com
PLEASE INDICATE YOUR REFERRAL SOURCE. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:12:14 -0800
Authorities are back excavating an abandoned well in search of more human remains believed to be victims of the notorious "Speed Freak Killers."
San Joaquin Sheriff's Department Les Garcia says the search outside the farming town of Linden resumed Tuesday after rains forced a daylong postponement.
Authorities found more than 300 bone fragments at the site over the weekend.
Death row inmate Wesley Shermantine led authorities there after a bounty hunter offered him money for information about victims of his killing spree in the 1980s and 1990s. Investigators believe Shermantine and childhood friend Loren Herzog may have killed as many as 20 people.
Sheriff's officials set up a hotline for families that believe a loved one may have been a victim. Officials say they've received more than two dozen calls.
Published: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:20:20 -0800
WoodsideCalifornia.com
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