Top San Francisco Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
The victim of a shooting that allegedly precipitated a triple murder in San Francisco in 2008 testified Wednesday that Edwin Ramos, the accused killer, was still an active member of the MS-13 gang at the time.
Ramos, 25, is charged with fatally shooting 48-year-old Anthony Bologna and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, in the city's Excelsior District on June 22, 2008.
Prosecutors allege the shooting was in retaliation for a shooting that injured Marvin Medina, 25, a fellow MS-13 gang member, earlier that day and that Ramos mistook the Bolognas for rival gang members.
Defense attorney Marla Zamora has admitted that Ramos was once a member of MS-13 but left the gang in 2006.
Zamora said in her opening statements in the trial that another gang member, Wilfredo "Flaco" Reyes, was the shooter from a car that Ramos was driving. Reyes remains at large.
Medina testified today in the trial, recounting through a Spanish translator his first meeting with Ramos some time in 2007 when Medina was "jumped in" to the Pasadena Locos Surenos, a clique of the MS-13 gang.
Medina said hours after the initiation ritual, in which a group of gang members beat up a new member for 13 seconds, Ramos drove him to San Francisco to show him some of the gang's territory.
"He had a great history in San Francisco and everyone would talk about him," Medina said.
Ramos' estranged brother-in-law, Abraham Martinez, testified earlier this month that Ramos was formerly part of the San Francisco-based 20th Street clique of MS-13 but told him he "jumped in" to the East Bay-based PLS clique because it was more violent.
Medina also described today the shooting that injured him earlier on June 22, 2008 in the city's Mission District.
He said men in two cars followed him through the neighborhood, then one vehicle pulled up beside him where someone opened fire, striking him in the left buttock.
Medina said Reyes, who he described as Ramos' best friend, was the first person he called following the shooting.
Medina was granted immunity at the start of his testimony today for any potentially incriminating evidence provided in "truthful answers" he gives, prosecutor Harry Dorfman said.
The granting of immunity comes after he was convicted of three felony counts of perjury in 2009 for testimony he gave during the preliminary hearing in Ramos' case earlier that year.
Medina testified at that hearing that he was not a MS-13 gang member and that he did not know Ramos, but when prosecutors moved to have him examined for a prominent "MS" tattoo emblazoned on his back, he finally admitted he had been a member.
He was sentenced to three years' probation for the perjury charges, and has said he is no longer a member of the gang.
Medina's testimony will continue in the trial on Thursday morning.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:43:06 -0800
Palo Alto police detectives are working with investigators in neighboring Menlo Park after similar armed robberies occurred in those cities Tuesday night.
At about 8:15 p.m., a robber approached a man in his 50s who was walking his dog in the 200 block of Walter Hays Drive in Palo Alto.
The suspect shone a flashlight into the man's eyes and pointed a handgun at him, instructing him to empty his pockets and throw his personal items, including his wallet, on the ground, police said.
The victim complied and was ordered to turn around and walk away. As he did so, the suspect grabbed some of the scattered items and fled.
The victim, who was uninjured, told police he heard a vehicle speeding away from the scene.
About 30 minutes later, a woman in her 50s was robbed in the 400 block of Laurel Avenue in Menlo Park. In that case, the victim was also approached on foot by a man who pointed a small black handgun at her and demanded her wallet.
After learning that the woman was not carrying her wallet, the suspect climbed into the passenger side of a waiting dark-colored van, which drove away heading west on Laurel Avenue.
The suspect in both crimes is described as a black man in his 20s who is between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall. He was wearing dark clothing at the time of the crimes, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Palo Alto 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit information by email to paloalto@tipnow.org or can text (650) 383-8984.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:26:04 -0800
More than 8,000 PG&E customers are without power in parts of San Francisco and Daly City Wednesday evening, a utility spokeswoman said.
The outage was reported at 5:58 p.m. and is impacting 8,713 customers in Daly City and the Saint Francis Wood and West Portal neighborhoods of San Francisco, spokeswoman Jana Morris said.
No estimated time for restoration was available and the cause is under investigation.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:46:02 -0800
The U.S. Geological Survey reported early Wednesday evening that an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.7 struck in the nouthern region of the Bay Area.
The quake was centered approximately four miles south of Vallejo 6:09 p.m. with a depth of 5.8 miles, according to the USGS.
So far, there has been no word of damage from the minor temblor.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:18:10 -0800
A Northern California family continued an excruciating wait for answers Wednesday as investigators continued excavation for human remains at the mass grave made by the "Speed Freak Killers."
Investigators said they have hit bottom at the site in San Joaquin County near the town of Linden where they've been digging out a well.
The work continued Wednesday, with the dig approaching 50-feet in depth. Investigators said it appears to be nearing an end. But so far, no victims have been identified from the site.
"What I'm being told is there's very little remains in those piles," said San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Les Garcia.
About 1,000 bones and bone fragments have been unearthed along with women's shoes, a purse and jewelry.
And closely following reports from the grim excavation are Alisa Baca and her 100-year-old grandmother Eva Baca.
KTVU talked exclusively to the family that is waiting for answers from this dig decades after their loved one disappeared.
"It's hard growing up when you don't know where your mother is," said Alisa.
Alisa was 8-months-old when her then 34-year old mother Sylvia Standly went missing in downtown Modesto in 1986.
Standley had called her family to say she would be home soon, but never arrived.
"And I never saw her again," said Eva Baca, Standly’s mother.
They learned of the dig site in Linden from a relative. Investigators were led here by a map drawn by Death Row inmate Wesley Shermantine.
He and Loren Herzog are believed responsible for 20 or more murders in the '80s and '90s. There's no direct link to Standly, but Alisa thinks there may be a connection.
"Just the fact that they disappeared at the same time," said Alisa. "A lot of people had families that just disappeared and never came back."
They will have to wait for answers. The bones brought up here must be DNA tested for matches. There's also another nearby well that could contain more remains.
A private investigator in the Stockton area has a list of women he believes were victims of the "Speed Freak Killers."
Rob Dick says he has been compiling a list of missing person cases for the last decade and that eight of the women in his binder could be victims of Shermantine and Herzog.
He said the women just disappeared and the cases were never solved.
"Vanishing. Out alone. Late at night a lot of the times and just kind of vanish, said Dick. Not to get families hopes up, but I do think we're on the right track."
Among them are Susan Bender, who was last seen getting into a green van in April of 1986 outside a bus station in Modesto.
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.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:12:33 -0800
Vallejo police are still searching for two suspects involved in the shooting that wounded five people at a nail salon on Springs Road Monday evening.
Three people were wounded, including a 2-year-old girl, inside the salon and two others were shot outside, police said.
Police have arrested one man, 32-year-old Chester Landers for being a felon in possession of a handgun, Lt. Ken Weaver said. Landers was later released from the Solano County jail.
The shooting began when a suspect walked across a parking lot and opened the door to Tina's Nails at 1833 Springs Road around 7:15 p.m., Weaver said.
The suspect targeted a 27-year-old Asian woman from Vallejo who was having her nails done by a technician, Weaver said. She was shot multiple times in her lower body and was in serious condition Tuesday night at the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, Weaver said.
At some point a 47-year-old Asian woman from Vallejo and her 2-year-old granddaughter from Oakland, who was sitting on her lap inside the salon, were struck by gunfire, Weaver said.
The toddler had surgery and was in stable condition Tuesday at Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland. Her grandmother was in stable condition Tuesday at the NorthBay Medical Center, Weaver said.
The suspect then backed out of the salon and he and Landers exchanged gunfire, Weaver said. A third shooter crossed the street and began shooting at the salon, Weaver said.
As the gunfight continued along Springs Road, a 32-year-old man from Vallejo, who was in the parking lot across from the salon, was struck in the lower body. He was in stable condition Tuesday at the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, Weaver said.
A fifth person, a 17-year-old Vallejo boy, also was hit by gunfire. He was in serious condition Tuesday at Kaiser Permanente, Vallejo Medical Center, Weaver said.
Weaver said two handguns and 41 expended shell casings were recovered across four lanes along one city block of Springs Road.
Detectives served search warrants at residences in the area in their search for evidence, Weaver said.
The motive for the shootings is still unclear, Weaver said.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:08:36 -0800
For decades, parents and employers have been saying if you want to be successful, you need a college degree. But a program being run by a Bay Area billionaire proves that is not always the case.
For some, going to college was always in the game plan. "When I was growing up I always thought I was on this path to go to college eventually," said UC Berkeley senior Andy Horng.
But for others, even those who are currently attending one of the best universities in the country, there's doubt of the value of a college degree.
"I think it's overpriced for something I really don't need," said UC Berkeley junior Damien Wuterich. "I'm here to get that piece of paper."
For those students who want to strike out on their own, there's a fellowship that will pay you to do so.
Offered by Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, the "20 Under 20" fellowship program wants to help young adults and teens turn groundbreaking ideas into reality.
For two years, the 20 selected candidates under the age of 20 are given access to mentors and innovators already working in their field and $100,000.
The only requirement? The fellows, such as Laura Deming, can't be full-time college students. Deming was just 15 years old when she was accepted to MIT.
She has been home-schooled all her life. She said she's not a college drop-out. She prefers to be called a college "stop-out."
"When I first got to MIT, it was a bit difficult to adjust to being in class and having regular homework to turn in. Sometimes I wouldn't understand the point of an assignment, and that was a bit odd," said Deming. She dreams of being a bio-tech entrepreneur. More specifically, Deming wants to cure aging.
When she was 12 years old, she worked with researchers at UCSF and discovered a way to get worms to live longer. "The feeling that I was seeing something no one had ever created before. That I was creating a puzzle piece that fit into all of science -- when I was 12 -- was kind of mind blowing," said Deming.
Now she wants to make it possible for people to live as long as they want.
The Thiel Fellowship matched her with Bay Area researchers and entrepreneurs who are giving her guidance as well as resources. Going to college was not part of her plan.
"Changing the world is a full time job. You don't want to have too many distractions," said Deming.
Deming has not thought twice about dropping, or stopping-out of college. But students KTVU spoke with who are currently enrolled in the university system said success is more than racking up scholastic achievements.
They say some of their best ideas come after being thrown together with others who have different backgrounds, beliefs and strengths.
And then there is the social aspect of college. When asked what her favorite movies are, Deming says she loves old movies. "Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn. Best movie of all time," said Deming.
And music? "I like classical music, which is a bit geeky to say," admitted Deming. It's not until you get to the topic of food that she starts sounding like a "typical" teenager. "In-and-Out Animal Style burger is the best ever," said Deming.
And while this 17-year-old is working on doing something no one has ever done. She's not able to do the one thing millions of people her age can do.
"My biggest hangup right now is finding an adult to trust me with their car on Sundays. Because I have a permit, but I'm still getting my license," said Deming.
And that's something you can't get through a fellowship or college.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:32:06 -0800
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has placed Chief Probation Officer David Muhammad on paid administrative leave after a deputy probation officer filed a $1.5 million claim accusing him of sexually assaulting and harassing her.
The board said chief of staff Brian Richart will be in charge while Muhammad is on leave but that board members cannot comment on his situation because it is a confidential personnel matter.
Muhammad, 38, who was hired a year ago after holding top probation positions in New York City and Washington, D.C., couldn't be reached for comment.
In her claim, which is a preliminary step to filing a lawsuit, the deputy probation officer alleges that Muhammad harassed her at a probation office in Hayward on May 15 when he noticed a discoloration on her neck, made multiple comments about it, laughed and joked about it and called it a "hickey."
The officer said Muhammad put his hands on her twice that day, prompting her to exclaim to another deputy, "Did you see that? He grabbed me!"
The deputy alleges that four days later, the morning of May 19, Muhammad asked her to pick him up at Oakland International Airport and drive him to a speaking engagement in Oakland but then instructed her to take him to the San Leandro Marina, which was empty at that time of day.
She said Muhammad suddenly grabbed her head and started kissing her, telling her, "We would make some pretty babies."
The officer said when she tried to pull back, Muhammad "became very aggressive" and pulled her shirt down, cupped her breast and started to kiss it and penetrated her vagina "forcefully" with two of his fingers.
She said that when she eventually pushed him away, he told her she had excited him sexually and said, "I want you so bad, you just don't know it."
The deputy said that a day later, on May 20, Muhammad sent her multiple text messages and that she reluctantly agreed to meet with him as long as they weren't alone because she was worried about her job and what he might do to her if she ignored him.
She said in the claim that she met with Muhammad and his brother at a restaurant in Hayward and that at the end of the night he started to kiss her and grab her breasts and put his hand between her legs.
The deputy said she pushed his hand away but that he then grabbed her hand, placed it on his groin area and said she had excited him sexually.
She said she pulled away and reiterated to Muhammad that she only wanted to be friends, and that Muhammad eventually left "angry and upset."
The claim says the deputy probation officer has suffered economic harm and has mental distress and anguish.
It accuses Muhammad of sexual assault, false imprisonment, gender violence, sexual battery, assault, batter and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The California Attorney General's Office is conducting an investigation to see if criminal charges should be filed against Muhammad, according to attorney general's spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill.
Gledhill said the San Leandro Police Department investigated the officer's allegations and then submitted its report to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, which recused itself because it works closely with Muhammad.
Muhammad was formerly the executive director of the Mentoring Center in Oakland, and before he returned to Alameda County he served as Deputy Commissioner of New York City's Department of Probation - Adult Services, where he was responsible for overseeing 35,000 people on probation with a staff of 800.
Prior to his New York job, Muhammad served as the Chief of Committed Services for the Department of Youth Rehabilitating Services in Washington, D.C., where his responsibilities included overseeing a staff of 300, a $42 million annual budget and a juvenile institution with 900 youths in his department's care.
In an interview before he took over the Probation Department, Muhammad said he had gotten into trouble with the law as a youth in Oakland, and that as the county's chief probation officer he would try to help troubled youths improve their lives.
"I had my fair share of trouble and was in the juvenile justice system and the child welfare system," Muhammad said.
But he said he turned his life around with the help of the Omega Boys Club, which paid for him to go to college.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:19:57 -0800
San Francisco police have arrested a second suspect in an explosion -- possibly triggered by illegal drug use -- that ripped through an Ingleside district home, authorities said.
Police took Thomas Weed, 26, San Francisco resident, into custody on Tuesday after an arrest warrant for Weed was issued.
In this incident, the San Francisco Fire Department responded to an explosion at a residence on the 1200 block of Capitol Avenue and contacted the SFPD, which initiated a criminal investigation.
Angelic Cisneros was transported for medical care, and was arrested the day following the explosion.
A 12-year-old boy was severely injured in the explosion and required skin grafts on his face and body.
Cisneros was booked on charges of recklessly causing a fire in an inhabited dwelling and causing bodily injury, child endangerment, and possession of marijuana for sale.
A joint investigation involving the San Francisco Police Department and the U. S. Marshals Office led to the arrest of Weed, who was taken into custody without incident.
He faces recklessly causing a fire in an inhabited dwelling and causing bodily injury, child endangerment, and possession of marijuana for sale, maintaining a place for the purpose of unlawfully selling controlled substance, narcotics paraphernalia and transporting or selling methamphetamines charges.
Weed is being held on $350,000 bail.
Both Weed and Cisneros remain in custody.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:06:56 -0800
Investigators are asking for the public's help in finding a man who tried to kidnap an 8-year-old girl in San Francisco's Bayview District on Monday morning, police said.
The suspect allegedly approached the girl around 8:15 a.m. Monday at Oakdale Avenue and Keith Street as she was walking toward nearby Carver Elementary School, according to police.
Police said the man grabbed the girl from behind, put his hand over her mouth and said something about picking out young children as his victims.
The girl was able to break free and ran to safety inside the school, according to police.
The suspect fled and has not been found. He is described as a black man in his 30s with a heavy build, short, dreadlock-style braids and a scar on his upper right cheek. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans with a square-shaped earring in his left earlobe and a handkerchief covering part of his face, police said.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call Inspector Vince Repetto from the Police Department's sexual assault detail at (415) 553-9117 or (415) 553-1361.
People wishing to remain anonymous can call the department's tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" in the subject line.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:56:05 -0800
A Marin County Superior Court judge Wednesday approved Joseph Naso's waiver of his right to an attorney, clearing the way for the 78-year-old Reno man to represent himself in his trial for four Northern California murders that occurred between 1977 and 1994.
Judge Andrew Sweet said he found Naso mentally capable, literate and fully informed, and therefore able to continue acting as his own attorney.
Naso has been representing himself since his arrest on April 11 in South Lake Tahoe.
After again informing Naso of the advantages of having an attorney and the pitfalls of representing himself, Sweet asked Naso if he still wanted to waive his right to have an attorney.
"At this point, yes," Naso said.
Sweet found at the conclusion of a preliminary hearing last month that there was enough evidence to try Naso for the murders of four women in Marin, Contra Costa and Yuba counties.
In addition to the four murder charges, he faces a special-circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders, which makes him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Naso is scheduled to re-enter pleas on Feb. 29.
Sweet asked Naso Wednesday if he knew the penalty for committing multiple murders.
"I have an idea," Naso replied.
When informed that he faces the death penalty and not life in prison, Naso said he still wants to represent himself.
Naso said he doesn't want an attorney because he would be unable to communicate freely with one in jail and it would delay the start of a trial.
"I don't want this case to drag on for years. I want to get out of here as soon as I can, this year I hope," Naso said.
He also said having an attorney would preclude him from actively participating in his defense.
"I'd be on the sidelines and told, 'Don't interrupt,' and 'Be quiet,'" Naso said.
Naso is charged with killing Roxene Roggasch, 18, of Oakland, in Marin County in 1977; Carmen Colon, 22, in Port Costa in Contra Costa County in 1978; Pamela Parsons, 38, and Tracy Tafoya in Yuba County in 1993 and 1994 respectively.
Testimony during Naso's preliminary hearing indicated that the women, who worked as prostitutes, were strangled and dumped along rural roads.
During the nine-day preliminary hearing last month, the prosecution presented DNA evidence linking Naso to Roggasch's murder. Her body was found near Fairfax on Jan. 11, 1977.
A criminalist testified that semen found on the pantyhose Roggasch was wearing inside out was likely Naso's and that Naso's now ex-wife Judith's DNA was found on pantyhose wrapped around Roggasch's neck.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:50:57 -0800
The name Jaya in Hindi means victorious.
And little Jaya Maharaj was just that, when she became one of the smallest recipients of a pacemaker when she was just 15 minutes old.
A team of doctors at Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital determined the girl born nine weeks premature had only hours to live if they did not perform the surgery.
Jaya, who was diagnosed in the womb with a severe heart ailment, entered the world with a heart rate of 45 beats per minute. A health newborn heartbeat is 120 to 150 beats per minute.
"The only way to save this baby was to deliver the baby right away and then the pacemaker," said Dr. Katsuhide Maeda, the surgeon whose steady hand stitched the pacemaker's electrical leads to Jaya's walnut-sized heart. Stanford announced details of the operation this week.
During a routine prenatal visit, doctors told Leanne Maharaj, 26, and Kamneel Maharaj, 31, that their first child's heart rate was dangerously low. They learned that their daughter suffered from congenital heart block, in which the mother's immune system mistakenly attacks the nerve fibers that cause the fetus' heart to beat.
The prognosis was grim: Doctors would have to induce labor and force the baby to be born as early as possible to correct the ailment before her heart failed. But Jaya grew and gained weight as her parents waited, giving them hope.
"We were worried, but at the same time we were hopeful that she was fighting inside and doing the best she can," said Kamneel Maharaj, an information technology manager in Silicon Valley.
Dr. Valerie Chock, the neonatologist who counseled the couple, said determining when the baby should be born involves a delicate set of calculations. The baby should be delivered as soon as possible while still allowing her to gestate so her organs develop enough to support life outside the womb.
"Unfortunately, a lot of babies in this position don't even survive childbirth," Chock said.
The doctors settled on 31 weeks as the delivery date. About team of about 20 assembled to handle the complex procedure in which both speed and caution were essential.
The delivery of the 3.5-pound baby went smoothly. But Jaya's heart was beating so slowly that surgeon Maeda decided to open her chest immediately to perform the operation.
Typically in such cases, a surgeon would connect wires attached to a pacemaker outside the body then perform a second surgery weeks later to install a permanent device. Maeda decided to tackle the more difficult challenge of inserting the permanent pacemaker immediately to avoid the second surgery. The whole process took about an hour.
The current pacemaker should last Jaya about 10 years, Maeda said.
Dr. Michael Artman, the chief pediatrician at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and a neonatal cardiologist not connected to the Stanford operation, described the surgery as an impressive accomplishment that could encourage other children's hospitals to undertake similar efforts.
"What really distinguishes this is just the fragility of this premature baby and the condition in which this baby was born," Artman said. He said that while inserting a pacemaker is not itself the most technically challenging kind of surgery, the coordination of the large team needed to pull off the entire procedure poses a major challenge.
Today, at a little less than three months old, Jaya weighs more than 8 pounds and is thriving.
"Whenever we were worried, she would kick from inside and say, `I'm here; I'm alive!"' Kamneel Maharaj said. "We thought maybe she was trying to tell us that everything was OK, so we were always hopeful."
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:43:21 -0800
Astronauts and robots have united in space with a healthy handshake.
The commander of the International Space Station, Daniel Burbank, shook hands Wednesday with Robonaut. It's the first handshake ever between a human and a humanoid in space.
NASA's Robonaut was launched aboard space shuttle Discovery last February. Crews have been testing it to see how it one day might help astronauts perform space station chores.
On Wednesday, ground controllers activated computer software that enabled the robot to extend its right hand, fingers outstretched. Burbank took the mechanical hand and pumped it up and down, as the robot's fingers tightened around his hand.
"The first human-humanoid handshake in space," Burbank proclaimed.
A cheer went up in the control room in Huntsville, Ala.
"For the record, it was a firm handshake," Burbank radioed. "Quite an impressive robot."
Robonaut -- the first humanoid in space, built from the waist up -- said via Twitter that it was an awesome experience, then followed up with some sign language.
"The handshake was definitely one of the highlights of the day, but I'm not done yet," Robonaut said in a tweet. (A NASA spokeswoman actually files the tweets under the handle AstroRobonaut.)
"Did you catch that? I don't have a voice, but I sent you a message -- Hello world ... in sign language!" Robonaut tweeted. "What a day! I passed my tests with flying colors!!!"
Dutch space station astronaut Andre Kuipers couldn't resist a little robot humor.
"Now let's hope he's never heard of HAL9000, Skynet or Cylons," Kuipers wrote in a tweet.
HAL was the conspiring computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey." The people-hating artificial intelligence system Skynet is from the "Terminator" films, while Cylons are cyber-warriors from "Battleship Gallactica."
Robonaut spends most of its time in hibernation aboard the space station.
The astronauts bring the humanoid out every so often for testing; it was awakened in space last August and made its first motion in October. A future model could venture outside for spacewalks, saving its human companions time and keeping them safe.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:34:24 -0800
An attacker beat a 70-year-old man and stole his cane, and robbed a woman in her 60s of a bag while the pair waited at a bus stop near Candlestick Park on Tuesday morning, police said.
The robbery was reported around 7:05 a.m. Tuesday at a San Francisco Municipal Railway bus stop in the 800 block of Ingerson Avenue.
The two victims were waiting for the bus when a man in his 30s approached, took the man's cane, and struck him in the face, according to police.
The suspect then grabbed the woman's bag and ran away. He had not been found as of this morning, police said.
The male victim was treated at the scene for bruising to his face. The woman was not injured, according to police.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or send a tip by text message to TIP411.
Published: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:55:15 -0800
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 settlement talks were back on track with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. about compensation for a deadly gas pipeline explosion after the city held a morning press conference announcing the collapse of negotiations.
PG&E Senior Vice President Greg Pruett, however, said the company had always been willing to talk and set up a Friday meeting to continue settlement discussions.
Officials in the San Francisco suburb want the utility to make good on its promise to pay restitution for the September 2010 blast that laid waste to a quiet subdivision overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane said city officials have been negotiating a confidential settlement with PG&E executives, including President Chris Johns, since last fall. But Ruane said the utility abruptly walked away from the negotiating table last week.
"We want PG&E to recognize and pay restitution for the great tragedy they caused in San Bruno and help restore our community," Ruane said. "The consequences of this tragedy will not fade."
Pruett held a conference call Wednesday and said the company had planned to set up a meeting with San Bruno officials before the city announced its concerns. He added that Johns left last week's meeting with local administrators believing negotiations were moving toward a resolution.
"What we really are committed to doing is continuing to sit down with the city representatives and senior leaders," Pruett said. "We both have the same strong, passionate desire to resolve this and address the needs of the residents of San Bruno quickly."
San Bruno spokesman Sam Singer said he was surprised to hear the utility remained open to negotiations, and was pleased to hear company executives would rejoin San Bruno officials at the table, nearly a year and a half after the accident.
City officials also filed a petition with the California Public Utilities Commission asking to become part of its probe into whether PG&E should be fined for the explosion, which they see as another possible path to collecting restitution. The commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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. The company also set up a $100 million fund to support emergency needs in the aftermath of the accident on Sept. 9, 2010.
Federal accident investigators lay the blame on PG&E for the explosion, saying a litany of failures led to the blast, which they concluded wasn't the result of a simple mechanical failure but rather an "organizational accident."
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. Investigators said the damage would have been less severe had automatic valves been in place.
Dozens of people were injured and more than 100 homes were destroyed or damaged in the bedroom community.
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
SanRamonCalifornia.com
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