Top San Francisco Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
Police arrested a 27-year-old man in San Ramon Monday night on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly beat his mother with a baseball bat.
Officers responded shortly before midnight to a report of an elderly woman on Durango Lane who was bleeding badly and yelling for help, police said.
Officers at the scene learned that the woman's son, Aaron Ricks, was apparently responsible for the assault, police said.
Police found Ricks a short time later on the front porch of the home, where he also lives, armed with a baseball bat, according to police.
Police said officers used a non-lethal projectile to disarm Ricks before arresting him.
His injured mother, who is in her early 60s, was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek to be treated for significant head and body injuries suffered during the assault, according to Lt. Dan Pratt.
Ricks was booked into Martinez Detention Facility where he is being held on $1 million bail, Pratt said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:08:59 -0800
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon has concluded that a BART police officer "acted lawfully in self-defense" when he fatally shot a knife-wielding homeless man at the Civic Center station in San Francisco last summer.
Gascon said in a seven-page report to San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr that based on a thorough review of the law, witness statements and medical and physical evidence, "there appears no reasonable factual or legal basis upon which to charge" Officer James Crowell for the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Charles Hill at about 9:45 p.m. on July 3.
The report was sent to Suhr last Wednesday and was made public today. Copies were also sent to BART Police Chief Kenton Rainey, Crowell and Lt. Hector Sainer in the San Francisco Police Department's homicide unit.
Gascon said doctors who examined toxicology reports on Hill concluded that he was high on a combination of alcohol, methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana.
According to Gascon, Dr. Nikolas Lemos, chief forensic toxicologist for the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office, said the combination of substances had a "synergistic" effect on Hill and the combination of depressants and hallucinogens compounded the effect of each other "exponentially."
The report said Lemos believes Hill was "a chronic methamphetamine user" and he has rarely seen people with such a high level of methamphetamine in their body who were still alive.
Dale Allen, an attorney who represents BART, said Gascon's report "supports our belief that Officer Crowell acted appropriately and in fear of his life" when he shot and killed Hill.
Allen said he thinks "it was a proper use of force in a deadly force situation."
But Oakland attorney John Burris, who recently filed a wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit in federal court on behalf of Hill's family, said, "We won't be deterred and will go forward with the lawsuit. This report has no effect on us."
Burris said he's "not surprised" by Gascon's report because prosecutors must prove a criminal case beyond a reasonable doubt but in civil cases the standard is lower, only a preponderance of the evidence.
He said he's sued many police officers and agencies in his long legal career and in only one case have prosecutors filed charges against an officer who killed a suspect.
Burris said that was the case in which former BART Officer Johannes Mehserle was charged with murder for fatally shooting passenger Oscar Grant III at the Fruitvale station in Oakland on Jan. 1, 2009.
Mehserle, who claimed he had only meant to use his Taser but fired his service gun by mistake, was convicted of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Gascon's report says Crowell and Officer Myron Lee came to the Civic Center station after a BART train operator saw Hill with a large liquor bottle in his hand and feared for Hill's safety.
Hill threw a Smirnoff vodka bottle at the officers and then Crowell noticed that Hill was armed with a large knife, according to the report.
Crowell told investigators that he ordered Hill to drop the knife but he fired three shots at Hill from a distance of about 15 feet when Hill planted his foot and cocked his arm to throw the knife at him.
Crowell said he had been trained that someone who's armed with a knife and is within 21 feet is a threat because "they can close the gap before the officer can get their gun out of their holster."
Crowell told investigators "I could be dead if I don't do something" and he thought "it's me or him at this point and my partner's life is in danger and my life is in danger."
He said, "Yeah, I feared for my life."
Allen said a slow-motion video of the incident shows that Hill threw his knife at Crowell at virtually the same time that Hill shot him.
He said Crowell "was reacting to the motion of the knife being thrown."
However, Burris said he still believes the shooting "was not justified" and said the matter is "a factual dispute that a jury will have to resolve."
According to Gascon, Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Venus Azar found that Hill suffered two gunshot wounds: one to his abdomen and one to his left thigh. Dr. Azar ruled that Hill died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Crowell left the BART Police Department after the shooting and now works as a special agent for the FBI. Sources said that at the time of the shooting he had already applied for the FBI job and was close to being hired.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:48:08 -0800
A 15-year-old boy and his mother were arrested in San Jose on Thursday in connection with the gang-related stabbing of a 13-year-old boy, police said.
Police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said at about noon on Thursday, a woman drove her 15-year-old son to the 2700 block of Glen Firth Drive, where a verbal altercation occurred between him and a 13-year-old boy.
At some point, the 15-year-old got out of the car and stabbed the 13-year-old boy and then got back into his mother's car and she drove away.
The victim was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The mother, identified as 42-year-old Margaret Juanita Suazo, and her son were booked on attempted murder charges.
Police are looking for a third suspect who is not related to Suazo and her son, Dwyer said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:40:23 -0800
San Jose police are boosting patrols for the Mardi Gras celebration in downtown Tuesday evening.
Police Officer Jose Garcia said revelers should expect to see extra officers patrolling what's known as the "entertainment zone," an area with a high concentration of restaurants and bars.
There are no planned street closures or pedestrian diversions as long as people celebrate responsibly, Garcia said.
"We're basically going to let people go and enjoy themselves and if their actions warrant a closure or a diversion, then at that point we would consider that," he said.
The Mardi Gras celebration in San Jose is not an organized event, but is known to draw rowdy crowds, although in the past few years, the troublemakers have tended to be the minority.
In 2011 and 2010, police arrested 26 people, slightly higher than in 2009 when 18 people were arrested, but still significantly less compared to the 40 arrests in 2008.
The arrests have been mainly related to fights and vandalism.
Garcia attributed the drop in arrests on Fat Tuesday to the implementation of a more proactive enforcement approach by the Police Department.
"The minute we see problems we take action," he said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:04:29 -0800
The East Palo Alto city council Tuesday night is expected to appoint the city's police chief to serve as interim city manager.
Police Chief Ron Davis, who has led the Police Department since 2005, was selected to take over as interim city manager in a closed session of the city council on Thursday.
"It's a great opportunity and I'm very honored to have been selected," Davis said.
Davis, who graduated from Harvard University's Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, will serve as interim city manager while the city council recruits a permanent replacement for M.L. Gordon, who announced his retirement in January.
Under Davis' watch as police chief, the homicide rate in East Palo Alto has dropped 50 percent and the overall crime rate has been reduced by 20 percent, according to the city.
Davis said he will use his familiarity with issues facing the community to continue the agenda that the city council has started with the previous city manager.
"I think it's a great opportunity to continue to serve the community," Davis said.
The city had not announced who will head the Police Department during the transition.
The city council meets at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers at 2145 University Ave.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:59:13 -0800
The backers of California's same-sex marriage ban petitioned a federal appeals court Tuesday to review a split decision by three of its judges that struck down Proposition 8, deciding for now to avoid taking their chances before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lawyers for the religious and legal groups behind the ban beat a midnight deadline to ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear the 2-1 decision that declared Proposition 8 to be a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian Californians,.
If they had not sought reconsideration, the three judges could have ordered the ruling to take effect in another seven days, clearing the way for same-sex marriages to resume in the state.
Instead, same-sex marriages will remain on hold at least until the 9th Circuit decides to accept or reject the rehearing petition. The court does not face a deadline for doing so.
"After careful consideration, we determined that asking for reconsideration by the full Ninth Circuit is in the best interests of defending Prop. 8," said Andy Pugno, general counsel for the Protect Marriage coalition. "This gives the entire 9th Circuit a chance to correct this anomalous decision by just two judges overturning the vote of seven million Californians."
Legal experts said supporters of the ban could be exhausting all their options before trying to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"It's another procedural opportunity they have, so why give up another bite at the apple?" Stanford University law professor Jane Schacter said about the decision to appeal to the 9th Circuit.
If a majority of the 9th Circuit's 25 actively serving judges agree to reconsider the case, it would be assigned to a panel that includes the chief judge and 10 randomly selected judges. Schacter, however, said the 9th Circuit does not often reverse the decisions of member judges.
Schacter suggested Prop. 8 backers might believe a ruling by a bigger appeals court panel could yield a decision more likely to pique the interest of the Supreme Court. The two judges who rejected Prop. 8 two weeks ago focused their decision exclusively on California's ban, even though the court has jurisdiction in nine western states.
Analysts said that made it less likely the Supreme Court would take the case on appeal.
"If the en banc decision was broad, it might be more likely to draw attention of the Supreme Court because it would be a decision with national reverberations," Schacter said.
In addition, backers of the ban might want to delay Supreme Court review until after the November presidential election, which could work in their favor if a Republican is elected president.
Proposition 8 amended the California Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriages five months after the state Supreme Court threw out a pair of statutes that limited marriage to a man and woman. The proposition was approved by voters in November 2008 with 52 percent of the vote.
"Today's petition shows how far the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 will go to ensure that gay and lesbian Americans remain second-class citizens," said Chad Griffin, president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which sued to overturn the California ban. "Separate is never equal -- and I am confident that one day, very soon, every American will be able to enjoy the fundamental freedom to marry."
The 9th Circuit panel said in its Feb. 7 ruling that the amendment violated the U.S. Constitution's promise of equal protection because it singled out a minority group for disparate treatment for no compelling reason.
The two judges in the majority concluded that the law had no purpose other than to deny gay couples marriage, since California already grants them all the rights and benefits of marriage if they register as domestic partners.
The lone dissenting judge insisted that the ban could help ensure that children are raised by married, opposite-sex parents.
All three judges agreed there was no evidence that former Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker, who struck down Proposition 8 after conducting a 13-day trial, should have disclosed that he was gay and in a long-term relationship with another man before he presided over the proceedings.
Six states allow gay couples to wed -- Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont -- as well as the District of Columbia. The governor of Washington signed a bill this month that would make that state the seventh.
But California, as the nation's most populous state and home to more than 98,000 same-sex couples, would be the gay rights movement's biggest prize of them all.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:16:23 -0800
Let the good times roll. Laissez les bons temps rouler. No matter how you say it, it's Fat Tuesday, a day of garish celebration.
In San Francisco's Fillmore District, celebrants will mark Mardi Gras with music and dancing as part of the third annual "Fat Tuesday in the Fillmore" festival.
The outdoor event will feature stilt walkers, jugglers and face painters, as well as free live jazz music by the legendary Bobbie Webb and the Smooth Blues Crew, and dancing in Fillmore Center Plaza.
Fat Tuesday grew from the practice of indulging in rich foods and extravagance on the last night before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent in the Christian calendar, which is marked by ritual fasting.
There will be no shortage of decadent foods tonight, with several Fillmore Street restaurants and clubs -- including Gussie's Chicken and Waffles and Rassela's Jazz Club -- joining in on the festivities by offering discounts, drink specials, live music and free Mardi Gras beads until midnight.
Meaghan Mitchell, a representative for the event, said that what started off as a small gathering has grown into "a huge success" -- both for local businesses and the community overall.
"Last year the streets were packed," Mitchell said.
She estimated that there were hundreds of revelers in the street in addition to those who flocked to participating businesses.
"There were a lot of people out," she said.
Organizers are trying to recreate the feel of New Orleans -- the best-known city for Mardi Gras celebrations, Mitchell said.
"So when people come, they can expect to hear live music and to taste New Orleans items on the menu at participating restaurants," she said.
Unlike the French Quarter festivities, which can be too risque for children, the free portion of the Fillmore celebrations are family friendly, according to Mitchell.
"Not to get it confused with the actual French Quarter, you don't have people lifting up shirts for beads," she said.
The Fillmore festival itself, which runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fillmore Street between Eddy Street and Geary Boulevard, is free of charge and open to the public.
The food and drink discounts are available to those who purchase a "Fat Tuesday in the Fillmore" wristband, which can be bought ahead of time at fattuesdayinthefillmore.eventbrite.com. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Jazz Heritage Center.
"We want to make sure that those door stay open," Mitchell said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:35:16 -0800
A man shot his cousin in the leg after an argument in front of a Thai restaurant in Vallejo early Tuesday morning, police said.
Doroteo Suastegui 35, of Vallejo, got into an argument with two of his cousins outside the Cha-Am Thai Restaurant at 153 Plaza Drive, Lt. Abel Tenorio said.
There was a scuffle during the family feud, and Suastegui drove away in his car, a blue 1999 Crown Victoria, Tenorio said.
Suastegui then allegedly returned in his vehicle, rolled down his window and fired one round, hitting one of his cousins in the leg, Tenorio said.
He then drove off again and is still at large, Tenorio said.
Suastegui, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, is wanted for assault with a deadly weapon, Tenorio said. His vehicle is a former police car and has spotlights on the side.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:32:10 -0800
A 26-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stabbing another man in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood on Monday night during a dispute over a missing cellphone, a police spokesman said.
Jose Rodriguez was arrested after officers responded to the 800 block of Ellis Street at 9:52 p.m. Monday and found a 19-year-old man who had been stabbed in the torso and arm, police spokesman Sgt. Daryl Fong said.
The victim was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for his injuries, which were considered life-threatening, Fong said.
The victim told police he was invited to Rodriguez's home in the 600 block of Eddy Street, where the pair then "engaged in some sort of discussion over doing drugs," Fong said.
The victim said he told Rodriguez he was not interested in doing drugs, and then, as he was about to leave, Rodriguez accused him of stealing his phone, according to Fong.
Although the victim insisted he did not steal the phone, Rodriguez allegedly followed him out of the apartment punched him from behind, then stabbed him, the victim told police.
The victim was able to flee to the 800 block of Ellis Street, where someone called police to report the stabbing, he said.
After speaking to the victim, officers went to the apartment where the altercation had occurred and arrested Rodriguez on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Fong said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:29:22 -0800
The Supreme Court has rejected Phil Spector's appeal of his conviction for killing actress Lana Clarkson.
The court did not comment Tuesday in declining to take up Spector's argument that his constitutional rights were violated by the trial judge.
Spector attorney Dennis Riordan argued that the prosecution's use of Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler's videotaped comments and his picture during prosecution summations was improper.
The same arguments were made to state appellate justices, who refused to consider them because of a belated filing. They upheld Spector's second-degree murder conviction.
The California Supreme Court also declined to review the case.
Spector is serving 19 years to life in prison.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:09:11 -0800
Backers of California's same-sex marriage ban said Tuesday they will ask a federal appeals court in San Francisco to review the split decision by three of its judges that struck down the voter-approved law.
The sponsors of Proposition 8 decided to appeal to a bigger panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instead of going directly to the U.S. Supreme Court to seek reversal of the 2-1 ruling that the measure violates the civil rights of gays and lesbians, Protect Marriage legal counsel Andy Pugno said.
Lawyers for Protect Marriage, the coalition of religious and legal groups that qualified the ban for the 2008 ballot, faced a midnight Tuesday deadline for petitioning the 9th Circuit to reconsider the opinion issued two weeks ago.
The move means same-sex marriages will remain on hold at least until the 9th Circuit decides to accept or reject the rehearing petition. The court does not have a deadline for doing so.
"Generally speaking, we think the 9th Circuit as a whole deserves the chance to basically fix this because the decision is such an outlier, it's really not representative of what the 9th Circuit's thinking on this issue has been," Pugno said.
He said backers of the ban made the decision even though the 9th Circuit is considered to be liberal in its rulings.
"There is liberal and then there is insanity, and there is just no way the entire 9th Circuit would sign off on a decision like this," Pugno said.
If a majority of its more than two dozen actively serving judges agrees to reconsider the case, it would be assigned to a panel of 11 randomly selected judges.
Proposition 8 amended the California Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriages five months after the state Supreme Court threw out a pair of statutes that limited marriage to a man and woman.
The proposition was approved by voters in November 2008 with 52 percent of the vote.
"Today's petition shows how far the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 will go to ensure that gay and lesbian Americans remain second-class citizens," said Chad Griffin, president of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which sued to overturn the California ban. "Separate is never equal -- and I am confident that one day, very soon, every American will be able to enjoy the fundamental freedom to marry."
The 9th Circuit panel said in its Feb. 7 ruling that the amendment violated the U.S. Constitution's promise of equal protection because it singled out a minority group for disparate treatment for no compelling reason.
The two judges in the majority concluded that the law had no purpose other than to deny gay couples marriage, since California already grants them all the rights and benefits of marriage if they register as domestic partners.
The lone dissenting judge insisted that the ban could help ensure that children are raised by married, opposite-sex parents.
All three judges agreed there was no evidence that former Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn Walker, who struck down Proposition 8 after conducting a 13-day trial, should have disclosed that he was gay and in a long-term relationship with another man before he presided over the proceedings.
The appeals court focused its decision exclusively on California's ban, rather than stating that banning same-sex marriages would be unconstitutional in every instance, even though the court has jurisdiction in nine western states.
Whether same-sex couples may ever be denied the right to marry "is an important and highly controversial question," the court said. "We need not and do not answer the broader question in this case."
Legal analysts have questioned whether the Supreme Court would agree to take the case because of the narrow scope of the ruling.
Six states allow gay couples to wed -- Connecticut, New Hampshire, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont -- as well as the District of Columbia. The governor of Washington signed a bill last week that would make that state the seventh.
But California, as the nation's most populous state and home to more than 98,000 same-sex couples, would be the gay rights movement's biggest prize of them all.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:29:07 -0800
Hayward police announced early Tuesday evening that a domestic violence suspect who was accidentally released into the public from a hospital instead of being placed back into custody over the weekend has been found.
The case started this past weekend when police said the suspect broke this window to get into his ex-girlfriend's apartment.
The suspect was on the loose since Sunday night. Police told KTVU he was apprehended at around 4:15 p.m. following a series of strange twists and turns.
A police car has been parked at an apartment complex on Valle Vista Avenue in Hayward around the clock since the man was freed.
It was at the complex where investigators said 32-year old Jose Salias Hernandez came saturday night demanding to see his ex-girlfriend.
Hernandez was already wanted in connection to a prior domestic violence incident. Police said the ex-girlfriend called for help after Hernandez broke in through the back window.
KTVU obtained cell-phone video that showed police treating Hernandez on the driveway outside the complex after officers said he took a large kitchen knife, threatened to kill himself and then stabbed himself in the chest. Witnesses said he also cut his throat.
"It's just a scary situation, said a neighbor who gave her name as Connie. It's just...totally scary. I wouldn't want him out loose."
But that's what happened.
Police said after medical treatment for superficial wounds, Hernandez was taken to John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro for evaluation.
On Sunday night, instead of being released back into police custody, Hernandez was inadvertently freed.
Outraged neighbors who spoke to KTVU did not want to appear on-camera because they said they are afraid of Hernandez.
"And of course all my doors are locked, said one neighbor. I usually have my doors open and my kids are outside playing, but it is uneasy to know that someone who tried who broke into someone's home, who stabbed himself, is out on the loose. And it makes me uneasy that the staff let him go."
At around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, a Hayward special duty unit searching some of Hernandez's old addresses spotted the suspect in a car in Castro Valley at Castro Valley Boulevard and Stanton Avenue.
The suspect surrendered without incident, according to police.
Police said Hernandez was being held in the Hayward city jail on the $110,000 warrant that was issued.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:01:04 -0800
A man was arrested for the second time in three days on Monday after he was found allegedly burglarizing an occupied home in Livermore, police said.
Dallas Miller, 18, was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property after officers responded to the 800 block of Comanche Court.
A suspicious person had been seen entering a home there through a side garage door around 4:10 a.m., according to Livermore police.
Officers arrived and found Miller. Police said he was in possession of property that had been taken from cars in the neighborhood, and that there was evidence linking him to another burglary nearby.
He was booked into the Santa Rita Jail on two burglary charges.
Just two days earlier, on Saturday, Miller had been arrested on suspicion of obstructing an officer after police arrived at his Livermore home in the 900 block of Lambaren Avenue to break up a rowdy house party.
Officers arrived at the party and found drunken scene with about 100 people, police said.
One officer attempted to handcuff an intoxicated juvenile but was obstructed by two other people, including Miller and a 19-year-old man, according to police.
The officer suffered a broken leg when partygoers allegedly attacked him.
Miller had been released on bail after being arrested Saturday on charges of obstructing or delaying an officer.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:54:28 -0800
A barn-like garage at a Castro Valley home that housed two tortoises and some chickens was damaged in an early Tuesday morning fire that injured one firefighter, Alameda County fire officials said.
Six fire crews -- four engines, one truck and one heavy rescue unit -- responded to the home in the 17400 block of Almond Road at 3:12 a.m., Alameda County fire spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said.
When firefighters arrived, the homeowner was trying to extinguish the flames using his garden hose, but the blaze had grown too large, Battalion Chief Dan O'Hara said.
The homeowner kept several animals, including chickens and tortoises, in cages and pens in and around the garage, O'Hara said. He said it appears the fire started when a heating pad used to keep the tortoises warm overheated.
The animals escaped unharmed.
"They scurried over across the yard," he said.
The fire was contained to the garage, which sustained moderate damage.
The blaze was initially challenging to fight because of all the items inside the garage, O'Hara said.
"Garages are used for storage typically, and this was no exception," he said.
However, firefighters were able to put out the flames within 10 minutes of their arrival, he said.
One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion and was taken to Eden Medical Center for treatment, O'Hara said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:50:06 -0800
Sticker shock was on the rise at Northern California service stations Tuesday as the price of a gallon of gasoline surge over $4 in many cities – up more than 15 cents since mid-January, according to the California State Automobile Association.
In its monthly survey of California pump prices, the CSAA found that the average for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline was $3.85, up 15 cents since last month’s report. To put that in perspective, the agency reported that prices were 40 cents higher than California’s average price on this date last year.
Among all 50 states, California has the third highest state average price for regular, unleaded gasoline. Hawaii is first and Alaska is second.
“Gasoline prices continue to be largely influenced by investors’ activity,” said AAA Insurance spokesperson Matt Skryja. “They are looking for any influences, perceived or real, to both supply and demand. These influences impact their buying behavior. Positive economic news tends to inspire investors’ buying, as they anticipate increased demand. The reverse is true with poor economic news.”
The pump prices have jumped in every single metro area across Northern California, according to the report.
Northern California gas prices are now averaging $3.83, up 16 cents from last month. In the San Francisco Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $3.90, which is a 16-cent increase. The national average price of $3.51 is up by 14 cents, which is 38 cents more than the national price on this date last year, when it was $3.13.
“I’m actually shocked,” Walnut Creek resident Don Sherwood told KTVU. “The last time (I filled up) it was $3.80. Now it’s $4.40. That was a week ago. It’s incredible.”
Debbie Waddell was filing up a rental van carrying her school’s debate team. The pump read $83.01 by the time she had filled up.
“I’m really surprised, we are from Houston and the price of gas here is much more expensive,” Waddell told KTVU. “We love the Bay Area, but this is not something we look forward to coming back to.”
The least expensive average price in Northern California can be found in Salinas where regular is $3.73 per gallon. Of all the metro areas in Northern California where gas prices are tracked by AAA, Eureka has the highest average price at $4.05. This is also the highest price in the lower 48 states. The least expensive gasoline in the country is found in Casper, Wyoming. The average price of gas in that metro area is $2.86. Wailuku, Hawaii, holds the dubious crown for the highest average price in the nation, at $4.41 per gallon.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:32:59 -0800
The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting an initial 2.2-magnitude earthquake that shook just a few miles offshore from San Francisco early Tuesday.
The quake was recorded at 12:46 a.m. about 4 miles west-northwest of the San Francisco Zoo in the Pacific Ocean, according to the USGS.
The temblor had a depth of about 5.5 miles, according to the USGS.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:04:20 -0800
A convicted California serial killer whose maps have led authorities to hundreds of human bone fragments has apparently revealed the location of a third well where he says a victim can be found.
A Sacramento bounty hunter said on Monday that Wesley Shermantine told him about the third well in a telephone call the previous night. The bounty hunter, Leonard Padilla, tells the Sacramento Bee the well is close to the two others Shermantine has talked about in San Joaquin County.
The first near the town of Linden has yielded some 1,000 bone fragments. Authorities are searching for the second.
According to Padilla, Shermantine claimed the third well contains a body dumped there by his alleged accomplice, Loren Herzog.
The two were referred to as the "Speed Freak Killers" for their alleged methamphetamine-fueled killing spree in the 1980s and 1990s.
In an exclusive interview with KTVU, the parents of one of the “Speed Freak Killers” alleged victims -- Cyndi Vanderheiden -- talked about their feelings after learning their daughter’s partial remains were discovered at one of the sites mapped by Shermantine in Calaveras County.
1,000 bones and bone fragments have been unearthed from an abandoned well in San Joaquin County and in nearby Calaveras County in California’s Central Valley since the digging began earlier in February.
In the small Central Valley town of Clements, the porch light is on – as it is every night – at the Vanderheiden home. The light has become a symbol of her family's wait for her to come home.
Though her partial remains have been found, her parents told KTVU Monday night the light will stay on for all the unidentified victims of Speed Freak Killers.
“A lot of other families need closure,” said Terri Vanderheiden. “My porch light will stay on forever, because my home is always welcome and I want them to find the way.”
The Vanderheidens said they never stopped looking for their daughter. They said she met Herzog at the bar the Vanderheiden's owned at the time in Linden.
The family established a search headquarters next to their home. They will finally remove the sign which reads "Cyndi Search" when they receive her remains.
“It's sad that we know we will never bring her home alive,” said John Vanderheiden. “But it's a relief that we did find her and that we can take proper care of her.” Vanderheiden said Shermantine once offered to tell the family where Cyndi's body was in exchange for $10,000.
“I told him there was no way in hell that I would pay somebody who murdered my daughter,” remembered the angry father. “It's blood money and I would never to that.”
But the Vanderheidens said they are grateful to bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who convinced Shermantine to reveal grave sites with the promise of money.
Herzog killed himself last month. The couple said they want Shermantine to be executed for his crimes.
"As far as I'm concerned, he can burn in hell like his friend should be doing," said John Vanderheiden.
The Vanderheidens plan to hold a public memorial for their daughter Cyndi and bury her at the Clements Cemetery less than a mile from her home.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:54:57 -0800
Workers at a major Bay Area ambulance service on Monday said the company is threatening to layoff 170 workers and shut down operations. They said American Medical Response wants them to take 25 percent pay cuts as well as reductions in their benefits.
AMR workers also said the company will walk away from its contracts at several hospitals without concessions. Those hospitals reportedly include Valley Medical Center, Childrens Hospital in Oakland, and John Muir Medical Center, among others.
Workers said AMR told them it's lost its contract with Kaiser to Rural Metro Corporation. The deadline is said to be April 1st for workers to agree to the concessions.
KTVU contacted AMR Headquarters in Colorado and has not yet received a response to our inquiries.
Published: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:53:23 -0800
A scathing federal audit reveals Washington mistakenly sent $600 million dollars worth of government checks to people who are dead.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management admits sending retirement and disability checks to workers who passed away long ago.
That amounts to more than a half-billion dollars worth in the past five years. Some congressional leaders want to create a so-called "do-not-pay" registry.
David Williams of Taxpayers Protection Alliance said the solution could be much simpler.
"This is not rocket science. This is saying 'this person' is no longer alive," said Williams. "They shouldn't be getting a pension. This is not something that requires a committee hearing. Just stop what you're doing!"
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said it is taking steps to correct the problem and that it has recovered about $100 million dollars of the $600 million that was improperly handed out.
Published: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:53:18 -0800
Victims of bullying and their families met on the steps in front of San Francisco City Hall Monday afternoon to rally people to join a youth-led fight against bullying.
Among those who attended the event was the family of Jamey Rodemeyer, 14, of New York, who committed suicide last September after being bullied for years. His suicide made national headlines and his family has fought ever since to prevent future suicides.
"One of the last things he said was 'Why doesn't anyone listen to how bullied I am?'" Jamey's mother, Tracy Rodemeyer, said. "Unfortunately, Jamey did not tell us or any other grown-ups that could have done something for him ... Bullying 20 years ago was an 8 to 3:30 event. You came home, got off the school bus, and that was it. But now it's 24/7. These kids are under attack."
The Monster March Against Bullying, organized by the Gay-Straight Alliance Network and YouthVoice, will be held in October and organizers are inviting gay-rights supporter Lady Gaga to join the festivities.
Following Jamey's death, Lady Gaga tweeted "Jamey Rodemeyer, 14 yrs old, took his life because of bullying. Bullying must become be illegal. It is a hate crime."
A petition to help get Lady Gaga to attend can be found at this website.
The group is also inviting President Obama, who has also been a supporter in the fight against bullying and was featured in a video as part of the 'It Gets Better' campaign.
Jonah Mowry, 14, of Lake Forest, Calif., has also been a victim of bullying and his YouTube video, "What's Goin On...", went viral with more than 9 million views.
"After my video came out, I realized that schools downplayed bullying and suicide as it was some sort of joke," Mowry said. "I used to cut myself all the time here and on my legs. I did it in secret but deep down I wanted someone to realize it was like a silent scream for help but no one could hear."
Since Mowry's video came out, his father, Kevin, said many of the comments posted on YouTube have been positive, but not all.
"The bullying continues today on YouTube on Jonah's video. And although the majority of comments are positive, there continue to be ugly, hateful comments," Kevin Mowry said. "Last week, there was a comment telling him if I ever see you I'd kill you and slit your throat -- and that written by a young teenage girl."
Jonah's father said he continues to delete negative comments on the video, leaving only the positive.
"Kids need to know bullying is so, so serious and it is nowhere near OK," Jonah said.
More than 160,000 students miss school because of bullying every year, according to YouthVoice and Monster March founder Christi O'Connor.
O'Connor said the group is expecting some 10,000 people to participate in the march in October.
Published: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:06:00 -0800
MoragaCalifornia.com
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