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Hayward police investigate early morning homicide

Hayward police officers, responding to several 911 calls of shots fired, discovered the body of a young man early Monday on a city street, authorities said.

According to a news release, Hayward police received the calls around 4:27 a.m. and dispatched units to the 22000 block of 7th Street.

Arriving police units found an unresponsive male subject down in a driveway. The victim was described as a male in his early to mid 20’s who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the case investigators; Inspector R. Lamkpin at (510) 293-7079 or Inspector G. Jakub at (510) 293-7081 or the Hayward Police Department Communications Center at (510) 293-7000

Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:48:36 -0800

Appeals court to hear affirmative action challenge

More than 15 years after California banned affirmative action, a federal appeals court on Monday is set to hear a legal challenge to the ban on considering race in public college admissions.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments in a lawsuit seeking to overturn Proposition 209, which barred racial, ethnic or gender preferences in public education, employment and contracting.

The affirmative-action ban has withstood multiple challenges since voters approved it in 1996, but advocates say their campaign to overturn it has been bolstered by recent court decisions, as well as support from Gov. Jerry Brown.

The complaint was filed in January 2010 by several dozen minority students and advocacy groups who say the ban violates the civil rights of black, Latino and Native American students who make up about half of California high school graduates.

They say that the percentage of underrepresented minorities have dropped significantly at UC's most prestigious campuses since Proposition 209 was passed, creating a more hostile environment for those students.

At UC Berkeley, the current freshmen class of California residents is roughly 1 percent Native American, 3.5 percent black, 15 percent Latino, 30 percent white and 48 percent Asian, according to UC data.

The American Civil Rights Institute, a group headed by affirmative-action opponent Ward Connerly, is defending Proposition 209, arguing that all UC applicants should be treated equally and shouldn't be classified by race or sex.

The San Francisco-based appellate court agreed to hear the case after U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti dismissed the lawsuit in December 2010. The federal appeals court rejected a similar challenge in 1997, and the California Supreme Court has twice ruled that Proposition 209 is constitutional.

Advocates say justices need to reconsider in light of recent court rulings on the issue. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the University of Michigan Law School could consider race in admissions decisions to promote campus diversity.

 

Brown was originally a defendant in the California lawsuit, but has joined the plaintiffs in arguing the affirmative action ban is unconstitutional.

Similarly, Brown refused to defend California's ban on gay marriage and joined the plaintiffs in arguing against Proposition 8. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the law was unconstitutional last week, setting up a possible showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:38:07 -0800

Remains found during gruesome search of Linden’s killing field

Stormy weather forced authorities to halt their excavation operation for the day at an abandoned cattle ranch near Linden Monday – a gruesome search that has already unearthed skull fragments and other human remains, along with clothes, a purse and jewelry.

The search has focused on the site of an old well where a convicted serial killer claims the remains of 10 or more victims have been buried.

The remains and other items were found 45 feet deep in the well on an abandoned the cattle ranch, San Joaquin County sheriff's spokesman Deputy Les Garcia said in a statement.

After two days of searching the site, investigators, public works employees and volunteers have found more than 300 human bones, Garcia said.

Sunday marked the fourth straight day that remains have been found with the help of a map prepared by death row inmate Wesley Shermantine. He and childhood friend Loren Herzog became known as the "Speed Freak Killers" for a methamphetamine-fueled killing spree that had as many as 15 victims.

A piece of a human skull and bones found Saturday at the ranch will be sent to the Department of Justice in the hopes of identifying them through DNA testing, Garcia said. Dental records identified remains found Thursday in Calaveras County as those of 25-year-old Cyndi Vanderheiden, who disappeared in 1988.

Another set of remains were found Friday in the same area, and the parents of a missing 16-year-old girl have said authorities told them that Shermantine said their daughter was buried in that spot decades ago.

Shermantine was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death. Herzog was convicted of three murders and sentenced to 77 years to life in prison, though that was later reduced to 14 years. An appeals court tossed his first-degree murder convictions after ruling his confession was illegally obtained.

Herzog was paroled in 2010 to a trailer outside the High Desert State Prison in Susanville. He committed suicide outside that trailer last month after Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla told him Shermantine was disclosing the location of the well along with two other locations.

Crews are expected to be searching the ranch in Linden for several days, at what Garcia has said would be a "slow and tedious" pace. The property, about 60 miles south of Sacramento, was once owned by Shermantine's family.

Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:28:16 -0800

Efforts to recall Oakland mayor divided in troubled city

Nothing seems to come easy for the city of Oakland.

Even the movement to recall embattled Mayor Jean Quan has split into two groups that are now fighting each other as well as City Hall.

Behind the drama is the battle for power, money and the future of a city that just can't seem to get out of its own way.

Sue Graham is the wife of a PG&E worker, a mother of two teenage children and a once proud resident of Oakland – but that's changed in recent months.

Graham still lives in the city, but after her encounter with Mayor Jean Quan at a local supermarket her pride in Oakland lessened.

"I looked down the aisle and there was the mayor of Oakland," Graham said. "I thought about it and I walked right up to her and said 'I don't think you're doing a good job. Her response was, 'I raised my children here, I think it's perfectly fine and if you don't like it, move.'"

Quan declined to comment and she is not without her supporters.

Even the recall movement is divided, fighting each other with two separate, but almost identical petitions.

Gene Hazzard is a well-known political activist in Oakland. He objects to the second recall petition headed by retired Oakland businessman Greg Harland.

"I didn't split," Hazzman said. "They split. Greg Harland is intending to run for mayor. I think that's disingenuous. I'm interested in getting Quan out. That's the single focus. She is toxic to this community. She is a public safety threat."

Harland, who now operates the Oakland Food Pantry adamantly declared he's not planning to run for mayor. Harland said Hazzard's petition is flawed and could be vulnerable to a legal challenge by Quan.

One issue most agree on is that money will be key to a recall campaign, which would likely cost at least $30,000 to get the measure on the November ballot.

"I think that we're more than half way there," Harland said.

But some wonder where the money will come from.

Gary Rogers, former owner of Oakland-based Dreyer's Ice Cream, has been quietly active in Oakland civic affairs for decades. Insiders say Rogers is able to quickly help raise any money that might be needed for a recall campaign.

"I feel sorry for Jean Quan," Rogers said. "I didn't support her in the election. I supported Don Perata. Don would have been a stronger mayor. I think she's been ineffective."

Rogers said the dire circumstances Oakland finds itself in will probably make it easy to raise money for a successful recall campaign, but finding a qualified candidate to run for the office is the real struggle.

Rogers said he has no plans to run for Mayor.

"Gary Rogers is a has-been," Rogers said. "I'm 69-years-old. My schedule is full."

Some observers say for the recall campaign to successfully dethrone Quan, a shiny substitute candidate needs to emerge.

But so far, none have emerged.

KTVU called Tom Hanks, who graduated from Oakland's Skyline High School in 1974, to see if he had an interest in running.

Calls placed to Hanks, who moved from Oakland almost four decades ago and now lives in a $26 million estate in the Pacific Palisades, were not returned.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:32:59 -0800

Man shot after allegedly trying to take deputy's gun

A man was in the hospitalized Sunday after he was shot in the shoulder while Solano County sheriff's deputies said he tried to grab a firearm from one of their deputies.

The man was arrested about 1:15 p.m., about a half-a-mile away from the shooting scene in Vallejo.

The man allegedly tried to take the firearm gun from one of their deputies as they were serving an arrest warrant to another man on Pine Street.

Deputies said the man who was shot fled after the shooting and in the process backed his car into patrol car.

Deputies said it turns out the man who was shot had felony arrest warrants.

 

 

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:16:59 -0800

Man shot in back in Hunters Point Area

A San Francisco man was shot in the back while standing outside in the Hunters Point area Sunday morning, according to police.

The victim, a 19-year-old San Francisco male, was shot around 9:10 a.m., Sgt. Michael Andraychak said.

He told police he was standing outside on the first block of Harbor Road when an unknown armed suspect approached him. The victim ran, but was shot in the back.

The suspect fled the scene and no description was available, Andraychak said.

The victim suffered non life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The incident is being investigated by the gang task force.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to "TIP411" and include "SFPD" in the subject line.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:47:21 -0800

Perron, Pietrangelo power Blues past Sharks 3-0

Alex Pietrangelo had two goals, David Perron also scored with a two-man advantage and Andy McDonald added an assist in his return from a concussion that sidelined him for 51 games, sending the St. Louis Blues to a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night.

Jaroslav Halak earned his sixth shutout in just 10 starts, one more than All-Star teammate Brian Elliott has, as the Blues extended a franchise record by earning at least one point in 19 consecutive home games. They're 16-0-3 at home since a 5-2 loss to Chicago on Dec. 3 and an NHL-best 24-3-4 overall, topping their total of 23 wins last season.

Antti Niemi made 25 saves for the Pacific Division-leading Sharks, who came up empty in the opener of a season-long, nine-game trip. San Jose, which next plays at home Feb. 28 against the Flyers, has lost three of four overall.

The Sharks were 0 for 4 on the power play after going 7 for 14 in the previous four games.

Halak was yanked from his previous start, a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. But he is 13-2-3 in his last 19 starts since Nov. 29 and his 1.66 goals-against average during that time and prior to Sunday was the NHL's best.

Perron has six goals in the last four games, the last three on the power play, and 10 goals in 30 games overall. He returned in early December from a concussion sustained on a mid-ice hit by the Sharks' Joe Thornton that knocked him out for more than a year.

The Blues immediately plugged McDonald into the regular rotation plus power-play duty, and he added an element of speed to the lineup. McDonald earned the second assist on Pietrangelo's goal.

The Blues have four power-play goals in the last two games after entering the weekend in a 2-for-35 slump.

St. Louis is 3-0 against the Sharks this season, outscoring them 7-2 including a 1-0 shutout by Elliott on Dec. 10 in St. Louis. It's the Sharks' first three-game losing streak against the Blues since dropping five in a row Jan. 9 to Dec. 18, 2003.

The Sharks were whistled for three penalties in a span of 3 minutes and Pietrangelo capitalized with his ninth goal on a two-man advantage at 15:03 of the first. San Jose was outshot 10-7 in the period, managing just three shots in the last 15 minutes.

Ryan Clowe and Brad Winchester drew tripping and elbowing penalties in the second period, respectively, and it cost the Sharks again. Perron whiffed on a rebound attempt from the side of the net but got a second chance when the puck deflected off Niemmi's back, and he slipped in a backhander.

Pietrangelo added an empty-net goal with 5.9 seconds to go, shooting from in front of the St. Louis net.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:07:34 -0800

Police dog helps find suspected home burglar in bushes

A Los Altos man was found hiding in some bushes and arrested in the city last week after a burglary prompted a manhunt.

Officers responded to a 911 call reporting an interrupted home burglary in the 1400 block of Brookmill Road at about 3:10 a.m. on Thursday morning, according to Los Altos police.

Responding officers immediately set up a perimeter and called in a police K-9 team to conduct a search, police said.

Jesse Steele Mitchell, 22, was found in about 20 minutes hiding in some shrubbery less that 40 yards from the victim's home, according to police.

Officers searched Mitchell's vehicle and allegedly found property that had been stolen from a home in the 2000 block of El Sereno as well as from the victim's home on Brookmill Road, police said.

An unloaded revolver and marijuana was also found in the suspect's car, police said.

Mitchell was arrested and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on two counts of residential burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of an unregistered firearm.

He remains in custody without bail.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:32:33 -0800

Suspected drunk driver crashes mom's car in mobile home park

A suspected drunk driver was arrested in Rohnert Park early Saturday morning after he crashed his mother's car into a home in a mobile home park, police said.

Officers responded to a report of a vehicle collision in the Rancho Feliz Mobile Home Park at about 1:45 a.m., according to Rohnert Park police.

The reporting party said the driver fled the scene and then returned.

Arriving officers found a Saturn station wagon with no license plates that had crashed its entire front end under a raised doublewide trailer, police said.

The driver, Jose Guadalupe Ayala, 28, allegedly told police he was trying to light a cigarette when he swerved and struck the mobile home, police said.

Officers conducted field sobriety tests and determined Ayala was driving with a blood alcohol content of nearly twice the legal limit, according to police.

A quick investigation revealed that Ayala appeared to have removed the vehicle license plates and registration information and thrown it over a nearby fence.

The suspect allegedly told police he had tried to hide the paperwork so he could leave the car there and no one would be able to figure out that it belonged to his mother, police said.

One resident who was in the mobile home at the time of the crash complained of neck pain, and Ayala suffered bruises on his chest and shoulder.

The home was determined to be safe to live in and Ayala's mother's heavily damaged car was towed out from under the house.

Ayala was booked into Sonoma County Jail for DUI.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:49:09 -0800

Firefighters rescue paraglider stranded on cliff

 Firefighters in Daly City rescued a paraglider stranded on a cliffside in the area of Mussel Rock on Saturday, fire officials said.

Rescue crews responded to the area shortly before 3 p.m.

The man was trapped 150 feet below the bluff. Fire crews used a picket system to get down the cliff to the man, and evaluated him for injury.

He was carried back up to the bluff and transported by ambulance to San Francisco General Hospital for further evaluation.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:46:21 -0800

Robbers steal man's car, leave him off on remote highway

 Gilroy police are searching for two suspects who stole a man's car and forced him to ride with them before they dropped him off on the side of a highway in Monterey County on Saturday, police said.

Between 3 and 4 p.m., the 30-year-old man was sitting in his car in the parking lot of a business in the 7600 block of Monterey Street in Gilroy.

Two men armed with handguns approached him and took his cash. One of the men got into the car and ordered the man at gunpoint to drive away.

After driving about a mile, the victim was ordered to pull over near the intersection of East 10th Street and U.S. Highway 101.

The other robber arrived in a black car and the victim was ordered to get into the back seat of his own car.

The second man got into the car and the three drove onto the highway heading south to an unincorporated area of Monterey County, where the victim was dropped off on the side of the road.

The car was found abandoned nearby at the intersection of Highway 101 and Sanborn Road in Salinas.

The suspects were described as two white men, between 23 and 24-years-old, both about 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds. Both were wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and carrying guns, police said.

A third suspect is believed to have been involved, and may have been driving the car used by the suspects.

The victim was uninjured in the incident, police said.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:43:36 -0800

Two arrested during mostly peaceful anti-police march Saturday

  Two were arrested when several protesters attempted to interfere with a traffic stop during a mostly peaceful anti-police march in Oakland Saturday night, police said.

Around 50 people gathered in Frank Ogawa Plaza at around 9 p.m. and marched through the streets of downtown and West Oakland, police said.

Motorcycle officers blocked and diverted vehicle traffic to facilitate the march, police said, and the protest proceeded peacefully.

At around 11 p.m., about 30 protesters remained at the plaza, and gathered around a California Highway Patrol officer making a traffic stop at the corner of 14th Street and Clay Street.

Protesters angrily shouted at the officer, police said, and Oakland police approached the crowd to ensure the CHP officer's safety.

The CHP officer sent the driver to another location to complete the traffic stop, and Oakland police said they were leaving the area when one female protester kicked a sergeant in the leg and kicked a police car.

As police were arresting her, another protester attempted to pull her away from the arresting officers and was also arrested, police said.

During the confrontation, another protester struck the sergeant in the head with a protest sign and fled, avoiding arrest.

No one was injured in the incident, police said.

Anti-police marches have been held weekly on Saturday nights in Oakland since the beginning of the year, in response to what Occupy Oakland protesters call continued police harassment and brutality at protest events.

Organizers have called for a "diversity of tactics" at the marches, asking attending protesters not to interfere if other protesters break the law by damaging police and media property, barricading streets or starting fires.

More recently, protesters attending have been asked not to interfere with the actions of other protesters, but the announcements have not called specifically for property destruction or violence.

Oakland police said they attempted a less confrontational strategy at this march, maintaining a minimal presence but observing the marches and being able to react if needed.

Despite the confrontational rhetoric of the anti-police marches, only the first, held on Jan. 8, resulted in large clashes with police and since then the actions have been mostly peaceful.

However, an Occupy Oakland action on Jan. 28 did result in the arrest of over 400 participants and clashes between police and protesters throughout the day. That action was intended to take over a vacant building and turn it into a community center and was not specifically anti-police.

This week, anti-police protests also spread to San Francisco, where a similar march wound through downtown on Friday night. At least one protester was arrested during the march, and police said a car's window was smashed but the driver left the scene.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:35:16 -0800

El Cerrito police mourn sudden death of police dog

El Cerrito's first police dog has died following a sudden illness, police announced.

Police K-9 King began showing signs of physical distress on Friday while he was off duty and was taken to a veterinarian by his partner, Officer Joshua Del Prado, police said.

A surgery determined that King had suffered a "catastrophic and unavoidable internal malady" that could not be repaired or survived, police said. King died with Del Prado and other members of the department by his side.

Hired in late 2010, King was the first Police K-9 in the department's history.

Purchased with funds raised by the community and the El Cerrito Police Employees Association, he assisted in calls including the successful search for a missing elderly Alzheimer's patient and the pursuit of a fleeing suspect who hid under a vehicle.

King also participated in local safety fairs and community events.

No memorial events are planned, but condolences from the community are welcome, police said.

Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:37:15 -0800

Man shot after allegedly attempting to rob client during apparent drug deal

Police in Santa Rosa are investigating a Friday night shooting that apparently occurred during a drug deal.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting around 11:35 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of Bellevue Avenue and found Fairfield resident Denzel Simmons, 20, suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

Simmons told police he had been smoking a cigarette outside a relative's apartment there when he was suddenly shot.

He was taken to a nearby hospital.

About 15 minutes later, police responded to a home on Cornell Drive where 21-year-old Savon Cleveland, and Frank Kobrin, 22, reported involvement in a shooting with a man who put a gun to Cleveland's face.

After interviewing the three men, detectives determined that Cleveland and Kobrin allegedly met with Simmons to buy some marijuana.

Simmons allegedly pulled a gun on Cleveland and tried to rob him, prompting Kobrin to shoot the Fairfield man in the leg.

Police continue to investigate the shooting and have not made any arrests.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call the Santa Rosa Police Department at (707) 543-3590.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:31:35 -0800

Arrest made in January stabbing outside Half Moon Bay wedding

A 17-year-old alleged gang member was arrested by San Mateo County sheriff's detectives Friday morning in connection with the January stabbing of four people outside a wedding in Half Moon Bay, according to the sheriff's office.

The stabbing occurred on Main Street outside the I.D.E.S. Hall at about 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28.

Four men in their 20s were leaving a wedding reception at the hall when they were approached by a group of male suspects and stabbed by at least one of the suspects.

All four victims were transported to a hospital for treatment and were released.

The sheriff's office said that potential suspects were identified as young men affiliated with the Media Luna Norte -- or Half Moon North -- gang.

The juvenile, who lives in the Half Moon Bay area, was arrested at about 10:30 a.m. Friday. He was booked into the San Mateo County Youth Services Center.

As of Saturday, the case was going to be forwarded to the county district attorney's office for prosecution.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:54:32 -0800

Santa Clara to fast track 49ers stadium

Santa Clara officials are expected to approve a construction contract for the San Francisco 49ers' new stadium that calls on the facility to open in 2014, a year earlier than originally projected.

City officials are scheduled to vote on the $878 million building contract Tuesday, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

It requires construction to begin by July 1 and the stadium to be completed in time to open at the end of August 2014.

The contractor, Turner-Devcon, would be fined $6 million for each 49ers game missed after that deadline, plus daily fines that could hit $20 million, according to the newspaper. The penalties could cause the contractor to lose money on the project.

If Turner-Devcon completes the stadium in time for the 2014 preseason, it would earn a $5 million bonus.

"We're going to be playing football here in 2014," Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews said. "I have no doubt whatsoever."

The 49ers and Santa Clara had previously aimed to start construction in January 2013 and open the field for the 2015 season, but the NFL awarded $200 million for the project last week. That was the last piece of funding needed for construction to begin after the team and city officials secured $850 million in bank loans in December.

Under the contract being considered, Turner-Devcon would earn 4 percent of the total contract award, or about $35 million.

Its fee was the lowest offer the 49ers received.

Turner-Devcon is a partnership of two firms -- New York City-based Turner Construction, which has worked on NFL stadium projects for the Green Bay Packers and other teams, and Milpitas-based Devcon Construction.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:56:34 -0800

Woman struck, killed by car is San Jose’s 2nd pedestrian fatality since Friday night

A 77-year-old woman crossing a street in San Jose Saturday morning was struck and killed by a car, police said. Her death was the city's second pedestrian fatality since Friday night.

The woman had been in the road in the area of Oakland and Rock Avenue when she was struck by a 1999 green Honda Civic at about 6:45 a.m., police said.

She was transported to Regional Medical Center of San Jose, where she was pronounced dead at 8:46 a.m.

About 12 hours earlier, a woman crossing Meridian Avenue was struck and killed by a car, police said.

The crash was reported at about 8:35 p.m. and involved a green late 1990s Acura Legend. The car was driving northbound on Meridian Avenue when it struck the woman, believed to be in her 40s, who was in the road just south of West San Carlos Street, police said.

Fire personnel pronounced the woman dead at 8:43 p.m.

The drivers in both crashes stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police said there was no indication that either driver was intoxicated but that the pedestrians' sobriety levels were unknown Saturday.

Both fatal crashes were under investigation and mark the city's first and second auto-pedestrian fatalities of 2012. Saturday morning's crash was the fourth traffic-related fatality of the year.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:59:27 -0800

More remains found at ranch near Linden

Authorities on Sunday unearthed more skull fragments and other human remains, along with clothes, a purse and jewelry, in a well in rural Northern California, an area where a convicted serial killer said there may be 10 or more victims.

The remains and other items were found 45 feet deep in the well on an abandoned cattle ranch near Linden, Calif., San Joaquin County sheriff's spokesman Deputy Les Garcia said in a statement.

After two days of searching the site, investigators, public works employees and volunteers have found more than 300 human bones, Garcia said. The search would resume Monday if weather allowed.

Sunday marked the fourth straight day that remains have been found with the help of a map prepared by death row inmate Wesley Shermantine. He and childhood friend Loren Herzog became known as the "Speed Freak Killers" for a methamphetamine-fueled killing spree that had as many as 15 victims.

A piece of a human skull and bones found Saturday at the ranch will be sent to the Department of Justice in the hopes of identifying them through DNA testing, Garcia said. Dental records identified remains found Thursday in Calaveras County as those of 25-year-old Cyndi Vanderheiden, who disappeared in 1988.

Another set of remains were found Friday in the same area, and the parents of a missing 16-year-old girl have said authorities told them that Shermantine said their daughter was buried in that spot decades ago.

Shermantine was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death. Herzog was convicted of three murders and sentenced to 77 years to life in prison, though that was later reduced to 14 years. An appeals court tossed his first-degree murder convictions after ruling his confession was illegally obtained.

Herzog was paroled in 2010 to a trailer outside the High Desert State Prison in Susanville. He committed suicide outside that trailer last month after Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla told him Shermantine was disclosing the location of the well along with two other locations.

Crews are expected to be searching the ranch in Linden for several days, at what Garcia has said would be a "slow and tedious" pace. The property, about 60 miles south of Sacramento, was once owned by Shermantine's family.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:12:37 -0800

Man, 21, killed in Pleasant Hill drive-by shooting

A 21-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting in Pleasant Hill late Friday night, police said.

The victim was identified as Michael de Juan Jones of San Pablo

Police received a call of a possible shooting in the 200 block of Devonshire Court at about 10:06 p.m. Friday.

Once there, officers determined that multiple shots had apparently been fired from a vehicle in the direction of people who were in front of a home.

Police and emergency responders found the Jones who was struck by the gunfire and pronounced him dead at the scene.

No other injuries were reported.

Witnesses told police they saw a possible suspect vehicle -- a blue Saturn Vue with several occupants -- speeding away from the area immediately after the gunfire.

While police aren’t sharing much about the victim, they do say they believe the attack was not random.

 “Preliminary investigation points to the fact that the victim knew the suspect,” said Pleasant Hill police Lt. Jose de La Torre “So, it's not a random type thing.”

Will de Guzman lives directly across the street and several times had met the young man who was killed.

“(He was a ) good kid,” de Guzman said. “He had a good head on his shoulders.”

Police continued to investigate the shooting Saturday and were asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Pleasant Hill Police Department at (925) 288-4630.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:39:55 -0800

BART station saxophonist wanted in New Mexico murder case

A saxophonist who serenaded BART passengers in San Francisco, has been arrested in an Albuquerque, New Mexico cold case.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Ronald Brewington was taken into custody this week. He was accused of shooting his estranged wife, 37-year-old Diedre Brewington, in her Albuquerque apartment in August 1987.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Brewington was referred to as the "jazz man" and played saxophone at San Francisco's Embarcadero Station, where he allegedly told Bay Area Rapid Transit riders his name was Garrick Sherrod.

Commuters described him as talkative and said he gave out Christmas cards each year that said, "You are my Carnegie Hall."

Police say Brewington evaded capture after his indictment in 1988 in part by using aliases such as Garrick Sherrod.

Published: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:24:22 -0800