SF News

San Francisco health officials are alerting customers that an employee who handled food at a city shopping mall café was recently diagnosed with typhoid fever.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health announced today that anyone who ate at the Nordstrom Café at the Nordstrom department store at Stonestown Galleria, located at 285 Winston Dr., is at risk of contracting the bacterial disease.

Patrons who ate at the restaurant on April 16, 17, 18, 20 or 27 are advised to see a doctor right away if they start to experience fever, weakness, stomach pains, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or loss of appetite.

In some typhoid cases, a rash of flat, light-red spots may appear. Health officials said typhoid fever is an illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi and is usually acquired by those traveling internationally.

In the U.S., there are as many as 400 cases each year of the illness. It is usually caught when someone eats food or drink contaminated by someone with typhoid fever, such as the case at the Nordstrom Café.

Death is uncommon, especially with antibiotic treatment. Those who suspect they have typhoid fever should make efforts to avoid spreading the illness.

Health officials said Nordstrom staff are cooperating with the health department's investigation and is working on informing and protecting the public and their employees.

 

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A man was critically injured in an attack by a woman after the pair apparently drank and did drugs in his residence in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood on Thursday morning, police said today.

The attack was reported around 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the 300 block of Eddy Street.

The 37-year-old man was drinking and doing drugs with the woman when they got into an argument and he asked her to leave, according to police.

The woman then attacked the man, choking him and striking him with exercise weights and a kitchen table leg, police said.

The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for head injuries that are considered life-threatening, according to police.

The woman, believed to be in her mid 20s, fled and had not been found as of this morning, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" in the message.

 

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SF: State Files Court-Ordered Plan to Reduce Prison Population

Gov. Jerry Brown and state prison officials have reluctantly filed a plan in federal court in San Francisco to reduce California's prison population by 9,300 inmates by using alternate facilities, leased space in county jails and out-of-state prisons.

A small number of prisoners -- less than 650 -- would be released early because of extra credit for good conduct or through early parole of low-risk ill or elderly convicts, under the plan.

But any more early releases would "jeopardize the public safety," state lawyers wrote in the brief.

The plan, filed shortly before a midnight deadline Thursday, was ordered last month by a three-judge federal panel, which threatened to find Brown and other executives in contempt of court if they failed to produce a plan.

The judges are presiding over two long-running civil rights cases that challenged medical and mental health care in the state's 33 adult prisons.

In 2009, the panel concluded that severe overcrowding was the primary cause of "woefully and unconstitutionally inadequate" health care and ordered officials to reduce the population of the prisons to 137.5 percent of capacity, or a little more than 110,000 inmates.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2011.

Brown and Beard contend that health care now meets constitutional standards and no further reduction is needed, but the three-judge panel rejected that argument in its April 11 ruling.

It said the final reduction of 9,300 must be completed by Dec. 31.

Beard said Thursday that while the state complied with the order to file a plan, it still intends to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Emily Harris, a spokeswoman for Californians United for a Responsible Budget, a coalition of prisoner advocacy groups, criticized the plan for a lack of emphasis on sentencing and parole reform.

"The proposal just continues to shuffle people around," she said. 

Santa Clara Co.: Atorney Says 'Mass Hysteria' Led to Arrest in Alleged Starbucks Poisoning 

The attorney for a woman released without charges Thursday after being accused of placing two bottles of poisoned orange juice into a Starbucks refrigerator in San Jose said her arrest was "a case of mass hysteria."

Dennis Lempert spoke to reporters outside the San Jose home of Ramineh "Romi" Behbehanian, 50, after she was released from jail early Thursday evening and questioned whether witnesses actually saw his client place the bottles in the refrigerator and whether the bottles contained poison at all.

Behbehanian had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and felony poisoning after a customer said she swapped out two bottles of orange juice with her own tainted bottles that she brought to the store in a Starbucks bag on Monday afternoon.

Police said the fire department responded to the coffee shop, located at 6009 Snell Ave., and determined that the bottles allegedly contained lethal doses of rubbing alcohol.

The case remains under review and Behbehanian has not been charged yet.

"We were not able to file charges because the investigation is not complete," Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Luis Ramos said.

He said prosecutors either had to charge Behbehanian or release her by Thursday afternoon.

"It does not mean that charges will or will not be filed. There was just not enough time under the penal code to charge her," he said.

She was released early Thursday evening from the Elmwood Correction Facility, Santa Clara County's jail for women in Milpitas, sheriff's spokesman Deputy Kurtis Stenderup said.

As she returned home in Lempert's black BMW Thursday, Behbehanian shielded her face with a hooded sweatshirt from reporters gathered outside and declined to answer questions.

Her attorney, however, charged that the district attorney's office has not found anything harmful in the orange juice containers and suggested it was possible that the juice had fermented on its own.

"I have not seen any evidence of any contamination of anything in the Starbucks store," he said.

He also suggested that the witnesses may have been mistaken when they indicated that Behbehanian had placed the bottles in the refrigerator, and said sometimes witnesses "see things which are not there."

SJ: Update: Firefighters to Remain at Scene of Recycling Facility Fire Overnight

Firefighters planned to remain on the scene of three-alarm fire at a San Jose recycling facility to break apart bales of newspaper and cardboard still smoldering after a stubborn fire that took nearly four hours to control, a fire captain said.

The fire was first reported at 6:04 p.m. at the facility on East Alma Avenue between South Seventh and South 10th streets, Capt. Rob Brown said.

Firefighters arrived to find a fire at the facility spreading throughout the lot, about 100 yards long and 40 yards wide, with the bales of bound cardboard and paper for recycling in flames.

The response was quickly raised to two alarms and eventually to three alarms as firefighters fought to control the blaze, Brown said.

It eventually was called under control at 9:41 p.m., but firefighters planned to remain at the scene throughout the night and into the morning breaking apart the bales and dousing them with water to extinguish any smoldering remnants.

The metal structure of the building remains intact, but there is most likely extensive fire damage to the machinery inside, Brown said.

The business was closed for the day at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. 

SF: Supes Scrutinize Security Measures at Upcoming Large Events

Following the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon last month, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors held a hearing Thursday to review security plans for the large-scale events planned over the next several months in the city.

Supervisor Eric Mar called for the hearing, held Thursday afternoon at the board's neighborhood services and safety committee at City Hall, shortly after the April 15 bombings that killed three people and injured scores of others at the Boston race.

Mar said he wanted to see if any security measures should be revised before upcoming events like the Bay to Breakers race on May 19 or other events like the Pride parade, Outside Lands music festival and America's Cup races in the city later this year.

One proposal floated by police Chief Greg Suhr was to install more surveillance cameras along Market Street to allow authorities to monitor the events in real-time, but Suhr backed away from that plan during Thursday's hearing.

The chief said rather than install new cameras at this time, the Police Department will be mapping the current layout of cameras along Market Street and working with private businesses that have surveillance cameras to cover any blind spots.

Mar and fellow Supervisor David Campos said they had expressed reservations about Suhr's initial proposal.

"We have to balance the need to keep our public safe with a respect for privacy rights," Mar said.

Campos said terrorist attacks often lead to law enforcement actions "that go beyond where we should be."

Campos also criticized an announcement made earlier this week by Bay to Breakers organizers that large backpacks would be banned at the race.

"I don't know if that's really going to address the problem," he said.

One speaker during the public comment portion of the meeting said he did not mind cameras during the large events, especially with so many people who have smartphones with cameras on them as well.

Police Deputy Chief John Loftus echoed the importance of public participation in preventing crimes at the events.

"Our collective safety is a shared burden," Loftus said. "If you see something, say something." 

Burlingame Man Found Guilty of Murdering Roommate in Attack with Mallet

A jury reached a guilty verdict Thursday morning in the case of a Burlingame man who beat his roommate to death in December 2011.

Lawrence Hoffman, 65, faces 26 years to life in prison after the jury deliberated for a day and half and returned Thursday morning to San Mateo County Superior Court with a first-degree murder verdict, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Hoffman was on trial for murdering his 70-year-old roommate Joe Consentino in an attack at their shared apartment in Burlingame on Dec. 5, 2011.

During the trial Hoffman argued that his roommate, who had verbally abused him for weeks, had threatened him, according to prosecutors.

He said Consentino confronted him in their Garden Drive apartment holding a mallet and ready to strike and spewed vitriol at him.

Hoffman said he had been able to get the mallet and "snapped" and attacked Consentino with the weapon.

He continued to hit him on the head twice more after he had fallen to the ground.

The man was found with a 5-inch fracture on his skull.

Hoffman then covered the body with blankets and put an air freshener near the body before fleeing to the Los Angeles area, according to prosecutors.

He also tossed blood-covered clothing and the mallet in a Dumpster.

The weapon was never recovered.

Burlingame police discovered the body on Dec. 8 -- the same day Hoffman was arrested in Glendale, Calif., after he told an acquaintance about the deadly attack.

He is scheduled to return to court to be sentenced on July 12 at 2 p.m.

Santa Rosa: Woman Accused of Fatally Stabbing Her Mother Found Mentally Incompetent

Two doctors have concluded that a Sebastopol woman is mentally incompetent to stand trial for killing her mother at their Sebastopol area home in February.

A hearing will be held May 15 on 24-year-old Julia Franzen's willingness to take medications, Deputy District Attorney Brian Staebell said.

A separate hearing then will be held to determine where she will be housed until she is restored to competency, Staebell said.

Franzen never entered a plea to killing her mother, Nancy Franzen, 59, in their Tocchini Street home on Feb. 4.

Criminal proceedings were suspended pending the doctors' reports on her mental competence.

Nancy Franzen's body was found on the floor of a bedroom after Franzen showed up at a neighbor's house with a knife and blood on her hands, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said.

Franzen told her neighbor she had just killed someone then ran back to her house, sheriff's Lt. Steve Brown said.

Court records show six cases since March 2011 involving domestic violence, battery, false imprisonment, vandalism and violations of probation by Julia Franzen.

During that time she was found both mentally competent and incompetent, ordered to participate in an anger management program and allowed to have peaceful contact with her mother.

Nancy Franzen worked as a nurse at Palm Drive Hospital and at the Sutter VNA & Hospice, now known as Sutter Care at Home. 

SF: U.S. Secretary of Education, Mayor Note School Improvements From Federal Funding

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee visited a middle school in the Mission District Thursday morning to call attention to the improvements made in the wake of federal funding to the city's school district.

Duncan, Lee and other top school officials held a roundtable discussion during a visit to Everett Middle School, one of nine schools in San Francisco that was awarded federal School Improvement Grants in 2011.

The historically low-performing schools in the city's Mission and Bayview districts were given $45 million over a three-year period that went toward professional development and coaching for school staff, among other improvements, according to school district officials.

Since 2008, those nine schools have had an 18.4 percent gain in English language arts proficiency and a 26.9 percent gain in math proficiency, district officials said.

Duncan said he was "absolutely inspired" by the improvements made at Everett.

He said during Thursday's visit, he talked to an eighth-grader there who "said she was terrified to come to this school as a sixth grader, and now this school has a wait list."

Lee said the federal funding has helped reduce barriers for low-income students and those who speak English as a second language.

"Once we get rid of those barriers, our kids who come from all over the world will compete on an international basis," he said.

Duncan said he is working to get more federal funding from Congress, but "they look at education as an expense instead of an investment."

He said in the meantime, San Francisco can come up with creative ways to maintain funding for the schools, noting that the mayor has sought help from the private and nonprofit sectors.

"People want to be part of a winner," Duncan said.

"We've gotten something started and he's got a heck of a story to tell."

The federal School Improvement Grant funding ends this September.

The other schools in San Francisco that received the funding are Bryant Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, George Washington Carver Elementary, Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8, John Muir Elementary, John O'Connell High, Mission High and Paul Revere K-8. 

Oakland: San Leandro Police Look for Homicide Leads in Chinatown

San Leandro police came to Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood Thursday to look for leads in the case of an Alameda man who was fatally shot in front of his mother-in-law's house in San Leandro in March.

Sgt. Ted Henderson said police initially believed that the motive for the slaying of 33-year-old Delun "Allan" Pan at about 9:20 p.m. on March 22 was "straight forward" and that he was killed by suspects who were trying to rob his mother-in-law, who lives in the 15500 block of Harbor Way.

Henderson said investigators haven't ruled out robbery as the motive, but he said "we don't want to put all our eggs in one basket" and are looking at other possible motives for the shooting.

He said police came to Oakland's Chinatown because Pan worked in that area and "was well-known in this community."

"We want to talk to people and make sure that we're not missing out on any leads," Henderson said.

Police want to explore the possibility that Pan's death could be connected to his work, he said.

Pan worked for a cellphone business in Chinatown and also had a real estate license, according to Henderson.

He said he and other officers planned to distribute 200 flyers about Pan's homicide to people in Chinatown.

Henderson said it's not clear if one suspect or multiple suspects were involved in the shooting.

He said police only have a general description of a black male who was driving a dark-colored sedan.

Pan's wife and mother-in-law witnessed the shooting but because the incident was so emotional for them police aren't sure if they provided a totally accurate description, Henderson said.

The killing of Pan is San Leandro's only homicide so far this year.

San Leandro police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call Detective Josh Brum at (510) 577-3235 or their anonymous tip line at (510) 577-3278. 

SF: Man Stabbed While Walking Dog at Duboce Park

A man walking his dog in San Francisco's Duboce Park early Thursday morning was stabbed, police said.

The 38-year-old man was at the park, located at Duboce Avenue and Scott Street, around 1:30 a.m. when the dog ran free, according to police.

The victim approached a male suspect who was also at the park to ask if he had seen the dog.

The suspect told the victim that he should get himself and the dog out of the park.

The victim felt threatened and made a kicking motion at the suspect in hopes of scaring him, according to police.

That was when the suspect took out a knife and stabbed the man in the leg, police said.

The victim was treated for an injury not considered life-threatening.

The man with the knife managed to elude police. 

Contra Costa Co.: Accused Child Molester Held Several Childcare Jobs Throughout County

A man charged with molesting multiple children was employed at childcare centers and churches throughout Contra Costa County over the past two years and as recently as last week.

Anthony D'Tiole, 23, is being held at county jail in Martinez on $5.6 million bail and has been charged with four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 years old, according to county records.

The 23-year-old was arrested at a KinderCare facility in Clayton on April 18, where he had been working for two days.

KinderCare corporate spokeswoman Colleen Moran said D'Tiole was immediately fired and was never left alone with children during his brief time at the facility.

He also passed a background check before being hired and did not have a criminal record, she said.

"It's paramount to us that we hire employees that are caring and thoughtful because parents entrust us with the most important people in their lives...and its important to us that we maintain that trust," she said.

According to his LinkedIn profile, D'Tiole has held childcare jobs at locations throughout Contra Costa County since graduating from Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga in 2011.

In the online profile, the suspect said he was hired as a Sunday school teacher for first and second grade children at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church in 2011.

Morgan Murray, the church's pastor, said D'Tiole worked at the church up until a week ago and is no longer employed there.

"To the best of our knowledge, none of the allegations are connected to Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church," he said, noting that he had been advised not to comment on the matter by the church's legal counsel.

Representatives from Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Lafayette, where D'Tiole was employed from 2010 to 2011, were not available for comment Thursday.

Walnut Creek police Lt. Steve Gorski said a police investigation is ongoing with the collaboration of Orinda police and other neighboring agencies.

He said police believe D'Tiole, who also worked as a babysitter, may have victimized other children in the area. 

Daly City: Man Killed in I-280 Crash Was Chef at SF's Greens Restaurant

The victim of a fatal crash on Interstate Highway 280 in Daly City on Tuesday morning was a chef at San Francisco's Greens Restaurant, executive chef Annie Somerville said Thursday.

JohnPaul Ueber, 32, of San Francisco, worked under Somerville at the prominent vegetarian restaurant located at Fort Mason.

"He was a very integral part of Greens," Somerville said.

She said Ueber had worked there since 2004 when he started as an extern through the California Culinary Academy where he studied.

He had made his way through the ranks, advancing from lunch chef, to sous-chef to head chef, Somerville said.

The crash happened at about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday on northbound I-280 near state Highway 1 after Ueber lost control of his Honda SUV and struck the center divide.

The SUV overturned and came to rest in the far left lane.

Ueber, who was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Somerville said Ueber had just dropped off his fiancee at work and was returning to the city.

She described Ueber as a proud San Francisco native who had attended Drew College Preparatory School.

"He just loved the city," she said.

He also loved to cook."He was a very multi-talented person," she said. 

"A very accomplished person. Super energetic, always moving forward."

A social man who spent his free time outdoors, Ueber was also a true leader, Somerville said.

"He was super responsible," she said. "He was great at teaching people to be efficient."

She said he had a knack for showing people how to prepare certain dishes and learn the Green repertoire.

While in the Greens kitchen, "he thought like a vegetarian," according to Somervile -- although she said he was by no means a vegetarian in his personal life.

Somerville said the staff is devastated by the loss, but that the restaurant is still open and running.

"Everyone is stepping up as he would wish us to do," she said. 

Livermore: Man Arrested for Alleged Child Molestation

A Livermore man was arrested for alleged child molestation on Wednesday, and investigators believe there may be other young victims in the community, a police spokesman said.

Detectives arrested Joshua Isaiah Rojas, 28, at his Livermore home on Wednesday night on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age, according to police spokesman Steve Goard.

The arrest came after a sexual assault investigation that began in March.

Rojas was arrested without incident and taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he is being held on $100,000 bail, according to jail records.

Police believe there may be more victims in the area and are asking parents to talk to their children if they have had contact with Rojas.

He is set to appear in court in Pleasanton for arraignment at 11 a.m. today.

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Livermore police at (925) 371-4700. 

Weather Forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area

Sunny skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning.

Highs are expected to be in the lower 60s to mid 70s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Clear skies are likely tonight.

Lows are likely to be in the lower 50s, with southwest winds up to 20 mph.

Sunny skies are expected Saturday morning.

Highs are likely to be in the upper 50s to lower 70s, with southwest winds up to 20 mph.

 

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Today's sizzling spring weather is coinciding with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's launch of its 2013 Spare the Air season.

The focus of this year's campaign is lone drivers, according to Aaron Richardson, district spokesman.

"People driving alone are the main sources of pollution," he said. "We have to work together in ways to reduce pollution."

Working together means rethinking your commute, he advises.

Finding a better way to work by using transit, car or van pools, biking or walking are much better for the environment than driving a car alone, officials say.

The district cites recent census data that suggests that more than 37 percent of the Bay Area employees commute alone to work each day, spending an average of 58 minutes on Bay Area roads.

With transportation related air pollution being the region's largest air pollution challenge, it is necessary to rethink commutes, choose clean vehicles and exploring options other than driving alone, according to Air District Executive Officer Jack Broadbent.

In summer months with so many cars on the road, pollution in hot weather temperatures causes unhealthy air, prompting the district to issue a Spare the Air alert to warn the public about the health impacts poor air can have on children, the elderly and those with heart or respiratory conditions, according to district officials.

But there is good news -- a recent air district survey indicated that drivers are more likely to seek out alternative commute methods if encouraged to do so by their employers.

Officials with the air district plan to roll out a new outreach campaign this summer that will encourage both employers and employees to seek out new ways to share, shorten or change their commutes to reduce driving alone, the district announced.

 

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Emergency responders in Danville can now communicate nearly instantaneously with more than 40 other public agencies throughout the Bay Area during emergencies.

The Town of Danville today officially launched the East Bay Regional Communications System, an interoperable, digital radio system connecting Danville police and other local first responders to the 42 other Bay Area agencies including police and fire departments, according to Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich.

The communication system, which covers more than 1,500 square miles and a combined population of more than 2.5 million people, originated in Contra Costa County in 2007 and has since spread to Alameda County, the mayor said.

The system allows East Bay first responders to call for assistance from one another during a natural disaster, manhunt, oil refinery incident or other major catastrophe with the push of a button, he told a small gathering of town leaders, police officers and residents.

"Today we're celebrating for something we hope we don't have to use but we know it's there when we need it," the mayor said.

The system's Danville launch comes after about a decade of local mayors lobbying the federal government to help cover the $70 million in installation and building costs, according to Arnerich. 

He said the lobbying eventually paid off, with about $50 million for the system provided by grants via the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Before the communication system's unofficial implementation in Danville earlier this year, officers had to call a cellphone, landline or send an email in order to communicate something.

During crises, the Police Department and other local agencies relied on a communications truck using radio signals to broadcast messages to multiple public agencies, according to Arnerich.

That method made for a slower communications process, and is even less effective in other types of situations such as searches for a suspect or a missing person.

Danville police Chief Steve Simpkins said that in one incident last month, police and CHP officers used the new communications system to quickly apprehend a burglary suspect who fled the scene onto interstate Highway 680 and wound up crashing into vehicles in the Caldecott Tunnel.

"It's very helpful to have that communication ability between agencies," he said.

Oakland is the largest East Bay city and one of the few local public agencies to forgo the communications system, according to the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority. 

Arnerich said he hopes Oakland will sign on as a subscriber to the system in the coming years.

 

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A blogger facing criminal charges for taking a picture of San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener in a City Hall bathroom in October could have his case resolved in the next couple of weeks, his attorney said.

Michael Petrelis, a gay rights activist who writes "The Petrelis Files" blog, made another appearance in court Monday afternoon on misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges for snapping the photo of Wiener as he stood at a sink in a second-floor bathroom on Oct. 26.

Petrelis, who posted the photo online the next day, has clashed with Wiener over the supervisor's legislation banning public nudity in San Francisco, among other issues.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Samuel Feng said Monday that prosecutors and Petrelis' attorney, Derek St. Pierre, have made "a lot of progress" toward a resolution in the case.

The judge ordered both sides to return to court on May 15 for a status hearing. St. Pierre said outside of court that "there will likely be a decision next hearing to resolve this or to go to trial."

He said one of the issues getting in the way of a resolution is a stay-away order currently in effect that bans Petrelis from entering City Hall.

"He wants to maintain access to City Hall and public meetings," St. Pierre said.

Wiener has declined to comment on the case, but provided a written statement to sheriff's deputies saying Petrelis "has a history of inappropriate and harassing behavior."

District Attorney George Gascon said after Petrelis was arraigned in December that the blogger's alleged behavior "completely trespasses the social boundary of decency and good sense."

 

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Mountain View: Update: Two-Alarm Fire Damages Vacant Hotel Slated For Demolition

A two-alarm fire damaged a vacant hotel that is slated for demolition Sunday evening in Mountain View, according to fire officials.

The fire at the Tropicana Lodge at 1720 El Camino Real was reported around 6:30 p.m., according to Mountain View Fire Department spokeswoman Jaime Garrett.

The fire started on the first floor of the vacant hotel, which is slated for demolition. Firefighters used the hotel for training exercises about eight months ago, so ventilation was already in place that helped limit the fire’s spread, Garrett said.

The fire was contained quickly with no injuries, and investigators are on scene now working to determine the cause.

Garrett noted that the building had no utilities and no one was supposed to be inside the building.

Around 12 units in the two-story building were affected by the fire, Garrett said.

Monterey: 48 Emaciated Cats, Dogs & Puppies Rescued From Hoarder’s Home 

The Monterey County SPCA is asking for donations to help care for dozens of cats, dogs and puppies that were rescued from a hoarder's home early Sunday morning, a spokeswoman said.

The SPCA was called by the Monterey Police Department at about 1 a.m. to help rescue the 17 cats, 24 dogs and 7 puppies that were being kept in unsanitary conditions, SPCA spokeswoman Beth Brookhouser said in an email.

The rescued pets were suffering from flea infestations, eye infections, dental infections, and malnutrition.

Many of the dogs were covered in matted fur, Brookhouser said, and the house where the animals were being kept was nearly three feet deep in garbage and animal waste.

The house has since been declared uninhabitable, she said. There was no immediate information on the owner.

The SPCA is asking for help feeding and treating the rescued animals. 

25-Year-Old Man Knocked Unconscious At Party Brawl On Saturday 

Police in Petaluma were investigating an assault that took place at a party on Saturday evening.

Officers responded to reports of a fight involving several subjects at a home in the 100 block of Kentucky Street at about 6:10 p.m., according to Petaluma police.

Arriving officers found a 25-year-old man who was unconscious and bleeding from his head, police said.

Witnesses stated that a verbal argument between several people at the party had turned physical, and during the fight one man struck the victim several times in the face and head, police said.

The victim was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive. The suspect was described as a black man in his mid 20s with shaved head. He was seen wearing blue jeans and a white tank top.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Petaluma police at (707) 778-4370. 

Santa Rosa: Trial To Start For Samta Rosa Man Charged With Fatally Stabbing Father 

Opening statements are scheduled to begin today in the trial of a Santa Rosa man charged with stabbing his father to death.

Houston Herczog, 22, has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his father, Mark Herczog, 63, in their home on Nov. 26, 2011.

Santa Rosa police were called to the home on Parkhurst Drive in Rincon Valley around 1:30 a.m. by Herczog's sister. She was standing in the driveway and Herczog was in the kitchen, where his father was found with multiple stab wounds.

Herczog was found to be mentally competent to stand trial, but defense attorneys have said he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.

Herczog's mother has stated that her son first showed symptoms of illness after he graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 2009 and suffered a psychotic break while attending Santa Rosa Junior High.

The trial is scheduled to take place in Dept. 1 in the Sonoma County Hall of Justice. 

SF: 6 Hospitalized, 2 In Critical Condition, In Saturday Night Crash 

An accident hospitalized six people Saturday night in San Francisco, fire officials said.

Crews responded to a report of a crash on Ocean Avenue just before the northbound Interstate Highway 280 on-ramp at about 10:55 p.m., according to fire officials.

Six people were transported to a hospital. Four of the victims were treated for injuries not considered life-threatening; two are in critical condition, fire officials said.

Details about the accident were not immediately available. 

Portola Valley: Crews Knock Down 2-Alarm Structure Fire 

Firefighters were able to knock down a two-alarm blaze in Portola Valley Saturday night, San Mateo County fire officials said.

Crews responded to a report of a structure fire in the 400 block of Cervantes Road at about 10 p.m., fire officials said.

When crews arrived, a second alarm was called, according to fire officials.

The fire was knocked down, and placed under control, and crews cleared the scene by 1 a.m., officials said.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Rohnert Park: Man Arrested For Possessing Stolen Property During Traffic Stop

A man who was pulled over for a routine traffic violation in Rohnert Park Saturday night was arrested for being in possession of stolen property, police said.

An officer on patrol in the area of Rohnert Park Expressway and U.S. Highway 101 pulled over a bicyclist for riding without a headlight attached to his bike at about 9:05 p.m., according to police.

The bicyclist, later identified as 36-year-old Joseph Vitali, was carrying a plastic 50-gallon trash bag as he rode, police said.

Vitali was on probation in Sonoma County for being in possession of stolen property and a controlled substance, according to police.

The patrol officer conducted a search of Vitali and located several bags and backpacks inside the garbage bag. The bags contained tools, jewelry, shoes, clothing, an Apple laptop and a computer bag with the name of phone number of the owner, police said.

The owner was called to the scene and he identified the computer, computer bag and several other items as his, police said.

Other items Vitali possessed appeared to belong to one of the victim's roommates, according to police.

An investigation revealed that the victim's home in Cotati had been burglarized earlier in the day, police said. Cotati police is investigating the break in.

Vitali was arrested and booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property and violating probation.

Officers are continuing to identify the owners of the other property found in Vitali's possession.

Police continue to investigate. 

Gilroy: Police Investigate Attempted Murder Believed To Be Gang Related 

Police in Gilroy are investigating an attempted murder from Saturday night that is believed to be gang related.

Officers responded to a report of a large fight in the 200 block of Farrell Avenue at about 8 p.m., police said.

When police arrived, they made contact with a number of victims and witnesses of the fight.

Investigators determined that several shots were fired during the fight and one of the unknown number of people involved in the fight was stabbed, according to police.

No one was struck by the gunfire, police said.

Several people were treated for injuries suffered in the fight, but none of the injuries are considered life threatening, according to police.

The stabbing victim was transported to a hospital for treatment and is expected to survive.

No arrests were made and no suspect information was immediately available, police said. 

East Palo Alto: Early Morning Shooting Leaves One Man Dead, One Wounded 

Police in East Palo Alto are investigating a shooting that left one man injured and another dead early Sunday morning.

Officers responded to gunshots detected by the Shot Spotter system at the corner of Runnymede and Euclid avenues at about 12:30 a.m., according to East Palo Alto police.

Arriving officers found two men suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.

Paramedics responded and provided medical aid at the scene before transporting the two victims to a hospital.

One of the victims, who was later identified as Jose Caballero-Diaz, 21, of Menlo Park, was pronounced dead at about 5:15 a.m., police said.

The second victim remains in stable condition.

Police were continuing to search for potential suspects and a motive.

Several bullet shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. 

Regional: Open Burn Ban To Start Monday As Fire Season Gets Underway 

Open burns will be banned starting today in a number of Bay Area counties to limit the risk as fire season gets underway, Cal Fire said.

The burn ban is effective in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, San Benito, Monterey and western SAn Joaquin counties, according to Division Chief Rich Sampson.

"Experience has shown that open burning suspensions effectively aid in preventing fire escapes and significantly reduce the risk of and occurrence of large fires," Sampson said in a statement.

"This is especially important as these counties are currently experiencing low cumulative rainfall, low humidity, dry fuel moisture levels and increased fire activity."

Burns can still take place for agriculture, land management and fire training, but only with a Cal Fire permit. Campfires are still allowed in designated campgrounds and on private property.

For more information on how to prepare for and prevent wildfires, go to www.readyforwildfire.org. 

Regional: Governor Declares Sunday a Workers Memorial Day 

Gov. Jerry Brown declared Sunday, April 28 as "Workers Memorial Day," honoring those who have died of work-related accidents and illnesses.

An estimated two million people died each year from work-related accidents and illnesses, including 360 in California in 2011, Brown said in his proclamation.

"Today, let us express our gratitude to the workers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and rededicate ourselves to the cause of establishing and maintaining safeguards against workplace illness and injury," Brown said. 

Weather Forecast For The San Francisco Bay Area

Sunny skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning. Highs are expected to be in the mid 60s to lower 70s, with southwest winds up to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Clear skies are likely this evening. Lows are likely to be around 50, with southwest winds up to 15 mph.

Sunny skies are expected Tuesday morning. Highs are likely to be in the lower to mid 70s, with northwest winds around 5 mph in the afternoon.

 

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Oakland: Update: Five Suspects Arrested in FBI and Police Raid on Gang

A massive raid in which about 300 law enforcement officers targeted a gang operating out of the Acorn housing project in West Oakland resulted in the arrest of five suspects on gun and drug charges, Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said Thursday.

The arrest of four adults and one juvenile occurred in Oakland, Antioch, Hayward and San Leandro Wednesday night and early Thursday, Jordan said.

He said police also seized four firearms and a large amount of narcotics, including crack cocaine, marijuana and heroin.

The arrests stemmed from a longstanding joint investigation by the Oakland Police Department and the FBI, Jordan said.

Oakland police Lt. Tony Jones said 150 FBI agents, 120 Oakland police officers and several dozen officers from San Leandro, Hayward and Antioch served 16 narcotics and weapons warrants.

Jones said officers were hoping to arrest more suspects and seize more military-style weapons but some of the people they were looking for at the Acorn complex, which is between Seventh and 10th streets near Adeline Street, saw officers coming and were able to get away.

"They could see us coming and it was difficult for us to get upstairs to get everyone we wanted," Jones said.

He vowed, however, that the investigation will continue and "more arrests are coming."

Jones said the raid targeted the Acorn gang, which he said is a long-standing group that has been involved in many shootings and other acts of violence, both in West Oakland near its turf and across town in East Oakland.

Jones said authorities want to get the gang under control because people who live in and near the Acorn project "are afraid to go outside and walk in their neighborhood."

The Acorn gang has been the target of other law enforcement actions in the past, including a massive raid called "Operation Nutcrackers" that was carried out on June 17, 2008, by 400 officers from 17 different law enforcement agencies at 34 locations and resulted in the arrest of 54 suspects.

Oakland police Capt. Ersie Joyner said at that time that it would be "very difficult, if not impossible, for the gang to regain its former power in the wake of the raid.

Jones admitted Thursday that it's been "a challenge" to keep the Acorn gang under control over the years but he added, "We have to be vigilant and stay on top of gangs."

Jones said the Acorn gang "hasn't always been a problem" and there have been periods when there haven't been many shootings in the area surrounding the housing project. 

Mountain View: Solar Plane Pilot Marvels at 'Gorgeous' View of Bay Area

Inside an enormous concave hangar built in the 1930s to house dirigibles at Moffett Field Wednesday, two Swiss pilots stood by the solar-powered plane one of them flew Tuesday over the Bay Area.

"It was so gorgeous with the city just on the water," said Bertrand Piccard, who piloted the four-engine, super-light plane during the 15-hour flight.

"The bay is alive. It's a beautiful region."

"It is very symbolic," said Andre Borschberg, pilot and co-founder of Switzerland-based Solar Impulse.

"It is the heart of the world technology, and Moffett Field has attracted the tech companies from the beginning."

During the flight that stretched west into the Pacific Ocean toward the Fallon Islands, Piccard, 55, controlled the model HB-SIA plane while Borschberg, 60, followed as a passenger in a helicopter to take photos and videos of the flight.

Both men have traded piloting the plane, and each has their own taste in food while on board, with Borschberg favoring sweets and Piccard sandwiches.

"I put out the bread, I take out the pâté," Piccard said.

"I have a Swiss army knife to spread the pâté." Borschberg marveled at how the Bay Area's air traffic controllers kept the air clear in a sky crowded with aircraft for the solar plane, which runs at a top speed of only 47 mph.

"They were so helpful and so flexible," Borschberg said.

"It's not easy for an aircraft like this to be in the air traffic."

"All of this was managed like an orchestra," Piccard said."They were so cooperative."

The single-seat plane, with a wingspan the size of a jumbo jet at 208 feet, is powered by 12,000 solar cells that send electricity into lithium polymer batteries that run four 10-horsepower engines.

A key aspect of the craft is its low weight, which at 3,500 pounds is about that of an average automobile thanks mainly to a building material known as carbon fiber, a substance as light as balsa wood.

With its solar panels taking in sunlight during the day and electricity stored in its batteries, the plane is capable of continuous flight and only lands because the pilot needs rest, Solar Impulse spokeswoman Alenka Zibetto said.

But the plane's engines are quite vulnerable and can break down due to wind, rain, fog and clouds and so must fly only in clear weather, requiring constant forecasting prior to takeoffs, Zibetto said. 

Oakland: Police Chief Comforts Boy Who Saw His Mother Fatally Shot

Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said Thursday that he tried to comfort a 4-year-old boy who saw his mother fatally shot in North Oakland Wednesday night.

Jordan said the shooting near the corner of 54th Street and Shattuck Avenue at about 8:43 p.m. was "very tragic."

He said he fears that, "For a 4-year-old boy to witness a shooting like this will be a memory in his mind for a long time. I don't know how he'll recover."

Police said the mother was from San Leandro but didn't release her name or age.

Jordan said police know why the woman was in the North Oakland neighborhood, which is near Children's Hospital Oakland, but don't want to release that information at this time.

He said police haven't arrested anyone in connection with the shooting but will release a description of the suspect and the suspect's vehicle later Thursday.

Shootings in that area are "very unusual" and witnesses have been "cooperative" with police because they're concerned about the incident, Jordan said.

A second woman was with the woman who was fatally shot and sought medical treatment, Jordan said.

He didn't elaborate on the second woman's injuries except to say that she wasn't hit by gunfire.

Jordan said he went to the shooting scene because he was working late to help oversee a major operation in which police and FBI agents served warrants at the Acorn housing complex in West Oakland.

He said when he first saw the 4-year-old boy, whose first name is Joshua, he was sitting in a patrol car and playing with an officer's flashlight.

Jordan said he gave the boy a police sticker and swore him in as a junior police officer.

Another officer later took the boy to a nearby McDonald's restaurant to get some food, he said.

Jordan said the shooting of the woman in front of her young boy is "very personal" for him because he has young children himself.

The boy is now with other family members, he said. 

Petaluma: Groundbreaking Today on Old Redwood Highway-U.S. Highway 101 Interchange

Caltrans broke ground Thursday afternoon on the U.S. Highway 101 Old Redwood Highway Interchange Improvement Project.

The $41 million project includes reconstructing the Highway 101 interchange in Petaluma, including all ramps, upgrading Old Redwood Highway and Petaluma Boulevard North and providing sound walls.

It also will include a bicycle path and pedestrian crosswalk in each direction, Caltrans spokesman Allyn Amsk said.

The on- and off-ramps at the Old Redwood Highway interchange will be widened from one lane to two and ramp metering will be installed.

The project is being financed with money from Petaluma, Sonoma County Measure M tax revenue and state proposition 1B, Amsk said.

The interchange improvement project will be completed by the summer of 2015. During construction, northbound and southbound traffic will be diverted onto Old Redwood Highway, North McDowell Boulevard and Redwood Way. 

Martinez: Fugitive Accused of 2009 Slaying in Richmond Arrested, Charged With Murder

A man accused of killing his neighbor in Richmond in 2009 and evading arrest since that time has been captured and charged with murder, authorities said Thursday.

Demaurier Bullard, 26, was charged with murder in Contra Costa County Superior Court earlier this week, more than four years after police say he killed 29-year-old Latoy Stevens, according to court documents.

Richmond police Detective Nicole Abetkov said Bullard is suspected of killing Stevens on March 17, 2009, after an argument over the victim playing loud music.

Bullard allegedly went to Stevens's girlfriend's home and shot him in the neck in front of her, Abetkov said.

Officers were called to the home in the 500 block of Sixth Street around 11 p.m. that night, according to police.

Police said Stevens was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses at the time told investigators they heard people arguing just before hearing the gunshots, according to police.

Police quickly identified Bullard as the suspect and obtained a $1 million warrant for his arrest, but he was nowhere to be found, Abetkov said.

It wasn't until last week that the Bullard was arrested in unincorporated Sacramento County after the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department received a tip that he was living in the area, she said.

He was transported to a Contra Costa County jail earlier this week and is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on April 30.

SF: Update: State Bar Judge to Recommend Penalty for Attorney Who Smuggled Documents for Murder Defendent

The State Bar Court disciplinary trial of an East Bay lawyer who admitted to smuggling documents out of a client's jail cell was completed in San Francisco Thursday amid competing pleas for her disbarment or for a six-month suspension.

State Bar prosecutor Robin Brune asked State Bar Hearing Judge Patrice McElroy to recommend revocation of the law license of Lorna Brown, 67, of Berkeley.

"This is a huge issue of public protection and public harm," Brune argued at the close of three days of testimony in the trial.

Brown formerly represented Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV, 27, of Oakland, who was convicted in 2011 of three counts of murder for ordering the 2007 executions of investigative journalist Chauncey Bailey and two other men.

Brown has admitted to two State Bar charges that she smuggled documents out of Bey's cell at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on March 8, 2010, and lied to investigators in an interview a month later.

The purpose of the trial has been to determine what penalty Brown should be given.

McElroy will prepare a written recommendation for the California Supreme Court, which has the final say, sometime after receiving final briefs on Monday.

The smuggled papers included a sealed greeting card for Bey's common-law wife, Tiffany Wade, that turned out to contain instructions for destroying evidence.

The materials also contained interview transcripts for three key prosecution witnesses.

Bar prosecutors contend the transcripts were annotated in Bey's handwriting with instructions to a Bey lieutenant, Gary Popoff, to intimidate or eliminate the witnesses.

Brown has testified that she thought the sealed greeting card was a message of reconciliation and that she didn't know about the alleged handwritten instructions.

Her attorney, Vicki Young, asked McElroy to recommend a six-month suspension, arguing that Brown's actions were "misdemeanor conduct" and that she had no previous ethical violations and is remorseful.

"She made a grievous mistake. She has indicated by her testimony and her demeanor that she'll regret that decision for the rest of her life," Young said during her closing argument.

During her testimony Thursday, Brown acknowledged in answer to a question from Young that she had sent the State Bar a letter of resignation.

Bar spokeswoman Laura Ernde confirmed that the letter was dated Nov. 7, 2010, and was sent to the bar.

It has been presented as an evidence exhibit in the current disciplinary proceeding, Ernde said.

But Ernde said that under California court rules, a lawyer who wants to resign during a State Bar disciplinary investigation or trial can do so only by submitting an application to the State Bar Court and receiving permission from the California Supreme Court to resign.

Ernde said Brown did not take the step of filing such an application with the State Bar Court. 

Santa Clara: Police Arrest Man After Lengthy Standoff Wednesday Night

Police in Santa Clara arrested a man Wednesday night after a two-and-a-half hour standoff, a lieutenant said Thursday.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 3300 block of Lochinvar Avenue at about 7 p.m., Lt. Kurt Clarke said.

When officers arrived, they set up a perimeter around an apartment, Clarke said.

The suspect, identified as 50-year-old James Skowronski, had allegedly locked himself in an apartment unit that he had recently been evicted from, Clarke said.

Skowronski gave himself up around 9:30 p.m., the lieutenant said.

Clarke said officers found no evidence that any shots were fired.

"No gun was found, and no shell casings from any bullets fired were located at the scene," he said.

Officers arrested Skowronski on suspicion of trespassing and resisting arrest, Clarke said.

No one was injured in the standoff. 

SJ: Police Announce New Goals, Including Expanded Use of Social Media, Gang Suppression

The San Jose Police Department Thursday announced a new series of goals, including expanding its use of social media and technology to provide better service, increase gang enforcement and retain officers while reducing crime.

The department, in the wake of losing about 300 officers to layoffs and early retirement over the past two years, decided to "simplify its mission" to meet concerns expressed by the public and its own officers, police spokesman Sgt. Jason Dwyer said.

"We developed a new direction," Dwyer said at a news conference at police headquarters at 201 W. Mission St. in San Jose.

"We are not going to stay adrift."

Much of the new efforts center on using social media to communicate with the public about reporting and preventing crimes in neighborhoods, Dwyer said.

Acting Police Chief Larry Esquivel, who recently began sending messages on Twitter while riding with patrol officers, on Wednesday logged into Nextdoor, a San Francisco-based online chat room which has partnered with the department, Dwyer said.

Nextdoor permits city residents to join a chatroom open only to people with a confirmed address in their neighborhood and use it to communicate directly with the chief, Dwyer said.

So far, about 318 neighborhoods in San Jose are members of Nextdoor, a kind of private social network started in October 2011 and used in 11,000 neighborhoods in all 50 states, Nextdoor spokeswoman Kelsey Grady said.

About 20 percent of the content written by Nextdoor users is about crime issues, the other 80 percent about events, recommendations and classified ads exchanged among neighbors, Kelsey said.

Another new service by San Jose police, CityConnect, is an app for Apple smart phones for access to online police services and news from police captains in local divisions about crime-related issues and what patrol officers are doing on their streets, Dwyer said.

Among the major new priorities for the department is to "strengthen trust" within communities through professional conduct by officers and showing empathy for residents to "create positive interaction," Dwyer said.

The department also intends to take a more "proactive" role in reducing crime with a sharper focus on combating property crimes such as auto thefts and burglaries, Dwyer said.

Violent crimes last year increased by 10 percent and property crime 27 percent and "we are not used to seeing those numbers in San Jose," Dwyer said.

Other top goals include instituting a more positive work environment for the department's 1,000-officer force with new training programs, providing mentors for young officers and placing officers in temporary leadership roles, he said. 

SF: 27-Year-Old Man Fatally Shot While Sitting in Car in Bayview

A 27-year-old man who was fatally shot while sitting in a car in San Francisco's Bayview District on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as a Rodeo resident.

Dixon Trivon, identified by the San Francisco medical examiner's office, was shot in the first block of Whitney Young Circle, near Hudson Avenue, around 3:40 p.m., police said.

A black car pulled up to Trivon's vehicle and a passenger got out and opened fire, police said.

The suspects then fled in the car, heading east on Whitney Young Circle, according to police.

They remained at large as of Thursday afternoon.

Responding officers attempted life-saving measures on Trivon until medics arrived and transported him to San Francisco General Hospital, police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said.

He later died at the hospital. 

Oakland: Oscar Grant's Cousin Gets Nearly 16 Years for Robbery Conviction

A cousin of Oscar Grant III was sentenced Thursday to nearly 16 years in state prison for his conviction for robbery, using a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm for an incident in East Oakland a year ago.

In sentencing Tony Jones, 25, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Joan Cartwright scolded him for what she described as his "complete lack of respect for the community and women."

Cartwright was responding to remarks by prosecutor Allyson Donovan, who said Jones uttered profanities to her after jurors convicted him on Jan. 31 and threatened to have sex with a female courthouse security officer he encountered during his trial.

Donovan said Jones should get the maximum sentence possible because "he's a menace to society and would be a menace on the streets" because he threatened to kill a witness in the case as well as a bailiff and the bailiff's family.

Jones, who had two prior robbery convictions as well as two convictions for assaulting correctional officers, was convicting of robbing a man at gunpoint outside the Fairfax Liquor Store at Foothill Boulevard and Cole Street at about 11 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2012.

Donovan said Jones had an accomplice who has never been arrested.

A short time later Jones was shot and wounded by Oakland police Officer Cesar Garcia in the 2000 block of 62nd Avenue.

Donovan said Garcia had stopped a van in which Jones and the other suspect were traveling and Garcia shot Jones because Jones ran from the van with a gun in his hand and later made a move which the officer believed indicated that Jones was reaching for the gun.

Jones has filed a $10 million civil rights lawsuit against Garcia and the city of Oakland alleging that they violated his constitutional protections against unlawful detention, unlawful arrest and the use of unreasonable force.

The suit alleges that Garcia shot Jones in the back and accuses the officer of assault and battery and false imprisonment.

Jones' lawsuit was put on hold pending the outcome of his criminal trial.

Grant, a 22-year-old Hayward man, was shot and killed by former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland early on Jan. 1, 2009, after Mehserle and other officers responded to reports of a fight on a train.

Mehserle, who claimed that he meant to use his Taser stun gun on Grant and fired his service weapon by mistake, was charged with murder but was convicted of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Jones is the son of the sister of Grant's father, according to Oakland attorney John Burris, who represented Grant's family in a wrongful death lawsuit against Mehserle and BART. 

SF: Update: Man Killed by Samtrans Bus in Outer Mission Identified

A man who was fatally struck by a SamTrans bus in San Francisco's Outer Mission neighborhood earlier this week has been identified as Eugenio Mallari, according to the San Francisco medical examiner's office.

Mallari was hit when he stepped onto Mission Street near Valencia Street, just south of Cesar Chavez Street around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to police.

Police said he was 50 years old, however the medical examiner's office could not confirm his age nor city of residence.

SamTrans spokeswoman Christine Dunn said that at the time of the collision, the SamTrans Route 391 bus was traveling south, heading from the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco to the Redwood City Caltrain station.

Mallari was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for head and torso injuries, police said.

Dunn said Mallari later succumbed to his injuries.

The driver of the bus involved in the incident has been removed from duty and tested for drugs and alcohol, as is standard procedure, Dunn said.

Police are continuing to investigate the accident. 

Weather Forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area

Cloudy skies and patchy fog are likely in the Bay Area this morning.

Highs are expected to be in the upper 50s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph.

Mostly cloudy skies and patchy fog are likely this evening.

Lows are expected to be in the upper 40s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph.

Mostly cloudy skies and patchy fog are expected Saturday morning.

Highs are likely to be in the lower to mid 60s, with southwest winds up to 15 mph.

 

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Two Livermore Child Care Workers Facing Child Abuse Charges

Two sisters accused of binding babies to their beds with blankets during naptime at a Livermore child care facility were arrested Wednesday morning and are facing a slew of child abuse and neglect charges, a Livermore police spokesman said Wednesday.

Nazila Sharaf, 35, of Dublin, and Lida Sharaf, 33, of Mountain House, were arrested in their respective cities between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. without incident, Livermore Police spokesman Steve Goard said Wednesday.

They both invoked their right to an attorney and are being held at the Santa Rita Jail in lieu of $700,000 bail.

Both women face three counts of felony child neglect and abuse and four counts of misdemeanor child neglect and abuse charges, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Livermore police concluded their investigation on Friday, one month after they were asked to aid the California Department of Social Services in the closure of the Universal Preschool LCC, located at 1040 Florence Road in Livermore, formerly known as the Sunnyside Infant and Preschool.

According to Goard, an extensive investigation that involved interviews of more than 30 parents revealed that both Nazila Sharaf and Lida Sharaf were allegedly binding at least seven of the babies' upper torsos and legs with blankets and other cloth-type materials in order to restrict their movement during naps.

Using knots as fasteners, the suspects allegedly restricted the babies' ability to breathe comfortably and move their extremities, according to Goard.

Police also say the suspects threw blankets over the faces of the babies, and with the extremities tied down, prevented the babies' ability to remove the blanket from their face, Goard said.

The babies ranged in age from 7 months to 11 months old.

During the investigation, Goard said detectives learned that three of the victims suffered from upper respiratory conditions, of which the sisters were allegedly aware.

"Having knowledge of the respiratory conditions, the two suspects still tightly bound the victims' upper torso and legs," Goard said. "Tightly binding a child with an upper respiratory condition seriously compromises and child's ability to breathe, which could lead to death."

Oakland Firefighters Rescue Woman from 10th Floor Balcony in West Oakland

Firefighters in Oakland tonight rescued a woman from a 10th floor balcony as her West Oakland apartment burned while across town firefighters rescued a small dog from a burning house there, fire officials said.

The East Oakland fire was reported at 1730 35th Avenue at 6:08 p.m. and minutes later, at 6:16 p.m., a fire was reported at the City Tower of the Acorn public housing complex at 725 Market St. Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton responded to the fire at Acorn, and quickly found that a woman, who had apparently accidentally started a grease fire that spread to the rest of her apartment, was trapped on her balcony.

Firefighters used a ladder to get to the elderly woman on the 10th floor balcony, but rather than take her down the ladder, brought her through the apartment and downstairs where she was treated for smoke inhalation, Drayton said.

The fire was under control by 6:45 p.m. and contained to the single unit, but the apartment below sustained water damage.

A passing Oakland schools police officer also suffered smoke inhalation after he ran upstairs to try to assist the woman out of the building.

Meanwhile, Battalion Chief Jenny Ray was responding to the fire in a single-family home in the city's Fruitvale neighborhood.

The resident of the home was not home at the time, but a small dog was trapped inside after the fire started in a back office inside the house.

The fire was contained to the back room, but the dog was brought out suffering smoke inhalation and given oxygen, Ray said.

The dog's owner was not home at the time, but arrived quickly and was reunited with the recovering dog.

"It was pretty out of it when they got it out, and it was happy to see its owner," Ray said.

The fire was reported by a volunteer working with the Safety & Neighborhood Ambassador Program who spotted the smoke and dialed 911, Ray said.

It was under control at 6:27 p.m. No other injuries were reported.

Five People in San Jose Hospitalized After Two Car Accident Crashes into Home

Five people were hospitalized after a two-car accident sent one car crashing into a home in San Jose near Los Gatos, hitting two people inside the home, a San Jose fire captain said.

The San Jose Fire Department was dispatched at 3:56 p.m. to a house in the 5400 block of Leigh Avenue at Gregg Drive across from Leigh High School, fire department spokesman Capt. Cleo Doss said.

At the scene, they found a vehicle with three passengers "all the way in the structure," Doss said.

All three passengers and the two residents were transported to trauma units at local hospitals for treatment, although their conditions are not known, Doss said.

A second car involved in the accident landed on the sidewalk and injured one person who declined treatment, Doss said.

Antioch Unified School District Recieves Series of Hoax Bomb Threats

Antioch Unified School District's superintendent called a recent series of bomb threats at two district high schools "beyond frustrating" and said the district is working with police to apprehend a suspect.

"Our hunch is that it's a student," Superintendent Donald Gill said of the fake bomb threats targeted at Antioch high schools over the past three days.

Police said Wednesday's first threat was called in to Antioch High School, located at 700 W. 18th St., around 9:40 a.m.

Officers searched the campus and did not find any evidence of a bomb, police said.

The threats to Deer Valley High School, located at 4700 Lone Tree Way, came in at about 10:35 a.m. and 1:05 p.m. Wednesday.

The school has been the target of four bomb threats over the past three days, according to police.

Each of the threats has prompted the school to evacuate its roughly 2,200 students, according to police.

Police said all of the threats have been deemed hoaxes and are under investigation.

Gill said Wednesday that if the suspect is a student, he will recommend that the student be expelled from school in addition to facing a felony charge of making false threats and fines, he said.

"I would be most disturbed if it's a student that's threatening the well-being of our students," Gill said.

The superintendent said he met Wednesday with Antioch police Chief Allan Cantando, Capt. Leonard Orman and Capt. Steve McConnell to discuss the investigation.

Gill said the high school students would be provided with police tip sheets to help them report to police any evidence that a fellow student is making the bomb threats.

"We believe of all the students on the campus, there has to be a student or a group of students who have information about what's going on," he said.

"We want to put the resources in the hands of students to make that call."

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Antioch police Detective Koch at (925) 779-6895.

Firefighters Contain Two-Alarm Fire in Discovery Bay 

Firefighters contained a two-alarm fire that burned two houses in Discovery Bay Wednesday evening, a fire chief said.

The fire was reported at about 6:40 p.m. by an off-duty Contra Costa County battalion chief coming home from work who found a well-involved garage fire at 54 Edgeview Court, East Contra County Fire Protection District Chief Hugh Henderson said.

The battalion chief called a second alarm as the fire was spreading to a neighboring home at 50 Edgeview Court.

The fire destroyed the first house and caused moderate damage to a single-car garage at the second house and smoke damage throughout, Henderson said.

Firefighters also feared that the fire could spread to another adjacent house but managed to put the fire out before that could happen.

The fire was under control about an hour later.

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District provided mutual aid.

No one was injured.

Fatal Shooting in San Francisco's Bayview District

Police are investigating a fatal shooting in San Francisco's Bayview District Wednesday afternoon.

Officers responded at 3:43 p.m. to reports that a male victim had been shot in the 1100 block of Hudson Avenue, Officer Carlos Manfredi said.

The officers performed CPR on the victim until medics arrived and transported him to San Francisco General Hospital.

However, the victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, Manfredi said.

President Barack Obama Honors Fremont Student for Achievements in Science and Technology

A Fremont middle school student rubbed shoulders with President Barack Obama Monday in Washington, D.C., where she was honored for her achievements in science and technology.

Obama hosted 100 students from throughout the U.S. to the third White House Science Fair including Fremont eighth-grader Jessika Baral, according to White House officials.

Jessika, 13, was back in her classroom Tuesday at Hopkins Junior High School at 600 Driscoll Road where she said her classmates and teachers were proud of her visit to the nation's capital.

In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, Jessika said she got to talk about her research on eye muscle weakness to a lot of famous people, such as one of Obama's science advisors, Dr. John P. Holdren, and TV science personality Bill Nye.

"I got to meet a lot of people who do great research," she said.

Jessika was a finalist in the 2012 Broadcom MASTERS competition for her eye fatigue research, which earned her the presidential visit.

Her father accompanied her to Washington, D.C., she said, however he was not able to come to the fair held in the East Wing where she exhibited her research.

As many as 40 students at the White House fair had earned other top science achievements, such as finalists in other Society for Science and the Public science and engineering competitions.

Jessika said other students presented projects about detecting cancer, working with bio-fuels and one student even made a robotic arm.

After determining tired eye problems suffered by her family and friends were connected with hours of staring at small digital screens she decided to design a device to strengthen eye muscles and improve peripheral vision.

Using a foam board, different colored LED lights, a vision disk to measure vision and other basic materials, she created a device that is worn like headgear and hovers over the face and trains the eyes to look in various directions and increase muscle endurance.

Hopkins Junior High School Principal Mary Miller said there was a PA announcement at the school Tuesday morning congratulating Jessika for her White House presentation.

"She is a lovely young lady," Miller said.

"She is humble and very eloquent explaining about the device and the science behind it."

Jessika wants to use her prize money to manufacture 200 of the devices to send to local schools, but she said she is first working on patenting her invention.

Big Rig collides with San Francisco Muni Train In Bayview District

A big rig collided with a San Francisco Municipal Railway light rail vehicle Wednesday evening in the city's Bayview District, causing minor injuries to three passengers, a Muni spokesman said.

Muni spokesman Paul Rose said it appears the truck was making an illegal U-turn near the corner of Third Street and Burke Avenue and hit the train shortly before 6 p.m.

Three passengers aboard complained of minor injuries, but none were transported to the hospital, Rose said.

Regional Air Traffic Is Moving Despite FAA's Imposed Furlough

Regional air traffic is moving smoothly with minimal delays at the three Bay Area international airports Wednesday, despite the Federal Aviation Administration's imposed furlough on the nation's air traffic controllers, which began Sunday.

Forced to trim $637 million from its budget for the Fiscal Year 2013, the FAA has ordered each of its 47,000 air traffic controllers to furlough one day per pay period, or one day every two weeks, according to FAA reports.

In general, that's 10 percent of controllers at any facility will be on furlough every day, according to the FAA.

At Mineta San Jose International Airport, spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said that she is only able to monitor delays during the airport's curfew system but that there have been six late operating flights related to air traffic control delays, specifically out of Los Angeles International Airport.

In Oakland, spokesman Scott Yamasaki said he has not noticed a significant number of delays due to the furloughs.

In fact, there have been three Southwest flights from LAX that arrived 10 minutes early, he said.

"In looking at the arrival boards this morning, everything is arriving on time and its business as usual here," Yamasaki said Wednesday.

General arrival and departure delays at San Francisco International Airport are 15 minutes or less, according to the FAA's website.

On Tuesday, according to the FAA, more than 1,025 delays in the system were attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furlough.

There were more than 975 delays due to inclement weather and other factors.

On Monday, there were 1,200 delays caused by the furlough and 1,400 delays caused by weather and other factors, according to the FAA.

In a statement Tuesday, the FAA said, "Travelers can expect to see a wide range of delays that will change throughout the day depending on staffing and weather related issues."

Delays could be worst where there are staffing challenges, specifically at the Miami and Los Angeles En Route Centers, the Tampa TRACON and Chicago and O'Hare and Tampa Towers, according to the FAA statement.

Due to these constraints, controllers will space planes farther apart so they can manage traffic with current staff, which will lead to delays at airports including Chicago O'Hare, Las Vegas and Tampa.

An FAA spokesman said Wednesday that delays are occurring because the FAA is slowing the system down, when necessary, to maintain the highest levels of safety overall.

Passengers are being advised to check their flight status and visit fly.faa.gov to see real time airport delay information. 

Mother and Son Lives Were Saved in San Jose by Smoke Detector

A mother and her son's lives were saved by a smoke detector after a fire started in the woman's bedroom in their San Jose home tonight, a fire captain said.

The fire was reported at 8:29 p.m. in the 5000 block of Sutcliff Avenue, Capt. Rob Brown said.

The fire was caused when the woman, who is unable to walk, set her bed on fire while smoking.

Her son was also in bed and heard the smoke detector go off.

He went into the hall and found the woman's bed on fire and the fire spreading, while the woman had rolled off the bed onto the floor.

The son managed to drag his mother out of the burning room and into the hallway, where neighbors who had rushed in after seeing smoke helped carry her from the house, Brown said.

Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the front of the house and the bed on fire.

They contained the fire to the bedroom.

The mother and son were transported to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.

The Red Cross is helping the family with temporary accommodations.

FBI and Oakland PD Served Sixteen High-Risk Search Warrants Wednesday Night

The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Oakland Police Department served sixteen high-risk narcotics and weapons related search warrants Wednesday night, according to a police spokeswoman.

Of the 16 warrants served overnight, 13 warrants were served at various locations in Oakland, according to Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson.

The other three search warrants were served in Hayward, San Leandro and Antioch, Watson said.

The search warrants led to multiple arrests as well as the recovery of weapons and narcotics, according to Watson.

Helicopters circled overhead as portions of Seventh and Eighth streets were shut down for at least 90 minutes on Wednesday night.

The operation concluded shortly after 1:00 a.m. this morning with no injuries or use of force reported, Watson said.

San Francisco Bay Area Weather Focast

Mostly cloudy skies and patchy fog are likely in the Bay Area this morning.

Highs are expected to be in the upper 50s, with southwest winds up to 15 mph.

Mostly cloudy skies are likely this evening. Lows are expected to be in the upper 40s, with westerly winds up to 15 mph.

Cloudy skies and patchy fog are expected Friday morning.

Highs are likely to be in the lower 60s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph.

 

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