SF News

Leaders of School District Respond to Saratoga Teen Suicide

Leaders of a school district Wednesday responded to claims by the family of a 15-year-old Saratoga High School student who committed suicide last fall, saying the school acted appropriately and the girl had not sought counseling for bullying.

Administrators of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District said in a statement Wednesday that counseling records show Audrie Pott did not pursue counseling after the alleged sexual assault by three other students her family claims led to her suicide a week later.

Bullying also was not a subject of conversation when school employees met with Audrie's parents months prior to her death, district officials said. Audrie attempted suicide at her Saratoga home on Sept. 10 and died two days later.

Her family claims that three 16-year-old boys from Saratoga High sexually assaulted her and wrote messages on her body while she was unconscious at a Sept. 2 off-campus party, then took photos of her that they later distributed to students at the high school.

Pott family attorney Robert Allard said in a statement earlier Wednesday that he filed a claim against the district "primarily to preserve the family's rights to future legal action."

The family alleges that Audrie was bullied at the school months before her death, and that the school district was negligent because it failed to act when the family reported the bullying in the spring of 2012, Allard said.

In their response, district leaders said that after Audrie's suicide, some students reported to Saratoga High employees about an alleged assault on her at an off-campus party "and that some photographs were being shared among students."

The school then informed its campus resource officer who reported it to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and district officials "first learned of the allegations of sexual assault from law enforcement as that investigation was being launched."

"We have been unable to verify the extent to which any photographic images may have been shared on campus or on the Internet before or after her suicide that may have contributed to her feeling embarrassed or harassed," the district's statement read.

Saratoga's principal Paul Robinson announced Audrie's death -- without mentioning suicide -- on the school's public address system on Sept. 12 after receiving permission from the girl's stepmother Lisa Pott and "rather than let people hear about her passing by word of mouth," according to the district.

None of the boys was expelled due to the allegations because the school by law may only suspend or expel a student for acts "related to school activity or attendance."

District leaders said the alleged assault happened at "an unsupervised private party on a holiday weekend" and school districts cannot force students out "based solely on alleged behavior outside of school."

Two of the three boys were on the school football team and Robinson removed them from it since "participation in a sport is a privilege" and the district had the latitude to act, they said.

Bay Area Community Members Rally Behind Martinez Student Injured in Boston Bombings

Community members are rallying around a Martinez sixth-grader who was injured in the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday.

Aaron Hern, 11, was on the sidelines near the finish line to watch his mother run the race on Monday afternoon when the bombs exploded, hitting him with shrapnel.

According to Facebook messages posted by the boy's mother, Katherine Hern, and family friends, Aaron is in stable condition in an intensive care unit and was scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday.

Hern said Tuesday that the family planned to stay in Boston for about a week for follow-up surgeries.

Meanwhile, community members in Martinez are scrambling to help in any way they can.

Roxanne Cole, the owner of restaurant and wine bar Roxx on Main, welcomed diners to the business for a fundraiser for the family during the lunch and dinner hours on Tuesday.

Employees at the restaurant, located at 627 Main St., worked for free on Tuesday, and other local businesses, including Chairs for Affairs, donated supplies, Cole said.

"If you know anything about Martinez, we're a very tight-knit community, and I wanted to do something to help," she said.

She said the event netted $4,500, with all proceeds going to help cover the family's transportation and housing expenses.

Cole said she would continue to hold the same fundraiser each Tuesday until the Hern family returns home.

Community members may also drop off donations at the restaurant until a donation fund is established, she said.

The public will have more chances to dine and donate to the Herns at a fundraiser at Mountain Mike's Pizza at 1160 Arnold Drive in Martinez Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The fundraiser will continue every day through Sunday.

Sunday through Wednesday, customers at Kinder's Meats and BBQ throughout Contra Costa County can donate 15 percent of each purchase to the Hern family.

At Martinez Junior High School, where Aaron is in the sixth grade, classes are working on projects to show their support for their injured classmate and his family, Principal Helen Rossi said.

South Bay Phone Service Restored After Vandals Cut Fiber Optic Cables

Phone service has been restored in the South Bay Wednesday after being disrupted Tuesday when vandals cut underground fiber optic cables south of San Jose.

AT&T is offering a $250,000 reward in the case, in which someone cut cables in two locations along Monterey Highway shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

The vandalism occurred minutes before someone shot a rifle at a PG&E transmission substation near Metcalf Road and Monterey Highway at about 1:46 a.m., according to the sheriff's office.

At about 3:45 a.m., PG&E notified the sheriff's office that someone had breached the substation's security fence, several transformers had been damaged and hazardous liquid had spilled, sheriff's office spokesman Deputy Kurtis Stenderup said.

"The damage was caused by multiple gunshots from a high-powered rifle," Stenderup said.

Matt Naumann, a spokesman for PG&E, said its crews worked to repair the substation Wednesday and are still assessing the extent of the damage.

"It's going to take a couple of weeks before we have everything back up there," Naumann said.

The shooting of the substation, which damaged oil tanks and other equipment, did not halt power to any PG&E customers, Naumann said.

AT&T spokesman George Ross confirmed that the severed cables were fixed by early Wednesday morning.

The Gilroy Police Department's landline phones were down for about 24 hours but were back up and running at about 3 a.m., police Sgt. Pedro Espinoza said.

In Morgan Hill, phone service disrupted by the cut cables was restored at 5 a.m., city spokeswoman Maureen Tobin said.

Ross said that 911 calls on cellphone and landline phones to the Gilroy area were disrupted for a couple of hours early Tuesday but that AT&T was able to reroute call lines through different fiber optic cables to reopen emergency calls.

Limited cellphone service in addition to 911 calls remained up for some phone users in Gilroy while landline calls remained shut down until all services were restored between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Ross said.

"It was affecting cellphone service," Ross said. "It's not like is was across the board down."

"You have different towers where you might be getting reception from your physical proximity," Ross said. "It wasn't unusual, but it was a significant cut."

He confirmed that someone had cut the fiber optic cables, beneath manhole covers, in two different places in the unincorporated area south of San Jose, one of them a line maintained by AT&T and the other by another phone carrier.

Service to Verizon customers was restored by about 6 a.m., Stenderup said.

Powell Street Gun Battle Suspects Appear in Court 

Four men accused of a frightening shooting during rush hour last Friday near the Powell Street BART station in San Francisco made their initial appearance in court Wednesday and were ordered held on $2 million bail.

The shooting was reported at 6:38 p.m. Friday and critically injured a 16-year-old boy who officers found after hearing gunshots coming from Hallidie Plaza, police said.

Authorities did not immediately have an update on the boy's condition Wednesday.

Police later on Friday used surveillance video in the area and descriptions provided by witnesses to arrest six men and recover a firearm believed to be used in the shooting.

However, only four were charged in San Francisco Superior Court.

The defendants, Alexander Love, 19, Damien Allen, 18, Derrick Miller, 19, and Alvin Tautolo, 20, face five felonies each -- attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of false imprisonment and participation in a street gang.

The four made their initial appearance in court Wednesday afternoon but declined to enter a plea and will return to court on Friday for the continued arraignment.

Each defendant was also ordered by Judge Jerome Benson to stay away from the victim if they post the $2 million bail.

Bicycle Barometer Slated to Go Up on San Francisco's Market Street

A bicycle barometer is slated to go up on San Francisco's Market Street next month to count the number of bicycles that travel through the city's arterial boulevard.

The measuring device will be built on the south side of Market Street between Ninth and 10th streets after the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors unanimously approved a $20,000 donation from the SF Bicycle Coalition at Tuesday's board meeting.

The donated funds will go toward the roughly $70,000 total project cost for the building and installation of the machine.

The counter aims to encourage commuters and others to use bicycles as a mode of transportation by keeping track of ridership and noticeably displaying the number of riders.

The barometer would be the city's first and is estimated to tally as many as 1 million eastbound bicyclists that are projected to increasingly traverse on Market Street each year, according to Muni officials.

The latest annual bicycle volumes on the Market Street thoroughfare are recorded at about 600,000 riders, Muni officials said.

The barometer will stand 7.5 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide with a digital display counter that will tally the number of passing bicyclists through an embedded counter underneath the bike lane.

To build and install the counter, transit staff is working with the city's Department of Technology and the Department of Public Works.

Muni spokesman Paul Rose said the barometer is scheduled to be up and running by the end of May, however Muni officials are hoping the counter will be up before Bike to Work Day on May 9.

Italian Consulate Clerk in San Francisco Charged with Labor Extortion 

A onetime Italian consulate clerk and his Brazilian wife pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco Wednesday to a reduced misdemeanor charge related to their employment of a Brazilian woman as their servant in 2009.

Giuseppe Penzato, 56, and Kesia Penzato, 34, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward Chen to a count of conspiring to possess an unauthorized identification document belonging to the unnamed woman.

They will be sentenced by Chen on May 8.

Under a plea agreement, the sentence will be five years of probation plus a restitution payment of $13,000 to the victim.

The Penzatos were originally charged with heavier felony counts of obtaining false labor by means of threats, force or restraint and conspiring to obtain false labor from the woman during the three months that she worked for them at a housekeeper in late 2009.

The felony counts, levied in a federal criminal complaint in 2011 and then a grand jury indictment in 2012, will be dropped as a result of the plea agreement.

Defense lawyers Josh Cohen and Gail Shifman declined to comment on the case outside of court.

U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Josh Eaton said, "We have no comment."

Giuseppe and Kesia Penzato were arrested on the original charges on June 24, 2011, and freed on $250,000 property bonds four days later.

At the time, Giuseppe Penzato worked as an administrative clerk for the Italian consulate in San Francisco.

A consulate representative said Wednesday he could not say whether Penzato still works there.

An affidavit filed with the 2011 criminal complaint alleged the couple paid the woman only $600 or $700 during the three months, confiscated her passport, withheld food from her and forced her to work 60 hours per week on childcare and housekeeping.

The affidavit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Melissa Saurwein said the couple promised the woman she would work only 35 hours per week and be paid $1,500 per month in addition to being given room and board.

The document said Kesia Penzato had known the woman during their childhood in Brazil and enticed her to come to San Francisco to work for the couple while attending nursing school.

The woman had been employed as a community public health agent in Brazil.

In a court filing in 2011, the Penzatos said they "vehemently deny the charges" and alleged the housekeeper was "a scheming young woman" with a goal of living permanently in the United States."

Alameda County Officals Hold Ceremony for Oakland's Highland Hospital New Clinic Facility 

Alameda County officials held a dedication ceremony Wednesday for a new facility at Highland Hospital in Oakland that includes a "same day clinic" that will provide an alternative to emergency patients with urgent but non-acute conditions.

Board of Supervisors President Keith Carson said the three-story, 80,000-square-foot Highland Care Pavilion is the first phase of a $668 million project that also includes the construction of a new 9-story, 169-bed acute care tower and the demolition of the existing acute tower.

The entire project is slated to be completed in 2017.

County Administrator Susan Muranishi said that in addition to the same day clinic, the new pavilion on Highland's 14.4-acre campus will house 10 specialty clinics, including allergy, cardiology, chest, congestive heart failure, gastroenterology and liver, hematology and oncology, infusion, hepatitis C and rheumatology.

The new building also will have 175 parking spaces for patients, a new meeting space and a modern cafeteria, Muranishi said.

She said the same day clinic will take pressure off Highland's busy emergency services and is expected to shorten waiting times for patients who require emergency services.

Carson said that by developing the improvement project at Highland, which opened its door in 1927, Alameda County "is ensuring that this community will have a first-rate health care delivery system for decades to come for all county residents regardless of their ability to pay."

Alameda Health System chief executive Wright Lassiter III said the improvements mean "people who are suffering from serious maladies won't have to wait long to receive quality care."

Muranishi said the construction of the new pavilion, which will open in early May, "is a major milestone and a dream come true."

Carson said he's proud that Alameda County is improving its hospitals at a time when many other counties across the state are closing or contracting out their public hospitals.

Alameda County General Services Agency Director Aki Nakao said the improvement project has employed 2,200 construction workers for the past two years and those workers will remain employed until the project is completed.

Four Men  Charged in Fremont for Attack on Suspects Ex-Wife

Four men have been arrested and charged in connection with a brutal attack on one suspect's ex-wife in front of her Fremont home earlier this year.

Milpitas resident Rakesh Paul Singh, 54, allegedly hired three men to plan and carry out an attack on his 37-year-old ex-wife.

The attack was allegedly carried out by Morris Kurtz, 52, and 54-year-old Donald Harbaugh, both of San Jose, on Feb. 11, police said.

Around 9 a.m. that day, Singh's ex-wife was getting into her car in the 43700 block of Greenhills Way in Fremont when two men approached and attacked her from behind, according to police.

One of the men struck her in the face with a large wooden mallet while the other punched her in the back of the head.

The suspects fled the scene before officers could arrive.

The victim was transported to a hospital, where she received numerous stitches for major lacerations to her face, neck and ears, according to police.

Police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques said the suspects did not attempt to steal the woman's car or any of her property; their goal was to beat her.

An investigation into the assault led police to a car belonging to Kurtz.

Using surveillance and other resources, detectives were able to identify Harbaugh, a parolee who had served more than 20 years in prison for a kidnapping for ransom case, as the second suspect, according to police.

The investigation also revealed that a third suspect, identified as 27-year-old Ricardo Rivera of Sunnyvale, helped plan the attack.

Investigators also learned that Singh had ordered the attack on his ex-wife and asked his accomplices to "deface her," police said.

With the aid of SWAT teams, police served search and arrest warrants at the suspects' homes on April 3 and located evidence linking all four men to the February attack.

All four were arrested and later charged with assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated mayhem and conspiracy.

The suspects remain in custody in county jail, according to police.

San Francisco Bay Area Weather Report

Sunny skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning.

Highs are expected to be in the 60s, with winds up to 15 mph. Clear skies are likely this evening.

Lows are expected to be in the upper 40s, with southwest winds up to 15 mph.

Sunny skies are expected Friday morning.

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

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

Handful of Post Offices Stay Open Late for Last Minute Tax Filers

A handful of Bay Area post offices will stay open late today to allow last minute tax filers to turn in their paperwork.

The tax day lines at most post offices have shrunk in recent years because more people are filing their taxes on line, according to U.S. Postal Service officials.

Most post offices will maintain normal hours on April 15, but for those who need to get that last minute postmark, extended hours are available at the main post offices in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Salinas, as well as at the Airport Station at 660 West Field Road in San Francisco and at the North Bay P&DC at 1150 McDowell Boulevard in Petaluma.

The San Francisco locations will be open until midnight, with both window and curbside locations.

The San Jose and Oakland post offices will be open until 10 p.m., with both window and curbside service.

The Petaluma location will offer window service until 6 p.m. and curbside drop off from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the Salinas location will offer curbside service until 8 p.m.

Postal service officials do not encourage late filing, since it contributes to mistakes, including insufficient postage and incorrect mailing addresses.

Postage is 46 cents for the first ounce, or about four pages, and 20 cents for each additional ounce. 

Sonoma Co.: Four Men Arrested in Sonoma Valley Area on Gang, Weapons Charges

Four men were arrested Saturday afternoon in the Sonoma Valley area on gang and firearm and stolen property charges, according to he Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The men were spotted by a deputy just after noon on Saturday on the 23500 block of Millerick Lane, standing near a white Nissan Frontier pick-up, according to Sgt. Dave Pedersen.

The deputy stopped to contact the men because he saw that the majority were wearing gang colors.

In addition, a white Nissan Frontier had been reported leaving the area of a gang-related shooting that occurred on April 5th near Maxwell Farms Regional Park, Pedersen said.

The men scattered when they saw the deputy, with four driving away in a red Ford Mustang, two walking into a nearby wine tasting room and two remaining inside the truck.

The deputy detained the two subjects inside the truck, Luis Alberto Barragan, a 18-year-old Sonoma resident, and Byron Raymond Alvarez, a 24-year-old Sonoma resident, after discovering two rifles, a shotgun and a handgun in the bed of the truck, as well as a loaded .357 handgun under Alvarez's seat and ammunition.

The guns were later found to have been stolen in a residential burglary in the El Verano area the day before.

Of the suspects that had entered the wine tasting room, only Daniel Chevarria, a 26-year-old Sonoma resident, was located.

He was arrested for violating his probation by being with other gang members.

The red Mustang was later located at the registered owner's house, and David Garcia, a 20-year-old Sonoma resident was arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon, a billy club.

Searches of the suspects' homes later turned up seven firearms at one home, and a loaded 9 mm handgun in Chavarria's bedroom that was not registered to him.

All four suspects were found to have criminal gang ties, and were booked into Sonoma County Jail on a variety of charges. 

High Wind Advisories Issued for Bridges, Strong Winds Expected Through Monday

High wind advisories were issued for the Bay Bridge and San Mateo-Hayward Bridge Sunday evening and small craft advisories for Bay Area seas, with strong winds expected to continue into today, according to the National Weather Service.

The small craft advisory, meaning that conditions are considered hazardous for smaller boats at sea, is currently in effect through 9 a.m. today for the waters between Point Arena and Pigeon Point, the National Weather Service said Sunday afternoon.

A gale warning, meaning winds of 34 to 37 knots are expected, has been issued for today from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.

The weather service is forecasting strong north winds between 20 and 30 mph with gusts of up to 45 mph for San Francisco and the North Bay and Peninsula coasts through this evening.

A wind advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.

Residents are warned that driving, especially in high profile vehicles like trucks, could be dangerous or difficult, and there is a danger of downed trees and power lines.

The weather service is forecasting a high today around 56 degrees in San Francisco. 

Danville: Two-Alarm House Fire Under Control, No One Injured

San Ramon Valley firefighters extinguished a two-alarm blaze in Danville Sunday morning, fire officials said.

Crews responded to a report of a fire at a home in the 800 block of Richard Lane at about 11:35 p.m. Saturday, officials said.

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

The fire was knocked down at 12:11 a.m., fire officials said. At 12:19 a.m. the fire was under control.

The residents of the home evacuated the home before crews arrived, according to fire officials.

No one was injured in the blaze.

The cause and the extent of damage is unknown. 

Alameda Co.: Amtrack Train Derails Just Outside of Fremont, None Injured

An Amtrak train heading to Vancouver, B.C., derailed just north of Fremont Saturday night, but no one aboard was harmed, an Amtrak spokeswoman said.

Amtrak Train No. 14, the Coast Starlight, left Los Angeles at 10:10 a.m.

Saturday and was scheduled to arrive in Vancouver at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, spokeswoman Christina Leeds said.

At about 9 p.m., two miles north of Fremont, however, the two wheels of the front truck on the lead locomotive derailed from the track, Leeds said.

Fourteen crew members and 154 passengers were aboard the train at the time of the derailment, but no one was injured, she said.

Leeds said the train left Fremont at about 12:30 a.m., and is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver about four hours later than its original destination.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation. 

Novato: Three Suspects Remain At Large After Home-Invasion Robbery Friday

Police in Novato are searching for three suspects who committed a home-invasion robbery Friday evening, police said.

Officers responded to a report of a home-invasion robbery in the 600 block of Canyon Road at about 6:40 p.m., according to police.

Three suspects - two men and one woman - entered a home and brandished firearms, restrained the residents in the home and took property, according to police.

The suspects then fled the home in a white Ford F-150 pickup truck from the mid-1990s, police said.

One suspect is described as a white male standing 6 feet tall with a muscular build, blond hair and green eyes with a goatee.

The other male suspect is described as a Latino standing 5 feet 10 inches tall with a heavy build, brown hair and eyes.

The woman suspect is described as a Latino standing about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a heavy build, medium length brown hair and brown eyes.

All three suspects are believed to be around 35 years old, police said.

None of the victims in the home were injured in the robbery. 

SF: Medical Examiner Identifies 24-Year-Old Man Killed in Nob Hill Shooting on Saturday

A 24-year-old man who was fatally shot in San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood on Saturday morning has been identified as Geofrey Greer, of San Francisco, according to the medical examiner's office.

Police received a report of a deceased man at an apartment complex in the 1100 block of Pacific Avenue at about 2:30 a.m., San Francisco police Officer Carlos Manfredi said.

According to witnesses, a 55-year-old male suspect and the victim were having a dispute prior to the shooting.

Police said the suspect is in custody and that no further suspects are believed to be involved in the homicide.

A motive for the killing remains under investigation. 

SSF: Authorities Purchase an Estimated 250 Firearms at Saturday Gun Buyback

A gun buyback that took place in San Mateo County on Saturday has been deemed a success by one of its organizers, Rep. Jackie Speier.

An estimated 250 firearms were collected at the gun buyback, which was held at the South San Francisco courthouse, according to Speier's office.

Organizers paid more than $23,000 in exchange for the unwanted firearms, $100 for every handgun, and $200 for rifles and assault weapons.

"The success of a gun buyback is measured one gun at a time," Speier said in a statement.

"Each gun turned in today is one less life that may be damaged or lost."

Nine Peninsula police departments took part in Satuday's buyback, including South San Francisco, San Bruno, Daly City, Pacifica, Burlingame, Colma Millbrae and Brisbane.

The exact breakdown of how many handguns long guns and assault rifles were bought by authorities will be available today. 

Burlingame: 75-Year-Old Man in Wheelchair Missing From Long Term Care Facility

Police in Burlingame are searching for a 75-year-old man who was missing from a medical care facility on Sunday.

Robert Archambault, who is confined to a manual wheelchair, was last seen Saturday at Burlingame Long Term Care at about 2:30 p.m., according to Burlingame police.

The facility is located at 1100 Trousdale Drive.

Archambault has extensive medical issues, including a missing right eye, diabetes, kidney disease and circulatory problems, police said.

His disappearance was not considered suspicious.

Archambault has gray hair, blue eyes and weighs about 150 pounds. 

Rohnert Park: 8-Year-Old Boy Struck with Baseball During Game Suffers Heart Attack

An eight-year-old boy suffered a heart attack when he was struck by a baseball during a little league game in Rohnert Park on Saturday, emergency officials said.

At about 3:35 p.m., the boy was hit in the chest while batting at Colegio Vista Park during a Rohnert Park Cal Ripken Baseball League game, according to Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.

The boy took several steps toward first base and collapsed on the field, witnesses said.

Two off-duty paramedics who were in the stands rushed to the victim and began administering CPR, officials said.

An ambulance responded and arriving medical personnel applied one defibrillation shock to the victim, who regained consciousness a short time later.

He was taken to a local hospital and later transferred to Children's Hospital in Oakland.

He is expected to survive. 

SF: Winning 'Fantasy 5' Lottery Ticket Sold at San Francisco Convenience Store

One of two winning lottery tickets that will split a $150,950 jackpot was sold at a San Francisco convenience store, lottery officials said Sunday.

A ticket sold at Ali's -- located at 325 Mason St. -- matched all five numbers in Saturday's "Fantasy 5" drawing, according to the California Lottery.

A second ticket that matched all five numbers was sold in the Southern California city of Thousand Oaks, officials said.

The winning numbers were, 11, 23, 25, 13, and eight.

Winners have 180 days from the day of the drawing to claim a cash prize. 

Palo Alto: Suspect Robs Credit Union on El Camino Real

Police in Palo Alto are searching for a man who robbed a credit union on Saturday morning.

Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a robbery at Provident Credit Union, located at 2390 El Camino Real, according to Palo Alto police.

A black man in his 40s of 50s had entered the business and handed a note demanding money to one of the tellers, police said.

The note claimed the suspect had a gun, though one was never seen, police said.

The teller complied with the robber's demands, and the suspect fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.

He was last seen running south through the parking lot.

A witness said the suspect was seen driving south on El Camino Real in a silver or gray two door sedan, possibly a Ford Thunderbird, police said.

The suspect was described as standing between 5 feet 9 and 6 feet tall with a thin build.

He was wearing a black nylon jacket with a white and gray horizontal stripe across the front, black nylon pants with a white stripe on the side, a white watch and white shoes.

He was also wearing eyeglasses, a black cap and a black backpack. 

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 50s, with northwest winds up to 30 mph in the afternoon.

A wind advisory will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today.

Mostly clear skies are likely this evening.

Lows are expected to be in the upper 40s, with northwest winds up to 30 mph.

Sunny skies are expected Tuesday morning.

Highs are likely to be around 60, with northwest winds up to 20 mph.

Check out some of our newest Blogs:

     Universal Internet Access for All San Franciscans

     Why is San Francisco So Dirty?

     SFPark – The iPhone App for Smart Parking in San Francisco

     Food Truck Rodeo Review – Off the Grid

Santa Clara Co.: Three Teen Boys Arrested in Alleged Sexual Assault of Girl Who Later Committed Suicide

Three teenage boys were arrested at school Thursday in connection with the alleged sexual assault in Saratoga last fall of a 15-year-old girl who later committed suicide, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Two of the boys were taken into custody Thursday morning at Saratoga High School, and the third was arrested at Christopher High School in Gilroy, Santa Clara County sheriff's spokesman Deputy Kurtis Stenderup said.

All three were booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.

The boys, all age 16, were each arrested on suspicion of two counts of felony sexual battery and a misdemeanor -- all related to the alleged assault, Stenderup said.

The girl, Audrie Pott, a Saratoga High School sophomore, committed suicide after learning that a photo someone took of the assault was posted online, said Robert Allard, a San Jose attorney retained by her parents, who gave permission through him to release her name.

Stenderup said the sheriff's office cannot share much about the case yet because the investigation is still open and it involves juveniles.

"Our detectives are still actively writing search warrants," Stenderup said.

"I'm told this is far from being over." Allard compared the case to a recent one in Steubenville, Ohio, where photos were circulated of an unconscious girl who was sexually assaulted by high school boys during a party.

Two boys were convicted of rape in that case in March.

He said Audrie's parents are seeking to sue about 10 people, including high school students and some parents, in connection with the assault.

Allard alleged that at least three high school boys took part in multiple sexual acts on the drunken teen while she lay unconscious in the bedroom of the home of a friend whose parents where gone for the weekend last September.

The party at the Saratoga home was attended by eight to 10 high school students who consumed hard liquor mixed with Gatorade, Allard said.

Someone took at least one photo of the unclothed girl as the alleged sexual attack took place, and the picture was shown to others, then sent by text and email and finally posted on Facebook, Allard said.

"It went viral," Allard said. "It was pervasively disseminated."

The girl decided not to inform her parents about the sexual assault, but after learning that a photo had been distributed, she posted some messages on her Facebook page, he said.

According to Allard, she wrote: "They took pictures of me. My life is ruined" and that it was "the worst day ever."

She told one friend about what occurred, and committed suicide in Los Altos eight days after the alleged assault, Allard said.

SF: Printing Company Owner, Manager Plead Guilty To Worker's Death in 2008

The owner and manager of a San Francisco printing company and the company itself all have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the death of a pregnant worker who was crushed to death by a machine on the job in 2008, prosecutors said Thursday.

Digital Pre-Press International owner and CEO Sanjay Sakhuja, 54, and pressroom manager Alick Yeung pleaded guilty in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday for the death of Margarita Mojica, a 26-year-old Oakland woman, on Jan. 29, 2008.

Mojica was crushed by a creasing and cutting machine that suddenly activated as she reached into it, prosecutors said.

Sakhuja pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and five felony counts of willful violations of California Division of Occupational Safety and Health regulations causing death or permanent injury, while Yeung pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating Cal/OSHA codes.

According to court records, workers at the company were not trained on safety procedures, including turning off the machine's power source before reaching inside to set up creasing and cutting jobs.

Prosecutors also alleged that the machine lacked required safety devices.

A guilty plea was also entered on behalf of the corporation, which will likely face a fine of between $50,000 and $150,000, prosecutors said.

Sakhuja faces up to three years in state prison and a fine of $250,000, but if he pays the corporate and personal fines before the Oct. 11 sentencing, the sentence could be reduced to one year in county jail and five years' probation, according to the district attorney's office.

Yeung is being sentenced to three years' probation, prosecutors said.

"The law should afford everyone the right to a safe working environment," District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement.

"We will not stand idly by, when corporations and their owners should be held criminally liable for fatalities at the workplace." Tony Brass, Sakhuja's defense attorney, was not immediately available for comment.

Oakland: Premeditation Is Key Issue For Man Who Killed Sister's Stalker

A prosecutor and a defense attorney agreed Thursday that Donald Britton fatally shot a man who had been stalking his sister but they strongly differed on whether he premeditated the man's death.

In her closing argument in Britton's trial on a murder charge for the death of 50-year-old Leo Dunson in the 2900 block of High Street on June 4, 2011, prosecutor Stacie Pettigrew said the slaying was "totally premeditated" because Britton's "plan was to murder" Dunson.

Pettigrew said Britton, 38, "didn't give this man (Dunson) any chance to explain himself or defend himself" when he confronted Dunson and instead simply started shooting at him. Pettigrew, who said Britton should be found guilty of first-degree murder, said Britton "was going to keep shooting until his bullets ran out or Leo was dead."

But defense attorney Kathleen Guneratne said Britton should be found not guilty because he acted in self-defense after Dunson fought with him and choked him.

Referring to Britton's testimony earlier this week, Guneratne said Britton "said the guy (Dunson) came after him and he felt his life was in danger."

Britton "didn't go there to kill the guy (Dunson)," Guneratne said.

The defense attorney said, "It's no mystery -- you know who killed Mr. Dunson but you need to figure out what was in his (Britton's) head and if his conduct was justifiable."

The key witness in the trial was Britton's sister, Chantelle Britton.

She didn't testify at Britton's preliminary hearing in early January because she hid from authorities but she was recently arrested and ordered to testify at his trial.

Chantelle Britton testified that she was afraid of Dunson because he had been following her, including the night before the fatal shooting.

She said she wanted her brother to talk with Dunson but didn't ask him to harm Dunson and didn't know he had a gun.

Chantelle Britton said she pointed out Dunson to her brother on June 4, 2011, and then walked away.

She said that when she heard gunshots a short time later she felt guilty because she had asked her brother to talk to Dunson.

Guneratne told jurors Thursday that they should be skeptical about Chantelle Britton's testimony because at one point she also was subject to prosecution for first-degree murder for pointing out Dunson to her brother.

Donald Britton remained at large until last Aug. 1, when he was arrested at his job at a Walmart store in Carson City, Nev.

SF: Police Chief Discusses Why He Abandoned Push For Tasers

Three San Francisco police chiefs have tried and three have failed. San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr on Wednesday decided to shelve a proposal to equip some of his officers with stun guns.

The chief said Thursday that although his plan was more fine-tuned than his predecessors', there was still too much opposition in the community. Suhr announced his decision at Wednesday's meeting of the Police Commission at City Hall.

The pilot program would have allowed certain officers who had undergone crisis intervention training to handle the devices, while previous San Francisco police Chiefs Heather Fong and George Gascon had pushed for their use by all officers.

"I thought I had a more practical approach," Suhr said Thursday.

He had asked for the use of Tasers last year after a deadly officer-involved shooting, saying they would provide officers with a less-lethal option when defending themselves.

The Police Department held multiple community meetings earlier this year to get recommendations on what the proposal should look like and Suhr said the restrictions that were proposed would have prevented officers from using the devices against almost any type of person.

"It's young people, it's old people, it's pregnant women, some suggested all women, people that are mentally ill, people that are in crisis, which is the exact population we're trying to not have to harm if they come at the officers.

Wet people, which I guess would rule out rainy days, near roadways, and on and on and on," Suhr said.

He said, "If you have a tool and you can't use it, why bother having it?" The chief said the Police Department is still studying other options besides stun guns.

Officers currently are able to use a shotgun that shoots beanbags and is the equivalent of "being hit by a hard fastball," Suhr said.

The chief's decision was lauded by civil rights and homeless advocate groups, including the group Coalition on Homelessness - San Francisco, which opposed the proposed use of Tasers, saying they are too dangerous and are often used unnecessarily.

"We're very excited, we think they made the right decision," said Jennifer Friedenbach, the group's executive director.

"They're going to save lives by not using Tasers." However, the San Francisco Police Officers Association is disappointed that the proposal is not going forward.

Although Suhr said he thought the Police Commission would have approved the pilot program, union vice president Martin Halloran said he thought the Police Commission pressured the chief to drop it.

"The Police Commission is pushing this on our membership," Halloran said. "It just shows that the Police Commission is out of touch."

The devices are used by nearly every major police department in the country, as well as the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, which has had Tasers since 2002.

San Leandro: Police Arrest Oakland Woman For Leaving 4-Month-Old Girl in Car While Shopping 

An Oakland woman was arrested in San Leandro Wednesday for leaving her 4-month-old girl in her car while she went shopping, police said.

Officers responded to a report of an infant left unattended in a car at the Marina Square Shopping Center in the 1200 block of Marina Boulevard at about 12:25 p.m., according to police.

When officers arrived, they found the baby sitting in a child car seat, police said.

The temperature at the time of the officers' arrival was approaching 80 degrees, according to police.

Officers searched several stores for the infant's guardian and eventually found her mother, identified as Robin Chan, shopping in a store, police said.

Chan had no logical explanation for leaving her child in the car unattended and was arrested for child neglect and transported to jail, according to police.

The baby's father responded to the scene and took custody of his daughter after medical personnel evaluated her and determined her to be OK, police said.

Richmond: Residents, City Leaders Call On Banks to Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

Like hundreds of other Richmond homeowners, Juan Sandoval owes more on his mortgage than his house is worth -- in other words, he's underwater.

Sandoval was joined Thursday by neighbors, city leaders and other community members at a news conference in front of his home on 24th Street to call on banks to reduce mortgage principals for underwater homeowners like him.

"The foreclosure crisis is far from over. I'm underwater, most of my neighbors are underwater, and many of us will lose our homes if nothing is done," he said.

"The big banks that created the housing crisis with their greedy and reckless lending practices need to do the right thing and write down the principal on these loans."

One attendee held a sign with a map of Richmond dotted with yellow points representing the homes now on their way to foreclosure, and others held posters with phrases like "Keep Richmond families in their homes."

Members of the statewide community non-profit Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment were also gathered in front of Sandoval's home and handed out a report released Thursday, "The Wall Street Wrecking Ball," detailing the effects of the foreclosure crisis on Richmond.

According to ACCE, 914 Richmond families lost their homes to foreclosure last year alone, and 230 Richmond homeowners are now on the road to foreclosure.

In addition, some 4,600 homeowners are underwater on their mortgages, according to the ACCE report.

Last year's foreclosures resulted in about $216 million in lost home value, roughly $1.4 million in falling property tax revenue and an estimated $8 million cost for local governments due to foreclosures, according to the report.

Mayor Gayle McLaughlin urged community members Thursday to stand together to demand banks to lower principal on their home loans and to stop unfair or predatory practices.

"The banks aren't going to benevolently help us -- the banks have been the cause of this wrecking ball -- it's wrecking neighborhoods, it's wrecking lives, it's wrecking our economy in Richmond," she said.

In addition to draining money from local residents and businesses, foreclosures create instability in Richmond neighborhoods, resulting in code enforcement issues and property crimes, McLaughlin said.

"It creates a situation of despair for the families who are suffering and that, too, has an expense," she said.

Brisbane: Three Residents Displaced After 2-Alarm House Fire

A two-alarm fire in the Brisbane hills displaced three residents Thursday afternoon, a North County Fire Authority spokesman said. Fire officials received a call at 2:50 p.m. reporting an explosion heard in the area of the 400 block of Sierra Point Road, spokesman Matt Lucett said. Fire crews were alerted that there was smoke and flames coming from the house and upon arrival switched to a two-alarm response, Lucett said. The blaze was in the first story of the two-story home. Two residents who had been home were able to get out safely, Lucett said. The fire has been extinguished but crews remained at the scene as of 4 p.m. The residence sustained smoke damage throughout and the first story was damaged by flames, Lucett said. Three residents living in the home have made arrangements to stay with relatives and friends. Neighboring homes were not threatened by the blaze, and no evacuations were necessary, according to Lucett. The cause is under investigation. Lucett said the explosion initially reported appears to have been associated with the fire. Brisbane police blocked traffic on the street Thursday afternoon. A resident on the block said at around 3:30 p.m. that there was black smoke emanating from a home a few doors down. The 63-year-old resident, who has lived on Sierra Point Road since 1980, said he could see smoke and that he heard firefighters knocking out windows and other parts of the building. He said there were fire crews and police cars blocking the narrow hilly street.

SF: Prosecutors, Police Call Attention To Dangers of Distracted Driving

In the wake of a recent state appellate court decision ruling that it is illegal to hold your phone while driving, San Francisco prosecutors and police Thursday called attention to the dangers of distracted driving. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said that ruling last month has "a tremendous impact" on how authorities in the city target distracted drivers. Police Cmdr. Mikail Ali said distracted driving is not only caused by cellphones, but also "combing your hair, shaving, putting on makeup ... anything that takes away your attention from operating your vehicle." Ali said, "In the roadway isn't the place to handle those issues." According to the city's Municipal Transportation Agency, about 60 percent of pedestrian traffic injuries and fatalities in San Francisco occur in crosswalks, compared to 45 percent in the entire state and 44 percent in New York City, a similarly dense urban area. San Francisco prosecutors, police and the California Highway Patrol will continue education and enforcement efforts to reduce distracted driving and the accidents it often causes. "We need to work together to reduce the mayhem that's going on on our streets," Gascon said. More information on distracted driving can be found online at www.distraction.gov

SF: Pedestrian Fatally Struck Near City College Identified

A woman who was struck and killed by a pickup truck while crossing a crosswalk in San Francisco's Sunnyside neighborhood on Wednesday evening has been identified by the medical examiner's office as 60-year-old Becky Lee. Lee, a San Francisco resident, was struck at 6:58 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Judson Avenue and Edna Street, just east of City College of San Francisco's Ocean campus, police said. She was taken to San Francisco General Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the Dodge truck, a 42-year-old woman, stopped at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said. The collision remains under investigation. The four-way intersection of Judson Avenue and Edna Street has stop signs in all directions.

Richmond: New Resource Center Opens For Local Veterans

U.S. military veterans, local leaders and supporters were warmly welcomed Thursday afternoon to a new home and resource center for local veterans in Richmond.

About three-dozen people gathered for Thursday's grand opening of the Veterans Resource Program at the roomy two-story house surrounded by a white picket fence at 934 Maine Ave.

Rhonda Harris, the program's founder and director, dedicated the new center to her father, the late Pvt. Harry L. Williams, and told attendees Thursday that the house is meant to be a place where veterans of all ages can find much-needed help and support.

"The veterans' program was born out of a desire to honor my father. It's a place where they can obtain resources for their immediate and future needs," she said.

The program will connect veterans to services through the United States and California Departments of Veteran Affairs and non-profit organizations and will provide information about employment, housing and health care resources.

Veterans who walk into the new resource center can also get help filing benefits claims forms, use computers to search for jobs, or socialize with fellow former servicemen and women.

The center is also home to four previously homeless veterans.

One of those residents, former U.S. Marine Jaime Garcia, 59, said that since moving into the house on Maine Avenue a year ago, he has been able to overcome an alcohol addiction that worsened when he lived under a freeway overpass in Oakland.

"This is like a restarting point. It allows you to reclaim your good character back again.

It gives you the time to transition from all of the negative," he said. Harris, a longtime supporter of local veterans, said that the organization, which she and resource center residents are funding, is seeking sponsors.

In addition, the new organization is now meeting monthly with city leaders, the local homeless advocacy group Shelter, Inc. and the American Legion post of El Cerrito to better meet local veterans' needs.

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Peter Gravett, secretary of the state Department of Veteran Affairs, each stressed the important role of community organizations like the Veterans Resource Program in helping veterans transition back to civilian life.

"All veterans don't need services, but for the veterans that do, we need to make sure we reach out at every level," Gravett said at Thursday's grand opening ceremony.

"They are our national treasures."

SF: Court Rejects Brown Administration Bid to Modify Order to Reduce Prison Population

A three-judge federal court has rejected a bid by Gov. Jerry Brown for modification of its order for the reduction of the number of inmates in the state's overcrowded prisons.

"The constitutional violations with respect to the provision of medical and mental health care are still ongoing," the court said in a ruling issued Thursday in San Francisco.

The 2009 order, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011, requires the state to reduce the population of its 33 adult prisons to 110,000, or 137.5 percent of planned capacity, by Dec. 31.

The prisons now house 119,400 inmates, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The panel mandated the reduction four years ago after concluding that severe overcrowding was primary cause of "woefully and constitutionally inadequate" health care in the prisons.

At the time, the prisons held 150,000 inmates, or nearly double the planned capacity of 80,000.

Much of the reduction since then has been achieved through the so-called realignment policy, in which low-level offenders are placed in county jails instead of state prisons.

Brown, arguing that conditions have now improved, asked the panel in January to lift or ease the reduction order.

But the court said Brown hadn't shown that the health care now meets constitutional standards or that there were any other circumstances to justify lifting the order.

Corrections Department spokeswoman Deborah Hoffman said the state will appeal.

Hoffman said California has invested more than $1 billion in its prison health care system and now provides "timely and effective health care to inmates that far exceeds what the Constitution requires."

The three-judge court is made up of U.S. District Judges Thelton Henderson of San Francisco and Lawrence Karlton of Sacramento and 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt of Los Angeles.

Henderson and Karlton are presiding over two long-running civil rights cases in which prisoners challenged the adequacy of medical and mental health care.

The judges noted that the Supreme Court found the 137.5 percent population cap necessary and said, "Defendants have already lost this argument, and they should not be allowed to relitigate it."

The judges said they will consider finding Brown and prison officials in contempt of court if they do not comply with the order.

They said it is up to the Brown administration to decide how to reduce the population, but suggested that officials could achieve the goal safely by expanding good-behavior credits and releasing low-risk elderly prisoners early.

The three-member court was convened under a federal law that provides that in prison civil rights cases, an order to reduce inmate population can be made only by a three-judge panel, rather than by a single judge, and only as a last resort.

Bay Area Friday Morning Weather Forecast

Sunny skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning. Highs are expected to be in the 60s, with westerly winds up to 15 mph. Mostly clear skies are likely this evening.

Lows are expected to be in the upper 40s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph. Partly cloudy skies are expected Saturday morning.

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

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

Oakland: Chinese Funding WIll Jumpstart Stalled Development Project

Funding from a Chinese real estate developer and investor will finally kickstart a long-stalled $1.5 billion development project on a 65-acre waterfront property south of Jack London Square in Oakland, Mayor Jean Quan said Wednesday.

The Signature Development Group, which is based in Oakland, obtained development rights to the former industrial site in 2001 and the Oakland City Council approved the development in 2006 despite opposition from community and environmental groups.

But the project stalled after several groups filed lawsuits seeking to stop it and the subsequent collapse of the housing market.

Quan said she believes the project will be an economic boon to Oakland because it ultimately will create 3,100 residential units, about 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and a marina with up to 200 boat slips.

Quan said it's estimated that 10,000 jobs will be created during the lengthy construction process and she said the project also calls for more than 30 acres to be set aside for waterfront parks and open space.

"We're starting to see more aggressive investments in the U.S. by the Chinese and we're hoping we'll have more Chinese investments in Oakland in the future," Quan said.

Quan, who is Chinese-American and is the first Asian-American mayor of a major American city, said she has been working to develop contacts with Chinese investors and was able to introduce the Signature Development Group to Zarsion Holdings Group, which is based in Beijing.

"To get investors from China you need to develop relationships," Quan said.

Gov. Jerry Brown, who backed the project when he was Oakland's mayor, announced the agreement at a ceremony in Beijing Wednesday with U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke and high-ranking Chinese government and business officials.

"This massive influx of Chinese investment will put thousands of Californians to work and dramatically improve Oakland's waterfront," Brown said in a statement released by his office.

He said, "This project is just one example of what's possible when business leaders in two of the world's most dynamic regions connect."

Regional: Authorities Identify Man Who Escaped Pursuit, Search in North Bay Last Friday

Law enforcement officials Wednesday are searching across several counties for a 42-year-old man who is wanted for multiple crimes, including stealing a car and leading authorities on a pursuit through the North Bay last Friday.

Dimitri Storm has been identified as the suspect who stole a GMC Acadia in Windsor on Friday and was tracked by Sonoma County sheriff's deputies to Petaluma, where the deputies tried to contact him.

Storm allegedly threatened the deputies, who tried to subdue him with a Taser but were unsuccessful.

He then fled in the SUV into the Woodacre area of Marin County and was not found despite an hours-long search.

A photo lineup shown to the deputies led to Storm being identified as the suspect, sheriff's Sgt. Michael Raasch said.

Evidence found inside a backpack in Woodacre during the search also linked Storm to crimes in Ben Lomond in Santa Cruz County, Raasch said.

Santa Cruz County sheriff's officials said crimes allegedly committed by Storm in their jurisdiction include auto burglaries in Ben Lomond between March 31 and April 2, as well as a recent robbery in the 3800 block of Chardonnay Road.

He is known to steal license plates and change the plates on a vehicle he has stolen, and may be targeting empty vacation rental houses for other crimes, according to sheriff's officials.

Storm also has recently shaved and may have changed his appearance, sheriff's officials said.

Santa Cruz County sheriff's officials have released photos of Storm and are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts or any of the cases to call the sheriff's office at (831) 471-1121.

San Mateo Co.: Coastside Fire District Directors Recalled in Special Election, Pro-Cal Fire Directors Voted In

Based on preliminary ballot returns, three fire district board members in San Mateo County were recalled in a special election Tuesday.

Coastside Fire Protection District board members Michael Alifano, Gary Riddell and Douglas Mackintosh were recalled after 63.4 percent, 63.7, and 63.2 percent voted in favor of their removal from office, respectively, county Elections Manager David Tom said.

The three of five board members had voted last year to end the district's contract for fire services with Cal Fire, after citing a failure by the state agency to fulfill the terms of its agreement.

In its place, the majority of the board decided to switch to a stand-alone fire district with no state support after the Cal Fire contract expires July 1, 2013.

Cal Fire has been providing Coastside fire services after the board voted in 2007 to contract with the state agency.

If a stand-alone Coastside fire department were to return a local fire chief would be hired, along with local staff trained to respond to the emergencies unique to San Mateo County coast, such as water and cliff rescues.

The three directors claimed that Cal Fire was not primarily focused on the San Mateo County communities, and had priorities elsewhere as a state agency, according to anti-recall campaign materials.

A grassroots campaign effort to maintain Cal Fire services resulted in Tuesday's recall election after more than 3,000 county residents signed a petition last June.

Voters on Tuesday also chose successors to replace the three recalled directors: private investigator Karen Anderson, pilot J.B. Cockrell and retired scientist Harvey Rarback.

Preliminary results showed each earned a majority vote.

The three replacement directors, along with a fourth candidate, ran together vowing to re-instate the Cal Fire contract.

Pleasant Hill: Man Gets Zapped With Stun Gun, Arrested After Fight With Fellow BART Passenger

A man was arrested on a BART train Wednesday morning after a scuffle with a fellow passenger over a seat ended with another passenger zapping him with a stun gun, police said.

BART police were dispatched to the train at the Pleasant Hill station around 7:50 a.m. after receiving reports of an altercation between two passengers in a San Francisco-bound train, Lt. John Sandoval said.

Officers learned that a 30-year-old man, identified as Zachary McCabe, had been taking up two seats on the train.

When a 62-year-old man on the train asked him to move, McCabe allegedly became aggressive with him.

A female passenger nearby intervened, using a stun gun to subdue the suspect, Sandoval said.

Officers arrived on the scene and transported McCabe to a hospital to be treated for injuries not considered life-threatening.

He was arrested on suspicion of battery on a transit passenger and booked into county jail in Martinez.

While BART police encourage passengers to report suspicious activity, "we don't recommend using stun guns on people," Sandoval said.

Anyone with further information about Wednesday morning's incident is asked to call BART police detectives at (510) 464-7040.

SF: Name of Man Crushed to Death Atop Elevator Released; Family Still Sought

A month after a transient was crushed to death in a grisly incident on top of a San Francisco train station elevator, the medical examiner's office has released the man's name and are asking for the public's help in finding his family.

The man has been identified as 42-year-old David Thomas, according to Dr. Amy Hart, San Francisco's chief medical examiner.

Thomas was found dead on the night of March 10 in an elevator shaft at the Montgomery BART and Municipal Railway station.

A man riding the elevator from the Municipal Railway level up to the concourse level at about 9:35 p.m. that night heard a crunching sound and a man yelping before the elevator stopped.

Fire crews responded, found Thomas in the elevator shaft and pronounced him dead at the scene.

Hart said that medical examiner's investigators have not determined where the man lived or found his next-of-kin to notify them of his death.

"We would certainly appreciate the public's efforts, if they're able to provide any information," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to call chief investigator Thomas McDonald at (415) 553-1695.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said Wednesday that the agency is not able to release the results of their investigation into the death until after receiving a final report from the medical examiner.

However, Trost had said the day after the incident that some personal items, including bedding, were found on top of the elevator car.

BART officials have confirmed that the ventilation entry to the elevator shaft was secure and that to get through the emergency hatch, someone would need a boost.

Trost had said investigators were looking at surveillance footage to try to determine how Thomas got into the shaft space.

Contra Costa Co.: Alleged Gang Members Charged in 2008 Pittsburgh Murder

Two alleged gang members have been charged with murder in connection with the 2008 killing of an acquaintance in Pittsburg, a Contra Costa County prosecutor said Wednesday.

Prosecutors filed murder charges this week against 34-year-old Derrick Harper and 38-year-old Joseph Bradshaw for the fatal shooting of Antioch man Jesse Saucedo, 35, on Aug. 14, 2008, according to Deputy District Attorney Mary Knox.

Both were also charged with gang enhancements and the special circumstances allegation that the killing took place during the course of a robbery.

Knox said Harper allegedly fired the shots that killed Saucedo.

Both men have histories of alleged violent crimes, and Bradshaw is currently serving a 10-year state prison sentence in connection with a robbery conviction, Knox said.

She said Pittsburg police detectives' diligence in continuing the investigation into the nearly five-year-old murder led to the charges.

"They were so dedicated to the investigation and bringing justice for Jesse Saucedo," the prosecutor said.

Harper is scheduled to appear in court in Martinez on April 17.

Regional: Oyster Farm and Citizens' Group Sue Coastal Commission in Marin County Superior Court

The Drakes Bay Oyster Co. and a citizens' group have filed two similar but separate lawsuits in Marin County Superior Court to challenge recent California Coastal Commission orders that would require the oyster farm to curtail its activities.

The two lawsuits, both filed on Friday, are not part of a federal case in which the farm at Point Reyes National Seashore is challenging a decision by U.S. Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar to close it.

In the federal case, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is due to hear arguments in San Francisco on May 14 on the company's appeal of Salazar's decision to deny it a permit extension and thereby enable the site to return to wilderness.

The court has allowed the farm to continue operating during the appeal.

One of the Superior Court lawsuits was filed by the Marin County-based Alliance for Local Sustainable Agriculture and Phyllis Faber, an alliance member who is a former Coastal Commission member.

The second was filed soon afterwards by the oyster company.

Both suits allege the orders issued by the commission on Feb. 7 "would effectively shut down the farm," even if it wins its federal case, through expensive requirements for removal of certain equipment and changes in its operations.

"The effect of the operational constraints, cultivation restrictions and other work immediately required would be so financially onerous on the family-owned farm as to cause it to cease operations," both lawsuits say.

Zachary Walton, a lawyer for the alliance, said Superior Court Judge Lynn Duryee Wednesday morning scheduled a July 9 hearing on the alliance's request for a ruling overturning the commission orders.

Walton said he was not aware of any request by the oyster farm for a similar hearing, but noted that the farm could seek to participate in the July 9 session either as a so-called "real party in interest" in the alliance lawsuit or in connection with its own lawsuit.

Richard Idell, a lawyer who filed the oyster company's Superior Court lawsuit, was out of town and not available for comment Wednesday.

Amy Trainer, the executive director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, said, "This corporation has made millions of dollars cultivating shellfish in our public waters without any coastal permits, yet thinks the coastal protection rules of California somehow do not apply to it."

The committee has participated in the federal case by filing friend-of-the-court briefs supporting Salazar's decision.

Richmond: 19-Year-Old Man Murdered While Taking Jogging Test, Vigil Planned Tonight

A 19-year-old man was killed and two other men were injured when a gunman opened fire on a group of people jogging as part of a test to join the RichmondBUILD job training program in Richmond Tuesday morning, police said.

Dimarea Young, 19, was identified by the Contra Costa County coroner's office Wednesday as the man killed when a gunman exited a car and shot him.

Two other men who were also taking part in the agility test are in stable condition after being shot in the leg, according to police.

Police were notified of the shooting by multiple 911 calls and the city's ShotSpotter system and responded to the 300 block of South 28th Street around 11:10 a.m., police Detective Nicole Abetkov said.

Young was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after police arrived. His Facebook profile page lists him as an El Cerrito High School graduate.

Young's father and other community members planned to hold a vigil at the scene of the shooting Wednesday evening to honor the teen and to call for an end to the recurrent violence plaguing Richmond, said Antwon Cloird, a local anti-violence leader.

"Enough is enough, we need peace in Richmond so we can bring jobs and resources to our people," he said.

Young's killing comes after a spate of brazen, daytime killings over the past week that have left six other people injured.

RichmondBUILD is a public-private partnership to teach low-income participants construction skills and place them in jobs, and Young's father had enlisted him and his brother to apply for a spot in the program, according to Sal Vaca, director of the city's employment and training department, which oversees RichmondBUILD.

Vaca said he did not know Young, but said the father and sons were all participating in the agility test Tuesday morning as part of the program's orientation when gunfire erupted, he said.

Vaca said the shooting is the first violence to touch the program in its six-year history.

"The program was first put in place to help our city reduce violence. We do know a number of individuals in the program have had a history with the justice system," he said.

RichmondBUILD is halting its activities for the week as staff members meet to discuss ways to protect themselves and program participants.

Grief counselors are also available to staff members this week in the wake of Tuesday's deadly shooting, Vaca said.

SF: Man Attacked At Strip Club After Slapping Phone Away From Dancer

A man was injured early Wednesday morning when he was attacked by more than a dozen men after slapping a phone away from a dancer at a strip club in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, police said.

The attack was reported at 3:09 a.m. at a club in the 700 block of O'Farrell Street.

The 47-year-old man was talking with a stripper when they got into an argument.

The woman had a phone in her hand and the man slapped it away from her, which made her scream, according to police.

The scream prompted about 15 men to show up and begin punching the man, who also had his wallet taken from him, police said. The attackers then left and have not been found.

The man who was beaten suffered scratches to his face but declined medical treatment, according to police.

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

Concord: Woman Attacked By Roommate With Hatchet

A woman was arrested Wednesday after allegedly hitting her Concord roommate in the hand with a hatchet, a police lieutenant said.

Concord police responded to the 800 block of Grenola Drive at 3:23 p.m. after receiving reports of an argument between two roommates, Lt. Darrell Graham said.

They found a victim, a 46-year-old woman, bleeding from the hand and found evidence that her roommate had attacked her with a hatchet.

Police found the woman's roommate nearby, identified as 48-year-old Tracey Neal, and arrested her on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Graham said.

The injured woman was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek with a minor to moderate injury to her hand, Graham said. Neal was booked into county jail.

Bay Area Thursday Morning Weather Forecast

Mostly cloudy skies and patchy fog are likely in the Bay Area this morning, becoming sunny later in the day. Highs are expected to be in the mid 60s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph.

Mostly clear skies are likely this evening. Lows are expected to be in the upper 40s, with westerly winds up to 20 mph.

Sunny skies are expected Friday morning. Highs are likely to be in the 60s, with westerly winds up to 15 mph.

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

SF: Town Hall Meeting Today on Police Shooting in Mission District

San Francisco police are holding a town hall meeting today to discuss a case in which two people were wounded by officers' gunfire in the city's Mission District over the weekend.

The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Cornerstone Church, located at 3459 17th St. and will be conducted by police Chief Greg Suhr.

Police said the incident started at about 2 a.m. Sunday when two groups of people got in a confrontation outside of a bar near Valencia and 17th streets.

When someone pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, witnesses went to the nearby Mission police station to report the fight, police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said.

Two responding officers saw the person aiming the firearm at a group of people and opened fire, wounding the suspect and one other person, Shyy said.

Both people were taken to San Francisco General Hospital with life-threatening injuries, although Shyy said Monday that one of the two who were shot is now expected to survive.

Police retrieved the weapon, an air-powered firearm, and have placed the two officers involved in the shooting on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, as is standard procedure.

Santa Cruz: Families of Slain Officers Express Appreciation of Support in Letters to Community

The families of two members of Santa Cruz Police Department killed in the line of duty in February released letters to the community Monday, expressing gratitude and appreciation for the support from complete strangers to well-known politicians.

Santa Cruz police Sgt. Loran "Butch" Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler were shot and killed the afternoon of Feb. 26 while following up on a report of misdemeanor sexual assault.

The gunman, 35-year-old Jeremy Goulet, was later killed in a gun battle with authorities.

More than a month since their deaths and a large memorial service held at HP Pavilion in San Jose on March 7, the Police Department Monday shared letters from the slain officers' families.

Butler's partner Peter Wu, her mother, Louise Butler, and her sister, Alexis Butler, wrote about the sadness of losing Elizabeth Butler.

"We miss her terribly," the family wrote. However, they said despite the unbearable loss, the community has stepped up.

"Yet almost every day of the past month has also included moments of awe and amazement at the love and honor paid to Elizabeth's memory," the family wrote.

The family thanked Butler's two young sons, Stellan, 2, and Joaquin, 5, for reminding the family to stay healthy during the past month of mourning and into the future.

The family also thanked other relatives, members of the Police Department including Chief Kevin Vogel, and the "hundreds of people who have sent us cards, scholarship funds, and gifts."

"We have glimpsed in the outpouring of support from the people of Santa Cruz and surrounding cities that goodness will prevail and small acts of love will redeem our aching hearts," the letter read.

The family reflected on the massive memorial that started with a procession through Santa Cruz before heading along state Highway 17 to the ceremony in San Jose.

"As we traveled through the streets of Santa Cruz, the sight of hundreds of citizens with their hands over their hearts touched us deeply," the letter stated.

Speakers at the memorial service included former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Vogel and Santa Cruz Mayor Hilary Bryant.

Regional: Student Athlete From San Jose Found Dead Thursday Was On the Cusp of Professional Volleyball Career

A star college athlete and native of San Jose who was found dead in Whittier, Calif. on Thursday planned to become a professional volleyball player in Europe and train for the Olympics, her former coach said Monday.

Alyssa Sialaris, 21, a graduate of Leigh High School in San Jose, played well enough for volleyball teams during a European tour last year to turn pro after graduating this year, said Ali Oliver, former volleyball coach at Whittier College.

"She was 100 percent planning to go to Europe to play professionally," said Oliver, who coached Sialaris on the Whittier volleyball squad from 2011 to 2012.

"She loved it." "She was an incredible person," said Oliver, who recruited Sialaris to play at Whittier in 2011.

"She was passionate for everything she did and lived life to the fullest more than anyone I ever met in my life."

Sialaris, a record setting outside hitter for the Whittier team who received national recognition in the sport last year, died in her Whittier apartment apparently of natural causes, Oliver said.

The college community, which held an evening vigil for Sialaris on Sunday, is finding it hard to accept the passing of a young woman with a vibrant personality who excelled in volleyball and track and field, Oliver said. "We've been trying to cope," Oliver said.

"She was the epitome of good health, and incredibly healthy eater, exercised like a champ. It's mind-blowing." 

"When you'd watch Alyssa on campus, it was like what they said about (NBA player) LeBron James, 'A man among boys,'" Oliver said.

"She was a beast among all these kids."

Sialaris, who also attended De Anza College in Cupertino, transferred to Whittier in 2011 and last year was selected as Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and named to the All-West Regional Team.

An expert at the spiking the ball, known as kills, Sialaris was first in the nation in kills for a few weeks last fall and broke a 20-year-old record at Whittier with 444 kills in 2012 "a kill record that I'm sure will stand for another 20 years," Oliver said.

Aside from turning pro in Europe, Sialaris had been training with Oliver in beach volleyball lately and wanted to join the Unites States' Olympics team in the sport someday, she said.

"She was nowhere near her peak of being a volleyball player," Oliver said.

Sialaris also excelled on Whittier's track and field team, in the hammer throw, discus, javelin and shot put, Oliver said.

Funeral plans are still pending, Oliver said.

Santa Clara: City Mulls Deal for Right to Develop 230 Acres Across from 49ers Stadium Project

The city of Santa Clara, seeking a new government revenue stream, wants to hear what a major high-rise builder has to say about developing 230 acres next to the planned San Francisco 49ers stadium.

The City Council is poised to bestow Irvine-based Related California with the exclusive rights to negotiate development options for the city-owned land between Tasman Drive and state Highway 237 now used by a golf course and BMX bike track.

Related California made the most of the prospect to one day build retail and housing on the acreage by putting out a statement Monday that "two potential neighbors," the 49ers and the NFL team's former quarterback Joe Montana, support their effort.

"Our vision is to create a place that blends the best living, entertainment, shopping and dining experiences from the surrounding are and across the nation," said Related California president Bill Witte in the statement.

Montana has had a development option on about eight acres next to the 230-acre site since June 2012 and would like to build a hotel and bar about a block east of the 49ers stadium project.

"Our proposed project along with the Related Company's potential development will be great additions to the North of Bayshore area," Montana said in the statement.

But Montana has yet to submit a development proposal to city officials, city spokesman Dan Beerman said.

"The city has not got a plan from the Montana group," Beerman said. "We have heard nothing from him or his group, but he still has exclusive negotiating rights on that."

Montana's one-year option on the land, for which the city required no cash deposit, is good until June and can be renewed for six months, according to Ruth Shikada, the city's economic development officer.

The council at its meeting today at City Hall is to consider Related California's bid to put up $200,000 to study building options at the 230-acre site for entertainment, retail, dining and residential uses on it.

The real estate sits across Tasman Drive in Santa Clara from the site of the 49ers' $1.2 billion stadium project where the team intends to move in 2014 after its final season at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

The land is in a section of the North Bayshore area designated for entertainment purposes, Beerman said.

"The council's been looking at what they call an entertainment district for many, many years," Beerman said.

"It kind of fulfills the council's long-term plan for that area." "It's a big deal," he said.

"There is very little land left in Silicon Valley."

Santa Cruz Co.: Baby Owls Fall from Nest, Rescue Team Responds

Three baby owls fell from their nests in Santa Cruz County Monday afternoon and Wildlife Emergency Services personnel are on the recovery mission, an organization spokeswoman said.

The WEC received a report from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter at about 1 p.m. of the three baby great horned owls having fallen out of their nest in a tall eucalyptus tree in Freedom due to the high winds, WEC President and CEO Rebecca Dmytryk said.

Nests can break apart for various reasons including wind and parents not building them strong enough, Dmytryk said.

Dmytryk said they have modified a laundry basket to create a stronger nest for the owls.

They will also check to see if the babies are healthy enough to be put back and if not, the babies will be taken to the center for treatment until they are ready to return to the wild, Dmytryk said.

At least two of the owls sound to be in good shape, she said.

It is the WEC's first call of the season for a nesting union.

Regional: Santa Rosa Woman Found Dead on Santa Barbara County Beach

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office has identified a woman who was found dead on a beach Saturday morning as 18-year-old Giselle Esme Ayala of Santa Rosa.

Ayala was a student at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where she majored in sociology, said Keith Humphrey, vice president for Student Affairs.

She graduated from Santa Rosa High School last year where she was enrolled in the ArtQuest program.

Ayala was attending the Deltopia Spring Break party in Isla Vista, an unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County near Goleta over the weekend, Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.

A jogger found her body at 8:20 a.m. Saturday in the water near the surf line west of Campus Point at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Hoover said.

The sheriff's office had asked the public to help identify the thin, 5-foot, 8-inch woman who was wearing a purple sundress over a black tank top and black lace-up boots.

Ayala's friends, who said they had not seen her since 11 p.m. Friday night, reported her missing at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Office. Sheriff's investigators then confirmed Ayala was the deceased woman found on the beach, Hoover said.

The results of an autopsy Monday are pending toxicology tests that are expected to take four to six weeks, and Ayala's death is still under investigation, Hoover said.

The Deltopia Spring Break party attracts between 15,000 and 18,000 people, Hoover said. It formerly was called Floatopia and was held on the beach, but the beaches were closed several years ago because of the rowdy behavior and the party relocated to Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista.

Isla Vista's population was 23,000 in 2010, and most of the residents are students at UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College. Humphrey and Jeffrey D. Armstrong, President of Cal Poly, expressed their condolences on behalf of the students to Ayala's family.

Grief counselors were available on campus Sunday, Humphrey said.

Regional: Kayaker Saves Livermore Family After SUV Plunges into American River

A kayaker who helped pull a Livermore family out of an SUV that crashed into the American River on Thursday after he happened upon the submerged vehicle said that any kayaker would have done the same.

Mark Divittorio heard the crash as he was finishing up his run that afternoon, and went 200 feet upstream to find the SUV on its side in the river with three young girls standing on top of it, he said Monday.

The car had careened off of U.S. Highway 50 near Kyburz, a town approximately 75 miles east of Sacramento, shortly before 3 p.m., striking a concrete mile marker, a tree and a boulder before landing in the river, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Poore said.

Divittorio told a woman on the shore to call for help, and quickly went to work, first transporting the youngest of the three girls, 4 years old, to shore with his kayak.

He then asked for help from another man on the riverbank, and the two then transported the other two girls -- twin teenagers -- back to shore, he said. However, when he looked into the front of the car, he realized saving the girls' parents was going to be much more complicated.

The girls' father's legs had becomes stuck in the mangled wreckage, and the SUV was being pushed further over by the river's current. He was hanging upside down, and his seatbelt was keeping his head above the water.

His wife was trying to keep him conscious, talking to him.

Divittorio feared that if he pulled the woman from the car, the current would only push the car further over, and if he cut the seatbelt the man would become trapped with his head underwater.

"Manipulating a body out of it would have been almost impossible," Divittorio said.

But minutes before the crash Divittorio had noticed a fire truck go by on the road, and he again called to shore, telling bystanders to call the fire department's dispatch center and tell them to send the fire truck back.

They did, and the truck returned within three minutes, and had the right equipment to pull back the vehicle, cut the seatbelt, free the man and bring him safely ashore.

The father was identified as 50-year-old Christian Lemler and he was taken to Marshall Hospital in Placerville with moderate to major injuries, but the injuries are not considered life-threatening, Poore said.

Oakland: Suspect in September 2011 Murder Appears in Court

A man appeared in court Monday on charges that he killed one man and wounded another in East Oakland in broad daylight in September 2011.

Robert Drawn, 33, is charged with murder for the death of 35-year-old Waleed Wheatfall and for allegedly wounding a second man in a shooting in a parking lot of a store in the 5700 block of Foothill Boulevard about 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2011.

But Drawn didn't enter a plea Monday because his attorney, Robert Shipway of the Alameda County Public Defender's Office, said he needs more time to review the evidence in the case. Superior Court Judge Carrie Panetta agreed to postpone Drawn's plea entry until April 22.

Oakland police Officer Robert Rosin said in a probable cause statement filed in court that Drawn, who was arrested last month, was identified as the man who shot both Wheatfall and the other victim in the case, who survived.

Rosin said the shooting was captured on a surveillance video and when police searched Drawn's vehicle, which was left at the crime scene, they found an SKS assault rifle and Drawn's DNA and other evidence connecting him to the shooting.

Burlingame: $16 Million Burlingame Avenue Improvement Project Gets Under Way

One of the Peninsula's notable shopping and dining avenues is about to get a $16 million facelift.

Construction work to renovate four central blocks of Burlingame Avenue between El Camino Real and California Drive was set to begin Monday night, Public Works Director Syed Murtuza said at a groundbreaking ceremony Monday.

The Burlingame Avenue Improvement Project, which has been in the planning phase since 2011, includes widening sidewalks from 10 to 16 feet, planting new trees, installing streetlights with hanging flower baskets, and replacing 100-year-old water and sewer lines.

According to planners, wider sidewalks will create a safer environment for pedestrians and encourage more outdoor dining, café seating, walking and landscaping.

The avenue will also be getting new benches, bike racks, trash receptacles, newspaper corrals, tree grates, and parking meters that take credit cards. Burlingame Mayor Ann Keighran called the renovation project a much-needed investment if the neighborhood expected to continue to attract people to shop and eat in downtown Burlingame, and lure new businesses and private investment.

"There haven't been any upgrades to the street since the early 1970's, Keighran said.

"This project will help ensure that Burlingame Avenue will continue to be a draw," she said. The improvement project is expected to last between 16 and 20 months and is being paid for by a combination of parking meter rates, gas taxes, investments from property owners and various grants, Keighran said.

Construction will take place 24 hours a day to expedite the project and minimize the impact on businesses along the avenue, all of which were expected to remain open during construction.

Most work on underground utilities will take place at night. Detours and narrower pedestrian walkways will be in effect during construction. Keighran said construction will at times be a "painful process," but assured residents that the end result will be well worth the time and investment.

"We are all going to have a lovely Burlingame Avenue," she said.

Regional: Today Marks 'Yom Hashoah' with Red Cross Offering Tracing Services for Holocaust Survivors

To remember the more than six million Jews and others who died in the Holocaust under the Nazi regime during World War II, Monday is recognized in the Bay Area and around the world as Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The American Red Cross is recognizing the solemn day by sharing information about services for Holocaust survivors and family members to find old friends and relatives torn apart after millions fled, went into hiding, were sent to concentration camps, or were killed or died throughout Europe.

Tracing services through the Restoring Family Link program are available to reunite families and friends, and since 1990 the Red Cross has helped more than 45,000 families search for information about long-lost connections.

The search service has since successfully reconnected 1,600 people, Red Cross officials said. In San Francisco, city resident and Holocaust survivor Gunter Ullmann was reconnected through the Red Cross tracing services with his long-lost childhood friend Elfriede Haas, Red Cross spokeswoman Elizabeth Shemaria said.

Haas' son-in-law put in a request with the Red Cross tracing program and seven years later Haas, Ullmann and his brother were connected via email.

Ullmann got the email that his childhood friend was looking for him and his brother and within two years, Ullman planned a trip with his wife and son to travel to Germany to see her.

Last May, Ullmann, who is now in his early 90s, was able to see Haas after 75 years apart during a reunion trip to Germany.

Ullmann and his family had fled Germany to Shanghai in 1938. The tracing services like those that reconnected Ullman and Haas are free, however Red Cross officials said the searches are complex and often take more than a year to provide results.

There has been information found in about 79 percent of requested searches, according to the Red Cross.

SJ: Judge: Agency Violated Law by Failing to Study Fracking Impacts on Monterery Co. Land

A U.S. judge in San Jose has ruled that a government agency violated federal law by failing to study the possible environmental risks of fracking when it sold oil development leases on 2,703 acres of public land in Monterey and Fresno counties in 2011.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal said the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's failure to consider the effects of fracking "simply did not provide the hard look at the issue" that the National Environmental Policy Act requires.

He said the bureau should have prepared a full environmental impact statement on the risks posed by chemical used in hydraulic fracturing on nearby water supplies, human health and air quality.

Grewal issued the ruling, which was posted on the court's docket on Sunday, in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club.

He did not order any immediate action, however, and instead ordered the government and the two environmental groups to confer on an appropriate remedy and submit a proposed judgment to him by April 15.

The remedy could include invalidating the 2011 leases or halting any drilling on the land until a study is prepared, Grewal wrote.

Brendan Cummings, a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the two environmental groups believe the leases should be set aside, or that at a minimum, no drilling or fracking should be allowed on the land until an analysis is completed.

He said the decision is the first time a federal court has ruled that leases were improperly sold because of a failure to study fracking impacts.

"This important decision recognizes that fracking poses new, unique risks to California's air, water and wildlife that government agencies can't ignore," said Cummings.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of injecting a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals into an underground oil or natural gas reservoir.

The operation is intended to fracture the surrounding rock and allow more oil or gas to flow into the reservoir.

The 2,703 acres leased by the bureau in 2011 are part of the Monterey Shale Formation, sometimes known as the Monterey/Santos Shale Formation, which covers 1,750 square miles in the San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles Basin.

The formation is estimated to contain more than 15 billion barrels of oil, about two-thirds of the nation's total shale oil reserve.

Advocates of fracking say it can help to meet the nation's energy needs, while opponents claim the chemicals could contaminate groundwater used as drinking water and in agriculture, pollute the air and endanger human health.

Grewal said the Bureau of Land Management erred by estimating, on the basis of past experience in central and southern California, that only one exploratory well would be drilled in the 2,703 leased acres, resulting in no significant environmental impact.

In view of recent technological advances and increases in the use of fracking, "it was unreasonable for the BLM not to at least consider reasonable projections of drilling in the area that include fracking operations," Grewal wrote.

The bureau auctioned off leases on 2,343 acres in Monterey County and two parcels totaling 240 acres in Fresno County to three energy developers for a total of $257,000 on Sept. 14, 2011.

Six days later, it sold a lease on another 120-acre parcel in Monterey County.

The two largest sales were for $180,000 to Vintage Production California LLC of Bakersfield for 200 acres in Fresno County and for $56,400 to Neil Ormond of Clovis for 2,343 acres in Monterey County.

Bay Area Tuesday Morning Weather Forecast

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

Clear skies are likely this evening, with lows in the upper 40s and northwest winds up to 20 mph. Sunny skies are expected Wednesday morning.

Highs are likely to be in the mid 60s to lower 70s, with northern winds up to 15 mph.

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

A kayaker who helped pull a Livermore family out of an SUV that crashed into the American River on Thursday after he happened upon the submerged vehicle said that any kayaker would have done the same.

Mark Divittorio heard the crash as he was finishing up his run that afternoon, and went 200 feet upstream to find the SUV on its side in the river with three young girls standing on top of it, he said today.

The car had careened off of U.S. Highway 50 near Kyburz, a town approximately 75 miles east of Sacramento, shortly before 3 p.m., striking a concrete mile marker, a tree and a boulder before landing in the river, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Poore said.

Divittorio told a woman on the shore to call for help, and quickly went to work, first transporting the youngest of the three girls, 4 years old, to shore with his kayak.

He then asked for help from another man on the riverbank, and the two then transported the other two girls -- twin teenagers -- back to shore, he said.

However, when he looked into the front of the car, he realized saving the girls' parents was going to be much more complicated.

The girls' father's legs had becomes stuck in the mangled wreckage, and the SUV was being pushed further over by the river's current.

He was hanging upside down, and his seatbelt was keeping his head above the water.

His wife was trying to keep him conscious, talking to him.

Divittorio feared that if he pulled the woman from the car, the current would only push the car further over, and if he cut the seatbelt the man would become trapped with his head underwater.

"Manipulating a body out of it would have been almost impossible," Divittorio said.

But minutes before the crash Divittorio had noticed a fire truck go by on the road, and he again called to shore, telling bystanders to call the fire department's dispatch center and tell them to send the fire truck back.

They did, and the truck returned within three minutes, and had the right equipment to pull back the vehicle, cut the seatbelt, free the man and bring him safely ashore.

The father was identified as 50-year-old Christian Lemler and he was taken to Marshall Hospital in Placerville with moderate to major injuries, but the injuries are not considered life-threatening, Poore said.

Divittorio, 42, lives in Coloma and owns a small real estate business in El Dorado County.

He said that his quick thinking and calm response to the scene was mostly due to his experience kayaking.

He said the common spirit of adventure and preparation for worst-case scenarios means that kayakers have to help each other out in tough situations.

"I believe any of my kayaker friends would have done the same thing," he said. He also has taken EMT, first aid, and CPR classes and was raised by a surgeon.

He also stressed that it was a collaborative effort, starting with the children getting themselves out of the car quickly, then with the assistance of bystanders, the efforts of the woman in the car to keep her husband conscious, and the firefighters who finally helped them out of the car.

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

SF: San Francisco Giants Receive World Series Rings

Silver and gold were added to the traditional orange and black team colors of the San Francisco Giants Sunday as the players, coaches and staff received their 2012 World Series championship rings in a pre-game ceremony at AT&T Park.

With the infield transformed into a stage, complete with orange carpet leading from the Giants' dugout to the home plate area, and following the baselines, the setting was complete with dual podiums set behind the 2012 World Series trophy, which was prominently on display in front.

The boxes bearing the rings were carried in by a group of cable car operators to the tune of "San Francisco (Open Your Golden Gate)" being played live by the Dick Bright Orchestra, and placed on tables next to several oversized light blue boxes designed to look like Tiffany's signature packaging.

Once Giants President and CEO Larry Baer and General Manager Brian Sabean-who Krukow called "the architect of the team"-were introduced, manager Bruce Bochy was called out.

"Receiving a ring that really represents what they accomplished, there's nothing like it.

Trust me, when you go out there, it's emotional; some guys had tears in their eyes," said Bochy after the game.

Donning special gold-lettered uniforms and hats, players and coaches were introduced one by one, each trotting out and receiving their ring, all to thunderous applause coming from the fans.

Several former Giants players and members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were given honorary rings; Jim Davenport, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey and Willie Mays.

The rings, made of white gold, feature the iconic interlocking "SF" logo made of 52 round diamonds, while seven more diamonds, on both sides, pay tribute to the number of Giants world series championships.

They also feature the player's name and number, along with a cable car and the team's final victorious standings in the post-season run that culminated in the winning sweep of the Detroit Tigers.

As the festivities were coming to an end, and it was time to get ready to play the game, the Giants did something unusual-for the ceremonial first pitch each player was given a ball to throw into the stands for people to catch and keep, further signifying the connection between the team and fans.

SF: Update: Two People Shot By Police in Mission District Remain in Life-Threatening Condition

Two people wounded by police gunfire in San Francisco's Mission District early Sunday morning remain hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Police released little new information about the incident, but said that one of the two people shot by police was holding an air-powered firearm at the time of the shooting, San Francisco police Officer Gordon Shyy said in an email.

"Further testing has to be done by SFPD to determine what type of projectile it discharges and if this specific weapon was in operable condition," Shyy said.

San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr will hold a community meeting about the shooting later this week, Shyy said.

The incident started at about 2 a.m., when two groups of people apparently got involved in a confrontation outside of a bar near 17th and Valencia streets, Shyy said.

When one person pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, witnesses went to a nearby police station to report the fight, Shyy said.

Two responding officers saw the individual aiming the firearm at a group of people and opened fire, wounding the suspect and one other person, Shyy said.

Both gunshot victims were transported to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries.

Investigators retrieved the suspect's air-powered firearm from the scene.

Both involved officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending a full investigation.

Oakland: Man in Critical Condition After Stabbing, No Arrests Made

A man is in critical condition after being stabbed in West Oakland Saturday morning, a police officer said.

Officers responded to a report of a stabbing in the 1700 block of San Pablo Avenue at about 2:05 a.m., Officer Kevin McDonald said.

The victim was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injuries and remains in critical condition, McDonald said.

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

Santa Rosa: Man Arrested in Connection With Child Endangerement After Hour-Long Standoff

Police in Santa Rosa Saturday arrested a man who attempted to evade police while driving with his infant son in his car Friday evening.

Eric Diaz-Pineda, 22, of Santa Rosa, was surrounded by officers while inside a home in the 900 block of Kingwood Street at about 10:10 p.m., police said.

About 45 minutes later, at 10:55 p.m., Diaz-Pineda agreed to voluntarily come out of the home and was arrested, police said.

He was booked into the Sonoma County main adult detention facility for three outstanding arrest warrants, and on suspicion of reckless evading and child endangerment, police said.

At about 6:15 p.m. Friday, an officer searching for distracted drivers as part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, observed Diaz-Pineda driving a 1998 white BMW 320i sedan talking on a cellphone near West Ninth Street.

The officer was driving a marked police vehicle when he pulled up behind the suspect vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, according to police.

Diaz-Pineda, a documented gang participant, failed to stop and sped away from the officer, police said.

The vehicle sped through residential streets and through stop signs at multiple intersections, police said.

Police said Diaz-Pineda abandoned the vehicle while it was still in motion, causing the vehicle to collide with an unoccupied vehicle in the 800 block of Coulter Street.

Diaz-Pineda left his 15-month-old infant son and his 21-year-old girlfriend inside the vehicle, police said.

The infant was properly restrained and was not injured, according to police.

Concord: Police Investigating a Shooting That Killed a Brentwood Man

Police in Concord are investigating a shooting that killed a Brentwood man Saturday night, a police lieutenant said.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of 1090 Mi Casa Court, near Monument Boulevard, at about 8:20 p.m., Lt. Steve Dyer said.

A large family party was being held when two men got into an altercation and shots were fired, Dyer said.

When officers arrived, they found Ismael Garcia Ramirez, 25, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound to the upper body, according to Dyer.

Witnesses provided information that led officers to the identification of a suspect car that was seen fleeing the scene, Dyer said.

The car was found in the 1200 block of Monument Boulevard near Victory Lane.

Officers contacted the suspect, 29-year-old Vincent Ochoa, of Concord, arrested him, and booked him on suspicion of first-degree homicide, Dyer said.

Caltrain Back to Regular Service Today Following Fuel Spill on Saturday

Caltrain service was back on schedule Sunday after a damaged train engine caused a fuel leak and disrupted trains for several hours on Saturday evening, a spokeswoman said.

The southbound train apparently struck a large piece of metal on the tracks between South San Francisco and San Bruno at about 7:30 p.m., Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said.

A tank on the engine was damaged, causing a leak of diesel fuel, Dunn said.

No one was injured.

North and southbound trains were delayed until crews cleared the northbound side for single-track service at about 10:15 p.m.

Hazardous materials crews continued to work overnight, and Caltrain was cleared for regular service, Dunn said.

At about 9:30 a.m., a southbound train broke down near the San Antonio Station at Mountain View and was taken out of service, Dunn said.

The problem was unrelated to Saturday's spill, which remains under investigation, she said.

Contra Costa Co.: Pedestrian Injured By Vehicle That Drove Onto Sidewalk Near Bay Point

A pedestrian was injured by a car that drove onto a sidewalk in the Contra Costa County community of Bay Point Sunday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The incident occurred on Alves Lane at about 12:20 p.m., CHP Eric Anderson said.

The victim was seriously injured and taken to John Muir Medical Center in Concord, Anderson said.

The driver of the vehicle was cooperating with investigators, he said.

The collision remains under investigation by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office.

Alameda: Crown Beach Shut Down After Possible Explosive Device Found Near Restrooms

A possible explosive device was found at Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda Sunday morning, East Bay Regional Park District police said.

The device was spotted by a park ranger who was doing maintenance work in the area around 10:30 a.m. near the restrooms at Shoreline Drive and Park Street, according to Lt. Jon King.

Park police officers responded and determined the suspicious item was a possible explosive device, King said. Portions of Crown Beach, Shoreline Drive and Park Street were closed during the investigation.

The Alameda County bomb squad responded to the scene and confirmed that the device was potentially explosive in nature.

The device was safely detonated in place, and no injuries or damage occurred as a result, King said.

The park and all streets have been reopened.

The incident remains under investigation.

Santa Clara Co.: Santa Clara Man Killed in Solo Motorcycle Crash on San Felipe Road

A Santa Clara man was killed in a solo motorcycle crash south of San Jose Sunday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The 31-year-old man was riding his white Honda CBR 600RR south on San Felipe Road one mile north of Metcalf Road around 12:40 p.m., according to CHP Officer Jose Morones.

For unknown reasons, the motorcycle drifted to the right on to the soft dirt and grass shoulder, and the rider was ejected, Morones said.

The man hit a tree on the right shoulder and was seriously injured.

He was taken by helicopter to Kaiser Santa Teresa hospital but died of his injuries at 3:30 p.m., Morones said.

Weather Forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area

Partly cloudy skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning.

Highs are expected to be in the upper 50s, with northwest winds up to 30 mph with gusts around 45 mph.

Mostly clear skies are likely this evening, with lows in the upper 40s and northwest winds up to 30 mph.

A wind advisory will be in effect today until 8 p.m.

Sunny skies are expected Tuesday morning.

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

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

A bicyclist was hospitalized after crashing into the back of a San Francisco Municipal Railway bus in the city's Bernal Heights neighborhood this morning, a Muni spokesman said.

The collision was reported at about 6:50 a.m. at Cortland Avenue and Bronte Street, Muni spokesman Paul Rose said.

A 24-Divisadero bus was stopped at the intersection to pick up passengers when a bicyclist rear-ended the vehicle, Rose said.

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital with forehead and lip wounds, injuries that are not considered life-threatening, Rose said.

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!

Oakland: Update: Youth Shot By Police Wasn't Involved in Robbery

An Oakland police officer responding to a report of an armed robbery near a downtown restaurant on Wednesday night shot and injured a teenager who wasn't involved in the robbery, Police Chief Howard Jordan said Thursday.

"The outcome of this incident was unfortunate for all involved and will get the review it needs," Jordan. 

Jordan said the incident began at about 9:55 p.m. Wednesday when police received a report that a female employee at the popular Le Cheval restaurant at 1007 Clay St. had been robbed at knifepoint near the eatery. 

He said the person who reported the robbery described the suspects as three black males between the ages of 22 and 26 on bicycles, and said one was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

The witness called back several times to report that he was following three males he believed to be the suspects, and that one appeared to be a teenager, the chief said.

In one call, at 10:04 p.m., the witness said the suspects appeared to be attempting to assault or rob a victim, and in another call at 10:07 p.m., he said the suspects were assaulting someone, Jordan said.

The chief said that when four officers arrived in the area shortly after the final phone call, the witness directed them to three males.

Jordan said that when the officers approached the males in the 1000 block of Jefferson Street, a block away from Le Cheval, one of the officers shot one of the youths, saying later that he had perceived a threat.

Jordan said Thursday he could not yet disclose what the threat was because details of the confrontation are still being investigated.

He said the young male was shot in the face and suffered a graze wound to his lower right jaw.

He was treated for his injuries at a hospital and has since been released.

Jordan said investigators later determined that the three young males, including the person who was shot, were not involved in the robbery near Le Cheval and were all 15 or 16 years old.

They were not armed, he said.

They were detained briefly but were then released, he said.

SF: Board Votes To Seek Sanctions Against Pilot Who Struck Bridge

A state board Thursday decided to seek the suspension or revocation of the license of the pilot of an oil tanker that struck the Bay Bridge in January.

The state's Board of Pilot Commissioners voted unanimously at a hearing in San Francisco Thursday morning to file a formal accusation against Guy Kleess and temporarily suspend his state pilot license.

Kleess was piloting the 752-foot Overseas Reymar when it struck a fender on a tower of the bridge's western span at about 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 7.

No oil spilled from the boat and no one aboard was injured.

The incident caused about $1.6 million in damage to the ship and bridge fender, according to a report released Thursday by an incident review committee for the state board.

While Kleess' license is suspended, he will not be able to operate any ships pending a legal proceeding with the state's Office of Administrative Hearings.

At Thursday's hearing, executive director of the board Allen Garfinkle briefed the commissioners on the report, which outlined the factors that led to the vessel striking the bridge.

Garfinkle called Kleess "complacent" and said he was responsible for the accident because he "relied on his past routine" rather than taking the day's conditions into account.

According to the report, Kleess relied solely on a 10-cm radar used for longer distances while passing under the bridge in conditions that included poor visibility because of fog.

The report cited his lack of situational awareness and adequate communication with personnel on the ship and authorities who control boat traffic around the bridge, concluding that he "failed to exercise the diligence which other pilots similarly situated would ordinarily have exercised."

Garfinkle played an audio recording from the vessel at Thursday's hearing in which Kleess could be heard talking on a satellite phone until shortly before the accident.

Just afterward, he could be heard on the recording saying "Oh s---."

The report includes the transcript of an interview with Kleess, who tried to turn the boat away from the bridge fender shortly before impact.

"There wasn't much time between when I decided I had to change my span to when I knew I was really in trouble," Kleess said in the interview.

"It was obvious pretty early on in the turn and certainly when I gave it a full hard to port, I knew we were."

Oakland: Off-Duty Paramedic Shot Tuesday Dies in Hospital

An off-duty paramedic who was shot while driving in the Oakland Hills on Tuesday was pronounced dead at 3:53 p.m. Thursday, police said.

Quinn Boyer, 34, had worked for Santa Clara County Ambulance for the past two years and had worked as a paramedic for a total of five years, according to company spokeswoman Monica Gomez.

Sgt. Arturo Bautista said it appears that someone in another vehicle shot Boyer shortly before noon Tuesday and that Boyer then crashed his car down a ravine in the 5200 block of Keller Avenue.

Bautista said the motive for the shooting is not yet clear, although police are looking at the possibility that it may have stemmed from a robbery attempt.

He said police haven't identified a suspect or made any arrests.

"Our hearts are heavy with emotion and we certainly want to extend our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends as they cope," a statement released by the Santa Clara County Ambulance Thursday afternoon said.

"Quinn was very well liked by all of his colleagues and was very dedicated in his role as a paramedic."

The company said it will have counselors on hand to help employees deal with the loss.

Gomez said employees at Santa Clara County Ambulance previously had to cope with the tragedy that befell another colleague, Bryan Stow, who was beaten two years ago at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles after the San Francisco Giants played the Dodgers on Opening Day.

Stow suffered brain damage and his treatment is ongoing. Oakland police said anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the homicide unit at (510) 238-3821.

Berkeley: Mayor Bates Betting on Cal Women's Basketball Team Win in Final Four

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates is betting on the University of California at Berkeley women's basketball team when they make their debut appearance in the Final Four NCAA Tournament.

The No.2-seed team left Thursday morning with a spirited send-off on campus before taking off from Oakland International Airport where airport staff surprised the team with balloons, a banner and well-wishes at the gate, airport spokesman Scott Yamasaki said.

They jetted off to New Orleans where they will play No. 5 University of Louisville in the Final Four game on Sunday.

In anticipation of a win in the team's first Final Four game, Mayor Bates has wagered a bet against Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.

Bates is betting 10 bottles of Berkeley wine that the Cal Bears can beat the Louisville Cardinals to advance to the championship game.

If Cal wins, Bates is poised to receive 10 bottles of Kentucky bourbon.

"I can already taste the bourbon now," Bates said in a statement released Thursday.

Cal advanced to its first Final Four with a 65-62 overtime victory on Monday over the University of Georgia, which upset No. 1 Stanford University last weekend.

The Golden Bears' game on Sunday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. PDT and will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Antioch: Parents of Three Autistic Children Sue Antioch District Over Alleged Abuse By Teacher

The parents of three autistic kindergarteners have sued the Antioch Unified School District, a former teacher and four administrators over alleged abuse of the children by the teacher.

The civil rights lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Wednesday.

It alleges that teacher Theresa Allen-Caulboy struck, pinched and bruised the three autistic children in her special-education class at Mno Grant Elementary School last fall and in January.

Among other allegations, the lawsuit claims Allen-Caulboy struck a 5-year-old boy identified as M.E., "repeatedly held him on the ground with her knee and forcibly gouged his face" last fall.

It alleges that on Jan. 17, she pinched another 5-year-old boy, A.S., on his nipple in an attempt to make him obey her.

Both boys began showing anxiety and significant behavior changes after entering Allen-Caulboy's class that fall, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges the teacher also used demeaning language to her students and sometimes called A.S. a "retard."

Allen-Caulboy is additionally alleged to have caused unspecified physical injuries to a 5-year-old girl, L.C., in December and "multiple bruises" in January.

The child told her mother that the teacher "had squeezed her elbow, which left a visible bruise, and pushed her down," the lawsuit says.

The alleged elbow-bruising incident occurred on Jan. 18, according to internal school district e-mails obtained by the families' lawyers.

On that same day, the district informed Allen-Caulboy in a letter that she was being placed on administrative leave during an investigation of allegations of "inappropriate and abusive interactions with and treatment of" her students.

Allen-Caulboy resigned on Feb. 13, according to another school district letter.

The letters were obtained by the families' attorneys. Antioch police Sgt. Tony Morefield said police have conducted a criminal investigation of the allegations and have now referred the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office for possible filing of charges.

"We've looked at every aspect," said Morefield, but he declined to say which suspect or incidents were referred to the district attorney.

In addition to the district and Allen-Caulboy, the defendants in the suit are school Principal Michael Green, district Special Education Director David Wax, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Keith Rogenski and Special Education Coordinator Kai Montgomery.

The lawsuit accuses the administrators of failing to report the suspected child abuse to authorities, as required by law, and trying to prevent parents from reporting their suspicions to police.

"It's their job to report," said Peter Alfert, an attorney for the families.

SJ: Man Charged in Rampages at Walmart, Gas Station

A man was charged Thursday with attempted murder and other crimes for alleged violent rampages at a Walmart store and a gas station in two separate San Jose incidents, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

The district attorney's office filed the 12-count complaint Thursday against Haamid Ade Zaid, 33, a San Jose resident, and offered new details about his rampage at the Walmart store at 777 Story Road on Easter Sunday.

Ten of the 12 counts have to do with the rampage at Walmart.

For that incident, prosecutors charged Zaid with two counts of attempted murder and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly using a metal club to bludgeon three people at the Walmart.

The complaint also lists three charges of hit-and-run, one count of reckless driving and one count of vandalism because Zaid allegedly caused more than $65,000 in damage to glass doors and windows at the Walmart, according to prosecutors.

The other two counts -- assault with a deadly weapon and felony vandalism -- stem from an incident on Dec. 16, when prosecutors said Zaid crashed into a car at the intersection of Hillsdale and Meridian avenues in San Jose and then drove through the double glass doors of a Chevron gas station store at 735 W. Capitol Expressway.

Two people were injured in that incident. 

Zaid was arraigned on all of the charges Thursday at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.

A judge denied him bail and set a plea hearing for April 10. According to the district attorney's office, Zaid's actions leading up to the crash into Walmart began at about 11 a.m. on Easter Sunday.

Witnesses reported seeing him driving a 1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass recklessly through a neighborhood in East San Jose and then others watched him drive in the Walmart parking lot, according to prosecutors.

Zaid allegedly veered around the crowded lot, barely missing some people, then rammed into a car, stopped, revved the Oldsmobile's engine, sped forward and crashed through the store's front glass doors, prosecutors said.

He then allegedly backed the car up, stopped again, drove further inside the store and finally became stuck in a tangle of shopping carts, according to the district attorney's office.

Zaid exited his car and began to swing a metal club, striking at least three people and knocking a store employee unconscious, prosecutors said.

According to a San Jose police report filed in support of the complaint, one of the victims was a store employee on his way to lunch when he witnessed the car crash into the store.

The employee told police he walked toward the smoking, wrecked car, noticed people fleeing from the store and then suffered injuries to his head and shoulder but could not remember what happened.

Napa: Man Shot By Police Officer Remains in Critical Condition

A man who was shot by a Napa police officer Tuesday remains in critical condition at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center Thursday, Napa County sheriff's Capt. Tracey Stuart said Thursday afternoon.

Pablo Ramirez, 37, who is believed to be a Napa resident, was shot once in the upper right chest by officer around 8:10 p.m. in a parking lot off Gasser Drive in Napa, Stuart said.

Ramirez was one of three men who were in a Honda that was under surveillance by the Napa Special Investigations Bureau.

The bureau's agents had information that a person in the Honda, Ramirez, had a felony warrant for his arrest for violating his probation for an assault with a deadly weapon conviction, Stuart said.

Four agents approached the car to arrest Ramirez who was seated in the front passenger seat, Stuart said.

Ramirez was shot in the chest during an altercation with one of the agents, Stuart said.

The initial report from the hospital was that Ramirez was expected to recover, but he was determined to be in critical condition, Stuart said.

Ramirez was in possession of methamphetamine at the time of the shooting, Stuart said.

The Napa police officer, who is a member of the Napa Special Investigations Bureau, was placed on paid administrative leave.

The driver of the Honda had a misdemeanor traffic warrant for his arrest and was booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections, Stuart said.

The other passenger in the Honda was released.

The Napa County Major Crimes Task Force, comprised of the Napa Police Department, Napa County Sheriff's Office, Calistoga Police Department and the Napa County District Attorney's Office, is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

SF: Season Tickets Sell Out For 49ers' Last Season at Candlestick Park

The San Francisco 49ers announced Wednesday that season tickets have sold out for the team's final year at Candlestick Park, but a limited number of single-game tickets will go on sale later this month.

The 49ers will sell some single-game tickets on April 27 at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.com.

The team is also encouraging fans to reserve seats at the 49ers' new stadium in Santa Clara, where tens of thousands of personal seat licenses have already been purchased at the 68,500-seat stadium opening in 2014.

The 49ers will also be conducting a "Farewell to Candlestick" campaign this year by celebrating the top 10 moments at the stadium, which began hosting the team's games in 1971.

Fans can vote on their top 10 moments by visiting the campaign's website at www.farewellcandlestick.com

Hayward: Man With Four Drunk Driving Convictions Charged With Murder 

A man with four felony drunken driving convictions has been charged with murder for an incident in Hayward last month in which he allegedly rammed a police cruiser and an officer who fired at the man's car killed his passenger.

Arthur Pakman, 22, of Oakley, also is accused of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, driving under the influence of alcohol and a clause alleging that he drove while his blood-alcohol content was 0.15 percent or more, well above the 0.08 percent level at which people are considered too drunk to drive.

In addition, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office alleges that Pakman has four drunken driving convictions in Contra Costa County, one in 2010 and three in 2008.

Those prior convictions could increase his state prison sentence if he's convicted. Hayward police said that at about 3:30 a.m. on March 3, a patrol officer and a civilian ride-along passenger followed a vehicle driving erratically on Foothill Boulevard.

The driver, who was later identified as Pakman, drove into the driveway of a business and stopped the vehicle, police said.

There also was a passenger who was later identified as 19-year-old Shawn Joseph Jetmore Stoddard-Nunez, who was a friend of Pakman.

When the officer got out of the patrol car, Pakman allegedly drove directly at the police vehicle in an apparent attempt to ram it, police said.

The officer fired several shots at the oncoming vehicle, which crashed into the patrol car door and caused a minor injury to Stoddard-Nunez, according to police.

Pakman then sped onto Foothill Boulevard, where additional responding officers saw him lose control of his vehicle and crash into a sign near Fletcher Boulevard, police said.

Pakman then got out of the driver's seat and ran a short distance before collapsing from injuries sustained in the crash, police said. Stoddard-Nunez suffered at least one gunshot wound and died at the scene, police said.

Prosecutors charged Pakman with murder under the provocative act doctrine, which holds that a suspect can be charged with murder if they engage in reckless or dangerous conduct that provokes a victim to shoot in self-defense, killing an innocent bystander.

Pakman, who is a student according to court records, was arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court in Hayward on Wednesday and is scheduled to return to court next Wednesday to enter a plea.

Bay Area Friday Morning Weather Forecast

Mostly cloudy skies are likely in the Bay Area this morning. Highs are expected to be in the upper 50s, with westerly winds up to 10 mph.

Mostly cloudy skies are likely this evening, with lows around 50 and westerly winds up to 15 mph. Mostly cloudy skies are expected Saturday morning, with a slight chance of showers.

Highs are likely to be around 60, with southwest winds up to 10 mph.

Check out some of our most popular blogs:

     We Built a Stronger SF Economy on Smart Government Investments

     The BART That Could Have Been

     Run For Your Life! (For Fun)

     Love Muni, Hate Muni or Somewhere in Between? Let the SFMTA Know!