San Francisco Bay Area Thursday Midday News Roundup

11-Year-Old Boy Shot While Sleeping Early This Morning

An 11-year-old boy is recovering at a hospital after being shot while sleeping inside his East Oakland home early this morning.

The shooting was reported in the 200 block of Makin Road at 12:59
a.m., Officer Johnna Watson said.

Emergency responders arrived to find the boy, Luis Duenas
Hernandez, a sixth-grader at the Alliance Academy middle school in Oakland,
suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

He was taken to Oakland Children's Hospital, and Watson said
around 8:30 a.m. today that he was in stable condition.

The victim's brother, 16-year-old Francisco Duenas, said there
were nine people in the house at the time of the shooting, and that he and
his uncle were still up when the shots were fired.

He said he was just dozing off when he heard what he thought were
fireworks, and was then jarred awake by his uncle holding him down to protect
him from the gunfire.

Duenas said that after the gunfire ceased, he began checking on
his family members and realized that his little brother had been shot.

"He had blood all over him and was screaming," Duenas said. "He
couldn't stand up, and I had to carry him."

He said his brother was complaining of pain to his stomach and
chest.

Duenas said Luis had been shot twice -- including in the lung --
and has since undergone several surgeries. He said it appears the doctors
will not try to remove the bullets.

The bullets that hit Luis appeared to have traveled through two
walls and a door and struck the boy as he slept on the lower level of a bunk
bed in the back of the home. Bullet holes could be seen on the exterior of
the blue one-story house this morning.

No one else was injured in the shooting. Duenas said the home's
occupants include his parents, grandmother, siblings and two uncles.

The family's home was the only one hit by the gunfire. Duenas said
he can't imagine why anyone would target the family because he said they get
along with everyone.

"We're a cool family, we like to chill," he said. "When we barbecue, we share our food with neighbors, and when we throw parties we invite everyone over."

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

Crash That Sparked Gas Fire Was A Complete Accident

A driver who crashed into a pump at a gas station in Martinez and
ignited a dramatic blaze Wednesday night will not be cited or charged, a
police lieutenant said today.

Around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday, a 32-year-old Pleasant Hill man drove
into the Flex Oil Gas station at the corner of Alhambra Avenue and Virginia
Hills Drive, according to police.

While backing up toward a gas pump, the driver accidentally hit
the gas petal instead of the brake and struck the pump, Martinez police Lt.
Jon Sylvia said.

The crash sparked a blaze that totaled two cars and damaged a
third.

Lynn Laybourne, a Walnut Creek woman who was filling up her tank
at the gas station when the fire broke out, said a car exploded behind her
before a gas station worker turned off gas to the other tanks.

"I realized something was going to happen and was going to pull
the nozzle out, but I heard people yelling 'Run!' so I ran," she said.

No one was injured in the fire, and all of the drivers involved
were insured, police said. The driver who caused the fire, whose name has not
been released, is not suspected of being under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, Sylvia said.

"It was a complete accident," he said.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the one-alarm blaze in about 20
minutes, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

President Obama To Visit Bay Area Next Month

President Barack Obama is returning to San Francisco for another
fundraising trip next month -- his fourth trip to the Bay Area since May,
campaign officials announced today.

Obama will be coming to San Francisco on Oct. 8 after visiting Los
Angeles the previous day.

The president's last trip to the region was in July when he made a
handful of appearances in the East Bay, including at a large rally at the Fox
Theater in Oakland.

Space Shuttle Endeavor To Fly Over Bay Area Early Friday Morning

The Space Shuttle Endeavor is scheduled to make a
once-in-a-lifetime flight over the Bay Area on Friday morning.

The shuttle, which will piggyback on a specially modified Boeing
747, is set to make a low-altitude pass over an area near the Golden Gate Bridge at approximately 8:30 a.m., creating an epic moment for the thousands of space enthusiasts, photographers and others expected to come out to watch.

The shuttle will be on its final flight as it heads south to Los
Angeles, where it will be placed on permanent display at the California
Science Center.

By about 9:30 a.m., the Endeavor is scheduled make a pass as low
as 1,500 feet above the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field in
Mountain View.

Bay Area residents are invited to view the passage at Moffett
Field. The gates will open to the public at 6 a.m. to accommodate early
arrivals, and Ames officials expect as many as 8,000 spectators to show up to
the free event.

For those who can't make it out, Ames plans to webcast the flyover
online at www.ustream.tv/user/nasaames.

The Chabot Space and Science Center in the Oakland hills offers a
"breathtaking vantage point" from which to take in the Endeavor's flyover,
center officials said.

Chabot will open its doors at 8 a.m. for a viewing party and
various space shuttle-related activities.

Admission tickets can be purchased online at www.chabotspace.org.
The exact timing and path of the ferry flight depend on weather
conditions and operational constraints, according to NASA.

If the flight is postponed for any reason, additional information
will be posted on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nasaames.

"Best In The West" SWAT Teams Competition In San Jose Kicksoff Today

SWAT teams from up and down the West Coast are in San Jose today
taking part in a competition to determine who is "Best in the West."

The two-day competition, which started with an opening ceremony
this morning, includes about 30 teams that will negotiate seven different
courses.

The courses test physical fitness, tactics, proficiency with
weapons and teamwork, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office,
which is hosting the event.

In addition to building camaraderie between the various SWAT
teams, the competition allows the law enforcement agencies to share
techniques and improve their skills, according to the sheriff's office.

The event, which is taking place at the sheriff's range in San
Jose, is closed to the public because of safety and liability concerns.

Public Safety Officials Convene For Public Forum In East San Jose

A host of San Jose's top city officials joined Councilwoman Rose
Herrera at an East San Jose church on Wednesday night for a community forum
to discuss public safety.

Police Chief Chris Moore, Fire Chief William McDonald, Independent
Police Auditor LaDoris Cordell, and Mario Maciel, a parks and recreation
superintendent and key member of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force, sat
with Herrera before a crowd of about 40 residents at the Most Holy Trinity
Church at 2040 Nassau Drive.

The meeting lasted from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Residents submitted
their questions in writing, and the topics varied widely.

Some residents asked why they had been hearing helicopters flying
over the Evergreen neighborhood lately.

Moore said, "They're probably not ours, they don't get a lot of
air time," but noted that police would use helicopters when searching for
missing persons or in the case of a crime "event" in the area.

Another resident asked if there would be an increase of police
patrols in the areas that have been most affected by recent surges in violent
crime.

Moore answered that the Police Department had been deploying extra
officers to patrol the city's crime hotspots since a surge of crimes occurred
in August, when there were nine homicides. So far in 2012, there have been 33
homicides total.

Although the department's elevated patrol effort is only a
temporary solution, Moore noted, the city has the funds to continue the
effort through the fiscal year.

Another resident asked why large fire trucks often accompany
ambulances on emergency calls that do not involve fire.

McDonald answered that while private companies that are contracted
by the city dispatch ambulances, the fire department sends out a fire truck
staffed with at least one specially trained medical professional to assure
quick response time to each call.

Herrera said she organized the forum because her office had been
receiving calls and emails from residents concerned about the August crime
surge and news that the police department is understaffed.

Herrera said she holds neighborhood forums once a quarter to
connect with residents and address their concerns.

Police Seeking Woman Who Struck Bicyclist Then Fled

Police are trying to locate a woman who struck a bicyclist near a
U.S. Highway 101 off-ramp in Petaluma this morning and then fled the scene.

The collision was reported at 6:47 a.m. at the off-ramp from
northbound Highway 101 to East Washington Street.

A 68-year-old man was walking his bicycle in a crosswalk on a
green light when a car turning right from the off-ramp struck the bike and
knocked him to the ground, police said.

The man told police that the driver of the car got out and offered
him $60. When he said he was injured and that she needed to wait, she
allegedly said, "I have to get to my sisters," then got back in her car and
fled east on East Washington Street, according to police.

The man suffered minor injuries and there was moderate damage to
his bicycle, police said.

The suspect is described as a white woman in her late 40s or early
50s with brown hair, wearing a brown sweater and light blue pants. Her car is
described as a green, newer-model Volvo sedan with a license plate ending in
661 or 663, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Petaluma
police Officer Bert Walker at (707) 778-4455 and reference report number
12-4349.

Man Beaten During Home Invasion Robbery In Hunters Point

A man was hospitalized after being beaten during a home invasion
robbery in San Francisco's Hunters Point neighborhood on Wednesday night,
police said today.

The robbery was reported around 8:25 p.m. in the 100 block of
Kiska Road.

When the 20-year-old victim answered a knock at his door, a group
of suspects forced their way in and began punching him in the face and body,
according to police.

The suspects went through the victim's pockets and stole his
cellphone and cash. They also ransacked the house before fleeing, police
said.

The victim was taken to San Francisco General Hospital to be treated for a cut to his eye and other injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

The suspects, described as four men in their 20s -- two of whom
were wearing ski masks -- had not been found as of this morning.

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.

Man Arrested For Hit And Run Crash That Injured Driver

A man was arrested in connection with a felony hit-and-run crash
in Pleasant Hill on Wednesday night that left a driver injured and trapped
inside an overturned car, police said today.

Officers responded around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday to a crash in which
a Subaru Outback overturned near the intersection of Paso Nogal Road and
Norse Drive, police said.

Emergency responders arrived to find the Subaru's driver stuck
inside the car. The driver was freed and taken to a hospital to be treated
for cuts and possible internal injuries, police said.

Police determined that a red Pontiac Fiero had also been involved
in the crash but was no longer at the scene.

Later Wednesday night, officers located a car matching that
description on Center Avenue in Martinez.

A short time later, officers tracked down the car's driver,
identified as 54-year-old Rockwood Sizemore, of Martinez, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and booked into
county jail.

Any witnesses to the crash are asked to contact Pleasant Hill
police at (925) 288-4630.

Police Look For Suspicious Man Who Approached Students Near School

Police are attempting to locate a man who pestered students near
Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School in Moraga twice over the past two weeks.

Around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, a man driving on Camino Pablo
contacted a male student walking in front of the school and asked if he
needed a ride home, police said.

The student said no, and the man drove off toward Canyon Road.

Police said the same driver had been spotted in the area about two
weeks ago asking another student if he wanted a ride home.

The suspect is described as a clean-shaven, college-age white man
driving a brown pickup truck with a camper shell, according to police.

Anyone who sees the suspect vehicle is asked to call Moraga police
at (925) 284-5010.