<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>
	<title><![CDATA[Regional News ]]></title>
	<copyright>Copyright 2012 Copyright © 2011  Los Angeles Wave.  All rights reserved. </copyright>
	<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional</link>
	 			<description><![CDATA[ ]]></description>
		<language>en-us</language>
	<pubDate>Wed, 8 Feb 2012 22:08:59 PST</pubDate>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 8 Feb 2012 22:08:59 PST</lastBuildDate>
			<generator>Broadcast Interactive Media</generator>




		
			
				
			
			
				
		                      	
			
				
				
			
				
					
				
							
		
	
			
	
	
									
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Former ally accuses Ward Connerly of financial mismanagement]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Ward-Connerly-faces--137605963.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">137605963</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:15:41 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/Ward_Connerly_660.jpg" length="258721" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

Ward Connerly, a businessman and former UC regent, is facing accusations that he mismanaged donations to the anti-affirmative action cause made by fellow conservatives.


The New York Times reported that the American Civil Rights Institute, a Sacramento group founded by Connerly that promotes race- and gender-neutral policies, is under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and by the attorney general of California.

Jennifer Gratz, a former employee of Connerly's who resigned last September, in a letter suggested that his salary may have been enriched by mismanagement.

&quot;For years, Ms. Gratz was aware of the allegations that Mr. Connerly  received excessive compensation,&rdquo; it said. &ldquo;She presumed that the issue  was politically motivated and raised solely by opponents of the  organization&rsquo;s mission. It has come to her attention, however, that  there may be some merit to the allegations of financial impropriety.&quot;

Connerly told The Times that &quot;90 percent&quot; of the letter was false.

Photo: Ward Connerly. Credit: via Wikimedia Commons.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


		 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
	 				
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

			



				
	
	


									

																											
						
		
		


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

							
																											
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[High-speed rail to travel through Antelope Valley, not Grapevine]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/High-speed-rail-to-travel-through-Antelope-Valley-not-Grapevine-137265833.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">137265833</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:42:48 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



				
	
	


									

																		



															<enclosure url="http://cdn.bimfs.com/WAVE/955ad92464d9def9670c45d89fc1ecd4fbf574d8.jpg" length="false" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																						<video>http://cdn.bimfs.com/WAVE/955ad92464d9def9670c45d89fc1ecd4fbf574d8_fl9.mp4</video>
																		                                                                        <description><![CDATA[The California High Speed Rail Authority board announced Thursday that a Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed train would run north to Bakersfield through the Antelope Valley cities of Palmdale and Lancaster, and not along an alternate proposed route near the Grapevine.

The unanimous decision by the eight-member board is a victory for Antelope Valley cities, whose leaders have argued that a route along the Golden State (5) Freeway would devastate the Antelope Valley economy and businesses, which have made significant investments based on the Rail Authority's 2005 selected route through the valley.

Thursday's board meeting in Los Angeles also saw a major shake-up of staff at the authority, which has struggled to defend the rail project amid growing criticism about the $98.5 billion price tag and construction strategy.

Rail Authority CEO Roelof van Ark announced he would resign in 60 days, and board Chair Thomas Umberg announced he would step down from his leadership position on the board after an election next month to choose a new chair. Umberg cited a lack of time for the chair duties.

"We've come quite a distance and we still have quite a distance to go," Umberg said. "The chairmanship is really a full time job, it requires daily attention, if not hourly attention."

Umberg nominated board member Dan Richard to be the new president.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, welcomed the board change, which she attributed to Gov. Jerry Brown. 

"I want to welcome this new infusion of talent willing to take on this unprecedented project," Lowenthal said.

Palmdale City Councilman Steve Hofbauer called the board's selection of the Antelope Valley alignment "absolutely huge."

Hofbauer said the decision will give commercial and industrial businesses the reassurance they need to ramp up investments near a new multi- modal transit hub in Palmdale. DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC is considering whether to extend its planned high-speed rail from Las Vegas to Victorville into Palmdale.

The decision also gives the city leverage in negotiations with Los Angeles World Airports to lease land for a regional airport in the area, Hofbauer said.

"It's like opening up the 14 freeway. It's the next big connection," he said.

A study of the Grapevine route concluded that the Antelope Valley corridor would have fewer environmental impact and higher ridership, according to the CHSRA staff.

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, whose district includes part of the Antelope Valley, applauded the decision, saying it will create a "vital transportation crossroads for the southern portion of the state."

Antonovich, who is also serves on the board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is pushing for upgrades to the Metrolink and Amtrak rail lines that would allow trains to travel at 110 mph. Antonovich and others argue the upgrade would enable  a connection to the 130-mile first phase of the high speed rail system in the Central Valley and reach Los Angeles faster than building a whole new set of tracks.

"This hybrid system can be built using less money, in less time, and with greater benefits for the 60 percent of Californians who reside in the state's southern counties," Antonovich said.

The recommendation comes as the overall viability of the rail project is in question. After a November report found the price tag had more than doubled to $98.5 billion, an independent state review panel opined last week that the project "is not financially feasible." The panel recommended against the state issuing bonds to pay for the project. The project currently has about $13 billion in commitments from a 2008 state ballot initiative and federal funding.

"The project is on schedule," Rail Authority Press Secretary Rachel Wall said. "We are on schedule to start construction in September 2012 in Fresno."

A handful of union construction workers held a news conference before the Rail Authority's board meeting call for expediting the project.

Mark Kyle, director of government affairs for Operating Engineers Local 3 said concerns about the price tag for the project are overblown. 

"We're not talking about spending $98 billion today or the next year, two or three years. We're talking about spending it over 20, 25, 30 years," Kyle said. "We're going to have 50 million people here here (in California) in 20 years. We can either have an F-grade transportation system and all be stuck in gridlock, or we can move forward with a green alternative."]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Suspect in soldier's shooting pleads not guilty]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Suspect-in-soldiers-shooting-pleads-not-guilty-136413028.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">136413028</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:39:21 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/jurado_ruben.jpg" length="103592" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

SAN BERNARDINO (CNN) &mdash; A  man accused of shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier at a  homecoming party pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment  Thursday.

Ruben Jurado, 19, faces a charge of attempted murder in  the shooting of Army Spc. Christopher Sullivan on Friday night at a  homecoming party in Sullivan's native San Bernardino.

Jurado  also faces four &quot;special allegations involving premeditation and the  use and discharge of a firearm, causing great bodily injury,&quot; said  Christopher Lee, spokesman for the San Bernardino County District  Attorney's Office.

&quot;Special allegations&quot; can add to a convict's sentence in California.

Jurado  entered court Thursday in an orange jail jumpsuit, with his hands and  ankles shackled. The arraignment lasted only a few minutes.

Three of Sullivan's relatives attended.

The next court date is scheduled for January 9.

The  defense team expects to receive &quot;initial discovery of police reports  and any other evidence that the district attorney has,&quot; defense attorney  Michael Holmes said Wednesday. He noted that the court &quot;allows video  arraignment&quot; but said Jurado &quot;wanted to be present in court during the  entire process.&quot;

The party in Sullivan's honor was to celebrate  his recent return to California from Kentucky, where he was stationed  while recovering from wounds sustained in a suicide bombing a year ago  in Afghanistan. That bombing killed five members of his unit and left  him with a cracked collarbone and brain damage, according to the San  Bernardino County Sun. Sullivan received the Purple Heart.

At the  party, Sullivan was shot twice after an argument and physical  confrontation with Jurado, who fled the scene, according to police and  witnesses.

The fight broke out after Jurado and Sullivan's  younger brother began arguing about football, the brothers' mother,  Suzanne Sullivan, said.

Jurado turned himself in to authorities in Chino Hills on Monday afternoon, said Lt. Gwendolyn Waters.

Suzanne Sullivan said her family is having a difficult time coming to terms with what happened.

&quot;He  once told me that if defending this country takes his life, so be it,&quot;  she said. &quot;But to see he survived that, and now for this to happen to  him, just breaks my heart.&quot;

CNN's Stan Wilson, Stella Chan, Adam Blaker, Carey Bodenheimer, and Josh Levs contributed to this report.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Suspect in soldier shooting surrenders to authorities]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Police-hunt-man-who-shot-recovering-soldier-at-homecoming-party--136231563.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">136231563</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:11:17 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S0098187291.jpg" length="26161" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

SAN BERNARDINO &mdash; A man accused of shooting and paralyzing a U.S. Army soldier at a homecoming party in his honor surrendered to authorities in California on Monday.

Christopher Sullivan, 22, had just returned home to California from Kentucky, where he was stationed while recovering from injuries sustained during a suicide bombing attack in December 2010 while he was in Afghanistan. The San Bernardino County Sun reported that the Army specialist narrowly survived the attack, which killed five members of his unit and left Sullivan with a cracked collar bone and brain damage. Sullivan was awarded the Purple Heart after the incident.

He was shot at the party in his honor on Friday after an &quot;argument and physical confrontation&quot; with 19-year-old Ruben Ray Jurado, San Bernardino Police Department Sgt. Pete Higgins told CNN.

Accompanied by an attorney, Jurado turned himself in to authorities in Chino Hills early Monday afternoon, said Lt. Gwendolyn Waters. He was then transferred to the custody of San Bernardino police and was to be booked into jail, she said.

Jurado is wanted on charges of attempted murder, police said.

The fight broke out after Jurado and Sullivan's younger brother began arguing about football, his mother, Suzanne Sullivan, told CNN.

He &quot;pulled out a gun and shot him twice,&quot; she said.

Higgins said Jurado fled the scene after the shooting.

Sullivan was rushed to a hospital, where he was being treated, officials said.

&quot;Right now, my son is hanging in physically,&quot; Suzanne Sullivan told CNN. &quot;He's on 100 percent life support. He can move his head and he responds through nodding and blinking to us. His eyes aren't always open, but we try to encourage him to do so as often as possible.&quot;

She said her son tried to ask what happened to him at the hospital and when they told him he wanted to know &quot;Why?&quot;

&quot;We told him what it was about and he just closed his eyes,&quot; Suzanne Sullivan told CNN.

She said she was told that the suspect and her son might have gone to school and played football together. She also said she couldn't believe what had happened to her son, who she said joined the Army to try and help her out.

&quot;He's a wonderful son. ... the best person you could meet on this Earth,&quot; she said. &quot;He's a giver, not a taker, and just wants to be there for and help people. He was so happy when he joined the Army, because he really wanted to defend his country.&quot;

The mother and her family have been at her son's hospital bedside. A fellow soldier from Christopher Sullivan's 101st Airborne Division brought the infantry's flag to the hospital, Suzanne Sullivan told CNN.

&quot;He loved his platoon. He loved his fellow soldiers,&quot; she said as she began to sob. &quot;He was so proud to serve our country.&quot;

Tears rolled down Christopher Sullivan's face when he saw the flag of the Screaming Eagles, the nickname for the division, his mother said.

&quot;I asked Chris if he wanted to me to hang it on the wall or cover him in it,&quot; Suzanne Sullivan said. &quot;He nodded that he wanted me to cover him with it. Once I did that he started to cry, which made me start to cry. It's been really hard on all of us.&quot;

She said she was distraught over the news that her son, who was already recovering from injuries sustained during his tour abroad, had returned to the United States only to be paralyzed during a party.

&quot;He once told me that if defending this country takes his life, so be it,&quot; she said. &quot;But to see he survived that, and now for this to happen to him, just breaks my heart.&quot;

Suzanne Sullivan said her family is having a difficult time coming to terms with what happened.

&quot;We just want justice to be done,&quot; she said.
]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Occupy protesters disrupt West Coast ports ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Occupy-protesters-disrupt-West-Coast-ports--135459933.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">135459933</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:30:07 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S009623815.jpg" length="63363" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Protesters chanting, &quot;Whose  port? Our port!&quot; protested at West Coast ports on Monday, temporarily  shutting down some of the facilities in a protest against what they  called corporate greed.

The protesters, affiliated with the  nationwide &quot;Occupy&quot; movement, set out in the pre-dawn hours in Oakland,  California; Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, to shut down ports in an  effort to &quot;disrupt the economic machine that benefits the wealthiest  individuals and corporations,&quot; according to organizers.

Long Beach  police arrested two people during the demonstration there, police Chief  Jim McDonnell said. Port operations were not significantly impacted  beyond some traffic delays, he said.

A spokesman for the port in  Portland, Oregon, said the protests had partially shut down the port  there. In Oakland, the port said in a statement that operations were  continuing &quot;with sporadic disruptions for truckers trying to enter and  exit marine terminal gates.&quot;

About 80 protesters demonstrated  outside the gate of San Diego's port, but caused no disruption because,  port spokesman Ron Powell said.

&quot;They were there at a time when we really didn't have a lot of truck traffic coming in and out,&quot; he said.

Four  people who sat down in the road were arrested he said. San Diego police  did not immediately return a telephone call seeking information on the  arrests.

Protesters were planning a second occupation of the  Oakland port Monday afternoon. Protesters in Seattle also were preparing  to protest at the port there, according to organizing websites and  posts on Twitter.

In addition to the West Coast port blockades,  protesters also were planning to demonstrate at the port in Houston,  while demonstrators in Salt Lake City and Denver were planning to  disrupt operations of Walmart distribution facilities. About 40 to 50  people protested at the Denver facility, CNN affiliate KCNC reported.

The  demonstrations were part of a nationwide day of protest called in the  aftermath of efforts by cities across the country, including New York,  Boston and Oakland, to clear demonstrators from encampments they had set  up in public parks and other locations.

&quot;We are occupying the  ports as part of a day of action, boycott and march for full  legalization and good jobs for all to draw attention to and protest the  criminal system of concentrated wealth that depends on local and global  exploitation of working people, and the denial of workers' rights to  organize for decent pay, working conditions and benefits, in disregard  for the environment and the health and safety of surrounding  communities,&quot; organizers said on their website.

The port  protesters are focusing on terminals owned by SSA Marine, saying it is  owed by the Goldman Sachs investment firm, which they argue exemplifies  corporate greed and is anti-union.

SSA Senior Vice President Bob  Watters disputed the protesters' claims, saying Goldman Sachs owns less  than 3% of an investment fund that has a minority stake in the company.  He also said the company is the largest employer of International  Longshore and Warehouse Union members on the West Coast.

That union, which represents 15,000 dock workers, has distanced itself from the effort.

In  a letter to members sent last month, union president Robert McEllrath  said the organization shares Occupy protesters concerns about what they  consider corporate abuses, but he said the union was not sanctioning any  shutdown.

Protest organizers said on their website that they were  acting independent of organized labor only because the unions are  &quot;constrained under reactionary, anti-union federal legislation.&quot;

Some port workers are also against the planned blockade.

&quot;I'm  just barely getting on my feet again after two years, and now I gotta  go a day without pay while somebody else has something to say that I'm  not really sure is relevant to the cause,&quot; trucker Chuck Baca told CNN  affiliate KGO.

Port officials say shutting down their facilities will only cost workers and their communities wages and tax revenue.

&quot;Protesters  wanted to send a message to the 1% but they are impacting the 99%,&quot;  said Portland port spokesman Josh Thomas. The stoppage is resulting in  &quot;lost shifts, lost wages and delays,&quot; he said.

Port of San Diego  board chairman Scott Peters issued an open letter to the community on  Sunday asking that protesters not disrupt work.

&quot;The Port of San  Diego is made up of working people with families who serve the public  each day by helping to bring in goods that are important to the people  of the San Diego region,&quot; Peters wrote.

&quot;They are the 99 percent,  the gardeners, the maintenance workers, the dock workers, the Harbor  Police officers, the office workers, the environmental workers -- all  working to improve the quality of life in San Diego Bay and on its  surrounding lands,&quot; he said. &quot;It is these people who would be hurt by a  blockade of our Port.&quot;

CNN's Amanda Watts, Shawn Nottingham and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			







						
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Police: Burglar sexually assaulted woman while husband slept next to her]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Police-Burglar-sexually-assaulted-woman-while-husband-slept-next-to-her-133113963.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">133113963</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 2 Nov 2011 14:24:02 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	







																														                                                                        <description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A 35-year-old Huntington Beach man was charged Wednesday with breaking into a home on Halloween night and sexually assaulting a woman in her bed as her husband slept next to her.

Bail was set at $1 million for Christopher David Schwanke, Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Nichols said. His arraignment was rescheduled for Nov. 18.

Schwanke could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of sexual penetration by a foreign object by force, sexual penetration by foreign object of an unconscious victim and first-degree residential burglary, Nichols said.

He also faces sentence-enhancing allegations of committing a sex offense during a burglary, having a non-accomplice present during a residential burglary and having two prior prison convictions for petty theft and possession of methamphetamine, according to Nichols.

Schwanke, who does not know the couple, showed up uninvited when they had a backyard party about two weeks ago at their home in the 9000 block of Pacific Avenue in unincorporated Anaheim, according to Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Schwanke was acting bizarrely during the party so the victim's husband asked him to leave, but before he left he dropped his pants and exposed himself, according to Amormino.

The couple did not alert authorities on that occasion, he said. They saw him again about 7:30 p.m. Monday in front of their home as they were giving out candy to children, so they went to talk to him, the spokesman said.

About 11 p.m., a half-hour after the couple had turned in for the night, Schwanke allegedly broke into the home through a locked back door and used his finger to sexually assault the woman in her bed, according to Amormino.

At first the woman thought her husband was touching her, but she quickly realized he was asleep and spotted Schwanke trying to hide by the side of the bed, Amormino said.

The husband and Schwanke scuffled until the resident was able to restrain the suspect, he said. The victim, meanwhile, called the sheriff's department.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[PETA likens killer whales to slaves in SeaWorld suit]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/PETA-likens-killer-whales-to-slaves-in-SeaWorld-suit-132662843.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">132662843</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:36:52 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/Killer+whales470.jpg" length="40566" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to extend constitutional rights to captive whales on grounds that performers such as SeaWorld&rsquo;s Shamu are essentially slaves.

&ldquo;While it may seem revolutionary, our lawsuit is based on the plain text of the 13th Amendment, which outlaws the condition of slavery,&rdquo; PETA&rsquo;s Jeffrey Kerr said at a Los Angeles news conference.

The lawsuit &mdash; the first seeking to apply the 13th Amendment to animals &mdash; names the five orcas as plaintiffs and demands their release.

SeaWorld released a statement Tuesday calling the lawsuit &mdash; which was filed in federal court in San Diego &mdash; a &ldquo;baseless&rdquo; publicity stunt and offensive to those the amendment was written to protect.

&ldquo;SeaWorld has been informed that it is the target of an animal activist lawsuit challenging the public right to enjoy and learn more about marine mammals,&rdquo; officials with the marine park stated. &ldquo;This effort to extend the 13th Amendment&rsquo;s solemn protections beyond human beings is baseless and in many ways offensive.&rdquo;

Park officials also insisted that SeaWorld is one of the world&rsquo;s most respected zoological institutions, and the animals&rsquo; welfare is a top priority.

But Kerr said the law banning slavery needs to be clarified and extended to the whales.

&ldquo;PETA seeks to extend the prohibition against slavery to include orcas captured in the wild,&rdquo; Kerr said.

&ldquo;All five of these orcas were violently seized from the ocean and taken from their families as babies,&rdquo; said Ingrid Newkirk, PETA&rsquo;s president.

&ldquo;They are denied freedom and everything else that is natural and important to them while kept in small concrete tanks and reduced to performing stupid tricks. The 13th Amendment prohibits slavery, and these orcas are, by definition, slaves.&rdquo;
]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Tear gas used on Occupy protesters in Oakland [Video]]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Tear-gas-used-on-Occupy-protesters-in-Oakland--132602108.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">132602108</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:47:18 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/occupy_wheelchair.jpg" length="93505" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Authorities made a series  of arrests at Occupy Wall Street protests in California and Georgia  Tuesday with clashes in one city that involved tear gas being used on  demonstrators.

Police said they sprayed protesters in Oakland, California, after the crowd hit them with paint and other objects.

The  crowd of about 500 people defied calls to leave an area of downtown  Oakland on Tuesday, according to police. Protesters had camped for weeks  in several areas in the city, including near City Hall, police said.

&quot;The  city remains committed to respecting free speech as well as maintaining  the city's responsibility to protect public health and safety,&quot; Oakland  police said in a statement.

Police arrested demonstrators at  Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, overnight. The arrests came  after Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said he sent ministers to the park &quot;to  see if we can find a way to resolve this amicably.&quot; A protester at the  park said he was scared.

&quot;It's very intimidating,&quot; said Malcolm  McKenzie. &quot;I believe what we're doing is right, but we're going to jail.  It hurts to see America do this to people who want change.&quot;

It  was unclear how many people were arrested in both cities. CNN affiliate  KGO reported that at least 85 people were arrested during an early  morning raid in one part of Oakland and there were other arrests  throughout the day.

Oakland and Atlanta are two of many cities  worldwide dealing with the Occupy Wall Street protests, the leaderless  movement that started in New York in September.

Demonstrators have  typically railed against what they describe as corporate greed,  arrogance and power, as well as repeatedly stated their assertion that  the nation's wealthiest 1% held inordinate sway over the remaining 99%  of the population.

CNN's Nick Valencia, Jessica Jordan and Rich Phillips contributed to this report. Photo by Adreadonymous/via yfrog. 










]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[New attorney appointed for salon shooting defendant ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/New-attorney-appointed-for-salon-shooting-defendant--132498023.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">132498023</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:36:30 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S008729298.jpg" length="33153" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

SANTA ANA &mdash; The Orange County Public Defender's Office was appointed Monday to represent the man accused of murdering his ex-wife and seven other people in a Seal Beach beauty salon.

Attorney Robert Curtis represented Scott Evans Dekraai at an Oct. 14 hearing, but Curtis said Monday that the defendant could not afford to pay for a private attorney. He said defending a death penalty case could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Curtis' firm represented Dekraai in his divorce from ex-wife Michelle Marie Fournier. Funeral services for Fournier were held Monday.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Erick Larsh appointed the public defender's office to handle Dekraai's case. Dekraai, 42, is due back in court, with his new attorney, Nov. 29 for arraignment. Deputy Public Defender Scott Sanders stepped in to represent Dekraai during Monday's hearing.

Curtis said after Monday's hearing that Dekraai's legal defense could be especially expensive.

&quot;It's a notorious case and it will be heavily litigated,&quot; Curtis said.

Death penalty cases can be expensive because they require a great deal of investigation and lead to what amounts to two trials, Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons said. If jurors find Dekraai guilty, then they must hear more testimony in another trial to decide whether to recommend the ultimate punishment.

Paul Wilson, the husband of Christy Lynn Wilson, who was killed in the attack, said after the hearing that Dekraai should not be the media's only focus.

&quot;What we do need to remember is that over the past week we've had to say goodbye to eight loving people,&quot; Wilson said.

Earlier this month, Larsh ordered a medical evaluation of Dekraai to see what medicine he might need in jail. Curtis had asked at the Oct. 14 hearing that jail officials be ordered to give Dekraai a prescribed anti-psychotic medicine and access to a &quot;spinal cord stimulator&quot; he has needed since a 2007 accident that left him disabled.

The request for anti-psychotic medicine led to questions of a possible insanity plea.

&quot;I won't be surprised if we get an insanity plea,&quot; Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters after the earlier hearing.

Dekraai is accused of carrying out the massacre at Salon Meritage, 500 Pacific Coast Highway, about 1:20 p.m. Oct. 12. He remains jailed without bail. The shooting rampage was the worst mass killing in Orange County history.

The eight people killed were the salon's owner, Randy Lee Fannin, 62; Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54; Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65; Laura Lee Elody, 46; Wilson, 47; Fournier, 48; Michele Daschbach Fast, 47, and David Caouette, 64.

Another woman who was shot &mdash; 73-year-old Hattie Stretz &mdash; survived and has been released from Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

Usually Rackauckas convenes a panel of officials from his office to decide whether to seek the death penalty against defendants eligible for it. But in Dekraai's case, Rackauckas announced he would seek the death penalty without going through the usual deliberations.

&quot;There are some cases that are so depraved and so callous and so malignant that there's only one punishment that might have any chance of fitting the crime,&quot; Rackauckas said at a news conference announcing charges against Dekraai.

Dekraai and his ex-wife were in a Santa Ana courtroom the day before the shooting for a hearing involving custody of their 8-year-old son, Dominic. Dekraai had been seeking sole custody, but a court-ordered report recommended against it.

Fournier's attorney, John Cate Jr., speculated that Dekraai spent $70,000 to $80,000 in legal fees to pursue sole custody of his son.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Attorney: Seal Beach shooting suspect was involved in child custody battle]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Details-emerged-Thursday-about-the-escalating-child-custody-battle--131844053.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">131844053</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:39:42 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S008729298.jpg" length="33153" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[SEAL BEACH — Details emerged Thursday about the escalating child custody battle between the suspect accused of going on a shooting rampage at a Seal Beach beauty salon and his ex-wife, who was among the eight people killed.

Scott Evans Dekraai, the lone suspect in the worst mass killing in Orange County history, is being held without bail, with charges expected to be filed tomorrow. His ex-wife, hair stylist Michelle Marie Fournier, worked at the Salon Meritage, where the gunfire erupted about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday.

The names of all of the victims who were killed were released Thursday by Seal Beach police. They are the salon's owner Randy Lee Fannin, 62, Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54, Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65, Laura Lee Elody, 46, Christy Lynn Wilson, 47, Michelle Marie Fournier, 48, Michelle Daschbach, 47, and David Caouette, 64.

The Huntington Beach man, who turns 42 on Monday, was arrested within minutes of the shooting at the salon, which is located in a shopping center at 500 Pacific Coast Highway.

The massacre's lone survivor remains in critical condition at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where two other victims — a man and woman — died on Wednesday afternoon. One man and five women were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Los Angeles Times identified the lone survivor as 73-year-old Hattie Stretz.

Capt. Tim Olson and Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas will release more details tomorrow when charges are expected to be filed against the alleged gunman.

Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil was planned for 8 tonight outside the salon to help residents of the close-knit beach town come together to begin the healing process, Olson said, noting that the city has "suffered the most horrific tragedy in its history."

A prayer service also is scheduled at 7 p.m. at St. Anne Catholic Church, 340 10th St.

Fournier and Dekraai had an 8-year-old son, Dominic.

Fournier's attorney, John Cate Jr., told the Orange County Register that Dekraai and his ex-wife were in court the day before the shooting. Dekraai had been seeking sole custody of his son, but a court-ordered report recommended against it.

Cate issued a statement to KABC-7 news Thursday saying, Dekraai's "demeanor throughout this case has been controlled and he never gave any indication that he housed the potential for such destruction and carnage. Michelle's son, Dominic, is also a victim, and by one act of a desperate man has been deprived of both a mother and father."

Court records paint a picture of a man who appeared to be increasingly troubled in recent years.

Dekraai was not allowed to have firearms and had to move out of the home of his stepfather, LeRoy J. Hinmon, in 2007 after the man complained that Dekraai attacked him, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Dekraai was also accused of attacking his stepfather in front of his son, who was 4 years old at the time, the Times reported, and was supposed to complete a 52-week batterer intervention program.

In 2007, Dekraai filed court documents complaining of "harassing and threatening" phone calls from his ex-wife, according to court records cited by the Times.

A Dec. 1, 2008, court order obtained by City News Service limited phone conversations between Dekraai and his ex-wife to once a week for 10 minutes, and only on the topic of their child. There was an exception for emergencies.

She was prohibited from drinking alcohol while she had custody of the boy and the day prior to when she picked him up, according to the court records.

Dekraai's former attorney, Don Eisenberg, told CNS that the two had a "typical" divorce, which was finalized on Dec. 28, 2007.

"This was not a remarkable case. It was a stipulated judgment and the parties agreed on these details," Eisenberg said.

Under the shared custody agreement, Dekraai had the boy each week from Thursday through the weekend, and the mother had him Monday through Wednesday, the attorney said.

"It was almost an exactly equal split," Eisenberg said. "The reason for that, I believe, was she worked as a hairdresser on weekends and those were her busy times, and it was based on their availability. There's nothing in (Eisenberg's) file that indicates this was a problem divorce."

Eisenberg only represented Dekraai one more time after the divorce was finalized, and that was on his effort to obtain a passport, the lawyer said. Dekraai turned to another attorney to represent him in the child custody issues that arose later, Eisenberg said.

Dekraai and Fournier were married in Clark County, Nevada, early in 2003 and he filed for divorce in Los Angeles County in 2007, a month after a tugboat accident that causes him to walk with a limp and reportedly caused him to suffer from post-traumatic stress.

Dekraai's neighbors expressed astonishment over what occurred, with one saying he is "one of the nicest neighbors ever" and several noting that he appeared dedicated to his son and often played with the boy on the lawn of the well-kept home he shares with his third wife.

According to neighbors, he had been honorably discharged from the military.

Police said he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and had weapons in his truck, including the handgun he allegedly used to shoot the victims, when he was arrested about a half-mile from the salon.

Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles said victims were found "throughout the entire salon," but "there are survivors from inside the salon that escaped without harm."

"It appears that the salon was busy at the time and it appears almost every hair station, if you will, was occupied," he said.

One victim was shot in or near his Range Rover outside the salon.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Undocumented immigrant students will be eligible for California aid ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Undocumented-immigrant-students-will-be-eligible-for-California-aid--131424588.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">131424588</guid>		
			<pubDate>Sun, 9 Oct 2011 13:17:11 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/cedillo_dream_act.jpg" length="49823" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Undocumented  immigrant students in California will be able to receive state-funded  financial aid in 2013 to attend college under a new law signed Saturday  by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The law allows top students who are on a path to citizenship to apply and receive the state aid, the governor said.

About  2,500 students are projected to receive Cal Grants totaling $14.5  million, according to the California Department of Finance. That  averages out to $5,800 per student.

The funding amounts to 1% of the overall $1.4 billion Cal Grant program, officials said.

The  new law, AB 131, is one of two pieces of legislation known as the  California Dream Act and will become effective January 1, 2013,  officials said.

&quot;Going to college is a dream that promises  intellectual excitement and creative thinking,&quot; Brown said in a  statement from Sacramento. &quot;The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top  students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us.&quot;

Currently,  illegal immigrant students in California must pay resident tuition  rates if they graduated from a state high school and are actively  seeking to legalize their immigration status, officials said.

The  other half of the California Dream Act was signed into law by Brown in  July and allows undocumented immigrant students to receive privately  funded scholarships administered at public universities and community  colleges.

That law, called AB 130, was needed because the  University of California and California State University systems avoided  giving the private scholarships to their undocumented students, citing  vagueness in laws, said the legislative aide to California Dream Act's  author, state Assemblyman Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles).

Cedillo  called Saturday's signing &quot;historic&quot; and pathbreaking for the United  States -- coming at a time when many states such as Alabama and Arizona  are passing aggressive laws targeting undocumented immigrants. Some of  those laws are being challenged in court.

&quot;The signing of now both  parts of the California Dream Act will send a message across the  country that California is prepared to lead the country with a positive  and productive vision for how we approach challenging issues related to  immigration,&quot; Cedillo said in a statement.

&quot;Today, Ana and Maria  Gomez, Jaime Kim, David Cho, Pedro Ramirez -- and thousands of other  students who are some of the best and brightest in California -- have  been told by our governor and legislative leaders that you are welcome  here, that you have something to contribute, that you can be proud of  what you have accomplished and that your talents and ambition will not  go to waste,&quot; Cedillo said.

Under AB 131, undocumented immigrant  students will be eligible for state Board of Governors fee waivers,  student aid programs administered by a college or university, and the  state aid Cal Grants program for state universities, community colleges,  and qualifying independent and career colleges or technical schools in  California, according to Cedillo.

The California Dream Act differs  from a proposed federal bill called the Development, Relief and  Education for Alien Minors &mdash; or DREAM &mdash; Act, which would create a path  to citizenship for immigrants who entered the United States illegally  as children under the age of 16 and have lived in the United States for  at least five years, obtained a high school or General Education  Development diploma, and demonstrated &quot;good moral character,&quot; according  to a White House fact sheet.


CNN's Jaqueline Hurtado contributed to this report.
]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Murder suspect gunned down in Mendicino County woods ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Murder-suspect-gunned-down-in-Mendicino-County-woods--130957523.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">130957523</guid>		
			<pubDate>Sun, 2 Oct 2011 22:34:12 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/bassler_aaron_470.jpg" length="71190" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[(CNN) &mdash; Three law enforcement  officers patrolling a remote stretch of northern California woods shot  dead a double-murder suspect whom authorities had been hunting for 36  days, a sheriff said.

Aaron Bassler was wearing black clothing and  carrying a large backpack, a fanny-pack and assault rifle when three  Sacramento sheriffs spotted him early Saturday, Mendicino County Sheriff  Tom Allman said.

From about 40 yards away and at an elevation 25 feet higher, they fired about seven rounds into his upper torso.

Allman  said Bassler didn't fire a shot, and there was no verbal exchange  between the parties. The suspect raised his weapon &mdash; which was loaded  and not on safety &mdash; from the ground toward law enforcement officers.

It is believed to be the same weapon used to kill one of his victims, officials said.

The  suspect was considered &quot;armed and dangerous,&quot; and was believed to have  engaged in a gunfight with three other law enforcement officers from  Alameda County two days earlier.

There was no &quot;shoot-to-kill&quot; order in effect, Allman said.

&quot;I  fully support the manner in which this happened,&quot; the sheriff said,  responding to inquiries that the suspect was killed without any warning  or having fired a shot. &quot;There will be no more lives endangered by Aaron  Bassler.&quot;

Authorities wanted Bassler for the killing of Jere Melo  on August 27 just east of Fort Bragg on the northern California coast  10 miles north of Mendocino.

Melo, 69, was an Army veteran as well as a former mayor and then-councilman in Fort Bragg at the time of his death.

A witness saw a gunman open fire and later identified the suspect, according to Allman.

He  has also been identified as the suspect in the August 11 slaying of  Matthew Coleman in Westport, just north of Fort Bragg. Allman said  Saturday that DNA evidence linked him to Coleman's death.

For over a month, more than 40 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have teamed up to look for him.

In  the process, he has been a suspect in several burglaries in which he  kicked in locked doors and made off with food and guns, said Allman.

One  such incident occurred between Thursday and Friday in a garage-shop  about two miles from where Bassler was eventually found. A police  bloodhound tracked his scent, helping steer authorities in the direction  that they believed the suspect might be &mdash; and leading to the operation  Saturday.

The officers who gunned down Bassler were among about 15 three-person teams brought in from around the state for the search.

Bassler's  family was &quot;not happy&quot; when a law enforcement official contacted them  Saturday about the death because the press had already put out the news,  according to the sheriff.

&quot;I do have some feelings for the  Bassler family, they suffered a loss today,&quot; Allman said. &quot;(But) I  assure you, that the other two losses that we felt in this county were  something that law enforcement remembered every day.&quot;

A $30,000  reward for information leading to Bassler had been offered. There was no  indication Saturday that anyone will receive it.

CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report. Photo: Aaron Bassler was a suspect in the August slayings of Jere Melo and Matthew Coleman in a remote, rugged area just east of Fort Bragg, California. Credit: Mendocino Co. Sheriff's Office.

]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Policeman charged with murder makes $1 million bail]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Policeman-charged-with-murder-makes-1-million-bail-130812623.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">130812623</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:54:04 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/Manuel+Ramos.jpg" length="15823" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A Fullerton police officer charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of a mentally ill homeless man was released from jail Thursday after posting a bond in lieu of $1 million bail, the Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.

Manuel Ramos, 37, a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton Police Department, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter in the July death of Kelly Thomas, 37.

Ramos' family and friends raised the $100,000 for the bond — which typically is 10 percent of the bail — to secure his release from custody, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County sheriff.

Ramos was released shortly after midnight Thursday, Amormino said.

'By the time they do the paperwork and things of that nature, many times it's that late in the morning,' Amormino told CNN.

Also charged in the Thomas case is Cpl. Jay Patrick Cicinelli, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony use of excessive force. He was released last week on $25,000 bail.

Both officers have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The two men are among six Fullerton police officers who were involved in the Thomas arrest and have been placed on involuntary, paid administrative leave. The FBI is also investigating the incident for civil rights violations.

The Orange County district attorney's office said this month that no charges were filed against the other four because 'the evidence does not show knowing participation in an unlawful act on the part of these officers.'

Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia, was beaten by police during an altercation July 5 and died five days later.

The case drew widespread attention to the police department of Fullerton, about 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Since then, two other allegations of brutality at the hands of city police have surfaced, both regarding unrelated arrests in 2010.

District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and fellow prosecutors viewed 16 minutes of bus depot surveillance video showing what happened in the Thomas case, Rackauckas has said.

Thomas suffered brain injuries, facial fractures, rib fractures, and extensive bruising and abrasions, the prosecutor's office said. The Orange County coroner listed his manner of death as a homicide and said he died after having his chest compressed, leaving him unable to breathe.

Ramos had made initial contact with Thomas — whom he knew as a 'homeless drifter' — after police received a call about a homeless man looking in car windows and pulling on handles of parked cars, Rackauckas said.

'He lifted his fists to Kelly Thomas and he said, 'You see my fist? Now they're getting to ready to F you up,'' Rackauckas said, using 'F' instead of the full profanity.

The district attorney said Ramos' conduct was unacceptable and 'not protecting and serving' the public.

'Ramos had to know that he was creating a situation where Kelly Thomas feared for his life and was struggling to get away from an armed officer who was going to 'F him up,'' Rackauckas said.

Cicinelli arrived at the scene later. He is accused of using excessive force when he allegedly assaulted and beat Thomas, including using the front end of his Taser to hit the victim on the head and face eight times while the man was pinned to the ground by other officers.

At that point, Thomas was making no audible sounds, indicating that he was 'down and seriously injured,' the prosecutor's office said.
]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA['Inherently racist' bake sale by UC Berkeley Republicans set for Tuesday ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Pay-by-race-bake-sale-at-Berkeley-still-on-student-Republican-group-says--130551193.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">130551193</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:10:05 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/race_bake_sale.jpg" length="42450" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; An open plaza at the University of California Berkeley will be  an epicenter Tuesday in the debate over affirmative action and college  admissions.

On one side, Berkeley College Republicans will host their &quot;Increase  Diversity Bake Sale&quot; &mdash; a satirical event that will charge customers  different prices based on their race and gender.

Yards away, Berkeley's student government &mdash; the Associated Students of  the University of California &mdash; will host a phone bank in support of SB  185, legislation that would allow California universities to consider  race, gender, ethnicity and national origin during the admissions  process.

Neither side is backing down.

&quot;We're full speed ahead,&quot; BCR President Shawn Lewis said late Monday  night. In light of recent threats made against supporters of the group,  college Republicans from several other California universities have  volunteered to come and help staff the event, Lewis said.

During the sale, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, baked  goods will be sold to white men for $2, Asian men for $1.50, Latino men  for $1, black men for 75 cents and Native American men for 25 cents. All  women will get 25 cents off those prices.

&quot;We agree that the event is inherently racist, but that is the point,&quot;  Lewis wrote in response to upheaval over the bake sale. &quot;It is no more  racist than giving an individual an advantage in college admissions  based solely on their race (or) gender.&quot;

ASUC President Vishalli Loomba said many students who attended a  community meeting Monday night expressed disgust that the bake sale will  still take place.

&quot;As a woman of color, when I first saw the event, I was appalled someone  would post something like this on the Internet &mdash; not only a different  pay structure, but also to rank the races,&quot; she said. &quot;It trivializes  the struggles that people have been through and their histories.&quot;

Lewis said he agreed a ranking system for races isn't fair &mdash; not for bake sales, and not in other aspects of life.

&quot;The purpose of the pricing structure ... is to cause people to disagree  with this kind of preferential treatment,&quot; Lewis said. &quot;We want people  to say no race is above another race, or no race is below another one.  Why put one over the other? Why rank them that way?&quot;

Events similar to the bake sale have taken place at other colleges  across the country, generally organized by college Republican groups. In  some cases &mdash; such as at Berkeley &mdash; the plan sparked controversy and  protests.

Other times, university officials stepped in.

At Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, officials shut down one of the  bake sales on campus. Officials at The College of William and Mary in  Virginia cut off a cookie sale, saying they were &quot;shocked and appalled.&quot;

The University of California, Irvine, shut down a bake sale on campus,  saying it was discriminatory. And a bake sale at Southern Methodist  University in Texas was shut down after 45 minutes because of what  officials called an &quot;unsafe environment,&quot; according to local reports.

Lewis said the bake sale at Berkeley was unanimously agreed upon by the  club, whose leadership includes Asian and Hispanic students and whose  membership represents a &quot;wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.&quot;

&quot;More than half of the voices were female,&quot; he added.

But Berkeley's student government held an emergency senate meeting  Sunday to discuss the issue and passed a resolution that, in part,  &quot;condemns the use of discrimination whether it is in satire or in  seriousness by any student group.&quot;

&quot;I completely support the idea of BCR &mdash; or any students on campus &mdash;  (having) political discussion,&quot; Loomba said. &quot;I think student members of  BCR have a full right to express their feelings, but I don't  necessarily think this tactic is constructive.&quot;

But the bake sale is intended to be a direct, &quot;physical counterpoint&quot; to  the ASUC-sponsored phone bank, during which students will be encouraged  to call Gov. Jerry Brown's office to support the legislation, Lewis  said.

Loomba said the student government's event &quot;is in support of (SB) 185,&quot;  and the ASUC has endorsed the bill. Lewis said he wants opposing voices  to be heard.

As for where the bake sale proceeds will go, Lewis said the College Republicans are considering several charities.

But &quot;because of all this controversy, we don't want to advertise the  organization,&quot; he said. &quot;We don't want to cause them problems.&quot;]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Without a job, OC woman forced to live a lie ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Without-a-job-OC-woman-forced-to-live-a-lie--130618928.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">130618928</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:04:28 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S008512417.jpg" length="39397" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Sukhraj Beasla's parents  boast that their successful daughter works at a bank. The problem is  that it's all a lie &mdash; she was laid off more than two years ago.

The tentacles of this lie taunt her, adding to mounting familial pressure to get it together.

When  Beasla visits her parents in Northern California and they go out to  dinner or their temple, they brag right along with the other parents.  Beasla has no choice but to play along with the lie.

&quot;I have to go  there and tell them I was able to get my next promotion and that I'm on  track and that there's no way the company would let me go because I'm  such a valuable asset and all this bulls***,&quot; Beasla said.

Beasla,  who is 30, has been living off part-time work since she lost her job in  February 2009 as a project manager and later as a trust manager for  LaSalle Bank.

She earned  an annual salary between $65,000 to  $70,000 and was about to be promoted to an assistant vice president, but  layoffs came instead.

Now she's making roughly $1,200 in a bad  month and $2,000 when times are good. Her estimated yearly income will  be from $15,000 to $25,000 this year.

Last week, new census data  showed the nation's poverty rate rose to more than 15% , the highest  level since 1993.  More than 46 million Americans are now considered in  poverty, 2.6 million more than last year.

Beasla is still earning enough to keep her above the official national poverty line, which is $11,139 a year for an individual.

But  her income barely covers her living expenses in Orange County, where  the cost-of-living index is higher than the state or national average.

&quot;I will overdraft my account if I have a bad month,&quot; she said. &quot;It sucks because it will mean stocking up on Ramen (noodles).&quot;

She's  online all day promoting various clients for a social media marketing  agency. Babysitting, dog walking, tutoring and a collection of random  jobs occupy her nights and weekends.

It's enough to give her 40 to 50 hours of work every week, including weekends, but it's not always enough to cover the rent.

She's  paying $1,300 a month for her one-bedroom apartment in Lake Forest,  California.  That's just under the average monthly rent for Orange  County, which is $1,400, according to city-data.com.

As all of her work is part-time, she has no benefits. Insurance of any kind is too expensive, she said.

She's  strictly living off what she makes and has not received any assistance  from the state since her unemployment benefits ran out in 2010.

She has found creative ways to survive.

&quot;I'll  sell stuff on Ebay to get by,&quot; said Beasla.  &quot;I'll call for extensions  on Internet so I can do my job at home. I can't really be without  Internet.&quot;

Lentils last forever

Cutting back and sacrificing more than ever, Beasla has made do with her daily expenses.

She  leaves her car at home and walks wherever she can -- gas is hovering at  $4 a gallon in her area. Basic TV, not cable, is free and there's  always Hulu or the chance to watch cable while she's babysitting at  night.

When friends ask to go out for happy hour, she persuades  them to go to Denny's or a place where she can afford to spend a few  dollars and treat herself.

She eats at home whenever possible and tries to buy groceries only once a month.

&quot;I  look at the Pennysaver religiously and look at ads and decide how many  meals I can make,&quot; she said. &quot;I have a book on one-person meals and I  make it stretch. I invested in a couple good cookbooks like that.&quot;

Lentils  last forever and, when mixed with some onions and spices over rice,  Beasla says they make a nice meal.  Potatoes, frozen food and canned  soup, give her a variety of dinner options.

Beasla has found happiness in eating on the cheap and blogging about it.

Her  goal is to write about single meals with a &quot;fresh perspective on Indian  food.&quot; But for now, she says, the ingredients are just too expensive.

&quot;I've discovered I have this real passion for food and it was born out of this unemployment phase,&quot; she said.

&quot;I'm really enjoying talking about food and my journey through food. If I could, I would travel and write about food.&quot;

Parental pressure

Beasla,  who holds a degree in marketing, took control of her situation shortly  after she was laid off in 2009 and launched her own social media  business.

After a year, her business went under.

She had a heart-to-heart talk with her father one night over dinner about how her business had hit a rut.

The words that came out of his mouth stung, she said.

&quot;'God, you're 30 years old and I really expected you to be somewhere right now,'&quot; he told her disappointedly, she recalled.

Her mother jumped in with a solution: Marry a doctor and she'd be set.

Family and friends question what she's been doing with her time and blanket her with advice like this all the time.

&quot;Every  day it's a challenge and I'm trying to figure out what to do. I'm  looking for work here or abroad or out of state,&quot; she said. &quot;I  appreciate all the help, but I'm out there working. It's not like I'm  not working.&quot;

A year-and-a-half after being laid off, Beasla  submitted her story to iReport. It was right after her unemployment  benefits ran out in summer 2010, but she said she was still smiling.

&quot;I've  just found that if I stay positive, I know that eventually I'll be back  on my feet again and I won't have to worry about the next unemployment  check, where the money is coming from, or what I'll have to cut back  on,&quot; she told CNN last year.

Now, sadness and frustration have sunken in. She's not quite so optimistic anymore.

&quot;I'm  still fortunate to have a roof over my head and make do with what I  can, but I miss having a decent job and being on track with my life,&quot;  she said.

&quot;No one really understands you when you're poor and  can't get by. Most of my friends say, 'I don't know what I would do if I  was you.' This isn't very comforting.

&quot;Even my own parents are ashamed of what has happened to me.&quot;

A 'black hole' of job applications

Beasla sends out 30 to 50 resumes each day via networking site LinkedIn but wonders if they get sucked into a &quot;black hole.&quot;

She's  targeting marketing and social media work, but has also applied for  jobs in the automotive and manufacturing industries, where she held  previous positions.

She has also tried the retail and reception  desk routes, but she's been shot down for these minimum-wage jobs  because she's overqualified.

&quot;I've been to Starbucks, Nordstrom or  places in the mall like Yankee Candle, and they'll look at my resume.  'You've done all these different things. Why would you want to work  here? Will you actually want to stay here?'&quot; they ask.

Some  employers then say that they are looking for high school or recent  college grads, people who they can train who will likely stick around  longer, she said. But for Beasla, all she really needs is a job.

&quot;Nothing is beneath me,&quot; she said. &quot;I'm doing what I need to do to survive.&quot;

Beasla  wishes there was an outlet for people struggling to get back to a  steady income. A catalog of local businesses that helps people get back  on their feet and a forum where people can encourage each other to keep  trying would be nice, she said.

After Beasla posted an update on  her unchanged employment situation on iReport, she found some solace  knowing that she's really not as alone as she feels.

&quot;I was  looking at all of these comments and there are all these people who are  worse than I am or in the same position and they weren't always like  this,&quot; she said. &quot;We need something. We need answers.&quot;]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Charges filed against two Fullerton police officers in death of Kelly Thomas]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Charges-filed-against-two-Fullerton-police-officers-130293698.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">130293698</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:57:24 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/kelly+thomas1.jpg" length="16522" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — Two Fullerton police officers were charged Wednesday in connection with the death of a schizophrenic homeless man who was left hospitalized after his violent July 5 arrest by six officers and taken off life support five days later.

Officer Manuel Ramos was charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, while Cpl. Jay Cicinelli was charged with involuntary manslaughter and use of excessive force, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

They are charged in the death of Kelly Thomas, 37, who was arrested July 5 at the Fullerton Transportation Center. Thomas' subsequent hospitalization and death touched off a firestorm in Fullerton, including an effort to recall three City Council members and calls for the police chief to resign.

According to Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, Ramos faces up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted. Cicinelli faces up to four years in prison. He said the charges were needed to maintain public trust in the police department.

'We must do everything that we can to ensure that we protect this trust, including if necessary, prosecuting police officers who violate the law,' the district attorney said.

He noted that Ramos threatened Thomas during the arrest, put on latex gloves and told the man he was going to beat him.

'By making this declaration of violence ... Ramos instilled in that victim fear, a reasonable fear for his life, that he was in danger and he was in danger by a police officer who wanted to 'f' him up with his fists,' Rackauckas said.

Cicinelli kneed Thomas twice in the head and used his Taser on the man four times, according to Rackauckas, adding that the corporal also hit Thomas in the head with the Taser.

'Screams, loud screams, didn't help,' Rackauckas said. 'Kelly Thomas not responding when the blows to his face occurred, no help, [nor] a growing pool of blood as Kelly Thomas became unresponsive.

'We simply cannot accept that in our community it is within the police right to place gloves on a police officer's hands and ... say 'These fists are ready to 'f' you up.' That is not protecting and serving. Ramos had to know that he was creating this situation where Kelly Thomas would fear for his life.'

Rackaukas said he did not anticipate any charges being filed against the other four officers who were on the scene of the arrest. All six officers had been placed on paid administrative leave.

Ramos and Cicinelli have both turned themselves in to authorities and were scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Fullerton Police Chief Michael Sellers has gone on a month-to-month medical leave since August, when two City Council members called for his resignation, leaving Capt. Kevin Hamilton as acting chief.

Thomas' father, Ron, a former sheriff's deputy, and the victim's mother, Cathy, have filed a claim against Fullerton, the precursor to a lawsuit. 

They are represented by attorney Garo Mardirossian, who has held several news conferences to criticize Fullerton police and pressure Rackauckas to accelerate his investigation.

Mardirossian also represents Edward Miguel Quinonez, 28, and Veth Mam, 35, who allege that Fullerton police Officer Kenton Hampton falsely arrested them in separate incidents. Mam was acquitted of resisting arrest and Quinonez, who filed a complaint with Fullerton police last year, reached a settlement with city officials.

Mardirossian has claimed Hampton was among the six officers involved in Thomas' arrest, but city officials have not confirmed that.

The FBI has opened a parallel investigation into whether the officers violated Thomas' civil rights and Fullerton City Council members have also hired an independent investigator to do an internal review of the arrest.
]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Marines: 2 killed in helicopter training accident ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Marines-2-killed-in-helicopter-training-accident--130179768.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">130179768</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:52:48 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S008419102.jpg" length="25876" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Two people were killed  Monday in a helicopter accident at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, according to a statement from the military.

The  statement did not identify the victims or provide details on the  accident beyond saying an AH-1W Cobra helicopter &quot;went down&quot; around 1  p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in a training area on the base near Fallbrook,  California. The victims died at the scene, the statement said.

An  earlier statement from the Marine base said there were two personnel on  board the helicopter, and the later statement did not indicate any other  personnel were involved.

A brush fire was sparked by the accident and fire crews were on hand containing it, the military said.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Cesar Chavez's home placed on National Register]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Cesar-Chavezs-home-placed-on-National-Register-129925333.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">129925333</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:15:19 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/Cesar_chavez_470.jpg" length="37768" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; The former  California home and headquarters of civil rights and labor leader Cesar  E. Chavez was added to the National Register of Historic Places, U.S.  Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Thursday.

Nuestra  Se&ntilde;ora Reina de la Paz (La Paz) served as the headquarters of the  Chavez's United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and his residence during  his last 22 years, from 1971 to 1993. The structure is located in the  Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County, California.

&quot;Cesar Chavez is  one of the heroes of the 20th century, leading a nonviolent movement  that improved working conditions for agricultural workers and bettered  the lives of thousands of Hispanic men and women and other minorities  throughout the United States,&quot; Salazar said in a statement. &quot;By adding  La Paz, now known as the National Chavez Center, to the National  Register of Historic Places, we are honoring his legacy and inviting  Americans to learn more about the life and work of this extraordinary  man.&quot;

Added Paul F. Chavez, Cesar Chavez's middle son and  president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation: &quot;For my father, La Paz was a  personal refuge from bitter struggles in agricultural valleys and big  cities, a spiritual harbor where he recharged batteries, drew fresh  inspiration and prepared for the battles ahead.

&quot;It was a place  where many dedicated people spent years of their lives working with  Cesar Chavez for social justice, inspiring generations of Americans from  all walks of life who never worked on a farm to social and political  activism,&quot; the son said.

Photo: Cesar Chavez. Credit: Joel Levine/via Wikimedia Commons.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			







						
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Judge clears way for sale of Crystal Cathedral property ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Judge-clears-way-for-sale-of-Crystal-Cathedral-property--129844488.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">129844488</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:28:59 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	







																														                                                                        <description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A federal bankruptcy judge Wednesday approved a plan that outlines the sale of the debt-ridden Crystal Cathedral mega-church in Garden Grove.

Unless Crystal Cathedral members can pull off their "Miracle of Faith'' and raise the $50 million they owe creditors, then it appears the property likely will be sold to the Orange County Roman Catholic Diocese or Chapman University in Orange, because their bids promise the highest amount of cash.

U.S. District Judge Robert Kwan approved the plan proposed by the creditors' committee that envisions the sale of the church's property unless Crystal Cathedral members can pull off their fundraising drive.

The committee will send out copies of the plan to about 400 creditors by Sept. 24. The creditors, some of whom can vote on the plan, have until Oct. 24 to send in their ballots.

The process of counting up the votes is complicated because some creditors have more votes than others, and some of the votes carry more weight than others.

On Halloween, Kwan will hold a hearing to designate the property's buyer, which Crystal Cathedral Ministry can select. On Nov. 14, a hearing will be held to finalize the transaction. That date amounts to a deadline for Crystal Cathedral members to head off the sale.

If some of the so-called insiders — creditors that include Crystal Cathedral officials — object to the sale, then they could open themselves up to being sued by the creditors' committee.

The Diocese of Orange is offering to pay $53.6 million for the property. Crystal Cathedral Ministries would be allowed to rent at least 50,000 square feet on the campus for up to 15 years, with rent equal to 90 percent of fair market value. The lease option also carries a right to purchase the space at 90 percent of fair market value during the first five years of the lease.

The Diocese wants to build a new cathedral on the property.

Chapman University boosted its $47 million bid to $50 million and plans to use half the property to expand while allowing Crystal Cathedral four years to buy back half of the campus in a lease deal.

Another player could be arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby, which is offering to pay $47.5 million for the property, which would be leased to Kings College for a dollar, which would then lease the property back to the ministry, according to attorney Marc Winthrop, who represents the mega-church in the bankruptcy case.

Crystal Cathedral leaders have not expressed a preference as far as buyers, Winthrop said after today's hearing.

It's unclear how viable Crystal Cathedral's fundraising drive has been.

"The ministry remains hopeful they will raise the money,'' Winthrop told Kwan. "Progress has been made, but as I stand here today I can't tell you how much.''

Bob Canfield, a member of the church, told the judge that he is confident the elders of the ministry can raise the money in time, but only if some of Crystal Cathedral's leaders are ousted.

The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, who was in court today, founded the Crystal Cathedral in 1955, but it fell on hard times in 2008 when the economy collapsed. Canfield blamed in-fighting among Schuller's daughters, who have taken over as their father has retired.

Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman, the founder's daughter, is leading the fundraising drive and the church.

"We can raise the money if we can get rid of the girls, their husbands and their families,'' Canfield said, adding Schuller also needs to return to lead the church.

"Dr. Schuller is a great man, but his kids started fighting,'' Canfield said, adding Schuller's daughters ousted the founder's son, as well.

"We can do it if we can get rid of these people who are destroying our church,'' Canfield said.

Attorney Nanette Sanders, who represents the creditors' committee, told the judge the fundraising drive appears to be a longshot because donations are "worsening, not improving.'']]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Massive power outage eases as attention turns to cause]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Power-outages-reported-in-southern-California-Arizona-Mexico-129503333.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">129503333</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 8 Sep 2011 18:15:23 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S008238269.jpg" length="32841" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

The power was back on in almost all of Arizona and Southern California on Friday, the day after a massive power outage that left millions of people in the dark for hours.

However, the effects of the outage lingered as San Diego schools took the day off and health officials warned swimmers off some beaches over concerns about a sewage spill caused by the outage.

Precisely what caused Thursday afternoon&rsquo;s blackout wasn&rsquo;t entirely clear Friday morning, but it wasn&rsquo;t terrorism, officials said. The outage appeared to begin with work at a Yuma, Ariz., substation that routes power to California.

San Diego Gas &amp; Electric Co. restored power to its 1.4 million customers early Friday, Vice President David Geier said.

California officials urged residents to conserve power all day in an effort to protect what Geier called a &ldquo;fragile&rdquo; power system.

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station near San Clemente, which provides electricity for San Diego, remained offline Friday after automatically shutting down when the blackout cascaded across the power grid.

&ldquo;We think it&rsquo;s going to be tight,&rdquo; Geier said of the utility&rsquo;s ability to keep up with demand Friday despite cooler temperatures forecast for the region.

In addition to San Diego, power returned late Thursday for consumers in Arizona, where about 56,000 customers lost power, and for all but a smattering of customers in California's Orange and Imperial counties. About 170,000 people in those two counties were affected, utility officials said.

Mexico&rsquo;s border cities, including Tijuana, and parts of Baja California and Sonora states were also affected by the outage, Mexican authorities said. It was unclear Friday morning whether power had been restored to all of those communities or how many people had been affected.

The blackout brought business in the region to a halt. Trains and trolleys stopped in their tracks, transportation authorities said.

The power failure caused sewage to spill from San Diego&rsquo;s wastewater treatment system into the Torrey Pines State Beach area as well as Sweetwater River. The San Diego Department of Environmental Health said it would post warning signs at all beaches north of the Scripps Pier through Del Mar and Solona Beach. The department is also posting contamination warnings at Bayside Park in Chula Vista and the San Diego Bay near Silver Stand.

The city also warned tens of thousands might have to boil water after a number of pump stations and filtration systems shut down.

The outage also forced San Diego International Airport and a number of train stations to close, stranding thousands of passengers, authorities said. The airport had reopened by Friday morning, according to a spokesman at the facility&rsquo;s operations center. But many flights were delayed or canceled, the airport announced on its Twitter acccount.

While the power was out, all outbound flights were canceled, and incoming flights were rerouted to nearby regional airports, the airport said.

The Arizona Power Service described the cause of the blackout as an &ldquo;employee-generated event,&rdquo; saying in a statement that an employee was replacing equipment at a substation near Yuma.

It did not say what the employee was working on in the substation that would have led to such a massive failure in the line that imports power to California and Mexico.

&ldquo;Normal protection protocols should have prevented the outage. But this time, they didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; said Damon Gross, an Arizona Power Service spokesman.

Daniel Froetscher, a vice president at the utility, told reporters it was premature to call it &ldquo;human error,&rdquo; saying it would take several days to complete an investigation.

The reactors at the San Onofre plant went into normal shutdown mode after the units detected &ldquo;grid disturbance,&rdquo; said Eliot Brenner, director of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission&rsquo;s Office of Public Affairs. The shutdown posed no threat to workers or residents, he said.

But the plant will remain out of service for a few more days, said Michael Niggli, president of San Diego Gas &amp; Electricity.

Utility officials don&rsquo;t know what caused the power failure to cascade through the system when safeguards should have prevented it, Geier said. &ldquo;It could take weeks, if not months, to figure out exactly what happened,&rdquo; he said.

Officials have ruled out terrorism, which was on many minds in the days leading up the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

&ldquo;Considering the fact that we are so close to the 11th, subconsciously I think it was hitting people a bit,&rdquo; said Ryan Valencia of San Diego.

Valencia was among the thousands who got caught on the road in huge traffic jams that occurred when power went out to light signals. He said he spoke with his girlfriend and her family, who also asked if it was related to a terror incident.

&ldquo;In all honesty, at first I did think it was a little too convenient, a little too widespread,&rdquo; Valencia told CNN. &ldquo;I thought it was a little fishy.&rdquo;

Power went out about 3:45 p.m. in San Diego, said Joe Pettigrew, who said he was trapped on the 10th floor of an office building.

&ldquo;We don't have air conditioning and the windows don&rsquo;t open,&rdquo; he said, noting that it was about 80 degrees outside.

]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Lawyer: Kelly Thomas died of brain injuries after struggle with cops]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Lawyer-Kelly-Thomas-died-of-brain-injuries-after-struggle-with-cops-129431358.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">129431358</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 7 Sep 2011 20:30:22 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S008224900.jpg" length="44873" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; A homeless man  who sustained injuries in a confrontation with Fullerton, California,  police and later died succumbed to brain injuries as a result of head  trauma, according to medical records made public Wednesday by an  attorney for the man's family.

The medical records, obtained by  attorney Garo Mardirossian, were compiled by physicians at UC Irvine  Medical Center while Kelly Thomas, 37,  remained on life support after  the violent struggle with police on July 5.

&quot;By the time he got to the hospital he was  already brain-dead,&quot; said attorney Mardirossian.

As  Thomas' father, Ron, sat stoically in front of television cameras,  occasionally fighting back tears, Mardirossian took reporters through  the hospital records of the dead man, a diagnosed schizophrenic who was  homeless at the time of the altercation.

Mardirossian said the  medical examination showed that Thomas suffered blunt head trauma with  multiple broken bones in his face, and with rib fractures. Thomas died  five days after what the Orange County district attorney has called &quot;a  violent and desperate struggle&quot; with Fullerton police.

During the  incident, which authorities say was captured on videotape, six officers  responded to reports of a man reportedly attempting to break into cars  near a bus depot, according to police. Shortly after officers arrived,  Thomas was shocked multiple times near his chest cavity and on his back  with a Taser stun gun, said Mardirossian.

According to the medical records, Thomas also suffered nose and brain trauma, and smashed cheek bones.

Mardirossian  claimed that officers used their Taser guns to deliver some of the head  and face blows. &quot;Witnesses had described that one officer grabbed a  Taser and held it like a pistol and pistol-whipped him repeatedly on his  head,&quot; he said. &quot;As a result he caused serious injury and eventually  brain death,&quot;

The examination also concluded that Thomas had no narcotics or prescription medications in his body, Mardirossian said.

Several  bystanders witnessed the encounter and others recorded portions of the  beating on cellular phones, according to Mardirossian. &quot;He is not only  heard calling out 'Dad, Dad, Dad,' but he also yelled out, 'I can't  breathe,'&quot; said Mardirossian.

According to the medical report,  Thomas suffered severe internal bleeding. &quot;The medical evidence will  show that all that blood is what he ended up choking on,&quot; the attorney  said.

Ron Thomas, a retired police officer who once trained police  departments and military officers in use of force tactics, has filed a  claim against the city of Fullerton. &quot;This is not just a beating, it's  an aggravated murder,&quot; said Thomas.

The Orange County Coroner's  office has not determined the official cause of death, pending  toxicological findings, officials said. The Fullerton police department  declined to comment about the medical reports.

Since the Thomas  incident, six officers allegedly involved have been placed on  involuntary paid administrative leave. City officials have not released  their names.

Police Chief Michael Sellers has taken a paid medical  leave, and two of the city's five council members have called upon him  to resign.

Meanwhile, there are two external investigations into  the death, by the FBI and the Orange County district attorney's office.  The FBI is looking at possible civil rights violations.

&quot;Kelly  Thomas trusted police and he had no reason to fear or expect police  officers would beat him to death,&quot; said attorney Mardirossian.

&quot;His father was a police officer, his grandfather was a police officer and his uncle was a police officer.&quot;

Following  the beating, there was no evidence that vehicles were burglarized nor  was Thomas in possession of any stolen property, according to  Mardirossian.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			







						
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Arraignment postponed for O.C. woman accused of killing her 7-month-old son]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Arraignement-Postponed-for-Women-Accused-of-Dropping-Baby-128615363.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">128615363</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:45:38 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	







																														                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

SANTA ANA &mdash; Arraignment was postponed again Monday for a La Habra woman accused of killing her 7-month-old son by dropping him from the fourth level of a parking structure at Children's Hospital of Orange County.

Sonia Hermosillo, 31, is accused of taking a protective helmet off the boy &mdash; who was born with flat-head and twisted-neck syndrome &mdash; and intentionally dropping him to the pavement some 40 feet below on Aug. 22. The boy was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where he was taken off life support last week.

Her arraignment was postponed until Sept. 30.

Hermosillo was brought into court in a wheelchair, but it was unclear why. She was being held in isolation and under suicide watch in a jail medical ward, where she was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation last week. She made a brief court appearance at the Central Jail in Santa Ana last Wednesday.

Relatives have said Hermosillo suffers from postpartum depression, but Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons said that argument wouldn't be a solid defense against a murder charge.

&quot;There are too many facts flying in the face of that argument,&quot; Simmons said.

Hermosillo drove from La Habra to Children's Hospital in Orange with the 7-month-old boy, Noe Medina, &quot;where there's a parking structure she knows is four stories high,&quot; Simmons said.

When she got to the top she put the boy on the ledge and pushed him off, Simmons said.

&quot;Then she drove back down and had her ticket for parking validated,&quot; Simmons said.

Hermosillo drove around the area for hours before she was arrested near the hospital, Simmons said.

&quot;It's a tragedy anytime you get anybody killing a baby &mdash; it's horrific,&quot; Simmons said.

Hermosillo, who is believed to be an undocumented immigrant and has two other children, is being held without bail and is also subject to an immigration hold.

In addition to murder, Hermosillo is charged with assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Hermosillo's husband, Noe Medina, told reporters at UC Irvine Medical Center Wednesday that his wife suffered from postpartum depression and had rejected the baby because of his medical condition.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Protests lead to temporary closings of Bay Area train stations]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Protests-lead-to-temporary-closings-of-Bay-Area-train-stations-128223053.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">128223053</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:26:21 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/bart_francisco_protest.jpg" length="123681" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Police alternately closed  and reopened commuter train stations in downtown San Francisco Monday  after demonstrators gathered to protest recent shootings by the train  system's police officers.

Police in helmets and protective gear  shut the Civic Center station about 45 minutes after the demonstration  began at 5 p.m., making protesters and media crews head for the exits.  Soon after, officials also closed the Powell Street BART station but  that station was reopened less than an hour later.

The Bay Area  Rapid Transit system reported on its Twitter page that all stations were  open less than an hour and a half after the demonstration began at the  Civic Center station. Then, the Powell Street station was closed again  for a time, only to be reopened with the Civic Center station being  closed again.

And so it went.

At least three protesters &mdash;  two men and a women &mdash; were taken into custody during the protest at the  the Civic Center, after they engaged in verbal confrontations with  police.

One of the men, who spoke to the demonstrators with a  litany of complaints against BART police, was taken from the platform in  handcuffs by officers as demonstrators shouted, &quot;Let him go, let him  go.&quot;

Meanwhile, trains continued to run amid the protest.

After the Civic Center station was closed, demonstrators accompanied by a line of police officers began a march on city streets.

BART officials had said that they planned to beef up security at the Civic Center station because of the protest.

&quot;BART  may need to close some stations temporarily or make other service  adjustments on short notice,&quot; train officials said in a statement before  the protest.

BART has been at the center of controversy about  shootings by its officers, the latest being last month that resulted in  the death of Charles Hill, 45.

Last week, hackers attacked BART's  website and posted the home addresses and other information of all 102  police officers on the train system's police force.

There also  have been several other attempts at protests, including one earlier this  month that BART officials quelled by cutting cell phone signals at some  subway stations.

The train system's board members have scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday to discuss that controversial decision.

The  decision to cut cell phone service elicited criticism from civil  liberty organizations, the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial page and  others.


CNN's Divina Mims contributed to this report
]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[60 arrested, bombs and drugs seized as part of California crime probe ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/60-arrested-bombs-and-drugs-seized-as-part-of-California-crime-probe--128092458.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">128092458</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:19:53 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/S007981440.jpg" length="48624" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

(CNN) &mdash; Sixty people are under  arrest for their role in a southern California crime alliance between  members of an Iraqi social club and a Mexican drug cartel that involved  the illicit sale of drugs, guns and bombs, police said Thursday.

Since  the beginning of &quot;Operation Shadowbox&quot; in January, officers from the El  Cajon police department and Drug Enforcement Administration bought  &quot;large amounts of narcotics, pharmaceuticals, firearms and improvised  explosive devices,&quot; El Cajon Police Chief Pat Sprecco said in a press  release.

A DEA operative was shown a hand grenade and told it  could be purchased,  purportedly from a Mexican military source, said  Sprecco.  In addition, authorities seized more than 13  pounds of  methamphetamine, 3,500 pounds of marijuana, $630,000 in U.S. cash, three   luxury cars, four improvised explosive devices and 34 firearms.

Sprecco  said he first requested help from the DEA in November 2010 after  noticing &quot;increased narcotics trafficking and violent crime&quot; in certain  neighborhoods of his city.

&quot;These crimes have been attributed  primarily to Iraqi organized crime elements, and as this investigation  has discovered, the Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexico-based drug trafficking  organization,&quot; said the chief.

The probe focused on the location  of an Iraqi social club in El Cajon, a  city of more than 90,000 people  about 16 miles west of San Diego.  Previously, the club was the setting  for cases of attempted murder,  illicit drug sales, gambling, resisting  arrest and illegal firearms  sales, the press release states.

The  Iraqi club had ties to the &quot;Chaldean Organized Crime Syndicate,&quot; which  has its roots in Michigan in the 1980s and has ties to Sinaloa and the  &quot;Mexican Mafia,&quot; according to Sprecco.

The operation culminated in  a raid Wednesday night. in that raid, 100 people were detained and  released, $16,000 was seized and authorities found evidence of illegal  gambling, according to the police chief. Over the span of the  investigation, authorities -- including DEA agents -- also found  evidence of prostitution on site, he added.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

			



				
	
	
	


		

																	
						
		
		


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

							
																											
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Fullerton police chief put on medical leave]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/kelly-thomas-fullerton-police-chief-medical-leave-sellers-127495153.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">127495153</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:18:07 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



				
	
	
	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/Sellers_470.jpg" length="31847" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																						<video>http://cdn.bimfs.com/WAVE/def4bf8b332ec684f60d57af1c8a8f43_3600.mp4</video>
																		                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

FULLERTON (CNS) - Fullerton police Chief Michael Sellers went on medical leave Wednesday, after two City Council members called for him to resign over his handling of an investigation into the in-custody death of a homeless schizophrenic man.

Fullerton police Capt. Kevin Hamilton, head of detectives, was appointed as acting chief by City Manager Joe Felz.

Felz said he was told Wednesday that Sellers' doctor put him on leave for undisclosed reasons.

&quot;We wish Chief Sellers well and are appreciative of his efforts in behalf of the city,&quot; Felz said. &quot;We are grateful that we can call on Kevin Hamilton for his services. I am confident he will do a good job.&quot;

Council members Sharon Quirk-Silva and Bruce Whitaker have urged Sellers to resign in the wake of the fatal July 5 arrest of Kelly Thomas, who was taken off life-support five days later.

Whitaker said he was told Sellers was diagnosed with high blood pressure and other &quot;red flags&quot; indicating stress. Whitaker added he was hesitant to comment at length because he did not want to add to Sellers' stress.

Whitaker praised the selection of Hamilton, because he did not directly supervise the officers involved in Thomas' arrest as did another captain who was also in line to be promoted.

&quot;They're both trustworthy captains,&quot; Whitaker told City News Service on Wednesday.

Whitaker said he hopes Sellers' exit &quot;accelerates the investigation. The public really deserves to see what occurred here.&quot;

Thomas allegedly resisted officers who tried to detain him at the Fullerton Transportation Center at 123 S. Pomona Ave. on suspicion of possessing stolen goods. The officers were in the area on a report of a man trying to break into vehicles.

Thomas' father, a retired Orange County sheriff's deputy, has called his son's death murder and called for the six officers involved to be prosecuted. He wants the ones responsible for his son's death sent to prison for the rest of their lives.

The officers have been put on leave with pay, but have not been otherwise punished.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office is investigating to see if there was any wrongdoing. The FBI has also opened up an investigation to see if the officers violated Thomas' civil rights. Those investigations are separate.

Quirk-Silva said Sellers did a poor job of communicating with the public after the violent arrest.

Whitaker faulted Sellers for not putting the officers involved on leave sooner. He said he was also concerned about the death of a Fullerton inmate who hanged himself. He said he was stonewalled when he asked for more information about that in-custody death.

&quot;So far I have not received any data whatsoever&quot; from the chief, Whitaker said Wednesday.

Whitaker said he asked for a briefing on video cameras around the city, especially at the Metrolink lot where Thomas was arrested.

&quot;So far, I have not received anything on that either,&quot; he said.

Felz was trying to organize a City Council meeting this week to consider hiring investigator and former prosecutor Michael Gennaco to do an independent, internal review of Thomas' death.

Four of the council members are available for a meeting Friday, but Felz wants to make sure the full council can meet before calling a special session.

Whitaker said he is looking into whether it makes more sense to ask the state Attorney General's Office to conduct the internal review, because it would appear more impartial to the public and would save money, Whitaker said.

Hamilton, the interim chief, has worked for the Fullerton Police Department since 1979. He has experience in almost every division, city officials said.

Hamilton, 53, was born and raised in Norwalk and has a bachelor's degree in occupational studies from California State University Long Beach.

Hamilton said the city has &quot;very important issues we have to deal with in light of the Kelly Thomas incident, and we will work with investigators from the District Attorney's Office and the FBI, who are looking into the incident.&quot;]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			



	


		

																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Pimps feed on twisting Californian dream]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/pimps-prostitution-orange-county-anaheim-westminster-california-127489573.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">127489573</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:03:04 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/anaheim_police_265.jpg" length="49511" type="image/jpeg" />
																																											                                                                        <description><![CDATA[(CNN) — "Hello? Hey, what are you doing, girl? You just woke up? You going to be free to hang out in a little bit?" Shane, a vice unit undercover investigator, is on the phone with a woman who placed an online ad offering adult services.

"Okay I'm going to head down to the Disneyland area and get a hotel." He's making a date, and choosing his words carefully.

"I just want to make sure I get what I need. Are you bringing condoms or do I need to bring condoms? You've got some? And it's 200 for an hour right?" Shane has become an expert at scoring that important criminal admission over the phone — making sure there is no confusion that sex is expected on this date.

"From what I found, sometimes you can use too much jargon," Shane explained. "If you use too many street terms you can come off like a cop so I almost talk to them like, "Hey this is what I'm looking for" — just common terms and maybe throw in just a little bit of street jargon.

"If you call them rude or real vulgar they'll just hang up on you. So, to them it's a business and they run it like it's a business, so there's that fine dance you have to do with them in negotiation you have to play to get the deal to work."

This is the first step in a human trafficking operation by the vice unit. Next, the team will wait for Shane's date at a local hotel, hoping to eventually grab the date's pimp.

Shane works for Anaheim Police Department — one of a raft of agencies that make up the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force or OCHTTF.

In recent months, the fight against prostitution has been refocused and now the prostitutes are treated as victims.

"It's not knocking what we did before," explained Sergeant Craig Friesen, head of Anaheim's vice unit. "You'd go out, arrest the girls, you do John stings, you arrest the Johns, but with those arrests they're often low-grade misdemeanor arrests where the people either receive a very minimal sentence or they're released, oftentimes working in the street 24 hours later.

"With us changing our focus to trying to arrest the pimps, pimping carries a three year mandatory sentence here in California, so to us we have more of an impact because if we can arrest one pimp we can in theory shut down three or four girls because if their pimp's out, it gives them the opportunity to escape the life that they're in."

The Orange County task force is one of 42 federally funded human trafficking task forces across the United States.

Many agencies are part of the task force — from local police departments like Anaheim and Westminster, to federal agencies like ICE and the IRS, which help with immigration and translation issues.

The FBI lends agents to the task force, and one agent frequently works with Anaheim's vice unit via the FBI's domestic child sex trafficking task force known as Innocence Lost.

By treating accused prostitutes as victims, services such as the county's Community Service Programs and the Salvation Army can be used. These non-enforcement services often play key roles in the task force as they try to help the victims start new lives.

"I think what I'm struck most by is the similarity between the stories," said Heidi Thi, the supervisor of the human trafficking program at CSP.

"I could have somebody who was sold as a child in China and brought here to Orange County to work as a slave in somebody's house, or I could be talking to a domestic minor who's been trafficked for sex who was from Northern California and was down here in Orange County — and it's striking how similar those stories can be, that there was an abusive or neglectful home, or that there was a dream they had that life could be better. And somebody told them, "Yes, life can be better, come with me and I will show you how I can make life better for you." And trusting that person, they went and found themselves in a horrible situation."

Anaheim's operation that started with Shane's phone call was successful.

It led to the arrest of a man for pimping and pandering — and two women victims taken from the streets and into the arms of CSP.

One of the dates was a 17-year-old girl. Her age means she is automatically considered a victim of human trafficking. CSP hopes to convince the women to leave the life of prostitution.

"I think with a trafficking survivor, one of the most important things we can do is to give them choices," said Thi.

"The situation that they come from, they've been told where to go, what to do when they get there and when to do it, down to minor daily things like eating, using the restroom, going to sleep and waking up. So the more choices that we can give them helps them practice that self-determination."

Fighting forced prostitution, while a big part of the task force's mission, is only one facet of human trafficking in Orange County.

CSP has also helped victims of forced labor, domestic servitude and servile marriage.

The county task force is seven years old, and in that time the team says it has conducted dozens of operations — more than 60 in Westminster alone.

Anaheim is the task force's newest member, and only nine months after receiving federal human trafficking grant money, the team has seen great success.

Sergeant Friesen said the original goal was one pimping arrest in the first year. The arrest from Shane's date was the 13th in the first nine months.

He added: "Once we started looking for it — and almost stopped ignoring it — we started finding it everywhere."

Lieutenant Derek Marsh, who heads up Westminster Police's human trafficking unit, sums up what drives the task force.

"Human trafficking goes against why you become a police officer, why you're a human being. It's really an ethical imperative. There's really nobody who can stand seeing a child or a woman or a man exploited. It's who you are when you go to serve the public as a police officer.

"You're trying to make it easy so that everyone has an equal opportunity to have their shot at making something of themselves. And human trafficking takes that dream and twists it."]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


	

			







						
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Ex-husband and wife sentenced to prison for brothel and immigration fraud]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/husband-wife-brothel-santa-ana-immigration-fraud-127285753.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">127285753</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 8 Aug 2011 19:04:03 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	







																														                                                                        <description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A woman and her former husband were sentenced by a federal judge in Santa Ana on Monday to several months in prison for running a brothel and immigration fraud scheme in the San Gabriel Valley.

Stephanie Lotto, 53, was sentenced to four months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine by U.S. District Judge James Selna.

Her ex-husband, Philip Tingxiang Fu, 48, was sentenced to five months in prison, three years of supervised release, which includes five months of home detention, and ordered to pay a $6,000 fine, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandy Leal.

Co-defendant Timothy Everett Robbins pleaded guilty in June to visa fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 3, according to court records.

The defendants were involved in an immigration scheme that included sham marriages for Chinese nationals, prosecutors alleged in court papers. Lotto and Fu were also accused of running a brothel out of their Monterey Park home for three to four years, according to prosecutors.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

			



				
	
	
	


		

																	
						
		
		


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

							
																											
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Hundreds call for Fullerton police chief's resignation after fatal beating]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/kris-kelly-riverside-protest-police-department-chief-beating-death-127079338.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">127079338</guid>		
			<pubDate>Sat, 6 Aug 2011 19:56:55 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



				
	
	
	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/alg_thomas_kelly.jpg" length="38256" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																						<video>http://cdn.bimfs.com/WAVE/def4bf8b332ec684f60d57af1c8a8f43_3600.mp4</video>
																		                                                                        <description><![CDATA[

FULLERTON &mdash; Hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Fullerton Police Department on Saturday, shouting &quot;Justice for Kelly! Jail Killer Cops!&quot; in response to the in-custody death of a 37-year-old schizophrenic man who was allegedly beaten as he fought with officers July 5.

And a growing chorus, including to members of the Fullerton City Council, continued to urge Police Chief Michael Sellers to resign due to his perceived mishandling of the case, and to help restore confidence in his beleaguered department.

The demonstration began at 9 a.m. and lasted for much of the day, with crowd reaching the 500-mark at about noon. Although the gathering was peaceful, people expressed anger and carried signs denouncing Thomas' death on July 10 after he was removed from life support.

Protester Eddie Quinonez, 26, who said he witness Thomas' altercation with the officers as he waited for a bus, said it appeared to be a case of excessive force.

&quot;They were holding him down,&quot; Quinonez told the Orange County Register. &quot;It was impossible for him to be resisting.&quot;

Police closed a street next to the station to let protesters pass, otherwise they mostly stayed out of the way, the Register reported.

A Fullerton police lieutenant, who refused to give his name, said there were no arrests and that the crowd was not unruly.  He also said there was no special police deployment for the protest.

&quot;It's just our regular number of officers that are serving the city today,&quot; he said. &quot;Nothing's going on. That's all I have to say. We're [the police department] not making any statements about this [protest].&quot;

Members of the coalition of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, or ANSWER, and mental health advocates joined the Thomas' parents during the demonstration

The National Alliance on Mental Illness and it's Orange County affiliate issued a joint statement this week calling for the department to &quot;undertake a comprehensive review of the training of police, looking to the most effective models, to govern interaction with individuals exhibiting symptoms of serious mental illness.&quot;

Six officers believed to be involved in Thomas' arrest, and who have been on administrative leave since the incident, were publicly identified by a blogger, and that reportedly caused the wife and children of one of them to move to a hotel after the family received a death threat.

Thomas' father, Ron, told ABC7 that he wants the officer to face charges in court.

Kelly Thomas was allegedly suspected of trying to break into cars at the Fullerton transit center. He was in a coma after his arrest and died in a hospital five days later. His father, a former sheriff's deputy, made public an image of his bloodied and bruised son in a hospital bed, with at least one black eye, a big cut on his forehead and what appeared to be broken nose.

Surveillance video shows part of the arrest, but authorities say they will not make it public. The FBI is monitoring the investigation and will hand up its findings to the Justice Department.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

			



				
	
	
	


		

																	
						
		
		


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

							
																											
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[District attorney incapable of impartiality in Kelly Thomas case, ACLU says]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/aclu-kelly-thomas-fullerton-police-district-attorney-126798773.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126798773</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 4 Aug 2011 13:54:31 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



				
	
	
	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/on-street_1_.jpg" length="43407" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																						<video>http://cdn.bimfs.com/WAVE/def4bf8b332ec684f60d57af1c8a8f43_3600.mp4</video>
																		                                                                        <description><![CDATA[FULLERTON — The American Civil Liberty's executive director said Thursday that Orange County prosecutors are incapable of conducting an impartial investigation of the death of a 37-year-old homeless man after a confrontation with six Fullerton police officers.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office and the FBI are conducting parallel investigations of the July 5 arrest of Kelly Thomas and his death five days.

"We are pleased that the FBI will investigate Thomas' death," said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California.

Villagra, however, expressed doubts of Orange County prosecutors to conduct an objective probe into Thomas' arrest and death.

"Although Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas reportedly has some two dozen investigators working on the case, interviewing up to 100 witnesses, the district attorney has an abysmal track record when it comes to investigating and prosecuting officer-involved deaths," Villagra said.

A message left with the District Attorney's Office for comment was not immediately returned.

The ACLU executive director cited a 2004 Los Angeles Weekly investigation that concluded of 50 officer-involved shootings in Orange County over a 5-year period not one led to prosecution. Villagra also pointed to the District Attorney's Office clearing of two Huntington Beach police officers in 2007 who shot and killed 18-year-old Ashley MacDonald when she brandished a knife.

"The bottom line is that the District Attorney's Office is simply not the body to conduct an independent investigation," Villagra said. "These are prosecutors accustomed to working with police officers and building their cases with the assistance of police officers. A thorough, impartial inquiry requires investigators who are not in daily contact with police; indeed, whose daily work doesn't require police cooperation."

Thomas' death has roiled emotions in the city as hundreds of residents packed a City Council meeting that featured criticism of the arrest and ensuing investigation. Councilwoman Sharon Quirk-Silva called on Police Chief Michael Sellers on Wednesday to resign.

The six officers involved in the struggle with Thomas are on paid administrative leave.

The FBI is probing whether the officers violated Thomas' civil rights.

Thomas struggled with officers as they tried to arrest him at the Fullerton Transportation Center at 123 S. Pomona Ave. on suspicion of possessing stolen goods. The officers had been investigating a report of a man trying to break into vehicles at the Metrolink station parking lot.]]></description>
										</item>
			
													
																					
				
						


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

			



				
	
	
	


		

																	
						
		
		


					    	    	                						        	 	
				


	 				
	
	
		
	
	
	 
					
	
	
		
	
	
	 
						
						
	
	
		
	
	
			 
										
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
						
	
	
	
	
	
						
					
	
	
		
	
	
																																						
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																						
																																		
	
	
		
	
	
						 
																			
																							
	
	
		
	
	
					
	
	
		
	
	
		 
							
				
		
		
	
				
	                 	 		 		



 		 		        	 

							
																											
								
				
		
                                           											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[6 Fullerton police officers involved in fatal beating placed on paid leave]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/fullerton-kelly-thomas-police-beating-homeless-paid-leave-126647888.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126647888</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 2 Aug 2011 20:44:04 PST</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	



				
	
	
	


		

																		



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/kelly_thomas_before.jpg" length="12939" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																						<video>http://cdn.bimfs.com/WAVE/def4bf8b332ec684f60d57af1c8a8f43_3600.mp4</video>
																		                                                                        <description><![CDATA[FULLERTON — Five Fullerton police officers involved in a fatal scuffle with a 37-year-old homeless man were placed Tuesday on paid administrative leave, bringing to six the number of officers taken off the job since the July 5 confrontation.

The five officers were assigned to desk duty following the attempted arrest of Kelly Thomas, but it was decided Tuesday that all of the officers should be put on leave, said Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich.

They will remain on leave for the duration of the Orange County District Attorney's investigation, Goodrich said. In a separate investigation, the FBI is looking into whether the officers violated Thomas' civil rights.

If the officers violate any of the rules of the leave then they would stop drawing a salary, Goodrich said.

If FBI agents conclude that Thomas' civil rights were violated then they will forward their findings to the U.S.  Department of Justice, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. It would be up to federal prosecutors to decide if charges should be filed, Eimiller said.

Fullerton police welcome the review, Goodrich said.

Thomas, who had a history of mental illness, struggled with police as they tried to arrest him about 8:30 p.m. July 5 at the Fullerton Transportation Center, 123 S. Pomona Ave.

The six officers were trying to arrest Thomas on suspicion of possessing stolen goods, Goodrich said. They were called to the Metrolink station parking lot to investigate a complaint of a man trying to break into vehicles, Goodrich added.

Thomas matched the description of the suspect and officers started talking to him, Goodrich said. They found evidence that he was in possession of stolen property from a burglary, he said.

However, when they tried to pat him down to arrest him, Thomas spun away and started fighting with the officers, Goodrich said.

Thomas was hospitalized following the confrontation, and his family had him disconnected from life-support machines July 10, Goodrich said.

The autopsy of Thomas was inconclusive, and investigators are waiting he results of toxicology reports, according to the Orange County Sheriff's- Coroner's Office.

Residents took their concerns about the beating to tonight's Fullerton City Council meeting. Fullerton City Councilman Pat McKinley, the city's former police chief, asked the residents for patience.

"Any time there is an incident like the death of Kelly Thomas, serious investigations are launched,'' McKinley said. "I suggest to everyone within earshot of this chamber to wait for the investigation's completion. If the investigation determined we have bad police officers — the judicial system and the city of Fullerton will deal with them accordingly. If the investigation exonerates them their careers will continue.''

McKinley said he and his wife offered "prayers and condolences'' to the Thomas family. But he warned against a rush to judgment.

"One thing we should not do is use Mr. Thomas' unfortunate death for political purposes,'' McKinley said. "Please have a little respect for the man and his family. In my 45 years in law enforcement I have learned that politicians and self-described community activists are not helpful when they build the gallows without all the facts in use-of-force cases.'']]></description>
										</item>
			
							</channel>
	</rss>

