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	<title><![CDATA[Regional News ]]></title>
	<copyright>Copyright 2011 Copyright © 2011  Los Angeles Wave.  All rights reserved. </copyright>
	<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional</link>
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		<language>en-us</language>
	<pubDate>Mon, 5 Sep 2011 14:29:32 PDT</pubDate>
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			<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>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:45:38 PDT</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>
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			<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>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:26:21 PDT</pubDate>
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(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
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			<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 13:19:53 PDT</pubDate>
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(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>
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			<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>
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			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:18:07 PDT</pubDate>
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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>
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			<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 16:03:04 PDT</pubDate>
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																																																			<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>
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			<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>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 8 Aug 2011 20:04:03 PDT</pubDate>
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																																						<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>
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			<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>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 6 Aug 2011 20:56:55 PDT</pubDate>
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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>
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			<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 14:54:31 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

		
					
  
  
     
             	
  	  	  	  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  				  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  						  					  				  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  	  	  
				
											
																															
													



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																										<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>
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			<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 21:44:04 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

		
					
  
  
     
             	
  	  	  	  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  				  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  					  						  						  					  				  			  		  			  			  		  			  			  		  	  	  
				
											
																															
													



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																										<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>
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			<title><![CDATA[Feds: AK-74 assault rifles stolen from Fort Irwin]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/fort-irwin-fresno-california-guns-stolen-army-126502223.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126502223</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 1 Aug 2011 00:22:35 PDT</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[Federal authorities are investigating whether any of the 26 AK-74 assault rifles and a Dragunov rifle stolen from the Fort Irwin Army Post has ended up in Fresno, California, a spokesman said Saturday.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals behind the July 15 theft of firearms from an army supply warehouse in Fort Irwin, California, an ATF official said.

The AK-74 is an updated version of the more commonly known AK-47. The modified version of the assault rifle was introduced by the Soviet army in the 1970s.

Authorities said some arrests were made after employees at the storage warehouse were interviewed, but no further details were available Saturday and other suspects were still being sought.

Federal authorities have received reports that some of the firearms have reached Fresno, and authorities have notified officials there of that possibility, a spokesman told CNN.

"Although our agents and officers are vigorously investigating this theft, we request the public's assistance to help us arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for this crime," special agent John A. Torres of the ATF's Los Angeles office said in a statement. "Community participation is necessary to improve the likelihood that ATF and our law enforcement partners will track down the firearms as well as the criminals who have sought to destabilize our community through illegal activity."]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[FBI investigating death of homeless man who was beaten by Fullerton police]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/fullerton-fbi-homeless-beating-orange-county-kelly-thomas-126474133.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126474133</guid>		
			<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 23:30:12 PDT</pubDate>
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																										<description><![CDATA[FULLERTON — The FBI is reviewing the scuffle between Fullerton police and a 37-year-old homeless man suspected of possessing stolen goods who later died, the bureau confirmed Friday.

The FBI is looking into whether Kelly Thomas' civil rights were violated when Fullerton police struggled to arrest him earlier this month, Laura Eimiller of the FBI said.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office is also reviewing the circumstances of Thomas' death to see if any laws were violated. The FBI review will be a parallel investigation, Eimiller said.

"It's a separate investigation... it's independent of any other investigation," Eimiller said.

Eimiller declined to say what triggered the investigation or if anyone requested it. It was unclear how long the investigation would take.

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

Fullerton police welcome the review, Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said.

"The Orange County District Attorney is investigating and we're cooperating with that investigation," Goodrich said. "As far as we're concerned we'll cooperate with whoever we have to. In the end, we're standing by our call for an independent third-party investigation."

The autopsy of Kelly Thomas was inconclusive on the cause of death, and investigators were still waiting for toxicology reports, according to the Orange County Sheriff's-Coroner's Office.

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. Thomas' family had him disconnected from life-support machines July 10, Goodrich said.

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.

The officers found Thomas at the lot and because he matched the description of the suspect they 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.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Laguna Woods council approves shooting coyotes]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/laguna-woods-city-council-shooting-coyotes-126387168.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126387168</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:21:16 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[LAGUNA WOODS — Laguna Woods City Council voted Thursday to change the city's firearms law to allow a private contractor to shoot coyotes in response to attacks that killed two small dogs.

Before the council approved the new ordinance, only a police officer in the line of duty could shoot a gun in the residential area, according to The Orange County Register.

The special meeting determined that the city manager and police chief can issue permits to shoot coyotes to licensed exterminators, veterinarians or other animal control professionals.

"These would be under very limited conditions," City Manager Leslie Keane told The Register. "We're not asking you to allow residents who have guns ... to be able to shoot coyotes or crows or any other animal in our community."

The hours, locations and caliber of guns would be limited by permits, Keane told The Register. Unlike typical 90-day permits, this urgency ordinance may issue permits immediately.

Mayor Bert Hack called for the special meeting after discussing the issue with Keane. The council's next regularly scheduled meeting is Aug. 17, and Hack and Keane did not want to wait until then to take action.

"We have a coyote problem as everybody knows, and we've had a problem for a number of years, but this year that situation has escalated to the point where we're seeing hostile, desensitized coyotes that are no longer afraid of humans," Keane said.

A woman was dragged as she tried to stop coyotes who snagged her pet Yorkie as she clung to the dog's leash Tuesday morning, Keane said. The dog was killed and the woman suffered minor injuries.

"We have tried a variety of tactics to deal with this," Keane said, adding city officials have set traps and tried shooting the wild animals with tranquilizer guns.

"We've tried everything we can think of to deal with this situation and we're at the time where we have to modify the law," to authorize animal control specialists to discharge weapons in city limits, Keane said.

City leaders have sought help from state Fish and Game officials, but were told they could not get involved unless a coyote directly attacked a person, Keane said.

"We have identified seven problematic coyotes and we have taken out three so far," with traps and other means, Keane said. "But the situation is escalating so quickly and it's coming too close to humans, so we don't want to wait until someone is attacked by a coyote."]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Newport Beach junior lifeguards to participate in annual run and swim]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/newport-beach-monster-mile-balboa-pier-126295208.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126295208</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:50:45 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[NEWPORT BEACH — More than 1,000 children, many clad in Halloween-type costumes, will gather Thursday, as they do every summer at the Balboa Pier, for the "Monster Mile" swim and run.

The annual tradition started with just a run and swim at the pier, but has blossomed into an event that includes contests for best costume, said Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

"Originally it was just a run and swim, but now I think the kids get really excited about it," Schulz said.

The junior lifeguards, who range in age from 9 to 15, have been preparing for the event with runs and swims over the past five weeks, Schulz said. There are 1,200 junior lifeguards in the program, and about 1,000 are expected to compete in the Monster Mile, Schulz said.

The junior lifeguards will start their day about 10 a.m. with costume contests and warm-ups, then will start their run from the Balboa Pier to 10th street, which is about a mile, she said. When they finish their run, the kids will jump into the ocean and swim back to the pier, Schulz said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Bail set for California woman charged with cutting off husband's penis]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Bail-set-for-California-woman-charged-with-cutting-off-husbands-penis-126051043.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126051043</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:47:57 PDT</pubDate>
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																																																			<description><![CDATA[

WESTMINSTER, California (CNN) &mdash; The arraignment of Catherine Kieu Becker, the Southern California woman accused of cutting off her husband's penis and throwing it into a garbage disposal, was continued Friday to September 23 at the request of her public defender.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Debra Carrillo also set bail at $1 million for Becker, 48, who had been held without bail since her arrest this month. She is charged with torture and aggravated mayhem.

The judge also rejected her attorney's request to bar cameras from the courtroom. Orange County Deputy Public Defender Frank Bittar unsuccessfully argued that the intense media coverage would jeopardize Becker's ability to get a fair trial.

Bittar also argued that the media coverage could lead to threats against Becker while in jail, but the judge said authorities aren't aware of any such threats.

When she entered the courtroom inside a defendants' cage, Becker draped her long black hair over her face to hide from cameras. She was shackled and dressed in a blue jumpsuit.

Though authorities said she speaks English, a translator spoke to her in Vietnamese during the court proceedings.

&quot;At this stage in the proceeding, I believe what we have before me is a citizen accused and not someone presumed guilty,&quot; the judge told the defense in ruling against the camera ban request. She added' &quot;There are no threats we're aware of.&quot;

After the hearing, Bittar declined to comment the day's events other than to say' &quot;There's a lot more to the case than meets the eye.&quot;

The Vietnam-born Becker, who is also known as Que Anh Tran, is also facing special allegations, or sentencing enhancements, for great bodily injury and personal use of a deadly weapon, specifically a knife, according to the felony complaint.

If convicted on all counts, she would face a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.

An initial police investigation alleged that Becker, of Garden Grove, California, put a drug or poison in her 60-year-old husband's dinner on July 11 to make him sleepy.

Senior Deputy District Attorney John Christl said a toxicology inquiry looking into the alleged drugging should be completed in two to three weeks.

&quot;I'd be speculating as to what the toxicology might show and what drug if any&quot; may be involved, Christl told reporters after the hearing.

The defense sought the delay in the arraignment because Becker's attorney is new to the case and needs time to review police reports with his clients, Christl said.

Becker told authorities her husband &quot;deserved it&quot; when officers arrived at the scene after she called 911, the police report says.

The couple married in December 2009, but separated in April. The husband filed for divorce on May 16 in Orange County Superior Court, citing &quot;irreconcilable differences,&quot; according to the divorce papers.

They have no children, and their only shared assets are a condominium and a 2010 Toyota Prius, court papers said.

He is listed as president of a fabric and design firm whose address is the same as his residence, court papers show. She recently submitted a license application to become a real estate agent, Christl said.

On the night of July 11, Becker and her husband argued about friends staying at their Garden Grove residence, prosecutors said in a news release.

Becker served her husband dinner, and after feeling tired at about 9 p.m., he went to bed, authorities said.

Becker then tied her husband's legs and arms to the four corners of the bed with nylon rope, according to the district attorney's office. As he woke, she pulled down his pants, grabbed his penis and severed it with a knife, prosecutors said.

Becker then took the penis to the kitchen, threw it into the garbage disposal and turned it on, &quot;mutilating the organ,&quot; the prosecutors' statement said.

The husband underwent emergency surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center, authorities said. He has since returned home, but prosecutors weren't commenting on the husband's condition out of respect for his privacy.

The Orange County case has been widely compared to the1993 attack against John Wayne Bobbitt by his then-wife, Lorena, who cut off his penis with an 8-inch carving knife while he slept.

Lorena Bobbitt then drove away, tossing the penis out her car window. The penis was eventually found and surgically reattached.

Lorena Bobbitt was later found innocent by reason of insanity. During her testimony, she tearfully described her life at the hands of her abusive husband.

In a separate trial, John Wayne Bobbitt was acquitted of sexually assaulting his wife. He later made appearances on &quot;The Howard Stern Show.&quot; He also made a number of adult films.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Virginia man sentenced to life without parole for killing investor, throwing him overboard]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/dana-point-murder-convicted-shawkey-killing-orange-county-vendrick-126032718.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">126032718</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:44:31 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A Virginia man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Friday for killing an investor he lured onto a sailboat out of Dana Point Harbor and throwing his body overboard.

Gary A. Shawkey, 47, of Mechanicsville, Va., was convicted June 21 of murder and grand theft. Jurors also found true a special circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain and a sentencing enhancement for stealing more than $200,000.

Shawkey, who convinced retired 71-year-old computer software specialist Robert Vendrick to invest $1.2 million in a series of projects that all failed, did not make a statement to the court before Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey handed down the life term.

The judge ordered the defendant to pay $200,000 to the Vendrick family, and signed an order seizing $79,000 from Shawkey and turned it over to the victim's survivors.

However, it's unlikely Shawkey will have the ability to pay the $200,000 the judge ordered, Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh said outside the courtroom.

Deputy Public Defender Brian Waite declined comment.

Fred Vendrick, the victim's brother, told reporters after the hearing that he had found some degree of closure following Shawkey's conviction.

"I'm happy that it's finally all over," said the Hermosa Beach resident, who went on to praise Orange County sheriff's investigators and prosecutors.

"It doesn't bring my brother back, but it brings some measure of closure," he said.

Fred Vendrick said he doesn't consider his brother's killer evil, and doesn't harbor any strong feelings of anger toward him.

"My feelings are not of animosity, but deep sadness," he said. "To me, he seems like a forlorn soul. Why did he have to do what he did?"

He said he doesn't believe Shawkey's claims over the years that the vicim is still alive.

"That's just a ruse. He knows he killed him," Fred Vendrick said.

He said he was shocked when he found out how Shawkey bilked his brother out of so much of his life savings over the years.

"He's able to take over people's lives," Vendrick said of Shawkey's ability to take advantage of even his "very intelligent" sibling.

He said his brother "was a very likeable person" who was always attentive to others.

"He was the kind of person who made you feel important," Vendrick said. "He was just a loving brother ... He was a great person who made bad choices."

Baytieh said he felt "wonderful" about the conviction and punishment meted out to Shawkey.

"This was a con man who wasn't able to con the system," the prosecutor said. "When you commit a crime, you can't be smarter than everybody else."

Shawkey was the type of person who "thought he was smarter than he actually was," Baytieh said.

Shawkey killed the victim when he started to suspect he would never get a return on his investments, Baytieh said at the trial.

His widow, Carole, reported him missing in February 2008. Her husband met his end on a 39-year-old, 23-foot long sailboat called "The Odyssey," which Shawkey bought for $1,000 before adding a new engine, Baytieh said.

Vendrick, who had two adult children with his wife of 49 years, was not happy living the retired life in Phoenix, Ariz., Baytieh said. The "businessman wannabe" was drawn to Shawkey's online pitches, he said.

Shawkey went to Phoenix on Feb. 9-10, 2008, to tell Vendrick a tale about a "secret meeting" in San Clemente with government officials to finally complete a contract for a software program that supposedly would give Vendrick a return on his investments, Baytieh said.

Afterward, Vendrick bought a two-way ticket from Phoenix to Long Beach Airport, where he rented a PT Cruiser and drove to a Dana Point motel, where he stayed with his girlfriend Sharlene Slama, Baytieh said.

Vendrick woke up about 5'30 a.m. on Feb. 16, 2008, and went to meet Shawkey at Dana Point Harbor, ostensibly to meet with federal agents on San Clemente Island, but was never heard from again, Baytieh said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Trial of Irvine 11 will be missing one defendant]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/irvine-11-eleven-defendant-uc-university-california-trial-125991088.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125991088</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:07:11 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[

SANTA ANA &mdash; A 20-year-old UC Irvine student accused of disrupting an Israeli ambassador's speech will not be with his 10 co-defendants when the case goes to trial next month and will have his charges dismissed if he completes 40 hours of community service by Sept. 23, attorneys for the student and prosecutors said today.

Both sides told Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Wilson that they had agreed to file a motion to sever the case of Hakim Nasreddine Kebir from the trial of the so-called Irvine 11. The judge said he would grant the motion once it is filed.

All the defendants are facing misdemeanor charges related to the disruption of Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren's speech at UC Irvine on Feb. 8, 2010. Prosecutors alleged that 10 of them shouted something during the speech while Kebir later led the chant, &quot;Whose university, our university,&quot; with other students, according to court documents.

According to prosecutors, Kebir admitted in an email that he started the chant. The email was part of 20,000 pages of documents obtained through a search warrant served on Google but Wilson ruled in June that the evidence was inadmissible because it included privileged conversations between the defendants and attorneys.

If Kebir completes his community service, the charges against him will be dismissed at a hearing Sept. 23. Trial for the other defendants is set for Aug. 15, but Deputy District Attorney Dan Wagner said in court today that he was concerned about completing discovery and pretrial motions in time for the trial.

Wilson has issued a gag order in the case so attorneys are prevented from commenting.

The UCI defendants are Kebir, Mohamad Mohy-Eldeen Abdelgany, 23; Aslam Abbasi Akhtar, 23; Joseph Tamim Haider, 23; Mohammad Uns Qureashi, 19; Ali Mohammad Sayeed, 23; Osama Ahmen Shabaik, 22; and Asaad Mohamedidris Traina, 19.

The UC Riverside defendants are Khalid Gahgat Akari, 19; Taher Mutaz Herzallah, 21; and Shaheen Waleed Nassar, 21.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[New trial for O.C. man accused of sexually assaulting teen girl]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/aliso-viejo-trial-teen-sexual-assault-video-teen-girls-marian-orange-county-125795878.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125795878</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:03:45 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A 32-year-old Aliso Viejo man won a partial victory Monday in his bid for a new trial on convictions for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and secretly videotaping several teenage girls in his bathroom during a pool party at his home.

Jason Alan Marian will get a new trial on charges of sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl, but he will be sentenced Tuesday on convictions for videotaping the girls in his bathroom during an April 14, 2007 pool party.

Orange County Superior Court Judge David Thompson ruled Monday that Marian should get a new trial on two of the counts the jury convicted him on last year, because of new evidence that his defense attorney Gary Pohlson overlooked a potential alibi.

Thompson considered testimony all day Friday and much of Monday from computer experts and Pohlson. Deputy Public Defender Mark Brown took over the case when Pohlson stepped down.

Pohlson was praised by Thompson, Brown and Deputy District Attorney Tony Ferrentino during Friday's hearing as one of the most respected defense attorneys in Orange County. However, that didn't stop the attorney from admitting he made a mistake when it came to a potential alibi June 4, 2006.

"I screwed up," Pohlson testified.

On that date, the girl came by Marian's office at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. Prosecutors alleged Marian took her to the beach, fed her alcohol and took provocative photos of her in a bathing suit, and later sexually assaulted her.

Marian testified during the trial that the girl did stop by his office that day and asked to borrow his beach bag and camera. He contended someone else with her took the pictures of her drinking, and he denied having sex with her.

Much of the testimony in the motion for a new trial centered around evidence purporting to show Marian was working on his computer when the photos were taken.

A defense expert recanted his testimony that there was evidence Marian was browsing the Internet at the time the pictures were taken after he consulted with an expert for the prosecution, Ferrentino said.

Ferrentino also argued Marian manipulated his computer by turning back its clock to doctor the documents stored on the Ocean Institute's computer so it would look like it was done when the photos were taken. Marian, who has a master's degree and is an expert on computers, could have easily created a false alibi, Ferrentino said.

However, Brown argued that Pohlson, who was confused by the highly technical nature of the evidence, failed to focus on the June 4 alibi claim until the eve of closing arguments when it was too late to continue the trial without risking a mistrial.

"Mr. Pohlson failed to do his homework and in his own words he blew it," Brown said.

In a tentative ruling on the sentencing that Thompson discussed in court Monday, Thompson said he believed Marian perjured himself and "suborned perjury of his wife," during the trial relating to evidence about videotaping the girls undressing in his bathroom. Brown conceded that it would be a stretch to get a new trial on all of the convictions.

Some of the teenage girls who were videotaped in the bathroom, and who testified during the trial, are expected to make statements to Thompson at Marian's sentencing Tuesday.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Orange County makes injunctions order official: No layoffs for now]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/orange-county-santa-ana-layoffs-costa-mesa-court-order-125791618.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125791618</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:55:53 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — An Orange County Superior Court judge's order Monday halting Costa Mesa from outsourcing any jobs to private companies doesn't prevent city officials from considering making any deals to have neighboring cities or other public agencies take over some of its services.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Tam Nomoto Schumann issued the ruling on a preliminary injunction Friday night after business hours, but it did not become official until Monday when the Costa Mesa City Employees' Association posted a $50,000 bond, a legal requirement to ensure that the other side doesn't lose money as a result of the injunction if it prevails.

Schumann indicated she would issue the injunction July 5, but she waited until city officials filed legal briefs objecting to some of the language in her ruling.

City officials can still continue negotiations with the Orange County Fire Authority to take over the city's firefighting services, and may make a joint-powers authority deal, which would have another agency take over administration of the city's jail, for instance.

"The injunction makes it clear that the judge has ordered the city to not outsource jobs to private companies until the [union's] lawsuit is concluded,'' City Attorney Tom Duarte said. "We respect her decision and are now looking at our next legal options.''

City officials sent layoff notices to 213 city employees March 17 that indicated they would lose their jobs in six months. The figure amounts to more than 40 percent of the city's workforce.

City officials are considering outsourcing city jobs as a way to save money on rising pension costs and other expenses. City leaders said they sent out the six-month layoff notices because they felt the city's collective bargaining agreement with the union required it.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Gov. Brown signs bill requiring schools to teach gay history]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/Gov-Brown-signs-bill-requiring-schools-to-teach-gay-history-125652728.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125652728</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:49:47 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

			
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*180/brown_jerry_election.jpg" length="101363" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown said Thursday he had signed a bill that will require public schools in the state to teach students about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americas.

The bill, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, will also require teachers to provide instruction on the role of people with disabilities.

'History should be honest,' Brown said in a statement.

'This bill revises existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education and ensures that the important contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in our history books. It represents an important step forward for our state, and I thank Senator Leno for his hard work on this historic legislation.'

The governor was referring to the bill's author, Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat.

California law already requires state schools to teach about the contributions of Native Americans, African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Asian-Americans, among other groups.

'Today we are making history in California by ensuring that our textbooks and instructional materials no longer exclude the contributions of [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] Americans,' Sen. Leno said in a statement.

Separately, he told CNN the bill is thought the be the first of its kind in the nation. It will take effect in January, however, state textbooks are not likely to be updated until 2015, he said.

Leno's office cited research that shows students who learn about LGBT people are more likely to report their schools are inclusive and fair.

The bill, which passed the state legislature this month and the senate in April, according to the senator's office, is not without controversy.

It has drawn criticism from some religious and conservative groups, like the Traditional Values Coalition, a lobby organization that says it speaks on behalf of more than 43,000 churches.

'It is an outrage that Governor Jerry Brown has opened the classroom door for homosexual activists to indoctrinate the minds of California's youth, since no factual materials would be allowed to be presented,' Rev. Louis Sheldon, chairman and founder of the Traditional Values Coalition, said in a statement.

'If parents don't already have their children out of public schools, this should cause them to remove them,' he said.
]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[State officials no longer want to sell Orange County Fairgrounds]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/orange-county-fairgrounds-costa-mesa-125651333.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125651333</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:26:03 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[COSTA MESA — State officials no longer want to sell the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, a spokeswoman for the agency in charge of dealing with the property said Friday.

Instead, state officials plan to do a review of sales of the state's assets, according to Gretchen Zeagler of the Department of General Services, the agency charged with selling the 150 acres in Costa Mesa, where the annual fair begins Friday.

"The Department of General Services is not selling the fairgrounds now and will be evaluating the pros and cons of selling state properties in the coming months,'' Zeagler said.

Monday is the deadline for filing an appeal with the state Supreme Court, and it is unclear whether prospective buyer Facilities Management West will press on with the issue legally. Attorney Tom Gibbs said he could not comment on FMW's legal plans.

The Fait Family Trust and David Pyle, who own American Career College and West Coast University, are behind FMW. They asked the Fourth District Appellate Court to reconsider its ruling to stop the sale, but that was rejected earlier this month.

Appellate Court justices ruled the $100 million deal was fatally flawed because no fair-market value was determined for the property and there was no protest procedure in place for state lawmakers to ultimately object to the final transaction.

FMW's attorneys argued those problems could both be cured in retrospect, but the appellate justices rejected that claim.

"At this point the Orange County fairgrounds is off the block,'' said Wylie Aitken, an attorney who represents state lawmakers who sued to stop the sale.

"I'm excited for the people of Orange County that the fairgrounds is virtually off the block,'' Aitken said. "The fire sale has been doused and we can move on with our lives and all go out and buy cotton candy at the fair.''

Facilities Management West had a different take on the state's decision.

"We have spent two years and significant resources scrupulously following the procedures outlined by DGS,'' said Guy Lemmon, a spokesman for FMW.

"So we, too, are extremely disappointed that the misguided legal issues raised by the court will not be fully pursued,'' Lemmon said.

"The sale was endorsed virtually unanimously by the Legislature and the previous governor and DGS used an open and fair bidding process in conducting the sale,'' Lemmon continued. "Apparently, the governor — who represented DGS as Attorney General during the entire process — now disagrees and is refusing to support the work of the professionals who conducted this sale. This decision will further discourage businesses to work with the state as the state attempts addresses the fiscal crisis.''

Rival bidders sued to stop the sale, along with Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Anaheim, Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, Newport-Mesa Unified School District board member Katrina Foley and the Orange County Fair Preservation Society. Two separate but similar suits were later combined.

State lawmakers approved the sale of the fairgrounds in the summer of 2009 to help pay down the state's deficit. The state held an auction in January 2010, but officials later rejected the winning $55 million bid as too low.

State officials then tried to negotiate a deal with FMW and Costa Mesa to acquire the land in a public-private lease deal that would net the state $95 million and the city $235 million over 40 years. The deal fell through when it could not win support from state lawmakers.

In November, state officials accepted FMW's bid to buy the fairgrounds for $100 million with a $20 million down-payment and the rest to be paid off over 35 years. ]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Former NFL linebacker convicted in 1994 murder of lover's boyfriend]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/nfl-naposki-guilty-murder-santa-ana-patriots-colts-125607153.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125607153</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:36:08 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A former NFL linebacker was convicted today of killing his lover's boyfriend in the victim's Newport Beach home in 1994.

Eric Andrew Naposki, 44, of Greenwich, Conn., was convicted of special circumstances murder for financial gain with a sentencing enhancement for using a gun. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21 and faces life in prison without parole.

Naposki shook his head as the verdict was read and turned to his fiancee and with a wink and a smile said, "Don't worry, babe, everyone makes mistakes, including those 12," said Susan Kang Schroeder of the Orange County District Attorney's Office, who was in the courtroom.

Naposki and co-defendant Nanette Ann Packard are accused of killing 55-year-old retiree Bill McLaughlin, shot to death by an intruder in his home in a gated community Dec. 15, 1994, to steal the $1.5 million he had in savings and collect on a $1 million life insurance policy.

Packard, 45, of Ladera Ranch, is scheduled to be tried later this year on the same charges.

"My Dad is honored today," said McLaughlin's daughter, Kim McLaughlin, after the verdict. "One down, one to go," she added, referring to Packard.

"We very much miss our father," another daughter, Jenny McLaughlin, said. "But we're very happy that justice has been served on his behalf."

Naposki played three games with the New England Patriots in 1988 and one each with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in 1989.

Although Naposki was a key suspect, and Packard pleaded guilty to stealing about $500,000 from McLaughlin, the case went cold until 2009 when the two were arrested.

Packard met McLaughlin met through an ad, and Naposki was having a relationship with her behind McLaughlin's back.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Trial begins in 1985 cold case murder in Santa Ana]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/santa-ana-trial-1985-murder-cold-case-Illiano-125541563.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125541563</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:55:17 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — DNA evidence may have been science fiction in 1985 when a Santa Ana drug dealer was stabbed to death in his apartment, but the technology and police caught up with one of the suspects, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday in her opening statement in the trial of Michael John Illiano.

Illiano is charged with murder with a special circumstances allegation of killing during a robbery in connection with the fatal stabbing of 49-year- old Gene Carson in his Santa Ana apartment on Dec. 28, 1985, Deputy District Attorney Sonia Balleste said.

Investigators collected blood evidence and fingerprints from the crime scene in 1985, but didn't have enough evidence to make an arrest, Balleste said.

Santa Ana police reopened the case in 2008, sent the blood to a lab for testing and investigators determined that it matched the DNA of Illiano and the victim, Balleste told jurors.

Blood matching Illiano's DNA was found in the kitchen and in a bathroom next to the master bedroom, Balleste said.

Illiano told police when they questioned him in 1986 that he had visited Carson in his apartment, but he left him there when Carson fell asleep, Balleste said.

Illiano and others had been using drugs in the apartment with Carson, Balleste said. When friends of Carson could not get in touch with him, they broke into his apartment Jan. 3, 1986, and found him dead, Balleste said.

There were two knives at the scene, including one that was broken in half, Balleste said. The apartment had been ransacked, she added.

Attorney Ken Morrison from the Alternate Defender's Office told jurors that the evidence will show Illiano used a knife that evening, but it was only to carve some turkey while the friends drank alcohol and used drugs together.

Morrison said there was trouble handling the DNA evidence, indicating he will challenge experts who are expected to testify that Illiano's blood was at the crime scene.

Morrison also told jurors he will present evidence that Carson was in the orbit of several drug dealers, including a couple of high rollers. Carson supposedly was gay and hit on one of his longtime friends, who was a drug addict and alcoholic, Morrison said.

"Even though Mr. Illiano is not required to prove anything, it will become clear there were other people who had the motive and opportunity to kill Mr. Carson... And that my client has been wrongly accused," Morrison said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Suspected 'Drifter Bandit' bank robber arrested in Santa Ana]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/drifter-bandit-arrested-santa-ana-marano-sheriff-bank-niguel-capistrano-125248469.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125248469</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 8 Jul 2011 17:29:46 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

			
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*220/llvaer-b78801681z.120110527113503000gemvlhp9.1.jpg" length="52220" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[

SANTA ANA &mdash; A man suspected of being the &quot;Drifter Bandit,'' who is responsible for four bank heists since May, was arrested Friday in Santa Ana.

Investigators tracked down Michael David Marano, 45, of Santa Ana, to a home where the suspect was staying with a &quot;female companion,'' Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.

An Orange County sheriff's investigator and FBI agent &quot;tracked him down with good, old-fashioned detective work,'' Amormino said.

The investigators set up surveillance outside the home and watched Marano leave the residence and get into a car about 11 a.m. He was arrested a short distance away, Amormino said.

Marano is suspected of committing two heists in May and another two this week.

He allegedly robbed a Chase bank branch at 31972 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano on May 3; a U.S. Bank branch at 33621 Del Obispo in Dana Point on May 26; a Farmers &amp; Merchants Bank branch at 31873 Del Obispo in San Juan Capistrano on Tuesday; and a Citibank branch at 30311 Golden Lantern in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday.

&quot;He's a career criminal with a long, extensive criminal record for robbery, theft and drug charges,'' Amormino said.

In two of the heists, the bandit threatened tellers with a gun, Amormino said. For the other two stickups, he did not show a gun but threatened that he had one, the spokesman said.

The Drifter Bandit got the moniker because of his unkempt appearance, Amormino said.

&quot;The only place he'll be drifting now is from Orange County jail to a federal prison,'' he said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA['Drifter Bandit' suspected in Laguna Niguel bank robbery]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/laguna-niguel-drifter-bandit-citibank-bank-robbery-125120824.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">125120824</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 6 Jul 2011 21:08:12 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	

			
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.wavenewspapers.com/images/320*220/llvaer-b78801681z.120110527113503000gemvlhp9.1.jpg" length="52220" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[

LAGUNA NIGUEL &mdash; Sheriff's detectives believe that the so-called Drifter Bandit robbed a Citibank branch in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday, escaping with an undetermined amount of cash.

Law enforcement was called to the branch at Golden Lantern and Marina Hills Drive at 4'38 p.m., said Lt. Stu Greenberg of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. No injuries were reported.

It is believed that the same suspect struck a Farmers &amp; Merchants Bank branch in San Juan Capistrano, Salcedo said.

According to reports, the Drifter Bandit has robbed four banks recently, most of them in Orange County.

The Drifter Bandit got his named based on his physical description, said sheriff's Detective Dan Salcedo.

&quot;He appears to be a homeless person, about six feet tall,'' Salcedo said. &quot;He has a raspy voice and a distinctive limp and tan leathery skin.''

The Drifter Bandit wore dark clothing, including a dark baseball cap, and displayed no weapon during Wednesday's robbery.

The suspect left on foot and witnesses said he fled into an apartment complex across the street. The complex was searched, with the aid of dogs, but he was not located.

The robbery was captured on video by bank cameras, Salcedo said.

Surveillance photo courtesy of FBI.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Former NFL linebacker's defense attorney makes case for alibi in 1994 murder]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/nfl-newport-beach-naposki-packard-murder-124839379.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">124839379</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 1 Jul 2011 01:23:02 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A former NFL linebacker did not have enough time to kill his lover's boyfriend in the victim's Newport Beach home in 1994, and the most likely culprit is the athlete's ex-girlfriend, his defense attorney told jurors today.

Eric Andrew Naposki and Nanette Ann Packard are accused of killing 55- year-old retiree Bill McLaughlin — who was fatally shot by an intruder in his home in a gated community on Dec. 15, 1994 — to steal the $1.5 million he had in his savings and to cash in on a $1 million life insurance policy. McLaughlin was shot six times.

Packard, 45, of Ladera Ranch, will go on trial later for special circumstances murder for financial gain.

Naposki, 44, of Greenwich, Conn., is charged with special circumstances murder for financial gain with a sentencing enhancement for using a gun. He faces life in prison without parole.

Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy made the case in his opening statement on June 20 that Naposki had the motive and opportunity to kill McLaughlin, because the defendant was angry at the victim and thought he had abused Packard. The defendants reportedly were having an affair.

Defense attorneys Gary Pohlson and Angelo MacDonald — who spoke to jurors — chose to wait until today to give an opening statement.

A central issue in the trial has been the timing and movements of the defendants prior to McLaughlin's slaying. McLaughlin's son, Kevin, called 911 at 9'11 p.m., MacDonald said.

Naposki was with Packard at her son's soccer game in Walnut the night of the murder. Murphy said the two left about 8'20 p.m.

Packard made a couple of calls at 8'24 p.m. and 8'25 p.m. from her Cadillac to retrieve phone messages, MacDonald said.

The two arrived in Tustin about 26 minutes later, when Packard dropped Naposki off at his apartment, MacDonald said. Naposki changed clothes before heading to work as head of security at the Thunderbird nightclub, near McLaughlin's home.

The defense's main alibi is a call Naposki's attorneys say he made at 8'52 p.m. from a Denny's restaurant just off the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway in Tustin. A private investigator who worked for Naposki while he was under suspicion for the murder in the mid-1990s is expected to testify that he saw a record of the phone call and went to the Denny's to confirm it was from a pay phone there, MacDonald said.

Naposki made the call to respond to a beeper page he received from the bar manager at the Thunderbird, MacDonald said.

Naposki's attorneys say even if the ex-pro athlete — who played three games with the New England Patriots in 1988 and one each with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in 1989 — had "superhuman powers,'' there was no way he could have gotten from the Denny's to McLaughlin's home in time to kill him.

"That couldn't have happened because the crime's already done,'' MacDonald said. "For Eric Naposki to do this crime he would have had to turn back time.''

MacDonald also emphasized that Naposki would have been fighting traffic because it was the first night of the annual Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach.

MacDonald said the defense will also try to establish that Newport Beach police "dropped the ball'' and did not adequately check out Naposki's alibi claim. He said evidence will show that Packard was the most likely killer.

"Nanette Johnson,'' MacDonald said, referring to her name from her first marriage, "is an accomplished liar, cheater, manipulator, con woman, who is a selfish promiscuous gold digger.''

Packard, who loved working out and met Naposki at the gym, could "charm the pants off any man'' with her good looks, MacDonald said.

Packard met McLaughlin in 1991 through a classified ad for dating.

The millionaire McLaughlin, who was coming off a divorce, was lonely and agreed to pay off $35,000 of Packard's debt, Murphy said.

On the night of the slaying, McLaughlin was having dinner with his son, Kevin.

McLaughlin's son, who was in another room at the time, heard the gunshots and struggled to get to his father and had trouble telling a 911 dispatcher what happened, Murphy said. Kevin McLaughlin was disabled in a car crash.

MacDonald showed jurors a picture of the crime scene and said, "It's what you don't see that's key to this case,'' noting the chair McLaughlin was in wasn't turned over and the items on a table were undisturbed,

This indicates that McLaughlin knew the killer and casts Packard as a likely suspect because McLaughlin did not know Naposki, MacDonald said.

In a "classic try to make an alibi,'' Packard went to two stores at South Coast Plaza to quickly buy gifts, MacDonald said.

It was easier for Packard to get to Costa Mesa in time to make purchases at 9'29 p.m. and 9'45 p.m. because she was going against the traffic, MacDonald theorized.

Although Naposki was a suspect following the murder and Packard was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to stealing about $500,000 from McLaughlin before and after his slaying, the case remained dormant until 2009 when the two were arrested following a revival of the investigation.

Murphy said important evidence in the case includes a key to the home and a copy of it made at a hardware store as well as a 9 mm gun authorities say Naposki owned and was traced to the shooting through a special hollow-point bullet that explodes on impact.

A copied key got stuck in the door of McLaughlin's home and investigators say Naposki went to a hardware store to make a copy of a key before the murder.

Naposki also made conflicting statements about the gun and his relationship with Packard to police during questioning following McLaughlin's death, Murphy said.

One of Naposki's former neighbors, Susan Cogar, told investigators that the defendant made threatening comments about McLaughlin.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Driver in fatal DUI crash convicted of second-degree murder ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/dui-driver-convicted-costa-mesa-valentines-day-crash-124824494.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">124824494</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:35:03 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A 23-year-old Costa Mesa man involved in a pre-dawn Valentine's Day drunken driving crash that killed an aspiring model and cancer survivor was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder.

Gustavo Adrian Vega also was convicted of hit-and-run resulting in death and felony possession of cocaine in connection with the Feb. 14, 2010, collision that killed 20-year-old Cara Lee. The jury, which started deliberating Wednesday afternoon and reached a verdict by 3'30 p.m. Thursday, acquitted Vega of misdemeanor hit-and-run with property damage.

"I'm glad justice was done,'' said Lee's father, Randy Lee.

"It won't bring her back so there's no good feeling or bad,'' Lee's mother, Jackie Lee, said. "But he won't be able to do this to anyone else for a long time.''

"Cara Lee died because Mr. Vega did not want to be held responsible for his actions,'' Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez said. "And he was held accountable for his actions by this jury today.''

Lee was a college student pursuing a modeling career, Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez said. She was also a Newport Beach recreational youth leader who survived cancer when she was 17, he said.

Vega — who had been convicted Dec. 11, 2006, of  misdemeanor DUI — was warned several times by court officials that he could be charged with murder if he became involved in a fatal drunken driving crash.

Before the fatal crash, Vega had gone to the Taqueria Tapatia restaurant on First Street in Santa Ana with a couple of his friends. As he backed his Toyota Tundra pickup truck out of the parking lot, he was involved in a minor fender-bender, Baez said. The jury did not find enough evidence to convict Vega of that accident.

Marisela Sandoval, who was in the car, confronted Vega and told him to stay at the scene to exchange insurance information, but Vega kept going, Baez said. Sandoval ran into the restaurant to get her boyfriend, Todd Highman, who also told Vega to stop.   Highman got into his car and tried to follow Vega, but the defendant lost them, Baez said. Vega then dropped off his two friends and was driving on Flower Street when Highman and Sandoval spotted him and waved for him to pull over, he said.

Instead, Vega accelerated, ran a red light on Flower Street at Sunflower Avenue in Costa Mesa and his truck slammed into a 2003 Toyota Corolla westbound on Sunflower, Baez said. Hao Nguyen, who was driving the Corolla, suffered minor injuries, but his passenger, Lee, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Vega ran away after the crash and was found hiding in a nearby housing complex. He had a blood-alcohol content of .17 percent, more than twice the legal limit, about two hours after the crash, and police found cocaine in his pants pocket, Baez said, adding that a blood test showed Vega had a mix of alcohol and cocaine in his system.

The truck's Event Data Recorder indicated Vega was approaching 90 mph in a 35 mph zone before the crash and was going 61 to 64 mph at the time of impact, Baez said.

Defense attorney Daryl Thompson argued that Vega was not guilty of second-degree murder because he had a "fight or flight'' response when Highman and Sandoval were waving at him to pull over.

"It's 2 in the morning in Santa Ana and Mr. Vega thought they were gangbangers he was having problems with and he was scared,'' Thompson said in his opening statements in the trial.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Federal judge lays out how O.C. must make jails more accessible for disabled]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/orange-county-judge-jails-disabled-access-money-guidelines-compliance-124761364.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">124761364</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:32:13 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — While it will cost Orange County a significant amount of money to make its jails more accessible for the disabled as a federal judge has ordered, authorities said Wednesday that they are relieved to finally have a plan in place to follow.

U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins issued her final order late Tuesday afternoon in the lawsuit filed in October 2001. The order spells out how Orange County must make its jails comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"This means disabled inmates won't have to crawl to get into a shower,'' said Radhika Sainath, one of the attorneys involved in the lawsuit.

The first plaintiff was Fred Pierce, but he was later removed from the lawsuit and was replaced by Timothy Conn, a quadriplegic detainee who had suffered multiple injuries because of the jail's access issues, according to the plaintiff's attorneys. Conn was in an Orange County jail for a couple of months in 2009 on a misdemeanor drug possession case, Sainath said.

"The barriers that exist throughout the five jails in the system were so bad our lead plaintiff had to be physically lifted into the shower in his wheelchair by three other inmates,'' Sainath said.

Collins' ruling not only means ramps and other means of improved access, but a "grievance system,'' for inmates and a monitor who will make certain the county complies with federal laws for the disabled, Sainath said.

The lawsuit's legal history included two bench trials and an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where the plaintiffs won in 2008, attorney Dan Stormer said. What made the case so difficult was the lack of precedent regarding how the Americans with Disabilities Act applied to jails, Stormer said.

"The significance of this is how wide-ranging it is and because it includes a monitor,'' Stormer said.

The order even addresses where disabled inmates can conduct religious observances, Sainath said, adding until now they were relegated to the "dankest, dingiest corners of the jail'' for religious worship.

Orange County sheriff's Capt. Dave Nighswonger said it was a relief to finally get a road map to the upgrades for the disabled access.

"It's good for us right now because we're out of the planning stage and we know what the ruling is,'' Nighswonger said. "We don't have to speculate now.''

Nighswonger did not know how much it would cost the county to make the changes. However, the ruling comes at a tough time for county officials, who said Tuesday they will have to make deep cuts in public safety because they expect to receive $48 million less from the state during the fiscal year beginning Friday.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Trial begins for Costa Mesa man charged with raping teen and friend ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/costa-mesa-rape-anaheim-teen-trial-124746739.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">124746739</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:56:23 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — A 42-year-old man raped a friend in her Anaheim home and months later lured a 16-year-old girl who worked for him at a dry cleaning business to his Costa Mesa home, where he raped her too, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday.

Jaime Zamora Ramirez's attorney insisted, however, that the man had consensual sex with his friend. The attorney accused the other alleged victim of lying.

Ramirez, who is charged with two counts of rape, also faces a sentencing enhancement for a prior strike conviction for vehicular manslaughter in 1992, according to Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker.

"At the end of this trial you will hear how this defendant took what he wanted when he wanted," Walker told jurors during her opening statement, adding Ramirez used his relationships as a boss and a friend to get his way.

Ramirez was manager of First Class Cleaners in Fountain Valley.

Walker said Ramirez went drinking and dancing with friends — including the first alleged victim — at Leonardo's in Fullerton, then went to the friends' Anaheim apartment complex early on Oct. 12, 2008. Ramirez said he wanted to sleep on the alleged victim's couch, which wasn't uncommon, but at some point he forced her to have sex with him, Walker said.

The woman, who was estranged from her husband, "begged and pleaded" with the defendant to stop, Walker said.

"He said, 'You've gone a year without this, you wanted it,"' Walker said.

The woman reported the rape nine days later when police were at her apartment complex on an unrelated matter, Walker said.

Ramirez is also accused of having one of his co-workers drive the 16- year-old girl, who was in the country illegally, to his condo in Costa Mesa July 11, 2009, where he allegedly raped her.

The co-worker told the girl they had to pick up dry cleaning at a hotel, but first had to get some paperwork at Ramirez's home, Walker said.

After he raped her, the girl said she would go to police, prompting Ramirez to reply, "Go ahead, you're here illegally — it's your word against mine, good luck with that," Walker said.

The girl told co-workers and went to police the following week on the advice of an attorney, Walker said. The girl has a lawsuit pending against Ramirez.

Deputy Public Defender Celia Laureles told jurors Ramirez's friend from Anaheim was angered the day after the two had sex because he "blew her off." Laureles also noted the woman had three drinks at the bar and drank more when she got home.

First Class Cleaners is a "cesspool of gossip," where employees wrongly thought Ramirez was the owner, Laureles said.

A "perfect storm" developed when a group of co-workers, including the 16-year-old girl, saw an opportunity to sue Ramirez for the alleged rape and other issues, Laureles said.

"You're going to hear [the 16-year-old girl] has some credibility issues," Laureles said, adding her friends at work told her "she can get money for this."

The civil lawsuit was filed three weeks after the alleged rape, Laureles said.

"What she says doesn't ring true because it's not true," Laureles said.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Garden Grove to start enforcing new ordinance on 'lingerie cafes' ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/garden-grove-lingerie-cafes-nude-law-ban-124694819.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">124694819</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:18:07 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[

GARDEN GROVE &mdash; Garden Grove police could begin enforcing a new law banning nudity and arcade games in the city's lingerie cafes as early as this weekend.

The Garden Grove City Council approved the ordinance last week that also calls on police to more strictly enforce the state law banning smoking in the cafes, police Lt. Jeff Nightengale said.

Police have alerted the cafe owners of the new ordinance, and the next step is training officers to enforce it, Nightengale said.

&quot;The earliest I could see any type of enforcement being done would be this upcoming weekend or the following week,'' Nightengale said.

There are 37 lingerie cafes in Garden Grove, staffed by scantily clad women, Nightengale said. The last time police checked, 23 were out of compliance with the new law, he added.

The cafes are like bikini bars, but sometimes even more suggestive, Nightengale said.

&quot;We're talking about sheer negligees where nothing is left to the imagination,'' Nightengale said.

The prohibition on arcade games in the cafes stems from the tendency of the game makers to embed illegal gambling features in them, Nightengale said.

Authorities recently conducted a crackdown on illegal gambling devices that led to charges against 19 people. Seven of the defendants have pleaded guilty to possessing gambling machines.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[O.C. supervisors approve 2.7 percent bigger budget ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/regional/orange-county-supervisors-budget-increase-124673119.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">124673119</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:18:27 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[SANTA ANA — Orange County supervisors Tuesday approved a budget that increases spending 2.7 percent at a time when most municipal governments are shrinking.

The supervisors approved the $5.6 billion budget on a 4-1, with Supervisor Shawn Nelson the lone dissenter. Nelson did not say why he opposed the budget. The spending plan represents a $146 million increase over fiscal 2010-11, budget director Frank Kim said. The budget calls for adding $1.7 million to reserves that total about $215 million, he said.

The reason Orange County has more money to spend and can balance the 2011-12 budget is that officials went about making cuts in 2006, even before the 2008 economic downturn, they say.

As as county supervisors considered preliminary approval of the budget two weeks ago, they said they wanted to keep part of sheriff's department program for inmates after their release. So Kim found $450,000 in reserves to help extend an agreement with the Phoenix House for six months. The sheriff's department proposed cutting inmate treatment programs to save $2.2 million.

Other addiction treatment programs are available to inmates, but some recovering addicts told supervisors at their meeting two weeks ago that the Phoenix House program was especially helpful. County officials are waiting on the state to pass a budget to see how much money they will have for similar programs.

"Helping people once they're out of jail to re-enter the community as productive folks is vital to addressing recidivism rates and keeping families whole," Supervisor Patricia Bates said at the June 14 meeting.

The state owes the county more than $91 million, according to Kim, who said a tentative agreement on the state budget could be reached Tuesday.

Of the $5.6 billion budget, $3.1 billion is reserved for the general fund, and $663 million is put aside for core county services, Kim said.

While other municipalities are struggling with huge budget gaps, Orange County was able to balance its budget and save a little more for a rainy day, Supervisor John Moorlach said.

"We have been gliding down and when you look at the headlines from counties around the state, we're an anomaly," Moorlach said. "That's an important story to tell... We've done it by starting early."

Orange County Board Chairman Bill Campbell agreed.

"It would have been easier on everybody if we kept saying it'll get better," Campbell said of the county's decision to begin making cuts several years ago. "That's what happened to the state."]]></description>
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