Category: Bay Area

SANTA CRUZ — A search team organized by the family and friends of a 17-year-old on Sunday located the body of the local high school student, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Cash Bradley Paul Ebright  Santa Cruz County resident Cash Bradley Paul Ebright went missing on the evening of Sept. 20, after he had been bodysurfing in the area of Laguna Creek Beach off Highway 1 several miles south of Davenport. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Daniel Robbins said Monday that the search group located Cash’s body in the surf line around 4 p.m. near Laguna Creek Beach. Related Articles Accused California theater shooter pleads not guilty by reason of insanity to 2 murders Second graffiti vandalism hate crime reported at Palo Alto parking garage Teens arrested on suspicion of armed robbery at East Bay mall Two take plea deals in 2017 East Bay killing; victim was shot and abandoned under freeway Two killed in separate crashes in Hollister, Gilroy Ebright’s was the third ocean recovery effort along Santa Cruz County’s Highway 1 North Coast beaches this month. David Guzman, 26,…

SANTA CRUZ — The State Department of Water Resources will bolster funding the long-anticipated Pajaro River levee system rebuild after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 496 on Friday — a move critical in protecting residents from frequent floods, officials say. The levees — built in 1949 — haven’t stacked up to heavy rainfall events. For Pajaro Valley residents and farmers it’s been a decades-long saga of evacuations, property damage, and safety risks. In 1995 the river flooded, killing two people, and leaving more than $95 million in damages in its wake. “Right now the Army Corps of Engineers estimates that there’s just five-year flood protection on the Pajrao River, and this project would bring 100 year flood protection, so it is major,” said Senator John Laird, who authored the bill. The Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project aims to mitigate flood danger by rebuilding levees and in some cases, relocating them. Previously, the state would have paid for 70% of the project’s construction cost, with 30% being footed by local governments. “This bill removes that cap, so it’s a full 100% state share,” Laird…

Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney sat at a witness table in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room. All eyes were on her, but not for the reasons we were used to. As her teammates and the FBI director looked on, she recounted how, six years earlier, she had detailed her childhood abuse by USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar to the nation’s top law enforcement agency. It was the summer of 2015. On the other end of the phone was Michael Langeman, a supervisory special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Langeman not only failed to act on what he heard from Maroney for a staggering 14 months, but also fabricated the details of her disclosure — and still kept his job for another six years. Maroney paused as she remembered that day, and how as soon as she finished recounting her trauma, her lingering tears were met with silence from Langeman, until finally the agent asked: “Is that all?” Now a 25-year-old retired Olympic champion, Maroney told the committee that moment was “one of the worst moments of this entire process for me. To have…

The 20-year-old man accused of shooting to death two teenagers on a date at a Corona movie theater in July pleaded not guilty, and not guilty by reason of insanity, to two counts of murder on Monday, Sept. 27. Joseph Jimenez did not speak during the hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice. His attorney, Charles Kenyon, made the pleas to Superior Court Judge Gail A. O’Rane. The two different not-guilty pleas were necessary, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, because there would be two phases if the case goes to trial: a guilt phase, and a phase to determine whether Jimenez was insane. In California, defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity still must be treated in a state mental hospital. Jimenez would have to remain there, Deputy District Attorney Kevin Beecham said, until he is judged to be sane and not a threat to the public. But unlike cases in which a defendant has been ruled incompetent to stand trial and later rehabilitated, Beecham said, Jimenez would not continue to face charges. Kenyon requested two weeks…

President Joe Biden hosted a summit meeting Friday that could turn out to be a watershed — but if you weren’t watching, you might have missed it. The meeting brought together the leaders of a deliberately low-key group called “the Quad”: the United States, Japan, India and Australia. U.S. officials downplayed the session, describing it as “an informal gathering of leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific.” China wasn’t fooled. Its diplomats have spent months denouncing the Quad as a Cold War-style alliance aimed at containing Beijing’s rise as the dominant power in Asia. And they’re right. Biden and his fellow Quad leaders never publicly uttered the word “China,” but the Quad is all about containment. It seeks to blunt China’s growing influence, deter it from launching military adventures and prevent it from muscling the United States and other countries out of Asia’s growing markets. The Quad isn’t a military alliance — formally, at least. A Biden aide who briefed reporters before the summit took pains to make that point three times in 20 minutes. But last month, four navies staged a massive military exercise in the…

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I adore my longtime boyfriend and the happy life we have built together. There is, however, a recurring issue over which we cyclically disagree: his birthday. While never truly enjoying getting older, I have always enjoyed celebrating my own birthday — what a wonderful excuse to see loved ones and share a good time over food and/or drinks! My boyfriend, however, sees his birthday in an entirely different light. Sharing a life with him, I am privy to some of the horror stories that were his birthdays growing up. To be blunt, they weren’t great. But that life is decades behind him. Related Articles Miss Manners: They insist it’s correct to answer the phone to say you can’t talk Miss Manners: My fiance thinks these bridesmaids deserve to be cut from the wedding Miss Manners: Someone is using my toilet, and my roommates say it’s not them Miss Manners: Can I appoint myself the seat-finder for people on the train? Miss Manners: I have a strategy for thwarting pushy drivers. Is it rude? We, an out and proud gay couple, have been…

DEAR ABBY: I was married in a double wedding with my twin brother. Jeanne Phillips  Fast-forward: My husband and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary in three months. My brother and his wife divorced 10 years ago. Our three adult children want us to have a big anniversary celebration, as do my husband and I. My brother says that since it would have been his anniversary, too, I’m being selfish and insensitive to his feelings. Our mother agrees! Both said if we have a party, they will not attend. Related Articles Dear Abby: I can no longer put up with his old girlfriend’s obnoxious gift Dear Abby: I’m still sad and angry I didn’t get the wedding I wanted Dear Abby: A woman called me ‘love,’ and my husband got upset Dear Abby: I’m tired of being told I should feel sorry for him because of his issues Dear Abby: She’ll never be a bride, so I’m not going to let her try on my wedding dress I think they are the ones being selfish. My husband and I have had our share of hardships,…

Dear Amy: My son recently remarried. We came up with a plan for me to continue living with him and his wife if I occasionally help out with my 4-year-old granddaughter, “Kristin.” Amy Dickinson  It seems like I am watching Kristin more and more often. They don’t take her out much. They will ask her, “Do you want to go with us?” Kristin says, “No, I am staying here with Nonny.” They tell me they are going to have drinks with friends and be back in 90 minutes or so. They show up three hours later. They are always planning one-night trips, leaving me with Kristin. They tell me when to expect them and then show up much later than expected. Related Articles Ask Amy: I don’t know why his wife is so upset by this news about his past Ask Amy: I’m afraid my grandson’s habit will get him ridiculed in his dorm Ask Amy: My girlfriend is throwing a fit about a cruise I’m paying for Ask Amy: I know why my wife doesn’t like my boss’s wife, but I don’t know what…

A number of factors separate the Oakland A’s from postseason bliss. One nagging one: Their inability to beat the Seattle Mariners. Their 13-4 loss on Monday night in Seattle to open up the final road trip of the season was Oakland’s 10th straight loss to the Mariners and moved their record to 4-13 against them this season. That matches the A’s longest losing streak against a team since they lost 10 straight to the Houston Astros from July 20, 2016 to April 28, 2017. “They’ve had their way with us, how many games in a row,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We take the field tomorrow we expect to win. It doesn’t feel good to get beat that many times by one team, but it’s the big leagues, so you have to go out there and earn it the next day.” The A’s looked to have gained some positive momentum with a sweep of the Houston Astros to close out their home games, but this loss nearly shuts the door on the A’s postseason hopes. Of the five American League teams competing for a wild card…

What separates the Oakland A’s from postseason bliss? A number of factors. One nagging one: Their inability to beat the Seattle Mariners. Their 13-4 loss on Monday night to open up the final road trip of the season was Oakland’s 10th straight loss to the Mariners and moved their record to 4-13 against them this season. That matches their longest losing streak against a team. They also lost 10 straight to the Houston Astros from July 20, 2016 to April 28, 2017. The A’s looked to have gained some positive momentum with a sweep of the Houston Astros to close out their home games, but this loss nearly shuts the door on the A’s postseason hopes. Of the five American League teams competing for a wild card spot — the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays — the A’s and Mariners were the only teams playing on Monday. With the loss, the a’s fall 3.5 games back of the second wild card spot with five games left to play. The odds are slim, at best. Cole Irvin’s struggles against this Mariners…

PALO ALTO – Authorities in Palo Alto are investigating another incident of graffiti vandalism as a hate crime. At about 5:30 p.m. Friday, an anti-Jewish symbol and a racial epithet directed at Black people were found written in black marker on the walls of City Lot “R,” a parking garage at 528 High St., the Palo Alto Police Department said in a news release Monday. A public works crew was called to remove the graffiti. Police said they weren’t certain when the vandalism occurred. The garage was last checked by city workers on Sept. 15, when racial epithets directed at Black people were also found. “Police believe it is possible that the crimes committed in Lot ‘R’ have been committed by the same suspect,” police said, “but there is no known connection with the other cases.” The city has recorded four other graffiti vandalism hate crimes this year. On March 21, racial epithets directed at Black people were discovered at Heritage Park, and “derogatory language” directed at White people was found inside a restroom at El Camino Park on May 7, July 7 and Sept.…

PLEASANTON — Three teenagers were arrested on suspicion of attempted armed robbery in connection with a midday attack on a woman in a Stoneridge Mall parking lot, authorities said. At 1 p.m., police responded to the Stoneridge Mall parking lot for a report of the robbery in progress. Officers said the woman had gotten out of her vehicle after parking when three males approached her and demanded her purse and vehicle. As two teens grabbed her arms, the third pointed a semi-automatic handgun at her face, police said. When the woman managed to pull away and yell for help, the teens ran away into the mall. Officers worked with mall security staff to locate and detain one teen while BART police officers held a train at the West Dublin/Pleasanton station, allowing officers to find and take the other teens into custody. Police said a handgun was also recovered. There were no other reports of additional suspects or an associated vehicle. The teens were booked into Alameda County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of armed robbery but could face additional charges, Pleasanton police Lt. Erik Silacci said. Anyone…

GILROY — Two people were killed in separate traffic collisions roughly 90 minutes apart Sunday in Gilroy and Hollister, authorities said. The first crash was reported at about 6:30 p.m. on Fairview Road just north of Fairview Court in Hollister. In a news release, the California Highway Patrol said a 2021 Peterbilt semi trailer was turning left from private property onto northbound Fairview Road when it was struck by a 2017 Buick traveling southbound on the roadway. The driver of the Buick, identified by the CHP as a 77-year-old Newark man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Peterbilt was not injured in the collision. The CHP said alcohol did not play a role in the crash. At about 8:50 p.m., a vehicle hit a pedestrian on the 1100 block of Leavesley Road just east of the Gilroy Premium Outlets in Gilroy. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. An initial investigation revealed the pedestrian was wearing dark clothing and walking westbound in the roadway when they were hit by the vehicle, which was traveling in the same direction, the Gilroy…

Q: I spent many years in the L.A. area, living in Fullerton, Pasadena, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Venice before moving to the Bay Area Perhaps the use of “the” preceding the highway number came from the time when we all called the freeways and highways by their names before they were assigned numbers.  When I drove  from my folks’ home in Pasadena to UCLA, my route was the Arroyo Seco Parkway to the Pasadena Freeway to the Harbor Freeway to the Santa Monica Freeway. The names of the freeways were descriptive of the cities traversed and were much more evocative than being named a number. Jennifer Alpaugh, Pacifica A: I need Dennis-the-Roadshow-Editor to chime in. Q: Last week we had a story about the Santa Clara’s DA’s office offering a $20,000 reward for the arrest of the person who has been firing ball bearings at cars and buildings along the Guadalupe Freeway. Another editor asked, “What’s the Guadalupe Freeway?” I replied, “Highway 87.” It occurred to me that people around here used to commonly refer to the highways by their non-numerical names: Nimitz, Sinclair,…

Tuesday TV/Radio Baseball Phillies at Braves 4 p.m. FS1 Diamondbacks at Giants 6:45 p.m. NBCBA 680 Padres at Dodgers 7 p.m. ESPN A’s at Mariners 7 p.m. NBCCA 960 Horse racing Television Games 9 a.m. TVG Race Night 5 p.m. TVG NHL preseason Bruins at Rangers 4 p.m. NHL Avalanche at Golden Knights 7 p.m. NHL Tennis WTA Chicago; ATP Sofia/San Diego 8 a.m. TENNIS WTA Chicago; ATP San Diego/Sofia 8 p.m. TENNIS ATP Sofia; WTA Nur-Sultan 10 p.m. TENNIS ATP Sofia; WTA Nur-Sultan (early Thurs.) 3 a.m. TENNIS WNBA playoffs TBA at Connecticut 5 p.m. ESPN2 TBA at Las Vegas 7 p.m. ESPN2 Wednesday TV/Radio Baseball Nationals at Rockies noon MLB Congressional Baseball Game 4 p.m. FS1 Diamondbacks at Giants 6:45 p.m. NBCBA 680 A’s at Mariners 7 p.m. NBCCA 960 College football Virginia at Miami 4:30 p.m. ESPN Horse racing Television Games 9 a.m. TVG Race Night 5 p.m. TVG NHL preseason Kings at Sharks 7 p.m. NHL Tennis WTA Chicago; ATP Sofia/San Diego 8 a.m. TENNIS WTA Chicago; ATP San Diego/Sofia 8 p.m. TENNIS ATP Sofia; WTA Nur-Sultan, Chicago 11 p.m. TENNIS WTA Chicago/Nu-Sultan; ATP San Diego/Sofia (early Thurs.) 3 a.m. TENNIS WNBA playoffs Chicago at Connecticut 5 p.m. ESPN2 Phoenix at Las Vegas…

By Hyung-jin Kim | Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Tuesday fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea, Seoul and Tokyo officials said, the latest in a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang that raised questions about the sincerity of its recent offer for talks with South Korea. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that “an unidentified projectile” fired from an inland location in North Korea flew toward the country’s eastern sea Tuesday morning. It said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were analyzing details of the launch. Japan’s Defense Ministry said North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile but gave no further details. Earlier this month, North Korea performed tests of ballistic and cruise missiles in its first such launches in six months, displaying an ability to attack South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American troops are stationed. But last Friday and Saturday, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reached out to Seoul, saying it’s open to resuming talks and reconciliatory steps if…

OAKLAND — Two men who were charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of an East Bay baker have accepted plea deals, court records show. Jose Alas, 41, of Oakland, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the killing of 38-year-old Jesus Martinez, and will receive 18 years in prison. Chris Yen, 40, of Oakland, pleaded no contest to being an accessory and was released after being sentenced to three years he’s already served awaiting trial in county jail. Alas and Yen were charged with murdering Martinez, then disposing of the firearm and the Jeep the three drove in a short distance away. According to authorities and court records, the three men were riding together in a Jeep belonging to Alas. Martinez knew  Alas but not Yen, authorities said. Martinez was the father of two daughters and worked as a baker, according to people who knew him. During their January 2020 preliminary hearing, prosecutors did not reveal a motive for the shooting. A judge said they couldn’t prove who shot Martinez, but agreed there was enough evidence to order both men to stand…

By Brian Melley | Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Thousands of families sickened and forced from their Los Angeles homes after the nation’s largest-known natural gas leak have reached a settlement of up to $1.8 billion with a utility, attorneys said Monday. The settlement with Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company, Sempra Energy, will compensate 35,000 plaintiffs from the 2015 blowout that took nearly four months to control. The Aliso Canyon blowout led to the largest-known release of methane in U.S. history and was blamed for sickening thousands of residents who moved out of homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds. The plaintiffs alleged personal injury for their illnesses and property damage to their homes. SoCalGas spent more than $1 billion on the the blowout — with most going to temporarily relocate 8,000 families. The utility has faced more than 385 lawsuits on behalf of 48,000 people. “Our goal has always been obtaining justice for the men, women and children who were failed by SoCalGas throughout every turn of this catastrophe,”…