Saturday, August 6, 2011

Wildfire in Moreno Valley area traps motorists, burns 450 acres

A fast-moving wildfire stoked by 90-degree weather leaped State Route 60 in the Moreno Valley area, briefly trapping 50 motorists and burning about 450 acres.

The fire was just 35% contained, but no homes were in its immediate path, officials said. A stretch of the freeway between Jack Rabbit Trail and Gilman Springs Road was closed as nearly 200 firefighters battle the blaze with the help of air tankers and helicopters. The westbound lanes were later reopened, but the eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed for several hours tonight.

Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said the blaze, which began around 4 p.m., threatened motorists until California Highway Patrol officers and firefighters escorted them away from the flames.

“We had a life-threatening situation earlier with the motorists trapped, so we’re feeling pretty fortunate,” Patterson said. “It is burning in a pretty remote area and not toward any homes.”

She said the cause of the fire was under investigation. It is burning in unincorporated territory between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, in an area known as the San Timoteo Badlands.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a relatively mild fire season so far,” Patterson said. "This area is notorious for burning year after year.”

 

ALSO: 

Man falls to his death on popular Pasadena hiking trail

Yosemite falls: Body recovered by authorities

Yosemite deaths highest in recent memory

-- Hector Becerra

San Diego officer shot in head, suspect killed in gun battle

A San Diego police officer was shot twice in the head during a gun battle with two or more fleeing suspects, officials said.

One suspect was fatally shot, and a second was barricaded inside a house surrounded by a San Diego Police Department SWAT team.

The officer was rushed to a hospital, where his condition is unknown.

What started the gun battle was unclear. Early reports indicated that it began about 5:30 p.m. with an attempted robbery at a fast food restaurant in the City Heights neighborhood.

ALSO:

Attorney defends Fullerton officers in death of homeless man

Suspect charged in "All Ears Bandit" bank robbery case

3 medical marijuana dispensaries close in Newport Beach

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Former conjoined twins celebrate 10th birthday

Twin girls formerly joined at the head turned 10 on Saturday, nine years after being separated in a bold 23-hour surgery that gained worldwide attention.

Maria de Jesus and Maria Teresa Quiej-Alvarez celebrated their birthday at a Malibu home, according to the Associated Press. The guests included many of the members of the 50-person surgical team that separated the Guatemalan-born twins in 2002 at Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA Medical Center.

Conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring in about one in 2.5 million births, with craniophagus twins the rarest kind. If they survive birth, many do not live beyond their first birthday. Others do not survive separation surgery. The survival odds in the Quiej-Alvarez case were improved because the girls did not share a brain.

“It is a miracle,” Jenny Hull, an executive director at Mending Kids International, told the AP. Mending Kids arranged the $1.5-million surgery and also financed much of the girls' care through donations.

After months of recovery, the sisters, known as Josie and Teresita, returned to Guatemala, but several months later Teresita contracted meningitis.

They returned to the United States for ongoing treatment and now live with host families in Los Angeles County. Their parents remain in their rural village in Guatemala and visit the girls several times a year.

Maria de Jesus, called Josie, attends a public elementary school where she's entering fourth grade. She's very social and loves singing, drawing and performing with her synchronized swim team, said Hull, who is Josie’s host mother. 

Teresita's bout with meningitis left her unable to speak, but she expresses herself through humming and laughing. She enjoys art, music and computers at school and loves swimming and horseback riding.

“They love being together,” Hull said. “They totally have that twin connection. Josie always talks to Teresita and she'll hum back. She'll tell her something funny and Teresita will laugh.”

ALSO: 

Attorney defends Fullerton officers in death of homeless man

Man falls to his death on popular Pasadena hiking trail

Yosemite falls: Body recovered by authorities

Wildfire in Moreno Valley area traps motorists, burns 150 acres

This post was updated at 8:54 p.m.

A fast-moving wildfire stoked by 90-degree weather leaped State Route 60 in the Moreno Valley area, briefly trapping 50 motorists and burning about 450 acres.

The fire was just 35% contained, but no homes were in its immediate path, officials said. A stretch of the freeway between Jack Rabbit Trail and Gilman Springs Road was closed as nearly 200 firefighters battle the blaze with the help of air tankers and helicopters. The westbound lanes were later reopened, but the eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed for several hours tonight.

Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said the blaze, which began around 4 p.m., threatened motorists until California Highway Patrol officers and firefighters escorted them away from the flames.

“We had a life-threatening situation earlier with the motorists trapped, so we’re feeling pretty fortunate,” Patterson said. “It is burning in a pretty remote area and not toward any homes.”

She said the cause of the fire was under investigation. It is burning in unincorporated territory between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, in an area known as the San Timoteo Badlands.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a relatively mild fire season so far,” Patterson said. "This area is notorious for burning year after year.”

 

ALSO: 

Man falls to his death on popular Pasadena hiking trail

Yosemite falls: Body recovered by authorities

Yosemite deaths highest in recent memory

-- Hector Becerra

San Diego police officer, suspect wounded in shootout

A San Diego police officer has been wounded in a shootout with suspects in an apparent robbery of a fast-food restaurant, officials said.

One of the suspects was also shot in the gun battle, which occurred about 5:30 p.m. today in the eastern part of the city.

The unidentified officer was taken to a hospital, where his condition was unknown.

The identity and condition of the wounded suspect were also unavailable.  

Police officials released no further details.

ALSO:

Attorney defends Fullerton officers in death of homeless man

Suspect charged in "All Ears Bandit" bank robbery case

3 medical marijuana dispensaries close in Newport Beach

 -- Tony Perry

Moreno Valley-area wildfire traps motorists, burns 150 acres

A fast-moving wildfire stoked by 90-degree weather leaped State Route 60 in the Moreno Valley area, briefing trapping 50 motorists and burning about 150 acres.

The fire remains uncontained, but no homes are in its immediate path, officials said. A stretch of the freeway between Jack Rabbit Trail and Gilman Springs Road has been closed as nearly 200 firefighters battle the blaze with the help of air tankers and helicopters.

Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said the blaze, which began around 4 p.m., threatened motorists on the freeway until California Highway Patrol officers and firefighters escorted them away from the flames.

“We had a life-threatening situation earlier with the motorists trapped, so we’re feeling pretty fortunate,” Patterson said. “It is burning in a pretty remote area and not toward any homes.”

She said the cause of the fire, which could grow to 400 acres before it runs into natural barriers, is under investigation. It is burning in unincorporated territory between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, in an area known as the San Timoteo Badlands.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a relatively mild fire season so far,” Patterson said. "This area is notorious for burning year after year.”

 

 

Man falls to his death on popular Pasadena hiking trail

Yosemite falls: Body recovered by authorities

Yosemite deaths highest in recent memory

-- Hector Becerra

Angeles Forest hiker falls to death

A hiker fell to his death from a cliff near a waterfall in Eaton Canyon in the Angeles National Forest early Saturday, the second fatality in the area this week.

A female companion tried to help the man but got stuck. She was airlifted to a landing zone and taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital for minor injuries, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Debra Herman.

A search and rescue team was dispatched to the area around 9:30 a.m. At least two hikers who witnessed the man’s fall tried to administer first aid and perform CPR before the rescue teams arrived, Herman said. The man was pronounced dead at 10 a.m.

There have been more incidents than usual in this area in the last week -- seven in seven days, Herman said. On July 31, a 28-year-old man fell from a trail near one of the park’s waterfalls. He died from injuries several days ago.

Most of the rescues have involved visitors who are lost or hikers who have fallen, Herman said. The area has experienced an influx in visitors because it is a particularly beautiful time of year.

“Unfortunately, we work in a place where people go to enjoy the terrain, it is the mountains, it’s not too far away. It’s beautiful because of all the rain we had ... and we haven’t had the blasting heat,” she said. “You’re not invincible when it comes to Mother Nature.”

Herman said she isn’t aware of any signs posted to warn visitors of the dangers in the area near the waterfall.

ALSO:

Man falls to his death on popular Pasadena hiking trail

Yosemite falls: Body recovered by authorities

Yosemite deaths highest in recent memory

-- Samantha Schaefer

Reader photos: Southern California Moments, Day 218

Reader photos of Southern California Moments
Sun shield: For the first week of August, we're challenging readers to go mobile. A woman protects herself from the sun in this photo, taken by Jeanie Choe with her BlackBerry in Santa Monica on July 23. 

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

North Hills shooting leaves motorist dead

A 20-year-old driver was shot and killed in the North Hills neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley in what appears to be a gang-related incident, authorities said Saturday.

Marco Antonio Gonzalez was driving a white car on Nordhoff Street between Columbus Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard about 12:40 p.m. Friday when he became involved in a dispute with the driver of a car beside him, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Karen Spencer and a coroner’s investigator said.

After words were exchanged, the suspect fired multiple shots at Gonzalez who was struck in the head, Spencer said. The North Hills resident was pronounced dead at the scene.

Spencer would not describe the suspect’s vehicle because she said it would compromise the investigation, which is ongoing.

ALSO:

Attorney defends Fullerton officers in death of homeless man

Vernon pays $500,000 to ex-official who pleaded guilty to corruption

Metal shanks hidden in cake leads to tighter security at Sacramento murder trial

-- Corina Knoll

Fullerton police altercation death protested by hundreds

Kelly
Several hundred protesters descended on the Fullerton Police Department on Saturday morning, the latest in a series of public expressions of outrage over the death of a homeless man after an altercation with six police officers.

The death of Kelly Thomas, 37, has led two City Council members to call for the resignation of Police Chief Michael Sellers and a group of residents led by blogger Tony Bushala to launch a recall campaign against the other three council members.

The crowd stretched across the intersection of Highland and Commonwealth avenues chanting "Justice for Kelly! Jail killer cops!" as passing cars honked in support.

The protesters represented a seemingly unlikely alliance of groups across the political spectrum, from the far-left A.N.S.W.E.R. to the libertarian group Campaign for Liberty.

Members of Thomas' family who were present expressed their appreciation for the support. Kelly's father, Ron Thomas, a retired sheriff's deputy, said he expects to file a civil suit over his son's death in the near future. He has called for the chief to resign and all six officers to go to prison and, in at least one case, to receive the death penalty.

Officers closed off the block of Highland adjacent to the station to traffic but were otherwise not a visible presence.

Protesters estimated the crowd size at 400. Police did not have an estimate.

ALSO:

Attorney defends Fullerton officers in death of homeless man

Vernon pays $500,000 to ex-official who pleaded guilty to corruption

Metal shanks hidden in cake leads to tighter security at Sacramento murder trial

-- Abby Sewell

Photo: Cathy Thomas, left, mother of Kelly Thomas, holds a sign during a protest in Fullerton. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Associated Press

South Gate bike path stabber sought

Stabbing suspect Los Angeles Conty Sheriff’s Department detectives are seeking information about a man suspected in a July 29 stabbing near the Los Angeles River in South Gate.

The victim, identified as Francisco Rivera, 50, was killed between 9:39 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on July 29 on a popular bike trail near the intersection of Burtis Street and Southern Avenue. His body was discovered at 1:30 a.m. July 30.

Rivera, a resident of South Gate, was celebrating that evening after obtaining his driver’s license. He immigrated from El Salvador a number of years ago.

A man was seen leaving the area where Rivera’s body was found in a light metallic colored 1999 or newer Chevy Blazer or GMC Yukon.

The suspect is believed to be Latino, in his early 30s to early 40s with a stocky build. He had short black hair and a mustache and beard growth at the time of the killing.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be left at (800) 222-8477.

ALSO:

Attorney defends Fullerton officers in death of homeless man

Vernon pays $500,000 to ex-official who pleaded guilty to corruption

Metal shanks hidden in cake leads to tighter security at Sacramento murder trial

-- Samantha Schaefer

710 Freeway collision causes delays

A six-mile stretch of the 710 Freeway from Bell to Downey remained closed Saturday morning after a collision forced a Caltrans repaving project to be delayed for hours, authorities said.

As part of a scheduled pavement rehabilitation project that will shut down portions of the freeway for 10 weekends, Caltrans began the work late Friday, closing one lane in both directions of the freeway until midnight, when a full closure took effect.

The section, which runs from Firestone to Atlantic boulevards, was to reopen Saturday at 6 a.m., but a collision caused by a vehicle that drove into the construction area shut down the project for more than eight hours, California Highway Patrol Officer Jennifer Connolly said. No major injuries were reported.

The area was cleared about 10:30 a.m. and Caltrans crews resumed their work. It was not known when Caltrans would finish for the day and an agency official could not be reached.

For the next nine weekends, lanes will begin closing late Friday and reopen about 6 a.m. on Saturdays, at which time temporary median barriers will be set up to guide traffic to one side of the freeway and allow for north and southbound traffic at a speed limit of 45 mph. On Sundays, the lanes will be closed from 11 p.m. to about 5 a.m. Monday, when the median barriers will be removed.

No construction will take place during Labor Day weekend.

ALSO:

Murder victim found in desert in 1971 identified

Hockey star Sean Avery arrested on suspicion of battery on cop

Video in Fullerton police death doesn't show entire altercation

-- Corina Knoll

Yosemite falls: Body recovered by authorities

The body of Yosemite falls hiker Hormiz David, 22, of Modesto has been recovered by Yosemite National Park rangers and a search and rescue team, authorities said Saturday.

David was one of three hikers who slipped over the edge of the 317-foot Vernal Falls on July 19. His body was discovered around 1 p.m. Friday in the Merced River, some 240 feet from the base of the Yosemite falls.

The bodies of his companions, Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock and Ramina Badal, 21, of Manteca remain missing.

The trio had climbed over a guardrail before they were swept over the falls. Every day for almost three weeks, search and rescue teams have combed a three-quarter-mile stretch of river between Vernal Falls Footbridge and the base of Vernal Falls, Yosemite spokeswoman Keri Cob said. The section is one of the most rugged in the Merced River, with high water levels that initially prevented teams from approaching the river’s steep bank.

The water level has receded since the hikers disappeared, with the rate of flow decreasing from 1,000  to about 500 cubic feet per second, Cobb said. This allowed teams to conduct a shoreline search and find David’s body.

As summer progresses and less snowmelt feeds into the water, teams will be able to search closer to the banks of the river. It will be safe for them to dive when the water flow drops to about 60 cubic feet per second, Cobb said.

It took swift-water personnel about 4-1/2 hours to lift the body out of the water with special rigging that stretched across the river. The Mist Trail at the top of Vernal Falls will be closed until noon today and intermittently as the search for Yacoub and Badal continues.

The trail is one of the most popular in the park. Water levels in the area are still high and park officials are warning visitors to exercise extreme caution.

“What visitors need to realize when they come to Yosemite is they’re responsible for knowing the safety concerns in the area, and they need to make appropriate decisions to keep themselves safe,” Cobb said.

This year marks the highest number of deaths in Yosemite in recent memory, which could be due to the high volume of visitors and fast-moving rivers that are swollen from an especially heavy snowpack.  A hiker fell to her death from Half Dome on July 31; two hikers drowned in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on June 29; and a hiker slipped and fell into the Merced River on the Mist Trail on May 13.

RELATED:

Yosemite deaths highest in recent memory

Woman falls to death at Yosemite's Half Dome

Half Dome death: Jerry Brown sees danger at Yosemite

-- Samantha Schaefer

Two prisoners who escaped in Hollywood Hills still at large

KABUL (Reuters) - A NATO helicopter crashed during a battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. soldiers and 7 Afghans, the Afghan president said on Saturday, a devastating toll and easily the worst single incident for foreign troops...

SANTA CLARITA ( KTLA ) -- Three people have been found shot to death in a car in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Santa Clarita Friday.

Inmates on Work Detail Escape in Hollywood Hills

There was still no sign Saturday of two prisoners who escaped while clearing brush in the Hollywood Hills.

At this point, officials suspect the men were picked up by someone, so they are unlikely to still be in the immediate area.

The prisoners were reported missing about 2 p.m. Friday in the 8400 block of Mulholland Drive, nestled between Studio City and West Hollywood Hills. The two prisoners were part of an inmate fire crew with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, according to Officer Sara Fadden of the Los Angeles Police Department.

One prisoner is described as a 19-year-old male Latino, 126 pounds and 5 feet, 4 inches tall. He has shoulder-length curly hair and was wearing a khaki long-sleeve shirt and shorts, possibly green in color, Fadden said. The second inmate is described as a male Latino, about 19 years old and at least 6 feet tall, with black hair.

ALSO:

Suspect charged in "All Ears Bandit" bank robbery case

3 medical marijuana dispensaries close in Newport Beach

Bubba Smith autopsy completed; toxicology tests still pending

-- Ruben Vives

Photo: Vehicles are parked at the site in the Hollywood Hills where two prisoners escaped Friday. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Crime alerts for Panorama City, West Adams, 5 other neighborhoods

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in seven L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Three neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Panorama City (A) was the most unusual, recording 13 reports compared with a weekly average of 6.9 over the last three months.

West Adams (D) topped the list of four neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 17 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 8.3 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for July 25–July 31, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

El Cajon mother, son sentenced in death of disabled family member

Marlows 
An El Cajon mother and son have been sentenced to prison for allowing an older son, disabled with cerebral palsy and severe mental problems, to live in filth while they misused his state disability payments.

Deborah Marlow, 59, was sentenced to two years in prison, and her son, Christopher, 27, to six years in the death of Jeremy Marlow, 28.

When he was found by officials, Jeremy Marlow was malnourished, covered with sores and living amid piles of garbage and animal excrement.

The Marlows pleaded guilty in May to mistreating a disabled person causing great bodily injury. They were sentenced Friday in the El Cajon branch of San Diego County Superior Court.

After the death of Jeremy Marlow in January 2010, his mother and brother fled to Texas in an apparent effort to avoid prosecution. They were charged and then extradited.

-- Tony Perry

Photo: Christopher and Deborah Marlow. Credit: KSWB-TV Channel 5

State releases revised day-care plan for elderly, disabled adults

The Brown administration is circulating a plan it says will help keep about 35,000 elderly and disabled Californians out of institutionalized care when Medi-Cal stops offering an adult day healthcare benefit in December.

The plan released late Friday relies primarily on Medi-Cal-managed care plans to find alternatives for beneficiaries, including additional hours of in-home supportive services, physical and occupational therapy, and social services.

But care providers say the approach could backfire because appropriate alternatives aren’t always available and families will be forced to shuttle patients around town to obtain the services now offered at more than 300 adult day healthcare centers.

“The literature is clear that caregiver stress is one of the top reasons for placement into a nursing home,” said Lydia Missaelides, executive director of the California Assn. for Adult Day Services. “So the more stress that this transition places on the caregiver, the higher the probability that we will see more nursing home placements and not fewer.”

Day-care patients represent a small portion of the some 7.5 million low-income Californians covered by Medi-Cal. But the decision to eliminate the benefit to help close this year’s budget deficit was controversial because it affects some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. Nearly two thirds of beneficiaries -- who suffer from brain injuries, dementia and other chronic conditions -- live in Los Angeles County.

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation that would have created a replacement program, saying it was “unnecessary and untimely.” The state will instead provide managed-care plans an additional $60 per member per month to assess day-care patients’ needs and coordinate services for them, said Toby Douglas, director of the California Department of Health Care Services.

Beginning later this month, beneficiaries will receive notices that the Adult Day Health Care program will be eliminated Dec. 1, along with forms to enroll in managed care starting Oct. 1.

Managed care is only required for the 18% of day-care beneficiaries who aren’t also covered by Medicare. Those who opt out or who are among some 650 beneficiaries living in counties that don’t offer the plans can receive the same services through a state contractor, APS Inc., Douglas said.

APS and the managed-care plans will have the option to continue paying for day care if they determine that is the most appropriate and cost-effective way to keep beneficiaries in their homes, Douglas said.

But Missaelides said centers would be forced to close if not enough patients opt for managed care or plans won’t pay for enough of them to continue receiving services. Just 6,100 center clients are enrolled in managed care.

She said the plans are not appropriate for many patients because case management is mostly done over the telephone. “This is a population that needs eyes-on, hands-on care,” she said.

--Alexandra Zavis

Man kills in-laws, then himself outside Valencia home

Bayview court

Investigators say a 64-year-old man apparently picked up his in-laws from their home in Los Angeles on Friday, drove them to his house in Valencia and fatally shot them as they sat in his car.

His wife, who was inside the home when she heard three shots, ran out and discovered the bodies of her 90-year-old mother in the front seat and her 95-year-old father in the back seat. Her husband was still in the driver's seat.

Authorities did not release the names of the people involved, but the Santa Clarita Valley Signal has identified the 64-year-old as Martin Strassner and his wife as Susan Strassner.

Deputies responded to the emergency call about 3:40 p.m. in the 23800 block of Bayview Court in the community of Bridgeport, a quaint and upscale neighborhood.

Authorities said the murder-suicide appeared to have been planned in advance by the man. He was reportedly depressed, but no motive has been determined yet.

"It looks like he planned it and thought about it," said sheriff's Homicide Lt. John Corina. "He had a note, he had a gun."

Inside the man's four-door car, investigators found a handgun on the man's lap and a suicide note. Detectives did not know if the note was signed.

As detectives continued their investigation, onlookers began to gather behind the yellow police tape of Bayview Court, a cul-de-sac, while children rode bicycles and skateboards. Neighborhood residents said no crime of any sort had ever occurred before in the tight-knit community. All expressed shock.

"I'm at a loss for words," said Olga Echenique, an eight-year resident. "I can't believe it has happened in our neighborhood. Our kids play outside. Our neighbors are sweet; we give each other our house keys.

"Nothing like this has ever happened in the six years I've lived here," Francisco Gamero said. "This is a quiet neighborhood."

ALSO:

Murder victim found in desert in 1971 identified

Hockey star Sean Avery arrested on suspicion of battery on cop

Video in Fullerton police death doesn't show entire altercation

-- Ann M. Simmons reporting from Valencia and Ruben Vives and Robert F. Faturechi reporting from Los Angeles

Photo: Residents gather outside the perimeter line at the scene of a murder-suicide in Valencia. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

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