Health Care

Serial killer to face charges in 5 California deaths

Student charged with murder in South Gate school stabbing appears in court

-- Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Luis Rosales Rivera

Credit: Orange County district attorney's office

How Much to Drink During a Marathon

The 2011 Chicago Marathon on Sunday marks the beginning of the fall marathon season in the United States, culminating on Nov. 6 with the New York City race. In those two events alone, more than 80,000 runners will attempt to cover the 26.2-mile marathon distance. But two newly released studies suggest that there are reasons to be concerned about some of the racers’ readiness. The studies show that a worrying large percentage of distance runners may not know how to drink.

Some runners may be drinking too much water or other fluids. Others may be taking in too little. And a disconcerting majority don’t seem to be concerned about whether they are drinking a safe amount at all, according to the new reports.

Attitudes and expert guidelines about how much fluid people should drink during prolonged endurance events have changed drastically in the past 15 years. A 1996 Position Stand from the American College of Sports Medicine concluded that “athletes should start drinking early and at regular intervals in an attempt to consume fluids at a rate sufficient to replace all the water lost through sweating (i.e., body weight loss), or consume the maximal amount that can be tolerated.” Many of us who ran a marathon in the 1990s were cautioned to “stay ahead” of our thirst, with the warning that by the time we felt thirsty, we would be clinically dehydrated. (Formal definitions of dehydration vary, but most experts agree that losing more than 3 percent of your body weight can be considered dehydration.)

But in the past few years, several marathoners died as a result of drinking too much, a dangerous condition called hyponatremia, or water intoxication. Before then, hyponatremia, marked by low blood sodium levels, had been unheard of in marathon fields. Twenty years ago, a typical marathon racer strode fast and drank little. But as the event gained popularity, finishing times rose. Slower runners generally sweat less, and many have been told to drink copiously. If you ingest more fluid than you lose through sweating or urination, however, you dilute your blood’s sodium levels. Osmosis then draws water from the blood into body cells to equalize sodium levels, and those cells swell. If the cellular bloating occurs in the brain, it can be fatal.

Most experts have now begun advising marathon runners to drink less. They’ve focused on marathoners because hyponatremia is uncommon in events that last less than four hours or so (at least for middle-of-the-pack and slower competitors). Recent guidelines from the International Marathon Medical Directors Association explicitly say to drink only when you’re thirsty.

But the new studies show that many marathon runners are not paying heed. In one of the reports, which appears in the current issue of Sports Health, researchers surveyed 419 men and women who were training for the Chicago Marathon. Most were in their late 30s or early 40s, and they had been running, on average, for 10 years. A third were training for their first marathon, and 17 percent had run a single marathon before.

A majority of the 419 runners reported a notable nonchalance about proper hydration. Almost 65 percent responded that they were “not at all” concerned about keeping themselves properly hydrated during the upcoming race. Notably, when asked specifically whether they worried about the possibility of developing hyponatremia, 63 percent said that they were not.

A second survey, conducted by researchers at Loyola University Medical Center and published in June in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, reached the starker conclusion that almost half of runners may be drinking too much during their races. This survey, which recruited experienced runners from the Chicago area, asked the respondents directly about how they hydrate and why.

Just half of the runners surveyed by the Loyola researchers reported drinking only when they felt thirsty, the yardstick now recommended by most sports experts. The others drank according to a preset schedule of some kind, and almost 10 percent told the researchers that they drank “as much as possible.”

“There is still a widespread misconception that you have to quote-unquote ‘stay ahead’ of your thirst,” said Dr. James Winger, a professor of family medicine and lead author of the study. “That idea is contrary to science, and it is dangerous.”

But as his study’s results indicate, it remains surprisingly pervasive.

Even those athletes who reported in the survey that they drank when thirsty weren’t typically responding to expert recommendations, Dr. Winger says. Most would have liked to drink more, but had “experienced gastrointestinal distress,” he says, a condition that seems to be more persuasive, so far, than science at preventing athletes from overdoing fluids.

The lesson of his and other studies, Dr. Winger is quick to point out, is not that endurance athletes should avoid hydrating. “The lesson is that you should drink only when you need to, when you’re thirsty,” he says. “That is the best way to protect yourself against hyponatremia” and also against dehydration. “Thirst is a very reliable indicator” of your body’s actual hydration status, he says.

“Now we just have to persuade” those 80,000 or so runners toeing the line at Chicago, New York and other marathons in the next month “to listen to it.”

Cold storm expected to hit L.A. area with rain and gusty winds

A cold front is expected to hit the Los Angeles region early Wednesday, bringing gusty winds and up to 2 inches of rain in mountain areas, the National Weather Service said.

The front will bring rain for about three to four hours, likely by the afternoon, but will be quickly pushed out of the region by strong high-altitude winds, the Weather Service said Tuesday night.

Snow levels will be above 7,500 feet, and the temperature in mountain areas could drop quickly, prompting the agency to advise people at higher elevations to be prepared for cold conditions if they venture outdoors.

"People hiking in the high country need to be aware ... of this potentially dangerous situation," the agency said in a statement.

ALSO:

Serial killer to face charges in 5 California deaths

Student charged with murder in South Gate school stabbing appears in court

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Joggers at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Culver City on Tuesday. Credit: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times

More home-grown businesses expected under Oakland ordinance

Oakland residents would be able to sell their garden crops with a permit obtained through a routine application for a home-based business under a new ordinance that the City Council is expected to approve Tuesday evening.

“With this simple but important change, Oakland residents will now be able to start their own locally-grown food micro-enterprises,” said Esperanza Pallana, owner of the home-based Pluck & Feather Farm and co-founder of the East Bay Urban Agriculture Alliance.

The measure, already approved in June by Oakland's Planning Commission and on a first reading by the City Council, would amend rules that pertain to home-based businesses, adding the cultivation of "fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, herbs, and/or ornamental plants" to the list.

Approval would be automatic as long as the applicant lives at the property and uses no mechanized equipment. The home permit and business license together would run about $50, said Eric Angstadt, Oakland's deputy director of planning and zoning.

Prior to this change, permits for home-based businesses were only allowed for indoor activities, which ruled out most crop raising. Residents who grew crops with the intent to sell them were instead required to obtain a conditional-use permit -- a more elaborate process that involves a hearing and can cost more than $2,800.

San Diego State to offer major in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender studies

San Diego State University plans to offer an undergraduate degree in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies, university officials announced Tuesday.

The move will make San Diego State the only campus in California to offer such a degree, officials said. The new major will begin accepting students next spring.

The university has offered a minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies since 2009.

"Students are realizing that having a minor or major in LGBT studies is a huge asset in getting them into medical school, law school or even the corporate sector," said Esther Rothblum, professor of women's studies at San Diego State and an academic advisor in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies.

Officials pointed out that San Diego State for two years has been at the top of a ranking system by a national nonprofit organization that looks at which colleges have "LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices."

Among other things, the university has particpated in the annual gay pride parade and the "campus rainbow-flag raising" ceremony, officials said.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender parade this year in San Francisco. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Cellphone industry tries to block San Francisco ordinance revealing potential health risks

In the ongoing tussle over cellphones and safety warnings, a trade group representing the wireless industry asked a federal judge Tuesday to block a San Francisco ordinance that would require retailers to give phone buyers a fact sheet informing them of cellphones’ potential health risks.

CITA, the wireless association, said in its court filing that the San Francisco law violates its 1st Amendment rights, “that private parties have the right not to speak contrary to their beliefs and, in particular, not to have the government force them to endorse a controversial or false message.”

CITA also argued in court papers that San Francisco does not have the right to pass ordinances that conflict with federal regulations.

The ordinance notes that “there is a debate in the scientific community about the health effects of cellphones” and that studies have connected cellphone use with “an increased risk of brain cancer and other illnesses.”

In addition to distributing fact sheets to cellphone buyers, under the new ordinance retailers also would have to prominently display a large poster warning of health risks.

The CITA filing calls the San Francisco-mandated warnings “inaccurate, misleading, controversial, unnecessarily alarmist” and says that its members disagree with them.

In a written statement Tuesday, City Atty. Dennis Herrera called the CITA filing an “attempt to take away San Francisco consumers’ right to know.”

“I’m disappointed that the wireless industry is so bent on quashing the debate about the health effects of cellphone radiation,” Herrera said. “Freedom of speech is about encouraging the exchange of ideas, not about keeping people in the dark about vital health information.

“The industry is trivializing the First Amendment by trying to use it for this purpose,” he continued. “Cities like San Francisco have a vital interest in keeping people informed about health issues, and I’m hopeful the court will realize that.”

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 20.

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Two mountain lions spotted on front lawn of Sierra Madre home

Ex-boyfriend headed to court in fatal stabbing of high school girl

-- Maria L. La Ganga in San Francisco

Cal State to offer doctor of nursing practice degree

California State University will begin offering a doctorate in nursing practice in the fall of 2012, a move expected to boost the number of practitioners qualified to serve as faculty in the state’s understaffed nursing programs.

Two programs will be offered jointly by several campuses -- Fresno and San Jose in one grouping and Fullerton, Long Beach and Los Angeles in another -- which will develop curriculum and share resources and faculty. Cal State San Diego will offer a stand-alone program.

The programs are the result of legislation passed in 2010 authorizing Cal State to offer pilot post-master’s degrees in nursing practice. About 90 students are expected to be admitted statewide each year. Prospective students must be licensed registered nurses and have a master’s degree in a healthcare field. Annual tuition for the program is $13,104.

Cal State will be the first public university in the state to offer the doctor of nursing practice degree, designed to enhance scholarship in clinical practice, officials said. The University of California offers a doctorate in nursing that is research-based.

Doctor of nursing programs have been increasing nationwide in response to the changing demands of the healthcare profession. The U.S. Bureau of Health Professions estimates that California will have a shortfall of more than 100,000 nurses in 10 years, Cal State officials said. A key factor is too few qualified nursing faculty.

“California’s health depends on the expert knowledge and care provided by nurses educated at our university campuses,” said Ephraim Smith, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Cal State. “The CSU will now be able to add DNP graduates, who are experienced practitioners and have dedicated their lives to patient care, to the ranks of nursing faculty.”

Cal State will also begin offering a doctorate in physical therapy next fall at five campuses, in Fresno, Long Beach, Northridge, Sacramento and San Diego, which all already offer master’s degrees in the field. Annual tuition will be $16,148.

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Serial killer to face charges in 5 California deaths

Student charged with murder in South Gate school stabbing appears in court

--Carla Rivera

Softball coach held in sex assault of 2 underage girls

An Inland Empire softball coach and instructional aide at Pomona High School has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting two underage females, one of whom was allegedly drugged before she was attacked, authorities said Tuesday.

Abiathor Stephen Mejico, 48, is accused of forcing one of the teenage girls to have sex with him, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

The agency said it learned of the assault after going to Mejico's Rancho Cucamonga home for a disturbance call Sept. 30. During an investigation, a second victim was located and told investigators that she was drugged and assaulted.

Both girls played softball on Mejico's travel team and lived at his home, authorities said.

Mejico was booked Wednesday into the West Valley Detention Center. Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at (909) 477-2800.

ALSO:

Serial killer to face charges in 5 California deaths

Student charged with murder in South Gate school stabbing appears in court

— Robert J. Lopez

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Abiathor Stephen Mejico. Credit: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

Rep. Hunter asks that combat awards be upgraded to Medal of Honor

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine), who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine officer, has asked the new secretary of Defense to consider upgrading the medals given to several service personnel for combat bravery to Medals of Honor.

In a letter Tuesday to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Hunter said that it was a "common complaint that the current award submission process for the Medal of Honor is so onerous and intimidating" that commanders routinely recommend only a lesser award.

Among the cases that Hunter said should be reviewed is that of a Marine from San Diego killed in combat in Fallouja, Iraq, in November 2004.

Sgt. Rafael Peralta, 25, died from a grenade blast while Marines were storming houses where insurgents were barricaded.

Marines at the battle said Peralta was attempting to smother a grenade to protect his fellow Marines. Marine brass nominated him for the Medal of Honor.

But Panetta's predecessor, Robert Gates, decided instead to award Peralta the Navy Cross because of a medical dispute about whether Peralta's action was voluntary or whether he was already dead from a gunshot wound when the grenade exploded.

The Peralta family, grief stricken that the Medal of Honor recommendation was not approved, has declined to accept the Navy Cross.

"There is no amount of time or difficulty that should prevent us from ensuring we properly recognize the heroism and sacrifice of this generation's combat heroes," Hunter wrote.

ALSO:

Serial killer to face charges in 5 California deaths

Student charged with murder in South Gate school stabbing appears in court

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: The family of Sgt. Rafael Peralta, at their home in San Diego soon after learning of his death in Iraq. Credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times

Mountain lion killed by poachers in the Santa Monica Mountains

A mountain lion found dead last month in the western Santa Monica Mountains was killed and mutilated by poachers, according to state fish and game wardens who are seeking tips in the case.

“We're going to have to get lucky on this. There's virtually no forensic evidence," said Andrew Hughan, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game. Investigators, he added, are hoping a member of the public will hear “somebody bragging about how they killed a mountain lion and they'll call us” at (800) 334-2258, the agency's hot line.

The 7-year-old male, known as P-15, had been tracked for nearly two years by National Park Service biologists who trapped him in Point Mugu State Park. They outfitted him with a GPS collar as part of an ongoing study of mountain lion movement in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

One of six or seven mountain lions believed to live in the Santa Monicas, he roamed the entire range.

In late August, P-15's collar stopped transmitting signals. Biologists searched the area of his last known location but did not find him. Then on Sept. 11, they received a call from a member of the public who had found a mountain lion carcass in a canyon between Cal State Channel Islands and Newbury Park in Ventura County.

The tracking collar had been removed and the animal had been mutilated. To determine its identity, researchers sent tissue samples to the UCLA Conservation Genetics Resource Center, which compared it to samples previously taken from mountain lions in the study. It was P-15.

Federal biofuel mandate flawed, report finds

A National Research Council report Tuesday said a federal requirement to add some 16 billion gallons of cellulose-based ethanol to the nation's fuel supply by 2022 won't be met unless innovative technologies are developed or policies changed.

The report also calls into question the ecologic and economic calculations behind Congress' backing of commodity-crop ethanol (mainly corn), particularly if production involves clearing land to grow crops dedicated to fuel.

In 2005, Congress enacted the Renewable Fuel Standard, as part of the Energy Policy Act and amended it in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.

The amended standard, known as RSF2, mandated that by 2022 the consumption volume of the renewable fuels should consist of:

15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels, mainly corn-grain ethanol;

16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels produced from wood, grasses, or non-edible plant parts, such as from corn stalks and wheat straw.

4 billion gallons of advanced renewable biofuels, other than ethanol derived from cornstarch, that achieve a life-cycle greenhouse gas threshold of at least 50%.

1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel fuel.

Serial killer to face charges in 5 deaths in Southern California

Andrew Urdiales, Robbin Brandley

A serial killer convicted of slaying three women in Illinois is being extradited to California to face charges that he killed five Southern California women as well.

Andrew Urdiales, 47, is accused of killing women in Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties from 1986 to 1995, but the cases will be consolidated and tried in Orange County.

Prosecutors could seek the death penalty.

Urdiales was expected to arrive Thursday in Orange County from a prison in Illinois. An arraignment date has not been set.

Urdiales was stationed at various bases in Southern California while enlisted in the Marines from 1984 to 1991.

South Gate high school stabbing suspect appears in court

Lopez
Arraignment was postponed Tuesday for a South Gate high school student accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death on campus.

Abraham Lopez, an 18-year-old senior at South East High School, appeared in a Downey courthouse Tuesday to have his arraignment rescheduled for Oct. 25.

He remained in custody in lieu of $1.26-million bail.

Lopez was stoic throughout the court proceeding, turning a few times to look at friends, relatives and his mother, who sobbed quietly in the back.

He is accused of killing senior Cindi Santana, 17, last Friday during lunch hour.

If convicted, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole.

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LAPD to pull officers off patrol to deal with influx of offenders

Man held on suspicion of murder after body found in Pasadena fire

— Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Photo: Abraham Lopez, who is accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend at their high school in South Gate, appears for arraignment in a Downey court. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times.

CSUN and Harbor College awarded federal science and tech grants

Two Southern California colleges have been awarded multimillion-dollar federal grants to increase the number of low-income and minority students studying science and technology.

Cal State Northridge received $5.5 million from the Department of Education’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM program to boost the number of students who transfer from a community college and graduate with degrees in engineering and computer science. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The university will work with Glendale Community College and College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita to identify potential students who will receive tutoring, mentoring, research opportunities, career advice and stipends to help pay education costs.

Faculty from the three institutions will also collaborate on curriculum. Officials expect to graduate 120 students during the course of the five-year grant.

“This grant will have an enduring impact on the academic success and career choices of the talented youth in our region and, ultimately, we hope an enduring impact on the growth and health of California’s economy,” S.K. Ramesh, dean of the college of engineering and computer science at Northridge, said in a statement. “As these talented students, who represent minorities and women, matriculate to the university, they will in turn serve as role models for others in their communities.”

Los Angeles Harbor College, meanwhile, won a $4.3-million grant under the same program.

The five-year grant will be used primarily to help about 10,000 students increase math skills with fast-track remediation. The program has a goal of helping an additional 25 Latino students each year obtain associates degrees in science and technology majors and an additional 44 Latino students each year transfer to colleges and universities to obtain bachelor’s degrees in those fields.

The college is working to develop transfer arrangements with Cal State campuses in Dominguez Hills and Long Beach as well as Loyola Marymount University and UCLA.

“Los Angeles Harbor College is proud to be at the forefront of helping our students succeed in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and doing our part in addressing the U.S. worker shortage in math and science professionals,” Harbor College President Marvin Martinez said in a statement.

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LAPD to pull officers off patrol to deal with influx of offenders

Man held on suspicion of murder after body found in Pasadena fire

-- Carla Rivera

Woman pleads guilty in Christian rock Ponzi scheme

A Downey woman pleaded guilty Monday to a federal wire fraud charge and scheming to collect $1 million from victims who believed their money was going toward real estate investments and Christian rock concerts.

Lauren Baumann, 43, solicited loans from investors for her business, Stewardship Estates LLC, telling them that the money would be used to stage Christian "battle of the band" events that would generate profits from ticket sales. She also said the money would be used to buy houses, fix them up and sell them for a profit.

In fact, the vast majority of the money went to other investors or personal expenses, including $10,000 a month Baumann paid in rent on a historic mansion in Downey and private school tuition for her children, prosecutors said.

Baumann did not disclose to her investors that she had been convicted of securities fraud in Texas in 1999. More than two dozen investors suffered losses totaling nearly $560,000.

A sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 12. The maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, but under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a lower sentence.

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Ex-model who ate husband's body parts still a threat, D.A. says

Two mountain lions spotted on front lawn of Sierra Madre home

Ex-boyfriend headed to court in fatal stabbing of high school girl

-- Abby Sewell

Appeals court dismisses suit over who can audit L.A. officials

An appeals court has dismissed a three-year-old lawsuit between Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich and City Controller Wendy Greuel, leaving unanswered the legal question of whether elected officials can be audited at City Hall.

The lawsuit, inherited by Greuel and Trutanich when they took office in 2009, originated with a dispute between City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo and City Controller Laura Chick. Delgadillo sued Chick in 2008, saying that she overstepped her authority when she attempted to conduct a performance audit of his office’s handling of workers’ compensation programs.

On Monday, the 2nd District Court of Appeal said the case was moot because Trutanich had already agreed to allow the audit to take place.

“On his first day in office, Mr. Trutanich had reversed the position of the former city attorney and invited the controller to conduct the audit,” the opinion states. “He remained true to his word, not only cooperating with the auditors but providing city attorney’s staff to support the audit team.”

The three-judge panel reversed the decision but refused to weigh in on the central argument of whether Greuel can audit elected officials.

After he took office, Trutanich was blasted by Chick, who said he broke a campaign promise to drop the lawsuit once in office. During one radio interview in 2009, Chick called him a demagogue and a liar.

Alert citizen noted car of suspect in San Diego freeway shootings

An alert citizen spotted the car of the suspect in a series of freeway shootings in San Diego County and called 911 Tuesday morning, leading to the man’s arrest, authorities said.

California Highway Patrol officers, with guns drawn, pulled over the suspect’s white Chevrolet Malibu about 10:15 a.m. on a freeway onramp in Lakeview Terrace.

Enrique Avon, 24, was arrested at the scene without incident. He is believed responsible for wounding one motorist and hitting two cars and an ambulance in Monday's shootings.

Ayon was officially named as a person of interest in the shootings after his 2006 vehicle was identified by witnesses as the gunman's vehicle, the CHP said.

The shootings resulted in the temporary closure of stretches of Interstate 805 and Interstate 5, as investigators searched for shell casings and other evidence.

CHP investigators from San Diego are headed to Los Angeles to question the suspect, said CHP spokesman Art Athans in San Diego. Preliminary ballistics confirm that the same gun was used in all four shootings, he said.

It remains unclear whether there were one or two persons in the Chevrolet Malibu at the time of the shootings, Athans said. “We have conflicting evidence on that.”

The make and license number of the suspect's car had been posted on changeable electronic billboards on Southern California freeways.

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Map of San Diego freeway shootings

LAPD to pull officers off patrol to deal with influx of offenders

--Tony Perry and Richard Winton

Photo: San Diego freeway shooting suspect is arrested Tuesday by CHP officers. Credit: Kimi Yoshino / Los Angeles Times

Body found in car trunk identified as Mexican citizen

Covina police say a man found shot in the head and stuffed in the trunk of a car was a Mexican citizen with a previous drug conviction involving heroin.

Victor Eduardo Mardueno, 25, was originally from the Mexican state of Nayarit, a center of heroin production and smuggling into the United States, officials said.

He was living in Ontario when his girlfriend reported him missing Sept. 23, said Covina Sgt. Gregg Peterson.

Officers later discovered his Toyota Camry apparently abandoned on East Wanamaker Drive. They noticed a foul odor coming from the trunk, and when they opened it they found Mardueno’s body.

Suspect in San Diego freeway shootings arrested

A 24-year-old man sought by authorities in connection with a series of freeway shootings in San Diego County was arrested Tuesday by CHP officers in Lakevew Terrace.

The man, identified as Enrique Ayon, of Lancaster, was detained about 10:15 a.m. by officers with guns drawn on the side of a highway in the San Fernando Valley.

He is believed responsible for wounding one motorist and hitting two cars and an ambulance in Monday's shootings.

Stretches of two freeways in San Diego County were closed during the manhunt.

Ayon was officially named as a person of interest in the shootings after his 2006 Chevrolet Malibu was identified by witnesses as the gunman's vehicle, the CHP said.

The shootings, which one law enforcement spokesman described as "truly bizarre," appeared to be random and did not fit the usual road-rage pattern, authorities said.

ALSO:

Map of San Diego freeway shootings

LAPD to pull officers off patrol to deal with influx of offenders

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Enrique Ayon. Credit: California Highway Patrol

Real estate agent squatted in Laguna Beach home, client alleges

A Laguna Beach homeowner reported to police that she believed her real estate agent was squatting in her vacant home while the sale closed.

The woman reported on Sept. 25 that she and the Realtor who had helped her sell her Loretta Street home had a "falling out" during escrow, according to Laguna Beach Police Lt. Jason Kravetz.

She could not fire the real estate agent because she was contractually obligated to continue with the sale, Kravetz said.

The woman reported that documents that required her approval had forged signatures on them. After noticing this, she went to her home to retrieve a key from the lockbox, Kravetz said. It was when she arrived that she noticed that cable and gas were set up for the home, indicating someone was staying there.

She reported that she saw her real estate agent's desk and chairs inside her home, indicating he may have been using her home as an office.

Detectives are investigating, Kravetz told the Coastline Pilot. Charges have not been filed.

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Expanded 10-mile CicLAvia bike route set for Sunday's big ride

Two mountain lions spotted on front lawn of Sierra Madre home

— Joanna Clay, Times Community News

Twitter: @joannaclay

First rainstorm of season moves into Southern California

The first major rainstorm of the season moved into parts of Southern California on Tuesday morning.

Light to moderate showers, with some heavier downpours, were reported this morning in Long Beach, parts of southeast L.A. and coastal Orange County.

The National Weather Service radar shows rain falling along parts of the coast as well as central and northern Orange County and southwest Riverside County.

A storm system is expected to bring rain to the central coast Tuesday night, while a second storm system may bring widespread rainfall to Southern California by Wednesday with a possible four- to six-hour period of steady rainfall.

A chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms are expected through Thursday.

The Southland will see cooler-than-usual conditions for the season, with temperatures falling 15 to 30 degrees below seasonal norms.

Higher mountain elevations could see some early snowfall Wednesday night into Thursday, according to the weather service.

Mountains and deserts could experience wind gusts up to 50 mph Wednesday.

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LAPD to pull officers off patrol to deal with influx of offenders

Man held on suspicion of murder after body found in Pasadena fire

-- Abby Sewell and Shelby Grad

Photo: Raindrops dot a car windshield. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Creditors: Crystal Cathedral’s Schullers used influence for gain

Members of Crystal Cathedral's Schuller family borrowed money from an endowment fund and collected hefty salaries and perks even as the Orange County church struggled to pay its bills, according to a lawsuit filed by the creditors committee in the bankruptcy case.

The lawsuit is the latest sign of conflict between the committee and church insiders, who include family members of founder Robert H. Schuller. According to a bankruptcy exit plan filed by the committee, insiders will be the last paid after the sale of the church campus. But Schuller, his wife and other relatives want to be paid the same time as other creditors -– which resulted in the lawsuit, filed last week.

The claim also alleges that the ministry borrowed about $10 million from an endowment fund from 2002 to 2009.

The creditors also contend that family members used "control and influence" to enter the church into agreements that benefited the family to the detriment of the creditors. The suit is asking that family members, or insiders, receive payment after every other vendor is paid off when the bankruptcy is settled.

"We think that the allegations of the complaint will ultimately be proven to be untrue," said Carl Grumer, the lawyer for Schuller, his wife, his daughter Carol Schuller Milner and her husband. He said the suit will not affect the anticipated sale of the church.

The lawsuit outlines several agreements between the Schullers and the church. According to the documents, Robert H. Schuller signed a transition agreement in which he is entitled to a $300,000 annual discretionary fund, plus health insurance and travel staff for the rest of his life.

The agreement, signed in December 2005, also stipulates that his son, Robert Anthony Schuller, be installed as senior pastor. But when Robert Anthony stepped down in 2008, he entered into a contract to start a new church. He received $235,000 to finance the ministry and his regular salary for one year. The church also agreed to provide a Mercedes-Benz for the ministry and to fund its initial phases.

Milner said she always believed there were financial safeguards in place. She said she and her husband were not on the board or in management and were not privy to the church's finances.

"This isn't even accurate information," she said about the lawsuit.

Read the story.

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Expanded 10-mile CicLAvia bike route set for Sunday's big ride

Two mountain lions spotted on front lawn of Sierra Madre home

-- Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: A creditors committee has filed a lawsuit against church insiders in the Crystal Cathedral bankruptcy proceedings. Credit: Arkasha Stevenson / Los Angeles Times

Conrad Murray mistress to take stand in Jackson death case

Dr. Conrad Murray’s mistress was expected to take the stand Tuesday in the physician’s trial in Michael Jackson’s death, offering jurors a glimpse into what prosecutors allege is a messy personal life that kept the doctor preoccupied when his attention should have been on his patient.

Nicole Alvarez, a Santa Monica actress who is mother to Murray’s toddler son, was one of three women who testified at a hearing earlier this year about their relationships with the married doctor.

A prosecutor asked Alvarez at that hearing about $2,500 Murray gave her monthly for rent, suggesting that his many affairs and extramarital children may have left him desperate for the $150,000 salary he was to receive for Jackson’s care.

Conrad Murray trial witnesses: Who's who

Alvarez said she first met Murray in 2005 when she was working at a Las Vegas gentlemen’s club where he was a customer. She said that in the time leading up to Jackson’s death, she knew Murray left her apartment each night to care for the singer.

But Murray never told her the details of the treatments, Alvarez told the judge, saying their relationship was “on a need-to-know basis.”

It was to Alvarez’s apartment that Murray had shipped numerous bottles of the surgical anesthetic propofol from a Las Vegas pharmacy, telling the pharmacist that the drugs were for his clinic.

Glendale considers cracking down on large signs

In an effort to downsize the large pole signs often associated with fast-food restaurants, officials are recommending that the Glendale City Council stick to a years-old requirement that the signs are either torn down or replaced with smaller versions ir order to be in line with the law.

The Planning Commission made the recommendation as the City Council considers whether to stick to the plan or give business owners some form of reprieve, the Glendale News-Press reported.

About 60 businesses throughout Glendale -- including fast-food restaurants and hair salons -- currently can't change what their large pole signs say unless they replace the structures with smaller ones, which could cost thousands of dollars.

"The council could choose to change it if they want to give people a break" because of the recession, Principal Planner Wolfgang Krause said.

The signs -- most of which are on West Glenoaks Boulevard, Honolulu Avenue, La Crescenta Avenue, North Pacific Avenue and Verdugo Boulevard -- are too big, according to city code. Some reach as high as 25 feet with a surface area of 200 square feet, far larger than what's allowed: heights of 6 to 8 feet and surface areas of 40 to 75 square feet.

Two mountain lions spotted on front lawn of Sierra Madre home

Officials are cautioning residents to be alert after two mountain lions were found early Tuesday morning sitting on the front lawn of a home in Sierra Madre.

A resident reported seeing the two cats about 12:32 a.m. in front of a house on the 600 block of Camillo Road, said Sgt. Ruben Enriques of the Sierra Madre Police Department.

The cats were still in the yard when officers arrived, but police scared them off by turning on their sirens, he said.

Wildlife encounters are common in the community, which lies in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Queen of the Football Field

Four decades ago the federal education law called Title IX opened the door for girls to participate in high school and college athletics. But even the crafters of that landmark legislation probably didn’t imagine the homecoming queen kicking the winning field goal.

In his 18 years at Pinckney Community High School, Jim Darga, the principal, said, the homecoming queen had always been crowned at halftime of the school’s football game. Never before, though, had she had to be summoned from the team’s locker room….

On Friday, with Pinckney leading powerful Michigan rival Grand Blanc, 6-0, at the half, Amat, the first girl to play football for the school’s varsity, was asked to return to the field. When she arrived, she was told that her fellow students had voted her queen. When the tiara was placed on her head, she was wearing not a dress, like the other girls in the homecoming court, but her No. 12 uniform, pads and all.

A short while later, with five minutes to play in the third quarter, Amat was called to the same field to attempt a 31-yard field goal. She split the uprights.

Read the full story, “The Kicking Queen,” and then please join the discussion below.

Storms to send rain, cooler temperatures to Southern California

Temperatures are expected to fall Tuesday as an early-season storm lands in Southern California, the National Weather Service predicted.

A first storm system is expected to bring rain to the central coast Tuesday night, while a second storm system may bring widespread rainfall to Southern California by Wednesday with a possible four- to six-hour period of steady rainfall.

A chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms are expected through Thursday.

The Southland will see cooler-than-usual conditions for the season, with temperatures falling 15 to 30 degrees below seasonal norms.

Higher mountain elevations could see some early snowfall Wednesday night into Thursday, according to the weather service.

Mountains and deserts could experience wind gusts up to 50 mph Wednesday.

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LAPD to pull officers off patrol to deal with influx of offenders

Man held on suspicion of murder after body found in Pasadena fire

-- Abby Sewell

Photo: A flock of ducks take to a cloudy sky during a balmy day at Bonelli Park in San Dimas last week. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Ex-boyfriend headed to court in fatal stabbing of high school girl

The South East High School senior accused of fatally stabbing his estranged girlfriend on campus is scheduled to make his first court appearance in the case Tuesday in a Downey courthouse.

Abraham Lopez, 18, is accused of killing senior classmate and ex-girlfriend Cindi Santana, 17, Friday during the South Gate school's lunch period.

He also is charged with bringing weapons to school and with assault for the alleged stabbing of another student, a dean and a school police officer who rushed to Cindi's aid. Their wounds were not life-threatening.

Lopez was arrested Sept. 25 for allegedly threatening Santana and her family. He was jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail but released two days later after prosecutors declined to file charges.

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