Saturday, October 15, 2011

Three people killed, four injured as jet ski collides with boat

Three women were killed Saturday afternoon in San Dimas when their jet ski crashed into a powerboat, injuring four others, authorities said.

The collision between the Sea-Doo watercraft and the boat occurred about 4:30 p.m. in Puddingstone Reservoir at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, said Matt Levesque, a Los Angeles County Fire Department inspector.

"It was a pretty severe accident in the middle of the water," Levesque said.

The three victims killed -- ages 25, 35 and 60 -- were not identified, he said. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Hells Angel member killed at San Jose funeral for fellow biker

A Hells Angels member was fatally shot Saturday at the San Jose funeral for a fellow biker who was killed last month at a Nevada casino, police said.

The victim, who police have not identified, was shot shortly before 1 p.m. and taken to a hospital where he died about an hour later, said San Jose police spokesman Jose Garcia. No suspect has been arrested and the shooting remains under investigation.

The shooting occurred at the funeral for Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels, authorities said. The service was held at the Oak Hill Funeral Home & Memorial Park and drew an estimated 4,000 people.

Irvine man who molested children is denied parole

An Irvine man who kidnapped and raped a child and molested two others was denied parole this week, according to prosecutors.

Drew David Lambert, 32, was sentenced to 15 years to life in August 1996 and is serving his sentence at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi.

In a news release, Orange County prosecutors said Lambert approached a 6-year-old girl in the children’s section of a Laguna Niguel bookstore and used a children’s book to lure her to the men’s restroom, where he assaulted her, according to the Daily Pilot.

Lambert was 16 years old at the time. He was also convicted of assaulting two other girls, ages 6 and 7, who were playing in the arcade section of a Laguna Niguel restaurant while their parents ate, according to the release.

He is next eligible for parole in 2016.

ALSO:

Full coverage: 'Occupy' protests

Seal Beach shooting: D.A. expects an insanity defense

San Jose hot dog vendors held on weapons, drug charges

L.A. schools need billions in facilities upgrades, report finds

-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

Authorities to detonate gas canister Sunday morning in Sylmar

Federal enviornmental officials are planning to detonate at least one canister of highly volatile gas at a building in an industrial park in Sylmar -- and it could cause a little early morning shaking, authorities said. It also will temporarily close a portion of the 210 Freeway.

The canister of tylar gas -- a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gases -- will be exploded at an alternative energy business in the 12300 block of Gladstone Avenue.

Authorities are chooosing to detonate the canister because it is too volatile to transport, said Harry Allen, a section chief for Region 9 of the Environmental Protection Agency. Allen did not know the volume of the container.

Nearby businesses and residents have been notififed to expect the blast, Allen said, adding that damage is expected to be minimal.

Mr. Magoo Bandit suspected of 12 bank robberies in California

MagooThe bank robber dubbed the Mr. Magoo bandit by the FBI is now suspected of a dozen bank jobs from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area.

His latest robbery was a bank in Thousand Oaks on Oct. 8, the FBI said. He also is suspected of striking a bank in Camarillo on Sept. 27.

The suspect in all 12 robberies is described as a white male in his 40s, with thick glasses and short dirty blond hair, the FBI said. The similarity to the famous cartoon character gave rise to the nickname.

The Mr. Magoo bandit displays a calm demeanor, uses a note to demand money and warn against getting an explosive dye-pack, the FBI said. He sometimes thanks tellers for being cooperative.

Unlike most bank robbers, he makes no attempt at a disguise. His range -- six banks in San Diego, four in the San Francisco area and two in Ventura County -- is also unusual, the FBI said.

Anyone with information should call the FBI in San Diego, Los Angeles or San Francisco.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: The Mr. Magoo Bandit on bank surveillance camera. Credit: FBI

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 288

Click through for more photos of Southern California Moments

Exhausted: A tired Occupy L.A. protester sits in front of her laptop in this Oct. 10 photo by Mikey Wally.

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.

Occupy L.A. marches through downtown; MoveOn to protest too

Photo: Demonstrators respond to a speaker as thousands of people gather outside LA City Hall for day eight of Occupy LA. last weekend. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
Roz Teller, 65, wouldn't normally leave her San Fernando Valley home to drive to downtown Los Angeles on a sunny Saturday.

But the management consultant said she felt compelled to join hundreds of Occupy Los Angeles activists who took to the streets of downtown Saturday morning to protest what they see as greedy Wall Street bankers and the government's inability to ease a rising inequality in wealth.

"I feel like we're back in the Roaring '20s and moving toward the Great Depression,'' said Teller, wearing a short-sleeved flowered shirt and a sensible sun hat. "We need more regulation of our financial sector and remedies that help people, not banks."

PHOTOS: 'Occupy' protests

Hundreds of marchers set out from an encampment at City Hall and moved south along Spring Street shortly after 10 a.m., carrying signs such as "Get Money Out of Politics" and "Corporations are Not People."

Most were younger protesters in their 20s and 30s who have set up camp outside City Hall for two weeks in support of the larger Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City. The Los Angeles protesters planned to gather in Pershing Square for a rally before moving farther south toward the city's financial district.

Seal Beach shooting: Panicked 911 call placed after rampage

A 911 call released by the California Highway Patrol Friday reveals a frantic scene in which a man with a panicked, shaky voice calls for an ambulance in the aftermath of Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Seal Beach salon in which eight were killed.

In the four-minute phone call, a man describes the shooter as a 300-pound white male wearing a white shirt. Scott Dekraai, 41, was later arrested in the killings.

The operator asks, “Why did he start shooting?” to which the man replies, “I don’t know, we were right across the street.”

4.0 earthquake strikes near Toms Place

A shallow magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported Saturday morning 25 miles from Toms Place, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 4:42 a.m. PDT at a depth of 5.6 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 28 miles from Qualeys Camp, Nev., 29 miles from Mammoth Lakes and 164 miles from Sacramento.

In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

-- Ken Schwencke

Image: Google Maps

Occupy San Diego issues public appeal for bail money

Occupy8
After the arrest of two protesters Friday, the Occupy San Diego movement has added something to its list of requested donations: money for bail.

The full list is on its Facebook page.

While the Facebook page is open to the public, other communication between Occupy San Diego protesters has been encrypted to keep the police and media from reading it, according to Facebook postings.

Meanwhile, a march is planned for downtown San Diego at 11 a.m. Saturday as protesters vow not to be deterred by Friday's forcible removal of their tents and other structures from the City Hall plaza. Two men _ ages 21 and 39 _ were arrested for attempting to block police.

Also, an Occupy North County march is set for Saturday in the suburb of Encinitas.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: An Occupy San Diego protester is on the ground after being hit with chemical spray by police. Credit: Gregory Bull / Associated Press

Drunk driver sentenced to 20 years for killing young model

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef01538ee49c43970b-120wiA Costa Mesa man on Friday received a 20-year sentence and four months in prison for killing an Orange Coast College student and model in a drunk-driving crash on Valentine's Day 2010.

Gustavo Adrian Vega, 24, was sentenced in Orange County Superior Court for killing Cara Lee, 20.

Vega had been convicted of murder, felony hit-and-run and felony possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, on June 30, according to court records.

According to prosecutors, Vega was driving drunk on Flower Street heading toward Sunflower Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Feb. 14, 2010, when he sped through a red light and his Toyota Tundra pickup crashed into a Toyota Corolla, killing Lee, who was working as a model.

Vega fled the scene and was later found by Costa Mesa police hiding in a nearby housing complex. He had a blood-alcohol content level of .17 — more than twice the legal limit — according to a news release from the Orange County district attorney's office.

Lee was an only child and a cancer survivor who beat the disease when she was 17, according to the Daily Pilot.

ALSO:

Seal Beach shooting: D.A. expects an insanity defense

San Jose hot dog vendors held on weapons, drug charges

L.A. schools need billions in facilities upgrades, report finds

-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

Photo: Cara Lee. Credit: Times Community News

Seal Beach shooting: Cache of weapons shows planning, police say

Salon shootings

Police said the suspect the Seal Beach salon attack that killed eight people was well armed and appeared to be prepared for a shootout with police.

Acting Seal Beach Police Chief Tom Olson said Scott Dekraai was armed with handguns -- a 9-millimeter Springfield, a Heckler & Koch .45-caliber and a Smith & Wesson .44-caliber magnum -- "and wore body armor because he did not want to be shot by police."

Officials said Dekraai used at least two handguns in the attack and did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Seal Beach salon shooting: The victims

Dekraai had a troubled background, according to relatives and court documents. A tugboat accident off El Segundo in 2007 left him facing multiple surgeries. Once trim and muscular, he became overweight. He was also paying $1,500 a month in child support.

Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty against Dekraai, who is charged with eight felony counts of special circumstance first-degree murder, and one felony count of attempted murder in connection with the worst mass killings in Orange County history.

RELATED:

Suspect suffered PTSD from boat injury

Victim predicted ex-husband would kill her

Full coverage: Deadly Seal Beach shooting

-- Louis Sahagun and Nicole Santa Cruz

Photo: Shooting suspect Scott Dekraai looks at his attorney Robert Curtis during a hearing Friday. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Marines return to Twentynine Palms after deadly Afghanistan mission

Heloxx
After a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan, Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Regiment will return in the next few days to their base at Twentynine Palms, the Marine Corps announced.

The Three-Four had three Marines killed and dozens wounded during its mission to train the Afghan National Army to assume security responsibility for the Gereshk Valley area of Helmand province, long a Taliban stronghold.

As a sign of progress, an Afghan flag was hoisted over the Washir district center for the first time in six years, Marines said.

The battalion was replaced by a joint British-Afghan force as the U.S. begins to draw down its forces in Afghanistan.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Marine helicopter on a resupply mission in Helmand province. Credit: Brennan Linsley / Associated Press

 

Alberta, star gorilla at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, dies

 Alberta
Sad news at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Alberta, a 32-year-old western gorilla, one of the marquee animals at the park, has died, zoo officials announced Friday.

While Alberta had some medical problems of late, her death was a surprise.

Born at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Alberta came to the park -- nee the Wild Animal Park -- when she was but a few months old.

She and her mate, Winston, had three offspring. Ndjole, a male, is on loan to the zoo in Oklahoma City.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Alberta. Credit: San Diego Zoo

Earthquake: 4.0 quake strikes near Toms Place

A shallow magnitude 4.0 earthquake was reported Saturday morning 25 miles from Toms Place, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 4:42 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 5.6 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 28 miles from Qualeys Camp, Nevada, 29 miles from Mammoth Lakes and 164 miles from Sacramento.

In the past 10 days, there has been one earthquake magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

— Ken Schwencke

Image credit: Google Maps

Guest post: Baroness Greenfield, junk neuroscience, and the dangers of video games


Baroness Greenfield

Baroness Greenfield


Dr Dean Burnett, a neuroscientist at Cardiff University and the author of the Science Digestive blog, has kindly written the following guest post, in response to yet another ill-thought-through rant from Baroness Greenfield, the former director of the Royal Institute and prominent critic of video games and the internet. It's a good thing Dr Burnett did so, because if I'd done it, it would probably have been a very short post: "Please stop talking, Baroness Greenfield. Please." Anywhere, here he is:


Baroness Greenfield, the former director of the Royal Institution, has once again been holding forth about the potential damage that video games and other technological entertainments are wreaking on the brains of young people.


As a doctor of behavioural neuroscience who teaches via an online course, I have a special interest in how our brains are influenced by behaviour and technology, so the Baroness’s pronouncements were of particular fascination to me. But her view, that electronic media can damage our brains, is almost the exact opposite of my own. While some of her claims have an element of truth to them, it's aggravating to see a well-known public intellectual misuse basic facts to support outlandish and harmful conclusions. I’ll take a look at a few of them in turn.


• She says technology which plays strongly on the senses – like video games – can “blow the mind" by temporarily or permanently deactivating certain nerve connections in the brain.


First things first: 'Mind' in scientific terms has no universally accepted definition, so the majority of behavioural and neurological studies simply ignore it as a factor altogether. But pedantry aside, the temporary or permanent deactivation of nerve connections in the brain is implied to be a negative consequence of excessive computer game playing, as opposed to a perfectly normal and actually quite essential occurrence in a typical, healthy brain. A great deal of the brain's connections are actually used for deactivating other connections and processes. One of the brain's most powerful neurotransmitters (the chemicals used by neurones to communicate with each other) is gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is inhibitory, meaning it stops activity in other cells. And it's really good at this.


The constant deactivating of parts of the brain is vital to our functioning as normal cognitive beings. There can be times when too much of the brain is active at once, and these are seldom good things, as anyone who's had a seizure or violent hallucination will probably attest to. You could argue that Baroness Greenfield is referring to specific, damaging connections, but I can only be as precise in my comments as she is being in hers. Areas of the brain being shut down or deactivated is as normal a part of development as losing your milk teeth.


• "If you play computer games to the exclusion of other things this will create a new environment that will have new effects … every hour you spend in front of a screen is an hour not spent climbing a tree or giving someone a hug."


The problem here is that this effect is not specific to video games. Anything you do excessively will create a new environment that your brain will eventually adapt to. If you are a keen fisherman you will spend a great deal of time staring at a large volume of water while holding an elaborate stick. Does this have long-term effect on your brain structure? Most likely, yes. Is it seriously damaging? Not as far as anyone is aware.


And yes, every hour you spend in front of a screen is an our not spent climbing a tree or giving someone a hug. And every hour you spend on a train is not spent on a horse. What of it? Every hour spent doing something is an hour not spent doing something else. You may feel that climbing trees is a more 'positive' activity than video games, but that's purely a subjective view. It's undoubtedly an enjoyable pastime, but I think most people would agree though that you have significantly less chance of falling and breaking your neck while playing on an X-Box.


• She goes on to claim (the article is paraphrasing): “Screen technologies cause high arousal, which in turn activates the brain system’s underlying addiction and reward, resulting in the attraction of yet more screen-based activity.”


Again, yes. This is a largely accurate statement. But it's annoying how people (scientists in particular) will use long-winded, verbose methods of describing something in order confuse people, and attribute a meaning to it which suits their arguments. In this case, the phrase "high arousal, which in turn activates the brain system’s underlying addiction and reward, resulting in the attraction of yet more … activity" is more commonly known as 'fun' or 'enjoyment'. This same effect can be seen in football fans or pretty much anyone who has a persistent hobby. The long-term damaging effects of these aren't being questioned, so what sets video games part as a negative? The intense visual stimuli? The interactive nature of them? The requirement for concentration? The competitive element? All of these factors apply the any sport you want to name.


• The average child will spend almost 2,000 hours in front of a screen between their tenth and eleventh birthdays.


I don't know where this figure comes from, as no references were provided. But even if it is right, what of it? Welcome to 21st century Western society. Everything has a screen now. I currently own about seven. It's where we get our information from. A while ago, it was books. Some people would spend a lot of time reading books, which are rectangular, information-rich objects that could cause intense arousal and engage many brain regions. But people who condemn books aren't usually respected for it.


To be clear: there are undoubtedly things to criticise about video games. They can be needlessly violent, they can be unrewarding: perhaps it is unwise to subject children to such graphic themes, perhaps they do teach children unrealistic or dubious things. But each of these criticisms can be levelled at any entertainment format. The use of electronic media is an undeniable fact of life now, and is changing the way we see the world. In many ways, it's encouraging that so many children become adept at computer-based activities from such a young age; it'll give them more of a chance of making it in an increasingly technical society.


Baroness Greenfield clearly has her reasons for disliking computer games and other electronic entertainments, and I'm sure they're noble ones. But this does not justify the use of junk science, or the public airing of overblown conclusions based on little or no evidence. With every unsubstantiated claim, Baroness Greenfield distances herself further from the scientific community that once had such respect for her.



Hearty One-Dish Vegetarian Meals

One-pot meals are easy to make, save on cleanup time and, most important, can taste delicious as the flavors of the various ingredients blend together. This week, Martha Rose Shulman offers five new vegetarian versions of the one-pot meal. She writes:

This week’s hearty one-dish vegetarian meals are meant to appeal to families that include a mix of meat-eaters and vegetarians. My best friends have a vegetarian relative who is undergoing some serious surgery and will be recuperating at their home. They’re in need of several do-ahead recipes that they can all enjoy throughout the week, dishes that can be reheated at different times, as they often get home from work late.

What I’ve come up with is a mix of humble stews (beans and lentils) and more complex casseroles. The lentil and bean dishes back up the point that Mark Bittman made in his recent Op-Ed article that dispelled the myth that fast food is cheaper than healthy meals prepared at home. A great pot of beans or lentils, even when you add to it a bunch of chard from the farmers’ market, costs no more than $4 to make, and it feeds four to six people.

Here are five new ways to make flavorful and simple vegetarian meals.

Mushroom Lasagna: This lasagna tastes very rich, even though it really isn’t.

Bulgur and Kale Casserole with Yogurt Topping: A comforting casserole, perfect for the fall season.

French Lentils with Chard: Inspired by a classic preparation for the tasty French Le Puy green lentils that traditionally includes salt pork or bacon and sausage.

Mixed Bean and Winter Squash Stew with Fresh Basil: Use a combination of white and red or borlotti beans for this stew.

Red Bean Stew: Hungarian gulyas (goulash) is the inspiration here, but this one is a vegetable dish.

Comment

Comment