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Update: Two Slain Santa Cruz Police Officers Were Veteran Detectives

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:14:10 -0800

SANTA CRUZ (KRON) -- The citizens of Santa Cruz are mourning the murders of two veteran police detectives who were shot and killed while conducting an investigation at a home on Branciforte Avenue Tuesday afternoon. The 35-year old alleged shooter, Jeremy Goulet, was also shot and killed minutes after the initial attack, investigators say.

"I cannot begin to express the shock and sadness we feel this evening," Santa Cruz Mayor Hillary Bryant said. "Two of our most beloved officers were killed in the line of duty and this has rocked the community to our absolute foundation."

The two slain officers are identified as Detective Sergeant Loran "Butch" Baker, a 28-year veteran of the department and 10-year veteran Detective Elizabeth Butler. Police Chief Kevin Vogel describes Baker as a longtime friend and mentor. Detective Baker leaves behind a wife, two daughters, and a son who works as a Community Services Officer for Santa Cruz police. Detective Butler is survived by her partner and two young sons, Vogel says.

"It was with deep, deep sadness that I stand before you this evening to talk about the death of my two officers today," Chief Vogel said. "We at the Santa Cruz police department are like family. I've known both of these officers for a long, long time and there just aren't words to describe how I feel personally about this and about how my department is reacting to this horrific, horrific tragedy."

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak's department will lead the investigation. He says it appears the two plain clothes detectives went to Goulet's home on Banciforte as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Based on physical evidence and witness accounts, Wowak says Goulet opened fire on the detectives. The two officers and witnesses called for help.

When authorities arrived on the scene they say they found the two detectives dead outside the home and Goulet missing. A multi-agency team then locked down the neighborhood which includes three schools and a busy Whole Foods supermarket.

Within minutes of setting up the search, Sheriff Wowak says officers encountered Goulet. A short chase ensued and then gunfire was exchanged, he says. Goulet was shot and killed at the scene.

Even after Goulet's death, officers continued a house by house, "closet-by-closet" search of the neighborhood to determine if there were additional suspects. Sheriff Wowak says it is his belief the public is now out of harm's way.

Students at the three schools were taken by bus to the nearby Government Center where they were re-united with their families.

Authorities are praising nearby law agencies including deputies from San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey County sheriffs departments and police officers from Scott's Valley, Capitola, and Watsonville who just showed up on the scene to offer their help.

Wowak says the California Department of Justice, the FBI, and the regional law agencies will all assist in the investigation. He says it could be weeks before we know all of the details of what happened and why.

Stay tuned to KRON 4 and KRON4.com for comprehensive coverage of the investigation into the shootings and the community's mourning of the two slain officers.

Woman Cyclist Dies in San Jose Hit and Run Collision

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:30:59 -0800

SAN JOSE (BCN) -- Police are investigating the death of a pedestrian who was fatally struck in a hit-and-run collision in San Jose early Tuesday morning, officers said.

Shortly after 1 a.m., police received a report of a traffic collision at the intersection of Monterey Road and Bellevue Avenue.

Upon arrival, police determined that a vehicle had struck a woman and the driver had fled before police arrived on scene.

The victim was transported to a local hospital and treated for life-threatening injuries. She succumbed to her injuries at 1:50 a.m., police said.

Preliminary police investigation into the incident revealed that the victim was crossing the street when a dark-colored vehicle struck her. The vehicle did not stop and continued southbound on Monterey Road, police said.

Neither the driver nor the vehicle has been located and the incident remains under investigation, according to police.

The victim's identity is being withheld pending notification to next of kin, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident or about the suspect vehicle is asked to contact local authorities.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

UPDATE: Coast Guard Says Reports of Family Abandoning Boat Off Central Coast May Be a Hoax

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:01:53 -0800

(BCN) The U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search for a man, woman and two children who reportedly abandoned ship off the coast of Monterey County on Sunday afternoon saying that the report could have been a hoax.

The search was suspended at about 9:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Coast Guard boats and aircraft had been scouring the waters about 65 miles off the Monterey coast since about 4:20 p.m. Sunday, when the family made a distress call to Coast Guard Sector San Francisco.

The caller said he was on a boat, possibly named "Charmblow," with his wife, their 4-year-old son and the boy's young cousin.

The man told the Coast Guard that the vessel's electronics system was failing, and then said over a choppy radio connection that the family had decided to abandon ship, according to the Coast Guard.

Chief Petty Officer Mike Lutz said it is not clear how many life rafts the family had with them, but that there was no life raft. In the last dispatch from the boat at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the man said the family was trying to string together a cooler and a life ring to cling to.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Barry Bena said there have been no missing-persons reports that would help identify the family.

Lutz said the Coast Guard has checked local marinas for information about a boat named "Charmblow" or something similar, to no avail.

However, although the search has been called off, the Coast Guard is still treating the incident as a legitimate distress call, Lutz said.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

San Francisco Symphony Oboist Collapses During Performance

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:24:27 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO -- A longtime oboist with the San Francisco Symphony remains hospitalized Monday after collapsing on stage Saturday night during a performance at Davies Symphony Hall, a symphony spokesman said.

William Bennett, 56, the principal oboist, was performing Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto during an 8 p.m. performance at the hall, located at 201 Van Ness Ave., when he fell to the stage, spokesman Oliver Theil said.

The show was stopped and he was taken to a hospital, where it was determined that he had suffered a brain hemorrhage, Theil said.

He was still at the hospital this morning and was listed in guarded condition, according to Theil.

"We all think the world of Bill, and our thoughts and best wishes are with him and his family," Theil said.

Bennett has been a member of the symphony since 1979 and has been the principal oboist since 1987.

There has been an outpouring of support for Bennett over social media, including by the New York Philharmonic, which sent well wishes in a tweet this morning.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Oakland Couple Feared Missing on South America Bike Trip

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:25:37 -0800

(BCN) -- Family members and friends are worried about an Oakland couple who may have disappeared during a bike trip in South America last month.

Garrett Hand, 25, and his girlfriend, Jamie Neal, left on their bike trip in late November, and at the end of January all communication stopped, Hand's sister Larkin McGowan said today.

She said there has been no financial activity on the couple's bank accounts or credit cards since Jan. 25.

"That's the big alarm," said McGowan, who lives in Concord.

The couple, who McGowan described as avid bicyclists and well-traveled, have been documenting their trip online. Social media posts dropped off around the same time the financial activity stopped, she said.

The last post on Neal's Facebook was on Jan. 23, when the pair arrived in Cusco, Peru.

Hand, a commercial fisherman in the Bay Area, posted in Spanish on his Facebook page from Cusco on Jan. 25 that the next stop of the trip would be Pucallpa, Peru, if the couple could find a bus.

Neal, who is in her 20s and works at the Pedaler Bike Shop in El Sobrante, had been in touch with her coworkers through the end of January, shop mechanic Mark Lindgren said.

The shop has pooled together a $3,000 reward for any information that will help locate the couple.

Lindgren said Neal had taken time off work for the trip, and that regular customers and colleagues are concerned.

Donations for the couple's families can be made at any Mechanics Bank by mentioning Hand or Neal, Lindgren said.

On Feb. 13, the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, posted an emergency message warning of a potential kidnapping threat in the Cusco area.

"The Embassy has received information that members of a criminal organization may be planning to kidnap U.S. citizen tourists in the Cusco and Machu Picchu area," the message reads.

The threat is listed as credible through the end of February.

McGowan said the families are working with the U.S. Embassy and local authorities.

Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Third Suspect in 2010 San Jose Homicide Arrested

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:19:18 -0800

SAN JOSE (BCN) -- A third suspect in a 2010 homicide in San Jose is in custody after being arrested Friday afternoon as he was on his way to court, police said.

Carlos Ruiz Paz, 21, a San Jose resident, was arrested at about 1:30 p.m. as he was en route to an unrelated court case, police said.

The victim, 22-year-old Jose Antonio Vega Calderon, was found stabbed and shot at the corner of Willard Avenue and San Carlos Street at about 9:30 p.m. on April 21, 2010, police said.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died later that night.

The killing was later determined to be gang-related, according to police.

Jose Torres, 22, and Alvaro Ochoa, 22, were identified as suspects and arrested in connection with the murder. They have been in custody since their 2010 arrests, police said.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Suspect Identified And Sought In Home Invasion Robbery

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:58:58 -0800

Santa Cruz police are searching for a gang member suspected of involvement in a home invasion robbery that ended in a fight Wednesday morning with the terrified residents.

Esteban Lopez, 22, is believed to have fled the scene of the robbery on the 500 block of Poplar Ave. Wednesday around 4:20 a.m., and has not yet been located, police said Friday.

The victims in the home invasion robbery were awakened early Wednesday by two males with their faces covered who demanded cash, Santa Cruz police Deputy Chief Steve Clark said.

One of the suspects held a screwdriver, the other a decorative sword taken from inside the home, Clark said.

Both suspects demanded cash and tried and failed to bind the couple with duct tape they found in the home that was old and brittle, Clark said.

They then resorted to tying the couple with an electrical cord, Clark said.

After the two intruders learned there were children in the home, they allegedly threatened to harm them, police said.

At that point, the adult residents freed themselves and fought with the suspects for some time before one of the children called 911 at about 4:25 a.m., police said.

The residents were able to hold down one suspect in their front yard until officers arrived, but the other escaped with some valuables, Clark said.

Cuactemoc Xilonzochilt-Zamora, 28, of Santa Cruz, was arrested on suspicion of robbery, burglary, false imprisonment, possession of methamphetamine and assault with a deadly weapon and booked him into the Santa Cruz County Jail.

Lopez, believed to be the second suspect, is a confirmed "Beach Flats" Sureno gang member with an extensive history of law enforcement contact, police said. He has not been seen at his home, work or other haunts since the robbery.

Lopez is described as a Hispanic male, around 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should immediately call 911.

Police Release Sketch of Armed Suspect Who Fought With Victim During Attempted Robbery Friday

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:54:20 -0800

Police in Palo Alto today released a sketch of a suspect who tried to rob a man at gunpoint near a parking garage on Friday night.

Police said dispatchers got a call around 8:25 p.m. from a man reporting that an armed man had just tried to rob him near the Webster/Cowper Parking Garage at 520 Webster St. to find the suspect.

Police said the victim, a man in his 50s, had taken a pause during a walk along a pathway on the south side of the parking garage when the suspect approached him on a bicycle.

The suspect pulled out a gun and demanded cash from the man.

Officers arrived on the scene within two minutes but were unable

The victim grabbed the suspect's arm and tried to wrestle his gun away, and the two men fell to the ground and struggled over the weapon, according to police.

The suspect kept a firm grip on the weapon, and the victim gave up and ran away.

No one was injured and no property was stolen.

Detective are actively investigating the incident and attempting to determine whether there is a possible link to three other armed robberies reported in Palo Alto in recent weeks.

Each of those robberies involved people walking in or near Downtown Palo Alto.

Police are reminding people to stay aware of their surroundings while out for walks and to report any suspicious activity immediately to 911.

Anyone with information about the attempted armed robbery Friday is asked to call police at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloaltotipnow.org or sent via text or voice message to (650) 383-8984.

SUV In Vegas Strip Shooting, Crash Found

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:05:50 -0800

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Police have found a black Range Rover SUV in Las Vegas and identified a suspect in a shooting that sent a Maserati into a taxi that exploded, killing three people.

Police Capt. Chris Jones tells The Associated Press the vehicle was found Saturday afternoon at an apartment complex east of the Las Vegas Strip.

It has been impounded as evidence.

Jones says police are looking for 26-year-old Ammar Harris in connection with the shooting early Thursday on the Strip.

His arrest history in Las Vegas includes charges of kidnapping and pandering.

Maserati driver and aspiring rapper, Kenny Cherry from Oakland, was killed by gunfire.

Taxi driver Michael Boldon, of Las Vegas, and his passenger, Sandra Sutton-Wasmund of Maple Valley, Wash., died when the Maserati crashed into them.

San Francisco Braces for Crowds Expected to Attend Chinese New Year's Parade

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:45:56 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- Firecrackers, lion dances and elaborate floats will wind through the streets of San Francisco on Saturday to celebrate the Year of the Snake at the annual Chinese New Year Parade.

The parade, a city tradition that dates back more than 100 years, heads into Chinatown from Market and Second streets at 5:15 p.m.

The processional includes drummers, lion dancing, marching bands and a giant snake float, Chinese New Year Parade spokeswoman Karen Eng said.

There are more than 5,000 participants in the parade as part of 100 contingents walking through the streets.

The floats have been constructed and housed at a pier warehouse along the Embarcadero before their unveiling at this year's event, Eng said.

The parade will go up Post Street then wrap around to Sutter Street before making its way up Kearny Street through Chinatown.

Eng suggested finding a viewing spot on Market Street or along Sutter Street for the parade, which is one of the final events for the Lunar New Year celebration that kicked off at the start of the month with New Year's Day falling on Feb. 10, Eng said.

Large crowds are expected to visit Chinatown this weekend and reserved bleacher seats for the parade sold out Thursday afternoon, Eng said.

"A lot of families come," Eng said, including visitors from outside the Bay Area and from around the world.

To get to the festival, which is expected to draw as many as 1 million attendees, public transit officials suggest ditching private cars.

Caltrain will be offering hourly service into San Francisco at Fourth and King streets with San Francisco Municipal Railway transfers available into downtown.

The last Caltrain leaves San Francisco at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning toward San Jose.

BART advises planning trips into the city to see the processional. A spokeswoman said the agency is ready to accommodate large crowds that will be exiting at the Powell and Montgomery stations.

Muni service will also be impacted by the parade and community fair over the weekend.

To handle the expected surge in ridership before and after Saturday's parade, several downtown buses, cable cars and Metro lines will rerouted around closed streets.

The Stockton Tunnel will be closed between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday.

Residents in Redwood City and San Leandro are also getting involved in the Year of the Snake festivities with events in those two areas on Saturday.

A Lunar New Year Celebration will be held at the San Leandro Main Library at 300 Estudillo Ave. from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Lion and folk dancing, music, and craft making with the Asian Community Cultural Association of San Leandro along with a magician will be on hand to usher in the Year of the Snake.

In Redwood City, Courthouse Square will be the gathering spot for residents on Saturday to celebrate the New Year with lion dancers, acrobats, martial arts performers and plenty of food and children's activities.

The San Mateo County History Museum on the square at 2200 Broadway in Redwood City will join in the third annual celebration with free museum admission from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More information about the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade is available at www.chineseparade.com.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Woman Convicted of Planting Severed Finger in Chili Faces New Charges

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:39:38 -0800

SAN JOSE (AP) -- Police are saying a Northern California woman convicted of planting a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili made up another tale, this one about a shooting involving her son.

The San Jose Mercury reports that Anna Ayala, the so-called Chili Finger Lady, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony and filing a false police report.

Authorities say she told officers that her son, Guadalupe Reyes, had been shot in the ankle by two unknown people and gave them a detailed description of the assailants. They say she later acknowledged that Reyes had shot himself.

The 26-year-old Reyes, a convicted felon, was not supposed to be in possession of a gun.

(Copyright 2013, Associated Press, All rights reserved.)

Two California Couples Challenge Ban on State's Same-Sex Marriage Ban in Supreme Court

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:03:22 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- Two couples who challenged California's ban on same-sex marriage are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to declare that gays and lesbians nationwide have a fundamental constitutional right to marry.

Lawyers for the two couples argued in a brief submitted to the high court Thursday that "the right to marry is fundamental to all people."

The attorneys said the couples are not seeking a special right for homosexuals but rather the same right enjoyed by others in the nation.

The couples agree with the sponsors of California's Proposition 8 that "marriage is a unique, venerable and essential institution," the brief said.

"They simply want to be part of it," the lawyers wrote.

The brief was filed in preparation for a Supreme Court hearing on March 26 on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, an initiative enacted by voters in 2008 that banned same-sex marriage in California.

The sponsors of the proposition are appealing a ruling in which 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last year struck down the ban.

The sponsors previously submitted a brief arguing that defining marriage is a states' rights matter, and that Californians' choice of a traditional definition in 2008 should be honored.

Although the couples' response brief emphasizes the argument that gays and lesbians nationwide have a right to marry, the Supreme Court could also consider only more narrow issues when deciding the case.

The federal appeals court ruling took a narrower approach when it said that because same-sex marriage was legal in California for several months in 2008 before Proposition 8 was passed, it was unconstitutional for the initiative to withdraw that right.

The city of San Francisco also filed a brief today arguing that Proposition 8 was discriminatory.

The sponsors of the measure have until March 19 to submit a final reply.

The Supreme Court's ruling is due by the end of June.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Crane Topples In Construction Zone of New Bay Bridge Span

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:19:45 -0800

(BCN) -- A crane being used for work on the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge toppled over Thursday afternoon, a Metropolitan Transportation Commission spokesman said.

The crane was mounted on a barge in the water and was being used to remove temporary supports from under the deck of the new self-anchored suspension span when it tipped over at about 12:15 p.m., MTC spokesman John Goodwin said.

No injuries had been reported as of shortly before 1 p.m., Goodwin said.

He said the fallen crane did not damage the structure of the bridge and is not expected to delay its scheduled Labor Day weekend opening.

S.F. Veterans Administration Blamed for Unsafe Working Conditions in Death of Researcher

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:11:56 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- Federal officials are blaming unsafe working conditions for the death of a San Francisco Veterans Affairs medical center researcher who died after he handled a rare strain of bacteria.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday issued a notice of "serious violations" to the medical center for the death last year of 25-year-old Richard Din.

OSHA says the VA failed to properly supervise and protect Din while he was developing a vaccine for the particular strain of meningitis that killed him.

In particular, OSHA says Din was working in an open area outside of a so-called biosafety cabinet. Those cabinets are enclosed, ventilated areas most researchers use when working with dangerous germs.

OSHA ordered the VA to comply with its safety regulations. OSHA can't fine other federal agencies.

(Copyright 2013, Associated Press, All rights reserved.)

Pleasant Hill Police Release Sketches of Armed Robbery Suspects

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:25:50 -0800

PLEASANT HILL (BCN) -- Sketches of two of three suspects in a violent robbery in Pleasant Hill are being circulated in the community and police hope the public will help identify the alleged armed robbers.

Around 11:05 a.m. on Feb. 7, police were notified of a robbery in progress at a home in the 1600 block of Wendy Drive, police said.

Arriving officers learned that three armed suspects had entered the home and ransacked it.

One had pistol-whipped one of the residents and held other residents at gunpoint while the suspects stole cash, a laptop and a handgun from the home, police said.

The resident who was hit suffered only minor injuries.

The suspects fled in two vehicles. One was a white Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV with silver hubcaps. Its rear passenger windows and cargo area windows were tinted, police said.

The second car was a two-door late 1990s-model Toyota Solara, police said.

The three suspects are described as black males, and police have released sketches of two of them.

The first is about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build who was wearing a blue shirt and a mask covering his face.

The second is believed to be in his mid-20s, approximately 6 feet tall and was wearing a black, gray and red sweatshirt.

Police have also released images of the two vehicles, which were captured on video by a nearby surveillance camera.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Pleasant Hill police at (925) 288-4630.

Four Arrested in San Francisco North Beach Brawls

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:45:57 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) -- Police are responding to resident complaints in San Francisco's North Beach area and have arrested four men involved in a series of brawls outside nightclubs in the neighborhood early Sunday morning, a police spokesman said Tuesday.

Officers responded at about 1:55 a.m. Sunday to reports of fights breaking out on the sidewalks and street in the 400 block of Broadway as clubs were closing for the night, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said.

During one melee, an officer was hit on the head. He was treated at the scene for his injuries, Esparza said.

Thomas Bola, 26, of San Mateo, was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest, while Francis Maka, 24, also of San Mateo, was arrested for allegedly resisting arrest, according to Esparza.

Sean Alexander Hold, 33, of Fairfield, was arrested for battery on a police officer and resisting arrest for a separate incident.

Juan Perez, a 25-year-old Daly City resident, was the fourth man arrested. He was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest and assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly kicking someone in the head, Esparza said.

That victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, he said.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Rain and Snow Fall in the Bay Area

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:38:22 -0800

(AP) -- Rain and snow have begun falling across California, as another winter storm touches down in the state.

California Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed snow on the ground in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning. San Francisco Bay area commuters, meanwhile, were encountering rain showers.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the central and southern Sierra, where some areas could see as much as a foot of snow. A winter weather advisory was in effect further north. Ski resorts around Lake Tahoe could get up to 8 inches of snow.

The cold system from the Gulf of Alaska is also expected to drop snow at much lower elevations before moving out by Wednesday.

(Copyright 2013, Associated Press, All rights reserved.)

Hypothermia Cause of Death for Petaluma Teen Found Dead in South Tahoe

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:35:33 -0800

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (BCN) -- Investigators are saying that Alyssa Byrne, the 19-year-old Petaluma woman who was found dead in the snow in South Lake Tahoe on New Year's Eve, died of hypothermia and had drugs in her system, an El Dorado County sheriff's spokesman said today.

"The cause of death is listed as probable hypothermia due to prolonged environmental exposure," sheriff's Lt. Pete Van Arnum said in a news release.

The results of Byrne's autopsy, which was conducted by the Sacramento County coroner's office, were released Monday.

"Other significant conditions are listed as methamphetamine toxicity, and multiple psychoactive drug ingestion," Van Arnum said.

He did not disclose what what psychoactive drugs Byrne had ingested.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said it appears Byrne left the SnowGlobe Music
Festival at Lake Tahoe Community College late on New Year's Eve night and started walking in single-digit temperatures back to the Horizon Casino resort two or three miles away in Stateline, Nev., instead of taking a shuttle bus.

Her body was found Jan. 4 within a mile of the college behind a snow bank along Pioneer Trail in South Lake Tahoe.

Van Arnum said Byrne had turned right instead of left on Pioneer Trail and walked west, away from the casino. Her boot prints in the snow were parallel to the snow bank, Van Arnum said.

Byrne was fully clothed, but her white jacket was found about 100 yards from her body, leading investigators to believe she may have become disoriented and confused from hypothermia, which initially makes one feel warm before the body's core temperature drops to a lethal level.

The autopsy found no signs of trauma to her body that would indicate foul play.

Tissue and blood samples were taken to determine if alcohol or drugs were in her system. The autopsy results released Monday made no mention of alcohol in her blood.

Byrne, an aspiring paramedic-firefighter, was studying at Santa Rosa Junior College. She worked as a hostess at the Cattlemen's restaurant in Petaluma.

The 2011 Grande High School graduate had played lacrosse, baseball, softball and basketball.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Woman Raped and Beaten at U.C. Santa Cruz

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:43:49 -0800

SANTA CRUZ (BCN) -- A 21-year-old woman is recovering after being raped and beaten at U.C. Santa Cruz along a campus walkway on Sunday, campus police said.

The attack occurred around 12:30 p.m. as she walked on a wooded path between the Upper Quarry Amphitheater and the Classroom Unit buildings, said Capt. Augie Zigon of the U.C. Santa Cruz Police Department.

The woman suffered blows to the head and torso and was badly bruised in the attack, police said.

The suspect was not armed and is described as a white man in his 30s with pale skin and a round-shaped face. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 200 pounds with a muscular or stocky build with dark-black, medium-length hair and green eyes. The suspect also had a dark, full mustache and goatee, police said.

He wore a dark blue T-shirt with lettering on the front, dark blue Levi-type jeans and a black belt with a silver buckle, as well as Oakley-style sunglasses on top of his head. He had a tattoo on his upper-right bicep area and spoke with a voice that sounded like a "deep growl" and smelled of cigarettes, police said.

Police ask anyone with information about the case to call investigators at 831-459-2231. Reports may also be made anonymously by calling 831-459-3TIP or online at http://police.ucsc.edu/.

(Copyright 2013, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Man Dies in Stolen Car After Crashing While Evading San Jose Police

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:34:17 -0800

One person is dead after crashing a stolen car while attempting to evade officers late Sunday night in San Jose, police said.

An officer was conducting a routine traffic stop in the area of Capitol Expressway and Towers Lane when a dark-colored SUV attempted to run the officer over at about 11:10 p.m., according to police.

The officer jumped out of the way to avoid getting struck, and then got into his patrol car and pursued the fleeing car, police said.

The chase went onto southbound U.S. Highway 101 toward Blossom Hill Road when the driver of the car refused to stop, turning off the car's lights in an attempt to elude the pursuing officers, according to police.

Eventually, the suspect lost control of the car and crashed in the 5400 block of Monterey Road, police said.

The driver, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two passengers in the fleeing car were transported to a hospital to be treated for injuries not considered life-threatening, police said.

Investigators determined the car was reported stolen out of San Jose. Police are investigating the crash.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call San Jose police at (408) 277-4654, or anonymously to the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-7867.

(Copyright 2012, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)