Top San Francisco Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
Service on the California cable car line has been disrupted by an equipment failure, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Shuttles have been put in place on the line following the breakdown, which occurred around 2:45 p.m.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:40:56 -0800
Bob Melvin spent most of his Sunday morning introducing himself to all the new faces gathering in the Oakland Athletics' spring training facility. Next up, he'll be reading through some of their bios.
"When you can converse on a personal level it makes them feel more comfortable," Melvin said. "It's to let guys know they will get some personal attention."
Brandon McCarthy is the only returning starter from a rotation that ended last season under Melvin. Injuries decimated the pitching staff last year and trades took care of the rest.
Veteran Bartolo Colon is expected to earn a spot in the starting rotation along with Dallas Braden, and, possibly, Brett Anderson.
Braden declared himself ready to go following left shoulder surgery that ended his season in May. Anderson, who will throw off a mound Monday for the first time since his injury, made it into June before undergoing left elbow surgery.
Trevor Cahill, an All-Star in 2010, was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a trade that netted the A's pitchers Ryan Cook and Jarrod Parker, and outfielder Collin Cowgill.
Gio Gonzalez, the lone A's representative at last year's All-Star game, went to the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitchers Tommy Moline and Brad Peacock, catcher Derek Norris and minor league pitcher A.J. Cole.
Tyson Ross went 3-3 with a 2.75 ERA in nine games, including six starts, with Oakland before going on the disabled list May 20 with a strained left oblique.
A's catcher Kurt Suzuki hasn't had much time to introduce himself to the new pitchers. He's certainly looking forward to catching them and getting them comfortable.
"You have to develop a game plan with them," Suzuki said. "You have to learn about them and how to work together."
It's not just the starters. Melvin and his staff must also piece together a bullpen, with the departure of closer Andrew Bailey to the Boston Red Sox and Craig Breslow to the Diamondbacks along with Cahill.
The good news is there are plenty of candidates. The coaches will just need a little time to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes are the early front runners to close, and Melvin said Joey Devine and Fautino De Los Santos are also in the mix.
"It comes down to when we get into games," Melvin said. "That's when we start finding out about people."
With the A's scheduled to leave for Tokyo on March 21, there's no time to waste.
"If you are mentally ready, whatever you're working on is the right path," McCarthy said. "Last year I built up to a full outing and then scaled back. I'm doing that again, without the scaling back. My throwing program has not changed. I'm just trying to get used to being on my feet all day."
Notes: Former A's infielder Tony Phillips was a visitor to the first day of workouts. ... Former 1B-OF Sean Doolittle is trying to make the switch to pitching. He was a three-time All-American utility player at Virginia. ... Melvin, a former major league catcher, threw the first official round of batting practice.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:26:19 -0800
The Detroit Red Wings won their 23rd straight home game, setting an NHL multiple-season mark and holding on to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 Sunday.
Detroit, which broke the league's single-season record of 20 on Tuesday, surpassed the 22 wins in a row the Boston Bruins had over two seasons more than eight decades ago.
Henrik Zetterberg and Drew Miller gave Detroit a two-goal lead midway through the second period and Darren Helm restored the two-goal edge 7:01 into the third.
Logan Couture scored late in the second period for the Sharks and Patrick Marleau pulled them within a goal with 4:44 left.
The Red Wings won their sixth straight game, all in a homestand at Joe Louis Arena, and have an NHL-high 84 points.
Detroit's Joey MacDonald, filling in for the injured Jimmy Howard, made 31 saves.
The Pacific Division-leading Sharks have lost six of eight.
San Jose's Antti Niemi gave up a goal on the second shot he faced and finished with 25 saves.
The Red Wings snapped a five-game losing streak against San Jose in the regular season, beating a team that has eliminated them in the second round in each of the past two postseasons.
MacDonald won his sixth straight game in place of Howard, who isn't being rushed to return after breaking his right index finger. Howard is expected to play Tuesday night at Chicago.
Detroit got off to a good start against the Sharks, getting goals from Zetterberg 6:30 into the game and Miller midway through the second, but it wasn't easy to beat them as usual.
Couture was credited for a goal after video review that bounced off the top of the net and appeared to be whacked into the net by Detroit's Justin Abdelkader on a power play with 5:27 left in the second period.
Miller's centering pass set up Helm for a shot from the slot in the third. Later, Marleau finished off a goal-mouth scramble by stuffing the puck past MacDonald.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:38:47 -0800
Police in Berkeley are investigating a homicide that took place in the city on Saturday night.
Officers responded to a home near Shasta Road and Grizzly Peak Boulevard after a woman called to report a suspicious person trespassing near her garage, according to Berkeley police.
The woman's husband reportedly went outside to confront the suspect when he was assaulted, police said.
The man was treated at the scene by the first police officer before being taken to a local trauma center by Berkeley Fire Department paramedics, police said.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police were not discussing details of the attack and did not releasing the victim's name on Sunday.
While officers were conducting an investigation in the neighborhood where the alleged assault occurred, a man was seen in the area who matched the suspect description.
Daniel Jordan Dewitt, 23, of Alameda, was detained and subsequently arrested for murder, police said.
Dewitt is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.
The killing marks Berkeley's second homicide of 2012.
Anyone who might have information regarding the case is asked to contact Berkeley police at (510) 981-5741.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:21:50 -0800
Police in Santa Cruz arrested a man suspected of selling heroin after attempting to give him a probation drug test on Saturday, police said.
Police approached Jose Godoy, 25, in a business in the 200 block of Sylvania Avenue for the drug test at 3:40 p.m.
Godoy ran from the officers, police said, and tried to toss around 10 grams of suspected heroin on the roof of a nearby business.
However, the suspected heroin hit a wall and bounced back toward Godoy, police said.
Police arrested Godoy in the 100 block of Harvey West Boulevard, and police said Godoy resisted arrest in the process.
Godoy was arrested on suspicion of possessing heroin for sale, destruction of evidence, probation violation, resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia and committing a felony while released on bail.
He had previously been arrested by the California Highway Patrol on Jan. 4 for other drug and theft-related felonies, police said.
Godoy was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and booked into Santa Cruz County Jail.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:56:47 -0800
The weekly Occupy Oakland anti-police march headed to Berkeley Saturday night to meet with other Occupy demonstrators holding a conference at the University of California at Berkeley campus this weekend.
Around 100 protesters gathered in Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza at around 9 p.m. and headed to Berkeley via Telegraph Avenue, according to protesters streaming video of the march over the Internet.
There was minimal police presence around the march, and protesters blocked traffic freely on their way to Berkeley. No incidents of violence or vandalism were reported, despite a few arguments with bystanders along the way up Telegraph Avenue.
Once arriving in Berkeley, protesters stopped briefly by the university's Sproul Hall to confront UC police there.
Protesters then moved on to the site of the conference, UC Berkeley's International House at 2299 Piedmont Ave.
The "Occupy the Truth" conference began Friday with a panel discussion between Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern and retired U.S. Army Col. Anne Wright.
The conference is intended to give Occupy activists from Berkeley and Oakland a space to brainstorm ideas and reflect on strategy, organizers said.
When Occupy Oakland protesters arrived, several tents had been set up in the lawn in front of International House, and the march from Oakland merged with a small crowd already gathered in front of the International House.
Several university police stood inside of the building's doorway, but did not confront the crowd on the front steps.
One Occupy Cal protester announced to the arriving crowd that they were invited to spend the night on the front lawn of International House.
The Occupy the Truth conference is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. today for its final day.
An anti-police march has been held weekly in Oakland since Jan. 8, when protesters organized the recurring event in response to what they call continued harassment and brutality by the Oakland police.
In recent weeks, the march has spread to other cities in the Bay Area, as a similar march was held last Friday in San Francisco.
Two arrests were reported at last Saturday's march in Oakland following a confrontation around a traffic stop by the California Highway Patrol.
No arrests were reported this week.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:01:17 -0800
A man was shot during a robbery behind an elementary school in Pleasant Hill on Saturday night when he struggled with the attackers, police said.
Lt. Jose Delatorre said the 20-year-old man was walking with three juvenile males in a field behind Strandwood Elementary School at 416 Gladys Drive at 7:21 p.m. when they were approached by three men.
Delatorre said he could not disclose the ages of the other three victims, but that they were under 18-years-old.
The three robbers, who are approximately 20- to 25-years-old, robbed the four victims at gunpoint. Two of the three men were carrying guns, Delatorre said.
The man resisted the suspects and was shot once in the upper torso in a struggle, Delatorre said.
The suspects fled back toward the school on foot, and when police arrived they made an extensive check of the area around the school and the surrounding yards.
Pleasant Hill police received assistance from the Martinez Police Department and the Contra Costa County air unit, but did not locate the suspects.
The shooting victim was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek in critical condition.
Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to call Pleasant Hill police at (925) 288-4630.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:55:34 -0800
Two people were killed in separate shootings in East Oakland early Sunday morning, an Oakland police officer said.
The first was reported at 12:11 a.m. in the 9700 block of C Street, police said.
The victim in that shooting was pronounced dead at the scene 15 minutes later. Police are searching for a named suspect in that shooting.
The second was reported at 1:09 a.m. in the 2100 block of Seminary Avenue.
A man was found suffering from a gunshot wound there, and was also pronounced dead at the scene about 15 minutes later.
No suspect information was available.
The two shootings are the latest in a string of East Oakland shootings this weekend, but the first two that left a victim dead since Thursday.
On Thursday afternoon, one victim was killed in the 8100 block of Birch Street. Since then, four victims have been reported injured by gunshots.
On Friday morning at 10:09 a.m., police responded to a shooting in the 9600 block of E Street.
One victim was found at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim is in stable condition and their injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
That evening, police found two men suffering from gunshot wounds after a suspect shot them from a passing vehicle, police said.
Police responded to the shooting in the 1800 block of 96th Avenue at 7:04 p.m.
Both victims were transported to a local hospital and are in stable condition, police said.
Police also received reports on Friday afternoon that two men were shooting at each other near the corner of 100th Avenue and International Boulevard.
Police conducted a search of the area at around 1 p.m. but located no victims nor suspects.
At around 1 a.m. Saturday, police said a victim was seriously injured in the 5200 block of Foothill Boulevard.
No further details about that shooting were available.
As of this morning, there have been 19 homicides in Oakland this year.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:55:29 -0800
Two boys received potentially life-threatening injuries in a double stabbing at the Eastridge Shopping Mall in San Jose Saturday evening.
The mall was closed and evacuated after the attack, which was reported just before 7:30 p.m., according to Officer Jose Garcia.
Two victims, both male juveniles, were found inside the mall suffering from stab wounds and were taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.
Three male suspects were seen fleeing the attack on foot. Police have detained three possible suspects at the mall.
The motive in the attack remains under investigation.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call San Jose police at (408) 277-8900.
Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:43:14 -0800
Copper thefts from Fremont city streetlights are on the rise, and police are asking for the public's help in putting an end to the expensive crime.
According to the city, in the past seven months, copper wire theft repairs have cost the city approximately $460,000 and left many streetlights inoperable until they can be repaired.
Those repairs are costing the city more than expected, and Tuesday night the City Council highlighted the crime's impact as it discussed amending its streetlight maintenance contract with Republic ITS.
If the crimes continue unabated, the city could end up spending almost $800,000 for the current fiscal year for associated repairs.
Since 2010, as the value of copper has increased, streetlight wire theft has dramatically increased because vandals steal the copper wire and sell it as scrap metal.
According to the city, work and repairs associated with wire theft have cost about $180,000 so far this year and the city has pending theft-associated repairs estimated to cost about $280,000, prompting a contract amendment of $300,000.
City staff have projected that repairs related to wire theft for the final five months of the current fiscal year will cost $328,000. If the thefts are not deterred, the city may need to amend the contract by an additional $350,000.
Fremont is not alone, however. Several Bay Area municipalities, schools and transit agencies -- including BART -- have been targeted by wire vandals. BART reports that it made an insurance claim of $500,000 after thieves stole a giant spool of cable from a contractor's yard in December 2010.
Fremont police suspect that the thieves have been stealing the copper wire at night, sometimes working two consecutive nights to remove the material -- first cutting the power and then returning to collect the wire.
A non-functioning streetlight may be a clue for law enforcement, and police are asking community members to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, particularly because the vandals may appear to resemble repair crews in uniform with utility trucks.
Authorized repair workers should be traveling in a vehicle bearing the City of Fremont logo or Republic ITS logo.
Anyone who witnesses a crime should call 911, and those with information about suspicious activity should call (510) 790-6800.
Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:47:37 -0800
A man was killed when he was struck by a car in Campbell early Saturday morning, police said.
At about 2:30 a.m., officers responded to a report of a person lying in the road on Winchester Boulevard near Chapman Drive. Officers located a man in the far right lane of southbound Winchester Boulevard south of that intersection.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet released his identity.
Police located a vehicle involved in the collision and are interviewing the vehicle's owner. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, police said.
Anyone with information about the fatal crash is asked to contact Traffic Sgt. Richard Shipman at (408) 866-2710.
Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:03:30 -0800
A suspected burglar was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Redwood City, police said.
Around 4:45 p.m. detectives from the Redwood City police Street Crime Suppression Team arrested 36-year-old Redwood City resident Jason Cerrutti at his residence in the 400 block of Stambaugh Street, police said.
During a search of his home, vehicle and storage locker, detectives found property believed to be stolen from a home burglary in Redwood City in January and property apparently from two commercial burglaries in Santa Clara County in February and January.
Cerrutti is a parolee and as a condition of his parole authorities periodically search his property.
Cerrutti was booked into San Mateo County Jail on charges of residential burglary, possession of stolen property and violation of his parole, according to police.
The Street Crime Suppression Team is comprised of Redwood City police and San Mateo County Sheriff's detectives.
Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:48:19 -0800
Bay Area home sales reached a five-year high in January even as the median home price continued to fall, according to a real estate information service.
A total of 5,479 homes sold in the nine-county Bay Area in January, a number that was up 10.3 percent from January 2011, according to DataQuick.
It was down 26 percent from December, but Dataquick officials said a decline is normal from December to January.
The median home price in January was $326,000, down 2.8 percent from December and 3.6 percent from December 2010.
Median home prices are at their lowest point since April 2009, when they reached $304,000. They hit their lowest point in the recent downturn in March 2009, at $290,000.
DataQuick officials said the median home price in part reflected declining property values along with a large proportion of sales made up by distressed and low-cost properties. Distressed property sales made up 51 percent of the market in the Bay Area in January.
Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:42:02 -0800
Petaluma police arrested a woman Friday on suspicion of committing her fourth DUI.
Petaluma police Officer Ron Klein saw a gold 2001 Honda Accord abruptly change lanes and almost collide with a Chevrolet pickup truck at Washington and Keller streets around 12:15 p.m., Sgt. Kevin Savano said.
Klein stopped the Honda driver, 28-year-old Fallon Elaine Wilson, of Petaluma, and recognized her as a repeat DUI offender, Savano said.
Wilson is on active DUI probation and her driver's license is suspended, Savano said. Her blood-alcohol level when she was stopped was 0.12 percent and she was arrested for felony DUI, Savano said.
Klein said he found a small amount of wine in a water bottle in Wilson's car, Savano said.
She was booked into the Sonoma County jail under $45,000 bail for felony DUI, violation of probation and driving on a suspended license. Police impounded her Honda for 30 days, Savano said.
Wilson's previous DUI arrests were in May 2006, April 2007 and October 2009, Savano said. Petaluma traffic officers were monitoring her to make sure she was complying with her probation terms, Savano said.
Wilson complied with those terms during checks in November 2009, November 2010 and August 2011, Savano said.
Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:38:20 -0800
You've probably noticed a growing trend of people constantly using their cell phones, whether talking on it, texting or checking the device for other reasons.
A study backs up a new addiction being called "nomophobia" or "no mobile" phobia.
It is estimated there are 5.6 billion cell phones in the world and in the United States there are more cell phones than there are people.
Some of the people we spoke to Friday backed up this new addication.
"I feel like I'm missing something on my body because you carry your phone everywhere. You use it for everything," said Eloy Ramirez of San Jose.
"I'm not afraid. I might be concerned," said Craig Kennedy of Los Altos. "I like to have it with me."
A survey of one thousand people in the United Kingdom revealed that 66 percent suffered from nomophobia. That's an increase of 13 percent from four years ago.
The largest number of nomophobics is in the 18-to-24 age group followed by those 25-to-34 years old.
Women and more concerned about being disconnected than men.
"If you start fearing not having your cell phone, it probably shows that you're overdoing your phone a little bit and maybe you're too connected," said Jessie Kissinger of San Jose.
Not too surprisingly, the survey found people over the age of 55 are the least nomophobic.
"I know where I'm going and I have myself and I don't need to be talking to anyone else, so why would I need a cell phone?" said Suzanne Karlak of Saratoga, "I'm out enjoying nature."
There is even a suggested treatment for nomophobia. First, imagine what it would be like without a cell phone. Then spend small amounts of time away from it.
Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:43:33 -0800
A judge Friday set a Sept. 17 trial date for Giselle Esteban on a charge that she murdered nursing student Michelle Le, coincidentally on the one-year anniversary of the day Le's remains were found in a remote area between Pleasanton and Sunol.
Le, a 26-year-old San Mateo woman who was attending Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, had disappeared from Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward on May 27.
Esteban, a 28-year-old Union City woman who attended high school with Le in San Diego, was charged with Le's murder on Sept. 8 -- before Le's body was found -- based on DNA evidence and cellphone records.
An Alameda County criminal grand jury indicted Esteban on an identical murder charge on Dec. 14 at the end of a three-day hearing. Prosecutors sought the indictment to try to speed up her trial.
The indictment allows prosecutors to bypass the step of having a preliminary hearing at which a judge determines if there is enough evidence against a defendant for a case to proceed to trial.
Esteban, who is being held at the county jail without bail, is scheduled to return to the courtroom of Alameda County Superior Court Judge Carrie Panetta on March 5 for a hearing on several pretrial motions.
According to the transcript of the grand jury's hearing, prosecutors believe that Esteban stalked and murdered Le because she blamed Le for wrecking her relationship with Scott Marasigan, who is the father of Esteban's daughter.
Esteban gave birth to a second child in November while she was in custody but the father of that child hasn't been disclosed.
Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:29:24 -0800
A 19-year-old Oakland man was sentenced Friday to 35 years to life in state prison for murdering a man who was on his way to the store to buy milk for his family.
Eugene Richardson was convicted last month of first-degree murder for the death of 23-year-old Wayl Aljunaidi near a Walgreens pharmacy and a taco truck in the 3200 block of Foothill Boulevard in Oakland at about 10:45 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2009.
Prosecutors in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office said Aljunaidi was on his way from his family's home near Foothill Boulevard and 35th Avenue to the Walgreens when Richardson and two other men accosted him.
They said Richardson shot Aljunaidi in the back as he tried to flee and then Richardson and the two other suspects robbed Aljunaidi of his money and jewelry and fled from the scene.
Richardson and Devonne Young, one of the other suspects, were arrested two months after the fatal shooting.
Young pleaded no contest to a robbery charge shortly before Richardson's trial began. The third suspect hasn't been identified.
Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:04:47 -0800
While it takes years or even decades to develop new passenger jets, the government is taking a hands off approach when it comes making sure the spacecraft being designed for passenger flight are safe.
Virgin Atlantic airliners and Virgin America jumbo jets are visible at SFO any day of the week.
But Virgin Galactic, a still unrealized commerical venture into space, begins at Mojave Airport in the high desert of California. The Mojave Desert is the holy high temple of the "right stuff," the place where humankind first broke the sound barrier, the X-15 became the first real rocket powered manned spaceship and the space shuttle repeatedly landed.
Manned spaceflight is getting ever closer to going commercial.
"We expect to see some test flights as early as this year and some of the companies are planning to be in formal operations as early as next year, so we're really quite close to seeing a lot of activity in that area," said Federal Aviation Administration's Commerical Space Administrator George Nield.
The only reason we're as close as we are to passengers in space is because eight years ago, the U.S.Government took a hands off approach, letting commercial space entrepreneurs develop thier craft without regulation.
That freed up the thinking of people at the Mojave Aiport. These are intensely entrepreneurial men and women who simply want to be allowed to do what they do best. They like to call Mojave the "Silicon Valley" for new space.
Virgin Galactic looks to be first to take tourists into space. Enrico Palermo, an executive with the spacecraft building arm of Virgin Galactic called the Spaceship Company, told KTVU his company closing on its objective.
"We are certainly a long way through its testing program of its vehicles the White Knight Two and Space Ship Two," said Palermo. "That's really an example of things that are happening across the industry."
For $200,000 a ticket, Virgin's Spaceship Two will carry six tourists to an altitude of 360,000 feet or 68 miles. That is "space' for all intents and purposes. But with commercial flights coming in as little as two years, how can a spacecraft be certified for tourists in such a short time?
Commercial airliners such as Boeings and Airbuses take many years to certify. The answer comes from Stuart Witt the CEO of Mojave Air & Spaceport.
"The FAA and Congress has said 'We're not going to certify these craft for human space flight. We're going to achieve an equivalent level of safety,'" said Witt.
"There's rules that these vehicles are licensed to operate under and we need to meet those rules," adds Palermo.
By order of Congress, the FAA requires space lauch companies to assure the safety of all people and property on the ground. For space tourists, Congress set a different standard.
"They've asked us to use something called 'informed consent,' where launch operators are going to have to thoroughly brief their customers on all hazards, all risks," said Nield.
"Part of our job is to inform, as part of the FAA process, our customers of the risks," said Virgin Galactic's Palermo.
Nonetheless, nearly 500 passengers have already signed up. With that and contracts to carry scientific and industrial research packages into space, business is so good, Virgin's Spaceship Company is building a fleet, as are other companies.
"We've build this $8 million, 68,000 square foot facility here," said Palermo. "There are two facilites, bigger than that, being built a quarter mile down the road."
Those buildings will house Stratolaunch, brain child of Microsoft billionarie Paul Allen, whose soon-to-be-built, largest aircraft ever "mothership" will carry numerous payloads, human and cargo, for air launch into space.
Other companies from X-cor to Masten, Space Adventures to Space-X and Blue Origin to Rockethip Tours and others, here and abroad, all are racing to join the new space race. Passenger confidence in space tourism will blossom once prices decline and a solid safety record better than that achieved by the 550 government sponsored human space flights is built.
"We've go to do exponentially better than that in space travel to start achieving numbers that the travelling public expects from our industry," explained Witt.
"Certainly in the next 5 to 10 years, we're gonna see a lot of activity with hundreds of flights every year and a lot more people getting to experience spaceflight individually," FAA Commerical Space Administrator Nield added.
Eventually, this sub-orbital flying will take place from one-point to another, slashing flight times from city to city.
Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:52:54 -0800
A San Francisco police officer was charged Friday with assaulting a woman he was dating during an off-duty incident in January, a district attorney's office spokeswoman said.
Richard Soares was charged with felony assault and misdemeanor domestic violence battery in connection with the Jan. 7 incident, which occurred at the Slide nightclub at 430 Mason St., prosecutors said.
Soares allegedly pushed the woman, causing her to hit her head and suffer a 1-inch laceration to the back of her head, district attorney's office spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman said.
Soares could be arraigned on the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of four years in state prison, as soon as Tuesday, Stillman said.
Police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said that Soares, who worked in the department's field operations bureau, has been placed on unpaid administrative leave.
Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:10:31 -0800
The Bay Bridge's westbound upper deck will reopen Sunday evening, more than 24 hours ahead of schedule following a planned holiday weekend closure for demolition and construction work.
With all planned demolition and maintenance work completed, California Department of Transportation Officials said they will begin removing cones from the bridge and approaches around 7 p.m.
The first vehicles are expected to cross the bridge around 8 p.m., Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said.
Motorists passing through the toll plaza are asked to drive carefully, since the merge will be different. While 20 lanes will still merge down to 5, they will curve slightly to the south, Ney said.
California Highway Patrol officers will escort the first drivers across and drivers are reminded to follow their lead and use patience when crossing the bridge Sunday night.
"Don't drive past any CHP vehicles unless told to do so, don't enter into any coned off areas," said CHP spokesman Officer Sam Morgan.
The bridge was not scheduled to reopen until Tuesday at 5 a.m., but Ney said unexpectedly good weather had allowed work to progress quickly.
"The next time we plan to close the Bay Bridge will be to open the new Bay Bridge, Labor Day weekend 2013," Ney said.
The bridge's upper deck was closed at 8 p.m. Friday to accommodate demolition and maintenance projects related to the construction of a new eastern span. Crews demolished sections fo roadway to make way for an inclined section that will eventually carry eastbound traffic.
The closure has pushed a surge of southbound traffic on to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Unofficial numbers show that more than 67,600 vehicles drove south over the bridge on Saturday, up from 39,799 vehicles on the Saturday of Presidents Day in 2011, Golden Gate Transportation District spokeswoman Mary Currie said.
Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:54:58 -0800
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