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Sheriff's K-9 helps capture burglar who rammed car into western wear store
Published On 5/10/2012
A San Mateo County sheriff's K-9 helped capture a burglar who crashed a vehicle into the back of a western wear store in North Fair Oaks on Wednesday night and then started stealing items through a damaged door.
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Sheriff’s Office set to take over Millbrae police
Published On 2/15/2012
Millbrae’s Police Department is set to close in early March when the Sheriff’s Office takes over after the City Council approved transfer agreements Tuesday evening.
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Outsourced policing works for San Carlos
Published On 11/17/2011
One year after San Carlos outsourced its police work to the county Sheriff’s Office, officials from both agencies say the partnership is going great and has produced the cost savings that city officials desired.
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Millbrae to outsource police
Published On 11/16/2011
Millbrae will begin negotiating to contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police services — a decision that could save the city $1.1 million to $2 million annually but that split the opinion of those at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
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Sheriff’s deputies extinguish fire
Published On 11/1/2011
An early-morning downtown Half Moon Bay fire Sunday was extinguished by deputies on patrol after they spotted smoke coming from a commercial building complex at 840 Main St.
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Police dogs display their abilities at Pet Food Express
Published On 10/15/2011
Artos, Morgan, and Max, all K-9 units, were at Pet Food Express in San Carlos to help raise funds for additional K-9 bullet-proof vests. The dogs and their partners were showcasing their expertise at chasing down bad guys.
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Millbrae considers changes to its police service
Published On 8/30/2011
San Bruno would like to have its full-time police chief back and is leaving Millbrae to evaluate if police services should be provided through a city department or by contracting with another agency.
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Police investigating Portola Valley school burglaries
Published On 7/23/2011
Police are looking for the burglar or burglars who stole $18,000 worth of Apple computers from a school in Portola Valley.
Deputies were called to Woodside Priory School at 302 Portola Road on Friday morning after an employee discovered 10 desktop computers had been taken, said San Mateo County She...
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Attempted burglar hit with bear spray
Published On 7/22/2011
A residential burglar hiding in a master bedroom closet of a home on the 3500 block of Bay Road in unincorporated Redwood City Thursday afternoon fled the scene after the resident hit him with bear spray, according to police. At approximately 2:48 p.m., the resident found the man hiding and spraye...
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Meth smoker guilty in coastal trailer fire
Published On 7/20/2011
A Princeton-by-the-Sea felon accused of accidentally torching his storage trailer by using a defective propane torch to smoke methamphetamine was sentenced to jail for possessing weapons and black powder turned up by the blaze. John Louis Blanchard, 65, pleaded no contest to being a felon in posses...
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Windsurfer missing-Exhaustive search for 62-year-old woman in Bay, firefighters seeing more water...
Published On 7/19/2011
A 62-year-old Los Altos woman is missing after heading out to windsurf in the Bay at 5 p.m. yesterday and a multi-hour search was looking grim, according to fire officials. The woman, who was undergoing chemotherapy, was with her husband just north of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge when he lost trac...
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Police impersonator arrested
Published On 7/19/2011
San Carlos police arrested a man Friday for impersonating a police officer after an investigation spurred from several incidents between June 21 and July 11. At approximately 4:38 p.m. Friday, San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies arrested Michael Anthony Juricich, 48, in front of his residence on t...
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Squatters in home arrested after search
Published On 7/16/2011
Three men found unlawfully occupying a home in unincorporated La Honda Friday morning have been arrested, and a fourth remains at large, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. The men were reported Friday morning in a residence on Starwood Drive, according to a countywide alert. They ran from ...
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City bans new massage parlors
Published On 7/13/2011
San Carlos officials agreed Monday night to ban new massage permits for 45 days with hopes the county or state will help close licensing loopholes they believe make it easier for prostitution to flourish. The emergency moratorium can be extended another year by council vote at the end of the 45-day...
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Massage rules rub city wrong way
Published On 7/11/2011
There are some tell-tale signs that a massage establishment might be offering clients more than a legitimate rubdown, according to San Carlos’ top police official. There are codes, sometimes specific actions like leaving cash out on top of a customer’s pants and operators who don’...
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Holiday weekend arrests down
Published On 7/8/2011
Illegal fireworks led to 22 $1,000 citations, technically an administrative arrest, in San Bruno and Pacifica over the holiday weekend — accounting for a drop in bookings for both cities. Over the Fourth of July weekend, nine people in San Bruno and 13 people in Pacifica were given $1,000 f...
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Double-double trouble: Fast food sign orders up San Carlos grumblings
Published On 7/6/2011
The new In-N-Out Burger may have ordered up a batch of trouble — make that double-double trouble — with its telltale red and yellow arrow sign that its San Carlos neighbors say provides an unwelcome neon glow over their backyards and jeopardizes their property values. The restaurant at 445 Indust...
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Suspected drug dealer charged after house raided
Published On 7/6/2011
A suspected methamphetamine dealer arrested after county law enforcement swarmed a suspected San Carlos drug house so squalid a building inspector deemed it uninhabitable pleaded not guilty yesterday to several felonies. Edward Joseph Alves, 47, of Redwood City, was one of three people arrested a...
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Trial set for man accused of slashing roommate's neck
Published On 6/25/2011
A Moss Beach man who allegedly sawed at the neck of his female roommate with a serrated knife because she reported him for driving while intoxicated pleaded not guilty and will stand trial early next year. David Jon Vanalstine, 57, is charged with attempted murder, assault, domestic violence and us...
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As more homes burglarized, police urge residents to lock up while away
Published On 6/20/2011
A string of home burglaries since April has prompted Hillsborough and nearby city authorities to alert residents to be vigilant about protecting unoccupied homes, Hillsborough police said. Seven residences in Hillsborough have been burglarized since the beginning of April. The locations of t...
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Redwood City man arrested for indecent exposure at Caltrain station
Published On 6/20/2011
A 59-year-old Redwood City man was arrested for indecent exposure on Thursday after he allegedly masturbated on a Caltrain platform in San Carlos. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the San Carlos Caltrain station at about 8:30 p.m., when a woman reported that a man sitting near her had ...
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New sheriffs in town
Published On 6/15/2011
San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks swore in 14 former Half Moon Bay police officers as sheriff deputies in a ceremony in Redwood City Tuesday. The swearing-in ceremony took place at 11 a.m. at the old San Mateo County courthouse and marked the completion of merging the Half Moon Bay Police Depart...
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Man to trial for sawing at roommate's neck
Published On 6/9/2011
The Moss Beach man will stand trial for allegedly sawing at the neck of his female roommate with a serrated knife because she reported him for driving while intoxicated. David Jon Vanalstine, 57, has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted murder, assault, domestic violence and using a ...
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Spree of car burglaries spur warning
Published On 6/8/2011
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is warning San Carlos residents to lock their vehicles after 36 break-ins were reported in cars parked around the city since early May. San Mateo County Sheriff’s Capt. Greg Rothaus said that all but two of the thefts took place in neighborhoods w...
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Teens arrested for school burglary
Published On 6/7/2011
Two teenage boys were taken into custody early Monday morning for a burglary at the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Belmont, according to police. Belmont police responded to a burglar alarm at the school at about 12:45 a.m. and found that someone had gained entry to the school through a window...
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Jail booking fee to jump
Published On 6/6/2011
Whoever said crime doesn’t pay wasn’t talking about jail fees. In what is becoming an annual rite, Sheriff Greg Munks on Tuesday will ask the Board of Supervisors to increase the current $303 jail access fee to $340. The jail access fee nearly covers the processing of booking suspects a...
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Portola Valley bank robber arrested
Published On 6/3/2011
A 51-year-old transient was arrested Wednesday in Santa Barbara for robbing banks in three California counties, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Raymond Donald Davenport was a suspect in the April 4 Ladera Chase Bank robbery in Portola Valley. He was also a suspect in a Santa Cla...
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Murder defendant asks for speedy trial
Published On 6/3/2011
The Hillsborough man facing a fall murder trial for allegedly shooting his friend several times in his parents’ pool home exerted his right to a speedy prosecution, pushing the schedule up to next month. However, Bradley Allen Kleiman’s defense attorney on Friday is expected to move the new July 18...
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Three jailed for selling meth
Published On 6/3/2011
Three San Carlos residents are in custody for possessing and selling methamphetamine out of a home on Greenwood Avenue, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. A 5-year-old child was at the residence at the time of the arrests and officers also encountered eight pit bulls, two of which...
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One dead in rural crash
Published On 5/27/2011
A Newark man was killed in a crash near La Honda late Thursday morning that involved workers who were performing weed abatement for a local open space district, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. The crash was reported at 11:22 a.m. in the vicinity of Alpine and Mindego Hill roads, in a ...
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Trial set in Hillsborough shooting
Published On 5/26/2011
The man accused of fatally shooting his friend multiple times during an argument in the pool house of his parent’s Hillsborough home will stand trial on murder and weapons charges in the fall. Bradley Allen Kleiman is set for a pretrial conference Sept. 26 and jury trial Nov. 7. He was give...
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Woman arrested for stealing four Hondas
Published On 5/26/2011
Police in Belmont arrested one suspect and are searching for two more in connection with a string of car thefts that took place early Wednesday morning. A patrol officer initiated a traffic stop on a Honda Civic in the 1000 block of Ralston Avenue at about 3:40 a.m., according to Belmont police. ...
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Council compromises on parking fine hike
Published On 5/25/2011
Some parking fines in San Carlos just got a little more expensive although the City Council agreed not to increase the penalty for exceeding the allotted time limits. After the council failed to halve the proposed $8 increase across the board Monday night, it agreed 3-1 only to change the fines f...
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Raided gambling halls settle with regulators
Published On 5/25/2011
EMERYVILLE — Two San Francisco Bay area gambling halls caught up in a multiyear criminal racketeering investigation have reached a settlement with state regulators. Pamela Mares of the California Gambling Control Commission says the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville and Artichoke Joe’s Casin...
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Grand jury: Uniform police Taser policy needed
Published On 5/25/2011
Most police agencies in San Mateo County use Tasers and similar rules for them, but the civil grand jury recommends uniform policies for all. An investigation into local police agencies and the use of Tasers by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury found only two agencies — the East Palo A...
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Man poses as city worker, tries to enter home
Published On 5/19/2011
A man wearing a yellow hard hat posing as a Belmont city worker tried to gain access to a home on Chula Vista Drive Tuesday afternoon, according to police. The incident follows a recent home invasion in San Mateo in which men in yellow hard hats posing as utility workers broke into an elderly wom...
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Drug bust nets eight
Published On 5/18/2011
Eight people were arrested and more than 55 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized during drug busts in Daly City and San Francisco, according to the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force. All the suspects are members of a close-knit Asian drug-trafficking organization and not associated with ...
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Hundreds remember former San Carlos mayor at memorial
Published On 5/14/2011
Hundreds of politicians and friends of former San Carlos Mayor Omar Ahmad filled the Hiller Aviation Museum Friday afternoon to mourn his sudden passing Tuesday morning. Ahmad, 46, was taken to Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City after calling 911 from his home, and he was pronounced dead of a heart a...
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Truck fire deem suspicious
Published On 5/5/2011
A smoke-filled Dodge Durango found on the side of Alpine Road in Portola Valley Tuesday night was found to have had gasoline in it, used as an accelerant to set the vehicle on fire, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle had a thick plume of smoke inside of it at ab...
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No injuries were reported. Three arrested for burglary
Published On 4/30/2011
Three people — including a brother and sister employed by an equestrian center — were arrested in Newark Friday for burglarizing a Woodside home sometime between November and April, San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies reported. Cassandra Jane Chislett, 19, and her brother Co...
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High-speed chase ends in arrest, two still at large
Published On 4/28/2011
A high-speed police chase through the streets of Redwood City Tuesday was discontinued after the driver of the suspect vehicle collided with other cars and purposely left the road to hit pedestrians but ended with the later arrest of a juvenile related to the chase and a previous home burglary...
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Woman found dead
Published On 4/27/2011
Upon discovering the body of a 54-year-old woman in a San Mateo apartment Tuesday, authorities uncovered evidence of potentially hazardous materials, issued a shelter-in-place advisory and evacuated nearby apartments. Members of the San Mateo police and fire departments responded at about 3:15 p....
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Accused killer fit for trial; defense claiming self-defense
Published On 4/27/2011
The Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument in his parents’ pool house is fit to stand trial on murder and gun charges, according to two of three court-appointed doctors. The defense could contest the findings but defense attorney Chuck Smith...
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Trial set in fatal shooting
Published On 4/23/2011
A Millbrae murder defendant who recently returned from a state mental hospital will stand trial in October on charges he shot an acquaintance and left the body inside a car parked on a residential Burlingame street. Teyseer Zaid “Terry” Najdawi, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murder an...
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Carolyn Livengood: 'Dream Machines' return to Half Moon Bay
Published On 4/23/2011
The 21st annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, a display of 2,000 magnificent driving, flying and working machines from the past century, will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 at the Half Moon Bay Airport. Among the highlights this year is a Nike Hercules sur...
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Missing woman found
Published On 4/16/2011
A missing San Carlos woman with Alzheimer’s disease was found Thursday night, according to sheriff’s deputies. Lydia Stein was last seen at about 2 p.m. at her home in the 200 block of Club Drive but was located at 10 p.m. Thursday, according to sheriff’s deputies....
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Woman killed after car stuck by train
Published On 4/16/2011
One woman was killed when a northbound Caltrain struck a car at Charleston Road near Alma Street in Palo Alto at around 5 p.m. Friday, an agency spokeswoman said. There were approximately 300 to 400 passengers on the train, No. 369, and the possibility of other injuries was unknown as of 6 p.m., ...
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Jail realignment spurs backup plans
Published On 4/15/2011
The state’s plan to keep prisoners in local jails could cost San Mateo County $27 million more than currently spent on daily inmate expenses and any state reimbursement will be stretched across departments, Sheriff Greg Munks said yesterday. Using the calculated daily jail rate of $169.92 p...
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Woman with Alzheimer's missing
Published On 4/15/2011
Sheriff’s deputies in San Carlos are searching for a missing 82-year-old woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, according to emergency officials. Lydia Stein was last seen at about 2 p.m. at her home in the 200 block of Club Drive, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Capt. Greg R...
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Murder defendant certified as competent
Published On 4/9/2011
A Millbrae murder defendant who recently returned from a state mental hospital will set a trial date at the end of the month but first wants to fire his court-appointed attorney. A judge Friday certified Teyseer Zaid “Terry” Najdawi, 28, as restored to competency and able to stand t...
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Ex-school worker pleads not guilty to child molest
Published On 4/9/2011
SAN MATEO — A former Menlo Park school district computer technician has pleaded not guilty to molesting a friend’s 10-year-old daughter. San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says 46-year-old Yung Chi Chu entered the pleas Thursday to 12 counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a ch...
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Civil grand jury gives crime lab high marks
Published On 4/8/2011
The county’s crime lab gets high marks from the civil grand jury which lauds its recent accreditation but recommends developing a way for law enforcement and prosecutors to better track evidence. The San Mateo County Forensic Laboratory doesn’t provide regular training to local law en...
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Tutor pleads not guilty to molestation, sending porn
Published On 4/8/2011
The San Carlos tutor accused of fondling and sending nude photos to a friend’s 10-year-old daughter who he tutored pleaded not guilty yesterday to a dozen counts of child molestation and sending harmful matter. Yung Chi Chu, 46, faces up to 30 years in prison and registration as a sex offen...
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Police seek yellow-coated bank robber
Published On 4/6/2011
A Monday morning bank robbery in Portola Valley has both the FBI and San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office on the hunt for a suspect in a yellow coat. A man entered the Chase Bank on the 3100 block of Alpine Road at about 9:15 a.m. Monday, approached a bank teller and said he was armed before d...
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Council vote: Sheriff will patrol HMB
Published On 4/4/2011
In an emotional vote, the Half Moon Bay City Council unanimously approved contracting out police services to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to save the city about $510,000 annually. The 5-0 vote took place in a special meeting Saturday. “I knew all along we would have to outsour...
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Man arrested for lewd acts with a 10-year-old
Published On 4/1/2011
A San Carlos man is in custody for allegedly engaging in lewd acts with the 10-year-old daughter of family friends, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Yung Chi Chu, 46, was arrested at his San Carlos home 7 p.m. Wednesday by sheriff’s deputies. He is being charged wit...
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Service League of San Mateo County: Providing hope for 50 years
Published On 3/29/2011
Back in 1961, the Service League of San Mateo County existed to ensure county jail inmates had the right to religious services. Now, 50 years later, the league provides services to people across 35 religions and assists the families of the incarcerated, providing everything from financial advice...
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Accused killer's competency still up in air
Published On 3/26/2011
The competency question for a Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument in his parents’ pool house remains unclear as the court-appointed doctor expected to break the stalemate of two others didn’t return his report Friday. The doctor nee...
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Fall trial in courthouse gun case
Published On 3/25/2011
The man who prosecutors say brought a handgun into the Redwood City courthouse branch where he was headed to a hearing over child custody will stand trial in the fall on a felony firearm charge. James Douglas Knapp, 45, of Sacramento, is charged with one count of possessing a firearm in a public ...
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Cold case murder suspect arrested in Texas
Published On 3/25/2011
A 37-year-old man was arrested in Laredo, Texas earlier this month in connection with the 1995 murder of Gabriella Tello in East Palo Alto. Jose Luis Arreola was arrested March 10 at a border crossing by U.S. Homeland Security agents. Tello, 19, was found murdered inside her home in East Palo Al...
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Hearing set for accused wife killer
Published On 3/19/2011
A Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting as a suicide to collect a hefty insurance payout will learn in June if he’ll stand trial for her murder nearly a year ago. Pooroushasb Parineh, known as Peter, was arrested in June for the death of his wife, Parima, but a pre...
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Murder defendant returned for trail
Published On 3/17/2011
The Millbrae man hospitalized as incompetent before standing trial for allegedly shooting his friend in 2008 and leaving the man’s body inside a car parked on a residential Burlingame street is now fit to aid in his own defense against murder charges, according to state hospital doctors. Th...
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Victim's friend gets 25 to life for South San Francisco murder
Published On 3/17/2011
A 21-year-old man who set up the robbery of a friend that ended in murder was sentenced Wednesday in San Mateo County Superior Court to 25 years to life in prison, a prosecutor said. Neil Chand will have to serve 25 years before he is eligible for parole in the killing of 21-year-old Shivnesh Reddy, who was gunned down Oct. 28, 2009, as he tried to s...
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Artichoke Joe's looking at staff
Published On 3/16/2011
Artichoke Joe’s is conducting an internal investigation into how some of its employees allegedly preyed on casino customers by offering criminal loans, its attorney Alan Titus said yesterday. The casino has suspended all employees without pay who worked in the Pai Gow tiles section of the c...
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Bay Area skirts heavy damage
Published On 3/12/2011
Most of the Bay Area was not directly affected Friday by a deadly tsunami that hit Japan Thursday night, despite concerns that residual waves crashing onto the California coastline could cause damage or injuries. A tsunami warning was issued early Friday morning in the region after an 8.9-magnitu...
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Two arrested in Caltrain attack
Published On 3/12/2011
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of beating and robbing a man at the Redwood City Caltrain station last week, agency officials said Friday. Desean Walker, 19, and Thomas Nicholas Furman, 18, both of Redwood City, were arrested by transit police on suspicion of robbery and assault with grea...
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San Mateo County residents flee to hills after getting tsunami warning
Published On 3/11/2011
The tsunami sent barreling toward the California coast by a massive earthquake in Japan did no damage in San Mateo County on Friday, but it prompted hundreds of people to flee the threat in a potentially dangerous way, officials said. Several hundred evacu...
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State allows Artichoke Joes to reopen
Published On 3/11/2011
The California Gambling Control Commission has allowed Artichoke Joe’s to reopen after it was shut down March 2 during a two-city raid of it and the Oak Card Club in Emeryville. The commission’s approval was based on new controls being put in place at the card room. “I ...
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Artichoke Joe's set to reopen
Published On 3/10/2011
Artichoke Joe’s, one of two Bay Area casinos raided by federal authorities last week, is set to reopen tonight and the gaming director for the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville has been charged wit...
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Raided Bay Area card clubs, including Artichoke Joe's Casino in San Bruno, get OK to reopen
Published On 3/10/2011
Artichoke Joe's Casino and the Oaks Card Club, which were shut down by police on allegations of loan-sharking and drug dealing, won approval Thursday to reopen one minute after midnight Friday. The club owners got the green light from the California...
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Summit focuses on female inmates
Published On 3/5/2011
Women are different. They may commit the same crimes as men but, when it comes to incarceration, women need programs aimed at their gender-specific needs like abuse, child care and education. That...
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Mountain lion sighting reported, second within six hours
Published On 3/5/2011
A mountain lion sighting was reported in Woodside early Friday morning, the second such sighting in about six hours, according to San Mateo County emergency officials. The cougar was spotted at about 12:05 a.m. in the vicinity of High and Woodside roads, officials said. Another sighting was re...
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Feds raid casino in San Bruno
Published On 3/3/2011
Federal officials swarmed Artichoke Joe’s in San Bruno yesterday morning, frisked its patrons and closed the card club’s doors to customers as investigators executed search and arrest warrants as part of a Bay Area-wide investigation into organized crime. An Emeryville card club was a...
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Cops learn to deal with mentally ill people
Published On 3/3/2011
BELMONT -- Officer Brian Curley calmed down an elderly woman with dementia Thursday and then worked to determine what shape her mind was in. "Why are you asking me all these que...
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Feds fold San Bruno card club in loan-sharking investigation
Published On 3/2/2011
SAN BRUNO -- Artichoke Joe's Casino is closed indefinitely after federal agents raided the cardroom Wednesday morning over allegations that loansharks advanced money to broke players at exorbitant rates and then threatened them with violence to get repayment. The Oaks Card Clu...
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Burglar poses as Caltrans worker
Published On 3/1/2011
A man posing as a Caltrans worker allegedly distracted a Woodside resident while a second suspect entered the home and stole jewelry, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the home on the 3500 block of Tripp Road at about 2:30 p.m. Friday after the victim...
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Sheriff's Office conducts sex registrant checks
Published On 2/25/2011
On Wednesday, 37 local law enforcement officers checked on 160 sex offenders to ensure they were compliant with probation and parole requirements and that they are living in their registered locations. The Sheriff’s Office did not release statistics on how many of those offenders, if any, w...
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Series of break-ins prompt police warning
Published On 2/23/2011
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is reminding county visitors and residents to safeguard their homes and vehicles in the wake of a series of break-ins. Several unlocked vehicles in the Brandywine Road area of the Eichler Highlands have been burglarized recently, the Sheriff’s ...
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Cramped quarters - Officials, female inmates made due with aging facility
Published On 2/22/2011
Cassaundra’s young son didn’t want to play dominoes when visiting his mom in jail last week. There was no room. Cassaundra, a 32-year-old mother of five who declined to give a last name, was squeezed in a visiting room the size of a closet with four of her children playing card games lik...
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Getting back on track: A visit to the San Mateo County women's jail
Published On 2/18/2011
Krista Fortenberry will be released from the county jail in about two weeks, and she is terrified her felony theft conviction will make it impossible to find a job. But the 22-year-old Burlingame resid...
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Narcotics task force uncovers Bay Area marijuana ring
Published On 2/17/2011
An undercover sting on Tuesday by the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force netted numerous arrests and drug seizures at homes and marijuana grow houses set up in San Francisco, San Mateo and Alameda counties. The task force operation - nicknamed Operation Green Hornet - included officers from 11...
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Phone scammer threatens cop
Published On 2/15/2011
A scam artist from Jamaica threatened to shoot a sheriff’s deputy in the head Friday night while the two were engaged in a conversation over the telephone, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy was threatened after responding to a call in unincorporated Redwood ...
Daily Journal staff report FULL STO
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Police search for missing persons
Published On 2/11/2011
The car of a couple reported missing from Riverside County Monday was found on Highway 1 in Devil’s Slide yesterday afternoon, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Billy and Collenn Waterman were reported as missing persons Feb. 7. Sheriff’s deputies, including...
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Deputies assist five lost hikers back to retreat center
Published On 2/11/2011
Deputies escorted five hikers back to a Woodside retreat center after they ventured off of a marked trail Wednesday night, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. At about 5:10 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office got a call from the Stillheart Institute at 16350 Skyline Blvd. reporting that...
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Hearing date still unset for accused wife-killer
Published On 2/11/2011
Nearly 10 months after Peter Parineh said he found his wife dead from her own hand, the Woodside man still doesn’t know if he’ll stand trial on charges he killed her and staged it to look as a suicide to collect on hefty insurance policies. Pooroushasb Parineh, known as Peter, was sup...
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Not guilty plea in coastside neckslashing
Published On 2/11/2011
The Moss Beach man accused of sawing at the neck of his live-in girlfriend with a serrated knife in early December pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and using a knife. David Jon Vanalstine, 56, was charged in absentia while recuperating himself for an undisclosed condition that be...
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County preps for big state hit
Published On 2/7/2011
The governor’s proposed budget cuts and shifts means an estimated $17.25 million loss for San Mateo County programs and services, potentially leaving the infirm and elderly without in-home care, children without complete health coverage and the jail filled with hundreds of state prison inmates...
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Mountain lion spotted by golf course near Woodside
Published On 2/5/2011
A mountain lion was spotted near a golf course in unincorporated San Mateo County near Woodside Friday afternoon, according to San Mateo County officials. The animal was spotted at about 1:25 p.m. near the Elks Lodge at the Emerald Hills Golf Course, located at 938 Wilmington Way, according to co...
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Man arrested for sister's personal information to open credit card account
Published On 2/4/2011
A man arrested Jan. 27 for suspected identity theft is believed to have tried to open a credit card account using his sister’s personal information, a San Mateo County sheriff’s spokesman said Thursday. The sheriff’s rapid enforcement allied computer team began its investigation o...
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San Carlos couple gets DUI with four kids in van
Published On 2/3/2011
A San Carlos father whose license had been suspended for driving while intoxicated admitted committing the same crime, but this time while transporting his four young children, the wife who has a re...
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San Carlos couple get jail for drunken drive home with kids
Published On 2/3/2011
After police pulled over the driver for rolling through a stop sign Jan. 22 in San Carlos, they found 14 empty beer cans and an empty bottle of rum, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Also in the car was the man's wife and the couple's three sons and one daughter, who range in age from 2 to 8 years old.
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San Mateo County homicide rate up
Published On 1/28/2011
San Mateo County saw its homicide rate jump slightly to levels in 2010 that have not been seen recently, spurred by a triple murder in South San Francisco near the end of December and several killin...
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Woodside gas station robbed at gunpoint
Published On 1/27/2011
A Shell gas station in Woodside was robbed at gunpoint Tuesday night and police are looking for two suspects, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The suspects were described as two white or light-skinned Hispanic males dressed in black clothing, wearing hooded sweatshirts...
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Subway sandwich shop robbed by masked duo
Published On 1/26/2011
Investigators are looking for two suspects who robbed a Subway sandwich shop in San Carlos on Monday night. Just before 8 p.m., two male suspects entered through the front door of the restaurant at 744 El Camino Real, walked behind the counter and confronted the lone employee, according to the San ...
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SFO dustup leads lawyer to jail time
Published On 1/26/2011
Daily Journal Staff Report The former Los Angeles city attorney accused of attacking officers and fellow travelers with a metal dustpan pole at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve was cleared for departure from the women’s jail after settling the case. Angela Kay West, 50...
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Doctors split on competency of murder suspect
Published On 1/21/2011
A pair of court-appointed doctors disagree whether a Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument in his parents’ pool house is competent to stand trial. After receiving the split decision, Judge Lisa Novak appointed a third tie-breaker to determi...
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Man dies on train tracks
Published On 1/18/2011
A 39-year-old San Francisco man apparently killed himself on the Caltrain tracks in Burlingame Monday morning, delaying trips up to 90 minutes and marking the rail line’s second fatality this ...
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Authorities ID man struck and killed by Caltrain in Burlingame
Published On 1/17/2011
A 39-year-old San Francisco man was struck and killed Monday morning by a Caltrain near a pedestrian crossing in what officials described as an "intentional act." The man, identified as Rafael Lorov...
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Beaches and bluffs to be closed for Mavericks
Published On 1/15/2011
Fans of big-wave surfing will find it a lot more difficult to get a firsthand look at the Mavericks competition in Half Moon Bay this year, as viewing spots on coastal bluffs and beaches will be closed to public access. Representatives from the Half Moon Bay Surf Group, which is organizing this...
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Lawyer ready to defend SFO dustup
Published On 1/14/2011
he former Los Angeles city attorney arrested for attacking officers with a metal dustpan pole at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve will represent herself before a judge at the end of January. Angela Kay West, 50, is charged with four misdemeanors related to the alleged Dec. 24...
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Conductor busted for lewd acts
Published On 1/13/2011
A Caltrain conductor was arrested after allegedly soliciting sex from two female passengers, one 16, who entered the train without enough fare or tickets, said Santa Clara County prosecutor Steve Fein. The most recent incident was Nov. 27 and involved a 16-year-old girl, Fein said. Ricardo Arias ...
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Charges dropped against alleged burglar
Published On 1/13/2011
Charges were dropped against a man arrested for attempting to burglarize a home in unincorporated Redwood City Monday morning. On Wednesday morning, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against Raymond Garcia, 27, of Redwood City, for “insufficient...
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South county burglar arrested
Published On 1/12/2011
A man trying to break into a house in unincorporated Redwood City fled after he was confronted by a homeowner with a firearm. He was later arrested, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 11:22 a.m., deputies responded to the 700 block of Seventh Avenue and th...
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Caltrain conductor accused of soliciting sex for train ride
Published On 1/12/2011
A Caltrain conductor is accused of offering to waive fines for ticketless female passengers on two separate occasions if they agreed to provide him sexual favors, officials said Wednesday.
In both cases, Ricardo Ari...
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Walgreens robbed at gunpoint in San Carlos
Published On 1/11/2011
A man robbed a Walgreens in San Carlos at gunpoint Sunday night and remains at large, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and dressed in a black baseball hat, a black jacket, blue jeans and white tennis shoes, entered the store, located...
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Maverick's safety meeting planned
Published On 1/11/2011
Public safety officials and representatives from the Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational will discuss plans to ensure public safety and manage the expected crowds at the annual surf contest. The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational is scheduled to be held sometime before Feb...
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Coastal burglar sought by police
Published On 1/11/2011
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who may be responsible for a rash of burglaries on the coast. The most recent incident took place Dec. 30 in El Granada when a residence was entered on the 100 block of Escalona Avenue through an open garage door or an unlocked...
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Accused neckslasher finally cleared for court
Published On 1/8/2011
The coastside man accused of sawing at the neck of his live-in girlfriend with a serrated knife in early December was finally medically cleared for court, more than a month after his hospitalization for an undisclosed condition that befell him at the time of arrest. David Jon Vanalstine, 56, was...
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Police: Dead deer may have been killed by a mountain lion
Published On 1/7/2011
San Mateo County emergency officials determined that a mountain lion might have been responsible for the death of a deer Wednesday. At approximately 9:45 a.m., officers responded to reports of a deer lying in the roadway in the 300 block of Robinwood Lane, a residential area of Hillsborough. Off...
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Another delay in Woodside wife killing case
Published On 1/6/2011
A Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting as a suicide to collect a hefty insurance payout doesn’t know yet if he’ll stand trial for murder, even as the case crawls toward the one year-anniversary of her April death. Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, 65...
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Boat capsizes off coast near Half Moon Bay
Published On 1/5/2011
Coast Guard divers boarded a beached fishing vessel off the San Mateo County coast near Half Moon Bay Tuesday afternoon to secure its 2,000-gallon diesel fuel tank, a spokeswoman said. The dive team was able just after 2 p.m. to access the 65-foot “Phyllis J” where it ran aground earl...
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SFO dustup leads to charges
Published On 1/4/2011
The former Los Angeles city attorney arrested for attacking officers with a metal dustpan pole at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve was charged yesterday with four misdemeanors. Angela Kay West, 50, appeared in San Mateo County Superior Court Monday but declined a court-appoint...
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More trouble for gun-toting court visitor
Published On 1/4/2011
The man convicted of bringing a loaded gun to his son’s court appearance and later violating parole with drug possession is again in hot water. Prosecutors say Frank Luis Turney, 47, had methamphetamine and smoking pipes in his Pacifica home last November, nearly a year after he first viola...
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Police consolidation running smoothly, sheriff, officials say
Published On 1/3/2011
When it comes to the Sheriff Office’s absorption of the San Carlos Police Department, no news is good news. “If anything, it is a continuation of what was already going on,” said Sheriff Greg Munks o...
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Mountain lion spotted near Emerald Hills
Published On 1/3/2011
A mountain lion was spotted in the Emerald Hills neighborhood Saturday afternoon, San Mateo County officials said. The cougar was seen near Oak Park Way and Sunset Way at about 1:15 p.m., according t...
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Police say South San Francisco shooting victims uncooperative
Published On 12/28/2010
While three men died in an apparent gang-related shooting in South San Francisco last Wednesday night, the other three victims who suffered minor injuries are being extremely uncooperative with inve...
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Dustup at the airport
Published On 12/28/2010
A woman in the SFO terminal three food court was arrested for swinging a long-handled dustpan from a custodian’s cart at other customers seated at a concession. At approximately 7:46 a.m. Dec. 24, Angela Kay West, 50, of Los Angeles, was alleged to have swung the dustpan at customers, one ...
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Man dies days after being pulled from Oyster Point Marina
Published On 12/28/2010
A 59-year-old man who was pulled from the water alongside a San Mateo woman near Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco last week died on Sunday, according to the San Mateo County coroner’s office. South San Francisco man Carlos Alvarado was found unconscious in the water with 62-year-o...
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Coroner identifies third man who was shot, killed Wednesday
Published On 12/27/2010
A victim who was shot and killed along with two others on Wednesday has been identified by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office. Hector Flores, 20, of South San Francisco, was found in critica...
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Coroner identifies San Mateo woman pulled from water Friday
Published On 12/27/2010
A woman who died after being pulled from the water near the Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco on Friday has been identified by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office. Gail Wuotila, 62, of San Mateo, was found unconscious in the water with an unidentified middle-aged man near 95 Harbor...
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Coastside residents warned to lock up after string of burglaries
Published On 12/24/2010
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is warning coastside residents to lock doors and windows and keep an eye on potentially suspicious characters driving through neighborhoods after seven home burglaries were reported in the last two weeks. Five burglaries have been reported in and around M...
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Inmates get holiday cookie surprise
Published On 12/21/2010
Forget jokes about files baked into cakes. This holiday season, county jail inmates will receive freshly baked cookies and, while the treats may not help them leave custody sooner, culinary program officials say they offer a different type of sweet escape. Roughly 10,000 escapes if one is counting...
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Neighbor saves family from one ‘blue’ Christmas
Published On 12/21/2010
A juvenile was arrested Friday afternoon in the act of burglarizing a San Carlos residence after an alert neighbor saw two males try to enter the home through a window and then phoned police. “It would have been a ‘blue’ Christmas if it weren’t for our neighbor,” victim Nicole Patterson said. Poli...
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Cash stolen from deli
Published On 12/21/2010
The Lutticken’s Deli on Alameda de las Pulgas in unincorporated Menlo Park had up to $1,500 stolen from two cash registers between 5 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. No business suffered no signs of forced entry, according to the Sheriff’s Offi...
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Man steals $34,000 in cash from victim
Published On 12/21/2010
A man stole $34,000 in cash from a bag a man was carrying on the 3200 block of Middlefield Road in unincorporated Redwood City yesterday morning, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The victim stated an unknown Hispanic male wearing all black walked up from behind him and grabbed a ...
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Bomb squad called to Oracle
Published On 12/18/2010
A package sent to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison prompted company officials to call police and the county bomb squad Friday afternoon after an “internal screening process” showed something with electronic components contained within. At approximately 12:47 p.m., police were called to the s...
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Accused attacker remains in hospital
Published On 12/14/2010
The coastside man accused of sawing at the neck of his live-in girlfriend with a serrated knife remains unable to appear in court on attempted murder and knife use charges due to hospitalization. David John Vanalstine, 56, remains hospitalized with an undisclosed medical condition and has yet to ...
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Teen imprisoned for life
Published On 12/11/2010
The teenager convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed rival gangmember at a party in unincorporated Redwood City more than two years ago sealed his fate when he stood over the injured victim and con...
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Man killed on tracks identified
Published On 12/10/2010
The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office identified a man killed on the Caltrain tracks in San Mateo on Wednesday afternoon. Christopher Hall, a 41-year-old San Bruno resident, was struck and killed by a northbound train near First Avenue at about 3:15 p.m., Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn...
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Mountain lion sightings doubled
Published On 12/9/2010
Caltrain said a man in his 40s is dead after being hit by a passenger train while on the tracks at the commuter rail line’s downtown San Mateo station. Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said the unidentified man was struck around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. Dunn did not have any additional detai...
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Hospitalization postpones attempted murder case
Published On 12/7/2010
The coastside man accused of stabbing his live-in girlfriend in the neck just days after being sentenced to jail in an unrelated case will appear in court Wednesday on attempted murder and knife use charges. David John Vanalstine, 56, remains hospitalized with an undisclosed medical condition and...
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Man arrested for attempted murder
Published On 12/4/2010
A coastside man accused of stabbing or slicing his live-in girlfriend’s neck Thursday afternoon was out of custody pending a 45-day drunk driving sentence he received just days before. David John Vanalstine, 56, is now facing much steeper charges of attempted murder and domestic violence wh...
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Police seek armed suspect
Published On 12/4/2010
Sheriff’s deputies are on the lookout for three men who attempted to rob a San Carlos man at gunpoint Thursday evening. At approximately 7:30 p.m., the resident reported being approached by a man in his driveway as he got out of his vehicle on the 1400 block of Cedar Street. The suspec...
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Moss Beach man arrested for stabbing girlfriend in the neck
Published On 12/3/2010
A Coastside woman was rushed to the hospital Thursday evening for emergency surgery after her neck was cut by her boyfriend, police said.The 55-year-old woman ca...
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Medical pot co-op drops plans
Published On 12/1/2010
he operator of an already approved medical marijuana dispensary withdrew his business license application yesterday just before the Board of Supervisors was set to discuss reversing an earlier deci...
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Peninsula pot club operator drops application
Published On 12/1/2010
REDWOOD CITY -- Citing a lack of support from local government and police, the operator of what would have been the Peninsula's first officially approved medical marijuana dispensary dropped Tuesday his request to open up in North Fair Oaks.
The surprise announc...
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Man dies after being struck by train
Published On 11/27/2010
A male pedestrian was struck by a train in Burlingame Friday morning, causing the 10th death this year on the Caltrain right of way. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office says the man has been identified, but his name will not be released until officials can contact his relatives. The man appar..
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Mountain lion spotted
Published On 11/27/2010
A mountain lion was spotted in Portola Valley late Wednesday night, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The animal was seen at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Los Trancos and Alpine roads, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s off..
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Not guilty plea in meth-related explosion
Published On 11/23/2010
A 65-year-old ex-felon accused of blowing up a stockpile of gunpowder with a propane torch that he used to smoke methamphetamine pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including possession of drugs, weapons and burglary tools. John Louis Blanchard was ordered to stand trial May 23 following a pre...
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A night on the streets with the San Mateo County Gang Task Force
Published On 11/23/2010
The rain was coming down hard as they raced from Daly City to San Mateo and finally East Palo Alto in a single night -- looking for guns, drugs and felon gang members. The nasty weather Frid...
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Motorists allegedly shot by minors with air rifles
Published On 11/16/2010
Two juveniles were arrested Sunday afternoon after one admitted firing an air rifle at two motorcyclists traveling in the Kings Mountain area on Skyline Boulevard, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area and found that two separate ...
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San Mateo: Sheriff's deputies respond to possible mountain lion sighting
Published On 11/16/2010
SAN MATEO -- A reported a possible mountain lion sighting near the San Mateo's Highlands neighborhood on Monday afternoon has police reminding people how to stay safe around the big cats, according to a county alert system.
At 1:20 p.m. Monday, a civil...
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Teens busted for shooting drivers with pellet gun in Woodside
Published On 11/16/2010
Two teenagers were taken into custody Sunday afternoon after police say the pair shot a pellet gun at passing drivers, hitting and injuring at least two people.
Two motorcycl...
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Insane mom committed early
Published On 11/12/2010
A Redwood City mother found not guilty by reason of insanity of attempting to kill her daughter and assaulting her son was committed to a state mental hospital a month early to speed up her access to care. Philomena Mary Brown, 50, was scheduled for a placement hearing in early December, but defe...
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Accused murderer indicted
Published On 11/9/2010
Prosecutors indicted a Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument, sidestepping a preliminary hearing on the evidence and propelling the 30-year-old straight to trial on murder and gun charges. Bradley Allen Kleiman has claimed the shooting of Christo...
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Mountain lion spotted in Wunderlich Park
Published On 11/9/2010
A mountain lion was spotted near Woodside Monday afternoon, San Mateo County officials said. The cat was seen in Wunderlich County Park at about 1:15 p.m., according to the county office of emergency services. Mountain lions typically do not approach humans. However, residents are advised to st...
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Hillsborough man indicted on a charge of murder
Published On 11/8/2010
REDWOOD CITY -- A San Mateo County grand jury has indicted a Hillsborough man in the slaying of a longtime friend, a decision prosecutors hope will bring the case to trial sooner, an atto...
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Package at Caltrain station was a box of clothing
Published On 11/6/2010
A suspicious package found Friday afternoon at the San Carlos Caltrain station turned out to be a box of clothes, Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said. The package was found at about 1 p.m. and transit police and a bomb squad responded to investigate it. Trains were being held outside the ...
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Woman on bike killed by big-rig
Published On 11/5/2010
A woman riding a bicycle was struck and killed by a big-rig near Portola Valley Thursday afternoon, a California Highway Patrol officer said. The accident was reported at 3:39 p.m. on Alpine Road near the on-ramp to northbound Interstate 280. Initial reports indicated the bicyclist had been hit...
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Former San Carlos officers join Sheriff’s Office
Published On 11/2/2010
The entire San Carlos Police Department was sworn in en masse to the Sheriff’s Office yesterday, culminating approximately a year of debate and decisions in the city’s innovative decision to outsource public safety for a $2 million annual savings. The five-year contract with the Sheri...
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San Mateo County sheriff, DA challenge pot club permit
Published On 11/2/2010
REDWOOD CITY -- The decision to allow a medical marijuana dispensary in North Fair Oaks is being appealed by San Mateo County's sheriff and district attorney as well as a resident based on concerns that the club may violate county rules. Sher...
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Sheriff’s Office welcomes cops from San Carlos
Published On 11/1/2010
Handing over an entire police department to the Sheriff’s Office requires more than just a city council decision or a formal swearing-in ceremony. There are the compromises over who heads what, decisions about patrol schedules, physical evaluations to undergo, training to finish and retiremen...
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Person struck and killed by train
Published On 10/30/2010
A pedestrian was hit and killed Friday afternoon by a southbound train approaching the Belmont station, leading to widespread delays for several hours during the evening commute, a Caltrain spokeswoman said. Train No. 256 hit the individual at about 3:10 p.m., but the circumstances surrounding his...
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Task force takes down smoke shop
Published On 10/29/2010
The manager and another employee of a smoke shop in San Mateo were arrested for selling marijuana to undercover police officers, according to the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force. Police received multiple complaints from neighbors about suspected drug activity at Cigarette City, at 29 W. 37t...
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Hearing postponed in Woodside wife murder
Published On 10/22/2010
The debt-saddled Woodside man who prosecutors say staged his wife’s fatal shooting in April to look like a suicide in an attempt to cash in on a life insurance policy will learn some time next year whether he’ll stand trial on charges of murder and financial gain — a combination ...
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Mom not guilty by reason of insanity
Published On 10/20/2010
A Redwood City mother pleaded no contest to attempted murder of her daughter and assault on her son Tuesday but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Philomena Mary Brown, 40, had already entered twin pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of attempted ...
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Busy summer for gang task force
Published On 10/16/2010
San Mateo County gangs once stayed on their own turf, operating by world of mouth and using baseball bats as weapons. Now, gangs travel, text message plans and use full arsenals of guns, machetes and even throwing stars to attack one another, according to the local law enforcement who say they mu...
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NTSB: Malfunction caused gas pressure spike
Published On 10/14/2010
A power supply malfunction at a Pacific Gas and Electric terminal in Milpitas caused pressure to spike, then drop dramatically in a 30-inch natural gas pipeline just as it exploded in San Bruno Sept...
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Accused killer charged with attacking guards
Published On 10/14/2010
The murder defendant accused of beating an elderly Belmont man so badly he later died attacked two correctional officers at the county jail after having the hot water in his cell fixed, according to prosecutors. Although the alleged incident occurred Aug. 4, the San Mateo County District Attorney...
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Fire cleanup complete
Published On 10/13/2010
The final load of debris was hauled out of a neighborhood where a natural gas pipeline explosion and fire completely destroyed 35 homes in San Bruno more than a month ago. San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane, City Manager Connie Jackson and Dean Peterson, director of San Mateo County Environmental Health S...
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Car fires investigated as arson
Published On 10/12/2010
Bomb squad officers and arson dogs searched two parking garages at an apartment complex near the Trader Joe’s in South San Francisco early Sunday morning after a string of car fires were started one after the other on the 100 block of McLellan Drive, according to police. The suspect, or sus...
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San Bruno damage estimated at $55M
Published On 10/6/2010
San Bruno officials are expressing worry and frustration the city would be on the hook for millions in costs related to the Sept. 9 explosion and fire after FEMA denied assistance — and are now left awaiting word from the governor’s office about an appeal. “It puzzles me how [t...
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Explosion linked to methamphetamine user
Published On 10/5/2010
A 65-year-old ex-felon was arrested in Princeton Friday after allegedly blowing up a stockpile of gunpowder with a propane torch that the man used to smoke methamphetamine, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies received a report of a fire in the neighborhood of Harvar...
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‘Behind the Scenes’ in San Bruno
Published On 9/28/2010
The Burlingame Neighborhood Network invites all block captains and others interested in emergency preparedness to hear from some of the first emergency responders to the San Bruno pipeline explosion at the next quarterly meeting from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 in the Lane Room at the Bu...
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Sheriff, San Carlos ready for police transfer
Published On 9/27/2010
With just more than a month before the Sheriff’s Office absorbs the San Carlos Police Department, officials on both sides of the agreement are readying for the Oct. 31 transfer and current deputies are very interested in moving to the new bureau. Sheriff’s Office staff say the newly-cre...
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Cleanup begins: San Bruno fire site now enters recovery phase
Published On 9/23/2010
The deadly fire that leveled much of a San Bruno neighborhood two weeks ago left some intact souvenirs among the wreckage. A rubber duck that had been passed around for years as a white elephant gift. A retiree’s badge from the San Francisco Fire Department. Jewelry. These little things ...
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Coroner IDs final three fire victims
Published On 9/23/2010
The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Greg, William and Lavonne Bullis all perished in the San Bruno explosion and fire that destroyed a significant portion of the Glenview neighborhood Sept. 9. The death toll from the gas pipeline explosion is now seven. The other people who...
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Burglars caught in the act
Published On 9/22/2010
The owner of business on the 800 block of Airport Boulevard in Moss Beach heard a noise outside at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday. He responded to the noise and saw a male suspect, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, standing on the passenger side of the victim’s car, trying to pry open the passe...
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Coastside tagger arrested
Published On 9/22/2010
Moss Beach resident Zach Ayers was arrested Sunday by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputy Owen Yoch on two felony, over $400 in damages and nine misdemeanor vandalism charges. The charges stemmed from 11 acts of vandalism committed over the past three months in El Granada and Moss Beach. In on...
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Missing teen a Mills senior
Published On 9/21/2010
Remains recovered and being examined from a destroyed home in the San Bruno explosion could include those of Mills High School senior William Bullis. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office is examining recovered remains which could take several weeks. Although the three individuals missing ...
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Competency questioned for accused friend killer
Published On 9/18/2010
A judge expected to accept a plea by a Hillsborough man accused of killing his friend instead questioned the man’s ability to stand trial and suspended criminal proceedings. Bradley Allen Kleiman, 30, was scheduled to enter a plea to murder and firearms charges in the death of Christopher C...
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Coroner examines explosion remains
Published On 9/17/2010
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office is examining remains recovered from a home destroyed in the San Bruno explosion and fire that could be that of three missing family members. A statement released by the Bullis family Thursday says remains have been recovered at the a...
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Fire damage more than $37 million
Published On 9/16/2010
Last week’s massive explosion and fire in San Bruno caused nearly $38 million in damage to homes, property and public infrastructure, a spokesman for the city said Wednesday. The blast, which happened at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday when a gas pipeline ruptured, destroyed an estimated $31.25 mi...
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First responders feared the worst
Published On 9/15/2010
A fireball that erupted Thursday night in San Bruno from a gas-main rupture sent flames 100 feet into the air accompanied by what fire Capt. Bill Forester called a high-pitched screaming from the source of the fire. Firefighters thought a jetliner went down because of the incredible source of gas...
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NTSB receives report of resident smelling gas prior to explosion, fire
Published On 9/15/2010
Federal investigators have received a report of a resident smelling gas a few weeks prior to Thursday’s gas line explosion and fire in San Bruno and are asking more residents to step forward with information that will help them determine if the pipe was leaking before the incident. So far th...
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Fourth fire victim identified
Published On 9/15/2010
The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office yesterday confirmed what the family of 81-year-old Elizabeth Torres already knew — the woman was the fourth known fatality in last week’s devastating San Bruno fire. Last Friday, the office also confirmed the deaths of 44-year-old Jacqueline...
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Emotional residents demanding answers
Published On 9/14/2010
San Bruno resident Bill Magoolaghan’s gratefulness to PG&E and city officials is waning as he and his family have been kept away from their home since a raging fire destroyed most of the Glenview neighborhood Thursday night. Magoolaghan, 46, and hundreds more gathered at the San Bruno S...
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PG&E pledges $100 million to San Bruno
Published On 9/14/2010
PG&E pledged $100 million to residents affected by Thursday’s natural gas explosion and to the rebuilding of San Bruno during a press conference Monday afternoon. A large explosion Thursday afternoon led to a massive fire destroying and damaging numerous homes in San Bruno while injuri...
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NTSB finishes investigation of gas-line explosion site
Published On 9/14/2010
Federal investigators Monday finished their initial investigation of the site of Thursday’s gas-pipe explosion in San Bruno and are now focusing on reviewing documents and interviewing witnesses, a spokesman said. The National Transportation Safety Board finished examining pipes that were l...v
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Exploded pipe launched 100 feet, NTSB says
Published On 9/13/2010
The natural gas explosion that preceded a massive fire around Crestmoor Canyon in San Bruno launched a 28-foot section of pipe a distance of about 100 feet from underground out onto the street, the vi...
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Resients return
Published On 9/13/2010
SAN BRUNO — Residents returned Sunday to the ruined hillsides of their suburban San Francisco neighborhood, three days after a natural gas pipeline exploded into a deadly fireball. A nearby risky segment of the gas line was due to be replaced, the utility responsible said, because it ran thro...
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County tackles police contract with San Carlos
Published On 9/13/2010
San Mateo County leaders on Tuesday are set to add 28 sheriff’s deputies to its employment rolls — more than two dozen positions required for the Sheriff’s Office to absorb the entire 39-member San Carlos Police Department. While the Board of Supervisors must still approve the con...
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Pedestrian struck by train, killed
Published On 9/13/2010
A person was struck and killed by a train in Menlo Park Sunday evening causing delays, a Caltrain spokeswoman said. Caltrain’s southbound train number 438 struck a person on the train tracks north of the Menlo Park station at about 5:14 p.m., spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew said. The person wa...
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Fire investigation underway
Published On 9/11/2010
As the San Bruno community wonders how it will put its life back together after Thursday night’s deadly explosion and fire, officials are beginning to demand answers on what caused the neighborhood near Crestmoor Canyon to blow apart. “We need to know why this happened and how it happ...
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Scene of horror: San Bruno neighborhood destroyed by gas-line inferno
Published On 9/10/2010
A catastrophic fire fueled by a broken 16- to 24-inch PG&E gas line ripped through a San Bruno neighborhood last night, destroying 53 homes and damaging 120 with a wide swath of towering flames, critically burning residents and causing massive evacuations. San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucr..
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Evacuees flee homes
Published On 9/10/2010
Families fleeing a fire that destroyed several blocks of homes in San Bruno last night descended on the Bayhill Shopping Center to a makeshift evacuation center set up by the county Sheriff’s Office, many not sure where they would spend the night. Others, however, remained as close as they ...
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Life Flight
Published On 9/10/2010
A motorcyclist needed to be taken by Life Flight to Stanford Hospital after crashing on northbound Highway 1 just south of Pescadero State Beach. The motorcyclist suffered a broken leg, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Traffic on Highway 1 was backed up in both directions ...
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Women arrested for trying to rob bank
Published On 9/9/2010
A Menlo Park woman was arrested yesterday morning after allegedly trying to rob the Chase Bank on El Camino Real in San Bruno. The suspect claimed to have explosives and was demanding cash, according to police. Jacqueline Casalou, 50, was arrested without incident, according to police. The San M...
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Fire chief: gas line blast caused massive San Bruno fire
Published On 9/9/2010
The San Bruno fire chief says a gas line explosion likely caused the massive fire burning homes in a residential neighborhood. San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag tells KPIX-TV that he believes a high-p...
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San Carlos approves police outsourcing
Published On 9/3/2010
The San Carlos City Council agreed to outsource police services to the Sheriff’s Office, ending months of debate over the plan to disband the department and save the cash-strapped city roughly $2 million annually. “I’m pretty excited about this,” said Mayor Randy Royce. T...
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Still no plea in Hillsborough murder
Published On 9/3/2010
The Hillsborough man who prosecutor say fatally shot his longtime friend twice in the head and once in the buttocks after an argument at his parents’ home once again postponed a plea to charges of murder and using a firearm. Bradley Kleiman, 30, appeared in court for the fourth time yesterd..
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Sanity in question in family attack
Published On 9/2/2010
Doctors assessing a Redwood City mother accused of drugging and attacking her husband and children with a 10-pound dumbbell need more time to determine if she was insane at the time. Philomena Mary Brown, 40, has already entered twin pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to mul...
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Mountain lion spotted
Published On 9/2/2010
A mountain lion was spotted in a Burlingame neighborhood Wednesday morning, San Mateo County emergency officials said. The cat was seen behind a home at 50 Loma Vista Drive, which borders the San Francisco State Fish and Game Refuge, at about 6:40 a.m., according to the San Mateo County Office ...
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Presenting her royal highness
Published On 8/23/2010
It’s good to be queen and, as of this weekend, Maritza Nuñez-Pereda is rocking the crown. Nuñez-Pereda was named the Queen of the Fair Oaks Festival this weekend, a distinction that comes with scholarship money to help with her plans of becoming a lawyer. Nuñez-Pereda was one of four girls who ben...
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Re-examining discipline
Published On 8/20/2010
Sixteen-year-old Xavier B. wasn’t supposed to return to school until January. The South San Francisco teen was caught selling marijuana at school and was expelled. His story isn’t unique. Derrick G., a 13-year-old, got in trouble for bringing a butterfly knife to school right befor...
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Police shoot and kill man
Published On 8/18/2010
Burlingame police shot and killed Edgar Jonathan Aristondo, 20, Monday night in front of his Myrtle Road home after he allegedly charged at two officers with a knife, according to police. Two officers responded to 217 Myrtle Road just south of Washington Park at about 8:40 p.m. after Aristondo&rs...
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Recipe for success
Published On 8/18/2010
“Knife! Knife!” The emphatic warning rang through the kitchen of the women’s correctional facility as a woman with neck tattoos peeking out of chef whites hurried from chopping block to stove. What would otherwise could be cause for alarm in the jail on Tuesday served more as a...
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Two escapees caught quickly
Published On 8/17/2010
Two youth who escaped from the Lob Cabin Ranch, a youth detention facility in La Honda, were quickly detained by sheriff’s deputies Saturday afternoon. At approximately 3:52 p.m., sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the facility on reports that the two detainees had fled. Deputy...
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Safeway evacuated after caller reports seeing gunmen
Published On 8/17/2010
Employees at a Menlo Park Safeway store had a scare early Monday morning when police evacuated the store searching for armed men. A woman called police sometime around 1 a.m. after she believed she saw two people carrying guns enter the store on Sharon Park Drive, police said. Police arrived ...
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Man commits suicide at Gazos Creek
Published On 8/11/2010
A man allegedly killed himself Monday night at Gazos Creek State Beach, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were dispatched to the beach after a 911 call from a male stating “there’s a suicide on Gazos Creek,” according to the Sheriff’s Off...
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Plea delayed in Woodside murder case
Published On 7/30/2010
The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in an attempt to cash in on a life insurance policy did not make a plea in San Mateo County Superior Court ...
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Man arrested after ramming police car
Published On 7/29/2010
A Redwood City man is in custody after ramming a police car and running into a tree with a stolen car yesterday afternoon. At approximately 12:48 p.m., representatives from the San Mateo County Vehicle Theft Task Force and the Redwood City Police Department were conducting a stolen vehicle su...
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Fire destroys six cars in SFO lot
Published On 7/23/2010
Six cars parked in San Francisco International Airport’s long-term parking lot were destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning. The fire was reported at about 12:30 a.m. The six cars destroyed were parked across from each other in a cluster, airport spokesman Mike McCarron said. A ...
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Mom pleads insanity for attacking family
Published On 7/17/2010
The Redwood City mother accused of drugging and attacking members of her family with a 10-pound dumbbell entered twin pleas on Friday of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of attempted murder. However, before Philomena Mary Brown, 39, can stand trial, three court-a...
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Mom pleads insanity for attacking family
Published On 7/17/2010
The Redwood City mother accused of drugging and attacking members of her family with a 10-pound dumbbell entered twin pleas on Friday of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of attempted murder. However, before Philomena Mary Brown, 39, can stand trial, three court-a...
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Plea delayed in wife's death case
Published On 7/16/2010
The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in hopes of cashing in on a hefty life insurance policy is still delaying a plea while he finalizes who will represent him in the potentially capital murder trial. Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, ...
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Sex crime oversight slammed
Published On 7/15/2010
Children in the county are at greater risk of being the victims of sex crimes because some law enforcement agencies no longer vigorously monitor sexual offenders, according to a report released by t...
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Thirty-three to pay for fireworks use
Published On 7/7/2010
Illegal fireworks led to 33 $1,000 citations, technically an administrative arrest, in San Bruno and Pacifica over the holiday weekend — accounting for a drop in bookings for both cities. In the 24-hour Fourth of July period, 15 people in San Bruno and 18 people in Pacifica were given $1,0...
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Mom straight to trial for trying to kill family
Published On 7/3/2010
The Redwood City woman accused of drugging and trying to kill her family with a 10-pound dumbbell is headed straight to trial after declining to let a judge first decide if there is sufficient evidence. Philomena Mary Brown, 39, waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Friday, her third court a...
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No plea in wife’s death
Published On 7/2/2010
The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in hopes of cashing in on a hefty life insurance policy did not enter a plea yesterday to capital murder Poorousha...
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Arrests made in road rage incident
Published On 7/2/2010
A Pacifica man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting several men with a knife after a road rage incident at a Woodside gas station Monday, according to the county Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 5:54 p.m. Monday, June 28, Sheriff’s deputies responded to a fight between a group of approximat...
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Mother accused of trying to kill family to enter plea
Published On 7/2/2010
A 49-year-old mother suspected of drugging and attacking her family in their Redwood City home on June 21 is scheduled to appear in court this morning to enter a plea. Philomena Brown is charged with three counts of attempted murder and two counts of felony child abuse for allegedly drugging her hu...
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Plea delayed in Woodside murder because of defense funding
Published On 7/1/2010
Defendant trying to figure out how to pay for his defense
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Mountain lion seen near Woodside
Published On 6/30/2010
A mountain lion was spotted Friday night in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, according to the Office of Emergency Services. The cat was seen at about 9:50 p.m. near Lakeview Way and Woodla...
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Ruling appealed in teen murder case
Published On 6/29/2010
An appellate court’s decision to allow the prosecution access to a local murder defendant’s mental evaluation while letting the defense challenge t...
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More details emerge in murder of Woodside artist
Published On 6/25/2010
More details emerge about business dealings of man charged with killing wife to collect insurance
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Attorney: Accused wouldn't benefit from wife's death
Published On 6/25/2010
The debt-saddled Woodside man prosecutors say fatally shot his wife to secure a multi-million dollar life insurance was not even a beneficiary of any policy, his defense attorney said yesterday. Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, 64, “doesn’t get a penny,” said attorney Pa...
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New case delays teen's murder re-trial
Published On 6/23/2010
The teenage murder defendant whose retrial on charges he gunned down a man when only 14 years old will not happen Monday as scheduled because he is facing new charges of using fellow gangmembers to scare potential witnesses in the first trial.
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Mother jailed, kids recovering
Published On 6/23/2010
A woman who allegedly beat her two children to near death was arrested and booked into San Mateo County Jail Monday night after being medically cleared by a doctor. Philomena Brown, 49, faces attem...
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Missing man found dead in car
Published On 6/22/2010
The man found inside of a car on an embankment along Skyline Boulevard Sunday morning, Gonzalo Martinez-Hernandez, was reported missing by his family and was found in a car he owned, according to a ...
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Mother could face attempted murder charges
Published On 6/22/2010
A 49-year-old mother suspected of assaulting her two kids at their Redwood City home early yesterday morning could face attempted murder charges, a police sergeant said. The mother, Philomena Brown, ...
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DA: Wife murdered for money
Published On 6/22/2010
Prosecutors charged a Woodside man with murdering his wife in April for financial gain, a special allegation that could carry the death penalty and lends credence to the belief she had a $20 milli...
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DA: Woodside man murdered wife for money, could face death penalty
Published On 6/21/2010
A Woodside man arrested on suspicion of slaying his wife in the couple's multimillion-dollar home has been charged with the special circumstance of murder for financial gain, which could leave him facing the death penalty, a prosecutor said.
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Alleged shooter charged
Published On 6/19/2010
The Hillsborough man who admitted shooting his longtime friend in the head but claimed it was self defense was formally charged Friday with murder and the use of a firearm. Bradley Kleiman, 30, was...
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Underage San Mateo County teens able to buy tobacco at one in five stores tested
Published On 6/18/2010
A recent undercover effort by volunteer teens found that one in five tobacco sellers in Daly City and South San Francisco sold cigarettes to underage children without checking their ages, the teens announced Friday.
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Hillsborough slaying suspect: 'I didn't murder anybody'
Published On 6/18/2010
A Hillsborough man charged with shooting and killing a longtime friend in his parent's pool house shouted that he was innocent of the alleged crime during his first court appearance Friday afternoon.
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