This just in:

POMONA - A jury debating to give a Rowland Heights woman the death penalty for killing her family deadlocked on Monday.

Following deliberations in the penalty phase of Manling Williams' trial, the jury was hung, court officials said Monday. Eight jurors favored recommending death for Williams, while four preferred life without parole, Los Angles County District Attorney's office officials said.
A hearing was scheduled for Jan. 11 to determine the next course of action.
"At that time, the district attorney's office will announce whether we intend to retry the penalty phase," said spokeswoman Shiara Davila. "In the event we do, we will do so with a brand new jury."
Williams faced the death penalty after she was convicted on Nov. 4 of slashing to death her husband, Neal, and smothering her two sons, Devon, 7, and Ian, 3, with a pillow in their Rowland Heights home on Aug. 7, 2007.
Despite the hung jury in the penalty phase, Williams' previous murder conviction stands, Davila said.
The jury deliberated for more than two days before the hung jury decision was announced just before the end of the day Monday.
If the attorney's office opts not to retry the penalty phase, Williams will be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, Davila said.

This just in:

POMONA - A jury debating the death penalty for a Rowland Heights woman convicted of killing her family deadlocked on Monday.

Following deliberations in the penalty phase of Manling Williams' trial, the jury was hung, court officials said Monday. Eight jurors favored recommending death for Williams, while four preferred life without parole, Los Angles County District Attorney's office officials said.

A hearing was scheduled for Jan. 11 to determine the next course of action.

"At that time, the district attorney's office will announce whether we intend to retry the penalty phase," said spokeswoman Shiara Davila. "In the event we do, we will do so with a brand new jury."

Williams faced the death penalty after she was convicted on Nov. 4 of slashing to death her husband, Neal, and smothering her two sons, Devon, 7, and Ian, 3, with a pillow in their Rowland Heights home on Aug. 7, 2007.

The jury deliberated for more than two days before determining it could not reach a decision.

If the DA opts not to retry the penalty phase, Williams will be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, Davila said.

Officials at the scene of a Metrolink crash in Baldwin Park report that at least one person is dead in the wake of an accident at Francisquito and Garvey.
View Metro crash in a larger map

SAN DIMAS -- A 55-year-old Covina man was believed to have died of natural causes while riding his bicycle in Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park Saturday, authorities said.
James Drake Kimbrell was pronounced dead at 4:41 p.m. at the park, 120 Via Verde, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
He was found unresponsive on a fire access road on the west end of the park, between the Puddingstone Reservoir and the 57 Freeway, where he had been riding his bicycle, Sgt. Joseph O'Conner of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Park's Bureau said.
An autopsy was scheduled to be carried out Monday to determine an official cause of death, MacWillie said, however there were no signs of injuries or foul play.

WALNUT -- A show of force by deputies may have stopped a brawl from erupting after a football game Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College, authorities said.
Fans began arguing with each other heatedly following Mt. SAC's 51-0 victory over Cerritos College, and sheriff's officials were called for fear of a fight breaking out, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Mario Estrada said.
Deputies from the sheriff's Walnut-Diamond Bar and Industry stations responded to the stadium with less-lethal weaponry such as rubber bullets at the ready, Estrada said.
Ultimately, however, the presence of deputies seemed to calm the situation, and Estrada said no injuries were reported and no arrests were made.

PHOTO: Staff photo by Watchara Phomicinda

ARCADIA -- Two young San Gabriel men were behind bars Saturday in connection with a stabbing at the Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall, police said.
Henry Pang and Robert Cam, both 18, were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Arcadia police Lt. Paul Foley said.
They are suspected of being part of a group five to seven young Asian men and one Asian woman involved in stabbing an 18-year-old Arcadia man during a fight Friday between two groups, police said.
The victim was walking with another young man and woman when the three became involved in an argument with the larger group, Sgt. Dan Crowther said.
The argument turned into a fist fight between the men in the groups, he said, which then escalated to a stabbing.
The victim was stabbed in the abdomen and suffered a cut to his chin, officials said. He was expected to survive.
Pang was arrested shortly after the incident, Foley said, and Cam -- who is suspected of wielding the knife -- was arrested about 2:30 p.m. Saturday at his San Gabriel home.
Both were being held in lieu of $1 million bail, authorities said, and were due for arraignment Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court.

MONTEBELLO -- A man wanted on suspicion of running down his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend with a vehicle led Montebello police on a car chase Friday before being arrested, authorities said.
Marco Mendoza, 45, of East Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and felony evading, Montebello police Lt. Kelly Gordon said.
The chase started about 10 p.m. Friday at the Best Inn, 525 Washington Blvd. in Montebello, the lieutenant said, when Mendoza failed to pull over for officers while driving a van, Gordon said. Mendoza was being sought in connection with a Sept. 4 assault in East Los Angeles.
During the pursuit covered on live television, the driver of the white van sped away from police and tried to evade them on the 60 and 5 freeways.
The suspect eventually exited the freeway, wound through several alleys and struck at least one parked car before he drove into Salazar Park, near Alma Avenue and Whittier Boulevard, Gordon said.
Patrol cars blocked the path of the van. One police car pinned the driver's door shut.
Mendoza was then arrested without further incident, examined at hospital for a pre-existing injury and jailed, Gordon said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Mendoza was being held without bail.

IRWINDALE -- Two men died on the 605 Freeway Saturday after they were struck by a car while helping one of their sons change a tire, authorities said.
Pedro Pedroza, 43, of Azusa and Ricardo Beltran, 49, of West Covina, died in the crash, California Highway Patrol and coroner's officials said.
The crash was reported at 11:13 a.m. on the southbound 605 Freeway, just south of Arrow Highway, CHP Officer Monica Posada said.
The men had just finished changing a tire and were putting away their tools when they were struck by a Ford Taurus, CHP Sgt. Kurt Stormes said.
The driver of the Taurus lost control and struck the men while trying to avoid a collision with a tan sedan, he said.
Following the initial impact, the Taurus veered back into traffic lanes and collided with another car, Stormes said.
Besides the two men who were fatally hurt, no injuries were reported.
Pedroza died at the scene, officials said, while Beltran was rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and pronounced dead in the emergency room.
The men drove to the scene to help one of their sons change a tire, CHP Sgt. Kurt Stormes said.
No arrests or citations were made Saturday, and nothing criminal was initially suspected, he added.
CHP officers issued a Sig-Alert for the two right lanes of the freeway until just before 2 p.m., Posada said.
The crash was being investigated by the Baldwin Park office of the CHP.

ROSEMEAD -- Deputies arrested a Rosemead man on suspicion of stabbing his brother several times with a pair of scissors, officials said Saturday
Deonisio Peralta, 27, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Walker said.
His brother, 33-year-old Alejandro Garcia, suffered four to five stab wounds to his abdomen, Walker said, however the wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
The alleged attack took place about 4:45 p.m. Friday in the 8800 block of Marshall Street, the sergeant said.
Peralta was drunk at his home when he put his arm around Garcia and became offended when the older brother told him to stop it, Walker said.
Peralta retrieved a small pair of scissors from his home and used them to attack his brother, he said.
The suspect initially fled the scene, Walker added, but as deputies were investigating the incident, Peralta returned to the home and was arrested.
According to sheriff's booking records, Peralta was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail at the sheriff's Temple Station jail. He was due for arraignment Tuesday in El Monte Superior Court.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- A sheriff's deputy shot a man to death late Friday as he slashed his mother's boyfriend with a meat cleaver, authorities said.
Alexander Acosta, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene, Lt. Liam Gallagher of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
His mother's boyfriend, 51-year-old Victor De La Rivas, was hospitalized in stable condition and expected to survive, the lieutenant said.
Officials from the sheriff's Walnut-Diamond Bar Station, which patrols Rowland Heights, responded to a report of a stabbing just after 9:10 p.m. inside a large apartment complex in the 18500 block of Colima Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Mark Pope said in a written statement. They arrived to find the suspect stabbing his mother's boyfriend inside her apartment.
"They observed the suspect sitting on (the) victim's chest... slashing his head and neck with a meat cleaver," the deputy said.
Deputies ordered the man to drop the knife, but he refused and continued slashing at the other man, Pope said.
"Fearing he was going to kill the victim, one deputy fired three rounds at the suspect with his duty weapon," Pope said.
The wounded suspect, who was struck by all three bullets, ran to the kitchen of the apartment where he collapsed, he said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:20 p.m., according to coroner's officials.
The stabbing victim was hospitalized with severe injuries to his head, neck and upper body, officials said, but he was expected to survive.
Friday's violence was the result of long-running tension between the two men, Acosta's cousin, 21-year-old Bridgett Hernandez, and Aunt, 55-year-old Ruth Robles, said.
"They were having problems, the two of them," Robles said. "It was festering."
De La Riva's family members could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Hernandez and Robles said they believed Acosta had come to see his mother at her apartment after being released from prison earlier in the week when he became involved in a fight with his De La Riva.
Acosta was released from prison Wednesday or Thursday after being convicted of burglary in January of 2009, according to investigators and court records.
Acosta has a criminal record in Los Angeles County dating back to 1999 and including charges such as drug possession, petty theft, vandalism, receiving stolen property, possession of an illegal weapon and giving false information to police, court records show.
Acosta and De La Riva had fought in the past, Robles said, though never to the level of Friday night's incident.
"We're not saying (Acosta) was right," Robles said. "(But) it could have been prevented."
Robles and Hernandez said they harbored no anger toward De La Riva, nor the deputy who shot Acosta, though Hernandez said she wondered if the deputy could have stopped the attack without fatally wounding her cousin.

Here's the details from Sheriff's HQ bureau:

Deputy-Involved Shooting in Rowland Heights, Walnut Sheriff's Station

Sheriff's Homicide Bureau investigators are at the 18500 block of Colima Road, Rowland Heights, investigating the circumstances surrounding a Deputy-Involved Shooting.

Homicide Lieutenant Liam Gallagher reports that Walnut Sheriff's Station deputies responded to an Assault With A Deadly Weapon (Knife) call at about 9:12PM on Friday.

Deputies found a male Hispanic adult suspect stabbing a male Hispanic adult victim. Deputies ordered the suspect to drop the knife, but he continued stabbing the victim. A deputy involved shooting occurred. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The stabbing victim was transported to a local hospital and his condition is not known at this time. No deputies were injured.

MONTEBELLO -- Police arrested a man Friday on suspicion of head-butting a security guard while trying to steal shoes from a shoe store, authorities said.
The crime was reported just before 3:40 p.m. a Warehouse Shoe Sale, 1200 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello police Lt. Andy Vuncanon said.
The suspect, a man in his early 20s, was expected to be booked on suspicion of robbery and making terrorist threats, the lieutenant said.
His name was not available late Friday pending booking, he added.
The suspect entered the store, took off his shoes and put on a new pair from the store, Vuncanon said.
"Then he attempted to exit the store and was stopped by security," he said. "The subject head-butted one of the security officers."
He also threatened to harm the security guards by stabbing them with a pen, Vuncanon added.
The security guards were not injured, police said.
Officers arrived to find the suspect being detained by store security and arrested him, Vuncanon said.

From the Associated Press:

SAN DIEGO -- A sophisticated cross-border tunnel equipped with a rail system, ventilation and fluorescent lighting has been shut down by U.S. and Mexican officials -- the second discovery of a major underground drug passage in San Diego this month, authorities said Friday.
The tunnel found Thursday is 2,200 feet long -- more than seven football fields -- and runs from the kitchen of a home in Tijuana, Mexico, to two warehouses in San Diego's Otay Mesa industrial district, said Mike Unzueta, head of investigations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego.
In Mexico, the tunnel's cinderblock-lined entry dropped 80 to 90 feet to a wood-lined floor, Unzueta said. From the U.S. side, there was a stairway leading to a room about 50 feet underground that was full of marijuana.
"It's a lot like how the ancient Egyptians buried the kings and queens," Unzueta said.
Authorities seized more than 20 tons of marijuana.
Unzueta said the tunnel discovered Thursday and another found in early November are believed to be the work of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, headed by that country's most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
"We think ultimately they are controlled by the same overall cartel but that the tunnels were being managed and run independently by different cells operating within the same organization," Unzueta said.
The passage found Thursday is one of the most advanced to date, with an entry shaft in Mexico lined with cinderblocks and a rail system for drugs to be carried on a small cart, Unzueta said.
Three men were arrested in the United States, and the Mexican military raided a ranch in Mexico and made five arrests in connection with the tunnel, authorities said.
U.S. authorities have discovered more than 125 clandestine tunnels along the Mexican border since the early 1990s, though many were crude and incomplete.
U.S. authorities do not know how long the latest tunnel was operating. Unzueta said investigators began to look into several warehouses in June on a tip that emerged from a large bust of marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
U.S. authorities followed a trailer from one of the warehouses to a Border Patrol checkpoint in Temecula, where they seized 27,600 pounds of marijuana. The driver, whose name was not released, was arrested, along with two others who went to a residence in suburban El Cajon that had $13,500 cash inside.
"That (trailer) was literally filled top to bottom, front to back," Unzueta said. "There wasn't any room for anything else in that tractor-trailer but air."
Three tons of marijuana were found in a "subterranean room" and elsewhere in the tunnel on the U.S. side, authorities said.
Mexican officials seized four tons of pot at a ranch in northern Mexico, bringing the total haul to more than 20 tons.
The discovery of the cross-border tunnel earlier this month marked one of the largest marijuana seizures in the United States, with agents confiscating 20 tons of marijuana they said was smuggled through the underground passage. One of the warehouses involved in the tunnel discovered Thursday is only a half-block away.
Several sophisticated tunnels have ended in San Diego warehouses. ICE began meeting with landowners last month to warn them about leasing space to tunnel builders.
"These owners of warehouses, they need to know their customers, they need to know who's in there leasing these things," Unzueta said.

PHOTOS: Investigators crawl through the recently discovered drug-smuggling tunnel and guard of marijuana seized during the operation. (Courtesy of ICE)

PASADENA -- A group of activists dressed as zombies plan to invade One Colorado this morning as part of an international protest against consumerism.

The group, organized by a woman identified as Autumn Rooney, has plans to chant, dance and play drums along Colorado Boulevard, according to several websites and Twitter accounts.

"We are a network of activists organizing a Carnivalesque Rebellion that will shut down consumer capitalism for a week. The climax of our efforts is Buy Nothing Day, a 24-hour moratorium on consumer spending, celebrated November 26th in North America and 27th Internationally. 

Here's a copy of an action plan posted on the Internet.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY -- One person died in a traffic crash in Los Angeles County during the first 12 hours of the holiday weekend -- the same number reported over the same period last year, authorities said Thursday.
The reporting period spanned from 6 p.m. Wednesday evening to 6 a.m. Thursday morning, California Highway Patrol Officer Monica Posada said.
CHP officers reported 54 arrests for driving under the influence, down from 65 last year, Posada said.
Statewide, four traffic-related deaths were reported to the CHP, compared with five over the same time period in 2009, Posada said.
DUI arrested throughout the state rose slightly from 271 last year to 289 this year.
"During the holiday season, many people are in a hurry and eager to get to their destination," CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a written statement. "It's important to remember that safety should never take a back seat. Be safe, pay attention to the road, never drink and drive, and always buckle up."
The CHP statistics reflect only incidents handled by the CHP, which patrols freeways and state highways, as well as some surface streets in unincorporated county areas.
The fatality reported during the first 12 hours of the holiday weekend occurred about 2:25 a.m. on Eastern Avenue, just south of Medford Avenue, in an unincorporated county area near East Los Angeles, Posada said.
A 31-year-old Los Angeles man died at the scene of the solo-motorcycle crash, CHP officials said.
"For unknown reasons, the motorcycle collided into the center median," a CHP statement read.
The rider was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered fatal injuries, officials said.
As the holiday weekend continues, CHP officers will be out in force to watch for speeders and drunken drivers.
The holiday "maximum enforcement period" began at 6 p.m. Wednesday and continues through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, officials said. Officers will also look for drivers not wearing seat belts.
During the CHP's maximum enforcement periods, all available officers are assigned to patrol duty. Similar efforts are planned over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

DUARTE -- Authorities Wednesday released the name of an 87-year-old Duarte woman who was fatally struck by a car while crossing Huntington Drive.
Guadalupe Maria Rocha was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia shortly after Tuesday's 5:20 p.m. accident on Huntington Drive, west of Highland Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Walker said.
The initial investigation revealed Rocha was crossing southbound across Huntington when she stepped of a center median and into the path of an eastbound Honda Accord being driven by a 50-year-old woman, the sergeant said.
The driver was unable to stop in time and struck Rocha, police said.
Nothing criminal was suspected, Walker said, and the driver was not cited or arrested.

In a brief conference call a spokesman for Steve Cooley said the Los Angeles County DA has conceded in his race for AG. He called Kamala Harris and spent the day in his Los Angeles office, officials said.

"While the margin is extremely narrow and ballots are still being counted, my campaign believes that we cannot make up the current gap in the vote count for Attorney General. Therefore, I am formally conceding the race and congratulate Ms. Harris on becoming California's next Attorney General.

"We started this campaign late but we won an exceptionally tough Republican primary by a decisive margin. In the general election, we emerged as California's top Republican vote getter and carried 39 out of the state's 58 counties. We also cut by more than half the margin of loss by the GOP ticket in heavily Democratic Los Angeles County.  It was gratifying to have received the votes of over 4 million Californians.

"It is unfortunate that someone who is a non-partisan non-politician could not overcome the increasingly partisan tendencies of the state, even for an office that by its nature necessitates a non-partisan approach.

KQED's Capitol Notes Blog says Harris won't declare victory until all the votes are counted sometime next week.http://blogs.kqed.org/capitalnotes/

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve has scheduled a 10:30 a.m. conference call where he will address "accredited members of the media." The speculation is that Cooley will concede a loss to San Francisco D.A. Kamala Harris in the state's attorney general race.

PASADENA -- The brother of a missing man Tuesday turned to the public for help.

Eric Fowler of Burbank said his brother Marc Fowler, 56, has been missing since midnight Sunday from a board-and care facility on Garfield Avenue in Pasadena.

"He is not dangerous, but he needs his medication," Eric Fowler said. "He could be anywhere and I dont think he knows enough to find a shleter."

The missing man, a Vietnam era veteran, has a prostetic leg and walks with a pronounced limp, according to his brother. He is not likely carrying identification.

Pasadena police are conducting the search.

A detective sergeant did not return a call seeking additional information on the case.

Read more:http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_16692004#ixzz168d6PR54

This from the Southwest Riverside News Network, but perhaps relevant locally:

Former Mt. San Jacinto College police Chief Kevin Harold Segawa is slated to be sentenced today to a year in jail for bribery and other felonies tied to towing scams he perpetrated at the campus.

Segawa, 39, entered a plea deal in June, on the day of his preliminary hearing.

The defendant was charged last December with bribery, destruction of evidence by a public official, and two counts each of perjury, submitting falsified documents and embezzlement -- all felonies -- as well as misdemeanor counts of concealing evidence and modifying a written notice to appear.

The ex-cop pleaded guilty to all charges, and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez indicated he would consider a 365-day jail sentence for Segawa, as well as several years' probation, instead of prison.

Prosecutors alleged that between 2005 and 2008, Segawa sent 85 percent of the campus's towing business to Pirot's Towing, whose 40-year-old owner, Morgan Allen McComas, is charged with bribery and misappropriation of funds.

GLENDORA -- Deputies and police arrested a Murrieta man Sunday after he was pulled over while driving a pickup truck that had been reported stolen, authorities said.
Adrian Navarro, 18, was booked on suspicion of auto theft, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Dave Grall said.
A deputy from the sheriff's San Dimas Station spotted a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driving shortly after 7:30 p.m. and discovered it had been reported stolen out of Murrieta Tuesday, the sergeant said.
The deputy pulled the truck over near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Baseline Road, Grall said.
Navarro did not offer any resistance and admitted stealing the truck, he added.

As law abiding citizens prepare Thanksgiving feasts and do their Christmas shopping, authorities want to remind them it's the season for crooks, too.
The increase in shopping, mail and vacations the holiday season brings can create windows of opportunity for thieves to exploit if citizens are not vigilant, area police officials said.
For those planning to leave town for the holidays, it should not be obvious to passers-by the home is vacant, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said. He advised discontinuing mail and newspaper service while on vacation, as to not advertise the home is empty.
"If you trust your neighbors, let them know. They're probably your best security system, because they know what's out of the ordinary."
The lieutenant added that while police always advise residents to lock their cars and keep valuables such as GPS devices out of plain view, the message is especially important in the coming months.
In West Covina, which has two shopping malls, West Covina police Sgt. Jerry Pearman advised holiday shoppers not to leave items in plain view in their cars between store visits.
"They should be secured in the trunk," he said.
"As long as things are properly secured in your car, you should be okay."
To help prevent holiday season crime, Pasadena police will begin fielding extra volunteers in shopping areas during weekends, Chief Phillip Sanchez said in a written statement.
"The Pasadena Police Department's Volunteer Safe Shopping program will begin Friday," he said, "and will occur every weekend until Christmas. Uniformed police volunteers will conduct foot patrols from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Paseo Colorado, South Lake District, East Pasadena and Old Pasadena, handing out safety flyers and answering questions."
Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said residents can help deter crime in their neighborhoods by doing their part to make them look, "alive." Police advised residents to be alert, get to know their neighbors and start neighborhood watch groups and never hesitate to call the police if something suspicious is spotted.
"If we can get residents to work together in terms of being pro-active in presenting their neighborhood as one not inviting or vulnerable to crime, it will send a message that the neighbors are working together," he said.
It's also a good idea to cut up boxes from purchases and place them inside a trash can, not next to it, in order to avoid advertising to thieves what items you've just brought home, police said.
The increased amount of mail and packages being sent during the holiday season can also be targets for opportunistic thieves, officials said.
In a written statement, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque offered tips to make sure packages end up in the hands of their intended recipients, and not a lawbreaking grinch.
"This time of year brings out those looking for a crime of opportunity as well as those thieves that actually target your delivery," he said. "Thieves will follow or watch for the UPS, FedEx or other delivery trucks and then target a home after a delivery is made."
Most packages sent to homes are delivered straight to the front porch, require no signature for delivery and are usually left at the recipients' doors even if no one is home to accept them, according to the police statement.
To avoid becoming a victim of a delivery theft, Le Veque offered several tips:
*Use your workplace as the shipping address.
*Track shipments online or by phone so you know what day they're expected to arrive.
*Ask neighbors to watch for your delivery if you're not home and hold any packages until you return.
*Report suspicious people or vehicles in your neighborhood.
*Request a signature delivery option, if available, or request the package be held at the shipping facility to be picked up.
"If you do not receive your shipment on time, check with the company of origin and confirm the delivery," Le Veque said. "If the item was delivered and you did not receive it, then report the theft or loss to the original company, the shipping company and your local police."

EL MONTE -- Detectives worked Sunday to determine the circumstances surrounding a shooting that left three men seriously wounded the previous afternoon.
The shooting was first reported about 3:40 p.m. Saturday in the 3500 block of Gilman Road, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said.
Responding officers were flagged down about a block away from the scene at Durfee Avenue and Exline Street, where they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.
A third victim was found a short time later by police in Alhambra, Batres said. The wounded man told officers he had been wounded in the El Monte shooting.
"All the conditions were serious, but all were expected to survive," Batres said.
The wounded were described as a 48-year-old Los Angeles Man, a 33-year old Soledad man and a 24-year-old Los Angeles man.
Investigators initially received conflicting reports about what happened and were working to sort out what actually took place, Batres said.
A motive in the attack was not apparent, and no shooter description was available.

EL MONTE -- Two men and a woman were behind bars Sunday on suspicion of stealing two luxury cars from El Monte auto dealerships during test drives, officials said.
Christopher Enriquez, 38, of Fontana, Anthony Gomez, 27, of Ontario and Yvette Zabala, 38, of El Monte were all booked on suspicion of auto theft, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said. Enriquez and Gomez were also booked on suspicion of violating parole.
A Mercedes-Benz was stolen, then quickly recovered, about 9 p.m. Friday from El Monte Remate, 3235 Peck Road, by a man and woman who told a salesman they were interested in a test drive, the detective said.
"When the salesman got out of the car, they took off," he said.
"They were driven to the car lot in a 2004 Audi which was taken three days earlier in a similar incident at (A.M. Motors, 10960 Garvey Avenue) -- a male and female posing as customers for a test drive," Batres said.
Just like in Friday's crime, he added, the man and woman in the Tuesday auto theft sped away in the Audi when the salesman got out of it.
The Mercedes taken Friday, however, was equipped with a vehicle anti-theft system, allowing police to track its position.
"Luckily, the Mercedes had a LoJack system equipped and one of the officers located the vehicle in the 11000 block of Klingerman Street, where we arrested (Enriquez, Gomez and Zabala)," Batres said.
Enriquez and Zabala stole the Mercedes during the test drive, Batres said, while Gomez was believed to have been driving the stolen Audi, which was parked near the Mercedes.
According to sheriff's booking records, Enriquez and Gomez were being held without bail at the El Monte Police Department's jail, while Zabala was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
They were expected to be arraigned Tuesday in El Monte Superior Court.

As Staff Writer Will Bigham reports, an alleged Azusa gang member is planning on representing himself at his murder trial in Pomona. He's accused of killing a woman in retaliations after she testified against another high-ranking member of the Azusa 14 gang, Ralph Flores, who murdered four people.  We reported extensively on the Flores case.

He's an excerpt from Bigham's story:

POMONA - An alleged gang member accused of murdering a woman who testified in a gang case was granted permission by a judge Friday to act as his own attorney.

Rodney Colonel Perez, 30, could face the death penalty for allegedly shooting and killing 24-year-old Roberta Romero last year in Pomona.

Prosecutors believe that Romero, of Azusa, was killed on May 11, 2009, because she testified against a high-ranking member of the Azusa 13 street gang who was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death.

SOUTH PASADENA - A man died on the Orange Grove Avenue off-ramp of the southbound 110 Freeway in South Pasadena after apparently suffering a medical emergency, authorities said Saturday.
Steve Snider, 53, of Glendale was pronounced dead at the scene, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Lt. Brian Elias said.
California Highway Patrol officers responded at 7:25 p.m. Friday to a report of a traffic accident, CHP Officer Crystal Carter said.
They discovered a motorist had suffered a medical problem, not been in a crash, she said.
The cause of death will be determined by coroner's investigators.
Officials closed the offramp for about three hours due to the incident, according to the CHP.

ARCADIA -- A resident awoke Friday to find his home had been burglarized and his car stolen, police said.
A man woke up shortly after 6 a.m. in the 300 block of Oxford Drive and noticed a front window of his house open, Arcadia police said in a written statement.
Sometime overnight, officials said, a burglar or burglars forced their way in through the window and stole cash, a Wii video game console, a purse and keys from the home.
The crook or crooks then fled in the victim's car, which police described as a dark blue, 4-door, 1998 BMW 740 with a license plate number of 3WTP022. It also had a yellow sticker reading "Carmel" on the rear bumper.

ARCADIA - A gunman posing as a delivery man bound a housekeeper Thursday during a home-invasion robbery, police said.
A man knocked at the door of a home in the 300 block of California Street about 10 a.m., claiming to be a delivery man, Arcadia police Sgt. Dan Crowther said. The housekeeper, a woman in her early 40s, answered the door.
"The male suspect pointed a handgun at the victim, bound her hands with duct tape and lead her to a room inside the residence," Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
A second robber then joined the gunman, he said, and both ransacked the home.
"The victim did not see the suspects leave but waited for a period of time and was then able to free her hands," according to the police statement.
She called her employer, who then called the police.
The housekeeper suffered bruises to her wrists but was not seriously hurt, officials said. A safe, jewelry and watches were stolen in the heist.
The safe contained jewelry and other miscellaneous items, Crowther said.
Authorities described the first robber as a Latino man, about 40 years old, of average height and weight, with moles and acne on his face. He wore a dark baseball cap, a white long-sleeved shirt and carried a silver, semi-automatic handgun.
The second robber was described only as a Latino man.
Both suspects spoke only in Spanish during the crime, police added.
Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police detectives at 626-574-5160.

COVINA -- A teenage boy was wounded Friday in a drive-by shooting, police said.
The crime was reported as a "shots fired" call just after 3:10 p.m. at Barranca Avenue and Dexter Street, Covina police Sgt. Rob Bobkiewicz said.
No victims or suspects were initially found at the scene, he said, however witnesses reported that a white compact car had passed by and opened fire on two people walking down the sidewalk.
A short time later, officials from an area hospital reported receiving a teenage boy in the emergency room suffering from an apparently non-life-threatening gunshot wound, the sergeant said.
The motive in the shooting remained under investigation, he said, and no further details were available.
Police continued seeking the attacker or attackers late Friday, Bobkiewicz said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Covina police detectives at 626-384-5808.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- Two armed men robbed a Del Taco restaurant Friday before unsuccessfully trying to carjack an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer, authorities said.
The crime was reported about 5:15 p.m. at the restaurant at Hacienda Boulevard and Tetley Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Gerard Velona said.
Two men, both carrying handguns, entered the restaurant and demanded cash from the register, the sergeant said.
After obtaining some money, the men ran out to the parking lot of the restaurant where they tried to carjack a man, who was later determined to be an off-duty CHP officer who was eating his dinner in his car, Velona said.
The man banged on his car window while brandishing their weapons, the sergeant said, but the off-duty officer drove away as he reached for his weapon.
The robbers ran across the street and disappeared, he said.
Deputies searched the area but did not find the gunmen, Velona said.
One robber was described as a Latino man in his early- to mid-20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 160 pounds, officials said. He wore a blue baseball cap and a dark backpack and carried a black revolver.
The other robber was a Latino man, about 6 feet 1 inches tall, 200 pounds, with short hair, a white shirt and semi-automatic handgun.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Industry Station.

MONROVIA -- Two sisters were behind bars Friday on suspicion of burglarizing a Monrovia home, thanks to a helpful neighbor, police said.
Alizon Castellano-Flores, 18, and Otilia Castellano-Flores, 22, both of North Hollywood, were arrested Thursday afternoon in Pacoima, Monrovia police Lt. Zeke Cerecerez said.
According to sheriff's booking records, they were being held in lieu of $70,000 bail each at the Monrovia Police Department's jail and were due for arraignment Monday in Pasadena Superior Court.
They're accused of burglarizing a house shortly before noon in the 300 block of Valle Vista Avenue, the lieutenant said.
"A neighbor was in the process of washing her car and saw one female coming form the area of her neighbor's home, carrying a flat-screen TV," he said.
The neighbor asked the woman with the TV before she quickly placed the appliance in the trunk of a car, Cerecerez said, and quickly drove away with another woman.
The neighbor followed the car long enough to provide police with a license plate number and description of the car, he said.
Investigators matched the license plate to an address in Pacoima, officials said, where the Castellano-Flores sisters were arrested several hours later by officers from the Foothill Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The television stolen in Monrovia was recovered, as well as other stolen property, Cerecerez said. At least one item -- a digital camera -- had been reported stolen in Los Angeles.
The sisters were booked on suspicion of residential burglary and possession of stolen property, he said.
The investigation was ongoing.

ROSEMEAD -- A 14-year-old girl and her 21-year-old boyfriend Thursday denied charges of stabbing the girl's grandparents to death as they lied in bed in their home, court officials said.
Sophia Cristo, of Rosemead, and Rodolfo Lopez, identified as a San Gabriel Valley resident, are accused of murdering Jack Bezner, 71, and Susan Bezner, 64.
They were stabbed to death Aug. 9 at their house in the 4200 block of Arica Avenue in Rosemead.
Cristo and Lopez pleaded not guilty to the double murder at their Thursday arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court, court officials said.
They are due back in court Dec. 16, when officials plan to select a date for their preliminary hearing.
The pair was extradited to California after they were arrested in Texas two days after the slaying with the Bezner's SUV, investigators said.
Despite her age, Cristo has been charged as an adult.
Both are being held without bail.

PASADENA -- Sheriff's deputies jailed a Pasadena man Thursday on suspicion of attacking and robbing a woman at an Altadena bus stop earlier in the week, officials said.
Omar Lopez, 22, was booked on suspicion of robbery after deputies searched a home in the 1100 block of Bella Vista Avenue in Pasadena about 7 a.m. Thursday, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Joe Dempsey said.
"It was tips from the community that led us to roughly who he was," the lieutenant said. "They pointed us in the right direction."
Lopez is accused of beating and robbing a 50-year-old Altadena woman as she waited at a bus stop about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday at Washington Boulevard and Altadena Drive, officials said.
He allegedly snatched her purse, pushed her to the ground and kicked her six times, Sgt. Tania Plunkett said.
She suffered only minor injuries in the attack, Dempsey said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Lopez was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Dempsey said he was expected to be arraigned Monday in Pasadena Superior Court.

WHITTIER -- Three men accused of kidnapping a young woman, slitting her throat and leaving her for dead in the Turnbull Canyon area of Whittier appeared in Norwalk Superior Court Thursday.
Jose Ayala, 27, Vincent Mendoza, 21, and Edward Meraz, 24, have pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
They appeared for a pretrial conference Thursday and are due back for another on Jan. 5, court officials said.
Ayala and Mendoza are additionally charged with the special allegation that they personally inflicted great bodily injury on Christina Martinez, 20, of Inglewood and used a knife in the crime.
Ayala , Mendoza and Meraz were each being held in lieu of $3.22 million, $2.15 million and $2.13 million, respectively.

WEST COVINA - The murder trial of five young men and women accused in the shooting death of a Covina Hills woman as she talked with a 9-1-1 operator during a break-in at her home came to a close Thursday with the acquittal of one of the suspects and four convictions.
A jury found Christine Alegre, 19, not guilty in the March 19, 2008, slaying of 45-year-old Michelle Chien, also known by her Chinese name Hsiao Hsu, at her home in the 19700 block of Cameron Avenue in the unincorporated county area of Covina Hills, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
Alegre's attorney, Mary Xinh Nguyen, said she as pleased with the outcome.
"I believe that justice was served," she said. "That's the right result. It really was."
Sheriff's booking records indicate Alegre was released from custody shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday after spending about 2 and a half years behind bars awaiting trial.
Three other defendants have been convicted of murder in connection with the shooting, which authorities have described as a burglary turned fatal.
Another defendant pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
Alegre was accused of driving a van to pick up the killers from Chien's home.
According to Nguyen and trial testimony, she and the other defendants were on their way to "smoke" when Santana pulled so he could burglarize the home, which he believed belonged to the family of his ex-girlfriend.
Santana's ex-girlfriend's family had since moved out of the home, and Chien had moved in.
While Alegre andthe other female suspect, who were good friends, waited in the car, the three young men entered the home, Nguyen said.
When they found Chien inside the home speaking with a 9-1-1 dispatcher, the jury found, Santana shot her to death.
Alegre, who did not have a driver's license, drove the van away from the scene and toward her own nearby home when Santana called her and ordered her to return and pick them up, Nguyen said. When Alegre and Fernandez returned, Santana again took the wheel and drove the group away from Chien's home.
The jury did not find that Alegre had intent or knowledge of the burglary, Nguyen said.
The defense attorney conceded that the evidence presented in court may have warranted a charge of abetting after the fact, that offense was not charged.
"(The prosecution) wanted everyone to do down," Nguyen said.
Having spent more than 2 years in jail for her minimal role in the crime, Nguyen said, "She learned her lesson" when it comes to associating with the wrong people. "I don't think she would ever make that kind of mistake."
The prosecutor in the case, Ian Phan, could not be reached for comment.
A West Covina Superior Court jury convicted Victor Muartua, 21, Wednesday of first-degree murder along with the special allegation that the killing was carried out during the commission of a burglary, Robison said. He's due back in court to be sentenced to life in prison without parole on Jan. 18.
Muartua, a U.S. citizen, was arrested for disturbing the peace in Tijuana in early 2009 and turned over to U.S. authorities after Mexican officials learned he was wanted for murder
Christopher Stratis, 19, was convicted of the same charges Monday and faces the same prison term at his sentencing Dec. 1, Robison said.
The triggerman in the shooting, 22-year-old Christopher Santana, was convicted of first-degree murder as well as the special allegation of personally using a handgun to kill Chien in July and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole July 15, officials said.
Megali Fernandez, 19, pleaded no contest to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the case and is due to be sentenced Dec. 9, officials said. She testified for the prosecution against Santana.
Stratis, Alegre and Fernandez were juveniles when the slaying occurred, though they were charged as adults.
A D.A.'s Office internal committee did not seek the death penalty against Muartua and Santana, though they were adults when the crime was committed and were eligible for the death penalty.
Robison said the D.A.'s office does not discuss the reasoning of the committee when deciding whether or not to pursue the death penalty.

This from the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Food and Drug Administration investigator says the fertility doctor who implanted embryos into "Octomom" Nadya Suleman was using an experimental procedure.

Donna Tartaglino Besone testified Thursday in Los Angeles in the state medical board hearing for Dr. Michael Kamrava. She says the doctor used Suleman as part of a human experiment on fertility methods.

The board is trying to revoke the doctor's medical license, alleging gross negligence in his treatment of Suleman and two other patients. All 14 of Suleman's children were conceived through in vitro treatments that Kamrava provided.

Here's a link to our excellent photo gallery.

Richard Ghoogasian, the store manager, said he saw five to seven men when he came out from the back of the store.

"I wasn't going to get physically involved until I saw one of them take a swing at one of the girls. I threw a phone at them and missed," he said.

An ambulance was dispatched to treat a female employee injured in the break-in. Police did not release the names of those arrested Wednesday.

According to Ghoogasian, the suspects didn't take much - "they did more damage than anything," he said.

 

While 8 million Californians voted in the state's attorney general's race, about 300 Los Angeles County election workers will decide the fate of a race "too close to call."

That's if the candidates, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, don't end up settling the election in court.

Harris holds a slight edge over Cooley statewide and a double-digit lead in Los Angeles County.

In recent days, each side has asserted the other is trying to unfairly pressure county officials counting ballots.

"This is sniping as usual that only comes around when the votes are close enough that the race could be affected by the qualification or disqualification

VALINDA -- A man suffered cuts to his head in a knife attack Wednesday, officials said.

A local man in his mid-20s was standing in a driveway in the 17100 block of Francisquito Avenue in the unincorporated county area of Valinda just before 8 p.m. when he was approached by another young man, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Douglas Creighton said.

The man asked the victim "what he was looking at" before slicing him twice in the head with a pocket knife, the sergeant said. The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The attacker fled to a nearby SUV after the wounded victim's girlfriend used pepper spray to defend him, he said.

The suspect was described as a Latino man in his mid-20s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 180 pounds. He had a shaved head and mustache, a white T-shirt and blue jean shorts.

Authorities said he got into a dull-red, two-door Ford Explorer, which was being driven by a woman. No further description of her was available.

Also inside the SUV was another Latino man in his mid-20s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 160 pounds, Creighton said. He had light brown hair and wore a dark brown shirt.

LA PUENTE -- Officials asked the public's help Wednesday in tracking down a missing elderly man who suffers from dementia.
Gregorio Perez Villalaz, 72, was last seen at his home on Ballista Avenue in La Puente about 1 a.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
In addition to suffering from dementia, Villalaz also takes medication for epilepsy, authorities said.
"Villalaz's family is very concerned and is also asking for the public's assistance," the statement said.
He is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 130 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing an off-white, short-sleeved collared shirt, blue jeans, light brown shoes and a gray baseball cap with the Dodgers "L.A." logo on it.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective D. Harris or Detective T. Abraham of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau Missing Person's Detail at 323-890-5500.

PHOTO of Gregorio Villalaz courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Nearly 20 cops from the Los Angeles area and New York are preparing to trade blows in an annual boxing match to benefit cancer research at City of Hope.
The "17th Annual Fight for Life" will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday at Quiet Cannon, 901 N. Via San Clemente, Montebello.
The boxing match will pit men and women from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles police officers against their counterparts at the New York Police Department to raise money for the City of Hope in Duarte, a national leader in the fight against cancer.
Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and New York police Lt. Dave Siev and the fighters met with hospital officials Wednesday in advance of the bouts.
"Through your efforts and your partnership, you enable City of Hope to do research that saves lives," City of Hope Senior Vice President of Development Alan Levey told the deputies and officers.
Funds raised by Fight for Life -- nearly $1 million to date -- allow researchers to transform new ideas into life-saving cures, he added.
Baca said he was pleased his department was able to help.
"We're not only enforcing the law," he said, "We're also helping children regain themselves and have a future," he said.
Fight for Life began in 1994 after some deputies in East Los Angeles befriended 9-year-old cancer patient, Joshua Moreno.
Though Moreno died of his disease in 1994, the charity event he inspired continues on.
New York police officers have taken part in Fight for Life before, most recently seven years ago, officials said. Their participation this year is due to an invitation from the LAPD.
"I put out an offer that the NYPD would fight anyone for charity," Siev said. "LAPD took me up on the offer."
As Chief Beck's officers prepared to trade blows, he said the more challenging battle is the one City of Hope researched take on daily. "The toughest fights are going on on this campus today."
Nine fights are expected to take place, including at least one between female fighters. The majority of bouts will place East Coast and West Coast cops in opposite corners of the ring, however LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are scheduled to clash in at least two fights.
Tickets are available through the Sheriff's Relief Association of Los Angeles County at 562-946-7081, or through the Los Angeles Police Protective League at 213-251-4554. Tickets start at $25, with reserved seating starting at $50 and ringside seats for $100.

PHOTO: Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck(rear, center),  flanked to his
right by New York Police Lt. Dave Siev and Los Angeles County Sheriff
Lee Baca, pose for a picture with LAPD, NYPD and LASD deputies and
officers at City of Hope in Duarte on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010. The
officers and deputies will be boxing in the "Fight for Life"
tournament on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, in Montebello, to raise money
for City of Hope.

From City News Service:

WEST COVINA - A 21-year-old man was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a woman who was slain while reporting a break-in at her Covina Hills home to a 911 operator.
Jurors who heard the case against Victor Manuel Maurtua III also found true a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a burglary, according to Shiara Davila-Morales of the District Attorney's Office.
Maurtua -- who is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole when sentenced Jan. 18 -- is the third person to be convicted of first-degree murder for the March 19, 2008, killing of Michelle Hsu.
The 46-year-old victim was shot three times and died at the scene.
Co-defendant Christopher Stratis, 19, was found guilty on Monday and is also facing a life prison term. He is set to be sentenced Dec. 1.
A third defendant, Christopher Kevin Santana, now 22, was convicted June 14 and sentenced July 15 to life behind bars with no chance of parole.
A jury is still considering the case against a fourth defendant, 19-year-old Christine Alegre.
A fifth defendant, Megali Fernandez, 19, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter.

You might say James Fiddles is an international man of mystery.

Not quite on the scale of Austin Powers or 007 James Bond, but folks in Queensland, Australia, would sure like to know more about him.

Fiddles of Pasadena was one of thousands of American troops stationed in Australia during World War II.

Attached to the 126th Infantry, 32nd Division, Fiddles and other Americans came to Nerimbera, in Queensland to recuperate after fighting the Japanese in New Guinea in 1942.

While there, troops built St. Christopher's Chapel on the banks of the Fitzroy River and competed in a variety of athletic contests at a nearby arena. It was in the arena where Fiddles made a name for himself, winning an award for rope climbing.

Eight other American servicemen - most from Wisconsin or Michigan - won awards, too. All their names were added to a plaque commemorating their achievements.

When the arena was finally torn down several years ago, the plaque was transferred to St. Christopher's.

Over the past 18 months Brian Morris, an 80-year-old resident of Queensland, has made it his duty to track down the nine men. Morris, a teenager during the war, said he made friends with several Americans stationed in Australia who manned a gun emplacement on the coast overlooking an oyster bed owned by his father.

On July Fourth every year, residents of Nerimbera, Rockhampton and other nearby towns gather at St. Christopher's to remember Americans who briefly lived there.

Last year, Morris attended the ceremony.

"Looking at the names on the chapel walls, I decided to trace the men who had given so much in defense of this country," Morris said.

Ultimately, Morris wants to have the life story of each of the men become part of the chapel's archive.

Since setting out on his search, Morris has found eight of the nine - some living, some dead.

Among them were average Americans like:

-- Leonard Christian of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, who won the 440 dash. He returned to the United States and worked for 25 years at the American Motors plant in Racine, Wisconsin before his death in 1993;

-- David R. Dake, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, who won the broad jump, returned to battle for three tours in the South Pacific, before coming home. After working at a Boeing plant in Florida, Dake, who is still alive, became a Pentacostal minister before he returned to Wisconsin, and;

-- Lyle U. Smith, of Tacoma, Washington, who lost his life in battle.

But, figuring out what happened to James Fiddles, the lone Californian in a group of Midwesterners, remains a riddle, Morris said.

"His name is not common, but he has proved to be the most difficult to trace," Morris said.

Morris believes his last hope to find Fiddles lies in the San Gabriel Valley. He's praying that someone can connect the dots and solve the mystery of the champion rope climber and Australian hero.

This comes from reporter Beige Luciano-Adams:

SAN MARINO - Mary Jean and Charles Lynberg had long talked about spreading their ashes together after their deaths.

"He'd say Laguna, I'd say La Jolla - and he'd joke and say, `I'll never find you there.' I wouldn't really care where they're spread, just as long as they're together," Mary Jean said.

But burglars who broke into her home last Wednesday spoiled her plans.

Lynberg said she returned home from a short afternoon outing and found her home ransaked and the box containing her husband's ashes gone.

Charles A. Lynberg died of cancer three years ago, leaving his wife alone in their San Marino home of 25 years.

Apparently there's a rash of these instances. Then there's the urn found Sunday in Covina. Don't know if there's any relationship between the two stories.

The race for state attorney general between Steve Cooley and Kamala Harris has come down to 150,000 uncounted votes statewide.

While Harris took thelead Monday, monitors are all over county registrars' offices in the state checking ballots and trying to get their candidate an edge.

The state is required to certify the election by Nov. 30, but most analysts expect that no matter who wins, there will be legal challenges (not too unlike Bush v. Gore).

Calwatch reports that Cooley needs help from poll workers.

Meanwhile the SF Weekly reports that Harris believes Cooley poll workers are "http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/11/harris_cooley_vote_count.php."

COVINA -- A good Samaritan retrieved a woman's purse from a thief Sunday, but didn't hang around to take credit, police said.
A 63-year-old woman was loading items into her car in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, 1275 N. Azusa Avenue, when a young man ran by and snatched her purse from her shopping cart, Covina police Lt. Tim Doonan said. He then ran to a nearby car.
"Within a few seconds of this happening, a good Samaritan obviously sees what happened, follows the suspects to the car, confronts the suspect, retrieves the victims property, returns the property to the victim and disappears," Doonan said. He did not stay around to speak with police.
The woman told officers that nothing was missing from her purse.
A second witness was able to provide police with a description of the suspect and his car, the lieutenant said.
The thief was a white man of about 20 years old, of thin build, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown spiked hair, police said. He wore a gray T-shirt and black short, and drove off in a car described as a 2000-model, white, four-door sedan.

COVINA -- Police found a box containing human ashes in an alley Sunday and were trying to return it to it's owner.
Officers were summoned about 10 a.m. to an alley near the 600 block of East Ruddock Street after a passer-by found what appeared to be a box containing cremated human remains, Covina police Lt. Tim Doonan said.
Some had spilled out of the box, he said.
The box was labeled with the name of a crematorium, the name of the cremated person and the name of the person who was possibly responsible for the ashes, the lieutenant said.
The listed owner could not be contacted Sunday because he was in jail on suspicion of a domestic violence charge with another police agency, Doonan said.
He added that police would house the ashes at the station until they could be returned to the appropriate person.

INDUSTRY -- Authorities sought an unknown vehicle that was involved in a chain-reaction crash on the 605 Freeway Saturday that left a man dead and a woman badly injured.
Roger Rochart, 47, of Glendale, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred just before 4 p.m. on the northbound 605 Freeway, just north of Peck Road, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
His passenger, a 50-year-old Arcadia woman, was hospitalized with major injuries following the crash, officials said.
Initial investigation revealed an unknown vehicle cut off a Lexus SUV in the carpool lane, starting a chain reaction that resulted in the fatal crash, Sgt. T. Brown of the California Highway Patrol's Santa Fe Springs office said in a written statement.
Rochart was driving a 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle northbound in the carpool lane prior to the crash, Brown said.
In front of him was a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban SUV being driven by a 53-year-old Hesperia woman, and in front of the Suburban was a 2007 Lexus GX 470 SUV being driven by a 45-year-old Carson man, according to the CHP statement.
"An unknown vehicle changed lanes from the No. 1 lane into the (carpool) lane, directly in front of the Lexus," Brown said.
The driver of the Lexus slammed on his brakes to avoid a crash, and the driver of the Suburban also applied her brakes in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid hitting the Lexus, officials said. The Chevrolet struck the Lexus.
"This impact forced the Suburban to the right, directly into the path of Mr. Rochart's motorcycle," Brown said.
Rochart and the woman were both thrown from the motorcycle, and Rochart was then run over by the Suburban, he said.
The unknown vehicle that initially cut off the Lexus left the scene and had not been found Sunday, CHP Officer Monica Posada said.
No description of it was available.
Though the vehicle was not struck in the crash, investigators considered the incident to be a "no-contact hit-and-run," Posada said.
The driver may not even be aware of their involvement in the collision, she added.
That driver, or anyone with information, was asked to call the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP at 562-868-0503.

WHITTIER -- A woman carjacked a man of his pickup truck early Sunday in an unincorporated county area just northwest of Whittier, authorities said.
The crime took place about 12:30 a.m. at Workman Mill Road and Strong Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Dodson said.
The woman, an acquaintance of the victim, brandished what was initially described as a 9mm handgun and ordered the man out of his blue, extended cab, 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck before fleeing in it, the sergeant said.
Officials described the carjacker as a Latino woman in her early 20s, about 5 feet 4 inches tall and 150 pounds.
Detectives from the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station were investigating.

INDUSTRY -- A man died and a woman suffered major injuries Saturday in a motorcycle crash on the 605 Freeway, authorities said.
The crash was reported just before 4 p.m. on the northbound 605 Freeway, just south of the 60 Freeway, California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos said.
The dead man, who was driving the motorcycle, was 47 years old, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Mark Ortiz said.
His passenger, a 50-year-old woman, was hospitalized in critical condition but was expected to survive, he said.
The crash involved the motorcycle and two SUVs, Villalobos said.
Officials issued a Sig-Alert for the carpool lane and four left lanes of the northbound 605 as they investigated the crash, according to CHP logs. Two lanes remained open for traffic.
Traffic on the northbound 605 was backed up to the 5 Freeway, Villalobos said, and southbound traffic was slowing considerably as well due to the crash.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- A bandit used a handgun to rob a beauty supply store Saturday, officials said.
A robber armed with a black, semi-automatic handgun entered Sky Beauty Supply, 19745 Colima Road, #7, about noon and demanded money from the cash register, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Angie Wilkinson said.
After obtaining some money, he was last seen fleeing the area on foot, she said.
The robber was described as a Latino man in his 20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with tattoos on his neck and arms.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Walnut-Diamond Bar Station.

ALTADENA - Deputies were investigating the circumstances of a shooting that left two men wounded Friday in Altadena.
Deputies responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting "shots fired" shortly after 4:30 p.m. in the area of Lincoln Avenue and Vermont Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Debra Herman said.
They found one man suffering from a gunshot wound, as well as a blood trail leading away from the location, the sergeant said, leading investigators to suspect a second person had also been wounded.
The wounded man found at the scene was suffering from a gunshot wound to his neck, though he was conscious and the wound did not initially appear to be life-threatening, Los Angeles County fire officials said.
A short time later, police received word from a local hospital that another man had arrived at the emergency room with a gunshot wound, Herman said.
He was shot in the elbow and was also expected to survive, Sgt. Randy Tuinstra said.
Two handguns were recovered at the scene, officials said.
Officials continued to investigate whether the men were both victims of the same shooting, or whether the men were wounded shooting at each other. A motive was unknown late Friday.
Deputies cordoned off a large area around the shooting scene and blocked some streets as they gathered clues into what took place, she added.

WHITTIER -- Police sought a young man who stole a mail bag from a letter carrier Friday.
A female letter carrier was working in the 7300 block of Pickering Avenue when she set her mail bag down behind her to place some items into mail slots, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
"Someone ran up, grabbed the mail bag and ran off," the lieutenant said.
The thief was described as Latino man of 16 to 20 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown eyes, brown hair, a black hooded sweatshirt and shorts, Webster said. He also had shaved eyebrows.
Following the theft, police added, he was seen accompanied by a Latino woman in her early 20s with reddish-colored hair.
Why the young man stole the mail was not clear.

NORWALK -- A robber punched a shoe store employee and stole a deposit bag filled with cash Friday, sheriff's officials said.
The crime took place about 12:20 p.m. at the Vans store, 11620 Imperial Highway, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Chris Mouat said.
An employee was walking up to the store with a deposit bag when the the robber punched him in the face and helped himself to the money-filled pouch, the sergeant said. The employee was not seriously injured.
The robber jumped into a nearby brown, 1990s-model, 4-door car with a waiting driver, he said. The car was last seen headed east on Imperial Highway.
The robber was described as a black man in his early 30s, about 6 feet 1 inch tall and 200 pounds, Mouat said. He had short black hair, brown eyes, a brown button-up shirt, dark pants and a tattoo on his left inner forearm.

PASADENA -- A 2-month old baby died after his parents awoke and found him not breathing, officials said Friday.
The boy was pronounced dead shortly after 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at his family's home on North Raymond Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jim Blacklock said.
Nothing criminal was initially suspected, however coroner's officials will determine the officials cause of death, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
"When the parents woke, they found the child not breathing and called for assistance from the police," the lieutenant said.
"Officers arrived on scene and immediately began CPR," he said. "Paramedics were requested, but tragically, the child was pronounced dead at the scene."
"There were no indications of foul play," Russ said. "As with all deaths, an investigations is conducted to verify the circumstances surrounding tragic incidents such as this."
"Incidents like this are traumatizing to the family. "We express our condolences," he said.
The infant's cause of death was deferred Friday pending further forensic testing, Blacklock said.

WHITTIER -- A Montebello man was jailed Thursday on suspicion of beating and carjacking a man last month in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
Luis Leyva, 48, was arrested in connection with the Oct. 9 crime on Colima Road, just north of Telegraph Road, in front of the Sheriffs Training and Regional Services Center, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
The victim in the carjacking, a South Whittier man, "was viciously beaten and dragged from his vehicle," according to the CHP statement.
"He suffered major injuries as a result of this attack and was hospitalized," the statement continued.
The attacker stole the victim's 2009 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
The victim has since been released from the hospital, CHP acting Sgt. Joe Zizi said.
A CHP officer spotted a Silverado Nov. 6 driving on the 605 Freeway in Santa Fe Springs with no license plates and pulled it over, officials said.
The driver of the truck was determined not to be the carjacker, Zizi said.
Through, "good old-fashioned police work, (detectives) were able to trace the origin of who was involved," he said.
According to sheriff's booking records and Zizi, Leyva's son was arrested Monday in connection with the crime, but later released without charges.
The father was arrested Thursday afternoon and continued being held at the jail at the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP Friday.
Booking records indicated he was due for arraignment Monday in Whittier Superior Court.
Capt. Daniel Minor, who commands the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP, commended the work of his investigators in tracking down the carjacking suspect.
"When driving down our roads, motorists should be confident they will be safe from violence and theft," he said. "I am pleased with the CHP's apprehension of these criminals, and hope this will deter any future crimes like this in South Whittier."

MONTEREY PARK -- A gunman robbed and carjacked a man in front of his home late Thursday, police said.

A man in his early 20s arrived home about 9:15 p.m. in the 300 block of Elizabeth Avenue, Monterey Park police Lt. Steve Coday said.

He was approached by a handgun-wielding robber who demanded the victim's money and the ignition remote for his black 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer, the lieutenant said.

The victim handed over an unknown amount of cash and the carjacker then fled in the Mitsubishi, Coday said. He was last seen driving south on Elizabeth Avenue toward Garvey Avenue.

Police described the carjacker as about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 160 pounds. He wore dark clothing, including a black hooded sweatshirt, and some type of mask obscuring the bottom portion of his face.

SIERRA MADRE -- A man with a criminal history dating back decades is behind bars on suspicion of at least one Sierra Madre burglary, and is being investigated in connection with others, authorities said Thursday.
Christopher Martin, 50, of Pasadena was arrested Sunday and faced his initial court appearance Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court, Sierra Madre police Sgt. Keith Abbott said.
The sergeant said he arrested Martin in the early morning hours after determining he was involved in "felony activity."
Abbott declined to say when, where or how many burglaries Martin is suspected in, saying he believed it could jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
He would say only that Martin is being investigated in connection with, "multiple burglaries and thefts in the greater Sierra Madre area."
According to sheriff's booking records, Martin was being held without bail and was due for his next court appearance on Nov. 22.
Los Angeles County Superior Court records indicate Martin has been convicted of 27 criminal offenses since 1987, ranging from minor traffic violations to robbery.
He was convicted of drug-related charges in 2010, 2006, 2005, three times in 2003 and 1992.
He was convicted of theft in 2008, 2007 and twice in 2004, records show. He was convicted of robbery in 1999.
Martin's criminal record also includes three driving under the influence convictions, forgery, impersonation, giving false information to police, reckless driving and five separate conviction for driving without a valid license.

AZUSA -- A teenage girl was sexually assaulted by two men as she walked down a sidewalk in an unincorporated county area just south of Azusa, authorities said Thursday.
The crime took place about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Woodcroft Street and Hyacinth Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Craig Boyett said.
A 17-year-old girl was approached by two men who sexually assaulted her before fleeing westbound on Woodcroft Street on foot, the lieutenant said.
No weapons were used in the crime, he added.
Officials described the attackers as two Latino men in their 20s, with shaved heads, of medium build, clean-shaven and wearing dark clothing.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's San Dimas Station.

PICO RIVERA -- Deputies arrested a man and woman Thursday after they were found driving in a stolen car along with two loaded handguns and evidence of identity theft, authorities said.
Blaire Stewart, 46, of Whittier and Jorge Dominguez, 27, of Los Angeles were expected to be booked on suspicion of auto theft, identity theft and weapons charges, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. John Adams said.
Deputies from the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station honed in on a LoJack vehicle anti-theft system signal around noon and traced it to a shopping center at Whittier and Passons boulevards, the sergeant said.
There they found a parked 2000 Jeep Cherokee that had been reported stolen out of Whittier earlier the same day, he added.
Officials waited until Stewart and Dominguez came out to the car and drove off before pulling over the car, which was being driven by Stewart, less than a block away at Whittier Boulevard and Tobias Avenue, Adams said.
"Inside the car, they recovered two handguns and several items related to ID theft," he said.
The handguns were both loaded, Adams said, and the ID theft-related items included documents in the names of other people.
According to sheriff's booking records, Stewart was being held in lieu of $150,000 bail, while Dominguez was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail. Both were due for arraignment Monday in Whittier Superior Court.

WHITTIER -- A 57-year-old Whittier man was behind bars Thursday on suspicion of attacking his wife and stabbing her son, then hiding from police for three hours.
Jay Bradley was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, which was reported about shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 8300 block of Jackson Place, Whittier police Sgt. Rob Hanson said.
Following the initial attack, Bradley hid from police for about three hours before officers found him in a residential back yard, where he surrendered, Hanson said.
"He was arrested without further incident," the sergeant said.
Bradley beat and possibly stabbed his 52-year-old wife during an argument, Whittier police Lt. Wyatt Powell said.
She suffered a cut to one of her hands, though police said it was unclear Thursday how exactly she suffered the injury.
The woman's 25-year-old son then arrived at the home and confronted Bradley, who Powell said stabbed the young man.
He was taken to a trauma center with an injury that was not believed to be life-threatening Thursday, police said.
When police arrived at the scene, witnesses told them the attacker had fled on foot, Powell said.
Officers set up a search perimeter of about three square blocks as they hunted for the suspect, officials said.
After a three-hour search, officers arrested Bradley as he hid behind a home at Jackson Street and Central Avenue, Hanson said, one block away from where the attack took place.
Further details on the incident were not available, as handling detectives could not be reached for comment Thursday.
According to sheriff's booking records, Bradley was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at the Whittier Police Department jail. Due to the Veterans Day holiday, information was not available Thursday regarding his initial court appearance.

From the only in Sierra Madre category, the Tattler reports that city Code enforcement officers shut down a nursery school crafts fair and book sale in a local park -- the participants lacked a permit. (Read to the bottom of the blog entry for this item:

Sadly for both the moms and their kids, someone from City Hall sent over Code Enforcement Officer Lisa Volpe to shut all this down. The parents apparently were operating without a business permit. Something they had never been required to get before.

Lisa was nice about it all agreed. I mean, who wouldn't be embarrassed by having to chase a bunch of nice families out of a park? Lisa was just doing what she was told to do. So the parents packed up their kids, books and crafts and went home.

WHITTIER -- Police searched for a man late Wednesday accused of beating and possibly stabbing his wife, then stabbing his wife's son when he came to her aid, police said.
The incident occurred about 8:50 p.m. at a home in the 8300 block of Jackson Place, near Whittier Boulevard and Painter Avenue, Whittier police Lt. Wyatt Powell said.
After the suspect got into an argument with his wife, "she was beaten and possibly stabbed," Powell said. She suffered a 3-inch cut to her hand, though it was not immediately clear how she received the wound.
The woman's injuries did not appear life-threatening, police added.
The woman's adult son arrived at the home during the incident and confronted the suspect, Powell said. The suspect stabbed the son in the abdomen.
The wounded son was hospitalized at a trauma center in unknown condition, Powell said.
The alleged attacker was last seen fleeing from the home on foot, he said.
Officers set up a search perimeter around the neighborhood and continued hunting for the suspect late Wednesday.
Police initially described him as 5 feet 7 inches tall, 180 pounds, wearing a blue shirt and gray sweat pants.

PICO RIVERA -- The denial of a wedding proposal prompted a scorned lover to try to run over his would-be fiancee Wednesday at a Pico Rivera hamburger stand.
Francisco Hernandez, 22, of Whittier was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Bob Smith said.
He proposed to a woman about 2:25 p.m. near the Burger Stop on Slauson Avenue, just west of Passons Boulevard, officials said.
The woman did not accept, at which point Hernandez allegedly tried to run her over with his car, Smith said.
Initial reports from the field indicated the car, which left the scene following the alleged attack, had the words, "Will you marry me?" painted on the back.
The woman was not struck by the car, which sustained two flattened tires during the incident, officials said.
Officials found the car, along with Hernandez, about 4 p.m. in Whittier and arrested him without further incident, Smith said.

IRWINDALE -- An Irwindale-based company has been ordered to pay $1.525 million in restitution and fines after pleading guilty to illegally dumping waste, authorities announced Wednesday.
The Davis Wire Corporation of Irwindale entered a guilty plea Oct. 26 to one count of negligent discharge of acidic pollutants into publicly owned treatment works, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said in a written statement.
"Davis Wire has an extensive history of noncompliance since at least 2004, including repeated discharges of highly acidic wastewater," Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, said. "Their illegal discharges put the surrounding community at risk by damaging the sewer pipes, potentially impacting public health and the environment."
Representatives of Davis Wire could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The investigation by county and federal officials was opened in February of 2008 when a Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts employee noticed wastewater much more acidic than what regulations allow flowing into county wastewater pipes from the wire company, 5555 Irwindale Avenue, according to the EPA statement.
"Davis Wire uses sulfuric acid in the manufacturing process, and is required to neutralize the acid with a wastewater treatment system before sending it to the public sewer," according to the EPA statement.
In February, March and April of 2008, however, officials said inspectors found highly acidic water flowing into sewers a total of 14 times. Further investigation revealed the company's wastewater treatment system was badly in need of upgrades.
The ongoing illegal dumping of wastewater damaged county sewer lines, EPA officials said.
Following last month's court hearing, Davis Wire was ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to cover the damage to LACSD sewers, as well as a $25,000 fine.

From City News Service:

Seventeen sex offenders being monitored by the global positioning system devices were arrested at recent county fairs statewide, including four at the Los Angeles County Fair and six at the Orange County Fair, a prisons spokesperson said.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said parole agents and local law enforcement monitored sex offenders from June 23 through Oct. 3.
The four arrests at the Los Angeles County Fair were down from 14 in 2009. Statewide, arrests dropped from 35 in 2009, according to prisons officials.
"The decline in arrests in 2010 may indicate sex offenders are getting the message to stay away from public events with children," said Robert Ambroselli, the head of Parole Operations.
"The 2010 results show that we are keeping sex offenders out of these public events and away from families," he said. The fairs were also monitored for gang members with GPS devices, but none was detected. California monitors 6,579 sex offenders and 932 high-risk gang offenders, according to the prisons department.

VALINDA -- Deputies jailed an admitted gang member on suspicion of gun charges after he ran from them late Tuesday, authorities said.
Jose Gallaga, 18, of Valinda was booked on suspicion of possession of a loaded firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steve Katz said in a written statement.
Deputies tried to detain three suspicious men about 11:20 p.m. who were drinking in the 1100 block of Aileron Avenue, the lieutenant said.
Two of the men cooperated with deputies, he said, while the third ran to the rear yard of a nearby home.
A sheriff's helicopter spotted Gallaga hiding in the back yard and watched as he made his way into the house, Katz said.
With the owner's permission, officials said, deputies went in and arrested Gallaga without further incident. A handgun was found in the back yard.
Katz said that Gallaga admitted to being a local gang member, and told investigators he ran because he had the handgun on him when deputies approached.
According to sheriff's booking records, Gallaga was being held in lieu of $70,000 at the sheriff's Industry Station jail and was due for arraignment Monday in West Covina Superior Court.

ARCADIA -- Arcadia police jailed a suspected burglar Tuesday with the help of a resident who reported a suspicious encounter, officials said.
Joshua Jacob, 26, of La Crescenta was booked on suspicion of residential burglary, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
A woman called police shortly before 11 a.m. to a report a suspicious man had come to her door in the 1300 block of N. Baldwin Avenue and asked about a missing dog before driving off in a gray SUV, Le Veque said. She did not recognize the man.
Responding officers discovered a gray SUV backed into the driveway of another home nearby on Baldwin Avenue, police said. The license plate indicated the SUV had been reported stolen.
Police arrested Jacob in the back yard of the house, the sergeant said. They also and noticed that a sliding glass door that appeared to have been forced open and the home had been ransacked.
"Although the property was not removed from the residence, officers found handguns, jewelry, computer equipment and other evidence inside the location that was moved and abandoned by the suspect," Le Veque said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Jacob was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles. Information regarding his initial court appearance was not available.

Call of Duty:Black Ops hit stores at midnight and fans rushed to get their hands on it and play.

MONTEBELLO -- A man found fatally shot in front of a gas station Sunday afternoon was believed to have committed suicide, authorities said.
The man's name was not released Sunday pending notification of his family members, Montebello police Lt. Rich Meadows said. He was described as a 61-year-old Montebello man.
A passer-by called police just before 4:20 p.m. to report the death at a Valero gas station, 1761 Paramount Blvd., Meadows said.
Police officers found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said. A gun was found near the body.
Police and coroner's officials were investigating the death as a suicide, Meadows said, and no foul play was initially suspected.
Traffic was blocked on Paramount Boulevard between Arroyo Drive and Neil Armstrong Street during the investigation.

AZUSA -- Azusa police shot and wounded a woman early Sunday as she drove a car toward officers following a pursuit, authorities said.
Berlin Lopez, 20, of La Puente was booked on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and evading police, Azusa police Sgt. Xavier Torres said.
Steven Martinez, 24, and Frank Martinez, 22, both of Whittier, were booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, police said, and Freddy Moreno, 25, of Commerce was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, possession of a deadly weapon other than a firearm and violating parole.
The shooting took place about 2 a.m. in the 800 block of North Pasadena Avenue, Deputy Aura Sierra said in a written statement.
The incident began minutes earlier when a Honda sedan failed to pull over for Azusa police, Detective Kevin Lowe of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
"There was a pursuit of a vehicle and the vehicle crashed," the detective said.
The Honda, which contained three men and a woman, went off the roadway near a set of train tracks in the 800 block of N. Pasadena Avenue, just south of Ninth Street, Lowe said.
The man who was driving and two other men fled from the car on foot, he said. Azusa police captured all three nearby.
As police arrested the three men who ran from the car, Lowe said Lopez got into the driver's seat and began accelerating in a dirt area along the railroad tracks, "headed right toward the officers."
"Fearing for his safety," Lowe said, one Azusa police officer opened fire on the woman driving toward him at high-speed.
Lowe declined to say how many shots were fired, but the woman suffered a single gunshot wound. She was treated and released from a hospital later Sunday to be booked.
No police officers were hurt in the incident, Sierra said.
It remained unclear why the vehicle fled from police in the first place, Lowe said. It was not reported stolen.
Azusa police officials deferred all questions to the sheriff's investigators.
The Sheriff's Homicide Bureau routinely investigates officer-involved shootings involving Los Angeles County police agencies.

PASADENA -- Two men robbed a teenager of a bike and a cell phone late Friday, police said.
The crime was reported about 9:30 p.m. at Painter Street and Summit Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
"The victim was riding his bike when the suspect ran up to the victim and pushed him off," the lieutenant said.
The robbers than grabbed the bike and a cell phone the boy dropped when he fell and fled, Russ said.
Police described the robbers as Latino men, about 19 years old, wearing black jeans and black sweat shirts.
The teenage victim was not seriously hurt in the robbery.

LA HABRA HEIGHTS -- A van rolled away from a man who was making repairs on it late Friday, striking his neighbor's natural gas meter and causing a leak, officials said.
The mishap occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Hiatt Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Seven Katz said in a written statement.
"A resident was making repairs to his 2004 Ford Van when the vehicle began to roll across the street and into a neighbor's yard," the lieutenant said.
The van damaged the neighbor's gas meter and caused a gas leak, but caused only minor damage to the home itself, Katz said.
La Habra Heights firefighters and the Southern California Gas Company officials responded to the scene handle the situation and repair the natural gas supply line, he added.
No one was hurt in the incident.

ROSEMEAD -- An armed robber escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash Friday after a shoe store hold-up, authorities said.
The crime took place about 7:15 p.m. when a man brandishing a handgun entered a Payless shoe store on San Gabriel Boulevard, just north of Garvey Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Kerry Carter said.
The robber was described as a white or Latino man, about 6 feet tall, 230 pounds, with a shaved head.

ARCADIA - A young man was wounded Friday in a possibly gang-related stabbing, police said.
The incident took place about 6:50 p.m. in the 1000 block of South Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia police Lt. Paul Foley said.
Officers responded to a report of a fight and found the victim, 17, suffering from a stab wound to his torso, the lieutenant said.
He was hospitalized with a wound that was not initially believed to be life-threatening.
Initial investigation revealed that the victim was sitting inside a business in a strip mall when he was confronted by a single young man, Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
"The two became involved in a physical fight which spilled into the parking lot,
 he said.
"The initial suspect was joined by several additional male suspects who all attacked the victim. At some point during the attack, the victim was stabbed in the torso by an unknown object."
The attackers were described only as Asian men in their late teens or early 20s, police said. They had fled the area in a white Scion prior to the arrival of police and had not been found late Friday.
The wounded teen was not believed to have gang ties, police said, however the group of suspects was heard uttering a gang name.
The stabbing remained under investigation.

MONTEBELLO -- A shooting between two cars took place Friday in Montebello, though little information was available, police said.
Officers responded to reports of "shots fired" shortly after 5 p.m. in the block of North 21st Street, Montebello police Lt. Rich Meadows said.
"Their investigation revealed one vehicle was shooting at another vehicle," the lieutenant said.
"(Bullet) casings were located on the street. They were collected for evidence."
No information about the shooter or intended victim was available, he said, nor was a description of either car.
Police checked with area hospitals and found no reports of patients arriving for treatment of gunshot wounds.

TEMPLE CITY -- BB guns, bullets and inert grenades left in a Temple City church Friday prompted officials to call in the bomb squad, authorities said.
Officials received a call about 3:30 p.m. reporting a possible explosive device left inside the Victory in Christ Church, 5221 El Monte Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Richard Conti said.
Deputies evacuated the area around the church and called for the sheriff's bomb squad to investigate a box found inside the church filled with suspicious contents.
The bomb squad determined that the box contained BB guns, bullets and grenades that had had the explosives removed, Conti said, and sounded the all-clear shortly after 6 p.m.
Deputies were investigating who left the items at the church and why.

Recent smash-and-grab jewelry store robberies and arrests throughout the San Gabriel Valley and Southern California are believed to be linked to a single, large group of Los Angeles gang members with a taste for expensive baubles, authorities said.
Six suspects arrested in Santa Fe Springs and West Covina are suspected in jewelry store heists in Fullerton and El Monte, respectively.
They are suspected to be part of a crime ring that carried out similar robberies in Santa Ana, Norco, Placentia, Los Angeles, officials said.
"It's quite obvious there's a large group, because they keep picking people off, and they keep coming," Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
While the suspects arrested in Santa Fe Springs and West Covina are not currently suspected of more than one robbery each, they are all members of the same subgroup of the Crips street gang which has shown a growing interest in jewelry store heists in recent weeks, the corporal said.
In the crimes, the robbers are in and out in less than a minute. They leave at least one getaway driver double parked out front as they enter the store, smash open cases, help themselves to jewelry, then flee.
Four robbers carried out just such a crime Oct. 30 at a Don Roberto Jewelers on Garvey Avenue in El Monte, El Monte police officials said.
Using a handgun and wearing ski masks, four men stormed the store, smashed open display cases and stole a large amount of jewelry and cash before fleeing in a getaway car, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said.
Devon Gholston, 21, of West Covina, Albert Turner, 18, of Cerritos, and Rodnell Moorer, 19, of Los Angeles were arrested on suspicion of the robbery after a high-speed car chase that led to the Westfield mall in West Covina. The driver of the fleeing vehicle escaped by fleeing through the mall and remained at large.
The three suspects in the El Monte case were being held in lieu of $1 million bail, Batres said.
Detectives received a possible lead in the case Friday after a man was detained at the U.S.-Mexico Border near El Paso, Texas, El Monte police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
The man had jewelry in his possession, authorities said, and a copy of a Nov. 1 story from this newspaper regarding the El Monte robbery.
Investigators in Texas sent photographs of the jewelry the man was found with to El Monte police, who determined they did not match any of the items stolen in the Oct. 30 robbery.
Authorities continue to look into any possible connection the man may have to the Southern California jewelry store heists.
Three more suspected jewelry store robbers and Los Angeles Crips were jailed at a Santa Fe Springs motel Oct. 28 on suspicion of participating in a Fullerton jewelry store robbery earlier in the day and auto theft, Whittier and Fullerton police officials said.
A Whittier police officer was investigating the men in connection a stolen vehicle.
During his investigation at the Budget Inn, 13420 E. Firestone Blvd., police discovered the men were suspects in a robbery several hours before at a Fullerton Jewelry Mart, 1475 S. Harbor Ave.
They had been staying at the motel, police added.
Dashawn Coleman, 22, of Los Angeles, Bryant Burnett, 19, of Compton and Lavell Grant, 22, of Lynwood, were booked on suspicion of auto theft in Whittier before being turned over to Fullerton police in connection with the robbery.
In that heist, Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said, six robbers entered the store, smashed open display cases and helped themselves to jewels before employees realized they were not armed and began to fight back by throwing objects at the robbers.
Due to the multiple investigations being carried out by law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California, it was not clear how many jewelry store robberies in all are believed to be connected to the recent wave of gang-fueled crimes. At least eight cases were under investigation.
For unknown reasons, the ring of robbers appears to favor Don Roberto Jewelers in their crimes, investigators said.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau confirmed they are also looking into the trend, but declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

Police arrested a man early Friday in El Monte after he stole a Hummer limo from a rental business in Whittier, authorities said.
Christopher Guy, 22, was arrested on suspicion of auto theft in connection with the incident, Whittier police Officer Mike Dekowski said in a written statement.
Police said Guy walked into a limo rental business in the 10100 block of Beverly Boulevard and found a set of keys belonging to a Hummer limo.
"Guy stole the limousine and was followed by an employee of the business," Dekowski said.
The employee called police as he followed the limo into El Monte.
"El Monte P.D. officers found the suspect driving within the city and took him into custody without incident," Dekowski said.
The Hummer limo was returned to it's owner, authorities said, and Guy was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

WHITTIER -- Police arrested a man Wednesday on suspicion of assaulting a parking enforcement officer who was trying to impound his car, authorities said.
Sergio Medina, 31, of Whittier was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, which took place just before 2 p.m. Thursday in the 6700 block of Bright Avenue, Whittier police officials said in a written statement.
Civilian parking enforcement officers noticed a car parked with registration that had been expired for more than six months.
As the officers filled out paperwork, the owner approached them and tried to stop them from impounding his car, police said.
"After arguing with the officers, the owner gets into the driver seat of his vehicle, starts it and turned his wheels towards them," the police statement said. "He eventually drove his vehicle forward and comes within inches of striking one of the officers."
Patrol officers were summoned and arrested Medina.
According to Los Angeles County sheriff's booking records, Medina was released Thursday night after posting $30,000 bail. No information was available regarding his initial court appearance.

PASADENA -- A car smashed into a Colorado Boulevard storefront Thursday but caused no major injuries or structural damage, authorities said.
The crash was reported about 5:50 p.m. at Game Empire, 2302 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The car smashed through the plate glass window at the front of the store, however the structure itself remained sound, Derderian said.
The driver of the car complained of pain but declined hospitalization, she added. No one inside the store was hurt.
Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said nothing criminal was initially suspected in connection with the crash.

LA MIRADA -- A 20-year-old man reported being stabbed and having his bicycle stolen Thursday, authorities said.
The incident took place shortly before 5:50 p.m. at Foster Road and Duffield Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Bill Evans said.
The wounded man said he was riding his bike when an attacker suddenly stabbed him in the back, the lieutenant said.
When the injured man fell to the floor, the attacker took his bike and fled, officials said.
The robber was described only as a Latino man with a shaved head and tattoos, Evans said, adding that the victim didn't appear to be fully cooperating with investigators.
The victim was talking and conscious when taken to the hospital, officials added.

Authorities on Thursday continued excavating human remains in Santa Clarita Valley believed to be those of a 20-year-old Fullerton college student allegedly killed by a friend in a Whittier apartment nearly a decade ago.
Christopher McAmis, 31, has confessed to killing Lynsie Ekelund of Placentia on Feb. 17, 2001 at an apartment he then rented on Santa Gertrudes Avenue in Whittier, according to Placentia police Detective Lt. Dale Carlson.
Carlson said detectives have been keeping Ekelund's mother, Nancy Ekelund, and other family members up to date on the progress in the investigation.
"She's had to endure this for 10 years. There's going to be a range of emotions," Carlson said. "Our goal is to bring her daughter home, if that's in fact who it is that they're working on out there, and to bring her killer to justice. Outside of that. I don't know what comfort we can give her."

In the local Chinese press they refer to Manling Tsang Williams as "the Butcher." For good reason. She slaughtered her husband Neal with a Kitana marial arts sword and smothered her innocent children in August 2007.

On Thursday, more than three yers after she committed the brutal and senseless murders, a jury found her guilty on all counts. Manling now faces the death penalty.

Here's Dan Tedford's story.

My first time in a major league clubhouse involved an interview with legendary baseball manager Sparky Anderson, who died today at the age of 76.

Police in Arcadia have released surveillance photos of one of two men who robbed a Subway sandwich shop last month. A second robber, who acted as a lookout, was not recorded on the surveillance camera. Here's the original story:

ARCADIA -- Police are asking for the public's for help in tracking down two men who carried out an armed robbery at a sandwich shop.
The crime was reported shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Subway, 411 E. Huntington Drive, #102, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
One robber acted as a lookout while a second went into the store and demanded cash at gunpoint from a woman working behind the counter, police said.
As the employee handed over cash from the register, Le Veque said, the gunman helped himself to the money in the tip jar.
He then fled the store and met his accomplice, who was waiting outside, and the pair ran off, police said.
Authorities described the gunman as a Latino man between 20 and 30 years old, about 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds. He was wearing a gray baseball cap, a long-sleeved burgundy shirt, black shorts and black-framed glasses, and had a colored tattoo on his neck.
The second robber was a Latino man in his 20s, about 5-10, 150 pounds, wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts.
Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police detectives at 626-574-5160.

DOWNEY -- The owner of a nightclub and ranch in El Monte was shot to death early Wednesday during what police believe was a home-invasion robbery at his Downey house, authorities said.
Hermilio Franco, 53, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 2:50 a.m. shooting in the 9300 block of Gainford Avenue, Downey police officials said in a written statement.
He was the CEO of El Farallon Nightclub and Rancho Farallon, 9226 Gilman Road in El Monte, Downey police Detective Sam Gatfield said. The nightclub and rodeo venue also has a Riverside location.
"Officers were dispatched to a possible prowler call with "shots heard" at a residence on Gainford Avenue," according the the Downey police statement.
"When officers arrived, family members contacted them and said there were intruders inside the residence," the statement said.
Police found Franco lying on the floor of his home suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, police said.
Another man, a suspect in the deadly home-invasion robbery, was also found inside the home suffering from a gunshot wound, Gatfield said.
"That suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital where he is listed in serious condition and expected to survive," the police statement said.
A second suspect in the killing was spotted by witnesses fleeing the area on foot and remained at large, authorities added.
He was only described as wearing dark clothing.
Family members of Franco could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and a group of man gathered at El Farallon declined to comment. The El Farallon website listed Franco's first name as Emilio.
It was not clear Wednesday if anything was stolen form the home during the incident, Gatfield said.
Because the investigation was in its early stages, Gatfield said, police declined to release more details about the crime Wednesday, including the name or any information about the hospitalized suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Gatfield at 562-904-2391 or Detective Maria Villegas at 562-904-2324.
Tips can also be left anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, online at lacrimestoppers.org or via text message by testing the letters "TIPLA" and the information to 274637.

I just posted this on our news site, based on the latest information from the secretary of state's office.

Don't how this news affects Cooley's plan for a 10:20 press conference with Sheriff Lee Baca.

San Francisco 's District Attorney Kamala Harris appears headed to come-from-behind victory over Republican Steve Cooley in the race for attorney general, according to figures released Wednesday morning by the Secretary of State's office.

The latest figures released in Sacramento Wednesday morning show Democrat Harris up, despite losing in early counts.

Cooley, who campaigned hard on his anti-corruption record, faltered in the late days of the campaign after Harris got a boost from President Barack Obama.

Harris, who won the counties of the San Francisco Bay Area, also took Los Angeles County by a large margin and won in Imperial County, according to official results.

Mark Lacter at LA Biz Observed says Cooley might have been done in by his own words. He points to a Harris ad that was pretty effective:

The beauty of the ad, of course, is that Harris never said a word. She didn't have to: Cooley was killing himself with his own words. He not only sidestepped the state's epic pension crisis, borne out of government employees like him having been promised too much, but he compounded the miscue by griping about a salary of $150,000 a year - with the state having an unemployment rate of 12.4 percent. This should go down as one of the dumbest responses ever given in a political debate.