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St. Louis County police testing alert system for police pursuits

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The NAACP held a town hall forum on police chases Tuesday, during which relatives of innocent victims expressed their displeasure over the number of innocent lives lost.“It’s been four and a half years since I’ve seen my son,” said Connie Batsell. Her son, Krystofer, was an innocent victim killed during a police pursuit in St. Charles County.“I don’t want another mother to know this pain,” Batsell said. “I still get choked up about it.”Batsell and other victims attending the forum at the Omega Center in north St. Louis called for more police accountability. Some said police pursuits happen too often and with little regard for those in their path.Some community members attending Tuesday’s forum said the entire state needs a more unified policy. Police tie 12-year-old girl to overnight crime spree Leaders with the St. Louis City and St. Louis County chapters of the NAACP started meetings with police leaders last year to find common ground. Those leaders believe tech...

Woman can't get Streets Department to admit they damaged her vehicle during tow

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis woman is living a towing nightmare after her vehicle was hauled away by the Streets Department.Raven Mayford says her 2004 Durango was seriously damaged during the towing process, but no one at St. Louis City Hall is listening.Mayford’s vehicle was towed earlier this month. She said it sat on the street. The vehicle had some bumper damage, but Mayford insists it was both operable and properly licensed.Police had the vehicle towed anyway.“I went, and I had to pay to get it out, and when they pulled my truck from the back of the tow yard to the front, they damaged it,” Mayford said. “So now, it’s just sitting outside of the city tow waiting for a claim that I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I can’t not work or take care of my kids.” Police tie 12-year-old girl to overnight crime spree She believes the tow truck operator hooked her vehicle up incorrectly.“So, it’s the undercarriage of the truck that’s damaged,” she said. “It’s like more of the frame, s...

New York man found guilty of kidnapping elderly woman with dementia in West L.A.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

A man from New York, is facing the possibility of life in prison after he was found guilty on federal criminal charges in connection with the kidnapping of woman with dementia outside of a West Los Angeles medical center, authorities announced Tuesday.  The kidnapping occurred at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center located at 11301 Wilshire Blvd. on the morning of July 19, 2021, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office.  The 68-year-old female victim and a friend were approaching their car outside the VA facility when Johnny Ray Gasca, 53, unexpectedly appeared and pushed the victim toward his pickup, which was parked nearby. “Gasca then picked [the victim] up and threw her into the rear portion of the truck’s passenger compartment,” the release stated. Gasca man then fled the scene with the victim.  The victim’s friend, who witnessed the kidnapping, told agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Gasca may have been in a relationship with the 6...

Long Beach brings back inflatable water playgrounds at local beaches

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

Long Beach residents will soon have the chance to stay cool while staying active this summer, as the city brings back its popular inflatable aquatic playgrounds at two local beaches.The inflatable "Wibit" playgrounds will be blown up and placed in the water just off the Alamitos Beach and Bayshore Avenue beach beginning this Friday.The inflatable playgrounds will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and remain in place through Sept. 4. Los Angeles parks begin offering free lunches for children, teens Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the inflatable playgrounds create a welcoming environment at the city's beaches and provides the community a free, fun activity in the "hot days of summer."The Alamitos Beach playground includes multiple floating structures, including "springboards, bouncers, monkey bars and other elements to encourage water play", the city said in a news release. The Bay Shore Avenue beach playground includes multiple climbing structures, bouncers and domes.A floa...

Giants lose starters Haniger, Davis to injury, but pummel Cardinals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

The Giants weathered significant injuries to starters Mitch Haniger and J.D. Davis Tuesday night in an 11-3 road win over the St. Louis Cardinals.Both players were hurt in the third inning, with Haniger suffering a fractured right forearm after St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty hit him on the first pitch of his at-bat.The injury happened just moments after Davis departed following a right ankle sprain while attempting to go from first to third on a single by teammate Michael Conforto.Well before the Giants announced those injuries, they had taken the precaution of removing outfielder Luis Matos and infielder David Villar from the Sacramento River Cats’ game in Texas against Sugar Land.One or both could be in St. Louis Wednesday for the last game of a three-game series, with the Giants (35-32) going for a sweep.Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Haniger has already missed 21 games in 2023 with an oblique strain.The Giants chased Flaherty (3-5) in the fourth inning and finis...

Child riding bike through crosswalk hit by large commercial vehicle in Concord

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

A young child was hit by a large commercial vehicle while riding their bicycle through a crosswalk in Concord on Tuesday, police say.The accident occurred sometime around 2 p.m. at the intersection of Cowell Road and Treat Boulevard. The busy four lane intersection is a few miles southwest of Concord’s downtown core and surrounded by residential neighborhoods.Concord Police said they found a child with “lower leg injuries” when they arrived on the scene. According to police, the child was struck by a commercial vehicle turning from Treat Boulevard onto Cowell Road. The intersection was closed following the incident but has since reopened.The child was transported to Oakland Children’s hospital following the accident. It’s currently unclear the extent of their injuries. It’s also not clear if the driver of the vehicle stayed on the scene after the accident.Concord police are asking for anyone with information about the incident to call officer Oscar Rodriguez at 925-603-5963.Related ...

San Jose man who died on Hawaiian honeymoon was 'super strong' swimmer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- Steven Phan, a San Jose man who died in Hawaii on his honeymoon from an apparent snorkeling accident, was a "super strong" ocean swimmer, his best friend told KRON4.Phan, 49, and his bride were celebrating their new life together on a trip to Honolulu when their dream honeymoon turned into a nightmare. The bride and groom were snorkeling off Electric Beach in Nānākuli on June 1 when Phan suddenly disappeared underwater. The newlywed bride, Brittany Myers Phan, "was ahead of him. And at some point, she looked back, and he wasn't there," Phan's best friend, Sean Rankin, told KRON4.Brittany Myers Phan and Steven Phan were married in Mexico earlier this year. Phan was found 10 minutes later unresponsive in the water. Good Samaritans on the beach spotted Phan floating in the water, pulled him out of the ocean, and performed CPR. But it was too late -- Phan had already drowned, Rankin said. He was later pronounced dead in a Hawaiian hospital. Rankin said, "For s...

Sebastopol woman who crashed with 2-year-old in car was DUI: police

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

(KRON) -- A Sebastopol woman who crashed head-on into a light pole with her two-year-old son in the backseat Tuesday was under the influence of prescription medication, police said. Officers with the Santa Rosa Police Department were dispatched to a solo vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 12 and South Wright Road in Santa Rosa at 2:30 p.m. Enough fentanyl to kill 900K people seized in Bay Bridge traffic stop Santa Rosa PD recounted witness reports about a white Audi SUV heading east on Highway 12 that crashed head-on into a light pole at a high rate of speed. The light pole was at the corner of South Wright Road.Officers and medical personnel arrived on the scene and confirmed it was a solo vehicle crash. The driver, 40-year-old Melanie Dellard of Sebastopol, was behind the wheel. Her two-year-old son was in the car's backseat. Both were immediately transported to the hospital with significant injuries, police said. San Jose man who died on Hawaiian honeymoon was ‘sup...

SF mayor defends controversial program that allows for arresting people who use drugs in public

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed is defending her pilot program that includes arresting people for public drug use. She answered questions about the city's ongoing drug crisis at today's Board of Supervisors meeting.At Tuesday's meeting, Supervisor Dean Preston asked Mayor Breed questions relating to drug overdose prevention. "Will your department of public health issue an RFP (request for proposal) for a Tenderloin wellness hub by June 30, 2023," asked Preston, referring to last year's closure of the safe drug consumption site called "The Tenderloin Center." Enough fentanyl to kill 900K people seized in Bay Bridge traffic stop "The linkage center wasn't doing what it was supposed to be doing," Mayor Breed replied. "In fact, the challenges we had to deal with the federal government and other issues around legalities that could not only cost the people that we work with their license, but could also create an impact for us as a city."Last month, Board Pr...

Vegas Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup title in sixth season, beating Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:57 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup title in sixth season, beating Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5.Source