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

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 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

Correa’s 2-run HR for Twins caps 4-run 9th vs. Brewers closer Williams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa hit a two-run homer for Minnesota to cap a four-run ninth inning off closer Devin Williams, giving the Twins a 7-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.Correa crushed a 1-1 changeup from Williams (3-1) into the left-field seats, dropping his bat as he turned to his dugout and tapped his wrist to signal it’s his time, like he did for Houston in the 2021 postseason.Williams, who took his first blown save in 11 attempts, didn’t record an out and had his sparkling 0.42 ERA spike to 2.08. Michael A. Taylor greeted him with a home run, and Eduoard Julien walked. Then pinch-runner Willi Castro stole second and raced home — ignoring the stop sign from third base coach Tommy Watkins — on Donovan Solano’s tying single before Correa delivered the walk-off drama.Williams, who gave up just two homers in 60 2/3 innings last season, brought an opponent batting average of .110 into the game. The Brewers lost for the first time in 29 games ...

Reds hold off Royals 5-4 to give Brandon Williamson first big league win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:19 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Reds batted through the lineup during a five-run second inning, and Brandon Williamson did just enough to earn his first big league win as Cincinnati held off the struggling Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Tuesday night.Williamson (1-0) allowed four runs, three of them earned, on seven hits over just five innings. But he left with a one-run lead, and the Reds bullpen survived some shaky moments to hand him the victory and the Royals an eighth consecutive defeat.Daniel Duarte, brought up from Triple-A Louisville, worked the sixth inning in his first appearance for the Reds after missing 143 games to injury a year ago. Ian Gibaut loaded the bases in the seventh before Lucas Sims escaped the jam with strikeouts of Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez. Sims then breezed through the eighth before Alexis Diaz handled the ninth for his 16th save.Jordan Lyles (0-11) allowed all five Cincinnati runs on six hits and three walks over six innings.Bobby Witt hit a two-run homer f...