A Toyota executive said Thursday the company is "mystified" by a report that a California man's Prius gas pedal became stuck and caused the car to speed out of control on a California freeway. James Sikes quickly became the face of the Toyota gas pedal scandal after he called 911 to report losing control of his Prius on Monday. His car reached nerve-rattling speeds of 94 mph before an officer helped bring it to a stop.

Police are announcing that a 20-year-old man was arrested in Richmond Wednesday in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old man in Daly City in February. Matthew Sean Mouton was arrested at a home in Richmond at about 6 p.m. Wednesday for his alleged role in the Feb. 7 murder of South San Francisco resident Jessie Wiley, Daly City police Lt. Jay Morena said Thursday.

Piedmont oncologist Dr. Maurice Wolin, who challenged his prosecution in connection with a sexual predator sting operation in Petaluma in August 2006, was sentenced to three years probation and two months in the Sonoma County jail Wednesday in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Two brothers were arrested Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of operating a methamphetamine lab out of a Pleasanton home, police said. Officers went to the home in the 800 block of East Angela Street at about 1:15 p.m. to serve an arrest warrant for 40-year-old Matthew Donald Magoon and contacted both him and his brother, 50-year-old Robert Willard

About 200 teachers and administrators will be getting preliminary layoff notices as Mt. Diablo schools officials move to cut millions from the school district's budget. The board of Mt. Diablo Unified School District voted Tuesday to cut $48.7 million from the district's budget through 2013.

The crash of a Toyota Prius in New York caught the attention of federal regulators Wednesday after the driver said it accelerated on its own, then lurched down a driveway, across a road and into a stone wall. The crash heightens the attention surrounding unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles and a recall involving more than 8 million vehicles to address gas pedals that can become sticky or trapped under floor mats.

More than 140 health care workers at Alameda County's two jails  who participated in a one-day strike on Tuesday were locked out Wednesday morning  by jail administrators and will be prevented from returning to work for a  week. Shortly after 6 a.m., workers began to arrive at the Santa  Rita Jail in Dublin but were turned away.

Oakland police said that a 19-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her 2-year-old daughter.  Police spokesman Officer Jeff Thomason said Tiffany Lopez was arrested after being interviewed about the death of her daughter, Kamilah Russell, but declined to say if Lopez admitted to killing the girl.

The families of three Berkeley alums detained in Iran for months say their loved ones have been allowed to call home for the first time. The families say in a statement they received the calls Tuesday. The three reported being well. The families called the conversations "a tremendous relief."

A prosecutor asked jurors Tuesday to convict two men of murder  charges for allegedly killing a drug dealer in Antioch four years ago and  then killing an innocent woman in Oakland because she was a potential witness  to the crime.

A Toyota executive said Thursday the company is "mystified" by a report that a California man's Prius gas pedal became stuck and caused the car to speed out of control on a California freeway. James Sikes quickly became the face of the Toyota gas pedal scandal after he called 911 to report losing control of his Prius on Monday. His car reached nerve-rattling speeds of 94 mph before an officer helped bring it to a stop.

San Francisco's revenue from tourism dropped nearly 8 percent in 2009 amid global financial uncertainty, according to a report released this week. The report, an annual estimate of the economic impact of the tourism industry in San Francisco was released by the Convention & Visitors Bureau, a nonprofit organization promoting tourism in the city.

Police are announcing that a 20-year-old man was arrested in Richmond Wednesday in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old man in Daly City in February. Matthew Sean Mouton was arrested at a home in Richmond at about 6 p.m. Wednesday for his alleged role in the Feb. 7 murder of South San Francisco resident Jessie Wiley, Daly City police Lt. Jay Morena said Thursday.

One person suffered burns while trying to extinguish a fire that broke out Thursday at the back of a building on Divisidero between Washington and Jackson streets. Investigators say the person discovered the small fire behind the Asa Sushi restaurant.  It's not known if the incident is related in any way to the eatery.

As many as 30 people who expected to be sentenced Thursday are going home instead because of alleged misconduct at the San Francisco Police crime lab.  However, prosecutors expect to re-file charges against virtually all of these defendants. Prosecutors tell KRON 4's Terisa Estacio another 25-to-30 defendants will have their cases dropped on Friday. 

A federal appeals court in San Francisco is upholding the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance with the words "under God" in public schools. On Thursday, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said by a 2-1 vote that having teachers lead children in reciting the pledge is not an unconstitutional government establishment of religion because the purpose of the pledge is patriotic, not religious.

San Francisco's first "Sunday Streets" event of the year will be held along The Embarcadero this weekend. In the recurring event, which will be held nine times in 2010 throughout the city, streets are closed to cars for a few hours to allow residents to safely explore new neighborhoods by foot.

A controversial sit-lie ordinance proposed in San Francisco received a public airing once again Wednesday night as the city's Police Commission debated the issue of enforcement and who would be targeted. The ordinance, proposed by Police Chief George Gascon and introduced last week at the Board of Supervisors by Mayor Gavin Newsom, would make it unlawful to sit or lie on a public sidewalk between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

On Wednesday afternoon San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom obtained nomination papers for the lieutenant governor's race, taking him one step closer to a possible run for statewide office. Newsom obtained the papers from the Department of Elections in City Hall and paid a filing fee of about $2,500, both prerequisites of filing to run.

Concerns about the San Francisco Police Department's crime lab,  amid allegations of mishandling of drug evidence, is forcing the dismissal of several narcotics cases in court, and defense attorneys said they would  seek many more.

A Toyota executive said Thursday the company is "mystified" by a report that a California man's Prius gas pedal became stuck and caused the car to speed out of control on a California freeway. James Sikes quickly became the face of the Toyota gas pedal scandal after he called 911 to report losing control of his Prius on Monday. His car reached nerve-rattling speeds of 94 mph before an officer helped bring it to a stop.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office is investigating two incidents  in which a man approached young girls as they walked along streets in  Kentfield. The most recent occurred at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when a man in  a older-model white sedan approached two girls, ages 10 and 11, who were  walking toward Kent Middle School, according to the sheriff's office.

A 31-year-old man was arrested after allegedly raping a 54-year-old developmentally disabled woman in Santa Rosa's Roseland neighborhood early Thursday morning, a police sergeant said. Socorro Reyes Zamudio was arrested hours after a 911 call was received at about 2:45 a.m. from a resident saying that her daughter had just been sexually assaulted by an acquaintance in their home, Santa Rosa police Sgt. John Snetsinger said.

Sonoma water officials are warning residents that their drinking water may have been contaminated in January with coliform bacteria. The city sent out warnings Wednesday that two of 12 water samples taken that month had violated state standards for the bacteria. Coliform bacteria are common in the environment but can be an indicator that potentially harmful bacteria are present.

Piedmont oncologist Dr. Maurice Wolin, who challenged his prosecution in connection with a sexual predator sting operation in Petaluma in August 2006, was sentenced to three years probation and two months in the Sonoma County jail Wednesday in Sonoma County Superior Court.

When a voracious pest triggered a quarantine this week across much of Napa Valley - the nation's premier grape-growing region - it threatened more than the grapes themselves. The spraying of pesticides needed to control the European grapevine moth threatens to undo decades of low-impact farming practices that have elevated the quality of wines from the region.

The crash of a Toyota Prius in New York caught the attention of federal regulators Wednesday after the driver said it accelerated on its own, then lurched down a driveway, across a road and into a stone wall. The crash heightens the attention surrounding unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles and a recall involving more than 8 million vehicles to address gas pedals that can become sticky or trapped under floor mats.

A Northern California woman accused of using her 13-year-old son as a designated driver to avoid getting another DUI has pleaded guilty to child endangerment. Heather Choulos of Mill Valley will be sentenced next month. She was arrested last fall after authorities spotted a Land Rover in the middle of a major thoroughfare and found the boy behind the wheel.

A Northern California man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his grandfather. Sean Mooney, of Chico, was convicted in July in the shooting death of 77-year-old Robert Deming. Prosecutors had argued that Mooney shot his grandfather in the back of the head to gain an early inheritance.

The government sent investigators Tuesday to examine a Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway, and Toyota said it wanted to interview the driver as the besieged automaker dealt with a high-profile new headache that raised questions about the safety of its beloved hybrid. A day after state troopers helped the car slow to a stop and its driver to emerge unharmed, Toyota could shed no new light on what might have gone wrong.

San Jose police are investigating the discovery of human remains found in a rural stretch of land at the edge of the city. San Jose police Sgt. Ronnie Lopez says a person walking along a roadway in the area called police to report what appeared to be bones. When officers responded they found the remains were attached to what Lopez described as a "partially unearthed skull."

A Toyota executive said Thursday the company is "mystified" by a report that a California man's Prius gas pedal became stuck and caused the car to speed out of control on a California freeway. James Sikes quickly became the face of the Toyota gas pedal scandal after he called 911 to report losing control of his Prius on Monday. His car reached nerve-rattling speeds of 94 mph before an officer helped bring it to a stop.

A former Wells Fargo bank manager in San Jose is accused of bilking elderly customers of nearly a million dollars in fake transactions. San Jose police and Santa Clara County prosecutors have filed charges against John Tran accusing him of Theft from an Elder, Grand Theft and Forgery.

Santa Clara County prosecutors are reviewing procedures at the county's public hospital after finding information about suspected sex assault victims that was never turned over to defendants. The intake forms at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center documented hospital personnel's interactions with suspected victims. They should have been turned over to defense attorneys along with other evidence against their clients.

Two suspected gang members were in court Wednesday to face charges in connection with a Watsonville bowling alley attack that sent a 7-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man to hospitals. Eighteen-year-old Abraham Santoyo and 20-year-old Jordan James Macias were charged with two counts of gang-motivated attempted murder. They did not enter pleas.

The crash of a Toyota Prius in New York caught the attention of federal regulators Wednesday after the driver said it accelerated on its own, then lurched down a driveway, across a road and into a stone wall. The crash heightens the attention surrounding unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles and a recall involving more than 8 million vehicles to address gas pedals that can become sticky or trapped under floor mats.

Firefighters have contained a four-alarm fire at a Santa Clara recycling business sending huge plumes of black smoke into the skies near Mineta San Jose International Airport. The fire broke out at ECS Refining at 705 Reed Street in Santa Clara.   KRON 4's Craig Sklar reports witnesses say a small fire broke out in one section of the recycling yard and spread quickly.

Google Inc. is adding a bike lane with its latest online mapping option. The new bicycling directions available on Google Maps starting Wednesday supplement the guidance already provided to motorists and pedestrians. The biking directions initially will be available only for the United States.

Authorities say a man fatally shot by Fremont police over the weekend was a suspect in two homicides. Sonny Valenzuela Lopez was shot and killed Sunday in Cupertino as a SWAT team tried to arrest him in connection with the March 1 shooting of his uncle, Larry Luis Lopez.

The government sent investigators Tuesday to examine a Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway, and Toyota said it wanted to interview the driver as the besieged automaker dealt with a high-profile new headache that raised questions about the safety of its beloved hybrid. A day after state troopers helped the car slow to a stop and its driver to emerge unharmed, Toyota could shed no new light on what might have gone wrong.