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Panda's Size One Focus as Giants Start Training Camp

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:21:10 -0800

     SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Pablo Sandoval's portion sizes and weigh-in statistics always seem to be a hot topic this time of year.

      He understands it - and he doesn't much care anymore. He doesn't take any of the comments directed at his girth personally, either.

      "It's part of my work, everybody wants to know what I weigh," said Sandoval, who is set for a formal date with the scale Thursday. "I'm fine with that. I just keep working hard to maintain my weight and play hard. That's what I'm focused on right now - playing hard baseball and that's it. I block that out. I don't pay too much attention. I just play my game and that's it."

      This is a guy who's never going to be called slim. And that hardly matters to the San Francisco slugger coming off an All-Star, comeback season. He hopes his rebound year in 2011 gives him momentum moving into this season. He has a hefty new $17.15 million, three-year contract to motivate him as well.

      The Giants seem confident their happy-go-lucky third baseman's weight will no longer be an issue. The 25-year-old Sandoval lost about 40 pounds through a rigorous regimen during the winter before last season to bring him down to about 240, then batted .315 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2011.

      Playing so much lighter, Sandoval exhibited improved agility on defense and better timing at the plate. He ran the bases with even more gusto than usual.

      And he made the All-Star team as a late addition, selected by manager Bruce Bochy - the NL skipper based on the team's World Series win in 2010 - subbing in as an injury replacement.

      In 2009, Sandoval was one of the last players left off the team by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

      "Kung Fu Panda," as he's known, is eager to begin and prove himself again for any of the skeptics out there who spend their time criticizing his ever-changing midsection.

      "I have to start getting ready for the season. I've been working hard. I have more muscle mass, I feel great," Sandoval said.

      During FanFest earlier this month, Bochy said Sandoval still had some weight to lose to get back to his ideal number heading into the year.

      "Pablo looks good," Bochy said. "He is (lighter than Feb. 4 at FanFest). That's important for him and for us. We've still got two or three days here before we crank up those guys, but he's here early getting some work in and that's always a good sign. Feels good, looks good."

      Now, even the tiniest of fans are watching Sandoval's every move.

      "Who's that?" backup catcher candidate Chris Stewart asked 3-year-old son, Sebastian, on Wednesday in the clubhouse cafeteria.

      "Panda!" the boy said with glee.

      "His favorite player," Stewart noted.

      Sandoval wants nothing more than to establish some consistency again and show that last year was no fluke. In his first full major league season in 2009, the switch hitter demonstrated his potential by hitting .330 with 25 homers and 90 RBIs in 153 games.

      "That happens in your career, you have up and down years," Sandoval said. "So, you have to focus and pay more attention to things. Last year was a lesson for me. Now, I know what I can do. Now, I know what I have to do. For me last year was great. It's the kind of season you want to have in your career. I got it and I'm happy to be here again - ready for it to happen again."

      The Giants don't seem worried about their star player a year after they helped him learn better eating and training habits while challenging him to improve his fitness and lifestyle or risk being sent to the minor leagues. He shaped up, all right, and saved his job.

      "He looks good," athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said. "We will get a weight on him this week. He is getting close to where he needs to be."

      Among the latest position players to arrive ahead of Saturday's first full-squad workout was first baseman and left fielder Aubrey Huff, fit and trim after a winter of pilates work - the same routine he did before his stellar 2010 season. Huff, never one to be modest, announced he soon would walk through the clubhouse sans clothes so everyone could see his fine offseason work for themselves.

      "Huff Daddy's here!" Bochy joked as Huff signed autographs, "playing third base and batting third."

      Huff, rewarded with a $22 million, two-year contract in the fall of 2010 after hitting .290 with a team-leading 26 home runs and 86 RBIs for the World Series champions, batted .246 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs last season. Like Sandoval before him, he's the latest player called to task by the team brass.

      "I'm coming in with a positive mind frame," Huff said. "Ready to go."

      Notes: Ace Tim Lincecum will throw a bullpen session Thursday as long as his stiff back cooperates. He was scratched Tuesday with the back problem, which isn't considered serious for the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and projected opening day starter. Closer Brian Wilson and LHP reliever Dan Runzler also are slated to pitch bullpens Thursday if all goes well. ... Former Giants manager Felipe Alou said he had his best winter yet as a fisherman. In fact, he caught 17 blackfin tuna on Dec. 25. He went out fishing solo on Christmas Day, "when everybody was hung over." "I brought home so many fish I had to give them away," he said with a smile. The 76-year-old Alou now works as a special assistant to general manager Brian Sabean. ... New INF Ryan Theriot also is now in camp.



      (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Judge Rules Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:11:45 -0800

      SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal judge in San Francisco says the U.S. government cannot deny health benefits to the wife of lesbian court employee by relying on the 1996 law that bars government recognition of same-sex unions.

      U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled Wednesday that because the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex married couples, the government's refusal to furnish health insurance to Karen Golinski's wife is unjustified.

      The Department of Justice originally opposed Golinski in her lawsuit against the Office of Personnel Management, but changed course last year after President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder said they would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

      When White heard the case in December, a lawyer hired by the House of Representatives argued that the act does not violate the civil rights of federal workers with same-sex spouses.



      (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Rob Black's "Winners and Losers" February 22 (show notes)

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:46:55 -0800

Loser: Stocks Decline Amid Economic Reports

Stocks fell, a day after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index failed to hold at an almost four-year high, as sales of previously owned houses missed estimates and data from Europe and China spurred economic concern.

China’s manufacturing may shrink for a fourth month,. European services and manufacturing output unexpectedly contracted.

Fitch Ratings lowered Greece’s credit rating and said a default is highly likely.

Today’s loss trimmed the S&P 500’s gain in February to 3.5 percent. Still, the index was poised for a third straight month of gains, the longest streak in a year.

A two-week retreat in the Dow Jones Transportation Average may signal a warning for the rally that has added $1.35 trillion to American equity values this year. The transportation average is viewed by some analysts as a leading indicator because truckers, airlines and couriers may be the first to experience the effects of an economic slowdown.

Loser: H-P Forecast Misses Estimates Amid Slump

Palo Alto based Hewlett-Packard forecast second-quarter profit that missed analysts’ estimates as consumers curtail personal-computer buying, doing more computing on smartphones and tablets made by rivals.

Sales in the PC group declined 15 percent in the first quarter as consumers held off on buying new machines. Consumers may wait to buy new PCs before Microsoft releases its Windows 8 software later this year.

The results suggest that Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman’s attempts to reverse a sales slump aren’t yet taking hold.

Rival Dell yesterday forecast a sales decline for the current quarter amid tepid demand from consumers and governments.

U.S PC shipments declined last year for the first time in a decade and the industry is wrestling with a shortage of hard drives after flooding crippled factories in Thailand last year. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPad is cutting into PC sales, and Lenovo Group Inc. is gaining market share.

Winner: Stocks Return More With Democrat President

While Republicans promote themselves as the friendliest party for Wall Street, stock investors do better when Democrats occupy the White House.

From a dollars-and-cents standpoint, it’s not even close.

Over the five decades since John F Kennedy was inaugurated, $1,000 invested in a hypothetical fund that tracks the Standard & Poor’s 500 only when Democrats are in the White House would have been worth $10,920 at the close of trading yesterday.

That’s more than nine times the dollar return an investor would have realized from following a similar strategy during Republican administrations.

A $1,000 stake invested in a fund that followed the S&P 500 under Republican presidents, starting with Richard Nixon, would have grown to $2,087 on the day George W Bush left office.

The market does tend to do better under Democrats than under Republicans.Is it because Republicans mishandled the economy, or inherited a weak economy? I’ll leave that to others.

Some of the difference may stem from the fact that every Republican president since at least the end of World War II has faced a recession during his first term in office. Nine of 11 recessions that began since 1945 -- and seven of eight since Kennedy ran for president in 1960 --started with Republicans in the Oval Office.

Democratic administrations also may be more likely to spend money on government programs that stimulate the economy.

Since Kennedy took office, the Democratic S&P fund logged a 992 percent gain, versus 109 percent growth for the opposition party, even though Democrats occupied the White House for 23 years over the period, compared with 28 years of Republican presidential leadership.

The annualized return for 23 years of Democratic administrations is 11 percent, or four times the 2.7 percent annualized return during 28 years of Republican presidencies.

Loser: Tooth Fairy Not That Sweet

The average gift from the Tooth Fairy dropped to $2.10 last year, down 42 cents from $2.52 in 2010, according the Original Tooth Fairy Poll, which is sponsored by Delta Dental Plans Association
The good news is the Tooth Fairy is still visiting nearly 90 percent of homes throughout the United States.

Some other data points:

The most common amount left under the pillow by the Tooth Fairy is $1.

Most children find more money under the pillow for their first lost baby tooth.

Thirty-five percent of those surveyed allow their children three to four sugary drinks a day. Dentists say that’s too many.

Money Video of the Day - What is "Peak Investing"

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:25:09 -0800

Money Video of the Day
http://youtu.be/EI3DqZFxn4s
What is Peak Investing

Suspect In Berkeley Homeowner's Death to Face Murder Charges

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:34:00 -0800

Victim 67-year-old Peter Cukor

BERKELEY (KRON)--An Alameda man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a Berkeley hills homeowner over the weekend.

Authorities say 23-year-old Daniel Jordan Dewitt is accused of killing 67-year-old Peter Cukor with a flowerpot outside of Cukor's home at 2 Park Gate Road at about 9 p.m. Saturday.

Dewitt's mother says her son, who is the grandson of late interim Alameda Mayor Al Dewitt, became mentally ill at the age of 18 but she was never able to give him permanent treatment.

According to court documents, Dewitt allegedly attacked Cukor after trespassing on Cukor's property and claiming to be a psychic in search of his fiancee Zoey. Documents say Dewitt "viciously assaulted" Cukor and hit him in the head with a ceramic planter after Cukor asked Dewitt to leave his property.

Investigators say Cukor's wife witnessed part of the assault and notified police. Cukor was transported to the hospital where he died.

Dewitt is scheduled to be arraigned at 2 p.m. in Alameda County Superior Court.

Pinole Man Fatally Shot in Richmond Park

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:35:07 -0800

RICHMOND (KRON)--A 25-year-old Pinole man is dead after being shot in Richmond Tuesday night.

Police say they received a ShotSpotter alert at about 6:45 p.m. that indicated 15 to 20 shots were fired at Shields-Reid Park located at 1410 Kelsey Street.According to authorities, responding officers found Rene Garcia with multiple gunshot wounds in the upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene at about 7 p.m.

Police say no suspect information is immediately available and investigators are continuing to search for witnesses.

Tuesday's shooting marks Richmond's fourth homicide of the year.

UC Davis Pepper Spray Lawsuit Filed

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:22:54 -0800

DAVIS (KRON) -- The University of California system may have to defend the actions of police who pepper-sprayed Occupy protestors at U-C Davis last year in federal court.

19 students and alumni, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, are filing the U-C system for civil and constitutional rights violations. The suit also seeks to force UC to come up with new policies to prevent similar incidents during non-violent protests.

Video of the November 18th incident drew condemnations from around the world. It showed a campus police officer dousing seated, singing protestors with pepper spray.

An independent commission set up to investigate the incident announced earlier this month that it's report will now be delayed until March.

(Copyright 2012, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)

Man Who Led Police On Multi-County Crime Spree Faces 19 Felony Counts

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:17:14 -0800

RICHMOND (BCN)--A man who stole a patrol car after a multi-county crime spree last Tuesday has been charged with 19 felony counts in Contra Costa County Superior Court.

Castro Valley resident Edgar James, 32, was charged Friday with six counts of residential robbery, five counts of residential burglary, four counts of carjacking, car theft and evading arrest, among others, according to the district attorney's office.

The charges stemmed from James' daylong crime spree last Tuesday in which he allegedly committed a series of armed home invasion robberies and carjackings in Contra Costa and Solano Counties.

Police arrested James last Tuesday night in Richmond after locating one of the vehicles he stole in the 700 block of 18th Street.

Spotting the officers, James hopped into a parked patrol car and sped off, leading police on a cross-town chase before he was cornered in a cul-de-sac on Reid Court, police said.

Richmond police Lt. Bisa French said James, whose address is listed in Castro Valley but who has ties to Richmond, has a long criminal record and is "very dangerous."

He is set to appear in court on Monday to enter a plea.

Clergy Members Plan Foreclosure Protest Outside Wells Fargo Wednesday

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:55:32 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)--Dozens of clergy members and community activists are planning to rally outside the headquarters of Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco Wednesday morning in protest of what they say is rampant foreclosure abuse.

The action follows the release of a report last week by the city's assessor-recorder's office that found that 84 percent of foreclosures studied in an audit of 382 San Francisco homes from the past three years violated at least one state foreclosure law.

In light of the report, "we're calling for a freeze on foreclosures," said Geoff Nelson-Blake of the San Francisco Organizing Project, a coalition of religious and community groups.

Nelson-Blake said the group is targeting Wells Fargo because "they're one of the megabanks that has refused time and time again to have widespread principal reduction."

He said members of the coalition plan to speak about how foreclosures have affected their communities, and that some members plan to move their money out of Wells Fargo accounts.

The group also plans to sprinkle ashes in front of the bank as part of an Ash Wednesday ritual symbolizing a call for the bank to repent.

A spokesman for Wells Fargo said the bank would comment on the clergy members' actions later today.

Today's rally is scheduled for 10 a.m. outside Wells Fargo at 464 California St.

Reports: Remains Confirmed as Those of 'Speed Freak' Victims

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:33:04 -0800

LINDEN (KRON)--Human remains found with the help of a convicted serial killer have reportedly been identified as those of two of his victims.

Reports say DNA tests have identified the remains as those of 25-year-old Cyndi Vanderheiden and 16-year-old Chevelle Wheeler. Authorities say Vanderheiden and Wheeler are two of the four victims of 45-year-old Wesley Shermantine. Shermantine, along with Loren Herzog, are suspected of murdering as many as 20 people in a drug-fueled killing spree in the 1980s and 1990s. Herzog, released from prison on a technicality, committed suicide earlier this year.

According to reports, the remains of the two victims were found on property that Shermantine's family once owned in Calaveras County. With Shermantine's help, authorities were also led to a well in San Joaquin county, where roughly 1,000 bone fragments were found.

Stay tuned to KRON 4 and KRON.com for updates on the 'Speed Freak Killers' case.

Two Bodies Found After House Fire Extinguished

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:08:48 -0800

SONOMA CO. (KRON)--Two people have died after the house they were in went up in flames early Wednesday morning.

Authorities say the fire, which was reported at 12:15 at a home in the 1300 block of Westgate Lane in unincorporated Sonoma County, burned the bodies of the two victims beyond recognition.

Investigators remain at the scene to determine what caused the blaze.

Couple Charged With Misusing Agency Funds

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:20:31 -0800

OAKLAND (KRON)--An East Bay couple is facing felony charges for allegedly taking thousands of dollars intended to help those in need and spending the funds on unauthorized luxury expenses.

According to reports, an arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Nanette Dillard and her husband Paul Daniels. Authorities say the pair, who headed the Alameda County Associated Community Action Program, illegally obtained more than $400,000 from the agency and spent the money on gift cards, high-priced meals, massages and payrolls costs. They face multiple felony charges including grand theft.

The agency, which was forced to shut down recently, used funds to assist low-income residents, parolees and youth.

Poll: Santorum Gains Among Calif. Republicans

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:55:34 -0800

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's Republican voters have warmed up to the surging candidacy of Rick Santorum but also are expressing growing dissatisfaction with the field of GOP presidential candidates, according to a Field Poll released Wednesday.

The former Pennsylvania senator is preferred by 25 percent of the state's registered Republicans, a turn-around that has come partly at the expense of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose support in the state has plunged.

Santorum was supported by just 2 percent of California GOP voters in a Field Poll taken last November. His growing popularity since then has been driven in part by those who said they identify with the tea party or classify themselves as strongly conservative.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney remained Republicans' top choice, getting support from 31 percent.

The survey's timing was key. Field interviewed Republicans Feb. 2-18, a period that included Santorum victories in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado.

Just as significant as Santorum's ascent is the growing unease among Republicans about the entire GOP presidential field.

A September Field Poll, taken when more candidates were in the race, found that 66 percent of Republicans were somewhat or very satisfied with their choices. That dropped to 57 percent in the most recent poll, with those saying they are very satisfied dropping from nearly one-in-five to just 10 percent.

Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo said that type of decline is somewhat unusual because voters typically warm up to candidates over time.

As the party moves closer to choosing a nominee, its voters seem less confident that any of the candidates can beat President Barack Obama in the general election, he said.

"As they learn more about the candidates, they're seeing they're not as strong as they thought they might have been," DiCamillo said.

He said the back-and-forth nature of the race holds the possibility that California's June 5 primary might matter. If no candidate has a majority of delegates by then and the state is in play, the primary is likely to favor Romney even though his support has slipped recently.

"If that's the way it's looking in June, California will be a huge bounty," DiCamillo said.

California's 172 delegates are 15 percent of the 1,144 delegates needed to claim the Republican nomination. The survey said most delegates will be awarded on a winner-take-all basis by congressional district.

Romney has an oceanfront home in La Jolla, near San Diego, and 66 percent of the state's Republican voters view him favorably. Santorum is further to the right on social issues than most California Republicans, and his favorability rating in the poll released Wednesday is just 40 percent.

At the same time, the state's Republicans are increasingly enamored of Sen. Ron Paul, whose support has increased from 5 percent in the November Field Poll to 16 percent in the latest survey.

Gingrich, who was rivaling Romney for support in California as recently as November, now is favored by just 12 percent of Republicans, mirroring his recent struggles nationally.

The Field Poll conducted random telephone interviews of 400 registered Republicans divided into groups, one interviewed Feb. 2-10 and the other Feb. 11-18. The GOP subgroup has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 7 percentage points.

Police Search for Pair Who Robbed Home, Pistol-Whipped, Choked Residents

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:45:38 -0800

HERCULES (BCN)--Police are searching for a pair of suspects that robbed and assaulted a man and his mother in their Hercules home on Saturday morning, a Hercules police sergeant said Tuesday.

Officers responded to a report of a home invasion in the 100 block of Paradise Drive at 7:14 a.m. after two men forced their way into the home, police said.

One of the suspects pistol-whipped a resident, a man in his 20s, as both suspects repeatedly asked, "Where's the money?" according to police.

The armed suspect went into one of the home's bedrooms and demanded cash from the resident's mother, a woman in her 50s, said Hercules police Sgt. Ruben Rodriguez.

One of the suspects slapped and choked the woman during the robbery, police said.

Both the man and his mother have recovered from minor injuries, Rodriguez said.

Police said the suspects made off with $2,000 in cash, $4,500 in jewelry, a flat-screen TV and a small safe.

Investigators are following leads but so far do not have any concrete information to track the two suspects, Rodriguez said.

Anyone who may have seen the suspects is asked to contact Hercules police at (510) 799-8260.

SF Sheriff's Trial Could Lead to More Revelations

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:37:58 -0800

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The upcoming trial in San Francisco reads like a melodrama: The new sheriff in town is accused of grabbing and bruising his wife, a one-time Latin American TV starlet, in front of their toddler son just hours before the new year.

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is fighting a domestic violence battery claim and two other charges that led to a protective order preventing him from seeing his wife, Eliana Lopez. Two weeks ago, a judge modified the order and allowed Mirkarimi to see his 2-year-old son, Theo.

Mirkarimi is due back in court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing, where prosecutors and defense attorneys will present motions to a judge prior to the start of the trial Friday.

The sheriff also was charged on Jan. 13 with child endangerment and dissuading a witness after authorities say he grabbed Lopez and bruised her upper right arm at their home on New Year's Eve.

He swiftly pleaded not guilty and requested a speedy trial. He and Lopez have both denied the allegations that emerged after Lopez turned to a neighbor, Ivory Madison, who later contacted police.

Authorities interviewed others and eventually confiscated video Madison had taken of Lopez's arm, along with text messages and emails between the two women. The video, in which prosecutors say Lopez candidly describes what happened, could be crucial if the judge allows it as evidence.

The video shows Lopez crying and visibly upset about the couple's run-in the day before, a court affidavit said. It shows her pointing to a bruise on her right bicep where she says Mirkarimi grabbed her.

"This happened yesterday," Lopez tells the camera. "Two times in 2011, and this is the second time this is happening."

But Lopez, a former telenovela star in Venezuela, went on the defensive after court documents were released. She told a Venezuelan radio station on Jan. 17 that she was no victim of domestic violence.

"We're suspicious of (Madison's) motives in calling the police four days after I talked to her about having a discussion with my husband - which wasn't even a fight, nothing like that, it was a discussion like all couples have," Lopez told listeners. "I'm not the little Indian girl victim of the gringo."

About a dozen people, including neighbors and Mirkarimi himself, are expected to testify.

It's not yet known whether Lopez will take the stand. Her attorney, Paula Canny, has said she is "keeping all options open."

District Attorney George Gascon said Mirkarimi's case isn't complex but it is unusual, given all the notoriety and attention it has received.

Both Mirkarimi and Lopez have changed attorneys and have had multiple lawyers by their sides since the sheriff's first court appearance more than a month ago.

"You see the kind of stuff floating in the media, and it's hard to tell who's defending the defendant. There's a whole team of lawyers in this," Gascon said. "I've talked to very experienced domestic violence prosecutors and they have not seen anything like this in San Francisco before.

"But we're ready to go."

Police Arrest Mother And Son In Connection With Stabbing of 13-Year-Old Boy

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:44:12 -0800

SAN JOSE (BCN) -- A 15-year-old boy and his mother were arrested in San Jose on Thursday in connection with the gang-related stabbing of a 13-year-old boy, police said.

Police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said at about noon on Thursday, a woman drove her 15-year-old son to the 2700 block of Glen Firth Drive, where a verbal altercation occurred between him and a 13-year-old boy.

At some point, the 15-year-old got out of the car and stabbed the 13-year-old boy and then got back into his mother's car and she drove away.

The victim was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The mother, identified as 42-year-old Margaret Juanita Suazo, and her son were booked on attempted murder charges.

Police are looking for a third suspect who is not related to Suazo and her son, Dwyer said.

(Copyright 2012, Bay City News, All rights reserved.)

Domestic Violence Suspect Who Walked Away from Psychiatric Hospital Re-Captured

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:22:04 -0800

HAYWARD (KRON) -- A potentially suicidal domestic violence suspect is back in police custody less than a day after his inadvertent release from a mental hospital.

Authorities confirm they are now holding 32-year old Jose Salias Hernandez.

KRON 4's Maureen Kelly reports glass outside the home of Hernandez's ex-girlfriend appears to be evidence that he tried to break into her home Saturday.

When police arrive, they say Hernandez turned the violence on himself. First witnesses say he slashed his own throat and later plunged a kitchen knife into his own chest when officers tried to take him into custody.

Police first took Hernandez to the hospital to treat his wounds and then turned him over to doctors at John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro for observation. When that procedure was complete, he was supposed to return to police custody but instead was allowed to go free, investigators say.

Witnesses say it appears Hernandez hailed a cab heading to Union City. During the search, Hayward police parked a patrol car in front of the intended victim's home to keep her safe.

Officers found the suspect late Tuesday afternoon and took him into custody on the domestic violence charges. He remains in jail pending his first appearance before a judge.

(Copyright 2012, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)

San Ramon Man Arrested For Allegedly Beating Mother

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:16:07 -0800

SAN RAMON (KRON) – A San Ramon man faces attempted murder charges for allegedly beating his mother with a baseball bat.

Police say they got a call about an elderly woman yelling for help and bleeding badly in front of a home on Durango Lane. Witnesses told officers the woman’s son, 27-year old Aaron Ricks was responsible for the attack.

While an ambulance took the victim to John Muir Medical Center for treatment of injuries from several strikes to the head and body with a baseball bat, officers went to the Ricks home where they say they found the man holding the bat. Authorities say they used a non-lethal device to disarm Ricks and take him into custody.

Prosecutors say they have enough evidence to charge Ricks with attempted murder. He remains in the Contra Costa County jail in Martinez pending an initial court appearance.

Rob Black's "Winners & Losers" February 21 (show notes)

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:40:27 -0800

Loser: Wall Street Can’t Hold Dow 13,000

Stocks erased gains, after the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index failed to hold above its highest close since 2008, as approval of Greece’s bailout was offset by economic concern with crude oil jumping to a nine-month high.

Airlines were a big loser on the oil news.

Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, fell 3.9 percent as low prices hurt margins.

Energy shares had the biggest gain in the S&P 500 among 10 industries as Chevron rallied 1.6 percent.
Stocks are still the only game in town, but when you reach a headline level, there’s always some fallback.

The S&P 500 has added 8.3 percent this year. Reported 12-month earnings for its companies increased 9.4 percent to $96.58 a share, the highest level ever. The index is trading for 14.1 times reported earnings, compared with the average since 1954 of 16.4 times.

The S&P 500 is approaching the cheapest level ever compared with bonds as zero-percent interest rates drive investors and companies from cash.

Profits that doubled since 2009 pushed the index’s so-called earnings yield to 7.1 percent, close to the highest on record when compared with the 10-year Treasury rate,

Loser: Airlines Suffer As Oil Hits 9-Month High

Oil increased to a nine-month high after Greece won a second bailout and Iran said it stopped selling crude to France and Britain.

Crude oil gained $2.60 to $105.84 a barrel. Jet Fuel rose 1.4 percent to $3.29 a gallon

United Continental shares fell 9.1% and US Airways shares tumbled 11 percent and Delta Air lines dropped 7.2 percent, dragging an industry index lower as jet-fuel prices jumped.

All 11 passenger carriers declined today.

Jet fuel is approaching last year’s high of $3.42 a gallon, the most since 2008, when the price reached a record $4.36. Fuel accounted for 36 percent of United’s operating expenses last year, and 27 percent of those costs at US Airways.

Winner: Comcast Introduces Streaming Video

Comcast, the largest U.S. cable company, will debut a service streaming television shows and movies to current customers that competes with Internet and video rivals.

Xfinity Streampix, available Feb. 23, complements the 75,000 shows and films Comcast already offers consumers that subscribe to both TV and Internet service through Xfinity On Demand.

For some users, including those that don’t purchase broadband from Comcast, the package will cost an additional $4.99 per month.

There are no plans to offer the service to non-customers.

The cable provider has licensing agreements with companies including Walt Disney, Sony, and Warner Brothers to offer the new service.

This is a negative for Netflix.

Winner: Munch’s ‘Scream’ May Fetch $80M

One of the best-known images in the history of art,Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” is being sold in May.
The 1895 work by the Norwegian artist, one of four versions of the screaming figure, will be included in Sotheby’s May 2 sale of Impressionist and modern works.

It carries a value of at least $80 million.

Masterpieces by big-name Impressionist and modern artists have been fetching exceptional prices in recent years. Sotheby’s“Scream” is the only one left in private hands.

It is being offered by the Norwegian businessman Petter Olsen, whose father Thomas was a friend and patron of the artist. The pastel-on-board composition has been in the Olsen family for more than 70 years.

The image, evoking a moment when the artist was seized with anxiety while walking along a road near Oslo.

“I was walking along the road with two friends, the sun was setting,” reads the frame. “The sky turned a bloody red and I felt a whiff of melancholy. I stood still, deathly tired -- over the blue-black fjord and city hung blood and tongues of fire. My friends walked on -- I remained behind. Shivering with anxiety, I felt the great scream in nature.”

Man at Large After Allegedly Shooting Cousin In Leg

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:23:36 -0800

VALLEJO (KRON)--Police are looking for a man they say shot his cousin in the leg outside of a Thai restaurant in Vallejo Tuesday morning.

Police say 35-year-old Doroteo Suastegui got into an argument with two of his cousins outside the Cha-Am Thai Restaurant located at 153 Plaza Drive. According to police, after briefly leaving the altercation in his car, Suastegui allegedly returned to the restaurant and fired one round out of the driver's side window.

Police say one of Suastegui's cousins was struck in the leg. Suastegui then drove away again and remains at large. Police say he is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. His car, described as a blue 1999 Crown Victoria, is a former police car and has spotlights on the side.

Anyone with information about Suastegui or this incident should contact Vallejo police.