DSA In the News List

Sheriff's K-9 helps capture burglar who rammed car into western wear store
	5/10/2012
	A San Mateo County sheriff's K-9 helped capture a burglar who crashed a vehicle into the back of a western wear store in North Fair Oaks on Wednesday night and then started stealing items through a damaged door.   Read >>
Sheriff’s Office set to take over Millbrae police
	2/15/2012
	Millbrae’s Police Department is set to close in early March when the Sheriff’s Office takes over after the City Council approved transfer agreements Tuesday evening.   Read >>
Outsourced policing works for San Carlos
	11/17/2011
	One year after San Carlos outsourced its police work to the county Sheriff’s Office, officials from both agencies say the partnership is going great and has produced the cost savings that city officials desired.   Read >>
Millbrae to outsource police
	11/16/2011
	Millbrae will begin negotiating to contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police services — a decision that could save the city $1.1 million to $2 million annually but that split the opinion of those at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.   Read >>
Sheriff’s deputies extinguish fire
	11/1/2011
	An early-morning downtown Half Moon Bay fire Sunday was extinguished by deputies on patrol after they spotted smoke coming from a commercial building complex at 840 Main St.   Read >>
Police dogs display their abilities at Pet Food Express
	10/15/2011
	Artos, Morgan, and Max, all K-9 units, were at Pet Food Express in San Carlos to help raise funds for additional K-9 bullet-proof vests. The dogs and their partners were showcasing their expertise at chasing down bad guys.   Read >>
Millbrae considers changes to its police service
	8/30/2011
	San Bruno would like to have its full-time police chief back and is leaving Millbrae to evaluate if police services should be provided through a city department or by contracting with another agency.   Read >>
Police investigating Portola Valley school burglaries
	7/23/2011
	Police are looking for the burglar or burglars who stole $18,000 worth of Apple computers from a school in Portola Valley. Deputies were called to Woodside Priory School at 302 Portola Road on Friday morning after an employee discovered 10 desktop computers had been taken, said San Mateo County She...   Read >>
Attempted burglar hit with bear spray
	7/22/2011
	A residential burglar hiding in a master bedroom closet of a home on the 3500 block of Bay Road in unincorporated Redwood City Thursday afternoon fled the scene after the resident hit him with bear spray, according to police. At approximately 2:48 p.m., the resident found the man hiding and spraye...   Read >>
Meth smoker guilty in coastal trailer fire
	7/20/2011
	A Princeton-by-the-Sea felon accused of accidentally torching his storage trailer by using a defective propane torch to smoke methamphetamine was sentenced to jail for possessing weapons and black powder turned up by the blaze. John Louis Blanchard, 65, pleaded no contest to being a felon in posses...   Read >>
Police impersonator arrested
	7/19/2011
	San Carlos police arrested a man Friday for impersonating a police officer after an investigation spurred from several incidents between June 21 and July 11. At approximately 4:38 p.m. Friday, San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies arrested Michael Anthony Juricich, 48, in front of his residence on t...   Read >>
Windsurfer missing-Exhaustive search for 62-year-old woman in Bay, firefighters seeing more water...
	7/19/2011
	A 62-year-old Los Altos woman is missing after heading out to windsurf in the Bay at 5 p.m. yesterday and a multi-hour search was looking grim, according to fire officials. The woman, who was undergoing chemotherapy, was with her husband just north of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge when he lost trac...   Read >>
Squatters in home arrested after search
	7/16/2011
	Three men found unlawfully occupying a home in unincorporated La Honda Friday morning have been arrested, and a fourth remains at large, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. The men were reported Friday morning in a residence on Starwood Drive, according to a countywide alert. They ran from ...   Read >>
City bans new massage parlors
	7/13/2011
	San Carlos officials agreed Monday night to ban new massage permits for 45 days with hopes the county or state will help close licensing loopholes they believe make it easier for prostitution to flourish. The emergency moratorium can be extended another year by council vote at the end of the 45-day...   Read >>
Massage rules rub city wrong way
	7/11/2011
	There are some tell-tale signs that a massage establishment might be offering clients more than a legitimate rubdown, according to San Carlos’ top police official. There are codes, sometimes specific actions like leaving cash out on top of a customer’s pants and operators who don’...   Read >>
Holiday weekend arrests down
	7/8/2011
	Illegal fireworks led to 22 $1,000 citations, technically an administrative arrest, in San Bruno and Pacifica over the holiday weekend — accounting for a drop in bookings for both cities. Over the Fourth of July weekend, nine people in San Bruno and 13 people in Pacifica were given $1,000 f...   Read >>
Suspected drug dealer charged after house raided
	7/6/2011
	A suspected methamphetamine dealer arrested after county law enforcement swarmed a suspected San Carlos drug house so squalid a building inspector deemed it uninhabitable pleaded not guilty yesterday to several felonies. Edward Joseph Alves, 47, of Redwood City, was one of three people arrested a...   Read >>
Double-double trouble: Fast food sign orders up San Carlos grumblings
	7/6/2011
	The new In-N-Out Burger may have ordered up a batch of trouble — make that double-double trouble — with its telltale red and yellow arrow sign that its San Carlos neighbors say provides an unwelcome neon glow over their backyards and jeopardizes their property values. The restaurant at 445 Indust...   Read >>
Trial set for man accused of slashing roommate's neck
	6/25/2011
	A Moss Beach man who allegedly sawed at the neck of his female roommate with a serrated knife because she reported him for driving while intoxicated pleaded not guilty and will stand trial early next year. David Jon Vanalstine, 57, is charged with attempted murder, assault, domestic violence and us...   Read >>
Redwood City man arrested for indecent exposure at Caltrain station
	6/20/2011
	A 59-year-old Redwood City man was arrested for indecent exposure on Thursday after he allegedly masturbated on a Caltrain platform in San Carlos. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the San Carlos Caltrain station at about 8:30 p.m., when a woman reported that a man sitting near her had ...   Read >>
As more homes burglarized, police urge residents to lock up while away
	6/20/2011
	A string of home burglaries since April has prompted Hillsborough and nearby city authorities to alert residents to be vigilant about protecting unoccupied homes, Hillsborough police said. Seven residences in Hillsborough have been burglarized since the beginning of April. The locations of t...   Read >>
New sheriffs in town
	6/15/2011
	San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks swore in 14 former Half Moon Bay police officers as sheriff deputies in a ceremony in Redwood City Tuesday. The swearing-in ceremony took place at 11 a.m. at the old San Mateo County courthouse and marked the completion of merging the Half Moon Bay Police Depart...   Read >>
Man to trial for sawing at roommate's neck
	6/9/2011
	The Moss Beach man will stand trial for allegedly sawing at the neck of his female roommate with a serrated knife because she reported him for driving while intoxicated. David Jon Vanalstine, 57, has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted murder, assault, domestic violence and using a ...   Read >>
Spree of car burglaries spur warning
	6/8/2011
	The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is warning San Carlos residents to lock their vehicles after 36 break-ins were reported in cars parked around the city since early May. San Mateo County Sheriff’s Capt. Greg Rothaus said that all but two of the thefts took place in neighborhoods w...   Read >>
Teens arrested for school burglary
	6/7/2011
	Two teenage boys were taken into custody early Monday morning for a burglary at the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Belmont, according to police. Belmont police responded to a burglar alarm at the school at about 12:45 a.m. and found that someone had gained entry to the school through a window...   Read >>
Jail booking fee to jump
	6/6/2011
	Whoever said crime doesn’t pay wasn’t talking about jail fees. In what is becoming an annual rite, Sheriff Greg Munks on Tuesday will ask the Board of Supervisors to increase the current $303 jail access fee to $340. The jail access fee nearly covers the processing of booking suspects a...   Read >>
Three jailed for selling meth
	6/3/2011
	Three San Carlos residents are in custody for possessing and selling methamphetamine out of a home on Greenwood Avenue, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. A 5-year-old child was at the residence at the time of the arrests and officers also encountered eight pit bulls, two of which...   Read >>
Murder defendant asks for speedy trial
	6/3/2011
	The Hillsborough man facing a fall murder trial for allegedly shooting his friend several times in his parents’ pool home exerted his right to a speedy prosecution, pushing the schedule up to next month. However, Bradley Allen Kleiman’s defense attorney on Friday is expected to move the new July 18...   Read >>
Portola Valley bank robber arrested
	6/3/2011
	A 51-year-old transient was arrested Wednesday in Santa Barbara for robbing banks in three California counties, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Raymond Donald Davenport was a suspect in the April 4 Ladera Chase Bank robbery in Portola Valley. He was also a suspect in a Santa Cla...   Read >>
One dead in rural crash
	5/27/2011
	A Newark man was killed in a crash near La Honda late Thursday morning that involved workers who were performing weed abatement for a local open space district, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said. The crash was reported at 11:22 a.m. in the vicinity of Alpine and Mindego Hill roads, in a ...   Read >>
Woman arrested for stealing four Hondas
	5/26/2011
	Police in Belmont arrested one suspect and are searching for two more in connection with a string of car thefts that took place early Wednesday morning. A patrol officer initiated a traffic stop on a Honda Civic in the 1000 block of Ralston Avenue at about 3:40 a.m., according to Belmont police. ...   Read >>
Trial set in Hillsborough shooting
	5/26/2011
	The man accused of fatally shooting his friend multiple times during an argument in the pool house of his parent’s Hillsborough home will stand trial on murder and weapons charges in the fall. Bradley Allen Kleiman is set for a pretrial conference Sept. 26 and jury trial Nov. 7. He was give...   Read >>
Grand jury: Uniform police Taser policy needed
	5/25/2011
	Most police agencies in San Mateo County use Tasers and similar rules for them, but the civil grand jury recommends uniform policies for all. An investigation into local police agencies and the use of Tasers by the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury found only two agencies — the East Palo A...   Read >>
Raided gambling halls settle with regulators
	5/25/2011
	EMERYVILLE — Two San Francisco Bay area gambling halls caught up in a multiyear criminal racketeering investigation have reached a settlement with state regulators. Pamela Mares of the California Gambling Control Commission says the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville and Artichoke Joe’s Casin...   Read >>
Council compromises on parking fine hike
	5/25/2011
	Some parking fines in San Carlos just got a little more expensive although the City Council agreed not to increase the penalty for exceeding the allotted time limits. After the council failed to halve the proposed $8 increase across the board Monday night, it agreed 3-1 only to change the fines f...   Read >>
Man poses as city worker, tries to enter home
	5/19/2011
	A man wearing a yellow hard hat posing as a Belmont city worker tried to gain access to a home on Chula Vista Drive Tuesday afternoon, according to police. The incident follows a recent home invasion in San Mateo in which men in yellow hard hats posing as utility workers broke into an elderly wom...   Read >>
Drug bust nets eight
	5/18/2011
	Eight people were arrested and more than 55 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized during drug busts in Daly City and San Francisco, according to the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force. All the suspects are members of a close-knit Asian drug-trafficking organization and not associated with ...   Read >>
Hundreds remember former San Carlos mayor at memorial
	5/14/2011
	Hundreds of politicians and friends of former San Carlos Mayor Omar Ahmad filled the Hiller Aviation Museum Friday afternoon to mourn his sudden passing Tuesday morning. Ahmad, 46, was taken to Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City after calling 911 from his home, and he was pronounced dead of a heart a...   Read >>
Truck fire deem suspicious
	5/5/2011
	A smoke-filled Dodge Durango found on the side of Alpine Road in Portola Valley Tuesday night was found to have had gasoline in it, used as an accelerant to set the vehicle on fire, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle had a thick plume of smoke inside of it at ab...   Read >>
No injuries were reported. Three arrested for burglary
	4/30/2011
	Three people — including a brother and sister employed by an equestrian center — were arrested in Newark Friday for burglarizing a Woodside home sometime between November and April, San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies reported. Cassandra Jane Chislett, 19, and her brother Co...   Read >>
High-speed chase ends in arrest, two still at large
	4/28/2011
	A high-speed police chase through the streets of Redwood City Tuesday was discontinued after the driver of the suspect vehicle collided with other cars and purposely left the road to hit pedestrians but ended with the later arrest of a juvenile related to the chase and a previous home burglary...   Read >>
Accused killer fit for trial; defense claiming self-defense
	4/27/2011
	The Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument in his parents’ pool house is fit to stand trial on murder and gun charges, according to two of three court-appointed doctors. The defense could contest the findings but defense attorney Chuck Smith...   Read >>
Woman found dead
	4/27/2011
	Upon discovering the body of a 54-year-old woman in a San Mateo apartment Tuesday, authorities uncovered evidence of potentially hazardous materials, issued a shelter-in-place advisory and evacuated nearby apartments. Members of the San Mateo police and fire departments responded at about 3:15 p....   Read >>
Carolyn Livengood: 'Dream Machines' return to Half Moon Bay
	4/23/2011
	The 21st annual Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, a display of 2,000 magnificent driving, flying and working machines from the past century, will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 at the Half Moon Bay Airport. Among the highlights this year is a Nike Hercules sur...   Read >>
Trial set in fatal shooting
	4/23/2011
	A Millbrae murder defendant who recently returned from a state mental hospital will stand trial in October on charges he shot an acquaintance and left the body inside a car parked on a residential Burlingame street. Teyseer Zaid “Terry” Najdawi, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murder an...   Read >>
Woman killed after car stuck by train
	4/16/2011
	One woman was killed when a northbound Caltrain struck a car at Charleston Road near Alma Street in Palo Alto at around 5 p.m. Friday, an agency spokeswoman said. There were approximately 300 to 400 passengers on the train, No. 369, and the possibility of other injuries was unknown as of 6 p.m., ...   Read >>
Missing woman found
	4/16/2011
	A missing San Carlos woman with Alzheimer’s disease was found Thursday night, according to sheriff’s deputies. Lydia Stein was last seen at about 2 p.m. at her home in the 200 block of Club Drive but was located at 10 p.m. Thursday, according to sheriff’s deputies....   Read >>
Woman with Alzheimer's missing
	4/15/2011
	Sheriff’s deputies in San Carlos are searching for a missing 82-year-old woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, according to emergency officials. Lydia Stein was last seen at about 2 p.m. at her home in the 200 block of Club Drive, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Capt. Greg R...   Read >>
Jail realignment spurs backup plans
	4/15/2011
	The state’s plan to keep prisoners in local jails could cost San Mateo County $27 million more than currently spent on daily inmate expenses and any state reimbursement will be stretched across departments, Sheriff Greg Munks said yesterday. Using the calculated daily jail rate of $169.92 p...   Read >>
Ex-school worker pleads not guilty to child molest
	4/9/2011
	SAN MATEO — A former Menlo Park school district computer technician has pleaded not guilty to molesting a friend’s 10-year-old daughter. San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe says 46-year-old Yung Chi Chu entered the pleas Thursday to 12 counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a ch...   Read >>
Murder defendant certified as competent
	4/9/2011
	A Millbrae murder defendant who recently returned from a state mental hospital will set a trial date at the end of the month but first wants to fire his court-appointed attorney. A judge Friday certified Teyseer Zaid “Terry” Najdawi, 28, as restored to competency and able to stand t...   Read >>
Tutor pleads not guilty to molestation, sending porn
	4/8/2011
	The San Carlos tutor accused of fondling and sending nude photos to a friend’s 10-year-old daughter who he tutored pleaded not guilty yesterday to a dozen counts of child molestation and sending harmful matter. Yung Chi Chu, 46, faces up to 30 years in prison and registration as a sex offen...   Read >>
Civil grand jury gives crime lab high marks
	4/8/2011
	The county’s crime lab gets high marks from the civil grand jury which lauds its recent accreditation but recommends developing a way for law enforcement and prosecutors to better track evidence. The San Mateo County Forensic Laboratory doesn’t provide regular training to local law en...   Read >>
Police seek yellow-coated bank robber
	4/6/2011
	A Monday morning bank robbery in Portola Valley has both the FBI and San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office on the hunt for a suspect in a yellow coat. A man entered the Chase Bank on the 3100 block of Alpine Road at about 9:15 a.m. Monday, approached a bank teller and said he was armed before d...   Read >>
Council vote: Sheriff will patrol HMB
	4/4/2011
	In an emotional vote, the Half Moon Bay City Council unanimously approved contracting out police services to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to save the city about $510,000 annually. The 5-0 vote took place in a special meeting Saturday. “I knew all along we would have to outsour...   Read >>
Man arrested for lewd acts with a 10-year-old
	4/1/2011
	A San Carlos man is in custody for allegedly engaging in lewd acts with the 10-year-old daughter of family friends, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Yung Chi Chu, 46, was arrested at his San Carlos home 7 p.m. Wednesday by sheriff’s deputies. He is being charged wit...   Read >>
Service League of San Mateo County: Providing hope for 50 years
	3/29/2011
	Back in 1961, the Service League of San Mateo County existed to ensure county jail inmates had the right to religious services. Now, 50 years later, the league provides services to people across 35 religions and assists the families of the incarcerated, providing everything from financial advice...   Read >>
Accused killer's competency still up in air
	3/26/2011
	The competency question for a Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument in his parents’ pool house remains unclear as the court-appointed doctor expected to break the stalemate of two others didn’t return his report Friday. The doctor nee...   Read >>
Cold case murder suspect arrested in Texas
	3/25/2011
	A 37-year-old man was arrested in Laredo, Texas earlier this month in connection with the 1995 murder of Gabriella Tello in East Palo Alto. Jose Luis Arreola was arrested March 10 at a border crossing by U.S. Homeland Security agents. Tello, 19, was found murdered inside her home in East Palo Al...   Read >>
Fall trial in courthouse gun case
	3/25/2011
	The man who prosecutors say brought a handgun into the Redwood City courthouse branch where he was headed to a hearing over child custody will stand trial in the fall on a felony firearm charge. James Douglas Knapp, 45, of Sacramento, is charged with one count of possessing a firearm in a public ...   Read >>
Hearing set for accused wife killer
	3/19/2011
	A Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting as a suicide to collect a hefty insurance payout will learn in June if he’ll stand trial for her murder nearly a year ago. Pooroushasb Parineh, known as Peter, was arrested in June for the death of his wife, Parima, but a pre...   Read >>
Victim's friend gets 25 to life for South San Francisco murder
	3/17/2011
	A 21-year-old man who set up the robbery of a friend that ended in murder was sentenced Wednesday in San Mateo County Superior Court to 25 years to life in prison, a prosecutor said. Neil Chand will have to serve 25 years before he is eligible for parole in the killing of 21-year-old Shivnesh Reddy, who was gunned down Oct. 28, 2009, as he tried to s...   Read >>
Murder defendant returned for trail
	3/17/2011
	The Millbrae man hospitalized as incompetent before standing trial for allegedly shooting his friend in 2008 and leaving the man’s body inside a car parked on a residential Burlingame street is now fit to aid in his own defense against murder charges, according to state hospital doctors. Th...   Read >>
Artichoke Joe's looking at staff
	3/16/2011
	Artichoke Joe’s is conducting an internal investigation into how some of its employees allegedly preyed on casino customers by offering criminal loans, its attorney Alan Titus said yesterday. The casino has suspended all employees without pay who worked in the Pai Gow tiles section of the c...   Read >>
Two arrested in Caltrain attack
	3/12/2011
	Two men have been arrested on suspicion of beating and robbing a man at the Redwood City Caltrain station last week, agency officials said Friday. Desean Walker, 19, and Thomas Nicholas Furman, 18, both of Redwood City, were arrested by transit police on suspicion of robbery and assault with grea...   Read >>
Bay Area skirts heavy damage
	3/12/2011
	Most of the Bay Area was not directly affected Friday by a deadly tsunami that hit Japan Thursday night, despite concerns that residual waves crashing onto the California coastline could cause damage or injuries. A tsunami warning was issued early Friday morning in the region after an 8.9-magnitu...   Read >>
San Mateo County residents flee to hills after getting tsunami warning
	3/11/2011
	The tsunami sent barreling toward the California coast by a massive earthquake in Japan did no damage in San Mateo County on Friday, but it prompted hundreds of people to flee the threat in a potentially dangerous way, officials said. Several hundred evacu...   Read >>
State allows Artichoke Joes to reopen
	3/11/2011
	The California Gambling Control Commission has allowed Artichoke Joe’s to reopen after it was shut down March 2 during a two-city raid of it and the Oak Card Club in Emeryville. The commission’s approval was based on new controls being put in place at the card room. “I ...   Read >>
Raided Bay Area card clubs, including Artichoke Joe's Casino in San Bruno, get OK to reopen
	3/10/2011
	Artichoke Joe's Casino and the Oaks Card Club, which were shut down by police on allegations of loan-sharking and drug dealing, won approval Thursday to reopen one minute after midnight Friday. The club owners got the green light from the California...   Read >>
Artichoke Joe's set to reopen
	3/10/2011
	Artichoke Joe’s, one of two Bay Area casinos raided by federal authorities last week, is set to reopen tonight and the gaming director for the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville has been charged wit...   Read >>
Mountain lion sighting reported, second within six hours
	3/5/2011
	A mountain lion sighting was reported in Woodside early Friday morning, the second such sighting in about six hours, according to San Mateo County emergency officials. The cougar was spotted at about 12:05 a.m. in the vicinity of High and Woodside roads, officials said. Another sighting was re...   Read >>
Summit focuses on female inmates
	3/5/2011
	Women are different. They may commit the same crimes as men but, when it comes to incarceration, women need programs aimed at their gender-specific needs like abuse, child care and education. That...   Read >>
Cops learn to deal with mentally ill people
	3/3/2011
	BELMONT -- Officer Brian Curley calmed down an elderly woman with dementia Thursday and then worked to determine what shape her mind was in. "Why are you asking me all these que...   Read >>
Feds raid casino in San Bruno
	3/3/2011
	Federal officials swarmed Artichoke Joe’s in San Bruno yesterday morning, frisked its patrons and closed the card club’s doors to customers as investigators executed search and arrest warrants as part of a Bay Area-wide investigation into organized crime. An Emeryville card club was a...   Read >>
Feds fold San Bruno card club in loan-sharking investigation
	3/2/2011
	SAN BRUNO -- Artichoke Joe's Casino is closed indefinitely after federal agents raided the cardroom Wednesday morning over allegations that loansharks advanced money to broke players at exorbitant rates and then threatened them with violence to get repayment. The Oaks Card Clu...   Read >>
Burglar poses as Caltrans worker
	3/1/2011
	A man posing as a Caltrans worker allegedly distracted a Woodside resident while a second suspect entered the home and stole jewelry, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the home on the 3500 block of Tripp Road at about 2:30 p.m. Friday after the victim...   Read >>
Sheriff's Office conducts sex registrant checks
	2/25/2011
	On Wednesday, 37 local law enforcement officers checked on 160 sex offenders to ensure they were compliant with probation and parole requirements and that they are living in their registered locations. The Sheriff’s Office did not release statistics on how many of those offenders, if any, w...   Read >>
Series of break-ins prompt police warning
	2/23/2011
	The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is reminding county visitors and residents to safeguard their homes and vehicles in the wake of a series of break-ins. Several unlocked vehicles in the Brandywine Road area of the Eichler Highlands have been burglarized recently, the Sheriff’s ...   Read >>
Cramped quarters - Officials, female inmates made due with aging facility
	2/22/2011
	Cassaundra’s young son didn’t want to play dominoes when visiting his mom in jail last week. There was no room. Cassaundra, a 32-year-old mother of five who declined to give a last name, was squeezed in a visiting room the size of a closet with four of her children playing card games lik...   Read >>
Getting back on track: A visit to the San Mateo County women's jail
	2/18/2011
	Krista Fortenberry will be released from the county jail in about two weeks, and she is terrified her felony theft conviction will make it impossible to find a job. But the 22-year-old Burlingame resid...   Read >>
Narcotics task force uncovers Bay Area marijuana ring
	2/17/2011
	An undercover sting on Tuesday by the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force netted numerous arrests and drug seizures at homes and marijuana grow houses set up in San Francisco, San Mateo and Alameda counties. The task force operation - nicknamed Operation Green Hornet - included officers from 11...   Read >>
Phone scammer threatens cop
	2/15/2011
	A scam artist from Jamaica threatened to shoot a sheriff’s deputy in the head Friday night while the two were engaged in a conversation over the telephone, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy was threatened after responding to a call in unincorporated Redwood ... Daily Journal staff report FULL STO   Read >>
Not guilty plea in coastside neckslashing
	2/11/2011
	The Moss Beach man accused of sawing at the neck of his live-in girlfriend with a serrated knife in early December pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and using a knife. David Jon Vanalstine, 56, was charged in absentia while recuperating himself for an undisclosed condition that be...   Read >>
Hearing date still unset for accused wife-killer
	2/11/2011
	Nearly 10 months after Peter Parineh said he found his wife dead from her own hand, the Woodside man still doesn’t know if he’ll stand trial on charges he killed her and staged it to look as a suicide to collect on hefty insurance policies. Pooroushasb Parineh, known as Peter, was sup...   Read >>
Deputies assist five lost hikers back to retreat center
	2/11/2011
	Deputies escorted five hikers back to a Woodside retreat center after they ventured off of a marked trail Wednesday night, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. At about 5:10 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office got a call from the Stillheart Institute at 16350 Skyline Blvd. reporting that...   Read >>
Police search for missing persons
	2/11/2011
	The car of a couple reported missing from Riverside County Monday was found on Highway 1 in Devil’s Slide yesterday afternoon, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Billy and Collenn Waterman were reported as missing persons Feb. 7. Sheriff’s deputies, including...   Read >>
County preps for big state hit
	2/7/2011
	The governor’s proposed budget cuts and shifts means an estimated $17.25 million loss for San Mateo County programs and services, potentially leaving the infirm and elderly without in-home care, children without complete health coverage and the jail filled with hundreds of state prison inmates...   Read >>
Mountain lion spotted by golf course near Woodside
	2/5/2011
	A mountain lion was spotted near a golf course in unincorporated San Mateo County near Woodside Friday afternoon, according to San Mateo County officials. The animal was spotted at about 1:25 p.m. near the Elks Lodge at the Emerald Hills Golf Course, located at 938 Wilmington Way, according to co...   Read >>
Man arrested for sister's personal information to open credit card account
	2/4/2011
	A man arrested Jan. 27 for suspected identity theft is believed to have tried to open a credit card account using his sister’s personal information, a San Mateo County sheriff’s spokesman said Thursday. The sheriff’s rapid enforcement allied computer team began its investigation o...   Read >>
San Carlos couple get jail for drunken drive home with kids
	2/3/2011
	After police pulled over the driver for rolling through a stop sign Jan. 22 in San Carlos, they found 14 empty beer cans and an empty bottle of rum, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Also in the car was the man's wife and the couple's three sons and one daughter, who range in age from 2 to 8 years old.   Read >>
San Carlos couple gets DUI with four kids in van
	2/3/2011
	A San Carlos father whose license had been suspended for driving while intoxicated admitted committing the same crime, but this time while transporting his four young children, the wife who has a re...   Read >>
San Mateo County homicide rate up
	1/28/2011
	San Mateo County saw its homicide rate jump slightly to levels in 2010 that have not been seen recently, spurred by a triple murder in South San Francisco near the end of December and several killin...   Read >>
Woodside gas station robbed at gunpoint
	1/27/2011
	A Shell gas station in Woodside was robbed at gunpoint Tuesday night and police are looking for two suspects, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The suspects were described as two white or light-skinned Hispanic males dressed in black clothing, wearing hooded sweatshirts...   Read >>
SFO dustup leads lawyer to jail time
	1/26/2011
	Daily Journal Staff Report The former Los Angeles city attorney accused of attacking officers and fellow travelers with a metal dustpan pole at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve was cleared for departure from the women’s jail after settling the case. Angela Kay West, 50...   Read >>
Subway sandwich shop robbed by masked duo
	1/26/2011
	Investigators are looking for two suspects who robbed a Subway sandwich shop in San Carlos on Monday night. Just before 8 p.m., two male suspects entered through the front door of the restaurant at 744 El Camino Real, walked behind the counter and confronted the lone employee, according to the San ...   Read >>
Doctors split on competency of murder suspect
	1/21/2011
	A pair of court-appointed doctors disagree whether a Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument in his parents’ pool house is competent to stand trial. After receiving the split decision, Judge Lisa Novak appointed a third tie-breaker to determi...   Read >>
Man dies on train tracks
	1/18/2011
	A 39-year-old San Francisco man apparently killed himself on the Caltrain tracks in Burlingame Monday morning, delaying trips up to 90 minutes and marking the rail line’s second fatality this ...   Read >>
Authorities ID man struck and killed by Caltrain in Burlingame
	1/17/2011
	A 39-year-old San Francisco man was struck and killed Monday morning by a Caltrain near a pedestrian crossing in what officials described as an "intentional act." The man, identified as Rafael Lorov...   Read >>
Beaches and bluffs to be closed for Mavericks
	1/15/2011
	Fans of big-wave surfing will find it a lot more difficult to get a firsthand look at the Mavericks competition in Half Moon Bay this year, as viewing spots on coastal bluffs and beaches will be closed to public access. Representatives from the Half Moon Bay Surf Group, which is organizing this...   Read >>
Lawyer ready to defend SFO dustup
	1/14/2011
	he former Los Angeles city attorney arrested for attacking officers with a metal dustpan pole at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve will represent herself before a judge at the end of January. Angela Kay West, 50, is charged with four misdemeanors related to the alleged Dec. 24...   Read >>
Charges dropped against alleged burglar
	1/13/2011
	Charges were dropped against a man arrested for attempting to burglarize a home in unincorporated Redwood City Monday morning. On Wednesday morning, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against Raymond Garcia, 27, of Redwood City, for “insufficient...   Read >>
Conductor busted for lewd acts
	1/13/2011
	A Caltrain conductor was arrested after allegedly soliciting sex from two female passengers, one 16, who entered the train without enough fare or tickets, said Santa Clara County prosecutor Steve Fein. The most recent incident was Nov. 27 and involved a 16-year-old girl, Fein said. Ricardo Arias ...   Read >>
Caltrain conductor accused of soliciting sex for train ride
	1/12/2011
	A Caltrain conductor is accused of offering to waive fines for ticketless female passengers on two separate occasions if they agreed to provide him sexual favors, officials said Wednesday. In both cases, Ricardo Ari...   Read >>
South county burglar arrested
	1/12/2011
	A man trying to break into a house in unincorporated Redwood City fled after he was confronted by a homeowner with a firearm. He was later arrested, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 11:22 a.m., deputies responded to the 700 block of Seventh Avenue and th...   Read >>
Coastal burglar sought by police
	1/11/2011
	The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who may be responsible for a rash of burglaries on the coast. The most recent incident took place Dec. 30 in El Granada when a residence was entered on the 100 block of Escalona Avenue through an open garage door or an unlocked...   Read >>
Maverick's safety meeting planned
	1/11/2011
	Public safety officials and representatives from the Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational will discuss plans to ensure public safety and manage the expected crowds at the annual surf contest. The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational is scheduled to be held sometime before Feb...   Read >>
Walgreens robbed at gunpoint in San Carlos
	1/11/2011
	A man robbed a Walgreens in San Carlos at gunpoint Sunday night and remains at large, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and dressed in a black baseball hat, a black jacket, blue jeans and white tennis shoes, entered the store, located...   Read >>
Accused neckslasher finally cleared for court
	1/8/2011
	The coastside man accused of sawing at the neck of his live-in girlfriend with a serrated knife in early December was finally medically cleared for court, more than a month after his hospitalization for an undisclosed condition that befell him at the time of arrest. David Jon Vanalstine, 56, was...   Read >>
Police: Dead deer may have been killed by a mountain lion
	1/7/2011
	San Mateo County emergency officials determined that a mountain lion might have been responsible for the death of a deer Wednesday. At approximately 9:45 a.m., officers responded to reports of a deer lying in the roadway in the 300 block of Robinwood Lane, a residential area of Hillsborough. Off...   Read >>
Another delay in Woodside wife killing case
	1/6/2011
	A Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting as a suicide to collect a hefty insurance payout doesn’t know yet if he’ll stand trial for murder, even as the case crawls toward the one year-anniversary of her April death. Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, 65...   Read >>
Boat capsizes off coast near Half Moon Bay
	1/5/2011
	Coast Guard divers boarded a beached fishing vessel off the San Mateo County coast near Half Moon Bay Tuesday afternoon to secure its 2,000-gallon diesel fuel tank, a spokeswoman said. The dive team was able just after 2 p.m. to access the 65-foot “Phyllis J” where it ran aground earl...   Read >>
More trouble for gun-toting court visitor
	1/4/2011
	The man convicted of bringing a loaded gun to his son’s court appearance and later violating parole with drug possession is again in hot water. Prosecutors say Frank Luis Turney, 47, had methamphetamine and smoking pipes in his Pacifica home last November, nearly a year after he first viola...   Read >>
SFO dustup leads to charges
	1/4/2011
	The former Los Angeles city attorney arrested for attacking officers with a metal dustpan pole at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Eve was charged yesterday with four misdemeanors. Angela Kay West, 50, appeared in San Mateo County Superior Court Monday but declined a court-appoint...   Read >>
Mountain lion spotted near Emerald Hills
	1/3/2011
	A mountain lion was spotted in the Emerald Hills neighborhood Saturday afternoon, San Mateo County officials said. The cougar was seen near Oak Park Way and Sunset Way at about 1:15 p.m., according t...   Read >>
Police consolidation running smoothly, sheriff, officials say
	1/3/2011
	When it comes to the Sheriff Office’s absorption of the San Carlos Police Department, no news is good news. “If anything, it is a continuation of what was already going on,” said Sheriff Greg Munks o...   Read >>
Man dies days after being pulled from Oyster Point Marina
	12/28/2010
	A 59-year-old man who was pulled from the water alongside a San Mateo woman near Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco last week died on Sunday, according to the San Mateo County coroner’s office. South San Francisco man Carlos Alvarado was found unconscious in the water with 62-year-o...   Read >>
Dustup at the airport
	12/28/2010
	A woman in the SFO terminal three food court was arrested for swinging a long-handled dustpan from a custodian’s cart at other customers seated at a concession. At approximately 7:46 a.m. Dec. 24, Angela Kay West, 50, of Los Angeles, was alleged to have swung the dustpan at customers, one ...   Read >>
Police say South San Francisco shooting victims uncooperative
	12/28/2010
	While three men died in an apparent gang-related shooting in South San Francisco last Wednesday night, the other three victims who suffered minor injuries are being extremely uncooperative with inve...   Read >>
Coroner identifies San Mateo woman pulled from water Friday
	12/27/2010
	A woman who died after being pulled from the water near the Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco on Friday has been identified by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office. Gail Wuotila, 62, of San Mateo, was found unconscious in the water with an unidentified middle-aged man near 95 Harbor...   Read >>
Coroner identifies third man who was shot, killed Wednesday
	12/27/2010
	A victim who was shot and killed along with two others on Wednesday has been identified by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office. Hector Flores, 20, of South San Francisco, was found in critica...   Read >>
Coastside residents warned to lock up after string of burglaries
	12/24/2010
	The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is warning coastside residents to lock doors and windows and keep an eye on potentially suspicious characters driving through neighborhoods after seven home burglaries were reported in the last two weeks. Five burglaries have been reported in and around M...   Read >>
Man steals $34,000 in cash from victim
	12/21/2010
	A man stole $34,000 in cash from a bag a man was carrying on the 3200 block of Middlefield Road in unincorporated Redwood City yesterday morning, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The victim stated an unknown Hispanic male wearing all black walked up from behind him and grabbed a ...   Read >>
Cash stolen from deli
	12/21/2010
	The Lutticken’s Deli on Alameda de las Pulgas in unincorporated Menlo Park had up to $1,500 stolen from two cash registers between 5 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. No business suffered no signs of forced entry, according to the Sheriff’s Offi...   Read >>
Neighbor saves family from one ‘blue’ Christmas
	12/21/2010
	A juvenile was arrested Friday afternoon in the act of burglarizing a San Carlos residence after an alert neighbor saw two males try to enter the home through a window and then phoned police. “It would have been a ‘blue’ Christmas if it weren’t for our neighbor,” victim Nicole Patterson said. Poli...   Read >>
Inmates get holiday cookie surprise
	12/21/2010
	Forget jokes about files baked into cakes. This holiday season, county jail inmates will receive freshly baked cookies and, while the treats may not help them leave custody sooner, culinary program officials say they offer a different type of sweet escape. Roughly 10,000 escapes if one is counting...   Read >>
Bomb squad called to Oracle
	12/18/2010
	A package sent to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison prompted company officials to call police and the county bomb squad Friday afternoon after an “internal screening process” showed something with electronic components contained within. At approximately 12:47 p.m., police were called to the s...   Read >>
Accused attacker remains in hospital
	12/14/2010
	The coastside man accused of sawing at the neck of his live-in girlfriend with a serrated knife remains unable to appear in court on attempted murder and knife use charges due to hospitalization. David John Vanalstine, 56, remains hospitalized with an undisclosed medical condition and has yet to ...   Read >>
Teen imprisoned for life
	12/11/2010
	The teenager convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed rival gangmember at a party in unincorporated Redwood City more than two years ago sealed his fate when he stood over the injured victim and con...   Read >>
Man killed on tracks identified
	12/10/2010
	The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office identified a man killed on the Caltrain tracks in San Mateo on Wednesday afternoon. Christopher Hall, a 41-year-old San Bruno resident, was struck and killed by a northbound train near First Avenue at about 3:15 p.m., Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn...   Read >>
Mountain lion sightings doubled
	12/9/2010
	Caltrain said a man in his 40s is dead after being hit by a passenger train while on the tracks at the commuter rail line’s downtown San Mateo station. Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said the unidentified man was struck around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. Dunn did not have any additional detai...   Read >>
Hospitalization postpones attempted murder case
	12/7/2010
	The coastside man accused of stabbing his live-in girlfriend in the neck just days after being sentenced to jail in an unrelated case will appear in court Wednesday on attempted murder and knife use charges. David John Vanalstine, 56, remains hospitalized with an undisclosed medical condition and...   Read >>
Police seek armed suspect
	12/4/2010
	Sheriff’s deputies are on the lookout for three men who attempted to rob a San Carlos man at gunpoint Thursday evening. At approximately 7:30 p.m., the resident reported being approached by a man in his driveway as he got out of his vehicle on the 1400 block of Cedar Street. The suspec...   Read >>
Man arrested for attempted murder
	12/4/2010
	A coastside man accused of stabbing or slicing his live-in girlfriend’s neck Thursday afternoon was out of custody pending a 45-day drunk driving sentence he received just days before. David John Vanalstine, 56, is now facing much steeper charges of attempted murder and domestic violence wh...   Read >>
Moss Beach man arrested for stabbing girlfriend in the neck
	12/3/2010
	A Coastside woman was rushed to the hospital Thursday evening for emergency surgery after her neck was cut by her boyfriend, police said.The 55-year-old woman ca...   Read >>
Peninsula pot club operator drops application
	12/1/2010
	REDWOOD CITY -- Citing a lack of support from local government and police, the operator of what would have been the Peninsula's first officially approved medical marijuana dispensary dropped Tuesday his request to open up in North Fair Oaks. The surprise announc...   Read >>
Medical pot co-op drops plans
	12/1/2010
	he operator of an already approved medical marijuana dispensary withdrew his business license application yesterday just before the Board of Supervisors was set to discuss reversing an earlier deci...   Read >>
Mountain lion spotted
	11/27/2010
	A mountain lion was spotted in Portola Valley late Wednesday night, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The animal was seen at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Los Trancos and Alpine roads, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s off..   Read >>
Man dies after being struck by train
	11/27/2010
	A male pedestrian was struck by a train in Burlingame Friday morning, causing the 10th death this year on the Caltrain right of way. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office says the man has been identified, but his name will not be released until officials can contact his relatives. The man appar..   Read >>
A night on the streets with the San Mateo County Gang Task Force
	11/23/2010
	The rain was coming down hard as they raced from Daly City to San Mateo and finally East Palo Alto in a single night -- looking for guns, drugs and felon gang members. The nasty weather Frid...   Read >>
Not guilty plea in meth-related explosion
	11/23/2010
	A 65-year-old ex-felon accused of blowing up a stockpile of gunpowder with a propane torch that he used to smoke methamphetamine pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including possession of drugs, weapons and burglary tools. John Louis Blanchard was ordered to stand trial May 23 following a pre...   Read >>
Teens busted for shooting drivers with pellet gun in Woodside
	11/16/2010
	Two teenagers were taken into custody Sunday afternoon after police say the pair shot a pellet gun at passing drivers, hitting and injuring at least two people. Two motorcycl...   Read >>
San Mateo: Sheriff's deputies respond to possible mountain lion sighting
	11/16/2010
	SAN MATEO -- A reported a possible mountain lion sighting near the San Mateo's Highlands neighborhood on Monday afternoon has police reminding people how to stay safe around the big cats, according to a county alert system. At 1:20 p.m. Monday, a civil...   Read >>
Motorists allegedly shot by minors with air rifles
	11/16/2010
	Two juveniles were arrested Sunday afternoon after one admitted firing an air rifle at two motorcyclists traveling in the Kings Mountain area on Skyline Boulevard, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area and found that two separate ...   Read >>
Insane mom committed early
	11/12/2010
	A Redwood City mother found not guilty by reason of insanity of attempting to kill her daughter and assaulting her son was committed to a state mental hospital a month early to speed up her access to care. Philomena Mary Brown, 50, was scheduled for a placement hearing in early December, but defe...   Read >>
Mountain lion spotted in Wunderlich Park
	11/9/2010
	A mountain lion was spotted near Woodside Monday afternoon, San Mateo County officials said. The cat was seen in Wunderlich County Park at about 1:15 p.m., according to the county office of emergency services. Mountain lions typically do not approach humans. However, residents are advised to st...   Read >>
Accused murderer indicted
	11/9/2010
	Prosecutors indicted a Hillsborough man accused of fatally shooting his friend several times during an argument, sidestepping a preliminary hearing on the evidence and propelling the 30-year-old straight to trial on murder and gun charges. Bradley Allen Kleiman has claimed the shooting of Christo...   Read >>
Hillsborough man indicted on a charge of murder
	11/8/2010
	REDWOOD CITY -- A San Mateo County grand jury has indicted a Hillsborough man in the slaying of a longtime friend, a decision prosecutors hope will bring the case to trial sooner, an atto...   Read >>
Package at Caltrain station was a box of clothing
	11/6/2010
	A suspicious package found Friday afternoon at the San Carlos Caltrain station turned out to be a box of clothes, Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said. The package was found at about 1 p.m. and transit police and a bomb squad responded to investigate it. Trains were being held outside the ...   Read >>
Woman on bike killed by big-rig
	11/5/2010
	A woman riding a bicycle was struck and killed by a big-rig near Portola Valley Thursday afternoon, a California Highway Patrol officer said. The accident was reported at 3:39 p.m. on Alpine Road near the on-ramp to northbound Interstate 280. Initial reports indicated the bicyclist had been hit...   Read >>
San Mateo County sheriff, DA challenge pot club permit
	11/2/2010
	REDWOOD CITY -- The decision to allow a medical marijuana dispensary in North Fair Oaks is being appealed by San Mateo County's sheriff and district attorney as well as a resident based on concerns that the club may violate county rules. Sher...   Read >>
Former San Carlos officers join Sheriff’s Office
	11/2/2010
	The entire San Carlos Police Department was sworn in en masse to the Sheriff’s Office yesterday, culminating approximately a year of debate and decisions in the city’s innovative decision to outsource public safety for a $2 million annual savings. The five-year contract with the Sheri...   Read >>
Sheriff’s Office welcomes cops from San Carlos
	11/1/2010
	Handing over an entire police department to the Sheriff’s Office requires more than just a city council decision or a formal swearing-in ceremony. There are the compromises over who heads what, decisions about patrol schedules, physical evaluations to undergo, training to finish and retiremen...   Read >>
Person struck and killed by train
	10/30/2010
	A pedestrian was hit and killed Friday afternoon by a southbound train approaching the Belmont station, leading to widespread delays for several hours during the evening commute, a Caltrain spokeswoman said. Train No. 256 hit the individual at about 3:10 p.m., but the circumstances surrounding his...   Read >>
Task force takes down smoke shop
	10/29/2010
	The manager and another employee of a smoke shop in San Mateo were arrested for selling marijuana to undercover police officers, according to the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force. Police received multiple complaints from neighbors about suspected drug activity at Cigarette City, at 29 W. 37t...   Read >>
Hearing postponed in Woodside wife murder
	10/22/2010
	The debt-saddled Woodside man who prosecutors say staged his wife’s fatal shooting in April to look like a suicide in an attempt to cash in on a life insurance policy will learn some time next year whether he’ll stand trial on charges of murder and financial gain — a combination ...   Read >>
Mom not guilty by reason of insanity
	10/20/2010
	A Redwood City mother pleaded no contest to attempted murder of her daughter and assault on her son Tuesday but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Philomena Mary Brown, 40, had already entered twin pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of attempted ...   Read >>
Busy summer for gang task force
	10/16/2010
	San Mateo County gangs once stayed on their own turf, operating by world of mouth and using baseball bats as weapons. Now, gangs travel, text message plans and use full arsenals of guns, machetes and even throwing stars to attack one another, according to the local law enforcement who say they mu...   Read >>
Accused killer charged with attacking guards
	10/14/2010
	The murder defendant accused of beating an elderly Belmont man so badly he later died attacked two correctional officers at the county jail after having the hot water in his cell fixed, according to prosecutors. Although the alleged incident occurred Aug. 4, the San Mateo County District Attorney...   Read >>
NTSB: Malfunction caused gas pressure spike
	10/14/2010
	A power supply malfunction at a Pacific Gas and Electric terminal in Milpitas caused pressure to spike, then drop dramatically in a 30-inch natural gas pipeline just as it exploded in San Bruno Sept...   Read >>
Fire cleanup complete
	10/13/2010
	The final load of debris was hauled out of a neighborhood where a natural gas pipeline explosion and fire completely destroyed 35 homes in San Bruno more than a month ago. San Bruno Mayor Jim Ruane, City Manager Connie Jackson and Dean Peterson, director of San Mateo County Environmental Health S...   Read >>
Car fires investigated as arson
	10/12/2010
	Bomb squad officers and arson dogs searched two parking garages at an apartment complex near the Trader Joe’s in South San Francisco early Sunday morning after a string of car fires were started one after the other on the 100 block of McLellan Drive, according to police. The suspect, or sus...   Read >>
San Bruno damage estimated at $55M
	10/6/2010
	San Bruno officials are expressing worry and frustration the city would be on the hook for millions in costs related to the Sept. 9 explosion and fire after FEMA denied assistance — and are now left awaiting word from the governor’s office about an appeal. “It puzzles me how [t...   Read >>
Explosion linked to methamphetamine user
	10/5/2010
	A 65-year-old ex-felon was arrested in Princeton Friday after allegedly blowing up a stockpile of gunpowder with a propane torch that the man used to smoke methamphetamine, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies received a report of a fire in the neighborhood of Harvar...   Read >>
‘Behind the Scenes’ in San Bruno
	9/28/2010
	The Burlingame Neighborhood Network invites all block captains and others interested in emergency preparedness to hear from some of the first emergency responders to the San Bruno pipeline explosion at the next quarterly meeting from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 in the Lane Room at the Bu...   Read >>
Sheriff, San Carlos ready for police transfer
	9/27/2010
	With just more than a month before the Sheriff’s Office absorbs the San Carlos Police Department, officials on both sides of the agreement are readying for the Oct. 31 transfer and current deputies are very interested in moving to the new bureau. Sheriff’s Office staff say the newly-cre...   Read >>
Coroner IDs final three fire victims
	9/23/2010
	The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Greg, William and Lavonne Bullis all perished in the San Bruno explosion and fire that destroyed a significant portion of the Glenview neighborhood Sept. 9. The death toll from the gas pipeline explosion is now seven. The other people who...   Read >>
Cleanup begins: San Bruno fire site now enters recovery phase
	9/23/2010
	The deadly fire that leveled much of a San Bruno neighborhood two weeks ago left some intact souvenirs among the wreckage. A rubber duck that had been passed around for years as a white elephant gift. A retiree’s badge from the San Francisco Fire Department. Jewelry. These little things ...   Read >>
Coastside tagger arrested
	9/22/2010
	Moss Beach resident Zach Ayers was arrested Sunday by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputy Owen Yoch on two felony, over $400 in damages and nine misdemeanor vandalism charges. The charges stemmed from 11 acts of vandalism committed over the past three months in El Granada and Moss Beach. In on...   Read >>
Burglars caught in the act
	9/22/2010
	The owner of business on the 800 block of Airport Boulevard in Moss Beach heard a noise outside at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday. He responded to the noise and saw a male suspect, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, standing on the passenger side of the victim’s car, trying to pry open the passe...   Read >>
Missing teen a Mills senior
	9/21/2010
	Remains recovered and being examined from a destroyed home in the San Bruno explosion could include those of Mills High School senior William Bullis. The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office is examining recovered remains which could take several weeks. Although the three individuals missing ...   Read >>
Competency questioned for accused friend killer
	9/18/2010
	A judge expected to accept a plea by a Hillsborough man accused of killing his friend instead questioned the man’s ability to stand trial and suspended criminal proceedings. Bradley Allen Kleiman, 30, was scheduled to enter a plea to murder and firearms charges in the death of Christopher C...   Read >>
Coroner examines explosion remains
	9/17/2010
	SAN FRANCISCO — The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office is examining remains recovered from a home destroyed in the San Bruno explosion and fire that could be that of three missing family members. A statement released by the Bullis family Thursday says remains have been recovered at the a...   Read >>
Fire damage more than $37 million
	9/16/2010
	Last week’s massive explosion and fire in San Bruno caused nearly $38 million in damage to homes, property and public infrastructure, a spokesman for the city said Wednesday. The blast, which happened at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday when a gas pipeline ruptured, destroyed an estimated $31.25 mi...   Read >>
Fourth fire victim identified
	9/15/2010
	The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office yesterday confirmed what the family of 81-year-old Elizabeth Torres already knew — the woman was the fourth known fatality in last week’s devastating San Bruno fire. Last Friday, the office also confirmed the deaths of 44-year-old Jacqueline...   Read >>
NTSB receives report of resident smelling gas prior to explosion, fire
	9/15/2010
	Federal investigators have received a report of a resident smelling gas a few weeks prior to Thursday’s gas line explosion and fire in San Bruno and are asking more residents to step forward with information that will help them determine if the pipe was leaking before the incident. So far th...   Read >>
First responders feared the worst
	9/15/2010
	A fireball that erupted Thursday night in San Bruno from a gas-main rupture sent flames 100 feet into the air accompanied by what fire Capt. Bill Forester called a high-pitched screaming from the source of the fire. Firefighters thought a jetliner went down because of the incredible source of gas...   Read >>
NTSB finishes investigation of gas-line explosion site
	9/14/2010
	Federal investigators Monday finished their initial investigation of the site of Thursday’s gas-pipe explosion in San Bruno and are now focusing on reviewing documents and interviewing witnesses, a spokesman said. The National Transportation Safety Board finished examining pipes that were l...v   Read >>
PG&E pledges $100 million to San Bruno
	9/14/2010
	PG&E pledged $100 million to residents affected by Thursday’s natural gas explosion and to the rebuilding of San Bruno during a press conference Monday afternoon. A large explosion Thursday afternoon led to a massive fire destroying and damaging numerous homes in San Bruno while injuri...   Read >>
Emotional residents demanding answers
	9/14/2010
	San Bruno resident Bill Magoolaghan’s gratefulness to PG&E and city officials is waning as he and his family have been kept away from their home since a raging fire destroyed most of the Glenview neighborhood Thursday night. Magoolaghan, 46, and hundreds more gathered at the San Bruno S...   Read >>
Pedestrian struck by train, killed
	9/13/2010
	A person was struck and killed by a train in Menlo Park Sunday evening causing delays, a Caltrain spokeswoman said. Caltrain’s southbound train number 438 struck a person on the train tracks north of the Menlo Park station at about 5:14 p.m., spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew said. The person wa...   Read >>
County tackles police contract with San Carlos
	9/13/2010
	San Mateo County leaders on Tuesday are set to add 28 sheriff’s deputies to its employment rolls — more than two dozen positions required for the Sheriff’s Office to absorb the entire 39-member San Carlos Police Department. While the Board of Supervisors must still approve the con...   Read >>
Resients return
	9/13/2010
	SAN BRUNO — Residents returned Sunday to the ruined hillsides of their suburban San Francisco neighborhood, three days after a natural gas pipeline exploded into a deadly fireball. A nearby risky segment of the gas line was due to be replaced, the utility responsible said, because it ran thro...   Read >>
Exploded pipe launched 100 feet, NTSB says
	9/13/2010
	The natural gas explosion that preceded a massive fire around Crestmoor Canyon in San Bruno launched a 28-foot section of pipe a distance of about 100 feet from underground out onto the street, the vi...   Read >>
Fire investigation underway
	9/11/2010
	As the San Bruno community wonders how it will put its life back together after Thursday night’s deadly explosion and fire, officials are beginning to demand answers on what caused the neighborhood near Crestmoor Canyon to blow apart. “We need to know why this happened and how it happ...   Read >>
Life Flight
	9/10/2010
	A motorcyclist needed to be taken by Life Flight to Stanford Hospital after crashing on northbound Highway 1 just south of Pescadero State Beach. The motorcyclist suffered a broken leg, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Traffic on Highway 1 was backed up in both directions ...   Read >>
Evacuees flee homes
	9/10/2010
	Families fleeing a fire that destroyed several blocks of homes in San Bruno last night descended on the Bayhill Shopping Center to a makeshift evacuation center set up by the county Sheriff’s Office, many not sure where they would spend the night. Others, however, remained as close as they ...   Read >>
Scene of horror: San Bruno neighborhood destroyed by gas-line inferno
	9/10/2010
	A catastrophic fire fueled by a broken 16- to 24-inch PG&E gas line ripped through a San Bruno neighborhood last night, destroying 53 homes and damaging 120 with a wide swath of towering flames, critically burning residents and causing massive evacuations. San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucr..   Read >>
Fire chief: gas line blast caused massive San Bruno fire
	9/9/2010
	The San Bruno fire chief says a gas line explosion likely caused the massive fire burning homes in a residential neighborhood. San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag tells KPIX-TV that he believes a high-p...   Read >>
Women arrested for trying to rob bank
	9/9/2010
	A Menlo Park woman was arrested yesterday morning after allegedly trying to rob the Chase Bank on El Camino Real in San Bruno. The suspect claimed to have explosives and was demanding cash, according to police. Jacqueline Casalou, 50, was arrested without incident, according to police. The San M...   Read >>
Still no plea in Hillsborough murder
	9/3/2010
	The Hillsborough man who prosecutor say fatally shot his longtime friend twice in the head and once in the buttocks after an argument at his parents’ home once again postponed a plea to charges of murder and using a firearm. Bradley Kleiman, 30, appeared in court for the fourth time yesterd..   Read >>
San Carlos approves police outsourcing
	9/3/2010
	The San Carlos City Council agreed to outsource police services to the Sheriff’s Office, ending months of debate over the plan to disband the department and save the cash-strapped city roughly $2 million annually. “I’m pretty excited about this,” said Mayor Randy Royce. T...   Read >>
Mountain lion spotted
	9/2/2010
	A mountain lion was spotted in a Burlingame neighborhood Wednesday morning, San Mateo County emergency officials said. The cat was seen behind a home at 50 Loma Vista Drive, which borders the San Francisco State Fish and Game Refuge, at about 6:40 a.m., according to the San Mateo County Office ...   Read >>
Sanity in question in family attack
	9/2/2010
	Doctors assessing a Redwood City mother accused of drugging and attacking her husband and children with a 10-pound dumbbell need more time to determine if she was insane at the time. Philomena Mary Brown, 40, has already entered twin pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to mul...   Read >>
Presenting her royal highness
	8/23/2010
	It’s good to be queen and, as of this weekend, Maritza Nuñez-Pereda is rocking the crown. Nuñez-Pereda was named the Queen of the Fair Oaks Festival this weekend, a distinction that comes with scholarship money to help with her plans of becoming a lawyer. Nuñez-Pereda was one of four girls who ben...   Read >>
Re-examining discipline
	8/20/2010
	Sixteen-year-old Xavier B. wasn’t supposed to return to school until January. The South San Francisco teen was caught selling marijuana at school and was expelled. His story isn’t unique. Derrick G., a 13-year-old, got in trouble for bringing a butterfly knife to school right befor...   Read >>
Recipe for success
	8/18/2010
	“Knife! Knife!” The emphatic warning rang through the kitchen of the women’s correctional facility as a woman with neck tattoos peeking out of chef whites hurried from chopping block to stove. What would otherwise could be cause for alarm in the jail on Tuesday served more as a...   Read >>
Police shoot and kill man
	8/18/2010
	Burlingame police shot and killed Edgar Jonathan Aristondo, 20, Monday night in front of his Myrtle Road home after he allegedly charged at two officers with a knife, according to police. Two officers responded to 217 Myrtle Road just south of Washington Park at about 8:40 p.m. after Aristondo&rs...   Read >>
Safeway evacuated after caller reports seeing gunmen
	8/17/2010
	Employees at a Menlo Park Safeway store had a scare early Monday morning when police evacuated the store searching for armed men. A woman called police sometime around 1 a.m. after she believed she saw two people carrying guns enter the store on Sharon Park Drive, police said. Police arrived ...   Read >>
Two escapees caught quickly
	8/17/2010
	Two youth who escaped from the Lob Cabin Ranch, a youth detention facility in La Honda, were quickly detained by sheriff’s deputies Saturday afternoon. At approximately 3:52 p.m., sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the facility on reports that the two detainees had fled. Deputy...   Read >>
Man commits suicide at Gazos Creek
	8/11/2010
	A man allegedly killed himself Monday night at Gazos Creek State Beach, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were dispatched to the beach after a 911 call from a male stating “there’s a suicide on Gazos Creek,” according to the Sheriff’s Off...   Read >>
Plea delayed in Woodside murder case
	7/30/2010
	The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in an attempt to cash in on a life insurance policy did not make a plea in San Mateo County Superior Court ...   Read >>
Man arrested after ramming police car
	7/29/2010
	A Redwood City man is in custody after ramming a police car and running into a tree with a stolen car yesterday afternoon. At approximately 12:48 p.m., representatives from the San Mateo County Vehicle Theft Task Force and the Redwood City Police Department were conducting a stolen vehicle su...   Read >>
Fire destroys six cars in SFO lot
	7/23/2010
	Six cars parked in San Francisco International Airport’s long-term parking lot were destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning. The fire was reported at about 12:30 a.m. The six cars destroyed were parked across from each other in a cluster, airport spokesman Mike McCarron said. A ...   Read >>
Mom pleads insanity for attacking family
	7/17/2010
	The Redwood City mother accused of drugging and attacking members of her family with a 10-pound dumbbell entered twin pleas on Friday of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of attempted murder. However, before Philomena Mary Brown, 39, can stand trial, three court-a...   Read >>
Mom pleads insanity for attacking family
	7/17/2010
	The Redwood City mother accused of drugging and attacking members of her family with a 10-pound dumbbell entered twin pleas on Friday of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of attempted murder. However, before Philomena Mary Brown, 39, can stand trial, three court-a...   Read >>
Plea delayed in wife's death case
	7/16/2010
	The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in hopes of cashing in on a hefty life insurance policy is still delaying a plea while he finalizes who will represent him in the potentially capital murder trial. Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, ...   Read >>
Sex crime oversight slammed
	7/15/2010
	Children in the county are at greater risk of being the victims of sex crimes because some law enforcement agencies no longer vigorously monitor sexual offenders, according to a report released by t...   Read >>
Thirty-three to pay for fireworks use
	7/7/2010
	Illegal fireworks led to 33 $1,000 citations, technically an administrative arrest, in San Bruno and Pacifica over the holiday weekend — accounting for a drop in bookings for both cities. In the 24-hour Fourth of July period, 15 people in San Bruno and 18 people in Pacifica were given $1,0...   Read >>
Mom straight to trial for trying to kill family
	7/3/2010
	The Redwood City woman accused of drugging and trying to kill her family with a 10-pound dumbbell is headed straight to trial after declining to let a judge first decide if there is sufficient evidence. Philomena Mary Brown, 39, waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Friday, her third court a...   Read >>
Mother accused of trying to kill family to enter plea
	7/2/2010
	A 49-year-old mother suspected of drugging and attacking her family in their Redwood City home on June 21 is scheduled to appear in court this morning to enter a plea. Philomena Brown is charged with three counts of attempted murder and two counts of felony child abuse for allegedly drugging her hu...   Read >>
Arrests made in road rage incident
	7/2/2010
	A Pacifica man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting several men with a knife after a road rage incident at a Woodside gas station Monday, according to the county Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 5:54 p.m. Monday, June 28, Sheriff’s deputies responded to a fight between a group of approximat...   Read >>
No plea in wife’s death
	7/2/2010
	The Woodside man accused of staging his wife’s fatal shooting to look like a suicide in hopes of cashing in on a hefty life insurance policy did not enter a plea yesterday to capital murder Poorousha...   Read >>
Plea delayed in Woodside murder because of defense funding
	7/1/2010
	Defendant trying to figure out how to pay for his defense   Read >>
Mountain lion seen near Woodside
	6/30/2010
	A mountain lion was spotted Friday night in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, according to the Office of Emergency Services. The cat was seen at about 9:50 p.m. near Lakeview Way and Woodla...   Read >>
Ruling appealed in teen murder case
	6/29/2010
	An appellate court’s decision to allow the prosecution access to a local murder defendant’s mental evaluation while letting the defense challenge t...   Read >>
More details emerge in murder of Woodside artist
	6/25/2010
	More details emerge about business dealings of man charged with killing wife to collect insurance   Read >>
Attorney: Accused wouldn't benefit from wife's death
	6/25/2010
	The debt-saddled Woodside man prosecutors say fatally shot his wife to secure a multi-million dollar life insurance was not even a beneficiary of any policy, his defense attorney said yesterday. Pooroushasb “Peter” Parineh, 64, “doesn’t get a penny,” said attorney Pa...   Read >>
New case delays teen's murder re-trial
	6/23/2010
	The teenage murder defendant whose retrial on charges he gunned down a man when only 14 years old will not happen Monday as scheduled because he is facing new charges of using fellow gangmembers to scare potential witnesses in the first trial.   Read >>
Mother jailed, kids recovering
	6/23/2010
	A woman who allegedly beat her two children to near death was arrested and booked into San Mateo County Jail Monday night after being medically cleared by a doctor. Philomena Brown, 49, faces attem...   Read >>
Missing man found dead in car
	6/22/2010
	The man found inside of a car on an embankment along Skyline Boulevard Sunday morning, Gonzalo Martinez-Hernandez, was reported missing by his family and was found in a car he owned, according to a ...   Read >>
Mother could face attempted murder charges
	6/22/2010
	A 49-year-old mother suspected of assaulting her two kids at their Redwood City home early yesterday morning could face attempted murder charges, a police sergeant said. The mother, Philomena Brown, ...   Read >>
DA: Wife murdered for money
	6/22/2010
	Prosecutors charged a Woodside man with murdering his wife in April for financial gain, a special allegation that could carry the death penalty and lends credence to the belief she had a $20 milli...   Read >>
DA: Woodside man murdered wife for money, could face death penalty
	6/21/2010
	A Woodside man arrested on suspicion of slaying his wife in the couple's multimillion-dollar home has been charged with the special circumstance of murder for financial gain, which could leave him facing the death penalty, a prosecutor said.   Read >>
Alleged shooter charged
	6/19/2010
	The Hillsborough man who admitted shooting his longtime friend in the head but claimed it was self defense was formally charged Friday with murder and the use of a firearm. Bradley Kleiman, 30, was...   Read >>
Hillsborough slaying suspect: 'I didn't murder anybody'
	6/18/2010
	A Hillsborough man charged with shooting and killing a longtime friend in his parent's pool house shouted that he was innocent of the alleged crime during his first court appearance Friday afternoon.   Read >>
Underage San Mateo County teens able to buy tobacco at one in five stores tested
	6/18/2010
	A recent undercover effort by volunteer teens found that one in five tobacco sellers in Daly City and South San Francisco sold cigarettes to underage children without checking their ages, the teens announced Friday.   Read >>
Husband arrested for wife's Woodside murder
	The husband of a Woodside artist who authorities originally believed committed suicide in April has been arrested on suspicion of her homicide, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Pooroushasb ...   Read >>
Victim of shooting disabled
	Christopher Calvache, the 30-year-old San Francisco resident shot dead Tuesday night in Hillsborough, was on permanent disability after breaking his neck years ago, said a family friend who wished t...   Read >>
Murder victim shot in head
	More details emerged in Tuesday night’s Hillsborough homicide in which Bradley Kleiman shot longtime friend Christopher Calvache in the head in a pool house on De Salba Road, according to po...   Read >>
Homicide in Hillsborough
	A Hillsborough man shot and killed his friend after the victim pulled a handgun on him in front of his home on the 100 block of De Sabla Road at Sherwood Court, said police Capt. Mark O’Connor...   Read >>
Pedestrian hit, killed by Caltrain
	A pedestrian was hit and killed by a train in San Mateo yesterday evening, leading to delays of up to an hour, a Caltrain spokeswoman said. The pedestrian, identified as Redwood City resident Charl...   Read >>
Parolee shot by police pleads not guilty to assault
	The Norteño gangmember accidentally shot through the heart by a San Mateo police officer while allegedly trying to help a friend escape a high-risk drug search last summer pleaded not guilty ...   Read >>
Obama nominates Half Moon Bay cheif for U.S. Marshal job
	Half Moon Bay Police Chief Don O’Keefe has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Marshal for the northern district of California. O’Keefe, Half Moon Bay’s polic...   Read >>
Police arrest 73 at Cow Palace party
	Police arrested 68 adults and five juveniles for allegedly possessing or selling drugs at this weekend's annual electronic music festival "etd.POP 2010" at the Cow Palace in Daly City, and 11 people were hospitalized after apparently using tainted drugs at the festival, according to health officials. Some of the people who were taken to various area hospitals may have suffered life-threatening complications from the drugs, health officials said. Members of the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force as well   Read >>
San Mateo County sheriff's deputy hailed as hero following car wreck
	MILLBRAE — Moments after Deputy Doug Jukich arrived at the scene of the fiery crash off Interstate 280, he was plowing through heavy brush down a 60-degree embankment.   Read >>
Two Redwood City men arrested following attempted armed robbery
	The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Thursday arrested two men suspected of attempting to rob a gas station at gunpoint before fleeing in their car.   Read >>
Electric car remains tucked away in substation
	Inside the San Mateo County Sheriff’s substation in Moss Beach, partially concealed behind a five-foot cubicle wall, a small, electronic, three-wheeling, single-seat passenger vehicle awaits a reason to roam.   Read >>
Dog sniffs out Atherton burglary suspect
	A foot chase through the landscaped yards of residential Atherton ended Thursday when a police dog tracked down a man suspected of burglarizing at least one nearby house.   Read >>
Deputies nab trio with stolen goods
	Oak Avenue call leads to chase into Pacifica   Read >>
Deputies yank 2,900 marijuana plants
	Members of the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force and the California Highway Patrol paid a visit Wednesday to the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve on the borders of Woodside and Portola Valley and destroyed 2,900 young marijuana plants on five plots, The Almanac has learned.   Read >>
Two more arrested in May 5 homicide
	SACRAMENTO – Two more people have been arrested in connection with the death of 35-year-old Jason Fletcher, who was shot to death May 5 in south Sacramento during what investigators said was a drug deal and botched carjacking.   Read >>
58 Arrested During Drug Sting At Weekend Cow Palace Rave
	DALY CITY, Calif. -- Nearly 60 people were arrested on drug-related charges late Saturday and early Sunday during a sting operation at a rave party at the Cow Palace in Daly City, the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force announced today.   Read >>
Dead body on beach identified
	An instructor at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga and City College of San Francisco was found fatally shot in the backseat of a vehicle in San Mateo County Saturday night and an Oakland man has allegedly admitted to the killing, officials announced Monday.   Read >>
Stranded transients rescued from cliff in Pacifica
	Three transients were rescued while stranded on a cliff side in Pacifica on Monday, after trying to find a place to camp, according to Lt. Ken Jones of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.   Read >>
Alleged arsonist agrees to plea deal
	REDWOOD CITY — A man who was facing up to life in prison without parole for the deaths of his two young sons in a 2004 San Gregorio house fire pleaded no contest to two charges of involuntary manslaughter today and will face no more than four years of incarceration.   Read >>
Teen killed by train identified
	Friends and family of a 15-year-old boy struck and killed by a train near the San Bruno Caltrain station Saturday evening describe the event as a tragic accident, although transit officials continue to investigate. On Sunday, the San Mateo County coroner's office identified Anthony Rea of South San Francisco as the victim of a rail crossing incident at the San Bruno Caltrain station about 5:35 p.m. Saturday. Train service was stopped for more than an hour after Rea, a freshman at El Camino High School, was killed.   Read >>
Large pieces of missing sailboat found
	Scuba divers located significant pieces of sunken wreckage from the missing 31-foot sailboat Daisy in San Francisco's main shipping channel about three or four miles outside the Golden Gate on Thursday, but they did not find the vessel's missing skipper.   Read >>
Two arrested for ID theft
	Two men were booked into San Mateo County Jail Tuesday after stealing a Woodside resident’s personal information to purchase $150,000 in high-end electronics, said Lt. Marc Alcantara of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.   Read >>
‘Suspicious’ dead body found
	Authorities detained a man for questioning Saturday night after discovering a dead man’s arm extending out from a covering in the backseat of a vehicle parked at Montara State Beach, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Just after 11 p.m.   Read >>
Worker at SFO held on gun charge
	SFO — A United Airlines employee at San Francisco International Airport was arrested Thursday on suspicion of sneaking a loaded handgun into a secure area of the airport, authorities said Friday   Read >>
2 men arrested in suspected mail theft
	PORTOLA VALLEY — The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office on Thursday released the names of two men suspected of pilfering mailboxes in the Ladera area near Portola Valley.   Read >>
Teacher’s teeth knocked out
	A San Mateo resident was arrested for knocking out a Woodside High School teacher’s teeth during an off-campus altercation last year   Read >>
‘Gilligan’ robber declines deal in wife murder
	The North Fair Oaks man who earned the nickname Gilligan by allegedly robbing a string of Peninsula banks while wearing a floppy fisherman’s hat before murdering his wife on the day he was scheduled to enroll in court-ordered domestic violence classes will stand trial in June.   Read >>
Man accused of killing wife, robbing banks
	The North Fair Oaks man accused of stabbing his wife to death weeks after being labeled the “Gilligan robber” by local law enforcement will stand trial next summerfor murder and seven counts of bank robbery. Robert Lomas, 51, has pleaded not guilty to all charges stemming from the May 21 death of his wife and the string of Peninsula bank robberies preceding his arrest. On Tuesday, Lomas was ordered to begin trial June 23.   Read >>
Man Threatens to jump off San Mateo Bridge
	June 21 (BCN) - A man recently released from a health care facility slowed traffic on the San Mateo Bridge Sunday when he threatened to jump off the bridge, according to the California Highway Patrol.   Read >>
Sheriff detain one in connection to shooting
	A man sent to prison last year on methamphetamine charges was arrested this week on parole violations and is considered a “person of interest” in a shooting that sent two people to the hospital Sunday, said San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Marc Alcantara.   Read >>
Sheriff looking for jail solution
	A group of deserted buildings in La Honda may be Sheriff Greg Munks' best hope to ease the strains on San Mateo County's crowded jails.   Read >>
Trial date set for father accused of sons' deaths in arson
	REDWOOD CITY - A Half Moon Bay man accused of starting a fire that caused the deaths of his two young children in 2004 will stand trial in April on murder and arson charges.   Read >>
Sheriff James J. McGrath, a good friend
	There is a saying that voters get the politicians that they deserve. This may have been true in the case of Sheriff James J. McGrath. His name was connected with the corruption of San Mateo County in first half of the 20th century, but the voters kept returning him to office.   Read >>
Fast, temporary relief sought for jail overcrowding
	REDWOOD CITY — The county may be looking toward building a bigger, better jail to address its ballooning inmate population, but interim solutions to help current inmates must also be implemented, the San Mateo County Civil grand jury said Thursday.   Read >>
Scott Peterson Jurors Write Book
	Scott Peterson Jurors Write Book   Read >>
Scott Peterson Media Coverage
	Media Coverage showing DSA members   Read >>
Dad pleads not guilty to bringing gun to court
	A 44-year-old Pacifica man accused of trying to bring a loaded handgun to his convicted burglar son’s criminal arraignment on new assault charges pleaded not guilty Tuesday at his own felony court appearance.   Read >>
Grand jury confirms jail overcrowding
	For the second time in just over a year, the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury issued a report calling for officials to build at least one new jail to ease inmate overcrowding.   Read >>
Gangsters Taser man at a school
	Police are looking for up to five men who Tasered a rival gang member at an elementary school and caused another car to crash after firing at least one gun shot.   Read >>
'Gilligan' held for murder
	Police arrested a man previously wanted for a recent string of bank robberies for stabbing his wife to death in their North Fair Oaks home yesterday morning.   Read >>
'Gilligan' admits guilt
	The man arrested for murdering his wife Monday allegedly confessed to 12 bank robberies over the last five years and is expected to face additional robbery charges when arraigned today in San Mateo County Superior Court.   Read >>
DSA Board Press Release
	DSA Board Press Release on 4/26/07.   Read >>
Inmates assault officers
	Two murder defendants facing prison sentences of life without parole assaulted two correctional officers who tried to keep one from shouting near a cell window, according to prosecutors who charged each with six felonies.   Read >>
Residents upset about gang activity, problems in area
	REDWOOD CITY — San Mateo County sheriff's detectives are investigating a shooting that critically wounded a man at an apartment complex in an unincorporated area east of El Camino Real.   Read >>
Father won't face death in arson, murder case
	REDWOOD CITY — A Half Moon Bay man accused of the 2004 arson-related deaths of his two young children will not face the death penalty if convicted, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.    Read >>
North Fair Oaks shooting victim ID'd
	REDWOOD CITY — A 21-year-old Redwood City man who died after being shot Thursday in a possibly gang-related attack in unincorporated Redwood City was identified Monday by the San Mateo County Coroner's Office.    Read >>
Coroner names passenger killed in crash
	ATHERTON — The San Mateo County coroner's office on Saturday identified a passenger killed Friday morning in a solo-vehicle crash here as Eduardo Agustin Reyes, 18, of Redwood City.    Read >>
Judge triples amount to be posted as more people claim they were sexually molested
	REDWOOD CITY — Dr. William Ayres, the child psychiatrist accused of molesting dozens of young boys throughout much of his 40-year practice in San Mateo County, was ordered to return to jail Friday, where he spent a few brief hours before posting $500,000 bail later in the afternoon.    Read >>
Two arrested in sale of drugs to undercover cops
	SAN MATEO — Two San Mateo men were arrested last week on charges of selling cocaine and methamphetamine to undercover police, law enforcement officials reported.   Read >>
Officials: Larger jail needed
	A proposed new 316-bed women’s correctional facility would only solve half the county’s jail overcrowding problem, according to officials. A report on jail needs released Friday calls for the construction of a new jail at the current location on Maple Street, with 72 beds to be set aside for alcohol and drug treatment. Sixteen beds would be designated maximum security, with 70 beds designated medium security and 158 minimum   Read >>
Sheriff Veterans to retire
	4/28/01 SF Chronicle article on Sheriff's Office Retirements   Read >>
Stabbing sheds light on need for new jail
	The San Mateo County Women’s Correctional Facility is more that 150 percent over capacity and a new facility should be built soon to maintain safety and provide better programs for prisoners, Sheriff Greg Munks said yesterday.    Read >>
Inmate denies stabbing guard
	A female inmate who stabbed a correctional officer twice in the face with a pencil during an escape attempt from the Redwood City Women's Correctional Center was arraigned Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court   Read >>
Protecting cops' reputations from false accusations is necessary, judge says
	Public hearings of misconduct complaints against police officers violate their rights to confidentiality in personnel matters, an Alameda County Superior Court Judge has ruled. In a 17-page decision released Friday, Superior Court Judge Winifred Smith decided in favor of the Berkeley Police Association, which for years has tried to close meetings of the city's Police Review Commission to the public.    Read >>
Women's jail suffers with outdated conditions
	There is a room in the San Mateo County Women’s Correctional Facility where inmates study for their General Education Diploma next to a pile of freshly laundered orange jump suits, where more than 150 inmates vie for one of four DOS-era computers and where bags of dirty laundry sit next to a makeshift library.    Read >>
Inmates in compact confinement
	In a stuffy room in the San Mateo County Women's Correctional Center in Redwood City, there are dozens of beds, triple-bunked and arranged in rows along the walls. A few women try to take a midday nap while others chat in the center of the room.    Read >>
County officials undertake mass jail system revamp
	Jail overcrowding is not simply a state issue, the county suffers from it as well. With the state seeking some overcrowding relief, San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks is looking to completely revamp the local jail system with new facilities and programs while a team of county supervisors push an effort to make sure the women’s jail is providing the unique services it requires.    Read >>
Women's jail won't get face-lift
	REDWOOD CITY — The verdict is in, and it appears there is not enough spackle, paint or duct tape around to help improve the dilapidated San Mateo County Women's Correctional Facility.    Read >>
Female inmates subject of summit
	Male inmates are the largest and most visible group of prisoners in San Mateo County jail, outnumbering females by a ratio of 6-to-1.    Read >>
Domestic Violence Firearms Compliance Program
	The Board of Supervisors Tuesday created the Domestic Violence Firearms Compliance Program, a two-year pilot program with the Department of Justice, to remove firearms within 24 hours from people served with a restraining order. Law enforcement can confiscate weapons from those who do not turn them over or sell them to a licensed gun dealer. The task force includes two deputy sheriffs and two members of the Department of Justice. The group will monitoring databases for firearms ownership, serve temporary restraining orders, educate community groups and work with local law enforcement to locate and confiscate illegal firearms. The initiative is funded with a $972,000 Department of Justice grant and enforcement could begin as early as May.    Read >>
Domestic violence pilot program launched
	Local law enforcement will have greater muscle to enforce temporary restraining orders in domestic violence cases with a pilot program launched today giving them more latitude in removing guns from the alleged abuser and their premises. The Domestic Violence Firearms Compliance Program came out of a two-year assessment by then-Attorney General Bill Lockyer. A 26-member task force, including San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer, made 44 recommendations to reduce violence, including improving the firearm prohibitions of restraining orders    Read >>
Overcrowding plagues San Mateo County jails
	REDWOOD CITY, Calif. Even as the county this week prepares to release a report highlighting the need to build a new women’s jail, Sheriff Greg Munks says a much larger, 500-bed facility is need to solve the county’s overcrowding problem.    Read >>
No bail in attempted murder case
	The 20-year-old Redwood City man accused of shooting an 18-year-old Newark man three times after a 10-person fight over car vandalism remains in custody after a judge refused to change his no-bail status. Marco Antonio Carlos was denied bail and ordered back to court March 6 for a preliminary hearing on the evidence. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted first-degree murder.    Read >>
County jail may house state prisoners
	San Mateo County may begin housing their own felons instead of sending them away to state prison in return for part of the $4.5 billion in state funding being offered under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new plan to reduce prison overcrowding. The proposal has the county reconsidering its current plan to build a new women’s jail. It may instead consider building a larger facility to house long-term men and women inmates and reserve the Maguire facility for short-term sentences, said Sheriff Greg Munks.    Read >>
There's a new sheriff in town
	Newly elected San Mateo County Sheriff Greg Munks was born, raised and lived his entire life within an eight mile radius of his new office in downtown Redwood City. Munks is as hometown as they come. He was born at Stanford Hospital, went to Palo Alto High, attended Menlo College and currently lives in Portola Valley. He started his career at the Palo Alto Police Department where he forged a longtime — and sometimes competitive — friendship with new Undersheriff Carlos Bolanos.    Read >>
Woman attempts to escape local jail
	REDWOOD CITY — A San Mateo County corrections officer was stabbed in the face with a pencil Sunday by a woman attempting to escape from the county's Women's Correctional Facility. Around 6:35 p.m., the corrections officer was escorting 36-year-old Michelle Denise Robinson, of Oakland, from the jail's shower area to her cell in the jail's administrative segregation area when Robinson reportedly pulled the officer's hair and attempted to grab her keys to the general housing area, Sheriff's Lt. Lisa Williams said.    Read >>