News 8/25/10

INMATE SUICIDE ATTEMPT JKB 8/25/10

• A SANTA ROSA MAN CONVICTED OF MURDERING THE MOTHER OF HIS CHILDREN, AND WHO LATER LED UKIAH POLICE ON A DAY LONG MANHUNT IS NOT EXPECTED TO SURVIVE AFTER A SUICIDE ATTEMPT IN PRISON.

33 YEAR OLD HONORIO PANTALEON WAS FOUND HANGING FROM A BED SHEET IN HIS SAN QUENTIN PRISON CELL DURING A ROUTINE SECURITY CHECK ON MONDAY. HE HAD ALSO APPARENTLY CUT HIS OWN THROAT. PANTALEON WAS CONVICTED OF STABBING 25 YEAR OLD PATRICIA BARRALES 68 TIMES IN FRONT OF THE COUPLES TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, AGES 2 AND 4 AND THEN STUFFING HER BODY INSIDE A TOY BOX ON MOTHERS DAY OF 2008. HE THEN DROVE TO UKIAH THE NEXT DAY TO SHOOT BARRALES MOTHER, BUT SHE SURVIVED WHEN THE GUN MISFIRED. PANTALEON WAS SENTENCED TO TWO CONSECUTIVE LIFE TERMS PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 16 YEARS.

INDIAN VALLEY RESERVOIR FIRE JKB 8/25/10

• FIREFIGHTERS ARE BATTLING A 300 ACRE BRUSH FIRE IN THE INDIAN VALLEY RESERVOIR IN LAKE COUNTY, THAT BROKE OUT NEAR THE COLOUSA COUNTY LINE YESTERDAY.

THE BLAZE WAS REPORTED AT AROUND 3:30 PM. NO STRUCTURES ARE THREATENED AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE FIRE WAS ESTIMATED AT 10% CONTAINED AS OF LAST NIGHT. THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

ANOTHER HOT DAY JKB 8/25/10

• IT IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER HOT DAY ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY.

TEMPERATURES IN INLAND MENDOCINO COUNTY ARE EXPECTED TO BE UP AROUND 105 TODAY AND 107 IN LAKE COUNTY. GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENNEGER IS ADVISING ALL RESIDENTS TO TAKE STEPS TO PREPARE FOR THE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO LAST UNTIL TOMORROW. STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMEND DRINKING PLENTY OF WATER, STAYING INDOORS DURING THE HOTTEST TIMES OF THE DAY AND PACING YOURSELF WHEN OUTSIDE. SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO INFANTS, SMALL CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, PEOPLE WITH ILLNESSES AND PETS DURING TIMES OF EXTREME HEAT. EMPLOYERS ARE ALSO ASKED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS FOR THEIR WORK CREWS. TEMPERATURES IN LAKE AN MENDOCINO COUNTIES IS EXPECTED TO EASE INTO THE MID 90S BY TOMORROW.

EMBEZZLEMENT ARRESTS JKB 8/25/10

• 7 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND ONE PERSON IS BEING SOUGHT IN CONNECTION WITH THE EMBEZZLEMENT OF MORE THAN $100,000 FROM THE SHO-KA-WAH CASINO IN HOPLAND.

THE ARRESTS ARE THE RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATION BEGUN LAST NOVEMBER. 42 YEAR OLD JOAN ELIZABETH PICKRON OF UKIAH AND 7 ACCOMPLICES ARE SUSPECTED OF STEALING FROM THE CASINO BY OVERRIDING JACKPOT SLOT MACHINES. PICKRON AND THE OTHERS WERE ORDERED TO APPEAR IN COURT ON EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES JUNE 26TH. 4 OF THE SUSPECTS TURNED THEMSELVES IN AS ORDERED. PICKRON AND 3 OTHERS FAILED TO APPEAR. SHE WAS ARRESTED, ALONG WITH 38 YEAR OLD JOHN GLASS JR, AND 47 YEAR OLD ALEX MARTIN AUGUST 19TH. ONE SUSPECT IS STILL BEING SOUGHT.

ARMED ROBBERY INVESTIGATION JKB 8/25/10

• LAKEPORT POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A TEENAGE BOYS CLAIM THAT HE WAS ROBBED AT GUNPOINT MONDAY EVENING.

THE TEEN REPORTED THAT THE SUSPECT DEMANDED AND TOOK PRIVATE PROPERTY FROM HIM JUST BEFORE 10 PM. INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY BELIEVE IT IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT DID ADVISE CITIZENS TO BE AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.

GORSE CONTROLLED BURN JKB 8/25/10

• THERE IS GOING TO BE A CONTROLLED BURN OF GORSE BRUSH ON THE MENDOCINO COAST AT CASPAR TOMORROW THAT COULD PUT UP A LOT OF SMOKE, AND IN TURN REDUCE VISIBILITY ON HIGHWAY 1.

THE BURN IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 6 AM AND CONTINUE UNTIL 6 PM. GORSE IN AN AGGRESSIVE NON NATIVE WEED AND IS HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. ALTHOUGH A CALFIRE BURN BAN IS IN EFFECT THE AGRICULTURAL BURN PERMIT WAS ISSUED TO RID THE AREA OF THE GORSE SEED AND BRUSH BECAUSE OF THE HIGH POTENTIAL FOR FIRE DANGER.

BEAR WOMAN STILL FEEDING WILDLIFE JKB 8/25/10

• A LAYTONVILLE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN WARNED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS BY THE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT TO STOP FEEDING WILDLIFE, IS IN TROUBLE AGAIN.

STATE FISH AND GAME WARDENS FOUND 1,000 POUNDS OF CORN, AND 4 BEARS AFTER SERVING A SEARCH WARRANT ON THE HOME AND 40 ACRE PROPERTY OF 76 YEAR OLD LYNNE GRAVIER EARLIER THIS WEEK. THE WARRANT WAS SERVED AFTER A 3 MONTH LONG INVESTIGATION PROMPTED BY NEIGHBORS COMPLAINTS. GRAVIER WAS THREATENED WITH PROSECUTION FOR FEEDING BEARS 5 YEARS AGO, BUT THEN DISTRICT ATTORNEY NORM VROMAN REFUSED TO FILE CHARGES. AUTHORITIES SAY BEARS USED TO BEING FED BY HUMANS CAN BECOME DESTRUCTIVE AND DANGEROUS WHEN LOOKING FOR HANDOUTS. TWO OF THE BEARS FOUND ON GRAVIERS PROPERTY WERE ON HER FRONT PORCH.

72 DEAD BODIES DISCOVERED JKB 8/25/10

• THE MEXICAN NAVY DISCOVERED 72 DEAD BODIES ON A RANCH IN THE NORTHEASTERN STATE OF TAMAULIPAS MEXICO TUESDAY.

THE BODIES OF 58 MEN AND 14 WOMEN WERE FOUND ABOVE GROUND ON A RANCH 14 MILES FROM THE TOWN OF SAN FERNANDO. AUTHORITIES CALLED IT ONE OF THE LARGEST DISCOVERIES OF DEAD BODIES IN THE COUNTYS 4 YEAR OLD WAR ON ORGANIZED CRIME. INVESTIGATORS WERE TIPPED OFF ABOUT THE MAKESHIFT BURIAL GROUND AFTER ENCOUNTERING A MAN WHO WAS SUFFERING FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND. HE STATE HE HAD BEEN INJURED BY A CRIMINAL GANG.

BOMBING ATTACKS IN IRAQ KILL 48 JKB 8/25/10

• A WAVE OF BOMBING ACROSS IRAQ KILLED AT LEAST 48 PEOPLE AND INJURED AS MANY AS 286, JUST DAYS AFTER THE LAST U.S. COMBAT TROOPS PULLED OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

THE ATTACKS MOSTLY TARGETED IRAQI SECURITY FORCES IN 13 CITIES AND WERE CARRIED OUT BY AL QAEDA MILITANTS. A SIMILAR COORDINATED ATTACK IN MAY KILLED 85 AND INJURED MORE THAN 300.