Fentanyl found; road rage shooting; teen exonerated in murder case
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Odd and interesting news from around the West.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY — A small group of Utah lawmakers made a rare tour Thursday of a state-run liquor store and said they want to see if officials can take steps to run the state's alcohol control program more like a business and less like a government agency.
Alcohol is a significant business in Utah even though a large portion of the state's residents and legislature are teetotaler Mormons. How the state controls access and sales is a subject of constant debate as conservative lawmakers grapple with decades of strict controls but a growing population of drinkers who drive up sales and fill state coffers.
"We have a real sort of divided attitude about this in our state," said Sen. Brian Shiozawa, a Republican from Salt Lake City. "Some people say it's a necessary evil but on the other hand, we love the revenue."
Lawmakers on Thursday's tour of a specialty wine store and liquor warehouse in Salt Lake City sit on a committee that oversees part of Utah's budget dealing with business and labor. They didn't take any official action, but several expressed surprise at hearing how little some employees are paid and how much money the stores generate.
"I think there's some here that have probably never been in a liquor store before," said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, a nondrinker who has been immersing himself in alcohol policy in recent years.
The Layton Republican said Thursday's tour was important to show lawmakers the issues Utah faces as it runs a $400 million a year business that includes 44 state liquor and wine stores.
Sen. Jim Dabakis, a Democrat from Salt Lake City, didn't go on Thursday's tour but says Utah's quirky policies and tight control have created embarrassing blunders — such as a Oktoberfest celebration that nearly had no beer — and are bad for tourism business. Instead, he thinks Utah should get out of the alcohol business.
"I don't think we ought to waste time trying to tweak these little things," Dabakis said.
Many legislators say they don't believe Utah will privatize the liquor industry anytime soon —if ever — especially because it brings in so much revenue.
Liquor officials told lawmakers Thursday about the fine line they have to walk as state law bars the promotion of drinking or buying alcohol, though the state liquor department tries to encourage sales of a particular bottle to keep inventory moving.
David Paul, who manages the Salt Lake City wine store, said if a particular product isn't selling well, they can reduce prices up to 46 percent over several months and try to stack the product near the front of the store to catch the attention of shoppers.
Sal Petilos, the executive director of Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said it's challenging when part-time employees start at about $9 an hour, and those trained with knowledge about fine wines often move on to better paying jobs elsewhere.
Petilos also said some stores may need to be expanded or renovated. He said a 2013 University of Utah study showed that a least a dozen new stores are needed to meet demand.
Lawmakers said they will have to take a hard look at whether they can do more to run Utah's alcohol business like a retail operation — including letting the alcohol-control agency keep more of the money it generates instead of using it for other government operations and to stave off tax increases.
"We need to take a look at it in a different way to make sure that it's done right," said Sen. Wayne Harper, a Republican from Taylorsville. "We've got a large number of residents in the state of Utah who enjoy the spirits."
- The Associated Press
- Updated
KEIZER, Ore. — The Marion County District Attorney's office has decided that a 16-year-old Keizer boy was justified in using deadly force in the fatal stabbing of a 45-year-old man.
Authorities say Jeffery Holly of Monmouth died as a result of stab wounds on April 15 at a home on Brooks Avenue Northeast in Keizer.
The district attorney's office says Holly had been in a relationship with the boy's mother since 2014 and that numerous calls had been made to police for domestic violence and fights at the Keizer home.
Police say Holly showed up at the house intoxicated on April 15, forced his way into the boy's bedroom and began hitting the teen.
The teen told police he stabbed Holly multiple times when he advanced on him again, saying he was fearful that Holly would grab a knife on the dresser.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles County prosecutors say the daughter of Inglewood Mayor James Butts has been arrested and charged with paying a friend to attack her landlord over an ongoing dispute.
The Los Angeles Times reports Thursday that Ashley Butts and her friend, Israel Rios, were taken into custody on a warrant stemming from the April 30 attack.
Butts was released on $100,000 bond Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if she had a lawyer.
Rios pleaded not guilty Thursday to assault and other charges. He remains jailed.
The 37-year-old Rios is accused of attacking the landlord with a bat. The victim suffered cuts and bruises to his head.
If the 30-year-old Butts is convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison. Rios faces up to 22 years in prison.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
NEWPORT, Ore. — A man who police say fled prosecution 19 years ago for sexual assault crimes has been captured by authorities in Mexico and returned to Oregon, authorities said Thursday.
Eric Francisco DeCleve, 43, was returned to Newport this week through a joint effort by police, the FBI and Mexican officials, Newport Police said in a news release.
DeCleve was arrested in 1997 on multiple counts of rape and other charges for allegedly giving illegal drugs to girls who were 11 and 13 and sexually assaulting them. Police say DeCleve, who was 24 at the time, confessed to the crimes and fled the country after posting bail.
Authorities said they were given a tip in 2004 that he was in Mexico but they weren't able to find him until this year when they heard he was working in Cancun.
The investigation determined DeCleve was working as a surfing instructor and living under the name Eric Victor Munhoven Navarro. The FBI worked with Mexican officials to capture and extradite DeCleve to the United States for trial.
He was arrested on charges including two counts of first-degree rape, one count of second-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree sodomy and four counts of delivery of controlled substance to a minor.
It wasn't immediately clear if DeCleve had an attorney. He has been jailed in Newport with bail set at $3 million.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
LOS ANGELES — Nine people have been charged with stealing $6 million worth of Rolexes and other expensive watches and jewelry in Southern California smash-and-grab robberies.
Authorities say four of the nine were arrested Thursday. Three others already were in custody and two are being sought.
A federal indictment for conspiracy was issued on June 8 in Santa Ana. It claims the men staged 10 smash-and-grabs between last August and April of this year, targeting stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties that sold high-end jewelry.
Prosecutors say the ringleaders recruited financially desperate young men, and provided guns, tools disguises and stolen cars for the holdups.
A rifle was fired during one holdup.
Each man could face decades in prison if convicted.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has captured and relocated a yearling black bear found wandering in a residential area of Casper.
Janet Milek of the Game and Fish Department says game managers used a tranquilizer gun to dart the bear and immobilize it in a backyard Thursday.
The bear apparently followed a creek from nearby Casper Mountain down into the city.
Milek tells KTWO radio in Casper that the bear was relocated to a remote area about 20 miles south of the city.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Department of Corrections inmates walking away from halfway houses in Alaska's largest city are becoming a public safety problem, according to the Anchorage Police Department.
Inmates walked away from Anchorage halfway houses 86 times so far in 2016, said police spokeswoman Renee Oistad. That includes one prisoner who walked away from the Cordova Center twice.
"Once in February, and again in April, and so obviously there's a problem with that," Oistad said.
Across the state from Jan. 1 through Thursday, 102 people have walked away from a halfway house, said Corrections Department spokesman Corey Allen-Young in an email response to questions. Of those who walked away, 28 remained at large.
Anchorage Police on Wednesday obtained an escape warrant for Bryce McCarter, 23, who walked away from Cordova Center. The 5-foot-7, 150-pound man was last seen wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes, according to a police press release.
"The main reason why they're put in a halfway house is because there's not enough room to put every person in our institutions. We'd be crowded," Allen-Young said. "And also, it's cheaper. And also, it helps transition them back to society."
About 20 percent of people in halfway houses are awaiting trial or sentencing, he said. Placement decisions are made case-by-case.
"You can't be an arsonist, you can't be a sex offender, and you can't have any violent assaults," he said.
The penalty for walking away varies but prisoners arrested again go back to an institution and time is added to their sentence.
"The majority of the individuals that are in halfway houses that are walkaways are walking out because of some drug-related occurrence," Allen-Young said. "So they're either trying to get drugs, involved with drugs, or took some drugs and don't want it to show on a test."
The department is reviewing policies to find a solution he said.
- By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press
- Updated
BILLINGS, Mont. — A state judge expressed alarm at the estimated 200 million gallons of contaminated water seeping annually from leaky ash-storage ponds at a Montana power plant serving customers across the Pacific Northwest — a problem that's persisted for years after the company and state officials said they were addressing it.
A 2012 deal between Montana environmental regulators and the Pennsylvania-based manager of Colstrip Steam Electric Station was intended to clean up decades of contamination of surrounding water tables.
The agreement, known as an administrative order on consent, came after the plant's six owners paid $25 million in a separate settlement to Colstrip residents whose water was fouled by the plant's ash ponds.
District Judge Robert Deschamps said he found it "alarming" that 380 gallons of wastewater continues to seep from the ponds every minute. That's equivalent to nearly 200 million gallons a year.
Claims by plant manager Talen Energy that the seepage was being effectively controlled "is clearly a disputed fact," Deschamps wrote in a Wednesday ruling.
"What is a reasonable amount of time in which the (state) should act versus conduct further study, given there has already been 30 years of seepage and the (administrative order) itself was seven years in the making?" Deschamps wrote.
The judge rejected arguments from Montana Department of Environmental Quality officials that they were appropriately handling the matter. That means environmentalists can proceed with a lawsuit challenging the 2012 agreement, which set few deadlines for action and could entail years of further study.
Talen spokesman Todd Martin said in an email that the company was abiding by the agreement to investigate and remediate the ash-pond leaks. He said the agreement "established a formal and comprehensive process" to remediate the seepage.
Opponents warned that Colstrip could close long before Talen cleans up the problem.
"This is our last chance to right the ship before the companies leave town," said attorney Jenny Harbine. "We have literally rooms full of monitoring data documenting an ongoing and increasing groundwater problem. We don't need more documentation of the problem. We need a solution," she said.
Harbine is with the environmental law firm Earthjustice representing plaintiffs National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center.
A spokeswoman for the Montana DEQ could not immediately comment on Deschamp's ruling.
Talen is seeking to get out of the plant within two years. Meanwhile, Colstrip co-owners Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp are considering shutting down at least two of the plant's four electricity-generating units in coming years, part of a transition away from coal-fired electricity by utilities.
In 1976, the Montana Board of Natural Resources and Conservation approved an expansion of Colstrip on the condition that the wastewater ponds be sealed. The board said at the time that the plant would not threaten ground and surface water supplies.
The plant's prior operator, Montana Power, kept such problems hidden for years before notifying the community. By then, water tainted with boron had caused stomach ailments, although no serious illnesses were reported.
Talen's predecessor, PPL Montana, upgraded the material used to line the coal ash ponds and installed two plants that dry out coal ash waste from the power generator, reducing the amount of water involved. The company acknowledged there would always be some leakage.
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Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at https://twitter.com/matthewbrownap .
- The Associated Press
- Updated
BLACKFOOT, Idaho — A Blackfoot restaurant owner died after a man crashed into his house Tuesday night, causing the garage and a neighboring home to catch fire, police said.
William K. Hong, 92, was the owner of the popular Hong's Take-Out. He was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead. Police Capt. Scott Gay said he would not comment on the cause of death until the completion of an autopsy.
No one else was in the house.
The Blackfoot Police Department said a 30-year-old Blackfoot man has been arrested for vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The man was arrested at his home. He was treated for injuries in the hospital and medically cleared to be jailed, The Post Register reported.
Brandie Clark, a former manager at the restaurant, said Hong was "very welcoming and loved feeding Blackfoot."
Hong came to the U.S. from China in the 1950s. Clark said he was a U.S. veteran and has served during the Vietnam war. Although he could be terse, Clark said, she admired him.
"He had a very, very beautiful soul," Clark said. "He taught me honesty, loyalty and respect."
Blackfoot Fire Department Capt. Dave Krumenacker said the home is probably a total loss.
A neighboring house sustained significant damage to the roof, but the occupants were not injured, Krumenacker said.
The crash appears to have caused the initial fire, but Krumenacker said something seems to have accelerated the blaze. An investigation is ongoing.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities say a Salt Lake City motel was evacuated after a probationer was caught there with the prescription painkiller fentanyl.
Officials say they got a tip Wednesday that Nathan Jetter was staying at the motel on State Street after leaving his last known address. When Adult Probation and Parole agents arrived at his room, they found a gun and a powered substance believed to be the opioid drug fentanyl.
It can be deadly if inhaled or absorbed through the skin, so police evacuated the building while crews started decontaminating.
Jetter was brought to a hospital for observation and then arrested. The second person was questioned and released.
No attorney was immediately listed for Jetter in court records.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff says new evidence shows a deputy's patrol car struck a 15-year-old bicyclist in Spokane Valley two years ago, contradicting findings from multiple previous investigations into the crash.
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and an outside investigator said Wednesday that a review of evidence found Deputy Joe Bodman's patrol car hit Ryan Holyk's head.
Bodman was speeding on Sprague Avenue without lights or sirens on May 23, 2014, when the teen crossed the street against a red light. Holyk died from his injuries. His family has maintained that he had been hit. They filed a civil lawsuit against the sheriff's office.
Knezovich said he wanted to release the new information but cautioned it doesn't prove Bodman's guilt.
The Spokesman-Review reports (http://goo.gl/o1K7O6) that Prosecutor Larry Haskell says he will re-examine the case in light of the evidence. Haskell previously cleared Bodman of criminal violations based on previous internal and outside investigations.
- The Associated Press
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LAS VEGAS — A Nevada judge has freed a man who was sentenced to six months in jail by a judge who had the man's attorney handcuffed to silence her in a Las Vegas courtroom.
Clark County District Court Judge Rob Bare released Daniel Fernandez on Wednesday, pending a July 13 hearing of Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Conrad Hafen's actions.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Bare noted that Fernandez had no legal representation he was sentenced.
Deputy Public Defender Zohra Bakhtary was handcuffed at the time.
Bakhtary had been arguing against jailing Fernandez on a probation violation.
A court transcript showed she kept talking and that Hafen warned her several times that she faced being held in contempt for interrupting while he tried to rule.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Utah authorities say a man was shot after confronting another driver in an apparent road rage incident.
The Deseret News reports that West Valley Police Lt. Scott Buchanan says 32-year-old Peter Bierly of West Valley City was found lying in the road Wednesday evening with a gunshot wound in his leg. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Buchanan says the Bierly was a passenger in a vehicle that was taking a family member to the hospital when another car began making aggressive blocking maneuvers.
The lieutenant says Bierly was apparently shot after starting a conversation with the other driver at a red light.
Police say Bierly's car continued on to the hospital, but Bierly's mother stayed with him until he could get medical attention.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
- The Associated Press
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FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A former Fairbanks chiropractor and gun dealer received 17 years in prison for soliciting the murder of federal officers and others involved in an investigation against him in a separate murder-for-hire plot.
Guy Christopher Mannino, 57, was sentenced Wednesday after being convicted of trying to have a witness and two federal agents killed while he was behind bars, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. A jury acquitted him in February of targeting his public defender and a third federal agent.
Prosecutors say Mannino tried to hire a fellow inmate in 2014 to kill those who investigated allegations he tried to order the death of an attorney in 2013. The inmate approached authorities and agreed to help gather evidence against Mannino.
In the initial case, Mannino was not charged with trying to get a fellow firearms enthusiast to kill an attorney for an opponent in a lawsuit. The man notified authorities and agreed to act as an informant.
Mannino pleaded guilty to weapons charges in the initial case, acknowledging he transferred an unregistered Sten 9mm machine gun and a silencer for a rifle to another person. Prosecutors argued he transferred the weapons as part of the murder-for-hire plot. Mannino got three years in prison.
Scott Dattan, Mannino's attorney, asked the judge for a prison sentence of no more than 10 years for his client in the most recent case, citing his age and poor health.
He was moved from a Fairbanks prison to one in Anchorage after another inmate beat him severely.
"In all probability he will continue to be victimized by younger, larger inmates, thereby further increasing the actual costs of incarceration," Dattan wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bottini said he was satisfied with the 17-year term.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com
- The Associated Press
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LAS VEGAS — Trial has been reset in Las Vegas for a German-born illusionist facing decades in prison and up to $1 million in fines on federal child pornography charges.
Jan Rouven Fuechtener's attorney declined Thursday to comment about the delay and the new trial date, July 25.
Fuechtener performs under the name Jan Rouven. His Las Vegas Strip show was closed following his arrest March 16.
His trial had been scheduled next week in U.S. District Court.
The 38-year-old German citizen has pleaded not guilty to receipt, distribution, advertising and possession of child pornography charges. He would also face deportation if he's convicted.
Prosecutors allege that a computer user named "Lars45" amassed more than 3,500 videos and images on computers at Fuechtener's home. They say some depict sex acts with kindergarten-age children.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County jury has found a 51-year-old Spanaway caregiver guilty of second-degree murder in the death of a man in his care.
The prosecutor's office says the jury on Wednesday also found Larry Lee guilty of manslaughter in death of 59-year-old Philip Carter, who had a mild mental impairment that required daily help.
Prosecutors say Carter was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup in May 2015 with several large, deep bed sores. He suffered a serious infection and died within hours.
Prosecutors alleged that Lee, who received $850 a month to take care of Carter, failed to treat the sores or seek medical treatment that resulted in the man's death.
The office says it is the first time a caregiver had been tried for murder since its elder abuse unit was formed in 2012.
Lee is to be sentenced June 30.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
ASPEN, Colo. — Bears have come to the Aspen area looking for food and trouble as they wake up from their hibernation.
The Aspen Times reports that Aspen police received four calls about bears Tuesday, including one call about a bear that broke a window and tried to call inside.
The woman whose window was broken had recently been cooking. She was able to scare the bear away.
Officer Dan Glidden says two downtown restaurants have had bear problems due to unsecured trash. Those restaurants were ticketed as a result.
Glidden says spring rains have been good and the bears should be able to find food in the mountains soon.
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Information from: The Aspen Times, http://www.aspentimes.com/
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. — The California corrections department says a death row inmate has died after being found unresponsive in his San Quentin prison cell.
Guards discovered 55-year-old Gilbert R. Rubio in his one-man cell Thursday around 6 a.m. His cause of death has not been determined.
Rubio was sentenced to death by a Los Angeles County jury in 2000 for first-degree murder in the home-invasion robbery of George Blackwell at his home in Long Beach.
Two others were convicted in connection with the 1998 killing. Both are serving life sentences without parole.
Since 1978, 15 California death row inmates have been executed. Seventy died of natural causes, 25 committed suicide and eight died from other causes. The Department of Corrections says there are now 747 people on California's death row.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
FRESNO, Calif. — A fire at an electrical substation briefly left about 70,000 customers without power in Fresno.
Pacific Gas & Electric says the fire occurred around 4 p.m. Thursday at the Gregg transmission substation outside of town.
The blaze was confined to a single piece of equipment and was quickly doused.
PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles says power was restored to all customers within 90 minutes.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
- The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — A small group of Utah lawmakers made a rare tour Thursday of a state-run liquor store and said they want to see if officials can take steps to run the state's alcohol control program more like a business and less like a government agency.
Alcohol is a significant business in Utah even though a large portion of the state's residents and legislature are teetotaler Mormons. How the state controls access and sales is a subject of constant debate as conservative lawmakers grapple with decades of strict controls but a growing population of drinkers who drive up sales and fill state coffers.
"We have a real sort of divided attitude about this in our state," said Sen. Brian Shiozawa, a Republican from Salt Lake City. "Some people say it's a necessary evil but on the other hand, we love the revenue."
Lawmakers on Thursday's tour of a specialty wine store and liquor warehouse in Salt Lake City sit on a committee that oversees part of Utah's budget dealing with business and labor. They didn't take any official action, but several expressed surprise at hearing how little some employees are paid and how much money the stores generate.
"I think there's some here that have probably never been in a liquor store before," said Sen. Jerry Stevenson, a nondrinker who has been immersing himself in alcohol policy in recent years.
The Layton Republican said Thursday's tour was important to show lawmakers the issues Utah faces as it runs a $400 million a year business that includes 44 state liquor and wine stores.
Sen. Jim Dabakis, a Democrat from Salt Lake City, didn't go on Thursday's tour but says Utah's quirky policies and tight control have created embarrassing blunders — such as a Oktoberfest celebration that nearly had no beer — and are bad for tourism business. Instead, he thinks Utah should get out of the alcohol business.
"I don't think we ought to waste time trying to tweak these little things," Dabakis said.
Many legislators say they don't believe Utah will privatize the liquor industry anytime soon —if ever — especially because it brings in so much revenue.
Liquor officials told lawmakers Thursday about the fine line they have to walk as state law bars the promotion of drinking or buying alcohol, though the state liquor department tries to encourage sales of a particular bottle to keep inventory moving.
David Paul, who manages the Salt Lake City wine store, said if a particular product isn't selling well, they can reduce prices up to 46 percent over several months and try to stack the product near the front of the store to catch the attention of shoppers.
Sal Petilos, the executive director of Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said it's challenging when part-time employees start at about $9 an hour, and those trained with knowledge about fine wines often move on to better paying jobs elsewhere.
Petilos also said some stores may need to be expanded or renovated. He said a 2013 University of Utah study showed that a least a dozen new stores are needed to meet demand.
Lawmakers said they will have to take a hard look at whether they can do more to run Utah's alcohol business like a retail operation — including letting the alcohol-control agency keep more of the money it generates instead of using it for other government operations and to stave off tax increases.
"We need to take a look at it in a different way to make sure that it's done right," said Sen. Wayne Harper, a Republican from Taylorsville. "We've got a large number of residents in the state of Utah who enjoy the spirits."
- The Associated Press
KEIZER, Ore. — The Marion County District Attorney's office has decided that a 16-year-old Keizer boy was justified in using deadly force in the fatal stabbing of a 45-year-old man.
Authorities say Jeffery Holly of Monmouth died as a result of stab wounds on April 15 at a home on Brooks Avenue Northeast in Keizer.
The district attorney's office says Holly had been in a relationship with the boy's mother since 2014 and that numerous calls had been made to police for domestic violence and fights at the Keizer home.
Police say Holly showed up at the house intoxicated on April 15, forced his way into the boy's bedroom and began hitting the teen.
The teen told police he stabbed Holly multiple times when he advanced on him again, saying he was fearful that Holly would grab a knife on the dresser.
- The Associated Press
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles County prosecutors say the daughter of Inglewood Mayor James Butts has been arrested and charged with paying a friend to attack her landlord over an ongoing dispute.
The Los Angeles Times reports Thursday that Ashley Butts and her friend, Israel Rios, were taken into custody on a warrant stemming from the April 30 attack.
Butts was released on $100,000 bond Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if she had a lawyer.
Rios pleaded not guilty Thursday to assault and other charges. He remains jailed.
The 37-year-old Rios is accused of attacking the landlord with a bat. The victim suffered cuts and bruises to his head.
If the 30-year-old Butts is convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison. Rios faces up to 22 years in prison.
- The Associated Press
NEWPORT, Ore. — A man who police say fled prosecution 19 years ago for sexual assault crimes has been captured by authorities in Mexico and returned to Oregon, authorities said Thursday.
Eric Francisco DeCleve, 43, was returned to Newport this week through a joint effort by police, the FBI and Mexican officials, Newport Police said in a news release.
DeCleve was arrested in 1997 on multiple counts of rape and other charges for allegedly giving illegal drugs to girls who were 11 and 13 and sexually assaulting them. Police say DeCleve, who was 24 at the time, confessed to the crimes and fled the country after posting bail.
Authorities said they were given a tip in 2004 that he was in Mexico but they weren't able to find him until this year when they heard he was working in Cancun.
The investigation determined DeCleve was working as a surfing instructor and living under the name Eric Victor Munhoven Navarro. The FBI worked with Mexican officials to capture and extradite DeCleve to the United States for trial.
He was arrested on charges including two counts of first-degree rape, one count of second-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree sodomy and four counts of delivery of controlled substance to a minor.
It wasn't immediately clear if DeCleve had an attorney. He has been jailed in Newport with bail set at $3 million.
- The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Nine people have been charged with stealing $6 million worth of Rolexes and other expensive watches and jewelry in Southern California smash-and-grab robberies.
Authorities say four of the nine were arrested Thursday. Three others already were in custody and two are being sought.
A federal indictment for conspiracy was issued on June 8 in Santa Ana. It claims the men staged 10 smash-and-grabs between last August and April of this year, targeting stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties that sold high-end jewelry.
Prosecutors say the ringleaders recruited financially desperate young men, and provided guns, tools disguises and stolen cars for the holdups.
A rifle was fired during one holdup.
Each man could face decades in prison if convicted.
- The Associated Press
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has captured and relocated a yearling black bear found wandering in a residential area of Casper.
Janet Milek of the Game and Fish Department says game managers used a tranquilizer gun to dart the bear and immobilize it in a backyard Thursday.
The bear apparently followed a creek from nearby Casper Mountain down into the city.
Milek tells KTWO radio in Casper that the bear was relocated to a remote area about 20 miles south of the city.
- The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Department of Corrections inmates walking away from halfway houses in Alaska's largest city are becoming a public safety problem, according to the Anchorage Police Department.
Inmates walked away from Anchorage halfway houses 86 times so far in 2016, said police spokeswoman Renee Oistad. That includes one prisoner who walked away from the Cordova Center twice.
"Once in February, and again in April, and so obviously there's a problem with that," Oistad said.
Across the state from Jan. 1 through Thursday, 102 people have walked away from a halfway house, said Corrections Department spokesman Corey Allen-Young in an email response to questions. Of those who walked away, 28 remained at large.
Anchorage Police on Wednesday obtained an escape warrant for Bryce McCarter, 23, who walked away from Cordova Center. The 5-foot-7, 150-pound man was last seen wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, and white shoes, according to a police press release.
"The main reason why they're put in a halfway house is because there's not enough room to put every person in our institutions. We'd be crowded," Allen-Young said. "And also, it's cheaper. And also, it helps transition them back to society."
About 20 percent of people in halfway houses are awaiting trial or sentencing, he said. Placement decisions are made case-by-case.
"You can't be an arsonist, you can't be a sex offender, and you can't have any violent assaults," he said.
The penalty for walking away varies but prisoners arrested again go back to an institution and time is added to their sentence.
"The majority of the individuals that are in halfway houses that are walkaways are walking out because of some drug-related occurrence," Allen-Young said. "So they're either trying to get drugs, involved with drugs, or took some drugs and don't want it to show on a test."
The department is reviewing policies to find a solution he said.
- By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press
BILLINGS, Mont. — A state judge expressed alarm at the estimated 200 million gallons of contaminated water seeping annually from leaky ash-storage ponds at a Montana power plant serving customers across the Pacific Northwest — a problem that's persisted for years after the company and state officials said they were addressing it.
A 2012 deal between Montana environmental regulators and the Pennsylvania-based manager of Colstrip Steam Electric Station was intended to clean up decades of contamination of surrounding water tables.
The agreement, known as an administrative order on consent, came after the plant's six owners paid $25 million in a separate settlement to Colstrip residents whose water was fouled by the plant's ash ponds.
District Judge Robert Deschamps said he found it "alarming" that 380 gallons of wastewater continues to seep from the ponds every minute. That's equivalent to nearly 200 million gallons a year.
Claims by plant manager Talen Energy that the seepage was being effectively controlled "is clearly a disputed fact," Deschamps wrote in a Wednesday ruling.
"What is a reasonable amount of time in which the (state) should act versus conduct further study, given there has already been 30 years of seepage and the (administrative order) itself was seven years in the making?" Deschamps wrote.
The judge rejected arguments from Montana Department of Environmental Quality officials that they were appropriately handling the matter. That means environmentalists can proceed with a lawsuit challenging the 2012 agreement, which set few deadlines for action and could entail years of further study.
Talen spokesman Todd Martin said in an email that the company was abiding by the agreement to investigate and remediate the ash-pond leaks. He said the agreement "established a formal and comprehensive process" to remediate the seepage.
Opponents warned that Colstrip could close long before Talen cleans up the problem.
"This is our last chance to right the ship before the companies leave town," said attorney Jenny Harbine. "We have literally rooms full of monitoring data documenting an ongoing and increasing groundwater problem. We don't need more documentation of the problem. We need a solution," she said.
Harbine is with the environmental law firm Earthjustice representing plaintiffs National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center.
A spokeswoman for the Montana DEQ could not immediately comment on Deschamp's ruling.
Talen is seeking to get out of the plant within two years. Meanwhile, Colstrip co-owners Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp are considering shutting down at least two of the plant's four electricity-generating units in coming years, part of a transition away from coal-fired electricity by utilities.
In 1976, the Montana Board of Natural Resources and Conservation approved an expansion of Colstrip on the condition that the wastewater ponds be sealed. The board said at the time that the plant would not threaten ground and surface water supplies.
The plant's prior operator, Montana Power, kept such problems hidden for years before notifying the community. By then, water tainted with boron had caused stomach ailments, although no serious illnesses were reported.
Talen's predecessor, PPL Montana, upgraded the material used to line the coal ash ponds and installed two plants that dry out coal ash waste from the power generator, reducing the amount of water involved. The company acknowledged there would always be some leakage.
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Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at https://twitter.com/matthewbrownap .
- The Associated Press
BLACKFOOT, Idaho — A Blackfoot restaurant owner died after a man crashed into his house Tuesday night, causing the garage and a neighboring home to catch fire, police said.
William K. Hong, 92, was the owner of the popular Hong's Take-Out. He was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead. Police Capt. Scott Gay said he would not comment on the cause of death until the completion of an autopsy.
No one else was in the house.
The Blackfoot Police Department said a 30-year-old Blackfoot man has been arrested for vehicular manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The man was arrested at his home. He was treated for injuries in the hospital and medically cleared to be jailed, The Post Register reported.
Brandie Clark, a former manager at the restaurant, said Hong was "very welcoming and loved feeding Blackfoot."
Hong came to the U.S. from China in the 1950s. Clark said he was a U.S. veteran and has served during the Vietnam war. Although he could be terse, Clark said, she admired him.
"He had a very, very beautiful soul," Clark said. "He taught me honesty, loyalty and respect."
Blackfoot Fire Department Capt. Dave Krumenacker said the home is probably a total loss.
A neighboring house sustained significant damage to the roof, but the occupants were not injured, Krumenacker said.
The crash appears to have caused the initial fire, but Krumenacker said something seems to have accelerated the blaze. An investigation is ongoing.
- The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities say a Salt Lake City motel was evacuated after a probationer was caught there with the prescription painkiller fentanyl.
Officials say they got a tip Wednesday that Nathan Jetter was staying at the motel on State Street after leaving his last known address. When Adult Probation and Parole agents arrived at his room, they found a gun and a powered substance believed to be the opioid drug fentanyl.
It can be deadly if inhaled or absorbed through the skin, so police evacuated the building while crews started decontaminating.
Jetter was brought to a hospital for observation and then arrested. The second person was questioned and released.
No attorney was immediately listed for Jetter in court records.
- The Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County Sheriff says new evidence shows a deputy's patrol car struck a 15-year-old bicyclist in Spokane Valley two years ago, contradicting findings from multiple previous investigations into the crash.
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and an outside investigator said Wednesday that a review of evidence found Deputy Joe Bodman's patrol car hit Ryan Holyk's head.
Bodman was speeding on Sprague Avenue without lights or sirens on May 23, 2014, when the teen crossed the street against a red light. Holyk died from his injuries. His family has maintained that he had been hit. They filed a civil lawsuit against the sheriff's office.
Knezovich said he wanted to release the new information but cautioned it doesn't prove Bodman's guilt.
The Spokesman-Review reports (http://goo.gl/o1K7O6) that Prosecutor Larry Haskell says he will re-examine the case in light of the evidence. Haskell previously cleared Bodman of criminal violations based on previous internal and outside investigations.
- The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — A Nevada judge has freed a man who was sentenced to six months in jail by a judge who had the man's attorney handcuffed to silence her in a Las Vegas courtroom.
Clark County District Court Judge Rob Bare released Daniel Fernandez on Wednesday, pending a July 13 hearing of Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Conrad Hafen's actions.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Bare noted that Fernandez had no legal representation he was sentenced.
Deputy Public Defender Zohra Bakhtary was handcuffed at the time.
Bakhtary had been arguing against jailing Fernandez on a probation violation.
A court transcript showed she kept talking and that Hafen warned her several times that she faced being held in contempt for interrupting while he tried to rule.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- The Associated Press
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Utah authorities say a man was shot after confronting another driver in an apparent road rage incident.
The Deseret News reports that West Valley Police Lt. Scott Buchanan says 32-year-old Peter Bierly of West Valley City was found lying in the road Wednesday evening with a gunshot wound in his leg. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Buchanan says the Bierly was a passenger in a vehicle that was taking a family member to the hospital when another car began making aggressive blocking maneuvers.
The lieutenant says Bierly was apparently shot after starting a conversation with the other driver at a red light.
Police say Bierly's car continued on to the hospital, but Bierly's mother stayed with him until he could get medical attention.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
- The Associated Press
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A former Fairbanks chiropractor and gun dealer received 17 years in prison for soliciting the murder of federal officers and others involved in an investigation against him in a separate murder-for-hire plot.
Guy Christopher Mannino, 57, was sentenced Wednesday after being convicted of trying to have a witness and two federal agents killed while he was behind bars, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. A jury acquitted him in February of targeting his public defender and a third federal agent.
Prosecutors say Mannino tried to hire a fellow inmate in 2014 to kill those who investigated allegations he tried to order the death of an attorney in 2013. The inmate approached authorities and agreed to help gather evidence against Mannino.
In the initial case, Mannino was not charged with trying to get a fellow firearms enthusiast to kill an attorney for an opponent in a lawsuit. The man notified authorities and agreed to act as an informant.
Mannino pleaded guilty to weapons charges in the initial case, acknowledging he transferred an unregistered Sten 9mm machine gun and a silencer for a rifle to another person. Prosecutors argued he transferred the weapons as part of the murder-for-hire plot. Mannino got three years in prison.
Scott Dattan, Mannino's attorney, asked the judge for a prison sentence of no more than 10 years for his client in the most recent case, citing his age and poor health.
He was moved from a Fairbanks prison to one in Anchorage after another inmate beat him severely.
"In all probability he will continue to be victimized by younger, larger inmates, thereby further increasing the actual costs of incarceration," Dattan wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bottini said he was satisfied with the 17-year term.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com
- The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — Trial has been reset in Las Vegas for a German-born illusionist facing decades in prison and up to $1 million in fines on federal child pornography charges.
Jan Rouven Fuechtener's attorney declined Thursday to comment about the delay and the new trial date, July 25.
Fuechtener performs under the name Jan Rouven. His Las Vegas Strip show was closed following his arrest March 16.
His trial had been scheduled next week in U.S. District Court.
The 38-year-old German citizen has pleaded not guilty to receipt, distribution, advertising and possession of child pornography charges. He would also face deportation if he's convicted.
Prosecutors allege that a computer user named "Lars45" amassed more than 3,500 videos and images on computers at Fuechtener's home. They say some depict sex acts with kindergarten-age children.
- The Associated Press
TACOMA, Wash. — A Pierce County jury has found a 51-year-old Spanaway caregiver guilty of second-degree murder in the death of a man in his care.
The prosecutor's office says the jury on Wednesday also found Larry Lee guilty of manslaughter in death of 59-year-old Philip Carter, who had a mild mental impairment that required daily help.
Prosecutors say Carter was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup in May 2015 with several large, deep bed sores. He suffered a serious infection and died within hours.
Prosecutors alleged that Lee, who received $850 a month to take care of Carter, failed to treat the sores or seek medical treatment that resulted in the man's death.
The office says it is the first time a caregiver had been tried for murder since its elder abuse unit was formed in 2012.
Lee is to be sentenced June 30.
- The Associated Press
ASPEN, Colo. — Bears have come to the Aspen area looking for food and trouble as they wake up from their hibernation.
The Aspen Times reports that Aspen police received four calls about bears Tuesday, including one call about a bear that broke a window and tried to call inside.
The woman whose window was broken had recently been cooking. She was able to scare the bear away.
Officer Dan Glidden says two downtown restaurants have had bear problems due to unsecured trash. Those restaurants were ticketed as a result.
Glidden says spring rains have been good and the bears should be able to find food in the mountains soon.
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Information from: The Aspen Times, http://www.aspentimes.com/
- The Associated Press
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. — The California corrections department says a death row inmate has died after being found unresponsive in his San Quentin prison cell.
Guards discovered 55-year-old Gilbert R. Rubio in his one-man cell Thursday around 6 a.m. His cause of death has not been determined.
Rubio was sentenced to death by a Los Angeles County jury in 2000 for first-degree murder in the home-invasion robbery of George Blackwell at his home in Long Beach.
Two others were convicted in connection with the 1998 killing. Both are serving life sentences without parole.
Since 1978, 15 California death row inmates have been executed. Seventy died of natural causes, 25 committed suicide and eight died from other causes. The Department of Corrections says there are now 747 people on California's death row.
- The Associated Press
FRESNO, Calif. — A fire at an electrical substation briefly left about 70,000 customers without power in Fresno.
Pacific Gas & Electric says the fire occurred around 4 p.m. Thursday at the Gregg transmission substation outside of town.
The blaze was confined to a single piece of equipment and was quickly doused.
PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles says power was restored to all customers within 90 minutes.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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