Phoenix sex trafficking; pot "Not For Kid" labels; robot hurts child
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Odd and interesting news from around the West.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Calif. — Two 6-month-old elephant seal pups have been released back into the Pacific Ocean near Santa Cruz Island after being treated at a rehabilitation center near Los Angeles.
The Coast Guard says the pups were taken to secluded Smugglers Cove and released into open water Tuesday.
Michael Remski cared for the animals at the California Wildlife Center rehabilitation facility in Calabasas. He says the pups were tentative at first, but after about 30 seconds they decided to jump in.
The pups were found off the coast of Malibu in March, struggling to feed themselves. Remski says they are now heavier, and with months of practice catching fish, they are likely to be able to thrive in the wild.
- By DON THOMPSON Associated Press
- Updated
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California parole officials on Wednesday rejected the release of a killer whose crime led to the creation of one of the state's best-known crime victims' groups.
Harriet Salarno founded Crime Victims United of California after her 18-year-old daughter was fatally shot by her former boyfriend on her first day at the University of the Pacific in Stockton in 1979.
A parole panel decided that Steven Burns, 55, should remain in Valley State Prison in Chowchilla for killing Catina Rose Salarno. The panel also decided Burns' next parole hearing will be in five years.
The victim's sister, Nina Salarno, said the family created the organization out of their frustration with the criminal justice system.
"When my sister got murdered, my family got thrown into a system that just continues to cast victims aside," she said in an interview before the hearing.
"It just was very apparent to our family that our system was so lopsided, so Crime Victims United was formed to bring balance to our system," said Salarno, a former prosecutor who now is now president of the crime victims' group. "The victims should have the same level playing field."
Crime Victims United is also closely affiliated with the union that represents most state prison guards, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, and together have for many years been strong voices in the state Capitol for tougher criminal penalties and victims' rights.
The Salarnos have repeatedly criticized changes in state law under Gov. Jerry Brown that have lowered the state prison population largely in response to federal judges' orders to reduce crowded prison populations. They also criticized an increase in the number of paroles granted in recent years.
Harriet Salarno co-chaired the successful Crime Victims Bill of Rights ballot initiative in 1982 and promoted the passage of the Marsy's Law initiative in 2008 that wrote victims' rights into the state constitution.
Their activism was sparked by Burns, who is serving a 17-year-to-life prison term and had his 10th parole hearing.
He and Catina Salarno were neighbors in San Francisco and dated until she broke off the relationship as she left for college. He killed her using a gun stolen from the Salarno family's business, shooting her in the back of the head after the two argued on campus, according to trial testimony.
Nina Salarno still recalls the trauma of testifying at his trial as a 12-year-old. She later became a deputy district attorney before eventually going into private practice. In 1999, then-Attorney General Bill Lockyer appointed her director of the state Department of Justice's Office of Victims' Services.
She argues that Burns remains a risk to public safety nearly four decades after the slaying. While he admits shooting her sister, Salarno said in previous parole hearings he has not acknowledged stealing the gun or stalking her sister before the murder.
"He does not admit to leaving her to die and all the actions both prior and subsequent," she said. "You cannot rehabilitate until you accept full responsibility for the crime you committed."
- The Associated Press
- Updated
CHANDLER — Authorities say a man has been sentenced to 196 years in prison for sex trafficking in Arizona during Super Bowl weekend last year.
Chandler police announced Wednesday that 29-year-old Leon Daniels was convicted two months ago and sentenced on July 1.
Detectives from the police department's Human Trafficking Unit conducted an undercover sex trafficking operation at a Mesa hotel in late January 2015 in conjunction with the Greater Phoenix Human Trafficking Task Force.
Police say they learned 29-year-old Leon Daniels transported three women to the Phoenix metro area from California with the purpose of prostituting them during the Super Bowl weekend.
Police say one of the women was a minor.
At the time of the arrest, authorities say Daniels was on probation for felony offenses out of California.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The addictive cellphone game "Pokemon Go" has led people to unlikely places to collect digital monsters — including the gates of a Central California ranch that houses alcoholics and sex offenders.
The location-based game has a "Pokestop" at the outdoor sign for Sunny Acres, a 72-acre ranch in San Luis Obispo that includes a sober-living facility where 35 people live, KSBY-TV reported Tuesday.
"We have some criminals, we have some alcoholics, we have drug addicts, we have mentally ill, there are some sex offenders, yes," Sunny Acres founder Dan De Vaul told the station.
An Associated Press call seeking comment from De Vaul was not immediately returned Wednesday.
But De Vaul, 72, told the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/29DZgzz) that he was upset.
"I have no idea what Pokemon is," he said. "I have no idea who put the stop - if it was sabotage - because we don't want kids showing up here."
If children visit the property, some sex offenders living there might be placed at risk of being sent back to prison for violating conditions of their probation or parole, De Vaul said.
"Pokemon Go" is an augmented-reality game that makes digital monsters of various kinds pop up on players' cellphones along routes where they are walking or driving. The object is to "catch" the beasts. Some places are designated as "Pokestops," where players can stock up on digital items, and "gyms" where the collected monsters can be used in digital battles.
Using digitized maps, gamers can see the location of monsters, Pokestops and gyms as far as a few blocks away.
It was not immediately clear how "Pokemon Go" developer Niantic Inc. chose the locations.
An email seeking comment from the company about the Sunny Acres location was not immediately returned.
Niantic's support page has an online request form where players can ask for removal of a location. But it is not guaranteed.
De Vaul said his property also has a thrift store, a strawberry stand, a pumpkin patch and a Christmas tree farm and closing the gates to keep out "Pokemon Go" players would deprive him of income. "I don't know what to do," he told the Times.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
CHENEY, Wash. — Cheney police have arrested a Washington state corrections officer in connection with an armed robbery at discount store in Cheney over the weekend.
Jeffery Pool was arrested by officers Tuesday as he arrived for work at the Airway Heights Corrections Center near Spokane.
KXLY-TV says Pool appeared in Spokane County Superior Court Wednesday, where his bail was set at $500,000.
Police say in court documents that Pool robbed the Dollar Tree store at gunpoint Saturday. Police say he tied up employees with zip ties and forced them into the store's warehouse area with a gun.
Employees told police they believed the suspect was a current or former employee because the person seemed to know store operations. Court documents show Pool worked at the store two years ago.
It was not immediately clear whether Pool had an attorney yet.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating a confirmed case of wound botulism in a 33-year-old woman from Rio Arriba County who remains hospitalized.
Health officials say the patient is a heroin user and the suspected source of infection is a soiled skin injection site, contaminated injection devices or contaminated heroin.
Botulism is a rare, but potentially deadly illness caused by a nerve toxin that induces paralysis.
Wound botulism is caused by the toxin produced from a wound infected with bacteria.
Signs and symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness/descending paralysis and difficulty breathing/shortness of breath.
If left untreated, the symptoms may progress to cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles, arms, legs, and trunk with subsequent death.
- Updated
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Authorities say a bear has been tranquilized and relocated after it was seen in a Provo neighborhood.
Police and animal control officers found the animal sitting high in a tree's branches in a side yard on Tuesday afternoon.
Provo Police Department acting public information officer Kortney Hughes says the bear wasn't causing any mischief and was simply spotted wandering around the neighborhood.
Division of Wildlife Resources wildlife technician Josee Seamons says the bear was probably looking for food, although it's uncommon for bears to wander into towns like this one did.
Seamons says the 2-year-old bear was tranquilized without issue and relocated to the Spanish Fork Canyon.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com
- By MICHELLE L. PRICE The Associated Press
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers on Wednesday will consider allowing officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft.
The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on when they meet in a special legislative session in the afternoon.
The harsher drone penalties were added to the expected special session after a drone was spotted five times over a southwestern Utah wildfire, forcing firefighters to ground their aircraft and delay their work.
The bill would allow a government official in charge of the firefighters to neutralize a drone by disabling it or damaging it.
It does not appear that any state currently allows a drone to be disabled specifically for flying over a wildfire. But Louisiana has a law allowing police or firefighters to disable a drone if it endangers the public or an officer, said Amanda Essex, who researches state unmanned aircraft policies for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
A handful of states, including Utah, have laws making it a crime to fly a drone that interferes with manned aircraft or firefighting operations. Those laws could be used to charge someone flying near wildfires or interfering with firefighters using tankers, helicopters and other manned aircraft.
Earlier this year, Utah lawmakers considering allowing law enforcement to shoot down drones that interfere with emergency workers, but they backed away from the idea. Other states have proposed shooting down drones, but it hasn't become law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Utah instead passed a law earlier this year making it a crime to fly the unmanned aircraft near a wildfire. The penalties involved fines of up to $2,500 and jail time if a drone flying near a fire stops aircraft from flying or dropping water or retardant. If a drone actually collided with an aircraft or caused it to crash, the drone pilot could face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Under the legislation they're voting on Wednesday, those fines would all be higher, with the maximum fine at $15,000.
The law would also allow courts to make a drone pilot pay damages.
Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, said Wednesday that the costs of fighting a small wildfire burning about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City would have been several million dollars if five drone flights hadn't interfered. "Now we're way past, north of $10 million because we had to ground aircraft all because of a drone," Herbert said.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office has been investigating drones flying near the fire, which is burning on a rocky ridge above the town of Pine Valley, but no arrests have been made or suspects identified. The sheriff's office has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Utah's Legislature on Wednesday will also look at spending $10 million toward a new stadium at the state fairgrounds and approving tax exemptions for a data center as part of an attempt to lure Facebook.
Documents filed with utility regulators show the social media giant is looking at building a new data center in Utah or New Mexico.
Other bills they'll vote on would allow probation or parole officers to access a database of prescription drug users and allow grandparents to get legal visiting rights to grandchildren adopted by family members. Herbert vetoed a version of the bill earlier this year, but he said he'd approve it if changes were made to put limits on when and how often grandparents may seek court orders.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington officials say they plan to require a new "Not For Kids" label on edible marijuana products sold at the state's legal pot shops.
The symbol, chosen by the Washington Poison Center, features a bright red hand held up in a "stop" gesture, accompanied by the words "Not For Kids" with an emergency number to call.
Dr. Alexander Garrard, the poison center's managing director, says the center has received more than 150 calls about marijuana exposure so far this year.
Washington's Liquor and Cannabis Board initially said it would require a "Mr. Yuk" sticker on pot products to deter children from accidentally ingesting them. That drew objections from some marijuana producers and retailers. The board says the new symbol was developed with their input as well as suggestions from prevention specialists.
The board expects the label to be required beginning next January.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
PALO ALTO, Calif. — A San Francisco Bay Area shopping center has temporarily docked its futuristic security robots after one of the mechanical guards reportedly ran into and hurt a toddler.
The San Jose Mercury News reports the 5-foot-tall, 300-pound robot collided with the 16-month-old child, knocking him face down on the ground. The robot then rolled over the boy's right foot, leaving swelling and a scrape on his leg. No one else was injured.
The Stanford Shopping Center introduced the gliding "K5" robots last year. The robot uses cameras and sensors to monitor and report suspicious activity while hopefully deterring crime with its watchful presence, the newspaper reported.
Speaking about the robots, a mall representative emphasized that the center prioritizes shoppers' safety. The robots are used at other facilities, including Qualcomm in San Diego.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
BREMERTON, Wash. — A Bremerton man was seriously hurt when a car crashed into his house and struck him as he was sleeping in the bedroom.
Bremerton Police say officers found the 31-year-old with injuries to his face and abdomen when they arrived at the home just before 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Police say the 69-year-old Bremerton driver reportedly told them that he had taken prescription medication and smoked marijuana Tuesday evening. Police believe he ran a stop sign, went down an embankment and hit the house.
The Kitsap Sun says the driver was booked into Kitsap County Jail on investigation of vehicular assault.
The resident was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A man says he was fishing off the Northern California coast when a 15-foot great white shark bit his boat.
KSBW-TV reports that Mark Davis says he was fishing for squid bait just off Capitola when the shark slammed into his small boat from below.
Davis says he's had other, smaller sharks approach his boat, but the great white is the largest thing he's seen in the water.
Davis was not injured.
Based on the teeth marks left on the boat's bow, Sean Van Sommeran of Santa Cruz' Pelagic Shark Research Foundation believes the shark is at least 15 feet long and weighs a ton and a half.
Van Sommeran says sharks can attack boats, but it's uncommon.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SEATTLE — The president of the Seattle police officers' union is stepping down, days after posting a controversial Facebook message following the Dallas police shootings.
Ron Smith told fellow officers in an email Tuesday that he didn't want more distractions, and he regrets letting them down and that his post offended anyone.
After five Dallas police officers were killed last week, Smith posted on the Facebook page of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild. The message, which has since been deleted, said: "Dallas PD and their officers are in our thoughts and prayers ... The hatred of law enforcement by a minority movement is disgusting... Heads in swivels brothers and sisters... #Weshallovercome"
"Heads in swivels" is slang for "stay alert."
Smith said he wrote the post "in the heat of the moment" and wanted to be supportive of fellow officers, not offend anyone. He'll resign July 31.
"What the post was meant to say is that it is disgusting that a small segment of society perpetuates violence toward law enforcement officers across this country. At no time was there any intent to apply blame to any organized group; only the small segment of society which has the propensity for violence toward law enforcement," Smith wrote.
"We shall overcome meant just that; law enforcement will persevere and work through this time in history," he added.
The post drew criticism on social media and from Seattle community leaders.
"It was absolutely stupid and totally irresponsible on his part," Gerald Hankerson, president of NAACP Seattle, told KING-TV in Seattle regarding the post.
Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole told the station on Friday that she wasn't going to defend it. "I'm not going to comment on it. I'm not going to feed into the division between the police and the community," she said.
The Seattle independent office that investigates complaints about police misconduct had received 23 complaints about the post as of Tuesday, KING-TV reported.
Smith also said he didn't want to distract from federally mandated police reform efforts underway.
Seattle agreed in 2012 to make changes in the police department after the Department of Justice found it had a "pattern or practice" of violating the civil rights of citizens. The DOJ said officers were too quick to use force, including using their batons and flashlights, even in situations that could have been defused verbally.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY — A 12-year-old girl has survived a fall through a skylight at a junior high school in Utah.
Authorities said Tuesday that she climbed roof at Tooele Junior High to retrieve a ball.
Tanya Turnbow with Tooele police says the girl fell about 15 feet.
She was conscious and alert when emergency crews arrived, and flown to Primary Children's Hospital for treatment.
Her name was not immediately released.
Turnbow says she doesn't know how the girl got onto the roof, but people climbing there has been a problem before.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
IRVINE, Calif. — A UC Irvine student-athlete who was forced to miss graduation after retinal surgeries was surprised with a private commencement ceremony attended by family, friends and the school's chancellor.
The Orange County Register reports Christopher Swieca's water polo teammates told him they needed to stop by an administration office Tuesday to pick up his diploma and take some photos in his cap and gown.
When they walked in, Swieca was shocked to see his parents, siblings and grandparents, as well as Chancellor Howard Gillman. The chancellor presided over a personal graduation ceremony, complete with speeches and the national anthem.
The surprise was prompted by a letter Swieca's grandmother, Sandra Schrader, wrote to Gillman after her grandson was laid up for weeks because of treatment for detached retinas.
After the ceremony Swieca gave his grandmother a big hug.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
CODY, Wyo. — Police in Wyoming have rescued five ducklings that became trapped in a storm drain.
KTWO-TV reports that Cody police were called Tuesday afternoon about a distressed mallard duck. Officer Jennifer Morris quickly noticed that five ducklings were stuck inside the nearby storm drain.
Officers rescued all the ducklings with some help from the Cody Water Department. Police also spoke with the Wyoming Game & Fish organization, which agreed to let the animals out in a nearby wetland.
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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
LIVERMORE, Calif. — Authorities say a cat is recovering after being shot with an arrow in California.
The Bay Area News Group reports that the wounded male cat was found July 7 in a Livermore front yard. Police say they are looking for a suspect and the cat's owner.
Animal control officers say the cat underwent surgery and is recuperating well at a rescue center. So far no one has come forward to claim ownership.
Police Lt. John Hurd says it's not known how long the cat had the arrow in it before it was found. He says the "vicious" shooting is felony animal cruelty.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
SANTA FE, N.M. — The final installment of Hugh Jackman's "Wolverine" will be shooting in New Mexico.
Under the working title "Juarez," the film begins principle photography this month and work will continue through August in the Albuquerque area, Abiquiu and Chama.
The New Mexico Film Office says the production will employ about 130 New Mexico crew members, two New Mexico cast members and about 600 background talent.
The feature is directed by James Mangold, who also directed "The Wolverine" in 2013. Producers include Hutch Parker and Simon Kinberg, both of whom also worked on "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
- The Associated Press
- Updated
RIVERTON, Wyo. — Authorities have identified the man found dead in a central Wyoming river by a woman playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go.
The Riverton Ranger reports that 28-year-old Jeffrey Day's body was found floating in the Wind River near the city of Riverton on Friday. Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of the Arapahoe man's death, but say it appears to have been accidental and could be a drowning.
Shayla Wiggens says she had been playing the new game, which sends players to real-world locations to capture virtual creatures, when she spotted the body in the water near a bridge.
The incident comes as police in Missouri say four teens used Pokemon Go to lure victims to a location and rob them.
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Information from: The (Riverton, Wyo.) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
RIVERTON, Wyo. — Authorities have identified the man found dead in a central Wyoming river by a woman playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go.
The Riverton Ranger reports that 28-year-old Jeffrey Day's body was found floating in the Wind River near the city of Riverton on Friday. Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of the Arapahoe man's death, but say it appears to have been accidental and could be a drowning.
Shayla Wiggens says she had been playing the new game, which sends players to real-world locations to capture virtual creatures, when she spotted the body in the water near a bridge.
The incident comes as police in Missouri say four teens used Pokemon Go to lure victims to a location and rob them.
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Information from: The (Riverton, Wyo.) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A deputy prosecutor in northern Idaho says he was misunderstood after posting a comment on social media that suggested genocide would occur if police officers stopped patrolling black neighborhoods.
Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Bryant Bushling tells The Coeur d'Alene Press that he has since edited his comment after receiving negative feedback.
Bushling posted the response Sunday on Kootenai County Bailiff Todd Hartman's Facebook page. Hartman had posted a meme that showed a picture of a white officer and text suggesting that police wanted to kill black people they would stop patrolling black neighborhoods.
Bushling's edited comment now says he has experience working with gangs and that people without a similar background shouldn't judge without talking to him first.
Bushling says he's had an excellent reputation in his 33 years of public service.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a second man in connection with a triple homicide near Lacey in June.
Thurston County Sheriff Sgt. Carla Carter said in a news release 23-year-old Erique "Ricky" Lamere was booked into Thurston County Jail Wednesday on multiple murder and other charges.
Lamere had previously been booked in the case with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Authorities have also charged 24-year-old Dugan Lawton with murder and other charges in the case. He pleaded not guilty July 12.
Two men and one woman were shot to death early June 22 in a travel trailer southwest of Seattle. A fourth man who was also shot called 911. Authorities say investigators found methamphetamine, heroin, thousands of dollars in cash and about half a dozen firearms in the trailer.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A former Colfax County Sheriff's deputy has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and theft of government property charges.
Prosecutors say 46-year-old Vidal Sandoval, of Cimarron, entered his plea Wednesday.
The FBI and the New Mexico State Police arrested Sandoval in March 2015 for allegedly trying to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in Colfax County the previous month.
He also was accused of stealing money belonging to the FBI.
While on duty in December 2014, Sandoval allegedly stole money from two motorists whom he believed to be drug traffickers.
Sandoval reportedly found $8,000 in cash in the motorists' vehicle during a traffic stop and kept all but $500 of it. He later learned the cash belonged to the FBI and the two motorists actually were undercover officers.
- The Associated Press
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, Calif. — Two 6-month-old elephant seal pups have been released back into the Pacific Ocean near Santa Cruz Island after being treated at a rehabilitation center near Los Angeles.
The Coast Guard says the pups were taken to secluded Smugglers Cove and released into open water Tuesday.
Michael Remski cared for the animals at the California Wildlife Center rehabilitation facility in Calabasas. He says the pups were tentative at first, but after about 30 seconds they decided to jump in.
The pups were found off the coast of Malibu in March, struggling to feed themselves. Remski says they are now heavier, and with months of practice catching fish, they are likely to be able to thrive in the wild.
- By DON THOMPSON Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California parole officials on Wednesday rejected the release of a killer whose crime led to the creation of one of the state's best-known crime victims' groups.
Harriet Salarno founded Crime Victims United of California after her 18-year-old daughter was fatally shot by her former boyfriend on her first day at the University of the Pacific in Stockton in 1979.
A parole panel decided that Steven Burns, 55, should remain in Valley State Prison in Chowchilla for killing Catina Rose Salarno. The panel also decided Burns' next parole hearing will be in five years.
The victim's sister, Nina Salarno, said the family created the organization out of their frustration with the criminal justice system.
"When my sister got murdered, my family got thrown into a system that just continues to cast victims aside," she said in an interview before the hearing.
"It just was very apparent to our family that our system was so lopsided, so Crime Victims United was formed to bring balance to our system," said Salarno, a former prosecutor who now is now president of the crime victims' group. "The victims should have the same level playing field."
Crime Victims United is also closely affiliated with the union that represents most state prison guards, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, and together have for many years been strong voices in the state Capitol for tougher criminal penalties and victims' rights.
The Salarnos have repeatedly criticized changes in state law under Gov. Jerry Brown that have lowered the state prison population largely in response to federal judges' orders to reduce crowded prison populations. They also criticized an increase in the number of paroles granted in recent years.
Harriet Salarno co-chaired the successful Crime Victims Bill of Rights ballot initiative in 1982 and promoted the passage of the Marsy's Law initiative in 2008 that wrote victims' rights into the state constitution.
Their activism was sparked by Burns, who is serving a 17-year-to-life prison term and had his 10th parole hearing.
He and Catina Salarno were neighbors in San Francisco and dated until she broke off the relationship as she left for college. He killed her using a gun stolen from the Salarno family's business, shooting her in the back of the head after the two argued on campus, according to trial testimony.
Nina Salarno still recalls the trauma of testifying at his trial as a 12-year-old. She later became a deputy district attorney before eventually going into private practice. In 1999, then-Attorney General Bill Lockyer appointed her director of the state Department of Justice's Office of Victims' Services.
She argues that Burns remains a risk to public safety nearly four decades after the slaying. While he admits shooting her sister, Salarno said in previous parole hearings he has not acknowledged stealing the gun or stalking her sister before the murder.
"He does not admit to leaving her to die and all the actions both prior and subsequent," she said. "You cannot rehabilitate until you accept full responsibility for the crime you committed."
- The Associated Press
CHANDLER — Authorities say a man has been sentenced to 196 years in prison for sex trafficking in Arizona during Super Bowl weekend last year.
Chandler police announced Wednesday that 29-year-old Leon Daniels was convicted two months ago and sentenced on July 1.
Detectives from the police department's Human Trafficking Unit conducted an undercover sex trafficking operation at a Mesa hotel in late January 2015 in conjunction with the Greater Phoenix Human Trafficking Task Force.
Police say they learned 29-year-old Leon Daniels transported three women to the Phoenix metro area from California with the purpose of prostituting them during the Super Bowl weekend.
Police say one of the women was a minor.
At the time of the arrest, authorities say Daniels was on probation for felony offenses out of California.
- The Associated Press
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The addictive cellphone game "Pokemon Go" has led people to unlikely places to collect digital monsters — including the gates of a Central California ranch that houses alcoholics and sex offenders.
The location-based game has a "Pokestop" at the outdoor sign for Sunny Acres, a 72-acre ranch in San Luis Obispo that includes a sober-living facility where 35 people live, KSBY-TV reported Tuesday.
"We have some criminals, we have some alcoholics, we have drug addicts, we have mentally ill, there are some sex offenders, yes," Sunny Acres founder Dan De Vaul told the station.
An Associated Press call seeking comment from De Vaul was not immediately returned Wednesday.
But De Vaul, 72, told the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/29DZgzz) that he was upset.
"I have no idea what Pokemon is," he said. "I have no idea who put the stop - if it was sabotage - because we don't want kids showing up here."
If children visit the property, some sex offenders living there might be placed at risk of being sent back to prison for violating conditions of their probation or parole, De Vaul said.
"Pokemon Go" is an augmented-reality game that makes digital monsters of various kinds pop up on players' cellphones along routes where they are walking or driving. The object is to "catch" the beasts. Some places are designated as "Pokestops," where players can stock up on digital items, and "gyms" where the collected monsters can be used in digital battles.
Using digitized maps, gamers can see the location of monsters, Pokestops and gyms as far as a few blocks away.
It was not immediately clear how "Pokemon Go" developer Niantic Inc. chose the locations.
An email seeking comment from the company about the Sunny Acres location was not immediately returned.
Niantic's support page has an online request form where players can ask for removal of a location. But it is not guaranteed.
De Vaul said his property also has a thrift store, a strawberry stand, a pumpkin patch and a Christmas tree farm and closing the gates to keep out "Pokemon Go" players would deprive him of income. "I don't know what to do," he told the Times.
- The Associated Press
CHENEY, Wash. — Cheney police have arrested a Washington state corrections officer in connection with an armed robbery at discount store in Cheney over the weekend.
Jeffery Pool was arrested by officers Tuesday as he arrived for work at the Airway Heights Corrections Center near Spokane.
KXLY-TV says Pool appeared in Spokane County Superior Court Wednesday, where his bail was set at $500,000.
Police say in court documents that Pool robbed the Dollar Tree store at gunpoint Saturday. Police say he tied up employees with zip ties and forced them into the store's warehouse area with a gun.
Employees told police they believed the suspect was a current or former employee because the person seemed to know store operations. Court documents show Pool worked at the store two years ago.
It was not immediately clear whether Pool had an attorney yet.
- The Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating a confirmed case of wound botulism in a 33-year-old woman from Rio Arriba County who remains hospitalized.
Health officials say the patient is a heroin user and the suspected source of infection is a soiled skin injection site, contaminated injection devices or contaminated heroin.
Botulism is a rare, but potentially deadly illness caused by a nerve toxin that induces paralysis.
Wound botulism is caused by the toxin produced from a wound infected with bacteria.
Signs and symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, muscle weakness/descending paralysis and difficulty breathing/shortness of breath.
If left untreated, the symptoms may progress to cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles, arms, legs, and trunk with subsequent death.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — Authorities say a bear has been tranquilized and relocated after it was seen in a Provo neighborhood.
Police and animal control officers found the animal sitting high in a tree's branches in a side yard on Tuesday afternoon.
Provo Police Department acting public information officer Kortney Hughes says the bear wasn't causing any mischief and was simply spotted wandering around the neighborhood.
Division of Wildlife Resources wildlife technician Josee Seamons says the bear was probably looking for food, although it's uncommon for bears to wander into towns like this one did.
Seamons says the 2-year-old bear was tranquilized without issue and relocated to the Spanish Fork Canyon.
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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldextra.com
- By MICHELLE L. PRICE The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers on Wednesday will consider allowing officials to damage or disable unauthorized drones flying over a wildfire and impose higher fines on people caught flying the aircraft.
The proposal is one of a handful of bills legislators will vote on when they meet in a special legislative session in the afternoon.
The harsher drone penalties were added to the expected special session after a drone was spotted five times over a southwestern Utah wildfire, forcing firefighters to ground their aircraft and delay their work.
The bill would allow a government official in charge of the firefighters to neutralize a drone by disabling it or damaging it.
It does not appear that any state currently allows a drone to be disabled specifically for flying over a wildfire. But Louisiana has a law allowing police or firefighters to disable a drone if it endangers the public or an officer, said Amanda Essex, who researches state unmanned aircraft policies for the National Conference of State Legislatures.
A handful of states, including Utah, have laws making it a crime to fly a drone that interferes with manned aircraft or firefighting operations. Those laws could be used to charge someone flying near wildfires or interfering with firefighters using tankers, helicopters and other manned aircraft.
Earlier this year, Utah lawmakers considering allowing law enforcement to shoot down drones that interfere with emergency workers, but they backed away from the idea. Other states have proposed shooting down drones, but it hasn't become law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Utah instead passed a law earlier this year making it a crime to fly the unmanned aircraft near a wildfire. The penalties involved fines of up to $2,500 and jail time if a drone flying near a fire stops aircraft from flying or dropping water or retardant. If a drone actually collided with an aircraft or caused it to crash, the drone pilot could face up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Under the legislation they're voting on Wednesday, those fines would all be higher, with the maximum fine at $15,000.
The law would also allow courts to make a drone pilot pay damages.
Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, said Wednesday that the costs of fighting a small wildfire burning about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City would have been several million dollars if five drone flights hadn't interfered. "Now we're way past, north of $10 million because we had to ground aircraft all because of a drone," Herbert said.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office has been investigating drones flying near the fire, which is burning on a rocky ridge above the town of Pine Valley, but no arrests have been made or suspects identified. The sheriff's office has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Utah's Legislature on Wednesday will also look at spending $10 million toward a new stadium at the state fairgrounds and approving tax exemptions for a data center as part of an attempt to lure Facebook.
Documents filed with utility regulators show the social media giant is looking at building a new data center in Utah or New Mexico.
Other bills they'll vote on would allow probation or parole officers to access a database of prescription drug users and allow grandparents to get legal visiting rights to grandchildren adopted by family members. Herbert vetoed a version of the bill earlier this year, but he said he'd approve it if changes were made to put limits on when and how often grandparents may seek court orders.
- The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington officials say they plan to require a new "Not For Kids" label on edible marijuana products sold at the state's legal pot shops.
The symbol, chosen by the Washington Poison Center, features a bright red hand held up in a "stop" gesture, accompanied by the words "Not For Kids" with an emergency number to call.
Dr. Alexander Garrard, the poison center's managing director, says the center has received more than 150 calls about marijuana exposure so far this year.
Washington's Liquor and Cannabis Board initially said it would require a "Mr. Yuk" sticker on pot products to deter children from accidentally ingesting them. That drew objections from some marijuana producers and retailers. The board says the new symbol was developed with their input as well as suggestions from prevention specialists.
The board expects the label to be required beginning next January.
- The Associated Press
PALO ALTO, Calif. — A San Francisco Bay Area shopping center has temporarily docked its futuristic security robots after one of the mechanical guards reportedly ran into and hurt a toddler.
The San Jose Mercury News reports the 5-foot-tall, 300-pound robot collided with the 16-month-old child, knocking him face down on the ground. The robot then rolled over the boy's right foot, leaving swelling and a scrape on his leg. No one else was injured.
The Stanford Shopping Center introduced the gliding "K5" robots last year. The robot uses cameras and sensors to monitor and report suspicious activity while hopefully deterring crime with its watchful presence, the newspaper reported.
Speaking about the robots, a mall representative emphasized that the center prioritizes shoppers' safety. The robots are used at other facilities, including Qualcomm in San Diego.
- The Associated Press
BREMERTON, Wash. — A Bremerton man was seriously hurt when a car crashed into his house and struck him as he was sleeping in the bedroom.
Bremerton Police say officers found the 31-year-old with injuries to his face and abdomen when they arrived at the home just before 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Police say the 69-year-old Bremerton driver reportedly told them that he had taken prescription medication and smoked marijuana Tuesday evening. Police believe he ran a stop sign, went down an embankment and hit the house.
The Kitsap Sun says the driver was booked into Kitsap County Jail on investigation of vehicular assault.
The resident was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
- The Associated Press
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A man says he was fishing off the Northern California coast when a 15-foot great white shark bit his boat.
KSBW-TV reports that Mark Davis says he was fishing for squid bait just off Capitola when the shark slammed into his small boat from below.
Davis says he's had other, smaller sharks approach his boat, but the great white is the largest thing he's seen in the water.
Davis was not injured.
Based on the teeth marks left on the boat's bow, Sean Van Sommeran of Santa Cruz' Pelagic Shark Research Foundation believes the shark is at least 15 feet long and weighs a ton and a half.
Van Sommeran says sharks can attack boats, but it's uncommon.
- The Associated Press
SEATTLE — The president of the Seattle police officers' union is stepping down, days after posting a controversial Facebook message following the Dallas police shootings.
Ron Smith told fellow officers in an email Tuesday that he didn't want more distractions, and he regrets letting them down and that his post offended anyone.
After five Dallas police officers were killed last week, Smith posted on the Facebook page of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild. The message, which has since been deleted, said: "Dallas PD and their officers are in our thoughts and prayers ... The hatred of law enforcement by a minority movement is disgusting... Heads in swivels brothers and sisters... #Weshallovercome"
"Heads in swivels" is slang for "stay alert."
Smith said he wrote the post "in the heat of the moment" and wanted to be supportive of fellow officers, not offend anyone. He'll resign July 31.
"What the post was meant to say is that it is disgusting that a small segment of society perpetuates violence toward law enforcement officers across this country. At no time was there any intent to apply blame to any organized group; only the small segment of society which has the propensity for violence toward law enforcement," Smith wrote.
"We shall overcome meant just that; law enforcement will persevere and work through this time in history," he added.
The post drew criticism on social media and from Seattle community leaders.
"It was absolutely stupid and totally irresponsible on his part," Gerald Hankerson, president of NAACP Seattle, told KING-TV in Seattle regarding the post.
Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole told the station on Friday that she wasn't going to defend it. "I'm not going to comment on it. I'm not going to feed into the division between the police and the community," she said.
The Seattle independent office that investigates complaints about police misconduct had received 23 complaints about the post as of Tuesday, KING-TV reported.
Smith also said he didn't want to distract from federally mandated police reform efforts underway.
Seattle agreed in 2012 to make changes in the police department after the Department of Justice found it had a "pattern or practice" of violating the civil rights of citizens. The DOJ said officers were too quick to use force, including using their batons and flashlights, even in situations that could have been defused verbally.
- The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — A 12-year-old girl has survived a fall through a skylight at a junior high school in Utah.
Authorities said Tuesday that she climbed roof at Tooele Junior High to retrieve a ball.
Tanya Turnbow with Tooele police says the girl fell about 15 feet.
She was conscious and alert when emergency crews arrived, and flown to Primary Children's Hospital for treatment.
Her name was not immediately released.
Turnbow says she doesn't know how the girl got onto the roof, but people climbing there has been a problem before.
- The Associated Press
IRVINE, Calif. — A UC Irvine student-athlete who was forced to miss graduation after retinal surgeries was surprised with a private commencement ceremony attended by family, friends and the school's chancellor.
The Orange County Register reports Christopher Swieca's water polo teammates told him they needed to stop by an administration office Tuesday to pick up his diploma and take some photos in his cap and gown.
When they walked in, Swieca was shocked to see his parents, siblings and grandparents, as well as Chancellor Howard Gillman. The chancellor presided over a personal graduation ceremony, complete with speeches and the national anthem.
The surprise was prompted by a letter Swieca's grandmother, Sandra Schrader, wrote to Gillman after her grandson was laid up for weeks because of treatment for detached retinas.
After the ceremony Swieca gave his grandmother a big hug.
- The Associated Press
CODY, Wyo. — Police in Wyoming have rescued five ducklings that became trapped in a storm drain.
KTWO-TV reports that Cody police were called Tuesday afternoon about a distressed mallard duck. Officer Jennifer Morris quickly noticed that five ducklings were stuck inside the nearby storm drain.
Officers rescued all the ducklings with some help from the Cody Water Department. Police also spoke with the Wyoming Game & Fish organization, which agreed to let the animals out in a nearby wetland.
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Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com
- The Associated Press
LIVERMORE, Calif. — Authorities say a cat is recovering after being shot with an arrow in California.
The Bay Area News Group reports that the wounded male cat was found July 7 in a Livermore front yard. Police say they are looking for a suspect and the cat's owner.
Animal control officers say the cat underwent surgery and is recuperating well at a rescue center. So far no one has come forward to claim ownership.
Police Lt. John Hurd says it's not known how long the cat had the arrow in it before it was found. He says the "vicious" shooting is felony animal cruelty.
- The Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. — The final installment of Hugh Jackman's "Wolverine" will be shooting in New Mexico.
Under the working title "Juarez," the film begins principle photography this month and work will continue through August in the Albuquerque area, Abiquiu and Chama.
The New Mexico Film Office says the production will employ about 130 New Mexico crew members, two New Mexico cast members and about 600 background talent.
The feature is directed by James Mangold, who also directed "The Wolverine" in 2013. Producers include Hutch Parker and Simon Kinberg, both of whom also worked on "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
- The Associated Press
RIVERTON, Wyo. — Authorities have identified the man found dead in a central Wyoming river by a woman playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go.
The Riverton Ranger reports that 28-year-old Jeffrey Day's body was found floating in the Wind River near the city of Riverton on Friday. Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of the Arapahoe man's death, but say it appears to have been accidental and could be a drowning.
Shayla Wiggens says she had been playing the new game, which sends players to real-world locations to capture virtual creatures, when she spotted the body in the water near a bridge.
The incident comes as police in Missouri say four teens used Pokemon Go to lure victims to a location and rob them.
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Information from: The (Riverton, Wyo.) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com
- The Associated Press
RIVERTON, Wyo. — Authorities have identified the man found dead in a central Wyoming river by a woman playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go.
The Riverton Ranger reports that 28-year-old Jeffrey Day's body was found floating in the Wind River near the city of Riverton on Friday. Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of the Arapahoe man's death, but say it appears to have been accidental and could be a drowning.
Shayla Wiggens says she had been playing the new game, which sends players to real-world locations to capture virtual creatures, when she spotted the body in the water near a bridge.
The incident comes as police in Missouri say four teens used Pokemon Go to lure victims to a location and rob them.
___
Information from: The (Riverton, Wyo.) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com
- The Associated Press
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A deputy prosecutor in northern Idaho says he was misunderstood after posting a comment on social media that suggested genocide would occur if police officers stopped patrolling black neighborhoods.
Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Bryant Bushling tells The Coeur d'Alene Press that he has since edited his comment after receiving negative feedback.
Bushling posted the response Sunday on Kootenai County Bailiff Todd Hartman's Facebook page. Hartman had posted a meme that showed a picture of a white officer and text suggesting that police wanted to kill black people they would stop patrolling black neighborhoods.
Bushling's edited comment now says he has experience working with gangs and that people without a similar background shouldn't judge without talking to him first.
Bushling says he's had an excellent reputation in his 33 years of public service.
- The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a second man in connection with a triple homicide near Lacey in June.
Thurston County Sheriff Sgt. Carla Carter said in a news release 23-year-old Erique "Ricky" Lamere was booked into Thurston County Jail Wednesday on multiple murder and other charges.
Lamere had previously been booked in the case with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Authorities have also charged 24-year-old Dugan Lawton with murder and other charges in the case. He pleaded not guilty July 12.
Two men and one woman were shot to death early June 22 in a travel trailer southwest of Seattle. A fourth man who was also shot called 911. Authorities say investigators found methamphetamine, heroin, thousands of dollars in cash and about half a dozen firearms in the trailer.
- The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A former Colfax County Sheriff's deputy has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and theft of government property charges.
Prosecutors say 46-year-old Vidal Sandoval, of Cimarron, entered his plea Wednesday.
The FBI and the New Mexico State Police arrested Sandoval in March 2015 for allegedly trying to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in Colfax County the previous month.
He also was accused of stealing money belonging to the FBI.
While on duty in December 2014, Sandoval allegedly stole money from two motorists whom he believed to be drug traffickers.
Sandoval reportedly found $8,000 in cash in the motorists' vehicle during a traffic stop and kept all but $500 of it. He later learned the cash belonged to the FBI and the two motorists actually were undercover officers.
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