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Weird news: Reptile called “Mr. Teeth” discovered guarding stash of marijuana

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:53:00 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO — Authorities in Northern California made a snappy discovery during a routine probation check: An alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth," who was apparently protecting a stash of marijuana.

When Alameda County Sheriff's deputies entered the Castro Valley home on Tuesday, they not only found 34 pounds of marijuana valued at an estimated $100,000, but also the 5-foot-long caiman inside a Plexiglas tank guarding it in a bedroom.

Caimans are usually found in the wetland regions of Central and South America. They're considered close relatives of alligators.

"We get guard dogs all the time when we search for grow houses and people stashing away all types of dope. But alligators? You just don't see that every day," Sgt. J.D. Nelson said Thursday.

Assif Mayar was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale. He could also face citations from the California Fish and Game Commission, including possession of an exotic animal without a permit.

The 32-year-old told deputies he got the creature to commemorate rapper Tupac Shakur's 1996 death.

Ex-cop in CA transit shooting death to be released

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:12:19 +0000

A white former San Francisco Bay area transit officer convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed black man is expected to be released from jail next week after serving 11 months of a two-year sentence.

Johannes Mehserle is scheduled to be set free Monday from a Los Angeles County jail where he served his time after his high-profile trial was moved to Southern California last year.

"We've been informed that he will be released sometime that day," Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Teresa Drenick said Thursday.

Mehserle's attorney, Michael Rains, declined to comment Thursday on his client's pending release. Rains recently said in published reports that Mehserle is ready to move on with his life.

But there could be backlash, as another series of rallies and protests will be held in both Los Angeles and Oakland before and after Mehserle's release.

Mehserle, 29, was convicted last July in the shooting death of Oscar Grant on an Oakland train station platform on New Year's Day 2009. The incident was recorded by bystanders, and video posted online showed the Bay Area Rapid Transit officer firing a single bullet into the back of Grant, 22, as he lay face down after being pulled off a train for allegedly fighting.

Police: Alleged freeway shooter was targeting ACLU

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:57:00 +0000

Police say a California man arrested after a freeway shootout with authorities was planning to attack people at the American Civil Liberties Union and another nonprofit group.

Oakland police Officer Jeff Thomason says Byron Williams was upset with the ACLU and Tides Foundation for their left-leaning political views.

Williams told investigators he was on his way to San Francisco late Saturday when California Highway Patrol officers pulled him over on Interstate 580.

Authorities say Williams, wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with three guns, opened fire.

He was arraigned Tuesday on four counts of attempted murder, plus weapons enhancements. He was released from the hospital earlier in the day after being treated for injuries from the shootout.

No CHP officers were seriously injured.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Attempted murder charges have been filed against a California man who authorities said wore a bulletproof vest and was heavily armed during a freeway shootout with California Highway Patrol officers.

Feds to investigate Calif. train station killing

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Federal officials say they will investigate the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer on an Oakland train platform to determine whether the case warrants federal prosecution.

Former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer Johannes Mehserle was convicted Thursday of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 22-year-old Oscar Grant on New Year's Day in 2009.

The U.S. Department of Justice say the review will be conducted by its Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco and the FBI.

The verdict touched off violent protests in Oakland, where the case has enflamed racial tensions. Prosecutors had sought a second-degree murder conviction.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Violent protests erupted in Oakland with stores damaged and dozens arrested after a Los Angeles jury convicted a white former transit officer of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man.

Prosecutors had wanted Johannes Mehserle convicted of murdering Oscar Grant. So Thursday's lesser verdict raised concerns of a repeat of the rioting that followed the shooting on New Year's Day in 2009 on an Oakland train platform. The trial was moved to Los Angeles following the riots.

Sunday school teacher gets life in girl’s murder

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:54:00 +0000

A Sunday school teacher who pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering a neighbor girl in Northern California made a tearful apology to the victim's family Monday as she was sentenced to prison for the rest of her life.

The punishment came after Melissa Huckaby, 29, reached a plea deal with prosecutors that took the death penalty and the possibility of parole off the table in the killing of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu of Tracy, whose body was found in a suitcase pulled from an irrigation pond.

Huckaby offered no motive for the 2009 killing as she addressed the girl's mother, Maria Chavez. The victim was a playmate of Huckaby's daughter.

"I still cannot understand why I did what I did. This is a question I will struggle with for the rest of my life," Huckaby said, her voice trembling.

She said Sandra "did not suffer, and I did not sexually molest her."

"I'm asking you, Maria, for your forgiveness," Huckaby said. "I can't imagine forgiving someone who harmed my daughter. I hope someday you can forgive me."

Huckaby entered her surprise plea last month to first-degree murder with the special circumstance of kidnapping. All other charges, including allegations that she sexually abused the girl, were dropped as part of the plea deal.