SanLuisObispo.com: Breaking News

Man charged with killing girlfriend's son by burying him in sand

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:56 PDT

A manslaughter charge was filed against a Santa Maria man Friday accused of killing his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son after burying him in sand.

Juan Francisco Nunez, 24, was charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and felony child endangerment causing great bodily injury, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran. If convicted, Nunez faces up to 11 years in prison.

He is being held at County Jail on a parole hold, said jail officials.

White supremacist pleads not guilty to making threats on MySpace

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:47 PDT

A known white supremacist pleaded not guilty Friday to making threats against a former friend who changed his beliefs about the movement.

Jeffrey David Lodor pleaded not guilty to making threats against an unidentified Templeton man, according to prosecutors.

Lodor, 27, of Porterville, was charged with two felony counts of making criminal threats and gang-related enhancements, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran. He is expected to return to court for a pre-trial hearing July 27.

South County men who lit friend's crotch on fire are sentenced

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:16 PDT

Two men accused of setting their friend’s groin on fire were sentenced to jail and prison this week.

Matthew Craig Pillers, 22, and Jack Brent Nicholas Keiffer, 19, pleaded no contest to felony causing a fire that leads to great bodily injury, according to court officials.

Pillers, who was on parole, was sentenced Thursday to two years in state prison after he rejected an offer of 270 days in County Jail and probation because he did not want to be on probation and parole at the same time, according to prosecutors.

Pismo Beach teenager died in Hwy. 101 wreck Thursday night

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:58 PDT

Police released the name of a Pismo Beach teenager who was killed in a traffic wreck Thursday night.

Addison Decker, also known as Addie, was killed in the wreck that happened around 9:55 p.m. as she drove north on Highway 101 south of Price Street, according to California Highway Patrol officials.

Decker was driving a Jeep Liberty with two passengers, Josy Malcolm, 17, of Pismo Beach and Jordan Souza, 18, of Arroyo Grande, when for unknown reasons she lost control of the Jeep and crashed into the center guardrail, causing the Jeep to roll over onto its roof and over the guardrail into the center median.

SLO man arrested after allegedly cutting another man's neck with a knife

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:18 PDT

A San Luis Obispo man was arrested Thursday after allegedly cutting another man’s neck with a knife.

Lloyd “Wayne” Lyle, 55, and James McMahill, 45, argued outside a friend’s apartment at 1586 Madonna Road at 4:30 p.m., according to San Luis Obispo police. Lyle then allegedly cut McMahill’s neck.

Lyle allegedly left and went back to his apartment in the same complex. He was later arrested and booked into County Jail, where bail was set at $25,000.

Woman arrested after arson fire, vehicle thefts in Atascadero

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:12 PDT

A Santa Cruz woman was arrested after she allegedly lit a car on fire in Atascadero, stole items from six parked vehicles and stole another car.

Raylene Little, 24, was stopped by police around 1:20 p.m. Thursday in the 7900 block of El Camino Real, according to a news release from the Atascadero Police Department. She allegedly tried to drive away from the officer.

Inside Little's car, police allegedly found numerous items that had been stolen earlier in the day from at least six unattended vehicles in Atascadero. Police also said the car Little was driving was stolen.

1 dead in wreck along Hwy. 101 in Pismo Beach

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:09 PDT

One person was confirmed killed after a wreck along northbound Highway 101 in Pismo Beach, according to the CHP’s dispatch Web site and radio dispatches from rescuers at the scene.

A vehicle was reported to have rolled over about 10 p.m. in the freeway’s center divider near Price Street.

At least one person, a 17-year-old girl, was injured and taken by San Luis Ambulance to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, according to radio dispatches from paramedics.

Known white supremacist charged with threatening Templeton man

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:58 PDT

A known white supremacist was charged Thursday with making threats against a Templeton man, according to prosecutors.

Jeffrey David Lodor, 27, of Porterville is facing two felony counts of making criminal threats and gang-related enhancements, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran.

Lodor met the unidentified Templeton man while incarcerated and struck up a friendship with him. But the man apparently did not fall in line with white supremacist beliefs and was threatened by Lodor on the social networking Web site MySpace, sheriff’s officials said.

CHP identifies drivers in Thursday morning wreck near Cambria

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:59 PDT

Traffic was halted for about an hour along Highway 1 in Cambria on Thursday after a mid-morning wreck that one emergency worker called “almost a head-on.”

Nobody was injured in the crash between a Honda Accord and a Ford F-150, both 2005 models, but traffic was snarled throughout town for about an hour.

The heavily damaged truck and car blocked the northbound lane of the highway, and debris was scattered in the southbound lane.

UPDATE: SLO police dispatch phone system restored

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:48 PDT

UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: The San Luis Obispo Police Department reports that its phones are now back in service. All 911 calls again go directly to the city police dispatchers.

"The department wants to thank the Sheriff’s Department for helping us through this unforeseen situation and the community for its patience," Lt. Steve Tolley said in announcing the resumption of normal 911 service. ---

Telephones at the San Luis Obispo Police Department's dispatch center are not working this evening, and 911 calls are being rerouted to the county Sheriff's Department, according to a police press release received shortly before 6 p.m.

Two more athletes with ties to the Central Coast are headed to Beijing Olympics

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:58 PDT

Two more athletes with ties to the Central Coast are headed to the Beijing Olympics.

Former Cal Poly first baseman and outfielder Jimmy Van Ostrand was selected Wednesday to the 24-man roster for the Canadian Olympic baseball team.

Also Wednesday, Chris Seitz, who began his high school career at San Luis Obispo High, was named to the U.S. Men's Olympic soccer team as a goalie.

County planners to continue working on plan for growth in rural areas

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:55 PDT

County planners received the go-ahead this week to continue refining their proposals to plan growth throughout the county, with an emphasis on consolidation and working with others who will be affected, including cities.

The Board of Supervisors authorized the planning department to proceed with its Countywide Rural Plan, which will eventually frame where growth occurs and under what circumstances.

Supervisors also asked for more specific proposals on infrastructure and resources.

SLO County deputy district attorneys may get 6 percent raise

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:10 PDT

Thirty deputy district attorneys will receive more than a 6 percent raise retroactive to last July, if the Board of Supervisors signs off Tuesday.

The 6.34 percent hike will cost the county $350,000 annually, according to Gail Wilcox, Assistant County Administrator. It was negotiated by the county and the San Luis Obispo Government Attorney’s’ Union..

The raise will boost the annual top salary from $127,188 to $135, 288, according to a report prepared by Wilcox for the Board of Supervisors. With benefits the cost will jump from $196,700 to $208,000 annually.

UPDATE: Lanes of Hwy. 1 near Cambria reopened after head-on collision

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:31 PDT

Highway 1 near Cambria was reopened about an hour after a head-on collision shut down the roadway.

The crash was first reported on the CHP Web site at 9:32 a.m.

The vehicles were reportedly blocking the northbound lane, and debris was scattered in the southbound lane.

Creston man arrested after allegedly firing shotgun at landlord's house

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:38 PDT

A Creston man was arrested after allegedly firing a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun at his landlord’s house.

Timothy C. McFadden, 55, allegedly came home to his rented mobile home in the 6700 block of Rocky Canyon Road around 10 p.m. Wednesday and became upset because his landlord’s dogs were barking, according to sheriff’s officials. McFadden, who was allegedly intoxicated, allegedly went into his bedroom and fired three rounds from the shotgun out the window toward his landlord’s residence.

When deputies arrived, they tried to call McFadden outside but he was unresponsive. When they entered his home, they found him passed out in the bedroom.

Advisory group OKs first phase of Santa Margarita Ranch residential development

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:30 PDT

The first phase of the proposed Santa Margarita Ranch residential development has received the OK from the Santa Margarita Area Advisory Council.

The council, which advises the county Board of Supervisors on development projects in the area, discussed the ranch proposal at a special meeting last week.

Developers Doug Filipponi, Karl Wittstrom and Rob Rossi (as Santa Margarita LLC) seek to develop a portion of the ranch with 111 houses on 1-to 1.5-acre lots southeast of the town of Santa Margarita.

PBS show about airstream trailers that filmed in Grover in March will air Monday

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:29 PDT

An episode of a PBS show that was filmed in Grover Beach in March will air Monday.

A crew from the show “History Detectives” came to Grover Beach on March 14 to investigate an aluminum Airstream trailer that has been at a Le Sage Riviera Mobile Home Park property since 1968.

Doug and Suzy Carr, who bought the property at the park five years ago, called the show to try to determine whether the trailer was one of 41 that Airstream Inc. founder Wally Byam led on a 221-day, 14,307-mile trek from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt, in 1959.

UPDATE: Suspect who allegedly stole sheriff's deputy's car in Atascadero is detained

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:00 PDT

A 20-year-old Atascadero man and his mother were arrested Wednesday after he reportedly slipped out of the back seat of a sheriff’s patrol car, drove away in it, then ditched it and fled in a vehicle driven by his mother.

Jordan Thomas McNamara was being held for questioning by Deputy Brent Rechtfertig around noon Wednesday about a recent North County burglary when, handcuffed, he allegedly managed to squeeze through a small Plexiglass vent window into the front seat of the patrol car and take off.

Rechtfertig was questioning a second suspect a few feet away. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Rob Bryn said the incident is being investigated.

Charges not yet filed in July 4 death of boy at Oceano Dunes

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:32 PDT

Charges have not yet been filed against a Santa Maria man suspected in the July 4 death of a 5-year-old boy at the Oceano Dunes, according to the county District Attorney’s Office.

Juan Francisco Nunez, 24, of Santa Maria was arrested on suspicion of assault resulting in the death of a child.

It was reported initially that Jesse Alvarez of Santa Maria died at Pismo State Beach. But Sheriff’s Department spokesman Rob Bryn confirmed Tuesday that the death occurred at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Deputies looking for man who tried - and failed - to rob Avila Beach business

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:30 PDT

Sheriff’s officials are searching for a man who unsuccessfully tried to rob an Avila Beach business Tuesday.

The unidentified man walked into Blazing Blenders at 90 San Miguel St. around 11 a. m. and demanded cash, according to sheriff’s officials.

He said he had a weapon, but witnesses said they did not see one. The clerk refused to give the man money and threatened to call authorities.