SoCal man gets death for sex-killing of 5-year-old

A Southern California man has been sentenced to death for sexually assaulting and beating to death a 5-year-old girl. Twenty-nine-year-old Antonio Rodriguez was sentenced Thursday in a San Fernando courtroom for the 2004 attack on his girlfriend's daughter in Castaic. He was convicted in July of murder, torture and other charges.

Con man could get life under Calif. 3-strikes law

A man accused of bilking South Los Angeles residents out of their homes in a foreclosure scam is facing a potential life sentence in a rare use of California's three-strikes law for a white-collar crime. Timothy Barnett is charged with 23 felonies, including identity theft, real estate fraud and theft from the elderly. A conviction would be his third felony strike after two 1997 convictions for burglary stemming from fraud schemes in which he met the victims at their homes.

Santa Anita moves its fall meet to Hollywood Park

Hollywood Park will host the Oak Tree meet traditionally run at Santa Anita beginning Sept. 30. The Oak Tree Racing Association decided to move from its home since 1969 in Arcadia across town to Hollywood Park because of uncertainty about the condition of the main track at Santa Anita.

Small plane crashes near Sacramento, injuring 2

Authorities say two people were injured when a small, homemade airplane crashed as it tried to land at a rural runway about 25 miles southeast of Sacramento. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the pilot was airlifted to a hospital with head injuries after the 9:45 a.m. Thursday crash. The lone passenger was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

8 minors to be charged as adults in teen killing

Prosecutors say eight juveniles accused in the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old Sacramento girl will be charged as adults with murder. A total of 12 people were arrested in the Jan. 3 killing of Aliyah Smith.

Rapper T.I., wife arrested on drug charges

Grammy-winning rapper T.I. was arrested along with his wife on suspicion of possessing methamphetamines, five months after the hip-hop star finished a prison stint on weapons charges. The 29-year-old rapper and his wife, Tameka Cottle, were arrested Wednesday night in West Hollywood after deputies smelled marijuana and pulled the couple over, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. They were released from jail at about 4 a.m. Thursday after posting $10,000 bail each, sheriff's Deputy Luis Castro said.

Brown recruits Hispanic activists to gov campaign

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown is seeking to shore up support among Hispanic voters as he prepares for a competitive fall campaign. Brown has dismissed a midsummer poll that showed his candidacy struggling among Hispanic voters. On Thursday, he surrounded himself with Hispanic lawmakers and community activists at Laney College in Oakland.

Small plane crashes in Redwood City

A small plane crashed just before noon in a lagoon in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City, officials said. A spokesman for the city said one body had been pulled from the water. The spokesman, Malcolm Smith, told reporters that the victim was a woman,...

No sign of oil spill after Gulf platform fire

The Coast Guard is saying there are no immediate signs of a spill from an oil platform fire in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast. All 13 crew members were rescued from the water in the second such disaster in the Gulf in less than five months. The...

Immigration agency ponders S.F. opt-out request

U.S. immigration officials said Wednesday they will consider San Franciscos request to opt out of the controversial Secure Communities program that makes it easier for federal authorities to track down and deport undocumented immigrants. Until now, the...

Foreclosures can make you sick, report says

As Dianne Huntsberry was losing her home last year, the result of a financing scam, she also wound up in the hospital - twice - for what seemed like heart problems. I thought I was having a heart attack - I didnt know what was going on, said Huntsberry,...

Earl threatens East Coast with weekend pounding

The last ferry left for the mainland and coastal residents hunkered down at home as Hurricane Earl closed in with 115 mph winds Thursday on North Carolinas dangerously exposed Outer Banks, the first and potentially most destructive stop on the storms...

Muni drivers fight restoring service cuts

Muni operators are trying to halt plans to restore 61 percent of the service that was cut in May. The restorations are set to go into effect Saturday and would add more runs late at night, on community routes and the busiest lines. Transport Workers Union...

Synopsys wraps up $315M Virage Logic buy
Synopsys Inc. finished buying Virage Logic Corp. for $12 per share or about $315 million. (SNPS)

Report finds PG&E smart meters accurate
An independent report commissioned by the California Public Utilities Commission finds that PG&E smart meters are "accurately recording electric usage" and are being "accureately utilized in customer billing."

Ross Stores sales jump again
Discount clothing seller Ross Stores Inc. reported another monthly sales gain as the ongoing economic crunch sent shoppers seeking bargains. (ROST) (GPS)

Autodesk invests in Vela Systems
Design software maker Autodesk Inc. led a $6 million second venture funding round in Vela Systems Inc. (ADSK)

Inflection raises $30 million Series A
Public records aggregator Inflection LLC raised $30 million in its first round of venture capital.

Cisco Systems to buy Arch Rock Corp.
Cisco Systems Inc. intends to buy Arch Rock Corp., a private company that makes smart grid network technology. (CSCO)

Court Won't Force State Officials To Defend Prop 8
A California court has refused to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to appeal a ruling that overturned the state's gay marriage ban.

Dead Suspect May Be Linked To 4 East Bay Slayings
Police were looking for a missing man as part of their investigation into a murder suspect who led officers on a high-speed chase with his dead girlfriend in the passenger seat, according to police.

Boxer, Fiorina Tussle Over Economy In First Debate
Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Carly Fiorina engaged in a sharp exchange Wednesday over who is best suited to guide the country out of recession, with the challenger blaming Boxer for policies "that are devastating the state."

3.3 Earthquake Rattles East Bay
The U.S. Geological Survey reported an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.3 struck Thursday morning in San Pablo.

At Least 1 Dead In Redwood City Plane Crash
A 40-year-old woman was found dead next to the wreckage of a small plane that crashed in a lagoon in the Redwood City neighborhood of Redwood Shores. Authorities were also searching for a second person after receiving unconfirmed reports from the San Carlos Airport that two people had boarded the plane.

Vote Set On Outsourcing San Carlos Police Services
The San Carlos City Council was scheduled to hold a special meeting Thursday night to decide whether to contract out the city's police services to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.