Assistant Fire Chief Accused of Beating Puppy

A Los Angeles County Assistant Fire Chief is under investigation for allegedly beating a neighbor's dog.

According to authorities, the neighbor's dog, a six-month old shepherd mix, was beaten to the point where it had to be put to sleep.

LC Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson, who has been with the department for 30 years, reportedly told Riverside County investigators that he beat the dog in self-defense.

Authorities say that the dog escaped its yard and wandered onto a neighbor's property. Johnson allegedly told that neighbor that he would return the dog to the owner's house. According to that neighbor, Johnson took the dog onto his own property and then began hitting it with his fist, before using a rock to injure the dog.

The dog's owners say they plan to take civil action against Johnson regardless of the outcome of the criminal investigation.

Following the incident, Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman released the following statement:

"The Los Angeles County Fire Department is deeply concerned with allegations regarding Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson's actions in the beating of his neighbor's dog. Prior to the news reports, Chief Johnson had advised his superiors of the incident and explained his actions as self-defense.

Given the nature of the allegations and the ongoing Riverside County Sheriff's investigation, Chief Johnson has been placed on administrative leave (with pay). Once more facts are available, the Department will take appropriate action as warranted.

There will be no further information available by the Department until the investigation is completed"

Cheerleader Kicked Off Team for Offensive Acts

Editor's note: Although this site is primarily geared towards California news, we from time to time step outside the state and see what is going on around the nation and the rest of the world.

Does another young woman have a date with Playboy in the offing?

It seems we report just about every other week on some young female who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. This time it is former New England Patriots cheerleader Caitlin Davis.

It appears Davis, 18, was recently removed from the team's cheerleading squad after pictures of her with a passed-out man covered in offensive drawings surfaced on her Facebook account.

Davis, who lost her gig due to several pictures showing her alongside a drunk, unconscious man covered in offensive markings including two swastikas and words describing male genitalia, reportedly refused to take responsibility for any of the images on the man's body saying that was just his Halloween costume which she and her friends found interesting.

"The kid in the picture was a 'drunk guy who passed out and was written on,' as his costume for the night," Davis told celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com in a statement, explaining she was unaware of the signs at the time she jumped in the picture with the "kid." However, Davis said she considers herself fully responsible for not being more alert.

In her audition tape to become a Patriots cheerleader, Davis claimed that the most important reason she wanted to become part of the pompom squad was to spread "a good image" for the team.

Safe to say the Patriots don't view her in that light any longer.

In the meantime, don't be surprised if Hugh Hefner comes calling.

Craigslist to Crack Down on Prostitution

Worried about its site being used to traffic prostitution, Craigslist said today it would crack down on ads for prostitution on its Web sites. Attorney generals from 40 states also noted that their respective states will work with Craigslist in this effort, however California was not one of them.

As part of Craigslist's arrangement with attorneys general around the country, any individual posting an "erotic services" ad will be required to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. Craigslist will provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed.

Craigslist also said it will sue more than a dozen software and Internet companies that help people who post erotic service ads to circumvent the Web site's defenses against inappropriate content and illegal activity.

Police nationwide have been arresting people for using Web sites like Craigslist to advertise the sexual services of women and children.

States taking part in the agreement include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam also joined.

Why Sarah Palin was Good for the McCain Ticket

Editor's note: Although this site is primarily geared towards California news, we from time to time step outside the state and see what is going on around the nation and the rest of the world.

Now that the dust has settled, many pundits are coming out and giving their two cents about the impact Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had on the GOP ticket. There are even reports of some McCain staffers, who of course do not want their names released, saying she was a drag on the ticket.

Well, we believe Palin was good for the ticket overall. While she made some miscues along the way, McCain would have likely lost by double digit points instead of six had Palin not been on the ticket.

First, she brought energy to the ticket. With all due respect to McCain, he does and did not fire up the crowds. Palin continuously outdrew McCain at events and her crowds grew as time went on.

Second, she fired up the base, something McCain had trouble doing. Donations and volunteers to the GOP ticket skyrocketed following the GOP Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul, with much of that credit going to the pick of Palin.

Third, she proved a tireless campaigner, something that McCain also was. Unlike Joe Biden who can put you to sleep faster than a sleeping pill, Palin brought energy to the events she attended and excitement.

When all is said and done, McCain himself admitted he was to blame for the loss. We love McCain and appreciate all he's done for this country, but it was at the top of the ticket where some bad decisions were made. For those that say Palin was one of them, we disagree.

While Palin goes back to being Alaska's governor, don't be surprised to see her on the national stage again in a few years.

Next time, you will have a more seasoned Sarah Palin, someone the Democrats will be keeping an eye on. And that includes our friends in the liberal media....

Here We Go Again... Gays Vow to Fight Vote

Earlier this decade, California voters to the tune of some 61 percent voted that they wanted marriage to stay defined as between a man and a woman.

After that vote was overturned by four judges back in May of this year, proponents of traditional marriage managed to get enough signatures to bring the issue to a vote on Nov. 4. While not all precincts are in, Yes on Proposition 8 (defining marriage as that between a man and a woman) was passing 52 to 48 percent or 5,163,908 votes to 4,760,336 votes. Unless thousands and thousands of votes come in from some strong homosexual district, Prop 8 will pass.

And what are gays doing about this? Once again, they're trying to throw out the majority's vote and tie up the issue in court. Didn't we go through this dog and pony show once before?

Three legal groups filed a writ petition today with the state Supreme Court, urging the invalidation of Prop 8.

The petition claims that Prop 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians.

Spending for and against the Prop 8 hit $74 million, making it the most expensive social-issues campaign in the nation's history and the most expensive campaign this year outside the race for the White House.

So while it looks like the Prop 8 vote is going to hold in favor of those banning same-sex marraige, gays and lesbians now want to tie the issue up in court for a second time.

Whatever happened to majority rules? Should we now contest every race that we don't like the outcome of? Should we run down to the nearest courthouse and whine each time a vote doesn't go our way?

This will be blunt and to the point....but if you don't like the way Prop 8 apparently has turned out, no one is forcing you to live in California.

Many of us who supported Prop 8 have no issue with making sure same-sex couples are entitled to the same medical care, insurance and other rights that heterosexual couples have. We just draw the line at redefining marriage.

For once, could you live with what the voters have said?

Get Out and Vote Today

Whether you are for Barack Obama or John McCain, permitting gay marriage or banning it in California, approving or disapproving of your local Congressman, remember to go out and vote today.

Too many of us take that right for granted. All we need to do is look at places around the world where elections are pre-determined, there is no voting, etc.

While we support Sen. McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, win or lose tonight, we need to come together as a country.

So please, go out and vote!

Courtesy of CNN, the following map will provide you with closing times for the polls in your area.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/poll.closing/

Man Allegedly Tried to Set Family Members on Fire

An Orange County man has been arrested and is being accused of trying to set his home on fire as his family slept inside early Sunday morning.

According to authorities, Don Nguyen, 69, of Garden Grove, is being held in the Orange County Jail on five counts of attempted murder.

Authorities say that Nguyen blocked several exits shut and then began dousing the windows and exit doors with gasoline from four cannisters.

The fire was prevented when Nguyen's daughter arrived home unexpectedly and alerted family members inside the home to what was going on.

Prop R Would Rename Sewage Plant After Bush

Leave it to the folks in San Francisco to come up with this one.

Voters will have the opportunity Tuesday to rename a sewage-treatment plant after our 43rd President, George W. Bush.

If passed, Prop R would rename the $220 million Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant near Ocean Beach in honor of Bush. The renaming will not be cheap, either.

Reportedly the lettering outside the plant would be replaced and all informational brochures handed out to schoolchildren and others who participate in field trips there would be redone. Officials say the approximate cost to do all that is around $50,000.

79-Year-Old Man Charged with Sexual Assaults

George Pecci, 79, has pleaded guilty to one count each of oral copulation, felony sexual battery, lewd acts with a child and misdemeanor sexual battery, after being arrested for reportedly sexually assaulting four women he hired to clean his home or care for his ailing wife.

According to authorities, the Westlake Village resident also reportedly threatened to kill or deport the victims if they told anyone.

Pecci reportedly targeted recent immigrants and ran ads in area stores to lure his victims.

One of the victims claimed that after arriving at Pecci's home, he poured wine in two glasses and offered one to the woman. He reportedly then fondled the woman, and when she asked to leave the residence, Pecci reportedly said she could not until she had sex with him.

Pecci will face sentencing on Dec. 9.

Daycare Operator Charged with Molesting Kids

The 65-year-old owner of a Hawthorne day-care facility has been charged with molesting two young girls at the facility.

Tito Richard Ruiz, (dob 6-4-43), was charged with six felony counts of lewd act on a child involving a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Ruiz and his wife operate the Ruiz Family Daycare in the 4900 block of West 133rd Street, a licensed day-care facility. He was arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives after the alleged 6-year-old victim told her parents she was inappropriately touched and her parents then contacted authorities.

Ruiz was released on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Dec. 18 at Torrance Superior Court, Dept. 4. If convicted, he faces up to 18 years in state prison.

An investigation is ongoing and there are other potential victims.

Band Director Charged for Alleged Sex with Student

A music teacher at El Modena High School has been charged with sexual misconduct with a male student.

Carlie Rose Attebury, 29, who was the school's band director, is charged with eight felony counts: two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and six other counts, including dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. She was arrested last month and freed on $50,000 bail.

According to an Oct. 13 e-mail to city officials from the Orange Police Department, the student admitted to having "sexual encounters with a teacher."

Attebury, who allegedly had sex with the student in February and April of this year, has since been placed on unpaid leave.

Photos: Orange County Register

UPDATE: Gun Waving Man Snarls Morning Commute

EDITOR'S NOTE: ACCORDING TO REPORTS AS OF 11 A.M., THE MAN HAS PUT HIS WEAPON DOWN. POLICE REMAIN ON THE SCENE AND TRAFFIC IS BACKED UP FOR SEVERAL MILES IN THE AREA OF THE LA CUMBRE OVERPASS.

A masked man waving an American flag and sporting a handgun has shut down traffic in the Santa Barbara area for several hours this morning on Highway 101.

According to authorities, the man was waving the gun and flag when officers arrived on the overpass shortly after 7 a.m. Some two hours later, police officers using a bullhorn established contact with the man.

The police special weapons and tactics team and a crisis negotiation team are on the scene.

5 Adults Found Shot to Death in Homeless Encampment

Authorities reported that five adults were found shot to death in a homeless encampment off the side of a freeway in Long Beach. The scene under investigation was adjacent to the interchange of the San Diego (405) and Long Beach (710) freeways.

Police reportedly responded to an anonymous call around 8:30 a.m. today and discovered the adults in a brush-filled area between some commercial buildings and a freeway interchange.

Authorities did not release the sexes, ages or other information regarding the bodies.

Backers to Ban Booze on SD Beaches Rally

With Election Day just around the corner, supporters of Proposition D in San Diego rallied in Pacific Beach on Saturday to get their point across - no booze on the beaches.

Local residents, politicians and safety personnel spoke to the crowd, who are hoping to pass Prop D on Tuesday.

According to a member of the Police Officers Association, alcohol-related incidents are down nearly 20 percent since the temporary ban was enacted at the start of the year.

A few who say no to Prop D also turned out, claiming that banning booze on the beaches makes
providing alcohol at weddings, reunions and other festivities difficult in requiring special fees and fencing.

For further information on Prop D, visit: www.smartvoter.org/2008/11/04/ca/sd/prop/D/

Attorney Charged in Alleged Child Porn Case

Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Glendale Police Department have arrested an attorney on a felony complaint charging him with possessing child pornography and an assault weapon.

Deputy District Attorney Susan Schwartz of the Justice System Integrity Division (JSID) said Walter Loustari, 57, of Glendale, was arrested without incident at his law office in nearby La Canada. He is expected to appear for arraignment on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court Department 30 in downtown Los Angeles.

Loustari (dob 3-14-1951) was charged in a felony complaint for arrest warrant following an investigation by ICE and the Glendale Police Department. The criminal complaint (BA348342) charged Loustari with three felony counts of possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of a child and one felony count of illegal possession of an Uzi assault rifle.

If convicted of the crimes, Loustari could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in state prison. He is being held on $95,000 bail.

The ICE investigation of Loustari began in October 2006 as part of its investigation of an alleged hardcore child pornography site on the Internet. The investigation included execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s Glendale apartment.