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Man sentenced for ATM fraud targeting low-income Southern Californians

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

A Romanian citizen was sentenced to jail for ATM skimming thefts targeting low-income Southern Californians.Virgil Toader Negru, 40, was found guilty of one count of felony identity theft and one count of forgery related to card skimming government fraud schemes. He faces 240 days in jail and two years of felony probation, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.On April 1, 2023, Negru was seen “engaging in suspicious activity at two ATM sites in Simi Valley” by authorities investigating Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card skimming fraud.EBT cards allow participants to pay for food using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps. Employment Development Department (EDD) cards are used for distributing state funds such as unemployment, disability insurance, and paid family leave.Negru was found in possession of 12 gift cards that were cloned into EBT and EDD cards. Negru attempted to use the cloned cards to withdraw...

Irvine police recover over $125K from burglary suspect

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

Irvine police arrested a 26-year-old suspect on Friday for a residential burglary that occurred on Tuesday. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on July 5, authorities responded to reports of a burglary in the Altair community, according to an Irvine Police Department news release. After returning home around midnight, the victim noticed his door was open and cash and jewelry were missing from his home. Surveillance footage captured a silver Honda Odyssey minivan tailgating another vehicle into the gated community and was seen parked near the victim’s home. A man appears to exit the vehicle, walk towards the home, and is then seen leaving the home with items in his hands. The same vehicle was seen entering the neighborhood the week before on June 25, and surveillance was able to capture the driver’s picture. Detectives identified the suspect as 26-year-old Matty Chavoshi of Fontana. During a search warrant at the suspect’s home, authorities recovered the victim’s watch an...

SoCal Edison, Frontier pay $22M to settle lawsuit for role in 2016 Rey Fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

One of California's largest power utilities, a major telecom corporation and a vegetation management company have paid millions to settle claims related to a major wildfire in Santa Barbara County.Southern California Edison, Frontier Communications and Utility Tree Service paid a combined $22 million to resolve claims on behalf of the United States Forest Service for each company's role in causing the Rey Fire in August 2016.The Rey Fire broke out in the Los Padres National Forest on Aug. 18, 2016, when a tree fell onto power lines and communication lines owned by Frontier and Edison. In 2019, the United States filed a lawsuit against the two companies, as well as the company contracted to manage vegetation near the utility equipment, in hopes of recouping some of the costs related to the destructive wildfire.The United States Department of Justice alleged that the tree falling onto the lines caused a malfunction and led to an energized line falling to the ground and sparking a fire...

Union City cannabis dispensary break-in ends in shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

UNION CITY – Authorities on Friday were searching for suspects in a break-in and shooting at a Union City cannabis dispensary.Around 1:40 a.m., officers responded to a panic alarm at FLOR in the 31000 block of Courthouse Drive, the Union City Police Department said in a news release.On-site security told police the suspects forced their way into the business to steal property. When confronted, the suspects started shooting and injured one person, police said. The victim was expected to survive.The suspects remained at large Friday night.Additional details about the case, including a description of the suspects, were not immediately available.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Power outage glitches Oakland’s 911 dispatch system Crime and Public Safety | Richmond: Police release video of deadly June shooting during search of home filled with guns Crime and Public Safety | Shady behavior: Bay Area sunglasses thief stole nearly $14...

Cal Fire using A.I. technology this wildfire season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

(KRON) --  Artificial Intelligence is becoming more and more common. Now, Cal Fire is using it. Six of their command centers have AI technology set up to detect wildfires. KRON spoke with one of their fire captains about how AI technology works. Cal Fire has about 1,000 cameras set up throughout the state. They have the ability to rotate 360 degrees, zoom in and out, and now AI can detect a wildfire. The giant monitors at Cal Fire’s Grass Valley Emergency Command Center are able to bring up any of the 1,000 cameras set up on high towers. Louis Vuitton is latest high-end store to open in downtown Walnut Creek Three months ago, Cal Fire added something new AI. This red square on the horizon is artificial intelligence detecting something out of the ordinary, according to Captain Nathan Menth.“Whether it’s dense smoke, whether it’s a change of color on the horizon. The technology allows us to have that early detection. We can pinpoint it utilizing multiple cameras throughout our ...

Luis Robert Jr. hits 26th homer, White Sox rally past Cardinals 8-7 after Montgomery hurt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — All-Star Luis Robert Jr. tied the game with his 26th homer of the season, and the Chicago White Sox rallied past St. Louis 8-7 on Friday night after Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery left with an apparent injury.Nolan Arenado hit a pair of two-run homers for St. Louis, which took a 5-0 lead in the third and led 5-1 in the fifth when Montgomery departed abruptly. With a 2-1 count on Elvis Andrus, Montgomery tapped the back of his right leg with his glove. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and trainers went to the mound, and Montgomery walked slowly to the dugout.JoJo Romero got the final two outs in the fifth but was charged with three of Chicago’s five runs in the sixth. Andre Pallante gave up two more runs to cough up the lead.Arenado put the Cardinals back ahead with his homer in the seventh off Keynon Middleton (2-0). In the bottom half, Kyle Leahy (0-1) gave up Robert’s blast and departed with the bases loaded. Chris Stratton came on and walked Zach Re...

Natasha Howard’s last-second free throws help Wings beat Aces 80-78

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Natasha Howard made two free throws with less than a second to play and the Dallas Wings handed the Las Vegas Aces just their second loss, pulling out an 80-78 win before a sellout crowd on Friday night.Arike Ogunbowale scored 21 points for the Wings (9-9) and Howard and McCowan head posted a double-double. Howard finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and McCowan had 14 points and 12 boards for her third straight. Crystal Dangerfield scored 14 points.A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum each scored 21 points for the Aces (16-2). Chelsea Gray added 14, Jackie Young 12 and Candace Parker 10. LYNX 75, MERCURY 64MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier led a balanced attack with 12 points and 12 rebounds in Minnesota’s win over Phoenix.Bridget Carleton had 11 points and Kayla McBride, Diamond Miller and Nikolina Milic added 10 points apiece for the Lynx. Dorka Juhasz finished with 10 rebounds. The Lynx, who won their fifth straight, and are 9-9 after opening the season with six...

Bailey Tardy brings her best to Pebble Beach for 2-shot lead at US Women’s Open

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Bailey Tardy picked a good time and a beautiful location to play her best golf.Tardy made eagle on the par-5 sixth hole at Pebble Beach for the second straight day as part of a torrid start to her second round Friday in the U.S. Women’s Open, and she held steady the rest of the way for a 4-under 68 and a two-shot lead.Tardy hasn’t finished in the top 20 in her rookie year on the LPGA Tour. Now she has the 36-hole lead at the biggest event in women’s golf. And there was more to her good timing. Tardy was in the first group out, before the wind got strong enough to send scores soaring.Tardy was at 7-under 137, one of only six players who remain under par going into the weekend, with even stronger wind in the forecast. Of those six, only Nasa Hataoka faced the flag-snapping wind of the afternoon. Hataoka shot 74.Rose Zhang was over the cut line when she made a two early bogeys in the morning. She rallied for a 71 to easily make the weekend....

Wiemer, Adames, Burnes carry Brewers to 7-3 win over NL Central-leading Reds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joey Wiemer and Willy Adames hit two-run homers and Corbin Burnes allowed just three hits in six innings as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the division-leading Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on Friday night in an matchup of the NL Central’s top teams.The victory lifted the Brewers to within a game of the Reds, who saw their five-game winning streak halted. Milwaukee won for the fourth time in five games against Cincinnati. Burnes (7-5) walked four and struck out six to win consecutive games for the first time since mid-April.Joey Votto hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati, which entered the key series a season-high 10 games over .500 and had won eight of their last nine, and 20 of the last 24. Burnes’ only trouble came in the fifth inning. Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz blooped a single into short left field. One out later, Votto crushed a 0-1 pitch into the second tier of the right-field bleachers.Since coming off the 60-day injured list because of left shoulder and left biceps ...

Analysis: The Wemby Show is underway, and opening night was a circus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:19:11 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The final numbers for Victor Wembanyama in his Summer League debut: nine points on 2-for-13 shooting, eight rebounds, five blocked shots, three assists.Not on the stat sheet: the countless pictures and videos captured on phones, the couple dozen or so times he applauded a good play made by a teammate, and all the autographs that a very friendly San Antonio Spurs coach named Gregg Popovich signed at halftime for kids and other fans.The Wemby Show is underway. The outcome on Friday night doesn’t matter much and will be forgotten in the next couple days — for the record, the Spurs beat the Charlotte Hornets 76-68 on Day 1 of the NBA Summer League. But for the 17,500 people who bought tickets, most of them just to say they saw Wembanyama’s first time sweating in a Spurs game uniform, it was a night to remember.Wembanyama did a lot of things well, which can’t be a surprise. He screened well. Passed well. Defended well at times; Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick ...