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Man gets time served, probation in ‘sextortion’ case that led to San Jose teen’s suicide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

SAN JOSE — A man convicted in a “sextortion” scheme that drove a San Jose teen to take his own life last year was sentenced Thursday to time served and supervised release, in a case that drew national attention to the blackmailing crime that preys on young people.Jonathan Kassi, 26, has pleaded to a felony extortion charge in a sexual blackmail scheme targeting a San Jose teen who died by suicide in February 2022. (San Jose Police Dept.) Jonathan Kassi, 26, has been in Santa Clara County jail custody since December and was expected to be released under the terms of a plea agreement with prosecutors in which he admitted to one count of felony extortion of 17-year-old Ryan Last.Judge David Cena technically sentenced Kassi to a three-year prison sentence, but under terms that half of it be served in county jail and half of it be served on probation under county and court supervision. Because of the time he has already spent in jail, Cena ruled that the in-custody porti...

Letters: S.J. contract | Deserves commendation | Wasteful spending | Informed voters | Planned obsolescence | Ungovernable GOP

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Small tax hike couldpay for S.J. contractSan Jose’s recent union contract will greatly raise city costs, and union contracts will soon come for the police and fire departments.Costs will surpass revenues now collected so jobs will soon be eliminated. And maybe that will work, a tiny bit, as San Jose has many job positions unfilled for long periods of time.But, our cops have to work a lot of overtime, which greatly adds to costs. So we need to add more cops.I propose we vote for a sales tax increase of 1/4 to 3/8 percent, to be used to fund these higher rates of pay, but also to be used to hire more police, not for anything else.Most taxpayers in our city can afford it and it yields a safer city with a solid workforce. If you agree, email your City Councilmember.Brian McCormickSan JoseResident deservescommendation, not fineRe: “Officials eye fine for tarp removal” (Page A1, Sept. 19).I a...

2 dead after Berkeley police involved in shootout with gunman at Toyota service center

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

ALBANY, Calif. (KRON) -- A suspect involved in a shooting at a Toyota service center in Albany exchanged gunfire with Berkeley Police Department officers Thursday morning, police say. Both the suspect and an employee of the store were killed. Witnesses saw the suspect shoot a female employee at the Toyota Service Center, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said. Police then responded and were involved in a shooting. Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín said the suspect was shot by the officers. The relationship between the suspect and Toyota employee is unknown at this time. At 11:14 a.m., Berkeley police responded to a shooting at the Toyota Service Center in Albany, the department said. Officers on scene located a victim as well as a suspect. After locating the suspect, gunfire occurred between the suspect and Berkeley police, according to authorities.Berkeley PD requested assistance from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office after the shooting.The shooting happened inside the auto shop, a...

Davante Adams surprises grandma with makeover of East Palo Alto home

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) - Former Fresno State and current Las Vegas Raider wide receiver Davante Adams is making headlines off the field - and giving his grandmother the surprise of her life.On the newest episode of CBS 'Secret Celebrity Renovation,' Adams returned home to East Palo Alto, California to help upgrade his grandmother's home.According to Adam's officials, his grandmother, Bettie, played a big role in raising the All-Pro receiver.In the episode, Adams can be seen even joining in on the surprise, getting his hands dirty by moving furniture, tearing down cabinets, and painting walls. All-Pro Wide Receiver Davante Adams dedicates fitness equipment in East Palo Alto In March of 2023, Davante donated outdoor fitness equipment to Jack Farrell Park in East Palo Alto. Unfortunately, two months later the wide receiver's cousin, Ralph Fields Jr., was shot and killed at that same park.

Invasive New Zealand mudsnails found in Lake Tahoe for the first time

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

(FOX40.COM) — An invasive snail that was first detected in the U.S. more than three decades ago has been found for the first time in Lake Tahoe, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. Divers contracted by the Aquatic Invasive Species Program discovered New Zealand mudsnails at the bottom of the lake about a half mile from the mouth of the Upper Truckee River, close to the city of South Lake Tahoe. Divers begin removing invasive aquatic plants from Emerald Bay The divers were surveying invasive weeds when they discovered the mudsnails, which have also been detected in the nearby Lower Truckee River, close to Reno, Nevada. After the discovery, a team was assembled to survey the extent of the infestation and to share their findings with state and federal wildlife officials. South Lake Tahoe bear believed to be ‘Hank the Tank’ captured The New Zealand mudsnail is often smaller than a grain of rice and can quickly colonize new ...

Suspect in LoDo shooting identified, still at-large

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Police have identified a woman suspected of shooting multiple people outside of a bar in Denver on Saturday night.Keanna Rosenburgh is accused in the weekend shooting outside of a club in the 1900 block of Market Street in downtown Denver, injuring five people. Witness: LoDo bar patrons rushed inside and locked in after shooting Rosenburgh has not been taken into custody and is wanted for eight counts of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree.Witnesses and anyone with information about the suspect can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 (STOP).This woman is wanted in a shooting on Sept. 16, 2023, in Lower Downtown. (Denver Police Department)Denver police have identified Keanna Rosenburgh as the suspect in the LoDo shooting that injured five people on Sept. 16. Police are looking for the public's help in locating her. (Photo released by Denver Police Department)Police previously said the woman had tried to get into the club but was s...

'Peaceful but not graceful': Stolen vehicle suspect's pants get stuck while trying to surrender after L.A. chase

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

The driver of a stolen vehicle was taken into custody after a wild chase on multiple Los Angeles freeways and surface streets Thursday afternoon. LAPD officers were called to assist in the stolen vehicle chase just before 3 p.m. as the driver was in the express lanes of the 110 Freeway. It's unclear where and when the vehicle was stolen, however. By 3:35 p.m., the driver was heading north on the highway in the Exposition Park area.The black Mercedes sedan appeared to have a flag or banner coming from the sunroof, aerial video from Sky5 showed.A stolen vehicle suspect leads police on a chase on the 110 Freeway on Sept. 21, 2023. (KTLA) The driver was soon heading west on the 10 Freeway, with several LAPD units in tow. Around 3:53 p.m., the driver exited on Bundy Drive, only to get back onto the eastbound side of the highway.There, the suspect avoided traffic by heading on the shoulder of the freeway. The driver continued east along the left shoulder, narrowly missing other motorists ...

Azerbaijan claims full control of breakaway region and holds initial talks with ethnic Armenians

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Azerbaijan regained control of its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in a deadly two-day military offensive and held initial talks with representatives of its ethnic Armenian population on reintegrating the area into the mainly Muslim country, Azerbaijan’s top diplomat told the U.N. Security Council Thursday.Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s determination to guarantee Nagorno-Karabakh’s residents “all rights and freedoms” in line with the country’s constitution and international human rights obligations, including safeguards for ethnic minorities.He said the talks with Nargono-Karabakh in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh will continue.Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, declared victory in a televised address. Bayramov said there is now “a historic opportunity” to seek better relations after 30 years of conflict.Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighti...

Ancient ‘power’ palazzo on Rome’s Palatine Hill reopens to tourists, decades after closure

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

ROME (AP) — An ancient Roman imperial palazzo atop the city’s Palatine Hill was reopened to tourists on Thursday, nearly 50 years after its closure for restoration.The nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Tiberiana was home to rulers in the ancient city’s Imperial period. The sprawling palace allows for sweeping views of the Roman Forum below. The public is now able to tour it, following decades of structural restoration work to shore the palace up for safety reasons. Excavations uncovered artifacts from centuries of Roman life following the decline of the empire.The director of the Colosseum Archeological Park, which includes the Palatine Hill, in a written description of the restored palazzo, dubbed it “the power palace par excellence.” On the eve of the reopening, the official, Alfonsina Russo, quoted a first-century Roman poet as saying the sprawling palace seemed “infinite” and that “its grandiosity was just like the grandiosity of the sky.”Although the domus, or residence, ...

Surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada led to allegations around Sikh killing, official says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:01 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh Canadian is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a Canadian official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.The official said the communications involved Indian officials and Indian diplomats in Canada and that some of the intelligence was provided by a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Canada. The official did not say which ally provided intelligence or give specific details of what was contained in the communications or how they were obtained. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation first reported the intelligence.Earlier Thursday, India stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens and told Canada to reduce its diplo...