County Lines for October 28, 2007 Central Coast Rain makes an appearance Light rain that began falling over much of the parched Central Coast Saturday afternoon should be gone by today, but another chance of precipitation returns Monday. Rainfall totals as of 7:30 p.m. were 0.14 in Santa Maria, 0.07 in Lompoc, 0.01 in Goleta, 0.06 at Port San Luis, and 0.19 at San Luis Obispo airport, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday's rain came courtesy the remnants of tropical storm Kiko, according to the Weather Service. Today's forecast calls for partly cloudy with isolated showers in the morning and highs in the mid-60s to lower 70s at the beaches to the mid- to upper 70s inland. Tonight will be mostly clear with lows in the upper 40s. Monday will start off mostly sunny before becoming partly cloudy with a 40-percent chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs will be in the mid-60s to mid-70s. By Monday night, it will be partly cloudy with a 20-percent chance of showers. Los Alamos Valley Six suffer injures in Harris Road collision A two-vehicle collision left six people injured Saturday night, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said. The accident involving a pickup and sedan occurred about 3:15 p.m. on Harris Grade Road, one-half mile south of Highway 135. The six people had minor injuries, but three were taken to Lompoc District Hospital while the other three went to Marian Medical Center. No other details were available about the accident Isla Vista Police crackdown on Halloween revelers The yearly Halloween celebration in Isla Vista drew some 20,000 people as the annual law enforcement crackdown began, with nearly 90 people arrested and 150 criminal citations issued, sheriff's Sgt. Erik Raney said. The 90 people arrested were transported to Santa Barbara County Jail. “The majority of those violations were for public intoxication and other alcohol-related offenses,” he said. Most of the criminal citations handed out also were alcohol-related, such as minors possessing alcohol or people having open containers, Raney said. The law enforcement operation went smoothly, and the crowds were calm, he added. Santa Maria Check-cashing business robbed Three men who robbed a business in the 1200 block of North Broadway on Saturday morning escaped with $10,000, police said. Two of them entered the check-cashing business, Casa de Cambio, at 9:41 a.m., when one showed a handgun to the female clerk and demanded money. The third man stayed outside to serve as a lookout, police said. The men ran away west on Agnes Street, police said. The robbers are described as being black and in their 20s. One wore a black beanie cap with a white logo, a black hooded jacket with vertical white stripe on the sleeves, gray gloves and gray athletic pants. Another wore a black hooded jacket with horizontal stripe on the chest and black shorts with a gray vertical stripe on the sides. The third man wore a white hooded sweatshirt with white shorts and white tennis shoes. Santa Maria Man arrested for attempted murder A 56-year-old Santa Maria man was arrested for suspicion of attempted murder and other charges related to a woman who was assaulted and seriously injured, police said Saturday. Officers were called Friday night to Marian Medical Center, regarding an assault victim with serious head and body injuries. The assault took place Friday night in the 400 block of Timber Lane, officers said. Police identified the suspect, and issued alerts to other law enforcement agencies. A short time later, San Luis Obispo County sheriff's deputies found the suspect in his vehicle near a business in Nipomo. Police did not release the woman's name so her condition wasn't available. Floyd Cruz Jr. was arrested for suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, terrorist threats, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness, police said.. Grover Beach Man turns self in after altercation A man who allegedly tried to kidnap his 31-year-old ex-girlfriend early Friday was arrested in Grover Beach, police said Saturday. William Thomas Gimbel, 27, of Grover Beach reportedly went to his ex-girlfriend's residence in the 400 block of Ramona Avenue and waited for her to come home. Once she did, Gimbel attacked her, prevented her from leaving, picked her up and carried her over his shoulder into his waiting vehicle parked in the 100 block of North Fifth Street, police said. Several people heard the victim's screams about 1:30 a.m. Friday and called 9-1-1, police said. She tried to escape the vehicle, but Gimbel forced her back inside, according to officers. A neighbor who witnessed the incident intervened and helped the girl escape Gimbel's Ford Explorer. Police arrived to the distraught woman sitting on the curb crying, and suffering numerous scraped and bruises to her arms, face and hip. Gimbel had left the area. He turned himself in to police about 6 p.m. Friday, when he was arrested on suspicion of burglary, kidnapping, false imprisonment and battery and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail. Grover Beach Three man arrested on assault charges A Grover Beach police officer on patrol spotted three men fighting in a parking lot in the 300 block of West Grand Avenue, and discovered one had a folding knife. The three men, two from Paso Robles and one from Grover Beach, were involved in a physical altercation at a different location earlier. When Richard Merrill, 31, of Grover Beach found the men at a convenience store he allegedly challenged and attacked them with the knife, attempting to stab Daniel Johnson, 24, and Rocky A. Bedford, 21, both of Paso Robles, police said. Merrill was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Johnson and Bedford weren't injured in the attack, police said. Arroyo Grande Suspected drunk driver hits patrol car An Arroyo Grande police sergeant suffered moderate injuries after a suspected drunken driver slammed into the side of the officer's vehicle that was stopped at an intersection Police Sgt. Albert Beattie was on patrol near South Elm Street and East Grande Avenue when his vehicle was struck broadside by Joseph Valentine Moreno's vehicle. The 27-year-old Moreno drove away in his 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe, but later was seen by San Luis Obispo County sheriff's deputy. When Moreno failed to stop, a pursuit began, but ended when Moreno's vehicle crashed near the Mesa View Storage on Mesa Road. Moreno was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of felony drunken driving, hit and run and evading a police officer. Bail was set at $100,000. Beattie was treated at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and released, police said. Central Coast Turn back clocks next Sunday The time to fall back isn't today. Typically, Daylight Saving Time ends the last weekend of October, but the Energy Policy Act that Congress approved in July 2005 and President George W. Bush signed a month later extends Daylight Saving Time by four weeks. That means next Sunday morning, Nov. 4, clocks should be set back one hour. In the spring, clocks were set ahead one hour on the second Sunday of March, instead of the first Sunday of April. - From staff reports |