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People reportedly spotted the woman's car driving in Torrance with a man on the hood of the car. Several people approached the car and flagged down the driver, according to media reports. One of the people claims to have reached into the vehicle and taken the keys from the ignition.

Emergency responders were called to the area where people flagged down the woman. Police say that the man was struck slightly more than two miles from where the group is credited with stopping the car. Investigators say that the man was partially embedded in the windshield when emergency responders arrived. He was responsive at that time. However, police say that the man later died at the hospital.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and drunk driving charges related to the incident. News reports suggest that the woman works as a drug and alcohol counselor. Police claim that she panicked after the accident. Authorities say that the woman tested nearly twice the legal limit for alcohol under California's drunk driving laws.

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Police in San Mateo recently issued a public statement over a perceived increase in residential burglaries in the city. Law enforcement claims that they enlisted the help of what media reports describe as neighborhood agencies to assist in investigations. The city says it put in place a rapid response system for burglaries.

San Mateo Police say that a call came in reporting a possible burglary in progress. The California Highway Patrol dispatched air support and the neighborhood agencies reportedly set up a perimeter around the area where the possible burglary report came from.

San Mateo Police claim that three young men, two juveniles and an 18-year-old adult were found during the search of the area. The three males were arrested on suspicion of burglary and other charges. Police now accuse the three, ranging in age from 13 to 18-years old of as many as seven burglaries in San Mateo.

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An alleged variation of an attempted "smash and grab" has California authorities searching for suspects. Police in Santa Cruz, California say that two men used sledgehammers while trying to break the glass cases holding watches at a jewelry store Friday. Police further assert that a third man, who entered the store with the two sledgehammer wielding men, used pepper spray to assault a female worker at the jewelry store.

Emergency responders reportedly treated the woman at the store. Police claim that the three young men fled the establishment empty handed after the alleged attempted theft Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Police reportedly fielded reports of an Audi driving recklessly in downtown Santa Cruz.

Authorities say that an Audi was found abandoned roughly an hour and a half after the alleged attempted robbery. A police spokesperson says that the Audi displayed dealer plates from an outfit in Oakland. The car dealership had not reported the car stolen, but says that the vehicle was taken from the auto-dealership lot.

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Law enforcement has made four arrests in connection with the theft of gold and gems from a museum in Mariposa, California. However, police say that more arrests are not out of the question. With the size of the alleged take in the break-in, police apparently are looking to round up as many suspects as possible.

Authorities say that men broke into the California State Mining and Minerals Museum in Mariposa during the light of day and ransacked the place during the alleged robbery. Officials say that the alleged thieves were disguised as ninjas as they entered the museum. After gaining entry, officers say that the men moved two workers to a back room, and then went on a rampage-smashing display cases inside the museum.

The alleged thieves set off an alarm while accessing a vault at the facility. Authorities say that the alarm triggered an automatic sequence to close the vault door. The intruders reportedly were able to escape from the vault before the door slammed shut. A nugget reportedly mined during the California Gold Rush weighing nearly 14 pounds made of crystalline gold is housed in the vault, but reportedly was left intact at the museum.

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Police in San Jose called in the bomb squad to deal with an item found in a van during an investigation into an alleged driving under the influence offense. Officers with the city's MERGE Unit, which the Mercury News says is the equivalent to a SWAT Team, decided to pull over a car for a DUI investigation. It is not clear what led to the police suspicion that the driver may have been under the influence.

Police also say that they found evidence of some kind of drug crime and evidence to support their suspicion of a DUI offense. Officers searched the Windstar van and found what they believed to be a pipe bomb.

The bomb squad reportedly was called to the area near First Street and Matrix Drive in San Jose, California. Authorities closed streets in the area, but the neighborhood was not evacuated. Police say that the bomb unit exploded the device in a controlled explosion. No injuries or damage has been reported related to the police detonation. Neighbors near to the location claim that the blast could be felt and heard.

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Santa Cruz Police officers reportedly responded to a Manor Place home after law enforcement says that neighbors were complaining about alleged drug activity at the residence. A 60-year-old Santa Cruz, California resident was arrested on three times in a three day time span on suspicion of drug-related offenses. The man reportedly says that he provides care for his mother, who is in her 90s.

Police reportedly visited the residence in waves last week. The city says that it has more choices as a result of the police visits than merely bringing charges in criminal court.

The first visit to the property was reportedly prompted by a complaint of a neighbor alleging that some kind of drug activity was going on at the home. Authorities responded and arrested the 60-year-old man on suspicion of crack cocaine possession and a drug paraphernalia charge. The next day, law enforcement returned to the home on a report of a possible drug overdose, according to police. The man was arrested again, this time for allegedly being under the influence.

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A former Fullerton, California police officer has been sentenced to three years of informal probation after pleading guilty to destroying evidence. The sentence was not imposed in association with a plea deal with prosecutors. The Orange County district Attorney's Office sought time behind bars at sentencing for the former cop.

The charge arose after a drunk driving suspect the Fullerton cop had arrested committed suicide while being held in the city jail. Authorities say that the arresting officer destroyed his digital audio recorder after learning that the suspect hanged himself in his jail cell April 14, 2011.

Prosecutors say that the officer crushed the audio recorder and yanked out its circuit and mother boards, destroying any audio recording that the device contained during his encounter with the alleged drunk driver.

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The University of Southern California campus was put on lockdown for a period of time Wednesday night after a shooting incident injured four people. Authorities believe that a man critically injured in the shooting was the primary target, while three other people were bystanders who were swept into the incident.

The man critically injured is a former standout football player from Crenshaw High School who was dubbed as the "most versatile and feared player" on the 2009 Los Angeles area high school football team by the Los Angeles Times.

Authorities say that the athlete had attended a Halloween party Wednesday night on the USC campus. University officials believe that roughly 400 people attended the party. The former Crenshaw High athlete apparently became involved in some kind of disturbance with another man.

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Another alleged minor traffic violation has brought singer Bobby Brown into the news. Police say that Brown committed some sort of traffic violation around 1:00 Wednesday morning on Ventura Boulevard in Tarzana, California. The officer apparently grew suspicious that Brown may have been under the influence, which led to field sobriety tests. Police claim that Brown did not do well in the physical tests.

Authorities say that Brown was cooperative throughout the process. He was booked into jail and released later Wednesday morning on $25,000 bail.

This is not the first time that Brown has faced California DUI charges after a traffic stop this year. Brown was pulled over in March for allegedly talking on a cellphone. Officers said that Brown smelled of alcohol during that traffic stop as well, and the singer was later convicted of DUI. Brown entered into a plea agreement in that DUI case.

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Law enforcement says that a Los Gatos, California doctor engaged in unlawful drug sales and illegally possessed controlled substances. Prosecutors are bringing 18 felony counts against the medical professional. The California drug crime allegations began after agents in Santa Clara County say that they noticed the doctor's name showed up in a number of police reports involving drug-related issues.

Agents apparently raided the doctor's home and claim that the residence contained methamphetamine, marijuana and ecstasy. Police also claim that the house was littered with foil and pens that officials concluded were linked to illicit drug use. Authorities also say that a marijuana grow room was located inside the house and pot was drying in the garage.

Authorities accuse the 61-year-old doctor of prescribing medications to people who have criminal drug histories. In addition, the doctor is accused of trading medications like OxyContin for methamphetamine or cash. Prosecutors further claim that the doctor gave minors methamphetamine and pot.

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An alleged car chase that began on Highway 17 has lead to a string of allegations, including theft, drug charges and driving under the influence of drugs. An officer with the California Highway Patrol says that a Toyota 4Runner was traveling north on Highway 17. The officer thought the vehicle had an issue with its equipment and decided to make a traffic stop around 1:55 a.m.

However, the CHP says that the driver of the Toyota left Highway 17, taking the El Rancho Drive exit. Law enforcement says the Toyota sped into Santa Cruz, with the CHP in chase.

Authorities claim that a man jumped from the Toyota while the SUV was still moving on Franklin Avenue in Santa Cruz. The Toyota reportedly slammed in a parked car, while the man accused of fleeing police tried to get away of foot. However, the CHP says that the man was injured after jumping from the SUV.

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Issues over medical marijuana in California continue to make headlines. Reports over the conflict between California's state law governing medical marijuana and federal laws making pot unlawful per se are frequently in the news. Despite the number of years that California has recognized medpot, interpretation of the law remains a matter of dispute that Santa Cruz criminal defense lawyers continue to champion in court.

But what about more localized rules that tend to modify California marijuana laws? Take, for instance, the recent decision of the Sacramento City Council. The panel debated for roughly two hours Tuesday whether or not to allow outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana within Sacramento's city limits.

At the conclusion of the debate, the council reportedly voted 8-1 to have an ordinance drafted to prohibit outdoor grows, apparently regardless of whether or not the cultivation operation complies with California medical marijuana laws.

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The California Highway Patrol says that the former actress was riding as a passenger in an Audi that ran into the rear-end of a tractor trailer on the freeway around 1:30 Tuesday morning. The passenger, Sammi Kane Kraft, was pronounced dead at the hospital after the wreck.

The California Highway Patrol believes that the woman driving the Audi was speeding when her Audi crashed into the big rig. Authorities believe that the truck driver, who sustained minor injuries, was traveling at the posted speed limit when the accident occurred.

The young woman accused of being behind the wheel of the Audi was taken to California Hospital Medical Center with moderate injuries. After receiving treatment, law enforcement began the booking process-authorities accuse the woman of felony drunk driving for her alleged role in the car accident.

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Police claim that someone called in to report a disturbance Sunday afternoon. Law enforcement claims that the initial caller reported that someone had a gun at the alleged fight. However, a detective with the Sheriff's office says that the gun allegations later turned out to be unfounded.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office sent several to investigate what authorities are characterizing as a "gang fight." It is not clear in the media what significance law enforcement attaches to the reference to a gang.

Authorities say that as deputies arrived at the scene, several people were at the location. Two people reportedly got into a car and left when law enforcement began to arrive. Deputies apparently decided to pursue the car, which law enforcement claims crashed into a parked car near Salal Road in San Mateo.

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Can a common kitchen product used as a prank lead to criminal charges? Prosecutors in Southern California reportedly are reviewing police reports over a prank for potential charges, which officers investigated Thursday afternoon.

In what appears to be a simple workplace prank, authorities are now considering whether or not to bring criminal charges against a California worker. Police in Anaheim, California say that someone called law enforcement to report a vehicle wrapped in plastic. Officers raced to the parking lot outside the Anaheim Memorial Medical Center and used bomb-sniffing dogs to check out the Chevrolet pickup truck for possible explosives.

Police say that the truck had been wrapped in plastic and was adorned with notes that read "Plastic are hazardous," "Truck armed with plastics," and a note saying to keep away. Law enforcement locked down the area surrounding the truck and closed down nearby traffic for roughly two-and-a-half hours after responding to the scene.

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Police claim that a 38-Year-old Morgan Hill woman went shopping with her 10-year-old daughter at a grocery store last week, and then fled from the store when staff confronted the young girl. Police claim that the mother and daughter had nearly filled a grocery car and planned to leave the store without paying. Law enforcement accuses the woman of directing her daughter to wait near the front door with the groceries while the mother retrieved her car in the alleged shoplifting event.

However, when staff from the store walked out to confront the girl, the mother is accused of leaving her daughter behind. Police claim that the mother and daughter were previously successful in a similar theft crime roughly two weeks earlier.

After the most recent allegations, authorities say that they were able to contact the woman on the telephone and learned the woman was traveling with her 11-month-old son. Law enforcement issued an alert for an endangered and missing child. A deputy in Nevada reportedly found a car matching the description of the woman's SUV outside a hotel in Fernley, Nevada.

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An anonymous tipster reportedly told an officer with the Mountain View Police that a Santa Clara elementary school principal was selling methamphetamine in San Jose and San Francisco. Law enforcement opened a probe into the educator.

An officer posed undercover on an online dating service last week and claims that the undercover cop and the school official arranged some sort of drug deal online, although the media reports that the conversation involved pretextual language to set up the alleged drug deal.

Police arrested the man in San Francisco Thursday at a location that police claim that the undercover officer set up on the online dating site to meet the school official. Authorities reportedly had also obtained a search warrant for the principal's home and car.

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Law enforcement says that the driver of a motorcycle refused to stop Monday. The California Highway Patrol says that an officer sought to conduct a traffic stop on allegations of speeding and equipment violations along Highway 17 around 8:00 Monday morning. Later, the CHP says that a Santa Barbara man driving the bike crashed. He now faces charges of drugged driving, evading and several drug-related charges.

Authorities assert that the motorcycle rider sped off from the attempted traffic stop heading south on the Santa Cruz Highway, eventually taking the exit for Mount Herman Road. Shortly after leaving the highway, the CHP says the motorcyclist lost control of the bike and crashed. Officers approached and say the 45-year-old became combative. Law enforcement pulled out a Taser-like device and reportedly subdued the motorcyclist while taking him into custody.

The CHP says that they believe the biker was driving under the influence of drugs at the time of the police pursuit. Officers say that the motorcyclist had a large amount of marijuana and methamphetamine in his possession. It is unclear in the media what amounts of each substance officials claim were seized. It is also unclear where the drugs were allegedly found.

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Charges of driving under the influence against a California state assemblyman have been dismissed by the judge in Contra County. The state lawmaker was accused of driving drunk after leaving a Bar Area bar around 2:00 in the morning in the Bay Area.

The state assemblyman, from Covina, California took his DUI charges before a jury. The relatively lengthy DUI jury trial resulted in a not guilty verdict against the lawmaker on a charge of driving under the influence. However, the jury deadlocked 6 to 6 on a count charging the assemblyman with driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or greater.

Prosecutors apparently decided to pursue the charge based upon the DUI test result. Authorities say that the assemblyman tested 0.08 percent BAC, a measurement that is right at the California legal limit. The assemblyman reportedly said that he had consumed a glass of wine around 9:00 during the evening the night before his arrest. He reportedly said that he had a second glass of wine just before the bar closed.

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Chris Brown was scheduled to appear in a California court for a probation review. The singer was convicted of felony assault in 2009. Prosecutors had accused the musician of a domestic assault involving Rihanna, which continues to receive a great deal of public attention due to the celebrity status of the two singers.

Brown received probation for five years on the felony assault conviction. More than a year ago, Brown appeared for a probation review hearing and the judge modified a restraining order that had been in place in the case. The judge changed the five-year protective order from prohibiting him from being within 50 yards of Rihanna to allowing some contact, so long as Brown does not annoy or harass Rihanna. Brown's criminal defense attorney had asked the court to loosen the restrictions on the protective order.

But the protective order does not appear to be an issue that prosecutors are now seeking to have reviewed under Brown's terms of probation. Brown has reportedly received praise from the judge in previous court appearances for his progress in completing the terms of his probation, although a judge denied a defense request in February 2011 to change Brown's probation from supervised to unsupervised.

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