News Digest News Digest (July 26, 2002)

Controlled burn for hills planned

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is planning a controlled burn at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, perhaps as early as Monday.

The fire will be used to eliminate non-native invasive plant species. It will take place only under ideal weather conditions -- meaning little or no wind.

Russian Ridge is off Skyline Boulevard north of Page Mill Road.

The burn will be overseen by fire crews from at least 10 engines, including those from the California Department of Forestry, the district itself, and surrounding fire agencies. There will also be a bulldozer and a 15-member hand crew. Existing fire breaks, fire roads and trails and new "hand lines" will create a boundary around the burn area. -- Don Kazak
Thief steals Mercedes and cranberry juice

The Palo Alto Police Department is investigating an odd incident in which a man walked into an elderly couple's home Wednesday night, helped himself to cranberry juice and then crashed the couple's black Mercedes sedan through their closed garage door.

Authorities say the suspect, described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, walked into the residence located in the 700 block of Northampton Avenue through an open door at approximately 9:20 p.m. He proceeded to walk through the house where he came upon the two residents, both in their 80s, who were watching television.

The suspect then walked into the kitchen, poured and drank a glass of cranberry juice, and took a set of keys from the room, telling the residents he needed to leave. The astounded couple attempted to stop him but where unable to prevent the man from entering the garage, authorities say.

Police say the man then put the four-door 1992 black Mercedes 300 series into drive and smashed into the front garage wall, after which he put the car in reverse and drove through a closed garage door, leaving a gaping hole.

Police say the suspect may have been under the influence of a controlled substance as he was sweating profusely and appeared confused.

The suspect is described as about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing between 170 and 200 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and a clean shave.

The vehicle's license plate number is 3RHB900. -- Bay City News Service
East Palo Alto man arrested for child molestation

An East Palo Alto man with prior child-molestation convictions has been charged this week with molesting several boys while working for a kids' program offered by Home Depot.

Carlitos Saucedo, 43, was arraigned in San Mateo County Superior Court Tuesday on three counts of committing a lewd act with a child under 14, as well as failing to inform his employer of his status as a registered sex offender and working with children when he is forbidden to do so.

Prosecutor Rick Good said the alleged incidents took place on July 16, when Saucedo apparently took some East Palo Alto boys ages 11 to 13 to Sunol Park in the East Bay as part of the program he worked for. The trip was connected to kids' clinics offered by the hardware chain, according to Good.

The boys complained about Saucedo's behavior shortly after, and Saucedo was arrested earlier this week.

The East Palo Alto Home Depot store referred questions to a company spokesman, who was not available to confirm Saucedo's employment.

Saucedo did not enter a plea on Tuesday, but was ordered to return to court July 30 to identify his court-appointed defense attorney and enter a plea. He remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail. -- Bay City News Service
Office building gets nod from council

The East Palo Alto City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to approve an 81,000-square-foot office building, to be built on the west side of U.S. Highway 101, adjacent to the University Circle development.

City Councilwoman Sharifa Wilson dissented on the vote. She said she preferred that a residential project be built on the site instead.

The project received a mixed review from the city's Planning Commission, which couldn't muster enough votes for final approval. It was then appealed to the City Council.

The six-story building will include two levels of parking, 6,500 square feet of retail space and three floors of office space. -- Don Kazak
Voters to decide on Hetch Hetchy improvements

A $1.6 billion bond plan to upgrade the Hetch Hetchy water system, which serves Palo Alto and other Midpeninsula cities, will be put before San Francisco voters in November, San Francisco supervisors voted 8 to 3 Monday.

The repairs are essential to ensure continuous service for more than 1.6 million suburban users, city Public Utilities Commission Director Pat Martel said. Suburban users are to pick up another $2 billion for overall system repairs and upgrades. The funds would be raised through revenue bonds, meaning that water bills, not property taxes, will rise. Landlords would be able to pass along half the cost to tenants.

The negative votes came from supervisors Tony Hall, Gerardo Sandoval and Leland Yee. Hall said he could support only an $800 million bond measure because of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's long history of failing to address maintenance of the system, built in the early 1900s.