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Bay Area briefs
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Murder defendant says she was performing exorcism

RICHMOND (AP) — A California murder defendant says she was performing an exorcism on a romantic rival before the woman died.

Contra Costa County prosecutors say 35-year-old Karla Kuhl has been charged with the June 5 asphyxiation death of 58-year-old Patricia Medeiros in East Richmond Heights.

Kuhl and Medeiros had been sharing a common boyfriend and they were arguing when Medeiros was smothered on a couch. Kuhl says she was performing an exorcism when Medeiros died.

Richmond police detectives arrested Kuhl in El Sobrante on Tuesday. She's been charged with murder.

Testimony of SF sheriff's wife resumes

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The wife of embattled San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is scheduled to resume her testimony before the city's Ethics Commission which could determine the fate of her husband's job.

Eliana Lopez, who returned earlier this week from her native Venezuela, will take the stand again Thursday evening after testifying for about 40 minutes on Wednesday.

Much of the testimony focused on an emotional Jan. 1 video showing Lopez saying Mirkarimi mistreated her multiple times and that he's a "very powerful" man who could take away their toddler son.

Lopez testified that Mirkarimi never said "I am a powerful man," and that she was drawing her own conclusion following an argument on New Year's Eve.

Mirkarimi was suspended after pleading guilty to misdemeanor false imprisonment for bruising his wife's arm during the argument.

The commission will decide whether to recommend removing Mirkarimi from his post.

Authorities: largest child porn sweep in NorCal

SAN JOSE  (AP) — Authorities say the largest child porn sweep ever in Northern California is underway as detectives are serving search warrants at 20 homes across Silicon Valley.

San Jose police is spearheading Thursday's sweep called "Operation Chickenhawk" as more than 165 detectives from 30 law enforcement agencies are targeting people suspected of possessing child pornography.

Sgt. Jason Dwyer says the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will have a mobile forensic lab on site to allow investigators to search computers or thumb drives in an effort to find child porn images.

Dwyer says he anticipates officers making at least 20 arrests as search warrants were obtained after authorities received information linking suspects with either possessing or distributing child pornography.

The task force has arrested more than 40 men for possession of child pornography since January.

Stabbing suspect shot, killed by SF police ID'd

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco medical examiner has released the name of the man shot and killed by a police officer after he allegedly attacked a co-worker at a chocolate factory moments earlier.

Thirty-two-year-old Pralith Pralourng of Oakland was fatally shot Wednesday in the city's Financial District shortly after he slashed his co-worker in the arm with a box cutter at the TCHO New American Chocolate at Pier 17 in the Embarcadero.