Deadly fiery highway crash where Caltrans working
SAN RAMON (AP) — Two people are dead after a fiery crash on an interstate highway in San Ramon where state transportation workers had blocked lanes.
There were no injuries to California Department of Transportation workers in the early Sunday morning crash.
Caltrans had set up cones leaving only the fast lane open on southbound Interstate 680 when two vehicles collided.
The California Highway Patrol says a Nissan Maxima rear-ended a BMW, causing both vehicles to spin out of control and cross into the Caltrans work zone.
The Nissan hit a forklift and burst into flames, trapping the driver. The BMW hit a Caltrans pickup truck, killing a passenger and critically injuring the driver.
2 Vallejo students had pipe bomb parts
VALLEJO. (AP) — Two Vallejo university students have been arrested on suspicion of possessing explosives material.
Vallejo police say 29-year-old Esteban Ugarte and 32-year-old Nicholas Salazar, students at the California Maritime Academy, were taken into custody over the weekend after police received reports of two people firing high-powered rifles at trash cans in their backyard.
Lt. Lee Horton tells the Vallejo Times-Herald that officers who responded found eight firearms and components for making pipe bombs. He says the pipe bomb parts were not assembled, but were individually wrapped to make it easy to assemble them later.
Ugarte and Salazar were also arrested on suspicion of reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of an assault weapon.
Oakland women's shelter facing eviction
OAKLAND (AP) — An Oakland women's residential facility that helps drug and alcohol abusers is facing eviction if it doesn't come up with $12,000 in back rent.
The nonprofit Serenity House ran out of money.
The 17-year-old faith-based shelter treats substance abuse and serves as many as 105 women a day.
Serenity House program director Johnny Davis says the landlord refused to lower the rent or to give them time to come up with the money they owe. He says the nonprofit is now being evicted.
Landlord Ed Hemmat, whose Maz Glass is next door to Serenity House, hasn't be available for comment.
2 Marines from NorCal killed in Afghanistan
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Military officials say two Marines from Northern California have been killed in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense says Capt. Matthew Manoukian and Staff Sgt. Sky Mote died Friday in the country's Helmand province.
The 29-year-old Manoukian was from Los Altos Hills and the 27-year-old Mote was from El Dorado.
Military officials say the Marines were killed while conducting combat operations, but provided no other details except to say their deaths were under investigation.
Manoukian and Mote were assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
