MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING DOG: LONG BEACH (AP) — A Southern California man has been charged with felony animal cruelty for an alleged sexual assault on his neighbor's dog that was caught on video.
The Daily Breeze reports 22-year-old Christopher Caceres pleaded not guilty Monday during his arraignment in a Long Beach court.
Caceres also faces a misdemeanor count of sexual assault on an animal for unlawfully having intercourse with the 80-pound Akita.
The dog's owner had set up a surveillance system because he suspected a prowler was targeting his house in San Pedro. The man had heard the dog shriek in the middle of the night on several occasions.
He called police Nov. 10 after discovering Caceres committing the alleged crime on video.
TEEN WITH METH-LACED DRINK DIES AT BORDER CROSSING: SAN DIEGO (AP) — Officials say a 16-year-old boy died after drinking a liquid laced with methamphetamine at a San Diego-area border crossing.
U-T San Diego reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/18MZuaz) that the teen had two containers of liquid when he walked from the Mexico side into the port of entry Monday night.
He was detained by Customs and Border Protection officers who were suspicious when he said the liquid was juice.
San Diego police Lt. Mike Hastings says the officers took the teen to an inspection area, where he drank some of the liquid.
Hastings says the teen told the officers he drank a chemical and felt sick.
Hastings says the officers called paramedics and the boy died at a hospital.
SONOMA DEPUTIES SHOOT, KILL MAN AT RESORT: GUERNEVILLE . (AP) — Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies have shot and killed a man who they say opened fire at them with a high-powered rifle at a resort.
The shooting occurred at the Riverlane Resort in Guerneville. Sheriff's officials say the suspect's wife contacted authorities around 11 p.m. Monday to report that her husband, 59-year-old Wayne Courtright, of St. Helena, was intoxicated, suicidal and armed with a rifle.
The wife came to a sheriff's substation with her 30-year-old daughter. Sheriff's deputies surrounded the resort.
Basurto says around midnight, Courtright came out and opened fire at deputies with a rifle, prompting deputies to return fire.
'WILD RECON' HOST ADMITS TO SELLING RARE LIZARDS: LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former host of Animal Planet's "Wild Recon" show has admitted he offered to sell two endangered Iranian desert monitor lizards without a permit.
City News Service says 36-year-old Donald Schultz pleaded guilty to violating the Endangered Species Act in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
As part of a plea deal, Schultz is expected to be sentenced Jan. 28 to two years' probation and 200 hours of community service. Prosecutors also proposed a $6,000 fine and $3,000 restitution.
Schultz offered to sell the rare lizards for $2,500 to an undercover federal wildlife agent who answered his 2010 offer on Facebook.
On his show, Schultz parachuted into remote locations to take biological samples from deadly snakes and other dangerous animals.
LA UNIFIED TO SPEND $135M IN SPRING FOR IPADS: LOS ANGELES (AP) — The nation's second-largest school district will spend $135 million during the spring semester as part of its ongoing $1 billion plan to provide iPads to all students.
The Los Angeles Times reports (http://lat.ms/1bYnGcx) the spring expenditure would pay for more than 50,000 iPads for students, teachers and administrators.
The plan also calls for buying more than 67,000 tablets to allow for all students to take new state standardized tests with the iPad on a rotating basis
The rollout of the iPads earlier this year quickly encountered problems when more than 300 students at three of the first campuses quickly cracked their security settings and began surfing the Internet.
