MAN CHARGED WITH FLINGING HAMMER AT BART WORKERS: REDWOOD CITY  (AP) — A 39-year-old San Francisco is facing felony assault charges after he allegedly threw a hammer and waved a metal pick at striking Bay Area Rapid transit workers.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the San Mateo County Times that no one was injured during the confrontation outside the Daly City BART station on Monday, just hours before the transit agency and its two largest unions reached a tentative contract agreement that ended the four-day strike.

The suspect, Vincent Matteucci, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Tuesday.

Wagstaffe says Matteucci allegedly heaved the hammer after a man with whom he was walking shouted at the strikers to get back to work. The tool landed about 15 feet away from the picket line.

BART police arrested Matteucci and he was jailed on $25,000 bail.

INVESTIGATOR FOUND DEAD IN CALIF. WAS STRANGLED: OAKLAND  (AP) — Alameda County Coroner's officials say a federal criminal investigator whose decomposed body was found in a dry creek bed in Northern California was strangled.

The Oakland Tribune reports the official cause of Sandra Coke's death was asphyxia and compression of the neck. Coroner's officials did not say how long they believe she had been dead before her body was discovered.

Prosecutors have charged Coke's former boyfriend, 56-year-old Randy Alana, with murder. Alana, a convicted felon, is accused of killing the 50-year-old Coke and stealing her car and account information in August.

Police have said Coke and Alana dated briefly about 20 years ago. Coke was an investigator with the Sacramento branch of the Federal Public Defender's Office.

She vanished after leaving her Oakland home Aug. 4. Her body was found five days later.

MISSING ABALONE DIVER PRESUMED DEAD: SALT POINT STATE PARK  (AP) — Authorities say an abalone diver who disappeared off the coast of Sonoma County is presumed dead.

Sonoma County sheriff's Sgt. Ed Hoener said search crews believe the unidentified diver is still underwater, and are treating the operation as a recovery, not a rescue.

The diver was last seen Monday at Fisk Mill Cove in Salt Point State Park, a popular spot for abalone diving.

The man's wife, who was watching from shore, called for help at about 5 p.m. after he didn't surface.

Searches Monday and Tuesday were fruitless and low fog grounded an aerial search.

60-DAY COOLING OFF PERIOD ORDERED IN BUS STRIKE: OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A judge has ordered a 60-day cooling off period in a labor dispute between a major San Francisco bay area bus system and its drivers.

KGO-TV reports that an Alameda County Superior Court judge made the ruling Wednesday morning.

The decision comes after Gov. Jerry Brown requested the cooling-off period after an advisory board found that a strike by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District bus drivers would be significantly disruptive in the region.

The drivers had threatened a walkout last week.

The judge's order halts any strike activity for the 60 days.