VICTIM CELL PIC LEADS TO LA-AREA BURGLARY ARREST: SANTA CLARITA (AP) — Authorities have arrested a home burglary suspect based on a photo the victim, who was home at the time, took with her cell phone at her residence in northern Los Angeles County.
A Wednesday sheriff's statement says suspect Karen Kapshanyan was arrested when a search warrant was served at his home in the San Fernando Valley.
Detective Chuck Christensen of the sheriff's station in Santa Clarita identified Kapshanyan after the woman, whose name has not been released, took the photo during the burglary at her home in Stevenson Ranch, and it was subsequently shown in media coverage.
A resident of Santa Clarita recognized Kapshanyan in the photo and alerted authorities.
JUDGE OKS $1M SETTLEMENT OF UC PEPPER-SPRAY SUIT: DAVIS (AP) — A federal judge has approved a $1 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed by demonstrators who were pepper-sprayed during a protest at the University of California, Davis in 2011.
U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez gave final approval Wednesday of a preliminary agreement that was filed in court in September.
Under the settlement, UC agreed to pay $30,000 to each of the 21 plaintiffs, $100,000 to be split among 15 other individuals and $250,000 for their attorneys.
The Nov. 18, 2011, incident prompted national outrage, angry campus protests and calls for the resignation of Chancellor Linda Katehi after online videos shot by witnesses went viral.
Images of a police officer casually spraying orange pepper-spray in the faces of nonviolent protesters became a rallying symbol for the Occupy Wall Street movement.
GUN SHOWS WILL CONTINUE AT DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS: DEL MAR (AP) — Opponents have failed to convince a San Diego County fairground to stop hosting gun shows in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings.
Several residents urged the board of the Del Mar Fairgrounds to stop holding the shows but they were outnumbered by supporters at Tuesday's meeting.
Board President Adam Day says the shows will continue.
The fairground hosts five gun shows a year.
A retired schoolteacher, Rosanne Holiday, has launched a campaign to halt the shows after the Connecticut massacre. She told the fair board that more than 750 people had signed a protest petition
However, State Sen. Joel Anderson and others urged the board to continue the shows, arguing that they're legal and bring in money.
COUNTY CHANGES MIND, KEEPING TSA SCREENERS: SACRAMENTO (AP) — The county has dropped a proposal to replace federal Transportation Safety Administration screeners at Sacramento International Airport with private security officers.
Sacramento would have been the nation's third major airport to participate in a federal opt-out program that would turn checkpoint security over to the private sector.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to withdraw its request to use private screeners instead of TSA employees at Terminal A and B checkpoints.
Supervisors approved the privatization plan a year ago without public discussion.
OFFICER PATROLLING SCHOOL ARRESTS SHOOTING SUSPECT: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Investigators say a police officer on foot patrol outside a Los Angeles school has arrested an armed gang member running past the campus.
The officer was outside Magnolia Elementary School as part of a new policy involving daily patrols at schools in the aftermath of the Connecticut massacre of 20 children and six adults.
Officer Daniel Chavez heard gunshots while students were leaving the Pico-Union area school south of downtown on Tuesday afternoon.
City News Service says a man with a gun in his waistband was running toward Chavez and the officer ordered him to the ground and arrested him.
Investigators say there had been a nearby shooting between rival gangs but no one was wounded.
CA FIXES GLITCH THAT CANCELLED FOOD STAMP CARDS: SACRAMENTO (AP) — A computer glitch that left nearly 40,000 Californians unable to use their electronic food stamp cards has been fixed.
A software update inadvertently zeroed the balances on state-issued Electronic Benefit Cards Sunday and Monday, leaving people unable to use them to buy food and other items at supermarkets and restaurants.
Michael Weston of the state Department of Social Services says the balances were restored Tuesday morning. He says everyone whose CalFresh program card was canceled has had it reactivated or has been issued a new card.
