LA GIRL, 14, DIES AFTER INHALING COMPUTER CLEANER: LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 14-year-old Los Angeles honors student has died after inhaling a computer keyboard dust cleaner, apparently to get high.
Her parents have told local news media that Aria Doherty died Monday night of an apparent heart attack. She attended Nobel Charter Middle School in Northridge, which sent grief counselors to campus Wednesday.
Her sister found her in bed with a can of compressed air cleaning product attached to her mouth.
Richard and Carolyn Doherty tell KCBS-TV that they'd warned their daughter about drug use.
It's the latest death from huffing, a popular practice with youngsters in which various household substances are inhaled to become intoxicated.
The Victorville Daily Press says 12-year-old Kristal Salcido of Hesperia died on March 3 after inhaling Freon from AN AIR CONDITIONER.
MAGISTRATE SAYS PARK OFFICIALS DESTROYED EVIDENCE: SACRAMENTO . (AP) — A federal magistrate judge says the National Park Service purposely destroyed evidence in the wrongful death case of a 9-year-old boy who fell to his death from a crumbling retaining wall in a Northern California Park.
Magistrate Judge Gregory G. Hollows ruled Wednesday that park service officials purposely destroyed the retaining wall before investigators could examine it. As punishment, he recommended that the judge overseeing the case formally find the park service negligent in the death of Tommy Botell. Such a finding by U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell would give a big boost to the Botell's family lawsuit.
Botell fell to his death in July 2009 in Lassen Volcanic National Park when the retaining wall he was sitting on gave way. His sister was also injured.
BIG BEAR COUPLE SEEKS $1.2M DORNER CAPTURE REWARD: LOS ANGELES (AP) — A couple tied up by rogue former police officer Christopher Dorner at a Southern California mountain condominium are seeking the $1.2 million reward offered for his capture.
The Los Angeles Daily News (http://bit.ly/WF820B) says Karen and Jim Reynolds contend their information alone led to the murder suspect being cornered last month near Big Bear. They dispute another claim filed by Rick Heltebrake, a Boy Scout camp ranger who was carjacked by Dorner shortly before the final confrontation.
Dorner was hunted for nearly a week before apparently killing himself in a burning cabin after a shootout with law enforcement officers.
Shortly before the confrontation, the couple found Dorner in their condo. He stole their SUV but Karen Reynolds managed to call 911.
Authorities haven't decided who gets the reward.
SACRAMENTO ER VISITS UP AS CLINIC FUNDING FALLS: SACRAMENTO (AP) — As funding for public health clinics dries up, visits to hospital emergency rooms in Sacramento County are increasing.
The Sacramento Bee says ERs have become primary care clinics for many of the region's poor.
Since clinics began seeing budget cuts four years ago, the number of patients seeking emergency room treatment in Sacramento County grew by 80,000.
The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development says the poor account for most of the rise.
Visits to public health clinics fell by about the same amount during the same time period.
The Bee says county emergency rooms saw 132,000 Medi-Cal patients in 2011, up from 94,000 in 2008. ERs saw 69,000 patients with no insurance in 2011, up from 50,000 during 2008.
SAN BERNARDINO SUPERVISOR'S CONVICTION DISMISSED: SAN BERNARDINO (AP) — A judge has dismissed San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry's misdemeanor conviction for failing to report a campaign contribution.
The Sun of San Bernardino says (Judge J. David Mazurek granted a request for dismissal despite opposition from prosecutors.
Mazurek also ended Derry's probation early.
Derry pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count in a deal in which two felony charges were dismissed.
He was placed on three years of probation and ordered to pay roughly $15,000 in fines.
The agreement allowed Derry to continue serving as supervisor.
Derry was accused of laundering a $5,000 contribution from a supporter through a political action committee.
The charges were filed during an expansive investigation into county corruption that led to criminal charges against several former county officials in scandals involving the assessor's office.
