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State news briefs
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MAN'S CAR ENDS UP ON NEIGHBOR'S ROOF: GLENDALE  (AP) — A Southern California man's car ended up on his neighbor's roof in an unusual accident over the weekend.

Glendale police Sgt. Sean Riley tells City News Service that the driver lost control Saturday afternoon on a driveway in an area where homes are arrayed on a steep hillside.

The vehicle ended up on the roof of the next house down the hill.

Riley says the driver reported he had a mechanical failure.

The driver, his wife and the resident of the neighboring home were unharmed.

A crane was brought in to lift the car from the roof, which had minor damage.

LA MAN GETS 2½ YEARS FOR LASER AT AIRCRAFT: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a Los Angeles man has been sentenced to 2½ years in prison after pleading guilty to pointing a laser at a police helicopter and a small plane.

A U.S. attorney's statement says 19-year-old Adam Gardenhire of North Hollywood received the sentence Monday. He was eligible to get five years in prison.

Prosecutors say Gardenhire aimed a commercial-grade green laser at several aircraft in late March 2012, including a Pasadena police helicopter and a Cessna private plane. The Cessna pilot suffered temporary vision problems.

The statement says Gardenhire became just the second person to be indicted under legislation signed into law by President Obama last year making it a federal crime to deliberately aim a laser at an aircraft.

ABE BAUM, LED FAILED WWII MISSION, DIES AT 91: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Abe Baum, who led a disastrous World War II attempt to liberate a POW camp at the orders of Gen. George Patton, has died. He was 91.

His wife, Eileen, tells the Los Angeles Times that Baum died on March 3 at his San Diego home.

Baum was a 23-year-old captain when Patton ordered him to liberate the camp deep in Germany weeks before the war's end. Patton's son-in-law, Lt. Col. John Knight Waters, was there — although Patton later denied that prompted his order.

Twenty-five men were killed and 32 others, including Baum, were wounded. Allied soldiers liberated the camp days later.

Historians call the raid ill-conceived and unnecessary but the tactics are still studied.

FAKE 'SUSPICIOUS ITEM' PROMPTS BUS EVACUATION: LOS ANGELES (AP) — A suspicious bag removed by a police bomb squad from a Santa Monica public bus turned out to be a prop device left behind after a weekend security training exercise.

Police officials say the bus and nearby businesses were evacuated and streets were shut down for nearly three hours after the bag was reported Monday in Los Angeles.

The bag appeared to contain explosive devices connected by wires.

Big Blue Bus spokesman Suja Lowenthal tells City News Service the bus was one of several used Saturday in a regional exercise involving bus companies from five Southern California cities.

"Suspicious items" were intentionally left on board to see if the drivers found them, but all were supposed to have been removed before the buses were placed back in service.

TRAPPED MAN RESCUED FROM RIVERSIDE'S MT. RUBIDOUX: RIVERSIDE  (AP) — Riverside firefighters have rescued a man who may have been trapped between rocks on a local mountain for days.

Fire Capt. Bruce Vanderhorst says a man was hiking with his dog on Mount Rubidoux Monday morning when the dog smelled something and led him to the trapped man.

Vanderhorst says the man, who appeared to be in his mid-30s or early 40s, apparently had gone off of a main hiking path and slipped, falling into a crack between two rocks.

Vanderhorst says the man may have been there overnight or up to four days because he was severely dehydrated, although he was alert.

FOREST SERVICE PROPOSES SEQUOIA BURN PLAN: DUNLAP  (AP) — The US Forest Service has proposed prescribed burns in portions of the Sequoia National Forest to control wildfires and manage the wilderness.

The Fresno Bee reports the proposal would burn 6,000 to 9,000 acres of the Boulder Creek drainage area east of Dunlap.

Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Alonzo says most of the area hasn't burned in over a century.

The project could take five years to complete as crews limit burning times to when weather and smoke dispersal are acceptable.

The agency is welcoming public comment on the Boulder Creek Fuels Restoration Project proposal. The environmental document is available at the Hume Lake Ranger District Office in Dunlap, or by contacting the Forest Service.

COLTON COCKFIGHT RAID YIELDS 80 BIRDS, 7 ARRESTS: COLTON  (AP) — Authorities in San Bernardino County have raided a cockfight, arresting seven people and seizing 80 birds.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise says the roundup was held Saturday afternoon in Colton.

Police say about 20 people ran when officers showed up at the arena. In addition to live birds, police found 40 dead roosters.

The live birds were taken to an animal shelter.

VEHICLE CRASH KILLS STATE PRISON K-9 OFFICER, DOG: SACRAMENTO  (AP) — A state correctional officer and his search dog died Monday in a single-vehicle crash in San Diego County.

Gilbert Cortez, 46, of Eastvale, and his dog, Mattie, were among five K-9 teams driving south in separate vehicles on state Route 79 shortly after 7 a.m. They were headed to the La Cima Fire Camp 60 miles northeast of San Diego, where they were scheduled to search inmates for drugs and other contraband.