News Briefs RWC Man Dies in Surf Pacifica police identified 44-year-old Richard Serrano Jr. as the man who disappeared after he went swimming near the Pacifica Municipal Pier and never came out of the water. Police received reports of a person needing assistance in the water off Sharp Park Beach, about 100 yards south of Clarendon Road. When officers arrived, two separate groups said they saw two men and a woman on the beach who seemed to be drunk, police Capt. Dave Bertini said. Police believe Serrano, a <strong>Redwood</strong> City resident, entered the surf and was knocked down by several waves. He never resurfaced and has not been located. One of the man’s friends swam out to look for him but couldn’t find him, Bertini said. <strong>The</strong> two friends then walked away and told the nearby parties to call 911. When police arrived, they began a search and rescue operation with the North County Fire Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard. <strong>The</strong> Coast Guard sent a helicopter and two boats to comb a 45-square-mile area, Bertini said. <strong>The</strong> search lasted about six hours, and crews used computer models to identify areas where a body could have gone. Investigators have interviewed all people who were on the beach with Serrano and determined that there is no evidence of foul play. Gift Thieves Wrap Up Jail Deal Two of three men who tried stealing gifts from an unincorporated <strong>Redwood</strong> City house just before Christmas pleaded no contest to residential burglary in return for a year in jail and three years probation. In return, prosecutors dropped other charges against Oscar Roberto Gomez and Jose Luis Juarez. <strong>The</strong> third alleged accomplice, Herman Mark Velez, 22, has pleaded not guilty to burglary and is being tried separately. Gomez and Juarez both will spend three years on supervised probation. Gomez has credit for 126 days while Juarez, who has been free from custody on a $50,000 bail bond, has eight days’ credit. According to prosecutors, on Dec. 22, a homeowner returned to find Gomez inside his home, a Christmas tree knocked down and gifts strewn about. Juarez reportedly served as lookout in a car outside while Velez was in a yard shed. <strong>The</strong> homeowner threw a rock at Gomez, who allegedly responded by knocking him down and yelling death threats. Prosecutors say Gomez and Velez ran down the street and went to an unsuspecting neighbor’s home, claiming car trouble and asking first to borrow the phone and then for a ride. <strong>The</strong> neighbor let them inside and volunteered to drive them for help because it was cold, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Deputies arrived before they left. Accused Stabber Claims Insanity A 26-year-old South San Francisco man accused of stabbing a <strong>Redwood</strong> City store clerk apparently for no reason is competent to stand trial but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder and other felony charges. <strong>The</strong> attorney for Kenneth Norman Tuttle did not object to doctors at Napa State Hospital finding him able to aid in his own defense and returning him to San Mateo County for prosecution. However, after a judge reinstated criminal proceedings against Tuttle, he entered a secondary plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Sanity is a person’s mental state at the time of a crime while competency is his or her ability to aid in the defense against criminal charges. According to the District Attorney’s Office, on Aug. 1, 2008, Tuttle entered the Main Street Market and, without provocation, stabbed a clerk in the side with a kitchen knife before fleeing. <strong>The</strong> clerk was treated for a 4-inch gash. <strong>Redwood</strong> City police tracked Tuttle to his mother’s South San Francisco home, where they reported finding him in the midst of shaving his head. Tuttle’s mother admitted driving her son to <strong>Redwood</strong> City that day but said she knew nothing of the stabbing at the market. She also said her son’s excessive drug use may have caused ongoing mental issues, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors charged Tuttle with attempted murder, the use of a deadly weapon and causing great bodily injury. Tuttle previously pleaded not guilty before his attorney questioned his mental state. He was ultimately deemed incompetent, hospitalized in March 2009 and forcibly medicated. He returned earlier this year. Two doctors were appointed to evaluate Tuttle in light of the insanity plea. <strong>The</strong>ir reports are due back April 23 at which time the pretrial conference and jury trial will also be scheduled. RWC Dad Acquitted of Child Endangerment A <strong>Redwood</strong> City father accused of spitting at his two young sons and dipping one’s hair in urine was acquitted of two counts of child endangerment by jurors who deliberated under four hours. <strong>The</strong> jury found John Jongsoon Han, 49, not guilty on both counts but he is not completely free from the justice system. Prosecutors alleged Han spit on his 7- and 8-year-old sons because they were misbehaving and spit at him all the time. Han was also accused of rubbing the younger boy’s hair in urine after he was unable to make it to the bathroom in time. <strong>The</strong> jury rejected all charges. Jail for 71-Year-Old Road Rager A 71-year-old <strong>Redwood</strong> City man who allegedly pointed a gun at a motorist’s head and threatened to kill him because his truck blocked a driveway settled his case in return for no more than 120 days in jail. Jimmy Leroy Isaakson was scheduled for trial on multiple felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon, personal use of a firearm and brandishing a weapon at a person in a motor vehicle. Instead, Isaakson pleaded no contest in return for a four-month jail maximum. <strong>The</strong> case was referred for a pre-sentencing report by the Probation Department. According to prosecutors, a 68-year-old man pulled his truck up to an employee’s residence in <strong>Redwood</strong> City and partially blocked Isaakson’s driveway. Isaakson reportedly approached the man inside his truck and pointed a gun at him, saying, “Move the car or I’m going to shoot you, motherf---. I don’t like f--- Mexicans.” After the victim said he was going to call 911, Isaakson said he was the police, prosecutors said. Isaakson denied having a gun but police reported finding one in a dresser drawer at his home. Isaakson is free from custody on a $25,000 bail bond. Two Unclaimed RWC Lottery Tickets Worth $450,000 Combined Two winning California State Lottery tickets purchased in <strong>Redwood</strong> City last month and worth more than $450,000 combined remain unclaimed, lottery officials said. A Fantasy 5 ticket worth $187,484 was sold at the 7-Eleven store at 460 Woodside Road. Its winning numbers are 18, 10, 6, 24 and 28, according to lottery officials. <strong>The</strong> other ticket, a MEGA Millions ticket, matched five of the six numbers and is worth $269,594, lottery officials said. That ticket was purchased at Sequoia Smoke & Sundries at 1061 El Camino Real, and its winning numbers are 45, 12, 21, 29 and 11. <strong>The</strong> MEGA number, the only number that did not match, was 5. Winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim their prizes. For more information, visit www.calottery.com. www.<strong>Spectrum</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.net
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