Just before 10 a.m., deputies were called to 12870 Mariposa Road near Nisqualli Road, in an area with a few businesses such as a gas station.

They attempted to talk with Nicholas Robert Contreras, a Hesperia resident, after he had been hit twice by the vehicles, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

Deputies, the release said, ordered Contreras more than once to drop the knife and to get on the ground, but instead he moved toward deputies.

“A lethal-force encounter occurred,” the release said.

A specialized unit of the department went to the scene and took over the investigation into what happened.

The Sheriff’s Department asked that anyone with additional information about the case to call it at 909-890-4904.

Jurors awarded Pinon Hills residents Jennifer Garnier and Angela Toft $6 million for pain and suffering and $12 million in punitive damages on April 18, following a six-week trial in San Bernardino Superior Court, said their attorney, Michael Hernandez of San Diego.

According to a lawsuit filed in San Bernardino Superior Court in September 2020, rain water from a large storm on Feb. 15, 2019, flooded the home of Garnier and Toft, who are sisters. The damage rendered their property uninhabitable, according to the lawsuit.

Garnier and Toft, according to the suit, gave their insurance company, Arizona-based American Reliable, timely notice of the damage, and American Reliable had an inspection done at the property. But the claims adjuster, according to the lawsuit, underpaid the claim.

Water and mud in the home’s crawlspace destroyed the heating and air conditioning system and damaged the electrical system, leaving much of the house without electricity. Cracks began appearing on walls throughout the home, Hernandez said in a news release.

Garnier and Toft subsequently sued American Reliable Insurance Co. and its parent company, Global Indemnity, for breach of contract and breach of good faith and fair dealing. Global Indemnity paid out only $5,000 on the sisters’ claim, even though Garnier and Toft had provided contractor estimates that repairs would cost more than $100,000.

Hernandez said the siblings were forced to live in their home without heat for about five years while they battled their insurance company in court. However, in October 2023, Global Indemnity paid the sisters $140,000, the full amount of their policy, claiming the insurance carrier was previously unaware that Garnier and Toft had been living without heat. The company maintained it was an oversight that their insurance adjuster missed, Hernandez said in the news release.

During the trial, defense attorneys argued that Garnier and Toft were difficult to communicate with because they insisted everything had to be in writing and that they would not talk on the phone, Hernandez said.

Hernandez said in the news release that American Reliable and Global Indemnity were repeatedly provided information about Garnier and Toft’s living conditions, but they ignored the information.

“We argued that when you knowingly put a family in an uninhabitable home, you can’t come back later and say you are not responsible for the consequences,” Hernandez said.

Attorneys for American Reliable and Global Indemnity did not respond to requests for comment.

Well, not to worry. Mom won’t feel slighted when you do one of these special things for her, and it won’t even be obvious that you didn’t break the bank to do it.聽 Here are some suggestions:

UCLA Mathias Botanical Garden. Los Angeles: One of the few free public gardens around, encompassing 7.5 acres including California natives, desert, ferns, palms, bromeliads, herbariaum and more. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. You can bring your leashed pooch, too. Main entrance is at La Kretz Garden Pavilion, 707 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles. (Campus parking in Structure 2 costs $15, or look for street parking.) Learn more:

Monterey Park Birthday Celebration:聽This event includes free admission and live entertainment celebrating the 108th birthday of Monterey Park, running Thursday May 9 to Sunday May 12. Carnival rides and food have an additional cost. Sunday’s event is 1 to 10 p.m. at Barnes Park, 350 S. McPherrin Ave.

Oak Glen Preserve, near Yucaipa:聽Drive up to apple country for the day. Look for wildflowers and hummingbirds while strolling this property owned by the Wildlands Conservancy, which includes the entire Los Rios Rancho Apple Farm.聽 Check out the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden and Children’s Outdoor Discovery Center. Bring a picnic and walk on miles of trails. 39611 Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen.

Pan American Fiesta, Lakewood:聽Free admission and entertainment to this annual event with live music, dancing, carnival rides (for additional cost) crafts for sale and food trucks. It runs Thursday, May 9 through Sunday, May 12. Note the live entertainment is only on Saturday. Mayfair Park, 5720 Clark Ave.聽

Mothers Day Art Fair at the Hollywood Farmers Market. This market is always fun to visit, with 150 vendors, open every Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can get a free ticket to the art fair on if you want a spot reserved in advance. 1600 Ivar Ave., Hollywood.

Mother’s Day Rosary: (note this is at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11) This is taking place at all 11 Catholic cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Join in person at a cemetery or it will also be live streamed. .

Placerita Canyon State Park, Newhall:聽Take Mom to the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, go for a bird walk, see the hummingbird gardens, visit the nature center and explore more than 12 miles of trails, including a seasonal stream. One trail is wheelchair friendly. Open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall

Mother’s Day Remembrance Service, Los Angeles:聽Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Ave. Los Angeles. 10 a.m. in the large sanctuary. Music, song and prayer. Share stories and memories.

Fullerton Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton: This is a lovely place to take a spring stroll through desert, Mediterranean, woodland and cultivated gardens. No pets or picnics allowed. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check out the Symbiosis art exhibit that ends Sunday, May 12. There’s a box where you can pay a $5 suggested donation if you feel inclined. Paid parking. 1900 Associated Road, Fullerton (near the CSUF baseball field off Yorba Linda Boulevard)

Eaton Canyon, Pasadena: If mom likes being outdoors, check out this nature center and easy-rated 4-mile roundtrip hike up to a waterfall. Get there early before the parking lot is full. Dogs on leashes are OK. It’s beautiful. Wear a hat and bring water. Open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 1750 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena

Deane Dana Friendship Park and Nature Center, San Pedro: Take a walk with panoramic views of San Pedro and the harbor, have a picnic, visit the nature center and enjoy 123 acres of this park. Wheelchair friendly path, picnic shelters and playground. Open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.1805 W. 9th St., San Pedro

Clean your mom’s house and yard:聽No, don’t roll your eyes at me. This might not be a fun outing for you, but I guarantee your mother will appreciate it. Well, most moms anyway. Don’t ask, just arrive early and get started, preferably with bagels or doughnuts.

And note that a hug is always free!

John Wayne Thomson, 64, died in his cell at the Medical Facility hospice unit, and his cause of death will be determined by the Solano County Coroner’s Office, the corrections agency said in a news release.

Thomson was sentenced to death on April 4, 2014, for fatally stabbing Charles Hedlund after the victim offered Thomson a ride in 2006. It was that Thomson was in a stolen vehicle that had broken down when Hedlund stopped to help him.

Additionally, Thomson was convicted of second-degree robbery, aggravated mayhem, carjacking and two counts of attempted carjacking stemming from a crime spree in Victorville just a few days after Hedlund鈥檚 murder.

Authorities said Thomson attacked a 70-year-old man with a hammer and stole his car, then tried to steal cars from two women.

At trial, prosecutors called Thomson a serial killer since he was linked to the Washington state homicides of James Ehrgott, 73, and Lori Hamm, 36, who both went missing in the summer of 2006.

On Monday, April 29, at 8:23 a.m., deputies were called to a residence on the 15200 block of Pocahontas Street for a reported assault, a sheriff’s news release said.

Deputies at the scene saw a 69-year-old woman leave the home with severe injuries, followed by the suspect, Thoren Rand, 71, of Apple Valley.

Rand was armed with a large knife and a firearm, according to the sheriff’s release.

Deputies gave Rand commands to drop the weapons, but he refused to do so, and Rand was shot by deputies, Tuesday’s release said.

The woman was transported to a hospital, where she was reported to be stable. Rand was hospitalized in the custody of the Sheriff’s Department, the release said.

Investigators learned Rand assaulted the victim and then shot her, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The man and the woman were romantically involved, said Gloria Huerta, a sheriff鈥檚 spokesperson.

Rand was being held in lieu of $1 million bail and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, according to San Bernardino County jail logs.

The play-in-the-dark GLO Mini Golf is expanding to San Bernardino, opening a facility Saturday, April 20 in a shuttered Office Depot next door to Aldi on Hospitality Lane.

The play zone opened Saturday, April 20.

GLO offers several ways to play in the dark, including mini-golf鈦�, laser tag, escape rooms, bowling, arcade games and even console gaming.

The GLO concept challenges participants to get their game on amid hundreds of black lights, with neon-glowing decor and even animatronic creatures putting the space aglow.

The company also has a GLO facility at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside.

For details on tickets and game available, go to

Smog, tire shop debuts in Riverside

Express Way Smog & Gateway Tires has opened in Riverside.

The company offers quick smog services in addition to tires.

Address: 2646 E Alessandro Blvd. Suites A & B.

Martha McLean-Anza park gets a helping hand

The nonprofit Inland Empire Waterkeeper has been working hard to keep Riverside’s Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park clean.

On the third Saturday of every month, Waterkeeper hosts a volunteer trash cleanup in the park. Participants remove debris from the riverbed and its surroundings before it can get to the river along its northern edge.

In its first three monthly cleanups of 2024, Waterkeeper said it removed more than 1,600 pounds of trash from the park.

For more information or to get involved, go to .

Hesperia pipe company acquired by Oklahoma firm

Oklahoma City-based International Pipe and its owner and CEO Donald B. Karchmer have acquired Big Bear Pipe & Steel, formerly R.B. Jacobson Inc., in Hesperia.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The sale means an expanded inventory of services for International Pipe, including a full fabrication shop.

For more information, please visit InternationalPipe.com or BigBearPipe.com

Temecula senior community gets a facelift

The senior living community Chateau at Harveston in Temecula has wrapped a renovation project that made significant infrastructure and design updates.

The facelift, of sorts, expanded the facility’s fitness room. The game lounge, living room and library, atrium, dining room and salon also got extensive renovations. Residents also will appreciate improved audio and visual capabilities in all common areas, representatives tell us.

“Social engagement 鈥� whether that鈥檚 sharing a meal with friends, group fitness classes, or movie nights 鈥� is a critical component to our residents鈥� physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing,” 聽said Dana Borner, general manager at Chateau at Harveston.

Monthly rents at the community start at roughly $3,500, .

For more information, call 951.308.9200 or go to www.HolidayHarveston.com.

色情论坛 you might have missed …

Taco Bell is launching new nacho fries: Be ready Thursday, April 25 when the fan-favorite chain debuts the Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries (that name is part of a partnership with a hot sauce maker). The fries come with a hot ranch-type base, .聽The fries are topped with slow-roasted chicken, a three-cheese blend, reduced fat sour cream, pico de gallo and cheese sauce. Price: $4.99.

Car shows abound: With the good weather comes a couple opportunities to check out some shiny metal. The is Saturday, May 4 in downtown Riverside. Organizers bill it as Riverside County鈥檚 biggest car show. The Boy Scouts will stage a fundraising pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., while Rotary will offer a beer garden. The Grand Marshal鈥檚 Parade is set for 12:30 p.m.

If that’s not enough for your motor head self, head to Temecula:聽The annual takes place in historic Old Town on May 3 and 4.聽It starts at 5 p.m. Friday. Organizers expect at least 500 classic and under-resconstruction cars to be on display for the event, which continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Cracker Barrel closing? Comfort food fans, your local Cracker Barrels are safe. But two in the Bay Area have closed. The company only cited “performance” for shuttering restaurants in Sacramento and Santa Maria, according to a news report from our sister papers in the Bay Area. California now has five Cracker Barrels in Camarillo, Victorville, Rialto, Rocklin and Bakersfield. It also has 聽and Lawndale.

Tesla repair shop coming: Inland Empire Tesla owners by next year will have a dent repair shop closer at hand.聽The EV automaker and ViaWest Group, a Phoenix-based real estate company, are building a Tesla Collision Service Center at 424 West Orange Show Lane near E Street in San Bernardino. The city said the 30,000-square-foot center, taking the place of a shuttered furniture store, marks the first such repair site for Tesla in the region. Others are in Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano and Santa Monica.

The business briefs are compiled and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items to聽sgowen@scng.com. High-resolution images also can be submitted. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.

On Tuesday night, Caltrans began asking the public to weigh in on

The full-build option would reconnect Highway 39 — the main road into the forest and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument — with State Highway 2 at Islip Saddle. The historic project would restore full circulation inside the 700,000-acre forest known as L.A.’s backyard playground, giving motorists a straight shot to Wrightwood, Mt. Baldy ski areas and High Desert communities.

In the first in-person public hearing on the topic in modern memory, about 50 people came to the Azusa Auditorium and listened, while some shared their thoughts. From hikers to naturalists to residents, most wanted a reconnected Highway 39, but some said that reopening the highway would bring too much traffic into the forest and hurt local wildlife.

The draft environmental document offers four alternatives: Alternative 1: No build. Alternative 2: Open a shoulder only for emergency vehicles. Alternative 3: Provide a recreational shuttle at the site to ferry hikers and bicyclists. Alternative 4: Fully rebuild the roadway with access to all vehicles, as well as pedestrians, hikers and bicyclists.

“Opening of the road and getting full access is just the baseline needed for access to the forest,” said Neil Poltin of Covina. “It will make something that can really shine for the San Gabriel Valley,”

Others who testified in support of Alternative 4 agreed, saying it would be a benefit to rebuild the connection to forest sites and High Desert sites 27 miles north of the forest entrance in Azusa.

“I believe SR-39 (State Route 39) is about connecting communities and restoring normalcy to those affected by the closure,” said Matthew Chavez, a local Boy Scout. Chavez said聽 communities in the San Gabriel Valley and beyond should embrace a full reopening, undoing the dead-end on Highway 39.

Karl Price, senior environmental scientist with Caltrans who led the hearing, said the state agency identified several reasons to reopen the closed portion of the highway.

Among those reasons, he said, the current situation is unsafe for Caltrans maintenance crews and will be more dangerous if no work is done. Workers battle rockslides and a deteriorating roadway, which would be fortified with retaining walls and better drainage in all of the alternatives — except for the “no build” alternative, Price said.

Fully reopening Highway 39 would not only let public vehicles circulate, but also Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, search and rescue teams, paramedics and firefighting trucks would have quicker access. “Alternative 4 would improve access for everybody and would provide unrestricted access to emergency personnel,” Price said.

Gary Jones of Glendora said he wanted a full reopening for safety reasons. “In an emergency, it is another way out of the area,” he said.

Daniel Nau of Wrightwood said his neighbors in the San Bernardino County town of roughly 4,500 people, located at an elevation of about 6,000 feet in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, are concerned about too many people from the San Gabriel Valley invading their hamlet if easier, more direct access from Highway 39 exists.

But, he said, “I welcome it. I think the public should be able to fully use this road. We need to have people enjoying the resources, making (Angeles National Forest) a national park experience.”

Some questioned whether Caltrans can afford Alternative 4, which the EIR says has a total projected cost of $335 million. “I am wondering: Can you assure us funding will be there?” asked Jose Henriquez of Montebello.

Bryan Matsumoto, representing Nature For All, said the group does not favor reopening the closed section of Highway 39. They instead support Alternative 2, which would repair only the shoulder for emergency vehicles and for evacuating residents via Highway 2, also known as Angeles Crest Highway, during wildfires.

The group opposes a roadway rebuild because . The unique breed of sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni, are known for their curled horns and elusive behavior. These majestic mammals can be seen standing on cliff tops in the Sheep Wilderness in the eastern Angeles range, or running in the brush alongside Highway 2.

Price said the sheep have been spotted in the Islip Saddle area. “We’ve seen them walking on the (closed) roadway so we know they are there,” he said. He said Caltrans would limit the “takes” of sheep by working with biologists from California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the U.S. Forest Service. Also, portions of the roadway would be built on columns, allowing for sheep and other wildlife to pass underneath.

About 417 bighorns are estimated to be living in the highest slopes of these rugged mountains within the Angeles and San Bernardino national forests, said Jeff Villepique, supervising biologist with CDFW. There are only about 5,000 bighorn sheep in all of California, he said. The bighorn population closest to the San Gabriel Mountain group lives in the Mojave Desert.

While the sheep are not classified as endangered or threatened, they were listed as protected by CDFW. But the status of the Nelson’s subspecies changed last year, making a permit for killing some of the sheep acceptable, according to the EIR.

“Any loss of a bighorn sheep will be considered a potential impact and a full road opening will impact the sheep, which are hanging on for survival,” said Matsumoto.

Daniel Hyke, a regular forest visitor, said reconnecting Highway 39 to Highway 2 would be good for circulation. But the unintended consequence would be creating “a circuit” for street racers, who already speed on the curvy, mountain throughways.

“I think it would lead to a lot more accidents and highway deaths,” he said.

Nathan Nunez, who leads volunteer groups that pick up trash mostly in the East Fork of the San Gabriel River area of the forest, said according to the latest count. That tops the yearly attendance of Grand Canyon National Park.

Adding a connection to Highway 2 will bring more visitors to the sections of San Gabriel Canyon already overcrowded in summer months. He put the question to supporters and Caltrans: “Prove to us, who frequently visit and care for the mountains, how this will benefit the forest.”

Price said the public will have a second chance to comment during a virtual public hearing via Zoom on Saturday, April 20, at 10:00 a.m. To register, visit:. Send comments by May 11 to: SR-39DEDComments@dot.ca.gov.

He estimated the EIR would be completed by fall of 2024. Caltrans would choose the preferred project alternative by Spring 2025. A final design would be ready by fall of 2029. Construction could start in the summer of 2030 and be completed by spring 2033.

Despite approving the road rebuild in 2009, the project concept was restarted in 2022.

“Caltrans still believes there is value in opening this part of the roadway,鈥� said Price.

After several starts and stops, that runs from the San Gabriel Valley floor through the Angeles National Forest to its closure about 27 miles north of Azusa and northwest of Crystal Lake. Caltrans held scoping meetings, listened to comments, studied the environmental effects, and on Tuesday, it will conduct its first in-person public meeting on the project.

Reopening proponents

Even if the state transportation agency decides to reopen the road to traffic for the first time since 1978, many who have a stake in experiencing a fully circulating Highway 39, with connections to ski areas and access to the quaint town of Wrightwood, are approaching this meeting with a skeptical bent.

“I am more optimistic but with a wait-and-see in the back of my mind. It has been promised before,” said Steve Castro, chief executive officer of the Azusa Chamber of Commerce. Castro has been lobbying for repairing the 4.4-mile section of Highway 39 at Islip Saddle for more than 15 years, since he stood in front of local grocery stores with petitions.

In 2009, Caltrans announced it had $32 million to fix and reopen the mountain road to traffic. But at the last minute, the project was scuttled and the money was used to rebuild a bridge on Highway 1 in Northern California. In 2011, the agency said the project could not withstand future rock slides, would cost a ton more money, and may endanger the iconic Nelson’s bighorn sheep —

Azusa Mayor Robert Gonzales, who has been pushing Caltrans — and any legislator who would listen — for 17 years to get the road fixed, is measuring his words regarding the public hearing, the state reasons for the project, and the draft EIR document.

“We have been on this road before — no pun intended,” began Gonzales on Wednesday, April 10. “I hope Caltrans is legitimately looking to do something.”

What can be said for sure is that Caltrans is holding a public hearing in which state transportation officials will take oral and written testimony. The in-person meeting, called “Caltrans SR-39 (San Gabriel Canyon Road) Reopening,” takes place on Tuesday, April 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Azusa Auditorium, 213 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa.

Caltrans is also holding a virtual public hearing via Zoom on Saturday, April 20, at 10:00 a.m. To register, visit: .

Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-El Monte, has been advocating for a fully circulating state highway for 20 years. She has a simple message for Caltrans: “It is a highway. It is supposed to be open,” she said on Thursday, April 11.

Azusa foresees an economic benefit. With the highway repaired, one could drive from La Canada Flintridge east on Highway 2, then go south on Highway 39 and end up in Azusa. The views on Highway 39, sometimes called The Forgotten Highway, are spectacular and the city hopes first-timers would take a drive on the scenic highway, then check in at a restaurant or shop at its Target store.

Reaching the Mountain High ski resorts via Azusa could add economic opportunity in the town, Castro said. San Gabriel Valley dwellers wouldn’t face a two-hour drive via the 210, 15 and 138 freeways. Instead, they would take Highway 39, then travel east on Highway 2, for a trip of about 40 minutes.

“Once word gets out it is open to Highway 2, they’ll say: ‘What is up there? Let’s check it out,’” Castro said. “And folks would absolutely come to Azusa and stop in our stores and restaurants,” he said. With several new housing projects, Castro thinks it could bring new homeowners into the city.

Napolitano also said the reopening of the highway would provide better access for winter and summer play. “A lot of folks would like to see it open for recreational purposes,” she said. “You know, to go skiing in the winter and in the summer, hikers and bicyclists would like it open.”

Safety first

One of the main benefits of the reopening cited by Caltrans is safety. Although a tight shoulder was carved out in 2003 for emergency vehicles, rock slides have blocked access and are damaging the shoulder.

Caltrans reports that a fully restored highway would “provide enhanced access for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other emergency personnel during search and rescue activities.” also states that a restored roadway and connection to Highway 2 would reduce response times.

“My concern is safety during wildfires,” Gonzales said. “Someone could be up there recreating and not be able to get out. If (the road) went all the way through (to Highway 2), you could have another (exit) option.”

The closed section continues to suffer rock slides and degradation, Caltrans reported. A repair project would include installing hillside netting to capture falling rocks as well as roadway retaining walls. New culverts would drain stormwater. The road has received new guardrails but infrastructure would need to be maintained.

“The current conditions continue to degrade and may pose a safety hazard to maintenance crews and other users of the facility,” the EIR stated.

Finally, the state is in violation of its own rules, namely the California Streets and Highway Code, Section 91 and 100, which mandates the state maintain its state highways, and if gaps occur the impacts must be studied and repairs considered, the EIR stated.

By restoring the roadway, the state would be in compliance with its own streets and highways laws, the EIR stated, citing another reason for completing the project.

Wildlife impacts

Aside from rock slides, snow, and costs ranging upward of $57 million, a skittish hoofed mammal lives in the Angeles National Forest in small numbers and under state protected status, including in the Islip Saddle region where the road has been closed to vehicles for nearly five decades.

The Nelson鈥檚 Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis nelsoni, the rarest hoofed mammals on the continent, are known for their curled horns and elusive behavior. They live in select forest regions: Iron Mountain area, near the East Fork of the San Gabriel River, in and around Middle Fork and South Fork of Lytle Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest, and near Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy).

Although the gates keep cars out, the sheep like the closed-off area very much, especially the ewes who have been spotted there with their baby lambs on the closed road section, said Dustin Pearce, environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“This area is used as lambing habitat by bighorn sheep and brings with it certain precautions for the public since this is a vital habitat zone for bighorn sheep reproduction and lamb survival,” Pearce wrote in an emailed response.

Vehicle traffic could spook the female bighorns, causing them to leave these safer places and be subject to predation by coyotes and mountain lions, Pearce explained.

The last few official bighorn sheep counts in the Angeles National Forest were stymied by inclement weather. The most recent count of 417 sheep dates back to between 2011-2014, said Jeff Villipique, supervising biologist with CDFW.

He believes the count today remains around 400, since there’s no evidence of a die off. “Four hundred-plus animals is a pretty robust population,” Villipique said.

Bighorn sheep also live in the Mojave Desert and in the White Mountains, east of Bishop. The EIR says all measures will be taken to avoid impacts to the bighorn sheep. In 2022, Caltrans mentioned building the road as a raised viaduct so the wildlife could go underneath.

Undoubtedly, the issues of the sheep, traffic, cost and viability will be raised at the public hearing.

“It is always important to hear all sides,” said Gonzales. “While I’m glad they are holding this, I’m taking a realistic approach. Hopefully, it will have some legs.”

Send comments by May 11 to: SR-39DEDComments@dot.ca.gov.

Also Friday, authorities shed little new light on how Aaron escaped the transfer from Desert Valley Hospital, where he had been treated three days before his death after he cut himself, to a mental health facility.

Aaron was being transported “by EMS,” said hospital spokeswoman Andrea Bell, referring to emergency medical services.

“Beyond this, we cannot share more information due to patient privacy laws. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the family and all involved in this tragic event,” Bell wrote in an email.

Bell did not respond to additional written and phone messages seeking a more specific description of what EMS she was referencing — for instance a private ambulance company — as well as when, where and how the escape happened.

The Sheriff’s Department did not provide such information either on Friday. Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Wednesday that the hospital immediately notified the department when Aaron vanished.

At around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the teen, a foster youth who lives in Hesperia, showed up at the home on Forest Hills Drive in Victorville where his sisters live in foster care, Dicus said. A person at the home called deputies to come detain Aaron, Dicus said, because he had caused trouble there before.

Aaron, who had a knife, locked himself in the bathroom, and deputies tried for about 30 minutes to get him to come out.

But when Aaron threatened to harm himself, deputies kicked down the door and tried to apprehend him, Dicus said. A video and still images of the encounter showed him holding a knife. Deputies pepper-sprayed him, and one deputy鈥檚 hand was sliced by the knife.

Aaron was pushed or fell into a bathtub, where he was shot. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Dicus called on the county to provide more mental health services for parents so they don’t have to rely on law enforcement when their children act out.

The use of force occurred on March 26 after 36-year-old Christian Cardenas Alonso from Adelanto was pulled over for a traffic stop. Alonso was identified as a suspect in an armed robbery, the Sheriff鈥檚 Department said in a news release. Alonso refused to leave his car and resisted arrest, the department said. He was struck while face-down on the pavement.

“We are looking at it through a criminal lens and an administrative lens whether that subject had actually been handcuffed,” Dicus said. “We’re putting the public’s video with the body-worn camera videos and we’re going to take a look at those and I can reassure you we will take the correct and appropriate processes, whether it’s submitting something to the (District Attorney’s Office) criminally and doing an administrative investigation.”

If the internal findings determine the deputies were at fault, they could face discipline up to termination, the sheriff said.

Dicus, after briefing reporters Wednesday on the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old mentally ill boy the previous day, addressed several headline-making uses of force by his department.

He noted the videos released last week in the September 2022 fatal shooting of unarmed Fontana kidnap victim Savannah Graziano during a gun battle in Hesperia that also killed her father. The shootings are under investigation by the state Department of Justice.

“I implore the public to let the DOJ do their review and work through the system,” Dicus said.

He was asked what his reaction was when he saw his deputies shoot the 15-year-old as she appeared to be surrendering.

“One of my reactions was seeing the deputy sheriffs that were involved in that case and they realized she was shot and killed, and if you saw their distraught faces, you’d understand why I want to make sure that the legal process of this (investigation) is transmitted to the public as well as the videos and things I’m required to release based on the time frame,” Dicus said.

The Sheriff’s Department is taking the lead in investigating recent shootings by Fontana police officers. The Southern California 色情论坛 Group reported that Fontana has withheld most details, including body-worn camera videos, of those shootings.

“Chief (Dorsey) would be legally errant in releasing information on both the suspect and the officers involved in the shooting,” Dicus said, referencing a case that is in the courts. “I can reassure everyone that there will be transparency.”