Marston blog

Last suspect held in Calif. rape of 11-year-old

Authorities have arrested another suspect in the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in a Riverside County, Calif., park bathroom.

County sheriff's Cpl. Courtney Donowho (DON'-uh-yoo) says 19-year-old Michael Sykes of Moreno Valley was arrested Monday morning but she has no other details.

Sykes is the eighth person arrested in connection with the March 10 attack on the girl at Victoriano Park in Moreno Valley.

Six boys, all over 14, were arrested shortly after the rape. Their names have not been released because they are minors but authorities have said they are gang members.

An older girl who knew the victim also was arrested. Authorities have said they believe she lured the girl into the bathroom so the boys could attack her.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Members of a Southern California gang raped an 11-year-old girl in the bathroom of a neighborhood park, leading to six arrests and a manhunt for a seventh suspect in a crime that has stunned seasoned law enforcement officials.

"It shocks you to your core. It never ceases to amaze me how vicious these things can be," Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

The girl was gang raped in the bathroom at Moreno Valley's Victoriano Park between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. March 10. Sheriff's Investigator Matt Diaz says no other details were being released.

The attack, which was on the south side of the city near Moreno Valley College, wasn't made public until Sunday.

"As a father — even as a police officer — there are crimes that shock us. This is one of them," said Capt. John Anderson, chief of the Moreno Valley station.

The attack was in an area where gangs and crime aren't a problem, Anderson said.

Six juvenile gang members arrested shortly after the rape were booked at Riverside County juvenile hall for investigation of sexual assault on a child.

A seventh suspect, Michael Sykes, 19, of Moreno Valley, has eluded capture. Investigators believe he's hiding in Los Angeles, some 70 miles west of Moreno Valley.

It was the second time in a month that a little girl was sexually attacked in a park in Riverside County.

In February, three 13-year-old boys were arrested after a middle school student told officers a boy sexually assaulted her while the two others held her down at Banning's Roosevelt Williams Park.

The boys and the victim attended Nicolette Middle School, and investigators said it wasn't a gang-related attack.

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Information from: The Press-Enterprise,

This year's The Grand National around the corner

The Grand National is arguably the world's most famous race and has a habit of throwing up a fairytale story from Bob Champion's victory after recovering from cancer to last year and champion jockey Tony McCoy ending his jinx in the race on a horse trained by another former cancer sufferer Jonjo O'Neill.

This year's renewal at Aintree on April 9 has the potential of delivering a similar tearjerking story with two of those involved having battled through different misfortunes.

Jockey Daryl Jacob and trainer Jimmy Moffatt are hardly household names but in What A Friend - part-owned by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson - and Chief Dan George respectively they have live chances of at last alleviating some of the grief and pain they have experienced.

Jacob lost his best friend and fellow jockey Kieran Kelly in August 2003 when his fellow Irishman died from injuries suffered in a fall and his tragic death is never far from the 26-year-old rider's thoughts.

"I think about Kieran every day of the week and have his photo in my bedroom and another in my car, so he is with me wherever I go," Jacob told the Daily Mail.

"We were so close and did everything together.

"Kieran?s death hit me massively. You never get over a thing like that. His loss made me more determined than ever to achieve something for him because he?d taken me under his wing and looked after me so well."

Jacob, who also saw one of his early retainers Robert Alner suffer terrible injuries in a car crash, at one point, though, couldn't even use Kelly's death as an inspiration and was all but ready to return to Ireland from England and learn the building trade.

However, a Grade One win at Irish racecourse Leopardstown on one of Alner's horses The Listener in 2006 changed his mindset completely and further success has come since.

"Not many people get the privilege in life to be in the position that I am in. I love the job of riding horses. I?d probably end up riding for free because I adore horses so much."

It says a lot about how far Jacob has come since the dark days that English champion trainer Paul Nicholls has placed his faith in him for the ride on What A Friend after impressing with his jockeyship on the same horse in the Gold Cup.

"I'm delighted to keep the ride and I thought he ran a cracking race in the Gold Cup," said Jacob.

"He stayed on really well, jumped really well and I got a great ride off him. He stands out as a real Grand National-type horse.

"These opportunities don't come round very often and when they do, you've got to grab it with both hands.

"I'm very thankful to Paul and of course Sir Alex for keeping me on top of the horse."

Moffatt's misery occurred more recently when a blood infection at the turn of the year nearly cost the 38-year-old former jockey his life.

"I felt rough and put it down to a hangover but I spent the next week in bed," he told The Times.

"I couldn't eat or sleep and my heart was racing. I was in a mess. When I finally called the doctor, he told me I was within a day or two of real trouble," added Moffatt, who lost two stone in a three weeks.

Even after a fortnight in hospital he was told to rest up at home but increasingly impatient Moffatt - who has a yard of 30 horses which has produced just two winners this season - decided to break out - again to his cost.

"When they let me out I was weak as water and I'd sleep for 20 hours a day.

"After three days I got frustrated and tried to go out in my car. I got halfway down the drive and put the car in the hedge.

"My mum picked me up and led me back by the ear."

Now, though, pretty much back to his former healthy self - he has also given up smoking - Moffatt envisages Chief Dan George delivering a boyhood dream of having a National runner.

"This is the first time I've had anything to do with the National. He's an intelligent horse and he won't do that again (his last start he fell at Cheltenham).

"I'm ferociously competitive, sometimes to my detriment, but I really feel if I just get this horse to the paddock (at Aintree) I'll have won."

Dems hint at flexibility in budget talks

Democrats indicated Tuesday they may be willing to accept Republican-backed curbs on the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal regulators as part of an overall deal on spending cuts, a rare hint of compromise in private negotiations marked by public rancor.

There was no immediate reaction from the White House, although administration officials are working closely with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the secretive three-way talks that include House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Any concession by Democrats on non-spending items would mark an attempt to persuade Republicans to accept smaller budget cuts than the $61 billion contained in legislation that passed the House last month.

The talks are aimed at finding agreement on a bill to meet the Republicans' demand for spending cuts while funding the government through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

A short-term spending measure expires on April 8. A partial government shutdown looms without further action by Congress by then. Even so, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told reporters during the day "time is up" and there will be no more stopgap measures without the larger agreement Republicans seek.

The talks have taken place entirely out of public view, but in recent days Democrats have accused Republicans of stepping back from the framework of a possible deal, and lawmakers in both parties have said the prospects of avoiding a government shutdown were dimming.

This maneuvering took an unusual turn during the day when Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., could be heard advising fellow Democratic senators what to say in a conference call with reporters.

"The only way we can avoid a shutdown is for Boehner to come up with a reasonable compromise and not just listen to what the tea party wants," he said.

"I always use the word extreme. That's what the caucus instructed me to do the other week, extreme cuts and all these riders."

The term "riders" refers to the non-spending provisions Republicans included in the bill, some of which Democrats now signal that may accept.

At a news conference in the Capitol, Reid pointedly did not rule out the provisions that Republicans included in a $61 billion package of spending cuts.

"We're happy to look at the policy riders.There aren't many of them that excite me. But we're willing to look at them.In fact, we've already started looking at some," he said.

Reid also said Democrats had prepared another offer for Republicans that would bring total spending cuts to $30 billion, including $10 billion that Congress has already approved.

Asked whether that represented his last offer, he replied: "I'm not in the last-offer business.I've been around here too long to do that."

Like Schumer, Reid challenged Boehner. "Republicans need to decide which is worse: angering their tea party base, or shutting down the government and threatening our fragile economy even more," he said.

While Reid did not specify which non-spending items might be acceptable, other officials stressed that opposition remains strong to GOP attempts to defund or otherwise hamper implementation of the year-old health care law. Nor are Democrats willing to accept cutting off federal funds for Planned Parenthood.

"It's too extreme," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. "I don't see it happening."

Additionally, Schumer said that a proposal to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases was a non-starter for Democrats. "We believe that they don't belong in a budget bill," he said referring to the proposals relating to Planned Parenthood and greenhouse gases.

Under the House-passed measure, in addition to the greenhouse gas regulation, the EPA would also be blocked from issuing or enforcing new regulations on the emission of mercury from cement factories, pollution into the Chesapeake Bay, surface coal mining and runoff into Florida waters.

Other elements of the House-passed bill would stop the administration from issuing new regulations on for-profit private schools and block the Federal Communications Commission from enforcing rules on the Internet that are opposed by Verizon and other Internet service providers.

These provisions drew support from Democrats when they cleared the House.

The Senate has not yet voted on any proposed restrictions on the EPA, but may do so Wednesday as part of a bill unrelated to the budget. Democrats appear divided, with some likely to back proposals to block the agency from regulating greenhouse gases.

Late Tuesday, Senate Democrats were mulling compromise language proposed by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. It would bar EPA enforcement of greenhouse gas regulations for two years; create a single national standard for motor vehicle emissions; and exempt agriculture from greenhouse gas regulations.

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Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Charles Babington contributed to this report.

Dems hint at flexibility in budget talks

Democrats indicated Tuesday they may be willing to accept Republican-backed curbs on the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal regulators as part of an overall deal on spending cuts, a rare hint of compromise in private negotiations marked by public rancor.

There was no immediate reaction from the White House, although administration officials are working closely with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the secretive three-way talks that include House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Any concession by Democrats on non-spending items would mark an attempt to persuade Republicans to accept smaller budget cuts than the $61 billion contained in legislation that passed the House last month.

The talks are aimed at finding agreement on a bill to meet the Republicans' demand for spending cuts while funding the government through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

A short-term spending measure expires on April 8. A partial government shutdown looms without further action by Congress by then. Even so, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told reporters during the day "time is up" and there will be no more stopgap measures without the larger agreement Republicans seek.

The talks have taken place entirely out of public view, but in recent days Democrats have accused Republicans of stepping back from the framework of a possible deal, and lawmakers in both parties have said the prospects of avoiding a government shutdown were dimming.

This maneuvering took an unusual turn during the day when Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., could be heard advising fellow Democratic senators what to say in a conference call with reporters.

"The only way we can avoid a shutdown is for Boehner to come up with a reasonable compromise and not just listen to what the tea party wants," he said.

"I always use the word extreme. That's what the caucus instructed me to do the other week, extreme cuts and all these riders."

The term "riders" refers to the non-spending provisions Republicans included in the bill, some of which Democrats now signal that may accept.

At a news conference in the Capitol, Reid pointedly did not rule out the provisions that Republicans included in a $61 billion package of spending cuts.

"We're happy to look at the policy riders.There aren't many of them that excite me. But we're willing to look at them.In fact, we've already started looking at some," he said.

Reid also said Democrats had prepared another offer for Republicans that would bring total spending cuts to $30 billion, including $10 billion that Congress has already approved.

Asked whether that represented his last offer, he replied: "I'm not in the last-offer business.I've been around here too long to do that."

Like Schumer, Reid challenged Boehner. "Republicans need to decide which is worse: angering their tea party base, or shutting down the government and threatening our fragile economy even more," he said.

While Reid did not specify which non-spending items might be acceptable, other officials stressed that opposition remains strong to GOP attempts to defund or otherwise hamper implementation of the year-old health care law. Nor are Democrats willing to accept cutting off federal funds for Planned Parenthood.

"It's too extreme," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. "I don't see it happening."

Additionally, Schumer said that a proposal to block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases was a non-starter for Democrats. "We believe that they don't belong in a budget bill," he said referring to the proposals relating to Planned Parenthood and greenhouse gases.

Under the House-passed measure, in addition to the greenhouse gas regulation, the EPA would also be blocked from issuing or enforcing new regulations on the emission of mercury from cement factories, pollution into the Chesapeake Bay, surface coal mining and runoff into Florida waters.

Other elements of the House-passed bill would stop the administration from issuing new regulations on for-profit private schools and block the Federal Communications Commission from enforcing rules on the Internet that are opposed by Verizon and other Internet service providers.

These provisions drew support from Democrats when they cleared the House.

The Senate has not yet voted on any proposed restrictions on the EPA, but may do so Wednesday as part of a bill unrelated to the budget. Democrats appear divided, with some likely to back proposals to block the agency from regulating greenhouse gases.

Late Tuesday, Senate Democrats were mulling compromise language proposed by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. It would bar EPA enforcement of greenhouse gas regulations for two years; create a single national standard for motor vehicle emissions; and exempt agriculture from greenhouse gas regulations.

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Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Charles Babington contributed to this report.

Snoop Dogg, Warren G attend service for Nate Dogg

Rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G and The Game joined family, friends and about 1,000 fans of Nate Dogg to remember the hip-hop singer, who died this month of complications from multiple strokes.

The family of Nate Dogg — whose real name was Nathaniel Dwayne Hale — decided that the ceremony at the Queen Mary Dome would not be open to the public as they previously wanted, but they made 1,000 tickets and shuttles available to fans.

The dome in Hale's hometown of Long Beach is adjacent to the historic ship the Queen Mary and was the former home of Howard Hughes' airplane folly, the Spruce Goose.

Organizers had sought a more central location for the funeral, but none proved large enough for the numbers of expected mourners. A private dinner was planned after the service.

Hale started out singing in church choirs, then formed a group with Snoop Dogg and Warren G while the trio was in high school in Long Beach.

His almost monotone vocal stylings anchored some of rap's most seminal songs and helped define the sound of West Coast hip-hop on tracks usually produced by Dr. Dre and performed by rappers like Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound and Warren G. He remained sought after as a singer more than a decade after his original success, supplying vocals to more recent tracks by 50 Cent and Ludacris.

Hale dropped out of high school, was dishonorably discharged from the Marines and dabbled in the drug trade before finding success as Nate Dogg on Dr. Dre's classic 1992 album "The Chronic."

Late in life, he was plagued by legal and health problems, including at least two strokes in 2008.