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Daly City man sentenced to 12 years in prison after assaulting, robbing Lyft driver

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

DALY CITY — A Daly City man who was convicted for a 2022 felony assault and robbery of a deaf Lyft driver was handed a 12-year prison sentence last week, according to San Mateo County prosecutors.At 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 3 of last year, Daniel Balaguer, 29, was picked up in San Francisco by a Lyft rideshare vehicle driven by a deaf and mute person, prosecutors said. After being driven to Washington Street and Sullivan Avenue in Daly City, Balaguer took the driver’s backpack out of the vehicle and ran away.The driver chased Balaguer to the nearby In-N-Out Burger parking lot, where the two struggled over the backpack. Prosecutors say Balaguer then grabbed the driver by the neck and strangled them to the point of unconsciousness.Witnesses called police, who arrested Balaguer at the scene. In his own backpack, officers found cocaine, Xanax and several debit and ID cards belonging to other people.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man arrested on suspicion of attempt...

49ers Three Big Things: Evaluating Nick Bosa, what to do with Brandon Aiyuk, and a repeat of 1994?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

With the 49ers facing a short week ahead of Thursday night football, but with plenty to discuss following an impressive, if disjointed, win over the rival Rams on Sunday, it feels prudent to do a Three Big Things on the red and gold.So let’s get it all out there before the Giants come to town for the Niners’ 2023 home opener:Corrupted spreadsheetsThe football analytics website Pro Football Focus assigns grades in various categories to every player, every week.Do you Want to quickly guess who had the best grade on the 49ers’ defense in Week 2?If you guessed Fred Warner (eight tackles, sack), Javon Hargrave (five hurries), or Dre Greenlaw (nine tackles, two assisted), you’d be wrong.No, PFF’s top-graded defensive player in Week 2 was Nick Bosa, scoring a 93.0 rating — the Niners’ best score by eons.Did the grader watch the same game as us?Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | The 49ers’ toughest opponent isn’t the Eagles or Co...

Suspect in husband’s fentanyl death accused of witness tampering

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

By Raja Razek | CNNKouri Richins, the Utah widow accused of killing her husband with a fentanyl overdose and then writing a children’s book about grief, is accused of witness tampering, according to court documents obtained by CNN.Richins faces murder and drug charges for allegedly poisoning Eric Richins with an overdose of fentanyl given to him in a drink the night he died. She has not yet entered a plea in the case and remains in custody, CNN previously reported.On September 14, authorities searched her jail cell and discovered a six-page handwritten letter to her mother, Lisa Darden, with instructions for her brother to “testify falsely,” according to a motion for no contact order filed in a Utah court.“The letter instructs Lisa Darden to induce the Defendant’s brother, Ronald Darden, who is Lisa Darden’s son, to testify falsely in this matter,” the court document states. “The letter claims that defense counsel, ‘wants to link Eric (Richins) getting drugs and pills from Mexico’ t...

Review: How anime helped ‘Final Fantasy XVI’ get the franchise’s groove back

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

At one point in its history, “Final Fantasy” was the pinnacle of video game storytelling and graphics. Each title pushed the limits of the hardware and delivered a satisfying tale full of epic adventure, heartbreaking moments and stunning surprises.Square Enix lost its mojo around the PlayStation 3 era. That’s when the hardware managed to push out visuals that could handle developers’ imaginations. Suddenly, it took much more to impress players than fancy computer graphic sequences or the summoning of the Knights of the Round.What worked in previous generations seemed dated, and it didn’t help that the combat system was going through an identity crisis. Again, as technology advanced, the developers veered away from turn-based combat and sought a battle system that meshed with the epic confrontations they wanted to bring to life.THE RIGHT FORMULAAfter several entries that felt like shallow missteps, Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III finally ...

Timeline for San Jose Sharks’ goalie prospect to play again after surgery remains unclear

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

San Jose Sharks goalie prospect Eetu Makiniemi is making steady progress from offseason hip surgery but there remains no clear timeline for when the Finnish-born netminder might play again, Evgeni Nabokov, the organization’s director of goaltending, said Monday.Makiniemi, 24, played 22 games with the Barracuda, the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, last season before an MRI revealed a labrum tear in his hip. After a subsequent surgery, it was hoped that Makiniemi would be ready for the start of training camp this week.The Sharks should get more clarity on Makiniemi’s health on Wednesday when he and other players receive their physicals. The team’s main training camp starts Thursday and indications are that Makiniemi will be eased into the proceedings.Nabokov told the Sharks Audio Network that while Makiniemi is recovering nicely and has recently been increasing his workload, “we’re going week by week, and we’ll see where he’s at every week and he’s making really g...

San Rafael police respond to violent incidents after Guatemalan Independence Day

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KRON) -- Two men were shot and another man was stabbed when violence erupted in San Rafael following peaceful celebrations of Guatemalan Independence Day, according to police.Police said the celebrations saw over 1,500 attendees taking part both at Northgate Mall and at a parking lot on Andersen Drive. The events ended with no major incidents and only minor noise complaints. Southern Marin shoplifting suspect reached for gun while being detained: police After the events ended at 9 p.m., gatherings in the Canal neighborhood took place along Medway Road, Canal Street, Pickleweed Park and other cross streets, SRPD said. Moving into the night, traffic jams were starting to occur due to the large gatherings. Hundreds of vehicles and over a thousand people were estimated to be present, according to officials.San Rafael police began to clear the large crowds at midnight as sideshow and reckless driving activity was occurring between Canal Street and Medway Road, polic...

Boy, 13, reported missing in San Francisco

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A 13-year-old boy has been missing in San Francisco for three days, police said Monday. Knowledge Shepard is considered "at-risk" and the San Francisco Police Department is asking for the public's help to find him.Shepard was last seen entering the Embarcadero BART station at 7 p.m. on September 15. "Shepard has a fascination with buses and trains, and usually rides Muni or BART," SFPD wrote. He was reported missing that night.Shepard is 5 feet 5 inches, 98 pounds, is bald, and has brown eyes. He is considered "at-risk" because of a medical condition. When he disappeared, the boy was wearing a black Nike hoodie sweatshirt with the sleeves ripped off, gray khaki pants, and white shoes with blue and orange checkmarks. Knowledge Shepard is missing. (Image courtesy SFPD) Anyone who finds or sees Shepard is asked to call 911 to report his current location. Anyone with information on his possible whereabouts should call SFPD at 415-575-4444.

Sketch helps police nab suspect in string of alleged sexual batteries in Fairfax Co. 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

A Virginia, man has been arrested and charged with the sexual battery of a minor along a walking path in Fairfax County — and police believe he’s connected to a number of other sexual battery cases involving young people in the area.On Sept. 7 around 6:30 p.m., Fairfax County police said a girl under the age of 18 was on a walking path near the 5800 block of Wood Poppy Court, when a man — later identified as 65-year-old Ghafari Abdulahad — grabbed her wrist and groped her. She eventually got away and called police, according to a news release.A composite sketch of the suspect in Virginia sexual assaults. (Courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)Police completed a composite sketch of the suspect on Sept. 14, and then conducted a large canvass of the area as they looked for more leads.During the canvass, police received more tips about incidents involving the same suspect, such as an assault against a minor and another case of sexual battery against a minor, according to the n...

The Giants’ comeback against the Cardinals may have saved their season, at least for now

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

The New York Giants’ hopes for a second straight playoff berth got a boost from a record-tying comeback in the second game of the season.Instead of being 0-2 heading into a Thursday night game against the talented San Francisco 49ers (2-0), the Giants (1-1) seemed to get back on track by rallying from a 21-point second-half deficit to beat the Arizona Cardinals 31-28 on Sunday.There are many who think the comeback orchestrated by Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley saved New York’s season, at least for now.The Giants were awful in a season-opening 40-0 loss to Dallas, and their first 30 minutes in Week 2 were just as bad. New York allowed Arizona to take a 20-0 halftime lead and a 28-7 advantage in the third quarter.Had the trend continued, the odds would have been against Brian Daboll’s team in 2023. Not only are they facing the 49ers on three days’ rest, they have Seattle, Miami and Buffalo — all playoff teams last year — after that.Daboll refused to think abou...

Canada expels top Indian diplomat as it investigates whether India is linked to slaying of a Sikh activist

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:30:01 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Canada expels top Indian diplomat as it investigates whether India is linked to slaying of a Sikh activist.Source