Archive By Author - Jim Holt
Ex-deputy sentenced on drug charge
An "aggressive" undercover probe by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department led to the arrest, conviction and sentencing of three people, including a former sheriff's deputy, trying to smuggle drugs into the North County Correctional Facility, a spokesman says.
Coastal domination
The board that decides the issue of chloride in the Santa Clara River includes two advocates of Ventura County strawberry farmers.
Water’s recycled future
In the wee early hours of any morning, as you drive along The Old Road near Magic Mountain by the Tournament Players Club Valencia golf course, you might see the sprinklers hard at work watering the 10th or 11th hole.
Fallen Marine Pfc. Jake Suter: On son’s birthday, a mother grieves
Fallen United States Marine Corps Pfc. Jake William Suter would have turned 19 today. Instead, the last day of July is shaping up to be one of the worst days his mother, Michelle Unthank, and his stepfather, Chris Unthank, could ever imagine having to face. "I'm lucky I have work to distract me," Chris Unthank said. His wife, sadly, is nowhere near as lucky. This past week, instead of stacking birthday presents, she had the ...
Rain keeps chloride level low
Chloride levels in the Santa Clara River have risen above the limit demanded by Ventura County farmers only once in the past six months - and then only by two milligrams per liter, a Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District official said Thursday.
Delayed, but not defused
Santa Clarita Valley sewer ratepayers will wind up spending more in the long run, despite a decision Tuesday night to delay rate-hike discussion until spring.
Salty talk stalls rate hike
The vote on a proposed sewer-rate hike was delayed until spring following a lengthy public hearing Tuesday night that drew complaints from residents.
Salty talks stall rate hike
The vote on a proposed sewer rate hike was delayed until spring following a lengthy public hearing Tuesday night that drew complaints from residents.
Salty showdown draws near
The biggest battle in the on-going water war over chloride happens Tuesday. Officially, the showdown is called a public hearing sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District seeking to raise sewer rates to help pay for a $210 million salt-ridding reverse-osmosis plant. The battle scene is City Hall; showdown set for 6:30 p.m. While the proposed 50-percent rate increase would likely be felt in residents' pocketbooks - especially those on fixed incomes - it's ...
Stephens will soon have day in court
Joshua Pipho would be 23 this year, probably helping his dad with a growing audio-visual business.
Killer’s lawyers wrap up death-penalty phase
SAN FERNANDO - Attorneys in the Antonio Rodriguez trial delivered eloquent arguments Friday for and against the death penalty for the man who beat a 5-year-old girl to death in a Castaic park bathroom in 2004. The jury in that convicted Rodriguez will receive instructions Monday from San Fernando Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen, then begin deliberations in the penalty phase of the trial. "There is no one here to speak for Desarie," prosecutor ...
Specter of violence appears in court
SAN FERNANDO - The elusive and allegedly abusive father of convicted child-killer Antonio Rodriguez dominated the closing minutes of the murderer's trial Thursday, as a jury decides his life-or-death fate.
The Signal's Water Wars 411 page
See "Related Content" for links to The Signal's exclusive "Water Wars" series, an in-depth look at the politics of water in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Child-killer’s chaplain proclaims trust during death-penalty phase
SAN FERNANDO - A chaplain who spent "hours and hours" with child-killer Antonio Rodriguez, sometimes talking about God, told jurors in Superior Court on Tuesday that she trusts him.
Frontal lobe abnormality affected child-killer
SAN FERNANDO - Jurors got a glimpse inside the brain of convicted child-killer Antonio Rodriguez on Monday, and what they saw was evidence of injury.
Articles By Author - Jim Holt
Valencia: One injured in collision of motorcycle and car
One person was taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries Thursday following a traffic collision involving a motorcycle and a car in Valencia, a Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said.
UPDATE: Suspected ‘blond scammer’ taken into custody by Ventura deputies
SAN FERNANDO - A woman suspected of being the "blond scammer" - who stalked other women at grocery stores, stealing their wallets and then using their IDs to obtain cash or expensive jewelry - appeared briefly in court today only to be arrested by Ventura County sheriff's deputies, a bailiff said.
Stevenson Ranch: 5 ID theft suspects make court appearance Wednesday
Five people suspected of identity theft after being arrested at a Stevenson Ranch hotel this week made a court appearance Wednesday and were scheduled to be arraigned next month.
Saugus man gets probation in online dating thefts
A Saugus man charged with three felonies for stealing from local women he romanced online received a suspended sentence and three years' probation this week after pleading no contest to the charges.
Resolution possible for Valencia pair charged with possessing illegal weapon
SAN FERNANDO - The lawyer representing a young Valencia man who made national news last fall for allegedly posting online comments about hurting children told a San Fernando Superior Court commissioner Wednesday he anticipates a "possible resolution" in the case.
5 due in court Wednesday on ID theft charges
Five people arrested at a Stevenson Ranch hotel Monday are expected to appear in court Wednesday on felony identity theft charges, a local sheriff's spokesman said.
UPDATE: Canyon Country: One taken to hospital following fight near fast-food restaurant
A man was taken to the hospital today following a fist fight near the McDonalds Restaurant on Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country, emergency response officials said.
UPDATE: Admitted Stevenson Ranch rapist sentenced to 43 years to life
SAN FERNANDO - A 19-year-old man who admitted to a brutal rape last year, then tried to withdraw his admission, was sentenced to 43 years to life in prison Monday after a judge said he couldn't change his mind about the plea.
Newhall: Man arrested on suspicion of van theft
Sheriff's deputies arrested a man in Newhall this morning on suspicion he stole a van, a sheriff's spokesman said.
UPDATE: Acton crash survivor listed in good condition
A 9-year-old girl who survived a vehicle crash that killed her father in Acton is expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday, a California Highway Patrol official said Monday.
All for the competition
More than 160 young people on their way to becoming police officers competed in a series of challenges Sunday similar to what law enforcement officers experience day to day.
UPDATE: Attempted homicide charge filed in bar beating
A Castaic man was charged with attempted murder after he allegedly beat another man in a Sunland bar Monday night, using a "mini baseball bat," officials said Thursday.
Alleged gang members to stand trial for Canyon Country bank robbery
SAN FERNANDO - Three men identified by prosecutors as Rollin 40s Crips gang members were ordered to stand trial Wednesday for a take-over bank robbery in Canyon Country last September.
Valencia woman faces felony charge in hit-and-run
A Valencia woman faces a felony hit-and-run charge today for allegedly hitting a bicyclist in Newhall on Friday, then leaving the scene, court papers show.
