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The 680-sniper and South Bay Wildfire

I drove to Silicon Valley tonight to attend a charity fundraiser, and I decided not to make the 100-mile round trip by motorcycle!

As I drove my pickup truck along I-680, I thought about the sniper who has been shooting at cars, roughly between the Sunol Grade and Mission, in both directions.

In one case, two metal fragments that resembled bullets were recovered from a vehicle. Now, the weapon used by the sniper appears to fire BBs or pellets – certainly not harmless, but also not quite the threat of, for example, a high-powered rifle. However, the shattering of glass or injuries caused by such a weapon could easily trigger a deadly multi-vehicle accident on that stretch of road. The number of targeted vehicles has reached 45!

(Note added May 23, 2009: Two 21-year-old men have been arrested as suspects in the pellet-gun shootings – Shawn Philip Wagner of Mariposa and Rojelio Samuel Gomez of Fremont. Each were booked on 42 counts of asault with a deadly weapon and 43 counts of vandalism, all felonies. In addition, each were booked with one misdemeanor count of willfully discharging a BB device in a grossly negligent manner. Wagner is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, and Gomez is being held at Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose.)

Even as the fire in Santa Barbara comes under control (I heard last night that it was 80% cvontained), a wildfire in the South Bay southeast of Henry Coe State Park, where Santa Clara County meets Stanislaus County, has burned about 570 acres. This wildfire has been named the “Mustang Fire.” The fire is about 60% contained by the 230 firefighters. The remote area has not burned in 40 years.

Cal Fire hopes to have the fire controlled and contained by tomorrow (Thursday) morning. There have been no injuries nor structures lost.

(Note added May 22, 2009: This fire was fully contained on May 14.)

-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™

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