Moscow endures third day of cold snap; 24 reported dead across Russia

By: Associated Press | Wednesday, January 18, 2006 6:28 PM PST ∞

MOSCOW -- Temperatures so frigid that even winter-hardened Russians complained gripped Moscow and much of the rest of the country for a third day Wednesday. At least two dozen people reportedly died of exposure nationwide and Russians used a record amount of electricity to keep warm.

Temperatures dropped to 22 degrees below zero overnight, Moscow's First Deputy Mayor Pyotr Aksyonov said in televised comments. By early Thursday, the cold was expected to reach minus-31 or even lower.

Twelve people died of exposure in the Novgorod region, northwest of Moscow, and two in the capital, the Interfax news agency said. In the Volgograd region, about 550 miles southeast of Moscow and less accustomed to such cold, 10 people died, ITAR-Tass reported.

Over the previous day, electricity consumption nationwide hit 146,000 megawatts -- a record high since the Soviet collapse 15 years ago, the head of national electricity monopoly RAO Unified Energy Systems, Anatoly Chubais, said in televised comments.

In Moscow, where a construction boom is in full swing and the gray streets of the Soviet era have turned into glitzy thoroughfares festooned with bright lights, electricity consumption reached a record of more than 15,300 megawatts, RAO UES said.

Chubais said electricity supplies to some industrial consumers would be limited but neither residential buildings nor essential facilities such as hospitals would be affected. The state-run TV station Rossiya reported that power shut off for some city billboards and construction sites.

Traffic was light in the capital's normally jammed streets because many motorists could not start their cars.

The cold snap coincided with the Russian Orthodox holiday of the Epiphany, which falls on Thursday and which tradition says ushers in a cold period known as the Epiphany Frosts.

Some particularly hardy Russians celebrate Epiphany by plunging into rivers and ponds to cleanse themselves with water deemed holy for the day. Authorities in one northern region, Khanty-Mansiisk, advised against the ritual this year, Channel One television reported.

Fathers' group disbands after report that members planned to kidnap Blair's son

LONDON (AP) -- A fathers' rights group known for breaching government security said Wednesday that it was disbanding after a newspaper reported that some of its extremist members plotted to kidnap Prime Minister Tony Blair's 5-year-old son.

The Sun newspaper reported Wednesday that extremist sympathizers of the group Fathers 4 Justice were hatching a plan to abduct Leo Blair and hold him for a short period to publicize the misery of fathers denied access to their children.

The newspaper said police carried out a security assessment after uncovering the plot, including what protection should be given to Blair's other children -- sons Euan, 21, and Nicholas, 20, and daughter Kathryn, 17.

The British Broadcasting Corp. cited police officials it did not identify as saying the plan only got as far as the "chattering stage."

London police declined to comment on the report, and Blair's office said it did not discuss security issues.

Later Wednesday, Fathers 4 Justice founder Matt O'Connor told Britain's Channel 4 News program he decided to close the group because "extremists" had undermined its credibility.

"What these people are doing is undermining the very good work that people in this organization have done," he said. "I'm proud of the work we've done, but if we're going down this road with extremist elements then it's come to an end."

O'Connor, who claimed not to know about the alleged kidnap plot, said some members were kicked out last year because they supported "a more militant route."

"We do peaceful direct action with a dash of humor. We're in the business of uniting dads with their kids, not separating them," he said earlier.

O'Connor said he was aware of heightened police activity in recent weeks.

Anti-terrorist officers had visited former members of the group over the Christmas period, O'Connor said. Contacts at the Metropolitan Police had warned the group that armed police "were threatening to shoot people if they did anything in the region of Downing Street," he said.

Nobody has been arrested in connection with the alleged plot. According to The Sun, police foiled the plan at an early stage, and it was unclear whether the activists had even carried out reconnaissance of Downing Street.

Fathers 4 Justice has a history of breaching security at the heart of the British government during its campaign.

In May 2004, two activists hurled bags of purple flour at Blair inside the House of Commons chamber, prompting a security alert.

In April 2005, two members hurled eggs at Blair's car as he left a campaign rally.

An activist also has scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman, while another member handcuffed himself to a government minister.

Doctor says mine survivor appears to be awakening but still in 'light coma'

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Sago Mine survivor Randal McCloy Jr. appears to be awakening from his coma, and his improving condition may allow him to be transferred to a rehabilitation center within a few weeks, doctors said Wednesday.

McCloy, 26, has been breathing on his own for days and is opening his eyes, said Dr. Julian Bailes of West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital, adding that he "has purposeful movement" and "is responding to his family in slight ways."

Bailes said doctors now consider McCloy to be in a "light coma."

McCloy is believed to have suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen, but the extent of the damage is not yet known.

Because of the amount of time he spent in the mine before being rescued, "we are in many ways in uncharted territory with predicting his recovery," said Bailes, a neurosurgeon. "Many people with severe carbon monoxide poisoning end up with severe cognitive, personality, memory, visual and motor responses. We just don't know."

McCloy has been unconscious since he was pulled from the mine more than 41 hours after the Jan. 2 explosion that led to the deaths of 12 other miners. Officials have said one miner was apparently killed by the blast itself, and the others were asphyxiated.

McCloy was moved out of intensive care Tuesday but remains on dialysis because of kidney damage.

The cause of the mine explosion has still not been determined. One theory is that lightning hit an old well pipe, conveying electricity into the tunnels.

However, "it's very premature to speculate on any contribution that that may have had," Richard Gates, lead investigator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said Wednesday.

Water and poisonous gases are still being purged from the mine, about 100 miles north of Charleston, and Gates said federal investigators expect to gain access in a few days.

Federal and state regulators investigating the accident began interviewing witnesses Tuesday. Mine company officials also attended the interviews, along with representatives of a coal miners union.

Also Wednesday, the mine's owner, International Coal Group Inc., issued a statement objecting to the union's involvement. The Sago Mine is nonunion, but several miners asked the United Mine Workers of America to represent them during the investigation.

The union "seeks to interfere with the investigation in order to exploit the tragedy at the Sago Mine for their own purposes in an effort to revive organizing efforts that have floundered for more than a decade," the company said.

But union President Cecil Roberts defended the union's involvement. "This investigation is about finding out the truth," he said. "If the company has nothing to hide, it should favor an open investigation with all parties participating fully."

He also said the employees who sought union representation would remain anonymous, despite what he said were attempts by the coal company to learn their names. "MSHA did not release their identities, nor will we," he said.

MSHA also announced Wednesday that it will conduct an internal review of its oversight of the Sago Mine.

Strangers and family mourn 7-year-old beaten to death at home

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hours after family, friends and strangers said a tearful goodbye to a 7-year-old girl allegedly beaten to death by her stepfather, city officials announced a shake up Wednesday at the agency that missed warning signs.

A half-dozen employees at the Administration for Children's Services were suspended or disciplined for inadequate responses to reports of problems with Nixzmary Brown, said agency chief John Mattingly.

Nixzmary's stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, allegedly beat the Brooklyn girl on Jan. 10 over a missing container of yogurt.

According to Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes, Rodriguez banished the girl to a rodent-infested room with a litter box filled with feces, a wooden chair tied to a radiator and dirty mattresses, then later beat her and dunked her head into a bathtub. Nixzmary was dead the next morning.

Rodriguez and the girl's mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, were indicted Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder, child endangerment and assault. The mother allegedly ignored her daughter's cries for help.

The agency launched a review of thousands of other cases after Nixzmary's death.

In Nixzmary's case, there had been signs of trouble, but children's services officials said the family was uncooperative. School employees last year reported the girl had been absent for weeks, but caseworkers found no conclusive evidence of abuse, authorities said. Neighbors also said they had noticed unexplained injuries.

"The staff made poor investigative decisions, and gave inadequate attention to clear warning signs," Mattingly said.

Earlier Wednesday, the sounds of weeping filled St. Mary Church as Nixmary's body lay inside a coffin before an altar still decorated with Christmas poinsettias.

"We have a reminder by the death of this child that the violence continues," said the Rev. Robert O'Neil, the church pastor. "She is a witness for us."

Lucy Rivera, 60, had never met Nixzmary or her family but felt obliged to attend the service in her Manhattan neighborhood. Rivera blamed the little girl's mother for failing to protect the child.

"The first person who should have defended her was the mother," she said. "She was the first person who failed her."

Police: Man faked death to avoid paying child support

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Police arrested a man accused of faking his death more than 25 years ago to avoid paying child support.

Johnny Sterling Martin, 58, had a relative call Family Court in 1979 and report that he died during a bar fight in Alabama, authorities said. That call came a few months after he escaped from a work detail while serving a one-year jail term for failing to pay $4,120 in support for two children.

He was captured Tuesday and jailed, and now owes more than $30,000 in child support and faces an escape charge, authorities said.

"Johnny Martin is the ultimate deadbeat dad, faking his own death to avoid paying money to support his young children who were living in Lexington County," Sheriff James Metts said.

Martin has been living in Myrtle Beach, about 150 miles away, and had been using his real name for about 20 years, investigators. He has been married four times -- twice since his disappearance -- and has a third child, sheriff's Maj. John Allard said.

The investigation was reopened last week when police got a tip from one of Martin's ex-wives that he was alive and living in Myrtle Beach. A fingerprint analysis confirmed Martin's identity, investigators said.

They are working to identify the caller who told family court Martin was dead.

Danish museum re-evaluates two paintings stashed away as true Rembrandts

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Copenhagen's National Gallery said Wednesday two of its paintings that were previously believed to be fake Rembrandts were actual works by the Dutch master.

International art experts reevaluated 10 canvases that bear Rembrandt's signature, but were kept in storage for years because they were believed to be copies made by his students.

The five experts concluded two of the paintings were done by Rembrandt himself, museum director Allis Helleland said.

"It is a delightful day for the National Gallery," Helleland told reporters. "We are happy today because we have solved a mystery."

The only other known Rembrandt in Denmark, "Portrait of a Lady," hangs in a small museum north of Copenhagen, from where it was stolen in January 1999 and recovered unharmed in August of the same year.

Using state-of-the-art technology, the experts established that the paintings -- "The Crusader," from between 1659 and 1691, and "Old Man in Profile," from about 1630 -- were done by the master.

The paintings were removed from display in 1946 and 1982, respectively, after the paint strokes were deemed too coarse to be by Rembrandt and were attributed to unknown painters in his studio.

"The Crusader," measuring 31 inches by 26 inches is a sketch in oil on canvas for painting "The Knight with the Falcon" which now hangs at the Goteborg Museum of Art in Sweden. The smaller "Old Man in Profile" is 8 inches by 6.3 inches and is a practice piece in oil on oak wood.

Helleland said no price tags could be given for the two Rembrandts because under Danish law, the paintings belong to a state-financed museum and cannot be put up for sale. She declined to say what the insurance value was.

The re-evaluation was performed in connection with the gallery's upcoming temporary exhibit "Rembrandt? The Master and His Workshop," which opens Feb. 4 to mark the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth.

On the Net:

http://www.smk.dk/smk.nsf/docs/forside!opendocument

New Yorkers might soon be talking in subway stations

NEW YORK (AP) -- Several major wireless carriers submitted bids Wednesday to wire 277 New York subway stations for cell phone use, including one proposal that involves four of the nation's biggest carriers forming an alliance.

The bids mark a significant step in a long-running effort to make cell phone service available to the millions of New Yorkers who lose mobile phone communications when using the subways.

The 10-year contract calls for the winning bidder to wire only the platforms and not moving trains. But the companies were required to discuss how they would expand the network to the tunnels.

Whoever wins the contract would have to let other carriers use the network, Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Tom Kelly said.

Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel Corp. teamed up to submit one of the bids, Cingular spokesman Clay Owen said. Atlanta-based Cingular, the nation's largest wireless carrier, will take the project lead if awarded the bid, Owen said.

GE Capital, Time Warner Cable, Andrew Corp., Transit Technologies and Dianet Communications LLC made up the second team that submitted a bid, Dianet President Jeffrey Just said.

"This is the right project at the right time for the MTA," Just said. "The financial model is there for the MTA to earn substantial revenue while increasing the safety, security and services to their riders."

American Tower Corp. also was said to be among the bidders, but the company did not return a call for comment.

The fourth and final bid wasn't disclosed. Kelly said the MTA would not reveal the companies until the viability of their bids is documented, and did not know how long it would take to select a winning bid.

It is not clear if wiring the subways will pay off. Industry experts said it made sense for the companies to form a partnership to allay the costs.

"I think everyone recognizes that there is very little money to be made but they very intelligently approached it from the pool concept to offset costs," said Jonathan Spira, chief analyst at Basex, an IT research firm in New York City.

Spira said the real "pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" for the companies was in the wiring of the trains -- not in merely making it possible for commuters to talk while waiting on the platforms.

Million dollar Web site targeted by hacking ransom gang

LONDON (AP) -- A Web site that earned an enterprising British student $1 million suffered a crippling attack by ransom-seeking hackers.

Alex Tew, 21, said Wednesday that his Million Dollar Homepage was targeted after he publicized how it had helped him raise money for his university studies.

Tew had sold 10,000 small squares of advertising space on the Web site for $100 each, achieving his target in four months. His initiative spawned several copycat sites.

But Tew said that on Jan. 7, he received a threat from an organization calling itself "The Dark Group," demanding that he pay them $50,000 within 72 hours or face having his site taken down.

"It was written in poor English, but the hackers asked for $50,000, saying that it was just 5 percent of what I had made," Tew said. "I did not reply to the e-mail. I had no intention of paying."

Tew ignored the threat. Hackers then initiated a so-called distributed denial of service, in which attackers take command of third-party computers, through a virus or other security vulnerability, and instruct them to send junk data to the target site, overwhelming servers and causing the site to crash or perform poorly.

Tew said the site now works normally.

Tew, from Wiltshire, a county in southern England, said he informed the FBI because his site is hosted in the United States.

FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said the agency was investigating.

Such extortion cases targeting Web sites are occurring with greater frequency.

Man gets 12 years for role in bizarre murder plot

CHICAGO (AP) -- A man whose brother allegedly killed a homeless man to fake his own death was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the scheme, officials said Wednesday.

Michael Kalady, 54, pleaded guilty in March for aiding and abetting in the December 2001 suffocation death of William White, a 47-year-old homeless man.

Kalady misidentified White's body as his brother's when police responded to a call that Joseph Kalady had died of natural causes, according to prosecutors.

Officials soon grew suspicious, though, because the dead man weighed 175 pounds, while Joseph Kalady, 62, had weighed about 450 pounds.

Joseph Kalady, who tried to evade trial on charges that he was operating a fraudulent document mill out of a Chicago storefront, was later found and charged in the homeless man's death. He died in prison in 2003 before he could be tried for murder.

The judge also sentenced Michael Kalady on Friday to five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Nevada couple sentenced to prison in chili finger case

SAN JOSE (AP) -- The Wendy's finger-in-the-chili story was a running joke on late-night television last year, but it was no laughing matter to the company, its employees -- or the judge who handed out stiff prison sentences to the couple who pulled the scam.

Anna Ayala, 40, who said she bit into the digit, was sentenced Wednesday to nine years. Her husband, Jaime Plascencia, 44, who obtained the finger from a co-worker who lost it in a workplace accident, was sentenced to more than 12 years.

"Greed and avarice overtook this couple," said Superior Court Judge Edward Davila, adding that the pair had "lost their moral compass."

The two pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to file a false insurance claim and attempted grand theft with damages exceeding $2.5 million.

Although authorities suspected a hoax -- in part because the finger was not cooked -- word of the stomach-turning find quickly spread around the world. The Dublin, Ohio-based fast food chain claimed it lost $2.5 million in sales because of the bad publicity, and dozens of workers at the company's Northern California franchises were laid off.

Denny Lynch, Wendy's senior vice president, asked the judge to send a message that "consumer fraud is a serious crime that demands a severe penalty."

In a tearful plea for leniency, Ayala apologized to the courtroom gallery and said the scheme was "a moment of poor judgment."

Earlier, she watched news footage of herself describing how she sat down March 22 with her family at the Wendy's in San Jose, put crackers in her chili and started eating until she chewed on something "kind of hard, crunchy." She said she spit it out and realized it was a human finger.

"There's no words to describe what I felt. It's sick, it's disgusting," she said in a clip played before sentencing. "Just knowing there was a human remain in my mouth is tearing me apart inside."

Other interviews showed an increasingly agitated Ayala denying to reporters she put the finger in the chili. "Where would I get a damn finger?" she asked on camera.

Forensic tests later showed Ayala never chomped down on the finger.

The sentencing followed a 90-minute hearing in which several Wendy's employees testified, including the man who made the chili and the cashier who helped Ayala on the day she made the claim.

"I felt so bad for the fear of what people would think of me," said Hector Pineda, who made the chili and initially came under suspicion. "We are the ones that have suffered."

Cashier Jose Pacheco said he bore the brunt of Ayala's tirade after complained about the chili. "She asked me who I killed to get the finger," Pacheco said.

No Wendy's employee was missing a digit at the San Jose restaurant, and no chili suppliers reported finger injuries at their plants.

The couple must pay about $170,000 in restitution for workers' lost wages. A judge also ordered them to pay nearly $21.8 million to Wendy's International and JEM Management, which owns the restaurant. Both corporations agreed not to collect from the couple, provided they never benefit from the ruse.

In April, Ayala was arrested at her suburban Las Vegas home. Investigators found a pattern of legal claims she brought against businesses in her name or for her children.

A lengthy search for the finger's owner eventually pointed to one of Plascencia's co-workers, who lost it in an accident at the paving company where they worked, police said.

Plascencia bought the tip of Brian Rossiter's right ring finger for $100 and told him what he and Ayala were plotting, according to court documents. Rossiter later told police the couple offered him $250,000 to keep quiet.

During a recorded jailhouse phone call, Ayala bragged about how other inmates were asking for her autograph, according to a transcript of the call.

Controversial sculpture removed from Boston Common

BOSTON (AP) -- A sculpture hailed by some as a moving tribute to freedom fighters but deplored by others as depressing is headed back to its owner after 23 years on the Boston Common.

The "Partisans" sculpture by Polish immigrant Andrew Pitynski depicts five weary, emaciated horsemen. It was inspired by Poles who fought the Nazis, then the communists, and was meant as a tribute to freedom fighters around the world.

The foundation that owns the 8,000-pound sculpture loaned it to Boston for six months in 1983 but never reclaimed it.

Members of the city's art elite felt it didn't fit in a park largely devoted to American historical figures. The parks department complained about working around it and police had to stop people from climbing on it.

In June, the Boston Art Commission voted to have the work removed. Last Thursday, it was hauled to a storage facility to be shipped to its owner, which the commission identified as The Sculpture Foundation.

Sarah Hutt, director of the art commission, told the Boston Globe in Wednesday's edition that she doesn't know why the foundation didn't take it back sooner.

"It's like if you leave your car in front of my house," she said. "I can't take it out and wash it. You've got to come and move it."

The sculpture's owner, The Sculpture Foundation, said members of the local Polish community are looking for an alternate location in the city.

"They want it to stay in Boston," Paula Stoeke, director and curator of the foundation, which has offices in Hamilton, N.J., and Santa Monica, Calif. She added that the foundation had arranged to remove "Partisans" in 1995, but the city called off the removal after local advocates lobbied for it to stay.

Jack Kowalski, who helped bring the sculpture to Boston, said Boston was the ideal location for "Partisans" because "there the Americans started the first fight against the English oppression."

"It's not like the Polish-Americans have a lot of sculpture pieces or representation in art around the city, so what little we do have has been kind of removed, and it's not emotionally easy to understand," Kowalski said.

Queen Mary 2 motor hits channel, but officials say ship can still sail

PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (AP) -- One of the Queen Mary 2's four propulsion motors hit the side of a shipping channel, but the world's largest ocean liner should be able to continue its voyage to South America, Cunard Line said Wednesday.

The $800 million ship was being examined in Port Everglades, but its departure was tentatively scheduled for Wednesday evening, the Santa Clarita, Calif.-based company said. The vessel returned to the Fort Lauderdale area port shortly after leaving Tuesday when the crew reported hearing and feeling a shudder.

The damaged motor, known as a pod, will be taken out of service until permanent repairs can be made. But the British-flagged ship's three other pods will let it continue safely on a 38-day voyage, although at a slightly reduced speed, the company said.

The slower speed shouldn't affect the trip, but the one-day departure delay will change the schedule of the voyage's first leg, the company said. Passengers will get details of compensation before the ship leaves Florida.

The 2,543 passengers spent the night onboard the ship and took tours of South Florida on Wednesday, the company said. The ship left New York on Jan. 15 and was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Feb. 22.

Queen Mary 2 will lose the title of world's largest passenger ship when rival Royal Caribbean International launches the Freedom of the Seas in May.

Cunard is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator.

Judge considers dismissing lawsuit against Michael Jackson

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A federal judge sought more information Wednesday about repressed memories before deciding whether to dismiss a lawsuit by a man claiming he was molested by pop star Michael Jackson more than 20 years ago.

Jackson's lawyer, Charles F. Gay Jr., has asked U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon to throw out the suit by Joseph Bartucci Jr. because the alleged incident happened more than 20 years ago.

There is a one-year statute of limitations on filing a lawsuit in such cases.

Bartucci, who was 18 in 1984, argues the statute applies only from the time he recovered a repressed memory of the event after seeing a television show about child molestation charges against Jackson in California. The singer was acquitted in that case.

Bartucci claims he was lured into Jackson's limousine in 1984 and held for nine days during which he was sexually assaulted.

Jackson's attorneys have called Bartucci's claim a "fantastic tale" in court papers seeking to have it dismissed.

"They have no facts or evidence to support the claim of repressed memory," Gay said, contending the notion is not supported by medical studies.

Attorney Louis Koerner, who represents Bartucci. countered that his client "went through a terrible, terrible, terrible time."

Judge Fallon asked Koerner to depose Dr. L. Mulry Tetlow, a psychologist who agreed that Bartucci had repressed the memory.

"I want to look at what he says about repressed memory," Fallon said.

Lawyers for Jackson said Bartucci was a party to 18 civil suits and criminal complaints in the past 17 years.

"We think this whole thing was conjured up by a guy who knows how to use the system," Gay said.

Neither Jackson nor Bartuccit were in court. Jackson, 47, has been living in the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain since shortly after being acquitted of child molestation charges last year.

Actor Brad Renfro pleads innocent to attempted possession of heroin

LOS ANGELES -- Actor Brad Renfro pleaded innocent Wednesday to a charge of attempted possession of heroin stemming from his arrest during a police sting on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles last month.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner James Bianco ordered Renfro to return to court Feb. 23 to see if the case can be resolved without a trial.

Renfro, dressed in a black suit and tie, answered, "Yes, I do, your honor," when asked by Bianco if he understood the orders.

His attorney, Richard Kaplan, said outside the courtroom he hopes the actor can enter a drug-diversion program.

"That's going to be determined next time," Kaplan said. "He's looking forward to resolving it all as soon as possible so he can get back to acting."

Renfro's original arraignment date of Dec. 30 was postponed because he had entered a full-time drug rehabilitation program. Kaplan said Renfro is still in the program.

Renfro is free on $10,000 bail.

Renfro, 23, was apologetic after his Dec. 22 arrest and admitted having a drug problem, Los Angeles police Lt. Paul Vernon said.

Renfro, whose film career began when he was 12, has appeared in the films "The Client," "Sleepers " and "Tom and Huck," playing Huck Finn.

Renfro struck a plea bargain on cocaine and marijuana charges in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1998 and agreed to undergo random drug screening. He was also placed on probation in Florida in 2001 in connection with an attempt to steal a yacht, according to the Internet Movie Database.

During a span of a few hours Dec. 22, six undercover narcotics officers from the LAPD's Central Station sold balloons filled with fake heroin to people looking to buy the drug at Sixth and Spring streets, police said.

"More heroin is sold around the Skid Row area than all other places in California combined," Los Angeles police Capt. Andy Smith said after the sting.

Police arrested 14 people, including Renfro, for allegedly attempting to buy heroin, police said. Another person was arrested for selling real heroin to an undercover officer.

The arrests were part of a campaign against drug dealing on Skid Row by city and state officials. The effort also includes increasing criminal penalties for drug trafficking on Skid Row and establishing a community court that can quickly adjudicate criminal cases.

---- North County Times wire services

Three arrested in robbery of bingo champion

PLEASANTON (AP) -- Three people were arrested on charges they broke into the home of a bingo tournament winner and robbed her at gunpoint of more than $2,000 in winnings, police said.

Tacara Lee Miller, 19, Devette Lashawn Wagner, 21, and Derron Alfred Oliver, 22, all of Oakland, were arraigned Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court on two counts each of first-degree residential robbery and other charges in connection with Friday's home invasion, authorities said.

Police said the suspects followed bingo winner Norma Gray, 66, back to her Pleasanton mobile home Thursday evening after she won $2,200 in a tournament at an Oakland bingo parlor where Miller had been a volunteer.

They are accused of breaking into Gray's home at about 2 a.m. Friday and holding her on the floor at gunpoint while hitting her sister, Patty White, in the head with a hammer and lamp, police said.

The suspects allegedly stole Gray's purse and bingo winnings. They were arrested a short time later after their car was pulled over for not having its headlights on, police said.

A judge set bail for Miller and Oliver at $95,000, and for Wagner, who was on probation for a previous drug charge, at $300,000. They are set to appear in court Thursday.

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