NEW YORK (AP) — The Devils turned a stellar first nine minutes and an opportunistic final five into a stirring victory over the Rangers that moved New Jersey within one win of a trip to the Stanley Cup finals.

Suddenly, No. 1 seed New York is on the brink — again.

No one would have guessed when Travis Zajac scored 9:49 in to give the Devils a three-goal lead that they would be desperately looking for one more late in the third to hold off the Rangers, who had fought back to tie and appeared to have every bit of the momentum.

But the game, and perhaps the entire Eastern Conference finals, changed in the blink of an eye when Ryan Carter put the Devils in front to stay.

Carter snapped a tie with 4:24 left, and New Jersey survived en route to a 5-3 victory over New York after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.

The rugged fourth-line forward, who had only four goals and four assists in 72 games with Florida and New Jersey, already has three goals in the playoffs, including two in the East finals.

The Devils, who led 3-0 before the first period was half over, have a 3-2 edge in the series and can advance to face the Los Angeles Kings in the finals with a win at home on Friday night. If the Rangers can stay alive, Game 7 would be back in Madison Square Garden Sunday.

“It’s a good feeling,” goalie Martin Brodeur said of the Devils’ status. “We worked really hard to get in that position. (There’s been) a lot of unsung heroes and guys producing at different times. Players are playing well. We’ve just got to keep going.

“Nothing is done yet.”

The Devils seemed primed for an easy win when Stephen Gionta and Patrik Elias scored within the first 4:13. Travis Zajac made it 3-0 before the Rangers woke up and began chipping away.

Brandon Prust brought New York within 3-1 before the first period was over, and Ryan Callahan made it a one-goal game in the first minute of the second. The Garden really rocked when Marian Gaborik tied it at 3 just 17 seconds into the third.

But the comeback was for naught. Carter put the Devils back in front, and Zach Parise sealed it with an empty-net goal.

“I thought,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said, “we probably played our best game of the series.”

Once Gaborik tied it with an unassisted goal that ricocheted in off the skate of Brodeur, it appeared the Rangers would ride the comeback all the way to one of the most stirring wins in team history — one that would rival victories over New Jersey in the classic 1994 East finals when the Rangers erased a 3-2 series hole behind Mark Messier’s guarantee.

Carter made sure it wouldn’t happen.

“You have to (keep it together) this time of year,” Gionta said. “You have to have a short memory. Fortunately we did and came out with the victory.”

Ilya Kovalchuk knocked Michael Del Zotto off the puck in the right corner, and Gionta sent a pass in front to Carter — who had just charged in front from the bench — for a quick shot that beat Henrik Lundqvist.

“A great play by Kovy to separate their (defensemen) from the puck,” Carter said. “Gio scooped the puck up, took a look and made a fantastic pass to me. All I had to was redirect it.”

New Jersey was outshot 28-17 overall and had only six shots in the third period, but two of them went in. Now the Devils are on the verge of their first Cup finals appearance since they won their third title in 2003.

Brodeur, the backbone of every New Jersey title, kept his focus throughout the third when he was loudly taunted with chants of “Mar-ty, Mar-ty” after New York got even.

“It was a mistake,” Brodeur said of Gaborik’s goal. “I’m pretty happy that the boys bounced back and made this a win for us. It would have been tough and people would have blamed that mishandle.”

The Rangers were ultimately done in by another terrible start. For the 13th straight game in these playoffs, the team that scored first in New York’s contests has gone on to win. The Rangers had been on a pattern of win-one, lose-one, but now they are on the verge of elimination with their second two-game losing streak in a series this year.

The only time the Rangers have won two straight in a playoff series is when they overcame a 3-2 hole in the first round and knocked out Ottawa. They have faced elimination three times already this postseason.

“We have to. There is no other way around it,” Lundqvist said of the Rangers’ comeback chances. “We have to bring all the good things we did and keep doing them in the next game. We played really well in the second and third period.”

They couldn’t say the same about the first.

“It’s different when you go down 3-0. You don’t have a whole lot to lose,” Rangers forward Brian Boyle said. “It was good nonetheless. Now it’s 3-2. Now we have to win two. That’s the bottom line.”

The Rangers burned their timeout early, and Devils coach Peter DeBoer spent his with 10:17 left. Parise implored his teammates on the bench to, `Come on boys.’ and the messages from the coach and the captain did the trick.

New Jersey surely never thought it would be in this kind of fight after storming in front early.

“It wasn’t pretty by any means, what we did tonight,” Parise said. “But we’re going home with a 3-2 lead.”

Not only didn’t the Rangers have the strong start they craved and insisted they needed, they were practically run out of their building less than 10 minutes in.

The same problems that plagued New York in its 4-1 loss in Game 4, when the Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, cropped up again in front of the home fans that grew frustrated and angry early.

Gionta got the Devils going 2:43 in when he gathered a rebound of Mark Fayne’s shot right in front of Lundqvist, steadied himself without any pressure from the defense, and slipped in his third goal of the playoffs to start the barrage.

Elias made it 2-0 just 1:30 later on New Jersey’s fourth shot of the night.

After Kovalchuk fumbled the puck just inside the blue line, he dived to keep it from leaving the Rangers’ zone. The puck eventually came to Adam Henrique at the right point for a shot that was stopped by Lundqvist. Elias got it in front and scored his fourth.

Tortorella used his timeout then, but it made little difference. He appeared to be calm as he moved back and forth behind the bench while talking to his players. Whatever the message was didn’t sink in.

The Devils shrugged off a few scoring chances by the Rangers, and padded their lead again.

Just 5:26 after Elias’ goal, Zajac made it 3-0 with his seventh of the playoffs. Bryce Salvador wiped out Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the New Jersey end and started the play going the other way. Zajac got a clean shot from just inside the right circle that sailed past Lundqvist and beat him inside the left post at 9:49.

The tide began to turn the Rangers’ way the rest of the period as they allowed only one shot the rest of the period and began cutting into the deficit.

Prust, making his return following a one-game suspension for an elbow he delivered to the head of Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Game 3, showed off a bit of scoring touch when he converted on a breakaway with 4:19 left in the first.

The Rangers outshot the Devils 9-6 in the lopsided first period, but continued their sudden defensive dominance well into the second. Then they cut the Devils’ lead down to a goal just 32 seconds into the second.

Brandon Dubinsky, back from a foot injury, fired a shot from the left point that was deflected in front and caromed toward the left corner. Artem Anisimov flung the puck back toward the crease and it struck the left skate of the driving Callahan and got past Brodeur. The goal stood up after a brief video review.

New Jersey didn’t record its first shot of the period, and its second since its third goal, until Henrique put a puck in on Lundqvist at 6:23.

Lundqvist, who had stopped 94 percent of the shots he faced in the playoffs before Wednesday, made just 12 saves. The Rangers allowed five goals one game after allowing four for the first time in this postseason.

To make the finals now, New York will have to win a third consecutive seven-game series. The Rangers have already played 19 postseason games.

“We have to have a short memory,” McDonagh said. “We’ve been in this position before in this playoffs and we found a way to get it done. We don’t want to look ahead. We have to win two games, but we just have to focus on winning one.”

Notes: Dubinsky had been sidelined since he was injured in the Rangers’ victory over Ottawa in Game 7 of the first round. He sat out all seven games of the second round against Washington and the first four against New Jersey. John Mitchell was scratched to make room in the lineup. Prust’s return forced D Steve Eminger to sit out after he played the two previous games. … Kovalchuk has 10 assists in the postseason. … Prust scored his first career NHL playoff goal in his 23rd game. … The game was played on the 18-year anniversary of Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, in which the Devils won, 4-1, took a 3-2 series lead, and prompted the Messier guarantee the following day.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

New York, on the brink of elimination, headed to New Jersey for Game 6.

The comparisons to 1994 were apparent before this series even started — now it’s near a crescendo. All that’s missing is a guarantee from the Rangers captain.

Just don’t tell that to the Devils.

“We won’t worry about it,” forward Patrik Elias said. “Who cares what happened way back then?”

The Devils are concerned with 2012, not what happened in a different millennium, when Rangers great Mark Messier delivered — and came through on — his stunning guarantee.

“That’s 15, 20 years ago. I don’t care,” said captain Zach Parise.

Meanwhile, Parise & Co. never could have imagined they would have a three-goal lead on New York less than 10 minutes into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals at hostile Madison Square Garden. Their shock was even greater when that advantage was gone, and they were suddenly locked in a tie game in the opening minute of the third period.

In the end, it all worked out for the Devils, who got another surprising goal from fourth-line forward Ryan Carter in the closing minutes and escaped with a win that put New Jersey on the verge of a spot in the Stanley Cup finals.

Carter’s third goal of the playoffs with 4:24 remaining was the difference in the Devils’ 5-3 victory over New York on Wednesday night. The Devils have a 3-2 edge in the series, but if the top-seeded Rangers can stay alive on Friday night in New Jersey, Game 7 would be back in Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

“It’s a good feeling,” goalie Martin Brodeur said of the Devils’ status. “We worked really hard to get in that position. (There’s been) a lot of unsung heroes and guys producing at different times. Players are playing well. We’ve just got to keep going.

“Nothing is done yet.”

If the Rangers fall short, their best season in years will come to a crashing end and the Devils will move on to face the Western champion Los Angeles Kings. New York hasn’t been to the finals since 1994, when the Rangers knocked out New Jersey in the semis and then beat Vancouver for the title.

The Devils are one win away from playing for the Cup one season after their run of 13 straight postseason appearances was snapped. New Jersey went to the finals four times between 1995 and 2003 and won three championships.

“It’s a great position to be in,” Elias said. “Hopefully, we can play a better game at home. Hopefully, we’ll be the team that dictates the energy and the pace out there.”

When Travis Zajac scored 9:49 in to make it 3-0, the Devils seemed ready to cruise to victory. But the Rangers roared back and appeared to have every bit of the momentum.

Then the game, and perhaps the entire series, changed in the blink of an eye when Carter put the Devils in front to stay. Parise added an empty-net goal to make sure the Rangers had no chance for another comeback.

Carter had only four goals and four assists in 72 regular-season games with Florida and New Jersey. He has two goals in the East finals.

“They’ve been great the whole playoffs,” Elias said of the fourth line. “It’s not always the top guys who win you hockey games.”

Stephen Gionta and Elias scored within the first 4:13 before Zajac made it 3-0. Then the Rangers woke up.

Brandon Prust brought New York within 3-1 before the first period was over, and Ryan Callahan made it a one-goal game in the first minute of the second. The Garden really rocked when Marian Gaborik tied it at 3 just 17 seconds into the third.

But the comeback was for naught.

“We probably played our best game of the series,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said.

Once Gaborik tied it with an unassisted goal that ricocheted in off Brodeur’s skate, it appeared the Rangers would ride the comeback all the way to one of the most stirring wins in team history — one that would rival victories over New Jersey in the classic 1994 East finals when the Rangers erased a 3-2 series hole behind Mark Messier’s guarantee.

Carter made sure it wouldn’t happen.

“You have to (keep it together) this time of year,” Gionta said. “You have to have a short memory. Fortunately we did and came out with the victory.”

New Jersey was outshot 28-17 overall and had only six shots in the third period, but two went in.

Brodeur, the backbone of every New Jersey title, kept his focus throughout the third when he was loudly taunted with chants of “Mar-ty, Mar-ty” after New York got even.

“It was a mistake,” Brodeur said of Gaborik’s goal. “I’m pretty happy that the boys bounced back and made this a win for us. It would have been tough and people would have blamed that mishandle.”

The Rangers were ultimately done in by another terrible start. They had been on a pattern of win-one, lose-one, but now they are on the verge of elimination with their second two-game losing streak in a series this year.

The only time the Rangers have won two straight in a playoff series this postseason is when they overcame a 3-2 hole in the first round and knocked out Ottawa.

“We have to bring all the good things we did and keep doing them in the next game,” Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “We played really well in the second and third period.”

They couldn’t say the same about the first.

“It’s different when you go down 3-0. You don’t have a whole lot to lose,” Rangers forward Brian Boyle said. “It was good nonetheless. Now it’s 3-2. Now we have to win two. That’s the bottom line.”

The Rangers burned their timeout early, and Devils coach Peter DeBoer spent his with 10:17 left. Parise implored his teammates on the bench — “Come on boys!” — and the messages from the coach and the captain did the trick.

“It wasn’t pretty by any means,” Parise said. “But we’re going home with a 3-2 lead.”

Not only didn’t the Rangers have the strong start they craved and insisted they needed, they were practically run out of their building.

The same problems that plagued New York in its 4-1 loss in Game 4, when the Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, cropped up again in front of the frustrated fans.

Gionta got the Devils going 2:43 in, and Elias made it 2-0 1:30 later on New Jersey’s fourth shot.

Tortorella used his timeout, but it made little difference. He appeared to be calm as he moved back and forth behind the bench while talking to his players. Whatever the message was it didn’t sink in.

The Devils shrugged off a few scoring chances by the Rangers, and padded their lead again.

Just 5:26 after Elias’ goal, Zajac made it 3-0 with his seventh of the playoffs. Zajac got a clean shot from just inside the right circle that beat Lundqvist inside the left post.

The tide began to turn the Rangers’ way, and they allowed only one shot the rest of the period.

Prust, making his return following a one-game suspension for an elbow he delivered to the head of Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Game 3, showed off a bit of scoring touch when he converted on a breakaway with 4:19 left in the first to make it 3-1.

The Rangers outshot the Devils 9-6 in the lopsided period, but continued their sudden defensive dominance well into the second. Then they cut the Devils’ lead to a goal just 32 seconds into the second.

New Jersey didn’t record its first shot of the period, and its second since its third goal, until Adam Henrique put a puck in on Lundqvist at 6:23.

Lundqvist, who had stopped 94 percent of the shots he faced in the playoffs before Wednesday, made just 12 saves. The Rangers allowed five goals one game after giving up four for the first time in this postseason.

To make the finals, New York will have to win a third consecutive seven-game series.

“We have to have a short memory,” Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “We’ve been in this position before in this playoffs and we found a way to get it done. We don’t want to look ahead. We have to win two games, but we just have to focus on winning one.”

What’s your prediction for Game 6? Sound off in the comments below!

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

No team has won consecutive games in a series where neither team has played well enough to seize control.

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo could be playing their last game together Saturday night if they can’t find a way to hang onto the ball and put away a Sixers team that won’t quit.

Former 76ers All-Star Allen Iverson earned a roaring standing ovation when he presented the game ball. By the end, the fans were on their feet for Holiday, Brand and Andre Iguodala.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

John, who is being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, developed the infection last weekend while performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“The attending Cedars-Sinai physician recommending that Elton not perform any concerts for approximately seven days with complete rest and antibiotic treatment to cure his respiratory infection and prevent any damage,” Caesar’s Palace said in a statement.

His “The Million Dollar Piano” performances have been cancelled for Thursday, May 24, Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 27.

“It feels strange not to be able to perform these ‘Million Dollar Piano’ concerts at The Colosseum,” John said. “I love performing this show and I will be thrilled when we return to The Colosseum in October to complete the eleven concerts soon to be scheduled. All I can say to the fans is sorry I can’t be with you. I hope to see you soon at this wonderful theatre at Caesars Palace.”

SYLMAR (CBS) — All westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes of the 210 Freeway were closed Thursday morning following a deadly crash.

A wrong-way driver collided with a UPS big rig around 2:15 a.m., forcing the semi truck through the center divider.

The driver of the passenger vehicle died at the scene of the fiery wreck, which took place east of the Roxford Street exit.

Drivers were being diverted at the Polk Street exit.

The freeway was expected to reopen at 7:30 a.m.

Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and all their Sesame Street friends are taking to the stage to share their love of music in Sesame Street Live “Elmo Makes Music”, now featuring the all-new Play Zone, in the Fred Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza from May 24-27, Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario June 1-3, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE June 8-10, and Terrace Theatre in Long Beach June 15-17. Tickets for all L.A. area engagements are on sale now!

Lisa Fulton, Elmo and Cookie Monster stopped by CBS2 Thursday to talk about their upcoming shows.

To get tickets, or for more information, click here.

The battle of this off-shore flow and coastal eddy continues today, but the eddy is a little more extensive this morning.

The marine layer, which is running about 2,500 feet deep, is creeping into portions of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.

Thursday will be a cooler day with inland temperatures backing down a bit.

Our eyes are on this cut-off low, which should hit Northern California tonight and drop into the Southland tomorrow.

This is a pretty bizarre system for this time of year, as it has a pretty cold core to it. However, there is no moisture associated with this storm so it will be a fairly dry system. That being said, the marine layer should thicken to 5,000 feet by tomorrow morning, which will give us widespread drizzle.

The system moves out Saturday and we will get some partial clearing. Sunday and Monday look nicer with temps warming a little bit.

Beaches upper 60s
Basin -low 70s
Valleys – upper 70s
Deserts -mid 80s
Mountains – low 70s

ELYSIAN PARK (CBS) — Still haunted by the relentless punches to the face, the Dodgers fan who was beaten in the parking lot at Dodgers Stadium tells CBS2’s Suraya Fadel in an exclusive interview that he feared for his life.

“I was being beat up severely by these guys,” said the 33-year-old man whose name we are withholding at his request. “I was pleading for my life. To be left alone and it was scary.”

The incident Sunday night occurred after the Dodgers game at Parking Lot C.

A 17-page police report says a minor collision led to a yelling match between the man and another driver which escalated into a four-against-one fist fight.

“I was being held and choked for all of them to take their punches and kicks at me. I was just thinking I need to get up and stay alive.”

He says he will never forget hearing the emotional screams for help from his girlfriend who is 8 months pregnant.

“Regardless of who started it, I don’t think some guy needed to be beat up by four men.”

All four suspects have not been charged. He feels it sends the wrong message and wants them to be held accountable and punished.

“They’re telling them it’s OK, four against one is alright. You can beat somebody up, four people to one, and walk away with a slap in the hand.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office tells Fadel the case has been handed to the City Attorney’s office for misdemeanor consideration because the office says the injuries are minor and the altercation doesn’t fall under a felony crime.

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LONG BEACH (CBS) — A former Long Beach Polytechnic High School football star is expected to stand before a judge Thursday and ask that his rape conviction be overturned.

Brian Banks was 16 years old when he was arrested and charged with rape. In 2003, he was convicted and sentenced to six years in state prison but had always maintained his innocence.

Years later, in two videotaped conversations, the alleged victim repeatedly said the rape never happened. She also said she received money from a lawsuit her mother filed against the Long Beach School District.

She later told CBS2 she lied in that interview and that the rape did happen.

Then several weeks ago, she and Banks met with D.A. investigators, a meeting Banks said he felt good about.

Now 26, Banks is trying to keep his NFL dreams alive and spends much of his time at the gym. But he says the GPS ankle bracelet that identifies him as a sex offender continues to hold him down.

“I lift weights every day. This is the heaviest weight I’ve ever lifted in my life. The pain and the humiliation and all the stigmas that come with it, they never fade,” he said.

RELATED POST:
» New Evidence May Clear Name Of Star Local Football Player Convicted Of Rape

CALABASAS (CBS) — Many people hail acupuncture as an effective alternative to medication for dealing with physical ailments. Now, there are veterinarians who say it can also help heal pets.

Southern California resident Cathy Davis said acupuncture and other alternative therapies helped her three dogs when traditional treatments weren’t.

Dr. Dody Tyneway runs a holistic veterinary center in Calabasas and said she’s been using acupuncture on her patients for more than 10 years.

“When they have pain they can’t tolerate Western medicine a lot,” Tyneway said.

“It’s not drugs in their system. It works with the body’s own healing capacity…and it makes the dogs feel better,” said Tyneway, as she treated  Davis’ dogs.

The doctor said the use of acupuncture with pets is the same as with humans: tiny needles are inserted into various points of the body, improving circulation, and releasing endorphins – the body’s natural painkillers.

Tyneway explains that acupuncture has been used on animals for thousands of years. It was first practiced on large animals like horses in China.

Training and showing horses has run in Renee Baker’s family for generations – as does the belief in alternative medicine.

“My father 30 years ago plus used acupuncture…if I ever needed to use it I would use it,” Baker said.

Other alternative treatments are also helping pets heal faster and improve mobility: Swim therapy eases stress on joints in a weightless environment, cold laser reduces pain and inflammation, and chiropractic care and homeopathic remedies can improve their overall well-being.

“It really improves their quality of life and that’s what we hear over and over again – is that their dogs are feeling better,” Tyneway said.

The veterinarian said alternative medicine is not taking the place of standard veterinary care but serves as more tools to help pets recover and improve their quality of life.

Tyneway recommends animal owners consult their pet insurance to see if it covers alternative therapies like acupuncture.

For more information about Dr. Tyneway’s holistic practice visit: www.holisticdvm.com.

BURBANK (CBS) — The Ahern family love breaking out their barbeque for grilling season.

“I love barbecuing because it’s at my own pace. There’s something better about food you make. It just tastes better,” Jeff Ahern said.

The Burbank-based family is aware of barbecue dangers, such as bacteria and other food-related illnesses — but the grill brush?

It was a hard metal grill brush that sent a man in Carrollton, Texas, to the emergency room.

“We were grilling out, cooking burgers, and, obviously, during the last bite, I got something stuck in my throat,” Matt McMahon said.

It was hours before they realized that the item lodged in his throat was a 1.5-centimeter wire bristle from a brush his father used to clean the grill.

“You can see it’s just one of those plastic ones you can buy at any local store. And here’s a close-up. You can see bristles coming all out. That’s what was in my throat,” McMahon said.

Dr. Mark Bickert, who practices at Baylor Medical Center in Texas, operated on McMahon.

(credit: CBS)

“I can only liken this to a needle in a haystack,” the doctor said.

The ear, nose and throat surgeon found the bristle lodged inside of the muscle of the esophagus. It took Dr. Bickert four hours to remove the wire bristle from McMahon’s throat.

“We yelled out to the rest of the operating room staff, ‘We have it, we have it!’” McMahon said.

During the last three years nearly a dozen people across the country reported similar accidents to the consumer product safety commision.

“It’s probably more common than what we’re aware of,” McMahon said.

Arthur Migranyan, who works at Burbank Fireplace and Barbeque, has never heard of anyone swallowing a grill brush bristle. He showed CBS2 the brushes he sells, many of which have warning labels on them, which read: “Examine brush prior to each use. If brushes are not securly affixed to the brush, do not use and discard immediately. Ensure cooking grids are free of any loose bristle prior to cooking.”

It’s a warning Jeff Ahern said he will remember each time he grills.

(credit: CBS)

The last thing I want is to get these bristles in my throat or esophogus, or just in my food, or, even worse, my son’s or my wife’s. Yeah, so I’m going to keep my eye out for that,” Ahern said.

The consumer product safety commision says there are no set standards for grill brushes.

Doctors advise that if the bristles on your brush are loose or old consider buying a new one, or switch to a special stone that cleans grills.

L.A. Link Corporation issued the voluntary recall Wednesday for Shitake-Ya brand gourmet shitake mushroom slices with a sell-by date of April 16, 2013.

The mushrooms were sold at Costco locations in California, Oregon and Washington.

The company says it discovered the mushrooms may have been contaminated with carbendazim and other chemicals.

Carbendazim is a fungicide used to control plant diseases.

The contamination was found after U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulators tested a product sample.

Shitake mushrooms are common to Asian cuisines and have a meaty cap and woody stems.

They are often sold dried and are reconstituted for cooking.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The passenger reportedly began fighting with the crew while the plane was in the air.

Flight 1028 was set to land at gate 63.

No further details were made available.

ONTARIO (CBS) — The public’s help is needed to identify a man who authorities say tried to kidnap a 15-year-old girl Wednesday morning as she walked to school.

The girl was on her way to Colony High School at about 7 a.m. in the 3000 block of South Rocky Lane when a man in a truck tried to grab her and pull her into his truck, police said.

The student first noticed the gray truck as she walked in the area of Turner Avenue and Golden Trails Road, police said. She told police that the truck would pass her, turn around and continue to follow her.

“I started walking a little bit faster and then the truck started going faster and that’s when I started running,” Joanna Villegas told CBS2’s Stacey Butler in an exclusive interview.

Police say the suspect followed her for several blocks in his truck. When she began to run, the teen says he cut her off, nearly hitting her.

She says he pulled into a neighbor’s driveway and that’s when the struggle began.

“When he had tried to pull me in, I tried screaming but nothing would come out. I just bit his hand as hard as I could,” she explains.

As the driver allegedly tried to pull her in his truck, Villegas says he ordered her to perform a sex act and told her he wanted her to work for him.

“He’s like, ‘Don’t worry, there’s other girls. You’ll meet new friends.’ And that’s when I started panicking, that’s when I punched him in the stomach,” she said.

She says when she bit the man on the hand, he finally let go of her. She ran to a neighbor’s house and pounded on the door.

“She just said, ‘Help! Help! Somebody’s chasing me,’ and so we brought her in,” said Larry Gunguillen, a neighbor.

According to Ontario Police, the truck sped off. A neighbor’s security camera caught it on tape. Police say the teen identified it as her attacker’s.

(credit: Ontario Police)

The would-be kidnapper was described as a heavy-set, white man in his late 40′s with short or a shaved hair, wearing a gray T-shirt. His truck was described as a 2008 or 2009 gray Dodge pickup truck Mega Cab model that contained stock-sized wheels.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or recognizes the suspect can call Detective Ron Watson at (909) 395-2804.

The background art of the Capra stamp shows a scene from the 1934 comedy “It Happened One Night,” where a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) and a reporter (Clark Gable) compare their hitchhiking skills. The film brought Capra the first of his three best director Academy Awards.

Capra also won Oscars for directing “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” in 1936 and “You Can’t Take It with You” in 1938. He also received Academy Award nominations for directing “Lady for a Day” (1933); “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939); and “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946).

The background of the Ford stamp recalls a scene from the 1956 Western “The Searchers.”

Ford won Oscars for directing “The Informer” (1935); “The Grapes of Wrath” (1940); “How Green Was My Valley” (1941) and “The Quiet Man” (1952). He received an Academy Award nomination for directing the 1939 Western “Stagecoach.”

“The Maltese Falcon” inspired the background art for the Huston stamp, which depicts Humphrey Bogart holding the statue of the falcon. Huston won an Academy Award for directing the 1948 drama “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” He also received Oscar nominations for directing “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950); “The African Queen” (1951); “Moulin Rouge” (1952); and “Prizzi’s Honor” (1985).

The background art on the Wilder stamp comes from the 1959 farce “Some Like It Hot,” which starred Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as two musicians who seek refuge from gangsters by posing as members of an all-girl band, featuring a luscious singer played by Marilyn Monroe.

Wilder won Oscars for directing “The Lost Weekend” (1945) and “The Apartment” (1960). He received Academy Award nominations for directing “Double Indemnity” (1944); “Sunset Blvd.” (1950); “Stalag 17″ (1953); “Sabrina” (1954); “Witness for the Prosecution” (1957); and “Some Like It Hot” (1959).

“With these stamps, we’re bringing these filmmakers out from behind their cameras and putting them in the spotlight so that we can learn more about them,” said Samuel Pulcrano, the U.S. Postal Service’s vice president of corporate communications.

Jean Picker Firstenberg, president emerita of the American Film Institute and chair of the Postmaster General’s Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, said “it is our hope that these forever stamps will encourageAmericans to see their classic movies that gave us a mirror on our country’s character and values.”

 (©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

Willie Bloomquist had three hits, including an RBI triple, and Aaron Hill had two hits and two RBIs as the Diamondbacks won for only the second time in their last 11 home games.

Joe Saunders (3-3) struck out a season-high seven. He also recorded his first hit of the year, a single in the fifth that stopped his 0-for-13 skid at the plate.

Ted Lilly (5-1) went 3 1-3 innings, his shortest outing since September 16, 2010, at San Francisco. He gave up eight runs on nine hits and five walks.

A.J. Ellis hit a solo homer in the fourth for the Dodgers, who only have swept Arizona at Chase Field once in the Diamondbacks’ 14-plus-season existence.

Arizona, which entered the game averaging 3.5 runs per game in its past 17 home games, scored in each of the first four innings against Lilly.

Roberts gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead two batters into the bottom of the first, hitting his third home run just over the left-field wall. Hill added a two-out RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

The Diamondbacks made it 4-0 in the second when Bloomquist tripled home Henry Blanco, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Roberts.

Gerardo Parra had an RBI single in the third, Jason Kubel hit a two-run triple in the fourth and Hill added his second run-scoring single of the game, also in the fourth, to put the Diamondbacks ahead 8-0 and chase Lilly.

Roberts recorded his third RBI on a grounder in the fifth, just ahead of Upton’s home run that extended Arizona’s lead to 11-1.

Los Angeles pieced together two hits and three walks to score three runs in the seventh against Saunders.

NOTES: Dodgers 3B Justin Sellers was a late scratch with numbness in his right leg and replaced by Adam Kennedy. Sellers will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday. … The Diamondbacks’ multirun first inning was their first since April 28, a span of 23 games. … Bloomquist is riding an eight-game winning streak, with six multihit games in his past seven. … Dodgers RF Andre Ethier was given his first day off after appearing in Los Angeles’ first 43 games. … Arizona RHP Daniel Hudson, out since April 21 with a right shoulder impingement, is on track to start Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers. … After an off-day on Thursday, RHP Ian Kennedy will take the mound for the Diamondbacks against Yovani Gallardo and the Brewers. Kennedy is 0-4 with a 5.92 ERA in his past four starts after posting a 9-0 mark in his previous 12 dating back to last season. … NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will face Houston RHP Lucas Harrell on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw is coming off his fourth career shutout on Saturday against St. Louis.

Orange County prosecutors say 39-year-old Shalabh Rastogi was having marital trouble with 40-year-old Jalina George, with whom he had three school-aged children

Prosecutors say Rastogi strangled George in a bedroom Monday night, left her body in the closet, then called police.

Prosecutors say the couple’s three children were not home at the time and are now in protective custody.

Rastogi faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. He’s being held without bail pending a hearing on June 15.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Giffords stepped down from her congressional seat to concentrate on her physical rehabilitation. She and eighteen other people were shot during a public meeting held January 8, 2011  in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, Arizona. Six of the wounded died, including Arizona District Court Chief Judge John Roll; one of Rep. Giffords’ staffers; and Christina-Taylor Green, 9.

This evening, an audience applauded Giffords as she accepted a medal of valor award, for her resilience.

Hand in hand with her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, Giffords stood in front of a capacity crowd. As the honor was bestowed around her neck, she was told “It is a special honor.”

Kelly was also honored at the national tribute dinner for standing by his wife. “She’s a person that never gives up,” he told reporter Suzie Suh. “She continues to fight just like a lot of the folks here tonight fighting for what they believe in.” And she told the crowd she is a fighter. As her husband held her arm aloft, she said, “Fight, fight, fight.”

And Kelly told Suh his wife continues to make amazing progress every day. “She reminds me all the time to deny the acceptance of failure.”

Other award winners include Elisabeth Mann, a holocaust survivor who was thanked for her leadership.

Film and TV producer Jerry Brukheimer (“CSI”) was given a humanitarian award. “”My mother lost some family in holocaust so this is a very important event for us. This is a great honor for my wife, myself and my family.”

Bruckheimer friend, hockey great Wayne Gretzky said of Bruckheimer, “Jerry is the only guy I know in the world that has a hockey rink in the middle of Louisville. So I go to the Kentucky Derby and play ice hockey on Jerry’s farm. He’s such a wonderful person. He’s done so much for charity.

The Tuskegee Airman also were honored and remembered for their courage.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Los Angeles Unified School District has made a settlement offer in a sexual-harassment claim filed by a senior management employee against retired Superintendent Ramon Cortines.

LAUSD officials say Scot Graham claims that Cortines sexually assaulted him during a visit to Cortines’ Kern County ranch in July 2010.

Cortines, 79, retired in 2011 and the threat of a suit was brought to the district in March 2012.

The Board of Education voted 4-3 during executive closed session Tuesday to settle the claim offering $200,000 in cash and approximately $250,000 in lifetime medical benefits.

“None of us know what happened and none of us ever will know what happened,” Linda Miller Savitt, outside counsel for the LAUSD, told CBS2′s Serene Branson.

“The reality is in these types of legal cases 98 percent of the cases settle. So you can spend a lot of time and energy and it’s sometimes very unhealthy energy and money to get to almost the same place years down the road,” she added.

The LAUSD released the following statement:

“Ensuring a health and safe school and work environment is necessary to conduct the work of teaching and learning. We take all sexual harassment allegations seriously. In all cases, the Board gives maximum consideration to the best use of public funds and the District must ensure that it uses its precious resources wisely. After extensive discussion and deliberation, the Board entered into a settlement agreement in order to resolve the claim. The District’s outside counsel will be available for additional comment and details.”

Cortines also released a statement through the district, which read in part, “during a weekend trip we did engage in consensual spontaneous adult behavior on one occasion.”

Cortines went on to say, “as the District’s top staff member I regret allowing myself to engage in such spontaneous consensual behavior. However, Mr. Graham never indicated to me that our interaction was unwelcome.”

Graham, who worked for the district for about 12 years, made about $150,000 per year. He is still a current employee but is set to leave his post this month.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — One person was wounded in an officer-involved shooting in South Los Angeles.

The incident occurred at 3:12 p.m. Wednesday at the corner of 106 and San Pedro.

No officers were injured but one suspect was hit and taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Two other people were arrested along with that suspect.

No other information was immediately available.

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Sharon Stone is being sued by a former nanny who claims the Oscar-nominated actress insulted her Filipino heritage and fired her after discovering she had been paid overtime.

Erlinda T. Elemen filed the lawsuit seeking unspecified damages on Wednesday, 15 months after she was fired. The lawsuit state Elemen worked for Stone for more than four years and was promoted to head nanny, but was fired after the actress demanded she return overtime payments.

Elemen’s complaint states Stone’s accountants made the overtime payments because the nanny worked on vacations and holidays, but Stone did not approve. She claims the actress insulted her accent and also denigrated her religious beliefs.

Rob Schmitt, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, spoke to Elemen’s attorney Solomon Gresen.

Gresen maintains that Stone routinely degraded his client for her culture and her religion. He says at one point, Stone told Elemen she wasn’t allowed to read the Bible in Stone’s home.

He also alleged Stone told Elemen she wasn’t allowed to speak in front of Stone’s children so they wouldn’t learn to talk like she did.

Stone’s publicist, Paul Bloch, wrote in a statement that Elemen was a disgruntled former employee and called her claims absurd and fabricated. He also said the former nanny was just trying to make money “any way she could.” Bloch said Stone would be “completely vindicated in court.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

HESPERIA (CBS) — Police say a 13-year-old girl and two teenage accomplices have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to murder the girl’s mother while she was sleeping.

Following the incident Tuesday, neighbors tell CBSLA that they tried to help the woman who came running out of the mobile home on C Avenue in Hesperia, screaming.

Hesperia police say the trio tried three different ways to kill the victim who, according to deputies, had visible injuries but didn’t require hospitalization.

On Wednesday afternoon, the mother left the mobile home crying hysterically and saying in Spanish, “I’m a victim of my own daughter.”

One of the suspects, a 14-year-old boy, was arrested Tuesday during an awards ceremony at Ranchero Middle School, where all three attended.

Students there told the Los Angeles Times that the daughter was basically a good student who stayed out of trouble.

Neighbors say they heard arguments over the weekend and that the mother had told them she feared for her life after discovering knives missing from the home.

Investigators say the girl was upset about her curfew and some other rules, the Times reported.

According to neighbors, the victim resides in Ensenada, Mexico but visits occasionally. The daughter lives with her father full-time.

All three are facing attempted murder, conspiracy and burglary charges.

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The popular, two-time Emmy-winning actor who plays nerdy, straight-laced Sheldon Cooper acknowledged in a New York Times profile that he is gay and in a long-term relationship.

Parsons, who has starred in “Big Bang Theory” since it debuted in 2007,  is currently starring on Broadway in “The Normal Heart,” an acclaimed play about the AIDS epidemic in 1980′s New York City.

Parsons, 39, is signed to star in the film version of “The Normal Heart,” working opposite “White Collar” and “Magic Mike” actor Matt Bomer who, himself, came out several weeks ago.

Shaq, who started his career in Orlando during the ’92-’93 season, will meet with the Magic next week, according to ESPN

Shaq is currently on his first year as an NBA analyst for TNT.

The Los Angeles Lakers plan to hang his No. 34 jersey at Staples some time next season.

Photo Gallery: Shaq’s Top Moments With Lakers

“We don’t have any specific timetable on this, but you can be assured we will retire Shaq’s jersey,” said Lakers spokesman John Black in an email on Wednesday.  “We don’t have a specific policy on it,” Black wrote. “As you know, players have to wait five years to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but we could possibly do a jersey retirement ceremony for Shaq prior to that.”

If Shaq does get the position, we could possibly see a trade that could send Dwight Howard to the team he retired with, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Carroll’s son, George Brown, said the actress died Tuesday in New York after a long illness.

Carroll worked steadily since that breakthrough role with Cruise in 1983. Her film credits include “Family Business,” with Sean Connery and Matthew Broderick, and “Memories of Me” with Billy Crystal. On television, in addition to the recurring role on “Melrose Place,” she appeared in such shows as “Murphy Brown” (as Jim Dial’s wife) and “Married With Children” (as Gary.)

Carroll served as artistic director of the jazz series at the Simi Valley Cultural Center in Southern California for many years and performed on tour with the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band.

A memorial service will be held Saturday in New York City.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Residents told officers that the male bear had been perusing the Hesperia neighborhood since the morning Wednesday. No injuries or property damage was reported.

Animal control officers tranquilized the bear and sheriff’s deputies carried him to a Fish And Game Department vehicle.

The animal was taken to Fawnskin where he will be relocated in the mountains near Big Bear.

RESEDA (CBS) — A bomb squad has been dispatched to Reseda to investigate a possible military ordnance.

The device was found just after 3:45 p.m. at the American Legion Post 308 in the 7300 block of Camby Avenue.

Derek Bell, who was flying overhead, reported that technicians from the bomb squad made two attempts to retrieve the device which appeared to be the size of a hand grenade or hand smoke grenade and took X-rays.

Authorities have returned to the command post and were trying to decide how to dispose of the device, Bell added.

Confused? So were plenty of others — even a Harvard graduate.

Jeremy Lin, Chandler’s teammate in New York, took to Twitter to ask for an explanation of how that was possible.

The answer is because the voting is done by different parties. A media panel voted for Defensive Player of the Year, while the all-defensive team vote was conducted by the league’s 30 head coaches, who voted for a first and second team by position and were not allowed to pick their own players.

They favored Orlando’s Dwight Howard, the NBA’s leading rebounder and its top defensive player three straight years before Chandler, as their center.

Also on the first team were Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, who led the league in blocks and was runner-up to Chandler for Defensive Player of the Year; Clippers guard Chris Paul, the league leader in steals; and Grizzlies guard Tony Allen.

Ibaka and Allen earned first-team honors for the first time.

James totaled 53 points, including 24 first-team votes. He averaged 1.9 steals and 7.9 rebounds as Miami ranked fourth in the league in opponent scoring.

Joining on Chandler on the second team were Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett of the Celtics, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and Chicago forward Luol Deng.

The board meets in a closed session Thursday at Betfair Hollywood Park in Inglewood, where O’Neill’s stable is based. He won’t attend the meeting that occurs on the same day he turns 44.

The board’s monthly meeting comes in the midst of I’ll Have Another’s bid to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 34 years. The colt trained by O’Neill won the Derby and the Preakness last Saturday, and is preparing to run in the Belmont Stakes on June 9.

O’Neill was cited by the racing board after his horse Argenta — co-owned by O’Neill’s childhood friend and Santa Anita CEO Mark Verge — tested for a high level of TCO2 in its blood after finishing eighth in a race at Del Mar on Aug. 25, 2010. TCO2 is associated with “milkshaking,” the illegal practice of giving a horse a blend of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and electrolytes. The mixture is designed to reduce fatigue and enhance performance.

“I know I didn’t milkshake a horse. None of us around the barn milkshaked any horses,” O’Neill told The Associated Press on Wednesday at Santa Anita. “I know it’s a privilege to be a trainer, it’s not a right. I take that very seriously. You got to have rules and I respect rules, but when you get faulty science involved, it costs a lot of money unfortunately, but you’ve got to fight it and that’s what we’re doing.”

While maintaining his innocence, O’Neill has said he spent $250,000 vigorously fighting the charge, his third total carbon dioxide violation in California and fourth in his 25-year career. He filed a federal lawsuit that was dismissed by a trial judge, whose decision was upheld by an appeals court.

“I don’t know anything about what they may decide or they may not,” O’Neill said. “I know I’m contesting it big time. It’s a very serious thing. We’re taking it seriously, but my main focus right now is on what’s at hand. We got to stay focused.”

At the meeting, the board will discuss the proposed decision of a hearing officer that presided over the case. The board, whose members include actress Bo Derek, could agree, modify or reject the proposed decision.

O’Neill faces penalties ranging from a minimum 90-day suspension and a $5,000 fine to a maximum 180-day suspension and fine of $15,000, depending on whether a hearing officer’s report finds aggravating circumstances or not.

He would have the right to appeal any punishment; a judge could issue a stay that would allow him to continue training.

Board spokesman Mike Marten said earlier this month that if O’Neill is penalized, it wouldn’t interfere with him saddling I’ll Have Another in the Belmont.

“I’m living by the great Lou Holtz quote, `What’s important now,”‘ the trainer said. “Right now, what’s important is I’ll Have Another to continue to do well and get ready for the Belmont.”

It’s possible the board may not render a decision Thursday. Members could ask for more information or take the case over and hear it themselves.

Kendrys Morales drew a one-out walk in the 11th against Justin Norberto (0-1) and was lifted for pinch-runner Peter Bourjos, who moved to third on Howie Kendrick’s two-out single. Callaspo then drove them both home with a double to left.

Jordan Walden (1-1) pitched a 1-2-3 10th and Ernesto Frieri finished for his first major league save on a day the Angels couldn’t deliver enough to back starter Jered Weaver.

Weaver allowed one run and three hits in eight innings but missed a chance to become the majors’ first seven-game winner.

Weaver surrendered a tying solo home run to Seth Smith in the sixth and gave the Angels another strong performance following a one-hitter by C.J. Wilson and Frieri a night earlier in the Angels’ 4-0 win.

Maicer Izturis hit an RBI single in the third inning against A’s starter Jarrod Parker, but that wasn’t enough to hold up for Weaver. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA in his last three starts at the Coliseum.

Parker struck out a career-best eight and walked one in seven innings, allowing one  run and five hits. The right-hander is winless in four starts since beating Boston at Fenway Park on May 1 for his lone victory. Parker’s one walk was a positive sign, considering he had issued at least four batters in each of his previous three outings.

Making his first career start against the Angels, Parker bounced back with a solid day after he was tagged for a career-high six runs in a career-low two innings in Friday’s 8-6 loss at San Francisco.

Neither starter received m,uch support, which has been the case for both clubs at times this season.

Oakland has been without its best bats with Brandon Inge and Yoenis Cespedes both on the disabled list, and manager Bob Melvin said before the game suspended slugger Manny Ramirez might not be ready to be promoted from his Triple-A stint on May 30 — his 40th birthday — as planned when he’s eligible. Ramirez has been dealing with a wrist injury.

The Angels have their own issues and are missing their share of chances.

Albert Pujols went 1 for 4 and recorded a hit for 11th time in his last 12 games. The slugger singled in the sixth but was thrown out at third trying to take an extra base on Morales’ sixth-inning single.

The Angels won for just their third time in the last eight meetings with the AL West rival A’s. Oakland leads the season series 5-4.

Los Angeles improved to 2-21 when scoring three runs or fewer.

Angels shortstop Erick Aybar had most of the day off to rest a day after he was hit in the right knee by a pitch in the seventh inning. He flied out as a pinch-hitter in the 10th.

Los Angeles rookie Kole Calhoun doubled in the fifth for his first major league hit. He made his big league debut Tuesday night as a ninth inning defensive substitute in right field for Mark Trumbo.

Notes: A’s manager Bob Melvin said suspended slugger Manny Ramirez might not be ready to play for the A’s by May 30, his 40th birthday and the day he is eligible to return. Ramirez is currently spending a stint with Triple-A Sacramento but has been nursing a wrist injury Melvin called a “little setback.” … Injured A’s CF Cespedes hoped to test his strained left hand with some swings to determine his rehab progress. … The Angels have scored 15 runs UPDATE over their last eight games vs. Oakland. Los Angeles heads to Seattle for four games to finish its 10-game road trip, and is expected to get RF Torii Hunter back from the restricted list next week after he returned to Texas following the arrest of his teenage son. … Pujols is batting .378 (14 of 37) with five doubles, a home run and four RBIs in seven games vs. the A’s this year.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday he still wasn’t sure when during the homestand that might be.

“It looks like in talking with Torii probably when we get home,” Scioscia said. “We’ll continue to be in touch with him and see what his situation is.”

The right fielder has been on the Angels’ restricted list since May 14 after Hunter’s teenage son was arrested in Texas. Hunter missed his 10th straight game Wednesday in the series finale against the Athletics. Darius McClinton-Hunter, 17, is one of five youths arrested in a sexual assault case, which police said followed a monthlong investigation.

The teen’s attorney, Todd Shapiro, said last week that a recording was made of a conversation between the girl and a teenage friend of the Hunter family. On the call, she backs away from the story that led police in the Dallas suburb of Prosper to arrest McClinton-Hunter, the attorney said. Hunter attended a news conference with his son and Shapiro last Thursday.

Scioscia initially thought Hunter would be back during this swing at AL West rivals Oakland and Seattle, where Los Angeles begins a four-game weekend series Thursday night.

“It’s still open-ended,” Scioscia said. “We talked last week and thought he was going to be with us on this road trip.”

Hunter has been working out, running and hitting in the batting cage he has at his house in the Dallas area, so Scioscia believes he will be able to work back quickly.

“I don’t think he’s going to come in and be grossly out of shape from where he was,” Scioscia said.

Hunter might need a couple of days doing baseball work with the team before he returns to the starting lineup, Scioscia said. The Angels hope Hunter gets back to Anaheim early in the week.

“I think Torii’s always up. He’s dealing with an issue; that’s kind of where we want to leave it,” Scioscia said. “No doubt he wants to get back playing baseball, because that’s what he’s all about. But he has to be comfortable with his situation and work through some things.”

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A jury recommended on Wednesday that a gang member who gunned down a standout Los Angeles High School football player because he was carrying a red Spider-Man backpack should be sentenced to death.

Jurors were asked to decide whether to recommend either death or life in prison without the possibility of parole for Pedro Espinoza, 23, who was convicted May 9 of killing Jamiel Shaw on March 2, 2008, near his home in Arlington Heights.

Deputy District Attorney Allyson Ostrowski told jurors Tuesday that while Espinoza was serving time in juvenile custody years before Shaw’s killing, Espinoza told a Probation Department employee that he was “down for death row” and understood someone had to kill to get there.

The remark has “shown us that Pedro Espinoza has literally aspired to be here, he has literally aspired to sit in this chair as a capital murder defendant,” the prosecutor told the Los Angeles Superior Court panel.

Defense attorney M. David Houchin told the six-man, six-woman jury that there has been “so much emotion in this case.”

Jurors deliberated about four hours on May 9 before convicting Espinoza of first-degree murder and finding true the special circumstance allegation that the slaying was carried out to further the activities of a criminal street gang.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

KNX 1070′s Margret Carrero reports the move marks the largest release of religious order documents in the history of the sexual abuse crisis.

The 8,500-page documents posted on BishopAccountability.org includes personnel files of nine Franciscan brothers and priests accused of abusing dozens of children over several decades at St. Anthony’s and the Old Mission in Santa Barbara.

An attorney for the Franciscans said the order was proactive in investigating abuse claims and that the files now made public were divulged to the plaintiffs much earlier.

The files were released in response to a May 25, 2006, settlement obtained by survivors of sexual abuse committed by members of the order, including Bob Eckert, who was only 10 years old when his abuse began at St. Anthony’s.

“I just hope that people look into some of these files and maybe they can find things that may pertain to them or somebody that they entrusted their children with and maybe it will open their eyes,” said Eckert.

The archive names Mario Cimmarrusti, Robert Van Handel, David Johnson, Gus Krumm, Samuel Cabot, David Carriere, Berard Connolly, Martin McKeon, and Gary Pacheco in connection with a wide range of abuse allegations along with personal statements from some members of the order themselves.

A mother’s emotional letter from November 27, 1992, about the life-altering trauma cause by Cimmarrusti’s abuse of her son in which she angrily condemns church officials for their lack of oversight was among other supplemental documents released.

“What is more despicable than one who hides behind the ‘cloth’ to do the devil’s work?” wrote the unidentified mother. “What organization, claiming to do the work of Jesus Christ, shuns and rejects those whom it has hurt, again and again?”

Tim Hale, who represented several victims, said the reason for the delay was a court decision that forced them to redact names and certain other documents, but that their release is a step in the right direction.

But for victims like Eckert, the expansive project may only scratch the surface of what many critics allege is an institutionalized pattern among the Roman Catholic clergy.

“Just having blind faith isn’t going to be able to happen anymore in the church,” said Eckert. “It just shows how deep-rooted this problem is.”

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Political satirist, comedian and author Lizz Winstead visited KCAL9 Wednesday to discuss her new book, “Lizz Free or Die”.

Winstead is a co-creator and former head writer of The Daily Show, where she also served as a correspondent. She also helped found Air America Radio, where she hosted “Unfiltered” alongside Chuck D and Rachel Maddow.

As the youngest child of conservative Catholic parents living in the heart Lutheran Minnesota, Winstead’s journey toward a career in entertainment was almost accidental.

In “Lizz Free or Die”, she writes candidly about the formative episodes from her youth and early adulthood that were so instrumental in helping her develop the unmistakable worldview, which continues to animate her work today.

For more information, visit Winstead’s Web site.

The shooting occurred about 10:55 a.m. in the 1000 block of West Stockwell Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The 19-year-old man was transported for hospital treatment, but his condition was unclear.

The circumstances of the shooting remained under investigation.

No deputies were injured in the shooting.

Shazer Limas, 31, of Orange, was arrested May 3 after leading authorities on a chase through Orange County.

Earlier that day, an apartment manager asked authorities to check on Limas’ girlfriend, 31-year-old Arlet Hernandez Contreras, after finding blood in the unit they shared.

Officers then located Limas in a parking lot near John Wayne Airport. He fled, leading authorities on a chase along the southbound 405 and 5 freeways before waging an hour-long standoff, which prompted the shutdown of Interstate 5 in both directions.

Contreras’ body, which was identified over the weekend, was found under a tarp in La Puente on April 25. Officials searched the Olinda Alpha landfill in Brea for the boys’ bodies, but they have yet to be found.

Court records show Limas filed a temporary restraining order against Contreras last April.

“I fear for my safety and well-being, but also for my property,” Limas was quoted saying in the documents.

“My main concern is that Arlet Hernandez Contreras is going to physically hurt herself and accuse me of doing so,” he also wrote in a letter last year.

Limas is due back in court June 5.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved a proposal to ban single-use plastic bags across the city.

The ban was approved 13-1 and will affect 7,500 grocery stores in the city.

Large retailers will have six months to phase out the bags, while small retailers would have one year. Paper bags would also cost customers 10 cents.

City Councilman Eric Garcetti, who recently announced his candidacy for the mayor of L.A., told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO
less than 5 percent of the bags used across the city ever reach a recycling bin.

“These plastic bags clog our landfills, they clog drainage systems, they litter neighborhoods, and go out to the ocean too where they cause damage to marine life,” said Garcetti.

Large grocery stores will have six months to enact the ban. Smaller stores will have a year to begin charging customers for the bags.

Other Southland cities such as Santa Monica and Long Beach already have similar bans in place.

Roughly two billion plastic bags and 400 million paper bags are distributed throughout the city every year.

Once in effect, Los Angeles will be the largest U.S. city to enact a plastic bag ban.

The 40-foot boat was seen about 7 a.m. a short distance from shore, Matthew Dobberpuhl of the Long Beach Fire Department said.

The boat is a transient vessel – meaning, it was basically parked in that location – but it began taking on water and sinking Wednesday morning, according to the Coast Guard.

Crews have stabilized the boat, anchoring it offshore, and a hazardous-materials team was dispatched to clean up a small amount of fuel that spilled into the water, Dobberpuhl said.

No one is aboard the boat, he said.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Days before the start of the official summer season, city and state officials warned Southland residents to be aware of a potential rattlesnake population boom.

KNX 1070′s John Brooks reports hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts should be especially alert when it comes to encountering a snake in the wild.

Officials with the Los Angeles Zoo and California Poison Control System (CPCS) were at the Los Angeles Zoo on Wednesday to remind residents that rattlesnakes are emerging from hibernation earlier in 2012, which may see a greater snake infestation after heavy rains pummeled the region a few years ago.

Rattlesnakes are also the only native venomous snakes in Southern California, which is just one reason why Fish & Game biologist Kevin Brennan said people should take every possible precaution.

“Fatality, loss of limb, some really severe injuries, medical procedures are necessary to save limbs and life,” said Brennan.

Officials said residents should be aware that mother snakes are expected to give birth to a bumper crop of babies later this fall, and even newly hatched rattlesnakes possess dangerous venom.

Anyone planning on spending any prolonged period of time in brush areas should wear long pants that extend all the way over shoe tops and to avoid walking in areas where the ground surface is not completely visible.

Officials estimated that one to two rattlesnake bites each year in California are fatal.

“Simply avoiding the snakes is the number one thing you can do to try to avoid having a snake bite you in the first place,” said Dr. Cyrus Rangan of the CPCS. “But once a snake bit does occur, we want to make sure that people exercise the appropriate first aid in order to make sure you get to the hospital and get the appropriate care.”