Stolen 850-pound emerald recovered December 27, 2008

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

850-pound emerald recovered

The Sheriff's Department has recovered a stolen 850-pound emerald worth an estimated $370 million, officials said Friday.

The stone, known as the Bahia Emerald, was unearthed in Brazil and is believed to be the second-largest stone of its kind, according to the Sheriff's Department. The gem, once auctioned on EBay, has also been the focus of numerous lawsuits.

The gem was stolen from a secured vault in South El Monte in September and later warehoused in Las Vegas, said Lt. Thomas Grubb of the Major Crimes Bureau.

"The way it was stolen was through falsification of paperwork," Grubb said. "They flimflammed some papers and were able to get it released from the vault."

The investigation led sheriff's officials to Idaho and Las Vegas. When the suspects learned that deputies were hot on their trail, they agreed to hand over the gem. On Dec. 19, sheriff's investigators arrived in Las Vegas with a court order and took possession of the stone. No arrests were made.

The emerald has since been returned to L.A. County and will remain in the custody of the Sheriff's Department until ownership is resolved.

"A judge is going to have to rule on who the rightful owner is," Grubb said.

"We got one side telling us it belongs to them, and another side saying no, it belongs to us."

-- Monte Morin OAKLAND

Remains are missing student's

Authorities say the human remains found behind a city high school last month are those of an 18-year-old former student.

The remains of Johnikka Jackson were found near a crude shelter made of wood and sheets in a canyon behind Skyline High School. Some students found the bones Nov. 7 and took them to the principal's office.

It is still unclear how Jackson died. Police say they are still trying to determine if foul play was involved.

Jackson's father, John Jackson of San Francisco, said he filed a missing person's report after not hearing from her over the summer.

The teen was living with an aunt while attending Skyline but left before graduation and had been taking classes at Laney College.

-- associated press SACRAMENTO

Gov., lawmakers find no accord

Hopes by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers that they would strike a budget deal by week's end fizzled Friday, with both sides saying they will try again next week.

They are trying to agree on the details of a tax-and-cut package worth $18 billion that is needed to close a growing gap between state spending and revenue.

Republican lawmakers have been left out of the discussions because they refuse to sign on to any deal that includes a tax increase. Democrats and Schwarzenegger say the size of the deficit is so large that spending cuts alone will not be enough.

California's deficit is projected to hit $42 billion over the next 18 months.

-- associated press FRESNO

Treatment center may be closed

Fresno County leaders are set to meet next month to consider closing the region's only 24-hour psychiatric treatment center.

County health officials say the closure would save the county $2.5 million as its mental health department faces a budget shortfall.

With no similar urgent care centers in neighboring counties, family members of the mentally ill say the closure would leave them with few options. They say the burden would shift to police and hospital emergency room staff, who lack adequate training for psychiatric emergencies.

The center would be replaced by a mobile crisis team, a new 16-bed inpatient unit and a detoxification program for substance abusers.

The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the closure in January.

-- associated press

Source:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-briefs27-2008dec27,0,1916544.story