Monday News Roundup

Serena C.J. Rodriguez, 24, of Auburn was scheduled to be arraigned Monday, but the hearing was continued to July 22.

Rodriguez was charged with felony murder, with enhancements for murder of a police officer, use of a deadly weapon and use of a deadly or dangerous weapon.

The Solano County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Monday afternoon charges included a special circumstance stating Bowen "was intentionally killed while he was engaged in the performance of his duties ..."

Rodriguez -- who also goes by Kali Rose Kahn, according to court records -- allegedly drove the vehicle that hit Bowen about 10:30 a.m. Thursday as he was conducting a traffic stop at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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Three people will be sentenced after pleading guilty in two separate workers compensation fraud cases, the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office announced Monday.

Both cases involve business owners failing to properly maintain mandatory workers compensation insurance, which covers business should employees suffer an on-the-job injury.

Mark Anthony Ramos, the owner of two companies providing pediatric therapy in the Bay Area, will receive three years in federal prison, the DA's office said. However, his sentence will be suspended to six months in county jail upon paying restitution.

Edgar Cabrales Sr. and Edgar Cabrales Jr. will be sentenced to a decade of probation after pleading guilty for committing workers compensation fraud at their San Jose cleaning business.

For nearly seven years, Ramos, 50, ran an insurance fraud scheme in which he severely underreported his payroll to insurance carriers, according to the district attorney's office. His plan was foiled, however, when an employee accidentally sent the correct bill to the insurance company, revealing a discrepancy in what Ramos initially reported.

Prosecutors said that when he was confronted, Ramos exclaimed, "How'd the hell did you get that bill!"

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One of the drivers may have been under the influence during a crash on Interstate Highway 680 in Concord that killed one person and left another with major injuries on Sunday night, the California Highway Patrol said.

At approximately 10:55 p.m., the CHP received reports of a crash on southbound I-680, just north of Concord Avenue.

Investigators said a black Honda Civic -- occupied by a male adult driver and a female adult passenger was involved in a solo-vehicle crash into a concrete barrier on I-680 southbound, just south of Highway 4.

The Honda deflected off the barrier and came to rest blocking the 3 and 4 lanes, just north of Concord Avenue. After the Honda came to rest, the driver got out of the car. He was hit by a southbound black Chevrolet Tahoe and the impact pushed the driver of the Honda further south and into the roadway. He was struck a second time, by a silver Toyota Corolla.

The Corolla then veered left, crashed into the concrete center divider, overturned, and came to rest blocking lanes.

The driver of the Corolla sustained major injuries and was subsequently transported to the hospital. The driver of the Honda sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Thousands of LGBTQ+ wine drinkers from around the world will flock to Sonoma County's world-class wineries and restaurants for this year's Gay Wine Weekend, which takes place Friday through Sunday.

The annual event happens throughout the county, offering chances for attendees to sip wine with local winemakers, enjoy farm-to-table cuisine and dance in a vineyard under the stars.

The event kicks off on Friday with winemaker dinners across the county and a VIP party at Vintner's Resort in Santa Rosa.

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Antioch police arrested a man found on a trail Friday morning with two loaded pistols.

Police received a call at 8 a.m. about a man on a trail on the trail near Lone Tree Way and Longview Drive.

The caller said the man had a pistol in his waistband.

Officers used a drone to communicate with the man from a distance. Police said they successfully utilized the drone and de-escalation techniques to safely take the man into custody.

Police said the man was actually carrying two loaded pistols.

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Crews contained a two-alarm vegetation fire in Vallejo early Monday morning, according to fire officials.

Around 4:15 a.m., Vallejo firefighters said the blaze occurred in the 300 block of Jade Circle on a steep slope near the bay.

No injuries or structure damage related to the fire were reported.

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San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont were awarded a combined $32 million from the California Public Utilities Commission last week to expand internet access to underserved communities.

The cities are among the recipients of the first round of funding from the $2 billion Last Mile Federal Funding Account Grant Program. Since the application cycle closed last September, the utilities commission said it received 484 grant applications that totaled more than $4.6 billion in requests.

The broadcast expansion will help underserved residents by giving them more options for internet, and it will also supply internet to people who are currently unserved.

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Two funds have been set up for the family of Vacaville police officer Matthew Bowen, who was killed July 11 when he was struck by a vehicle.

Police said on social media "We have been overwhelmed with your love and support during this devastating time of the loss of our beloved officer, Matthew Bowen. We have had several requests for information on how you can help Officer Matthew Bowen's family and our department."

The funds can be found at https://porac.org/fundraiser/vacavillepoa-matt-bowen/ and at https://www.vacavillepolicefoundation.org/officer-matthew-bowen-memorial-fund/ .

Serena C.J. Rodriguez, 24, of Auburn was allegedly driving the vehicle that hit Bowen about 10:30 a.m. as he was conducting a traffic stop at the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Orange Drive, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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As wildfires continue in the Bay Area and California, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services is urging residents to know the difference between evacuation warnings and evacuation orders.

An evacuation warning means there's an impending danger to life or property, according to the agency. If a warning is given, residents should assume an evacuation order will follow and start gathering important items for family and pets.

Any individuals who need extra time to evacuate, or anyone with large animals, should pack up and leave when a warning is issued, the agency said.

In contrast, an evacuation order means there's an immediate threat to life and residents need to leave right now, according to the agency.

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