Teen arraigned on attempted murder in shooting of San Francisco 49ers rookie says he is very sorry

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By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 17-year-old high school senior charged with attempted murder in the daytime weekend shooting of San Francisco 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall was arraigned in juvenile court Wednesday and said through his attorney that he was sorry for what happened.

The slight teen wore a green sweatshirt and green pants, looked straight ahead at the judge during the proceeding and did not turn around to acknowledge his parents, who were in the room.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged the teen on Tuesday with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery. On Wednesday, her office added several gun-related charges.

Her office has not decided whether try the juvenile as an adult, saying they need time to investigate further and, if appropriate, petition the court to transfer the case to adult court. California law prevents prosecutors from charging a minor as an adult without judicial approval.

The teen’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap, told reporters after the hearing that he is very sorry about what happened.

“He’s genuinely very sorry that this did happen, as is his family, and I can say on their behalf, as well as on my own behalf, our thoughts go out to the Pearsall family and Mr. Pearsall himself. So there is genuine, genuine remorse in that regard,” Dunlap said. “He is a young boy.”

A probation officer recommended the teen stay in custody and be transferred to his home county of San Joaquin, where he has another matter pending. But Superior Court Judge Roger C. Chan said the teen will stay in San Francisco custody.

Family members of both the teen and Pearsall were in the room Wednesday, Chan said.

The daylight shooting Saturday of a professional athlete in an upscale shopping district downtown put the national spotlight again on a city that struggled with brazen shoplifting, empty storefronts and assaults on Asian American seniors. Mayor London Breed, a Democrat, is in a tight reelection contest in November.

Pearsall, 23, was walking alone to his car shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday after shopping at luxury stores in Union Square when the suspect allegedly spotted the NFL player for his Rolex watch. A struggle ensued, and gunfire from the suspect’s firearm struck both Pearsall and the teenager, who was shot in the arm, police said.

The 49er rookie was shot through the chest at close range, officials said. His mother, Erin Pearsall, posted on social media that the bullet went through the right side of her son’s chest and out his back without striking any vital organs.

Pearsall was released Sunday from the San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

He was back at the team facility on Monday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said Tuesday. The Niners placed Pearsall on the non-football injury list, giving him time to recover from the shooting and a shoulder injury that had limited him all summer, Lynch said.

The teen lives in Tracy, a city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of San Francisco.

He was arrested about a block away from where he allegedly confronted Pearsall.

Westbound I-94 in St. Paul to close this weekend

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Westbound Interstate 94 between I-35E and Highway 280 will be closed in St. Paul this weekend, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The closure begins at 10 p.m. Friday and ends at 5 a.m. Monday.

Drivers will be detoured north on I-35E, west on Highway 36 and south on Highway 280 during the closure.

Minnesota Department of Transportation crews will be inspecting, repairing and cleaning roadway structures in the area.

For the latest updates on road conditions, visit www.511mn.org or call 511.

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Extreme weather and natural events disrupt travel around Southern Europe

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Rich Thomaselli | (TNS) TravelPulse

Austria, Hungary, Greece and Italy have been especially vulnerable to Mother Nature of late.

A heatwave, wildfires and even a volcanic eruption are threatening to make things difficult for residents and to cause chaos for tourists.

These are unprecedented conditions that even forced the brief closure of the Parthenon earlier this year.

At times, the temperature across Europe has risen to 104 degrees. Austria and Hungary have been especially hard-hit, with residents and tourists alike being advised to stay indoors between noon and 4 p.m. Cities such as Vienna and Budapest have set up outdoor cooling stations.

The situation has been compounded by wildfires in some places in Greece and Italy. The heat and dry conditions have forced evacuations in southern Greece, including some tourist spots in the popular Greek islands. Some attractions and lodgings have already closed, making it advisable for travelers to check ahead. People have already been warned to use masks for the smoke and ash from the fires.

And there’s nothing anybody can do about Europe’s most active volcano.

Mount Etna in Italy erupted on August 14 and forced the closure of Catania International Airport in Sicily. It has since reopened, but tourists are urged to check with their airlines about any further disruptions. Tourists are also advised to invest in travel insurance.

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Como Park Zoo welcomes two endangered tiger cubs

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Two tiger cubs were born last week at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul.

A 7-year-old Como tiger named Bernadette gave birth to one male and one female cub on Thursday morning, Aug. 29, according to a Wednesday news release.

First-time-mother Bernadette and her cubs, who have yet to be named, will be off-exhibit for a few months while they remain in their private maternity den. This allows for mother-cub bonding and for the two cubs to grow stronger before being able to safely explore their outdoor habitat.

The two cubs are the first tigers born at the Como Zoo in over 41 years and they come from the endangered Amur tiger subspecies, also known as Siberian tigers.

Amur tigers are confined to a small region around the Amur River in the Russian Far East despite previously roaming across Siberia. There are fewer than 500 individuals of this subspecies remaining in the wild that face threats from habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict, according to the zoo.

The birth came from a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan and represents “a significant success for the Amur Tiger Species Survival Plan and for the future of the species,” said Wes Sims, Como Zoo’s director of Animal Care and Health.

The cub’s father, 11-year-old Tsar, who is also a first-time parent, will continue to be visible to visitors.

Updates on Bernadette and her cubs will be provided through Como Park’s social media channels.

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