Agency looks into behavior of drunk judge

SONOMA -- A judicial watchdog agency is investigating whether a judge tried to avoid a drunken driving arrest by lying and flaunting her position.

Sonoma Superior Court Judge Elaine Rushing pleaded no contest in August to drunken driving and was given a 10-day jail sentence to be served on work-release.

The State Commission on Judicial Performance, which can sanction California judges, is now investigating whether Rushing told a California Highway Patrol officer that she bent the rules to help police and he should do the same for her.

Rushing, 57, could be admonished, censured or removed from the bench if the three-count complaint is sustained. Rushing is required to respond to the charges by Monday./AP

Gang member nabbed for ignoring probation rules

OAKLAND -- A suspected gang member ordered to stay away from guns as a term of probation for a weapons conviction was arrested with drugs and a cache of weapons, including 28 guns and two hand grenades, police said.

Juan Montano, 32, was arrested Tuesday outside the Oakland house he shared with his mother. Officers recovered dozens of boxes of ammo, two bulletproof vests, methamphetamine worth about $1,500 and several thousand dollars, said Oakland police Sgt. Jeff Ferguson.

Many of the weapons were illegal, including a sawed-off shotgun and military-style assault rifles.

Police said they believe Montano, a convicted felon with arrests dating to 1994, either planned to sell the guns or loan them to other members of the Border Brothers gang./AP

TV exec admits he stole money, returns $10,000

REDDING -- A former Redding public access television executive admitted stealing money from the station and returned about $10,000 as restitution, according to a police report.

Antoinette Chidlaw, 43, is charged with grand theft embezzlement for allegedly taking more than $111,000 from Redding Community Access Channel 11, where she was executive director for almost three years until she was fired Jan. 13.

Her attorney, Ross Helmbold, said she will plead not guilty at a court hearing on Thursday.

He criticized a 27-page police investigation report for not including independent audit information or providing details about a confession Chidlaw allegedly made to Kristy Williams, the Redding Community Access Corp. board president.

"It doesn't say how she confessed; it just says she confessed," he said. "That doesn't mean anything to me."

But he confirmed that she had returned $10,000 as restitution./AP

Man threatens tour bus passengers, gets arrested

HESPERIA -- A passenger pacing the aisle of a tour bus threatening "Everyone's going to die" was arrested after the driver pulled off Interstate 15.

At 8:50 a.m. Tuesday, the bus driver stopped on the Oak Hill freeway off-ramp and the man told passengers "he won't go alone and he is taking everyone with him," investigators said. The driver got off the bus but about 12 passengers were left on board with the man.

"He was acting strangely, making all kinds of threats," dispatch supervisor Beth Harris said. One of the man's hands was wrapped with a blanket so there were suspicions the man had a weapon.

Several San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies surrounded the bus with guns drawn and the disturbed passenger was arrested at 9:10 a.m., sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Beavers said. No weapon was found.

Deputies were unable to confirm the man's identity because he had a Mexican identification card, Beavers said.

The tour bus continued on its journey, minus one passenger, about a half-hour later./AP