Crime

The son of Charles Richard Handley, a 79-year-old man accused of

Investors who say they were cheated out of their homes and life savings by “a very slick” businessman occupied a sizable portion of the courtroom Friday inside the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, where supporters and accusers seated in opposite sides of the audience created a clear fissure.

An autopsy conducted Monday on the body discovered off Cannon Road did not confirm a cause of death, although investigators now believe the unidentified female victim was “possibly” between ages 20 and 35 and “possibly” Asian or Hispanic, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.

GILROY—A Gilroy woman accused of swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from people sending money to families in Mexico was arrested and charged this week with 14 felonies.

Gilroy Police report on standoff Tuesday night.

The July 16 preliminary hearing for Neil Kitchens, a former Republican candidate for state assembly District 30 accused of five felonies related to voter fraud and forgery, has been delayed until mid-August.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) announced today that veteran firefighter Derek Witmer, 46, will take over as chief of the Morgan Hill Fire Department as well as the state agency’s Santa Clara Unit. Witmer, of Watsonville, was appointed to the position by CalFire Director Ken Pimlott, according to CalFire staff. Witmer will replace Steve Woodill, who retired earlier this year. Witmer has 28 years of fire service, starting at the Salispuedes Fire District in 1985, where he rose through the ranks to Captain, according to a CalFire press release. In 1997 Witmer joined CalFire when the Salispuedes and Freedom Fire District merged to form the Pajaro Valley Fire District, CalFire staff said. Witmer has since worked for two CalFire units - San Mateo/Santa Cruz and Santa Clara. At CalFire, he has served in a variety of assignments including Helitack, the emergency command center, training and, most recently, as the South Bay Operations Chief. In 2012, Witmer served on Incident Management Team 5 as Deputy Incident Commander, the press release says. “Chief Witmer’s wide ranging experience makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Santa Clara Unit,” Pimlott said. “Derek brings proven leadership, cooperation and innovative ideas to the position, and will serve the community well.” In addition to Witmer’s responsibilities as Unit Chief and MHFD Chief, he will also serve as fire chief for the South Santa Clara County Fire District. 

The plea hearing for the man who allegedly charmed multiple South County seniors into giving him money for landscaping services he never completed was once again continued to December, due to a request from the defense attorney Thursday to gather more information on the case. 

Police have arrested a man they say played a part in multiple