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SJ arena football team stunned by player's sudden death

A player on the San Jose Sabercats arena football team who played a key roll in the teams most recent win was found dead inside a hotel room on Monday night.

Johnie Kurtin had only been with the Sabercats a few weeks, but the 6-foot-3, 290-pound fullback was already making his mark with the squad. Kurtin scored three times on Saturday, including the game-winning touchdown.

But Monday night, a grim call brought Santa Clara police to the Mariani's Inn where the team players stay.

"A little bit after 11 o'clock, our officers were called to the hotel to investigate a reported dead body," said Capt. Phil Cooke of the Santa Clara police department.

Police said they found the 26-year-old dead in his hotel room.

Cooke said the department has opened an investigation, but that Kurtin's death didn't appear to be a homicide.

"There's no evidence of any foul play at this point," said Cooke.

Police are waiting now for the coroner's report and toxicology tests.
 
The staff and team were too upset to talk on camera, but the coach and owner issued a statement that read in part: "Johnie was a great team guy and hard-nosed player, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Johnie's family in this difficult time."

Don Lombardi owns the gas station next to the players hotel. He says his heart goes out to the team.

"They come in, they have their breakfast and stuff like that," said Lombardi. "They go in, they go to practice and see them in the afternoon. Nice guys, real respectable nice guys."

Kurtin is survived by his parents and four siblings who live in Washington state. He also leaves behind a two-year-old daughter.

_{Tue, 29 May 2012 22:48:12 -0700}

Friends of family devastated by Concord fatal accident impatient for action

Police in Concord have not yet decided whether to recommend charges against a teenage driver whose SUV struck and killed a father and daughter who were out riding their bicycles almost two months ago.

The slow pace of the investigation is due in part to a question of speed.

When the white Cadillac Escalade crashed on Treat Boulevard in early April, killing 41-year-old Solaiman Nuri and his nine-year-old daughter Hadessa, witnesses said the driver was going well above the posted 45 mile an hour speed limit.

Some thought justice for the 17-year-old driver would be swift.

"An individual cannot just drive down the street, kill two people and nothing happen," said the victims' friend Steve Saiz.

The young driver was released from juvenile hall a few days after the crash and nearly eight weeks later still hasn't been charged with anything.

Saiz is among those growing impatient.

"To see it go on as long as it has with no results, it's pretty frustrating," said Saiz.

Lt. Bill Roche of the Concord Police Department said understands the growing impatience surrounding the case.

"I can appreciate the concern, but as an agency, this is clearly our top focus to have this done completely and accurately," explained Roche.

Concord police told KTVU they have been in touch with the victims' family and said they're now closer to taking the case to the district attorney.

Pinpointing the driver's speed could determine whether he faces a felony or a misdemeanor.

"Was there a degree of recklessness involved on the part of the driver prior to the collision? That will make a big difference in regards to what they charge," said Roche. "It would depend on the degree of speed."

At the scene the words "loved not lost" remain etched on the sidewalk.

The victim's family lived less than a mile away and neighbors said they've moved to avoid going past this spot each day.

_{Tue, 29 May 2012 22:40:10 -0700}

Memorial Day weekend DUI arrests down in SF, Santa Clara counties

DUI arrests over the Memorial Day holiday weekend were down in several Bay Area counties compared to the same three-day weekend last year, authorities said Tuesday.

San Francisco saw a 55 percent drop, with only 27 arrests this year compared to 42 in 2011.

"I hope this means that people are getting the message about driving stone-cold sober every single time," police Capt. Denis O'Leary said in a statement.

Santa Clara County also saw a sharp drop, from 144 drunken driving arrests last year to 80 this year, according to California AVOID, which runs multi-agency anti-DUI enforcement campaigns in each Bay Area county over various holiday weekends.

However, at least one county in the region, Sonoma, saw a slight uptick in their DUI numbers over the holiday weekend. That county had 53 Memorial Day weekend arrests for DUI, up from 43 the previous year.

Sonoma County also had two injury DUI collisions over the weekend, one each on Sunday and Monday.

Other Bay Area counties had not released their final arrest totals as of this afternoon.

The holiday crackdown lasted until the end of the night on Monday. AVOID programs will return with increased patrols and DUI checkpoints for the Independence Day holiday, according to officials.

_{Tue, 29 May 2012 20:52:05 -0700}

News Source: MedleyStory More Local News Stories