Harry Harris – Silicon Valley https://www.siliconvalley.com Silicon Valley Business and Technology news and opinion Fri, 07 Jun 2024 14:22:40 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 https://www.siliconvalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/32x32-sv-favicon-1.jpg?w=32 Harry Harris – Silicon Valley https://www.siliconvalley.com 32 32 116372262 Lottery ticket worth $621,419 sold at Milpitas convenience store https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/06/06/lottery-ticket-worth-621419-sold-at-milpitas-convenience-store/ Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:15:29 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=641892&preview=true&preview_id=641892 MILPITAS — No one in the state won the Powerball lottery game jackpot of $185 million Wednesday night, but someone playing the game at a South Bay convenience store is $621,419 richer, officials said.

That person, who has yet to be identified, was the only one statewide to pick all five regular numbers. They did not select the Power number.

The winning numbers were 8, 44, 45, 51 and 69 and the Power number was 12.

The ticket was purchased at the 7-Eleven store at 1496 N. Milpitas Blvd.

The store owner could not be reached for comment. The winner has 180 days from the draw to claim their prize.

Powerball is played Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. Saturday’s total jackpot will be at least $206 million, officials said.

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641892 2024-06-06T08:15:29+00:00 2024-06-07T07:22:40+00:00
Coroner: Son of former YouTube executive died from accidental drug overdose in UC Berkeley dorm https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/05/30/coroner-son-of-former-youtube-executive-died-from-accidental-drug-overdose/ Thu, 30 May 2024 20:27:44 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=641169&preview=true&preview_id=641169 BERKELEY — The cause of death of Marco Troper, the 19-year-old son of a former YouTube executive who died in his UC Berkeley dormitory in February, was an accidental drug overdose, the Alameda County Coroner’s Office has determined.

The Coroner’s Investigator Report lists the cause of death as “acute combined drug toxicity” and notes it was an “accidental manner.”

According to the coroner’s investigation, Troper had high concentrations of alprazolam, cocaine, amphetamine and hydroxyzine in his system when he died Feb. 13. There were also low levels of THC present in his system.

Alprazolam, sometimes branded as Xanax, is frequently prescribed to manage panic and anxiety disorders. Hydroxyzine is also used to help control anxiety and tension caused by nervous and emotional conditions.

The report says Troper was found by roommates not breathing in his bed in his room on the Clark Kerr Campus. “Suspected illicit and prescription drugs, including Percocet and oxycodone were fond in abundance” in the room but there was no evidence of physical trauma, the report says.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

A UC Berkeley spokesperson said Thursday the university would not be commenting on the coroner’s findings.

Troper was the son of Susan Wojcicki, who was YouTube’s CEO from 2014 to February 2023.

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641169 2024-05-30T13:27:44+00:00 2024-05-31T03:14:16+00:00
Officials: Fire that destroyed Horn Barbecue was likely arson https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/05/03/officials-fire-that-destroyed-horn-barbecue-was-likely-arson/ Fri, 03 May 2024 17:15:44 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=637968&preview=true&preview_id=637968 OAKLAND — A fire last November that destroyed the popular Horn Barbecue restaurant in West Oakland is being investigated as an arson, officials said Friday.

Oakland Fire Department spokesman Michael Hunt said investigators probing the fire found evidence indicating the blaze was deliberately set. He declined to release details about the evidence that pointed to arson.

Hunt said the department has not identified any suspects and that investigators were still looking for anyone who may have information about the fire.

The announcement marked the latest twist in a nearly six-month saga that began on Nov. 21, 2023, when a fire gutted the restaurant at 2534 Mandela Parkway.

Almost immediately, the West Oakland eatery’s owner, Matt Horn, suggested that someone had purposefully set it ablaze.

The fire charred the back and interior of the restaurant so badly that city inspectors immediately red-tagged the building, declaring it off-limits until structural concerns were addressed. At the time, Horn speculated to news outlets that the blaze may have been retribution for a social media post he’d made two days earlier, when the side of his restaurant had been tagged with graffiti.

“To you cowardly individuals responsible for this, hear me clearly: You are nothing more than the filth that plagues our beautiful city,” Horn had written on Instagram following the tagging.

The restaurant re-opened late last month at 864 8th St. in downtown Oakland, which already was the site of another of Horn’s restaurants, a happy-hour burger spot called Matty’s Old Fashioned.

During the intervening months, Horn faced multiple legal battles that left him facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements, often over claims that he stiffed a former business partner or that he failed to pay his invoices. All the while, the popular eatery received a groundswell of financial support from the community in the form of $130,000 in GoFundMe donations and $100,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding.

In December, a judge ordered Horn to pay a $167,000 settlement to a former business partner, David Kim, who claimed that he had to work for free after helping get Horn Barbecue off the ground. Kim claimed he was then pushed out of the business.

The same day as the settlement order, Horn asked the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for $100,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding. The request added to $488,820 in other forms of COVID-19 relief money that Horn received in recent years, including loans, grants and tax credits.

The supervisors later unanimously approved the request at a meeting in late February as part of a bulk vote that contained numerous other agenda items, including another $100,000 for a co-working and events space company named Oakstop. At least one supervisor, Nate Miley, later said he wasn’t familiar with the Horn Barbecue agenda item.

The money for Horn came from a $3.1 million pot of COVID-19 money that Supervisor Keith Carson had been given to benefit his district, which includes West Oakland and parts of North Oakland. Other supervisors received similar shares of money to help other parts of the county.

All the while, Kim’s attorneys complained that Horn appeared to be slow-walking payments from their December settlement.

Kim issued Horn a written notice in mid-February accusing him of avoiding his agreed-upon duty to either make his next payment or explain with financial documents why he could not. The pitmaster had been “particularly nefarious” in appearing to shirk issuing those payments, Kim’s attorney alleged, though the two sides ultimately reached a new payment agreement in late April.

In March, Horn also was ordered to pay $64,000 to Cooks Company Produce, a San Francisco-based distributor that sued Horn over a contract dispute. There was also an $83,000 settlement Horn owed to his former meat distributor, Golden Gate Meat Co., amid allegations of unpaid invoices.

In a reply Thursday to a comment that mentioned the arson finding on an Instagram post not related to the fire, Horn wrote: “Unfortunate to have happened. We will keep building.”

In a written statement provided Friday, Horn said, “We have full confidence in the Oakland Fire Department’s handling of the investigation into the fire at our former Horn Barbecue location on Mandela Parkway. As we focus on our newly opened location in Old Oakland, we remain committed to serving and uplifting the community. We have moved forward and will continue to keep our city in our prayers. No further comments will be made regarding this matter.”

Fire investigators ask anyone with information about the fire to contact them at 510-238-4031.

Reporter Kate Bradshaw contributed to this story.

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637968 2024-05-03T10:15:44+00:00 2024-05-03T17:15:41+00:00
Plea deals reached in fatal shooting of Pleasanton loss prevention officer https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/04/24/plea-deals-reached-in-fatal-shooting-of-pleasanton-loss-prevention-officer/ Wed, 24 Apr 2024 17:09:08 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=636801&preview=true&preview_id=636801 PLEASANTON — A woman who fatally shot a Home Depot loss prevention officer a year ago has reached a plea deal with prosecutors on a charge of second-degree murder, resulting in a negotiated sentence of 19 years to life in state prison, authorities said.

Her accomplice reached a deal that will send him to prison for more than seven years.

Benicia Knapps, 33, had been charged with murder, armed robbery, child endangerment and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the April 18, 2023, death of Blake Mohs, 26. The deal was announced Tuesday in a news release from Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price.

Knapps pleaded no contest and was convicted Monday of a second-degree murder charge with a gun enhancement that included the negotiated sentence of 19 years to life in state prison.

Her co-defendant, David Guillory, 32, had been charged with evading police, resisting arrest, accessory to robbery and child endangerment. He pleaded no contest and was convicted of child abuse, accessory to a robbery and evading an officer, and will receive 7 years and 4 months in prison.

Mohs, who was planning to be married in the summer of 2023, was working as a loss prevention officer at the Home Depot store at 6000 Johnson Drive. He confronted Knapps, who had taken a tool storage box without paying, and was shot in the chest, according to court records.

Knapps and Guillory then fled in an SUV driven by Guillory that also contained Knapps’ daughter, then 21 months old, records said.

The vehicle was pursued by law enforcement officers to Ney Avenue in East Oakland, where both Knapps and Guillory were arrested. The child was turned over to relatives.

In the release announcing the plea deal, Price said: “Blake Mohs was murdered for nothing more than doing his job. My condolences go out to his family, friends, coworkers and the community who are still grieving his death. While nothing can be done to undo this senseless tragedy, I hope that holding these two defendants accountable for taking Blake’s life will be an important step in the lifetime healing journey for his family and friends, and they will be able to move beyond their grief and trauma.”

The release also said the district attorney’s office and its Victim-Witness Advocates have been in continuous contact with Mohs’ family throughout the court proceedings over this past year. In open court, the prosecutor stated on the record that the resolution occurred with the blessing of the next of kin, who were present in court during the negotiations with the defense and when the plea was entered.

Knapps and Guillory will be formally sentenced on June 6 at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin. They remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail.

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636801 2024-04-24T10:09:08+00:00 2024-04-24T15:27:28+00:00
Eight suspects arrested in Oakland tobacco products robbery https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/04/18/eight-suspects-arrested-in-oakland-tobacco-products-robbery/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 22:00:29 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=636184&preview=true&preview_id=636184 OAKLAND — Eight men were arrested as suspects in a Tuesday morning armed robbery of tobacco products worth at least $10,000 from a delivery man, police said.

The stolen products and two guns were recovered, police said.

The robbery happened about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday outside a liquor store in the 7900 block of Mountain Boulevard.

Two vehicles pulled up alongside a delivery truck and numerous masked suspects, some armed, got out and took boxes of cigarettes and other items from the truck, authorities said.

The suspects then fled in the vehicles. The delivery man was not hurt.

During the course of the investigation, officers assigned to the Ceasefire Division connected the armed robbery to a series of tobacco-related thefts throughout the Bay Area, but have not yet specified what cities were involved.

Authorities believe the suspects would sell the stolen products to other stores.

Investigators working in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force located and arrested the men, who range in age from 21 to 38, at two residences on 43rd Street in North Oakland by early evening Tuesday. Two of the suspects live at the residences, authorities said.

Officers recovered the stolen tobacco products along with two firearms and other evidence that police said links them to similar robberies.

The investigation is continuing. Police are asking possible victims or anyone with information to call the robbery unit at 510-238-3326.

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636184 2024-04-18T15:00:29+00:00 2024-04-19T04:13:10+00:00
Lotto jackpot winning ticket sold at San Jose business https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/04/09/lotto-jackpot-winning-ticket-sold-at-san-jose-business/ Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:52:40 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=634933&preview=true&preview_id=634933 SAN JOSE — Someone can buy a lot of liquids and more after purchasing the Fantasy 5 lottery game jackpot ticket worth $173,260 at a bottled-water supply business Monday night, officials said.

The ticket was purchased at NT Pure Water, 3005 Silver Creek Rd., officials said.

The player was the only one statewide to pick all five winning numbers, which were 24, 25, 30, 35 and 39.

It is not known if the winning player has come forward yet. They have 180 days from the day of the draw to claim their money.

Fantasy 5 is played every night of the week.  Tuesday night’s minimum jackpot was to be at least $74,000.

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634933 2024-04-09T08:52:40+00:00 2024-04-11T04:08:45+00:00
Lottery ticket worth more than $120,000 sold at Albany gas station https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/03/29/lottery-ticket-worth-more-than-120000-sold-at-albany-gas-station/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 16:02:12 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=633605&preview=true&preview_id=633605 ALBANY — Someone purchased more than gas at a station here Thursday — they also picked up a Fantasy 5 lottery game ticket worth $120,958, officials said.

The player, who has not yet been identified, was one of five throughout the state to pick all five numbers and win their share of Thursday’s $604,790 overall jackpot.

The ticket was sold at the Arco AMPM station at 1001 San Pablo Ave.

The winning numbers were 3, 14, 15, 17 and 30.

A station employee said Friday morning she was not aware the ticket had been purchased there and had no idea who the winner was.

The other tickets were sold in Los Angeles, Del Rey Oaks, El Cajon and Rowland Heights.

The winner has 180 days from the day of the draw to claim their prize.

Fantasy 5 is played every night of the week. Friday’s jackpot was to be at least $81,000.

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633605 2024-03-29T09:02:12+00:00 2024-03-29T14:45:04+00:00
Four Napa clothing store theft suspects arrested after crashing stolen vehicle in Oakland https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/03/26/four-napa-clothing-store-theft-suspects-arrested-after-crashing-stolen-vehicle-in-oakland/ Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:14:38 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=633413&preview=true&preview_id=633413 NAPA — Three teen boys and a man — suspects in a Monday retail clothing store theft — were arrested after crashing their stolen getaway car in Oakland, authorities said.

The theft of more than 200 pairs of pants, valued at about $23,000, happened about 4 p.m. Monday at the Lululemon store at 1220 First St., police said.

The suspects fled in a 2017 Lexus GSF, later found to have been stolen in Oakland, authorities said.

Napa police spotted the car and along with American Canyon police officers began pursuing it on Interstate 80. Police turned over the chase to the California Highway Patrol near the Carquinez Bridge.

CHP officers continued the chase, but stopped the ground pursuit in Richmond and let a CHP aircraft continue to follow the fleeing car, authorities said

The suspects eventually made it into Oakland, where they crashed into a parked vehicle about 4:45 p.m. near the intersection of Lakeshore Avenue and Beacon Street, near Lake Merritt.

The four suspects attempted to flee on foot but were soon arrested by Oakland police and CHP officers.

The four suspects — a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy and a 25-year-old man — were later brought back to Napa and booked.

The stolen clothing was recovered.

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633413 2024-03-26T14:14:38+00:00 2024-03-27T04:18:15+00:00
Son of former YouTube executive dies on UC Berkeley campus https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/02/18/son-of-former-youtube-executive-dies-on-uc-berkeley-campus/ Sun, 18 Feb 2024 22:13:16 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=619725&preview=true&preview_id=619725 BERKELEY — The cause of death is pending for the 19-year-old son of a former YouTube executive who died last week in his UC Berkeley dormitory,  authorities said.

Marco Troper, a freshman at the university, died Tuesday after he was found unresponsive in his dormitory on the Clark Kerr Campus,  authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. There were no signs of foul play, authorities said.

The coroner’s bureau said Sunday the cause of death has not yet been determined.

Troper was the son of Susan Wojcicki, who was YouTube’s CEO from 2014 to February 2023.

In a Facebook post Troper’s grandmother, Esther Wojcicki said  the family was “devastated beyond comprehension” by his death and she told told SFGate.com that a drug overdose was suspected.

“Marco was the most kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being,” she said. “He was just getting started on his second semester of his freshman year and was majoring in math and truly loving it.”

She said he had a strong community of friends at his dorm and fraternity “and was thriving academically.

“Marco’s life was cut too short.  And we are all devastated, thinking  about the opportunities and life experiences that he will miss, and we will miss together,” she said.

 

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619725 2024-02-18T14:13:16+00:00 2024-02-19T13:31:26+00:00
On second straight day, suspects arrested in Berkeley Apple store thefts https://www.siliconvalley.com/2024/02/09/on-second-straight-day-suspects-arrested-in-berkeley-apple-store-thefts/ Fri, 09 Feb 2024 23:56:47 +0000 https://www.siliconvalley.com/?p=618224&preview=true&preview_id=618224 BERKELEY — The day after three people were arrested for allegedly stealing more than 75 iPhones from the Fourth Street Apple Store, two other suspects were arrested Thursday for stealing phones, iPads and laptop computers from the same store earlier in the day, police said Friday.

Police have not specified any possible connection between the thefts.

Thursday’s grab-and-dash thefts happened about 12:15 p.m. at the store at 1823 Fourth Street

Police said two men entered the store and stole 16 iPhones, six iPads and four MacBooks and fled in a silver Honda before officers could respond.

A witness got the license plate number for the Honda; about 4 p.m. Thursday it was stopped by Vacaville police and the two suspects were arrested.

The stolen items were not recovered, police said. The suspects were brought back to Berkeley and booked.

According to court records, only one of the suspects arrested in the Wednesday thefts — Tyler Mims — has been formally charged so far. Two men stole the phones from the store and fled in a red Dodge truck. It was stopped later in East Oakland and the three suspects were arrested and the phones recovered, police said.

Mims, 22, who has addresses in both Berkeley and Sacramento, is also the suspect in several thefts at the Emeryville Apple store, including one Monday where video surveillance captured a man stuffing 50 iPhones with a retail value of some $49,000 into his pants before fleeing to a double-parked car.

According to court records, Mims was formally charged Friday with 16 felony and misdemeanor counts stemming from the thefts at the two stores, including multiple counts of second degree burglary, organized retail theft, grand theft of personal property, and receiving stolen property. He was being held in lieu of $420,000 bail at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

No charges have been filed yet against the other two suspects, a 28-year-old Oakland man and a 20-year-old Berkeley woman. The man remained in custody Friday morning but the woman has been released, according to jail records.

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618224 2024-02-09T15:56:47+00:00 2024-02-11T07:46:53+00:00