In Your Town for Sept. 25, 2024

WEST MARIN

Suspects admit guilt
in burglary at home

A pair of defendants pleaded guilty Tuesday to a residential burglary in Lagunitas.

Shalaya Cherry, 29, of Marin City and Clarissa Anderson, 25, a transient, accepted a deal with the prosecution and admitted to one felony burglary charge. A second burglary count was dismissed.

Judge Kelly Simmons scheduled the sentencing for Nov. 18. She told the defendants they now face probation instead of prison time.

Marin County sheriff’s deputies arrested Cherry and Anderson on May 20 while investigating a burglary on Corona Avenue.  Authorities also arrested Fairfield resident Emani Gordon, 29, in Santa Rosa a few weeks after the burglary.

Anderson’s attorney, Theodore Somers, declined to comment after the hearing Tuesday. Cherry’s attorney, Jon Rankin, said his client is “a nice, young lady with a bright future.”

“Unfortunately, she was in the company of a career criminal, and some of his stuff stuck to her,” Rankin said.

Gordon pleaded guilty last month to a felony burglary charge with a penalty enhancement for a prior felony conviction. He was sentenced to four years in prison, sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said.

SAN RAFAEL

Police accuse suspect
of assault, vandalism

San Rafael police arrested a man who allegedly vandalized several vehicles and tried to hit someone with a folding chair.

The alleged crimes happened at about 10:45 p.m. Sunday in the parking garage near the corner of A and Third streets, Sgt. Justin Graham said. Officers detained the suspect after he tried to walk away, Graham said.

Dominic Lucero, 39, of San Rafael was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, resisting police, public intoxication and violating his probation terms. He was booked into the Marin County Jail without a bail amount because of the alleged probation violation.

Mental tests ordered
for accused attacker

A Marin judge ordered an evaluation Tuesday for a San Rafael stabbing suspect to see if he is mentally competent to stand trial.

Walenton Deleon-Diaz, 26, of San Rafael allegedly attacked the victim during a family argument at a Fairfax Street apartment on June 25. Deleon-Diaz pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

His defense attorney, Tom Brown, declined to comment after the hearing Tuesday before Judge Kelly Simmons. The next hearing is set for Oct. 22.

MILL VALLEY

Zoning official clears
residence expansions

A city zoning administrator has approved two residential expansion projects.

One application proposes a 186-square-foot addition at 29 Birch St. It also calls for adding 108 square feet to an accessory dwelling unit, bringing it to 605 square feet.

The other application requests a 323-square-foot first-floor expansion and a 428-square-foot second-story addition at 46 Meadow Road. The extra space will bring the residence to about 2,151 square feet.

The zoning official approved both plans during hearings on Sept. 17, said Patrick Kelly, the city’s director of planning and building.