Posted by Harry Harris

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/man-stabbed-at-hayward-bart-station-suspect-arrested/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12187346

HAYWARD — A man was stabbed Wednesday afternoon at the Hayward BART Station and a suspect was later arrested, authorities said.

The man stabbed, a 28-year-old Oakland resident, was in stable condition at a hospital.

The stabbing happened about 4:59 p.m. Wednesday on the concourse level of the station in the free area outside the fare gates, BART officials said. The man was stabbed in his lower back with a knife by another man.

The suspect, Jontori Lee, 31, of Oakland, was arrested in the area by BART police.

Police are trying to determine if the two men knew each other and what motivated the stabbing.

Lee was booked at Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and other weapons-related offenses. He was being held without bail.

According to court records, Lee was on probation for an April 1, 2025 Alameda County conviction for making terrorist threats. He was initially arrested in that case in March of 2025 for the threat charge and also for brandishing a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm in public. But in a plea bargain, the two gun charges were dropped and he pleaded no contest and was convicted of the threat charge, the records say.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/man-stabbed-at-hayward-bart-station-suspect-arrested/

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Posted by Nate Gartrell

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/he-might-kill-my-mom-next-fremont-mans-murderer-always-seemed-to-be-watching-him/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12187048

FREMONT — Two months before his neighbor shot him five times in the head, back, stomach and legs, 26-year-old Mikell Jordan snapped a picture of his soon-to-be killer from the rearview mirror of his car.

“This guy is a weirdo, he is literally following me,” Jordan texted his boss on July 16, 2024. “Next time I’m making a police report for harassing me.”

It was just one of many incidents between Jordan and Abbasin Hoshmand, the 48-year-old former U.S. Army translator who shot and killed Jordan on Sept. 26, 2024, outside the Fremont apartments where both men lived.

Many of the conflicts, which allegedly started over a parking spot spat, were documented by Jordan. He sent his friends pictures of damage to his car, injuries he suffered and evidence of Hoshmand’s increasing fixation on him, according to court records.

A jury decided Hoshmand’s fate in July, convicting him of first-degree murder for killing Jordan and a misdemeanor count related to domestic violence. In August, Alameda County Judge Jason Chin later sentenced him to 50 years to life in prison.

The outcome was quick for a murder trial, with the sentencing coming just 11 months after Hoshmand was charged, despite concerns in June that Hoshmand was mentally incompetent for trial, according to court filings.

The court records paint a chilling picture of a man feared by neighbors and even his own family, whose behavior escalated in the months leading up to the murder. Hoshmand, his wife and their six children moved to the apartment complex on the 40400 block of Grimmer Boulevard from their native Afghanistan, where Hoshmand had assisted U.S. forces in the 20-year-long war.

In his one pleasant conversation with Jordan, Hoshmand said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his experiences in the Army, and his sons speculated he had an undiagnosed mental illness, according to court records.

Jordan moved to his apartment to assist a family member with “special needs,” prosecutors said in court filings. After he and Hoshmand argued over a parking space, he began keeping his car down the street to avoid further confrontation, authorities said. It was no use.

“Dude the neighbor punched my car and then pushed me on the ground. And he hit my car with a bat,” Jordan texted his girlfriend on July 6, 2024.

Two days later, he sent his girlfriend another chilling text, accompanying a picture of a surveillance camera attached to a gutter on the apartment complex. The text read, “my neighbor put a camera pointed at my room,” according to screenshots from the woman’s phone, which were filed in court.

“He’s crazy,” his girlfriend texted him 10 days later, after Jordan texted her pictures of Hoshmand following him around Fremont in a silver 2005 Toyota Corolla. “Be careful my love.”

Jordan was returning from a laundromat, carrying two hamper bags, when he was gunned down. Prosecutors say Hoshmand walked up carrying a semi-automatic pistol and fired five times. He then fled to Pleasanton, in the same Toyota Corolla, where he turned himself in to police hours later.

Hoshmand’s teenaged son witnessed the shooting, phoned 911 and told a dispatcher that, “my dad just shot someone outside. He’s dead,” according to court filings describing the call.

“Do you know who was shot?” the dispatcher asked.

“No. No idea. Just some random guy outside,” the son replied, according to court records. “Can you send officers here because he might kill my mom next.”

Pressed for more information, Hoshmand’s son revealed that for months “he’s been talking about killing people” but that “we thought it was a joke.”

“For the past three months, he’s had a disease,” Hoshmand’s son said, later adding.

During trial, Hoshmand’s wife refused to testify, invoking marital privilege. Prosecutors said Hoshmand slapped her and accused her of infidelity before going outside and killing Jordan. Hoshmand’s misdemeanor conviction stems from that slap, and the charge allowed prosecutors to bring in some evidence of alleged domestic violence in the home.

Hoshmand was set to go to trial in June, but his lawyer formally declared a doubt to his mental competency. The trial resumed after Hoshmand was evaluated and cleared by psychiatrists, court records show.

After their July 6 confrontation, where Jordan accused Hoshmand of hurting his arm and damaging his car, Jordan texted his girlfriend that he was still struggling to de-escalate the situation.

“I’m so upset right now and being the bigger person is so hard,” he wrote. “I was about to knock him out, but all the kids were outside. Also I didn’t want to go to jail for assault.”

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/he-might-kill-my-mom-next-fremont-mans-murderer-always-seemed-to-be-watching-him/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12187048

Posted by Ryan Macasero

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/san-mateo-county-affordable-and-market-rate-housing-break-ground/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12186685

As San Mateo County continues to try and meet state-mandated housing targets, developers broke ground recently on two new projects in North Fair Oaks and Daly City.

Located just off Middlefield Road in North Fair Oaks, the Monarch at Redwood will feature studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, including one for an on-site manager. Forty-six units are reserved for income-qualified households, with rents based on a percentage of household income.

According to San Mateo County, the $70.4 million project is supported by nearly $21 million in loans from the Affordable Housing Fund, which is funded by Measure K sales tax revenue, federal pandemic relief dollars, the Mental Health Services Act and the state’s Housing for a Healthy California program.

The county said the San Mateo County Housing Authority will also provide 24 project-based vouchers to ensure ongoing rental assistance.

Residents will have access to a variety of supportive services, including job training, career development, and health and wellness programs. Service coordinators from the Mental Health Association of San Mateo County will be on-site to assist residents with medical or mental health challenges.

The project follows a fire last year that destroyed a nearby affordable housing complex, delaying the construction of over 100 affordable-rate units. The complex is now being rebuilt. County fire officials said the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.

“Our goal with Monarch is to strengthen North Fair Oaks by providing housing and support that allow residents to stay close to friends, schools, and local businesses, keeping the heart of the community vibrant and inclusive,” said Jimmy Silverwood, president of Affirmed Housing, the project’s developer.

San Mateo County Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, a former East Palo Alto councilmember who represents the area, called the project a model for collaboration at last week’s groundbreaking, which was attended by housing advocates, community members and local leaders.

“In a region where affordability is becoming increasingly rare, this project shows what’s possible when the county, community and development partners come together with shared values and purpose,” Gauthier said.

The county is expected to approve 2,833 new housing units in areas under its jurisdiction to meet state-mandated targets, including 811 units for very low-income households.

In Daly City, developers Bozzuto and Kimco Realty started construction on The Chester at Westlake, a 214-unit mixed-use project they describe as Daly City’s first “major predominantly market-rate apartment community in the area in more than 15 years.”

Set to open in winter 2027, the project will add 214 residential units to the Westlake Shopping Center, along with nearly 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The complex will offer studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments – about 70% of the units will include a private balcony or terrace. Residents will also have access to more than 13,000 square feet of amenities, according to the developer.

The development, located at 99 Southgate Ave., is less than a mile from the coast and near Interstate 280 and BART.

Developers say the project aims to revitalize Westlake’s role as a community hub while supporting Daly City’s growth. The city must build 4,383 housing units by 2031 to meet state housing goals.

San Mateo County, one of the most expensive places to live in the nation, is among several Bay Area jurisdictions facing increased scrutiny from state housing regulators. Counties and cities that fail to meet their state-approved housing plans, known as the housing element, risk losing funding or triggering the “builder’s remedy,” a measure that allows developers to bypass local zoning laws if their projects include enough affordable units.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/san-mateo-county-affordable-and-market-rate-housing-break-ground/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12186685

Posted by George Avalos

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/bay-area-economy-store-retail-book-jobs-build-property-covid-shop/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12186295

Books Inc., a Bay Area bookseller whose roots stretch back to the 19th century, says it has found a buyer, but warns it might be forced to cease operations if the last-ditch attempt at a sale fails.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, a retailer that itself has closed some stores, has emerged as the sole candidate to buy Books Inc., according to documents on file with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Barnes & Noble agreed to pay $3.25 million, according to a letter of intent dated July 7.

The potential purchase appears to be an all-or-nothing gambit to survive, a court filing by Books Inc. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Perham indicates. Books Inc., which has its headquarters in San Leandro, filed for bankruptcy in January.

“If the proposed sale is approved, it will pay the debtor’s secured, administrative, and priority claimants in full and will provide for a meaningful distribution to unsecured creditors,” Perham stated in court papers posted on Sept. 3. “Without court approval of the proposed sale, the debtor would likely need to shut its doors and begin a wind-down process.”

Books Inc. has scouted widely for buyers but with minimal success.

“The debtor received a nonbinding offer from Barnes & Noble Booksellers,” Perham reported to the bankruptcy court. “The debtor has received no other offers and only a limited number of inquiries, despite continued efforts to solicit other interested buyers.”

Books Inc. told the court that its origins date back to 1851 and that the company has operated under its current name since 1946.

The bookseller operates in 10 brick-and-mortar retail locations in a variety of Bay Area venues, including shopping centers and two locations at San Francisco International Airport.

“The debtor’s financial troubles can be traced to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a sharp decline in sales due to shelter-in-place orders and social distancing mandates,” Perham stated in the court papers. “Although public health restrictions have ended, the pandemic triggered long-term changes in consumer behavior that reduced in-person sales.”

Foot traffic from office workers and commuters had always provided an essential revenue stream for Books Inc.

“The shopping patterns of these groups shifted significantly due to the widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models, resulting in decreased foot traffic and revenue at many of the debtor’s retail stores,” Perham told the court.

Books Inc. was able to use the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding to begin reorganizing its finances by successfully renegotiating its leases to reflect the new reality of reduced foot traffic.

“Despite the debtor’s progress in negotiating with its landlords, two setbacks arose,” Perham reported to the bankruptcy court. “Both involved the debtor’s SFO Airport storefronts in Terminals 2 and 3, which have historically been the debtor’s top-performing locations.”

American Airlines moved its flights to the newly renovated Terminal 1. While Southwest Airlines increased flights from Terminal 2, that wasn’t enough to offset the loss of the American Airlines passenger business, Books Inc. stated in the filing.

SFO has also launched a wide-ranging construction project at Terminal 3, which has crimped the Books Inc. business at that terminal due to construction barriers and the re-routing of potential customers away from the store.

“The impact of these challenges has been significant,” Perham told the court. “The sudden decline in sales at these SFO Airport locations, which have typically been the debtor’s highest-earning stores, has severely constrained the debtor’s cash flow.”

Books Inc. believes it could have survived independently had the SFO changes not occurred. Now, however, the retailer believes only a sale can prevent a collapse of its business. Even worse, Books Inc. might not survive long enough to complete a full-fledged reorganization effort.

“The debtor does not have sufficient cash flow to continue operations for enough time to establish, solicit, and confirm a Chapter 11 plan,” Perham told the court. “It is incurring monthly operating losses and faces a risk of insolvency if it cannot promptly pursue an alternative strategy.”

Books Inc. believes its brand won’t vanish even if it sells itself to Barnes & Noble. Perham noted that in 2024, Barnes & Noble bought the Tattered Cover bookstore chain in Colorado that had toppled into bankruptcy.

“Barnes & Noble kept the Tattered Cover name, branding, and most of its employees, and operates the stores in the spirit of their previous owner,” Perham said.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/bay-area-economy-store-retail-book-jobs-build-property-covid-shop/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12186295

Posted by CNN.com

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/09/04/california-man-man-led-utah-police-on-60-mile-chase/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12187258

BEAVER, Utah — A man awaiting trial in California for allegedly stealing a car was arrested in Utah on Tuesday after police say he led officers on a 60-mile chase in a stolen vehicle — 25 miles of which he drove the wrong way on the freeway.

Adarian Deantae Murrell, 25, was booked into the Beaver County Jail and charged on Wednesday in 5th District Court with possessing a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony; two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of failing to stop for police, third-degree felonies; reckless driving, marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, class B misdemeanors; using license plates registered to another vehicle, a class C misdemeanor; and four traffic infractions including driving on the wrong side of the road, speeding, illegally crossing the median and entering or exiting the highway illegally.

The incident began when Murrell, who was driving a Lexus SUV, was spotted by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper speeding near 600 S. Main in Beaver, according to a police booking affidavit. The trooper attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver kept going.

“I observed the vehicle traveling at an estimated speed of 70 mph in the 40 mph zone on Main Street as it approached the north interchange of I-15, displaying disregard for the safety of the persons who were in the area. The subject then entered I-15 … heading north and accelerated to a speed of over 120 mph,” the arresting trooper wrote in the affidavit.

At one point, Murrell traveled north in the southbound lanes of I-15, according to the arrest report.

“The vehicle continued traveling the wrong way until it reached the I-70/I-15 junction,” the affidavit states. “The vehicle then crossed the median area and continued northbound in the northbound lanes at speeds of over 100 mph.”

Several miles later, Murrell again crossed into oncoming traffic and drove the wrong way on the freeway. He was stopped when a UHP patrol vehicle intentionally hit the fleeing vehicle head-on, according to the affidavit.

The UHP added in a prepared statement that after crossing into oncoming traffic for the final time, Murrell “began driving on the far shoulder of the northbound lanes, still heading southbound at about 25-35 mph.” A trooper then “pinned the vehicle at low speeds while it was off the road on the far shoulder, and the suspect was taken into custody.”

Investigators discovered that the vehicle Murrell was driving was reported stolen in Southern California on Aug. 30. Drug paraphernalia and marijuana were located throughout the vehicle, and Murrell was still wearing an ankle monitor from a prior case, the affidavit says.

“The subject has multiple charges in his criminal history of grand theft auto and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The subject was located and stopped in a reported stolen vehicle,” troopers wrote in the affidavit. “The subject failed to stop for multiple law enforcement officers. The suspect vehicle had to be crashed in order to get him to stop. The suspect fled approximately 60 miles and drove (the) wrong way on I-15 for approximately 25 miles.”

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