Man charged with sexually assaulting 2 unconscious women in Irvine

• June 21, 2023

A 47-year-old man was charged Tuesday, June 20 with sexually assaulting two unconscious women in Irvine.

Eleuterio Gomezgodinez was charged with rape of an unconscious person and rape, with the alleged crimes occurring on Feb. 20, 2015, and oral copulation of an unconscious person on May 8, 2022, all felonies, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana and was ordered to return to court July 28 for a pretrial hearing in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

Gomezgodinez was arrested Thursday after investigators received evidence linking him to the 2022 case, Irvine police Sgt. Karie Davies said.

Further details, including information on the 2015 attack, were not immediately available.

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Angels’ Reid Detmers rides re-tooled slider to his best game of the season

• June 21, 2023

ANAHEIM — Reid Detmers’ slider, the pitch that he used to turn around his season last year, might have arrived just in time to turn around his season this year.

After the Angels’ left-hander worked seven scoreless innings in what might have been his best outing in the majors – no-hitter included – Detmers said he’s been retooling his slider.

“I was messing with it quite a bit today,” Detmers said after the Angels’ 2-0 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday night. “The last two to three starts I’ve been messing with it. It’s been a lot better. It’s felt a lot better. I’ve got a feel for it to start tinkering with it a little bit. Make it slower. Make it harder, which is nice to have. Makes life a little bit easier.”

Detmers’ average slider on Tuesday night was 87.9 mph, which is down from his average of 90 mph coming into the game.

That’s similar to the velocity that he had on the slider in the second half of last season. Although he was able to increase it this season, higher velocity didn’t lead to better results.

Now, Detmers said it’s not just a matter of slower is better, but the ability to throw it at different speeds depending on the situation is better.

“It just gives them a different look,” he said.

The Dodgers whiffed on seven of their 18 swings on Detmers’ 36 sliders.

It helped him get through 24 hitters on 99 pitches. In his previous outings this season, Detmers had trouble in the third time through the lineup, but during his previous outing in Texas he wiggled out of a sixth-inning jam to leave with only one run on the scoreboard. This time, there were no jams at all.

Detmers gave up singles in the second and seventh, and both times he stranded the runners at first base. He issued a one-out walk in the fourth.

That was it.

“That was probably the best I’ve seen him, considering how the game was going, the lineup he’s facing,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “Obviously, those guys at the top are the best top of the order in baseball and he went right through them, pitched great.”

Nevin acknowledged that Detmers threw a no-hitter last May, but he said he still felt this game was better. Detmers struck out eight and walked one on Tuesday. He only struck out two in his no-hitter.

Detmers, who has an 0.98 ERA in his last three games, agreed that this game was better.

“It’s probably the best I’ve felt in a very long time,” he said. “Things are finally starting to click a little bit.”

Detmers even made an impression on Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ ace who shared the mound with him. Detmers said Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is a fellow lefty he has admired for years, and the feeling is now mutual.

“Detmers threw the ball really well,” Kershaw said. “He’s got good stuff. I mean, he pitched better than I did, honestly. He didn’t give up many hard-hit balls at all tonight.”

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Dodgers break through against Angels’ bullpen to decide pitchers’ duel

• June 21, 2023

<p>

</p><p>ANAHEIM — Will Smith acknowledged it.</p><p>“I think we were desperate for something to go our way and it finally happened tonight,” he said after the Dodgers rode an overturned call and a well-placed divot on the basepath to a 2-0 victory over the Angels in the opener of the southern edition of this year’s Freeway Series.</p><p>The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Dodgers. The Angels, meanwhile, lost for just the fourth time in their past 15 games.</p><p>“Sometimes you’re going to need a lucky hop and we got that with Buschy’s (Michael Busch’s) ground ball to first,” Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw said. “We needed that. There’s no doubt. Between the overturned call in the fourth (inning) and that one (in the eighth) – for some reason it was our day today. We’ll take it and hopefully get some more of that tomorrow.”</p><p>The Dodgers and Angels both would gladly take some more of the kind of starting pitching they got Tuesday. Squaring off from opposite ends of the career spectrum, Kershaw and Reid Detmers dueled through seven scoreless innings.</p><p>“It’s awesome,” Detmers said of facing Kershaw. “Obviously growing up watching him, getting to face him in spring training, and then actually getting to face him in the regular season, that’s something special. Obviously, he showed what he’s capable of tonight. It was just fun to go up and compete against him.”</p><p>One of three Louisville first-round draftees in the house for this series (along with Smith and Bobby Miller), <a href=”https://www.ocregister.com/2023/06/20/angels-reid-detmers-rides-re-tooled-slider-to-his-best-game-of-the-season/”>Detmers was nearly untouchable for his seven innings</a>. The Dodgers had just two singles and a walk. Only Freddie Freeman made it to second base, stealing it after leading off the fourth with that walk. The Dodgers advanced him no further.</p><p>Detmers finished with eight strikeouts and has an 0.98 ERA over his past three starts with 24 strikeouts and six walks in 18⅓ innings.</p><p>“Detmers threw the ball really well. He’s got good stuff,” Kershaw said. “I mean, he pitched better than I did, honestly. He didn’t give up many hard-hit balls at all tonight.”</p><p>Indeed. Kershaw had more work to do than Detmers.</p><p>Perfect for seven innings at Angel Stadium last July, he didn’t allow a hit until Brandon Drury singled through the middle with two outs in the fourth inning. Hunter Renfroe followed with a one-hop double off the wall in center field and it looked like the Angels would score first.</p><p>They did, briefly. The relay throw from Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas was up the first-base line, pulling Smith wide of home plate. Smith made an outstanding play, short-hopping the throw and diving back to the plate to meet a diving Drury there.</p><p>The original call by home plate umpire Sean Barber was safe. But the Dodgers challenged the call and (after an extended review) it was overturned, leaving the game scoreless – and Angels manager Phil Nevin disgruntled.</p><p>“Clear and definitive? I don’t get it,” Nevin said. “He maybe touched his eyelash. You can’t see because the dirt is popped up. We’ve had a couple like that that are just baffling to me. Maybe they had a different angle. I don’t know, but I’m just really confused on how this replay system works. Just get rid of it. Because the umpires are really good. Let them work the game.”</p><p>If Nevin was upset about the dirt popping up on that play, he wasn’t going to like the eighth inning.</p><p>The Angels put runners at second and third with no outs in the seventh but Kershaw worked out of it.</p><p>The Dodgers celebrated Detmers’ departure in the eighth inning with a one-out double by Rojas off Angels reliever Chris Devenski. Michael Busch followed with a hard ground ball at first baseman Kevin Padlo. But the ball hit something in the basepath, bouncing high over Padlo’s head and into right field for an RBI single.</p><p>“When I got the hit (two batters later), Padlo goes, ‘Did you kick the dirt and put holes over here?’” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “I wish I could take credit for that. But that was a massive hop. Glad it happened for us.”</p><p>Freeman’s single sent Busch to third and Smith drove him in with an RBI single.</p><p>The first Dodgers starting pitcher <a href=”https://www.ocregister.com/2023/06/08/kershaw-dodgers-dodge-sweep-in-cincinnati/”>to go seven innings since he did it on June 8 (also scoreless)</a>, Kershaw left little to be asked of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Considering their 7.81 ERA in June coming into the game, that was a good plan.</p><p>Roberts went with Caleb Ferguson in the eighth to face the top of the order. He struck out Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout (ending Ohtani’s 15-game hitting streak). Evan Phillips handled the ninth flawlessly.</p><p>“Our ground balls went to somebody in those spots and theirs just out of the reach of somebody. So that’s the way the game is,” Nevin said. “I thought it was a great baseball game all around. It was fun to be a part of. I love those back-and-forth pitching duels. I thought it was a really fun night at the ballpark. It just didn’t go our way.”</p><p></p>

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Cargo ship crew member is reported overboard off Southern California coast

• June 21, 2023

SAN PEDRO —  The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its active search Tuesday night for a sailor who fell overboard from a bulk carrier vessel 14 miles southwest of Point Conception.

Coast Guard crews searched by air and sea for nearly 15 hours, covering more than 200 square nautical miles in an attempt to find the crew member who went overboard from the African Cardinal, which was sailing the Santa Barbara Channel Traffic Separation Scheme en route to the Port of Long Beach.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to this crew member’s friends and family,” said Chief Warrant Officer John Rose, search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. “The decision to suspend an active search is never easy and is only made after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person.”

The Coast Guard’s Long Beach Command Center received a report at approximately 5 a.m of the crew member who had gone overboard, the Coast Guard said. The center’s watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast, stating the nature of the situation.

A rescue helicopter took off from Forward Operating Base Point Mugu, a small boat crew departed from Coast Guard Station Channel Islands and the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward was diverted to search for the crew member, the Coast Guard reported.

Anyone with information regarding the search was urged to call the Coast Guard’s Los Angeles-Long Beach Sector at 310-521-3801.

​ Orange County Register 

Sparks’ skid reaches 3 games with another late loss to Lynx

• June 21, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points and nine rebounds, but the Sparks lost to the Minnesota Lynx, 67-61, on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, their third loss to the Lynx in a 10-day stretch.

The Sparks will host back-to-back games against the Dallas Wings on Friday and Sunday but Ogwumike said it is appropriate for the team to contemplate what went wrong against Minnesota.

“People are still dwelling on this loss,” Ogwumike said. “There were mistakes made by competitors in (our) locker room that aren’t happy with how it ended so I think it’s okay to sit with that. It’s okay to have that type of passion for the game and then Thursday we’re going to turn back around and get ready for Dallas.”

Nneka Ogwumike said it’s okay for the Los Angeles Sparks (5-7) to sit with their 67-61 loss to the Minnesota Lynx (4-8) before turning the page to back-to-back home games against the Dallas Wings on Friday and Sunday. #WNBATwitter #WNBA pic.twitter.com/EVcj80N3QX

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 21, 2023

I’m breaking down the LA Sparks 67-61 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, which was their third loss to the Lynx in a 10-day stretch. Nneka Ogwumike led Sparks with 20 points and 9 rebounds. However, Napheesa Collier was the star of the night, finishing with 26 points and 14 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/zieO5cRouP

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 21, 2023

Ogwumike scored 11 of her team-high 20 points in the first quarter. Sparks point guard Jordin Canada added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists, joining Ogwumike as the only other Spark to score in double figures on a night when they committed 17 turnovers, and shot 37.1% from the field.

The Sparks (5-7) have dropped the first three games of their five-game homestand and four of their last five games overall, which includes the three against Minnesota, all by six points or less.

“We didn’t execute all game,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said.

Sparks head coach Curt Miller’s postgame opening statement: “We didn’t execute all game.” #WNBA #WNBATwitter pic.twitter.com/46oLUTAb5T

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 21, 2023

Minnesota (4-8) was led by forward Napheesa Collier, who finished with a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds and three steals. Bridget Carleton scored all 14 of her points after halftime. Linsday Allen finished with five points and a game-high eight assists off the bench for the Lynx.

A 3-pointer by Canada put the Sparks ahead 52-49 with 8:51 left, but consecutive 3-pointers by Carleton gave Minnesota a 55-54 lead with 7:39 left. The Sparks stayed close until the end and were still down by just one after a fast-break layup by Rae Burrell pulled them within 62-61 with 2:47 remaining.

“I feel like that’s one of my things for this team is to bring the energy not only on the court but in the locker room,” said Burrell, who finished with seven points in eight minutes off the bench. “Just being that spark off the bench and doing whatever the team needs me to do at that time. They were able to get me in good positions to score and I was able to finish.”

Collier sank a jumper from the free-throw line, following an offensive rebound, to give Minnesota a 64-61 lead with 1:26 left, then the Sparks were done in by their final turnover of the night.

Still trailing by three, the Sparks called a timeout with 24.1 seconds left to set up an offensive play. Tiffany Mitchell intercepted a pass for her fifth steal of the night and raced the other way, forcing the Sparks to foul. Collier then made one of two free throws to give the Lynx a 65-61 lead with 8.7 seconds remaining.

Before tipoff, Miller said the game would come down to execution.

“A win against a smart team like Minnesota would give us so much confidence that we can compete against the best teams with the most talent but also smart teams that are execution teams,” Miller said.

Sparks head coach Curt Miller said the team that executes is going to win the Lynx at Sparks game. Miller explains what it would mean for the Sparks to win Tuesday’s game, which is the third time both teams have played each other in 10 days. #WNBATwitter #WNBA pic.twitter.com/dg9CNB0OAK

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 21, 2023

The Sparks led by eight points early behind Ogwumike’s strong start but trailed the Lynx 19-18 at the end of the first quarter.

Burrell, who is currently on a temporary hardship contract, added five points in five minutes off the bench in the second quarter to help the Sparks through a scoring drought and to a 33-32 halftime lead. The Sparks shot 42.3% from the field in the first half, but they held the Lynx to 40.6% overall and a 1-for-10 showing 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.

Ogwumike’s three-point play tied the score at 40-all with 5:07 left in the third quarter.

A 3-pointer by Karlie Samuelson, who started at shooting guard for Lexie Brown, who missed her third straight game with a non-COVID illness, put the Sparks ahead 49-47 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.

Collier grabbed her 10th rebound of the game and tipped the ball in with less than a second to go to tie the score at 49-all, heading into the fourth quarter.

Before the game, Sparks forward Azurá Stevens and rookie guard Zia Cooke also knew the contest was likely to come down to defense.

“We can sit here and talk about offense all day but defense wins games,” Stevens said.

“We have to lock into defensive strategies, making sure we’re doing the little things. We have to close out games, that’s something that we really have to lock into doing,” Cooke added.

The teams meet once more this season – on July 20 in Minnesota, the Sparks’ first game after the WNBA All-Star break.

Azurá Stevens and Zia Cooke on playing the Minnesota Lynx for the third time in 10 days. pic.twitter.com/fxY79CLurW

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) June 21, 2023

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How deep the ocean is at the Titanic wreckage might surprise you

• June 21, 2023

Officials are in a race against time to find a civilian submersible that had five people aboard after it went missing Sunday in the North Atlantic while voyaging to the wreckage of the Titanic.

The 21-foot vessel has four days of emergency capability, the leader of search and rescue efforts said Monday afternoon, as crews with the U.S. and Canadian coast guards continued scouring the ocean’s surface about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and used sonar to listen for sounds far below the water.

The missing explorers sailed 350 miles to the coordinates of the wreck and were to spend eight days on board the ship, taking it in turns to complete the eight-hour submarine mission to The Titanic.

Here’s a look at the ocean where the Titanic went down on April 14, 1912.

According to NOAA, the average ocean depth is 12,566 feet.

The greatest ocean depth, however, is 36,200 feet.

Pressure in the ocean is measured in terms of atmospheres. One atmosphere is equal to the weight of the earth’s atmosphere at sea level, about 14.6 pounds per square inch. If you are at sea level, each square inch of your surface is subjected to a force of 14.6 pounds.

The pressure increases about one atmosphere for every 10 meters of water depth.

At a depth of 5,000 meters the pressure will be approximately 500 atmospheres or 500 times greater than the pressure at sea level.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom’s cynical attack on police oversight law

• June 21, 2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom has gained a reputation for making grand pronouncements and then not following up with specific actions after the press conference is over. Rarely, however, have we seen him actively undermine the goals he outlined in his public statements. Until now.

In 2021, the governor signed a landmark police accountability bill to decertify police officers who engaged in abusive and illegal conduct and provide public access of the investigations. He signed the law in the aftermath of the highly publicized video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd. His death sparked nationwide protests.

California was one of only three states that had no process for decertifying bad officers. Even in instances of egregious wrongdoing that would lead to an officer’s firing, that officer often would get a new job at another police agency. The officer at the center of the Floyd incident was the subject of 18 previous complaints about his on-duty behavior.

Our sister papers in the Bay Area News Group ran an investigative report in 2019 about California’s “criminal cops” — active police officers who had been convicted of felonies, including serious crimes such as manslaughter. “But thanks to some of the weakest laws in the country for punishing police misconduct, the Golden State does nothing to stop these officers from enforcing the law,” it noted.

Senate Bill 2 was designed as a remedy. “Too many lives have been lost due to racial profiling and excessive use of force,” Newsom said at a press conference after the bill signing. “We cannot change what is past, but we can build accountability, root out racial injustice and fight systemic racism.”

When the governor says something, it’s best to follow Ronald Reagan’s advice about the Soviets: “Trust, but verify.” The Associated Press reported last week that Newsom is using a budget trailer bill to gut that legislation. His administration is trying to eliminate the transparency elements of SB 2 under the guise of a cost-cutting measure, given the state’s $31.5-billion budget deficit.

That’s a terrible idea. By eliminating a state role in releasing investigative reports about reprobate officers, the administration would return that responsibility to local agencies. Yet the premise of the bill is that local agencies have proved themselves unable to police their own officers. News organizations and victims often have been able to get requisite information from them.

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The AP article quoted Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker, whose city is reeling from a federal investigation of officers who shared texts claiming to have brutalized suspects: “To say, ‘go to the very people who commit the crimes against your community and ask them to reveal themselves to you so that you can hold them accountable,’ I don’t think that’s a fair process.”

Furthermore, it’s preposterous to claim that gutting the law will save any significant amount of money. We’re talking the equivalent of pennies in the state’s multibillion-dollar budget. The administration didn’t offer any cost figures but it’s likely to be in the millions. And, of course, transparency can save the state even more — by discouraging behavior that leads to large civil settlements and litigation.

We’re not sure what the governor is thinking, but the Legislature needs to force Newsom to live up to his earlier statements about battling police abuse.

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2023 NBA Draft: Victor Wembanyama the best of the big men – by far

• June 21, 2023

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

Victor Wembanyama has long been earmarked to be the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft, a player so unusual that he defies traditional categorization.

He headlines The Associated Press’ list of big men in the draft with a 7-foot-3 frame that eventually could help him dominate inside to go with his perimeter skills. Other than Wembanyama, the list of top big men prospects mostly features complementary players.

The AP previously noted the top guard prospects in the draft, along with forwards and international players (beyond Wembanyama) to watch. Here’s a look at the top big men likely to hear their names called Thursday night:

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, France

STRENGTHS: An incomparable combination of skills and size have made the French star a generational prospect with can’t-miss expectations unseen since LeBron James. He can roam the perimeter, handle the ball and shoot off the dribble like a guard, but his length helps him score over defenders inside along with racking up blocked shots and deflections. And with San Antonio holding the top pick, he’ll soon be under the tutelage of a five-time NBA champion in Gregg Popovich.

Among his countless highlights, one play from April stands out: the sight of Wembanyama missing an off-the-dribble stepback 3-pointer – only to fly in and tip dunk his own miss.

CONCERNS: Essentially none. The 19-year-old could probably stand to add strength to handle physical defenders.

DERECK LIVELY II, Duke

STRENGTHS: The lean 7-foot-1 freshman arrived at Duke as 247sports’ second-ranked national recruit and came on in the season’s second half as a strong rim protector nimble enough to defend in open space. He ranked ninth nationally in blocked shots (2.41). The highlight came in a February win against rival North Carolina, when the first-round prospect dominated while scoring just four points thanks to 14 rebounds and eight blocks.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Tuesday that Lively’s role “directly translates” as a modern big capable of handling defensive switches and being a lob threat.

“I think that’s the hardest adjustment for a lot of college players: They’re used to always having the ball in their hands and always scoring,” Scheyer said. “… For him, it can be seamless. I know obviously you can talk about potential with him, but I think about readiness with him because of what he’s done this past year and who he is as a player.”

CONCERNS: The 19-year-old wasn’t a dominant rebounder despite his length (5.4 average, six double-digit outings in 34 games). His offensive game was limited beyond putbacks and alley-oops, including a scoreless game with no shot attempts in 36 minutes against a physical Tennessee team as Duke fell in the NCAA Tournament’s second round. Adding bulk to a 230-pound frame could help both areas.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS, Indiana

STRENGTHS: The Indiana senior was an Associated Press All-America first-team pick, mixing reliability, versatility and athleticism. He ranked sixth in Division I in rebounding (10.8) and eighth in double-doubles (18) while also ranking in the top 20 in scoring (20.9) with multiple post moves. And he stepped up his production heading into the March spotlight, averaging 24.7 points on 61.5% shooting in his final six games.

Defensively, he ranked fourth nationally in blocked shots (2.88) with a 7-1 wingspan, making him a well-rounded interior presence who could hear his name called in the back half of the first round.

CONCERNS: He’s a bit undersized (6-8, 240) for an interior-focused player who has shown little range outside of 15 feet. He’s a career 67.6% shooter at the foul line who never hit 70% in a season, and his 3-point history consists entirely of going 0 for 3 as a junior. He also is one of the oldest prospects at 23 years old.

OTHERS TO NOTE

NOAH CLOWNEY: The 6-10, 210-pound freshman became an every-game starter for an Alabama team that was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Clowney, who turns 19 next month, averaged 9.9 points and offers potential as a rebounder (8.0) with the ability to step outside (eight games with multiple 3-point field goals). That could help him land in the late first round.

JAMES NNAJI: The center from Nigeria turns 19 in August and has been playing in Spain, where his team lists him as 6-11 and 249 pounds. He offers intrigue as a raw developmental prospect with a 7-5 wingspan and defensive potential. Some mock drafts have him sneaking into the first round.

ADAMA SANOGO: The junior powered Connecticut to a fifth NCAA championship as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. He’s a bit undersized for a big (roughly 6-7 without shoes at the NBA combine) and is a second-round prospect, but he has a strong frame (roughly 255 pounds) and added a step-outside element to his game last year by making 19 of 52 3-point attempts (36.5%). His nearly 7-3 wingspan measured fifth-best at the combine.

OSCAR TSHIEBWE: The senior from Kentucky rode a relentless-rebounding mindset into being named the AP National Player of the Year in 2022 and a second-team All-American in 2023. It’s unclear whether the 23-year-old – measuring roughly 6-7 and 255 pounds with a better than 7-3 wingspan at the NBA combine – will be drafted. But he averaged national bests of 15.1 rebounds in 2022 and 13.7 in 2023 while racking up 48 double-doubles, so his motor might intrigue a team to take a flier.

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