Features

Arson suspected in grass fire 

VALLEJO — The Vallejo Fire Department says a three-alarm grassfire that scorched more than 50 acres near the Carquinez Bridge on Friday might be the result of arson. 

Fire spokesman Bill Tweedy says investigators are still probing the cause of the blaze, but it is suspicious in nature. 

The fire, which was reported shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, was fanned by 10-15 mph winds up a hillside above Interstate Highway 80 just north of the Carquinez Straights. 

There were no reported injuries but several structures were threatened at one point. 

Firefighters from Benicia, Crockett, Cordelia, American Canyon, Suisun City, Contra Costa County and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection assisted Vallejo fire crews in combating the fire. 

Rape treated as hate crime 

PALO ALTO— In an attack being called a hate crime a 15-year-old girl allegedly was raped at a drug store Friday. 

Palo Alto police said Sanjay Nair, 18, who is Hindu, allegedly made comments while raping the Muslim girl, leading police to label the attack a hate crime. 

The attack occurred in the basement bathroom of Longs Drug Store in Palo Alto. 

The girl was treated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center before being released Saturday morning. 

A manager at the store said Nair had been suspended because he had reportedly sexually harassed the girl verbally. 

Nair is being held without bail in Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose on charges of false imprisonment, rape, hate crimes and sexual battery. 

Traffic police out on Labor Day 

Bay Area law enforcement authorities said today they have arrested 277 people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs so far this Labor Day weekend during their coordinated anti-drunken driving campaign, called Bay Area AVOID.