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California’s salmon fishers warn of ‘hard times coming’ as they face canceled season | CNN

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California’s salmon fishers warn of ‘hard times coming’ as they face canceled season | CNN




CNN
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Sarah Bates, the captain of a fishing boat in San Francisco, had a sense one thing was flawed with the chinook salmon inhabitants again in December.

“The fish weren’t developing the river, and to a sure extent, we have been simply ready,” Bates, 46, advised CNN. “We thought the run was late. After which in some unspecified time in the future it simply grew to become clear that fish weren’t coming.”

However she and different fishermen weren’t certain how unhealthy it might be. It later turned out that catchers alongside a lot of the West Coast probably received’t be fishing for salmon in any respect this yr.

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“Salmon is my livelihood. It’s my most important fishery,” she stated. “And it’s the principle fishery for lots of parents in Fisherman’s Wharf. So, I feel there are a whole lot of us which have some onerous instances coming.”

In early March, West Coast regulators introduced that they have been recommending a ban on salmon fishing this yr. It might be solely the second time salmon fishing season has been canceled in California.

The looming ban comes because the West sees a large decline in fish populations following a blistering, multiyear drought that drained reservoirs and dehydrated a lot of the land, significantly in California.

The potential closure, which the Pacific Fishery Administration Council is discussing in a multi-day assembly that started Saturday, would have an effect on tens of 1000’s of individuals like Bates who rely on salmon fishing for his or her financial livelihood. It would additionally upset 1000’s of Californians who take pleasure in leisure fishing in the course of the summer time.

The council, which manages fisheries off the Pacific Coast and advises the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on potential bans like this one, had beforehand really helpful three choices for this yr – however all of them would lead to salmon fishing season being canceled by means of a minimum of subsequent spring.

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These are mandatory measures, in keeping with California and Oregon Division of Fish and Wildlife officers, to guard the dwindling Chinook salmon populations, which scientists say have fallen to their lowest ranges lately as a consequence of rampant dam building in addition to local weather change-fueled droughts.

“The outlook is absolutely unhealthy,” Ben Enticknap, Pacific marketing campaign supervisor and senior scientist with Oceana, advised CNN.

Chinook salmon smolts tumble into net pens for acclimation and transportation in the Sacramento River at Rio Vista, California, on March 26, 2015.

Starting their lives in freshwater methods, then touring out to the salty ocean and again once more to their spawning grounds, Pacific salmon face quite a lot of risks.

Artifical dams, which have been constructed a long time in the past and are prolific on Oregon and California rivers, forestall many salmon species from swimming again to their spawning grounds. Giant swaths of wetlands and different estuaries, the place smaller fish can feed and discover refuge, have additionally been stricken by infrastructure growth.

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Then there are the results of the local weather disaster: Hotter water temperatures and drought-fueled water shortages in rivers and streams can kill salmon eggs and juvenile fish.

Michael Milstein, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries, additionally stated the fashions that many scientists use to forecast salmon returns and fishing success “look like getting much less correct.”

“They’ve been overestimating returning salmon numbers and underestimating the quantity caught,” Milstein advised CNN. “That has additional difficult the image. Because the fashions are primarily based on previous expertise, they battle with circumstances we’ve not seen earlier than.”

In late 2022, certainly one of California’s driest years on report, estimates present that the Sacramento River chinook returned to the Central Valley at near-record-low numbers. In the meantime, the Klamath River, which flows from Oregon to California, had the second-lowest forecast for chinook salmon since 1997, when the present evaluation technique began.

Cassandra Lozano lifts a dead fall-run Chinook salmon from the Sacramento River while conducting a survey of carcasses in January.

State and federal scientists forecast that lower than 170,000 grownup salmon will return to the Sacramento River this yr – one of many lowest forecasts since 2008, which was the one different time the salmon season was closed. Additionally they estimate that lower than 104,000 will probably return to the Klamath River.

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“Local weather change is predicted to be detrimental to Pacific salmon populations at each life stage,” Enticknap stated. “We all know that the salmon want chilly and clear freshwater for spawning and for progress, and that local weather change and this megadrought have decreased water flows and elevated river temperatures in a manner that’s deadly for salmon.”

The US Bureau of Reclamation, which controls a number of the dams within the Klamath River, introduced in February that it might reduce flows on the river as a consequence of historic lows from the drought, prompting considerations it might kill salmon additional downstream.

“There’s lots at stake with the Pacific salmon within the West; they’ve been so necessary to communities as a supply of meals, and when that’s in danger, these communities and cultures are in danger,” Enticknap added. “There’s additionally so many species of wildlife that rely on wholesome populations. They’re the spine of the ecosystem right here.”

The $1.4 billion salmon fishing trade offers 23,000 jobs to California’s economic system, and companies that depend on giant salmon populations have been significantly devastated, in keeping with the Golden State Salmon Affiliation.

“When somebody catches a salmon, it’s actually an emotional expertise as a result of the fish is so magnificent,” Andy Guiliano, a 59-year-old proprietor of a constitution boat firm, advised CNN. “Individuals actually have a reference to the salmon.”

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Prior to now 52 years, the family-owned enterprise Fish Emeryville has chartered patrons to fish for chinook salmon. Guiliano stated salmon fishing is what reels in roughly 50% of the enterprise’ income.

Guiliano's son, Angelo, holds a freshly caught Chinook salmon. He and others fish for leisure aboard Guiliano's boat in Emeryville, California.

In the course of the ban, Guiliani stated, he and different fishermen must make do with different fish, although he emphasised that nothing can compete with the income that salmon brings in.

“It’s a poor second tier. It received’t maintain the quantity of effort and it isn’t a alternative,” Guiliano stated. “We would get 10 to fifteen % [of business] again.”

Whereas the megadrought largely contributed to the downfall in salmon numbers, some fishing teams blame the way in which California distributes its water.

“The shutdown we’re seeing now’s utterly avoidable,” stated John McManus, the senior coverage director of the Golden State Salmon Affiliation. “Selections made in the course of the drought disadvantaged salmon of the water that they should survive. By doing so, they took away our livelihood.”

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Jordan Traverso, a spokesperson for the California Division of Fish and Wildlife, stated water administration is a part of the salmon technique. However Traverso argues that water coverage in California is far more complicated, underscoring considerations close to agriculture and pointing to the quickly warming local weather.

“Current choices about agriculture aren’t the explanation for low numbers as a result of these fish are coming back from the ocean voyage as a part of their journey,” Traverso advised CNN. “Local weather disruption is inflicting strings of dry years and warmer temperatures, shrinking salmon habitat and eliminating the house for them to rebound.”

The rivers in the course of California are largely diverted to agriculture. The result’s that these rivers will not be chilly sufficient for salmon to breed and never excessive sufficient to assist child salmon swim again to the ocean.

“We have now main points with obstacles to passage of their historic habitat, with dams stopping them from using tons of of miles of it,” Traverso stated.

The chain response from the announcement has already affected an enormous swath of enterprise, from bait outlets to eating places that put salmon on the desk.

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Another main fishery in California is the dungeness crab. Here, men can be seen unloading the crabs from fishing boats for Water2Table, Joe Conte's fish distributing company.

“San Francisco is all in regards to the two iconic California fisheries that are dungeness crab and our native king salmon,” Joe Conte, proprietor of Water2Table, a fish distributing firm, advised CNN. He stated he has been delivering to a number of the finest eating places within the Bay Space for greater than a decade.

“It’s disastrous for the fishermen and for us on the pier,” Conte added.

To satisfy wants, fishermen can dip into different species, however they run the danger of depleting these populations as nicely, as they did in 2008.

“We all know precisely what’s going to occur,” Guiliano stated. “We noticed an unlimited quantity of effort on the California halibut within San Francisco Bay. After which there was 4 or 5 years following the place the fishery was actually poor.”

Up north within the Klamath River basin, the influence is taking an extra emotional and cultural toll on Native People. The Karuk, Hoop and Yurok tribes, particularly, have lengthy fished for the chinook for subsistence. Different fish alongside the basin like the 2 endangered native suckerfish – the C’waam and Koptu – are additionally below menace.

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Whereas some tribes have set their very own catch limits, others have made the powerful choice to cease their searching and fishing in hopes of the species’ restoration.

However as planet-warming air pollution rises within the environment, the impacts on biodiversity are ubiquitous. With out salmon, that are keystone species, different wildlife that rely on it is going to undergo.

Final month, the West Coast fishery managers held a public listening to to permit stakeholders to touch upon the proposed cancellation.

What’s stunning, specialists say, is that many fishermen help the closure to avoid wasting the dwindling salmon inhabitants, noting that they want each fish to return again to the river.

“One placing factor is that the fishing group – the industrial fleet and leisure fishing teams – have largely supported the closure of the salmon season,” Milstein stated. “That has been obvious within the public feedback on the council and elsewhere. They argue that they shouldn’t be fishing when the shares have declined to this degree.”

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On the Klamath River, salmon restoration efforts are underway. After a decadeslong marketing campaign by tribal organizers, the federal authorities in 2022 accepted the removing of 4 dams there. The primary dam is ready to return down this summer time; the remainder might be eliminated by 2024.

In late 2022, one of California's driest years on record, estimates show that the Sacramento River chinook returned to the Central Valley at near-record-low numbers.

And there are additionally “hopeful” indicators of rebound, Enticknap stated. The current barrage of storms that pummeled the West has replenished drought-stricken rivers and reservoirs and alleviated arid circumstances in California, offering considerably of a aid for fisheries.

“We’re hoping that that is going to assist salmon populations get again on observe and that it’s not an anomaly – in that this occurs as soon as after which we slip again right into a drought,” Enticknap added. “My concern proper now’s that with local weather change we’re anticipating hotter circumstances and extra drought and marine heatwaves, the place it’s finally worse for salmon.”

Regardless of the current onslaught of rain and snow, advocates say they want federal and state officers to implement truthful water allocations, because the fishing trade must compete with bigger California markets like agriculture for a similar water provide.

Though Bates says she continues to be digesting the brand new actuality they’re dealing with, she stays hopeful.

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“Don’t waste a disaster, proper?” Bates stated. “This can be a pressured alternative, nevertheless it is a chance nonetheless, to repair some issues which were damaged in California for a very long time … so I’m considerably optimistic that this isn’t the top. It’s only a chapter within the center.”



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7 Most Eccentric Towns in California

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7 Most Eccentric Towns in California


California is replete with beautiful places—think Palm Springs, Beverly Hills, and Laguna Beach. But when you have a sliver of time and only a handful of touristy towns pop into mind, see what some of the most eclectic towns can do for your next memorable getaway in the Golden State. From a guarded community of artists, fishermen, and surfers to a popular island escape, each keeps it real. La Jolla is an intriguing town to visit if you enjoy the Carmel-by-the-Sea vibe.

Guaranteeing the small-town charm and experiences you are after, dive into the local lifestyle to discover something offbeat like a local folk language. Culver City keeps its entertainment legacy close to heart while moving at light speed with innovations. Enjoy a romantic beachside picnic and camping by the shore in Two Harbors, where you can walk among bison on the wild side of the beautiful Santa Catalina Island. Set out on an adventure to the most eccentric towns in California.

Bolinas

The village of Bolinas on the Pacific coast in California.

Obscure doesn’t even begin to cover this hippie community’s remote feel. Just 30 miles northwest of San Francisco, on the Pacific coast, the journey often takes a good hour via the winding roads around Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It’s the kind of NorCal town that most people overlook, and the locals intentionally and repeatedly remove road signs, warning off visitors from the pristine beaches, a thriving organic farming scene, and a laid-back atmosphere. Bolinas has an indiscernible pull on the curious—plus the scenic drive along eucalyptus groves, letting the heavenly scent blast through your rolled-down windows. Turn down the music as you enter the village that values its peace and serenity.

The picturesquely shabby surf and fishing homes over Bolinas Lagoon frame your adventures, like kayaking in the calm waters of the lagoon. Bolinas Beach is great to watch the surfers on a stroll along the silky sands, where you can practice stand-up paddleboarding or surfing. Across town, Agate Beach County Park offers two miles of shoreline, with wildflowers and tide pools filled with fish. Pack a picnic from the local health food market for a hike to a hilltop overlook. You can also hike to the nearby Point Reyes National Seashore. Learn more about the area at the Bolinas Museum, and maybe a secret to befriend this secluded artist community, a lifetime reward.

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Boonville

Shops in Boonville, California.
Shops in Boonville, California. Image credit Henry Zbyszynski – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Home to an eclectic mix of some 1,000 residents, this NorCal town in the picturesque Anderson Valley showcases a fascinating cultural dynamic. Among longtime residents and new wine industry arrivals, Boonville is a retirement destination, thanks to its robust healthcare and temperate climate year-round. Tourists enjoy a reinvigorating escape in Mendocino County, some 65 miles north of Santa Rosa and 160 miles northwest of Sacramento. Calming yet offbeat, Boonville enchants you with its quirky vibe, scenic rural lifestyle, and an expensive taste in drinks. It is a fun change in pace from the city, just an hour from the coast, in the valleys and forests of California. The burgeoning wine scene encompasses many vineyards and tasting rooms accentuating Pinot Noir and Alsace varietals.

Seek shade on a picnic at Anderson Valley Wildlife Reserve with birdwatching trails. Right in town, the picturesque Pennyroyal Farm is next to Anderson Valley Brewing Co., a vibrant brewery and taproom crafting beers with picnic areas and tours. Indulge in local cuisine and hospitality at the Boonville Hotel, a modern roadhouse showcase of the thriving valley’s farm-to-table cuisine. From local festivals and cultural events to art galleries and music venues, stop by the Anderson Valley Historical Museum to learn about “Boontling,” in time for the annual Boonville Beer Festival to hear this local dialect come out.

Crockett

Reflections of the Carquinez Bridge at sunrise.
Reflections of the Carquinez Bridge at sunrise.

Overlooking San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait, Crockett is a great day trip some 62 miles southwest of Sacramento. This one-of-a-kind Bay Area town boasts a historic downtown and mild weather with plenty of ways to soak up the sun year-round along the coast and through the hills of Northern California. Embark on a 2.4-mile hiking loop near the John Muir house, a historical site, with scenic mountain views. Crockett Historical Museum showcases artifacts from the early 20th century in the area. Just east, Eckley Pier is popular for fishing with access to Garden City Wreckage. Or head to Crockett Hills Regional Park, with picnicking and multiuse trails along grassy fields and ravines of a former ranchland.

Its recent burst in population to 3,654 today tells of an ideal spot for the outdoorsy tied with a homegrown vibe. Many enjoy the wildlife trails for hiking and biking through Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline, plus fishing along the picturesque strait. Known for C&H Factory next to the Carquinez Bridge (Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge), the out-of-staters enjoy access to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, 11 minutes north, and 16 minutes south to the pastoral 6,255-acre Briones Regional Park over rolling hills with scenic trails, wildlife, and campgrounds. After admiring the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge, stop next door at the Dead Fish, a swanky seafood eatery. You can stroll along the coastal train track through the overgrown Alfred Zampa Trail to Vista Point at sunset, when the city lights take the main stage.

Culver City

Entrance to the Sony Pictures Entertainment complex in Culver City, California.
Entrance to the Sony Pictures Entertainment complex in Culver City, California. Image credit CLS Digital Arts via Shutterstock

Mirroring LA’s old Hollywood vibe, innovation, and trendy neighborhoods, Culver City is like a condensed version wrapped in small-town charm. Its proximity to downtown Los Angeles and adjacent to Beverly Hills appeals to out-of-state visitors. Originally inhabited by the Tongva (Gabrielino) Indians, the Spanish settled the area in the late 18th century upon dividing it into land grants. Formed in 1914 from parts of Rancho La Ballona and Rincón de Los Bueyes, the honorary Harry H. Culver cast a line in the LA area “waters” by promoting the city as a site for motion-picture production. The first catch was grand: Thomas Ince moved his studios, while his lucky hand prompted others to follow, like the iconic Goldwyn Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

The city’s cultural life expanded to the Rollerdrome skate park (Tellefson Park), horse tracks, and auto racing. Turning to a more serious petroleum and technology industry after these closed, the legacy persists through tourism: packing LA’s film history and modern tech industry into a walkable urban center is an attraction in itself. At only some 5.1 square miles, Culver City is home to Sony Pictures Studios since the 1990s, operating on the former MGM lot, a community college founded in 1969, and emerging tech companies. Strolling along the revitalized downtown area, see what catches your eyes between the restaurants and galleries. From Robert Frost Auditorium to Culver City Stairs, the nearby Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area boasts a Japanese garden, a workout course, and scenic trails.

La Jolla

Torrey Pines State Reserve beach in La Jolla, California.
Torrey Pines State Reserve beach in La Jolla, California. Image credit Debbie Ann Powell via Shutterstock

La Jolla’s beauty and style inspired artists and world travelers for decades with easy access in San Diego County. A pretty name comes with a cute face and an angelic soul in a picturesque frame of a rugged coast to explore under SoCal sunrays along the crashing waves, a hop from charming villages filled with galleries, shops, and cafes along the Pacific coast. The Village of La Jolla is surrounded by La Jolla Shores to the north and La Jolla Alta to the south. Although infused with an upscale feel, this smart seaside area offers many free experiences in the outdoors, like the sprawling Kate Sessions Memorial Park, perfect to play with your pet or catch up over a picnic along the grassy recreation area with sweeping hillside views, sports fields, and a playground.

Afterwards, experience its hospitality with an award-winning culinary scene that tastes like casual luxury and a number of signature seaside hotels perfect for a romantic escape, like the revamped, historic La Valencia, aka “The Pink Lady.” The adventurous couples can soak up the bliss on a stroll along seven breathtaking miles of SoCal coastline, guaranteeing dramatic views and pockets of intimacy. From surfing in the cove to the rugged terrain of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, its trails wind past pine trees and sandstone canyons. La Jolla Underwater Park is one of the world’s best snorkeling spots. Families enjoy tidepooling among seals and sea lions at Children’s Pool Beach. Birch Aquarium is minutes north with interactive tide pools and exhibits of all things under the sea.

San Juan Capistrano

The lovely mission at San Juan Capistrano, California.
The lovely mission at San Juan Capistrano, California.

This larger town in coastal Orange County has an uncanny ability to transport you into the past. Dating back to the 18th century, San Juan Capistrano boasts one of the state’s most well-preserved Spanish missions, established by Junipero Serra in 1776 that served to convert the Indigenous Acjachemen people to Christianity. These vulnerable native communities, left helpless from disease and scarcity of resources, had no choice but to oblige.

As a stop on Amtrak’s Surfliner, it is easy to get here for a weekend getaway, where you can stay at the gorgeous 125-room Inn at the Mission, Marriott’s Autograph Collection, designed hacienda-style, and snag a bottle of their handcrafted olive oil. After a shakshuka, an egg dish for breakfast, or an eggplant toast at Mayfield, tag along on an engaging guided tour. The missionaries’ quarters, called padres, retain dozens of fascinating historic artifacts, while kiichas are traditional dome-shaped dwellings made with willow branches of the Acjachemen people. Rancho Capistrano Winery promises a relaxing evening over some terrific reds to share your impressions on the iconic Mission San Juan Capistrano, a testament to its Spanish colonial roots in one of the Golden State’s most casual towns.

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Two Harbors

Sailboats at Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island.
Sailboats at Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island. Image credit Larisa Grib via Shutterstock

West of center on an isthmus along beautiful Santa Catalina Island, Two Harbors is reachable by a high-speed boat, a one-hour ferry, or a helicopter. Like an odd brother to the world-famous port town of Avalon, on the island’s easternmost edge, there’s undeniable charm to this rustic town of 298 locals tucked into Cat Harbor, a State Marine Conservation Area, where bison roam free on the wild side along the seaside bluffs. Take the reinvigorating Cat Harbor Overlook Trail in the morning, since there’s no shade, to the rewarding views of the magnificent turquoise harbor. To the north, the top-rated Camp Cherry Valley offers views of the cobalt blue waters in the cove with white boats in the marina and access to kayaking and snorkeling in paradisiacal scenery.

Comfort creatures enjoy the craftsman style of Banning House Lodge just south of Harbor Reef Restaurant & Bar, serving surf-n-turf, plus brews on a patio over harbor views next to the visitor center. Before embarking on a 6-mile one-way trek west to a remote beach, stop for picnic provisions at Two Harbors General Store, which also sells camping gear. You will be soaking up the coastline views along the way and have a luxurious spread of gourmet cheeses to enjoy at the pebbled Frankie’s Beach. From ziplining to kayaking the calm waters, the remote vibe, void of tourists, is perfect to pick up a new skill like stand-up paddleboarding or scuba diving with rentals from Two Harbors Dive Shop.

While larger cities and more popular destinations may have lost the intrigue in a whirlwind of tourism, these seven preserve a sense of authenticity and charm that you can only comprehend on a local level. Whether it’s the unique history and peculiar architecture of San Juan Capistrano or the extraordinary coastline, each offers something you won’t forget.

Boonville boasts a quirky cultural dynamic in a rich wine country, while Crockett’s one-of-a-kind attractions are framed with ideal geography. Showcasing California’s rich history and diverse landscapes, these lesser-known places let you dive deep into the region’s treasures, indulging along the way and bonding over truly memorable experiences.



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2 dead, 3 injured in shooting in Louisville’s California neighborhood

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2 dead, 3 injured in shooting in Louisville’s California neighborhood


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Two men are dead and three others injured in a mass shooting in the California neighborhood Saturday night, Louisville Metro Police said.

Second Division officers initially found four men with gunshot wounds in the 2200 block of Garland Avenue when they arrived at 7:30 p.m., LMPD spokesperson John Bradley said in a statement.

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Two men were pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were taken to the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment. As of Sunday, one man was in “critical but stable condition,” while the other was in stable condition, Bradley said.

A fifth man was later found in the area, Bradley said Sunday. He was also taken to UofL Hospital, but his condition was unknown.

Police had not located a suspect Saturday night. LMPD’s homicide unit is investigating, Bradley said. Anyone with information about the shooting could call LMPD’s anonymous tip line at 502-574-5673.

The two men who died have not yet been identified.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

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This story has been updated to add video. 



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California man beheaded his 1-year-old son with a knife, authorities say

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California man beheaded his 1-year-old son with a knife, authorities say


SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A man has been arrested on suspicion of beheading his 1-year-old son, Northern California authorities said.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday that deputies responding to an early morning family disturbance call found a woman outside a home who told deputies that her husband Andrey Demskiy, 28, assaulted her and her mother.

Deputies forced their way into the house in northern Sacramento County when they learned Demskiy was inside with the boy. As they took him into custody, they found a “severed child’s head” in the bedroom where Demskiy was detained.

Detectives said Demskiy used a knife to behead his son after his wife and mother-in-law left the house, according to the statement. He was in custody and ineligible for bail, and was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

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The sheriff’s department and the county public defenders office did not respond to emails seeking information on whether Demskiy had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.



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