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Elderly driver sentenced to probation in West Portal crash that killed family of 4

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Elderly driver sentenced to probation in West Portal crash that killed family of 4


An elderly driver who killed a family of four in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood two years ago was sentenced Friday to probation.

No jail time

What we know:

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Mary Fong Lau, 80, learned in court that she will not serve any jail time or home detention for the March 2024 crash.

The collision killed Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, a 40-year-old father; his wife, Matilde Moncada Ramos Pinto, 38; their 1-year-old son, Joaquim; and their 3-month-old son, Caue. The family was waiting at a Muni bus stop at the time. They were headed to the zoo.

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No contest plea

Lau pleaded no contest to four felony counts of vehicular manslaughter, and a judge accepted the plea.

The Superior Court judge said Lau’s age, remorse and lack of criminal history were factors in the sentencing decision. She was placed on probation for two years and is banned from driving for three years. She also has to complete 200 hours of community service.

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2024 crash

The backstory:

Prosecutors said that on March 16, 2024, Lau was driving more than 70 mph in an SUV when she jumped a curb and struck the victims at a bus stop at Ulloa Street and Lenox Way.

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Family, prosecutors criticize sentence

What they’re saying:

Friends and relatives of the victims said the sentence fell far short of the justice they were seeking.

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District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also criticized the outcome.

“The court is not requiring Ms. Lau to even acknowledge her guilt,” Jenkins said. “Rather than requiring a guilty plea, the court decided it is sufficient for her to enter a no contest plea. That isn’t justice. That isn’t taking responsibility for the loss of four innocent lives.”

Jenkins added that Lau could eventually regain her driving privileges, which she called “troubling.”

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“This is someone who has demonstrated she can’t be trusted on the roads of California nor San Francisco,” she said.

Defense cites remorse

The other side:

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Lau’s defense attorney said his client is remorseful.

“Ms. Lau feels the pain of this tragic loss,” attorney Seth Morris said. “She has taken accountability by pleading no contest and not requiring the case to go to trial, which could have taken years with an unknown outcome.”

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He added that Lau hopes the plea will help begin the healing process for the victims’ families and the community.

The Source: Sentencing hearing for the defendant, Mary Fong Lau

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San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder to return following mental health leave

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San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder to return following mental health leave


San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder will resume her duties next week after taking a three-month leave of absence due to mental health.

“I’m coming clear-eyed and grounded and eager to serve in this role again,” Fielder said in a video posted to social media Tuesday.

Fielder was first elected in 2024 to serve District 9, which includes the Mission District and Bernal Heights and Portola neighborhoods. In late March of this year, her staffers announced she was taking a leave of absence to address an “acute personal health crisis” after missing a few weeks of Board of Supervisors meetings.

“I left the work that I love so much, not because I wanted to, but because my mental health demanded it, and I say that with no shame,” she said.

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In the video statement, Fielder mentioned that the pressure of serving as a supervisor took a toll on her mental health.

“I’ve often felt like the weight of this district and city is on my shoulders, and I, through this leave, have had the silver lining of understanding that it never has,” she said. “I was going 100 miles an hour since early 2023 when I started the campaign for supervisor, and being a grassroots candidate is a lot of elbow grease.”

Fielder’s staff continued some of the work in her district while she was gone. She thanked her colleagues and Mayor Daniel Lurie for their support and allowing her to be excused from meetings.

Fielder will return to work Monday and appear at the June 30 board meeting. She is also expected to host listening sessions in her district through July.

“I am an example that it is possible to come back and heal,” she said. “I could not be more honored to serve and more ready to serve.”

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Where to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 23

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Where to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 23


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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

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The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Athletics visit the San Francisco Giants.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Athletics vs San Francisco Giants?

First pitch between the San Francisco Giants and Athletics is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, June 23.

How to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants on Tuesday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

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Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for June 23 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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San Francisco home with a history of squatters hits the market for $1.3 million

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San Francisco home with a history of squatters hits the market for .3 million


An abandoned house near San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood that has been popular with squatters for years is now for sale.

On Yukon Street at the edge of Kite Hill in the Eureka Valley neighborhood, the house with arched windows over the garage, including one that’s broken, is listed for $1.3 million.

Listing agent Zara Rowbotham and her brother, James, put together a promotional video highlighting the home’s fixer-upper potential.

There is no running water or power at the house. Neighbors have reported to the city that squatters relieve themselves at the top floor atrium.

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“They needed a place to do it, so they had the nice manners to do it in one basket,” Rowbotham said. “Unfortunately it was an outside basket right in front of one of the neighbors’ houses.”

With the nature of San Francisco’s red-hot housing market, Rowbothom said they already have a potential buyer.

Rowbothom added the city is swirling with money right now and there are few places to buy, so properties like the one on Yukon Street – even with a history of squatters – are being snapped up quickly. Rowbothom said they’re going for millions of dollars, with people paying cash a lot of the time.



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