The storybook rise of pitcher Jared Koenig took another detour Sunday when he was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Koenig, the left-handed starter from Aptos who made the majors as a 28-year-old rookie, was sent down the day after going 4 2/3 innings in what was ultimately a 9-7 win over the Kansas City Royals. Whether Koenig is recalled when his rotation spot comes up again has yet to be determined. He is 1-2 with a 6.38 earned run average in four starts.

“Right now we’re focused on today and Sam Selman is here to help us out in the bullpen,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ll look in to who we’re going to bring here to make the next start.”

Selman, a left-handed reliever, was recalled from Las Vegas to assume the roster spot. The A’s dug deep into their bullpen Saturday after Koenig departed and closer Dany Jimenez is on the injured list with a sore shoulder..

On his third tour with the the big club this season, Selman has a 5.14 ERA in six games. He gave up one run in his previous four games in Las Vegas and is 1-0 with four saves and a 1.96 earned run average in 15 relief appearances for the Aviators.

Koenig was staked to a 5-1 lead but in the 95-degree heat plus humidity of Kansas City, didn’t make it the requisite five innings to qualify for the win. In four starts with the Athletics since being called to up to the A’s, Koenig’s path to the majors was a circuitous one, having played in Independent League baseball as well as the Australian League before the A’s signed him to a minor league contract.

“In terms of looking at the total package of the four performances, he did well enough to give us an opportunity to win,” Kotsay said. “His fastball velo was a little bit down from what we were looking at, but he still pitched. He’s an old-school-type pitcher. He mixes, adds, subtracts. He’s got an opportunity to be back here and be part of this rotation again.”

LINEUP

Rookie Jonah Bride moves from third base to second against Kansas City Sunday, with Jed Lowrie playing first base and hoping to break out of an 0-for-21 slump. Catcher Sean Murphy, who needed an eighth-inning uniform change against the Royals, was given the day off, as was shortstop Elvis Andrus.

“It takes a toll on those guys,” Kotsay said. “They’re available and can be used late in the game.”

Tony Kemp LF

Jonah Bride 2B

Seth Brown DH

Jed Lowrie 1B

Stephen Vogt C

Sheldon Neuse 3B

Chad Pinder RF

Cristian Pache CF

Nick Allen SS

James Kaprielian P

Fremont police are asking for the public’s help in locating a 77-year-old woman who was last seen Sunday morning.

Officers are searching for Alizra Rodrigues Jorge, who was last seen around 7:30 a.m. wearing a purple jacket and gray pants. She is Hispanic, stands 5-feet-2 and weighs 140 pounds.

She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and officials are worried for her safety.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts can call Fremont police at 510-790-6800.

Built in 1924 just a stone’s throw from the Rogue River, this historic Grant’s Pass lodge quickly became a rustic retreat for Hollywood celebs and regular joes alike. A 1998 renovation updated the grand log cabin and added river-view cottages, but retained the Weasku Inn’s charmingly retro feel, right down to the vintage neon sign that welcomes you  with a “We ask u inn.”

Travel+Leisure touted the inn as one of the top 25 lodges in the U.S., and the New York Times gave the Weasku a shout-out in 2018 when it named the Rogue Valley one of the 52 best places to go that year.

It’s a storied spot. Stay in the Weasku’s grand log cabin, and you’ll be sleeping in the same vacation digs favored by Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Walt Disney and Bing Crosby. Adirondack chairs beckon from the rolling lawn, a big back deck invites you to linger outdoors, and the great room – which is open to cabin guests, too, of course – has a big stone fireplace and plenty of cozy places to lounge.

THE ROOMS: The lodge’s upstairs guest rooms boast giant bedsteads, pillow-top queen-size mattresses and crisp white linens – and a step stool to help you scale those lofty heights. You’ll likely hear music wafting upstairs, as well as lobby comings and goings well into the evening, but the rustic charm of the place more than makes up for it. The river cabins offer king and queen options.

THE SPLASHES: The modest bathrooms are outfitted with Aveda bath products, plush towels, fluffy bathrobes and in-tub showers. Two rooms – one in the lodge, one a cabin – offer two-person spa tubs and separate showers. But the biggest splash is, of course, the scenic Rogue River – traipse the trail to get a closer look or try your angling skills at the nearby fishing hole.

EXTRAS: Whether you’re staying in the lodge or the river cabins, breakfast, afternoon appetizers, evening cookies and milk, and s’mores for the fire pit are all included. Wine lovers can purchase sips by the glass or flight at the bar during happy hour (they have beer, too), or swing by the front desk for a bottle of, say, Cliff Creek Cellars‘ Pink Pink Rosé. There’s a tasting passport ($29) available, too, that gives you tastings for two at a dozen wineries.

DETAILS: Rooms start at $164. 5560 Rogue River Highway, Grant’s Pass; https://weasku.com/

OAKLAND — A 17-year-old boy was shot Saturday night while he was walking with another teen in West Oakland, authorities said.

The boy was shot in the buttocks about 10:11 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of 32nd Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Way, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital and is expected to live. The other youth was not injured.

Police said a car drove by the two youths and stopped before one of the occupants got out and began shooting at them.

The 17-year-old was the only one hit by the gunfire. The shooter then fled in the vehicle.

The youths ran to a nearby location where a relative of the 17-year-old drove them to a hospital, authorities said.

Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $5,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the shooter. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3426 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.

OAKLAND — A pedestrian was killed and three others injured early Sunday in East Oakland when a speeding car struck several parked vehicles, causing one of them to careen into a group of people standing nearby, authorities said.

The pedestrian, a 28-year-old Hayward man, was killed about 1:51 a.m. in the 5400 block of International Boulevard. His name has not been released.

The driver of the car, a 19-year-old Oakland man, was arrested. His name also has not been released.

Police said the 19-year-old man was driving a Nissan 350Z at a high rate of speed eastbound on International in a lane designated for buses only.

He first collided with a vehicle turning onto International from 54th Avenue. The Nissan then struck several parked vehicles, including some SUVs and motorcycles, police said.

The impact sent one of the SUVs into a group of people standing on the sidewalk, leaving the Hayward man dead at the scene and the others injured. The three injured were taken to hospitals and were expected to live.

The badly damaged Nissan continued another 150 feet before stopping in the westbound lanes of International. The driver had to be freed from the wreckage by police and firefighters. He was arrested at the scene.

Police said the driver had just left a sideshow in another part of East Oakland, about a mile away. It is not yet known if alcohol or drugs were a factor in what happened.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information may call police traffic investigators at 510-777-8570.

A woman was sexually assaulted and robbed while walking home early Sunday morning in downtown Redwood City, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman was walking at about 2 a.m. in the 2300 block of Bay Road when a man approached her and exposed himself while trying to convince her to go home with him, the sheriff’s office said. When she refused, the man grabbed her genitals and took her phone before running away.

No arrests have been announced in the case.

Anyone with information about the case can call the sheriff’s office’s anonymous tip line at 800-547-2700.

OAKLAND — On April 13, 2020, a white Jeep Cherokee pulled up alongside a Honda containing Antioch resident Kameron Booth and one other person as it drove past the 23rd Street exit on Interstate 880, then opened fire.

Mortally wounded from gunfire, Booth pulled over, stumbled to the trunk, and in desperation offered a passing motorist $10,000 for a task: He said he had $400,000 in cash that needed to be delivered to another person. Before he could hand over the money, Booth collapsed. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital but he died from his injuries two weeks later.

Booth’s killing remains unsolved, but this month federal prosecutors in Sacramento revealed a bombshell: Just four days before the shooting, an Alameda County prosecutor received a call from a woman claiming to be a U.S. Attorney, inquiring about Booth. Days after the shooting, the same woman called a CHP officer, claiming to be with the DEA, and revealed information that had never been released to the public.

That woman, according to federal prosecutors, was the co-leader of a mysterious criminal organization that has been officially linked to identity theft, marijuana trafficking in several states, and EDD fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. But court records reveal the investigation also involves unsolved violent crimes, guns hidden in secret compartments, and attempts to retrieve souped-up classic cars that had been seized by law enforcement.

The alleged leaders of the organization are a man named Quinten Moody, 37, of Dublin, and a woman named Myra Minks, 46. Minks, Moody’s onetime girlfriend, is accused of repeatedly impersonating law enforcement officials, including in the calls related to Booth’s homicide. The third defendant, Jessica Tang, 48, of Sacramento, is charged with EDD fraud, but she’s best known for her role in a notorious East Bay murder from 1999.

An indictment against the trio, filed June 16, includes charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana to “California, Georgia, Nevada, Texas, and elsewhere,” false impersonation of an officer, aggravated identity theft, and mail fraud. Most of the charges are aimed at Minks and Moody, while Tang is accused of committed EDD fraud by filling out false unemployment forms in other people’s names.

Moody remains in federal custody in Sacramento, while Tang has been released on a $50,000 bond, court records show. Minks was arrested June 21 in Nevada and is in custody there, pending extradition to Sacramento, where a federal magistrate will decide whether to free her or keep her in jail while the case is pending.

Minks’ past criminal history include other attempts at impersonation, including identity theft. In 2005, she was charged in an alleged identity theft scheme that involved her and another person allegedly buying jewelry with a victim’s credit card. Minks’ co-defendant later escaped from the Sonoma County jail; the complaint alleges the two “discussed arrangements” for the escape beforehand. The charges were dropped a month after they were filed, but Minks was later convicted and sentenced to federal prison for an unrelated fraud scheme, records show.

In 1999, then-Pinole residents Raymond Wong and Tang allegedly murdered and mutilated 21-year-old Alice Sin, dumping her body in a Nevada desert and staging the crime scene to appear as though it was committed by a racist hate group. Wong was dating both women; police believe the motive was related to the love triangle. In 2011, both were charged with murder. Tang pleaded guilty to accessory and received probation and community service, while Wong was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 50 years to life.

Moody, meanwhile, has twice dodged serious criminal convictions. He was accused of beating his then-wife with a blunt object in Alameda County in 2014, but the charges were dropped when the alleged victim’s attorney showed up in court and said she didn’t desire prosecution. In 2010, he beat a federal gun possession case when a judge ruled two U.S. Park officers illegally searched his car, where they found a pistol hidden in a secret compartment, court records show.

The charging documents describe Minks as a daring impostor of law enforcement officials, alleging she claimed to be a U.S. Attorney, a member of the Secret Service, an FBI agent, a DEA agent — also an airline employee — and that she and Moody drafted forged property release orders to obtain vehicles that had been seized by law enforcement. For instance, in October 2020 Minks allegedly called the Colma police department, posing as a Secret Service agent, and asked them to release a Jeep that had been seized from one of Moody’s associates, Gregory Bell, four months earlier.

Federal prosecutors are targeting Bell as well. He currently faces federal gun possession charges in San Francisco and Atlanta. Court records allege that he and Moody were arrested in Roseville in June 2021, after police there attempted to pull over a car containing both men at the direction of the FBI. Moody, the driver, allegedly sped away from police, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour, before they both were arrested. Bell’s phone reportedly contained a video of him and another man shooting guns at a Georgia gun range.

Prosecutors also allege that in 2019 Bell possessed a pistol — later linked to nonfatal shootings in Oakland and San Francisco — that was found in the hidden compartment of a white Jeep. During a search of his home, authorities allegedly found an unregistered “assault pistol” loaded with 100 rounds, as well as 40 pounds of marijuana.

Some of Minks’ alleged impersonations appeared to be attempts to sniff out federal informants. On April 27, 2020, she allegedly called a federal prosecutor in Georgia, posing as U.S. Attorney “Cynthia Lee” in the Bay Area to inquire about a person referred to as “Associate 1” that had been cooperating with the government, naming Moody as a marijuana trafficker. The Georgia prosecutor allegedly confirmed the existence of an investigation involving Associate 1 and Moody, then discovered there were no federal prosecutors named Cynthia Lee in the Bay Area.

Three weeks earlier, when Minks allegedly called the Alameda County DA’s office, the focus of the call was Booth, according to federal authorities. A DA spokeswoman declined to comment on specifics and DA Nancy O’Malley didn’t return an email seeking comment.

When Booth was gunned down four days after the call, it wasn’t his first shootout, nor the first time he’d been caught with huge amounts of cash. In November 2018, Kameron Booth and his brother, Kyle Booth, were arrested and charged with gun and marijuana possession after they were involved in a gun battle in San Leandro. Police searched their Hayward home and found nearly $2 million in cash and 180 pounds of marijuana, as well as a pound of marijuana and about $43,000 in their car.

Kyle Booth was shot and killed four months before his brother, in Atlanta. Police say Kyle Booth and another California resident, Byron Edwards, were driving through the northeastern district of the Georgia capital when another car pulled alongside them and opened fire, killing both men. Authorities have not announced any arrests in the double homicide, nor publicly revealed a motive beyond saying the victims appear to have been targeted.

Neither fact had been revealed to the public, according to federal prosecutors.

San Jose skies will be well-lit on the Fourth of July and the weekend preceding it.

Giants fireworks

The San Jose Giants are starting the party early with fireworks after their games against the Modesto Nuts July 1-3. Games start at 6:30 p.m. at Excite Stadium, 588 E. Alma Ave. For tickets, visit https://www.milb.com/san-jose/tickets/promotions.

Rose, White & Blue Parade

In the Rose Garden neighborhood, the Rose, White & Blue Parade and Festival steps off July 4 at 9:45 a.m. near the Lincoln High School campus and winds along The Alameda and Nagless Avenue. After the community groups march by and local politicians traverse the route in classic cars, the parade’s nonprofit organizers will host a classic Fourth of July party. This afternoon event runs until 3 p.m. and features performances by parade participants, local musicians, dancers and poets; food and culture vendors; and dancing and interactive activities for families. For more information, visit https://www.rwbsj.org.

Rotary fireworks

While there’s time between the end of Rose, White & Blue and the beginning of Rotary Fireworks Downtown it might be wise to head to Discovery Meadow Park, 180 Woz Way, early to stake out some real estate, as this free show tends to draw large crowds.

Entertainment, provided by San Jose Jazz, will start at 7 p.m., with fireworks to follow at 9:30, lasting approximately 25 minutes.

The show is presented by the Rotary Club of San Jose, with support from the office of Mayor Sam Liccardo and the Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit https://sjrotary.org/rotary-fireworks-downtown.

Fireworks fest at Almaden Lake

Fourth of July festivities at Almaden Lake Regional Park, 6099 Winfield Blvd., run 3-10:30 p.m., with fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Activities include a Fun Zone, food trucks, live music and entertainment and a costume contest.

If you go, don’t bring alcohol, weapons, barbecues, drones, pets or emotional support animals, and don’t ride bikes or drive vehicles in the park. And leave the fireworks to the experts; don’t bring your own.

For more information, visit https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/components/calendar/event/5389.

After kicking off its summer season with the story of the children of Disney’s most well-known heroes and villains, Los Gatos Youth Theatre will stage a classic musical that became a beloved movie and a show based on a classic movie that became a musical.

“Descendants,” which had performances June 23-24, featured about 50 7- to 14-year-olds who spent three weeks rehearsing during the LGYT day camp. For the first time this year, the theater group expanded the age range for its summer day camp.

These students perform “The Sound of Music” July 14-17, and the program’s high school students will stage “Freaky Friday” July 21-24.

Director Patrick Gamman, a sophomore at Santa Clara University, started acting in the very program he is now directing back when he was in middle school. He also worked as a stage manager and assistant director in previous productions.

“I think one of the most important things is the sense of community you get, because everybody — no matter how big or small their role is — is important to the show,” Gamman said. “If one ensemble member is missing, it throws off everything. No matter if you have lines or not, you are an important part. This thing is a puzzle piece that is connected to everything, and I think it really forms a bond with everybody that really lasts a lifetime.”

After tackling the role of Curtis in SCU’s production of “Sister Act,” Gamman said he’s considering majoring in theater and pursuing a career in the field.

“Going through a program like this really prepares you,” he added. “I thought I was going to be completely out of my depth because I’d never done college theater, but I think having done so many shows, knowing how it runs, getting the nerves out for auditions … having actually experienced that, I think it properly prepared me for college and doing theater in a more upper division.”

Several LGYT alumni have come back to the program to help with everything from choreography to stage directing, artistic director Heather Stokes said.

“What I really like to do as artistic director is to reach out to that sort of college-age group and find new talent, and give those young adults the opportunity to have their first job in theater,” Stokes said. “It gives them an opportunity to start that process, and then they also have it on their resume.”

Stokes is a former Broadway performer and starred in the 1994 revival of “Grease” alongside Rosie O’Donnell, Megan Mullally and Sutton Foster.

The theater group has navigated the challenges of the pandemic by producing a video compilation of students singing Broadway hits instead of hosting a live performance, and last year staging an outdoor performance of “All Shook Up.”

Stokes said the pandemic caused a lot of theater professionals to leave the industry or leave the state due to lack of work and the high cost of living. Now that productions are up and running again, demand for lighting and sound tech professionals is skyrocketing.

“We would like to be a full-circle theater company, where not only do we have performers and teach the kids how to perform and be on stage, but we are venturing in running a theater tech program.”

Stokes envisions programming for everything from costume development to scenic and lighting design.

With the show right around the corner, the students said they are excited about the upcoming productions.

“It’s really about trying to figure out who you are by yourself, because you can figure it out by playing different roles and seeing how different things fit you,” Kora Olivo said.

“I think what sets us apart. … LGYT is like a boutique theater experience,” Stokes said. “You get the quality, but you also get the individual attention that is not generally done in larger theaters. … It’s actually a pretty big demand because most schools have gotten rid of their programs.”

LGYT performances are at the Fisher Middle School Auditorium, 19195 Fisher Ave., Los Gatos. For showtimes and ticket information, visit https://lgyt.net.

Road closure

As part of the local Bike Safety Improvement Project, a portion of roadway in Monte Sereno will be under construction until August. Lanes will be closed during the day at the intersection of Highway 9 and Austin Way, near Montalvo Oaks. Crews from the California Department of Transportation will be doing work on both the northbound and southbound portions of the road.

PG&E alerts

The Town of Los Gatos is encouraging residents to sign up for alerts from PG&E this summer for information on planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs. These shutoffs are part of the utility’s attempt to mitigate fire risk when the weather is warm, dry and windy. To sign up, visit bit.ly/PGEPSPSLearnMore.

Emerging Artist Award

Los Gatos residents are invited to apply for a grant of up to $5,000 for emerging artists, hosted by the Rotary Club of San Jose. The Leigh Weimers Emerging Artists Awards were founded 10 years ago in honor of the late Leigh Weimers, a prolific columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. The grants are available to a wide range of artists, including musicians, performance artists and visual artists. All Santa Clara County residents over 18 are eligible to apply.

Applications are open through July 15. To apply, visit weimersawards.com/apply.

The City of Cupertino is bringing back a full day of community activities this Fourth of July, starting with a pancake breakfast and ending with a fireworks show. And Sunnyvale residents can Grill ’n’ Chill at an Independence Day event at Washington Park.

Pancake breakfast

Families can kick off their Independence Day celebrations with a pancake breakfast at the Quinlan Community Center, 7:30-11 a.m., hosted by the De Anza Optimist Club of Cupertino. The cash-only meal is $9 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under; orange juice is an extra $2.

The adult breakfast includes three pancakes, two sausages and a choice of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The children’s breakfast includes two pancakes, one sausage and a choice of milk or hot chocolate. Pancakes can be substituted for sausage.

Memorial Park

After breakfast, head to Memorial Park for children’s activities from 9-11:30 a.m., a flag raising ceremony at 9:30 a.m. and a children’s parade that steps off at 10 a.m. and ends with a concert at the amphitheater from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

For the parade, kids and their families are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue and to decorate their bikes, scooters and strollers.

The Independence Day concert will feature the Arena Band performing arena rock classics and R&B dance music from the ’70s to today’s hits.

Blackberry Farm pools

The Blackberry Farm pools will be open on Independence Day for swimmers ages 2 and up. Two sessions are scheduled, one from 10 a.m.- 1:15 p.m. and the other from 1:45-5 p.m.

Pool fees are $8 for Cupertino residents and $10 for non-residents. Reservations are required to https://apm.activecommunities.com/cupertino/Activity_Search.

Blackberry Farm is located at 21979 San Fernando Ave.

Fireworks

This Independence Day, the City of Cupertino will once again conclude Independence Day with a colorful fireworks show in the sky above Cupertino. Fireworks will be launched from Hyde Middle School starting at 9:30 p.m.

Recommended viewing sites include Creekside Park, 10455 Miller Ave.; Sedgwick Elementary School, 19200 Phil Lane; and Miller Avenue between Bollinger Road and Phil Lane.

Road closures, parking and pedestrian restrictions will be in effect around the fireworks launch site and adjacent neighborhoods. Event parking is extremely limited, and attendees are encouraged to ride a bike, walk or arrange to be dropped off.

Pets, barbecues, tailgating and alcohol are not allowed at viewing sites or parking lots, nor are illegal fireworks.

Fore more information and an event map, visit cupertino.org/4thofjuly.

Grill ’n’ Chill

Hue Church in Santa Clara is hosting family-friendly Fourth of July festivities at Washington Park, 840 W. Washington Ave. in Sunnyvale. The event includes free barbecue, drinks, volleyball, games, face painting and a bounce house.

Those interested in helping out at the event by grilling or setting up can indicate their interest when they register at Eventbrite.com.

Neighborhood Notes

WILLOW GLEN>>Figuring that summer reading is even more fun when you add a game and discounts, Hicklebee’s has launched READ-O, its own version of Book Bingo, for readers ages 5-12.

Participants will receive a 10% discount on books purchased for READ-O. Each square on the READ-O card will include a reading activity. When a square is completed, participants can come into Hicklebee’s to receive a googly eye to cover that square. Squares include both activities that take place at Hicklebee’s and those that can be accomplished elsewhere.

Once players have covered any line—across, down or diagonally—they will receive a bonus prize. Kids who complete all squares will participate in a drawing for a $50 Hicklebee’s gift certificate.

READ-O runs through July 30. Registration is $10 at https://www.hicklebees.com/read-o.

ROSE GARDEN>>Playful People Productions is staging two shows in July, one with a familiar fairy tale cast of characters and another designed to showcase local talent.

Four performances of its original play, “Fractured Fairytales,” are set for July 22-23, created by kids during the pandemic as a radio show. Tickets at $15 will be available starting July 8 at www.PlayfulPeople.org.

On July 24 Playful People is hosting its second annual variety show, “Humans! On Stage! Doing Stuff!” Local acts are invited to show offf any hidden talents they might have. Cost for participation is $25-$50, depending on the number of people in the act.

The show starts at 1 p.m. Tickets at $15 will be available starting July 10 at www.PlayfulPeople.org, where acts can also register to perform.

Both shows will be at the Historic Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Ave.

Expert advice on intuitive eating

The Campbell-based Eating Disorders Resource Center (EDRC) is hosting an “Ask the Expert” event July 9 with registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor Jen Powers, who will discuss how parents can model healthy behavior and create a supportive, non-diet food environment at home for children with eating disorders.

Powers has worked in the eating disorder field at various levels of care over the past 13 years. She works with adolescents and adults, offering one-on-one nutrition counseling sessions and family support as well as body empowerment and body positive yoga workshops.

The EDRC event is set for 9:30-11 a,m. To register for the Zoom link, visit https://edrcsv.org/get-informed/ask-the-experts. Questions for Powers can be sent to nancy@edrcsv.org.

Campbell Crush fundraiser

The Campbell Crush 8-and-under team, the youngest all-stars team at Campbell Girls Fastpitch Softball, has been invited to play ball in the Cal Sports Games in San Diego July 15-17. A Gofundme page has been set up to help the team raise money to travel to the games, likened to the Junior Olympics for California sports.

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/campbell-crush-8u-at-the-cal-state-games.

Cool car show

The Cool Car Club of Saratoga, Los Gatos and Campbell is sponsoring the 11th annual Saratoga Classic and Cool Car Show on July 24, when more than 200 classic and cool cars will gather along Big Basin Way.

The free public event will also feature a wide selection of food from local restaurants and food trucks, beer and wine from local breweries and wineries, and a live band.

If one day of classic cars isn’t enough, a week of events leads up to the Sunday show. For more information, email info@saratogachamber.org.

Red, White and Boom!

Fourth of July festivities are on this year in Milpitas, starting with the “Waving the Red, White and Blue Pool Party,” noon-3 p.m. at the Milpitas Sports Center Complex, 1325 E. Calaveras Blvd.

Families can go home and dry off after this free event then come back to the Sports Center at 6 p.m. for “Red, White and Boom!” The festival will feature food trucks, a kids area, a climbing wall, remote control cars and a video game truck, as well as live music by funk and soul band Left University.

General admission is $6. Tickets are on sale at the Milpitas Community Center, Milpitas Sports Center, and Barbara Lee Senior Center, or visit www.milpitas.gov/July4th. Those with presale tickets can get into the festival starting at 5 p.m. and snag good seats for the fireworks show that starts at 9:15 p.m.

For more information, call 408-586-3210 or visit https://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/events-calendar/2022-07-04.

Emerging artists sought

The Rotary Club of San Jose is putting out a call for artists to apply for the 10th Annual Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award. The deadline to apply is July 15.

Artists in all genres can apply for this award, created in honor of Weimers, the late Mercury News columnist. Previous awards have ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 cash prizes, and up to four winners will be invited to show their work and/or speak at a lunch meeting of one of the world’s 10 largest Rotary Clubs.

Eligible artists must be 18 or older and residents of Santa Clara County. To apply, visit https://www.weimersawards.com/award-recipients.

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the call-up of Anthony Rizzo, one of the most important days of the Chicago Cubs rebuild.

“I guess we’ll be the face of the franchise — me, him and a couple other young guys in here,” shortstop Starlin Castro said after Rizzo’s arrival. “Let’s see what we can do.”

You know the rest of the story.

Rizzo became a Wrigley Field legend, signed a team-friendly deal, helped the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908, asked for big money when his contract came up and was dealt to the New York Yankees in the last great summer sell-off.

While Rizzo thrives on the best team in baseball, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has embarked on another rebuild (or semi-rebuild), trying to figure out which young star can become the next face of the franchise and which players are expendable.

The Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on a sweltering afternoon Saturday at Busch Stadium failed to provide any clues.

Willson Contreras, the Cubs’ best and most popular player, is expected to follow Rizzo out of town after asking to be compensated as one of the game’s top catchers. Christopher Morel could be the Rizzo of the current rebuild but might be too raw to have great expectations thrust on his shoulders. Ian Happ is a Rizzo protege and emerging as a fixture in left field. But like Contreras, Happ might be too valuable to keep in an organization that needs to stock prospects.

Meanwhile, Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney goes about the business of making money for the Ricketts family, repeating the familiar refrain that all the money brought in goes right back into Hoyer’s budget. On Friday, when Dead & Company played the first of two concerts at Wrigley and DraftKings held a ceremony to sign a steel beam in the three-story sportsbook scheduled to open at the ballpark in 2023, Kenney told The Athletic the money will all go to the betterment of the team.

“So concerts, activities like (the sportsbook), are just additive to the budget, which, as I say, all of the budget in this building, everything that’s generated inside goes to the baseball operations team after we pay our fixed expenses,” Kenney said. “Jed decides when and how much of it to spend. And Jed was clear last week that he did not spend all of his budget this year. So it’s his choice what he does with those revenues, but this is all helpful to that process.”

The narrative of the Cubs saving money for a rainy day down road is a familiar one. Chairman Tom Ricketts declared in November 2018 that many teams “would rather have dry powder a year from now.” He later signed off on a six-year, $126 million deal for pitcher Yu Darvish, then had Hoyer unload him after three seasons to start another rebuild.

It’s impossible to refute the notion the Cubs will spend the “saved” money down the road because we won’t know the truth for a few years at least. That’s the true genius of the Cubs.

When recently discussing last summer’s sell-off of high-priced talent for mostly low-level prospects, Hoyer said: “They’re probably going to be evaluated in 2027 for real, and I think that’s the way it should be.”

In other words, you can’t judge Hoyer’s big moves for another five years, just as you can’t criticize the Cubs for not spending money they’re currently “saving” until we find out in a few years if they’ve actually lived up to their word.

The list of revenue-enhancing projects includes the video boards and massive advertising sprawl at once-ad-free Wrigley, the boutique hotel across the street, the office building, the purchase of almost every rooftop club, the Marquee Sports Network and the premium clubs and upgraded suites.

The sportsbook annex to Wrigley is just the latest addition to the Cubs’ coffers. So where is all the money going if it’s not going to the payroll? Are the “fixed expenses” really that high?

Cubs fans have no one to blame but themselves for this mess. The Cubs were seventh in average attendance Saturday depite the having the fifth worst record in baseball and the second highest Fan Cost Index — $364.83 for a family of four — according to Team Marketing Report.

Something does not compute.

Kenney certainly isn’t the first Cubs executive to try to sell fans on the idea that all the money is going right back into the team. After a 97-loss season in 2000, the Cubs increased ticket prices by an average of 16%, which then-President Andy MacPhail said was necessary to compete in a division with four teams that recently had built new stadiums.

“We’re here to win, and whatever additional revenues are generated through ticket-price increases will be put back into the product, whether it’s payroll, player development or wherever,” MacPhail told the Tribune on Nov. 8, 2000.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me decade after decade, shame on me.

But whatever works. The Cubs don’t mind repeating the line as long as fans keep buying tickets. Kenney did it again on WSCR-AM 670 on Saturday morning, even offering apologies for repeating himself.

They are able to get away with it because no one calls out Kenney for his repeated comments.

The Cubs are living on past glory to rationalize the high ticket prices, selling iconic Wrigley Field in advertisements and maintaining the “next great Cubs team” is on its way with the “saved” money for free agents and prospects currently playing in the low minors.

Perhaps they should heed the words of Kyle Hendricks, who struggled all season but pitched a gem Friday night in a 3-0 Cubs win in the series opener. Afterward, Hendricks refused to use his start as an indicator he felt like his old self.

“Somewhat, but it feels so long ago,” he said. “I’m really trying to focus on where I’m at right now and just seeing the game for what it is, taking it and knowing where to go and making my pitches.”

Hendricks, 32, might not be the same pitcher as when he captured the National League ERA title in 2016 at 26. We all get older. Few of us get better.

The Cubs aren’t the same organization they were a decade ago, with many more revenue-producers and opportunities to contend on an annual basis. Yet they continue to trot out the same old narrative and expect their fans to swallow it whole.

Hoyer said last week that he spoke with Ricketts and Kenney about the team’s struggles, and both had questions for him.

“You’d be sort of not paying attention or not doing your job if you’re not asking questions about why we’re struggling in certain areas,” Hoyer said. “Some of it I think is obvious, and some of it is more nuanced. But I think everyone is asking questions, and they should be asking questions.”

Some of us are asking questions.

But we’re getting the same old answers.

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District tackles gun violence

The Sunnyvale School District Board of Education approved a Gun-Related Violence Prevention Resolution at its June 16 board meeting, demanding action from local, state and federal representatives to reinstate an assault weapon ban and adopt stricter gun controls.

The resolution notes that gun-related violence at public schools and in other public spaces—including the recent mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, Texas—has become all too frequent.

“The district board renewed its commitment to reduce gun violence and pledged to do all it can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands and encourage responsible gun ownership to help keep children and staff safe,” read a statement from the district.

In addition to reinstating the assault weapon ban, the board’s resolution “demands state and federal representatives adopt stricter controls governing the sale, transfer, possession, manufacturing and distribution of all firearms, dangerous weapons and ammunition.”

“Those stricter controls include not only comprehensive and thorough background checks of all purchases of all firearms but also an outright ban on semiautomatic firearms, high-capacity magazines, and any other equipment or alteration that would increase a firearm’s capacity for ammunition or rate of fire,” the statement continues. “The board also demands an increase in the age to purchase guns from 18 to 21, reasonable waiting periods and mandated training in the safe use of guns.”

The full text of the resolution is available at https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030203&MID=6826.

This year, for the first time in its history, Westmont High School’s Stunt Team won first place in the Blossom Valley Athletic League and qualified for the state cheer competition in Roseville.

“Not only that, we placed eighth among 165 stunt schools” at the state level, said Kelly DeBey, cheerleading coach for the Campbell high school. The team also went to the national competition in Florida.

According to parent Nikki Merrick, there are three types of cheerleading: sideline cheering for school games; traditional competitive cheer that involves dancing, cheering and inter-school competitions; and stunting, a relatively new sport.

“These girls are strong and competitive,” she said of the Westmont team. “It is important to give attention to athletics. It is not just jumping on the sidelines with pompoms. That is the least of what they do.”

“When I joined Westmont a few years ago, they only had a sideline team and had never been to a national competition,” said DeBey, who grew up in San Jose’s Almaden Valley and took drama and cheerleading classes at Castillero Middle School. To earn volunteer hours as a student at Pioneer High School, she coached Castillero’s cheerleading team.

Training for the stunting team is rigorous.

“We do tumbling at Loopkicks Tricking in Santa Clara. Some Olympians have had their training there,” said DeBey, a volunteer coach who works fulltime at Apple in Cupertino. “Cheerleading is a sport and needs to be recognized as such. There is a great deal of physical energy and talent that are expended.”

According to Merrick, a longtime high school teacher in Cupertino, the necessary skills include tumbling, jumps, stunting and dancing. Her daughter, Kate, has been part of the cheer team throughout high school.

“I did dance for 11 years, ever since I was 2,” Kate said. “Dance helps me with rhythm and remembering counts for a routine. Stunting is my favorite.”

Team captain Laney Fitch said several qualities are needed to be successful in cheer teams. These include confidence, showmanship and physical skills as well as a smiling face and an upbeat attitude.

“It gives me a heartwarming feeling to see the team that you helped cultivate,” added Laney, who did gymnastics for 10 years as a young girl. “I definitely view this as a sport. We try to entertain the crowd, but we have to have physical skills, even in sideline.”

Kate Merrick said her teammates, who live in Campbell and Los Gatos, are like a second family. “I also like my coaches,” she added.

While the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion after almost 50 years does not alter Californians’ access to services, it has quickly become a rallying cry for Democratic leaders and progressive activists across the Bay Area looking to energize voters in the months ahead.

Standing in a sea of thousands of residents who gathered in front of San Jose City Hall on Saturday morning to protest the previous day’s decision, Milpitas councilwoman Karina Dominguez called on disheartened residents to make their voices heard.

“I want people to turn that emotion into action,” said Dominguez, clad in a shirt depicting former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s face aglow. “I want them to run for office and take up space. But most importantly, hold their elected officials accountable.

“We cannot lose the focus that we have right now.”

In the months leading up to California’s November midterm election, Californians can expect to hear abortion rights employed as a mobilizing force for Democrats, as candidates like Gov. Gavin Newsom promote their involvement with women’s advocacy organizations and Planned Parenthood and warn voters of cascading impacts that could take place if their opponents win. And for Republicans in this heavily pro-abortion state, it may become a subject to avoid in contested Congressional and state legislative elections.

“It’s very clear that the Democrats think this is an issue that is going to be of huge help to them,” longtime political analyst Dan Schnur said about efforts to boost turnout for the fall midterm election. “It took Newsom and the legislature several months to agree on a tax rebate. It took them less than a day to move to put an abortion rights initiative on the ballot for November.”

That new initiative, which is expected to win legislative approval in coming days, would ask voters to enshrine “reproductive freedom” in the California State Constitution.

Newsom on Friday also signed a bill into law that protects abortion providers and out-of-state patients from threats by other states to impose criminal penalties against them. Additional proposals are making their way through the state Legislature, including some that would offer financial assistance to people coming to California from other states to receive abortion-related services.

In front of a fired-up crowd Saturday outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Hayward, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell wasted no time describing the state of the country in his view: “It’s on life support right now, folks.”

He laid out political imperatives for Democratic voters across the state — vote to cement abortion rights in the state’s Constitution, organize to flip Republican-controlled Congressional seats and fend off the possibility of a federal abortion ban. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives is up for grabs in November, with most pundits giving Republicans the edge prior to the Friday court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“In 2020, we didn’t win the election — we hit a three-pointer at the buzzer and sent it into overtime,” Swalwell said, referring to closer-than-expected outcomes in a number of House races. “This is overtime.”

Pleasanton resident Donna Dubose was in the crowd holding a sign that read: “Our daughters deserve better… FOR SHAME!” Dubose, 63, said her 24-year-old daughter and nieces were all rallying Saturday in different parts of the country.

“I never thought this would happen,” Dubose said. “My daughter’s been trying to get all her peers — you know, young people haven’t been our strongest voters — to come out with her to rally as well. This is a direct assault on the country, and I hope it brings more people out.”

A recent survey from UC San Diego, which asked Californians about their likelihood to vote in November before and after learning the contents of a draft of the Roe decision that leaked in early May, found that it had a significant rallying effect on independent voters.

In San Jose, many demonstrators said they fear the Supreme Court soon could take away other fundamental rights, including same-sex marriage and rights for transgender and non-binary communities — a notion that resulted from a concurring opinion delivered Friday by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, suggesting the court reexamine those issues using the logic it employed in overturning Roe.

“We feel like this country is trying to take us backward to the 1950s, and we’re here to say that we’re not going back, and we’re going to fight back,” said Nancy Robles, a San Jose resident and member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

While the fight over abortion rights may be top of mind for Democrats, it is not expected to be a focus of the campaigns of Republican candidates in California, according to Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College. Instead, she said, voters will more likely hear Republicans in the Golden State push the court’s recent decision to give Americans a broad right to carry guns in public.

“The rolling back of Roe and restrictions on issues like same-sex marriage or contraception — I don’t think those are winning messages here in California,” she said.

That was apparent in some of the matter-of-fact statements released Friday by major Republican political candidates, including California Attorney General candidate Nathan Hochman and U.S. Representative Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, in response to the repeal of Roe vs. Wade.

“The only thing that the Supreme Court determined today is that the constitutional path to legislate on this issue is now at the state level,” Garcia said in a statement. “The events today will not change access to abortions as constituents in California.”

Garcia’s race, in which the incumbent will have to fend off Democrat Christy Smith, is one of a half dozen races for the U.S. House that are hotly contested. They’re all in Southern California suburban districts where married female voters could end up determining the election’s outcome, according to Schnur.

The Supreme Court’s decision on abortion creates a “huge motivator” for Democratic candidates with voters in those districts, Schnur said, but not necessarily for their counterparts.

“Republicans across the country spent a lot of time on Friday talking about how inflation and immigrants would still be the driving issues for voters in November,” he said. “That’s a tacit concession that abortion issues will not work to their benefit.”

The Bay Area’s one-ring Circus Bella brought its “Flip * Flop * Fly” extravaganza to San Franciso’s Yerba Buena Gardens Saturday, June 25. The two performances were part of the colorful circus’ 13th season of free summer shows at parks in Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco and beyond.

Directed by trapeze artist Abigail Munn, the kid-friendly performances feature aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, clowns and musicians. Munn got her start early, performing at age 9 with the Bay Area’s beloved Pickle Family Circus, which performed at venues across California in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Find details on upcoming shows at www.circusbella.org/flipflopfly.

Inside the bathroom of the modest two-story home in north Merced, a tiny, 55-pound body lay decomposing in a tub. The roaring exhaust fan and burned incense failed to mask the putrid smell.

In the backyard, soiled sheets, candy wrappers, and other food packaging littered a locked metal shed – used for punishment, police were later told. The outline of a small handprint blemished a dusty brown nightstand inside.

This is how police found Sophia Mason, an eight-year-old Hayward girl who had lived through so much cruelty in the months before her death but never received the protection she needed from Alameda County’s Department of Children and Family Services. Now, a three-month investigation by the Bay Area News Group is raising critical concerns about the county agency that left Sophia under the care of a mother who had a history of mental illness and neglecting her, until she died.

“It was probably the most disturbing thing I’ve seen in my career,” said Merced police Sgt. Kalvin Haygood of the scene he encountered March 11. “I just can’t begin to imagine what that child went through.

“It really makes you wonder, ‘Where did it all go wrong? Why wasn’t this child protected?’”

That question is far more difficult to answer than it should be. Alameda County is refusing to disclose details of how it handled at least eight separate reports of abuse or neglect involving Sophia Mason, thwarting the intent of a California law written to enable public scrutiny of government agencies charged with keeping children safe.

The county has made only meager disclosures that contain none of the observations or evidence compiled by investigating social workers — material that is regularly released by other California counties under the terms of the law. Nor did it release any reports it should have made to police regarding the suspected abuse of Sophia. Hayward police have said they received no information which warranted their investigation.

“If Alameda County is actually giving you all of the records that they’re required to, it means no social worker wrote down what they saw and no social worker or supervisor ever got to take a look at what they did,” said Ed Howard, senior counsel with the University of San Diego School of Law Children’s Advocacy Institute, who co-wrote the law mandating disclosure in child death cases, SB 39.

“And that would be horrifying if that was common practice in Alameda County.”

The few records the county did provide show its social workers made glaring errors in assessing Sophia’s risk of future mistreatment and overlooked several red flags that experts say should have prompted a more aggressive response to ensure her safety. At one point, a caseworker checked a box indicating that Sophia’s mother, Samantha Johnson, had no history of drug or alcohol abuse, even though she resided in a sober living home at the time.

Michelle Love, who leads Alameda County DCFS, declined multiple requests for an interview. The agency also did not respond to an extensive list of questions regarding its response to Sophia’s case.

Samantha Johnson is in custody, charged with child abuse and murder, while her boyfriend, Dhante Jackson, suspected of murder and sexual abuse of the girl, is at large.

But aggrieved family members have no doubt where the failure lies.

“Her life could have been saved,” said Sophia’s aunt, Emerald Johnson, a fierce defender of the child and who made at least three of the reports to DCFS last year. “The bottom line is they didn’t believe me. They didn’t believe Sophia.”

“Now,” she added, “her blood is on their hands.”

‘A little angel on Earth’

Just 15 months before her death, the girl relatives affectionately knew as So-So had been an exuberant child — a performer who loved to sing and dance, and doted on the grandmother she’d lived with in Hayward since infancy.

But the horrors she would soon encounter had been foreshadowed, even before she was born.

When relatives learned Samantha Johnson was pregnant at age 21, they immediately worried about her child’s welfare, citing her mental state, drug use and her record of prostitution. Samantha had logged three arrests for solicitation between December 2010 and December 2011 and had long been a client of the Regional Center of the East Bay, an organization that supports people with developmental disabilities.

“She was excited, but I was horrified,” said Melissa Harris, Samantha’s cousin. “To me, Samantha’s intellectual capacity is no greater than that of a 10- to 12-year-old. And no one would say that a 10- to 12-year-old should be taking care of a child.”

After Sophia’s birth on New Year’s Day 2014, Samantha Johnson disappeared for days at a time, leaving Sophia with her grandmother, Sylvia Johnson, her family said. And in March 2014, Alameda County DCFS received its first call about the infant, which relatives said was filed by a family friend who hoped to help the grandmother gain custody of Sophia.

But the responding social worker said they did not identify any safety threats to the infant, and ultimately ruled that the allegations of “severe neglect” were unfounded.

For the next seven years, Samantha remained on the periphery of the girl’s life, while Sophia was raised in Hayward. Despite the extended absences of her mother, Sophia grew up surrounded by an expansive support system, relatives said, including aunts, cousins, neighbors and her grandmother Sylvia, who considered Sophia her “little sidekick.”

As can be seen in the family’s charming home videos, Sophia loved to put on a show, beaming and begging family members to watch. Relatives admired the child’s energetic spirit and compassion for those around her.

SCENES FROM A LIFE TOO SHORT: Sophia Mason was known as an exuberant child — a performer who loved to sing and dance. 

“Sophia was such a loving little girl like a little angel on Earth,” said Florine Thompson, the girl’s great-aunt.

“She was just the sweetest little girl,” Emerald Johnson said. “If something was wrong or you were going through something, she was always trying to make you feel better.”

Although multiple relatives considered attempting to adopt Sophia, they said they never saw the necessity of going through the formal process because Samantha seemed to accept the family’s role in raising her daughter.

Complaints of abuse and neglect pile up

But in January 2021, shortly after Sophia’s seventh birthday, her mother came back into her life. With what relatives believe was the encouragement of Jackson, her boyfriend, Samantha Johnson began taking an interest in Sophia and sneaking the girl out of her grandmother’s home late at night to take her to Jackson’s home.

That prompted the second DCFS report made in regards to physical abuse of Sophia — one of at least seven complaints that would be made in the last 15 months of her life.

Although the DCFS records which have been heavily redacted by county officials do not provide any details about the allegations, Emerald Johnson said she filed the report after Samantha showed up at her mother’s house in Hayward with police officers to reassert her custody and remove Sophia from the home.

A safety and risk assessment completed by a DCFS social worker found that Sophia faced no safety threats at that time and was not at risk of future mistreatment, though it contains no notes with details from the case worker.

From there, Samantha took Sophia to live with her in a nearby motel, but within six weeks of that report to DCFS, four additional calls were made to the agency regarding concerns that Sophia was being physically abused and neglected, DCFS records show.

Yet in response to each of those calls — made between Feb. 2 and Feb. 22, 2021 — social workers determined that the allegations did not warrant an in-person evaluation nor any further investigation into Sophia’s well-being. Again, the records include no notes from social workers about why those determinations were made.

That was the finding even for a Feb. 11 call, which resulted from an extraordinary effort engineered by Emerald Johnson to save the girl.

Convinced Sophia was in peril, Emerald Johnson persuaded Samantha’s caseworker with the Regional Center, Sophia’s DCFS social worker, and Hayward police to join her in a Hayward park with Sophia and her mother to discuss the girl’s welfare. Police confirmed the meeting, saying that an officer provided security while DCFS conducted interviews.

Sophia, Emerald said, showed up shaking and crying, her body bruised and scabbed. When asked about the markings on her body, Sophia told the DCFS social worker that her mother and Jackson were beating her, Emerald said. But the revelation seemingly had no effect.

“At the park that day, that’s when I feel like they really could have saved her life,” Emerald said. “But then I watched (Samantha and Sophia) both get into the car together as Sophia was crying and shaking and begging to go with me.”

“It was awful,” Emerald added, “traumatizing honestly.”

Though DCFS records acknowledge receipt of two complaints on the date of the meeting, the material made public contains no references to the meeting itself. Instead, the material indicates simply that social workers decided the reports of suspected abuse did not meet their definition of abuse and did not warrant a further investigation.

After the confrontation at the park, relatives didn’t see Samantha or Sophia for several months; evidence suggests the mother took the girl to Southern California. During that same time frame, an OnlyFans page was created and used to post pornographic photos and videos of Samantha from May to September 2021.

Then in June, the pair returned to the Bay Area and Samantha reached out to her family for housing assistance. Relatives were initially thrilled at the news of Sophia’s return, but when they saw her, their excitement quickly deflated.

“When she left, she was a little pudgy but when she came back in June, she was like a rail,” Thompson said of the girl’s appearance. Samantha also seemed to be in bad shape. “It looked like they’d been dragged across the desert. They were dirty and smelly and the baby’s hair was uncombed and matted.”

Emerald Johnson said she spotted a large bruise on her niece’s right forearm.

Sophia, Emerald said, “pulled her arm away from me and said ‘Don’t ask me about it. Mom gets mad.’ I just remember I started crying and hugged her and told her ‘I’m still trying to fight for you.'”

Once again, Emerald called DCFS. And once more, records indicate that no one from the agency was sent out to assess Sophia, no further investigation ensued and no additional services were offered to the family.

After that call, Emerald said, Samantha slowly began cutting most of her family out of Sophia’s life. And yet, one final report was made to DCFS in September — six months before her body was found — when Samantha and Sophia were living in a sober living home in San Leandro.

This time, the scant DCFS records reveal, the complaint came not from relatives but from a “mandated reporter” — someone required by law to report suspicions of abuse.

Around that time, Sophia and her mother were involved in a car accident and they were transported in an ambulance to Kaiser Permanente’s San Leandro Medical Center to be evaluated, according to relatives.

It is unclear who called DCFS this final time to allege that Sophia was being physically abused, but authorities who responded to the crash, medical staff at the hospital and officials at the sober living home where Samantha and Sophia were staying would all fit the description of a mandated reporter.

Alameda County was required to release Sophia’s medical records to this news organization but claimed that none existed.

The DCFS conclusion did not vary, though: “Allegations appear to be unfounded. Case closed.”

In November, Samantha Jonhson was kicked out of the sober living facility for failing to follow the rules such as curfew and cleaning regimens, according to relatives, and she moved with Jackson and Sophia to Merced.

Sophia’s relatives never saw her again.

Thompson said she remembers telling the DCFS caseworker “that something is going to happen to this baby. One day, we’d end up hearing this baby’s story on ’60 Minutes’ and I’m going to blame you for it. No sooner said, months later, it happened.”

‘That foreshadows more kids dying’

The disconnect couldn’t be clearer between the conduct of Alameda County DCFS and the realities of Sophia’s final 15 months. What is difficult to determine, from the sparse records the agency provided this news organization, is why.

Child abuse lawyers who have reviewed the records in Sophia’s case said it appears the agency is attempting to defy SB 39’s requirement that California child welfare agencies release detailed records about any child who dies from abuse or neglect.

Instead, after months of negotiation between the agency and an attorney for this news organization, Alameda County DCFS provided 42 pages of heavily edited records that failed to include any notes taken by employees in the agency’s call center or its social workers. Nor did it include reports submitted to law enforcement — only notations of when those were sent — although the law and DCFS’s own policies indicate such records should be provided.

DCFS’s Love claimed the agency released all required records, and that it would violate privacy laws to provide anything more. But Howard called that response “baffling.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “What this means is that the decision-makers and the public are effectively blocked from looking at this case to determine whether anything could be improved in the future — and that foreshadows more kids dying.”

Even so, the records DCFS did provide reveal errors and inconsistencies that lawyers who specialize in child abuse cases said could have changed the determination of the risks Sophia faced.

For example, Alameda County records indicate that DCFS did not send the required reports to law enforcement about the possible abuse of Sophia in a timely manner, and at least once failed to provide a report at all. Following one of the most worrisome referrals, alleging the physical abuse of Sophia, the agency failed to alert the Hayward Police Department for more than two months, according to the records.

“Different people might make different determinations and it just might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” said Christopher Keane, a San Francisco-based child abuse attorney, explaining the need for police to review DCFS findings. “The point is that more information is better and time is of the essence.”

In another aberration, the county caseworker who responded to the final complaint to DCFS about Sophia’s care incorrectly marked that Samantha Johnson did not have a criminal history and said that she had no history of using drugs or alcohol — although DCFS had been informed repeatedly of Samantha’s history, and both the mother and daughter were staying at the sober living home at the time.

“If you fill out the information incorrectly, then the recommendation is pretty useless,” said Carly Sanchez, the family’s lawyer. “So although Sophia’s safety assessments kept coming up safe, I don’t know how trustworthy those responses are when I know they’re not plugging in the correct answers every time.”

Even if social workers concluded they lacked evidence to remove Sophia from her mother’s care, they had an array of other intervention options such as creating a family safety plan, conducting regular case management meetings or requesting a forensic exam of Sophia away from her mother’s presence. It appears none of those options were employed.

“Anytime you get more than three or four referrals on the same kid, something is not right,” said an Alameda County DCFS employee who spoke to this news organization anonymously. “It should probe us to go look a little harder, but that didn’t happen here.”

A Merced police report filed in Samantha Johnson’s court case sheds additional light on some of the horrors Sophia endured — and raises even more questions about the conduct of Alameda County social workers.

In early March, Samantha Johnson called her mother, Sylvia, and said she was coming back to the Bay Area without her daughter because she “gave her away.” Alarmed, the family called Hayward police, who then arrested Samantha and alerted authorities in Merced.

Armed with a search warrant, Merced police detectives knocked down the front door of the home leased by Jackson and found Sophia’s lifeless body.

In an interview with detectives after the disturbing discovery, Samantha Johnson described a DCFS case in Alameda County where “there was an allegation of Jackson touching (Sophia) in the crotch area,” the report states. She also told detectives that no forensic exam was completed on Sophia at that time.

Without any notes from social workers, it is unclear when that allegation was made to DCFS and what was done about it.

Samantha Johnson told police that she had been dating Jackson for about two years and that he began physically and sexually abusing Sophia when they were still living in the Bay Area. According to the police report, her cell phone included visual evidence of the sexual abuse.

Samantha Johnson said that Jackson’s abuse escalated after moving to Merced and that they at times left Sophia in a metal shed in their backyard as punishment. She also admitted to disciplining her child on her own, including burning Sophia’s leg with a hot spoon and choking her on at least one occasion.

When asked what she thought forensic exams would indicate when experts checked Sophia’s body, the police report states Samantha Johnson replied that “it was going to show that her daughter was raped.”

More than three months after Sophia’s body was discovered, it remains in the custody of the Merced County Coroner’s Office. The cause of her death has not been released, pending the culmination of an autopsy and toxicology report.

But Sophia’s family is determined that her death will not be in vain.

“The system failed Sophia but we don’t want it to fail another child,” said Sylvia Johnson, Sophia’s grandmother. “They shouldn’t have to go through what she went through.”

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