Latest news with #Garibay
The Star
12-06-2025
- The Star
Silicon Valley's role in a surprising missing-person case trend
It has been nine years since 15-year-old Pearl Pinson vanished on her way to school in Vallejo . For her father, James Pinson , the pain remains as fresh as the morning his daughter never came home. "The date etched in my mind forever, and that was the last time anybody saw her," Pinson said. Lynn Ching understands. Three years before Pearl went missing, Ching's 19-year-old son, Sean Sidi , said he was going to a nearby park in San Francisco , and hasn't been seen since, leaving her "trying to make sense of the whole thing". Missing persons in California Last year, an average of 163 people a day were reported missing across the United States , 19 a day in California and three a day in the Bay Area. But there are encouraging signs that technology – and efforts to curb its misuse by those who would use it to lure and prey upon the vulnerable – may be making such heartbreaking missing persons cases a little less common. Nationally, the rate of missing person reports per 100,000 people has fallen 21% from 2014 to 2024, according to an analysis by the Bay Area News Group . In California , it's dropped 23%, and in the nine-county Bay Area, the decline is even more pronounced, down 38% over that period. The decline in missing persons reports has primarily been those involving children under age 18, which account for three out of four missing person reports nationally and two out of three in California over the last 10 years. At the national level, reports of kids under age 18 going missing declined 24%, while those involving adults rose 6%. In California , missing children reports have fallen 28% while missing adult cases are up 5%. San Jose Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Jorge Garibay said some of the downward trend since 2017 had to do with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and activity restrictions that continued for the next couple of years. But the trend has continued since, and Garibay said that technology also has improved reunification efforts, often shortening the time a person remains missing and potentially reducing the volume of formal reports. "This includes public-facing platforms like social media, where calls for help or awareness posts can quickly gain traction and mobilise community support," Garibay said. Systems such as CHP's Endangered Missing Advisories and Santa Clara County's AlertSCC offer extra layers of outreach, sending geotargeted alerts to the public when time is critical. GPS capabilities in smartphones and vehicles also allow families or caregivers to track movement or share location data in real-time, sometimes enabling reunification well before law enforcement intervention is even required. "Technology – in its many forms – can be a significant factor in driving more timely and effective outcomes, and these tools represent meaningful shifts in how quickly information can move, how communities can respond, and how individuals can take a more active role in resolving or even preventing a missing person incident," Garibay said. Improved mental health care is also helping reduce the number of missing person reports, Garibay said. But while there's been a drop in missing person reports, the percentage reported missing who remain unaccounted for each year – 11% of reported cases in 2024 across the US – has seen little change. It's up 21% nationally from a decade ago, but down 9% since a peak in 2019. Between 2014 and 2024, the actual number of missing cases in the Bay Area exceeded 213,600. Of those, 201,300 were located – 94%. Most counties maintained recovery rates above 95%, particularly for children. Santa Clara County consistently approached a 98% recovery rate. However, San Francisco experienced a decline, with adult recovery rates dropping to around 80% by 2024. Law enforcement agencies across the Bay Area acknowledge the challenges in missing persons investigations, particularly in large, densely populated cities. "In general, SJPD has seen an increase in adult cases related to the unhoused population," said Garibay, noting that mental health struggles, drug use and voluntary absences often complicate such cases. "Although a majority of missing person cases are voluntary and do not involve foul play, SJPD detectives take all cases seriously and work diligently to ensure the person is returned home or contact is made with their loved ones," Garibay said. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children , a private nonprofit that supports searches for minors, has been assisting with Sean Sidi's case since 2013 and has supported the family with a case manager and forensic tools, including age progression images. John Bischoff , a NCMEC vice president, said that while most missing youth cases are runaways or custody-related, there's a growing concern about online enticement, where children are lured away by adults, often under false pretenses. While technology has proven helpful at locating missing people, it has also been a tool for people with bad intentions to prey on young people. "We're seeing a lot more children communicating with people they don't necessarily know online, which is a problem," Bischoff said. "That's where they may be communicating with someone online, and while it looks like they left home on their own, they may have left under false pretenses. They may have gone to meet someone, not realising that person has bad intentions. It's an issue we're seeing." NCMEC conducted an analysis of the 476 children reported missing to NCMEC between 2020 and 2023 who were enticed online. California had 35 cases, ranking second, while Texas had the most missing cases among the states, 68. Data show that online enticement cases tend to involve younger victims, with a higher share of children under 15, especially those 13 and younger, compared to other missing child cases. The report indicated that most children were enticed online by conversations with adults on social media sites, messenger apps and gaming sites. The five most common sites used to lure children are Snapchat , Instagram, Facebook , Discord and TikTok. Sophie Vogel , a spokesperson for Meta, said that last September, Meta launched teen accounts on Instagram with built-in protections – they're private by default, have strict messaging limits, and users under 16 need a parent's permission to change any of these settings. And in April, Meta announced it is rolling out similar teen accounts for Facebook and Messenger, with additional safety restrictions. Other platforms did not respond to a request for comment. The NCMEC report showed that from 2020 to 2023, instances of online enticement decreased on Instagram and Facebook each year, while they increased on other platforms like Snapchat , Discord and TikTok. "That's something we think aligns with the protections we've implemented over the past five years," Vogel said. "We've done a lot to prevent unwanted contact between adults and teens. For a long time, we haven't allowed adults to initiate private messages with teens unless the teen has already followed them. That's an important protection." For families agonising over those still missing, they are left hoping that periodic reminders about their loved ones one day will trigger a response, and if not a reunification, at least some answers. "We still hope we'll get that call, we still hope that we'll get that tip so that Sean comes to our door and shows up alive," said Ching, who reported her son Sean missing May 21, 2013 . Pearl was grabbed off a pedestrian bridge on May 25, 2016 , by a man with no known connection to her who died in a shootout a day later in Santa Barbara , leaving no clue to her whereabouts. Last month on the anniversary of her abduction, her family and friends gathered at the bridge to plead for help finding her. "I fought for the answers for nine years," Pinson said, "but we'll continue searching for her." – Silicon Valley, San Jose, Calif./Tribune News Service
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man arrested after alleged murder in east Bakersfield: police
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A homicide investigation began Monday morning after Bakersfield police found a dead person inside an apartment on South Williams Street. Jason Garibay, 30, was arrested under suspicion of murder, torture and cruelty to a dependent adult likely causing great bodily injury or death, according to the Bakersfield Police Department. Golden Empire Most Wanted: May 30, 2025 At about 5:13 a.m., police were dispatched to the 400 block of South Williams Street and located a dead person inside an apartment. Detectives determined the incident to be a homicide after investigating and later arrested Garibay. The identity of the victim will be released by the Kern County Coroner's Office. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the BakersfieldPolice Department at 661-327-7111. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Docs: Parents charged after kids test positive for cocaine, other drugs
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A man and a woman were recently arrested and charged with endangering a child after their two children tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and other drugs, according to court documents. As we previously reported, Brandon Garibay, 24, and Clarissa Villalobos, 21, were arrested on April 18 and April 19, respectively, and charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child with a bond set at $50,000 each, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's Office: 2 arrested after children test positive for drugs According to court documents, on April 1, the Sheriff's Office was notified about an active Child Protective Services (CPS) case at a home located at the 1300 block of Southwood Road about two children who came out positive for 'narcotics.' The two children involved in the case were identified as a 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl. Garibay was identified as their dad, and Villalobos as their mom, according to court documents. The CPS case was initiated on March 8, when the Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic violence call at the home, according to court documents. A CPS investigator said that on March 11, she arrived at the home to begin her investigation. She said that she encountered the homeowner, but she did not make contact with any of the children's parents, according to court documents. According to court documents, the investigator said that a couple of hours later that day, she met with Villalobos at the 300 block of Isaias Avenue. Villalobos confirmed to the investigator that she does smoke marijuana on occasions, but then later denied smoking. Villalobos also denied using any other narcotics in front of her children but then admitted that Garibay consumed narcotics, she just did not know which ones he used, according to court documents. According to court documents, the investigator said she met with Garibay the next day. Garibay admitted smoking marijuana occasionally, and also said he has tried weed, mushrooms, Xanax, cocaine, and alcohol. Garibay also said the last time he used cocaine was back in January, and that he smokes marijuana approximately five times a week. On March 17, the children took a hair follicle test, and 10 days later, the boy's results came back as an 'unsuitable specimen,' and the girl's results showed she tested positive for cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine, and carboxy-THC, according to court documents. According to court documents, on April 1, the investigator met with Villalobos again, who denied exposing her children to any narcotics and shifted the blame to the homeowner of the home at the 1300 block of Southwood Road and a friend. Villalobos said she knew the homeowner and a friend used methamphetamine and cocaine within the home. She also said that neither she nor Garibay consumed narcotics around their children, according to court documents. According to court documents, on April 4, Villalobos met with the Sheriff's Office to provide a voluntary statement. Villalobos, once again, denied her children ever being exposed to any of the narcotics they tested positive for by either her or Garibay. Villalobos also said the homeowner and a friend used narcotics, but in a different bedroom and never around the children. Villalobos also denied that neither she nor Garibay consumed narcotics, according to court documents. According to court documents, Villalobos said that Garibay would smoke TCH vape near the kids, on the opposite side of the room. Villalobos continued to deny that the children were ever directly exposed to any narcotics. She concluded saying that the children were either under her supervision or Garibay's and never with anybody else inside the home. On April 10, the Sheriff's Office received an email from the investigator that contained the hair follicle results for the boy. He tested positive for the presence of cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine, and carboxy-THC, according to court documents. According to court documents, attempts were made to contact Garibay but were unsuccessful. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
01-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK needs to relax AI laws or risk transatlantic ties, thinktank warns
Tony Blair's thinktank has urged the UK to relax copyright laws in order to let artificial intelligence firms build new products, as it warned a tougher approach could strain the transatlantic relationship. The Tony Blair Institute said enforcing firm copyright measures would strain ties with the US, which is poised to announce tariffs on UK goods on Wednesday. Warning that geopolitical considerations require 'urgent and adequate attention' while AI policy is being drafted, TBI said: 'Without similar provisions in the United States, it would be hard for the UK government to enforce strict copyright laws without straining the transatlantic relationship it has so far sought to nurture.' The thinktank has said that if the UK went down the route of demanding licensing of all UK content used in AI models, it would simply push that development work to other territories where there are less strict copyright laws. To enforce a strict licensing model, the UK would also need to restrict access to models that have been trained on such content, which could include US-owned AI systems. In a report published on Wednesday, TBI said it backed government proposals to let AI firms train their models on copyright-protected material without permission, unless creatives have signalled they want to opt out of the process. With the Trump administration signalling it will not pursue strict AI regulations and China pursuing AI growth at 'breakneck speed', the UK could weaken its economic and national security interests by lagging in the AI race, said TBI. 'If the UK imposes laws that are too strict, it risks falling behind in the AI-driven economy and weakening its capacity to protect national security interests,' said TBI. The report said arguing that commercial AI models cannot be trained on content from the open web was close to saying knowledge workers – a broad category of professionals ranging from lawyers to researchers – cannot profit from insights they get when reading the same content. Rather than fighting to uphold outdated regulations, said TBI, rights holders and policymakers should help build a future where creativity is valued alongside AI innovation. A more restrictive approach to copyright than the one taken by the EU, Singapore or Japan risked pushing AI developers out of the UK, said TBI. Fernando Garibay, a record producer who has worked with artists including Lady Gaga and U2, said history has been dotted with 'end-of-time claims' related to technological breakthroughs, from the printing press to music streaming. Those fears were unfounded, said Garibay in an introduction to the report, and the creative community should not 'cling' to a legal status quo. 'The progressive solution is not about clinging to copyright laws designed for an earlier era but allowing them to co-evolve with technological change, to remain effective in fulfilling their regulatory and protective aims in the age of AI,' said Garibay. The report, called Rebooting copyright: How the UK can be a global leader in the Arts and AI, also calls for the creation of a Centre for AI and Creative Industries that will encourage collaboration between the tech and creative sectors. Beeban Kidron, a cross-bench peer and prominent campaigner against the government proposals, said the report was effectively telling artists to 'put up or shut up' because AI's advance is inevitable. 'It cannot be that the sum total of the government's imagination is that the UK become an AI hub for Silicon Valley,' she said. 'That has got to be the most depressing vision of the UK imaginable.' Kidron added that TBI's acceptance of donations from the US tech billionaire Larry Ellison, which reached $270m (£210m) last year, were 'the very definition of conflict of interest'. According to documents filed in the US last year, Ellison's foundation donated more than $52m (£40m) to TBI in 2024, with a further $218m (£169m) committed. TBI said the $270m commitment was for helping governments around the world, particularly in Africa, with 'reform and change programmes'. 'We maintain intellectual independence over our policy work,' said TBI.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
1 arrested in San Jose Locust Street homicide
(KRON) — A San Jose homicide suspect was arrested Sunday less than 24 hours after a man was shot to death at a home on Locust Street. Police said detectives tracked down the suspected killer at a house in south San Jose and arrested him. 'Detectives quickly learned the suspect and victim knew each other,' San Jose Police Department Sgt. Jorge Garibay wrote. SJPD officials did not release the names of the homicide victim and suspect. The shooting happened on the night of March 29 at a home on the 700 block of Locust Street, according to Garibay. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. Garibay wrote, 'The suspect fled the area prior to police arrival. Detectives immediately identified the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest.' Police apprehended the man just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday and he was booked into jail on murder charges. Surveillance images show what happened before Santana Row Valentine's Day killing A motive is still under investigation, police said. The Locust Street shooting is San Jose's fifth homicide of 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
