in oakland, i'm leslie brinkley, abc7 news. ama: also in oakland developing news in friday's shooting on 880 that killed a former cal basketball star. late this the suspect in the killing of 65-year-old gene ransom has been charngd. abc7 news reporter j.r. stone has been going through the charming documents and joins us from the newsroom. j.r. reporter: the suspect in gene ransom's killing is now facing felony charges including murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle. sources close to the investigation tell us road rage is likely to blame here. 25-year-old juan garcia was arrested saturday morning in connection with the shooting that left ransom dead. the police report says ransom was driving his honda northbound along i-880 in oakland in the fast lane and just south of oak street when garcia in a black lexus drove along the small shoulder next to ransom coming side-by-side with him. garcia then fired one shot at ransom, striking -- striking him in the head and proving to be fatal. last weekend we talked with ransom's best

i'm leslie brinkley abc 7 news. some big covid developments today in san francisco cases fell below 1,000 for the first time since december the latest numbers from the city's health department show 993 new daily cases on january 25th. unvaccinated soldiers will be immediately discharged the army said today the navy and air force have already begun dismissing vaccine holdouts. newly updated forecast models used by the cdc suggest covid-19 related hospital admissions will continue to decline in the weeks to come though death to are expected to remain stable. all right moving on. this is really quite something. imagine. you're a nonprofit trying to empower young girls to take on a leadership role in our society next thing, you know entertainer janet jackson offers to donate money to your cause it happened in oakland to the organization called girls leadership abc 7 news reporter leanne. melendez has more on what they do. tokai tyler and simone marian are helping girls of color to find their voices in society. that's ho

leslie brinkley explains why. leslie: it means u.c. may be mailing 5,000 fewer acceptance letters for the 2022-2023 school year. >> we're faced with the possibility that we will have to enroll 3,000 fewer students than we plan to. it's 3,000 students who have worked so hard to oh get into berkley. >> a group called say berkley's neighborhood is behind a neighborhood to cap enrollment. >> the university since 2005 has added 14,000 students and we have a tremendous housing problem in berkley. >> reporter: in cal's appeal was turned down. >> the judge said that adding 11,000 students has significant environment al impacts. and the university needs to study those and they need to propose mitigation measures. >> one of the great ironies is that the community group that sued us and claims we're not building enough housing sued us around a project that was meant to build more housing. go figure. >> the community group says they want to increase enrollment to increase housing. students on campus have their own take. >> housing is absurd. it's

leslie brinkley looks of the project. >> leslie: these are cubicles. leslie:leslie: every bacon august building has a story. >> my great-grandfather built it in 1970's for pacfic telephone, which later became at&t will. it was a switchboard center. >> it was a parole department for the state. and then vacant. now, it's a special-purpose building. we didn't know what to do with it. leslie: contra costa county had an idea coming to for ration. >> this will be a great, 54-unit project for previously homeless individuals with 24/7 supportive services on-site. leslie: they are using a combination of federal, state, and county money to make it happen. >> this is going to be a wall of micoro-housing apartment units, 350 square feet each. leslie: the interior will be gutted to create a courtyard for light, but the foundation and walls will be reused to save money. >> we have to rewire everything and re-plum everything. there is a bit of work to be done. leslie: as for the outside of the building, this vacant parking lot would be converted into a barbecue and r

here's leslie brinkley with the first day without the mask mandate. leslie: for some, thi some, t moment of relief, while for others, it was more of the same routine >> we do not mind. it's been a couple of years. >> i need a pastrami and sweats. leslie: others were elated like this customer. >> i am going with r1 because i always have. i think it is a choice. if you want to stay home, stay home. whatever works for you, do it but what works for me is not concerning about it. it is a very happy day for me. leslie: concern is letting the mask mandates while covid cases are still so high, they are higher than any prior wave in the pandemic still, will create a false sense of security that the pandemic is somehow over. leslie: community groups in alameda county asked the state for more transparency on why the indoor mandate was dropped. >> i think, no matter when you do it, some people will feel like it is too soon and some people will feel like you should've done a month ago, so i think now is a reasonable middle point. >> i think it is a more anxious tim

leslie brinkley explains how they are doing that.office building has a story. >> my great-grandfather built it in the 1970's for pacific telephone, which later became at&t. it was a switchboard center. >> k probation center for the county and a parole department for the state. and then vacant. now it is such a special-purpose building we did not know what to do with it. reporter: but contra costa county had an idea on what to do with it. >> this will be a great project for previously homeless individuals with 24/7 supportive services on site. reporter: care using a combination of federal, state, and county money to make it happen. >> this is going to be a wall o micro housing apartment units. there is going to be a community room. reporter: the whole interior will be gotten to create a center courtyard for light, but the foundation and some walls will be used as save money -- reused to save money. >> we do have to rewire everything. there is quite a bit of work to be done. reporter: as for the outside of the building, this vacant par

leslie: in oakley, leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. ama: what were supposed to be a training session for a calfire rescue crew, turned into on-the-job training this afternoon. one of the team's helicopters got called into action when a rescue call went out. unclear what led to the rescue call. one person had to be taken to the hospital. new information today on saturday's fatal crash of a police helicopter in newport beach. investigators with the ntsb said the pilot reported mechanical difficulties seconds before the helicopter went down. two veteran officers were on board. one was killed, the other was injured, but is reportedly doing well today. and no changes in the conditions of those injured on saturday afternoons helicopter crash of miami beach. three people were on board. the lightweight chopper went down three feet from the crowded shore. good samaritans pulled them out of the water. the 59-year-old pilot was not hurt. the passengers, his wife, and a 39-year-old woman were injured. they remain in the hospital and the crash is u

in oakland, leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. larry: san jose police need help finding the hit-and-run driver who killed a pedestrian. the seventh pedestrian killed in the city this year. it happened around 4:40 a.m. on sunday, january 20 third. the victim died five days later. police say a possible transit van driving east man that eastbound hit the man and a marked crosswalk at newhall street. the driver stopped briefly and then drove away. >> right now, we are looking for witnesses. we do not have a lot of information in this hit-and-run. we do not know what the traffic signal situation was like. but i can confirm that the pedestrian was in the crosswalk. larry: san jose police say they are working with the department of transportation and other agencies to try to come up with solutions to reduce traffic deaths kristen: developing news. powerful wind gusts leaving their mark. you see a huge tree branch crashed to the ground at a park in san jose. two teenagers suffered minor injuries, they were taken to the hospital. fire crew

leslie brinkley has the latest on the investigation. reporter: witnesses say a woman opened fire on a man inside this spa. on visit grand avenue east of lake merritt in downtown oakland just a block from interstate 580. >> upon arrival, officers located two individuals who had been shot. the officers rendered aid before both of the individuals were transported to a local hospital. reporter: police say one person died and the other is in critical condition. a witness said the woman suspect died but police will not confirm whether she shot herself after shooting the man. the shooting happened at 9:58 a.m. -- 9:50 to open at 10 a.m., so there were no customers inside. >> it does not appear this was a random shooting. and we believe there is no threat to public safety. reporter: police say the suspect, who witnesses claim was a woman, drove up in this van and parked in front of the door of the spa. the windshield was plastered with signs and posters, some of which ended up on the street. a dog inside the van was later picked up one by anima

here's leslie brinkley with the first day without the mask mandate. ome, t moment of relief, while for others, it was more of the same routine >> we do not mind. it's been a couple of years. >> i need a pastrami and sweats. leslie: others were elated like this customer. >> i am going with r1 because i always have. i think it is a choice. if you want to stay home, stay home. whatever works for you, do it but what works for me is not concerning about it. it is a very happy day for me. leslie:

like schools healthcare settings and if you're back unvaccinated, here's abc 7 news reporter leslie brinkley day with the expired mask mandate. i'm going into the store with no masks for some this was a moment of relief while for others. it was more of the same old routine a little bothers. little mind. yeah, that's right a couple years now. yeah, i need a pastrami and swiss but others were elated like this take out deli customer. i'm going with that one because i would have always gone with that one. i think it's a choice you want to wear masks or a mask? you want to stay home. stay home, you know, whatever works for you do it. okay, but what works for me is not concerning about it. so it's a happy day for you. it's a very happy day for me i concerned now, is that lifting the mask mandates while cases are still so high. they're higher than any prior wave in the pandemic still will create a false sense of security that the pandemic is somehow over community groups and alameda county are asking the state for more transparency on why the indoor mandate was dropped. i

i'm leslie brinkley the east bay. kristen: to the controversy in san francisco over a close homeless shelter. it would be located at a former hospital. some neighbors are pushing back. liz kreutz is live with a look at what neighbors are saying. liz: neighbors against the proposal on polk street say this is not a case of -- they say that neighborhood has several other homeless shelters in the area. they feel it is time for other neighborhoods to stop. up and help. . four blocks from union square, plans are moving forward to turn this youth hostel into a homeless shelter with neighbors in the area pleading with the city to reconsider. >> we are worried it will fail and fail all over our streets. liz: susan ross is a member of a group formed to push back on this proposal which would convert the building at 711 polk st into a homeless shelter run by urban alchemy. she says there are several other supportive housing facilities in the neighborhood already. susan: there is a big city here. we don't see these kinds of facili

i am leslie brinkley, abc 7 news. correct schedule changes are coming soon. for the first time ever it will operate all five lines on sundays. that starts 10 days from now on february 20. the sunday service will extend to midnight and bart will have more connections with caltrain. >> crews are making progress on a fire that burned homes in the southernnimuty o itti. d reinth.they started in the sye canyon area where unseasonably strong wind field of file -- fueled a fire up the hill. that helped firefighters spread it to other homes. issued for all residents in irvine cove and self -- south emerald bay. >> this is subject to wind and wind changes. this is a large team effort and we are taking safety very serious. the evacuation warning that remains in effect, residents are being told to remain on high alert. so far, no property damage has been reported. >> of fire lit up a homeless encampment off of interstate 280 two thurgood marshall high school. the fire put up a lot of smoke. it can be seen all across the bay area. firefighters were able to keep to about

. >> leslie brinkley dug into the details about how bad things look and what they might try next. >> lack of ridership on bart is turning into a long-term problem. revenue projections are down. ridership was hammered down again in the omicron surge. the blue line is pre-pandemic ridership to the gray line is rock-bottom in april 2020. the gold line is a spluttering recovery happening in slow motion should >> many communities may not return to transit immediately even when they do return to workplace. >> the board of directors wrestled with the harsh reality. they write -- they protected it may take until 2027 for the agency to regain 70% of its ridership. during the virtual meeting, the board directors expressed worries over office occupancy being one of the lowest and of the country saying all transit agents locally are struggling. >> our ridership matches office occupancy and until people begin to return to the office even just three days a week, we are going to get in you to have low ridership. we have historically depended on the 9-to-5 commute should >> they floated the idea of

abc7 news reporter leslie brinkley has the report. >> . c. berkley may be mailing out 5,000 fewer happy answer the letter for the 2022-20223 school year. >> we will have to enroll 3,000 fewer students than we plan to. that's 3,000 students that have worked so hard to get into berkley. >> a group called save berkley's neighborhood is behind the neighborhood to cap enroll cross-examination. and only 1600 beds. and we have a tremendous housing crisis in berkley. >> last year, theer superior court ruled and the appeal was turned down. the judge said that, yeah, adding 11,000 students has significant environment al impacts. and the university needs to study those. and they need to propose mitt game measures. >> one of the great ironies is this community group that sued us and claims we're not building enough housing. sued us around a project that was meant to build more housing. go figure. >> they want to link increased enrollment to house. students on campus have their own take. >> housing is absurd at brinkly. >> it's a stressful process. but th

abc7 news reporter less less -- leslie brinkley has the story.

i'm leslie brinkley abc 7 news. all right, santa clara county is the only bay area county where health officials have kept a mandate in place, but officials there say that could soon change abc 7 news reporter. zach fuentes has that part of the story. sushi confidential restaurants are known throughout the south bay today owner. randy musterer says, he likes so many other businesses have been working hard to keep up with and follow the many changing guidelines brought on by the pandemic after a long two years. he says he's ready for the mask mandate in santa clara county to be dropped. you're not able to see our customers smile. you're not able to see those facial expressions now at the mask mandate lifted a neighboring counties. he's expecting confusion from customers whoive in nearby counties where the mandate lifted customers, you know live in one county work in another and come dine in another so people can travel between multiple counties and for them to even keep track of this it's difficult. so how much longe