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Community Corner

The Wake-Up Call: Burglary, Comedians and Justice

Information to get your day started in Elk Grove, in five minutes or less.

It’s hump day in the Grove, a balmy 68 degrees out there, and if it weren’t for the plaintive howls of the beagle who has obviously been left alone in the backyard by his humans, I might open our windows to receive the chill. Mid-point in the week is a good day to assess life in Elk Grove, and more importantly, look forward to the weekend.

In the Patch

Elk Grove police thwarted a burglary of the Chase Bank at 5000 Elk Grove Blvd. early Sunday morning, arresting four Southern California suspects who apparently couldn’t wait for the doors to open. Police said they responded to a burglary in progress at 3:57 a.m. and caught Armen Babayan, 37, of Glendale, removing an electronic credit card reader that opens the ATM vestibule exterior doors. Meanwhile, Jasmine Abramhyan, 25, and Norik Hovhannisyan, 50, both of Glendale, were acting as lookouts. Police then detained Zorik Vartanian, 48, of Azusa, when he unluckily pulled up in a vehicle to the other three suspects. Police found four other credit card readers and tools in the vehicle. Two more readers, tools and a glove were found in some nearby bushes. All four were captured by the good guys and transported to the county main jail on charges of burglary.

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Another more welcome out-of-towner is headed to Elk Grove this weekend. The Funniest Asian-American Comedian in the U.S., Paul Ogata, is headlining “Comedy Under the Stars” Friday, July 8 at Laguna Town Hall, 3020 Renwick Ave. According to the Cosumnes Community District web site, Ogata “shares his twisted humor around the world,” and his show “bares his insecurities, recounts his marital foibles and hammers on world events.” He has won the award for the Funniest Asian-American Comedian and the 32nd annual San Francisco International Comedy Competition, putting him a class with Dana Carvey, Sinbad and Jake Johannson. He’s appeared on TV shows, including the “The Late Late Show” with Craig Ferguson and dabbled in movies. Appearing locally with Ogata are comedians Kul Black and Myles Weber. Hosted by the community district and Sacramento’s Laughs Unlimited, this event is not for the kiddies. For more information and to buy tickets, go to the CSD web site.

Outside the Patch

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And to prevent you from embarrassing yourself at the water cooler today, it’s my duty to let you know that Casey Anthony was acquitted by a Florida jury of murdering her toddler daughter, and after almost three years in jail, could go free by this weekend. The media has covered the case in detail, some critics would charge one-sidedly, and the verdict highlighted the role of social networking, as a surge in reactions traveled over Facebook and Twitter.

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