Local Briefs

The vehicle was being towed by the city early yesterday afternoon when the rocket launcher was discovered, the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said the launcher had been used, but police do not know when or where. Police are not yet releasing additional details on the find.

Four-alarm fire could have been prevented

A four-alarm fire in Redwood City Sunday that displaced 14 people and caused about $450,000 could have been prevented with a working smoke detector, Fire Prevention Officer Jamie Lee said yesterday.

The fire started around 3 a.m. at 1230 Whipple Ave., according to Redwood City Fire Battalion Chief Jim Skinner.

The fire, which originated in the kitchen, was contained to one apartment, where there was no working smoke detector, Lee said.

Nine other units suffered extensive water damage and an exterior hallway was damaged by smoke, according to Skinner.

The two residents of the unit where the fire originated were not able to save any of their possessions.

Damage to the four-story, 24-unit apartment complex was estimated at $375,000. The estimated damage to contents is $75,000.

A total of 13 engines, four trucks and five battalion chiefs responded to the scene and the blaze was declared under control at 3:15 a.m., Skinner said.

One injury was reported. A firefighter suffered first-degree burns to his ears.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Brothers to stand trial for assaulting officer

Two brothers accused of breaking a female San Mateo police officer's finger and giving her black eyes during a late February melee will stand trial on multiple felony assault charges.

Willis Fonua, 20, and Olaiha Fonua Jr., 28, are charged with resisting arrest and threatening an officer and inflicting great bodily injury against an officer. After the completion of a preliminary hearing on the evidence yesterday, both men were ordered to stand trial, according to court records clerks. If convicted, each face steep sentences if convicted because Olaiha Fonua Jr. is on parole and Willis Fonua is on felony probation.

On Feb. 27, Olaiha Fonua was reportedly smoking marijuana around 11:10 p.m. when officers arrived his North Grant Street location because of a report of loud music. Fonua reportedly threw a crack pipe and ran, leading to a chase. During a serious struggle, Fonua reportedly grabbed at the officer's gun and the officer suffered a bloody nose and scrapes. Willis Fonua appeared and pulled the officer off his brother, according to police. The brothers ran into their home and their father, Olaiha Fonua, Sr., blocked the door, according to police. The officers eventually made their way in and the brothers surrendered.

Both Fonua brothers remain in custody in lieu of $100,00 bail. Olaiha Fonua is also on a no-bail parole hold and Willis Fonua is on a no-bail felony probation hold.

The men return to court Sept. 2 to enter a Superior Court plea and set a jury trial date.

San Mateo library manager retires

San Mateo library manager Jean Crispieri recently retired from her post after more than 20 years.

Crispieri was the founding director of the Library's foundation in 1994 and managed the $10 million capital campaign to build the new San Mateo Library.

She also coordinated volunteer development, outreach and marketing and the Project READ Adult and Family Literacy Program.

The San Mateo Library Foundation Board of Directors appointed Mary Tunison as executive director. Tunison has been working since 2004 as a consultant to the capital campaign.

Sobriety checkpoint planned for Burlingame

Police are planning a sobriety checkpoint Thursday, Aug. 18 from 7 p.m. to midnight at California Drive near Douglas Avenue.

The checkpoint will have 11 police jurisdictions from around the county participating and is paid for with a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic safety Administration.

Tulsa man sentenced, fined for running fake bank

A former Oakland man has been sentenced to five years in prison for wire fraud after he persuaded people to invest more than $650,000 in the fake bank he ran out of his apartment, the U.S. Attorney's office announced Monday.

Matthew Hattabaugh, 32, of Tulsa, Okla., was convicted of 12 counts of wire fraud on March 30 by a federal jury. He was sentenced Monday.

Beginning in the fall of 2002, Hattabaugh told people if they wired money to his "bank," he would issue certificates of deposit to secure their investments. Hattabaugh secured promises to invest more than $4.5 million and received more than $650,000, U.S. Attorney spokeswoman Linda Woo said.

In addition to prison time, Hattabaugh must pay $87,850 in restitution and spend three years on supervised release.