Extra, Extra: Don't Phish Off the Company Pier

Photo by nailmaker via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

• 22-year-old Alan Hamai from Redondo Beach had just been awarded his degree in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and was celebrating when he fell to his deathfrom the third floor of a dorm building. Hamai is the second student from SoCal to die at UCB this month; two weeks ago Christopher Wootton was fatally stabbed after a party on campus.
• The folks at Multnomah Elementary in El Sereno were faced with an unusual surprise when school started today: Thieves absconded last night with some of the school's copper piping, leaving the building with no way to move water.
• Of the 33 people arrested nation-wide today in an internet phising scheme, 5 were based in Los Angeles. Their charges include "racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft."
• And in another financial set-up gone awry, a Simi Valley man has been sentenced to two years in prison for bilking Amgen Inc. out of more than $300k in partnership with a San Mateo man, who also received a two-year sentence.
• Today's OC Register takes a look at a unique pet hospital in Tustin that specializes in helping four-legged friends with cancer.
• There's a proposal due on the floor of the State Senate this month that would help get foster kids into college via a program called CalSAVE. Anyone could donate into the fund to help kids pay tuition.
• Were you one of the 400 people at the Montmartre Lounge yesterday afternoon indulging in sweet treats as part of the Cupcake Challenge? Although we're still awaiting the official ballot results, some of my fellow judges have gone public with their take on the cupcake extravaganza. Check out Caroline on Crack, Lesley Bargar from LA Mag, and EatingLA's Pat Saperstein's wrap-ups of the very successful event. (Just don't offer us any more cupcakes...please!)
• After a Long Beach police officer killed an "erratic" man, who ended up being unarmed and mentally ill, he has been placed on paid administrative leave, a move that is said to be standard during such an investigation.