A LOCAL MONTEREY BAY ELECTION IS ENCOUNTERING CONTESTED RESULTS. SOME VOTES CAST BY CSU- MONTEREY BAY STUDENTS MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN LOCAL RACES BECAUSE THE STUDENTS CAST THEIR BALLOTS AT THE WRONG POLLING STATION. THE CONTESTED VOTES WERE CAST BY STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS WHO VOTED AT A POLLING PLACE ON CAMPUS, BUT WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO VOTE AT A POLLING PLACE LOCATED OFF THE SCHOOL?S CAMPUS. THE BALLOTS AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS INCLUDED MAYORAL OR CITY COUNCIL RACES WHILE THE BALLOTS OFF CAMPUS DID NOT. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAT STUDENTS REQUESTING ABSENTEE BALLOTS DID NOT RECEIVE THEM AND SOME STUDENTS DID NOT RECEIVE THEIR SAMPLE BALLOTS LISTING THEIR POLLING PLACE. THE MISTAKE MAY MAKE THE MARINA MAYORAL RACE BETWEEN BRUCE DELGADO AND MAYOR ILA METTE-McCUTCHON QUITE CLOSE. AS OF SATURDAY, WITH 20 THOUSAND VOTES STILL TO BE COUNTED, METTE-McCUTCHON LED BY 156 VOTES.

THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LATINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS PLED NO CONTEST TO FELONY CHARGES OF FORGERY, AND WRITING CHECKS WITHOUT THE FUNDS TO COVER THEM. 54-YEAR-OLD WATSONVILLE RESIDENT LUIS DE LA CRUZ AGREED TO THE PLEA BARGAIN, FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. DE LA CRUZ WAS ARRESTED IN 2002, ON CHARGES HE EMBEZZLED MONEY FROM THE NON-PROFIT AGENCY HE HEADED. IF CONVICTED OF THE CHARGE, DE LA CRUZ WOULD HAVE FACED A MAXIMUM OF NEARLY 4 YEARS IN STATE PRISION. BY ACCEPTING A PLEA BARGAIN, DE LA CRUZ NOW FACES UP TO A YEAR IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY JAIL. HE WILL BE SENTENCED ON JANUARY 10TH. THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ALSO CALL FOR DE LA CRUZ TO MAKE FULL RESTITUTION, PRIOR TO BEING SENTENCED. ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY BILL ATKINSON SAID IT IS ESTIMATED DE LA CRUZ OWES BETWEEN 14 AND 30 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE ORGANIZATION. COURT RECORDS SHOW DE LA CRUZ WAS CONVICTED OF EMBEZZLEMENT IN 1993 AND SERVED 90 DAYS IN JAIL IN THAT CASE.

A MONTEREY BASED FOOD DELIVERY BUSINESS SUSPECTS THAT A FORMER EMPLOYEE MAY HAVE EMBEZZLED MORE THAN 98 THOUSAND DOLLARS. 24 YEAR OLD PHILLIP ENGLEHART IS SUSPECTED OF TAKING THE MONEY DURING AN 18 MONTH PERIOD WHILE HE WORKED AS THE BUSINESS MANAGER FOR DOORBELL DINING. THE CASE HAS BEEN TURNED OVER THE MONTEREY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY?S OFFICE.

A 46-YEAR-OLD MAN LED POLICE ON A VEHICLE PURSUIT AFTER PUNCHING A PARKING ATTENDANT AND THROWING A LAW BOOK AT A SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY. THE INCIDENT BEGAN THIS MORNING, WHEN PHILLIP KRIEGE REPORTEDLY BEGAN SCREAMING AT A PARKING ATTENDANT OUTSIDE THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY COURTHOUSE. KRIEGE BEGAN THROWING DEBRIS AT PARKING ATTENDANT LEE FELLOWS, THEN PUNCHED FELLOWS IN THE SHOULDER. FELLOWS CALLED FOR HELP, AND COURT SECURITY OFFICERS AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES FOUND KRIEGE HAD LOCKED HIMSELF IN HIS TRUCK. KREIGE REPORTEDLY RESISITED EFFORTS TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE, AND TOSSED A HEAVY LEGAL TOME AT A DEPUTY, STRIKING HIM IN THE CHEST. KRIEGE THEN DROVE OFF, WITH MEMBERS OF THE SANTA CRUZ POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IN PURSUIT. KRIEGE WAS STOPPED BY A SPIKE STRIPE NEAR THE OCEAN AND WATER STREET INTERSECTION. SHERIFF'S SGT. PAUL TASHIRO TOLD KSCO KRIEGE WAS APPARENTLY RETURNING TO THE COURT HOUSE TO KEEP A COURT DATE. COURT RECORDS SHOW KRIEGE WAS DUE IN SUPERIOR COURT THIS MORNING ON MULTIPLE TRAFFIC CHARGES. KRIEGE NOW FACES CHARGES OF ASSAULT AND BATTERY, ASSAULTING A PEACE OFFICER, RESISTING ARREST AND EVADING LAW OFFICIALS.