Fontana Ca

A Rialto man facing judgment on multiple counts of child molestation escaped from a San Bernardino County courthouse Tuesday, armed himself and apparently committed suicide after leading sheriff's deputies on a brief chase in Fontana, authorities said. The 46-year-old man bolted from the courtroom as jurors were entering to announce their verdict, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Robin Haynal.

A Fontana police officer was in stable condition Sunday as authorities continued to search for the men who shot him. The 27-year-old officer, whose name was not released, was shot after he stopped a car for a traffic violation Saturday night in north Fontana. The four-year veteran was shot several times in the torso, police said. The officer fired back, but police do not know if he hit the men.

Police are investigating reports that a sedated man sleeping in a Fontana hospital bed after ankle surgery was stabbed in the eyes by an assailant. The Fontana Police Department did not identify the man, but Sgt. Alan Hostetter said Friday that detectives are investigating the alleged attack at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana. No possible suspects have been identified. "We don't have any idea what the object was that he was stabbed with or how it happened," Hostetter said.

Four years ago, Joe Johnson pulled the lever for George Bush in the 1992 presidential race. But if he had to choose today between President Clinton and Sen. Bob Dole, Johnson says he'd stick with Clinton, even though he considers himself a committed Republican. "Dole seems kind of old and doddering," said Johnson, an environmental consultant. "He doesn't instill any confidence in me." Steelworker Julian Rodriguez is moving in the opposite direction.

Metrolink officials have unveiled a $1.9-million commuter train station, the Fontana Metrolink Plaza. At 4:47 a.m. Monday, the first Metrolink train pulled out of the station. By the day's end, about 250 passengers had boarded trains from the facility at 16777 Orange Way. The Metrolink Plaza station is the 22nd in the system and the 10th on the San Bernardino line. It features 350 parking spaces and bike lockers. From Nov.

An off-duty Fontana police officer was shot in the stomach when he walked out of a local convenience store that may have been targeted for robbery, authorities said Saturday. The 33-year-old officer, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was in fair condition at an area hospital, Fontana police said. The shooting took place shortly after 11 p.m. Friday at a Stop & Go Market in the 16800 block of Slover Avenue, police said.

Hundreds of Fontana residents were evacuated after a chemical spill at an industrial plant. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries, officials said. The evacuation involved the Southridge area of the city south of the San Bernardino Freeway. Officials said the spill was relatively small and the fumes it created were expected to dissipate rapidly.