Identity

SAN DIEGO - The young woman invited the wealthy businessman over for drinks. He arrived holding flowers and a bottle of Remy Martin cognac. She smiled. Her flirting seemed to promise more than cocktails. The businessman, Eduardo Gonzalez Tostado, also brought condoms. But when he walked through the door of the two-story home in Chula Vista, Gonzalez said, he got the surprise of his life. Several heavily armed men in ski masks jumped him, raining blows until he passed out. When he awoke, he could hear them celebrating his capture.

FOR the second consecutive year, NBC used the week before Christmas to successfully launch a new game show, with "Identity" winning its time slot on three of five nights, according to figures released Wednesday by Nielsen Media Research. With the network using the identical strategy as it did a year earlier when it premiered "Deal or No Deal" against primarily reruns on the other networks, "Identity" won its time slots Dec. 18, Dec.

When I heard that Philip Morris had changed its name to Altria I thought it was such a non-descript word that I would never remember it ("Philip Morris Not Liable, Jury Rules," Jan. 28). Then I saw the accompanying logo that is supposed to represent all of the brands of products Philip Morris sells. I was instantly reminded of the scrambled, digitized photos you see on TV when they want to shield the true identity of someone, and I immediately understood. Now when I look at the name Altria and its logo, I will always remember that it is Philip Morris trying to shield its true identity from the public.

"Survey Sounds the Alarm on Identity Theft's Scope" (July 22) detailed the ease with which identity theft is committed but really didn't relate the massive damage this type of crime causes to the victims. That aside, the most amazing detail of the story was the very light punishment given to one of the thieves, a minor. The thief "was barred from sending unsolicited e-mails and agreed to surrender $3,500 in profit." Talk about the punishment not fitting the crime. As a victim of this type of crime, I have a thought: Someone like this identify thief should have been forbidden to touch a computer or use the Internet for life.

Authorities today were trying to determine the identity and cause of death of a man whose body was found in bushes along Carbon Canyon Road in Brea. The body, described as that of an adult white male, was found by two motorcyclists at about 8:40 p.m. Monday just east of Olinda Village Drive. Results of an autopsy conducted today were inconclusive pending analysis of toxicological tests, a spokesman for the Orange County coroner's office said.

Regarding "Client Faults WaMu Layout in Robbery," Oct. 2: I was amazed to read about the lawsuit against Washington Mutual Inc. for refusing a cash deposit from a customer because his driver's license had expired. Maybe the bank needs to remind its employees that the date on the customer's license indicates the expiration of his driving privilege, not the expiration of his identity. John Funk Hollywood

The Census Bureau's rigid attempt at classifying those of us who are more than one ethnicity, race and culture is the easiest and least interesting way of showing our numbers ("For Millions of Latinos, Race Is a Flexible Concept," March 11). Although not mentioned in this report, Asians are another group with roots in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is not just race that is a flexible concept. Identity too is fluid in merging physical appearance and cultural upbringing with the culture of adaptation as immigrants to the U.S. Reducing us to one attribute is unrealistic and passe.

Percival Everett by Virgil Russell A Novel By Percival Everett Graywolf Press, 227 pp., $15 paper When I read Percival Everett's new book, "Percival Everett by Virgil Russell" - or Percival Everett read me his new book, even though he wasn't there, of course, you don't get a physical human with a book, most times; still, in a sense he read me his book - I found that I liked not only the book but also Percival Everett. He wasn't there at all, that interesting professor and novelist, that attractive, often humorous, middle-aged black literary stylist who lives and writes in Southern California, experimenting with the structure and conventions of fiction.

A Downey police officer who shot and killed a man using a submachine gun in a case of mistaken identity acted lawfully and won't face criminal charges, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Officer Steven Gilley fatally shot Michael Nida, 31, of South Gate in the back on Oct. 22, 2011, after Nida was mistaken for a suspect wanted in an armed robbery at a Bank of America ATM near Imperial Highway and Paramount Boulevard. The shooting has led to regular protests at Downey City Council meetings and a lawsuit by Nida's family that alleges he was wrongfully killed and his civil rights were violated.

For 60 years, the Iowa Poll has been sounding out residents of this heartland state on the critical issues of the day. Is the president managing the economy well? Should the governor allow more casinos to be built? And -- tell the truth now, please -- how many of you really like corndogs? Founded in the days when getting a representative sample meant interviewing people with different types of cars in their driveways, the Iowa Poll is the longest-running scientific state survey in the nation.