Renan Almendarez Coello

It's just past 9 o'clock on a foggy Southern California morning, yet Pepe Barreto has already been at work for more than four hours. Businesslike in a long-sleeve shirt and tie, he sits in a spacious studio surrounded by a battery of computer screens, looking more like a stockbroker than the top personality on Southern California's top-ranked radio station. Down an adjoining hallway and around a corner, in the studio of KLVE-FM's (107.5) sister station, KSCA-FM (101.

Popular Spanish-language radio host Renan Almendarez Coello, known as "El Cucuy," was acquitted by a court commissioner Monday of a misdemeanor charge of making a criminal threat. The charge stemmed from a domestic violence call at Almendarez's house in Northridge on New Year's Day. Los Angeles police arrived at the home to find only a housekeeper on the premises, prosecutors said.

Spanish-language radio host Renan Almendarez Coello, known as "El Cucuy," was booked Wednesday for investigation of making criminal threats during a New Year's Day dispute at his home. Almendarez turned himself in and was released after posting $50,000 bail, LAPD Officer Jason Lee said. Police responded to Almendarez's home in the San Fernando Valley about 7 a.m. Monday for "an apparent domestic violence call where alleged criminal threats were made," Lee said.

Spanish-language radio host Renan Almendarez Coello, known as "El Cucuy," was booked Wednesday for investigation of making criminal threats during a New Year's Day dispute at his home. Almendarez turned himself in and was released after posting $50,000 bail, LAPD Officer Jason Lee said. Police responded to Almendarez's home in the San Fernando Valley about 7 a.m. Monday for "an apparent domestic violence call where alleged criminal threats were made," Lee said.

Popular Spanish-language radio host Renan Almendarez Coello, known as "El Cucuy," was acquitted by a court commissioner Monday of a misdemeanor charge of making a criminal threat. The charge stemmed from a domestic violence call at Almendarez's house in Northridge on New Year's Day. Los Angeles police arrived at the home to find only a housekeeper on the premises, prosecutors said.

In the fight for radio ratings, the fiercest competition is among the morning shows -- but that's not to say the stations aren't scrapping and scratching for every audience member in every other part of the day. The latest Arbitron ratings figures, released Monday and covering the first three months of the year, show that different stations command different parts of the day, for a variety of reasons.

For five years, Renan Almendarez Coello -- "El Cucuy de la Manana," or "morning Boogeyman" to his radio audience -- has ruled morning radio in Los Angeles. Mixing crass, sexist humor with such populist causes as speaking out on behalf of a disputed 400-year-old oak tree in Santa Clarita or helping a paralyzed man get an electric wheelchair, he generates ratings that routinely top those of everyone who faces him, whether they speak English or El Cucuy's native Spanish.

Even for a border crossing, it was miserable. The 21-year-old paraplegic from El Salvador hobbled toward the U.S.-Mexico border on crutches for weeks--the last four days without food or water. When California was in sight, he dropped to the dirt and crawled, elbow by bloody elbow, across a four-lane freeway. And then the Boogeyman struck. "El Cucuy"--Spanish for "the boogeyman"--rules the airwaves from 5 to 11 six mornings a week on KSCA-FM (101.9).

Morning radio host Renan Almendarez Coello, who dominates his English- and Spanish-speaking competition in Southland ratings, is scheduled to announce today that he is leaving the program he has hosted for six years. Friday's program will be his last as "El Cucuy de la Manana," or "the Morning Boogeyman," on KSCA-FM (101.9).

In Pomona Superior Court, a man who called himself a doctor stands accused of sexually assaulting numerous women and teenage girls who went to his El Monte office for treatment. In Van Nuys Superior Court, two faith healers are accused of giving a man seeking treatment for a rash an injection that killed him.

In the fight for radio ratings, the fiercest competition is among the morning shows -- but that's not to say the stations aren't scrapping and scratching for every audience member in every other part of the day. The latest Arbitron ratings figures, released Monday and covering the first three months of the year, show that different stations command different parts of the day, for a variety of reasons.

Morning radio host Renan Almendarez Coello, who dominates his English- and Spanish-speaking competition in Southland ratings, is scheduled to announce today that he is leaving the program he has hosted for six years. Friday's program will be his last as "El Cucuy de la Manana," or "the Morning Boogeyman," on KSCA-FM (101.9).

For five years, Renan Almendarez Coello -- "El Cucuy de la Manana," or "morning Boogeyman" to his radio audience -- has ruled morning radio in Los Angeles. Mixing crass, sexist humor with such populist causes as speaking out on behalf of a disputed 400-year-old oak tree in Santa Clarita or helping a paralyzed man get an electric wheelchair, he generates ratings that routinely top those of everyone who faces him, whether they speak English or El Cucuy's native Spanish.

In Pomona Superior Court, a man who called himself a doctor stands accused of sexually assaulting numerous women and teenage girls who went to his El Monte office for treatment. In Van Nuys Superior Court, two faith healers are accused of giving a man seeking treatment for a rash an injection that killed him.

Even for a border crossing, it was miserable. The 21-year-old paraplegic from El Salvador hobbled toward the U.S.-Mexico border on crutches for weeks--the last four days without food or water. When California was in sight, he dropped to the dirt and crawled, elbow by bloody elbow, across a four-lane freeway. And then the Boogeyman struck. "El Cucuy"--Spanish for "the boogeyman"--rules the airwaves from 5 to 11 six mornings a week on KSCA-FM (101.9).

It's just past 9 o'clock on a foggy Southern California morning, yet Pepe Barreto has already been at work for more than four hours. Businesslike in a long-sleeve shirt and tie, he sits in a spacious studio surrounded by a battery of computer screens, looking more like a stockbroker than the top personality on Southern California's top-ranked radio station. Down an adjoining hallway and around a corner, in the studio of KLVE-FM's (107.5) sister station, KSCA-FM (101.

A man who dubbed himself "Doctor Misterio" before he was convicted of practicing medicine without a license and sexually assaulting females was sued Monday by two females, both minors. Fernando Lozano, 32, who advertised on Spanish-language radio stations, is serving a nine-year prison term. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said he will be deported to Mexico once he is released. On Monday, lawyer Robert S.

A Van Nuys faith healer whose services were promoted on a popular Spanish-language radio show has pleaded guilty to unlawfully practicing medicine after selling antibiotics to an undercover police officer and injecting drugs into a man who later died, prosecutors said. The case of Reina Chavarria, who was arrested in October 2002, has gained added notoriety in the Latino community because she was touted by radio host Renan Almendarez Coello.