Worker

A judge sentenced a former Lutheran Church youth worker to more than 48 years in prison for sex crimes against five minors aged 10 to 16. James Allen Weller, 32, was convicted in November of 27 counts of rape, forced oral copulation, forcible child molestation, oral copulation with a minor and taking pornographic pictures of a minor. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Alan Bollhoffer also ordered Weller to pay $2,600 in fines and restitution within three years.

After reading the article "NAFTA Talks Face Critical Test" (March 17), it is insulting to the American worker to think that the proponents of the North American Free Trade Agreement would have us believe that Mexico would be made more prosperous and in turn buy American-made products. Do they really expect us to be duped into believing that on an average wage of $40.55 per week Mexicans would be able to afford American tools cast in Buffalo, refrigerators manufactured in Iowa, computer software developed in the Silicon Valley, etc.?

Question: I was an employee at a firm for about six months. One day, one of my co-workers who has a bad temper spit in my face during a discussion. I immediately reported the incident to my supervisor, but he did not do anything to rectify the situation. I eventually quit because the situation became unbearable. Do I have any legal recourse from the employer or co-worker? --G.T., Los Angeles * Answer: You certainly could file a civil complaint against the co-worker for such an assault.

A $500-million automobile and truck plant employing about 3,000 people will be built here by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and Isuzu Motor Co. Ltd., officials announced today. The joint venture will be the sixth automobile production facility built in the United States by the Japanese. Production is scheduled to start at the end of 1989. The plant will produce 60,000 Subaru cars and 60,000 Isuzu vehicles for the 1990 model year.

An anonymous tip on Friday led to the arrest of a 67-year-old parolee suspected of beating and choking a co-worker in a brutal attempted rape at a bridal shop, police said. Manuel Padee Singh was arrested about 11:45 a.m just two blocks from the scene of the November attack in which he allegedly threw the 22-year-old woman down and beat her head against the floor, causing her to momentarily lose consciousness, Police Sgt. Bob Clark said.

A production worker at a daily newspaper pleaded innocent Friday to charges of counterfeiting $20 bills on a small press at the paper. Charles M. Pickett, 24, was ordered held on $2,000 bail after his arrest during the overnight shift while workers prepared Friday's edition of the Middlesex News.

A jury convicted a former worker at a Lemon Grove board and care home Monday of five felony sex charges involving two retarded men. The speed of the jury's verdict against Roberto Gaxiola, 40, surprised attorneys on both sides of the case. Jurors discussed the case for about three hours before reaching a decision. Gaxiola was found guilty of oral copulation, sodomy and sexual battery on a retarded 30-year-old man.

Q A co-worker in her 60s consistently goes barefoot at work. At her age, her blue-veined, swollen ankles and feet are most unsightly, whether she is wearing a dress or long pants. She sits at her workstation and walks between other workstations and nearby departments in this manner. This situation has been going on for some years and has been observed by co-workers, her supervisor and others in administrative positions, including the top manager. Apparently nothing has been said to her.

Two employees of a swimming pool company in Vista, Calif., were found shot to death Sunday morning, and authorities were seeking a 52-year-old co-worker for questioning. Ten to 12 shots were heard at the Polaris company in a commercial area of Vista, a suburb north of San Diego. When sheriff's deputies and firefighters arrived, a man and a woman were found dead in a parking lot. Imeldo Molina Laurel, 52, a co-worker, is being sought, said San Diego County Sheriff's Capt. Clay Reynard.

A worker at a Wilmington loading dock was crushed to death Friday when a 2 1/2-ton cargo container fell on him, authorities said. The victim was identified by coroner's officials as Adrian Sanchez, 21, of Long Beach. Sanchez died about 1 p.m. when the huge container fell on top of him while he worked at the Martin Container Services loading company, at 1402 E. Lomita Blvd., Police Sgt. Tony Rosa said.