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• $5 million project

• LUSD's interim superintendent to make $186,000

• Galt council OKs utility rate hike

• Man gets four years for theft of ring from Lodi store

• Woman accused of stealing from man she'd befriended

• Regional Roundup

• San Joaquin County set to go 'green' via purchasing policy

• Local Pakistanis hope for positive change after elections

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Woman accused of stealing from man she'd befriended

The story would make a good country song: An Acampo man met a woman at a Victor bar this weekend, and they went back to his place together.

He later awoke to find that his computer, 100 CDs, credit cards and cell phone, among other items, had vanished.

Leticia Hernandez

But the next day, Sunday, he came across her at another bar — where she was trying to sell his belongings, Lodi police said.

So the country song would end on an upbeat note, with the man getting most of his property back and the woman going to jail.

There's one more twist, Sgt. Chris Jacobson said. The woman, 33-year-old Leticia Hernandez, was already in trouble with the law, and was out of jail awaiting trial on a different burglary and identity theft case.

On Tuesday, Hernandez was arraigned in court on charges of residential burglary and possession of stolen property.

Police say she and the victim met at the bar, had some drinks, and then she drove him home. At some point, he passed out.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, the man learned she was selling his belongings at Sky's Bar, 116 W. Turner Road, police said.

Hernandez left before officers arrived but Cpl. Sierra Brucia and Officer Larry Fluty found her car nearby and stopped her, Jacobson said. Inside the car, police allegedly found nearly all of the man's belongings, except the computer.

Officers somehow learned that Raymond Meraz, 27, was involved, and searched his Poplar Street home, where they found the victim's computer, Jacobson said.

Meraz was also charged Tuesday with burglary and possession of stolen property, according to court records.

Hernandez could also face a charge of committing a crime while out of jail.

On Jan. 5, she was arrested and subsequently charged with identity theft, burglary, forgery, possession of stolen property and fraud. In that case, a car was burglarized in May, but the victims didn't notice credit card fraud until months later, Jacobson said.

Hernandez was released from the San Joaquin County Jail on that case, due to a statewide court order that limits crowding in jails.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.