AROUND THE VALLEY.

SAN FERNANDO

Case of newborn's death goes to jury

A jury on Friday began deliberating whether to convict a Pacoima woman of murdering her newborn daughter at home nearly four years ago.

A prosecutor argued that Jeanne Ma, an 18-year-old Grant High School student at the time of the birth, Nov. 10, 2004, should be convicted of murder for intentionally smothering the baby so her brother wouldn't know and wouldn't kick her out of the house she shared with him.

Her defense attorney argued that she had a mental impairment and suffered a "break from reality."

Ma, who is now 21, was arrested after going to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank to seek medical treatment after the baby's birth. The infant was found dead in a trash can behind her home.

NORTH HILLS

Skater Bowman died from drug overdose

The county coroner said Friday that national figure-skating champion Christopher Bowman died from an accidental drug overdose and an enlarged heart.

Bowman, 40, was found dead inside a motel room in North Hills on Jan. 10.

Chief Coroner's Investigator Craig Harvey said the two-time champion's blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.12 percent. Harvey said toxicology tests also showed cocaine, Valium and marijuana. Also present was the prescription medicine Seroquel, a medication used to treat someone who is bipolar.

SAN FERNANDO

Man faces additional real-estate charges

A Mission Hills man jailed since last fall in connection with a real estate foreclosure and investment fraud scheme pleaded not guilty Friday to dozens of additional charges.

James Anthony Rojas, 51, was arraigned on 82 counts ranging from grand theft and forgery to identity theft involving 21 alleged victims. Rojas, who has been jailed since September in lieu of $205,000 bail, is due back in court Feb. 20, when a preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set.

Most of the counts involve alleged real estate foreclosure fraud, in which Rojas is accused of forging grant deeds to take over homes. The charges cover about a two-year period starting in 2005 and involve 15 properties in San Fernando, Sunland, Castaic, Stevenson Ranch, Newhall, Saugus, Palmdale, Lynwood, Long Beach and Bakersfield, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

NORTH HILLS

Church will hold annual health fair

The seventh annual Our Lady of Peace Church health fair will take place Sunday, with free cholesterol screenings, dental exams and women's health screenings. The fair will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the church, 15444 Nordhoff St., North Hills.

NORTHRIDGE

President of CSUN will be honored

California State University, Northridge, President Jolene Koester will be honored Thursday at the Encino-Tarzana Hospital Charitable Foundation's annual Tree of Life Award for service to the community and promoting higher education.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd, Encino. For more information, call Stephanie Carter at 818-990-0105 or Fran Poncher at 818-783-3441.

GLENDALE

City to host meeting on absentee ballots

The city will host a public meeting Wednesday on its absentee-ballot application process, which has become a controversial topic pitting Armenian-American activists against some officials. The session will begin at 7 p.m. in the Glendale Police Department's community room, 131 N. Isabel St.

The Glendale City Council is considering a proposal to prohibit any person, group or committee from handling absentee-ballot applications after they are first distributed. Instead, voters would only deal directly with the City Clerk's Office.

Armenian-American groups and other critics say the proposal would hurt their efforts to reach out to immigrants and encourage them to vote.

-- Staff and Wire Services