BRIEFLY.

1-year-old alive after 3-story fall

SYLMAR - A 1-year-old girl who tumbled from an apartment building's third-story balcony in Sylmar was taken to a hospital late Monday in serious but stable condition, authorities said.

Paramedics were called to the 15500 block of Foothill Boulevard at 5:42 p.m., said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The baby was initially taken to a heliport at Olive View Medical Center for the six-minute flight to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Humphrey said.

The child, who landed on some plants and dirt, suffered injuries to her face and chest, Humphrey said. Her father ran down to her after calling 911, he said.

- City News Service

Suspect charged in televised chase

A man who police said had three children and their mother in his sport- utility vehicle during a dramatic televised chase was charged Monday with child endangerment and evading arrest.

Douglas Newman, 37, a former San Fernando Valley resident who lives in Idaho, also is being held on a fugitive warrant from that state, according to Deputy District Attorney Andrea Thompson.

Newman is accused of leading police on a chase for about two hours last Thursday. Officers said he was behind the wheel of the SUV in the chase that started near Victory Boulevard and Fallbrook Avenue in Woodland Hills and ended near the Ventura Freeway in the Santa Barbara area.

Authorities said Newman has two prior convictions in Van Nuys Superior Court - for battery in 1987 and in a drug case in 1993. He faces a maximum of nine years and four months in state prison if convicted, according to the prosecutor.

- City News Service

Autopsy results withheld in case

LANCASTER - Authorities said an autopsy was performed Monday on a 4-year-girl whose death led to the arrest of her mother and the woman's boyfriend, but the results were not released.

Gerardo Romero, 21, was booked Sunday for investigation of murder. He was held on $1 million bail. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies initially identified the man by a different name but made a correction Monday.

The girl's mother, Raven Gibbons, 23, was booked for investigation of child endangerment. She was being held on $100,000 bail. Both were scheduled to be arraigned today.

- Associated Press

41-year term set for violent robber

A Canoga Park man was sentenced Monday to 41 years in federal prison for stealing $800,000 worth of jewelry in two violent takeover heists.

Jorge Zamora-Suarez, 35, carried out the robberies on July 21, 1999, in Santa Ana, and June 22, 2001, in El Monte.

A federal jury convicted him in March of robbing the jewelry sales personnel.

In the El Monte robbery, he shot one of the victims in the left arm with a small chrome-color handgun.

- Daily News

Mom sentenced in toddler's death

A Canoga Park woman was sentenced Monday to 10 years in state prison after pleading no contest to a charge of child endangerment in her 2-year-old son's death.

San Fernando Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen sentenced Claudia Merlos immediately after she entered her plea in the September 2003 death, according to Sandi Gibbons of the District Attorney's Office.

- City News Service

Resolution sought in museum fight

A group seeking to preserve the Southwest Museum in Mount Washington is appealing to Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa to ensure that the facility will remain open and not be moved into Griffith Park as part of the Autry National Center.

In a letter to Villaraigosa, the Friends of the Southwest Museum asked him to get involved to keep open the Southwest Museum facility that features more than 250,000 artifacts.

- Daily News