BRIEFLY.

Man convicted of mom's murder

VAN NUYS -- A former movie grip was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder for the 2004 slaying of a woman whose nude body was found in his SUV.

The Van Nuys Superior Court jury deliberated about a day and a half before finding Paul Alan Ott guilty of killing Edith Mejia, a 42-year-old mother of 10.

Ott, 38, also was convicted of forcible oral copulation involving a second woman in January 2004.

The six-man, six-woman panel acquitted him of five other sexual-assault charges involving the second woman, as well as a third woman who came forward after seeing Ott's photo in the news.

Ott, who admitted two prior convictions in robbery and drug cases, faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced June 27.

-- City News Service

12-year-old boy found by police

GLENDALE -- A 12-year-old Glendale boy who ran away from home was found unharmed Thursday in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, police said.

Gemino Michael Smothers ran away Wednesday afternoon after getting into an argument, said John Balian of the Glendale Police Department.

Police circulated the boy's photo and sought public help to find him. About 4 a.m. Thursday, Los Angeles Police Department officers saw him walking on an Eagle Rock street and contacted Glendale authorities, Balian said.

-- City News Service

Testimony to be reread to jury

A federal jury today will hear rereading of testimony by a key witness in the trial of two former public-relations executives accused of overbilling the Department of Water and Power and other clients.

The jury has so far deliberated four days in the trial of Doug Dowie, who headed Fleishman-Hillard's Los Angeles office, and his onetime right-hand man, John Stodder.

They are charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with allegations that they overbilled the DWP by more than $300,000 over four years. Both have pleaded not guilty.

U.S. District Judge Gary Feess on Thursday granted the jury's request for a court reporter to read the two-day trial testimony of Steve Sugerman, who formerly worked for Dowie at the firm. Sugerman pleaded guilty to wire fraud and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Sugerman told the jury Dowie didn't directly tell him to add hours not worked to bills. But he said he believed Dowie wanted him to because he demanded higher billings when it was too near the end of the month for additional legitimate work to be done.

He said Dowie referred to the DWP as a ``cash cow.''

-- Staff and Wire Services

One man held in stab attack

SYLMAR -- Los Angeles Police officers detained one man suspected of stabbing another man at or near a gas station late Thursday, according to KCAL (Channel 9).

Los Angeles firefighters treated a man for multiple stab wounds at a Shell station somewhere in Sylmar, where the suspect was in custody, KCAL reported.

No other details were provided.

-- Daily News