BRIEFLY.

Free flu shots available today

Free flu shots will be available to seniors under a program being sponsored today by City Councilman Tony Cardenas, who brought together more than 50 groups to provide the shots and free health screenings.

Cardenas said the program is designed to provide the inoculations a week before the county kicks off its official vaccination program.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Japanese Garden, 6100 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys.

Cardenas said the flu shots will also be made available to children and families.

-- Daily News

Baca sued over prisoner's killing

The father of a man beaten to death in a Los Angeles county jail, allegedly by his cellmate, filed a lawsuit Friday against Sheriff Lee Baca, the county and the suspected killer.

Albert Lingenfelter filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging wrongful death, negligence, civil-rights violations and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress in the death of his son, Thomas Lingenfelter, 51.

He is seeking unspecified general, compensatory and punitive damages.

Baca spokesman Steve Whitmore was not immediately available for comment. He said shortly after the death Nov. 8 that Internal Affairs was investigating the case.

Michael Gennaco, chief attorney for the Office of Independent Review, said previously that the probe would include finding out why the frail, middle-age victim was placed in the same cell with Jay Selznick, who is now 28 and trained in martial arts.

Thomas Lingenfelter was beaten and stomped to death in the Twin Towers cell he shared with Selznick, according to sheriff's detectives.

The suit maintains Selznick is psychotic and deputies should have known he would harm another inmate.

-- City News Service

Workers to stand trial, judge rules

Two high-ranking Los Angeles transportation engineers were ordered Friday to stand trial for allegedly gaining unauthorized access to a city computer that controls traffic lights just hours before a union protest last year.

Superior Court Judge Samuel Mayerson found sufficient evidence to require Gabriel Murillo, 37, and Kartik Patel, 34, to stand trial on one count each of computer intrusion to alter or destroy data.

Murillo also was ordered to stand trial on four counts of unauthorized disruption or denial of computer services, while Patel was ordered to stand trial on a count of identity theft.

Prosecutors contend the two accessed the automated traffic surveillance center and sent computer commands disconnecting four signal-control boxes at critical intersections Aug. 21, just hours before a job action by members of the Engineers and Architects Association.

The judge said the two men were "trusted, respected and greatly talented employees" of the city, and said he concluded that the two were not hackers. But, he said, they did not have access to the city's computer system "for the purpose of disrupting it."

Patel and Murillo were barred earlier this year from accessing city computers. The two remain free on their own recognizance and are due back in court Oct. 26 for arraignment.

-- City News Service