. >> pam: sheriff ross mirkarimi admits, his department made mistakes during the search for spalding. kron 4's justine waldman. has the details. plus, the major changes coming to the sheriff"s office. >>"the gravity of this situation is not lost on any of us." >> reporter:sheriff ross mirkarimi went through the list of things that went wrong during the 17 day search for missing sf general patient lynne spalding. >> reporter:the troubles started when deputies got a report >>"physican said i came into the room to discharge her and she was already gone but she is very confuesd and not safe to be on her own." >> reporter:the deputy in charge did not consider this a missing persons case. and information was not passed on to the next deputies on shift. then came confusion. >> reporter:the sheriff said hospital staff mis- identified spalding -- who is white--- first as african american, and then as asian in hospital logs. when a deputy went to look at securty fotoage the cameras did not workd. >>due to hardware problems was unable to do so >>more than a week after she vanished.deputies were

sheriff ross mirkarimi said his deputies failed to search the hospital. >> the staff was expected to search stairwells and only half of the stairwells were searched. >> sheriff ross mirkarimi also said when lynn spalding first went missing the hospital incorrectlyily identified her as being african-american. >> they say recommendations are expected between 30 and 90 days. also refresher training is being provided to sheriff's deputies assigned to the hospital and administrators are exploring whether to expand contracts to help fill in the gaps. >>> she said she was sexually assaulted in the women's restroom of the school's media center. she also told police she knows her attacker and campus police are now investigating. >>> it has now been four years since the infamous gang rape of a high school student. the report says quote, there was an environment much sexual harassment and assaults by students that administrators failed to address. however it is not clear if the rape opted an investigation. -- prompted an investigation. >>> a big thing going on in stamford. they are warning peop

. >> a san francisco sheriff ross mirkarimi reveals more details about hospital patient lynn spalding, found dead in a stairwell in the hospital october 8th. we're live where mirkarimi released new details. wayne? >> reporter: we can report at this point this case remains amiss in the foernl the family but sheriff's department and san francisco general hospital. if you're a personal injury attorney, however this, case represents a field day. >> reporter: in your opinion what did the sheriff accomplish today? >> not particularly much. >> reporter: one lawyer's opinion but he represents the family of lynn spalding, he listened as sheriff ross mirkarimi read from a careful script describing how the 57-year-old patient disappear from theed bed, only to be found dead in the hospital stairwell october 8th. >> that was directed to search stairwells. only about half were searched. >> reporter: the report details how the staff described miss spalding as african american, then, asian. more perplexing a report from an engineer on october 4th. >> someone told the staff person that they, there was

. >> a san francisco sheriff ross mirkarimi reveals more details about hospital patient lynn spalding, found dead in a stairwell in the hospital october 8th. we're live where mirkarimi released new details. wayne? >> reporter: we can report at this point this case remains amiss in the foernl the family but sheriff's department and san francisco general hospital. if you're a personal injury attorney, however this, case represents a field day. >> reporter: in your opinion what did the sheriff accomplish today? >> not particularly much. >> reporter: one lawyer's opinion but he represents the family of lynn spalding, he listened as sheriff ross mirkarimi read from a careful script describing how the 57-year-old patient disappear from theed bed, only to be found dead in the hospital stairwell october 8th. >> that was directed to search stairwells. only about half were searched. >> reporter: the report details how the staff described miss spalding as african american, then, asian. more perplexing a report from an engineer on october 4th. >> someone told the staff person that they, there was

. >> san francisco sheriff ross mirkarimi revealed details about the mysterious death of a patient. lynn spalding had been in the hospital for a bladder infection but disappeared from her room. today, mirkarimi admitted only half of the stairwells were searople went l spalding. he said that search was hamper bid under staffing and antiquated dispatch, and unreliable video cameras. mirkarimi says the sheriff's department is working to fix the issues >> we have issued two new ipu policies. first, daily patrol of the stairwells. and it's not been dill lynn -- deliniated stairwells. >> she >> oakland police have made an arrest but they're still looking for help on a bizarre attack on luke sasha fleeshman. his clothes were set on fire on an ac transit bus. laura anthony is live. are laura? >> hi, carolyn. we do know this crime is being investigated as a possible hate crime. and part because of the victims' gender identity. police here want two good samaritans to come forward. they have two people that can be seen on surveillance video trying to help this victim put out flames. >> they ha

sheriff ross mirkarimi admitted only half of the stairwells were searched. someone did call to report a body in the stairwell the morning of october 4th but it wasn't until four days late tear spalding's body was discovered. according to doctors spalding was close to being discharged. the deputies did not consider her at risk. one policy change we have learned the sheriff has already implemented any time a patient here at san francisco general goes missing, a full search of the campus will be done. i'm told that more changes are to come. we will of course keep you posted. live from san francisco i'm tara moriarty ktvu channel 2 news. >>> time is 6:07. happening now in san jose families are lining up registering for the say credit hard holiday program that gives away free food to families and toys to children. some people started lining up as early as yesterday afternoon. a lot of families actually slept outside over night just to make sure they could sign up. about an hour ago we talked to a woman who has been in line since 3:30 this morning. she says this p

there was no indication that anyone was dispatched to go to the stairwell. >> sheriff ross mirkarimi admits, his department made mistakes during the search for spalding. line >> kron 4 received this statement from san francisco general hospital officials. it says, this was their first opportunity to learn details of the sheriff's investigation. the director of health said - quote - "it must be difficult for lynne spalding's family and friends to hear of today's news. we owe it to them and to all of our current and future patients, to strengthen our security services." >> a hearing will be held today in response to the deaths of two bart track inspectors. they were struck by a train last month. this is video of the scene. assemblyman roger hernandez says the purpose of the hearing is to try to get to the bottom of the fatal accident. after the two workers were killed -- bart permanently dropped a controversial safety protocol. known as "simple approval". the new rules will allow maintenance workers to walk on the tracks while trains are running. but the difference now is that bart tra

ross mirkarimi will hold a news conference own the investigation of lynn spaulding's death. she went missing from her hospital room weeks earlier. he plans to discuss the preliminary findings in the case at 1:00 p.m. at city hall. we'll have details on what was said in our later newscast and online. >>> a child molestation civil trial begins today in san jose. last month, the jury found 27- year-old keith woodhouse guilty of felony child molestation. the lawsuit was filed by the parents of the girl who claims woodhouse molested heir while she attended the summer program in san jose's church of the hill in 2007. woodhouse worked there at the time. the same lawsuit targets child development incorporated, the largest daycare provider in california. >>> police in san francisco continue to investigate an early-morning shooting that left one man dead. it happened just before 5:00 a.m. off 3rd and bryant streets in the south of market neighborhood. brian flores is live at san francisco police headquarters now with what we know about any suspects. good afternoon, brian. >> reporter:

the san francisco county sheriff ross mirkarimi listed all that went wrong in the search for lynne spalding. first hospital staff identified her as african-american. logs later listed the 57-year- old caucasian woman as asian. the doctor told police he was about to discharge spalding when she went missing september 21 but added she was confused and was not safe to be on her own. when deputies did the search, nine days later, it was not thorough. the sheriff said the deputies only searched about 50% of the stairwells and october 4, 4 days before someone found spalding, hospital staff, someone called the dispatch and said that there was someone lying in stairwell 8, the same stairwell where someone found spalding and the dispatcher said, quote, we'll take care of it. it does not appear that was done. live at sf general, ryan takeo, kpix 5. >> we still don't know how or why when spalding died. we did call the coroner's office today. we were told they are still looking into it. >>> students at san jose state university are in for a shock next semester. dozens of classes will be cut due to a hug

. >>> sheriff ross mirkarimi said it will be a step towards men being the relationship with the u.s. his father was born in iran and any move towards diplomatic contact is good with the world. >>> and a teen from santa rosa is still in critical condition and he was found unconscious with a very bad head injury. he was found in montgomery trinear the area when his friend broke an arm. they are trying to figure out what handed out there. >>> a suspect's car hit the fire hydrant and police say that car had been used in a robbery in a lake merit area. police traced it all the way to 18th and wood and that's where they hit that fire hydrant. water shot 30 feet into the air and no arrests have been made. >>> there is a program called walk first it is a joint effort that up involves pedestrians. it is to reduce the numbers of deaths by 2015 and 15% by 2021. 61million is expected to be spent on this program over the next five years. >>> the new central subway system, a new boring machine will dig underground near th and mark kept and the drilling will affect bart service in the powell and mo

. >>> when sheriff ross mirkarimi said they looked, they were only looking at half of the stairwells. they will have an independent review and recommendations on that is expected in 30 to 90 days. >> refresher training is now being provided to the deputies assigned to the hospital. >> they are looking to expand private security contracts to help fill in the gaps. they are admiring an assisted living facility and they are own had by the manor spring in caster valley. they had abandoned sick and elderly patients and they want to make sure the same thing does not happen in mad defendant tow. they will -- med department of tow -- mad defendant tow. >>> a man is accused of setting a young man on fire. had the oakland high school student was arrested and he is suspected of burning luke flier man on the bus. he also goes by the name of sasha and was wearing a skirt at the time and investigators are looking into whether it is a hate crime. an online fundraiser has raised more than 21,000 dollars for his medical bills. >>> they are investigating a crash that killed one woman an injured her twi

sheriff ross mirkarimi went through the list of things that went wrong during the 17 day search for the spaulding. the trouble started when deputies got a report patient and wandered off. the deputy in charge did not consider this a missing persons case. and if permission was not passed on to the next the deputies on shift. then the ship to said hospital staff misidentified spalding, who is white first as african- american and then as asian in hospital logs. when a deputy want to look at security footage the cameras did not work. finally an unidentified man saw a body in the stairwell and told a staff member. the deputies did nothing about it. >>: there is no indication that anyone was dispatched to that stairwell. >>: >>james: the attorney for spaldings's to children does not believe all parties did much to find her. spaulding to body was found in the stairwell last month, two weeks after she went missing from her hospital room at san francisco general hospital. >>james: kron4 received a statement from san francisco general hospital officials. director of health said " it must be diffi

san francisco sheriff ross mirkarimi released details of a preliminary investigation including faulty information that he says deputies were given by hospital staff the day spaulding disappeared. >> twice during that conversation the deputy was told that the missing woman was african-american and wearing a hospital gown. >> sheriff mirkarimi also said when a full search of the hospital was ordered, his deputies only searched half of the stairwells. now, san francisco general hospital released a statement about the immediate steps it will take. they include an independent review of security and the facilities recommendations are expected between 30 and 90 days. also, refresher training, now being provided to sheriff's deputies assigned to the hospital. administrators say they are exploring whether to expand private security contracts to help fill in the gaps. >>> california's department of social services is now monitoring an assisted living facility in modesto 24 hours a day. it's owned by the same people who owned valley springs in castro -- castro valley. last month, the state shut

this time, jones received a 6 month suspension from ross mirkarimi. >> 6 months is quite a lock suspension. that would indicate that there was behavior or a history that needed to be addressed. >> reporter: he says he can't go into detail on specific cases, so we showed the documents to an independent police accountability specialist. >> it's very disturbing. >> reporter: barbara says she's reviewed thousands of suspension cases. >> if there was another incident he would be terminated. so that's somewhat like being on probation, i think, and there were two more incidents. why he was not terminated, i don't understand. >> there's a history here. there's a pattern. >> right. the history and the pattern here is him being harassed by someone. >> reporter: we tried to ask jones himself, but were unsuccessful. the intern affairs documents don't contain jones's defense, or why the sheriff's department changed its mind, not once, but twice. >> it would absolutely depend upon what the nature of the allegations were, and how they were proven or not. >> reporter: but the stack of documents and histor

sheriff ross mirkarimi went through the list of things that went wrong. the troubles started when deputies received a report about a patient that went off. the deputy in charge did not consider this a missing persons case pripet information was not passed on to the next deputy -- just pripet the insurer said the hospital staff misidentified her, she is white, first they stated she was african american, and then they stated she was asian. finally, an unidentified man saw a body in the stairwell and told a staff member. deputies did not-- >> the attorney for the family of her two children does not believe that the authorities did much to try to find her. her body was found in the stairwell last month, two weeks after she went missing. >> the san francisco general hospital has made this statement, " it must be difficult for her family and friends to hear of today's news, we owe it to them into our current and future patients, to strengthen our security services. " >> we will be right back pripe. >> the time is 8:14 a.m.. here's a live look at the traffic and

this time, jones received a 6 month suspension from ross mirkarimi. >> 6 months is quite a lock suspension. that would indicate that there was behavior or a history that needed to be addressed. >> reporter: he says he can't go into detail on specific cases, so we showed the documents to an independent police accountability specialist. >> it's very disturbing. >> reporter: barbara says she's reviewed thousands of suspension cases. >> if there was another incident he would be terminated. so that's somewhat like being on probation, i think, and there were two more incidents. why he was not terminated, i don't understand. >> there's a history here. there's a pattern. >> right. the history and the pattern here is him being harassed by someone. >> reporter: we tried to ask jones himself, but were unsuccessful. the intern affairs documents don't contain jones's defense, or why the sheriff's department changed its mind, not once, but twice. >> it would absolutely depend upon what the nature of the allegations were, and how they were proven or not. >> reporter: but the stack of documents and histor

. >> reporter: sheriff ross mirkarimi said the changes are in response to a missing hospital patient lynne spalding found dead in a stairwell days after being found missing. there was missing information incorrectly giving by hospital workers. >> the deputy was told the missing woman was african american wearing a hospital gown. >> they don't seem to know who their patient was and they don't seem to have done much to find her of. >> reporter: hank harris, attorney for the spalding family, says he is disturbed spalding's physician said he was going to discharge her but described her as confused and not safe to be on her own. >> he says he wasn't at risk in one sentence and then to say she was confused and shouldn't be by herself in another sentence is just to me extraordinary indifference. >> reporter: it took nine days before the hospital requested deputies search the entire 24- acre campus, but -- >> staff was directed to search stairwells. only about half of them were searched. >> reporter: the missing persons unit met with staff october 1st concerned spalding may have never left t

. >> reporter: san francisco county sheriff ross mirkarimi listed all that went wrong in the search for lynne spalding. first, hospital staff identified her as african- american. logs later listed the 57-year- old caucasian woman as asian. >> it's more and more troubling that now they are looking for an african-american or asian woman. they don't seem to know who their patient was. >> reporter: spalding family attorney doesn't think hospital staff or sheriff's deputies took the situation seriously enough. the doctor told police he was about to discharge spalding when she went missing september 21. >> the physician said but she is very confused and not safe to be on her own. >> to say she wasn't at risk in one sentence and then to say she was confused and shouldn't be by herself, in another sentence, is just to me extraordinary indifference. >> reporter: hospital staff continually asked deputies to search the hospital. when deputies started to search nine days after spalding went missing, it was not thorough enough. the sheriff said the deputies only searched about 50% of the stairwells.

sheriff ross mirkarimi says there was a series of errors between the time lynne spalding was reported missing and when she was finally found dead in a stairwell 17 days later. in the first hour of the search she was described as black or asian. she is white. later a search failed to check all the hospital stairways. he also says there was a big problem when a body was reported in a stairwell. >> the communication center staff responded we'll take care of it. there is no indication that anyone was dispatched to that stairwell. >> four days after that report spalding's body was discovered in a stairwell. the coroner is still working on the cause of her death. >>> menlo park police are looking for a specific witness in a dui accident that killed two people that happened last month on chilco street. 54-year-old marjorie reitzell was allegedly drunk when she struck and killed a couple out walking their dog. officers are now looking for a white male driving a white ford explorer. they believe that man may have witnessed the accident. >>> more than 20 vehicles have been stolen in alameda cou

. >> reporter: sheriff ross mirkarimi said the changes are in response to a missing hospital patient lynne spalding found dead in a stairwell days after being found missing. there was missing information incorrectly giving by hospital workers. >> the deputy was told the missing woman was african american wearing a hospital gown. >> they don't seem to know who their patient was and they don't seem to have done much to find her of. >> reporter: hank harris, attorney for the spalding family, says he is disturbed spalding's physician said he was going to discharge her but described her as confused and not safe to be on her own. >> he says he wasn't at risk in one sentence and then to say she was confused and shouldn't be by herself in another sentence is just to me extraordinary indifference. >> reporter: it took nine days before the hospital requested deputies search the entire 24- acre campus, but -- >> staff was directed to search stairwells. only about half of them were searched. >> reporter: the missing persons unit met with staff october 1st concerned spalding may have never left t

today, sheriff ross mirkarimi came out for the first time. to release the preliminary findings of the investigation. and they show part of what went wrong. in the effort to find lynne spalding. >> pam: kron 4's justine waldman was at that press conference today. she joins us now live >> reporter:the sheriff revealed major breakdowns in communications, problems with security cameras and admitted that incomplete searches were done. while lynne spalding was missing. >> reporter:we learned today that 57-year old spalding was about to be discharged. the day the sheriff said she "wandered off." >> reporter:but her doctor told a deputy she was "very confused and not safe to be on her own." the sheriff also said. log books first mis-identified spalding as african american and asian woman. spalding is white. >> reporter:plus, a supervisor tried to review securtiy video to find out if it was possible to see spalding leaving. but there was a hardware problem and it didn't work. until days later. we don't know what the video shows. >> reporter:then more

sheriff ross mirkarimi admitted that only staff of the stairwells were searched. he says october 4th someone called to report a dead body in the stairwell. dispatch says we'll take care of it but that didn't happen. it wasn't until four days later that spaulding's body was discovered. now, according to doctors, she was close to being discharged. so deputies had no reason to consider her at risk. one policy change the sheriff has already implicated. any time a patient goes missing. a full search of the campus will be done. i'm told that more changes are to come and we'll, of course, keep you posted. live from san francisco, tara moriarty, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> happening now in san jose, families are lining up to register for the sacred heart holiday program which gives away free food for families and toys for children. they've been lining up since yesterday afternoon. a lot of families slept outside overnight just to be able to sign up. we talked to a woman. she's been in line since 3:30 this morning. she says this program will help feed her family for thanksgiv