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SACRAMENTO Daniel Go- mez-Gonzalez, 32, of Mex- ico, pleaded guilty Thurs- day to cultivating marijuana plants in Lassen National Forest, United States Attor- ney Benjamin Wagner an- nounced. According to court doc- uments, on July 11, United States Forest Service agents and Tehama County Sher- iff's deputies raided a mar- ijuana cultivation site near the North Fork Antelope Creek in Tehama County in Lassen National Forest. Law enforcement counted and eradicated a total of 5,287 marijuana plants at the cul- tivation site. They also found a Remington shotgun, more than 1,000 pounds of trash and various types of fertiliz- ers, insecticides and animal poisons in the grow site. Gomez-Gonzalez was ar- rested on a forest trail west of the site. He told law en- forcement that he was re- sponsible for spraying, wa- tering and fertilizing the marijuana plants and that he expected to earn a por- tion of the profits generated from the marijuana grown at the site. Co-defendant Eric Perez was arrested the same day in the marijuana cultiva- tion site. This case is the product of an investigation by the Forest Service and Tehama County Sheriff's Office. Gomez-Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Troy Nunley on Jan. 22, 2015. He faces a maximum stat- utory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, how- ever, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of vari- ables. Perez has already pleaded guilty to manufacturing marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2015. LASSEN NATIONAL FOREST Me xi can n at io na l pl ea ds g ui lt y to p ot g ro w commemorate General and Mrs. Bidwell, pioneers and founders of the City of Chico. "This was an unex- pected surprise to the park and our community," said California State Parks Superintendent Aaron Wright. "Time capsules are usually put together with items to represent a snapshot in time, so we are looking forward to see what we find inside." California State Parks staff will open the time capsule to reveal its con- tents at 10 a.m. Saturday Nov. 29 at the mansion. The public is invited to attend. Capsule FROM PAGE 1 vice area, require meter- ing for all customers and establish a schedule to de- velop a reliable alternative source of supply. Reese Crenshaw, rep- resenting the division of drinking water, and Kathy Mrowka, from the division of water rights were on hand at Tuesday's meeting. But confusion sur- rounding the curtail- ments was evident. At one point Supervi- sor Burt Bundy asked a question regarding cur- tailments on Mill Creek counting double, citing the system has volun- tarily met flow curtail- ment orders at the mouth of Mill Creek. "I'm afraid I don't un- derstand that question," Mrowka said. Bundy replied, "Well, I don't understand the pro- gram to be honest with you." Crenshaw later described the Mill Creek situation as "dynamic" and said saying anything concrete about it would be inaccurate. On Monday Mill Creek's attorney sent a letter to the state water board ask- ing for dismissal of the compliance order, stat- ing water uses had ripar- ian water rights there. In Paskenta, where 16,000 to 20,000 gal- lons of water have been shipped per day from Corning, the problems are more identifiable, even if a solution isn't. Crenshaw said a study is underway to attempt to identify ground water within a few miles' radius of Paskenta, with hopes a pipeline could be built. Crenshaw said ground- water isn't found it would likely lead to the end of any growth in the Paskenta area. Paskenta water users will likely be looking at higher rates in the near future as well to reach any type of grant match- ing or infrastructure up- grades that need to be done. A Paskenta water of- ficial said the district's budget reserves had been wiped out by infrastruc- ture upgrades caused by burst pipes in recent years. The situation at the state-controlled Ishi Con- servation Camp was more positive. Crenshaw said ground- water had been identified. Supervisor Dennis Gar- ton said people in the af- fected communities were being double whammied by Mother Nature and the state's curtailment orders. "We're trying to have water for people, at some point fisheries and other things have to take sec- ond seat to people," Gar- ton said. Bundy said he was not as upset about the fish aspect of water curtail- ments, but was concerned a layered system was be- ing created to benefit peo- ple down south. Chairman Steve Cham- blin took an approach somewhere in the middle, saying local residents are doing there best to con- serve, both for their own needs and the special as- sets Tehama County has. He said that message wasn't resonating with the rest of the state. "The priority isn't up here with human num- bers, and the fisheries are a diversion sometimes," Chamblin said. Water FROM PAGE 1 By Tami Abdollah The Associated Press LOS ANGELES The re- mains of a 20th Century Fox executive who myste- riously disappeared more than two years ago were found in a desert area, and police said Thursday they believe they know what led to his killing. Gavin Smith, 57, was last seen May 1, 2012, in Ventura County's Oak Park neigh- borhood after leaving the home of a female friend. Hikers discovered the re- mains about 70 miles away, near Palmdale in the Ante- lope Valley, on Oct. 26, the Los Angeles County Sher- iff's Department said. Re- sults of an autopsy have not been finalized. Smith was with Fox's movie distribution depart- ment for nearly 18 years and was a branch manager for several theaters. He was also a former UCLA basket- ball player and had three children. Authorities said earlier they had found Smith's Mer- cedes-Benz at a Simi Valley storage facility nine months after his disappearance. Its condition along with wit- ness statements led them to believe Smith was killed. A law enforcement offi- cial with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday the car contained Smith's blood and body tissue, in- cluding skin stuck to a seat. The official was not au- thorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Sheriff's Lt. Dave Dolson said investigators are opti- mistic they will solve the case. "We believe we know what happened" and why, he said without elaboration. Dolson said the remains were crucial to the case and were found in an area where investigators believed they would be located. Forensic examination of the remains may help pro- vide critical details that help detectives fill in the blanks and strengthen their case, said Capt. Rod Kusch. "Even if we have the how and why part ... there's other evidence that can come to surface with forensic ex- amination of the remains," Kusch said. A previous search had been unsuccessful, and authorities discouraged Smith's family and friends from conducting a search for him for their own safety, Dolson said. The storage facility where Smith's car was found was linked to John Creech, a man who is serv- ing an eight-year prison sentence for sales or trans- port of narcotics, Dolson said previously. Creech was named a person of interest but has not been charged with Smith's killing. Police have said Smith had "some kind of relation- ship" with Creech's wife, Chandrika, after meeting her in drug rehabilitation several years earlier. Dolson declined to provide details. The official who spoke anonymously said the rela- tionship was believed to be romantic. Investigators served dozens of search warrants mainly in locations around the San Fernando Val- ley and involving Creech's home and Hummer. Detectives believe Smith's car was in the Por- ter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley about a week after his disappear- ance and it was eventually moved — possibly by mul- tiple people — to the Simi Valley storage facility, Dol- son said previously. "We think we know an area in which he was at, or where the murder may have taken place," Dolson told the AP earlier this year. He declined to elaborate fur- ther. Dolson said investigators were working with the Los Angeles County district at- torney's office. "This case is complex," said sheriff's Chief of De- tectives Bill McSweeney. "We've kind of known what happened for a long time ... many, many months." The body, he added, "gives us proof that he was killed." The remains of a 20th Century Fox executive who mysteriously disappeared more than two years ago were found in a desert area, and police said Thurs- day they believe they know what led to his killing. Gavin Smith, 57, was last seen May 1, 2012, in Ventura County's Oak Park neigh- borhood after leaving the home of a female friend. Hikers discovered the re- mains about 70 miles away, near Palmdale in the Ante- lope Valley, on Oct. 26, the Los Angeles County Sher- iff's Department said. Re- sults of an autopsy have not been finalized. Smith was with Fox's movie distribution depart- ment for nearly 18 years and was a branch manager for several theaters. He was also a former UCLA basket- ball player and had three children. Authorities said earlier they had found Smith's Mer- cedes-Benz at a Simi Valley storage facility nine months after his disappearance. Its condition along with wit- ness statements led them to believe Smith was killed. A law enforcement offi- cial with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday the car contained Smith's blood and body tissue, in- cluding skin stuck to a seat. The official was not au- thorized to speak publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Sheriff's Lt. Dave Dol- son said investigators are optimistic they will solve the case. "We believe we know what happened" and why, he said without elaboration. Dolson said the remains were crucial to the case and were found in an area where investigators believed they would be located. Forensic examination of the remains may help pro- vide critical details that help detectives fill in the blanks and strengthen their case, said Capt. Rod Kusch. "Even if we have the how and why part ... there's other evidence that can come to surface with forensic ex- amination of the remains," Kusch said. A previous search had been unsuccessful, and authorities discouraged Smith's family and friends from conducting a search for him for their own safety, Dolson said. The storage facility where Smith's car was found was linked to John Creech, a man who is serv- ing an eight-year prison sentence for sales or trans- port of narcotics, Dolson said previously. Creech was named a person of interest but has not been charged with Smith's killing. Police have said Smith had "some kind of relation- ship" with Creech's wife, Chandrika, after meeting her in drug rehabilitation several years earlier. Dolson declined to provide details. The official who spoke anonymously said the rela- tionship was believed to be romantic. Investigators served dozens of search warrants mainly in locations around the San Fernando Val- ley and involving Creech's home and Hummer. Detectives believe Smith's car was in the Por- ter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley about a week after his disappear- ance and it was eventually moved — possibly by mul- tiple people — to the Simi Valley storage facility, Dol- son said previously. "We think we know an area in which he was at, or where the murder may have taken place," Dolson told the AP earlier this year. He declined to elaborate fur- ther. Dolson said investigators were working with the Los Angeles County district at- torney's office. "This case is complex," said sheriff's Chief of De- tectives Bill McSweeney. "We've kind of known what happened for a long time ... many, many months." The body, he added, "gives us proof that he was killed." Remains of missing Fox movie executive found DESERT AREA The Associated Press SACRAMENTO Police in Nevada have arrested a man suspected of tying a bowling ball to a dog and drowning it in a Northern California river. William Meek was on the run for nearly five months. The Sacramento Bee reported Wednes- day that the 47-year-old was taken into custody in Reno on a felony war- rant. Officials say the border collie was found floating in the American River in Sacramento on June 16. The dog had a leash on its collar that was tied to a bag containing a bowl- ing ball and large rock. City animal care man- ager Gina Knepp says the dog had a microchip that officials traced to a Sacra- mento woman who said she put the dog in Meek's care. Sacramento authorities are seeking Meek's extradi- tion to California. It wasn't immediately known if he has a lawyer. BORDER COLLIE Suspect in drowning dog with bowling ball arrested By Christopher Weber The Associated Press LOS ANGELES An en- tertainment executive pledged a collection of paintings by Pablo Pi- casso, Claude Monet, Ed- gar Degas and other major artists to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Thursday, a donation the institution called the larg- est in its history. "Los Angeles helped make my career possi- ble," said Jerry Perenchio, the former chairman and CEO of Univision who has lived in the city for 70 years. "My family and I are proud and honored to be able to give something back to a wonderful city." The collection consists of about 47 pieces, includ- ing paintings, works on paper and sculpture, and the majority of it focuses on the 1870s through the 1930s. Among the pieces are Impressionist paint- ings by Monet, Edouard Manet and Paul Cezanne; a surrealist work by Rene Magritte; and a 1909 por- trait by Picasso that pres- ages his later Cubist ef- forts. The museum declined to put a value on the col- lection, but CEO Michael Govan said at a press conference that "LACMA could never afford to buy these artworks on our own." The collection also in- cludes works by Fernand Leger, Camille Pissaro and Pierre Bonnard. "In sum, this collection comprises the greatest gift of art to LACMA in its his- tory," Govan said. The bequest, which goes into effect after Per- enchio's death, comes with one condition: The museum must first com- plete construction of a new building designed by Swiss architect Pe- ter Zumthor, which is planned for 2023. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a tentative plan for a $600 million redesign of the museum's campus, which would include tearing down and replacing most of its structures. The centerpiece of the renovation would be a huge, amoeba-shaped building featuring gal- lery space in the form of a bridge over Wilshire Bou- levard. ENTERTAINMENT EXECUTIVE Los Angeles museum to get biggest-ever art gi LOSANGELESCOUNTYSHERIFFÍS DEPARTMENT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed early Thursday that the remains of missing 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith have been positively identified. FollowusonTwitterandFacebook. 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