Clayton Garzon, charged with assault and hate crime allegations for beating Davis resident Lawrence “Mikey” Partida, pleaded no-contest on Sept. 17 to battery with serious bodily injury and a hate crime enhancement. Garzon received a five-year sentence for the felony, which he will serve in Yolo County Jail.

According to the Sacramento Bee, two other felony assault charges Garzon faced from the attack were dismissed.

Yolo County chief deputy district attorney Jonathan Raven said they were pleased with the resolution.

“We got what was important: a felony, showing the seriousness of the beating, we got the hate crime enhancement and we got a prison sentence,” Raven said.

Garzon will be sentenced and taken into custody on Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m.

At the preliminary hearing on Sept. 13, it was revealed that Daniel William Marsh confessed to the double homicide of elderly Davis residents. After an hourlong hearing in the Yolo Superior Court, Marsh was ordered to stand trial for the April 13 murders of Oliver Northup, 87, and Claudia Maupin, 76.

Four witnesses were called to the stand at the preliminary hearing: Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Gina Moya, Davis Police Officer Mark Hermann, Davis Police Detective Ariel Pineda and Davis Police Officer Francisco Talavera.

According to the Davis Enterprise, Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Gina Moya testified that both victims suffered dozens of stab wounds, 67 for Maupin and 61 for Northup, in addition to being eviscerated.

Details also emerged about the night the victims were found. Officer Mark Hermann, who was on patrol the night of April 14, found a cut window screen where Marsh had entered the couple’s Cowell Boulevard home. Hermann first saw the couple’s bodies through their bedroom window.

According to Detective Ariel Pineda, who carried out Marsh’s interrogation, Marsh was questioned by the police on June 17, where he initially denied involvement with the murders. However, after Pineda played a recording of a phone call between two other people that implicated Marsh in the crime, the teenager’s denials ended. Marsh also revealed that he had years of homicidal urges.

Pineda said Marsh admitted that the killings gave him a “high” for a few days and Marsh admitted to trying to kill again.

Northup and Maupin’s friends and relatives filled the courtroom during the preliminary hearing.

According to the Davis Enterprise, Marsh’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Ronald Johnson, did not cross-examine any of the four witnesses or call any of his own witnesses.

Yolo County Judge Timothy Fall set Marsh’s arraignment for Sept. 24. Marsh has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with enhancements for using a knife and special circumstances including multiple murders, lying in wait and torture. Additionally, Marsh is being tried as an adult and faces life in prison if  he is convicted.

—Paayal Zaveri

Dear (insert your name here),

Yours Truly by Ariana Grande exhibits a variety of pleasing musical styles that will appeal to most of the people you know. It was probably designed to do so.

While this is Grande’s first album, you may remember her from the Nickelodeon shows Victorious and Sam & Cat. I’ve never seen her shows, because I’m too busy watching stuff for big kids, like Game of Thrones or Pretty Little Liars.

The first thing that will strike me about Grande is that she sounds like Mariah Carey, especially since they both love to demonstrate the limits of their vocal range. While Grande’s voice isn’t as powerful as Carey’s, it is still a great voice.

Musically, this album most resembles The 20/20 Experience; in fact, Truly Yours’ opener, “Honeymoon Avenue,” sounds a lot like “Pusher Love Girl.” Most of the songs are tied together with an early 90s R&B sound—Babyface produced almost half of the album—although there are a few stylistic deviations into doowop.

The other thing that struck me about her is her innocent image. Sex is the last thing on Grande’s mind; these are songs about love and courtship. This innocence spills over to the guest stars as well: Mac Miller sounds like a greaser in a 50s movie and you would never guess that Big Sean once wrote an ode to women’s asses two years ago.

In fact, one of these collaborations does not work at all. British popstar Mika’s version of “Popular” from Wicked, which features Grande, appears in full here. It’s an okay song but it feels totally jarring because it sounds like nothing else on the album.

This is also the “KDVS music snob” in me but I’m bothered by what I believe to be an artificial feel to an album that is trying to be passed off as a sincere work from the heart. All but one of the songs feature at least five co-writers, yet the album’s title is supposed to be the signature to a love letter.

I know it’s petty, especially since this is a bubblegum pop album that wasn’t striving to be capital-A Art, but I feel like the mass influx of producers and writers who worked on this album caused some of its essence to be diluted. It feels like my girlfriend gave me a corporate-ass “I Choo-Choo-Choose You” Valentine’s Day card and claimed it was a handmade gift that was only for me.

Despite this, Yours Truly is a delightful romp. There are some great songs (“Baby I,” “Honeymoon Avenue” and “The Way” are standouts) and Ariana Grande is a talent to watch. I just hope that she gets more artistic control next time.

Yours truly,

Three and a half stars

PS – You’ll love this album if you like Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and TLC!

—John Kesler

Fire shot from the stage and Paul McCartney’s piano struck a deafening melody. I glanced at my compatriot, a childhood friend and concert cohort. His face was lifted towards the stage; the blazing inferno that erupted in front of us rendered him mute.

Outside Lands is a three day music and gourmet food festival in the heart of San Francisco. When 26th street dead-ends, a thick forest rises in front of you. We pressed onward through thick brambles, where eager crowds trod on dirt paths. Once through the exterior bedlam, a final knoll rose above us. Passing over its zenith, we were greeted by a great basin full of a series of pristine white tents.  It was an immense field, capable of holding the grandeur of the impending festivities.

For three days, I braved this extensive cavalcade of culinary and auditory pleasures. Though Colligan, my childhood friend, enjoyed the music and the delicious food, he had an ulterior motive. Like most festivals, Outside Lands draws a crowd of eccentric and varied attendants. Between the ancients, the huggers, the painted men, the drummers, the fratters and those who heard it first, you also get a comfortable amount of the average and a few even bland individuals.

But among this varied throng there is one group which most fascinated Colligan. Always the helpless romantic, Colligan searched for his trendy alternative Princess. That combination of fur, feathers and flannel with which he could share a few fleeting moments of passion. Perhaps, they’d listen to the powerful beats of Rudimentals or the swelling folk of The Lone Bellow.

On that first night, McCartney ruled the stage. With the vigor of a man half his years, he played his raucous chords and reminded 65,000 people that The Beatles never died.

On the second day we rested. With music blaring in the background, muffled in the distance, I took advantage of the festival’s gourmet delicacies. I devoured a plate of porcini donuts lathered in a foamy cheese sauce while a bearded man spouted Foucault babble to everyone around him who’d listen. But in the meantime, I focused on how the cheese accented the doughy porcini-flaked morsels in such a way that, if sentient, your tongue would beg for 50 more savory morsels.

The dish was an experiment of Evan Rich, the owner of Rich Table, a San Francisco hotspot known for dabbling in bizarre but delicious culinary pairings. While I ate, I felt the sore of the festivities creeping into my soles. Like a Dementor’s kiss, the long hours of walking grasped at my ankles and sucked my energy into the floor.

We had just seen Zedd; an electro-house DJ who was a landmark on our musical odyssey. His instruments played with the pulsating joy expected of his craft but there was something disconcerting about a 20-something tapping on a laptop while the crowd writhed like some sort of hedonistic sun worship. He at least had the courtesy to jump up and down.

As our journey continued, our hands became filled with charcuterie and cheese. Though I’m sure I’ve been happier, I couldn’t recall when. The cheese was a medley of Humboldt Fog, Mount Tam Triple and a delectable Toma-Point Reyes.

While leaving the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, we stumbled on an unannounced performance of Daughter. They were playing in a small tent next to a oversaturated Fiat advertisement.  Taken aback by the light attendance, I sat, content about being able to do so.

Turning away from Daughter’s limber strumming, I noticed a few graffiti artists performing their craft on large wooden slabs. In moments they had contorted their arms in a dance of painted expression. The remnants of their ecstatic self-exploration remained on the walls. As if by instinct, they had effortlessly vomited creativity into the communal trip. Images of exotic birds, monkeys playing ukuleles and shelties taking long drags on delicate pipes played across the grainy surfaces.

In three days I saw bands innumerable. I felt a crowd lift me from the battered earth and the stench of the mob enveloped my nostrils. I was dirty, with my Nike’s caked in red clay. I had drifted, like a scientist caught among foreign botany. The festival was a sensory clamor that, if one was not careful, could envelop listeners and trap them among the park’s historic branches.

At its close, we felt its tendrils slowly withdraw from our limbs. We reached the pavement and had to recall the people we had been. And did Colligan find his muse. Though she was neither alternative nor a princess, a buxom Australian lass named Elle crooned over his boyish curls. Pushing thirty, she did not bother with pleasantries, instead swept him into a moist kiss. Bouncing to the beat, they shared that charged summer air. They reveled in the atmosphere and maybe, for just an instant, made those around them feel a little more alive.

BEAUGART GERBER can be reached at arts@theaggie.org

On Aug. 29 a Yolo County judge denied a motion to exclude the public and electronic media coverage of the Davis double homicide case. They also denied a requests for a protective order and to seal the preliminary hearing. The suspect, Daniel Marsh, is on trial for the murders of elderly Davis residents, Oliver Northup and Claudia Maupin.

Marsh’s attorney, Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Ronald Johnson, filed the motion because he said that the sensational media coverage surrounding Marsh could jeopardize his chance for a fair trial.

Marsh is being tried as an adult. The preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 13, which will determine if there is enough evidence for Marsh to stand trial for the murders of Northup and Maupin.

— Paayal Zaveri

A series of nine crimes was discovered Sunday, Aug. 25 that included the damage of several cars and campus facilities. According to a UC Davis Campus Crime Alert Bulletin, Sproul Hall, the Arboretum, TB 009, South Hall, Dutton Hall, the Educational Opportunity building, Aggie Village, the School of Education and the University House have all been affected.

Thirty-one broken windows and a racial epithet found on a blackboard of Dutton Hall have since been reported. Chancellor Linda Katehi expressed her concern in a letter to the community sent earlier today, citing the racial slur as particularly troubling amidst the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 demonstration for racial equality.

The UC Davis Police encourage any member of the community with information regarding these crimes to contact them at (530) 752-COPS.

-Adam Khan

City of Davis Police announced that they were searching for a missing person — Balbino Mercadal, a 19 year old male. Mercadal was last seen on Aug. 22 at 9 pm in Davis at the 2100 block of Glacier Dr.

According to a press release by the DPD Mercadal told friends he was leaving for the Bay Area but never arrived and this behavior was out of character for Mercadal.

Mercadal is 5’10” tall, 135 pounds, with brown hair and eyes and he was last seen wearing a light blue beenie, blue jeans, and a black backpack with a green and white pattern. The press release also said he might be riding a black bicycle.

The DPD urges people to contact them at 530-747-5400 if they have seen Mercadal or know his whereabouts.

UPDATE 8/25/2013: The DPD announced that Mercadal was located on Aug 24 and is unharmed. No other details were released.

— Paayal Zaveri

De Vere’s Irish Pub is hosting the first ever Davis Beer Week from Aug. 19 to 25. The event strives to celebrate the city’s craft beer culture.

According to their website, “this 7-day citywide festival will attract beer tourism, foster knowledge of our regional brewing heritage, and serve as a showcase for great beers, restaurants, pubs, and other businesses with ties to the craft beer community.”

There are a number of events each day in various Downtown Davis restaurants and bars such as Burgers and Brew, de Vere’s Irish Pub, University of Beer, The Davis Food co-op, and more.

The most anticipated event is the Bike and Brew Fest on Aug. 24 from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event benefits the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis.

According to a press release the event will feature, “live music from Tha Dirt Feeling, Elements of Soul and The Silent Comedy, food from local eateries, pourings from 10 wineries and over 50 breweries, a kids’ zone and designated driver options.”

Tickets are $40 until Aug. 23 and $45 if purchased on the day of the event. More information can be found at http://davisbeerweek.com/.

— Paayal Zaveri

The attorney for Daniel William Marsh, the 16 year old accused of murdering elderly Davis couple, Oliver Northup and Claudia Maupin in April, filed a motion to exclude the public from and prevent media coverage of Marsh’s preliminary hearing. Yolo County Deputy Public Defender Ronald Johnson argued in a 74 page motion that publicity could jeopardize his client’s right to a fair trial.

“The media surrounding Mr. Marsh has been extensive and sensational,” Johnson said in the motion. “The media coverage regarding the deaths of the victims has been pervasive, lasting for months. The coverage increased when Mr. Marsh was named as a suspect.”

Johnson cited over 70 items of print, broadcast and online coverage related to the case, which has even garnered international coverage.

“The media coverage has made a spectacle out of this case, and the potential jurors in Yolo County are unlikely to forget the assumptions and statements publicized by the news media before Mr. Marsh’s trial,” Johnson said.

According to The Sacramento Bee, Yolo County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral said prosecutors plan to file a response by the end of next week but had no further comments on the motion.

The Davis Enterprise reported that they plan to oppose the motion in court and said the public has a right to hear the evidence presented at the preliminary hearing.

Marsh is being tried as an adult and pleaded not guilty on June 19 to two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances including lying in wait and torture.

The hearing on the motion is set for Aug. 29 and will be presided over by Yolo Superior Court Judge Timothy Fall. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13 in Yolo County Superior Court.

— Paayal Zaveri

On Aug. 11, around 2 a.m. the Davis Police Department responded to reports of a large fight at 2033 F Street. While the DPD were responding, additional callers reported gunshots near the area. Upon arrival, the DPD discovered a male victim who had been stabbed.

“During the course of the investigation, it was determined that a party within the complex had become out of control and a large fight erupted among its guests. During that fight, the victim was stabbed and suffered major injuries,” said a press release by the DPD.

The press release also said that witnesses observed a male subject with a gun but there is no evidence to indicate that shots were fired. Additionally, while DPD officers were on scene, the DPD was notified that a second victim was stabbed and was driven to a local hospital.

The investigation is ongoing and the DPD said there are a few indicators this may be a gang related incident. Anyone who has information should contact the DPD at 530-747-5400.

— Paayal Zaveri

Celebrate international beers and the best local brews this August during Davis Beer Week.

The seven day citywide beer festival, August 19 to 25, will honor regional brewing heritage while participants delight in great beers, restaurants and pubs.

Venues around town will offer intriguing domestic and international beer tastings as well as special meal-deals featuring selected beers or beer-and-food pairings. Davis Beer Week founders de Vere’s Irish Pub and Sudwerk Brewery will be joined by Bistro 33, Our House, Uncle Vito’s, Dos Coyote’s and Jack’s Urban Eats.

Festivities will peak in Central Park with the first-annual Bike & Brew Fest on Saturday, August 24 from 3:30 to 8 p.m. More than 50 domestic and international breweries will participate, including Berryessa Gap Brewery of Winters, Blue Moon, Sam Adams and Sudwerk of Davis.

The evening promises live music, food, wine, beer and an expansive Kids Zone with proceeds benefiting the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame. Tickets range from $10 (Designated Driver) to $60 (VIP Tickets).