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Volume 172 • Issue 140 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Parade perfect
Golf course deal
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
A new rezone request for the old golf course property in El Dorado Hills could reach the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors by late January if the EDH Community Services District purchase of the property doesn’t materialize.
Developer still pursuing plans should purchase fall through Noel Stack Managing editor Kirk Bone, director of Government Relations for Parker Development Company, confirmed the developer continues to move forward with the Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan while at the same time working in tandem with the EDH Community Services District to sell at least part of the old Executive Golf Course property to the district. Last month the El Dorado County Planning and Building Department released the third partial recirculated draft environmental impact report for the CEDHSP. The project requires a General Plan amendment to allow zoning of the golf course property to be changed from recreational facilities–high intensity to medium- and highdensity residential. CEDHSP includes the Pedregal and Serrano Westside (golf course property) developments; 237 residential units are specified for the Pedregal area, while Serrano
Boy Scout Troop 911 and Cub Scout Pack 700, above, proudly carry the Hangtown Christmas Parade banner as they march into downtown Placerville followed by hundreds of other parade participants Sunday, Dec. 3. In its 45th year, the Hangtown Christmas Parade saw the parade route from Broadway to Main Street lined with attendees full of holiday cheer. Katie and Ken Houpt, right, of Georgetown brought their young cowpokes early to secure a good parade viewing spot. From left are Vito, 4, Kelleigh, 6, and Angelo, 2. Photos by Laurie Edwards n see more photos on A6
n See Golf course, page A5
Accused fentanyl dealer facing murder charge heading to trial for alleged witness interference Odin Rasco Staff writer
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A West Sacramento man charged with second-degree murder for allegedly selling
fentanyl that caused a young Shingle Springs woman’s overdose death in 2022 is now heading to trial for attempting to prevent a witness in that case from testifying. Kamaal Yusuf is accused of coordinating with a previous El Dorado County Jail cellmate, Bobby Cody, to repeatedly contact his former girlfriend Kaitlyn Caraotta and dissuade her from cooperating with investigators. The preliminary examination of the case brought against Yusuf and Cody by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office was heard Nov. 27 in El Dorado County Superior Court’s Department 1. Yusuf is currently awaiting trial for
allegedly selling counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, commonly known as blue M30s, to 20-year-old Gillian Peterson-Murray and her boyfriend. PetersonMurray’s use of the pills purchased led to her overdosing in her Shingle Springs home on May 26, 2022, according to prosecutors. Yusuf has been in custody since late January when he was arrested at his parent’s home in the Lakeside community of Elk Grove. Inmate records show Yusuf and Cody shared a cell between May 27 and July 5; Cody was later released, but inmate call logs show the two stayed in touch.
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in September, Caraotta provided additional evidence pertinent to the case and agreed to testify in court. She shared she had filed a restraining order against Yusuf in January and had not had contact with him since then, though he had repeatedly tried to contact her with calls and letters from jail and through go-betweens such as family members and Cody. Roberts testified Caraotta said she was “afraid” of Yusuf once it seemed he knew she was cooperating with law enforcement. Beginning in August, Caraotta told Roberts, she began to receive texts from someone who n See Yusuf, page A7
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