On Monday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced murder and assault charges against a teenager, who may be tried as an adult, who has been implicated in the April 9 death of his two-year-old cousin.

A tragic case in San Jose is shining a new and damning spotlight on Santa Clara County’s Department of Family and Children’s Services, and new charges have now been filed against a teen suspect.

On Friday we learned about the April 9 death of two-year-old Jaxon Rey Juarez, and we learned that the still unnamed suspect, who was 17 years old at the time of the crime, was being charged with multiple counts of sexual assault on the toddler.

Now more details are emerging in the case, and Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen filed more charges against the teen, including murder and felony assault "with a hair tie." Rosen also spoke to the media Monday morning, as Bay Area News Group reports, expressing his frustration with the county's child welfare department.

"This is the third child in the last couple years under the care and custody of the Department of Family and Children’s Services who has been murdered," Rosen said, per the news group. "Enough. Enough. Change needs to come, and it needs to come fast, and it needs to happen now."

At issue in the case is the fact that the teenage suspect's mother, a 40-year-old cousin of Jaxon Juarez, had been selected to be the foster parent for the toddler despite having a criminal record that included a conviction for felony child endangerment from a decade ago. The woman is reportedly part of Juarez's father's family, and he had previously been in the care of his maternal grandfather in Roseville — until the grandfather told social workers that he could no longer care for the toddler, who had special needs.

As Bay Area News Group previously reported, the Department of Family and Children’s Services declined last year to place baby Jaxon with relatives in Arizona due to the fact that his father, who lives in San Jose and suffers from serious health problems, would not be able to visit him there.

The boy was born eight weeks premature with fetal alcohol syndrome, and his mother later died of liver and kidney failure. Juarez was placed with an unrelated family before being transferred to his grandfather in Roseville, and in late February, he was brought to live with the paternal cousin in San Jose, who also has a 17-year-old son and a daughter who is around 13.

She has not been named in media reports because no charges have been filed against her.

The felony conviction for child endangerment, which involved driving drunk with her baby daughter in the car in 2014, should been disqualifying for her candidacy as a foster parent, says County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who worked in child welfare, speaking to Bay Area News Group.

Juarez was found unresponsive in his crib on Easter Sunday, April 5, with a hair tie around his neck, as KTVU reports. The boy's grandmother had previously reported a concerning red mark on his neck to child protective services about a week earlier.

Juarez was in a coma and taken off life support on April 9. The teenage son of the foster parent was subsequently charged with six counts of sexual assault, and is now charged with murder and felony assault. Rosen says he will likely be tried as an adult given the seriousness of the charges, and the fact that he turned 18 in the weeks since the boy's death occurred.

The official cause of death for Jaxon Juarez has not been released, but he reportedly had "several suspicious traumatic injuries," according to medical staff.

As KTVU notes, according to police, the woman was "was less than cooperative and not forthcoming during initial interviews."

"This is a terrible and horrific case," Rosen said in a statement. ""And I think that we should all be asking questions of county officials at the highest level. Why are horrible and tragic crimes happening to children in the care and custody of the Department of Family and Children's Services over and over?"

Rosen is referring to the 2023 fentanyl overdose death of 3-month-old Phoenix Castro, who had been placed in the care of her father against the recommendation of social workers; and the 2024 stabbing death of 7-year-old Jordan Walker, after he had been placed with a grandmother against recommendations, and was allegedly killed by an uncle.

The county says it has launched an investigation into the death, and county spokesperson Peter Gallotta put out a statement on Sunday saying, "We are working urgently to understand exactly what happened, and we remain committed to publicly sharing the results of our investigation, and the independent investigation being conducted by the State, when they are available and to the extent permitted by law."

Top image: Photo of Jaxon Juarez taken by his maternal grandfather in Roseville several months ago

Marin County is facing three additional lawsuits in the deaths of four teenagers last April, on top of one already filed, which allege that hazardous road conditions near the site contributed to the crash. And some are still saying a second vehicle may have forced the driver to swerve off the road.

Marin County is facing three new lawsuits tied to the April 2025 crash that killed four San Anselmo teens, as the Marin Independent Journal reports. Families of Olive Koren, Josalynn Osborn, and Sienna Katz allege the county failed to address dangerous conditions along the curve where the Volkswagen Tiguan struck a tree, citing missing guardrails, limited signage, and overgrown vegetation that obscured visibility.

The cases, filed in Marin County Superior Court, seek unspecified damages, with an initial hearing set for August 27. County officials say they have not yet been served.

SFist reported in October that the Marin County District Attorney’s Office charged the 17-year-old driver, a teen from Fairfax, with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, along with infractions for unsafe speed and violating the terms of her provisional license.

An investigation by the California Highway Patrol found she was at fault, determining she entered a curve at an estimated 60 to 65 mph based on a frozen odometer. Officials said they didn't find evidence supporting surviving passenger Marley Barclay’s claims about an oncoming vehicle forcing the driver to swerve off the road.

According to the Chronicle, relatives of the victims, including the Barclay family, questioned the CHP’s investigation, disputing its conclusion. Prior to the recent lawsuits, Marin County had received 15 legal claims tied to the crash and denied each one, per the Independent Journal.

In February, prosecutors reportedly sought additional records related to the CHP officers who investigated the crash, filing a Pitchess motion to obtain personnel files.

Some of the families questioned whether investigators overlooked reports of pickup trucks seen on the road around the time of the crash, as the Chronicle reported Friday, including one allegedly driving recklessly earlier in the day, and another stopped in the roadway afterward — appearing to call 911. Authorities said the descriptions did not match and found no evidence linking the vehicles.

A similar crash occurred about 500 feet away about a year earlier, when a speeding 17-year-old crossed into oncoming traffic before crashing into a tree, causing the car to flip and catch fire, leaving a passenger seriously injured.

In December, following a petition calling for major restrictions on the entire road, county supervisors reduced the speed limit from 40 mph to 30 mph along the stretch of San Geronimo Valley Drive where the crash occurred, per the Chronicle.

Prior to the recent lawsuits, Sienna Katz’s father Robert Katz previously sued both the county and the driver, pointing to missing guardrails, limited warning signage, and roadside conditions he says made the curve hazardous, as previously reported. His complaint also alleges the driver was speeding, failed to maintain control, and did not take steps to avoid leaving the roadway. Attorneys for both the county and the driver have denied the claims.

Tensions have reportedly deepened in the community over the past year. A petition at one point sought to bar the driver and her mother, a teacher at the high school, from campus, while the mother later filed — and did not win — a restraining order against a friend of Josy, alleging harassment.

In a message to the Chronicle, the driver’s mother said the family “think[s] constantly about the lives lost” while also describing ongoing harassment directed at them. A recent encounter near their home escalated into a brief but heated roadside exchange involving the teen driver, her mother, and relatives of one of the victims. A classmate is also accused of directing a racial slur at the driver’s father, who is Black.

Marin County District Attorney Lori Frugoli said the case has exposed deep divisions, calling it an “incredibly painful and emotional situation,” and emphasized that prosecutors are focused on a fair, evidence-based legal process rather than public debate, per the Chronicle.

“We understand that people may see this case differently, especially given the tragic circumstances,” Frugoli said in a statement. “Our responsibility, however, is not to resolve public debate — it is to ensure that the legal process is fair, thorough and based on evidence.”

Some families, including Josalynn Osborn’s mother, said the severity of the crash pointed to excessive speed, noting the lack of skid marks and the extent of the damage.

“I feel like someone is responsible for killing the girls, and it’s not [the driver],” Olive’s mother, Gail Koren said.

Sienna Katz’s mother, Margaret Minicozzi, said she has not attended court hearings and is seeking accountability, though not necessarily through detention.

Linda Kepley, the mother of Ada Kepley, the fourth victim who died in the crash, told the Chronicle the case has strained relationships among families who were once close, and expressed concern that the driver is carrying more blame than she should. She said choosing to forgive, in spite of lingering uncertainty, has brought her some peace.

“If she was speeding, she’s a teenage girl, and kids speed,” she said. “I’ve already made my peace with this. I think what people really need to do is to ask themselves, ‘Did I do that at that age?’ We’re all human beings. We’re all flawed.”

Previously: In Marin Crash That Killed Four Teens, Parents Point Fingers at CHP, County Road Maintenance

Images via GoFundMe, here, here, here, and here

The field of prominent Democrats running to be the next governor of California just shrank once more, one week after the unceremonious exit of former Congressman Eric Swalwell amid sexual assault allegations.

Former state Controller Betty Yee, who has consistently polled in the single digits and well behind several other candidates, announced Monday that she is ending her campaign.

As the New York Times notes, Yee, who at age 68 has spent decades in the trenches of California politics, tried a last-ditch effort last week to cast herself as "Boring Betty" in comparison with the scandal that blew up around former frontrunner Swalwell. But she had failed to gain traction with voters or raise money despite announcing her candidacy nearly two years ago.

Pressure has been mounting from Democratic Party leaders for the lowest-polling candidates in the crowded race to bow out gracefully as the June 2 primary nears. Rusty Hicks, chairman of the California Democratic Party, declared in early March that he would be spending party funds on weekly polling through the month of April to further put pressure on those who stand little chance of coming out in the top two in the primary — particularly in light of consistently strong polling numbers for the two main Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco.

As of last week, following the abrupt departure of Swalwell from the race, new polling found Tom Steyer and former Congresswoman Katie Porter gaining some percentage points, along with former health secretary and Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

Sacramento-based political data expert Paul Mitchell now says that based on his modeling, a scenario in which the two Republicans are the two highest vote-getters in June is increasingly unlikely. And now a much more likely outcome will be a Democrat-vs-Republican ballot in November in which the Democrat will be a shoe-in. But who that Democrat is remains a question — as billionaire Tom Steyer spends much of his personal wealth on a TV, radio, and online ad blitz.

As the Associated Press reported today, Steyer has spent or committed $115 million so far in the race, which is about five times more than his nearest rival — thus if you've watched any live TV in recent weeks, you've almost certainly caught one of his ads.

Still remaining in the governor's race and still polling in single digits are San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Top image: Betty Yee attends the LA Equality Awards hosted by Equality California at J.W. Marriot at L.A. Live on September 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

A group of anonymous activists placed a 120-foot-high banner on Twin Peaks Saturday, in the prominent spot used for the Pink Triangle each June, calling to "End US Aid to Israel."

The banner, in three parts and in Palestinian colors, was unfurled over the course of about 10 minutes on Saturday afternoon at around 1:30 pm. As Mission Local reports, following a visit by police officers, the banner remained in place until the several dozen activists took it down around 5 pm.

A drone video seen below shows the banner in place.

The activist group places the blame squarely on Israel for the war in Iran and simultaneous attacks on Lebanon, and in a release says that Israel is now responsible for the deaths of "over 100,000 Palestinians, Lebanese, and Iranians."

One representative of the group, identified only as J, reportedly spoke at the corner of Market and Castro streets after the banner was installed Saturday.

"Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran and Lebanon has dragged the US and the entire Middle East into all-out war. But we are telling our community that even though things are chaotic, the solution is simple: End US aid to Israel,” J said in a statement. "Lots of these weapons are being sent straight out of the Bay Area. Campaigns like the Oakland Peoples’ Arms Embargo give us all an option to put an end to this."

J added, "Now they are emptying south Lebanon, saying they will turn it into Gaza. This is what happens when there are no consequences for Israel, and we need to change that."

Over the weekend, the shaky ceasefire between Israel, the US, and Iran continued to be challenged with the US seizure of an Iranian cargo ship.

Peace talks are expected to resume today or tomorrow in Islamabad, Pakistan, but if no deal is reached, President Trump has vowed to end the ceasefire Wednesday evening.

Top image: Rendering via BergDavis/SOM

Residents in Polk Gulch, Lower Nob Hill, and Pacific Heights received an alert from PG&E that nearly 5,500 addresses lost power Sunday evening, and it was expected to be restored by 10:45 pm.

Pacific Gas & Electric sent out an alert to residents through NextDoor that power had gone out at 5:43 pm Sunday for 5,483 addresses in Pacific Heights, Polk Gulch, and Nob Hill and power would be restored by 10:45 pm.

Residents in Pacific Heights reported via Reddit that their power was back on within 30 minutes to an hour, but some said their internet was still down, specifically Comcast and Monkey Brains.

According to PG&E’s outage map, power was still out for 1,655 customers in Polk Gulch and Lower Nob Hill as of 7:28 pm. According to a Redditor, Brownie’s Hardware on Polk Street was reportedly the only place in the area that still had power.

SF Department of Emergency Management posted a reminder to residents to keep refrigerator doors closed, as food will stay safe for four hours in the refrigerator, 48 hours in a full freezer, and 24 hours in a half-full freezer.

Top image: PG&E

A 47-year-old DUI suspect in a three-piece suit crashed his Jeep into the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market streets Wednesday evening, requiring overnight repairs, and all cars on the line were momentarily turned around at Washington Street.

SFTMA first posted an alert about the incident at 8:11 pm Wednesday, announcing that inbound cars would be momentarily switched back at Washington and Powell due to a “non-Muni collision” at the Powell Street turnaround. Police responded to the crash around 8:29 pm, as SFGate reports.

An SFPD spokesperson told the outlet that a 47-year-old male driver entered the restricted area of the cable car turnaround and caused damage to the turnaround signal and a protective concrete barrier, but no injuries were reported.

The suspect reportedly fled on foot and was detained by SFPD officers near Cyril Magnin and Ellis streets. He was booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, hit and run, and unlawfully disobeying a traffic sign.

Reddit user MarineJAB told SFGate they came upon the scene when the Jeep was being towed, noting its bumper was missing. They said an SFMTA worker described the driver as “wearing a three-piece suit,” and said he “somehow ended up reversing but got stuck.”

The cable car turnaround was closed until Thursday afternoon, with cars switching back at Washington Street, per SFGate. Substitute buses were deployed to transport riders between Market and Washington streets.

Image: MarineJAB/Reddit

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

While California Governor Gavin Newsom was unsuccessful at implementing single-payer health care during his reign, three 2026 candidates have all included promises in their platforms to fight for CalCare in the state.

Single-payer health care has been a recurring but unresolved issue in California for nearly a decade. Gavin Newsom backed the concept during his 2017 campaign, but the proposal — often referred to as CalCare — never advanced into law, leaving it stalled without sufficient legislative support.

As KSEE24/KRON4 reports, among the current candidates, three have clearly aligned themselves with a single-payer policy: Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, and Xavier Becerra, which the outlet confirmed through public statements, social media posts, and responses to media inquiries.

A spokesperson for Porter said she has consistently backed single-payer, pointing to recent posts where she called it the only way to guarantee high-quality care for all Californians and framed the issue as urgent amid what she describes as a growing health care crisis.

CalMatters reports that Steyer had previously opposed single-payer health care during his 2020 campaign but changed his mind last year. In a recent video, he linked the proposal to broader concerns about affordability in California, arguing it would significantly reduce health care costs statewide, per KSEE24.

Becerra, who has reportedly supported single-payer for decades, reiterated that stance in campaign messaging, saying he would continue pushing toward a universal system as governor. In multiple posts marking the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, he said he’s prepared to go further by pursuing single-payer coverage in California.

KSEE24 reports that if CalCare is adopted, it would establish a universal, no-cost health care system for residents, eliminating premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket expenses. A version of the plan introduced this year in the California State Assembly outlines comprehensive coverage and a state-run cost control system intended to expand access to care.

The Inside California Politics gubernatorial primary debate is scheduled to air at 7 pm Wednesday, April 22, across multiple California television markets and streaming platforms.

Image: SAN FRANCISCO - SEPTEMBER 22: Supporters of single payer health care hold signs as they protest outside of the Anthem Blue Cross offices September 22, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

A sideshow in Hayward consisting of about 60 cars early Saturday morning culminated in a participant crashing into a semi truck then abandoning it in the middle of an intersection.

Hayward police were called to the area of Clawiter Road and Depot Road after receiving reports from the California Highway Patrol of an illegal sideshow around 1:30 am Saturday. While en route to the scene, police were notified that one of the participants had crashed into a semi truck.

KRON4 received video footage of the incident, which features a light blue Chevy Camaro without any plates circling the middle of the intersection several times. It then appears to spin into a crowd of onlookers at least once before crashing into the semi track waiting at the traffic light.

Following the crash, onlookers charge the wrecked vehicle, kicking and stomping on it. The truck driver asks the person behind the camera, “Why?!”

“Why are you guys messing up cars?” he says to the crowd.

Then the crowd disperses, abandoning the car in the intersection.

Later in the video, which shows scenes earlier in the night leading up to the incident, one onlooker appears to be fairly badly injured after getting knocked down and nearly run over, but no injuries were reported.

Officers later discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen by someone in San Jose, according to KPIX.

Image: Google Street View

The elderly driver who allegedly crashed into a Chinatown building while parallel parking last month, killing one person and injuring another, was arrested for vehicular manslaughter Friday, and it turns out he crashed into the building from across the street.

The San Francisco Police Department announced Friday that 76-year-old Zhuo Ming Lu was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and driving at a speed greater than is reasonable in connection to the crash. As SFist previously reported, the collision occurred on the morning of March 27 near Grant Avenue and Jackson Street when the driver allegedly jumped the curb while parallel parking and crashed into New Lung Ting Cafe, also known as Pork Chop House.

Forty-nine-year-old pedestrian, Cutberto Zamora, a San Joaquin County resident who was in the neighborhood installing flooring in a nearby apartment, was killed, and another pedestrian was injured. Zamora was declared dead at the hospital, and the other victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

KTVU reported at the time that Lu was parking across from the scene of the collision before allegedly losing control and crossing the street directly into the restaurant.

"The gentleman was trying to park in a parking spot and lost control of his vehicle, drove across the street and unfortunately hit two folks on the sidewalk," said Capt. Christopher Del Gandio of the SFPD Central Station.

As the Chronicle reports, a GoFundMe has been set up for Zamora’s family.

Zamora’s death was the seventh pedestrian death in San Francisco in three months. The hit-and-run death in SoMa on Monday marked the city’s eighth pedestrian death in four months.

Additionally, the crash occurred less than a week following the sentencing of 80-year-old Mary Fong Lau in the 2024 deaths of Diego Cardoso de Oliveira, his wife, Matilde Pinto, and their two children at a West Portal bus stop. Many believed the sentence was too lenient, as Lau managed to dodge jail time and house arrest.

While Lau also avoided having to take the stand during the criminal trial by pleading “no contest,” she will be required to face relatives of the victims during the civil case, which was initiated last year and can now move forward following the conclusion of the criminal case.

The investigation remains active, and anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 or Text-A-Tip to TIP411, beginning the message with “SFPD.”

Image: Citizen

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

• A multi-unit, 20-occupant building in SF’s Duboce Triangle was evacuated and two people were taken to the hospital due to a sulfur dioxide leak from an aging refrigeration unit. [NBC Bay Area]
• Two-year-old Jaxon Juarez died in foster care in Santa Clara County last week after he was placed with a relative who had a prior felony conviction for child endangerment; her 17-year-old son was charged with six counts of sexual assault of Juarez. [KQED]
• Longtime SF angel investor and political campaign donor, Ron Conway, announced Friday that he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and will begin year-long treatment immediately.

National:

• NPR has received $113 million in two major donations — largest in the network’s history — to boost digital innovation, expand audience engagement, and help sustain public radio after the loss of federal funding. Philanthropist Connie Ballmer contributed $80 million for technology upgrades, while an anonymous donor gave $33 million to develop shared tools for stations nationwide to better understand audiences, market themselves, and raise funds. [NPR]
• The National Weather Service failed to predict five tornadoes that hit Kansas City Monday night, which was likely due to changes in staffing and weather balloon releases. [NBC News]
• The civil negligence trial is set to begin this fall against actor Alec Baldwin on the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the Rust movie shoot, as the judge denied a request to dismiss the case Friday. [The LA Times]

Video of the Day:

An adorable baby sea lion was found wandering around the Outer Sunset at Irving Street and 48th Avenue  early Thursday morning. Responders from the Marine Mammal Center, SFPD, and SF Rec and Park worked together to catch the pup, which they named “Irving,” so it could be transported to the Marine Mammal Center’s veterinary hospital in Sausalito.

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

El Faro is in trouble again, popular smashburger pop-up Maillards has a new Outer Sunset home, and Eat Americana has closed its doors in the Richmond, all in This Week in Food.

You may have seen the hubbub about Philz Coffee banning all Pride flags last week, but now, as of Friday, the CEO has reversed himself and apologized. The Pride flags are staying up, and you're free to go back to getting coffee at Philz — even though some PR damage has clearly been done.

Historic Mission District taqueria El Faro (2399 Folsom) — one of two places in the Mission that claims to have invented the Mission-style super burrito — is once again in the news for the wrong reasons, and the owner is once again talking about closing the place down for good. As SFGate reported earlier this week, the 64-year-old restaurant has just had its rent nearly doubled, and owner Raymunda Ramirez, who bought the taqueria with her husband 23 years ago and has worked their since 1980, is now trying to sell the business — and there's a GoFundMe to try to cover one month of rent. A year and a half ago, the taqueria suffered a series of break-ins in which $20,000 in cash was stolen, and Ramirez also had talked about closing down then.

Starting next week, popular smashburger pop-up Maillards will have a regular home at Two Pitchers Brewing Company's new taproom at 3821 Noriega Street, in the Outer Sunset. As the Chronicle reports, Maillards, which launched at the Outer Sunset farmers' market three years ago, and also served burgers at Heritage Bar and Grill in the Richmond, will continue at Heritage for a few weeks and keep popping up at the market, after the first Two Pitchers service on April 22.

In sad Avenues news, Richmond District diner Eat Americana (3532 Balboa Street) has shut down after 30 years in business. The diner served its last breakfasts on April 12, as SFGate reported, and in its place, something called The Cat's Whiskers is opening, according to a liquor license transfer. Details on that are still to come.

Tablehopper had word of a new ramen spot at 1639 Polk Street, in the former Mini Potstickers location, and it's called Denya Ramen. It doesn't appear to be open just yet, but stay tuned.

Up in Larkspur, Picco is ringing in its 20th anniversary by bringing back some menu favorites, including an English pea risotto and a Barolo-braised beef rib with fermented mustard polenta, which will be available throughout April and May. And of course they still serve their excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas, first made by Chef Bruce Hill (Zero Zero, Fog City, Bix), with dough that gets a 96-hour ferment.

And the Chronicle published some of its readers' opinions about that problematic Top 100, once again, and readers callouts for biggest snubs this year include Chez Panisse, Kokkari Estiatorio, Foreign Cinema, and contemporary Taiwanese spot Good to Eat in Emeryville.

Photo: Donny P./Yelp

Bay Area artist Julie Engelmann completed a new 100-foot mural on the exterior of Oakland Ice Center honoring Olympic figure skaters, Alysa Liu and Kristi Yamaguchi, who both trained there during their professional careers.

Peninsula artist Julie Engelmann completed the 100-foot mural over four weeks after pitching the idea to the rink, which commissioned the work with sponsor support and secured approval from both Liu and Yamaguchi, according to Oaklandside.

Engelmann said the mural reflects both her background in figure skating and her desire to convey the pride that residents feel for the Bay Area, while highlighting the achievements of two local, Asian-American Olympic champions.

As KTVU reports, the rink’s general manager, Glenn Martin, said the center has seen an uptick in visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of Liu, and the project was designed to stand out amid a growing number of large-scale Liu murals across the region and in Los Angeles. The Ice Center plans to invite both skaters to view the piece in person.

The mural is visible from classrooms at Oakland School for the Arts, where Liu studied, drawing attention from students who watched Engelmann at work and documented the process, per Oaklandside. Skaters and other onlookers also followed along over the four-week installation.

“What an amazing tribute, what an amazing work of art,” said Kellie Allyn, a former competitive skater, speaking to KTVU. "We’re lucky to have such amazing artists here.”

Oaklandside reports that the rink, where Liu first learned to skate as a child, continues to serve as her training base. It opened in 1995 and is now operated by Sharks Ice, with programming that draws hundreds of skaters at a time, many of them Olympians.

Martin said the center typically sees enrollment spikes following each Winter Olympics.

Image: chickennano/Reddit