3 Tracy Torture Suspects Plead Guilty

STOCKTON, Calif. -- Three out of four people accused of torturing a teenage boy in Tracy pleaded guilty Friday morning, just days before their trial was scheduled to start.

Michael Schumacher, Kelly Lau and Caren Ramirez were sentenced to at least three decades in prison each.

A fourth defendant, Anthony Waiters, was not at a court hearing held Friday in Stockton. He is expected to face trial.

There's still a gag order in the case, but prosecutors explained why they think a plea deal was a good idea.

"There are three minors involved in this matter, two of whom don't have to testify against their parents, which is a huge consideration," Deputy District Attorney Angela Hayes said, alluding to Schumacher and Lau's children.

Police said Schumacher and Lau held the boy against his will for more than a year and, along with the teen's one-time guardian, Ramirez, beat him, denied him food and sometimes kept him chained to the fireplace or a heavy table inside a Tracy home.

Waiters lived near Schumacher and Lau on Tennis Lane. He has pleaded not guilty.

The boy escaped in 2008 and showed up at a local fitness center bruised, emaciated and wearing a shackle on his ankle.

Under terms of the plea deal, Schmacher faces 30 years in prison, Lau faces 33 years and Ramirez faces 34 years.

Sword-Wielding Man Storms Stockton Store

Aug 9, 2008 (CBS13) - A man wielding a makeshift sword burst into a Stockton convenience store Saturday morning, and police had to go to great lengths to prevent any injuries.

Police say Thomas Neel, 20, of French Camp, entered a Chevron convenience store around 8 a.m., brandishing the weapon and threatening customers and employees. Nobody was immediately injured, but when police arrived, Neel seemed to want a violent confrontation.

"He was acting very erratically," said Ofc. Pete Smith of the Stockton Police Department. "Mr. Neel was actually saying to the officers that he doesn't mind if they shoot him… 'I want blood.'"

Police tried shooting Neel three times with as stun gun, but the device did not work. In the end, they resorted to a 37-millimeter Sage gun, a less-than-lethal device that shoots a black, plastic projectile.

"It's the same thing as being hit by a major league fastball at about 90 miles per hour," Smith said.

Neel fell to the floor, and officers, including K-9 units, swarmed him, taking him into custody without further incident.

Neel is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. where he faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Police do not yet know if drugs played a role in the incident.