California IN BRIEF : THOUSAND OAKS : Attic Dweller Won’t Be Prosecuted

Criminal charges were dismissed against a man who spent three years living in the attic crawl space of a Thousand Oaks shopping center. His sister, Robin Salcedo, said David Michael Russell, 40, still returns to the neighborhood to carry out his daily routine of picking up trash, pulling weeds, returning shopping carts to a nearby store and recycling cans he collects from the streets. Russell was arrested June 2 on burglary charges for diverting electricity and water to his attic above the Village Glen Plaza, where he had lived since 1990. He had set up a three-room dwelling above the complex that included a refrigerator, a desk, a television and a microwave oven. Russell, who did not appear in court, spent three days in Ventura County Jail this month on charges of trespassing and theft of utilities.