Former Coach Will Be Tried on Sex Charges

A judge ruled Tuesday that Glenn Thompkins, a former Rialto Eisenhower football coach, must stand trial on statutory rape charges.

Judge Douglas Elwell made his decision in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Fontana after hearing pretrial testimony on Friday from the investigating officer, Det. Kris Arthur of the Rialto Police Department.

Thompkins will be arraigned Nov. 4.

Elwell said Thompkins, 27, will face five counts of statutory rape -- consensual sex with a minor -- five counts of unlawful sexual penetration and one count of dissuading a witness. He originally had been charged with 10 counts of statutory rape, three counts of unlawful sexual penetration and one count of dissuading a witness.

A conviction on the new charges carries a maximum sentence of nine years and eight months.

Arthur testified that the alleged victim said she was in love with Thompkins and admitted to having sex with him, and that she felt she had been tricked into her admission.

Thompkins was arrested Nov. 26 after the girl’s parents reported the relationship, which is alleged to have taken place between June 1 and Nov. 26, 2002. The alleged victim was, during part of that period, 16 years old.

-- Martin Henderson

Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula shot 374 in the Knabe Cup at Lakewood Country Club last week, a score believed to be the lowest five-player, 18-hole score in Southern Section girls’ golf history.

Shannon Yocum shot six-under 68, Colette Lowe shot 72 and Annika Windon shot 74 to lead the Panthers to a 17-stroke victory over Cerritos.

The Southern Section does not keep official team scoring records for girls golf, but no other team has reported a lower score since the section went to five-player scoring last year.

-- Peter Yoon

UCLA-bound shooting guard Arron Afflalo said Tuesday that he plans to transfer back to Compton Centennial this week after attending Los Angeles Price for the last two months.

Afflalo transferred in September to Price after expressing concerns over Centennial losing its academic accreditation. But Afflalo said those concerns were alleviated by UCLA officials last weekend during an official visit to Westwood.

Afflalo would have been ineligible to compete this season at Price. Southern Section Commissioner Jim Staunton rejected Afflalo’s appeal for a hardship waiver. Afflalo will be eligible immediately to compete for Centennial, where he averaged 26.2 points last season.

-- Eric Sondheimer

The City Section has canceled the cross-country meet scheduled for Thursday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, because of the unhealthy air created by the Southern California wildfires.

The meet, involving teams from the West Valley, Sunset Six, Valley Mission and Western leagues, will not be made up.