News briefs

Rodney Dangerfield, the bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating
one-liners brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies and
made his lament “I don’t get no respect” a
catchphrase, died Tuesday. He was 82. Dangerfield, who fell into a
coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said
publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced Aug.
25 at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.
Sasaki said in a statement that Dangerfield suffered a small stroke
after the operation and developed infectious and abdominal
complications. But in the past week he had emerged from the coma,
the publicist said. “When Rodney emerged, he kissed me,
squeezed my hand and smiled for his doctors,”
Dangerfield’s wife, Joan, said in the statement. The comic is
also survived by two children from a previous marriage.

Teacher arrested, charged with lewd conduct An
elementary school teacher transferred from campus to campus by the
school district amid child molestation allegations was charged with
fondling a 10-year-old Wilmington girl. Investigators said more
cases were pending. James Mario Duffin Jr., 50, of Torrance,
surrendered Monday night at the Harbor Division police station
after a warrant was issued for his arrest, Capt. Patrick Gannon
said. The married father of a teenage son was held on $2 million
bail. Duffin was charged with one count of lewd conduct with a girl
in his Gulf Avenue Elementary School classroom. Another 10-year-old
girl came forward Friday with a fondling report and police learned
similar allegations were made against Duffin in 2001 and 2002
during previous teaching assignments, Gannon said. One of
Duffin’s 10-year-old students allegedly told school officials
Sept. 23 that Duffin fondled her after luring her and a 9-year-old
girl into his classroom after school. “˜”˜He enticed her
and a friend back into his classroom under the guise that he had
some candy for them,” Gannon said. “˜”˜It
was during that time he touched her.” Duffin, who has
worked as a Los Angeles Unified School District teacher since 1986,
was placed on unpaid leave. Duffin was placed at Gulf Avenue
following a similar allegation of attempted lewd conduct with a
child at Eshelman Avenue Elementary School in Lomita in 2002,
Gannon said. No charges were brought in that case.

Compiled from Bruin wire services.