O.C. Now

Sunset Beach

Beach town contemplates cityhood

Sunset Beach will push forward with its plan to become a city after an encouraging report from a financial consultant, the president of the seaside neighborhood’s de facto governing board said.

Greg Griffin, the president of the Sunset Beach Community Assn., said he has seen a preliminary version of the report by Willdan Financial Services, a company the association hired in November to determine the feasibility of Sunset Beach incorporating.

“The whole report is that Sunset has the financial horsepower to become its own city,” he said.

The association plans to host a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in the community lot at 12th Street and North Pacific Avenue, with food served a half hour earlier. Willdan plans to present three scenarios for incorporating: the entire neighborhood incorporates; the beach remains under county control; the beach and “green belt” — a lengthy strip of lawn between North and South Pacific avenues — remain with the county.

Incorporating the beach and green belt, Griffin said, could prove costly to residents due to maintenance and lifeguards.

So far, Griffin said, nearly 50% of residents have supported the effort.

— Michael Miller

Huntington Beach

Man wanted in killing apparently commits suicide

A Canadian man wanted on suspicion of a 1984 Huntington Beach murder appears to have committed suicide after a judge upheld his extradition to Orange County, officials said Friday.

Gerald Su Go, 53, formerly of Torrance, was wanted in connection with the murder of a Huntington Beach woman in 1984 and has been locked in an extradition battle while in Canada since 2007, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Go was pronounced dead Thursday night. His death is still under investigation by Canadian officials, but appears to be suicide, officials said. Go allegedly broke into Huntington Beach resident Elizabeth Hoffschneider’s apartment to rape her before strangling her to death Nov. 14, 1984.

— Michael Miller