SAN RAFAEL

Road work planned at Bellam Boulevard

Construction is scheduled for this week on the Bellam Boulevard ramps at Highway 101 in San Rafael.

Street closures at the project site are planned from midnight to 5 a.m. through Thursday. The closures were delayed from last week because of rainy weather, county spokesperson Julian Kaelon said Monday.

The construction work is a part of the Transportation Authority of Marin project to reduce traffic congestion by renovating the Bellam Boulevard ramps on northbound Highway 101 and eastbound Interstate 580.

superior court

More tests ordered for homicide suspect

A San Rafael woman accused of killing her mother last year will undergo more evaluations to determine if she’s mentally competent to stand trial.

Marin County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Howard suspended criminal proceedings for Tonatzyn Oris Beltran on Friday. He granted defense attorney Matthew Siroka’s request for further evaluations.

Beltran, 30, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to her murder charge. She underwent competency evaluations in the fall, but Siroka said her mental state has worsened in jail and she needs hospital treatment.

Beltran is accused of fatally stabbing Olivia Beltran at the victim’s Cresta Way apartment in January 2024. She remains in no-bail custody at the Marin County Jail.

“I appreciate and respect Marin’s jail mental health and custody staff, but jails are simply not the appropriate place for people with serious mental illness like Ms. Beltran,” Siroka said.

ROSS

Residential projects get council approval

The Town Council has approved two home renovation projects.

The owners of 11 Morrison Road plan to reduce the floor area of the residence to add roof decks, according to the town planning office. The project requires a demolition permit, a nonconformity permit and a hillside lot permit.

The other project involves a 40-square-foot addition to the 1,512-square-foot home at 103 Bolinas Ave. The plan requires a setback variance.

The council held hearings on the applications at its meeting on Thursday.