California IN BRIEF : LOMA LINDA : Girls in Desert Case Remain Hospitalized

Two young girls found abandoned in the Mojave Desert six days after they disappeared with an adult family friend remained hospitalized Friday as San Bernardino sheriff’s deputies continued to comb the Barstow area for the alleged abductor. Kristina Johnson, 3, of Pioneertown, was suffering from partial kidney failure and was in serious condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She also was being treated for dehydration and for minor scratches she apparently received when she fell down an embankment, a hospital spokeswoman said. Kristina’s half-sister, Silver Putnam, 6, was in good condition at Barstow Community Hospital. A kidnaping arrest warrant was issued for Alan Erickson, 36, of Pioneertown.