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Sara Leal, the 23-year-old blonde from Texas, who allegedly spent a night in a hot-tub with Ashton Kutcher in his hotel room, told her friends that the evening ended in a torrid sexual liaison.

One of Sara Leal closest friends, party promoter Gavin Naumoff, 23, said last night:

“Sara’s a great girl. My job is to round up hot girls and bus them into clubs in San Diego or Vegas. The girls get free booze, food, whatever, and they attract rich and famous guys to the clubs. It’s a two-way street. The girls get to meet rich men and the guys get what they want.”

Pointing proudly to photographs he took recently of a topless Sara Leal, he bragged:

“She was off her head, we all were. She’s a wild girl and loves to party. She is someone who knows what she wants and is determined to get it.”

Sara Leal

Sara Leal

But to understand how Sara Leal allegedly found herself in the hot tub of Ashton Kutcher’s 12th-floor suite in San Diego’s Hard Rock Hotel last weekend, one has to go back to her humble Texan beginnings.

An ugly, featureless railroad town, McAllen is surrounded by searingly hot, pancake-flat oil fields and cotton, citrus and cattle farms.

Sara Leal was born to a Hispanic father, Arturo, and a blonde saleswoman, Darcy. Her parents divorced when Sara was eight years old.

Last night at his home in a crime-ridden McAllen suburb, her father told us:

“I have no comment on what’s going on except that she’s a wonderful girl, an innocent girl, and I don’t like the way people are talking about her.”

Sara Leal’s grandmother, Monna Rober, 78, added: “She was raised to have very good values.”

Sara Leal spent her early years in a modest bungalow in a lower-middle-class area. A simple wooden swing still dangles from a tree in the parched front garden. After the divorce, Sara Leal and her mother moved to a cheap rented flat on a sprawling estate.

While Sara Leal has been attacked online, her grandmother said she is optimistic that “things will turn out for the best”.

“She’s always been a pretty girl. People aren’t being fair to Sara,” she said.

One of Sara Leal closest childhood friends, who asked not to be named, said:

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it is true. She was always a party girl who wanted to get out of McAllen.

“From the time we were in high school, I think she hoped to find a richer older guy to take care of her. She wasn’t great at anything in particular that would have enabled her to make it on her own. But she was good at looking good. She dyed her brunette hair blonde and wore risque clothes.”

In a photograph taken in McAllen, Sara Leal playfully lolls in a hot tub with a male friend. She is wearing a pink bikini and sipping a margarita. In another photo, she parties in front of a table cluttered with bottles. Sara Leal originally attended a private Catholic academy, Our Lady of Sorrows, but soon transferred to a series of state-run schools.

Sara Leal in a hot tub with a male friend

Sara Leal in a hot tub with a male friend

The friend says Sara Leal ultimately attended an “options school” offering accelerated learning for teens with drug problems, unwed mothers and students “who want to get done with school quickly”.

“Sara finished school half a year early and started hanging out with older men,” said her friend.

Sara Leal’s first serious boyfriend was Serafin Gomez, now 25, a rugged science student from an affluent family.

“He was Mr Gorgeous and Sara seemed to be living really well. She drove a Cadillac,” recalled her friend.

“They split up after three years and she headed west.”

Sara Leal arrived in San Diego two years ago, where she promptly fell in with a hard-partying crowd.

One friend, Rafael Sandoval, said: “I don’t know what Sara does for a living. When you are young and pretty, you can party all night for free.”

Fluxx is the hottest club in San Diego at the moment and is placed in the fashionable downtown Gaslamp section of town. There is a circular dancefloor with a DJ on a raised dais surrounded by dancers in bikinis. On Friday, September 23, Ashton Kutcher arrived with a group of male friends.

As usual, Fluxx was filled with scantily clad young women. In recent weeks, it has played host to actor Jamie Foxx and rapper Snoop Dogg.

The club’s promoter, Aaron Klose, said: “I saw Ashton dancing with several girls, including Sara. Fluxx has the reputation for only allowing the prettiest ones in. Ashton was clearly up for a good night.”

Gavin Naumoff said he was given an account of the night by Jacques Du Toit, a South African yacht worker.

He explained: “Sara was at the club with some girlfriends. My buddy Jacques is the boyfriend of one of the girls partying with Sara that night, Alexis. The story is Ashton was picking out girls who were <<hot tub worthy or not>>. He would send his friends to hand-pick the prettiest girls from the dancefloor.”

Ashton Kutcher was booked into the $3,800-a-night “top of the rock” Diamond Suite at the Hard Rock Hotel. According to the hotel’s website, the luxury 1,200 sq ft accommodation has an outdoor Jacuzzi that “is always a hit”.

Gavin Naumoff said: “Jacques told me Alexis called him to say she and some other girls were going to a party in Ashton’s suite. Jacques was concerned, so he went over to the hotel to make sure she was behaving. Alexis told him Ashton’s room number and when he got there, a bodyguard was at the door who said it was a private party. Jacques explained he was the boyfriend of one of the girls and was let in.

“He found Ashton in a hot tub on the balcony with Alexis, Sara, a girl called Katie and another girl called Marta. They were all naked. Ashton invited Jacques to join them in the tub.

“Apparently, Ashton said, <<Yo, where’s the vodka at?>> and Jacques was like, <<It’s over there but I’m not going to get it>>. So Ashton gets out to get the vodka and that’s when Jacques saw he was butt naked.”

The alleged sexual encounter took place that night after everyone except Sara Leal and her friend Marta had left.

“Sara is telling everyone 100% that she and Ashton had sex,” claimed Gavin Naumoff.

“Jacques and Alexis are two of my best friends and Sara is a good friend. If she says she slept with him then I think she’s telling the truth.”

Katie Boggus, a friend of Sara Leal from Texas, who allegedly took part in the hot tub high jinks, refused to be drawn on the subject when approached at her San Diego home late Friday.

She said: “Sara is a great person. It’s really sad people are saying mean things about her.”

When asked directly if Sara Leal slept with Kutcher that night, she said: “I can’t talk about that.” Asked about being in the hot tub with a naked Ashton Kutcher, she smiled and said: “I’m sorry, I can’t say anything about that.”

According to another girlfriend of Sara Leal, she is “keeping low”.

 

Sara Leal out partying with friend Katie Boggus

Sara Leal out partying with friend Katie Boggus

 

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said: “The last thing she said was she would rather Ashton paid her the money and she would never talk. She’s a bit freaked out how big this story has become.”

Ashton Kutcher’s high-profile lawyer Marty Singer stayed uncharacteristically quiet when asked to comment about Sara Leal’s claims.

As for Demi Moore, the stress of the allegations has caused weight to fall off her already slim frame. According to friends of the actress, she has been devastated by the allegations of her husband’s infidelity, even though they are not the first.

Last year, another “party girl”, Brittney Jones, claimed she had sex with Ashton Kutcher at the marital home in Los Angeles. Despite threats of legal action over Brittney Jones’s “lies”, none ever materialized.

A producer who knows Demi Moore said: “Demi is devoted to Ashton. She is so proud and supportive of him. The silence from her side is deafening.

“Demi does everything she can to stay young and sexy, but when it comes down to it she is a 48-year-old woman. There is a whole generation of young girls who don’t care if a man is married. They just want to have a good time and hit pay dirt. Only time will tell if Sara Leal really did hit the jackpot.”

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Bastrop Texas: Urgent need of a federal disaster declaration

 

Bastrop Texas: Two deaths in the dreadful wildfire

 

Bastrop Texas: Major wildfire

 

Bastrop Texas: wildfire under control, recovery begins

 

The Lost Pines Forest of Bastrop Texas was heavily affected by the most dreadful wildfire in Texas history.

 

Bastrop Texas: The smoke covered Lost Pines in Bastrop State Park

Bastrop Texas: The smoke covered Lost Pines in Bastrop State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department )

The Lost Pines Forest (124,000-acre) is a belt of loblolly pines, a disjunct population of trees. It is belived it is part of a much larger pine forest from the last glacial period of the Pleistocene era. A part of Lost Pines Forest is inside of Bastrop State Park and Buescher State Park. Bastrop County Complex fire has powerfully attacked this unique forest.

Robert Crossman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said almost entire 6,000-acre Bastrop State Park have been attacked by fire. Most of the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed structures on the park were saved, but two CCC observation structures are believed to have been damaged. Lots of historic structures were constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

“Much of Bastrop State Park has been burned and our firefighters have once again shown their mettle with incredible effort to save the historic district of this National Historic Landmark,” said State Parks Director Brent Leisure. His home and that of Buescher State Park superintendent Cullen Sartor were ruined by the blaze.

Bastrop State Park and Buescher State Park were closed, but Palmetto State Park and Monument Hill State Historic Site remained open.

Bastrop Texas: The Houston toad lost a large part of its habitat because of wildfire

Bastrop Texas: The Houston toad lost a large part of its habitat because of wildfire (Clif Ladd, Loomis Austin Inc.)

Lost Pines Forest is the home of the reclusive, small amphibians, endangered Houston toad. Brent Leisure said the toad, already affected by the drought, will be further stressed losing their habitat because of Bastrop Texas major wildfires.

 

There were many factors that contributed to the destructive power of the fire in Bastrop Texas.

 

The drought, hottest summer, Tropical Storm Lee, the massive growth in Texas’ population (doubled since 1970), urbanization, and cultivation of non-native plants as well as insufficient funds have led to a massive, wide-spread wildfire.

“That’s what’s making this doubly severe. No longer are we just burning rural land, trees and forest pastures, but we’re burning homes and, unfortunately, people.” said James Hull, director of the Texas Forest Service until 2008.

“Utility poles are still burning, stumps are still burning, wire is hanging through the air with only half a pole, swinging. Lines are on the ground,” said Mark Rose, CEO of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.

“This is unprecedented fire behavior. No one on the face of this Earth has ever fought fires in these extreme conditions” said Texas Forest Service.

Blaze has destroyed around 40,000 acres of forest in Cass County and continues to spread. The Bear Creek fire has burnt eight homes. The Riley Road fire has damaged 15,000 acres in Grimes, Montgomery and Waller. A wildfire near Houston was 60 percent contained on Friday, Texas Forest Service said.

During last week the Texas Forest Service has fought 186 fires across 156,517 acres and from the beginning of this year the US firefighters have responded to 18,887 wildfires over more than 3.5 million acres. Bastrop Texas was the heaviest affected area.

 

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 Bastrop Texas: Two deaths in the dreadful wildfire

 

 Bastrop Texas: Major wildfire

 

Bastrop Texas: Lost Pines Forest massive damages

 

Bastrop Texas: wildfire under control, recovery begins

 

There is an urgent need of a federal disaster declaration to help respond to wildfires throughout the state, said David Dewhurst on Friday, after almost a week of major wildfire in Bastrop Texas.

 

The major wildfire blackened most of Bastrop Texas (AP)

The major wildfire blackened most of Bastrop Texas (AP)

David Dewhurst said the last 10 months since fire season began in November had been the driest in the state since 1895.

“We need help yesterday,” he said.

Rick Perry left Texas on Wedneday to attend a television debate and now he is raising funds in California. David Dewhurst is Texas Lt. Governor and since Perry left he is acting governor. He said there had been no response to the statewide disaster declaration request, although White House said Obama administration had approved seven federal grants. A disaster declaration gives Texas access to heavy equipment, personnel, supplies and other support needed after almost 300 days of wildfires, thus Dewhurst has signed another request. Obama administration has approved a limited disaster declaration for fires in April and May, but Texas has huge problems since January, Dewhurst said.

 

However, Federal Emergency Management Agency were getting disaster declarations for specific counties, including Bastrop Texas.

 

Around 1,400 homes have been burnt to the ground in the last week. Important wildfires are in Travis, Grimes, Cass, Montgomery and Waller counties, Texas Forest Service said.

Some residents were allowed to return to their home places to evaluate the damages, but others are getting frustrated because they are still not permitted to go to survey their property. County Judge Ronnie McDonald said main priority was getting people secure.

Bastrop Texas: a gas leak burns in a ruined house (Reuters)

Bastrop Texas: a gas leak burns in a ruined house (Reuters)

 

Texas Task Force 1 is searching the area for victims, until now the deaths toll in Bastrop Texas is two.

One of the dead people was identified as Michael Troy Farr, 48, who was found Tuesday at his home on Hudson Drive near Smithville. He was a master electrician in Austin and since 2003.

The wildfires have been very uncommon this year due to drought, hottest summer, Tropical Storm Lee, the massive growth in Texas’ population (doubled since 1970), urbanization, and cultivation of non-native plants which burn more easily.

The Bastrop Texas wildfire was over 30 percent contained Friday.

 

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Bastrop Texas: Major wildfire

 

 Bastrop Texas: Urgent need of a federal disaster declaration

 

Bastrop Texas: Lost Pines Forest massive damages

 

Bastrop Texas: wildfire under control, recovery begins

 

Two persons died on Tuesday in the massive wildfire that has covered Bastrop Texas since Monday.

 

Bastrop Texas: The ruins of a house destroyed by wildfire (Reuters)

Bastrop Texas: The ruins of a house destroyed by wildfire (Reuters)

They were not public safety responders said officials without any further details. The death toll from Labor Day weekend wildfires across Texas raises to four with these two deaths in the Bastrop County Complex. On Monday a 20-year-old mother and her 18-month-old daughter, caught by flames in a mobile home, died in Gregg County (northeast Texas).

This is the most withering wildfire in Texas in over ten years. The Bastrop County Complex fire destroyed almost 600 homes and led to evacuation of 5,000 in Bastrop County alone.

More than ten other fires sweeped on Tuesday, burning six homes in Caldwell County (near Bastrop County), twelve homes in Grimes County (40 miles northwest of Houston). In Cass County a 7,000-acre fire burned in heavy timberland and in one neighborhood in Bastrop flames attacked houses built among oaks, pines and cedar trees.

The wildfire in Leander destroyed over ten homes and caused the evacuations of 500 residents and $1.4 million in damage. The fire is investigating as arson, Police were searching for three teens connected to that.

Officials of Federal Emergency Management Agency came to Bastrop Texas and began to assess the needs of the victims and damages.

 

Bastrop Texas: burnt vehicle

Bastrop Texas: burnt vehicle

“It is certainly a remarkable fire in terms of evacuations and the number of homes that have burned,” said Ken Frederick, of National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

Texas Task Force 1, a wide-area search team sent to New York after the September 11, 2001, attacks and to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, was deployed by Governor on Tuesday evening.

“Pretty powerful visuals of individuals who lost everything. The magnitude of these losses are pretty stunning.” Said Rick Perry, Texas Governor.

The available bulldozers and other heavy equipment were kept at the Army’s Fort Hood, around 75 miles from Bastrop,  Perry complained. He also asked for federal assistance and in order to help Texas Obama administration approved seven federal grants, said Jay Carney, White House spokesman.

Over 1,000 firefighters (including crews from California and Oregon), five heavy tanker planes, and three aircrafts have struggled to contain the monstrous blaze.

On Tuesday, the winds (moved by Tropical Storm Lee) became weaker and that helped to wildfire containment. There are still flames across Bastrop Texas, and the fire is far from being extinguished.

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 Bastrop Texas: Two deaths in the dreadful wildfire

 

Bastrop Texas: Urgent need of a federal disaster declaration

 

Bastrop Texas: Lost Pines Forest massive damages

 

Bastrop Texas: wildfire under control, recovery begins

 

Over sixty fires have ignited  since Sunday afternoon and one of them has reached Bastrop Texas on Monday causing major damages.

 

Bastrop Texas major wildfire: Flames over a road near Bastrop State Park (Reuters)

Bastrop Texas major wildfire: Flames over a road near Bastrop State Park (Reuters)

The Bastrop County Complex Fire has destroyed more than 25,000 acres of  forest (two-thirds of the 6,000-acre Bastrop State Park) and has burnt almost 500 houses.

Tropical Storm Lee generating powerful winds and drought conditions (Texas has endured its worst drought since the 1950s) has made the fire to travel fast, consuming pine and cedar trees.

The Bastrop County is around 30 miles east from Austin and has around 70,000 residents. The speed of fire was very uncommon and led to evacuation of at least 5,000 persons, 400 people were taken to emergency shelters. School and school-related activities were canceled for Tuesday and the Red Cross has opened several shelters to house evacuees.

 

Rick Perry interrupted a campaign trip Monday afternoon and went to Bastrop Texas.

 

Perry, the Texas Governor, who was out of the state on Sunday, viewed the fire from the air. “This is as mean looking as I’ve ever seen, particularly because it was so close to the city.” He said.

Rick Perry said he planned to immediately request federal disaster relief for Texas fire victims. Since December, wildfires in Texas have claimed 3.5 million acres, and have destroyed more than 1,000 homes, he said.

He said it was too early to say whether he would attend Wednesday’s GOP debate in California.

 

Ground and air forces were mobilized to fight the large wildfire of Bastrop Texas.

 

Over 250 firefighters has working on the Bastrop fire, that stretches for 16 miles. Minimum 40 Texas Forest Service aircraft were involved in the firefighting Monday along with a half-dozen Texas military aircraft. Heavy air tankers, brought in from as far away as South Dakota, have been dumping tons of water on fires all day long, The Texas Forest Service said. The crews contained the main fire north of the Colorado River, but the major Bastrop Texas wildfire was still not contained.

Campfires, burning of debris, Labor Day barbecues were prohibited in all but three of the 254 counties in Texas.

 

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