Luna said he worked tirelessly on the new policy alongside labor unions to address a long-standing issue in his department.

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“I’m not the kind of guy who is turning away saying this doesn’t exist,” Sheriff Luna said. “I think it exists, but I remind everybody out there 99% of our employees are amazing.”

Luna said participants in law enforcement gangs or hate groups have engaged in a wide range of behavior that involves everything from use of force issues, to lying on reports, to misconduct within the department. They also have heard complaints from the community on racial bias.

This new policy defines terms like ‘law enforcement gang’ and ‘hate group’ and it prohibits a deputy’s participation in them.

It also acknowledges that criminal allegations may be referred to prosecutors and participation in these groups may result in a suspension or revoking a deputy’s law enforcement certification.

But how will it enforced?

“First, you start off with a good strong policy, which I believe this is. Number two, you train to make sure everybody understands the policy. And then you hold people accountable,” Sheriff Luna said.

The sheriff worked on the new policy with labor unions.

The Association for LA Deputy Sheriffs President Richard Pippin released a statement Wednesday.

 “This policy enables the Sheriff’s Department to address staff who do not meet the expected standard of conduct, while safeguarding the rights that are afforded to all workers in this country,” Pippin said. “Perhaps the ‘defund the police’ crowd won’t be satisfied, but they never will be, shy of the complete end of any kind of effective policing in our society. Given the severe personnel shortages currently facing the Sheriff’s Department, ALADS is focused on staffing and creating the excellent law enforcement agency our communities deserve.”

Sheriff Luna said the policy will take effect Oct. 18.

Newsom, who issued an executive order to remove encampments on state property last month, said homelessness is the biggest scar in the reputation of the state.

As he helped remove a homeless encampment in Mission Hills Thursday afternoon near the 5 Freeway and 118 Freeway interchange, he said he, like many Californians, is frustrated about makeshift shelters set up by the unhoused all over the state. 

“I’m here on behalf of 40 million Californians who are fed up, I’m here because I’m one of them. I want to see results,” Newsom said.

Officials from the city and county of Los Angeles have been critical of the executive order, which does not mandate local cities to comply but could threaten state funding for non-compliant municipalities, with some local officials saying clearing out the camps will just move the unhoused from one area to another. 

While Newom said he’s not specifically singling out Los Angeles County, he said any local government that isn’t following the directive should be prepared to lose state funding.

“Any county that wants to partner with us and step up with a sense of urgency that can demonstrably produce results, we’re going to double down on our support. Any county that’s not interested in that, and holding on to stale talking points from the 70’s and 80’s, we’re not interested in continuing to fund you,” he said.

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Newsom said the state will start reducing funding for homelessness in the next budget for any county that doesn’t follow the order.

“I’m a taxpayer, not just the Governor. It’s not complicated. We’ll send that money to counties that are producing results,” Newsom added.

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The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote for the second time in the coming weeks on the ordinance, which would also require hospitals to inform the county at least a month in advance before starting their debt collection process. 

The report to the county would entail basic information about the patient without revealing the diagnosis, what the original amount the person owes to the hospital and when the debt became outstanding as well as the itemization of payments by the patient or insurance.

Public health officials said the new rules would help low-income families who are drowning in medical bills as almost half of the people with outstanding medical debt appear to “live below 200% of the federal poverty level.” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.

“Medical debt does remain a crucial public health issue in LA County that’s affected approximately one in 10 adults,” Ferrer said.

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Supporters of the rules said the burden of medical bills are weighing heavy on working families.

“One fellow volunteer’s mom was a single parent who had to work 80 hours a week to provide for four teenagers,” Kira Sano, a youth advocate from the American Cancer Society said. “After hiding her diagnosis of multiple melanoma for years from her children to protect them, she passed away within a few weeks of being hospitalized.”

But critics worry, while the cost of implementing could vary from hospital to hospital, reporting the data for individual patients would require more than just paperwork.

“It would take the reconstructing of medical reporting systems in a lot of cases in hospitals,” George Green from the Hospital Association of Southern California said “For hospitals that are already under-resourced, understaffed, overworked, this could mean additional resources for every single time that a patient is placed into collections.”

But Dr. Anish Mahajan with the Department of Public Health argued that the information that would be required for the mandated reports should be already available to hospitals. 

“It’s data that they already use for billing,” Mahajan said. “It’s data they already use for debt collection, and we’re just asking for a copy of it sent to us as well.”

Several hospitals in the unincorporated areas would be subjected to adjust their debt collection policies under the ordinance, but local cities could also choose to adopt the new rules. 

Any hospital that violates the ordinance may be fined up to $5,000 with possible additional fines for non-compliance. 

Collecting medal debt data is part of a $5 million pilot program, which was approved this year as the county aims to buy and settle $500 million in debt for low-income earners, Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office said.

A final vote on the debt reporting ordinance is expected to take place in September. If approved, hospitals would have six months before the data reports are due.

Luna said he worked tirelessly on the new policy alongside labor unions to address a long-standing issue in his department.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Jan 12

Ex-LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva testifies on deputy gangs

Jul 11, 2023

Judge blocks inspection of LA deputy gang members' tattoos

“I’m not the kind of guy who is turning away saying this doesn’t exist,” Sheriff Luna said. “I think it exists, but I remind everybody out there 99% of our employees are amazing.”

Luna said participants in law enforcement gangs or hate groups have engaged in a wide range of behavior that involves everything from use of force issues, to lying on reports, to misconduct within the department. They also have heard complaints from the community on racial bias.

This new policy defines terms like ‘law enforcement gang’ and ‘hate group’ and it prohibits a deputy’s participation in them.

It also acknowledges that criminal allegations may be referred to prosecutors and participation in these groups may result in a suspension or revoking a deputy’s law enforcement certification.

But how will it enforced?

“First, you start off with a good strong policy, which I believe this is. Number two, you train to make sure everybody understands the policy. And then you hold people accountable,” Sheriff Luna said.

The sheriff worked on the new policy with labor unions.

The Association for LA Deputy Sheriffs President Richard Pippin released a statement Wednesday.

 “This policy enables the Sheriff’s Department to address staff who do not meet the expected standard of conduct, while safeguarding the rights that are afforded to all workers in this country,” Pippin said. “Perhaps the ‘defund the police’ crowd won’t be satisfied, but they never will be, shy of the complete end of any kind of effective policing in our society. Given the severe personnel shortages currently facing the Sheriff’s Department, ALADS is focused on staffing and creating the excellent law enforcement agency our communities deserve.”

Sheriff Luna said the policy will take effect Oct. 18.

Andrew Sandoval, who has worked as a substitute teacher and teacher’s aide at dozens of schools and child care facilities across Los Angeles County, is being held on $7 million bail after the 27-year-old was arrested on suspicion of child molestation and other related charges in July.

“What makes this tragedy even more heinous is that the perpetrator was a substitute teacher, an individual entrusted with the caring education of our children,” LA County District Attorney George Gascon said Tuesday while announcing the charges. “This betrayal of trust is reprehensible in our community’s rightfully outraged.”

Gascon added officers with the Los Angeles Police Department executed a search warrant at Sandoval’s house after receiving a cyber tip about child pornography.

“Officers discovered a cell phone and a laptop inside the home. Officers found videos in the defendant’s phone of him performing sexual acts on what appeared to be an 8-year-old boy,” Gascon said.

Investigators believe Sandoval abused another boy who was between age 4 and 9.

In addition to Sandoval having had frequent access to children while in educational settings, authorities said their investigations revealed how “deep, dark and disturbing” Sandoval’s alleged acts were. 

“Many of us in this room standing behind me have been around for decades in this profession and from time to time certain cases do nothing but shock our consciousness. This is one of those cases that does exactly that,” South Gate Police Chief Darren Arakawa said.

Arakawa explained the two victims knew Sandoval without getting into details but added the suspect may have been associated with “several dozen schools.”

Investigators are finalizing the list of schools the suspect has worked over the years, with the knowledge that Sandoval’s stay at the schools were limited to a couple of days at a time, according to Arakawa.

Authorities said they will contact the schools and notify parents and students as soon as Sandoval’s employment background is confirmed.

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This case is being investigated by the South Gate Police Department. The Los Angeles Police Department is assisting in the investigation.

Additional victims or anyone with information is encouraged to call the South Gate Police Department’s tip line at 323-563-5436.

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The Court disabled its network systems in defense and will remain disabled through the weekend as they fix the issue.

In a statement issued Friday night, the Superior Court system said “Multiple agencies including the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services are now investigating the breach and looking to minimize any damage,”

The cyber attack was detected quickly as a result of years of cybersecurity infrastructure upgrades, according to the Court.

The attack is believed to be unrelated to Thursday’s Crowdstrike outage that affected airlines, hospitals and other businesses.

Microsoft confirmed Thursday night that users could not access various Microsoft 365 apps and services. The outage was linked to a cybersecurity firm’s software update on Microsoft Windows computers.

According to the Court, the preliminary investigation shows no evidence of court user’s data being compromised.

An excessive heat watch will be in effect in large parts of Los Angeles County from Tuesday morning until at least late Friday, according to the National Weather Service. “

Hot temperatures will be on tap not only here in Southern California but much of the west, as matter-of-fact temperatures will be warm into the triple digits in some areas and well that’s why excessive heat alerts that have been posted will go into effect in some spots beginning late this morning in the Coachella Valley,” said NBC4 meteorologist Stephanie Olmo.

Heat will return to SW CA this coming week, with a high risk of heat-related illnesses for sensitive populations. Also an increased threat of fast moving grassfires 🙴 a high rip current risk by Thu-Fri. Use caution in the heat, w/ any source of flame 🙴 near the ocean! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/qz1Ddafrix

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) June 29, 2024

The high temperatures and low humidity will also create elevated to briefly critical fire danger. “Heat will return to SW CA this coming week, with a high risk of heat-related illnesses for sensitive populations,” the NWS’ Los Angeles office posted Saturday on X. “Also an increased threat of fast-moving grass fires & a high rip current risk by Thu-Fri. Use caution in the heat, with any source of flame & near the ocean!”

“The hottest days will be the Fourth of July weekend and the next couple of days will only get hotter,” Olmo said.

In the Antelope Valley, Lancaster will see a high of 101 on Sunday and stay in the triple digits all week, with a forecast of 110 degrees both Friday and next Saturday.

In the Santa Clarita Valley, Valencia will reach 99 Sunday, hit 100 degrees Wednesday and reach 93 on Friday, according to current forecasts.

The San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys will see highs in the 90s all week, with Pasadena hitting 93 on Sunday and 95 next Friday and Saturday. Downtown Los Angeles will be in the 80s throughout the week but could reach 90 degrees next Saturday.

Inland Orange County will similarly be in the 80s, with Anaheim Hills reaching the 90s by Friday.

Gusty southwest to northwest winds are expected each afternoon over interior areas, upward of 35-45 mph over the Interstate 5 corridor as well as the Antelope Valley and nearby foothills. However, forecasters said wind advisories are currently unlikely.

Authorities reminded the public to never leave pets or children inside vehicles on days that are even a little warmer than normal, as locked cars can turn into death traps in mere minutes.

The city and county of Los Angeles both operate cooling centers for people who need a place to escape the heat. To find a location, visit https://ready.lacounty.gov/heat/ or call 211.

Based on the data collected through the annual point-in-time survey from Jan. 24 through Jan. 26, there were 75,312 homeless people in LA County. That figure is 0.27% less than 2023 when 75,518 were reported unhoused.

In the city of Los Angeles, there was a bigger decrease of 2.2% with 45,252 unhoused people compared to 46,260 in 2023.

Among the unhouse people, there are fewer people who are not sheltered in both the city and county. As the report noted street homelessness went down 10.7% in the city, unsheltered homelessness decreased 5.1% in the county.

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LA officials touted the slight decrease, saying “unprecedented policy alignment and investments” made by the city, county, state and federal governments” are helping people find housing.

Until this year, the LA region had witnessed a steady climb in the number of homelessness since 2018 when more than 52,000 people were reported unhoused across the county.

Paul Rubenstein, LAHSAS’s deputy chief of external relations, said officials are “cautiously optimistic about the direction of homelessness across LA County” amid more plans to move people into permanent housing.

Mayor Karen Bass said the dip in the homeless count was possible largely due to a “new direction” the city has taken.

“Los Angeles is proving there are PERMANENT solutions to breaking the cycle of homelessness,” Bass said in a statement. “There is nothing we cannot do by taking on the status quo, putting politics aside, and rolling up our sleeves to work together.”

Los Angeles County Board Chair and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath called the latest numbers “validation, not victory,” saying the city and county “must continue to move with urgency across all levels of government and in every community.”

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An excessive heat warning was issued through Thursday for parts of the Antelope Valley A heat advisory has also been issued for the Western San Gabriel Mountains/HIghway 14 Corridor for heat continuing from the weekend through Monday. 

“We’re in this stretch of above-normal temperatures,” said NBCLA forecaster Belen De Leon. “When you look back at the beginning of the month, Mother Nature couldn’t really make up her mind. But now it is summer and those temperatures, although they’re going to be lowering in the coming days, they’re still going to stay above normal.”

Highs were expected in the mid-80s in downtown Los Angeles and nearby areas Tuesday. The highs in the San Gabriel Valley are expected in the low 90s, in the mid-90s in the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley, and 107 in the Antelope Valley.

“At least that’s an improvement from the last few days,”

After triple-digit temperatures in some areas, Southern California will see some heat relief on the horizon as the system that brought above-normal temperatures will slowly weaken in the coming days. Temperatures will gradually cool, dipping into the high 80s in the west San Fernando Valley before the heat builds against this weekend.

Heat safety

Los Angeles Public Health reminds people to “take precautions to avoid heat-related illness, especially older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes, and people with a chronic medical condition who are especially sensitive to negative health impacts from extreme heat.”

Los Angeles Public Health also offers the following recommendations for the high-temperature days ahead:

• Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated throughout the day.
• Plan your day to avoid going out during the hottest hours.
• If must go out, wear sunscreen, lightweight and light-colored clothes, and wear a hat or use an umbrella.

• Never leave a human or an animal in a parked car. “Cars get very hot inside, even if the windows are ‘cracked’ or open,” said a Public Health officer, suggesting people to call 911 if seeing a child or pet in a car alone.
• Beware of heat-related illnesses and emergencies, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Symptoms include “high body temperature (103°F or higher), vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and hot, red, dry, or damp skin.”

Residents who do not have access to air conditioning are encouraged to visit a city-operated cooling center during peak heat hours.

To find a location near you, visit https://ready.lacounty.gov/heat/ or call 2-1-1, the number is available 24 hours a day which can also be used for inquiring emergency preparedness information and other referral services.

Yema Jones, the mother of Xavier Cerf, who died Monday night in the 700 block of West 28th Street, east of University Avenue after being found with stab wounds outside a fraternity house, said she is angry, confused and broken after the county prosecutor’s office decided not to pursue charges against Ivan Gallegos.

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“You took a life. You took my son. You took my baby, my baby,” Jones said. 

While police described 27-year-old Cerf as a transient who was breaking into cars when approached by 19-year-old Gallegos, Jones said the students’ actions were not justified.

“You all mean to tell me you couldn’t call campus security or hold him down without hurting him? Jones said. “It’s three of you all against one. One had a pole, and one had a knife. I feel it was already your intention to do what you all did.”

Jones, who lives in Texas, said her slain son had moved to Los Angeles in February. 

Cerf had spent time at a San Pedro hospital to seek mental health treatments and was released on the day he was killed, his mom said.

While Jones doesn’t believe her son was homeless, she said even if he was breaking into cars, it still shouldn’t have led to his death.

“There’s three of you. You all could have held him down,” Jones said. “To stab him not once, but multiple times – He was harmless. You all found nothing on him, absolutely nothing, except his medication. And you tell me that’s justice.”

Police said Cerf had locked himself into a car. When Gallegos and two others told him to get out, Cerf said the car was calling to him, police said.

When Cerf finally got out of the vehicle, police said he claimed to have a gun and reached for his waist, which prompted Gallegos to stab him. 

“We believe that Mr. Gallegos’s actions were driven by a genuine fear for his life and the lives of others,” the DA’s Office said. “Our heart goes out to the deceased’s family, friends and everyone impacted by this tragic incident.“

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This reopening marks the first time in five years that all pools will be operational as it also opens up the long-waited access to a potential cooling space for many communities.

Also as a first, the pool season is now extended from 10 weeks to five months. In the previous years, LA County pools shut down at the end of August while some of the city’s hottest days come in September and October. 

LA County is starting the new pool season with over 580 lifeguards after a lifeguard shortage the county experienced in 2023, which forced county-run swimming pools to cut operating hours.

An upped salary likely helped the recruiting process. The starting lifeguards, hired from local communities, would be paid $23 an hour, as Norma García-Gonzalez, Head of the Department of Parks and Recreation announced on Friday.

 “Our lifeguards are making sure that our programs are thriving, kids are safe, but they’re also earning wages for their college and their future,” García-Gonzalez said. 

To celebrate the reopening, a series of pool parties are also hosted at all pools through June 22, welcoming visitors to enjoy free recreational swimming, games, food and giveaways.

The county said with over a million visits expected this summer, a variety of affordable aquatics programs like swimming lessons will be offered at the pools at a rate of $25, including cost of uniforms. 

To view more information about pool parties locations, aquatic programs and operational hours, click here.

After about 14,400 gallons of untreated sewage water was spilled into the water of Ballona Creek between Wednesday and Thursday, the LA County Department of Public Health said Friday.

The beach closure will affect Dockweiler State Beach from Ballona Creek to 1 mile south as well as Venice Beach from Ballona Creek to 1 mile north.

Officials did not say what caused the sewage discharge.

“The Department of Public Health will conduct water sampling beginning [Friday,] and the closures will remain in effect until Public Health receives two sampling results indicating that bacteria levels meet health standards,” according to the agency.

Health officials urge beachgoers to avoid contact with ocean weather and wet sand in the affected area. 
Residents and visitors can access recorded information on beach conditions via 1-800- 525-5662.

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Deputy Michael Meiser was booked April 30 on an unspecified felony charge, according to jail records.

“The Department’s Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau initiated an investigation into allegations involving an employee,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Tuesday.

“The employee is relieved of duty pending the outcome of the case,” the statement said.

The LA County District Attorney’s Office said last week it was aware of the investigation but had not filed criminal charges.

The law enforcement sources said the investigation was also looking at the potential involvement of other deputies and Sheriff’s Department employees at the jail.

Data provided to the I-Team by the Sheriff’s Department shows drug smuggling and trafficking continues to be a significant problem within the Castaic facility, known as the North County Correctional Facility.(NCCF)

Crime reports show deputies have — so far this year — documented more than 70 discoveries of narcotics other than marijuana at NCCF alone.

The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District launched a pilot program this week to release tens of thousands of irradiated, lab-raised mosquitoes into the local environment. These mosquitoes are all male and have been sterilized by the radiation, so the hope is that they will find wild female mates and impregnate them with dead-end sperm, rendering the resulting eggs worthless. 

The target is a particular species, Aedes aegypti. The insects, which began to populate Los Angeles County in 2014, have evolved to hone in on one thing — you. 

“Thousands of years ago, a strain of Aedes aegypti moved in close to people and started to specialize to live near houses and bite people,” said Daniel Hahn, a professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Entomology and Nematology. “They’re characterized as aggressive nuisance biters because they’ll bite you all day long.”

Aedes Aegypti thrive in backyards and make their homes in small containers like bottle caps and dog bowls. They can carry worrisome diseases like yellow fever, Chikungunya, Zika and dengue. 

“We know our residents are suffering,” said Susanne Kluh, the general manager of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, which serves 6 million people and has more than 90 full-time staffers.  

The district on Thursday released about 20,000 sterile male mosquitoes, dyed to appear fluorescent under a black light, as part of its final pilot program test. Male Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes don’t bite, so experts say the program poses near-zero risk to humans. 

Next month, the district plans to release seven to 10 sterile mosquitoes for every wild male they believe is living in the target region, the Sunland-Tujunga area of LA. That could be up to 60,000 mosquitoes per week. 

The strategy is an example of the ways humans are deploying novel technology to fight the spread of invasive mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry, as climate change, global trade and urbanization propel the pests into new territory.

“They’ve evolved specifically to exploit humans as their hosts, and so we are constantly in an arms race against them,” Hahn said. 

An expanded range for aggressive mosquitoes

The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is not native to the United States but has been in some regions for hundreds of years. They have even played central roles in American history: In 1793, they forced some federal officials to flee Philadelphia, when the city was the seat of the U.S. government, because of an outbreak of yellow fever.

In recent years, researchers have warned that higher temperatures due to climate change will broaden the species’ range. That appears to be what happened in Southern California.

The state recorded its first two cases of locally acquired dengue fever last year, which meant local mosquitoes were transmitting the virus. 

“Everybody always said, well, our weather isn’t suitable, but you know, the mosquitoes adapt and our weather has changed,” Kluh said. “We get more moisture in the summer, and people create these ideal little moist mini climates in their backyards, with lush plants and everything.”

The region has also seen urban and suburban sprawl, which has expanded habitat for Aedes Aegypti. 

Fighting mosquitoes with mosquitoes

The weaponized mosquitoes were bred in a Kentucky laboratory but developed from eggs sourced from the LA area. Each week, the vector district plans to hatch mosquitoes in tiny insect dorms then give them a zap of radiation from a specialty machine. Once released, the irradiated mosquitoes will fly only about 150 meters, Kluh said. 

Hahn, who is not involved in the LA project, said the blast of radiation chops up the chromosomes within the mosquitoes’ cells, preventing reproduction while still allowing the insects to fly and perform other biological functions at near-normal levels. 

Kluh said the mosquitoes won’t be radioactive and won’t pose risk to the public. 

The district has spent about $255,000 of its $24.8 million annual budget on the program, she added: “We’ve done this on the cheap.”

Still, Kluh said it would be a challenge to scale the program across more of Los Angeles County. Instead, she envisions it as a targeted treatment for Aedes Aegypti hotspots and areas where cases of mosquito-carried diseases are reported. 

Other regions are pursuing similar technology. In Florida, Lee County began a program to release sterile, irradiated mosquitoes in 2017. Several other California districts are also piloting the program or have purchased irradiators. 

New approaches to pest control

The idea of irradiating pests to bring populations down is not new. The agricultural industry has been irradiating male fruit flies for about three decades, according to Hahn. 

Mosquito programs were developed 40 years ago, he said, but ultimately “got left behind because it wasn’t cost effective.”

Since then, however, mosquitoes have evolved to resist some common pesticides, creating a need for new solutions. 

Some companies are pursuing other technologies to fight Aedes Aegypti, like genetically modifying male mosquitoes so they kill females, releasing male mosquitoes that carry a particular bacteria or seeding a dominant gene into the population to drive numbers down.

Hahn said some of these ideas carry a risk of unintended consequences but are worth researching nonetheless. Such technologies are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, and some are being tested in small pilot programs. 

But irradiation programs are not regulated, which makes them the weapon of choice in the U.S. today. 

“We wanted to start something now,” Kluh said.

But the union representing hundreds of deputy probation officers tells the NBC4 I-Team the way the department has increased personnel is having a negative effect on local communities.    

“When you take that DPO2 from the field into the juvenile halls, you are now taking them away from their clients,” Stacy Ford, the President of AFSCME Local 865, said. 

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey continues housing nearly 300 young people after the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) that found it “unsuitable” in February, saying the LA County Probation Department had remedied several items related to staffing in recent weeks. The same decision was handed down to the Barry J. Nidorf Secured Youth Treatment Facility (SYTF).  

Part of the department’s short-term plan has been to move probation officers from field offices to juvenile facilities. 

Ford says these transferred officers, who handle the cases of minors and adults after they have served time, are now not able to do so.   

“If the client is not able to meet with his or her probation officer and providing the services that we are providing for them, that means the community is unsafe,” Ford said.  

Services, he says, like drug and mental health counseling.  

“Because those people are not getting the services that they need and by not getting the services that they need they tend to go back into the life of crime and when i say the community is unsafe that’s what I mean,” he added. 

Following recent inspections, the BSCC reversed their “unsuitability” finding for Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidorf earlier this month.   

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The Department spoke about their short-term staffing moves at this Probation Oversight Commission town hall in late March.    

“Staff reassigned from the field have prior experience as detention services officers. or they have completed a required 59 hours STC approved probation officers to detention officers training,” Kimberly Epps, the chief deputy of the LA County Probation Department, said at the meeting.    

The Department also discussed long-term solutions, like job hiring campaigns, with some focused on recent military veterans and a new contract with a consulting firm.    

In response to the concerns from the union, the Probation Department shared this statement with the NBC4 I-Team:

“Because staffing is a challenge, we continually monitor and assess our caseloads so that we can redeploy personnel as needed, including the recent decision to move a number of our officers from juvenile field to adult field assignments.”  

The BSCC tells the NBC4 I-Team it will continue to make unannounced inspections at the juvenile facilities, on at least a monthly basis, to make sure they remain in compliance.    

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Diana Teran, an Assistant District Attorney and a member of DA George Gascón’s leadership team, allegedly obtained the data while she was previously employed at the LA County Sheriff’s Department, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.

“No one is above the law,” Bonta said in a prepared statement, and said public officials must serve with integrity and honesty.

The criminal complaint filed in LA Superior Court alleges the personnel files of 11 unnamed law enforcement officers were improperly accessed, and later, the Attorney General’s Office said, Teran used that information, “impermissibly,” after joining Gascón’s team in 2021.

At the DA’s office, Teran was at one time part of a group of prosecutors tasked with examining resentencings, and it was unclear which of the cases she worked on might have involved the improperly-obtained information.

A spokeswoman for Gascón said although the office would not address specific personnel matters, it would “comply with any investigation from the Attorney General’s Office” and remained “committed to upholding transparency and ensuring police accountability within Los Angeles County.”

Teran was not immediately available for comment, and she was expected to turn herself in to authorities for processing. No court date had been set.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department said it’s cooperating fully with the California Department of Justice.

“The Department is concerned about any personnel data or files that are used in an unofficial capacity and will be conducting an internal review to ensure our employees’ information is secure and protected,” it said.

One of the officers whose data is part of the Bonta case, a retired detective who asked to remain anonymous, told the I-Team Wednesday he was glad to see complaints about the misuse of his personnel information had been taken seriously and investigated.

“Reputations and careers were ruined,” the detective said of some of the others whose files were taken.

Robert Pippin, president of the 8,000-member Association for Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs, the union that represents most deputies, said the charges were the latest example of “poor judgment and lack of leadership.”

“Promoting Teran to Assistant District Attorney, ironically in charge of ethics and integrity, even occurred despite legitimate objections from many experienced prosecutors,” Pippin wrote.

Those objections included Teran being paid by the Public Defender’s Office at the same time she worked for the DA’s Office and Teran suppressing a declination of a police officer’s abuse case to influence the 2022 LA County Sheriff’s race.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health was notified about the case by the California Department of Public Health. The infected person traveled in Los Angeles County from Saturday, March 30, to Sunday, April 1. 

Individuals who were at the following locations during the dates and times below might be at risk of developing measles within 21 days from the exposure date, according to health officials.

Saturday, 3/30/24:   

• Sheraton Gateway Hotel Gym, 6101 W. Century Blvd. (5:30 a.m. – 8 a.m.);
• Denny’s, 5535 W. Century Blvd. (time not yet determined);
• Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza;
• Buca Di Beppo, 1000 Universal Studios Blvd. (appx. noon);
• Cletus Chicken Shack in Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza (appx. 4 p.m.);
• Lard Lad Doughnuts and EC Food Truck in Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza (time not yet determined); 
• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream , 445 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills (time not yet determined);
• Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 6101 W. Century Blvd.

Sunday, 3/31/24:

• Sheraton Gateway Hotel Gym, 6101 W. Century Blvd. (5:30 a.m. – 8 a.m.);
• Jack in the Box, 1127 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood (appx. 11 a.m.);
• Pier Gear, 380 Santa Monica Pier #1 (time not yet determined);
• El Torito Mexican Restaurant, 13715 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey (6-8 p.m.);
• Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 6101 W. Century Blvd.

Monday, 4/1/24:

• Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 6101 W. Century Blvd.
• Denny’s, 5535 W. Century Blvd. (time not yet determined).

Additional locations where possible exposures may have occurred are being investigated. People who were in the locations above were advised to confirm if they have been vaccinated against measles. If they have not had measles in the past and have not yet obtained the measles vaccine, they are at risk of contracting measles if they have been exposed.

Exposed individuals who have been free of symptoms for more than 21 days are no longer at risk. 

“Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know you have it and can lead to severe disease,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer. “Measles is highly contagious for those who are not immune to it. Initially causing fever, cough, red, watery eyes, and followed by a rash, it can result in serious complications for young children and vulnerable adults.”

“A significant portion of the gun violence that plagues our communities — especially unintentional deaths or injuries and gun suicides — can be prevented if firearms in the home are kept locked and unloaded,” Barbara Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “The billboard campaign and the free gun lock distribution program are critically important steps in the effort to reduce gun violence, especially gun violence involving children.”

The digital billboard advertising campaign is a collaboration with the Los Angeles County Medical Association, L.A. Care Health Plan and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Office of Violence Prevention. The initiative is funded by the Los Angeles County Medical Association and L.A.Care Health Plan.

As of this month, the digital billboards are on display on heavily traveled portions of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway and Long Beach (710) Freeway. They depict a young person next to the statistic that in Los Angeles County a child is either injured or killed by gun violence every 30 hours. Another 150 poster billboards with the same message are located at bus benches
across the county.

The advertisements direct viewers to visit lockedandunloaded.org to obtain a free gun lock. The website features an interactive map where residents can find distribution locations for more than 60,000 available cable gun locks.

“Gun violence exacts a devastating toll on our communities, especially our youth,” county Medical Association CEO Gustavo Friederichsen said. “By advocating for responsible gun safety measures, such as the use of gun locks, we can prevent tragic accidents and save lives. We invite our healthcare community to help spread the word, and we urge every member of our community to take advantage of this opportunity to make our homes safer and protect our loved ones. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the
fight against gun violence.”

According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2003 and 2021, accidental gun deaths of children ages 17 and younger were most likely to occur in a house or apartment. Eight in 10 such incidents took place in a home, and 56% happened in the child’s own home. The report also stated that in 2022, more than 800 deaths in Los Angeles County involved a firearm and 313 of those deaths were due to gun suicide.

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“I can’t sleep, I lost my sleep in this seven years,” Zenia Ocana, a PACE borrower, said. 

Ocana thought she was getting money saving solar panels installed in her home seven years ago, but she says it turned into a scam. 

Now she’s celebrating a $12 million dollar settlement her lawyers got from LA County and lenders with the PACE program, which extends loans to homeowners like Ocana — to make improvements in water and energy efficiencies in their homes— but the lawyers say too often turned into predatory lending.

“Home improvement contractors went around selling these PACE loans door to door, so the contractors themselves were selling their own services, home improvement work, but they were also selling this financing,” said Stephanie Carroll with the Public Counsel. 

LA County ended its program in 2020 after five years, after criticism that vulnerable residents like Ocana were being targeted. 

PACE allows borrowers to pay back loans through their property taxes, but some say they were deceived by unscrupulous contractors and wound up with liens on their homes they couldn’t afford.

“Often people believed the representations they were being told that this was a free government program and signed up for this work thinking that the work was going to be free and many months later getting a property tax bill that was huge,” Caroll said. 

Despite the backlash, the county says PACE was largely successful, with thousands of home projects completed, both saving energy and reducing pollution. 

PACE loans continued to be offered through the state where officials say reforms are in place to protect homeowners. 

On its website, one of the lenders in the settlement, Renew Financial, states that “PACE financing has some of the most robust consumer protections in the country.”

The attorneys say Ocana will share in the settlement with thousands of other victims.

The department’s statement said deputies had responded to a family disturbance call shortly before the girl arrived at the station. A foster parent told deputies the girl was suffering from an apparent mental health crisis, the department said

The girl was not at the location, about a mile from the sheriff’s station, when deputies responded to the report.

A short time later, the teen knocked on the station door at about 7:30 pm. Sunday. After lunging into the lobby, she took a deputy’s handgun, the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

“The deputies walked to the lobby door,” according to the statement. “At which time the juvenile lunged into the lobby and reached for the deputy’s holstered firearm and took possession of it. A struggle ensued between the deputies and juvenile who was armed with the deputy’s firearm. During the struggle, the juvenile suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

The girl died at the scene. Her age and identity were not immediately released by authorities.

No deputies were injured.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

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“Two of the defendants charged were arrested on Thursday and one was arrested today,” Laura Eimiller of the FBI said in a statement.

“Two are being sought by members of the Los Angeles County Department and the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force,” Eimiller said. “Eight defendants charged were already incarcerated on unrelated charges.”

According to Eimiller, Estela Guerrero, 50, of Long Beach, and Daniel Arochi-Gonzalez, 24, of Carson, were arrested Thursday at their homes. 

Rosa Christina Martinez, 35, was arrested Friday in Compton. Marco Lujan, 47, and Ariel Pereyra, 28, are being sought.

The following defendants charged in the case are currently incarcerated on unrelated charges: Jose Martinez, 36, Pharoah Brooks, 47, David Fraysure, 28, Jackie Triplett, 40, Jessie Quintero, 44, Andy Dominguez, 30, Angel Grajales, 33, and Daniel Garcia, 37.

San Bernardino County Jan 29

5 men arrested in connection with 6 found dead in San Bernardino County desert

FBI Jan 30

How LA drug brokers, Mexican cartels, Canadian truck drivers came together to smuggle drugs

The investigation began in February of 2022, following reports that narcotics had been smuggled into the Los Angeles County Jail, as well as a report of a violent attack of an inmate within the jail, Eimiller said.

“The narcotics smuggling and violent assault are alleged to have been coordinated by several high-ranking associates of the Mexican Mafia from outside of the jail under the authority of a Mexican Mafia member in state prison,” Eimiller said. 

“That inmate had been charged with operating inside of a Los Angeles County facility on behalf of the Mexican Mafia criminal enterprise.”

According to investigators and deputy district attorneys who filed the case being announced today, a Mexican Mafia “facilitator” allegedly relayed orders to Mexican Mafia associates within the Los Angeles County jail – known as “Sureños” or “soldiers” — to attack an individual who had falsely claimed to be a member of the Mexican Mafia, which is an act considered to be a serious violation to the criminal organization,” Eimiller said.

“On orders passed through the facilitator, multiple Sureños are alleged to have attacked the victim who was transported to a hospital for treatment of his injuries,” Eimiller said.

“During the investigation, a Mexican Mafia secretary and inmates – known as “shotcallers” — in leadership positions for the Mexican Mafia, allegedly coordinated the movement of drugs that had been smuggled into the jail,” Eimiller said.

According to investigators, the narcotics were moved to different locations within the jail to be sold to other inmates for the collection of Mexican Mafia proceeds, Eimiller said.

In another incident, a Mexican Mafia shot-caller within the jail allegedly reported to a facilitator that narcotics that belonged to a Mexican Mafia member had been smuggled into the jail by an inmate, Eimiller said.

“As a result, investigators were able to identify the inmate in possession of the drugs,” Eimiller said. “Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department seized over 30 grams of heroin.”

A search warrant at the alleged facilitator’s residence resulted in the seizure of about 10 ounces of methamphetamine, a firearm, numerous Mexican Mafia communications and about $16,000 in cash found in envelopes labeled with the names of several shot callers within the jail, Eimiller said.

The case was filed and is being prosecuted by Deputy-In-Charge Lou Avila and Deputy District Attorney Abbigail Briones with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s Prison Crimes Unit.

Authorities circulated photos of the two fugitives — Marco Lujan and Ariel Pereyra — and urged anyone knowing their whereabouts to call their nearest FBI Office or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. 

The field that lined up against the incumbent featured a mix of prosecutors and candidates who said they offer a more moderate approach to criminal justice reform.

As of Wednesday morning, Gascón held a lead with 21 percent of the vote. His closest challenger was Nathan Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general who offered voters what he called a “blueprint for justice.”

Jonathan Hatami, who was hired as a deputy district attorney in 2006, had 13 percent of vote early Wednesday.

The top two candidates will advance to the November runoff with returns showing none of them had enough to win the primary outright with 50%-plus-one vote.. It was unclear how many countywide ballots from Tuesday’s election still need to be tallied, or how many were submitted by mail by Tuesday’s deadline but have not yet been received.

Click here for California primary results

Gascón was elected in 2020 over incumbent Jackie Lacey as he promised a wave of progressive changes. But he has been under fire since taking office by issuing a series of directives critics have blasted as being soft on crime.

The directives included a rule against seeking the death penalty, a ban on transferring juvenile defendants to adult court and prohibitions on filing sentencing enhancements in most cases.

“This campaign is not about me, this is a community movement,” Gascón said last November, when he kicked off his reelection campaign. “This is about looking at the criminal justice system of the 21st century not with a rear-view mirror but looking forward.”

Jonathan Hatami

Hatami, who was hired as a deputy D.A. in 2006, said he wants to restore public safety and make meaningful reforms in the office. “As your district attorney, I will prioritize public safety by implementing comprehensive strategies to protect all of our communities from danger, prevent crime, maintain peace, hold violent offenders accountable and establish a path to success for low-level offenders,” Hatami said on his campaign’s website.

Hatami also served in the nation’s first Complex Child Abuse unit at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles, according to his campaign. “I believe in reforms, rehabilitation and second chances,” Hatami said. “However, we must first and always follow the law. We must balance reforms with public safety and protecting our most vulnerable.” Hatami vows to “bring transparency back to the people’s office, hold wrongdoers accountable, and make real, meaningful reforms.”

Lloyd “Bobcat” Masson

Masson, another member of the D.A.’s office and a cold case prosecutor, portrays himself as a prosecutor, not a politician. According to his campaign, Masson is the only candidate in the race who has never been affiliated or registered with any political party. “Let’s take back our streets and start investing in our youth so we can end the cycles of trauma,” Masson said on his campaign’s website. “LA needs a strong D.A. to tell criminals that playtime is over.”

Masson said his top priority is “dropping the hammer” on all robbery, burglary and theft-related offenses, including follow-home robberies, car thefts, retail theft and catalytic converter thefts. “I would also end all blanket zero-bail policies and operate in accord with what local communities want,” Masson added. The prosecutor stated that sticking to old tough-on-crime tactics won’t solve the problem, just as the “current emphasis on no jail time has not worked.” He added: “We need every tool available to solve L.A.’s crime problem. To this end, we must explore solutions such as new technologies in rehabilitation and justice without sacrificing our victims’ voices in criminal cases.”

Masson has spent the past four years as a cold case prosecutor. Previously, he served in the gang unit for more than five years.

John McKinney

McKinney, a deputy district attorney for L.A. County for 25 years, has also criticized Gascón, saying the D.A. has taken the county too far to one side. “Since George Gascón took office, our justice system has become a dangerous experiment reducing consequences for crimes and eroding accountability,” McKinney said in a campaign ad. “Crime is up. Confidence in our justice system is down.” McKinney said he will restore common sense to the D.A.’s office and ensure victims receive justice. “I will support all communities while pursuing evidence-based reforms that make our system more just for all. On my watch, the punishment will always fit the crime — no more, no less,” McKinney said on his campaign’s website. “Whenever possible, we will focus on the source of crime, such as the leaders of organized crime rings, cartels, and drug operations.”

Maria Ramirez

Ramirez, head deputy D.A., joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1990 and became the first Latina to be promoted to that position, according to her campaign. Ramirez said voters have grown distrustful of Gascón’s leadership. “We, as leaders of the justice system in L.A. County, must begin to fix the deep erosion of public trust,” Ramirez said on her campaign’s website. “And that begins with recommitting to actually protecting the residents of Los Angeles County by ending the cycle of violence with appropriate and fair measures of justice.” In order to achieve any meaningful change, Ramirez said the D.A.’s office must collaborate with community leaders to develop effective crime prevention strategies in communities that have been “burdened with inadequate infrastructure, resources and services.” She added: “George Gascón got reform wrong by blindly implementing blanket policies that did not create sustainable change but rather endangered our communities. Gascón directed the release of a high number of violent offenders without ensuring a safety net for them with jobs and social services.” Ramirez said prosecutors must keep the community safe by restoring accountability and implementing responsible rehabilitation measures.

Eric Siddall

Siddall, a violent crime prosecutor and deputy D.A., is running on a platform of advocating for responsible reform while prioritizing public safety. He said he will lead a new generation of prosecutors to work with law enforcement to reduce crime. “We need to advance a violence reduction strategy focused on holding the most violent criminals accountable, while recognizing the potential for rehabilitation,” Siddall said on his campaign’s website. “We need to develop an infrastructure to deal with our mentally ill and homeless populations that does not involve cycled-incarceration, but also recognizes that releasing people back onto the street without a plan is a danger to everyone, including the defendant.” Siddall, who is an openly gay Latino, served for nearly a decade as vice president of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys. Siddall and the deputy D.A.’s union has been among Gascón’s most prominent critics. They successfully sued to block a portion of Gascón’s reform platform limiting the use of sentencing enhancements against felons charged with new offenses after a judge agreed with the union’s contention that it violated California’s “three strikes” law. Siddall stepped down from the union post in order to declare his candidacy. He has been a deputy district attorney since 2007. Siddall vows to enact common sense criminal justice reforms, and focus on ones that are evidence-based.

Debra Archuleta

The two current L.A. County Superior Court judges, Archuleta and Mitchell, are eligible to run for office because they took a leave of absence without pay, Rob Oftring, the communications director of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, told City News Service. Archuleta was a trial lawyer before joining the bench six years ago and has handled more than 100 jury trials, according to her campaign. “For the last three years, George Gascón has implemented policies that have made communities across Los Angeles County more dangerous,” Archuleta said on her campaign’s website. “That needs to change, and it will only change with a District Attorney who has the experience to do the job and the ability to defeat George Gascón.” She said violent crime is the No. 1 issue facing L.A. County residents. “As your next District Attorney, I bring 26 years of experience of prosecuting cases involving violent crime, unlike George Gascón, who has never prosecuted a case in court,” Archuleta said. “Violent criminals will be prosecuted and punished, especially those who use guns and other deadly weapons. I will end the `catch and release’ policies of the current District Attorney.” Archuleta added that she will crack down on organized retail theft, also known as “smash-and-grab” robberies. “I will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law, departing from Gascón’s catch-and-release policies that enable these offenders to repeat their crimes without consequences,” Archuleta said.

Craig J. Mitchell

Mitchell was appointed to the L.A. County Superior Court in 2005. He has presided over numerous high-profile cases and has become known for his commitment to rehabilitation and restorative justice, according to his campaign. Prior to serving as a judge, Mitchell was an L.A. deputy D.A. for more than a decade. “Los Angeles is in crisis,” Mitchell said on his campaign’s website. “This crisis cannot be solved with a one-size-fits-all system of justice. I will put our citizens first.” Mitchell said public safety will be his top priority. “Public safety is simply not Gascón’s main priority — rather, it is to minimize the consequences criminals face for their conduct,” he added. “By adopting policies that are soft on crime and by filling upper management positions in his administration with attorneys from the Public Defender’s office, Gascón has effectively adopted the role of a second Public Defender. We need a District Attorney — not a Public Defender — to ensure the safety of the people.”

David S. Milton

Milton, a retired L.A. County Superior Court Judge who served on the bench from 1995 until 2014, is also running on a platform to reverse Gascón’s policies and institute new public protection policies. “For more than three years, we’ve seen violence against innocent victims escalate and law and order protection collapse in Los Angeles County,” Milton said on his campaign’s website. Milton said the root problem “is our current district attorney. He only investigates or brings charges after embarrassing media coverage and enormous public pressure.” He added that the “role of the district attorney is to protect the public without waiting for the media to force him to do his job.” One of his top priorities is prosecuting suspects behind “smash-and-grab” robberies. “If elected, I will hire more deputy district attorneys to handle the caseload, properly charge ‘Smash & Grab’ theft as robberies so the criminals go to prison and properly charge crimes by illegal alien criminals so they can be deported, as they should be.”

Jeff Chemerinsky

Chemerinsky, an assistant U.S. attorney who oversees federal prosecutions of violent crime cases in L.A., said voters have lost confidence in Gascón as both a prosecutor and reformer of the criminal justice system. On his campaign website, Chemerinsky said he wants to be a “voice for the working families of our community by prioritizing the prosecution of crimes that have an outsized impact on working people, such as environmental crime and wage theft.” Chemerinsky, who was appointed assistant U.S. Attorney in 2014, said his top priority is public safety. “(I will) prioritize the prosecution of gun crimes and firearm trafficking to keep our neighborhoods safe,’‘ Chemerinsky said. He added that he would use the role of D.A. to promote strong and sensible gun policies. Chemerinsky vows to prosecute “smash-and-grab” robberies to protect the public, workers and businesses. He stated that he’ll “ensure zero tolerance for public corruption,” and enhance the office’s civil rights prosecutions. Chemerinsky served as chief of the Violent and Organized Crime section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in L.A. until he stepped down in September to become a candidate.

Nathan Hochman

Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general, is offering what he describes as a “blueprint for justice.” “I am shocked and disappointed at how our public safety has seriously worsened over the last three years under current D.A. George Gascón,” Hochman stated on his campaign website. “I am prepared to fight to restore it. My Blueprint for Justice outlines the changes I will make as your District Attorney to restore safety and justice to our county.”

Hochman said that under Gascón’s leadership, veteran prosecutors were stripped of their ability to file appropriate charges against violent, repeat offenders. As for part of his blueprint, Hochman vows to “restore the purpose of the District Attorney’s Office to fairly, effectively, and vigorously prosecute those who break laws in Los Angeles County based on the evidence and the law.” Hochman said he would also “restore the integrity and independence of the district attorney by not making decisions based on a party affiliation or political ideology but solely on the facts and the law.” His campaign points out that Hochman is running as an Independent. “I believe the D.A. needs to be fiercely independent and have encouraged all other candidates to do the same,” Hochman said.

Dan Kapelovitz

Kapelovitz, a criminal defense attorney, is the sole candidate aligning with Gascón’s more liberal stance. He said would continue battling mass incarceration and would propose stricter rules on when cases can be filed and bail can be requested. “We need well-funded programs — not more prisons,” Kapelovitz said on his campaign’s website. “I’m the only candidate who fights for indigent defendants every day. I’m also the only candidate appointed by the Court to protect the constitutional rights of crime victims who are often further victimized by the system.” He said he would ensure equal treatment for everyone and reject ‘racist policies’ that fuel mass incarceration. “People should not lose their homes and jobs because they cannot afford bail. We will not seek bail without clear and convincing evidence that the accused is dangerous,” he said.

Most of the challengers have said they will reverse the sweeping policy changes Gascón enacted on his first day in office. Gascón, despite all the criticism, was able to fend off two recall attempts. During a debate last
month with nine of the 11 challengers, Gascón defended his directives. “We have seen crime coming down not only in our community, but we’re seeing crime going down nationwide, at the same time that we have continued with the reform efforts,” Gascón said. “We’re showing that not only we cannot go back to the way that we did business, but actually the fact is our reforms are good for public safety.” If, as expected, no candidate receives a majority, the top two finishers will meet in a runoff Nov. 5, like all nonpartisan races on the primary ballot.

The Los Angeles Police Department reports a 500% increase of stolen Camaros, particularly in the Newton Area near South Central. Car thieves are using key clone devices to break into newer models, according to the LAPD.

About the size of a cell phone, these devices contain a programming tool that picks up the signal of a key fob nearby. Key fobs are intended to lock or unlock doors, and some have newly programmed keys used to start the ignition.

According to LAPD, two Camaros were stolen over the span of 2023 in Newton. Year-to-date, there have been 10 Camaros stolen in the same area.

At least 90 Camaros were stolen city-wide year-to-date. There were seven reported Camaro thefts city-wide in 2023.

The Newton Gang Enforcement Detail (GED) recently arrested a juvenile found in possession of a key cloning device on Feb. 24.

An increasing problem

While there is no clear explanation as to why Camaros are being targeted, car thefts have generally increased over the past decade. According to LAPD, nearly 30,000 vehicles are stolen every year in Los Angeles.

LAPD data found that 89% of stolen vehicles were recovered and 50% had been ransacked or damaged to some degree in 2003. In the past five years, car models with ease to enter were frequently stolen.

This included the late 1980’s and early 1990’s model Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Honda Accord. Now, Camaros are all the rave.

The first Camaro was released in 1966 and was an instant hit. “Chevrolet had created a sports car worthy of the classification of American muscle,” said a Granger Chevrolet blog. “The rest is history.”

There are six generations of Cameros. Prices on newer models range between $32,000 and above $38,000.

How to prevent a car theft

There are a few suggestions to prevent falling victim to a car theft. For owners of Cameros, purchasing security cases can help distort the signals transmitted from the key fob. Security cases can be purchased online. 

Wrapping fobs in aluminum foil or placing them inside tin cans have also proven effective, according to LAPD.

Other suggestions from LAPD include: 

• Never leaving a car running unattended
• Never leaving keys in the car or ignition
• Roll up windows and lock the car, even if it is parked in front of residency
• Never leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked
• Always park in high-traffic, well-lighted areas, when possible
• Installing a mechanical device that locks the steering wheel, column, or brakes
• Never leave personal identification documents, vehicle ownership title, or credit cards
• Copy license plate and vehicle information (VIN) numbers on a card. If a vehicle is stolen, the police will need this information to take a report
• If a vehicle is stolen, report it to the police immediately

Anyone with information of additional crimes, or who may have been a victim of a person utilizing a key cloning device, is urged to contact Newton Auto Detectives at (323) 846-6592. During non-business hours or on weekends, call 877-527-3247.  

Jofama Coleman and Abel Soto were 20 and 15 years old, respectively, when they were arrested and charged in connection with the May 10, 2003, shooting that killed Jose “Chino” Robles, 16. Prosecutors said at the time the killing was carried out in retaliation for an earlier confrontation that allegedly involved Robles and Coleman’s teen brother.

In 2007, Soto was sentenced to 72 years to life in prison for allegedly firing the deadly shots. District Attorney George Gascón said Wednesday the conviction came “despite the fact that no one could identify the shooter at the time of the shooting.'”

Coleman was sentenced to 25 years to life after being convicted of driving the white van that was used in the drive-by shooting.

“The witness that identified Mr. Coleman as the driver recanted his trial testimony in 2023, saying he had never actually seen Mr. Coleman driving the van,” Gascón said. “From the beginning, Mr. Coleman and Mr. Soto maintained their innocence, declaring it through every stage of the litigation.”

Following a petition last year by their attorney, Ellen Eggers, the case was reviewed. In January, a judge declared Soto factually innocent of the crime. Coleman was declared factually innocent on Tuesday.

“This case is a tragedy of many proportions. Our duty is not only to correct he wrongs of the past but to ensure that fairness prevails and that we learn from our past mistakes,” Gascón said.

Coleman, speaking alongside Gascón at a downtown news conference, said that now he is free, he hopes to become a lawyer “to help other innocent people in prison.”

“My journey has been one of unimaginable hardship, but it is also a testament to the strength of the human spirit, the power of resilience and unwavering support of those who believed in justice,” Coleman said. “I found myself incarcerated for a crime I did not commit. The weight of that injustice was a burden that I carried every day but refused to let it define me.

“Behind prison walls I faced challenges that tested my resolve, but with determination and the support of remarkable individuals and organizations, I emerged victorious.”

Earlier this month, a winter storm dumped measurable rain that broke several records in Southern California. As the region continues to recover from potholes and mudslides in vulnerable areas, another system is set to deliver more rainfall as soon as early Monday.

Fire departments in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura County are providing sandbags to help residents prepare for upcoming rainstorms. Here’s a breakdown by county of where to get information on how to obtain the free resources.

Los Angeles County

Angelenos are able to get free sand or bags at select fire stations with proof of residency, according to its Public Works department. Those who would like to obtain the free resources must pick up the sand and/or bags in the city or community they reside in.

For an interactive map to find your nearest location, click here.

Orange County

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, most stations have empty sandbags available. Select locations have both sand and sandbags for residents.

For a list of fire stations that have both resources available, click here.

Ventura County

To help residents brace for possible flooding, the Ventura County Fire Department is offering sandbags at 24 stations.

To see a rundown of locations giving out sandbags to the community, click here.

Riverside County

The Riverside County Fire Department notes that sandbags are available in limited quantities in all stations. Bags and sand are being offered in these locations. To find your local station, use the Riverside County Fire Station website.

San Bernardino County

The county offers instructions on how to properly place sandbags around your property to maximize its protection.

Several locations are offering free sandbags around San Bernardino County. To find your nearest location, click here.

How to properly use sandbags

When used properly, sandbags can effectively prevent water from entering buildings. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services or Cal EOS has provided a list of safety tips to use sandbags. 

• Wearing protective gear such as gloves, safety glasses or goggles.  
• Filling sandbags no more than two-thirds to allow room for stacking and reduce bursting.  
• Stacking bags correctly like laying bricks. 
• Monitoring water levels and condition of the sandbags. If water levels rise or bags burst, it is recommended to evacuate the area. 
• Using bags appropriately to avoid plugging drains or redirecting water to other properties. Bags should be placed around the perimeter of the building to prevent or divert water from entering.

SoCal residents can also find their local fire station through the Public Works website.

The department said Thursday the infected person arrived on a Turkish Airlines 009 flight at Tom Bradley International Airport (TBIT) Terminal B, Gate 157 on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. According to the press release, the person also visited a Chick-fil-A establishment located at 18521 Devonshire St., Northridge, Calif., 91324. 

“Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know you have it and can lead to severe disease,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “Measles is highly contagious…it can result in serious complications for young children and vulnerable adults.”

L.A. Public Health believes people who were at the restaurant between 8 to 10:30 p.m. may be at risk of developing measles. Other locations where possible exposures may have occurred are still being investigated. 

This marks the first case of measles since 2020 in L.A. County. In 2019, the county reported an outbreak of 20 cases, followed by five cases in 2020. According to L.A. Public Health, most of these cases were not immunized or were unaware they had never been immunized or affected by the virus. 

What are the symptoms?

Measles is a disease caused by a contagious virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC concludes that measles can be spread through the air by coughing, sneezing or breathing. Initial symptoms include: 

• Cough
• Runny nose 
• Red, water eyes or pink eye
• High fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit, may spike to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

These symptoms may appear between 7 to 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC. More severe symptoms may also take place soon after. Those symptoms include: 

• Koplik spots or tiny white spots inside the mouth
• Rashes, flat red spots on the face, neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.

The red spots may begin flat and later turn into bumps. The spots may also join together as it spreads throughout the body. For some people, a fever may develop simultaneous to the appearance of a rash. 

How to prevent exposure?

The CDC and L.A. Public Health suggest getting vaccinated as a way to avoid exposure. There are two vaccine options: The MMR vaccine protects against mumps and rubella, and the MMRV vaccine protects against mumps, rubella and varicella. 

The CDC recommends children get their first dose around 12 to 15 months old and the second dose when they are 4 to 6 years old. Infants 6 to 11 months are also recommended a dose of MMR vaccine before traveling internationally, but will not count as part of their routine vaccination series. 

Both vaccines are administered in two doses, making it 97% more effective against measles according to L.A. Public Health. Insured individuals can check with their healthcare providers or local pharmacies to verify what vaccines are offered. 

To locate free or low-cost immunizations, call 2-1-1 or visit the L.A. County Public Health website. For more information on vaccines, call the Public Health Call Center at 1-833-540-0473.

The next storm is expected to bring rain as early as Saturday. Significant rainfall is in the forecast for Sunday and early next week.

Fire departments in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura County are providing sandbags to help residents prepare for upcoming rainstorms. Sandbags are currently available in the following stations:

Los Angeles County

• Arts District, Chinatown, Downtown (east) – Fire Station 4, 450 East Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
• Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw District – Fire Station 94, 4470 Coliseum St., Los Angeles, CA 90016.
• Bel Air, Beverly Glen (south) – Fire Station 71, 107 S. Beverly Glen Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90024.
• Beverly Crest, Coldwater Canyon – Fire Station 108, 12520 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90210.
• Beverly Glen (north), Benedict Canyon – Fire Station 99, 14145 Mulholland Dr. Los Angeles, CA 91423.
• Brentwood, Mandeville Canyon – Fire Station 19, 12229 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049.
• Civic Center, Downtown (west) – Fire Station 3, 108 North Fremont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
• Cypress Park, Mt. Washington – Fire Station 44, 1410 Cypress Ave., Los Angeles CA 90065.
• Encino Hills – Fire Station 109, 16500 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049.
• Hollywood – Fire Station 27, 1327 North Cole Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028.
• Hollywood, Hollywood Hills (east) – Fire Station 82, 5769 West Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028.
• Hollywood, Hollywood Hills (west) – Fire Station 41, 1439 North Gardner Ave., Los Angeles CA 90046.
• Laurel Canyon, Mulholland – Fire Station 97, 8021 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, CA 91604.
• Northridge – Fire Station 70, 9861 Reseda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91324.
• Pacific Palisades – Fire Station 23, 17281 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades CA 90272.
• Palms – Fire Station 43, 3690 Motor Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90034.
• Porter Ranch – Fire Station 28, 11641 Corbin Ave., Los Angeles CA 91326.
• Sherman Oaks – Fire Station 88, 5101 North Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91403.
• South Los Angeles, Historic South Central – Fire Station 21, 1192 East 51st St., Los Angeles CA 90011.
• South Los Angeles, Watts – Fire Station 64, 10811 South Main St., Los Angeles CA 90061.
• Studio City (east), Toluca Lake – Fire Station 86, 4305 Vineland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 91602.
• Studio City (west), Valley Village – Fire Station 78, 4041 Whitsett Ave., Los Angeles, CA 91604.
• Sunland, Shadow Hills – Fire Station 24, 9411 Wentworth St., Los Angeles, CA 91040.
• Sun Valley, La Tuna Canyon – Fire Station 77, 9224 Sunland Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91352.
• Westchester, LAX Area – Fire Station 5, 8900 South Emerson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
• West Hills – Fire Station 106, 23004 Roscoe Blvd.,  Los Angeles, CA 91304.
• Woodland Hills – Fire Station 84, 21050 Burbank Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91367.

Only bags are being offered in these locations. To find your local fire station, use LAFD’s interactive map.

Orange County

• Cypress – Fire Station 17, 4991 W Cerritos Ave., Cypress, CA 90630
• Garden Grove – Fire Station 82, 11805 Gilbert St., Garden Grove , CA 92841
• Garden Grove – Fire Station 83, 12132 Trask Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92843
• Garden Grove – Fire Station 84, 12191 Valley View St., Garden Grove, CA 92845
• Irvine – Fire Station 36, 301 E Yale Loop, Irvine CA 9260
• Laguna Niguel – Fire Station 49, 31461 St. of The Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel , CA 92677
• Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills – Fire Station 22, 24001 Paseo de Valencia, Laguna Woods, CA 92637
• Modjeska Canyon – Fire Station 16, 28891 Modjeska Canyon Rd., Silverado, CA 92676
• Rancho Mission Viejo – Fire Station 56, 56 Sendero Way, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694
• Seal Beach – Fire Station 48, 3131 North Gate Rd., Seal Beach, CA 90740
• Silverado – Fire Station 14, 29402 Silverado Canyon Rd., Silverado CA 92676
• Silverado – Fire Station 15, 27172 Silverado Canyon Rd., Silverado, CA 92676.
• Trabuco – Fire Station 18, 30942 Trabuco Canyon Rd., Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679.
• Tustin – Fire Station 21, 1241 Irvine Blvd., Tustin, CA 92780.
• Villa Park – Fire Station 23, 5020 Santiago Canyon Rd., Orange, CA 92869.
• Yorba Linda – Fire Station 52, 25415 East La Palma, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.

These fire stations have both sand and bags, but are only offered to residents. To find your local station, use the OFCA interactive map.

Riverside County

• Perris – Fire Station 101, 105 S F St., Perris, CA 92570.
• Lake Elsinore – Fire Station 61, 32637 Gruwell St., Wildomar, CA 92595.
• Lake Elsinore – Fire Station 11, 33020 Maiden Ln., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530.
• Banning, Beaumont – Fire Station 20, 1550 E. 6th St., Beaumont, CA
• Banning, Beaumont – Fire Station 22, 10055 Avenida MiraVilla, Cherry Valley, CA
• Banning, Beaumont – Fire Station 89, 172 No. Murray St., Banning, CA
• Norco, West Riverside – Fire Station 64, 25310 Campbell Ranch Rd., Temescal Valley, CA
• Norco, West Riverside – Fire Station 82, 17452 Lake Pointe Dr., Riverside, CA 92503
• Norco, West Riverside – Fire Station 47, 3902 Hillside Ave, Norco, CA 92860
• San Jacinto – Fire Station 26, 25954 Stanford St., Hemet, CA, 92544.
• San Jacinto – Fire Station 25, 132 South San Jacinto, San Jacinto, CA, 92583.
• La Quinta – Fire Station 70, 54001 Madison St., La Quinta, CA, 92253.
• La Quinta – Fire Station 93, 44555 Adams St., La Quinta, CA, 92253.
• Blythe – Fire Station 45, 17280 W. Hobson Way, Blythe, CA, 92225.
• Moreno – Fire Station 2 – 24935 Hemlock Ave., Moreno Valley, CA, 92557.
• Moreno – Fire Station 48 – 11051 Village Rd., Moreno Valley, CA, 92557.
• Moreno – Fire Station 58 – 28000 Eucalyptus Ave., Moreno Valley, CA, 92555.
• Desert Hot Springs – Fire Station 81, 37-955 Washington Ave., Palm Desert, CA, 92211.
• Desert Hot Springs – Fire Station 37, 65958 Pierson Blvd., Desert Hot Springs, CA, 92240.
• Mountain Center – Fire Station 53, 59200 Morris Ranch Rd., Mountain Center, CA, 92561.
• Menifee – Fire Station 5, 28971 Goetz Rd., Quail Valley, CA, 92587.
• Menifee – Fire Station 68, 26020 Wickard Rd., Menifee, CA, 92584.
• Menifee – Fire Station 76, 29950 Menifee Rd., Menifee, CA 92584.
• Eastvale – Fire Station 16, 9270 Limonite Ave., Pedley, CA 92509.
• Eastvale – Fire Station 18, 7545 Mission Blvd., Riverside, CA 92509.
• Eastvale – Fire Station 27, 7067 Hamner Ave., Eastvale, CA 92880.
• Eastvale – Fire Station 31, 14491 Chandler St., Eastvale, CA 92880.
• Temecula – Fire Station 75, 38900 Clinton Keith Rd., Murrieta, CA 92562.
• Temecula – Fire Station 96, 37700 Glen Oaks Rd., Temecula, CA 92592.

The Riverside County Fire Department notes that sandbags are available in limited quantities in all stations. Bags and sand are being offered in these locations. To find your local station, use the Riverside County Fire Station website.

San Bernardino County

• Bloomington – Fire Station 76, 10174 Magnolia Bloomington, CA 92316
• Colton – Fire Station 211, 303 East “E” St., Colton, CA 92324
• Colton – Fire Station 214, 1151 Meadow Lane Colton, CA 92324
• County Fire – Fire Station 1, 2824 East W St., San Bernardino, CA 92408
• Devore – Fire Station 2, 1511 Devore Rd., Devore, CA 92407
• Grand Terrace – Fire Station 23, 22582 City Center Court Grand Terrace, CA 92324 
• Highland – Fire Station 541, 26974 Baseline Highland, CA 92346
• Highland – Fire Station 542, 29507 Baseline Highland, CA 92346
• Highland – Fire Station 543, 7649 Sterling Ave., Highland, CA 92346
• Mentone – Fire Station 9, 1300 Crafton Ave., Mentone, CA 92359
• Muscoy – Fire Station 75, 2852 Macy Ave., Muscoy, CA 92316
• Yucaipa – Fire Station 2, 32664 Yucaipa Blvd., Yucaipa, CA 92399
• Yucaipa – Fire Station 3, 34259 Wildwood Canyon Rd., Yucaipa, CA 92399
• Chino – Fire Station 7, 5980 Riverside Dr., Chino, CA 91710
• Chino Hills – Fire Station 1, 5078 Schaefer Ave., Chino, CA 91710
• Chino Hills – Fire Station 62, 5551 Butterfield Ranch Rd., Chino Hills, CA 91709
• Chino Hills – Fire Station 64, 16231 Canon Lane, Chino Hills, CA 91709
• Fontana – Fire Station 72, 15380 San Bernardino Avenue Fontana, CA 92335
• Fontana – Fire Station 74, 11500 Live Oak, Fontana, CA 92335
• Fontana – Fire Station 78, 7110 Citrus Ave., Fontana, CA 92335
• Fontana – Fire Station 79, 5075 Coyote Canyon Rd., Fontana, CA 92336
• Lytle Creek – Fire Station 20, 497 Lytle Creek Rd., Lytle Creek, CA 92358
• Montclair – Fire Station 2, 10825 Monte Vista Ave., Montclair, CA 91763
• Rancho Cucamonga – Fire Station 175, 11108 Banyon, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• San Antonio – Fire Station 12, 2413 North Euclid Ave., Upland, CA 91784
• Baker – Fire Station 53, 72734 Baker Rd., Baker, CA 92309
• Helendale – Fire Station 4, 27089 Helendale Rd., Helendale, CA 92342
• Hesperia – Fire Station 302, 17288 Olive, Hesperia, CA 92345
• Hesperia – Fire Station 304, 15660 Eucalyptus St., Hesperia, CA 92345
• Hesperia – Fire Station 305, 8331 Caliente Rd., Hesperia, CA 92345
• Hinkley – Fire Station 56, 37284 Flower Rd., Hinkley, CA 92347
• Phelan/Pinon Hills – Fire Station 10, 9625 Beekley Road Phelan, CA 92371
• Phelan/Pinon Hills – Fire Station 13, 10433 Mt. Road Pinon Hills, CA 92372
• Spring Valley Lake – Fire Station 12, 12550 Jacarando Ave. Victorville, CA 92392
• Summit Valley – Fire Station 48, 4691 Summit Valley Road Hesperia, CA 92345
• Trona, Searles Valley – Fire Station 57, 83732 Trona Road Trona, CA 92562 
• Victorville – Fire Station 311, 16200 Desert Knoll Drive Victorville, CA 92392
• Victorville – Fire Station 312, 15182 El Evado Victorville, CA 92392
• Victorville – Fire Station 313, 13086 Amethyst Road Victorville, CA 92392
• Victorville – Fire Station 314, 17008 Silica Street Victorville, CA 92392
• Victorville – Fire Station 315, 12802 Eucalyptus Street Victorville, CA 92392
• Victorville – Fire Station 319, 18550 Readiness Victorville, CA 92394
• Joshua Tree – Fire Station 36, 6733 Park Boulevard Joshua Tree, CA 92252
• Lucerne Valley – Fire Station 8, 33679 Highway 247 Lucerne Valley, CA 92356
• Needles – Fire Station 31, 633 Front Street Needles, CA 92363
• Yucca Valley – Fire Station 41, 57201 Twentynine Palms Hwy Yucca Valley, CA 92284
• Yucca Valley – Fire Station 42, 58612 Aberdeen Yucca Valley, CA 92284
• Angelus Oaks – Fire Station 98, 5766 Frontage Road Angelus Oaks, CA 92305
• Fawnskin – Fire Station 96, 39188 Rim of the World Drive Fawnskin, CA 92333
• Forest Falls – Fire Station 99, 40847 Valley of the Falls Drive Forest Falls, CA 92339
• Green Valley Lake – Fire Station 95, 33596 Green Valley Lake Drive Green Valley Lake, CA 92341 
• Lake Arrowhead – Fire Station 91, 301 South State Highway 173 Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352
• Lake Arrowhead – Fire Station 92, 981 North State Highway 173 Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352
• Lake Arrowhead – Fire Station 94, 27176 Peninsula Drive Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352
• Wrightwood – Fire Station 14, 5980 Elm Street Wrightwood, CA 92397

A few stations only carry sandbags, sand or both. Others require people to bring their own shovels. The full list of requirements can be found here. To find your local station, use the SBC Fire Protection District map.

Ventura County

• Summit – Fire Station 20, 12000 Santa Paula-Ojai Rd., Ojai, 93023
• Ojai – Fire Station 21, 1201 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 93023 
• Meiners Oak – Fire Station 22, 466 S. La Luna Ave., Ojai, 93023 
• Oak View – Fire Station 23, 15 Kunkle St., Oak View, 93022 
• Rincon – Fire Station 25, 5674 Pacific Coast Highway, Ventura, 93001
• West Santa Paula – Fire Station 26, 536 W. Main St., Santa Paula, 93060
• Fillmore – Fire Station 27, 133 C St., Fillmore, 93015 
• Piru – Fire Station 28, 513 N. Church St., P.O. Box 317, Piru, 93040 
• Santa Paula – Fire Station 29, 114 S. 10th St., Santa Paula, 93060 
• Potrero – Fire Station 32, 830 S. Reino Rd., Thousand Oaks, 91320 
• Lake Sherwood – Fire Station 33, 33 Lake Sherwood Dr., Lake Sherwood, 91361 
• Arboles – Fire Station 34, 555 E. Avenida de los Arboles, T.O., 91360 
• Oak Park – Fire Station 36, 855 Deerhill Rd., Oak Park, 91377 
• Mountain Meadows – Fire Station 40, 4185 Cedar Springs St., Moorpark, 93021 
• Church Street – Fire Station 41, 1910 Church St., Simi Valley, 93065 4
• Yosemite – Fire Station 3, 5874 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, 93063
• Wood Ranch – Fire Station 44, 1050 Country Club Dr., Simi Valley, 93065 
• Pacific Street – Fire Station 45, 790 Pacific Ave., Simi Valley, 9306
• Tapo Street – Fire Station 46, Tapo St., Simi Valley, 93063 
• Mission Oaks – Fire Station 52, 5353 Santa Rosa Rd., Camarillo, 93012 
• Camarillo – Fire Station 54, 2160 Pickwick Dr., Camarillo, 93010 
• Las Posas – Fire Station 55, Valley Vista Dr., Camarillo, 93010 
• Malibu – Fire Station 56, 11855 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, 90265 
• Somis – Fire Station 57, 3356 Somis Rd., P.O. Box 347, Somis, 93066

The VCFD advises that people be prepared to fill their own sandbags. To find your local station, use VCFD’s interactive map.

How to properly use sandbags?

When used properly, sandbags can effectively prevent water from entering buildings. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services or Cal EOS has provided a list of safety tips to use sandbags. 

• Wearing protective gear such as gloves, safety glasses or goggles.  
• Filling sandbags no more than two-thirds to allow room for stacking and reduce bursting.  
• Stacking bags correctly like laying bricks. 
• Monitoring water levels and condition of the sandbags. If water levels rise or bags burst, it is recommended to evacuate the area. 
• Using bags appropriately to avoid plugging drains or redirecting water to other properties. Bags should be placed around the perimeter of the building to prevent or divert water from entering.

SoCal residents can also find their local fire station through the Public Works website.

In Eagle Rock alone, more than 10 businesses have been victims of burglaries, forcing business owners to pay out of pocket to replace stolen and damaged property. 

Hype Kingdom, a sneaker store in Bellflower, was broken into on Jan. 21 by a group of 15 individuals who stole more than 500 items after driving through the store’s security gates.

“I have one, two, three, six locks on my door, I have a security gate, a security wall that was built,” Hype Kingdom owner DJ said. “If someone wants something really bad, they are going to get it. I mean, all we can do is slow it down.”

That same weekend, thieves also targeted Seco Mini Market in Santa Clarita and caused thousands of dollars in damages.

Both incidents occurred only a couple of weeks after a mob of people drove into and ransacked Ruben’s Bakery in Compton. 

Sage Medical Aesthetics owner Dr. Chett Mallett says he and his company “do little things we can, we make sure our doors are locked,” adding security cameras as an added measure.

Business owners in Studio City are rethinking whether their security measures are sufficient after armed thieves held up at least three businesses near Cahuenga Boulevard.

“Our hands are tied with the way the situation is in California, particularly Los Angeles,” Mallett said. 

Mayor Karen Bass released a statement in response to the rising trend in small business break-ins.

“The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to partner with other cities outside of the Mayor’s jurisdiction that are mentioned in this news story like Santa Clarita, Bellflower and Compton and will work to ensure those responsible for these crimes are held fully accountable. The Mayor’s Office is concerned by break-ins throughout the region and we will continue our work to protect businesses and residential areas.”

Sixty-nine oyster-related outbreaks have been reported in San Diego, and over 150 cases in LA — all linked to oysters harvested in the Gulf of California in Western Mexico, the Baja Peninsula and Sonora, among other locations. 

Dr. Lello Tesema at LA County’s Department of Health says norovirus is very contagious, and restaurants and markets have been advised to “either confiscate the oysters or stop selling them.”

“People who are immunocompromised or older adults, specifically, should be avoiding raw oysters at this time,” Tesema said. 

While cooked oysters are “less risky,” Tesema says they are still a possible source of disease, especially if they come from the aforementioned locations. 

Norovirus can even survive steaming, up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The stubborn, food-borne germ has been known to cause high-profile outbreaks on cruise ships every year, which often leave hundreds of passengers restricted to quarters with diarrhea and headaches. 

According to Tesema, other side effects include “nausea, vomiting; for most people, from one to three days — sometimes stomachaches.” 

More than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized annually with norovirus and nearly 1,000 die. 

Tesema recommends avoiding the consumption of oysters until officials declare the outbreak to be “over.”

County Department of Public Health officials said they are working with state health officials to investigate and verify the source of the cluster of illnesses, which has so far involved 27 associated cases.

The names and locations of the restaurants were not released.

“Until the source is confirmed, consumers should be cautious before eating raw oysters due to the potential risk of foodborne illness,” Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer, said in a statement. “If you are sick, avoid spreading illness by washing your hands frequently and cleaning frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, and kitchen countertops.”

Health officials said more vulnerable residents, such as young children, older adults and those who are immunocompromised should be aware of the risks of consuming raw oysters.

The county recently entered the “medium” level of COVID-19 hospital admissions, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Over the past week in Los Angeles County, there have been notable, yet not unexpected, increases in COVID-19 reported cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a
statement. “While recent increases are significant, they remain considerably below last winter’s peak and common-sense protections are strongly recommended to help curb transmission and severe illness as the new year begins.”

The threshold for the CDC’s medium level is between 10 and 19.9 new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 population over seven days. The CDC reported 10.5 new COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 people in Los Angeles County for the week ending Dec. 23.

“Based on the Los Angeles County Health Officer Order posted on Dec. 27, 2023, when the COVID-19 hospital admission level in Los Angeles County meets or exceeds the CDC’s Medium Level, all healthcare personnel, regardless of COVID-19 and influenza vaccination status, in licensed health care facilities that provide inpatient care are required to mask while in contact with patients or working in patient-care areas,” the department’s statement said.

“In addition, all persons visiting a licensed health care facility that provides inpatient care are required to mask when around patients and while in patient-care areas. This will remain in effect until the COVID-19 hospital admission level in Los Angeles County is below the CDC’s Medium Level for at least 14 consecutive days.”

There were 609 COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals as of Dec. 23, according to state data. That’s up from 259 on Nov. 1, but lower than at this time last year, when the number was over 1,200. Some of those patients were admitted for other reasons and discovered they had COVID after being tested at the hospitals.

Since last week, the reported daily average of COVID-19 cases in the county has increased by more than 25%, from 495 to 621, according to the health department. Officials said the number represents an undercount due to the large number of home test results for COVID-19 that are not reported.

The department also reported a daily average of five COVID-related deaths, an increase from two earlier this month on Dec. 6.

Health officials have said that the great majority of people who die with COVID-19 have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension.

A week ago, the health department said it was possible that at least part of the local increase in transmission is driven by new COVID-19 strains gaining dominance in Los Angeles County, including JN.1, a newly emerging strain descended from BA.2.86, an Omicron lineage.

JN.1 does not, however, appear to be resulting in more severe cases of COVID-19, officials said. To protect against COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses circulating this holiday season, health experts recommend the following common-sense precautions:

• Wash hands often or use hand sanitizer, especially before eating, after sneezing or coughing, or when in public places.
• Consider wearing a well-fitted, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces, travel hubs or poorly ventilated spaces.
• Stay home if you have any symptoms of illness, including coughing, sneezing, a fever or sore throat, and consider talking with friends and family so they know to be cautious about gathering if they show signs of infection.

President Joe Biden said a total of 10 Americans who had been detained in Venezuela were released as part of the deal, including six “wrongfully detained Americans.”

“These individuals have lost far too much precious time with their loved ones, and their families have suffered every day in their absence,” Biden said in a statement. “I am grateful that their ordeal is finally over and that these families are being made whole once more.”

A senior administration official confirmed to reporters in Washington that Hernandez was among those released in the exchange, which also included the extradition of convicted military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, who escaped home arrest in San Diego last year after pleading guilty to bribing Navy officials.

Garrett Miller, president of the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Union, Local 148, said in a statement he was “thrilled that Eyvin will be coming home and that this ordeal is finally over.”

Los Angeles County Jan 19, 2023

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U.S. swaps Maduro ally for ‘Fat Leonard' in Venezuela prisoner exchange

“I can’t even imagine how traumatizing this has been for Eyvin, and our union will do all it can to support him in the coming months,” Miller said. “Eyvin has been deeply missed by his fellow Local 148 members, and we can’t wait to see him again. I’m grateful to Eyvin’s family for their tireless advocacy and also want to thank Local 148 board member Drew Havens who worked alongside them, advocating for Eyvin’s release.”

Hernandez, an L.A. County deputy public defender for 15 years, was on vacation in Colombia when he joined a friend on a trip to the Colombian-Venezuelan border to resolve a passport issue involving the friend’s stay in Venezuela.

At the border, Hernandez and his friend were intercepted by what has been described in various reports as either a paramilitary group, a gang or official Venezuelan forces. Hernandez and his friend were eventually turned over to Venezuelan security forces and jailed in a maximum security prison in Caracas.

Hernandez was accused of criminal association and conspiracy, which are punishable by up to 16 years in jail in Venezuela.

Over the past nearly two years, various public officials have sent letters to the White House urging the administration to secure Hernandez’s release. The county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion last year asking the administration and other federal elected officials to work for his release. The Los Angeles City Council took similar action earlier this year.

Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Nanette Barragán, both D-Los Angeles, joined Rep. Young Kim, R-Orange County, and Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, introduced a resolution earlier this year calling on the Venezuelan “regime”  to immediately release Hernandez.

In December 2022, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass joined Barragán and other congressional representatives in sending a joint letter to Biden, asking his administration to work to free Hernandez.

In exchange for the release of Americans, the United States agreed to release Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Saab had been awaiting trial on money laundering charges.

The Board of Supervisors approved the program on Jan. 24, directing the county Department of Business and Consumer Affairs to distribute $45 million to “mom-and-pop” landlords who are owned back rent. But according to Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell, the program still has not begun, with neither applications nor program guidelines being made available.

“Delaying the disbursement of relief funds to mom-and-pop property owners is simply unacceptable,” Barger said in a statement. “The motion I introduced included an expectation that this landlord relief program would be launched expeditiously. We’ve missed the mark and small property owners are bearing the brunt of DCBA’s delays.”

Barger and Mitchell called on the county CEO to conduct an audit to identify reasons for the delay, with results expected in the next two weeks.

“It has been almost a year since the board approved the motion to create a Small Property Owner Relief program to equitably provide financial assistance to qualifying landlords that have been hit hardest by the pandemic,” Mitchell said in a statement. “Every day we wait, more Angelenos are being evicted or becoming at risk of being evicted. Our shared constituency is counting on us to get this done, and we must do all we can to prevent more residents from being displaced.”

But the zero-bail system has come under fire from hard-line law-and-order backers, who contend it removes accountability from the justice system by allowing the vast majority of people arrested to be quickly released from custody rather than kept in jail as they await charges and trial, unless they are accused of the most serious of crimes.

“Our communities have not been shy about telling us how nervous they are about this change,” county Sheriff Robert Luna told the Board of Supervisors last week, saying crime victims who see offenders immediately released from custody are left with little confidence in the criminal justice system. He said he understands the need to respect the constitutional rights of arrestees, but said zero-bail can demoralize deputies and police officers who
work hard to make arrests, only to “watch the offender walk away with a citation as the victim looks on in disbelief.”

But Supervisor Holly Mitchell said the zero-bail system taking effect Sunday does not mean criminals are escaping punishment for their offenses.

“It’s really dangerous for us to conflate bail with accountability,” Mitchell said, adding later: “Bail means I have the resources to pay my way out of jail.”

The zero-bail system, officially dubbed by the Los Angeles Superior Court as Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols, or PARP, largely eliminates the existing cash bail system for all but the most serious of crimes. Most people arrested on suspicion of non-violent or non-serious offenses will either be cited and released in the field or booked and released at a police or sheriff’s station with orders to appear in court on a specific date for arraignment once they are actually charged with a crime.

Arrestees who are believed to present a heightened threat to the public or be a flight risk will be referred to a magistrate judge, who will review the case and determine whether the person should be held in custody pending arraignment or released under non-financial restrictions such as electronic monitoring.

Once a person is charged and appears in court for arraignment, a judge could change or revoke the defendant’s release conditions.

On Friday, 12 Southland cities filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking an injunction blocking implementation of the zero-bail system, arguing it will harm public safety. It was unclear when that legal challenge would be heard.

The new system is borne from long-held criticism that cash bail favored the rich, meaning well-heeled people arrested for even the most serious of crimes could pay their way out of jail, while low-income people languished behind bars for far lesser offenses. The new system is based not on cash, but on the risk an offender presents to public safety or the possibility the person might fail to appear in court.

The county implemented a zero-bail system during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to prevent crowding in jails. Then in May, a Los Angeles judge issued a preliminary injunction, essentially reinstating the system by ordering an end to cash bail by the Los Angeles police and sheriff’s departments.

The Los Angeles Superior Court in July announced plans for the PARP system, with Presiding Judge Samantha Jessner saying, “a person’s ability to pay a large sum of money should not be the determining factor in deciding whether that person, who is presumed innocent, stays in jail before trial or is released.”

But the idea of zero-bail has generated public safety questions — with some county supervisors noting Tuesday their offices have been swamped with calls from residents concerned about the system, particularly following a recent wave of mob-style smash-and-grab burglaries and reports of suspects in those crimes being arrested but then quickly released, only to commit new crimes.

Some residents told the Board of Supervisors the county should “think this through before implementing” it. Another claimed the zero-bail system implemented during the pandemic “didn’t work” and that other jurisdictions that have tried it saw jumps in crime.

But others spoke in favor, calling suggestions that crime will increase “fearmongering” and accuse opponents of manufacturing statistics in an effort to “sustain the current policies that do not work.”

A report prepared by the county last year analyzing the impacts of the pandemic-era zero-bail policy concluded that “rates of failure to appear in court and of rearrest or new offenses remained either below or similar to their historical average.”

The Judicial Council of California also released a recent report finding that a risk-based zero-bail system actually led to increased public safety, with a 5.8% drop in people being rearrested for misdemeanors and a 2.4% decrease in people being rearrested for felonies.

David Slayton, the CEO of Los Angeles Superior Court, told the Board of Supervisors that those percentages may seem small, but they represent an “impactful reduction in the re-arrest rate.”

Echoing Mitchell’s comments, Slayton flatly denied the new system means there are no consequences for crime, noting that people who fail to appear in court, re-offend while on release, or violate their release conditions will be subject to arrest and jail.

“There are consequences for illegal behavior,” he said, noting that the idea of bail has always been to ensure people show up in court, not to punish people, and a risk-based decision on pre-arraignment detention serves
the same goal.

Officials noted that the zero-bail system affects only pre-arraignment or pre-trial custody decisions on arrestees who are — by law — presumed innocent until conviction. Those who are later convicted will be sentenced as usual.

Mitchell noted that while it is upsetting when a person released on zero bail commits a new crime, it’s equally upsetting when that crime is committed by a person who was released on cash bail solely because they had the money to get out of jail.

Supervisor Janice Hahn conceded the concern circulating among the public about the new system.

“This new bail schedule certainly is an attempt at justice reform, which I think we’ve all been pushing for, but it is so different, and  “it’s causing concern and anxiety out there, not only from law enforcement but also from our communities,” she said. “And I can’t be the only one whose office is inundated with calls, and when I’m out publicly, I have people approaching me who are very concerned about this.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger also said her office was hearing from concerned constituents.

“Residents don’t feel safe. One only has to turn on the TV each morning and hear what happened the day before, whether it be a smash-and-grab, a carjacking, a burglary, or an armed robber.”

Barger said she fully understands the problems with cash bail, but it’s a matter of how to explain to the public what the new system is working to accomplish and “how are we going to make sure that criminals out there don’t feel there are no consequences.”

The grand jury indictment charges Cory Ervin, 30, and Kalil Santos, 22, with seven counts each of murder in connection with the Dec. 6, 2021, shooting deaths of two men at an RV park at 195 E. 116th Place in South Los Angeles, a shooting a day later at a gas station in the 100 block of East El Segundo Boulevard in which all three victims survived, the Dec. 14, 2021, killing of a man at a residence in an unincorporated area near Compton and the Jan. 23, 2022, shooting deaths of four people in Inglewood, where a birthday party was taking place, according to the District Attorney’s Office. 

Ervin and Santos are also charged with seven counts each of attempted murder, along with five counts each of conspiracy to commit a crime and two counts each of assault with an assault weapon, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Ervin is also charged with four counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, while Santos is charged with three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Also charged with a lesser number of crimes are:

• Kendale Taylor, 24, who was indicted on six counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime; 
• Marvin Linnear, 55, who is charged with three counts each of murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, two counts of assault with an assault weapon and five counts of conspiracy to commit a crime; 
• Kevin Salter, 21, and Terrence Adams, 33, who were indicted on two counts each of murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, four counts of conspiracy to commit a crime and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon;
• Semaj Brown, 25, who is charged with one count each of murder, attempted murder, assault with an assault weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The seven defendants — who have all pleaded not guilty — are due back in a Compton courtroom Sept. 13. 

The case stems from investigations by the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Inglewood Police Department.

The motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell states that easing inmate telephone access to family and friends “is a factor in reduction of the rate of recidivism” and has been shown to reduce misconduct in jails “by lowering anxiety and tension.”

“Providing free phone calls in county jails will relieve and remove the huge financial strain from families who have been unfairly impacted by the incarceration of their loved ones,” the motion states. “We should not be penalizing families simply for association.”

Two years ago, the board moved to consider making inmate calls free. It also moved for an audit of inmate welfare funds to see if money generated by inmate phone calls were actually being used to benefit inmate recovery and rehabilitation programs, as required.

The motion states that “there are claims that the funds have been used to fix plumbing issues or leaking toilets,” which are supposed to be paid by the sheriff’s department, not inmate funds.

In addition to ordering free inmate calls by Dec. 1, the motion would also direct the sheriff to work with the CEO, Civilian Oversight Commission and Sybil Brand Commission “to develop an implementation program with a funding proposal, in 90 days, in writing, to provide more and diverse programming which will be  equitably available to people who are incarcerated.”

“Regardless of the cost of the phone calls, tying the loss of revenue and profits generated by people who are incarcerated, and their families should not be the deciding factor on whether L.A. County provides free phone calls to people who are incarcerated,” the motion states.

“Whether that revenue exists or not, LASD is still responsible for providing programming to incarcerated people and maintaining the jails where they are incarcerated. Not doing so is antithetical to ‘care first’ and is putting profits over people.”

Luna said he worked tirelessly on the new policy alongside labor unions to address a long-standing issue in his department.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Jan 12

Ex-LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva testifies on deputy gangs

Jul 11, 2023

Judge blocks inspection of LA deputy gang members' tattoos

“I’m not the kind of guy who is turning away saying this doesn’t exist,” Sheriff Luna said. “I think it exists, but I remind everybody out there 99% of our employees are amazing.”

Luna said participants in law enforcement gangs or hate groups have engaged in a wide range of behavior that involves everything from use of force issues, to lying on reports, to misconduct within the department. They also have heard complaints from the community on racial bias.

This new policy defines terms like ‘law enforcement gang’ and ‘hate group’ and it prohibits a deputy’s participation in them.

It also acknowledges that criminal allegations may be referred to prosecutors and participation in these groups may result in a suspension or revoking a deputy’s law enforcement certification.

But how will it enforced?

“First, you start off with a good strong policy, which I believe this is. Number two, you train to make sure everybody understands the policy. And then you hold people accountable,” Sheriff Luna said.

The sheriff worked on the new policy with labor unions.

The Association for LA Deputy Sheriffs President Richard Pippin released a statement Wednesday.

 “This policy enables the Sheriff’s Department to address staff who do not meet the expected standard of conduct, while safeguarding the rights that are afforded to all workers in this country,” Pippin said. “Perhaps the ‘defund the police’ crowd won’t be satisfied, but they never will be, shy of the complete end of any kind of effective policing in our society. Given the severe personnel shortages currently facing the Sheriff’s Department, ALADS is focused on staffing and creating the excellent law enforcement agency our communities deserve.”

Sheriff Luna said the policy will take effect Oct. 18.

Reports of the fire came around 1 a.m. at a county parking lot on Spring Street near 2nd Avenue.

When firefighters arrived they found multiple vehicles severely damaged and melted.

Arson investigators were called to the scene to begin investigating what the cause of the fire was. No injuries were reported.

“Our firm represents over 500 people,” Doug Rochen, ACTS Law, attorney said.   

He says the allegations in his cases span from the 1970’s to as recently as this year. 

LA County May 23, 2023

State Board Declares LA County Juvenile Halls Unsuitable to Detain Youth

Los Angeles County May 9, 2023

Teenager in LA County Juvenile Hall Dies of Apparent Drug Overdose

“This is not a problem that has gone away. This is not a problem that has been appropriately addressed,” Rochen said. 

One man, who did not want to be identified, is among the new complainants, according to Rochen.  

The local business owner tells the NBC4 I-Team, he was 15 years old when he was sexually abused by a female probation officer inside a county juvenile hall.   

“I felt used. I felt abused. I felt ashamed,” the man told the I-Team.  

“When she sat on my bed, she grabbed my private area. I bounced back like, what you doing? I was kind of scared, nervous,” the man said.   

“Right before she left out, she was like, make sure you don’t tell nobody, or you’re going to be in here for a long time,” he said, adding he felt threatened. 

Glenn Jefferson says he was 15 years old when a male probation officer assaulted him inside a LA County juvenile hall. The 43-year old father of two joined a previously filed complaint and is now speaking publicly about what he claims happened to him.  

“I tried to fight back. He raped me,” Jefferson said.   

“I’ve been in the dark and I’m fighting with it every day. I’m not going to get over this, but talking about it, talking to being free with it, I’m feeling a little bit better,” Jefferson added.  

Rochen explains recent updates to California law opened the door for more alleged victims of child abuse to take legal action, by extending the statute of limitation on certain cases.    

He says his clients are seeking monetary compensation and the potential payouts from these lawsuits could reach well into the millions.   

“Psychological counseling and all the different modalities of therapies over a period of years is hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Rochen said.  

LA County May 23, 2023

2 LA County Juvenile Halls Ordered Closed

Los Angeles County May 9, 2023

Teenager in LA County Juvenile Hall Dies of Apparent Drug Overdose

The allegations of abuse come at a moment of intense scrutiny for the county’s juvenile halls.   

In May, a state board ordered the halls to close down – calling them “unsuitable” to house young people.   

The county is in the process of making changes that include adding more staff and reopening a renovated Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.    

We asked the county Probation Department about the allegations of child abuse in the complaints; they tell the I-Team in an email:   

“The Los Angeles County Probation Department does not comment on pending allegations or litigation.”   

People who were at the jail between May 13 and May 28 were urged to get vaccinated against the virus.

Shots will be offered Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Obregon Park, 4021 E. First St., and Ted Watkins Memorial Park, 1335 E. 103rd St. Shots will be offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of next week at Market Street Center, 22900 Market St. in Santa Clarita.

Vaccinations are also available at Public Health walk-in clinics. Information about hours and locations is available online at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/chs/nurseclinic.pdf.

“The hepatitis A virus, which causes a short-term liver infection, is found in the stool and blood of people who are infected,” Los Angeles County Public Health officials said. “Hepatitis A is usually transmitted
through eating contaminated food, or through close contact with a person while infectious. Symptoms of hepatitis include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine or yellow eyes/skin.”

Now the LA Metro Transportation Authority is exploring new ways of alleviating that by charging drivers.

The idea is called “Congestion Pricing.” It uses priced tolls to control speed and the flow of cars in an effort to help with less traffic and cleaner air.

North Hollywood May 31, 2023

Police in North Hollywood Investigate Hate Crime at Elementary School After LGBTQ Flag Burned

Gavin Newsom May 31, 2023

Ahead of Blazing Summers Newsom Floats Plan for State to Buy Energy

The company has identified three locations where they could potentially implement the new idea. One of them is a 16-mile stretch on the 10 Freeway between downtown LA and Santa Monica. Another is in the San Fernando Valley and the LA Basin.

The prices of living in LA already high and the additional coast for drivers may not sit well with consumers.

“The basic idea behind it is the traffic congestion is caused because roads are a valuable scares goods,” said Michael Manville, a professor of Urban Planning at UCLA. “Right now they cost nothing to access and like almost anything that’s in high demand, if it’s underpriced you run out of it and that’s what congestion is.”

Other cities across the world have implemented similar programs on their roadways like in London, Stockholm, Singapore and Milan. New York City is also considering something as well.

Details on the plan have not been finalized, including the price, technology, or how they will implement it.

The Los Angeles MTA has said they plan on releasing their study later this summer.

Members of the Board of State and Community Corrections said they felt they had no alternative other than to make the declaration, citing a protracted history of short-comings at the facilities, which were found in recent inspections to still be out of compliance with numerous state standards.

Los Angeles County May 22, 2023

LA County Juvenile Halls Could Be Forced to Close Down 

Los Angeles County May 9, 2023

Teenager in LA County Juvenile Hall Dies of Apparent Drug Overdose

Board members called the county’s recently approved “aggressive” plans for an overhaul of its juvenile detention system too little, too late.

Representatives for the county unsuccessfully asked the board for a 150-day delay in the board’s action, saying plans are already under way to relocate pre-disposition youth detainees to the previously closed Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, but doing so in 60 days could create “chaos” and safety concerns.

It was unclear if the county might consider a temporary alternative housing option for some youth.

Roughly 275 pre-disposition youth — those who have not yet had their criminal cases resolved in court — are currently housed in the Nidorf and Central halls, a county representative told the board Tuesday. The order will not impact post-disposition youth housed in a Secure Youth Treatment Facility within Nidorf hall in Sylmar. Central Juvenile Hall is in Lincoln Heights.

The BSCC also found the two juvenile halls unsuitable to house youths in 2021, but the facilities managed to remain open. But renewed inspection failures led the board to again initiate the process of declaring the halls unsuitable.

The county Board of Supervisors has been struggling to overhaul the troubled juvenile justice system even as it assumes responsibility for youth being transferred to counties from the state’s closing Juvenile Justice facilities.

The board recently voted to advance a “Global Plan” for the placement and care of juvenile detainees, with a goal of reducing the number of juveniles in custody and development of Secure Youth Treatment Facilities to provide a more supportive environment for detained youth.

On May 2, the Board of Supervisors approved a series of more immediate steps outlined by county CEO Fesia Davenport. Under that plan, all pre-disposition youth will move to Los Padrinos, while Central Juvenile Hall will be used solely as an intake unit and medical and diagnostic/assessment hub, and only Secure Youth Treatment Facility youth will be housed at Nidorf.

The plan also included the readjustment of millions of dollars for capital improvements at the juvenile halls, with overall costs anticipated to reach nearly $50 million. That plan also called on the sheriff’s department to deploy volunteer reserve deputies to help fill holes in staffing.

But while those plans have been slowly advancing, the juvenile detention system and the Probation Department that oversees it have been routinely under fire from state regulators over conditions at the facilities, which have been plagued by oversight and staffing issues.

In March of last year, about 140 juvenile detainees were hastily transferred from Central Juvenile Hall in Lincoln Heights to Barry J. Nidorf hall in Sylmar — a move that the county inspector general later concluded was orchestrated to avert a state inspection that appeared likely to fail.

Late last year, nearly 300 boys and girls filed a lawsuit alleging they were sexually assaulted, harassed and abused by county probation and detention officers while being held at juvenile facilities dating back to the 1970s. Davenport noted while releasing her recent budget proposal for the coming year that the county could potentially face liabilities reaching $3 billion from such abuse claims.

In March, the Board of Supervisors fired Probation Department Chief Adolfo Gonzales, with board Chair Janice Hahn noting that the juvenile halls “are in crisis.”

On May 9, a teenage detainee at Nidorf hall died of a drug overdose.

On that same day, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that the county juvenile halls still fail to meet the terms of a 2021 court judgment requiring improvements in conditions including staffing and ensuring youth are taken to schools and medical appointments in a timely manner. Another hearing in that case is scheduled for June 20.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services made the announcement that LA County Library was selected among seven other recipients of the award. It is the nation’s highest honor that is given to museums and libraries that are making significant contributions to its communities.

“IMLS is delighted to announce that eight worthy recipients of the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, including LA County Library,” said Crosby Kemper, IMLS director in a statement. “LA County Library meets the needs of one of the most complex and diverse communities in the nation.”

LA County is one of the nation’s largest library systems with 85 community libraries and one institutional library. It serves millions of residents across the vast county and offers a variety of programs, services for children and personal enrichment.

The eight recipients were selected from a list of 30 national finalists. A main focus for selecting winners are their dynamic programming as well as their levels of service. The goal of the award is to help promote a true impact on communities.

“It is a profound and humbling honor to be selected as a winner of the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from among so many vital cultural institutions across the nation,” said Skye Patrick, the library director in a statement. “I am proud of our extraordinary team here at LA County Library, who embody outstanding customer service, help make our libraries the welcoming community hubs they are, and routinely inspire residents to learn and grow throughout all stages of their lives. We accept this award on behalf of the communities of Los Angeles County that we have the privilege to serve every day, by removing barriers to access and increasing equitable opportunities for all.”

The official award will be presented at a ceremony in the summer held in Washington D.C.

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The “Jail Inpatient Unit,” approved by the Board of Supervisors this week, will provide at least 16 beds for the evaluation and treatment of people who may be a danger to themselves or others, or who are considered gravely disabled, according to the Board motion that created the new unit.

“It is a drop in the bucket, but you have to start somewhere,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger told NBCLA Wednesday, acknowledging much larger scale improvements in the jail system are needed to remedy the current problems.

“It’s going to at least allow them to have an area to do triage and allow them begin treatment, for those that are both coming into the system, and those who are already there,” she said.

In February the ACLU asked a federal judge to hold the County in contempt of court for failing to improve jail conditions for people in need of mental health care, after records from the Sheriff’s Department showed numerous people were held in a reception area for hours or days at a time, sometimes chained to chairs and benches without access to bathrooms or food.

The judge in that case was set to visit the jail Thursday to see the crowding problems firsthand.

Barger said with a sharp increase in the number of people in jail who need mental heath treatment, she’s hopeful state regulators will allow the County to increase the number of beds in the new unit, which for now are capped by state law.

The ruling was handed down after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff held hearings that involved six plaintiffs who were among those being held in jails until a bench officer determines the conditions of their release as they wait for court hearings. The plaintiffs argued that a “wealth-based detention system” is unconstitutional under federal and state laws.

All of the plaintiffs in the case spent five days in jail because they could not afford to post bail.

People under arrest with sufficient wealth or other support can post the bail amount immediately and go free, but others not so fortunate have to stay in jail until their hearings, the judge wrote.

Riff gave the parties 60 days to come up with different rules for pretrial detention. Those options might include releasing people under arrest on their own with a promise to appear or the use of electronic monitoring.

But until then, Riff ruled that people taken into custody for non-violent and non-serious offenses cannot be required to pay bail before their arraignment. Those arrested for violent felonies or certain serious misdemeanors, including domestic violence, are not protected by the injunction.

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Inflation, the homelessness crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting impacts and rising housing costs are among the chief concerns among residents in the nation’s most populous county, according to a new UCLA survey.

The latest UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs’ quality of life index was released Wednesday. Respondents showed nearly historic levels of dissatisfaction with their quality of life, but noted some improvements during the past year.

Inflation was solidly atop the list of matters impacting quality of life.

“Last year’s record negativity appears to have bottomed out and made a slight upward turn,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative, who oversees the index. “But inflation has taken a toll, especially among lower- and middle-income residents.”

Key LA County Quality of Life Takeaways

Here are some of the primary causes for concern, according to the survey.

Inflation: Respondents expressed worry about losing their homes or feeding their families. Ninety-four percent of respondents said they were affected by inflation and the increase in costs of basic needs. And 71% said it had a major impact. Rising housing costs were identified as an issue by 82%, and 58 said it’s a major concern.

Homelessness: Many residents said their quality of life had been affected by a particular homeless encampment. More than a quarter, or 28%, of respondents worried about losing their home and becoming homeless, while 25% were afraid their families will go hungry because they can’t afford the cost of food. Nearly half of people in households earning less than $60,000 were concerned about becoming homeless. Almost three-quarters of residents, 73%, said their quality of life had been impacted in the last year by a particular homeless encampment. A major impact of the encampments was reported by 43% of respondents, with San Fernando Valley and Westside residents at 50% and San Gabriel Valley residents at 28%.

Pandemic: Many respondents said they believe the pandemic’s impacts on the region will be long-lasting. Most respondents, 75%, said life has been fundamentally changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 23% expect life to return to the way it was before. Many respondents said their income changed during the pandemic, with 27% saying it went down and 30% saying it went up. More than a third, or 35%, of those with a household income below $60,000 said it declined. Nearly half, or 45%, of respondents with a household income over $120,000, said it rose.

How the Survey Was Conducted

The survey measures county residents’ satisfaction levels in nine categories. The overall rating rose two points to 55, but it was still the second-lowest rating in the eight years of the project. The highest rating of 59 was recorded in 2016 and 2017.

This year’s quality of life survey was based on interviews conducted with 1,429 county residents over 30 days beginning on Feb. 24. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6%.

Ratings were up slightly in all nine categories except health care, which remained the same as 2022.

Haz clic aquí para leer esta historia en español.

Luna said he worked tirelessly on the new policy alongside labor unions to address a long-standing issue in his department.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Jan 12

Ex-LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva testifies on deputy gangs

Jul 11, 2023

Judge blocks inspection of LA deputy gang members' tattoos

“I’m not the kind of guy who is turning away saying this doesn’t exist,” Sheriff Luna said. “I think it exists, but I remind everybody out there 99% of our employees are amazing.”

Luna said participants in law enforcement gangs or hate groups have engaged in a wide range of behavior that involves everything from use of force issues, to lying on reports, to misconduct within the department. They also have heard complaints from the community on racial bias.

This new policy defines terms like ‘law enforcement gang’ and ‘hate group’ and it prohibits a deputy’s participation in them.

It also acknowledges that criminal allegations may be referred to prosecutors and participation in these groups may result in a suspension or revoking a deputy’s law enforcement certification.

But how will it enforced?

“First, you start off with a good strong policy, which I believe this is. Number two, you train to make sure everybody understands the policy. And then you hold people accountable,” Sheriff Luna said.

The sheriff worked on the new policy with labor unions.

The Association for LA Deputy Sheriffs President Richard Pippin released a statement Wednesday.

 “This policy enables the Sheriff’s Department to address staff who do not meet the expected standard of conduct, while safeguarding the rights that are afforded to all workers in this country,” Pippin said. “Perhaps the ‘defund the police’ crowd won’t be satisfied, but they never will be, shy of the complete end of any kind of effective policing in our society. Given the severe personnel shortages currently facing the Sheriff’s Department, ALADS is focused on staffing and creating the excellent law enforcement agency our communities deserve.”

Sheriff Luna said the policy will take effect Oct. 18.

The California Transportation Commission has allocated more than $1.1 billion in total projects throughout the state, including the following local projects:
   — $8.9 million to upgrade curb ramps, pedestrian signals, crosswalks, sidewalks and pathways on State Route 164 in South El Monte, El Monte, Rosemead and Temple City;
   — $2.3 million to build a two-mile bike path along Puente Creek in La Puente and City of Industry (in addition, $200,000 will used for bicycle and pedestrian safety education for schools near the bikeway);
   — $1.2 million to install nine rectangular rapid flashing beacons, 62 crosswalks and 66 pedestrian push buttons on a nearly three-mile portion of South Broadway and Manchester Avenue in South Los Angeles (the project will also construct a four-mile cycle track and sidewalk improvements).

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The total state allocations include more than $533 million in funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and more than $190 million in funding from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, state transportation officials said Friday.

“California and our federal partners are taking action now to create a safer, more resilient, and more equitable transportation future for all Californians,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said. “These visionary
infrastructure investments are giving Caltrans the tools it needs to rebuild California.”

Among the rules still being enforced by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health are a requirement that employees who test positive remain out of the worksite for at least five days. 

Those employees can return between days six and 10 after testing positive if they have been fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms have subsided, health officials said.

Employers are also required to notify other workers who may have been exposed to the virus, to make testing available to employees who may have been exposed and to ensure that all exposed employees take a test within three to five days.

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Employers are required to report clusters of three or more cases that occur within 14 days to the county Department of Public Health.

“Cal-OSHA is clear that worksites need to be safe by protecting workers from transmission of COVID-19,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. 

“We encourage everyone to be mindful of worksite rules and do their best to not transmit this virus to others by isolating when infected and using masks and tests appropriately when exposed to the virus. Together our efforts provide support to those who are most vulnerable and minimize the disruptions to school, work, and our daily lives.”

The county reported 10 more COVID-related deaths on Friday, raising the overall death toll to 35,970. 

A majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, health officials have said.

Another 932 COVID infections were reported Friday, raising the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 3,723,386. 

Overall case reports from the county are considered to be undercounts of actual virus activity, due to the number of people who use at-home tests and don’t report the results, or those who don’t bother testing at all.

According to state figures, there were 413 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Friday, down from 420 a day earlier. 

Of those patients, 43 were being treated in intensive care units, up from 39 on Thursday.

Some patients were admitted for other reasons and learned they had COVID after a mandated test.