The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said it’s investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue in residents of Baldwin Park.

Last Monday, officials had reported the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue also in Baldwin Park.

“Dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County, cases of locally acquired dengue are extremely rare,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. 

In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

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Officials said almost all dengue infections detected in the county previously were from those who traveled to countries where dengue is commonly spread, such as Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 

Those infected with dengue can experience flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash and mild bleeding. Severe cases can lead to organ impairment.

The symptoms generally last no more than a week, and people usually fully recover within two weeks. Deaths from the virus are extremely rare, health officials said.

Two cases of Baylisascaris procyonis, also known as raccoon roundworm, were detected in the South Bay area, the Los Angeles Public Health Department said Tuesday.

People can get infected with racoon roundworm if they eat dirt, soil, water or any material contaminated with infected racoon feces as the parasite lives in the intestine of racoons. 

Dogs and cats can also become infected if they ingest anything infected.

Raccoons may not become sick by the parasite, but their feces can carry the rounworm’s eggs.

In humans, the disease can infect the spinal cord, brain and eyes and lead to swelling of the brain and eye disease.

Infected people, after up to four weeks of the incubation period, may show various symptoms such as nausea, tiredness, loss of coordination, loss of muscle control, blindness and coma. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

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Public health officials said some 60% of infectious diseases in humans involve animals, especially wildlife, such as flea-borne typhus, leptospirosis, West Nile Virus, salmonella and rabies. 

Experts encourage people to follow these practices to prevent illness from pets and wild animals.

• Wash your hands
• Be aware of diseases that can be spread from animals to people, whether at home, petting zoos, animal exhibits, childcare settings, schools, or while traveling.
• Prevent insect bites
• Avoid animal bites and scratches
• Keep wildlife away
• Handle food safely, and do not feed raw food to your pets.
• Remove animal waste
• Do not touch dead wildlife. 
• Keep pets healthy.

The fires sparked during a week of triple-digit heat. But as temperatures start to cool down, firefighters are working with more favorable conditions.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Southern California and declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties.

Thousands of fire personnel continue working to control and extinguish the flames that have left homes and other structures damaged and displaced thousands of residents.

Bridge Fire

The Bridge Fire continues to burn over 54,000 acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties on Monday.

More than 2,000 fire personnel continue battling the fire which continues to be the largest active fire in California.

The Bridge Fire is burning 54,774 acres and is 25% contained as of Monday evening. The fire has destroyed at least 54 structures and damaged 13 others.

A community meeting about the fire will be streamed here.

For a full list of evacuation orders, warnings, road closures and shelter information on the Bridge Fire visit the Cal Fire website.

Line Fire

In San Bernardino County, the Line Fire continues to burn 39,026 acres and is now 49% contained.

Over 3,000 fire personnel continue battling the fire that has left thousands of residents displaced.

All schools and offices in the San Bernardino County Unified School District have reopened on Monday after they had closed down due to the fire.

“We are pleased to inform you that after careful consideration, we are ready to welcome everyone back to our schools and offices on Monday, September 16, 2024,” Superintendent Mauricio V. Arellano said. “Thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing our scholars return to our campuses excited to learn.”

For a full list of evacuation orders, warnings, road closures and shelter information on the Line Fire visit the Cal Fire website.

Airport Fire

In Orange and Riverside Counties, the Airport Fire continues to burn over 23,000 acres.

The fire had burned 23,519 acres and was 31% contained as of Monday evening.

A team of over 2,000 fire personnel continue fighting the flames that have destroyed 160 structures and damaged 34 others. At least 14 injures have been reported due to the Airport Fire.

For a full list of evacuation orders, warnings, road closures and shelter information on the Airport Fire visit the Cal Fire website.

“The Wrightwood water system, working with the State Water Resources Control Board, has determined through comprehensive testing that Wrightwood’s water is safe to drink. Customers no longer need to consume bottled water.  However, customers should flush their taps only after the evacuation order is lifted,” wrote the Golden State Water Company.

The company issued the advisory due to concerns that the water system in Wrightwood was impacted by the ongoing Bridge Fire. It was believed that on Saturday morning the water system experienced a loss of pressure in some areas of Wrightwood, making way for harmful contaminants.

Wildfires Sep 14

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Wildfires Sep 11

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With the loss of pressure, dangerous contaminants like benzene and other volatile organic chemicals could make their way into the water.

Reports circulating about customers being unable to use water for bathing were also disproven by the Golden State Water Company.

“It has come to our attention that there are reports circulating about customers being unable to use water for bathing. We want to clarify that these reports are inaccurate,” wrote the Golden State Water Company.

For more information on water quality or how to flush the water system click here.

The Bridge Fire, which is currently Southern California’s largest active wildfire, has consumed more than 52,000 acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties as of Saturday. At least 19 structures in its path were destroyed and firefighters remain battling it.

Three men were arrested after they were accused of committing a home invasion robbery Monday night at a home on the 15200 block of Greenleaf Street. They were taken into custody hours later and identified as:

• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 21,
• Isaiah Rankins, 22,
• Dion Hill, age 24.

According to Gascón, at least two of the men posted bail soon after their arrest.

“They got arrested, they immediately posted bail,” the district attorney said. “And that’s the way the system works, and that’s one of the reasons why I believe that we should eliminate cash bail and should be a risk-based assessment. If you have prior cases pending, if you have, you know, history of risk, if you’re a danger to our community, you should not be released.”

The suspects had previous records for prior burglaries and probation for firearm possession.

Monday night’s break-in reopened the discussion of crime in the county, with Gascón’s critics saying his office has taken a “soft” approach to handling crime.

“Number one, we’re working really hard with the police to ensure that people are held accountable,” Gascón said. “Sending people to prison, we’ll prosecute people, we’ll do everything that we can to do that part.”

The district attorney provided a chart that shows his office files charges in 73% of burglary cases that law enforcement presents. That figure has generally been the same for the last eight years, including the five years before Gascón took office.

NBC4’s discussion with Gascón comes days after Los Angeles police issued a community alert to West LA neighborhoods due to an uptick in home burglaries in certain areas.

“The warm weather isn’t over, and neither is Los Angeles County’s pool season,” said Hahn, who led the effort to keep pools open longer. “It never made sense that our pools used to close in mid-August, and I am grateful that with the support of my colleagues and the hard work of our Parks and Recreation Department, we are keeping our pools open to the public through Halloween.”

This is the first year that pools are open 6-days a week and will remain open through the end of October. L.A. County Parks and Recreation, which manages 41 pools across 30 locations, recruited more pool lifeguards and the county increased the starting pay for those positions by 20% to $23.86 per hour.

The department hired 356 new pool lifeguards and rehired another 224 for a total of nearly 600 pool lifeguards.

L.A. County also invested in new lighting at pools so swimmers can enjoy the pools as the sun rises later and sets earlier in the fall. Residents can participate in several programs at recreation and parks’ facilities such as low-cost swim teams, senior aquatic exercise, and a first-ever Summer Parks After Dark pool events series, among other activities.

Pool schedules have been adjusted slightly for the fall. A complete list of county pools can be viewed online here.

Jennie Feria, the chief deputy director of the county’s Department of Children and Family Services, tells the I-Team calls that once would end when it was determined there wasn’t a need for a child abuse or neglect investigation, now stay open.  

“We will go ahead and ask questions, screen it and if there is no concern for abuse or neglect, we will definitely connect them to the services through the Hotline to Helpline program,” Feria said.   

Hotline to Helpline started in 2018 and continues to expand its reach.  

Data obtained by the I-Team from the department shows an increase in these transfers, meaning calls that do not meet the standards for child abuse and neglect but do qualify for services in the community.   

More than 3,141 calls qualified for Helpline from January to May 2024, with 1,228 of families accepting services, according to the data obtained from the department.  

“An example could be that a child shows up to school hungry, and it may be impacting their education, and the teacher calls in because they’re a little bit concerned, and maybe mom’s working three jobs trying to put food on the table,” Feria said.  

Para Los Niños is an organization that has taken calls transferred from the department under the Hotline to Helpline program.

“It could be very, very simple as like, ‘We need concrete supports,’” said Jimmy Urizar, director of family services for PLN. “‘Can you help me find a place to help me pay for my utility bill? Can you help me with getting diapers?’ Sometimes it may be, ‘Can you help me find housing? Can you help me pay for rent,’” Urizar said.   

According to DCFS, families seeking support or resources should call 211 to be connected with help in their communities. 

Suspicions of abuse or neglect may be reported 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the county’s child protection hotline at 800-540-4000.

The three-alarm fire was reported Wednesday in the 2600 block of River Avenue. Video from NewsChopper 4 showed thick plumes of smoke coming from an industrial yard.

The raging flames and thick smoke forced responding crews in defensive mode, pouring water on the conflagration from the exterior and working to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring structures. The resulting thick smoke wafted into the air to the northeast, across Rosemead Boulevard and toward the San Bernardino (10) Freeway. Both roadways remained open during the firefight.

The fire ultimately went to a third alarm, as more and more crews were summoned to fight the blaze.

Sheriff’s deputies also responded to the scene to assist with evacuating neighboring businesses and others from the area.

It was unclear exactly what type of material fueled the flames, although crews on the scene reported large amounts of plastics in the burning yard.

Fire crews declared a knockdown of the fire at about 3:40 p.m.

There was no immediate word on what sparked the fire.

According to a new analysis, the number of fatalities slightly decreased from 3,220 in 2022 to 3,092 in 2023, marking the first reduction since 2014.

This development comes after a decade of alarming increases with overdose and poisoning deaths surging by over 300%. 

“The findings demonstrate that through a continuum of preventative, harm reduction and treatment approaches, we can bend the curve on overdoses,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of the Department of Public Health. 

However, she cautioned that the numbers are still at historic highs. 

“I encourage everyone to get naloxone, the overdose prevention medication, and to feel empowered to seek help for their substance use,” she suggested.

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Fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to be primary contributors to overdose and poisoning deaths, according to the county’s report.

Black populations are “disproportionately affected,” while “Latinx and [white] populations represent the highest raw numbers of fatalities, respectively,” said the Department of Public Health in a statement.

The county has increased its investments in relevant services. Prevention efforts have seen a 260% increase in funding, treatment services a 275% increase, and harm reduction programs a 500% increase, the report noted.

Residents struggling with substance use can access assistance 24/7 by calling 800-854-7771.

The discharge occurred around 4 p.m. Saturday near 2700 S. Cresta Place, when a water main break pushed sand into the sewer and caused a blockage, LA City Sanitation reported.

People are urged to avoid the water and wet sand on beaches one mile north and a mile south of Ballona Creek for at least 48 hours, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Two water quality tests must show that bacterial levels meet health standards before the beaches will reopen. Samples will start Monday.

Recorded information about beach conditions is available 24/7 at 800-525-5662.

California has four of the 21 communities that will receive the competitive Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). PRO Housing provides grant funding to help communities address local housing barriers such as outdated regulations and land use policies, inadequate infrastructure, lack of available financing for development, etc. 

The funding under PRO Housing comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which provided $85 million to establish the grant competition.

The $16.2 million will be awarded to four California affordable housing initiatives: Los Angeles County ($6.7 million), Metropolitan Transportation Commission of the Bay Area ($5 million), Anaheim ($3.5 million), and Arcata ($1 million).

LA County specifically will use the grant to “support housing in unincorporated areas,” “building and modernizing sewer and transportation infrastructure,” and “facilitating construction in areas with major public transit infrastructure,” according to Padilla’s public statement.

The County will also conduct an “equity audit” to change land use patterns that are rooted in systemically racist policies.

Last year, a report by UCLA and Leadership Counsel pointed out the structural racism embedded in California’s land use policies, analyzing how “jurisdictions continue to disproportionately place polluting land uses in and around disadvantaged communities.”

A primary goal of the grant is to “examine historical housing inequities” like these and “expand access to home loans in communities,” Padilla announced.

More details of the grant use have not yet been provided, while it is known that the grant is one step toward a bigger direction. Later this year, HUD will make $100 million in additional funding available for a second-round funding competition.

The shooting was reported shortly before 6 p.m. in the 800 block of E Avenue J-12, LASD said. There, two men were found shot and were taken to an area hospital. They later died of their injuries.

Details on what led up to the shooting were not immediately clear. Authorities did not release the names of the deceased.

A detailed description of a possible gunman was not available.

“Homicide detectives have learned this shooting is gang-related and are currently gathering more information on any suspects and continuing to work the scene,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made by contacting Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Wednesday’s violence follows a string of shootings reported Tuesday in Lancaster that left at least two others dead. The shootings on Tuesday were just blocks away from each other in the span of about two hours.

It is unclear if all incidents are connected.

The department’s warning covers:

• Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach (100 yards up and down the coast from the creek near Will Rogers Tower 18);
• Mother Beach in Marina Del Rey (entire swim area);
• Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach (100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms);
• Santa Monica Pier (100 yards up and down the coast from the pier); and
• Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (entire swim area).

All of the locations were found to have bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested, according to the county.

Meanwhile, the department lifted earlier warnings for two area beaches after recent samples found water quality levels within state standards.

The cleared beaches are the Temescal Canyon storm drain at Will Rogers State Beach and the Pico-Kenter storm drain at Santa Monica State Beach near Santa Monica South Tower 20.

Information on beach conditions is available 24 hours a day on the county’s beach closure hotline at 1-800- 525-5662. A map of impacted locations and more information is available here.

The application period will open on Monday at 9 a.m. and continue until 4:59 p.m. June 4. Potential applicants were urged to review eligibility requirements, register to receive a link to the application once it opens and access the application directly when it is available by visiting lacountyrentrelief.com.    

Several community organizations will also provide free webinars and technical assistance in multiple languages. Support services will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting from the application opening date.    

“L.A. County landlords can start applying in exactly 1 WEEK at lacountyrentrelief.com. If you are a tenant, make sure to refer your landlord to apply for the program,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath posted on X Monday afternoon.

The program, officially known as the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program, was launched Dec. 12, 2023, in an effort to provide financial support to landlords who have been economically impacted by the pandemic. Spearheaded by the Board of Supervisors and administered by The Center by Lendistry, the program provided more than $68 million in financial support to qualified

landlords. Eligible landlords were able to apply for up to $30,000 per rental unit, covering past due rent and eligible expenses dating back to April 1, 2022.

The first round was completed in January.

The program is specifically designed to help small, mom-and-pop landlords who own up to four rental units, officials said. The goal is to reduce tenant evictions, maintain the viability of small-scale rental businesses and ensure the availability of affordable housing, officials said.

“Launching the second round of the LA County Rent Relief Program underscores the county’s commitment to landlord and tenants, allowing us to help support the availability of stable housing options within our community,” DCBA Director Rafael Carbajal said in a statement.

DCBA will continue to use a prioritized review process, focusing on applications that serve vulnerable tenants and properties in areas of highest need, as identified by the county Equity Explorer Tool, officials said. 

Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

Applicants from the first round were urged to finalize any incomplete tasks and contact the Rent Relief Customer Call Center at 877-849-0770 for further assistance, which will help expedite processing and aid distribution.   

“The success of the first round of the LA County Rent Relief Program has been instrumental in delivering aid to those who need it most. As we initiate this second round, our commitment remains firm to continue supporting our local landlords and safeguarding affordable housing for tenants throughout Los Angeles County,” Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, president and CEO of The Center by Lendistry, said in a statement.

Authorities responded to a possible burglary call at about 12:30 a.m. at the gated property on Firestone Boulevard in southeastern Los Angeles County near the 5 Freeway. Several RVs were in flames when firefighters arrived.

Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available. The property has several security cameras that investigators plan to check for video.

No injuries were reported. Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading beyond the dealership.

A manager told NBCLA that the damage estimate is about $2 million.

The family-owned and operated company started in 1972 and became a Southern California fixture with four locations in the LA, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino areas.

Bojangles, whose menu includes an array of chicken sandwiches and sides of Southern comfort staples, announced a 30-unit agreement to bring the franchise to Los Angeles. The fast-food chain has yet to announce the location of the first restaurant in LA County, but it said it’s expected to open early next year.

“We are ecstatic to bring Bojangles to Los Angeles residents and look forward to opening our first location in California next year, while anticipating the exciting growth that will follow,” Bojangles CEO, Jose Armario, said in a statement.

The thirty locations will open throughout California over the next six years, the company said in a press release. It’s part of a move facilitated by Bojangles, Poulet Brothers, LLC and entrepreneur Lorenzo Boucetta.

“The opportunity to grow Bojangles in California presented itself at the perfect moment, and I am thrilled to bring this iconic brand to the market for the first time,” Boucetta said.

Based out of North Carolina, Bojangles has more than 800 locations in more than a dozen states, including Louisiana, Alabama, Virginia and more. Its most western location is currently in Texas.

The Community Outreach Court (COC) is an assistance program for persons experiencing homelessness looking to resolve various legal matters, and helps them access social services and secure housing.

The program is spearheaded by the LA City Attorney’s Office, the LA County Public Defender’s Office, the LA County Alternate Public Defender’s Office, and the LA Mayor’s Office of Community Safety. 

“This comes out of years of prior work listening to our homeless neighbors,” County Supervisor Hilda Solis said. “Understanding the challenges they face and wanting to lift every barrier and obstacle out of the way so they can get an equitable chance to do better and more.” 

Beyond legal services, the program aims to address criminal misdemeanor matters affecting unhoused Angelenos in a community setting. According to the COC website, over 100 unhoused individuals were provided record clearance, ticket relief, warrant resolution and housing assistance since its pilot phase in September 2023. 

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“By establishing a court that is located in the community, we are helping unhoused Angelenos comply with the law, navigate the legal system and access much-needed services,” City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a statement. 

Feldstein Soto also noted that when unhoused individuals are summoned to court, they are often reluctant to appear for several reasons, such as not having a place to store their belongings or afraid of losing them or they may struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues. 

According to the LA County Department of Public Health, the mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) took a sharp upward turn in 2020 and 2021. The top three causes included: overdose deaths, transportation related injuries and homicide. 

“This is our effort to bring our courts directly into the community to help solve these challenges,” Feldstein Soto said.

COC operations are held every third Thursday of the month at the Skid Row Community ReFresh Spot, a 24-hour public space that provides showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, drinking water, links to social services and pet supplies. The spot is located at 544 Towne Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90013. 

The next COC is scheduled for April 18 at 9:00 a.m.

The Oscar winner stood with a grin and a shovel full of dirt alongside local politicians and donors in the decidedly non-Hollywood city of Palmdale, 60 miles (80 kilometers) north and across the San Gabriel Mountains from Los Angeles.

But Bale, who was Batman in director Christopher Nolan ‘s “Dark Knight” trilogy, wasn’t just playing Bruce Wayne and lending his name and money to a charitable cause.

The project was his brainchild and one he’s long lent his labor to, getting his hands dirty and on Wednesday standing in actual mud after a historic storm on a hard-won site he’d visited many times before.

“I would have done it all if it was just me by myself here,” Bale told The Associated Press in an interview on the large vacant lot between a public park and a bowling alley.

The British-born Bale has lived in California since the early 1990s and sought to build the community after hearing about the huge number of foster children in LA County, and learning how many brothers and sisters had to be separated in the system.

That was around 2008, the time of “The Dark Knight,” when his now college-age daughter was 3 years old.

“I didn’t think it was going to take that long,” he said. “I had a very naive idea about kind of getting a piece of land and then, bringing kids in and the brothers and sisters living together and sort of singing songs like the Von Trapp family in ‘The Sound of Music’. ”

But he then learned “it’s way more complex. These are people’s lives. And we need to be able to have them land on their feet when they age out. There’s so much involved in this.”

Bale visited Chicago, spent several days in children and family services meetings. From there, he recruited Tim McCormick, who had set up a similar program, to head the organization that became known as Together California, a group Bale would co-found with UCLA doctor Eric Esrailian, a producer on one of his films.

“He said we’ve got to do this in California,” McCormick said. “To his credit, through all sorts of challenges, COVID and everything else, he never gave up.”

The men eventually found a sympathetic leader in LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and in Palmdale, a semi-rural city of about 165,000 people, found a city with both a need and a willingness to take part.

The 12 homes, anchored by the community center, are set to be finished in April of 2025.

“It’s something that is incredibly satisfying for me, and I want to be involved every step of the way,” Bale said. “Maybe this is the first one, and maybe this is the only one, and that would be great. But I’m quietly hoping that there’ll be many of these.”

The 50-year-old Bale, who began acting as a child in films including Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” and the Disney musical “Newsies,” won an Oscar for best supporting actor for 2010’s “The Fighter.” He’s also starred in “American Psycho,” “Vice” and “Ford v Ferrari.”

The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said it’s investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue in residents of Baldwin Park.

Last Monday, officials had reported the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue also in Baldwin Park.

“Dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County, cases of locally acquired dengue are extremely rare,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. 

In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

EEE, West Nile, malaria, dengue: What to know about mosquito-borne diseases spreading in the US

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Officials said almost all dengue infections detected in the county previously were from those who traveled to countries where dengue is commonly spread, such as Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 

Those infected with dengue can experience flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash and mild bleeding. Severe cases can lead to organ impairment.

The symptoms generally last no more than a week, and people usually fully recover within two weeks. Deaths from the virus are extremely rare, health officials said.

Fueled by an atmospheric river, the storm, which is slated to be the heaviest Sunday into Monday, has the potential to bring 3 to 6 inches of rain across the region, while the foothills and low-elevation mountains may face 6 to 12 inches.

Here’s what to know about evacuations.

• Evacuation Order: There is an immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is closed to public access.
• Evacuation Warning: There is a potential threat to life and/or property. Anyone who needs additional time to evacuation and people with pets and livestock should leave now.
• Shelter In Place: Go or remains indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows, and be prepared to remain sheltered until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.

Los Angeles County

La Tuna Canyon Road: The area of La Tuna Canyon Road, north of Hollywood Burbank
Airport,  with borders of Horse Haven Street to the north, Martindale Avenue to the east, Penrose Street to the south, Ledge Avenue to the west is under an evacuation order. Evacuation centers for people and household opened at Sunland Senior Citizen Center (8640 Fenwick St, Sunland) and Lake View Terrace Recreation Center (11075 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace). Large animals can be evacuated to Hansen Dam Horse Park (11127 Orcas Ave., Lake View Terrace) and the LA Equestrian Center (480 Riverside Dr, Burbank).

Burn Areas: Earlier evacuation orders were issued for the Owen Fire area, on Santa Maria Road from Topanga Canyon, and the Agua Fire area along Soledad Canyon Road east of Agua Dulce Canyon Road. Those orders are in effect through 6 p.m. Tuesday. Additionally, evacuation warnings have been issued for areas of unincorporated Los Angeles County near burn scars through 6 p.m. Tuesday, including the Juniper Hills and Valyermo areas from the Bobcat Fire, and the following areas of Lake Hughes and King Canyon from the Lake Fire

Duarte: The city of Duarte also used an evacuation warning for an area in the Fish Fire burn scar. That warning is in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday through 10 a.m. Tuesday for the area on Mel Canyon Road between Fish Canyon Road and Brookridge Road.

Sun Valley: The Los Angeles Fire Department announced an evacuation warning for residents of Sun Valley. From Sunday to Tuesday, those who live along Martindale to the east, Primrose to the south, Ledge to the west, Horse Haven to the north should prepare to evacuate. LAFD said the warning will likely be elevated to an order by Sunday morning. An evacuation center has been set up for animals at the Agoura Animal Care Center, which is located at 29525 Agoura Rd., Agoura Hills.

For more information on evacuation orders and warnings in Los Angeles County, click here.

To help residents impacted by the warnings and orders, the following evacuation centers have been opened:

• Sunland Senior Citizen Center — 8640 Fenwick St., Sunland, Calif. 91040
• Lake View Terrace Recreation Center — 11075 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace, Calif. 91342

Large animals can be taken to these locations:

• Hansen Dam Horse Park — 11127 Orcas Ave., Lake View Terrace, Calif. 91342
• LA Equestrian Center — 480 Riverside Dr., Burbank, Calif. 91506

Ventura County

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department issued evacuation orders, warnings and advisories. Evacuation orders were issued from Saturday at 5 p.m. until Sunday at 5 p.m. for:

• Matilija Canyon
• North Fork
• Camino Cielo (Unincorporated Ojai)

Evacuation warnings will be in effect from Saturday at 5 p.m. until Sunday at 5 p.m. for:

• The community of Foster Park / Camp Chaffee (Unincorporated Ojai)
• Creek Road / Old Creek Road (Unincorporated Ojai)
• Two homes on Grada Avenue / Two homes on Trueno Avenue (Unincorporated Camarillo)

An advisory was also issued to residents in the community of La Conchita due to the volume of rain expected to saturate hillsides above the area, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said. 

According to the department, the Ventura County Human Services Agency and American Red Cross will be opening an Emergency Evacuation Shelter in the Ventura College Gymnasium located at 4667 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003. 

Anyone seeking temporary shelter were encouraged to visit that location for help.

“While Ventura County remains one of the Safest Counties in America, it is prone to hazardous conditions that often present during severe rainstorms. Residents are asked to stay vigilant to changing conditions and if asked to evacuate, follow the recommendations provided by public safety officials,” the department said. 

Residents seeking more information on evacuations can visit VCEmergency.com.

Orange County

An evacuation warning was issued for residents along Silverado Canyon, Williams Canyon and Trabuco Canyon. Those who live in those areas are encouraged to vacate their homes and get to a safer area due to the heavy rain.

People with disabilities or mobility challenges can call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at 714-647-7000 to request help in their evacuation.

San Bernardino County

Residents in Yucaipa were given an evacuation warning along the El Dorado and Apple fire burn scars, the city’s police department announced.

Santa Barbara County

Evacuation orders have been issued for the following locations in the coastline county:

• Every state campground, including Carpinteria, Refugio, Gaviota and El Capitan
• Properties in proximity to Sycamore Creek, from Stanwood Dr. down to parts of Ninos Dr., in the city of Santa Barbara
• Properties along waterways associated with the Cave, Thomas and Alisal burn areas.

Volunteers began tallying the number of unsheltered individuals, tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters they see in their assigned Census tract on Tuesday, the first day of the three-day initiative.

“I cannot underscore how critical this count is,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a news conference at Tiara Street Park in North Hollywood before the start of the count Tuesday. “Each year, this census helps us better understand where people are experiencing homelessness and where they are living across our entire county.

“The data we collect will allow us to strategically direct resources to communities to help people access shelter and more importantly also the services that oftentimes are lacking.”

Barger is also a member of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission. The authority conducts the annual count. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires a biennial point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness.

Volunteers will conduct counts in West Los Angeles, the southeast portion of Los Angeles County and the South Bay area Wednesday. Counting will be conducted in the Antelope Valley, Metro Los Angeles and South Los Angeles Thursday.

The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count revealed a 9% year-over-year increase in homelessness in Los Angeles County and a 10% rise in Los Angeles. The data showed 75,518 people experienced homelessness in Los Angeles County, and 46,260 in Los Angeles, an increase from 69,144 in the county and 41,980 in the city from 2022.

Orange County’s count of its homeless population was also underway Wednesday.

Roughly 30 teams deployed from Anaheim and Fullerton to ask unhoused community members what they needed to strategize how to best help them.

“We want to make sure that we’re measuring the number of folks that are unhoused and to make sure that the efforts we are investing in are working,” said Vicente Sarmiento, County Supervisor of District 2.

Philip Beltron, who lives in his minivan, was born and raised in Orange County. He was living in Anaheim until he was evicted eight years ago. Beltron described to NBC4 what it’s like being unsheltered in Southern California.

“It’s live a living nightmare,” he said.

Now estranged from his family, Beltron suffers from injuries to his back, shoulders and knees on his own. He works odd jobs to support himself and said he feels unsafe turning to homeless shelters because he believes they are unsanitary and dangerous.

“People don’t want us, they just want us to die,” Beltron said. “Simple as that.”

Volunteers said they dedicated their time to the count to hopefully make a difference in the lives of those who are unhoused.

“I feel like it’s inhumane,” said Wendy Seiden. “There shouldn’t be a person who can’t go home to a hot shower and a warm bed.”

Those who reside along Santa Maria Road, north of Topanga Canyon, are under the warning that was issued by the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. Another evacuation warning was issued for the Agua Fire burn area along Soledad Canyon Road east of Agua Dulce Canyon Road.

The warnings will be in effect from 9 p.m. Sunday through 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The on-and-off rain that began Saturday became more intense overnight and into Monday morning. The inclement weather is forecasted to last through Monday.

The county is urging impacted residents to be ready in case the warning is elevated to an order. Officials encourage residents to gather loved ones, pets and supplies in the event of an evacuation order.

Click here to see if you’re under the evacuation warning.

About evacuation orders and warnings

• Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
• Evacuation Warning: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
• Shelter In Place: Go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.

Authorities have received several reports from elderly people in Anaheim and Carson, but they believe these thieves may have also targeted people in San Bernadino and Riverside counties. 

“In one of our cases, one of our victims was legally blind, legally blind,” exclaimed Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a press conference Thursday morning. 

He was joined by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD), Anaheim Police, and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to announce an arrest in the series of burglaries targeting people ages 79 to 88 years old.

“We believe Mr. Chavez would target primarily elderly victims who live in mobile home parks and who displayed home security signs outside of their homes,” said Lt. Pasquale Aiello with the LASD’s Carson station.

Police said 37-year-old Jacinto Chavez of Riverside is one of possibly two or more thieves who posed as employees of the alarm security company Brinks to enter homes and steal items such as jewelry, credit cards, and blank checks. 

“This is like stealing from your grandparents,” Spitzer said. “That’s how despicable this is. Walking in your grandparents’ bedroom and stealing your grandmother’s jewelry and then going out and trying to fence that.”

When LA County deputies served a search warrant at Chavez’s property on Jan. 4, they said they found evidence such as women’s jewelry and receipts for electronics.

“One woman lost her wedding ring. He stole her wedding ring. I don’t know if her husband is still alive or not,” Spitzer told NBC4, “That possession has now been lost.”

Reported burglaries date back to Aug. 23, 2023, but police believe there are more spanning several counties. Anaheim police are reporting the most cases so far.

“We’ve charged five,” Spitzer said. “We’re looking for more crimes and we have $500,000 bail. And we’re going to ask for 11 years and four months in state prison.”

As of Thursday, Orange County’s District Attorney’s Office has filed five felony counts of first-degree burglary and five misdemeanor counts of theft from elder adults exceeding $950.

LA County DA’s Office said it has not filed any charges and is asking other victims to please come forward. Their advice for anyone who receives a knock on their door is to always ask for their company credentials with a photo ID. You can also call the company to ask if they sent someone.

“If you did not schedule an appointment or you are unsure, do not allow anyone to come inside your home,” advised Capt. Damon Jones of the LASD Carson Station.

“We recommend you do not allow anyone or any type of service provider inside your home unsupervised,” Jones said.

Anyone who thinks they may have been a victim or may have information regarding these burglaries is asked to contact Anaheim Burglary Detectives at 714-328-8153 or LASD Detectives at 310-830-1123.

Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or LA County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477). You can also submit anonymous tips online.

The residential wood-burning ban will be in effect until at least 11:59 p.m. Monday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and all of Orange County.

The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the high desert, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service also are exempt from the requirement.

Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as asthma.

Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text.

And with no regulations on short-term rentals in unincorporated cities of Los Angeles County, they say they feel stuck.  

“Our street has become a de facto hotel because we’re dealing with a lot of short-term rentals, which is affecting pretty much the quality of life,” said Luz Loza, who has lived in the City Terrace neighborhood of East LA for three decades.  

Sonia Roman has lived in the same community for more than a decade. Both women shared their concerns about short-term rentals.  

“They party, they smoke. It’s just trash is being disposed in our containers,” Loza said.  

“Having these vacationers, tourists coming to these short-term rentals has really disrupted our weekdays. We can’t sleep because at all hours, they’re either partying or making noise,” Roman added.  

These two women live on different streets in this unincorporated area of Los Angeles County — one of many not regulated for short-term rentals.   

Meanwhile, several cities, like the neighboring City of Los Angeles, do have rules.   

Becca Ayala is with the nonprofit group Better Neighbors LA.  

“So, in the city of Los Angeles, they have what’s called the home-sharing ordinance, which was passed a few years ago. That ordinance requires a short-term rental host to be the primary resident of a short-term rental. It also places a registration requirement on hosts, as well. And there’s also an enforcement program that goes along with it to curb illegal short-term rental hosts,” Ayala said.  

Similar processes could be happening across Los Angeles County if an ordinance first proposed five years ago becomes a reality.  

Better Neighbors LA estimates short-term rentals in LA County have spiked by 56% since 2019. Attorney Nancy Hanna works with the organization.  

”That’s pretty much the chunk of time the supervisors have been weighing this option, and while they are not taking steps, we are seeing a significant increase,” Hanna said.  

Loza and Roman say there is another cost  

“I really am concerned of some of these investors buying multiple units in our communities. And so, that really takes away from long-term people that can create community by living longer with us. And so, yeah, it has a couple of risks if there’s no ordinance passed,” Roman said.  

Loza says she has counted up to seven short-term rentals on her street alone. She is pushing for the ordinance to pass and regulate the situation, not to get rid of the short-term rental option.  

“I really want the ordinance to pass to have someone on premises, because I do experience short-term rental to the right side of my house, but the host lives there. So whenever there’s an issue there, he comes to me or I go to him and say, hey, this is going on. We’ve never had any issues. We resolved everything,” Loza said.  

The NBC4 I-Team asked LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis – who represents the area where the two neighbors we spoke with live- why the ordinance has not passed.  

In a statement emailed to the I-Team, Supervisor Solis said:  

“As County Supervisor for the First District, representing the largest unincorporated population, I share the concerns of residents in the alarming growth of Short-Term Rentals, specifically over the last two years in the unincorporated East Los Angeles, Hacienda Heights, and Rowland Heights communities.  I am looking forward to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance in January 2024, which went through extensive analysis and outreach efforts with some delays caused during the pandemic.     

During my tenure with the Board of Supervisors representing the two million First District residents, I have prioritized and demonstrated my commitment and ability to deliver affordable housing and developed over 5,000 affordable housing units in my District, with most of these units either completed or substantially underway for completion within the next two years.  The County’s designated affordable and public housing, which is already limited in supply, should not be lessened in the interest of profits from property owners and developers.  This Short-Term Rentals Ordinance will allow for the efficient use and rental of primary residences without reducing the housing stock available for long-term occupancy.  It is a priority for the Board to strike a balance between the economic benefits of STRs and the impacts on neighborhoods and the quality of life for residents.    

This Ordinance will establish registration requirements, regulations, and fees for STRs in the County’s Unincorporated areas.  I am looking forward to the adoption of this Ordinance, which is going to be another critical tool in addressing our regional affordable housing crisis.”  

“By passing this ordinance for unincorporated LA County, there will be something that residents can turn to if they’re experiencing issues with short-term rentals surrounding them, and it will also help preserve long-term housing,” Ayala said.  

And, preserve this community, which the neighbors say, has given so much to them.  

“I’ve had great memories there because I lived there when I was very young, and I continue to have memories there with my grandson, with my sons, with my daughters,” Loza said.   

Supervisor Solis’ spokesperson says the ordinance is on the Board’s agenda for Feb. 13. If it moves forward, there is a required second reading after that.

The Supervisor added in a statement…”If the Board adopts the Ordinance, the effective date will be six months (180 days) after the Board’s final vote. After 180 days, all Short-Term Rentals hosts in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County will be required to submit a registration application and fee to the Treasurer and Tax Collector. During the 180 days of implementation of the new Short-Term Rentals program, the Treasurer and Tax Collector will initiate a third-party vendor contract to assist with the processing of registration applications, collection of the annual registration fee, and outreach to short-term rental hosts.   

For questions or comments about the County’s proposed Ordinance, the public may contact STRental@ttc.lacounty.gov.”

The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said it’s investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue in residents of Baldwin Park.

Last Monday, officials had reported the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue also in Baldwin Park.

“Dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County, cases of locally acquired dengue are extremely rare,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. 

In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

EEE, West Nile, malaria, dengue: What to know about mosquito-borne diseases spreading in the US

Health & Science Mar 27

Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases

Officials said almost all dengue infections detected in the county previously were from those who traveled to countries where dengue is commonly spread, such as Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 

Those infected with dengue can experience flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash and mild bleeding. Severe cases can lead to organ impairment.

The symptoms generally last no more than a week, and people usually fully recover within two weeks. Deaths from the virus are extremely rare, health officials said.

The residential wood-burning ban will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. until midnight Monday for all those in the South Coast Air Basin, including the non-desert portions of Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, and all of Orange County

The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the high desert, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service also are exempt from the requirement.

Residents in the affected areas are reminded that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited, as is burning manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper.

Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as asthma.

Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text at www.AirAlerts.org.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the beach contamination from bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash and other public health hazards could persist through Monday night, especially near storm drains, creeks and rivers.

Rain advisories remain in effect 72 hours after rainfall ends, officials said.

Dec 22, 2023

Back-to-back storms drenched SoCal. Here is the total rainfall

Dec 21, 2023

PHOTOS: Back-to-back storms hit SoCal days before Christmas

People can listen to recorded information about beach conditions anytime on the beach closure hotline at 800-525-5662. There is also a map of impacted locations available online.

The Orange County Health Care Agency issued a similar advisory warning swimmers to avoid ocean and bay waters adjacent to storm drains, creeks and rivers during and after rain storms.

In addition, the area of coastline from Victory Beach to Goff Island Beach in Laguna Beach is closed to swimmers, surfers and divers due to a sewage spill.

The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said it’s investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue in residents of Baldwin Park.

Last Monday, officials had reported the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue also in Baldwin Park.

“Dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County, cases of locally acquired dengue are extremely rare,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. 

In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

EEE, West Nile, malaria, dengue: What to know about mosquito-borne diseases spreading in the US

Health & Science Mar 27

Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases

Officials said almost all dengue infections detected in the county previously were from those who traveled to countries where dengue is commonly spread, such as Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 

Those infected with dengue can experience flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash and mild bleeding. Severe cases can lead to organ impairment.

The symptoms generally last no more than a week, and people usually fully recover within two weeks. Deaths from the virus are extremely rare, health officials said.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, along with the Department of Health Services, Office of Decedent Affairs and the Los Angeles General Medical Center Chaplains, will have a non-denominational interfaith burial ceremony for the county’s unclaimed dead at the L.A. County Cemetery.

Local faith leaders will preside over the burial of decedents in a single communal grave, offering a “compassionate opportunity” to pay respects to individuals who died as a result of the challenges of the pandemic.

The Ceremony of the Unclaimed Dead will be open to the public, with attendance limited to 75 individuals.

Since 1896, the ceremony has paid homage to those who have died but remain unclaimed. The Office of Decedent Affairs manages cremation and burial for indigent/unclaimed individuals who die within the county’s jurisdiction.

These individuals may be homeless or have no next of kin. There is a three-year waiting period between the year of death and burial to allow family members to claim cremated remains.

Shortly before the ceremony, ashes are placed in a single communal grave with a marker indicating the year of cremation.

The Office of Decedent Affairs works with families to facilitate the retrieval of remains before burial.

LA County Health Services will livestream the ceremony at 10 a.m.

Nearly two decades later, one man spoke for the first time with the NBC4 I-Team about the abuse he says he experienced.

The 28-year-old man, who did not want to be identified, said he was sexually abused by a San Bernardino County probation officer while in a county juvenile facility when he was only 10 years old. 

“I didn’t really know what was happening. I just knew that my pants were down and it was all super fast,” the man said. 

“I purposely tried not to get up at night just so that I could avoid seeing him,” the man said. 

He is now suing the county of San Bernardino — alleging sexual harassment, sexual assault and negligence. He is one of four people on the complaint. 

“There’s a lot of people out there that are starting to sort of starting to rip the scab off their wounds and start dealing with the real ramifications of what they dealt with since they were really small,” ACTS Law attorney Doug Rochen said. 

The man said that while he was scared, he was “more mad than anything” because he “felt like I could have done something to protect myself, but looking back, I couldn’t.”

Rochen is serving as the unidentified man’s attorney. 

“We’ve learned through our processes that this kind of harm doesn’t just dissipate, it actually gets worse and it festers to a point where it affects the quality of their life,” Rochen said. 

Rochen says he represents more than 1,000 people who say they were abused while spending time in juvenile facilities across California — most of which are from LA County. 

Rochen says he has seen that the number of cases in all counties is growing as new state laws extend the statute of limitations to file claims for alleged abuse. The window of time is expected to grow even more in the year that follows. 

“What that means is if you are abused after January 1, 2024, you will have your lifetime to be able to deal with the real understanding of what happened to you as a child and make a claim at any period of time, even beyond your 40th birthday,” Rochen said. 

The man said he still has some healing to do years after his alleged abuse. 

“I’m only now realizing that there’s a lot of my anger issues, a lot of things that I deal with now and that I’m dealing with now,” he said. “I didn’t know, but I guess they could be because of that, and I really didn’t know that.”

The I-Team reached out to San Bernardino County about the recent complaint involving the man that spoke with the NBC4 I-Team. A spokesperson says they have not been served with the complaint and have not been able to review it. 

“…In light of possible pending litigation, it would not be in the public’s best interests for the County to share any information on this matter at this time,” the spokesperson added. 

The man said he decided to come forward for his daughter and any child who may find themselves in the juvenile justice system. 

“When I was nine, I was really small, and not that size matters, but I was just I could have been protected in so many ways that I wasn’t,” he said. “You know what I mean? And yeah, I’d like to avoid this happening to any kid.”

According to the LA County Department of Public Health, the patient was an “elderly” resident with multiple underlying health conditions who was apparently unvaccinated against the flu.

“Although most people recover from influenza without complications, this death is a reminder that influenza can be a serious illness,” a statement from the LA County Department of Public Health reads. “Pneumonia is the most common complication of the flu. Flu can also aggravate underlying health conditions like heart disease or asthma. Annually, thousands of people nationwide are hospitalized or die from influenza-associated illness.”

Health officials said they are anticipating a potentially busy fall and winter for the healthcare system, given a trio of circulating viruses: flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). All three have similar symptoms and health officials urged anyone who develops symptoms to get tested for COVID-19.

“Although influenza seasons are difficult to predict, we are preparing for another fall and winter season in which influenza, RSV and COVID-19 spread concurrently in Los Angeles County,” according to the LA County Department of Public Health. “Current indicators of influenza activity in Los Angeles County are in line with past seasons and have been rising in recent weeks.”

Health officials urged residents to ensure they are up to date on vaccinations and suggested that everyone over six months old receive a flu shot.

The LA County Department of Public Health can be reached at 213-240-8144 or media@ph.lacounty.gov.

Adrian Munoz, 34, of Los Angeles, is charged with one felony count of grand theft of property and one misdemeanor count of petty theft of property, according to the DA’s office.

Surveillance video showed Munoz removing a gold crucifix necklace from the neck of a warehouse worker who died Jan. 6 of a heart attack at his job in South Los Angeles and placing it in his medical bag, according to the DA’s office, which alleges that Munoz did not return the necklace or document it in the property receipt.

Investigators who searched Munoz’s desk cubicle found rare antique coins with a receipt in the name of a man who had been discovered dead last November, the DA’s office said.

Munoz, who had worked for the medical examiner’s office since 2018, had handled that man’s death investigation, according to the DA’s office said.

In a statement, District Attorney George Gascón said an investigator with the medical examiner’s office “holds a position of immense trust and responsibility.”

“Their role is not just to unravel the case of death or help solve potential crimes, but also to provide closure and peace to grieving family members,” Gascón said. “The theft of items, potential family heirlooms and sentimental pieces from the deceased not only violates this trust but desecrates the memory of a loved one. It’s a profound betrayal of the very essence of the role and the solemn duty owed to both the deceased and their bereaved families.”

Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo said in the statement that his office “takes these allegations very seriously and is assisting law enforcement and the D.A.’s Office in the ongoing investigation.”

Munoz is currently on leave pending completion of the investigation, the medical examiner’s office said.

No arraignment date has been set yet for Munoz.

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.”

In Los Angeles County, an innovative device is collecting trash to stop waste from reaching the ocean. This “trash interceptor,” stationed in Venice Beach, is one of only 11 in the world – and the only one in North America.

Just this year, piles and piles of trash have washed up on Southern California beaches after recent storms. “We need to get this under control,” said Joost Dubois, spokesperson for The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands hat aims to develop technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastics.

Trash that ends up in the ocean can get there in many different ways. It can be from beachgoers who don’t pick up after themselves. It can also come indirectly from miles way, with trash on the street getting carried off into storm drains and then getting demptied into streams and rivers, eventually winding up in the ocean.

More than an eyesore, this garbage significantly harms the ocean and the marine life that depends on it.

“Unfortunately, every water body in LA County – whether the ocean, rivers, lakes, streams – they are all polluted to some level. We recommend that you don’t eat the fish that you catch, and for most of them, we probably say it’s not safe for swimming,” said Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella.

The department of public works has been working to combat pollution for years, and they recently partnered with The Ocean Cleanup. The group has a mission to clean up 90% of the world’s oceans by 2040.

“This is a big global problem, but the tools to deal with it are becoming available. It’s a matter of building out the structure that we are providing,” Dubois said.

The centerpiece of their solution is the floating trash interceptor, designed to intercept garbage before it reaches the ocean. The system is fully automated and solar-powered.

In a nod to Hollywood, the “Interceptor 007,” stationed near Venice Beach, is taking on the trash from local communities.

“The waterway runs all the way from Beverly Hills, Culver City, the other corporate areas of Los Angeles County, Ladera Heights,” Pestrella said. Because of that, he added, the location is “ideal” to target the pollution problem.

Interceptor 007 was installed in October as part of a two-year pilot program. Given that Los Angeles County has experienced one its rainiest years on record, the timing couldn’t have been better, Pestrella said.

The first year, he said, has been a success.

“We captured some 77 tons of trash, or about 154,000 pounds of trash, mostly floatables. Amazingly, a ton of it or a lot of it is actually recyclable material,” Pestrella said.

The interceptor looks like a big boat.

The system is about 79 feet long. At the entrance is a conveyor belt, which gets activated during a storm. When water comes rushing down, the system is able to detect the trash. NBC4 saw plastic bottles, a tennis ball and even a mattress.

The garbage then gets funneled and pulled up with the conveyor belt. It then gets distributed into six dumpsters.

“Once they are all full, a message will get sent to public works and that’s when they will come and offload the trash,” The Ocean Cleanup Senior Partnerships Manager Sarah Schaeffer said.

The LA County public works department will look at next year’s evidence and decide whether or not they’ll keep the Interceptor 007 around. The Ocean Cleanup says the interceptor is making an impact, but the ultimate solution and responsibility is in the hands of everyday people.

“The interceptor is creating so much awareness, so much attention because it’s a very visible thing, and at the end of course, this is not the solution,” Dubois said. “We should not be taking trash out to the water. You should prevent it from ending up there in the first place.”

Villanueva, who served as sheriff from 2018 to 2022, confirmed to NBC4 he intends to run for the county’s Fourth Supervisorial District in hopes to unset Supervisor Janice Hanh. He made his formal announcement during a press conference in Whittier.

“I mean, people are just desperate for change, and they are not going to get it from career politicians so we figure let’s get the job done,” Villanueva said.

The former sheriff, who has been in law enforcement for 36 years, said his background would bring what he describes as a needed change to the Board of Supervisors. One supporter at the press conference said he would serve well as a county leader again.

“We have the opportunity to get the highest, the top cop with a doctorate in public administration on the Board of Supervisors, I think we can’t pass it up,” said Troy Silda, who owns the Orchard Bar and Grill restaurant where the bid announcement was made.

Supervisor Janice Hanh’s campaign released the following statement regarding Villanueva’s run:

“LA County voters — including District 4 — resoundingly rejected the man known as the ‘Donald Trump of LA County’ last November for his incompetence and corruption. LA County became less safe under Villanueva’s reign. He is a fraud and a failure, and LA County voters won’t be fooled again.”

The county voted for Villanueva as sheriff in 2018 after he ran against incumbent Jim McDonnell. He lost his run for re-election last November to then-Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna.

During his term as sheriff, Villanueva often clashed with the Board of Supervisors- he was also accused of mishandling certain issues within his department including the investigations into deputy gangs and refusing to enforce COVID 19 vaccine mandates.

The crash was reported just after 1:30 p.m. in a wash near the intersection of Oleander Avenue and Reeve Street. There, a single-engine Cessna carrying a banner crashed after the pilot reported some kind of mechanical malfunction, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Witnesses said the pilot did not appear to be seriously injured. The extent of their wounds was not confirmed by authorities.

A Compton resident who lives roughly a block away from the crash site said he was watering his yard when the incident happened.

“I heard the crash and I no longer saw the airplane. It disappeared,” Mario Castellano Santos said in Spanish.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

David Bloom, 59, is accused of committing crimes in Los Angeles County that netted nearly $250,000 from nine alleged victims, according to the district attorney.

“This is an individual who’s a predator,” Gascón told reporters.

“He’s been preying on victims, vulnerable people all of his life, and he came to L.A. to do the same thing here.”

The district attorney said that the defendant approaches people in a way that is “very endearing” and that “he’s not immediately trying to take your money.”

“He first comes to you to become a friend. He tries to become almost part of your family,” Gascón said.

One of the alleged victims — who said she had her heart set on becoming a businesswoman in the food industry — told reporters that Bloom lived in her building, “pretended to be a business mentor” who wanted to help her and “became like family to me.”

“This man has no boundaries that he will not cross to scam you,” she said. “Literally, he will go to your child’s birthday, your brother’s funeral and hold your baby and say that everything’s gonna be okay and ‘I’m doing this for you.’ It took him months to actually pull off the scam with me. I think he worked on me for about six months so it’s not an overnight thing.”

She said it was “very upsetting” to learn about his past.

Bloom was arrested around 4 a.m. Monday by the Los Angeles Police Department, and he was initially being held in lieu of $505,000 bail, but a judge on Tuesday lowered that amount to $100,000.

He is charged with nine counts each of securities fraud and grand theft with allegations of two or more prior felony convictions, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Bloom pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment Tuesday, and he was scheduled to return to court Sept. 11 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.

Prosecutors allege that Bloom convinced the alleged victims to give him money in exchange for investments and other financial opportunities and that he never delivered on the investments and failed to return the bulk of the money.

About $60,000 has been returned, according to the district attorney.

“I absolutely believe there may be more victims,” Gascón said, noting that the case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

The Los Angeles Times, which broke the news of his arrest, reported that Bloom allegedly targeted would-be victims at a luxury apartment complex and at bars, including the Frolic Room on Hollywood Boulevard, telling people he had an inside track on not-yet-public stocks and offering them a chance to get in on the ground floor of lucrative investment opportunities. But victims said they never saw any profits, despite giving Bloom thousands of dollars, the paper reported.

Bloom, once dubbed a Wall Street whiz kid, pleaded guilty to mail and securities fraud in New York in 1988 and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for convincing people to give him financial investments totaling more than $15 million, but he instead spent the money on himself, The Times reported. He pleaded guilty again in the late 1990s for bilking 10 people out
of at least $50,000 in a similar scheme that targeted various restaurant employees.

The Times reported last year that Bloom had been targeting victims locally, including several at the Frolic Room near Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. According to the paper, Bloom convinced multiple patrons he could get them tickets for the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, but he never came through. He convinced another that he was acquainted with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and could pass along a screenplay the bar patron was writing, The Times reported.

Another woman told the paper that Bloom would target people at a high-end apartment in the Franklin Village area, offering them opportunities to purchase shares of stock that were not yet available to the public. But after collecting their money, he disappeared.

Police told The Times some victims eventually got partial refunds, but investigators suspect he merely repaid them with money bilked from other victims. Bloom was initially arrested last August but was not immediately charged, so he was released from custody.

Making their voices heard, residents chanted, “When I say, ‘high rise,’ you say, ‘no’” in response to the city’s plan to make space for 255,000 units across Los Angeles. The plan involves making multi-family units in Westchester but opponents say the neighborhood isn’t the best choice for possible projects.

“Duplex and triplex and fourplex being turned into high rises with 32 units, and it’s over building when it’s not needed,” said Jolie Delja, a Westchester community leader.

The biggest grievance residents shared is what they say is a lack of infrastructure in their community to support additional units.

“I mean, we have 15,000 more people coming here and we don’t have the parking space for that. We don’t have the plumbing space for that,” said Eric Moore, who lives in the neighborhood.

The city said future projects would help in its goal to build affordable housing units. The group Building a Better Westchester agrees that the move would enrich the community.

“Our organization believes great, we are now able to be part of the solution — not the whole solution — for solving the housing crisis,” said Peter Hodes of Building a Better Westchester.

City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Westchester, was in attendance in the meeting and assured her constituents she was listening.

“The reason that I am here tonight is to personally hear from you,” Park said. “We are going to make refinements so that we get this right for you as a community.”

At this time, it is unclear how tall the possible apartments would be. The city planning team says the apartments will be three stories tall, but there is a possibility developers may decide to build up to five-story tall complexes.

The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said it’s investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue in residents of Baldwin Park.

Last Monday, officials had reported the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue also in Baldwin Park.

“Dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County, cases of locally acquired dengue are extremely rare,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. 

In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

EEE, West Nile, malaria, dengue: What to know about mosquito-borne diseases spreading in the US

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Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases

Officials said almost all dengue infections detected in the county previously were from those who traveled to countries where dengue is commonly spread, such as Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 

Those infected with dengue can experience flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash and mild bleeding. Severe cases can lead to organ impairment.

The symptoms generally last no more than a week, and people usually fully recover within two weeks. Deaths from the virus are extremely rare, health officials said.

One of the first places implementing the “Pathway Home” program is the unincorporated community of West Rancho Dominguez, located in District 2, where hundreds of RVs are parked.

After removing the first mobile homes on Main, Spring and Lennon streets, authorities found bikes, grocery carts and generators, among other items.

They also removed 15 homes that were deemed unfit for driving on streets. Some didn’t have tires or a motor.

“I’ve seen dead animals, seen drugs,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. George Suárez.

The mobile homes take up space in a 6-mile area, and they’re not limited to Compton and Redondo Beach boulevards.

“Los Angeles County has 7,500 mobile homes throughout the county,” Suarez said. “In this area, we have 2,500.”

Residents and business owners have been complaining about the issue for years.

“Wherever one wants to go, there’s a lot of trash, and people don’t want to walk by because of the trash,” resident Mario Linares said.

Linares also said that clean-up efforts don’t seem to last long.

“Three days ago, they left it nice, and three or four days later, it was full of trash again,” he said.

Authorities didn’t disclose the exact number of unhoused people who accepted the help. People are supposed to receive shelter, mental health assistance and services to return to work.

“They promised us that they would come and help us, and they haven’t offered any help,” said Eddie López, who lives in one of the mobile homes.

“We tried to pack, but they didn’t tell us where to move to,” he said.

Authorities recovered two stolen vehicles during the operation, and they destroyed most of the RVs to ensure they won’t end up back on county streets.

The clean-up efforts will continue in the coming days, and authorities hope to clear up more streets while simultaneously offering help to people who need homes.

The Saturday afternoon melee involving as many as 30 people inside the Nordstrom store at the mall led to the theft of merchandise valued by police at about $300,000. It followed a similar heist carried out last week by a mob of thieves at an Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand mall in Glendale, with the loss also estimated at $300,000. 

LAPD Aug 12, 2023

Bear spray used on security guards in SoCal mall robbery involving 30 to 50 people

West Hollywood Aug 3, 2023

Man held at gunpoint on sidewalk in West Hollywood armed robbery

Some critics, including Americana at Brand owner and former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, have questioned whether law enforcement and the justice system were doing enough to hold offenders accountable. He said a recent change in state law approved by voters, making certain levels of property theft a misdemeanors instead of  felonies, has removed the fear of punishment and emboldened criminals. 

“The time has come to demand that our elected officials change the laws to hold criminals accountable and start enforcing the laws in a fair and equitable manner,” Caruso said in a statement last week following the heist at Americana at Brand. “Retail businesses and small and large shopping areas are experiencing an alarming increase in `smash and grab’ robberies. I have heard directly from small business owners who feel defeated by the lack of accountability for criminals.”

Speaking to reporters Monday, Gascón insisted that his office is being aggressive about prosecutions in such mob-style robberies, treating them as organized crime felonies, not simple misdemeanors. 

“We’ve got a team of people that have been working in the Glendale case and other cases, and will continue to do so,” he said. “We assigned our organized crime division to work on these cases about a year and a half ago. We view them as organized crime, and we will use every tool available under the law when there is an arrest made to make sure these individuals are held accountable. This is unacceptable behavior in a civilized society.”

Gascón said there are people in the community who can identify the robbers, with some people even buying stolen merchandise from the heist, and they also need to be held accountable. 

While his department is not directly involved in the Glendale or Canoga Park cases, Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters the sheriff’s department will coordinate with other law enforcement. 

“We’re going to be communicating, we’re going to investigate and we’re going to assist in any way we can,” Luna said. “But I guarantee you, once we get the evidence where we can take people into custody, we’re going to take them into custody and go from there.”

The Nordstrom robbery occurred just after 4 p.m. Saturday at the store at 21725 Victory Blvd., east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to spokesman Pedro Muniz of the Los Angeles Police Department. 

Cell phone video posted on Twitter showed male and female suspects — most wearing masks, hoodies or other identity-concealing garb — smashing displays, grabbing clothing and bags and running from the store. 

There were at least 30 people involved, police said. 

The mall was not evacuated, but an ambulance was summoned to treat a security guard at the store’s entrance who was sprayed with bear spray, according to police.

Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement condemning the crime.

“What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable,” Bass said. “Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable. The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.”

The LAPD issued a statement Monday urging anyone with information to contact Det. Santander at 818-374-9420, or during off-hours, at 877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). Information can also be sent to ORC@lapd.online, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or lacrimestoppers.org.

The Yves Saint Laurent heist in Glendale occurred about 4:50 p.m. Aug. 8. That crime was also captured on video, which was widely circulated. 

Alejandro Martinez, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) recruit who was among those hit by a wrong-way driver in Whittier, died of the injuries he sustained during the impact. LASD said he succumbed to his injuries Friday at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood.

“His passing, months after that terrible crash, is nothing short of a tragedy. Our county owes Alejandro a great debt of gratitude we can never repay,” Hahn said in a statement. “My prayers are with his family, his friends, and his fellow recruits. May he rest in peace.”

LASD announced Martinez’ death in a statement, saying he was surrounded by loved ones and is now in his “eternal resting place.”

“Tragically, he was not able to fulfill his calling of helping others. Our condolences go out to Alejandro’s family, friends, and academy classmates,” the department said. “He will forever live in our hearts and never be forgotten. Words cannot express the extent of our gratitude to everyone who assisted, and continue to assist, and helped ease the burden of that very difficult day.”

The crash happened when academy recruits were on a training run the morning of Nov. 16, 2022. During the exercise, the driver of an SUV plowed into the group, injuring 25 recruits. LASD identified the wrong-way driver as 22-year-old Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez of Diamond Bar, who told reporters he had fallen asleep while driving.

Gutierrez was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, but was released the following day with LASD saying the case needed further investigation.

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Federal authorities visited the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department headquarters to take documents related to the probes, according to an email obtained by the newspaper, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Department officials confirmed the visit and told the newspaper they planned to cooperate with investigators.

The second case being scrutinized by the FBI involves a deputy who threw a woman to the ground by her neck last month in a grocery store parking lot after she started recording an arrest with her cellphone.

In addition to the federal investigations, the California Department of Justice has agreed to review the case of 18-year-old Andres Guardado, who was shot in the back three years ago by a sheriff’s deputy in the city of Gardena, south of Los Angeles, the email said.

An FBI spokesperson would not confirm that agents were conducting a criminal investigation into either incident.

The internal county email obtained by the newspaper said that “federal criminal investigations have been opened concerning the recent incidents” in Palmdale and Lancaster, north of Los Angeles.

The Palmdale case involved a July 2022 traffic stop but did not become public until this week, when Sheriff Robert Luna called a news conference to release body camera footage and announce that the deputy involved had been relieved of duty.

The eight-minute video was taken during the traffic stop after Palmdale deputies spotted a vehicle being driven at night without any headlights. When they pulled it over, the deputies smelled alcohol and saw four women inside, three of them with babies in their arms rather than in car seats, authorities said.

The deputies began to arrest the women on suspicion of felony child endangerment, and used force on two of the women when they resisted giving up their babies. The bulk of the video shows a tense conversation between a group of deputies and one woman who clutches her baby while sitting cross-legged on the ground. The deputies are heard saying that the woman was riding in a car driven by someone without a valid license, and that her baby was not in a car seat.

After several minutes of back-and-forth, deputies pry the woman’s hands apart, and she begins screaming as the child is removed from her arms. Nearby, another woman holding a baby begins screaming and cursing at officers before deputies announce they plan to arrest her too.

As at least two deputies hold the woman by her wrists and arms, a third male deputy can be seen throwing two punches toward her head while she is still holding her baby. It is unclear in the video whether the punches connected with the woman’s head, but she howls in pain.

The FBI is also investigating a June 24 case when deputies responded to 911 calls reporting a robbery in progress at a grocery store in Lancaster. They encountered a man and a woman who they said matched the descriptions of the suspects given to 911, according to authorities.

As the deputies handcuffed the man in the parking lot, the woman began taking video with her phone. Within seconds, one of the deputies rushes toward her and reaches for her arm, seemingly in an attempt to take the phone.

“You can’t touch me,” she screams. The deputy throws her on the ground, and video shows him arguing with her, and at one point threatening to punch her. He then pepper-sprays her in the face and handcuffs her.

The man who was handcuffed was ultimately cited on suspicion of resisting an officer, attempted petty theft and interfering with a business. The woman was hospitalized for the effects of the pepper spray and for abrasions to her arm. She was released but cited on suspicion of assaulting an officer, as well as battery on allegations that she had assaulted store loss prevention personnel, the newspaper said.

Luna has vowed to overhaul the nation’s largest sheriff’s department since taking charge in December.

The Los Angeles Department of Public Health said it’s investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue in residents of Baldwin Park.

Last Monday, officials had reported the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue also in Baldwin Park.

“Dengue is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County, cases of locally acquired dengue are extremely rare,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday. 

In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aug 27

EEE, West Nile, malaria, dengue: What to know about mosquito-borne diseases spreading in the US

Health & Science Mar 27

Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases

Officials said almost all dengue infections detected in the county previously were from those who traveled to countries where dengue is commonly spread, such as Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico and the Philippines. 

Those infected with dengue can experience flu-like symptoms, including high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash and mild bleeding. Severe cases can lead to organ impairment.

The symptoms generally last no more than a week, and people usually fully recover within two weeks. Deaths from the virus are extremely rare, health officials said.

Bryant Rivera of Downey, California, was taken into custody at around 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. He’s expected to be extradited to Mexico, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday. The Baja California Attorney General’s Office states he is allegedly responsible for at least three femicides in the city of Tijuana that spanned between Sept. 2021 to Feb. 2022.

Femicide is a term used to describe the outbreak of violence against women in Mexico.

On Jan. 24, 2022, Rivera strangled a sex worker to death in a room at the Las Cascada Hotel connected to the Hong Kong Gentleman’s Club in Zona Norte, a community in the northern part of the city, the complaint said.

He took his alleged victim, who had been working at the bar for around five months as a dancer and sex worker, into a room at the hotel. Security cameras at the hotel spotted the suspect and victim together before checking into the room, according to the complaint.

About an hour-and-a-half after the suspect and victim entered the room, the suspect exited the room alone. Thirteen minutes later, cameras at the San Ysidro Port of Entry showed the suspect giving his documents to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer as he crossed back into the U.S. The victim was found strangled to death in the room around 11 hours later, according to the complaint.

Three employees at the bar described the man who went into the room with the victim as having an acne-scarred face and a mole on the left side of his nose.

In November 2022, Baja California Attorney General Ricardo Carpio told Telemundo 20 they had connected the killings of three Tijuana sex workers to the same suspect, an unidentified U.S. citizen. Carpio said Mexican investigators knew who the suspect was and that he had crossed into the U.S.

The complaint details DMV records that show a driver’s license was issued on Nov. 14, 2022, to a Bryant Rivera matching the description provided by Mexican authorities. The address on the license, a home in Downey, also matched an address obtained by Mexican investigators. Records also revealed that a red 2021 Chevy Silverado was registered to the same driver at the same address in Downey.

On June 6, 2023, U.S. Marshals went to the address in Downey and saw a man matching Rivera’s description exit the home to grab things out of a red 2021 Chevy Silverado, according to the complaint.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story reported the suspect was a Riverside County resident when he is actually a Los Angeles County resident.

The chase began in Riverside County. The driver of the Jaguar, whom police said was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon, was clocked at least once at 121 mph on the 10 Freeway.

The driver seemingly ditched the car under an overpass in South Los Angeles, with the vehicle slowly rolling down a street, bumping into the back of a van, and continuing through an intersection.

A police officer stopped the car, but it was not immediately clear whether the driver was arrested.

The trio were wanted for taking more than $1,000 in merchandise from an Albertsons store on the 500 block of Reino Road in Thousand Oaks around 7:11 p.m. Thursday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.

They hopped onto the 405 Freeway, making their way to the San Fernando Valley, then transitioning to the 90 Freeway and getting off. After exiting the freeway, they ditched their car near 61st Street and Vermont Avenue, where they first entered what appeared to be an apartment building.

A couple of minutes later, they ran out and got into two separate vehicles that took off. Police called off the chase, and no arrests were immediately made.

The new owners of Elijah Park, formerly known as The Wheel Trailer Park, in Paramount have raised rent for families. Tenants say they’re now expected to pay double, and for some even triple, what they were paying before.

When tenants told the new owners they could not afford the rent increases, the residents received a notice of eviction.

“I can’t sleep at night,” said a worried teen in an interview with Telemundo 52. “My family doesn’t know what we’re going to do.”

Many have been living in the RV park for years. Some residents say they bought their trailers with their life savings.  

Maria Velediaz, a senior resident of Elijah Park, says she’s considering stopping her medication in order to save money.

“I’m going to be homeless,” she told Telemundo 52.

Families went to the Paramount City Council, seeking help for what they’re saying is an injustice. 

However, a representative of LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn clarified that what residents received was not an eviction order and was only a notice. The representative proposed that the Paramount City Council adopt the California mobile home residency law as an ordinance, which limits rent increases, but only in unincorporated communities in Los Angeles County.

Residents are asking for compensation or relocation. The tenants will meet with city officials in two weeks for an update. 

When asked about the situation, Paramount spokesperson Chris Callard said the owners of Elijah Park had not yet applied for a business license with the city and that “while a business license is a City requirement it is not an endorsement by the City of business practices nor is it confirmation that the property meets all State and local codes.” 

He also noted that trailer parks were directly regulated by the State of California. Callard reported that Paramount Mayor Isabel Aguayo had been in contact with Governor Newsom’s office in order to determine if the mobile home park had the required State permits needed to operate. In response, the State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development said this:

“The permit to operate (PTO) for this trailer park is expired. An expired PTO, however, does not evolve into a suspended PTO. The Department only suspends a PTO for health and safety issues.”

Telemundo 52 attempted to contact the new company who manages Elijah Park but did not receive a response.

Aleisha Schmitz was seen entering a gray or silver Mercedes-Benz outside the CCTRP about 7:10 p.m. Sunday, just before officials received an alert from her monitoring device. Agents were dispatched to the scene and local law enforcement was notified, corrections officials said.

Schmitz entered the program from Los Angeles County July 7, 2022, to serve a three-year sentence for second-degree robbery and hit-and-run causing injury of a person other than herself, officials said. 

She is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, 197 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes, a light complexion and was last seen wearing a blue jacket and gray sweats.

The inmates eligible for the CCTRP serve their sentences in the community instead of prison and receive rehabilitative services to aid with alcohol and drug recovery, employment, education, housing, family reunification and social support, corrections officials said.

Officials did not say from which Los Angeles County facility Schmitz walked but there is a 60-bed facility at 2756 James M. Wood Boulevard in Los Angeles and an 82-bed facility at 11121 Bloomfield Avenue in Santa Fe Springs. 

Anyone who sees Schmitz or knows her whereabouts was asked to contact law enforcement or call 911.