Strong winds, low humidity could give way to rain by weekend
The National Weather Service has issued a fire warning for Friday because of strong winds and low humidity, but the conditions are expected to be short-lived as a chance of rain hits Southern California by Saturday night.
A light offshore breeze could turn into gusty northeast winds in the mountains Friday, making for prime wildfire conditions, the weather service reported.
Santa Ana winds are expected to reach up to 40 mph on Friday. Coupled with single-digit humidity, conditions could lead to brush fires.
The warning could be upgraded to a red flag warning, which indicates an elevated risk of fire conditions, the agency said. Normal wind conditions are expected to return by Friday evening.
Temperatures in Los Angeles are expected to reach the mid-70s for the rest of the week. The chance of rain Saturday night through Sunday is 20%.
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-- Angel Jennings
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Daughter talks about father slain in O.C. stabbings of homeless men
Rebecca McGillivray said she knew the TV image of one of the homeless men killed in Orange County was her father, but it was not the man she remembered.
James Patrick McGillivray, 53, was the first homeless man to be murdered in a string of stabbings that began Dec. 20 in northern Orange County. Her recollection was of a far different man than the one shown on the broadcast.
Rebecca McGillivray described him as a “blast” -- a fun-loving father who could always provide a laugh. Though she hadn’t had contact with him in about a decade, she spoke fondly of him Wednesday, even as she grappled with how he died.
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“To find out this happened to my father, it’s horrendous,” she said in an interview with The Times.
Two other men -- Paulus Smit, 57, and Lloyd Middaugh, 42 -- were also killed in recent weeks. A task force involving five law enforcement agencies is investigating the crimes.
While the family members of the victims anxiously await updates from police on the investigation into the slayings, some say they are grateful for the efforts thus far, including an unusual roadblock conducted Tuesday night.
Police stopped and interviewed drivers across the street from the Placentia shopping center where McGillivray was killed, looking for any information in the case. Sometimes, police canvassing is used to investigate drug crimes or child abductions, but rarely is the method used in Orange County.
“This is the first time I have ever been a part of one, and honestly the first time in the area that I’ve ever seen that form of information-gathering employed,” said Sgt. Bob Dunn, public information officer for the Anaheim Police Department.
“We obtained information for the task force to follow up on,” said Dunn, who would not comment on the specific findings of the canvassing.
Authorities believe the homicides are the work of a serial kille, and have released grainy photographs captured from surveillance video that show a male suspect dressed in dark clothing. A white, late-model Toyota Corolla is a vehicle of interest.
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Photo: A surveillance video shows a figure moving toward James Patrick McGillivray, who was killed in a Placentia shopping center Dec. 20. Credit: Anaheim Police Department
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Long Beach police investigate fatal shooting
Long Beach police Wednesday were investigating a shooting that left a 26-year-old man dead.
Officers arrived at the scene to find Lashown Fils lying in the street in the 200 block of West 14th Street, the Long Beach Police Department said.
Fils, a Long Beach resident, was taken to a hospital, where he died a few hours later.
Detectives had not established a motive for the shooting, which occurred shortly before 4 a.m.
Since January 2007, at least 197 homicides have been reported in Long Beach, according to a Times Homicide Report database.
Anyone with information on Fils' slaying is asked to call Det. Terri Hubert or Det. Mark Bigel at (562) 570-7244.
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Photo: Homicides reported since January 2007 in Long Beach. Credit: Times Homicide Report
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