Fewer L.A. County courthouses to hear eviction cases under plan

The number of courthouses in Los Angeles County hearing eviction cases will be reduced from 26 to five under a Los Angeles County Superior Court plan to cut costs.

The plan will disproportionately harm low-income tenants fighting eviction, legal advocates for the poor say. Some people will have to travel up to 32 miles to litigate their cases, court officials said, under the plan expected to be implemented by the end of June.

For some, the trips could take several hours using public transportation and include transfers on multiple trains and buses, said Neal Dudovitz, executive director of Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. That travel time is of particular concern in eviction cases because the courts move quickly, he said.

"For people who are already in great stress and can't really afford to take days off work or have to bring little kids with them wherever they go, it's really impossible," Dudovitz said.

Under California law, tenants in most cases have five days to file a written response to the lawsuit brought by their landlords. If the person does not file a response within that time frame, the court rules in favor of the landlord.

L.A. Unified, other school districts seek new measures of success

Nine California school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, will apply to the U.S. Department of Education for relief from rules that, over time, have labeled most schools that receive federal funds as failing, officials announced Thursday.

In exchange, the districts pledged to adopt a broader system of measures that officials said would lead to better outcomes for students.

“We are not seeking this waiver in any way, shape or form … to escape accountability,” said L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy. Instead, he pledged “a new and more robust system,” one that is “built on the right drivers.”

“We’re ready to be held to a much higher standard,” Deasy said.

Under rules established during the George W. Bush administration, nearly all students in schools that receive federal funds must test at grade level or better in math and English by 2014. Schools not meeting aggressive targets toward that goal have fallen into “program improvement” status, which has been widely translated to mean that a school is failing.

Students aren’t helped by being labeled as failures, but “that’s what we do to schools,” said Richard Carranza, superintendent of San Francisco Unified, which is part of the consortium.

The proposed substitute formula would take into account whether a school is improving. It also would incorporate additional measures, such as suspension, expulsion and graduation rates and levels of chronic absenteeism as well as student and parent satisfaction.

Ex-Long Beach cop gets 11 years for sex crimes with underage girls

A former Long Beach police officer was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to numerous sex crimes involving underage girls, prosecutors said.

At a preliminary hearing, Noe Yanez, 40, pleaded guilty to charges including forcible rape, meeting a minor for lewd purposes, using a minor for sex acts, possession of child pornography and false imprisonment by fraud or deceit, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Natalie Adomian.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen sentenced Yanez to 11 years and eight months in prison and ordered that he register as a sex offender.

Yanez's crimes — which occurred from 2008 until shortly before he was charged in May 2012 — involved at least five victims as young as 13, Adomian said.

Yanez was a nine-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department when arrested April 19 on felony possession of child pornography charges.

Authorities had been investigating Yanez after he reportedly met a teenager while on patrol and later solicited explicit photographs of her via text message.

After further investigation, prosecutors filed a felony complaint and Yanez was rearrested the next month.

His employment with Long Beach police was terminated in June 2012, officials said.

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— Kate Mather

Follow Kate Mather on Twitter or Google+.

Man killed after firing on Long Beach officers, police say

Long Beach police shot and killed a man suspected of stealing a vehicle after he allegedly opened fire on officers early Thursday, officials said.

California Highway Patrol officers chased the vehicle -- apparently stolen from a Redondo Beach home -- into Long Beach but lost sight of him as he exited the southbound 405 at Studebaker Road about 1 a.m., Long Beach police Officer Marlene Arrona told KTLA-TV.

Long Beach officers spotted the vehicle shortly after, prompting a second chase that ended when the suspect crashed into a home in the 6400 block of Keynote Street, Arrona said.

"The suspect pointed a handgun at the officers, shot at the officers, and an officer-involved shooting occurred," Arrona told the TV station.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.

No officers were hurt in the incident, officials said. Keynote Street was expected to be closed for several hours as investigators remained on scene.

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-- From a Times staff writer

Photo: Investigators at the scene in Long Beach where a man suspected of stealing a white BMW was killed by police after allegedly producing a weapon at the end of a pursuit. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times

Dorner stopped visiting ex-wife's home months ago, neighbor says

A neighbor of the ex-wife of Christopher Jordan Dorner, the former LAPD officer accused of killing three people, said he often saw the suspect at the woman's Long Beach home.

"I've seen him here. I've said hi, I've bumped [fists] with him a couple times," said 24-year-old Oscar Gonzalez.

"He seemed like a regular guy. He was doing landscaping here in the front for her. He was heavy-built, always in military-style boots," Gonzalez said.

Dorner frequently visited -- until the end of last year.

PHOTOS: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer

“He was here for a while, and then he was just gone. It just kind of stopped all of the sudden, two or three months ago,” Gonzalez said.

Other neighbors with a less favorable view of the ex-wife were not so forthcoming and worried for their safety if they spoke up about Dorner, who is the subject of a massive manhunt.

“I don’t want to give out my name with this ... guy on the loose," one neighbor said. "I don’t want to be the next victim.”

PHOTOS: A fugitive's life on Facebook

Dorner, who was fired from the LAPD in 2008, is suspected of shooting three police officers, one of whom died, in Riverside County early Thursday.

He also is suspected of shooting and killing a couple in Orange County earlier this week who were found in a car in the parking lot of their apartment building. One of the victims was the daughter of a former LAPD captain named in an online manifesto that authorities said they believe was posted on Dorner's Facebook page.

Dorner is believed to be carrying multiple weapons, including an assault rifle.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Searching for suspected shooter

Law enforcement authorities said they were concerned about Dorner's military background and weapons training. The lengthy online message allegedly written by the former Navy Reserve lieutenant threatened "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against police.

Dorner received awards for his expertise with a rifle and pistol, according to military records obtained by The Times. He received an Iraq Campaign Medal and was a member of an undersea warfare unit.

Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, calling the attack on his officers a "cowardly ambush," said Dorner is suspected of opening fire with a rifle about 1:30 a.m. Thursday as he pulled up next to a patrol car waiting at a traffic light.

DOCUMENT: Read the manifesto

The attack was carried out about 20 minutes after Dorner wounded an LAPD officer in a shooting in nearby Corona, police said.

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-- Seema Mehta in Long Beach and Ari Bloomekatz

Photo: LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, right, talks to reporters about Christopher Jordan Dorner, pictured at left, a former LAPD officer who is suspected of going on a shooting rampage, killing three people, including one police officer. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Long Beach police chief considers run against Baca for sheriff's job

Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said he is considering a run against Sheriff Lee Baca next year for one of California's top law enforcement jobs.

Since Baca became sheriff 15 years ago, defeating an incumbent who died days before the vote, he has not faced a serious challenge for reelection.

But after a series of scandals and federal investigations targeting the department, experts said he may be politically vulnerable amid nearly two years of bad headlines.

McDonnell, who served as second in command to Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton before moving to Long Beach, would be the most formidable challenger Baca has faced. He was on a county commission that recently excoriated Baca's leadership, depicting him as a disengaged and uninformed manager who failed to stop jailhouse abuse and would have been fired in the private sector.

In an interview, McDonnell said he could offer "a fresh look" at the agency and reforms that "would make a big difference for ... the image of the department." He declined to discuss Baca's record, saying he wanted to speak to the sheriff first. But as a member of the commission, McDonnell had harsh words for Baca's stewardship of the agency.

San Pedro man struck and killed by motorist in Long Beach

A San Pedro man was struck and killed by a motorist when he stepped off a sidewalk and onto a roadway in Long Beach, authorities said.

The accident occurred about 7 p.m. Friday near the intersection of 7th Street and Pepper Tree Lane, police said. Responding officers found a 59-year-old man lying in the roadway, according to police.

The victim, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives determined the driver of a Range Rover, a 62-year-old resident of Long Beach, “did not have enough time to stop prior to colliding with the pedestrian,” the statement said. The driver, who was not identified, cooperated with the investigation, according to the statement.

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-- Matt Stevens

Violent crime in Long Beach hits 40-year low, but property crime up

Long Beach reported a 40-year low for violent crime in 2012, but a 10% increase in property crimes drove overall major crime up for the first time in at least five years.

Police Chief James McDonnell reported that city-wide violent crimes decreased by 5.3% in 2012 to the lowest level since 1972. The decline was driven by a drop in aggravated assaults and robberies. The number of rapes increased by three and murder, which hit a record low in 2011, increased by five to 30 in 2012.

But property crimes jumped significantly, with police citing a rise in home and garage burglaries, along with vehicle thefts. Overall major crimes increased 7% when compared with 2011.

"Last year, we as a department focused on violent crime, and our 40-year low is something for the city to really be proud of," the chief said.

When compared to 2011, residential burglaries were up 19%, while garage burglaries increased by 46.2%. Similarly, auto theft jumped by 19.1%.

In recent years, the city has trimmed its police department budget, but Mayor Bob Foster said he believes the state's plan to shift inmates to county supervision is affecting the numbers.

“We are clearly seeing the effects of realignment as it relates to property crime, as state policy has put thousands of additional criminals out on the street, resulting in increased property crime in communities throughout California,” Foster said in a statement.

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--Richard Winton

Photo: Long Beach skyline reflected in the Los Angeles River as it flows to Long Beach Harbor. Credit: Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times

Priest admits to groping teen girl and two women

A Roman Catholic priest who ministered at a Long Beach church pleaded no contest to sexually groping a 14-year-old girl and two young women and was sentenced to five years felony probation Wednesday. 

Father Luis Jose Cuevas, 67, who served at St. Athanasius Church on Linden Avenue, admitted to groping the 14-year-old and two 19-year-olds. He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors of sexual assault in February 2012 and a felony lewd act upon a child in July 2010.

"God be with you because you need him now more than we do," Deputy Dist. Atty. Jennifer Zepeda told the priest, reading from a statement from the victims.

In addition to probation, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Jesse Rodriguez ordered the priest to complete a 40-hour community service program and to register as a sex offender.

Zepeda said all three victims were pleased with the plea and subsequent sentence because it spared them having to testify at a public preliminary hearing.

Prosecutors noted that Cuevas is the seventh priest prosecuted for sexual molestation since 2006. The sentencing and plea comes as newly released court documents show that Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and the church leaders in Los Angeles sought to cover up and shield from authorities allegations against priests before 2002.

In this case, the two adult women initially reported the alleged incidents to the archdiocese and then filed a police report.

Police seek suspect who threw brick through Jewish temple window

Long Beach police have asked for the public's help in identifying a suspect who threw a brick through the window of a Jewish temple earlier in the month.

A surveillance camera captured the man walking up to Temple Israel at 269 Loma Ave. about 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 7, throwing the brick and running away. Long Beach police released the video Wednesday in hopes of identifying the suspect.

Police described the suspect as a man in his 20s, between 5-feet-9 and 6-feet tall and weighing between 170 and 175 pounds. He was wearing light-colored cargo or basketball shorts, with a long-sleeved, light-color jacket with a dark collar, a white T-shirt and dark sandals.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Det. Jackie Bezart at (562) 570-7250 or submit an anonymous tip online.

The same temple was vandalized in November of last year, when anti-Semitic graffiti was written on a front wall of the building, the Press-Telegram reported.

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— Kate Mather

Follow Kate Mather on Twitter or Google+.