O.C. man gives $10,000 to South L.A. church destroyed by fallen tree

An Orange County businessman donated $10,000 today to Pilgrim Community Church in South Los Angeles, where gusty winds blew a 90-foot pine tree onto the roof of the small church, destroying the building.

The donation was delivered about 11 a.m. by Pastor Matt Olthoff of the Mariners Church in Newport Beach. A church member made the donation but requested anonymity, Olthoff said.

Pilgrim church member Lorraine Cook-Curry, whose grandfather the Rev. Henry Cook founded the small, white church, accepted the money.

“I was expecting $10 or $100,” Cook-Curry said in a telephone interview. “But then I saw one too many zeros, and I almost went over the rail.”

Parts of 91 Freeway to be closed early next week

Parts of the eastbound 91 Freeway near the Orange and Riverside county border will be closed early next week while some lanes are restriped to accommodate construction. The closures will occur on the express lanes and the regular lanes from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday.

The freeway will remain open during peak hours.

The actual construction project will widen six miles of the eastbound 91 Freeway between the 241 and 71 freeways. The project is expected to be completed near the end of 2010. It is intended to ease congestion on the 91 Freeway near Coal Canyon Road.

-- Baxter Holmes

Placentia officials, Caltrans reach tentative settlement over failed rail project

Placentia officials said Wednesday that they have tentatively agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle a claim by Caltrans that the north Orange County city misspent more than $36 million in state funds to finance a now-defunct rail corridor project.

The dispute involved the $650-million OnTrac project, which was shelved in 2006 after failing to receive federal funding. The proposal, which included sinking 5 miles of railroad tracks into a concrete trench, dragged the city deep into debt and forced officials to cut services and sell park land to recoup their losses.

After almost two years of negotiations, Caltrans agreed to reduce its claim to $5.5 million — a move, city officials say, that spared Placentia from filing for bankruptcy protection.

“It is a great relief that this chapter in the city’s history is about to be closed,” said Mayor Pro Tem Joseph V. Aguirre. “Everyone in the city has been focused on resolving this and the stigma it has left.”

O.C. Fair board's actions regarding sale of fairgrounds may be illegal, county counsel says

The top attorney for the county of Orange is urging an investigation of the local fair board, saying its hiring of a lobbyist and law firm to influence the sale of the Orange County fairgrounds by the state may have been illegal.

In a Oct. 30 letter, County Counsel Nicholas S. Chrisos asked the state attorney general’s office to investigate the Orange County Fair Board, saying members’ use of public funds to lobby state officials over the terms of the fairgrounds sale appeared to violate a state law prohibiting public officials from having a financial or personal interest in a contract or sale.

The state put the 150-acre Costa Mesa property up for auction last month in an attempt to raise funds to help ease California's budget crisis.

At its July 29 meeting, the fair board hired former state Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman and the law firm Nossaman, Guthner, Knox and Eliot to lobby the governor’s office, Chrisos wrote.

Crews have nearly contained San Juan Capistrano wildfire

Fire crews had nearly completely encircled a wildfire burning east of San Juan Capistrano this afternoon as temperatures began to cool slightly across Southern California.

The blaze is 95% contained, with full containment expected Wednesday, fire officials said.

The fire had burned 145 acres of heavy brush in rugged terrain about five miles east of the 5 Freeway, authorities said. Fire officials earlier said the blaze had consumed 245 acres but downsized the acreage today after mapping the perimeter from the air.

Crews were able to take advantage of cool ocean winds and temperatures in the upper 60s, which helped slow the fire's spread, according to fire officials. Relative humidity was expected to reach 45% to 50% tonight, authorities said.

"That's going to help us even more," said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority. "It will moisten things down."

He said all the major flames had been extinguished by this afternoon and that crews were dousing "creeping smokes," or smoldering embers inside the fire perimeter.

About 195 firefighters, aided by a water-dropping helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft, were fighting the fire this afternoon. At the height of the blaze Monday afternoon, about 300 firefighters and several aircraft had been assigned to the battle.

The cost of fighting the fire had reached $385,000, Concepcion said.

Four firefighters were injured in the effort. One hurt his shoulder, another his knee, one his eye, and one suffered heat exhaustion.

Temperatures across Southern California were expected to dip slightly tomorrow before the onset of dry northerly winds Thursday and warmer weather, according to the National Weather Service.

A low pressure system was forecast to descend on the region Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to reach 70 degrees in downtown Los Angeles and the low 60s in mountain communities, the Weather Service said.

By Thursday, north winds will help warm up the area. Downtown L.A. will reach about 77 degrees, and foothill areas including Pasadena will hit about 79 degrees, the Weather Service said.

Temperatures will cool down again Friday and Saturday, with a 20% chance of rain, before warming back up Sunday and Monday, according to the Weather Service.

"It's just going to be this flip-flopping thing,"  Bonnie Bartling, a weather specialist with the Weather Service's Oxnard office, said of the changing temperatures.

--Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Orange County and California Department of Forestry fire investigators view the wildfire's point of origin where they believe a tractor operator knocked down a power pole, possibly arcing two electrical wires.  The fire is currently considered accidental. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Brush fire near San Juan Capistrano expected to be contained by tonight

Firefighters are working to fully contain a brush fire that has burned 245 acres east of San Juan Capistrano by tonight, an official said.

Crews are cutting breaks around the Ortega fire, which is 75% contained, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Greg McKeown. The fire, which began Monday, appears to have been sparked by a power line that was knocked down by a tractor as it drove on private property, authorities said.

Four firefighters have been injured in the battle: One hurt his shoulder, another his knee, one his eye and one suffered from heat exhaustion. Their conditions were unknown, McKeown said.

Cooler weather expected to aid firefighters battling blaze near San Juan Capistrano

Cooler weather is expected to help firefighters gain control of a wildfire east of Sam Juan Capistrano that burned at least 250 acres.

Firefighters will set backfires this morning and try to mop up the fire off Ortega Highway, which is 75% contained. It's not clear when full containment will occur.

On Monday, about 300 firefighters, aided by four bulldozers, cut fire breaks around the perimeter of the blaze, which has been confined to a bowl-shaped valley area in rugged terrain about five miles east of the 5 Freeway, fire officials said. No structures were threatened.

"We expect it stay fully contained in that bowl," said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Ground crews were aided by several water-dropping helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft that made repeated drops as the blaze burned through heavy brush.

The fire appears to have been sparked by a power line that was knocked down by a tractor as it drove on private property, authorities said.

Fire units responded to the blaze after a call at 11:28 a.m.

-- Robert J. Lopez

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

L.A. Council to discuss billboards amid calls to have digital signs removed

City Council expected to pick Charlie Beck as police chief this morning

Police search for gunman who fired shots in Sherman Oaks home

Suspect in Cindy Crawford extortion case surrenders in Germany

Voting day in election to replace former Assemblyman Mike Duvall

Voters in northern Orange County go to the polls today in a special election to replace former Republican Assemblyman Mike Duvall of Yorba Linda, who resigned suddenly in September in the wake of a sex scandal.

Polling places will be open from 7 a.m.to 8 p.m.

Three Republicans, one Democrat and one Green Party candidate are on the open-primary ballot in this GOP stronghold. If no one wins a majority today, there will be a Jan. 12 runoff among the top vote-getters in each party.

Duvall had told a fellow legislator about his sexual exploits with a lobbyist or two without realizing that the remarks, made during a lull at a committee hearing, had been recorded. The tape was later broadcast by a television news station.

Additional information about today's election is available at ocvote.com.

-- Jean Merl

Photo: Former Republican Assemblyman Mike Duvall. Credit: Los Angeles Times archives.

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Cooler weather expected to aid firefighters battling blaze near San Juan Capistrano

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Suspect in Cindy Crawford extortion case surrenders in Germany

Police search for gunman who fired shots in Sherman Oaks home

Full containment expected tomorrow on San Juan Capistrano wildfire [Updated]

A wildfire burning east of San Juan Capistrano had grown to 250 acres this evening, but fire crews were taking advantage of cooler weather and expected full containment Tuesday morning, authorities said.

[Updated 10:04 p.m.: The blaze is 75% contained, fire officials said.]

About 300 firefighters, aided by four bulldozers, are cutting fire breaks around the perimeter of the blaze, which has been confined to a bowl-shaped valley area in rugged terrain about five miles east of the 5 Freeway, fire officials said. No structures were threatened.

"We expect it stay fully contained in that bowl," said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Cool ocean breezes are expected to help by dropping temperatures tonight and increasing the relative humidity to about 30%, which would slow the fire's spread, Concepcion said.

"It's getting really cold," he said.

Earlier in the day, ground crews were aided by several water-dropping helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft that made repeated drops as the blaze burned through heavy brush.

The fire appears to have been sparked by a power line that was knocked down by a tractor as it drove on private property, authorities said.

Fire units responded to the blaze after a call at 11:28 a.m.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: A Forestry Department helicopter lifts off amid a cloud of dust and weeds. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

San Juan Capistrano fire burns 20 acres; 2 firefighters hurt

A brush fire has burned 20 acres east of San Juan Capistrano and resulted in two minor injuries to Orange County firefighters.

Authorities have sent water-dropping helicopters and fire engines to the 32502 block of Ortega Highway, where the fire was burning in Verdugo Canyon.

It did not appear that any homes were immediately threatened, and no evacuations have been ordered.

A call came into authorities at 11:28 a.m. of a tractor crashing into a power pole, sparking the blaze. The fire is burning toward the east on the south side of the highway. 

As of 2:45 p.m., the fire was 10% contained.

-- Baxter Holmes

Photo: Hand crews monitor hot spots as a helicopter flies behind the ridge for another drop on a brush fire off Ortega Highway, east of San Juan Capistrano. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

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New brush fire burning near San Juan Capistrano [Updated]

L.A. mayor and teachers union to compete for control of Jefferson High

L.A. County prosecutors to open 24-hour dog-fighting tip line and reward program

USC again has most foreign students, followed by NYU

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New brush fire burning near San Juan Capistrano [Updated]

 
The Orange County Fire Authority is battling a brush fire along Ortega Highway near San Juan Capistrano.

Authorities have sent water-dropping helicopters and fire engines to the 32502 block of Ortega Highway, where the fire was burning up some canyons.

It did not appear that any homes were immediately threatened, and no evacuations have been ordered.

[Updated at 1 p.m.: A call came into authorities at 11:28 a.m. of a tractor crashing into a power pole, sparking the blaze. The fire is burning toward the east on the south side of the highway. Traffic on the road has not be affected.]

-- Baxter Holmes

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

L.A. County prosecutors to open 24-hour dog-fighting tip line and reward program

USC again has most foreign students, followed by NYU

Hollywood A-listers host bash for Jerry Brown

L.A. firefighters battling blaze in Sepulveda Pass

Janet Jackson: Doctor is 'responsible' for Michael Jackson's death

Medical marijuana groups threaten to sue if L.A. bans sales

Workday commuters ride Gold Line extension for first time

Fire weather expected in Inland Empire, San Diego

The Inland Empire and much of San Diego County are expected to be under a red-flag warning Sunday morning through Monday night, signaling critical fire conditions, the National Weather Service said.

High pressure over the Western United States is expected to fuel winds entering from the northeast. Meteorologists are expecting gusts of more than 35 mph to funnel through the Cajon Pass and the Santa Ana mountains. The winds are expected to spread to the inland areas of San Diego County.

The air is expected to become particularly dry Monday, with humidity dipping below 10%.

The situation appears to be less worrisome in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Fire weather watches had been expected for Sunday in those counties, but were canceled this afternoon.

Although winds are expected to kick up tonight in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, except for the Santa Monica Mountains, relative humidity is expected to remain higher than 35%, said National Weather Service spokesman Bill Hoffer.

A freeze warning will be in effect overnight in the Antelope Valley as temperatures dip into the mid-20s.

—Rong-Gong Lin II

EMT convicted of raping intoxicated patient in Mission Viejo hospital

An emergency medical technician, or EMT, was convicted Friday of raping a female patient in a hospital room while she was unable to resist due to intoxication, authorities said.

Jesse Karim Pena, 32, of Winchester was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty in Newport Beach to one count of rape of an intoxicated person, according to a release from the Orange County district attorney’s office.

The victim, identified only as Jane Doe, was taken by ambulance to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo on Feb. 21. At around midnight, Pena logged into her hospital room and attacked her while she was alone and unable to resist, prosecutors said.

The victim later reported the incident to hospital officials, who called 911. Traces of DNA on the victim’s gown were later compared to DNA samples given by Pena and found to match.

Pena was arrested at a family member’s home in Ontario on June 25. At the time of the rape, Pena was an independent contractor EMT who may also have worked at other hospitals in Orange County and the San Diego area, prosecutors said.


-- Monte Morin

Metrolink board delays decision on fare hike after thousands protest

Faced with strong opposition from riders and questions about agency finances, the board of Southern California’s commuter rail agency today postponed a decision on a proposed 6% fare increase just three months after the last rate hike.

After receiving protests from thousands of riders, Metrolink board members opted to review a range of possible alternatives to the ticket price increase, including cuts to lightly used service, at a meeting next month.

“You want to charge us more to ride your trains,” law firm employee Charlie McDaniel, who commutes from Riverside to Los Angeles, told the board. “Many of the riders barely have the money to pay their rent.” McDaniel presented petitions she said contained signatures of 2,500 riders opposed to the fare hike. Officials previously said they received more than 1,300 comments opposing the rate hikes.

Scores of O.C. teens picked up in 'scared straight' curfew sweep

Sixty-seven underage Orange County teens were rounded up in a massive countywide curfew sweep late Thursday in an effort by dozens of law enforcement agencies to scare the after-hours wanderers straight.

The teens, who ranged in age from 13 to 17, were taken to one of three headquarters, put on jail buses to await their parents' arrival and then shown photos of young men who’d been killed in after-curfew incidents.

The sweep was meant to prevent youngsters from being victims of or participants in gang crimes, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Curfews in Orange County begin at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the city, and last until 5 a.m. Minors are banned from going out in public during these hours unless they’re with a parent or guardian or qualify for an exemption.

Among the offenders late Thursday were college-bound students, reputed gang members, a 13-year-old on probation for kidnapping and more than one drunken teen.

Huntington Beach police seek groping man

Huntington Beach police are searching for a man who has followed women home from the downtown Main Street nightlife district and groped them, said Lt. Mike Reynolds.

Four women have reported similar late-night incidents since August, and police are particularly concerned that the man appears to be growing more bold, Reynolds said.

In one incident, the man followed the victim to her home, and later entered the house through an unlocked door or window and touched her. In other cases, the man has followed victims and tried to talk to them before groping them.

“He’s becoming a little bit more assertive as he’s moving along,” Reynolds said. “That’s the fear, and that’s why we want to make the public aware.”

The suspect is described as a Latino man between the ages of 20 and 30, from 5-feet-7 to 5-feet-9, and weighing 180 to 200 pounds. The man is described as clean-shaven, with slicked-back hair, a deep voice and prominent cheek bones.

Anyone who has information is asked to call detectives at (714) 375-5066.

-- Seema Mehta

Illustration: Police sketch of male Latino wanted in connection with four sexual-battery incidents in downtown Huntington Beach. Credit: Huntington Beach Police Dept.

Orange County unveils ambitious brush-fire warning system, a year after devastating blaze

 

Orange County today will unveil an ambitious fire warning system designed to better alert residents to the danger of brush fires.

The new program, called OC Fire Watch, comes a year after the massive Freeway Complex fire swept through Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills, damaging or destroying more than 300 homes. At the time, fire officials said they wanted to work on ways to better alert residents to fast-moving brush fires.

As part of the program, government agencies around the county will raise red flags outside government buildings, parks and fire stations when the National Weather Service issues "red flag" fire warnings.

Additional, the county will create a volunteer program to help with fire warnings. Officials will train volunteers on communications procedures, map reading and how to report dangerous fire situations, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

“The memories of last year’s Freeway Complex fire and the Santiago fire two years ago still linger as  painful reminders of the devastation wildfires can inflict on our wilderness areas and nearby residential  communities,” Board of Supervisor Chair Patricia Bates said in a statement.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Aftermath of Freeway Complex fire in Yorba Linda. Credit: Al Schaben / Los Angeles Times

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Times/USC poll discussed on KCRW (in case you missed it)

Two die in Mid-City stabbing and officer-involved shooting

Superintendent works to preserve historic Mt. Wilson Observatory

Construction on first phase of Orange County Great Park approved

After years of planning, the Orange County Great Park will take shape — at least initially — as a far more modest spread than the facility supporters once vowed would rank among America’s great municipal parks.

The Irvine City Council voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday to spend $65.5 million over the next three to five years transforming a portion of the old El Toro Marine base into parkland.

The city will use the money to turn about 225 acres of the base into lawns, exhibition space, sports fields, farmland, citrus groves and a wildlife corridor, among other amenities.

The plan was crafted to address what’s become a common criticism: that despite spending tens of millions of dollars on a much-lauded design, the city has yet to deliver on its promises to build a showcase park in the heart of Orange County.

Boat caught under freeway bridge in Orange County

An L.A. County Sheriff’s Department boat being hauled on a trailer became trapped under a freeway bridge in Orange County today, police said.

The 55-foot boat was being towed on City Drive in Orange at 11:20 a.m. when it reached the California 22 overpass and the boat’s cabin “caught the lip of the bridge,” said Sgt. Dan Adams of the Orange Police Department.

Traffic was blocked for a short period until the boat was removed. There were no reported injuries.

The boat was built in Anaheim and was being transported to the coast, Adams said.

-- Baxter Holmes

Boat captain won't face charges in death of 11-year-old junior lifeguard

Orange County prosecutors have decided not to file charges against a marine safety officer whose boat struck and killed Huntington Beach junior lifeguard Allyssa Squirrell.

Authorities determined the incident was an accident.

The accident occurred in July when 11-year-old Allyssa was participating in a training exercise known as a speed drop, in which junior lifeguards drop into the water off a moving rescue boat.

She was struck by propellers when the boat circled around to pick up the swimmers, and she later died in surgery. It was the first fatal accident since the Huntington Beach program began in 1964.

Lt. Greg Crow, who piloted the boat that hit her, had 32 years of experience.

Hundreds attended a memorial for the girl. "She was having the best summer as a Huntington Beach junior lifeguard," the family wrote in a note on display. "She adored the program, loved the structure and would challenge herself daily to be the best she could be."

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: KTLA

Irvine man pleads guilty to killing motorcyclist in 2005 while driving under the influence

An Irvine man who fled to South Korea to avoid arrest pleaded guilty today to killing a motorcyclist while under the influence of alcohol.

Youn Bum Lee, 42, killed Ryan Dallas Cook in October 2005 while Cook was riding his motorcycle in the carpool lane on the 55 Freeway in Santa Ana, prosecutors said.

Before the accident, Lee and six co-workers had consumed 14 bottles of soju, a Korean rice wine, before heading to a karaoke bar where they continued drinking, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Lee drove his SUV with the headlights off and crashed into the center median of the 55 Freeway. Cook then smashed into the rear of the vehicle and was thrown onto the freeway, were he was run over by several other vehicles, prosecutors said.

Cook, 23, of Fountain Valley, was a student at Golden West College in Huntington Beach.

After the accident, Lee fled the scene and left the next day for South Korea, according to prosecutors. He was arrested there in December 2008 on a fugitive warrant and was returned to the United States in January.

Lee could receive up to nine years in state prison when sentenced Dec. 7, prosecutors said.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Man found floating facedown in Newport Harbor

A 49-year-old man was found floating in Newport Harbor this morning and was pronounced dead soon after at a local hospital, authorities said.

Two kayakers found the man, fully clothed and facedown in the water, shortly before 7 a.m. near the Orange Coast College seabase, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Shontel Sherwood. He was pronounced dead at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

Although Newport Beach police treat each death as a homicide until a cause has been determined, the circumstances are not being viewed as suspicious, Sherwood said.

Police did not identify the man, pending notification of his next of kin, but said he was a local resident.

-- David Zahniser

Garden Grove mechanic sentenced for sexual assaults

A Garden Grove auto mechanic who sexually assaulted five women after luring them into a service pit under the pretense of showing them needed repairs was sentenced today to 14 years in state prison, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Adrian Montano Fuerte, 39, of Tustin was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 31 of one felony count of forcible rape, one felony count of assault with the intent to commit rape, two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery, and one misdemeanor count of battery, according to a news release.

Fuerte had worked as a car mechanic at the Econo Lube and Tune at Knott Street and Chapman Avenue in Garden Grove for roughly three months. The sexual assaults occurred between Oct. 30, 2007, and Dec. 15, 2007. The victims ranged in age from 18 to 60, according to authorities.

The sexual assaults included the forcible rape of Jane Doe #1 and the assault with intent to commit rape against Jane Doe #2, the news release said. Fuerte also sexually assaulted Jane Doe #3, Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5. 

The first two women reported the attacks to authorities. Subsequent media coverage prompted the other victims to come forward.


-- Monte Morin

Man, adult son are killed by freight train in Fullerton [Updated]

A man and his son who were train-spotting in Fullerton were struck by a freight train and killed Wednesday night, authorities said.

About 11:15 p.m., a freight train was traveling near the train depot at North Harbor Boulevard and West Santa Fe Avenue when the conductor saw two men near the tracks, said Lena Kent, a spokeswoman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

The conductor sounded a horn in an attempt to warn the men and tried to stop the 7,200-foot-long train, Kent said. The train was unable to stop, she said, and the two men were struck. A freight train of that size traveling at 55 mph takes, on average, one mile to stop, she said.

Fullerton police responded and found two men on the railroad tracks.

The victims were identified as Virgil Lamphier, 56, and his son, David, 23, both of Fullerton.

“It looks like they were a couple of guys who liked to go down to see the trains once a week,” said Sgt. Mike MacDonald of the Fullerton Police Department.

The father had sent a text message to his wife, saying the two would be on their way home about 11 p.m., MacDonald said. He said the train station is a popular place for rail buffs to come and watch the trains at night.

[Updated at 2:50 p.m.: The daughter and sister of the victims said today that Virgil and David Lamphier used their weekly late-night walks along the tracks as a way to reconnect after years of estrangement. They chose the train tracks for the walks because they were only a few blocks from their home and because “it was just to be in a quiet place where they could just talk,” said Summer Lamphier, 27.

“It was like their space, their time,” she said outside the family house where other relatives had gathered. “It had zero to do with the trains themselves.”

She said her father and brother never discussed trains and had no particular fascination with them that she knew of. But one of their habits was to place pennies on the tracks for the passing trains to crush. After the train had passed, they collected the flattened coins and kept them in a jar at home.

Although it may never be known exactly what happened, Summer Lamphier said she believes that her father and brother were simply walking along the tracks with their backs to the train. By the time they heard it, it was too late to get away, she said.

The tracks are about a mile from the family home, to which Virgil Lamphier had returned about six months ago after separating from his wife, Bobbie, about 15 years ago. The couple, who never divorced, also have another daughter, Jennifer.]

--My-Thuan Tran and Dana Parsons in Orange County

Two pedestrians killed after being hit by train in Fullerton

Two pedestrians were killed after being hit by a freight train in Fullerton on Wednesday night, according to Fullerton police, who are continuing their investigation today.
 
Police received a call from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway at about 11:20 p.m., reporting that one of their freight trains was involved in an accident with two pedestrians, said Lt. Craig Brower of the Fullerton Police Department.

Police responded and found two men on the railroad tracks near the train depot at North Harbor Blvd and West  Santa Fe Avenue. The two men, whose identities have not been released, had been walking next to the railroad tracks, Brower said.

“It appears it was an accident,” he said, adding that police did not know why the two men were walking near the tracks. Fullerton police and the Orange County coroner are continuing their investigation.

-- My-Thuan Tran

Photo: KTLA