L.A. NOW

Elderly driver hits, injures LAPD officer in Van Nuys

Cara Mia DiMassa — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:01:49 -0800

An elderly driver crashed her car into a Los Angeles police officer today while he attempted to issue a traffic citation, authorities said.

The officer, whose name was not released, had pulled over a driver along Sherman Way, near Katherine Avenue in Van Nuys. He was standing next to the vehicle about 2:30 p.m. when the elderly driver crashed into his patrol car and then struck the officer.

The officer landed on the windshield, said Officer Karen Rayner. He was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition. The driver was uninjured.

Authorities do not believe drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.

“It looks like it was just an accident,” Rayner said.

-- Paloma Esquivel

Motorcyclist killed in 100-mph crash on 101

Jill Jones — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:34:20 -0800

A 20-year-old motorcyclist was killed today when he crashed into a metal guardrail on the 101 Freeway at an estimated 100 mph, authorities said.

The unidentified rider was traveling eastbound about 2:28 p.m., when he struck the guardrail on the right shoulder just west of the 405 Freeway, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jose Nunez.

The man, who lived in Sherman Oaks, was thrown from his 2009 Suzuki motorcycle, Nunez said.

He was pronounced dead half an hour later at Sherman Oaks Hospital.

-- Jack Leonard

At least seven redhaired students were victims of 'ginger' attacks, authorities say

Carlos Lozano — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:50:09 -0800

At least four redhaired girls and three boys are believed to have been victims of the so-called ginger attacks at a Calabasas middle school that authorities say were inspired by a Facebook message, a Los Angeles County sheriff's investigation has revealed.

The seven victims were targeted in a series of assaults at or near A.E. Wright Middle School that began early Friday after the perpetrators acted on a Facebook message that informed them it was "Kick a Ginger Day," authorities said. Ginger is a label given to people with red hair, freckles and fair skin.

Detectives have identified eight boys at the school as formal subjects of the investigation, said Steve Whitmore, a sheriff’s spokesman. No arrests have been made.

The investigation began after a 12-year-old redheaded boy was assaulted by his classmates at the school, authorities said. His cuts and bruises were treated by a school nurse, who reported the incident to the principal.

"This was the most serious of the assaults," Whitmore said. "The other incidents tended to be pushing, shoving and intimation. More of an aggressive bullying."

The assailants were seventh- and eighth-graders at the school, authorities said. Sources familiar with the probe said that some action will probably be taken against at least four of the perpetrators.

Many of the new victims came forward amid the publicity surrounding the bizarre attacks, authorities said. Detectives are investigating the incidents as possible assaults with a deadly weapon.

Investigators say they believe the attacks were inspired by the television show "South Park." A satirical 2005 episode focused on prejudice against "gingers" after one of the characters claimed that people with red hair, light skin and freckles have no souls and suffer from a disease called "Gingervitis."

School officials have pledged to take disciplinary action against any of the students who participated in the attacks.

Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt has said the network relies on its more than 300 million users to report problems with groups or events. Staff members then follow up to see if groups should be removed or reported to law enforcement, he said.

-- Richard Winton

SWAT officers surround home in San Fernando Valley after gunshots fired

Robert Lopez — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:12:42 -0800

A Los Angeles police SWAT unit has surrounded a home in North Hollywood where a man who allegedly fired shots into the air has barricaded himself, authorities said.

The incident began about 5:15 p.m when the man, who family members say had been drinking, fired at least two rounds in the 11100 block of Valerio Street, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

"He's refusing to come outside," said LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Judge rejects bid to sidestep L.A. contribution limit [Updated]

William Nottingham — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:50:00 -0800

A federal judge turned down the request today of a political committee with close ties to the Department of Water and Power employee unions that had sought to bar the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission from enforcing a campaign contribution limit.

The group, Working Californians, said the law was preventing it from making independent expenditures for Los Angeles City Council candidate Christine Essel in her Dec. 8 runoff against Assemblyman Paul Krekorian.

Independent groups have spent more than $542,000 to boost Essel’s bid for the San Fernando Valley council seat of former Councilwoman Wendy Greuel in the last few weeks. Greuel is now city controller.

Working Californians, which is co-chaired by the heads of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11 and Local 18, had challenged a 1985 city law stating that a political committee cannot accept contributions greater than $500 if it intends to use that money on an independent expenditure for a city candidate. Working Californians claimed that the provision violated its free speech rights and asked the court to intervene immediately.

The executive director of the Ethics Commission had argued that the city’s contribution limits were intended “to limit corruption and the appearance of corruption so that voters can have faith in the electoral process."

U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson concluded that Working Californians had “not established a likelihood of success on the merits of its 1st Amendment claims.” The ruling noted that the group had received contributions from just six sources since 2007 — including the two political action committees controlled by IBEW Local 18 and Local 11.

Pregerson also said the group had not provided evidence that enforcement of the restrictions would "effectively thwart its ability to make independent expenditures” in the two weeks before the runoff.

“Working Californians is free to solicit contributions from as many donors as it likes, and assuming that no individual contribution exceeds the city’s $500 threshold, it can spend as much as it likes,” the judge wrote.

Krekorian, who intervened in the lawsuit on the side of the city, said the ruling “completely vindicates the effort we made to protect the city ethics laws that the voters enacted a quarter of a century ago.”

“This lawsuit was about nothing but concealing special interest money from the voters of L.A. It had nothing to do with 1st Amendment,” Krekorian said.

Stephen J. Kaufman, a lawyer for Working Californians, could not be reached for comment.

[Updated 8:05 p.m.: Stephen J. Kaufman, a lawyer for Working Californians, said the group was exploring its legal options in light of the ruling. "We are disappointed that the judge ignored the overwhelming legal precedent, but we are confident we will ultimately prevail on this issue," Kaufman said.]

-- Maeve Reston at L.A. City Hall

Man who robbed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rapper gets prison sentence

Andrew Blankstein — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:15:54 -0800

A well-known Los Angeles anti-gang intervention worker was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for a burglary that he admitted was done to benefit a street gang.

Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones and three codefendants were immediately sentenced after pleading no contest in connection with the robbing and beating of Bizzy Bone of the rap group Bone Thugs-N- Harmony on Jan. 5, authorities said. Bizzy Bone was beaten and choked in his Universal City hotel room and stripped of his jewelry.

At the time of his arrest, Jones was a contract employee for the anti-gang organization Unity One, which according to Los Angeles police was hired for the city’s L.A. Bridges II gang intervention program. He had also worked with a similar organization founded by USC football Coach Pete Carroll.

His arrest led to criticism of publicly funded gang intervention programs, which rely on former gang members to help police prevent violence and get gang members out of the life.

But those who defend such programs said the rewards outweigh the risks because the former gang members have the most credibility in reaching and reforming wayward youths.

Jones, 31, pleaded no contest to a single count of burglary and admitted to an allegation that his actions were committed to benefit a street gang, said Jane Robison, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Codefendant Ricky Pearson, 30, was sentenced to 19 years in prison; Vanquan Knott, 20, was sentenced to 11 years; and Markiece Goss, 24, received a six-year sentence, Robison said.

Unity One is an anti-gang group founded after the 1992 Los Angeles riots by Darren “Bo” Taylor, a former gang member who became a peacekeeper respected by street toughs as well as by law enforcement and community activists struggling to reduce inner-city violence. Taylor died in 2008.

Connie Rice, a prominent civil rights attorney, described Jones as a charismatic figure who could bring rival gang sects together. But she said he was not a professional and lacked the training and dedication that now are being taught to a new generation of gang intervention workers as part of the city effort she heads up.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Investigators work to identify redheaded students’ assailants in Calabasas

Tony Barboza — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:27:55 -0800

L.A. County sheriff's investigators are meeting with officials at a Calabasas middle school today to try to identify the students who injured at least three classmates after a Facebook message urged them to attack redheads.

The victims suffered minor injuries Friday when they were kicked and hit by a dozen classmates at A.E. Wright Middle School in assaults that may have been inspired by an episode of the television show "South Park," according to investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Detectives believe the attacks may have been motivated by a Facebook message telling them Friday was "Kick a Ginger Day." A 2005 episode of the animated comedy "South Park" focused on prejudice against "gingers," a label given to people with red hair, freckles and fair skin.

"We know the why, we know the how, we just need to find out who is involved," said Lt. John Benedict of the Sheriff's Department's Lost Hills Station.

Officials are investigating the incidents as possible assaults with a deadly weapon but do not consider the attacks to be hate crimes. No arrests have been made.

--Tony Barboza

Police search for man who snatched Valley nun's purse

Shelby Grad — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:02:30 -0800

Police in San Fernando are looking for a man who stole the purse of a nun outside a Food 4 Less store.

The incident was caught on a supermarket surveillance camera's tape. The nun was leaving the store with another nun. They were loading groceries into their cart when a man approached them asking for help for his sister, according to the San Fernando Police Department. The nun suggested a nearby church, and the man grabbed her purse and walked away.

According to the police, an apparent accomplice driving a minivan pulled up and drove him away. The nun ran after them but could not catch them, the video shows.

Lt. Tony Ruelas of the San Fernando Police Department told KTLA News that the sister lost money and ID cards. Workers at the police station started a collection and purchased the nun a new purse and a gift card for Food 4 Less.

--Shelby Grad

Photo: Surveillance camera image of a minivan allegedly used in the purse-snatching. Credit: San Fernando police via KTLA

Sunland-area freeway crash kills three when SUV plows into big-rig truck

Jean Merl — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:30:30 -0800

Three people, including a 14-year-old boy, were killed this morning after their sport utility vehicle rear-ended a big rig on the 210 Freeway in Sunland and became engulfed in flames, authorities said.

The SUV was traveling west on the 210 about 5 a.m. when it crashed into a lettuce-carrying big rig, which had been parked on the side of the road, said California Highway Patrol and L.A. fire officials.

“It’s unknown what lane they were traveling in or what speed they were traveling at,” CHP Officer Jennifer Connolly said. “There were no skid marks.”

A 9-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy got out of the burning vehicle, possibly with the help of passersby, but three other people were unable to exit, Connolly said. The children were taken to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in fair condition.

The male driver of the big rig complained of chest discomfort and was taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, L.A. Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. Flames from the crash ignited a small brush fire that took 61 firefighters 29 minutes to knock down, he said.

Dental X-rays are required to identify the three victims, whose bodies were charred, county coroner investigator Dana Bee said. They are believed to be related, but identification may take up to 72 hours, he said.

Humphrey said the SUV had been towing a small utility trailer filled with what appeared to be motor-sports equipment.

Three lanes of the westbound 210 were closed for nearly four hours.

-- Corina Knoll

Assault on Calabasas boy may be tied to Facebook message targeting redheads

Anna Gorman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:22:50 -0800

Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives are investigating an assault on a 12-year-old middle school boy in Calabasas who may have been targeted after a Facebook group urged students to beat up redheads, a sheriff’s official said today.

The boy was kicked and hit in two separate incidents on the campus of A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas by as many as 14 of his classmates, Lt. Richard Erickson said. The students who participated in the attack may have been motivated by a Facebook message telling them that Nov. 20 was “Kick a Ginger Day,” Erickson said, but had few other details about the message.

A “ginger” is label given to people with red hair, freckles and fair skin. Erickson said the victim has red hair. He said the Facebook message stems from an episode of the animated show TV “South Park.” A show in 2005 focused on prejudice against "gingers."

The incident occurred about 8:30 a.m. Friday. The boy sought help from the school nurse, who contacted the principal. Sheriff’s officials arrived on campus shortly afterward. “He was accosted by seventh- and then eighth-graders,” Erickson said. “He was kicked and hit with fists in various areas of the body.”

No arrests have been made yet. Detectives are investigating the incident as a possible assault with a deadly weapon. Erickson said he didn’t believe that the boy’s injuries were serious enough to require hospitalization. The victim's name was not released because he is a juvenile.

Deputies believe there may have been other victims but no other students have come forward. The principal of A.E. Wright, Kimmarie Taylor, could not be reached for comment today.

One parent, Steve Bernal, said he was told that school officials made an public address announcement about discrimination and then teachers led discussions about the topic in their classrooms.

Bernal said he was upset about what happened but glad that the school responded so well. He said he was concerned about how the Internet may have motivated the students involved.

“How does this happen off of Facebook?” he said. “Doesn’t Facebook monitor these groups that are being created?”

Bernal said what happened prompted him to have a candid conversation with his daughter. “First thing that I need to do is start talking to my daughter more,” he said. “It’s an eye-opener as a parent.”

Last year on the same day, several similar incidents occurred in Canada, according to media reports. Anyone with information about the Calabasas incident is encouraged to call the sheriff's station at (818) 878-1808.

--Anna Gorman

Woman carjacked a block away from Foothill police station

Stephanie Chavez — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:37:45 -0800

A man who allegedly used a shotgun to carjack a woman about a block away from the Foothill police station in Pacoima led police on a chase before barricading himself in an Arleta home for several hours. He was arrested late Friday night, Los Angeles police said.

Oscar Orozco, 22, allegedly brandished a shotgun to force the woman out of her car near Osborne Street and Telfair Avenue around 7:30 p.m., said Sgt. Andrew Chase of the Foothill station.

The woman ran to the nearby police station to report the crime and police pursued the suspect in cars and by helicopter.

The chase led officers to a home on Kewen Avenue. Orozco allegedly barged in, forcing the two occupants out, while a young woman hid inside a bathroom and called police. The SWAT team responded. After several hours, police caught Orozco trying to escape out a window of the home.

Orozco was taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries. No one else was injured, Chase said. Orozco was booked on suspicion of carjacking.

-- Baxter Holmes

Woman, 65, is killed in Van Nuys apartment fire

Robert Lopez — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:54:41 -0800

A 65-year-old woman died today after a fire broke out at a Van Nuys apartment building, authorities said.

One of the engine companies at the neighborhood fire station, which was several blocks away, had been shut down because of budget cutbacks, authorities said.

But authorities said that two firetrucks — with six firefighters — were still in service at the station and arrived at the scene two minutes after the alarm was sounded. Another firetruck from the next-closest station arrived in four minutes, authorities said.

"We got there very quickly," said Battalion Chief Ronnie Villanueva of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

He noted that the average response time in the San Fernando Valley is about five minutes.

When fire units arrived at the blaze about 2:20 a.m., smoke was streaming out of the second-story apartment building in the 14100 block of West Erwin Street.

The woman was discovered inside the smoke-filled apartment and was taken to Sherman Oaks Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, authorities said. Her name was not released.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

—Robert J. Lopez

'BMW bandits' spreading from Westside into Valley, LAPD says

Shelby Grad — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:04:20 -0800

The "BMW bandits," a group of professional thieves who have been stealing air bags and headlights for luxury cars on the Westside and in the Mid-Wilshire area, appear to be spreading to the San Fernando Valley.

In recent months, about 54 BMWs on the Westside or in Mid-Wilshire have had air bags, which can cost thousands of dollars to replace, and highlights ripped off by one or more skilled auto thieves.

BMW owners and Los Angeles Police Department officials in the Valley say they are seeing a similar phenomenon, but officials said the number of cars hit in the Valley is somewhat smaller.

It goes in waves. Usually they move from brand to brand of vehicle," said Capt. Bill Eaton of Van Nuys Division. "They are usually fulfilling orders."

Sherman Oaks resident Darin Nathan said his 5 Series BMW had its air bag and headlights stolen last Thursday. According to Nathan, the BMW was on the street in front of his house and in plain view at the time of the burglary.

He said the cost of replacing the equipment is about $6,000 but that in his case they did not damage the car.

He said that while he was at the dealership getting the repairs, he saw a 3 Series BMW that was heavily damaged by the burglars. Nathan said he has heard that his was one of seven cars to fall victim to the air bag thieves.

Studio City resident Brian Baker said his X-3 BMW was also parked in front of his home when its air bags were stolen earlier this month. He said LAPD evidence technicians "fingerprinted" his car as part of the investigation.

Air bags have replaced the radio, wheel rims and other fittings as auto thieves' favorite item to steal. They are portable, relatively easy to steal and a hot item on the black market.

More than 10% of all automobile thefts involve air bags, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research group funded by insurance companies.

-- Richard Winton

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Police search for North Hollywood gunman who killed acquaintance

Amanda Covarrubias — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:48:18 -0800

Los Angeles police this morning are searching for a man who shot and killed an acquaintance in the parking lot of a Sears store in North Hollywood.

The shooting occurred just before 9 p.m. Wednesday in the 6400 block of North Laurel Canyon Boulevard near Victory Boulevard. The victim was shot in the neck and was taken to a hospital where he later died, said Officer Norma Eisenmen of the LAPD.

Police determined that earlier in the evening two men in their 20s were involved in a dispute over the phone, Eisenmen said.

“Both parties agreed to meet to settle whatever their differences were,” Eisenmen said.

They met in the parking lot, where the altercation occurred. The suspect pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and shot the victim, Eisenmen said.

The suspect fled in a black four-door BMW 3-Series sedan with no plates, she said. Anyone with information is asked to call (877) 527-3247.

-- My-Thuan Tran

Smell of pot smoked out marijuana farm next to LAPD station

Shelby Grad — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:26:16 -0800

In the end, despite a sophisticated filtration system, it was the smell that smoked out the marijuana-growing operation located just 25 feet from the Los Angeles Police Department's Topanga station in Canoga Park.

LAPD officials said officers began noticing the smell of pot Tuesday morning, investigated, got warrants and closed down the indoor farm within eight hours.

Three men were taken into custody earlier Wednesday after officers served a search warrant on the warehouse in the 8400 block of Canoga Avenue.

Growers had built three rooms in the building -- one for seedlings, another for medium-sized plants and one where harvesting was apparently conducted, police said. The lights were controlled so they wouldn't overheat, watering systems were automated and oxygen levels were supplemented by carbon dioxide tanks, according to police.

"It was very sophisticated," said LAPD Officer Karen Raynor.

She said the growers used insulation material to seal cracks in the building. But about a week ago, officers in the station's parking lot noticed something out of the ordinary.

"They happened to catch a whiff of it," Raynor said.

A surveillance operation was launched, and officers obtained the warrant. The names of the three men, who appeared to be in their 30s, were not released because they had not been booked.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Interior growing room of marijuana warehouse. Credit: KTLA

Man critically wounded in North Hollywood shooting

Robert Lopez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:28:34 -0800

A man in his 20s was shot in neck tonight in North Hollywood and was in critical condition, police said.

"It's not looking good," Los Angeles Police Department Officer Karen Raynor said of the suspect's condition.

The shooting occurred about 9 p.m. in the parking lot of a Sears store in the 6400 block of North Laurel Canyon Boulevard near Victory Boulevard.

Police had cordoned off the area and were searching for evidence and suspects.

No additional details were available.

--Robert J. Lopez

Growers operated pot operation next to LAPD station for about eight months

Robert Lopez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:46:05 -0800

For about the last eight months, several suspects operated a sophisticated marijuana operation in a warehouse just 25 feet from the Los Angeles Police Department's Topanga Station in Canoga Park, police said tonight.

Three men were taken into custody earlier today after officers served a search warrant on the warehouse in the 8400 block of Canoga Avenue.

"It was very sophisticated," said LAPD Officer Karen Raynor.

She said the growers used insulation material to seal cracks in the building. But about a week ago, officers in the station's parking lot noticed something out of the ordinary.

"They happened to catch a whiff of it," Raynor said.

A surveillance operation was launched, and officers obtained the warrant. The names of the three men, who appeared to be in their 30s, were not released because they had not been booked.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Interior growing room of marijuana warehouse. Credit: KTLA

Marijuana-growing operation found behind LAPD's Topanga Station

Robert Lopez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:37:33 -0800

Police discovered a marijuana growing operation this afternoon on a property just 25 feet from the back door of the Los Angeles Police Department's Topanga Station, authorities said.

The marijuana plants were discovered after a search warrant was served about 3 p.m. on the property in the 8400 block of Canoga Avenue, LAPD officer Gregory Baek said.

He said officers launched an investigation about a week ago after smelling marijuana. Investigators were at the scene, and no additional details were available.

--Robert J. Lopez

Group tied to DWP employee union sues L.A. Ethics Commission to block fundraising limit [Updated]

William Nottingham — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:24:40 -0800

A nonprofit group closely tied to the Department of Water and Power employee union has filed a federal lawsuit against the City’s Ethics Commission, saying a city campaign fundraising law is unfairly limiting its ability to advocate on behalf of City Council candidate Christine Essel.

The case comes during a two-week period when outside groups have poured more than $280,000 into independent expenditures to boost Essel’s bid to replace former City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who is now city controller. Among those groups is the political arm of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 18, which has spent more than $93,000 in support of Essel’s campaign. The union is headed by Brian D’Arcy.

Working Californians, the group suing the city, is co-chaired by D’Arcy and Marvin Kropke, the business manager of IBEW Local 11. The group devised the solar energy proposal known as Measure B on the March ballot, which was supported by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa but was defeated by voters. And D’Arcy showed his political clout last month when he negotiated a five-year package of raises for DWP employees at a time when the police union agreed to forgo pay increases for two years because of the city’s budget crisis.

The legal challenge is to a 1985 city law that bars political committees from accepting contributions of more than $500 if the group plans to use that money to make an independent expenditure for a city candidate.

In practice, the law prevents outside groups or individuals from contributing to each other to pay for independent expenditures that support city candidates. Contributions that are not earmarked for a specific city campaign are not subject to that $500 limit. (If violations are suspected, the City Ethics Commission’s enforcement division determines whether a contribution was for an independent expenditure).

In a court hearing Thursday, Working Californians plans to ask a judge to immediately bar the Ethics Commission from enforcing what it characterizes as an unconstitutional violation of their free speech rights. If they are successful, it could open the door for a flood of outside contributions, not only in the Dec. 8 contest between Essel and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, but in future city elections.

Stephen J. Kaufman, a lawyer for Working Californians, said identical laws were recently struck down in California and around the country and that he hoped the court would act in time to allow the group to aide Essel before the runoff.

“Working Californians has always played by the rules in the past and wants to play by the rules in this upcoming election, and it has filed this lawsuit to ask the court to clarify the rules once and for all,” Kaufman said.

[Updated at 6 p.m.: In a statement, LeeAnn Pelham, executive director of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, said the law is intended to prevent "the actual or perceived indebtedness of city candidates to major monied interests. These can occur with large contributions to committees that make independent expenditures to influence city elections."

"It's no state secret that these concerns exist, and the city's longstanding contribution limits are tailored to limit corruption and the appearance of corruption so that voters can have faith in the electoral process," Pelham said.]

Because Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich recently endorsed Essel, Krekorian drafted a letter Wednesday asking city lawyers to recuse themselves and hire outside counsel to handle the case.

During a debate at Woodbury University on Wednesday, Krekorian criticized the outside spending for Essel, singling out the IBEW’s work on her behalf. “Over $200,000 in independent expenditures from public employee unions this week alone have gone to buy this election for Chris Essel; it’s an outrage,” he said. Essel noted she had no role in the IBEW’s decision to support her campaign.

When asked about the Working Californians lawsuit in an interview, Krekorian said “this kind of conduct makes a mockery of the ethics laws that the people of Los Angeles expect candidates to respect.”

Essel said she did not know anything about the Working Californians lawsuit and that she had not spoken to D’Arcy or Kropke since the early days of her candidacy.

Later in a statement she accused Krekorian of relying on contributions from lobbyists and oil companies to finance his campaign. “Real reform starts with holding politicians accountable for violating our ethics laws,” she said. “I am the only candidate who has offered voters a series of tough new ethics rules that will, among other things, force politicians to pay fines out of their own pockets and stop Sacramento politicians from skirting city rules by using their state political accounts to secretly fund campaigns.”

-- Maeve Reston at L.A. City Hall

Police search for suspect in attempted kidnapping of 13-year-old in West Valley

Amanda Covarrubias — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:48:03 -0800

LAPD detectives are searching for a kidnapping suspect who tried to snatch a 13-year-old girl walking home from school in the West San Fernando Valley.

The girl was walking near Magnolia Boulevard and Zelzah Avenue last Wednesday when a man jumped out of his parked vehicle and grabbed her as she passed, according to investigators.

As the man dragged the girl toward his car, she screamed and struggled and was able to free herself and run away. The suspect immediately ran back to his car and drove away from the scene, police said.

The suspected kidnapper is described as a 30- to 40-year-old heavy-set Latino with a shaved head. He is about 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds and was wearing a white oversized T-shirt and dark baggy shorts.

He may have been driving a white four-door 1995 to 2005 GMC Yukon, with a possible partial license number of "4Y------". The vehicle is believed to have a broken right taillight.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Larry Concepcion of the West Valley homicide unit at (818) 374-7725.

-- Richard Winton

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Eastbound 118 Freeway reopened after closure due to accident

Eastbound 118 Freeway reopened after closure due to accident [Updated]

Shelby Grad — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:27:34 -0800

The eastbound 118 Freeway was closed at Woodley Avenue due to a jackknifed big-rig truck that was leaking oil. The incident was causing gridlock in the Grenada Hills area. [Updated at 12:01 p.m.: The freeway has reopened.]

The accident occurred on the 118 just east of the 405 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Cars were being slowly escorted off the freeway at Woodley Avenue, and nearby surface streets were quickly filling up with traffic.

Motorists coming from the West Valley and Ventura County could take the 101 Freeway as an alternate.

-- Shelby Grad

More breaking news in L.A. Now:

Driver charged with killing 3-year-old girl at Diamond Bar school

Police search for suspect in attempted kidnapping of 13-year-old in West Valley

D.A. will prosecute medical marijuana dispensaries -- even if L.A. does not ban sales [Updated

Swiss tribunal to decide on bail for Roman Polanski in 2 to 3 weeks, officials say

Police search for gunman who fired shots in Sherman Oaks home

Amanda Covarrubias — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:26:20 -0800

Police are searching for a ski-masked gunman who fired multiple shots inside a Sherman Oaks home this morning, grazing a man in the leg.

At least four shots were fired in the 3400 block of Longridge Avenue at 5:49 a.m., said LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman.

The victim was a man about 35 years old, Eisenman said. The Los Angeles police and fire departments are on scene and trying to determine what happened.

-- Andrew Blankstein in Sherman Oaks

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Multiple gunshots heard this morning in Sherman Oaks hills neighborhood [Updated]

Andrew Blankstein — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:24:27 -0800

A Sherman Oaks resident called police this morning, saying a person wearing a ski mask had fired multiple gunshots into a home, said LAPD Officer Norman Eisenman.

Police responded to the call in the hills of Sherman Oaks, where residents said they'd heard a series of gunshots.

The call came at around 5:49 a.m. in the 3400 block of Longridge Avenue, Eisenman said.

[Updated at 6:35 a.m.: At least four shots were fired, police said, and at least one person was hit. A man was injured in the leg. The L.A. Fire Department and the LAPD responded and were on the scene.]

[Updated at 6:44 a.m.: The gunshot victim was a man about 35 years old, Eisenman said. At 7:11 a.m.: The address of the house where the shots were fired was 3446 N. Longridge Ave. Erik Scott, L.A. Fire Department spokesman, said the wound suffered by the gunshot victim was not life threatening. ]

-- Andrew Blankstein

Two wounded by gunfire in Chatsworth

William Nottingham — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:26:11 -0800

Two men were shot and wounded early this morning as police broke up a party in Chatsworth, authorities said.

Los Angeles police officers at the Devonshire station responded to complaints about a party in the 22200 block of Chatsworth Street about 2:30 a.m., Sgt. Andrew Kukla said. As the crowd was dispersed, gunshots were heard.

The officers discovered a man about 20 to 25 years old who had been shot in the leg and a man about 30 years old who suffered a gunshot to his ankle, Officer Gregory Baek said. The men were transported to a hospital in stable condition.

The shooter appeared to have fled the scene, Kukla said.

“As far as I know, nobody really wanted to come forward and point the officers in the direction of an actual suspect,” he said.

The incident is thought to be gang-related.

-- Corina Knoll

Fire weather expected in Inland Empire, San Diego

ronlinlatimes — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:00:06 -0800

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