L.A. NOW

Snow falls in Grapevine, fisherman rescued in marina as winter storm moves in [Updated]

Shelby Grad — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:15:55 -0800

Snow was falling in the Grapevine this morning and scattered showers were expected today as a Pacific storm moved into Southern California.

[Updated at 9:15 a.m.: The California Highway Patrol said major mountain highways, including the Grapevine and Cajon Pass, were open as of 9 a.m. However, officers were using traffic breaks to slow down motorists during the storm.]

The National Weather Service called for a 40% chance of rain -- as well as snow in some mountain regions. For part of the morning, the California Highway Patrol was escorting cars through a snowy Tejon Pass.

High surf is also expected. And overnight, a fisherman who was setting up bait near Marina del Rey was washed out to sea. He was rescued, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. [Updated at 7:45 a.m.: The weather service reported a strong storm cell moving into Catalina, producing rain and possible hail.]

Despite the mountain rain and snow, some parts of the L.A. Basin were clear this morning.

Skies will be mostly cloudy in the morning and partly cloudy by the afternoon. Lows will be in the upper 40s to mid-50s and the highs in the lower 60s. Winds will be out of the southwest at 15 mph.

The weather service has issued a winter weather advisory for the Ventura, San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains that will remain in effect until 3 p.m. The storm, which is coming out of the north, is expected to bring a chance of showers and snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches.

Because of the cold and unstable nature of the system, meteorologists say the precipitation could be highly variable throughout the mountain areas. The snowfall may be heavy at times and reach levels as low as 3,500 feet.

The weather could affect travelers on Interstate 5 near Gorman and the Tejon Pass as well as Highway 33 in the Ventura County mountains. Winds will be 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph in those areas.

At local beaches, a strong west-northwest swell will produce 4-to-6-foot waves with 8-to-10-foot faces. A high surf advisory will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Sunday, when the swell is expected to fade.

The weather service predicts that it will be mostly sunny and breezy Sunday. Highs will be in the mid-60s to low 70s, and nighttime temperatures will be in the mid-40s to low 50s. Clear skies are predicted for Sunday evening.

-- Dan Weikel and Shelby Grad

Roadway to LAX shut down as bomb squad investigates bags thrown from car [Updated]

Robert Lopez — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:21:55 -0800

A main connector road to Los Angeles International Airport has been shut down after police responded to reports this evening that two duffel bags were tossed out the window of a passing car, authorities said.

A bomb squad from the airport police is on the Sky Way access road, which runs alongside Terminal 1 from West 96th Street to World Way North, authorities said. Police responded around 6:30 p.m. after reports that the bags were thrown from a Mercedes sedan.

A witness flagged down police after seeing the bags tossed onto the roadway, authorities said.

Traffic in and around the airport has been heavy much of the day as travelers leave and arrive for the Thanksgiving weekend.

No additional details were available.

[Updated, 7:45 p.m.: The roadway has been reopened, and two people who police believe were engaged in an argument that led to the bag-tossing incident are being questioned.]

-- Andrew Blankstein

Homeless man deemed sane during 2005 killing of LAX officer

Amanda Covarrubias — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:32:29 -0800

A Los Angeles jury decided today that a homeless man convicted of killing an LAX officer in 2005 was sane at the time of the crime, paving the way for a likely sentence of life in prison without parole.

William Sadowski, 51, of Venice allegedly carjacked Officer Thomas Scott’s patrol vehicle, dragging the officer for a quarter-mile before hitting a fire hydrant and killing him. Authorities believed Sadowski may have been plotting to drive a vehicle onto the airfield at LAX and into an airplane.

Dressed in a striped blue button-up, his beard gray, Sadowski appeared nervous in court. After the jury’s decision was announced, his glare turned downward and his feet tapped frantically.

Scott’s relatives and co-workers at the hearing cried and embraced. Scott’s father took a box of tissues into the courtroom.

“Tommy was my heart, a very fine son,” said Hubert Scott, the officer’s father. “I miss him; I’ll always miss him.”

Hubert Scott said he has become friendly with Sadowski’s family during court proceedings -- sometimes chatting with them in the cafeteria -- and regrets the damage the incident has inflicted on both families. Scott’s death prompted an outpouring of grief at the time from airport police, who described him as a model officer.

“He was the face of the airport police,” said Capt. LaPonda Fitchpatrick, who held back tears as she recalled giving Scott his final assignment. Two officers in uniform also attended the hearing.

Jurors deliberated just a couple of hours before returning their sanity verdict. They convicted Sadowski last week of four counts, including homicide and carjacking.

Sadowski is expected to be sentenced to life in prison without parole in January. Had the jury decided he was insane at the time of the crime, he probably would have been sent to a state mental hospital.

-- Robert Faturechi at the L.A. County Courthouse downtown

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UCLA-USC rivalry week claims casualty as The Bruin statue is splattered in cardinal and gold paint [Updated]

Andrew Blankstein — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:29:14 -0800

Authorities are trying to determine this morning who splashed cardinal and gold paint -- USC school colors -- all over a statue of the UCLA Bruin mascot on the Westwood campus.

Police say the prank is being treated as a felony vandalism investigation.

The Bruins and Trojans will meet Saturday in the traditional crosstown football game, and UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton said it's unclear when the statue, which had been wrapped to protect it from harm, was vandalized. But it could have been between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. today, when the paint-splattered bear was discovered. [Updated at 10:02 a.m.: A previous version of this post incorrectly indicated that the game was Thursday.]

Despite the heated passions of rivalry week, there have been few pranks because officials from both universities have taken steps in recent years to protect icons on campus from vandalism.

The statue sits in Bruin Plaza and was unveiled in 1984, Hampton said. Since 1999, school officials have protected the statue with a tarp during rivalry week, telling students the bear is hibernating.

At USC, campus officials wrap the Tommy Trojan statue and students have taken to guarding the statue in shifts. There was no reported retaliation.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photos: Top, maintenance workers clean up the paint on the Bruin statue at UCLA. Bottom, students gather to see the defaced mascot. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

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LAPD cruiser in fatal collision in Venice was not speeding, city officials say

Robert Lopez — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:50:20 -0800

A police cruiser involved in a fatal collision in Venice last month was traveling at a safe speed when it broadsided another vehicle that failed to yield the right of way, city officials said today.

Devin Petelski, 25, died after her BMW was struck by a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car Oct. 15. Petelski had entered the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Glyndon Avenue at the time of the crash.

Petelski's family and friends blame the police for causing her death. The officers, who suffered injuries in the crash, were speeding east on Venice with their headlights, sirens and flashing lights off as they slammed into her vehicle, according to Petelski's friends.

The posted speed in the area is 40 mph.

Bob Pallone, an assistant city attorney, said today that the officers were traveling between 41 and 45 mph when they struck the vehicle shortly before midnight.

Given the light traffic conditions at the time, Pallone said, "45 would be safe."

He said Petelski failed to yield to the LAPD cruiser.

"The bottom line is you have a car on her left that has the right of way ... and she pulls straight out in front of the police" vehicle, Pallone said.

Attorney Geoffrey Wells, who is representing Petelski's family, disputed the claim that Devin Petelski was at fault.

"According to witness statements, she stopped at the stop sign and safely entered the intersection. And the police vehicle struck her," he said.

The cruiser's headlights were smashed in the crash. But an inspection of the damaged light connections afterward showed that they were hot at the time of accident, which means the lights were on, according to Pallone. Moreover, he added, photos taken after the crash show that the patrol car's taillights were on -- another indication that lights were on.

Wells said his investigators have not had a chance to conduct their own tests to determine the speed of the LAPD cruiser and whether its headlights were on. But he noted that some witnesses have said they saw the patrol unit driving about 60 mph without its headlights, flashing lights or siren.

LAPD Det. Jesus Ravega, who is investigating the incident, told The Times last month that officers were responding to a call of a burglary in progress when they hit Petelski's BMW. The officers were not using their sirens or flashing lights and had not told dispatchers they were en route to the reported burglary, Ravega said.

But Pallone said today the officers were not responding to a burglary. They heard the radio call and prepared to respond but were passed near Venice and Lincoln Boulevard by another patrol car heading to the reported burglary, he said.

That patrol unit was "responding with red lights and siren," according to Pallone, who said he spoke with the officer who was driving the car that hit Petelski's BMW.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Detail of memorial to Devin Petelski at the crash site. Credit: Robert J. Lopez / Los Angeles Times.

Motorist dies after crashing into Westwood bakery [Updated]

Stephanie Chavez — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:12:04 -0800

A man died this morning after his vehicle crashed into the back of a Westwood bakery, police and a witness said.

No one else was injured when the vehicle smashed into Paris Pastry at 1448 Westwood Blvd., said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Josh Min.

[Updated: 2:53 p.m.: Investigators said Saturday afternoon the man was struck by his own delivery truck as he was standing in front of it. It then rolled into the bakery. Police believe he may have forgotten to put the brake on.]

A sales clerk at the store said a delivery truck hit the rear of the shop in an alley; the store was not damaged and remained open for business. She said the alley was cordoned off.

The driver, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash is under investigation, Min said.

-- Baxter Holmes

Santa Monica police officer injured in crash on PCH

Stephanie Chavez — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:57:47 -0800

A Santa Monica police officer suffered moderate injuries this morning when his motorcycle crashed into the back of a truck he was attempting to pull over on Pacific Coast Highway, police said.

The crash occurred about 7:50 a.m. on PCH near the California Incline, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Cody Green. The motorist slammed on the brakes, causing the officer to crash into the rear end of the vehicle, Green said. The officer, whose name was not released, was transported to a hospital.

The motorist was questioned at the scene but was not arrested.

The California Highway Patrol closed the westbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway transition to northbound PCH at the McClure Tunnel for 30 minutes while the crash was investigated.

-- Ruben Vives

UCLA students end a day of protest over fee hikes

Robert Lopez — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:14:33 -0800

After a day of protests over student fee hikes that roiled the UCLA campus, a final group of students who had taken over Campbell Hall left the building peacefully this evening.

There were about 25 students when the group dispersed shortly before 7 p.m. Students had been occupying the building since about 12:30 a.m. Students used a bike rack to block hallways and desks to block doors. Pizza boxes were strewn in the third-floor hallway.

"This is only the end of this moment," said Patricia Torres, 30, a first-year graduate student in the School of Urban Planning. "We are still dialoguing, but not stopping."

Earlier today, the UC Board of Regents approved a 32% increase in student fees.

The $2,500 fee hike will come in two steps by next fall. That would bring the basic UC education fees to about $10,300, plus about another $1,000 for campus-based charges, for a total that would be about triple the UC cost a decade ago. Room, board and books can add another $16,000.

UCLA students were joined by students from several other UC campuses who arrived in Westwood to join the demonstration against the fee hike.

UCLA officials had declared Campbell Hall closed for the day.

-- Amina Khan

Photo: Students, faculty members and other workers from UCLA and other University of California campuses protest the Board of Regents' approval of a 32% increase in undergraduate fees.
Photo: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Vigil held for driver killed in crash with LAPD cruiser [Updated]

Robert Lopez — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:09:10 -0800

Marchers are hitting the streets of Venice tonight for a candlelight vigil to call attention to the death of Devin Petelski, whose car was broadsided last month by a Los Angeles Police Department cruiser.

Organizers said about 200 people are at the scene of the Oct. 15 crash on Venice Boulevard at Glyndon Avenue, and plan to walk several miles to the LAPD's Pacific Division station. Petelski was struck as her BMW entered the intersection shortly before midnight. She died two days later in a hospital, where she had been on life support.

[Updated at 9:12 p.m.: Marchers reached the Pacific Division station, where they spoke with Capt. Joseph Hiltner and Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes Venice.]

Petelski's friends and relatives have accused police of causing her death. Two officers, who suffered minor injuries, were in the cruiser and had been speeding along Venice Boulevard without their headlights, sirens or flashing lights, critics say.

The accident remains under investigation by the LAPD, but city officials say the preliminary police investigation indicates that the officers were using their headlights as they drove along Venice Boulevard.

Friends say Petelski was a Santa Monica resident who enjoyed yoga and trips to the beach. She was a graduate of Crossroads High School in Santa Monica and studied communications at UC Santa Barbara, friends said.

Detectives said the officers were responding to a call of a burglary in progress. Another unit had already been dispatched to the incident, detectives said.

The officers were not using their flashing lights or sirens, and they had not told LAPD dispatchers that they were en route to the reported burglary, detectives said.  The cruiser smashed into the front center of Petelski's car.

The force of the impact caused the police cruiser to spin around and slam into a tree and traffic sign on the sidewalk.   Investigators had not determined how fast the officers were traveling. The posted speed limit is 40 mph.

Under LAPD policy, officers must use their flashing lights and siren if they are exceeding the speed limit or running stoplights while responding to emergencies.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photos: LAPD Capt. Joseph Hiltner and Councilman Bill Rosendahl, top, speak to marchers at the Pacific Division station. At right, marchers at the crash site carry candles.

Credit: Nick McCutchen

UC regents approve fee hike amid loud student protests [Updated]

Shelby Grad — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:06:41 -0800

Amid loud student protests that roiled the UCLA campus, the UC Board of Regents this afternoon approved a 32% increase in student fees.

The fee hike of $2,500, or 32%, will come in two steps by next fall. That would bring the basic UC education fees to about $10,300, plus about another $1,000 for campus-based charges, for a total that would be about triple the UC cost a decade ago. Room, board and books can add another $16,000.

Only student regent Jesse Bernal voted against the undergraduate fees.

The noise of protesters came through the window as the regents voted. It was only lightly discussed, with UC President Mark G. Yudof urging that students explore all the financial-aid possibilities so they don’t get scared away or drop out.

Groups of UC students from several other campuses arrived in Westwood to join a demonstration against the fee hike, and a group of protesters was occupying a UCLA classroom building.

UCLA officials declared Campbell Hall, where the sit-in continued, closed for the day. Inside, about 40 to 50 students who had chained the doors shut shortly after midnight were issuing e-mail statements.

“We choose to fight back, to resist, where we find ourselves, the place where we live and work, our university,” their statement said. Campus police surrounded the classroom building, but no arrests were made.

Meanwhile, across campus, a crowd of several hundred gathered outside Covel Commons, where the regents were meeting. Students and UC employees chanted such slogans as “Whose university? Our university!”

Among them was Tommy Le, a fourth-year student at UC Santa Cruz, who left his campus at 3 a.m. today in a convoy of two buses headed south. Le, 21, an American studies major from El Monte, said he was worried about how he being able to afford the higher charges, starting with an additional $585 for the rest of the school year.

“It’s adding more stress and more burden,” said Le, who said he works two part-time jobs and sends money home to help his family. The fee increase, he said, would be “a lose-lose situation.”

[Updated at 1:33 p.m.: As news spread that the regents had approved the increase, hundreds of student protesters gathered in the courtyard outside the building and yelled, “Shame on you! Shame on you!”

After the vote, Jasmine Guerrero, a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, said she feared she would have to drop out of school.

“I can’t afford it,” said Guerrero, who wore a red bandanna across her face. “They (the regents) don’t care. They’re laughing at us.”

Gaby Arita, a senior at UCLA, said she recently lost a $4,000 grant to pay for her final quarter of school and is worried about finding the money to graduate. She said she is working two jobs to pay for her education.

“I’m on my own,” she said. “I can’t ask my family. In this economy, no one is stable.”

Mark Villela, a junior at UCLA, also said he would probably have to drop out of school and attend community college in his hometown of Palmdale.]

-- Larry Gordon and Amina Khan in Westwood

More photos > > >

Audio: Statement from demonstrators

Audio: Charles Alexande, UCLA Vice Provost for Student Diversity and Director of Academic Advancement Program

Photo: Elliot Goldstein, right, of Berkeley protests for the "future of education" as UC police officers watch the crowd during a regents meeting at UCLA. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

'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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FAA computer glitch fixed; few flight delays expected at West Coast airports

Amanda Covarrubias — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:45:47 -0800

A glitch in the FAA system that collects airlines' flight plans was repaired this morning and is not expected to affect travel to and from West Coast airports, officials said today.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said there will be some residual delays, but not many because the glitch occurred early in the morning when West Coast air traffic was low.

The FAA experienced a problem with one of its computers that processes flight plan information. Flight plans include all planned information for a flight, including destination, type of aircraft, speed and destination. They are processed nationwide by computers at centers in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.

Early reports indicated the problem originated in Atlanta, but Gregor said that it being investigated. Nationwide, there were widespread cancellations and delays of flights this morning because of the glitch.

Gregor said there was a similar problem with flight-plan processing in the Atlanta office in August 2008, delaying about 650 flights in the East and Midwest. An FAA spokesman at the time referred to it as an “internal software processing” problem. The FAA is investigating the cause of the problem.

Gregor said the problem was not a safety issue. “We have radar coverage and communications with planes,” he said.

-- Baxter Holmes

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Students storm UCLA building to protest expected UC system fee increase [Updated]

Amanda Covarrubias — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:17:43 -0800

About 30 students stormed UCLA’s Campbell Hall and barricaded the doors with chains and bike locks early this morning to protest a student fee increase that is expected to be endorsed by the University of California’s Board of Regents today.

[Updated at 8:39 a.m.: The UC Regents have started to meet, and hundreds of students have surrounded the building, protesting the proposed fee hike.]

Students who spent the night were sprawled outside Campbell Hall in sleeping bags. They carried posters and signs that read, “Don’t take our education away” and “Don’t privatize, democratize.” Many wore bandannas over their faces.

Dozens of other students spent the night camped out in tents on top of Parking Structure 4. Hundreds of other students are expected to join the protesters and demonstrate at the UC Regents meeting that will take place later today.

The proposed two-step student fee increase would raise UC undergraduate education costs more than $2,500, or 32%.The annual cost of a UC education, not including campus-based fees would rise to $10,302.

Kyle Tramberly, a junior at UC San Diego, said he did not sleep since arriving at UCLA late Wednesday night.

“I’m here in solidarity with people across the state of California that are being subjugated to these outrageous fee increases,” he said. “I can’t afford the fee increases, personally. I have to take out private loans in order to cover this. It’s completely unjust to put the burden on students.”

A key committee of the UC Regents backed the two-step hike Wednesday, despite appeals from students who urged the board to at least postpone a vote. About 500 student and labor-union activists demonstrated outside the meeting. Fourteen were arrested.

-- My-Thuan Tran

Photo: Students march in front of Covel Commons at UCLA, where regents will be voting on a fee increase later in the day. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Audio: Statement from demonstrators

More photos >>

Candelight vigil planned for woman killed in Venice crash with LAPD cruiser

Robert Lopez — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:07:42 -0800

Devin Petelski's BMW had just entered a Venice intersection shortly before midnight Oct. 15, when she was broadsided by a Los Angeles Police Department cruiser. She died two days later in the hospital, where she had been on life support.

In the weeks following the collision, friends and relatives of the dead 25-year-old have accused police officers of causing her death. The two officers, who suffered minor injuries, had been speeding along Venice Boulevard without their headlights, sirens of flashing lights, critics allege.

The accident remains under investigation by the LAPD, but authorities deny allegations that the officers were driving without their headlights on.

Still, the circumstances of Petelski's death have generated outrage among some local residents.

Tomorrow evening, mourners plan to hold a candlelight march from the accident site at Glyndon Avenue and Venice Boulevard to the LAPD's Pacific Division.

They've also created a Facebook page, which has more than 2,600 members, to provide updates on the case and seek witnesses to the crash.

Although she had struggled with alcohol abuse, Petelski had turned her life around, according to friend Sheyla Molho. Petelski was driving home from her job as a substance abuse counselor at a Venice rehab clinic when she was hit, Molho said.

"She had changed her life," Molho said. "It's just tragic."

LAPD Det. Jesus Ravega, who is investigating the incident, said Petelski was driving north on Glyndon. She had stopped at a stop sign before entering the intersection at Venice Boulevard, he said.

Ravega said the officers were responding to a call of a burglary in progress. Another unit had already been dispatched to the incident, he said.

The officers were not using their flashing lights or sirens, and they had not told LAPD dispatchers that they were en route to the reported burglary, Ravega said.

The cruiser smashed the front center of Petelski's car. The force of the impact caused the police cruiser to spin around and slam into a tree and traffic sign on the sidewalk.

Ravega said investigators had not determined how fast the officers were traveling. The posted speed limit is 40 mph.

LAPD Cmdr. Stuart Maislin, speaking generally, said the department recently enacted a new policy requiring all officers to use their lights and sirens when they are exceeding the speed limit in response to an emergency call.

"If they are going to violate the rules of the road, like speeding or running a light, they would need to use lights and siren," Maislin said.

The previous policy only allowed for one patrol car to respond with lights and sirens to an emergency. The practice was changed after officers racing to calls without lights and sirens had been involved in collisions that cost the city more than $11 million since 2006.

Christopher Medak, who has been helping Petelski's family find witnesses, said he spoke with two people who say they saw the officers speeding without their headlights.

Bob Pulone, an assistant city attorney, said the initial police investigation indicates that the headlights were on.

At the crash site, family and friends have created a memorial with flowers, candles, letters and photos of Petelski. "I miss you terribly. I'm praying for your soul," one of the letters says.

-Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Memorial honoring Devin Petelski. Credit: Robert J. Lopez/Los Angeles Times.

Lifeguards find massive, century-old ship anchor off Santa Monica Pier

Shelby Grad — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:07:29 -0800

A 100-plus-year-old anchor was pulled up from the ocean off Santa Monica Pier, a relic from the days when the area was a major shipping port.

Lifeguards found the anchor two miles up the coast from the pier about three weeks ago. The discovery occurred around the former site of the Long Wharf, a shipping center that served Southern California on Santa Monica Bay from 1892 to 1919.

“It’s not every day you find something like that,” said Andrew Greger, rescue boat captain with the L.A. County Fire Department, who spotted the anchor three weeks ago during a training dive.

The Long Wharf was built by railroad tycoon Collis Huntington. At the time, it was the world's largest and became a tourist attraction. Huntington wanted to make Santa Monica the region's main port, but L.A. city leaders eventually chose San Pedro.

The anchor was pulled up Tuesday with the help of a tractor. It’s resting in a garden just outside the Los Angeles County lifeguard station at 1642 Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica.

--Baxter Holmes

Photo: Scott Grisby / L.A. County Fire Department

Car plunges off Mulholland Drive near Laurel Canyon

Shelby Grad — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:03:25 -0800

Los Angeles firefighters were trying to rescue the driver of a car that plunged off Mulholland Drive near Laurel Canyon.

The incident occurred this afternoon, and firefighters were tending to the injured woman in the canyon. The Los Angeles Fire Department said one of its helicopters was going to hoist the woman up and take her to a hospital.

Her condition was not immediately known.

-- Shelby Grad

Paradise Cove pollution fine slashed, outraging environmentalists [Updated]

Martha Groves — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:38:25 -0800

A Malibu mobile home park that earlier this year was fined $1.65 million for repeatedly allowing raw and partially treated sewage to spill into the ocean and local creeks will have to pay a mere fraction of the penalty, a reduction that has infuriated environmentalists who viewed the fine as a long-overdue punishment.

Calling the reduction of Paradise Cove’s fine to $54,500 a "travesty of justice," Heal the Bay President Mark Gold blamed the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board staff and attorneys for making what he called "egregious" procedural errors.

Because of technical mistakes, Kissel Co., owner of Paradise Cove, saved more than $1 million in penalties and millions more because it did not operate a "First World wastewater treatment system for a decade," Gold wrote on his Spouting Off blog.

"It definitely pays to pollute," Gold said.

Water board officials and lawyers for Kissel Co. could not immediately be reached for comment.

[Updated at 3:05 p.m.: Residents of the 72-acre mobile home park on Pacific Coast Highway have complained of seeing raw sewage leaking from manholes, flowing into storm drains and "running down the street to the playground area," according to water board documents.

When the water board handed down the penalty last year, board spokesman Stephen Cain said the size of the fine "speaks to the importance of what's going on there."

Though not the largest penalty handed down by the water board, the fine for allowing about 2,000 gallons of raw or partially treated sewage to flow into the ocean and local creeks in was considered significant.

The 257 mobile home sites in the park, which evolved from a rustic recreational vehicle campground in the 1950s and '60s into a chic seaside enclave, are nestled among trees and shrubs. All sit within 1,500 feet of the ocean.]

--Martha Groves

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UC Regents committee approves student fee increases; at least 14 protesters arrested at meeting at UCLA

Rebecca Trounson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:21:03 -0800

A University of California Board of Regents committee today approved a series of controversial increases in student fees that, if passed by the full board, will raise UC undergraduate education costs by more than $2,500, or 32%, in two steps by fall 2010.

The finance committee vote is expected to be endorsed by the full Board of Regents on Thursday. The two-day meeting is being held at UCLA, where today's session has been marked by raucous protests with at least 14 arrests.

The first step of the fee hike, costing undergraduates an additional $585, will take effect in January. Next fall, students will see another $1,344 increase, bringing the UC education fees to $10,302, along with about $1,000 in campus-based charges. That does not include room, board and books, which can add another $16,000.

Demonstrations broke out inside the meeting hall at UCLA's Covel Commons soon after the meeting began this morning. A presentation on the budget and fee increase proposal by UC President Mark Yudof was interrupted. Police cleared the public from the hall but a group of protesters refused to leave, standing and singing “We Shall Overcome.”

They were escorted out and handcuffed and police said they would be cited for misdemeanor unlawful assembly. It was not clear whether they were students.

Outside the hall, meanwhile, an estimated 300 students and union activists faced off against a large contingent of UC police in riot gear and carrying non-lethal weapons. At one point, bottles were thrown and police pushed the crowd away from the front door. There were no reports of serious injuries or additional arrests beyond the 14 people arrested inside.

-- Larry Gordon at UCLA

Photo: UCLA students, from left, Frances Clark, 20, a history major, and Amanda Bahamonde, 20, a biology student, protest student fee hikes today at UCLA. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times.

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Ruth Seymour, longtime GM, distinctive voice of KCRW, is retiring

Martin Beck — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:47:11 -0800

Ruth Seymour, the longtime general manager of public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9), announced today she is retiring after more than three decades on the job.

Familiar to listeners who hear her distinctive voice during pledge drives and on the program "The Politics of Culture," Seymour said in a news release that she is "leaving a station that is strong in its identity, a station like no other in the country."

Santa Monica College, which holds the station's license, expects to take several months to find a successor. Seymour will officially step down in February.

Read the full story.

Study finds high air pollution levels around Santa Monica Airport

William Nottingham — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:44:01 -0800

A new UCLA study shows that people who live and work near Santa Monica Airport are exposed to unusually high levels of air pollution — a significant health concern that has been largely associated with major commercial airports such as LAX.

The study, published today in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, found that emissions of so-called ultrafine particles were 10 times higher than background levels about 100 yards downwind of the airport. The levels were 2.5 times higher at a distance of about six football fields.

Less an 1/500th the width of a human hair, ultrafine particles can travel deep into the lungs and penetrate tissue. Research has shown that elevated levels are associated with increased deaths due to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

Santa Monica Airport sits on a plateau surrounded by businesses and homes, some less than 300 feet from the west end of the runway. Nearby residents and businesses have been concerned about air pollution and the increasing use of larger corporate jets at the airport.

UCLA’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences conducted the study — one of only a handful to explore airborne pollutants near general aviation airports that serve private planes and corporate jets.

The research suggests that government officials should pay closer attention to airport-related emissions that could cause health problems. Many smaller airports in urban areas, the study noted, do not have adequate buffer zones to reduce noise and air pollution in surrounding neighborhoods.

-- Dan Weikel

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Officials trying to solve mystery of burning boat off Venice beach

Shelby Grad — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:13:16 -0800

The Coast Guard was trying today to unravel the mystery of a boat found burning off the Venice pier Tuesday.

Helicopters this morning were searching the coastline for two people who might have been on board.

The Coast Guard and Los Angeles County Fire Department had dispatched vessels for the search, authorities said.

"We have a witness who saw two people on the boat," said Sgt. Bernie Patrick of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Marina del Rey station. "We no longer know where those people are."

Peck said that investigators are not sure whether there were actually people aboard -- but it's unclear how the boat got there. "That boat didn't drift out there by itself."

The 20-foot boat caught fire about two miles from the pier, authorities said. A column of dark smoke could be seen billowing from the vessel. The blaze was reported about 4:45 p.m.

Firefighting boats extinguished the flames, and authorities were preparing to tow the damaged vessel to shore.

--Robert J. Lopez

Photo: KTLA

Search underway for two people reportedly seen on boat that burned off Venice Pier [Updated]

Robert Lopez — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:29:45 -0800

Authorities are searching for at least two people who may have been on a vessel that caught fire this afternoon in the waters off Venice Pier.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Los Angeles County Fire Department had dispatched vessels to search for the two, authorities said.

"We have a witness who saw two people on the boat," said Sgt. Bernie Patrick of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Marina del Rey station. "We no longer know where those people are."

[Updated 10:10 p.m.: Peck said that investigators now believe that two people were not on the boat. "The witness now says he wasn't sure," Peck said. But authorities were still searching the waters in the area, he said. "That boat didn't drift out there by itself."]

The 20-foot boat caught fire about two miles from the pier, authorities said. A column of dark smoke could be seen drifting from the distressed vessel. The blaze was reported about 4:45 p.m.

Firefighting boats extinguished the flames, and authorities were preparing to tow the damaged vessel to shore.

--Robert J. Lopez

L.A. council members hear from residents angered about digital billboards

William Nottingham — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:05:22 -0800

Pressure is building on members of the Los Angeles City Council to remove 101 digital billboards across the city, now that a judge has struck down a key settlement. But after hearing from more than 30 speakers today, members of a council committee put off making any recommendation to their colleagues.

The illuminated signs were erected under a 2006 agreement between the city and two outdoor advertising companies. That settlement was struck down by a Superior Court judge earlier this month.

But as they weighed their legal options, members on the council’s planning and land use committee heard an earful from residents urging them to immediately remove the bright, flashing signs in their neighborhoods and convert them back to conventional billboards. At the same time, representatives from settlement participants Clear Channel Outdoor Inc. and CBS Outdoor Inc. — backed by several business groups — urged the committee not to act hastily because the firms are appealing the judge’s ruling.

Jan Reichmann, president of the Comstock Hills Homeowners Assn., told committee members that she and her neighbors were living in the shadow of a huge digital billboard on Santa Monica Boulevard in Westwood. “It’s time to end the suffering from the blinking lights flashing into our homes and backyards, and the nonstop noise emanating from the huge cooling fans,” Reichmann said.
Others reminded committee members that they have faced lengthy delays as they have tried to challenge individual billboards through the city’s appeals process.

“We urge you not to put us through this ineffective process one pixel at a time,” said Marilyn Cohon, vice president of the Westwood South of Santa Monica Homeowners Assn. “We must find a way to undo the damage created in our communities without putting us through this tortured and fruitless process. The illegally converted digital billboards must not be permitted to remain.”

But officials from Clear Channel Outdoor and CBS Outdoor, who were granted special rights under the 2006 legal settlement to convert 840 signs to digital, said the companies were acting lawfully when they converted the 101 signs.

“To consider reneging on this deal is fundamentally unfair and just can’t be the policy of this city,” said Anthony Roman, a public affairs representative with Clear Channel Outdoor. “It sends a terrible message to the business community [that] the city has no regard for its contractual commitments and that businesses will be punished for working with the city.”

City lawyers plan to brief council members as early as next week on the effect of the judge’s ruling. Councilman Ed Reyes said the city would not take any action before that report.

Reyes and Council President Eric Garcetti have proposed ordering city officials to “immediately evaluate” whether the 101 digital signs should be removed or modified.

-- Maeve Reston at L.A. City Hall

L.A. water main breaks may be tied to reservoir, DWP says

Shelby Grad — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:56:26 -0800

The rash of water main breaks that have flooded streets, homes and business and snarled traffic across Los Angeles over the last few months could have been triggered by minor increases in pressure because of an unusually full reservoir and fluctuations after a trunk line ruptured in Studio City in September..

In a report prepared for the City Council and made public today, Department of Water and Power officials wrote that they still don’t know conclusively what caused the rash of breaks. They are also still waiting for input from scientists at USC and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who are analyzing seismic activity and other issues to see if they are factors.

But after analyzing dozens of incidents, officials determined that many of the breaks occurred in corroded, deteriorated cast-iron pipe. This type of pipe causes greater damage to streets when it ruptures, leading to more “major blowouts,” the report said.

Corroded pipe is also more susceptible to breaking when subjected to minor increases in pressure. A cluster of leaks in July and August, for example, coincided with an increase in reservoir elevation -- and a corresponding increase in static pressure of about 4 pounds per square inch -- at the Lower Franklin Reservoir.

The report said the pressure was still “within the normal operating range” but that it could have been enough to stress already aging pipes. Officials also speculated that a rupture in the city’s nearly 100-year-old trunk line on Sept. 5 -- an incident that sent a geyser shooting 10 to 15 feet in the air and then flooded homes and businesses in Studio City -- might have accelerated the number of breaks because of “operational changes required to maintain service and supply.”

After that incident, officials wrote, 26 gate valves were moved to isolate the line and make repairs. Numerous other changes were also made throughout the system to “maintain pressure and flow” throughout the system.

The report cast doubt on the theory that new watering restrictions that only allow sprinklers to run on Monday and Thursdays were a factor in the breaks.

But engineers cannot be sure -- especially because they have noticed some pressure changes on Mondays and Thursdays. As a result, DWP officials last month installed “data loggers” to monitor the issue going forward.

DWP spokesman Joe Ramallo also noted that the problem appears to have subsided. So far this month, there have only been three major breaks. That compares with 34 major blowouts in the first 18 days of September. But Ramallo added that officials are braced for more breaks in December and January as colder weather stresses pipes.

-- Jessica Garrison

Photo: Water main break in Studio City. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Prolific 'BMW bandits' steal parts from more than 50 luxury cars on the Westside

Shelby Grad — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:26:57 -0800

Professional burglars working in Westside and Mid-Wilshire areas have targeted more than 50 BMWs in recent months, making away with expensive auto parts but leaving behind cellphones and laptop computers.

Air bags that cost thousands of dollars to replace and high-end headlights are being carefully removed from BMW 3 and 5 series vehicles by the burglars, according to Los Angeles Police Department. The thefts have occurred in the LAPD's West L.A. and Wilshire divisions.

"We have roughly close to 40 of these crimes in Wilshire and another 14 in West L.A.," said Los Angeles police Det. Mike Smith, an expert on auto burglaries. "We believe this thief or thieves are getting into these vehicles in record time."

The air bag has replaced the radio, wheel rims and other fittings as auto burglars' 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 the theft of the air bags, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research group funded by insurance companies.

"They leave behind valuable stuff that is sitting in the car," Smith said.

The BMW bandits, he said, "have a very unique method for entering the vehicles" and because of their speed have yet to spotted by a passerby, he said. "BMW aren’t easy cars to get into."

Smith said detectives first learned of the thefts in April and quickly began tracking similar crimes.

The black market for the prominent safety devices has soared in recent years, with criminals getting hundred of dollars for an item that can cost a customer up to $2,500 for a pair. The National Insurance Crime Bureau estimates at least 50,000 air bags are stolen annually.

Smith said the persons involved are skilled and know how to access the air bags in minutes without damaging them. The crimes occur at night but the pattern has been mostly random. Many of the crimes did, however, occur in the area bound by Waring Avenue to the north, La Cienega Boulevard to the west, Hayworth Avenue to the east and 6th Street to the south.

Smith said anyone with information about the suspect or suspects behind the thefts can contact the Wilshire station at (213) 473-0476.

-- Richard Winton

Photo credit: BMW