Lynwood News, CA Local News

LA County pays $700,000 to KPCC reporter arrested while covering protest

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 11:00:25 +0000

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $700,000 settlement Wednesday with a local reporter who was tackled, handcuffed and arrested while covering an anti-law enforcement protest in Lynwood in 2020.

The board approved the settlement with Josie Huang unanimously and without comment. Huang was a reporter for KPCC and LAist.

Huang was arrested Sept. 12, 2020, as she was covering a confrontation involving a handful of protesters at the emergency room entrance of St. Francis Medical Center, where two deputies who had been shot in an ambush near a Compton transit station were being treated.

Video from the scene showed deputies pinning Huang to the ground and arresting her.

The sheriff’s department claimed she didn’t have proper media credentials, failed to properly identify herself as a reporter and was “interfering with a lawful arrest” of one of the protesters.

Then-sheriff Alex Villanueva later accused Huang of getting “right up on the shoulder” of a deputy trying to make an arrest, and said her actions were more “activism” than journalism.

But video from Huang’s cell phone subsequently surfaced, showing her repeatedly identifying herself as a reporter, shouting “KPCC,” and saying, “You’re hurting me” and crying out in apparent pain.

Huang was ultimately cited and released, and prosecutors declined to pursue any charges against her.

According to LAist, the $700,000 settlement is believed to be the largest of its type in the nation involving a journalist whose rights were violated while covering protests that erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd while being arrested by police in Minneapolis.

In a statement to LAist, Huang’s attorney, Katie Townsend, said, “It was our client’s goal to hold officials accountable for her unlawful arrest and to help prevent incidents like it from happening in the future. We are pleased that the settlement we reached with L.A. County … does both.”

Using ex-inmates to help people who were just released from county jails cuts recidivism

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:33:57 +0000

Through use of extensive wraparound services, an intensive Los Angeles County program reduced the number of released inmates who return to incarceration by 17% — results that are almost three times greater than similar programs throughout the state, a new study shows.

An analysis of the county’s Reentry Intensive Case Management Services (RICMS) program aimed at helping released inmates assimilate into society found that during the first year in the program, about 72% of participants were not re-arrested or incarcerated in jail, as compared to 66% for those who were not participating in the program.

The study, conducted by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) released last month, found the county’s program reduced recidivism by 6% as compared to those not in the program. But when MDRC compared the county program in a comparative study looking at 53 other programs, the difference was much higher.

“RICMS program participants had fewer convictions, arrests, incarcerations, and probation revocations than the comparison group. They also had spent fewer days in jail at both the one-year and two-year mark after program enrollment,” the study concluded.

The study used data from April 2018 to March 2021 as well as a survey of staff managers conducted in April 2022 and interviews with program managers, staff and participants from June 2019 to August 2022. In comparison to those who were not in the county program, the study found participants were:

• More likely to receive services from the L.A .County Department of Mental Health.

• Less likely to visit an emergency room during the two-year followup period.

• Less likely to have interactions with the criminal justice system.

L.A. County partners with 29 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) who help those being released from county jails and also state prisons to find shelter, jobs. And if necessary they provide food and clothing as well as mental health and substance abuse treatment. Usually, participants are matched up with Community Health Workers, who act as liaisons to county, state and federal services and also provide a listening ear.

Community Health Workers hired by the CBOs are people who’ve been incarcerated and have found a way out of the cycle of arrest, incarceration, release and rearrest. In turn, they help the participants navigate what the report calls “a fragmented” system of county services using their first-hand, “lived experiences.”

“The resources, dignity, and community that reentry services provide are paramount to reducing recidivism rates, setting people up for success, and making our communities safer,” said Susan Burton, founder of A New Way of Life (ANWOL), one of the nonprofits working with the county’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD), which oversees the reentry program.

The group matches their workers with female inmates released from the county’s Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.

“We employ formerly incarcerated people to help them navigate those systems,” Burton said. “Formerly incarcerated people can gain their trust and they are relatable.”

Using organizations that employ community-based workers is a key to the program’s success, says the report and others.

“The study on RICMS’ impact proves that community-based services improve public safety,” said Vanessa Martin, director of reentry at LA County’s JCOD. “It’s our strong partnerships with community-based organizations. They are what makes the program possible,” she added on Monday, Oct. 23.

For example, Burton’s group will help someone who is often on parole after being released to find her way. “We will help her get ID, enroll in medical services. We’ll help her build a resume and find employment or higher education. And we provide her with food, clothing and make sure she is safe,” Burton said.

Burton’s group, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has 80 available beds across L.A. County, she said. “We don’t just provide shelter. It is a wholistic approach to the full person.”

L.A. County has the biggest jail system in the world, housing 12,000 people every day. When inmates are released, they face not only finding a place to live, but they often need medical and mental health treatment. The lack of affordable housing was “a pervasive issue” to stabilizing a former inmate, according to the report.

The report cites a community worker who tried for more than a year to find housing for a client. When the worker obtained the client a government-backed voucher for reduced rent, things began looking up. Until the landlord required $3,500 to move in. The report quoted the client as saying: “How can I get housing when I can’t get this money? Where do they expect me — who’s been homeless for the last 15 years — to get this money?”

Another issue has been access to clients. The report cited instances of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department restricting access to potential clients in the jails. Nonprofit community workers created workarounds by sending letters or receiving collect phone calls, the report said.

Also, the report found that clients living in service areas with fewer community resources may face “greater barriers to achieving their goals,” since there are fewer options available and often much longer wait lists, especially for housing.

St. Francis workers' strike to be joined by allies, mariachi band

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:33:23 +0000

The strike by hundreds of nurses and health care workers against Lynwood's St. Francis Medical Center continued Tuesday, the second day of a planned five-day work stoppage.

On Tuesday, a mariachi band and union members were expected to gather with the picketers in front of the hospital as they continue to call for better wages and an end to what they describe as short staffing.

On Monday, hospital officials issued a statement saying they continue "to bargain in good faith with union leadership with the goal of reaching agreements in the best interests of the hospital, its employees, and most importantly, those who we serve."

They also touted their "special story" of St. Francis' "having been rescued from bankruptcy during the pandemic" and $36 million in investments in the hospital.

Union officials, however, disputed that characterization in a press release issued by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, otherwise known as UNAC/UHCP.

"The truth is that St. Francis has always been profitable and was pulled into bankruptcy by the other hospitals owned by Verity along with St. Francis," the release asserts.

Scott Byington, a registered nurse and president of the St. Francis Registered Nurses Association, also disputed the hospital's characterizations of the investments.

“They paint a wall here and reorganize an office there, but they don’t invest in the people—the workers who provide the care and the patients we care for,” said Byington.

Workers launch strike at 4 Prime Healthcare hospitals in Lynwood, Inglewood, Garden Grove and Encino

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 06:54:21 +0000

Rayleen Gentry is used to making tough choices.

As a respiratory therapist in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, she says those decisions are often dictated by a severe staffing shortage.

“We can never find adequate staffing,” the 43-year-old Los Angeles resident said. “We have patients who need their IVs changed, but they’ll end up waiting for hours waiting to be seen — or won’t be seen at all during our shift.”

Meanwhile, they could be sitting in their own waste, which increases the chance of bedsores and infection.

That scenario and countless others like it prompted an estimated 1,800 workers at St. Francis and three other local Prime Healthcare hospitals to kick off a five-day unfair labor practices strike on Monday, Oct. 9.

Armed with picket signs reading, “Bargain in good faith and protect patient safety,” and “Our patients deserve safe care,” employees marched in front of the four Prime facilities to get their message out.

Chronic understaffing, they say, is impacting patient care while management fails to address the crisis.

Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
More than 65 registered nurses and health care workers begin the first of a planned 5 day strike at Prime Encino Medical Center, Ventura Blvd., in Encino on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
More than 65 registered nurses and health care workers begin the first of a planned 5 day strike at Prime Encino Medical Center, Ventura Blvd., in Encino on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Victor Rodriguez waves to passing motorists as they honk in support. More than 65 registered nurses and health care workers begin the first of a planned 5 day strike at Prime Encino Medical Center, Ventura Blvd., in Encino on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
More than 65 registered nurses and health care workers begin the first of a planned 5 day strike at Prime Encino Medical Center, Ventura Blvd., in Encino on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
More than 65 registered nurses and health care workers begin the first of a planned 5 day strike at Prime Encino Medical Center, Ventura Blvd., in Encino on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Day one of a five day planned strike by employees against St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Monday, October 9, 2023. Registered nurses and health care workers are protesting what their unions call “chronically dangerous short staffing and patient care practices, along with unfair labor practices,” Prime Healthcare hospitals. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
More than 65 registered nurses and health care workers begin the first of a planned 5 day strike at Prime Encino Medical Center, Ventura Blvd., in Encino on Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Prime Healthcare facilities plan to wage a five-day strike Monday, Oct. 9, claiming management refuses to address unsafe working and patient-care conditions caused by a short-staffing crisis.

The unfair labor practices strike will affect operations at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center and Encino Hospital Medical Center if the two sides fail to reach a labor agreement.

Also see: Day 3: Kaiser unions threaten another strike if demands aren’t met

The licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, ER techs and others are represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. Their contracts expired in June and August and no additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled.

At St. Francis, 600 registered represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals will join in for their own week-long strike. Their contract expired Aug. 14, but labor negotiations are scheduled for Oct. 12 and 17.

Bernie Espinoza, an ultrasound tech at the Garden Grove facility, said he and his coworkers are exhausted and overworked.

“Staffing has been so critically low that many caregivers have left,” Espinoza said. “The remaining workers are stretched thin and rushed. We’re forced to take on more patients with less staff, which leaves much less time for quality one-on-one patient care.”

In a statement issued Friday, Prime spokeswoman Elizabeth Nikels said the company continues to bargain in good faith with the unions to reach an agreement that’s in the best interests of hospitals, employees and patients.

“Proposals have been delivered to the unions that would increase wages and provide comprehensive benefit programs, including healthcare, that is among the best in the nation at little to no cost to employees,” she said.

Nikels added that every health system across the nation is facing staffing challenges due to the national nursing and healthcare worker shortage.

“Despite this, enormous efforts have been made to hire, recruit and retain our valued staff and create a workplace that feels like community,” she said.

Ontario-based Prime Healthcare bought St. Francis through bankruptcy in 2020, and nurses say management terminated 20% of the experienced nurses, cut the pay of those who remained by 12% and instituted a three-year wage freeze during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Healthcare operates healthcare facilities in 14 states nationwide.

St. Francis Medical Center nurses, workers to strike Oct. 9-13

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:41:18 +0000

As a nurse at St. Francis Medical Center, Scott Byington has seen his share of medical emergencies.

But one November 2021 incident stands out in his mind.

It was a busy night in the Lynwood hospital’s emergency room and the nursing staff was stretched thin when a psychiatric patient who should have been closely monitored wandered away and jumped to his death from the top of a five-story parking garage.

“The nurse who was supposed to be watching him was new and didn’t have the proper training for that kind of patient,” the 57-year-old Westchester resident said. “That’s the kind of situation that will bother you for life.”

Also see: Kaiser’s 75,000 union employees to strike Oct. 4 if no deal struck

Patient care at St. Francis has been crippled by chronic understaffing, Byington said, and nurses and other medical personnel plan to strike the week of Monday, Oct. 9 as a result. They claim they’re underpaid and facing high turnover because of the staffing crisis.

In a statement issued Thursday, St. Francis said it continues to bargain in good faith with union leadership with the goal of reaching an agreement in the best interests of the hospital, staff and patients. (Photo courtesy of UNAC/UHCP)

The hospital’s 600 nurses are represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, while most of the medical support staff — including nursing assistants, medical techs and others — are members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.

Their contract expired Aug. 14 but labor negotiations are scheduled for Oct. 3, 12 and 17.

UNAC/UHCP spokesman Jeff Rogers said any meeting on Oct. 12 is uncertain “since the strike will be going on.”

Ontario-based Prime Healthcare bought St. Francis through bankruptcy in 2020, and nurses say management terminated 20% of the experienced nurses, cut the pay of those who remained by 12% and instituted a three-year wage freeze during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those actions, union officials said, have resulted in an employee turnover rate of more than 50%.

“Prime Healthcare has invested more than $36 million in improvements to St. Francis since rescuing the hospital from bankruptcy in the midst of the pandemic in 2020,” the statement said.

The hospital said its acquisition, saved jobs while improving the hospital’s infrastructure, equipment, technology, clinical resources and staffing.

Nurses picketed St. Francis last month, claiming the hospital had 800 to 900 nurses before Prime Healthcare took over and reduced that to 600.

“Before the cut, they were still a little short of ideal,” UNAC/UHCP representatives said. “Since the cuts, they’re dangerously short-staffed.”

Nurses note that St. Francis is one of the busiest hospitals in Los Angeles County, with the only Level II trauma, stroke, and heart attack response center for miles around.

“It doesn’t matter where you live,” Byington said. “If you’re driving down the 105 or 605 and you’re in an accident, this is your hospital. This is where you will be coming.”

With so many essential personnel planning to strike, union representatives say the hospital could be paralyzed, with ripple effects spreading to other area LA County trauma centers, including Harbor UCLA Medical Center and St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, among others.

Nurses at St. Francis say they’ve filed more than 6,000 staffing objection forms with California’s Department of Public Health since June. Each one represents an instance when a unit and shift were short-staffed in violation of California’s Title XXII safe nurse-to-patient ratio regulations.

Byington said the ER is supposed to have 14 registered nurses on staff at night, yet some nights there will only be about seven, including two who have to leave around midnight because they have worked a 12-hour shift.

The Department of Public Health has visited the hospital several times and acknowledged the complaints, he said, but nothing has been done.

“Just recently, we had to divert patients and ambulances to other hospitals because we didn’t have the staffing in the emergency room and we didn’t have the staffing in ICU,” Mayra Castaneda, an ultrasound tech at St. Francis and a SEIU-UHW leader, said in a statement. “The short staffing is severe and it’s only getting worse.”

St. Francis said it has delivered proposals to both unions that would “increase wages and provide a workable and affordable healthcare plan, maintain important benefits, and be competitive with other hospitals in the market.”

Nurses to picket St. Francis Medical Center over staffing, employee turnover

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 16:17:33 +0000

St. Francis Medical Center nurses plan to picket the Lynwood hospital Tuesday, Aug. 29, claiming they’re severely understaffed, which has fueled an employee turnover rate of more than 50%.

Those factors, they say, have conspired to undermine patient care.

Prime Healthcare bought the facility, at 3630 E. Imperial Highway, through bankruptcy in 2020, and nurses say the company terminated 20% of the hospital’s registered nurses and instituted a three-year wage freeze.

The employees, represented by the United Nurses Associations of California, Union of Health Care Professionals, numbered 850 to 900 at St. Francis before Prime took over, a union representative said. That has since dropped to 550 to 600.

“Before the cut, they were still a little short of ideal,” the union said. “Since the cuts, they’re dangerously short-staffed.”

The nurses’ labor contract expired Aug. 14 and negotiations are scheduled to resume Sept. 14.

Scott Byington, who has been a nurse at St. Francis for 28 years, said he’s seen the hospital’s quality of care plummet since Prime took over.

“Patient care, patient safety standards … everything has hit rock bottom,” the 57-year-old Westchester resident said. “We’ve had poor outcomes in the ER, and some people have died because there wasn’t enough staff.”

Nurses say Prime has rejected every proposal they’ve put forward for safer patient care during labor negotiations.

In a statement issued Monday, St. Francis spokeswoman Susan Lowe said the hospital will continue to bargain in good faith with the union’s leadership to reach an agreement that’s “in the best interests of our hospital, our caregivers, and most importantly, those we serve.”

She added that Prime has invested more than $36 million in improvements to St. Francis, including upgrades to infrastructure, equipment, technology, clinical resources and staffing.

“We are dedicated to the wellbeing of our patients, and to supporting our staff in their ability to provide expert-level, safe care to every patient we serve,” Lowe said.

The hospital said that it will remain open during the picketing, with all services available to patients.

Ana Sequeria, a licensed vocational nurse at St. Francis, said nurses are “stretched thin with heavier workloads, causing major delays in patient care.”

“Patients are being diverted from the emergency room to other hospitals,” she said. “They even have LVNs doing the job of RNs. This means that patients have to wait longer for care, and this puts our patients at risk.”

Prime employs an estimated 50,000 workers and operates 45 hospitals in 14 states.

Last month, the company’s Centinela Hospital Medical Center announced it would close its Maternal Child Health Services on Oct. 25, leaving the Inglewood community without any obstetrics, labor and delivery or neonatal intensive care units.

Complaints of understaffing have also cropped up at Prime Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, Kaiser facilities throughout Southern California, West Anaheim Medical Center, and several LA County nursing homes, among other medical centers.

Where to see July 4th fireworks in LA, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:47:43 +0000

Get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July 2023 with professional fireworks, drone or laser shows. In the photo, illegal fireworks light up the sky on July 4, 2022. Photo was taken near the 210 and the 118 Freeways in Sylmar. (Photo by Mike Meadows)

Celebrating the Fourth of July at a fireworks show after a barbecue or a picnic is a long-standing tradition all across the United States.

Start planning to see professional fireworks, drone or laser shows beginning July 1 this year — some events include a festival before the “light up the sky” displays. Many shows have free admission. Some shows, however, require advance ticket purchase only.

Here is a sampling of regional July 4th fireworks shows in the Los Angeles County region, including Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

July 1

Arcadia

Downtown Arcadia Patriotic Festival and Fireworks: The festival, 5-9:30 p.m., on First Avenue between Diamond Street and Huntington Drive. Sign up on the website link to enter the “Big Give Away” drawing. You must be present to win. Drawing is at 7 p.m. on the First Avenue Middle School stage. Fireworks show, 9 p.m. at First Avenue Middle School, 301 S. First St. www.arcadiadt.com

Baldwin Park

Independence Day Spectacular: Activities include carnival rides, giant slides, music and food vendors, 5:30-10 p.m. Music by Aeromyth, a tribute to Aerosmith, 6:30 p.m. Magic show, 7:30 p.m. Fireworks, around 9:30 p.m. Sierra Vista High School, 3600 Frazier Ave. 626-813-5245. Flyer: tinyurl.com/5884sm5u

Hawaiian Gardens

Independence Day Celebration: Event includes activities, games and music, 5-10 p.m. Fireworks, around 9 p.m. Fedde Sports Complex, 21409 Elaine Ave. 562-420-2644. Details: tinyurl.com/435sba6j

Hollywood

Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Screening of “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985), 9 p.m., followed by fireworks. Gates open for picnicking or food purchases, 7:15 p.m. Also, DJ sets before the film. Tickets $45. Check website for parking options and fees. Location, T6000 Santa Monica Blvd. cinespia.org

Monterey Park

City of Monterey Park Independence Day Fireworks Show: Live entertainment and food trucks, 4-9:30 p.m. (Air National Guard Band of the West, 4 p.m.; Kaylyn and New Frontier, 7 p.m.). Fireworks, 9 p.m. Barnes Park, 350 S. McPherrin Ave. 626-307-1388. www.montereypark.ca.gov/687/Independence-Day-Celebration

Norwalk

Independence Day Festival and Fireworks: Event includes a Kids Zone, live music and food trucks, 1-10 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Norwalk Civic Center, 12700 Norwalk Blvd. 562-929-5702. Flyer: tinyurl.com/5n6hu8ux

See: 10 July 4th fireworks shows lighting up Southern California

Palmdale

Fireworks Celebration and Concert: Event opens at 6 p.m. Concert by the Platinum Groove, 8 p.m. Fireworks, around 9 p.m. Tickets $5; free for ages 11 and younger. This is a cash-free event; only credit cards accepted. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating. Check the website for parking ideas; limited on-site parking. Palmdale Amphitheater, 2723 Rancho Vista Blvd. www.palmdaleamphitheater.com/events/2023/fireworks-celebration-2023

Pico Rivera

Fireworks Spectacular: Family activities, 5 p.m., followed by music by Suave, 5:30 p.m., and Klymaxx, 8 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Bring a blanket or a chair. El Rancho High School, football field, 6501 Passons Blvd. 562-801-4430. www.pico-rivera.org/index.php/profile/city-to-host-fireworks-spectacular-2/

San Fernando

Red, White and Lights – Laser Show Fourth of July Celebration: Event includes music by Full Clip, a Ninja Nation Obstacle Course, a pie-eating contest, carnival games, arts and crafts, artisan and food trucks vendors, 6-9:30 p.m. Downtown San Fernando Mall on San Fernando Road, between Brand and San Fernando Mission boulevards. 818-898-1290. ci.san-fernando.ca.us/sfrecreation/#fourth-of-july-celebration

South El Monte

City of South El Monte 4th of July Celebration: Event includes park activities, including bungee jumping and family games, and food for purchase, 2-9 p.m. (see the flyer for a variety of activities including swimming times). Boxing show at 2 p.m. Entertainment: the band Chico, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. (launched from South El Monte High School, 1001 N. Durfee Avenue, but watch from the park). New Temple Park, 1450 Lidcombe Ave. Flyer: bit.ly/42LmGaO

July 1-4

Valencia

Six Flags Magic Mountain July 4th Fireworks Celebration: The theme park’s fireworks show, 9 p.m. each night. Park hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. July 1-4. Best viewing areas for the fireworks show: Full Throttle Plaza and Main Gate Plaza). Admission $75 (in advance online; see options for passes and other add-ons; parking $40/$45/$50. Location, 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway. www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/events/july-celebration

July 2

Lake View Terrace

Celebration of Independence Drone Light Show and Festival: Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez’s office (District-7) presents the event that includes entertainment by Queen Nation, a tribute to the band Queen, children’s activities, resource booths, food and vendors, 5-9 p.m. Free admission. Hansen Dam Recreation Area, soccer fields, 11658 Foothill Blvd. 818-485-0600; 818-756-8409; 818-352-3287. Details: monicarodriguez.org/events/2nd-annual-independence-day-drone-light-show-festival

July 2-4

Hollywood

July 4th Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl: The Beach Boys perform, with Thomas Wilkins conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and with special guest John Stamos, 7:30 p.m. July 2-4. Gates open, 5:30 p.m. Tickets $39 and up. 2301 N. Highland Ave. 323-850-2000. www.hollywoodbowl.com

See: Has misuse taken the spark out of fireworks in California?

July 3

Duarte

City of Duarte Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks: Live music by the band Chico, family play area, food trucks and vendor booths, 6 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Gates open, 5:30 p.m. Free; also, $100 VIP admission (reserved picnic table and chairs for six people; near the stage and a swag bag; to purchase, click on the tab on the website). Duarte Sports Park, 1401 Central Ave. 626-357-7931. www.accessduarte.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/6345/16?curdate=5-6-2023&curm=7&cury=2023

La Mirada

City of La Mirada’s Independence Celebration: The event includes entertainment, games and activities and food and drinks (for purchase), 4 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Check the website for parking information. La Mirada Regional Park, 13701 Adelfa Drive. 562-943-7277. www.cityoflamirada.org/departments/community-services/special-events/independence-celebration

La Puente

Celebrate Independence Day: The La Puente Community Foundation presents the event that includes crafts, games, a family-friendly beer and wine garden, 4-9 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. La Puente Park, baseball fields, 501 Glendora Ave. 626-774-4293. lapuente.org/beer-and-wine-garden. See the June 16 post, www.facebook.com/cityoflapuente

Long Beach

Big Bang on the Bay: The Boathouse on the Bay holds the event with options for dining, 5:30 p.m. Fireworks show, 9 p.m. Check-in for Block Party tickets, 5 p.m. “Block Party” event tickets, $75; $30 ages 9 and younger (Naples Rib Co. dinner served buffet style; outdoors; first come, first seated; no access to the restaurant. The block party has two bars with beer, wine and cocktails). Boathouse dining tickets, $120 indoors; $150 patio (catered dinner by Naples Rib Co.). Proceeds benefit local charities (see the website for details). Location, 190 N. Marina Drive. 562-493-1100. Details and purchase tickets here: boathouseonthebay.com/big-bang/

Lynwood

City of Lynwood Independence Day Fireworks Show!: The event includes entertainment, lawn games, bounce houses, food trucks and vendors, 5 p.m. Lynwood City Park, 11301 Bullis Road. 310-603-0220, Ext. 319. www.lynwoodca.gov. See flyer posted on June 22, www.facebook.com/mylynwood.ca

Moorpark

Third of July Fireworks Extravaganza: Gates open and activities and games begin, 4 p.m. Concerts at 5 (the band Radio Royalty) and at 7:30 p.m. (Electric Vinyl). Flag presentation, 7 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Bring a blanket or low-back lawn chair and picnic dinner. Food court. Admission, $8, in advance (free for babies under one year); $10 at the door (cash only). Limited parking at the park; $5 for parking (must be purchased in advance and also, everyone in vehicle must have tickets purchased in advance). Arroyo Vista Community Park, 4550 Tierra Rejada Road. 805-517-6300. Details about the event, rules to follow and parking here: bit.ly/2TB41Ar

See: 2023 fireworks buying guide: Which state-approved pyrotechnics are worth the price?

Stevenson Ranch

Third of July Fireworks Show: Park opens, 6 p.m. Fireworks, around 9 p.m. Dr. Richard Rioux Memorial Park, 26233 W. Faulkner Drive. stevensonranch91381.com/event/3rd-of-july-fireworks-show/

July 4

Artesia

City of Artesia 4th of July Celebration: The event includes family games, 4 p.m., music by Amor Prohibido, a Selena tribute band, 6 p.m. and the fireworks show, 9 p.m. Artesia Park, 18750 Clarkdale Ave. Flyer on Facebook, www.facebook.com/officialcityofartesia. www.cityofartesia.us/Calendar.aspx?EID=1092

Burbank

Starlight Bowl: A concert with Hollywood U2 and the Rising, a Bruce Springsteen tribute band, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: lower area, $28; upper area, $23 (grass area and box seats sold out). Parking $10 (cash only). Parking lot opens, 4:30 p.m. Gates open, 5:30 p.m. Location, 1249 Lockheed View Drive. 818-238-5300. www.starlightbowl.com. Details and to purchase tickets in advance here: starlightbowl.com/events/the-rising

Calabasas

City of Calabasas 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular: Gates open, 5 p.m.; Family Fun Zone with arts and crafts, a DJ, games, stilt walkers, 5-8:30 p.m.; concert and dance party with the Suffragettes, 7:15 p.m.; fireworks, 9 p.m. Bring your own blanket or low-back chair. Limited stand seating and temporary chairs on a first come-first seated basis. Bring your own picnic/snacks or purchase items from food trucks. Admission $12 in advance (no ticket sales at the door). Check website for parking suggestions, prohibited items including no alcohol, no glass bottles and no seeds; and other rules. Calabasas High School, football field, 22855 Mulholland Highway. 818-880-6461. www.cityofcalabasas.com. www.cityofcalabasas.com/government/community-services-parks-recreation/special-events

Camarillo

City of Camarillo Fourth of July Fireworks Show: Fireworks, 9 p.m. (listen to musical soundtrack on KBBY-95.1 or online at 951kbby.com; 30-second delay for streaming). Free admission. Watch from parking lots at Camarillo Premium Outlets (740 E. Ventura Blvd.) or surrounding area. Parking is first come, first served. www.ci.camarillo.ca.us/news_detail_T2_R163.php. cityofcamarillo.org/fireworks

Claremont

City of Claremont Fourth of July Celebration – Happy and Free in 2023!: Concert by Upstream, 6:45-8:45 p.m., followed by fireworks show, 9 p.m. Gates open, 6:30 p.m. Admission $10 pre-sale (and at the gate if available). Purchase admission in advance at Alexander Hughes Community Center (1700 Danbury Road); Claremont City Hall (207 Harvard Ave.); Vons (550 Baseline Road). Pomona College, Strehle Track (check the map for parking: bit.ly/3CwQJbz). Details: bit.ly/3zx0eoa

El Segundo

El Segundo’s the 4th of July at Recreation Park: Daytime events include contests, games, races, arts and crafts vendors, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nighttime events include live music, food booths and fireworks, 5-9 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Bring a blanket for seating. Admission is by wristband (four free wristbands per adult with an updated 2023 Rec ID Card for residents of El Segundo; $5 for non-residents and available for purchase at the Clubhouse and Checkout Building in Recreation Park through July 3; $5 at the door; see details and the requirements needed for the recreation ID card here: bit.ly/3bk4JL9). Recreation Park, 401 Sheldon St. City of El Segundo Recreation and Parks, 310-524-2700. Details on the events here: www.elsegundorecparks.org/programs-services/special-events/4th-of-july

Huntington Beach

Fourth of July Fireworks: 9 p.m. Tickets for reserved pier seating $30; VIP seating $45 (purchase in advance on the website). Huntington Beach Pier, 325 Pacific Coast Highway. huntingtonbeachca.gov/residents/fourth-of-july-info. Tickets: www.hb4thofjuly.org/fireworks

La Crescenta

A Star Spangled Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration – Crescenta Valley Fireworks Association: The 16th event includes music by the Mary Dyer band and food trucks. Limited bleacher seating. Bring a blanket or chairs for seating (no stakes allowed). Water-only on the football field. Gates open, 4 p.m. Fireworks show, 9 p.m. Tickets in advance $9; $10 at the gate. Check the Facebook posting for locations to purchase tickets in advance. Spectators will also be able to watch from areas around Crescenta Valley High School, 2900 Community Ave. Entrance to the field, in the 4200 block of Ramsdell Avenue. 818-275-4959. www.cvfireworks.com/event. Details and updates: www.facebook.com/CrescentaValleyFireworks/

Lancaster

Fourth of July Extravaganza: The City of Lancaster present the event that includes a free-style motocross show, family activities and food vendors, 5-10 p.m. Antelope Valley Fair and Event Center, 2551 W. Ave., H. avfair.com/event/4th-of-july-fireworks-extravaganza. www.cityoflancasterca.org

See: These 60 Southern California cities permit state-approved fireworks

Long Beach

Fourth of July Fireworks at the Waterfront: City of Long Beach presents the event, 9 p.m. with fireworks launched from Queensway Bay. Viewing areas on the downtown waterfront include Marina Green, Rainbow Harbor, Lions Lighthouse for Sight and Shoreline Village. Also, Harbor Breeze Cruises offers ticketed cruises for viewing (562-432-4900; 2seewhales.com/long-beach-whale-watching). Queensway Bay and Rainbow Harbor. www.visitlongbeach.com/blog/4th-of-july-in-long-beach

Los Angeles

Gloria Molina Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party: The event includes interactive, multi-media art works, music on two stages with DJs and singers, dancing and food vendors, 4-9:30 p.m. Drone light show over the Music Center Plaza. Location, 200 N. Grand Ave. 213-972-8080. grandparkla.org/event/grand-parks-fourth-of-july-block-party. www.facebook.com/grandparklosangeles/posts/658467802990002

LA Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates: Game, 6:10 p.m., followed by a fireworks show. Tickets $33 and up. Prepaid parking $25 and up. Dodger Stadium, 1000 Vin Scully Ave. www.mlb.com/dodgers/tickets/single-game-tickets

Marina del Rey

Marina del Rey’s Fourth of July Fireworks: The fireworks display will be launched from a barge off of the Marina’s south jetty, 9 p.m. Viewing areas include Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way and Fisherman’s Village, 13755 Fiji Way (synchronized musi

Papa John’s workers picket after sudden store closure, layoffs

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 09:24:46 +0000

Employees picketed a Papa John’s pizza shop in Lynwood on Thursday, March 30 to protest its abrupt closure and their resulting layoffs.

The non-union cooks, cashiers and delivery drivers said management called a staff meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday to inform them that the restaurant would be shutting down the following day and that they would all lose their jobs.

Jose de la Torre, who had worked at the Lynwood store for nearly four years, said the announcement caught everyone off guard.

“It was very sad,” the Los Angeles resident said. “Management said they would give us severance pay according to how long each of us worked here, but they only offered me one week.”

De la Torre said management didn’t explain why the store was closing and didn’t offer to transfer displaced employees to other Papa John’s locations.

Workers said they would picket the store until management presents an acceptable agreement on severance pay, along with transfers to other company locations. They were joined Thursday by members of Fight For $15 and a Union, which is working to improve wages and working conditions for fast-food employees.

Representatives with the Atlanta-based pizza chain could not be reached for comment Thursday, although a media contact indicated the Lynwood store was a franchise location. When called, the store’s phone appeared to be disconnected.

The store’s closure and protest comes on the heels of increasing worker activism at the restaurant concerning safety and claims that management retaliated against employees for speaking out on safety issues. (Photo courtesy of Fight For $15 and a Union)

Thursday’s closure and protest comes on the heels of increasing worker activism at the restaurant.

On Christmas Eve, workers went on strike demanding that Papa John’s improve safety measures for employees who had faced a string of robberies and other gun-related incidents at the store.

Two workers filed a public health complaint with Cal/OSHA in December, alleging unsafe conditions and multiple threatening incidents with people holding guns at work or on their delivery routes.

In the complaint, cashier Aura Lopez describes being threatened with a gun in the parking lot after closing the store by herself one night.

“I was sitting inside my car for about four minutes when a man came up holding a gun,” the 22-year-old Los Angeles resident said. “A friend was with me in the car and we immediately left.”

De la Torre described similar instances of feeling unsafe during deliveries, including one when a customer refused to pay and pointed to a gun in his waistband.

Employees staged a second strike at the Lynwood location in January, alleging their store’s owner retaliated against activist workers by cutting their hours rather than engaging with them on the safety issues they raised.

The workers are also also seeking implementation of Assembly Bill 257, which would create a 10-person, state-run council to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for the more than half a million fast-food workers in California.

The legislation, also known as the FAST Recovery Act, was signed into law Sept. 5 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. But Save Local Restaurants — a coalition of fast-food franchisees and franchisors who oppose the measure — gathered enough signatures to halt the bill and place a referendum on the 2024 ballot to let voters decide its outcome.

The bill is designed to help workers who often struggle to make ends meet. It would also address wage theft, harassment, discrimination and unsafe work conditions fast-food workers say they face on the job.

3 dead in Lynwood crash moments after police pursuit in South Gate

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 23:14:56 +0000

A two-vehicle crash on the border of South Gate and Lynwood moments after the end of a police pursuit left three people dead early Sunday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The crash occurred after a pursuit that started in South Gate. Police in the city said one officer spotted several people possibly stealing catalytic converters from a parked vehicle.

The officer said she attempted to stop the theft suspects, but they fled in their car.

That kicked off the pursuit, but the officer called off the chase when the suspects accelerated to dangerous speeds, said Lt. Sergio Camacho of the South Gate Police Department.

A short time after the pursuit ended, the theft suspects continued driving out of South Gate and into Lynwood, where they crashed into another car near Tweedy Boulevard and State Street.

Officials did not know how many people were in each car. But at least three people died.

None of the dead have been identified yet.

City News Service contributed to this story.

Papa John’s workers stage lunchtime protest in Lynwood

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:50:15 +0000

Papa John’s workers in Lynwood held a lunchtime protest Friday, Jan. 20, claiming management has retaliated against them for speaking out about violence on the job and is refusing to address their concerns.

The non-union employees are demanding a meeting with their employer to discuss how to keep cooks, cashiers and delivery drivers safe. They are also seeking higher wages.

Friday’s rally came on the heels of another walkout that was held Christmas Eve. They are supported by Fight for $15 and a Union. The movement is seeking to secure higher wages and better working conditions for fast-food employees.

The non-union employees are demanding a meeting with their employer to discuss how to keep cooks, cashiers and delivery drivers safe. (Photo courtesy of Fight for $15 and a Union)

Workers at the Papa’s John’s restaurant say managers have threatened and interrogated rally leaders, even cutting some of their hours instead of engaging with them on the issues they’ve raised.

When a manager at the Lynwood restaurant was contacted Friday, he couldn’t provide any information, and the store remained open throughout the day.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “I wasn’t notified about this.”

Represenatives from the company’s home office in Louisville, Ky. could not be reached for comment.

In December, two workers from the Lynwood pizza restaurant filed a public health complaint with Cal/OSHA, laying out the details of unsafe conditions at their store and multiple threatening incidents with people holding guns at work or on their delivery routes.

Aura Lopez, an assistant manager at the 11123 Long Beach Blvd. location, recounted an experience that happened to her one night after she closed the store.

“I was sitting inside my car for about four minutes when a man came up holding a gun,” the 22-year-old Los Angeles resident said. “A friend was with me in the car and we immediately left.”

Another unsettling incident occurred this week when she walked to her car in the restaurant’s rear parking lot.

“I noticed that my trunk was open,” she said. “Then a man jumped over a railing to get away. The lighting behind the store only turns on when there is a sound.”

Papa John’s worker Jose De La Torre, who was also represented in the Cal/OSHA complaint, said he has experienced numerous situations where he’s felt uncomfortable while making pizza deliveries, including one in particular.

“When I approached the customer, he had his hand in his jacket pocket in a way that made it seem like he might be holding a weapon,” De La Torre said in the complaint. “The bill was for $63, and when I asked for the money he gave me what appeared to be a fake $100 bill.”

The money was counterfeit, so the change he gave the customer was real money lost.

The Papa John’s workers are also demanding implementation of Assembly Bill 257, a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year but has yet to take effect. It would create a 10-person, state-run council to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for the more than half a million fast-food workers in California.

The bill is currently in flux.

On Jan. 13, the Sacramento Superior Court ruled in favor of the Save Local Restaurants coalition, confirming that no enforcement of AB 257, or the FAST Act, can take place while the signatures from more 1 million Californians who signed a petition against AB 257 are verified.

Opponents of AB 257 need 623,000 valid signatures to create a referendum that would put the proposed legislation on hold until November 2024 when voters can decide the outcome. The state has until Wednesday, Jan. 25 to verify the signatures.

Opponents fear AB 257 could push higher prices onto consumers by as much as 20%.

Family Of Teen Killed In 2016 Lynwood Shooting Still Seeking Answers

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 06:20:46 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — Four years later and there is still no closure for the family of a teen caught in the middle of a gang shooting.

Danah Rojo was killed four years ago at the age of 16. (CBSLA)

In 2016, Danah Rojo was leaving church with her mother and brother in Lynwood when police say a gunman started shooting at a car stopped at a red light near Euclid Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard. One bullet went through Rojo’s car, killing the 16-year-old.

On Monday, her mother, Sandra Rivas, pleaded for anything with information to come forward.

“I know we do it every year, I know I always ask for this every year, and I’m not gonna stop asking until I can,” Sandra Rivas, the victim’s mother, said. “I won’t stop asking. Somebody out there knows. The pain that my family and I have, it doesn’t get any easier.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it was looking for at least two suspects.

A $30,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

At Least 2 Critically Hurt In Lynwood Apartment Blaze

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:05:00 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) – Two people were critically injured and a third was rescued after a fire broke out at a Lynwood apartment building Tuesday morning.

Nov. 3, 2020. (CBSLA)

The blaze broke out at 2:30 a.m. in a two-story apartment complex in the 12500 block of Oak Avenue.

Los Angeles County Fire Department crews arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the first floor.

Two people who were unconscious were rushed to a hospital in critical condition, a fire department spokesperson said. A woman who was helped out of a window by a neighbor was not hurt.

At least 10 residents have been displaced by the fire.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation. The extent of the damage to the building was not known.

Valedictorian Briauna Ramirez Killed By Suspected DUI Driver On 105 Freeway Days After 18th Birthday

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 02:07:36 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — Family and friends are in disbelief after the tragic accident by a suspected drunk driver took the life of 18-year-old Briauna Ramirez.

She was driving on the 105 Freeway in Lynwood around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning when someone driving the wrong way in a 1999 Honda, and presumably under the influence, crashed head-on into her vehicle.

Ramirez, who had just celebrated her birthday on Thursday, was one of several passengers who were struck by the vehicle.

Briauna Ramirez, 18, in an undated photo. (Source: Family Photo/GoFundMe)

She died on the scene and the driver and surviving passengers were transported to hospitals with serious injuries, the California Highway Patrol said.

The suspected drunk driver, who was arrested, has only been identified as a 24-year-old West Covina man.

A valedictorian and an accomplished dancer in the Palm Springs area, Ramirez is remembered as someone who always wanted to help others. As such, her family has donated her organs to patients in need.

More than $12,000 have been donated on GoFundMe to support her family.

Congressional Candidates Eric Early, Joe Collins Holding Vigil For Wounded LA Deputies

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:58:06 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) – Attorney Eric Early and Navy veteran Joe Collins, two Republicans candidates running for Congressional seats in Los Angeles this November, held a vigil Thursday morning for the two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies who were shot and wounded in an ambush over the weekend in Compton.

Congressional candidates Joe Collins (far left) and Eric Early (second from left) hold a prayer vigil outside a Lynwood hospital for two deputies who were shot and wounded in an ambush. Sept. 17, 2020. (CBSLA)

The prayer vigil with singer Joy Villa was held outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. This is on the heels of a vigil which was also held Wednesday night.

Early is challenging longtime incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) for his 28th District seat, while Collins is challenging incumbent Maxine Waters (D-North Hollywood) for her 43rd District seat.

On Saturday evening, the two deputies were sitting in their patrol vehicle parked outside the Metro Compton Blue Line station at Willowbrook Avenue and Elm Street when a lone suspect approached the front passenger side of the car and opened fire.

The deputies, a 31-year-old mother and her 24-year-old partner, were rushed to St. Francis Medical Center in critical condition, where they both underwent surgery. Both are expected to survive.

On Wednesday, the male deputy was released from the hospital and transferred to a long-term care facility.

“He has a long road ahead for recovery,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva tweeted. “But he’s not alone. We, as a community, are in this together.”

The latest condition of the female deputy has not been released. She remains in the ICU. Both will need additional surgeries, Villanueva said.

The gunman in the unprovoked attack remains at large. Thanks to private donations, the reward for information leading to an arrest is now at over $300,000.

L.A. Dodger Mookie Betts also expressed his anger about the shooting Wednesday.

“I’m angered and disappointed by the ambush of the two LA deputies in Compton,” he tweeted. “My prayers are with both deputies.”

The FBI and U.S. Marshals Office have joined the investigation.

Community Members Pray For Injured Deputies, Reward More Than $300K To Find Shooter

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:40:35 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A prayer service was held Wednesday outside of St. Francis Medical Center where two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies continued to recover after being shot over the weekend.

“I would like to tell them that we are praying for them, and they gonna be alright,” Watts community organizer Sweet Alice Harris said. “They gonna be alright and the daughter, that 6-year-old, she’s gonna be alright because we’re praying for them.”

The sheriff’s department has not yet released the names of the deputies injured in the shooting and will likely not do so until the shooter is caught.

“They are still recovering,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. “One of them has been moved from the ICU to a normal level of care, but they still both face a long road to recovery. It’ll be additional surgeries and specialists are going to have to figure out how to get them back together and up and running.”

In the meantime, the search continues for the shooter. Villanueva said the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Villanueva also said donations have been coming in from across the country, increasing the reward offered to find the person responsible.

“Everyone is human, everyone deserves a life,” he said. “No one should be cowardly ambushed or shot and we have to work together to push hard against violence everywhere.”

Groups like the African American Coalition for Change will continue to try and bring a grieving community together, praying that the deputies are able to recover from their injuries.

“We need one another,” Harris said. “Instead of what can they do, what can we do to help and bring us together?”

As of Wednesday, more than $300,000 has been raised to help find the person who shot and injured the two deputies.

Carjacking Suspect Arrested After 10-Hour Standoff In Lynwood

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 06:00:48 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A carjacking suspect has been arrested in a Lynwood neighborhood after a 10-hour standoff with Los Angeles Sheriff’s deputies Tuesday.

(credit: CBS)

The search for an armed carjacker in the 3100 block of Carlin Avenue started at about noon. The suspect was believed to be hiding in an apartment in the area.

Deputies in tactical gear and SWAT vehicles responded and the immediate area was evacuated.

Despite several reports of the suspect having possible links to the ambush that left two sheriff’s deputies wounded, the department confirmed there is no connection between the suspects.

“We have no nexus known between that and the ambush,” L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.

Lynwood City Manager Placed On Administrative Leave Following Response To Shooting Of 2 Deputies

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 05:24:42 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — Lynwood City Manager Jose Ometeotl has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation after he posted to social media a response to the shooting of two sheriff’s deputies in Compton.

Officials announced his leave on Twitter Tuesday.

pic.twitter.com/y4am3oE12e

— City of Lynwood (@MyLynwoodca) September 16, 2020

On Sunday, Ometeotl posted a photo to his Instagram of Malcom X with writing on it that said “chickens come home to roost.” In the caption, he commented on the recent shooting of two LASD deputies.

“The shooting of anyone is a wholly unacceptable occurrence in society. I do not condone the type of violence seen in the shooting of the deputies yesterday in Compton. I will say that communities like Compton have been plagued by deputy gangs that inflict fear and violence in the community,” he wrote.

Lynwood City Manager Jose Ometeotl (City of Lynwood website)

“These deputies murdered, framed and stole from the community just because they could. Good deputies never turned on bad deputies for fear of retaliation and when caught most of these bad deputies kept their jobs and continued on their criminal career. The fact that someone randomly opened fire on deputies is to be expected in the society we live in today. The political climate and leadership of Sheriff Villanueva has only sowed the seeds of anger and frustration in the community. I pray for the deputies and their families while still demanding justice for Andres Guardado, Breona Taylor, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery.”

Ometeotl has since made his Instagram private, but Fox LA reporter Bill Melugin posted screenshots of the post to Twitter.

Here is the full post from before he made his account private. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/ETAmv3ekcg

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) September 13, 2020

Sunday evening, the city responded to the post, issuing a statement.

“On behalf of the hard-working families of Lynwood as well as the city’s employees and elected officials, we wish to send our heartfelt prayers to the families of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies recently injured in the line of duty. We also support every effort by the sheriff’s department to track down their attacker. There have been comments made today (Sunday) by our city manager on is personal social media that are his personal opinions and don’t reflect the position of the Lynwood City Council.”

On Tuesday night, the Lynwood City Council voted to place Ometeotl on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Community Development Director Michelle Ramirez has been appointed acting city manager.

A change.org petition calling for Ometeotl’s resignation has received over 1,200 signatures as of Tuesday night.

2012 Graduate Of Lynwood High Identified As Scooter Rider Killed In Denver Hit-And-Run

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 20:44:00 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A graduate of Lynwood High School was identified Wednesday as the man on a scooter who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash in Denver, Colo.

(credit: CBS)

Christopher Patton, who graduated from Lynwood High School in 2012, was one the two people who was struck by a Chevy Cobalt in Denver Monday, according to a statement from the Lynwood Unified School District.

“The incident has made national news and is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for all of us,” the statement said. District officials said that they have been in contact with members of the Patton family – many of whom have also graduated from Lynwood High School – to share their condolences.

Patton was killed just after 1:30 a.m. Monday as he and two others rode electric scooters near the Denver Center for Performing Arts. A second person was hospitalized.

An arrest has not yet been made, and police believe speed to be a factor in the crash.

‘I’m Ready To Work’: Laid Off Workers Protest Outside Lynwood Hospital Claiming New Ownership Is Compromising Patient Care

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 00:05:36 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — Laid off hospital workers protested outside St. Francis Medical Center Friday, accusing the hospital’s new owner of replacing veteran workers with inexperienced ones and jeopardizing patient safety in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Laid off workers protest outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Friday. (CBSLA)

“We have 30 plus years, 40 years,” one laid off worker said. “Now, at midnight, we’re put out in the street.”

The group claims that as much as 30% of the hospital’s staff was laid off after Prime Healthcare took over ownership of the hospital, a move that Lynwood Mayor Aide Castro spoke out against.

“This was our hospital,” she said. “They took it from us. They threw our hospital into chaos.”

Ashley Cantrell, one of the laid off workers, said that she and other hospital employees were willing to reuse personal protective equipment to treat COVID-19 patients and their experience with coronavirus patients was discarded by the hospital.

“I’m ready to work,” she said. “I’m committed to my job, and to be out on the street and see my job posted online is very confusing.”

The protesters said that several key departments within the hospital were impacted by the layoffs — with as many as 300 people losing their jobs — and that patient care would be compromised.

“My understanding is the ER nurses are short staffed,” Noe Guzman, a laid off worker, said. “They usually have about 17 nurses in the ER, today it is down to 10.”

But a spokesperson for the hospital said that not only have staffing levels have not been negatively impacted by the layoffs, but that the quality of care would get better.

“Under the new ownership, we are really excited, because they have already invested up to $47 million for improving quality of care at this hospital,” Margaret Pfeiffer, hospital senior administrator, said. “Last night we were able to launch a new electronic medical record that’s been long overdue and needed at this hospital.”

Saint Francis filed for bankruptcy two years ago and said the new owners extended job offers to about 80% of the staff.

“We did do an evaluation of the staffing plan with our unions, and we implemented that plan,” Pfeiffer said.

Though union leaders dispute that account.

“When you are getting rid of the most senior and most experienced people, and you’re bringing in registry people who are either new grads or who do not know the protocols, the processes or the procedures at this facility, you’re compromising patient care,” Guzman said.

The hospital said it treats more than 64,000 emergency patients each year and remains fully staffed and open for business.

Driver Killed In Fiery Lynwood Wreck

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 12:53:06 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) – A driver was killed after losing control of a car and slamming into a light pole in Lynwood late Sunday night.

July 19, 2020. (CBSLA)

The crash occurred at about 10:45 p.m. on Atlantic Boulevard, just north of Los Flores Boulevard.

A witness told Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies the car was speeding down Atlantic when it careened into several parked cars and then slammed into a light pole, bursting into flames.

The driver, who was not identified, died at the scene. No one else was hurt.

Investigators are working to determine what factors may have contributed to the wreck. Its unclear if the driver was intoxicated at the time.

Man Shot, Killed At Lynwood Motel

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 13:35:42 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) – A man was shot to death at a motel in Lynwood late Tuesday night.

(CBSLA)

The shooting occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. at the Clover Motel in the 12400 block of Long Beach Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The victim was rushed to a hospital, where he died. His name was not released.

The exact circumstances of the shooting were unclear.

There was no suspect information and no word on a motive in the killing.

LASD Employee Accused Of Engaging In Sexual Activity With Detainee

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 05:06:35 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A 29-year-old sheriff’s department employee surrendered to investigators Tuesday after being accused of engaging in sexual activity with a detainee at a women’s jail in Lynwood.

Roy’ce Bass was working as a non-sworn custody agent at Century Regional Detention Facility, 11705 Alameda St., when he allegedly engaged in sexual activity with at least one detainee between August 2017 and January 2018, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“The Sheriff’s Department finds these allegations deeply troubling,” the department said in Tuesday statement. “We are committed to transparency and holding our employees fully accountable.”

Bass was charged with four counts of engaging in a sexual activity with a detainee, the department said.

Bass was booked at the Marina Del Rey Station and released on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 13.

No Injuries After Ceiling Collapse At Lynwood High School

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 17:25:55 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) – No one was hurt when a portion of the ceiling collapsed at Lynwood High School Tuesday morning.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the ceiling came down onto two cars sometime before 9:30 a.m. at the school, located at 4050 E. Imperial Highway.

There were no injuries and no one was left trapped, the fire department said.

The exact circumstances of the collapse were not confirmed. Its unclear what caused the ceiling to collapse or whether anyone was inside the building at the time.

The school is currently on summer break.

‘We Still Have To Take Precautions’: Family Of Lynwood Man Who Died After Contracting COVID-19 Hope People Keep Vulnerable In Mind

Fri, 29 May 2020 05:36:41 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) ⁠— Antonio Pacheco was a beloved coach for the Lynwood youth basketball team, a city commissioner, a husband of 21 years and a devoted father of two.

“He always liked to give, but never expected anything in return,” Pacheco’s son, Alejandro, said.

Alejandro and his sister, Sabrina, still could not believe that their father died after contracting COVID-19.

The 42-year-old was diabetic and surviving with the one kidney his wife donated to him eight years ago.

Pacheco knew that his compromised immune system might not be able to withstand a bout with the novel coronavirus, so when he developed a fever and started vomiting last week, he got tested.

“When he got tested positive, not even an hour after getting the results, that’s when he started feeling weak,” Alejandro said.

He said his dad started panicking and asked Sabrina to take him to the hospital, but he didn’t make it there alive.

“It was just me and him,” Sabrina said. “The last words he told me was that he was fine.”

Pacheco closed his eyes in the car and stopped breathing. Sabrina called police and pulled over, but the paramedics could not revive him.

“I think he freaked out,” Alejandro said. “I think his blood pressure went low, his sugar went low.”

Pacheco was Compton native remembered for his willingness to help those in need.

“He gave a guy $100 who was selling flowers when I was little,” Alejandro said. “It made me cry. It made the man cry, too.”

And when the city learned of his passing, officials presented the family with a certificate in honor and memory of his life.

But as businesses start to reopen and people begin to get back to their routines, the Alejandro and Sabrina are asking that people pay mind to those who are most vulnerable.

“We still have to take precautions,” Alejandro said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover their costs as they mourn the loss of their father and husband.

Vandal Smashed Window Of Lynwood Doughnut Shop, Caused Over $1K In Damages

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 04:43:06 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A vandal smashed the window of a family-owned Lynwood doughnut shop with a hammer Monday, causing at least $1,300 in damage.

Police said Tuesday that the vandal is a man believed to be in his 20s.

Surveillance footage shows the man smashing the window around 3:30 a.m. on Monday in the 11300 block of Long Beach Blvd, near the 105 freeway.

He was wearing a white shirt, light blue denim shorts, a blue denim jacket, novelty socks and had a dark backpack, officials said. He walked away northbound on Long Beach Blvd.

Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau called the damage a “heavy blow” to the small business, especially amid the coronavirus crisis.

Detectives encouraged anyone with information about the suspect to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Century Station at 323- 568-4800. Those wishing to report anonymously can call 800-222-TIPS.

Pedestrian Struck, Critically Injured By Sheriff Deputy Vehicle In Lynwood

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 06:00:41 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A pedestrian was struck and injured by a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Deputy’s patrol vehicle in Lynwood Monday night.

According to the department, a deputy from the Lynwood station struck the pedestrian on the 12300 block of Long Beach Boulevard around 6:30 p.m.while responding to a call for service.

Both the deputy and pedestrian were taken to a hospital.

The deputy was said to be doing OK while the pedestrian was said to be in extremely critical condition.

A portion of Long Beach Boulevard was closed as deputies investigated.

Huntington Park Named California’s ‘Most Miserable’ City, Business Insider Says

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 22:58:17 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Huntington Park is California’s “most miserable” city, according to census data compiled by Business Insider, ranking 10th on the list of 1,000 of America’s most miserable cities.

In total, California has 210 entries on the list with the majority of those cities in the southern part of the state.

Rankings were based on factors such as population change, the percentage of people with jobs, median household incomes, median commute times, the number of people living in poverty, and the percentage of people without health insurance.

Overall, Gary, Indiana, ranked first, followed by Port Arthur, Texas, and Detroit as the third most miserable city in America.

Southern California cities in the Top 100:

Huntington Park (10)
Bell Gardens (14)
Lynwood (21)
El Monte (22)
Palmdale (36)
Montebello (40)
Compton (41)
San Bernardino (42)
Hemet (44)
Lancaster (50)
National City (55)
Hesperia (59)
Inglewood (60)
Paramount (61)
La Puente (62)
Victorville (66)
Pomona (83)
Monterey Park (89)
Baldwin Park (93)

See the full list of cities here.

Former LA County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads No Contest To Sexually Assaulting 6 Female Inmates

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 16:20:11 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting six female inmates, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Giancarlo Scotti marked his 33rd birthday Thursday by entering an open plea to a total of eight felony and misdemeanor counts of sexual activity with a detainee in a detention facility. District Attorney’s officials say an open plea means a sentence was not negotiated in advance.

Former L.A. Sheriff’s Deputy Giancarlo Scotti (PHOTO: Facebook)

Scotti was a 10-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department when he was first arrested in 2017. Complaints filed by two female inmates at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood led to Scotti’s arrest. After an investigation, he was charged with the sexual assault of six inmates within a 2-month period.

Prosecutors say the crimes happened in August and September of 2017 with inmates ranging in age from 24 to 42 years old. In one instance, Scotti ordered two cellmates to perform oral sex on him, then later took them to a shower area where he had unlawful sexual intercourse with both of them, according to Deputy District Attorney Hyunah Suh. In another incident, the prosecutor said Scotti had a female inmate perform oral sex on him while she was in her cell.

Scotti is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 26. He is expected to be sentenced to two years in state prison, but faces up to seven years and four months if he fails to appear for the sentencing.

Pregnant Woman With Autism Missing Since Saturday

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:39:07 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — Authorities are asking for the public’s help Wednesday to find a missing pregnant woman with autism.

Crystal Garcia, 25, was last seen just before 9 p.m. Saturday in the 11000 block of South Alameda Street in Lynwood. Authorities say her loved ones have not seen or heard from her and are very concerned for her safety.

Garcia is 6 months pregnant and has autism. She is also bipolar and schizophrenic, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

She is described as a 5-foot-4 Hispanic woman, about 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a burgundy shirt and gray pants.

Anyone with information about Garcia can call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at (323) 890-5500.

Hit-And-Run Injures LAPD Motorcycle Officer On 105 Freeway In Lynwood

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 16:19:21 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — An LAPD motorcycle officer was hospitalized after being struck in a hit-and-run crash on the 105 Freeway early Monday morning.

The crash happened at about 5:30 a.m. in carpool lane of the westbound 105 Freeway, just west of the 710 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol. The report of an officer down drew a large police response, with between 15 and 20 officers at the scene at one point.

(credit: CBS)

The officer was taken to a hospital in unknown condition, but his injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

The carpool lane was blocked for debris cleanup and crash investigation until at least 7 a.m.

The CHP described the suspect vehicle as a silver or dark-colored SUV, possibly a BMW X5, damage to its rear left side door or quarter panel.

Shooting Suspect Barricaded Inside Lynwood Apartment Complex

Tue, 14 May 2019 01:58:58 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A police barricade surrounded an apartment complex in a residential area of Lynwood Monday evening after shots were reportedly fired.

Police surrounded the area of the 10900 block of San Vicente Avenue after hearing reports of a shooting.

The incident reportedly involved the suspect and his girlfriend. She was not reported to have been injured in the exchange.

The male suspect remained inside the apartment and refused to exit.

The area was closed off as police investigated.

Man Driving Pickup Truck Found Fatally Shot

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:46:32 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A man driving a pickup truck was found shot and killed in Lynwood early Monday morning.

The shooting was reported at about 2 a.m. in the 10000 block of Long Beach Boulevard in Lynwood, after reports to 911 that gunshots were heard in the area.

A deputy on patrol saw the pickup truck parked on Long Beach Boulevard and saw the body in the driver’s seat, with the engine running. The man was declared dead at the scene.

It’s not clear if the shooting was from another car, whether the victim was targeted, or if it was a gang-related incident.

Investigators are in the area, searching for security video.

Lawsuit Claims LA Dispatchers Botched 911 Calls, Leading To Death Of 11-Year-Old Girl

Wed, 23 May 2018 04:25:07 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The family of an 11-year-old Lynwood girl, who died following an asthma attack on Christmas Eve last year, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Los Angeles County claiming that emergency dispatchers botched multiple 911 calls, severely delaying the response time of paramedics.

An undated photo of Ashley Flores. (GoFundMe/Flores Family)

On Dec. 24, 2017, the family of Ashley Flores called 911 about five times after Ashley began having trouble breathing.

Ashley’s 16-year-old sister, Dulce, said she was put on hold and then called a second and a third time. In another call, Flores’ aunt Norma can be heard pleading for an ambulance.

“I called once, that should have been enough,” Dulce told CBS2 back in April.

“She didn’t deserve to die,” Ashley said at a press conference in Downtown L.A. Tuesday. “Watching someone you love die in front of your very eyes is absolutely terrible, and it changes you as a person. I don’t want anyone to go through all my family’s going through.”

Ashley’s other aunt, Maggie, says she arrived at the house about 15 minutes after Ashley stopped breathing and also placed a call to 911.

“I saw her just laying there, her lips were purple, her feet were purple,” Maggie said. “My neighbor was giving her CPR. I think I was the fourth call.”

When Norma finally got through and reached an L.A. Country fire dispatcher, it was too late.

“It was a terrible mistake,” Ashley’s sister Jessica said. “The doctor said it would be 10 minutes earlier, we would have had Ashley here with us.”

The claim alleges “totally inadequate training and gross negligence by Los Angeles County and Sheriff McDonnell who are responsible for the training,” according to a news release Monday from the attorneys representing the Flores family. The family is seeking compensatory damages.

“Had there been a timely response, Ashley would’ve lived, so the question is, ‘Why did this happen?'” attorney Dale Galipo told reporters Tuesday.

The L.A. County Fire Department admitted that the 911 calls from Ashley’s family were mistakenly transferred to a phone in a nearby fire station, but the paramedics there happened to be out on another call. The fire house was empty, so there was no one to answer the phone.

However, Ashley’s father told CBS2 the family is still waiting for a call from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept.

“Waiting for answers, and nobody told me nothing,” said Alfonso Flores. “Nothing. Nobody. So, this is what I need for answers and justice.”

The LASD said it will not comment on the case because it is now involved in a lawsuit, but said it was standing by it’s original statement, which read in part,

“Clearly the death of this little girl is heartbreaking. We have opened an investigation into the incident and until all the facts are clearly established through a thorough review, we will not be able to comment further.”

“What made that dispatcher think that calling a local fire station is the right thing?” pediatrician Dr. Daved van Stralen, a former medical director for the Riverside County Emergency Management Department and a former paramedic with the Los Angeles Fire Department, told CBS2 back in April. “It can’t have happened out of the clear blue.”

The family is asking how it is that facts still need to be established when the incident took place in December.

New Video Released In Stray-Bullet Killing Of 16-Year-Old Girl In Lynwood

Thu, 17 May 2018 17:24:40 +0000

LYNWOOD (CSBSLA) – Authorities have released new surveillance video in a 2016 car-to-car chase and shooting in Lynwood in which a 16-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet.

Surveillance video of the suspect vehicle. (LASD)

On the night of Nov. 23, 2016, Danah Rojo-Rivas of Hawthorne was in the backseat of a car with her family, coming home from church, when she was hit by gunfire in the area of Euclid Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect vehicle was in pursuit of a minivan when someone in the suspect vehicle opened fire on the minivan and shot Rojo-Rivas, who was in a nearby car.

She died at the scene. Rojo-Rivas’ scared dog fled and was killed by oncoming traffic.

(LASD)

“Dana was screaming,” Rojo-Rivas’ mother told reporters back in December 2016. “She was saying, ‘Mom! Gunshots! Gunshots!’ She was screaming. When I stopped, Danah got quiet.”

On Thursday, the sheriff’s department released new surveillance video of the pursuit and shooting. The suspect vehicle is described as a silver or gray four-door vehicle, possibly a Ford Taurus. It was last seen traveling west on Euclid.

A $30,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s bureau at 323-890-5500.

Woman Suspected Of Fatally Shooting Boyfriend At Lynwood Laundromat Arrested

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 03:21:51 +0000

(credit: CBS)

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A woman suspected fatally shooting a man behind a Lynwood laundromat earlier this week has been arrested.

Elizabeth Bacilio Pulido, 38, was arrested Wednesday by L.A. sheriff’s deputies in connection with the shooting death of Emilio Alejandre of Compton, City News Service reported.

The shooting was reported around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Free Dry Coin Laundry located at 11904 Long Beach Blvd. in Lynwood.

The suspect, originally described as a Latina woman, was reportedly arguing with Alejandre outside the business when she allegedly shot him multiple times, killing him.

The suspect was seen in security video fleeing the scene in a light-colored SUV, going north on Long Beach Boulevard before making a U-turn.

Detectives said Thursday Alejandre was in a ” in a dating relationship and cohabitating with” Pulido. She was being held without bail.

A friend of Alejandre told CBS2 News Tuesday he had recently come out of jail and was looking to turn his life around.

Man Shot To Death Outside 24-Hour Laundromat In Lynwood; Woman Wanted

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 19:05:59 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — Police are searching for a woman they say shot a man to death behind a 24-hour coin laundromat early Tuesday in Lynwood.

The shooting was reported at 2:25 a.m. at the Free Dry Coin Laundry, 11904 Long Beach Blvd. At the time of the shooting, the laundromat was open for business and several people were inside doing their laundry.

Detectives say a woman and a man, both described as Hispanic, were arguing outside the laundromat when she pulled a gun and shot him several times.

Security video shows the woman getting into a light-colored SUV, going north on Long Beach and making a U-turn. She was last seen going south on Long Beach.

(credit: CBS)

The man, later identified by friends as Emilio Alejandre of Compton, was pronounced dead at the scene. Crime scene investigators say they have recovered what appeared to be a sharp object next to the victim’s body.

Detectives say they have not yet determined whether the shooting was a domestic dispute because it’s not known yet how the suspect and Alejadre know each other.

Angelica Sanchez, who said she was a friend of Alejandre, said he had just gotten out of jail and was trying to turn his life around.

“I’m hurt, I’m really hurt, cause he would talk to me a lot about how he wanted to change and get away from things and be normal,” she said.

Police Release Photo Of Suspect Vehicle Involved In Fatal Shooting Of Teen In Lynwood, Offer $30K Reward

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 03:35:06 +0000

(SOURCE: The Rojo Family)

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) — Police have released a photo of a vehicle involved in the unsolved murder of a teen in Lynwood the day before Thanksgiving a year and a half ago.

Danah was fatally shot on the evening of Nov. 23, 2016 on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard in Lynwood. The teen was in the backseat of a vehicle her mother was driving while heading home from church around 9:30 p.m., the L.A. County Sheriff said.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved Supv. Mark Ridley-Thomas motion to offer a $20,000 in the case of 16-year-old Danah Rojo-Rivas shortly after her death. Two private citizens had offered a $10,000 reward, bringing to total to $30,000.

ATTEMPT TO ID – Silver or Gray 4dr vehicle in MURDER of 16 y/o Danah Rojo-Rivas #Lynwood ******$30K REWARD******https://t.co/CsskC3qRiV #LASD @mridleythomas @CENLASD pic.twitter.com/2yHTR5srO3

— LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) March 31, 2018

Police said Danah was killed after a “car to car” chase approached their vehicle. The fatal shot was fired from a vehicle described as a silver or gray four-door car, possibly a Ford Taurus, police said. They believe Danah was hit by a stray bullet.

Suspect vehicle in Danah Rojo-Rivas murder investigation. The vehicle is described as a silver or gray, four-door car, possibly a Ford Taurus. (SOURCE: LASD)

“Dana was screaming. She was saying, ‘Mom! Gunshots! Gunshots!'” Danah’s mother told CBS2 in 2016. “She was screaming. When I stopped, Danah got quiet.”

The teen was remembered by friends and family as a kind student who was receiving a scholarship and who helped out at her church and volunteered at a local animal shelter.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the LASD Homicide Bureau at (323)890-5500. People can submit anonymous tips at (800)222-8477 at the Crime Stoppers website.

Woman Who Accused Lynwood Councilman Of Sexual Harassment Says City Has Done Nothing In Response

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 03:06:37 +0000

Lynwood Councilman Edwin Hernandez stepped down Feb. 19, 2018, as mayor pro tem amid sexual harassment allegations. (PHOTO: @DoctorHdz/Twitter)

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — A woman whose sexual abuse allegations forced a Lynwood councilman to step down as mayor pro tem addressed the accusations publicly Thursday, and she’s putting part of the blame on the city.

Monica Ochoa accused Edwin Hernandez of sexual impropriety publicly for the first time since her attorney announced the allegations earlier this week.

Ochoa detailed some of the alleged harassment to reporters, claiming Hernandez texted her saying he wanted to “kiss her pink lips.” The 17-year veteran employee of the City of Lynwood said the harassment went on for nearly two years, even throughout her pregnancy.

Ochoa said that while she was grieving her mother’s death, Hernandez asked her to dinner. “I was shocked and didn’t know how to respond,” said Ochoa, adding that Hernandez then told her they should have “breakfast in bed.”

Her attorney Lisa Bloom said Ochoa told the City of Lynwood of the impropriety in December, but that nothing was done.

“At that point, the city’s legal obligation was to conduct an immediate investigation and correct the problem,” Bloom told reporters.

“[W]e officially found out of the allegations, and we took immediate actions to have a special council meeting and deal with our attorneys, deal with our staff to find out what all was happening,” Lynwood Mayor Jose Luis Solache told CBS2 News.

“We have since hired an independent investigator to make sure a non-biased person comes in and investigates this because no woman or any employee should feel harassed in the workplace,” Solache added.

It is not yet clear why the city council waited until February to take action.

Hernandez is also the pastor of the Iglesias Pentecosteses Templo Calvario church, according to Facebook.

CBS2 reporter Amy Johnson went to the church but was told Hernandez was not there Thursday.

Hernandez is on a leave from the council and is no longer attending their meetings, the city said.

Though he has stepped down as mayor pro tem of Lynwood, only the voters can kick him out of office.

Lynwood Mayor Pro Tem Steps Down As City Investigates Sexual Harassment Allegations

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 01:07:23 +0000

Lynwood Councilman Edwin Hernandez stepped down Feb. 19, 2018, as mayor pro tem amid sexual harassment allegations. (PHOTO: @DoctorHdz/Twitter)

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) — The mayor pro tem of Lynwood stepped down Monday amid sexual harassment allegations made against him by a female employee.

The City of Lynwood said it considered the accusations against Councilman Edwin Hernandez “serious and troubling,” City News Service reported.

According to a report from the L.A. Weekly out Tuesday, the accuser alleges Hernandez made “unwanted sexual advances toward her from February 2016 to December 2017.”

The accuser’s attorney Lisa Bloom sent a letter to the city detailing some of Hernandez’s alleged offenses. He allegedly sent the woman a text reading, “You look so good in that blue shirt. Hmmm,” and told her he wanted to “kiss her pink lips.”

Bloom said a lawsuit against the city is “very likely,” The Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Hernandez has been on the Lynwood City Council since 2013 and will remain on the council, the city said.

Lynwood Man With Kidney Disease Goes Missing

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 13:00:45 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA) – Authorities asked for the public’s help Wednesday to find a missing 23-year-old Lynwood man who requires kidney dialysis three times a week.

Miguel Angel Martinez. (LASD)

Miguel Angel Martinez was last seen about 5 p.m. Sunday at his home in the 11600 block of Ester Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Martinez, who has a catheter on the right side of his chest, is Hispanic, 5 feet 6, 125 pounds, with short brown Hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and torn light blue jeans when last seen.

Anyone with information regarding Martinez’s whereabouts was urged to call the sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500 to speak with Detective Abraham or Sergeant Nunez.

Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-TIPS.

Lynwood Woman Posing As Immigration Lawyer Arrested For Fraud

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 17:20:15 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A Lynwood woman posing as an immigration attorney in order to defraud clients over several years has been arrested, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Thirty-six-year-old Jessica Godoy Ramos was taken into custody Wednesday night on accusations she stole the identity and bar license of a New York attorney with a similar name in order to file between 30 and 50 immigration petitions on behalf of several unsuspecting foreign nationals.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Ramos took thousands of dollars from immigrants who were attempting to obtain legal residency in the U.S.

According to the federal complaint, Ramos dropped out of USC Gould School of Law in 2010 and also failed the bar exam. However, Gilien Silsby, a spokesperson for the law school, told CBS2 Thursday afternoon that Ramos was never enrolled at the school.

Between 2014 and 2016, she worked at the law offices of attorney Alfonso Morales in Lynwood. She conned her way into the job by falsely claiming to be an attorney and creating a fraudulent New York State Bar Association card.

In some cases, she filed immigration petitions for her clients, but in others, she simply took their money and did nothing. In one case, she created fake immigration parole documents that a client used to enter the country, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release.

The investigation into Ramos began in February when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received a tip from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding five of Ramos’ clients who had showed up at USCIS offices in downtown L.A. expecting to receive “non-existent green cards.”

“The crimes alleged in this case victimized dozens of immigrants who were attempting to realize the American dream by paying someone they thought was a lawyer,” said Sandra Brown, acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. “This type of scam, which unfortunately targets new immigrants too often, undermines our immigration system and can shatter dreams of obtaining legal status to remain in the United States.”

Ramos is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison.

Teenager Stabbed To Death At Lynwood Laundromat

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 02:15:14 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Authorities Tuesday released a surveillance image of a bicycle-riding suspect who fatally stabbed a 16-year-old boy outside a laundromat in Lynwood.

The stabbing occurred around 4 p.m. Monday in the 11900 block of Long Beach Boulevard, said Deputy Kelvin Moody of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Surveillance image of bicycle-riding suspect who fatally stabbed a 16-year-old boy outside a laundromat in Lynwood. Source: LA County Sheriff

William Escamilla, 16, of Lynwood died at a hospital, the coroner’s office reported.

The victim was helping his mother do their laundry. Police say the teenager went to get a bottle of water out of their car when a man came up to him, pulled out a knife and slashed the teen’s throat. The killer rode away on a bicycle.

Escamilla’s mother rushed him to the hospital but the wound was fatal.

The suspect was described as Hispanic, 25 to 40 years old, with a thin build and multiple tattoos.

Homicide detectives say the motive appears to be attempted robbery. They do not think the murder is gang related.

Lynwood Teen Stabbed To Death, Killer At Large

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:52:16 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) – Authorities are searching for a suspect who fatally stabbed a 16-year-old boy in a Lynwood parking lot Monday afternoon.

William Escamilla of Lynwood was stabbed to death at about 4 p.m. in the 11900 block of Long Beach Boulevard.

According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Escamilla and the suspect were engaged in a conversation in the parking lot when the suspect stabbed Escamilla in the upper torso, then jumped on a bike and fled south on Long Beach Boulevard.

Escamilla’s mother, who was also at the location, drove her son to a hospital, where he died.

There was no immediate description of the suspect and no motive for the killing. Deputies are unsure if it was gang related.

Anyone with information on the case should call LASD at 323-890-5500.

Deputy Injured In Lynwood Car Chase, Suspect Still At Large

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 14:51:29 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy was injured in a crash while chasing a suspected drunk driver, who remains at large Tuesday.

The chase ended in a crash at about 9:15 p.m. in the area of Bullis Road and Palm Avenue, according to sheriff’s officials.

The deputy’s vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by a civilian, but that person was not injured.

The deputy was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were deemed to be not life threatening, authorities said.

The driver the deputy was chasing was not stopped.

$30,000 Reward Offered In Stray-Bullet Killing Of 16-Year-Old Girl In Lynwood

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 22:55:16 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A $30,000 reward was offered Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of the killer of a 16-year-old girl in Lynwood.

Danah Rojo-Rivas was in the backseat of her mother’s car, leaving a church function on the night before Thanksgiving when she was fatally struck by the stray bullet.

“Dana was screaming. She was saying, ‘Mom! Gunshots! Gunshots!'” Rojo-Rivas’ mother recalled. “She was screaming. When I stopped, Danah got quiet.”

The teenager was remembered by friends and family as a kind and generous student who played on the softball team at Gardena High School and volunteered at a local animal shelter.

“My daughter was an angel,” her mother said. “I lived with an angel.”

Now detectives are searching for information that could lead to finding her killer.

The $30,000 reward is being offered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and private contributors.

Rivas’ mother is hoping it leads to an arrest.

“I don’t want anyone else to wake up and have to get ready for a funeral for someone who doesn’t deserve to die,” she said. “If you know who that person is, please be a little bit brave in life and do something that maybe you would feel better about later. Maybe save a life.”

Brother Of Teen Killed By Stray Bullet During Gang Fight In Lynwood Speaks Out

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 06:38:32 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The brother of a teen hit by a stray bullet during a gun fight between two rival gangs is speaking out.

Danah Rojo won’t go the junior prom, graduate from high school or live out any of her other dreams.

The 16-year-old was gunned down in a car as Wednesday after she left church with her mother and brother.

Investigators say a bullet fired during a gun battle between rival gangs killed her.

Friday night, her brother spoke to KCAL9’s Tom Wait.

“At the moment we are trying our best. We are trying to comprehend the events that happened,” said Ethan Rojo.

Ethan was in the car when his sister was killed.

(credit: CBS)

“It still feels unreal. The sensation that you’re gonna wake up and she’s no longer going to be there. She isn’t somewhere and is coming back. She’s never coming back.” he said.

The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m.

Danah was in the back seat with her little dog in her lap when the shots rang out. Sheriff’s deputies say a gunman jumped out of a car behind them and started shooting into the Saturn SUV. One of the bullets missed and went through the back of the car carrying Danah hitting and killing her,

The 16-year-old’s brother has a message for those that took his sister’s life.

“You know what you did. Doesn’t matter who you were trying to hit, who you were trying to kill. You took a 16-year-old girl’s life,” Ethan said.

Sheriff’s investigators told Wait they do not have a description of the suspect’s vehicle. They say it’s also likely more than one gunman was involved.

The family has set up a GoFundMe link as a memorial for Rojo.

Los Angeles County Jails Launch Lactation Program For Female Inmates

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 16:58:54 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A Valentine’s Day baby will be the first to benefit from a pilot lactation program for imprisoned women in the Los Angeles County jail system.

Keymoreah Chorm, 19, who is serving time for identity theft, gave birth to a baby boy on Valentine’s Day and will participate in the county’s first-ever jail lactation program, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.

The new program is launching first at the sheriff’s Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. When an incarcerated pregnant woman delivers her child, Nishida says she is given the opportunity to lactate and continue providing their breast milk to their newborn child, either by breastfeeding directly or with a provided breast pump.

For mothers pumping milk, the program allows family members to pick up the milk and deliver it to the newborn. The child’s caregiver is required to pick up the breast milk on a daily basis and is given instructions on handling, thawing and warming of frozen milk, according to Nishida.

The program was a joint effort by the sheriff’s department and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Witness Video Sought Of Fatal Deputy-Involved Shooting In Lynwood

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 17:24:07 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is asking for video that witnesses may have taken of a fatal weekend confrontation in Lynwood between deputies and a 28-year-old black man who was shot 33 times.

Black community leaders are demanding a U.S. Justice Department investigation into Saturday’s shooting, comparing it to the fatal shooting of Laguan McDonald in Chicago last year.

One deputy fired 16 shots at Nicholas Robertson, while another fired 17 shots, according to Capt. Steve Katz of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

One deputy has been with the department for a year, the other for about 18 months, he said. Both have been reassigned from field duty.

The department released surveillance video of Robertson and the 911 calls that brought deputies to an ARCO station near the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.

The released surveillance video shows the gun-toting man walking up and down a street before the fatal confrontation. The 911 calls describe a man shooting a gun into the air.

Robertson, father of an 8-year-old daughter and 7-year-old twins, was shot and killed at 11:10 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

McDonnell asked anyone who might have cell phone video of the incident to share it with investigators, and Sheriff’s homicide detectives asked anyone with any information regarding the shooting to call them at (323) 890-5500.

Deputies In Lynwood Fired 33 Bullets At Suspect Captain Says Was Armed With Handgun

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 05:00:21 +0000

LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Sheriff’s deputies fired 33 bullets at a man who they say was armed with a .45 caliber handgun in the Lynwood area.

“One deputy fired 17 and another deputy fired 16,” said Cpt. Steve Katz of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department about Saturday’s deputy-involved shooting.

The captain said it wasn’t necessarily unusual for a deputy to fire that many rounds.

“In this case, there was some grave concern for the number of victims that were in that location. The suspect presented a threat to the deputies and the community and they took the action that they did,” he said.

The man, identified Sunday as Nicholas Robertson, 28, of Lynwood, died Saturday following the deputy-involved shooting in the area of Long Beach Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.

Prior to the confrontation, Katz said deputies had yelled out commands to the suspect as he crossed an intersection. When the suspect failed to comply, the shooting unfolded.

“He did not comply with their repeated requests to drop the weapon,” Katz said.

The captain said Robertson’s gun was not loaded when he encountered deputies, but he had ammunition with him. Asked if he ever pointed the gun at deputies, Katz said “pointing is relative.”

“We do have evidence that the suspect did fire the weapon multiple times prior to the interaction with the deputies,” said Katz in referring to 911 calls the department had received.

Some of the witness accounts said the suspect was armed while others indicated that the suspect had discharged his firearm six to seven times in a residential area, reported KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO.

“According to witnesses who called 911, six to seven gunshots were fired by the suspect in a residential area,” the captain said.

One business reported that the suspect had entered and was behaving erratically and yelling expletives. Employees there reported that he was armed with a handgun.

During the news conference, authorities released an image of the suspect on the ground “clearly with a handgun in his hand,” Katz said. Video from a nearby business seems to show the suspect purportedly carrying what appears to be a handgun.

Katz said the first 911 call was received at 10:53 a.m. and deputy-involved shooting happened six minutes later. The suspect, according to Katz, retained his weapon through the entire time. Katz said the gun, which was not registered to the suspect, was recovered from him after the shooting incident.

“It’s very troubling anytime you have someone shot and killed by police officers, especially those who are shot in the back and shot again and they crawled to their death,” Najee Ali, the political director of the National Action Network, said at a news conference held outside Sheriff’s Headquarters.

But Ali urged the community to remain calm and not rush to judgment.

“Let’s not rush to judgment. Let’s stay calm, cool and collected and let’s get to the truth of what happened with this situation because at the end of the day we don’t want to see what happened in Chicago, what happened in Philadelphia, what happened in Ferguson happen to LA County,” he said.

The deputies involved in the incident have been reassigned from field duty pending an assessment of the shooting, said Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Both have at least one year of experience in the field, according to Katz. Their identities have not been released.

Deputies stressed that the investigation was still in its preliminary stages.

Katz said detectives have been canvassing the area for digital video from cellphones and businesses in the area.

Without disclosing specifics, authorities said the suspect had prior contact with law enforcement.

Before the various surveillance videos were released Sunday, Robertson’s family passionately denied that he had a gun.

KCAL9’s Brittney Hopper spoke with family Sunday and asked about Robertson being shown holding what appears to be a firearm.

“My thoughts on that. I can’t say who was right or who was wrong. I get they have a protocol but when you look at the video it’s obvious he didn’t pose a threat,” said Michael Green, Robertson’s brother-in-law.

“After the first show he hit the ground,” said the brother-in-law, “he was immobilized. Nothing you could do to him but to stand here and keep shooting, reload and keep shooting. It was just uncalled for.”

Investigators say after the incident was all over they found Robertson’s gun was unloaded but that he had ammunition on his person.

Robertson’s family held a vigil in his memory Sunday evening.

Anyone with any information regarding the shooting — other witnesses or possible victims — was asked to call Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives at (323) 890-5500.