Redondo Beach News, CA Local News

Redondo Beach councilmember suspended from practicing law in California for 2 years

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 17:37:28 +0000

Redondo Beach Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr. can’t practice law in California for at least two years, the state Supreme Court recently ruled.

The court’s ruling upheld a December recommendation from the State Bar of California, which accused Obagi of misrepresenting and misappropriating a client’s trust account funds. Obagi, a Los Angeles attorney, previously said of the accusations that any potential wrongding wasn’t intentional. On Thursday, April 11, Obagi said he wasn’t surprised by the court’s ruling.

The State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel initially charged Obagi in July 2022 with seven counts of professional misconduct, including intentional misappropriation arising from his handling of a sales agreement while representing partners in a cannabis dispensary, Valley Herbal Healing Center. Obagi also failed to alert partners Eric Dominguez and Tim Cullen that representing them both could potentially constitute a conflict of interest, according to the charges.

Five more charges were added in December 2022, including allegations that Obagi sought to mislead a judge in a 2021 lawsuit brought by him and his firm that attempted to blame the misappropriation on another lawyer involved in the transaction.

Obagi breached his duty both by accepting joint representation of two clients in a matter where their interests conflicted without their informed written consent and by subsequently acting adversely to a former client’s wishes in the same case in which he had previously represented him, George Cardona, chief trial counsel for the State Bar, said previously.

The State Bar Court also found Obagi culpable of misappropriation for acting with gross negligence to deprive his former client of hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlement funds, Cardona said, forcing the client to endure nearly two years of a “grueling and horrible” ordeal.

Obagi, in a Thursday text message, said he expected the suspension and has been preparing for it.

“It’s rare that the Supreme Court deviates from the Bar Court’s decision,” Obagi said. “So I’ve already prepared for the decision, withdrawn from all but one federal case representing a former NCIS agent for racial discrimination — where I’ve moved the court to withdraw — and am selling my firm.”

Obagi had previously denied allegations that he acted with malice, describing the State Bar Court’s decision as “excessively punitive.” He also said the State Bar Court listed his lack of prior discipline and his good character as mitigating factors.

Under the Supreme Court’s order, though, Obagi will be on probation for three years and cannot practice as an attorney in the state for at least the first two years, according to the court’s decision. In the third year, Obagi can provide proof to the State Bar of his “fitness to practice and present learning and ability in the general law” in order to continue working as a lawyer in California.

The suspension will officially begin on May 3, according to the State Bar website.

Obagi was first admitted to the State Bar of California in 2009.

To get out of suspension and avoid disbarment, Obagi must take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, per the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this month. That test measures attorney candidates’ knowledge and understanding of established standards related to the professional conduct of lawyers, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ website.

Within 40 days of the order, per the California Rules of Court, Obagi must also:

Notify all clients being represented in pending matters and any co-counsel of his suspension.
Deliver to all clients being represented in pending matters any papers or other property to which the clients are entitled.
Refund any fees paid that have not yet been earned.
Notify opposing counsel in pending litigation of his suspension.
File a copy of the notice with the respective court
File with the clerk of the State Bar Court an affidavit showing that he has fully complied with the order.

Obagi could continue to be suspended or be completely disbarred if he fails to complete all the steps, according to the order.

He must also pay the State Bar $2,500, per the order, in accordance with the California Business and Professions Code.

The order, though, does not explicitly affect Obagi’s service as a Redondo Beach councilmember. A councilmember’s office becomes vacant if the person is convicted of a crime, moves out of the district or is absent from four consecutive council meetings, according to the City Charter — none of which applies to Obagi..

Obagi, who represents Redondo Beach’s District 4 on the north side of town, soundly defeated a recall attempt in October 2022.

Fireworks to return to July 4 celebration in Redondo Beach

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:28:05 +0000

Redondo Beach is planning to bring back its over-the-water Independence Day fireworks celebration this year, after scrambling to put on a drone show in 2023 amid tighter water quality regulations.

The City Council this week approved a contract with New Jersey company Garden State Fireworks to put on the pyrotechnic show, signaling the return of the July 4 tradition at Redondo’s King Harbor.

The agreement also includes work for a subcontractor, Pacific Maritime Group, to operate the barge from which the fireworks will be launched.

Last year, the city nixed its Fourth of July fireworks show for the first time in nearly seven decades because of new regional regulations about launching pyrotechnics over the water.

In May, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board implemented a safety permit for fireworks either launched from barges on the water or where the safety zone extended over the water.

The new permitting process put various restrictions on over-the-water fireworks, such as requiring the launch area to be enclosed with three walls and underwater surveys to be performed.

The regulations also prohibit discharging plastic trash associated with firework displays into surface waters, and requires a plan for best management practices to ensure the fireworks don’t pollute the water or cause nuisance conditions in surface waters.

Given the relatively short window to comply with the new regulations, Redondo Beach opted to instead host its first — and perhaps last — drone show for last year’s celebration.

But for this year, the city will apply for its permit “as soon as possible,” Cameron Harding, Redondo’s community services director, said in a Wednesday, April 10, email. The plan is to launch the blasts at the harbor with the help of Pi Environmental, a consultant many other cities have worked with in the past year to ensure they can continue their fireworks shows.

Harding said he’s confident Pi will help Redondo get the permit in time.

It’ll cost the city $115,000 for the show, the barge, engineering and permitting, which, City Manager Mike Witzansky said, is about double the price from just a few years ago.

Some councilmembers were initially hesitant to approve the expenditure during this week’s meeting because of a few concerns with the operator.

Garden State Fireworks was previously not registered with the California Secretary of State’s office as required, Councilmember Todd Loewenstein said during the Tuesday, April 9, meeting.

But the company registered with the Secretary of State’s office in March, Garden State Vice President August Santore, said on Wednesday. Garden State Fireworks submitted its initial filing on March 19, according to records on the California Secretary of State’s office website. It must submit its statement of information — which provides more specific details about the company — by June 17.

Santore, for his part, also seemed unbothered by the new water-quality regulations. While he’s aware of them, Santore also said Garden State had been doing shows over the water before the permit mandate came down.

Post-event water tests, he said, show “we don’t contaminate anything.”

Garden State Fireworks is a family business that dates back to the late 19th century, when founder Augustine Santore immigrated to New Jersey from Italy, according to the company’s website. He died in 1973 and his two sons took over the business.

The company makes fireworks for multiple organization, a January 2021 press release said, including the U.S. military, which uses them as battlefield special effects during training exercises — and for Disney theme parks.

But Garden State also produces fireworks shows. It even helped produce the fireworks show for President Joe Biden’s inauguration, the 2021 press release said.

As for the Redondo show, Garden State has asked the city to assume liability for the barge operator, leaving Redondo Beach without a clear way to get its money back if Pacific Maritime doesn’t fulfill its services, staffers said. Garden State does not provide insurance for specific events until contracts are signed.

Still, the show will most likely likely go on.

The contract was scheduled to be signed on Wednesday, Harding said. Garden State officials would then send the insurance policy to Redondo once they received the signed agreement.

In South Redondo, meanwhile, the Riviera Village fireworks show will not go off as in past years, said organizer Jeff Ginsburg. The fireworks show, off Avenue I, was also canceled last year because of the new water board requirements.

Staff writer Lisa Jacobs contributed to this report.

Redondo Beach gets $1.3M to expand Pallet Shelter site, start crisis response program

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 12:49:33 +0000

Redondo Beach will add a crisis response program to its homelessness outreach services because of grants that will also grow the city’s transitional housing network.

The City Council this week approved a $1.3 million grant from medical provider Health Net to expand the city’s Pallet Shelter program and start an alternative crisis response program to get resources to people experiencing homelessness.

Redondo Beach tallied 71 people without permanent shelter in the city during its 2023 survey of the homeless population.

In recent months, the city has been working on adding 25 units to its Pallet Shelter site on Kingsdale Avenue, near the South Bay Galleria, which would increase the number of aluminum cabins from 20 to 45. The shelters are of 64-to-70 square feet.

The Redondo Beach Pallet Shelters initially opened in 2020 with 15 units, and the city later added five more. Since the initial shelters opened, 99 people have lived there, with 55 having found permanent housing elsewhere, said Joy Abaquin Ford, the city’s quality of life prosecutor.

Now, public works employees will build another 25 new shelters in a vacant lot adjacent to the existing site. The new transitional housing units could go in by June, City Attorney Mike Webb said previously.

Health Net initially vowed nearly $770,000 for the Pallet Shelter expansion, matching an $800,000 grant from LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s office for the $1.5 million project.

The additional $570,000 from Health Net will establish the crisis response program.

The crisis response program will be a continuum of care for folks who have gotten the city’s help finding transitional to permanent housing, Abaquin Ford said.

Service providers will respond to non-violent mental and behavioral health service calls, and will offer trauma-informed care, crisis de-escalation, in-person intervention and transportation to immediate behavioral health services.

Driver killed in solo crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:43:00 +0000

A motorist was killed Monday morning in a single-vehicle crash in Redondo Beach.

The crash was reported about 5 a.m. on Pacific Coast Highway near Vincent Street, according to the Redondo Beach Police Department.

“The driver of a vehicle traveling southbound on Pacific Coast Highway lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree near the intersection of Vincent Street,” police said in a statement.

“Emergency services responded and located the unresponsive female driver, who was pronounced deceased by paramedics from the Redondo Beach Fire Department,” police said.

Information was not immediately available on the identity of the fatally injured motorist. PCH was closed in the area while an investigation was conducted.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call police Investigator Scot Martin at 310-379-2477 ext. 3862.

Infant’s death on 405 Freeway potentially tied to Woodland Hills killing, Redondo Beach fatal crash

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 13:28:20 +0000

An infant girl was found dead, along with a young girl suffering from moderate injuries, on the northbound 405 Freeway in the Culver City area early Monday, and authorities said their discovery may be tied to a Woodland Hills homicide and a Redondo Beach fatal crash.

Around 4:30 a.m., officers were called for a medical emergency along the northbound 405 Freeway near the Sepulveda Boulevard/Howard Hughes Parkway exit, said California Highway Patrol Officer Frank Salas. An infant girl believed to be 5 or 6 months old was lying in the roadway and a 9-year-old girl was found on the right shoulder.

The infant had suffered serious trauma injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, Salas said, though information on how she’d sustained the injuries was not immediately available.

The young girl had moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital.

A 911 caller told authorities that a black sedan was seen in the area where the girls were found, Salas said, though it was not clear if the girls came from that black sedan.

Two northbound freeway lanes were blocked throughout the morning rush hour while CHP officials investigated the situation.

On Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it was investigating a possible link between the discovery of the girls on the freeway to an overnight slaying in Woodland Hills and a subsequent fatal crash in Redondo Beach.

The LAPD responded to a Woodland Hills apartment building in the 6200 block of Variel Avenue around 7:35 a.m. Monday in response to a report of an unresponsive man in his 30s. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.

No other details were immediately available.

“While conducting their investigation, homicide detectives learned of two additional incidents that occurred earlier in the morning, one on the 405 Freeway involving two young children and a second in Redondo Beach involving a traffic collision,” according to the LAPD. “At this time, Valley Bureau Homicide detectives are working with the California Highway Patrol on the incident involving the two children and believe it is connected to the Topanga (Woodland Hills) homicide scene.

“They are also collaborating with the Redondo Beach Police Department and the Los Angeles County (Medical Examiner) to determine if that scene is related to the homicide on Variel.”

The Redondo Beach fatal crash involved a black sedan that crashed into a tree, killing the female driver, around 5 a.m. Monday on Pacific Coast Highway and Vincent Street.

Law enforcement sources quoted in broadcast reports said a female may have fatally stabbed the man at the Woodland Hills apartment building as part of a domestic dispute, then fled with the two children, eventually leaving them on the 405 Freeway and driving off. The woman subsequently crashed her black sedan in Redondo Beach and died, the broadcast reports said. The female and the man were married, CBS Los Angeles reported.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the CHP Southern Division Major Crimes office at 323-644-9550, or the CHP Traffic Management Center at 323-259-3200.

Southern California News Group staff writer Hunter Lee contributed to this story.

San Pedro rallies to restore what was lost in defacement of memorial plaques

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 15:05:02 +0000

Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The ILWU Harry Bridges monument was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The ILWU Harry Bridges monument was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Merchant Marine Memorial, Fisherman’s Memorial, USS Los Angeles and ILWU Harry Bridges monuments were some of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Fishermans Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Fishermans Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Fishermans Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The Fishermans Memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The USS Los Angeles memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The USS Los Angeles memorial was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque thefts and vandalism to memorials in San Pedro, the Port of Los Angeles is working with private sponsors of those vandalized plaques to do repairs. The ILWU Harry Bridges monument was one of the vandalized memorials. (Photo by Contributing Photographer Chuck Bennett)
Following plaque

Redondo Beach wants to build $17 million police shooting range to replace 1950s open air site

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:49:20 +0000

Redondo Beach wants to build a new military-level shooting range for its police department, but the city can’t afford it right now.

The City Council at its meeting this week directed staff to keep working on designs for the new range, explore potential funding sources and be prepared to apply next year for a federal grant that would bolster the facility that would best fit the city’s law enforcement agency.

The panel voted 3-2 to move forward with the plan, with Councilmembers Todd Loewenstein and Nils Nehrenheim dissenting. City staff will now prepare to apply for a 2025 grant cycle and look for other ways to fund the facility.

Currently, the Police Department trains at its 1950s-era, open-air range on Beryl Street, at the back end of Dominguez Park and across the street from Torrance’s Towers Elementary School. It also doubles as a maintenance yard for the city’s public works department.

An enclosed facility would reduce noise, according to a staff report, and therefore lessen calls from the community concerned about hearing gunfire.

About 15 years ago, for example, a state agency investigated complaints from nearby residents about bullet fragments straying into their neighborhood and onto Towers Elementary grounds.

Redondo started planning for a new range in 2017, according to city staff, and began working on a design in earnest early last year. The existing one, which opened in the 1950s and has remained an open field, has only undergone minor operational improvements since then.

The Los Angeles United States Air Force Base wants to partner with the city to build the range, which would make it a joint space, and also provide a $12 million grant to make it happen. The entire thing would cost $17.2 million, and Redondo Beach would pay $5.2 million of that.

“The challenge is, we don’t have $5 million available and I don’t foresee us having $5 million available” in the near future, city manager Mike Witzansky said at the Tuesday meeting.

Redondo Beach currently has about $545,000 in its capital improvement project budget that could go toward the shooting range, according to a staff report.

The Air Force, meanwhile, needs a South Bay-local training range, Mia Walsh, a commander at the L.A. Air Force Base, or Space Force, said Tuesday, as there aren’t nearby facilities with enough capacity and folks often have to travel up to 75 miles away from the base in El Segundo to train.

But the city is looking at other, smaller scale options, too.

An all-modular range with four lanes would cost the city $5.4 million; modular structures with even lanes would cost $6.5 million.

Police Chief Joe Hoffman said at the Tuesday meeting that the full-scale, brick and mortar range would allow his force more real-life training.

There would be a judgement and live fire training simulator for use-of-force situations, the staff report reads, critical incident training, de-escalation, decision support training, traditional tactical judgment training and more.

Hoffman prefers the military partnership, he said, because Redondo’s 100 officers would have fewer limitations training at an enclosed site and be able to recreate scenarios they may experience during a service call, rather than just shooting at targets.

An updated facility would allow police personnel to train in all weapons systems at all hours of the day, per the staff report, without impacting the surrounding community.

Any time the department plans to train at the range, Hoffman said, they notify the community ahead to address potential complaints ahead of time. On weekdays, training happens from 3 to 8 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays; never after 9 p.m. on any day, on Sundays, or holidays.

Councilmember Todd Loewenstein on Tuesday suggested applying for bonds to get the project done, which the city could pay back over several years, noting that the city’s existing funds might be better spent on other improvements.

‘We have a lot of needs right now,” Loewenstein said. “Long term, I think it’s a great project” but right now, “$5 million is a heavy lift for our facility.”

Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic, however, said that if the city may end up spending that many millions of its own money anyway, it should take advantage of the grant opportunity.

“We do have a lot of facilities that need attention, but this is the only one that we have a grant opportunity with,” Kaluderovic said.

The military option, meanwhile, must meet federal requirements for a small-arms shooting range, according to a staff report, like having at least seven five-foot wide lanes, steel floors, ballistic side and downrange walls and specific dust and exhaust collection systems. It would also include classrooms

Other local law enforcement agencies could benefit from the range, too, the staff report said.

Torrance City Councilmember Bridget Lewis, who is the manager of homeland security at the Port of Long Beach, said that officers at her workplace would also benefit from the local range, noting that having to travel across counties for training leaves them exhausted upon returning for work.

But a new facility, whatever shape it takes, won’t be in the works until at least next year.

Editor’s note: This article has been edited to reflect the exact location of the Redondo Beach Police Department shooting range.

New contemporary fine art gallery opens in Manhattan Beach

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 06:21:19 +0000

Joanna Garel wanted to give emerging artists a voice in the contemporary art world, including female artists and people of color, who she feels are not represented.

So the Filipino-Canadian art collector and artist decided to open her own showcase in Manhattan Beach.

“I have different experiences, different tastes, and I thought it might be a good idea to introduce it to the South Bay,” said Garel as she prepared this week for the opening.

Garel Fine Art will celebrate its grand opening at 1069 N. Aviation Blvd. on Saturday, April 6, from 4 to 8 p.m.

The 750-square-foot gallery’s opening show will feature blue chip works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Picasso, Ed Ruscha, as well as “rare and early works by L.A. superstars Jonas Wood and Delfin Finley,” according to Garel.

When Garel was an actress and model, she made her way to Los Angeles and the South Bay in 1997 from Toronto, Canada when she was a single mother with son Jordan Andino. She had roles in several films when she arrived and continued a successful modeling career.

She married Matthew Garel, worked in real estate, and recently directed a short film, “The Frog Who Couldn’t Ribbit,” based on the life of her brother Aniceto Rex Bacalso and his struggle with mental illness.

Garel, along with Matthew Garel, Josefina Nadurata and Graham Greene were named “Best Producer” at the 2024 LA Independent Women Film Awards.

Joanna Garel will celebrate the opening of her contemporary fine art gallery in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, April 6. Pictured behind Garel at the gallery during installation on April 1 are works by Jonas Wood upper left and right, Yoshitomo Nara center, and Delfin Finley leaning on the floor. (photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
Pictured behind gallery owner Joanna Garel at the gallery during installation on April 1 are works by Jonas Wood, Yoshitomo Nara center, and Delfin Finley leaning on the floor. Joanna Garel will celebrate the opening of her contemporary fine art gallery in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, April 6. (photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)
Joanna Garel will celebrate the opening of her contemporary fine art gallery in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, April 6. Pictured behind Garel at the gallery during installation on April 1 are works by Jonas Wood upper left and right, Yoshitomo Nara center, and Delfin Finley leaning on the floor. (photo by Michael Hixon/SCNG)

Expand

In 2017, her work, “Lifeguards in Hermosa,” was chosen as the seventh mural in Hermosa Beach Murals Project — which acheived its goal of erecting 10 murals in 10 years. Garel’s work is located on the 13th Court in the Citibank parking lot.

With young children, Garel, a Redondo Beach resident, became involved in local art organizations for youth including South Bay Hands on Art.

Her children, including celebrity chef Jordan Andino, as well as Bronson Garel, water polo assistant coach at South Bay United Water Polo Club and computer engineering major at Cal State Long Beach and Trenton Garel, a singer now studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, were all products of South Bay schools.

Another brother, Sonny Bacalso, who is known for his large murals in Toronto, inspired her interest in the art world and volunteering inspired her to take up painting as well and she started works depicting beach life including lifeguard towers.

“I feel like watching my brother, volunteering, collecting art, to making art, I think this was the next step because I know I have a good base of collectors, that community is really supportive,” Garel said of opening the gallery.

“It’s just gave us the right vibe for me,” Garel said of the new space. “It wasn’t too big, it wasn’t too small, within my budget, which is the most important.”

Besides Saturday’s opening, scheduled shows include Calvin Klein model, artist, and owner of a volleyball training school/camp, Jason Olive, in May, and a summer group show in June and July.

“Hollywood brought me here, but art has always been an integral part of my life,” Garel said.

For more information, visit garelfineart.com, or @garelfineartgallery on Instagram.

California’s most controversial housing law, the ‘builders remedy,’ could get a makeover

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 15:58:28 +0000

For the last two years the “builder’s remedy” has been the unruly teenager of California housing laws.

Running roughshod over zoning regulations while sowing angst among local elected officials, the law lets developers build as much as they like, wherever they like, in cities and counties that have blown past deadlines to get their housing development blueprints certified by state regulators.

An artist’s rendering of the 3000 Nebraska apartment complex, one of 16 builder’s remedy housing projects filed in Santa Monica. Developers can bypass local zoning laws in California cities that don’t have state-approved housing plans so long as their projects include affordable housing. This 1.9-million-square-foot project would have 15 stories plus five subterranean floors for parking. 1,900 of the 2,000 apartments would be one-bedroom units, with 400 of them reserved for low-income residents. (Image courtesy of WS Communities)

Also see: Some California cities can’t stop apartment projects as developers use ‘builder’s remedy’

Despite its use as a hardball negotiating tactic by aggressive developers, no project has broken ground, much less finished, as a result of the builder’s remedy. That’s partially because relatively few developers are willing to make use of the confusingly-worded law for lack of legal certainty.

Now, some of California’s most powerful Democratic lawmakers are pushing legislation that would clear up, but also rein in, the state’s most controversial housing statute. Nearly a year and a half since a developer first used the law to propose a zoning-code-blowing project, 2024 may be the year that the builder’s remedy grows up.

See the list: Developers file 26 Southern California builder’s remedy projects

“The ‘builder’s remedy’ has sort of lived in the Twitterverse, but actually making it a clear law, so that everyone is following the same rules of engagement and we know what the rules are…(that) is really what we’re aiming to do here,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, a Berkeley Democrat, who chairs the Assembly appropriations committee and who authored AB 1893, which she said would “modernize” the law.

The proposed overhaul, outlined in a newly amended draft of the bill published Tuesday, April 2, includes new perks for developers, textual edits to clear up how the law would apply and a new “streamlining” provision that would let developers bypass environmental review and public hearing requirements so long as they pay their workers union-level wages and meet basic environmental requirements.

But the bill would also put a cap on how big builder’s remedy projects can be, while prohibiting its use in industrial zoned areas. That’s a break from current law, in which the sky — and the California Building Code — is the limit.

“We tried to land this bill in a place where it is a stick — it’s holding our cities accountable — but it’s not overreaching in its scope,” said Wicks.

Wicks’ bill is backed by Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has ramped up the state Department of Justice’s enforcement of housing production law since coming into office in 2021.

Also see: Possible ‘zoning holiday’ shakes up housing across California cities

“It has been over 30 years since the builder’s remedy was enacted and it’s remained in effect, largely unchanged, since then,” Bonta said in a statement. The bill is meant to provide clarity to “local governments, planners, developers, and courts,” he added, while also ensuring that housing actually gets built in cities and counties that don’t have certified housing elements, rather than getting stuck in legal limbo.

This is one of at least two bills aimed at tying up the builder’s remedy’s perceived loose ends.

AB 1886 by San Diego Assemblymember David Alvarez, a Democrat, would specify that jurisdictions without state certified housing plans would be subject to the builder’s remedy until those plans are passed by local officials and signed off on by the California Housing and Community Development department. That’s a response to cities that have argued that the state’s stamp of approval isn’t necessary.

A vacant lot located at the intersection of Yorba Street and Chapman Avenue, just east of Santiago Creek, behind the Providence St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group building and the Chapman Global Medical Center in Orange on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. It is a proposed location for future housing in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Does the builder’s remedy need fixing?

The builder’s remedy has been on the books for more than three decades, but was only recently given new life by pro-housing legal scholars and state housing regulators.

As cities and counties have scrambled to plan for their share of the 2.5 million new homes that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants built across California by the end of the decade, the builder’s remedy — which spells a total loss of local control over land use — has been among the most menacing possible consequences of non-compliance.

It’s also been a reliable path to litigation.

Though the state doesn’t gather data on builder’s remedy projects, the pro-housing legal advocacy group YIMBY Law has identified 93 projects with roughly 17,000 potential units spread across 40 mostly affluent California cities. Jurisdictions have refused to process nearly half of these applications, arguing that the law doesn’t actually apply, that it’s been misinterpreted or that the law itself is unconstitutional. Eight of the projects are the subject of current lawsuits. Few, if any, builder’s remedy projects have actually resulted in new housing — yet.

Defenders of the current law say that isn’t surprising: Large residential developments take years to complete and the current legal ambiguities in the newly unearthed law are being ironed out by the courts in developers’ favor.

“The builders remedy is already a very successful program at motivating cities to get in compliance with the housing element law and in generating applications for housing that would otherwise not be possible in the highest income, highest opportunity places in California,” said Sonja Trauss, YIMBY Law’s founder. The group has not taken a position on Wicks’ bill.

Though all builder’s remedy projects remain on paper, the law has taken on an outsized significance in the politics of California housing over the last 15 months.

For “Yes In My Backyard” activists who blame development-averse local governments for the state’s housing shortage, the builder’s remedy has been celebrated as the policy equivalent of the “F—- Around and Find Out” meme.

For opponents, the builder’s remedy is the most extreme logical conclusion of the state’s recent push to build more housing.

Jen Wolosin is a Menlo Park city council member whose district includes the former headquarters of Sunset Magazine, now the site of a proposed builder’s remedy project with three residential towers and 805 housing units. The tallest would reach 421 feet. Nothing is moving forward just yet. The builder’s remedy application simply holds the project’s place in the permitting queue. Even so, Wolosin, who was endorsed in her 2020 election by Peninsula for Everyone, a local YIMBY group, called the proposal “jaw dropping” and “outrageous” in its scale relative to the surrounding low-lying neighborhood.

“I don’t like seeing cities flaunt state law and exacerbate the housing crisis,” she said. “That offends me.”

A building and back parking lot of the The Village at Orange shopping mall in Orange, east of Canal Street in Orange, on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. It is a proposed location for future housing in Orange. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

More on housing: Most cities still falling behind affordable housing mandate, state numbers show

But, she added, in lacking all “guardrails,” the builder’s remedy “can turn off people who would otherwise want to help solve the housing crisis.”

A sizable chunk of California municipalities are still legally vulnerable to the “remedy.” At last count, nearly 40% of cities and counties have failed to have their “housing elements” certified by the state.

Legal gray areas hold back widespread adoption

Wicks’ bill would add some of those guardrails.

The bill would cap projects at twice the current zoned density. That doesn’t include whatever add-ons are allowed under the state’s density bonus law, which gives developers added height and density in exchange for building affordable units. The bill would also allow cities to impose “objective” standards of development, including architectural style requirements, if they already apply to other dense multifamily areas and aren’t prohibitively expensive to abide by.

Also on housing: Southern California housing plans contain ‘fake sites,’ lack analysis, critics say

Putting restrictions on the builder’s remedy may seem an ideological 180 for Wicks and Bonta, both of whom have allied themselves with YIMBY activists. Even so, the bill has received outright support or optimistic neutrality from many of the state’s pro-housing organizations. Leaders of California Community Builders and Habitat for Humanity California are attending a press conference in Sacramento today where Bonta and Wicks will unveil the latest version of the bill.

“Part of why the YIMBY movement emerged was to have a clear process in place to have homes actually being built and if you’re going to have to end up in court all the time, that’s not really ideal,” said Matthew Lewis, a spokesperson for the state advocacy group, California YIMBY.

The group does not yet support the bill, but Lewis said it agrees with Wicks’ general intent. “The builder’s remedy is fantastic, we love it, it’s one of the most popular things among YIMBYs. But with the big asterisk — not if a city decides to sue you all the time.”

Supporters of the legislation say it will resolve two problems that are currently slowing the law down.

The first is legal. As written, the builder’s remedy includes seemingly self-contradictory provisions that seem to simultaneously allow developers an unlimited amount of density while also empowering local governments to apply their own standards. Both of those things can’t be true at the same time.

“This is just a crazy-making provision of the law,” said Chris Elmendorf, a UC Davis law professor who has done more than anyone to revitalize and popularize the long-forgotten statute.

Setting explicit numeric limits on what is allowed could make it more difficult for opponents to argue that a builder’s remedy project isn’t consistent with the law.

Converting the builder’s remed from a supersized bargaining chip in an open-ended negotiation into a policy that “anyone with a calculator can figure out” would likely encourage more traditional developers to make use of it, said Dave Rand, a land-use attorney who represents many builder’s remedy projects.

In a perk for developers, the bill would also reduce the number of affordable units that builder’s remedy projects are required to provide. Currently developers have to set aside at least 20% of the units for lower income renters or buyers. The bill would cut that number to 10% while exempting projects of 10 units or fewer from any affordability requirement.

A credible housing threat

Keeping developers from proposing supersized “completely preposterous” developments could also help limit the political backlash to the law, said Louis Mirante, a lobbyist with the Bay Area Council, which regularly backs legislation to speed up housing construction. “Legislators are worried about maintaining the credibility of housing laws to their housing skeptical colleagues.”

The proposal is likely to face plenty of skepticism regardless. The bill is scheduled to go before the Assembly’s Housing and Community Development committee on April 17.

As negotiations continue over future amendments continue, pro-development lawmakers and lobbyists will need to come to a shared conceptual understanding of what the builder’s remedy is actually for, Elmendorf said.

For cities that failed to get their housing plans enacted on time, the builder’s remedy has been s

Washing of feet ushers in Maundy Thursday as Christians look toward Easter

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:34:36 +0000

As Christians around the South Bay and Long Beach make last-minute plans about which Easter service to attend on Sunday, their most devout counterparts participated in a time-honored ceremony of self-less love.

On Thursday, at the tiny parish of Christ Church in Redondo Beach, a couple dozen Episcopalians took turns washing each other’s feet.

The ritual, part of Maundy Thursday, in the run-up to Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, imitates the act Jesus performed for his 12 disciples during the Last Supper. It was an act of humble service on the day Christians celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion, which Jesus initiated on this night.

Traditionally, a priest or deacon performs the foot washing for a number of community members. But, at Christ Church, participants took turns washing one another’s feet in round-robin fashion.

The Episcopalian Community of Christ Church in Redondo Beach hosted a washing of the feet ceremony on Holy Thursday. Christians mimic this act of servitude by Jesus who washed the feet of his 12 apostles at the Last Supper to display humility and selfless love. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The Episcopalian Community of Christ Church in Redondo Beach hosted a washing of the feet ceremony on Holy Thursday. Christians mimic this act of servitude by Jesus who washed the feet of his 12 apostles at the Last Supper to display humility and selfless love. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The Episcopalian Community of Christ Church in Redondo Beach hosted a washing of the feet ceremony on Holy Thursday. Christians mimic this act of servitude by Jesus who washed the feet of his 12 apostles at the Last Supper to display humility and selfless love. (Contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)

Expand

The act of serving one another, of cleansing the dust off a weary sandal-worn traveler’s feet, signifies the mandate Jesus gave on the day before he was put to death. According to the Gospel of John, Chapter 13 that commandment was: “That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

The significance of the moment would not be lost on the most dedicated Christ Church parishioners who usually attend Holy Week liturgies, said Rev. Julie Beals, in an interview before the ceremony.

“It’s a whole another spiritual experience,” Beals said. “When you’re washing someone’s feet as opposed to just being on the receiving end.”

After receiving communion, the Christ Church attendees witnessed another Maundy Thursday ritual: The stripping of the altar. Table coverings and adornments are removed from the altar to symbolize the abanondment of Jesus by his disciples and the stripping of Jesus by soldiers before his crucifixtion.

Then, the santuary is darkened, as the faithful ready for the gloomy remembrances of Good Friday.

Lost shoe returned to 'Cinderella of Redondo Beach'

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:13:23 +0000

Redondo Beach police went above and beyond the call of duty last week to reunite a little girl with her lost shoe.

The incident unfolded when a toddler's lost slip-on Vans shoe was found following a Redondo Police Department open house.

“If you lost this shoe at our open house, please let us know," the video begins. "If you know somebody that lost this shoe at our open house, please let us know. We are trying to find the rightful owner,” the Police Department posted on its Instagram page Wednesday.

Redondo Beach police went above and beyond the call of duty to reunite a little girl with her lost shoe. (Instagram/Redondo Beach Police Department)

The story's final chapter was revealed when Officer Lofstrom returned the shoe in an update posted the next day.

The dramatic moment when the officer slipped the perfectly fitting shoe to the little girl dubbed "Cinderella of Redondo Beach" was set to the classic Peaches & Herb song "Reunited."

The story of perseverance and triumph ended with a high five between Officer Lofstrom and the girl, who then goes for a ride on an official Police Department golf cart.

“How cute is that,” KTLA's Chris Schauble said. “By the way, bravo Redondo Beach PD for the production value of that social media post."

Manhattan Beach School Employee, Kevin Bandel, Arrested On Child Pornography Allegation

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:43:16 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – A part-time employee of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District was arrested Wednesday for allegedly possessing child pornography, Redondo Beach police reported.

Kevin Bandel, 30, of Manhattan Beach was taken into custody Wednesday morning and booked on suspicion of possession of child pornography, according to Lt. Fabian Saucedo of the Redondo Beach Police Department.

Bail was set at $20,000, and Bandel was released early Wednesday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“As part of the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Redondo Beach Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding possible online possession of child sexual abuse material,” Saucedo said in a statement.

“Based on the tip, detectives initiated an investigation that led to a search warrant being served on the 1300 block of Curtis Avenue in the city of Manhattan Beach,” Saucedo said. “Multiple items of evidence were collected and Bandel was arrested and subsequently booked at the Redondo Beach City Jail.”

Bandel is employed by the district as a part-time elementary school instructional assistant for instrumental music, Saucedo said.

Detectives urged other possible victims, or anyone with information on the case, to call 310-379-2477, ext. 2480.

Exclusive: Customer Rams Car Into Manager After Trying To Dine-And-Dash

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 00:30:17 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A security camera captured the madness outside the Ragin Cajun in Redondo Beach as deliberately rams into the restaurant’s manager.

“I was angry,” said Lisa Briton Hodges, who owns the Ragin Cajun with her husband Steve. “I was angry. I mean who could do this to anybody? It was very intentional. All of our crew is like family.”

The couple said that the two people in the Chrysler that ended up launching the manager more than 10 yards away, attempted to skip out on their $90 bill.

According to the Hodges, they have seen an increase in dine-and-dashes especially with the emergence of outdoor seating.

“They were ordering some higher-priced items such as our crab, our steak and lobster,” said Lisa.

The owners claim that the two suspects asked for to-go boxes before they ran into their getaway vehicle, a maroon or burgundy Chrysler. The vehicle is believed to be from the late 1980s or early 1990s. In an attempt to stop the two suspects, jumped over hay bales and confronted them as they began to drive away in their car. The suspects then carried the manager close to the road before he was thrown to the sidewalk. The suspects then fled down the Pacific Coast Highway.

“We don’t tell our employees to go chasing people down,” said Steve. “And get in front of a moving car.”

The manager suffered minor injuries, some cuts and bruises, after being tossed out onto the sidewalk.

One suspect is described as a woman standing about 5 feet 3 inches tall with brown hair and weighing about 140 pounds. The other suspect was a man about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with braids and weighing about 170.

The Hodges hope that with the public’s help they can prevent this from

(credit: CBS)

happening to other businesses.

“It’s not about us — necessarily,” said Lisa. “It’s about protecting one another. And helping each other, building each other up to be successful and protect one another.”

2 Arrested In Redondo Beach Thefts; Video Released Of Bear Spray Attack On Security Guard At Topanga Mall

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 21:52:37 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — Police agencies in Southern California working overtime to crackdown on the rash of retail thefts that have recently plagued Southern California’s shopping malls.

Redondo Beach police say they’ve made two arrests in connection with recent thefts at the Galleria mall. Malik Trevon Oaks, 23, and 26-year-old Khristian Jamol Clayton Phillips were arrested Saturday while allegedly leaving a store on Hawthorne Boulevard with approximately $2,400 in stolen merchandise.

Investigators say they’ve connected the two men with a group that has targeted a specific retailer on several occasions and have stolen in excess of $15,000 in merchandise since Nov. 5. The same group is believed to have committed similar thefts in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Oaks and Phillips both are being held at the Redondo Beach jail on $250,000 bail.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles police detectives investigating two separate incidents of “flash mob thefts” released store security video Monday of a thief spraying bear spray at a security guard at the Nordstrom store in the Westfield Topanga mall in Woodland Hills. The same group is believed to have ransacked several stores on Beverly Boulevard at the Beverly Center.

Anyone with information about the LAPD investigations can call 1-877-LAPD-247 (877-527-3247).

Driver Killed After Fiery Tesla Crash In Redondo Beach Amid Heavy Fog

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:02:44 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – A woman was killed and a second woman injured after a Tesla crashed amid heavy fog in Redondo Beach early Wednesday morning.

Dec. 1, 2021. (CBSLA)

The car, carrying two women, collided into a power pole at about 2 a.m. in the 200 block of Palos Verdes Boulevard.

Officers responded to find the car ablaze, according to Redondo Beach police Lt. Sean Freeman.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger suffered minor injuries. No names were released.

It was foggy at the time of the crash, but its unclear if that was a contributing factor, Freeman said.

Racist Signs in Redondo Beach Removed By Police

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 23:07:10 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – The Redondo Beach Police Department has reported that they were made aware of a series of “racist and insensitive signage” in a residential area around 6:00AM on Saturday morning.

The signs were removed, but an investigation is underway.

They were attached to utility poles throughout a residential area in the northern part of the city, but police would not disclose the exact location for fear that some would interview with the ongoing investigation.

Sergeant Mark Valdivia of the Redondo Beach Police Department stated that the signs “were directed towards a
particular race,” but once again did not provide specifics for investigative purposes.

He continued on, stating: “these signs are intolerable and do not reflect the core values of the city of Redondo Beach. … We encourage anyone to report similar signage to the city so we can take immediate steps to remove it. The city of Redondo Beach is an inclusive community. This type of speech is hurtful and divisive and is not to be tolerated in our city.”

Police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact them at (310) 379-2477.

Street Closures From Electrical Pole Fire In Redondo Beach Lifted

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 14:29:26 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – Police Saturday announced that all roads closed as a result of an electrical pole fire in Redondo Beach have been reopened.

UPDATE from RBPD
Electrical Pole Incident from yesterday
[Area of Pacific Coast Hwy at Prospect Av].
All closures have been lifted. All roads are now open. https://t.co/nYyCdfw1ne

— RedondoBeachPD (@RedondoBeachPD) October 23, 2021

Redondo Beach Fire Department firefighters responded at about 8:45 a.m. Friday to the fire in the area of South Prospect Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, near El Retiro Park, the Redondo Beach Police Department reported.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, though its cause was not known.

About 415 customers in the area lost power due to the fire, according to Southern California Edison.

Streets were closed in the area as crews worked to restore services and shelter-in-place orders were put in effect for residents and businesses on Pacific Coast Highway between Palos Verdes Boulevard and Robert Road, and on Prospect Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and Avenue G, according to the fire department.

The order was issued due to fears that the burned pole could topple and bring other poles and electrical lines with it.

The shelter-in-place orders were lifted at 6:45 p.m., according to the Redondo Beach Police Department. Prospect Avenue and the eastbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway were also reopened, though police advised drivers to expect intermittent closures of the southbound Pacific Coast Highway as Southern California Edison crews continued to work.

Repairs were expected to be completed on Saturday.

Redondo Beach Residents Without Power After Fire

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 23:47:17 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — About 415 Redondo Beach residents are without power after an electrical pole fire early Friday.

Crews from the Redondo Beach Fire Department quickly put out the fire near South Prospect Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The city set shelter-in-place orders for residents and businesses near the Pacific Coast Highway because of fears that the burned pole could topple other poles and electrical lines. The roads in the area are closed as Southern California Edison crews work to restore services. Authorities estimate the roads will be reopened by 6 p.m.

Search Continues For Missing Swimmer Off Redondo Beach

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:58:16 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – The search is expected to resume Tuesday morning for a swimmer who went missing in the ocean waters near the Redondo Beach Pier.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the swimmer was in a raft Tuesday night. The person was reported missing sometime before 9:50 p.m. The person was no identified.

The Southland dealt with windy, blustery conditions Monday that brought large waves and dangerous rip currents to L.A. and Orange counties, with up to eight-foot waves. The National Weather Service has a high surf advisory in place through 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The Coast Guard and L.A. County Lifeguards were expected to take part in the search.

Two Wounded in Shooting At Redondo Beach Pier; Suspected Gunman Killed By Police

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 23:20:22 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — An armed man who opened fire on the Redondo Beach Pier Wednesday night, wounding two people, was himself shot and killed by police, authorities said.

Aug. 25, 2021. (CBSLA)

The incident began at 8:20 p.m. when Redondo Beach police responded to reports of an active shooter at the pier, in the 100 block of West Torrance Boulevard.

Witnesses said a man in his 40’s started asking people on the pier if they had a problem with him, and then took out a gun and opened fire.

A man in his 70’s and a teenage boy were shot in the lower torso, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reports. They were rushed to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Both were stable Thursday morning.

Investigators said the shooter then ran to the parking lot firing at another man, but he wasn’t hit. Officers said that’s when the suspect encountered four Redondo Beach police officers and an officer-involved shooting occurred.

The sheriff’s department reported Thursday that the shooting appeared to be random in nature, not targeted.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as people ducked down and hid in restaurants and shops or sprinted for safety.

“It was a stampede of people on the pier and we were all running in the same direction to get off the pier,” witness Patricia Shafik told CBSLA. “When the police showed up, immediately as they pulled into the pier, they started firing off and yelling commands.”

Robert Naito was fishing on the pier at the time of the shooting.

“We hear some kind of noise and think it’s fireworks at first trying to give it the benefit of the doubt but then we notice people are panicking,” said Naito. “We hear gunshots on one side, gunshots on the other side, so he’s running around shooting all over the place.”

Aug. 25, 2021. (CBSLA)

Officers located the suspect nearby with a knife and gun. At some point, officers opened fire on the suspect, who tried to run. Witness cell phone video captured the sound of at least two gunshots. The suspect was later found on some rocks on the pier, where he was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s department said. He was not immediately identified.

Elizabeth Espinosa posted a video to social media of patrons and staff taking shelter in a nearby restaurant.

“We’re all in the top part of the kitchen here in the restaurant. Here are all the dinner guests, people on the ground, super frightening, this is horrible.”

“I didn’t see the actual shootings take place, but I saw the aftermath, which was the shooter slumped over the rocks right over there, pretty tough sight to see, especially in a place so close to home,” Ian Axberg, who was dining in the same restaurant, told CBSLA Thursday.

A handgun and knife were recovered from the scene, according to the sheriff’s department. It’s unclear if the suspect opened fire on police.

There was no word on a motive. It’s unclear if the initial shooting was random or targeted in nature. The sheriff’s department is leading the investigation. The Redondo Beach Pier was expected to remain closed for most of the day Thursday.

Woman Walking Dog Sexually Assaulted In Redondo Beach, Good Samaritan Detains Suspect

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 16:12:56 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – A 21-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman while she was walking her dog in Redondo Beach Monday night.

Edwin Donissuchite. Aug. 2, 2021. (Redondo Beach PD)

Edwin Alberto Donissuchite has been charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office with one count each of sexual penetration by use of force and assault with intent to commit a felony.

According to Redondo Beach police, just after 7:45 p.m. Monday a woman was walking her dog in the 500 block of Diamond Street, near the Pacific Coast Highway, when she was physically and sexually assaulted by a suspect, later identified as Donissuchite.

A good Samaritan who witnessed the assault ran to the woman’s aid and detained the suspect until officers arrived on scene, police said.

The woman was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Donissuchite is being held in the Redondo Beach Jail on $750,000 bail.

SoCal Fitness Guru On A Quest To Change A Million Lives

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 17:00:36 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – With Los Angeles County and other surrounding communities reinstating the masks mandate for indoor businesses, Californians are once again being asked to play by the rules in an effort to keep everyone safe.

Tymiere Griffin leads a beach workout in Redondo Beach, Calif., on July 23, 2021. (CBSLA)

But there are gym enthusiasts, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, who have yet to return to the gym for fear of catching COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant.

That’s where Southern California fitness guru and trainer Tymiere Griffin comes in. He is using his personal story of struggle to get you up and moving safely at the beach.

With the temperament of a drill sergeant and, the physique of a Hollywood action figure, Griffin is all business. On any given Saturday, you’ll find the 25-year-old training groups on beaches up and down the Southland.

With the rapidly spreading Delta variant, and millions of Americans not yet vaccinated, Griffin says beach workouts may be the safest alternative for those opting to stay away from traditional gyms.

“It’s a priority, but there are so many ways that we can make it fun, we can make it scenic,” Griffin tells CBS2 News This Morning’s DeMarco Morgan.

“The sand adds another element to the workout,” he adds.

Griffin sees training as part of his calling.

“It’s through fitness, but it’s deeper than fitness, fitness is my avenue,” Griffin said.

He’s finding purpose along the way with a mission to change one million lives.

“It’s a phrase on how I can portray my true calling to the world,” Griffin said.

“My calling is to positively impact and encourage a large amount of people.”

He seeks to do this by motivating them to reach their highest potential, be it on the sand or in their everyday endeavors.

“And the number ‘one million’ is just my way of remembering it’s bigger than myself,” Griffin said.

Griffin believes his challenging past while growing up in Delaware City, Del., is what now has him on the road to fulfilling his purpose of changing one life at a time.

“I felt pain,” Griffin said. “I felt a lot of pain.”

With his father absent his entire life, his mother, Tia Griffin and grandmother Cheryl worked several jobs to make ends meet to keep Griffin on a straight path.

“It was tough,” Griffin said. “I remember waiting outside of churches and stuff like that for food.”

“I was raised with love, with compassion. Going back into that pain, I remember there’s times my mom would tell me, she used to wrap me up in blankets…we come from a car that didn’t have heat,” Griffin said.

“I used to always get aggravated with my mom, and I would cry to my mom, going all the way to college, because I felt greatness in myself, but I just never knew what it was.”

Little did he know that frustration would later lead him to Southern California.

“Money is money, that comes and goes, I need to be here for my family,” Griffin said.

WEB EXTRA: Watch below for Griffin’s top five exercises that almost anyone can accomplish on the beach.

Authorities Discover IEDs, Arrest Robert Colt Wilson In Connection To Redondo Beach Arson

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 02:55:25 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – Redondo Beach Police said Robert Colt Wilson is in custody after an arson investigation that began around midnight Saturday led police to several other locations where they discovered improvised explosive devices.

“Improvised explosives were located and rendered safe at one of te scenes. Currently, there are no outstanding suspects and there is no further danger to the public,” a Redondo Beach Police statement said.

Officers were dispatched at about 12:35 a.m. to a home in the 200 block of Torrance Boulevard regarding an arson investigation, and safely evacuated the occupants from inside the location, said Sgt. Mark Valdivia of the Redondo Beach Police Department.

July 17, 2021. (CBSLA)

The Redondo Beach Fire Department responded to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire.

“…large explosions, but it sounded like fireworks to me,” Sheri Carrier, a Redondo resident, said. “I thought it was fireworks, but then there were so many police cars flying down the street.”

Due to what authorities referred to as “circumstances surrounding the ignition source,” police called in a sheriff’s Bomb Squad Unit while several streets were cordoned off “to ensure that there is no further danger to the public.”

Investigators pinpointed two other locations, a Public Storage facility where officials appeared to be removing items, and then to an apartment complex in Rolling Hills Estates where LA County Sheriff’s officials, including some in armored vehicles, were on the scene.

“So, I’m looking around and there’s a policemen here, policemen there, tactical gear, about 15 police officers, and then at least…counted at least 12 police cars,” Rolling Hills Estates resident Kathi Cupery said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said they were also assisted the in the investigation.

Adrian Gudino Wanted In Redondo Beach Murder Of 68-Year-Old Relative, Gloria Pressett

Wed, 12 May 2021 18:04:13 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A 24-year-old man police say stabbed a 68-year-old relative to death remains at large Wednesday.

(credit: Redondo Beach Police Department)

Officers were called to a home early Tuesday morning in the 2000 block of Carnegie Lane on the report of a family disturbance or fight and found Gloria Pressett with stab wounds, according to Redondo Beach police. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Investigators identified Adrian Gudino as the suspect in Pressett’s murder. Gudino is related to Pressett, but police did not specify how, and he left the home on foot before officers arrived.

Gudino is described as a male Hispanic, about 5-foot-7, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police released an image of Gudino taken in late January, and is believed to have the same hair style in the photo, but with slightly shorter hair on top.

He is believed to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information about Gudino or his whereabouts can call the Redondo Beach Police Department or 911.

Former Priest Pleads Not Guilty In Sexual Assault Of Young Boys

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 23:06:28 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A former Catholic priest accused of lewd acts on four boys pleaded not guilty on Friday.

The alleged crimes happened in the mid-1990s and 2001 in Redondo and Palmdale.

The former priest, 58-year-old Christopher John Cunningham, was charged on April 2 with 12 felony counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

He was an associate pastor at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Palmdale and worked at Saint Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach at the time of the alleged crimes.

“The victims were innocent children who have spent most of their lives with the trauma caused by the abuse alleged in this case,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement about the charges.

“My office is committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses and takes advantage of our children, especially when they hold a position of trust.”

Cunningham is being held on $2.2 million bail and he’s due back in court on May 12.

Ex-Catholic Priest Charged With Sexually Assaulting 4 Boys In Palmdale, Redondo Beach

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:07:46 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A former Catholic priest has been charged with sexually assaulting four boys in Palmdale and Redondo Beach several decades ago.

Fifty-eight-year-old Christopher John Cunningham was charged Wednesday with 12 counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14.

“It authenticates in a very real way that what happened to them matters,” said Anthony DeMarco, an attorney representing some of the alleged victims. He is also working on a civil case against Cunningham.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Cunningham committed the assaults while working as an associate pastor at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Palmdale and Saint Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach.

The crimes occurred between 1995 and 2001.

“As a survivor or a victim of clergy sex abuse in order to heal we have to have affirmation and some kind of justice which hasn’t happened for decades,” said Cynthia Falter, a victim’s rights advocate.

While at Saint Mary’s, he assaulted an 11-year-old boy twice between November 1995 and September 1997, the DA’s office alleges. He also sexually assaulted another boy at the victim’s home on multiple occasions between June 1996 and June 1998.

Then, when working at Saint Lawrence, he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy twice between July 1998 and January of 2001, prosecutors claim. He’s also accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy several times during the same period.

“The victims were innocent children who have spent most of their lives with the trauma caused by the abuse alleged in this case,” L.A. County DA George Gascon said in a statement. “My office is committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses and takes advantage of our children, especially when they hold a position of trust.”

Cunningham’s full employment history with the church was not confirmed. It’s unclear if he worked in any other parishes.

The case is being investigated by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

Thrashing Winds Down Large Trees in Rancho Palos Verdes, Collapse Gas Station Roof In Redondo Beach

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 16:07:42 +0000

Winds brought down a gas pump canopy at a Shell gas station in Redondo Beach, Calif. March 16, 2021. (CBSLA)

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – Powerful winds which shook the Southland during Monday’s storm also caused some damage across the L.A. metro area.

Sometime before 9:30 p.m., the whipping winds downed two 75-foot trees at Oakley and Chelsea roads in Rancho Palos Verdes. No one was injured, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

In Redondo Beach, the winds also tore off the canopy covering the gas pumps at a Shell gas station at North Prospect Avenue and Beryl Street at around 7:30 p.m. No one was hurt in that incident either.

Redondo Beach Fire Department crews were on scene working to secure the structure.

2 Arrested In Redondo Beach Robbery Of French Bulldog Puppy

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 23:22:19 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A man and a woman were arrested Friday in the robbery of a French bulldog puppy in Redondo Beach.

(credit: Redondo Beach Police Department)

Andres Renderos, 23, and Rachael Sandoval, 20, were arrested on suspicion of robbery after police say they were found with an 8-week-old male French bulldog puppy who was taken from his owner Friday morning.

The robbery happened at about 9:50 a.m. in the 1700 block of South Pacific Coast Highway. The robbers were reported to be a man and a woman driving a black four-door Mercedes-Benz sedan, last seen driving north on Pacific Coast Highway.

Officers focusing on Pacific Coast Highway found the Mercedes and detained the man and woman inside. Renderos and Sandoval were subsequently identified as the robbers by the victim and a witness, according to Redondo Beach police.

(credit: Redondo Beach Police Department)

Cash was found unharmed inside the Mercedes, and reunited with his owner, who sustained minor injuries in the robbery.

Pet ownership, particularly of dogs, skyrocketed during the pandemic, and French bulldogs seem to be in extra high demand. Two such dogs owned by superstar Lady Gaga were taken at gunpoint from her dogwalker, Ryan Fischer, who was shot in a Feb. 26 robbery. The dogs have since been returned and Fischer is recovering from his injuries.

Redondo Beach Shooting Leaves 1 Man Dead

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 06:45:10 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – Police are looking for information on a shooting that left one person dead.

It happened Saturday at about 8 p.m. in the 600 block on North Juanita Avenue in Redondo Beach.

The Redondo Beach Police Department responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls of gunshots heard in the area. Officers went to a home reported in one of the calls and discovered a man who appeared to have died from a gunshot wound.

The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Officers said when they arrived on the scene they spotted a car leaving the with the suspect or suspects. The suspect(s) fled from officers in the car and abandoned it nearby, taking off on foot.

A perimeter was set up to find the person or people. Police were actively searching the area Saturday night.

By 11 p.m., officers said they had two suspects in custody with one outstanding, believed to be armed and dangerous.

The motive of the shooting is unknown.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department – Homicide Division will be assisting the Redondo Beach Police Department with the investigation of this crime.

3 South Bay-Area School Districts Reopen Campuses This Week For Their Youngest Students

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 23:12:42 +0000

TORRANCE (CBSLA) — Three school districts in the South Bay reopened this week to students, after being closed during a particularly steep rise in COVID-19 cases in the region.

Some of the youngest students in Torrance, Redondo Beach, and El Segundo Unified school districts returned to campus for in-person learning. The three districts also resumed in-person learning for students with special needs and student athletic conditioning.

El Segundo Unified says in order for students in grades 4-6 to be able to return back to campuses in a similar hybrid schedule, Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 case rates would need to be much lower to the point of just 25 per 100,000.

For middle and high school students to be allowed to return to campuses, the county must enter the state’s red tier of reopening, when case rates are 7 per 100,000.

Officials in Redondo Beach say they are holding vaccine Q&A sessions for their staff, in anticipation of reaching Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination schedule, when educators will be able to receive the vaccine. The district says several staff members have already been vaccinated due to their unique job titles, but did not give details on who was eligible.

Torrance Unified says it’s also working with the city to facilitate vaccine distribution to its employees, which is expected to happen sometime this month.

The county’s largest school district, neighboring Los Angeles Unified, remains closed for in-person learning and has not yet set a date for when students might return.

1 Killed In 110 Freeway Crash Near Redondo Beach Boulevard

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 06:24:29 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — One person was killed in a crash Wednesday evening on the northbound 110 Freeway in Harbor Gateway.

Authorities were called about 6 p.m. to the crash near the Redondo Beach Boulevard off-ramp, said California Highway Patrol Officer Elizabeth Kravig.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene, she said. The identity of the victim has not been released.

No details were immediately available on what led to the crash.

Three lanes were shut down on the northbound Harbor Freeway, along with the Redondo Beach Boulevard off-ramp, as authorities investigated, Kravig said.

Suspect Identified in Redondo Beach Carjacking, Stabbing

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 02:10:22 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – A man accused of stabbing and carjacking a victim outside a Redondo Beach shopping plaza last week was identified by officers Tuesday.

Police said Silas John Marczak, 30, of Minnesota, approached a man in the parking lot near a Smart & Final store, in the 600 block of North Pacific Coast Highway, on December 29 and stabbed him in the upper body before taking off in the victim’s Jeep Cherokee.

Marczak was spotted by authorities in Rancho Palos Verdes. After leading police on a chase he crashed into another car, then two telephone poles and a cinder block wall near Western Avenue and Avenida Aprenda, said Lt. Shawn Freeman of the Redondo Beach Police Department.

Marczak was taken to a hospital. On Saturday, he was taken to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Medical Inmate facility.

He is set to be arraigned Wednesday in a Torrance courtroom on one felony count each of assault with a deadly weapon, carjacking and second-degree burglary, and a misdemeanor count of giving false information to a police officer, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The man stabbed, whose name is not being released, was hospitalized for days “and is recovering at home,” Freeman said.

The person in the car struck during the pursuit was not hurt, Freeman added.

Man Critically Wounded In Redondo Beach Stabbing During Carjacking

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 01:45:48 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A man suffered serious upper body stab wounds during a carjacking, and a suspect was arrested after a brief chase, police reported.

The carjacking occurred about 9 a.m. in the 600 block of North Pacific Coast Highway, in the parking lot near a Smart & Final store, said Redondo Beach police Lt. Shawn Freeman and Lt. Wayne Windman.

The victim was treated by paramedics at the scene before being transported to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and was admitted into the intensive care unit, Freeman said.

The man who took off in the victim’s Jeep Cherokee was spotted by authorities in Rancho Palos Verdes, police said.

“Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies engaged in a brief pursuit of the suspect, who collided with another vehicle and then crashed into telephone poles and a block wall in the area of Western Avenue and Avenida Aprenda,” Freeman said.

The man was arrested without further incident and taken to a hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries suffered in the crash, Freeman said. His was not immediately released.

The occupant of the car struck during the pursuit was not hurt, Freeman added.

‘I Hit My Wall’: Redondo Beach Restaurant Continues Serving Diners Despite Restrictions

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 02:38:18 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — Eat at Joe’s in Redondo Beach continued to offer outdoor dining for its customers Monday, despite a Los Angeles County health order prohibiting the practice as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge.

Alex Jordan put up a banner at his restaurant mocking Gov. Gavin Newsom for his recent attendance at a birthday party at an upscale Northern California restaurant. (CBSLA)

Owner Alex Jordan said he was continuing in-person dining in an effort to protect his 11 employees and their families during the holiday season.

“Cutting them off four weeks before Christmas sat wrong with me,” he said.

On Monday, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county public health director, said the temporary stoppage of in-person dining was not meant to punish hardworking businesses who have been in compliance with safety guidelines.

“Because people who are there are not able to wear their face coverings,” she said. “And the principle here is, if you don’t have that face covering on, there’s much greater risk of transmission.”

Natalie Burns and Sarah Davis were visiting from Las Vegas.

“It’s rough right now with local businesses,” Burns said. “I give them props for staying open and, you know, trying to save this business.”

“Walmart’s open, malls are open,” Davis said. “Airports are fully booking airplanes again.”

Ferrer said businesses that remain open do so at a reduced capacity and customers are required to wear face coverings the entire time — unlike at restaurants. She said this was the most difficult moment of the pandemic and said restaurants would get one warning for noncompliance.

“On the second round, there will be citations and/or people can have their food permit revoked,” she said. “We hope we never get there.”

But back in Redondo Beach, Jordan put up a banner at his restaurant mocking Gov. Gavin Newsom for his recent attendance at a birthday party at an upscale Northern California restaurant, even as restaurants like Eat at Joe’s have faced multiple rounds of restrictions.

“I’m not a person that easily wants to fight the system or anything,” Jordan said. “I just, I hit my wall.”

The county’s prohibition of in-person dining is expected to last a minimum of three weeks with fines between $500 and $1,000. During that time, restaurants are still allowed to offer takeout and delivery.

Redondo Beach Man Receives Official Ballots For Deceased Parents

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 02:30:48 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — Millions of California residents are receiving mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election, including Redondo Beach resident Tom Thompson and his parents.

The only problem is that Thompson’s parents have been dead for more than a decade.

“I am the son, and I’m getting these officials ballots for people who passed away many years ago,” Thompson said. “Why is this happening?”

So Thompson took to social media in hopes of spurring an investigation.

I am the son of John and Gertrude Thompson. Both passed away over ten years ago and got ballots for the upcoming election. I gave Richard Grenell permission to post these pictures and ask for an investigation as to why they were mailed ballots for the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/HcsIzvPk7k

— Tom Thompson (@tthompson90277) October 8, 2020

To his surprise, thousands of other people commented on the tweet saying they also received official ballots for deceased family members.

“I think it’s wrong,” Thompson said. “I think, number one, it’s a waste of money, it’s postage and everything else that the registrar had to use, and it’s just gotta stop.”

He said he was worried about voter fraud and that people might misuse the ballots.

“We just felt that there’s gotta be a system in place that would catch that and so it wouldn’t go out,” Thompson said. “If we’re getting it, many other people are getting it, and what do you do with it? Do you trust that no one’s going to use it unfairly or fraudulently?”

It’s the potential for fraud that Thompson said makes him concerned about the results of the election.

“It makes me unsure of the process of the election, and even considering the responses I got back on Twitter, tens of thousands of people are having the same problem: people that are deceased and still getting a ballot,” he said.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk did not immediately return a request for comment.

LA DA: Redondo Beach Sergeant Acted Lawfully In Fatal Shooting Of Man With Air Pistol

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 23:28:22 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has found that a Redondo Beach police sergeant was justified in fatally shooting a man with an air pistol in 2018.

Prosecutors determined that police Sgt. John Anderson “reasonably concluded the immediate use of deadly force was necessary” when he fired at 24-year-old Sergio Acosta on July 18, 2018, in the 2500 block of Gates Avenue.

According to the report, Anderson arrived moments after being dispatched for a call about a man firing a gun in broad daylight along a greenbelt frequented by children and families. Upon arrival, Anderson confronted Acosta — who matched the description given by the caller — and saw him holding what appeared to be a firearm.

“Although the weapon was later determined to be an air pistol, Anderson reasonably believed that the weapon was a firearm and reasonably believed he was in danger of suffering great bodily injury or death,” the report states. “When Acosta reached across his body, Anderson reasonably concluded the immediate use of deadly force was necessary to defend himself against the threat to his life. Therefore, Anderson acted in lawful self-defense when he fired his duty weapon at Acosta.”

Acosta suffered four gunshot wounds and died soon after being taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. A forensic analysis of the man’s blood showed it contained amphetamine, methamphetamine and marijuana, according to the report.

The District Attorney’s Office also found that a Long Beach police officer used reasonable force to try to detain 23-year-old Cesar Antonio Rodriguez during a struggle at the Wardlow Blue Line Station on Aug. 29, 2017.

According to the report, Officer Martin Ron was attempting to detain Rodriguez – who was being taken into custody on suspicion of fare evasion and providing false identification – when an altercation took place and Rodriguez fell onto the tracks, where he was struck and killed by a train.

“As Ron tried to regain control of Rodriguez, Rodriguez continued moving towards the edge of the platform, causing the two men to fall down,” the report states. “Several witnesses observed Ron attempting to pull Rodriguez back from the edge of the platform before Rodriguez was struck by the train.”

Rodriguez’s mother filed a civil lawsuit involving her son’s death, but the status of the case was not immediately available.

Redondo Beach Man Arrested In Hate Crime Investigation Of Vandalized Black Lives Matter Sign

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 02:13:08 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — Police say they’ve arrested a Redondo Beach man for defacing a homemade Black Lives Matter sign with racist language, an incident that’s being investigated as a hate crime.

(credit: Redondo Beach Police)

Randall Michael Walton, 48, was arrested Friday at his home in Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Mark Valdivia said.

The incident happened on Aug. 29, when a self-made Black Lives Matter sign in the 500 block of South Helberta Avenue was found to have been defaced with language that police say was derogatory and racist language.

The sign had been scrawled several times with the N-word, swastikas, sexual images and the term “white power.”

“It’s a hate crime given the circumstance surrounding it. It involves slurs and derogatory terms of a specific race in this case,” said Redondo Beach Police Department Sgt. Mark Valdivia.

The owner of the property, Jeff Hazeltine, gave surveillance video to officers, who investigated the incident as a hate crime because of the language that had been scrawled on the sign.

Hazeltine said since early July, he and his daughter have hung up three similar signs, which have been torn down, vandalized with racial slurs, political messages, and in one instance, smeared with dog feces.

Despite the attacks, most of the people in his community and have been supportive about the signs and offered help to post new ones.

“We, the neighbors that I know, support it,” Clayduboff said. “What we don’t support are people coming and really desecrating and putting vile comments, hate crime comments, visuals.”

Hazeltine’s fourth Black Lives Matter sign is up and other visuals have also appeared throughout the community in support of the BLM movement.

Redondo Beach Police say they want residents to exercise their First Amendment rights but will not tolerate hate crimes and vandalism.

Walton has been taken to Redondo Beach Police Department for processing, and his case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for filing consideration.

Redondo Beach Man Arrested For Sexually Assaulting Woman Who Overdosed

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 01:16:40 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – A Redondo Beach man was arrested last week, accused of sexually assaulting a woman back in July who had overdosed on drugs, authorities announced Tuesday.

Michael Anthony DiGiorgio. (Redondo Beach Police Department)

Michael Anthony DiGiorgio was taken into custody Aug. 26 on two counts of sodomy and one count of rape of an unconscious victim.

In the early morning hours of July 6, Redondo Beach police were called to the 600 block of South Prospect Avenue where they found a woman who had overdosed.

In the ensuing investigation, detectives determined that the woman had been sexually assaulted by DiGiorgio, police said. They also believe he may have more victims.

He has since been released from custody on $300,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate records.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at the Redondo Beach Police Department.

Redondo Beach Man Accused Of Hate Crime After Driving Into Group Of Black People At Torrance Hotel

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:47:35 +0000

TORRANCE (CBSLA) — A 42-year-old Redondo Beach man has been accused of a hate crime after allegedly driving into a group of Black people, hitting an off-duty armed security guard, at a hotel in Torrance.

Dennis Aaron Wyman has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury, a hit-and-run causing serious injury and a special allegation of hate crimes. He is being held on $1 million bail and scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday.

Police say they identified Wyman as the suspect who had yelled racial insults at a group of Black people in the Staybridge Suites parking lot on June 29, before getting into his vehicle and driving it at them. The security guard fired several rounds from his handgun before being struck by the vehicle.

The guard, a 50-year-old man, suffered lower extremity injuries and was taken to a hospital.

Wyman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder July 8 during a traffic stop by Redondo Beach police officers. Charges were filed against him on July 10.

Anyone with information about this incident can call the Torrance Police Department at (310) 328-3456.

‘I Just Started Crying’: Redondo Beach Baby Diagnosed With Rare Genetic Disease That Will Cost Millions To Treat

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 05:53:03 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — Rhys Devine was born in the pandemic — a quarantine baby — full of love and the apple of her parents’ eyes.

“She is happy,” Ceri Devine, Rhys’ mother, said. “She is smiley.”

But a few months after she was born, her parents noticed something seemed off.

“Everyone kept telling me, ‘It’s nothing. She’s just behind on her development, and I kind of just,” Ceri said. “I felt like there was something wrong.”

Rhys was struggling to hold herself upright, so her parents took her to the doctor.

“The pediatrician had us come in right away, and she examined her and that was when she expressed her concern that it might be spinal muscular atrophy,” Ceri said. “I remember googling it on my way home from the pediatrician and the first thing that came up was, you know, most infants diagnosed with SMA do not live past two years of age, and I just started crying.”

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 is a devastating genetic disease in infants that causes their muscles to waste away, eventually making it difficult to do things like move, eat and even breathe.

“These infants would then become progressively weaker and weaker and weaker until they can’t breathe,” Dr. Perry Shieh, UCLA professor of neurology, said. “The parents who choose to keep them alive they would actually have to get a ventilator.”

The Devine’s doctors told them about two brand new, potentially lifesaving drugs, but there was a catch.

“He gave us some hope telling us that the Spinraza and the Zolgensma were options to help have Rhys potentially live into retirement age,” Rory Devine, Rhys’ father, said. “But then he also told us that the cost of one dose of Zolgensma is $2.1 million dollars.”

The family is determined to give Rhys a fighting chance. To help, friends started a GoFundMe page to help cover the enormous costs of care.

Doctors said now it’s a race against time.

“This is like a down hill, and you can’t actually climb back up the hill,” Shieh said. “So what we like want to do is emphasize that it’s important to be able to identify our patients as early as possible.”

On Wednesday, California started screening all newborn babies for SMA before they leave the hospital, a move doctors said would be a game changer in guaranteeing treatment.

As for the Devine family, they have a long road of treatments ahead and have created a website where they will be documenting their journey.

Coronavirus: Scissor Lift Makes 91st Birthday Celebration Possible At Redondo Beach Nursing Home

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:25:26 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A woman celebrating her 91st birthday from her Redondo Beach nursing home didn’t have to forego a visit from her friend thanks to some heavy machinery.

For the past 25 years, Margie Jones has marked her birthday with a visit from her friend Lucy Cavazos. But with her nursing home closed to visitors during the coronavirus outbreak, Cavazos was forced to get creative with her annual birthday visit.

(credit: CBS)

So Cavazos hired a scissor lift to bring her and her daughter up to a second-floor window, where they waved to Jones, who was inside.

“I’m not there to hug her and see her cut her cake, but it is what it is due to the circumstances,” Cavazos said.

Cavazos and her daughter could not wear party dresses since they had to wear harnesses while they were in the scissor lift. But, they did get to decorate the lift with white and pink balloons and a “Happy Birthday” banner.

Other families are now using the lift to visit their loved ones at the home.

Woman Scams Redondo Beach Girl Scout Troop With Fake $100 Bills

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 22:09:55 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – Investigators are searching for a woman who used counterfeit $100 bills to buy Girl Scout cookies from a Redondo Beach troop last weekend.

On the evening of Feb. 23, the suspect made off with $50 worth of cookies and another $150 in cash from a troop outside a Vons grocery store in the 4000 block of Inglewood Avenue, Redondo Beach police report.

Security video of a woman who used counterfeit $100 bills to buy Girl Scout cookies outside a Redondo Beach Vons store on Feb. 23, 2020. (Redondo Beach PD)

The woman was able to pull off the scam using two $100 counterfeit bills.

According to police, she first purchased eight boxes using a $100 bill and receiving $60 in change.

She then entered the Vons, bought groceries, and on her way out bought another two boxes of cookies with a second fake $100 bill, this time getting $90 in change, police said.

The woman had a small dog with her on a leash.

A surveillance image of the woman from Vons’ security cameras has been released. She is described as white, in her mid-30s, 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds. She had long dirty-blond hair and was missing several teeth.

Anyone with information on the woman’s identity should call 310-379-2477.

3 Men Claim To Beat Cannonball Run Record, Driving From New York To LA In 27 Hours, 25 Minutes

Fri, 06 Dec 2019 17:44:49 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A trio of men say they’ve beaten the record for the so-called Cannonball Run, driving from New York to Los Angeles in just one day.

In a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG modified to blend into traffic and outfitted with police-evading technology like a laser defuser, Cannonball Run enthusiast Arne Toman says he, Doug Tabbutt and Berkeley Chadwick left Manhattan at 12:57 a.m. on Nov. 11 and arrived at the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach 27 hours and 25 minutes later.

They told the Washington Post they were stopped just once – as they pulled into a Denny’s parking lot in Redondo Beach for a celebratory meal.

If driving 2,825 miles in just under 28 hours sounds impossible, that’s because it’s illegal – the trio says their highest speed was 193 miles an hour, but averaged about 103 miles an hour. The previous record was set in 2013 at 30 hours.

The feat was accomplished with the help of a custom-fabricated fuel cell to cut fuel stops to four, which took a total of 22 minutes, and almost 20 scouts — plus a radar detector, the laser defuser, and Waze — to avoid police officers, according to Road & Track Magazine.

Redondo Beach Marina To Shut Down For Northrop Grumman Secret Cargo Move

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 22:34:47 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA/AP) — Defense contractor Northrop Grumman will be moving an undisclosed type of cargo through the Redondo Beach marina this weekend.

The Daily Breeze reports part of King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach will be shut down from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday for the move of what is described as a U.S. Navy demonstration project.

About 70 parking spots at the marina will be cordoned off as part of the closure, according to reports.

The large object will be taken from a Northrop Grumman facility in Redondo Beach to a barge for shipment to San Diego.

Northrop officials reportedly declined to provide any further details at a Redondo Beach City Council meeting earlier this week, citing national security concerns.

The company agreed on Oct. 15 – just three days prior to the move – to pay the city $25,000 for a licensing agreement to use the marina and for any costs the city incurs.

17-Year-Old From Redondo Beach Found Dead In Lake Havasu 2 Days After Boating Accident

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 21:37:13 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A 17-year-old Redondo Beach teen who had been missing after a boat crash on Lake Havasu was found dead Friday, Aug. 23, officials confirmed.

The Mojave County Sheriff’s Office said divers located Adam Gomez just south of Thompson Bay in approximately 23 feet of water after going missing Wednesday, Aug. 21.

Deputies originally determined that Gomez had departed from a boat while it was moving. The boat and its propellor struck Gomez who then disappeared below the water’s surface and did not resurface.

Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Division of Boating Safety deputies and members of the MCSO Dive Rescue and Recovery Team were on scene investigating and searching for Gomez since Wednesday.

The case was being investigated by members of the MCSO Division of Boating Safety.

“The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Lake Havasu City Police Department for their assistance in dive operations and overall continued partnership,” the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook statement. “We wish to express our deepest condolences to the family.”

Redondo Beach 16-Year-Old Wins Big At Fortnite Competition

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 14:43:52 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — A Redondo Beach teenager won more than $1 million this past weekend in New York after placing third in the Fortnite World Cup finals.

(Credit: Fornite/YouTube)

A Fortnite YouTube video introduced 16-year-old Shane Cotton, whose player name is Epikwhale, to the gaming world last week. Cotton was recently in New York City competing against the best Fortnite players at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens.

More than 40 million people tried out for a spot, but only 100 players made it to the finals.

“I mean, it’s definitely a lot to process,” Cotton said. “I’m still kind of taking it in.”

Fortnite is a free online video game that has captivated teenagers around the world, but it has also drawn a lot of criticism. The World Health Organization announced last month it was deeming “gaming disorder” a mental condition. Fornite, specifically, has been called out for its violent and addictive content where players fight it out to become the last one standing.

But the game also offers a chance for teens like Cotton to win big. For placing third this past weekend, Cotton walked away with $1.2 million. The winner of the competition received $3 million.

“It’s crazy, I’m only 16,” he said. “So, I mean I don’t even know. It’s unheard of.”

Cotton is part of a booming billion dollar industry known as E-Sports.

“It’s very clear that gaming is going to be the future and it’s a growing industry,” Cotton said. “It’s crazy.”

Cotton is already taking college courses to get his associate’s degree, and he said he wants to pursue competitive Fortnite.

Swimmers Warned That Sharks Are On The Attack Against Sea Lions

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 06:14:53 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Sharks rarely attack humans but scientists have seen an uptick in shark attacks against sea lions and sharks don’t see so good.

Swimmers are being told to be extra vigilant as the weather heats up.

“I think she was lucky,” says Dr. Laura Palmer, veterinarian.

Dr. Palmer shows CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Greg Mills one sea lion that is lucky to be alive as she survived a recent shark attack.

A month ago, the sea lion washed ashore in Redondo Beach. The sea lion is being nursed back to health by Dr. Palmer at the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles, a non profit.

“We do rely on donations,” she says.

They treat, on average, about 350 sea lions and seals a year.

“Sharks are, ya know, they prey on sea lions. That’s a normal part of the food chain,” Palmer says.

This week two more sea lions were attacked at King;s Harbor, also in Redondo Beach.

Three sea lions all attacked in and around Redondo Beach.

Only On 2: Good Samaritans Help Rescue Dog After The Pooch Is Stolen

Thu, 16 May 2019 07:13:09 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — Security video shows a dog being stolen from the front of a trendy restaurant in Redondo Beach — in broad daylight Tuesday morning.

CBS2’s Tom Wait spoke with Suzie Solomon, the victim, as well as the owner of the Rockefeller restaurant — Chris Bredesen — who posted the video.

Bottom line, the victim didn’t think this story would have a happy ending.

But thanks to some observant Good Samaritans the stolen dog has been reunited with his family.

The video shows a woman walking into the restaurant carrying her baby and the dog leashed on a stroller outside.

As the woman continues to walk into the restaurant and out of frame, a man in a red shirt approaches the stroller. And then you see him untie the dog and walk off.

“You could see it in his eyes in the video,” says Bredesen, “he’s gonna do this.”

Bredesen was just feet away getting coffee.

(credit: Rockefeller Restaurant Security Video)

“Crushed. Absolutely crushed and in a panicked state,” he says. He knew he had to help.

Chris posted the video online and within hours, tens of thousands of people viewed it and started looking for the dog. Miraculously, someone saw the man in the red shirt about two miles away and the Good Samaritans rushed the man — and rescued the pup.

“We were just screaming we were so excited,” said Solomon about the return of her pooch, Poncho.

Solomon said she and her family were stunned so many people made this unlikely reunion happen.

“We drove around for three hours and it was looking bad,” she said.

A happy ending. As for the guy who stole their Poncho, Suzie and her husband are not angry with him.

“I think that he was mentally ill,” says Matt Solomon, “We certainly felt for him, but we wanted our dog back for our children.”

The suspect is still at large.

Suzie told Wait that she encountered the man who stole her dog, a transient, before she went into the restaurant and she offered to buy him breakfast — moments before he ran off with her dog.

Poncho is no stranger to being rescued: the Solomons told Wait they got him from a shelter not long ago.

Armed Man Shot By Redondo Beach Police At Ocean-Front Home Expected To Survive

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 17:39:11 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) – Officers responding to a domestic disturbance shot and wounded an armed man outside an ocean-front home in the coastal community of Redondo Beach Tuesday night.

The suspect was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the case as is protocol in officer-involved shootings.

Jan. 8, 2018. (CBS2)

No officers were injured.

The shooting occurred at 9:18 p.m. behind a home in the 1000 block of Esplanade after Redondo Beach police responded to multiple calls about a family disturbance, the sheriff’s department reports.

When officers arrived on scene, they heard a woman’s screams coming from the back of the home, the sheriff’s department said. Officers made their way back, where they came upon a man armed with a gun. At least one officer opened fire on the suspect, striking him in the upper torso, the sheriff’s department said.

The victim was not identified. His gun was recovered from the scene. It’s unclear if he fired on officers, where exactly the shooting occurred or how many people were inside the home.

“We received several 911 calls regarding a domestic violence,” Redondo police Lt. Shawn Freeman told reporters. “Came out as like a family fight for officers to respond to. Officers did respond Code 3 to this location based on a number of the 911 calls. And again, when they arrived on scene, they did encounter a subject who was armed, and an officer-involved shooting did occur.”

Neighbors told CBS2 Tuesday night there have been several domestic issues at the home. The suspect’s parents were caught on camera confronting officers at the scene.

“You guys shot him, you guys shot my son!” an emotional woman yelled.

The exact circumstances leading up to the shooting were not confirmed and are under investigation by sheriff’s detectives.

Police Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting In Redondo Beach

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 05:50:47 +0000

REDONDO BEACH (CBSLA) — At least one person was shot in Redondo Beach on Tuesday night at around 9 p.m.

The incident occurred at an ocean front single family home on the Esplanade.

A man was placed in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital. That man was later confirmed as the person who had a weapon and was shot by officers.

The call came in at about 9:18 p.m. of shots being fired. The initial call was reportedly of a domestic disturbance.

Officers on the scene said that an officer was not shot so the officer did the shooting.

“We received several 911 calls regarding a domestic violence. Came out as like a family fight for officers to respond to. Officers did respond to this location based on a number of the 911 calls and again when they arrived on scene they did encounter a subject who was armed and an officer-involved shooting did occur,” said Lt. Shawn Freeman, Redondo Beach Police Department.

Neighbors said they heard the gunfire and didn’t believe it was gunfire at first.

There was a police investigation taking place at 1002 Esplanade in the alley between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Redondo Beach is turning over the investigation to the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

The condition of the man who was shot was unknown as of late Tuesday night.