La Puente News, CA Local News

Southern California poultry processor fined $3.8 million for hiring, endangering kids

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 11:55:31 +0000

A Southern California poultry supplier that employed children as young as 14 to operate power-driven lifts and debone chickens with sharp knives has agreed to pay nearly $3.8 million in back wages, damages and penalties.

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found The Exclusive Poultry Inc. and related companies with poultry processing plants in La Puente and the city of Industry “endangered young workers recklessly.”

Exclusive Poultry processes and supplies meat to a host of supermarkets and food distributors, including Ralphs and SYSCO Corp. The Department of Labor included ALDI among that group, but the company said that’s not accurate.

“At ALDI, we have stringent processes for identifying vendors and suppliers to ensure all business partners are compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements,” an ALDI spokesman said. “The Exclusive Poultry has never been an ALDI supplier.”

Labor investigators said Exclusive Poultry was established by owner Tony Bran, who set up several “front” companies — including Meza Poultry LLC, Valtierra Poultry LLC, Sullon Poultry Inc. and Nollus’s Poultry LLC — to employ workers at the two plants.

The judgment affects 437 employees who were either underpaid or working in violation of child labor laws.

Children employed by the company often worked excessive hours in violation of federal child labor regulations, investigators said, adding that Exclusive Poultry retaliated against workers for cooperating with the investigation by reducing their wages.

Representatives with Exclusive Poultry could not be reached for comment.

The Labor Department secured a consent judgment this month from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Exclusive Poultry and Bran, following an investigation and litigation by the department.

The investigation — from Aug. 1, 2020 through October 2023 — found that Exclusive Poultry and its associated companies paid employees a straight hourly rate, even when they worked 50 to 60 hours a week. And some workers were intentionally omitted from payroll records, investigators said.

“These employers endangered children, stole their wages and threatened them with retaliation if they spoke to investigators about their illegal activity,” said Ruben Rosalez, the Wage and Hour Division’s regional administrator in San Francisco.

Bran and Exclusive Poultry have been ordered to pay $3.5 million in back wages and damages to affected workers. That includes $300,000 in punitive damages and $100,614 in back wages.

The employers must also pay $201,104 in civil penalties for “child labor and willful violations.”

The Wage and Hour Division’s West Covina district office conducted the investigation, and the department’s Office of the Solicitor in Los Angeles filed the complaint and secured the consent judgments.

The Labor Department worked with the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs and its community partners, who provided support services to workers. U.S. Marshals assisted with the execution of a search warrant at the two processing plants.

Bran and his company will be required to retain a monitor for three years to ensure compliance and to show a hiring preference for workers who were fired following the department’s search of the poultry plants.

Labor investigators also secured an injunction from the U.S. District Court that prevents the companies from shipping any “hot goods,” which in this case are poultry products produced in violation of overtime and child labor laws.

LA port honors the late Wayne Ratkovich, the lead developer for West Harbor waterfront

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 12:27:50 +0000

Port of Los Angeles staffers and commissioners recently paid tribute to Wayne Ratkovich, a long-respected real estate developer who signed on early to head up San Pedro’s dream of creating a new waterfront.

Commissioners convened this week’s board meeting in his honor, following his death on Sept. 24 at the age of 82.

“From the foothills of San Gabriel Valley to the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles,” commission President Lucille Roybal-Allard said, “Wayne Ratkovich shaped Los Angeles for the better.”

Ratkovich, an Urban Land Institute trustee and founder of The Ratkovich Company, built a reputation for restoring many of the area’s historic properties, including the Wiltern Theater in L.A.’s Miracle Mile district.

Other projects he had a hand in were Chicago’s Navy Pier, Houston’s AstroDome and Atlanta’s Olympic Park.

But San Pedro came to know him for taking the lead in creating a new waterfront development.

“He’s the visionary who helped us really pull together the big idea that became West Harbor,” said Eric Johnson, president of Jerico Development in San Pedro, the firm that partners with The Ratkovich Co.

The connection was made through mutual friends as discussions ramped up for a new waterfront attraction, Johnson said in a recent phone interview.

“Certain aspects were right in our wheelhouse,” he said, “but certain aspects were not.”

The two multi-generational family firms came together over a decade ago, Johnson said.

“They were focused on getting it leased and financed and our focus was always on the delivery of the construction and operations,” he said. “The natural arc had them taking the lead at the front end and we rose as the implementer and the managing of the work.”

The vision for the new 42-acre waterfront development changed through the long process, drawing criticism from many in the community. Ratkovich, Johnson said, took it in stride.

“He appreciated that there would be some pushback,” Johnson said, adding that planning a development this large will have to be tweaked as the economy and other conditions shift through the years. “He was a consummate gentleman.”

Roybal-Allard, for her part, said Ratkovich “saw something special” in the West Harbor development.

“The final design and tenant mix,” she said, “is a testament to Wayne’s patient and deliberate approach.”

Ratkovich was born in Los Angeles in 1941 and grew up on farmland purchased by his parents in Hacienda Heights, where the family grew lemons and raised chickens. After graduating from La Puente High School, he went to UCLA, where he was a defensive end on the Bruins football team. He graduated in 1963 and took a job with Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

He married in 1967 and he and his wife had three children.

He founded The Ratkovich Co. in 1977. Among the group’s achievements were L.A. landmarks, including the James Oviatt Building in Downtown Los Angeles, the Fine Arts Building, the Wiltern Theatre, Chapman Market, The Bloc — a transformation of the former Macy’s Plaza in DTLA — and the 5900 Wilshire high-rise office tower in the city’s Miracle Mile District.

Ratkovich became a champion of preservation, recognizing historic landmarks that could see new life with restoration.

“I had the honor to have dealt with the Ratkovich family as a lawyer when they had a piece of the Pike in Long Beach,” Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker said, adding he was “terrified” as Ratkovich had such an impressive reputation even then. “He was a fantastic man. May God rest his soul.”

Ratkovich also supported Homeboy Industries, an organization dedicated to assisting former gang members.

Ratkovich died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from complications of an aortic aneurysm.

West Harbor construction, meanwhile, has begun — Ratkovich attended the groundbreaking a year ago in November 2022 — and is slated to open in 2025.

He is survived by his wife, JoAnn, son, Milan, and daughters Anna and Lindsay, and five grandchildren. His family attended the Thursday, Nov. 16, board meeting where he was honored.

“He was a man who wanted to leave this world a better place,” Milan said in remarks at the meeting, adding that he “sang the praises” of the port and the San Pedro community. “He had great hope in the revitalization of the waterfront of San Pedro and he shared your vision.”

Former superintendent took $250K from scholarship fund, Hacienda La Puente alleges

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 17:32:27 +0000

Hacienda La Puente Unified School District is suing former Superintendent Cynthia Parulan-Colfer, alleging she transferred nearly $250,000 from a defunct scholarship fund into the accounts of two nonprofits created following her retirement in 2020.

The original fund, the HLP Educational Foundation, hosted an annual scholarship dinner, “Stairsteps to Success,” to raise money for the district’s students and awarded about $15,000 in scholarships each year, according to the lawsuit.

The state revoked the foundation’s tax-exempt status in 2020 after years of incomplete filings. It shut down that September.

District employees, who managed the foundation’s day-to-day administration, estimated nearly $250,000 remained in its accounts at the time.

Hacienda La Puente’s attorney’s allege “Parulan-Colfer fraudulently transferred funds belonging to the HLP Ed Foundation to two new non-profit organizations with which Parulan-Colfer is associated — defendants SVG Training Foundation, Inc. and San Gabriel Career Foundation, Inc.,” the lawsuit states.

The district further alleges Parulan-Colfer, who served in leadership roles for all 12 years of the foundation’s existence, misappropriated funds before she retired by unilaterally awarding $4,000 in scholarships to her own sons and by using the foundation’s accounts to pay her husband’s law firm $320 and to cover $3,500 in costs for her own retirement party.

A $750 scholarship check awarded to a Los Altos High School student bounced as a result of the foundation’s shuttering. Legal counsel for Parulan-Colfer, in correspondence with the district, called the bounced check “unfortunate and regrettable” and stated it resulted “from the calculus of dissolving the corporation and the distribution of those asserts (sic) to other charitable organizations,” according to the lawsuit.

SVG Training Foundation, which formed the same month that the scholarship fund dissolved, lists Parulan-Colfer as its CEO and her husband as the secretary and chief financial officer. The San Gabriel Career Foundation, formed the following year in April, has the same structure. Their home in Rowland Heights is listed as the primary office for both, business filings showed.

The district alleges the monies transferred to the two nonprofits were “heedlessly intermingled with Defendant Parulan-Colfer’s finances without any formal requirement for authorization to use funds or any accounting or obligation on the part of the defendants to repay funds taken from the corporate accounts of the foundation.”

Both of the nonprofits “exist solely on paper and have no actual place of business, no employees, no insurance and no significant finances” of their own, the lawsuit states.

Thomas C. Watts III, an attorney representing the three corporate entities named alongside Parulan-Colfer, provided a statement from the nonprofits’ directors denying the allegations.

“The allegations of the District and Anthony Duarte, the former Board of Education president, of any wrongdoing are categorically denied and exquisitely false,” the statement reads. “The function of the complaint seems more an attempt to divert the attention and change the narrative from the many failures and shortcomings of the District rather than the vindication of non-existent claims of right. That attempt will ultimately be quelled in court.”

The nonprofits’ statement criticized the district paying for the representation of Duarte, who donated roughly $3,000 to the scholarship fund, and alleged the case is “motivated by an intense personal vendetta” against Parulan-Colfer by Duarte, the district’s leadership, and its superintendent, Alfonso Jimenez.

“In this lawsuit, Mr. Duarte’s entire claim is based on an absurd allegation that after receiving the benefit of multiple items he purchased in 2019 at the charitable foundation’s charity auction, he should also be given back the $2,975 he spent to buy these items,” the statement reads.

The nonprofits allege Duarte “demanded that the foundation cease any further association with the district and demanded the charitable foundation’s funds” shortly after Parulan-Colfer left the district. The funds could only be transferred to another charitable foundation, they alleged.

Parulan-Colfer had a fiduciary duty to the district and its students and is personally liable for the missing funds, according to Hacieda La Puente’s attorneys. The lawsuit argues that the HLP Educational Foundation is inextricably linked to the district and any remaining funds should have gone to the organization’s original purpose.

The HLP Educational Foundation was formed in 2008 by then-Superintendent Barbara Nakaoka to “solicit, receive, collect, manage and disburse voluntary contributions, less expenses, to the benefit of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District,” according to corporate filings. It listed the district’s headquarters as its offices in the documents.

Hacienda La Puente’s staff, as part of their district responsibilities, facilitated bill payments for the foundation, maintained donation records and coordinated fundraising events. The employees created the criteria for the scholarships, reviewed applications and chose the winners based on a scoring system.

Parulan-Colfer served as the foundation’s director from 2008, when she was an associate superintendent, until 2017, four years after her promotion to schools chief. Though she turned over the director’s position to another associate superintendent in 2017, the district alleges that Parulan-Colfer continued to control the foundation as a member of its board.

The mismanagement of the foundation during Parulan-Colfer’s time at the helm made dissolution unavoidable, according to the district.

The statement provided by Watts argues that the district knew about the dissolution well in advance and that then-Associate Superintendent Annie Bui, the educational foundation’s director at the time, signed off on it. Filings with the secretary of state’s website show both Bui and Parulan-Colfer’s signatures on the paperwork.

One school board member, Gino Kwok, had sufficient enough notice of the impending shutdown that he was able to remove funds for his own scholarship program, according to the statement.

“In a time when the District is facing financial strains and is in the process of closing schools and discontinuing culturally enriching programs, such as mariachi and folklorico, programs that Ms. Parula-Colfer was instrumental in spearheading, it is truly tragic that the District has chosen to squander its resources on this vindictive and petty lawsuit,” the statement reads.

Parulan-Colfer retired as the district’s superintendent in January 2020.

The latest filing, an amended complaint submitted by the district Oct. 3, asks the judge to order the return of the funds and to award damages, including attorneys’ fees. The case is currently not scheduled to return to court until December.

31 stores in California on Rite Aid closure list

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:09:54 +0000

Rite Aid has marked 31 stores in California for closure in its restructuring plan, which was filed Monday, Oct. 16 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

The chain, which previously said it might close 500 stores, wrote that at least 154 stores would close.

The troubled retail pharmacy chain is facing slumping sales and several opioid-related lawsuits. To make ends meet, the company is looking to reduce its debt while resolving “litigation claims in an equitable manner,” Rite Aid reps said Sunday.

At least 10 stores will close across Los Angeles County. Another six will shutter in Orange County and just two in the Inland Empire. Only one, a store on South Archibald Avenue in Ontario appears to have closed already.

“Many of the stores on this list have already closed and received ample notice of the closure, while some will close in the coming weeks,” Rite Aid said via email Tuesday.

Here are the list of stores Rite Aid has marked for closure in California. The store number precedes each address:

LA County

5448 — 4044 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles

6288 — 959 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles

5457 — 4046 South Centinela Ave., Los Angeles

5466 — 7859 Firestone Blvd., Downey

5521 — 4402 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach

5571 — 935 North Hollywood Way, Burbank

5585 — 139 North Grand Ave., Covina

5593 — 13905 Amar Road, La Puente

5611 — 920 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra

6333 — 15800 Imperial Highway, La Mirada

Orange County

5735 — 24829 Del Prado, Dana Point

6717 — 8509 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine

5753 — 30222 Crown Valley Parkway, Laguna Niguel

5757 — 19701 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda

5760 — 1406 West Edinger Ave., Santa Ana

6213 — 3029 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa

Inland Empire

6318 — 3000 South Archibald Ave., Ontario (marked closed on Yelp)

5730 — 25906 Newport Road, Menifee

North of LA

5772 — 2738 East Thompson Blvd., Ventura (marked closed on Yelp)

5780 — 720 North Ventura Road, Oxnard

San Diego County

5635 — 3813 Plaza Drive, Oceanside

5638 — 1670 Main St., Ramona

5657 — 6505 Mission Gorge Road, San Diego

5661 — 8985 Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego (marked closed on Yelp)

Northern California

5967 — 20572 Homestead Road, Cupertino

5976 — 2620 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

5979 — 901 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz

6001 — 571 Bellevue Road, Atwater

6045 — 5409 Sunrise Boulevard, Citrus Heights

6080 — 1309 Fulton Ave., Sacramento

6769 — 499 Alvarado St., Monterey

The 60-year-old Rite Aid operates 2,100 stores in the U.S., mostly in coastal states, and has posted annual losses for several years. The company reported that its revenue fell to $5.7 billion in the fiscal quarter that ended June 3, down from $6.0 billion a year earlier, logging a net loss of $306.7 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 1

Arcadia

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

Baldwin Park

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

Hawaiian Gardens

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

Hollywood

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

Monterey Park

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

Norwalk

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

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

Palmdale

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

Pico Rivera

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

San Fernando

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

South El Monte

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

July 1-4

Valencia

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

July 2

Lake View Terrace

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

July 2-4

Hollywood

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

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

July 3

Duarte

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

La Mirada

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

La Puente

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

Long Beach

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

Lynwood

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

Moorpark

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

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

Stevenson Ranch

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

July 4

Artesia

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

Burbank

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

Calabasas

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

Camarillo

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

Claremont

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

El Segundo

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

Huntington Beach

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

La Crescenta

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

Lancaster

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

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

Long Beach

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

Los Angeles

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

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

Marina del Rey

‘Greenwashing’ allegations: Quemetco deal to pay nonprofits in toxic settlement criticized

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 13:03:08 +0000

When the California state Attorney General’s Office brought legal action in 2018 involving 29 violations of leaking hazardous waste at a car-battery recycling plant in City of Industry, nearby residents concerned about exposure and cancer risks were anticipating strong remedies.

But that’s not what happened.

A member of the public voice his concerns during a public meeting about the court settlement between Quemetco, Inc. battery-recycling company near Hacienda Heights and state agencies involving the release of cancer-causing air toxics and waste handling on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, SCNG, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Meredith Williams, director of the DTSC, speaks during a public meeting about the court settlement between Quemetco, Inc. battery-recycling company near Hacienda Heights and North Whittier, and state agencies involving the release of cancer-causing air toxics and toxic waste handling. Williams spoke at the beginning of a two-hour meeting on the topic, including on the controversial SEPs program, at the Hacienda Heights Community Center on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
The Quemetco battery-recycling facility on 15 acres in City of Industry, located at 720 S. Seventh Ave., May 31, 2016. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb/San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

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A late December 2022 court settlement for Quemetco, Inc. approved by Attorney General Rob Bonta and the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) required the company to pay $2.3 million in penalties, of which no amount was earmarked for repairs or toxic waste monitoring.

The Clean Air Coalition, made up of nearby residents of Hacienda Heights, Avocado Heights, La Puente, North Whittier and other areas, denounced the settlement as a slap on the wrist. Others said it used environmental groups to paint over the issues with a green sheen.

Byron Chan, attorney with Earth Justice, which is working with the Clean Air Coalition, said the Attorney General had the power to fine Quemetco tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars since it filed against the company. “When that lawsuit was filed it felt like DTSC was turning a page. Four years later the result of that lawsuit was nothing,” Chan said.

In defense of the settlement, DTSC said 27 of the 29 violations were fixed. But DTSC investigators reported that two major violations had not been resolved, involving hazardous waste leaking from storage areas and possibly migrating into neighborhoods, and installation of monitoring systems to detect toxic chemicals seeping into the underground aquifer — a drinking water source for at least one million residents of Los Angeles County.

“The settlement is a result of strong enforcement actions the department took,” said Meredith Williams, DTSC director, who spoke at a recent DTSC-sponsored public meeting on Feb. 8.

Quemetco said in a statement that it has invested $50 million in new pollution control equipment since 2008. “The company is proud to be the cleanest lead recycling facility in the world and it continually meets or exceeds all applicable environmental standards and requirements,” the company said.

But criticism and confusion continues to swirl around the settlement. Aside from the relatively modest fines, the focus has been on the unusual way the settlement was constructed.

DTSC used a relatively new, under-the-radar approach that environmental lawyers and residents have criticized as unusual, unhelpful, and insulting to residents living for years with exposures, or in this case, improperly managed.

Of the $2.3 million, half — about $1.15 million — went to hiring small, nonprofit organizations for non-specific educational programs, something that DTSC calls its Supplemental Environmental Projects or SEPs, used to offset defendant penalties. They also add a bonus action that goes beyond legal requirements, according to DTSC’s website.

The settlement paid $575,000 to the first SEP group, Nature For All, a Monterey Park-based organization that leads field trips to the mountains. The small group also works for access to the Angeles National Forest, and protecting local watersheds and open spaces, said Belén Bernal, executive director, in remarks made to the audience at the February meeting in Hacienda Heights.

Another $575,000 went to hire Oakland-based The California School-Based Health Alliance, which helps students improve their health and academic achievements. A local trustee with the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District said the school district was not consulted and does not know this group.

Residents and Earth Justice lawyers say the large amounts of money diverted to these organizations in lieu of traditional fines against Quemetco are excessive. On the state DTSC website, the overwhelming majority of SEPs listed involve considerably less than $500,000.

For example, in 2017, the Coalition For Clean Air in Los Angeles was awarded $35,000 to help install air pollution monitors around USC, part of a DTSC settlement using the SEP program, DTSC reported.

The grass-roots Coalition in Hacienda Heights said the large amounts of money going to the two SEPS in the Quemetco settlement could have been used to install air and water monitoring stations, or perform testing of children’s blood for lead, a compound produced by the melting of 600 tons of used lead-acid batteries per day.

Lead exposure can lead to impaired human brain function and learning disabilities, experts say.

Paying nonprofit groups more than half a million dollars each, and calling that a remedy, is an affront to a community dealing with violations from Quemetco for nearly two decades, said Angela Johnson Meszaros, managing attorney for the Community Partnerships Program at Earth Justice during an interview on March 8.

“The DTSC settlement didn’t do a thing that would directly result in reduced emissions or reduced impacts from the facility,” Johnson Meszaros said.

“In all of my 30 years doing this work, I have never seen anything like this,” she said.

When asked if it was an example of “greenwashing,” a process in which state agencies or corporations undertake small, unrelated green actions while ignoring the major environmental issues, Chan said: “I would unfortunately frame it that way.”

Johnson Meszaros said a SEP is supposed to relate to the issues in the lawsuit, in this case, hazardous waste exposure, lead exposure and also in a previous settlement, air toxics involving arsenic, a known human carcinogen. But neither the Oakland-based SEP or the local SEP has experience in the hazardous waste field or in air toxics, making the SEP-based settlement an example of the state agency simply taking cover or of a defendant avoiding harsher fines, she said.

“It was almost like they (DTSC) said: ‘We are going to pretend this is awesome and the community is going to fall for it,’” she said. “It is a striking failure on DTSC’s part to really address both Quemetco’s history of violations and the needs of the frontline communities.”

The Quemetco plant, in business since 1959, is the largest of its kind west of the Rockies and operates on 15 acres at 720 S. Seventh Ave. and employs 200 or more workers. It recycles about 10 million lead-acid regular car batteries a year as well as other lead scrap to make about 120,000 tons of reclaimed lead, according to its website.

Quemetco was forced to pay $600,000 in penalties for air pollution violations in May 2020. Among violations found at the plant was emission of lead, arsenic, and 1,3-butadiene, emitted into the air at levels that exceeded air quality rule limits, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which agreed to the settlement.

In 2004 and again in 2013, DTSC inspectors found soil with elevated lead concentration around the perimeter of Quemetco’s property. In 2018, inspectors ordered the cleanup of lead contamination in industrial facilities located near the facility. A 2016 investigation of 132 homes in Hacienda Heights, just south of Quemetco, found that 100 homes had lead levels high enough for further evaluation and might require potential cleanup.

Lead exposure limits the brain’s development and can cause kidney disease. Human exposure to lead, arsenic and 1,3-butadiene also can cause cancer.

“The policy on SEPs is that they’re supposed to have a nexus to the harms. But the choices DTSC made, I wonder if they have a proper nexus. They don’t reduce the exposures. They don’t do sampling of the soils,” Johnson Meszaros said.

DTSC says the use of SEPs benefits communities that are experiencing environmental harm and addresses environmental injustices. Using an outside nonprofit for related projects augments a settlement and improves public health, according to DTSC’s website.

Environmental lawyers who’ve brought lawsuits over environmental degradation or toxic exposures to residents but are not involved in the Quemetco case expressed varying views on the use of SEPs.

“I am in the inner circle of environmental lawyers in the state and I’ve never heard of this,” said Sabrina Venskus, an environmental land use attorney. “It is unusual.”

Geralyn Skapik, with the Skapik Law Group in Chino Hills, said a SEP can be effective if correctly applied. She remembered a case her firm settled that involved a defendant who drilled water wells but did not properly divert and treat toxic chemicals pulled out of the aquifer that killed fish in a nearby stream.

As part of the settlement, a SEP was hired to provide classes for technicians on safe and environmentally compliant ways of drilling water wells. “The classes were directly relevant to the harm that was caused,” she said, adding they prevented future toxic spills.

Johnson Meszaros said in some instances, a SEP is hired to perform actions that address the harms. But the Supplemental Environmental Projects approved by DTSC in the Quemetco case, she said, “Is not doing a thing that would directly result in reduced emissions or impacts from the facility.”

The DTSC has said the SEPs are “environmentally beneficial projects” that are part of an enforcement action. Nature For All has said it will help develop leaders “who care for and deserve access to nature and safe spaces.”

But many in the community say educating the community about the possible dangers of living near the City of Industry plant is work that has already been done.

In September 2019, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health sent nurses door-to-door to alert people of the dangers of lead exposure, and conducted voluntary blood testing for lead. The agency developed a brochure on ways residents can protect themselves from lead called “Living With Quemetco,” said Rebecca Overmyer-Velazquez, coordinator with the local Coalition group.

Attempts to involve nonprofit groups to educate, inform or bring awareness doesn’t sit well with the Coalition members. “It is totally greenwashing,” Overmyer-Velazquez said. “They (DTSC) comes off looking good by funding these nonprofits.”

Susan Phillips, professor of environmental analysis at Pitzer College and director of the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability, has led efforts to stop or slow down development of warehouses in the Inland Empire on grounds that they add to air pollution and truck traffic.

Phillips said fighting cities, developers and state environmental agencies is often a losing battle. “All the settlements we’ve had don’t come close to mitigation for the project. They just shave the edges off it. It is disheartening for community members.”

But after more than two years of efforts, she has some advice for those living near Quemetco. “Our adage is fighting is winning. It is about continuing the fight.”

Is your school prepared to fend off a cyberattack? LAUSD’s situation is a cautionary tale

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:40:15 +0000

School districts these days face a variety of major challenges, from pandemic-era learning loss to the threat of campus shootings. There’s another one always lurking — cyberattacks like the one experienced by L.A. Unified School District on its information technology systems over the weekend.

As L.A. teachers, parents, students and leaders felt the brunt of the attack on Monday, it begged the question: With so much of education these days relying on computer technology, how difficult would it be to properly conduct school in the case of such a crippling attack, especially if it was for an extended period?

Could a school and its staff make it through without the programs used to communicate with one another as well as with students and their parents? What about making lesson plans, collecting assignments and keeping track of grades, and so on?

Alhambra Unified School District’s Ashton Potter, director of technology, said cyberattacks are a huge concern.

“Alhambra Unified, along with every school district in the country, is constantly preparing for a cyberattack like the one LAUSD is suffering,” Potter said. “Cybersecurity is AUSD’s priority one safety concern alongside the physical safety of our students and staff.”

That said, Alhambra Unified is prepared in case of such an attack, officials said.

“AUSD could operate if we experienced a situation like LAUSD’s,” Potter said. “Most of the district’s communication tools are cloud-based apps. We back up our internal systems offline daily. We prioritize our time and resources on making sure our hardware and software systems are always up to date.”

The district’s stand-by servers would be employed, part of an array of tools that would enable administrators and the parents and students they serve to access student-information systems for grades and attendance.

But the nature of the attacks is becoming increasingly sinister, experts suggest.

“I think one thing that we have seen with ransomware actors, in particular — and this is a trend that has emerged over the last just couple of years — which is that ransomware attacks that sort of lock up school’s IT systems and infrastructure are almost never the whole story,” said Doug Levin, national director of K12 Security eXchange, or K12 SIX, a non-profit organization built to protect schools from cybersecurity threats.

The rest of the “story” is that the initial attack is accompanied by major data breaches, he said.

A ransomware actor could compromise a school district’s IT system for weeks — even months — before activating the malware, which is designed to threaten the publication of sensitive personal data unless the actor is paid a ransom, Levin said.

At stake is the release of sensitive data ranging from information on students, families and teachers to the business operations of school districts.

In the cases where school districts have not negotiated with the ransomware actors, that data has been dumped or sold off to criminal forums on the dark web. That has led directly to identity theft, not just of school employees and adults, but also of students as young as elementary-school aged.

School districts are taking precautions.

Manoj Roychowdhury, associate superintendent of Business Services at Hacienda La Puente Unified, said his district is very aware of the issue.

Roychowdhury pointed to “incremental steps” to harden the district’s infrastructure. Firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), ramped up data security and monitoring and a lot of employee training are all being employed to protect against hackers, Roychowdhury said.

Azusa Unified Superintendent Arturo Ortega said if his district experienced such an attack, it would affect the daily routine, but getting through it would be doable, he added.

“We have definitely become more reliant on educational technology in the last several years,” he said. “The loss of educational technology would cause some setbacks in daily operations, but we are fortunate to have both digital and hard copies of student curriculum and textbooks.”

He said attendance can be taken by hand and communication with parents could be done via letters sent home.

“Without access to classroom technology, daily instruction in some classes may look a little different from what students have grown accustomed to, but we would still be able to deliver an exceptional educational program,” Ortega said.

His technology manager, Manuel Sanchez, suggested that such instances are a sign of the times.

“As the number of online services needed to keep a school district operational in a digital world increases, the impact of an attack such as the one that has affected LAUSD makes it challenging for students and faculty to operate as they are accustomed to for an extended period of time,” he said.

“While IT departments work diligently to prevent such attacks, it is a reality that criminal organizations are looking to exploit systems.”

These attacks are expensive, Levin said.

“The cost of responding to the incident in the short term, can very well be dwarfed by the long-term cost,” he said.

He noted that Baltimore County Public Schools and Buffalo Public Schools within the past couple of years suffered cyberattacks.

“They reported that their sort of medium-term recovery costs were going to be roughly $10 million or more,” he said. “Baltimore County is a larger school district, but it’s not LAUSD-big. Buffalo is smaller than that. But it just goes to show that the longer-term costs for recovery are significant.

“And these are costs that are really incurred whether or a not a district pays the extortion demand. The fact that an outside unauthorized actor was able to not just break into the school’s IT systems, but to take them over, suggests that there may be quite a bit of work that is required to ensure something like that does not happen again.”

Levin said that this is indeed a brave new world for schools in this regard.

“For those schools that maybe were not relying on technology tremendously in years past, certainly in a post-COVID world with the rise of remote learning, schools are now relying on technology for not just teaching and learning in the classroom, but for all the back office operations.

In other words, for just about everything.

Levin said that because there is not a uniformed mandate on schools to provide a certain level of security services, school districts are in very different places with respect to cybersecurity programs.

He also said cybersecurity insurance is not easy to get because insurance companies require certain standards be met in order to qualify.

“For instance, you may not be able to get cybersecurity insurance unless you start putting in place some protections that we know work,” Levin said.

That’s not to mention that kind of insurance is very expensive.

“I do know districts that have forgone purchasing insurance because they could not qualify or afford it,” he said.

Ultimately, LAUSD appeared to have survived a major breach.

Classes resumed as scheduled Tuesday at the district — the second largest in the nation — following the weekend cyberattack on its information technology systems. The attack led to a federal investigation and instructions for teachers, staff and students to change their hundreds of thousands of district passwords.

The attackers used ransomware, LAUSD Superintendent Albert Carvalho said, but no confidential student information was breached, and there was no evidence that social security numbers or confidential health information was compromised.

He said the entity attacked the district’s facilities system, which contains information on payments made to contractors — much of which was already public information.

All told, Carvalho said “We are experiencing a fairly normal school day” in a morning news conference.

Still, by 9 a.m., the school’s attendance system was back online but schools were also taking attendance manually.

District officials said they immediately established a plan of action to provide protection in the future, “informed by top public and private sector technology and cyber security professionals.”

Levin said his advice to school districts is to take action before an incident occurs by putting in place better defenses, and good policy.

“This is definitely not something that you want to be figuring out after you’ve already realized that you’ve been compromised in an incident,” Levin said.

Where to see Independence Day fireworks in LA County, July 2-4

Sat, 02 Jul 2022 13:35:19 +0000

Fireworks explode over the Rose Bowl during the 95th Annual AmericaFest in Pasadena, CA, on Sunday, July 4, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Celebrating Fourth of July 2022 is a go! Professional fireworks and some laser displays and a drone show, July 2-4, with many events being free admission but some requiring advance ticket purchase only.

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

July 2-4

Hollywood

July 4th Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl: Fun from Steve Martin and Martin Short, and with Thomas Wilkins conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in patriotic music favorites, 7:30 p.m. July 2-4. Gates open, 5:30 p.m. Tickets $21 and up. 2301 N. Highland Ave. 323-850-2000. www.hollywoodbowl.com

Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Three nights of movies and fireworks. Screening of “The Fast and the Furious” (2001), July 2 (tickets: bit.ly/3HEUqO7). Screening of “Purple Rain” (1984), 9 p.m. July 3 (tickets: bit.ly/3QvzvAW). Screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986), 9 p.m. (tickets: bit.ly/3HHqpgw). All movies are followed by fireworks show. Gates open for picnicking or food purchases, 7:15 p.m. Tickets $44. Check website for parking options and fees. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. cinespia.org

Universal City

Universal Studios Hollywood: The theme park will have a fireworks display around 9 p.m. all three nights. Park hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Tickets $139 and up online for July 2-3 and $134 for July 4.; check website for other ticket prices including Universal Express for bypassing general queue at most rides and shows. Parking $30 and up ($10 after 5 p.m.); see other parking option fees on the website. 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. General information, 800-864-8377; Tickets, 866-258-6546. www.universalstudioshollywood.com

Valencia

Six Flags Magic Mountain Coca-Cola July 4th Fest: The theme park is open and fireworks and laser show with patriotic music, July 2-4. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. July 2-4. Fireworks, 9:15 p.m. (Best viewing areas: Full Throttle Plaza and Main Gate Plaza). Admission $80 (in advance online; see options for passes and other add-ons; parking $35-$45). 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia. www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/events/coca-cola-july-4th-fest

July 2

Arcadia

Patriotic Festival and Fireworks: 5-9:30 p.m. Festival is at First Avenue and Huntington Drive. Fireworks show, 9 p.m. at First Avenue Middle School, 301 S. First St. Updates on Facebook: bit.ly/3zQ3RII. Details on the festival: lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/DcWMNxw/PatrioticFest2022

Monterey Park

City of Monterey Park Independence Day Fireworks Show: Live entertainment, 6-9 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Barnes Park, 350 S. McPherrin Ave. 626-307-1388. www.montereypark.ca.gov/687/Independence-Day-Celebration

San Fernando

Red, White and Lights – Laser Show Fourth of July Celebration: Event includes music by Tina Michelle and the Rhinestone Cowboys with line dancing demonstrations, family activities and carnival games, artisan and food trucks vendors, 6-9:30 p.m. Downtown San Fernando Mall. 818-898-1290. ci.san-fernando.ca.us/sfrecreation/#fourth-of-july-celebration

Simi Valley

Star Spangled Rock ‘N Country Jam and Fireworks Celebration: Event includes music, a kid’s fun zone, beer and wine garden, food booths and arts and crafts vendors. Doors open at noon. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Free admission or VIP admission, $80 and $40 ages 12 and younger (more information and to purchase here: starspangledsimi.com/vip-tickets). Entertainment line-up: bit.ly/3Oh4O0T. Bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating. Event is sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley, the City of Simi Valley and Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. Parking: Simi Valley Metrolink Station, 5050 E. Los Angeles Ave., or Simi Valley High School, 5400 Cochran St. (shuttle runs, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.). Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, 5005 E. Los Angeles Ave. 805-587-5100. Flyer: simi-valley.kiwanisone.org. starspangledsimi.com

South El Monte

City of South El Monte 4th of July Celebration: Event includes park activities and food, 2-9 p.m. (see the flyer for a variety of activities including swimming times). Entertainment: Pulp Vixen, 3-5 p.m., and the Funk Y Hippeez, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. (launched from South El Monte High School on Durfee Avenue, but watch from the park). New Temple Park, 1450 Lidcombe Ave. Flyer: bit.ly/3HHGT8v

July 3

Duarte

City of Duarte Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks: Live music by Chico the band, family play area, food trucks and vendor booths, 6 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Duarte Sports Park, 1401 Central Ave. 626-357-7931. Details: bit.ly/3y5D7lS

La Puente

City of La Puente Fourth of July and Laser Light Show: Activities begin, noon. Laser Light Show, 9 p.m. (see here for reason for no fireworks this year: bit.ly/3QVbRy7). La Puente Park, 501 Glendora Ave. 626-855-1500.

Long Beach

Big Bang on the Bay: The Boathouse on the Bay holds the event with options for dining, 5:30 p.m. Fireworks show, 9 p.m. “Block Party” event tickets, $75; $30 ages 10 and younger (Naples Rib Company will serve dinner, buffet style, outdoors. The block party has two bars with beer, wine, and cocktails). Boathouse dining tickets, $120 indoors; $180 sidewalk (full-service catered dinner by Naples Rib Company; includes full access to the block party and your reserved seat for the entirety of the evening; ticket price includes your dinner and tip; drinks extra). 190 N. Marina Drive. 562-493-1100. Details and purchase tickets here: boathouseonthebay.com/big-bang/

La Mirada

City of La Mirada’s Independence Day Celebration: The event includes live music with pop hits from Dance Dance Evolution and country tunes from the Kelley Boyz and local organizations sell a variety of food and treats, 4 p.m. Festivities will conclude with a patriotic program and fireworks show, 9 p.m. La Mirada Regional Park, 13701 Adelfa Drive. Details: bit.ly/3yABywD

Lynwood

City of Lynwood Independence Day and Laser Light Show: The day kicks off with lawn games, live entertainment and food trucks, 2 p.m. Laser Light Show, around 9 p.m. (see here for reason for no fireworks this year: bit.ly/3QVbRy7). Lynwood City Park, 11301 Bullis Road. 310-603-0220, Ext. 319. Flyer: www.facebook.com/mylynwood.ca

Moorpark

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

Ventura

Ventura Rotary 4th of July Fireworks and Family Picnic: The event includes live entertainment, children’s activities and food trucks, gates open 5 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Tickets $10; $5 ages 4-12 (purchase here: bit.ly/3Ou4Odt). Bring your own blanket for seating and picnic items. No alcohol, no glass, no pets, no smoking (see other rules on the website). Ventura College Athletic Fields, 4667 Telegraph Road. www.venturafireworks.com

July 4

Artesia

The City of Artesia 4th of July Celebrations: The event includes family games, 4 p.m.; music, 6 p.m.; fireworks show, 9 p.m. Artesia Park, 18750 Clarkdale Ave. Flyer: bit.ly/3QGTXyP

Burbank

Starlight Bowl: A concert with the Company Men and the Soul of Broadway, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: lower area, $28; upper area, $23; grass area, $18; boxes, $150 (includes parking); check the website for senior/disabled ticket prices. Parking $10 and cash only. Parking lot opens, 4:30 p.m. Gates open, 5:30 p.m. 1249 Lockheed View Drive. 818-238-5300. www.starlightbowl.com. Details and to purchase tickets in advance here: www.starlightbowl.com/event/city-series/

Calabasas

City of Calabasas 4th of July Hometown Celebration: Gates open, 5 p.m.; Family Fun Zone, 5-8:30 p.m.; concert with the Zippers, 7:15 p.m.; fireworks, 9 p.m. Bring your own blanket or low-back chair. Bring your own picnic or snacks or purchase items at the school. Admission $12 in advance (no ticket sales at the door). Check website for parking suggestions, prohibited items and other rules. Calabasas High School, football field, 22855 Mulholland Highway. www.cityofcalabasas.com. Details about the event here: bit.ly/3zW4lg6

Camarillo

City of Camarillo Park & Watch Fireworks Show: Fireworks, 9 p.m. (listen to musical soundtrack on KBBY-95.1 or online at 951kbby.com). Free admission. Watch from parking lots at Camarillo Premium Outlets (740 E. Ventura Blvd.) or surrounding area. Parking is first come, first served. Details: bit.ly/3tLLxMY

Carson

LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park: The major league soccer team plays CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m., followed by a fireworks show at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tickets $20 and up (purchase here: bit.ly/3O52Kcj). 18400 Avalon Blvd. (on the campus of Cal State University, Dominguez Hills). www.lagalaxy.com/tickets. See the flyer (dated June 12) from Dignity Health Sports Park announcing the post-game fireworks here: www.facebook.com/cityofcarson/

El Segundo

El Segundo’s the 4th of July at Recreation Park: Daytime events include contests, games, races, arts and crafts vendors, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nighttime events include live music, food booths and fireworks, 5-9 p.m. Bring a blanket for seating. Admission is by wristband (4 free wristbands per adult with an updated 2022 Rec ID Card; non-residents may purchase wristbands for $5 apiece; available for purchase at the Clubhouse and Checkout Building in Recreation Park through July 1-3; $5 at the door; see details and the requirements needed for the recreation ID card here: bit.ly/3bk4JL9). Recreation Park, 401 Sheldon St. More details on the events here: bit.ly/3HLnu6G

Huntington Beach

Fireworks Over the Ocean: 9 p.m. Tickets for reserved pier seating $25; VIP seating $40 (details and to purchase here: bit.ly/3bnzy1S). Huntington Beach Pier, 325 Pacific Coast Highway. huntingtonbeachca.gov/residents/fourth-of-july-info/

La Crescenta

A Star Spangled 4th of July Celebration – Crescenta Valley Fireworks Association: Gates open, 4 p.m. Live music, activities and food trucks. Fireworks show, 9 p.m. Spectators will be able to watch from areas around Crescenta Valley High School, 2900 Community Ave. Entrance to the field, in the 4200 block of Ramsdell Avenue. 818-248-2271. www.cvfireworks.com. Details and updates: www.facebook.com/CrescentaValleyFireworks/

Lake View Terrace

Fourth of July Drone Light Show and Festival: Los Angeles City Council District 7 co-presents the event that includes entertainment, food and arts and crafts vendors, 5-9 p.m. Hansen Dam Recreation Area, baseball/soccer fields, 11658 Foothill Blvd. 818-485-0600; 818-756-8409; 818-352-3287. Details: bit.ly/3QF9K14

Long Beach

Fourth of July Fireworks at the Waterfront: City of Long Beach, Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Convention and Visitor Bureau present the event, 9-9:30 p.m. with fireworks launched from Queensway Bay. Viewing areas on the downtown waterfront include Marina Green, Rainbow Harbor, Lions Lighthouse for Sight and Shoreline Village. Also, Harbor Breeze Cruises offers ticketed cruises for viewing (562-432-4900; www.2seewhales.com). Queensway Bay and Rainbow Harbor. www.visitlongbeach.com/events/fourth-of-july-fireworks-at-the-waterfront/

Los Angeles

Grand Park’s 4th of July Block Party: The event includes interactive, multi-media art works, music from DJs and live entertainers, dancing and food vendors, 4-9:30 p.m. Fireworks over the Music Center Plaza. Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave. 213-972-8080. grandparkla.org/event/grand-parks-fourth-of-july-block-party/

LA Dodgers vs the Colorado Rockies: Game, 6:10 p.m., followed by an Independence Day Fireworks show. Tickets $44 and up (purchase here: bit.ly/3OxK3xO). Prepaid parking $25 and up. Dodger Stadium, 1000 Vin Scully Ave. www.mlb.com/dodgers/schedule/2022-07

Marina del Rey

Marina del Rey’s Fourth of July Fireworks: The fireworks display will be launched from a barge off of the Marina’s south jetty, 9 p.m. Viewing areas include Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way and Fisherman’s Village, 13755 Fiji Way (synchronized music at both locations). Check website for harbor side dinner and parking tips. Also, check cruising options here: visitmdr.com/sailing/yacht-charters-and-boat-rentals. Many surrounding roads close at 1 p.m. Fireworks are visible from Dockweiler Beach, Playa Vista and Venice Pier. www.visitmarinadelrey.com/events/july-4-fireworks-marina-del-rey

Monrovia

City of Monrovia’s 4th of July Concert & Fireworks Show: The event includes dancing and a concert by the band Cold Duck, 7-8:30 p.m., followed by fireworks at 9 p.m. Library Park, 321 S. Myrtle Ave. 626-256-8246. www.cityofmonrovia.org/your-government/recreation/special-events/4th-of-july-fireworks-show

Ojai

Ojai 4th of July Celebration: Musical entertainment and food trucks, 5:30 p.m. Fireworks, 9:15 p.m. Bring a blanket or low-back chair. No alcohol, glass or pets. Tickets $10; $5 children; (in advance on the eventbrite link, or in Ojai at: American Hay, 101 W. Short St. or Attitude Adjustment Shoppe, 1129 Maricopa Highway). Tickets at the gate $12; $5 children. Nordhoff High School, football stadium, 1401 Maricopa Highway. Details on the event here: www.4thofjulyinojai.com. To purchase tickets in advance online: bit.ly/3y6d52g

Pacific Palisades

Palisades Fireworks Spectacular: Gates open, 6 p.m. and fireworks, 9 p.m. Bring a blanket to sit on (no chairs allowed). No food or drinks allowed on the field. There will be food trucks onsite; see the facts here: palisades4th.com/fireworks/fireworks-faq. Tickets $10; free for ages 6 and younger (however, all must have a ticket for admission including children). No cash ticket sales at the door. Purchase tickets in advance here: palisades4th.com/fireworks/. Palisades Charter High School, baseball field, 15777 Bowdoin St.

Pasadena

AmericaFest at the Rose Bowl: This year’s event includes TNT Freestyle Motocross and a concert by Drake Milligan, 7 p.m. Fireworks, 9 p.m. Parking opens, 1 p.m., and doors open, 5:30 p.m. Tickets $20 and up. For VIP field seating, 626-585-6800. Parking $45; preferred $60. 1001 Rose Bowl Drive. 626-577-3100. www.rosebowlstadium.com; rosebowlstadium.com/events/details/204/the-96th-annual-americafest

Pomona

Kaboom! Fireworks Spectacular and Unity Day LA: Comedians Tommy Davidson and Paul Rodriguez host the event that includes amateur boxing events and fun family zone (2:30-4:30 p.m.); live entertainment and celebrity and professional boxing (4:30-9 p.m.); Unity speech, 9-9:15 p.m.; fireworks, 9:15 p.m. See the website for information on the Unity Walk, 10-11 a.m. July 4 at Lincoln Park in Pomona (www.unitydayla.com). Tickets $39.99, $79.99 (includes referred parking); $150 VIP seating, parking and meet-and-greet); free for ages 5 and younger. Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Drive. Tickets: bit.ly/3xH1a9o. www.fairplex.com/events/kaboom

Elections 2022: Hilda Solis headed for reelection to LA County Board of Supervisors

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:27:53 +0000

In the race for the First District seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, early results showed incumbent Hilda Solis with a commanding lead Tuesday night.

Results tallied early Wednesday gave Solis 73% of the vote, well ahead of La Puente City Councilman David Argudo, who is second with 8%. Kevin Dalton was third.

Solis, who has occupied the seat for the past eight years, is facing a suburban city councilmember, a sheriff’s deputy and two others.

Complete election results here

The First District includes much of the San Gabriel Valley plus Los Angeles communities of Chinatown, Silverlake, Cypress Park, Echo Park, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, East Los Angeles and others. In the SGV, the district includes: Monterey Park, Alhambra, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Montebello, El Monte, South El Monte, Baldwin Park, La Puente, Industry, Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, West Covina, Covina, Azusa, Irwindale, Walnut, Diamond Bar and Pomona.

Trying to spoil Solis’ re-election bid are David E. Argudo, 51, a La Puente City Council member; Brian Smith of Asuza, 43, an LA. County Sheriff’s deputy; Kevin Dalton of Pomona, 45, a father, yoga instructor and entrepreneur; and Tammy Solis, 47, a businesswoman from West Covina.

The results from vote-by-mail ballots and in-person voting were being counted Tuesday, the night of the election primary. Should a candidate receive 50% of the vote plus one vote more, they’ll win outright and take their seat in December. If nobody wins tonight, the top two vote-getters will square off in the Nov. 8 general election.

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Solis is the candidate to beat and held an overwhelming lead throughout the night. She’s been in governmental office for 37 years, serving on the Rio Hondo College Board, in the legislature, in Congress, as labor secretary for President Barack Obama, and most recently on the Board of Supervisors.

Solis is chair of the Board of Supervisors and the L.A. Metro board. She’s been active in public health, housing, the homeless crisis, environmental issues and transportation. “At a time when steady leadership is needed most, I am and will continue to be a strong voice for equality and justice for all,” she wrote in an emailed response for a previous article a few weeks ago.

She’s running on her record, which includes helping pass Measure H in 2017, a one-quarter cent sales tax that raises about $355 million annually to combat homelessness, rolling out free COVID-19 vaccination clinics, free bus/rail rides for K-12 and community college students and helping to build affordable housing for unhoused and low-income people.

La Puente City Council member Argudo believes in a bottom-up approach, saying he would consult with the local cities and communities before passing sweeping policies.

In a previous article, Argudo criticized the Board of Supervisors for not providing adequate funding for the Sheriff’s Department, saying it led to increased crime in his city and other cities that rely on the county to protect their residents. “We should at least get (the budget) back to the levels that they were,” he said.

Sheriff’s Deputy Smith says he will build a strong team that’s efficient and transparent. Smith wants to investigate how money for the homeless is spent and wants to work with faith-based nonprofits.

Entrepreneur Dalton says if there are things he doesn’t know, he can find the right people that do. On the issue of homelessness and affordable housing, Dalton said in an emailed response from an earlier article: “I propose a place where people can go for complete rehabilitation, with every service you can think of, including mental health and addition treatments, and job training.”

Tammy Solis did not leave any contact information with the Registrar-Recorder’s Office.

Related links

Hilda Solis seeks third term for Board of Supervisors, draws four challengers

Coronavirus: L.A. County is 74% fully vaccinated with 3,312 new cases and 67 new deaths

Election 2022: Who will replace Sheila Kuehl on LA County Board of Supervisors?

2022 Primary: Here’s how California’s electorate has changed over the years

LA County’s $38.5 billion budget adds 513 new positions, keeps current sheriff’s funding

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Election 2022: In 30th state Senate race, incumbent Democrat, Republican headed to November runoff

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 12:10:42 +0000

Incumbent Democrat Bob Archuleta of Pico Rivera and Republican Mitch Clemmons, a plumbing contractor and business owner, will be going to a November runoff in the 30th state Senate primary.

They led two Democrats in the semi-final count released Wednesday, June 8. Archuleta and Clemmons each had 36% of the vote or 22,466 and 22,321 votes, resepectively.

Democrat Martha Camacho-Rodriguez, who held a seat on Cerritos College board before her current role as a member of the Central Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors, had 9,168 or nearly 15% of the vote.

Democrat Henry Bouchot, who chose earlier this year not to run for reelection for Whittier City Council, has 7,963 votes or nearly 13% of the vote.

Complete election coverage here

Archulta said he is excited about the results.

“The community has come together,” he said, referring to reapportionment. The new 30th combines the 32 and 29th. We have a lot of differences but we still have the same need of service and representation. They realized it would be a good idea to keep me.”

For Archuleta, having a crowded race against local officials is nothing new. He won four years ago against a field of nine including six former or current elected officials.

Though recent redistricting led to a change in ID number, the boundaries of the area currently represented by Archuleta (SD-32) are largely the same for the newly drawn SD-30. Still, the new district is slightly less blue, since its boundaries now extend east to pick up a lot of Walnut and Diamond Bar and it swapped out Buena Park for Brea. Registered Democrats in the new SD-30 now hold a 28-point advantage over registered Republicans.

The hottest issue in the race dates back to March 2021, when an unnamed former staffer filed a lawsuit in which she accused Archuleta of sexual harassment, including claims of unwanted advances.

The suit also alleges Archuleta retaliated against the employee for raising concerns and had violated other labor laws, leading her to resign after 14 years working in politics.

Archuleta, in a statement, described the claims in the suit as “categorically false.”

He said he would never knowingly mistreat or disrespect a female employee and believes in their absolute right to come forward and be heard if and when they believe that standard has been violated.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 3.

Archuleta and Bouchot have spent lots of money.

Archuleta has spent nearly $700,000, while Bouchot has spent more than $400,000, The other two didn’t file electronically.

Archuleta is unfazed. He says he wants a second term so he can continue to tackle issues such as homelessness and housing, and to help veterans and address climate change.

Bouchot and Archuleta agree on a number of key issues, Bouchot cited some policy positions a bit further to the left than Archuleta. That includes his call for “much more aggressive” government policies to tackle climate change, while Archuleta supports “slightly more aggressive” policies.

Addressing water contamination would be a key focus of Rodriguez’s time in the state Senate. She’s also active around housing issues, equity, and mass transit.

Clemmons’ campaign slogan is “serving God, serving people.”

Clemmons is campaigning on aims to make neighborhoods safer, help reduce inflation and taxes, restore good education and protect the unborn.

He’s the sole SD-30 candidate who opposes abortion rights and would vote against the legality of gay marriage if it came before the legislature.

Related links

State Sen. Bob Archuleta helps Whittier get $5 million grant for Parnell Park

Whittier councilman plans to take on incumbent state senator Archuleta

Bouchot chooses not to run for re-election to Whittier council

Elections 2018: Democrat Bob Archuleta leads Republican Rita Topalian in race for Tony Mendoza’s old state Senate seat

Tony Mendoza comeback rejected by voters in LA-area state Senate district

Sergio Quintanilla Charged With Molesting Boy He Met Through Kingdom Hall Of Jehovah’s Witness In La Puente

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 18:11:14 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A man who was a regular member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness in La Puente until just recently has been arrested on suspicion of molesting a child whose family attended the church.

(credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

Sergio Quintanilla, 44, was arrested Aug. 23 near his home in La Puente. He has since been charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child and sodomy of a person under 14 years old, both felonies. Quintanilla is being held on $450,000 bail and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Sept. 22.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, investigators became aware of Quintanilla when a man reported he had been molested in 2001 when he was about 8 or 9 years old by a family friend he knew through the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness church campus in La Puente. The victim told investigators the man sexually molested him over the course of six to eight months after gaining his family’s trust.

Quintanilla was an active member of that church until recently, and his participation in the church gave him access to youth and youth activities, authorities said.

Investigators say they believe Quintanilla may have more victims. Anyone with information about Quintanilla or believes they may be a victim can call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273 or via email at specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org.

Motorcyclist Captured In East LA After Leading CHP Officers On High-Speed Pursuit

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 13:24:16 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) – A high-speed chase with a motorcyclist ended with his arrest in East Los Angeles early Wednesday morning.

July 28, 2021. (CBSLA)

The pursuit began sometime before 3:30 a.m. It traversed the 105 and 605 freeways before coming to an under the 60 Freeway overpass in East L.A.

The suspect pulled over on the shoulder and was detained, California Highway Patrol confirmed.

The circumstances which sparked the chase were not immediately known. The suspect was not identified.

Friends Of 35-Year-Old Luis Mendoza, Shot And Killed Saturday On 60 Freeway, Speak Out

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 05:40:41 +0000

HACIENDA HEIGHTS (CBSLA) – Outside the La Puente home of 35-year-old Luis Mendoza, shot and killed in car-to-car-shooting incident on the 60 Freeway that also injured his two teenage sons Saturday, a memorial has been growing.

CHP Investigators scour the 60 Freeway for evidence in a Saturday, July 3, 2021 shooting, that led to the death of a 35-year-old man and injured his two sons. (CBSLA)

Jovane Rodriguez was a close friend.

“You get an unexpected call from the hospital. Your boy’s gone. It’s just…what? Shocking,” Rodriguez said.

Mendoza had been driving his Chevy Avalanche on the 60 Freeway Saturday afternoon when, witnesses told California Highway Patrol investigators, a person in the passenger seat of a gray compact opened fire. The shots struck and killed Mendoza who’s known as “Gordo,” Spanish slang for chubby.

“…very down to earth. He was always there for us. Anything we needed, Gordo was the guy to turn to,” Rodriguez said.

Two of Mendoza’s sons had been in the truck with him. He had just picked them up to take them to his home for an Independence Day celebration. Both boys were injured when the Avalanche crashed into another car on the freeway as a result of the shooting.

“Who are those kids going to look up to now?” Rodriguez said.

One of the boys is still hospitalized while his brother has been released. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with the funeral expenses.

CHP said right now they have very little to go on and no description of the shooter.

“We need justice for Gordo. Someone had to see something. Please speak up,” Rodriguez said.

Mendoza was about to reach his freeway offramp at Seventh Street when he was shot and killed. He leaves behind five children.

Cow Captured In El Monte After Running Loose Through South El Monte, La Puente

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 22:53:03 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — A cow that got loose under the 60 Freeway in South El Monte has been corralled not far away in El Monte.

(credit: CBS)

Authorities were called to Durfee Avenue and Peck Road at about 4:07 a.m. on the report of a cow on the loose. It’s unclear where the cow came from or how it got loose, but the CHP says it did not impact the morning commute because it was ran off under the freeway.

The cow was spotted in the 13000 block of Proctor Avenue, but then later ran into the city of El Monte as authorities moved in to capture it.

Livestock is not what immediately comes to mind when thinking of Southern California, but this is the second incident of cows running loose in about a week.

On June 22, 40 cows escaped a slaughterhouse in Pico Rivera when an employee accidentally left a gate open. The cows stampeded through neighborhoods, caused some property damage, and one was shot to death by a deputy after charging at a family.

One of those cows, who evaded captured for at least a day, was granted a stay of execution by songwriter Diane Warren, who came forward to pay for the animal to live out its life at an animal sanctuary.

Only On CBS2: Lyft Driver Attacked By Passenger Picked Up From Whittier Hospital

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 01:22:23 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A Lyft driver Wednesday credited employees at a La Puente gas station for saving him from a passenger after a ride turned violent.

A Lyft driver took shelter in a La Puente gas station after he said a passenger got violent during the ride. (Cell phone video)

“He hit about probably a total of 10 times during this ride,” Tom Lansford, the driver, said.

He said he got the assignment Monday night on the Lyft app to pick up someone named Raul from Whittier Hospital

“There were two orderlies with him,” Lansford said. “It was one of those rides where they say, ‘Only take the person to where we tell you to go, don’t alter from that.'”

But Lansford said the passenger started demanding he be taken to a different location as soon as he got into the car.

“He goes, ‘I’m your worst nightmare, and you’re going to take me where I want to go,'” he said.

When Lansford tried to explain that he couldn’t because the ride was being paid for by someone else, he said things got violent.

“He hit me on my shoulder pretty hard on this shoulder from the backseat,” Lansford said. “I just tell him, ‘Hey, please calm down, I’m just doing my job. I’m 68. Why are you hitting me.'”

The quick-thinking driver then pulled into the Thrifty gas station in La Puente, took out the keys and ran inside. That’s when Lansford said the man kicked open his door and ransacked the car.

“All the stuff, he just threw it,” he said.

Employees at the gas station called 911 and kept the man, who they said appeared unstable, outside. Sheriff’s deputies arrived and began searching for the passenger who had walked off.

But Lansford said his frustration is with the hospital.

“They knew this guy had problems,” he said. “They should have gotten the right type of transportation for him.”

A hospital spokesperson said they have a contract with Lyft and frequently order rides as a courtesy for patients. The spokesperson said the hospital was looking into the incident.

“I really think there should be some kind of accountability where the hospital, instead of just pawning off a guy like this on an unsuspecting driver,” Lansford said. “If I would have been a young woman Lyft driver, it could have a whole lot different.”

And though he was able to clean up his car and fix the door, he said he could not help but think about what could have happened if he had not found a gas station full of employees willing to help.

“I don’t know what he would have done if I would have got to the destination he wanted to go to,” Lansford said.

It was not immediately clear who ordered the ride for the passenger, nor was it clear if anyone in the hospital knew that the passenger posed a danger.

Motorcyclist Leads Authorities On Dangerous, High-Speed Pursuit Through East LA County

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 19:24:13 +0000

WEST COVINA (CBSLA) – Authorities were in pursuit of a speeding motorcyclist in East Los Angeles County Monday.

June 7, 2021. (CBSLA)

The pursuit involving Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies began sometime before 11:20 a.m. when they attempted to pull him over on the 605 Freeway. The suspect refused to stop, prompting a chase that wound its way onto the 10 Freeway.

The suspect eventually made his way onto surface streets in West Covina and La Puente. At one point the suspect wound his way through the parking lot of a shopping center, weaving in and out of cars.

The suspect reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour. At one point, he appeared to toss a bag from the motorcycle. The bike did not have a license plate. He then drove into a gas station, where he appeared to take gas from another drive before taking off again.

He eventually made his back onto the northbound 605 Freeway and exited in Monrovia. He then jumped back onto the westbound 210 Freeway.

There was no word on exactly where and why the pursuit began. It’s unclear if the motorcycle was stolen.

WATCH: A motorcyclist stopped for gas during a wild pursuit in La Puente Monday. LIVE COVERAGE HERE: https://t.co/xlZYJzEM1B pic.twitter.com/3O9rXjYxIf

— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) June 7, 2021

The man hid in the garage before being found and arrested around 12:36 p.m., said Lisa Derderian of the city of Pasadena.

After the man was taken into custody, authorities summoned a bomb squad to the scene to make sure the parking garage was safe due to a concerning note that the motorcyclist left on the bike, Derderian said.

The immediate area around the parking garage was under evacuation orders, and it was unclear when evacuations might be lifted.

Details of the note left on the bike were not disclosed.

27-Year-Old Edgar Benitez, Of Covina, Identified As Victim In Fatal La Puente Shooting

Fri, 28 May 2021 19:37:23 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) – Edgar Benitez, 27, from Covina was pronounced dead at the scene of Thursday morning shooting in La Puente in the 18600 block of Villa Park Street.

The shooting occurred at approximately 9:55 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement did not release any information on the circumstances of the shooting .

No arrests have been reported and no suspect description was provided.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Man Shot To Death In La Puente

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 03:26:07 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) – A man was shot to death Saturday evening in La Puente.

The shooting occurred about 6:50 p.m. in the 13900 block of Amar Road, according to Deputy Miguel Meza of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Meza said.

Sheriff’s homicide detectives were conducting a crime scene investigation and could not immediately provide additional details, he said.

Anyone with information was asked to call homicide detectives at 323- 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Child Shot, Wounded In La Puente

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 14:18:01 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A child was shot and wounded in La Puente Wednesday night.

Jan. 14, 2021. (CBSLA)

The shooting occurred in the 14200 block of Nelson Avenue at around 9:15 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The child was struck in the leg.

The child was treated and later released from a hospital, the sheriff’s department told CBSLA early Thursday morning. The victim’s age was not confirmed.

The circumstances of the shooting were not confirmed. There was no word on whether any suspects or motive had been identified.

$20K Reward Offered To Catch Shooter Who Killed Boy, 10, In La Puente

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:20:08 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a killer who fatally shot a 10-year-old boy as he rode in a car with his family in La Puente.

Authorities released this sketch Tuesday of a man wanted in connection with a May shooting death of a 10-year-old boy. (LASD)

Enrique Sebastian Falcon was in a car with his parents the night of May 17 when someone from another car opened fire on the family near Hacienda Boulevard and Amar Road.

“That area, there’s businesses there,” Lt. Charles Calderaro, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, said. “Detectives are working tirelessly with our tech crew to dissect all that information at this time.”

Police said the suspect pulled up alongside the family with his headlights off. When the boy’s stepfather told the other driver to turn on his headlights, the gunman opened fire on them. Enrique was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

“My son is missed,” Adriana Campos, the boy’s mother, said Tuesday. “We all miss him, and we just want justice.”

Detectives are looking for the gunman, the vehicle and any other suspects involved.

Few details have been released, but a composite sketch of the suspect has was shown at a news conference Tuesday. The suspect vehicle was described only as a dark-colored sedan.

“This is such a tragedy for Sebastian’s family and the community as a whole to see the loss of such a young, innocent boy,” Calderaro said.

Two $10,000 cash rewards, arranged by LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis and the city of La Puente, are being offered for information leading to the capture and conviction of the person or people responsible for the fatal shooting.

Pickup Truck Sought For Hit-And-Run Crash That Killed 82-Year-Old Man In La Puente

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 16:15:35 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Help is needed Wednesday to find a pickup truck that fatally struck an 82-year-old man who was walking on a sidewalk along Valley Boulevard in La Puente.

The California Highway Patrol says the crash happened last Friday at about 9:45 a.m. on Valley Boulevard, west of Giano Avenue, in an unincorporated area of La Puente.

Ramon Reynoso was walking on the north sidewalk, when the westbound truck veered to the right, crossed over to the north sidewalk, and hit him. Reynoso was taken to Pomona Valley Medical Hospital, where he died.

The truck’s driver fled the scene and was last seen driving westbound on Valley Boulevard.

(credit: California Highway Patrol)

It was described as a white 1990s Ford Ranger with a landscaping business logo on the doors. At the time of the crash, the truck had landscaping equipment like a lawnmower in the open bed area.

The CHP says the truck will have accident damage, including a broken right-side headlight and possible damage to the right side.

Anyone with information about the crash can call Officer David Huggett or Officer Christian Rodriguez at (626) 338-1164 and reference CHP Case No. 9525-2020-03750.

$10K Reward Offered For Information In Shooting Death Of 10-Year-Old Boy

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 23:20:19 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — The city of La Puente announced Friday that it was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the shooting death of a 10-year-old boy.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Enrique Sebastian Falcon was shot at killed while riding in a family vehicle near the intersection of Hacienda Boulevard and Amar Road in La Puente on May 17 at about 9:15 p.m.

#LASD Seeking Public’s Help for any information in the Murder of Enrique Sebastian Falcon, La Puentehttps://t.co/ecOkXJXc8k pic.twitter.com/sV4P2ChtrA

— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) July 24, 2020

Anyone with information about the fatal shooting was encouraged to call LASD Det. Bailey at 323-890-5500. Information can be provided anonymously by calling 800-222-8477.

Homicide Detectives Investigate Death At La Puente Hotel

Tue, 26 May 2020 23:44:12 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday were investigating after finding a body at the Valley Inn in La Puente.

The unidentified male body was found at 1:55 p.m. at the hotel in the 13000 block of Valley Boulevard, near the 605 Freeway.

It was not immediately known how the man died.

Anyone with information about the death was asked to contact the sheriff’s department at 323-890-5500.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Boy, 10, Fatally Shot While Riding In Car With Parents In La Puente

Tue, 19 May 2020 00:27:52 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A 10-year-old boy was shot to death while riding in a car with his family, authorities said Monday.

The boy was in a car that was driving in the area of Hacienda Boulevard and Amar Road at about 9:40 p.m. Sunday when someone in a dark sedan fired at them.

The boy’s parents called 911 and met with deputies on Fifth Street and Temple Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Tracy Koerner said.

The boy was hit in the upper torso. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Homicide detectives collected evidence at both locations. A motive for the shooting was not known.

“This shooting occurred between one vehicle shooting into another vehicle, so it wasn’t an exchange of gunfire from what we’ve determined so far,” sheriff’s Lt. Charles Calderaro said.

A description of the shooter or shooters was not released. Detectives will comb the area Monday for businesses that might have security video of the shooting.

Mylar Balloon Causes Gas Leak After Hitting Power Line In La Puente; Dozens Of People Displaced

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 04:25:00 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A Mylar balloon that came into contact with power lines caused a slew of problems in La Puente Monday evening.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, they responded to the 700 block of Willow Ave. just after 4 p.m. after the balloon came into contact with some wires causing them to spark.

The power lines then fell on residential structures energizing utilities inside of the homes, causing the gas lines to fail, according to a Los Angeles County fire captain.

Upon their arrival, they found water leaking underground as well as damage to a gas line.

At least 39 people were displaced as a result of the gas leak, L.A. County Fire said.

Red Cross was on scene assisting those that have been displaced.

So Cal Gas was able to stop the leak. No injuries were immediately reported.

2 People Hospitalized After Shooting In La Puente, Suspect At Large

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:26:13 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Two people were taken to the hospital in unknown condition after a shooting in La Puente.

The shooting happened at about 3:30 p.m. near the intersection of Sunset and Temple avenues.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was searching for at least one suspect who allegedly fled in a white vehicle.

La Puente Man Arrested For Selling $23M In Fake Laptop Batteries Online

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 17:10:18 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A 28-year-old Chinese man who lives in La Puente was arrested by federal authorities Thursday on allegations he sold $23.8 million worth of counterfeit laptop batteries online — on websites such as a Amazon and eBay — over a period of several years.

Zoulin Cai, who also went by the name Allen Cai, was taken into custody at his La Puente home on one federal count each of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and labels, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Cai sold the fake batteries over eBay and Amazon by falsely advertising them under brand-name companies such as Apple, Dell, HP and Toshiba.

Beginning in 2012, he worked for a China-based company run by his relatives called Thesues Technology which manufactured these counterfeit lithium-ion batteries, prosecutors said.

Fake lithium-ion laptop batteries can overheat, cause fires or even explosions, the Justice Department said.

The batteries were shipped out of several warehouses in La Puente and the City of Industry between 2014 and June of 2019, prosecutors allege, bringing in $23.8 million in revenue over that time for Cai and his associates. More than $18 million of that was then laundered through Chinese bank accounts under the guise of Thesus Technology and other Chinese businesses, the Justice Department said.

Cai used some of the money he made to lease a Maserati.

He faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison if convicted as charged.

La Puente Green Beret Among 2 Killed During Combat In Afghanistan

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:45:23 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A La Puente man was one of two Green Berets killed during combat in Afghanistan Wednesday.

Thirty-five-year-old Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez died from wounds sustained during small arms fire, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

The other soldier was identified as 31-year-old Master Sgt. Luis F. DeLeon-Figueroa of Chicopee, Mass.

The two Green Berets were assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) based out of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Man Taken Into Custody Following Nearly 7-Hour Standoff In La Puente

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 09:57:48 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — An unarmed man suspected of kidnapping and assaulting a woman is in custody after a nearly seven-hour standoff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team at a home in La Puente.

Deputies first responded to the home in the 200 block of Covina Boulevard around 7 p.m. Friday to try to coax the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Aaron Martin, out of the home. When Martin failed to surrender, the SWAT team was called to the scene. LASD officials said Martin was taken into custody around 1:45 a.m. without a use of force or weapons.

Prior to the arrival of deputies, a woman was taken to the hospital with reported injuries. It is unclear how she sustained those injuries. The sheriff’s department said the woman was talking with investigators.

Throughout the ordeal, there were no ordered evacuations in the area.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

2 Men Shot Outside Motel In Latest La Puente Shooting

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 12:33:20 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Two men were shot early Wednesday in a motel parking lot in La Puente, where there have been a string of shootings over the past week.

The latest shooting happened just after 2 a.m. at the Valley Inn, 13010 Valley Blvd., where Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies found a 19-year-old man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and is undergoing surgery.

A second man with a gunshot wound to the arm was found soon after. He was also taken to the hospital in unknown condition.

Investigators are working to determine if the two men were shot by another gunman who is still on the loose, or if the men shot at each other. Detectives say there was a large group of people at the scene when shots rang out, and it’s possible a fight may have led to the gunfire.

Wednesday’s shooting is the latest in a string of shootings in La Puente. Three people have been killed over the past week, and it’s still not known if they were gang related. Detectives say they do not believe Wednesday’s shooting was gang related.

La Puente Shooting Leaves One Man Dead

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 05:17:13 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies are investigating a Monday shooting in La Puente that left one man dead.

According to police, the shooting happened in the 15400 block of Temple Avenue just before 3 p.m. Portions of Temple remained closed well into Monday evening as police conducted their investigation.

The victim, a Hispanic male, suffered a single gunshot wound to the torso and was declared dead at the scene.

There is no suspect information available and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the sheriff’s department at 323-890-5550.

1 Dead, 2 Wounded In La Puente Shooting

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 05:32:01 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Authorities say three people were shot — one fatally — in La Puente Sunday evening.

Homicide detectives were dispatched to the scene in the 400 block of Tonopah Ave. CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Jeff Nguyen says the shooting happened just after 6:30 p.m.

One man — shot at least once in the upper torso — was pronounced dead at the scene. A second adult male was wounded and transported to a nearby hospital. He was shot twice in the torso and is in critical condition. A third male victim was shot in the hand and expected to be okay.

Nguyen said there were many people hugging and crying on the lawn. “Very emotional and very tense.”

He added, “No one in the neighborhood wanted to talk.”

One man did tell him the victim was his brother.

The search continues for the gunman. Authorities said they are looking for two Latinos who left the area in a silver or dark-colored SUV.

There is no known motive for the shooting, said LA Sheriff’s Deputies.

The investigation is ongoing.

This was the second fatal shooting in La Puente over the weekend. On Friday night, one man was killed in an apparent drive-by shooting in the 100 block of North Winton.

Meanwhile, two miles away and about two hours later, a man and a woman sitting in a car in West Covina were also shot.

The shooting occurred in the 900 block of West Cameron Street.

The suspect in this shooting is also at large. No suspect description was given.

1 Dead, 1 Critical Following Apparent Drive-By Shooting In La Puente

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:12:23 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — One man is dead and another in critical condition following an apparent Friday night drive-by shooting in La Puente.

The shooting happened in the 100 block of N. Winton Avenue at approximately 10:35 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

A statement from LASD said homicide detectives responded to the location after getting calls of a gunshot victim. When they arrived, they found a 31-year-old man, later identified as David Juarez, with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso. Juarez was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other victim, a 22-year-old man, was found with a single gunshot wound to his upper torso. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition.

A sheriff’s lieutenant told reporters at the scene that the shooting appeared to be a drive-by shooting and that they were looking for a blue Nissan Altima.

LASD said the motive was unknown, and they did not provide any suspect information. The investigation is ongoing.

Police ask that anyone with information about the incident call homicide investigators at 323-890-5500.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Ex-La Puente Teacher Convicted Of Molesting Students Faces New Charges

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 17:20:29 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) – A 55-year-old ex-teacher already serving prison time for molesting several children at a La Puente elementary school where he taught is facing new child molestation charges.

Jose Martinez. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

Jose Martinez of Rowland Heights was convicted in 2018 of molesting several female students at Rowland Elementary School between 2015 and 2018.

On April 7, a now 16-year-old girl came forward to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies to report that she had also been molested by Martinez while a student in his first grade class at Rorimer Elementary back in 2010.

Following an investigation, Martinez was charged May 2 with two new counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old. He is currently being held in the L.A. County jail awaiting arraignment on the new charges, the sheriff’s department reports.

His next hearing is scheduled for July 8.

Sheriff’s detectives believe that Martinez may have more victims. Anyone with information on the case should call the LASD toll free tip line at 877-710-5273.

Car Slams Into La Puente Bedroom Where Woman Was Sleeping

Mon, 13 May 2019 18:01:23 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A woman sleeping in her bed was jolted awake by a car slamming into her home crashing into her bedroom wall late Sunday.

A black BMW sedan slammed into a home in the area of Molinar and Amar Road in La Puente just before midnight, a crash that was witnessed by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who happened to be conducting an arrest nearby.

(credit: CBS)

The car was left wedged into the home at an angle. It had crashed through the wall the bed was resting against, leaving the bed’s metal headboard askew and the rest of the bed pushed into the center of the bedroom.

Homeowner Grace Fierro had just gone to bed 15 minutes earlier.

“I didn’t hear anything. The thing that I woke up to, that it had thrown me, and I was stepping on all this sheet rock. So I was off the bed, and then it was so dusty, that I was trying to figure out what had happened. I didn’t know if it was an earthquake or what,” Fierro said. “Then I saw, I saw there was something outside. I realized it was a hole in the wall and I could see it was a car.”

Fierro was taken to a hospital, but somehow only suffered a bump on the head.

The driver took off running after the crash. Deputies are working to figure out who owns the car.

Toddler Expected To Recover After Falling Into Underground Oil Tank

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 21:41:03 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A toddler who fell into an underground storage tank Sunday afternoon in La Puente is recovering after undergoing surgery.

Neighbors said the 2-year-old boy was alert and crying when paramedics rushed him to the hospital.

The scary incident happened Sunday afternoon during an Easter gathering when the child wandered off.

Panicked cries filled the neighborhood after people realized the boy had fallen down the hole.

Behind a fence, a pile of boards and bricks covered an opening that leads into a deep well on an empty lot.

According to the lot owner, the tank was filled with a mixture of oil and water and was covered with rotted plywood.

The child’s rescue was captured on cellphone video.

“Get a towel! Get a towel,” someone is heard shouting.

The video captures the exact moment when the toddler was pulled from the storage tank.

The sound of the boy crying is clearly audible as is the cries of his mother and onlookers.

The mom is also heard thanking a neighbor who jumped in to pull the little boy out.

(credit: cellphone video)

Miguel Rocha grabbed a ladder and lowered it down the hole as his neighbor jumped in after the boy.

He called his neighbor a hero for acting without thought of his own safety.

“I seen it. He saved…the life of a baby,” Rocha said.

Natalie Rizo said everyone in the neighborhood knows about the tank — and as far as she knows it is always covered.

She was there when her neighbor and the toddler emerged, just as police and fire arrived at the scene.

In the cellphone video, the boy appears to be covered in what she described as slick and foul-smelling.

“He was wearing his clothes,” Rizo said, “but he was like he looked like he was covered in something oily, like really glossy. The guy that jumped in he said that he had like his eyes were burning so he had sent to the hospital for that and the baby to get checked, too.”

Neighbors say they have no idea how or why the little boy fell in — and they say he’s not from the neighborhood.

Only On 2: Toddler Expected To Recover After Falling Into Foul-Smelling Underground Storage Tank

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 06:23:56 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A toddler who fell into an underground storage tank Sunday afternoon in La Puente is recovering after undergoing surgery.

Neighbors said the 2-year-old boy was alert and crying when paramedics rushed him to the hospital.

The scary incident happened Sunday afternoon. CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Laurie Perez reported from the scene where the accident was on everyone’s mind.

Behind a fence, a pile of boards and bricks covers an opening that leads into a deep well.

Neighbors aren’t sure if the liquid inside the well is water, oil or something else.

The child’s rescue was captured on cellphone video.

“Get a towel! Get a towel,” someone is heard shouting.

The video captures the exact moment when the toddler was pulled from the storage tank.

The sound of the boy crying is clearly audible as is the cries of his mother and onlookers.

The mom is also heard thanking a neighbor who jumped in to pull the little boy out.

(credit: cellphone video)

Witnesses told Perez there was a picnic going on when the toddler disappeared. Panicked cries filled the neighborhood after people realized the boy had fallen down the hole.

The hole sits in an empty lot and neighbors told Perez it’s been there for years.

Miguel Rocha grabbed a ladder and lowered it down the hole as his neighbor jumped in after the boy.

He called his neighbor a hero for acting without thought of his own safety.

“I seen it. He saved…the life of a baby,” Rocha said.

Natalie Rizo said everyone in the neighborhood knows about the tank — and as far as she knows it is always covered.

She was there when her neighbor and the toddler emerged, just as police and fire arrived to the scene.

In the cellphone video, the boy appears to be covered in what she described as slick and foul-smelling.

“He was wearing his clothes,” Rizo said, “but he was like he looked like he was covered in something oily, like really glossy. The guy that jumped in he said that he had like his eyes were burning so he had sent to the hospital for that and the baby to get checked, too.”

Neighbors say they have no idea how or why the little boy fell in — and they say he’s not from the neighborhood.

No one answered the door at the home that had the picnic, Perez reported.

Chain Reaction Crash Injures 5, Including 2 CHP Officers, In La Puente

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 13:29:07 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — A suspected drunk driver is in custody after a chain reaction crash that hurt five people, including two California Highway Patrol officers, and shut down the eastbound 60 Freeway for hours early Tuesday.

The officers had spotted a car that had stopped on the side of the eastbound lanes near the 605 Freeway at about 2:50 a.m. and stopped to help the driver. Both officers, the CHP squad car and the driver were all struck by another car going east on the freeway.

That car spun out of control and stopped in middle lanes, where it was hit by a fourth car.

The eastbound lanes of the 60 Freeway were shut down for hours for the investigation and clean-up. The lanes reopened by 5:30 a.m.

All three collisions are under investigation. One of the drivers, 23-year-old Adrian Estrada of El Monte, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

Everyone involved in the crashes were hospitalized, but the officers have since been treated and released from County-USC Medical Center. The most severely injured person was a passenger in Estrada’s car.

Suspect Arrested In Gas Station Robbery Spree

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 01:12:53 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — Police have arrested a suspect wanted in a string of early morning robberies at six gas stations across La Puente.

The robberies started Sunday morning around 6 a.m. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Mark Gonzalez, of Valinda, hit stations on Hacienda Blvd., Galindo Ave., Glendora Ave. and Amar Rd. before deputies caught him on the way to another location.

Investigators say the suspect walked in with his face covered and pretended to have a handgun under his sweatshirt.

The clerk at the Arco station hit on Hacienda Blvd. said the suspect asked for all the cash in the drawer and rolling papers. Another clerk at the Fast Trip on Valinda Ave. said the suspect got away with at least $180. All of the gas stations have security video of the robberies and have shared those recordings with investigators.

Rene Bouchot has lived in the neighborhood for decades and says crime like this is getting worse.

“I’ve been living here for 30 years and I’ve never seen so many robberies before now, so it’s weird, the city’s always been safe,” he said.

Edward Serrato echoed the sentiment.

“The city of La Puente is a great city to live in but in terms of the crime rate it just keeps going up and up and up,” he said.

Investigators say they may share security video with the public later in the week .

Panhandler Caught Using Photo Of Boy Tortured To Death To Raise Money For Fake Funeral

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 06:28:34 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) — The family of a small boy who died at the hands of his parents due to abuse is outraged after images of a panhandler using his image to raise funds for a fake funeral emerged on social media.

Several people posted photos of a man in La Puente asking for money for the funeral of Jose Mendoza, who supposedly died of leukemia. In reality, the photo was of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old Palmdale boy whose gruesome death made headlines five years ago.

A witness who goes by “Mike” told CBS2 News he quickly figured out the man’s ruse.

“I turned red, I was so — I wanted to scream at him and say something to him, but I didn’t want to get involved,” said Mike, who saw the man on the corner of Amar Road and Hacienda Boulevard Thursday afternoon. “I immediately saw his picture, and I’m like, ‘The guy has the nerve to use the picture that’s all over the Internet.’ So, yeah, it hurt, but then it kind of turned [into] a little bit of anger.”

Mike took a photo of the man and shared it on Twitter.

Another witness also shared a photo of the man, ending her tweet, “They know what they’re doing is wrong smh”.

Mike agrees.

“I’m a firm believer in karma, and I hope it comes back to him,” echoed Mike.

(L) Man in La Puente asking for donations for a fake funeral using the photo of Gabriel Fernandez, the 8-year-old Palmdale boy who was tortured and killed by his mother and her boyfriend, July 19, 2018. (SOURCE: @sierranchavez/Twitter)

Gabriel died in May 2013 after he was starved and beaten by his mother Pearl Sinthia Fernandez and her boyfriend Isauro Aguirre. During their trials for murder and torture, prosecutors revealed gruesome details of the boy’s abuse, which included getting handcuffed, being shot by a BB gun and getting pepper-sprayed.

Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison, and Aguirre was given the death penalty earlier this year.

Gabriel’s cousin told CBS2 she is outraged but has seen this type of scheme before in her neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.

She had the following message for the persons perpetrating the lies: Gabriel suffered a lot during his lifetime. He was buried 5 years ago. Let him rest in peace.

Panhandlers are allowed to ask for money as long they don’t accost the public or do it in specific areas like freeway off-ramps.

Teen Shot, Wounded By Officer In La Puente Following Pursuit, Crash Of Stolen Car

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 15:41:51 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) – An 18-year-old man driving a stolen vehicle was shot and wounded by a West Covina police officer following a pursuit and crash late Monday night in a La Puente neighborhood, authorities said.

The shooting occurred at 11:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of Sandy Hook Avenue.

(CBS2)

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the incident began when a West Covina police officer heard a call about a possible nearby robbery on his radio and then noticed an older Honda speeding by.

Thinking that the Honda may somehow be connected to the robbery, the officer attempted pull it over. However, when the suspect failed to stop, a short chase ensued.

The pursuit lasted about one minute before the suspect crashed into a center median on Hacienda Boulevard near Maplegrove Street, LASD reports.

The suspect then jumped out and ran. The officer gave chase, still in his patrol cruiser.

At some point, the officer shot the suspect while he was trying to detain him. The suspect was struck once in the upper torso. He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. His name was not released. The officer was not hurt.

It was later determined that the suspect was not connected to the robbery, but was in fact driving a stolen vehicle, the sheriff’s department said.

It is unclear if the officer fired on the suspect from the patrol vehicle or after he had exited the cruiser.

Sheriff’s department detectives are investigating.

Deputies Bust Pot Shop Operating Out Of Fake Church In La Puente

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:40:05 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department seized more than $20,000 worth of marijuana from a dispensary that was falsely operating as a church and arrested two people in La Puente, authorities said Thursday.

The bust, which was the result of a three-week investigation, occurred around 1 p.m. Wednesday in the 15500 block of Amar Road where the dispensary was professing itself to be “The Citadel Church of La Puente,” according to Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Through the investigation, authorities discovered the “church” was a dispensary selling marijuana, concentrated cannabis such as marijuana wax, various marijuana packaging and edibles such as chocolate bars, Navarro-Suarez said.

About four to five pounds of marijuana product, three small digital scales and surveillance equipment were also seized from the dispensary, which has a license issued by the city of La Puente to repair cellphones, according to Navarro-Suarez.

A man, who is a known gang member, and a woman were arrested at the scene but were later cited and released, Navarro-Suarez said.

Along with the $295 in U.S. currency seized at the location, the combined street value of the finished product for sale was estimated to be between $20,000 and $30,000, authorities said.

(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

La Puente Man Suspected Of Killing Woman Leaving Work In Industry

Sat, 16 Sep 2017 06:27:20 +0000

CITY OF INDUSTRY (CBSLA.com) — Authorities have identified the man they suspect of killing a young woman leaving her job in Industry earlier this month.

Martin Jesus Godinez of La Puente was seen leaving the area of the shooting that left Katy Nosic, 27, also of La Puente, dead on the night of September 4.

He is considered armed and dangerous.

Nosic was killed in the parking lot of the Golden Corral restaurant on the 17600 block of Castleton Street near the 60 Freeway, along a row of chain restaurants. She had been working at the restaurant for three weeks as a baker trainee, according to the “Los Angeles Times.”

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s department issued a bulletin for Godinez, 57, Friday. They say the killing might have been related to a domestic dispute, but the nature of the relationship was not revealed.

#Wanted, Suspect sought in Murder of woman in City of Industry parking lot. Armed & Dangerous! https://t.co/GSFXlJbRLA pic.twitter.com/TxQO7Skl4E

— LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) September 16, 2017

Police say a gunman, suspected to be Godinez, got out a gold 2003 Chrysler Town and Country minivan and fatally shot Nosic before fleeing in the vehicle. The van’s license plate is 5CKF285.

Anyone with information about Godinez’s whereabouts is encouraged to call LASD Homicide at (323)890-5500, or anonymously at (800)222-TIPS.

(©2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Suspect In Custody After Firing Shots At La Puente Trailer Park

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 13:44:04 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA.com) — A man is in custody after Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies fired shots at him early Friday morning.

The shooting was reported at 3:20 a.m. at the Covina Hills Mobile Home Park near the corner of Azusa and Temple avenues. Deputies were responding to a report of a man shooting at people near the trailer park.

The man was not wounded by the gunfire, and no other injuries were reported, sheriff’s officials said.

The intersection of Temple and Azusa was closed for the investigation.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Vehicle Crashes Into Power Pole, 2 Parked Cars In La Puente

Sun, 19 Mar 2017 00:10:16 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA.com) — A vehicle crashed into two parked cars and a Verizon pole in La Puente Saturday afternoon.

It happened at about 4 p.m. at Temple and Broadmoor avenues.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

No one was hurt.

La Puente Man Missing After Leaving For Hike In Sierra Madre

Sat, 29 Oct 2016 05:02:11 +0000

SIERRA MADRE (CBSLA.com) — The search for a missing hiker in Sierra Madre was expected to resume at 6 a.m. Saturday morning.

John Richard King, 63, left his La Puente home at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday to go hiking at Chantry Flats but never came home.

His vehicle was found in the parking area of Chantry Flats.

King’s family said he is an avid hiker in good shape and hikes in the area almost every other day.

“We didn’t hear from hear. So [we] tried calling him. Nothing. Trying our best to stay positive. We know he’s experienced. So hopefully, he’s out there,” said his son Scott King.

The terrain in the area is steep and rugged. Some of the trails have big drops. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, it received about 100 calls last year from people who needed help.

LAPD Hopes Newly Released Audio Helps Solve Taxi Driver’s Murder 15 Years Ago

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 06:23:11 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) – Just after midnight June 11, 2001, a man at a pay phone near 91st and Main Streets in South Los Angeles called the Bell Cab Co. for a ride.

The cab company sent Hak Choon Chun. Fifteen minutes later, the driver arrived and told dispatch he had picked up a customer. And that was the last communication the 61-year-old had with anyone.

Mark Hahn of the LAPD is the detective in the case. “What we saw were a pair of black shoes and just the victim’s legs sticking out from the drain,” Hahn recalled. “Somebody tried to hide him. The mystery of that has always stood out in my mind, and the way the victim was killed.”

Hahn and his partner, Bobby Bourbois, took CBS2/KCAL9’s Rachel Kim back to the scene, where they believed there may have been a dispute between Chun and whoever was in his cab.

Hahn said they did not have enough information to determine a motive. Whatever the motive was, it all ended with Chun being shot once.

The victim’s cab, a lime green Crown Victoria, was found along a residential street in Riverside later that day.

As Hahn tried to identify the killer, he began to home in on the call made by someone named Rick to the cab company.

As the detective listened to the call, he noticed something unusual about the caller’s conversation with the dispatcher.

Rick: “I’ll be outside because I’m having problems with that girl. Oh, man! It’s a long day.”

The caller vented and sounded troubled as he talked on a pay phone right in front of a business with apartments on top. Hahn believed the girl Rick was talking about lived up there.

Another critical piece of the puzzle was the fact that Rick told the taxi dispatcher that he was headed for La Puente.

Rick told the dispatcher that he wanted to go to Del Valle Avenue in La Puente.

But the address he gave did not exist. Hahn believed La Puente is important because Rick may have some sort of connection there.

“If this is a terrible accident, a result of a dispute, maybe a misunderstanding, we’re asking that either the lady who knows Rick or Rick himself come forward. We’re asking for the public’s help,” Hahn said.

Anyone who recognizes Rick’s voice or has any information about this case is urged to call detective Mark Hahn at (323) 786-5111.

Barricade Situation Involving Armed Man Reported At La Puente Home

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 04:52:32 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities said a La Puente man barricaded himself inside his La Puente home Sunday evening following a shooting.

Sky9’s Desmond Shaw said the situation started just after 5:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Peckham Street.

A SWAT team is aiding LA County Sheriff’s in the negotiating process.

The man’s family reported the suspect had a gun and had fired it. No one was hurt. The man’s family was able to escape, officials said.

The incident is playing out just east of the 605 Freeway and north of the 60, Shaw said.

Homicide Detectives Probe 24-Year-Old Woman’s Death In La Puente

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 03:36:22 +0000

LA PUENTE (CBSLA.com) — Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 24-year-old woman in La Puente Sunday.

Officers got a call to check out a home in the 13200 block of East Gyna Lane, east of the 605 Freeway.just before 9 a.m. Sunday, according to Deputy Kimberly Alexander of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Authorities said the death didn’t appear to be from natural causes but they are still trying to determine if foul play was involved.

The victim was found dead in her bedroom, KCAL9’s Jennifer Kastner reported.

As part of the mystery, officials said the woman was reportedly in good health.

Family members provided pictures of the victim, now identified as Kassandra Salvador, to Kastner.

She worked at a nearby Dave & Buster’s as an event planner. Salvador was also studying to become a nurse.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Salvador came home from work last evening and went to bed.

When her mother tried to wake her this morning, she found her unresponsive.

(credit: CBS)

Her parents called 911 and first responders declared her deceased.

There were no gun shot wounds or stab wounds. They aren’t ruling out a drug overdose or strangulation, Kastner reported.

Officials also told Kastner it’s possible the woman died from natural causes. She had a boyfriend and he is cooperating with authorities.

“I’ve known her since she was a little kid,” said family member Fred Padrone, “when she just come here from the Philippines. She was very lovely, funny. She was a very nice kid.”

Several homes in the neighborhood are equipped with surveillance equipment. Kastner said detectives were reviewing videos to see if they notice anything out of the ordinary.

Sheriff’s homicide detectives asked anyone with any information to call them at (323) 890-5500.

Woman Accused Of Driving Over Her Boyfriend, Killing Him

Wed, 11 May 2016 13:54:28 +0000

LA PUENTE (AP) — Prosecutors have charged a 52-year-old woman with running over her boyfriend with her car and killing him at a motel in La Puente.

On Sunday, Sharon Kay Hood and Randolph Morales, 51, were involved in a dispute inside their motel room, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The fight spilled into the parking lot and at some point Hood got in her car and drove over Morales.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Hood was arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

If convicted as charged, she faces 26 years to life in prison.

Hood is expected to appear in court on June 8.

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