LAFD inspectors accuse supervisors of cutting corners, ignoring fire hazards
A group of senior Los Angeles Fire Department inspectors says the agency has put the public at risk by cutting corners in a frantic effort to clear a backlog of thousands of large buildings overdue for safety reviews.
In interviews with The Times, the inspectors said their superiors have hurriedly…
20th Street Elementary parents protest potential change in school management
Not every parent at 20th Street Elementary School wants new leadership for their kids’ school. About 30 mothers gathered in front of the Los Angeles campus Friday morning with signs in English and Spanish, protesting a potential agreement that would give some control of school operations to the…
Undercover police sex stings targeting gay men endure, despite fierce criticism
Sitting in cars along the edge of the park, four Long Beach police officers waited for the right time to pounce.
The innocuous signal that spurred them to action came when they saw a middle-aged man close his laptop and head toward a public restroom known in the area as a place where men have sex…
How gay men in Long Beach were targeted by police and mocked by The Times a century ago
Long Beach’s morality was in doubt. So claimed the Los Angeles Times in numerous sensationalist 1914 stories about the arrests of 31 men allegedly tied to two private clubs in the city where gay men were said to cross dress and have sex with each other. It was a racy scandal, the Times sneered,…
What do parents need to know to find a good school? New federal rules help California find an answer
California is getting closer to defining what a good school should look like. But how will parents know if their school is one of them?
On Thursday, the federal government released draft regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act’s provisions on school accountability. Under the guidelines,…
Santa Monica pony ride owners, accused of abuse by animal rights activist, prevented from suing for libel
Marcy Winograd’s campaign against Tawni’s Ponies and Petting Farm began in March 2014, when Winograd launched an online petition claiming the Santa Monica Farmers Market attraction was “cruel and inhumane.”
She accused the couple who owned the ponies, Tawni Angel and Jason Nester, of forcing injured…
Water board moves to dismiss record fine against irrigation district
State water regulators are proposing to dismiss a record $1.5-million fine they intended to levy against a Northern California irrigation district accused of ignoring drought-related cuts in water diversions.
The State Water Resources Control Board slapped the fine on the Byron Bethany Irrigation…
Marcus Gordon, judge in the ‘Mississippi Burning’ trial, dies at 84
The unflappable state judge who presided over the “Mississippi Burning” trial – in which a defendant accused in the 1964 killing of three civil rights workers was convicted four decades later – died Thursday.
Retired Mississippi Circuit Judge Marcus Gordon died at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson,…
Trump is heading to Hollywood for ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ taping
After Wednesday’s noon rally in Anaheim, Donald Trump is expected to appear in Hollywood for a taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
The show’s website listed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as Wednesday’s guest, a day before Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders was scheduled to sit down…
Univision anchor criticized for speaking Spanish and discussing Trump in Cal State Fullerton address
Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas did not think she would incite any controversy when she delivered a small part of her commencement address at Cal State Fullerton in Spanish, or when she discussed the media’s role in covering presidential candidate Donald Trump. But Salinas was briefly heckled…
Condoms, tampons and feces: Oregon fraternity suspended after ‘disgraceful’ trashing of Shasta Lake
A University of Oregon fraternity was suspended after its members allegedly trashed a campsite at Shasta Lake in Northern California over the weekend, leaving behind piles of litter, feces and beer bottles and abandoning scores of tents.
Members of Oregon’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter are now under…
Former dental technician pleads guilty to sexual battery of female patients in San Diego
A former San Diego dental technician accused of groping female patients while they were under anesthesia pleaded guilty Wednesday to 13 felony and misdemeanor charges, including sexual battery and sexual penetration.
Luis Alfonso Ramos, 36, admitted charges related to incidents involving 13 victims…
Burbank police boost gang-enforcement efforts after concerns over jump in graffiti, violence
Four Burbank police officers will take on gang-enforcement duties in the coming months in response to community concerns about a recent uptick in gang graffiti, as well as a flurry of gang violence.
Two sergeants in the patrol division of the Burbank Police Department will oversee the hybrid unit,…
Mark your calendars: Bike-share will launch in downtown L.A. on July 7
After years of planning and delays, Los Angeles will finally see the launch of its own bike-sharing system.
Starting July 7, nearly 1,000 bicycles will be available for short-term rentals at 65 kiosks placed near downtown Los Angeles transit stops and destinations, including Union Station, the…
Burbank man arrested at Glendale Galleria after allegedly masturbating while staring at children
A 48-year-old Burbank man who was banned from the Glendale Galleria last year after being accused of sexual battery was caught there Tuesday “aggressively” masturbating while staring at three young children, police said.
Khajag Markarian, who reportedly has two pending sexual battery cases from…
Several arrested after Trump supporters and opponents square off at rally in Anaheim
Supporters and critics of Donald Trump squared off Wednesday as the presidential candidate held a rally in Anaheim, with police making several arrests after some demonstrators threw objects at them.
After Trump departed, a small group of protesters remained in the area, ignoring orders by police…
Headless, limbless body found at foot of Bay Bridge in West Oakland
A headless, limbless body has been found at the foot of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in West Oakland, police said.
The torso was found on rocks before noon Wednesday at the end of Burma Road off Maritime Street, near the foot of the old bridge currently being dismantled, Oakland authorities…
Sierra Madre bank robbed at gunpoint by bandit in mask and black hat
A robber wearing a mask and black hat held up a Sierra Madre bank Wednesday, pepper-spraying three people at gunpoint before fleeing with a bag of money, FBI officials said.
The man clad in a white shirt, white pants, a white mask and a black wide-brimmed hat burst into the Bank of the West on…
Boy, 8, hit and killed by trash truck in Newport Beach
An 8-year-old boy was struck and killed by a trash truck in a Newport Beach residential neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The boy was riding or walking with a bicycle on 15th Street between Irvine Avenue and Fullerton Avenue when the truck hit him about 1:30 p.m., according to Newport…
California to audit L.A.’s biggest group of charter schools after anti-union allegations
A panel of state lawmakers on Wednesday voted to audit Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a move that raises the stakes in a year-long battle over unionizing teachers at the biggest charter organization in Los Angeles.
Since launching a unionization effort last year, United Teachers Los Angeles…
Report on increase in mental competency cases leaves many unanswered questions
Misdemeanor cases filed by city attorneys are driving a surge in competency cases that is overwhelming Los Angeles County’s mental health court, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday.
The report suggests that the increase might be linked to the county’s rising homeless population,…
Ellen Junn named president of Stanislaus State, fifth woman in a row picked to lead a Cal State campus
California State University trustees named Ellen N. Junn as the new president of Cal State Stanislaus, marking the fifth time in a row that a woman has been appointed to lead a campus in the largest university system in the nation.
Junn, currently the provost and vice president of academic affairs…
Mark Twain’s famous frogs and a long-absent turtle species make their returns to Yosemite
A type of frog made famous by Mark Twain will soon be hopping and swimming through Yosemite National Park after a decades-long absence, officials said Wednesday.
The California red-legged frog, named for its colorful legs and belly, vanished from the park more than 40 years ago. It is the type…
The Weeknd and Belly cancel ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ performance because of Trump appearance
Amid a tempestuous swing through Southern California on Wednesday, Donald Trump made a stop in Hollywood for a taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” drawing a small crowd of protesters and prompting singer the Weeknd and rapper Belly to cancel their performances on the show.
Outside the El Capitan Theatre…
CHP officer is injured in a hit-and-run crash in Topanga Canyon
A California Highway Patrol officer was injured Wednesday night when a driver struck her in the Santa Monica Mountains and fled the scene.
The crash occurred about 9:15 p.m. along Topanga Canyon Boulevard north of Pacific Coast Highway, CHP Officer Leland Tang said. The officer was responding to…
PETA offers reward to catch the man who killed a dog on an L.A. sidewalk
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who police say slammed a small dog to death against a Boyle Heights sidewalk.
No arrests had been made Wednesday afternoon in connection with the dog’s death, according to the…
‘Manhunt over’: Arrest made in shooting of West Covina police officer after weeklong search
A man who was on the run after a West Covina police officer’s shooting was taken into custody Thursday, a day after a $20,000 reward was offered for his arrest, officials said.
Jose Luis Chavez, 47, was arrested about 2:06 a.m. in a home in the 1200 block of Foxworth Avenue in La Puente, according…
Dad turns himself in after starting blaze that killed 5-year-old son, Bay Area police say
A father surrendered to Richmond authorities Wednesday after police accused him of intentionally setting fire to his home and killing his 5-year-old son, officials said.
Darrylone Shuemake Sr., 53, called the Richmond Police Department about 11:30 a.m., saying he was at San Pablo and Barrett avenues…
Carjackers shoot, then drag man from Toyota Prius in East Hollywood
Two men shot and dragged a driver from his vehicle in an early-morning carjacking Thursday in East Hollywood.
The shooting occurred about 3:40 a.m. in the 5000 block of Sunset Boulevard, said Officer Jenny Houser, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Two gunmen approached a driver…
14 arrested at Trump rally protests in Anaheim
Police in Anaheim arrested 14 protesters Wednesday during a rally for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to authorities.
Most of the arrests occurred after some demonstrators threw objects at police, prompting authorities to declare the protest gathering an unlawful…
Missing California teen last seen bleeding and screaming for help as gunman drags her away
A search is underway for a 15-year-old Bay Area girl whose frightening disappearance has drawn concerns about her welfare after she was spotted bleeding and screaming for help as an armed man dragged her away.
Authorities worked through the night to find Pearl Pinson, who hasn’t been heard from…
Software glitch temporarily grounds all Los Angeles-bound flights from airports west of Denver
Days ahead of what is expected to be Southern California’s most heavily traveled Memorial Day weekend in a decade, a software issue with air traffic control grounded flights headed for Los Angeles on Thursday morning.
The issue kept all Los Angeles International Airport-bound flights from airports…
L.A. Unified superintendent leaves parents with questions at town hall
Rosaura Roa came to Nightingale Middle School on Wednesday to make sure L.A. Unified Supt. Michelle King knows about the problems at her children’s school, Arroyo Seco Museum Science Magnet.
Instead, she didn’t get to meet or talk to the superintendent, and she heard a similar overview of priorities that…
After decades of altrusim and hard work, a trail will run through the Santa Monica Mountains
For more than 50 years, Southern Californians have dreamed of following an uninterrupted trail among the sycamore canyons and sandstone peaks of the Santa Monica Mountains.
Over the decades, the Backbone Trail, stretching 67 miles between Point Mugu State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park,…
California cap-and-trade auction falls far short, delivering blow to state revenue and bullet train financing
The latest auction in California’s cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gases fell sharply below expectations, as buyers purchased just 2% of the carbon credits whose sale funds a variety of state programs — notably, the proposed high-speed rail project.
The quarterly auction, conducted May 18…
Students build a Viking ship and launch it
The hard work of dozens of Marina High School students and their woodwork teacher paid off Friday when the group set sail for the first time on a Viking ship they built together.
Bob Meade, who led the effort and has been a woodwork teacher at the Huntington Beach school for six years, said he…
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