Sunday, November 20, 2011

Earthquake: 3.1 quake strikes near Salton Sea

A shallow magnitude 3.1 earthquake was reported Sunday afternoon one mile from Obsidian Butte, near the Salton Sea, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 5:01 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 1.2 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 27 miles from El Centro and 93 miles from Tijuana, Mexico.

In the past 10 days, there have been seven earthquakes magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

-- Ken Schwencke

ALSO:

A court case highlights questions about the Salton Sea's future

UC president says he's "appalled" by UC Davis pepper spray incident

Flood advisory in Los Angeles County

Image: Location of the epicenter. Credit: Google Maps

UC President "appalled" at UC Davis pepper spray incident

Two UC Davis campus police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave over their controversial use of pepper spray on student protesters, university officials announced Sunday as the UC system president said he was “appalled” by the incident and promised a review of police procedures at all 10 University of California campuses.

Mark G. Yudof, the UC system president, said he would be talking to the 10 campus chancellors, as well as experts and other campus groups, “to conduct a thorough, far-reaching and urgent assessment of campus police procedures involving use of force, including post-incident review processes.”

“Free speech is part of the DNA of this university, and non-violent protest has long been central to our history,” Yudof said. “It is a value we must protect with vigilance. I implore students who wish to demonstrate to do so in a peaceful and lawful fashion. I expect campus authorities to honor that right.”

Yudof said he was prompted to seek the review by the UC Davis spraying as well as by how campus police at UC Berkeley used their batons to jab protesters at a recent demonstration there.

A video that showed an officer spraying a group of UC Davis students who were huddled on the ground Friday quickly went viral, drawing outrage and calls for the chancellor's resignation.

UC Davis spokeswoman Claudia Morain said the two officers placed on leave were the only officers they were able to identify as having deployed pepper spray.

The officers, whose names were not released, will remain on paid leave indefinitely.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi initially did not criticize police, but on Saturday said she would convene a task force to look into the incident. On Sunday, she said the faculty, students and staff who will serve on the task force will be chosen immediately and that they will have 30 days  to complete their report.

“I spoke with students this weekend, and I feel their outrage,” Katehi said in a statement. “I am deeply saddened that this happened on our campus, and as chancellor, I take full responsibility for the incident. However, I pledge to take the actions needed to ensure that this does not happen again.”

Police said officers were trying to get out of the protest area when they used the pepper spray. UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza told reporters Saturday that the decision to use the pepper spray was made at the scene. “The students had encircled the officers,” she said. The officers "needed to exit. They were looking to leave but were unable to get out.”

But the school said in a statement, “Videos taken during Friday’s arrests showed that the two officers used pepper spray on peacefully seated students.”

The incident occurred as police were attempting to clear an overnight encampment of 25 tents associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Ten protesters were arrested on misdemeanor charges of unlawful assembly and failure to disperse. Eleven were treated for the effects of pepper spray, including two who were taken to a hospital. The students were treated and released.

ALSO:

Flood advisory issued for parts of L.A. County

Voters think teachers unions are too powerful, new poll finds

Woman wounded in police shooting at Baldwin Village apartment

-- Larry Gordon

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 324

Click through for more photos of Southern California Moments
I'm ready: Delio Leon's dog Maximiliano cleans his nose right before their daily workout on Mt. Lee on Nov. 13.

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

Flood advisory issued for parts of L.A. County

The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory Sunday for Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles as well as the L.A. County communities of Tujunga, Sunland, Sierra Madre, Lake View Terrace, La Crescenta, La Cañada Flintridge, Monterey Park, Diamond Bar and Acton.

The advisory is in effect through 4 p.m. 

The weather service continued to predict moderate to heavy rains through the afternoon, with the heaviest rains centered in the Santa Monica Mountains and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Already, the rain has kept California Highway Patrol officers busy with fender-benders caused by the slick roadways starting at about 10 a.m., said Officer Ed Jacobs. The collisions have been concentrated in the western part of the county and so far have involved only minor injuries.

In one incident, a semi truck slid off the eastbound 118 Freeway at Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Pacoima at about 11 a.m. The truck fall down an embankment onto a surface street and overturned, striking a power pole. The driver sustained minor injuries.

ALSO:

Shooting in Downey leaves two men in critical condition

UC Davis officers placed on leave after pepper spray incident

Voters think teachers unions are too powerful, new poll finds

— Abby Sewell

 

Shooting in Downey leaves two men in critical condition

Two men were in critical condition after a shooting in Downey on Saturday night.

Police responded to a report of shots fired in the 11400 block of Horton Avenue at 8:50 p.m. and found two men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to a Downey police statement Sunday. Paramedics transported the victims to a local hospital.

Police had apparently identified a suspect, but did not provide a description. They said the suspect and victims were acquainted and had apparently argued before the shooting. They did not release the names of the victims or suspect or any other details.

Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Det. Steve Aubuchon at (562) 904-2361 or Det. Pete Chamberlain at (562) 904-2328.

-- Abby Sewell

UC Davis officers placed on leave after pepper spray incident

Two UC Davis campus police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave over their controversial use of pepper spray on student protesters, university officials announced Sunday.

A video that showed an officer dousing a group of students who were huddled on the ground Friday quickly went viral on the Internet, drawing outrage and calls for the chancellor's resignation.

“I spoke with students this weekend, and I feel their outrage,” UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said in a statement. “I am deeply saddened that this happened on our campus, and as chancellor, I take full responsibility for the incident. However, I pledge to take the actions needed to ensure that this does not happen again."

PHOTOS: Occupy protests

UC Davis spokeswoman Claudia Morain said the two officers placed on leave were the only two officers they  were able to identify as having deployed pepper spray after reviewing multiple videos of the events. 

The officers, whose names were not released, will remain on paid leave indefinitely.

Woman wounded in police shooting at Baldwin Village apartment

A mentally ill woman was wounded when she was shot by police after a confrontation in a Baldwin Village apartment early Saturday.

KTLA reported that LAPD officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment complex on Santa Rosalia Drive near August Street about 5 a.m. Saturday. They found Kamesha Davidson, 30, fighting with her mother inside the apartment.

Davidson allegedly brandished a stick with nails and bit an officer. She was shot once in the stomach and taken to a local hospital, where she was in stable condition.

Police told KTLA the fight began after Davidson's mother accused her of not taking her medication and was concerned that she would harm her 3-year-old niece.

Neighbors said Davidson was diagnosed with schizophrenia but was not violent. The officer-involved shooting is under investigation.

ALSO:

Heavy rain expected Sunday in L.A. area

Shooting in Downey leaves two men in critical condition

UC Davis police defend use of pepper spray on Occupy protesters

-- Abby Sewell

Voters think teachers unions are too powerful, new poll finds

About half of California voters believe that teachers unions are too powerful, a new poll has found.

The bipartisan survey, conducted by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles Times, also found that the views of voters aligned fairly closely with teachers unions on key issues, such as teacher pay and funding for schools. But that didn’t prevent many from having reservations about the role of unions in education and politics.

Overall, 52% of voters agreed with the statement that teachers unions are too powerful; 36% disagreed. And more voters took the position that teacher unions “are resistant to reforms that would improve schools.”

Still, more voters also agreed that teacher unions “know the best way to improve education because they are in the classroom every day.”

Look for another Times education poll story at www.latimes.com. 

Pollsters from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a Democratic firm, and American Viewpoint, a Republican company, surveyed 1,500 registered California voters from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.52 percentage points.

RELATED:

California public schools fare poorly in new poll

Californians willing to pay higher taxes for better schools

Survey finds ethnic divide among voters on DREAM Act

-- Howard Blume

Heavy rain expected Sunday in L.A. area

Wet conditions are expected in the Los Angeles area Sunday as a storm system moves across Southern California.

A low-pressure system will bring four to six hours of heavy rain, followed by several hours of scattered showers, the National Weather Service predicted. There is a chance of thunderstorms in some areas, and snow could fall at elevations of 4,000 feet and above, possibly including on Interstate 5 through the Grapevine. Snow combined with gusty winds are expected to make for hazardous driving in the mountains.

Across the region, rainfall totals are expected to average between half an inch and 1.5 inches, with some areas getting as much as two inches. Pools of water on the roadways are likely, with possible flooding in low-lying areas.

— Abby Sewell

UC Davis police defend use of pepper spray on Occupy protesters













UC Davis police officials said officers used pepper spray on Occupy protesters on campus Friday after the demonstrators had surrounded officers.

Police said the officers were trying to get out of the protest area when they used the pepper spray.

UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza told reporters Saturday that the decision to use the pepper spray was made at the scene. "The students had encircled the officers," she said. "They needed to exit. They were looking to leave but were unable to get out."

Videos of the event showed a police officer dousing the protesters with a canister of pepper spray as they sat huddled on the ground. The police had been attempting to clear the university's Quad of tents and campers. The videos made it appear the officers were in no immediate danger.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi initially did not criticize the police, but she said Saturday that she had since watched the video and reviewed more accounts from the scene.

"It left me with a very bad feeling of what went on," Katehi said in a telephone interview. "There was enough information to show that we need to take a serious look at what happened."

In a statement on the school's website, she didn't address whether officers had been surrounded:

Police remove Occupy Oakland protesters from new campsite

Police remove Occupy Oakland protesters from new campsite

Hours after Occupy Oakland protesters attempted to set up a new campsite, police moved in Sunday morning to clear the encampment.

Almost a week after being evicted from Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland, which they had occupied for five weeks, protesters set up camp Saturday night in a vacant lot at 19th Street and Telegraph Avenue.

A post on the Occupy Oakland website late Saturday said, "Over 30 tents now. Celebratory mood undampened by light rain."

PHOTOS: Occupy protests

But police in riot gear moved in shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday and ordered the group to leave.

Video from the scene showed the protesters being cleared from the lot, apparently without incident, though some protesters appeared to be facing off with police on a corner nearby.

RELATED:

City crews remove Occupy San Francisco tents, protesters

UC Davis chancellor forms task force in wake of pepper-spraying

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy Wall Street protests around the nation

— Abby Sewell

Photo: Tents put up by Occupy Oakland protesters Saturday night at a new campsite at 19th Street and Telegraph Avenue before police moved in Sunday morning. Credit: Noah Berger / Associated Press

Protesters force UC Davis chancellor to halt news conference













The embattled UC Davis chancellor, Linda P.B. Katehi, had to stop a news conference prematurely Saturday night after protesters angry that police had used pepper spray on Occupy demonstrators disrupted the event.

Hundreds of students surrounded the building where Katehi was speaking, and police were called in. 

A video of a Friday incident posted on the Internet showed a police officer dousing the protesters with a canister of pepper spray as they sat huddled on the ground. The police had been attempting to clear the university's Quad of tents and campers.

Faculty and students reacted with outrage. Nathan Brown, an assistant professor of English, said in an interview that the episode was the latest example of "the systematic use by UC chancellors of police brutality" to suppress protests.

PHOTOS: Occupy protests around the world

In an open letter, he wrote: "Without any provocation whatsoever, other than the bodies of these students sitting where they were on the ground, with their arms linked, police pepper-sprayed students. Students remained on the ground, now writhing in pain, with their arms linked."

Katehi initially did not criticize the police, but she said Saturday that she had since watched the video and reviewed more accounts from the scene.

"It left me with a very bad feeling of what went on," Katehi said in a telephone interview. "There was enough information to show that we need to take a serious look at what happened."

Geoffrey Wildanger, a graduate student in art history, said he was sprayed "in my ears and my nose. It hurts a lot. You feel like your whole body is on fire."

He said the police overreacted. "The cops weren't threatened in any way."

Two students were treated at a hospital and released, and several others were arrested, officials said.

The Davis Faculty Assn. issued a letter Saturday demanding that Katehi step down. "The Chancellor's role is to enable open and free inquiry, not to suppress it," the association wrote, calling Katehi's approval of police force to remove the Occupy Davis tents a "gross failure of leadership."

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Paul Pringle and Sam Quinones

Two Newhall teens killed in suspected drunk-driving crash

Two Newhall teenagers died in a suspected drunk-driving crash in Castaic on Saturday night.

Kevin Sanchez, 16, and Richard Lagunas, 19, were passengers in a 1999 Ford Escort driven by Carlos Hernandez, 28, also of Newhall, the California Highway Patrol said. Hernandez and a third passenger survived.

The car was eastbound on Hasley Canyon Road, approaching Commerce Center Drive, at about 11:35 p.m. when it went off the road. The car hit a concrete curb bordering the roadway and then vaulted off the road onto the raised shoulder, where it crashed into a plastic fence and a number of trees, according to a CHP statement.

The front-seat passenger, a 17-year-old boy whose name was not released, was ejected and seriously injured. Sanchez and Lagunas, who were sitting in the back, were severely injured. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, Hernandez, also sustained major injuries. He and the third passenger were transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where they remained Sunday.

According to a CHP statement, the three passengers were not wearing seat belts and alcohol is considered to be a factor in the crash. Hernandez faces arrest if he recovers, CHP officials said. 

-- Abby Sewell

Violent crime reports up significantly in 10 L.A. neighborhoods

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 14 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Ten neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Winnetka (A) was the most unusual, recording seven reports compared with a weekly average of 2.3 over the last three months.

Pico-Union (K) topped the list of four neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 17 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 10.2 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for Nov. 10–Nov. 16, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

Partial shutdown on Blue Line today; shuttle buses to fill gap

Blue Line service will be interrupted by construction throughout the day Sunday. All day, trains will operate normally between Washington Station and Long Beach Transit Mall, but will not run between Washington Station and 7th/Metro Center, Metro announced.

Shuttle buses will carry passengers between Washington Station and 7th/Metro Center. Metro advised passengers to allow up to 40 minutes extra to complete their trips.

The closures are required to allow construction work to integrate the future Expo Line with the Blue Line.

For more information, see Metro's website.

-- Abby Sewell

Saturday, November 19, 2011

One man killed, another wounded in Westlake stabbings

A 22-year-old man has died from stab wounds he suffered in a Westlake attack, Los Angeles police said Saturday. A second man injured in the assault was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

The assault occurred about 8 p.m. Friday, police said. Officers called to the scene found one man on Coronado Terrace and the other nearby on Temple Street, they said.

Jose Villa died at a hospital. The other man was not identified.

Los Angeles Police Department Det. Gabriel Rivas said both men were gang members, although a motive for the stabbings had not been determined. He said the surviving victim told police there were two assailants, but police had little specific information about possible suspects.

--Paul Pringle

Man with loaded gun arrested at Sacramento airport

Authorities say a man was arrested at Sacramento International Airport after X-rays showed a loaded, unregistered handgun in his carry-on baggage.

Officials from the Transportation Security Administration told the Sacramento Bee the man was headed to a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to Tampa, Fla., when the .40-caliber Glock G23 was found in the bag.

TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis told the newspaper the man said he forgot the weapon was in his bag. Davis says that's the answer security officials most often get when guns are found.

The man, whose name was not released, was arrested by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

TSA guidelines say weapons may be brought through the airport if they are unloaded, in a proper case and declared to the airline.

-- The Associated Press

One man killed, another wounded in Echo Park stabbings

A 22-year-old man has died from stab wounds he suffered in a Westlake attack, Los Angeles police said Saturday. A second man injured in the assault was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

The assault occurred about 8 p.m. Friday, police said. Officers called to the scene found one man on Coronado Terrace and the other nearby on Temple Street, they said.

Jose Villa died at a hospital. The other man was not identified.

Los Angeles Police Department Det. Gabriel Rivas said both men were gang members, although a motive for the stabbings had not been determined. He said the surviving victim told police there were two assailants, but police had little specific information about possible suspects.

--Paul Pringle

Protesters want Getty to return pages from sacred Armenian book

About 30 protesters on Saturday called on the Getty Museum to return seven ornate pages taken from a sacred, medieval Armenian book considered to be a national treasure.

The protesters gathered outside the gates of the museum holding signs that read “Shame on Getty” and “Our history is not for sale” as Armenian church officials attempt to secure the pages, which they say were illegally obtained by the museum nearly two decades ago.

The La Crescenta-based Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America filed a $105-million lawsuit against the J. Paul Getty Trust in June 2010 alleging the museum illegally bought seven pages ripped from the Zeyt’un Gospels, a sacred manuscript that dates back to the year 1256.

The Getty bought the pages in 1994 from a private collection for $950,000. The church says the previous owner was the heir of the man who allegedly stole the pages in 1916 when the Turks expelled Armenians from an area of the Ottoman Empire that is now part of Turkey.

Getty spokeswoman Julie Jaskol said the Getty is confident it holds title to the works.

-- Brittany Levine

Protestors want Getty to return pages from sacred Armenian book

About 30 protesters on Saturday called on the Getty Museum to return seven ornate pages taken from a sacred, medieval Armenian book considered to be a national treasure.

The protesters gathered outside the gates of the museum holding signs that read “Shame on Getty” and “Our history is not for sale” as Armenian church officials attempt to secure the pages, which they say were illegally obtained by the museum nearly two decades ago.

The La Crescenta-based Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America filed a $105-million lawsuit against the J. Paul Getty Trust in June 2010 alleging the museum illegally bought seven pages ripped from the Zeyt’un Gospels, a sacred manuscript that dates back to the year 1256.

The Getty bought the pages in 1994 from a private collection for $950,000. The church says the previous owner was the heir of the man who allegedly stole the pages in 1916 when the Turks expelled Armenians from an area of the Ottoman Empire that is now part of Turkey.

Getty spokeswoman Julie Jaskol said the Getty is confident it holds title to the works.

-- Brittany Levine

Bright green bike path appears on Spring Street in downtown L.A.

The city of Los Angeles on Saturday continued its efforts to make the downtown area more bike-friendly with the installation of  a 1.5-mile-long bike lane along Spring Street.

Workers from the city’s Department of Transportation painted a bright green 6-foot wide strip along Spring stretching from Cesar Chavez Boulevard to 9th Street. They said they would trim the  green pathway with white paint by Sunday. A four-foot buffer zone will be between the bike lane and motor vehicle lanes, the workers said.

The new bike path is part of a master plan  that calls for the laying of some 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways and more than 200 miles of new bicycle routes every five years.
Other bike lanes have already opened across the city, including a 2.2-mile stretch along 7th Street from Catalina Avenue in Koreatown to Figueroa Street downtown; a 1.6-mile stretch on First Street from Boyle Avenue to Lorena Street; and a 0.6-mile path on Cahuenga Boulevard between Odin and Yucca streets.

City transportation officials recently told the Times that other bike lanes were also set to open in the San Fernando Valley, on Reseda Boulevard and Tuxford Street, in addition to other locations.

The new pathways have gotten rave reviews from some cyclists.

“Thank you guys, I love you,” shouted Susanna Shick as she rode by workers installing the Spring Street bike path on Saturday. “You’re making my commute to work a lot safer. I’m so excited.”

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

--Ann M. Simmons and Rick Loomis

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 323

Click through for more photos of Southern California MomentsBlue screens: Onlookers raise their phones to take photos of the fountain at the Americana in Glendale in this Nov. 17 photo by Tony Castillo.

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

Police investigate double stabbing in Historic Filipinotown

Police on Saturday were continuing to investigate the stabbing of two men, one of whom died, in Historic Filipinotown.

Officers received simultaneous calls about 8 p.m. Friday for stabbing victims at the 2400 block of Temple Street and the adjacent 400 block of Coronado Terrace, said Officer Rosario Herrera.

They discovered a victim on each block, each with multiple stab wounds to his torso. They believe the attacks are related, Herrera said. The man on Coronado Terrace died from his wounds; the other victim is in stable condition at a local hospital, Herrera said. Their names were not immediately available.

Police had no suspect information or motive Saturday, she said.

However, she said, “it does seem that the victims might be gang members.”

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Wet weather ahead for Los Angeles area

Rain was expected to move into parts of the Southern California Saturday evening bringing moderate to heavy downpours to the Los Angeles Basin on Sunday, and snow was forecast in the mountain regions, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters said the storm system could produce a four- to six-hour period of steady rain, followed by scattered showers. Episodes of gusty winds could also be expected especially in the mountains and across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, the weather service said in an advisory. A slight chance of thunderstorms, producing small hail, was predicted during the height of the storm.

Rainfall amounts were expected to range from one-third of an inch to 1 inch in most areas, but could possibly be higher on and below south and southwest-facing mountains, weather officials said.

They predicted that snow levels in the mountains could average between 4,500 and 5,500 feet during most of the storm, and snow could affect travel on portions of Interstate 5 across the grapevine, especially on Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening.

The rain showers were forecast to move out of the region by early Monday, weather officials said.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Ann M. Simmons

City crews remove Occupy San Francisco tents, protesters

San Francisco city crews are removing an Occupy encampment near the city’s financial district Saturday afternoon, an area newspaper is reporting.

The crews, in blue disposable jumpsuits and paper masks, began moving dozens of tents at Justin Herman Plaza and from in front of the Federal Reserve Bank, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting on its website.

Some protesters locked arms to keep crews at bay. However, others folded their tarps, packed tents and moved to other areas in the encampment, the Chronicle reported.

FULL COVERAGE: Occupy protests around the nation

City crews also carried garbage bags to pick up trash accumulated at the site, the newspaper reported.

Police were not involved in the clearing but were standing by in the event they were needed, the Chronicle reported.

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

L.A. neighborhood overrun with feral cats

Christi Metropole

Residents in one South Los Angeles ZIP code -- 90037 -- are dealing with a feral cat population that some estimates place at 12,000. The cats can been seen roaming through the neighborhood.

"I can hear them right outside my window when they're fighting and mating," said Cydney Fellows, a retired high-rise window washer who lives near Vermont Avenue and 22nd Street.

Officials say that the city's Animal Services Department is stretched too thin to trap any cats and that when residents take them into city shelters, many are euthanized.

But one nonprofit group is hoping to decrease the number that are killed. And even more ambitiously, the Stray Cat Alliance hopes to trap and neuter at least 7,000 cats within this roughly two-square-mile area, using a grant from a private company.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Ricardo Lopez

Photo: Stray Cat Alliance founder Christi Metropole with some feline friends. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Earthquake: 3.9 quake strikes near Borrego Springs

A shallow magnitude 3.9 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon six miles from Borrego Springs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 12:32 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 3.7 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 11 miles from Ocotillo Wells, 17 miles from Desert Shores, 43 miles from Palm Springs and 60 miles from San Diego.

In the last 10 days, there have been six earthquakes magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

— Ken Schwencke

Image: Location of the epicenter of Saturday's quake. Credit: Google Maps

UC Davis chancellor forms task force in wake of pepper-spraying

 











The chancellor of U.C. Davis announced Saturday that she will form a task force to investigate the pepper-spraying of Occupy Davis protesters by campus police this week.

An officer’s spraying of the sitting students, who had locked arms, Friday afternoon in an attempt to clear the last of an Occupy encampment was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube and other social media sites.

Friday “was not a day that would make anyone on our campus proud,” wrote Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi in a letter posted to the school’s website. “The use of pepper spray as shown on the video is chilling to us all and raises many questions about how best to handle situations like this.”

PHOTOS: Occupy protests around the nation

Katehi wrote she was forming a task force of faculty, students and staff to look into the episode and develop policies over the next 90 days for the administration and Police Department “to help us avoid similar outcomes in the future.”

She said the university is committed to remaining a place where students were free to express their concerns and opinions. However, she also insisted that though “the university has the responsibility to develop the appropriate environments that ensure the practice of these freedoms, by no means should we allow a repeated violation of these rules as an expression of personal freedom.”

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Video credit: KTXL Fox Channel 40, Sacramento

Animal rights groups blast San Diego Zoo over death of elephant

Umoya
An animal rights group has called for a federal investigation into the death of an elephant at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Umoya, a 21-year-old African elephant, died Thursday, possibly due to injuries suffered during an attack by another elephant.

The Northern California-based In Defense of Animals called for the Department of Agriculture, which does inspections of zoos, to investigate Umoya's death.

"This elephant's shocking death is another tragic example of how elephants suffer in inadequate and artificial zoo exhibits," said Catherine Doyle, elephant campaign director for the group.

As part of standard procedure, Umoya's death has already been reported to federal officials by the zoo.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also criticized the zoo in the wake of the death. "Umoya should never have been removed from her home to begin with," said PETA spokesman David Perle.

Umoya was one of seven elephants brought to the Safari Park -- then known as the Wild Animal Park -- in 2003 from the African nation of Swaziland. The Safari Park has 18 elephants, including Umoya's two offspring.

PETA and In Defense of Animals oppose keeping elephants in zoos.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Umoya, African elephant. Credit: San Diego Zoological Society 

California National Guard soldier killed in combat in Afghanistan

SeanA second California National Guard soldier has been killed in combat in Afghanistan.

Spc. Sean Walsh, 21, of San Jose was killed Thursday in Khowst province in eastern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 870th Military Police Company, 185th Military Police Battalion, 49th Military Police Brigade.

The 870th company, headquartered in Pittsburg in Northern California, deployed to Afghanistan in December for a yearlong mission.

"California lost a warrior this week," said Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, adjutant general for the California National Guard. "His memory will stand as a testament to the bravery, selfless service, and sacrifice of our state's citizen-soldiers."

California National Guard Sgt. Carlo F. Eugenio, 29, was killed Oct. 29 in Kabul by an explosive-laden suicide vehicle. Twenty-seven soldiers from the California National Guard were killed in Iraq.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Sean Walsh. Credit: YouTube

Video shows Occupy protesters pepper sprayed at UC Davis

 











U.C. Davis police pepper-sprayed numerous sitting protesters and arrested 10 of them as they cleared an Occupy Davis encampment Friday, an incident captured on video and visible on YouTube and other social media sites.

Police then left after ordering the remaining protesters to take down tents that had been put up Thursday, reported the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

The city of Davis has had an Occupy encampment for more than a month, but the movement this week moved to the UC campus, with a rally on Tuesday, students sleeping in a university building Wednesday, then tents erected on Thursday, the Bee reported.

University officials told the newspaper that protesters were told Friday morning to remove the tents, but not all did.

Friday afternoon, some 35 UC officers from Davis and other campuses arrived with protective gear, the newspaper quoted UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza as saying

Remaining protesters initially numbered about 50, but then swelled to some 200 during a confrontation with police, the newspaper quoted Spicuzza as saying.

Spicuzza told the newspaper that officers were forced to use pepper spray when students surrounded them. The students were informed repeatedly ahead of time that if they didn't move, force would be used, she said.

"There was no way out of that circle," Spicuzza told the Bee. "They were cutting the officers off from their support. It's a very volatile situation."

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Natalie Wood death: Detectives talked to owner of yacht

Yacht

The owner of the Splendour, the yacht on which Natalie Wood died during a Thanksgiving weekend cruise with husband Robert Wagner and costar Christophe Walken, said he knew for several weeks that authorities were probing the case.

"I have known for a few weeks that there was going to be a police investigation," said Ron Nelson, who purchased the boat in 1986, in an interview with KHON-TV in Honolulu. "But I didn't know it was going to explode like it did overnight."

L.A. Sheriff's Department officials said they will travel to Hawaii to look at the boat as part of their investigation. Nelson told the news channel he uses the Splendour for charter cruises and was contacted by authorities several weeks ago. He did not reveal details of the conversation.

PHOTOS: Natalie Wood | 1938-1981

Wood, 43, was boating off Santa Catalina Island on Thanksgiving weekend 1981 with her husband, Robert Wagner, Christopher Walken and others when she somehow went overboard and died. Officials at the time ruled her death an accident, but there has since been much speculation about whether there was more to the story.

Police continue search for Hollywood transgender slaying suspect

Authorities continue to search for a man they believe responsible for shooting to death a transgender man in Hollywood and shooting at another in West Hollywood on Thursday night. Drag queen killing suspect

He is described as black, medium-complected, 5-feet-9, 150 pounds with matted hair, light facial hair, skin tags around his eyes and wearing a knit cap. He is possibly a transient and may have been on a bicycle.

Los Angeles police believe he shot and killed Nathan Henry Vickers, 32, on Lexington Avenue, near Gower Street, an area long known for street prostitution. Vickers, known by the street name “Cassidy,” was standing in the street when he was shot shortly before 10 p.m.

About a half-hour later, another transgender man was shot at during an attempted robbery at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., in West Hollywood. No one was hurt in that incident.

Investigators believe the same man was responsible for both shootings.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact Hollywood homicide detectives at (213) 972-2910, (213) 972-2901 or (213) 972-2912. After hours, call (213) 485-4628.

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Photo: Drawing of suspect in Hollywood shooting. Credit: Los Angeles Police Department

Scarlett Johansson alleged hacker targeted another actress, FBI says

Announcement of the arrest of Christopher Chaney, 35

Working from his home computer in Jacksonville, Fla., authorities say, Christopher Chaney, 35, allegedly hacked into the email accounts of several celebrities. Authorities say he did it the hard way.

Mining details of the stars’ personal lives in celebrity magazines and websites as well as Twitter and Facebook posts, Chaney looked for potential passwords that would give him access to their accounts, the FBI said.

Federal officials added an additional allegation of hacking into the account of another unnamed actress.

Two allegedly connected to Sinaloa cartel arrested in Colton

Two men allegedly connected to the Sinaloa drug cartel are in custody after state narcotics officers arrested them and seized about 40 pounds of cocaine at a parking lot in Colton this week.

Juan Mora Flores, 40, of Tecate, Mexico, and Jose Vega Diaz, 47, of Whittier, were booked at the Riverside County Jail. Both are being held in lieu of $1-million bail, according to a state Department of Justice report.

Narcotics officers from the Inland Crackdown Allied Task Force (INCA) were conducting undercover operations against the cartel's drug trafficking activities, according to the report.

Through a confidential informant, they arranged to buy cocaine from the men. When the buy was set up for a hotel in Colton on Thursday, the men were arrested and the cocaine seized. The street value of the seized cocaine is $1.8 million.

The two men are scheduled to make their initial court appearance on Tuesday, according to the report.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

One killed, two injured in Redlands bar shooting

Three people were shot, one of them fatally, in a shooting at a downtown Redlands restaurant and bar early Saturday.

The shooting occurred at Charlie Jewell’s, 1 E. State St., shortly before 1:30 a.m., police said.

Witnesses told officers that a fight broke out among several men inside the establishment's bar. Employees moved the men outside. Shortly thereafter, one of them shot the other three.

A 22-year-old man died. Another man, also 22, was in surgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center. A 23-year-old man sustained non-life-threatening wounds. Police did not release the names of any of the victims.

Officers are searching for the shooting suspect, who's described as a Latino man in his early 20s, 5-foot-7, weighing about 150 pounds.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Redlands police at (909) 798-7688 or (909) 798-7681. Anonymous tips can be provided by texting 274637 using the keyword “REDTIP.”

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Think Like a Doctor: Stomach Pain Solved!

On Thursday, we challenged Well readers to figure out the mystery of a 29-year-old doctor who had abdominal pain, elevated calcium levels and bumps on his nose, and whose father and uncle had died young from unusual cancers.

More than 300 of you shared your thoughts about this case, and a remarkable number of you got it right.

The correct diagnosis is …

Multiple endocrine neoplasia Type 1.

The first right answer came less than an hour after the case had been posted. It came from Michelle Longmire, a first-year dermatology resident at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif. She told me that she had just finished studying for the night and saw the case and got caught up. She said she used to be called the “zebra hunter” in medical school because she was always looking for unusual diagnoses. Here she found one.

Many readers correctly identified an overactive parathyroid gland as the cause of this patient’s high calcium levels. The clue was that the amount of parathyroid hormone in his blood was normal, even when the amount of calcium in the blood was high. Parathyroid hormone is one of the key enzymes in regulating calcium. When calcium is high – as was the case with this young man – the parathyroid hormone level should have been very low. It wasn’t. So, it was the overactive parathyroid gland that was driving the high calcium.

But there was more going on than just a simple case of an overactive parathyroid gland. The patient’s father had elevated calcium levels as well, and the father and his brother had died young — at 49 and 52, respectively. Another clue.

The Diagnosis:

Multiple endocrine neoplasia, or MEN, is marked by a rare inherited predisposition to develop tumors, or neoplasia, in various endocrine glands. There are three types of this disease, all rare. MEN Type 1 — which is what this patient had — is the most common.

In MEN 1, patients are at risk of developing tumors in the parathyroid gland, the pituitary gland (located in the brain) and the pancreas. Doctors believe that those who are affected with MEN 1 are born missing one of the genes that suppresses tumor formation, leaving them vulnerable to development of these growths. Virtually everyone with MEN 1 will have high calcium levels resulting from tumors in the parathyroid gland. Around a third will also develop tumors in the pancreas or, as in this young man’s uncle, in the pituitary gland.

Treatment goals are to catch and, when necessary, remove tumors as they arise. Patients with MEN 1 should therefore get regular CT scans and other studies to monitor body sites that may be affected.

How the Diagnosis Was Made:

The patient was just 7 when his father was found to have lung cancer. Like 10 to 15 percent of those with this type of cancer, his father had never smoked. Why did he develop lung cancer? The question haunted the boy. In part, that’s why he went into medicine — and why he ended up specializing in cancer.

When the young doctor learned that his calcium was high, his mother told him that his father had struggled with the same problem. That got him thinking: What could cause high calcium in both father and son? When asked that way, the answers are pretty limited. It could be coincidence — high calcium is a relatively common problem. But it could also be something he’d inherited.

Although there is a genetic condition called familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, in which patients can’t get rid of calcium through the urine, it is a fairly benign disease and wouldn’t account for his father’s or his uncle’s early deaths from cancer. Of greater interest to this young doctor were the inherited forms of hyperparathyroidism, which often occur in patients who have some form of MEN. The patient quickly focused on MEN as a likely diagnosis for his father and uncle and, uncomfortably, possibly for himself as well.

His uncle’s pituitary tumor was consistent with MEN 1. Additional reading suggested the little bumps on the patient’s nose – the fibroadenomas – were also a symptom of this disease. But what, then, to make of his father’s lung cancer? As the young doctor continued to read, he learned that MEN 1 is also associated with some unusual forms of lung cancers. It all seemed to fit.

He suggested the diagnosis to his internist, Dr. Tangalos, at their first meeting. The doctor was interested but not convinced. “This is unlikely, but not outlandish,” he told the patient. “Nonetheless, I will take your concerns seriously.”

Although an unusual presentation of a common disease is far more likely than even a classic presentation of a rarity, the young man’s story was compelling. And when the test results suggested that the high levels of calcium were a result of overproduction of parathyroid hormone, Dr. Tangalos was glad he had already arranged for the young man to see an endocrinologist.

What the Specialists Found:

The endocrinologist, Dr. Ann Kearns, ordered a test to look for the genetic abnormality seen in most cases of MEN 1. The test came back positive, proof that the young doctor has the disease.

But even before the result of the genetic test came back, Dr. Kearns began looking for any of the tumors associated with MEN 1. She ordered an M.R.I. of his brain to look for pituitary tumors. The M.R.I. result was normal, but a scan of his parathyroid revealed multiple tumors, as did an ultrasound of his pancreas.

The patient is getting his parathyroid gland removed in a couple of weeks. So far, the tumors in his pancreas are too small to do any damage — and there’s a good chance they will stay that way.

And what about the abdominal pain that brought him to the doctor’s office in the first place? How does that all fit? Once Dr. Tangalos had the results of the blood test, it seemed obvious enough. It was a symptom of his high calcium. There’s a mnemonic that doctors use to help remember the classic symptoms of high calcium levels: stones, bones, abdominal groans and psychic moans. High calcium can cause kidney stones, bone pain, abdominal pain and a variety of neurological and muscular problems, including impaired concentration, confusion, fatigue and muscle weakness. Current thinking is that the abdominal pain is a result of gas and constipation, two common problems in patients with high levels of calcium in their system.

The Road Ahead:

For this patient, the greatest challenge is the heritable nature of this disease. His children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting this tendency to grow tumors. His 4-year-old daughter underwent genetic testing. She tested negative — she doesn’t have the disease. He and his wife still haven’t figured out the best time to test their son. He’s only 2.

So You Think You Can Be a Morning Person?

This column appears in the Nov. 20 issue of The New York Times Magazine.

Like most creatures on earth, humans come equipped with a circadian clock, a roughly 24-hour internal timer that keeps our sleep patterns in sync with our planet. At least until genetics, age and our personal habits get in the way. Even though the average adult needs eight hours of sleep per night, there are “shortsleepers,” who need far less, and morning people, who, research shows, often come from families of other morning people. Then there’s the rest of us, who rely on alarm clocks.

For those who fantasize about greeting the dawn, there is hope. Sleep experts say that with a little discipline (well, actually, a lot of discipline), most people can reset their circadian clocks. But it’s not as simple as forcing yourself to go to bed earlier (you can’t make a wide-awake brain sleep). It requires inducing a sort of jet lag without leaving your time zone. And sticking it out until your body clock resets itself. And then not resetting it again.

To start, move up your wake-up time by 20 minutes a day. If you regularly rise at 8 a.m., but really want to get moving at 6 a.m., set the alarm for 7:40 on Monday. The next day, set it for 7:20 and so on. Then, after you wake up, don’t linger in bed. Hit yourself with light. In theory, you’ll gradually get sleepy about 20 minutes earlier each night, and you can facilitate the transition by avoiding extra light exposure from computers or televisions as you near bedtime. (The light from a computer screen or an iPad has roughly the same effect as the sun.) “Light has a very privileged relationship with our brain,” says Dr. Jeffrey M. Ellenbogen, chief of sleep medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. While most sensory information is “processed” by the thalamus before being sent on its way, Ellenbogen says, light goes directly to the circadian system.

But recalibrating your inner clock requires more commitment — in the form of unwatched reruns or lost time with a spouse — than many people care to give. For some, it’s almost impossible. Very early risers and longtime night owls have a hard time ever changing, says David F. Dinges, chief of sleep and chronobiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Night-shift workers also struggle, he says, because they don’t get the environmental and social cues that help adjust the circadian clock. The most important of these cues, called zeitgebers (German for “time givers”) is sunlight. But a zeitgeber could also be a scrambled-egg breakfast or children coming home from school in the afternoon.

Besides computer screens, the biggest saboteur for an aspiring morning person is the weekend. Staying up later on Friday or sleeping in on Saturday sends the brain an entirely new set of scheduling priorities. By Monday, a 6 a.m. alarm will feel like 4 a.m. “If the old phase was entrained for a long time,” Dinges says, “the biology has a kind of memory of this.” In other words, he says, “it takes self-discipline.”

Are you a real morning person? This version of a test commonly used by sleep experts can determine whether you are a lark, a night owl or somewhere in between. Click the box in front of your answer and we’ll add up your score.

Beyond Cornbread

Delicious no-meat recipes for your holiday table.

Cornbread often makes an appearance at the Thanksgiving table, but as Martha Rose Shulman explains in this week’s Recipes for Health, home cooks can find lots of creative ways to use cornmeal.

I include cornmeal in my grouping of Thanksgiving foods, as corn is one of the Native American foods that sustained the Pilgrims during their first difficult years in the colonies. Cornmeal can be at the center of your plate in the form of spoonbread or polenta, or it can be one ingredient in a mixed-grain bread or pastry. This week I looked to the American South and beyond for recipes, and found some of the most delightful dishes in Greece. Turkey is another Mediterranean country where you find cornmeal in recipes, particularly in rustic country breads.

Here are five new ways to use cornmeal in your holiday cooking. And visit Well’s interactive recipe collection to see more vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes; we will be adding new dishes daily.

Jalapeño Spoonbread: Spoonbread, a traditional Southern dish, is sort of a cross between a soufflé and polenta.

Cornmeal Cranberry Drop Scones: Whip these up if you’ve got a crowd coming for Thanksgiving.

Greek Greens Pie With Cornmeal Crust: This is a beautiful, rustic and comforting dish adapted from recipes from Epirus, a mountainous region of northwestern Greece.

Greek Polenta With Onions and Raisins: This is adapted from a recipe I came across in “The Glorious Foods of Greece,” by Diane Kochilas.

Yeasted Country Bread With Cornmeal: Cornmeal is used in many breads in the Mediterranean and southern Europe, especially in Turkey and Portugal.

Friday, November 18, 2011

California public schools fare poorly in new poll

California’s public schools earned a grade of C or below by voters in a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.

A majority said schools were in bad shape, and about half said they were getting worse. The causes include funding shortages, wasteful spending on administration and bureaucratic barriers to innovation, respondents said.

About half supported the right of parents to demand, by majority vote, sweeping changes at low-performing schools. These could include reorganizing staff and curriculum, converting to charter schools or closing campuses altogether. Last year, California became the first state in the nation to extend that right through what is known as the Parent Trigger law.

But voters were upbeat about their local schools — far more than about those statewide. Sixty-four percent said their neighborhood campuses were doing a good or excellent job of preparing their children or grandchildren for college.

The survey was conducted for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles Times by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a Democratic firm, and American Viewpoint, a Republican company. They questioned 1,500 registered California voters from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.52 percentage points.

Look for more findings at www.latimes.com.

--Teresa Watanabe

 

Pilot killed in plane crash at L.A. County fairgrounds was alone

Small-Plane-Crash.JPEG-02dea
The pilot who died Friday afternoon in a small-plane crash at the county fairgrounds in Pomona was flying alone, authorities said.

The cause of the accident is unknown, said Ian McGregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The single-engine Mooney M20M was heading for Brackett Field, which is in La Verne adjacent to the fairgrounds, about 2:15 p.m. on the Fairplex racetrack.

The fairgrounds were closed.

The  plane is registered to a law office in Pasadena.The pilot’s identity is being withheld until his family can be notified, McGregor said. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Gale Holland

Photo: Investigators at the site of a small-plane crash at the county fairgrounds in Pomona. Credit: Dave J. Iannone / Associated Press

Bus fire closes 405 Freeway at rush hour

A tour bus caught fire on the 405 Freeway north of Olympic Boulevard about 6:15 p.m., closing four southbound lanes to rush-hour traffic, authorities said Friday night.

Two lanes reopened at 7:20 p.m., but traffic remained backed up to the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

California Highway Patrol Officer Christian Cracraft said driving was stop-and-go over the hill. All lanes will reopen as soon as the bus is towed, he added.

Two passengers were transferred to another bus that happened to be passing by, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said. There were no injuries.

 ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Gale Holland

Panel examining L.A. County jails holds first meeting

A commission created to examine deputy-on-inmate abuse at Los Angeles County jails met for the first time Friday afternoon, pledging to restore public trust in the troubled lockups.

The panel, commissioned by the Board of Supervisors, is still in its infancy. Its five appointed members now need to pick two others before they can begin their examination of lapses in jail policy and management.

The members are former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, activist Cecil “Chip” Murray, Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell and retired federal judges DickranTevrizian and Lourdes Baird, who was picked to head the panel.

FULL COVERAGE: Times investigation into L.A. County Jails

Among the list of potential candidates approved by the board and willing to join are former Times writer Tim Rutten and ex-Gov. George Deukmejian.

The county jails have come under intense scrutiny in recent months. The FBI is investigating reports of abuse and other misconduct by deputies, and the U.S. attorney's office has demanded a large volume of documents on custody employees since 2009.

Confidential sheriff’s documents reviewed by The Times have shown that department brass were raising alarms about excessive force almost two years ago.

The jails commission technically has no authority to mandate reforms or punish sheriff’s employees. Sheriff Lee Baca is an elected official, and beyond the board's setting his budget, how he runs his department is wholly under his authority. Baca has, however, acknowledged that he failed in keeping tabs on his jails and has expressed willingness to implement suggested reforms.

“I’m confident this won’t be another report on a shelf somewhere gathering dust,” Moreno said. “I think the sheriff will step up to the plate.”

McDonnell, the only law enforcement executive on the commission, said he’d bring a “sensitivity to the realities of policing in Los Angeles.”

McDonnell labeled himself a “user of the L.A. County jails” and said he’s well aware of the challenges deputies face inside the lockups, given the county’s gang problems.

Details have not been finalized, but the commission is expected to use a budget of about $150,000 over some six months to publish its report. It will have access to confidential sheriff’s records and will likely be staffed by a handful of full-time employees and a significant number of local pro bono attorneys.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Robert Faturechi

Photo: Inside Los Angeles County Jail. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Police seek information in slaying of transgender woman in Hollywood

This post has been corrected. Please see the note at bottom for details.

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who shot and killed a transgender woman in Hollywood late Thursday and who may also be responsible for the attempted armed robbery of a transgender woman in West Hollywood less than an hour later.

The shooting victim, Nathan Henry Vickers, 32, was found lying unconscious near Lexington Avenue and Gower Street at 9:58 p.m. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The suspect apparently ran off after the shooting, and the motive for the slaying remains unknown, police said.

Vickers was also known as "Cassidy," according to area residents.

The shooting was followed by the attempted armed robbery of a transgender woman at Plummer Park in West Hollywood at 10:35 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which provides law enforcement services for the city. The department described the robbery suspect as a 5-foot-8 black male weighing 240 pounds and wearing a black hat and black clothing.

Anyone with information about the slaying is asked to contact Hollywood homicide detectives at (213) 972-2910 during business hours. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to (877) LAPD-24-7 or (877) 527-3247.

[For the record, 7:02 p.m. Nov. 18: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said the slaying occurred Friday night.]

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Sam Quinones

Four high school football players accused of sexual assault of player

Four football players from a high school in Chula Vista were arraigned Friday in San Diego County Juvenile Court on charges of sexually assaulting a fellow football player.

The four have been suspended from Castle Park High School, and the football team has forfeited a game.

The suspects are accused of sexually assaulting their victim with a foreign object. The incident may have begun as a kind of initiation after the team finished its daily practice.

Because the four are juveniles, their names were not released and the arraignment was closed.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Cal State has no plans to redo tuition vote, despite complaints

California State University officials said Friday that there are no plans for the governing board to reconsider its decision to raise tuition next fall, despite criticism about how the vote was conducted following a raucous meeting this week that was disrupted by protesters.

The Board of Trustees halted Wednesday’s meeting as police and demonstrators clashed outside, shattering a glass door and resulting in four arrests and injuries to three university officers.

The meeting was moved from the boardroom to a nearby conference room where trustees voted 9 to 6 to raise tuition by 9% in the next school year. But many members of the public and media complained they were given no notice that the session was resuming or were not allowed access.

In a letter sent Friday to Chancellor Charles B. Reed and board Chairman Herb Carter, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom asked trustees to put the tuition increase back on the agenda at a scheduled special meeting on Dec. 5, saying that “otherwise we contribute to the perception that this process is anything less than open and transparent.”

In a response, Reed said officials did the best they could under “volatile and chaotic circumstances” and “gathered as many persons (who were not participating in the ruckus) as we could in a situation where communication was imperfect.”

The chancellor added that “no one was excluded from the adjacent meeting room” and noted that a full public comment period had already been conducted before order broke down.

Terry Francke, an attorney for the open government advocacy group Californians Aware, said state laws governing trustee meetings allow disruptive spectators to be removed and sessions to be relocated. But Francke, who was not at the meeting, said descriptions of the events suggest trustees may have violated some aspects of the law in their handling of procedures.

Francke said, however, it was unlikely that the trustees’ action would be overturned if taken to court. “This kind of violation is not on the list that warrants a court to declare the actions taken null and void,"’ he said.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Carla Rivera 

Police shoot suspected car thief after he fires at officers

Police car

San Bernardino police shot and wounded a suspected car thief who fired at officers during a car chase on city streets Friday morning, authorities said.

The suspect, Michael Madrigal, 27, was shot several times, authorities said. He was listed in critical condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

According to a statement released by the San Bernardino Police Department, an officer on patrol near Fremontia Drive and Alexander Avenue ran the license plate number of the car Madrigal was driving and discovered that it had been reported stolen. When the officer tried to pull the car over, Madrigal fled.

The car chase lasted six minutes, with Madrigal firing on four officers driving in pursuit, according to department spokeswoman Lt. Gwendolyn Waters. One of the bullets struck the front of a police cruiser, she said. None of the officers fired their weapons during the chase, she said.

Madrigal eventually stopped in front of his family’s home in the 1300 block of North Roxbury Drive, where the officers, fearing for their lives, shot at him, Waters said. Police recovered two handguns allegedly used by the suspect. No officers were injured.

“We are very thankful our officers were not injured and were able to resolve this incident without any innocent people being hurt," Chief of Police Robert Handy said in a statement.
Madrigal is expected to survive.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

--- Phil Willon in Riverside

Photo: Damaged San Bernardino police cruiser. Credit: San Bernardino Police Department

Slaying of transgender woman in Hollywood prompts request for information

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who shot and killed a transgender woman in Hollywood late Friday and who may also be responsible for the attempted armed robbery of a transgender woman in West Hollywood less than an hour later.

The shooting victim, Nathan Henry Vickers, 32, was found lying unconscious near Lexington Avenue and Gower Street at 9:58 p.m. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The suspect apparently ran away after the shooting, and the motive for the slaying remains unknown, police said.

Vickers was also known as “Cassidy,” according to area residents.

The shooting was followed by the attempted armed robbery of a transgender woman at Plummer Park in West Hollywood at 10:35 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which provides law enforcement services for the city. The department described the robbery suspect as a black male, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 240 pounds and wearing a black hat and black clothing.

Anyone with information regarding the crime is encouraged to contact Hollywood homicide Det. Vinton or Officer Goodkin at (213) 972-2910 during business hours. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

-- Sam Quinones

Modern span will replace historic downtown L.A. bridge

Sixth Street Bridge
A modern cable-supported bridge will replace the stately arches of the 6th Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River on downtown's eastern edge, the Los Angeles City Council decided.

The chance to build a new monument that will reflect contemporary design won out over an appeal from preservationists to replicate the double steel arches in the main span.

“We’re going to have a bridge that links to the city’s past while looking to the future,” said Councilman Jose Huizar, whose district includes the 1932 bridge. “I think it’s the right direction to go.”

Tom LaBonge was the only council member to vote against the new design, decrying the loss of a bridge that is viewed by preservationists as a key part of an ensemble of a dozen historic Los Angeles River bridges.

“This drastically changes what is a tremendous view of this bridge,” he said. “It hurts me to see that we would let this bridge go.”

Marine charged with murder in beating death at Camp Pendleton

A Marine has been charged with murder and assault in the beating death of another Marine at Camp Pendleton.

The Marine, whose name was not released, was charged in the Nov. 6 death of Lance Cpl. Mario Arias Jr., 19, of Canoga Park, officials said.

The suspect was injured after jumping from the third-story barracks where Arias’ body was found about 1 a.m., officials said.

No motive has been released.

A hearing in the case has yet to be scheduled.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 322

Click through for more photos of Southern California Moments.
On edge: Russo Mutuc captures a self portrait in the early morning fog in Los Angeles on Nov. 1.

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

1 dead in small-plane crash at fairgrounds in Pomona

At least one person has died in a small-plane crash Friday at the county fairgrounds in Pomona, authorities said.

It was unclear how many people were in the plane, but the fairgrounds, known as Fairplex, were closed, said Capt. Henry Rodriguez of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The plane may have crashed onto the racetrack, he said.

No further details were immediately available.

ALSO:

Man sentenced to prison for fatally beating three dogs

'Bonnie' Pointer of Pointer Sisters arrested on drug charge

Natalie Wood: New info warrants reopening case, detective says

-- Matt Stevens

Cal State Fullerton encampment to disband

An encampment at Cal State Fullerton is being disbanded Friday after a group of students who had pitched tents to protest education cuts was threatened with arrest and possible expulsion.

About 50 students had been sleeping overnight since Tuesday as part of a wave of demonstrations on Cal State and University of California campuses throughout the state.

The students had set up about 20 tents in a designated area after campus officials gave permission and provided extra trash receptacles.

But administrators determined that the encampment violated university policy and told the students they would be subject to arrest and disciplinary actions that could include expulsion if they remained.

"We started with the idea that there would be a point in time when it would need to come to a close," Dean of Students Lea Jarnagin said. "We're coming up on the holidays next week with no student presence on campus, so there doesn't really seem to be a need to continue."

Cameron Mahdad, a protest organizer, said students decided to comply and work instead on a signature drive to be presented to the California State University Board of Trustees at a special December meeting. The petition seeks more student and faculty voices in decision-making through an elected board.

“We feel like there would be no point in getting arrested, and none of us want to get expelled,” said Mahdad, 20, a business major. “That would ruin our message, and we feel we can move our fight toward gathering signatures.”

Meanwhile, at Humboldt State in Arcata, members of Occupy Humboldt  are continuing overnight vigils begun several weeks ago in a corner of the campus quad. The students technically are not allowed to camp and must remain awake, but they are being allowed to shelter themselves with covers, campus spokesman Paul Mann said.

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-- Carla Rivera

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