Killing of a Hells Angels leader prompts state of emergency

The fatal shooting of a Hells Angels leader during a casino melee with a rival gang has prompted the mayor of Sparks, Nev., to declare a state of emergency and cancel an annual motorcycle event, authorities said Saturday.

"The safety and security of the public is our No. 1 priority,” Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said in a statement Saturday. Police have increased foot and mobile patrols in and around downtown.

No suspects have been arrested in Friday's killing of Jeffrey Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose chapter of Hells Angels, or the shootings of two members of a rival group, the Vagos Motorcycle Club, authorities said.

Leonard Ramirez, 45, was in stable condition at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and Diego Garcia, 28, was in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Thousands of AT&T wireless customers without service

Thousands of Los Angeles-area AT&T wireless customers were without service Saturday night after hundreds of the company’s cell towers went down, according to the company and media broadcast reports.

"Los Angeles area AT&T customers may have issues with wireless service,” the company said in a Twitter statement. “We are working now to resolve. We apologize for any inconvenience."

Customers complained to the company that they were having trouble making and receiving calls. But it was not clear how widespread the problem is.

Company officials told KCBS and KCAL-TV that about 1,000 cellphone towers were out of service and that the problems were not expected to be fixed until 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

"Irvine 11": 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

--Carlos Lozano and Associated Press

Police fatally shoot suspected gunman in Reseda slaying

Los Angeles police officers fatally shot a man Saturday after he allegedly shot another individual to death in a residential area of Reseda just north of Reseda High School, authorities said.

Multiple officers were involved in the shooting, which occurred about 4:40 p.m., shortly after they responded to a report of shots fired in the 6600 block of Etiwanda Avenue, according to law enforcement authorities familiar with the investigation.

"After they discovered the victim, who was dead at the scene, they set up a perimeter," said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Cleon Joseph. "They saw the suspect. There was an officer-involved shooting. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene."

No officers were injured in the shooting, Joseph said.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

"Irvine 11": 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Louis Sahagun and Andrew Blankstein

Glendale might lift sidewalk sign ban

Glendale might lift its 50-year ban on sidewalk signs for businesses.

The Planning Commission voted 3-0 on Wednesday to recommend that the City Council lift the ban. The rule has been unpopular with many business owners who argue that during tough economic times, they need the signs to advertise more than ever.

The signs have been banned for years, as they were considered “visual clutter that would not benefit the look of the city,” according to a city staff report.

Yet some merchants have continued to use them, according to the Glendale News-Press.

In approving the plan, the commission added a size restrictions, a $100 fee and a requirement for $1 million in liability insurance.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

"Irvine 11": 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 267

Golden fields: Hikers make their way up a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains in this Jan. 4 photo by Adrian Lopez.

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.

Telling Men the Truth about Sex and Prostate Cancer

Many surgeons and radiation centers tout promising statistics when they talk to men about the risk of sexual side effects from prostate cancer treatment. But as I write in the Sunday Review, new research published last week finally offers men some straight talk about what to expect from treatment for prostate cancer.

The reality for many of the 240,000 men in the United States in whom prostate cancer is diagnosed each year is not all that rosy, at least when it comes to their intimate lives. After surgery and radiation treatments, many men quickly discover that sex will never be normal again. Sensations change. Many men can no longer achieve erections without pumps or pills. For some, the ability to have sex goes away entirely.

Yet, for years, men facing prostate cancer surgery have been reassured by their doctors, who could cite studies in prominent medical journals, that their sex lives would be just fine after treatment. Doctors would often boast of sexual recovery rates in excess of 90 percent, but failed to disclose that those numbers applied to a select group of patients rather than to most men who walked in the door.

To learn more, read the full story, “The Side Effects? Well, There Is One…”, and then please join the discussion below.

Well-Dressed Bandit hits 10th bank in San Diego area

 
The FBI in San Diego is asking the public for information about a bank robber with an apparent taste for nice clothing and luxury automobiles.

Dubbed the Well-Dressed Bandit, the robber has hit 10 banks and credit unions in San Diego County since May 2010. His latest job was Friday when he robbed a Chase Bank in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego -- the third time he has robbed the same branch, according to authorities.

Witnesses reported seeing him leave in a Lexus or Mercedes. He prefers dark clothing and sometimes wears a cap to cover a balding or shaved head.

He is described as black, in his mid-30s, about 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Well Dressed Bandit on surveillance camera. Credit: FBI

Driver killed fleeing CHP

A driver was killed while fleeing a California Highway Patrol officer, in a chase that reached speeds of 100 mph, after he struck another car turning into a parking lot at California State University Los Angeles early Saturday.

The driver, whose name was not released pending contacting next of kin, climbed from his car after the accident, but died minutes later on the street, according to a CHP report.

The occupants of the other car were taken to USC-Los Angeles County Medical Center for treatment.

The incident began about 1 a.m. when a CHP officer tried to stop a Honda Accord for speeding westbound on the 10 Freeway. A high-speed chase ensued, with the Honda exiting at Fremont Avenue. The chase continued down city streets and onto Paseo Rancho Castilla.

A Dodge Charger was stopped at a stop sign at Paseo Rancho Castilla, about to turn into a university parking lot. The Honda collided head on with the Dodge, sending the Dodge backward 125 feet, according to the CHP report.

The Honda crashed into a bus stop awning and came to rest on a sidewalk, according to the report.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

 

 

Well Dressed Bandit hits 10th bank in San Diego area

The FBI in San Diego is asking the public for information about a bank robber with an apparent taste for nice clothing and luxury automobiles.

Dubbed the Well Dressed Bandit,' the robber has hit 10 banks and credit unions in San Diego County since May 2010. His latest job was Friday when he robbed a Chase Bank in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego -- the third time he has robbed the same branch, according to authorities.

Witnesses reported seeing him leave in a Lexus or Mercedes. He prefers dark clothing and sometimes wears a cap to cover a balding or shaved head.

He is described as black, in his mid-30s, about 6-foot-2 and weighing 220 pounds.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Glendale worries about East L.A. gang graffiti found in city

Glendale police are investigating graffiti tied to an East Los Angeles gang that appeared in parts of the city, prompting concerns from residents.

Police noticed the graffiti about a month ago in the area surrounding Fremont Park in the 600 block of Hahn Avenue, said Lt. Susan Hayn, who oversees the department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau.

“It scared the hell out me because I know what that could mean,” Glendale resident Lenore Solis told the Glendale News-Press. “If we don’t nip it right away, it could cause some problems.”

The graffiti made reference to potential gang ties to the Mexican mafia, according to Solis, who said she has learned about gangs from working as a chaplain at the Twin Towers Jail in Los Angeles. The graffiti first appeared as two initials representing the gang’s name, Hayn said. But in the last couple of weeks, graffiti appeared in two areas in Glendale and have spelled out the gang’s name, she said.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

--Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Crime alerts for Silver Lake, Granada Hills and eight other L.A. neighborhoods

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 10 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Seven neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Silver Lake (A) was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 1.3 over the last three months.

Granada Hills (H) topped the list of three neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 32 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 21.9 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for Sept. 15–Sept. 21, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

— Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

Man killed in Santa Clarita

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives were investigating a homicide in Santa Clarita that took place early Saturday.

One man was killed in the incident, which took place on the 27900 block of Calypso Lane about 3 a.m.

No further details were immediately available Saturday morning.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Dead squid washing ashore on Orange County beaches

Dead Humboldt squid washed up this week in Newport Beach and other Orange County beaches.

The site surprised beach-goers and surfers, but officials said it was a natural occurrence and not a cause for alarm. One startled jogger emailed pictures of the squid to the Daily Pilot.

A few examples of the species were spotted on the sand in Newport but more were being caught off-shore.

David Schmitt, a manager at Davey's Locker Sportfishing & Whale Watching in Newport, said fishing excursions have been catching thousands of Humboldt squid over the last few days.

He said the coast periodically sees an invasion by the squid.

"They show up, and they eat everything in sight, not including people," he said.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Times Community News

Photo: A girl looks at a Humboldt squid caught Friday morning off the end of Newport Pier. The creatures have been showing up in local waters causing fisherman to grab their gear. Credit: Don Leach / Times Community News

Gardena store owner recognized robber from earlier heist

A Gardena market owner who shot and killed a robbery suspect had recognized the man from an armed robbery of his store in July in which $2300 was taken, a local newspaper is reporting.

Gardena police Detective Rich Reynaga told the Daily Breeze newspaper that the owner of Paisano Meat, 1521 W. Rosecrans Ave., was in his office when he recognized the man on a video camera approaching the store again Friday morning.

The owner grabbed a pistol, which he'd purchased after the July robbery, and confronted the man in the store. The man pulled a gun and the store owner shot him in the chest, Reynaga told the Daily Breeze.

The wounded gunman ran out of the store and later collapsed and died on the street. The owner continued firing at him as the robbery suspect ran outside the store and, in the process, wounded another man, who was struck in the torso. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition and expected to survive.

Gardena police did not release the name of the owner or the armed robbery suspect.

ALSO:

L.A. tries to stop Encino marijuana dispensary

‘Irvine 11’: 10 students sentenced to probation, no jail time

Freddy Krueger statue stolen in Chula Vista; head left behind

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7