LA Times: Los Angeles
'He's a monster,' one juror said of the man who killed a 12-year-old girl and four women.
It took an Orange County jury about one hour Tuesday to vote for the death penalty for convicted serial killer Rodney James Alcala.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
Thefts that depend on role playing and charm point to a single burglar being the likely suspect in heists of jewelry and cash from sports teams, a salsa band and a sugar baron in town for the Oscars.
For the "Rico Suave" bandit, the weapons of choice are charm, disguise and the power of persuasion.
9 Mar 2010 at 9:40pm
L.A. council considers deactivating 10 ambulances at night
A decision is postponed after a man tearfully recalls how his father died of a heart attack and amid confusion about how the plan to save $20 million would affect response times.
Facing a shrinking number of options to close a budget gap that could grow to $600 million in the next fiscal year, the Los Angeles City Council is weighing whether to deactivate 10 rescue ambulances at night.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
A chilling early view of an accused killer
A 2000 probation report on John Albert Gardner III depicts an erratic and violent young man. He is now charged with killing 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway.
The 13-year-old girl wanted to ditch school to avoid some bullies. So when her older neighbor, John Albert Gardner III, offered her a ride, she hopped in. They went to his place, he turned on a movie, and then attacked her.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
Norwalk boy, 7, calls 911 and saves his family
'Bring cops . . . a lot of them!' he pleads during a home invasion.
Authorities were hailing a 7-year-old Norwalk boy as a hero Tuesday after he hid in a bathroom and called 911 as three armed attackers burst into his home and threatened his parents.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
Federal agency to investigate L.A. schools
The focus of the Education Department probe will be the district's services for students learning English.
The federal government has singled out the Los Angeles Unified School District for its first major investigation under a reinvigorated Office for Civil Rights, officials said Tuesday.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
L.A. wants to quit or alter two bank deals
The interest rate swaps, involving $316.8 million in debt incurred by a program to repair or replace sewer lines and treatment plants, have increased the city's cost of borrowing, officials say.
Prodded by a nationwide union campaign, the Los Angeles City Council is trying to get out of an arrangement with two banks that was supposed to reduce the city's borrowing costs but instead has increased them by $19 million annually.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
City employee group questions use of ever-changing numbers
Art Sweatman has trimmed trees for the city of Los Angeles for 13 years, and sometimes he hauls them away after they've fallen on cars or blocked roads and sidewalks. It took him 10 years to get to his current annual salary of $54,000, and now city officials are saying they need him and other workers to take a 10% to 15% pay cut to eliminate a $485-million deficit.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
Moviegoer is stabbed after complaining about cellphone user
A meat thermometer was plunged into the victim's neck during a screening of 'Shutter Island.' An L.A. County sheriff's spokesman called it a 'vicious and cowardly attack.'
A dispute at a Lancaster movie theater during a screening of "Shutter Island" ended with someone plunging a meat thermometer into the neck of the man who complained about someone sitting near him talking on a cellphone during the show.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
California global warming law may lead to job losses, report says
The state's nonpartisan legislative analyst's office says the losses could occur in the short term. State Sen. David Cogdill uses the report to criticize climate regulation.
Debate over the economic effects of California's first-in-the-nation global warming law flared this week, with a report saying short-term job losses can be expected.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:00am
LA Times: San Fernando Valley
Burbank middle school teacher arrested for allegedly having unlawful sex with...
A Burbank middle school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having unlawful sex with one of her students, police said Tuesday. Amy Beck, 33, surrendered at the Burbank Police Department headquarters Monday and was booked on suspicion of lewd and...
9 Mar 2010 at 2:59pm
LAPD uncovers pot-growing operation in Van Nuys
Police uncovered a marijuana-growing operation Monday evening at a warehouse in Van Nuys. The operation was in a building in a commercial area near Roscoe Place and Hayvenhurst Place, the Los Angeles Police Department said. One man was taken into...
9 Mar 2010 at 12:42am
Boy, 15, slain and another wounded in Pacoima shooting
A 15-year-old boy was shot dead and a 16-year-old was wounded Monday night in an apparent gang-related attack in Pacoima, police said. The gunfire broke out about 7:15 p.m. as a car pulled up to the two youths who were...
8 Mar 2010 at 11:54pm
Bookstore flourishes as other independents wither
"The Iliad," the epic verse of the Greek poet Homer, is known in the world of classic literature as a tragedy. But the fate of the North Hollywood bookstore that bears its name has been anything but. In the age...
6 Mar 2010 at 8:30pm
Man fleeing a would-be robber is hit by car and killed
An 18-year-old was struck by a car and killed in Canoga Park while running from a would-be robber on a bicycle, the Los Angeles Police Department said Saturday. Officers responded about 8 p.m. Thursday to a report of a traffic...
6 Mar 2010 at 5:51pm
Rainfall is light in L.A., while hail is spotted in Pasadena and funnel cloud...
As storm clouds moved onshore Saturday morning, pea-sized hail fell in Altadena, Pasadena and Mt. Washington, and funnel clouds were spotted off Newport Harbor in Orange County. But rainfall was light. Less than half an inch of rain is expected...
6 Mar 2010 at 3:09pm
Education protesters arrested in Northridge and Oakland [Updated]
A day of largely peaceful rallies against cuts in education funding Thursday was disrupted in Los Angeles and Oakland when police and protesters clashed, shutting down roads and freeways as officers made arrests. In Oakland, at least 150 people were...
4 Mar 2010 at 10:42pm
Education protesters try to block traffic in Northridge
Police shut down Reseda Boulevard near Nordhoff Street Thursday afternoon near Cal State Northridge after protesters tried to march against oncoming traffic, authorities said. The protesters were rallying as part of a nationwide day of action to call attention to...
4 Mar 2010 at 8:51pm
Tarzana woman is sentenced to life for setting nightclub dancer on fire
A 28-year-old Tarzana woman was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for setting a nightclub dancer on fire. Rianne Celine Theriault-Odom was found guilty last month of aggravated mayhem and torture in connection with the February 2009 attack on Roberta...
4 Mar 2010 at 3:26pm
Alleged stalker of Dr. Drew Pinsky is arrested [Updated]
A man was being held in a Pasadena jail Thursday on suspicion of stalking reality show star Dr. Drew Pinsky. Charles William Pearson, 33, was detained Wednesday by L.A. County sheriff's deputies, who spotted him at a computer terminal in...
4 Mar 2010 at 1:25pm
CBS 2 - KCAL 9: Los Angeles
High-Wind Warning Issued For Southern California
A high-wind warning has been issued for mountain areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
10 Mar 2010 at 3:11am
Activists Target Santa Monica Sushi Restaurant
Federal agents are investigating a high-end Santa Monica, Calif., sushi restaurant, following a video sting orchestrated by the producers of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove."
10 Mar 2010 at 3:05am
Man Accused of Groping Women On Flight To O.C.
A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly groping female airplane passengers on a redeye flight from Newark to Orange County.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:49am
Scary Home Invasion Robbery Heard On 911 Call
A composed, but clearly frightened 7-year-old, called a 911 dispatcher to report that a home invasion robbery was taking place in his Norwalk home.
10 Mar 2010 at 2:36am
Letterman Extortion Suspect Pleads Guilty
A television producer admitted Tuesday to trying to shake down David Letterman in a case that bared the late-night icon's affairs with staffers, avoiding a long prison sentence by pleading guilty in exchange for six months in jail and community service.
9 Mar 2010 at 11:40pm
Police: Teacher Arrested For Having Sex With Pupil
Police arrested a teacher at David Starr Jordan Middle School in Burbank Tuesday for allegedly having sex with one of her male students over a period of several months.
9 Mar 2010 at 10:46pm
Red Alert! Seal Beach Gets Improved Fire Station
A new and improved fire station in the city of Seal Beach. Captain Steven King of the Orange County Fire Authority is pumped. "We're really excited. It's like talking from camping in a pup tent to having a diesel pusher with air conditioning and a big screen."
9 Mar 2010 at 10:18pm
L.A. Cops Seek Man Who Robbed Billionaires
Police are looking for a man they say posed as a hotel worker and made off with thousands of dollars in jewelry belonging to a wealthy Florida businessman and his wife who were in town to see the Academy Awards.
9 Mar 2010 at 8:50pm
SoCal Man Stabbed With Meat Thermometer At Movie
A Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman says a man was stabbed in the neck with a meat thermometer after asking a woman to silence her cell phone during a screening of the film "Shutter Island" at a Lancaster movie theater.
9 Mar 2010 at 7:47pm
Echo Park Woman Finds Remedies In Flowers
For Alexis Smart, everything's coming up roses at her Echo Park hideaway. From the outside, flowers are in bloom, from the inside, the power of the flower is used as a remedy for every day ailments.
10 Mar 2010 at 1:29am
Topix News: Los Angeles
More than 150 firefighters are battling a large industrial fire burning on the just south of downtown on the edge of Huntington Park.
9 Mar 2010 at 11:55pm
Bob Barker Donates $2.5M To Create PETA Offices
Share + Comments Mar 9, 2010 1:02 pm US/Pacific Bob Barker has donated $2.5 million to help the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals open a new location in Los Angeles.
9 Mar 2010 at 7:43pm
Los Angeles Police Arrest Sexual Assault Suspect
Share + Mar 8, 2010 1:55 am US/Pacific LOS ANGELES 1 of 1 Los Angeles Police arrested a 35-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl he met on MySpace Friday.
9 Mar 2010 at 3:25pm
Los Angeles police say all they needed to find marijuana growing in a Van Nuys warehouse was a sense of smell.
9 Mar 2010 at 11:10am
Host Alec Baldwin, right, and Steve Martin are seen on stage at the 82nd Academy Awards Sunday, March 7, 2010, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
9 Mar 2010 at 6:45am
Port Of L.A. Breaks Ground On $22M Road Upgrading
Port Of L.A. Breaks Ground On $22M Road Upgrading Share + Mar 8, 2010 10:02 pm US/Pacific Port Of L.A. Breaks Ground On $22M Road Upgrading 1 of 1 The Port of Los Angeles is embarking on a $22 million upgrade of a main truck route to and from the harbor in a project that will create more than 250 jobs.
9 Mar 2010 at 2:35am
The Academy Awards were held Sunday night, March 7, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.
8 Mar 2010 at 10:21pm
Jolie and Pitt swap Oscars for kids' party
Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive at the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' and Spyglass Entertainment's 'Invictus' at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Theater on December 3, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California.
8 Mar 2010 at 5:38pm
Out & About :: The History of Gay LA
Where was the term 'Lipstick Lesbian' coined? Where is the bathhouse where past closeted Hollywood stars would meet to satisfy their urges? What was the tragic outcome for the transsexual who had been solicited by Eddie Murphy? Did you know that one of the first gay movement meetings was held not in West Hollywood but in Silverlake? Those are just ...
8 Mar 2010 at 1:02pm
Tom Cruise limped after getting back up on his feet following the motorcycle accident in L.A. Tom Cruise was slightly hurt Sunday when he crashed his motorcycle at a Los Angeles intersection while trying to avoid colliding with a car.
8 Mar 2010 at 7:47am
Los Angeles Daily News: Most Viewed
LAUSD: Pay cuts a must to avoid layoffs
Los Angeles Unified officials said Tuesday that if the district's unions want to avoid up to 6,300 layoffs this summer, they will have to agree to concessions that include pay cuts of 10 percent and taking 12 furlough days over the next two years.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
Burbank middle-school teacher arrested over alleged student sex
A teacher at David Starr Jordan Middle School in Burbank was in custody Tuesday for allegedly having sex with one of her male students over a period of several months, police said.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
Feds to investigate LAUSD
The federal Department of Education's civil rights arm will launch a major investigation into whether Los Angeles schools have denied educational opportunities to students learning English, officials are expected to announce today.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LAKERS?
The Lakers have lost three in a row for the first time since trading for Pau Gasol on Feb. 1, 2008. They were swept on a three-game trip for the first time since April 2005.
8 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
Dodgers' Willie Davis found dead in Burbank
Former Los Angeles Dodgers centerfielder Willie Davis was found dead Tuesday in his Burbank home.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
Women allege trauma after being exposed to naked man during 'Dr. Phil' filming
Two women suing Phil McGraw and CBS Television alleging they suffered trauma when they were exposed to a naked man during an episode of the television psychologist's program can move forward with their suit, a judge ruled today.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
BofA ends overdraft fees on debit cards
Bank of America customers will soon be unable to spend more than they have in the accounts linked to their debit cards.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
Former TV producer says he shook down David Letterman
A former television producer admitted Tuesday he tried to shake down talk show host David Letterman.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
Teacher admits to sex with student
BURBANK - A Burbank middle school teacher who turned herself in to authorities after feeling guilty about an alleged sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student will be arraigned today in Burbank Superior Court.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
BOYS' BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Spirits lifted following record-setting victory
Wesley McCurtis scored a game-high 26 points to lead Paraclete of Lancaster to a 62-56 victory over visiting Immanuel of Reedley in a Southern California Div.
9 Mar 2010 at 1:00am
