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Police across U.S. illegally selling firearms Police across the U.S. are illegally selling firearms, CBS News investigation finds 06:24 A group of House Democrats Tuesday called for action from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, days after CBS News  published an investigation  which found dozens of law enforcement officials illegally sold firearms, even weapons of war, across 23 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who serves on both the House Oversight Committee and on the Homeland Security Committee, wrote to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach stating his “grave concerns” over the report that certain law enforcement officers were “exploiting their positions to acquire and illegally distribute firearms.”  Garcia, joined in his letter by Rep. Dan Goldman of New York and Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida, asked the ATF to address a series of questions by Jan. 15, 2025, on serious systemic vulnerabilities exposed by the CBS News investigation. “Reporting suggests that there may be serious systemic vulnerabilities in current machine gun and sawed-off shotgun and rifle regulations and enforcement mechanisms, jeopardizing public safety by enabling the proliferation of dangerous weapons, often

Investigations are underway after a man was shot and killed by police in Buena Park Tuesday. Buena Park police officers responded to reports of a possibly armed suspect who was seen walking on lanes of the 5 Freeway near Artesia Boulevard at around 1 p.m. Authorities spotted the suspect on Artesia Boulevard and, following a confrontation, police opened fire on the man. He was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. Details are limited and the moments leading up to the deadly shooting were not released. The case remains under investigation by the California Department of Justice and the Buena Park Police Department. “Upon completion of the investigation, it will be turned over to DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review,” said the California Attorney General’s Office. 2 suspects arrested in Orange County fraud scheme investigation The suspect’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.  Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has information on the case is encouraged to contact Buena Park Police at 714-562-3978 and ask to speak with

A ferocious wildfire fanned by strong winds burned through Malibu on Tuesday, destroying homes, triggering power outages and forcing thousands to evacuate along the coast in the dark while firefighters struggled to contain the flames. The eastern half of Malibu remained under an evacuation order Tuesday. The rest of the city and portions of unincorporated Los Angeles County were under an evacuation warning affecting roughly 20,000 people. The blaze, dubbed the Franklin fire, was reported a few minutes before 11 p.m. Monday along Malibu Canyon Road in the hills north of Pepperdine University. Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the blaze moved at a fierce pace, exploding to roughly 2,850 acres as of Tuesday afternoon with no containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference Tuesday evening that at least seven structures were destroyed and eight damaged, based on a preliminary aerial survey. Inspection teams have been assigned to the incident and a more accurate account of the destruction is expected tomorrow, he said. More than 1,500 firefighters battled the

An LAPD helicopter accident injured two officers during training in Los Alamitos on Tuesday. (KTLA-TV) Two LAPD officers were injured after a helicopter training flight in Los Alamitos ended in an emergency landing, a spokesperson for the department said. Around 1 p.m. Tuesday, a helicopter was conducting training with two officers on board in the 4000 block of Doolittle Avenue in Los Alamitos when “there was a minor training incident that required an emergency landing,” a spokesperson said. An officer told KTLA that the aircraft “experienced a mechanical failure” and made a hard landing, although the LAPD spokesperson said there was no further information regarding the nature of the incident. The incident appeared to have taken place at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, which serves as a joint training site for the National Guard, according to Cal Guard. Cal Guard and local officials at the base did not respond immediately to a Times inquiry about the incident Tuesday evening. Both officers had minor injuries but were not taken to a hospital, according to police. A representative for the Federal Aviation Administration could

A Southern California man was sentenced to prison for sexual assault crimes that involved multiple underage victims. The man involved was identified as Edmundo Garcia, 34, of Ontario, according to the Pomona Police Department. On April 23, 2024, police responded to reports of a missing juvenile. Detectives later discovered the juvenile had been taken against her will by Garcia. The kidnapped juvenile was later located and rescued from the suspect. Investigators learned Garcia had been “grooming children in the area and sexually assaulting them using force and fear.” Details on how the victims were first contacted by Garcia or the number of victims possibly involved were not released. Garcia was arrested and charged with: Oral copulation of a minor over 14 Unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 (2 counts) Assault with a deadly weapon Assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury (2 counts) Lewd act upon a child under 14 Sexual penetration of a person under 16 Lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15 (2 counts) Battery with serious bodily injury Sexual penetration by use of force

A Chinese national who resides in Brentwood was arrested moments before boarding a flight to China following allegations that he flew a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base late last month and took photos, officials announced Monday.   According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Yinpiao Zhou, a 39-year-old Chinese citizen and lawful permanent resident of the U.S., was arrested Dec. 9 at San Francisco International Airport prior to his flight.   Federal investigators said that on Nov. 30, drone detection systems at Vandenberg in Santa Barbara County detected the unmanned aircraft flying at an altitude of nearly a mile above ground level for almost an hour, with launch and return of the drone originating at Ocean Park, a public area near the base.   “Base security personnel went to the park, spoke to Zhou and another person accompanying him, and learned that Zhou had a drone concealed in his jacket – the same one that flew over the base,” the release stated.   In this handout provided by NASA, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen at Vandenberg Air Force

Kimberly Guilfoyle has been nominated to serve as United States ambassador to Greece, President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday. Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host now deeply enmeshed in the broader Trump orbit, was married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco. The former prosecutor announced her engagement to Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. in 2022, though questions about the couple’s current relationship status dogged tabloid headlines on Tuesday. Guilfoyle was a prominent surrogate for Trump during the 2024 campaign. “For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social website, praising her “extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics” and her “sharp intellect.” The post, which requires Senate confirmation, is currently held by Biden appointee George Tsunis. Guilfoyle said Tuesday on X that it “was the democratic values born in Greece that helped shape the founding of America,” adding that she looked forward “to delivering on the Trump agenda, supporting our Greek allies, and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.” She also once worked in

The students huddling in Pepperdine University’s library watched through the windows as flames crested the Santa Monica Mountains. Some students prayed. Others called their parents as the wind blew embers across campus, setting palm trees on fire and drawing orange flames closer and closer to their building. A few wondered out loud, when they were told to stay away from the windows, whether they had made a fateful mistake in not leaving campus. “It was terrifying,” said Matthew Morrison, an 18-year-old acting major, who watched the blaze from the library’s first floor. “The fire was so intense, it felt like it was battering the windows.” As the Franklin fire raged across Malibu in the early hours on Tuesday morning, officials at Pepperdine University urged students and faculty to remain on campus, inside the university’s fire-resistant buildings, even though they were in the middle of Malibu’s fire evacuation zone. University officials were following a well-established plan: Pepperdine’s policy of sheltering students in fire-resistant structures when wildfires threaten Malibu has been in effect since 1993. The university notes that its shelter-in-place policy is supported and reviewed annually

Driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, the Franklin Fire in Malibu Canyon, on the hillsides near Pepperdine University, grew to more than 2,800 acres Tuesday with about 2,000 structures under mandatory evacuation orders. However, authorities said there was only a “minimal” number of homes destroyed and no injuries reported. The blaze began shortly before 11 p.m. Monday in a Malibu Canyon area where a high volume of dry brush contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. It erupted in the midst of a rare “particularly dangerous situation red flag warning” issued by the National Weather Service in response to strong wind gusts and dramatically dry conditions. The cause of the fire was still under investigation. At an 8 a.m. multi-agency briefing Tuesday, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire was listed at more than 2,200 acres, with no reported containment. By late afternoon, Cal Fire put the size of the fire at 2,851 acres. More than 700 firefighters were battling the blaze Tuesday morning, aided by a fleet of water- and retardant-dropping aircraft, including Super Scoopers and eight Cal Fire

Los Angeles County’s Probation Department chief, who last week announced plans to retire by the end of the year, said Tuesday he now intends to stay on the job to address ongoing issues plaguing the agency’s juvenile detention facilities. “We face significant challenges, but I believe we are building a strong foundation, and there is more to be done,” county Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement. “I remain fully committed to working with my staff, partners, county and State leaders to ensure we turn the tide on challenges the department has faced.” Los Angeles County issued a statement supporting Viera Rosa’s decision to stay on the job. “Los Angeles County’s Probation Department faces long-running challenges that it is working diligently to address,” according to the county statement. “Recognizing the importance of the work now underway, Los Angeles County is encouraged that Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa has decided to remain in his position and provide the leadership, skills and innovative approaches needed to turn the corner on significant issues, including meeting our continued commitment to achieving full compliance with the Board