Photos: Bond fire in Orange County prompts evacuations
The Bond fire erupted overnight in Orange County in dry brush and prompted evacuations in mountain communities amid high winds.
Los Angeles
David Sheehan, Veteran LA Entertainment Journalist, Dies At 82
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Former CBS Los Angeles entertainment reporter David Sheehan has died. He was 82. Sheehan, who was a trailblazer and legend in entertainment news, first worked for CBS from 1970 to 1984, before a 10-year stint at KNBC. He returned to CBS 2 from 1994 to 2004. He was the first entertainment reviewer and interviewer on local television, interviewing several celebrities throughout his 34-year career, including Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. Last year, Sheehan revealed he had been fighting cancer for several years. He died Tuesday from complications of a stroke he suffered last week.
Costa Mesa’s Dream Seam Team Raises Money For Charity By Making Masks
COSTA MESA (CBSLA) — From spools of thread and yards of fabric to the needles and constant sound of stitching, Peggy Engard’s Costa Mesa workshop is almost always aflutter with activity. Costa Mesa resident Peggy Engard has not only been making and selling masks during the pandemic, she’s been donating the profits to Feeding America. (Courtesy: Peggy Engard) But now, since the coronavirus pandemic, Engard’s passion for sewing has taken on a whole new purpose. “I just think I’m just one of many people that want to give back,” she said. Back in March, Engard’s routine trip to JOANN Fabrics and Crafts took a turn when she encountered her first mask-making kit. She immediately knew it was her opportunity to put her skills to work and help fight the spread of coronavirus. “I put a call out to friends that were seamstresses and would like to help me, you know, just make masks for charity,” she said. “And so I got a call back from Cynthia Corley and Kathy Gordon, who are my dream seam team, and we just went to work making masks like…
Costa Mesa Mayor Announces Board of Supervisors Run
Share this article:As expected, Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley Thursday announced she would run for the Orange County Board of Supervisors when Michelle Steel resigns to take her seat in Congress. “Orange County can’t afford to look backward, and the status quo within the county government is no longer good enough,” Foley said in a statement. “I am running for supervisor to use facts and science to protect public health, implement common sense solutions to help local businesses and workers recover, and find new ideas to solve the unprecedented problems we face.” Former Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach has also announced he will run to try to succeed Steel. Moorlach served on the board from 2006-15 when he was termed out, prompting him to run for state Senate and win a special election in 2015. Moorlach narrowly lost his bid for re-election to UC Irvine law professor Dave Min. Moorlach recently won the endorsement of the Orange County Republican Party. Republicans have been clearing the field for Moorlach to have a one-on-one with Foley, a Democrat. Foley, who was re-elected mayor last month, touted her…
Pasadena church to seek court order allowing indoor worship after high court orders reexamination of restrictions
Lawyers for a church with more than 160 congregations across California said they would seek an immediate court order Thursday allowing indoor worship after the Supreme Court told a lower federal court to reexamine state coronavirus restrictions on church services. The apparent victory for Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry follows a recent high court ruling in favor of churches and synagogues in New York. Attorney Mathew Staver, who represents the church, said he expected a swift order from a Los Angeles federal judge blocking Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to close most indoor worship in most counties. He said the high court’s actions would also lead other churches to challenge COVID-19 health orders. “The bottom line result is that where the court needs to go is inevitable,” Staver said. “What the court did last week and what they did today, it’s a whole new landscape and I think they’ve telegraphed quite clearly the direction they’re going.” Last week, the Supreme Court split 5-4 in holding that New York could not enforce certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues. Eugene Volokh, a law professor…
Australian family returns home to find koala in their Christmas tree
An Australian family found an unusual addition to their Christmas tree decorations Wednesday – nestled among the lights and ornaments was a live koala. The misguided marsupial apparently slipped into the McCormicks’ Aidelaide home while the doors were open and scaled the tree after they left that afternoon, shutting the doors with the animal inside, according to The Guardian. When they got back around 6 p.m., the dog started sniffing near the tree and they noticed ornaments scattered on the floor – then they looked up and saw the koala. “It was pretty tangled up in the lights. It was a fake tree and very old but she still tried eating the leaves off it … I saw her munch down on some but she stopped when she realized it was plastic,” 16-year-old Taylah told The Guardian. Taylah named the unexpected Christmas tree resident Daphne. Mother Amanda McCormick said she initially thought it was a joke, or possibly one of her children’s stuffed animals. They called the Adelaide and Hills Koala Rescue, but even the operator didn’t take them seriously at first. “This evening our…
Ex-Newsom aide arrested after allegedly trying to suffocate 4-year-old with pillow in Napa
A former political advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom and well-known Democratic strategist was arrested in October on charges of domestic violence and child abuse, including an alleged attempt to “suffocate” a 4-year-old child with a pillow, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office. Napa County Assistant Dist. Atty. Paul Gero said his office filed a two-count felony complaint Thursday against Nathan Ballard, 51, alleging domestic violence and child abuse following his Oct. 18 arrest. Ballard, who worked as Newsom’s communications director when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco, said in a recent Marin Magazine profile on Newsom and his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, that he was a “longtime friend and advisor” to the governor. According to the Napa County sheriff, an unnamed woman alleged that Ballard, who she said had been under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, pushed her against a glass door Oct. 17, causing her head to strike the glass. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Henry Wofford said the woman told authorities that Ballard fell to the floor, bloodying his nose and forehead, then grabbed a pillow and “attempted to suffocate the child with…
L.A. Kings among teams exploring option of outdoor NHL games
The NHL has yet to finalize plans for the upcoming season, but teams are already thinking outside the box in preparing for a campaign that will look far different during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Kings, that has included the idea of hosting potential outdoor games if fans could attend, a long-shot possibility the team has explored during conversations with the league, as reported by multiple media reports Thursday. With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in Southern California and local health officials beginning to re-introduce stricter stay-at-home orders, it seems unlikely that fans will be allowed to attend games at Staples Center for at least the start, if not all, of the 2020-21 season, which the league hopes to begin next month. In theory, outdoor games could provide a safer setting for the return of spectators. And there are several factors that would make the Kings a logical potential host. Read the full story on LATimes.com.
Power shut off to over 43,000 amid dangerous winds as fires burn in Southern California
Nearly 250,000 additional customers across eight counties are under consideration for a shutoff as well, an Edison spokesman said.
3 Charged In Connection With Stabbing Of Transgender Woman at MacArthur Park
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Three people have been charged in connection with the stabbing of a transgender woman at MacArthur Park nearly two months ago, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday. Daniela Hernandez was brutally attacked Sunday night in the Westlake District. LAPD said it was investigating the attack as a hate crime. ( Javier Trimin-Rodriguez, 22, of Los Angeles, pleaded not guilty to one felony count each of attempted murder and extortion in connection with the Oct. 4 attack, according to the D.A.’s office. The charges included allegations of a hate crime, use of a knife as a deadly and dangerous weapon, great bodily injury and committing the crimes in association with a criminal street gang. Co-defendant, Margarita Valencia, 23, of Castaic, previously pleaded not guilty to one felony count of extortion involving another transgender woman on or between June and August, as well as an allegation that the crime was committed in association with a criminal street gang. Donoban Fonseca, 24, whose city of residence was not released, was charged Oct. 16 for his alleged involvement in the attack, along…
Man Sentenced To 7 Years, 4 Months For Setting Fire Inside Store At Westfield Century City Mall, Prompting Evacuation
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A Missouri man was sentenced to over seven years in prison Thursday after pleading no contest to setting a fire inside a store at the Westfield Century City mall prompting a mass evacuation last year. Nicholas Kyle Oates, 27, was immediately sentenced to seven years and four months in state prison following his plea to one count each of arson and assault with a firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Nicholas Kyle Oates was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison. (Photo via LAPD) Oates was seen entering the mall armed with a handgun before entering the children’s section of the Amazon store and setting books on fire. He also pulled a handgun on a store employee who confronted him and then lit additional items on fire before fleeing the scene, according to prosecutors. Investigators said Oates was a “disgruntled [former] employee unhappy with Amazon” who was “taking out his revenge in this bizarre and very dangerous manner”. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore described the situation as one that “created terror in the…
Children’s Bureau Hiring 20 Positions To Help Vulnerable Communities
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Children’s Bureau is looking for people with a passion for working with children and helping vulnerable communities. “If you’re looking to have an impact in the community that you live in, this is the place to do it,” said Ani Melkumyan, a spokesperson for the organization. The Children’s Bureau focuses on changing the lives of at-risk children and their families through programs that reduce child abuse and neglect, increase adoptions, and strengthen foster care. Currently, there are 20 openings including clinical therapists, clinical supervisors, case managers, and program supervisors. “Our ideal candidates would be ultimately mission-driven people who want to make a difference in vulnerable communities,” Melkumyan said. To apply, visit www.all4kids.org.
O.C. mortuary transport employee accused of stealing deceased woman’s ring
A Downey man is suspected of stealing a deceased woman’s ring while working for an Orange County company transporting her body earlier this year, authorities said Thursday. Riverside Police Department detectives returned the ring to the woman’s family Thursday after an investigation revealed 27-year-old Mark Anthony Zuniga allegedly took the ring and pawned it somewhere in Los Angeles County, police said. Investigators arrested him on Tuesday. An Orange County mortuary handled funeral arrangements for the woman after she died at a Riverside hospital on Sept. 24. Zuniga was working for an O.C.-based transport company contracted by the mortuary when he allegedly stoke the ring from the woman’s body, according to police. “It appears that he might’ve been by himself” at the time, Officer Ryan J. Railsback said. Railsback said it’s also possible Zuniga stole the ring sometime immediately after arriving to the facility. “It could’ve been after-hours at the mortuary,” he said. The ring was a gift from the woman’s husband, who gave it to her more than 50 years ago and is also deceased, Railsback said. “It was very important to them,” he said…
Parolee arrested in fatal stabbing of homeless outreach worker found in Pasadena park
After a homeless outreach worker was found fatally stabbed in a Pasadena park last week, a parolee who knew the victim was arrested, officials said Thursday. Elena Ledford, a 49-year-old Glendale resident, was found slain near some picnic tables by a passerby jogging in Hahamongna Watershed Park the morning of Nov. 24, according to Pasadena police. Detectives have since determined Ledford was killed across the street from where her body was found, in a parking lot at La Cañada High School. A coroner’s autopsy found Ledford’s cause of death to be multiple sharp force injuries. Ledford had spent the last three years working for Union Station Homeless Services, according to a GoFundMe campaign the Los Angeles-based nonprofit set up to raise money for Ledford’s 14-year-old daughter. “Elena was more than a beloved employee and coworker to us — she was a member of our Union Station Family,” the page’s author wrote. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the Ledford Family for this unfathomable loss.” Ledford’s family has asked for privacy. Adrian Casey is seen in a Nov. 26, 2020, booking photo released by the Bernalillo…
Witness intervenes in sexual assault of woman in her 60s; suspect arrested: Tustin PD
A person who witnessed a woman in her 60s being sexually assaulted in Tustin pushed the assailant off the victim, stopping the attack, police said Thursday. The incident occurred about 9:35 a.m. while the victim was walking along Robinson Drive, according to the Tustin Police Department. The man approached the victim from behind, forced her to the ground and tried to remove her pants, a police news release states. The assailant, identified as Quin Kalis Sheridan, then allegedly covered the victim’s mouth with his hand as she resisted. Police said a person in the area saw the attack, ran over and “pushed the suspect off the victim which eventually caused him to stop the assault,” according to the news release. Sheridan, 25, of Malibu, then ran from the scene. Responding officers and detectives eventually found Sheridan hiding in a nearby restroom. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, kidnapping, sexual assault and elder abuse, police said. No further details about the incident were released.
Missouri man pleads no contest to setting fire at Century City mall, assaulting bookstore employee with firearm
Nicholas K. Oates is seen in a driver’s license photo released by Los Angeles police, and a still from store surveillance shows the suspect who caused a gun scare at a Century City mall A 27-year-old man from Missouri pleaded no contest Thursday to setting a fire inside the Westfield Century City Mall last year, prompting the evacuation of the entire shopping center, officials said. Nicholas Kyle Oates entered the plea to one count each of arson and assault with a firearm and admitted an allegation of personally using a firearm, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. Oates was immediately sentenced to seven years and four months in state prison, the DA’s office said. On March 15, 2019, Oates entered the Amazon Books store inside the shopping center, walked to the children’s section and set books on fire. An employee confronted Oates, who then pulled out a handgun on the employee. The weapon was a compact black semi-automatic pistol, the Los Angeles Police Department said at the time. Oates then lit additional items on fire in the store and fled the scene, officials…