California Dolphin

California authorities are searching for a man convicted of first-degree murder who jumped out of a prison van and escaped custody while being transported for a court appearance. Cesar M. Hernandez, 34, escaped Monday morning shortly after arriving at the Kern County Superior Courthouse in Delano. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Hernandez jumped out of a prison transport van and took off on foot around 10:45 a.m. As of 3 p.m. Monday, he has yet to be located. Special investigators from nearby CDCR prisons are currently searching for Hernandez, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Delano and McFarland police departments. Cesar M. Hernandez, 34, is shown in this CDCR mugshot on Sept. 20, 2024. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Hernandez is described as 5 feet 5 inches, weighing about 160 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing an orange prison outfit. He’s been in state prison since June 2019 after being convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the

Actor Wayne Northrop, who was best known for his work in TV dramas “Dynasty,” “Days of Our Lives” and “Port Charles,” has died. He was 77. Publicist Cynthia Snyder confirmed to The Times that Northrop died Friday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund home in Woodland Hills. His wife and “General Hospital” actor Lynn Herring said in a statement that the actor “took his last breath in the arms of his family,” six years after he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. “Wayne touched so many people with his sense of humor and wit,” said the statement, which also remembered Northrop as a “husband for 43 years, the best dad ever to his two boys, Hank and Grady, and a rancher who loved his cows and was a friend to many.” Northrop, a Washington native, enjoyed a television career that spanned more than 30 years, several networks and multiple hit dramas. An alumnus of the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre, founded by “Waltons” star Ralph Waite, Northrop began his professional career in the late 1970s with minor roles in series including “The Waltons” as well as

“Wicked” actor Marissa Bode is speaking out against the ableist discourse surrounding her character, Nessarose, after the movie musical’s debut. The 24-year-old, who makes her feature film debut in “The Wizard of Oz” prequel adaptation, is the first wheelchair user ever to be cast as the “tragically beautiful” younger sister to Wicked Witch-to-be Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). But her complicated character was met with mixed reactions after “Wicked” was released in theaters last week and broke the box-office opening record for a film based on a Broadway musical. “It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character,” Bode said in a TikTok posted Saturday, acknowledging her bias toward the “complex” Nessarose. “‘Wicked’ and these characters and the movie wouldn’t be what it was if there weren’t different opinions on the characters and who’s truly wicked or not.” “That being said,” she continued, “aggressive comments and ‘jokes’ about Nessa’s disability itself is deeply uncomfortable because disability is not fictional. At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so, it is simply a low-hanging fruit

It took less than an hour Monday for all tickets to be sold for The Weeknd’s one-night-only, in-the-round concert at the Rose Bowl. The concert is scheduled for Jan. 25. According to concert promoter Live Nation, more than 300,000 fans were in the online ticket queue when ticket sales began Monday morning. The show was sold out in less than an hour, according to Live Nation. The Canadian-Ethiopian star (real name Abel Tesfaye) said the one-night-only show will feature a previously unseen production, and the stage will take over the entire floor of the stadium. The concert will mark the release of The Weeknd’s new album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” due Jan. 24. The Rose Bowl performance comes on the heels of The Weeknd’s recent one-night-only stadium show in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It also follows his fall tour across Australia, which included multiple shows in Melbourne and Sydney. The Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn” tour in 2022-23 included more than 60 sold-out stadium shows across North America, Europe, the UK and Latin America, drawing more than 3 million attendees.

A San Fernando Valley man pleaded not guilty Monday to possessing two suitcases containing clothing caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Australia. Raj Matharu, 31, of Northridge entered his plea to a federal count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A trial date of Jan. 21 was tentatively set in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. “Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit — as alleged in the facts of this case,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “In the process, they are poisoning communities throughout the world. Law enforcement is committed to fighting drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.” According to court documents, on Nov. 6, Matharu attempted to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney. At the ticket counter, Matharu checked two luggage items — one pink suitcase and one gray suitcase. After Matharu checked the suitcases, screening officers X-rayed them. The X-ray revealed irregularities and officers pulled the suitcases for a secondary inspection.

Ethics concerns over Trump, Musk relationship President-elect Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk raises ethics concerns 03:02 Elon Musk’s efforts to get his massive $56 billion 2018 Tesla pay package reinstated was rejected by a Delaware judge on Monday.  The decision, issued by Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, comes after a majority of Tesla shareholders in August reauthorized the compensation package during the electric vehicle maker’s annual meeting.  After it was initially approved in 2018, the pay package sparked a lawsuit from some Tesla shareholders who accused Musk and Tesla’s board of directors of breaching their duties and unjustly enriching the billionaire. In January 2024, McCormick had ruled that Musk and his company failed to prove that the huge payout was legally warranted, prompting Musk to take the issue back to his shareholders in August. In her Dec. 2 decision, McCormick said that Musk had asked the court “to flip its decision and enter judgment in their favor.” She added, “The motion to revise is denied,” citing what the judge described as “at least four fatal flaws” in arguments from Musk’s attorneys. “The

A central California middle school teacher died after contracting rabies from a suspected bat bite, local health officials said. The victim’s death was reported last Tuesday. The Fresno County Department of Public Health confirmed the victim was exposed to rabies in Merced County. Friends identified the victim as Leah Seneng, 60, an artist and art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos. “We are raising funds for her family after her unexpected death for funeral expenses. We ask for privacy for her family during this difficult time and thank you in advance for any donations. Every little bit helps,” Laura Splotch wrote in a GoFundMe campaign. Leah Seneng is seen in a GoFundMe campaign photo. (Laura Splotch) Splotch told a local TV station that Seneng found the bat in her classroom in mid-October and was bitten after she picked it up to move it outside. “She didn’t wanna harm it,” said Splotch. “But that’s when I guess it woke up or saw the light or whatever – It swooped around a bit, and it took off.” Seneng didn’t experience any symptoms at first, Splotch

One of the most scandal-ridden names in American business history appears to be back, though the seriousness of its reappearance remains to be seen. “We’re back. Can we talk?,” Enron posted Monday on social media alongside a brief video and a press release. The announcement comes 23 years to the day after its Dec. 2, 2001, bankruptcy due to widespread accounting fraud that created perhaps the most notorious corporate scandal in American history. An Enron spokesperson deferred comment back to the Monday press release, though they teased that “a big announcement in the energy space” was on the way. The video also yielded no clues, only presenting generic images and slogans that evoke the Kouchtown parody ads from “30 Rock.” As one might expect, though, the scandal is referenced often in the promotional materials, as Enron promises that its “leadership team is focused on setting a high standard for ethical business practices, transparency, and sustainability, serving as a model for corporate responsibility worldwide.” Additionally, by “acknowledging the past,” Enron’s newest iteration is “founded on a renewed commitment to integrity, with a forward-looking approach that prioritizes

With every jump shot that fell through the net, a flurry of nine points in less than 2½ minutes last week, Dylan Andrews provided a reminder of the player he’s been and the one he’d like to be again. You remember the UCLA point guard from late last season, right? Driving past anyone who dared to try and stand between him and the basket. Pulling up for feathery jumpers. Almost single-handedly lugging his team on a six-game winning streak. There’s only been glimpses of that player over the season’s first month. A groin injury that sidelined the junior for two games certainly didn’t help, but it seems as if he hasn’t been nearly as much on the attack as he was last February and March. The statistics tell the story. Andrews is averaging 8.0 points and 3.8 assists on 48.6% shooting, including 31.6% on three-pointers. That’s a long way from the production of his final 14 games last season, when he averaged a team-leading 17.1 points while making 40.8% of his three-pointers. He provided a hint of that efficiency last week with his barrage of

The head of the L.A. city agency overseeing animal shelters is stepping down, according to an city email sent Monday to shelter volunteers and animal advocates. Staycee Dains resigned effective November 30, assistant general manager Annette Ramirez wrote in the email, which was viewed by The Times. Ramirez wrote that she had been appointed interim general manager by Mayor Karen Bass. Dains, who earned about $272,730, did not immediately respond to an email and phone message. She had been on paid leave since August. Officials had declined to explain why she took a leave, leading to uncertainty about the agency’s leadership. Bass, when asked about Dains’ future in October, declined to tell The Times whether she was looking for a new general manager. Bass added that Ramirez, who was tasked with leading the agency during Dain’s absence, was “performing absolutely fine.” Bass announced Dains’ hiring in June 2023, touting her arrival as part of the mayor’s effort to turn around Animal Services, which faces chronic problems including overcrowding and staff shortages. Agnes Sibal, a spokesperson for L.A. Animal Services, said earlier this year that the

California sets initial State Water Project allocation at 5% following hot, dry stretch The California Aqueduct, which transports water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Southern California, runs near Highway 165 in Los Banos. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Dec. 2, 2024 Updated 2:21 PM PT California water managers have announced their preliminary forecast of supplies that will be available next year from the State Water Project, telling 29 public agencies to plan for as little as 5% of requested allotments. The state Department of Water Resources said Monday that the initial allocation is based on current reservoir levels and conservative assumptions about how much water the state may be able to deliver in 2025. “We need to prepare for any scenario, and this early in the season we need to take a conservative approach to managing our water supply,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said. Last year, the state’s initial forecast was 10% of requested supplies, but the allocation was increased to 40% in the spring. Officials said the initial water supply forecast does not take into account the series of storms that drenched

President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter dismayed many political figures, including Democratic elected officials, who said they worried that the protection offered to the president’s child could undermine faith in the criminal justice system. Critics said Biden’s action might embolden President-elect Donald Trump to pardon his allies, including the hundreds of people who invaded the U.S. Capitol in 2021 in hopes of overturning Trump’s loss to Biden in the 2020 election. Others defended the Hunter Biden pardon, saying the president was protecting his son from a campaign of retribution Trump has promised to wage against his political opponents. The elder Biden issued the pardon Sunday, sparing his 54-year-old son from a possible prison sentence for federal gun and tax convictions. The president had previously promised he would not pardon his son. “President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all,” U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) wrote on the X social media site Monday. Colorado’s Democratic governor agreed. “While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to