California Dolphin

Loved ones are calling for justice after a Southern California man was shot and killed by police. A young father of two, Jimmy Lopez, 26, was killed by Hemet police officers on July 4. Family members are now filing a lawsuit against the police department. On that night, police received a call from a bar in downtown Hemet that an intoxicated man had left the bar while carrying what appeared to be a handgun in his pants. Officers arrived at the scene and spotted Lopez on the 200 block of East Florida Avenue at around 1:40 a.m. As police made contact with him, a confrontation ensued and Lopez was fatally shot by police. Investigators later confirmed Lopez was carrying an airsoft pistol at the time and not a firearm. Hemet police said bodycam footage showed Lopez had allegedly pointed the airsoft gun at officers and that “there was no way for officers to know that at the time” the weapon wasn’t a handgun. Jimmy Lopez, 26, is seen in a photo with his daughter. (Lopez Family) Jimmy Lopez, 26, is seen in a photo with

Longtime residents and city leaders in Laguna Beach say this summer has been unlike any other. Fleeing the scorching inland heat, visitors have flocked to this affluent coastal community by the tens of thousands, crowding beaches and, according to locals, leaving behind unprecedented amounts of trash. “I’ve never seen the influx of trash, people, crowds, rescues, sirens in my entire life,” said Greg Viviani, a Laguna Beach native who runs the popular Instagram handle SoLagLocal. In a video shared on July 1, Viviani emptied a trash bag full of beach toys and garbage that he collected in a single morning. Greg Viviani empties a bag of trash collected on the beach in Laguna Beach on July 1, 2024. (IG @SoLagLocal) “This has to stop. This is killing our town, killing our way of life … this is ridiculous,” he says. Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf hears the complaints. “Since I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen so many visitors, and the people who have lived here 30, 40, 50 years have said the same thing,” Kempf told KTLA’s Chip Yost on Friday. While the volume of

When dementia becomes a principal player in any household, the ravages of loss start early. It’s in that unsettling space, in which confusion grips all parties, where Japanese filmmaker Kei Chika-ura fashions his intricately heartsick “Great Absence,” about a callous father’s dementia and an estranged son’s investigation of the past. Working from an excellent screenplay (by Chika-ura and Keita Kumano) that’s a finely tuned model of narrative empathy, and boasting an all-timer portrait of decline by the great Tatsuya Fuji (“In the Realm of the Senses”), it conveys both keen insight into a tough situation and, at the same time, intriguingly lets some workings of the heart and mind remain impenetrable. When Tokyo-based actor Takashi (Mirai Moriyama), upon learning that his retired professor dad Yohji (Fuji) has been involved in a disturbing police incident, travels to his island hometown of Kyushu, it’s more out of a grudging sense of responsibility than some act of love. Because for the most part, Takashi, a child of divorce, has stayed away from his father for decades. With Takashi’s producer wife Yuki (Yoko Maki) along for support, he facilitates

The organizers of a demonstration outside a Los Angeles synagogue last month that ended in violence and sparked national condemnation have been sued for a second time. StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, a nonprofit that fights antisemitism, filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of seven Jewish people who planned to attend a real estate and religious event on June 23 at the Adas Torah Synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. It is the second lawsuit to be filed against Code Pink and the Palestinian Youth Movement, the nonprofits that led the demonstration. The first suit was filed by a Jewish man who accused the groups of causing violence and blocking him from entering the synagogue Attorneys for Stand with Us Center for Legal Justice echoed similar allegations as the first lawsuit, saying demonstrators “terrorized Jewish congregants outside of their house of worship, blocking access to those seeking religious services and trapping others inside.” Jewish worshipers, the lawsuit said, were injured by bear spray, assaulted and threatened by demonstrators. The protest also halted multiple daily prayer services and Torah study sessions. “Targeting Jewish families on their way

Police responded Wednesday night to reports of a break-in at a home in Encino — at least the third such incident in the same neighborhood this month. A mother and a daughter arriving home around 10 p.m. Wednesday found shattered glass and two men inside their residence, CBS News and Fox 11 reported. After running back to their car, the pair called 911. The suspects fled before the family could get a description, the news stations said. Los Angeles Police Department Officer Rosario Cervantes confirmed Friday that police were investigating a burglary involving two male suspects at that home, located in the 5000 block of Rubio Avenue. Cervantes said property was taken, but she did not have other details. Several burglaries have been reported in the same neighborhood this month. A home in the 4900 block of Edgerton Avenue, less than a mile away, may have been targeted twice: once on July 11 and again on July 15. The LAPD confirmed that officers responded to incidents at the home on both dates, but said a burglary report was taken only on the second occasion. In

In “The Fabulous Four,” a quartet of female friends in their golden years — played by a powerhouse group of beloved and lauded actors — head out on a vacation, where their longtime relationships and ingrained patterns will be challenged, resulting in cathartic personal growth. Wait a minute, didn’t I review this film two months ago? A year ago? Twice? It was while reviewing “Summer Camp” back in May that I questioned the robust proliferation of these oh-so-familiar films (four older actresses, one vacation). The concept must be a lucrative one, but the formula isn’t just familiar — it’s cloned. How can they keep getting away with this? “The Fabulous Four” is only surprising in that Diane Keaton is not in it. Susan Sarandon steps into the Keaton role as Lou, an uptight, career-driven surgeon with a penchant for pantsuits. She’s tricked into a trip by her old pals, the wacky, randy singer Alice (Megan Mullally) and cannabis farmer Kitty (Sheryl Lee Ralph). They want to repair a decades-long rift between Lou and Marilyn (Bette Midler), who used to be best friends until Marilyn snaked

Several residents and lifeguards in Cayucos have seen sharks just within the past week. There seems to be more activity because everybody is seeing them and its kind of concerning, said Dave Gibson, Cayucos resident. Several surfers have had some close encounters with a shark recently while in the water off the coast of Cayucos. Kelly Stewart, a local surfer, saw one on Tuesday. I saw a fin coming at me and I knew exactly what it was because I saw them before, Stewart said. Gibson, also a local surfer, says he saw one a few days prior. I had one swim up next to me and it was as long as my long board and it was a dark gray color, and it was near the surface and not moving much, he said. Gibson says he was eating lunch last week near the Cayucos pier and heard something being said over the loudspeaker at the lifeguard tower. They had announced that there was a shark in the water and to enter at your own risk, Gibson said. Just last week, a lifeguard mentioned that

The Marine Mammal Center (MMC) in Morro Bay is reporting an increase in California sea lion strandings. Sea lions are considered “stranded” when they come to shore in need of medical attention, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). MMC Operations Manager Aliah Meza says there have been around 20 local cases within the past week, most of which are concentrated in Southern San Luis Obispo County. They are primarily taking place near Pismo State Beach and the Oceano Dunes. Meza says the stranded sea lions are showing signs of domoic acid poisoning. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin released during naturally occurring algal blooms. When the toxin gets into a sea lion’s system, it can cause inflammation and brain damage. Symptoms include erratic behavior such as head waving and seizures. The MMC asks that beach-goers contact them should they come across a stranded sea lion displaying signs of domoic acid poisoning. Their hot-line is 415-289-SEAL. MMC officials encourage people to stay about 50 yards away from sea lions as they can be unpredictable and aggressive. They also advise pet owners to keep dogs