California Dolphin

A man from Ojai has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for the 2019 slaying of his friend. Authorities say 28-year-old Cameron Scott Lykins killed Houston Auer on May 12, 2019, at Auer’s grandmother’s home on the 1100 block of Meyer Road in Ojai. Lykins and Auer got into an altercation in a bedroom of the home, which led to Lykins using a sledgehammer to bludgeon Auer to death. Following the killing, Lykins dragged Auer’s body out of a window and dumped the victim’s remains in the Angeles National Forest. Lykins then went to his mother’s home in Lone Pine, where he arranged to contact authorities and admit to the crime. Ventura County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested Lykins a day later and he was charged with Auer’s murder. The victim’s body was located in the Angeles National Forest by a warden with the Department of Fish and Wildlife more than a month later on June 23, 2019. A Nissan Frontier that investigators believe was used to transport a homicide victim’s body is seen in photos released May 14, 2019, by the Ventura County

Home prices in California reached a new record high in April as sales activity increased despite the state’s seemingly insurmountable housing shortage. The median price of a single-family home climbed to $904,210 last month, nearly 6% higher than March and 11% above April 2023, according to data released on Friday by the California Association of Realtors. Home sales also increased month over month and year over year by low single-digits. “Both sales and prices are going up despite all the speed bumps that we’ve had along the way with the Federal Reserve and rates going up, which is hurting purchasing power,” said Jordan Levine, the association’s chief economist. On Friday, the average fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage was 7.02%, roughly three-quarters lower than October 2023 but still significantly above the historic lows of two to three percent seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Region/County April 2024 March 2024 April 2023 Month-over-month price change % Year-over-year price change % Statewide $904,210 $854,490 $811,510 5.8% 11.4% Condo/Townhomes $688,000 $675,000 $634,000 1.9% 8.5% Los Angeles Metropolitan Area $840,000 $801,000 $740,000 4.9% 13.5% Central Coast $1,077,500 $950,000 $1,020,000 13.4% 5.6% Central Valley

Authorities are searching for a suspect after a man was found shot to death in South Los Angeles. The victim was identified as Jesus Fabian Castillo, 31, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  On April 24, authorities responded to the intersection of 91st Street and Compton Avenue at around 1:52 a.m. Arriving deputies found Castillo’s body lying on the road with fatal gunshot wounds.  No suspects or weapons were found in the area, said LASD. The motive behind Castillo’s murder remains unclear.  Detectives are asking for the public’s help as the suspect remains at large. Jesus Fabian Castillo, 31, is seen in a photo from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 with any information regarding this case. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

A judge has ruled there is no conflict of interest in Rebecca Grossman’s case after she hired a new attorney who also represents a woman who used to work for the prosecutors in the original trial. The Los Angeles socialite was convicted of second-degree murder in the hit-and-run deaths of Jacob Iskander, 8, and Mark Iskander, 11, who were struck and killed in a crosswalk in Westlake Village in 2020. Grossman hired defense attorney James Spertus, who also represents someone from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Diana Teran, who was charged with 11 felonies for allegedly misusing confidential law enforcement records. Before Teran was charged, she oversaw the prosecutors in the second-degree murder trial. Because of this, the DA reassigned the prosecutors from the case due to a potential conflict of interest. But now, with the judge’s ruling, Grossman’s sentencing hearing will go on as scheduled on June 10. She was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death. Grossman faces 34 years to life in prison. KTLA 5’s

By Steve Hartman May 17, 2024 / 8:14 PM EDT / CBS News Compassion helps student achieve his college dreams How compassion, not just free tuition, helped one Ohio student achieve his college dreams 02:46 Toledo, Ohio — A little over four years ago, seniors at Scott High School in Toledo, Ohio, walked into their school gym for an assembly, and then received the surprise of a lifetime . “If you’re sitting here in this room today, tuition, room and board, books and fees will be paid for you, and you will go to college for free,” philanthropist and businessman Pete Kadens told them back in February 2020. Kadens had started a nonprofit, called HOPE Toledo, for students like Chris Rowland. Rowland said he could have never afforded college, especially after his mother, Abena, lost her job, and his father died in a house fire. “It’s a lot that I’ve been through,” Rowland told CBS News this week. Then, shortly after starting college, Rowland’s brother, Jo’Von, was murdered.  “My grades took a dwindle,” Rowland said. “They went completely downhill.” Rowland quit school, struggled to hold

Pope Francis on ideological division: “We cannot divide the world” – CBS News Watch CBS News In a historic interview from the Vatican, Pope Francis sat down with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell to discuss a range of issues, including the criticism he’s faced for trying to make the church more inclusive. The pope’s full interview will air on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

How compassion, not just free tuition, helped one Ohio student achieve his college dreams – CBS News Watch CBS News Family tragedy nearly derailed Chris Rowland’s college goals. But through all the missteps and blown opportunities, Pete Kadens stood by his side. Steve Hartman has their story in “On the Road.” Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

U.S. medics trapped in Gaza share emotional testimonies – CBS News Watch CBS News A U.S.-built pier is now ready to receive aid for civilians in Gaza. Meanwhile, at least 20 American medical workers are trapped in Gaza after Israel closed the Rafah border crossing. CBS News’ Imtiaz Tyab spoke with two of them. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On

A Ventura County high school student was arrested on suspicion of making a false report about a gunman on campus, authorities said. The 17-year-old Moorpark High School student, who has not been identified, made one anonymous report Wednesday about a possible armed person on school grounds through a system known as “WeTip,” according to Senerey De Los Santos, a public information officer for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Two additional reports were made Thursday with “more specific information of the location of the firearm on the campus,” according to a sheriff’s office news release. Eventually, 10 deputies responded to the campus Thursday morning and determined there was no threat to the school, officials said. Investigators soon identified the student suspected of making the tips and arrested him on suspicion of falsely reporting an emergency. The teen is currently being held at the county’s juvenile justice center in Oxnard, according to the Sheriff’s Office. De Los Santos said the tips did not identify a specific student or individual as the armed person, describing the tips as “vague.” It was not clear if the teen had legal

“Saturday Night Live” is not a homewrecker. At least not for Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, the latter said Tuesday on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast “Club Shay Shay.” After collaborating on several Nickelodeon shows throughout the ’90s, the former “Kenan and Kel” comedy duo lost touch, barely speaking until more than a decade later, when Mitchell was tapped to present Thompson with a 2014 Kids’ Choice Award. During his interview with Mitchell, posted Wednesday on YouTube, Sharpe asked if losing a spot on “SNL” to Thompson — the two auditioned for the same opening on the show in 2003 — had caused the rift in their relationship. Mitchell explained that he and Thompson had begun drifting apart long before then. “When people watch us on television, they’re thinking, ‘Oh, this is his brother. They must hang out all the time,’ but this is a job,” Mitchell said. They hadn’t been very close while making “Kenan and Kel,” and by the time they auditioned for “SNL,” they hadn’t spoken in years. “I didn’t even know Kenan was gonna be there,” Mitchell said. “[People] felt like it was

The Dodgers knew for a while they had one big roster decision to make. On Tuesday, an unexpected injury forced them to make two. The Dodgers activated outfielder Jason Heyward and called up former top infield prospect Miguel Vargas. They optioned outfielder James Outman to the minor leagues and placed third baseman Max Muncy on the injured list with an oblique strain. Heyward’s activation wasn’t a surprise, after manager Dave Roberts announced Thursday the veteran had completed his rehab assignment following a six-week back injury. Outman’s demotion to triple A Oklahoma City wasn’t a huge shock either, with the second-year center fielder batting .147. It’d become apparent in recent weeks that, upon Heyward’s return, either Outman or slumping veteran Chris Taylor (who is batting .083) would likely be moved off the roster. A key difference between the two was that Outman had minor-league options, while Taylor still has almost $30 million left owed on a contract that doesn’t expire until the end of next year. The unforeseen move Friday was Vargas’ promotion, with the Dodgers recalling last year’s rookie flameout following a strong start to

In an effort to stave off bankruptcy, electric-vehicle maker Fisker Inc. is closing its Manhattan Beach headquarters and has secured a $3.5-million lifeline as it continues to explore an acquisition or other strategic alternative. The troubled company, which had about 300 employees in the 72,000-square-foot offices at the end of March, is moving its remaining workers to an engineering and distribution facility in La Palma in Orange County, said a person familiar with Fisker’s operations who was not authorized to comment. In all, the company had roughly 1,135 employees as of mid-April, following an announced 15% cut to its workforce. Fisker has been attempting to avoid bankruptcy since March, when it announced that talks over a strategic alliance with a major automaker had ended, squelching a deal that would have given it $150 million in new financing. That caused its shares to collapse to pennies, prompting the New York Stock Exchange to delist the stock, which violated another debt agreement the company struck with an investor last year, according to a regulatory filing. A major automaker, said to be Nissan, was reportedly in talks to

Jason Rios just wanted a burger. The 15-year-old from Watts sat down with a friend for dinner at an outdoor patio at Freedom Plaza off Century Boulevard on Tuesday when, without warning, three boys attacked Jason and his friend from behind, beating them as they scrambled for cover. No one intervened, according to Humberto Rios, Jason’s older brother. There were no security guards present as Jason fell to the ground and shielded his head with his arms while his attackers kicked and punched. The assailants seemed to single out the boys and did not try to rob them, according to family. “We don’t think he said anything to these other people before they attacked him,” Humberto Rios said. The straight-A student from Simon Tech High School underwent an eight-hour emergency surgery after the attack to stop bleeding in his brain. His friend was also hospitalized. On Wednesday, police arrested a juvenile on suspicion of attempted murder; two other suspects remain at large, Los Angeles police said in a news release. “There’s no explanation for why this happened,” Jason’s older sister Nayeli Rios said. “Jason never

The United States Department of State issued a Worldwide Caution aimed at “LGBTQI+ persons and events” on Friday, warning that there is increased potential for organized terrorist-inspired violence. Friday’s alert didn’t allude to any specific threats or locations but singled out the LGBT+ community as a potential target of attack. “Due to the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution,” the alert reads in part. “The Department of State is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI+ persons and events and advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.” Ricky Martin headlining 2024 LA Pride in the Park The State Department said people should stay alert while attending Pride celebrations. Though it wasn’t explicitly stated by the department, June, which is less than two weeks away as of Friday, is known in the U.S. and many other parts of the world as Pride month. FILE – Participants take part in the annual LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood, Calif., Sunday, June 9