California Dolphin

A former Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team member sued the city Tuesday, alleging she was denied a promotion in the unit in retaliation for telling Internal Affairs investigators that a small group of members showed favoritism to those loyal to them and maligned the reputations of those reluctant to use deadly force. Lt. Jennifer Grasso’s Los Angeles Superior Court whistleblower retaliation suit seeks unspecified damages. A representative for the City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Grasso was hired in October 1995 and in June 2008 became a member of the SWAT team, the suit states. “SWAT is the crown jewel of the LAPD,” the suit states. In late 2018, the Internal Affairs unit began an investigation into SWAT based on an anonymous complaint and Grasso was among those interviewed and she disclosed that a small number of SWAT members called “plus ones” were allowed to regularly make decisions normally hired for higher-ranking officers, according to the suit. Those few SWAT members manipulated SWAT school scenarios in order to allow officers they preferred to pass the school and get

Having been just a bit player in his 1½ college seasons, Aday Mara moved to the forefront Tuesday night. In a massive way. The 7-foot-3 center left a giant imprint all over what might have been UCLA’s most significant victory of the season. Grabbing rebounds flatfooted, blocking shots and making every shot he took, Mara powered the Bruins to an 85-83 triumph over No. 18 Wisconsin at Pauley Pavilion, ending the Badgers’ seven-game winning streak. Mara was a force well beyond his career-high 22 points on seven-for-seven shooting, his presence disrupting Wisconsin on both ends of the court while announcing that UCLA could match an opponent’s size as part of its transition to the more physical Big Ten “Just, everything,” Bruins coach Mick Cronin said of Mara’s impact. “He changed the entire game, no question about it.” Mara added five rebounds — four offensive — and two blocks in a season-high 21 minutes made all the more critical by teammates Tyler Bilodeau and Kobe Johnson fouling out. Mara would have snagged several more rebounds had the Badgers not contested him the only way they could

The California Highway Patrol is warning residents of San Luis Obispo County about a new phone scam involving individuals posing as Amber Alert representatives. The scammers offer to “register” children in the Amber Alert system, requesting confidential information and proposing in-person meetings at victims’ homes. “Nobody will ever call and ask about Amber Alert information,” said Ryan Armstrong, Templeton CHP Public Information Officer. “That will be reported to your local agency, so if somebody calls and asks about an Amber Alert registry, you know instantly that it’s a scam. The CHP emphasizes that this is not how the Amber Alert system operates. The agency is the sole authority authorized to activate Amber Alerts in California, and no registration process is required for participation. Armstrong advises the public to avoid providing personal information or answering calls from unknown numbers and to contact your local police station if you receive one of these scam calls.

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved reducing the speed limit on a portion of Main Street in Templeton between 1st and 8th Streets to 25 mph. The county said the area between these streets would be considered a business district and, therefore, subject to a 25 mph speed limit. The new speed limit requires drivers to travel 5 mph slower than the 30 mph speed limit required by the 2023 version of SLO County’s Traffic Regulations Code. Templeton residents we spoke to responded to the change favorably, saying the speed reduction would enhance safety within the community. Savannah Radatz said she and her children walk and drive along Main Street often. “It’s low-visibility on Main Street already. So a higher speed limit I could see how that could be dangerous,” Radatz said. “25 seems like an appropriate speed.” Radatz believes even a minor reduction in the speed limit can mean a lot in terms of safety. “When you stop in time if a child runs out in front of you, five miles per hour can make a big difference,” Radatz said John

(KTLA) – Federal investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating two men who were seen on surveillance cameras breaking into a U.S. Forest Service vehicle and stealing critical fire equipment in San Bernardino County.   The Jan. 17 incident unfolded in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites at 9589 Milliken Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga where a U.S. Forest Service firefighting strike team was stationed during the Santa Ana wind event, according to a news release from San Bernardino National Forest.   Authorities said that around 3 a.m., the two suspects in a red two-door Jeep Wrangler with a black soft top, tan seats and a partially visible license plate starting with the number 6 parked near a San Bernardino National Forest fire engine and forcibly opened three locked compartments.   Two suspects seen on surveillance cameras stealing fire equipment from the U.S. Forest Service on Jan. 17, 2025. (USDA) Two suspects seen on surveillance cameras stealing fire equipment from the U.S. Forest Service on Jan. 17, 2025. (USDA) Two suspects seen on surveillance cameras stealing fire equipment from the

Two days after the Lakers were saying it almost never would be easy, almost never came to town. The Washington Wizards, who have won a league-low six times, were the cure for the Lakers after a loss Sunday to the Clippers exposed a number of their weaknesses. The postgame morale was low, LeBron James and JJ Redick openly discussing how their roster wouldn’t be able to organically improve an already narrow margin for error. But with the midway point of the season here Tuesday, the Lakers played the one team in the NBA bad enough to make anyone — even the Lakers — feel like they’ve got it figured out. The Lakers did the right things consistently over four quarters, barely being threatened before winning 111-88 in a game they desperately had to have before hosting Boston on Thursday night. “It just starts with a very professional approach from our team,” Redick said. “That was one of our more complete games, regardless of what time of season it was or who the opponent was. Like, we just, we had a really professional approach.” The Wizards

Jurupa Valley fire crews battled a brush fire in the Santa Ana River bottom Tuesday evening after having extinguished a blaze in a similar location last week. The fire was reported at 2 acres at 5 p.m. Tuesday and grew to 38 acres by 7 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department. A total of 165 personnel from multiple agencies and a firefighting helicopter responded to the blaze and were able to halt its forward progress around 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire and Riverside fire officials. “Air resources have been released, and crews will remain on scene throughout the night and into the morning to conduct extensive mop-up operations,” the city of Riverside Fire Department said in an update. Hand crews worked to contain the fire by removing dense vegetation and trees around its perimeter and dousing the area in water, said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a spokesperson for the county Fire Department. Earlier in the evening, an evacuation warning was issued for residents south of Limonite Avenue between Van Buren Boulevard and

(FOX40.COM) — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his office would be joining 17 other states in suing the federal government over the newly inaugurated President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for those born in the country. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads in part “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” The Trump administration argues that the amendment never applied to those born in the U.S. if neither parent was a U.S. citizen and the mother was in the country unlawfully or lawfully but temporarily, such as on a work visa. The executive order said a person born in such circumstances is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Bonta and other Attorneys General argue the matter was settled in the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark , in which a man was denied reentry to the U.S. after a trip abroad. Political consultants discuss Trump-Newsom relationship The Supreme Court found that Wong

Loved ones are searching for a Southern California woman who has been missing for weeks. Sandra Lea Sharp, 41, from Artesia was reported missing on Dec. 30, 2024, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She was last seen on the 16900 block of Pioneer Boulevard in Artesia at around 7:30 p.m. Sharp stand is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs around 120 pounds. She has blue eyes, pink-colored hair, wears a nose ring and has acne scars. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, a multicolored sweater, denim pants and combat boots. Sandra Lea Sharp, 41, from Artesia was reported missing on Dec. 30, 2024. (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department) Sharp requires medication and loved ones have not heard from her since her disappearance. Anyone who knows her whereabouts or has information on the case is asked to call the LASD’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500.   Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.