SANTA ANA – An Anaheim tax preparer pleaded guilty Wednesday for her part in an unemployment insurance scam during the COVID-19 pandemic involving four state prisoners. Sandra Pineda, 37, pleaded guilty to 72 felony counts that include perjury, false statement, conspiracy and money laundering. She also admitted sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime exceeding $500,000. Pineda was scheduled to be sentenced May 19. Pineda was accused of filing bogus unemployment claims for Leonel Hernandez, 35, who has been in Kern Valley state prison since February 2010 for murder, prosecutors said. She is also accused of helping to file bogus…
Author: City News Service
LOS ANGELES – The City Council called on its staff Tuesday to develop a report on the annual volume of mental health and domestic violence calls in city, with eye toward possibly expanding its Mental Evaluation Unit and Domestic Abuse Response Team to respond to such calls rather than police. Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Curren Price and Traci Park co- authored the motion, which gives the City Administrative Office, Chief Legislative Analyst and the Los Angeles Police Department 30 days to report back. They asked that the report include current capacity and response times of the MEU and DART, a…
LOS ANGELES – Officials are warning the public to be mindful of flooding danger Wednesday as rain continues to pelt the Southland. “Rain will likely increase in coverage and intensity this evening, especially for Los Angeles County, in response to a strengthening jet aloft,” the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office tweeted late Tuesday. “Roadway flooding and rock/mudslides are possible with significant water flow through local rivers expected. Be careful out there!” A flood watch was in effect for Orange County, including the Santa Ana Mountains, until 2 p.m. Wednesday. In parts of Los Angeles County, a flood watch is…
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Monday it has reached its 2023 ridership goal for the GoPass pilot program four months ahead of schedule, achieving 10 million additional rides as of March 7. The GoPass pilot program, which began in August 2021, provides unlimited free transit rides to K-12 and community college students in participating districts on Metro and 13 other county transit agencies. “The success of GoPass shows the need for public transit for K-12 and community college students, and that if we make transit affordable and accessible for them, they will use it,”…
LAGUNA BEACH – A woman in Laguna Beach was struck and killed by a sedan whose motorist stayed at the scene to cooperate with police, authorities said Saturday. The woman was struck while attempting to cross the southbound lanes of South Coast Highway near Mountain Road, the Laguna Beach Police Department reported. “Witnesses say the female was not in the crosswalk when she was struck by the vehicle,” police said. Police were dispatched to the location at about 6:25 p.m Friday. Paramedics pronounced the woman dead at the scene. Neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be factors in the crash,…
LOS ANGELES – No tickets were sold matching all six numbers in the latest drawing of the multi-state Mega Millions lottery, and the estimated jackpot for Tuesday’s drawing grew to $229 million. There were also no tickets sold with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game, announced. The numbers drawn Friday were 9, 20, 59, 60, 63 and the Mega number was 5. The estimated jackpot was $203 million. The drawing was the 11th since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold. The odds of matching all five…
LOS ANGELES – A former security guard who sued her ex-employer, alleging she was wrongfully fired in 2020 for criticizing the firm for allegedly not enforcing coronavirus safety measures in areas her firm controlled that had been implemented by a client, can proceed with her case in court rather than before an arbitrator, a judge has ruled. On Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bruce Iwasaki denied a motion by an attorney for Gardena-based American Guard Services Inc. to compel arbitration of plaintiff Sheena Christian’s lawsuit, which also alleges whistleblower retaliation. The judge noted that Christian filed a demand for…
NORTHRIDGE – A 33-year-old man is in police custody on suspicion of fatally stabbing his mother in Northridge, authorities said Saturday. The suspect walked into the Devonshire Division of the Los Angeles Police Department at approximately 5:41 p.m. Friday and told officers he thought he had harmed his mother at their residence. Officers went to the residence on the at 11000 block of Oakhurst Way and Mariposa Bay Lane where they found the suspect’s mother, who was in her 70s, had sustained multiple stab wounds, authorities said. The victim was pronounced at the scene and the suspect was taken into…
LOS ANGELES – This weekend will be one hour shorter than usual, thanks to the onset of daylight saving time at 2 a.m. Sunday, meaning residents will have to “spring forward” and turn clocks ahead by one hour. The annual clock-changing ritual will mean one less hour of sleep, so plan accordingly. And as usual, fire officials urged people to use the time change as a reminder to check smoke alarms and replace the batteries if necessary. It is also a good time to reset timers on outdoor lights and lawn sprinkler systems. Cal Fire officials noted that while newer…
By FRED SHUSTER LOS ANGELES – Opening statements are expected Wednesday in the federal criminal trial of suspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley- Thomas, who while a member of the Board of Supervisors allegedly steered county contracts to USC’s social work school in exchange for benefits for his son. Ridley-Thomas, 68, was suspended from the Los Angeles City Council following the October 2021 federal indictment. He is charged with one count each of conspiracy and bribery, two counts of honest services mail fraud and 15 counts of honest services wire fraud. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. A jury…