LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man and woman who allegedly used darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide have been indicted by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department announced today. Brian McDonald, 22, of Van Nuys, whose aliases include “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan,” and Ciara Clutario, 22, of Burbank, were charged in an eight-count indictment returned Wednesday. Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, five counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of distribution of cocaine. McDonald also…
Author: SBE Staff
COMPTON – Authorities Thursday identified a man who was fatally at a Compton store where he worked. Kamal Mohamed, 66, of San Pedro was shot about 10:55 a.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of West Rosecrans Avenue, and he died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Witnesses heard several gunshots in the area shortly before the suspects left the scene. No arrests were reported, and no suspect information was available. Anyone with information on the shooting was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime…
The Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is looking for qualified applicants to fill the community represented role of Commissioner. Get started by learning more about the Commission and the role of the Commissioner in this informational bulletin. Tell your friends and colleagues, and submit your application today! Learn More & Apply! Things to know: Commissioner is not a job and does not receive a salary or benefits. Each Commissioner may receive a monetary allowance to cover expenses or meetings up to $5,000 per year. Being a Commissioner will require a significant personal commitment in terms of time and energy, with a total time…
LOS ANGELES – There were no tickets sold with all six numbers in the latest drawing of the multi-state Powerball lottery and the estimated jackpot for Saturday’s drawing will be $162 million. There were also no tickets sold with five numbers, but missing the Powerball number, the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game, announced. The numbers drawn Wednesday were 18, 34, 37, 45, 51 and the Powerball number was 14. The jackpot was $146 million. The drawing was the 12th since a ticket with all six numbers was sold. The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball…
LOS ANGELES – A body was found early Thursday near a Metro station in the Koreatown area. The body was discovered about 12:10 a.m. in a tunnel area about 50 feet from the platform of the Wilshire/Normandie Station, in the 3500 block of Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Information was not immediately available on the person’s age, gender or identity. There was no indication of foul play in the death, police said. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
BURBANK – Amid a running political feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday it has scrapped plans to relocate 2,000 workers to the Sunshine State. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of the company’s Parks, Experiences and Products Division, broke the news in an email sent to employees. D’Amaro did not mention DeSantis by name or give specifics behind the decision, citing only “changing business conditions.” “Given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions, we have decided not to move forward with construction of the…
LOS ANGELES – One day after club owners withdrew their opposition, the National Labor Relations Board Thursday certified a vote by dancers at a North Hollywood topless bar, making them the only strippers in the nation to be represented by a union. Dancers at Star Garden Topless Dive Bar voted unanimously to unionize with the Actors’ Equity Association, which represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers nationally. Formal tabulation of the dancers’ vote, which was conducted late last year, had been on hold due to opposition by the bar owners to the unionization effort. But the union announced…
SAN FERNANDO – Authorities in San Fernando recently issued citations to three retail clerks for allegedly selling alcohol to minors, it was announced Thursday. The citations were issued on May 9 during a “minor decoy” operation conducted by personnel from the San Fernando Police Department and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The operation involved a “minor decoy” — a person under 21 — who, under the supervision of authorities, attempted to buy alcohol at 11 retail locations in the city, police said. The clerks who were cited could face a minimum fine of $250, and 24-32 hours of…
SUN VALLEY – Authorities Thursday identified a man who was killed when a Metrolink train struck a vehicle in the Sun Valley area. The crash occurred around 3:20 p.m. Tuesday near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Raymer Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Jesus Acosta Lopez, 57, of Los Angeles was trapped in the vehicle and died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office and the LAFD. According to Metrolink, the train that struck the vehicle was heading from downtown Los Angeles to Moorpark on the Ventura County Line. The tracks were closed in the…
NEWPORT BEACH – Newport Beach officials have paused a new building for junior lifeguards due to an issue with the way concrete was poured for the walls and are now anticipating completing the project by early next year. The grand opening of the Junior Lifeguard Building near the base of Balboa Pier was expected this Memorial Day weekend, but city inspectors noticed a problem with the concrete walls, city spokesman John Pope said. Because the beaches are so busy during the summer, city officials decided to pause construction this summer and resume work after Labor Day, Pope said. In the…