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Arsonist torching cars in the Fairfax district leaves residents on edge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

Police are investigating after a series of fires targeting vehicles and property in the Fairfax district have left residents distraught and on edge.The arsonist’s most recent victim was a classic Ford pickup truck on South Orange Drive where a completely charred and destroyed chassis is all that remains after being torched.Investigators with the Los Angeles Fire Department want to catch the suspect or suspects responsible as quickly as possible.“You guys spent a lot of years back here as children, riding around, bouncing around,” said victim Evan Townsley as he reminisces with his son about the truck, now burnt to a crisp. “We had a lot of good years in this truck.”Townely was planning to hand down his beloved 1991 Ford F-150 pickup to his son one day. The truck has a long history with the family, once belonging to Townsley’s mother.But that dream was shattered early Wednesday morning when someone lurking in the darkness set fire to the vehicle.Arsonist torches classic Ford pickup t...

Members of California commercial burglary crew arrested after monthslong investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

Two men from the Antelope Valley were taken into custody Thursday following a monthslong investigation into a string of commercial burglaries in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.The joint operation between the Simi Valley Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff's Office began following several break-ins at businesses in both cities.Each break-in followed a similar pattern, authorities said, happening late at night, with burglars gaining access to the property by smashing rear windows or prying open doors with a crowbar. Once they managed to get inside, they began ransacking the businesses while rifling through registers and searching for loose cash.Tools used by burglars that broke into several Ventura County businesses are shown in this undated photo provided by the Simi Valley Police Department. Seven businesses in Simi Valley and four in Thousand Oaks fell victim to the burglary crew over the span of several months.In total, damages and losses amounted to more than $30,000....

Cal State Northridge campus cleared after possibly armed suspect prompts shelter warning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

The Cal State Northridge campus was deemed safe after reports of a possibly armed suspect heading to the school prompted a shelter-in-place order on Friday afternoon.Around 5 p.m., campus police determined "there is no longer a threat of a person bringing a firearm to campus." The campus was reopened and fully operational again.Earlier around 3:30 p.m., a Twitter statement from school officials initially said police were "made aware of a potential subject who may be bringing a firearm to the campus."Anyone who was on campus was urged to “immediately leave the area.” Those who were unable to leave were advised to shelter in place.All others were told to stay away from the area as Department of Public Safety officials responded to the scene to investigate.Although CSUN officials note the potential threat was not verified, the urgent order appeared to be out of caution. No further details were released.

Man accused of banging on doors, committing lewd acts in Hollywood Hills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

Residents in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood are on edge after a man has been caught on video trespassing in the yards of people's homes. Residents said videos caught on doorbell cameras show the man acting erratically, and they are concerned he might be dangerous. He has been knocking on doors at all hours of the day and night, yelling obscenities and even engaging in lewd behavior, neighbors tell KTLA.In at least two separate incidents on June 8, neighbors said the man showed up at a Beachwood Drive apartment complex. The previous day, a similar incident was reported about a mile away.Hollywood Hills residents are concerned about a man seen on Ring video trespassing in front of homes. The man was also seen in front of a home on Deronda Drive twice within the same hour.Neighbors believe it is the same person in each of the cases.The landlord of the Beachwood apartment complex said the incidents are alarming and out of the ordinary.Vanessa Beecroft said she was home with her children...

House Republicans vow payback for Trump indictment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

By Nicky Robertson, Haley Talbot and Lauren Fox | CNNThe top two Republican leaders in the Senate remain silent a day after former President Donald Trump, the current GOP 2024 presidential frontrunner, was indicted by the federal government.While the charges have yet to be unsealed, the top two Republicans in the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Minority Whip John Thune have not put out statements, a stark contrast to the swift reaction among House GOP leaders who quickly rushed to Trump’s defense.“Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him. Joe Biden kept classified documents for decades,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted Thursday night. “I, and every American who believes in the rule of law, stand with President Trump against this grave injustice. House Republicans will hold this brazen weaponization of power accountable.”The third ranking GOP senator, John Barrasso ...

4 children, missing in Amazon for a month, reportedly found

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

By Stefano Pozzebon and Caitlan Hu | CNNFour young children have been found alive after more than a month wandering the Colombian Amazon, according to Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro.“A joy for the whole country! The four children who were lost 40 days ago in the Colombian jungle were found alive,” Petro tweeted on Friday.Petro also shared a photo that appears to show search crews with the four children, whose condition is unknown.The children are the only survivors of a May 1 plane crash that killed pilot Hernando Murcia Morales, Yarupari indigenous leader Herman Mendoza Hernández, and their mother Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia.Their subsequent disappearance into the deep forest had galvanized a massive military-led search operation involving over a hundred Colombian special forces troops and over 70 indigenous scouts combing the area.For weeks, the search turned up only tantalizing clues, including footprints, a dirty diaper and a bottle. Family members said the oldest child had s...

SF Giants: Ross Stripling inches closer to return, hopes to improve with mechanical tweaks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Ross Stripling is inching closer to a return from his lower back strain. And he expects to return to the mound not only with a healthy back, but a few much-needed mechanical tweaks.Stripling threw a bullpen on Thursday in San Francisco and expects to throw at least two more, including one on Sunday, before potentially going on a rehab assignment, he said. The 33-year-old right-handed pitcher went on the injured list with a lower back strain after departing his May 17 start in pain early against the Phillies.“It definitely has been a little longer than what we originally anticipated,” Stripling said Friday. “When I first did it, it almost felt like I could have pitched a couple days later. But needed to go on the IL because you can’t crunch the roster.”Stripling received a Cortisone shot last week when his lower back pain kept lingering. The pain has subsided significantly since, he said, and has allowed him to focus on some adjustm...

Photos: Bears made headlines in three cities in four days

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

Three black bears wandered into civilization in three American cities in the last month and as far as we know, not one of them was high on cocaine.Blaze, the first black bear to climb his way to viral stardom and into the internet’s warm embrace, was first spotted last weekend hiding in trees at Lake Eola Park in Orlando.He eluded authorities until Tuesday evening, when he surrendered to his fate by walking into a trap set by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission workers outside a World of Beer restaurant.The bear vacillated for a moment between entering and exiting the trap with a quiet audience surrounding him and watching, but eventually he accepted his circumstances and the workers drove him north to Ocala National Forest and released him.June 5, 2023: Blaze the black bear traverses the branches of a tree at Lake Eola Park in Orlando, Florida.(Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel) Then on Friday morning, Franklin, the second black bear to reach online c...

Greg Louganis to part with Olympic medals for HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ causes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

As bubbles agitated the surface of the pool for young divers at the Mission Viejo Swim Club, Olympian Greg Louganis laid out three of the medals he won diving for the United States – and his plans to auction them off to support HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ organizations.Mission Viejo is where Louganis first started diving and while visiting Thursday, June 8, he said that he will always have that connection with the city. Building on his early success here, Louganis went on to win five Olympic medals and is considered by many to be the greatest diver in history. Now, as an LGBTQ+ rights activist and an openly gay man who lives with an HIV diagnosis, he is selling his medals to support organizations dedicated to those causes.Greg Louganis is considered to be one of the best divers to ever grace the sport. Photographed on Thursday June 8th 2023 in Mission Viejo, California. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Contributing Photographer)The Gold medal won by Louganis in Seoul, Korea in 1988. Photographed o...

Duke within a win of 1st College World Series since 1961; TCU beats Indiana State

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:52 GMT

Duke moved within a win of reaching the College World Series for the first time in 62 years, and TCU will clinch a spot in the final eight of the NCAA Tournament with one more victory over Indiana State.The Blue Devils opened their best-of-three super regional with a 5-4 win at No. 7 national seed Virginia on Friday, and TCU beat No. 14 Indiana State 4-1 in Fort Worth, Texas.Since the tournament went to its current format in 1999, the winner of a super regional opener advanced to the CWS in Omaha, Nebraska, 78% of the time (144 of 182).Oral Roberts played at Oregon and South Carolina visited Florida in super regionals Friday night.Virginia had entered Friday 35-4 at home, but two of those losses were to Duke in the regular season. Duke went ahead 5-4 in the eighth inning on an RBI groundout and Luke Storm’s base hit, then secured the win when left fielder Tyler Albright caught Jake Gelof’s deep fly to the wall to end the game. It was the first time in 46 games that Virgi...