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HOLLYWOOD — Elizabeth Hurley is one of the stars of the new mystery crime thriller, “Strictly Confidential.” It marks the feature film directorial debut for her son, Damian, who just turned 22 this week.
In the film, Hurley plays a widow who is also mourning the loss of one of her daughters. She invites her daughter’s friends back for a visit to the island paradise she calls home. While they’re all there, secrets and scandals are revealed. Among them: The mom’s affair with one of her daughter’s female friends.
Damian Hurley also wrote the script, which includes some sexy scenes that involve his mom. Turns out, that was not his original plan.
“When I wrote this part originally, it was a man’s part,” he said.
His mother said when he changed the gender, “He ended up with a great part for me and a great script for him as his debut movie.”
It’s a movie they shot in 18 days.
“Every second counts, every minute matters. You’re losing your mind,” Damian said. “You’re so frantic, the last thing on your mind is being squeamish about intimate things. You just got to make the scenes as beautiful as possible and get on to the next.”
When you’re making a mystery thriller, there is also that element of surprise.
“And I really think Damian really kept the twists and turns and the undercurrents going,” Elizabeth said. “It took people by surprise.”
Her son agreed. “The big spoilers? No one’s seen them coming yet.”
From his proud mother, “He wanted the island and the cast to look beautiful so that the darkness underneath was swirling underneath this beautiful exterior.”
Elizabeth is also a producer on the film. “Strictly Confidential” is now in theaters and also available via digital/on demand. It’s rated R.
TA Partners has filed for bankruptcy on a development site where it once planned a 452-unit residential complex in Playa Vista, The Real Deal has learned.
The filing extends a period of distress for the firm, which last year allegedly defaulted on nearly $200 million in loans tied to two apartment projects in Irvine.
The bankruptcy paperwork, which was filed April 3, relates to 6055 West Center Drive, a site where TA Partners proposed to build a 15-story apartment complex totaling nearly 400,000 square feet. The previous owner of the site, Equity Residential, planned to build a 545-unit residential property called the Altitude at Howard Hughes Center, according to a previous report from Urbanize LA.
In 2019, TA Partners abandoned its plans for the 452-unit apartment complex, asking the City of Los Angeles to refund the fees it paid for building permits. “We have elected to change the project,” Raymond Thimens, TA Partners’ construction director, said in an email, city records show.
The site enjoys a strategic position next to the 405 Freeway at the Howard Hughes Parkway exit near Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX.
According to the bankruptcy filing, the West Center Drive property has an assessed value of $124 million. TA Partners declared $27.8 million in claims against the asset, the largest piece of which is a $27.5 million lien from Hankey Capital.
TA Partners, headed by Johnny Lu, once estimated the value of its portfolio at $2 billion. It has a total of nine current projects in Los Angeles, according to its website.
In October, Mack Real Estate claimed that the firm defaulted on two loans totaling $197 million. The mortgages are backed by 18831 Von Karman Avenue and 17422 Derian Avenue, two Irvine sites where TA Partners planned to build a total of 658 units. The debt was part of a $262.5 million debt package that was set to mature in 2027.
Homeowners who sold their properties to Opendoor Labs could get money from a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over deceptive marketing tactics, the agency announced April 3.
The nearly 2,500 people who sold to Opendoor in California could qualify for a median refund of $1,553 because the company “tricked them into thinking that they could make more money selling their home to Opendoor than on the open market,” the Orange County Register reported.
Opendoor’s marketing pitch was that homeowners could save money in the selling process by foregoing the expenses of fixing, listing and showing their home, instead selling it directly to Opendoor on the company’s app. The owner would receive a cash offer after the company’s algorithm determined the home’s value.
But the FTC found a majority of sellers would have been better off marketing their homes the regular way.
“Most people who sold to Opendoor made thousands of dollars less than they would have made selling their homes using the traditional process, and many paid more in costs than what sellers typically pay,” the FTC said in a statement.
Opendoor was one of the so-called iBuyer companies that plied the California market before and during the pandemic. In March 2019, Opendoor, RedfinNow, Offerpad and Zillow Offers were active in the market.
In the spring of 2021, those four companies paid a total $512 million to buy 789 houses in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to a Zillow study cited by the Register.
In the settlement with Opendoor, the company is prohibited from making deceptive or unsubstantiated claims to consumers. Also, the FTC will spend $4 million from the settlement to compensate 2,472 buyers in California. The California distribution comes eight months after the FTC and Opendoor agreed to a settlement.
Beverly Hills-based Price.com is partnering with Mark Cuban’s Marc Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company to help consumers save money on prescription drugs and make the buying process easier.
Price.com offers price comparisons for everything from travel to fashion. The company takes a cut on the transactions done through its site.
Price.com, which currently has 30 employees, is in growth mode, and said it is looking to expand overseas and grow to closer to 100 employees in the next few years.
In addition to Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company, Price.com also partners with other businesses. RJ Jain, the founder of Price.com, said the latest partnership was based on a “shared mission and values.”
RJ Jain, CEO of Price.com.
Under the partnership, Cost Plus Drug medications will show up on Price.com’s interface, which will “bring more customers to them,” Jain said.
“We show on our website their data. If you search for a medicine, in the price comparison we show them and the other options as well, so people can see all of their buying options in one place,” he said.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Price.com in our mission to make prescription drugs more affordable for consumers,” Alex Oshmyansky, chief executive of Cost Plus Drug, said in a statement. “Our commitment to transparent drug pricing has always been unwavering, and with Price.com, we are dedicated to providing affordable and accessible health care solutions for all.”
It was a strange mechanical sound — a kind of rhythmic whirring — and it wouldn’t quit.
At the time, the resident of Tahitian Mobile Home Park in Sylmar didn’t think much of the weekend racket, which seemed to be coming from a neighboring industrial building and may have lasted two hours or more, she said.
Now, though, after learning that the warehouse behind the park was breached by thieves who stole as much as $30 million in a Sunday night heist, the woman has fixated on that odd noise — and what it may have been.
“That sound is embedded in my head,” said the woman, who requested her name not be published over privacy concerns. “My mind is still going crazy over what happened. I know it’s just money, but they’re invading your space.”
The elaborate Easter heist is believed to be among the biggest in L.A. history. It occurred at a Roxford Street facility where cash from businesses across the Southland is handled and stored by GardaWorld, a security services company. In a display of uncommon sophistication, thieves breached the single-story building via its roof to gain access to its vault — and avoided the property’s alarm system, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation of the theft.
Montreal-based GardaWorld did not learn of the crime until opening the vault on Monday. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
George Alhosry, who owns the Kwik Market & Deli on Roxford, said the store’s Wi-Fi was down much of Sunday. “We couldn’t access the Lotto,” he said, adding that mobile phone calls failed in the area, too.
It’s unclear whether that was connected to the heist. But Wi-Fi jammers have become a common tool of theft gangs during their burglaries of homes in Southern California because they knock out many security cameras that could capture video or stills of them or their vehicles.
Authorities have so far said little about the mysterious heist, which is being investigated by the FBI and Los Angeles Police Department. The Times previously reported that there was also an effort by the thieves to breach the side of the GardaWorld building. It’s unclear whether this was part of their attempts to enter or exit the warehouse. A KABC-TV News video aired Wednesday night showed a large cut on the side of the structure that was covered by a piece of plywood. By Thursday afternoon, the wall appeared to be patched up.
The crime has rattled Sylmar, where residents and merchants near the GardaWorld building told The Times they were shocked that such an audacious heist occurred in their midst.
Yet some locals were more focused on street crime than a high-dollar heist that appeared to bear the hallmarks of a silver screen spectacle. Take Victor Benitez, who said that the particulars of the heist seemed to be plucked from a 1980s action movie. Standing near a shabby section of San Fernando Road, where shaggy palm trees wore their browning fronds like beards, he lamented that prostitution and violent crime are problems in the area.
“Five weeks ago, the police brought a dog in, they searched the area for an active shooter — but it wasn’t in the news,” said Benitez as a train rumbled by on adjacent tracks. “I would not recommend living here.”
Damage to a wall at the GardaWorld building in Sylmar appeared to be repaired on Thursday.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Sandi Gomez, a resident of the mobile home park whose property offers a view of the GardaWorld building, said she didn’t notice anything amiss over last weekend. She said she told FBI agents the same thing when they visited her Monday afternoon and asked if she “saw or heard anything suspicious around 4 a.m.” Sunday.
Gomez was asleep at the time.
The FBI agents also wanted to know about a security camera mounted on a portion of her home that faces the GardaWorld property. Gomez said she explained to the agents that the camera only offers a live view and doesn’t record footage. The next day, she said, LAPD investigators walked the area.
The mobile home park is a dense neighborhood of tightly spaced trailers lining numbered avenues. On Thursday afternoon, stray cats stalked a weedy patch at the back of the property, which is separated from the GardaWorld building by fences, unkempt foliage and a line of trees.
A representative of the mobile home park declined to comment.
The burgled facility, hemmed in on one side by the active train tracks, is owned by World Oil Corp. GardaWorld has been the sole tenant there since the warehouse was built in 2000, according to real estate data firm CoStar.
World Oil did not respond to requests for comment.
The GardaWorld episode comes nearly two years after another high-profile Southern California heist: the multimillion-dollar theft of jewelry from a Brink’s big rig at a Grapevine truck stop. There’s debate about the value of those pilfered goods, with estimates ranging from less than $10 million to more than $100 million. The July 2022 crime remains unsolved.
Rooftop burglaries have been extremely rare in Los Angeles — but there have been some notable ones in recent years. Last summer, burglars broke into Lincoln Fine Wines in Venice via a hole they cut in its roof. The thieves went on to steal about 800 bottles worth about $600,000 — making it one of the biggest wine crimes in California history.
That incident occurred at the start of the Fourth of July weekend, similar to the Easter thievery at the GardaWorld property. Scott Andrew Selby, co-author of “Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History,” said burglars sometimes strike on and around major holidays.
“This crew, like others, picked a holiday with fewest eyes paying attention,” he said.
Times staff writers Ruben Vives and Roger Vincent contributed to this report.
The Los Angeles City Council Friday agreed to increase wages for city bus drivers, mechanics and utility workers.
The council voted 11-0 in support of the matter without discussion.
Council members Curren Price, Nithya Raman, Monica Rodriguez and Katy Yaroslavsky were absent during the vote.
On Wednesday, the council’s Transportation Committee voted 4-0 in favor of increasing the workers’ base wages up to $24.14 per hour starting this year — with plans to bump up wages to $25.36 per hour in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Raman, who sits on the committee, was absent during that vote.
The workers are hired and trained by contractors MV Transportation and MV Public Transportation, which is essentially the same company, with two different contracts covering different employees, according to city documents.
MV Public Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
City bus drivers and other workers represented by Teamsters Local 572 have lobbied for wages on par with or higher than other transportation services in the L.A. region. In March, the union said members voted to authorize a strike — though no action plans were disclosed.
Teamsters Local 572 represent about 360 MV Transportation workers, contracted with the city, who drive and maintain the city’s transit fleet, including DASH, Commuter Express, Cityride and LAnow. MV Transportation workers serve thousands of residents in downtown L.A. and areas such as Echo Park, Crenshaw, Fairfax, and those traveling through Union Station.
Prior to the committee vote, about 10 workers told the panel of council members they were overworked and feared for their safety. The city’s Department of Transportation highlighted several safety measures in place such as driver safety training, access to emergency dispatch services, cameras on board buses and driver barriers — with plans to add more.
Additionally, DOT officials said they are considering implementing a transit ambassador program, similar to an LA Metro initiative, to provide a greater sense of security at night and in “hot spot areas.”
The union is also asking the city to address a shortage of bus drivers, which could resolve the issue of employees being overworked.
According to a to DOT report, while the department and the contractor have made “strides” to fill vacancies, retention is a serious problem.
Officials say the higher wages may solve that issue.
Funding to cover the contract and increased wages would come from the Proposition A Local Transit Assistance Fund, according to the report.
City leaders have been aware of the union’s concerns. Council President Paul Krekorian and Councilwoman Heather Hutt, chair of the Transportation Committee, introduced a motion on Jan. 18, 2023, to address a bus driver shortage as well as to examine possible wage increases.
LOS ANGELES — Not many, if any, coaches would welcome the defending NBA champions, along with their two-time league MVP, to their arena. Yet, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue did just that before Thursday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
“Anytime you get a chance to play against the champs, you got to be up for that,” Lue said. “And Joker (Nikola Jokic), who’s a tough cover, is a great player. I love watching him play.”
Lue might not have been feeling the same early on as the Clippers, playing without Kawhi Leonard, struggled to contain the Nuggets and fell behind by 17 points in the first half.
But behind a solid defensive effort in the second half and playing with the kind of energy not seen lately in Crypto.com Arena they held on for a 102-100 victory, overcoming a 36-point triple-double from Jokic to end a five-game home losing streak.
But it wasn’t easy.
After Jokic hit a 3-pointer to get Denver within 102-100 with 1:46 left in the game, Zubac missed a layup. The Clippers got the ball back when Aaron Gordon lost the ball out of bounds with 33.1 seconds remaining, giving them a shot at padding their lead.
James Harden’s 3-point attempt, however, fell short, giving the ball back to the Nuggets with five seconds left. Jokic then threw up a last-second 3-point shot that fell short as time expired.
The Nuggets began to chip away at an 11-point third-quarter deficit, eventually pulling to within two 94-92 on a 3-pointer by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 3:51 left to play. Denver further closed the gap to 98-97 on free throws by Jokic with 1:46 left.
But the Nuggets (53-24) couldn’t complete the comeback.
Leonard missed his second consecutive game and eighth this season, because of right knee soreness and his status for Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz was yet to be determined.
Sitting Leonard, who has had surgery on the knee in 2021, could be a precautionary move considering Thursday’s game was the start of a five-in-seven run. The All-Star wing has played 68 games this season, the most he’s played since his 2016-17 All-Star season,
While the Clippers missed Leonard’s team-leading 23.7 points per game in Tuesday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, Thursday was a different story.
They had four players in double figures, led by Paul George, who had 28 points and four rebounds. Harden finished with 20 points on 6-for-23 shooting (2 for 13 from 3-point range) to go with eight assists and six rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 12 points and six assists, while Zubac had 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Norman Powell added 11 points.
Denver is a team the Clippers have had trouble with, having lost two of the first three meetings this season. And that certainly was the case early as the Clippers failed to find an offensive groove in the first 12 minutes.
Whatever Lue told them between quarters seemed to shake them out of their malaise as Powell, Westbrook and Amir Coffey got the Clippers back into the game with a 8-0 run to pull within 31-30 with 9:53 left in the first half.
The Clippers’ bench outscored the Nuggets’ bench 21-0 in the first half and 34-9 for the game.
Then Harden got hot, ending the hand-wringing about his recent lack of scoring. He buried a 3-pointer and then scored a 3-point play to give the Clippers a 40-37 lead.
In between two 3-pointers and a layup by Jokic, Harden added a 10-foot jumper, three foul shots after being fouled on a 3-point attempt that pushed the Clippers ahead at 48-46 with one minute left before halftime. Harden added a 3-pointer and George to close out the half ahead, 53-49.
Harden had 14 of his points in the first half.
The Nuggets, having already clinched a playoff spot, were led by Jokic, who had his 24th triple-double of the season, posting 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Nuggets were without star guard Jamal Murray, who sat out the game because of inflammation in his right knee, but Denver had plenty of others who picked up the slack.
But Denver had to finish the game without Coach Michael Malone, who got ejected with 7:54 left after walking on the court to argue with the officials, drawing two technical fouls.
A visitor views a titanium hybrid 2020 Ford Escape FWD small SUV at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, Ontario, in Canada, Feb. 18, 2020.
Chris Helgren | Reuters
DETROIT â Ford Motor is delaying production of a new all-electric large SUV and pickup truck, as it shifts to offer hybrid options across its entire North American lineup by 2030.
The Detroit automaker on Thursday said it will continue to invest in EVs, but it is postponing production of the three-row SUV at a plant in Canada to 2027 from its initial plan of 2025. The next-generation pickup, codenamed “T3,” is being pushed back from late 2025 to 2026.
The shift in EV plans is the latest for Ford and the entire automotive industry as adoption has been slower than many expected and production costs remain high.
Ford last year said it would delay or cancel $12 billion in planned spending on new EVs due to the shifting market conditions as well as challenges to profitably building and selling the vehicles.
The Ford brand ranked second in EV sales during the first quarter of this year behind Tesla, but the Detroit automaker as a company ranked third overall. Both Tesla and Hyundai, including Kia and Genesis, outsold Ford in EVs.
“As the No. 2 EV brand in the U.S. for the past two years, we are committed to scaling a profitable EV business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said Thursday in a statement.
The Ford brand ranked second in EV sales behind Tesla but the Detroit automaker as a company ranked third in EV sales during the first quarter or this year. Both Tesla and Hyundai, including Kia and Genesis brands, outsold Ford in EVs.
The three-row SUV was part of a roughly $1.3 billion investment to transition Ford’s Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, into a new electric vehicle hub. It was supposed to be Ford’s first time completely retooling a North American facility producing gas-powered vehicles into one that manufactures EVs.
“The additional time will allow for the consumer market for three-row EVs to further develop and enable Ford to take advantage of emerging battery technology, with the goal to provide customers increased durability and better value,” the company said in a release.
Ford said it will continue to focus its EV efforts on new plants such as its“BlueOval City” campus in Tennessee rather than transitioning current facilities producing engine-powered vehicles to all-electric models.
“Our breakthrough, next-generation EVs will be new from the ground up and fully software enabled, with ever-improving digital experiences and a multitude of potential services,” Farley said.
Ford’s stock the past five years
The automaker said the massive Tennessee facility, which was part of an $11.4 billion investment announced in 2021, will begin production of Ford’s next-generation all-electric truck in 2026 rather than 2025.
Ford said it is continuing construction of battery plants in Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky.
In the first quarter of 2024, Ford’s electric vehicle sales increased by 86% from subdued levels a year earlier. Hybrid sales for the automaker rose 42% year over year, while sales of Ford’s traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines were up 2.6%.
Ford’s “Model e” electric vehicle business lost $4.7 billion in 2023, including $1.57 billion during the fourth quarter. In February, the automaker said it expected the unit to lose between $5 billion and $5.5 billion in 2024.
Time to lace up those running, walking, or strolling shoes! Family Service Agency (FSA) is hosting its 16th CAREWalk at Johnny Carson Park on April 20 to raise funds for its vital and free mental health and support services for the community.
This year’s event includes a food drive organized by the Zonta Club of Burbank Area to fill FSA’s pantry of nonperishable food, infant and household items.
FSA selected Zonta Burbank as its esteemed honoree at CAREWalk 16, a nod to their deeply rooted history. Tracing back to Dr. Elta Pfister, a champion in Burbank’s education system and Zonta Burbank’s founding president in 1936, their shared legacy began. Dr. Pfister’s pioneering vision for accessible, affordable counseling led to FSA’s establishment in 1952 by local women, solidifying a partnership focused on community well-being.
“We are deeply honored to recognize Zonta at CAREWalk 16 for their unwavering commitment to standing up for the rights of women and girls,” said Laurie Bleick, Executive Director of Family Service Agency.
“Zonta’s pivotal role in advocating for a groundbreaking city ordinance in Burbank, which mandates local businesses to display human trafficking information and hotlines, showcases their dedication to creating safer environments and providing critical lifelines for victims. Their actions exemplify true community leadership and a profound dedication to making a tangible difference in the lives of those most vulnerable,” Bleick continued.
FSA’s CAREWalk is vital, funding free youth counseling programs and addressing domestic violence through educational initiatives. The organization’s CARE cottages provide refuge and empowerment to abuse survivors, while the Home Front and Linden House programs extend a hand to homeless families and emancipated minors. FSA also cherishes the role of art in healing with their Art Therapy Studio in Burbank.
The Zonta Club of Burbank Area, since 1936, rallies businesspeople and community members to volunteer, fundraise, advocate, and serve women in the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys. One of its signature programs is its WINGS Grants, which provide scholarship dollars to adult women pursuing academic or vocational education. Globally, Zonta International, founded in 1919, champions women’s empowerment through over 1,200 clubs in 63 countries.
In a continued effort to support the well-being of local families, the Zonta Club of Burbank Area is spearheading a food drive to benefit FSA, targeting the critical issue of food insecurity in our community. Residents are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items, including canned fruits and vegetables, dry goods like rice, pasta, and cereals, canned proteins, peanut butter, and healthy snacks.
“We’re thrilled to be honored by FSA at this year’s CAREWalk 16,” said Kelli Potts, Zonta Club of Burbank Area President. “Help us celebrate by participating. Your participation brings not just food, but hope and comfort to many.”
Event Details:
Register to Walk, Run or Stroll the 5K: Registration starts at $30, $35 on event day, includes CAREWalk 16 T-shirt and breakfast. REGISTER HERE.
Donation Wishlist: Non-perishable food, household goods (toilet paper, paper towels), infant items (infant cereal, baby food, diapers), toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant), gift cards. Read the full wishlist on the CAREWalk website.
Collection Day: Saturday, April 20th, 8 to 11 a.m.
Location: Johnny Carson Park, 400 Bob Hope Drive, Burbank, during the FSA Care Walk event.
By bringing donations to Johnny Carson Park, located at 400 N. Bob Hope Drive, on the morning of April 20, community members will not only contribute to a vital cause but also enjoy the opportunity to engage in the CAREWalk 16. This dual participation emphasizes the importance of both physical health and community support, underscoring the collective effort to ensure no family in Burbank goes hungry.
CAREWalk 16 is made possible through its planning committee of Eric Hanson, Mickey DePalo, Teri Stein, Ross Benson, Craig Durling, Chris Krohn, and Christine Ramos. Breakfast is generously donated by Command Performance Catering of Burbank.
It should be a wonderful day honoring a long-standing partnership and continuing a legacy of service.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — In the heart of Santa Rosa, a former garden supply store has been transformed into a cultural hub.
“(With) what’s going on in the world, I don’t think a little unity is going to hurt anything,” says Anthony Jones.
Jones is the owner of the Santa Rose Culture Experience Center. A space he created to bring people together.
“I think it’s much needed,” Jones said. “People love the unique feel of the space. They love that it feels personalized. It’s just one big experience. You go shopping, sit, eat, hang out, have a good time, we’ve got some places for the kids.”
Jones envisioned a place where, regardless of socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, or gender, everyone can come and feel welcome.
“We tried to add different elements from all cultures and all walks of life both inside and outside as the artwork all around the building, hopefully speaks to,” says Jones.
The Culture Center partners with multiple local businesses to make the space a one-stop-shop as well.
“We’re partnered with a few unique businesses,” says Jones, “Vegan Mob is one of them, we franchise with them. We also franchise with Mossed Juicery. It’s a local fresh pressed juice and sea moss-infused juice bar, and they offer a bunch of vegan options, desserts and other deli items. And then Sorelle Essentials is a local group of sisters here in Sonoma County that have all locally sourced or crafted products from Sonoma and Marin County.”
Jones adds, “Depending upon the day, you can expect different experiences. And just on a daily basis, you can come here and create your own experience.”
The inside of the center is meant to resemble a large family room, with representations from all cultures.
“I’m enjoying this process of seeing something bring people together,” says Jones, “rather than anything that takes it takes us apart from each other. And so, that’s probably the most dearest to me about this whole project.”
The Santa Rosa Culture Experience Center is located at 13 W Third Street in Santa Rosa, California.
A Los Angeles housing agency has paid $43.4 million to buy a 120-unit apartment complex in South L.A.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angelespurchased the three-story building at 349 South La Fayette Place, in Rampart Village, the Commercial Observer reported. The seller was California Landmark Group, based in West Los Angeles.
The deal works out to $361,667 per unit.
HACLA said it will set aside 90 units as affordable to families earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income. The building, built in 1971, has a pool and a policy that allows birds, cats, dogs, fish and lizards, according to Apartment List.
The state-chartered agency acquired the 91,000-square-foot building with financing that included $23.4 million from City National Bank and $19.5 million of federal community development block grant.
Because the deal involved a public agency buyer, the sale was exempt from the Measure ULA transfer tax.
Kitty Wallace and Kalli Knight of Colliers brokered the apartment sale.
Asking rents for apartments across Los Angeles County hit at an all-time high of $2,183 in the first quarter, according to the Observer, citing figures from NAI Capital.
Investment sales have stalled, however, with nearly 60 percent fewer apartment buildings traded in the first three months of the year, compared to year ago.
HACLA is the largest owner of affordable housing in Los Angeles, with more than 11,000 units, according to the agency. Since 2020, it has purchased more than 2,000 units for nearly $900 million, or roughly $450,000 per unit.
More than three years after the California Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into the troubled Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the case is finally headed toward a sprawling settlement agreement expected to touch on issues including jail conditions, deputy gangs and staffing, according to sources familiar with the matter and emails viewed by The Times.
The investigative findings — which remain secret — span over 100 pages and sources say they include controversial recommendations for deputies to curtail making traffic stops, stop enforcing some drug laws and complete hundreds more hours of training.
Initially launched in January 2021 under Xavier Becerra, California’s attorney general at the time, the probe came amid a string of controversial shootings, costly lawsuits, repeated allegations of deputy misconduct and then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s resistance to oversight.
Though a new administration is in place, many of the same problems remain – some of which the state detailed when presenting the findings of its investigation to department officials and other stakeholders in a recent meeting, according to four sources who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on the record.
Already, the findings and recommendations have sparked pushback, some from oversight officials who raised concerns about the lack of transparency and some from union leaders who questioned the practicality of the state’s nearly 400 recommendations.
“Preventing deputies from conducting traffic stops and enforcing drug laws might seem like a good idea to those living in gated communities or with armed protective details,” Richard Pippin, president of the Assn. of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, wrote in a recent message to union members. “But ALADS knows our community partners in the contract cities and elsewhere will be shocked by some of these proposals that are best described as elitist and unrealistic.”
The Sheriff’s Department said this week it was “not at liberty” to discuss the matter, while Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office did not respond to The Times’ request for comment. Lawyers for Los Angeles County said only that they’d been in communication with the state and “hoped to avoid litigation.”
The Sheriff’s Department is already subject to five more narrowly targeted settlement agreements overseen by federal courts. One centers on racial profiling and policing practices in the Antelope Valley, while the other four relate to the conditions and treatment of inmates in the county jails. The oldest of those cases dates back to the 1970s, but it remains open because the department has never fully complied with the settlement terms.
Given the scope of the state’s latest investigation, a new settlement agreement could be far broader than those already in place. And given the sheer size of the Sheriff’s Department — the largest in the country, with a $4-billion budget — it could be one of the most expansive that the California Department of Justice has ever entered.
Word of the state’s voluminous findings began making the rounds last week, after Sheriff Robert Luna sent a lengthy email to deputies offering a vague update on the status of the case.
“As some of you may know, three years ago in January 2021, the California Department of Justice (CAL-DOJ) began a civil rights investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to determine whether the LASD has engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing,” the email began, according to a copy reviewed by The Times.
“We have been communicating with the CAL-DOJ officials and look forward to addressing the issues of concern and coming into compliance,” the sheriff continued. “We expect further communication with CAL-DOJ in the weeks and months ahead regarding proposed corrective actions.”
The email did not offer a clear timeline for the next steps, but Luna wrote that the department, county lawyers and “other key stakeholders” would need to evaluate the findings and recommendations, which he said would touch on more than a dozen areas, including use of force, arrests, deputy gangs, internal investigations, discipline, oversight, community engagement, training, staffing and conditions in the jails.
A state civil rights probe was already underway when Sheriff Robert Luna took office in 2022.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Any agreement reached between CAL-DOJ and the Sheriff’s Department will help make sure the department complies with state laws and standards and could improve trust from the community, he said.
“As we work towards finalizing the specifics, we will keep you informed of any developments or changes as we work through this together,” Luna wrote. “Community trust is at the core of our work in public safety and with this agreement we will improve our systems and Department to better serve the citizens of Los Angeles County.”
California law allows the attorney general to investigate law enforcement agencies suspected of engaging in a “pattern or practice” of violating state or federal law. Unlike with criminal investigations that focus on specific incidents, a pattern or practice investigation looks more broadly at whether a law enforcement agency routinely violates people’s constitutional rights.
When he first announced the Los Angeles County investigation in late January 2021, Becerra raised concerns about the lack of comprehensive oversight of the department as well as allegations of retaliation, excessive force and other misconduct.
“There are serious concerns and reports that accountability and adherence to legitimate policing practices have lapsed at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” he said in a statement at the time. “We are undertaking this investigation to determine if LASD has violated the law or the rights of the people of Los Angeles County.”
At the time, Becerra did not specify a focus for the investigation, saying that his office was “not placing a particular scope and time or place, or person” in the crosshairs.
Though Becerra initially said a thorough report on the investigation’s findings would be made public, it is not clear whether his successor still plans to do that. One county source familiar with the matter said it was likely the detailed findings would remain secret, though a signed settlement agreement would eventually become public.
The original announcement of the investigation three years ago came after a series of high-profile shootings by deputies that triggered widespread protests and demands from community organizers and lawmakers for independent investigations. Those calls were amplified after the June 2020 killing of 18-year-old Andres Guardado, who was shot five times in the back by a deputy assigned to the Compton station.
Last year — a few months before both that deputy and his partner were sentenced to federal prison for an unrelated incident — The Times obtained a leaked email showing that the California Department of Justice had taken up the Guardado case. It’s not clear if that became part of the civil rights probe or if it is being handled separately, though the California Constitution grants the office the power to review cases where the “law is not being adequately enforced” by a local or county agency.
When Becerra opened the broader civil rights probe in 2021, local activists and oversight officials heralded the move. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, called it “a step forward in the names of people like Dijon Kizzee and Andres Guardado and so many others” killed by L.A. deputies, adding that she hoped it would uncover corruption in the department and bring an end to deputy gangs.
Robert Bonner, a former federal judge who now serves on the watchdog Civilian Oversight Commission, said at the time that he hoped the investigation would focus on deputy cliques and would eventually lead to a consent decree requiring their elimination.
Though Villanueva didn’t learn of the probe until it was announced publicly, he said in 2021 that he welcomed the attorney general’s investigation and promised to cooperate.
“Our department may finally have an impartial, objective assessment of our operations, and recommendations on any areas we can improve our service to the community,” he said. “We are eager to get this process started, in the interest of transparency and accountability.”
This week in an email to The Times, Villanueva — whom voters replaced two years ago with the current sheriff — took a dimmer view of the state’s investigation.
“The entire premise of their investigation was political retaliation by the Board of Supervisors and their political appointees,” he wrote, accusing supervisors of lobbying the attorney general to open the case. “With federal consent decrees covering most of LASD operations already, there is little room for state intervention,” he added.
Union officials also worried about the burden of adding new requirements from another sprawling settlement.
“The report clearly indicates that every deputy would be required to complete hundreds of hours of training to satisfy even the baseline requirements,” Pippin wrote in his message to union members. “The report also challenges the direct authority of the sworn chain of command and moves much of the power and decision-making authority to offices or groups with zero operational experience,” he continued, saying the state’s recommendations would “create confusion in the chain of command.”
Meanwhile some oversight officials worried about the apparent lack of outside input.
“I just hope the attorney general and the county officials will take input from the community before reaching a final settlement,” said Sean Kennedy, who chairs the Civilian Oversight Commission. “No real solution can be forged without hearing from the people most affected by decades of unconstitutional policing.”
At the outset, it was expected that the inquiry would involve interviews with local officials, members of oversight panels and community groups — though it’s not clear who has been interviewed or what the investigation ultimately entailed. Kennedy said the oversight commission has not been included in “any of the settlement meetings to date.”
A similar investigation of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office that started in 2016 led to a settlement agreement four years later, when the agency agreed to implement a laundry list of reforms that included a ban on the use of chokeholds, a new procedure for reporting deputy shootings to the public and stricter rules governing deputy searches.
Nearly a decade earlier a two-year probe overseen by then-Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown found that Maywood, a small city in southeastern Los Angeles County, was patrolled by “rogue cops” who arrested people without probable cause and routinely used excessive force.
The Maywood Police Department reached an agreement with the state that required the city to raise its hiring standards, publish annual audits of the department’s operations, and equip officers with audio recorders and their cruisers with video cameras, among other reforms. A year after entering the agreement, Maywood disbanded its police force and instead contracted with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
No one matched Wednesday night’s numbers, however, two tickets worth $1.6 million were sold in southern California.
The California Lottery reported that two tickets sold in San Dimas and Oxnard matched 5 of 6 numbers.
Winner winner chicken dinner! You just won the lottery, but do you know what to do next? Here’s what to know before you cash out.
One of the tickets was purchased at the Albertson’s store in San Dimas located at 220 E. Bonita Avenue. The other winning ticket was sold at the Oxnard Shore Bottle Shop at 1035 Harbor Boulevard.
The winning numbers are 11,38, 41, 62, 65 and 15.
The next Powerball draw will take place on Saturday, April 6, and is now estimated at $1.23 billion. The winner of this jackpot will have the option to choose the lump sum of $595.1 million or 30 annual payments.
The jackpot, which now ranks as the eighth-largest in U.S. lottery history, has been growing for more than three months, reflecting the long odds of 1 in 292.2 million of winning the top prize.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, center, waits with others to receive Chinese President Xi Jinping at the San Francisco International Airport on Nov. 14, 2023, ahead of Xi’s meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
BEIJING â U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was scheduled to arrive in China on Thursday ahead of four full days of meetings with Chinese officials.
It’s her second trip to the country since the summer, as the U.S. and China seek to increase high-level communication in an otherwise tense relationship. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also due to visit China again later this year.
“I think our expectation is that we will at senior levels, and increasingly at all levels, continue to have ongoing and deepening dialogue. We went for too long with too little communication, and misunderstandings developed,” Yellen told reporters ahead of her arrival in China.
Her trip will cover the southern city of Guangzhou â the capital of China’s export-heavy province of Guangdong â and the national capital of Beijing, according to a press release.
Here’s her full itinerary of meetings:
Friday, April 5 â meet with Vice Premier He Lifeng, Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong, economic experts and AmCham China business representatives
Saturday, April 6 â continue meetings with Vice Premier He Lifeng
Sunday, April 7 â meet with Premier Li Qiang, Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, Beijing mayor Yin Yong, leading Chinese economists and Peking University students and professors
Monday, April 8 â meet with former Vice Premier Liu He, People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng
According to the Treasury, Yellen will discuss “unfair trade practices and underscoring the global economic consequences of Chinese industrial overcapacity.”
China has faced growing global scrutiny over how the country’s emphasis on building up its manufacturing capabilities, including the use of subsidies and policy support to do so, has helped Chinese companies to sell products such as solar panels at far lower prices than manufacturers in other countries.
Guangdong is by far the top province in China by value of exports, according to Wind Information.
The province exported nearly 5.4 trillion yuan ($750 billion) in manufactured products last year, with equipment accounting for two thirds, according to Tu Gaokun, director of Guangdong’s industry and information technology department.
He told reporters last week the province was “committed” to improving productivity, and noted how it aimed to build up sectors such as new energy storage, biomanufacturing and commercial aviation.
During her meetings in China, Yellen will also “work to expand bilateral cooperation on countering illicit finance, which can drive important progress on shared efforts against criminal activity such as drug trafficking and fraud,” the Treasury said.
It added that Yellen would discuss work on bolstering financial stability, addressing climate change and resolving debt distress in developing nations.
The trip will mark Yellen’s third meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng, whom the Treasury secretary is also set to meet later this month at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group spring meetings in Washington, D.C.
LOS ANGELES — The Kings halted their three-game losing streak as Trevor Moore’s second career hat trick spearheaded a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The win moved them five points clear of the St. Louis Blues for the Western Conference’s final wild-card berth and to within three points of the Vegas Golden Knights for the third playoff slot in the Pacific Division with seven games to play. Both St. Louis and Vegas were idle on Wednesday. The Kraken had won three of four games prior to Wednesday’s loss to help put an eight-game losing streak in their rearview mirror.
Moore represented the San Fernando Valley proudly with his trio of goals. Kevin Fiala scored on a breakaway and assisted on Adrian Kempe’s power-play goal. Pierre-Luc Dubois recorded his first three-point game as a King with three assists and Viktor Arvidsson added two of his own. Cam Talbot made 21 saves as the Kings ended their longest losing streak since the 1-6-4 midseason skid that cost former coach Todd McLellan his job.
Andre Burakovsky and Brian Dumoulin each notched a goal for Seattle. Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 shots.
With 3:03 remaining in the game, Moore beat Jordan Eberle to a loose puck in the neutral zone and zoomed ahead to slip the puck through Grubauer’s five hole, completing Moore’s first hat trick since November 2022 and leaving the Thousand Oaks native one goal shy of 30 for the campaign. Moore’s 29 goals are 12 more than his previous career high and more than all of his elite offensive teammates.
The Kings and Kraken traded goals near the middle of the third period with the Kraken responding at the 11:20 mark to the Kings’ insurance marker 35 seconds earlier.
Yanni Gourde stole the puck in the neutral zone, started a give-and-go play with Brandon Tanev that generated a shot for Gourde, recovered the puck and found Dumoulin behind the play to cut the visitors’ deficit to 4-2.
The Kings had cushioned their lead after Blake Lizotte’s diving shot block sent Fiala off to the races for an unassisted goal that saw him wait out Grubauer and roof the puck for goal No. 26 of the season.
The Kings seemed poised to check their way to a win but a double minor penalty for high-sticking on Lizotte, whose twig appeared to be lifted into Jared McCann’s face by McCann himself, added intrigue to the final 20 minutes of the game.
Oliver Bjorkstrand nearly scored, striking the inside of the post, and then made a cross-crease pass to Burakovsky for a backhanded tap-in goal with 14:20 to play.
The Kings headed to the second intermission with a three-goal lead – a situation that has now seen them win 30 of 34 times and earn at least a point in all 34 games – as another contained frame tripled their advantage off of two goals from Moore at the 7:39 and 11:49 marks.
Moore got his second goal of the game after Arvidsson’s takeaway in the neutral zone allowed him to move the puck ahead for Dubois, who found a trailing Moore for a snapshot and then a forehand-to-backhand finish on his follow-up bid.
His prior tally came after he extended the Kings’ attack by picking Tomas Tatar’s pocket as he tried to exit Seattle’s zone. That set off a sequence that culminated in Moore deflecting home Matt Roy’s shot-pass from the left point to the right post.
Two teams with tempered approaches produced a predictably low-event first period, with the Kings earning the stanza’s lone goal on the power play and killing a penalty of their own.
Fiala had lit up Burakovsky in the neutral zone but later on the same shift he took a holding penalty. The Kings killed the penalty to preserve their one-goal edge.
They had earned that advantage 9:24 into the game on a play when all five Kings skaters touched the puck that culminated with the Swedish connection between Arvidsson and Kempe in the slot for a redirection, his 24th goal of 2023-24. Fiala, a Swedish speaker, earned the secondary assist.
Kings forward Phillip Danault missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury.
The highly anticipated total solar eclipse is fast-approaching, but a new wrinkle has appeared in the forecast for Monday’s event.
Severe thunderstorms are possible in parts of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley, including in the path of totality. These storms could obscure the view for some, but are more likely to bring risks for post-eclipse travelers.
Totality, when the moon will entirely block the sun, will occur along a more than 100-mile-wide path from Texas to Maine, passing over cities like Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo, New York.
Are you in the path of totality? See a map of April 8th’s total solar eclipse.
Parts of Texas – including Dallas – Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana are at an increased risk of damaging thunderstorms on Monday, especially during the evening hours, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Damaging winds, hail, drenching rain and perhaps a tornado are all possible.
Severe thunderstorms typically rumble to life later in the afternoon in the southern US, after the daytime heat reaches its peak, driven by a largely cloud-free sky.
So the development of any violent storms could hold off just long enough for eclipse-watchers in the threat area to get a decent view of the phenomenon during its 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. CDT journey through the region.
Anyone stuck in post-eclipse traffic Monday afternoon or evening in northeastern Texas, southern Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana could be at risk of damaging thunderstorms.
A new wrinkle has appeared in the forecast for Monday’s total solar eclipse.
CNN Weather via CNN Newsource
An estimated 20 million people in the US traveled to another city to view 2017’s total solar eclipse and there was a significant increase in traffic risks as a result, a recent study found. Millions more are expected to travel for Monday’s eclipse as the path of totality will be 40 to 50 miles wider than 2017’s path.
The current cloud forecast isn’t ideal for other locations in the path of totality.
While it’s still too soon to say definitively what areas could have disruptive cloud cover, the early indications aren’t the most promising.
CNN Weather via CNN Newsource
It’s still too early to say exactly when and where clouds will develop Monday, but a better idea of overall weather patterns is coming into focus as the event draws nearer.
The same storm system driving Monday’s severe weather risk could also send moist air from the Gulf of Mexico north into parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys. This could potentially lead to an increase in cloud cover in both regions and could obstruct totality views.
Meanwhile, high pressure and a largely cloud-free sky could shape up over the Northeast and create excellent viewing conditions for totality.
Cloud forecasts are still subject to change as minor differences in how storms or air masses move this week can make a huge difference in where clouds develop next week. More precise cloud cover forecasts with higher confidence levels should be possible by this weekend.
In an interesting twist, the current forecast is almost the complete opposite of what historical cloud cover data shows for April 8.
Years of past cloud cover data pinpoint the Southern Plains as the region with the greatest chance for a cloud-free viewing experience on April 8, and the Northeast with one of the worst chances.
Will this plot twist from Mother Nature pan out? Anyone hoping to glimpse the eclipse will need to keep a close eye on the forecast in coming days.
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Part-time real estate financier and full-time auto-loan billionaire Don Hankey is collecting a different sort of interest since his $175 million loan to Donald Trump became public.
Hankey posted the appeals bond — terms were not disclosed — on April 1 through his Knight Speciality Insurance Company in Los Angeles for the former president’s pending legal judgment in New York. In the days since, Hankey profiles have appeared on CBS News, Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times.
According to Forbes, Hankey is worth $7.4 billion, more than Trump. The two men have never spoken in person or by phone, but Hankey said he has voted for Trump, Bloomberg reported.
He clarified that politics didn’t affect his decision to post the bond. “This is a business deal and this is what we do,” Hankey said.
For the bond, Hankey said the former president’s legal team provided 100 percent cash for collateral after an initial offer of 20 percent cash and 80 percent investment-grade bonds.
Trump told Bloomberg he reached out to 30 companies that would not accept real estate as collateral, stipulating only cash, in his search for financing.
The One (Getty)
Hankey made his fortune in subprime auto loans and hard-money lending, but he has engaged in development financing, often in distress situations. For example, Hankey Capital made loans totaling about $100 million on the Bel-Air megamansion called The One. The 100,000-square-foot home ended in bankruptcy, a $126 million auction sale and multiple lawsuits. Hankey said his company has received much of what it is owed, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Last month, Hankey provided $250 million for a Beverly Grove multifamily development from Madison Realty Capital. Hankey also provided money to Westside developer Neil Shekhter, who gave 28 properties back to lenders in January by signing deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. Hankey took possession of six properties.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Trump transaction is Hankey’s first appeal bond. He didn’t disclose the price, usually a percentage of the principal, but said the margin “was very small” because the amount was large and he perceived little risk.
“We had the collateral so we gave him a good rate,” Hankey said.
It might feel like spring Wednesday, with highs across Los Angeles reaching into the high 70s, but Thursday is going to be a “shock to the system,” weather experts say.
Temperatures on Thursday and Friday are expected to drop 15 to 20 degrees from Wednesday’s highs as a cold storm blows across California, bringing low-elevation snow, showers and the potential for severe thunderstorms.
Some Southern California areas could feel historic low temperatures Friday, National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Wofford said.
“With the system coming in, we’re going to see a dramatic drop [in temperatures] tomorrow,” Wofford said Wednesday from the weather service’s Oxnard office. “[There will be] an almost 20-degree drop in temperatures, and even cooler on Friday.”
Highs across most inland areas Wednesday are expected to peak in the high 70s, possibly reaching 80 degrees, Wofford said. But the temperatures will quickly give way to highs in the 50s on Thursday and Friday.
“Friday’s max [temperatures] across the coasts and [valleys] will be in the mid- to upper 50s, which would be cooler than normal in early January none the less April!” forecasters said in the weather service’s daily update.
Along with cold weather, snow levels will drop significantly lower than most storms, with accumulating snow possible on all of the major mountain passes in Southern California, including the Grapevine, the weather service warned.
“In general, we don’t get that many storms where snow levels drop to 3,000 feet or potentially down the Antelope Valley floor,” Wofford said. He said snow accumulation in the Antelope Valley isn’t likely, but he expected the area will get a mix of rain, snow and sleet. The nearby foothills could get up to an inch of snow, he said.
Snow is expected in Southern California on Thursday and Friday night, with 1 to 3 inches likely between 3,500 and 4,500 feet in elevation and more than 3 inches above 5,000 feet.
The storm’s cold nature is making it not as moisture-heavy as other recent storms, but that cold air is increasing instability in the atmosphere, weather officials said. Showers on Thursday and Friday could include thunderstorms, which have the chance to bring hail, downpours, small tornadoes and waterspouts — though that will be isolated, Wofford said.
Rain totals will mostly remain under half an inch, with some locally higher accumulations where thunderstorms occur.
Temperatures across Central California also are likely to drop 20 degrees by Thursday, officials said — from highs in the 70s to around 50 or 60 degrees.
In the southern Sierra Nevada, a winter weather advisory will go into effect late Wednesday and remain through Friday, with 6 to 12 inches of snow expected above 3,000 feet.
“Travel will be very difficult,” the warning said. “Strong winds could cause tree damage. Cold wind chill readings as low as 20 degrees below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.”
In the state’s northwestern corner, weather officials warned about subfreezing, “unseasonably cold” temperatures beginning late Wednesday, with snow falling as low at 1,500 feet and mountain temperatures dropping to 15 to 25 degrees.
A Fontana community is reliving the trauma from a series of deadly events in 2022 that started with a man allegedly killing his estranged wife and kidnapping his 15-year-old daughter and ended with a violent shootout with authorities.
Newly released video shows the moment Savannah Graziano, who was abducted by her father, Anthony John Graziano, was shot and killed by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputies as she followed their instructions and ran toward them away from her father.
Fontana residents say what happened in September 2022 was still very much seared in their memory. And the footage released this week is once again reminding them of the heartbreak they collectively felt.
“It’s kind of like a ‘Where were you that day?’ thing,” Andrea Rios, who lives in Fontana, says as she recalls the chain of events.
“That’s such a traumatic clip,” Rios said after watching the deputy’s body cam footage, in which a deputy is frantically urging other deputies to stop firing their weapon as the teen walked out of her kidnapper’s car. “The way you can hear the emotion in the [deputy’s] voice – what I don’t understand is why he was calling her.”
The same footage shows the 15-year-old was struck by bullets as she got out of the passenger side and moved toward a nearby deputy.
While the deadly shooting is under investigation by the California Department of Justice, one security expert notes the video can help the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department to adjust its use of force policy.
“Instinctively I knew that there were mistakes made,” Ed Obayashi, an independent investigator for officer shootings, said. “Maybe they were honest mistakes. We don’t know.”
While San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement that he is unable to release further details of the investigation, he said his agency had turned over all information to the state DOJ.
“My hope is that this video will be watched in its entirety and provide insight into the unfortunate events that unfolded that day,” Dicus said in the statement. “There has been speculation and misrepresentations about this case, and I would ask the public to allow the DOJ to complete its independent investigation before reaching a conclusion.”
Those affected by the violence say they hope Savannah’s death leads to change.
“It’s a big teachable moment for future circumstances like this,” Rios said. “This is a big training moment.”
