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Tag: beverly hills

  • LA officials: Suspect in homeless murders is in custody

    LA officials: Suspect in homeless murders is in custody

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    LOS ANGELES – At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief Michel Moore along with Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón and LA County Sheriff Robert Luna announced the arrest of the suspect in the murders of three homeless individuals across the city.

    LAPD Chief Moore identified the suspect as Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, of Los Angeles. Powell is alleged to be the gunman behind the murders of homeless men across Los Angeles from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29.

    After a multiple agency cooperative investigation triggered by the follow-home murder of Nicholas Simbolon of San Dimas on Tuesday night by LASD homicide investigators, a car and weapon in that case was identified by the Beverly Hills Police Department.

    Simbolon was a tenured L.A. County employee, who worked for the chief executive officer as a project manager in the IT department.  

    “He was key in developing applications, software that helped to propel the office forward, and also helped us to meet our mission to deliver services to citizens and residents of L.A. County,” Sheriff Robert Luna said at Thursday’s press conference.  

    LAPD asking for public’s help with murders of homeless persons

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    On Thursday morning, the suspect, Powell, was spotted in Beverly Hills driving the same vehicle and taken into custody.  

    “When you get to a scene, you just start playing it backwards,” Sheriff Luna said while announcing the arrest [Thursday]. “They start looking at every avenue.”  

    During the arrest, deputies recovered a gun that appeared to match the description of the weapon used to commit the crime, authorities added.

    “Over the course of the investigation of our murders, we were able to identify the vehicle we believe is connected to our three homicides as being the same vehicle that Mr. Powell used in the murder of Mr. Simbolon,” Moore said at Saturday’s press conference. “[We learned] that it was being held in custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as evidence of their murder.”  

    According to Chief Moore, that vehicle was the same being sought in the killings of the three homeless persons and the gun seized was the weapon used in the killings.

    Press Conference Live:

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    Brody Levesque

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  • U.S. cities, retailers boost security as crime worries grow among potential shoppers

    U.S. cities, retailers boost security as crime worries grow among potential shoppers

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    Los Angeles — A flash mob of at least 17 masked thieves who pushed past holiday shoppers to rob a Nike store Sunday night near Los Angeles is exactly the kind of crime cities across the country are trying to crack down on this holiday season.

    After a series of thefts scared away shoppers and shut down stores, San Francisco launched the Safe Shopper Initiative that involves beefing up police patrols to ease jitters.

    The same goes for Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater, Florida, a suburb of Miami, where K-9s and extra officers will be more visible.

    “You’re going to be probably the safest you could be anywhere, any place in the world,” Sweetwater’s mayor, Jose “Pepe” Diaz, said. 

    This comes as a new annual Gallup poll on personal safety shows more Americans fear becoming victims of a crime, with 40% of respondents to the poll saying they were afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their home, the highest such number in the poll since 1993. Fifty percent of respondents feared getting their car stolen, and 17% said they avoid going to the mall.

    On Monday, CBS News accompanied authorities as they carried out a raid in L.A., arresting suspected robbers accused of being involved in an organized shoplifting ring that targeted drug stores like CVS and Walgreens throughout California.

    Even in posh Beverly Hills, officials said they are determined to keep shoppers safe. Police drones are now in the air 14-hours a day after a brazen daylight attack on a jewelry store in March of 2022 in which the suspects used crowbars and axes. Beverly Hills police officers are also monitoring 2,500 security cameras in the city.

    “We’ve created this real-time watch center where all of the city cameras can be watched in a single place,” Beverly Hills Mayor Dr. Julian Gold told CBS News, adding that he believes the drones and security cameras have led to a decrease in crime, while helping shoppers and residents feel safer.

    “If we don’t do something soon, our stores are going to be out of business,” said Aaron Jones, president and CEO of International Protective Service, which provides armed guards to commercial businesses nationwide. He says the number of requests for security guards has tripled since 2020.

    “They realize that they have to do something to protect people,” Jones said.

    In addition to extra security, some retailers are experimenting with new store layouts to help reduce blind spots and deter shoplifters. It’s estimated U.S. retailers lost a record $112 billion dollars in stolen merchandise in 2022, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. 

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  • Video purportedly shows ex-Angel City FC player flashing Nazi salute at pro-Israel rally in Beverly Hills

    Video purportedly shows ex-Angel City FC player flashing Nazi salute at pro-Israel rally in Beverly Hills

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    Angel City FC has condemned the “recent actions and statements” of a former player who appears to be captured in a video giving a Nazi salute at pro-Israel demonstrators Sunday in Beverly Hills.

    Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel is shown shouting “Heil Hitler!” and giving the Sieg Heil salute out of the passenger side window of a car driven by a man, according to a video posted on X on Monday by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism.

    Members of the pro-Israel crowd responded with, “Shame on you!”

    The StopAntisemitism group asked for help in identifying the two people in the vehicle. That evening, it posted an update identifying the woman as “Stefany Neyra.”

    A spokesperson for StopAntisemitism told The Times via email that the information was sent to the organization by a confidential source.

    Ferrer Van Ginkel seems to have gone by the name Stefany C. Neyra on her social media accounts, which have since been deactivated. StopAntisemitism posted a screenshot of an Instagram account with the Neyra name and the handle @stefvangi21 that included photos that appear to be of Ferrer Van Ginkel. She could not immediately be reached for comment.

    As tensions over the Israel-Hamas war continue to intensify in the U.S., Angel City FC attempted to distance itself from Ferrer Van Ginkel with a post on X on Monday night.

    “Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel (stefvangi21) does not play for Angel City Football Club, nor has she been affiliated with the club since November 2022,” the club wrote. “We condemn her recent actions and statements.”

    In response to further questions for this article, Angel City FC referred The Times back to that statement.

    Ferrer Van Ginkel posted a video to Instagram on Monday night, before the account was deactivated, that appeared to address the incident at the rally. In the clip, Ferrer Van Ginkel sits silently next to a man, who offers an apology on behalf of both of them.

    “I know we have approached the situation with hate and made it worse with our actions,” the man says in the video. “We acted childish and it’s the wrong way to approach any situation that we live in. All we can do is become better, learn a lesson from this. We cannot change the past. And we just wanted to apologize and ask for you guys to understand and stop the hate. We just wanna spread love from now on. We understand we did the wrong thing.”

    Ferrer Van Ginkel, 25, grew up in Brazil, appeared in a British reality show and played with Tigres of Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil before playing for Angel City during its inaugural season in 2022. Her contract was not renewed after that campaign, and she does not seem to have played professionally since then.

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    Chuck Schilken

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  • Jimmy Kimmel Returns To Give Trump A Soaking Wet Prison Reality Check

    Jimmy Kimmel Returns To Give Trump A Soaking Wet Prison Reality Check

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    Jimmy Kimmel had a few things to get off his chest on Monday, his first night back on the air after the five-month writers strike.

    And much of it was about Donald Trump.

    “I am backed up like you wouldn’t believe,” he declared, and he wasn’t kidding: that kicked off about eight straight minutes of jokes about the former president.

    Kimmel noted that Trump had just been in California, where he vowed to “dampen” the state’s 33 million acres of forest to prevent wildfires and then complained that people in Beverly Hills smell bad because water restrictions mean weaker showers.

    “So when you meet somebody with a beautiful house in Beverly Hills you know that person is sorta disgusting,” Trump said.

    “That ridiculous man had the nuclear codes for four years,” Kimmel said, then suggested that Trump might have shower worries of his own in the not-too-distant future.

    “Wait ’til he finds out about the showers in prison,” Kimmel cracked. “He is not gonna be happy.”

    He was referring to the 91 felony counts Trump is facing across four criminal cases.

    “It’s like all of Melania’s birthday wishes came true at once,” Kimmel said.

    See more of his monologue below:

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  • Rapper Drake Lists Sprawling Beverly Hills Mansion For $88 Million

    Rapper Drake Lists Sprawling Beverly Hills Mansion For $88 Million

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    Rich Flex? Toronto-born, Grammy award-winning rapper Drake is offloading his palatial Los Angeles home for a whopping $88 million. The artist purchased the home last spring from British rocker Robbie Williams and his wife, Ayda Field, for $75 million.

    While it’s not known exactly why he’s selling, it’s obvious why he purchased the home in the first place. The Tuscan-style home is situated on a 19.7-acre plot of land and tucked into the verdant hills of Benedict Canyon. Ideal for privacy seekers like the “One Dance” musician, the home is located at the end of a cul-de-sac and behind private gates. Designed by globally renowned architect KAA Associates, the property spans 24,260 square feet and has 10 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms.

    The resort-style home looks plucked out of the Tuscan countryside with lush landscaping, including an orchard, mature olive trees, ancient oaks, and manicured lawns. There are also incredible city, ocean, and mountain views from nearly every inch of the property. There is a circular motor court with water fountains and a grand columned entryway that welcomes you into the home.

    While not as extravagant and ostentatious as his 50,000-square-foot contemporary Toronto home, which he custom built, this L.A. manse has a more low-key and sleek contemporary design. There’s a distinct California aesthetic with rare marbles, light wood floors, arched ceilings, and large windows in each room.

    There’s a double-height foyer with a sweeping grand staircase, plus a living room with two fireplaces. The grand living spaces are filled with natural light thanks to nearly floor to ceiling curved windows and light wood floors. There’s also a cozy library with built-in cabinets and a fireplace and arched French windows, plus a formal dining room, gourmet kitchen with a breakfast room, and two family rooms. One of the family rooms doubles as a professional screening room.

    The main house has seven bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and a pool/guest house with a mosaic-tiled pool and indoor-outdoor kitchen. There’s also a hidden tennis court with an orchard and an 11-car garage. An elevator, wine cellar, gym, and game room completes the lavish amenities on property. As this is a celebrity-favorite home, it only makes sense that there are three extra en suite bedrooms for staff. It’s also an ideal residence for those who love to entertain and host parties, with its large kitchen and several gathering spots.

    Of particular note is the sprawling primary suite, which has its own deep private terrace overlooking the backyard, pool, and views. The ensuite bathroom has an entire living room, a massive closet, dressing room, vanity, and a grand marble soaking tub. This salon-like bathroom and closet area is bigger than most people’s homes or apartments. For this feature alone, it’s easy to see what makes the home so appealing.

    Nearly every aspect of the home is bespoke with exceptional, high-quality materials and custom fixtures and features. Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates are co-listing the property with Marc Bretter of Maywood Property Group.

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    Emma Reynolds, Senior Contributor

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