LOS ANGELES — A grand jury indictment was unsealed Friday charging a former Los Angeles police officer in the May 2015 shooting death of an unarmed homeless man in Venice, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said.
Clifford Proctor pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
Brendan Glenn, 29, was killed during a struggle with officers outside a bar where he had fought with a bouncer, and his name became a rallying cry against police shootings in Los Angeles. Both Glenn and Proctor are Black.
The office of current LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement that the indictment comes after the previous district attorney, George Gascón, reexamined four use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers, including Proctor’s case.
Hochman, who ousted Gascón in November’s election, will review the case and decide whether to proceed with the prosecution, the statement said.
Proctor’s lawyer, Anthony “Tony” Garcia, questioned the timing of the charges and noted that prosecutors declined to charge his client in 2018, according to the Times.
In 2018, LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey declined to press charges, saying there was insufficient evidence to prove Proctor acted unlawfully when he used deadly force.
Glenn was on his stomach and trying to push himself up when Proctor shot him in the back, according to police. He wasn’t trying to take a gun from Proctor or his partner when he was shot, and Proctor’s partner told investigators that he didn’t know why the officer opened fire, police have said.
Proctor resigned from the Los Angeles Police Department in 2017. The city paid $4 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit that was brought by Glenn’s relatives.
Proctor, 60, remains in jail. His next court date is Nov. 3.
“Overall, the California housing market hasn’t shown signs of any major shifts since the government shutdown kicked off,” says Realtor.com® senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones. “New listing activity is up year over year, time on market is stable, and inventory growth is decelerating, holding with recent trends.”
It’s a striking finding given how exposed California could be. The state ranks sixth nationwide for both FHA and VA loan volume, ninth for total USDA housing investments, and sixth for the number of active National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies—all federal programs now halted or critically delayed as the shutdown enters its third week.
It’s also significant because of California’s sheer scale: Real estate makes up 17.6% of California’s economy, contributing roughly $680 billion to the state’s GDP and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across construction, real estate, and home services, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
But resilience has its limits, and the longer the shutdown lingers, the more pressure builds.
“Each day the shutdown continues compounds these challenges,” writes NAR Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGhan.
“For millions of Americans, it means uncertainty about closing dates, delayed access to affordable housing, and higher costs as markets react to instability,” she adds. “For the broader economy, it risks slowing growth in one of the country’s most important sectors.”
California’s calm
So far, the data signals stability for the Golden State.
New listings are up compared with a year ago, time on market is largely unchanged, and inventory growth continues to slow in line with national trends. That steadiness reflects who’s driving California’s market—and how they buy.
Most borrowers in the state rely on conforming loans, which haven’t been disrupted by the federal shutdown, while cash and jumbo buyers remain active in expensive metros like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose.
“Buyer demand remains intact in California, as high-income, cash and jumbo buyers, who tend to be common in high-priced California metros, aren’t directly affected by furloughs,” explains Jones.
That activity highlights a key portion of the federal government that still is working, despite the shutdown: the IRS’ Income Verification Express Service (IVES), which allows lenders to verify borrowers’ tax information and keep mortgage approvals moving.
Curtis Knuth, CEO of credit reporting and verification firm Service 1st, says that his company has seen no disruption in delivery of the thousands of tax transcripts it requests from the IRS each week as part of the mortgage vetting process.
“For the divisions that we work with, there’s no impact,” he tells Realtor.com. “Normal turn times are standing.”
Knuth explains that the IVES is self-funded by user fees, and thus does not require a new spending bill from Congress to continue normal operations.
Lisa Binkley, the COO of Service 1st, says that about 97% of tax transcript requests through IVES are currently getting processed within three days, on par with turnaround times before the shutdown.
For homebuyers, it’s a spot of bright news as the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight.
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Early signs of strain among government-backed loans
But beneath that surface of calm, early fractures are forming.
“I’ve seen a small cooling over the past couple of weeks in buyer enthusiasm, particularly for first-time buyers using FHA or USDA financing,” says Bastien Wissmann, a New Properties & Investment Specialist.
While these sales make up a small portion of California’s real estate, the scale or importance of these programs shouldn’t be underestimated. In June 2025 alone, California buyers took out $1.9 billion in FHA loans—the third-highest volume in the nation, according to HUD’s Single-Family Portfolio Snapshot.
While fewer than 1% of California homebuyers rely on USDA loans, those who do often have few alternatives. And since 2024, the state has received nearly $20 billion in USDA funding for single- and multifamily housing, ranking ninth nationally for total investment.
Unlike conforming loans, these programs rely on federal staffing and approvals, both of which are now frozen. “The lack of clarity about government operations breeds caution, even among qualified buyers who would otherwise be eager to move ahead,” Wissmann says.
Sellers, meanwhile, are adjusting rather than retreating. “Most are willing to extend the closing process a little longer or notch prices down slightly to keep deals chugging along, an acknowledgment of caution and optimism,” Wissmann adds.
“Builders and developers are beginning to complain about the slower processing of permits and inspections,” says Wissmann. “These small delays can cause ripples throughout projects, especially for multiunit residential developments.”
While many permits are issued from local authorities, sometimes those authorities need federal coordination to move the process forward.
“Right now, the impact has been minimal, but the longer the shutdown goes, the more those reviews and permitting procedures are going to start clogging up,” Russel Riggs, senior regulatory representative for NAR, told Realtor.com last week. “After four weeks, you’ll really start seeing the impacts very clearly.”
As we near the four-week mark in the shutdown, Gary Mkrtichyan, a developer and general contractor with Opus Builders in Los Angeles, says he’s run into significant delays since the start of October.
He’s currently overseeing several new-home projects in Hollywood that require city-managed infrastructure, everything from sewer connections to fire hydrant relocations. But recently, even routine requests have gone unanswered.
“I’ve never seen this type of slow movement,” he says.
For developers, those delays can come with costly consequences.
“I’ve paid close to $20,000 that went to waste because they can’t move efficiently and give us what we need to get our projects going,” Mkrtichyan says.
A hidden flood risk
It’s been widely reported that the lapse of the National Flood Insurance Program has put 4.7 million policies at risk at the height of hurricane season. But in California, there’s an added danger.
In wildfire-scarred regions, burned hillsides become more vulnerable to floods—without vegetation, the ground can’t absorb rainfall, heightening the risk of flooding even for properties that are outside of designated Special Flood Hazard Areas.
FEMA estimates that flood risk remains significantly higher for at least five years after a major wildfire. Yet only about 4% of homes in wildfire-affected states carry federal flood insurance, leaving most owners—and many new buyers—exposed as federal coverage stalls.
Less than a year after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, that’s an especially serious problem for Californians still rebuilding. With the NFIP stalled amid the federal shutdown, no new or renewed policies can be issued.
For buyers in high-risk areas, that bureaucratic pause can bring home closings to a sudden halt.
“If the shutdown lingers, home sales could see delays related to insurance. For homes needing a new/renewed flood insurance policy, the suspension of the NFIP puts closings at risk and slows down transaction activity,” explainsJones.
The lag effect: When stability turns
For now, California’s housing data looks calm, but in a market this interconnected, the effects of a freeze as extended or expansive as this one are unlikely to stay invisible for long. The real risks come later, as the slowdown ripples through listings, loans, and sentiment.
“If homes sit for longer due to issues with mortgage loan approval or insurance challenges, delistings or price reductions may increase,” says Jones. “This is especially relevant if consumer sentiment shifts or anxiety over the shutdown increases, which could convince some buyers to hold off.”
The real estate industry makes up roughly 18% of California’s $4.1 trillion economy—nearly one-sixth of the entire U.S. GDP. Each median-priced home sale generates about $230,000 in local economic activity and supports three jobs, from contractors and appraisers to movers and furniture retailers, according to research from NAR.
California’s stability may be masking a lag effect—a market that looks steady on the surface but could start showing cracks in the coming weeks. If that happens, the state’s housing slowdown won’t stay local for long.
LOS ANGELES — A woman died earlier this month after a man jumped off a Southern California freeway and landed on the vehicle she was in.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to reports of a person threatening to jump from the 210 Freeway Roxford overpass in the Sylmar area on the evening of Aug. 9.
Margarita Novela Galindo was sitting in the passenger seat, next to her husband Florencio, heading out of town for the weekend. They were on the 210 Freeway when a man, in an effort to take his own life, jumped off a bridge over the freeway and went through their windshield.
Florencio did not suffer any serious injuries and immediately called his son.
“Once he told me ambulances were on the way and he pulled over to the side and couldn’t open the doors, that’s when I knew it was serious,” said David Galindo.
Margarita was left in critical condition, remaining in the ICU for weeks. She died of her injuries on Wednesday, according to her family, leaving them overwhelmed with emotions.
“What if she stopped to get gas? What if she stopped to get water? This probably wouldn’t have happened,” said David.
“It could’ve just been two seconds off, two inches away, my mom would’ve been fine,” the victim’s daughter Stephanie Galindo said.
For Florencio, there’s now a void that’ll never be filled.
Margarita’s three adult children, who mostly called on their mom to help with the grandchildren, are now taking care of their dad.
Amid the sadness and frustration, Florencio also has compassion for the man who killed the love of his life while taking his own.
“He doesn’t know what problems he may have had to commit suicide, but he doesn’t have any resentment,” he said in Spanish.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with funeral expenses.
If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].
LOS ANGELES — Terrifying video captured the moments a woman clung to the hood of a speeding car in Southern California after her French bulldog was stolen.
“I thought I was going to die. I just was like ‘this is it”,” said Ali Zacharias.
She and her dog Onyx were having lunch together at a Whole Foods in downtown Los Angeles on Jan. 18 when it all happened.
A woman first called to the dog, then grabbed the leash and walked away. Zacharias followed her but the woman hopped into a car with three others inside and locked the doors.
Zacharias didn’t hesitate.
“I didn’t want the car to drive away, so I ran and stood in front of it. They drove into me and I fell on top of the hood, and just started to grab on… Before I knew it, they were like backing up and taking off,” she recalled.
The thieves kept going for several blocks before swerving, sending Zacharias to the ground.
The suspect vehicle is described as a newer model white Kia Forte four-door sedan with a missing hubcap.
Onyx is a black merle French bulldog with a spotted coat and two different colored eyes. Zaharias is just hoping to get her beloved dog back.
“I just feel lost and lonely without him. He’s my buddy, he’s my wing man. He goes to work with me, we do everything and he was just suddenly gone.”
Zacharias is offering a reward for her dog’s safe return. Anyone with information can call the Los Angeles Police Department at (877) 275-5273.
LOS ANGELES — A family of five adults and 13 children, including several toddlers, who had been living on the streets of Los Angeles since September have a safe place to stay as a local nonprofit works to find them housing.
The family members, who are from Honduras, lived in a small tent near MacArthur Park in Westlake. They fled the country due to violence five years ago, and ended up in Austin, Texas, but came to L.A. after losing their housing due to issues with their work permits.
“One hundred times better here, to be honest,” said Ana Madrid . “Here we have the opportunity to be better to get a permit and work.”
For months, the husband and wife and their two children had been on the streets along with three adult cousins, and 11 other children, including an 8-month-old baby.
Madrid said the sidewalk is where they spent Christmas, New Year’s Eve and days in the rain.
“To use the restroom, if we didn’t have money, we couldn’t use it, and we had to beg people to let us use it,” said Madrid. “It’s a very sad situation.”
Her husband, Jorge Luis Garcia, said his children hadn’t been able to go to school because other children have attacked him outside.
Madrid said the family had spoken with Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, but because the family is so large, it was difficult placing them somewhere.
However, good news came Thursday afternoon.
The Dream Center said it became aware of the family’s situation and said it would be able to place them in a shelter.
“Thank God this will now pass,” said Madrid.
The tent on Alvardo Street was taken down Friday as the family was relocated.
The Dream Center, a resource center focused on providing support to those affected by homelessness, is helping the family with housing, daycare, jobs and immigration paperwork.
“The Dream Center has always tried to react swiftly to provide solutions in every situation especially where children live on the streets,” the organization said in a statement. “It’s always a joyful moment when you can provide a safe place for families to take a deep breath from life’s struggles and to help them rebuild.”
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez also issued a statement saying, “Our office was informed of this family on Wednesday and immediately made contact to assess the situation and conduct an intake. We are actively working with the family, and a network of partner agencies, to urgently secure resources and housing for them.”
Garcia was very excited when ABC7 informed him of the development. He said he wanted to thank everyone that has helped his family, adding that he just wants a better place for his children.
“What I want is for them is to be good, to be someone, to study, have a better life and be in a better situation,” he said.
