LA County DA calls on Newsom to increase Prop 36 funding
LA County DA calls on Newsom to increase Prop 36 funding
Officials in Los Angeles County on Thursday called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators to increase funding for Proposition 36. Following a town hall in Torrance about Proposition 36, FOX 11 exclusively interviewed Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. "We will call [Governor Newsom]," Hochman said. "We will send him social media. We will DM him. I'll say it right to the camera, Governor Newsom if you're watching, get us this funding. If you want to save lives, get us this funding." Last November, almost 70% of Californians voted in favor of Proposition 36, which increases felony charges and sentences for certain drug and theft crimes while creating a treatment-focused court process for certain drug possession crimes. Newsom approved $110 million for the new law, but that's less than the $400 million Proposition 36 supporters argue is needed every year. FOX 11 asked Hochman if the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office can effectively carry out Proposition 36 without the funding some believe is necessary. "[It's] slower," Hochman said. "It's much slower. If the jails effectively have to be the treatment centers, they are not equipped fully to be proper treatment centers."
Man pleads guilty to pointing laser at LAPD helicopter during protests against immigration raids
A 21-year-old transient from Riverside County pleaded guilty Thursday to aiming a laser pointer at a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter that was monitoring immigration raid protests in downtown Los Angeles. Dominic Rios, whose last known address was in Hemet, was arrested July 7 after investigators filed a complaint. Sentencing was scheduled in Los Angeles federal court on Dec. 4, at which time Rios will face up to five years in federal prison, prosecutors said. According to the complaint, Rios aimed the laser device at an LAPD helicopter flying at 950 feet while its crew monitored anti-immigration enforcement protests. The airship was struck three times by a green laser beam, according to the complaint. "The LAPD helicopter pilot and flight officer were able to identify the person using the laser ... and relay his description and location near a parking lot to LAPD officers on the ground, who located Rios and arrested him," according to an FBI news release. "An LAPD officer searched Rios and found a laser pointer in his pocket."
CHP Issues Alert for Missing 12-Year-Old Girl in Van Nuys
An Endangered Missing Alert is in effect Friday for a 12-year-old girl who was last seen in Van Nuys. Sophia Griffard was last seen at approximately 7:38 p.m. Thursday, according to the California Highway Patrol, which issued the alert on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department. Sophia is Latina, 5 feet tall, weighs 110 pounds, has brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt, black pants and black shoes. Authorities say Sophia is believed to be traveling on foot. Anyone who has seen Sophia or knows of her whereabouts was asked to call 911. The Endangered Missing Advisory is an alert designated for the suspicious disappearance of at-risk endangered individuals.
Swing for the Officer Needs Help Fund!
Join us for the 43rd Annual Chief Daryl F. Gates Golf Tournament on October 6, 2025 at the beautiful Porter Valley Country Club. This is your chance to tee off for a cause. Every swing helps support the Officer Needs Help Fund. Enjoy a day of friendly competition, scenic fairways, and great company while aiming for exciting prizes and bragging rights. Whether you’re a scratch golfer or just out for the fun, you’ll be part of something truly meaningful. Sponsorship opportunities are available, giving you a chance to showcase your support for our law enforcement family. Don’t miss your shot! Register today and help us drive change, one hole at a time!
CHP's annual Labor Day weekend crackdown begins today
California Highway Patrol officers will ramp up operations on highways and roads throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, and statewide, Friday to catch drunken and drug-impaired drivers -- marking the start of the agency's annual Labor Day weekend enforcement campaign. The “maximum enforcement period” will get underway at 6 p.m. Friday and conclude at 11:59 p.m. Monday. All available officers will deploy for targeted crackdowns. “Every available officer will be on the road this Labor Day weekend with one mission: stop impaired drivers before they harm themselves or others,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. “If you choose to drive under the influence, expect to be stopped, arrested and held accountable. No excuses, no warnings. Lives are on the line.” During the 2024 Labor Day weekend MEP, 1,140 motorists statewide were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, compared to 1,064 during the 2023 Labor Day weekend campaign. Sixty-one people died in wrecks throughout California over Labor Day weekend last year, and 21 were directly connected to impaired driving, the agency said.
Leaders of California religious group arrested after two members go missing
A husband and wife who run an Inland Empire religious group have been arrested and automatic weapons and ghost guns were seized by Redlands police as part of an investigation into how a former follower of the group disappeared two years ago under suspicious circumstances. Emilio Ghanem disappeared in May 2023 shortly after he left the Hemet-based His Way Spirit Led Assemblies and opened a pest control company; the business was a rival to one run by the religious group’s leaders. Authorities are also searching for a second man associated with the group who vanished in 2017. Ghanem, 40, was reported missing by family shortly after visiting a Starbucks where he had said he was supposed to meet someone, according to police. A rented Nissan Frontier pickup, which he was driving that day, was spotted on surveillance video sometime later that day in Grand Terrace. Detectives earlier this year found the rental truck “along with additional evidence,” according to Redlands police. “We are investigating it as a potential homicide,” said Carl Baker, a city spokesman.
Minneapolis school shooter hated many groups and admired mass killers
The shooter who killed two Catholic school students and wounded more than a dozen youngsters sitting in the pews of a Minneapolis church once attended the same school and was “obsessed” with the idea of killing children, authorities said Thursday. The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired 116 rifle rounds through stained-glass windows while the children celebrated Mass during the first week of classes at the Annunciation Catholic School, said Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara. “It is very clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorize those innocent children,” O’Hara said. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said videos and writings the shooter left behind show that the shooter “expressed hate towards almost every group imaginable.” The only group Westman did not hate was “mass murderers,” Thompson said. “In short, the shooter appeared to hate all of us.” Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said. They found more writings from the suspect, but no additional firearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church the shooter once attended. Westman had a “deranged fascination” with mass killings, O’Hara said.
Public Safety News
Firefighters Battle Panorama City Junk Yard Blaze for 90-Minutes
Crews were forced to take a defensive position Thursday while battling a fire that engulfed automobiles at a junk yard in Panorama City. No injuries or structure damage was reported as a result of the blaze, which was reported about noon at 7850 Van Nuys Blvd., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters poured water on the flames from a safe distance and brought in heavy equipment to assist with moving burning and smoldering debris, said the LAFD’s Margaret Stewart. The fire was put out by about 1:35 p.m., Stewart said. “Crews will remain on scene throughout the day while LAFD heavy-equipment assists in moving debris so the water can saturate and ensure no hot spots remain,” Stewart said.
Residents raise concerns about fires in Sepulveda Basin
San Fernando Valley residents demanded action on the frequent fires in the Sepulveda Basin during a town hall meeting with Los Angeles city officials. "We're frustrated and we want action," Encino resident Pat Bates said. "We want this to stop." Bates said fires spark in the Sepulveda Basin at least once a week and have turned much of the land into blackened ash. The Los Angeles Fire Department said homeless people often set fires that get out of control. City officials said anywhere between 233 and 275 unhoused people are living in the Sepulveda Basin. Through the first 240 days of the year, LAFD has responded to 254 fires in the area, a vast majority of which "were related to warming fires or rubbish fires," firefighters said during the meeting. The department has identified 800 acres classified as priority zones for fire prevention and cleared out brush at the Hjelte Sports Complex. Firefighters also want to create defensible space around neighborhoods and the nearby baseball field.
Los Angeles County reports rise in flea-borne typhus cases
Health officials are urging residents to take precautions after flea-borne typhus cases increased in Los Angeles County. Flea-borne typhus is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi and is transmitted through infected fleas, which are commonly found on rats, opossums and free-roaming cats. Pets such as dogs and cats that go outdoors can bring fleas into and around homes. Infected animals typically do not show signs of illness. People can become infected when flea feces are rubbed into cuts or scrapes on the skin or come into contact with the eyes. The illness is not spread from person to person, according to Public Health officials. Symptoms include fever, chills and rash. Health officials advise seeking medical attention right away if symptoms develop. Public Health investigated a local outbreak of flea-borne typhus in central Los Angeles and is currently investigating a second outbreak in Santa Monica.
These California eggs are linked to a salmonella outbreak that’s infected nearly 100 people
Large, brown cage-free eggs from a small egg farm in San Bernardino County are at the center of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened scores of people across dozens of states, public health officials said Thursday. Country Eggs LLC of Lucerne Valley is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after its “sunshine/omega-3 golden yolk” eggs were found to be contaminated with salmonella. At least 95 people have been infected with salmonella in 14 states, including California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and New York, according to the CDC. There have been about 18 reported hospitalizations from illness. The FDA conducted a trace-back investigation, where officials interview ill patients to identify what food made them sick and where the contaminated food came from. Based on reports of where the sick people shopped or ate, the investigation pointed to Country Eggs LLC as a common supplier.
