Local News

LOS ANGELES—Last Saturday morning, the California Highway Patrol was alerted about a crash that occurred on a road connecting the southbound Hollywood (170) Freeway to the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway, and this crash involved a car hitting a tree. The driver was killed. Now the body of that driver has been identified. So has the cause of his death. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has determined that he is Sebastian Arredondo. He was twenty years old when he died. The cause of his death was a combination of inhalation of combustion products as the car caught on fire when it hit the tree and injuries caused by the fire.   By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—In August of 2025, Daniel Yacobi, a resident of Beverly Hills and a former dentist, was put on trial for murdering his mother in 2017 to inherit part of her estate. On August 22, he was convicted of first-degree murder. On October 3, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Daniel Yacobi maintains that he is innocent. In addition, he regrets not having taken the stand to testify in his own defense during his trial and expressed his hope that an appeal of his conviction would be successful, which would allow him to testify at a retrial.   By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On September 14, Maritza Gonzalez was stabbed in the chest during a brawl that occurred outside Beaches West Hollywood, which is located in the 8900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. Although she was in critical condition when she was transported to the hospital, she was declared brain dead two days later due to her injuries. However, she was kept on life support until September 20. This was so her organs could be donated following her death. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department detained a potential suspect on September 14 and is cooperating with the deputies. Arturo Solis, one of Maritza Gonzalez’s relatives started a GoFundMe campaign for her family and by the start of October it raised $46,000. The investigation into the death of Maritza Gonzalez is ongoing. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department asks anyone who possesses knowledge to contact the homicide bureau at (323)890-5500. The GofundMe Campaign can be found at the following web address. gofundme.com/f/q863j-in-loving-memory-of-maritza.   By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—The comedian, streamer, and YouTube star Kai Cenat’s primary residence is in Los Angeles, California. He claims that while filming a live stream on Monday, September 1, at a mansion in Beverly Hills, he was the target of a swatting incident. This refers to when someone calls the police and makes a false report of a criminal event happening at a location.

On Monday night, an individual who refused to give their name called the police and falsely claimed that they had bound their younger sister and shot their mother with a rifle. To make the call more convincing, the caller mimicked the sound of gunshots. The police then responded to the mansion where Kai Cenat was located. There, they spoke with the YouTube star’s security team, who told the police they had no knowledge of any crime but would inform Cenat about the officers’ claim.

By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On August 29, around 11a.m. in the morning, a girl was found walking alone on a street in West Hollywood, who was asking people for food, and on her neck, some marks were found that indicated she was a victim of physical abuse. On September 2, criminal charges were brought against both of the girls’ parents.

They were both charged with child abuse as well as inflicting corporal injury to a child.

The girl’s mother, April Cordova, who is 30 years old, was arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after her neighbors reported that she had returned to her home. As for the girl’s father, his name is Cody Jefferies, and he is 33 years old. He was arrested on Saturday by the Sheriff’s department as he was suspected of both neglect and inflicting felony corporal injury on a child.

Their daughter remains in protective custody

By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On August 13, a woman who resides in West Hollywood was sexually assaulted around 12:06 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Sweetzer. When deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrived, she claimed that the man who attacked her fled the scene. The sheriff’s department is engaged in a search for him.

The sheriff’s department has described the man they are looking for as being a man of Hispanic descent that possess a thin build and who is 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches in height and who is between 18 and 30 years old. In addition, according to the department his attire when he was last seen consisted of a dark long-sleeved sweater, with which he was wearing dark shorts with a light-colored stripe. Furthermore, he was wearing a dark driving cap.

Photos of the suspect have been released by the sheriff’s department.

This case is being invested by the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau.

Those with information that might lead to the arrest of the suspect can contact the bureau by calling (877) 710-5273 or email specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org. They can also contact crime stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or by filing a report by going online and visiting the website lacrimestoppers.org


By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Sunset Boulevard, also known as the Sunset Strip, there is Urbn Leaf West Hollywood Cannabis Dispensary. On Monday, August 25, officers assigned to the West Hollywood Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrived in response to a call that the dispensary’s storefront windows were broken. The officers investigated but could not determine if anything had been taken; however, they still wrote up a report about a burglary.

This is not the first time the dispensary has been robbed. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have been called to the Urbn Leaf West Hollywood Cannabis Dispensary multiple times over the past year. In addition, its windows were broken in 2023.

The Urbn Leaf West Hollywood Cannabis Dispensary is located on the 8400 block of West Sunset Boulevard.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—In August of 1989, Erik Menendez and his brother, Lyle, killed their parents, who lived in Beverly Hills, with a shotgun, and they were convicted in the early 1990s of murder. On Thursday, August 21, the California Parole Board convened a hearing to determine whether or not Erik Menendez would be released from prison. After ten hours, the board announced he would be denied parole and that he needed to do more to rehabilitate himself before he could be released.

The parole board stated that they refused to grant Erik Menendez parole due to concerns about public safety. In addition, they were also concerned that he had violated the rules at his prison. During his time in prison, he engaged in the use of drugs and alcohol, was involved in fights with other inmates, and went on a hunger strike. Furthermore, he purchased and possessed illicit cell phones. Erick Menendez also engaged in a tax fraud scheme which he claimed he participated in so that he could be protected from a prison gang.

Erik Menendez can reapply for parole in three years. This hearing was only for Erik. His brother Lyle will attend a parole hearing today through videoconference from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where he is held.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—The award-winning chef Evan Funke owns a restaurant in Beverly Hills called Funke, which serves Italian cuisine, but it is currently closed due to a fire. This fire started on Tuesday, August 12, early in the evening, disturbing customers who were eating dinner at the restaurant and forcing the staff and guests to evacuate.

A call was placed to the Beverly Hills Fire Department. Several crews and fire engines arrived at the restaurant, located at 9388 S. Santa Monica Boulevard, around 6:30 p.m. and began fighting the fire, remaining on the scene until they departed at 10:30 p.m. The fire was caused by part of the restaurant’s exhaust system catching on fire.

Evan Funke announced the temporary closing of his restaurant on Facebook. He also announced that customers who had reservations for this week at Funke could reach out to him to arrange accommodations at his other two restaurants in the Los Angeles Area: Mother Wolf in Hollywood and Felix Trattoria in Venice.

By Daniel Diquinzio

PACIFIC PALISADES—On January 7, 2025, a destructive wildfire broke out in the Santa Monica Mountains and quickly spread outward, destroying communities in the Pacific Palisades, as well as Topanga and Malibu. The cause of the fire has been under investigation by the city of Los Angeles. However, the city has been asked by federal prosecutors to delay the release of its report.

The reason for this is that federal prosecutors are conducting their investigation into the cause of the Pacific Palisades fire. In particular, they are seeking to determine whether the fire was connected to a second, and smaller, fire that occurred on New Year’s Day. This event was known as the Lachman fire, which the firefighters thought they had extinguished.

By Daniel Diquinzio

SANTA MONICA—Located in Santa Monica is the luxury hotel, the Santa Monica Proper Hotel, which is the subject of a class action lawsuit charging that the hotel violated the Santa Monica Hotel Workers Living Wage Ordinance. Passed in 2016, the ordinance mandated that, starting July 1, 2025, all hotels in Santa Monica must pay their employees $21.01 per hour.

The lawsuit was filed against the Santa Monica Proper Hotel this week, and the plaintiffs, Chelsea Kupitz and Eric Block, are servers who have worked at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel since 2019. They filed the lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court on behalf of 100 workers at the hotel. As part of this lawsuit, they are claiming that the hotel not only pays its workers less than the city-mandated minimum wage for hotel workers but also that the hotel pays its workers an hourly rate that is less than the amount it charges customers for meals at the hotel’s restaurant.

Chelsea Kupitz and Eric Block are seeking a jury trial as well as back pay for themselves and the workers. Furthermore, they desire that the Santa Monica Proper Hotel pay penalties for violations of the California Labor Code and that the hotel pay $100 per day until it complies with the Santa Monica Hotel Worker Living Wage Ordinance. Additionally, they request that the hotel display its minimum wage rates. Finally, they want an independent party to monitor the hotel’s payroll for the next two to three years to ensure compliance.

By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On December 18, 2023, the City of West Hollywood adopted the Target Vision Zero Action Plan, aiming to eliminate all severe injuries from traffic accidents and all traffic deaths, and to make the streets safer. As part of this plan, the city council is lowering the speed limits on many major roads. It is doing the same on residential streets and some smaller commercial streets.

The city council based its decision on the Speed Limit Reduction Recommendation Report, which was presented on January 21, 2025. On the selected major streets, the speed limit will be reduced from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour. On narrow residential streets, the speed limit will be reduced from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour, and on selected smaller commercial streets, it will be reduced from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour.

By Daniel Diquinzio

LOS ANGELES—Summer is coming to a close. Alas, as people desire to flock to the beach and swim in the water, officials in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have issued warnings, telling residents of Los Angeles County to avoid entering the water at several beaches. The reason for this warning is that recent water tests have found bacteria present in the water at levels exceeding health department safety standards.

Residents of Los Angeles County are advised to avoid going into the water at the following locations: Topanga Canyon Beach as well as Topanga Canyon Beach, plus Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach and Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove. At those locations, people are also supposed to remain out of the water. The health department had previously issued warnings for the following beaches: Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.

Those warnings have been lifted. The reason for this is that water tests have revealed that bacteria is now back under safety levels.

More information can be found on the health department website.

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/eh/water_quality/beach_grades.cfm

Or by calling the Los Angeles County’s beach closure hotline: 1-800- 525-5662.

By Daniel Diquinzio

SANTA MONICA—The financial company Hankey Capital LLC has submitted two proposals to the Santa Monica city council to build a pair of buildings at 7th Street. One of them will be a high-rise building, and the other will be an affordable housing complex.

The high-rise building will be constructed at 1518-1524 7th Street after the ten-unit building located there is demolished. This project will include 104 units, which will be available at market rate, along with 20 units reserved as affordable housing units. Ottinger Architects will be designing this building. It will also oversee the design for the other building, located at 1238 7th Street. This building will include four levels and 23 units reserved for affordable housing.

On September 11, a virtual community meeting will be held on Zoom so the city council of Santa Monica can gather public feedback on the proposals, and it will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

A slot in this session can be reserved on the company’s website.

https://www.7thstsantamonicaprojects.com

In addition, more information can be found on the website.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—On August 7, 2024, a British tourist visiting Beverly Hills sat on the patio of his hotel’s café and was shocked when approached by a man who pointed a semi-automatic handgun at him. At the same time, another man took the tourist’s watch. In March, the first suspect, Jesus Eduardo Padron Rojas, who was born in Venezuela, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, and last month, the second defendant was sentenced.

His name is Jamer Mauricio Sepulveda Salazar, and he is from Colombia. The role he played in the robbery was that of the getaway driver, and the vehicle he and Rojas used was a blue Toyota Corolla. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, and he was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.

The watch they stole is valued at $1 million and was recovered in Miami during an investigation into a similar theft from a few months ago.

The two suspects were arrested while driving their Chevrolet Equinox during a traffic stop. The U.S. Attorney’s Office believes the vehicle was also involved in a theft in August of last year of a watch on the 400 block of Doheny Road in Beverly Hills. The weapon was once registered to Christopher Dorner, a former LAPD officer who was killed twelve years ago during a shootout with police after he murdered four people.

By Daniel Diqiunzio

SANTA BARBARA—On July 29, Jonathan Tudor, who lives in West Hollywood, was arrested in Santa Barbara for scamming people out of thousands of dollars by posing as a BMW executive and claiming he could offer them discounts on luxury deals. That same day, detectives in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant on his residence in West Hollywood, which is located in the 8200 block of Norton Avenue. There, they found items from luxury chains, including Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton. Together, the items are worth more than $250,000. All of the items are believed to have been taken from Tudor’s victims.

Jon Savrnoch, the District Attorney for Santa Barbara County, revealed that Tudor was charged on July 31 with 44 counts. Among these counts are forgery, money laundering, witness tampering, securities fraud, grand theft, and theft from an elder. In addition, Jonathan Tudor is charged with aggravated white-collar fraud.

In November 2024, Jonathan Tudor met his victims at a hotel in Santa Barbara where he convinced them to sign contracts and agree to wire him money for discounts on luxury vehicles. He never delivered those.

In total he scammed his victims out of roughly $16,000. Two of Tudor’s victims live in West Hollywood.

A preliminary hearing will occur on Aug. 26. It will be overseen by Superior Court Judge Von Deroian. The investigation is still ongoing. Any one who thinks they may have been scammed by Jonathan Tudor can contact Detective Kody Kiesow at (805)681-4150.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—In 2023, real estate developer Leo Pustilnikov, who owns the development company, 9300 Wilshire LLC, applied to the city of Beverly Hills, informing the city council members that he intended to build a residential property at 125-129 S. Linden Drive. The city blocked this plan. After appealing the decision, Leo Pustilnikov sued the city, and on August 12, L.A. Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin ruled in favor of Pustilnikov. His company can now continue the development project.

At the center of the case was Pustilnikov’s claim that the Beverly Hills City Council illegally blocked his development project. Furthermore, he claimed that in doing so, the city council violated the California Housing Affordability Act, which was passed to alleviate the housing crisis in California by making it easier to construct affordable housing, and that when he applied to the city council, the city was not in compliance with the state housing laws. Pustilnikov’s lawyer based his argument on the builder’s remedy. This is part of the California Housing Affordability Act, which allows developers to bypass local zoning requirements in California cities if their governments are not complying with the state’s housing laws.

If this project is completed the building will be 19 stories tall. In it will be 165 units that are available to be rented, and of them 33 will be reserved to be rented by low-income residents of Beverly Hills. That is not all. This residential development will also feature a hotel, which will include a restaurant and 75 rooms, as well as two levels that are reserved to be turned into an underground parking area.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—Although the headquarters of the auction company Heritage Auctions is located in Dallas, it also has an office in Beverly Hills. The company recently hired a new director to lead the entertainment department at the Beverly Hills office, serving as the head of client relations and business development. The name of this new director is Julia Lauren Batlle.

She is a resident of Los Angeles. Before being hired by Heritage Auctions, Julia Lauren Batlle worked for the talent agency William Morris Endeavor in Los Angeles as the Chief of Staff for the agency’s talent division. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, from which she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, as well as minors in Arts Management and Italian.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BRENTWOOD—On August 8, at approximately 7:00 a.m. the Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a call of a stolen vehicle. Responding officers were led on a high-speed chase through Westside.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released to the public, was only described as being an adult female. The chase ended in a crash at the intersection of Montana and Bringham Avenues in Brentwood when the unidentified driver crashed into a police car, striking and injuring a police officer.

The officer was taken to an area hospital for treatment. His condition is unknown. There were no other reported injuries. The suspect is in custody. There is no more information at this time as this case is still under investigation.

By Sharon

WEST HOLLYWOOD—In West Hollywood, there is the famous comedy club, The Comedy Store, and on this Sunday, July 20, a group of drag performers will be hosting a comedy event entitled “Dragged Up: A Drag Comedy Show.” This event will occur in the club’s Belly Room. For this show, the club’s doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the event will begin at 7 p.m. During this event, the comedians will be performing their acts while dressed in drag.

The comedy store has already announced some of the performers for this event, and it will include Shanita Blunt, Bohenne Arreaux, Angie Stroud, Day Mori, Everett Roberts, Effie Meadows, Eric Rocha, JP Puthenveetil, Zach Stein, and Miranda Meadows. For this event, the club will only allow people who are over 21 years old, and each attendee will be required to purchase at least two drinks. Using cell phones will not be permitted during the show.

Tickets can be purchased on the Comedy Store’s website, which is thecomedystore.com.

By Daniel Diquinzio

 

 

LOS ANGELES– Once upon a time in 1979 a business man named Jerry Buss purchased the, ” Fabulous” Forum,” the Kings hockey team and the Lakers. He paid what was then then a staggering sum of  $67.5 million dollars.

The NBA was struggling with low television ratings and many people questioned the move. Now forty six years later the investment has paid off handsomely. Mark Walter has purchased the Los Angeles Lakers for an astonishing $10 billion dollars. The owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers now has two of the most coveted sports franchises in the history of professional sports.

Thus it is certainly the end of an era. The magic that the Buss family brought to the Lakers franchise cannot be understated. With Jack Kent Cooke the Lakers were pretty good. When the Buss family came in and took over the reins of the team you now had something that was legendary.

Jerry West- Wilt Chamberlain- Kareem Abdul Janbar- Norm Nixon- Earvin “Magic” Johnson- Pat Riley- James Worthy-Kobe Bryant- Phil Jackson Shaquille O’Neal-Derrick Fisher-Pau Gasol-Lebron James- Anthony Davis- Luka Doncic.

Jerry West’s half court shot at the buzzer.. Kobe to Shaq alley oop against Portland.

Robert Horry last second three pointer against Sacramento that sent the Staples Center crowd into an unmatched frenzy.

And Ron Artest hitting the three against the hated Celtics in game 7 of the finals. After a rare pass from Kobe Bryant, Artest exclaiming with sheer joy, ” he passed me the ball!”

Memories to last a lifetime.

His daughter, Jeanie Buss, took over as principal owner after Jerry died in 2013, making her one of the most powerful women in sports.Jeanie Buss will stay on as governor after the sale.

Her tenure as principal owner helped usher stability, and restored pride in the Purple and Gold.

Magic Johnson, five time Laker champ and minority Dodgers owner knew Walter and Buss shared the same vision for the Lakers. That vision means winning.

“Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker brand,” Johnson posted on X.

“The proof is in the pudding on what he’s been able to accomplish with the LA Dodgers. Mark has been nothing short of a winner notching 2 World Series and 11 NL West divisional titles in the last 12 years!”

By Christopher Floch

LOS ANGELES– On July 14, 2028 the Olympic torch will light up and illuminate Los Angeles signaling the opening of the Olympic Games. This unparalleled moment in time will be making world history that transcend sports. Los Angeles will set a record for hosting the Summer Games for the third time, the City of Angels hosted in 1932 as well as 1984.

The Opening Ceremonies will take place at two iconic locations, SoFi Stadium and the historic L.A. Coliseum. This has never occured in the history of the Olympics; a fact which will make every Angelino beam with pride.

Two stadiums representing the rich dynamic history of Los Angeles. SoFi is the new kid in town, making its debut in 2020 housing both So. Cal NFL teams, the Rams and the Chargers.

This modern, indoor-outdoor sports and entertainment stadium has a 298-acre campus. Another component of the stadium’s design is the Infinity Screen by Samsung, an ovular, double-sided 4K HDR video board, the first of its kind, that is suspended from the roof over the field.

SoFi will be wet, due to the heart racing action of swimming which will take place there.

As for the Coliseum, its used to holding the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Three times to be exact, obviously another record. Let’s face it, the City of Angels is made of gold.

“These two extraordinary venues will create an unforgettable experience, welcoming fans from across the globe to an Olympic and Paralympic Games like never before and concluding what will go down as one of the most incredible Games in history,” said LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman.

The Paralympic Opening Ceremony on Aug. 15, 2028 will be at SoFi Stadium. The Closing Ceremony on Aug. 27 will be at the Coliseum.

Venues for more sports were announced earlier, including the LA Memorial Coliseum, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, BMO Stadium in Exposition Park, the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA. Others include the sports complex in Carson, Rose Bowl in Pasadena and several sites outside the city of Los Angeles, including canoe slalom and softball, which are set for Oklahoma City.

The medal events program for 2028 features six new mixed gender team events in what the LA28 organizing committee called a “monumental step forward.” The program approved for 2028 has 22 more medal events than Paris 2024 at 351.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut in 2028 and lacrosse will return to the lineup of medal sports for the first time in more than a century. Baseball and softball will make their Olympic comeback, and cricket also will be part of the lineup.

It will be an amazing experience. The only draw back is we have to wait three more years.

By Christopher Floch

PASADENA—The College Football Playoff Foundation, bowl partners, and supplies company School Specialty join forces in historic collaboration following the Eaton Fire destruction.

On Thursday, May 8, The College Football Playoff Foundation is giving $1.2 million to help Altadena’s Eliot Arts Magnet School rebuild after it sustained major damage in the Eaton Fire.

The CFP’s six bowls – the Rose, Cotton, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange, and Peach Bowls – each pledged $150,000 to invest in the school’s rebuilding. The CFP Foundation’s Britton Banowsky called it historic.

“We are grateful to the College Football Playoff Foundation and its partners for their extraordinary pledge to help restore Eliot Arts Magnet School,” said PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco.

“This generous support brings hope and momentum to our recovery and reaffirms the power of community partnerships in rebuilding schools that inspire creativity, resilience, and pride.”

Eliot Arts’ iconic library had just undergone a major renovation in 2023 thanks to a partnership between the CFP Foundation, Pasadena Tournament of Roses®, Pasadena Educational Foundation, and School Specialty—making the loss even more poignant and the rebuilding efforts especially meaningful. In January, the Pasadena Unified School District passed a resolution to rebuild.

School officials said it will take multiple years to restore Eliot, which lost its auditorium, a set of classrooms, and administrative offices in the fire.

Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Patrick Conyers thanked the CFP Foundation for recognizing that “buildings are important.”

“Obviously stadiums that these bowl games are played in, including the iconic Rose Bowl, are special places where special things happen,” he said. “This sort of building is also important because this is the way that students can unlock the world of potential inside of them.”

By Christopher Floch