Tag: Brentwood

BRENTWOOD—On Monday, June 3, the Los Angeles Fire Department disclosed that it rescued a mountain biker via helicopter. The incident was reported to the LAFD at 8:05 p.m. at Sullivan Fire Road.

One adult male mountain biker sustained an injury on a remote trail  about halfway up Sullivan Fire Road, and west of the Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park.

An LAFD rescue helicopter lowered a flight paramedic to medically assess and stabilize the patient. The biker was then safely hoisted into the hovering helicopter for in-flight care during direct transport to an area hospital to be treated for injuries sustained during the incident.

By Trevor

BRENTWOOD—The Los Angeles Fire Department reported on Friday, May 17 officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were involved in a crash that left several officers injured.

The LAFD was alerted of the incident at 5:25 a.m. on the northbound 405 freeway. Firefighters arrived to a traffic accident involving LAPD officers who were in pursuit of a vehicle. This resulted in a vehicle crashing into parked vehicles and hitting a police car. Four total officers were injured with one being taken to an area hospital.

The incident expanded to the freeway where the van did go the wrong way and the pursuit ended with crashing into three vehicles on the freeway. No extrication was needed. One patient was transported to an area hospital.

By Trevor

BRENTWOOD—On Saturday, February 24, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported via an alert at 7 p.m. a hazardous condition near 1445 N Bundy Dr. LAFD received a 9-1-1 call due to concern a hillside near homes may be slipping/moving.

Firefighters were in close communication with residents in the immediate area (approximately five homes in the vicinity). There is currently no evacuation order. There is no widespread or escalating hazard.

Fire crews left the incident after investigating. Building and Safety performed an initial assessment and will be sending out a specialist within two days for an additional slope assessment.

Responders on scene were in close communication with residents, explaining the situation and findings. No official evacuation order was given. No reported injuries. Additional questions are referred to LA Department of Building and Safety. There are no additional details to report at this time, noted LAFD Spokesperson Nicholas Prange.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—The City of Santa Monica is seeking volunteers for the 2024 homeless count to be held on January 24, from 8:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m. The effort will be overseen by the Los Angeles Homeless Authority (LAHSA) in an effort to address and strengthen the lives of those living in homelessness.

According to the City of Santa Monica’s webpage, volunteers may register to help with the homeless count at TheyWillCountYou.org. For more information, please contact LAHSA at homelesscount@lahsa.org or call (213)683-3333.

Reports indicate that the homeless count rose by nine percent between 2022 and 2023 in Los Angeles and by 45 percent in Santa Monica. This is an increase from 4,604 in 2022 up to 6,669 people living in homelessness in Santa Monica in 2023.

Los Angeles County is divided into eight service planning areas. Santa Monica is included in SPA 5 along with many of the other cities in our coverage area including, Bel Air, Beverly Hills Brentwood, Laurel Canyon, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Westwood.

The cities in SPA 5 outside or on the outskirts of the Canyon News coverage area are Beverly Crest, Century City, Culver City, Holmby Hills, Mar Vista Marina Del Rey, Manchester, Palms, Rancho Park, South Robertson, Venice, and Westchester.

By Sharon

BRENTWOOD—Angela Lansbury’s Brentwood Spanish style home at 635 North Bonhill sold on April 24. Lansbury purchased the home with husband Peter Shaw in 1985 for $925,000. It was the primary residence of the actress and her husband since she purchased the property. The home was listed for $4.495 million in early April.

“The approximately 3,700 sq. ft. home offers 4 bedrooms and 4 baths and is set on just under half-an-acre. The natural tones of the terracotta roof continue throughout the home with terracotta tile floors and vaulted wood ceilings. Skylights and large windows throughout the home provide an abundance of natural light to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere,” stated partridgeestates.com in the homes listing.

Angela Lansbury, who is a native of London, is best known for playing amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in the murder mystery series “Murder, She Wrote.” The show ran for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 and had a total of 264 episodes. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series four times. The show won the Golden Globe Award For Best Television Drama Series twice.

Lansbury starred in plays and films prior to appearing in “Murder She Wrote.” In 1991, she voiced Mrs. Potts in the Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast.”

Her husband, actor and producer Peter Shaw died as a result of a heart attack in 2003. He was 84.

“Neither she nor my father came from money, and they appreciated everything they had,” Lansbury’s daughter Deidre Shaw told the Wall Street Journal. “A lot of big stars these days, they forget. But they never did,” Shaw added.

Lansbury passed away in the home in October 2022 five days before her 97th birthday.

By Rob

BRENTWOOD—On Tuesday, April 11, images appeared online confirming that actress Betty White’s former home has been demolished. The property was sold for $10.678 million in June 2022.

According to the Wall Street Journal, White purchased the home with her then husband Allen Ludden in 1968. She lived there for more than 50 years. She passed away on December 31, 2021, before her 100th birthday. The home had 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms and was a total of 3000 square feet.

White appeared on various talks shows and game shows in the 1960s. She made regular appearances on miniseries, TV movies and appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in the 1970s.

From 1985 to 1992, White played Rose Nylund in the TV series “The Golden Girls.” The sitcom ran for 7 seasons and followed four elderly women as they navigated life together. In the 1980s, White became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Gameshow Host for the show “Just Men.”

She was a reoccurring guest star in a number of TV series and soap operas in the 1990s. Including “The Bold And the Beautiful” and “Suddenly Susan.” White also co-starred in the comedy “The Proposal” alongside Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in 2009.

From 1945-1981, White was married three times. Her final marriage was to actor and gameshow host Ludden. The couple were married from 1963 until Ludden’s death in 1981. Ludden had three children from a previous marriage.

By Rob

BRENTWOOD—The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call regarding a 19-year-old, mountain bike hiker who was stranded at 3387 Mandeville Canyon Rd., at 1:23 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6.

LAFD Air Ops arrived on the scene and located the hiker. His wounds were assessed by medics and diagnosed with non-life-threatening injuries.

Special rescue equipment was utilized to initiate a hoist operation, which was handled via airlift in a helicopter. The hiker was then transported to an area hospital for treatment.

No further information has been disclosed to the public.

By Anita

BRENTWOOD—A homeless man was taken into custody by deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for allegedly stabbing another homeless man to death after trying to stop a domestic assault between the suspect and his girlfriend on Wednesday, September 15. The incident transpired at a homeless encampment located in the 11600 blocks of San Vicente near the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center around 6:40 a.m.

According to the LASD, when authorities arrived on the scene they found the victim, and discovered he suffered at least one stab wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The name of the victim has not yet been disclosed to the public.

There were no reports of any additional injuries. The suspect was transported to a hospital for a medical assessment before he was booked into custody by the LASD. Authorities did not report any weapon at the scene of the crime.

The name of the suspect has not been disclosed to the public.

By Anita

BRENTWOOD—The Los Angeles Fire Rescue Team Air Ops Division responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding two uninjured hikers stranded on 1501 Umeo Road Saturday, September 4 at 7:32 p.m.

When the Air Rescue Unit arrived at the location, both hikers were incapable of moving through the terrain, due to limited visibility.

The rescue team used special equipment for a hoist operation then proceeded with a land transfer with the assistance of ground units to transport the hikers back to their car.

No further details are available currently.

By Anita

BRENTWOOD—A two-car accident occurred on the 405 freeway on Wednesday, September 1 at 2:32 p.m. involving a pool cleansing vehicle on the northbound on-ramp at The Skirball Cultural Center, near the Getty Center.

The pool cleaning vehicle lost roughly 30 gallons of chlorine powder and acid. To limit the amount of hazardous waste spreading throughout the air, an absorbent substance was distributed across the highway where the spill occurred. No production of hazardous gas fumes were detected, which can transpire during a chemical spill.

The LAFD HazMat Team was dispatched to the location to manage protocols concerning the chemical spill and assuring no hazards. There were no reports of any injuries during the incident.

The California Highway Patrol remained at the scene to direct issues involving traffic.

BRENTWOOD—On Saturday, July 31, at approximately 8:27 a.m., firefighters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LAFD) responded to the 2600 block of North Westridge Road in Brentwood for a mountain biker rescue.

“A 37-year-old male mountain biker sustained traumatic injuries in a remote area of Mandeville Canyon,” LAFD spokesman Nicholas Prange said in an official announcement.

LAFD Air Ops lowered a firefighter-paramedic rescuer to provide treatment and prepared the patient for a hoist operation. The LAFD air ambulance transported the patient to a local trauma center for further care.

The condition of the patient was not immediately known at the time of transport.

By Danielle

BRENTWOOD—On Tuesday, August 3, at approximately 1:27 p.m., firefighters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LAFD) responded to the 16200 block of West Mulholland Drive about a reported brush fire.

Upon arrival, firefighters found approximately one-quarter acre of heavy brush burning, with a light wind.

“Twenty-four LAFD firefighters held the fire burning in heavy brush to one-quarter acre in 25 minutes, protecting nearby schools, a church, and homes,” said LAFD Spokesman Nicholas Prange in an official announcement.

LAFD volunteer firefighters continued to improve containment lines around the perimeter of the extinguished fire’s footprint. Crews remained on the scene to make sure there were no hot spots remaining. There were no reported injuries or structure damage and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

By Danielle

BRENTWOOD–On Friday, February 5, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Navid Vahedi, 41, of Brentwood, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and payment of illegal remunerations. Vahedi also entered a guilty plea to the offense on behalf of his business, Fusion Rx Compounding Pharmacy.

Fusion Rx was a provider of compounded drugs, which are products doctors may prescribe when the FDA-approved alternative does not meet the needs of a patient. In their plea agreements, Vahedi and Fusion Rx admitted routing millions of dollars in kickback payments through the businesses of two marketers to steer prescriptions for compounded drugs to Fusion Rx.

Vahedi and the two marketers provided physicians with preprinted prescription script pads that offered “check-the-box” options on the form to maximize the amount of insurance reimbursement for the compounded drugs. From May 2014 to February 2016, Fusion Rx received approximately $14 million in reimbursements on its claims for compounded drug prescriptions.

Fusion Rx was obligated to collect co-payments from patients as part of contracts with various insurance networks. According to court documents, Fusion Rx did not collect co-payments with any regularity and, in other instances, it provided gift cards to patients to offset the amount of the copayments. Vahedi directed Fusion Rx funds to be used to purchase American Express gift cards, which were then used to make copayments for certain prescriptions without the patients’ knowledge after an audit raised concerns that Fusion Rx’s failure to collect copayments would be discovered. Fusion Rx later submitted claims on these prescriptions falsely representing that patients had paid the required copayments.

Vahedi and Fusion Rx have agreed to pay restitution related to the copayment reimbursement part of the scheme, which is estimated to be $4,405,926. Vahedi also agreed to forfeit $1,338,511 in addition to his obligation under the plea agreement.

Fusion Rx has also agreed to pay a fine sufficient to divest itself of all its remaining assets and Vahedi has agreed to have his pharmacist license revoked. Both Fusion Rx and Vahedi will be excluded from federal health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare going forward.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 28, in which Vahedi will face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

By Danielle

BRENTWOOD— On Saturday, January 9, 2021, A 37-year-old Brentwood man died from multiple stab wounds at his home on Dainty Avenue. Brian A. Bickman died in his house at 800 block on Dainty Avenue shortly around 9:43 a.m.

His son, a minor, was the suspect of the crime. An altercation between the two ultimately resulted in the death of the father. The father was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. The suspect fled the scene by foot, but was detained by police a short distance away. The suspect is in juvenile hall in Martinez and charged with murder. Because of his age, his name can not be released.

The Brentwood Police Department (BPD) released a statement saying, “The son was ultimately arrested and charged with murder. The weapon used during the incident was recovered.” According to Fire Marshal Steve Aubert, Bickman suffered multiple stab wounds to the torso, resulting in excessive blood loss. Bickman was sent to the emergency department at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch.

The BPD also stated, “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends impacted by the victim’s untimely death.” Anyone with information regarding this ongoing investigation is asked to contact Detective Jordan Sares at 925-809-7733.

By janette Fu

BRENTWOOD—NBA player Blake Griffin, who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons has purchased a mansion in Brentwood for about $5.9 million. The 31-year-old Oklahoma native bought the property from Jordana Leigh, the represented seller working with Rodeo Realty, while Ron Smith and David Berg from Smith & Berg Partners at Compass represented Griffin in the transaction.

The home has 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths and is 5,893 square feet and sites on a 0.53 acre lot. It is 155.59 percent more expensive than other properties in the region, with the median price being $2,299,000. The single family home was built in 1936 and costs $997 per square foot.

The home has a  kitchen furnished with Brazilian granite, custom cabinets, a Viking range, Bosch dishwashers, and a family room with a fireplace and tall windows. Off the living room are media and billiard rooms. Additionally, there is a private terrace and covered seating with another fireplace.

The pool has a waterfall along with a spa. The guest suite has its own patio overlooking the area, and the upstairs has a grand master bedroom with another fireplace and three walk-in closets. Other amenities include a gym, a place to play pool, and wine cellar.

Griffin started playing in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2009. He was signed to the Detroit Pistons in 2018. Some most notable achievements include the John R. Wooden Award (2009), the NBA Rookie of the Year Award (2011), the NBA All Rookie Team (2011), and Best Breakthrough Athlete in 2011 at the ESPY Awards.

By Janette Fu