In Depth

Criminal Justice

Lack of psychiatric beds blamed for failure to prevent violence by mentally ill

Experts in law enforcement, mental health and gun laws say cracks exist in the system designed to keep society safe from those whose mental illness drives them to attack. Perhaps the most glaring problem? A lack of beds to treat those in a mental health crisis. Read more

The background: Judge to decide whether to release mentally ill killer to outpatient facility

A man who bludgeoned a woman to death in Seal Beach but was found not guilty by reason of insanity is due to be released from a state mental hospital to an outpatient facility. After community pushback, a board-and-care home in Orange revoked the bed it had reserved for Leonard Patton. Now an Orange County judge this week will decide where he should go. Read more

More From This Reporter: Find more stories written by Tony Saavedra here. Read more

This Week's Editors' Picks

Local Government

This city official implicated in another bribery scheme

Former Baldwin Park City Attorney Robert Tafoya assisted in a bribery scheme that funneled $70,000 in illicit payoffs to former Councilman Ricardo Pacheco to secure his vote on a cannabis permit, federal authorities allege. Tafoya has not been charged in connection with the alleged scheme. Read more

Debate

Why does Donald Trump attack the Ronald Reagan Library?

Why would the library, devoted to a man who was a movie star, California governor and a popular president, draw criticism from a Republican presidential candidate? The answer may lie in the differences in the personalities of the two conservative politicians. Read more

Olympics

Residents, activists divided over bringing 2028 Summer Olympics to San Fernando Valley

In 1984, community opposition squashed plans to bring events to the Sepulveda Basin, but this time the Games could indeed be afoot. Read more

Environment

Alleged toxic polluter still operates by Watts high school after criminal charges

In June, District Attorney George Gascon and other officials gathered with great fanfare at Jordan High School in Watts to announce criminal charges being filed against Atlas Iron & Metal Co., which is accused of having deposited toxic waste on the school campus for years. But as a new school year began, the politicians were long gone while students and the fully operational metal recycling plant remained. Read more

Politics

What Republican representatives think of the Biden impeachment inquiry

As Republicans continue to probe President Joe Biden‘s involvement with his son’s business dealings, the House will hold a hearing this week on an impeachment inquiry. The impeachment inquiry is largely considered to be potential trouble for Republicans in competitive districts, like those in Orange County that went for Biden in 2020 but a Republican House member in 2018. Read more

Law Enforcement

Sheriff’s deputy faces possible charges in off-duty traffic deaths of 2 Marines

Orange County prosecutors are considering manslaughter charges against a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was off-duty when he fell asleep at the wheel in November 2022 and killed two Camp Pendleton Marines sitting in a disabled car in Mission Viejo. Read more

Politics

New law says California schools must provide gender-neutral bathrooms

Amid a bevy of parental notification policies appearing in California school districts — policies that compel school staff to inform parents if their child may be transgender — a new law will require the state’s public schools to ensure gender-neutral restrooms are accessible for students in the coming years. Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend, Senate Bill 760 requires each school district, as well as charter schools and county education offices, to provide at least one gender-neutral bathroom for students by July 2026. Read more

Fentanyl

How Riverside County sheriff’s investigators caught one of their own

Deputies used a wiretap and surveillance to track correctional deputy Jorge Alberto Oceguera-Rocha, a court document says, leading to a huge fentanyl seizure – more than half a million pills.  Read more

Sports

Bronny James’ attitude after cardiac arrest has helped USC teammates ‘sleep at night’

After witnessing perhaps the most famous teenager in the world suffer a horrifying medical calamity two months ago, teammates say Bronny James’ overwhelmingly positive nature has helped them move forward. He wasn’t at the team’s first official practice of the year on Monday, and Coach Andy Enfield said he couldn’t comment on any medical specifics. But after a promising update last month from a James family spokesperson, optimism abounded as to James’ prospects for his freshman year with the Trojans. Read more

Recent Editors' Picks

• Church Abuse: Case against notorious OC priest could be 1st in new wave of sexual abuse trials READ MORE
• Criminal Justice: Judge to decide whether to release mentally ill killer to outpatient facility READ MORE
• Science: UC Riverside creates new kind of avocado READ MORE
• Environment: Should we bury new power lines? Project sparks conflict between SoCal cities, Edison READ MORE
• Crime: Flash mob summer: How can retail theft stampedes be stopped? READ MORE
• Drugs: Fentanyl addiction fuels underground shoplifting economy in LA’s MacArthur Park READ MORE