LA, OC Contestants Eliminated in Round Four of Spelling Bee

The Los Angeles and Orange County contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee were among the 89 spellers eliminated in the fourth round Wednesday. Oliver Halkett, a 12-year-old sixth grader who attends The Mirman School in Brentwood, misspelled desinent, an adjective meaning forming an end. He spelled it “desonant.” Katelyn Nguyen, a seventh grader at […]

Fontana Man Charge with Second Degree Murder of Teen Girl with DUI

A 30-year-old Fontana man was charged Wednesday with killing a 14-year-old girl in a drunk driving collision in Newport Beach. Joseph Alcazar was charged with second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content exceeding the legal limit of .08% or more causing injury, all felonies, […]

LACoFD Lifeguard Sues County for Pride Flag Requirement

A longtime Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguard has filed suit claiming that the county’s policy requiring him to raise the Pride Flag constitutes religious discrimination, according to court papers obtained Wednesday. Capt. Jeffrey Little, who describes himself as a devout evangelical Christian who has worked for Los Angeles County for more than 22 years, […]

Fatal Pomona Accident Results in 6-Year-Old’s Death, Injured Woman

Police Wednesday were investigating a fatal accident in Pomona, where a vehicle struck and killed a six-year-old child and seriously injured a woman. The child was later identified as Guadalupe Alvarez Salgado of Pomona, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. Officers from the Pomona Police Department responded at 8:02 p.m. Tuesday to […]

DWP Celebrates $30M for Groundwater Replenishment Project

A day after federal officials announced $159 million in funding for a trio of Southern California water-resiliency projects, the city of Los Angeles celebrated Wednesday $30 million coming in to support a groundwater replenishment project. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, and Reps. Grace Napolitano and Nanette Barragán, both D-Los Angeles, made the announcement Tuesday at an […]

Firefighters Battle Structure Fire in Mid-Wilshire Area

Firefighters were battling an attic fire at a vacant and boarded-up strip mall in the Mid-Wilshire area Wednesday. Firefighters were sent to the 5500 block of West San Vicente Boulevard around 1:25 p.m. Wednesday regarding an attic fire in the one-story mall with light visible smoke, according to spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz of the Los Angeles […]

Convict Faces Indictment for Hate Crime for Punching Asian American Woman

A federal grand jury Wednesday returned an indictment charging a Southern California man with a hate crime for allegedly punching an Asian American woman in the head in Culver City while he shouted racial slurs at her. Jesse Allen Lindsey, 37, who is currently in state prison on an unrelated conviction, but whose last known […]

Anaheim Man Convicted of Fatal Strangling of Girlfriend

A 38-year-old Anaheim man was convicted Wednesday of beating and strangling his girlfriend following a roughly yearlong tumultuous relationship. Aaron Romo was convicted of first-degree murder, along with felony counts of domestic violence and false imprisonment. Jurors deliberated for about a day and a half. Romo, who is scheduled to be sentenced June 24, faces […]

KTLA Weatherman Mark Kriski Suffers `Mild Stroke’

KTLA5 veteran weatherman Mark Kriski was recovering Wednesday from a “mild stroke” suffered earlier in the week. Kriski, who has been a fixture on the KTLA Morning News program since it began more than 30 years ago, “is getting the best medical care and looks forward to being back with the team soon,” according to […]

Man Gets 7 Years in Hit-and-Run Attack in Anaheim

A 28-year-old man was sentenced to seven years in prison Wednesday for running over three pedestrians in Anaheim in a targeted attack against one of the victims before fleeing the scene. David Santiago Meza pleaded guilty March 19 to two counts of attempted murder, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon and single counts […]

Man Charged with Vandalizing Scientology Property in Santa Ana

A 28-year-old man was scheduled to make his first appearance in court Wednesday on charges he vandalized Scientology property in Santa Ana in December 2021. Christopher Sotelo was charged Aug. 17, 2022, with vandalism of religious property and a hate crime, both felonies, according to the criminal complaint. Sotelo failed to appear in court on […]