UC Community Calls for UCLA Chancellor to Resign After Mishandling Protests

More than 800 University of California faculty and staff called Thursday for the resignation of UCLA Chancellor Gene Block over the handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment and related violence that erupted on the Westwood campus, including an assault on the camp by masked assailants that was allowed to rage for hours before police intervened. The […]

Senior Irvine Doctor Charged with Groping 2 Patients

A 79-year-old physician from Irvine is facing charges of groping two women patients, Orange County prosecutors said Thursday. Dr. John Carl Hoefs is charged with seven felony counts of sexual battery and is scheduled to be arraigned June 13, prosecutors said. Hoefs was accused of groping the breasts of one patient with a liver condition […]

25-Year-Old Man Charged with Murdering Mom and Teacher

A 25-year-old man was charged Thursday with murdering his mother, a longtime teacher, at her home in Burbank. Kyle Lombardo was set to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in a Burbank courtroom in connection with the killing of his 57-year-old mother, Karyn Lombardo, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Police officers and paramedics […]

Injury Crash on 5 Freeway in Castaic Blocks Lanes

A person was injured Thursday in a collision involving a car that ended up beneath a big rig on the northbound Golden State (5) Freeway in the Castaic area. The crash was reported about 11:45 a.m. near Parker Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. A person was trapped in a vehicle, according to the […]

Funeral Services Held for Deputy Injured in Fire at Shooting Range in Castaic

Mourners gathered Thursday to honor the memory of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was severely injured in an October fire at a mobile shooting range at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic. The services were held Thursday morning at St. Didacus Catholic Church in Sylmar for Deputy Alfredo “Freddy” Flores, 51, who died […]

Trial Begins for RSM Man Accused of Strangling Friend in Lake Forest

A 62-year-old Rancho Santa Margarita man strangled his friend to death when she called him an idiot and explained she had been using him for years, but his attorney told jurors Thursday that the fatal attack was committed in the heat of the moment and did not meet the requirements of a murder charge. Jose […]

Man Who Killed Scientist at Campsite Has Separate Battery Conviction Reversed

A state appeals court panel Thursday reversed a man’s felony conviction for attacking a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy while he was awaiting trial in the murder of a research scientist who was camping with his two young daughters in Malibu Creek State Park. The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found […]

Compton Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics Charge

A Compton man pleaded guilty to a federal narcotics charge Thursday for leading a locally based drug-trafficking organization that shipped cocaine to Alaska on commercial airline flights and through the U.S. mail. Raul Cisneros Jr., 45, pleaded guilty to a single count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced […]

New Hearing Ordered for Man Who Pleaded No Contest in 2-Year-Old’s Death

A state appeals court panel Thursday ordered a new hearing for a Palmdale man seeking re-sentencing in connection with the beating death of his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter. The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found that a judge erred in denying Matthew Albert Worthen’s petition for re-sentencing without holding an evidentiary hearing. […]

Motorcyclist Killed in Crash Involving Car in Burbank

Authorities Thursday identified a motorcyclist who was killed in a crash involving a car in Burbank. The crash occurred about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday at Olive Avenue and Beachwood Drive, according to the Burbank Police Department. Christopher Torres, 23, of San Fernando, died at a hospital, police said. “The driver of the sedan remained at the […]

USC Shoah Foundation to Help Expand Program to Recognize Holocaust Survivors

A program that brings Holocaust survivors into classrooms and to community events to share their stories in an effort to counter antisemitism and bigotry is set to expand, officials announced Thursday. Living Links, billed as the first national organization to engage and empower third-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors, will be partnering with USC Shoah Foundation […]