“Gascón knew about all 250 plus jailhouse tapes and removed me from the case the night before the hearing where I was going to play the tapes.”
--Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna, Lead Prosecutor for Tubbs case
|
|
|
California Trans Child Molester Hannah Tubbs Gloats Over Light Sentence In Jailhouse Phone Calls
Explicit Los Angeles jailhouse recordings of Hannah Tubbs, the 26-year-old trans child molester who received a slap on the wrist last month after pleading guilty to molesting a 10-year-old in 2014, depict her admitting it was wrong to attack a little girl but gloating over the light punishment. She boasted that nothing would happen to her after he pleaded guilty due to Democrat District Attorney George Gascón's policies and laughed that she won't have to go back to prison or register as a sex offender. She also made explicit remarks about the victim that are unfit to print. "I’m gonna plead out to it, plead guilty," Tubbs says in one recording. "They’re gonna stick me on probation, and it’s gonna be dropped, it’s gonna be done, I won’t have to register, won’t have to do nothing." "You won’t have to register?" her father asks on the other line later in the conversation. "I won’t have to do none of that," Tubbs replies. "So what are they going to do to you then?" "Nothing," Tubbs answers, then laughs. Tubbs pleaded guilty last month to the cold case attack, which took place in women’s restroom at a Denny’s restaurant, when the suspect was two weeks shy of 18 and identified as a male named James Tubbs. After being arrested roughly eight years after the crime, Tubbs began identifying as a woman, according to prosecutors. She received a sentence of two years at a juvenile facility because Gascón’s office declined to transfer the case to adult court, adhering to one of the progressive prosecutor’s day-one directives barring "children" from being tried as adults. She could serve as little as six months and won’t have to register as a sex offender.
|
|
Man Taken Down At Gunpoint After North Hollywood Pursuit
A driver was taken into custody at gunpoint Thursday following a pursuit involving a stolen car in North Hollywood. The suspect was arrested at around 8:55 a.m. at the intersection of Vineland Avenue and Chandler Boulevard. Sky2 was over the scene as a Los Angeles police patrol SUV used a PIT maneuver to flip the car around and bring it to a stop. Several more LAPD vehicles then trapped the car in. A few minutes later, with guns drawn, officers dragged the suspect out of the driver’s seat, took him to the ground and arrested him. The circumstances which prompted the pursuit were unclear. Police confirmed the car had been reported stolen. The suspect was not immediately identified.
|
|
Man Wounded At Westlake Apartment
A man was shot Monday morning when he responded to a knock at the front door of his Westlake apartment. The shooting was reported at 12:35 a.m. at 522 S. Union Ave., according to a dispatcher at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. Paramedics took the man to a hospital where his vital signs were stable, she said. Suspect information was not immediately available.
|
|
911 Call To Alexandra Daddario’s L.A. Home Leads To An Arrest And Weapon Charge
Los Angeles police arrested a Colorado resident Saturday outside the home of “The White Lotus” star Alexandra Daddario after a 911 call for help. David Adam Cako, 24, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after a handgun was found in Cako’s vehicle, authorities said. According to the LAPD, around 11 a.m. a 911 call reported someone knocking at the door of a McCadden Place home — identified by TMZ as Daddario’s residence. Police would not confirm reports that Cako — who is from Woodland Park, Colo. — yelled something about the actor and refused to leave the property when officers arrived at the scene. The Times has reached out to Daddario for comment. Cako’s bail has been posted at $35,000. The incident follows Daddario’s success in the hit HBO series “The White Lotus,” created by Mike White. In the satire about privileged tourists staying at a luxury resort in Hawaii, Daddario plays tragic honeymooner Rachel Patton, who quickly begins to resent her insufferable new husband. The 35-year-old performer is also known for starring in the 2017 film adaptation of “Baywatch,” as well as roles in “Texas Chainsaw,” “San Andreas” and “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”
|
|
'Family Reunion' Actress Jaida Benjamin Reported Missing In LA Area
Actress Jaida Benjamin, known for her role as Kelly in Netflix's "Family Reunion," has been reported missing after being last seen in the Los Angeles area. LAPD says the 27-year-old was last seen Saturday, Feb. 19 at Tujunga Avenue and Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Benjamin was wearing a purple crop top, pink jogging shorts, and white sneakers. She has locks in her hair. Although her family says they have not been able to contact her since Saturday, the LAPD says there is no evidence of foul play at this time. Her mother asked the public for help in an Instagram post. "Never thought I'd ever have to make this type of post. My baby is missing please help me find her. I can't breathe," Jocinda Benjamin posted. Besides "Family Reunion," Benjamin has had roles on other shows that include "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders," "Liv and Maddie," and "Southland." Anyone with information regarding Benjamin's whereabouts, or this case, is asked to call the LAPD's Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800, or (877) 527-3247.
|
|
Video Shows Wild Street Takeovers In South L.A. Area
Spectators took over a pair of intersections to watch as drivers dangerously spun their vehicles in the South Los Angeles area Sunday night. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. when drivers began doing burnouts in the intersection of West Jefferson Boulevard and South Figueroa Street in the University Park neighborhood. Video shows vehicles doing doughnuts as spectators stand extremely close. Some were even gathered in the middle of the intersection as cars whipped around them. The crowd then moved to Imperial Highway and South Western Avenue in the unincorporated Athens area. Video showed a similar scene, with cars doing doughnuts around a group of people standing in the middle of the intersection. No arrests or injuries were immediately reported but several people were in custody after a vehicle sideshow in Beverly Hills over the weekend. At least 100 vehicles and 150 people blocked all six points of the intersection at Canon Drive and Lomitas Avenue, the Beverly Hills Police Department stated. Some of the spectators lit large-scale fireworks as vehicles performed reckless driving maneuvers in the intersection, the Police Department stated.
|
|
LASD Disperses Hundreds Gathered Outside 'The Roxy' On Sunset After Rapper Yeat A No-Show
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies shut down Sunset Boulevard Sunday night, and dispersed a crowd of about 1,000 people after an event at The Roxy Theater was oversold, and the act was a no-show. The large crowd poured into the street after the hip-hop artist "Yeat" failed to show up at the event. That followed people apparently trying to force their way inside. The call about the large crowd that gathered at the Roxy, located at 9009 Sunset Boulevard, came in at 7:57 p.m., according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Tracy Koerner. "It appears the venue oversold the event," Koerner said. "Too many people and not enough tickets." Sheriff's deputies shut Sunset down, and dispersed the crowd. There were no arrests, officials said. No further details were immediately known.
|
|
Man Shot Multiple Times At Culver City Homeless Encampment
A man is expected to recover from wounds sustained when he was shot at least four times at a homeless encampment under the 405 Freeway in Culver City, authorities said today. After he was shot, the victim made his way to an area gas station for help. Officers were dispatched about 9:40 p.m Sunday to Super Petrol, 11284 Venice Blvd., the Culver City Police Department reported. “Officers met with the reporting party and the only witness, who stated that the victim walked into the gas station from a nearby homeless encampment under the 405 freeway, bleeding and yelling for help,'' police said. The man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. A suspect or suspects remain at large. Culver City police urged anyone with any information regarding the shooting to call them at 310-253-6316.
|
|
Hawthorne Man Who Raped And Abused 20 Children Gets Life In Federal Prison
A Hawthorne man who used his access to children through babysitting and day-care jobs to sexually abuse 20 young victims, including infants, was sentenced Friday to life in federal prison without parole. Arlan Wesley Harrell, 27, pleaded guilty July 7 to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, obtaining custody of a minor for purposes of producing child pornography, production of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Central District of California. “Defendant is horror incarnate,” prosecutors wrote in a 43-page sentencing memo filed Thursday. “There is no way to ensure the community could ever be safe from defendant other than lifetime imprisonment.” Harrell’s victims ranged from infants to 9 years old, prosecutors said. Nine of the victims were 4 years old or younger. Ten others were 7 years old or younger. He photographed and filmed his numerous acts of rape and child sex abuse, and shared them to a forum on the dark web where other pedophiles posted and traded the horrific content, according to the sentencing memo. “Defendant abused children that he babysat, he abused children who attended [redacted] daycare and he abused children while chaperoning a school trip,” prosecutors wrote. “He abused [redacted] he had known since their birth and he abused children he had just met. Every child he encountered was in danger from him, and unfortunately, he encountered many.”
|
|
Authorities Searching For Bellflower Man Missing Since Feb. 14
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies continued their ongoing search for a Bellflower man who has been missing since Valentine’s Day. Juan Manuel Hernandez, 50, was last seen in the area of Artesia Boulevard and Clark Avenue near the 91 Freeway. They believe that he was potentially headed for the city of Paramount in a white 2002 Honda Accord, with the license plate #8YQY851. Hernandez is 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds. He has graying-brown hair and brown eyes. He also has a rose tattoo on his back. Deputies disclosed that he was last seen wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to contact the LASD at (323) 890-5500 or call 911.
|
|
Mom And Children Followed To Front Door By Stranger Still At Large
A mother and her children were terrified after being followed home by a strange man who is still on the loose. It happened Sunday evening in Lakewood. The man allegedly followed Ali Porath and her two children all the way to their front door, which was caught on their Ring doorbell surveillance system. In the video, the man can be seen walking onto the porch and knocking on the locked front door of the home after Porath was already inside. “I was concerned he was trying to get in,” said Porath. “In the video, it looks like he’s positioning himself so that if I were to open the door he would be able to push his way in.” The man stayed on the porch for several minutes before pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. He then walked away. Porath called her husband in a panic. “I immediately called the police,” he said. “It was scary.” The Lakewood Sheriff Station said deputies conducted patrols in the neighborhood but they were not able to find the man. It is unclear if the man followed Porath’s car home beforehand.
|
|
California Bill To Allow Citizens To Enforce Gun Ban Modeled After Texas Heartbeat Bill Draws Newsom's Support
California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed a Democratic proposal to allow citizens to sue their neighbors and businesses to enforce Golden State gun control – modeled after a Texas heartbeat bill that has been praised on the right and reviled by the left. The pro-life legislation in Texas allows citizens to enforce an abortion ban by suing providers and anyone else involved in helping a woman end her pregnancy after a fetal heartbeat is detected. "It’s time to go on the offensive with new measures that empower individuals to hold irresponsible and negligent gun industry actors to account, crack down on shameful advertising that targets our kids and more," the governor said during a news briefing. "This is not about attacking law-abiding gun owners – it’s about stopping the tragic violence ravaging communities across the country." Separately, he asserted that "Gun industry greed has fueled the gun violence epidemic." His office did not immediately respond to questions about the role of progressive policies including bail reform and Prop 47, which made a slew of felony crimes into misdemeanors, but instead sent a snippet from the governor’s news conference where he answered a question about whether "the early release of tens of thousands of inmates" played a role in the upswing in violent crime. "Well, if there was substantive evidence to back that up – a lot of assertion in that," he said. "It’s interesting, I was looking at the national statistics where homicide rates increased the fastest and the highest, in the country…four out of five are deep-red states."
|
|
Robbery Suspect’s Mom Turns Him In After Recognizing Son’s Masked Face
They say a mother knows best. That’s certainly true for Zion Brown, an 18-year-old robbery suspect whose own mother turned him in this week. According to CWB Chicago, Brown is accused of robbing a train conductor at gunpoint and making off with $100 in cash. But he didn’t have long to spend it. Brown’s mother recognized his masked face from surveillance photos released to the public. The woman then drove Brown to the police station to surrender, according to the report. Brown, a college student, told police he was hungry and needed the money to buy food before class. Brown also said the weapon he displayed was a BB gun. Brown has been charged with armed robbery, reported CWB Chicago.
|
|
Firefighter Injured During Cliff Rescue After Woman’s Body Found Off San Pedro Cliffside
A Los Angeles firefighter was transported to the hospital Saturday after he was injured during a cliff rescue operation in San Pedro. At 10:55 a.m., firefighters responded to Point Fermin Park in San Pedro for a report of a woman who was about 100 feet below a steep cliff. Crews used a helicopter to reach the woman who was found to have been deceased. During the recovery operation, one of the responding firefighters suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. The firefighter was airlifted from the scene and taken to the hospital in fair condition, fire officials said. The Los Angeles Fire Department said a second operation was needed to recover the woman’s body. She’s been identified only as a woman in her 20s. Her cause of death is unclear at this time. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Port Police assisted with the recovery operation.
|
|
Firefighters Knock Down Outside Fire That Spread To Two-Story Hollywood Home
Firefighters Monday knocked down an outside fire that spread to the attic of a two-story home in Hollywood, authorities said. Firefighters dispatched at 6:58 a.m. to 5813 W. Lexington Ave. had the blaze out within 13 minutes of their arrival, said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. No injuries were reported and a cause of the fire was under investigation.
|
|
With Omicron Continuing To Weaken, LA County’s COVID Hospitalizations Decline To 1,310
The number of COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals has fallen to 1,310, down from 1,391 one day earlier and a huge drop from the middle of last month, when it stood at over 4,800, according to the latest state figures released on Monday, Feb. 21. The latest numbers came as local health officials reported another 21 deaths associated with COVID-19. There were also 1,345 new positive COVID tests reported, much lower than the 2,780 new cases reported the day prior. The number of cases and deaths likely reflect reporting delays over the holiday weekend, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Monday’s numbers brought the county’s cumulative totals to 2,784,276 cases and 30,376 fatalities since the pandemic began. The rolling average rate of people testing positive for the virus was 1.8% as of Monday, down from 1.9% Sunday, 2% Saturday, 2.2% Friday and 3% last Monday. The ongoing dip in hospitalizations prompted the county last week to drop its mask-wearing requirement for outdoor mega-events and in outdoor spaces at schools and child-care centers. The county’s indoor masking mandate remains in effect, even though the state lifted its indoor mask-wearing rule.
|
|
“The Issue Is”: Rick Caruso’s Run For LA Mayor
A billionaire real estate developer behind Los Angeles landmarks like the Grove and the Americana at Brand, this week, Rick Caruso officially launched his campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles. He joins a crowded field to replace outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti (D), including Congresswoman Karen Bass (D), City Councilmen Joe Buscaino (D) and Kevin De Leon (D), and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. This week on "The Issue Is", Caruso sat down with Elex Michaelson to discuss his campaign, his competition, how he’d tackle crime and homelessness, and more. Then, a sit-down with the man that Caruso and others are looking to replace, Garcetti. Among other topics, Michaelson and Garcetti discuss the now-viral mask-less photos of the Mayor at the Super Bowl, economic opportunities for Los Angeles, and the status of his nomination to become U.S. Ambassador to India, still being considered by the Senate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
