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Panorama City man arrested with hundreds of pills, fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, gun: VCSO

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

A Panorama City man has been arrested for allegedly possessing hundreds of narcotic pills, including some containing fentanyl.Albert Eklund, 41, was selling drugs out of his Panorama City apartment, including to Ventura County residents, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.Authorities raided that apartment in the 14000 block of Lanark Street in the early hours of Nov. 9, where they found "a loaded handgun, 82 grams of fentanyl, 137 grams of methamphetamine, 35 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of heroin, 1500 amphetamine pills, 70 counterfeit fentanyl pills, PCP laced cigarettes and several hundred other pharmaceutical pills," officials said. Eklund faces charges of possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a dangerous drug for sale, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.As of Monday, Eklund had been released from custody on bail, which the VCSO initially said was set at $100,000.He is due to ...

Strong winds collapse historic building, halting traffic in Riverside

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

Debris from a collapsing building has led to a traffic closure in Riverside Monday afternoon."Mission Inn Ave. is closed to through traffic b/w Park Ave & Commerce St. until further notice to clear debris from a nearby collapsing building," the city said on X, formerly Twitter. Riverside spokesperson Phil Pitchford said he was first alerted to the building damage at about 9:20 a.m.The building, a former soda works building at 2983 Mission Inn Ave., was damaged in a fire a few years ago, and it was further affected by the winds on Monday, which began at about 1:30 a.m., Pitchford said.KTLA's Gil Leyvas said winds in the area were about 40 mph.While it's not a complete collapse, sections of the uninhabited building are coming down.No injuries have been reported, and no estimated reopening time was provided."Please plan accordingly & use alternate routes," the city said.Nidia Becerra contributed to this report.

Man charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting homeless man who threw shoe at him, OCDA says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

A Garden Grove man faces a felony manslaughter charge after he shot and killed a homeless man who threw a shoe at him during an altercation in September, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said.Craig Sumer Elliott, 68, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and a felony enhancement of personal use of a firearm, the OCDA said in a news release.On Sept. 28, Elliott was jogging with his two dogs and pushing a pushcart on the sidewalk in the 10400 block of Katella Avenue when he came upon a sleeping 40-year-old Antonio Garcia Avalos.Avalos was in the middle of the sidewalk, the OCDA said, and "Elliott is accused of using his pushcart to nudge Avalos in an attempt to wake him up to get around him."Instead, Avalos woke up and started yelling at Elliott to go away. In response, Elliott began video recording the encounter and pulled out a handgun, for which he had a concealed carry permit."Video taken by Elliott captured Avalos standing up and throwing a shoe at Elliott, who...

Man charged with allegedly pointing rifle at West Hollywood charter school employee

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

A man arrested last week after he allegedly pointed a rifle at an employee of a charter school in West Hollywood has been charged in connection with the incident.Vahe Armen, 32, was charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of having a firearm on school grounds, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Monday.Armen was taken into custody last Thursday near the Larchmont Charter School campus in the 1200 block of N. Fairfax Avenue. The D.A.'s Office alleges Armen pulled into a school dropoff zone around 8:30 a.m. where dozens of students were in the process of starting their day. He's accused of then pulling out the rifle and pointing it at a school administrator who was directing traffic.That employee told investigators that she believed the weapon was an "assault-style rifle."The school was then placed on lockdown and parents were notified through the school's emergency alert system.L.A. County Sheriff's deputies are seen outside Larchm...

Pasadena man arrested after fatal shooting at Washington Park

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

A Pasadena man was fatally shot at Washington Park in Pasadena early Saturday morning, and a 24-year-old man is facing a murder charge as a result.At 4:10 a.m., Pasadena's ShotSpotter detected a gunshot at the park in the 700 block of East Washington Boulevard, and Mickey Cooper, 64, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Pasadena Police Department said in a news release. Aaron Miguel Conell of Pasadena was identified as a person of interest in the hours following the shooting, and he was arrested later that day on a charge of assault with a firearm "different and unrelated" to Cooper's shooting, police said."Over the weekend, detectives pursued their investigation and obtained further evidence pertaining to the murder of Cooper," police said. "On November 20, 2023, Conell’s booking charge was amended to include Penal Code 187 (Murder)."Conell is being held at the Pasadena Police Department in lieu of $1.105 million bail.Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 626-744...

Brad Pitt’s 2nd son blasted him as ‘terrible,’ ‘awful human being’ in 2016 post, report says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

Several months after Brad Pitt reached the pinnacle of his Hollywood career in 2020 by winning an Academy Award, his second son, Pax Jolie-Pitt, blasted him on Father’s Day as an “awful human being” who makes the youngest of his six children “tremble in fear.”The then-16-year-old used his private Instagram account to slam Pitt, penning his screed over a photo of Pitt accepting his Oscar for best supporting actor in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in February 2020, the Daily Mail reported. Four years earlier, Angelina Jolie  filed for divorce from Pitt after the actor allegedly became intoxicated and abusive to her and at least two of their six children on a private plane ride from Europe to Los Angeles.“Happy Father’s Day to this world class a–hole!!” wrote Jolie-Pitt, now 19, according to a screenshot of the post, which was published by the Daily Mail. “You time and time again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable perso...

Letters: Thankful for freedom | Mental health | Lessons in sustainability

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Amid challenges, givethanks for freedomThere’s a lot of negativity, tension and pessimism in the world today. On this upcoming Thanksgiving Day, let’s be grateful for the freedoms that we enjoy, and often take for granted. And let’s be sure to remember and thank those who came before us; those who sacrificed so much to bring us to this day.As Americans, we have much to be grateful for. We have freedom, and freedom is everything.That all men and all women are created equal, and carry with them God-given rights to life and to liberty, is a truth self-evident to us, and a truth that should be recognized and assumed all around the world.Happy Thanksgiving.Pete CampbellSan JoseMandate mentalhealth educationI write as a concerned student at Evergreen Valley College to address the crucial need for comprehensive mental health education in Santa Clara County schools. Having witnessed the escalat...

Fentanyl found ‘all over’ baby Phoenix’s pink-flowered onesie; father denied bail on felony charge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

SAN JOSE – The father of baby Phoenix Castro was denied bail on a felony child endangerment charge Monday, as new court filings helped explain the mystery of how the 3-month-old girl could have ingested a lethal dose of fentanyl while in her father’s care.A crime lab analysis found fentanyl “all over” the pink flowered onesie she was wearing when she died May 13, including around the neck area.At the bail hearing, several family members fought back tears as they read prewritten letters pleading with Superior Court Judge Christopher Rudy to keep Phoenix’s father, David Castro, in jail, stressing he still has visitation rights with his two older children, now 3 and 4, who are living with their maternal grandmother. The baby’s mother, Emily De La Cerda also died of a fentanyl overdose, four months after Phoenix’s death.Emily De La Cerda’s uncle, Ed Morillo, center, Pastor Randy Smith, center right, and others pray for baby Phoenix Castro, who died at three months old of fentanyl poison...

Rosalynn Carter’s hometown mourns a much-beloved global icon

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

By Bill Barrow | Associated PressPLAINS, Ga. — Linda Campbell decorated the Lions Club Christmas tree in her small hometown just as she would any other Thanksgiving week, but this was no ordinary Monday in late November.All around the town of Plains, neighbors mourned the death of their matriarch, former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, while worrying about their patriarch, former President Jimmy Carter.“We’ve prayed for them every day for a long time,” said Campbell, 75, as another lifelong Plains resident, Lee Johnson, lowered the U.S. and Georgia state flags that fly in front of the downtown commercial district.Rosalynn Carter died at home Sunday after her physical health declined rapidly as she lived with dementia in recent months. She was 96. The former president, who is 99, has been in home hospice care since February.It was not immediately clear Monday whether Jimmy Carter will be able to attend the public services for his wife next week in Sumter County and...

Scare for Amazon driver kidnapped in East Bay by pair who smashed into work van

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:40 GMT

SAN RAMON — An Amazon delivery driver came away unscathed physically after two people kidnapped him and forced the worker to drive to two banks and pull out money from an ATM, police said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Driver arrested in hit-run death of San Lorenzo pedestrian Crime and Public Safety | Teen charged with attempted murder in wild East Bay gang shootout on Halloween, but suspected killer set free Crime and Public Safety | Hit-and-run driver kills man standing outside disabled vehicle on Oakland freeway Crime and Public Safety | Bay Area businessman arrested in Venezuela just days after Biden administration eases oil sanctions Crime and Public Safety | Fremont man arrested for attempted murder in double stabbing Officers responded to the kidnapping Saturday about 4 p.m. and found the victim at the Bank of America in the 3100 block of Crow Canyon Road, according to a statemen...