Category: Southern California

Man Gets 26 Years for Teenage Boy’s Fatal Shooting at San Diego Park

SAN DIEGO—A man who fatally shot a 15-year-old boy at Chicano Park was sentenced June 15 to 26 years in state prison. Bryant Ruiz, 33, pleaded guilty to a voluntary manslaughter charge in connection with the Oct. 23, 2020, shooting death of Brian Romo. Just before 10 p.m. that night, officers responded to a parking…


Wife Dies in Escondido House Fire, Husband in Critical Condition

ESCONDIDO, Calif.—A woman died and her husband was in the hospital in critical condition June 15 after a fire burned their home in the unincorporated area of Escondido, authorities said. The fire was reported at 2:27 a.m. Thursday in the 2400 block of Alexander Drive, according to Lt. Matthew Carpenter of the San Diego County…


California Lawmakers Propose $1.1 Billion Transit Bailout Amid Declining Ridership, Rising Crime

With some transit agencies in the state pleading for assistance facing significant budget deficits due to low ridership, California lawmakers reached a tentative agreement on June 11 to make some funding available, though not as much as requested. The handshake deal was made in the Legislature over the weekend and now awaits the approval of…


California Government Works to Nip Invasive Nutria Infestation in the Bud

To a casual observer, nutria are cute animals resembling small beavers. However, a deep dive reveals something more sinister. This invasive species has been the source of damage to plant life in lakes, swamps, marshes, and more. These creatures have been the target of eradication efforts by California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) ever…


California School Board Terminates Superintendent Amid LGBT, CRT Debates

TEMECULA, Calif.—The Temecula Valley Unified school board terminated the district’s superintendent in a June 13 board meeting amid controversy surrounding the board majority’s crackdown on critical race theory and what they said was inappropriate content in curriculum. Board president Joseph Komrosky, and Trustees Jennifer Wiersma and Danny Gonzalez voted to terminate Superintendent Jodi McClay’s contract,…


2 Men, Including Marine, Charged in Firebombing of California Planned Parenthood Clinic

Two men who allegedly used a Molotov cocktail to firebomb a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, California in 2022, were arrested and charged on June 14, according to officials. Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, and Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, were arrested “without incident” and charged with using…


First Busload of Illegal Immigrants Arrives in Los Angeles from Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) announced on Wednesday that Texas has transported a group of illegal immigrants to Los Angeles for the first time, a move described as a “despicable stunt” by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. “Texas just dropped off the 1st bus of migrants in Los Angeles,” Abbott wrote on Twitter. Around 40 illegal immigrants,…


New York Man Found Guilty of Kidnapping Elderly Woman With Dementia in West LA

LOS ANGELES—A man was found guilty by a judge June 13 of federal criminal charges stemming from his abduction of a 68-year-old woman with dementia at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Johnny Ray Gasca, 53, of Bronx, New York, was found guilty of one count of kidnapping, two counts of attempted obstruction…


California Bill to Limit ‘Racially Biased’ Traffic Stops Passes Senate

A California bill to prohibit most traffic stops for minor violations has narrowly passed the Senate. “The data clearly shows that these pretextual stops are disproportionately used against communities of color,” bill author Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) told senators on May 30. “Having these unnecessary stops puts not only the community at greater safety [risk]…


Man Arrested for Shooting of San Diego Police Officer

SAN DIEGO—A 30-year-old man was arrested June 14 for allegedly shooting a San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer last week during a pursuit in a Chollas Creek-area neighborhood. J.C. Blake Sartor of San Diego was taken into custody at about 12:30 p.m. in the 8700 block of Spectrum Center Boulevard in Kearny Mesa, SDPD Chief…