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Aurora paramedics guilty of homicide in Elijah McClain’s death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

Elijah McClain (Courtesy of McClain family)Jurors on Friday convicted two Aurora paramedics of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Elijah McClain, ending three months of back-to-back trials that also resulted in the conviction of one police officer and the acquittal of two others charged in the high-profile 2019 case.Paramedic Peter Cichuniec, who injected McClain with an overdose of the sedative ketamine after police put the 23-year-old in a neck hold, was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and second-degree assault by drugging, but acquitted of a second assault charge.The jury found paramedic Jeremy Cooper guilty of criminally negligent homicide, but acquitted him of both second-degree assault counts.Neither of the two Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics was found guilty of the more serious count of reckless manslaughter, but rather the lesser-included homicide charge, a low-level felony. Both could face years in prison at sentencing.McClain’s mother, Sheneen, raise...

Despite rain, Downey market draws annual crowd for Christmas tamale essentials

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

Rain or shine, people from both near and far embark on the journey to Amapola Market in Downey each year to get their hands on the essential ingredient for Christmas tamales – masa."We make the masa in the ancestral way that has traditionally been done for hundreds of years in Latin America, and we do it from scratch," said Rolando Pozos, president and CEO of Amapola Market. Made from corn, the masa dough is the key tamale ingredient and the reason a line wrapped around the building Friday with people waiting for a taste.Crowds gathered at Amapola Market in L.A. as shoppers hope to get their hands on masa dough on Dec. 22, 2023. (KTLA)One person told KTLA they had been waiting in line for more than an hour. Another said they planned to buy as much as 300 pounds of dough, if the store would allow it.Amapola Market has seen a steady stream of customers, with thousands coming and going across their three locations in search of the masa dough. All of the stores have extended their hours...

Fire engulfs office building in downtown Los Angeles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

Fire crews tackled a massive fire that engulfed an office building in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. The blaze marks the third time the abandoned building has been involved in a fire-related incident this year. More than 40 Los Angeles firefighters responded to the scene to tackle the flames that quickly consumed the two-story office building before collapsing the roof.Although the cause remains under investigation, some residents believe the fire may have been ignited by squatters in the building.The structure, located along Sunset Boulevard, was already boarded up before it was eventually destroyed by the inferno.Flames and heavy smoke engulf an abandoned office building downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 22, 2023. (KTLA)Flames and heavy smoke engulf an abandoned office building downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 22, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Flames and heavy smoke engulf an abandoned office building downtown Los Angeles on Dec. 22, 2023. (OnScene.TV)Flames and heavy smoke engulf an abandoned office...

Hundreds of firefighters battle massive blaze at construction site in Encino 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

Flames engulfed a home under construction in Encino on Friday afternoon, prompting hundreds of firefighters to respond to what officials called a “stubborn fire.” According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze was first reported just before 2:45 p.m. at 15837 West Royal Oak Road.  Long Beach Police Department provides update after night of increased violence The large three-story construction site was “framed and wrapped,” officials said. At the height of the blaze, a total of 133 LAFD personnel were dispatched, and the incident had escalated to “Major Emergency" status. Flames engulfed a home under construction in Encino on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Citizen App)Flames engulfed a home under construction in Encino on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Citizen App)Flames engulfed a home under construction in Encino on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Citizen App)Flames engulfed a home under construction in Encino on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (Citizen App)Large plumes of smoke were visible from nea...

1 arrested after woman's body found in Ventura home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

A Ventura woman was taken into custody by police last week after another woman's body was found inside her home.Megan Frisbie, 38, was arrested on the morning of Dec. 17 at her home on the 200 block of Ute Lane.Ventura police were dispatched to the scene after a 911 caller reported a woman in the area causing a disturbance.Police responded and located Frisbie, who lived nearby, and spoke to her. Police say she "made statements that led officers to believe a crime occurred inside of her residence."Officers entered Frisbie's home where they discovered a woman dead from an apparent homicide. Frisbie was taken into custody for questioning and later arrested on suspicion of murder.She's been booked into the Ventura County Jail where she awaits her charges.The victim has not yet been identified and the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office is working to notify her next of kin.Police say they will not be releasing any additional information about the crime at this time.The investigation...

Holiday travel season off to a smooth start across the country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

By Alexandra Olson | Associated PressNEW YORK — The holiday travel rush hit its peak Friday as mild weather and lower flight cancelation rates raised hopes for merrier drivers and airline passengers than last year.U.S. airlines are predicting a blockbuster holiday season and have projected confidence they can handle the crowds after hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers, seeking to avoid the delays and suspensions that marred travel last year and culminated with the Southwest Airline debacle that stranded more than 2 million people.Airlines have canceled just 1.2% of U.S. flights so far this year, the lowest in five years, but bad weather is always a threat. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned the government will be holding the airlines accountable to operate smoothly and treat passengers well if there are disruptions. Earlier this week, Transportation Department announced a settlement in which Southwest will pay $140 million for its meltdown...

Oakland man gets 4 years, 8 months after pleading no contest to accidentally killing his friend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

OAKLAND — An Oakland man was sentenced Thursday to four years and eight months in prison for killing his friend in a shooting that prosecutors and defense attorneys agree was accidental.Malik Jelks, 23, pleaded no contest last October to involuntary manslaughter of 17-year-old Oakland resident Jemilen Enoch. On Thursday, Jelks was sentenced to the maximum allowable prison term of four years and eight months, which prosecutors argued for. Jelks entered his no contest plea with no agreement in place, leaving the final decision up to a judge.Jelks was arrested last August in Enoch’s death. According to police and prosecutors, the two were in Enoch’s home last March 19, and decided to sit on a couch and take pictures with a gun next to them. Jelks would later tell police that during this, the gun somehow “goes off” and that he got scared and fled after Enoch was fatally struck by a bullet.“(Jelks) could not explain what happened with any more detail. ...

San Jose: Man charged with murdering ex whose child he allegedly abused

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

SAN JOSE — A man jailed after an investigation into his ex-fiancée’s death unearthed allegations that he molested one of her children has now been charged with killing the woman, authorities said.Ray Anthony Garcia has been charged with murder in the killing of his child’s mother in San Jose on Dec. 2, 2023. He had already been charged with sexually abusing one of the victim’s other children. (Photo courtesy of the San Jose Police Dept.) Ray Anthony Garcia, 29, of San Jose, now faces a murder charge in the death of 33-year-old Joanna Pinedo Gandara, with whom he shared a young son. San Jose police announced the charge Friday.Pinedo’s body was discovered Dec. 2 at her Thelma Way home by her sister, according to a police report and a GoFundMe page organized by the same sister. Pinedo had not responded to text messages, prompting the home visit.An autopsy determined that she died from “sharp force injuries” to her neck, according to records from...

Colorado paramedics guilty in death of Elijah McClain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

By Colleen Slevin and Matthew Brown | Associated PressBRIGHTON, Colo. — Two Denver-area paramedics were convicted Friday in the 2019 killing of Elijah McClain, who they injected with an overdose of the sedative ketamine after police put him in a neck hold.It was the last trial against police and paramedics charged in the death of McClain, a 23-year-old Black man whose case received little attention until protests over the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. An Aurora police officer was convicted of homicide and third degree assault earlier this year while two officers were acquitted. This case stands out because it was the first of several recent criminal prosecutions in the U.S. against medical first responders to reach trial, potentially setting the bar for prosecutors in future cases.The jury found Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec guilty of criminally negligent homicide following a weekslong trial in state district court. The jury also foun...

Dublin man charged with selling pot to minors, cops seize $65,500

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:45 GMT

DUBLIN — A Bay Area man who lives within two miles of Dublin High School has been arrested on suspicion of selling marijuana to teenagers, and prosecutors are now moving to seize $65,500 found during a police raid of his home, court records show.The 23-year-old Dublin resident was charged on Dec. 18 with furnishing marijuana to a minor and possession of marijuana for sale to a minor, both felonies. Police say the arrest came from an anonymous tip, surveillance of his home, and traffic stop where three teens showed a police officer a bag containing six grams of cannabis they’d just purchased from him.The investigation led to a police raid on the man’s home, at the 7600 block of Hillrose Drive. There, officers say they found roughly three-quarters of a pound of cannabis, about 900 doses of edible marijuana, four fireworks, and the $65,600 in cash.The man had a prior arrest on suspicion of furnishing marijuana to a minor in 2018, police say. He has been released from ...