Categoria: Crime and Public Safety

Possible Tornado Reported In Montebello; Several Buildings Damaged

by Mata 22 Marzo 2023 Comments0

A strong microburst — which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado — heavily damaged several buildings in Montebello today, with video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air.

um tornado in south montebello @ABC7 @KTLA pic.twitter.com/houu2nW1zn

— Daniel (@djavim) March 22, 2023

The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased.

There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue.

The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office, based in Oxnard, confirmed early Wednesday afternoon that it will be sending a “survey team” to Montebello to assess the damage in response to “reports of possible tornado damage.”

The NWS earlier dispatched such a team to the Carpinteria area, which suffered damage Tuesday evening that could have been the result of a small tornado or landspout.

There were no immediate reports of injuries in Montebello. Cell phone video from the area showed portions of rooftops being ripped away in Montebello, and other debris swirling in an circular pattern in the air. Another video showed a funnel-like cloud forming above the area as rooftops are ripped away.

Additional video from the aftermath showed multiple vehicles in the parking lot of an affected building with heavy damage, including shattered windows and body damage from flying debris. Some vehicles appeared to have rear bumpers ripped away.

City News Service City News Service is a regional wire service covering Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. Its reporting and editing staff cover public safety, courts, local government and general assignment stories. Contact the City News Service newsroom at 310-481-0404 or news@socalnews.com.

Glendale Council Members Jumped COVID Vaccine Line, Lawsuit Alleges

by valipomponi 20 Marzo 2023 Comments0

LOS ANGELES — A Glendale Fire Department battalion chief is suing the city, alleging he was subjected to a backlash when he reported that the then-fire chief was ordering him to provide the coronavirus vaccine in the early states of its release to city officials who were not yet eligible by law.

Brian Julian’s Los Angeles Superior Court retaliation suit seeks unspecified damages. A Glendale city official did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Tuesday.

Julian was hired in September 1995 and rose through the ranks until he became a battalion chief in December 2016, then three years later he was promoted again to have the same rank within the GFD’s Emergency Medical Services, the suit states.

In December 2020, Julian was asked to assist the city in administering coronavirus vaccines during a three-phase plan enacted by Los Angeles County, the suit states.

The first phase of the vaccine allocation in the county applied to health care personnel, including personnel in emergency medical services, with the only exception allowed to prevent waste of the vaccine, the suit states.

However, in late December 2020 then-GFD Fire Chief Silvio Lanzas called Julian and told him that a Glendale City Council member and four city department heads would be coming over to receive the vaccine, even though none were qualified to receive the shot during the first phase, the suit states.

Julian reasonably believed that Lanzas’ order violated a federal, state or local regulation, the suit states.

In January 2021, Lanzas again instructed Julian to provide additional vaccine doses to other city department heads and City Council members, prompting the plaintiff to object, the suit states.

“In response, Lanzas became very angry with plaintiff and raised his voice …,” the suit states. “Further, Lanzas informed plaintiff that if (the plaintiff) refused to provide the vaccines to the various City Council members and department heads, Lanzas would provide them with the vaccines himself.”

According to another battalion chief, Lanzas was believed to be skirting the county’s COVID-19 vaccine regulations so that he could garner favors with the city of Glendale officials and departments heads, the suit states.

Less than two weeks later, Julian was removed from his assignment as EMS Chief and demoted to battalion chief of operations, a clear demotion in that it resulted in a pay decrease and had a negative impact on his ability to be promoted, the suit states.

Julian reported his concerns to the city’s human resources director, who took no action, the suit alleges.

Julian is still assigned as the battalion chief of operations. His reputation has been damaged and he has experienced financial losses and suffered emotional distress, the suit states.

Lanzas retired last April to take a leadership position in the private sector.

Filed under California News coronavirus Coronavirus vaccine Crime and Public Safety Top Stories LADN Top Stories PSN Top Stories SGVT

Judge Wants Details Of Attorney’s Illness In Stalled LA ‘pay To Play’ Corruption Trial

by Ufficio Stampa 16 Marzo 2023 Comments0

LOS ANGELES — A judge declined Thursday to grant former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan’s request to declare a mistrial in his public corruption case without more information about the illness that caused the defendant’s lead attorney to be hospitalized and the trial recessed.

U.S. District Judge John Walter told Chan’s legal team to file medical information under seal and return to court Wednesday to discuss the matter further, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Proceedings in the case were placed on hold in the second week of the trial, which began Feb. 21.

A defense motion filed this week stated that Chan’s counsel, Harland Braun, “is now physically unable to participate in the defense for at least several months.”

Braun had been representing Chan for about four years and is the only attorney capable of leading the defense, the filing said.

On March 2, Braun returned to his office after the day’s proceedings where his adult son, Adam, with whom he shares an office suite, found the attorney gravely ill, according to the motion.

Emergency services were called, and Braun was taken by ambulance to the nearby UCLA Medical Center where he was admitted for treatment. Soon after, judge and prosecutors were informed of Braun’s unexpected illness, and a three-week trial recess was granted.

During the interim, Braun underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalized for 10 days, the motion said.

According to recent updates from Braun’s medical team, the defense lawyer will be unable to further participate in the Chan case, that he faces an “indeterminate but significant” period of further medical treatments and convalescence, and that his eventual return to the practice of law — albeit in a gradual, or perhaps, even limited capacity — will be at least three months down the line, if not longer, the filing says.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said prosecutors would respond in writing in a court filing.

Chan is facing a dozen criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud and lying to federal agents for his alleged role in a complex pay-to-play scheme that prosecutors say soaked developers for millions of dollars in exchange for getting their building projects approved at City Hall.

Walter initially placed the trial on hold until March 27 while Braun recovers from the undisclosed illness.

The 80-year-old Braun is one of the city’s best known criminal defense attorneys. His clients have included Roman Polanski, Roseanne Barr, John Landis, Gary Busey, Chris Farley and others.

Chan, 66, of Monterey Park, is accused of being a key member of what prosecutors dubbed the Council District 14 enterprise, a conspiracy in which former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar — assisted by others — unlawfully used his office to give favorable treatment to real estate developers who financed and facilitated bribes and other illicit benefits.

Huizar pleaded guilty in January in Los Angeles federal court to felony charges for using his powerful position at City Hall to enrich himself and his associates, and for cheating on his taxes. He faces multiple years behind bars at sentencing on April 3.

A deputy mayor who oversaw economic development for ex-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2016 and 2017, Chan is charged with allegedly arranging indirect bribe payments to city officials by lining up employment contracts for the officials’ relatives.

During his opening statement, Braun said his client was an innocent public servant who got swept up in the case by overly ambitious federal prosecutors. He promised that Chan would take the stand to refute all allegations.

Chan worked for the city for almost three dozen years, serving at one point as the top executive overseeing the Department of Building and Safety, which reviews building plans and inspects construction projects.

Before Huizar signed his plea deal, he and Chan were scheduled to go on trial together.

Filed under Crime and Public Safety fraud local politics Los Angeles City Council Politics Top Stories Breeze Top Stories LADN

Man Arrested In His Mother’s Stabbing Death In Northridge, Police Say

by Vittorio Ferla 11 Marzo 2023 Comments0

A 33-year-old man is in police custody on suspicion of fatally stabbing his mother in Northridge, authorities said.

The suspect walked into the Devonshire Division of the Los Angeles Police Department at approximately 5:41 p.m. Friday and told officers he thought he had harmed his mother at their residence, an LAPD spokeswoman said.

Officers went to the residence on the at 11000 block of Oakhurst Way and Mariposa Bay Lane, where they found the suspect’s mother, who was in her 70s, had sustained multiple stab wounds, authorities said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the suspect was taken into custody.

No further information was immediately available.

Filed under Crime and Public Safety stabbing Top Stories LADN

Mother Arrested On Suspicion Of Abandoning Baby In Fullerton Gas Station Trash Can

by valipomponi 10 Marzo 2023 Comments0

A 25-year-old woman was arrested Friday morning, March 10, on suspicion of abandoning her newborn baby boy in a trash can at a Chevron gas station in Fullerton, authorities said.

The Fullerton resident was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and felony child abuse after Fullerton police served a search warrant in the 400 block of West Orangethorpe Avenue, about five blocks east of the station on the southeast corner of Orangethorpe and Euclid Street, Sgt. Ryan O’Neil said.

Detectives found surveillance footage at the gas station that showed a physical description of the suspected mother and learned of possible vehicle information, which helped then identify the woman, O’Neil said.

Police were called to the gas station about 3:30 p.m. Thursday after the newborn was found, Lt. Tim Kandler said. It wasn’t known if a gas station employee or a customer found the baby boy.

The baby was crying, but otherwise in good health, Kandler said. He was taken to a hospital.

Whether the woman gave birth inside the bathroom or walked in with the newborn and left him there was unclear, police said.

Under California’s Safe Haven Law, the parent of a newborn infant can anonymously surrender the baby within three days to a hospital emergency room or a designated fire station without facing arrest as long as the baby was not abused or neglected.

Nathaniel Percy | Reporter Nathaniel Percy has worked for the Southern California News Group since 2014 covering a wide range of topics including community sports and cities in Orange County, as well as crime and public safety in the South Bay and Long Beach. Prior to SCNG, Nathaniel spent five years covering community sports for the La Habra Journal, an independent bi-monthly community newspaper. Nathaniel also does freelance play-by-play broadcast work for high school football and baseball.

Filed under crime Crime and Public Safety public safety Top Stories Breeze Top Stories IVDB Top Stories LADN Top Stories LBPT Top Stories OCR Top Stories PE Top Stories PSN Top Stories RDF Top Stories SGVT Top Stories Sun Top Stories WDN

81-Year-Old Survives 6 Days In California Snowbank By Eating Croissants And Candy

by Vittorio Ferla 9 Marzo 2023 Comments0

By Cheri Mossburg

An elderly man survived on croissants, candy and biscotti for nearly a week alone in his car, stuck in the snow on a desolate California road.

Jerry Jouret, 81, set out from his mountain house in Big Pine, California, on Feb. 24 to return to his family home in Gardnerville, Nevada — just over three hours away in good driving conditions.

According to his grandson Christian, Jouret thought he could beat the impending snow storm. He was wrong.

During the drive, Jouret accidentally veered onto a smaller road and his SUV became stuck near Gilbert Pass, he told CNN.

Temperatures in the area dropped from the mid 30s into the teens overnight.

The mathematician and former NASA employee was ill-prepared for the weather, wearing only a light windbreaker, his grandson said. “He’s a pretty small,” Christian added. “He doesn’t have a whole lot of meat on his bones.”

A light quilt and a hotel bath towel were the only things Jouret had to keep himself warm, he said.

Described by his grandson as “a very smart man,” Jouret stayed with his car and conserved his vehicle’s gas and battery, only turning the SUV on periodically to warm up.

A helicopter pilot spotted Jerry Jouret’s car during a search mission.(California Highway Patrol) Roughly 3 feet of snow fell during the series of storms that pummeled the state over the course of the week. Many areas in California saw significant amounts of snow — an unusual occurrence for a state that’s unaccustomed to harsh winters. The dayslong brutal conditions knocked out power to thousands of homes, buried roads in snow and left many stranded, like Jouret.

Jouret survived by eating the few snacks he had in his car. He rolled down his window occasionally to eat snow.

Midway through the third day, Jouret’s car battery died while he was rolling the electric window back up, his grandson said. It remained open a few inches for the duration of his unfortunate adventure.

On February 28, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received “a callout for a missing person,” the office said in a Facebook post.

Inyo County Search and Rescue teams planned search missions the next day, but were forced to delay due to safety concerns posed by the winter storm, according to a post from the sheriff’s office.

Then, on March 2, a cell phone ping identified by a California Highway Patrol team helped narrow the search area and once weather allowed, helicopter crews were deployed.

As one team headed to refuel the aircraft, the pilot spotted something he initially thought was a large rock. A closer look revealed a vehicle — and the pilot spotted an arm waving out of the small opening in the car window.

“Within a short period of time, they identified a vehicle partially buried in snow,” the sheriff’s office said. “The CHP crew loaded the person onboard and transported him directly to Bishop Airport for transport to medical care…The subject was discharged from the hospital later that evening.”

Jouret was only in the hospital for a few hours and showed no signs of hypothermia, his grandson said. “The nurses were in shock at how well his vitals were,” said the younger Jouret.

After leaving the hospital, Jouret was returned to his house in Big Pine. He then had to take a bus home to his wife Gardnerville as the couple’s SUV remains stuck in the snow.

Jouret told CNN he is recovering well, but says he remains traumatized by the ordeal.

Christian Jouret hopes his grandfather’s miraculous rescue serves as a warning to others about just how dangerous winter travel can be, especially when it’s not something you are used to.

Above all: “If someone gets trapped, don’t give up hope,” said Christian. “Some of us thought he was a goner. Never give up hoping. The human body is amazing for what it can endure.”

The Inyo County Search and Rescue reminded drivers to be prepared in winter weather conditions.

“If it is snowing, make sure you are prepared, don’t pass road closures and bring extra supplies with you. Or don’t travel at all and wait until roads and weather clear up,” the organization said in a Facebook post.

Filed under Accidents California News Crime and Public Safety missing persons Top Stories Breeze Top Stories IVDB Top Stories LADN Top Stories LBPT Top Stories OCR Top Stories PE Top Stories PSN Top Stories RDF Top Stories SGVT Top Stories Sun Top Stories WDN weather

LAFD Swift Water Rescue Team Plucks Man Out Of Pacoima Wash Tunnel

by Vittorio Rienzo 8 Marzo 2023 Comments0

A 23-year-old man described as homeless fell into the Pacoima Wash Tuesday and was rescued in a concrete tunnel 2 1/2 miles away by the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue team.

The man fell into water moving at 8 to 10 miles per hour in the flood control channel near Foothill Boulevard, said LAFD spokesman Brain Humphrey.

Witnesses called 9-1-1, and the LAFD’s Swift Water Rescue team used a tethered inflatable boat to rescue the man in the tunnel that transports storm water under the 5 Freeway, Humphrey said.

The man was transported to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia and abrasions to his hands.

A firefighter from the Los Angeles Fire Department Swift Water Rescue team gets ready to float down the Pacoima Wash and into the tunnel under the 5 Freeway Tuesday, March 7, 2023, to rescue a man who fell into the flood control channel and was swept 2 1/2 miles downriver. The rescuer above is waiting for the orange line to be tightened so can can make a slow, controlled entry into the tunnel. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Contributing Photographer)

The LAFD Swift Water Rescue team gets a tethered boat ready to rescue a man who fell into the Pacoima Wash on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The man was swept 2 1/2 miles downriver before firefighters could pluck him out. The rescue took almost 1 1/2 hours. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Contributing Photographer)

Firefighter from the Los Angeles Fire Department Swift Water Rescue team watch and wait for another member of the team in an inflatable boat during the rescue Tuesday, March 7, 2023, of a man who fell into the Pacoima Wash and was swept 2 1/2 miles downriver. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Contributing Photographer)

An LAFD Swift Watre Rescue team member emerges Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from a Pacoima Wash tunnel with the man who fell into the flood control channel 2 1/2 miles away. The homeless man was exhausted after holding onto an abutment under the 5 Freeway for close to 1 1/2 hours. He was hospitalized for possible hypothermia and abrasions to his hands. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Contributing Photographer)

The LAFD Swift Watre Rescue team member brings a man to shore Tuesday, March 7, 2023, after he was rescued from a tunnel under the 5 Freeway in the Pacoima Wash. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Contributing Photographer)

Firefighters get the man who fell into the Pacoima Wash ready to transport to the hospital Tuesday, March 7, 2023, to be treated for possible hypothermia and abrasions to his hands. (Photo by Mike Meadows/Contributing Photographer)

The LAFD spokesman warned people to stay away from flood control channels.

“This incident underscores the life-threatening danger of storm water runoff that can linger long after the rain has passed. We’re grateful for the witnesses who promptly called 9-1-1 and did not attempt to perform a spontaneous rescue, which could have led to multiple victims and the loss of lives.” Humphrey said.

In this rescue, the water was 18 inches deep — but moving swiftly is enough to carry a person away.

“Though our skies are now clear, storm drains and flood control channels remain life threatening, and we ask parents to make sure all household members are aware of the danger,” Humphrey added.

Steven Rosenberg | Digital Producer Steve Rosenberg graduated from the San Fernando Valley’s U.S. Grant High School, attended CSU Northridge, and has a BA degree in comparative literature from UC Santa Cruz. He has worked for the Glendale News-Press, City News Service, Crain Communications and the LA Daily News in the Southern California News Group. Steve has an interest in technology and how it affects our political and everyday lives.

Filed under Crime and Public Safety weather

Alex Murdaugh Gets Life In Prison In Murder Of Wife, Son

by Vito Califano 3 Marzo 2023 Comments0

By JEFFREY COLLINS and JAMES POLLARD

WALTERBORO, S.C. — In the culmination of the once-prominent lawyer’s fall from grace, Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison without parole Friday after being convicted of murdering his wife and son.

Judge Clifton Newman asked Murdaugh if he had anything he wanted to say before sentencing him to two consecutive life terms, and the South Carolina attorney maintained his innocence.

“As I tell you again, I respect this court. But I am innocent. I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son Paul-Paul,” Murdaugh responded.

“And it might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. Maybe you become another person,” Newman replied, noting Murdaugh’s decades-long addiction to painkillers.

Alex Murdaugh stands in the courtroom at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Thursday, March 2, 2023. Murdaugh was found guilty on two counts of murder in the shooting deaths in June 2021 of his wife Maggie and son Paul. Murdaugh faces 30 years to life in prison without parole when he is sentenced. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)

Alex Murdaugh, center, is handcuffed in the courtroom after a guilty verdict of his double murder trial was read aloud at Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Thursday, March 2, 2023. Murdaugh was found guilty on two counts of murder in the shooting deaths in June 2021 of his wife and son. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)

Alex Murdaugh, center, is handcuffed in the courtroom after a guilty verdict in his murder trial was read at Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Thursday, March 2, 2023. Murdaugh was found guilty on two counts of murder in the shooting deaths in June 2021 of his wife and son. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool)

Buster Murdaugh, the son of Alex Murdaugh, listens as Alex Murdaugh’s verdict is read at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Thursday, March 2, 2023. Alex Murdaugh was found guilty on two counts of murder in the shooting deaths in June 2021 of his wife Maggie and son Paul. (Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool)

Alex Murdaugh is led outside the Colleton County Courthouse by sheriff’s deputies after being convicted of two counts of murder Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C., in the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of Murdaugh’s wife and son. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Alex Murdaugh , center, is led out of Colleton County Courthouse by sheriff’s deputies after being convicted Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. Murdaugh was found guilty Thursday on two counts of murder in the shooting deaths in June 2021 of his wife and son. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson talks to the media after the conviction of Alex Murdaugh outside the Colleton County Courthouse on Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. The 54-year-old attorney was standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their Colleton County home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Members of the media and onlookers watch as a van leaves with Alex Murdaugh outside the Colleton County Courthouse after he was convicted on Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. The 54-year-old attorney was standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their Colleton County home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Alex Murdaugh is led to the Colleton County Courthouse by sheriff’s deputies for sentencing Friday, March 3, 2023 in Walterboro, S.C., after being convicted of two counts of murder in the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of Murdaugh’s wife and son. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Buster Murdaugh arrives at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., Friday, March 3, 2023 for his father Alex Murdaugh’s sentencing on two counts of murder. Alex Murdaugh was convicted in the June 7, 2021, shooting deaths of his wife and son. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Newman asked Murdaugh what he meant when he said “oh, what a tangled web we weave” while on the stand in his own defense.

“I meant when I lied, I continued to lie,” Murdaugh replied.

“And the question is when will it end? You continued to lie and lie throughout your testimony,” Newman said.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters said none of the victims of the crime — members of Murdaugh’s family and the parents and relatives of his wife — wished to speak on behalf of the prosecution before sentencing.

“The depravity, the callousness, the selfishness of these crimes are stunning. The lack of remorse and the effortless way in which he is, including here, sitting right over there in this witness stand — your honor, a man like that, a man like this man, should never be allowed to be among free, law abiding citizens,” Waters said.

Prosecutors asked for a life sentence to hold Murdaugh responsible for what they say are decades of lying, stealing and using his family’s considerable clout in their tiny county to his advantage. Any sentence would have no chance of parole.

As Murdaugh stood before the judge to learn his fate, he was in the same courtroom on the circuit where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather tried cases as the elected prosecutor for more than 80 years. His grandfather’s portrait hung in the back of the room until the judge ordered it taken down for the trial.

Katie Dearybury came from Charleston with her 1-year-old daughter for the sentencing.

“Everyone knows a well-connected person whose status has helped them escape consequences for wrongdoing,” she said. She was interested that the system finally acted in a case she has followed from the start.

The Colleton County jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty of killing his 22-year-old son, Paul, with a shotgun and his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, with a rifle on June 7, 2021.

Juror Craig Moyer told ABC News that when deliberations began, the jury immediately took a poll that came back with nine guilty votes. It didn’t take long to convince the other three.

The juror agreed with prosecutors that the key piece of evidence was a video locked on his son’s cellphone for a year — video shot minutes before the killings at the same kennels near where the bodies would be found.

The voices of all three Murdaughs can be heard on the video, though Alex Murdaugh had insisted for 20 months that he hadn’t been at the kennels that night. When he took the stand in his own defense, the first thing he did was admit he had lied to investigators about being at the kennels, saying he was paranoid of law enforcement because he was addicted to opioids and had pills in his pocket the night of the killings.

“A good liar. But not good enough,” Moyer said.

Prosecutors didn’t have the weapons used to kill the Murdaughs or other direct evidence like confessions or blood spatter. But they had a mountain of circumstantial evidence, including the video putting Murdaugh at the scene of the killings five minutes before his wife and son stopped using their cellphones forever.

Through more than 75 witnesses and nearly 800 pieces of evidence, jurors heard about betrayed friends and clients, Murdaugh’s failed attempt to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme, a fatal boat crash in which his son was implicated, the housekeeper who died in a fall in the Murdaugh home and the grisly scene of the killings.

The now-disbarred attorney admitted stealing millions of dollars from the family firm and clients, saying he needed the money to fund his drug habit. Before he was charged with murder, Murdaugh was in jail awaiting trial on about 100 other charges ranging from insurance fraud to tax evasion.

When he took the stand last week, Murdaugh appeared to cry as he denied again and again that he killed his wife. But juror Moyer said he saw through yet another lie.

“He never cried. All he did was blow snot,” Moyer said. “No tears. I saw his eyes. I was this close to him.”

Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina.

Filed under Crime and Public Safety homicide National News Top Stories Breeze Top Stories IVDB Top Stories LADN Top Stories LBPT Top Stories OCR Top Stories PE Top Stories PSN Top Stories RDF Top Stories SGVT Top Stories Sun Top Stories WDN

San Bernardino Mountains Escorts Suspended As Snow Blankets Highways

by Vittorio Ferla 1 Marzo 2023 Comments0

Escorts up highways 330 and 18 into the San Bernardino Mountains were suspended Wednesday morning, March 1, because vehicles — even those with chains on — were getting stuck in snow, Caltrans said.

“We are working on clearing the roadway as quickly as possible to resume the escorts for the next window, ” Caltrans said in a statement.

That would be 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. Escorts are provided by the California Highway Patrol.

For those unable to get home to the mountains, a shelter has been set up at Redlands East Valley High, 31000 E. Colton Ave. in Redlands.

Storm to bring more rain and snow but less chaos to Southern California

The escorts, for people with proof of residency, are tentatively scheduled for upbound traffic from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily until further notice.

Motorists should line up on Highway 18 at 48th Street and Highway 330 at Highland Avenue.

There are no escorts up Highway 38, either.

All three highways — the 18, the 38 and the 330 — are closed in both directions, the city of Big Bear Lake said.

The 15 Freeway through the Cajon Pass was open Wednesday morning after cars were reportedly getting stuck in the snow overnight.

But The 5 Freeway was closed in both directions between Parker Road in Castaic and Grapevine Road because of snow and poor visibility, Caltrans said. The “snow gate” is open on the south end (north of Lake Hughes Road in Castaic) to allow northbound traffic to U-turn back into Los Angeles County.

*I-5 CLOSED in the Grapevine*
I-5 is CLOSED in both directions between Parker Road (Castaic) & Grapevine due to snow & poor visibility. Unknown duration. This is a view of conditions on I-5 from the https://t.co/O37QesJHpw Caltrans camera on the Grapevine undercrossing. pic.twitter.com/dlVlVvQwiJ

— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) March 1, 2023

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the San Bernardino Mountains that is in effect through 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. Winds could gust up to 70 mph, creating white-out conditions.

Some areas of the San Bernardino Mountains have received more than seven feet of snow in the recent storms.

Chains are required on all vehicles on mountain roads in Southern California.

With soaring mountains steep in snow, here’s how to avoid an avalanche

At lower elevations in the Inland Empire, as well as in Orange County, up to 1.5 inches of rain is forecast. Light rain is forecast for Los Angeles County.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

Brian Rokos | Reporter Brian Rokos has worked in newspapers since 1985, at the Mountain Democrat in Placerville, News Chronicle in Thousand Oaks, the Cincinnati Post, the Orange County Register and currently The Press-Enterprise/Southern California News Group. Among the major stories he has covered are destructive wildfires, Christopher Dorner’s rampage, the San Bernardino terrorist attack, Chase Merritt murder trial and the Perris torture case.

Storm To Bring More Rain And Snow But Less Chaos To Southern California

by pappa2200 28 Febbraio 2023 Comments0

Another storm system was anticipated to descend on Southern California from the north late Tuesday, Feb. 28, and flow into Wednesday afternoon — but aside from more rainfall and snow, it wasn’t anticipated to cause as much chaos as last week, weather forecasters said.

Scattered showers were expected to begin Tuesday afternoon, with more widespread rainfall expected overnight and into Wednesday morning, likely affecting the morning commutes, meteorologists with the National Weather Service said.

In all, most populated areas across Southern California were anticipated to receive a quarter- to half-inch of rain, with some areas on the western edge of the Inland Empire possibly receiving up to three-quarters of an inch, Meteorologist Dan Gregoria said.

“It shouldn’t be nearly to the degree of what we had last week,” Meteorologist Ryan Kittell said. “The winds will be weaker. You might have a tree or two that comes down, but most of the vulnerable trees already came down last week.”

The storm adds on to what has already been an above-average year for Southern California rainfall.

As of Tuesday, downtown Los Angeles had received 18.77 inches of rainfall since Oct. 1, which meteorologists mark as the beginning of rain season. Downtown Los Angeles averages 10.65 inches of rainfall through the end of February, Kittell said.

John Wayne Airport had received 11.67 inches of rain, up from its average of 8.52, Gregoria said. In Ontario, the 14.64 inches was exactly 6 inches above normal for this time of year.

Tuesday and Wednesday’s rain was not anticipated to bring flood watches, advisories or warnings — though Orange County and the Inland Empire will have a wind advisory from midnight Wednesday through the afternoon, Gregoria said.

More snow was expected in the mountains and possibly again in foothill communities like La Crescenta, Kittell said. Snow levels could reach as low as 1,500 feet Wednesday morning and areas in the San Bernardino Mountains were projected to receive one to two feet.

“The biggest issue with the snow levels is the roads,” Kittell said. “The (5 Freeway) and 14 Freeway, those areas could see significant snow accumulations that will likely cause delays, if not hours of closures.”

And with all the snow, an increased risk of avalanches was present, especially higher in the mountains, Kittell said. One had already occurred in the San Jacinto Mountains.

https://t.co/XK7UTtWNlS

Earlier today an avalanche was observed on the north face of San Jacinto from the 10 freeway.

📷 Joyce Schwartz – Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit

Schwartz said her and a friend were driving west on Interstate 10, making there way to Palm Springs when.. pic.twitter.com/qz3Xkxqj9m

— Coachella Valley (@AnInsidersGuide) February 28, 2023

“The snow, the depth of it and the powdery nature of it is increasing the risk for (an avalanche),” he said.

As of Monday evening, Caltrans began offering escorts up Highways 18 and 330 to residents looking to get back to homes in the mountains after the roadways were closed during last week’s storm but stopped at 9 p.m. An announcement was anticipated Tuesday at 11 a.m. regarding the possibility of additional escorts, officials said.

The storm system was expected to clear out by Wednesday afternoon.

Temperatures will stay cool, with forecasted highs in the mid-60s on Friday and Saturday, but Southern California should stay dry and mostly sunny from Thursday through early Sunday.

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