Author: City News Service

LANCASTER, Calif. – A man who allegedly fatally stabbed a father and daughter in a Kohl’s parking lot in Palmdale last fall pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a pair of murder charges. Carlos Francogonzalez is charged in the Oct. 27 attack on Kenneth and McKenna Evans in the store’s parking lot in the 39800 block of 10th Street West. The charges include an allegation that he used a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The suspect — subsequently identified by the District Attorney’s Office as Francogonzalez — asked 54-year-old Kenneth Evans for assistance regarding his…

By STEVEN HERBERT HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – “Wednesday” drew the fourth-largest viewership in Nielsen’s brief history of releasing streaming viewership figures, one week after drawing the second-largest, according to figures released Tuesday. Viewers spent 5.326 billion minutes between Nov. 28-Dec. 4 watching the eight episodes of Netflix’s supernatural mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ (Jenna Ortega) years at Nevermore Academy. “Wednesday” was watched for 5.988 billion minutes the previous week when it was available for five days. “Stranger Things” holds the record with 7.203 billion minutes watched of its 32 episodes May 30-June 5, including the first seven episodes of the fourth season…

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Charges of stealing unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic were dismissed Tuesday against a convicted killer in Orange County. Guillermo Rodriguez, 55, was facing nine counts of false statement or representation or concealment, a single count of conspiracy to defraud, and three counts of money laundering. But all of the felony counts were dropped after prosecutors said they were not ready for trial, but defense attorneys said they were ready to proceed, according to court records. It was not clear if prosecutors intended to refile the charges. A spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office…

LOS ANGELES – A man’s body was found outside a building on the campus of Los Angeles High School Tuesday. Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles School Police officers responded around 7:10 a.m. to the campus at 4650 W. Olympic Blvd. in response to a radio call of an “Ambulance Death Investigation,” according to the LAPD. Paramedics determined the man, who was found by school employees, was in his mid-20s and there was no apparent evidence of foul play. The man was not a student at the school and the school was not in session, police said. The LAPD’s…

LOS ANGELES – A Cedars-Sinai healthcare patient is suing the health system and hospital for allegedly sharing private patient information with such platforms as Meta and Google without his permission via the Cedar- Sinai website. The plaintiff was identified only as John Doe in the proposed Los Angeles Superior Court class-action lawsuit, the allegations of which include invasion of privacy, breach of contract, negligence, and violations of the state’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act and Unfair Competition Law. The suit filed Friday seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as an injunction against such sharing of information with third…

ANAHEIM, Calif. – A person was killed Tuesday in a single-vehicle crash on the Riverside (91) Freeway in Anaheim. The crash on the westbound freeway at Imperial Highway occurred at about 1:35 p.m., the California Highway Patrol reported. A Sigalert was issued at 2:23 p.m., with the Imperial Highway offramp from the westbound freeway closed. A representative from the coroner’s office was dispatched to the scene at 2:35 p.m. There was no other immediate information available on the circumstances of the crash.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – For the first time in seven years, Disneyland will offer a half marathon at the Anaheim theme park next year, officials announced Tuesday. The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend will return to Disneyland in January 2024. It is the first such race at the theme park since 2017. Registration begins mid-February for the Jan. 11-14, 2024, “runDisney Race.” The event will feature 5K and 10K races. The company will also offer races at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in November of this year and January, February, and April of next year.

LOS ANGELES – A state appeals court panel Tuesday ordered a judge to vacate the murder conviction of one of two men for the killing of a Torrance resident during a robbery at his home more than a decade ago. The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with the defense’s contention that the trial court was obligated to grant Morgan Tyler Delange’s petition for re-sentencing because jurors rejected the special circumstance allegations against Delange of murder during a burglary or murder during a robbery. Delange’s petition for re-sentencing had been denied by the trial court judge,…

LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino is trading his seat at the horseshoe for one at the lobbying table, it was announced Tuesday. Buscaino, who served two terms on the council before losing a bid for mayor last year, will join Ballard Partners, a governmental and public affairs lobbying firm with offices in Washington D.C., Florida, Boston, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, and Los Angeles. Buscaino will serve as managing partner for the firm’s Los Angeles office. In a statement issued by the firm, Buscaino said with his public service concluded, he “couldn’t be happier to join Ballard…

LOS ANGELES – Authorities Tuesday identified a young man who was killed when his motorcycle crashed into a railroad crossing gate in South Los Angeles. The crash occurred at about 12:40 a.m. Monday near East Imperial Highway and San Pedro Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Isaac Ambriz. 18, of Riverside, died at the scene, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported. According to authorities, Ambriz was westbound on Imperial Highway when his motorcycle crashed into a railroad crossing gate. His passenger, a woman about 19 years old, was taken to a hospital with critical injuries.

LA CRESCENTA, Calif. – The death of a woman who was hit by an MTA bus in La Crescenta on New Year’s Day was being classified Tuesday as a suicide, authorities said. The fatal crash happened around 10 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Dunsmore Avenue, according to Glendale police. The 19-year-old Sylmar woman died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, which listed the cause of death as “multiple blunt trauma” and the manner of death as “suicide.”

LOS ANGELES – Authorities Tuesday identified a Riverside County man who was killed in a shooting in South Los Angeles on New Year’s Day that left another man wounded. The shooting was reported at 3:30 a.m. Sunday at 20th Street and Maple Avenue, according to Los Angeles Police Officer Matthew Cruz. Austin Milligan, 24, of Moreno Valley, died at the scene, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported. The other man, in his 20s, was hospitalized in stable condition, police said. No arrests were reported.

LOS ANGELES – The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles announced Tuesday it is experiencing an apparent cyberattack that has disrupted its systems. In a statement, the agency described the situation as a “cyber event” and did not specify the nature of the attack or what data may have been compromised. HACLA, the city’s public housing authority, has a budget of more than $1 billion. The ransomware group Lockbit claimed to have hacked the agency, according to TechCrunch. Screenshots posted online indicate that more than 15 terabytes of files were stolen, with a listed deadline of Jan. 12…

LOS ANGELES – President Joe Biden plans to re-nominate former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India, it was reported Tuesday, giving new life to a nomination that stalled over accusations that Garcetti ignored sexual assault and harassment allegations against a former top aide. Citing White House sources, The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden plans to renew several stalled nominations, including Garcetti’s and that of former Metro CEO Phil Washington to become the new head of the Federal Aviation Administration. Related: FAA nominee faces new scrutiny during time at LA County Metro Garcetti’s Senate confirmation process for…

CARSON, Calif. – A pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and killed Tuesday while crossing a street in Carson, and an investigation was underway. The crash was reported about 5 a.m. at 220th Street and Avalon Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Paramedics pronounced the man, about 30, dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Information on his identity was not immediately available. The motorist was in contact with authorities, and the circumstances of the crash were under investigation.