Illegal Immigrants Posing as US Marines Arrested at Border

The men were traveling in a phony military van with stolen license plates, authorities said.

Illegal Immigrants Posing as US Marines Arrested at Border Checkpoint (DHS)

SAN DIEGO (KTLA) -- Border Patrol agents have arrested 13 illegal immigrants dressed in U.S. Marine uniforms.

The men were arrested at the Campo Border Patrol Westbound I-8 checkpoint on March 14th.

According to California's El Centro Border Intelligence Center, the men were traveling in a phony military van with stolen license plates belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps.

The case is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service which is trying to determine where the men got the military uniforms.

Two Americans were in the van.

They were also taken into custody.

KTLA News

4:06 a.m. PDT, March 23, 2011

Feds: Men Arrested at LAX with Cocaine-Saturated Ropes

The men were returning from a trip to Panama.

The ropes were allegedly laced with cocaine.

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Two men were arrested at LAX last week after officers found cocaine-laced ropes in their backpacks, officials said.

The men were returning from a trip to Panama on March 15 when officers located the ropes and cords. Authorities said the ropes had a strange odor and were overly stiff, prompting suspicion.

They later tested positive for cocaine, officials said.

The two men were arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance.

The men said they had purchased the ropes from a vendor at a swap meet and were planning on using them for a fishing boat

First U.S. full face transplant done in Boston

BOSTON (Reuters) - A 25-year-old Texas man has received the first full face transplant done in the United States, Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital said on Monday.

More than 30 physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists and residents worked for more than 15 hours to replace the nose, lips, facial skin, muscles of facial animation and nerves of Dallas Wiens, disfigured in an electrical accident in 2008.

"The pioneering achievement accomplished by the entire transplant team is a gift made possible by the most selfless act one human being can do for another, organ donation," said hospital president Betsy Nable. The hospital did not release the name of the donor.

The surgery was performed last week on Wiens, who had virtually all his facial features burned off by contact with a high-voltage wire. It was the second face transplant procedure done at Brigham and Women's, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Wiens remains in the hospital but has woken up fully, has chatted on the phone with family and is walking, doctors said of his progress.

They expect him to be eating soon with the next major milestone being his return home to Texas. Wiens is expected to regain most of the sensation of his forehead and cheek on the right side, but less so on the left part of the cheek and forehead where damage was more severe, surgeons said.

"He is determined to get well and move on with his life and to make something of his life," said Wiens' grandfather Del Peterson, adding that Wiens intends to become an advocate for facial donations.

The surgical team was not able to restore his vision.

Wiens' appearance post-surgery will not look like the donor, but will also not look like himself, doctors said.

Two additional patients are on the hospital's waiting list for face transplant surgeries, doctors said, including Charla Nash, the Connecticut woman mauled by a chimpanzee in 2009.

The first partial face transplant surgery conducted in the United States was performed at the Cleveland Clinic in December 2008. In that 22-hour procedure, doctors transplanted 80 percent of the face of Connie Culp, who lost most of the midsection of her face to a gunshot in 2004.

The world's first successful partial face transplant was performed in France in 2005, according to government health records. The first full face transplant was done in Spain in 2010.

(Reporting by Lauren Keiper; editing by Ros Krasny and Jerry Norton)

Lauren Keiper Reuters

12:48 p.m. PDT, March 21, 2011

Another Broadway Spider-Man Cast Member Injured

(FILE)

NEW YORK (KTLA) -- The injury-prone Broadway musical "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark" has temporarily lost another cast member after the show's lead actress was hurt performing an onstage battle scene, according to a spokesman.

T.V. Carpio, who plays Arachne, will be out for two weeks, according to Rick Miramontez, a spokesman for the show. Miramontez said Carpio was injured March 16 while performing the scene with another actor. The spokesman did not say specifically how the cast member was injured.

Understudy America Olivo will perform the role during Carpio's absence, Miramontez said.

Carpio's injury follows a series of other accidents and setbacks that have bedeviled the show.

In December, actor Christopher Tierney became the third performer to suffer an injury while wearing the red mask of the Marvel Comics superhero. The accident was serious enough to prompt producers to announce new safety measures.

Earlier this year, an actress suffered a concussion offstage during the first preview night.


The show, which is still in previews, was supposed to open earlier this month. However, the musical's debut was put off for the sixth time after the producers replaced their director. The producers said the delay would give the show's creators time to work on various revisions, including improving the musical arrangements and sound quality.

The $65 million stage version of the Spider-Man story is now scheduled to open in early summer.

Funeral Takes a Grave Turn When Casket Falls

What should have been a solemn farewell to Eugene Washington turned into chaos.
http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/0765fdb1-2422-44fa-afcf-8d5847baeffc/News/KTLA-Funeral-Takes-a-Grave-Turn-When-Casket-Falls

KTLA News

10:53 p.m. PDT, March 22, 2011

15-year-old Arrested for Ransacking Preschool Naked

The school reported a similar burglary incident last November.

Surveillance videos shows the man engaging in sexual behavior while walking around naked at a preschool. (Courtesy LAPD)  BOYLE HEIGHTS (KTLA) -- Police have arrested a suspect captured on surveillance video walking around naked at a preschool. Officers arrested a 15-year-old boy Tuesday morning after receiving a tip from a Boyle Heights resident who saw the video on television and was able to positively identify him. The LAPD released a video of the incident last week. It happened on Mar. 6 at the Centro De Allegria Pre-school, located in the 400 block of North Soto Street. The man is seen wearing only socks and shoes and sexually arousing himself while walking around in circles for several minutes inside an entryway at the facility. Minutes before the suspect had entered the school and ransacked the offices, taking various items including money and keys, police said.He later took off his clothes and began "engaging in strange behavior of a sexual nature," an LAPD press release said.The school reported a similar burglary incident with the same suspect last November. Because he is a juvenile, police are not releasing his identity. He was booked for burglary and is being held without bail.

Legendary Actress Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79

Taylor had been hospitalized for congestive heart failure.
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79.

Taylor died early Wednesday morning of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to her publicist, Sally Morrison. She was surrounded by four her children, Morrison said.

Taylor was hospitalized in February for symptoms caused by congestive heart failure, described at the time as an ongoing condition. Her condition had stabilized, and it was hoped she would be able to return home.
Taylor, a double Oscar winner famous for her eight marriages -- twice to actor Richard Burton -- underwent heart surgery in 2009 to replace a leaky valve.

She announced in 2004 that she had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure -- a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to other organs.

Taylor's son, Michael Wilding, released the following statement after Taylor's death:

"My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love. Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world.

"Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."

In addition to her children, Taylor is survived by 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

A private family funeral later this week. Details about a public memorial will be released later, Morrison said.

Flowers will be placed on her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Wednesday. The star is located at 6336 Hollywood Boulevard.

The London-born Taylor, who won Oscars for her roles in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" in 1966 and "Butterfield 8" in 1960, has been using a wheelchair for more than five years to cope with chronic pain after breaking her back four times.

In 2006, she appeared on Larry King's CNN interview show to deny reports that she was gravely ill or suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

VIDEO: Larry King Calls To Talk About Death of Elizabeth Taylor

Taylor has had three hip-replacement operations, a benign brain tumor, skin cancer and pneumonia. She spent two stints in rehab in the 1980s for alcohol and prescription drug addiction.

Taylor first achieved stardom at the age of 12 in "National Velvet" and became famous for her violet eyes, dark alluring beauty and love of diamonds.

VIDEO: Fans Pay Tribute To Elizabeth Taylor

She had not appeared on screen since the 2001 TV movie "Old Broads." Her last Hollywood movie performance was the 1994 live action comedy "The Flintstones."

Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor were cast in a memorable motion picture classic, National Velvet, in 1944, when she was only 12-years old. He was then 24.

Naked woman rescued from cliff

 http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/28672591-1bad-4c65-94e4-09ba5c13ccb9/News/Naked-Woman-Rescued-From-Cliffs

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego lifeguards Tuesday rescued a young woman who apparently became stranded on a cliff above Black's Beach without her clothes.

Dozens of lifeguards and Fire Engine Company 9 were sent to the Glider Port at about 2:15 p.m., according to San Diego Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque. It took them about 30 minutes to rig a series of rescue ropes. A female lifeguard then rappelled down to an exposed ledge, where the 27-year-old woman was stuck.

After hooking up the woman in a rescue harness, the lifeguard helped her rappel to the beach which was 500 feet below, where she was provided with clothing. The entire operation took about an hour, from start to finish.

The young woman was unharmed, Luque said. She will not be charged for the rescue, he added.

"She just became stuck," Luque said. "This happens all the time at Torrey Pines and Mission Trails."

Park rangers cited the woman for disregarding signs and entering a restricted area of Torrey Pines State Park.
Black's Beach has been widely considered a "clothing optional'' recreation spot for decades, though lifeguards began handing out public nudity citations there some 12 years ago. Despite the effort to enforce a standard of modesty there, however, some insist on enjoying the scenic stretch of shoreline au naturel.

Robbery Suspects Say They Were Inspired By Movie

Gwinnett County Police Department

Police say they found these items in the suspects' car.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Gwinnett County police said a pair of masked robbers who held up a jewelry store were inspired by a movie.
Police said two men forced their way into S.E. Diamonds on Old Peachtree Road and took $68,000 in jewelry and $20 from the register.Surveillance video showed one man armed with a gun wearing a clown mask, and the second wearing a camouflage ski mask.As police looked for the robbers, an officer stopped a vehicle on Wednesday morning believed to be related to a series of car break-ins.Officers arrested the three men inside the car and then opened the trunk to find even more evidence -- four masks, a black Glock replica BB gun and tools often used to break into cars.Chang Choi Rack, 18; Seung Woo Park, 18; and John Nguyen, 20, were charged with 11 counts of entering an auto and 11 counts of possession of tools for commission of a crime.Detectives started questioning Park and Nguyen and said they determined the pair allegedly robbed S.E. Diamonds. Police also linked the masks and gun to the jewelry store robbery. Park told investigators he was inspired by the movie “The Town,” a film about a bank-robbing crew.Park and Nguyen were charged with armed robbery. All three men are held in the Gwinnett County Jail.

Copyright 2011 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

print email link Share this: twitter facebook more Text Size: AAA Police: Fake Cop Tried To Pull Over Officer

A security guard has been arrested after pulling over an undercover police officer.
Dalton police said James Smith of Dalton attempted to pull over the police officer just after 10 p.m. Tuesday night along Shugart Road.Police said Smith had rigged his white Crown Victoria with a strobe light system to look like police flashers and also had a “Police Interceptor” icon on the back of the car.Smith attempted to pull over the police officer, but the officer kept going and called 911, according to police.Then, officers said, Smith pulled up next to the undercover officer’s car and tried to nudge him in an attempt to get the officer to pull over.According to police, that’s when Smith realized he knew the officer and turned off his lights.Investigators said the officer followed Smith into a gas station and waited for police to show up to take Smith into custody.Police said Smith was wearing clothes similar to what police officers wear when they are training.He also had a Glock pistol in a holster on his belt, a spare ammunition magazine, handcuffs in a holster and his security badge, according to police.Dalton police have charged Smith with impersonating a law enforcement officer and impersonating a public officer or employee.

Copyright 2011 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Fontana faces school cuts to sports, library

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=8002311

FONTANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A crowd of angry parents is expected at a local school board meeting Tuesday night. The district will consider cutting all high school sports to help solve its budget problems.

Raul Rosales is a former Fontana High School football player. His son, a freshman at Jurupa Hills High School, is also a football player. But come next year he may not be able to follow in his father's footsteps on the gridiron.
The Fontana Unified School District is looking at cutting all of its sports and afterschool programs in an effort to save $2 million.
Tuesday night, the school board will also decide whether to let go of its library specialists, school counselors and a host of other jobs.
"We are mandated by law to provide a core educational program and unfortunately all the things that we've grown accustomed to that are wonderful things for students are now being looked at as extras," said Cali Olsen-Binks, Fontana Unified School District superintendent.
The district is placing its hopes for a solution in Governor Jerry Brown's ballot measure to extend tax increases another five years. If that doesn't appear on a ballot, or it doesn't pass, the district will have to cut a total of $13 million from its budget.
Julie Sanchez says as a parent she is willing to foot some of the bill to keep her son in the game next year.
She and others believe not all learning takes place in the classroom. Some times what students learn on the field is just as important.
The school board is also considering cutting some classes.
The meeting was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. An overflow crowd is expected.

(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Inland Empire Teachers Facing Layoffs

Inland Empire - Hundreds of Inland Empire teachers are about to get layoff notices, as a result of the ongoing state budget crisis. In addition to the layoffs the District is looking to impose an across the board pay cut for all employees.
Rick Lozano was in San Bernardino and has more in this video report.

Long Beach-Born Rapper Nate Dogg Dead at Age 41

The cause of death is still unknown.

LONG BEACH (KTLA) -- Long Beach-born rapper and singer Nathaniel Hale, better known as "Nate Dogg," has died at the age of 41.

The cause of death is still unknown.

In recent years, Hale suffered two strokes.

He was paralyzed on one side of his body after a massive stroke in 2007. He had a second stroke in 2008.

Hale got his start as a member of his church choir, and shot to popularity while recording with Snoop Dogg and Warren G.

Snoop Dogg, who is also from Long Beach, tweeted: "We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb. One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met. I love u buddy luv. U will always b wit me 4ever n a day u put the g n g funk u put the 1 n 213 n u put yo stamp on evrybdy u ever didit wit."

Snoop continued, "I miss u cuzz I am so sad but so happy I got to grow up wit u and I will c u again n heaven cuz u know d slogan." He added, "all doggs go to heaven yo homie n baby brotha bigg snoopdogg!!"

Comedian Dave Chappelle also took to Twitter to talk about Hale's passing, writing, "Moment of silence for a hip-hop legend; RIP Nate Dogg. You will be missed, G Funk Era forever. #natedogg."

Nate released three solo albums: G-Funk Classics, Vol 1 & 2 in 1998, Music And Me in 2001 and a self-titled LP in 2004.

He was nominated for four Grammys, most recently for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2007 for the Eminem song "Shake That."

Amazing Video: 2 Officers Barely Escape Oncoming Vehicle

St. LOUIS -- Two police offers working a previous crash barely escaped being plowed down by an oncoming vehicle.

Amazingly no one was seriously injured.

 //www.ktla.com/videobeta/4f6f2b42-21af-40d4-9ed0-338c89cfdbcd/News/KTLA-2-Officers-Barely-Escape-Oncoming-Vehicle

KTLA News

12:14 p.m. PDT, March 16, 2011

"Innocent" Man to Be Freed After 20 Years Behind Bars

A judge ruled Monday that Francisco Carrillo should be freed from prison after witnesses recanted their testimony.

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LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A man who has been in prison for 20 years for murder will soon be a free man, after witnesses in the case recanted their testimony.

Francisco "Franky" Carrillo, 37, was convicted in 1992 for the murder of Donald Sarpy, but a Superior Court judge overturned the conviction Monday.

Carrillo's conviction was based on identification testimony from six people, including the victim's son.

All six have now admitted that they did not really see anything, and were influenced to make their identifications of Carrillo. In addition, two other men have confessed to the shooting, defense investigators said, and admitted that Carrillo was not involved.

Judge Paul A. Bacigalupo made the decision to release Carrillo after a week of testimony that raised questions about whether there was enough evidence to prove Carrillo committed the crime.

Prosecutors conceded that new evidence required the reversal, and that it was unlikely they would seek to retry Carrillo.

Carrillo was expected to be freed from the Los Angeles County jail sometime late Tuesday or Wednesday, though authorities would not give an exact time.

During the six days of testimony, the witnesses admitted that they could not really see the shooter's face.

Defense investigator David Lynn testified to a confession he obtained from another man who exonerated Carrillo.

Carrillo also testified that he was not involved in the shooting.

The men who have allegedly confessed to the shooting asserted their rights against self-incrimination and refused to testify.

Donald Sarpy, 41, was murdered on January 18, 1991, when he was shot as he stepped out of his home in Lynwood.

Sarpy's son, Dameon, and five other friends were nearby, but none were wounded.

Their initial statements were vague and conflicting.

A few told police that they heard someone in a passing car shout a Hispanic gang slogan, and they could only describe the shooter as a Hispanic male teenager.

The witnesses could not agree on what the car looked like. They gave descriptions ranging from tan to black and shiny to dull. Some said there were three males in the car, and some said there were only two males in the car.

Carrillo, who was 16 years old at the time, became a suspect after a mix-up in street names led officers to identify him as the perpetrator in another shooting.

The first witness to identify Carrillo was Scott Turner, one of the attempted murder victims. He identified Carrillo from a photo lineup, and then told his friends that he had chosen the person in position number 1. He also described what Carrillo looked like.

When the other witnesses were shown the photo lineup months later, all chose number 1.

KTLA News

8:39 a.m. PDT, March 16, 2011

Man uses pennies to pay $6,500 credit card bill

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=8014707

MIRA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- A San Diego County man created a bit of a problem when he went to pay off a $6,500 credit card bill with pennies.

Thierry Cahez loaded the pennies into his van, all 650,000 of them rolled in plastic and put in crates. He then drove the pennies to his bank in Mira Mesa and unloaded them.

The man said the bank turned him away several times. Eventually, he was sent to a branch with a bigger vault that could handle all the coins.
Cahez said he decided to pay his credit card bill with pennies because he was upset with his bank over a refinance he couldn't get, and charges and fees on his card.

(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Sendai is Riverside's 'sister city' in Japan

 http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=8013646

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- The "sister city" program, binding cities in Southern California with foreign cities, has never been more important than it was Monday. It's resulted in an outpouring of support for the victims of the Japanese disaster from the people of Riverside.

For more than 50 years, Riverside has held a special bond with the city of Sendai.
There is a monument to that sister-city relationship just outside Riverside City Hall. A plaque reads: "May our ties of friendship continue forever." It's a statement that's perhaps more important now than ever before.
Days after a devastating earthquake and tsunami overpowered the city of Sendai, people from around the city of riverside crowded inside city hall, to talk about ways to help.
"The world is really a very small place and I think coming together today really shows how sister cities can care about each other and really make an impact on the world," said Riverside Mayor Pro-tem Chris Mac Arthur.
At the meeting Monday, everyone was asked to help in a number of ways. There's a group of citizens leaving for Sendai Tuesday. People can also bring donations to Riverside City Hall, where it will be sent directly to Sendai as part of this city's special relationship.
"I believe it's important because a lot of people, they lost their lives out there," said Moreno Valley resident Brandon Stills.
"I think it's a great thing, it's like it's almost something you have to do," said Riverside resident Myra Gardner.
Gardner says if and when this region faces disaster, the city of Riverside can most assuredly count on help from Sendai.
"I think other countries would and will if it comes to it, as long as they're able to," said Garnder.
These cities celebrated a 50th anniversary of the sister-city relationship just a few years ago. At the time, mayors from both cities celebrated their friendship.
Monday though, Riverside will show its friendship in a different way, at a time when what's needed most is help.

(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

GUY SOUNDS JUST LIKE SHAKIRA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPGspjgDeOo

Police: 14-year-old Long Beach Girl Fights Off "Smelly" Attacker

After the struggle, before the man fled the scene he exposed himself to the girl.

LONG BEACH (KTLA) -- Long beach police are searching for a man after an attempted kidnapping at an intermediate school, Monday morning.

A 14-year-old girl fought off the man as she was walking to Butler Middle School in Long Beach, who she later described to authorities as having a "distinctly bad body odor".

At around 8 a.m., as the girl walked to school, the man grabbed her arm.

After the struggle, before the man fled the scene he exposed himself to the girl.

The teen described the suspect to authorities as an African American man between the ages of 25 and 30 about 6 feet tall and 180 pounds with light brown or hazel eyes.

The suspect was on foot and wearing faded navy blue cargo pants and a brown, hooded sweatshirt with two yellow stripes down each sleeve.

he was last seen walking southbound on Lemon Avenue from 20th Street.

Commander Josef Levy with Long Beach police said "we utilized our automated license plate reader vehicles, to try to locate any vehicles that may be associated or related to this crime. We utilized bloodhounds to try and capture a scent from the suspect and a police helicopter."

Police set up a command post immediately following the incident and went door-to-door around the school in search of the suspect and witnesses with any other possible information


http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/d841177f-27e5-4d5a-997a-3a3a47923643/News/KTLA-Man-Sought-in-Attempted-Kidnapping-At-Elementary-School-Elizabeth-Espinosa-reports

UCLA Girl Goes Wild in Racist Rant on Asian Students

http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/?watchId=2fe9a6a2-219e-4fe2-8197-b9f559b2bbf4


WESTWOOD, Calif. -- School officials at UCLA are mortified after a student made video slamming Asian students went viral over the weekend.

In the nearly three-minute video, the student, identified a Alexandra Wallace, rants about the "hordes of Asian people that UCLA accepts into our school."

Wallace claims not be be talking about her 'cool' Asian friends, but goes on to describe other Asians at UCLA as spoiled, rude and unintelligible.

In one searing moment, Wallace mimics an Asian student answering a cell phone in the school's library by saying, "Ohhhhhhhh! Ching chong ling long ting tong! Ohhhhhhh!"

"Hi. In America, we do not talk on our cell phones in the library!" she rants.

The video first surfaced Friday, the day an earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan.

nd, Wallace is well aware of the disaster, "I swear they're going through their whole families, just checking on everybody from the tsunami thing. ... Like, you seriously should go outside if you're going to do that."

KTLA News

4:55 p.m. PDT, March 14, 2011

L.A. Orders 140 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Close

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- More than 100 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles have received notice they must close their doors immediately.

The city attorney's office sent letters to 140 dispensaries that did not participate in a lottery to choose who will stay open.

Officials say the city could sue violators and seek financial penalties against those who did not file for the lottery.

The city clerk received 228 applications and is in the process of reviewing those who meet the qualifications.

The collectives have to be able to provide at least three documents showing they have been businesses since Sept. 14, 2007, among other requirements.

City officials say they think that, of the 228 applicants, fewer than 135 will actually meet the requirements.

The city will select 100 dispensaries to receive licenses. It's not clear yet when that lottery will be held.

The lottery marks an attempt by the city to find a way to separate legal dispensaries from illegal ones and reduce the number of dispensaries in the city limits.

The city previously tried to control pot dispensaries via an ordinance that was declared unconstitutional by a judge.

Some dispensary operators are not happy about the lottery, however. They have threatened to sue to challenge the selection process.

Police: Body Hit at Least 20 Times on 10 Freeway

 The man has been identified as 36-year-old Ronald Edward Hill Jr. of Los Angeles. Watch Lynette Romero's Report Body found on 10 Freeway in Jefferson Park

The man has been identified as 36-year-old Ronald Edward Hill Jr. of Los Angeles.
Watch Lynette Romero's Report

JEFFERSON PARK (KTLA) -- Police have identified the man who was hit by several cars on the freeway early Monday morning.

He is 36-year-old Ronald Edward Hill Jr. of Los Angeles.

Authorities say Hill wandered onto the 10 Freeway near Crenshaw Boulevard and was reportedly struck repeatedly by cars before a motorist pulled over and called the police.

California Highway Patrol Officer Brent Leatherman said troopers received a call about the body of man in his mid-30s lying in the slow lane on the westbound 10 freeway at around 3:41 a.m.

A witness reported seeing a car stopped in front of the body.

That vehicle left the scene, according to the witness, who remained behind to try to divert traffic.
Even if it was an accident, Leatherman said drivers should always stop if they have struck a pedestrian.

He said there were no suspects in the possible felony hit-and run.

Investigators say they think the body was hit at least 20 times.

Leatherman said the man, who was not identified, was believed to have last lived at a rehabilitation center on 6th Street.

It is not known why the man wandered onto the freeway.

The coroner was called around 4 a.m., police said.

The CHP issued the Sigalert. The three right lanes were closed, as well as the Crenshaw Boulevard off-ramp. All the lanes were re-opened as of about 7 a.m.

Investigators are still trying to figure out if the man was dead before he was struck by the first of the vehicles.

Police: Kids Try to Put of Flames After Ex-boyfriend Sets Young Mother on Fire

MORENO VALLEY (KTLA) -- A man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and setting her body on fire in front of her children, has surrendered to authorities.

Tyrone Harts, 38, turned himself in to authorities in Los Angeles.

He was later transferred to the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, where he is being held in lieu of $1,000,000 bail, according to the Sheriff's Department.

Brandi Marie Morales, 39, was found dead in the early hours of Feb. 22 in her home on the 11800 block of Wild Flax Lane.

Police say her children said a masked man entered the home and shot Morales, before setting her body on fire on the stair case.

Four of her six children doused the flames before police arrived.

The children range from 6 to 15 years old, authorities said.

Harts is charged with murder and assault with a gun.

UCLA Doctors Perform CA's 1st Successful Hand Transplant

The recipient was a young mother from Northern California.
Watch Glen Walker's report.

WESTWOOD (KTLA) -- Doctors at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center have performed the first successful hand transplant in the state of California, hospital officials announced Monday. It was the 13th such operation in the performed in the nation.

The recipient was a 26-year-old mother from Northern California, who lost her right hand in a traffic accident five years ago.

The operation took 14 hours and finished around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, UCLA officials said. It took a team of 17 doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses and operating room technicians.

The woman, whose name was not released, is said to be doing well.

The recipient contacted UCLA last year, but doctors had to wait to find a donor hand that matched her tissue type and had a similar size, color and hair pattern.

The donor hand came from a Southern California family via Lifesharing, a nonprofit organ and tissue recovery organization based in San Diego and Imperial counties.
No other information was released about the donor.

Dr. Kodi Anzari, surgical director of UCLA's hand transplant program, said the donor hand was an almost "uncanny" match for the recipient.

Azari led the operation, which was the UCLA team's first case. He said the woman was an ideal candidate because she was healthy and well-informed about the procedure. She was selected from about 50 potential patients.

"I am ecstatic with the results -- a little tired, but ecstatic," Azari said after the surgery.

Doctors hope the recipient will have good function in her new hand with the proper care and physical therapy.

"This surgery is part of the UCLA tradition of excellence in transplantation, and this is clearly a landmark event," said Dr. Ronald Busuttil, executive chair of the UCLA Department of Surgery and founder of the UCLA Liver Transplant Program.

UCLA launched the hand transplant unit last year. It is the fourth such center in the United States.

The first hand transplant was performed in France in 1998. Since the, more than 40 hand transplants have been done around the world.

The first hand transplant in the U.S. was at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky in 1999.

KTLA News

11:12 a.m. PST, March 8, 2011

http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/d0dc749e-4f6f-479f-a8fb-5f9556884d21/News/KTLA-Doctors-Successfully-Perform-Hand-Transplant-Glen-Walker-reports

Convicted Serial Killer Rodney Alcala Now Suspected in Bay Area Murder

Alcala is currently on death row at San Quentin.

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala, who was sentenced to death last year in Orange County for five murders in the 1970s, is now a prime suspect in a murder in the Bay Area.

Alcala is suspected by the Marin County Sheriff's Department of murdering a 19-year-old woman in 1977.

Deputies say a photo of Alcala in the 1970s is very similar to a sketch of the suspect in the Bay Area murder.

Alcala, 67, a photographer and one-time "Dating Game" contestant, is currently on death row at San Quentin.

He was convicted last year of strangling four California women and a 12-year-old girl in the 1970s. He was sentenced to death last March.

Alcala was sentenced to death three times for killing 12-year-old Robin Samsoe in Huntington Beach on June 20,1979. He represented himself in court.

Alcala's other victims were: Jill Barcomb, an 18-year-old runaway who was killed in the Hollywood Hills on Nov. 10, 1977; Georgia Wixted, a 27-year-old registered nurse killed on Dec. 16, 1978; Charlotte Lamb, 32, slain on June 24, 1978; and Jill Parenteau, 21, who was killed June 14, 1979.

After his conviction, police released more than 100 photographs that were seized more than 30 years ago from a storage locker Alcala rented.

Alcala has also been indicted by prosecutors in Manhattan in the murders of Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Hover.

Crilley was found strangled in her Manhattan apartment in 1971.

Hover disappeared in 1977 and her remains were later found on an estate outside the city.

Alcala lived in New York at the time of the murders.

KTLA News

8:00 a.m. PST, March 8, 2011

Driver Falls Asleep at the Wheel, Smashes into Several Cars

The woman was not seriously hurt.

SUN VALLEY (KTLA) -- Police are investigating an accident in Sun Valley where the driver fell asleep at the wheel, smashing into several cars.

The accident happened on Glenoaks, just south of Vinedale Street.

No streets were closed due to the accident, but at least three cars were damaged.

The woman did not appear to be seriously hurt, and was not taken to the hospital

KTLA News

7:24 a.m. PST, March 8, 2011

School Officials Address Cheating Scandal

Los Angeles - A Los Angeles charter school group fired its founder over a cheating scandal and has threatened to sue the school board to stay open.

Crescendo, which operates six schools in South Los Angeles, had its operating charter revoked by the school board earlier this week over alleged cheating on standardized tests.
Crescendo founder John Allen was fired on Friday.

"Please be assured that one of the most, main reasons we're here tonight ... is to keep the Crescendo schools open and operating for the sake of our future, which is your children," Anthony Handy, who chairs Crescendo's governing board, told a group of about 300 parents and students at a meeting Friday.

Allen allegedly ordered principals and teachers to break the seal on state standardized tests this past spring and use actual test questions to prepare students, a violation of state law.

Some teachers reported the practice to Los Angeles Unified School District officials, eventually leading the state to invalidate the 2010 test scores at Crescendo schools.

"Cheating is never right. It's always wrong and should not be tolerated," Handy said. "The teachers who stood against the cheating were courageous and should be commended."

Handy vowed to fight the school board's decision to revoke Crescendo's charter.

"We believe this action was taken prematurely without all the facts and was not made in compliance with California's open meeting law," he said.

The school board, which authorizes the publicly funded, independently run charter schools, had been scheduled to decide whether to renew the charters of two of Crescendo's schools. Instead, board members decided to revoke the charters of all six earlier this week.

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy applauded the firing of Allen

Parents React To Charter School Cheating Scandal

Los Angeles - More people are reacting to a cheating scandal in the Los Angeles Unified School District that led the school board to vote to shut down a number of charter campuses.
Gigi Graciette has the story in the video report.
Story Script:
AAPREL MCGEE/PARENT
"I'M UPSET BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE GOING THRU THIS."
AHPRELL MCGEE IS THE PROUD MOTHER OF A FIRST GRADER AT CRESCENDO CHARTER'S PREPARATORY CENTRAL IN SOUTH LA... A SCHOOL SHE LOVES... BUT CRESCENDO'S IN TROUBLE AFTER ITS DIRECTOR WAS ACCUSED OF PROMOTING CHEATING.
AAPREL MCGEE/PARENT
"WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEND OUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL WITH NO CONCERNS OF CHEATING, HARM, ANY DANGER TO OUR CHILDREN AT ALL."
LAUSD'S BOARD OF EDUCATION VOTING TO REVOKE THE LICENSE FOR ALL 6 CRESCENDO CHARTER SCHOOLS AFTER AN INVESTIGATION FOUND DIRECTOR JOHN ALLEN ORDERED SEALED STATE TESTS TO BE OPENED SO KIDS COULD BE TAUGHT TO THE EXACT TEST QUESTIONS BEFORE THE TEST TO BETTER THEIR API SCORES.
THERE ARE OF COURSE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY AND WE'D REALLY LIKE TO BRING YOU CRESCENDO'S, BUT NO ONE THERE WANTS TO TALK TO US.
WE TRIED TUESDAY AFTER THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, GETTING ONLY THE SILENT TREATMENT FROM A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
WE ALSO TRIED REACHING ALLEN AT HIS OFFICE, BUT SECURITY QUICKLY ASKED US TO LEAVE.
THERE WAS ALSO NO RESPONSE TO OUR REPEATED REQUESTS FOR AN INTERVIEW.

FOX 11 News video report.

Updated: Wednesday, 02 Mar 2011, 11:31 PM PST
Published : Wednesday, 02 Mar 2011, 11:31 PM PST

Conn. Woman Charged with Keeping Son in Crate

 

OLD SAYBROOK

A 54-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly making her son sleep in a dog crate because he had been soiling his bed, police said.

Kathlyn Anthony was released on $100,000 bond following an initial court appearance Monday on a charge of risk of injury to a minor.

Anthony was arrested Sunday following an investigation sparked by the boy's sister, who told school authorities that she was tired because she kept getting up at night to let her brother out of his "sleep locker."

Police say the crate was 36 inches by 22 inches, and 30 inches high. Anthony told police she had been seeking outside help for the boy's behavior. She refused comment outside court.

Police said the boy is a under 17, but did not disclose his age or name.

Old Saybrook Police Spokesman Sgt. Kevin Roche said Anthony felt she had exhausted all methods to correct the boy's problem. She made him sleep in the crate for about two weeks before school authorities became involved, Roche said.

Staff and Wire reports The Hartford Courant

6:34 a.m. PST, March 8, 2011

Horace Mann and the reform of education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqHCMo6rh4U

bush knocked the towers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v062A7QiWI

Students Protest HOPE Changes

ATLANTA -- More than 100 college and high school students gathered outside the state Capitol to protest a bill that would make dramatic cuts to the cash-strapped HOPE scholarship.
The crowd chanted "Kill the bill!" and "Shame on you!" on Wednesday as lawmakers started their day inside the Gold Dome.“Our lives would be fundamentally altered if this legislation passed,” said Sean Phillips, a student at Georgia State University.“We need education in Georgia to become more of a priority than all of the other things in Georgia,” said Andrew Estes who came to protest from Georgia Tech.The protest came a day after the Georgia House overwhelmingly approved Gov. Nathan Deal's bill cutting HOPE scholarships for all but the brightest students.The new bill would only give full tuition scholarships to students with at least a 3.7 GPA and a minimum score of 1200 on the SATs. The changes mean students will have to pay thousands more out of pocket for their educations.“HOPE is very important to the low-income community so they have no right to limit our education,” said high school student Omer Finley.The bill now goes to the Senate, where Democrats are expected to release their own plan Wednesday to rein in spending on lottery-funded programs, including HOPE and pre-kindergarten programs.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27053750/detail.html

Fees So High, They've Got to Eat Ramen

San Diego County's community college students are planning a "Ramen-In" at the San Diego office of California Gov. Jerry Brown to protest proposed fee hikes, which they say will leave them eating Ramen for all their meals. 

Brown's budget proposal calls for an increase of $10 per unit for the state’s community colleges. That would increase fees from $26 per unit to $36.

The demonstration will deliver thousands of packages of ramen organizers said in a news release. It's planned for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at 1350 Front Street.

BY PropZero Staff // Wednesday, Mar 2, 2011 at 08:02 PST

Gadhafi: "Bloodbath" if U.S. Invades

BREGA, Libya — Rebel forces routed troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in a fierce, topsy-turvy battle over an oil port Wednesday, scrambling over the dunes of a Mediterranean beach through shelling and an airstrike to corner their attackers. The daylong fighting blunted the regime's first counteroffensive against opposition-held eastern Libya.

At least 10 anti-Gadhafi fighters were killed and 18 wounded in the battle over Brega, Libya's second largest petroleum facility, which the opposition has held since last week. Citizen militias flowed in from a nearby city and from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi hours away to reinforce the defense, finally repelling the regime loyalists.

Hussein Malla  /  AP

Anti-Gadhafi forces take back an area in Brega, Libya, on Wednesday.

In Tripoli, Gadhafi vowed that "we will fight until the last man and woman." In a long, rambling speech he also warned that thousands of Libyans would die if U.S. and NATO forces intervened.
"We will not accept an intervention like that of the Italians that lasted decades," Gadhafi said, referring to Italy's colonial rule early in the 20th Century. "This will lead to a bloody war and thousands of Libyans will die if America and NATO enter Libya."
The attack on Brega began just after dawn, when several hundred pro-Gadhafi forces in 50 trucks and SUVs mounted with machine guns descended on the port, driving out a small opposition contingent and seizing control of the oil facilities, port and airstrip.
But by afternoon, they had lost it all and had retreated to a university campus 5 miles away.
There, opposition fighters besieged them, clambering from the beach up a hill to the campus as mortars and heavy machine gun fire blasted around them, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. They took cover behind grassy dunes, firing back with assault rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers. At one point a warplane struck in the dunes to try to disperse them, but it caused no casualties and the siege continued.
NBC, msnbc.com and news services updated 1 hour 32 minutes ago

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41863391/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/ 

Ex-Wife Says Dodgers Owner Made Secret Deals

The ex-wife of Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt accused her ex-husband Tuesday of making financial deals concerning the team behind her back in violation of a court order, according to a court filing.
Jamie McCourt filed court papers requesting a judge order Frank McCourt to turn over all documents about team finances after reading in the Los Angeles Times about a $200 million loan that Frank McCourt tried to secure from Fox Television against the team's cable TV rights.
"It is outrageous that Jamie and her counsel have to rely upon the news media for information that Frank is affirmatively obligated under California law to provide before the fact," stated the filing by attorney Michael J. Kump, who represents Jamie McCourt.
Jamie McCourt, who is seeking half ownership of the team under California community property law, maintains she has a right to know about all its financial dealings as any "non-marital business partner" would.
But Frank McCourt, who maintains the team is his property alone, said his ex-wife has agreed that he is the designated control person in charge of running the team's business operations.
In a Feb. 16. letter to Kump, lawyer Sorrell Trope, who represents Frank McCourt, said his client will give his ex-wife the information she is entitled to, but "her rights are not nearly as broad as you characterize."
A judge in December threw out a 2004 marital property agreement that gave Frank McCourt sole ownership of the Dodgers, clearing the way for Jamie McCourt to seek half the team.
Jamie McCourt served as the Dodgers' CEO until her then-husband fired her in 2009 and she filed for divorce, ending a 30-year
marriage.
The latest clash underscores the acrimony between the multi-millionaire McCourts.
The court filing stems from a Feb. 25 Times story that stated Fox had agreed to lend McCourt $200 million under the condition that, if McCourt defaulted, Fox's TV contract would be extended at below-market rates for up to four years.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig rejected the deal, "a clear sign that Frank's actions were deemed to be not in the best interests of the franchise," Jamie McCourt's court filing stated.
Since Jamie McCourt has a presumptive 50 percent interest in the Dodgers and other McCourt assets, she is entitled to all information that could affect those assets, the court papers state.
In a letter included as an exhibit with the court filing, Trope wrote that Frank McCourt rejects the notion that his ex-wife has a 50 percent presumptive interest. He scheduled a March 4 meeting between the parties to discuss the terms of the information exchange.
Steve Sugerman, spokesman for Frank McCourt, did not immediately return a phone call

Posted by: Tony Spearman / myFOXla.com
Updated: Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 6:28 PM PST
Published : Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 5:45 PM PST

Oil Closes Highest In More Than Two Years

(NewsCore) - NEW YORK -- Oil prices climbed nearly three percent Tuesday as violence in Libya and the potential spread of the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa continued to feed concerns over global oil supplies.
Traders are "recognizing what the Middle East turmoil might do to prices" or oil consumers are "being overly cautious to be sure they have plenty of oil supplies on the way," said Charles Perry, president of the energy consulting firm Perry Management.
But, either way, fundamentals -- inventories and consumption -- "have not changed enough to see these type of price rises," Perry said.
Light sweet crude for April delivery rose $2.66, or 2.7 percent, to close at $99.63 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That is the strongest closing level for a most active contract since September 2008.
"The struggle in the [oil] market currently divides at those who see the uprising in and about the oil-producing regions as epochal, which will bring far-reaching changes to the production and distribution of oil, and those who are more concerned with the feeble recovery and intransigent debt problems in the consuming countries," said Mike Fitzpatrick, editor of Kilduff Report's Energy Overview.
Crude prices gained as the international community called for the embattled Libyan leader Col. Moamar Ghadafi to step down, and the United Nations imposed sanctions on the country. Government forces reportedly regained control of a key oil-terminal town east of the capital Tripoli.
Saudi Arabian output is running as high as nine million barrels a day, further dimming the impact of the loss of Libyan supplies, the analysts said.
But some traders and analysts were concerned about the likelihood of cuts to Saudi Arabia's spare capacity.
Saudi Arabia has stepped up production to counter the Libyan outages, Tim Evans, energy analyst at Citigroup's Citi Futures Perspective, said in a note, but "multiple problems would soak up additional capacity, reducing the remaining cushion."
And fears of contagion to other North African and Middle Eastern countries continued.
"As the violence rages on in Libya and overall uncertainty grows, there are mounting fears that other producers in the immediate vicinity will suffer similar outages due to political unrest," analysts at Barclays Capital said.

Updated: Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 1:32 PM PST
Published : Tuesday, 01 Mar 2011, 1:32 PM PST

Baby Stabbed to Death by Teenage Father After Child Abduction in Palmdale

PALMDALE -- A 5-month old boy stabbed by his teenage father during a child abduction in Palmdale has died, authorities say.

An Amber Alert was issued for the child and his father, 17-year old Christopher Earl Glass, around 2:00 Tuesday afternoon.

According to the alert, Glass picked up his 5-month-old son from a relative’s home earlier today and drove to the child’s mother’s home.

The two argued, and Glass drove off with the boy still inside his white SUV.

Glass then allegedly sent a text message to the mother, threatening to stab the boy.

Deputies responded and were able to track down the father, who does not has custodial rights to the child.

During a short chase, Glass slammed his SUV into a structure at the Palmdale Metrolink station.

He was then observed by deputies stabbing the baby inside the his SUV before fleeing on foot.

Glass then ran into a house in a nearby neighborhood.

A sheriff's deputy then shot and killed Glass.

Firefighters treated the child and rushed him to the hospital where he died of his wounds.

KTLA News

5:48 p.m. PST, March 1, 2011

TSA Worker Accused of Helping Drug Traffickers Get Past Security

BUFFALO, NY -- Federal agents arrested a TSA agent at Buffalo's Niagara International Airport on Tuesday for allegedly helping a drug dealers pass through security.

According to the Buffalo News, agents with the FBI and DEA had been watching 43-year old Minneta Walker for months.

On Tuesday, agents moved in, arresting Walker and an alleged drug dealer.

Walker, a 9-year TSA veteran pleaded not guilty in court this afternoon.

The Buffalo News writes "police said she is alleged to have assisted 'known drug traffickers' with information and with getting through airport security checkpoints."

This isn't the first scandal for the TSA in New York.

---

In January, a Buffalo transit cop admitted to taking home confiscated items, such as nail clippers and tweezers from TSA security.

And last month, two TSA workers at New York's JFK airport admitted stealing nearly $40,000 from passengers.

KTLA News

3:30 p.m. PST, March 1, 2011