latimes--2020-07-01--California fears July 4 coronavirus disaster, plans new restrictions

State and local governments planned more restrictions Tuesday as coronavirus cases continued to spike and officials became increasingly alarmed that the July 4th holiday weekend could bring a wave of new infections that could overwhelm hospitals .
The surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations began around the Memorial Day weekend as residents began socializing after months largely spent at home , and officials say a repeat of that behavior — failing to wear masks and mixing with many people outside of your household — this holiday weekend would be disastrous .
“ I think it is a critical moment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and heard , ” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health .
“ Traditionally , the Fourth of July has been such a time for large gatherings and beach going .
If those same practices occurred , we could be back with even a further spike upon our spike that we ’ re having now.
” Past holidays where there was extensive social interaction , like Mardi Gras in Louisiana and the Lunar New Year holiday in Wuhan , China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in COVID-19 that reverberated across their respective nations .
For the second consecutive day , California broke a record for the most cases reported in a single day — 8,610 cases , according to The Times ’ coronavirus tracker .
It was only the second time the state has recorded more than 8,000 cases in a single day .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , warned Tuesday that new cases nationally could rise to 100,000 a day if behaviors don ’ t change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40,000 cases a day .
That ’ s double what the country saw the first week of June , when there were an average of 20,700 cases reported daily .
The percent of coronavirus tests coming back positive in California continued to rise — hitting 5.95 % Tuesday , a Los Angeles Times analysis found , up from 5.28 % a week earlier , and 4.45 % a week before that .
That ’ s an indication that disease spread is worsening .
The Times ’ analysis has found that the average number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or suspected COVID-19 rose 36 % last week compared to what it was a month earlier .
On Tuesday , Ventura County joined Los Angeles County in closing beaches during the holiday , while San Diego County imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on all restaurants and bars in a move to close down alcohol-fueled nightlife that some fear is helping spread COVID-19 .
“ We simply can not go on with business as usual while this virus continues to rage our nation and our community , ” said San Diego County supervisor Greg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he planned to announce additional restrictions Wednesday .
“ We ’ ll be making some additional announcements on efforts to use that dimmer switch that we ’ ve referred to and begin to toggle back on our stay-at-home order and tighten things up , ” Newsom said .
“ The framework for us is this : If you ’ re not going to stay home , and you ’ re not going to wear masks in public , we have to enforce , and we will.
” The governor warned that changes would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not provide details .
Newsom said family gatherings had been one of the “ areas of biggest concern ” as immediate and extended family members mixed together .
Some people frightened by the spike in cases said they would welcome stricter rules .
“ To save people that are dying or getting infected , why open it up when it ’ s not ready or safe to do so ?
” said Teshome Tekeste , 23 , as he walked in Santa Monica on Tuesday .
He said he ’ s being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when friends are around .
The coming holiday scares him .
“ I ’ m worried and nervous .
I know we were doing really good prior to opening bars and restaurants and stores , and once we opened a gateway , that really opened up everything else , ” Tekeste said .
“ With July 4th coming up this weekend , I feel like a lot of people are going to be out regardless of the restrictions.
” As beaches and bars close , he ’ s not sure what he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hard to tell .
When the day comes , I ’ ll probably figure something out , ” Tekeste said .
“ I ’ ll feel comfortable doing anything if I know I will be protected — myself and the people around me .
But I can ’ t control other people ’ s actions , so that ’ s the issue that I don ’ t know.
” As she walked to the Apple store in Santa Monica , Terry Marie said she almost canceled her appointment upon seeing Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The virus had already scrapped her Fourth of July plans , she said .
“ I ’ ll probably be upstairs on my porch looking out , seeing if I see any fireworks , ” said Marie , a Venice resident in her 50s .
Marie called off a watch party set for Friday night for the digital release of “ Hamilton ” after a friend told her local and state orders prohibit household mixing .
“ I ’ ve got to be honest , it ’ s getting old now , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are several likely causes for the spike — people hanging out in crowded spaces without masks as well as the return of private gatherings like family barbecues , graduation parties and Father ’ s Day events .
The protests over the police killing of George Floyd , which brought tens of thousands onto streets , might also have spread coronavirus but there is debate about how much .
In the Inland Empire , hospitals are hovering at capacity levels , and officials in Los Angeles and elsewhere said they are just weeks from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowed .
That is why so much focus is being placed on keeping July 4 weekend under control .
“ I know how much we look forward to this time of year , ” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday evening .
“ But not this year .
This year we have to think about saving lives to protect what we have in this country.
” The state is monitoring 19 counties that have fallen short of meeting guidelines for at least three days due to an increase in the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of hospital capacity .
Newsom said he expected four additional counties to be added to the list on Wednesday .
California has 232,273 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths from COVID-19 , according to the Los Angeles Times tracker of the outbreak .
California was long hailed as a coronavirus success story .
“ We bent the curve in the state of California once .
We will bend the curve again , mark my word , ” Newsom said .
“ We will crush this pandemic .
We will annihilate it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we ’ re going to have to be tougher .
And we ’ re going to have to be smarter in terms of our approaches.
” Increasing numbers of California counties are following Newsom ’ s guidance and closing bars .
“ People don ’ t social distance well after a couple drinks , and it ’ s one of the hardest environments to trace contacts in , ” Riverside County Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser said Tuesday .
Michelle Steel , chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is considering the issuance of health orders to close bars in Orange County if , in his medical opinion , it is appropriate to do so.
” “ Throughout our pandemic response , and in our phased reopening , we have consistently stated that we would closely monitor the data and correct course as needed , ” she said .
“ I , and my colleagues on the Orange County Board of Supervisors , remain dedicated to protecting the health and safety of our residents.
” Times staff writers Colleen Shalby , Luke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Paul Sisson of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report .

Taryn Luna, Jake Sheridan, Rong-Gong Lin II

Kids ride a wave together as they learn to surf on a warm summer day at the San Clemente Pier Tuesday.
State and local governments planned more restrictions Tuesday as coronavirus cases continued to spike and officials became increasingly alarmed that the July 4th holiday weekend could bring a wave of new infections that could overwhelm hospitals.
The surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations began around the Memorial Day weekend as residents began socializing after months largely spent at home, and officials say a repeat of that behavior — failing to wear masks and mixing with many people outside of your household — this holiday weekend would be disastrous.
“I think it is a critical moment for the public health message to be given out and heard,” said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. “Traditionally, the Fourth of July has been such a time for large gatherings and beach going. If those same practices occurred, we could be back with even a further spike upon our spike that we’re having now.”
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Past holidays where there was extensive social interaction, like Mardi Gras in Louisiana and the Lunar New Year holiday in Wuhan, China, have been associated with big spikes in COVID-19 that reverberated across their respective nations.
California Newsom warns of more coronavirus restrictions and enforcement ahead of July 4 weekend Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered tougher restrictions on indoor activities for most of the state, marking a major step backward in the reopening and an attempt to slow an alarming rise of the coronavirus in 19 counties.
For the second consecutive day, California broke a record for the most cases reported in a single day — 8,610 cases, according to The Times’ coronavirus tracker. It was only the second time the state has recorded more than 8,000 cases in a single day.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Tuesday that new cases nationally could rise to 100,000 a day if behaviors don’t change.
The nation is currently recording about 40,000 cases a day. That’s double what the country saw the first week of June, when there were an average of 20,700 cases reported daily.
The percent of coronavirus tests coming back positive in California continued to rise — hitting 5.95% Tuesday, a Los Angeles Times analysis found, up from 5.28% a week earlier, and 4.45% a week before that. That’s an indication that disease spread is worsening.
The Times’ analysis has found that the average number of patients hospitalized in California with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 rose 36% last week compared to what it was a month earlier.
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On Tuesday, Ventura County joined Los Angeles County in closing beaches during the holiday, while San Diego County imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on all restaurants and bars in a move to close down alcohol-fueled nightlife that some fear is helping spread COVID-19.
“We simply cannot go on with business as usual while this virus continues to rage our nation and our community,” said San Diego County supervisor Greg Cox.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he planned to announce additional restrictions Wednesday.
“We’ll be making some additional announcements on efforts to use that dimmer switch that we’ve referred to and begin to toggle back on our stay-at-home order and tighten things up,” Newsom said. “The framework for us is this: If you’re not going to stay home, and you’re not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce, and we will.”
The governor warned that changes would also include restrictions on indoor gatherings but did not provide details. Newsom said family gatherings had been one of the “areas of biggest concern” as immediate and extended family members mixed together.
Some people frightened by the spike in cases said they would welcome stricter rules.
“To save people that are dying or getting infected, why open it up when it’s not ready or safe to do so?” said Teshome Tekeste, 23, as he walked in Santa Monica on Tuesday.
He said he’s being cautious: only eating takeout, masking-up when friends are around. The coming holiday scares him.
“I’m worried and nervous. I know we were doing really good prior to opening bars and restaurants and stores, and once we opened a gateway, that really opened up everything else,” Tekeste said. “With July 4th coming up this weekend, I feel like a lot of people are going to be out regardless of the restrictions.”
As beaches and bars close, he’s not sure what he’ll do on Saturday. “It’s hard to tell. When the day comes, I’ll probably figure something out,” Tekeste said. “I’ll feel comfortable doing anything if I know I will be protected — myself and the people around me. But I can’t control other people’s actions, so that’s the issue that I don’t know.”
As she walked to the Apple store in Santa Monica, Terry Marie said she almost canceled her appointment upon seeing Monday’s spike in COVID-19 cases.
The virus had already scrapped her Fourth of July plans, she said.
“I’ll probably be upstairs on my porch looking out, seeing if I see any fireworks,” said Marie, a Venice resident in her 50s.
Marie called off a watch party set for Friday night for the digital release of “Hamilton” after a friend told her local and state orders prohibit household mixing.
“I’ve got to be honest, it’s getting old now,” she said.
Officials have said there are several likely causes for the spike — people hanging out in crowded spaces without masks as well as the return of private gatherings like family barbecues, graduation parties and Father’s Day events. The protests over the police killing of George Floyd, which brought tens of thousands onto streets, might also have spread coronavirus but there is debate about how much.
In the Inland Empire, hospitals are hovering at capacity levels, and officials in Los Angeles and elsewhere said they are just weeks from that point unless the spread can be slowed. That is why so much focus is being placed on keeping July 4 weekend under control.
“I know how much we look forward to this time of year,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday evening. “But not this year. This year we have to think about saving lives to protect what we have in this country.”
The state is monitoring 19 counties that have fallen short of meeting guidelines for at least three days due to an increase in the spread of the virus, growing hospitalizations or a lack of hospital capacity. Newsom said he expected four additional counties to be added to the list on Wednesday.
California has 232,273 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to the Los Angeles Times tracker of the outbreak. California was long hailed as a coronavirus success story.
“We bent the curve in the state of California once. We will bend the curve again, mark my word,” Newsom said. “We will crush this pandemic. We will annihilate it. We’ll get past this, but we’re going to have to be tougher. And we’re going to have to be smarter in terms of our approaches.”
Increasing numbers of California counties are following Newsom’s guidance and closing bars.
“People don’t social distance well after a couple drinks, and it’s one of the hardest environments to trace contacts in,” Riverside County Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser said Tuesday.
But some spots remain resistant.
Michelle Steel, chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said Tuesday that the health officer “is considering the issuance of health orders to close bars in Orange County if, in his medical opinion, it is appropriate to do so.”
“Throughout our pandemic response, and in our phased reopening, we have consistently stated that we would closely monitor the data and correct course as needed,” she said. “I, and my colleagues on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, remain dedicated to protecting the health and safety of our residents.”
Times staff writers Colleen Shalby, Luke Money, Iris Lee, Andy Roberson and Paul Sisson of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-01--L.A. Unified police chief resigns after district slashes department budget

The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved an immediate 35 % cut to its school police force , a reduction of $ 25 million , in response to weeks of protests by student activists and community groups who had called for the elimination of the department .
In the wake of the decision , the department ’ s police chief , Todd Chamberlain , who has been in the job less than a year , resigned from his post Wednesday , district spokeswoman Shannon Haber said .
The board action also calls for officers to give up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will lead to the layoffs of 65 officers in the 471-employee department .
The money saved from the cuts is to be allocated to fund staff to specifically serve the needs of Black students and a task force that will study ways to reimagine the issue of student and campus safety .
“ L.A .
Unified has to continue to be a leader in showing what can happen when we believe in self-determination , when we empower communities to help this organization transform itself , ” said board member Monica Garcia .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackie Goldberg , Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez .
Opposing the move were board President Richard Vladovic and members George McKenna and Scott Schmerelson — all retired longtime school administrators who expressed concerns about safety risks .
District officials could not provide an answer Wednesday afternoon as to whether officers would keep weapons , after Goldberg ’ s chief of staff said Tuesday night that officers would be unarmed and barred from using pepper spray .
“ I ’ m sitting in a roll call and everyone is in uniform and everyone has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Gil Gamez said Wednesday afternoon .
The portion of Garcia ’ s language that was preserved said the money saved would go to “ support African American student achievement to the extent of the law.
” And until safety alternatives are worked out , all schools would have access “ to appropriate community support in the event of an emergency.
” Just before the vote , Garcia added an amendment that would bar the school district from replacing the school police by contracting with the Los Angeles Police Department , the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armed security force .
The vote to reduce the police force came at the end of a 13-hour meeting that started with public comments over the issue , which has roiled the school district since June 8 , when leaders of the teachers union joined with activists and called for the elimination of the police department .
Several student protests in Los Angeles were part of a nationwide movement calling for the “ defunding ” of police .
Local activists have long opposed the school police , but their effort gained momentum after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the custody of the Minneapolis police .
L.A. Unified joins several other school systems , including Oakland Unified , that have recently decided to move away from bringing armed officers onto campus , whether they are employed by the district or are part of a municipal police force .
The shape of the final resolution was a compromise between Garcia , who proposed a 50 % reduction , and Goldberg , who offered the smaller amount as an alternative and added the provisions about the uniforms and where the officers could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia pressed the issue by bringing it back to the board one week after her earlier defunding effort failed .
Speakers against the school police dominated more than five hours of public comments ; there also were numerous and impassioned defenders of the police .
“ There is nothing I can say to move the board that hasn ’ t been said by passionate advocates , ” Garcia said as she began her 11th-hour bid .
Board members then debated for hours , just as they had last week .
Goldberg praised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the students “ have made an impact on me.
” She added : “ I have been moved to tears since the death of Mr. Floyd.
” Vladovic said it would have made more sense to get parent and student input districtwide rather than to act immediately .
Both he and McKenna talked of violent episodes in their personal experience as principals that justified the need for police .
McKenna talked of officers establishing positive relationships with students , often serving as mentors .
In fact , all board members spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a model agency and preferable to relying on the LAPD or the Sheriff ’ s Department .
Several L.A. School Police officers spoke passionately at the meeting about their own experiences and the need to maintain the department from the perspective they have as police officers and Black L.A. Unified parents themselves .
“ That was a coordinated effort , '' said Officer Travis Fenderson , who recently formed a Black police officers coalition .
“ There needs to be representation from ... behind the badge , that looks like the community.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ school police said they would have preferred Garcia ’ s original 50 % cuts but would continue fighting toward the goal of eliminating the department .
“ This decision is a huge step that the LAUSD School Board is taking to cut the school police department and fund Black futures , ” said Students Deserve organizer and recent Venice High School graduate Mya Edwards .
“ The fight for real school safety has only just begun , ” said Black Lives Matter L.A. co-founder and L.A. Unified parent Melina Abdullah .
“ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop until we rid police from schools and invest in visions of safety that are grounded in meeting student needs.
” Christian Wimberly , a youth advocate with the Brothers , Sons , Selves Coalition , said that he attended Fairfax High School for two years , where school police were present , but that he felt safer as an 11th- and 12th-grader at CATCH Prep Charter High , where community members greeted students as they came and left campus , and mediated conflicts .
There were no school police , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in funding goes where it is meant to , quickly .
“ A lot of people have made promises , ” said Wimberly , 18 .
“ That ’ s the only thing I hope , is that they ’ re going to be able to get the money to the people they say ” will get it , such as counselors .
Before the vote , Chamberlain , the school police chief , told the board the cut would result in an immediate reduction of 65 officers and would limit officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday through Friday .
In addition , he said , 39 vacancies would not be filled and there would be no overtime available to fill the gaps .
The department has a total of 472 employees , including 344 sworn officers , who are certified to carry weapons .
High schools typically have one assigned , armed officer , middle schools have an unarmed security aide and elementary schools rely on roving patrols for safety issues .
Groups of officers typically arrive quickly at a school when a serious security call is sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to provide security for adult and night school , he added .
After-hours security would be virtually eliminated , making it difficult to deal with burglaries , vandalism and trespassing .
A detective who focused on sex-trafficking prevention would surrender those duties .
Perhaps the most compelling loss , Chamberlain said , is that the department ’ s intervention and prevention efforts would have to end .
Garcia responded that the task force could have the goal of resolving the issues raised by Chamberlain in different ways .
Vladovic said the cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the police department .
L.A. Unified Supt .
Austin Beutner said during the meeting that implementing a police cut of this size would take time and the board would need to provide more clarity on the intent of the amendment and the “ letter and spirit of the directive.
” “ If there is a belief that the staff can provide what exists now or differently in a span of weeks , I think that ’ s unrealistic , ” Beutner said .
“ I will just share a little bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to do the work that we as staff would like to do to properly inform this conversation .
”

L.A. school board member Monica Garcia succeeded Tuesday in her efforts to slash funding for school police as part of the budget for next year.
The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved an immediate 35% cut to its school police force, a reduction of $25 million, in response to weeks of protests by student activists and community groups who had called for the elimination of the department.
In the wake of the decision, the department’s police chief, Todd Chamberlain, who has been in the job less than a year, resigned from his post Wednesday, district spokeswoman Shannon Haber said.
The board action also calls for officers to give up their uniforms and patrol off campus, and will lead to the layoffs of 65 officers in the 471-employee department. The money saved from the cuts is to be allocated to fund staff to specifically serve the needs of Black students and a task force that will study ways to reimagine the issue of student and campus safety.
“L.A. Unified has to continue to be a leader in showing what can happen when we believe in self-determination, when we empower communities to help this organization transform itself,” said board member Monica Garcia.
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The 4-3 vote was supported by Garcia, Jackie Goldberg, Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez. Opposing the move were board President Richard Vladovic and members George McKenna and Scott Schmerelson — all retired longtime school administrators who expressed concerns about safety risks.
District officials could not provide an answer Wednesday afternoon as to whether officers would keep weapons, after Goldberg’s chief of staff said Tuesday night that officers would be unarmed and barred from using pepper spray.
“I’m sitting in a roll call and everyone is in uniform and everyone has their weapons,”school police union President Gil Gamez said Wednesday afternoon.
The portion of Garcia’s language that was preserved said the money saved would go to “support African American student achievement to the extent of the law.” And until safety alternatives are worked out, all schools would have access “to appropriate community support in the event of an emergency.”
Just before the vote, Garcia added an amendment that would bar the school district from replacing the school police by contracting with the Los Angeles Police Department, the county Sheriff’s Department or a private armed security force.
The vote to reduce the police force came at the end of a 13-hour meeting that started with public comments over the issue, which has roiled the school district since June 8, when leaders of the teachers union joined with activists and called for the elimination of the police department.
Several student protests in Los Angeles were part of a nationwide movement calling for the “defunding” of police. Local activists have long opposed the school police, but their effort gained momentum after the death in May of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police.
L.A. Unified joins several other school systems, including Oakland Unified, that have recently decided to move away from bringing armed officers onto campus, whether they are employed by the district or are part of a municipal police force.
Advertisement
The shape of the final resolution was a compromise between Garcia, who proposed a 50% reduction, and Goldberg, who offered the smaller amount as an alternative and added the provisions about the uniforms and where the officers could be stationed.
Goldberg advanced her compromise after Garcia pressed the issue by bringing it back to the board one week after her earlier defunding effort failed. Speakers against the school police dominated more than five hours of public comments; there also were numerous and impassioned defenders of the police.
“There is nothing I can say to move the board that hasn’t been said by passionate advocates,” Garcia said as she began her 11th-hour bid. Board members then debated for hours, just as they had last week.
Goldberg praised the quality of the school police force but said that the students “have made an impact on me.”
She added: “I have been moved to tears since the death of Mr. Floyd.”
× Nationwide, protesters and activists have been calling to “defund the police.” But what does it actually mean? And why are so many people calling for it to happen?
Vladovic said it would have made more sense to get parent and student input districtwide rather than to act immediately.
Both he and McKenna talked of violent episodes in their personal experience as principals that justified the need for police. McKenna talked of officers establishing positive relationships with students, often serving as mentors.
In fact, all board members spoke of the district’s police force as a model agency and preferable to relying on the LAPD or the Sheriff’s Department. Several L.A. School Police officers spoke passionately at the meeting about their own experiences and the need to maintain the department from the perspective they have as police officers and Black L.A. Unified parents themselves.
“That was a coordinated effort,”said Officer Travis Fenderson, who recently formed a Black police officers coalition. “There needs to be representation from ... behind the badge, that looks like the community.”
The groups pushing to eliminate the school police said they would have preferred Garcia’s original 50% cuts but would continue fighting toward the goal of eliminating the department.
“This decision is a huge step that the LAUSD School Board is taking to cut the school police department and fund Black futures,” said Students Deserve organizer and recent Venice High School graduate Mya Edwards.
“The fight for real school safety has only just begun,” said Black Lives Matter L.A. co-founder and L.A. Unified parent Melina Abdullah. “A powerful coalition has formed and will not stop until we rid police from schools and invest in visions of safety that are grounded in meeting student needs.”
Christian Wimberly, a youth advocate with the Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition, said that he attended Fairfax High School for two years, where school police were present, but that he felt safer as an 11th- and 12th-grader at CATCH Prep Charter High, where community members greeted students as they came and left campus, and mediated conflicts. There were no school police, he said. Now he hopes the $25 million in funding goes where it is meant to, quickly.
“A lot of people have made promises,” said Wimberly, 18. “That’s the only thing I hope, is that they’re going to be able to get the money to the people they say” will get it, such as counselors.
Before the vote, Chamberlain, the school police chief, told the board the cut would result in an immediate reduction of 65 officers and would limit officer presence at high schools to school hours Monday through Friday. In addition, he said, 39 vacancies would not be filled and there would be no overtime available to fill the gaps. The department has a total of 472 employees, including 344 sworn officers, who are certified to carry weapons.
High schools typically have one assigned, armed officer, middle schools have an unarmed security aide and elementary schools rely on roving patrols for safety issues. Groups of officers typically arrive quickly at a school when a serious security call is sent out.
Officers also would not be able to provide security for adult and night school, he added. After-hours security would be virtually eliminated, making it difficult to deal with burglaries, vandalism and trespassing. A detective who focused on sex-trafficking prevention would surrender those duties.
Perhaps the most compelling loss, Chamberlain said, is that the department’s intervention and prevention efforts would have to end.
Garcia responded that the task force could have the goal of resolving the issues raised by Chamberlain in different ways.
Vladovic said the cut, in effect, destroys the infrastructure of the police department.
L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner said during the meeting that implementing a police cut of this size would take time and the board would need to provide more clarity on the intent of the amendment and the “letter and spirit of the directive.”
“If there is a belief that the staff can provide what exists now or differently in a span of weeks, I think that’s unrealistic,” Beutner said. “I will just share a little bit of my frustration that there wasn’t time to do the work that we as staff would like to do to properly inform this conversation.”


latimes--2020-07-02--Coronavirus at 'critical juncture' as hospitalizations in California soar

The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus in California has jumped 56 % in the last two weeks , an alarming sign of how rapidly COVID-19 is spreading and the intense pressure it ’ s putting on the state ’ s medical infrastructure .
Coronavirus cases have surged over the past weeks , hitting four daily records in the last two weeks and prompting officials to order the shut down of indoor restaurants and bars in much of the state .
There is growing concern over the July 4 weekend because officials fear social gatherings could bring even more outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed coronavirus infection hit 5,196 Tuesday across the state .
Just a week ago , there were 4,047 people in hospitals , and a week before that , there were 3,337 .
Some counties , including San Bernardino and Riverside , say their hospitals are close to surge capacity , and officials were prepared to open additional overflow facilities as more patients need care .
Los Angeles County has not eclipsed its highest daily total of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations , which crested on April 28 with 1,962 patients , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were 1,893 patients with confirmed infections in L.A. County hospitals ; two weeks earlier , there were 1,429 .
“ L.A .
County ’ s really at a critical juncture in the pandemic , ” said Barbara Ferrer , the L.A. County public health director .
Coronavirus testing is becoming a growing challenge in Los Angeles and beyond .
As of Wednesday , there were no available appointments at county- or city-run test sites .
Officials had warned that testing would be limited this week due to the upcoming holiday weekend , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already proved to be a challenge .
Last week , appointment slots filled up amid officials ’ ongoing calls for residents to get tested .
Dr. Christina Ghaly , L.A. County ’ s director of health services , said Wednesday that the demand for testing has increased and that more slots would be added Friday .
The county plans to expand testing to areas most affected by the virus , and Ghaly said individuals who have symptoms , work in high-risk settings or have come into contact with someone known to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If someone experiencing any of those factors can not get tested through the county- or city-run sites , Ghaly encouraged them not to wait and to instead contact their medical provider .
“ This is a time for universal caution , ” she said .
Over the last seven days , 6.4 % of coronavirus tests came back confirming infections across California ; a week ago , only 5.6 % of tests came back positive ; and the week before that , 4.6 % of tests confirmed infections .
The rate at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even higher in L.A. County ; it ’ s now at 8.4 % , in comparison to 4.6 % in late May .
L.A. County officials Wednesday announced 32 additional coronavirus-related deaths and more than 1,700 new cases for the fourth day in a row .
In a change in policy for gyms , staff and customers at fitness facilities will now be required to wear cloth face coverings and gloves at all times .
As several clusters of cases have been linked to gatherings , officials have encouraged people not to congregate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet up with people outside your household over the holiday weekend .
Despite the fact that people are ignoring the county order and gathering , Ferrer said there are no immediate plans to offer guidance for how people can more safely mingle with people outside their households in so-called social bubbles , as has been done in some Northern California communities .
That said , Ferrer added that county officials are preparing guidance documents for when people can safely mix again .
But at this point , officials are focusing on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Unfortunately , our numbers , actually , at this point in time , really warrant us not to get into these expanded bubbles , ” Ferrer said .
“ I would really encourage people to get back into your household bubble , at least for the next couple of weeks .
We ’ re really at a pivotal point.
” She added : “ If we can ’ t find a way to minimize our exposures ... we will continue to see the rise in cases .
We ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to a more level ground.
” In Orange County , officials announced bars will be forced to shut down again beginning at midnight Thursday .
But there remains debate about how many beaches will be opened during the July 4th weekend .
Laguna Beach officials voted Tuesday to close city-operated beaches .
The city had previously canceled its fireworks show in an effort to thin crowds but took the issue a step further after and residents began expressing concerns over a possible influx of beachgoers .
Newport Beach is putting its beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of July after two lifeguards have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Twenty-three colleagues are in quarantine .
One of them is showing symptoms and hasn ’ t been tested yet .
Seal Beach has also ordered its beach and related facilities closed .
Huntington Beach was still deciding whether to keep its shores open .
Ventura County also closed beaches for the holiday .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Colleen Shalby, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Hannah Fry

Shoppers, wearing masks to protect themselves from coronavirus, shop on Santee Alley in the Garment District in downtown Los Angeles.
The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus in California has jumped 56% in the last two weeks, an alarming sign of how rapidly COVID-19 is spreading and the intense pressure it’s putting on the state’s medical infrastructure.
Coronavirus cases have surged over the past weeks, hitting four daily records in the last two weeks and prompting officials to order the shut down of indoor restaurants and bars in much of the state. There is growing concern over the July 4 weekend because officials fear social gatherings could bring even more outbreaks.
California Newsom warns of more coronavirus restrictions and enforcement ahead of July 4 weekend Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered tougher restrictions on indoor activities for most of the state, marking a major step backward in the reopening and an attempt to slow an alarming rise of the coronavirus in 19 counties.
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The number of people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infection hit 5,196 Tuesday across the state. Just a week ago, there were 4,047 people in hospitals, and a week before that, there were 3,337.
Some counties, including San Bernardino and Riverside, say their hospitals are close to surge capacity, and officials were prepared to open additional overflow facilities as more patients need care.
Los Angeles County has not eclipsed its highest daily total of confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations, which crested on April 28 with 1,962 patients, but it’s getting close: On Tuesday, there were 1,893 patients with confirmed infections in L.A. County hospitals; two weeks earlier, there were 1,429.
“L.A. County’s really at a critical juncture in the pandemic,” said Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County public health director.
Coronavirus testing is becoming a growing challenge in Los Angeles and beyond.
As of Wednesday, there were no available appointments at county- or city-run test sites. Officials had warned that testing would be limited this week due to the upcoming holiday weekend, but in recent weeks, getting a test has already proved to be a challenge . Last week, appointment slots filled up amid officials’ ongoing calls for residents to get tested.
Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County’s director of health services, said Wednesday that the demand for testing has increased and that more slots would be added Friday. The county plans to expand testing to areas most affected by the virus, and Ghaly said individuals who have symptoms, work in high-risk settings or have come into contact with someone known to be positive are most in need of testing.
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If someone experiencing any of those factors cannot get tested through the county- or city-run sites, Ghaly encouraged them not to wait and to instead contact their medical provider.
“This is a time for universal caution,” she said.
Over the last seven days, 6.4% of coronavirus tests came back confirming infections across California; a week ago, only 5.6% of tests came back positive; and the week before that, 4.6% of tests confirmed infections.
The rate at which coronavirus tests came back positive were even higher in L.A. County; it’s now at 8.4%, in comparison to 4.6% in late May.
L.A. County officials Wednesday announced 32 additional coronavirus-related deaths and more than 1,700 new cases for the fourth day in a row. In a change in policy for gyms, staff and customers at fitness facilities will now be required to wear cloth face coverings and gloves at all times.
As several clusters of cases have been linked to gatherings, officials have encouraged people not to congregate in crowded or confined settings and not to meet up with people outside your household over the holiday weekend.
Despite the fact that people are ignoring the county order and gathering, Ferrer said there are no immediate plans to offer guidance for how people can more safely mingle with people outside their households in so-called social bubbles, as has been done in some Northern California communities.
That said, Ferrer added that county officials are preparing guidance documents for when people can safely mix again. But at this point, officials are focusing on the need for people to minimize exposure.
“Unfortunately, our numbers, actually, at this point in time, really warrant us not to get into these expanded bubbles,” Ferrer said. “I would really encourage people to get back into your household bubble, at least for the next couple of weeks. We’re really at a pivotal point.”
She added: “If we can’t find a way to minimize our exposures ... we will continue to see the rise in cases. We’ve got to do something right now to get us back to a more level ground.”
In Orange County, officials announced bars will be forced to shut down again beginning at midnight Thursday.
But there remains debate about how many beaches will be opened during the July 4th weekend. Laguna Beach officials voted Tuesday to close city-operated beaches. The city had previously canceled its fireworks show in an effort to thin crowds but took the issue a step further after Los Angeles County closed its beaches and residents began expressing concerns over a possible influx of beachgoers.
Newport Beach is putting its beaches under a hard closure on the Fourth of July after two lifeguards have tested positive for COVID-19. Twenty-three colleagues are in quarantine. One of them is showing symptoms and hasn’t been tested yet. Seal Beach has also ordered its beach and related facilities closed. Huntington Beach was still deciding whether to keep its shores open.
Ventura County also closed beaches for the holiday.
Times Community News reporter Hillary Davis contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-02--L.A. ice cream vendor adapts to life in a COVID-19 world

For the past 16 years , Mauro Rios Parra has ridden his bike to a warehouse on Washington Boulevard to start his day as a paletero .
And every day for 16 years , he ’ s stuffed the same pushcart with more than 300 ice creams and fruit bars , or paletas : coconut , tamarindo , pineapple , hibiscus , coffee , lemon , mamey sapote , nance and his personal favorites , vanilla and strawberry .
Then there ’ s the ice cream cups and sandwiches , the Choco Tacos , the Tweedy and Spider-Man and Ninja @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent cloudy morning sky , Rios , 63 , holds the door of Barahona Ice Cream in Pico-Union wide open .
Into the warehouse workers wheel a giant blue chest filled with dry ice and dozens of boxed frozen treats .
Pico-Union is his home and his turf .
Tucked a few miles west of downtown , it ’ s one of the poorest and densest neighborhoods in Los Angeles , with some 45,000 people squeezed into 1.67 square miles .
Given that physical distance is one of the best safeguards against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the hardest hit by the highly contagious disease .
L.A. is a city of street vendors .
Bacon-wrapped hot dogs , mulitas , freshly sliced fruits , raspados and corn on the cob are just a few of the tasty delights they sell .
But valuable and ubiquitous as they are , street vendors like Rios are also one of the most vulnerable populations in the food community .
They are subject to harassment , and many are living in the country illegally .
COVID-19 has added another stressor to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ por favor , ” manager Norma Barahona prompts the men wheeling the ice box into the humble , musty warehouse .
“ Put on your masks , please.
” Framed photos of La Virgen de Guadalupe hang on the walls .
So do reminders of the disease lurking all about .
“ Keep your distance , ” one sign says in English and Spanish .
Rios unloads an ice-cream-filled milk crate that bears his name .
He reaches deep into his cart and tucks each sweet paleta and icy dessert in its rightful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ esta tan callado ?
Tiene miedo o qué ?
” Oscar Samano , a fellow paletero , asks a focused Rios .
“ Sir , why are you so quiet ?
Are you scared or what ?
” he quips .
“ How much did they pay you to shut up ?
” On a typical day , he would quip back to Samano , a tall , sturdy man who proudly calls himself “ the soul of this place ” and playfully dubs Rios his other half .
“ I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ my love , ’ later , ” Samano warns Rios , who responds “ mi cielo , ” my heaven .
They laugh .
At 11:40 a.m. , Rios is ready .
Wearing a black mask that covers his salt-and-pepper mustache , he closes the lids of his pushcart , grips its handlebars firmly and pushes it down the hall and out of the warehouse , which stands between a church and locksmith .
West Washington Boulevard is beginning to wake up .
A few steps down , people carry grocery bags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the next seven hours , Rios will walk more than seven miles up hills , across streets and past empty schools satisfying the sweet tooth of L.A. 's sweaty masses .
The jingle of his bells marks his path .
He likes to make people smile , he says .
These days , it ’ s a much more difficult task .
Rios came to the U.S. in 2002 .
He had worked at a brewery in Oaxaca , Mexico , pocketing very little money .
He struggled to support his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m going to leave so that you can have a better life , ” Rios told his children before heading north in search of a job that would pay more .
“ Study as much as possible .
Get ahead in life.
” He didn ’ t want them to suffer the extreme poverty he and his family of 10 had endured in his hometown of San José Chiltepec .
At 13 his father died , and Rios quit school to work .
Every day , from sunrise to sunset , he planted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more .
“ My life has been nothing but work since , ” he says in Spanish .
His mind made up , he sold his home in Oaxaca to pay smugglers and trekked across the desert with about 70 others .
His family moved in with relatives .
Three people died of dehydration along the journey .
More than a week later , Rios arrived in Phoenix , drove to Tampa , Fla. , and found a job building benches .
He shared a small home with 12 other immigrants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ home while everyone slept .
He was locked up in a detention center for a month before being deported .
Two years later , he trudged across the border again and arrived in Los Angeles .
“ I took the risk a second time out of necessity , ” Rios said .
Despite working seven days a week in Mexico , there was never enough money .
“ I came back [ to the U.S. ] for my children.
” At least three times a day , he talks to his now-adult children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ love of 35 years.
” He hasn ’ t seen his family in 16 years .
Rios pushes his cart up an inclined South Berendo Street into a residential area , greeting those he meets .
“ Buenas , ” he says cheerily to a man walking by .
Friendliness and communication are key in this field of work .
If you want to sell paletas , you have to do it with a smile .
Respect and timing are important too .
His first stop is a construction site at Loyola @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolls his pushcart past the green fence , where a massive machine digs chunks of dirt from the ground .
He rings the bells dutifully , but the hammering sounds drown out his jingle .
A few minutes later , four workers in hard hats and safety vests make the first purchases of the day .
Rios then rolls his cart half a mile to the Normandie Recreation Center .
A young couple sip coffee at a picnic table .
People play basketball on the court .
A man does pushups nearby while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fence .
Children chase each other in a recently opened playground .
Two elderly women keep watch .
He jingles his bells .
No one approaches .
Being a paletero is hard enough in normal times .
But during the pandemic , with parks and schools closed and people afraid to leave their homes , much of his clientele has vanished .
“ Sales plummeted , ” he says .
His usual $ 180 to $ 250 daily earnings dropped to $ 120 or less .
But Rios doesn ’ t fear the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he does with us and what will and won ’ t happen to us , ” he says .
“ All we can do is take care and protect ourselves.
” Everywhere Rios goes , he sees how the city has changed since the pandemic began .
Bars along Pico Boulevard are boarded up with plywood .
Restaurants emphasize delivery and takeout only .
Churches are shuttered .
Bakeries and salons warn customers : “ No mask , no service.
” But Rios knows where to find customers : Pico-Union ’ s crowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Normandie Avenue , a man sprints across the street to approach Rios .
“ Do you have any paletas de tamarindo ?
” he asks .
Just days earlier , he had been feeling ill , and Rios asks how he ’ s doing .
Rios reaches into the cart and gives him a paleta , free of charge .
It ’ s a frequent act of kindness to a man with no money .
Outside a regular ’ s house blocks away , Rios rings his bells and waits .
Silence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m leaving !
” Rios warns minutes later .
Still , no sales .
A woman on a bike rides past and yells in Spanish : “ How much are the paletas ?
” She does not stop .
When Rios walks into the parking lot of another apartment complex , his bells immediately attract a customer .
The man orders coconut , mamey and tamarindo paletas , “ and one of these , ” he says pointing to a nutty drumstick .
“ Muchas gracias.
” Rios jingles again .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flops walks out of her apartment and orders a Powerpuff Girl ice cream bar with gumball eyes .
She holds it up and yells in Spanish to a little girl hiding behind a closed door : “ Look , this one ?
” Eulalia Vargas can ’ t figure out what her granddaughter Mia Estrada , 6 , wants .
She orders three bars just to be safe .
Minutes later , Vargas reemerges with Mia in hand .
“ She didn ’ t like any of these !
” she tells Rios @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An ice cream sandwich is what she wanted all along .
“ Sin esto no se vende , ” he says , pointing to his bells .
“ Es muy importante.
” “ Without these , you don ’ t sell .
They ’ re very important.
” The clappers of two bells fell off some time ago , but Rios replaced them with a pair of small keys and a metal lock .
Throughout the day , people old and young chase the song of the bells .
He walks miles every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he loves his work .
“ It ’ s fun and it ’ s distracting ... and I ’ m happy doing what I do , ” he says .
Strangers and regular customers treat him kindly .
But it ’ s dangerous work , he says .
Twice he ’ s been robbed , and he ’ s fended off three other attempts .
He ’ s learned to stash his earnings in different places .
And he ’ s adopted this philosophy : “ Befriend those types of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” By 3 p.m. , Rios has made 26 sales , mostly from his apartment visits .
But he has more places to be .
He checks his watch .
In 30 minutes , construction site workers will end their shifts .
He heads their way .
Four hours later , Rios is back in the warehouse .
He empties his pushcart of the desserts he didn ’ t sell .
He tucks $ 80 into his pocket , bids his colleagues farewell , and wheels his road bike onto the street .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ His sacrifices have been worthwhile .
His children did indeed study as much as possible .
One is a doctor ; two are lawyers .
In two years , Rios plans to return to Oaxaca .
This time , he hopes to stay .
He wants to have a garden and a chicken coop .
He wants to open his own business , sell roasted pork , Cuban style .
He won ’ t be a paletero anymore .
But he will be with his family .

For the past 16 years, Mauro Rios Parra has ridden his bike to a warehouse on Washington Boulevard to start his day as a paletero. And every day for 16 years, he’s stuffed the same pushcart with more than 300 ice creams and fruit bars, or paletas: coconut, tamarindo, pineapple, hibiscus, coffee, lemon, mamey sapote, nance and his personal favorites, vanilla and strawberry.
Then there’s the ice cream cups and sandwiches, the Choco Tacos, the Tweedy and Spider-Man and Ninja Turtle bars with gumball eyes.
Under a recent cloudy morning sky, Rios, 63, holds the door of Barahona Ice Cream in Pico-Union wide open. Into the warehouse workers wheel a giant blue chest filled with dry ice and dozens of boxed frozen treats.
Pico-Union is his home and his turf. Tucked a few miles west of downtown, it’s one of the poorest and densest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, with some 45,000 people squeezed into 1.67 square miles.
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Given that physical distance is one of the best safeguards against the coronavirus, it has also been one of the hardest hit by the highly contagious disease.
Rios prepares his ice cream cart at Barahona Ice Cream in Pico Union. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. is a city of street vendors. Bacon-wrapped hot dogs, mulitas, freshly sliced fruits, raspados and corn on the cob are just a few of the tasty delights they sell. But valuable and ubiquitous as they are, street vendors like Rios are also one of the most vulnerable populations in the food community. They are subject to harassment, and many are living in the country illegally. COVID-19 has added another stressor to their livelihoods.
“Pónganse sus máscaras, por favor,” manager Norma Barahona prompts the men wheeling the ice box into the humble, musty warehouse. “Put on your masks, please.” Framed photos of La Virgen de Guadalupe hang on the walls. So do reminders of the disease lurking all about. “Keep your distance,” one sign says in English and Spanish.
Rios unloads an ice-cream-filled milk crate that bears his name. He reaches deep into his cart and tucks each sweet paleta and icy dessert in its rightful place.
“Señor, por qué esta tan callado? Tiene miedo o qué?” Oscar Samano, a fellow paletero, asks a focused Rios. “Sir, why are you so quiet? Are you scared or what?” he quips. “How much did they pay you to shut up?”
Oscar Samano, right, hugs Rios inside Barahona Ice Cream. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Rios is silent.
On a typical day, he would quip back to Samano, a tall, sturdy man who proudly calls himself “the soul of this place” and playfully dubs Rios his other half.
“I don’t want to hear you calling me ‘my love,’ later,” Samano warns Rios, who responds “mi cielo,” my heaven. They laugh.
At 11:40 a.m., Rios is ready. Wearing a black mask that covers his salt-and-pepper mustache, he closes the lids of his pushcart, grips its handlebars firmly and pushes it down the hall and out of the warehouse, which stands between a church and locksmith.
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Rios rings the bells of his ice cream cart during his route in Pico Union. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
West Washington Boulevard is beginning to wake up. A few steps down, people carry grocery bags out of La Campanita Meat Market.
For the next seven hours, Rios will walk more than seven miles up hills, across streets and past empty schools satisfying the sweet tooth of L.A.’s sweaty masses. The jingle of his bells marks his path.
He likes to make people smile, he says.
These days, it’s a much more difficult task.
**
Rios came to the U.S. in 2002. He had worked at a brewery in Oaxaca, Mexico, pocketing very little money. He struggled to support his wife and three children.
Then he made a difficult decision.
Rios crosses the street at the end of his day. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
“I’m going to leave so that you can have a better life,” Rios told his children before heading north in search of a job that would pay more. “Study as much as possible. Get ahead in life.”
He didn’t want them to suffer the extreme poverty he and his family of 10 had endured in his hometown of San José Chiltepec. At 13 his father died, and Rios quit school to work. Every day, from sunrise to sunset, he planted chiles, corn, beans, rice and more.
Advertisement
“My life has been nothing but work since,” he says in Spanish.
His mind made up, he sold his home in Oaxaca to pay smugglers and trekked across the desert with about 70 others. His family moved in with relatives.
Rios rests in the shade during his route. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Three people died of dehydration along the journey. More than a week later, Rios arrived in Phoenix, drove to Tampa, Fla., and found a job building benches. He shared a small home with 12 other immigrants. But one night police stormed into their home while everyone slept.
He was locked up in a detention center for a month before being deported. Two years later, he trudged across the border again and arrived in Los Angeles.
“I took the risk a second time out of necessity,” Rios said. Despite working seven days a week in Mexico, there was never enough money. “I came back [to the U.S.] for my children.” At least three times a day, he talks to his now-adult children and Reyna Regina Martinez Hernandez, his “love of 35 years.”
He hasn’t seen his family in 16 years.
**
Rios pushes his cart up an inclined South Berendo Street into a residential area, greeting those he meets. “Buenas,” he says cheerily to a man walking by. Friendliness and communication are key in this field of work. If you want to sell paletas, you have to do it with a smile. Respect and timing are important too.
Rios takes a short break to drink Powerade. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
His first stop is a construction site at Loyola High School on Venice Boulevard. Rios rolls his pushcart past the green fence, where a massive machine digs chunks of dirt from the ground. He rings the bells dutifully, but the hammering sounds drown out his jingle. A few minutes later, four workers in hard hats and safety vests make the first purchases of the day.
Advertisement
Rios then rolls his cart half a mile to the Normandie Recreation Center. A young couple sip coffee at a picnic table. People play basketball on the court. A man does pushups nearby while another kicks a soccer ball into a fence. Children chase each other in a recently opened playground. Two elderly women keep watch.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling
from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
He jingles his bells. No one approaches.
Being a paletero is hard enough in normal times. But during the pandemic, with parks and schools closed and people afraid to leave their homes, much of his clientele has vanished. “Sales plummeted,” he says.
His usual $180 to $250 daily earnings dropped to $120 or less. But Rios doesn’t fear the virus.
“Only God knows what he does with us and what will and won’t happen to us,” he says. “All we can do is take care and protect ourselves.”
**
Everywhere Rios goes, he sees how the city has changed since the pandemic began.
Rios sells paletas to children in an apartment complex. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Bars along Pico Boulevard are boarded up with plywood. Restaurants emphasize delivery and takeout only. Churches are shuttered. Bakeries and salons warn customers: “No mask, no service.” But Rios knows where to find customers: Pico-Union’s crowded apartment complexes.
On Pico Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, a man sprints across the street to approach Rios. “Do you have any paletas de tamarindo?” he asks. Just days earlier, he had been feeling ill, and Rios asks how he’s doing. Rios reaches into the cart and gives him a paleta, free of charge. It’s a frequent act of kindness to a man with no money.
Advertisement
Outside a regular’s house blocks away, Rios rings his bells and waits. Silence.
Elizabeth Sanchez, left, 5, and Mia Estrada, 6, eat ice cream at their apartment complex. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
“I’m leaving! I’m leaving!” Rios warns minutes later. Still, no sales. A woman on a bike rides past and yells in Spanish: “How much are the paletas?” She does not stop.
When Rios walks into the parking lot of another apartment complex, his bells immediately attract a customer. The man orders coconut, mamey and tamarindo paletas, “and one of these,” he says pointing to a nutty drumstick. “Muchas gracias.” Rios jingles again.
A woman in a red apron and flip flops walks out of her apartment and orders a Powerpuff Girl ice cream bar with gumball eyes. She holds it up and yells in Spanish to a little girl hiding behind a closed door: “Look, this one?”
Rios sells paletas at an apartment complex on South Normandie Avenue. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Eulalia Vargas can’t figure out what her granddaughter Mia Estrada, 6, wants. She orders three bars just to be safe. Minutes later, Vargas reemerges with Mia in hand. “She didn’t like any of these!” she tells Rios, his eyes wrinkled in amusement. An ice cream sandwich is what she wanted all along.
“Sin esto no se vende,” he says, pointing to his bells. “Es muy importante.” “Without these, you don’t sell. They’re very important.” The clappers of two bells fell off some time ago, but Rios replaced them with a pair of small keys and a metal lock.
Throughout the day, people old and young chase the song of the bells. He walks miles every day, often under a scorching sun. But he loves his work. “It’s fun and it’s distracting ... and I’m happy doing what I do,” he says.
Rios positions his cart near a construction site. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Strangers and regular customers treat him kindly. But it’s dangerous work, he says. Twice he’s been robbed, and he’s fended off three other attempts. He’s learned to stash his earnings in different places.
And he’s adopted this philosophy: “Befriend those types of people so they’re not your enemies.”
By 3 p.m., Rios has made 26 sales, mostly from his apartment visits. But he has more places to be. He checks his watch. In 30 minutes, construction site workers will end their shifts. He heads their way.
**
Four hours later, Rios is back in the warehouse. He empties his pushcart of the desserts he didn’t sell.
He tucks $80 into his pocket, bids his colleagues farewell, and wheels his road bike onto the street. The sky is a Creamsicle orange.
His sacrifices have been worthwhile. His children did indeed study as much as possible. One is a doctor; two are lawyers. In two years, Rios plans to return to Oaxaca. This time, he hopes to stay. He wants to have a garden and a chicken coop. He wants to open his own business, sell roasted pork, Cuban style.
Advertisement
He won’t be a paletero anymore. But he will be with his family.


latimes--2020-07-02--In California, the death penalty is all but meaningless. A life sentence for the Golden State Killer

In California, the death penalty is all but meaningless. A life sentence for the Golden State Killer was the right move

The Golden State Killer is the perfect example of why the death penalty is justified — and why life in prison is preferable .
Especially in California , where a death penalty sentence is practically meaningless .
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. — also dubbed the Visalia Ransacker , East Area Rapist or Original Night Stalker , depending on the community he terrorized — was among “ the worst of the worst.
” “ He is the real-life version of Hannibal Lecter , ” Sacramento County Dist .
Atty .
Anne Marie Schubert told reporters , referring to the fictitious psychopathic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lambs.
” Schubert spoke Monday after DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 charges of kidnapping for purposes of robbery during 13 years of horror up and down California .
DeAngelo also admitted to 161 uncharged crimes of rape , attempted murder , robbery , burglary and kidnapping involving 61 victims .
There were 42 uncharged rapes .
These crimes weren ’ t prosecuted because the statutes of limitations had long ago expired .
He was “ a cruel , intelligent , sadistic serial killer , ” Schubert said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a master manipulator.
” During the 1970s and 1980s , DeAngelo would break into couples ’ homes at night while they were asleep , force the woman to tie up her husband or boyfriend with shoestrings , then bind the woman .
He ’ d place saucers and cups on the man ’ s back as an alarm system and warn that if he heard them rattle , everyone in the house would be killed .
He ’ d drag the woman into another room and rape her repeatedly , sometimes witnessed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ears off one little girl if she screamed .
Meanwhile , he ransacked the house and helped himself to refrigerator snacks .
In the end , DeAngelo would kill the couple anyway by shooting or bludgeoning them — with a pipe wrench or a sprinkler head or a fireplace log .
“ What ’ s so frustrating , ” Orange County Dist .
Atty .
Todd Spitzer told me , referring to the prosecutors ’ and defendant ’ s agreed-upon sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole , “ is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death penalty , it ’ s DeAngelo.
” Opponents of capital punishment argue that it ’ s administered unfairly and sometimes against people who may be innocent .
They also point out that people of color , the poor and those with mental illness are disproportionately executed .
But none of that applies to DeAngelo .
There ’ s no question of his guilt , not just because he confessed , but because DNA linked him to the crimes unequivocally .
Moreover , he ’ s white , middle class and college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoplifting .
DeAngelo had plenty of opportunity .
His life was spared not out of mercy , but because of practicalities .
Prosecutors from six counties decided unanimously not to seek the death penalty for several sound reasons .
Most importantly , they traded an unlikely future execution for DeAngelo ’ s agreement to admit committing not only the charged murders and kidnappings , but all the rapes and other crimes that legally couldn ’ t be prosecuted .
That was important for the rape survivors and victims ’ families .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to DeAngelo when he is formally sentenced on Aug. 17 .
“ I was going back and forth all day , ” Spitzer says of Monday ’ s court proceedings in a Cal State Sacramento ballroom , where prosecutors read aloud the horrific details of each crime .
“ Did I make the right decision ?
“ The only reason I agreed was I spoke to all the family members of the four Orange County murder victims and they agreed this was the best thing.
” If prosecutors had not agreed to life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never would have admitted to the crimes .
The admissions were significant.
” That raises another point often argued by supporters of capital punishment : The possibility of the death penalty is needed as leverage to persuade killers not only to plead guilty , but to confess to other unsolved murders they committed and disclose where bodies were left .
There ’ s another reason for not seeking the death penalty for DeAngelo .
At 74 and appearing frail — although some prosecutors believe he ’ s faking frailty — it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to be executed .
“ It would have taken 10 years to go to trial and the trial would have lasted two years , ” Spitzer says .
“ Then there ’ d be 20 to 25 years of appeals .
... “ Most of the surviving adult victims would probably not be with us anymore .
And we were losing witnesses .
They were dying.
” All those years of legal proceedings would have cost taxpayers many wasted millions and court systems ’ precious energy and time .
Better to quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where most inmates have cellmates and must work for pennies .
Death row in California can be a relative resort with single cells , personal TVs , generous access to the exercise yard and free legal services .
Of course , California doesn ’ t really have a death penalty .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom — breaking his campaign promise to enforce capital punishment — declared a moratorium on it shortly after taking office .
That ’ s despite California voters twice in recent years rejecting efforts to repeal the death penalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state has executed only 13 murderers since 1978 , the last in 2006 .
Meanwhile , there are 725 killers on death row .
Their principal cause of death is old age .
Newsom should summon the courage to ask voters to officially repeal the death penalty and save taxpayers future billions for the special treatment of condemned murderers .
Thankfully , DeAngelo ’ s prosecutors made the wise decision to save many millions of tax dollars and years of time — and obtained 187 confessions .
Regardless of the life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will die behind bars .

Deputies bring Joseph James DeAngelo into the courtroom in Sacramento on June 29.
The Golden State Killer is the perfect example of why the death penalty is justified — and why life in prison is preferable.
Especially in California, where a death penalty sentence is practically meaningless.
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. — also dubbed the Visalia Ransacker, East Area Rapist or Original Night Stalker, depending on the community he terrorized — was among “the worst of the worst.”
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“He is the real-life version of Hannibal Lecter,” Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert told reporters, referring to the fictitious psychopathic killer in the movie “Silence of the Lambs.”
Schubert spoke Monday after DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 charges of kidnapping for purposes of robbery during 13 years of horror up and down California.
DeAngelo also admitted to 161 uncharged crimes of rape, attempted murder, robbery, burglary and kidnapping involving 61 victims. There were 42 uncharged rapes. These crimes weren’t prosecuted because the statutes of limitations had long ago expired.
He was “a cruel, intelligent, sadistic serial killer,” Schubert said. “He is a sociopath. He is a master manipulator.”
During the 1970s and 1980s, DeAngelo would break into couples’ homes at night while they were asleep, force the woman to tie up her husband or boyfriend with shoestrings, then bind the woman. He’d place saucers and cups on the man’s back as an alarm system and warn that if he heard them rattle, everyone in the house would be killed.
He’d drag the woman into another room and rape her repeatedly, sometimes witnessed by her children. He threatened to cut the ears off one little girl if she screamed. Meanwhile, he ransacked the house and helped himself to refrigerator snacks.
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In the end, DeAngelo would kill the couple anyway by shooting or bludgeoning them — with a pipe wrench or a sprinkler head or a fireplace log.
“What’s so frustrating,” Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer told me, referring to the prosecutors’ and defendant’s agreed-upon sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole, “is that if anyone is the poster child for the death penalty, it’s DeAngelo.”
Opponents of capital punishment argue that it’s administered unfairly and sometimes against people who may be innocent. They also point out that people of color, the poor and those with mental illness are disproportionately executed.
But none of that applies to DeAngelo. There’s no question of his guilt, not just because he confessed, but because DNA linked him to the crimes unequivocally. Moreover, he’s white, middle class and college educated — a former policeman fired for shoplifting. DeAngelo had plenty of opportunity.
His life was spared not out of mercy, but because of practicalities.
Prosecutors from six counties decided unanimously not to seek the death penalty for several sound reasons.
Most importantly, they traded an unlikely future execution for DeAngelo’s agreement to admit committing not only the charged murders and kidnappings, but all the rapes and other crimes that legally couldn’t be prosecuted.
That was important for the rape survivors and victims’ families. They’ll have an opportunity to speak directly to DeAngelo when he is formally sentenced on Aug. 17.
“I was going back and forth all day,” Spitzer says of Monday’s court proceedings in a Cal State Sacramento ballroom, where prosecutors read aloud the horrific details of each crime. “Did I make the right decision?
“The only reason I agreed was I spoke to all the family members of the four Orange County murder victims and they agreed this was the best thing.”
If prosecutors had not agreed to life imprisonment, Spitzer says, DeAngelo “never would have admitted to the crimes. The admissions were significant.”
That raises another point often argued by supporters of capital punishment: The possibility of the death penalty is needed as leverage to persuade killers not only to plead guilty, but to confess to other unsolved murders they committed and disclose where bodies were left.
There’s another reason for not seeking the death penalty for DeAngelo. At 74 and appearing frail — although some prosecutors believe he’s faking frailty — it’s very doubtful he would have lived long enough to be executed.
“It would have taken 10 years to go to trial and the trial would have lasted two years,” Spitzer says. “Then there’d be 20 to 25 years of appeals. ...
“Most of the surviving adult victims would probably not be with us anymore. And we were losing witnesses. They were dying.”
All those years of legal proceedings would have cost taxpayers many wasted millions and court systems’ precious energy and time.
Better to quickly send DeAngelo into the general prison population, where most inmates have cellmates and must work for pennies.
Death row in California can be a relative resort with single cells, personal TVs, generous access to the exercise yard and free legal services.
Of course, California doesn’t really have a death penalty. Gov. Gavin Newsom — breaking his campaign promise to enforce capital punishment — declared a moratorium on it shortly after taking office.
That’s despite California voters twice in recent years rejecting efforts to repeal the death penalty. They even voted to expedite it.
The state has executed only 13 murderers since 1978, the last in 2006. Meanwhile, there are 725 killers on death row. Their principal cause of death is old age.
Newsom should summon the courage to ask voters to officially repeal the death penalty and save taxpayers future billions for the special treatment of condemned murderers.
Thankfully, DeAngelo’s prosecutors made the wise decision to save many millions of tax dollars and years of time — and obtained 187 confessions.
Regardless of the life or death sentence, the depraved DeAngelo will die behind bars.


latimes--2020-07-02--Coronavirus fears spook Queen Mary into canceling Dark Harbor haunt

Come Halloween , the Queen Mary transforms into a haunted spectacle full of monsters and frightened folks .
This year , the old boat will be a real ghost town .
The ship ’ s Dark Harbor 2020 season has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic , a post on the annual attraction ’ s Facebook page announced .
“ With the uncertainty that lies ahead in the coming months , this unfortunate decision could not be avoided , ” the post said .
The horror spectacle ’ s website highlights the horde of creatures that haunt the ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drowned child , an evil maniac chef .
The monster-characters aren ’ t allowed to touch guests , the website adds , but even that hint of social distance won ’ t be enough for would-be-wraiths this year .
“ To make Dark Harbor the successful event that it is , our partners undertake months of preparation and hard work .
We do not believe that California will meet the requirements to begin Phase 4 of reopening by September , which allows events and large gatherings to take place , and we believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing cancellations , ” said a statement from Urban Commons , the company that manages the Queen Mary .
The event typically welcomes about 140,000 guests over its season , which runs from the end of September until the start of November , and can get up to 9,500 guests on a busy night , the statement said .
The event ’ s platform and centerpiece — the historic Queen Mary — once held the record for the fastest transatlantic voyage by a passenger liner .
During World War II , it ferried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tourist attraction docked in Long Beach , the ship suspended operations on May 6 .
As the pandemic continues , the Queen Mary ’ s closures extend too .
But Dark Harbor promises to rise from the dead next year .
The attraction ’ s Facebook post said it “ [ looks ] forward to the 2021 haunt season .
”

Monsters wait for guests at the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor haunt, which is canceled for 2020.
Come Halloween, the Queen Mary transforms into a haunted spectacle full of monsters and frightened folks. This year, the old boat will be a real ghost town.
The ship’s Dark Harbor 2020 season has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a post on the annual attraction’s Facebook page announced.
“With the uncertainty that lies ahead in the coming months, this unfortunate decision could not be avoided,” the post said.
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The horror spectacle’s website highlights the horde of creatures that haunt the ship: an undead captain, a demonic drowned child, an evil maniac chef. The monster-characters aren’t allowed to touch guests, the website adds, but even that hint of social distance won’t be enough for would-be-wraiths this year.
“To make Dark Harbor the successful event that it is, our partners undertake months of preparation and hard work. We do not believe that California will meet the requirements to begin Phase 4 of reopening by September, which allows events and large gatherings to take place, and we believe other 2020 large events will soon be announcing cancellations,” said a statement from Urban Commons, the company that manages the Queen Mary.
The event typically welcomes about 140,000 guests over its season, which runs from the end of September until the start of November, and can get up to 9,500 guests on a busy night, the statement said.
The event’s platform and centerpiece — the historic Queen Mary — once held the record for the fastest transatlantic voyage by a passenger liner. During World War II, it ferried troops across the ocean.
Now a tourist attraction docked in Long Beach, the ship suspended operations on May 6. As the pandemic continues, the Queen Mary’s closures extend too.
But Dark Harbor promises to rise from the dead next year. The attraction’s Facebook post said it “[looks] forward to the 2021 haunt season.”


latimes--2020-07-01--Coronavirus 'curve is no longer flat' in Riverside County, official says

Recent upticks in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have erased Riverside County ’ s progress in fighting the virus and the “ curve is no longer flat , ” Dr. Cameron Kaiser , the county ’ s public health officer , told the Board of Supervisors this week .
Riverside County saw a sharp increase in cases in June , causing bed capacity in intensive cares to reach and the doubling rate of infection — the amount of time it takes for cases to double in number — decrease to almost 27 days .
As of Wednesday afternoon , of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were intensive care .
Kim Saruwatari , the county ’ s public health director , said the county has roughly 202 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents , which is more than double the state ’ s 100-case threshold .
Since early June , the number of people who tested positive for the virus was also above the state ’ s 8 % limit , but it reached 12.3 % on June 26 , she said .
The county reported 772 new cases and six additional deaths Wednesday , bringing its totals to 18,041 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now at the point where our hospitalizations and ICU rates are higher than they have ever been previously during this pandemic , ” Kaiser said during the meeting held Tuesday via video conference .
Earlier this week , Kaiser issued a public health order to close bars until further notice , following Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s .
Bars had been allowed to reopen in Riverside County on June 12 , but local officials worried that they had become a hot spot for clusters of new cases .
Bars are among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track potential infections because people go in and out of them so frequently , Kaiser said .
Plus , he said in a statement , “ People don ’ t social distance well after a couple of drinks.
” Saruwatari added that the chances of the virus spreading at a bar is heightened because people don ’ t socially distance or wear face coverings , and they tend to “ speak louder because it ’ s a loud environment.
” The louder someone talks , the more droplets potentially containing the virus they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be enforced , and those who defy it risk losing their liquor license .
Bars “ may be part of the explanation why it is our younger individuals who are now falling ill , ” he added .
People between the ages of 18 to 39 make up the largest number most positive cases , according to the county ’ s website .
“ They are less likely to die , but they can still have severe symptoms , ” Kaiser said .
“ They may still require hospitalization and they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of deaths , those between ages 45 to 64 have as many deaths as those older than 85 , Kaiser said , and they are the second-highest age group in absolute numbers of cases .
Aside from bars , Kaiser said recent protests and private gatherings — during and after Memorial Day — also contributed to the new cases .
“ Many [ protesters ] did wear face coverings and distance appropriately as recommended , but many did not , ” he said .
Saruwatari said the county has seen clusters of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and salad and date packaging plants .
But , she said , “ The majority of cases are really groups of people who are coming together .
They ’ re not social distancing .
They ’ re not wearing face coverings .
They ’ re together for more than 15 minutes at a time .
“ It ’ s the family barbecues .
It ’ s the having some friends over because it ’ s been a long time since you ’ ve seen them , and it ’ s that close contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … to the increased cases that we ’ re seeing now.
” During Tuesday ’ s meeting , officials also took time to address rumors that COVID-19 patients from Imperial County — which only has two hospitals — were being flown in at night to Riverside County hospitals for treatment , which was in turn , overwhelming those treatment centers .
Bruce Barton , the county ’ s emergency management director , said that as of Monday only five of the 365 coronavirus patients hospitalized in Riverside County are from Imperial County .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been admitted during the pandemic , he said .
Barton also noted that Riverside County hospitals admit transfers only if they have the capacity to do so , and that they are usually transported during the day by ambulance .

Recent upticks in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have erased Riverside County’s progress in fighting the virus and the “curve is no longer flat,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the county’s public health officer, told the Board of Supervisors this week.
Riverside County saw a sharp increase in cases in June, causing bed capacity in intensive cares to reach nearly 99% and the doubling rate of infection — the amount of time it takes for cases to double in number — decrease to almost 27 days. As of Wednesday afternoon, of the 417 hospitalized patients, 117 of them were intensive care.
Kim Saruwatari, the county’s public health director, said the county has roughly 202 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, which is more than double the state’s 100-case threshold. Since early June, the number of people who tested positive for the virus was also above the state’s 8% limit, but it reached 12.3% on June 26, she said.
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The county reported 772 new cases and six additional deaths Wednesday, bringing its totals to 18,041 cases and 463 deaths.
“We are now at the point where our hospitalizations and ICU rates are higher than they have ever been previously during this pandemic,” Kaiser said during the meeting held Tuesday via video conference.
Earlier this week, Kaiser issued a public health order to close bars until further notice, following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement . Bars had been allowed to reopen in Riverside County on June 12, but local officials worried that they had become a hot spot for clusters of new cases.
Bars are among the most difficult for contact tracers to track potential infections because people go in and out of them so frequently, Kaiser said. Plus, he said in a statement, “People don’t social distance well after a couple of drinks.”
Saruwatari added that the chances of the virus spreading at a bar is heightened because people don’t socially distance or wear face coverings, and they tend to “speak louder because it’s a loud environment.” The louder someone talks, the more droplets potentially containing the virus they spread.
Kaiser said the bar closure will be enforced, and those who defy it risk losing their liquor license.
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Bars “may be part of the explanation why it is our younger individuals who are now falling ill,” he added. People between the ages of 18 to 39 make up the largest number most positive cases, according to the county’s website.
“They are less likely to die, but they can still have severe symptoms,” Kaiser said. “They may still require hospitalization and they can still spread the disease.”
In terms of deaths, those between ages 45 to 64 have as many deaths as those older than 85, Kaiser said, and they are the second-highest age group in absolute numbers of cases.
Aside from bars, Kaiser said recent protests and private gatherings — during and after Memorial Day — also contributed to the new cases. “Many [protesters] did wear face coverings and distance appropriately as recommended, but many did not,” he said.
Saruwatari said the county has seen clusters of cases at restaurants, big box stores, and salad and date packaging plants. But, she said, “The majority of cases are really groups of people who are coming together. They’re not social distancing. They’re not wearing face coverings. They’re together for more than 15 minutes at a time.
“It’s the family barbecues. It’s the having some friends over because it’s been a long time since you’ve seen them, and it’s that close contact with people that’s really leading … to the increased cases that we’re seeing now.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, officials also took time to address rumors that COVID-19 patients from Imperial County — which only has two hospitals — were being flown in at night to Riverside County hospitals for treatment, which was in turn, overwhelming those treatment centers.
Bruce Barton, the county’s emergency management director, said that as of Monday only five of the 365 coronavirus patients hospitalized in Riverside County are from Imperial County. Upward of 100 patients from Imperial County have been admitted during the pandemic, he said.
Barton also noted that Riverside County hospitals admit transfers only if they have the capacity to do so, and that they are usually transported during the day by ambulance.


latimes--2020-07-01--Two girls, man killed in apparent murder-suicide in Watts, L.A. police say

Two young girls were killed in a Watts home in what police believe was a murder-suicide , the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ responded to a call for help from the Los Angeles Fire Department about 8:15 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ Success Avenue and found the two girls , who were under 10 years old , @ @ @ @ @ a spokesman for the LAPD .
The suspect , a 43-year-old man , was found @ @ @ @ @ was hospitalized in critical condition but died .
The girls died at the home , @ @ @ @ @ not give information about the man ’ s relationship to the girls or whether the @ @ @ @ @

Two young girls were killed in a Watts home in what police believe was a murder-suicide, the Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday
Police responded to a call for help from the Los Angeles Fire Department about 8:15 a.m. in the 9200 block of Success Avenue and found the two girls, who were under 10 years old, said Officer Tony Kuey, a spokesman for the LAPD.
The suspect, a 43-year-old man, was found with gunshot wounds.
He was hospitalized in critical condition but died. The girls died at the home, Kuey said.
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Police did not give information about the man’s relationship to the girls or whether the girls were also shot.


latimes--2020-07-01--Music teacher linked to semen-tainted flutes pleads guilty to child pornography charges

A music teacher accused of giving semen-tainted flutes to elementary school students has agreed to plead guilty to state and federal charges involving various sex crimes against children , authorities said Wednesday .
John Edward Zeretzke , 61 , of Ventura agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of production of child pornography , along with six state counts of lewd or lascivious acts with minors under 14 years of age .
Zeretzke pleaded not guilty to the state charges in April 2019 .
The Orange County Register reported that state attorneys accused Zeretzke of recording himself ejaculating into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls at elementary schools across Los Angeles and Orange counties ; he then took photos of the girls using the flutes .
Court records show the alleged violations occurred between January and April 2017 .
Federal charges brought against Zeretzke in June 2018 included five counts of sex crimes against children .
The Times reported in September 2018 that none of the victims involved in the federal charges are local .
As part of the plea deal , the Central District of California agreed to dismiss all but one of the federal counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered when Zeretzke is sentenced .
Zeretzke ’ s lawyer , federal defense attorney Julia Brett Deixler , did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday .
The plea agreement obtained by The Times details the federal charge to which Zeretzke agreed to plead guilty .
Between December 2016 and February 2017 , the agreement says , Zeretzke communicated with a girl under 16 , expressing romantic interested in her .
He sent money to her via relatives in the Philippines and asked for sexually explicit images of her .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ images of her during a video chat .
Schools across the state opened their doors to Zeretzke for years as he taught music lessons to thousands of children .
For more than 30 years , Zeretzke was a teaching artist for the Music Center of Los Angeles , during which he would share music lessons with students .
The Times described one such lesson in 1998 .
In 2009 , Zeretzke founded Flutes Across the World , a nonprofit through which he contracted with schools to help children craft and decorate PVC pipe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission trips to share music lessons in countries such as Haiti , Honduras and the Philippines .
Schoolchildren participating in the program would make two flutes : one for themselves and one for a child in need .
In the latter , students would stuff kind messages to share with overseas peers .
In 2017 , officials warned parents in seven California school districts of the potential contamination of flutes received by their children .

A music teacher accused of giving semen-tainted flutes to elementary school students has agreed to plead guilty to state and federal charges involving various sex crimes against children, authorities said Wednesday.
John Edward Zeretzke, 61, of Ventura agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of production of child pornography, along with six state counts of lewd or lascivious acts with minors under 14 years of age.
Zeretzke pleaded not guilty to the state charges in April 2019. The Orange County Register reported that state attorneys accused Zeretzke of recording himself ejaculating into flutes that were then distributed to five girls at elementary schools across Los Angeles and Orange counties; he then took photos of the girls using the flutes. Court records show the alleged violations occurred between January and April 2017.
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Federal charges brought against Zeretzke in June 2018 included five counts of sex crimes against children. The Times reported in September 2018 that none of the victims involved in the federal charges are local.
As part of the plea deal, the Central District of California agreed to dismiss all but one of the federal counts. Those dismissed charges may still be considered when Zeretzke is sentenced.
Zeretzke’s lawyer, federal defense attorney Julia Brett Deixler, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The plea agreement obtained by The Times details the federal charge to which Zeretzke agreed to plead guilty.
Between December 2016 and February 2017, the agreement says, Zeretzke communicated with a girl under 16, expressing romantic interested in her. He sent money to her via relatives in the Philippines and asked for sexually explicit images of her. He also used his computer to capture sexually explicit images of her during a video chat.
Schools across the state opened their doors to Zeretzke for years as he taught music lessons to thousands of children. For more than 30 years, Zeretzke was a teaching artist for the Music Center of Los Angeles, during which he would share music lessons with students. The Times described one such lesson in 1998.
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In 2009, Zeretzke founded Flutes Across the World, a nonprofit through which he contracted with schools to help children craft and decorate PVC pipe flutes. The nonprofit also participated in mission trips to share music lessons in countries such as Haiti, Honduras and the Philippines.
Schoolchildren participating in the program would make two flutes: one for themselves and one for a child in need. In the latter, students would stuff kind messages to share with overseas peers. In 2017, officials warned parents in seven California school districts of the potential contamination of flutes received by their children.