latimes--2020-07-31--As COVID-19 cases surge, L.A. librarians join the ranks of contact tracers

Lupie Leyva is good at tracking things down .
A kind of detective , if you will .
She ’ s organized and meticulous , curious and tech-savvy .
For the last nine years , it has served her well as senior librarian and manager at the Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library in Boyle Heights , where no book — however obscure — can escape her once she ’ s on the case .
Now , Leyva is using those skills to help fight the spread of the coronavirus .
The 46-year-old is doing contact tracing of people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their chance of infecting others .
“ The reason I volunteered for contact tracing is that it ’ s really the same thing ” as being a librarian , Leyva said .
“ It ’ s still helping people , it ’ s helping my community , it ’ s trying to get my community back to normal so that people will feel comfortable going back into the library.
” As California and other states confront a surge of coronavirus infections , deaths and overwhelmed hospitals , about 500 staffers at the Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call to participate in the Disaster Service Worker Program .
It calls on public employees to drop or expand their usual job duties to help agencies and organizations carry out an emergency response .
The workers are assigned jobs within their scope of training , skills and abilities .
About 75 librarians and staffers are part of the contact tracing project .
In some ways , it is a stereotype-busting mission for a group of workers often portrayed in Hollywood movies and TV shows as reliable and fastidious , wise and quick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Library staff bring empathy , commitment and a relentless focus on community and service , ” said John F. Szabo , city librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library .
“ They ’ re used to stepping up , being nimble and adapting services to address real needs .
So while I ’ m wowed by the incredible way in which Los Angeles Public Library staff have served the city as disaster service workers , I ’ m not at all surprised.
” Leyva grew up a bookworm in Boyle Heights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stevenson Library .
She translated the English world into Spanish for her immigrant parents and others .
“ Growing up being an immigrant child mediator , you understand the power of helping someone have access to the information that they need , ” Leyva said .
Latino and Black people have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic .
In L.A. County , the two groups have twice the mortality rate of white residents , with more Latinos dying of COVID-19 than Black people .
Latino and Black people disproportionately work as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to leave home and interact with the public .
Library staff have volunteered at cooling centers and COVID-19 testing and shelter sites for people experiencing homelessness .
They ’ ve delivered meals to senior Angelenos and other high-risk people .
They have translated critical resources and information about the coronavirus to the city ’ s diverse populations in dozens of languages including Spanish , Chinese , Russian , Japanese , Farsi , Armenian and Korean .
Most have volunteered to do this work , but they ’ re still getting paid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their particular set of skills might be most uniquely useful .
It works like this : Librarians doing contact tracing will call the person who tested positive for the coronavirus and ask for personal information that is kept confidential .
The librarian may then connect the individual to medical care and support resources .
Contract tracers will ask individuals what places they ’ ve been to and with whom they ’ ve spent time recently and then call those people .
The contact tracers will tell them they were exposed to the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine to protect others .
They will ask what places the individuals recently visited .
In a few days , they will follow up to see if the people developed symptoms or need help .
For Leyva , just one call has produced a web of more than a dozen people who might ’ ve been infected by a positive case .
Denice Nossett , a senior librarian at the Wilmington Branch Library , said she felt she had to serve during the pandemic .
“ It ’ s in my DNA to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the reasons I became a librarian , ” said Nossett , 56 , who is leading a four-person team of contact tracers .
“ That ’ s what you do in the library , day in and day out ; you ’ re helping people.
” And slowing the spread of COVID-19 , she said , is one way of lending a hand .
The 28-year veteran of the L.A. Public Library has sticky notes taped above her home desktop with phone numbers for IT support and for language interpretation services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book author Rosemary Wells hangs on one wall , and a poster of Harrison Ford for the American Library Assn .
hangs on another .
Helping to curb the spread of the virus is personal for Nossett .
She knows eight people who have been infected .
An aunt and a longtime family friend died .
She doesn ’ t want more people to suffer that fate .
Nossett said that in nearly three decades , being a librarian has taught her more than a few things that have proved helpful for contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details about their lives , and librarians need to show empathy while also guarding people ’ s privacy .
“ If a patron comes up to me at the library and says , ‘ I just found out I have cancer and I need information on treatment , ’ the first thing I ’ m going to say is , ‘ I ’ m so sorry .
Please let me help you with that ’ ... .
It ’ s important tracers have empathy , ” Nossett said .
Becoming a contact tracer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as akin to an “ online college class , ” with self-learning modules , live webinar lectures , homework , quizzes , exams and practice interviews .
She learned about epidemiology and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act .
The contact tracers also learn how to handle people who are dismissive or reluctant to share information that could help halt the spread of the coronavirus .
“ If people don ’ t want to talk to you , then they don ’ t want to talk to you , ” Leyva said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can to try to talk to everyone , but it ’ s certainly not an obligation.
” But Leyva gets it : Phone scams are not uncommon , including during a pandemic that can spawn opportunism , so she understands people ’ s reluctance to provide personal information in that manner .
When she comes across people who are reluctant to talk , she just tries her best .
“ You remind them that it ’ s for the good of the community .
You remind them that it ’ s a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and other people from getting sick , ” she said .
“ But not everyone is going to want to answer your questions … so you thank them for their day and move on.
” The more common problem , Leyva said , is people simply not picking up the phone .
After more than one attempt , she ’ ll leave a voice message that might sound something like this : “ Hello , my name is Lupie Leyva and I ’ m calling from the Los Angeles County Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss your/your child ’ s possible exposure to an infectious disease .
Please call me … as soon as possible.
” When the pandemic closed L.A. libraries in March , Leyva transformed her family room into a home office .
She made a makeshift desk out of a folding table , where she had many online meetings with other librarians to figure out how to virtually serve their communities from home .
They promoted online resources and launched their weekly “ Ask a Librarian ” program in Spanish .
Eventually , her home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation .
Pinned to her wall are COVID-19 fact sheets .
“ 10 things you can do to manage your COVID-19 symptoms at home , ” reads one .
“ Share facts about COVID-19 , ” reads another .
Next to them is tacked a daily reminder : “ One thing at a time.
” Leyva ’ s work-from-home uniform often consists of jeans and a blue L.A. Public Library T-shirt that she said she would wear to the “ happiest place on Earth ” if Disneyland weren ’ t closed because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us as librarians , this fits really well with what we do , ” Leyva said of contact tracing .
“ When we went through the training , a lot of the interview techniques , we ’ re really familiar with.
” In the last few weeks , more than 10,000 contact tracers completed their training as part of California Connected , the state ’ s contract tracing program and public awareness campaign .
Of those , more than 2,700 are in Los Angeles County .
About 75 staffers from the L.A. Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for at least three months to work full time as tracers .
It is an important job to keep the economy-crushing virus from spreading further .
“ Case investigation and contact tracing are core disease-control strategies to break the chain of transmission and prevent further spread of the virus , ” said a representative for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health .
Doing contact tracing in Spanish means extra work .
Interviewers like Leyva are given scripts to read to the people they call , and she ’ s opted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t provide revisions in Spanish quickly enough .
It ’ s not so easy to translate on a call the technical terminology the county and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use , she said .
But the stakes are high .
“ Even though I ’ m not going to be a librarian for the next three , maybe more , months , it ’ s still … helping my community with what it needs right now , ” she said .
“ Sometimes we help our communities at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s needed is this contact tracing , and we have skills that we can put to use doing this .
”

Denice Nossett is one of dozens of librarians and library staff in the Los Angeles Public Library system who have stepped up to do contact tracing work. Nossett is a contact tracing team leader.
Lupie Leyva is good at tracking things down. A kind of detective, if you will.
She’s organized and meticulous, curious and tech-savvy. For the last nine years, it has served her well as senior librarian and manager at the Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library in Boyle Heights, where no book — however obscure — can escape her once she’s on the case.
Now, Leyva is using those skills to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. The 46-year-old is doing contact tracing of people who have tested positive in an effort to reduce their chance of infecting others.
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“The reason I volunteered for contact tracing is that it’s really the same thing” as being a librarian, Leyva said. “It’s still helping people, it’s helping my community, it’s trying to get my community back to normal so that people will feel comfortable going back into the library.”
Lupie Leyva, a manager and librarian at the Robert Louis Stevenson Library in Boyle Heights, does coronavirus contact tracing from her home in Whittier. (Photo courtesy of Emily Leyva)
As California and other states confront a surge of coronavirus infections, deaths and overwhelmed hospitals, about 500 staffers at the Los Angeles Public Library have responded to a call to participate in the Disaster Service Worker Program. It calls on public employees to drop or expand their usual job duties to help agencies and organizations carry out an emergency response. The workers are assigned jobs within their scope of training, skills and abilities.
About 75 librarians and staffers are part of the contact tracing project.
In some ways, it is a stereotype-busting mission for a group of workers often portrayed in Hollywood movies and TV shows as reliable and fastidious, wise and quick to shush loud talking — but rarely heroic.
“Library staff bring empathy, commitment and a relentless focus on community and service,” said John F. Szabo, city librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library. “They’re used to stepping up, being nimble and adapting services to address real needs. So while I’m wowed by the incredible way in which Los Angeles Public Library staff have served the city as disaster service workers, I’m not at all surprised.”
Leyva grew up a bookworm in Boyle Heights, just blocks from the Robert Louis Stevenson Library. She translated the English world into Spanish for her immigrant parents and others.
Advertisement
“Growing up being an immigrant child mediator, you understand the power of helping someone have access to the information that they need,” Leyva said.
Latino and Black people have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In L.A. County, the two groups have twice the mortality rate of white residents, with more Latinos dying of COVID-19 than Black people. Latino and Black people disproportionately work as front-line workers in low-paying jobs that force them to leave home and interact with the public.
Library staff have volunteered at cooling centers and COVID-19 testing and shelter sites for people experiencing homelessness. They’ve delivered meals to senior Angelenos and other high-risk people. They have translated critical resources and information about the coronavirus to the city’s diverse populations in dozens of languages including Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Farsi, Armenian and Korean. Most have volunteered to do this work, but they’re still getting paid a salary.
But contact tracing is where their particular set of skills might be most uniquely useful. It works like this:
Librarians doing contact tracing will call the person who tested positive for the coronavirus and ask for personal information that is kept confidential. The librarian may then connect the individual to medical care and support resources.
Contract tracers will ask individuals what places they’ve been to and with whom they’ve spent time recently and then call those people. The contact tracers will tell them they were exposed to the virus and encourage them to get tested and quarantine to protect others. They will ask what places the individuals recently visited. In a few days, they will follow up to see if the people developed symptoms or need help.
For Leyva, just one call has produced a web of more than a dozen people who might’ve been infected by a positive case.
Denice Nossett, a senior librarian at the Wilmington Branch Library, said she felt she had to serve during the pandemic.
Denice Nossett, a senior librarian, volunteered to be a coronavirus contact tracing team leader. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s in my DNA to help people, and that’s one of the reasons I became a librarian,” said Nossett, 56, who is leading a four-person team of contact tracers. “That’s what you do in the library, day in and day out; you’re helping people.” And slowing the spread of COVID-19, she said, is one way of lending a hand.
The 28-year veteran of the L.A. Public Library has sticky notes taped above her home desktop with phone numbers for IT support and for language interpretation services. A poster of children’s book author Rosemary Wells hangs on one wall, and a poster of Harrison Ford for the American Library Assn. hangs on another.
Helping to curb the spread of the virus is personal for Nossett. She knows eight people who have been infected. An aunt and a longtime family friend died. She doesn’t want more people to suffer that fate.
Nossett said that in nearly three decades, being a librarian has taught her more than a few things that have proved helpful for contact tracing. Patrons often share very personal details about their lives, and librarians need to show empathy while also guarding people’s privacy.
An interview script provided to contact tracers during training on a computer at Denice Nossett’s home. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
“If a patron comes up to me at the library and says, ‘I just found out I have cancer and I need information on treatment,’ the first thing I’m going to say is, ‘I’m so sorry. Please let me help you with that’.... It’s important tracers have empathy,” Nossett said.
Becoming a contact tracer requires a weeklong training that Leyva described as akin to an “online college class,” with self-learning modules, live webinar lectures, homework, quizzes, exams and practice interviews. She learned about epidemiology and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
The contact tracers also learn how to handle people who are dismissive or reluctant to share information that could help halt the spread of the coronavirus.
“If people don’t want to talk to you, then they don’t want to talk to you,” Leyva said. “You do the best you can to try to talk to everyone, but it’s certainly not an obligation.”
But Leyva gets it: Phone scams are not uncommon, including during a pandemic that can spawn opportunism, so she understands people’s reluctance to provide personal information in that manner.
California Newsom reopened California without meeting his own coronavirus testing, tracing benchmarks California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended his reopening decisions and adopted the same argument made by many critics of his original order: The consequences of the COVID-19 shutdown for the economy and mental health were too great to ignore.
When she comes across people who are reluctant to talk, she just tries her best.
“You remind them that it’s for the good of the community. You remind them that it’s a way you can help keep your friends, family and other people from getting sick,” she said. “But not everyone is going to want to answer your questions … so you thank them for their day and move on.”
The more common problem, Leyva said, is people simply not picking up the phone. After more than one attempt, she’ll leave a voice message that might sound something like this: “Hello, my name is Lupie Leyva and I’m calling from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. I am calling to discuss your/your child’s possible exposure to an infectious disease. Please call me … as soon as possible.”
When the pandemic closed L.A. libraries in March, Leyva transformed her family room into a home office. She made a makeshift desk out of a folding table, where she had many online meetings with other librarians to figure out how to virtually serve their communities from home. They promoted online resources and launched their weekly “Ask a Librarian” program in Spanish.
Eventually, her home office began to reflect the increasingly dire situation. Pinned to her wall are COVID-19 fact sheets. “10 things you can do to manage your COVID-19 symptoms at home,” reads one. “Share facts about COVID-19,” reads another. Next to them is tacked a daily reminder: “One thing at a time.”
Leyva’s work-from-home uniform often consists of jeans and a blue L.A. Public Library T-shirt that she said she would wear to the “happiest place on Earth” if Disneyland weren’t closed because of the pandemic.
“I think for us as librarians, this fits really well with what we do,” Leyva said of contact tracing. “When we went through the training, a lot of the interview techniques, we’re really familiar with.”
In the last few weeks, more than 10,000 contact tracers completed their training as part of California Connected, the state’s contract tracing program and public awareness campaign. Of those, more than 2,700 are in Los Angeles County. About 75 staffers from the L.A. Public Library are giving up their usual duties for at least three months to work full time as tracers.
It is an important job to keep the economy-crushing virus from spreading further.
“Case investigation and contact tracing are core disease-control strategies to break the chain of transmission and prevent further spread of the virus,” said a representative for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Photo courtesy of Emily Leyva (Librarian Lupie Leyva will work as a coronavirus contact tracer interviewer for the next three months.)
Doing contact tracing in Spanish means extra work. Interviewers like Leyva are given scripts to read to the people they call, and she’s opted to translate hers because the county doesn’t provide revisions in Spanish quickly enough.
It’s not so easy to translate on a call the technical terminology the county and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use, she said. But the stakes are high.
“Even though I’m not going to be a librarian for the next three, maybe more, months, it’s still … helping my community with what it needs right now,” she said. “Sometimes we help our communities at the reference desk … but right now what’s needed is this contact tracing, and we have skills that we can put to use doing this.”


latimes--2020-08-01--Amid Pine Mountain's ancient trees, a forest 'thinning' project triggers protests

It rises 7,000 feet from the rugged foothills north of Ojai , in Ventura County .
Known as Pine Mountain , it is home to rare California chaparral , hundreds of species of native plants and wildlife , and an old-growth pine forest the U.S. Forest Service wants to thin out with chain saws .
In the name of forest health and reducing wildfire risk , the Forest Service is proposing to thin 755 acres from Pine Mountain up to the adjacent Reyes Peak , mostly within Los Padres National Forest .
Yet conservation groups , city officials , outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the project is needed and the motivations behind it .
Some plan to fight it .
“ The Forest Service hasn ’ t provided us with the documents that we would need to really understand what and why they ’ re doing this , ” said Rebecca August , advocacy director at Los Padres ForestWatch , one of the groups opposed to the project .
“ There are so few of these places left in California , and it ’ s really important to protect it and keep it in that state.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles from the nearest community and 38 miles from Ojai , more than an hour ’ s drive on the curvy blacktop of Highway 33 .
Its remoteness attracts campers and also helps provide refuge for threatened red-legged frogs and critically endangered California condors .
But with so few people and homes near Pine Mountain , August and others question why the Forest Service chose it as a site to reduce wildfire risks .
“ Projects adjacent to communities are where you ’ re going to get the most impact , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out in the middle of nowhere is hard to defend.
” The project ’ s timing — during a pandemic , and in what could be the final months of the Trump administration — also concerns environmentalists , who note the administration is pressing hard to fast-track logging projects on public lands nationwide .
In the case of Pine Mountain , the Forest Service wants to bypass standard requirements for community engagement and environmental assessments .
To do so , it will make use of loopholes within the National Environmental Policy Act called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency to streamline projects it deems to be of limited environmental impact .
The exclusion directive , which is explicitly intended to “ reduce paperwork and save time and resources , ” was outlined in an executive order issued by President Trump in 2018 .
The Forest Service , which operates under the U.S. Department of Agriculture , issued a formal proposal to adopt the loosened standards in 2019 .
Yet the Forest Service maintains the project is not a “ logging proposal , ” as it has been characterized by opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the health of the forest and its surrounding communities .
“ That location was designated because of insect and disease treatment , ” said Forest Service project manager Katherine Worn .
“ And it ’ s on a ridge top , and that ’ s where you would put a fuel break.
” Pointing to a map of the area , Worn said the project is situated between the sites of the 2006 Day fire , which burned 162,702 acres , and the 2007 Zaca fire , which burned 240,000 acres .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so fire doesn ’ t jump from tree to tree , ” she said .
“ That ’ s why it ’ s located there : It ’ s a strategic area to fight fire from.
” Yet all of the maps , documents and data provided by the Forest Service have not been enough to quell community outrage .
To date , more than 12,000 messages opposing the project have been submitted through the Los Padres ForestWatch commentary portal — at least four times more than any other project has received .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most beautiful mountains I have ever set foot on in this state , or any other state in the western states of our Country , ” wrote one commenter , Gilbert Sauceda Jr. “ I plead with you to reconsider your proposal to ‘ thin it out.
’ ” In a letter to the Forest Service , Ojai Mayor John F. Johnston echoed Sauceda ’ s sentiments , calling Pine Mountain “ a special place for many Ojai residents ” and asking the Forest Service to consider alternate options .
But public outcry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasured landscape .
The Forest Service ’ s “ timber targets , ” or quotas for the production of wood , have increased steadily over the last few years : In 2017 , the target for Los Padres National Forest was 200,000 cubic feet .
In 2018 , that number doubled to 400,000 cubic feet .
“ All of these projects are driven by finances , or goals that are based on finances , ” said Rick Halsey , director of the California Chaparral Institute , which opposes the plan .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want logs , they want clearance , they want local contractors to make money , and they really could care less about the natural environment.
” Although Worn acknowledged that the Forest Service will probably sell the wood — it ’ s better to use the material than waste it , she said — she maintained that fire reduction , not finances , is the motive for the project .
“ The [ timber ] target tomorrow , next year , could be very different than this year , ” she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decrease in regular cycles .
“ I don ’ t even pay attention to those because this isn ’ t a timber project .
This is a blip .
This is the tiniest little amount of wood product .
It ’ s pretty much irrelevant.
” But for those who love the land , what could happen to the 755 acres is anything but irrelevant .
Maura Sullivan , a representative for the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation , said Pine Mountain holds significant historic and cultural value for the tribe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their homeland .
“ We ’ re fighting for our sacred sites in the face of what is continued colonization and imperialism , ” she said , noting that clearing the landscape at Pine Mountain would be “ an extreme blow to our spiritual and mental health as Chumash people.
” Sullivan also said Pine Mountain is home to several plants used by the tribe for basket-making , regalia and medicinal purposes , including some that support respiratory health during COVID-19 .
She also expressed concern that the Forest Service ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other artifacts on the ground , which are easily hidden by the area ’ s carpet of pine needles .
On a recent Saturday afternoon , the park was alive with hikers , campers and families taking in the stately trees and pine-fresh air — one of the last remaining refuges for city dwellers otherwise stuck at home .
A printed news release on the back of an information board was the only indication of the proposed clearing project , or of the fact that the forest and chaparral may look very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s very suspicious , ” said August , the ForestWatch director .
“ If I was to try to get something in as quietly as possible , I might introduce it during a pandemic when there ’ s social unrest happening , when people are very otherwise occupied.
” Along with other opponents , August also fears the project could harm the soil and the landscape long after the clearing is done .
Much of the area has never been mechanically disturbed , and heavy machinery , including wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land for years to come .
“ The biodiversity and richness will be dramatically reduced , ” Halsey said .
Intensifying the debate are disputes about whether the proposed methods help or harm forest health .
A 2016 review of U.S. research found that forest thinning and prescribed burning can reduce fire severity , but other studies found that the creation of fuel breaks can introduce invasive species and that forest thinning can increase carbon emissions and contribute to global warming .
Fuel breaks are also ineffective in stopping California ’ s most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds , as The Times detailed in an investigation last year .
Chris Field , director of Stanford University ’ s Woods Institute for the Environment , said removing small ladder fuels — dead vegetation , shrubs and branches — from the forest floor can be an important tool for forest health and help prevent a fire from gaining intensity .
But , he said , if the project ’ s intention is to remove big trees , that ’ s “ not helping at all.
” Currently , the proposal calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forest , with a primary focus on trees under 2 feet in diameter , and the clearance of 316 acres of chaparral .
Field also said that given the lack of consensus , and the variety of treatment options and locations available , these types of projects should be considered on an individual basis and account for site-specific concerns .
Pine Mountain is currently included in the Forest Services ’ list of special places .
“ If something has iconic wilderness or recreation value , you wouldn ’ t necessarily want to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , ” Field said .
“ You wouldn ’ t bring industrial-scale harvesting equipment around the governor ’ s mansion if you thought there needed to be some tree work there , too.
” Conservation groups are now gearing up for a fight .
The public comment period for the proposal is slated to end Aug. 14 , at which point Los Padres ForestWatch and the Chaparral Institute are prepared to file an injunction to stop the project from moving forward .
“ The government is supposed to represent us , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government , ” Halsey said , noting that lawsuits are often the only way for environmental and conservation groups to have their concerns taken seriously .
“ It ’ s not their forest , ” he said .
“ It ’ s ours .
”

Pine Mountain, north of Ojai, provides a bird’s eye view of the sunrises and sunsets in Los Padres National Forest.
It rises 7,000 feet from the rugged foothills north of Ojai, in Ventura County. Known as Pine Mountain, it is home to rare California chaparral, hundreds of species of native plants and wildlife, and an old-growth pine forest the U.S. Forest Service wants to thin out with chain saws.
In the name of forest health and reducing wildfire risk, the Forest Service is proposing to thin 755 acres from Pine Mountain up to the adjacent Reyes Peak, mostly within Los Padres National Forest.
Yet conservation groups, city officials, outdoor enthusiasts and Chumash Nation leaders are questioning why the project is needed and the motivations behind it. Some plan to fight it.
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“The Forest Service hasn’t provided us with the documents that we would need to really understand what and why they’re doing this,” said Rebecca August, advocacy director at Los Padres ForestWatch, one of the groups opposed to the project. “There are so few of these places left in California, and it’s really important to protect it and keep it in that state.”
Pine Mountain is at least 15 miles from the nearest community and 38 miles from Ojai, more than an hour’s drive on the curvy blacktop of Highway 33. Its remoteness attracts campers and also helps provide refuge for threatened red-legged frogs and critically endangered California condors. But with so few people and homes near Pine Mountain, August and others question why the Forest Service chose it as a site to reduce wildfire risks.
“Projects adjacent to communities are where you’re going to get the most impact,” she said, “but doing things way out in the middle of nowhere is hard to defend.”
The project’s timing — during a pandemic, and in what could be the final months of the Trump administration — also concerns environmentalists, who note the administration is pressing hard to fast-track logging projects on public lands nationwide.
In the case of Pine Mountain, the Forest Service wants to bypass standard requirements for community engagement and environmental assessments. To do so, it will make use of loopholes within the National Environmental Policy Act called “categorical exclusions,” which allow the agency to streamline projects it deems to be of limited environmental impact.
The exclusion directive, which is explicitly intended to “reduce paperwork and save time and resources,” was outlined in an executive order issued by President Trump in 2018. The Forest Service, which operates under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, issued a formal proposal to adopt the loosened standards in 2019.
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California As Trump tweets about California fires, his administration wants to expand logging Logging has long been among California’s most divisive environmental issues — and the controversy shows little chance of cooling as the Trump administration pushes new efforts to thin forests.
Yet the Forest Service maintains the project is not a “logging proposal,” as it has been characterized by opposition groups, and says it is necessary for the health of the forest and its surrounding communities.
“That location was designated because of insect and disease treatment,” said Forest Service project manager Katherine Worn. “And it’s on a ridge top, and that’s where you would put a fuel break.”
Pointing to a map of the area, Worn said the project is situated between the sites of the 2006 Day fire, which burned 162,702 acres, and the 2007 Zaca fire, which burned 240,000 acres.
“You want to reduce the density so fire doesn’t jump from tree to tree,” she said. “That’s why it’s located there: It’s a strategic area to fight fire from.”
Yet all of the maps, documents and data provided by the Forest Service have not been enough to quell community outrage. To date, more than 12,000 messages opposing the project have been submitted through the Los Padres ForestWatch commentary portal — at least four times more than any other project has received.
“Pine Mountain is one of the most beautiful mountains I have ever set foot on in this state, or any other state in the western states of our Country,” wrote one commenter, Gilbert Sauceda Jr. “I plead with you to reconsider your proposal to ‘thin it out.’”
In a letter to the Forest Service, Ojai Mayor John F. Johnston echoed Sauceda’s sentiments, calling Pine Mountain “a special place for many Ojai residents” and asking the Forest Service to consider alternate options.
An old-growth pine towers over one of the two campgrounds on Pine Mountain, part of the Los Padres National Forest north of Ojai, in Ventura County. (Stuart Leavenworth/Los Angeles Times)
But public outcry may not be enough to protect the treasured landscape. The Forest Service’s “timber targets,” or quotas for the production of wood, have increased steadily over the last few years: In 2017, the target for Los Padres National Forest was 200,000 cubic feet. In 2018, that number doubled to 400,000 cubic feet.
The 2020 target: 800,000 cubic feet of wood.
“All of these projects are driven by finances, or goals that are based on finances,” said Rick Halsey, director of the California Chaparral Institute, which opposes the plan. “The Trump administration has made it clear they want logs, they want clearance, they want local contractors to make money, and they really could care less about the natural environment.”
Although Worn acknowledged that the Forest Service will probably sell the wood — it’s better to use the material than waste it, she said — she maintained that fire reduction, not finances, is the motive for the project.
“The [timber] target tomorrow, next year, could be very different than this year,” she said, noting that targets tend to increase and decrease in regular cycles. “I don’t even pay attention to those because this isn’t a timber project. This is a blip. This is the tiniest little amount of wood product. It’s pretty much irrelevant.”
But for those who love the land, what could happen to the 755 acres is anything but irrelevant. Maura Sullivan, a representative for the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, said Pine Mountain holds significant historic and cultural value for the tribe’s members, who consider it part of their homeland.
“We’re fighting for our sacred sites in the face of what is continued colonization and imperialism,” she said, noting that clearing the landscape at Pine Mountain would be “an extreme blow to our spiritual and mental health as Chumash people.”
Sullivan also said Pine Mountain is home to several plants used by the tribe for basket-making, regalia and medicinal purposes, including some that support respiratory health during COVID-19. She also expressed concern that the Forest Service’s mechanical equipment could easily destroy grinding stones and other artifacts on the ground, which are easily hidden by the area’s carpet of pine needles.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, the park was alive with hikers, campers and families taking in the stately trees and pine-fresh air — one of the last remaining refuges for city dwellers otherwise stuck at home.
A printed news release on the back of an information board was the only indication of the proposed clearing project, or of the fact that the forest and chaparral may look very different the next time those families visit.
“It’s very suspicious,” said August, the ForestWatch director. “If I was to try to get something in as quietly as possible, I might introduce it during a pandemic when there’s social unrest happening, when people are very otherwise occupied.”
Along with other opponents, August also fears the project could harm the soil and the landscape long after the clearing is done. Much of the area has never been mechanically disturbed, and heavy machinery, including wood chippers and masticators, can mark the land for years to come.
“The biodiversity and richness will be dramatically reduced,” Halsey said.
Intensifying the debate are disputes about whether the proposed methods help or harm forest health. A 2016 review of U.S. research found that forest thinning and prescribed burning can reduce fire severity, but other studies found that the creation of fuel breaks can introduce invasive species and that forest thinning can increase carbon emissions and contribute to global warming.
Fuel breaks are also ineffective in stopping California’s most deadly fires, those driven by high winds, as The Times detailed in an investigation last year.
Chris Field, director of Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, said removing small ladder fuels — dead vegetation, shrubs and branches — from the forest floor can be an important tool for forest health and help prevent a fire from gaining intensity.
But, he said, if the project’s intention is to remove big trees, that’s “not helping at all.” Currently, the proposal calls for the thinning of 423 acres of conifer forest, with a primary focus on trees under 2 feet in diameter, and the clearance of 316 acres of chaparral.
Field also said that given the lack of consensus, and the variety of treatment options and locations available, these types of projects should be considered on an individual basis and account for site-specific concerns. Pine Mountain is currently included in the Forest Services’ list of special places.
“If something has iconic wilderness or recreation value, you wouldn’t necessarily want to go in with industrial equipment and chop everything up,” Field said. “You wouldn’t bring industrial-scale harvesting equipment around the governor’s mansion if you thought there needed to be some tree work there, too.”
Conservation groups are now gearing up for a fight. The public comment period for the proposal is slated to end Aug. 14, at which point Los Padres ForestWatch and the Chaparral Institute are prepared to file an injunction to stop the project from moving forward.
“The government is supposed to represent us, and it’s our job to watch the government,” Halsey said, noting that lawsuits are often the only way for environmental and conservation groups to have their concerns taken seriously.
“It’s not their forest,” he said. “It’s ours.”


latimes--2020-07-31--Apple fire grows to 1,720 acres in Riverside County, triggering evacuations

Firefighters on Friday evening were battling the Apple fire , which has burned 1,720 acres in the Cherry Valley area of Riverside County .
The vegetation fire was reported at 4:55 p.m. in the 9000 block of Oak Glen Road , according to the Riverside County Fire Department .
As of 11:25 pm on Friday , there was 0 % containment .
More than 300 firefighters , several helicopters and air tankers responded to the fire .
Evacuation orders are in place for residents south of the county line , north of Dutton Street and east of Oak Glen Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gilman Street in the Banning Bluff area .
An evacuation center has been opened at Beaumont High School for people and animals .
Fernando Herrera , a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department , said about 1,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate .
He said open land with thick vegetation has provided “ quite a bit of fuel for that fire to continue to burn [ and ] have a lot of intensity.
” There have been no reports of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come very close to homes .
“ A lot of people ’ s backyards were on fire , ” Herrera said .
“ It ran in between homes and around homes .
It definitely was very threatening .
We could have lost homes , but we brought in a massive amount of ground resources to do structure defense , protect the life and property of all these residents.
” The cause of the fire is under investigation .

San Gorgonio Mtns, Sunday, August 2, 2020 - The Apple Fire continues to burn thousands of acres North of Banning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
A statue of Smokey Bear is enveloped in smoke from the Apple fire at the Oak Canyon Conservation Camp near Beaumont. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter battles the Apple fire at the Oak Canyon Conservation Camp near Beaumont. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter from Carpinteria monitors a huge plume of smoke from the Apple fire along Bluff Street, north of Banning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Apple fire consumes a tree at the Oak Canyon Conservation Camp near Beaumont. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Apple fire burns in the San Bernardino Mountains above Beaumont on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
San Gorgonio Mtns, Sunday, August 2, 2020 - Riverside/CAL firefighter Anthony Vierra cools hot spots after fire swept through the Whitewater Preserve Trail, East of the Apple Fire. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
A plane drops fire retardant over a home as the out-of-control Apple fire burns around it in Cherry Valley, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter sets back fires as the leading edge of the Apple fire rages towards the Oak Canyon Conservation Camp near Beaumont. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A sign with Smokey Bear is enveloped in smoke from the Apple fire at the Oak Canyon Conservation Camp near Beaumont. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A slow camera exposure shows the movement of the Apple fire as it continues to burn into the night in the San Bernardino National Forest just above Bluff Street in Cherry Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters set back fires as the leading edge of the Apple fire rages towards the Oak Canyon Conservation Camp near Beaumont on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A shell of a burned car sits along Avenida Miravilla days after the Apple fire rushed through on its way to the nearby San Bernardino National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A sign of gratitude along Oak Glen Road, not far from the presumptive source of the Apple fire, where investigators say they believe a spark from a diesel engine ignited dry brush. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Apple fire continues to burn thousands of acres with little containment. A helicopter hits a hot spot north of Banning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Apple fire continues to burn thousands of acres north of Cabazon. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A shell of a burned car sits along Avenida Miravilla days after the Apple fire rushed through on its way to the nearby San Bernardino National Forest, where it has burned more than 26,000 acres. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters on Sunday continued to battle the Apple fire that has burned 20,000 acres in Cherry Valley and surrounding areas of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, destroying one home and prompting evacuations of thousands of others.
More than 370 firefighters, assisted by several helicopters and air tankers, responded to the fire, which began Friday and sent billowing clouds of smoke hundreds of feet into the air that could be seen for miles. Firefighters were battling the blaze in triple-digit temperatures that prompted the National Weather Service to issue an extreme heat warning.
As of early Sunday, the fire was zero percent contained.
Evacuation orders remain in place for residents north of Dutton Street and east of Oak Glen Road, south of the San Bernardino-Riverside county line. They also include residents north of Gilman Street in the Banning Bluff area.
New evacuation orders were put in place Saturday in Banning for residents north of Wilson Street, east of Sunset Avenue and west of Hathaway Street. Fire officials said residents can check whether their address is in an evacuation zone through the RivCoReady.org website.
An evacuation warning was upgraded to an order Saturday evening for San Bernardino County residents of the Potato Canyon area west to Raywood Flat. A warning was in place farther to the east for residents north of Morongo Road, east of Millard Canyon Road and west of Whitewater Canyon Road.
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ALERT RIVCO MESSAGE #AppleFire NEW EVACUATION ORDERS issued north of Wilson St, east of Sunset Ave and west of Hathaway St. Interactive map is now available at https://t.co/wMWj2KQQ7e @CALFIRERRU @RSO @CityofBanning @BanningPolice pic.twitter.com/WtnRDUx6Cx — RivCoReady (@RivCoReady) August 1, 2020
April Newman, a public information officer with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department, said Saturday afternoon that roughly 7,800 residents in over 2,500 households had been ordered to evacuate.
An evacuation center was opened at Beaumont High School for people and animals.
The vegetation fire was reported at 4:55 p.m. Friday in the 9000 block of Oak Glen Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Another department spokesperson, Fernando Herrera, said Friday that open land with thick vegetation has provided “quite a bit of fuel for that fire to continue to burn [and] have a lot of intensity.”
He said the fire was burning very close to homes.
The pyrocumulus plume from the Apple fire rises about 32,000 feet into the atmosphere and is visible from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES West satellite. The image was taken at 6 p.m. Saturday. (NOAA and Los Angeles Times)
“A lot of people’s backyards were on fire,” Herrera said. “It ran in between homes and around homes. It definitely was very threatening. We could have lost homes, but we brought in a massive amount of ground resources to do structure defense, protect the life and property of all these residents.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In Los Angeles County, a 150-acre brush fire was burning around Castaic Lake, north of Santa Clarita, according to the county Fire Department. No structures were threatened.


latimes--2020-07-31--1 Marine dead, 8 troops missing after training accident off Southern California coast

The search continued late Friday for eight service members who went missing following a deadly accident during a training exercise off San Clemente Island , officials said .
But the amphibious assault vehicle is under hundreds of feet of water , putting it beyond the reach of divers and complicating rescue efforts for eight missing troops .
Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman , the commanding general of the Marine Expeditionary Force , said during an afternoon media briefing that the vehicle , which weighs 26 tons , “ sank completely ” more than 3,200 feet offshore and “ the assumption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom.
” “ The AAV is actually in several hundred feet of water — it ’ s really below the depth that a diver can go to , ” he said .
The incident occurred when the vehicle carrying 15 Marines and one Navy sailor began taking on water about 5:45 p.m. Thursday , according to the Marine Corps .
One Marine was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and later died .
Two others were injured and remain hospitalized but are no longer in intensive care .
Five other service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with support from the Navy and Coast Guard , were still searching for the missing service members late Friday afternoon .
“ We have not moved into recovery operations , ” Osterman said .
“ We ’ re still looking for them.
” The Marine Corps commandant , Gen. David H. Berger , said that even though the search was continuing , the focus now should be on the troops and their families .
He added that he was suspending waterborne operations of all of the more than 800 amphibious assault vehicles across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accident is determined .
He said the move was out of “ an abundance of caution.
” The name of the Marine who died will be withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin , officials said , and “ all family members who are affected will be contacted directly by their Marines ’ chain of command.
” All the Marines involved were assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit , which is based out of Camp Pendleton .
“ We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident .
I ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their families in your prayers as we continue our search , ” Col. Christopher J. Bronzi , 15th MEU Commanding Officer , said in a statement .
The incident is under investigation , according to the Marines .
It occurred during what officials called a “ 15th MEU and Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group routine training exercise in the vicinity of San Clemente Island ” — a Navy-owned land mass about 70 miles off the San Diego County coast .
They had just completed a routine training exercise and were heading back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other amphibious assault vehicles , Osterman said .
Troops on board two other amphibious assault vehicles responded quickly but could not stop the vehicle from sinking , Osterman said .
The vessels John Finn , Somerset and San Diego , three Navy MH-60 helicopters , the Coast Guard Cutter Forrest Rednour and a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter are all assisting in the search , according to the Marines .
The Navy and Coast Guard were discussing ways to reach the sunken vehicle to get a view inside it , Osterman said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton have been wounded or killed while training with amphibious assault vehicles , which are armored troop transports that carry small units from ship to shore .
In 2017 , 15 Marines were injured when an amphibious assault vehicle caught fire during a training exercise .
Another Marine , Sgt .
Wesley Rice , drowned inside an amphibious assault vehicle in 2011 after it sank in a boat basin on base .
Known as “ Amtracs ” or “ hogs , ” the vehicles weigh at least 48,000 pounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicle , which resembles a tank , will drop below the surface of the water before popping back up .
They can move about 8 mph at sea and up to 46 mph on land .
The current version of the vehicle is almost 50 years old , though it has been modernized through the years .
A replacement , the $ 15-billion Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle , was canceled in 2011 due to budget constraints .
San Diego Union-Tribune staff writers Andrew Dyer and Phil Diehl and the Associated Press contributed to this @ @

San Clemente Island, viewed from a shuttle aircraft that regularly flies military and civilian personnel to the U.S. Navy-owned land mass.
The search continued late Friday for eight service members who went missing following a deadly accident during a training exercise off San Clemente Island, officials said.
But the amphibious assault vehicle is under hundreds of feet of water, putting it beyond the reach of divers and complicating rescue efforts for eight missing troops.
Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, the commanding general of the Marine Expeditionary Force, said during an afternoon media briefing that the vehicle, which weighs 26 tons, “sank completely” more than 3,200 feet offshore and “the assumption is it went all the way to the bottom.”
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“The AAV is actually in several hundred feet of water — it’s really below the depth that a diver can go to,” he said.
The incident occurred when the vehicle carrying 15 Marines and one Navy sailor began taking on water about 5:45 p.m. Thursday, according to the Marine Corps.
One Marine was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla and later died. Two others were injured and remain hospitalized but are no longer in intensive care.
Five other service members were rescued.
The Marines, with support from the Navy and Coast Guard, were still searching for the missing service members late Friday afternoon.
“We have not moved into recovery operations,” Osterman said. “We’re still looking for them.”
The Marine Corps commandant, Gen. David H. Berger, said that even though the search was continuing, the focus now should be on the troops and their families. He added that he was suspending waterborne operations of all of the more than 800 amphibious assault vehicles across the Marines until the cause of the accident is determined. He said the move was out of “an abundance of caution.”
The name of the Marine who died will be withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin, officials said, and “all family members who are affected will be contacted directly by their Marines’ chain of command.”
1 Marine has died, 8 service members remain missing and 2 were injured after an AAV mishap July 30 off the coast of Southern California. All are assigned to the 15th MEU. Search and rescue efforts are still underway with support from the Navy and Coast Guard. — I MEF (@1stMEF) July 31, 2020
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All the Marines involved were assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is based out of Camp Pendleton.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. I ask that you keep our Marines, sailors and their families in your prayers as we continue our search,” Col. Christopher J. Bronzi, 15th MEU Commanding Officer, said in a statement.
The incident is under investigation, according to the Marines. It occurred during what officials called a “15th MEU and Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group routine training exercise in the vicinity of San Clemente Island” — a Navy-owned land mass about 70 miles off the San Diego County coast.
They had just completed a routine training exercise and were heading back to the Navy ship with a dozen other amphibious assault vehicles, Osterman said.
Troops on board two other amphibious assault vehicles responded quickly but could not stop the vehicle from sinking, Osterman said.
“It’s a very tragic situation,” Osterman said.
The vessels John Finn, Somerset and San Diego, three Navy MH-60 helicopters, the Coast Guard Cutter Forrest Rednour and a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter are all assisting in the search, according to the Marines.
The Navy and Coast Guard were discussing ways to reach the sunken vehicle to get a view inside it, Osterman said.
This isn’t the first time Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton have been wounded or killed while training with amphibious assault vehicles, which are armored troop transports that carry small units from ship to shore.
In 2017, 15 Marines were injured when an amphibious assault vehicle caught fire during a training exercise.
Another Marine, Sgt. Wesley Rice, drowned inside an amphibious assault vehicle in 2011 after it sank in a boat basin on base.
Known as “Amtracs” or “hogs,” the vehicles weigh at least 48,000 pounds. Upon leaving a ship, the vehicle, which resembles a tank, will drop below the surface of the water before popping back up. They can move about 8 mph at sea and up to 46 mph on land.
The current version of the vehicle is almost 50 years old, though it has been modernized through the years. A replacement, the $15-billion Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, was canceled in 2011 due to budget constraints.
San Diego Union-Tribune staff writers Andrew Dyer and Phil Diehl and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-31--La Luz del Mundo church leader faces new rape charges

The state ’ s attorney general has filed new charges against the leader of the Mexico-based La Luz del Mundo megachurch , who has been accused of raping children under the guise of his leadership .
The charges , filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court , come four months after Naason Joaquin Garcia ’ s criminal case was dropped by a California appeals court on procedural grounds .
California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra refiled the charges and added at least six additional felony charges each against Garcia , 51 , and one of his co-defendants , Alondra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes 36 felony charges for crimes that allegedly occurred between June 2015 and April 2018 .
Also facing charges are Garcia ’ s assistant , 25-year-old Susana Medina Oaxaca , who was released after posting bail , and Azalea Rangel Melendez , whom authorities have been unable to locate .
Garcia ’ s attorney , Alan Jackson , could not be reached for comment , but Garcia has denied any wrongdoing .
The church leader , known among La Luz del Mundo ’ s members as the “ apostle ” of Jesus Christ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
The appeals court ruled in April that because Garcia ’ s preliminary hearing was not held in a timely manner and he did not waive his right to one after an amended complaint , the criminal complaint should be dismissed .
The complaint included more than two dozen felony charges ranging from human trafficking and production of child pornography to forcible rape of a minor .
“ This is a long overdue recognition that the government has violated Mr. Garcia ’ s constitutional right to a speedy trial and reasonable bond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement following the appeals court decision .
“ In their zeal to secure a conviction at any cost , the attorney general has sought to strip Mr. Garcia of his freedom without due process by locking him up without bail on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations by unnamed accusers and by denying him his day in court.
“ Ocampo had been accused of being the “ groomer and recruiter ” of girls who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Garcia .
The criminal complaint outlines instances in which Ocampo allegedly asked girls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genitals to send to Garcia , whom she called “ the servant of God.
” One one occasion between September 2017 and January 2018 , Ocampo took three girls to an office building and “ provided them with schoolgirl outfits , directed them to touch their own breasts and buttocks , as well as each other ’ s , and took photos of them doing so , ” the complaint alleges .
During another instance in 2017 , she allegedly told a group of girls that if they went against the desires of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going against God , according to the complaint .
A month later , she allegedly directed the girls to perform “ flirty ” dances for Garcia “ wearing as little clothing as possible , ” the complaint states .
In a 2019 hearing , a witness testified that Garcia possessed pornography that depicted him having intercourse with a woman while she performed oral sex on a boy .
The video also showed four females “ of a very young age ” performing oral sex on one another .
In February , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawsuit against the church and Garcia alleging he and other high-ranking church members engaged in human trafficking , racketeering , sexual battery and forced labor , among other charges .
Garcia is being held on $ 50-million bail and Ocampo is being held on $ 25-million bail .
The defendants are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 4 , according to a spokesperson for the attorney general ’ s office .

The new charges come four months after Naason Joaquin Garcia’s criminal case was dropped by a California appeals court on procedural grounds.
The state’s attorney general has filed new charges against the leader of the Mexico-based La Luz del Mundo megachurch, who has been accused of raping children under the guise of his leadership.
The charges, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, come four months after Naason Joaquin Garcia’s criminal case was dropped by a California appeals court on procedural grounds.
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra refiled the charges and added at least six additional felony charges each against Garcia, 51, and one of his co-defendants, Alondra Ocampo, 37.
The new complaint includes 36 felony charges for crimes that allegedly occurred between June 2015 and April 2018.
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Also facing charges are Garcia’s assistant, 25-year-old Susana Medina Oaxaca, who was released after posting bail, and Azalea Rangel Melendez, whom authorities have been unable to locate.
Garcia’s attorney, Alan Jackson, could not be reached for comment, but Garcia has denied any wrongdoing.
The church leader, known among La Luz del Mundo’s members as the “apostle” of Jesus Christ, has been in custody since June 2019.
The appeals court ruled in April that because Garcia’s preliminary hearing was not held in a timely manner and he did not waive his right to one after an amended complaint, the criminal complaint should be dismissed. The complaint included more than two dozen felony charges ranging from human trafficking and production of child pornography to forcible rape of a minor.
“This is a long overdue recognition that the government has violated Mr. Garcia’s constitutional right to a speedy trial and reasonable bond,” Garcia’s attorney said in a statement following the appeals court decision. “In their zeal to secure a conviction at any cost, the attorney general has sought to strip Mr. Garcia of his freedom without due process by locking him up without bail on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations by unnamed accusers and by denying him his day in court.“
Ocampo had been accused of being the “groomer and recruiter” of girls who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Garcia.
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The criminal complaint outlines instances in which Ocampo allegedly asked girls to undress and take photographs of their genitals to send to Garcia, whom she called “the servant of God.”
One one occasion between September 2017 and January 2018, Ocampo took three girls to an office building and “provided them with schoolgirl outfits, directed them to touch their own breasts and buttocks, as well as each other’s, and took photos of them doing so,” the complaint alleges.
During another instance in 2017, she allegedly told a group of girls that if they went against the desires of “the apostle,” they were going against God, according to the complaint. A month later, she allegedly directed the girls to perform “flirty” dances for Garcia “wearing as little clothing as possible,” the complaint states.
In a 2019 hearing, a witness testified that Garcia possessed pornography that depicted him having intercourse with a woman while she performed oral sex on a boy. The video also showed four females “of a very young age” performing oral sex on one another.
In February, a former member of La Luz del Mundo filed a lawsuit against the church and Garcia alleging he and other high-ranking church members engaged in human trafficking, racketeering, sexual battery and forced labor, among other charges.
Garcia is being held on $50-million bail and Ocampo is being held on $25-million bail. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 4, according to a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office.
Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-01--O.C. police review groups want officers to give shooting-related testimony immediately. Chief disagr

O.C. police review groups want officers to give shooting-related testimony immediately. Chief disagrees

Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros is declining to implement recommendations from two police review groups that could affect the accuracy of officers ’ testimonies following shootings .
The city ’ s community-driven Police Review Board and the external Office of Investigative Review Group recommended that the police department have officers provide testimony the day a critical incident occurs , rather than within seven days , which is the current policy .
The OIR Group also recommended that officers not be shown body-cam footage from incidents they ’ re involved in before providing their statement .
Those recommendations were presented at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of both groups ’ annual reports .
“ In our view , it makes sense to have that statement occur much sooner to reduce the chance that anything will interfere with the accuracy of the officer ’ s testimony , ” said Mayra Gomez , a member of the Police Review Board .
But Cisneros , who was named chief in 2018 , argued that his policy of giving officers involved in shootings seven days to provide statements is “ the norm.
” “ Being involved in a shooting is a traumatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officers , ” Cisneros said .
“ APD , like most other California police agencies , removes the officer from service … for 72 hours , then we require them to pass a psychological evaluation prior to returning to work .
The 72 hours is not something Anaheim made ; it ’ s a norm throughout our profession.
” Cisneros said experts believe that individuals who experience trauma give more reliable information as they “ move away from that trauma.
” Michael Gennaco of the OIR Group disagrees .
“ We believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer goes home that night , ” he said .
The OIR Group has been contracted with the city of Anaheim to provide investigations and reports on the police department since 2007 .
The group is given access to confidential files and is able to monitor debriefings at the scenes of crimes .
The Police Review Board is the city ’ s civilian oversight board for the police department , with one resident representing each district .
Most council members had little to say about the department ’ s stance on the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jose Moreno mentioned that it would be desirable to interview officers right away to “ make sure the memory is fresh.
” “ Another recommendation has to do with body cameras — we would prefer a situation where an officer gives a statement before being exposed to body cameras , ” Gennaco said .
“ That is a point of contention between us and the department .
“ We think that the best practice , and memory experts agree with us , is to get the statement from the officer , then allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If that body-worn camera footage causes his memory to be refreshed , then have the officer enhance his statement.
” Cisneros said the Orange County district attorney ’ s office conducts criminal investigations when an officer-involved shooting occurs , so it is up to that office to decide how to interview the officer .
“ Again , there is a difference of opinion by experts as to whether or not to view the body cam before or after , ” Cisneros said .
Moreno said it “ seems to be problematic ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident before their interview .
Gennaco said the department has agreed to implement most of the group ’ s recommendations and , like many police departments in California , has removed the use of neck holds from its policy following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
Cisneros said the department has implemented more than 90 % of the OIR Group ’ s recommendations over the years .
Councilman Stephen Faessel said at the meeting that he ’ d like reports from both groups to be presented biannually rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some of the cases included in the reports were from two years ago .
“ It ’ s a little discomforting that we are learning about statements and things that have happened approaching two years ago , ” Faessel said .
“ I ’ m concerned that the timing of these reports are so late for us .
Especially police use of force is something we need to be aware of very quickly .
”

Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros has rejected recommendations from two police review groups regarding the time frame for officers to give testimony after shooting incidents.
Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros is declining to implement recommendations from two police review groups that could affect the accuracy of officers’ testimonies following shootings.
The city’s community-driven Police Review Board and the external Office of Investigative Review Group recommended that the police department have officers provide testimony the day a critical incident occurs, rather than within seven days, which is the current policy. The OIR Group also recommended that officers not be shown body-cam footage from incidents they’re involved in before providing their statement.
Those recommendations were presented at this week’s council meeting as part of both groups’ annual reports.
“In our view, it makes sense to have that statement occur much sooner to reduce the chance that anything will interfere with the accuracy of the officer’s testimony,” said Mayra Gomez, a member of the Police Review Board.
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But Cisneros, who was named chief in 2018, argued that his policy of giving officers involved in shootings seven days to provide statements is “the norm.”
“Being involved in a shooting is a traumatic event for our community and also our police officers,” Cisneros said. “APD, like most other California police agencies, removes the officer from service … for 72 hours, then we require them to pass a psychological evaluation prior to returning to work. The 72 hours is not something Anaheim made; it’s a norm throughout our profession.”
Cisneros said experts believe that individuals who experience trauma give more reliable information as they “move away from that trauma.”
Michael Gennaco of the OIR Group disagrees. “We believe the officer should be interviewed before the officer goes home that night,” he said.
The OIR Group has been contracted with the city of Anaheim to provide investigations and reports on the police department since 2007. The group is given access to confidential files and is able to monitor debriefings at the scenes of crimes.
The Police Review Board is the city’s civilian oversight board for the police department, with one resident representing each district.
Most council members had little to say about the department’s stance on the two recommendations.
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Council members Denise Barnes and Jose Moreno mentioned that it would be desirable to interview officers right away to “make sure the memory is fresh.”
“Another recommendation has to do with body cameras — we would prefer a situation where an officer gives a statement before being exposed to body cameras,” Gennaco said. “That is a point of contention between us and the department.
“We think that the best practice, and memory experts agree with us, is to get the statement from the officer, then allow the officer to see the body-worn camera. If that body-worn camera footage causes his memory to be refreshed, then have the officer enhance his statement.”
Cisneros said the Orange County district attorney’s office conducts criminal investigations when an officer-involved shooting occurs, so it is up to that office to decide how to interview the officer.
“Again, there is a difference of opinion by experts as to whether or not to view the body cam before or after,” Cisneros said.
Moreno said it “seems to be problematic” to allow officers to review video of the incident before their interview.
Gennaco said the department has agreed to implement most of the group’s recommendations and, like many police departments in California, has removed the use of neck holds from its policy following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Cisneros said the department has implemented more than 90% of the OIR Group’s recommendations over the years.
Councilman Stephen Faessel said at the meeting that he’d like reports from both groups to be presented biannually rather than once a year, expressing concern that some of the cases included in the reports were from two years ago.
“It’s a little discomforting that we are learning about statements and things that have happened approaching two years ago,” Faessel said. “I’m concerned that the timing of these reports are so late for us. Especially police use of force is something we need to be aware of very quickly.”
Brazil writes for Times Community News.


latimes--2020-08-01--Broiling temperatures in L.A. County, Inland Empire expected to last days

Searing temperatures in inland areas of Southern California are expected to last through Monday , extending the suffering for vulnerable and unhoused people across the region who have nowhere to escape the heat .
“ It ’ s been a miserable week , ” said Paul Read , co-founder of the homeless services provider Passion , which does outreach in the San Fernando Valley .
“ People don ’ t want to go out in the heat .
They ’ re getting dehydrated.
” Temperatures have hit triple digits in the Antelope Valley cities of Lancaster and Palmdale , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where the Apple fire has burned more than 4,100 acres .
The broiling weather is expected to continue through Sunday , easing slightly on Monday and cooling later in the week , according to National Weather Service meteorologist Lisa Phillips .
In Los Angeles County , the health officer said a heat alert was being extended through Sunday for the Santa Clarita Valley and western San Fernando Valley , and through Monday for the Antelope Valley .
“ It is critically important to never leave children , elderly people , or pets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and particularly in vehicles , even if the windows are ‘ cracked ’ or open , as temperatures inside can quickly rise to life-threatening levels , ” L.A. County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a statement Sunday .
“ If you have an elderly or infirm neighbor who is without air conditioning , check on them throughout the day.
” More than a dozen cooling centers are open across the county for people who need to escape from the heat , including four centers in the city of Los Angeles , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light of the ongoing pandemic , their capacity has been reduced to prevent crowding .
The city of Los Angeles has cautioned people to call ahead to check if space is available .
Brooke Carrillo , who sleeps in a tent in Chatsworth , said the scorching weather has been especially miserable for homeless people during the COVID-19 crisis because the usual places they would cool off — such as libraries — are closed .
In the encampment where she lives , “ people are putting up tarps to cover the walkway and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanitation comes they ’ re tearing them down , ” Carrillo said .
“ People are getting frustrated.
” Phillips , the meteorologist , said that despite the high temperatures , the region has yet to hit “ red flag ” conditions for wildfires because such severe conditions have not been persistent across a wide area .
“ It ’ s about timing , ” she said .
“ If you ’ ve got those really dry , really hot conditions , coupled with wind for an extended period of time , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Searing temperatures in inland areas of Southern California are expected to last through Monday, extending the suffering for vulnerable and unhoused people across the region who have nowhere to escape the heat.
“It’s been a miserable week,” said Paul Read, co-founder of the homeless services provider Passion, which does outreach in the San Fernando Valley. “People don’t want to go out in the heat. They’re getting dehydrated.”
Temperatures have hit triple digits in the Antelope Valley cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as in parts of Riverside County, where the Apple fire has burned more than 4,100 acres. The broiling weather is expected to continue through Sunday, easing slightly on Monday and cooling later in the week, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Lisa Phillips.
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In Los Angeles County, the health officer said a heat alert was being extended through Sunday for the Santa Clarita Valley and western San Fernando Valley, and through Monday for the Antelope Valley.
“It is critically important to never leave children, elderly people, or pets unattended in homes with no air conditioning and particularly in vehicles, even if the windows are ‘cracked’ or open, as temperatures inside can quickly rise to life-threatening levels,” L.A. County Health Officer Muntu Davis said in a statement Sunday. “If you have an elderly or infirm neighbor who is without air conditioning, check on them throughout the day.”
More than a dozen cooling centers are open across the county for people who need to escape from the heat, including four centers in the city of Los Angeles, according to the county. However, in light of the ongoing pandemic, their capacity has been reduced to prevent crowding. The city of Los Angeles has cautioned people to call ahead to check if space is available.
Brooke Carrillo, who sleeps in a tent in Chatsworth, said the scorching weather has been especially miserable for homeless people during the COVID-19 crisis because the usual places they would cool off — such as libraries — are closed.
In the encampment where she lives, “people are putting up tarps to cover the walkway and get some shade, and every time sanitation comes they’re tearing them down,” Carrillo said. “People are getting frustrated.”
Phillips, the meteorologist, said that despite the high temperatures, the region has yet to hit “red flag” conditions for wildfires because such severe conditions have not been persistent across a wide area.
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“It’s about timing,” she said. “If you’ve got those really dry, really hot conditions, coupled with wind for an extended period of time, that makes fighting fires really difficult.”


latimes--2020-08-01--Coronavirus deaths rise in L.A., Orange County

Southern California counties continue to report high death tolls from the coronavirus .
Orange County reported 31 new deaths Saturday .
Los Angeles County tallied 50 , which officials contrasted with last week , when an average of 38 people were dying each day .
“ The number of deaths we are seeing is a sad reminder of the devastation COVID-19 causes , ” Barbara Ferrer , the L.A. County health director , said in a statement .
Statewide , at least 214 coronavirus-related fatalities were reported Friday , according to a Los Angeles Times tally , the fifth time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record in reported cases , and the third time this week .
The record was last broken on Wednesday , when 176 deaths were recorded .
The average number of daily COVID-19 deaths in California for the seven days that ended Friday was 127 .
Last week , the number was 104 .
Experts say deaths are a lagging indicator of the virus ’ impact , meaning they reflect infections that were acquired weeks before .
COVID-19 cases have been rising since late May , when California reopened the economy and many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the deaths reported by Orange County were skilled nursing facility residents , and two were residents of assisted living facilities , authorities said .
The county also reported 637 more cases of the virus , bringing its total to 36,833 cases and 649 deaths .
There were fewer patients in county hospitals compared with four days ago — 546 , versus 626 on Tuesday .
L.A. County reported 2,303 new cases of the virus , bringing its total to 190,836 cases of the virus and 4,669 related deaths .
As in Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There were 1,856 confirmed coronavirus cases in county hospitals and nearly 31 % in intensive care , compared with 2,022 patients four days ago .
Nearly 1.8 million people had been tested and received their results , with about 10 % testing positive .
Officials issued another plea for both people and businesses to take steps to limit disease transmission .
They include wearing a face covering and staying home as much as possible , as well as implementing infection control protocols and reporting any outbreaks to the public health department , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our part and working together can we reduce transmission to a lower rate that allows more people to get back to work and allows our children to return to their classrooms , ” Ferrer said .
“ Hopefully , as you make your decisions about how to spend this beautiful weekend , you will do so understanding your power to affect the health of the entire community .
”

People walk and skateboard on the sidewalk past businesses on July 20 in Newport Beach. Orange County reported 31 new COVID-19 deaths Saturday.
Southern California counties continue to report high death tolls from the coronavirus.
Orange County reported 31 new deaths Saturday. Los Angeles County tallied 50, which officials contrasted with last week, when an average of 38 people were dying each day.
“The number of deaths we are seeing is a sad reminder of the devastation COVID-19 causes,” Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County health director, said in a statement.
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Statewide, at least 214 coronavirus-related fatalities were reported Friday, according to a Los Angeles Times tally, the fifth time in July California has broken a single-day record in reported cases, and the third time this week. The record was last broken on Wednesday, when 176 deaths were recorded.
The average number of daily COVID-19 deaths in California for the seven days that ended Friday was 127. Last week, the number was 104.
Experts say deaths are a lagging indicator of the virus’ impact, meaning they reflect infections that were acquired weeks before. COVID-19 cases have been rising since late May, when California reopened the economy and many people got back to old routines.
Four of the deaths reported by Orange County were skilled nursing facility residents, and two were residents of assisted living facilities, authorities said. The county also reported 637 more cases of the virus, bringing its total to 36,833 cases and 649 deaths. There were fewer patients in county hospitals compared with four days ago — 546, versus 626 on Tuesday.
L.A. County reported 2,303 new cases of the virus, bringing its total to 190,836 cases of the virus and 4,669 related deaths.
As in Orange County, hospitalizations continued to decrease slightly. There were 1,856 confirmed coronavirus cases in county hospitals and nearly 31% in intensive care, compared with 2,022 patients four days ago.
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Nearly 1.8 million people had been tested and received their results, with about 10% testing positive.
Officials issued another plea for both people and businesses to take steps to limit disease transmission. They include wearing a face covering and staying home as much as possible, as well as implementing infection control protocols and reporting any outbreaks to the public health department, authorities said.
“Only by doing our part and working together can we reduce transmission to a lower rate that allows more people to get back to work and allows our children to return to their classrooms,” Ferrer said. “Hopefully, as you make your decisions about how to spend this beautiful weekend, you will do so understanding your power to affect the health of the entire community.”
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-01--Video purports to show sheriff's personnel at Hollywood bar party; department denies report

Questions have arisen about a private party that may have been thrown for Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s personnel Friday night at a Hollywood bar , even as the number of people sickened and killed by the coronavirus in the county continues to surge .
Footage posted to social media Friday night by Knock.LA , which is affiliated with the progressive activist group Ground Game LA , shows several men respond “ yeah ” when asked if they had arrived at Sassafras Saloon on Vine Street for an “ LASD party.
” In a second video , loud music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venue .
A person with knowledge of the event , who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals , said staff members of the bar had been notified that a party involving the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department had been booked for Friday night .
About 100 people were expected to attend , according to that person .
In a statement , the sheriff ’ s department denied that the people in the video were employees or that it hosted the event .
“ As soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies attending a party in violation of health orders , we initiated an inquiry in an attempt to validate the information or misinformation , ” the statement read .
“ If further details are discovered and action is warranted , we will take appropriate administrative action.
” A review of payroll records by The Times did not turn up the names of any of the three men who identify themselves in the video as Sheriff ’ s Department employees .
The 1933 Group — which owns a number of popular Los Angeles cocktail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in North Hollywood , the Bigfoot Lodge in Atwater Village and the Highland Park Bowl — did not respond to an email seeking comment .
In a statement issued to Eater L.A. , the restaurant group said it was “ approached by an individual who requested to book a private event to honor a group of first responders.
” “ It was not a booking by the L.A. County Sheriff ’ s Department directly , and we can not confirm whether LASD staff were present , ” the statement read .
KCRW reporter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to the scene and observed “ deputies drinking on the street , littering ” and not wearing masks .
Bars in L.A. County were ordered shuttered by Gov .
Gavin Newsom in late June as part of an effort to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus , which has claimed more than 4,600 lives in L.A. County .
Brewpubs and bars that serve food are allowed to operate and serve customers in outside dining areas .
Though Sassafras does not have a food menu posted on its website , the bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event Friday night was staged primarily in outdoor spaces that “ completely complied with current safety precautions and social distancing expectations.
” One of the videos posted by Knock.LA , however , appears to show people dancing in close quarters to loud music inside the bar .
Activists have also expressed concern about documents showing the Los Angeles Sanitation Department conducted a cleanup of a homeless encampment 24 hours before at an address next door to the Sassafras on the 1200 block of Vine Street .

Questions have arisen about a private party that may have been thrown for Los Angeles County sheriff’s personnel Friday night at a Hollywood bar, even as the number of people sickened and killed by the coronavirus in the county continues to surge.
Footage posted to social media Friday night by Knock.LA, which is affiliated with the progressive activist group Ground Game LA, shows several men responding “yeah” when asked if they had arrived at Sassafras Saloon on Vine Street for an “LASD party.” In a second video, loud music can be heard blaring from inside the venue.
A person with knowledge of the event, who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said staff members of the bar had been notified that a party involving the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department had been booked for Friday night. About 100 people were expected to attend, according to that person.
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In a statement Saturday, the sheriff’s department denied that the people in the video were employees or that it hosted the event.
“As soon as we became aware of allegations of deputies attending a party in violation of health orders, we initiated an inquiry in an attempt to validate the information or misinformation,” the statement read. “If further details are discovered and action is warranted, we will take appropriate administrative action.”
A review of payroll records by The Times did not turn up the names of any of the three men who identify themselves in the video as Sheriff’s Department employees.
KCRW reporter Cerise Castle tweeted Friday night that she went to the scene and observed “deputies drinking on the street, littering” and not wearing masks.
The 1933 Group — which owns a number of popular Los Angeles cocktail bars, including Sassafras, Idle Hour in North Hollywood, the Bigfoot Lodge in Atwater Village and the Highland Park Bowl — emailed a statement to The Times on Saturday, saying that the “gathering was booked by an individual who wanted to honor a group of first responders.
“As the LASD also confirms, it was not an event planned by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, and we cannot confirm whether LASD or LAPD were among those present,” the statement said. It also said that 100 people did not attend the event but declined to say how many did.
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Addressing how one video posted by Knock.LA appears to show people dancing in close quarters to loud music inside the bar, the restaurant’s owner said, “We did everything possible to provide our staff and guests with ample outdoor spaces that completely adhered to current safety precautions and social distancing expectations.
“Unfortunately, there were a number of guests that did not comply. We unequivocally do not condone this behavior and have no intention of agreeing to additional private events, charitable or otherwise, until the state allows.”
Bars in L.A. County were ordered shuttered by Gov. Gavin Newsom in late June as part of an effort to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has claimed more than 4,600 lives in L.A. County. Brewpubs and bars that serve food are allowed to operate and serve customers in outdoor dining areas. Though Sassafras does not have a food menu posted on its website, the bar does serve food.
Activists have expressed concern about documents showing that the Los Angeles Sanitation Department conducted a cleanup of a homeless encampment 24 hours beforehand at an address next door to Sassafras on the 1200 block of Vine Street.
Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-01--ACLU sues Pomona Police Department over its deadly force policy

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the Pomona Police Department , alleging that it has been using public funds under the influence of a lobbying group to adopt policies and training that undermine state law on police use of deadly force .
The complaint , filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday , names the Pomona Police Department , its Chief Michael Ellis , and the city of Pomona as defendants .
It was filed on behalf of Gente Organizada , a Pomona social action group , and a member of a Pomona coalition called Police Oversight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Pomona Police Department , the city of Pomona , and the Peace Officers Research Assn .
of California , or PORAC , were not immediately returned .
Allegations in the lawsuit center on the Police Department ’ s implementation of a state law — Assembly Bill 392 — that changed the standard for justifying the use of lethal force from when it is “ reasonable ” to when it is “ necessary.
” When the law took effect on Jan. 1 , it was described as one of the toughest standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force .
Plaintiffs contend that the department ’ s use-of-force policy references a “ reasonableness ” standard throughout and “ does not acknowledge ” that AB 392 created the “ necessary ” standard .
As a result , they claim that the department is applying an inaccurate legal standard when it investigates its use of deadly force .
Previously , prosecutors could only consider the moment lethal force was used when determining if an officer acted within the law .
Under the new standard , prosecutors can also scrutinize the actions both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounter .
“ ... Pomona Police Department instructs its officers that AB 392 did not change the legal standard for police officers ’ use of deadly force , ” the lawsuit states .
“ This instruction is incorrect : it misstates the legal standard of AB 392 and establishes a different and lower standard for Pomona Police Department officers ’ uses of deadly force that violates state law.
” The plaintiffs contend that the Pomona Police Department has trained its officers on the use of deadly force relying on materials created by PORAC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement labor organization .
While acknowledging that PORAC declared it was “ neutral ” toward the bill several months before it was signed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Aug 6 , 2019 , the lawsuit alleges that the group “ began obstructing its implementation as soon as it became law.
” According to the lawsuit , three days after the law was signed , the president of PORAC emailed its members claiming that the new standard was “ consistent with current case law ” and would “ not significantly impact ” how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Department ’ s training center then sent that email to all of the department ’ s sworn officer .
Shortly afterward , training on the new law was conducted for officers that relied on PORAC materials , the lawsuit states .
The lawsuit seeks several injunctions , including a halt to the use of Pomona Police Department resources to train officers that state law doesn ’ t establish a “ necessary ” standard for the use of deadly force .

Gov. Gavin Newsom, behind lectern, is joined by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and families who have lost loved ones to police violence for a bill-signing ceremony for AB 392, a reform of California’s use of force rules for law enforcement, in Aug. 2019.
The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the Pomona Police Department, alleging that it has been using public funds under the influence of a lobbying group to adopt policies and training that undermine state law on police use of deadly force.
The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, names the Pomona Police Department, its Chief Michael Ellis, and the city of Pomona as defendants. It was filed on behalf of Gente Organizada, a Pomona social action group, and a member of a Pomona coalition called Police Oversight Starts Today.
A request for comment left with the Pomona Police Department was not immediately returned. In a statement, the city said that it “will vigorously work to ensure that all the facts are shared with the public because those facts will demonstrate that the city is complying with AB392,” the state law on use of deadly force.
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None of the agencies in Los Angeles County have given PORAC or their respective unions a blank check to write Use of Force polices, which includes Pomona.
Allegations in the lawsuit center on the Police Department’s implementation of a state law — Assembly Bill 392 — that changed the standard for justifying the use of lethal force from when it is “reasonable” to when it is “necessary.” When the law took effect on Jan. 1, it was described as one of the toughest standards in the country regarding use of deadly force.
Plaintiffs contend that the department’s use-of-force policy references a “reasonableness” standard throughout and “does not acknowledge” that AB 392 created the “necessary” standard. As a result, they claim that the department is applying an inaccurate legal standard when it investigates its use of deadly force.
Previously, prosecutors could only consider the moment lethal force was used when determining if an officer acted within the law. Under the new standard, prosecutors can also scrutinize the actions both of officers and suspects leading up to an encounter.
“... Pomona Police Department instructs its officers that AB 392 did not change the legal standard for police officers’ use of deadly force,” the lawsuit states. “This instruction is incorrect: it misstates the legal standard of AB 392 and establishes a different and lower standard for Pomona Police Department officers’ uses of deadly force that violates state law.”
The plaintiffs contend that the Pomona Police Department has trained its officers on the use of deadly force relying on materials created by the Peace Officers Research Association of California, or PORAC, the state’s largest law enforcement labor organization. While acknowledging that PORAC declared it was “neutral” toward the bill several months before it was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug 6, 2019, the lawsuit alleges that the group “began obstructing its implementation as soon as it became law.”
According to the lawsuit, three days after the law was signed, the president of PORAC emailed its members claiming that the new standard was “consistent with current case law” and would “not significantly impact” how police perform their jobs. The Pomona Police Department’s training center then sent that email to all of the department’s sworn officers. Shortly afterward, training on the new law was conducted for officers that relied on PORAC materials, the lawsuit states.
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In a statement, PORAC president Brian Marvel wrote that his organization has worked with the ACLU on police reforms and was disappointed in the allegations in the lawsuit.
“None of the agencies in Los Angeles County have given PORAC or their respective unions a blank check to write Use of Force polices, which includes Pomona,” he said.
The lawsuit seeks several injunctions, including a halt to the use of Pomona Police Department resources to train officers that state law doesn’t establish a “necessary” standard for the use of deadly force.
Times reporter Anita Chabria contributed to this report.