latimes--2020-11-03--A few glitches, but election day has generally gone smoothly in California

Despite a few hiccups , California has largely breezed through election day with brisk lines , peppy poll workers and rave reviews from voters , many of whom are calling it “ the best voting experience ” of their lives .
“ Voting is going smoothly across California , ” Sam Mahood , a spokesman for the secretary of state , said early in the day .
“ We have been urging Californians to vote early this year , and they responded in record numbers.
” A few glitches emerged later in the day , but they were isolated cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Californians had already cast their votes ahead of Tuesday , including almost 3 million Angelenos — an extraordinary show of enthusiasm in an election expected to shatter voter turnout records across the country .
But many still flocked to the polls on Tuesday , if only for the classic election day experience .
“ I like going in there and being in that environment where I ’ m with other people voting — it just makes me feel very inspired , ” said Mark Yoshida , who cast his ballot at the La @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expecting a little more chaos , just because it is election day .
I was kind of hoping to see a little more drama.
” By early afternoon , a few problems had begun to emerge .
In the city of Westminster in Orange County , activists found what appeared to be a fake voting center at City Council candidate Dr. Kimberly Ho ’ s campaign headquarters .
A campaign advisor said the campaign was collecting completed ballots .
But Orange County Dist .
Atty .
Todd Spitzer said there was concern that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that signs in English and Vietnamese may have misled some voters .
Elsewhere across the state , officials saw scattered reports of electioneering and “ partisan poll watchers ” intimidating voters .
A woman in Sacramento County marched up and down a line of voters in Citrus Heights , trying to stoke pro-Trump chants and telling people to take off their masks .
Men draped in Trump flags were spotted at a polling place in Orange County .
“ We had a couple of people try to vote with Trump material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , and we were able to get them to take them off or turn them inside out , ” said Neal Kelley , the Orange County registrar of voters .
“ We did quite a bit of [ poll worker ] training on that — we worked on de-escalation techniques , we did role playing .
I ’ m just not seeing those being widespread issues , which , to be honest , I was expecting a little more.
” By early afternoon , there were reports of long lines in Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electronic ballot marking machines had been sent to those locations to help speed up the process , but hours later many were still reporting lengthy waits .
“ People are waiting on average between an hour and a half and two hours to cast their ballot , ” said Michael Gomez Daly , executive director of Inland Empire United .
“ Most of the folks I spoke to in line were there because they had lost their ballots or the ballot had misspellings in their name .
They were there to register and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who were registered found themselves delayed by other problems , including an “ antiquated ” check-in process to ensure they hadn ’ t voted twice — something every county must do this year , but that only Riverside did by hand , said Jonathan Mehta Stein of California Common Cause .
“ They are having every voter fill out a reissue form , and then they have to type the person ’ s full name and address into a laptop , and that enables them to confirm that voter has not voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties have modernized technology , you walk in and your check-in process takes 15 seconds.
” Mehta Stein said between 5:30 and 6 p.m. that at least five sites in Riverside were reporting waits of more than 45 minutes .
“ We have heard of some lines at Riverside voting locations , possibly caused by same-day registration being processed , ” said Mahood , the state spokesman .
“ We ’ ve reached out to the county elections office to check in with their poll workers.
” But things were “ still moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite the relative calm at the polls , Tuesday was still a dramatic introduction to the franchise for those who had never voted before .
“ I ’ m definitely glad this was my first time voting , ” said AuDrya Clayton , 19 , who voted with her mother and grandmother at St. Bernadette Catholic Church .
“ This is a pivotal time .
Not just the president but the D.A.
, the propositions .
It can make a significant change.
” Poll worker Brian Sonia-Wallace said the Huntington Park Public Library @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning rush on Tuesday , followed by a steady flow of voters — among them many first-time voters with birth dates after the George W. Bush-Al Gore election .
“ A lot of folks I ’ m checking in , this is their first election , ” the poll worker said .
“ There ’ s a huge amount of folks who were born in 2000 and after.
” Such voters got a hushed welcome at the library , but at many other sites around the Southland , they were greeted with cheers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those who cast their first vote at Dodger Stadium , a serenade from the band Mariachi Ausente .
“ I was watching the news this morning and they said there was a band , ” said Robert Flores , 26 , who drove with with his neighbor , 23-year-old Alexander Anguiano , from the city of Bell to the iconic ballpark to cast the first ballots of their young lives .
“ I said let ’ s see what ’ s up.
” Dominque Thomas , a first-time voter from Santa Ana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But when the 18-year-old college sophomore stepped out of his chemistry lab class at Santa Ana College on Tuesday morning , he got a text from his mom : “ Happy Tuesday .
I know you are busy at school .
But quick … request — please vote.
” “ I ’ d be lying if I didn ’ t say that societal pressure ” wasn ’ t a factor in why he voted , Thomas said .
“ But the main reason I voted is … to say that I at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even regular voters like Crystal Frost of Mid-City said election workers made a concerted effort to welcome those who might be new to the polls .
Frost said she ’ d heard worries about Super Tuesday-style lines , which stretched on for hours during the primary election in March .
But for much of Tuesday , the average wait time to vote in L.A. County was less than 10 minutes .
“ I definitely saw a lot of younger people who were working the polls — it was a very encouraging environment for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There were people walking around while people were voting and asking you needed anything .
It was great experience.
” Poll workers got heaps of praise from other local voters , who said they were more helpful , more informed and more energized than in previous elections .
“ Normally the poll workers are a bunch of old people who are just sour , ” said Alan Renshaw , who voted early in Venice .
“ But it just seemed like everyone was really friendly this time .
They did a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Among those plucky young poll workers were 17-year-old Jasmine Hercules and 16-year-old Sarah Jauregui , of Bell Gardens , who said they stepped up this year to take the mantle from older , more vulnerable volunteers .
“ I think it ’ s really important , especially in a pandemic when older people don ’ t really want to be out , ” Jauregui said .
“ It ’ s our future , even though we can ’ t vote yet.
” Times staff writers Cindy Carcamo , Adam Elmahrek , Gale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .

Despite a few hiccups, California has largely breezed through election day with brisk lines, peppy poll workers and rave reviews from voters, many of whom are calling it “the best voting experience” of their lives.
“Voting is going smoothly across California,” Sam Mahood, a spokesman for the secretary of state, said early in the day. “We have been urging Californians to vote early this year, and they responded in record numbers.” A few glitches emerged later in the day, but they were isolated cases.
Indeed, more than 12.8 million Californians had already cast their votes ahead of Tuesday, including almost 3 million Angelenos — an extraordinary show of enthusiasm in an election expected to shatter voter turnout records across the country. But many still flocked to the polls on Tuesday, if only for the classic election day experience.
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“I like going in there and being in that environment where I’m with other people voting — it just makes me feel very inspired,” said Mark Yoshida, who cast his ballot at the La Mirada Public Library. “I was expecting a little more chaos, just because it is election day. I was kind of hoping to see a little more drama.”
By early afternoon, a few problems had begun to emerge. In the city of Westminster in Orange County, activists found what appeared to be a fake voting center at City Council candidate Dr. Kimberly Ho’s campaign headquarters. A campaign advisor said the campaign was collecting completed ballots. But Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said there was concern that some people had arrived with blank ballots, and that signs in English and Vietnamese may have misled some voters.
Elsewhere across the state, officials saw scattered reports of electioneering and “partisan poll watchers” intimidating voters. A woman in Sacramento County marched up and down a line of voters in Citrus Heights, trying to stoke pro-Trump chants and telling people to take off their masks. Men draped in Trump flags were spotted at a polling place in Orange County.
“We had a couple of people try to vote with Trump material on, but we negotiated with the voters, and we were able to get them to take them off or turn them inside out,” said Neal Kelley, the Orange County registrar of voters. “We did quite a bit of [poll worker] training on that — we worked on de-escalation techniques, we did role playing. I’m just not seeing those being widespread issues, which, to be honest, I was expecting a little more.”
By early afternoon, there were reports of long lines in Riverside County. Spokeswoman Brooke Federico said more electronic ballot marking machines had been sent to those locations to help speed up the process, but hours later many were still reporting lengthy waits.
“People are waiting on average between an hour and a half and two hours to cast their ballot,” said Michael Gomez Daly, executive director of Inland Empire United. “Most of the folks I spoke to in line were there because they had lost their ballots or the ballot had misspellings in their name. They were there to register and vote at the same time.”
Even those who were registered found themselves delayed by other problems, including an “antiquated” check-in process to ensure they hadn’t voted twice — something every county must do this year, but that only Riverside did by hand, said Jonathan Mehta Stein of California Common Cause.
“They are having every voter fill out a reissue form, and then they have to type the person’s full name and address into a laptop, and that enables them to confirm that voter has not voted,” he said. “Other counties have modernized technology, you walk in and your check-in process takes 15 seconds.”
Mehta Stein said between 5:30 and 6 p.m. that at least five sites in Riverside were reporting waits of more than 45 minutes.
“We have heard of some lines at Riverside voting locations, possibly caused by same-day registration being processed,” said Mahood, the state spokesman. “We’ve reached out to the county elections office to check in with their poll workers.”
But things were “still moving smoothly statewide,” he said.
Despite the relative calm at the polls, Tuesday was still a dramatic introduction to the franchise for those who had never voted before.
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“I’m definitely glad this was my first time voting,” said AuDrya Clayton, 19, who voted with her mother and grandmother at St. Bernadette Catholic Church. “This is a pivotal time. Not just the president but the D.A., the propositions. It can make a significant change.”
Poll worker Brian Sonia-Wallace said the Huntington Park Public Library site where he worked saw an early morning rush on Tuesday, followed by a steady flow of voters — among them many first-time voters with birth dates after the George W. Bush-Al Gore election.
“A lot of folks I’m checking in, this is their first election,” the poll worker said. “There’s a huge amount of folks who were born in 2000 and after.”
Such voters got a hushed welcome at the library, but at many other sites around the Southland, they were greeted with cheers and applause — and in the case of those who cast their first vote at Dodger Stadium, a serenade from the band Mariachi Ausente.
“I was watching the news this morning and they said there was a band,” said Robert Flores, 26, who drove with with his neighbor, 23-year-old Alexander Anguiano, from the city of Bell to the iconic ballpark to cast the first ballots of their young lives. “I said let’s see what’s up.”
Dominque Thomas, a first-time voter from Santa Ana, had planned to skip this election. But when the 18-year-old college sophomore stepped out of his chemistry lab class at Santa Ana College on Tuesday morning, he got a text from his mom: “Happy Tuesday. I know you are busy at school. But quick … request — please vote.”
His mother’s pleading worked.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that societal pressure” wasn’t a factor in why he voted, Thomas said. “But the main reason I voted is … to say that I at least tried to make an impact.”
Even regular voters like Crystal Frost of Mid-City said election workers made a concerted effort to welcome those who might be new to the polls. Frost said she’d heard worries about Super Tuesday-style lines, which stretched on for hours during the primary election in March. But for much of Tuesday, the average wait time to vote in L.A. County was less than 10 minutes.
“I definitely saw a lot of younger people who were working the polls — it was a very encouraging environment for first-time voters,” she said. “There were people walking around while people were voting and asking you needed anything. It was great experience.”
Politics Election 2020 live updates: Northern battleground states remain too close to call President Trump and Joe Biden battled into Wednesday morning with no clear winner, as major contests remained too close. Biden urged patience, while Trump called the election into question.
Poll workers got heaps of praise from other local voters, who said they were more helpful, more informed and more energized than in previous elections.
“Normally the poll workers are a bunch of old people who are just sour,” said Alan Renshaw, who voted early in Venice. “But it just seemed like everyone was really friendly this time. They did a good job of training and building the enthusiasm.”
Among those plucky young poll workers were 17-year-old Jasmine Hercules and 16-year-old Sarah Jauregui, of Bell Gardens, who said they stepped up this year to take the mantle from older, more vulnerable volunteers.
“I think it’s really important, especially in a pandemic when older people don’t really want to be out,” Jauregui said. “It’s our future, even though we can’t vote yet.”
Times staff writers Cindy Carcamo, Adam Elmahrek, Gale Holland and Julia Wick contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-03--Inside an influencer-jammed, masks-very-optional Hollywood Hills Halloween party

To judge from the shaky cellphone footage posted to Instagram , Wav3Pop ’ s Halloween party looked like a night that will stick with L.A. rap fans for a long time .
At the party , called Verified , hundreds of young clubbers , OnlyFans camgirls , TikTok clout-chasers and shutdown-bedraggled Gen Zers climbed over an orange car custom-painted with the logo of the L.A. hip-hop duo and streetwear designers on their way into a rented Hollywood Hills mansion .
The pair sold 500 tickets on the retail site Eventbrite .
Some fans mingled in the backyard , but many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mosh and sing and watch the rappers perform with few masks in sight throughout the crowd .
It ’ s not news to anyone that large indoor parties or mask-less gatherings defy local regulations and public health advice .
An L.A. County public health order on Oct. 15 allowed “ private gatherings of three or fewer households , as long as the private gathering is outdoors , everyone wears a cloth face covering and keeps at least six feet of physical distance , food is in single-serve disposable containers , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or less.
” COVID-19 is on the rise in California , where cases now top 938,000 with more than 17,000 deaths .
But a few promoters have tried to throw illicit concerts mid-pandemic ; L.A. DWP has cut the power to similar TikTok-influencer house parties .
Local nightlife and music industries are at the edge of collapsing permanently , taking with them countless dreams and livelihoods .
Halloween affirmed that young music lovers ’ resolve to stay home is slipping .
Two parties that night — one from Wav3Pop , another in Echo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hip-hop promoter Millennium Age — showed very different approaches to managing risk in the age of COVID-19 .
One promoter found workarounds to abide by health codes with about the same risk as dining outdoors .
Another went renegade , with all the glee and vulnerability that entails .
“ With COVID-19 , we ’ re put in this situation where we had to make one of two choices , ” said Great Wav3 , 23 , half of Wav3Pop ( the rappers asked to go by their stage names during a FaceTime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We made a decision to figure it out .
We don ’ t believe in losing .
It doesn ’ t matter if you back us into a corner ; we ’ ll build a door or blow the [ whole thing ] up.
” Wav3Pop was far from alone in shrugging off COVID-19 risks for a clandestine Halloween gig .
Kendall Jenner threw herself a 25th birthday party on the rooftop of WeHo ’ s hotspot Harriet ’ s .
The 100 largely mask-free guests included the far-off-the-campaign trail presidential candidate Kanye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kardashian , the Weeknd , Doja Cat and Travis Scott .
If you weren ’ t on the list , gathering elsewhere was tougher : West Hollywood had banned large public gatherings like the popular Halloween Carnival .
But the Dodgers ’ World Series win and the Lakers ’ earlier NBA championship had already sent thousands of fans into the streets across the Southland — and such gatherings risked being superspreader events .
On Sunday , county health officials reported 1,590 new cases , up from a 940 seven-day average of new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem harmless to bring a group of people together for a celebration , ” L.A. County ’ s public health director , Barbara Ferrer , told the Times last week .
“ However , if not done appropriately , this type of gathering — even if only one person was infected — has the potential to result in hundreds of cases of COVID-19 .
And unfortunately , even worse , it can lead to the deaths of people who had no connection to the event at all.
” Before their Hollywood Hills party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contributing to that .
They made their reputation in L.A. throwing wild house shows , and during the shutdown they had sobered up and focused on growing their fashion line .
They admitted that the pandemic had broken them down a bit : “ This has created a lot of depression .
We had to find a way around this business , ” Lanta Wav3 , 24 , said .
Despite the unanimous guidance of every public health official and local politicians , and the laments of their long-suffering peers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway .
They swore up and down beforehand that their party would have security , free masks , temperature checks and outdoor space for fans who wanted the option to stay in fresh air .
( Video of the party did show ample outdoor areas , but masks didn ’ t look like the top priority for fans . )
“ Think about N.W.A : The police said if they performed ‘ F— tha Police ’ they ’ d get arrested , ” Great Wav3 said .
“ But they did it anyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do [ something ] , but we have a bigger purpose.
” A few miles southeast , another hip-hop-savvy promoter took a much more measured approach .
For the last five years , Jahmal Walker , 35 , has thrown “ silent ” parties in L.A. with beamed-in music on wireless headphones .
The concept was a hit for his company Millennium Age , which he said threw around 360 events in 40 cities in 2019 .
He ’ d sold more than 300 tickets to an outdoor Halloween gig outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leimert Park .
But last-minute complications sent him instead to the parking lots of Club Bahia in Echo Park , a permitted music venue with a full kitchen .
Live music or DJs outside would have instantly made the gig illegal .
But with guests served food at separated tables and DJ sets livestreamed from inside the otherwise empty venue , it was a far cry from a sweaty nightclub , but up to code and just enough to feel almost-sort-of normal .
“ Police did come by around 11:30 p.m. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ But when they shined their lights and we showed them the headphones , they said , ‘ This is really cool ’ and drove off.
” During COVID-19 , Walker shifted his company away from music to smaller film screenings .
But since Halloween ’ s event went off with few hitches , he thinks his company ’ s noiseless , individual-listening format can open up some options during the pandemic .
“ We ’ re not trying to run away from COVID , but we still want a place to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ People told me , ‘ This is the funnest party I ’ ve ever been to all year , ’ and I ’ m like ‘ Yeah , because there aren ’ t any parties this year .
’ ”

To judge from the shaky cellphone footage posted to Instagram, Wav3Pop’s Halloween party looked like a night that will stick with L.A. rap fans for a long time.
At the party, called Verified, hundreds of young clubbers, OnlyFans camgirls, TikTok clout-chasers and shutdown-bedraggled Gen Zers climbed over an orange car custom-painted with the logo of the L.A. hip-hop duo and streetwear designers on their way into a rented Hollywood Hills mansion. The pair sold 500 tickets on the retail site Eventbrite. Some fans mingled in the backyard, but many piled indoors, jubilant and carefree, to mosh and sing and watch the rappers perform with few masks in sight throughout the crowd.
It’s not news to anyone that large indoor parties or mask-less gatherings defy local regulations and public health advice. An L.A. County public health order on Oct. 15 allowed “private gatherings of three or fewer households, as long as the private gathering is outdoors, everyone wears a cloth face covering and keeps at least six feet of physical distance, food is in single-serve disposable containers, and the duration of the gathering is two hours or less.” COVID-19 is on the rise in California, where cases now top 938,000 with more than 17,000 deaths.
Advertisement
But a few promoters have tried to throw illicit concerts mid-pandemic; L.A. DWP has cut the power to similar TikTok-influencer house parties. Local nightlife and music industries are at the edge of collapsing permanently, taking with them countless dreams and livelihoods. Halloween affirmed that young music lovers’ resolve to stay home is slipping.
Two parties that night — one from Wav3Pop, another in Echo Park from the R&B and hip-hop promoter Millennium Age — showed very different approaches to managing risk in the age of COVID-19. One promoter found workarounds to abide by health codes with about the same risk as dining outdoors. Another went renegade, with all the glee and vulnerability that entails.
“With COVID-19, we’re put in this situation where we had to make one of two choices,” said Great Wav3, 23, half of Wav3Pop (the rappers asked to go by their stage names during a FaceTime interview before their party). “We made a decision to figure it out. We don’t believe in losing. It doesn’t matter if you back us into a corner; we’ll build a door or blow the [whole thing] up.”
Wav3Pop was far from alone in shrugging off COVID-19 risks for a clandestine Halloween gig. Kendall Jenner threw herself a 25th birthday party on the rooftop of WeHo’s hotspot Harriet’s. The 100 largely mask-free guests included the far-off-the-campaign trail presidential candidate Kanye West, Jenner’s sister Kim Kardashian, the Weeknd, Doja Cat and Travis Scott. If you weren’t on the list, gathering elsewhere was tougher: West Hollywood had banned large public gatherings like the popular Halloween Carnival.
Ok Kendall Jenner blowing out candles as a masked waiter holds her cake and tries to move out of the way was actually the scariest thing I saw on Halloween pic.twitter.com/o46ri7TJ9W — Nicholindz Cage (@lolzlindz) November 1, 2020
But the Dodgers’ World Series win and the Lakers’ earlier NBA championship had already sent thousands of fans into the streets across the Southland — and such gatherings risked being superspreader events. On Sunday, county health officials reported 1,590 new cases, up from a 940 seven-day average of new cases the week before.
“It may seem harmless to bring a group of people together for a celebration,” L.A. County’s public health director, Barbara Ferrer, told the Times last week. “However, if not done appropriately, this type of gathering — even if only one person was infected — has the potential to result in hundreds of cases of COVID-19. And unfortunately, even worse, it can lead to the deaths of people who had no connection to the event at all.”
Advertisement
Before their Hollywood Hills party, Wav3Pop was torn about the prospect of contributing to that. They made their reputation in L.A. throwing wild house shows, and during the shutdown they had sobered up and focused on growing their fashion line. They admitted that the pandemic had broken them down a bit: “This has created a lot of depression. We had to find a way around this business,” Lanta Wav3, 24, said.
Despite the unanimous guidance of every public health official and local politicians, and the laments of their long-suffering peers in the music community, they went for it anyway. They swore up and down beforehand that their party would have security, free masks, temperature checks and outdoor space for fans who wanted the option to stay in fresh air. (Video of the party did show ample outdoor areas, but masks didn’t look like the top priority for fans.)
“Think about N.W.A: The police said if they performed ‘F— tha Police’ they’d get arrested,” Great Wav3 said. “But they did it anyway. Sometimes people say you can’t do [something], but we have a bigger purpose.”
Guests outside Club Bahia for Millennium Age’s Halloween party. (Reggie Green / Reggie Green Photos; reggiegreen.com)
A few miles southeast, another hip-hop-savvy promoter took a much more measured approach. For the last five years, Jahmal Walker, 35, has thrown “silent” parties in L.A. with beamed-in music on wireless headphones. The concept was a hit for his company Millennium Age, which he said threw around 360 events in 40 cities in 2019.
He’d sold more than 300 tickets to an outdoor Halloween gig outside of Regency West, an event space in Leimert Park. But last-minute complications sent him instead to the parking lots of Club Bahia in Echo Park, a permitted music venue with a full kitchen.
Live music or DJs outside would have instantly made the gig illegal. But with guests served food at separated tables and DJ sets livestreamed from inside the otherwise empty venue, it was a far cry from a sweaty nightclub, but up to code and just enough to feel almost-sort-of normal.
“Police did come by around 11:30 p.m., and I was scared,” Walker said. “But when they shined their lights and we showed them the headphones, they said, ‘This is really cool’ and drove off.”
During COVID-19, Walker shifted his company away from music to smaller film screenings. But since Halloween’s event went off with few hitches, he thinks his company’s noiseless, individual-listening format can open up some options during the pandemic.
“We’re not trying to run away from COVID, but we still want a place to have fun,” said Walker. “People told me, ‘This is the funnest party I’ve ever been to all year,’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, because there aren’t any parties this year.’”


latimes--2020-11-03--Hiker airlifted out of fire zone arrested on suspicion of starting Fontana blaze

A 34-year-old man is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of starting a brush fire that forced evacuations in Fontana on Sunday .
Luis Mondragon was reportedly seen near the blaze — dubbed the Cypress fire — which burned through 150 acres of land and threatened as many as 130 homes after igniting near the Jurupa Hills Regional Park around 1:35 p.m .
Multiple 911 callers reported Mondragon standing on a boulder in the hills as the fire burned , according to a news release issued by Fontana police .
He and another hiker were both rescued from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mondragon was booked on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire that causes inhabited structures or land to burn , said Fontana Police spokesman Kevin Anderson , noting that the charge is different from arson because officials do not think the fire was set intentionally .
“ It ’ s kind of like negligence in the use of fire that causes damage , ” he said , “ but it ’ s still a felony.
” It is not yet clear what kind of device may have been used to start the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not known whether Mondragon lives in the area .
Officials think he may be homeless or transient .
Crews from the San Bernardino County Fire Department , the Riverside County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection all responded to the blaze , according to a news release issued by the San Bernardino County Fire Department .
Firefighters were able to gain control of the flames and lift evacuations by 6 p.m. Sunday .
Mondragon is being held at West Valley Detention Center in lieu of $ 25,000 bail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Anderson said .

Luis Mondragon, 34, was arrested on suspicion of starting a brush fire that erupted in the Jurupa Mountains on Sunday.
A 34-year-old man is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of starting a brush fire that forced evacuations in Fontana on Sunday.
Luis Mondragon was reportedly seen near the blaze — dubbed the Cypress fire — which burned through 150 acres of land and threatened as many as 130 homes after igniting near the Jurupa Hills Regional Park around 1:35 p.m.
Multiple 911 callers reported Mondragon standing on a boulder in the hills as the fire burned, according to a news release issued by Fontana police. He and another hiker were both rescued from the fire by a San Bernardino County helicopter.
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Mondragon was booked on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire that causes inhabited structures or land to burn, said Fontana Police spokesman Kevin Anderson, noting that the charge is different from arson because officials do not think the fire was set intentionally.
“It’s kind of like negligence in the use of fire that causes damage,” he said, “but it’s still a felony.”
It is not yet clear what kind of device may have been used to start the fire, Anderson said. It is also not known whether Mondragon lives in the area. Officials think he may be homeless or transient.
Crews from the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the Riverside County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection all responded to the blaze, according to a news release issued by the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
Firefighters were able to gain control of the flames and lift evacuations by 6 p.m. Sunday.
Mondragon is being held at West Valley Detention Center in lieu of $25,000 bail in preparation for a court appearance Tuesday, Anderson said.


latimes--2020-11-03--Judge orders sweep of postal facilities after 300,000 mail ballots not shown as delivered

A federal judge has ordered U.S .
Postal Service inspectors to sweep postal facilities Tuesday in several locations — including in six battleground states — to ensure that any mail-in ballots left behind are immediately sent out for delivery .
The order came after the Postal Service said in court filings that nearly 300,000 ballots had been scanned into the U.S. mail system since Oct. 24 but had not been scanned again to show they had been delivered — including more than 11,000 in Pennsylvania , nearly 16,000 in Florida and more than 6,000 in Michigan .
On-time performance for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent days , falling off by more than 5 percentage points over a nine-day period , from 94.7 % last Wednesday to 89.59 % Monday , the agency said .
The last-minute order on Tuesday by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington , D.C. , directed the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service to inspect facilities in central Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Detroit , Atlanta , Houston , south Florida , Arizona and a few other locations by 3 p.m. Eastern .
The order is part of one of several lawsuits against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowed mail delivery this year and raised concerns that mail-in ballots would not be delivered on time .
Recent data have shown that on-time mail delivery in some parts of the country has dropped to levels lower than in July , when millions of Americans went days , even weeks , without mail .
The order focuses on postal districts that have struggled to process ballots on time , located in states that will not count ballots received after election day .
“ No one should be disenfranchised for something that is out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duraiswamy , an attorney for Vote Forward , a voting rights organization that filed the lawsuit prompting Sullivan ’ s order .
“ It ’ s important that the Postal Service do everything in its power to make sure that that doesn ’ t happen.
” The nearly 300,000 ballots without destination scans raised alarm among voting rights groups that some mail ballots could be delivered too late to be counted .
Missing destination scan does not automatically mean that a ballot was not delivered , the Postal Service said in a court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the automated processing system and delivered directly to elections officials , they said .
Other mail can not be sorted automatically because of physical flaws like smudged barcodes .
Since Oct. 29 , inspectors have been working daily at all 220 facilities that process mail ballots , scanning for delayed mail and ensuring that “ no ballots are held for postage due , ” said Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer .
“ Ballots will continue to be accepted and processed as they are presented to us , and we will deliver them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Postal Service raised concerns about complying with the judge ’ s order , saying that they didn ’ t have enough inspectors to finish the sweep in the required time .
Officials were unable to expedite the review process to run from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern , as required by Sullivan “ without significantly disrupting preexisting activities on the day of the Election , ” said attorneys for the postal service .
Instead , scheduled reviews have been underway since 4 p.m and will continue until 8 p.m. Eastern .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where USPS Office of Inspector General personnel are stationed , including facilities in Arizona , Florida , Georgia , Iowa , Michigan , North Carolina , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Some postal areas in swing states where Sullivan ordered Postal Service inspectors to sweep for mail ballots had far lower performance scores than the national average , agency data show .
In Atlanta , 57 % of ballots were processed on time Saturday , and 61 % on Monday , the data show .
Georgia will not count ballots that arrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania , which includes a broad swath of the state outside Philadelphia , 52.6 % of ballots headed back to election clerks were processed on time Saturday , and 69 % on Monday , according to the data .
In Detroit , where ballots will not be counted if they arrive after 8 p.m. Tuesday , about 75 % of ballots were processed on time Saturday ; and less than 78 % on Monday , according to the Postal Service data .
Sullivan has presided over several recent lawsuits targeting delays at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week directing USPS executives to immediately rescind guidelines that hampered mail delivery over the summer and boost the numbers of late and extra truck trips if necessary .

The U.S. Postal Service has been ordered to sweep for undelivered mail-in ballots.
A federal judge has ordered U.S. Postal Service inspectors to sweep postal facilities Tuesday in several locations — including in six battleground states — to ensure that any mail-in ballots left behind are immediately sent out for delivery.
The order came after the Postal Service said in court filings that nearly 300,000 ballots had been scanned into the U.S. mail system since Oct. 24 but had not been scanned again to show they had been delivered — including more than 11,000 in Pennsylvania, nearly 16,000 in Florida and more than 6,000 in Michigan.
On-time performance for mail ballots has also dropped significantly in recent days, falling off by more than 5 percentage points over a nine-day period, from 94.7% last Wednesday to 89.59% Monday, the agency said.
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The last-minute order on Tuesday by Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington, D.C., directed the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service to inspect facilities in central Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, Houston, south Florida, Arizona and a few other locations by 3 p.m. Eastern.
The order is part of one of several lawsuits against the Postal Service over cost-cutting measures that slowed mail delivery this year and raised concerns that mail-in ballots would not be delivered on time.
Recent data have shown that on-time mail delivery in some parts of the country has dropped to levels lower than in July, when millions of Americans went days, even weeks, without mail.
The order focuses on postal districts that have struggled to process ballots on time, located in states that will not count ballots received after election day.
“No one should be disenfranchised for something that is out of their control,” said Shankar Duraiswamy, an attorney for Vote Forward, a voting rights organization that filed the lawsuit prompting Sullivan’s order. “It’s important that the Postal Service do everything in its power to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”
The nearly 300,000 ballots without destination scans raised alarm among voting rights groups that some mail ballots could be delivered too late to be counted.
Missing destination scan does not automatically mean that a ballot was not delivered, the Postal Service said in a court filing. Some ballots are pulled from the automated processing system and delivered directly to elections officials, they said. Other mail cannot be sorted automatically because of physical flaws like smudged barcodes.
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Since Oct. 29, inspectors have been working daily at all 220 facilities that process mail ballots, scanning for delayed mail and ensuring that “no ballots are held for postage due,” said Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer.
“Ballots will continue to be accepted and processed as they are presented to us, and we will deliver them to their intended destination,” Partenheimer said.
The Postal Service raised concerns about complying with the judge’s order, saying that they didn’t have enough inspectors to finish the sweep in the required time.
Officials were unable to expedite the review process to run from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern, as required by Sullivan “without significantly disrupting preexisting activities on the day of the Election,” said attorneys for the postal service. Instead, scheduled reviews have been underway since 4 p.m and will continue until 8 p.m. Eastern.
The Postal Service also identified 27 facilities where USPS Office of Inspector General personnel are stationed, including facilities in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Some postal areas in swing states where Sullivan ordered Postal Service inspectors to sweep for mail ballots had far lower performance scores than the national average, agency data show.
In Atlanta, 57% of ballots were processed on time Saturday, and 61% on Monday, the data show. Georgia will not count ballots that arrive after the polls close.
In central Pennsylvania, which includes a broad swath of the state outside Philadelphia, 52.6% of ballots headed back to election clerks were processed on time Saturday, and 69% on Monday, according to the data.
In Detroit, where ballots will not be counted if they arrive after 8 p.m. Tuesday, about 75% of ballots were processed on time Saturday; and less than 78% on Monday, according to the Postal Service data.
Sullivan has presided over several recent lawsuits targeting delays at the Postal Service. He issued an order last week directing USPS executives to immediately rescind guidelines that hampered mail delivery over the summer and boost the numbers of late and extra truck trips if necessary.


latimes--2020-11-03--Earthquake: Magnitude 3.5 quake strikes near Ukiah, Calif.

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 9:41 a.m. 13 miles from Ukiah , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The Northern California earthquake occurred 39 miles from Clearlake , 52 miles from Healdsburg , 59 miles from Windsor , and 65 miles from Santa Rosa .
In the last 10 days , there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot , a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of frequently asked questions .

An earthquake was reported Tuesday at 9:41 a.m. 13 miles from Ukiah, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Tuesday at 9:41 a.m. 13 miles from Ukiah, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Northern California earthquake occurred 39 miles from Clearlake, 52 miles from Healdsburg, 59 miles from Windsor, and 65 miles from Santa Rosa.
In the last 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
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The earthquake occurred at a depth of 3.7 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-11-03--Voting in the time of coronavirus: Some tips to cast your ballot safely

Like everything in the time of coronavirus , voting in person isn ’ t business as usual this year .
Though millions of Californians have already cast their ballots , plenty more will make the traditional pilgrimage to the polls to vote Tuesday .
While everyone should remain wary of the continued threat posed by the coronavirus crisis , officials said there are procedures and processes in place to make in-person voting as safe as possible .
“ Voting is safe .
If you need to go to a voting center , please do , ” Los Angeles County Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday .
“ It ’ s very important that everybody feel they can go and vote and that there will be safety at the voting centers.
” Here are some precautions experts recommend if you ’ re planning to vote in person today : • Wear a face covering : Experts have said even a simple cloth mask can both keep unknowingly infected people from spreading the coronavirus , and reduce the amount of virus that your body will take in if you encounter someone who is infectious .
• Practice physical distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health officials recommend staying at least six feet away from people you do not live with .
• Bring hand sanitizer and use it whenever you come into contact with a surface other people have touched .
• Avoid crowds : Try and vote during off-peak hours , or at least keep your distance from others at the polling place .
• Drop off a completed ballot : Official drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. on election day .

Like everything in the time of coronavirus, voting in person isn’t business as usual this year.
Though millions of Californians have already cast their ballots, plenty more will make the traditional pilgrimage to the polls to vote Tuesday.
While everyone should remain wary of the continued threat posed by the coronavirus crisis, officials said there are procedures and processes in place to make in-person voting as safe as possible.
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“Voting is safe. If you need to go to a voting center, please do,” Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Monday. “It’s very important that everybody feel they can go and vote and that there will be safety at the voting centers.”
Here are some precautions experts recommend if you’re planning to vote in person today:
Wear a face covering: Experts have said even a simple cloth mask can both keep unknowingly infected people from spreading the coronavirus, and reduce the amount of virus that your body will take in if you encounter someone who is infectious.
Practice physical distancing in line and at voting booths: Health officials recommend staying at least six feet away from people you do not live with.
Bring hand sanitizer and use it whenever you come into contact with a surface other people have touched.
Avoid crowds: Try and vote during off-peak hours, or at least keep your distance from others at the polling place.
Drop off a completed ballot: Official drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. on election day.


latimes--2020-11-03--Metro offers free bus, rail and bike fares on election day

In an effort to encourage voter turnout , Los Angeles Metro is offering free fares on public transit all day on election day .
Riders can ride any Metro bus or train free of charge until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday .
The Metro bike share program will also offer free 30-minute rides through midnight , “ so that everyone has a chance to roll to the polls , ” the agency said .
Rides longer than 30 minutes will cost $ 1.75 for each additional half-hour .
Two stations , Union Station West and El Monte Station , have been turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open until 8 p.m. For those who wish to securely drop off their ballots , official drop boxes have been placed at several Metro stations : Metro is also partnering with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation , Culver City Bus , Glendale , Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority and Pasadena Transit to provide free or reduced-fare services .
In 2019 , Metro ’ s board of directors voted to permanently offer free rides on federal and statewide election days to make it easier for people to travel to the polls , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove any potential barriers that we can , as a transit agency , in getting people to vote , ” Metro spokesman Brian Haas said .
“ Our job is to move people around L.A. County as easily as possible , and that ’ s even more important on election day .
”

A metro bus driver wears a face mask while driving the route along Soto Street in Los Angeles.
In an effort to encourage voter turnout, Los Angeles Metro is offering free fares on public transit all day on election day.
Riders can ride any Metro bus or train free of charge until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
The Metro bike share program will also offer free 30-minute rides through midnight, “so that everyone has a chance to roll to the polls,” the agency said. Rides longer than 30 minutes will cost $1.75 for each additional half-hour.
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Two stations, Union Station West and El Monte Station, have been turned into voting centers, which will be open until 8 p.m.
Reminder: Metro will offer FREE rides on bus, rail and bike share on Nov. 3, Election Day. @MayorOfLA @ladottransit For more info visit https://t.co/RITAQpfQdu pic.twitter.com/0IE56o43Mg — LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) November 1, 2020
For those who wish to securely drop off their ballots, official drop boxes have been placed at several Metro stations:
A Line (Blue): Willow and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks
Willow and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks B Line (Red): Union Station, North Hollywood, 7th Street/Metro Center, Hollywood/Western, Vermont/Santa Monica, Wilshire/Vermont
Union Station, North Hollywood, 7th Street/Metro Center, Hollywood/Western, Vermont/Santa Monica, Wilshire/Vermont C Line (Green): Aviation/LAX, Norwalk, Harbor Freeway Station
Aviation/LAX, Norwalk, Harbor Freeway Station E Line (Expo): Expo/Vermont, La Cienega/Jefferson, Downtown Santa Monica
Expo/Vermont, La Cienega/Jefferson, Downtown Santa Monica J Line (Silver): El Monte Bus Station, Harbor Freeway Station, Harbor Gateway Transit Center
El Monte Bus Station, Harbor Freeway Station, Harbor Gateway Transit Center G Line (Orange): Sepulveda Station, North Hollywood
Sepulveda Station, North Hollywood L Line (Gold): Mariachi Plaza, Sierra Madre Villa
Metro is also partnering with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Culver City Bus, Glendale, Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority and Pasadena Transit to provide free or reduced-fare services.
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In 2019, Metro’s board of directors voted to permanently offer free rides on federal and statewide election days to make it easier for people to travel to the polls, the agency said.
“The idea was to remove any potential barriers that we can, as a transit agency, in getting people to vote,” Metro spokesman Brian Haas said. “Our job is to move people around L.A. County as easily as possible, and that’s even more important on election day.”


latimes--2020-11-03--This is how police are preparing for possible election unrest in L.A.

Law enforcement agencies across California are on heightened alert .
Officials stress they are not aware of any election-day plots to disrupt voting or create chaos , but they say they are prepared for protests and other unrest .
Here is what we know : LAPD Chief Michel Moore said staffing had been boosted and staggered , and the department will have significant numbers of officers on duty well into election night and beyond , both to facilitate peaceful protests and to watch out for intimidation , violence or destruction .
Moore said nearly every uniformed officer would work a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers will have a visible presence across the city all week .
He pledged immediate action to restore order if disturbances were to unfold .
The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department and other law enforcement agencies are also planning similar deployments .
Officials have been concerned about protests or other events on election night .
The victories of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers sparked celebrations in the streets last month .
Although most were peaceful , in downtown L.A. , there were dozens of arrests and clashes between police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police killing of George Floyd were also largely peaceful .
But some used the events to rob stores and vandalize sections of downtown , the Fairfax district , Santa Monica , Long Beach and elsewhere .
Concerns about potential unrest were clear across the region .
Many stores had boarded up windows in advance of Tuesday .
Beverly Hills announced it was shopping corridor , advising store owners to board windows .
The city planned to hire some 80 independent armed security officers to supplement the police force .
By Tuesday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other areas .
Moore said police agencies across the region were sharing intelligence about potential hot spots .
There are laws in California against armed militias showing up at polling places , as well as other forms of politicking , and those laws will be enforced , Moore said .
LAPD personnel have been “ briefed up ” on such rules .
“ There ’ s no temperament for any intimidation , ” the chief said .
There are restrictions on police staging at election sites — “ that ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said — but the LAPD will be “ available to protect our rights when we need them , should anybody through violence or other means try to take that away.
” Election officials say they will be looking out for any incidents of voter intimidation at polling places .
Overall , nothing suggests there will be major problems on election day , and chaos should not be assumed , officials say .
“ We prepare for the worst , but we are hoping and expect generally the best , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .

Workmen build a plywood wall at the storefront of Planet Fitness on South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.
Law enforcement agencies across California are on heightened alert.
Officials stress they are not aware of any election-day plots to disrupt voting or create chaos, but they say they are prepared for protests and other unrest.
Here is what we know:
Election day police presence
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said staffing had been boosted and staggered, and the department will have significant numbers of officers on duty well into election night and beyond, both to facilitate peaceful protests and to watch out for intimidation, violence or destruction.
Moore said nearly every uniformed officer would work a 12-hour shift on election day, and officers will have a visible presence across the city all week. He pledged immediate action to restore order if disturbances were to unfold.
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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement agencies are also planning similar deployments.
Potential unrest
Officials have been concerned about protests or other events on election night. The victories of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers sparked celebrations in the streets last month. Although most were peaceful, in downtown L.A., there were dozens of arrests and clashes between police and the public.
The protests over the police killing of George Floyd were also largely peaceful. But some used the events to rob stores and vandalize sections of downtown, the Fairfax district, Santa Monica, Long Beach and elsewhere.
Concerns about potential unrest were clear across the region. Many stores had boarded up windows in advance of Tuesday.
Beverly Hills announced it was closing its famed Rodeo Drive shopping corridor, advising store owners to board windows. The city planned to hire some 80 independent armed security officers to supplement the police force.
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By Tuesday morning, the plywood protection was seen in many other areas.
Moore said police agencies across the region were sharing intelligence about potential hot spots.
Voting
There are laws in California against armed militias showing up at polling places, as well as other forms of politicking, and those laws will be enforced, Moore said. LAPD personnel have been “briefed up” on such rules.
“There’s no temperament for any intimidation,” the chief said.
There are restrictions on police staging at election sites — “that’s not the sort of country we live in,” he said — but the LAPD will be “available to protect our rights when we need them, should anybody through violence or other means try to take that away.”
Election officials say they will be looking out for any incidents of voter intimidation at polling places.
Overall, nothing suggests there will be major problems on election day, and chaos should not be assumed, officials say.
“We prepare for the worst, but we are hoping and expect generally the best,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week.


latimes--2020-11-03--Alleged groomer of teen victims in La Luz del Mundo sex abuse case says she was victim too

A woman accused of grooming teenage girls for the sexual pleasure of the head of La Luz del Mundo church has come forward and is now alleging through her attorney that she too was a victim .
Alondra Ocampo , who has reached a plea deal in the case set for trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court next month , suffered years of sexual abuse in the church as a minor , her attorney Fred Thiagarajah said .
Thiagarajah alleged in an interview that Ocampo was raped at age 8 by Samuel Joaquin Flores , a leader of La @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his death in 2014 by his son , Naason Joaquin Garcia , the current head of the church .
Both have been known by followers as “ the apostle ” of Jesus Christ .
Prosecutors have described Ocampo as someone who groomed girls who were later allegedly sexually assaulted by Garcia and coerced minors into pornographic photo shoots in hotel rooms in Whittier and El Monte .
They ’ ve said the alleged victims were told that if they went against Garcia ’ s desires as the apostle they were going against God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has pleaded not guilty to sex abuse charges , had instructed Ocampo to provide him girls as she led a service group by the church ’ s East L.A. location .
She did this , he said , out of fear and because she had been indoctrinated to believe that nothing mattered more than fulfilling Garcia ’ s wishes .
“ For many , many years , she believed that the abuse that she suffered wasn ’ t even abuse — she thought it was a blessing , ” Thiagarajah said .
Representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her new claims .
In a statement , Alan Jackson , Garcia ’ s attorney , called Thiagarajah ’ s allegations “ an outrageous attempt to taint the jury pool.
” “ He and his client are desperately trying to curry favor with the prosecution by smearing my client in the press with salacious and false allegations , ” he said .
“ As he has done from the beginning , Mr. Garcia vehemently denies the allegations against him and expects a fair trial.
” Jack Freeman , a spokesman for La Luz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not agree with the “ patently false ” claims made by Ocampo ’ s attorney .
“ Throughout this process , we have maintained our respect for the court system of the state of California , and today more than ever we publicly reaffirm that the Apostle is innocent and his innocence will be proven in a court of law , despite the unethical tactics employed by others , ” he said in a statement .
The California attorney general ’ s office did not respond to a request for comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ocampo , 37 , and Susana Medina Oaxaca , 25 , were charged by the California attorney general ’ s office in a case in which prosecutors allege girls engaged in sexual activity with Garcia under duress from both women .
The crimes allegedly occurred from June 2015 to June 2019 in L.A. County .
Garcia is being held in lieu of $ 90 million bail on counts that include human trafficking , forcible rape and forcible oral copulation of a minor , and possession of child pornography .
Ocampo , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty to four counts Oct. 13 .
These include three counts of contact with a minor for a sexual offense , involving three Jane Does , and one count of forcible sexual penetration , involving a fourth Jane Doe .
Oaxaca , who has maintained she ’ s innocent , has been released on bail .
Garcia ’ s trial is set to begin Nov. 12 .
Thiagarajah and the attorney general ’ s office would not disclose the terms of Ocampo ’ s plea or say whether she will testify .
Legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to testify if doing so gives her a more lenient sentence .
Louis Shapiro , a criminal defense attorney in L.A. , said the strength of Ocampo ’ s testimony will rest on whether a jury finds her credible , including whether she appears remorseful .
“ If it ’ s just he said , she said , and then you have a sweetheart deal that was made to get that going at trial , it may not be that persuasive to a jury , ” he said .
“ They might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had everything on the line.
” La Luz del Mundo church , based in Guadalajara , Mexico , and founded in 1926 by Garcia ’ s grandfather , claims more than 5 million followers worldwide , though some experts say that figure might be too high .
Before his death , Flores , Garcia ’ s father , had faced child sex abuse allegations in Mexico .
He denied the claims and was never charged .
In a federal civil lawsuit filed against La Luz del Mundo in February , Sochil Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that she had been offered by her aunt as a sexual servant to Flores , and later was pressured to please Garcia sexually too .
The church revolves around the apostle .
Garcia ’ s initials are inscribed on congregants ’ hymnals and shawls .
“ Naason is the center of the ritual , the center of the beliefs , the center of the doctrine , ” said Patricia Fortuny , a Mexican anthropologist who has studied the church for decades .
“ The apostle is the person that is closest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former youth minister for La Luz del Mundo from L.A. who has since left the church , said that children learn to revere the apostle through songs about how he is the chosen man of God .
The church , he said , instills fear in what may happen if someone goes against the apostle .
After a member of Duran ’ s church spoke ill of the leader and stopped attending church , he got into a car accident .
Congregants attributed it to him straying from the apostle , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s a spiritual being — he can see through you , he knows all your sins , he can absolve you of your sins , ” said Duran , 25 .
“ He ’ s just this perfect being and we can ’ t question it.
” Freeman , the church spokesman , has told The Times that the church does not blacklist people if they decide to leave and that “ free will and the ability to make your own decisions is a right that God has given us.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecutors ’ allegations — with her attorney saying it began with her own indoctrination .
Her parents joined the church when she was 1 .
From an early age , Ocampo , who was raised in L.A. , was taught that the apostle was “ the voice of God.
” At age 8 , during a trip to Guadalajara , Thiagarajah said , Ocampo was separated from her family at a church celebration and spent the day with other children .
At one point , a woman took her to a room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put her on his lap and caressed her face before he raped her , according to Thiagarajah .
She was crying and screaming , he said .
“ It was extremely painful , but she was being told this is the voice to God and this is the way to heaven , ” Thiagarajah said .
“ The voice of God was telling her , ‘ You must keep this a secret.
’ ” The alleged abuse continued through Ocampo ’ s childhood during church-related trips to Mexico , sometimes with an adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations with Flores as an adult , Thiagarajah said .
Thiagarajah said that at one point during Ocampo ’ s abuse as a minor , an object was inserted into her .
She was told this was done so she ’ d be unable to conceive children — a way for the apostle to signal that Ocampo “ belonged to him , ” Thiagarajah said .
Ocampo never reported the alleged abuse to her family or to authorities , according to the attorney .
Thiagarajah said that a few years before his arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lead a church service group in East L.A. and procure girls for him .
Ocampo came to preside over an exclusive group of about six girls , the attorney said .
“ He identified which ones [ girls ] he liked and there was an understanding that Alondra would separate those , ” Thiagarajah said .
Prosecutors allege that the group was known as “ the dancers , ” and its members would perform for Garcia while in lingerie or partially nude .
Thiagarajah said Garcia would give Ocampo money to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would send him pictures of the girls .
“ When those girls would tell Alondra they ’ re not comfortable in doing this , one of her retorts was , ‘ People have different levels of faith , ’ ” Thiagarajah said .
“ And that ’ s what she was told when she was a child.
” Another woman in the case has also been alleged to have groomed girls in the church after suffering sexual abuse : a complaining witness identified as Jane Doe 4 .
Jane Doe 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raped by the apostle , according to prosecutors .
They allege that the first time the two had sex , she complied because she was scared of him and didn ’ t want to make him mad , thinking that doing so would make God angry .
She eventually became a groomer of a group of girls in Guadalajara , much like Ocampo in Los Angeles , prosecutors allege .
They said she recruited members to the group , giving Garcia their biographical information and sending him sexual photos and videos of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked her to “ provide ” her sister to him , Troy Holmes , a special agent from the California Department of Justice , testified at the preliminary hearing .

Alondra Ocampo, 37, appears in Los Angeles County Superior Court for an arraignment in June 2019. She has reached a plea deal in the La Luz del Mundo church sex abuse case.
A woman accused of grooming teenage girls for the sexual pleasure of the head of La Luz del Mundo church has come forward and is now alleging through her attorney that she too was a victim.
Alondra Ocampo, who has reached a plea deal in the case set for trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court next month, suffered years of sexual abuse in the church as a minor, her attorney Fred Thiagarajah said.
Thiagarajah alleged in an interview that Ocampo was raped at age 8 by Samuel Joaquin Flores, a leader of La Luz del Mundo who was succeeded after his death in 2014 by his son, Naason Joaquin Garcia, the current head of the church. Both have been known by followers as “the apostle” of Jesus Christ.
Prosecutors have described Ocampo as someone who groomed girls who were later allegedly sexually assaulted by Garcia and coerced minors into pornographic photo shoots in hotel rooms in Whittier and El Monte. They’ve said the alleged victims were told that if they went against Garcia’s desires as the apostle they were going against God.
Thiagarajah said that Garcia, who has pleaded not guilty to sex abuse charges, had instructed Ocampo to provide him girls as she led a service group by the church’s East L.A. location. She did this, he said, out of fear and because she had been indoctrinated to believe that nothing mattered more than fulfilling Garcia’s wishes.
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“For many, many years, she believed that the abuse that she suffered wasn’t even abuse — she thought it was a blessing,” Thiagarajah said.
Representatives for Garcia and the church balked at her new claims. In a statement, Alan Jackson, Garcia’s attorney, called Thiagarajah’s allegations “an outrageous attempt to taint the jury pool.”
“He and his client are desperately trying to curry favor with the prosecution by smearing my client in the press with salacious and false allegations,” he said. “As he has done from the beginning, Mr. Garcia vehemently denies the allegations against him and expects a fair trial.”
Jack Freeman, a spokesman for La Luz del Mundo, also said the church did not agree with the “patently false” claims made by Ocampo’s attorney.
“Throughout this process, we have maintained our respect for the court system of the state of California, and today more than ever we publicly reaffirm that the Apostle is innocent and his innocence will be proven in a court of law, despite the unethical tactics employed by others,” he said in a statement.
The California attorney general’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
In June 2019, Garcia, 51, Ocampo, 37, and Susana Medina Oaxaca, 25, were charged by the California attorney general’s office in a case in which prosecutors allege girls engaged in sexual activity with Garcia under duress from both women. The crimes allegedly occurred from June 2015 to June 2019 in L.A. County.
Garcia is being held in lieu of $90 million bail on counts that include human trafficking, forcible rape and forcible oral copulation of a minor, and possession of child pornography. Ocampo, who is being held without bail, pleaded guilty to four counts Oct. 13. These include three counts of contact with a minor for a sexual offense, involving three Jane Does, and one count of forcible sexual penetration, involving a fourth Jane Doe. Oaxaca, who has maintained she’s innocent, has been released on bail.
Garcia’s trial is set to begin Nov. 12. Thiagarajah and the attorney general’s office would not disclose the terms of Ocampo’s plea or say whether she will testify.
Legal experts say that she’s likely to testify if doing so gives her a more lenient sentence.
Louis Shapiro, a criminal defense attorney in L.A., said the strength of Ocampo’s testimony will rest on whether a jury finds her credible, including whether she appears remorseful.
“If it’s just he said, she said, and then you have a sweetheart deal that was made to get that going at trial, it may not be that persuasive to a jury,” he said. “They might be skeptical to that testimony because they know she had everything on the line.”
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The headquarters of La Luz del Mundo church in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
La Luz del Mundo church, based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and founded in 1926 by Garcia’s grandfather, claims more than 5 million followers worldwide, though some experts say that figure might be too high.
Before his death, Flores, Garcia’s father, had faced child sex abuse allegations in Mexico. He denied the claims and was never charged. In a federal civil lawsuit filed against La Luz del Mundo in February, Sochil Martin, a former member of the church, said that she had been offered by her aunt as a sexual servant to Flores, and later was pressured to please Garcia sexually too.
The church revolves around the apostle. Garcia’s initials are inscribed on congregants’ hymnals and shawls.
“Naason is the center of the ritual, the center of the beliefs, the center of the doctrine,” said Patricia Fortuny, a Mexican anthropologist who has studied the church for decades. “The apostle is the person that is closest to the divine.”
Joel Duran, a former youth minister for La Luz del Mundo from L.A. who has since left the church, said that children learn to revere the apostle through songs about how he is the chosen man of God.
The church, he said, instills fear in what may happen if someone goes against the apostle. After a member of Duran’s church spoke ill of the leader and stopped attending church, he got into a car accident. Congregants attributed it to him straying from the apostle, he said.
“We’re taught he’s a spiritual being — he can see through you, he knows all your sins, he can absolve you of your sins,” said Duran, 25. “He’s just this perfect being and we can’t question it.”
Freeman, the church spokesman, has told The Times that the church does not blacklist people if they decide to leave and that “free will and the ability to make your own decisions is a right that God has given us.”
Ocampo is now admitting to some of the prosecutors’ allegations — with her attorney saying it began with her own indoctrination.
Her parents joined the church when she was 1. From an early age, Ocampo, who was raised in L.A., was taught that the apostle was “the voice of God.”
At age 8, during a trip to Guadalajara, Thiagarajah said, Ocampo was separated from her family at a church celebration and spent the day with other children. At one point, a woman took her to a room where she met Flores.
The apostle put her on his lap and caressed her face before he raped her, according to Thiagarajah. She was crying and screaming, he said.
“It was extremely painful, but she was being told this is the voice to God and this is the way to heaven,” Thiagarajah said. “The voice of God was telling her, ‘You must keep this a secret.’”
The alleged abuse continued through Ocampo’s childhood during church-related trips to Mexico, sometimes with an adult female present. Ocampo continued having sexual relations with Flores as an adult, Thiagarajah said.
Thiagarajah said that at one point during Ocampo’s abuse as a minor, an object was inserted into her. She was told this was done so she’d be unable to conceive children — a way for the apostle to signal that Ocampo “belonged to him,” Thiagarajah said.
Ocampo never reported the alleged abuse to her family or to authorities, according to the attorney.
Thiagarajah said that a few years before his arrest, Garcia told Ocampo he wanted her to lead a church service group in East L.A. and procure girls for him. Ocampo came to preside over an exclusive group of about six girls, the attorney said.
“He identified which ones [girls] he liked and there was an understanding that Alondra would separate those,” Thiagarajah said.
Prosecutors allege that the group was known as “the dancers,” and its members would perform for Garcia while in lingerie or partially nude. Thiagarajah said Garcia would give Ocampo money to buy lingerie for pornographic photo shoots and that she would send him pictures of the girls.
“When those girls would tell Alondra they’re not comfortable in doing this, one of her retorts was, ‘People have different levels of faith,’” Thiagarajah said. “And that’s what she was told when she was a child.”
Naason Joaquin Garcia, the leader of La Luz del Mundo church, at a hearing in August. His trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court is set to begin Nov. 12. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Another woman in the case has also been alleged to have groomed girls in the church after suffering sexual abuse: a complaining witness identified as Jane Doe 4.
Jane Doe 4, Garcia’s former assistant, was raped by the apostle, according to prosecutors. They allege that the first time the two had sex, she complied because she was scared of him and didn’t want to make him mad, thinking that doing so would make God angry.
She eventually became a groomer of a group of girls in Guadalajara, much like Ocampo in Los Angeles, prosecutors allege. They said she recruited members to the group, giving Garcia their biographical information and sending him sexual photos and videos of them.
She left the church after Garcia asked her to “provide” her sister to him, Troy Holmes, a special agent from the California Department of Justice, testified at the preliminary hearing.


latimes--2020-11-02--Photos: Boarded-up stores from Figueroa Street to Rodeo Drive speak to an anxious election day acros

Photos: Boarded-up stores from Figueroa Street to Rodeo Drive speak to an anxious election day across L.A.

The sound of tension could be heard from Rodeo Drive to Santa Ana in the rattle of compressors and the @ @ @ @ @ Thick plywood was going up over shop windows and doors , just as it was @ @ @ @ @ Diego , Philadelphia , Washington , Miami and Dallas , as if the entire nation @ @ @ @ @ enormous hurricane .

The sound of tension could be heard from Rodeo Drive to Santa Ana in the rattle of compressors and the thwack-thwack of nail guns. Thick plywood was going up over shop windows and doors, just as it was in San Francisco and San Diego, Philadelphia, Washington, Miami and Dallas, as if the entire nation were bracing for a single enormous hurricane.
A man walks past stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame outside a pharmacy boarded up a day before election day. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A worker walks along a boarded-up Rodeo Drive before election day. (Genaro Molina /L os Angeles Times)
Workers board up a store at the base of the steps to Via Rodeo in Beverly Hills. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Workers board up a store along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Preparing for possible unrest, workers from RDG Construction build a plywood wall at Planet Fitness on South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Rodney Masjedi, owner of DTLA Bikes on South Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, will be using multiple ways to keep intruders out of his store, including boarding up the front of his location in preparation for possible civil unrest. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Silversmith Adam Quri of El Sol Jewelry, on South Broadway in downtown L.A.’s Jewelry District, talks about boarding up the front of his location in preparation for possible civil unrest. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)


latimes--2020-11-05--Former employee sues SoCal Edison after losing his home in Bobcat fire

Richard Passmore was celebrating his fourth month of retirement from Southern California Edison when flames from the Bobcat fire began creeping toward his Juniper Hills home .
The 63-year-old watched as smoke rolled into the valley .
He knew it was time to leave when he heard bulldozers creating fire breaks and saw planes dropping retardant on the other side of his hill .
From the safety of a friend ’ s house , he watched as flames lapped at his neighborhood through aerial footage on TV .
Another friend called him a few days later with a report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” his friend said .
Passmore ’ s home , along with more than 80 others in the Antelope Valley , was destroyed by the aggressive fire , which burned through more than 155,000 acres after igniting Sept. 6 .
Now , Passmore is the lead plaintiff in the first lawsuit against SoCal Edison — his former employer — for its alleged role in the blaze .
“ Mr .
Passmore devoted his entire 36-year career working diligently as a meter reader for Edison , only to have Edison burn down his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court documents say .
The complaint was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court .
Edison has been at the center of the investigation into the fire ’ s start since September , when federal officials first began to focus on utility equipment near Cogswell Dam .
Reached by phone Thursday afternoon , SoCal Edison spokesman Chris Abel said the agency was not aware of the lawsuit .
“ We at Edison keep in our thoughts all those who have been affected , and currently are being affected , by wildfire , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public , our customers , our communities , and our employees and contractors is always our top priority.
” In October , the company with the California Public Utilities Commission notifying regulators that tree branches in the vicinity of the dam may have created a spark when they came into contact with a 23-foot conductor line owned by Edison .
The company had previously said a circuit at its Dalton Substation “ experienced a relay operation , ” indicating a disturbance just five minutes before the fire was first reported .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the company that I retired from , ” Passmore said .
The Bobcat fire destroyed at least 170 homes and structures as it burned for weeks , according to data from the U.S. Forest Service .
It also forced thousands of evacuations , choked the region with and , at one point , came within five feet of the iconic It was one of the largest fires in L.A. County history .
Edison filed its report with the utilities commission after Forest Service investigators requested some of their equipment for inspection , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Forest Service said Thursday that its investigation is ongoing .
The lawsuit alleges that Edison failed to maintain clearances between its energized conductors and vegetation , including dead and rotten trees , as required by code .
“ Edison had a duty to properly construct and maintain its electrical infrastructure and ensure that surrounding trees and vegetation were trimmed and kept at a safe distance , ” the suit says .
“ Had Edison acted responsibly , the Bobcat fire could have been prevented.
” The suit also said the agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutoff that could have prevented a fire from sparking after the National Weather Service issued warnings about strong winds , high temperatures and low humidity around the time of the fire .
Passmore said purchased his home in 1997 and paid it off 3 ½ years ago .
He cancelled his bank-required homeowner ’ s insurance when the loan was paid off , and was planning to sell the property and move to Idaho .
“ That ’ s still my plan , ” he said Thursday , “ but now I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different route.
” Five additional plaintiffs were named in the lawsuit , including two brothers whose Llano home was destroyed by the blaze along with livestock and an urn containing the ashes of their mother .
Three other Juniper Hills residents are claiming damages from the fire as well .
In California , utilities can be found liable for wildfire damages under the state ’ s inverse-condemnation law , which is the “ flip side of eminent domain , ” said Passmore ’ s attorney , Alexander “ Trey ” Robertson , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where a government or quasi-government agency does something to damage your land , like burn it from a wildfire , they then have to pay fair market value for the property that they damaged or destroyed , ” he said .
Attempts by utility companies to challenge inverse condemnation through the courts have failed , Robertson said , although the state did push for the establishment of a in 2019 to help keep utility companies from going bankrupt .
Edison , a privately owned public utility , is one of the largest electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suit .
Robertson said the complaint also allows room for subcontractors , such as tree-trimmers and vegetation managers , to be added as co-defendants if they are found to have played a role .
Robertson is also representing about 1,700 plaintiffs in other cases against Edison for its alleged role in the 2018 Woolsey fire , which burned 96,000 acres , and the 2017 Thomas fire , which burned 281,000 acres .
Combined , the two fires destroyed more than 2,700 structures and killed at least five people , according to numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire Protection .
Abel , the Edison spokesman , said that the company has reached some settlement agreements around the Thomas and Woolsey fires , and that they will “ continue to explore reasonable settlement opportunities with other parties.
” “ No admission of wrongdoing or liability was made in reaching these settlements , ” he said .
But despite damages suffered from the Bobcat blaze , Robertson said his client does not hold ill-will against his former employer .
“ He thought it was a good company to work for and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ He just said , ‘ Hey , they ’ ve got insurance , and if they started this fire that burned my house down , I ’ m going to look to them to make me whole.
’ He has a pretty good perspective about it.
” Passmore said he lost nearly everything , from appliances and personal items to “ blue jeans and undergarments ” in the fire , and he doubts he will be able to collect on all of his losses .
So far , he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with his own spiritual values , to get through the ordeal .
“ Things happen — people get sick , people get in accidents , and you just have to deal with whatever your circumstance is , ” he said .
“ We all have a load to carry.
” But the pain of losing his home has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic , he said , and by a lack of guidance from Los Angeles County officials , who won ’ t return his calls or let him begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is staying with friends in Long Beach .
“ There ’ s a whole lot of people who lost everything they had in recent fires , ” Passmore said .
“ This club is getting to be pretty big .
I ’ m not alone in this .
”

Richard Passmore was celebrating his fourth month of retirement from Southern California Edison when flames from the Bobcat fire began creeping toward his Juniper Hills home.
The 63-year-old watched as smoke rolled into the valley. He knew it was time to leave when he heard bulldozers creating fire breaks and saw planes dropping retardant on the other side of his hill.
From the safety of a friend’s house, he watched as flames lapped at his neighborhood through aerial footage on TV. Another friend called him a few days later with a report.
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“It’s gone, Rich,” his friend said.
Passmore’s home, along with more than 80 others in the Antelope Valley, was destroyed by the aggressive fire, which burned through more than 155,000 acres after igniting Sept. 6.
Now, Passmore is the lead plaintiff in the first lawsuit against SoCal Edison — his former employer — for its alleged role in the blaze.
“Mr. Passmore devoted his entire 36-year career working diligently as a meter reader for Edison, only to have Edison burn down his home after he retired,” the court documents say.
The complaint was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Power lines range against smoke from Bobcat fire raging in Juniper Hills. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Edison has been at the center of the investigation into the fire’s start since September, when federal officials first began to focus on utility equipment near Cogswell Dam.
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Reached by phone Thursday afternoon, SoCal Edison spokesman Chris Abel said the agency was not aware of the lawsuit.
“We at Edison keep in our thoughts all those who have been affected, and currently are being affected, by wildfire,” Abel said. “The safety of the public, our customers, our communities, and our employees and contractors is always our top priority.”
In October, the company filed a letter with the California Public Utilities Commission notifying regulators that tree branches in the vicinity of the dam may have created a spark when they came into contact with a 23-foot conductor line owned by Edison.
The company had previously said a circuit at its Dalton Substation “experienced a relay operation,” indicating a disturbance just five minutes before the fire was first reported.
“The fire was caused by, ironically, the company that I retired from,” Passmore said.
The Bobcat fire destroyed at least 170 homes and structures as it burned for weeks, according to data from the U.S. Forest Service. It also forced thousands of evacuations, choked the region with ash and smoke and, at one point, came within five feet of the iconic Mt. Wilson Observatory.
It was one of the largest fires in L.A. County history.
Edison filed its report with the utilities commission after Forest Service investigators requested some of their equipment for inspection, according to the letter. A representative from the Forest Service said Thursday that its investigation is ongoing.
The lawsuit alleges that Edison failed to maintain clearances between its energized conductors and vegetation, including dead and rotten trees, as required by code.
“Edison had a duty to properly construct and maintain its electrical infrastructure and ensure that surrounding trees and vegetation were trimmed and kept at a safe distance,” the suit says. “Had Edison acted responsibly, the Bobcat fire could have been prevented.”
The suit also said the agency failed to implement a public safety power shutoff that could have prevented a fire from sparking after the National Weather Service issued warnings about strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity around the time of the fire.
Passmore said purchased his home in 1997 and paid it off 3 ½ years ago. He canceled his bank-required homeowner’s insurance when the loan was paid off, and was planning to sell the property and move to Idaho.
“That’s still my plan,” he said Thursday, “but now I just have to go about it in a different route.”
Five additional plaintiffs were named in the lawsuit, including two brothers whose Llano home was destroyed by the blaze along with livestock and an urn containing the ashes of their mother. Three other Juniper Hills residents are claiming damages from the fire as well.
In California, utilities can be found liable for wildfire damages under the state’s inverse-condemnation law, which is the “flip side of eminent domain,” said Passmore’s attorney, Alexander “Trey” Robertson, whose law firm filed the suit.
“Where a government or quasi-government agency does something to damage your land, like burn it from a wildfire, they then have to pay fair market value for the property that they damaged or destroyed,” he said.
Attempts by utility companies to challenge inverse condemnation through the courts have failed, Robertson said, although the state did push for the establishment of a $10 billion wildfire fund in 2019 to help keep utility companies from going bankrupt.
Edison, a privately owned public utility, is one of the largest electric utilities in the nation, according to the suit. Robertson said the complaint also allows room for subcontractors, such as tree-trimmers and vegetation managers, to be added as co-defendants if they are found to have played a role.
Robertson is also representing about 1,700 plaintiffs in other cases against Edison for its alleged role in the 2018 Woolsey fire, which burned 96,000 acres, and the 2017 Thomas fire, which burned 281,000 acres.
Combined, the two fires destroyed more than 2,700 structures and killed at least five people, according to numbers from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Abel, the Edison spokesman, said that the company has reached some settlement agreements around the Thomas and Woolsey fires, and that they will “continue to explore reasonable settlement opportunities with other parties.”
“No admission of wrongdoing or liability was made in reaching these settlements,” he said.
But despite damages suffered from the Bobcat blaze, Robertson said his client does not hold ill-will against his former employer.
“He thought it was a good company to work for and he enjoyed his time there,” Robertson said. “He just said, ‘Hey, they’ve got insurance, and if they started this fire that burned my house down, I’m going to look to them to make me whole.’ He has a pretty good perspective about it.”
Passmore said he lost nearly everything, from appliances and personal items to “blue jeans and undergarments” in the fire, and he doubts he will be able to collect on all of his losses. So far, he has relied on the support of loved ones, along with his own spiritual values, to get through the ordeal.
“Things happen — people get sick, people get in accidents, and you just have to deal with whatever your circumstance is,” he said. “We all have a load to carry.”
But the pain of losing his home has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, he said, and by a lack of guidance from Los Angeles County officials, who won’t return his calls or let him begin cleanup at his red-tagged property.
He is staying with friends in Long Beach.
“There’s a whole lot of people who lost everything they had in recent fires,” Passmore said. “This club is getting to be pretty big. I’m not alone in this.”
Times staff writer Joseph Serna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-11-05--Police investigate suspected hate crime in Beverly Hills restaurant

In an incident Beverly Hills police called a hate crime , a group of men on Wednesday night vandalized a restaurant and assaulted its employees while making “ pro-Armenia statements.
” Between six and eight men believed to be in their 20s or 30s carried out the attack around 8:30 p.m. , police said .
Although authorities did not name the restaurant and said only that it was located on the 300 block of South Beverly Drive , a man who identified himself as the son of the owners of Cafe Istanbul said his parents ’ restaurant had been the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were covered with plywood Thursday , and signs affixed to the wood read , “ Armenians attacked this business.
” The owners ’ son , who asked that his name not be used because he feared for his and his family ’ s safety , said a group of masked men began destroying the restaurant ’ s outdoor dining area on Wednesday night , flinging chairs and shattering dishes .
“ They were chanting that they wanted Turks to die , that they were here to kill Turks , ” the son said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurant at the time , and his parents were the only ones present , he said .
The men then entered the restaurant , throwing chairs at his parents , the son said .
His father , who had turned to shield his mother , was struck in the back .
The two fled through the back of the restaurant and took shelter in a nearby business .
The men vandalized the interior of the restaurant and stole a few iPhones his parents had left behind , the son said .
For the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , anonymous callers to the restaurant have made death threats against the owners and vowed to “ burn down your restaurant while you ’ re eating breakfast with your family.
” “ This can not be accepted , ” he said .
Beverly Hills detectives and a specialized technology unit in the Police Department are reviewing surveillance video in an effort to identify suspects , the police said in a statement .
Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman called the incident an “ unacceptable act of hate and violence.
” “ There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said in a statement , “ and we ask members of the public to please come forward with any information on the suspects in this case.
” Ahmet Atahan , 57 , who said he has frequented Cafe Istanbul since it opened nine years ago , went to the restaurant Thursday to support its owners .
Atahan said that while many immigrants from Armenia , Turkey and neighboring countries have carried with them the grudges that have long defined relations in the region , “ this is L.A. — this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in harmony.
” Crimes like the attack on the cafe “ demoralize everyone , ” Atahan said .
“ Not just Turks — even my Armenian friends , they ’ re worried about retaliation .
You never know what the reaction ’ s going to be .
”

In an incident Beverly Hills police called a hate crime, a group of men on Wednesday night vandalized a restaurant and assaulted its employees while making “pro-Armenia statements.”
Between six and eight men believed to be in their 20s or 30s carried out the attack around 8:30 p.m., police said. Although authorities did not name the restaurant and said only that it was located on the 300 block of South Beverly Drive, a man who identified himself as the son of the owners of Cafe Istanbul said his parents’ restaurant had been the target. The cafe’s windows were covered with plywood Thursday, and signs affixed to the wood read, “Armenians attacked this business.”
The owners’ son, who asked that his name not be used because he feared for his and his family’s safety , said a group of masked men began destroying the restaurant’s outdoor dining area on Wednesday night, flinging chairs and shattering dishes. “They were chanting that they wanted Turks to die, that they were here to kill Turks,” the son said.
No customers were dining at the restaurant at the time, and his parents were the only ones present, he said.
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The men then entered the restaurant, throwing chairs at his parents, the son said. His father, who had turned to shield his mother, was struck in the back. The two fled through the back of the restaurant and took shelter in a nearby business. The men vandalized the interior of the restaurant and stole a few iPhones his parents had left behind, the son said.
For the past few months, the son claimed, anonymous callers to the restaurant have made death threats against the owners and vowed to “burn down your restaurant while you’re eating breakfast with your family.”
“This cannot be accepted,” he said.
Beverly Hills detectives and a specialized technology unit in the Police Department are reviewing surveillance video in an effort to identify suspects, the police said in a statement.
Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman called the incident an “unacceptable act of hate and violence.”
“There is no place in our city for this behavior,” he said in a statement, “and we ask members of the public to please come forward with any information on the suspects in this case.”
Ahmet Atahan, 57, who said he has frequented Cafe Istanbul since it opened nine years ago, went to the restaurant Thursday to support its owners. Atahan said that while many immigrants from Armenia, Turkey and neighboring countries have carried with them the animosity that has long defined relations in the region, “this is L.A. — this is California. We have to live in harmony.”
Crimes like the attack on the cafe “demoralize everyone,” Atahan said. “Not just Turks — even my Armenian friends, they’re worried about retaliation. You never know what the reaction’s going to be.”