latimes--2020-08-13--911 caller in 'swatting' incident at BLM leader's home said he was sending 'message'

A man who called 911 on Wednesday and falsely claimed to be holding people hostage inside the Los Angeles home of a prominent Black Lives Matter leader told the LAPD dispatcher that he was there to send a message .
“ Why are you holding them hostage ?
” the dispatcher asked , according to audio of the 911 call reviewed by The Times on Thursday .
“ BLM is a bunch of retards , ” the man said .
LAPD officers quickly descended on the block , near Crenshaw , and surrounded the home .
Inside , Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live streaming on Instagram , saying she had no idea why the police were outside her home and was scared for her children , who were in the home with her .
Abdullah has been an outspoken critic of the LAPD for years , and has helped to lead large BLM protests against police brutality in the city in recent months .
Police left the scene after Abdullah went outside and met them on the street , telling them she and her family were not being held hostage and were instead concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident was a “ swatting ” — where someone calls in a false emergency call in order to draw armed police to a location .
Swatting incidents have been deadly in the past .
The FBI has warned against the dangers since 2008 .
LAPD denounced the caller ’ s actions and said its Major Crimes Division was investigating .
No arrest had been made as of Thursday .
The caller seemed to intentionally goad a large police response to the home .
When the dispatcher asked him how long he intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ You guys are obviously going to secure a perimeter.
” He said he wanted a million dollars within an hour or he was going to kill the hostages — a threat officers later shared with Abdullah .
He then tells the dispatcher he is going to start shooting the hostages and hung up .
Abdullah , informed of the caller ’ s comments about BLM by a Times reporter , said it “ makes it even clearer to me that there was some animus ” behind the call .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including after she walked outside to defuse the situation , she said .
“ If it was a man holding us hostage , why were guns trained on me ?
” she asked .
“ They need to look at their own policies , ” Abdullah said .
“ A prank call is a prank call , and it ’ s hugely problematic .
However , I am more concerned with how LAPD treated me and my children , and how they traumatized our entire street .
”

Los Angeles police are investigating what officials say was probably a prank call that resulted in heavily armed officers descending on the home of Black Lives Matter activist Melina Abdullah.
LAPD investigates likely ‘swatting’ call after responding to home of Black Lives Matter activist
A man who called 911 on Wednesday and falsely claimed to be holding people hostage inside the Los Angeles home of a prominent Black Lives Matter leader told the LAPD dispatcher that he was there to send a message.
“Why are you holding them hostage?” the dispatcher asked, according to audio of the 911 call reviewed by The Times on Thursday.
“To send a message,” the caller said.
“What’s the message?” the dispatcher asked.
“BLM is a bunch of retards,” the man said.
LAPD officers quickly descended on the block, near Crenshaw, and surrounded the home. Inside, Black Lives Matter Los Angeles co-founder Melina Abdullah began live streaming on Instagram, saying she had no idea why the police were outside her home and was scared for her children, who were in the home with her.
Abdullah has been an outspoken critic of the LAPD for years, and has helped to lead large BLM protests against police brutality in the city in recent months.
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Police left the scene after Abdullah went outside and met them on the street, telling them she and her family were not being held hostage and were instead concerned about the officers themselves.
Police determined the incident was a “swatting” — where someone calls in a false emergency call in order to draw armed police to a location.
Swatting incidents have been deadly in the past. The FBI has warned against the dangers since 2008.
LAPD denounced the caller’s actions and said its Major Crimes Division was investigating.
No arrest had been made as of Thursday.
The caller seemed to intentionally goad a large police response to the home.
When the dispatcher asked him how long he intended to stay in the residence, he said, “You guys are obviously going to secure a perimeter.”
He said he wanted a million dollars within an hour or he was going to kill the hostages — a threat officers later shared with Abdullah.
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He then tells the dispatcher he is going to start shooting the hostages and hung up.
Abdullah, informed of the caller’s comments about BLM by a Times reporter, said it “makes it even clearer to me that there was some animus” behind the call.
It also made her question the response by police, including after she walked outside to defuse the situation, she said.
“If it was a man holding us hostage, why were guns trained on me?” she asked.
“They need to look at their own policies,” Abdullah said. “A prank call is a prank call, and it’s hugely problematic. However, I am more concerned with how LAPD treated me and my children, and how they traumatized our entire street.”


latimes--2020-08-13--Dodger Stadium will serve as polling center for general election

Dodger Stadium will host a voting site for November ’ s election , the team announced Thursday , partnering with LeBron James ’ More Than a Vote coalition to become the first MLB team to make its stadium available as a polling place .
The team , which made the announcement jointly with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and California Secretary of State ’ s office , said the site will be accessible to registered Los Angeles County voters over a five-day period for the presidential general election on Nov 3 .
The team described the endeavor as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Than a Vote coalition of Black athletes and artists , including James and Dodgers pitcher David Price , dedicated to encouraging and protecting voting rights for people of color .
“ I may still be new to L.A. but didn ’ t take long for me to learn how special the relationship is between the Dodgers and Lakers .
We are all in this together , ” James said in a statement .
“ I ’ m really proud we were able to help the Dodgers become the first MLB stadium to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we created More Than a Vote .
A lot of us now working together and here for every team who wants to follow the Dodgers lead and turn their stadium into a safer place for voting.
” Dodger Stadium ’ s vast footprint will enable social distancing at the voting site , the team said .
This summer , the venue has already hosted the county ’ s largest COVID-19 testing site as well as food distributions and virtual high school graduations .
Operational details for the election were not immediately released .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fabric of Los Angeles , and we ’ re proud to continue to partner with the County to make the property available for the benefit of the community at large , ” Dodgers President Stan Kasten said in the release .
“ Voting is all of our civic duty , and we ’ re excited to work with More than a Vote to do anything we can to help get out the vote by making this process as easy , accessible and safe for all Angelenos .
”

Dodger Stadium will host a voting site for November’s election, the team announced Thursday, partnering with LeBron James’ More Than a Vote coalition to become the first MLB team to make its stadium available as a polling place.
The team, which made the announcement jointly with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and California Secretary of State’s office, said the site will be accessible to registered Los Angeles County voters over a five-day period for the presidential general election on Nov 3.
The team described the endeavor as a joint effort with the recently founded More Than a Vote coalition of Black athletes and artists, including James and Dodgers pitcher David Price, dedicated to encouraging and protecting voting rights for people of color.
“I may still be new to L.A. but didn’t take long for me to learn how special the relationship is between the Dodgers and Lakers. We are all in this together,” James said in a statement. “I’m really proud we were able to help the Dodgers become the first MLB stadium to open for voting. This is exactly why we created More Than a Vote. A lot of us now working together and here for every team who wants to follow the Dodgers lead and turn their stadium into a safer place for voting.”
Dodger Stadium’s vast footprint will enable social distancing at the voting site, the team said. This summer, the venue has already hosted the county’s largest COVID-19 testing site as well as food distributions and virtual high school graduations. Operational details for the election were not immediately released.
“Dodger Stadium is part of the fabric of Los Angeles, and we’re proud to continue to partner with the County to make the property available for the benefit of the community at large,” Dodgers President Stan Kasten said in the release. “Voting is all of our civic duty, and we’re excited to work with More than a Vote to do anything we can to help get out the vote by making this process as easy, accessible and safe for all Angelenos.”


latimes--2020-08-13--Brush fire in West Covina is moving toward homes, officials say

Firefighters responded Thursday afternoon to a brush fire in the city of West Covina that is moving toward homes , @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County Fire Department was alerted to the fire at 2:25 pm , according to @ @ @ @ @ responded to the 1500 block of Westridge Road by Galster Wilderness Park .
The fire @ @ @ @ @ acres and moving toward structures , she said .
It was unclear if any evacuation @ @ @ @ @ The county is providing assistance with a water-dropping helicopter to the West Covina Fire Department @

Firefighters responded to the 1500 block of Westridge Road by Galster Wilderness Park in West Covina.
Firefighters have stopped the forward progress of a brush fire by Galster Wilderness Park in the city of West Covina, authorities said.
Firefighters responded Thursday afternoon to a fire in the city of West Covina that officials said was moving toward homes.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department was alerted to the fire at 2:25 pm, spokeswoman Leslie Lua said. Firefighters had responded to the 1500 block of Westridge Road by Galster Wilderness Park. It was 2 to 3 acres by about 4 p.m.
Firefighters stopped the fire’s forward progress about 5 p.m., L.A. County Fire Department spokesman Marvin Lim said. He said that no structures were lost and that the fire no longer poses a threat to homes.


latimes--2020-08-13--L.A. County sues church for violating COVID-19 orders with indoor worship services

A church that has gained national attention in recent weeks for repeatedly defying state and county orders by holding indoor services is the subject of a countersuit filed Thursday by Los Angeles County .
The suit was filed in L.A. County Superior Court against Grace Community Church and Pastor John MacArthur for violating the county health officer ’ s order , which in mid-July prohibited indoor operations in various sectors , including places of worship .
Hours earlier , lawyers representing MacArthur and the church had filed suit against L.A. County public health officials along with Gov .
Gavin Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and other California health officials .
According to the county ’ s lawsuit , the church in Sun Valley started holding indoor services on July 26 .
It cites a “ Tucker Carlson Tonight ” segment on Fox News in which MacArthur questions the validity of California ’ s coronavirus case and death counts and downplays the COVID-19 mortality rate — the number of deaths divided by the total population .
“ Last Sunday , 3,000 of them [ parishioners ] came back , ” MacArthur said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other and they didn ’ t wear masks and they sang songs.
” In the weeks since , the county has instructed the church to cease indoor services .
But the church has ignored such demands .
On Sunday , MacArthur welcomed worshipers to “ the Grace Community Church peaceful protest.
” “ The county took this action reluctantly , after working with the church for several weeks in hopes of gaining voluntary compliance with the Health Officer Orders , which allow for religious services to be held outdoors in order to slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagious virus , ” the county said in a statement .
MacArthur thinks the state ’ s current order is a violation of people ’ s 1st Amendment rights .
“ Community Church decided that it would no longer sit by and watch its congregants and their children suffer from an absence of religious worship and instruction , ” the church ’ s lawsuit states .
In an interview with CNN , MacArthur said it was not his job to warn people of the dangers of congregating , adding that he has his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
“ Our people know life is being restricted in a way that is not constitutional and is burdensome , ” he said .
The state has reported a recent decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations after surpassing 10,000 fatalities .
But progress is dependent on people ’ s social behaviors , and much about the virus — like its long-term effects on survivors — is still unknown .
L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis previously implored places of worship to host only outdoor services and refrain from holding indoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine or medical therapies , social distancing practices are one of the few weapons to combat the spread of the disease .
Though he said he couldn ’ t comment on the lawsuit specifically , Davis said at a news briefing Thursday that , generally speaking , “ we start by using education as the primary step in gaining compliance.
” “ However , when compliance is not achieved , we have to look at other tools at our disposal , ” he said , adding that “ we won ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this pandemic , and we need everyone doing their part.
” “ We , as a county , are so grateful to those religious institutions that are adhering to the order and have found ways to worship ” that do not put their congregations or communities at risk , he said .
Grace Community Church is not the only place of worship to defy county and state orders .
On Tuesday , a judge declined to order the immediate closure of a church in Ventura County that had been holding indoor worship services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCoy , the pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park , be held in contempt of court and was seeking the court to direct the Sheriff ’ s Office to close the church .
The county ’ s request to shut the church was denied , but a hearing on the contempt claim was scheduled for Aug. 21 .

A church that has gained national attention in recent weeks for repeatedly defying state and county orders by holding indoor services is the subject of a countersuit filed Thursday by Los Angeles County.
The suit was filed in L.A. County Superior Court against Grace Community Church and Pastor John MacArthur for violating the county health officer’s order, which in mid-July prohibited indoor operations in various sectors, including places of worship.
Hours earlier, lawyers representing MacArthur and the church had filed suit against L.A. County public health officials along with Gov. Gavin Newsom, Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and other California health officials.
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California Beach baptisms draw large gatherings to the shore Photos: Christian faithful have been gathering, raising their hands skyward and, for some, stepping into the cool Pacific to be baptized.
According to the county’s lawsuit, the church in Sun Valley started holding indoor services on July 26. It cites a “Tucker Carlson Tonight” segment on Fox News in which MacArthur questions the validity of California’s coronavirus case and death counts and downplays the COVID-19 mortality rate — the number of deaths divided by the total population.
“Last Sunday, 3,000 of them [parishioners] came back,” MacArthur said, “and they rejoiced and they hugged each other and they didn’t wear masks and they sang songs.”
In the weeks since, the county has instructed the church to cease indoor services. But the church has ignored such demands. On Sunday, MacArthur welcomed worshipers to “the Grace Community Church peaceful protest.”
“The county took this action reluctantly, after working with the church for several weeks in hopes of gaining voluntary compliance with the Health Officer Orders, which allow for religious services to be held outdoors in order to slow the spread of a deadly and highly contagious virus,” the county said in a statement.
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MacArthur thinks the state’s current order is a violation of people’s 1st Amendment rights.
“The government can’t intrude on worship,” he told Carlson.
“Community Church decided that it would no longer sit by and watch its congregants and their children suffer from an absence of religious worship and instruction,” the church’s lawsuit states.
In an interview with CNN, MacArthur said it was not his job to warn people of the dangers of congregating, adding that he has his own doubts about the true scope of the pandemic.
“Our people know life is being restricted in a way that is not constitutional and is burdensome,” he said.
The state has reported a recent decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations after surpassing 10,000 fatalities. But progress is dependent on people’s social behaviors, and much about the virus — like its long-term effects on survivors — is still unknown.
L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis previously implored places of worship to host only outdoor services and refrain from holding indoor events. In the absence of a vaccine or medical therapies, social distancing practices are one of the few weapons to combat the spread of the disease.
Though he said he couldn’t comment on the lawsuit specifically, Davis said at a news briefing Thursday that, generally speaking, “we start by using education as the primary step in gaining compliance.”
“However, when compliance is not achieved, we have to look at other tools at our disposal,” he said, adding that “we won’t be able to enforce our way out of this pandemic, and we need everyone doing their part.”
“We, as a county, are so grateful to those religious institutions that are adhering to the order and have found ways to worship” that do not put their congregations or communities at risk, he said.
Grace Community Church is not the only place of worship to defy county and state orders. On Tuesday, a judge declined to order the immediate closure of a church in Ventura County that had been holding indoor worship services.
The county had asked that Rob McCoy, the pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park, be held in contempt of court and was seeking the court to direct the Sheriff’s Office to close the church. The county’s request to shut the church was denied, but a hearing on the contempt claim was scheduled for Aug. 21.
Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this article.


latimes--2020-08-13--Jackie Lacey's husband claims state charges against him in gun case are improper

The husband of Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
Jackie Lacey has asked a judge to dismiss the criminal case against him on charges of waving a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters on his porch , arguing that the state ’ s attorney general exceeded his legal authority by filing misdemeanor charges .
In a motion submitted to the court this week , the attorney for David Lacey stated that once Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra decided that felony charges were not warranted for the March incident at the Laceys ’ Granada Hills residence , the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case to L.A. City Atty .
Mike Feuer , whose office handles misdemeanor crimes in city boundaries .
“ David and I both believe that the attorney general does not have jurisdiction under the law to prosecute this crime , ” defense attorney Samuel Tyre said outside a San Fernando courthouse on Thursday .
“ It is our belief that the California Constitution , Supreme Court law , government code law and the Los Angeles city charter all support that the rightful prosecutor to this case is the Los Angeles city attorney ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to appear in court Thursday for his arraignment on three misdemeanor counts of assault with a firearm stemming from his March 2 confrontation with BLM protesters .
Neither Lacey nor his wife was present in court , and his attorney delayed arraignment until Sept. 10 .
That day , Judge Patricia Hunter is expected to hear arguments on whether the attorney general ’ s office can proceed with the charges .
Seth McCutcheon , the deputy attorney general assigned to the case , told the judge that he only received David Lacey ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments .
McCutcheon noted that the attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer in the state , and that the crime David Lacey is accused of committing is a so-called “ wobbler ” — eligible to be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor .
“ Obviously , the results of this could have wide-reaching implications , ” added McCutcheon , seeking further time to submit a full reply .
“ Any response by my office would have to be vetted and thoroughly reviewed.
” The attorney general ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared a conflict of interest while the incident was under investigation by Los Angeles police .
A spokesman for Feuer did not have an immediate response to the motion .
The legal maneuver comes as Jackie Lacey is in a tight battle for reelection against challenger George Gascón , the former San Francisco district attorney .
Lacey , the first Black district attorney in Los Angeles County , has faced mounting criticism from Black Lives Matter and other criminal justice reform groups over her office ’ s pursuit of the death penalty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have fatally shot civilians during on-duty confrontations .
That criticism of Lacey led Black Lives Matter to escalate tactics and stage protests outside her home in the San Fernando Valley , including the predawn demonstration that led to David Lacey ’ s prosecution .
Melina Abdullah , a Black Lives Matter organizer and Cal State Los Angeles professor , previously told The Times that on that morning , the group arranged chairs and prayed on the sidewalk outside the Laceys ’ home .
At some point , Abdullah and two others went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they said , they heard a gun cock .
“ I thought I was being paranoid , and I said , ‘ That didn ’ t sound good , ’ ” Abdullah said .
“ And then her husband opened the door and pointed a gun.
” Footage that was shared widely online and broadcast across local and national news shows David Lacey open the door and point a handgun in the direction of the protesters .
“ I will shoot you .
Get off of my porch , ” he said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and police did not arrest Lacey or anyone else that morning .
Hours after the incident , the embattled district attorney held a news conference downtown .
Lacey said she and her husband were awakened by noises outside and called the police , but she did not know her husband had confronted the protesters at gunpoint until after the incident occurred .
She apologized on her husband ’ s behalf , but also criticized the tactics of protesters .
“ His response was in fear , and now that he realizes what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protesters , the person that he showed the gun to , that he was sorry , that he ’ s profoundly sorry , that he meant no one any harm , ” Lacey said .
“ I don ’ t think you ever get used to anybody coming to your house , ” she continued .
“ It was frightening .
I know that the protests have escalated .
Even at the last debate , a guy ran toward the stage .
I wasn ’ t sure what was going to happen @ @

The husband of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has asked a judge to dismiss the criminal case against him on charges of waving a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters on his porch, arguing that the state’s attorney general exceeded his legal authority by filing misdemeanor charges.
In a motion submitted to the court this week, the attorney for David Lacey stated that once Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra decided that felony charges were not warranted for the March incident at the Laceys’ Granada Hills residence, the state’s top prosecutor should have transferred the case to L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, whose office handles misdemeanor crimes in city boundaries.
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“David and I both believe that the attorney general does not have jurisdiction under the law to prosecute this crime,” defense attorney Samuel Tyre said outside a San Fernando courthouse on Thursday. “It is our belief that the California Constitution, Supreme Court law, government code law and the Los Angeles city charter all support that the rightful prosecutor to this case is the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.”
David Lacey was scheduled to appear in court Thursday for his arraignment on three misdemeanor counts of assault with a firearm stemming from his March 2 confrontation with BLM protesters. Neither Lacey nor his wife was present in court, and his attorney delayed arraignment until Sept. 10. That day, Judge Patricia Hunter is expected to hear arguments on whether the attorney general’s office can proceed with the charges.
Seth McCutcheon, the deputy attorney general assigned to the case, told the judge that he only received David Lacey’s motion Thursday morning and offered limited comments. McCutcheon noted that the attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer in the state, and that the crime David Lacey is accused of committing is a so-called “wobbler” — eligible to be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor.
A video still image shows L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey’s husband, David, pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home in Granada Hills on March 2. (Dahlia Ferlito via Associated Press )
“Obviously, the results of this could have wide-reaching implications,” added McCutcheon, seeking further time to submit a full reply. “Any response by my office would have to be vetted and thoroughly reviewed.”
The attorney general’s office took over the case because Jackie Lacey declared a conflict of interest while the incident was under investigation by Los Angeles police.
A spokesman for Feuer did not have an immediate response to the motion.
The legal maneuver comes as Jackie Lacey is in a tight battle for reelection against challenger George Gascón, the former San Francisco district attorney. Lacey, the first Black district attorney in Los Angeles County, has faced mounting criticism from Black Lives Matter and other criminal justice reform groups over her office’s pursuit of the death penalty and record of declining to prosecute police officers who have fatally shot civilians during on-duty confrontations.
That criticism of Lacey led Black Lives Matter to escalate tactics and stage protests outside her home in the San Fernando Valley, including the predawn demonstration that led to David Lacey’s prosecution.
Melina Abdullah, a Black Lives Matter organizer and Cal State Los Angeles professor, previously told The Times that on that morning, the group arranged chairs and prayed on the sidewalk outside the Laceys’ home. At some point, Abdullah and two others went to the front door. Then, they said, they heard a gun cock.
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“I thought I was being paranoid, and I said, ‘That didn’t sound good,’” Abdullah said. “And then her husband opened the door and pointed a gun.”
Footage that was shared widely online and broadcast across local and national news shows David Lacey open the door and point a handgun in the direction of the protesters.
“I will shoot you. Get off of my porch,” he said in the video.
No one was injured, and police did not arrest Lacey or anyone else that morning.
Hours after the incident, the embattled district attorney held a news conference downtown. Lacey said she and her husband were awakened by noises outside and called the police, but she did not know her husband had confronted the protesters at gunpoint until after the incident occurred. She apologized on her husband’s behalf, but also criticized the tactics of protesters.
“His response was in fear, and now that he realizes what happened he wanted me to say to the protesters, the person that he showed the gun to, that he was sorry, that he’s profoundly sorry, that he meant no one any harm,” Lacey said.
“I don’t think you ever get used to anybody coming to your house,” she continued. “It was frightening. I know that the protests have escalated. Even at the last debate, a guy ran toward the stage. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.”
Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-13--Watch: Lake fire spawns 'terrifying' fire tornado as it burns through Angeles National Forest

Hours after the massive Lake fire exploded in the Angeles National Forest near the 5 Freeway on Wednesday , the blaze exhibited extreme and alarming behavior , at one point forming a tornado-like flaming vortex .
Though such a phenomenon — commonly referred to as a fire tornado or fire whirl — is not unprecedented in California , it demonstrates the intensity with which the fire burned as it quickly grew to more than 10,000 acres .
The National Weather Service characterized the event as “ an impressive and terrifying example of extreme fire behavior , when the fire is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with very strong updrafts and pyrocumulus.
” Video of the incident elicited stunned reactions on social media , with some Twitter users remarking that a flaming twister was a fitting chapter in a year where the news of the day had at times more resembled something out of science fiction .
Fire whirls can occur when trees , a hillside or wall of flames force air to shift or rotate among competing air temperatures and speeds .
Eventually , it tilts the rotating air from a horizontal position to a vertical one , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only shocking to behold , but fire whirls also possess incredible destructive capacity .
Scientists estimate they burn fuel three to seven times faster than an open flame .
As the 2018 Carr fire burned in Shasta County , it spawned a fire tornado that was roughly 1,000 feet in diameter and reached speeds up to 165 mph .
The Lake fire started in the Angeles National Forest near the 5 Freeway shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday .
As of Thursday morning , the blaze had scorched 10,500 acres and destroyed three structures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
Evacuations and road closures are in place in the area .
“ This will be a major fire for several days , ” Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia said during a news conference .

Hours after the massive Lake fire exploded in the Angeles National Forest near the 5 Freeway on Wednesday, the blaze exhibited extreme and alarming behavior, at one point forming a tornado-like flaming vortex.
Though such a phenomenon — commonly referred to as a fire tornado or fire whirl — is not unprecedented in California, it demonstrates the intensity with which the fire burned as it quickly grew to more than 10,000 acres.
The National Weather Service characterized the event as “an impressive and terrifying example of extreme fire behavior, when the fire is so hot it creates rotation, along with very strong updrafts and pyrocumulus.”
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Video of the incident elicited stunned reactions on social media, with some Twitter users remarking that a flaming twister was a fitting chapter in a year where the news of the day had at times more resembled something out of science fiction.
California California fire tornadoes catch the eye, but just what is a ‘firenado’? While crews continue to battle raging wildfires in San Diego County, many on social media have been highlighting the tornado-like flaming vortexes captured in photos from the front lines.
Fire whirls can occur when trees, a hillside or wall of flames force air to shift or rotate among competing air temperatures and speeds. Eventually, it tilts the rotating air from a horizontal position to a vertical one, giving it a tornado-like appearance.
Not only shocking to behold, but fire whirls also possess incredible destructive capacity. Scientists estimate they burn fuel three to seven times faster than an open flame.
As the 2018 Carr fire burned in Shasta County, it spawned a fire tornado that was roughly 1,000 feet in diameter and reached speeds up to 165 mph.
California Fire in Lake Hughes area destroys at least 3 structures The Lake fire in the Angeles National Forest started near the 5 Freeway and rapidly spread, moving toward several small communities west of Lancaster.
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The Lake fire started in the Angeles National Forest near the 5 Freeway shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
As of Thursday morning, the blaze had scorched 10,500 acres and destroyed three structures. More than 5,000 buildings remain threatened, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Evacuations and road closures are in place in the area.
“This will be a major fire for several days,” Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia said during a news conference.


latimes--2020-08-13--California oil production limits stall in Legislature, leaving the issue to Newsom

In his first year in office , Gov .
Gavin Newsom vowed to protect Californians against hazards and pollutants from oil and gas production .
Now the governor is facing increasing pressure to make good on his promise after efforts in the Legislature to mandate health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells and refineries failed amid fierce opposition from the petroleum industry and trade unions .
Legislation to put in place minimum setback distances between the wells and residential areas , along with public places such as schools and playgrounds , failed passage in a state Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rough go from the outset , with resistance coming from Republicans and some pro-labor and Central Valley Democrats , underscoring the continued political muscle of California ’ s billion-dollar oil industry — even in a deep blue state known for enacting aggressive environmental protections .
In November , Newsom administration officials said the Department of Conservation would “ consider the best available science and data ” to determine if health and safety buffers were warranted around wells , stopping short of the mandate for setbacks included in the ill-fated legislation , Assembly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Gov .
Newsom ’ s court to protect Californians from oil industry pollution , ” said Kassie Siegel , director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity .
“ Promises have been made to Californians many times — by the Legislature , by successive governors , that policy decisions will be based on science .
The only answer based on the science is that oil wells do not belong in neighborhoods.
” A recent study by researchers at UC Berkeley , published by the National Institutes of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas wells caused significant adverse health effects to pregnant mothers and newborn babies .
A 2014 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council determined that more than 5.4 million Californians lived within one mile of at least one oil or gas well .
Siegel and other environmental advocates also criticized Newsom for allowing the California Geologic Energy Management Division , known as CalGEM , to issue close to 50 new hydraulic fracturing permits to Chevron and Aera Energy , a partnership of Shell Oil and ExxonMobil , since April .
The permits were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he would temporarily block new hydraulic fracturing permits until those projects could be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory .
“ The independent scientific review is one of Gov .
Newsom ’ s initiatives to ensure oil and gas regulations protect public health , safety , and environmental protection .
This review , which assesses the completeness of each proposed hydraulic fracturing permit , is taking place as an interim measure while a broader audit is completed of CalGEM ’ s permitting process for well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk said in a statement .
Ntuk said six permits had been denied and 248 permits were still pending review by the panel .
When the permits were issued , advocates noted that adverse health impacts from the oil industry were disproportionally felt in Black and Latino communities .
“ Now our residents have to continue fighting the disproportionate impacts of oil extraction , fracking , acidizing , and other extreme methods of extraction at the same time that they try to survive the COVID-19 pandemic , which , for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives of our loved ones , ” Juan Flores , a Kern County-based community organizer with Center on Race Poverty & the Environment , said in June .
Catherine Reheis-Boyd , president of the Western States Petroleum Assn.
, said California already had some of the strictest regulations and environmental protections in the world and that additional restrictions on oil production would have serious consequences .
The demand for gasoline , diesel and jet fuel will not cease overnight , so oil would have to be imported from countries that don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protections that exist in California , she said .
“ We only make 30 % of what we need in California , ” Reheis-Boyd said , “ and everything else comes from a marine tanker or railcar from somewhere else.
” Reheis-Boyd said her organization had supported establishing health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells in the past when proposed by local governments .
She believes any similar statewide restrictions should be addressed in the regulatory process — free from the politics of the Legislature — so that Newsom administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science and the economic impacts .
“ You can ’ t have in-depth discussions in a legislative frame , ” she said .
“ We ’ re not opposed to looking at the issue .
It ’ s a concern to communities.
” California has 1,175 active offshore wells and 60,643 active onshore wells .
In 2019 , the state produced just under 159 million barrels of oil , CalGEM records show .
The state ’ s annual crude oil production has been consistently declining since 1985 .
Officials with the state Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in person and online throughout the year on proposed public health and safety protections for communities near oil and gas operations .
The agency also has conducted surveys and polls and has received close to 40,000 emails from community members , oil and gas workers and others .
Still , the proposed regulations have yet to be released .
“ We will continue to be transparent as we move into the formal rulemaking phase , ” Ntuk said .
“ Even with the COVID-19 pandemic , we are on track to announce soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ input from scientific and public health experts .
We expect to have draft language by late fall.
” Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi ( D-Rolling Hills Estates ) , whose bill would have established the buffer zones , said the governor had yet to make any firm commitment to establishing setbacks from wells .
Muratsuchi ’ s proposal would have required the Department of Conservation adopt mandatory setbacks — and , specifically , to at least consider a setback of 2,500 feet from schools , playgrounds and other facilities where children are present .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create an environmental justice program within the Department of Conservation to ensure that underserved counties affected by oil and gas fields , as well as refineries , have their concerns addressed .
Last week , Muratsuchi made a last-ditch effort to save his bill , which had already passed the state Assembly , in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee .
“ The question before this body today is whether the Legislature , as a co-equal branch of government , thinks it is important as a public health measure — as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass a bill that specifically requires a minimum setback to protect vulnerable communities , ” he argued .
But the measure failed by a 5-4 vote and Muratsuchi opted not to attempt to bring it up for reconsideration this week .
One of the pivotal votes against the bill was cast by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg ( D-Van Nuys ) , the target of an intense lobbying campaign by environmental activists and local leaders .
Hertzberg argued that the bill was unnecessary because Newsom was already considering buffer zones .
This year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a newly created position of assistant secretary of environmental justice .
“ I am tired of bills that just push people ’ s buttons and push people ’ s nerves , ” he said during the committee hearing .
Hertzberg angered activists by singling out a lobbyist who testified in favor of the bill , Katie Valenzuela of California Environmental Justice Alliance .
Valenzuela later spoke out against Hertzberg , saying he violated legislative decorum and could have a chilling effect on other people wanting to testify before the Legislature .
Hertzberg later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were really surprised [ at Hertzberg ’ s opposition ] and , given that he has no oil in his district , that this is a very limited bill , ” Valenzuela said .
“ I mean , we just had a study come out showing that mothers who live near these sites are having preterm births , are having miscarriages .
Their children are having health problems .
What do we need to do to get Democrats to do the right thing ?
” Muratsuchi said the biggest obstacle for AB 345 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The unions have been major supporters of Hertzberg and other Democratic lawmakers .
The labor organizations not only represent oil and refinery workers , but also truck drivers and other union members who support the oil and gas industry .
“ Every time we try to impose common-sense regulations on the oil industry , ” Muratsuchi said , “ the labor unions representing the fossil fuel workers are at the forefront of opposing these bills.
” Robbie Hunter , president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California , said restricting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten thousands of well-paying blue-collar jobs but would also damage California ’ s economy .
Labor organizations support California ’ s efforts to transition to renewable energy and expand mass transit , he said , but that will take years to accomplish .
“ You ’ ve got to look around at the reality in the state of California .
How do people get to work ?
It ’ s a car society , ” Hunter said .
“ At some level , petroleum is going to be around for the foreseeable future.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unions might have used their power in Sacramento to go after lawmakers if they supported the legislation .
“ We haven ’ t done it so far , ” Hunter said .
“ We have the ability to do it .
But we haven ’ t .
”

In his first year in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to protect Californians against hazards and pollutants from oil and gas production. Now the governor is facing increasing pressure to make good on his promise after efforts in the Legislature to mandate health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells and refineries failed amid fierce opposition from the petroleum industry and trade unions.
Legislation to put in place minimum setback distances between the wells and residential areas, along with public places such as schools and playgrounds, failed passage in a state Senate committee last week. The proposal faced a rough go from the outset, with resistance coming from Republicans and some pro-labor and Central Valley Democrats, underscoring the continued political muscle of California’s billion-dollar oil industry — even in a deep blue state known for enacting aggressive environmental protections.
In November, Newsom administration officials said the Department of Conservation would “consider the best available science and data” to determine if health and safety buffers were warranted around wells, stopping short of the mandate for setbacks included in the ill-fated legislation, Assembly Bill 345.
“The ball is in Gov. Newsom’s court to protect Californians from oil industry pollution,” said Kassie Siegel, director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Promises have been made to Californians many times — by the Legislature, by successive governors, that policy decisions will be based on science. The only answer based on the science is that oil wells do not belong in neighborhoods.”
A recent study by researchers at UC Berkeley, published by the National Institutes of Health, found that living near oil and gas wells caused significant adverse health effects to pregnant mothers and newborn babies.
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A 2014 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council determined that more than 5.4 million Californians lived within one mile of at least one oil or gas well.
Siegel and other environmental advocates also criticized Newsom for allowing the California Geologic Energy Management Division, known as CalGEM, to issue close to 50 new hydraulic fracturing permits to Chevron and Aera Energy, a partnership of Shell Oil and ExxonMobil, since April.
The permits were issued after a November announcement by Newsom that he would temporarily block new hydraulic fracturing permits until those projects could be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
“The independent scientific review is one of Gov. Newsom’s initiatives to ensure oil and gas regulations protect public health, safety, and environmental protection. This review, which assesses the completeness of each proposed hydraulic fracturing permit, is taking place as an interim measure while a broader audit is completed of CalGEM’s permitting process for well stimulation,” state Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk said in a statement.
Ntuk said six permits had been denied and 248 permits were still pending review by the panel.
When the permits were issued, advocates noted that adverse health impacts from the oil industry were disproportionally felt in Black and Latino communities.
“Now our residents have to continue fighting the disproportionate impacts of oil extraction, fracking, acidizing, and other extreme methods of extraction at the same time that they try to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, which, for many of us, has already taken the lives of our loved ones,” Juan Flores, a Kern County-based community organizer with Center on Race Poverty & the Environment, said in June.
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Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Assn., said California already had some of the strictest regulations and environmental protections in the world and that additional restrictions on oil production would have serious consequences. The demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel will not cease overnight, so oil would have to be imported from countries that don’t have the strict environmental and worker safety protections that exist in California, she said.
“We only make 30% of what we need in California,” Reheis-Boyd said, “and everything else comes from a marine tanker or railcar from somewhere else.”
Reheis-Boyd said her organization had supported establishing health and safety buffer zones around oil and gas wells in the past when proposed by local governments. She believes any similar statewide restrictions should be addressed in the regulatory process — free from the politics of the Legislature — so that Newsom administration officials have time to study both the science and the economic impacts.
“You can’t have in-depth discussions in a legislative frame,” she said. “We’re not opposed to looking at the issue. It’s a concern to communities.”
California has 1,175 active offshore wells and 60,643 active onshore wells. In 2019, the state produced just under 159 million barrels of oil, CalGEM records show. The state’s annual crude oil production has been consistently declining since 1985.
Officials with the state Department of Conservation have been holding public hearings in person and online throughout the year on proposed public health and safety protections for communities near oil and gas operations. The agency also has conducted surveys and polls and has received close to 40,000 emails from community members, oil and gas workers and others. Still, the proposed regulations have yet to be released.
“We will continue to be transparent as we move into the formal rulemaking phase,” Ntuk said. “Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are on track to announce soon our next set of meetings to gather input from scientific and public health experts. We expect to have draft language by late fall.”
Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates), whose bill would have established the buffer zones, said the governor had yet to make any firm commitment to establishing setbacks from wells.
Muratsuchi’s proposal would have required the Department of Conservation to adopt mandatory setbacks — and, specifically, to at least consider a setback of 2,500 feet from schools, playgrounds and other facilities where children are present. It also would have required the state to create an environmental justice program within the Department of Conservation to ensure that underserved counties affected by oil and gas fields, as well as refineries, have their concerns addressed.
Last week, Muratsuchi made a last-ditch effort to save his bill, which had already passed the state Assembly, in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee.
“The question before this body today is whether the Legislature, as a co-equal branch of government, thinks it is important as a public health measure — as an environmental justice measure — to adopt and pass a bill that specifically requires a minimum setback to protect vulnerable communities,” he argued.
But the measure failed by a 5-4 vote and Muratsuchi opted not to attempt to bring it up for reconsideration this week.
One of the pivotal votes against the bill was cast by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), the target of an intense lobbying campaign by environmental activists and local leaders.
Hertzberg argued that the bill was unnecessary because Newsom was already considering buffer zones. This year’s state budget also includes funding for a newly created position of assistant secretary of environmental justice.
“I am tired of bills that just push people’s buttons and push people’s nerves,” he said during the committee hearing.
Hertzberg angered activists by singling out a lobbyist who testified in favor of the bill, Katie Valenzuela of California Environmental Justice Alliance. Valenzuela later spoke out against Hertzberg, saying he violated legislative decorum and could have a chilling effect on other people wanting to testify before the Legislature. Hertzberg later called her to apologize.
“We were really surprised [at Hertzberg’s opposition] and, given that he has no oil in his district, that this is a very limited bill,” Valenzuela said. “I mean, we just had a study come out showing that mothers who live near these sites are having preterm births, are having miscarriages. Their children are having health problems. What do we need to do to get Democrats to do the right thing?”
The California Environmental Justice Alliance later clarified that there is an oil drilling operation in Hertzberg’s district at the Cascade Oil Field in Granada Hills.
Muratsuchi said the biggest obstacle for AB 345 was the power of trade unions.
The unions have been major supporters of Hertzberg and other Democratic lawmakers. The labor organizations represent not only oil and refinery workers, but also truck drivers and other union members who support the oil and gas industry.
“Every time we try to impose common-sense regulations on the oil industry,” Muratsuchi said, “the labor unions representing the fossil fuel workers are at the forefront of opposing these bills.”
Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, said restricting oil production in California not only would threaten thousands of well-paying blue-collar jobs but would also damage California’s economy. Labor organizations support California’s efforts to transition to renewable energy and expand mass transit, he said, but that will take years to accomplish.
“You’ve got to look around at the reality in the state of California. How do people get to work? It’s a car society,” Hunter said. “At some level, petroleum is going to be around for the foreseeable future.”
Hunter dismissed speculation that the trade unions might have used their power in Sacramento to go after lawmakers if they supported the legislation.
“We haven’t done it so far,” Hunter said. “We have the ability to do it. But we haven’t.”


latimes--2020-08-13--Team is researching at-home coronavirus testing, Garcetti says

A coalition of scientific experts , bioscience firms , government leaders and foundations is researching at-home coronavirus testing , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday .
“ Last week , I brought together this group for the first time .
It ’ s a grass-roots effort to accelerate the science of testing , so that we can know where outbreaks are quickly , and within days , bring those numbers down , ” Garcetti said , adding that at-home testing could “ get our children back to school.
” He said the coalition is working with the U.S. Conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
to research the cost and volume of testing .
Political leaders are also calling on the federal government to mandate insurance coverage for rapid test strips nationwide , Garcetti said .
“ If we get this right , we could be doing as many as a million tests a week , using paper strip testing here just in Los Angeles alone .
We need help , though , to allow states and cities to purchase this critical tool at scale .
It still may be some weeks or even a couple months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even better solutions now , ” Garcetti said .
Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar didn ’ t respond to The Times ’ request Thursday for the names of the organizations and individuals in the coalition .
Garcetti ‘ s comments came as local public health officials reported with cautious optimism that a recent surge in new coronavirus cases appeared to be slowing without resulting in hospitalizations sufficient to overwhelm the healthcare system .
There were 1,481 confirmed coronavirus patients in L.A. County hospitals as of Tuesday , a decline of nearly 27 % from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure fell roughly 19 % in the two weeks ending Tuesday , according to Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
While hospitalizations have fallen in recent weeks , another key indicator — deaths — has risen since the initial surge of the virus .
California has seen a near doubling of weekly coronavirus deaths since the spring — with almost 1,000 fatalities in the last week alone , a recent Times data analysis found .
The geography of the outbreak has shifted , with suburban and agricultural areas that had been relatively spared during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus now being ravaged .
Still , urban areas such as L.A. County and the San Francisco Bay Area are also reporting fatality numbers just as high , if not higher , than in the spring .
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II and Iris Lee contributed to this report .

Mayor Eric Garcetti says bioscience firms, government leaders and foundations are taking part in the effort to develop at-home coronavirus testing.
A coalition of scientific experts, bioscience firms, government leaders and foundations is researching at-home coronavirus testing, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday.
“Last week, I brought together this group for the first time. It’s a grass-roots effort to accelerate the science of testing, so that we can know where outbreaks are quickly, and within days, bring those numbers down,” Garcetti said, adding that at-home testing could “get our children back to school.”
He said the coalition is working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Governors Assn. to research the cost and volume of testing. Political leaders are also calling on the federal government to mandate insurance coverage for rapid test strips nationwide, Garcetti said.
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“If we get this right, we could be doing as many as a million tests a week, using paper strip testing here just in Los Angeles alone. We need help, though, to allow states and cities to purchase this critical tool at scale. It still may be some weeks or even a couple months off, but we need to find even better solutions now,” Garcetti said.
Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar didn’t respond to The Times’ request Thursday for the names of the organizations and individuals in the coalition.
Garcetti‘s comments came as local public health officials reported with cautious optimism that a recent surge in new coronavirus cases appeared to be slowing without resulting in hospitalizations sufficient to overwhelm the healthcare system.
There were 1,481 confirmed coronavirus patients in L.A. County hospitals as of Tuesday, a decline of nearly 27% from two weeks before. Statewide, that figure fell roughly 19% in the two weeks ending Tuesday, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
While hospitalizations have fallen in recent weeks, another key indicator — deaths — has risen since the initial surge of the virus.
California has seen a near doubling of weekly coronavirus deaths since the spring — with almost 1,000 fatalities in the last week alone, a recent Times data analysis found.
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The geography of the outbreak has shifted, with suburban and agricultural areas that had been relatively spared during California’s first surge of the virus now being ravaged. Still, urban areas such as L.A. County and the San Francisco Bay Area are also reporting fatality numbers just as high, if not higher, than in the spring.
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II and Iris Lee contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-13--Suspected MS-13 leader's capture offers window into gang's structure

On May 20 , in the border district of San Ysidro , Mexican authorities quietly turned over a 49-year-old member of MS-13 to the FBI .
The handoff of Nelson Alexander Flores came with none of the ceremony that typically accompanies the capture of MS-13 gang members .
There was no photo-op , no press conference , nothing like the recent spectacle in the Oval Office , when President Trump and his attorney general announced they would seek the death penalty against an MS-13 member accused of killing two teenage girls with baseball bats and machetes and charge another with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against illegal immigration and crime in the country ’ s big cities , Trump has sought to cast MS-13 as his administration ’ s foil , a direct threat to the American public that has seeped out of Los Angeles and El Salvador and into the nation ’ s heartland .
MS-13 is “ an evil group of people , ” Trump said in the Oval Office , “ sick ” and “ deranged.
” Atty .
Gen. William Barr , standing alongside him , likened the gang to “ a death cult.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nickname Mula , has never been accused in any of the macabre slayings for which MS-13 has become known .
Instead , law enforcement officials said in interviews , he filled a quieter , more essential role in the organization supplying MS-13 cells with narcotics , smuggling juvenile MS-13 recruits into the United States and sending money back to the gang ’ s leadership in El Salvador .
The officials requested anonymity because they weren ’ t authorized to discuss investigations into Flores and his associates .
Crucially , the officials said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexican Mafia , the crime syndicate that acts as an arbiter in the Southern California underworld that MS-13 occupies .
For these reasons , he is perhaps the gang ’ s most influential member outside of its leadership in El Salvador , the officials said .
Flores is under indictment in Ohio , charged with extortion and money laundering .
He has yet to enter a plea .
A lawyer who represented Flores during an initial appearance in San Diego federal court didn ’ t respond to a request for comment .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from an obscure MS-13 cell in Nevada to being groomed in prison by the Mexican Mafia to establishing and operating a base of operations in Tijuana , through a review of court records and interviews with law enforcement authorities .
Born in El Salvador , Flores was a child when the country descended into civil war .
Two of his sisters were killed in terrorist attacks , and when Flores was 15 , marauding fighters robbed the family ’ s home and shot his mother in the stomach , his attorney wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salvador at 16 to live with his brother in Reno , where he joined a gang , his lawyer acknowledged in the memo .
While she didn ’ t identify the gang by name , authorities said it was MS-13 .
Founded in the 1980s in the dense , impoverished districts just west of downtown Los Angeles , MS-13 metastasized when the U.S. government deported much of its membership to El Salvador in the 1990s .
The gang is now entrenched in the small Central American country , leeching its economy through extortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which ranks among the highest in the world .
In 2000 , Flores himself was deported after serving a prison term in Nevada for a felony firearms conviction .
He reentered the United States illegally and made his way to Columbus , Ohio , his attorney wrote in court papers .
Investigators in Columbus first noticed MS-13 ’ s presence in the mid-2000s , an FBI agent wrote in support of a search warrant .
Flores was a leader in an MS-13 clique in Columbus , a law enforcement official said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims in Columbus , then wired “ some , if not all ” of the money to members and associates in El Salvador , Honduras and Guatemala , according to an indictment and an FBI agent ’ s affidavit .
MS-13 leaders in Central America used the funds to buy weapons and support the families of gang members who had died or been incarcerated , the agent , Thomas J. Gill , wrote .
By appearances , however , Flores seemed a hard-working man with a new wife and a child on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and letters submitted to a judge .
He juggled three legitimate jobs in Columbus , working for a painting company , a metalworking plant and a flooring contractor , who described Flores in a letter to the court as a “ well-mannered , respectful and punctual employee.
” Employed at the metalworking plant under the name David Aguilar and a fake Social Security number , he made $ 12 an hour and sent money to his ailing mother in El Salvador , according to his sentencing memo and payroll documents filed in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2004 , when he got in a minor traffic accident and told the Columbus police his name was Toni Pachecho , a federal agent wrote in an affidavit .
The police learned his real name and found there was a warrant issued for his arrest , the affidavit said .
He was turned over to immigration authorities , charged in federal court with illegally reentering the country and sent to prison for nearly six years .
Far from serving as a deterrent , those years in the federal Bureau of Prisons opened new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who to this point was essentially a midlevel manager for a backwater chapter of MS-13 , law enforcement officials said .
While incarcerated in Kentucky , Flores met a particularly influential member of the Mexican Mafia — Jose Landa-Rodriguez , a native of Michoacan and chieftain of the South Los street gang , one official said .
Landa-Rodriguez , known as Fox Tapia , groomed Flores to work with the Mexican Mafia , the official said .
MS-13 , like nearly every Latino street gang that operates in Southern California , answers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 140 men , most of them incarcerated , the Mexican Mafia exacts “ taxes ” — its term for extortionate cuts of drug sales and other street-level crimes — from the gangs beneath its umbrella , including MS-13 .
In exchange , the Mexican Mafia offers protection in the jails , prisons and streets it controls .
After finishing his prison term , Flores was deported .
By no later than 2014 , he had made his way north to Tijuana , where he began working with Robert “ Peanut Butter ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally of Landa-Rodriguez , law enforcement officials said .
Investigators in L.A. caught a glimpse of Flores ’ operation while probing a series of killings between 2013 and 2015 .
Their focus had narrowed on the Park View clique of MS-13 , and they obtained court approval in 2015 to monitor the clique ’ s phone calls , court records show .
Investigators listened to conference calls between Park View members , MS-13 leaders in Salvadoran prisons and representatives of MS-13 chapters nationwide , including in Houston , Virginia , Fayetteville , Ark.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Valley , a law enforcement official said .
Authorities learned that Flores was smuggling juvenile MS-13 recruits and narcotics into the United States , three officials said .
Flores was also overheard instructing the Park View clique to deliver rifles to Tijuana , which he intended to ship south to MS-13 fighters battling Salvadoran security forces , one of the officials said .
The plan never materialized , as far as investigators could tell .
Ten reputed Park View members and associates were swept up in 2015 and charged with murder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court , remain open .
Flores wasn ’ t charged in the investigation .
It is unclear when Flores was apprehended in Mexico , but he did not enter U.S. custody until May .
He made an initial appearance in federal court in San Diego before his case was transferred to Columbus .
He faces an indictment returned there in 2017 , while he was living in Tijuana , charging him with extortion and money laundering .

On May 20, in the border district of San Ysidro, Mexican authorities quietly turned over a 49-year-old member of MS-13 to the FBI.
The handoff of Nelson Alexander Flores came with none of the ceremony that typically accompanies the capture of MS-13 gang members. There was no photo-op, no press conference, nothing like the recent spectacle in the Oval Office, when President Trump and his attorney general announced they would seek the death penalty against an MS-13 member accused of killing two teenage girls with baseball bats and machetes and charge another with terrorism.
In driving a hard line against illegal immigration and crime in the country’s big cities, Trump has sought to cast MS-13 as his administration’s foil, a direct threat to the American public that has seeped out of Los Angeles and El Salvador and into the nation’s heartland. MS-13 is “an evil group of people,” Trump said in the Oval Office, “sick” and “deranged.” Atty. Gen. William Barr, standing alongside him, likened the gang to “a death cult.”
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Yet Flores, known by the nickname Mula, has never been accused in any of the macabre slayings for which MS-13 has become known. Instead, law enforcement officials said in interviews, he filled a quieter, more essential role in the organization supplying MS-13 cells with narcotics, smuggling juvenile MS-13 recruits into the United States and sending money back to the gang’s leadership in El Salvador. The officials requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss investigations into Flores and his associates.
Crucially, the officials said, Flores serves as a liaison with the Mexican Mafia, the crime syndicate that acts as an arbiter in the Southern California underworld that MS-13 occupies. For these reasons, he is perhaps the gang’s most influential member outside of its leadership in El Salvador, the officials said.
Flores is under indictment in Ohio, charged with extortion and money laundering. He has yet to enter a plea. A lawyer who represented Flores during an initial appearance in San Diego federal court didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The Times traced Flores’ story, rising from an obscure MS-13 cell in Nevada to being groomed in prison by the Mexican Mafia to establishing and operating a base of operations in Tijuana, through a review of court records and interviews with law enforcement authorities.
Born in El Salvador, Flores was a child when the country descended into civil war. Two of his sisters were killed in terrorist attacks, and when Flores was 15, marauding fighters robbed the family’s home and shot his mother in the stomach, his attorney wrote in a sentencing memo.
He left El Salvador at 16 to live with his brother in Reno, where he joined a gang, his lawyer acknowledged in the memo. While she didn’t identify the gang by name, authorities said it was MS-13.
Founded in the 1980s in the dense, impoverished districts just west of downtown Los Angeles, MS-13 metastasized when the U.S. government deported much of its membership to El Salvador in the 1990s. The gang is now entrenched in the small Central American country, leeching its economy through extortion and driving up its homicide rate, which ranks among the highest in the world.
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In 2000, Flores himself was deported after serving a prison term in Nevada for a felony firearms conviction. He reentered the United States illegally and made his way to Columbus, Ohio, his attorney wrote in court papers.
Investigators in Columbus first noticed MS-13’s presence in the mid-2000s, an FBI agent wrote in support of a search warrant. Flores was a leader in an MS-13 clique in Columbus, a law enforcement official said. He and other alleged MS-13 figures shook down victims in Columbus, then wired “some, if not all” of the money to members and associates in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, according to an indictment and an FBI agent’s affidavit.
MS-13 leaders in Central America used the funds to buy weapons and support the families of gang members who had died or been incarcerated, the agent, Thomas J. Gill, wrote.
By appearances, however, Flores seemed a hard-working man with a new wife and a child on the way, according to a sentencing memo and letters submitted to a judge.
He juggled three legitimate jobs in Columbus, working for a painting company, a metalworking plant and a flooring contractor, who described Flores in a letter to the court as a “well-mannered, respectful and punctual employee.” Employed at the metalworking plant under the name David Aguilar and a fake Social Security number, he made $12 an hour and sent money to his ailing mother in El Salvador, according to his sentencing memo and payroll documents filed in court.
His double life fell apart in 2004, when he got in a minor traffic accident and told the Columbus police his name was Toni Pachecho, a federal agent wrote in an affidavit. The police learned his real name and found there was a warrant issued for his arrest, the affidavit said. He was turned over to immigration authorities, charged in federal court with illegally reentering the country and sent to prison for nearly six years.
Far from serving as a deterrent, those years in the federal Bureau of Prisons opened new vistas of criminal opportunity for Flores, who to this point was essentially a midlevel manager for a backwater chapter of MS-13, law enforcement officials said.
While incarcerated in Kentucky, Flores met a particularly influential member of the Mexican Mafia — Jose Landa-Rodriguez, a native of Michoacan and chieftain of the South Los street gang, one official said. Landa-Rodriguez, known as Fox Tapia, groomed Flores to work with the Mexican Mafia, the official said.
MS-13, like nearly every Latino street gang that operates in Southern California, answers to the Mexican Mafia. A syndicate of about 140 men, most of them incarcerated, the Mexican Mafia exacts “taxes” — its term for extortionate cuts of drug sales and other street-level crimes — from the gangs beneath its umbrella, including MS-13. In exchange, the Mexican Mafia offers protection in the jails, prisons and streets it controls.
After finishing his prison term, Flores was deported. By no later than 2014, he had made his way north to Tijuana, where he began working with Robert “Peanut Butter” Ruiz, a Mexican Mafia member and ally of Landa-Rodriguez, law enforcement officials said.
Investigators in L.A. caught a glimpse of Flores’ operation while probing a series of killings between 2013 and 2015. Their focus had narrowed on the Park View clique of MS-13, and they obtained court approval in 2015 to monitor the clique’s phone calls, court records show.
Investigators listened to conference calls between Park View members, MS-13 leaders in Salvadoran prisons and representatives of MS-13 chapters nationwide, including in Houston, Virginia, Fayetteville, Ark., and Mendota in California’s Central Valley, a law enforcement official said.
Authorities learned that Flores was smuggling juvenile MS-13 recruits and narcotics into the United States, three officials said. Flores was also overheard instructing the Park View clique to deliver rifles to Tijuana, which he intended to ship south to MS-13 fighters battling Salvadoran security forces, one of the officials said. The plan never materialized, as far as investigators could tell.
Ten reputed Park View members and associates were swept up in 2015 and charged with murder, attempted murder and extortion. Their cases, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, remain open. Flores wasn’t charged in the investigation.
It is unclear when Flores was apprehended in Mexico, but he did not enter U.S. custody until May. He made an initial appearance in federal court in San Diego before his case was transferred to Columbus. He faces an indictment returned there in 2017, while he was living in Tijuana, charging him with extortion and money laundering.


latimes--2020-08-13--Sheriff Villanueva to fire or suspend 26 people involved in off-duty Banditos fight

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has moved to discipline 26 employees for misconduct related to a fight during an off-duty East L.A. station party at which several deputies said they were attacked by tattooed members of the Banditos clique .
Villanueva would not say how many of those employees he was seeking to fire , but a source with knowledge of the investigation said three deputies — Rafael Munoz , Gregory Rodriguez and David Silverio — face termination .
Cmdr .
April Tardy said the policy violations included a failure to report the September 2018 incident to supervisors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ govern general behavior and conduct toward others .
The administrative investigation , which involved interviews with more than 70 people , found that some employees at East L.A. station were acting as so-called “ shot callers , ” controlling scheduling and events at the station , she said , using a term often used to describe top leaders in prisons and gangs .
An attorney for Munoz , Rodriguez and Silverio could not immediately be reached for comment .
Villanueva said the Sheriff ’ s Department will now begin asking deputies accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the Banditos , which have plagued the agency for decades .
He has said he also put measures in place in February that prohibit deputies from participating in illicit cliques .
“ I ’ m adopting a zero-tolerance policy , ” Villanueva told reporters Thursday .
“ If you form a group , you mistreat people , yes , we will seek to make sure you ’ re no longer a member of the department.
” He added later : “ But we ’ re not gon na go on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees of the department to see if they have a tattoo or they ’ re a member of a group .
That would be inappropriate and wildly speculative .
We ’ re trying to run an organization , not engage in a witch hunt.
” Defenders of the deputy groups have said they represent not rogue cliques but camaraderie and a fellowship of hard workers .
And sheriff ’ s officials have previously argued that deputies have an individual right to freedom of expression and association .
Observers called the move to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groundbreaking if carried through .
“ If they really do that in all discipline cases going forward that will be historic , ” said Inspector General Max Huntsman .
“ I ’ ll believe it when I see it.
” Vincent Miller , who represents eight deputies including those who said they were attacked at Kennedy Hall , said Villanueva ’ s announcement was hollow and intended to give the appearance that he ’ s tackling the problem when he is really serving as an “ advocate for the gangs ” while hiding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s way too late , way too little .
And it doesn ’ t tell us anything about the systemwide deputy gang problem , ” Miller said .
He said his clients found “ rat ” scribbled on their cars and lockers .
Two of them , he said , found a dead rat outside their homes — including one just a few days ago .
All eight had to transfer out of East L.A. station because of the hostility , he said .
The discipline comes after the L.A. County district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file charges against a sergeant and three deputies involved in the incident at Kennedy Hall , saying there was “ insufficient evidence ” that Sgt .
Michael Hernandez as well as Munoz , Rodriguez and Silverio committed battery or any crimes .
In a 28-page memo , prosecutors said 21 deputies identified as possible witnesses declined to be interviewed .
Because they weren ’ t compelled to provide statements , Huntsman has said the criminal investigation amounted to a cover-up .
“ So as a result , a criminal prosecution was avoided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details of the Banditos might have come into public light , ” Huntsman said recently .
Villanueva ’ s move follows recent allegations from a whistleblower deputy that a gang of deputies who call themselves the Executioners dominate the Compton sheriff ’ s station .
Chief Matt Burson said Thursday that the groups have caused “ great embarrassment and concern ” to the department and the community .
He said the department ’ s Internal Affairs Bureau has launched a probe into the existence of the Executioners , but that “ our intent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirety.
” “ I am absolutely sickened by the mere allegation of any deputy hiding behind a badge to hurt anyone , ” said Burson , who is in charge of professional standards .
Recent claims and lawsuits have underscored that elected sheriffs have failed for decades to root out the problem of tattooed deputy subgroups operating out of several Sheriff ’ s Department stations and using what critics allege are violent , intimidating tactics in communities .
And it ’ s been costly .
Los Angeles County has paid out roughly $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases where sheriff ’ s deputies are accused of belonging to cliques .
Those cases involve incidents that date to the early 1990s , when what a federal judge described as a “ neo-Nazi , white supremacist gang ” called the Vikings operated within Lynwood station .
Other payouts involve the 3000 Boys and the 2000 Boys involved in beatings at Men ’ s Central Jail .
Last year , the county settled for $ 7 million a lawsuit brought by the family of a 31-year-old man who was shot and killed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deputies claimed the man , Donta Taylor , had a handgun , but no weapon was found .
Samuel Aldama , one of two deputies who shot at Taylor , to having a tattoo on his calf depicting a skull with a rifle and a military-style helmet emerging from flames .
Aldama said he knew of other deputies at the Compton station with the tattoo , but he denied that the image represented membership in a club .
Aldama ’ s captain at the time said under oath in 2018 that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies had tattoos out of respect for their 1st Amendment rights and the privileges granted to them by the Peace Officer Bill of Rights .
According to the attorney for the Compton whistleblower , the image on Aldama ’ s calf was found on a mouse pad and pencil holder at the station desk of an alleged member of the Executioners .

Sheriff Alex Villanueva is said to have identified three deputies at the East L.A. sheriff’s station to be terminated.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has moved to discipline 26 employees for misconduct related to a fight during an off-duty East L.A. station party at which several deputies said they were attacked by tattooed members of the Banditos clique.
Villanueva would not say how many of those employees he was seeking to fire, but a source with knowledge of the investigation said three deputies — Rafael Munoz, Gregory Rodriguez and David Silverio — face termination.
Cmdr. April Tardy said the policy violations included a failure to report the September 2018 incident to supervisors, as well as violations of policies that govern general behavior and conduct toward others.
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The administrative investigation, which involved interviews with more than 70 people, found that some employees at East L.A. station were acting as so-called “shot callers,” controlling scheduling and events at the station, she said, using a term often used to describe top leaders in prisons and gangs.
An attorney for Munoz, Rodriguez and Silverio could not immediately be reached for comment.
Villanueva said the Sheriff’s Department will begin asking deputies accused of misconduct about their membership in deputy cliques such as the Banditos, which have plagued the agency for decades. He has said he also put measures in place in February that prohibit deputies from participating in illicit cliques.
“I’m adopting a zero-tolerance policy,” Villanueva told reporters Thursday. “If you form a group, you mistreat people, yes, we will seek to make sure you’re no longer a member of the department.”
He added later: “But we’re not gonna go on an inquisition and go through the entire 18,000 employees of the department to see if they have a tattoo or they’re a member of a group. That would be inappropriate and wildly speculative. We’re trying to run an organization, not engage in a witch hunt.”
County Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district includes East L.A., said in a statement that Villanueva’s action is “long overdue.”
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“These are matters that need to be swiftly addressed to prevent more harm. The more we learn about deputy secret cliques, the more we deserve greater transparency and accountability of wayward deputies who disregard their colleagues and those they were sworn to serve and protect,” she said. “Implementing a zero-tolerance policy is one important step, but ensuring that the policy is instituted and practiced is key.”
Ron Hernandez, president of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said “ALADS does not condone unprofessional conduct by deputy sheriffs, on or off duty. That said, we support a fair and deliberate process of accountability.”
He said the union encouraged members to participate in an ongoing study of deputy cliques by the nonprofit research group Rand Corp., which is scheduled to be completed next year.
Defenders of the deputy groups have said they represent not rogue cliques but camaraderie and a fellowship of hard workers. And sheriff’s officials have previously argued that deputies have an individual right to freedom of expression and association.
Observers called the move to ask accused deputies about their clique membership potentially groundbreaking if carried through.
“If they really do that in all discipline cases going forward that will be historic,” said Inspector General Max Huntsman. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Vincent Miller, who represents eight deputies, including those who said they were attacked at Kennedy Hall, said Villanueva’s announcement was hollow and intended to give the appearance that he’s tackling the problem when he is really serving as an “advocate for the gangs” while hiding behind the 1st Amendment.
“It’s way too late, way too little. And it doesn’t tell us anything about the systemwide deputy gang problem,” Miller said. He said his clients found “rat” scribbled on their cars and lockers. Two of them, he said, found a dead rat outside their homes — including one just a few days ago. All eight had to transfer out of the East L.A. station because of the hostility, he said.
The discipline comes after the L.A. County district attorney’s office in February declined to file charges against a sergeant and three deputies involved in the incident at Kennedy Hall, saying there was “insufficient evidence” that Sgt. Michael Hernandez as well as Munoz, Rodriguez and Silverio committed battery or any crimes. In a 28-page memo, prosecutors said 21 deputies identified as possible witnesses declined to be interviewed.
Because they weren’t compelled to provide statements, Huntsman has said the criminal investigation amounted to a cover-up.
“So as a result, a criminal prosecution was avoided — one in which the facts and details of the Banditos might have come into public light,” Huntsman said recently.
Villanueva’s move follows recent allegations from a whistleblower deputy that a gang of deputies who call themselves the Executioners dominate the Compton sheriff’s station. Chief Matt Burson said Thursday that the groups have caused “great embarrassment and concern” to the department and the community. He said the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau has launched a probe into the existence of the Executioners, but that “our intent is to examine the department in its entirety.”
“I am absolutely sickened by the mere allegation of any deputy hiding behind a badge to hurt anyone,” said Burson, who is in charge of professional standards.
Recent claims and lawsuits have underscored that elected sheriffs have failed for decades to root out the problem of tattooed deputy subgroups operating out of several Sheriff’s Department stations and using what critics allege are violent, intimidating tactics in communities. And it’s been costly.
Los Angeles County has paid out roughly $55 million in settlements in dozens of cases where sheriff’s deputies are accused of belonging to cliques. Those cases involve incidents that date to the early 1990s, when what a federal judge described as a “neo-Nazi, white supremacist gang” called the Vikings operated within Lynwood station. Other payouts involve the 3000 Boys and the 2000 Boys, involved in beatings at Men’s Central Jail.
Last year, the county settled for $7 million a lawsuit brought by the family of a 31-year-old man who was shot and killed by deputies during a foot chase in 2016. Deputies claimed the man, Donta Taylor, had a handgun, but no weapon was found.
Samuel Aldama, one of two deputies who shot at Taylor, admitted under oath to having a tattoo on his calf depicting a skull with a rifle and a military-style helmet emerging from flames. Aldama said he knew of other deputies at the Compton station with the tattoo, but he denied that the image represented membership in a club.
Aldama’s captain at the time said under oath in 2018 that he didn’t try to identify which deputies had tattoos out of respect for their 1st Amendment rights and the privileges granted to them by the Peace Officer Bill of Rights.
According to the attorney for the Compton whistleblower, the image on Aldama’s calf was found on a mouse pad and pencil holder at the station desk of an alleged member of the Executioners.