latimes--2020-09-26--How UC Berkeley handled a regent's 'inappropriate' support letter to get student admitted

Documents released late Friday provided new details on how UC Berkeley handled what a recent state audit called an “ inappropriate letter of support ” from University of California Regent Richard Blum to get an applicant admitted despite the student ’ s “ uncompetitive ” ranking by admission readers .
The redacted documents , released by the California State Auditor ’ s Office , showed that Blum sent the letter to current UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ .
Blum told Christ he wanted to “ express my support ” for an “ outstanding ” applicant on the waitlist who “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our students.
” “ Beyond college , I can see [ the applicant ] as a devoted alumnus who will greatly contribute to the CAL community , ” Blum wrote .
He asked Christ to give the student “ every consideration ” as a “ worthy addition ” to the undergraduate class .
The date of the letter was redacted , but the other documents released indicate Blum wrote it in spring or summer of 2018 , during Christ ’ s first year as chancellor and after regular admissions decisions for prospective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blum ’ s intervention came in one of 64 cases identified in an 82-page state audit on UC ’ s admission policies in which applicants were admitted using inappropriate factors , such as connections to donors , staff and alumni .
Among them , 55 cases involved UC Berkeley , with four at UCLA , four at UC Santa Barbara and one at UC San Diego .
Blum , a wealthy San Francisco financier , and his wife , Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) , previously said they would not comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gilmore said Friday night that the campus would decline to comment because the matter is under review by the UC Office of the President ’ s ethics , compliance and audit services office .
She said the chancellor ’ s administrative staff “ routinely directs correspondence it receives to other campus offices , as appropriate , for response and action.
” Gilmore also said Berkeley officials have asked the auditor for the underlying documents that led to the findings “ for several months now ” but have not yet directly received any material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state auditor ’ s office , said Friday that the documents show that UC Berkeley accepted the Blum letter “ contrary to its admissions process and policy.
” A 1996 Board of Regents policy allows members to send letters of recommendation , when appropriate , during the regular admissions process .
But Blum sent his letter outside those bounds , after the applicant had been denied initial admission and placed on the waitlist , the audit showed .
UC policy allows letters of recommendation only if requested by admissions officials under specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Blum case .
She said the applicant had already submitted two other letters of recommendation — which is the maximum allowed under UC policy .
Berkeley is not supposed to accept or consider letters of recommendation as part of the waitlist decision process , she said .
Yet the letter was not only accepted , it was also discussed by high-level campus officials — treatment not afforded other applicants , Fernández said .
According to the emails , Christ ’ s executive assistant , Carolyn Koo , forwarded the letter from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unidentified regent emeritus advocating for a different student — to MiHi Ahn , executive vice president of the UC Berkeley Foundation , the university ’ s primary private fundraising arm .
Koo asked Ahn to respond to Blum and the regent emeritus on behalf of Christ .
Blum has been an important contributor to Berkeley over the years .
In 2006 , he donated $ 15 million to launch the Blum Center for Developing Economies to address global poverty and subsequent contributions to expand that work .
The regent emeritus , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a point of mentioning a potential forthcoming donation in the letter .
“ A small ps : my love for Berkeley recently led to my urging a ... client to donate ” to Boalt Hall , the former name of the UC Berkeley law school .
The redacted emails appeared to indicate that the applicant was not admitted .
Ahn sent an email to Amy Jarich , then assistant vice chancellor and director of admissions , alerting her to the two letters .
“ I ’ m going to draft a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a bright line between us and admissions and we have no influence , but we will forward the letters to admissions.
’ Just FYI ... of course everyone here knows the letters are not considered unless requested , ” Ahn wrote .
In a second email to Jarich forwarding the letters , Ahn reiterated that she planned to draft a response to Blum and the regent emeritus from Christ ’ s office saying that “ we have no influence but we will go ahead and forward the letter , ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware that these letters carry no weight ) .
But we can just say we forwarded them.
’ ” Sometime after the emails , Jarich discussed which students to admit from the waitlist with Greg Dubrow , then director of research and policy analysis in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions .
The emails show that Jarich modified Dubrow ’ s plan for prioritizing the waitlisted students , placing recommendations made by her and the staff on top .
Ahn also provided a list of favored students — showing that the university ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision-making periods .
UC officials have repeatedly said that donations do not affect an applicant ’ s chances of acceptance .
In annotated notes written in red on the emails , the auditor ’ s office said the exchanges showed that Jarich determined her selection strategy after she received the letters from regents .
“ It is therefore likely that the applicant recommended by the Regent would have been on Amy ’ s list that she placed at the top of the priorities , ” the auditor ’ s notes said .
Fernández @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directors of admissions and development met to discuss whom to accept from the waitlist after they received copies of Blum ’ s letter .
The day after the meeting , Fernández said , Berkeley admitted the applicant .
The audit said the applicant had a 26 % chance of admission based on the scores given by the campus application readers .
“ These factors led us to conclude that the letter appears to have influenced UCB ’ s decision to admit this student , ” Fernández wrote in an email to The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director in October 2018 , according to her LinkedIn profile .
Dubrow also left the admissions office , in November 2018 , his LinkedIn profile says , and he is currently director of information strategy and analytics at the Haas School of Business Development and Alumni Relations .
Berkeley has since hired a new director of undergraduate admissions , Olufemi “ Femi ” Ogundele .
Fernández said the communication between the Berkeley fundraising and admissions offices demonstrated by the emails underscored the pressing need for reform .
“ Ultimately , it is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairness in its admissions process , which is why based on what we found in the audit we recommended that all communications between Admissions and Fundraising about applicants or prospective applicants be strictly prohibited , ” Fernández said .

UC Regent Richard Blum, second from right, wrote an “inappropriate letter of support” to help a student applicant at UC Berkeley, according to a state audit.
University of California Regent Richard Blum said Saturday he did not intend to unfairly influence the UC admissions process when he wrote what a state audit called an “inappropriate letter of support” to get a noncompetitive student admitted to UC Berkeley.
“It was never my intention to circumvent or unfairly influence the admissions process,” Blum, a San Francisco financier and husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), said in a statement. “I do not intend to write letters of recommendation going forward.”
Blum’s statement came the morning after the California state auditor’s office released documents showing that the regent’s favored candidate was admitted from the waiting list after UC Berkeley’s fundraising and admissions offices met to discuss which applicants from that list would be approved. The offices had received Blum’s letter about the prospective student, who had been denied initial admission after receiving scores from application evaluators that indicated a 26% chance of acceptance, the audit said.
Blum’s intervention came as part of 64 cases identified in an 82-page state audit on UC’s admissions policies, which found that applicants were granted slots based on inappropriate factors, such as connections to donors, staff and alumni. Among them, 55 cases involved UC Berkeley, four were at UCLA, four at UC Santa Barbara and one at UC San Diego.
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Blum said he respected the findings and concerns raised in the audit but added that he had never been told his letters of recommendation were improper. He said he had written more than a dozen such letters for UC applicants over the last 18 years, submitting them to the chancellors’ offices.
“On no occasion did I receive feedback that that was not the appropriate protocol and that letters needed to be sent to the director of admissions,” he said. “Moreover, I was never informed about whether any of the applicants for whom I wrote letters were later accepted for admission, and I never inquired about the ultimate decisions in these cases.”
The redacted documents showed that Blum sent the letter to UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ. Blum told Christ he wanted to “express my support” for an “outstanding” applicant on the waiting list who “embodies all the qualities we look for in our students.”
“Beyond college, I can see [the applicant] as a devoted alumnus who will greatly contribute to the CAL community,” Blum wrote. He asked Christ to give the student “every consideration” as a “worthy addition” to the undergraduate class.
The date of the letter was redacted, but the other documents released indicate that Blum wrote it in the spring or summer of 2018, during Christ’s first year as chancellor and after regular admissions decisions for prospective freshmen were released in late March.
UC Berkeley spokeswoman Janet Gilmore declined to comment on Blum’s statement and the auditor emails because the matter is under review by the UC Office of the President’s ethics, compliance and audit services division. She said the chancellor’s administrative staff “routinely directs correspondence it receives to other campus offices, as appropriate, for response and action.”
Gilmore also said Berkeley officials had asked the auditor for the underlying documents that led to the findings “for several months now” but have not yet directly received any material.
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Margarita Fernández, a spokeswoman for the state auditor’s office, said Friday that the documents show that UC Berkeley accepted the Blum letter “contrary to its admissions process and policy.” A 1996 Board of Regents policy allows members to send letters of recommendation, when appropriate, during the regular admissions process. But Blum sent his letter outside those bounds, after the applicant had been denied initial admission and was placed on the waiting list, the audit showed.
UC policy allows letters of recommendation only if requested by admissions officials under specific circumstances that did not apply in the Blum case, Fernández said. She said the applicant had already submitted two other letters of recommendation — the maximum allowed under UC policy. Berkeley is not supposed to accept or consider letters of recommendation as part of the waitlist decision process, she said.
Yet the letter was not only accepted, it was discussed by high-level campus officials — treatment not afforded other applicants, Fernández said.
According to the emails, Christ’s executive assistant, Carolyn Koo, forwarded the letter from Blum — along with a letter from an unidentified regent emeritus advocating for a different student — to MiHi Ahn, executive vice president of the UC Berkeley Foundation, the university’s primary private fundraising arm. Koo asked Ahn to respond to Blum and the regent emeritus on behalf of Christ.
Blum, a UC Berkeley alumnus, has been an important contributor to the university over the years. In 2006, he donated $15 million to launch the Blum Center for Developing Economies to address global poverty and made subsequent contributions to expand that work.
The regent emeritus, whose name was redacted from the documents, made a point of mentioning a potential forthcoming donation in the letter. “A small ps: my love for Berkeley recently led to my urging a ... client to donate” to Boalt Hall, the former name of the UC Berkeley law school. The redacted emails appeared to indicate that the applicant was not admitted.
Ahn sent an email to Amy Jarich, who at the time was assistant vice chancellor and director of admissions, alerting her to the two letters.
“I’m going to draft a letter of response that basically says, ‘there’s a bright line between us and admissions and we have no influence, but we will forward the letters to admissions.’ Just FYI ... of course everyone here knows the letters are not considered unless requested,” Ahn wrote.
In a second email to Jarich forwarding the letters, Ahn reiterated that she planned to draft a response to Blum and the regent emeritus from Christ’s office saying that “we have no influence but we will go ahead and forward the letter (but of course we are all well aware that these letters carry no weight). But we can just say we forwarded them.”
Sometime after those emails were sent, Jarich discussed which students to admit from the waiting list with Greg Dubrow, then director of research and policy analysis in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The emails show that Jarich modified Dubrow’s plan for prioritizing the wait-listed students, placing recommendations made by her and the staff on top.
Ahn also provided a list of favored students — showing that the university’s fundraising arm communicated with admissions officers during decision-making periods. Such practices are common among private universities, but UC officials have repeatedly said that donations do not affect an applicant’s chances of acceptance at the public research university system.
In annotated notes written in red on the emails, the auditor’s office said the exchanges showed that Jarich determined her selection strategy after she received the letters from regents. “It is therefore likely that the applicant recommended by the Regent would have been on Amy’s list that she placed at the top of the priorities,” the auditor’s notes said.
Fernández said additional emails showed that the directors of admissions and development met to discuss whom to accept from the waitlist after they received copies of Blum’s letter. The day after the meeting, Fernández said, Berkeley admitted the applicant.
“These factors led us to conclude that the letter appears to have influenced UCB’s decision to admit this student,” Fernández wrote in an email to The Times.
Jarich left her position as admissions director in October 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Dubrow left the admissions office in November 2018, his LinkedIn profile says, and is currently director of information strategy and analytics in the development and alumni relations division at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Berkeley has since hired a new director of undergraduate admissions, Olufemi “Femi” Ogundele.
Fernández said the communication between the Berkeley fundraising and admissions offices demonstrated by the emails underscores the pressing need for reform.
“Ultimately, it is the UC system’s responsibility to ensure fairness in its admissions process, which is why, based on what we found in the audit, we recommended that all communications between admissions and fundraising about applicants or prospective applicants be strictly prohibited,” Fernández said.


latimes--2020-09-25--In an affluent Orange County neighborhood, echoes of a skid row shooting

Big questions loomed Friday over the death of Kurt Andras Reinhold , who was fatally shot by Orange County sheriff ’ s deputies in the beachfront town of San Clemente .
How did this well-educated , churchgoing Black man , who coached youth soccer and had two children of his own , end up living on the streets of south Orange County ?
What pushed him into mental illness and homelessness ?
Why did two deputies , part of a specialized detail to help people who are homeless , confront him Wednesday ?
And then there ’ s the doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rani Craig as they headed Thursday to an impromptu memorial near the spot where Reinhold was killed : “ How did a routine interaction from a homeless outreach effort escalate into a gun incident ?
” Engeman asked .
Reinhold ’ s name has been added to the long list of Black men and women killed by police under questionable circumstances across the country : George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Brendon Glenn , Michael Brown and many others .
Those deaths have fueled a summer of coast-to-coast protests against systemic racism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform , including proposals to strip police of the routine responsibility of dealing with people who are mentally ill or homeless .
The 42-year-old Reinhold was not the first homeless man to die at the hands of law enforcement officers in Orange County .
But his death underscores the inherent tension between police and homeless people , which has increased along with the double-digit growth in the homeless population in Southern California over the past four years .
“ We continue to see police killings of homeless people because we have not fundamentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this country , ” said Eric Tars , legal director of the National Homelessness Law Center .
“ In spite of all the calls to divest law enforcement of its role in managing homeless people and to invest in housing , that hasn ’ t caused the change that we need.
” That issue is underscored in the circumstances of Reinhold ’ s death , which was captured on a cellphone video .
The recording shows two deputies — who have been trained in techniques used to de-escalate dangerous situations — confronting Reinhold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle of El Camino Real , not far from Hotel Miramar .
The deputies tell Reinhold he is walking in the middle of the street .
“ Go sit down , ” one deputy tells him .
But the agitated man ignores him and tries to walk past them .
The deputies wrestle him to the ground .
Reinhold wriggles as they try to restrain his arms .
Then a voice shouts : “ He ’ s got my gun !
He ’ s got my gun !
” Two shots ring out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video to tell whether Reinhold grabbed the weapon .
Orange County sheriff ’ s deputies do not wear body cameras .
“ Oh , my God , ” says the bystander who is recording the altercation .
The deputies involved in the shooting have not been identified by the Orange County Sheriff ’ s Department .
However , the department ’ s San Clemente Police Services Facebook page shows multiple images of the two homeless services deputies assigned to the city .
In a video on the site , they reunite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dementia and wandered away from her Inland Empire home .
Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said she did not know what caused the deputies to approach Reinhold , who had been in San Clemente for about a month before he was shot to death .
During that time , Braun said , the deputies had spoken to him at least twice , in part about trespassing .
Reinhold had never been cited or arrested in San Clemente , Braun said .
None of the interactions had been combative .
The Wednesday shooting echoes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charly “ Africa ” Keunang , who was mentally ill and homeless .
Keunang was shot to death by Los Angeles Police Department officers in broad daylight on skid row .
In that case , one officer , a rookie , shouted that the homeless man had his gun .
Keunang allegedly grabbed it as the officer knelt on his chest and pummeled him .
The Los Angeles County district attorney declined to prosecute the two officers , saying the dead man had had his fingers around the weapon .
Pasadena civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family members during a civil trial in which a jury found the two officers liable in the shooting .
Stormer ’ s firm reached a $ 1.95-million settlement with the city on behalf of the family .
Los Angeles police have since adopted a de-escalation policy requiring officers to defuse tension before using their guns .
However , the LAPD ’ s annual use-of-force review shows that , while the number of shootings by officers has gone down dramatically , the number of homeless people who are shot by officers has risen every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspects shot by LAPD officers in 2019 , six — nearly a quarter — were determined to be homeless people .
“ They are training officers to de-escalate , but they ’ re also trained that , if you feel threatened , you can go directly to lethal force , whether the fear is supported or not , ” Stormer said , adding that there is little evidence that the LAPD or other Southern California forces have changed their basic approach in confrontational situations .
Jackson Hinkle , who ran unsuccessfully for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Thursday , Hinkle helped lead protests over Reinhold ’ s killing and said that “ the city has a lot of animosity and aggression toward the local homeless population.
” There was also animosity against those who mourned Reinhold ’ s death Friday .
In South San Clemente , along bustling and noisy El Camino Real , where the incident played out , traffic streamed nonstop .
Truck drivers honked at the dead man ’ s memorial , while youths yelled from their cars , telling mourners to “ Get a life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting , Hinkle said , “ know our local unhoused population , and they are supposed to be trained to handle issues with the unhoused , like mental health crises and de-escalation.
” He added , “ In this effort , that clearly failed them.
” Since Reinhold ’ s death , friends on social media have circulated an image of him in better times .
He ’ s smiling and happy , posing at a birthday party with his son , his daughter and his wife , a nurse at some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More recently , though , Reinhold had struggled with mental health issues , said Najee Ali , a South Los Angeles civil rights activist who knows the dead man ’ s family .
That ’ s what propelled Reinhold from a comfortable life in Ladera Heights to the streets of San Clemente .
Reinhold spent about a decade as a Nissan car sales associate in the South Bay , according to his LinkedIn profile .
Before that , he was an audiovisual technician in Burbank .
Michelle Maltais , a former Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , met Reinhold through youth soccer .
She called him a “ loving dad and gentle man who quietly offered to help when I was co-coaching a very energetic team of 5-year-old boys and girls.
” The kids “ responded immediately to his positive energy , ” she said .
“ I remember him as a proud father of his incredibly talented son and as a positive force on the field.
” On Thursday , Phil Pascal knelt at Reinhold ’ s growing memorial , praying after hearing the “ crushing ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook and Instagram .
The two men were classmates at Clark Atlanta University , a historically Black college in Georgia , and took business courses together .
Pascal last saw Reinhold at a college homecoming event in Atlanta .
He said he worries about the two young children left without a father , a man who had been “ always jovial , funny and really , really sweet.
” Pascal handles marketing accounts in Las Vegas .
This week , he ’ s been visiting Orange County .
The terrible news about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hotel Miramar and pay his respects .
“ Oh , my God , I don ’ t know what happened that led him to this point , ” Pascal said .
“ But why ?
”

Richard Winton, Anh Do, Gale Holland, Maria L. La Ganga

Danny Blain is overcome with emotion as he kneels Friday at a memorial for Kurt Andras Reinhold, 42, a homeless Black man who was shot by Orange County deputies last week after they stopped him for jaywalking.
Big questions loomed Friday over the death of Kurt Andras Reinhold, who was fatally shot by Orange County sheriff’s deputies in the beachfront town of San Clemente.
How did this well-educated, churchgoing Black man, who coached youth soccer and had two children of his own, end up living on the streets of south Orange County? What pushed him into mental illness and homelessness? Why did two deputies, part of a specialized detail to help people who are homeless, confront him Wednesday?
And then there’s the doubt that nagged at neighbors Laura Engeman and Rani Craig as they headed Thursday to an impromptu memorial near the spot where Reinhold was killed: “How did a routine interaction from a homeless outreach effort escalate into a gun incident?” Engeman asked.
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Reinhold’s name has been added to the long list of Black men and women killed by police under questionable circumstances across the country: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Brendon Glenn, Michael Brown and many others.
Those deaths have fueled a summer of coast-to-coast protests against systemic racism. And they have spurred calls for police reform, including proposals to strip police of the routine responsibility of dealing with people who are mentally ill or homeless.
Kurt Reinhold during an American Youth Soccer Organization match Nov. 25, 2018, at the Kenneth Hahn soccer fields in Los Angeles. (Richard Winton / Los Angeles Times)
The 42-year-old Reinhold was not the first homeless man to die at the hands of law enforcement officers in Orange County. But his death underscores the inherent tension between police and homeless people, which has increased along with the double-digit growth in the homeless population in Southern California over the past four years.
“We continue to see police killings of homeless people because we have not fundamentally changed the way we treat homelessness in this country,” said Eric Tars, legal director of the National Homelessness Law Center. “In spite of all the calls to divest law enforcement of its role in managing homeless people and to invest in housing, that hasn’t caused the change that we need.”
That issue is underscored in the circumstances of Reinhold’s death, which was captured on a cellphone video.
The recording shows two deputies — who have been trained in techniques used to de-escalate dangerous situations — confronting Reinhold at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in the middle of El Camino Real, not far from Hotel Miramar.
The deputies tell Reinhold he is walking in the middle of the street.
“Stop touching me,” Reinhold tells them repeatedly.
Danny Blain, right, of San Clemente hugs Phil Pascal of Las Vegas at a memorial for Kurt Andras Reinhold. Pascal was Reinhold’s classmate at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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“Go sit down,” one deputy tells him. But the agitated man ignores him and tries to walk past them. The deputies wrestle him to the ground. Reinhold wriggles as they try to restrain his arms.
Then a voice shouts: “He’s got my gun! He’s got my gun!”
Two shots ring out. There is not enough detail in the video to tell whether Reinhold grabbed the weapon. Orange County sheriff’s deputies do not wear body cameras.
“Oh, my God,” says the bystander who is recording the altercation.
The deputies involved in the shooting have not been identified by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. However, the department’s San Clemente Police Services Facebook page shows multiple images of the two homeless services deputies assigned to the city. In a video on the site, they reunite a man with his mother, who has dementia and wandered away from her Inland Empire home.
Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said she did not know what caused the deputies to approach Reinhold, who had been in San Clemente for about a month before he was shot to death. During that time, Braun said, the deputies had spoken to him at least twice, in part about trespassing.
Reinhold had never been cited or arrested in San Clemente, Braun said. None of the interactions had been combative.
The Wednesday shooting echoes the 2015 death of a Black man named Charly “Africa” Keunang, who was mentally ill and homeless. Keunang was shot to death by Los Angeles Police Department officers in broad daylight on skid row.
In that case, one officer, a rookie, shouted that the homeless man had his gun. Keunang allegedly grabbed it as the officer knelt on his chest and pummeled him. The Los Angeles County district attorney declined to prosecute the two officers, saying the dead man had had his fingers around the weapon.
Pasadena civil rights attorney Dan Stormer represented Keunang’s family members during a civil trial in which a jury found the two officers liable in the shooting. Stormer’s firm reached a $1.95-million settlement with the city on behalf of the family.
Los Angeles police have since adopted a de-escalation policy requiring officers to defuse tension before using their guns. However, the LAPD’s annual use-of-force review shows that, while the number of shootings by officers has gone down dramatically, the number of homeless people who are shot by officers has risen every year since 2016.
Of the 26 suspects shot by LAPD officers in 2019, six — nearly a quarter — were determined to be homeless people.
“They are training officers to de-escalate, but they’re also trained that, if you feel threatened, you can go directly to lethal force, whether the fear is supported or not,” Stormer said, adding that there is little evidence that the LAPD or other Southern California forces have changed their basic approach in confrontational situations.
Jackson Hinkle, who ran unsuccessfully for the San Clemente City Council, concurs. On Thursday, Hinkle helped lead protests over Reinhold’s killing and said that “the city has a lot of animosity and aggression toward the local homeless population.”
There was also animosity against those who mourned Reinhold’s death Friday. In South San Clemente, along bustling and noisy El Camino Real, where the incident played out, traffic streamed nonstop. Truck drivers honked at the dead man’s memorial, while youths yelled from their cars, telling mourners to “Get a life!”
The two deputies involved in the shooting, Hinkle said, “know our local unhoused population, and they are supposed to be trained to handle issues with the unhoused, like mental health crises and de-escalation.” He added, “In this effort, that clearly failed them.”
Since Reinhold’s death, friends on social media have circulated an image of him in better times. He’s smiling and happy, posing at a birthday party with his son, his daughter and his wife, a nurse at some of the biggest hospitals in Los Angeles.
More recently, though, Reinhold had struggled with mental health issues, said Najee Ali, a South Los Angeles civil rights activist who knows the dead man’s family. That’s what propelled Reinhold from a comfortable life in Ladera Heights to the streets of San Clemente.
Reinhold’s family declined to comment.
Reinhold spent about a decade as a Nissan car sales associate in the South Bay, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he was an audiovisual technician in Burbank.
Michelle Maltais, a former Los Angeles Times editor now working for USA Today, met Reinhold through youth soccer. She called him a “loving dad and gentle man who quietly offered to help when I was co-coaching a very energetic team of 5-year-old boys and girls.”
The kids “responded immediately to his positive energy,” she said. “I remember him as a proud father of his incredibly talented son and as a positive force on the field.”
On Thursday, Phil Pascal knelt at Reinhold’s growing memorial, praying after hearing the “crushing” news about Reinhold from mutual friends on Facebook and Instagram. The two men were classmates at Clark Atlanta University, a historically Black college in Georgia, and took business courses together.
Pascal last saw Reinhold at a college homecoming event in Atlanta. He said he worries about the two young children left without a father, a man who had been “always jovial, funny and really, really sweet.”
Pascal handles marketing accounts in Las Vegas. This week, he’s been visiting Orange County. The terrible news about his old friend prompted him to head to Hotel Miramar and pay his respects.
“Oh, my God, I don’t know what happened that led him to this point,” Pascal said. “But why?”


latimes--2020-09-25--Authorities lift evacuation orders for Bobcat fire in parts of Antelope Valley

Authorities on Friday afternoon lifted evacuation orders for parts of the Antelope Valley that had been threatened by the Bobcat fire .
Residents are permitted to return to areas south of Fort Tejon Road and East Avenue W-14 ; east of 87th Street E , 165th Street E and Devil ’ s Punchbowl ; and north of Big Pines Highway , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Residents can also return to an area south of Highway 138 , east of 165th Street and west of Largo Vista Road .
Only people who live in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Residents must show identification to enter the area .
The Sheriff ’ s Department warned that the area still lacks power and running water .
Authorities urged anyone who sees an electrical hazard to contact Southern California Edison at ( 800 ) 611-1911 .
Fire officials advised people returning to the area to wear masks and protective clothing to defend against damaged utilities and structures , ash and other hazards .
The Bobcat fire has blackened 114,000 acres since igniting nearly three weeks ago above Azusa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the blaze , which was 55 % contained as of Friday morning .
Fire officials cautioned , however , that the weekend will bring “ near-record temperatures and critically low humidity ” that will persist through the next week .
The Bobcat fire has destroyed 124 structures and damaged an additional 36 , according to preliminary estimates from Los Angeles County .

Authorities on Friday afternoon lifted evacuation orders for parts of the Antelope Valley that had been threatened by the Bobcat fire.
Authorities on Friday afternoon lifted evacuation orders for parts of the Antelope Valley that had been threatened by the Bobcat fire.
Residents are permitted to return to areas south of Fort Tejon Road and East Avenue W-14; east of 87th Street E, 165th Street E and Devil’s Punchbowl; and north of Big Pines Highway, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. Residents can also return to an area south of Highway 138, east of 165th Street and west of Largo Vista Road.
Only people who live in these areas will be permitted to reenter, the Sheriff’s Department said. Residents must show identification to enter the area.
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The Paradise Springs area remains off limits.
The Sheriff’s Department warned that the area still lacks power and running water. Authorities urged anyone who sees an electrical hazard to contact Southern California Edison at (800) 611-1911.
Fire officials advised people returning to the area to wear masks and protective clothing to defend against damaged utilities and structures, ash and other hazards.
The Bobcat fire has blackened 114,000 acres since igniting nearly three weeks ago above Azusa. But fire crews are making headway against the blaze, which was 55% contained as of Friday morning. Fire officials cautioned, however, that the weekend will bring “near-record temperatures and critically low humidity” that will persist through the next week.
The Bobcat fire has destroyed 124 structures and damaged an additional 36, according to preliminary estimates from Los Angeles County.


latimes--2020-09-25--California COVID-19 hospitalizations could jump 89% in next month amid signs of coronavirus spread

California is expected to see an 89 % increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the next month amid growing signs that the spread of the coronavirus may be intensifying again , state officials announced Friday .
The proportion of Californians testing positive for the virus continues to remain low at 3 % over the last two weeks , and the total number of COVID-19 patients in the state ’ s hospitals continues to decline , said Dr. Mark Ghaly , the state ’ s health and human services secretary .
But he said that some other metrics are prompting concern that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread , which public health officials said was possible in the wake of the Labor Day holiday and more businesses reopening , may be materializing .
Many regions have seen a slight increase in the rate of cases per 100,000 residents , and COVID-19-related emergency room visits have trended upward over the last week in virtually all areas of the state , Ghaly said .
The number of new hospital admissions has also crept upwards , “ and that means that overall , we ’ re seeing more admissions than we did the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of our hospital systems across the state , ” he said .
Based on the current conditions , he said , the state is now forecasting that 4,864 people will be hospitalized with COVID-19 by Oct. 25 , an increase of roughly 89 % from Wednesday , when there were 2,578 patients .
California ’ s hospitals can handle the patient volume — at its peak in July , more than 7,100 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19 .
But October marks the start of the flu season , adding an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ve never done COVID hospitalizations with flu hospitalizations , and ... we see things coming together that we want to make sure we ’ re very vigilant around , to ensure that even if we go up a little bit with our hospitalizations , we don ’ t continue to have high rates and even come close to the numbers that we saw over the summer , ” he said .
He urged people to wear face coverings , avoid gathering with people from outside their households and get flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hopeful that all of you as reporters will help us communicate that indeed there is concern and we have the tools to reduce transmission , ” Ghaly said , “ and by doing these simple things we can hopefully bring these early trends of increase back down and help us get back to where we were just a week or two ago.
” The forecast comes as coronavirus cases in California topped 800,000 on Friday , according to The Times ’ tracker , another milestone in a state that is leading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most populous state ranks much lower after adjusting for population .
Home to 12 % of the country ’ s population , thus far California has accounted for roughly 11 % of the country ’ s coronavirus cases , according to The Times ’ tracker .
California topped 15,000 COVID-19 deaths earlier this week , a toll comparable with that of Texas , which was reporting 15,267 fatalities as of Wednesday .
But that number remains far below that of New York , which has recorded more than 33,000 deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus-related deaths .
Florida on Friday surpassed 14,000 deaths , reaching 14,083 .
Earlier this week , the state announced that nail salons across California could reopen .
Ghaly said Tuesday that state officials have worked with business sector leaders and county officials to ensure that nail salons can operate indoors in low-risk environments .
In some parts of the state , .
It is ultimately up to individual counties to allow businesses and other sectors to reopen after being given the green light by the state .
, for example , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indoor malls , despite having the state ’ s permission to do so .
County health officials have said that such changes will not come until late September , at the earliest , after data that would show whether there has been a Labor Day infection surge and the effects of the state ’ s new reopenings are assessed .
But overall , the decline in cases has allowed more sectors of California to slowly reopen .
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the next few weeks will be crucial if the city wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means schools and many businesses are closed .
To progress through the tier system , a county must meet certain thresholds for two consecutive weeks .
The mayor urged Angelenos to try to keep numbers low so the county can move into the new tier in early October .
In recent weeks , L.A. County officials have reported a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections , hospitalizations and deaths .
The county ’ s daily case count is seven cases per 100,000 residents , and the seven-day average positivity rate is 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported 8 % in July .
But over the last week , the number of cases has increased slightly , and the projected transmission rate has crept past 1 % to 1.02 % .
It ’ s possible those numbers are early indicators that there will be a spike in infections related to Labor Day weekend activity , but officials are not sure yet .
And as the state numbers continue to climb , there are still concerns California could be reopening too quickly .
Santa Clara County ’ s health officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that care is still needed .
“ Remember , we ’ re still at significant amounts of COVID spread , and we don ’ t want to make the mistake that we collectively made earlier where we went a little bit too fast — and then spent the summer with quite a bit of COVID transmission , ” Cody said .

California is expected to see an 89% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the next month amid growing signs that the spread of the coronavirus may be intensifying again, state officials announced Friday.
The proportion of Californians testing positive for the virus continues to remain low at 3% over the last two weeks, and the total number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s hospitals continues to decline, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s health and human services secretary.
But he said that some other metrics are prompting concern that a feared uptick in the virus’ spread, which public health officials said was possible in the wake of the Labor Day holiday and more businesses reopening, may be materializing.
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Many regions have seen a slight increase in the rate of cases per 100,000 residents, and COVID-19-related emergency room visits have trended upward over the last week in virtually all areas of the state, Ghaly said.
The number of new hospital admissions has also crept upwards, “and that means that overall, we’re seeing more admissions than we did the day or week prior for COVID-19 in some of our hospital systems across the state,” he said.
Based on the current conditions, he said, the state is now forecasting that 4,864 people will be hospitalized with COVID-19 by Oct. 25, an increase of roughly 89% from Wednesday, when there were 2,578 patients.
California’s hospitals can handle the patient volume — at its peak in July, more than 7,100 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19. But October marks the start of the flu season, adding an additional layer of concern, Ghaly said.
“We’ve never done COVID hospitalizations with flu hospitalizations, and ... we see things coming together that we want to make sure we’re very vigilant around, to ensure that even if we go up a little bit with our hospitalizations, we don’t continue to have high rates and even come close to the numbers that we saw over the summer,” he said.
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He urged people to wear face coverings, avoid gathering with people from outside their households and get flu shots.
“Today’s message is hopeful that all of you as reporters will help us communicate that indeed there is concern and we have the tools to reduce transmission,” Ghaly said, “and by doing these simple things we can hopefully bring these early trends of increase back down and help us get back to where we were just a week or two ago.”
The forecast comes as coronavirus cases in California topped 800,000 on Friday, according to The Times’ tracker, another milestone in a state that is leading the nation in infections.
Still, America’s most populous state ranks much lower after adjusting for population. Home to 12% of the country’s population, thus far California has accounted for roughly 11% of the country’s coronavirus cases, according to The Times’ tracker.
California topped 15,000 COVID-19 deaths earlier this week, a toll comparable with that of Texas, which was reporting 15,267 fatalities as of Wednesday. But that number remains far below that of New York, which has recorded more than 33,000 deaths. New Jersey has reported more than 16,000 coronavirus-related deaths. Florida on Friday surpassed 14,000 deaths, reaching 14,083.
Earlier this week, the state announced that nail salons across California could reopen. Ghaly said Tuesday that state officials have worked with business sector leaders and county officials to ensure that nail salons can operate indoors in low-risk environments. In some parts of the state, salons have been operating outdoors .
It is ultimately up to individual counties to allow businesses and other sectors to reopen after being given the green light by the state.
Los Angeles County , for example, has refrained from allowing operations to resume at indoor malls, despite having the state’s permission to do so. County health officials have said that such changes will not come until late September, at the earliest, after data that would show whether there has been a Labor Day infection surge and the effects of the state’s new reopenings are assessed.
But overall, the decline in cases has allowed more sectors of California to slowly reopen.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said the next few weeks will be crucial if the city wants to see more reopenings.
Los Angeles County is in Tier 1 , which means schools and many businesses are closed. To progress through the tier system, a county must meet certain thresholds for two consecutive weeks.
The mayor urged Angelenos to try to keep numbers low so the county can move into the new tier in early October.
In recent weeks, L.A. County officials have reported a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. The county’s daily case count is seven cases per 100,000 residents, and the seven-day average positivity rate is 3% — a notable drop from a reported 8% in July.
Which California counties are reopening? To contain the spread of COVID-19, parks, restaurants and stores are slowly reopening.
But over the last week, the number of cases has increased slightly, and the projected transmission rate has crept past 1% to 1.02%. It’s possible those numbers are early indicators that there will be a spike in infections related to Labor Day weekend activity, but officials are not sure yet.
And as the state numbers continue to climb, there are still concerns California could be reopening too quickly.
Santa Clara County’s health officer, Dr. Sara Cody, told supervisors this week that care is still needed.
“Remember, we’re still at significant amounts of COVID spread, and we don’t want to make the mistake that we collectively made earlier where we went a little bit too fast — and then spent the summer with quite a bit of COVID transmission,” Cody said.
Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-26--L.A. County sees no post-Labor Day spike in coronavirus numbers

Nearly two weeks after the Labor Day holiday , the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it has not seen a surge in coronavirus cases associated with the end of summer weekend .
In a statement released Saturday , the agency reported an average of 1,074 new daily cases for the week ending Sept. 25 , compared with 1,176 for the week ending Sept. 5 .
Health officials cautioned that it could still see an increase in cases associated with barbecues and other weekend gatherings that have been known to facilitate the spread of the virus .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the county will experience the same spike that occurred after Memorial Day and July Fourth .
In other good news , Barbara Ferrer , director of the Public Health department , said that a surge in cases is not inevitable in L.A. County as we move into fall .
“ I am convinced by our recent data and the actions taken by many that we can do what is essential to slow the spread , ” she said .
The county reported 18 new deaths Saturday and 1,236 new confirmed cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be hopeful .
The county ’ s overall positivity rate has dropped from 3.9 % one week ago to 3.1 % , and the daily case count per 100,000 people dropped from 4.7 to 3.6 , according to the health department .
If those numbers hold , the county will move from the red tier to the orange tier of the system set up by the state to slow the spread of the virus .
Moving into the orange tier means retail businesses and shopping malls could operate at full capacity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters and zoos can increase their capacity from 25 % to 50 % .
However , Orange County Supervisor Linda Bartlett expressed concern that students returning to the UC Irvine campus this week could lead to a spike in new cases .
“ You ’ re going to get students from other counties , other states and other countries , ” she said .
“ Even with a robust testing program , we saw firsthand what happened at San Diego State.
” Move-in week began Tuesday at UC Irvine and will continue through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases and 10 more deaths Saturday .

Nearly two weeks after the Labor Day holiday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it had not seen a surge in coronavirus cases associated with the end-of-summer weekend.
In a statement released Saturday, the agency reported an average of 1,074 new daily cases for the week ending Sept. 25, compared with 1,176 for the week ending Sept. 5.
Health officials cautioned that it could still see an increase in cases associated with barbecues and other weekend gatherings, which have been known to facilitate the spread of the virus.
They said, however, it was unlikely that the county would experience the same kind of spike that occurred after Memorial Day and July Fourth.
In other good news, Barbara Ferrer, director of the Public Health department, says that a surge in cases is not inevitable in L.A. County as we move into fall.
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“I am convinced by our recent data and the actions taken by many,” she said, “that we can do what is essential to slow the spread.”
The county reported 18 new deaths Saturday and 1,236 new confirmed cases.
Residents of Orange County also have reason to be hopeful.
The county’s overall COVID-19 case positivity rate has dropped from 3.9% one week ago to 3.1%, and the daily case count per 100,000 people dropped from 4.7 to 3.6, according to the health department.
If those numbers hold, the county will move from the red tier to the orange tier of the system set up by the state to slow the spread of the virus.
Moving into the orange tier means retail businesses and shopping malls could operate at full capacity, and that churches, restaurants, movie theaters and zoos can increase their capacity from 25% to 50%.
Orange County Supervisor Linda Bartlett expressed concern, however, that students returning to the UC Irvine campus this week could lead to a spike in new cases.
“You’re going to get students from other counties, other states and other countries,” she said. “Even with a robust testing program, we saw firsthand what happened at San Diego State.”
Move-in week began Tuesday at UC Irvine and continues through next Tuesday.
Orange County reported 165 new cases and 10 more deaths Saturday.
Many regions across the state have seen a slight increase in the rate of cases per 100,000 residents, and COVID-19-related emergency room visits have trended upward over the last week in virtually all areas of the state, officials said.


latimes--2020-09-26--Cal State Long Beach in lockdown after five students test positive for the coronavirus

Just 33 days after fall classes began at Cal State Long Beach , the campus has been locked down because five students tested positive for the coronavirus , university President Jane Close Conoley announced Saturday .
All students living on campus have been quarantined , Conoley said in an “ Update on COVID-19 Cases ” posted on the university website , and all in-person classes have been canceled for two weeks .
“ Late yesterday , we became aware of a number of students who have not heeded our guidance related to COVID-19 precautions and congregated socially off campus earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Five of these students have now tested positive for the illness .
Four students live on campus in the residence halls , and one lives off campus.
” The Cal State Long Beach lockdown comes one day after California crested 800,000 confirmed cases , according to The Times ’ virus tracker , and three weeks after San Diego University confined all students living on campus to their dorm rooms for the Labor Day weekend in response to a rise in cases .
In June , Conoley announced a set of precautions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to life on campus , which has been disrupted by the pandemic like universities nationwide .
Only 3 % to 4 % of fall-semester classes would be held on campus ; the rest would be held remotely .
Only 21 of the 84 buildings on the 322-acre campus would be open .
Ultimately , the safety of CSULB ’ s students , faculty and staff depends on the behavior of everyone who comes on campus .
The school ’ s careful reopening plan was not immune to the risky actions of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we took a conservative approach to the fall semester by vastly reducing the number of students in our residence halls and the number of classes offered on campus , ” Conoley wrote Saturday .
“ Unfortunately , even with our proactive efforts we need to adapt and respond to this new challenge.
” That response will include testing for the virus , contact tracing , and cleaning and disinfecting facilities “ as needed.
” In addition , Conoley wrote , “ we will be investigating related student conduct issues and addressing them appropriately @ @

Just 33 days after fall classes began at Cal State Long Beach, the campus has been locked down because five students tested positive for the coronavirus, university President Jane Close Conoley announced Saturday.
All students living on campus have been quarantined, Conoley said in an “Update on COVID-19 Cases” posted on the university website, and all in-person classes have been canceled for two weeks.
“Late yesterday, we became aware of a number of students who have not heeded our guidance related to COVID-19 precautions and congregated socially off campus earlier this month,” Conoley wrote. “Five of these students have now tested positive for the illness. Four students live on campus in the residence halls, and one lives off campus.”
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The Cal State Long Beach lockdown comes one day after California crested 800,000 confirmed cases, according to The Times’ virus tracker, and three weeks after San Diego State University confined all students living on campus to their dorm rooms for the Labor Day weekend in response to a rise in cases.
In June, Conoley announced a set of precautions that the university would take as it eased back to life on campus, which has been disrupted by the pandemic like at universities nationwide. Only 3% to 4% of fall semester classes would be held on campus; the rest would be held remotely. Only 21 of the 84 buildings on the 322-acre campus would be open.
Ultimately, the safety of CSULB’s students, faculty and staff depends on the behavior of everyone who comes on campus. The school’s careful reopening plan was not immune to the risky actions of a few.
“As you know, we took a conservative approach to the fall semester by vastly reducing the number of students in our residence halls and the number of classes offered on campus,” Conoley wrote Saturday. “Unfortunately, even with our proactive efforts we need to adapt and respond to this new challenge.”
That response will include testing for the virus, contact tracing and cleaning and disinfecting facilities “as needed.”
In addition, Conoley wrote, “we will be investigating related student conduct issues and addressing them appropriately.”


latimes--2020-09-26--Coronavirus takes wrenching toll on Orange County Latinos who have no choice but to work

As the coronavirus swept through Orange County this summer , Huntington Beach became a national flashpoint because many residents and visitors refused to wear masks , and its streets saw several big protests opposing California ’ s stay-at-home order .
But data show COVID-19 has delivered its most brutal blow not along Orange County ’ s upscale coast , but in the densely populated , heavily Latino communities .
Santa Ana and Anaheim — the two largest cities in the county — have had coronavirus positive test rates more than double that of the overall rate in Orange County .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus positive test rate of 3.1 % , the rate in Santa Ana was more than double , at 8.5 % .
Anaheim had a positive test rate of 4.8 % , a figure that ’ s more than 50 % higher than the countywide rate .
The positive test rates for Orange County ’ s most populous cities were much worse about a month ago .
At a time when the countywide positive test rate was between 5 % and 6 % , the rates for Santa Ana and Anaheim were roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Clayton Chau , the Orange County Health Care Agency director , said at the time .
Orange County overall is 34 % Latino ; while its two most populous cities are far more heavily Latino .
Anaheim is 56 % Latino , and Santa Ana 77 % .
The results are consistent with statistics across California and the nation showing that Latinos have been infected , hospitalized , and dying from coronavirus infections at disproportionate rates compared to their share of the population .
“ If you look at the numbers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities that most likely work in the service sector in other parts of the county — Irvine , Huntington Beach… They are essential workers .
They work in restaurants and kitchens and as janitors , ” said Carlos Perea , an immigrant rights activist in Santa Ana .
“ They are exposed to COVID , and a lot of them don ’ t know about their workplace rights during COVID and they have to make ends.
” In Orange County , Latinos account for 47 % of coronavirus cases and 45 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population .
Across California , Latinos account for 61 % of the state ’ s cases and 49 % of COVID-19 deaths , despite comprising 39 % of the population .
Black Californians account for 8 % of the state ’ s COVID-19 deaths , despite comprising 6 % of the population .
Latinos and Black Californians make up a disproportionate share of California ’ s low-wage workforce , who often work in essential jobs critical to keeping the state ’ s economy functioning .
In nearby Los Angeles County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in industries that are staffed mostly by Latino workers , such as in garment manufacturing and food processing facilities — companies that have come under investigation for violating county health requirements .
Compared to the rest of Orange County , Anaheim and Santa Ana are also home to lower-income residents , many of whom live in crowded homes .
Residents there are “ vulnerable from the economic standpoint , vulnerable from the housing standpoint , ” Chau said recently .
Many residents in Anaheim and Santa Ana “ do not have the luxury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; they have to risk their lives to earn a living to put food on the table and a roof over their family ’ s head.
” UC Irvine physicians began noticing that many COVID-19 patients were coming in from Anaheim and Santa Ana , said Dr. Shruti Gohil , associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine and a professor of infectious diseases .
“ Those were the top two highest since the beginning of our upswing , ” Gohil said .
As the summer wore on , neighboring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection rates .
“ It rings out from there .
In other words , the [ places ] around them become infected as well.
” This is why it is so important to continue focusing on reducing disease levels in the hardest hit areas , experts say , even as a county overall might be seeing more improvement .
“ It starts in any one place and it is — as expected — propagating to other places , ” Gohil said .
State officials say they intend to establish a “ health equity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reduce the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the hardest-hit communities .
An analysis by UC Irvine showed that positive test rates were higher in other nearby cities in July , in cities like Buena Park , Garden Grove , Fullerton , La Habra and Placentia , which all have significant Latino populations .
Santa Ana has a cumulative coronavirus case rate of more than 3,000 cases per 100,000 residents ; Anaheim , more than 2,500 cases per 100,000 residents .
By contrast , Irvine , a relatively wealthy suburb and Orange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cumulatively has nearly 600 cases per 100,000 residents .
Predominately Latino neighborhoods of other more upscale Orange County cities are also being hit hard .
The 92647 ZIP code , which encompasses the predominantly Latino Oak View neighborhood of Huntington Beach , accounts for 880 of the 2,387 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the city — nearly 37 % as of Saturday .
A good portion of the Latinos who live in the Oak View community work in downtown Huntington Beach — a worldwide tourist destination that remains open to the public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mask resistance and COVID-19 doubters in California .
“ The people in our community are at great risk , ” said Oscar Rodriguez , a 26-year-old who grew up in the Oak View neighborhood and is co-founder of the grassroots group Oak View ComUNIDAD , which seeks to serve marginalized neighborhoods throughout the city .
“ Many from our community are the folks who are providing these services and provide the labor at the restaurants and hotels in the downtown area .
They are the economic power engine behind this industry.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council this November , said many in Oak View who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus are afraid to speak out .
“ They are not willing to talk about it because it ’ s all so stigmatized , ” Rodriguez said .
Part of the solution requires intense intervention in hard-hit communities , experts say .
Low-income workers may be reluctant to speak up about health violations , and efforts should be made to encourage anonymous tips to county inspectors , officials say .
Experts add that employees need to be assured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they become infected or need to take care of a loved one who is sick , and be guaranteed they won ’ t be fired if they take time off for sick leave .
Alameda County launched a program to offer stipends of $ 1,250 for those who test positive , are not receiving unemployment or sick leave , and are referred by designated clinics in high-risk neighborhoods .
Orange County has launched a Latino Health Equity Initiative to team up with nonprofits and agencies to provide education , resources and testing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Experts say it ’ s essential that workplaces implement new safety protocols required to keep workers safe in the pandemic , which include notifying the county about outbreaks .
In neighboring Los Angeles County , Óscar Ramírez , a lawyer representing the family of 67-year-old worker José Roberto Álvarez — the head of maintenance at Mission Foods Corp. in Commerce — alleged Álvarez ’ s employer failed to “ reveal a massive outbreak to all the workers ” as was its obligation .
L.A. County officials temporarily shut down the facility after saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outbreak .
His daughter , Alisha Álvarez , said her father , who had diabetes and high blood pressure , “ was afraid of saying that he couldn ’ t come to work , because he believed that he would be fired.
” Her father tested positive for the coronavirus on June 28 , was taken to the hospital on July 4 after having trouble breathing , and died on July 20 .
A statement of behalf of Mission Foods , a leading distributor of tortillas , chips and salsas , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about cases among its workforce that it was aware of .
The company said it has encouraged and allowed high-risk individuals who may be concerned about contracting the disease to take leaves of absence .
Soudi Jiménez writes for Los Angeles Times en Español .
Times staff writers Jaclyn Cosgrove and Maya Lau contributed to this report , as did Sara Cardine of the Daily Pilot .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Cindy Carcamo, Soudi Jiménez

As the coronavirus swept through Orange County this summer, Huntington Beach became a national flashpoint because many residents and visitors refused to wear masks, and its streets saw several big protests opposing California’s stay-at-home order.
But data show COVID-19 has delivered its most brutal blow not along Orange County’s upscale coast but in the densely populated, heavily Latino communities.
Santa Ana and Anaheim — the two largest cities in the county — have had positive coronavirus test rates more than double that of the overall rate in Orange County.
While Orange County recently reported a seven-day positive coronavirus test rate of 3.1%, the rate in Santa Ana was more than double that, at 8.5%. Anaheim had a positive test rate of 4.8%, a figure that’s more than 50% higher than the countywide rate.
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The positive test rates for Orange County’s most populous cities were much worse about a month ago. At a time when the countywide positive test rate was between 5% and 6%, the rates for Santa Ana and Anaheim were roughly between 15% and 19%, Dr. Clayton Chau, the Orange County Health Care Agency director, said at the time.
Orange County overall is 34% Latino, though its two most populous cities are far more heavily Latino. Anaheim is 56% Latino, and Santa Ana 77%.
The results are consistent with statistics across California and the nation showing that Latinos have been infected, hospitalized and killed by the coronavirus at disproportionate rates compared with their share of the population.
“If you look at the numbers in Santa Ana and Anaheim, these are communities that most likely work in the service sector in other parts of the county — Irvine, Huntington Beach…. They are essential workers. They work in restaurants and kitchens and as janitors,” said Carlos Perea, an immigrant rights activist in Santa Ana. “They are exposed to COVID, and a lot of them don’t know about their workplace rights during COVID and they have to make ends.”
In Orange County, Latinos account for 47% of coronavirus cases and 45% of COVID-19 deaths, despite comprising 35% of the population.
Across California, Latinos account for 61% of the state’s cases and 49% of COVID-19 deaths, despite comprising 39% of the population. Black Californians account for 8% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths but 6% of the population.
Latinos and Black Californians make up a disproportionate share of California’s low-wage workforce, who often work in essential jobs critical to keeping the state’s economy functioning. In nearby Los Angeles County, some of the worst outbreaks hit workplaces in industries that are staffed mostly by Latino workers, such as in garment manufacturing and food processing facilities — companies that have come under investigation for violating county health requirements.
Compared with the rest of Orange County, Anaheim and Santa Ana are also home to lower-income residents, many of whom live in crowded homes.
Residents there are “vulnerable from the economic standpoint, vulnerable from the housing standpoint,” Chau said recently. Many residents in Anaheim and Santa Ana “do not have the luxury to telecommute [and] stay home; they have to risk their lives to earn a living to put food on the table and a roof over their family’s head.”
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UC Irvine physicians began noticing that many COVID-19 patients were coming in from Anaheim and Santa Ana, said Dr. Shruti Gohil, associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine and a professor of infectious diseases.
“Those were the top two highest since the beginning of our upswing,” Gohil said. As the summer wore on, neighboring areas also saw a rise in COVID-19 infection rates. “It rings out from there. In other words, the [places] around them become infected as well.”
This is why it is so important to continue focusing on reducing disease levels in the hardest-hit areas, experts say, even as a county overall might be seeing more improvement. “It starts in any one place and it is — as expected — propagating to other places,” Gohil said.
State officials say they intend to establish a “health equity metric” soon that would push counties to reduce the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on the hardest-hit communities.
An analysis by UC Irvine showed that positive test rates were higher in July in other nearby cities such as Buena Park, Garden Grove, Fullerton, La Habra and Placentia, all of which have significant Latino populations.
ZIP codes in Santa Ana, in which 77% of the population is Latino, have by far the highest rates of coronavirus positive test results in Orange County. (UC Irvine)
Santa Ana has a cumulative coronavirus case rate of more than 3,000 cases per 100,000 residents; Anaheim, more than 2,500 cases per 100,000 residents. By contrast, Irvine, a relatively wealthy suburb and Orange County’s third-most populous city, cumulatively has nearly 600 cases per 100,000 residents.
Predominately Latino neighborhoods of other more upscale Orange County cities are also being hit hard.
The 92647 ZIP Code, which encompasses the predominantly Latino Oak View neighborhood of Huntington Beach, accounts for 880 of the 2,387 cumulative coronavirus cases in the city — nearly 37% as of Saturday.
A good portion of the Latinos who live in the Oak View community work in downtown Huntington Beach — a worldwide tourist destination that remains open to the public. The city has also become the epicenter of mask resistance and COVID-19 doubters in California.
“The people in our community are at great risk,” said Oscar Rodriguez, a 26-year-old who grew up in the Oak View neighborhood and is co-founder of the grass-roots group Oak View ComUNIDAD, which seeks to serve marginalized neighborhoods throughout the city. “Many from our community are the folks who are providing these services and provide the labor at the restaurants and hotels in the downtown area. They are the economic power engine behind this industry.”
California Close-knit Latino family ties bring coronavirus dangers to traditional gatherings In the U.S., Latinos have been disproportionate casualties of the virus. They are about 39% of the population in California, but Latinos make up 60% of positive cases and 48% of deaths.
Rodriguez, who will be on the ballot for City Council in November, said many in Oak View who have been infected with the coronavirus are afraid to speak out.
“They are not willing to talk about it because it’s all so stigmatized,” Rodriguez said.
Part of the solution requires intense intervention in hard-hit communities, experts say. Low-income workers may be reluctant to speak up about health violations, and efforts should be made to encourage anonymous tips to county inspectors, officials say.
Experts add that employees need to be assured that they will see wage replacement if they become infected or need to take care of a loved one who is sick, and be guaranteed they won’t be fired if they take time off for sick leave. Alameda County launched a program to offer stipends of $1,250 for those who test positive, are not receiving unemployment or sick leave, and are referred by designated clinics in high-risk neighborhoods.
Orange County has launched a Latino Health Equity Initiative to team up with nonprofits and agencies to provide education, resources and testing to the communities that need it most.
Experts say it’s essential that workplaces implement new safety protocols required to keep workers safe amid the pandemic, which include notifying the county about outbreaks.
In neighboring Los Angeles County, Óscar Ramírez, a lawyer representing the family of 67-year-old worker José Roberto Álvarez — the head of maintenance at Mission Foods Corp. in Commerce — alleged Álvarez’s employer failed to “reveal a massive outbreak to all the workers” as was its obligation.
L.A. County officials temporarily shut down the facility after saying the company failed to notify authorities of the outbreak.
Alisha Álvarez said her father, who had diabetes and high blood pressure, “was afraid of saying that he couldn’t come to work, because he believed that he would be fired.” Her father tested positive for the coronavirus June 28, was taken to the hospital July 4 after having trouble breathing, and died July 20.
A statement on behalf of Mission Foods, a leading distributor of tortillas, chips and salsas, said the company had provided the required information about cases among its workforce that it was aware of. The company said it has encouraged and allowed high-risk individuals who may be concerned about contracting the disease to take leaves of absence.
Soudi Jiménez writes for Los Angeles Times en Español. Times staff writers Jaclyn Cosgrove and Maya Lau contributed to this report, as did Sara Cardine of Times Community News.


latimes--2020-09-26--Video shows sheriff's deputy striking man with shield during West Hollywood protest

A Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputy was captured on video beating a man with a riot shield while he was pinned to the ground Friday night as a protest in West Hollywood decrying the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville , Ky. , resulted in six arrests .
Other sheriff ’ s deputies appeared to fire so-called less-lethal munitions toward protesters .
The Sheriff ’ s Department said in a statement that force was used during the arrests and an investigation was being conducted .
A spokesman said he did not have information about what type of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was aware of the video .
Cammy Hicks , a 36-year-old activist from Burbank who filmed the video , said the crowd was not given enough time to disperse before deputies deployed force .
“ There ’ s no time to even react , and we ’ re supposed to stay calm and relaxed when we ’ re getting shot at and tear gassed and [ hit with ] rubber bullets , ” she said .
The crowd at one point numbered more than 100 people as the march headed toward the Grove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Later in the evening , authorities declared an unlawful assembly and issued an order to disperse after several acts of vandalism took place , the Sheriff ’ s Department said in its statement .
“ After the order was given , two pickup trucks were seen driving recklessly on Sunset Boulevard with multiple subjects hanging out of the truck bed , ” the statement said .
“ Both vehicles then blocked traffic , taking over the street on Sunset Boulevard near San Vicente Boulevard.
” Deputies approached the vehicles and detained about 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested on suspicion of charges including reckless driving , unsecured passengers in a truck bed , battery on a peace officer , attempting to free a suspect from police custody , resisting or obstructing deputies in the course of their duties and failure to disperse , the Sheriff ’ s Department said .
Their identities were not released .
The department declined to provide additional information surrounding the circumstances of the arrests , citing an ongoing investigation .
Hicks was following the demonstration from her car , ready to offer rides home to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After deputies gave the order to disperse , people began separating and she pulled over on Sunset Boulevard to look out for anyone who needed help .
She saw a much smaller crowd approach , led by a man in a wheelchair and a truck .
Then , she said , an armored sheriff ’ s truck showed up and began stopping people in the road and ordering them to break up .
At the same time , she said , deputies pulled the driver of the truck out of the vehicle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began recording on Instagram , filming a deputy repeatedly hammering the man ’ s ankles with a riot shield .
Her video was widely shared on social media .
She said other deputies fired irritants into the crowd .
A deputy then approached Hicks ’ car and she ended her recording .
It was 9:46 p.m. She said she rolled the window down and began choking from the gas .
She said she was told to leave , and she did .
She turned a corner and pulled over to wait for another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
But the woman never came .
Hicks said she later learned the woman was arrested .
“ I don ’ t get it , ” Hicks said .
“ We were both doing the exact same thing.
” She later added : “ It never gets violent until they [ sheriff ’ s deputies ] show up.
” The arrests came a day after a truck drove through a group of protesters in Hollywood , striking at least one person as it sped through the crowd .
Officers had stopped and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then let him go .
Capt .
Steve Lurie , who commands the LAPD ’ s Hollywood Division , said police were reviewing whether the driver — and another who drove a Prius through the same protest crowd — were “ the suspect of a hit-and-run or the victim of an assault.
” The truck driver told police that protesters had attacked his car first , and officers noted damage to the vehicle , Lurie said .
On Friday , police said a preliminary investigation had determined that protesters had surrounded the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his vehicle with sticks and tried to open the door to his vehicle.
” The demonstrations were part of the latest wave of protests to sweep the country with renewed intensity after a Kentucky grand jury decided Wednesday not to hold the police officers who shot Taylor , a Black medical worker , during a bungled raid on her apartment legally responsible for her death .
Protesters had already been demonstrating against police killings regularly in the Los Angeles area after a string of controversial fatal shootings by sheriff ’ s deputies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on June 18 and Dijon Kizzee in Westmont on Aug. 31 .
The Sheriff ’ s Department has also been criticized for its handling of the demonstrations themselves , most recently after arresting a public radio reporter who was covering a small protest that erupted outside a hospital where two deputies were recovering from gunshot wounds .
The district attorney ’ s office said this week that it will not file criminal charges against Josie Huang , 39 , of KPCC-FM .
Prosecutors noted in court documents that Huang did not appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was merely filming an arrest they were making in a public area .
After deputies ordered her to back up , they grabbed her and took her to the ground , “ giving her little if any time to comply , ” prosecutors wrote .
The Sheriff ’ s Department had said that Huang did not identify herself as a member of the media and lacked “ proper ” press credentials when she was arrested outside St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood on Sept. 12 .
But that account was later contradicted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which she can clearly be heard identifying herself as a reporter and screaming for help .
Her recordings also captured deputies kicking and stomping on her phone .
County Inspector General Max Huntsman and the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s Internal Affairs Bureau are each investigating the arrest .
Separately , plaintiffs in a federal class-action lawsuit are seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction to limit the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s use of nonlethal force at protests , claiming it has employed rubber bullets , tear gas and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists and legal observers in violation of the Constitution .
In court documents , a group of 13 plaintiffs — including protesters injured at marches against police violence over the summer — claim that the department has been improperly using force to disperse crowds without giving those present sufficient warning and time to obey orders .
The Sheriff ’ s Department has previously said that deputies used less-lethal force in response to protesters who threw rocks and bottles at officials , and not to cause them to disperse .
Times staff writers Leila @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed to this report .

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was captured on video beating a man with a riot shield while he was pinned to the ground Friday night as a protest in West Hollywood decrying the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., resulted in six arrests.
Other sheriff’s deputies appeared to fire projectiles toward protesters.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that force was used during the arrests and that an investigation was being conducted. A spokesman said that he did not have information about what type of force was used but that the department was aware of the video.
Cammy Hicks, a 36-year-old activist from Burbank who recorded the video, said the crowd was not given enough time to disperse before deputies deployed force.
“There’s no time to even react, and we’re supposed to stay calm and relaxed when we’re getting shot at and tear gassed and [hit with] rubber bullets,” she said.
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The crowd at one point numbered more than 100 people as the march headed toward the Grove shopping complex, according to KTLA-TV Channel 5.
Later in the evening, authorities declared an unlawful assembly and issued an order to disperse after several acts of vandalism took place, the Sheriff’s Department said in its statement.
“After the order was given, two pickup trucks were seen driving recklessly on Sunset Boulevard with multiple subjects hanging out of the truck bed,” the statement said. “Both vehicles then blocked traffic, taking over the street on Sunset Boulevard near San Vicente Boulevard.”
Deputies approached the vehicles and detained about 10 people, six of whom were subsequently arrested on suspicion of offenses including reckless driving, unsecured passengers in a truck bed, battery on a peace officer, attempting to free a suspect from police custody, resisting or obstructing deputies in the course of their duties and failure to disperse, the Sheriff’s Department said. Their identities were not released. The department declined to provide additional information surrounding the circumstances of the arrests, citing an ongoing investigation.
Hicks was following the demonstration from her car, ready to offer rides home to protesters who were stranded or injured.
After deputies gave the order to disperse, people began separating and she pulled over on Sunset Boulevard to look out for anyone who needed help. She saw a much smaller crowd approach, led by a man in a wheelchair and a truck. Then, she said, an armored Sheriff’s Department truck showed up and began stopping people in the road and ordering them to break up.
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At the same time, she said, deputies pulled the driver of the truck out of the vehicle and pinned him to the ground. She began recording on Instagram, capturing a deputy repeatedly hammering a man’s ankles with a riot shield. Her video was widely shared on social media. She said other deputies fired irritants into the crowd.
A deputy then approached Hicks’ car and she ended her recording. It was 9:46 p.m. She said she rolled the window down and began choking from the gas. She said she was told to leave and did. She turned a corner and pulled over to wait for another activist who’d been driving behind her. But the woman never came. Hicks said she later learned the woman was arrested.
“I don’t get it,” Hicks said. “We were both doing the exact same thing.”
She later added, “It never gets violent until they [sheriff’s deputies] show up.”
The arrests came a day after a truck drove through a group of protesters in Hollywood, striking at least one person as it sped through the crowd.
Officers had stopped and identified the driver Thursday night but then let him go. Capt. Steve Lurie, who commands the LAPD’s Hollywood Division, said police were reviewing whether the driver — and another who drove a Prius through the same protest crowd — were “the suspect of a hit-and-run or the victim of an assault.”
The truck driver told police that protesters had attacked his car first, and officers noted damage to the vehicle, Lurie said. On Friday, police said a preliminary investigation had determined that protesters had surrounded the man’s truck and “began beating his vehicle with sticks and tried to open the door to his vehicle.”
The demonstrations were part of the latest wave of protests to sweep the country with renewed intensity after a Kentucky grand jury decided Wednesday not to hold the police officers who shot Taylor, a Black medical worker, during a bungled raid on her apartment legally responsible for her death.
Protesters had already been demonstrating against police killings regularly in the Los Angeles area after a string of controversial fatal shootings by sheriff’s deputies, including that of Andres Guardado in Gardena on June 18 and Dijon Kizzee in Westmont on Aug. 31.
The Sheriff’s Department has also been criticized for its handling of the demonstrations themselves, most recently after arresting a public radio reporter who was covering a small protest outside a hospital where two deputies were recovering from gunshot wounds.
The L.A. County district attorney’s office said this week that it will not file criminal charges against Josie Huang, 39, of KPCC-FM. Prosecutors noted in court documents that Huang did not appear to have been trying to interfere with deputies but was merely recording an arrest they were making in a public area. After deputies ordered her to back up, they grabbed her and took her to the ground, “giving her little if any time to comply,” prosecutors wrote.
The Sheriff’s Department had said that Huang did not identify herself as a member of the media and lacked “proper” press credentials when she was arrested outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood on Sept. 12. But that account was later contradicted by videos Huang shared on Twitter, in which she can clearly be heard identifying herself as a reporter and screaming for help. Her recordings also captured deputies kicking and stomping on her phone.
County Inspector General Max Huntsman and the Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau are each investigating the arrest.
Separately, plaintiffs in a federal class-action lawsuit are seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction to limit the Sheriff’s Department’s use of force at protests, claiming it has employed rubber bullets, tear gas and other chemical agents indiscriminately against peaceful protesters, journalists and legal observers in violation of the Constitution.
In court documents, a group of 13 plaintiffs — including protesters injured at marches against police violence over the summer — claim that the department has been improperly using force to disperse crowds without giving those present sufficient warning and time to obey orders.
The Sheriff’s Department has previously said that deputies used less-lethal force in response to protesters who threw rocks and bottles at officials, and not to cause them to disperse.
Times staff writers Leila Miller, Kevin Rector and James Queally contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-26--Animal-rights activists cited in attempt to rescue a pig at Farmer John slaughterhouse

Seven animal-rights activists were cited for allegedly trespassing while trying to rescue a pig from the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon , police said Saturday .
Police received a call about 4 a.m. Friday from officials at Smithfield Foods — owner of Farmer John — to report that some trespassers were on the premises at 3049 E. Vernon Ave. , according to Vernon Police Sgt .
Daniel Onopa .
“ Two subjects were determined to be inside the livestock yard and five subjects fled on foot , ” Onopa said .
“ They [ the five subjects ] were then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , they were cited at the scene and released.
” The animal rights group DXE Los Angeles — which is hosting a 48-hour vigil in front of the slaughterhouse beginning Sunday — posted a video on its Facebook page showing activists wearing hardhats inside the facility .
The group places a pig on a gurney and attempts to leave , according to the video , but police are shown outside and a voice is heard saying , “ They ’ re locking the doors , guys.
” It was unclear what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the activists gained entry to the plant .
“ I don ’ t know the exact details about that , ” Onopa said .
“ There ’ s still pending , further investigation that I can ’ t comment on.
” Thousands of pigs are trucked into the facility each day , where they are slaughtered and their meat is used for Dodger Dogs , as well as the ham , bacon , sausage and hot dogs sold under the Farmer John label .
DXE said on Facebook that its vigil will attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inhumane treatment of animals at such plants , and the effect of the factory farming industry on climate change and public health issues , including the coronavirus outbreak .
Attempts to reach Smithfield Foods and DXE Los Angeles for comment on Friday ’ s incident and Sunday ’ s planned vigil were not immediately successful .
Earlier this year , the Farmer John slaughterhouse experienced a large coronavirus outbreak , in which 153 workers have tested positive for the disease .
In May , the union that represents some 1,300 Farmer John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plant .
“ Workers are still too close together on the line , in the breakroom , the bathrooms and other such hubs , ” said John Grant , president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 .
“ Smithfield has not provided full information about what is really going on inside the Vernon plant .
Without information we can not make an informed decision about workers ’ health and safety.
” Virginia-based Smithfield Foods has said it has implemented stringent new health protocols to protect against the virus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our nation ’ s response to COVID-19 .
We thank them for keeping food on America ’ s tables , and have implemented aggressive measures to protect their health and safety during this pandemic , ” the company said in a statement .

Animal-rights activists seen earlier this year offering water to pigs headed to slaughter at a Farmer John processing plant in Vernon.
Seven animal-rights activists were cited for allegedly trespassing while trying to rescue a pig from the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon, police said Saturday.
Police received a call about 4 a.m. Friday from officials at Smithfield Foods — owner of Farmer John — to report that some trespassers were on the premises at 3049 E. Vernon Ave., according to Vernon Police Sgt. Daniel Onopa.
“Two subjects were determined to be inside the livestock yard and five subjects fled on foot,” Onopa said. “They [the five subjects] were then detained by officers nearby. Due to the pandemic, they were cited at the scene and released.”
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The animal rights group DXE Los Angeles — which is hosting a 48-hour vigil in front of the slaughterhouse beginning Sunday — posted a video on its Facebook page showing activists wearing hardhats inside the facility.
The group places a pig on a gurney and attempts to leave, according to the video, but police are shown outside and a voice is heard saying, “They’re locking the doors, guys.”
It was unclear what became of the pig, or how the activists gained entry to the plant.
“I don’t know the exact details about that,” Onopa said. “There’s still pending, further investigation that I can’t comment on.”
Thousands of pigs are trucked into the facility each day, where they are slaughtered and their meat is used for Dodger Dogs, as well as the ham, bacon, sausage and hot dogs sold under the Farmer John label.
DXE said on Facebook that its vigil will attempt to educate workers and the public about the inhumane treatment of animals at such plants, and the effect of the factory farming industry on climate change and public health issues, including the coronavirus outbreak.
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Attempts to reach Smithfield Foods and DXE Los Angeles for comment on Friday’s incident and Sunday’s planned vigil were not immediately successful.
Earlier this year, the Farmer John slaughterhouse experienced a large coronavirus outbreak, in which 153 workers have tested positive for the disease.
In May, the union that represents some 1,300 Farmer John employees called for an immediate closure of the plant.
“Workers are still too close together on the line, in the breakroom, the bathrooms and other such hubs,” said John Grant, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770. “Smithfield has not provided full information about what is really going on inside the Vernon plant. Without information we cannot make an informed decision about workers’ health and safety.”
Virginia-based Smithfield Foods has said it has implemented stringent new health protocols to protect against the virus.
“Our Smithfield family members are crucial to our nation’s response to COVID-19. We thank them for keeping food on America’s tables, and have implemented aggressive measures to protect their health and safety during this pandemic,” the company said in a statement.