latimes--2020-08-24--Northern California braces as huge wildfires rage, more lightning is forecast

Two of the three largest fires in California history , burning simultaneously in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the wine country north of the San Francisco Bay , are expected to grow in the next few days as a new thunderstorm system moves over the northern half of the state , producing dry lightning and gusty winds .
The National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings across large swaths of Northern and Central California through Monday afternoon .
With firefighters already responding to more than two dozen major fires , the storms could ignite even more blazes and cause existing ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a triage situation .
Fortunately , firefighters were able to use a brief respite in the wind over Saturday night and through much of the day Sunday to build containment lines .
But the sheer magnitude of what has already burned is sobering : about 1.3 million acres this month alone , with four more months of potential fire season to go .
Only 2018 saw more land scorched in California — over an entire year .
Now it ’ s clear that what Californians had feared most during this long , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible fire season in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I ’ m essentially at a loss for words to describe the scope of the lightning-sparked fire outbreak that has rapidly evolved in Northern California — even in the context of the extraordinary fires of recent years , ” wrote Daniel Swain , a climate scientist at UCLA , in a blog post .
“ It ’ s truly astonishing.
” On Saturday , Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced that the White House had approved California ’ s request for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s emergency response to the wildfires .
Across California , “ over 14,000 firefighters are on the front lines of more than two dozen major fires and lightning complexes , ” or groups of fires , Jeremy Rahn , Cal Fire public information officer , said at a Sunday media briefing .
The blazes include the LNU Lightning Complex fire , which at nearly 348,000 acres is the second-largest fire in California history .
The SCU Lightning Complex fire , at more than 339,000 acres , is the next largest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which at 281,893 acres shattered the records just three years ago .
“ To have both of those going on at the same time ... gives us the magnitude of what has happened here in this state , ” Sean Kavanaugh , incident commander on the LNU fire , said Sunday .
The LNU fire complex in Napa , Sonoma , Lake , Solana , Yolo and Colusa counties had killed four people , destroyed 871 homes and other buildings and was 21 % contained as of Sunday night .
The fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ redwoods around Guerneville to the dry grass ravines around Vacaville on the edge of the Central Valley , more than 50 miles east .
Residents were again told to listen for a high-low siren from sheriff ’ s deputies as an order to evacuate .
“ With the weather predicted , the red-flag warning issued , I can ’ t stress enough the importance of being prepared to leave , ” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said .
The SCU Lightning Complex fire began as a collection of about 20 blazes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and by Sunday had merged into two conflagrations .
The fires , which were 10 % contained as of Sunday night , were burning primarily through grass and brush in steep , remote areas that hadn ’ t burned in years .
“ There ’ s a lot of dead fuel up there , ” said Barbara Rebiskie , public information officer on the SCU fire .
“ And the erratic winds , the 7 % humidities and the lightning — it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20,265 homes and commercial buildings threatened and five structures destroyed , a new evacuation order was issued at 3 a.m. Sunday for parts of Alameda County .
In the hours that followed , a public information center was flooded with so many phone calls that it crashed .
By late Sunday morning , operators were still receiving about 1,000 calls an hour , Rebiskie said .
She urged people to keep calling back if they got a busy signal , and to visit the incident ’ s webpage to see a full list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been pouring into the region in recent days , officials say it ’ s simply not enough .
In some places , officials said , they were being turned down for state help and left to beg equipment and manpower from volunteers and local agencies .
“ Many of these firefighters have been on the lines for 72 hours , and everybody is running on fumes , ” said Assemblyman Jim Wood ( D-Healdsburg ) , whose district includes the wine country areas under siege .
“ Our first responders are working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” With the number of fires overwhelming the available crews , state officials are being forced to prioritize which incidents will get resources and focus on saving lives and structures at the expense of trying to contain the fires .
That means some of the blazes could burn for weeks .
“ At the statewide level , we do get into this mode where we start wondering where the biggest loss is going to be , what ’ s the highest priority , and that is where the resources are going to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire specialist with the UC Cooperative Extension .
What had forecasters most concerned Sunday afternoon was an area of moisture with the potential to generate thunderstorms that was just off Central California and moving toward the Monterey area , said Carolina Walbrun , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey .
The front was expected to continue to move north , affecting a stretch of the state from Monterey to the Bay Area , she said .
“ The fear that we have as these thunderstorms develop is that it can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire spread , ” Walbrun said .
“ We also have the potential of generating additional fires with dry lightning from these thunderstorms .
There ’ s very little moisture associated with it.
” The first round of thunderstorms was expected to hit hardest Sunday night into Monday , with a second event forecast Monday night into Tuesday , she said .
The system was expected to cause winds to shift to more of a southwesterly direction , moving the flame fronts with it .
“ The issue that is going to hamper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lack of resources that are available for firefighting because there are so many fires active right now , all resources are depleted , ” Walbrun said .
“ So any additional starts are just going to stress the system even more.
” Since late July , more than 1,100 homes , commercial buildings and other structures have been destroyed by fires in California , with nearly all of that destruction occurring after Aug. 15 , which marked the start of what officials are calling a “ lightning siege ” of about 12,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California .
In San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties , the CZU Lightning Complex fire was threatening multiple communities and had forced 77,000 people from their homes .
The blaze began as a collection of about 22 fires that largely merged into one , challenging firefighters as they tried to keep the flames away from the towns dotting the rural , mountainous area .
The fire had consumed 74,000 acres and was 8 % contained as of Sunday night .
It threatened 24,323 structures and had destroyed 175 , the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been killed in the fire .
Firefighters were taking advantage of fairly calm winds to attack the fire on the ground as much as possible as they scrambled to make progress ahead of the expected storm , said Daniel Potter , a Cal Fire public information officer .
“ We ’ re going to get as much accomplished as we can before the front hits us , ” he said .
“ And then adapt and overcome any new fires that may start in the area due to the lightning coming through.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines and fire breaks around the city of Santa Cruz and the campus of UC Santa Cruz in a bid to keep the blaze from damaging the community if it made a run in that direction .
“ It ’ s pretty much impossible to stop when a good wind is pushing the fire front faster than we can move , ” Potter said .
Officials were asking people to stay out of evacuation zones to avoid hazards , including fire and downed trees and wires , and to keep roads open for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminals taking advantage of the crisis .
Authorities on Saturday morning arrested five people on suspicion of grand theft , burglary and conspiracy after they were stopped driving away from the Fall Creek Drive area , the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Office said .
Someone also broke into the department vehicle of a firefighting commander while he was out battling the blaze , stole his wallet and drained his bank account , Mark Brunton , Cal Fire operations chief , said at a briefing Sunday .
“ It ’ s saddening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brunton said .
“ We are doing everything we can to try to help the community , and unfortunately these [ things ] happen.
” Meanwhile , officials also continued to beg tourists to stay away .
The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center said it was requesting that visitors refrain from traveling to the area through Sept. 1 to keep overnight accommodations available for evacuees .
More than 45,000 Santa Cruz County residents have been displaced by the fires , and though the county is operating 12 shelters , capacity is limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many hotels , motels and vacation rentals are also booked .
“ DO NOT visit us now , ” the county said in a tweet .
“ Air quality is poor , ash is everywhere , and we ’ re dealing with an unparalleled catastrophe .
This is no time for a day at the beach .
”

Rong-Gong Lin II, Alex Wigglesworth, Joe Mozingo

The next few days will be critical for California firefighters already pushed to capacity, as storms could bring lightning that ignites more fires.
As two of the three largest fires in California history burned near the eastern edge of San Jose and in wine country north of San Francisco Bay, firefighters saw a welcome respite in dangerous fire weather with the cancellation of a red-flag warning for the Bay Area.
Forecasters, however, continued to warn about dry lightning in the Sacramento Valley’s foothills and mountains through Monday evening. Red-flag warnings — which indicate that dangerous fire weather conditions are expected — were also in effect for parts of the North Coast, northeast California and the Tahoe Basin through Monday evening.
The National Weather Service initially issued warnings covering large swaths of Northern and Central California through Monday afternoon. With firefighters already responding to more than two dozen major fires, it was feared the storms could ignite even more blazes and cause existing ones to spread more rapidly, pushing crews into a triage situation.
The red-flag warning covering the Bay Area and northern Central Coast was canceled shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday. The local National Weather Service office said that “weak cells are still over the North Bay; however, most moisture has moved north of our area and instability has decreased, giving us confidence to let the warning expire early.”
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Firefighters were able to use a brief respite in the wind over the weekend to build containment lines. Crews battling the CZU Lightning Complex fire in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties got some additional help from Mother Nature in the form of rain showers Sunday evening.
“The weather hasn’t been as significant as we were expecting, which is good,” Mark Brunton, operations chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said at a briefing Monday morning. “And that has given us an opportunity for our crews to make a lot of great progress throughout this fire.”
The sheer magnitude of what has already burned is sobering: about 1.4 million acres this month alone, with four more months of potential fire season to go. Only 2018 saw more land scorched in California — over an entire year.
“I’m essentially at a loss for words to describe the scope of the lightning-sparked fire outbreak that has rapidly evolved in Northern California — even in the context of the extraordinary fires of recent years,” wrote Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, in a blog post. “It’s truly astonishing.”
Jake Hess, a Cal Fire unit chief, said at a news conference for the SCU Lightning Complex fire — now California’s second-largest blaze in history at more than 360,000 acres — that the state has entered a period of mega fires.
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“We are essentially living in a mega fire era,” he said. “We have folks who have been working for Cal Fire for the last five years, and that is all they understand, mega fires, since they started.”
On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the White House had approved California’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration to bolster the state’s emergency response to the wildfires.
Across California, “over 14,000 firefighters are on the front lines of more than two dozen major fires and lightning complexes,” or groups of fires, Jeremy Rahn, Cal Fire public information officer, said at a Sunday media briefing.
There have been more than 13,000 lightning strikes statewide since Aug. 15, he added on Monday, and “an astonishing 2,700 more wildfires have occurred this year than last.”
During a media briefing Monday afternoon, Newsom said that there had been at least 289 lightning strikes statewide over the last 24 hours, and that 10 new fires had broken out.
“The good news is the lightning did spare the coast, where a lot of the fires are going right now,” Michelle Mead, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Monday in a Cal Fire video update. “The bad news is we did have more lightning strikes in the inland region along the Sierra Crest.”
Crews are currently battling 625 fires throughout the state, according to Newsom. So far this year, firefighters have responded to 7,002 fires that have scorched a combined 1.4 million acres, the governor said.
By this same time last year, there had been 4,292 fires that had consumed about 56,000 acres.
Seven people have died so far in this year’s fires, including five — three in Napa County and two in Solano County — as a result of the LNU Lightning Complex fire, and one in the CZU Lightning Complex fire. The death toll also includes a pilot who died in a helicopter crash in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire.
Newsom called this week critical “as it relates to addressing and suppressing these wildfires” and said the state is “deploying every resource at our disposal.” In some areas, volunteer fire-fighting units have stepped in as well.
The state’s commitment includes more than 2,400 fire engines, he said. More have been pledged from other agencies both in and out of California — including 91 from Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
The LNU Lightning Complex fire, at more than 351,000 acres, is the second-largest fire in California history. With slightly less acreage burned — over 347,000 acres — the SCU Lightning Complex fire is the next largest. Combined, they dwarf the Thomas fire, which at 281,893 acres shattered the records just three years ago.
“To have both of those going on at the same time ... gives us the magnitude of what has happened here in this state,” Sean Kavanaugh, incident commander on the LNU fire, said Sunday.
As of Monday evening, the LNU fire complex, which was burning in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties, had destroyed 908 homes and other buildings and was 25% contained.
“The size and complexity of this fire is not one that we’ve seen in times past,” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said during a briefing Monday, adding that “everyone on the line is extremely tired but working so incredibly hard.”
The SCU Lightning Complex fire, which spans seven counties, began as a collection of about 20 blazes in areas of Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and by Sunday had merged into two conflagrations.
The fires, which were 15% contained as of Monday night, were burning primarily through grass and brush in steep, remote areas that hadn’t burned in years.
“There’s a lot of dead fuel up there,” said Barbara Rebiskie, public information officer on the SCU fire. “And the erratic winds, the 7% humidities and the lightning — it’s not a good combination.”
As of Monday afternoon, more than 20,000 homes and commercial buildings were threatened and 5 structures were confirmed destroyed. Investigators are looking into 7 other structures that may have also been demolished by the blaze.
A new evacuation order was issued at 3 a.m. Sunday for parts of Alameda County. In the hours that followed, a public information center was flooded with so many phone calls that it crashed. On Monday, officials reduced an evacuation order to a warning in parts of Stanislaus county.
Although firefighting resources have been pouring into the region in recent days, officials say it’s simply not enough.
In some places, officials said that they were being turned down for state help and left to beg for equipment and manpower from volunteers and local agencies.
California The fight to save one Northern California town from a fiery monster The fire, dubbed the CZU Lightning Complex fire, had burned 63,000 acres, destroyed 97 structures and forced the evacuation of about 77,000 people in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.
On Sunday afternoon, forecasters were concerned with an area of moisture with the potential to generate thunderstorms that was just off Central California and moving toward the Monterey area. Bay Area forecasters said Monday, however, that most of the moisture had moved to the north, spurring the cancellation of a red-flag warning there as well as along the northern Central Coast.
Since late July, more than 1,200 homes, commercial buildings and other structures have been destroyed by fires in California, with nearly all of that destruction occurring after Aug. 15, which marked the start of what officials are calling a “lightning siege.”
The CZU Lightning Complex fire was threatening multiple communities and had forced 77,000 people from their homes. The blaze began as a collection of about 22 fires that largely merged into one, challenging firefighters as they tried to keep the flames away from the towns dotting the rural, mountainous area.
The fire had consumed more than 78,000 acres and was 13% contained as of Monday evening. It threatened about 25,000 structures and had destroyed 276.
Ian Larkin, a unit chief for Cal Fire’s San Mateo Santa Cruz Unit, said that the aircraft attack was better Monday.
“We’re making progress thanks to the increase in personnel, and better weather, but we’ll be here awhile,” he said.
Newsom called the CZU Lightning Complex a “proof point that we are in a different climate” as it’s burning in areas “that have simply never seen forest fires because of weather conditions and the like.”
“We are dealing with different climate conditions that are precipitating in fires the likes of which we haven’t seen in modern recorded history — in dense forests that are well-covered and have been historically immune from significant fires along our coast,” he said.
The body of a 70-year-old man was recovered in the fire area over the weekend, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Clark.
Clark said the man’s body was found “some distance away” from what appeared to be his vehicle at the end of Last Chance Road — deep in the mountains northwest of the community of Davenport in Santa Cruz County.
Last Chance Road was so damaged that it was impassable, and rescuers needed a helicopter to recover the man’s body.
Clark said it looked as though he was “likely leaving the fire.”
“This is the darkest day of this fire so far,” he told reporters Sunday.
Authorities were also searching Monday for four people who had been reported missing.
Firefighters over the weekend were taking advantage of fairly calm winds to attack the fire on the ground as much as possible as they scrambled to make progress ahead of the expected storm, said Daniel Potter, a Cal Fire public information officer.
“We’re going to get as much accomplished as we can before the front hits us,” he said. “And then adapt and overcome any new fires that may start in the area due to the lightning coming through.”
Crews worked over the weekend to establish containment lines and fire breaks around the city of Santa Cruz and the campus of UC Santa Cruz in a bid to keep the blaze from damaging the community if it made a run in that direction. As of Monday morning, Clark said there was “no imminent fire danger” to Santa Cruz.
Officials were asking people to stay out of evacuation zones to avoid hazards, including fire and downed trees and wires, and to keep roads open for emergency vehicles.
“It is highly dangerous in there still. There are trees coming down. We have redwood trees, old-growth timber that is coming across the roadway and we have infrastructure that needs repair,” Jonathan Cox, a deputy chief with Cal Fire, said Monday. “We have bridges that have failed.... It is not safe.”
They also warned about criminals taking advantage of the crisis. Authorities on Saturday morning arrested five people on suspicion of grand theft, burglary and conspiracy after they were stopped driving away from the Fall Creek Drive area, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Someone also broke into the department vehicle of a firefighting commander while he was out battling the blaze, stole his wallet and drained his bank account, Brunton said at a briefing Sunday.
“It’s saddening, it’s sickening,” Brunton said. “We are doing everything we can to try to help the community, and unfortunately these [things] happen.”
Meanwhile, officials continued to beg tourists to stay away.
The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center said it was requesting that visitors refrain from traveling to the area through Sept. 1 to keep overnight accommodations available for evacuees.
More than 45,000 Santa Cruz County residents have been displaced by the fires, and though the county is operating 12 shelters, capacity is limited because of COVID-19, officials said. Many hotels, motels and vacation rentals are also booked.
“DO NOT visit us now,” the county said in a tweet. “Air quality is poor, ash is everywhere, and we’re dealing with an unparalleled catastrophe. This is no time for a day at the beach.”
Given that closely clustered crowds heighten the risk of spreading the coronavirus, Newsom said many evacuees were not being directed to typical congregate settings. Out of 2,211 sheltered evacuees, 1,480 are staying in hotels, he said.
The state also has implemented additional safety protocols for shelters, including conducting health screenings and assessments prior to entry, requiring masks, installing air purifiers and practicing social distancing.
“We continue to battle historic wildfires, but we’re also battling this historic pandemic, COVID-19, that has not gone away,” he said. “That makes some of our wildfire efforts a little bit more challenging, but we are up to the task.”
While the intense firefight continued in and around the Bay Area, crews made significant progress on several other substantial wildfires throughout the state.
The Lake fire, which ignited near Lake Hughes in Los Angeles County on Aug. 12, was 65% contained, officials said Monday. That blaze had charred more than 31,000 acres and destroyed 33 structures and outbuildings.
Officials also lifted some evacuations in the burn area Monday morning, allowing residents of Kings Canyon Road east to Shafer Road to return to their homes as of 10 a.m. Evacuations remained in place for areas east of Old Ridge Route, west of Kings Canyon Road, north of Pine Canyon Road and Three Points Road south of Highway 138. Officials announced Monday evening that all evacuation orders would be lifted by 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Elsewhere in L.A. County, the Ranch 2 fire was 81% contained, officials said Monday. That wildfire had burned 4,237 acres near Azusa.
The River fire, burning south of Salinas in Monterey County, was 23% contained. That 48,424-acre wildfire had destroyed 21 structures since it started Aug. 16.
“Fire activity was minimal overnight, allowing firefighter[s] to make great progress by reinforcing containment lines,” officials wrote in an incident update Monday morning.
Crews also reported 15% containment of the Carmel fire, which was burning nearby to the southwest. That fire had consumed roughly 6,700 acres and destroyed 51 structures.
Some evacuation orders were lifted in the vicinity of the two fires Monday. Up-to-date information on the status of evacuations is available through a county website.
Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-24--Death of an Indigenous essential worker sparks debate over gender identity

Angela Martinez died young , her death a tragedy to the many who knew and loved her .
Her death became a rallying cry .
A controversy .
And , ultimately , a tale about identity and being oneself .
Her story begins in San Bartolomé Quialana , a small Zapotec town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca .
She came into this world two months prematurely , a tiny newborn who wouldn ’ t cry or open her eyes .
Her parents , who had already lost five young children — some from measles , another from a lump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose her too .
“ They prayed to Dios Sol [ sun god ] to give them a child , ” said her brother , Plutarco Martinez .
Her story ends in Los Angeles , where she died last month at age 41 .
She had worked at a Burger King in Santa Monica , where she was known for her joy and generosity .
“ She would always show up with a smile on her face , ” said Yolanda Garcia , a co-worker from Tlacolula , Oaxaca .
“ She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me when I carried the heavy potato boxes.
” But over the last year , Martinez ’ s health had begun slipping .
She had kidney problems and trouble breathing , said Julio Hernandez , her roommate of 23 years .
In early July , as the novel coronavirus ravaged Los Angeles , Martinez ’ s symptoms worsened .
She continued to work , but Garcia and other co-workers began to worry that Martinez had the virus .
One night , Martinez started feeling pain all over her body .
Her head throbbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Martinez refused .
She feared catching COVID-19 in the hospital .
“ Estás pendejo .
¿Quieres que me maten ahí ?
” Martinez told Hernandez .
“ You ’ re dumb .
Do you want them to kill me there ?
” Martinez died at home on July 6 in Hernandez ’ s arms .
Hernandez suspected she died of a heart attack .
Her co-workers thought it was COVID-19 , a fact eventually confirmed by the coroner in August .
But initially her manager at Burger King blamed it on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager ’ s assertion , set against the backdrop of a pandemic disproportionately infecting and killing Latino workers in essential jobs , set off a furor , with activists calling it transphobic and bigoted .
Martinez ’ s co-workers prepared to go on strike and called on Burger King to better protect its workers .
A social media blitz was unleashed .
Burger King said the restaurant was investigating the manager ’ s “ transphobic ” comments , calling them “ inaccurate and unacceptable.
” On the Friday afternoon of the strike , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jammed the drive-through of the Burger King , holding up white roses in her honor and clamoring for people to “ say her name.
” Dozens of media outlets — Telemundo , Insider , the Sun and ABC News — descended upon the eatery .
A video of the protest — showing demonstrators with posters of Martinez ’ s face against the transgender pride flag — was posted on Twitter with the hashtag # TransLivesMatter .
It quickly went viral .
And that ’ s when a second controversy unexpectedly began .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 15 , an advocacy group for fast-food workers , of misgendering Martinez on social media and making her the face of a movement of which she never asked to be a part .
Martinez ’ s friends said she had been meticulous about not referring to herself as transgender .
Though Martinez went by “ she , ” she was neither man , nor woman .
She was “ muxe.
” The muxe identity , which Martinez held dear , has existed as a respected third gender in Zapotec cultures in Oaxaca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of Istmo de Tehuantepéc .
Muxes , pronounced moo-shehs , have coexisted and even become leaders in their communities , said Felina Santiago , a 52-year-old muxe from Juchitán , Oaxaca .
“ There ’ s men , there ’ s women and there ’ s muxes , ” Santiago said .
“ I ’ m in the middle of the two .
I ’ m only muxe.
” The notion of a third gender has existed for centuries in different cultures worldwide .
In some Native American cultures , the term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describing those who fulfill a third gender .
In South Asia , there are more than half a million officially recognized hijras .
In Thailand , there are the kathoeys .
In Ethiopia , the ashtime .
And in Polynesia , the fa ’ afafine .
Gender identity can be a complex and highly sensitive issue — and never more so than after those who don ’ t conform to the gender binary die , said Drían Juarez , vice president of programming at TransCanWork Inc. And if someone has died , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were , or choose the words used to describe them .
“ It ’ s about honoring somebody ’ s spirit , rather than labeling , ” Juarez said .
Referring to the discussion following Martinez ’ s death , “ I think it highlights just how multifaceted and complex identity really is.
” Juarez said she believes that Martinez ’ s co-workers and Fight for $ 15 likely had the “ best of intentions ” when initially protesting and using her name .
“ Many of Angela ’ s co-workers understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but we now know that she may have identified otherwise in other circles , ” Fight for $ 15 said in a statement .
In life , Martinez was supportive of her transgender friends , like Pink Moon Midnight Blue , who said Martinez “ adored me in my transness.
” But that ’ s not how Martinez saw herself .
“ She always found it problematic that her own identity wasn ’ t addressed correctly in trans spaces , ” Midnight Blue said .
Little wonder , then , that friends complained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blue wrote on Facebook , “ exploiting her image without permission .
She was not trans , my sister was muxe and indigenous people are tired of the erasure of our identities.
” Midnight Blue recalled that when she and Martinez worked at a trans woman-owned El Pollo Loco , where a third of the employees were transgender , National Geographic , — and other media outlets , including the L.A. Times — invited workers to be interviewed for features on the inclusive restaurant .
Martinez declined to participate with a simple phrase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tú , ” she told Midnight Blue .
“ Here , the trans woman is you.
” In Martinez ’ s hometown of San Bartolomé , there were only a few muxes , and it took some time for Martinez ’ s family to fully embrace who Martinez was , her brother said .
She started her transition after she got to L.A. and it wasn ’ t until 2008 when the two visited their pueblo that Martinez ’ s parents saw her express her muxe identity for the first time .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Plutarco said .
“ They realized that we ’ re all human beings and we can ’ t judge people who were born with that gift .
There ’ s no reason to.
” In Los Angeles , Martinez had embraced her identity with such joy that she was considering running for muxe queen — a title presented at the Vela Muxe , an annual celebration of the Oaxacan culture and identity at Casa Vertigo in downtown , said Janel Castañeda , a close friend of six years .
The L.A. celebration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juchitán , where it originated .
There , thousands of tourists celebrate the Indigenous traditions of the community and locals crown a muxe as queen .
“ She wanted to be queen , ” Castañeda said .
“ In my eyes , she already was one.
” On a typical day before work , Martinez would fix herself un cafecito using the Oaxacan coffee beans that made her reminisce about her hometown .
As she sipped her coffee , she fed and watered her “ children ” : some stray cats , her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host Daisy Fuentes ) , and her houseplants .
She was especially fond of orchids — beautiful and delicate but notoriously finicky — and had a knack for reviving them when they were close to death .
Each day , she caught the bus , finishing her makeup and listening to Alejandra Guzman and Los Héroes del Silencio on her way to work at Burger King .
The group that fully embraced Martinez in her muxe identity was her beloved pandilla .
Her gang .
Her friends , who included Midnight Blue and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and glue ” of the group .
La pandilla got together every Thursday to bowl at Shatto 39 Lanes in Rampart Village or to sing karaoke at Martinez ’ s house .
Martinez ’ s witty humor kept the group laughing .
She could take just about any random word and make a joke of it .
“ ¿Por qué somos de lo peor ?
” she would ask , jokingly .
“ Why are we the worst ?
” A few years ago , Midnight Blue was staying in a shelter after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked her to come live with her , even if space was tight .
Midnight Blue was one of the nearly half a dozen people to whom Martinez gave a place to sleep .
“ I immediately found a sister , ” Midnight Blue said .
“ I realized then that her kindness was not of any other person that I knew.
” Midnight Blue said they would talk for hours into the night watching the stars in the sky .
No one knew exactly why she chose the name Angela , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sculptures , paintings and antiques depicting angels .
She even had angel wings tattooed on her back .
“ One time she asked me , ‘ Do you think angels exist ?
’ ” Midnight Blue said .
“ Her greatest wish was to see an angel .
I think she forgot that she was one of them .
”

Angela Martinez died young, her death a tragedy to the many who knew and loved her. Her death became a rallying cry. A controversy. And, ultimately, a tale about identity and being oneself.
Her story begins in San Bartolomé Quialana, a small Zapotec town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. She came into this world two months prematurely, a tiny newborn who wouldn’t cry or open her eyes. Her parents, who had already lost five young children — some from measles, another from a lump in his throat — feared they would lose her too.
“They prayed to Dios Sol [sun god] to give them a child,” said her brother, Plutarco Martinez.
Her story ends in Los Angeles, where she died last month at age 41. She had worked at a Burger King in Santa Monica, where she was known for her joy and generosity.
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“She would always show up with a smile on her face,” said Yolanda Garcia, a co-worker from Tlacolula, Oaxaca. “She was strong and would always offer to help me when I carried the heavy potato boxes.”
But over the last year, Martinez’s health had begun slipping. She had kidney problems and trouble breathing, said Julio Hernandez, her roommate of 23 years. In early July, as the novel coronavirus ravaged Los Angeles, Martinez’s symptoms worsened.
She continued to work, but Garcia and other co-workers began to worry that Martinez had the virus.
Angela Martinez and Victor Mina pose for a photo at Martinez’s birthday party in 2004. “My daughter loves her like a tía,” Mina said. (Victor Mina)
One night, Martinez started feeling pain all over her body. Her head throbbed. Hernandez offered to call an ambulance. Martinez refused. She feared catching COVID-19 in the hospital.
“Estás pendejo. ¿Quieres que me maten ahí?” Martinez told Hernandez. “You’re dumb. Do you want them to kill me there?”
Martinez died at home on July 6 in Hernandez’s arms.
Hernandez suspected she died of a heart attack. Her co-workers thought it was COVID-19, a fact eventually confirmed by the coroner in August. But initially her manager at Burger King blamed it on a “hormone overdose.”
The Burger King manager’s assertion, set against the backdrop of a pandemic disproportionately infecting and killing Latino workers in essential jobs, set off a furor, with activists calling it transphobic and bigoted. Martinez’s co-workers prepared to go on strike and called on Burger King to better protect its workers. A social media blitz was unleashed.
Burger King said the restaurant was investigating the manager’s “transphobic” comments, calling them “inaccurate and unacceptable.”
On the Friday afternoon of the strike, protesters in cars and co-workers on foot jammed the drive-through of the Burger King, holding up white roses in her honor and clamoring for people to “say her name.” Dozens of media outlets — Telemundo, Insider, the Sun and ABC News — descended upon the eatery.
A video of the protest — showing demonstrators with posters of Martinez’s face against the transgender pride flag — was posted on Twitter with the hashtag #TransLivesMatter. It quickly went viral.
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And that’s when a second controversy unexpectedly began.
Her loved ones accused activists behind Fight for $15, an advocacy group for fast-food workers, of misgendering Martinez on social media and making her the face of a movement of which she never asked to be a part.
Martinez’s friends said she had been meticulous about not referring to herself as transgender. Though Martinez went by “she,” she was neither man, nor woman. She was “muxe.”
::
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
The muxe identity, which Martinez held dear, has existed as a respected third gender in Zapotec cultures in Oaxaca for centuries, especially in the southeastern area of Istmo de Tehuantepéc. Muxes, pronounced moo-shehs, have coexisted and even become leaders in their communities, said Felina Santiago, a 52-year-old muxe from Juchitán, Oaxaca.
“There’s men, there’s women and there’s muxes,” Santiago said. “I’m in the middle of the two. I’m only muxe.”
The notion of a third gender has existed for centuries in different cultures worldwide. In some Native American cultures, the term “two-spirit” is an umbrella term describing those who fulfill a third gender. In South Asia, there are more than half a million officially recognized hijras. In Thailand, there are the kathoeys. In Ethiopia, the ashtime. And in Polynesia, the fa’afafine.
Gender identity can be a complex and highly sensitive issue — and never more so than after those who don’t conform to the gender binary die, said Drían Juarez, vice president of programming at TransCanWork Inc. And if someone has died, they cannot tell the tale of who they were, or choose the words used to describe them.
“It’s about honoring somebody’s spirit, rather than labeling,” Juarez said. Referring to the discussion following Martinez’s death, “I think it highlights just how multifaceted and complex identity really is.”
Juarez said she believes that Martinez’s co-workers and Fight for $15 likely had the “best of intentions” when initially protesting and using her name.
“Many of Angela’s co-workers understood her to be a trans woman, but we now know that she may have identified otherwise in other circles,” Fight for $15 said in a statement.
The muxe identity, which Martinez held dear, has existed as a respected third gender in the Zapotec culture in Oaxaca for centuries, especially in the southeastern area of Istmo de Tehuantepéc.
In life, Martinez was supportive of her transgender friends, like Pink Moon Midnight Blue, who said Martinez “adored me in my transness.” But that’s not how Martinez saw herself.
“She always found it problematic that her own identity wasn’t addressed correctly in trans spaces,” Midnight Blue said.
Little wonder, then, that friends complained that trans activists were, as Midnight Blue wrote on Facebook, “exploiting her image without permission. She was not trans, my sister was muxe and indigenous people are tired of the erasure of our identities.”
Pink Moon Midnight Blue was a close friend of Angela Martinez, who died recently of COVID-19. Midnight Blue, wearing a dress that Martinez gave her, is transgender and said Martinez pointedly said she was neither man, nor woman, nor trans, but muxe. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Midnight Blue recalled that when she and Martinez worked at a trans woman-owned El Pollo Loco, where a third of the employees were transgender, National Geographic, — and other media outlets, including the L.A. Times — invited workers to be interviewed for features on the inclusive restaurant.
Martinez declined to participate with a simple phrase, “Aquí, la trans eres tú,” she told Midnight Blue. “Here, the trans woman is you.”
In Martinez’s hometown of San Bartolomé Quialana, there were only a few muxes, and it took some time for Martinez’s family to fully embrace who Martinez was, her brother said. She started her transition after she got to L.A. and it wasn’t until 2008 when the two visited their pueblo that Martinez’s parents saw her express her muxe identity for the first time.
“They received her as their child,” Plutarco Martinez said. “They realized that we’re all human beings and we can’t judge people who were born with that gift. There’s no reason to.”
Angela Martinez, left, dances with close friend Janel Castañeda at the annual Vela Muxe at Casa Vertigo in downtown L.A. (Janel Castañeda)
In Los Angeles, Angela Martinez had embraced her identity with such joy that she was considering running for muxe queen — a title presented at the Vela Muxe, an annual celebration of the Oaxacan culture and identity at Casa Vertigo in downtown Los Angeles, said Janel Castañeda, a close friend of six years.
The L.A. celebration mirrors the colorful and food-filled festival in Juchitán, where it originated. There, thousands of tourists celebrate the Indigenous traditions of the community and locals crown a muxe as queen.
“She wanted to be queen,” Castañeda said. “In my eyes, she already was one.”
::
On a typical day before work, Martinez would fix herself un cafecito using the Oaxacan coffee beans that made her reminisce about her hometown.
As she sipped her coffee, she fed and watered her “children”: some stray cats, her rescued Chihuahua named Daisy (after TV host Daisy Fuentes), and her houseplants. She was especially fond of orchids — beautiful and delicate but notoriously finicky — and had a knack for reviving them when they were close to death.
California L.A. ice cream vendor adapts to life in a COVID-19 world For the past 16 years, Mauro Rios Parra has sold fruit bars and ice cream on the streets of Pico-Union, one of L.A.’s densest cities and among the hardest hit by the coronavirus.
Each day, she caught the bus, finishing her makeup and listening to Alejandra Guzman and Los Héroes del Silencio on her way to work at Burger King.
The group that fully embraced Martinez in her muxe identity was her beloved pandilla. Her gang. Her friends, who included Midnight Blue and Castañeda, loved her as the “heart and glue” of the group.
La pandilla got together every Thursday to bowl at Shatto 39 Lanes in Rampart Village or to sing karaoke at Martinez’s house. Martinez’s witty humor kept the group laughing. She could take just about any random word and make a joke of it.
Angela Martinez, far right, and la pandilla would go bowling or sing karaoke every Thursday night. (Janel Castañeda)
“¿Por qué somos de lo peor?” she would ask, jokingly. “Why are we the worst?”
A few years ago, Midnight Blue was staying in a shelter after leaving a toxic partner. Martinez immediately asked her to come live with her, even if space was tight. Midnight Blue was one of the nearly half a dozen people to whom Martinez gave a place to sleep.
“I immediately found a sister,” Midnight Blue said. “I realized then that her kindness was not of any other person that I knew.”
Midnight Blue said they would talk for hours into the night, watching the stars in the sky. No one knew exactly why she chose the name Angela, but her house was filled with trinkets, sculptures, paintings and antiques depicting angels. She even had angel wings tattooed on her back.
“One time she asked me, ‘Do you think angels exist?’” Midnight Blue said. “Her greatest wish was to see an angel. I think she forgot that she was one of them.”


latimes--2020-08-24--California is too dependent on the rich. Now isn't the time for another millionaires' tax

Democratic legislators want California ’ s richest taxpayers to “ pay their fair share.
” But by any objective measurement , they already do — plus a bunch .
The richest Americans arguably should pay a fairer share of federal taxes .
President Trump and the then-Republican Congress lowered federal income tax rates in 2017 , and the beneficiaries were primarily the wealthy and corporations .
But Trump and Republicans also made it financially harder on homeowners and middle-to-upper income people in high-tax states such as California .
They did that by placing a $ 10,000 cap on the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on federal tax returns .
That was a tax hike for many and should be repealed .
Even lefty senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren should like California ’ s very progressive state income tax .
It has the highest top state rate in the nation .
But liberal Sacramento Democrats want to boost rates still higher .
Put it this way : The top 1 % of California taxpayers kick in nearly half the state income tax .
Specifically , the top 1 % — with 24 % of the earnings — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 , the last year for which there ’ s complete data .
The bottom 90 % paid only about 22 % ; the bottom 60 % , 2.4 % .
Bottom line , California is already leaning very heavily on its richest citizens — too heavily for good tax policy .
California ’ s top rate is 13.3 % .
Hawaii has the next highest at 11 % .
New Jersey ’ s is 10.75 % .
Every other state ’ s highest rates are in the single digits .
Seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , including economic competitors Texas and Florida , and bordering Nevada .
A bill was recently introduced in Sacramento to boost California ’ s highest rate to 16.8 % .
But it would kick in only for people making more than $ 5 million annually .
There ’ d be an added 1 % surcharge on incomes exceeding $ 1 million , increasing to 3 % on earnings above $ 2 million .
At $ 5 million , a 3.5 % surcharge would be triggered .
The so-called millionaires tax would raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Californians are jobless and struggling to put food on the table , while the rich contemplate which vacation house to stay in , ” the author , Assemblyman Miguel Santiago ( D-Los Angeles ) , said in a statement .
Shortly afterward , the nation ’ s first “ wealth tax ” was proposed by Assemblyman Rob Bonta ( D-Alameda ) .
It would impose a 0.4 % annual levy on net worth of more than $ 30 million , excluding real estate .
That would raise an estimated $ 7.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are hurting right now .
COVID-19 has only made matters worse , ” Bonta said .
“ In times of crisis , all Californians must step up and contribute their fair share.
” Both measures are being pushed by teachers unions that are seeking more money for schools .
Teachers are also sponsoring a commercial property tax increase — Proposition 15 on the Nov. 3 ballot .
It would raise up to $ 12 billion annually for schools and local governments by taxing most commercial property based on market value rather than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would be the first major rollback of the landmark 1978 property tax cut .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom seemed leery of the wealth and millionaires taxes when asked about them at a news conference .
“ Look , I want to see where things go over the next few months , ” he said , referring to the economy , the state ’ s bleeding budget , hoped-for federal help and whether the property tax initiative passes .
The governor appeared to be worried about scaring off potential investors in the California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even at a local level , one has to consider the impacts of these decisions in terms of our competitive environment , ” the governor said .
Santiago and Bonta no sooner introduced their bills than they dropped them , at least for this legislative session .
Time was running out to reach agreement on politically dicey measures that needed to win two-thirds majority votes for passage .
Lawmakers must adjourn by Aug. 31 .
But Bonta was hoping that Newsom would call the Legislature back into a special session to consider the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be nimble and flexible , ” he told me .
“ We can ’ t just wait until January while wildfires are burning and COVID-19 is spreading .
We need more revenue now , not after January.
” And the super-rich could easily afford to dig deeper , both lawmakers insisted .
Sure , California ’ s income tax is the nation ’ s highest , Bonta said , “ but we have the most millionaires and billionaires too .
We have unheard-of wealth in this state… .
We also have the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve never seen such vitriolic and vigorous defense of millionaires and billionaires.
” It just seems like a bad look to me : Democrats perpetually seeking tax increases , even in good times .
It feeds the Republican message that Democrats are unbridled tax-and-spenders .
Democrats should focus on finally updating the state ’ s volatile tax system , which floods the treasury with surplus revenue in boom times and slows to a trickle during busts .
That ’ s because it depends too heavily on wealthy people ’ s capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its tax base by reducing the top rates and extending the sales tax to commercial services .
But that ’ s too politically risky and requires leadership .
It ’ s much easier to harass a relatively few rich people .

Large boxes full of already opened and emptied envelopes sit at the Franchise Tax Board before being recycled in Sacramento.
Democratic legislators want California’s richest taxpayers to “pay their fair share.” But by any objective measurement, they already do — plus a bunch.
We’re talking about state taxes, not federal.
The richest Americans arguably should pay a fairer share of federal taxes. President Trump and the then-Republican Congress lowered federal income tax rates in 2017, and the beneficiaries were primarily the wealthy and corporations.
But Trump and Republicans also made it financially harder on homeowners and middle-to-upper income people in high-tax states such as California. They did that by placing a $10,000 cap on the state and local taxes that could be deducted on federal tax returns. That was a tax hike for many and should be repealed.
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Even lefty senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren should like California’s very progressive state income tax. It has the highest top state rate in the nation. But liberal Sacramento Democrats want to boost rates still higher.
Put it this way: The top 1% of California taxpayers kick in nearly half the state income tax.
Specifically, the top 1% — with 24% of the earnings — paid 46% of state income taxes in 2018, the last year for which there’s complete data. The bottom 90% paid only about 22%; the bottom 60%, 2.4%.
Bottom line, California is already leaning very heavily on its richest citizens — too heavily for good tax policy.
California’s top rate is 13.3%. Hawaii has the next highest at 11%. New Jersey’s is 10.75%. Every other state’s highest rates are in the single digits.
Seven states have no personal income tax at all, including economic competitors Texas and Florida, and bordering Nevada.
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A bill was recently introduced in Sacramento to boost California’s highest rate to 16.8%. But it would kick in only for people making more than $5 million annually.
There’d be an added 1% surcharge on incomes exceeding $1 million, increasing to 3% on earnings above $2 million. At $5 million, a 3.5% surcharge would be triggered.
The so-called millionaires tax would raise an estimated $6.8 billion a year.
California California Legislature to consider new tax on millionaires for schools, other services Assembly Bill 1253 would impose a new 1% surcharge on adjusted income starting at $1 million, increasing to 3% for those who earn more than $2 million and rising to 3.5% on income above $5 million.
“Californians are jobless and struggling to put food on the table, while the rich contemplate which vacation house to stay in,” the author, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), said in a statement.
Shortly afterward, the nation’s first “wealth tax” was proposed by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda). It would impose a 0.4% annual levy on net worth of more than $30 million, excluding real estate. That would raise an estimated $7.5 billion from 30,400 Californians.
“Families are hurting right now. COVID-19 has only made matters worse,” Bonta said. “In times of crisis, all Californians must step up and contribute their fair share.”
Both measures are being pushed by teachers unions that are seeking more money for schools.
Teachers are also sponsoring a commercial property tax increase — Proposition 15 on the Nov. 3 ballot. It would raise up to $12 billion annually for schools and local governments by taxing most commercial property based on market value rather than the tight limits imposed by Proposition 13. It would be the first major rollback of the landmark 1978 property tax cut.
Gov. Gavin Newsom seemed leery of the wealth and millionaires taxes when asked about them at a news conference.
“Look, I want to see where things go over the next few months,” he said, referring to the economy, the state’s bleeding budget, hoped-for federal help and whether the property tax initiative passes.
The governor appeared to be worried about scaring off potential investors in the California economy.
“As a state and even at a local level, one has to consider the impacts of these decisions in terms of our competitive environment,” the governor said.
Santiago and Bonta no sooner introduced their bills than they dropped them, at least for this legislative session. Time was running out to reach agreement on politically dicey measures that needed to win two-thirds majority votes for passage. Lawmakers must adjourn by Aug. 31.
But Bonta was hoping that Newsom would call the Legislature back into a special session to consider the tax hikes.
“We need to be nimble and flexible,” he told me. “We can’t just wait until January while wildfires are burning and COVID-19 is spreading. We need more revenue now, not after January.”
And the super-rich could easily afford to dig deeper, both lawmakers insisted.
Sure, California’s income tax is the nation’s highest, Bonta said, “but we have the most millionaires and billionaires too. We have unheard-of wealth in this state…. We also have the highest levels of poverty in the nation…. I’ve never seen such vitriolic and vigorous defense of millionaires and billionaires.”
It just seems like a bad look to me: Democrats perpetually seeking tax increases, even in good times. It feeds the Republican message that Democrats are unbridled tax-and-spenders.
Democrats should focus on finally updating the state’s volatile tax system, which floods the treasury with surplus revenue in boom times and slows to a trickle during busts. That’s because it depends too heavily on wealthy people’s capital gains.
The state needs to broaden its tax base by reducing the top rates and extending the sales tax to commercial services.
But that’s too politically risky and requires leadership. It’s much easier to harass a relatively few rich people.


latimes--2020-08-24--Orange County removed from California's coronavirus watch list

Following a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations last month , Orange County was removed Sunday from the state list of counties being monitored for the virus .
The move marks a turning point for the county .
If the rates of new cases and tests performed , percentages of positive tests and hospitalizations , as well as available intensive care beds and ventilators remain at acceptable levels for the next two weeks , K-12 students could resume in-person classes after Labor Day weekend .
Positive tests remained at 5.4 % , which is below the state ’ s maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-day average of hospitalizations fell Sunday by nearly 5 % , according to the Orange County Health Care Agency .
The county has 29 % of its intensive care unit beds and 58 % of its ventilators available .
Over the most recent 14-day period , the case rate per 100,000 residents is 90.2 .
Officials reported one new death and 897 total fatalities Sunday .
To date , 45,954 residents have tested positive for the virus , with 380 currently hospitalized and 111 in intensive care .
The county can be placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is flagged for any of the six metrics being monitored for at least three days in a row .
It first fell below the state ’ s monitoring thresholds on Wednesday .
The decision to reopen schools falls to individual districts .
County officials say 24 private elementary schools and one public school district serving kindergarten through sixth grade have been approved to reopen for in-person classes .
About 100 other Orange County private and charter schools have applied for similar permission and are awaiting approval .
Schools must also have an option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children to go back to in-person classes .
State public health officials and educators have offered the in-person option for elementary schools only , acknowledging that online learning for young children is particularly difficult and that they are generally seen as being at lesser risk of developing COVID-19 than older children and adults .
“ Do I have fear and anxiety ?
Of course I do .
Do we expect that there might be an outbreak ?
Of course , ” Dr. Clayton Chau , director of the Orange County Health Care Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have to do it .
We know that this lockdown has caused emotional turmoil for some of our children , and we know that in-home learning is not the best education.
” Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said Saturday that he was encouraged by recent increases in mask usage , which he attributed to lowering the case rates .
“ I think everybody wants this time to open up in a smart and intelligent way that keeps us open , ” he said .
“ The last thing anybody wants is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it ’ s devastating for our businesses .
Los Angeles County , meanwhile , remains on the state watch list .
Last week , Los Angeles County ’ s chief medical officer said new coronavirus cases may soon drop enough to allow officials to apply for waivers to reopen elementary schools .
Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser noted that waivers can be sought to reopen schools when cases fall below 200 for every 100,000 people for two weeks .
Over the last two weeks , officials have reported 27,739 new cases , which amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that number was steadily dropping .
“ We do believe we could get down to under 200 in the near future , ” he said .
He said the length of average hospital stays for COVID-19 has declined from a few months ago , probably because of improved understanding of how to treat the disease .
More young people are now being hospitalized for the disease , and they also are likely to recover more quickly than older patients .
But Gunzenhauser warned that younger people are dying from the disease , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 29 hospitalized for COVID-19 has doubled to 10 % .
Of the roughly 5,400 people in the county who have died of COVID-19 , 440 were ages 18 to 41 with no underlying health conditions , he said .
The underlying conditions that make patients most at risk for severe illness and death are hypertension , which is common among those 65 and older , and diabetes , a condition that affects 10 % of the county ’ s population , he said .
Times staff writer Colleen Shalby and Times Community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .

Gladys Alvarez, a fifth-grade teacher at Manchester Avenue Elementary School in South Los Angeles, waves to her students after a virtual meet and greet. L.A. schools, as in Orange County, are hoping to be able to begin reopening classrooms in the near future.
Following a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations last month, Orange County was removed Sunday from the state list of counties being monitored for the virus.
The move marks a turning point for the county. If the rates of new cases and tests performed, percentages of positive tests and hospitalizations, as well as available intensive care beds and ventilators remain at acceptable levels for the next two weeks, K-12 students could resume in-person classes after Labor Day weekend.
Positive tests remained at 5.4%, which is below the state’s maximum threshold of 8%, and the three-day average of hospitalizations fell Sunday by nearly 5%, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.
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1 / 46 Newport Beach police enforce closures along the Wedge in Newport Beach, a popular surf spot. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 46 Spectators along the Wedge in Newport Beach, a surf spot, on July 4. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 46 A bicyclist rides along Highland Avenue with the pier closed to beachgoers on July 3 in Manhattan Beach. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 46 Peter Gratzinger of Pacific Palisades heads to the water at Santa Monica State Beach, which opened to the public at 5 a.m. July 6. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 46 A bicyclist with her child rides along the closed bike path on July 3 in Manhattan Beach. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 46 A police officer and a lifeguard boat comb the shoreline in Venice Beach on July 5. Even though the beach was closed over the weekend a few still made their way to the shoreline. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 46 No-parking signs from the July 4 weekend still block spots on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica on Monday. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 46 Dusk sets in over the the Santa Monica Pier on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 46 Southern California residents watch the fireworks during the Drive-Up 4th of July Spectacular at the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base on Saturday in Los Alamitos. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 46 Bella Nousiainen, left, with daughter, Helmi Nousiainen, of Los Angeles, at the Santa Monica Pier, which reopens after being closed to guests for months because of the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 46 Dr. Jamie Taylor checks the ventilators at the refashioned St. Vincent Hospital. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 46 Shoppers and mannequins wear protective masks in the Los Angeles downtown garment district on Thursday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 46 Patrons wear face coverings at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in California has pushed the state’s total past 200,000 with more than 5,800 deaths. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 46 LAPD officers E. Rosales, left, and D. Castro, patrol the Metro Red Line at the Hollywood/Highland Metro Station Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 46 Visitors wear protective masks while walking through historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 46 People wait in line to have a COVID-19 screening administered by the Community Organized Relief Effort at the Los Angeles City Mayor’s test site at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 46 A woman adjusts a protective mask while walkiing along Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Ti mes) 18 / 46 Cameron Johnson,18, left, headed to UC Berkeley in the fall and Simona Krasnegor,17, headed to UCLA in the fall, watched the sun set while sitting next to the Manhattan Beach Pier, following their drive-through graduation from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 46 Jair Guido, 36, a veterinarian visiting from Durango, Mexico, right, wearing a sombrero with an American flag draped over his shoulders, walks with other pedestrians along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. Guido said that he wore this outfit to show people that he is proud to be a Mexican and that he loves America. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 46 A mask-wearing skateboarder and her dog make their way along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 46 Pedestrians, some with face coverings, some without, walk past musicians Brent Kendell, background left, and Sam Jones, background right, as they perform at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 46 People wear masks while walking along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 46 Pedestrians cross the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public, following growing concerns that an increase in coronavirus cases has been caused by residents failing to voluntarily take that precaution. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 46 Sophia Strauss, left, and Sarah Hoffmeister celebrate after their drive-through graduation from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 46 New West Charter School vice principal Mark Herrera shouts at graduate Joe Reid to come and receive his diploma during a drive-up graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 at the charter school in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 26 / 46 A worker directs drivers at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium at UCLA.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 27 / 46 Destiny VanSciner is tested for COVID-19 with an oral swab by family nurse practitioner Anniesatu Newland at a walk-in site at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in South Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 46 Melissa Gomes fixes the tassel on the mortarboard of Sarah Anggraini as the new graduate gets ready for a photo at Chaffey College, which held a drive-through graduation, in Rancho Cucamonga. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 46 Maricela Moreno, manager at El Tarasco in Marina del Rey, disinfects cash at the restaurant. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 46 Mildred “Millie” Stratton waves to a caravan of cars led by Alhambra police officers and firefighters. The parade past her home celebrated Stratton’s 102nd birthday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 46 Eric Larkin hands an order to Brittany Wright as she fastens her face covering outside the Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 46 A jogger passes Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles as local stay-at-home orders are increasingly relaxed months into the coronavirus outbreak. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 46 Hikers and bikers traverse the Santa Fe Dam trail as county parks officially reopen to the public. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 46 A woman, masked against COVID-19, walks past a building that features the image of Britney Spears at a shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 46 Manon Guijarro, a new graduate of Pierce College, has her photo taken by friend Paige Johnson at Chris Burden’s outdoor work “Urban Light” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 46 Mary Perez, a salesperson at High Class Jewels on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, helps a customer as he tries on a gold rope chain inside the recently reopened store. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) 37 / 46 Professional dog walker Lindsay Rojas takes golden retrievers Gomez, left, and Nikki for a stroll along Le Bourget Avenue in Culver City. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 46 The Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team banks over downtown Los Angeles in formation to salute healthcare workers and first responders on May 15. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 46 Maria Morales, center, a member of the USC class of 2020, participates in virtual graduation via Zoom with her brother Manny Morales, left, mom Pilar Morales and stepdad Victor Ramos from her home in Orange. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 46 On a recent day, there’s not a face mask in sight as a roller skater and others share the reopened walking path on the Strand in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 46 Crew members of a Hainan Airlines flight walk through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 42 / 46 A woman wearing a protective mask walks past a shuttered business in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) 43 / 46 Thousands of rental cars are stored at Dodger Stadium as the coronavirus crisis has caused rentals to nosedive. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) 44 / 46 Some beachgoers actively use the beach while others relax on the sand, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s active-use-only order, in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 45 / 46 Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks outside the emergency room entrance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley as residents pay tribute to her and other medical personnel with a drive-by rally. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 46 / 46 A scene from “Knives Out,” with actor Don Johnson, seen at the Mission Tiki Drive-in Theatre in Montclair. Opened with one screen in 1956, the Mission Tiki expanded to four screens in 1975 and began renovation in 2006, updating to FM transmitters and digital projectors. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
The county has 29% of its intensive care unit beds and 58% of its ventilators available. Over the most recent 14-day period, the case rate per 100,000 residents is 90.2.
Officials reported one new death and 897 total fatalities Sunday. To date, 45,954 residents have tested positive for the virus, with 380 currently hospitalized and 111 in intensive care.
The county can be placed back on the watch list if it is flagged for any of the six metrics being monitored for at least three days in a row. It first fell below the state’s monitoring thresholds on Wednesday.
The decision to reopen schools falls to individual districts. County officials say 24 private elementary schools and one public school district serving kindergarten through sixth grade have been approved to reopen for in-person classes. About 100 other Orange County private and charter schools have applied for similar permission and are awaiting approval.
Hi, #OC. We’ve posted the cases reported to us today at https://t.co/XiphdjsVuR. As you’ll see in the image below from our data dashboard, we’ve been taken off the State’s Monitoring List. Please continue to help #slowthespread. Learn how at https://t.co/QdpTLp02UM. #OCCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/IciQ5li5YM — OC Health Care Agency (@ochealth) August 23, 2020
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Schools must also have an option for online learning if parents do not want their children to go back to in-person classes. State public health officials and educators have offered the in-person option for elementary schools only, acknowledging that online learning for young children is particularly difficult and that they are generally seen as being at lesser risk of developing COVID-19 than older children and adults.
“Do I have fear and anxiety? Of course I do. Do we expect that there might be an outbreak? Of course,” Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency, said last week. “But we have to do it. We know that this lockdown has caused emotional turmoil for some of our children, and we know that in-home learning is not the best education.”
Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said Saturday that he was encouraged by recent increases in mask usage, which he attributed to lowering the case rates.
“I think everybody wants this time to open up in a smart and intelligent way that keeps us open,” he said. “The last thing anybody wants is to have to roll back a second time because it’s devastating for our businesses.
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, remains on the state watch list.
Last week, Los Angeles County’s chief medical officer said new coronavirus cases may soon drop enough to allow officials to apply for waivers to reopen elementary schools. Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser noted that waivers can be sought to reopen schools when cases fall below 200 for every 100,000 people for two weeks.
Over the last two weeks, officials have reported 27,739 new cases, which amounts to 275 per 100,000, but Gunzenhauser said that number was steadily dropping.
“We do believe we could get down to under 200 in the near future,” he said.
He said the length of average hospital stays for COVID-19 has declined from a few months ago, probably because of improved understanding of how to treat the disease. More young people are now being hospitalized for the disease, and they also are likely to recover more quickly than older patients.
But Gunzenhauser warned that younger people are dying from the disease, and the percentage of people ages 18 to 29 hospitalized for COVID-19 has doubled to 10%. Of the roughly 5,400 people in the county who have died of COVID-19, 440 were ages 18 to 41 with no underlying health conditions, he said.
The underlying conditions that make patients most at risk for severe illness and death are hypertension, which is common among those 65 and older, and diabetes, a condition that affects 10% of the county’s population, he said.
Times staff writer Colleen Shalby and Times Community News writer Andrew Turner contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-24--O.C. man masquerading for years as federal agent pulled over motorists, obtained guns, feds allege

Last May , agents from the State Department ’ s Diplomatic Security Service showed up at an Orange County retirement community to serve a search warrant .
They were joined by a man wearing a ballistic vest , a pistol strapped to his thigh and a badge on his chest , who introduced himself as a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations .
Donovan Nguyen accompanied the agents and was the first one through the door of the home they searched , one of the agents recalled last month to Alnahl Jones — a real agent with Homeland Security Investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affidavit , is a civilian who has masqueraded as a federal agent for years , parading around in body armor , openly carrying firearms , pulling over motorists with red and blue lights installed in his pickup truck , and purchasing guns with fake Department of Homeland Security credentials .
Nguyen , who lives in the city of Orange , was arrested Monday and charged with impersonating a federal agent .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear from court records if he had a lawyer .
Nguyen , 34 , has never been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less worked for the agency as a special agent , Jones wrote in the affidavit .
Most recently , he has worked as a security guard at Laguna Woods Village , a gated retirement community in Orange County .
Federal agents were tipped to Nguyen in June by investigators from the Riverside County district attorney ’ s office , court records show .
The owner of a gun store in Riverside had reported a potential criminal case to the county prosecutor ’ s office and asked their investigators to partner with Nguyen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent .
The gun salesman had sold Nguyen seven firearms over the years , with Nguyen presenting credentials at each purchase identifying him as a “ lieutenant ” with the Department of Homeland Security , Jones ’ affidavit said .
Riverside investigators left Nguyen several voicemails , and in June , he called them back , Jones wrote in the affidavit .
Nguyen said he had reviewed the gun dealer ’ s tip but wasn ’ t willing to take the case because a witness had been deported , the affidavit said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Homeland Security Investigations office in San Bernardino .
No one by that name worked for the agency , investigators quickly determined , and they started digging into Nguyen ’ s background .
They found his LinkedIn profile , which describes him as a 12-year agent , and a YouTube interview in which he introduces himself as a special agent and discusses federal immigration policies .
Investigators learned Nguyen had previously worked for Paragon Systems , a contractor that provides security at Department of Homeland Security sites .
Assigned to a base in Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of Nguyen ’ s duties was to print access cards for employees and visitors , Jones wrote in the affidavit .
Nguyen was barred from the base in 2015 after an internal investigation found he had printed fake Homeland Security credentials for himself and two co-workers , Jones wrote .
The Riverside gun salesman told investigators Nguyen and the co-workers used the ID cards to buy weapons .
Presenting law enforcement credentials “ allowed him to avoid taking and paying for certain firearm safety courses required by the State of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nguyen bought seven weapons at the Riverside shop and purchased 42 firearms in all in California , Jones wrote .
After being ousted from the Riverside base , Nguyen took a job as a supervisor at Laguna Woods Village , an upscale retirement community , where he worked alongside a number of retired police officers , Jones wrote .
Although the community ’ s security guards were supposed to be unarmed , Nguyen carried firearms openly and attributed the weaponry to his primary job as a federal agent , employees told investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a retired Cypress police officer , said Nguyen often showed up to work late and left early , explaining he was “ doing his ‘ agent ’ duties , ” Jones wrote in the affidavit .
He often came to the retirement community “ tacted out ” — wearing full tactical gear — and sporting a firearm and a Homeland Security badge , Siviglia told investigators .
Nguyen kept a plaque on his desk that identified him as a captain with the Department of Homeland Security , Jones ’ affidavit said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” account he ’ d kept from his time working at the Riverside base , signing off emails with a signature that identified him as the “ director ” of an unspecified “ JTF , ” or joint task force , according to the affidavit .
With Carlos Rojas , the retirement community ’ s security director and Santa Ana ’ s former police chief , Nguyen discussed the civil unrest sweeping the country “ in which DHS agents have played a prominent and controversial role , ” Jones wrote .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We got orders to shoot freely just now.
” Rojas told the agents Nguyen used red and blue lights installed in his Toyota Tacoma to pull over co-workers .
Robert Martinez , a retired police officer , told investigators he “ was leaving work when he saw red and blue lights in his rear-view mirror and heard a siren chirp.
” He pulled over and Nguyen pulled alongside him , Jones ’ affidavit said .
“ Did I scare you , Martinez ?
” he recalled Nguyen saying , before laughing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charades , the most daring came when a pair of agents from the State Department showed up at Laguna Woods Village to serve a warrant in May 2019 .
A few days earlier , one of the agents , Nico Figueroa , had visited the retirement community and met Nguyen , who introduced himself as a security supervisor and a Homeland Security agent , Figueroa told investigators .
The morning of the takedown , Nguyen greeted the State Department agents in “ tactical raid gear , a thigh holster with a weapon and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Jones ’ affidavit said .
Nguyen told the agents he was assigned to a terrorism task force and had “ worked all night , ” but he “ still wanted to show up to help execute the warrant , ” Figueroa recalled him saying .
Nguyen accompanied the State Department agents and was the first one through the door of the home they searched , the agents told Jones .
“ Agents would never allow an employee of a private security company , even if the company worked security at the facility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a warrant in that manner , ” Jones wrote .

Last May, agents from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service showed up at an Orange County retirement community to serve a search warrant. They were joined by a man wearing a ballistic vest, a pistol strapped to his thigh and a badge on his chest, who introduced himself as a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations.
Donovan Nguyen accompanied the agents and was the first one through the door of the home they searched, one of the State Department agents recalled last month to a real agent with Homeland Security Investigations.
Nguyen, the agent wrote in an affidavit, is a civilian who has masqueraded as a federal agent for years, parading around in body armor, openly carrying firearms, pulling over motorists with red and blue lights installed in his pickup truck, and purchasing guns with fake Department of Homeland Security credentials.
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Nguyen, who lives in the city of Orange, was arrested Monday and charged with impersonating a federal agent. It wasn’t immediately clear from court records if he had a lawyer.
Nguyen, 34, most recently worked as a security guard at Laguna Woods Village, a gated retirement community in Orange County, according to the affidavit.
David A. Prince, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ Los Angeles office, said agents spoke with Nguyen and his family on Monday and learned he had tried to get a job with several federal agencies, without success. Nguyen had wanted “to do something that would perhaps make his family proud,” Prince said in an interview.
Investigators served search warrants on several sites Monday and seized dozens of long guns and pistols, along with silencers, body armor, shields and police badges, Prince said. Nguyen had also used Homeland Security letterhead to acquire high-capacity magazines prohibited to the public, Prince said.
“This guy amassed an arsenal that could have outfitted a third of my office,” he said.
Saying his conduct “shocks the conscience,” Prince criticized Nguyen for threatening public safety and diminishing the agency’s credibility at a time when law enforcement officers are “under a level of scrutiny they’ve never experienced before in the United States.”
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Jeffrey J. Gilgallon, the special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility in Los Angeles, said more impostor federal agents have cropped up in recent years, possibly because ICE has been more frequently in the news.
In 2018, a Fontana man was sentenced to two years in prison for impersonating a Homeland Security agent. Matthew Ryan Johnston admitted using red and blue lights installed in his car to pull over motorists, including one incident in which he gave chase, sirens flashing, and caused a traffic accident. Investigators found an arsenal of long guns in his home and a cache of explosives buried in the desert, court records show.
“They have this kind of wannabe mentality,” Gilgallon said in an interview. “Not only do they like impersonating law enforcement officers, they also like to be around them, and that’s usually their downfall.”
Federal agents were tipped to Nguyen in June by investigators from the Riverside County district attorney’s office, court records show.
The owner of a gun store in Riverside had reported a potential criminal case to the county prosecutor’s office and asked its investigators to partner with Nguyen. The gun salesman had sold Nguyen seven firearms over the years, with Nguyen presenting credentials at each purchase identifying him as a “lieutenant” with the Department of Homeland Security, the affidavit said.
Riverside investigators left Nguyen several voicemails, and in June, he called them back, according to the affidavit. Nguyen said he had reviewed the gun dealer’s tip but wasn’t willing to take the case because a witness had been deported, the affidavit said.
“His story really didn’t make sense,” Gilgallon said, and the veteran Riverside investigators “called our office and started asking questions.” No one by that name worked for the agency, investigators quickly determined, and they started digging into Nguyen’s background.
They found his LinkedIn profile, which describes him as a 12-year agent, and a YouTube interview in which he introduces himself as a special agent and discusses federal immigration policies.
Investigators learned Nguyen had previously worked for a contractor that provided security at a Department of Homeland Security base in Riverside, the Air and Marine Operations Center. One of Nguyen’s duties was to print access cards for employees and visitors, the affidavit said.
Nguyen was barred from the base in 2015 after an internal investigation found he had printed fake Homeland Security credentials for himself and two co-workers, according to the affidavit.
The Riverside gun salesman told investigators Nguyen and the co-workers used the ID cards to buy weapons. Presenting law enforcement credentials “allowed him to avoid taking and paying for certain firearm safety courses required by the State of California,” the affidavit said.
After being ousted from the Riverside base, Nguyen took a job as a supervisor at Laguna Woods Village, an upscale retirement community, where he worked alongside a number of retired police officers, the affidavit said.
Although the community’s security guards were supposed to be unarmed, Nguyen carried firearms openly and attributed the weaponry to his job as a federal agent, employees told investigators.
Tom Siviglia, a security manager and a retired Cypress police officer, said Nguyen often showed up to work late and left early, explaining he was “doing his ‘agent’ duties,” the affidavit said. He often came to the retirement community “tacted out” — wearing full tactical gear — and carrying a handgun, Siviglia told investigators.
Nguyen kept a plaque on his desk that identified him as a captain with the Department of Homeland Security, the affidavit said. He sent emails from a “dhs.gov” account he’d kept from his time working at the Riverside base, signing off emails with a signature that identified him as the “director” of an unspecified “JTF,” or joint task force, according to the affidavit.
With Carlos Rojas, the retirement community’s security director and Santa Ana’s former police chief, Nguyen discussed the civil unrest sweeping the country “in which DHS agents have played a prominent and controversial role,”the affidavit. Nguyen texted Rojas, “We got orders to shoot freely just now.”
Nguyen used red and blue lights installed in his Toyota Tacoma to pull over co-workers, the affidavit said. Robert Martinez, a retired police officer, told investigators he “was leaving work when he saw red and blue lights in his rear-view mirror and heard a siren chirp.” He pulled over and Nguyen pulled alongside him, the affidavit said.
“Did I scare you, Martinez?” he recalled Nguyen saying, before laughing and driving away.
Of all his alleged charades, the most daring came when a pair of agents from the State Department showed up at Laguna Woods Village to serve a warrant in May 2019.
Nguyen greeted the State Department agents in “tactical raid gear, a thigh holster with a weapon and ballistic vest displaying an HSI badge,” the affidavit said. Explaining he was assigned to a terrorism task force and had “worked all night,” Nguyen said he still wanted to help them serve the warrant, one of the agents recalled him saying.
He accompanied the State Department agents and was the first one through the door of the home they searched, the agents reported.
Prince, the Homeland Security official, said the public should be on guard for impostor agents; real federal agents don’t work alone — “we travel in twos or more” — and would rarely pull a motorist over, he said. “That’s a sign something is not right.”
If you suspect an agent is not who he says he is, Prince said, ask for his identification, take down his badge information, go to a safe location and call that agency’s office immediately.