latimes--2020-07-27--Sheriff's sexist slur and accusations of 'blood money' ramp up feud with L.A. County supervisors

During a recent broadcast on Facebook , Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva spent several minutes criticizing Supervisor Hilda Solis for her comments earlier that week on systemic brutality and racism by police toward people of color .
He questioned whether she was trying to sow more distrust between law enforcement and the community and said she owed an apology to Sheriff ’ s Department employees and all law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County .
And then the sheriff turned more personal .
“ I don ’ t know , ” he said on the live broadcast .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a La Malinche ?
Is that what it is ?
” Many were stunned by Villanueva ’ s use of a name used to demean a woman as a traitor or sellout .
It refers to a historical figure in Mexican culture who was the interpreter and slave of the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés and became a symbol of betrayal for facilitating the conquest of the Aztec empire .
Solis , a child of immigrants from Nicaragua and Mexico , called Villanueva ’ s reference “ highly unprofessional , inappropriate , racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t just malign me , but women everywhere , ” Solis said in a statement to The Times .
“ The sheriff needs to recognize his influence and be a good role model , as I am sure I was not the only one offended by his slur.
” It is one of the latest flare-ups in a long-running feud between L.A. County ’ s most powerful leaders that has intensified and become more personal in recent weeks .
The incident occurred as they grapple with a pandemic-induced economic slowdown that has triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other county offices , as well as the aftermath of the deputy killing of 18-year-old Andres Guardado , which has drawn national attention as leaders across the country are rethinking the role of police in communities .
Solis urged Villanueva to “ stay focused on protecting the public from wayward deputies within his department and keeping his budget tight.
” “ We are dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic and a local budget crisis , ” she said .
“ We have too much to do as we work to preserve the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment.
” Villanueva did not answer questions about what he meant by his remark , directing queries to the department ’ s Information Bureau .
A spokesman responded later , referencing a different supervisor .
“ On the topic of ‘ racist and sexist ’ comments , I would ask Supervisor [ Sheila ] Kuehl what she meant when she attacked Sheriff Villanueva on the radio and told him , among other things , to ‘ put on his big boy pants , ’ ” Lt. John Satterfield said by email .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s budget has run “ unprecedented deficits ” in the last two years .
“ He needs to operate within a balanced budget and be accountable to taxpayers .
That ’ s not a slur .
It ’ s a fact , ” she said .
Zev Yaroslavsky , who spent years as both a county supervisor and an L.A. City Council member , said Villanueva ’ s relationship with the board could stifle good policy .
“ It ’ s a governance mess , ” said Yaroslavsky , who is director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Luskin School of Public Affairs .
“ And the people are the ones that will be hurt in the end.
” Villanueva ’ s remarks about Solis were particularly disturbing to many in L.A. 's Latino community .
For centuries , La Malinche has been portrayed as the “ Mexican Eve , a traitorous woman , ” said Sandra Messinger Cypess , who has studied the historical figure for about 35 years .
“ It ’ s usually one of the most derogatory things that one could call a woman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin American literature at the University of Maryland .
“ From her name comes malinchista , which means you ’ re a sellout.
” She said that interpretation often misses the complicated history of La Malinche , who was among about 20 Indigenous women given to Cortés to “ placate him.
” Cortés found out that La Malinche spoke Mayan and Nahuatl , the language of the Aztecs , and he brought her into his entourage — a rare status for a woman , Cypess said .
What ’ s often missed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had little choice but to obey .
“ If she had said , ‘ No thanks , I don ’ t want to do this , ’ do you think she would have lived long ?
She has no agency in this position — as a woman , as an Indigenous person , as a slave , ” Cypess said .
“ She obeys whoever is her master .
That ’ s how she survives.
” There ’ s been a movement to reclaim the term and to reexamine how colonialism and patriarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director of InnerCity Struggle , who is of Mexican descent .
But she said the context of Villanueva ’ s remarks perpetuates the notion that one woman — who was oppressed and enslaved — was responsible for a colonization that caused so much trauma for so many Indigenous people .
“ We don ’ t need that old way of thinking that the sheriff is trying to perpetuate .
No way , ” Brenes said .
“ We ’ ve done too much work .
We can not let him take us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead at Dignity and Power Now , who identifies as Latinx , said Villanueva ’ s use of the term La Malinche — about whom Alé wrote her graduate thesis , she said — toward the sole Latina on the board was “ incredibly offensive.
” “ It ’ s also surprising that he , as a Latino sheriff who is currently in charge of a jail that ’ s over 50 % Latino , would use that language , ” Alé said , adding that Villanueva has resisted accountability in the Guardado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county watchdogs and the public .
“ If we ’ re talking about people who are actually harming the Latino community , Sheriff Villanueva is at the top of that list.
” Lex Steppling , who works with Alé , said the slur is “ entrenched in toxic masculinity — ‘ Not only did you sell us out , but you gave your body to them too.
’ ” He added of Villanueva : “ He really crosses the line when it comes to women of color figures in the county.
” Villanueva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with criticism of several actions by the Board of Supervisors , including a proposal to examine closing Men ’ s Central Jail .
He eventually singled out Solis , saying she went over the top in comments about law enforcement agencies conducting investigations of their own when they use fatal force .
“ Supervisor Solis , I don ’ t know if it ’ s willful ignorance on your part or a deliberate effort to misguide your constituents on the role of law enforcement and the role of the Sheriff ’ s Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d encourage you to educate yourself a little bit further before you make a comment like that , ” he said .
He went on to say that Solis had accepted $ 13.7 million in “ blood money ” from the federal government to sell out immigrants living in the U.S. illegally .
He was referencing a federal grant the Sheriff ’ s Department had applied for and accepted for years that required sending federal officials personal information about inmates who were in the country illegally .
Villanueva stopped the agency ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman said the Board of Supervisors has played no role in applying for or accepting the grant since 1999 .
Tensions between Villanueva and board members date to his campaign , when several supervisors endorsed his predecessor , former Sheriff Jim McDonnell .
The discord ramped up soon after Villanueva took office in 2018 , with fights over Sheriff ’ s Department oversight and Villanueva ’ s rehiring of deputies who had histories of misconduct .
More recently , Villanueva and board members fought over the county ’ s response to the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussions about the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s budget deficit at two board meetings , county officials said a department head could face misdemeanor charges for closing the year with a gap .
“ You did say a misdemeanor ?
” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas asked at one meeting in October .
“ Yes , sir , ” an official said .
The issue came up again in April after a question posed by Solis .
Villanueva fired back : “ There ’ s a lot of crimes that are misdemeanors , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I could go on for a long , long time about a long list of felony crimes and the consequences of them — and they ’ re done by public officials .
… Good luck with that if you ’ re gon na scare me with the claim about a misdemeanor crime.
” Supervisor Kathryn Barger asked whether that was a veiled threat .
Earlier in the pandemic , Barger and Villanueva appeared to be working together more amicably .
But that didn ’ t last long .
The supervisors voted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s chief executive officer , Sachi Hamai , in charge of its crisis response , which effectively as the director of the emergency operations center .
The supervisors said the move was long in the works , but Villanueva called it a “ silent coup ” and has complained on multiple occasions that he was left out of important pandemic-related decisions .
Recent broadsides have become more derisive .
In another Facebook broadcast last week , Villanueva fielded a question from his wife , Vivian , about the propriety of Hamai ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Way of Greater Los Angeles .
The nonprofit helped push a proposal to the Board of Supervisors that would redirect 10 % of the county ’ s general fund — which includes part of the Sheriff ’ s Department ’ s budget — to better address the needs of low-income residents in under-resourced communities .
“ Hey , Viv , sweet pea , ” Villanueva responded before reading aloud her question .
“ Apparently it is a felony if you ’ re receiving money from United Way and you ’ re on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a county officer and you ’ re voting on a measure or you ’ re facilitating a measure which you stand to gain from your position on the other third party .
That is a felony.
” Villanueva then cited a government code .
Hamai had stepped down from the United Way board Tuesday , before the supervisors ’ vote on the proposal , to avoid the appearance of any conflict .
Sheriff ’ s Department officials questioned why she did not step down sooner .
Skip Miller , an attorney representing Hamai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to Villanueva that his “ malicious lies ” amounted to defamation and threatened legal action .
“ It ’ s shocking and grossly irresponsible for anyone , much less the sheriff of Los Angeles County , to be publishing such defamatory falsehoods .
And you ’ re doing so about the top executive officer in the county that employs you , ” Miller wrote in the letter .
Miller said the government code Villanueva cited requires that a public official “ have a prohibited ‘ financial interest ’ in a matter involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that Hamai had no financial interest in the United Way , serving as an unpaid member of the board .
In a response letter Friday , Villanueva said that he was falsely accused and that Miller violated ethical rules in advising Hamai to sue him , because the attorney also represents the sheriff .
( Miller told The Times that he does not represent Villanueva and never has . )
Villanueva ’ s undersheriff , Tim Murakami , signed a letter the same day advising the supervisors that the Sheriff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unnamed “ subordinate to the Board of Supervisors ” to California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra .
He wrote that the potential charges included breach of public duty , conflicts-of-interest disclosure and a public official with a financial interest attempting to influence a political decision .
Miller inferred that the Sheriff ’ s Department was referring to Hamai and , in a response letter to Villanueva , called it retaliation and malicious prosecution .
“ If anybody should be investigated by the AG , it is you for what you ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

During a recent broadcast on Facebook, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva spent several minutes criticizing Supervisor Hilda Solis for her comments earlier that week on systemic brutality and racism by police toward people of color.
He questioned whether she was trying to sow more distrust between law enforcement and the community and said she owed an apology to Sheriff’s Department employees and all law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County.
And then the sheriff turned more personal.
“I don’t know,” he said on the live broadcast. “Are you trying to earn the title of a La Malinche? Is that what it is?”
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Many were stunned by Villanueva’s use of a name used to demean a woman as a traitor or sellout. It refers to a historical figure in Mexican culture who was the interpreter and slave of the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés and became a symbol of betrayal for facilitating the conquest of the Aztec empire.
Solis, a child of immigrants from Nicaragua and Mexico, called Villanueva’s reference “highly unprofessional, inappropriate, racist and sexist.”
“It doesn’t just malign me, but women everywhere,” Solis said in a statement to The Times. “The sheriff needs to recognize his influence and be a good role model, as I am sure I was not the only one offended by his slur.”
It is one of the latest flare-ups in a long-running feud between L.A. County’s most powerful leaders that has intensified and become more personal in recent weeks. The incident occurred as they grapple with a pandemic-induced economic slowdown that has triggered cuts to the Sheriff’s Department and other county offices, as well as the aftermath of the deputy killing of 18-year-old Andres Guardado, which has drawn national attention as leaders across the country are rethinking the role of police in communities.
Solis urged Villanueva to “stay focused on protecting the public from wayward deputies within his department and keeping his budget tight.”
“We are dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic and a local budget crisis,” she said. “We have too much to do as we work to preserve the public’s health at this critical moment.”
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Villanueva did not answer questions about what he meant by his remark, directing queries to the department’s Information Bureau. A spokesman responded later, referencing a different supervisor.
“On the topic of ‘racist and sexist’ comments, I would ask Supervisor [Sheila] Kuehl what she meant when she attacked Sheriff Villanueva on the radio and told him, among other things, to ‘put on his big boy pants,’” Lt. John Satterfield said by email.
In a statement, Kuehl responded that Villanueva’s budget has run “unprecedented deficits” in the last two years. “He needs to operate within a balanced budget and be accountable to taxpayers. That’s not a slur. It’s a fact,” she said.
Zev Yaroslavsky, who spent years as both a county supervisor and an L.A. City Council member, said Villanueva’s relationship with the board could stifle good policy.
“It’s a governance mess,” said Yaroslavsky, who is director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. “And the people are the ones that will be hurt in the end.”
Villanueva’s remarks about Solis were particularly disturbing to many in L.A.’s Latino community.
For centuries, La Malinche has been portrayed as the “Mexican Eve, a traitorous woman,” said Sandra Messinger Cypess, who has studied the historical figure for about 35 years.
“It’s usually one of the most derogatory things that one could call a woman,” said Cypess, professor emerita of Latin American literature at the University of Maryland. “From her name comes malinchista, which means you’re a sellout.”
She said that interpretation often misses the complicated history of La Malinche, who was among about 20 Indigenous women given to Cortés to “placate him.”
Cortés found out that La Malinche spoke Mayan and Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and he brought her into his entourage — a rare status for a woman, Cypess said. What’s often missed, she said, is that La Malinche had little choice but to obey.
“If she had said, ‘No thanks, I don’t want to do this,’ do you think she would have lived long? She has no agency in this position — as a woman, as an Indigenous person, as a slave,” Cypess said. “She obeys whoever is her master. That’s how she survives.”
There’s been a movement to reclaim the term and to reexamine how colonialism and patriarchy have intersected, said Maria Brenes, executive director of InnerCity Struggle, who is of Mexican descent. But she said the context of Villanueva’s remarks perpetuates the notion that one woman — who was oppressed and enslaved — was responsible for a colonization that caused so much trauma for so many Indigenous people.
“We don’t need that old way of thinking that the sheriff is trying to perpetuate. No way,” Brenes said. “We’ve done too much work. We cannot let him take us there.”
Ivette Alé, senior policy lead at Dignity and Power Now, who identifies as Latinx, said Villanueva’s use of the term La Malinche — about whom Alé wrote her graduate thesis, she said — toward the sole Latina on the board was “incredibly offensive.”
“It’s also surprising that he, as a Latino sheriff who is currently in charge of a jail that’s over 50% Latino, would use that language,” Alé said, adding that Villanueva has resisted accountability in the Guardado case by withholding video and reports from county watchdogs and the public. “If we’re talking about people who are actually harming the Latino community, Sheriff Villanueva is at the top of that list.”
(Villanueva has said that little information has been released about Guardado, who was shot and killed by a deputy June 18 in Gardena, because the investigation is ongoing.)
Lex Steppling, who works with Alé, said the slur is “entrenched in toxic masculinity — ‘Not only did you sell us out, but you gave your body to them too.’” He added of Villanueva: “He really crosses the line when it comes to women of color figures in the county.”
Villanueva’s 34-minute broadcast this month began with criticism of several actions by the Board of Supervisors, including a proposal to examine closing Men’s Central Jail. He eventually singled out Solis, saying she went over the top in comments about law enforcement agencies conducting investigations of their own when they use fatal force.
“Supervisor Solis, I don’t know if it’s willful ignorance on your part or a deliberate effort to misguide your constituents on the role of law enforcement and the role of the Sheriff’s Department investigating deputy-involved shootings, but I’d encourage you to educate yourself a little bit further before you make a comment like that,” he said.
He went on to say that Solis had accepted $13.7 million in “blood money” from the federal government to sell out immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
He was referencing a federal grant the Sheriff’s Department had applied for and accepted for years that required sending federal officials personal information about inmates who were in the country illegally. Villanueva stopped the agency’s participation in the program.
A county spokeswoman said the Board of Supervisors has played no role in applying for or accepting the grant since 1999.
Tensions between Villanueva and board members date to his campaign, when several supervisors endorsed his predecessor, former Sheriff Jim McDonnell.
The discord ramped up soon after Villanueva took office in 2018, with fights over Sheriff’s Department oversight and Villanueva’s rehiring of deputies who had histories of misconduct. More recently, Villanueva and board members fought over the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing budget cuts.
During discussions about the Sheriff’s Department’s budget deficit at two board meetings, county officials said a department head could face misdemeanor charges for closing the year with a gap.
“You did say a misdemeanor?” Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas asked at one meeting in October.
“Yes, sir,” an official said.
The issue came up again in April after a question posed by Solis.
Villanueva fired back: “There’s a lot of crimes that are misdemeanors, a lot of crimes that are felonies. And I could go on for a long, long time about a long list of felony crimes and the consequences of them — and they’re done by public officials. … Good luck with that if you’re gonna scare me with the claim about a misdemeanor crime.”
Supervisor Kathryn Barger asked whether that was a veiled threat.
Earlier in the pandemic, Barger and Villanueva appeared to be working together more amicably. But that didn’t last long.
The supervisors voted in March soon after to put the county’s chief executive officer, Sachi Hamai, in charge of its crisis response, which effectively removed Villanueva as the director of the emergency operations center. The supervisors said the move was long in the works, but Villanueva called it a “silent coup” and has complained on multiple occasions that he was left out of important pandemic-related decisions.
Recent broadsides have become more derisive.
In another Facebook broadcast last week, Villanueva fielded a question from his wife, Vivian, about the propriety of Hamai’s position on the board of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. The nonprofit helped push a proposal to the Board of Supervisors that would redirect 10% of the county’s general fund — which includes part of the Sheriff’s Department’s budget — to better address the needs of low-income residents in under-resourced communities.
“Hey, Viv, sweet pea,” Villanueva responded before reading aloud her question. “Apparently it is a felony if you’re receiving money from United Way and you’re on the board, or you’re a county officer and you’re voting on a measure or you’re facilitating a measure which you stand to gain from your position on the other third party. That is a felony.” Villanueva then cited a government code.
Hamai had stepped down from the United Way board Tuesday, before the supervisors’ vote on the proposal, to avoid the appearance of any conflict. Sheriff’s Department officials questioned why she did not step down sooner.
Skip Miller, an attorney representing Hamai and the county, said in a letter to Villanueva that his “malicious lies” amounted to defamation and threatened legal action.
“It’s shocking and grossly irresponsible for anyone, much less the sheriff of Los Angeles County, to be publishing such defamatory falsehoods. And you’re doing so about the top executive officer in the county that employs you,” Miller wrote in the letter.
Miller said the government code Villanueva cited requires that a public official “have a prohibited ‘financial interest’ in a matter involving her or his public entity” and added that Hamai had no financial interest in the United Way, serving as an unpaid member of the board.
In a response letter Friday, Villanueva said that he was falsely accused and that Miller violated ethical rules in advising Hamai to sue him, because the attorney also represents the sheriff. (Miller told The Times that he does not represent Villanueva and never has.)
Villanueva’s undersheriff, Tim Murakami, signed a letter the same day advising the supervisors that the Sheriff’s Department had referred a criminal inquiry concerning an unnamed “subordinate to the Board of Supervisors” to California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. He wrote that the potential charges included breach of public duty, conflicts-of-interest disclosure and a public official with a financial interest attempting to influence a political decision.
Miller inferred that the Sheriff’s Department was referring to Hamai and, in a response letter to Villanueva, called it retaliation and malicious prosecution.
“If anybody should be investigated by the AG, it is you for what you’ve done here,” his letter said.


latimes--2020-07-27--Developers allegedly bribed an L.A. councilman. What happens to their building plans?

Federal officials have charged Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar in an ongoing pay-to-play probe , accusing him of running a criminal enterprise fueled by bribes from real estate developers seeking to build in his downtown district .
It is unclear , however , what might happen to the as-yet unbuilt skyscrapers planned by the executives who allegedly provided those bribes .
Several council members have called for the city to reassess approvals for real estate projects mentioned in the criminal case , arguing that the building plans have been tainted by the scandal .
“ I would be disgusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles for generations and see buildings marking the city skyline that were achieved through bribery and corruption , ” said Councilman Paul Krekorian , who has also proposed barring developers implicated in criminal conduct from getting any future approvals .
But the question of what the city should — or can — do to thwart such projects could hinge on a long list of factors , including how far along developers are in the building process , what kind of approvals they have obtained , and what can be proved about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to land use attorneys interviewed by The Times .
The situation boggled some lawyers .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything like this , ” said land use attorney C.J .
Laffer .
Investigators have pinpointed at least four projects involved in the alleged bribery scheme , according to the criminal complaint against Huizar .
Although prosecutors have not identified those projects or their developers by name , key details in the document make clear that they are scrutinizing : • A 20-story residential tower planned at the corner of Hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace the Luxe City Center Hotel across from the L.A. Live entertainment complex with new towers .
• A 77-story skyscraper proposed for property occupied by the L.A. Grand Hotel Downtown on Figueroa Street .
• A 35-story tower being built in the Arts District .
None of the real estate developers mentioned in the criminal complaint have been arrested or publicly charged .
The 77-story skyscraper has yet to get city approval ; the other three have been approved but not yet completed .
The furthest along is the Arts District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prepare the Mateo Street site .
L.A. has taken an initial step to obstruct one of those projects : In June , city officials said they would push to revoke approvals for alcoholic beverages and entertainment at the Luxe City Center Hotel .
City Atty .
Mike Feuer said it was necessary “ to preserve transparency , fairness , and integrity ” in city decisions , calling the project “ the product of corruption.
” Blocking those approvals for alcohol and entertainment , however , would not otherwise stop the redevelopment project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Luxe project are still under review , according to city officials .
Rob Glushon , an attorney who represented neighbors suing over the Arts District project , said that legal deadlines to lodge new challenges over city approvals for the projects have probably passed .
But one possibility , Glushon said , could be for the city attorney to sue the developers to invalidate the project approvals based on fraud .
“ I ’ ve never seen that done , ” Glushon said .
“ But it would send a powerful message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of city approvals if they participate in criminal conduct.
” Environmental and land use attorney Mitchell Tsai likewise said the city could argue that “ you secured these entitlements under false pretenses.
” But “ it really depends on the specific facts surrounding each development , ” Tsai said .
Several attorneys said such cases could hinge on “ vested rights , ” which give California developers the right to complete a project even after government officials change the rules about what can be built .
One of the ways to gain such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if a developer has spent a significant amount of money in “ good faith reliance ” on a permit issued by the government .
The Huizar case could pose a question for the courts : Whether a real estate developer that has allegedly bribed an official can have “ good faith reliance ” on the resulting permit .
Builders can also gain vested rights by getting a kind of city approval that specifically provides them ; the Arts District project obtained such an approval , according to the planning department .
Another route @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a project , attorneys said .
Under such an agreement , a developer agrees to provide additional benefits for the community — such as funding for affordable housing or infrastructure improvements — in exchange for getting those vested rights for an extended period of time .
The Luxe City Center Hotel project has such an agreement .
Council members want the city attorney to examine whether Government Code 1090 , which prohibits officials from being “ financially interested ” in contracts they agree to , could void any development agreements .
William Fulton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Planning and Development Report newsletter , said L.A. 's situation could test whether that law applies to development agreements .
He pointed out that Santa Monica officials unraveled such an agreement six years ago in the face of community opposition to a planned project .
“ There ’ s been a lot of debate about when an approval can be undone , but I don ’ t think it ’ s ever been tested in a bribery context , ” Fulton said .
If the courts decide against it , “ I wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state bill to address this.
” Another possible question , in court , is whether bribing one member of the City Council can invalidate an approval that was granted by the entire council .
In Los Angeles , council members tend to defer to the official who represents the area where a building project is planned , but development decisions are ultimately voted on by the full council .
The alleged bribes mentioned in the criminal complaint against Huizar include $ 600,000 for a loan to help the councilman quietly settle a sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars handed over in a paper bag ; free flights on private jets , gambling chips and meals ; and damaging information on former aides suing Huizar .
Developer Dae Yong Lee , whose company has pursued the Hill Street project , is cooperating with the investigation , according to his attorney , who said they “ look forward to a swift resolution clearing his name.
” An attorney for Shenzhen Hazens , which got approval to redevelop the Luxe City Center Hotel , did not respond to a request for comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ skyscraper , Shenzhen New World Group , could not be reached .
And Carmel Partners , which pushed for the Arts District project , said it had put one of its executives on leave but said that members of its executive committees did not knowingly participate in any pay-to-play scheme involving Huizar .
Even if the four projects mentioned in the case had already been built , courts have sometimes taken action to invalidate permits or tear down buildings that are partly or fully constructed .
Perhaps the most infamous case is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who faced criminal charges and a civil lawsuit over a home that city officials said was far bigger than approved .
In December , a judge ordered that the unfinished mansion be torn down to the slab , but Hadid has appealed , and the structure still stands .
In Hollywood , a legal battle over a new tower at Sunset Boulevard and Gordon Street led a judge to invalidate its construction permits , eventually forcing residents to move out .
The City Council later voted to approve the project a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who represented the group that sued over the Sunset and Gordon project , argued that if the permits could be invalidated in that case , “ why can ’ t that happen in the far more egregious situation of criminal fraud , bribery and corruption of public officials ?
” He argued that federal officials should pursue criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings against the building owners .
In the Arts District , a group of nearby residents sent a letter to Carmel Partners urging the firm to reassess its project on Mateo Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process was corrupt and unreliable.
” Among their concerns are traffic and safety impacts and the height of the tower , which was slated to be the tallest building in the neighborhood when approved .
Residents have debated whether to urge the city to toss out its approvals entirely , amid concerns that such a demand could backfire , said Erica Berger , a resident of the nearby Molino Street Lofts .
Another group , the nonprofit Affordable Housing for Artists , argued that the project needed more affordable housing , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing in a “ corrupt exchange for political contributions and other monetary considerations , ” as alleged by federal prosecutors .
“ If they want to continue that project , they should start from scratch , ” its director Jonathan Jerald said .
Carmel Partners has argued that the project , including its share of affordable units , was shaped by community concerns and said its political contributions were not the reason it won approval .

The site of the 520 Mateo project, a planned 35-story tower in the Arts District developed by the San Francisco-based real estate firm Carmel Partners.
Federal officials have charged Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar in an ongoing pay-to-play probe, accusing him of running a criminal enterprise fueled by bribes from real estate developers seeking to build in his downtown district.
It is unclear, however, what might happen to the as-yet unbuilt skyscrapers planned by the executives who allegedly provided those bribes. Several council members have called for the city to reassess approvals for real estate projects mentioned in the criminal case, arguing that the building plans have been tainted by the scandal.
“I would be disgusted if we had to drive through downtown Los Angeles for generations and see buildings marking the city skyline that were achieved through bribery and corruption,” said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who has also proposed barring developers implicated in criminal conduct from getting any future approvals.
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But the question of what the city should — or can — do to thwart such projects could hinge on a long list of factors, including how far along developers are in the building process, what kind of approvals they have obtained, and what can be proved about the alleged bribery in the federal case, according to land use attorneys interviewed by The Times.
The situation boggled some lawyers. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” said land use attorney C.J. Laffer.
Investigators have pinpointed at least four projects involved in the alleged bribery scheme, according to the criminal complaint against Huizar. Although prosecutors have not identified those projects or their developers by name, key details in the document make clear that they are scrutinizing:
• A 20-story residential tower planned at the corner of Hill Street and Olympic Boulevard.
• Plans to replace the Luxe City Center Hotel across from the L.A. Live entertainment complex with new towers.
• A 77-story skyscraper proposed for property occupied by the L.A. Grand Hotel Downtown on Figueroa Street.
• A 35-story tower being built in the Arts District.
None of the real estate developers mentioned in the criminal complaint have been arrested or publicly charged. The 77-story skyscraper has yet to get city approval; the other three have been approved but not yet completed. The furthest along is the Arts District tower, which started work this year to prepare the Mateo Street site.
L.A. has taken an initial step to obstruct one of those projects: In June, city officials said they would push to revoke approvals for alcoholic beverages and entertainment at the Luxe City Center Hotel. City Atty. Mike Feuer said it was necessary “to preserve transparency, fairness, and integrity” in city decisions, calling the project “the product of corruption.”
Blocking those approvals for alcohol and entertainment, however, would not otherwise stop the redevelopment project from moving forward. Other approvals for the Luxe project are still under review, according to city officials.
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Rob Glushon, an attorney who represented neighbors suing over the Arts District project, said that legal deadlines to lodge new challenges over city approvals for the projects have probably passed. But one possibility, Glushon said, could be for the city attorney to sue the developers to invalidate the project approvals based on fraud.
“I’ve never seen that done,” Glushon said. “But it would send a powerful message to developers that they risk the loss of city approvals if they participate in criminal conduct.”
Environmental and land use attorney Mitchell Tsai likewise said the city could argue that “you secured these entitlements under false pretenses.” But “it really depends on the specific facts surrounding each development,” Tsai said.
Several attorneys said such cases could hinge on “vested rights,” which give California developers the right to complete a project even after government officials change the rules about what can be built.
One of the ways to gain such rights, under California law, is if a developer has spent a significant amount of money in “good faith reliance” on a permit issued by the government. The Huizar case could pose a question for the courts: Whether a real estate developer that has allegedly bribed an official can have “good faith reliance” on the resulting permit.
Builders can also gain vested rights by getting a kind of city approval that specifically provides them; the Arts District project obtained such an approval, according to the planning department.
Another route is entering into a development agreement for a project, attorneys said. Under such an agreement, a developer agrees to provide additional benefits for the community — such as funding for affordable housing or infrastructure improvements — in exchange for getting those vested rights for an extended period of time. The Luxe City Center Hotel project has such an agreement.
Council members want the city attorney to examine whether Government Code 1090, which prohibits officials from being “financially interested” in contracts they agree to, could void any development agreements.
William Fulton, founder and publisher of the California Planning and Development Report newsletter, said L.A.’s situation could test whether that law applies to development agreements. He pointed out that Santa Monica officials unraveled such an agreement six years ago in the face of community opposition to a planned project.
“There’s been a lot of debate about when an approval can be undone, but I don’t think it’s ever been tested in a bribery context,” Fulton said. If the courts decide against it, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a state bill to address this.”
Another possible question, in court, is whether bribing one member of the City Council can invalidate an approval that was granted by the entire council. In Los Angeles, council members tend to defer to the official who represents the area where a building project is planned, but development decisions are ultimately voted on by the full council.
The alleged bribes mentioned in the criminal complaint against Huizar include $600,000 for a loan to help the councilman quietly settle a sexual harassment lawsuit; hundreds of thousands of dollars handed over in a paper bag; free flights on private jets, gambling chips and meals; and damaging information on former aides suing Huizar.
Developer Dae Yong Lee, whose company has pursued the Hill Street project, is cooperating with the investigation, according to his attorney, who said they “look forward to a swift resolution clearing his name.”
An attorney for Shenzhen Hazens, which got approval to redevelop the Luxe City Center Hotel, did not respond to a request for comment. The firm seeking to build the 77-story skyscraper, Shenzhen New World Group, could not be reached.
California Garcetti, Martinez call on L.A. City Councilman Huizar to resign L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez called on Councilman Jose Huizar to resign amid an ongoing federal investigation into a City Hall “pay-to-play” scandal. Huizar has not been charged.
And Carmel Partners, which pushed for the Arts District project, said it had put one of its executives on leave but said that members of its executive committees did not knowingly participate in any pay-to-play scheme involving Huizar.
Even if the four projects mentioned in the case had already been built, courts have sometimes taken action to invalidate permits or tear down buildings that are partly or fully constructed.
Perhaps the most infamous case is the Bel Air mega-mansion developed by Mohamed Hadid, who faced criminal charges and a civil lawsuit over a home that city officials said was far bigger than approved. In December, a judge ordered that the unfinished mansion be torn down to the slab, but Hadid has appealed, and the structure still stands.
In Hollywood, a legal battle over a new tower at Sunset Boulevard and Gordon Street led a judge to invalidate its construction permits, eventually forcing residents to move out. The City Council later voted to approve the project a second time.
Attorney Robert P. Silverstein, who represented the group that sued over the Sunset and Gordon project, argued that if the permits could be invalidated in that case, “why can’t that happen in the far more egregious situation of criminal fraud, bribery and corruption of public officials?” He argued that federal officials should pursue criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings against the building owners.
In the Arts District, a group of nearby residents sent a letter to Carmel Partners urging the firm to reassess its project on Mateo Street, “since its permitting and approval process was corrupt and unreliable.” Among their concerns are traffic and safety impacts and the height of the tower, which was slated to be the tallest building in the neighborhood when approved.
Residents have debated whether to urge the city to toss out its approvals entirely, amid concerns that such a demand could backfire, said Erica Berger, a resident of the nearby Molino Street Lofts.
Another group, the nonprofit Affordable Housing for Artists, argued that the project needed more affordable housing, saying that Huizar had “traded away” such housing in a “corrupt exchange for political contributions and other monetary considerations,” as alleged by federal prosecutors.
“If they want to continue that project, they should start from scratch,” its director Jonathan Jerald said.
Carmel Partners has argued that the project, including its share of affordable units, was shaped by community concerns and said its political contributions were not the reason it won approval.
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-27--California desperate for signs of turnaround after stunning coronavirus setbacks

Coronavirus cases surging .
Hospitals filling up .
Reopening of schools postponed .
Battles over wearing masks in public intensifying .
July has brought a month of grim COVID-19 headlines for California , with a state once seen as a model of prevention enduring a new surge in cases as the economy rapidly reopened .
But will July end with more bad news or some tentative signs that the efforts to slow infections by closing down some businesses and institutions might be paying off ?
Health officials are anxious for more signs of the latter , especially amid indications that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plateau .
“ We are at the phase of just beginning to flatten the curve , albeit at a higher level than before , ” Dr. Robert Kim-Farley , medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health , said Sunday of California .
“ I would anticipate — depending upon the cooperation of the public — we would start seeing cases beginning to go down in the next couple of weeks.
” Kim-Farley said Sunday that , based on the information available now , it won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , in perhaps two to three weeks , parts of California might be at a point where some businesses can be reopened in a slow , phased manner .
The state ’ s hospital system has not been broadly overwhelmed in this latest surge , Kim-Farley said .
And where there was an overwhelmed hospital system in a local hot spot , the issue in some cases was a shortage of medical staffing , rather than physical beds .
Some of that has been relieved by transferring patients to other nearby counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being assigned to hospitals in the Central Valley and Southern California , he said .
Other hot-spot states are also starting to show signs of improvement .
The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive is starting to decline in Arizona and Texas , although “ it ’ s a little bit more of a mixed bag in Florida and California , ” Dr. Scott Gottlieb , former head of the Food and Drug Administration , said on CBS ’ ” Face the Nation ” on Sunday .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another week to see how those states net out .
But there are unmistakable signs that the epidemic seems to be slowing in these states , ” Gottlieb said .
But he warned that the pandemic seemed to be heating up in other states in the South , the Midwest and the District of Columbia .
In Arizona , the seven-day positivity rate — the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of all who have been tested — was 22 % , down from 28 % in mid-July , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles Times analysis has found that California ’ s seven-day positivity rate has generally stayed between 7 % and 8 % since July 5 .
That rate is worse than it was in late May , when it was around 4 % , officials note , but at least the rate is no longer on a sustained upward trajectory as it was in June .
A higher positivity rate indicates the disease ’ s spread is worsening .
In L.A. County , the positivity rate has remained stable at about 8.5 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 % in late May .
“ The fact that we ’ re leveling off is encouraging , ” said Barbara Ferrer , the L.A. County director of public health , last week .
“ We ’ d like to see it drop again.
” There remain worrisome numbers statewide .
The effective transmission rate of the coronavirus across California is hovering around 1.1 to 1.3 , meaning each person infected in the state , on average , transmits the illness to 1.1 to 1.3 people — setting the stage for worsening disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency , Dr. Mark Ghaly .
The transmission rate is now worse in Northern and Central California than in much of Southern California , according to models posted by state public health officials .
Spread of COVID-19 is probably stable in L.A. , San Diego , Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino and Imperial counties , but probably increasing in Ventura County , the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley .
Dr. George Rutherford , a UC San Francisco epidemiologist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a town hall meeting that indicated the transmission rate in San Francisco , Santa Clara , Contra Costa and San Mateo counties was around 1.3 or 1.4 .
“ This is far , far , far from satisfactory , ” Rutherford said .
There are also some concerns about a shortage of a key antiviral drug — remdesivir — that has been used to shorten patients ’ recovery time .
Bay Area “ hospitals & many more around the country are beginning to run out of # remdesivir , ” Dr. Peter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco , tweeted .
Last week , California on Wednesday and Thursday recorded more than 150 deaths on each of those days — the worst single-day fatality numbers since the pandemic began .
Deaths tend to be a lagging indicator of an outbreak , and experts say they believe the deaths are tied to infections that probably occurred in June when people left their homes in droves and went back to old pre-COVID activities such as parties , or worked in places that had failed to institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surge , California has seen far fewer deaths — more than 8,400 — from COVID-19 than New York , which has recorded more than 32,000 deaths and was the nation ’ s worst early hot spot .
But officials have warned that the situation here could quickly deteriorate .
San Francisco has remained in what officials last week called its red zone , given its rapid increase in hospitalizations , and officials warned that an overwhelming of hospitals as New York saw in the springtime was still possible .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York-like situation in the late summer or early fall .
That ’ s why everyone needs to do their part to flatten the curve , ” said Dr. Grant Colfax , the director of public health in San Francisco .
The number of new patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization in L.A. County , which had been rising , has become flat and is maybe even starting to decrease , said Dr. Christina Ghaly , the L.A. County director of health services .
It ’ s plateaued at a substantially worse number than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest an improvement .
The number of ICU beds in L.A. County available for use has also remained stable , ranging from 130 to 160 beds on any given day .
“ I hope this week marks a turning point , and that we ’ ll start to see the results of our corrective actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 , ” said Dr. Muntu Davis , health officer for L.A. County , on Thursday .
It can take three to four weeks after exposure to the virus for infected people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and four to five weeks after exposure for some of the most vulnerable patients to die from the disease .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said last week that state officials were preparing hospitals for what could come .
At a news conference held in a Sacramento warehouse housing personal protective equipment , Newsom said Wednesday he was extending a contract with to buy 300 million more surgical masks and 120 million additional N95 face masks to protect medical workers and others while also seeking bids from companies that could provide protective gear in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is worth $ 315 million .
The governor said the step was necessary because California was sending out 46 million masks per month and had an inventory of 111 million N95 masks .
“ We were able to bend the curve many months ago in the state of California , ” Newsom said .
“ That bought us time to purchase and procure the kind of equipment you see behind me and put together our plans.
” The California Hospital Assn .
is asking the Newsom administration to seek additional federal help in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratios as conditions worsen .
Newsom said the state had a strategy “ to address the prospect of a surge in hospital utilization , the need to develop alternative care sites outside of our hospital system to help isolate and quarantine individuals.
” The governor acknowledged that he continued to hear complaints from medical workers who were not getting enough medical masks and other protective equipment despite increased deliveries by the state .
He said one advocate for nurses told him recently that many were getting only two or three masks a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s unacceptable , ” Newsom said .
“ We still hear those stories , and we have got to address that issue.
” Lin and Dolan reported from San Francisco , McGreevy from Sacramento .

Rong-Gong Lin II, Maura Dolan, Patrick McGreevy

Coronavirus cases surging. Hospitals filling up. Reopening of schools postponed. Battles over wearing masks in public intensifying.
July has brought a month of grim COVID-19 headlines for California, with a state once seen as a model of prevention enduring a new surge in cases as the economy rapidly reopened.
But will July end with more bad news or some tentative signs that the efforts to slow infections by closing down some businesses and institutions might be paying off?
Health officials are anxious for more signs of the latter, especially amid indications that other hot-spot states may be beginning to plateau.
“We are at the phase of just beginning to flatten the curve, albeit at a higher level than before,” Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said Sunday of California. “I would anticipate — depending upon the cooperation of the public — we would start seeing cases beginning to go down in the next couple of weeks.”
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Kim-Farley said Sunday that, based on the information available now, it won’t be necessary to close more businesses and, in perhaps two to three weeks, parts of California might be at a point where some businesses can be reopened in a slow, phased manner.
The state’s hospital system has not been broadly overwhelmed in this latest surge, Kim-Farley said. And where there was an overwhelmed hospital system in a local hot spot, the issue in some cases was a shortage of medical staffing, rather than physical beds. Some of that has been relieved by transferring patients to other nearby counties, and by federal doctors and nurses being assigned to hospitals in the Central Valley and Southern California, he said.
Other hot-spot states are also starting to show signs of improvement. The rate at which coronavirus test results are coming back positive is starting to decline in Arizona and Texas, although “it’s a little bit more of a mixed bag in Florida and California,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, said on CBS’ ”Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“We’re going to have to wait another week to see how those states net out. But there are unmistakable signs that the epidemic seems to be slowing in these states,” Gottlieb said. But he warned that the pandemic seemed to be heating up in other states in the South, the Midwest and the District of Columbia.
In Arizona, the seven-day positivity rate — the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of all who have been tested — was 22%, down from 28% in mid-July, according to the COVID Tracking Project. A Los Angeles Times analysis has found that California’s seven-day positivity rate has generally stayed between 7% and 8% since July 5. That rate is worse than it was in late May, when it was around 4%, officials note, but at least the rate is no longer on a sustained upward trajectory as it was in June. A higher positivity rate indicates the disease’s spread is worsening.
The rate at which California’s coronavirus test results are coming back positive has remained roughly stable in the last couple of weeks — between 7% and 8%. (Los Angeles Times )
In L.A. County, the positivity rate has remained stable at about 8.5% since July 1. It was about 4% in late May. “The fact that we’re leveling off is encouraging,” said Barbara Ferrer, the L.A. County director of public health, last week. “We’d like to see it drop again.”
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There remain worrisome numbers statewide. The effective transmission rate of the coronavirus across California is hovering around 1.1 to 1.3, meaning each person infected in the state, on average, transmits the illness to 1.1 to 1.3 people — setting the stage for worsening disease transmission, according to data shared Friday by the secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, Dr. Mark Ghaly.
The transmission rate is now worse in Northern and Central California than in much of Southern California, according to models posted by state public health officials. Spread of COVID-19 is probably stable in L.A., San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties, but probably increasing in Ventura County, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley.
Dr. George Rutherford, a UC San Francisco epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert, presented data Friday at a town hall meeting that indicated the transmission rate in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and San Mateo counties was around 1.3 or 1.4. “This is far, far, far from satisfactory,” Rutherford said.
There are also some concerns about a shortage of a key antiviral drug — remdesivir — that has been used to shorten patients’ recovery time. Bay Area “hospitals & many more around the country are beginning to run out of #remdesivir,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, tweeted.
Last week, California on Wednesday and Thursday recorded more than 150 deaths on each of those days — the worst single-day fatality numbers since the pandemic began. Deaths tend to be a lagging indicator of an outbreak, and experts say they believe the deaths are tied to infections that probably occurred in June when people left their homes in droves and went back to old pre-COVID activities such as parties, or worked in places that had failed to institute new health and safety precautions.
Despite the surge, California has seen far fewer deaths — more than 8,400 — from COVID-19 than New York, which has recorded more than 32,000 deaths and was the nation’s worst early hot spot. But officials have warned that the situation here could quickly deteriorate.
San Francisco has remained in what officials last week called its red zone, given its rapid increase in hospitalizations, and officials warned that an overwhelming of hospitals as New York saw in the springtime was still possible.
“It’s plausible we could get in a New York-like situation in the late summer or early fall. That’s why everyone needs to do their part to flatten the curve,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, the director of public health in San Francisco.
The number of new patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization in L.A. County, which had been rising, has become flat and is maybe even starting to decrease, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, the L.A. County director of health services.
It’s plateaued at a substantially worse number than in April, but the data nonetheless suggest an improvement. The number of ICU beds in L.A. County available for use has also remained stable, ranging from 130 to 160 beds on any given day.
“I hope this week marks a turning point, and that we’ll start to see the results of our corrective actions to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, health officer for L.A. County, on Thursday.
It can take three to four weeks after exposure to the virus for infected people to become sick enough to be hospitalized, and four to five weeks after exposure for some of the most vulnerable patients to die from the disease.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that state officials were preparing hospitals for what could come.
At a news conference held in a Sacramento warehouse housing personal protective equipment, Newsom said Wednesday he was extending a contract with Chinese firm BYD to buy 300 million more surgical masks and 120 million additional N95 face masks to protect medical workers and others while also seeking bids from companies that could provide protective gear in future months. The so-called bridge contract is worth $315 million.
The governor said the step was necessary because California was sending out 46 million masks per month and had an inventory of 111 million N95 masks.
“We were able to bend the curve many months ago in the state of California,” Newsom said. “That bought us time to purchase and procure the kind of equipment you see behind me and put together our plans.”
The California Hospital Assn. is asking the Newsom administration to seek additional federal help in providing staff and to rethink existing nurse-patient ratios as conditions worsen.
Newsom said the state had a strategy “to address the prospect of a surge in hospital utilization, the need to develop alternative care sites outside of our hospital system to help isolate and quarantine individuals.”
The governor acknowledged that he continued to hear complaints from medical workers who were not getting enough medical masks and other protective equipment despite increased deliveries by the state.
He said one advocate for nurses told him recently that many were getting only two or three masks a week, although medical standards require more.
“That’s unacceptable,” Newsom said. “We still hear those stories, and we have got to address that issue.”
Lin and Dolan reported from San Francisco, McGreevy from Sacramento.


latimes--2020-07-26--Brush fire burns Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach

Firefighters quickly brought under control a brush fire that ignited Sunday in the Bolsa Chica wetlands area of Huntington Beach @ @ @ @ @ Coast Highway and south of Warner Avenue began at 4 p.m. and triggered a voluntary @ @ @ @ @ .
The blaze grew to 63 acres and was fully contained by 7 pm.
, @ @ @ @ @ spokesman Eric Blaska .
The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a 1,300-acre coastal estuary known @ @ @ @ @ It is still unknown how the fire might affect the wetlands ’ delicate ecosystem .

Firefighters on Sunday quickly brought under control most of a small brush fire that burned in the Bolsa Chica wetlands area of Huntington Beach.
Firefighters quickly brought under control a brush fire that ignited Sunday in the Bolsa Chica wetlands area of Huntington Beach.
The fire near Pacific Coast Highway and south of Warner Avenue began at 4 p.m. and triggered a voluntary evacuation of the Brightwater neighborhood.
The blaze grew to 63 acres and was fully contained by 7 pm., said Huntington Beach Fire Department spokesman Eric Blaska.
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The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is a 1,300-acre coastal estuary known for its rare seabirds. It is still unknown how the fire might affect the wetlands’ delicate ecosystem.


latimes--2020-07-26--Seven hurt, four arrested in scuffle between police and protesters in downtown L.A.

Seven people , four of them police officers , were treated for minor injuries after scuffles between police and protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night , according to authorities .
Demonstrators had organized the actions in response to federal agents being sent to Portland , Ore. , to put down nightly protests that began two months ago following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police .
One altercation erupted about 5:30 p.m. , the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release .
Police said it started when some people in a crowd of peaceful protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers , ” but video captured by KTLA-TV shows a police officer shoving a woman outside the U.S .
Courthouse on First Street , prompting a man to run over and push the officer to the ground .
The man was then surrounded by police officers and struck with a baton , the video shows , while officers pushed two other women who appeared to be trying to come to his aid , pinning one of them to the ground .
At least one officer appeared to fire less-lethal projectiles into the crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on suspicion of battery on a police officer and one on suspicion of causing a disturbance , police said .
“ The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to making certain that Angelenos can exercise their First Amendment rights peacefully , and we can not allow violence and destruction of property to put anyone ’ s safety at risk — whether they be officers , demonstrators , or bystanders , ” Chief Michel Moore said Sunday in a statement .
Protesters had also marched along the 101 Freeway , blocking traffic , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Police had issued a citywide tactical alert in response to the protests , a move that allows the department to have more officers and resources available .
Another protest took place Sunday afternoon in Westwood .
Video broadcast on local media outlets showed several hundred people gathered at Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue , not far from the Westwood Federal Building .
And in Oakland , a small group of demonstrators wearing helmets and goggles set fire to a courthouse , vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esquivel and the Associated Press contributed to this report .

Seven people, four of them police officers, were treated for minor injuries after scuffles between police and protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night, according to authorities.
Demonstrators had organized the actions in response to federal agents being sent to Portland, Ore., to put down nightly protests that began two months ago following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
One altercation erupted about 5:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release. Police said it started when some people in a crowd of peaceful protesters “began to direct physical assaults on officers,” but video captured by KTLA-TV shows a police officer shoving a woman outside the U.S. Courthouse on First Street, prompting a man to run over and push the officer to the ground.
Violent clashes broke out among police and demonstrators in downtown L.A. amid protests at City Hall and the Federal Buildinghttps://t.co/cjk4nrJNEu pic.twitter.com/jFzgu8T62a — KTLA (@KTLA) July 26, 2020
The man was then surrounded by police officers and struck with a baton, the video shows, while officers pushed two other women who appeared to be trying to come to his aid, pinning one of them to the ground. At least one officer appeared to fire less-lethal projectiles into the crowd.
Four people were arrested, three on suspicion of battery on a police officer and one on suspicion of causing a disturbance, police said.
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“The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to making certain that Angelenos can exercise their First Amendment rights peacefully, and we cannot allow violence and destruction of property to put anyone’s safety at risk — whether they be officers, demonstrators, or bystanders,” Chief Michel Moore said Sunday in a statement.
Protesters had also marched along the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic, and committed some acts of vandalism, police said.
Police had issued a citywide tactical alert in response to the protests, a move that allows the department to have more officers and resources available.
Another protest took place Sunday afternoon in Westwood. Video broadcast on local media outlets showed several hundred people gathered at Wilshire Boulevard and Veteran Avenue, not far from the Westwood Federal Building.
And in Oakland, a small group of demonstrators wearing helmets and goggles set fire to a courthouse, vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers, authorities said.
Times staff writer Paloma Esquivel and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-26--Even with incomplete data, L.A. County records 1,703 new coronavirus cases and 10 related deaths

Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday reported 1,703 new COVID-19 cases and 10 related deaths .
However , they cautioned that the information is incomplete , and the true numbers could be higher .
“ The data reported today is incomplete due to delays in the state electronic lab reporting system , ” the county Department of Public Health said in a news statement .
“ The number of cases is expected to increase in the coming days once the data becomes available.
” Overall , officials have identified 173,995 coronavirus cases in the county and reported 4,360 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Countywide , authorities say , there are 2,033 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 ; 31 % of them are in intensive care .
However , six hospitals did not provide their most recent information , officials said .
Of the 10 new deaths in L.A. County , three were older than 80 , three were between 65 and 79 , one was between 50 and 64 and one was between 30 and 49 .
Details on two of the victims were not immediately available .
About 92 % of people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , officials said .
“ We send our condolences and prayers to our neighbors who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 , including the families and colleagues mourning two devoted first responders — a city of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter and a Los Angeles Police Department officer , ” said county Health Director Barbara Ferrer , referring to two additional deaths in recent days .
“ The actions each of us take affect the lives of others , including the very people we rely on to protect us — first responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We know that staying physically distant from people not in your household , wearing face coverings and washing hands frequently works to slow the spread of COVID-19 and saves lives .
This pandemic has been tragic for many and frustrating and exhausting for most .
We know the sooner we get back to slowing the spread , the sooner we can move forward on our recovery journey.
” The Los Angeles Times is keeping track of COVID-19 cases statewide .
Keep up with the latest here .

Los Angeles County health officials on Sunday reported 1,703 new COVID-19 cases and 10 related deaths. However, they cautioned that the information is incomplete, and the true numbers could be higher.
“The data reported today is incomplete due to delays in the state electronic lab reporting system,” the county Department of Public Health said in a news statement. “The number of cases is expected to increase in the coming days once the data becomes available.”
Overall, officials have identified 173,995 coronavirus cases in the county and reported 4,360 deaths since the outbreak began in the spring.
Countywide, authorities say, there are 2,033 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19; 31% of them are in intensive care. However, six hospitals did not provide their most recent information, officials said.
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Of the 10 new deaths in L.A. County, three were older than 80, three were between 65 and 79, one was between 50 and 64 and one was between 30 and 49. Details on two of the victims were not immediately available.
About 92% of people who have died from COVID-19 have had underlying health conditions, officials said.
“We send our condolences and prayers to our neighbors who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, including the families and colleagues mourning two devoted first responders — a city of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter and a Los Angeles Police Department officer,” said county Health Director Barbara Ferrer, referring to two additional deaths in recent days.
“The actions each of us take affect the lives of others, including the very people we rely on to protect us — first responders and healthcare workers,” she added. “We know that staying physically distant from people not in your household, wearing face coverings and washing hands frequently works to slow the spread of COVID-19 and saves lives. This pandemic has been tragic for many and frustrating and exhausting for most. We know the sooner we get back to slowing the spread, the sooner we can move forward on our recovery journey.”
The Los Angeles Times is keeping track of COVID-19 cases statewide. Keep up with the latest here.


latimes--2020-07-26--Arrest made in fatal shooting of teenage girl in Hollywood

Los Angeles police have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a teenage girl in Hollywood early Sunday that was captured on videos posted on social media .
Ramon Roque Monreal , 33 , of El Paso was arrested by detectives shortly before noon Sunday , Los Angeles Police Department officials said .
Monreal was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held in lieu of $ 3-million bail .
The 17-year-old victim was from Huntington Park and was struck by gunfire near the popular intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue about 12:15 a.m. Sunday , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , LAPD Officer Luis Garcia said .
The coroner has not yet released her identity .
As part of their investigation , detectives are studying videos posted on social media that appeared to show the moments before and after the shooting .
“ We ’ ve seen them , ” Garcia said .
“ The detectives are going to review them.
” In one video , a man wearing a black shirt , dark pants and white shoes , who police say is Monreal , can be seen confronting on the street a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gray shorts and sandals .
The context of the confrontation is unclear , but the man in the black shirt says , “ You down to do some [ stuff ] like that ?
” and pulls out a handgun from his waistband , keeps it at his waist and pulls the slide back , apparently chambering a round .
A third man who was watching the confrontation immediately swings and punches the gunman in the head twice from behind , knocking him to the ground .
As the gunman tumbles , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man who punched the gunman continues his attack while another individual kicks the gunman .
The gunman then appears to fire three quick shots as he jumps to his feet , scattering the crowd .
At that point , the person recording the video pans toward the sidewalk at the corner of the intersection , where a girl who was a good distance from the fight can be seen lying face down and unresponsive .
A second video shows the female victim on the sidewalk seconds after the shots were fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doughnut in the intersection before the shooting , leaving the street covered in black skid marks .
Authorities said she had been at the intersection watching street racers before the shooting .
In one of the videos , someone can be heard saying , “ They … shot her.
” In the other , someone is screaming at the girl and trying to move her .
“ Girl who was shot had literally nothing to do with anything and ya ’ ll just made the Car Scene way hotter ... RIP to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video captions reads .
Monreal was arrested hours after the shooting during an unrelated police call , officials said .
Police said they found him armed with a gun .

Los Angeles police have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a teenage girl in Hollywood early Sunday that was captured on videos posted on social media.
Ramon Roque Monreal, 33, of El Paso was arrested by detectives shortly before noon Sunday, Los Angeles Police Department officials said. Monreal was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held in lieu of $3-million bail.
The 17-year-old victim was from Huntington Park and was struck by gunfire near the popular intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, LAPD Officer Luis Garcia said. The coroner has not yet released her identity.
As part of their investigation, detectives are studying videos posted on social media that appeared to show the moments before and after the shooting.
“We’ve seen them,” Garcia said. “The detectives are going to review them.”
In one video, a man wearing a black shirt, dark pants and white shoes, who police say is Monreal, can be seen confronting on the street a larger man wearing a white shirt, gray shorts and sandals.
The context of the confrontation is unclear, but the man in the black shirt says, “You down to do some [stuff] like that?” and pulls out a handgun from his waistband, keeps it at his waist and pulls the slide back, apparently chambering a round.
A third man who was watching the confrontation immediately swings and punches the gunman in the head twice from behind, knocking him to the ground. As the gunman tumbles, the man he had been confronting walks away. The man who punched the gunman continues his attack while another individual kicks the gunman.
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The gunman then appears to fire three quick shots as he jumps to his feet, scattering the crowd. At that point, the person recording the video pans toward the sidewalk at the corner of the intersection, where a girl who was a good distance from the fight can be seen lying face down and unresponsive.
A second video shows the female victim on the sidewalk seconds after the shots were fired. It also shows a vehicle doing a doughnut in the intersection before the shooting, leaving the street covered in black skid marks.
Authorities said she had been at the intersection watching street racers before the shooting.
In one of the videos, someone can be heard saying, “They … shot her.” In the other, someone is screaming at the girl and trying to move her.
“Girl who was shot had literally nothing to do with anything and ya’ll just made the Car Scene way hotter...RIP to that girl,” one of the video captions reads.
Monreal was arrested hours after the shooting during an unrelated police call, officials said. Police said they found him armed with a gun.