Los Angeles, Ca
82 arrested, 2K pounds of copper wire seized by LAPD's Heavy Metal Task Force
In a massive downtown raid, members of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Heavy Metal Task Force arrested 82 people and seized 2,000 pounds of stolen copper wire, city leaders announced Tuesday.
Formed earlier this year, the Heavy Metal Task Force, which includes members of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting, have been working to combat the sharp increase of copper wire thefts and scrap metal crimes, especially in areas like downtown L.A., Boyle Heights, El Sereno and Lincoln Heights.
“The city of Los Angeles is no longer your ATM machine,” Councilman Kevin de León said at a Tuesday press conference.
De León and Councilwoman Traci Parks worked to form the task force after many streets in their district, including the recently renovated 6th Street Bridge, went dark as a result of copper thieves.
“Wire theft is not a victimless crime,” Parks said at the presser.
According to officials, the city has spent tens of millions of dollars on repairing damage caused by these thieves, many of whom use handsaws to tear through the metal panels housing the copper wire.
In January, De León said that in his district alone, some 3,700 streetlights were out.
The problem, officials say, is not simply the cost of repairs, but that leaving neighborhoods and parks in the dark is a threat to the public.
“It impacts the most vulnerable communities in the city of L.A., Black and brown neighborhoods,” he said Tuesday. “It impacts youth at parks, senior citizens, singles mothers at parks who get out of town by sundown because they’re in fear for their life when they have to walk home.”
L.A. is not alone in dealing with these types of crimes. In Pasadena, officials are working to make it harder for crooks to access these metals, which are often inside unique and historic architecture throughout the city.
The city’s streetlights are a major target for thieves.
“Some of these currents are up to 3,000 volts, which could be lethal,” Pasadena Public Works Commissioner Garrett Crawford told KTLA. “They leave a dangerous condition out in the public right of way, and we need a remedy right away.”
Pasadena is even offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of these metal thieves.
“We’ve all had enough,” Parks said. “We’re cracking down and people will, in fact, be held accountable for their conduct.”
No information about the identities of those arrested was provided.
Los Angeles, Ca
2 killed in high-speed crash on Mulholland Highway
Two men were killed in a high-speed crash on Mulholland Highway in Calabasas over the weekend, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The driver, 45-year-old Omri Moalem, was heading south in a gray Porsche 2-door convertible near Dry Canyon Cold Creek Road before 7:30 p.m. on June 20 when he lost control, authorities […]
Los Angeles, Ca
L.A. Tenants Union trying to save business owner given eviction notice ‘without reason or discussion’
The Los Angeles Tenants Union (LATU) is trying to save a Highland Park business after they say the owner was given 60 days notice to vacate “without any reason or discussion.”
The tenants union says that Junior’s Discount Party Supply, has been owned by Silvia Flores for 20 years and that the store, located on York Boulevard, is “known and loved by thousands of community members who utilize her crucial services for party rentals, general household items and to send money transfers.”
“Her legacy small business has been successful and has supported her family,” LATU says.
That legacy is now at risk, however, as LATU says the building was purchased this past month, meaning Flores and four neighboring businesses were issued 60-day eviction notices.
“[The] 60-day eviction notice [terminates] her tenancy of two decades without reason or discussion,” LATU said in a statement tied to a petition to keep the store open. “Silvia has not violated any clause of her lease nor has she fallen behind on rent payments. In fact, the new property owner has not even introduced himself to the woman who he intends to uproot from her business and the community.”
LATU listed the new owner as Dr. Donald Abrahm and his real estate investment company AEA Investments VIII, LLC. They also said that the idea of pushing out “legacy businesses without a care for people or neighborhood[s]” is nothing new.
“In addition to causing Silvia, a low-income immigrant mother and grandmother, to lose her livelihood, this eviction will further accelerate gentrification in Highland Park. This is just one example of a war on commercial tenants,” the union said. “Displacement of tenants, whether residential or commercial, is an issue that too many of us have faced and we refuse to be complicit. Although this eviction is technically legal, it is unjust and inhumane.”
Los Angeles, Ca
L.A. heat advisory issued as temps expected to surge through midweek
Forecasters are warning Southern Californians to brace for an incoming heat wave, with temperatures climbing well above seasonal averages and peaking around midweek.
The National Weather Service said the hottest conditions will hit Tuesday through Thursday, with Wednesday likely to be the warmest day of the stretch.
Inland valleys across Los Angeles and Ventura counties could see temperatures rise into the low to mid-90s, while some desert communities may reach or exceed 100 degrees. Coastal areas are expected to remain somewhat cooler, with highs generally ranging from the mid-70s to low 80s.
Forecasters said the warming trend will begin Monday and intensify through Wednesday as high pressure strengthens over the region. Temperatures in inland areas are expected to run 4 to 10 degrees above normal for late June.
NWS officials issued a heat advisory from Tuesday morning through Thursday evening for portions of L.A. County, citing an increased risk of heat-related illnesses.
Officials noted that even though temperatures may fall just short of more extreme warning criteria in some areas, heat impacts could be amplified by large outdoor events and an influx of summer visitors unfamiliar with local conditions.
According to Weather Service spokesperson Carol Ciliberti, temperatures in downtown L.A. and surrounding metro areas could approach 90 degrees, while the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys are expected to climb into the mid-90s.
The Antelope Valley and parts of Santa Barbara County’s Cuyama Valley could top 100 degrees.
“The increased temperatures bring a higher risk of heat-related illnesses, especially for the young, the elderly and those without air conditioning,” Ciliberti told The Times.
The heat wave is also expected to suppress the marine layer that has contributed to persistent June gloom conditions, leading to sunnier skies for much of the week.
Forecasters are also monitoring an unusual push of mid-level moisture expected late Tuesday into Wednesday. While the chance of measurable rainfall remains low, weather models indicate a 5% to 15% chance of light showers, mainly across L.A. and Ventura counties.
The hot, dry conditions may also elevate fire weather concerns across portions of Southern California. NWS warned that drying vegetation and the potential for large fire plumes could increase wildfire risk in valleys and mountain areas.
Meanwhile, air quality concerns remain in parts of L.A. as smoke from the ongoing Boyle Heights warehouse fire continues to affect the region. Weather officials said the shallower marine layer could contribute to poor air quality while the fire remains active.
Relief is expected later in the week. Forecast models show the ridge weakening by Thursday and into the weekend, allowing temperatures to cool several degrees each day.
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