Connect with us

Los Angeles, Ca

Alert issued for toxic algae, sea mammals stranding in Los Angeles County

Published

on

Alert issued for toxic algae, sea mammals stranding in Los Angeles County

Wildlife officials are warning the public of a toxic algae bloom affecting marine mammals along Los Angeles County beaches.

On Monday evening, the city of Hermosa Beach posted an “Urgent Marine Wildlife Alert” message to X, telling beachgoers to keep 50 feet away from any stranded marine mammals.

This warning comes after months of sea lions, dolphins and other mammals stranding themselves ashore – suffering from domoic acid poisoning.

According to experts, domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin in algae that is potentially lethal to marine mammals like sea lions and dolphins.

Advertisement

The Channel Islands Marina and Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) said warmer water temperatures, increased sunlight exposure and increased nutrients within coastal ecosystems contribute to the toxic algae bloom.

“When filter-feeders (e.g., small fish, shellfish, and bivalves) consume the toxic algae, they are not affected,” explained CIMWI. “But when predators like sea lions, sea birds, and dolphins eat these filter-feeders, they are negatively impacted by the toxin accumulated in their prey.”

In recent years, high levels of the neurotoxin have led to widespread beachings of sea lions and other marine mammals who are too sick to swim and may experience life-threatening symptoms like seizures, brain damage and unpredictable behavior.

The toxin will naturally flush out of an animal’s body, but repeated exposure may require medical intervention.

Recently, a man was arrested for beating an infected sea lion with a large stick in Ventura. Officials said it’s critically important that a sick animal be left alone to protect them and the public.

Advertisement

Officials said sickened sea lions can exhibit a mix of symptoms:

  • stargazing (head extended backward, staring into space)
  • disorientation
  • head weaving
  • mouth foaming
  • lethargy
  • erratic behavior
  • inability to get out of the tidal zone
  • unresponsiveness
  • involuntary muscle spasms
  • seizures
  • side-to-side head movement

If you see a sickened sea lion or other mammal, do not approach it. Instead, observe it from at least 50 feet away, determine its exact location and report it to the CIMWI Rescue Hotline at 805-567-1505, or the Marina Mammal Care Center rescue hotling at 1-800-39-WHALE (94253).

Los Angeles, Ca

Hospital needs help identifying man found unconscious in downtown Los Angeles

Published

on

Hospital needs help identifying man found unconscious in downtown Los Angeles

A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.

The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center. 

He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.

He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.

A male patient in his 30s was found injured in downtown Los Angeles on June 22, 2026. (Los Angeles General Medical Center)

He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.

Advertisement

Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.

The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

Clue may identify SUV in Long Beach hit-and-run that left woman injured

Published

on

Clue may identify SUV in Long Beach hit-and-run that left woman injured

Police are asking the public for help Wednesday in identifying a hit-and-run driver who left a woman badly injured in Long Beach late last month. The May 24 crash occurred around 11 p.m. as the victim was crossing East 2nd Street, according to the Long Beach Police Department. Video provided by police showed a dark-colored […]

Continue Reading

Los Angeles, Ca

‘What’s going on with our society?’ Elderly L.A. street vendor violently beaten

Published

on

‘What’s going on with our society?’ Elderly L.A. street vendor violently beaten

WARNING: Video footage contains graphic violence

A 62-year-old street vendor is recovering after a brutally violent attack by another woman in broad daylight as bystanders in downtown Los Angeles looked on.

The attack happened around 4 p.m. on June 15 in the 700 block of Figueroa Street, where Arabelia Martinez has sold hot dogs for years to support herself and her family.

Video of the incident, which has since circulated widely online, appears to show a woman confronting Martinez at her stand before spraying sauce across the vendor’s cart. Martinez responds by throwing what appears to be Tajín seasoning in the woman’s direction, and the confrontation quickly escalates.

Advertisement
A 62-year-old L.A. street vendor was violently beaten by another woman downtown as bystanders watched the broad daylight attack on June 15, 2026. (Constantino Garcia)

The difficult-to-watch footage shows Martinez being shoved to the ground and struck multiple times as people look on. Some can be seen attempting to intervene, but the assault continues for roughly a minute before coming to an end.

“I was speechless,” Martinez’s son, Constantino Garcia, said after watching the video. “I couldn’t even see the whole thing.”

According to Garcia, the suspect approached his mother before the attack and attempted to intimidate her into giving her money.

“The lady came up to my mom trying to intimidate her and extort her for money, telling her she needed a permit to sell, which my mom does have,” Garcia told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo.

When Martinez refused, Garcia claims the woman became verbally abusive.

Advertisement

“After she didn’t get her way and tried to extort my mom, she said, ‘Go back to Mexico,’ and made some racist remarks,” he said. “She said some disgusting things to my mom.”

Garcia said his mother continues to suffer lingering effects from the attack.

“She keeps complaining about her head,” he said. “We need to go see a head specialist because her head doesn’t stop hurting. As you could see in the video, she got slammed to the ground.”

  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack
  • Elderly downtown L.A. street vendor brutally beaten in attack

The video has also sparked outrage over the response from some witnesses who were nearby during the assault.

“What’s going on with our society?” Garcia said. “Are we getting desensitized to an elderly woman being beaten in broad daylight and being surrounded by people doing the bare minimum to help her? That was horrible for me to watch.”

Witness Sebastian Gutierrez said he arrived moments after the confrontation and saw Garcia’s attacker causing additional chaos in the area.

Advertisement

“The lady began to flip over the tables of vendors,” Gutierrez said, describing the woman as possibly unstable. “It definitely seemed like there were mental health issues or drugs involved, like we see with a lot of things here in downtown L.A.,” he said.

The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a battery investigation into the incident KTLA confirmed, though no suspect information or news of a potential arrest has been released.

Meanwhile, Martinez’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with her recovery and raise awareness about the dangers street vendors face daily.

“I hope that my mom gets justice for what happened to her,” Garcia said. He added that he’s been encouraged by the public response to the video.

“I’m grateful people are sympathizing with my mom,” he said. “People are giving it the attention it deserves.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending