Los Angeles, Ca
11-year-old to graduate from Southern California college, break record
Eleven-year-old Athena Elling will graduate from Irvine Valley College this week and become the youngest to do it, breaking her own brother’s record.
Athena, whose family is from San Juan Capistrano, is set to graduate with an associate degree in liberal arts on Thursday.
When she does, she will be about six months younger than her brother Tycho Elling was when he set the school’s record last year.
Athena said it was because of her brother that she began taking classes at the college.
“So I chased my brother, who I am very competitive with, all the way into calculus because he really liked math,” she said.
Math was not Athena’s favorite subject but she found plenty of other courses that captured her interest.
“I just started taking classes … There is so much variety and since I really liked acting I can take all the really fun classes to help me with that,” she said.
Athena’s father is a software engineer and her mother was a high school chemistry teacher who became a children’s author.
“I am both proud and a little bit in awe of my own children. That they’ve already developed so well,” Christina Chow said. “I wish I could say what the secret sauce is and I feel like I don’t know … I feel very blessed to have these children.”
Tycho is now a junior at UC Irvine but Athena is planning to remain at Irvine Valley College and complete a second associate degree.
Los Angeles, Ca
Mountain lion found dead less than a mile from wildlife crossing construction site
A mountain lion was killed on the 101 Freeway early Saturday morning.
Preliminary information indicates that the deceased mountain lion was blocking lanes on the southbound side of the freeway near Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills around 5 a.m.
The predatory feline died just half a mile from the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing construction site, which is set to open in 2026, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said last month.
California Highway Patrol officers moved the mountain lion to the right shoulder of the freeway so traffic could pass through.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will investigate the death of the mountain lion, which was not wearing a tracking collar.
Los Angeles, Ca
Armed suspect seen prowling West Hills neighborhood remains at large
A community is concerned after an armed suspect was seen prowling a West Hills neighborhood and peering into windows.
Residents reported seeing the man peering into home windows as he wandered around a neighborhood near Stagg Street and Valley Circle Boulevard on Thursday night.
“I looked out the window and saw a man trying to break into my neighbor’s house,” said Brandon Taylor, a resident. “I saw him looking into windows.”
At times, the man peered into the backyard gates of several homes while continuing to stroll around. That’s when Taylor decided to observe the suspect and record the man on his cell phone.
“I followed him in my car and kept a safe distance,” Taylor said. “I watched him hop a fence into someone’s property so I called 911 at that time. I was on hold for about 27 minutes. They transferred me to a non-emergency [line].”
Eventually, Taylor decided to go home. Later that night, police received reports of the suspect prowling the same neighborhood at around 8:35 p.m.
“My husband always checks the camera before he goes to sleep and he noticed [the suspect],” said Jaymie Nevis, the owner of a business located near Platt Avenue and Vanowen Street.
Her husband checked the store’s security cameras at around 10:43 p.m. and spotted the suspect walking around while pointing what appeared to be a handgun.
“Oh, it’s absolutely a gun,” Nevis said. “You can see him working with it and he’s pointing it outward.”
The woman shared the alarming video with neighbors in the area, prompting many to remain cautious and on the lookout.
“It’s scary that it could be people coming around this close with a gun, walking around, prowling and looking for a place to get in,” said a concerned neighbor.
“We have a patrol here,” said another neighbor. “We have a homeowners association. We have received letters telling us to be on the lookout for anything suspicious.”
Los Angeles police said the suspect is described as a Hispanic man who was last seen wearing a blue shirt and dark-colored shorts.
“When you see a guy with a gun, that’s very disconcerting and it steps it up a level,” Nevis said. “He’s not just peeking over your fence. He’s now an armed individual.”
The suspect remains at large. Anyone with information on the case can call LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman who walked away from L.A. reentry program apprehended in El Monte
An incarcerated woman who walked away from a rehabilitation program in Los Angeles was apprehended by authorities Friday afternoon, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Erica N. Ybarra, 37, was serving her sentence at the L.A. County Female Community Reentry Program when she removed her ankle monitor and left the facility without permission Thursday afternoon.
CDCR staff searched the buildings and grounds, but Ybarra was nowhere to be found. Her ankle monitor was discovered near the facility.
Authorities put out an alert that she had walked away from the reentry program, including physical descriptions and her most recent CDCR photograph.
On Friday, it was announced that Ybarra was located in El Monte around 3:45 p.m.
She was taken into custody without incident and transported to the California Institution for Women. Her case, according to officials, will now be referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for possible escape charges.
The Female Community Reentry Program allows eligible offenders committed to state prison to serve the end of their sentences in the reentry center to ease their transition from custody to the community.
She had been at the facility for less than a month, having arrived there to serve part of a two-year sentence for second-degree robbery.
According to CDCR, 99% of all walkaways from adult institutions have been successfully recaptured since 1977.
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