Los Angeles, Ca
40% increase reported in L.A. County COVID cases
Coronavirus infections are again on the rise in Los Angeles County with a 40% enhance in instances over the previous week, officers mentioned Thursday.
Native well being officers have been persevering with to watch community-wide indicators for early alerts that transmission and threat could also be rising. And though the county stays at a “low concern” degree this week, many metrics are trending within the unsuitable path, the Public Well being Division mentioned Friday.
The weekly case price is now 126 new instances per 100,000 residents, that means the county is once more experiencing a excessive price of transmission for the primary time since early March.
Hospitalizations are additionally slowly starting to rise, Public Well being Director Barbara Ferrer mentioned, and though the numbers stay comparatively low, they’re rising every day, with 253 folks hospitalized with the virus Friday.
With L.A. County experiencing a excessive price of transmission and instances steadily rising, the division inspired residents to make use of warning to keep away from getting contaminated with COVID-19 and transmitting it to others.
“Throughout this era of excessive transmission and the potential for extra infectious variants, among the best and best security measures is to put on a well-fitting, excessive filtration masks or respirator when indoors round others,” Ferrer mentioned. “With instances on the rise, the potential for extra contagious variants, and plenty of alternatives to be uncovered, it is a nice time to select to get vaccinated or boosted and to put on a masks or respirator when indoors round others.”
The extremely contagious omicron BA.2 subvariant is now the predominant pressure and was recognized in 88% of latest L.A. County samples.
Nationally, the BA.2 subvariant can be the predominant lineage, with 68% of sequenced samples being of that pressure for the week ending April 2, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention estimated.
One other subvariant, known as BA.2.12.1, can be on the rise within the U.S., accounting for roughly 29% of sequenced samples for a similar week. The brand new subvariant is estimated to be 20-30% extra transmissible than BA.2, and it might shortly develop into the nation’s dominant pressure, well being officers mentioned.
In L.A. County, 7% of sequenced samples had been recognized as BA.2.12.1 for the week ending April 9, up from 3% for the prior week. The California Division of Public Well being estimated that BA.2.12.1 will account for 50% of constructive instances within the state inside just a few days.
Faculties within the county additionally noticed an uptick in COVID-19 instances following the spring break and holidays. Amongst 529,000 coronavirus checks administered final week, 1,842 turned out to be constructive for the virus. That’s a rise from the 844 constructive checks that confirmed up the week that ended on April 8, officers mentioned.
Whereas masks are not required indoors at faculties, well being authorities proceed to strongly suggest them — notably for youthful kids who should not vaccinated and because the extremely contagious BA.2 omicron subvariant circulates.
Whereas not but a trigger for vital concern, outbreaks at expert nursing services and websites serving the homeless have lately began to rise as properly, well being officers mentioned.
Los Angeles, Ca
Child sex predator in Southern California dies in jail
An inmate facing 11 felony charges at the Robert Presley Detention Center was pronounced dead in his cell, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced on Monday.
An inmate locator search showed that the deceased, who officials identified as 39-year-old Anthony Wayne Brooks of Riverside, faced 5 felony counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, as well as charges for illegal gun possession, DUI, vandalism, paraphernalia and more.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies found Brooks unresponsive in his housing unit cell on Sunday and attempted to perform life-saving measures until paramedics arrived.
However, despite their efforts, the sheriff’s office said Brooks was ultimately pronounced deceased.
“Investigators from the Riverside Sheriff’s Office Corrections Central Investigations Unit responded and assumed the investigation,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a release.
Investigators did not immediately find any signs of foul play, according to officials.
According to the inmate locator search, Brooks was arrested on June 6, 2023, by the Jurupa Valley Police Department and did not have bail posted. Brooks had a court date set in February 2025.
Three years earlier, the Riverside Police Department arrested Brooks on Aug. 7, 2020, for negligent discharge of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm and high capacity magazine, and violations of both probation and Post Release Community Supervision, according to the department’s Facebook page.
At the time of his 2020 arrest, police said Brooks had been residing at a sober living house.
“During a search of the house, officers found a semi-automatic handgun, high capacity magazine, and numerous ammunition,” stated the department.
The sheriff’s office said Brooks’ death is an ongoing investigation, and that no further information was available as of Monday night.
Officials encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Investigator Justin Williams at 951-922-7152.
Los Angeles, Ca
Stolen credit card, over $1K in merchandise found in Upland mail theft bust
Officers arrested two suspects for stealing mail, over $1,000 in merchandise and more in San Bernardino County, police announced on Monday evening.
The Upland Police Department wrote in an X post that officers received a call last week about two men breaking into mailboxes and driving a Mercedes that didn’t have license plates.
The department said officers were able to identify the suspect vehicle, “which started the shift challenge of who could find it first.”
An officer “didn’t take long” to find the Mercedes at a gas station at Foothill Boulevard and Benson Avenue, according to police.
“It also wasn’t hard to spot the two making a couple of trips to the trash can,” the department added.
Officers said they then stopped the car and found stolen mail from Upland, as well as drugs, burglary tools and paraphernalia.
Police also found more stolen mail after officers went back to the gas station and searched the trash.
In addition, Upland PD said officers found a sizeable amount of merchandise from a retail store as well as a receipt that showed a partial card number from the credit card used.
“In one of the guys’ wallets was a freshly stolen credit card with matching numbers,” wrote the department. “Turns out the card was just stolen, then used to ‘purchase’ over $1,000 in merchandise.”
Upland PD said officers arrested and booked the suspects for commercial burglary, felony identification theft, mail theft, narcotics and more. Officers also impounded the Mercedes.
“Great job to our vigilant citizens for reporting what they saw,” praised the department.
Los Angeles, Ca
Man, woman released after 17 years due to 'wrongful conviction' in East Los Angeles murder
A man and a woman who spent more than 17 years in prison for an East Hollywood murder had their convictions vacated, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan also ordered the immediate release of Charlotte Pleytez and Lombardo Palacios who were imprisoned for the 2007 murder.
“I want to extend my deepest apologies to Ms. Pleytez and Mr. Palacios for the years of hardship they endured due to these wrongful convictions,” Hochman stated. “I also want to recognize the tragic loss of Hector Luis Flores and share my heartfelt condolences with his family. His death is a painful reminder of the heavy responsibility we bear to ensure justice not only holds the right people accountable but also honors the lives of victims and their families.”
Flores was fatally shot during a verbal altercation in a shopping center parking lot in the 5200 block of Sunset Boulevard on March 28, 2007.
Pleytez and Palacios were arrested following eyewitness identifications and other circumstantial evidence, the DA’s Office stated.
Palacios and Pleytez were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison but years later, the DA’s Office was asked to revisit the case.
“We are reluctant to say justice has been done, because the injustices our clients have suffered for nearly two decades are unfathomable, but this is definitely a cause for celebration,” said attorney Matt Lombard.
The District Attorney said that there was no evidence to suggest that law enforcement or prosecutors acted inappropriately during the case. “The request for relief in this case was based entirely on new evidence uncovered by the joint CRU and defense investigation,” Hochman stated.
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