Los Angeles, Ca

Judge rules Orange County man was insane during deadly beating of elderly man

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

Judge rules Orange County man was insane during deadly beating of elderly man

An Anaheim man accused of murdering a 70-year-old man and assaulting another man in 2021 was found not guilty due to insanity in a Tuesday court ruling.

David Abbott, 33, is accused of fatally beating Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi, 70, on May 31, 2021 in an unprovoked attack outside the victim’s home.

Less than two hours before David’s murder, Abbott punched another man in the head after spotting him inside his home’s garage, according to court documents.

David’s loved ones, including his brother, John Yaghoubi, were unhappy with Tuesday’s ruling.

“He was truly a leader for our family,” John said. “He was a very gentle giant. He loved people. He loved humans. He loved animals. Never hurt anybody.”

Abbott, who had been released on bond from a previous assault case, was wandering around the victim’s Anaheim neighborhood on May 31, 2021. He had punched a 60-year-old man in his garage before the man was able to chase Abbott away and call the police.

Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi is seen in a photo released by his family on June 1, 2021.
David Abbott, 33, found guilty of fatally beating Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi, 70, on May 31, 2021 in an unprovoked attack in Anaheim. (Anaheim Police Department)
Anaheim Police Department officers outside Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi’s home on May 31, 2021. (KTLA)
Anaheim Police Department officers outside Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi’s home on May 31, 2021. (KTLA)
John Yaghoubi (third from left) and loved ones expressed their disappointment after a court ruling on Jan. 23, 2024. (KTLA)
Anaheim Police Department officers outside Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi’s home on May 31, 2021. (KTLA)
Anaheim Police Department officers outside Rahmatolah “David” Yaghoubi’s home on May 31, 2021. (KTLA)

The suspect left the first home and continued wandering around. David was standing in his front yard near the intersection of Catalpa Avenue and Falmouth Avenue when Abbott spotted him. For unknown reasons, Abbott approached David and suddenly began beating him, authorities said.

The suspect spent several minutes brutally beating David with his hands and feet.

“He took over my brother and, for seven long minutes, he mauled him to death,” John said.

According to court documents, witnesses said Abbott was making incoherent statements about religion and at one point yelled, “Get out of him!” as he continued beating David.

Officers arrived at the scene and threatened to use a taser on him before he was eventually taken into custody.

In a post-arrest interview, Abbott reportedly made numerous nonsensical statements including that the victim had a “green light coming out of his eyes before the attack.” Abbott was also found with methamphetamine in his system at the time of the murder.

Abbott’s attorneys cited a history of mental illness dating back to his teenage years and said during the trial that he “appeared to think he could look into the eyes of people and determine if they were possessed by a demon,” according to the Orange County Register.

A deal was reached in which Abbott pled guilty to attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon along with the first-degree murder of David.

He was sentenced to eight years to life in prison, but due to being found legally insane, his prison sentence will be suspended and he’ll be committed to a mental-health facility indefinitely.

The Orange County Superior Court judge who confirmed the insanity finding said the ruling was what the law called for under the circumstances but said she understood why the victim’s loved ones were unhappy with the outcome.

“The only issue I bring up is people go out and kill somebody and claim insanity,” the victim’s brother said. “I’m not sure if that’s really a good cause of going to kill people and getting away with it. I’m just hoping that the system makes a decision where he won’t come out for a long time so that people can be secure and guys like him are kept away from society.”

The DA’s office said if Abbott is ever deemed mentally sane enough to be released from the mental hospital, he’ll be sent to prison to begin serving his sentence of eight years to life.

Due to the maximum sentence of life in prison, the victim’s attorneys can appear at any future parole hearing to argue why they believe Abbott shouldn’t be released.

Los Angeles, Ca

Ditch typing and note-taking – try these apps

Published

9 months ago

March 19, 2025

Press Room

Ditch typing and note-taking – try these apps

The future of voice to text is here.

I’ve been testing a variety of tools that make taking notes, transcribing audio, and even voice typing faster and easier than ever.

If you have a smartphone, you’re already halfway there!

Google’s Pixel Recorder app is free and built into their smartphone. It’s excellent for transcribing meetings, lectures, and conversations – all in real time.

Apple’s Voice Memos App recently added transcriptions if you’re upgraded to iOS 18.

Samsung’s Voice recorder app now offers transcripts too – as long as you’re on their latest One UI 7 software. (Check Settings > About Phone > Software Information)

Got an older phone? Try Otter.AI. It works great for transcriptions across devices and you get 300 minutes a month free.

Don’t want to tie up your phone?

I’ve been testing AI-powered digital audio recorders from a startup named Plaud.

The Plaud Note is thin, records for hours, and can even clip to the back of your phone to record calls. Just make sure you know your local laws before using that feature.

The Plaud Pin can be clipped to your shirt or worn on your wrist for hands-free recording.

Both devices sync audio to a companion app that auto transcribes and summarizes.

You get five hours of transcription a month included, with options to pay for more.

Pricing for each gadget starts around $160 dollars.

Want to transcribe audio files on your computer?

My favorite Mac app is MacWhisper. You can even get it completely free – although paid versions are avaialble with more features and options.

On Windows, check out Vibe Transcribe, also free.

And for a web-based option, Whisper Web gets the job done.

Finally, if you want to type less and talk more… there’s an excellent AI voice-to-text app called Wispr Flow. It was previously Mac only but just became avaialble for Windows, too.

One you install it, you pick a hotkey. Then, instead of typing just press and hold down that key and dictate what you want to write.

Since it uses the power of AI, you can even stumble or ramble and it will clean up your words and get the punctionation right.

It’s a gamechanger for responding to emails fast! You get 2,000 words free each week with options to pay for more.

Enjoy your newfound time!

Los Angeles, Ca

Prison officer survives alleged attack by inmate transferred from L.A. County

Published

9 months ago

March 18, 2025

Press Room

Prison officer survives alleged attack by inmate transferred from L.A. County

An alleged attack on a state prison officer by a 43-year-old inmate transferred from Los Angeles County is being investigated as attempted homicide, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials announced Tuesday.

The March 18 incident at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad reportedly unfolded just before 9 a.m. on what authorities describe as a “dayroom floor.”

The inmate, Anthony G. Ramirez, is believed to have pulled an improvised weapon from his waistband before attempting to attack custody staff member, according to a CDCR news release.

“Staff immediately responded, disarming Ramirez and placing him in handcuffs without incident,” the release detailed.

Anthony G. Ramiez, 43, seen in this undated mug shot. (CDCR)

The 43-year-old, who was transferred to SVSP in 2008 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, with enhancements for the use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury or death, was placed in restrictive housing pending the investigation and possible felony prosecution by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

Both Ramirez and the custody staff member were examined by medical personnel who noted no serious injuries.

Officials said that the California Correctional Peace Officers Association was notified of the incident and prison staff were offered peer support services and employee assistance programs.

Salinas Valley State Prison, opened in 1996, houses more than 2,400 minimum, medium, maximum and high-security inmates. The facility also offers vocational programs and academic classes and employs some 1,800 people.

Los Angeles, Ca

Algal bloom sickening marine mammals off Southern California 'will only get worse'

Published

9 months ago

March 18, 2025

Press Room

Algal bloom sickening marine mammals off Southern California 'will only get worse'

A toxic algal bloom leaving an increasing number of marine mammals stranded along Southern California beaches shows no signs of subsiding and “will only get worse,” officials said Monday.

“This week, we saw more stranded dolphins (both alive and deceased) than we saw during the major domoic acid (DA) bloom in 2023,” Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) Los Angeles posted on Facebook.

Recent tests showed DA-producing algae levels have increased, and officials believe that trend will continue in the coming weeks. “We anticipate that it will only get worse,” the post read.

MMCC asked the public not to approach sick dolphins or sea lions on the beach because they can become aggressive upon awakening from a seizure.

A dolphin stranded at Dockweiler North is seen in an image posted on March 13, 2025. (L.A. County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division)

“This is a safety issue for people and their pets as much as it is for the marine mammals,” officials said.

Beachgoers were also urged not to push stranded dolphins back into the water, saying it can reduce their chances of survival.

More information about domoic-acid poisoning can be found at https://marinemammalcare.org/domoic-acid/.

The volume of sick marine mammals has also had a financial impact on the MMCC.

“Our team is working heroically to respond to every call and to rescue every animal they can. Please share this post and give now at marinemammalcare.org/donate to give these marine mammals a second chance at life!” the MMCC stated.

Anyone who encounters a sick or stranded marine mammal can alert the nearest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to make a report.