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'Respiratory disease season' hits SoCal, experts say

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'Respiratory disease season' hits SoCal, experts say

As Southern Californians grapple with the heart of winter and many kids return to school tomorrow, experts are warning of a huge jump in cases of the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19.  

The trifecta of viruses is hitting people not just locally but across the country as well.  

In the coming weeks, it’s likely that you or someone you know will contract one of the three viruses making the winter season miserable for many people.  

“It’s respiratory disease season right now and we’re really at the peak of it,” Dr. Anne Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California Los Angeles, said. “We’ve seen cases continue to rise over the holidays, which is not surprising. People have been gathering. It’s been cold, so people have been indoors with lots of activities and that’s the perfect time to spread flu, RSV, COVID and many other respiratory pathogens that are spreading right now.”  

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According to the L.A. Times, national wastewater data suggests we could see the highest number of Coronavirus infections since the first Omicron wave began in 2021.  

California hospitals are getting busier with more patients coming. In some cases, patients are suffering from both viruses at the same time or with a mix of RSV.  

However, there is a bit of good news. The number of people becoming seriously ill at this point remains lower than in the previous year.  

Los Angeles County recently moved into the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s medium COVID-19 hospitalization category, prompting public health officials to order hospitals, nursing homes and other inpatient facilities to require staff and visitors to wear masks.  

With the return of students to school, there’s also the concern that the trio of viruses will spread more rapidly.  

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“Wearing a masking inside of places, hand washing, improved ventilation, taking activities outside and, of course, keeping up with your vaccinations, those vaccinations will do a good job of preventing severe disease, hospitalizations and deaths,” Rimoin told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo.  

Experts suggests that if you are going out, bundle up, wear a mask and if you’re feeling sick, just stay at home.  

Los Angeles, Ca

Hospital needs help identifying man found unconscious in downtown Los Angeles

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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.

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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.

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Los Angeles, Ca

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

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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 […]

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Los Angeles, Ca

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

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‘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.

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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.

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“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.

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“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.”

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