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Serial ‘projectile’ sniper in this Southern California city targeting pedestrian

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Serial ‘projectile’ sniper in this Southern California city targeting pedestrian

A serial “projectile” sniper has been targeting pedestrians along a stretch of road in Ventura for what may be as long as a year, leaving many of the victims with painful injuries. 

Several victims are speaking out because they’re concerned that someone is going to suffer more serious injuries when the person strikes again.  

One woman, who asked to remain anonymous because the shooter has not yet been captured, said that on the night of July 7 she was walking down Thompson Boulevard near MacMillan Avenue, just a few blocks from the Ventura Pier, when she was struck on the back of her neck.  

“I felt a really painful, fast, sharp pain on the right side of my neck,” she explained. “I immediately fell to the ground.”  

What hit her, she quickly learned, was a red marble-sized object that looked like a paintball or a gumball.  

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“I initially thought it was a rock coming up or something that got kicked up by a car, but it was clear that somebody was intentionally targeting pedestrians in this area,” she added.  

Later, the victim wrote about her experience and posted it on the social media platform Reddit, where nearly a dozen other people responded with similar incidents that had happened to them.

“I felt a terrible sting on the back of my shoulder, very painful,” a woman identified only as April told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff.  

  • Ventura projectile sniper
  • Ventura projectile sniper

She said she was targeted on June 15 in the exact same area after having breakfast with her family at Cafe Nouvea. The projectile, in this case, was a similar size and purple.  

“I think somebody could be seriously injured, possibly be hit in the head or the eye or the temple or something like that,” she said.  

Another woman, identified only as June, was struck by a yellow-colored gumball last year around this time when she was picking up a propane tank from a U-Haul facility.  

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“Normal people don’t go around shooting people,” she said. “To find out that it’s happening to so many people on this same little stretch of road is very concerning.”  

All the incidents have happened within a block-or-two radius, each time the force of the objects catching the victims completely off guard.  

Two of the three victims who spoke to KTLA said they reported the shootings to police.  

The third said she didn’t even realize she was on the receiving end of a crime until she started comparing notes with others who had been similarly shot.  

Mucho Gusto Barbershop, owned by Alfred Leon, is right across the street from where one of the sniper’s victims was struck. He says post-COVID, he’s watched this area of Ventura go through a positive resurgence and this lone shooter is putting a damper on that.  

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“I finally started seeing people walk with their dogs [again],” he explained. “So, to actually see and hear about people getting shot in the neck isn’t really community like. It’s not fun for anybody.”  

Authorities with the Ventura Police Department told KTLA that about a month ago it responded to reports of someone shooting out of a car window in the area, but the person responsible was never identified.  

Several of the victims claim they saw a white pickup truck take off after they were struck.  

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Los Angeles, Ca

Family desperate to find girl, 13, missing in Los Angeles for nearly a week

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Family desperate to find girl, 13, missing in Los Angeles for nearly a week

(KTLA) – Family, as well as police, are desperate to find a 13-year-old girl missing in Los Angeles for nearly a week, officials announced Wednesday.  

Naomi Daniella Santos was last seen by family members when she left her residence in the 8700 block of Langdon Avenue at around 8 a.m. on Dec. 13 to attend school at Magnolia Science Academy in the 18200 block of Sherman Way, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Police Department.  

Santos was supposed to take public transportation after school to meet her mother at Parthenia Street and Tobias Avenue in Panorama City but never showed up. Her whereabouts remain unknown.

Naomi Daniella Santos, 13, seen in this undated photo released by LAPD.

“Naomi’s parents, friends and family members have not seen or heard from her and are concerned for her safety,” police said.  

The teen is described as a Hispanic female with black hair and brown eyes, standing approximately 5 feet tall and weighing around 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing a blue sweater and gray pants and was carrying a blue backpack.  

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Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact LAPD’s Mission Area Juvenile Detectives at 818-838-9810.  

Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.   

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Los Angeles, Ca

Krispy Kreme partners with Los Angeles bakery for Hanukkah treats collection

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Krispy Kreme partners with Los Angeles bakery for Hanukkah treats collection

Krispy Kreme is partnering with Lodge Bread, a Los Angeles-based bakery, for an exclusive holiday collection to celebrate Hanukkah.

For a limited time, Krispy Kreme’s signature fluffy doughnut base will be combined with Lodge Bread’s artisanal, house-made raspberry jam to create traditional Hanukkah sufganiyot or jelly doughnuts.

These special sufganiyot will be available in limited quantities throughout Hanukkah on a first-come, first-served basis. Doughnuts are sold by the half-dozen for $30, with a limit of two boxes per customer.

The treat will be available at Lodge Bread’s Culver City, Woodland Hills, and Beverly Hills locations.

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“We’re excited to team up with Krispy Kreme to bring our own spin to this beloved Hanukkah tradition,” Chef Or Amsalam, co-founder of Lodge Bread, said in a statement. “This collaboration is a true celebration of craft, quality and the joy of the season.”

This year, Hanukkah will begin at sundown on Dec. 25 and end at sundown on Jan. 2, 2025.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Southern California community plagued by destructive burglaries

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Southern California community plagued by destructive burglaries

An Orange County community is concerned after violent and destructive burglaries continue targeting the same neighborhood over the past several weeks.

The burglaries are centered around an upscale gated community in Irvine called The Groves at Orchard Hills.

Surveillance cameras captured intruders lurking around backyards and searching for opportunities to enter homes.

Residents said eight houses have been burglarized so far with one incident turning violent.

“We’re on our eighth now it’s just mind-boggling,” said a resident, who did not wish to be identified for safety reasons. “It’s scary and it’s unsettling.”

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Neighbors have found hidden cameras pointed at homes, appearing to surveil them and likely timing the break-ins to when occupants leave.

  • A masked thief seen prowling around a backyard as a string of destructive burglaries plagues a gated community in Irvine.
  • The entrance to The Groves at Orchard Hills, a gated community in Irvine. (KTLA)
  • A hooded suspect seen walking around as a string of destructive burglaries plagues a gated community in Irvine.
  • The entrance to The Groves at Orchard Hills, a gated community in Irvine. (KTLA)
  • The entrance to The Groves at Orchard Hills, a gated community in Irvine. (KTLA)

“It was installed in the bushes so that they can see our houses,” the resident told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade.

In a recent break-in, thieves reportedly escaped with millions of dollars worth of jewelry and luxury handbags after accessing a home through a back door.

“When I spoke to [the victims] they were just trembling, shaking and traumatized,” the resident said. “The grandmother was actually inside the house while this all happened.”

In a separate incident, victims said intruders pulled out a gun during the ordeal and held the victims hostage.

“It was at gunpoint and someone was tied up,” another neighbor told KTLA. “It’s really scary.”

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Neighbors are scared and frustrated with many asking city officials and the police department to address the concern with increased security and patrols.

“We need to see some action,” a resident said.

“I’m here today to reassure the community that we are working very closely with Irvine Police,” said Dr. Vigor, HOA president of The Groves at Orchard Hills. 

Police told KTLA that communities across Southern California have been increasingly targeted by professional thieves who are often linked with international theft rings and crime groups. They told residents they’re aware of the issue and are working to combat future incidents.

“We have dedicated an extreme amount of resources to this issue,” said Kyle Oldoerp with the Irvine Police Department. “Some that are easily seen and some that aren’t. We have officers on extra patrols. We have undercover resources, surveillance teams out here, video cameras using our real-time crime center.”

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A town hall meeting will be held on Wednesday night by Irvine Police to discuss and address residents’ concerns.

So far, no suspects have been arrested. Anyone with information on the burglaries can call Irvine Police at 949-724-6000.

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