Los Angeles, Ca

Single father struggling after work van stolen, torched in Southern California

Published

1 year ago

July 25, 2024

Single father struggling after work van stolen, torched in Southern California

A Southern California man’s livelihood was compromised when thieves stole his work van containing thousands of dollars worth of tools he’s bought over the years, stripped the vehicle for parts and set it on fire late last week.

A single father of four, Travell Harding, a contract painter, said he was hoping he’d be able to recover the vehicle, which was stolen while parked across the street from his home in Artesia, and some of the tools.

“It’s my livelihood,” he explained. “It’s like someone burning your shop down.”

When he found out it had been torched, he said he couldn’t believe it.

“I call the tow truck, I say, ‘Hey, I want to get my truck, what’s left of it. I want to get some tools out of it,’” he explained. “They were like, ‘No, you don’t understand. Your van is completely in rubble, there’s nothing for you to get out of it.’ They cut my hood in half and took out the engine. They cut out the catalytic converter, gutted it and set it on fire.”

Officers with California Highway Patrol recovered the charred van, which was burned beyond recognition, in a riverbed several miles from his home.

The suspects made off with all his equipment, paints, brushes, sprayers and tools he’d inherited from his late father, who was also a contract painter.

To make the situation even worse, Harding’s insurance doesn’t cover anything beyond a car collision, not even a brazen theft like this.

“I work out of my van. I don’t have an office,” he told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff. “I’m a small business owner and that was everything in that van.”

Travell Harding’s work van seen after it was stolen, stripped and torched by thieves in July 2024. (Travell Harding)
Travell Harding’s work van seen in this undated photo before it was stolen, stripped and torched in July 2024. (Travell Harding)
Travell Harding’s work van seen after it was stolen, stripped and torched by thieves in July 2024. (Travell Harding)
Travell Harding’s work van seen after it was stolen, stripped and torched by thieves in July 2024. (Travell Harding)
Travell Harding’s work van seen after it was stolen, stripped and torched by thieves in July 2024. (Travell Harding)
Travell Harding seen at an event put by the nonprofit Fighters for the World in this undated photo. (Travell Harding)

In his spare time, Harding runs a nonprofit organization – Fighters for the World – that’s dedicated to helping at-risk teens and his work in the community has not gone unnoticed.

“People are calling me, saying, ‘I’m going to look in my garage, maybe I have a paintbrush, maybe I have this,’ and I’m like, ‘Let me know, I’ll come by and pick it up,’” he said.

A GoFundMe campaign was also organized to help Harding replace some of his equipment and, eventually, buy a new van with added security.

“Even before I pick up some new tools, I’m scared they’re going to be taken again, so I’m putting a kill switch in my truck and an alarm, whatever I can do off the bat to help protect it because they’re targets,” Harding explained.

Investigators with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Lakewood Station are handling the case, but so far, no suspects have been identified.

Harding believes the work is likely a group of professional thieves because of the way they were able to strip the vehicle so quickly.

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.