Los Angeles, Ca
Southern California skydiver killed in weather-related mishap
A professional skydiving instructor died, and her student was seriously injured in a tandem skydiving accident in Southern California’s Inland Empire.
Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, and her student were descending toward the ground during a routine jump in Perris last Tuesday when they ran into a pair of “dust devils,” Devrey’s husband, Freddy Chase, told KTLA 5 News.
“She missed the first one, and when she maneuvered around it, she hit the second one,” said Chase, who is also a skydiver and has hundreds of thousands of social media followers. At that point, she was about 25 to 30 feet in the air… It sent her canopy in a downward spiral.”
With no time to react, Devrey and her student slammed into the ground. Both were rushed to a local hospital, where Devrey succumbed to her injuries.
Dust devils are small, rotating columns of air that pick up dust and debris from the ground on hot days. They resemble tornadoes but are generally harmless.
Freddy Chase says his wife was not only a passionate skydiver but also the main videographer for his social media videos, some of which have racked up more than a million views.
“She was beautiful in the sport and in her passion for skydiving,” Freddy recalled. “It was what she talked about every day. She loved doing what she did.”
Chase says Devrey moved to California from Maine roughly eight years ago, and now her family is raising money to bring her home. Tap here to donate.
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 […]
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.
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.
“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.”
-
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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 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.
“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.”
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended its particle pollution advisory as smoke from the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights continues to affect air quality across the region. Officials said the incident remains fluid, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is continuing to monitor conditions. Residents are urged to follow […]
-
Health16 minutes agoDoes Metformin Help With Weight Loss? How To Maximize Your Results
-
Lifestyle31 minutes agoA judge says the Kennedy Center must update him on its plans — and address that tarp
-
Technology40 minutes agoA new paper argues Microsoft exaggerated its quantum claims a year ago
-
World45 minutes agoColombia’s ‘El Tigre’ secures presidency as leftist rival finally concedes defeat
-
Politics53 minutes agoComer probes alleged Biden collusion with gun control activists in Glock lawsuit
-
Sports1 hour ago2026 World Cup Third-Place Standings: Who’s In, Who’s On The Bubble
-
Technology1 hour agoFCC phone ID plan could end burner phones
-
Business1 hour agoSony Pictures invests $100 million in virtual reality venue Cosm
