Police asked the public for help Friday in identifying a pair of vehicles involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash in Upland last month.

The incident occurred on West 8th Street just east of San Antonio Avenue around 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 30.

Responding officers found that a pedestrian, later identified as 21-year-old Michael Yanez of Chino, was struck by two vehicles that both fled the scene.

Yanez died as a result of the injuries and investigators are still trying to locate the vehicles and drivers involved in the crash.

On Friday, the Upland Police Department released images on Instagram of a white or silver Jeep Wrangler and a light blue minivan believed to have struck Yanez.

Police said that the Wrangler was lifted with an aftermarket front bumper, driver’s side hi-lift jack (near the fender), a black hard top and black rocker guards along the sides of the body.

No further description of the minivan was available.

Anyone with information about these vehicles was asked to call Officer Santana at 909-946-7624 x 2606 or send an email to gsantana@uplandpd.org.

The Department of Motor Vehicles has issued an apology over a California license plate that allegedly displayed hate speech over the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

On Thursday, the license plate in question was spotlighted in a post to X, formerly Twitter, by StopAntisemitism, a group “dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism.”

The license plate reads, “LOLOCT7.” “Lol” is an acronym that stands for “laugh out loud” and is typically used to express amusement.

The organization said the vehicle was spotted at the intersection of Jefferson and Sepulveda Boulevards in Culver City.

“How did this get processed?” the post read. “Demand the @CA_DMV recall this license plate that celebrates the October 7th terrorist attack—a vile mockery of the 1,200 innocent lives lost and the countless others scarred.”

By Thursday afternoon, DMV responded to the post by issuing an apology and calling the situation “unacceptable and disturbing” in a statement on X saying:

“The DMV is taking swift action to recall these shocking plates, and we will immediately strengthen our internal review probes to ensure such an egregious oversight never happens again.

We sincerely apologize that these personalized plates were not properly rejected during our review process. The use of hateful language is not only a clear violation of our policies but also a violation of our core values to proudly serve the public and ensure safe and welcoming roadways.”

A department representative who spoke with the Times said the vehicle’s owner would be notified of the situation and their license plate would be recalled.

The owner, however, has the right to appeal the DMV’s decision should they choose to do so.

DMV officials also told the Times that employees will scour the license plate database to identify additional offensive language involving the Oct. 7 attacks and recall those plates if found.

Thirty-seven suspects were arrested during a massive retail theft bust in Ventura County.

The two-day blitz operation took place at the Pacific View mall in Ventura from Dec. 6-7, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Around $2,000 worth of stolen property was discovered by officers, along with burglary tools used in the thefts and various narcotics including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.

The suspects were identified as:

• Fredy Velasquez, 18, Santa Paula
• Savanah Hartman, 18, Oxnard
• Sahrayah Hartman, 21, Oxnard
• Jacob Aragon, 22, Camarillo
• Jonathan Zazueta, 26, Oxnard
• Skylar Martin, 26, Ventura
• Ashlee Honsberger, 27, Ventura
• Erika Martinez, 29, Ventura
• Heraclio Lara, 29, Ventura
• William Borchard, 32, Ventura
• Alyona French, 33, Ventura
• Travis Ross, 34, Ojai
• Anthony Romero, 34, Oxnard
• Randy Martinez, 35, Santa Paula
• Andres Fernandez, 35, Oxnard
• Tony Valdez, 37, Ventura
• Richard Munoz, 39, Ventura
• Matthew Raley, 43, Ventura
• Candice Arsenault, 43, Oxnard
• William Martinez, 45, Ventura
• Valentin Lucero, 53, Ventura
• 16 unidentified juveniles

Officers collaborated with loss prevention teams from Target, JCPenney, and Macy’s, along with Allied Security, which provides security services for Pacific View mall.

“This effort highlights the significant shoplifting challenges affecting not only the mall but also businesses across the county,” said the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force force is comprised of detectives from various agencies within Ventura County focused on combatting organized retail theft, vehicle/vehicle parts theft and cargo theft.

“The task force aims to provide a safe environment for everyone while working hand in hand with retailers, law enforcement agencies and the public to identify, locate and arrest the criminals involved in these types of crimes,” the sheriff’s department said.

Detectives with the Task Force teamed up with members from the sheriff’s West County Special Enforcement Unit and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations. They were assisted by officers from the Ventura Police Department and patrol deputies from the Thousand Oaks and Camarillo stations.

Anyone with information on possible theft cases is encouraged to call the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force at 805-383-8703. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

Retailers that are experiencing significant retail theft and are interested in participating in similar blitz operations can call 805-383-8703.