California
California doctor-to-the-star’s ex-wife among 5 charged with ambush-style murder outside of his practice — months after saying she was ‘shocked’ by killing
The ex-wife of a prominent Los Angeles doctor – gunned down in an ambush-style attack outside his clinic in August – was arrested and charged with his murder as police raided her home.
Ahang Mirshojae, née Kelk, was among five people arrested earlier this week for conspiracy to commit the murder of Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, the Los Angeles Police Department announced.
No motives were revealed in the suspected murder and police have not released details of the roles each allegedly played in Dr. Mirshojae’s death.
Dr. Mirshojae, 61, was fatally shot in the back of his head by a “masked man” in the parking lot of his family clinic on the 5900 block of Topanga Canyon Blvd. in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Aug. 23, 2024.
Mirshojae, whose patients included “celebrities, movie stars, athletes and many people of different walks of life,” had just finished his shift at around 5:34 p.m. when the gunman appeared from a hiding spot and ran towards the Iranian-born doctor.
After the fatal shooting, the gunman ran to the rear of the Woodland Hills Medical Clinic and Urgent Care as police responded 42 minutes later to an “Ambulance Shooting” call.
Mirshojae was pronounced dead at the scene.
After a nearly four-month-long investigation, police officials announced the arrest of Kelk and four others.
Kelk, 53, had mourned the death of her ex-husband in a since-deleted Facebook post.
“Hamid, the kids and I are in so much shock we miss you so bad,” she said. “August 23rd 5:30pm they took Hamid away from us right in front of his practice. He was always helping people seeing tens and thousands of patients for decades we fought HARD to make life happen starting from nothing in the apartment and still the world is so cold.”
The now-suspected murderer said her family had to be “strong in the face of evil” to remember Mirshojae.
The former couple shared three adult children.
Hours before her arrest, LAPD and federal investigators raided Kelk’s Calabasas home Thursday evening, according to KTTV.
It was not revealed if anything was discovered during the search.
In August, Kelk denied any involvement in her ex-husband’s death.
“It’s all lies,” she said according to the Los Angeles Times.
After separating from his ex-wife, Dr. Mirshojae remarried in 2023, and the newlywed couple shared a 6-month-old girl at the time of his death.
His new wife and daughter were visiting family in Turkey at the time of the shooting, but jetted back to the US after learning the heartbreaking news.
Suspects
Along with Ahang Mirshojae’s arrest Thursday, police also arrested and charged four others for the Aug. 23 suspected killing.
Evan Hardman, 41, was arrested on Dec. 10 in the greater Houston area of Texas and charged with Murder with Special Circumstances and will be transferred to LAPD custody.
Ashley Rose Sweeting, 40, was nabbed in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday for being an accessory to murder.
Sarallah Jawed, 26, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with Murder with Special Circumstances.
Shawn Randolph, 46, was arrested and booked for Murder on Thursday.
Hardman and Jawed were also charged with attacking Dr. Mirshojae with a baseball bat in May, Fox 11 reported.
The two were each slapped with an assault with a deadly weapon charge for the May 3 attack that left Mirshojae fearing for his life.
“They came and they beat him with baseball bats,” an employee told the Los Angeles Times at the time. “They were some strangers that we didn’t know.”
Kelk and Randolph are being held without bail and their cases will be presented for filing consideration to the LA DA’s office on Dec. 16.
The investigation is ongoing, the LAPD said.
California
UPDATE: Crash at California/Dakota
10:06 PM: Police are arriving at the scene of a two-vehicle crash reported at California/Dakota, with at least two people hurt.
11:06 PM: Police have just reopened the street. We went to the scene after a report that one vehicle had ended up on the lawn of a church – First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – is on the southwest corner – but all we could see was one vehicle on the sidewalk. We’re following up with SFD regarding the people who were hurt.
California
Southern California’s wild weather is not over. Wind gusts of up to 65 mph predicted
Last week’s rain won’t be the end of Southern California’s wild weather as strong wind gusts are forecast through the area until Tuesday.
Gusts of up to 65 mph are expected in mountains and valleys throughout the region, with the National Weather Service warning that power outages were possible and that residents should keep an eye out for downed trees and power lines.
“Travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles,” according to an alert issued by the National Weather Service.
The recent storms that drenched Southern California and soaked the soil could also “increase the likelihood of damage” caused by downed trees and power lines, the agency noted.
The National Weather Service issued the advisory Sunday, warning that the western Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Susana Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains and the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors could see strong winds starting Sunday evening, lasting until Monday afternoon.
Winds between 20 to 30 mph are expected in those areas until Sunday evening. Wind speeds are then predicted to pick up until Monday afternoon, with northeast winds of up to 40 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph.
A similar alert for strong gusts was issued by the weather service for the San Bernardino and Riverside County mountain and valley regions, as well as the Santa Ana Mountains, where strong winds could linger until Tuesday afternoon.
Northeast winds with speeds of up to 30 mph are expected to hit the area starting this evening, with gusts of up to 60 mph.
The high wind alerts come after the region was drenched for days, causing debris flows that washed through homes in Wrightwood. At least three people were killed in storm-related deaths, including a man in San Diego who was struck by a falling tree. In Boyle Heights, a rare tornado touched down on Christmas morning.
More rain is expected this week, including the possibility of rain on New Year’s Day.
California
Gas line explosion rocks California: Video shows debris clouds filling the sky; residents report ‘jet-like’ roar – The Times of India
A major natural gas pipeline explosion in northern Los Angeles County on Saturday prompted authorities to issue shelter-in-place orders and temporarily shut down a key Southern California highway, officials said.The incident occurred around 4.20 pm local time near Ridge Route Road and Pine Crest Place in Castaic, close to the southbound lanes of Interstate 5, a critical route linking Southern and Northern California. The damaged pipeline is a 34-inch transmission gas line, located just east of the freeway.
Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Brian Kight said emergency crews received multiple calls reporting the gas leak. While residents described loud noises, Kight stressed that “there were no reports of any explosions from the leak and no reported injuries,” the Los Angeles Times reported.Videos shared on social media showed orange plumes rising from a hillside, which appeared to have partially collapsed, with debris clouds filling the sky.Several residents said they heard loud booms, while NBC 7 San Diego reported that people across the Santa Clarita Valley felt their homes shake. One witness described a “strong sulfur smell and a loud noise resembling a jet engine,” the outlet added.At L.A. County Fire Department Station 149, located about a mile away, Kight said he could smell gas from “20 minutes out.” The Los Angeles City Fire Department also received reports of a strong rotten egg smell from residents as far away as the north San Fernando Valley.In response, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) closed all lanes of Interstate 5 at 5.12 pm, diverting northbound traffic to State Route 126 and southbound vehicles to State Route 138. Traffic came to a near standstill for miles, leaving motorists stranded for hours, the Los Angeles Times reported.A shelter-in-place order was issued at 5.40 pm that covered much of Castaic. Authorities advised residents to close doors and windows, shut off vents, and turn off HVAC systems.By 6 pm, the gas company had shut off both sides of the ruptured line, though firefighters and a hazardous materials task force continued monitoring a residual leak. The CHP announced shortly before 9 pm that Interstate 5 had reopened.The cause of the rupture remains under investigation. While officials said it is unclear what triggered the incident, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies told CBS Los Angeles that it was possibly caused by “a mudslide.”More details awaited.
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