California
California man sentenced to 10 years for drug trafficking in Baltimore
A California man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking group that operated in Baltimore, according to the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office.
In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a group in Baltimore that was selling large amounts of cocaine, according to court documents.
Investigators determined that Mario Valencia-Birruetta, 35, of Corning, California, was a member of the group. He was placed on a flight watch list, court records show.
Drug trafficking investigation
In August 2023, a commercial airline notified investigators that Valencia-Birruetta was flying to Baltimore. On Aug. 15, 2023, investigators began tracking his movements as he stayed at a Hamilton Residence hotel in Baltimore, according to court records.
Between Aug. 15 and Aug. 24, investigators watched as Valencia-Birruetta met with multiple drug traffickers. According to court documents, they arrived at the hotel with bags.
In one case, investigators saw Valencia-Birruetta carrying large amounts of money in his hand. He went to the bank and appeared to make a deposit, court documents show.
On Aug. 24, 2023, Valencia-Birruetta left Baltimore. A week later, investigators were notified that he planned to travel back to Baltimore, according to court documents.
On Aug. 30, 2023, investigators watched as Valencia-Birruetta arrived at BWI Airport, picked up a rental car and drove to the Hamilton Residence hotel, court documents show.
At the same time, another group of investigators was surveilling a stash house in Baltimore County where co-conspirators were seen carrying bags into the location.
Investigators learned that a co-conspirator had picked up Valencia-Birruetta from the hotel and traveled to National Harbor, Maryland, where they met another co-conspirator. After the meeting, Valencia-Birruetta and the co-conspirator drove back to the stash house, court documents show.
When Valencia-Birruetta and the co-conspirator got out of the vehicle and removed duffel bags, investigators approached and saw that one of the bags had a large hole.
According to court documents, the investigators were able to see kilogram packages of drugs in the bag.
Officials detained Valencia-Birruetta and the co-conspirator and seized the bags. They recovered 43 kilogram packages of cocaine and discovered another bag inside the stash house that contained 32 kilogram packages of cocaine, according to court documents.
Investigators also recovered bags of marijuana, three firearms and equipment to process large amounts of drugs, court documents show.
California
Attorney disputes federal claims after ICE shooting in California; family seeks medical update
The attorney for the man shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Patterson is disputing federal claims and raising questions about what led up to the shooting, and what’s happening now at the hospital.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez’s fiancée and attorney say they still don’t know his condition and are struggling to get basic information from authorities.
They’re also disputing ICE’s version of events and point to court documents that they say tell a very different story.
“I have a lot of concern right now about getting info, finding out how is he doing, is he alive, is he recovering and what is his situation,” said Patrick Kolasinski, Hernandez’s attorney.
Dashcam video captured the moments Tuesday morning when Hernandez tried to pull away from agents who were attempting to arrest him as ICE said he is wanted for questioning in El Salvador in connection with a murder. Kolasinski speculated that his reaction may have been driven by fear.
“I wasn’t with him, I can only imagine if you see what’s happening in immigration detention and find yourself about to be detained,” Kolasinski said. “It’s normal to try and flee.”
ICE claims Hernandez is a member of the 18th Street gang and is wanted in El Salvador. But his attorney says none of that is true.
“Carlos is a family man who was on his way to work when he was detained by ICE. He has had no criminal contacts in the United States,” Kolasinski said.
Court documents from 2019 show Hernandez was charged with aggravated homicide, which was later reduced to simple homicide. The court documents also shows Hernandez was found not guilty.
“He was, in fact, acquitted, so he cannot possibly have a warrant out for his arrest,” Kolasinski said.
CBS Sacramento reached out to ICE regarding the court document from El Salvador, but has yet to hear back.
“I think the problem is the training,” Kolasinski said. “You have a not dangerous person and when they try to flee. First of all, the car was way too far behind. When you do a traffic stop, you pull up close behind. If you’ve ever gotten a ticket, you’ll see CHP is on your bumper. Why? So this can’t happen.”
Hernandez’s attorney and his fiancée both say they’re now struggling to get basic information.
“Sheriff’s office, no one, no one responded to me, being searching for answers,” said Cindy, Hernandez’s fiancée.
Cindy said she didn’t hear from the authorities first, but from her sister. After arriving at the hospital, she said an FBI agent took her into a room.
“He said, ‘I’m going to record you because I need to have this recorded, right?’ So I was expecting him to talk to me about Carlos. I literally asked how he’s doing, is he’s in the hospital. He said, ‘I cannot share any information. I’m not authorized.’”
CBS Sacramento reached out to the FBI and is awaiting a response.
As they wait for answers, she said this goes beyond just one case.
“Right now it’s me and that’s the reason I’m here. I’m also representing our community,” Cindy said. “I don’t want this situation to continue and continue blaming these people, in this case, Carlos.”
Right now, his family and his attorney say they’re still attempting to find out his condition.
Kolasinski said Wednesday evening that Hernandez is detained under the U.S. attorney’s office. Kolasinski added that Hernandez underwent a medical procedure, but the family doesn’t know his condition.
California
Tori Spelling speaks out after California car crash with seven children
Tori Spelling is feeling “grateful” after the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star and four of her children were involved in a serious car crash in California earlier this month.
“We are so grateful and so lucky, because it could have been so much worse,” Spelling said in a Tuesday Instagram video, adding that the last few days have been “overwhelming.”
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office previously told NBC News the April 2 crash occurred after another driver allegedly ran a red light while speeding and hit Spelling’s car.
Spelling, 52, and seven children — four of her own and three of their friends — were taken to the hospital after the April 2 accident in Temecula, California. The sheriff’s officer said at the time that all occupants were evaluated at the scene, and no arrests were made. The cause of the collision, however, remains under investigation.
In the self-style video, Spelling detailed the incident from her point of view, saying that the driver who hit her car was “going crazy, crazy fast.”
“I’m just really grateful that in a split second, guardian angels were definitely with us that day, because in a split second, I looked to my right and I saw he was coming full on, full impact into the side of our car,” she said.
To avoid impacting the children as much as possible, Spelling said she had to turn hard left as fast as she could, causing them to spin out. TMZ, which first reported the incident, said Spelling and the children were treated for cuts, bruises, contusions, concussions, and other injuries.
“I just want to thank all of the first responders on the scene and to Inland Valley ER that took such great care of all of the kids and myself,” Spelling added in the video.
Video obtained by TMZ appeared to show Spelling speaking animatedly with first responders. Photos published by TMZ appeared to show Spelling’s car to be significantly less damaged than the other vehicle involved.
“I’m grateful to everyone who has reached out and repeatedly checked on us and offered to do whatever we needed to get us through this, and all the blessings everyone has sent,” Spelling added in the video.
Spelling shares five children with her ex-husband, Dean McDermott. It is unclear which of her four children was in the car involved in the crash.
California
California Assembly Health Committee passes ‘Next of Kin Notification’ bill
A bill sparked by a KCRA 3 investigation cleared its first hurdle in the California Legislature on Tuesday.Assembly Bill 2598 was introduced in response to KCRA’s “Dignity Delayed.” The investigation revealed a backlog of human remains after patient deaths at Dignity Health hospitals. The hospitals are accused of failing to notify families and county officials for months or even years after the deaths and, instead, leaving bodies to decompose in cold storage at an off-site morgue without a death certificate.In court records, Dignity Health said the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing issues caused delays, although they dispute that they did not initially try to contact next of kin.That is a dispute that is now being argued in civil court following lawsuits filed by families who say they were left in the dark about the deaths of their loved ones.In the meantime, AB 2598 aims to make it clear that notification of next of kin is required and that not doing so could have consequences.“This is necessary to fill a gap that we currently have in our law,” said the bill’s author, Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento.The bill states that the California Department of Health could dole out penalties of $200 a day for each day that a hospital fails to make a reasonable attempt to notify family. Fines would max out at $50,000. The California Hospital Association is proposing some amendments and clarifications to the bill, but there is currently no registered opposition to it.The Assembly Health Committee voted to pass the bill, and it is scheduled to be heard before the Assembly Judiciary Committee next.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
A bill sparked by a KCRA 3 investigation cleared its first hurdle in the California Legislature on Tuesday.
Assembly Bill 2598 was introduced in response to KCRA’s “Dignity Delayed.” The investigation revealed a backlog of human remains after patient deaths at Dignity Health hospitals. The hospitals are accused of failing to notify families and county officials for months or even years after the deaths and, instead, leaving bodies to decompose in cold storage at an off-site morgue without a death certificate.
In court records, Dignity Health said the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing issues caused delays, although they dispute that they did not initially try to contact next of kin.
That is a dispute that is now being argued in civil court following lawsuits filed by families who say they were left in the dark about the deaths of their loved ones.
In the meantime, AB 2598 aims to make it clear that notification of next of kin is required and that not doing so could have consequences.
“This is necessary to fill a gap that we currently have in our law,” said the bill’s author, Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento.
The bill states that the California Department of Health could dole out penalties of $200 a day for each day that a hospital fails to make a reasonable attempt to notify family. Fines would max out at $50,000.
The California Hospital Association is proposing some amendments and clarifications to the bill, but there is currently no registered opposition to it.
The Assembly Health Committee voted to pass the bill, and it is scheduled to be heard before the Assembly Judiciary Committee next.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
-
Atlanta, GA4 days ago1 teenage girl killed, another injured in shooting at Piedmont Park, police say
-
Culture1 week agoDo You Know Where These Famous Authors Are Buried?
-
Movie Reviews1 week agoVaazha 2 first half review: Hashir anchors a lively, chaos-filled teen tale
-
Education1 week agoVideo: We Put Dyson’s $600 Vacuum to the Test
-
Georgia2 days agoGeorgia House Special Runoff Election 2026 Live Results
-
Pennsylvania3 days agoParents charged after toddler injured by wolf at Pennsylvania zoo
-
Milwaukee, WI3 days agoPotawatomi Casino Hotel evacuated after fire breaks out in rooftop HVAC system
-
Entertainment1 week agoInside Ye’s first comeback show at SoFi Stadium