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Suspect arrested in San Diego in connection with Venice Canals assaults

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Suspect arrested in San Diego in connection with Venice Canals assaults


A 29-year-old man is behind bars Friday in connection with a pair of assaults of women near the Venice Canals.

Anthony Jones was arrested Thursday night in San Diego in connection with the attacks that occurred the night of April 6, police said. Police also said there was a sexual element to the attacks, although no details were immediately released.

It was unclear what led police to identify Jones as the suspect. Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said Jones was brought back to Los Angeles, and charges are pending.

According to jail records, Jones was being held in lieu of $3.25 million bail.

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LAPD officials said earlier the first attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. Saturday on the 2700 block of Strongs Drive, where a woman was approached from behind and struck with a blunt object, leaving the woman unconscious. The suspect similarly attacked another woman about an hour later as she was walking near the Sherman Canal.

Police said both victims sustained significant injuries, although their current conditions were unknown.

A GoFundMe page established on behalf of one of the victims — 54-year-old Mary Klein — says she suffered eight fractures to her jaw, a large laceration on the back of her head, multiple contusions on her face and neck and lost several teeth.

“She will require many surgeries and is currently getting her jaw wired shut for at least a month,” the page states.

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The page also states that Klein had recently lost her health insurance and was in the process of obtaining a new policy through Covered California but had not completed the process.

City Councilwoman Traci Park, speaking at a news conference announcing the arrest, lashed out at the problem of public safety in the city, blaming “catch-and-release” and “criminals-are-the-victims” policies for making the city unsafe.

“People in the city of Los Angeles are sick and tired of feeling unsafe,” she said. “No woman, no visitor, no family should be unsafe walking in any neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, much less our city’s number one tourist destination,” she said. “Our businesses are being pushed to the brink and consumers are paying for it.”

She said there are “unstable and potentially dangerous” people roaming the streets, and said Los Angeles “is getting a bad reputation.”

“This time it was two innocent women minding their own business just walking through the canals,” Park said. “It could have been any one of us — your neighbor, your colleague, your friend, your sister, your wife. It is time that we get serious about public safety in Los Angeles.”

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Anyone with additional information regarding the attacks or additional victims who want to come forward were urged to contact LAPD Special Assault detectives at 213-473-0447. Calls during non-business hours and should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.



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San Diego, CA

Man seriously injured in crash with biker in San Diego

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Man seriously injured in crash with biker in San Diego


SAN DIEGO (CNS) — A pedestrian suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a motorcyclist in the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, authorities said.

The crash occurred about 9:20 p.m. Friday in the 1900 block of Garnet Avenue, the San Diego Police Department reported.

A 35-year-old man was walking southbound on the east crosswalk — against the red “Don’t Walk” signal — when he was struck by a 21-year-old man riding a Suzuki 1500 motorcycle eastbound in the 1900 block of Garnet Avenue.

The 35-year-old man suffered a lacerated liver, a fractured femur and several other fractures. The biker sustained multiple abrasions. Paramedics rushed the 35-year-old man to a hospital. It was not known whether the motorcyclist was sent to a hospital.

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DUI was not suspected and there was no other immediate information available.

Anyone with any information regarding the crash was urged to call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.





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San Diego comic book publisher’s 1992 murder remains unsolved after three decades

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San Diego comic book publisher’s 1992 murder remains unsolved after three decades


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego police are asking for the public’s help in solving the 33-year-old murder of comic book publisher Todd Loren, whose killer remains at large despite decades of investigation.

Loren, 32, was found stabbed to death in his Hillcrest apartment on Fifth Avenue on June 18, 1992. His father discovered his body during a welfare check after Loren failed to show up for work at their comic book publication business.

“Todd was actually found in his bedroom, on his bed, and he had been stabbed multiple times,” said Detective Tracy Barr of the San Diego Police Department’s Cold Case Unit.

Loren was well-known in the comic book industry for his comedic parodies and biographies of rock groups and celebrities. ABC 10News had interviewed him at his business five years before his death.

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The case initially generated several leads, including the discovery of Loren’s stolen car in San Francisco a day after the murder. A man was arrested for having the vehicle after his fingerprints were found inside, but he denied involvement in the killing.

“He’s just standing on the sidewalk and some random white guy shows up in this car, tosses him the keys, and says, Hey, it’s a rental car, keep it for a couple days, and, uh, you know, I got a plane to catch, and then he takes off,” the suspect told detectives.

The case was also briefly linked to serial killer Andrew Cunanan, who murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace in 1997. However, detectives never found any connection between Cunanan and Loren.

“His name will pop up, and I don’t know if it was just because of the time. It was such a big news story and everyone was kind of focused on this, so anytime there was a murder of maybe a gay male, they automatically kind of associate it,” Barr said.

For Loren’s family, the decades without answers have been devastating. His brother Steve Shapiro said their father never recovered from the loss.

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“He took it really hard, and he was never quite the same, and that kind of affected everybody,” Shapiro said.

Their father died several years ago without ever learning who killed his son. Their mother, now in her 90s, still hopes for answers.

“As far as I knew, it had gone cold and there had been no follow-ups on it for decades,” Shapiro said.

But Detective Barr wants the family and community to know the case hasn’t been forgotten.

“Over time, people think we don’t care anymore, or their loved one is forgotten. That’s never the case. We don’t let these cases go,” Barr said.

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Detectives hope renewed attention on the case, along with new tips or forgotten memories from people in the Hillcrest neighborhood, will finally lead them to Loren’s killer.

“He didn’t deserve this; he deserved better,” Barr said.

Anyone with information about Todd Loren’s murder is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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Airbnb stay takes unexpected turn for San Diego woman

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Airbnb stay takes unexpected turn for San Diego woman


A picturesque beachfront getaway in Northern California was supposed to be the perfect remote-work escape for San Diego resident Kim Coutts. Instead, it turned into a frustrating ordeal.

Coutts, an experienced Airbnb user with over 40 bookings under her belt, splurged about $1,200 for two nights in September 2024 at a cliffside Airstream in Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County. 

She was road-tripping up the coast with her new puppy, Wigbert, looking forward to stunning ocean views while working remotely.

“I decided to take a road trip,” Coutts said. “I was working remotely, I just got my new dog, and I thought we would go up the coast.”

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On check-in day, Coutts logged into her Airbnb account to read the host’s instructions, and that’s when she saw a detail she said surprised her:“The power system will go into power-saving mode from midnight until 8 a.m.”

That meant no working outlets, no TV.

By then, it was too late to cancel.

“It was a lot of money,” Coutts said. “I didn’t want to lose the money.”

Airbnb and the host told NBC 7 Responds that the message about power savings mode was in the listing when she booked, and we saw it in the current listing under the House Rules section.

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Coutts arrived at the Airstream around 3 p.m., soaking in the breathtaking daytime views.

“I thought I would try,” Coutts said. 

But as dusk fell around 7 p.m., discomfort set in. She packed up, drove to a hotel in Carmel= and messaged the host.

“I am not asking for a refund, but I would hope you can meet me in the middle,” Coutts wrote, hoping for at least a partial refund.

The host offered two free nights for a future stay instead. Coutts accepted.

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A year later, Coutts reached out to redeem those nights.

“I waited until September, which is the same time I traveled, and I reached out to rebook,” Coutts said. “He read my message and closed the conversation without saying anything.”

What Coutts didn’t know, and Airbnb confirmed to NBC 7, is that booking message threads automatically close themselves after a year. The host didn’t close the conversation.

Not knowing how to contact the host, Coutts contacted Airbnb.

“Their response was that they’re not responsible for agreements I make with outside parties,” Coutts said.

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Frustrated, Coutts decided to call NBC 7 Responds for help.

NBC 7 reached out to Airbnb on her behalf.

“I think about 10 days later, I got the gift card from Airbnb out of nowhere, and I knew someone from your end had reached out,” Coutts said.

In a statement to NBC 7 Responds, Airbnb said:

“We encourage guests to thoroughly review a listing page before booking to ensure it meets their needs, and contact Airbnb in the event of a concern. In this case, at the time the guest booked the reservation, the listing description specified the Airstream’s overnight ‘power-saving mode’ and which amenities would be temporarily unavailable. While the guest did not contact us during their stay a year ago, and no electricity outage was reported to us or the host at the time, we have reached out to provide support with a goodwill coupon for a future trip.” 

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While $400 didn’t cover her full original cost, Coutts was very happy to get something back and grateful for the resolution. But more than the money, she wants other travelers to learn from her experience. 

Coutts said that, to prevent surprises when booking vacation rentals, be sure to read every word of a listing before booking. 

As Airbnb and the host confirmed to NBC 7 Responds, the information was there when Coutts booked. It even includes a note that if you aren’t OK with the power savings mode, let the host know in advance, and they will work with you. 



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