Arraignment Moved to Wednesday for Ex-LAPD Officer Charged with Lewd Acts

A scheduled arraignment Tuesday was put over to Wednesday for a former Los Angeles Police Department officer who is facing charges of committing lewd acts on four young boys. Paul Razo, 46, was arrested May 10, five days after he was charged by prosecutors with eight counts of lewd acts on a child, according to […]

Hollywood Writers Still on Picket Lines as WGA Strike Persists

Picket lines went up outside all the major L.A.-area studios yet again Tuesday as the Writers Guild of America strike continued for a third week — with no word on renewed labor talks or movement toward resolution of a walkout that has ground entertainment production to a halt. Since the strike began May 2, pickets […]

Taco Bell Files Legal Petition Over `Taco Tuesday’ Phrase

Taco Bell has launched a hostile taco-ver to liberate the phrase “Taco Tuesday” from trademark restrictions, the Irvine-based fast-food chain announced Tuesday. Battles can win wars and redraw borders, but this tortilla rebellion is a fight to hand over Taco Tuesday to anyone who makes, sells, eats and celebrates the snack. In other words, Taco […]

LA County Board Approves Mental Health Assessment Facility at Downtown Jail

Hoping to relieve the overload of seriously mentally ill inmates in its jail system, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday authorized the conversion of space at the Twin Towers downtown jail into a 16-bed unit to evaluate and treat inmates suffering from “acute mental health illness.” The facility, dubbed an Acute Intervention Module, […]

Los Angeles Proclaims Senior Fraud Awareness Day

The Los Angeles City Council proclaimed Tuesday as Senior Fraud Awareness Day in an effort to highlight the pervasive issue and resources for victims of scams. “I know that every one of our offices has had to deal with the situation from time to time where you’ve heard from one of your constituents who is […]

Provo-Orem, Utah Tops Milken Institute List of Top Performing Municipalities

For the third consecutive year, Provo-Orem, Utah, was ranked as the best-performing large municipal area in the country in a report released Tuesday by the Santa Monica-based Milken Institute think tank, while Idaho Falls, Idaho, was named the best performing small city. The annual Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities Index ranks municipalities and municipal areas based […]

Fire Extinguished at Wine Bar in Sherman Oaks

Firefighters contained and extinguished a fire at a one-story wine bar Tuesday in Sherman Oaks. Crews responded at 3:14 a.m. to 13456 W. Ventura Blvd., where they encountered a fully involved fire with flames coming through the roof in a row of commercial units, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said. Stewart said it […]

LA County Formally Proclaims LGBTQ Pride Month

Commemorating the New York gay and lesbian community’s historic rising up against decades of oppression in the Stonewall Rebellion of June 29, 1969, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday proclaimed June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Pride Month. The motion, by supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath, recalled that “during a period […]

Judge Refuses to Release Ex-UCLA Gynecologist on Bail Pending Appeal

A judge Tuesday refused to release a former UCLA campus gynecologist on bail while the ex-doctor appeals his conviction on sex-related charges involving two patients. Ruling on the request by James Mason Heaps’ attorneys, Superior Court Judge Michael Carter said he found “by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is a flight risk.” The […]

LA Extends Emergency on Homelessness Amid Frustration with Lack of Data

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend Mayor Karen Bass’ emergency declaration for the city’s homelessness crisis, while city staff provided an update on Bass’ Inside Safe program amid frustration from some council members who expect more frequent reports on the costly program. The council requested bi-weekly reports as part of its […]

Transient Charged with Fatal Shooting in Anaheim

A 36-year-old transient was charged Tuesday with gunning down another man in Anaheim. Paul Perez was charged with murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, both felonies, and is facing sentencing enhancements for discharge of a firearm causing death and the personal use of a firearm. Perez is accused of killing 35-year-old […]