California news

• Echo Park Mom Charged With Murder, Child Abuse In Death Of Son, 11

  25-08-2016 23:40
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An Echo Park woman was charged Thursday with murdering her 11-year-old son, whose body was found in a closet at their home.Veronica Aguilar, 39, was in court this afternoon at a downtown Los Angeles courthouse on one count each of murder and child abuse resulting in death.
  Officials will perform an autopsy Thursday on an 11-year-old boy who was found dead inside a home in Echo Park.
  According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, the boy has been ident
  
  Read more

• California Aims Retirement Plan at Those Whose Jobs Offer None

  25-08-2016 23:39
  The plan would cover an estimated six million people and could make the state the first to require companies to take part in such a system.
  
  Read more

• OC Moms Group Alleges Nature Valley Granola Bars Contain Weed Killer Chemical

  25-08-2016 23:31
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County moms group is among three nonprofit organizations that have sued General Mills for allegedly misleading consumers about an herbicide chemical the lawsuit says is found in granola bars sold by the company.
  Mission Viejo-based Moms Across America along with Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Association filed the complaint over phrasing used on the labeling on General Mills’ Nature Valley brand granola bars, which claims to be “&ldq
  
  Read more

• $20K Reward Offered For Info In Slaying Of 4-Year-Old In Altadena

  25-08-2016 23:09
  
  ALTADENA (CBSLA.com) — The family of a 4-year-old boy who was fatally shot in Altadena pleaded Thursday for help to find the shooter who killed him.
  Salvador Esparza III of Monrovia was shot at about 10:40 p.m. July 5 while visiting family friends in the 300 block of West Figueroa Drive, and he later died at a hospital. Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the shooter.
  A 27-year-old man was also wounded in th
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Opportunity & Passion For Fashion Drives Former Entertainment Executive To Reinvent Herself

  25-08-2016 23:00
  
   
  Andie Cohen-Healy, founder of The Feathered Head, started out her career in the entertainment industry having worked as an executive for well-known entertainment brands such as MTV. However, when she was gifted with backyard chickens, she found a new calling in a completely unexpected field. Cohen-Healy used the stray chicken feathers to create custom headpieces. While her business took a while to get off the ground, it helped her realize a previously unknown passion.
   
   
  Foundi
  
  Read more

• Hero Officer Rescues Dog From Burning Car In Indiana

  25-08-2016 22:06
  
  GARY, Ind. – Inside a burning car along a Northwest Indiana expressway was some precious cargo.
  Bella the dog was trapped.
  However, Bella is going to be OK, thanks to quick action of a cop in the right place at the right time, CBS 2’s Mai Martinez reports.
  Lake County Sheriff Deputy Chief Dan Murchek rescued Bella from the flames.
  “I was at the right place at the right time,” Murchek said. “I didn’t want to see the dog burn alive in the car, and I was going to
  
  Read more

• Volkswagen, Dealers Reach Tentative Deal In Cheating Scandal

  25-08-2016 21:47
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Volkswagen has reached a tentative deal with its U.S. dealers to compensate them for losses they said they suffered as a result of the company’s emissions cheating scandal, attorneys for the carmaker and dealers told a federal judge Thursday.
  The value of the settlement with the roughly 650 dealers was not disclosed, although Volkswagen said in a statement later that it would include cash payments.
  “We believe this agreement in principle with Volkswagen dea
  
  Read more

• California’s Retirement Plan

  25-08-2016 21:26
  The trade association for mutual funds takes issue with an editorial supporting the plan.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Homeland Security Investigates Leslie Jones Website Hack

  25-08-2016 21:17
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Department of Homeland Security investigators said Thursday they are investigating the hack of Leslie Jones’ website that revealed several private details of the actress-comedian’s life.
  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of Homeland Security Investigations, said Thursday that its New York office is investigating the hack that exposed the driver’s license, passport and intimate photos of the “Saturday Night Live” star, along with
  
  Read more

• Warren Hinckle, 77, Ramparts Editor Who Embraced Gonzo Journalism, Dies

  25-08-2016 21:06
  Mr. Hinckle, the flamboyant editor who made Ramparts magazine a voice for the radical left, championed the work of Hunter S. Thompson.
  
  Read more

• What Cars Ruled Pebble Beach Auctions? The Ones You Can’t Afford

  25-08-2016 21:03
  There was an overall softening in demand for less prestigious collectible vehicles — those in the comparatively modest $100,000 to $1 million range.
  
  Read more

• Music Majors To Get Free Tuition At Los Angeles City College With $10M Endowment

  25-08-2016 19:18
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Herb Alpert’s foundation has given $10.1 million to endow music education at Los Angeles City College.
  The gift announced Thursday will provide all music majors tuition-free attendance, additional private lessons and further financial aid.
  The musician says in a statement that LACC has helped many low-income students who have financial challenges.
  Forty percent of music students within the nine-college Los Angeles Community College District study at LACC.
  Alpert an
  
  Read more

• National Park Service Celebrates Centennial With Waived Entrance Fees

  25-08-2016 18:58
  
  INDIO (CBSLA.com) — Get a much-needed dose of nature this weekend at any of the four federally-protected green spaces within driving distance of Los Angeles in honor of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary.
  The usual $20 entrance fee will be waived for cars entering the otherworldly Joshua Tree National Park in Indio through Sunday. However, the fee waiver will not cover campsite fees, tours of the historic Key’s Ranch, or special use events.
  “We are committ
  
  Read more

• Uber Loses $1.2B In First Half Of 2016: Report

  25-08-2016 18:54
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Ride-hailing giant Uber lost about $1.2 billion in the first half of 2016, according to a report Thursday.
  Bloomberg News says Uber is expected to post U.S. losses exceeding $100 million and totaling $750 million globally in the second quarter.
  Combined with pre-tax losses of about $520 million, that brings Uber’s total red ink to roughly $1.27 billion, according to Bloomberg.
  The results were reportedly announced by Uber finance chief Gautam Gupta on a conf
  
  Read more

• #StingKROQ Contest Rules

  25-08-2016 18:11
  
  “#stingkroq”CONTEST RULES
  NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.THE CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
  1. How to Enter the Giveaway:
  (a) The “#stingkroq” giveaway will begin on Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 4:00am Pacific Time (“PT”) and end on Friday, August 26, 2016 at 12:00pm PT.
  (b) To participate in the contest users will need to follow the CBS Los Angeles Twitter account @CBSLA during the promotional window. Users must als
  
  Read more

• Sinkhole Opens Up In Front Of High School In Riverside Overnight

  25-08-2016 17:16
  
  RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Crews are working to repair the street in front of JW North High School in Riverside after a sinkhole developed Wednesday night, right in front of the campus’ driveway.
  Riverside officials estimated the size of the sinkhole, which developed just west of the 60/215 Freeway off-ramp at 3rd Street, at 15 by 15 feet and 4 feet deep. There were also other depressions that could indicate potential sinkholes or undermined roads, according to Riverside spokesman
  
  Read more

• Police: Irvine Double Shooting Appears To Be Murder-Suicide

  25-08-2016 16:18
  
  IRVINE (CBSLA.com) — Preliminary evidence in the shooting deaths of a man and a woman in Irvine indicates it was a murder-suicide of a mother and son, police said Thursday.
  The shooting was reported just after 12:20 p.m. at a home on Hexham Street in the Turtle Rock Community of Irvine.
  Irvine detectives say evidence at the scene suggests the son shot his mother, then turned the gun on himself. A handgun was recovered from the scene.
  Their identities were withheld and will be released
  
  Read more

• Police Search For Pursuit Suspect In Eagle Rock; 1 Arrested

  25-08-2016 15:30
  
  EAGLE ROCK (CBSLA.com) — Police Thursday searched for a pursuit suspect who fled from authorities in Eagle Rock.
  The chase unfolded shortly before 1:30 a.m. when police attempted to stop the driver of a stolen vehicle.
  Authorities later arrested one of the men near Yosemite Drive and Eagle Rock Boulevard when the stolen vehicle crashed.
  The other suspect fled on foot from the scene and remains at large.
  No residents were evacuated from the immediate area.
  No injuries were reported.
  
  Read more

• Autopsy To Be Performed On 11-Year-Old Boy Found Dead In Echo Park

  25-08-2016 15:16
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Officials will perform an autopsy Thursday on an 11-year-old boy who was found dead inside a home in Echo Park.
  The boy’s mother, Veronica Aguilar, 39, is scheduled to appear in court today. Aguilar was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of child endangerment that resulted in death.
  The Los Angeles Times reports Aguilar has two other children, who have since been placed in protective care.
  Police responded to a home located on Santa Ynez Street on Monday aftern
  
  Read more

• Feds Ask For Competency Hearing For Former LA County Sheriff

  25-08-2016 15:02
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors have asked a federal judge to determine whether former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is competent to stand trial in his jail abuse case.
  The Los Angeles Times reports that the request came late Wednesday after a hearing in which Baca’s attorneys cast doubt on the mental fitness of Baca, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
  U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox says in a court filing that prosecutors do not believe Baca is incompetent, but want the jud
  
  Read more

• Woman Found Shot To Death In Garden Grove

  25-08-2016 14:56
  
  GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA.com) — Homicide detectives Thursday investigated the shooting death of a woman in Garden Grove.
  Officers were sent shortly before 2:30 a.m. to a home located in the 13600 block of Purdy Street for report of a shooting, according to police.
  Upon their arrival, authorities located a woman believed to be in her late 20s to early 30s, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the front yard of the home.
  Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Her identity is bei
  
  Read more

• Cycling Matches the Pace and Pitches of Tech

  25-08-2016 12:00
  In the highly competitive and communal tech industry, cycling is taking the place of golf as both an individual obsession and a camaraderie builder.
  
  Read more

• More Evidence That Soda Taxes Cut Soda Drinking

  25-08-2016 10:30
  A new study of the Berkeley soda tax found that people in low-income neighborhoods cut sugary drink consumption by a fifth.
  
  Read more

• Police Searching For Biological Father Of Boy Found Dead In Echo Park

  25-08-2016 08:18
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Police on Wednesday said they want to question the biological father of a young boy found dead in an Echo Park home.
  On Monday afternoon, police got a 911 call from Jose Pinzon who said that his wife told him that his stepson was dead.  When investigators arrived at their home on Santa Ynez  Street, they found  the 11-year-old wrapped in a blanket in the closet. Police said the boy looked like he had been suffering from malnutrition and physica
  
  Read more

• Local Woman Watches Earthquake-Torn Italy With Heavy Heart

  25-08-2016 07:49
  
  VENTURA (CBSLA.com) — A local woman is 6,000 miles from Italy but closely monitoring what is going on in the country devastated by a killer earthquake.
  The death toll is about 250 and expected to climb.
  The desperate search for survivors continues. Countless people have been buried under rubble since the magnitude-6.2 quake that hit early Tuesday morning.
  KCAL9’s Peter Daut spoke with a woman originally from Italy who now lives in Ventura.
  Her family  lives in the region la
  
  Read more

• A Monster Crime: $40,000 Worth Of Energy Drinks Stolen

  25-08-2016 07:42
  
  CORONA (CBSLA.com) — They’re a hot commodity in convenience stores, and someone decided Monster energy drinks were worth the risk of a big-rig heist.
  Someone stole a big rig full of the beverages from a lot on Sherborn Street in Corona earlier this week in a sophisticated operation.
  “You can’t just hop in this truck and drive it. You have to know how to drive the truck,” said Dennis Cole, the truck’s owner.
  Cole says pallets of Monster energy drinks were
  
  Read more

• Turner’s Solo Homer Lifts Dodgers Past Giants

  25-08-2016 07:23
  
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rich Hill pitched six dominant innings in his first start with Los Angeles and Justin Turner hit his 24th homer, lifting the Dodgers over the San Francisco Giants 1-0 on Wednesday night.
  Los Angeles has a three-game lead over the Giants atop the NL West.
  Turner homered in the fourth for the first hit against starter Johnny Cueto. Turner has 20 homers since June 10.
  Hill (1-0) was on the disabled list with a blister on his left middle finger when the Dodgers acq
  
  Read more

• Video Shows Dump Truck Smashing Into Vehicles In San Gabriel

  25-08-2016 07:17
  
  SAN GABRIEL (CBSLA.com) — A dump truck driver lost control Wednesday, and hit eight vehicles in three separate collisions along Valley Boulevard.
  The first was at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and New Avenue. More vehicles were hit at Valley Boulevard and Del Mar Way. The last collision happened near Valley Boulevard and San Gabriel Boulevard.
  The collisions were recorded on video by people in a vehicle following the truck, as it drove onto the medium and finally came to a
  
  Read more

• Big Dig Proves Nazi Gold Train Was Just a Myth

  25-08-2016 06:17
  
  After spending $37,000 to dig three huge pits, treasure hunters found no tunnel and no train laden with gold.
  
  Read more

• Small Plane Loses Control On Takeoff At Fullerton Airport And Crashes Into 3 Parked Planes

  25-08-2016 06:05
  
  FULLERTON (CBSLA.com)   —  A small plane lost control while taking off at Fullerton Airport Wednesday evening and then proceeded to crash into three parked planes.
  The incident happened just before 6 p.m., authorities said.
  The single engine Siai Martchetti SF-260 tried to lift but ended up veering across a runway, slamming into three other planes and then ending up in a hangar.
  The aircraft sustained major damage, officials reported. The extent of the damage done to the parked p
  
  Read more

• Trout, Pujols Home Runs Help Angels Soar Past Blue Jays, 8-2

  25-08-2016 04:47
  
  TORONTO (AP) — Albert Pujols moved into sole possession of 10th place on baseball’s all-time list by hitting his 584th home run, Matt Shoemaker pitched six shutout innings and the Los Angeles Angels snapped an 11-game road losing streak by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 on Wednesday night.
  Pujols finished 4 for 4 with three RBIs. After he and Mike Trout hit back-to-back homers in the first, Pujols hit a sacrifice fly in the second, singled in the fourth and sixth innings, then cap
  
  Read more

• Hope Solo Suspended From National Team For 6 Months After ‘Cowards’ Comment

  25-08-2016 03:51
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. women’s goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended Wednesday for six months by U.S. Soccer for disparaging comments about Sweden after the Americans’ early departure from the Rio Olympics.
  Solo called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” for focusing on defense rather than attacking the three-time defending champion U.S. team. Sweden ousted the U.S. 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in a quarterfinal match.
  U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati
  
  Read more

• Police Seek Driver In Crash Who Left Motorcyclist To Die

  25-08-2016 03:47
  
  RESEDA (CBSLA.com) — Police are trying to find the driver of truck involved in a fatal hit-and-run that killed a motorcyclist.
  The accident happened at Van Owen Avenue and Tampa Street in Reseda at 7 a.m. Wednesday.  A 19-year-old man was on his way to work when he slammed into the truck taking a left turn in front of him. The driver took off, police said.
  A local 7-Eleven owner says he sees accidents here every week, mostly on left-hand turns.
  The vehicle is a large white pickup with
  
  Read more

• California Bill Would Require Securing Guns In Vehicles

  25-08-2016 03:42
  
  SACRAMENTO (AP) — The California Senate is approving legislation that requires everyone, including law enforcement officers, to secure guns they leave in a vehicle.
  The bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown follows several high-profile thefts from the vehicles of law enforcement officers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  SB869 by Democratic Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo was approved in a 26-12 vote. It would require that handguns left in unattended vehicles be locked in the trunk or in a locked contai
  
  Read more

• California Lawmakers Approve Extension Of Climate Change Law

  25-08-2016 03:33
  
  SACRAMENTO (AP) — California lawmakers voted Wednesday to extend the state’s landmark climate change law — the most aggressive in the nation — by another 10 years, resisting fierce opposition from oil companies and other business interests to keep the program alive at least through 2030.
  Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, a strong advocate of the state’s climate initiatives, has said he’ll sign the bill when it comes to his desk.
  The move keeps alive the legal frame
  
  Read more

• Prince’s Paisley Park To Open For Tours

  25-08-2016 03:19
  
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Paisley Park, the private estate and studio complex of the late rock superstar Prince, will open for daily public tours starting Oct. 6, the trust company overseeing his estate announced Wednesday, and the company that runs Elvis Presley’s Graceland will manage it.
  Bremer Trust said in a statement that millions of Prince fans will get the chance to tour the 65,000-square-foot complex in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, where Prince collapsed in an elevator and
  
  Read more

• The Fab Mom On 2: Tackling School Homework

  25-08-2016 03:17
  
  The recent viral Facebook post about how one second-grade teacher from Texas decided to ditch homework assignments this school year has ignited a national debate about how much is too much homework for elementary school and beyond. While many parents find excessive homework assignments a family frustration, younger students also suffer the consequences.
  How to tackle the problem? Start with knowing the facts and research.
  Denise Pope, senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate Schoo
  
  Read more

• Texas Couple Says Their Dog Was Killed Because Of Hillary Clinton Yard Sign

  25-08-2016 03:08
  
  RICHARDSON, TEXAS (CBSLA.com) — A Texas couple believes their dog was poisoned because of their support for Hillary Clinton.
  Matt and Beth Steadman said as soon as he put a sign supporting Clinton in his front yard, trouble began.
  First, the sign was stolen. Two replacement signs were also stolen.
  Then, someone left a note that said “Hillary for Prison 2016.”
  After that, someone poured bleach into the gas tank of the Steadmans’ SUV. A mechanic told the couple th
  
  Read more

• Gene Tests Can Help Some Breast Cancer Patients Avoid Chemotherapy, Study Says

  25-08-2016 03:00
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Some breast cancer patients could avoid chemotherapy treatment without jeopardizing their chances of survival by taking a genetic test to determine the risk of their cancer recurring, a study has found.
  The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined early-stage breast cancer patients using MammaPrint, a 70-gene test that creates something of a cancer “fingerprint” and categorizes patients a
  
  Read more

• Elderly Driver Crashes Into House, Narrowly Misses Families

  25-08-2016 02:22
  
  SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — An 81 year old man was listed in critical condition Wednesday, after he drove an SUV into a house in Santa Ana.
  The crash happened about 10:40 a.m.
  Cell phone video shows witnesses trying to help the driver after the crash, who was trapped in the front seat. Pieces of a metal fence had pierced his neck.
  Police say the driver ran a stop sign on Saint Gertrude Place, and missed Patricia Gonzalez and her young children by just inches.
  “Today is not
  
  Read more

• Driver, 81, Crashes Into House, Narrowly Misses Families

  25-08-2016 02:22
  
  SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — An 81-year-old man was listed in critical condition Wednesday, after he drove an SUV into a house in Santa Ana.
  The crash happened about 10:40 a.m.
  Cell phone video shows witnesses trying to help the driver after the crash, who was trapped in the front seat. Pieces of a metal fence had pierced his neck.
  Police say the driver ran a stop sign on Saint Gertrude Place, and missed Patricia Gonzalez and her young children by just inches.
  “Today is not
  
  Read more

• Man, Woman Found Shot To Death Inside Irvine-Area Home

  25-08-2016 01:42
  
  IRVINE (CBSLA.com) —  A man and woman were found shot to death inside a home in the exclusive Turtle Rock Summit section of Irvine, authorities said Wednesday.
  The gruesome discovery was made in a home in the gated community on Hexham Street just before 12:30 p.m., reported Stu Mundel flying over the house in Sky 9.
  Police did not say if they were dealing with a murder-suicide but also did not offer any information about a possible motive or suspect.
  Identification of the victims is b
  
  Read more

• 3 Kids Whose Mother Found Dead 10 Days Ago Are Located In New Mexico

  25-08-2016 00:15
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — After an urgent search that covered several states, authorities have found three young children whose mother was found dead in Lebec 10 days ago.
  Ryle Watkins, 5, Brayden Watkins, 3, and Joslynn Watkins, 2, were found safe Wednesday at a motel in Albuquerque.
  Ryle Watkins, 5, Brayden Watkins, 3, and Joslynn Watkins, 2, were found safe at a motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico Wednesday. (credit: LASD)
  Their mother, Kimiberly Harvill, was found dead Aug. 14&n
  
  Read more

• 3 Kids Found Safe After Mother Is Killed

  25-08-2016 00:15
  
  LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — After an urgent search that covered several states, authorities have found three young children whose mother was found dead in Lebec ten days ago.
  Ryle Watkins, 5, Brayden Watkins, 3, and Joslynn Watkins, 2, were found safe at a motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico Wednesday.
  Ryle Watkins, 5, Brayden Watkins, 3, and Joslynn Watkins, 2, were found safe at a motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico Wednesday.(credit: LASD)
  Their mother, Kimiberly Harvill, was found dead August
  
  Read more

Follow @_CaliforniaNews on Twitter!