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Orange County DA declines to pursue case involving 'Creep Catchers' child predator sting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges against a man who was the target of a sting operation by an underground group that exposes and helps apprehend online child predators. The case highlights the greater level of scrutiny the District Attorney's office is now bringing to these cases.The man was arrested last week after a separate investigation by the Fullerton Police Department corroborated some of the findings of the Creep Catchers, or CC Unit. CC Unit is a self-described child advocacy group that targets predators by posing as minors online. Organizers claim to be responsible for “catching” over 300 people in Southern California, even though law enforcement and prosecutors are reluctant to publicly support their efforts.Recently, members of the group said a 39-year-old man had made arrangements to meet whom he thought was a 14-year-old boy near the Anaheim-Fullerton border.    The child was...

Watch: Burning trees threaten Studio City apartment building; man seen walking away from fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

A man was seen calmly walking away from a fire near a Studio City apartment building along the 101 Freeway early Tuesday morning, though officials have not confirmed if they are investigating the incident as arson.The fire was reported at about 3:20 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol and Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.When firefighters arrived at the scene at the southbound 101 and Lankershim Boulevard, they were able to extinguish the blaze with one engine, Stewart said. No injuries or damage to any structures were reported, but the No. 4 lane of the southbound freeway was closed until about 4:30 a.m. to accommodate the firefighters, officials said. Video from the scene shows flames consuming a copse of trees, and a dashcam appeared to capture a man in light-colored pants walking away from the scene soon after the fire began to grown. Officials declined to confirm if they are investigating the blaze as an arson.Nancy Fontan contributed to this rep...

McDonald's testing out new menu items in Southern California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

McDonald’s has begun testing out new menu items, but it is only available to Southern California residents for now.The fast-food chain is offering two new food items, a Cheesy Jalapeño Sausage Egg McMuffin sandwich and a Cookies and Crème pie, which are both variations of classic McDonald’s menu items. McDonald’s ‘phasing out’ 3 all-day items from menu The new sandwich includes all the aspects of a McMuffin people know and love plus a cheddar cheese sauce and pickled jalapeno slices, according to a news release.The new sandwich includes all the aspects of a McMuffin in addition to a cheddar cheese sauce and pickled jalapeno slices, (McDonald's) The Cookies and Crème pie includes pieces of chocolate sandwich cookie mixed into a fluffy vanilla crème filling housed in a chocolate crust, a news release said.The Cookies and Crème pie includes pieces of chocolate sandwich cookie mixed into a fluffy vanilla crème filling housed in a chocolate crust. (McDonald's) Customers can purchase th...

Teen Girl Killed in Red-Light Collision on Barton Road [Citrus Heights, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

One Dead, 2 Others Hospitalized after 2-Car Accident near Douglas BoulevardCITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (July 18, 2023) – Late Sunday afternoon, one teen girl was killed in a red-light collision on Barton Road.Authorities responded to the scene around 5:40 p.m., near Douglas Boulevard.Per reports, the 16-year-old driver of a red Jeep failed to yield at the intersection and struck a 2003 black Escalade. Upon impact, the Jeep overturned and partially ejected a 15-year-old female passenger.Paramedics arrived and transported the 17-year-old Escalade driver and the two other teens to Sutter Roseville Medical Center. There, crews pronounced the 15-year-old girl dead.Meanwhile, the driver of the Escalade remained uninjured.At this time, Citrus Heights officials are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the Barton Road two-vehicle crash. Once available, further details will be provided.No words can mend the broken hearts and sorrow felt during this delicate moment. Deepest co...

1 Killed, 1 Injured in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash on Santa Rosalia Drive [Baldwin Hills, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

85-Year-Old Grandfather Killed, Grandson Injured in Pedestrian Accident near West BoulevardBALDWIN HILLS, CA (July 18, 2023) – Thursday night, one victim was killed and one was injured in a pedestrian crash on Santa Rosalia Drive.Police responded to the scene around 9:30 p.m., near West Boulevard on July 13th.According to reports, the driver of a dark-colored vehicle struck an 85-year-old man and his 41-year-old grandson as they were attempting to cross the street.Upon impact, the driver fled the scene without rendering aid or contacting authorities. Shortly after, another driver that was passing by noticed the men and called for help.Paramedics arrived and transported both victims to a nearby hospital where the grandfather later succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, his grandson was listed in stable condition.Following the events, the police are still looking for the suspect, and a standing reward of up to $50,000 was posted by the LAPD. Also, any witnesses who wish to be ano...

Passenger Dead, Driver Arrested after DUI Collision on Byron Highway [Byron, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

1 Killed, 1 Arrested after DUI Accident near Clifton CourtBYRON, CA (July 18, 2023) – Saturday night, one passenger was killed and a driver was arrested after a DUI collision on Byron Highway.Police responded to the scene around 11:05 p.m., on the southbound lanes of the freeway just south of Clifton Court.For DUI related reasons, the driver of a Chevrolet Suburban veered off the road and traveled down an embankment.Medical crews arrived and pronounced the Chevrolet passenger dead at the scene. Meanwhile, paramedics took the driver to a nearby hospital with significant injuries.Following preliminary duties, officers determined that the driver was intoxicated at the time. As a result, police arrested the driver at the hospital for driving under the influence.At this time, authorities have not released the identity of the deceased passenger. The CHP Contra Costa officials are asking anyone who witnessed the Byron Highway DUI crash to contact them at 925-646-4980.In this sorrowfu...

New Alzheimer’s drug is first to show it slows disease. But It’s facing a rocky rollout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

Robert Langreth, Matthew Griffin | (TNS) Bloomberg NewsEisai Co.’s breakthrough Alzheimer’s drug — the first to show it slows the brain-destroying disease — is facing a rocky rollout as doctors grapple with logistical issues, insurance uncertainties and complicated safety testing requirements.The same day Eisai’s Leqembi received full US approval, Medicare officials said the government health program for the elderly will pay for it. But that doesn’t mean patients will be able to get the $26,500-a-year treatment quickly. Doctors at top medical centers said they’re still trying to coordinate required testing, reimbursement and a real-world monitoring system of patients’ side effects and cognitive status.“I’m not even sure we know all the steps right now,” said Constantine Lyketsos, director of the the Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.The need for therapy is urgent and widespread: More than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, a number pro...

Deadly heat hits Europe during peak tourist season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

By Colleen Barry and Jamey Keaten | Associated PressMILAN — Officials warned residents and tourists packing Mediterranean destinations on Tuesday to stay indoors during the hottest hours as the second heat wave in as many weeks hits the region and Greece, Spain and Switzerland battled wildfires.In Italy, civil protection workers monitored crowds for people in distress from the heat in central Rome, while Red Cross teams in Portugal took to social media to warn people not to leave pets or children in parked cars. In Greece, volunteers handed out drinking water, and in Spain they reminded people to protect themselves from breathing in smoke from fires.“Heat waves are really an invisible killer,” Panu Saaristo, the emergency health team leader for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said during a Geneva briefing. “We are experiencing hotter and hotter temperatures for longer stretches of time every single summer here in Europe.”...

SF Jewish Film Fest 2023 offers another stellar lineup: See these 6 films

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

One of the Bay Area’s finest film series — the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival — returns this week with an impressive array of films, documentaries, shorts and events. The 43rd annual festival runs July 20 through 30 at San Francisco’s Castro and Vogue theaters, and Aug. 1-6 at Oakland Piedmont Theatre.The opening night documentary, “Remembering Gene Wilder,” promises to be an enlightening, loving portrait of the late actor and comedian (get ready to cry, in other words). It screens 6:30 p.m. July 20 at the Castro Theatre. The S.F. closing night film, “Bella!,” illuminates how tenacious lawyer and women’s rights advocate Bella Abzug blazed trails for future feminists. It screens 8:05 p.m. July 30 at the Castro.Here are our recommendations for what to see.“Alam”: This Bay Area premiere anchors itself around a group of Palestinian teens — in particular the casually political Tamer (Mahmood Bakri) — as they develop tighter associations and start to enga...

Single family residence sells in Oakland for $3.4 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:50 GMT

6316 Bullard Drive – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 6300 block of Bullard Drive in Oakland was sold on June 5, 2023 for $3,375,000, or $723 per square foot. The house, built in 1993, has an interior space of 4,667 square feet. This two-story home offers a spacious layout with five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Outside, the home presents roofing composed of wood shake roofing / shingles materials. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. In addition, the house features a two-car garage. The lot of the property covers a substancial area of 0.4-acre.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:In November 2022, a 2,154-square-foot home on La Salle Avenue in Oakland sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $743. The home has 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On La Salle Avenue, Oakland, in October 2022, a 2,043-square-foot home was sold for $1,780,000, a price per square foot of $871. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,177-sq...