News Muncher - category villanueva

3 weeks, 2 days ago

Police nab arson suspect in string of fires in Sherman Oaks

LA Times

Police photos from the scenes of a series of arson fires that occurred within a three-day span, from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21, in Sherman Oaks. The Los Angeles Police Department announced Thursday the arrest of a man suspected of setting a series of fires in October to vehicles, dumpsters and a commercial building in Sherman Oaks. The Los Angeles …

Man Department Oct Sherman Oaks Ventura Boulevard Villanueva Fires

3 weeks, 3 days ago

Did sheriff’s officials conspire to set up whistleblowing lieutenant?

LA Times

The investigation of L.A. County Sheriff’s Lt. Joseph Garrido started over rumors about where he’d taken his county-issued Chevrolet Tahoe. Ewell told investigators that driving the Tahoe to doctor’s visits would have been “perfectly legitimate.” A few days later, Barragan sent another memo to Ewell, this time pushing to further elevate the case by asking for a criminal investigation into …

Criminal Case Department Told Morris Tahoe Villanueva

1 month, 2 weeks ago

Ex-LASD homicide investigator accused of giving Nazi-like salute during training lecture

LA Times

Mark Lillienfeld, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department homicide investigator, has been deemed ineligible for rehire after a police officer who attended one of his training lectures last year accused him of making racist comments and repeatedly giving a Nazi-like salute during the class, according to an internal affairs report. At the beginning of the course, according to what …

Training California Los Angeles Los Angeles County Department

2 months, 1 week ago

What type of LAPD chief will Jim McDonnell be? Clues may lie in the past

LA Times

Jim McDonnell is greeted by Mayor Karen Bass during a news conference Oct. 4 at City Hall after being introduced as the next LAPD chief. Greg Yates, a longtime civil rights lawyer, said he was “cautiously optimistic” given how McDonnell helped orchestrate the department’s post-Rampart turnaround. McDonnell’s toughest questioning came from Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who cast the only “no” vote, …

Trump Civil Rights Parks Los Angeles Department Public Chief

2 months, 4 weeks ago

Ex-members of L.A. County sheriff’s alleged ‘secret police’ testify to oversight commission

LA Times

For nearly five hours Friday, the Civilian Oversight Commission grilled two former members of a secretive unit within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department accused of targeting former Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s foes. This year, state prosecutors formally rejected the case, saying they’d completed a “thorough and independent investigation.” But on Friday, Fernandez alleged state investigators previously told him prosecutors had never …

State Kennedy County Commission Department Unit Lau

3 months, 2 weeks ago

Federal judge tosses suit ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva brought over ‘do not rehire’ designation

LA Times

A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit brought by former Sheriff Alex Villanueva against Los Angeles County over a “do not rehire” notation that was placed in his personnel file after an oversight panel said he discriminated against and harassed two county employees. “We appreciate the Court’s ruling and that it agreed with our arguments across the board in rejecting …

Court Case County Suit Sheriff Villanueva Court Filings

3 months, 3 weeks ago

Sheriff’s Department announces long-awaited policy banning deputy gangs

LA Times

Nearly two years after Sheriff Robert Luna took office and promised to eradicate deputy gangs, and three years after state lawmakers greenlighted a measure requiring police agencies to ban the groups, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department unveiled a much-awaited anti-gang policy Wednesday to comply with the law. At the time, Villanueva said that made him the first sheriff to …

Policy Gang Department Groups Luna Deputies Gangs

5 months ago

State prosecutors drop three felony counts against Los Angeles County D.A. advisor

LA Times

Four months after California Atty. Diana Teran, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department advisor who later oversaw ethics and integrity operations at the D.A.’s office, is accused of illegally using confidential personnel records. State prosecutors allege Teran broke the law three years ago when she flagged several sheriff’s deputies’ names for possible inclusion on an internal district attorney’s database …

Court Records Office State Los Angeles County

5 months ago

Ex-L.A. sheriff’s corruption squad targeted Kuehl. Now state has dropped the case

LA Times

Sheriff’s deputies escorted then-Supervisor Shelia Kuehl’s from her home after serving her an early morning search warrant in Santa Monica on Sept. 10, 2022. Instead, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Ryan approved an agreement Wednesday in which the California Department of Justice said there was a “lack of evidence of wrongdoing.” The department had taken over the politically …

Corruption Investigation Case State Metro County Department

5 months, 3 weeks ago

Times reporter was leaked list of problem deputies. The Sheriff’s Department investigated her

LA Times

For at least three years, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department secretly investigated — and ultimately urged the state attorney general to prosecute — a Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote about a leaked list of problem deputies, according to internal department records. “I’m glad this investigation is over, and it’s an outrage that the Sheriff’s Department would criminally investigate …

Investigation Office Case Department List Lau Brady

5 months, 3 weeks ago

Inside the Sheriff’s Department’s secretive investigation into Villanueva’s critics

LA Times

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva testifies under oath about deputy gangs in front of the county’s Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. A multi-year criminal investigation under former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva into the agency’s inspector general — a probe that a legal advisor for the county called “not legally viable” — was based largely on unfounded accusations …

Investigation Records Office Case California Report Officials

6 months, 3 weeks ago

Jeffrey Katzenberg: Biden’s big money man in Hollywood

LA Times

On the blisteringly cold day of the Iowa GOP caucuses, President Biden’s campaign convened reporters in a conference room to contrast the Democratic incumbent with the Republican field and its front-runner, former President Trump. “We’re entering the election year with the resources, enthusiasm and energy needed to mobilize the winning coalition that will reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.” Politically …

Campaign Race Democratic City Hollywood California Republican

7 months, 3 weeks ago

Former Sheriff Villanueva to file $25-million lawsuit over county’s ‘Do Not Rehire’ label

LA Times

Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva plans to file a $25-million federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County for putting a “Do Not Rehire” notation in his personnel file after an oversight panel said he harassed and discriminated against two county employees. Villanueva’s lawyer called the recommendation — which the department ultimately adopted — a “lethal blow” to the former sheriff’s lengthy career …

Holocaust Board County Department File Sheriff Supervisors

8 months ago

Felony charges against Gascón’s top advisor spark confusion, criticism in L.A. D.A.’s office

LA Times

When one of Los Angeles County Dist. A few months after Villanueva took office and found out about the “massive data breach,” he said, several top department officials met with the FBI and the state attorney general’s office to convey their concerns. Teran is no longer the “assistant district attorney over ethics and integrity operations,” according to district attorney’s office …

Law Office Case Charges California Los Angeles Attorney

8 months, 2 weeks ago

Renowned Peruvian investigative reporter battles criminalized smear campaign — and cancer

Associated Press

LIMA, Peru — At age 75, one of Latin America’s most storied journalists had been looking forward to weaving into books the fragmented threads of more than four decades of investigative reporting that exposed high-level abuse of power in Peru and abroad. In an illustrious career, Gustavo Gorriti has endured death threats from drug traffickers, survived Peru’s harrowing Shining Path …

Congress Latin America Latin Press Pérez García Lima

8 months, 2 weeks ago

Top advisor to D.A. charged with misusing confidential files

LA Times

One of Los Angeles County Dist. George Gascón’s top advisors, Diana Teran, right, was charged Wednesday with illegal use of confidential law enforcement records. In a livestream Wednesday evening, Villanueva echoed that, saying that in 2019 he alerted the FBI and the attorney general to concerns about Teran downloading information he described as a “massive data breach.” Though the complaint …

Law Enforcement Office California District Attorney Gascón Los Angeles County

9 months, 1 week ago

California DOJ civil rights probe of Sheriff’s Department headed to settlement, sources say

LA Times

More than three years after the California Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the case is headed toward a sprawling settlement agreement expected to touch on issues including jail conditions, deputy gangs and staffing, according to sources familiar with the matter and emails viewed by The Times. Lawyers for Los Angeles …

Investigation Rights Civil Settlement California Los Angeles

10 months ago

Ex-undersheriff admits to having alleged deputy gang tattoo — then getting rid of it

LA Times

It was a Caveman, and it was on his ankle. After more than two years of resisting subpoenas to testify about deputy gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, this week former Undersheriff Tim Murakami admitted under oath that he once sported a tattoo representing the Cavemen, a controversial subgroup affiliated with the East Los Angeles station. “He is …

Tattoo Gang Los Los Angeles Kennedy East Station

10 months ago

Editorial: What L.A. County voters need to hear from D.A. George Gascón before November

LA Times

To put the best face on Dist. To avoid following in Villanueva’s footsteps, Gascón has to do a better job articulating his progress in making his office more reflective of what Los Angeles voters wanted when they first elected him — a more just and equitable criminal justice system. Opinion Editorial: Gascon’s reform vision comes to the Supreme Court Just …

Crime Union Republican Los Angeles Voters Gascón Hochman

10 months ago

Hahn, Barger declare victory in L.A. County supervisors race; Mitchell holds big lead

LA Times

L.A. County Supervisors Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger and Holly J. Mitchell all looked headed for reelection after the latest round of votes was counted Friday, a sweep that would continue the reign of the so-called Five Little Queens. On Friday afternoon, Hahn claimed victory over her two opponents — including former county Sheriff Alex Villanueva, whom she referred to as …

Results Term County Public Holden District Mitchell

10 months, 2 weeks ago

She binged true crime on Netflix. Then she helped free two men from prison

LA Times

When the COVID shutdown began, Jessica Jacobs Dirschel, a mother of four in Topanga Canyon, was one of the many millions of people who staved off boredom by binging on Netflix. When the lawyer answered, Dirschel said, “I want to help.” Jofama Coleman had served 14 years of a life sentence for murder when the pandemic lockdown came to the …

Crime Murder Prison Netflix Men Case California

10 months, 2 weeks ago

County watchdog urges disbanding of sheriff’s ‘aggressive’ Risk Management Bureau

LA Times

Oversight officials this month urged the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to disband a specialized bureau they say is silencing whistleblowers, protecting favored employees and downplaying misconduct in the upper ranks. But the L.A. County Office of Inspector General’s latest report, released Feb. 20, describes a historically “flawed” bureau that became “inappropriately aggressive” under the prior sheriff and has not …

Law Enforcement Risk Management Report Los Angeles County Officials Department

10 months, 3 weeks ago

Ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva suspended from social media site X

LA Times

Alex Villanueva speaks at a community reception in 2018, during his first run for Los Angeles County sheriff. Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who is running for a spot on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said Monday that his primary account on X, formerly Twitter, was shut down after someone allegedly reported him for harassing his opponent in the …

Records County Instagram Account Sheriff His Opponent Villanueva

11 months, 1 week ago

Villanueva’s campaign for supervisor is low on funds in final weeks

LA Times

With about a month to go until the March 5 primary, former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has a little less than $7,800 cash on hand. “You go pull contributions from somewhat marginal city council candidates, and they would have all done better than that.” Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles for Loyola Marymount …

Campaign City Israel Los Angeles Los Angeles County

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Articles for Villanueva

Police nab arson suspect in string of fires in Sherman Oaks

Did sheriff’s officials conspire to set up whistleblowing lieutenant?

Ex-LASD homicide investigator accused of giving Nazi-like salute during training lecture

What type of LAPD chief will Jim McDonnell be? Clues may lie in the past

Ex-members of L.A. County sheriff’s alleged ‘secret police’ testify to oversight commission

Federal judge tosses suit ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva brought over ‘do not rehire’ designation

Sheriff’s Department announces long-awaited policy banning deputy gangs

State prosecutors drop three felony counts against Los Angeles County D.A. advisor

Ex-L.A. sheriff’s corruption squad targeted Kuehl. Now state has dropped the case

Times reporter was leaked list of problem deputies. The Sheriff’s Department investigated her

Inside the Sheriff’s Department’s secretive investigation into Villanueva’s critics

Jeffrey Katzenberg: Biden’s big money man in Hollywood

Former Sheriff Villanueva to file $25-million lawsuit over county’s ‘Do Not Rehire’ label

Felony charges against Gascón’s top advisor spark confusion, criticism in L.A. D.A.’s office

Renowned Peruvian investigative reporter battles criminalized smear campaign — and cancer

Top advisor to D.A. charged with misusing confidential files

California DOJ civil rights probe of Sheriff’s Department headed to settlement, sources say

Ex-undersheriff admits to having alleged deputy gang tattoo — then getting rid of it

Editorial: What L.A. County voters need to hear from D.A. George Gascón before November

Hahn, Barger declare victory in L.A. County supervisors race; Mitchell holds big lead

She binged true crime on Netflix. Then she helped free two men from prison

County watchdog urges disbanding of sheriff’s ‘aggressive’ Risk Management Bureau

Ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva suspended from social media site X

Villanueva’s campaign for supervisor is low on funds in final weeks