LOS ANGELES — The teenager who shot five classmates, killing two, at a Southern California high school used an unregistered “ghost gun,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Thursday. Villanueva told media outlets Thursday that 16-year-old Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow’s .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was assembled from gun parts and did not...
Chris Brown Holds High-End Yard Sale at His Los Angeles Home
LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown held a high-end yard sale Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, with hundreds of fans, gawkers and bargain-seekers waiting for hours to try to get a piece of the singer's stuff. Brown posted a flyer on his Instagram and Twitter accounts Tuesday night that included...
Flames, Gear and Risks of Photographing California Wildfires
By Marcio Sanchez Associated Press SANTA PAULA — It's ironic, but momentarily forgetting some of my safety gear ended up saving my life. It happened as I drove late Thursday into the heart of a wildfire that had erupted near the city of Santa Paula, a two-hour drive west of...
Not out of Woods yet, but Winds Driving California Fires Die
LOS ANGELES — Calmer weather allowed crews to increase containment on wildfires after a three-week siege of gusts fanned blazes across California and led utilities to cut power to prevent winds from blowing branches into electric lines and igniting an inferno. Winds subsided in virtually all parts of the state,...
More California Fires Erupt, Burning Homes, Sending Residents Fleeing
SIMI VALLEY — Strong winds fanned new Southern California wildfires on Thursday, burning homes and forcing residents to flee their homes in a repeat of the frightening scenario already faced by tens of thousands across the state. The latest blazes erupted in the heavily populated inland region east of Los...
'Friday' Actor-Comedian John Witherspoon Dies at 77
LOS ANGELES — Actor-comedian John Witherspoon, who memorably played Ice Cube's father in the "Friday" films, has died. He was 77. Witherspoon's family issued a statement to the website Deadline saying that Witherspoon died Tuesday in Los Angeles. No cause of death was released. The actor had a prolific career,...
Wildfire Erupts Near Reagan Library in Southern California
SIMI VALLEY — A new wildfire erupted Wednesday in wind-whipped Southern California, forcing the evacuation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and nearby homes, as both ends of the state struggled with blazes, dangerously gusty weather and deliberate blackouts. The brush fire broke out just before dawn in the Simi...
Wildfires Erupt in LA, Grow in Wine Country
SANTA ROSA — Firefighters battled destructive wildfires in Northern California wine country and on the west side of Los Angeles on Monday, trying to beat back flames that forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Pacific Gas & Electric, cut off power to an estimated 2.5 million people in...
PG&E Admits It May Have Ignited Sonoma Fire
LOS ANGELES — Pacific Gas & Electric admitted its electrical equipment may have ignited a ruinous wildfire spreading across the California wine country, despite blackouts imposed across the region to prevent blazes. The disclosure came as firefighters simultaneously battled flames in both Northern and Southern California: the fire amid Sonoma...
California Deputy Fatally Shot; Ride-Along Passenger Injured
SOMERSET — A Northern California sheriff’s deputy was shot to death Wednesday while responding to a call in the rural Sierra Nevada foothills, officials said. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Brian Ishmael was fatally shot in the community of Somerset and that a ride-along passenger with him...