Local News
Feds, Los Angeles crack down on human trafficking in South LA – NBC Los Angeles
[ad_1]
A portion of Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles surrounded by nearly two dozen churches and several schools has been a breeding ground for human trafficking, prompting officials from the federal, Los Angeles city and county agencies to launch an unprecedented crackdown initiative, officials announced Wednesday.
The Figueroa Corridor Human Trafficking Initiative will target sex traffickers who often exploit girls as young as 11 years old with violence, intimation and psychological abuse along the Figueroa Corridor, a 3-and-a-half-mile stretch of Figueroa Street between Gage Avenue and Imperial Highway, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrade said while standing next to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Felstein Soto.
‘Outdoor bordello’ in South Los Angeles
The Figueroa Corridor has been plaguing the neighborhood made up of businesses and residences for years, according to Estrada.
“There are 23 churches in the area and five middle schools and elementary schools. But this area is also ground zero for human trafficking where children and women are exploited and abused each and every day,” the U.S. Attorney said.
Conditions in the Figueroa Corridor are so horrendous, Estrada said, as young girls and women are being forced into commercial sex work even during daytime. And at night, the area turns into an “outdoor bordello,” Estrada explained.
“We see underage girls walking around and next to nothing, regardless of the weather, with pimps lurking nearby in cars supervising everything,” he described.
Through the initiative, Los Angeles authorities coordinate with federal investigators, aiming to identify, arrest and prosecute human traffickers.
Targeting foster children for sex trafficking
Among the recent arrests and indictments, two people are accused of luring a 13-year-old girl who lived in a group home before forcing her to engage in prostitution.
Nanci Jasmin Castillo, 31, and Jonathan Gonzalez-Reyes, 38, both of Anaheim, befriended the teen by first providing her with alcohol, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Then they allegedly sexually assaulted her before filming and taking pictures of the attack.
The collaboration between the federal and Los Angeles agencies has also led to the conviction of 33-year-old Donavin Dwayne Brandford, who is now serving a life sentence in federal prison for recruiting teenage girls from group homes and forcing them to work as prostitutes along the Figueroa Corridor and other places.
Trafficking victim as young as 11 years old
Mayor Bass welcomed the success of the multi-agency initiative to clean up the Figueroa Corridor, which “has been a problem for many, many years,” as she highlighted many of the victims are young girls, who were already abused and neglected by their family before being put in the foster care system.
“What is common is 12 years old is the common age that girls are brought into trafficking,” Bass said. “With the launch of this effort, I know that we will be able to bring the scourge to an end.”
She also applauded federal and local authorities for recognizing the young girls on Figueroa Street are victims.
“ I was just extremely proud to hear the officers refer to the children as trafficked and as victims. That is a cultural change,” Bass said. “It’s taken many years to get society to view the girls as victims and not as criminals, and to understand that it is a failure of our society.”
In the last six months alone, Los Angeles Police have rescued 84 minors from the area, including one as young as 11 years old, LAPD Chief Choi said.
Naked people on the street
As those who live near the Figueroa Corridor have been complaining about prostitution in their neighborhood, one woman said her concerns have deepened as her 5-year-old daughter becomes older.
“My child couldn’t come outside and play because somebody might be up and down the street naked,” Helen Elaine Lee said.
Lee said, as her daughter gets older, she’s asking more questions about what she’s seeing in her neighborhood.
“She would see someone young like her niece or younger cousins. Now she’s wondering why that girl gets to walk down the street with that type of outfit on, (saying) ‘Isn’t that for the swimming pool or the beach?’”
[ad_2]
Source link
Local News
Bridge Fire in Angeles National Forest becomes 8 times bigger – NBC Los Angeles
[ad_1]
The Bridge Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest near Glendora grew exponentially Tuesday, going from burning 4,000 acres in the early afternoon to 34,000 acres by the evening, officials confirmed.
Officials said firefighters were faced with challenging conditions due to the weather.
The Bridge Fire, which was first reported Sunday, was still at 0% containment Tuesday evening as it made its mark on Mt. Baldy and the San Gabriel Reservoir.
“Fire activity this afternoon in the northeast area of the Bridge Fire has increased within the Sheep Mountain Wilderness,” officials with the Forest Service said on social media Tuesday.
Helicopters remained crucial to keep the fire from growing significantly overnight although hot, dry and windy conditions persisted.
As the National Guard manned roadblocks to enforce mandatory evacuation orders, the CHP estimated about 70% of neighbors left as ordered.
About 800 firefighters were deployed to the area to battle the fire.
Evacuation orders
- East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort (café, mobile home park, campground)
- Adjacent river community per Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
- Baldy Village Area from the dam to Mt. Baldy Resort
Road closures
- Highway 39
- East Fork Road
- Glendora Mtn Road
- Glendora Ridge Road
[ad_2]
Source link
Local News
Animal cruelty suspect sought in Pasadena – NBC Los Angeles
[ad_1]
Authorities Tuesday looked for a possible animal cruelty suspect who may be leaving foods that are toxic and often deadly to dogs on the streets of Pasadena.
Video shared by the office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger showed a person leaving chocolates and grapes as well as rice and noodles on Foothill Boulevard near a dog daycare and boarding shop called Dogtopia of East Pasadena
Grapes are known to cause kidney and renal failure while chocolates can lead to a heart attack, stroke or seizure.
Junior Hernandez, who trains dogs at at the Pasadena business, said the person in the video has been leaving out toxic foods, including M&Ms, to entice dogs for several months.
“It’s deliberate. It’s planned,” Hernadez said. “It looks like whenever he does do that, he’ll go up and down Foothill and do that to a bunch of locations where he knows there’s high traffic for people who walk dogs.”
Dog owners and walkers in Pasadena were urged to stay vigilant to keep their dogs safe.
“While you’re on walks, please keep a short leash,” Jacks Vasquez, General Manager of Dogtopia of East Pasadena, recommended. “Make sure you know what your dog is sniffing, looking at you. I would hate for a dog to eat a couple grapes. Next thing you know, you’re having to rush your dog to the emergency room, pay thousands of dollars in vet bills and possibly lose your precious fur baby.”
Supervisor Barger urged anyone with information about the suspect to contact authorities.
“I am outraged that someone is going out of their way to hurt dogs and their unsuspecting owners who are just enjoying a trot down Foothill Boulevard,” said Barger. “This person needs to be immediately identified and stopped, animal cruelty should never be tolerated. This is just plain wrong.”
The Pasadena Police Department said it will investigate this to the full extent as any case linked to animal cruelty is taken seriously.
Anyone with information should contact the Pasadena Police Department immediately at (626) 744-4501or go to cityofpasadena.net/police and click on the “Report A Crime” link.
[ad_2]
Source link
Local News
Animal cruelty suspect sought in Pasadena – NBC Los Angeles
[ad_1]
Authorities Tuesday looked for a possible animal cruelty suspect who may be leaving foods that are toxic and often deadly to dogs on the streets of Pasadena.
Video shared by the office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger showed a person leaving chocolates and grapes as well as rice and noodles on Foothill Boulevard near a dog daycare and boarding shop called Dogtopia of East Pasadena
Grapes are known to cause kidney and renal failure while chocolates can lead to a heart attack, stroke or seizure.
Junior Hernandez, who trains dogs at at the Pasadena business, said the person in the video has been leaving out toxic foods, including M&Ms, to entice dogs for several months.
“It’s deliberate. It’s planned,” Hernadez said. “It looks like whenever he does do that, he’ll go up and down Foothill and do that to a bunch of locations where he knows there’s high traffic for people who walk dogs.”
Dog owners and walkers in Pasadena were urged to stay vigilant to keep their dogs safe.
“While you’re on walks, please keep a short leash,” Jacks Vasquez, General Manager of Dogtopia of East Pasadena, recommended. “Make sure you know what your dog is sniffing, looking at you. I would hate for a dog to eat a couple grapes. Next thing you know, you’re having to rush your dog to the emergency room, pay thousands of dollars in vet bills and possibly lose your precious fur baby.”
Supervisor Barger urged anyone with information about the suspect to contact authorities.
“I am outraged that someone is going out of their way to hurt dogs and their unsuspecting owners who are just enjoying a trot down Foothill Boulevard,” said Barger. “This person needs to be immediately identified and stopped, animal cruelty should never be tolerated. This is just plain wrong.”
The Pasadena Police Department said it will investigate this to the full extent as any case linked to animal cruelty is taken seriously.
Anyone with information should contact the Pasadena Police Department immediately at (626) 744-4501or go to cityofpasadena.net/police and click on the “Report A Crime” link.
[ad_2]
Source link
-
News1 year ago6 Ways To Attract a Rich Girl of Your Dream
-
News11 months agoRabbit sells 10,000 R1 Pocket AI Companion units in a single day
-
Finance11 months agoWhich credit card is best for small businesses?
-
Finance11 months agoBest Business Credit Cards With 0% APR – February 2024
-
Finance11 months agoHow To Apply For A Chase Business Credit Card
-
Finance1 year agoLowe’s Credit Card: New Discounts on Lowe’s Purchases
-
Finance11 months agoLimited Time: Sign up for Chase Freedom Unlimited for a Year of Unlimited Cash Back!
-
Entertainment1 year agoNetflix Schedule January 2024