A pair of puzzled men in Whittier were surprised and amused when they made a $10,000 discovery in the form of an ultrasound machine abandoned on the street.

Troy Silva was inside his restaurant on Whittier Boulevard on Friday when he got a text from his friend, Jason Barrio. The message urged him to go outside and see what his pal found.

“It was funny,” he said. “I mean, we were all laughing.”

Standing next to Barrio was a machine wrapped in plastic. After unpacking it, the men found it was a Hewlett-Packard ultrasound machine.

Confused but amused nonetheless, the two called the police to file a report. That was when they learned more information about the wayward machine.

“While we’re doing this, a van pulls up with two guys in it,” Silva said. “He calls over to me … he says a homeless guy abandoned it right there. He was pushing it down the boulevard and he left it there.”

The Whittier Police Department said it checked with two local hospitals, but neither was missing the machine. An investigator later learned the machine belongs to a local doctor who had recently moved his practice from the area to another location.

That doctor said he thought he’d taken all of his equipment but when he saw an image of the found machine, he realized the movers somehow missed it.

Officers said they plan to reunite the item with its rightful owner on Tuesday.

Citing concerns about a potential legal fallout, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented college students to work on campuses in California.

AB 2586 would have prohibited California colleges and universities from disqualifying students from being hired on campus if they were unable to provide proof of federal work authorization. The governor said his reason for the veto was federal funding potentially being at risk for employees and students since the federal law forbids employers from hiring undocumented individuals.

“I have to now struggle to figure out if I can even afford tuition for the next semester,” said Jeffrey Umana Munoz, a UCLA graduate who is studying for his master’s at Cal State LA. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to finish this master’s program.”

Munoz, who was brought to the US at the age of 2 from El Salvador, is part of a movement called Opportunity for All. The organization rallied across the UC and state college system to allow undocumented students to work.

Assemblymember David Alvarez, who authored the bill, said he found the veto a “profound disappointment” and said his efforts would not stop.

“Students who are legally allowed to study at California’s public colleges and universities should also be allowed to work to pay for their own education,” his statement read. “The students who worked together to bring this bill to the Legislature will continue to fight for it, and I will stand with them, along with the Latino Caucus.”

In the meantime, Opportunity for All will continue championing for its cause and said it plans to attend the UC Regents meeting in January to push for a similar bill.

Monday marks two weeks since the Airport Fire began to ravage the Santa Ana Mountains alongside many small communities on the Ortega Highway. Among them is the small town of El Cariso Village. 

The community of 250 people has returned to almost nothing but the sign outside the highway. Many have no power, no internet, and are living with whatever they were able to grab before evacuating the area.

“I was able to grab personal belongings. Packed the car and when they said to get out we left on Monday,” said homeowner Roger Williams. “We had a total loss.” 

Instead of dwelling over his family’s home which he says had no insurance, Williams went back to work at the Hafey Farms Market, which survived the inferno.

“After the fire, I went to the place I could be best and that’s here helping the community and it’s helped me disconnect from the loss,” he said.

The market not only sells goods but also operates as a resource center for the community. The owner, Jon Hafey, says it’s not about business right now but about helping people.

“This is the first place they come to get information,” said Hafey. “There is no power. Water is undrinkable and no internet and cellphone signal. We are running on a generator.”

Here’s an update on the Airport, Bridge and Line fires burning in Southern California. Video broadcast on Today in LA on Monday Sept. 23, 2024 

Hafey and his team have been collecting donations like food, clothing, tools, and even serving meals for the community. 

“We serve breakfast in the morning for the neighborhood and lunch dinner in the evening. We see about 30-40 people for the meal and they grab water and whatever donations comes in.”

The Hafey Market is spearheading a fundraiser online to help kickstart many local families rebuild their lives.

Fire officials say about 160 commercial buildings and homes were destroyed by the fire and another 30 others damaged. The cause is still under investigation. The fire has burned 23,519 acres and is currently 81% contained.