Here are some of the stories in the Southland on Sunday...
Seven Hospitalized After Crash On 170 Freeway
Seven people were injured Sunday in a traffic collision involving a California Highway Patrol vehicle on the Hollywood (170) Freeway in North Hollywood. CHP officers were attending to a three-vehicle crash that was reported at 1:47 p.m. on the southbound 170 Freeway at Burbank Boulevard. At about 3 p.m. another vehicle crashed into a patrol car in the area, said CHP Officer Jose Nunez. One person was extricated from a vehicle.
Sword-wielding Man Shot to Death at Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood
LAPD is investigating today's shooting death of a sword-wielding man, who was shot by a security guard at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood. Police detained the guard, who said the noon shooting was in self-defense. The victim, who was taken to the hospital, and pronounced dead a short time later. (LA Times)
LAX-Bound Flight from Tokyo Held After Passenger Falls Ill.
A United Airlines jumb jet was temporarily held at LAX gate 74 this morning, after a sick passenger had to be isolated during its flight from Asia. A CDC investigator boarded the flight to check on the 28-year-old male passenger, who had suffered from food poisoning or some type of stomach illness. The 343 passengers and crew were allowed to deplane an hour later. (San Jose Mercury News)
Police: Driver Exceeded 100 MPH Before Deadly Crash
A man killed when his vehicle flew off the side of the Foothill (210) Freeway and crashed near Huntington Drive in Monrovia was driving in excess of 100 miles per hour, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said Sunday. Carlos Almanza, 22, of Commerce. was the only person in the car, said Lt. Cheryl MacWillie of the coroner's office.
Midnight Oil Runs Out On SAG Talks
Talks between the Screen Actors Guild and the movie studios broke down early Sunday, and the actors' union says it plans an education campaign to lead up to a strike authorization from its members. (NBCLosAngeles.com)
Now Showing at Crest Theatre: For Sale Sign
Preservationists are concerned about the possible sale of a landmark theater in Westwood. The owner of the Crest Theatre says tax breaks didn't arrive in time, and now the building is for sale. (NBCLosAngeles.com)
Is This Yours?
Police will display items recovered when two baggage handlers were arrested for allegedly stealing the valuables from passengers' luggage at Los Angeles International Airport. On Oct. 30, police arrested two employees working in the baggage handling area of the airport, and a search of their homes turned up the stolen property. One suspect said the thefts had been going on for about a year. Police believe the items were taken mostly from luggage checked for outgoing international flights, said LAPD Lt. Peter Whittingham. Theft victims will be able to check for their property at the Los Angeles Police Department's Ahmanson Recruit Training Center, 5561 W. Manchester Ave.
Former Arson Investigator Jailed
A one-time arson investigator for the National Forest Service is in jail in Los Angeles, charged with making violent threats against a U.S. Senator and a Congresswoman. But a confidential Forest Service report obtained by the Riverside Press-Enterprise says the suspect may have been a firebug at the same time he was an arson investigator. According to a federal report obtained by the newspaper, Michael Karl McNeil, 35, may have set dozens of fires in the mountains north of Santa Clarita when he was stationed there. McNeil was transferred to the Inland Empire several years ago, and the string of arsons moved there, officials said. (Press-Enterprise)
The federal report came up at the same time a different man is on trial in Riverside for allegedly starting the Esperanza Fire last year, which killed five firefighters. That man -- Raymond Lee Oyler -- could get the death penalty if convicted. His lawyer says the federal arson investigator set dozens of fires in the Inland Empire that were similar to the deadly Esperanza Fire. But the secret federal report says Raymond Oyler's DNA was found on the small incendiary device believed to have started the deadly fire.
Silver Lake Man Kills 2 Kids, Self
A protection order from a judge was not enough to keep a Silver Lake man away from his wife, and when she called for help Friday night, police could not find Jorge Cruz Iraheta, who had fled the scene. One hour later, shots rang out inside the family's house on Normal Avenue as Iraheta shot his entire family. His daughter Ashley, 7, and his son Andres, 9, were killed. His wife Marta was injured, and then he killed himself, police said. (NBC4 Los Angeles)
Sell Your Gun to the Cops for $75
The Bell Gardens Police Department is paying $75 per weapon in its first-ever "gun buyback" program Saturday. Between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., take your gun to St. Gertrude's Church, 7025 Garfield Avenue. You're supposed to transport the unloaded weapon in the trunk of your car, away from any ammunition you may also want to surrender. Officers say they'll unload all weapons and ammunition from cars. Police will also issue receipts for the weapons and help residents fill out the required state Department of Justice transfer forms. (Press-Telegram)
Rain by Thanksgiving? Doesn't Sound Too Bad
A wet winter storm is making its way to Southern California, with rain and snow likely to appear Monday night. The National Weather Service warns that an inch of rain might fall in many areas, with some south-facing mountain slopes getting two inches of rain. Snow will fall as low as the 5,500 foot level by Wednesday but is not expected to fall on any mountain freeways to foul up Thanksgiving weekend travel. (NBCLosAngeles.com)
If You Got Hit by Wildfire, Get Ready for Mudslides Now
No surprise here: Hillside residents in Yorba Linda who are still recovering from the recent firestorms are being warned that the coming rains could bring another potential natural disaster -- mudslides. But city officials are not waiting for the rain to start. They are already handing out sandbags, putting up cement barricades in fire-stricken areas and encouraging residents to take the necessary precautions. (OC Register)
Federal Judge To Decide If MySpace Trial Moves Forward
The federal judge in the so-called cyber-bullying trial involving the suicide death of a 13-year-old girl is expected to announce Monday whether he will throw out the case out because defendant Lori Drew never saw the MySpace user contract preventing such activities. Drew's attorney made the motion for dismissal after the prosecution rested its case this week, saying someone else set up the account that was allegedly used to taunt the girl. Intent is a requirement for the type of conspiracy charges Drew is facing. The judge is
expected to announce his decision Monday. (NBCLosAngeles.com)
Teen Driver of Stolen Car Killed After Police Stop in Temecula
The driver of a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu that had been reported stolen on Wednesday was killed when the vehicle struck a tree and flipped over moments after police had tried to pull it over in Temecula. The victim was identified as Ramiro Botello, 17, of Quail Valley. The car, with three teeenage boys inside, was traveling south on Margarita Road with its headlights off when an officer spotted it at 8:24 p.m. Friday, said Temecula police Sgt. Eric Albert. The officer tried to stop the vehicle, but did not chase the car as it sped away east on Solana Way and crashed moments later on Solana Way west of Del Rey Road, according to Albert. The car overturned and struck a tree, killing the driver. CalFire-Riverside County spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said one of the teen passengers was critically injured, and the other sustained minor injuries.
