Best Read Local News Stories of the Week

In case you missed it, here are the most looked at and talked about news stories of the past week.

The latest details in the Dr. Conrad Murray trial, massive fires and thinking outside of the box to make money in the struggling economy were among the top stories in the news this week.

Police Kill Wrong Man in Armed Robbery

A case of mistaken identity left a father of four dead after a foot pursuit with Downey police.

According to police, Michael Nida, 31, turned toward pursuing officers in an aggressive manner and was shot when the officers feared he was armed in an incident that occured last Sunday, Oct. 23..

Officers were responding to the robbery of a citizen on the street, police said. Nida was not the robbery suspect, officials said.

Massive Fire Consumes Apartment Building

A massive fire ripped through an apartment complex under construction in Carson Thursday evening.

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Dodgers home opener overshadowed by Shohei Ohtani interpreter scandal

Convicted killer who left Santa Ana halfway house is in custody

Burning embers from the 150-unit wood structure spread to at least 10 units in nearby Carson Avalon Mobile home park, calling at least 100 firefighters to the three-alarm blaze.

The estimated 400 residents living in the mobile home park were evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

Fire Devastates Cerritos Strip Mall

About $5.5 million in damage was done to a Cerritos shopping center early Sunday after firefighters were too late to save the building, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Mark Savage said.

"It started collapsing when we were here so we had to pull out," he said.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at the Fountain Plaza Mall at South Street and Gridley Road about 2 a.m.

Defense Expert: Michael Jackson Injected Fatal Dose of Sedative

Defense attorneys added to their theory that Michael Jackson was responsible for his own death with testimony from propofol expert Dr. Paul White.

Evidence showed a rapid injection of 25 milligrams of propofol, a surgical sedative, less than one hour after Dr. Conrad Murray slowly infused the popstar with 25 milligrams of the anesthetic, White testified.

White’s testimony will continue next week, despite expectations that the trial would wind down Friday, giving prosecutors more time to review evidence submitted by the defense.

LA’s Filthiest Surfaces

The things Angelenos touch the most are not getting the soapy love they need, according to a team of hygienists that swabbed hundreds of surfaces around Los Angeles.

Among the nastiest surfaces were gas pump handles, escalator rails, ATM buttons and crosswalk buttons.

Germs may not be that bad, though, said Linda Dickey, a nurse at UCI Medical Center.
In fact, they’re necessary, and a little dirt – even from the filthiest surfaces – won’t hurt.

Creative Ways to Make Money

Sometimes finding a job means ditching the resume.

Living in a state with nearly 12 percent unemployment, Californians are taking the Internet for odd jobs to make ends meet – from delivering water to renting out their cars.

Check out these stories of economically creative Angelenos.

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