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Colorado officer who put woman in police car hit by train didn’t know it was on the tracks, defense says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

DENVER — A Colorado police officer accused of putting a handcuffed woman in a parked police car that was hit by a freight train did not know the car was parked on the tracks, the officer’s lawyer said in court Monday.While evidence will show Officer Jordan Steinke stood on the railroad tracks during a night traffic stop on Sept. 16, 2022, she did not know that an officer she was assisting had parked his patrol car on the tracks, defense lawyer Mallory Revel said in opening statements in state court in Greeley. The woman inside, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, suffered extensive injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.The tracks were completely flush with the road, nothing to trip over, and there were no illuminated crossing signs or gates at the railroad crossing in the rural area, just two reflective signs on either side of the tracks, Revel said.Prosecutors will not be able to prove that she acted recklessly by leaving the woman in the patrol car, Revel said.“You cannot disregard...

L.A. Metro adds services for upcoming Taylor Swift concert 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

The Los Angeles Metro is providing special transportation services to help Taylor Swift fans, also known as Swifities, make it to the pop star’s L.A. tour stop at Sofi Stadium August 3-9. “Hey @taylorswift13 fans...Look What You Made Us Do 👇🏾 We're adding service to help #Swifties get to the upcoming shows at @SoFiStadium!” the company tweeted.For the upcoming L.A. shows of The Eras Tour, Metro is providing service to all six shows, including late night service, free shuttles from the C and K lines to the stadium, and $3.50 round trip fare on other buses and trains. “We’re enchanted that Taylor Swift fans have given a big boost to public transit across the United States this year  and we’re looking forward to spending our midnights with many of you very soon,” the company wrote. Swift announced her tour in November 2022, with the first leg beginning in March in the U.S. and international dates beginning February 2024 in Tokyo.“I’m enchanted to announce my next tour: Taylor Swif...

3 suspects arrested in connection to Irvine smash and grab 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

Three suspects were arrested on Saturday after they allegedly robbed a jewelry store in Irvine. Around 7 p.m., the suspects ran into the Kay Jewelers in Irvine, smashed the display cases and grabbed jewelry before running back out of the store and fleeing in a gray Honda, according to the Irvine Police Department. Authorities located the robbers off of the 5-freeway at Jamboree, and all three suspects,  21-year-old Keonte Blockmon of Moreno Valley and two juveniles, were arrested.Police recovered more than $55,000 worth of jewelry after robbery in Irvine. (Source: Irvine Police Department) Police recovered more than $55,000 worth of jewelry and returned it to the merchant.

NASA employee admits to defrauding COVID-19 programs to fund illegal weed operation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

An employee at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena has admitted to defrauding pandemic-era protection programs aimed to help business and individuals survive the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.Armen Hovanesian, 32, of Glendale, agreed to plead guilty to defrauding a government sponsored loan plan in 2020, admitting to using some of the fraudulently obtained cash to fund an illegal marijuana cultivation operation. Woman who murdered mother sentenced for running COVID scam behind bars Hovanesian works as a cost-control and budget-planning resource analyst for the JPL, which is a federally funded research lab for NASA, according to the United States Department of Justice.From June 2020 to October 2020, Hovanesian submitted three loan applications to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program for businesses he operated. The program provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners affected by disasters, including the coronavirus pandemic.As par...

33-year-old man convicted of lewd acts on a child in Ventura County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

A 33-year-old man from Oxnard has been convicted by a jury on three felony counts of lewd acts with a child, as well as the special allegation that he took advantage of a position trust to commit the offenses when the victim was particularly vulnerable, authorities announced Monday.  Victor Villanueva Legaria began abusing the victim when she was just 11 years old, according to testimony presented during the trial. At that time, the 33-year-old shared a home with the juvenile victim and abused her multiple times between 2016 and 2020.  In 2020, the victim told a family member about the abuse, who then reported it to the Oxnard Police Department, a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office stated. Detectives with Oxnard PD’s Family Protection Unit investigated the crimes.  Victor Legaria, 33, was convicted by a jury on July 20, 2023, of three felony counts of lewd acts on a child. (VCDA)“By its very nature, the sexual abuse of a child always occur...

Barbie‘s Existential Crisis Makes For Uneven Comedy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

In terms of hype, we can’t remember anything nearly as relentless and rampant as pop culture’s pink plunge leading up to the Barbie movie’s release this past weekend. For the past several months, the Barbonanza made the world acutely aware of the film, its stars, and its intent to challenge the stereotypes that critics of Mattel and its iconic blonde doll have been accused of promoting (namely, unrealistic beauty standards) for decades.Now that the numbers are in, the oversaturation clearly paid off at the box office, and it’s a historic triumph for female directors. But the girlie, glam, giggly glut of promo, pop-ups and product tie-ins, ultimately muddle the message the film’s going for. Barbie tries to have its pastel cupcakes and eat them too, as a vehicle for colorful escape, as a cultural commentary and as a meta-spin on product placement. It nearly succeeds with moments of empowerment shining as bright as the pearly white smiles of stars Margot Robbie (as “s...

Twitter sign X-ed out at San Francisco HQ

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – Twitter on Monday began to shed its name and logo – both online and in the real world – but not before police questioned whether crews were cleared to dismantle the iconic signage that has long graced its headquarters in San Francisco.The signage removal work was paused while San Francisco police checked to see if a permit was in place to close the street. Unlike the signature blue bird, everything was on the up and up, and no tickets or citations were issued, police said in an email to the Bay Area News Group.Elon Musk is replacing the Twitter name and logo with a stylized X as he seeks to turn the 17-year-old service into an app that does everything, Bloomberg reported. According to the news agency, Musk on Saturday invited his followers to suggest an X logo, then chose one of the designs and made it the company’s new brand identity Sunday.About 24 hours later early Monday, the logo was projected onto the company’s headquarters on Market Street.The sudden cha...

Elderly woman assaulted in SF, 1 arrested: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A man was arrested in San Francisco after he allegedly assaulted an elderly woman and spat on another person on Friday, police said. The victim is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police responded to Stockton Street between Ellis Street and O'Farrell Street for a reported assault at about 11:15 p.m. Officers found the victim at the scene, and she was taken to a hospital. Man shot dead in Santa Rosa Jack in the Box drive-thru The San Francisco Police Department officers also found the victim who was allegedly spat on. He told police the suspect was not provoked when he assaulted the elderly woman. The suspect was detained by good Samaritans and was arrested after police arrived. He was identified as James Ramsey, 27.Ramsey was booked into jail for assault likely to produce great bodily injury, crime against an elder, assault and battery, committing a felony while on bail and resisting arrest. He also had an outstanding arrest warrant out of A...

Firefighters safely rescue elderly woman trapped inside blazing home in Lauderhill

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

Fire rescue crews raced to rescue an elderly woman trapped inside a burning home in Lauderhill. A total of eight people, including children, were inside the home at the time of the fire on Monday night around 8 p.m. along the 3300 block on Northwest 8th Place. The daughter of the elderly woman said she has dementia and a hard time walking. Upon arrival, Lauderhill Fire Rescue found the home visibly in flames. The team pulled her out from the window of the room where she was trapped and extinguished the flames. “Fire in the back room on the bed, we tried to get water, by the time we started getting the water, the house was already consumed with smoke,” said Genevieve Sawyer, daughter of the elderly woman. Everyone else however was able to escape the home despite the heavy smoke. Neighbors reported that they sprayed water on the fire to keep it away from her before firefighters arrived. “So you know we had to get out and my mom, she got stuck in the back room and tha...

Precious is back home after 120 days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:19 GMT

For 120 days, Miami-Dade County was fighting to euthanize a dog, its owners said was seized illegally.A judge agreed, ordering the county to release the dog. And then, the day after Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser aired last week, the county attorney’s office made a phone call. Louise had not seen her dog for 120 days until she walked out of animal services with Precious.Louise Davis: “I’m ecstatic to see that she’s in such good shape. Really?”Precious wearing a county-mandated nasal, putting her paw on Louise’s arm, not wanting to let go of her.Louise Davis: “Baby is coming home.” It’s a new beginning for Precious after a bizarre battle with Miami-Dade County, determined to euthanize her, and Louise and her husband Scott fighting to bring her home.Scott Davis: “Extremely difficult for both my wife and I.”Back in March, Scott opened the gate to move his boat in. A boy was riding his bike on the dirt road in the Red...