Sheriff’s Division searches residence of L.A. County supervisor

Good morning 🌞, and welcome to the Important California publication. It’s Thursday, Sept. 15. I’m Andrew J. Campa 👋🏼, a Metro reporter writing from the San Gabriel Valley (the place the 210 Freeway goes to die 🪦).

It’s a uncommon scene when a strong and influential determine is escorted by legislation enforcement outdoors her own residence barefoot.

But that’s what occurred somewhat after 7 a.m. Wednesday in Santa Monica when Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators searched the house of County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl as a part of a legal investigation.

[Read “L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s home searched by sheriff’s investigators,” in The Times.]

Our Alene Tchekmedyian (@AleneTchek) reported that the 81-year-old two-term supervisor, who just isn’t searching for reelection, was served a search warrant and escorted out of her residence carrying informal garments and no sneakers.

The scene dropped just a few jaws.

Kuehl is a member of the five-person all-female Board of Supervisors, which helps management an annual funds of $39 billion in a county of greater than 10 million folks.

Only for comparability, the state of Arizona 🌵, with somewhat over 7 million residents, posted expenditures of $45.1 billion in 2021.

Kuehl’s third district is residence to 2 million residents and consists of Calabasas, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, North Hollywood, Reseda and Melrose.

What occurred?

Superior Court docket Decide Craig Richman, who Kuehl alleged is an ally of Sheriff Alex Villanueva, signed off on a search warrant for Kuehl’s residence. Warrants have been additionally executed for the house and places of work of Patti Giggans, who runs the nonprofit Peace Over Violence, an advocacy group that organizes towards sexual, home and interpersonal violence. Sheriff’s deputies additionally searched the L.A. County Corridor of Administration and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s headquarters.

What led to this?

The searches mark a brand new part in a long-running Sheriff’s Division investigation into Peace Over Violence. Investigators are alleging an array of bribery and different crimes associated to contracts that the county Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded to the group to function a hotline for reporting sexual harassment on public transit. Investigators alleged that “bribery of a county supervisor” might need been dedicated. A former Metro worker, Jennifer Loew, mentioned that Kuehl helped Peace Over Violence win a contract with the MTA. Kuehl mentioned the accusation was “completely bogus” and that the Board of Supervisors didn’t vote on that matter.

What’s the context?

Critics of Villanueva declare the sheriff is utilizing a secretive public corruption unit to focus on political enemies. Villanueva has denied this, saying he’s recused himself from the unit’s work. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón declined an invite by Villanueva to create a joint-agency activity pressure. Gascón, who survived a recall try supported by Villanueva, instructed The Instances final yr that the sheriff’s unit was “solely focusing on political enemies.” Each Kuehl and Giggans have clashed with Villanueva as members of the board and the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Fee, respectively.

Quoted:

📢 “Sheriff’s Division. We now have a warrant. We demand entry.” — sheriff’s deputy

📢 “These are Third World techniques. Vladimir Putin can be impressed.” — Patti Giggans’ legal professional Austin Dove

[Read “L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s home searched by sheriff’s investigators,” in The Times.]

And now, right here’s what’s occurring throughout California:

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L.A. STORIES

A information convention is held on the Roscoe’s Home of Rooster and Waffles the place rapper PnB Rock was slain.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)

Shortly after the taking pictures dying of Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock at a South Los Angeles Roscoe’s Home of Rooster & Waffles, social media customers blasted the restaurant and the encompassing group, with the latter described as “harmful” and “ghetto.” Others mentioned the musician ought to have dined at a “safer” Roscoe’s in Inglewood and chided the South Los Angeles location for its lack of safety. Meals Editor Daniel Hernandez visited the locale Tuesday and located an empty restaurant, with cooks and staffers nonetheless devoted to producing high quality soul meals. Los Angeles Instances

For the ninth time in 10 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the Nationwide League West title, defeating host Arizona, 4-0, at Chase Subject. This has turn into a golden period in Dodgers baseball because the staff beforehand captured 11 West titles earlier than this present run. Los Angeles Instances

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta introduced he was suing Amazon as a result of big’s anti-competitive habits towards third-party sellers. Bonta alleges that California consumers have paid extra for on-line purchases on Amazon as a result of the e-commerce enterprise has compelled retailers to maintain their costs artificially excessive. Amazon mentioned the lawsuit would pressure the corporate to function higher-priced merchandise to shoppers. Los Angeles Instances

An appeals court docket dominated Monday that the State Water Sources Management Board lacked the authority to curtail some entities, together with farms, from taking water out of close by rivers. In 2015, the state stopped Central Valley farms from grabbing water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. The rivers present two-thirds of California’s inhabitants with ingesting water, and regulators imagine that guidelines are wanted to guard these our bodies of water throughout this present drought. Sacramento Bee

CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING

Medicine obtained from Lexington Park have led to the overdose of 10 folks during the last three weeks, together with 9 space college students. The latest episode included a teenage woman from Bernstein Excessive Faculty who died Tuesday night time from an obvious fentanyl overdose. One extra scholar from Bernstein, one scholar from Hollywood Excessive and an unidentified fourth sufferer have been all hospitalized that night. Los Angeles Instances

The FBI is gathering details about a attainable hyperlink amongst a dozen false reviews of potential college shootings throughout California and Texas within the final week. On Wednesday alone, elementary and excessive colleges in Antelope Valley, Chula Vista, Fresno and Santa Rosa suffered hoax calls. In every case, a single individual referred to as 911 reporting an lively shooter. Los Angeles Instances

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

John Haasjes, proven at residence in Tehachapi, was arrested in 2020 on suspicion of creating a verbal menace. He languished in jail lengthy after he was declared incompetent to face trial.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Instances)

A Instances investigation reveals neglect of incarcerated detainees, together with a number of the most susceptible folks in state custody. Officers haven’t sufficiently expanded state hospitals or community-based care choices regardless of surging numbers of incompetent legal detainees. Mentality in poor health sufferers who ought to have been despatched to hospitals have been left behind bars a median of 141 days in 2021, a surprising enhance from 63 in 2019. The longer they keep imprisoned, the extra their well being deteriorates. Los Angeles Instances

An experimental COVID-19 vaccine might outsmart future coronavirus variants. Scientists are testing out the vaccine with the goal of combating mutations within the spike protein by priming the immune system to acknowledge each the spike protein and a second — and much more secure — viral protein. Thus far, the vaccine has solely been examined in small animals, however this bivalent vaccine offered stronger safety than options that focused solely one of many proteins. Los Angeles Instances

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

There have been taquitos and meals vans, monetary merchants and kids making an attempt to determine how one can get wealthy rapidly. Opening night time on the Future Proof wealth competition featured out of doors panels, live shows and drinks. And it kicked off with an edict from one of many hosts: “Tomorrow, we rage. Tonight, we drink.” The way forward for company conferences performed out for two,200 attendees in Huntington Seaside. Los Angeles Instances

Changing previous unused workplace buildings into residences or condos just isn’t new, however the enchantment is rising as much less workplace house is required through the pandemic attributable to distant working. As soon as such constructing, the Crosby, was as soon as the Western headquarters of oil big Texaco. Now it provides a rooftop swimming pool with cabanas, health heart, fireplace pits and a karaoke room. Rents vary from $2,250 to $6,500. There are 2,300 underutilized workplace and resort properties in Los Angeles County, with conversion doubtlessly making an enormous dent within the county’s housing wants. Los Angeles Instances

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: 81, partly cloudy. San Diego: 75, partly cloudy. San Francisco: 68, partly cloudy. San Jose: 75, principally sunny. Fresno: 85, sunny. Sacramento: 81, partly cloudy.

AND FINALLY

At the moment’s California reminiscence is from Marty Campbell:

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