Author: CNN Newsource

By Chelsea Hylton

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A powerful winter storm has arrived in Southern California for the Christmas holiday, bringing heavy rain and dangerous flooding.

The National Weather Service has issued several warnings and advisories as the atmospheric system over the region is expected to produce between 3 to 6 inches of rain in the coastal and valley areas, and 5 to 11 inches in the foothills and mountains.

An emphasis has been placed on burn scar areas that are more susceptible to flooding, mudslides and debris flows. The NWS has issued a flood watch for much of Southern California through Friday afternoon as rainfall rates could potentially exceed 1 inch per hour during the peak hours of the storm. Weather officials said flash flooding has already occurred in some areas, causing dangerous conditions.

An NWS flash flood warning is also in effect until 6 p.m. for the southwestern parts of LA County and the southeastern parts of Ventura County. These areas include Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Malibu, Woodland Hills, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Burbank and Pasadena. The warning was initially set to expire at noon, but weather officials extended it after local law enforcement reported heavy rain across the region.

“LA County’s gusts pushing over 60 mph, downing trees and power lines in many areas—so this storm is evolving exactly as we have been talking about, and continue to encourage everyone to take these warnings and messages seriously as the accumulative effects of the rain will result in increasingly dangerous and life-threatening conditions as we head through the holiday time period,” said Ariel Cohen, National Weather Service meteorologist in charge.

Peak rainfall timing on Wednesday:

Santa Barbara County: 3 to 7 a.m.

Ventura County: 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Los Angeles County: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CBS LA has issued a Next Weather Alert through Christmas Day on Thursday for all Southern California communities. A Next Weather Watch has been issued for Friday, which could be upgraded if weather conditions persist.

“Especially in LA County, it’s going to continue to get worse,” Cohen said. “It will take less and less rain to create more and more impacts as the ground becomes saturated – expect many canyon highways and roadways, areas with terrain to become impassable as rockslides and mudslides increase in severity in coverage.”

Cohen urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.

Showers are expected to last through Friday and Saturday, with conditions finally drying out by the start of next week.

Evacuation orders and warnings:

Evacuation orders have been issued for several burn scar areas, including the Palisades, Eaton, Franklin, Kenneth, Agua, Owen, and Agua fire areas.

“If you decide to stay in your home in an evacuated area … it could be difficult to leave once the storm begins,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna during a news conference Tuesday.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has issued an evacuation order for Trabuco Creek, Bell Canyon and Hot Springs Canyon near the Airport Fire burn scar. Officials have established a shelter for residents located in evacuation zones at the Foothill Ranch Library Program Annex at 27002 Cabriole Way.

On Monday afternoon, ahead of the storm, the city of Los Angeles issued an Evacuation Warning for those located in the burn scar areas from the Hurst and Sunset Fires, as well as the neighborhood of Mandeville Canyon. The warning will remain in effect until 11 p.m. on Thursday.

San Bernardino County officials issued evacuation warnings for residents who live in Forest Falls, Seven Oaks, Angelus Oaks, Northeast Yucaipa and areas of Oak Glen. They warn communities about the potential for mud and debris flows caused by the heavy rainfall.

Storm-related closures:

As the heavy rainfall has already started to impact several communities across Southern California, amusement parks including Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park have announced they will be closed on Christmas Eve due to the “inclement weather.”

The LA Zoo also announced it will be closed on Wednesday, “out of an abundance of caution.”

On Tuesday night, LA County Public Works and Caltrans officials implemented road closures due to potential storm impacts and recovery work.

Los Angeles County road closures:

Malibu Canyon Road Soft closure (emergency vehicles only) between Francisco Ranch Road/Adamson Flats Road and just south of Piuma Road Tuna Canyon Road Hard closure between approximately 2870 Tuna Canyon Road (Gate) and Pacific Coast Highway Chantry Flat Road Soft closure (emergency vehicles only) between 1209 Arno Drive to Chantry Flat Recreation Area Glendora Mountain Road hard closure between North of Big Dalton Canyon Road to East Fork Road Caltrans road closures:

Topanga Canyon Boulevard/State Route 27 Fully closed between Pacific Coast Highway and Grand View Drive Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) is expected to remain open, with crews actively monitoring areas most susceptible to debris flows. The City of Malibu Public Safety Department has issued multiple road closures due to flooding. Topanga and Malibu Canyons, Rainsford Place, Bonsall Drive at Arizona crossing are all closed.

State and local responses to storm On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for several Southern California counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino, in response to the late winter storm.

The emergency proclamation will allow for the rapid mobilization of state resources to support local governments under the California Disaster Assistance Act and the deployment of the California National Guard, if needed. The proclamation also allows Caltrans to seek federal assistance to repair damaged roads and highways.

“California is acting early and decisively to do all we can to get ahead of dangerous winter storms,” Newsom said. “The state has pre-positioned resources, activated emergency authorities, and we are working closely with local partners to protect communities and keep Californians safe.”

In preparation for the storm, Newsom’s office said the governor directed state agencies to pre-deploy emergency response resources, including 55 fire engines, 10 swiftwater rescue teams, five hand crews, five dozers, four loaders, three helicopters, an incident management team, an Urban Search and Rescue Team, and over 300 personnel.

Mayor Karen Bass urged all residents to stay home, remain vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.

“As City crews continue monitoring the storm and responding to its impacts, I am urging all Angelenos to stay safe and be extremely careful on the roads if you absolutely must travel,” Bass said. “Please do not take this storm lightly – follow official guidance, plan ahead, and sign up for emergency alerts at NotifyLA.org.”

She added that the city had pre-deployed teams that were ready to respond when the storm hit. As of Wednesday morning, her office said that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) crews were working to restore power to about 17,500 reported outages and 32 reported downed power lines. Her office added that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to multiple river rescue incidents and the Los Angeles Police Department has responded to dozens of traffic incidents.

Rainfall totals so far:

Here are rainfall totals from across Southern California over the past 24 hours, according to the NWS:

Bel Air: 2.02 inches

Cuilver City: .91 inches

Beverly Hills: 1.60 inches

Downtown Los Angeles: 1.31 inches

Agoura: 2.99 inches

Canoga Park: 3.42 inches

East Pasadena: 1.15 inches

Claremont: .59 inches

Mount Wilson: 3.86 inches Lancaster: 1.05 inches

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By WLS Staff

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    ROSELLE, Ill. (WLS) — Three teens have been accused of sexually assaulting a female classmate at a suburban high school graduation party, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

Kevin Niemiec, 18, of Prospect Heights has been charged with criminal sexual assault in the case, the state’s attorney’s office said. He was ordered held pending trial.

Zachary Mascolo, 18, of Arlington Heights is also charged with criminal sexual assault, officials said. He is not being held in custody.

Jon Clary II, 18, of Bartlett also appeared in court Tuesday. He is not being detained, either.

As part of their conditions of pre-trial release, Mascolo and Clary shall not possess or consume alcohol, and they shall not have contact with the victim or her family, officials said.

On June 15, Roselle police were notified of a criminal sexual assault that had allegedly occurred at a Saint Viator High School graduation party in Roselle the night before, officials said.

Officials said the defendants and the victim were in a minivan, where each of the teens sexually assaulted the victim.

The victim was taken to a local hospital after the incident.

Judge Michael Burton issued an arrest warrant for all three defendants on Dec. 17.

Mascolo was taken into custody Sunday, while driving near his home.

Clary and Niemiec turned themselves in to the DuPage County Jail on Monday.

“The allegations levied against these defendants are extremely serious,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “A graduation party is a celebration of accomplishments and the excitement of a bright future. It is alleged that Mr. Clary, Mr. Mascolo and Mr. Niemiec violated the victim in the worst possible way and inflicted a lasting harm on a young woman. It is my sincerest hope that the victim and her family receive the care they require and deserve to help them cope with this horrific event. I commend the victim in this case for her courage and strength in bringing this matter to our attention.”

Niemiec is next due in court Jan. 12. Mascolo and Clary are due in court Jan. 27.

Saint Viator High School said in a statement:

“We were deeply saddened to learn today that criminal charges were filed against three St. Viator alumni involving another graduate of our School. These allegations-which come during the Christmas season-involve serious and troubling conduct which was reported over the summer in connection with an offsite private graduation party from this past June.

“This gathering which gave rise to the alleged criminal conduct took place in Roselle at a private, non-school-sanctioned event that was not sponsored, organized, supervised, or authorized by Saint Viator High School. Despite any reports to the contrary, this event was not at a “Saint Viator High School graduation party.” In fact, the event took place after the students who were allegedly involved in this crime graduated from high school.

“The safety, well-being, and dignity of our students are of utmost importance to our entire community. Saint Viator High School remains committed to fostering a culture of respect, responsibility, and care consistent with our Viatorian mission and values.

“We extend our sincere concern, support, and prayers to all those affected by this incident. Saint Viator High School will continue to cooperate with law enforcement. Because this matter involves ongoing legal proceedings, the School is unable to comment further at this time.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By James Stratton

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    Milwaukee (WISN) — A Milwaukee mother is calling for changes in mental health laws after her daughter, Katelyn Librizzi, was arrested for stealing a van with kids inside after having a mental health crisis.

The day before, body camera video provided by her mother and verified by 12 News Investigates shows Christy Librizzi pleading for Wauwatosa officers to help her daughter while at a mental health facility in Wauwatosa.

“She needs f****** help,” video shows her telling officers on Dec. 15 while her daughter can be heard yelling in the background.

“I don’t know what you guys need to do to make this happen, but she needs to be somewhere,” Christy Librizzi says to officers on body camera video. “She’s going to hurt somebody or herself.”

Video shows Katelyn, speaking to officers for roughly 50 minutes, banging on furniture, the ceiling and walls, standing on a desk and an officer chair.

“I hold the earth,” she says at one point.

“Right, but I don’t want you to fall,” an officer responds while she’s standing on a chair.

“I will never fall!” She responds.

Eventually, the video shows her signing papers to voluntarily admit herself into the facility on Dec. 15, the next day, her mother says she signed herself out and was released. Christy says Katelyn showed up at her dad’s house and later went for a walk on Milwaukee’s northwest side. Prosecutors say she stole the van around 4 p.m. on Dec. 16 near Appleton and Burleigh with four kids inside. Milwaukee Police stopped her roughly 13 minutes later near 60th and Burleigh and arrested her. The kids were unharmed.

“This could have been tragic,” Christy Librizzi said. “What if she had crashed that van or if something happened to those kids?”

Christy Librizzi says she’s been trying to get her daughter help for months, telling WISN 12 News she was diagnosed as bipolar in October.

“She’s like my hippie flower child, artist show girl,” Christy said, describing her 27-year-old daughter as a talented artist and honor student.

Previously, she had no mental health struggles, according to her mother. Librizzi says she tried to get her daughter help in Oregon and in Washington, where she was staying, before trying to get help in the Milwaukee area.

Also, trying last week to have Wauwatosa police officers commit her daughter under the state’s law, Chapter 51.15.

The law says a person must meet criteria that they are affected by mental illness, drug dependence, or are developmentally disabled, they must have “substantial probability” that they’re going to harm themselves or others, and are deemed treatable.

Wauwatosa police say the criteria were not met, and declined an interview with 12 News Investigates. A spokesperson also says the law does not allow them to involuntarily detain someone who is voluntarily seeking treatment.

“Katelyn voluntarily admitted herself for in-patient mental health treatment, and her later release would have been at the discretion of Aurora staff,” Wauwatosa police said, in part, via email.

“Due to patient privacy laws, we cannot comment on any individual’s medical information that may have been in our care,” said an Aurora spokesperson via email. “We remain deeply committed to providing safe, compassionate behavioral health care and supporting patients and families during times of need.”

“The system failed her,” Christy said. “She needed help. She was in a place that could have given her help, and they couldn’t because of the law.”

Hours before the alleged crime, a video shows Christy back at the Wauwatosa police speaking to officers.

“If she actually hurts herself or others, that’s the only point where someone is going to do something at this point?” She asks.

“Yes,” an officer responds.

“We’re trying to prevent that,” Christy responds.

“Yeah, it’s kind of the unfortunate part with the Wisconsin law,” the officer can be heard saying on body camera video.

“It’s really unfortunate, because it’s my daughter,” Christy responds.

“She had people there that could have made her be there [at the mental health facility] or somewhere else to get the help she needs,” Christy said to 12 News Investigates. “But all anyone can say is ‘it’s the law’ and ‘there’s gaps in the law'”

“You believe there’s a gap in the law?” Investigative Reporter James Stratton asked.

“It’s a huge gap in the law, because she’s an adult. So, in theory, she should be able to make her own decisions,” she responded.

Christy said she believes her daughter is safer in jail than out of jail, saying that shows the system is broken.

Instead of having an intake hearing on Sunday, which is typical for people charged with crimes, Librizzi is being held awaiting a doctor’s report for her mental health. The return of that report is set for late January.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Chloe Godding

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    Missouri (KMBC) — A new lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Missouri is asking a court to halt the use of new congressional maps until voters can weigh in.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court on Tuesday, claiming that the state of Missouri and the secretary of state have violated the right to referendum by pushing Missouri’s new congressional maps forward without input from voters.

“By attempting to enact the new maps despite receiving more than 305,000 signatures from Missouri voters demanding a referendum, the Secretary of State is denying a longstanding tradition, judicial precedent, and our constitutional rights,” said Tori Shafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, in a news release.

The ACLU said that the signatures, submitted by the organization People Not Politicians, are nearly three times the number required.

“Ignoring the legislative power granted to the people, the Secretary of State publicly indicated that his office intends to use House Bill 1’s new congressional map in the 2026 primary and general elections,” the ACLU said.

The ACLU is asking the court to suspend House Bill 1 to prevent election authorities from using the new maps until they are approved or rejected by voters.

On the other side, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office issued a statement Monday on the referendum process, saying that People Not Politicians is engaging in a “disinformation campaign.” The statement was not in direct response to the lawsuit, but rather the possibility of a referendum and the upholding of state law.

“People Not Politicians is promoting a false narrative that the Missouri FIRST Map is ‘frozen’ upon the mere submission of referendum signatures. This narrative is wrong,” the attorney general’s office said.

The attorney general’s office said it’s not yet been determined if enough signatures have been submitted; the Missouri Constitution requires 5% of legal voters in each of two-thirds of the state’s congressional districts.

The attorney general’s office also said that a “substantial number” of the signatures were submitted before Gov. Mike Kehoe signed the map and before Secretary of State Denny Hoskins approved the referendum petition.

“Until the Secretary of State confirms that the proposed referendum has enough valid signatures to qualify, the Missouri FIRST Map will remain in effect,” the attorney general’s office said. “The contrary conclusion would allow anyone to freeze duly-enacted state laws by dropping off boxes of unverified signatures.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.