Category: CNN Regional

By Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — An infestation of mosquitoes in one El Segundo neighborhood has created a months-long nightmare for residents, who are hopeful that mitigation efforts from Los Angeles County leaders will finally make a difference.

Los Angeles County Vector Control officials say that the influx of mosquitoes is likely from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, which has created breeding grounds for the annoying pests. They say they’ve been working to try and solve the issue since it was first brought to their attention in mid-December.

In an update to the mitigation plan posted on Jan. 2, city officials said that an inspection of the site revealed several breeding areas.

During a city council meeting on Tuesday night, LA County Vector Control Executive Director Aaron Arugay spoke on the infestation.

“Because of the time of year, it was a little unusual to see the spike in the winter; it’s not what we’re really accustomed to,” he said. “I think it was a rain event, then some warm weather in addition to some maintenance issues in the facility, all combined to create the issue.”

Some residents say that they’ve spent hundreds of dollars in recent weeks to try to solve the problem, with temporary solutions ranging from traps to essential oils.

“The community, we all started buzzing about it right before Thanksgiving,” said Samantha Hedding, an El Segundo resident. “We went through our holidays like this. It was miserable. Then the weather got nice, it’s still been miserable.”

Vector Control and Hyperion staff are expected to set six new traps along the greenbelt between the water plant and El Segundo on Wednesday, which they hope will help ease the large amount of mosquitoes.

“LA County Vector Control staff have been applying pesticides as needed,” said the City of El Segundo’s website. “Hyperion also has a private contractor on standby to apply pesticide, if needed.”

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.

KCBS

By Nicole Comstock

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — An Eaton Fire survivor said thieves stole $16,000 of equipment from his contractors while they rebuilt his Altadena home.

“He had some expensive equipment in there, and they stole their equipment,” Altadena resident Jim Osterling said. “They broke into another truck right there. That worker came out and saw them and chased them.”

Osterling’s home is only a half mile from where the Eaton Fire started. He said thieves have also targeted his neighbors’ construction sites.

“It’s deplorable and inexcusable,” he said. “These folks are coming up and seeing what they can steal.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Altadena Station said they have not seen an uptick in crime. In December 2025, they received only two residential burglary reports, compared to 12 in December 2024. LASD has increased patrols in the area, with extra deputies checking on construction projects and residential properties.

Osterling hopes the ongoing immigration enforcement operations in LA County have not discouraged contractors from reporting burglaries. He urged his neighbors to remain vigilant and contractors to keep their equipment locked up.

“All of these contractors coming up, helping us rebuild, we need to alert them,” he said. “They need to be vigilant.”

The Altadena Sheriff’s Station believes that the $16,000-burglary may have been a random crime of opportunity.

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 Nicole Comstock

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — An Eaton Fire survivor said thieves stole $16,000 of equipment from his contractors while they rebuilt his Altadena home.

“He had some expensive equipment in there, and they stole their equipment,” Altadena resident Jim Osterling said. “They broke into another truck right there. That worker came out and saw them and chased them.”

Osterling’s home is only a half mile from where the Eaton Fire started. He said thieves have also targeted his neighbors’ construction sites.

“It’s deplorable and inexcusable,” he said. “These folks are coming up and seeing what they can steal.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Altadena Station said they have not seen an uptick in crime. In December 2025, they received only two residential burglary reports, compared to 12 in December 2024. LASD has increased patrols in the area, with extra deputies checking on construction projects and residential properties.

Osterling hopes the ongoing immigration enforcement operations in LA County have not discouraged contractors from reporting burglaries. He urged his neighbors to remain vigilant and contractors to keep their equipment locked up.

“All of these contractors coming up, helping us rebuild, we need to alert them,” he said. “They need to be vigilant.”

The Altadena Sheriff’s Station believes that the $16,000-burglary may have been a random crime of opportunity.

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.

KCBS

By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A man with a machete terrorized laundromat customers in Pomona over a San Francisco 49ers jersey, according to the owner.

“He was kind of looking at my son, and he saw my son with his red 49ers jersey on,” owner Phil Hernandez said. “He made a comment to the effect of get that red shirt off.”

The Pomona Police Department said the incident occurred on Saturday at 9:14 a.m., the same day the 49ers played the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoffs.

Security cameras showed the suspect walking into the laundromat and going after the owner’s son, who was wearing a George Kittle Niners jersey.

“He kind of made it look like he was going after him,” Hernandez said. “My son took off, I think, appropriately.”

Hernandez said the suspect left the business after the encounter but came back. After calling the police, Hernandez tried to hold the door closed while the suspect continued to yell outside. Security cameras showed the suspect swinging the machete and breaking the glass front door.

Hernandez said the suspect also made a comment about his red hat.

No one was injured during the altercations. The suspect left the area before officers arrived. Pomona PD said they have not located the suspect.

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 Matthew Rodriguez

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A man with a machete terrorized laundromat customers in Pomona over a San Francisco 49ers jersey, according to the owner.

“He was kind of looking at my son, and he saw my son with his red 49ers jersey on,” owner Phil Hernandez said. “He made a comment to the effect of get that red shirt off.”

The Pomona Police Department said the incident occurred on Saturday at 9:14 a.m., the same day the 49ers played the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL playoffs.

Security cameras showed the suspect walking into the laundromat and going after the owner’s son, who was wearing a George Kittle Niners jersey.

“He kind of made it look like he was going after him,” Hernandez said. “My son took off, I think, appropriately.”

Hernandez said the suspect left the business after the encounter but came back. After calling the police, Hernandez tried to hold the door closed while the suspect continued to yell outside. Security cameras showed the suspect swinging the machete and breaking the glass front door.

Hernandez said the suspect also made a comment about his red hat.

No one was injured during the altercations. The suspect left the area before officers arrived. Pomona PD said they have not located the suspect.

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.

KCBS

By Joy Benedict, Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Corona family is outraged after learning that the hit-and-run driver who killed their son in 2020 is being released less than three years into her nine-year sentence.

Benjamin Montalvo was just 21 when he was struck from behind while riding a bike with friends in front of his old high school back in June 2020. His parents say the group was heading to meet his brother for a late dinner when it happened.

“She was texting,” said Kelli Montalvo, Benjamin’s mother. “Twenty-four texts were exchanged in the six minutes surrounding the crash.”

The driver, Neomi Renee Velado, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run for the crash. In 2023, she was sentenced to nine years in prison, but now, she’s due for release in February, just over two years into her sentence.

“Stabbed in the heart when it happened, and now a punch in the gut,” said Benjamin’s father, Eddie Montalvo. “When do they care for the victims?”

The Montalvo family received a letter from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation notifying them that Velado would be released next month, adding to what they say is nonstop pain for their son’s loss.

“I keep hoping there is a mistake, that they’ve done a miscalculation,” Kelli Montalvo said.

The family says that they’ve been told that even with her nine-year sentence, it was more likely that Velado would serve half of the time before she was released, assuming she stayed out of trouble.

“Nine years, four and a half, now two and a quarter. … What about us?” Eddie Montalvo asked. “Does anyone think about our family?”

They’ve reached out to CDCR to ask why she’s being released so early, but haven’t yet heard back. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office says it hasn’t been informed why yet either.

Though they believe in second chances, the Montalvo family says they haven’t seen any remorse from Velado since the tragedy occurred.

“This was her fourth hit-and-run,” Kellie Montalvo said.

While they know nothing will bring Benjamin back, they hope that his memory continues to live on and that VElado will somebody understand what was lost.

“The best thing that could happen, is her to attempt to reach out to us and show any kind of sadness, remorse and accept responsibility and then go on and change her life,” Kellie Montalvo said.

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 Joy Benedict, Dean Fioresi

Click here for updates on this story

    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Corona family is outraged after learning that the hit-and-run driver who killed their son in 2020 is being released less than three years into her nine-year sentence.

Benjamin Montalvo was just 21 when he was struck from behind while riding a bike with friends in front of his old high school back in June 2020. His parents say the group was heading to meet his brother for a late dinner when it happened.

“She was texting,” said Kelli Montalvo, Benjamin’s mother. “Twenty-four texts were exchanged in the six minutes surrounding the crash.”

The driver, Neomi Renee Velado, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run for the crash. In 2023, she was sentenced to nine years in prison, but now, she’s due for release in February, just over two years into her sentence.

“Stabbed in the heart when it happened, and now a punch in the gut,” said Benjamin’s father, Eddie Montalvo. “When do they care for the victims?”

The Montalvo family received a letter from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation notifying them that Velado would be released next month, adding to what they say is nonstop pain for their son’s loss.

“I keep hoping there is a mistake, that they’ve done a miscalculation,” Kelli Montalvo said.

The family says that they’ve been told that even with her nine-year sentence, it was more likely that Velado would serve half of the time before she was released, assuming she stayed out of trouble.

“Nine years, four and a half, now two and a quarter. … What about us?” Eddie Montalvo asked. “Does anyone think about our family?”

They’ve reached out to CDCR to ask why she’s being released so early, but haven’t yet heard back. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office says it hasn’t been informed why yet either.

Though they believe in second chances, the Montalvo family says they haven’t seen any remorse from Velado since the tragedy occurred.

“This was her fourth hit-and-run,” Kellie Montalvo said.

While they know nothing will bring Benjamin back, they hope that his memory continues to live on and that VElado will somebody understand what was lost.

“The best thing that could happen, is her to attempt to reach out to us and show any kind of sadness, remorse and accept responsibility and then go on and change her life,” Kellie Montalvo said.

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.