Los Angeles news stories on Newser

Search for Terminator's Nick Stahl Turns to Skid Row

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:00:00 CDT

The hunt for still-missing Terminator 3 star Nick Stahl has turned to Skid Row in Los Angeles, police report. The 32-year-old actor has disappeared on drug benders before, and ended up in some of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods, his wife tells the Daily Beast . “She admitted that he had...

'Police Gang' Probed in LA

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:49:11 CDT

Seven deputies suspected of belonging to a "police gang" that supports street crime crackdowns backed by shootings have been suspended from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, according to officials. The so-called "Jump Up Boys" apparently operated like a squad within a squad, with members believed to sport similar tattoos...

$100M Pot Farm Destroyed in LA Park Raid

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:34:14 CDT

A $100 million marijuana plantation was destroyed by a police raid in Topanga State Park in Los Angeles on Friday. The 34,000-plant operation deep in the park's back country is the largest busted by cops in the Santa Monica Mountains in seven years, reports the Los Angeles Times . No...

LA Wants Speed Limit ... for Skateboarders

Matt Cantor — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:00:05 CDT

Skateboarders in Los Angeles may soon have to obey traffic regulations—including a 25mph speed limit. The city council voted unanimously to draft rules against "unsafe" skateboarding, the Los Angeles Times reports. Councilman Joe Buscaino, who launched the proceedings, said he wanted to stop skateboard "bombing," during which riders speed...

LAPD: Long-Sought 'Teardrop Rapist' Is Back

John Johnson — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:21:56 CDT

Los Angeles police had to issue an awful warning to women in the city today: Don't walk alone. A sexual predator known as the "teardrop rapist" appears to have surfaced again after a years-long absence, reports the Los Angeles Times . The assailant, thought to have at least one teardrop tattoo...

2 USC Students Shot Dead Near Campus

Rob Quinn — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:21:43 CDT

Two Chinese graduate students at the University of Southern California were killed near the Los Angeles campus just after midnight yesterday. Ying Wu, 23, was shot in the chest as she sat in a BMW with Minq Qu, who would have turned 24 today. He was shot in the head,...

Bear Moves Into LA 'Burbs

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:29:00 CDT

There goes the neighborhood. A black bear apparently sick of roughing it in the wilds of California decided to check out a suburb 10 miles north of Los Angeles in the Verdugo Mountains area. The bear was spotted lounging on a lawn before investigating several backyards, shooting him to the...

Cops: Woman Killed Herself With Chainsaw

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:22:05 CDT

A Los Angeles woman was found dead yesterday after apparently committing suicide with a chainsaw. Police say Valerie Nash, 47, was discovered inside her home in Palms by her sister, "with a chainsaw wound on her neck," reports CBS Los Angeles . An LAPD sergeant says, “At this point, we’re investigating...

LA Porn Condom Law Starts Today

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:15:00 CST

Today's the day Los Angeles porn stars are supposed to start covering up. A new city law goes into effect, requiring that condoms are used during porn film shoots. Film licensing fees will fund enforcement of the law, which was fought by porn production companies, who are threatening to leave...