All articles tagged with #california
Several supporters have withdrawn their backing from Rep. Eric Swalwell's bid for California governor after assault allegations surfaced, as he continues campaigning with events such as a Sacramento town hall.
Five people, including former Yolo County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant Samuel Machado, were indicted on murder charges for the July 1, 2025 explosion at an illegal fireworks warehouse near Esparto, California that killed seven people and injured two. The grand jury alleged the operation stored more than 1 million pounds of fireworks illegally and named four other murder defendants, with three additional individuals facing related charges for a total of eight people and about 30 charges overall, including conspiracy, illegal explosives possession, and insurance fraud. Machado’s wife Tammy was arrested but released on bail. Arraignments are scheduled in Yolo County on Monday; the blast disrupted Fourth of July celebrations in the area.
Five individuals—Machado, Chee, Lee, Chan and Douglas Tollefsen—were charged with murder after a deadly fireworks-warehouse explosion in Esparto, Northern California, with seven people killed. They were arrested Thursday along with Craig Cutright, owner of Blackstar Fireworks; another employee, Ronald Botelho III, faces separate charges. The victims named by prosecutors include four workers and three others tied to the facility’s illegal fireworks operation.
Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old worker, has been charged with felony arson after a six-alarm fire destroyed Kimberly-Clark’s warehouse in Ontario, California. Investigators say video shows him starting fires and that he texted coworkers comparing himself to Luigi Mangione, who faces murder charges. The blaze caused more than $600 million in damage, and Abdulkarim faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the dismantling of a major hospice fraud scheme that defrauded the state of about $267 million, with 21 people charged in Los Angeles.
A Tulare County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot while serving an eviction notice in Porterville, triggering a lengthy standoff during which deputies were fired upon; the suspect, a 60-year-old man who hadn’t paid rent for 35 days, was killed when an armored SWAT vehicle drove into the yard and ran him over, ending the confrontation. The deputy killed was Detective Randy Hoppert, and residents were evacuated as schools went on lockdown.
Kenneth Chee, owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was arrested at Walt Disney World on a fugitive warrant linked to a July 2025 Yolo County, California warehouse explosion that killed seven. He faces multiple charges, including seven murder counts and conspiracy, for allegedly lacking proper permits to store fireworks; six other suspects were also arrested in the investigation.
Masked men in San Francisco’s Tenderloin offered $5 and pizza to sign petitions for California ballot measures, underscoring a money‑driven, high‑stakes signature‑gathering season where some signatures can be worth up to $15. Paying signatories is illegal, and authorities are investigating potential fraud as campaigns funded by major donors race to qualify initiatives for the ballot. Critics warn the tactic preys on vulnerable residents and threatens election integrity, while organizers say signatures will be vetted and invalid entries discarded.
Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco lead California’s crowded GOP bid for governor, trading harsh attacks on immigration, election integrity, and governance as the June primary approaches under California’s top-two system. The race, which could snap Democrats’ long dominance if a Republican wins, is further complicated by Bianco’s past ballot-seizure probe and Hilton’s national profile, while both tout similar agenda items (spending, crime, and immigration). Democrats worry about a split or a late surge that could leave them shut out of the November race.
Four California stories in one: a Cal State Channel Islands philosophy lecturer was acquitted of assaulting a federal officer after a protest; U.S. Energy Secretary visited a Long Beach oil site amid ongoing federal-vs-state disputes over California’s setback laws; a LA Local feature highlighted seven allergy-friendly dining spots; and LAUSD faces a potential three-union strike that could shutter schools starting April 14, with ongoing negotiations on pay, benefits and student support.
A 2014 Sling aircraft en route to Catalina crashed in a rugged area around 12:20 p.m. Thursday after departing Torrance, killing both people aboard. Responders reached the remote site as FAA and NTSB investigators probe the cause; identities of the victims have not been released. The aircraft had flown regularly in the days prior, including trips to Catalina.
A Tulare County sheriff’s detective was killed after responding to an eviction-service call in Porterville when a gunman barricaded himself in a home and opened fire; the suspect, 59-year-old David Morales, remained barricaded as negotiators worked the scene, and three nearby schools were placed on lockdown as the deputy died at Sierra View Medical Center.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, an immigrant from El Salvador, was shot by ICE agents in Patterson, California, as he attempted to flee in his vehicle. He remains in intensive care with at least six wounds and has undergone three surgeries, his lawyer said.
Two Republican candidates, Steve Hilton and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, lead California's 2026 governor race and, with President Trump's endorsement, raise the prospect of a political upheaval in the blue state. They pledge sweeping deregulation and MAGA-style governance, but would clash with a Democratic Legislature, powerful unions, and an independent judiciary that could blunt their agenda, likely resulting in gridlock or pushback rather than rapid change. Analysts note that undecided voters may still coalesce around Democrats, making the November general election far from certain and raising the possibility of California electing its first Republican governor since Schwarzenegger only if dynamics shift markedly.
The California Supreme Court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to pause his investigation into a November 2025 ballot seizure and preserve all seized materials while a legal challenge to the seizure is reviewed. The order came after the state attorney general argued the sheriff lacked authority over election materials, and a voting-rights group joined the challenge. Bianco, a gubernatorial candidate, had previously seized thousands of ballot-related boxes, prompting scrutiny of the probe as litigation proceeds.