Melissa Gomez is an enterprise reporter on the State Team who joined the Los Angeles Times in 2018. She reports on a range of news and issues, with a special focus on the Central Valley. She previously covered education and the 2020 presidential campaign at The Times. A native Floridian, she graduated from the University of Florida.
Latest From This Author
Like many rural counties, Merced is losing deputies to jurisdictions that pay more. The shortage is so dire, Sheriff Vern Warnke is sometimes the only one available to respond to calls for help.
May 3, 2024
Less than 24 hours after a violent attack on a pro-Palestinian camp at UCLA, officers pulled apart barricades as they tore down the encampment and made arrests.
May 3, 2024
Lijuan ‘Angela’ Chen pleaded guilty to defrauding the United States Postal Service out of more than $150 million.
April 27, 2024
The stabbing is the latest in a string of violent incidents involving L.A. Metro passengers in recent weeks that have left leaders grappling with how to bolster security.
April 26, 2024
Firefighters have managed to contain a large fire that broke out on the Oceanside Pier on Thursday, city officials said.
April 25, 2024
Nearly 100 people, including students, were arrested at a peaceful protest at USC. Other college campuses across California have seen an increase in protests related to the Israel-Hamas war.
April 25, 2024
Cpl. Miguel A. Maya died around 5 p.m. Tuesday in an incident that reportedly caused no other injuries and remains under investigation.
April 26, 2024
LAPD officers in riot gear arrested 93 people on trespassing charges as they cleared an encampment at the center of the USC campus that formed in protest against the Israel-Hamas war.
April 24, 2024
San Bernardino County high school put on lockdown after report of a student with a firearm on campus
No injuries were reported and the incident is being investigated, according to the Hesperia Unified School District.
April 23, 2024