L.A. Now - Westside

L.A. firefighters battling blaze in Sepulveda Pass [Updated]

The Los Angeles Fire Department was battling a small brush fire in the Sepulveda Pass this morning. The fire was reported after 10:30 a.m. near the 405 Freeway and Skirball Center Drive. According to the LAFD, the fire was about...

Three cities under consideration for Eli Broad's contemporary art museum

Art collector and philanthropist Eli Broad has nearly doubled the size of the museum he plansto build on the Westside for his 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, and Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are vying to be its home. Saturday...

'New Moon' fans camping out in Westwood

Fans hoping to get a glimpse of the "New Moon" cast on premiere-night Monday were camping out on the sidewalks of Westwood today, some arriving two days ago to be a part of the latest installment in the "Twilight" vampire...

L.A. County sheriff's deputies arrest 73-year-old tagging suspect [Updated]

Calling him the oldest tagging suspect they have ever captured, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies arrested a 73-year-old Los Angeles man for allegedly putting "slap tags" on the inside of Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses. For the last seven months, deputies...

Death of developer and civic leader Doug Ring may be tied to overdose of pills, says coroner's investigator

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office is investigating whether Doug Ring, a prominent Los Angeles developer and attorney, may have taken his own life. The Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division is investigating the death. The cause was listed as...

Paparazzi-control measures suggested at preschool

A Santa Monica nursery school popular with celebrities is being urged to hire security guards and train its staff on making citizen arrests to help control paparazzi who hound the children and their famous parents. A staff report done at...

Santa Monica group wants to expand no-smoking laws

Some Santa Monica residents want to expand local no-smoking laws to balconies and patios. Santa Monicans for Non-Smoking Renters Rights also wants the city to create nonsmoking sections for multifamily residential buildings, including individual units. The group already has successfully...

L.A. developer, civic leader Doug Ring is found dead [Updated]

Doug Ring, a prominent Los Angeles developer and attorney, was found dead today at his home in Brentwood, authorities said [Updated at 9:10 p.m.: The Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division is investigating the death. The cause was listed as...

Federal judge hands L.A. a billboard lawsuit victory

Though they are still fighting as many as 20 billboard lawsuits, Los Angeles officials eked out a victory this week in their struggle to stop the proliferation of billboards and supergraphics. A federal judge dismissed one of three lawsuits filed...

Cindy Crawford extorted over 'sexy' photo of daughter

Model Cindy Crawford and her husband were the victims of a bizarre extortion scheme involving a photo of her daughter, authorities said. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, a German citizen was indicted after seeking to extort $100,000...

Hollywood Spider-Man impersonator caught in legal web

A Spider-Man impersonator was arrested on outstanding criminal warrants today after an incident in which he allegedly slugged a man near the Hollywood and Highland complex, Los Angeles police said. It was not immediately clear what led to the altercation,...

Santa Monica Pier to be anointed as Route 66 terminus

Although Route 66 -- the Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway that John Steinbeck labeled the "Mother Road" -- never fully extended to the beach in Santa Monica, civic boosters aren't letting that fact spoil a good celebration. At 9 a.m. Wednesday, when...

LAPD Chief-Designate Beck to appear at Mar Vista town hall

Residents on the Westside will have an opportunity to question Charlie Beck, the LAPD chief designate, at a community forum Tuesday evening in Mar Vista. The forum will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Mar Vista Recreation...

Cedars says 260 patients exposed to high doses of radiation, 20% could face eye damage

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center announced today that 260 patients were exposed to high doses of radiation during CT brain scans, up from the hospital's original estimate of 206 in September. The hospital’s review also found that about 20% of the affected...

Alleged 'bling ring' member in protective custody after threat, attorney says

A member of a crew of young people accused of burglarizing celebrity homes, including Paris Hilton's and Lindsay Lohan's, has been placed in protective custody after receiving a threat, his attorney said today. A search warrant affidavit made public last...

L.A. Marathon unveils Stadium to the Sea route

The L.A. Marathon’s Stadium to the Sea route that was unveiled today will take runners from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica while passing several Los Angeles landmarks. Runners in the 25th edition of the 26.2-mile race will wind through downtown,...

New lanes open on 405 Freeway through Westside

After five years of construction, commuters this morning are using new lanes along the 405 Freeway built as part of a widening project. New carpool and exit lanes made their debut on the southbound 405 Freeway between the 10 and...

Surfers win big victory as septic tanks banned in Malibu

In a big victory for surfers and environmentalists, officials have agreed to ban septic tanks in portions of Malibu. Hundreds attended a nearly 10-hour meeting. Surfer Ken Seino, a member of the Malibu Surfing Assn., pulled open his shirt to...

4 reputed gang members held in Santa Monica slaying

Four reputed gang members were booked on suspicion of murder today in connection with a shooting at a Santa Monica park that left one man dead and prompted police to beef up patrols in the area, authorities said. The shooting...

Judge strikes down deal allowing digital billboards

A judge has formally invalidated a 2006 settlement between the city of Los Angeles and two companies, CBS Outdoor and Clear Channel Outdoor, that granted them special rights to convert as many as 840 billboards to a digital format, among...

Hundreds pack hearing on Malibu septic tanks

Hundreds jammed the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District headquarters today as board members prepared to decide whether to ban septic tanks in much of Malibu. The decision is both meaningful and potentially expensive. Residents in the affected areas would be...

Robbery suspect shot in West L.A., another arrested; two others remain at large

Police shot and wounded a robbery suspect at a West Los Angeles gas station early today, arrested a second suspect and are searching for two others, authorities said. Officers patrolling the area around West Olympic Boulevard and South Bundy Drive...

Shootings leave two former students dead in Venice and Santa Monica [Updated]

School officials in Santa Monica and Venice counseled grieving students today and were cautioned to be on alert for suspicious activity after two former students were slain in separate shootings Tuesday. The two killings occurred several hours apart in Venice's...

Reputed 'bling ring' fugitive surrenders to LAPD

A fugitive and convicted drug dealer who police say is part of the reputed 'bling ring" that has burglarized the homes of young celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton surrendered to police this afternoon, authorities said. Jonathan Ajar, whom...

Man fatally shot near park in Santa Monica

A man was shot and killed tonight near a park in Santa Monica, police said. The shooting was reported at 8:58 p.m. near Pico Boulevard and 20th Street by Virginia Park, police said. The victim "was just hanging out by...