As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter has been on a mission to force changes in the living conditions for the homeless people of L.A. At 76, Carter knows he should be at home and away from people, not outside leading a tour of the largest concentration of homeless people in the country.
Here are the scenes from skid row in downtown Los Angeles.
Herb Smith, far left, chief executive of the Los Angeles Mission, is joined by staff and volunteers to assemble 150 bags of food and hygiene products for distribution to homeless people on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter tours skid row with Los Angeles Police Officer Deon Joseph in early April.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Herb Smith, right, chief executive of the Los Angeles Mission, helps Juanita Glover as she receives bags of food and hygiene products.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Robert Taylor, a participant in the Fresh Start program at the Los Angeles Mission, has his temperature taken by security guard Angel Jurado on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Brent Kostanski, who is homeless and living on skid row, enjoys a sandwich from a food distribution package.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the Love My Neighbor Foundation help feed the homeless on skid row.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Prince Thomas III, who is homeless, stands by tents on skid row.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Crews clean an area along 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles.
(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Advertisement
Bags of food and hygiene products that will be distributed to homeless people on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Mission Chief Executive Herb Smith gives face masks to Juanita Glover, left, and Carmen Santiago.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Ralph Sutton of the Los Angeles Mission hands out food and hygiene products on skid row.
Firefighters and law enforcement officers from L.A. to Laguna Beach express their gratitude to healthcare workers for their efforts in fighting COVID-19.
The deer, bobcats, coyotes and bears no longer have to deal with the hordes of camera-toting tourist vying to capture nature. They now roam unfettered.
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
Benjamin Oreskes is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. He covered state and national politics, City Hall, homelessness and wrote the Essential California newsletter. Before coming to The Times in February 2017, he covered foreign policy at Politico in Washington, D.C.