By Andy Rose, CNN (CNN) — A man who took 10 hostages while claiming to have explosives in a California school district’s offices before authorities killed him Wednesday morning was an Army veteran and convicted sex offender, authorities said. Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, 41, took the hostages on the second floor of the Chase Bank building
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – An Ohio-based smoke bomb designer and importer, and two other companies, have agreed to pay more than $4 million to the United States for costs and damages from the El Dorado Fire in 2020, the Department of Justice announced. The El Dorado Fire ignited as part of a gender reveal photo
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By Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — California’s elections are never quite over on Election Day, and this year is no different. The state’s big population and its universal vote-by-mail system add to the time it takes to count the large volume of ballots counties will receive. In the 2024 general election, for instance, mail ballots
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco fell well behind another GOP candidate and Democrat heavies in initial primary election returns for the statewide gubernatorial race, where a field of more than five dozen candidates may mean small percentages will determine which two will go on to battle it out in the November
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to November’s general election in her bid for a second term as she was running ahead today in the mayoral primary, with former reality television personality Spencer Pratt holding second place and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman trailing in third. Check Out Our Election Results Page
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SAN FERNANDO (KESQ) – Actor Nick Pasqual, who appeared in an episode of “How I Met Your Mother” and other TV shows, was sentenced today to 32 years to life in prison for the 2024 stabbing of a Hollywood makeup artist, whom he was dating. Pasqual, 36, was found guilty last month by a jury
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VISTA, Calif. (KESQ) – A murder charge has been filed and was expected to be announced in court Wednesday against a man who allegedly attacked the owner of the so-called “Trump House” in Escondido, who died days later from his injuries. Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, is accused in the May 20 attack on 69-year-old
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – The co-founder of a now-bankrupt digital bank who admitted plotting to fleece investors out of $248 million was sentenced today in downtown Los Angeles to 14 years behind bars. Joe Sanberg, 46, of Orange, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two federal wire fraud counts. Sanberg and his “environmentally conscious” bank
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – A nearly 2,000-foot-long tunnel stretching from Tijuana to Otay Mesa was recently discovered by law enforcement officials, leading to federal drug distribution charges announced today against four people. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the tunnel led into a fake store in Otay Mesa called “Buy 4 Less,” which investigators
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – On the day before the statewide primary election, an investigation was continuing today into the discovery of an unspecified number of mail-in ballots that were found with burn damage inside a downtown Los Angeles collection box. The burned ballots were discovered at a collection box outside the Department of Public Social
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman joined law enforcement leaders and FIFA officials today to outline public safety preparations for the 2026 World Cup and urge visitors and residents to celebrate responsibly during the tournament. Officials said tens of thousands of fans are expected to travel to the Los Angeles
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – The Rams traded for Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett today, bringing the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year to Los Angeles in another all-in bid to win a Super Bowl. The Browns will receive two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse, a first round pick in next year’s NFL
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – Researchers from UCLA and UC Davis have found airborne particles containing carcinogenic hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, in neighborhoods near the Palisades and Eaton fire burn areas months after the devastating 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires, according to a study announced today. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – As voters across Southern California prepare to cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary election, a record 23.1 million Californians are registered to vote, according to figures released today by the Secretary of State’s Office. The latest Report of Registration, released by Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, found that 23,155,447 eligible Californians
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – A former San Diego County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a fleeing, unarmed man outside the San Diego Central Jail was sentenced today to 12 years in prison. Aaron Russell was convicted by a San Diego federal jury for the May 1, 2020 shooting death of 36-year-old Nicholas Bils.
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A fire broke out today at a two-story apartment complex in Riverside, displacing 150 residents. The blaze was reported shortly after 11 a.m. Friday in the 3900 block of Iowa Avenue, according to the Riverside Fire Department. According to Division Fire Chief Greg White, arriving crews encountered heavy smoke
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LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – The former mayor of Arcadia pleaded guilty today to a federal charge for secretly working to illegally promote the interests of China prior to her election to the city council. Eileen Wang, 58, of Arcadia, stepped down as the city’s mayor and resigned from the council when felony charges were announced
Continue Reading SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – Following this month’s fatal terrorist attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced the state is awarding nearly $80 million to 343 nonprofit organizations through the California Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Of the grant recipients, 228 are faith-based groups, while others include reproductive health clinics.
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) – A man convicted for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that led to the murders of two people, including a pregnant woman, was sentenced in San Diego federal court today to 20 years in prison. Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, 23, was charged along with co-defendant Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta in connection with
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PERRIS, Calif. (KESQ) – One skydiver died and another suffered critical injuries today in Perris. The fatal incident was reported shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday in the 600 block East Ellis Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. The agency stated that one person was taken to a local trauma center with injuries
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