RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A Riverside couple has been fighting to move into their new home for more than a year because the former homeowner refuses to move out.

Tracie and Myles Albert closed on the $650,000 home back in January of 2020, but when they arrived at the home to get the keys from the former homeowner, he told them he was not moving out. (CBSLA)

Tracie and Myles Albert closed on the $650,000 home back in January of 2020, but when they arrived at the home to get the keys from the former homeowner, he told them he was not moving out.

The couple tried to evict him, but the state’s eviction moratorium kicked-in due to the pandemic soon after they filed the paperwork.

The moratorium is supposed to keep struggling families housed during the pandemic, but the couple said the former homeowner was taking advantage of the system to stay at the home for free while scamming them out of the cash they’ve paid up front.

“He’s committed fraud,” Myles said. “He’s robbed us of our life savings.”

The couple said they have also been on the hook for the mortgage for more than a year at this point.

CBS Los Angeles attempted to reach out to the former homeowner, but did not get a response.

As for the couple’s eviction case, their most recent court date was just postponed until June.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Police Department Wednesday night ordered a citywide tactical alert after protesters and officers faced off at Echo Park Lake over the city’s plan to close the park and remove the encampment.

Police issued a dispersal order for the late night protest, declaring the demonstration an unlawful assembly. (CBSLA)

“The Los Angeles Police Department was asked to support community safety efforts during installation of the fencing to assist in the rehabilitation of Echo Park,” Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, whose district includes the park, said in a statement. “Department personnel are deployed in that area so that those efforts can begin in a safe and unimpeded manner.

“Our homeless service providers will return tomorrow morning to continue their work with the park’s unhoused residents to offer shelter and services to anyone who wants and needs the assistance,” the statement continued.

Police issued a dispersal order for the late night protest shortly before 10:45 p.m., declaring the demonstration an unlawful assembly.

In a tweet, LAPD called for people to calmly disperse from the area.

“The Los Angeles Police Department continues to ask for calm and cooperation as the installation of fencing in support of the Echo Park rehabilitation effort continues,” the tweet said. “Unfortunately officers have received projectiles and refusals from individuals blocking streets in the area.”

The department also said that no use of force had been reported.

Down the street near Dodger Stadium, a number of trucks were staged with fencing that workers confirmed was going to be used to start fencing off the park as soon as police cleared the way.

Earlier in the day, hundreds rallied against the plan to temporarily close Echo Park Lake in order to remove the large-scale encampment and clean up an estimated $500,000 in damage.

March 24, 2021. (CBSLA)

The group of demonstrators marched from the park to O’Farrell’s office, shutting down a portion of Sunset Boulevard a little before 8 a.m. Several hundred eventually returned to Echo Park Lake, vowing to remain if the city tried to push out the unhoused population.

“They want these people out of here, out of the park, yeah, they’re going to get involved just to go to a hotel,” community activist Carlos Marroquin told CBSLA Wednesday. “But what happens after that? Those vouchers are not permanent, they’re temporary.”

According to officials, the city has been working to get the more than 100 people who live in the park into shelters and temporary housing.

In January and February of 2020, the city attempted similar cleanup efforts that were also met with large protests.

“What we learned last year when we fought is that the vast majority of people get it, they get it, they get that they could be in this situation, that that could be your mother or your brother, and they support us,” Ayman Ahmed with Echo Park Rises Up told CBSLA Tuesday.

Supporters also called into Tuesday’s L.A. City Council meeting to oppose the move to close the park.

“I believe that people who don’t own homes or who aren’t wealthy or don’t have a special interest are residents and are equally valued members of this community,” Echo Park Neighborhood Council President Zarinah Williams, who called into the City Council meeting Tuesday, said to O’Farrell.

But others who live near the park say it’s long overdue for the city to clean it up.

“I personally have not visited the park in over a year because it doesn’t feel sanitary or safe,” one woman told City News Service. “I also worry that the $45 million investment the city made to rehabilitate the park is being wasted.”

O’Farrell spoke to KNX Radio saying, “There have been four deaths at the lake, several overdoses. There have been assaults, including sexual assaults. Reports from housed and unhoused people in the area of animal abuse.”

The city also said it has offered to tag and store people’s belongings.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Sandra Stadler is one of thousands of Los Angeles County residents who will get a COVID-19 vaccine this week.

“I’m really very, very relieved of course,” she said.

And that shot means she may soon start relaxing her rules for seeing people she does not live with.

“Like now, I ask anybody who comes over to wear a mask at all times, and I wouldn’t do that anymore,” she said.

But according to a team of investigators from UC San Diego and UCLA, people can still become infected with coronavirus even after being fully vaccinated — though they said the risk was small.

“What we found was there was that there were very few infections after two weeks after the second vaccine was given,” Dr. Francesca Torriani, an infectious disease specialist, said.

The study — which monitored healthcare workers at UCSD and UCLA’s David Gaffen School of Medicine — found that out of nearly 15,000 healthcare workers who received both doses, only seven tested positive for COVID-19 after two weeks or more.

And while the study proved that the vaccines do work at preventing people from becoming infected with COVID-19, the so-called breakthrough cases are a reminder that the threat of the virus is not over just yet.

“Most of these healthcare workers acquired the infection in the household, as the majority of us,” Torriani said.

Torriana said that with more variants popping up across the country, those who are vaccinated should not let their guard down until more of the population is able to get vaccinated.

“It’s not the time to unmask and not be careful about not infecting others, because we do not have sufficient numbers of the population vaccinated,” she said.

The study also found that out of the healthcare workers who did test positive, only a few showed symptoms, further proving that the vaccines are doing what they set out to do — protect people from serious illness.

Evander Kane #9 of the San Jose Sharks scores a goal against Calvin Peterson #40 of the Los Angeles Kings at SAP Center on March 24, 2021 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jones followed up a 41-save performance in a 2-1 win Monday with another sharp effort for his first back-to-back games with at least 40 saves in six seasons with the Sharks. After getting pulled five times in his first 15 starts this year, Jones has allowed just five goals on 147 shots in his past four.

Evander Kane scored twice, and Rudolfs Balcers and Tomas Hertl also scored to give the Sharks a sweep of the two-game series.

Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings, and Cal Petersen made 24 saves. Los Angeles has lost five of seven.

The Sharks opened the scoring by converting on two well-executed rushes in the second period. Balcers scored his third of the season on a give-and-go with Marcus Sorensen to make it 1-0 early in the period.

Kane added to the lead late in the second when he sent a cross-ice feed to Kevin Labanc after entering the offensive zone. Labanc left the puck on a short pass for Brent Burns, who found Kane down low for his 13th goal.

The Kings responded with 12.4 seconds left in the period when Iafallo finally got one past Jones after being robbed multiple times the past two games. Iafallo redirected Dustin Brown’s pass from the point to make it 2-1.

The Sharks broke the game open in the first two minutes of the third, with Kane getting his second goal on a deflection of Mario Ferraro’s point shot and Hertl beating Petersen on the rush.

Kempe got one of those goals back for the Kings, but Los Angeles couldn’t get any closer.

INJURY REPORT

Sharks captain Logan Couture left late in the third period after being hit hard near center ice by Los Angeles’ Jeff Carter. Couture stayed down for a couple of minutes before skating off under his own power and going straight to the dressing room. Carter was called for high-sticking on the play.

BENCHED

Sharks forward Kurtis Gabriel was benched after he got fined by the NHL for cross-checking Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid during pregame warmups Monday. The two former minor league teammates fought in the first period that night and Gabriel was fined about $3,000 by the NHL on Tuesday. San Jose coach Bob Boughner, also fined $5,000, decided to sit Gabriel.

UP NEXT

Kings: Visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.

Sharks: At the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

LONG BEACH (CBSLA) — Dozens of people gathered in Long Beach Wednesday night to support the LGBTQ+ community after a pride lifeguard tower was torched by a suspected arsonist.

Dozens of people gathered in Long Beach Wednesday night to support the LGBTQ+ community after a pride lifeguard tower was torched by a suspected arsonist. (CBSLA)

Lifeguard Jeremy Roach said he was heartbroken after seeing the rainbow-colored tower he helped paint burn to the ground.

“I cried, I was pretty emotional with what had happened,” he said. “I just couldn’t really fathom the fact that it had burned.”

And just one night after the fire, Long Beach lifeguards, members of the LGBTQ+ community and city leaders gathered in front of a large pride flag on the beach where the symbol of solidarity once stood to announce plans to replace the tower.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said he was convinced the fire was a hate crime, though Long Beach fire and police were still investigating the blaze.

“For the one tower that was painted like a rainbow to burn in over 70 years, there is no question that it was intentional,” he said. “That was not coincidental, and that’s what people are rallying around.”

“Look at what happened in the Asian community, I think everybody is kind of on edge, and I think it’s just somebody wanted to send a message, ‘You’re not welcome here,’ but little did they know we’re gonna triple down on it,” Sal Flores, a Long Beach resident, said.

The tower got its rainbow paint job last June by the LGBTQ+ members of the Long Beach Marine Safety Division.

Rocha said he wanted the new tower to incorporate other movements and stand as a pillar of diversity and inclusion.

“To be able to show that we’re not just a community that looks out for ourself, but we look out for all minorities and everybody that’s being challenged,” he said.

The city said a replacement tower is expected to arrive in the next four to six weeks.

President Biden announced Wednesday he had tapped Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the administration’s efforts to stem migration at the southern border. Her role comes as border apprehensions have soared since Mr. Biden took office.

Michaela Onyenwere #21 of the UCLA Bruins shoots against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Alamodome on March 24, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

The start of the game was delayed about 25 minutes because Iowa State and Texas A&M went into overtime on the court on the other side of the Alamodome. Texas and UCLA walked back to their locker rooms when the other game went to the extra session and both teams were looking up at the giant videoboards to catch the Aggies’ buzzer-beating win.

The long wait didn’t seem to bother Texas (20-9), which outscored the Bruins 22-6 in the second to go up 35-14 at halftime. That including holding UCLA (17-6) scoreless for nearly 6:30 minutes during a 12-0 run.

UCLA showed much more fight in the second half, cutting the deficit to 51-41 after three quarters. Charisma Osborne’s three-point play with a second left got the Bruins as close as they had been since early in the second quarter.

But UCLA absorbed a couple of big blows early in the fourth. Michaela Onyenwere picked up her fourth foul, and Lauryn Miller crumpled to the floor after turning the ball over on the baseline. She had to be helped off the court and walked gingerly to the locker room midway through the quarter with assistance. She returned a few minutes later with a crutch and a heavy wrap on her right knee.

The Bruins kept hanging around and got within nine, but a busted play led to a corner 3-pointer by Joanne Allen-Taylor that restored Texas’ double-digit lead with 4:12 left. The Bruins couldn’t get closer than eight the rest of the way.

The game was expected to be a post battle between potential No. 1 picks in the WNBA draft Charli Collier of Texas and Onyenwere of UCLA.

Collier, who was averaging 20 points and nearly 12 rebounds, was hampered by foul trouble. She finished with five points and five rebounds.

Onyenwere did all she could, scoring 21 points before fouling out. She had 10 of the team’s 14 points in the first half. The rest of the team missed 13 of its 14 shots in the opening 20 minutes.

By the time she got a little bit of help, it was too late for the Bruins, who reached the Sweet 16 in the previous four NCAA Tournaments.

TIP-INS

Onyenwere moved into fourth on UCLA’s career scoring list with 1,888 points. She came into the game tied for fifth and passed Rehema Stephens, who was fourth with 1,887. … UCLA had held three of its previous four opponents to under 50 points. Texas reached that mark by the end of the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Texas plays Maryland in the Sweet 16 on Sunday.

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

TARZANA (CBSLA) — A California Highway Patrol pursuit of a driver wanted on suspicion of speed ended Wednesday night in Tarzana with the vehicle in flames.

The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody. (CBSLA)

It was not immediately clear when or where the pursuit began, but it ended at about 8:30 near the intersection of the 101 Freeway and Tampa Avenue after the driver lost control of the vehicle and flew off the freeway.

The vehicle then hit a transformer and a power pole, knocking down live wires, before landing and catching fire.

The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody after attempting to flee the scene on foot.

Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers is fouled from behind by Jakob Poeltl #25 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at AT&T Center on March 24, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Marcus Morris added 20 points, Paul George had 17 points, and Lou Williams 16.

DeMar DeRozan led San Antonio with 19 points, and Patty Mills added 16.

The teams meet again Thursday night in the finale of the two-game set in San Antonio.

The Clippers won their third straight and 11th by 20 points or more this season.

Los Angeles remained third in the West and San Antonio dropped to eighth. After winning four of five, the Spurs have lost the first two of a nine-game homestand.

Spurs fans still have not forgotten or forgiven Leonard for his trade demand and subsequent departure to Toronto following his injury-riddled 2018 season.

Leonard was booed during pregame introductions and subsequently each time he touched the ball. The jeers were not as loud as Leonard’s three previous visits to the AT&T Center and waned as the game progressed as the Spurs and Leonard gave them little to root for.

Not that it mattered to the ever-stoic Leonard.

Leonard stole the ball on the Spurs’ opening possession, stepping into the passing lane to pick off a pass from Murray and quickly dribbling upcourt to make a contested layup against two defenders.

Leonard finished 9-for-12 shooting, making both of his 3-point attempts and all five of his free throws. He also had seven rebounds, five steals and three assists in 32 minutes.

The Clippers made their first five 3-point attempts in building a 19-7 lead, including three from Morris. Los Angeles would extend that lead to 18 points in the first quarter.

Los Angeles shot 62% on 3s in the first half and 56% from the field.

San Antonio was 7 for 22 on 3-pointers and committed 16 turnovers.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Since suffering a 105-89 loss in Dallas on March 17, Los Angeles has averaged 126 points in its three victories with an average winning margin of 23 points. … G Patrick Beverley missed his sixth straight game with a sore right knee. … C Serge Ibaka missed his fifth straight game with tightness in his lower back.

Spurs: San Antonio has trailed by at least 10 points in 61% of its games this season and is now 9-16 when facing that deficit. … Popovich does not expect the Spurs to make any trades despite widespread speculation the team will deal one or more of its veterans. “That’s usually how we end up, so that’s my guess,” Popovich said when asked if he expects the roster to remain as is. If they cannot trade LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio will make him an unrestricted free agent by buying out his remaining contract. … F Rudy Gay missed the game with a sore left foot and G Lonnie Walker IV sat out with a sore right wrist. Popovich said both the injuries are minor and expects both to return soon.

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County Wednesday reported another death in a person under the age of 18, while San Bernardino County surpassed 290,000 total COVID-19 cases.

Students sit behind barriers and use tablets during an in-person English class at St. Anthony Catholic High School March 24, 2021 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 666 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and 92 additional fatalities, bringing countywide totals to 1,215,736 cases and 22,960 deaths.

Of the new deaths reported, 39 people were over the age of 80, 23 people were between the ages of 65 and 79, 14 people were between the ages of 50 and 64, five people were between the ages of 30 and 49, one person was between the ages of 18 and 29, one person was under the age of 18 and one death was under investigation. Long Beach added five deaths and Pasadena reported three.

There were 719 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, 25% of whom were being treated in intensive care units — a slight uptick from Tuesday.

Nearly 3,235,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across L.A. County, Public Health said. Of those vaccinated, 1,057,794 people have received second doses. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

With testing results available for nearly 6,032,000 individuals, the county’s overall positivity rate was holding steady at 19%, though the daily test positivity rate was 1.7%. As of Tuesday, the seven-day rolling average was 1.8% and the adjusted case rate was 3.7 new cases per 100,000 residents.

ORANGE COUNTY

The Orange County Health Care Agency reported 82 cases and 11 additional fatality, bringing countywide totals to 249,842 cases and 4,646 deaths. Of those who contracted the virus, 241,709 had recovered.

There were 172 coronavirus patients hospitalized, 36 of whom were being treated in intensive care units — a decrease from Tuesday.

More than 430,000 people have been fully vaccinated, including 408,443 using the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose vaccines and 21,936 using the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

With testing results available for more than 3,271,300 individuals, the county’s overall positivity rate was 7.6%. As of Tuesday, the seven-day rolling average was 2.1% and the adjusted case rate was 3.5 new cases per 100,000 residents.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY

Riverside County health officials reported 287 cases and 164 additional fatalities, bringing countywide totals to 293,600 cases and 4,190 deaths. Of those who contracted the virus, 286,100 had recovered.

There were 143 coronavirus patients hospitalized, 32 of whom were being treated in intensive care units — a decrease in overall admissions from Tuesday.

Health officials reported that 864,250 vaccine doses had been administered to county residents, with 475,872 partially vaccinated and 264,790 fully vaccinated. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

With testing results available for nearly 2,664,000 individuals, the county’s overall positivity rate was 11%. As of Tuesday, the seven-day rolling average was 2.7% and the adjusted case rate was 4.8 new cases per 100,000 residents.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

San Bernardino County health officials reported 138 newly confirmed cases and 54 additional fatalities, bringing countywide totals to 290,030 cases and 3,758 deaths. Of those who contracted the virus, 284,993 had recovered.

There were 165 coronavirus patients hospitalized, 37 of whom were being treated in intensive care units — a slight decrease in overall admissions from Tuesday.

Health officials reported 575,363 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered to county residents, with 170,799 partially vaccinated and 206,558 fully vaccinated. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

With testing results available for nearly 2,653,000 individuals, the county’s overall positivity rate was 11%. As of Tuesday, the seven-day rolling average was 2.3% and the adjusted case rate was 4 new cases per 100,000 residents.

VENTURA COUNTY

Ventura County health officials reported 66 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases and four additional fatalities, bringing countywide totals to 79,309 cases and 961 deaths. Of those who contracted the illness, 77,974 had recovered.

There were 35 coronavirus patients hospitalized, 13 of whom were being treated in intensive care units — a slight uptick in ICU admissions from Tuesday.

Ventura County reported it had administered 362,324 COVID-19 vaccine doses: 246,188 first doses and 116,136 second doses. More information about who’s eligible and how to make an appointment can be found on the county’s website.

With testing results available for more than 1,237,000 individuals, the county’s overall positivity rate was 6.4%. As of Tuesday, the seven-day rolling average was 2.2% and the adjusted case rate was 5 new cases per 100,000 residents.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: 

Magic Johnson, Arsenio Hall, Danny Trejo Encourage Angelenos To Get Vaccinated

OC Could Move To Orange Tier Of State’s Reopening Plan By Next Week If COVID Trends Continue

Norwalk Man Released From Hospital After 8-Month-Long Battle With COVID

Sierra Madre Bar Hoping To Be Able To Reopen For Outdoor Service Soon

Ventura Unified School District’s 2021-22 School Year Will Start Out Full-Time, In-Person

Santa Clarita Launches $6.3M Rental Assistance Program

SEAL BEACH (CBSLA) — It was a show of solidarity Wednesday night as people gathered at the front gates of Leisure World Seal Beach to demonstrate in support of a grieving widow who was sent a hate-filled letter the day she buried her husband.

Community members rallied outside of Leisure World Seal Beach Wednesday to support Asian American residents after a grieving widow recently received a hate-filled letter. (CBSLA)

Last Friday, Claudia Choi and her mother laid 83-year-old Byong to rest. That same day, a letter telling the family to “go back to your country where you belong,” was postmarked.

In cursive writing, the letter’s anonymous author wrote, “Now that Byong is gone, there’s one less Asian to put up with in Leisure World.”

Police said the envelope had a Los Angeles postmark, but they said they could not immediately confirm if it was written by someone from the retirement community.

“I think it’s horrible,” Cindy Yancey, a Leisure World resident, said. “I think it’s just atrocious, I can believe anybody could be that bad.”

Yancey said she could not believe that one of her neighbors might have written the letter, but both she and her friend Sal Bommarito said Asian Americans were scared.

“I did walk with one of my high school friends, who is Asian, and now she refers to me as her bodyguard and we’ve been walking for a long time,” Bommarito said. “She feels threatened.”

Kuksun Chu, another Leisure World resident, said she was advising her friends to be careful after a man driving by made an obscene gesture at her as she stepped off a curb in the community.

“I used to walk a lot, but now I’m scared to walk in my own neighborhood,” she said. “I don’t know who’s going to harm me. I don’t know what they think of me. It’s scary though.”

Sam Kim, a pastor at Leisure World, said 1,500 Koreans live in the community. He said he has been treated poorly by his own neighbor.

“Sometimes very unkind,” he said. “Unkind.”

Detectives said they were working with postal police to try and identify the person who wrote the letter. They said they were using DNA, handwriting and fingerprint analysis to track down the suspect.

Following revised state guidelines, fans will be permitted to attend outdoor sporting events in California beginning April 1, just in time for the Dodgers’ home opener scheduled for April 9.

In preparation for fans returning, the Dodgers released the following protocols:

• All tickets will be issued digitally and scanned at ballpark entrances from a mobile device.
• Fans will be seated in physically distanced pods of two to six people, with unused seats cordoned off.
• Social distancing will be encouraged throughout the stadium, with limited capacity in elevators, restrooms and other indoor areas.
• Only clear bags measuring 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches, or about the size of a one-gallon freezer bag, will be permitted inside. Backpacks, coolers and large purses will not be permitted, with the exception of medical bags or diaper bags.
• All purchases inside the stadium will be cash-less and contact-free. For those who need them, cash-to-card kiosks will be located throughout the stadium so people can load cash onto prepaid Mastercard debit cards.
• Parking must be purchased in advance.
• Face coverings will be required for everyone aged 2 and older, and can only be removed by people eating or drinking at their seats. Neck gaiters, bandanas and masks with valves do NOT qualify as face coverings.
• The stadium and parking lots will be completely smoke-free, including a ban on electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.
• Parking lots will have reduced capacity and will open 90 minutes prior to the game. Stadium gates will open one hour before the game.

Meanwhile, hand-sanitizing stations will be located throughout the stadium and there will be additional staff to clean high-touch areas. Bathrooms will have reduced capacity and be outfitted with contact-free soap and towel dispensers.

Procedures for ordering food and drinks are expected to be announced later but under the red tier of the state’s reopening system, which L.A. County is in, only in-seat concessions are allowed.

Under the red tier, Dodger Stadium will be restricted to 20% of capacity, with attendance limited to in-state residents only.

By April 9, the county could advance to the less-restrictive orange tier, which would allow 33% capacity, also limited to in-state fans.

Season ticket holders have priority for seating, but single-game tickets are expected to go on sale by the end of the month.

Fans can register for opening-day tickets at Dodgers.com/OpeningDay.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

Earvin “Magic” Johnson speaks at Wednesday’s vaccination event at USC.

“I am so happy to be here with Danny and my 40-year friend Arsenio Hall to take this vaccination because it’s so important. I’ve been doing everything the right way, wearing my mask, cleaning my hands all the time, I’ve been taking a COVID-19 test seems like every two weeks,” said Johnson, who received the Pfizer vaccine.

“The most important thing now is to get this vaccine and to ease my mind … I’ve done all my research and homework and I consulted my doctors and they said this what I should be doing,” he added.

The trio received their shots from Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas at the city-run USC vaccination site, encouraging people in South Los Angeles specifically to get vaccinated.

“Most importantly, it’s right here in South L.A. … as you probably all know, recent data has shown that 4% of South L.A. residents have been vaccinated as of mid-February, and yet 18% or 16% of the COVID-19 patients were coming from this area,” USC President Carol Folt said.

Actor Danny Trejo encourages fellow Angelenos to get vaccinated.

“I’m so proud to take this shot, and I know there’s a lot, even in my neighborhood, there’s a lot of tough guys that are talking about `you don’t need no shot’ but you know what, maybe your family does,” said Trejo, who received the Moderna vaccine. “If you don’t take it for yourself, take if for your family, because I want to keep my kids safe.”

Hall, who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, said the health precaution should transcend politics.

“By the way, Donald J. Trump and Barack Obama both got this, they don’t agree on nothing but they’ve both got the vaccine,” Hall said. “I trust our scientists a lot more than I trust my mother’s cooking. Thank you Earvin for inviting me to do it. We got to do this because we got to get back to normal and this is the only path to it.”

Former talk-show host Arsenio Hall gets vaccinated at the city-run USC site.

The USC site, located in a seven-story parking garage on the edge of Exposition Park, will be capable of vaccinating up to 5,000 people per day.

It was specifically placed near the Expo Park Metro station for easy access, Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

It provides both drive-up and walk-up patients. Appointments are required and can be made here.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) — A family is offering a $12,000 reward after their French bulldog puppy was stolen at gunpoint outside of a North Hollywood Target in the middle of the day.

“It just brought a lot of pain into me and it really hurt me,” said 8-year-old Elani Nguyen.

Seven, a 5-month-old French bulldog puppy, was stolen Saturday in North Hollywood.

Elani was brought to tears thinking about what happened while she was out shopping with her family and puppy at the North Hollywood Target on Saturday.

That’s when police say two men inside the store saw the family coming in with “Seven,” the now 5-month-old French bulldog puppy Elani got for Christmas from her mom.

When Elani’s uncle went out to their car with the puppy while the family was checking out, two men followed him out.

“My brother tried to put him in the car to keep him safe but that’s when they pulled out the gun on him and they were able to get around to the front of the door and pull him out of the car and basically run off with him,” said Elani’s mother Jasmin Valencia. “I feel like it’s my child, I feel like they took my kid.”

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said they’re seeing an uptick in the theft of French bulldogs. Just last month also in North Hollywood, brazen thieves ran off with two bulldog pups as the homeowner tried to stop them.

Not long after that, Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot by thieves who stole two of her French bulldogs.

“They’re so funny looking they’re cute and they’re very pricey. And because they’re so pricey, people want them,” said Barbara, owner of Francoeur French Bulldogs.

Barbara, who doesn’t want to use her last name, said there’s a big demand for Frenchies and says they’re expensive because they are difficult to breed.

“They don’t always get pregnant when you mate them, and you pay a huge stud fee, sometimes it’s $4-5,000 to do artificial insemination for them to get pregnant. And then when they’re ready to have the puppies, you do a C-section. All of that costs a lot of money.”

Elani says Seven is priceless. She had this message for the people who took him, “Please give him back, I just want my baby back.”

“I’m just hoping that if he gets to the right people, that they’ll do the right thing,” her mother said.

The valencia family is offering the $12,000 reward for Seven’s safe return, no questions asked.

If you have seven or have any information about his whereabouts, you’re asked to call LAPD’s North Hollywood station.

Marcus Johansson #90 of the Minnesota Wild shoots the puck with Josh Manson #42 of the Anaheim Ducks defending during the game at the Xcel Energy Center on March 24, 2021 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)

Cam Talbot made 28 saves for the Wild, who extended a franchise record with their 10th straight home win. Ryan Suter had two assists for Minnesota, becoming the fifth active NHL defenseman to reach 600 career points.

Derek Grant and Max Comtois scored for the Ducks, who have lost seven of eight. Ryan Miller made 23 saves in his sixth straight start with John Gibson out for his fifth game with a lower-body injury.

Sturm scored his fourth goal of the season after a mistake by Miller. A dump-in from Nick Bjugstad went on goal. Miller tried to cover the puck, but it slid away, right to Sturm for an easy tap-in.

Spurgeon’s two goals, giving him three this season, came off deflections on passes from Suter.

On the first goal, Suter passed from near the top of the faceoff circle to the middle, where Spurgeon redirected the puck past Miller. The second, giving Minnesota a 2-1 lead, was a tip in the middle of the zone after Suter’s point shot.

Grant’s second goal of the season came just 24 seconds after Spurgeon’s first as Anaheim answered quickly. Another quick goal from Comtois tied the game just 22 seconds into the second period.

Comtois, who was a healthy scratch for the first time this season in Monday’s game between the teams, has 10 goals to lead the Ducks.

QUICK START

The game started at 4:30 p.m. Central time as the first game of a TV tripleheader. The teams were ready for the start with two goals and two fights within the first 9:34 of the game.

On the fighting side, Minnesota’s Joseph Cramarossa and Anaheim’s Max Jones first dropped the gloves. Eleven seconds later, Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf challenged Wild defenseman Carson Soucy to fight after Soucy leveled Troy Terry with a hit.

Soucy wasn’t penalized for the hit. Getzlaf was given an instigator penalty, a 10-minute misconduct and the two were assessed fighting penalties.

COVID CONCERNS

After playing each other on Monday, Anaheim and Minnesota each placed players in the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Zach Parise was placed on the COVID Protocol Related Absence List on Wednesday, with Cramarossa recalled from the taxi squad to take Parise’s spot in the lineup.

The Ducks had four players enter the protocol on Tuesday, including three who were in uniform for Monday’s game. Danton Heinen, Ben Hutton, Jacob Larsson and Anthony Stolarz joined the list. Hutton and Larsson, a pair of defensemen, and Stolarz, the backup goaltender, were in the lineup on Monday.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Ducks: Continue their season-long trip on Friday at St. Louis, the first of two games between the teams.

Wild: Finish their three-game homestand Thursday against the Blues.

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Baby Alex (Courtesy CHLA)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The sound of small cries coming from baby Alex Romero is a sign of success.

But it’s been a tough journey for the five-month-old and his parents Alejandra and Chris.

Alex came into the world on October 26 at just 26 weeks. He weighed just over two pounds.

“Seeing him so small was heartbreaking,” said Alejandra. “I had to mentally prepare myself in case worse comes to worse.”

Doctors diagnosed Alex with a rare condition called “total anomalous pulmonary venous return”. The life-threatening condition required doctors at Children’s Hospital LA to perform open heart surgery to repair the defect that prevented Alex’s lungs from connecting to his heart.

“They noticed his oxygen saturation, which is the level of oxygen in the blood, was not very high, so they proceeded forward with an ultrasound of the heart,” said pediatric heart surgeon Dr. John Cleveland.

But the preemie was too small for surgery because his veins were obstructed and blood flow couldn’t return back to his heart.

To keep baby Alex alive, doctors connected an adult stent to a vein in his liver. It’s a procedure that has only been documented 10 times worldwide.

“It was one of those things where we weren’t really sure how things would turn out,” Cleveland said. “We really had to figure out a way to get creative to get him through.”

Creativity paid off: by early January, Alex grew to 3.5 pounds and was ready for surgery.

At that time, Cleveland says Alex’s heart was the size of a grape.

“He tolerated the procedure incredibly well,” he said. “He was already up into the [newborn intensive care unit] doing the things he needed to do to advance within a week.”

Now, baby Alex is healing in his parent’s arms with a big smile on his face.

“I want him to be great. I want to give him the opportunity for him to do what he wants to do in life,” said dad Chris.

And thanks to Dr. Cleveland and the team, he will be able to fulfill that destiny.

“I hope that scar serves as a reminder of God’s grace and that he can look back with gratitude for his life,” said Cleveland.

Alex now weighs five-and-a-half pounds and no longer requires a breathing tube.

Dr. Cleveland says he will be strong enough to go home next week.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer was injured Wednesday in a downtown crash.

An LAPD motorcycle officer was injured Wednesday in a downtown Los Angeles crash. (CBSLA)

According to the department, the crash happened at about 4:30 p.m. near the intersection of Main and Aliso streets. The circumstances of the crash were not immediately known.

The officer was said to have sustained minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital.

It was originally believed that the county would move tiers by April 7, but after an inquiry Tuesday night, the California Department of Public Health said the target date for the county to reach the orange tier is March 31, Orange County CEO Frank Kim said.

As of Wednesday, the county’s case rate per 100,000 people was 3.3 and the test positivity rate was 1.9%, which would qualify for the least restrictive yellow tier, Kim said. The county’s positivity rate in the health equity category was at 3%.

The latest weekly update from the state, issued on Tuesdays, showed the county’s test positivity rate improved from 2.2% to 2.1%, and the adjusted case rate per 100,000 people on a seven-day average with a seven-day lag improved from 4 to 3.5.

The county’s Health Equity Quartile rate improved from 3.5% last week to 3.2%.

Meanwhile Wednesday, the county reported 82 new COVID-19 cases and 11 additional fatalities.

The numbers brought the county’s caseload to 249,842 and the death toll to 4,646.

Hospitalizations decreased from 188 Tuesday to 172, while the number of people in intensive care dropped 40 to 36, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The last time overall hospitalizations were this low was Oct. 26.

Moving up to the orange tier would allow for more business to reopen. Retail stores would not have to limit attendance, and churches, movie theaters, museums, zoos and aquariums could expand attendance to 50% of capacity.

Restaurants could expand indoor-dining to 50%, wineries could offer indoor-service at 25%, and bars that don’t serve food could reopen outdoors for the first time.

Gyms and fitness centers could expand to 25% of capacity, and family entertainment centers could offer indoor attractions such as bowling.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

SIERRA MADRE (CBSLA) — Both Los Angeles and Orange counties are close to moving into the state’s less-restrictive orange tier, meaning bars that do not serve food could be on the cusp of reopening after almost a year.

Jennifer Higdon, owner of the Buccaneer Lounge in Sierra Madre, said she is hopeful she’ll be able to reopen for outdoor service soon as the county nears the state’s orange tier. (CBSLA)

“The Buccaneer Lounge has been closed for just shy of a year now,” Jennifer Higdon, whose family owns the Sierra Madre bar, said in a video.

In a desperate plea for help, Higdon made the video for Barstool Sports, an online media company that started raising money last year to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

“We’re very uncomfortable asking for help,” Higdon said in the video. “We are proud and this closure really has been a difficult time for us.”

But the video worked and got the attention of the Barstool Fund, which will cover the Buccaneer’s monthly expenses for at least three months.

“After the call, the money was in the account two days later,” Higdon said.

The financial relief was the lifeline Higdon needed for her popular dive bar that shut down last March. Since then, the bar has lost more than $500,000 in revenue while still paying out $8,000 per month in expenses like rent.

“There’s no organization to help us,” Higdon said. “It’s fend for yourself.”

Earlier this month, breweries and wineries that serve food were allowed to reopen at 25% capacity under the state’s red tier. Those that don’t serve were allowed to reopen for outdoor service with certain safety modifications, but bars were not included.

“We’re super happy for the breweries and wineries,” Higdon said. “It’s like, ‘What about us?'”

But even when L.A. and Orange counties move to the state’s orange tier, which means bars can reopen for outdoor service, there will still be restrictions.

“These are places where people cannot be wearing their masks and not keeping their distance for long periods of time if you’re not really careful,” Dr. Babrara Ferrer, county public health director, said.

In anticipation of being able to once again serve customers, Higdon was setting up her outdoor patio in hopes that this time she will actually be able to reopen and people will show up to support their local bars.

Los Angeles firefighters were called out to the 200 block of East 95th Street at about 12:40 p.m. The boy was initially reported to be in critical condition after being hit by a car.

The baby was taken to a hospital, but was confirmed to have died just before 2 p.m.

The driver stayed at the scene. It’s not clear who the baby was with at the time of the crash.

This is a breaking news story. More information will be added as it comes in.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A cold weather alert was issued Wednesday through Friday for the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles County mountain areas due to wind-chill temperatures expected to fall below 32 degrees.

L.A. County Public Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said children, the elderly and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during cold weather.

Davis suggested that people wear layers of warm clothing outdoors and protect the head, hands and feet from the cold by wearing a hat, scarf, gloves and socks.

Residents should also frequently check on and help family members, friends and neighbors with limited mobility and limited access to heat, such as seniors or those who are ill and bring pets indoors overnight.

People should avoid using stoves, barbecues or ovens to heat their homes because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause shortness of breath, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and nausea. Exposure to high levels could lead to death within minutes.

People exposed to extremely cold weather conditions, such as places where it snows and where freezing occurs, may be at risk of hypothermia or frostbite.

Those who need shelter are advised to use Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s Winter Shelter Program by visiting www.lahsa.org or by calling the 2-1-1 information line.

For the deaf and hard of hearing, call the TDD line at 1-800-660-4026.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

WalletHub’s “2021 Home Over-leverage Report” compared the median mortgage debt to the median income and median home value in more than 2,500 U.S. cities and found Bell Gardens was the third-most over-leveraged city with an average 955% mortgage debt-to-income ratio.

Other top-leveraged cities include Santa Ana (874%), Beverly Hills (887%), and Huntington Park (782%).

No California cities made the top 1% of least over-leveraged areas in the U.S.

Click here for a full list.

(CBS) – CBS announced today the renewals of the CBS original series FBI and FBI: Most Wanted for the 2021-2022 season as well as the brand new series FBI: International, the third iteration of the successful “FBI” brand from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf. FBI: International is scheduled to debut in a crossover episode of FBI and FBI: Most Wanted next season.

“FBI is the fastest growing brand on television and our partner Dick Wolf has found yet another creative way to expand its universe,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “FBI: International is an intriguing and distinct drama that perfectly complements its compelling siblings, FBI and FBI: Most Wanted, creating an enviable triple-threat for next season that will fit seamlessly across our network lineup.”

FBI: International follows the elite agents of the FBI’s International division as they travel the world with the mission of protecting Americans wherever they may be. Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Rick Eid, Peter Jankowski and Arthur Forney will executive produce the series from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with CBS Studios. Haas will serve as showrunner.

“CBS has been a great creative partner, and they understand the value of the growing FBI brand,” Wolf commented. “The show runners, writers, producers, cast, crew and everyone on our team have delivered exciting and creative shows that clearly resonate with viewers. FBI: International offers us the opportunity to expand with a powerful new drama.”

Check back here for more information and tune into CBS later this year for FBI, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. Also also available on Paramount+.

LOS ANGELES (CBS LA) – Jim Parsons became a household name in Hollywood when he played Sheldon Cooper on CBS’ “Big Bang Theory,” but he also recently revealed in an interview that he also auditioned for “The Office.”

Parsons told “The Dan Patrick Show” that he doesn’t remember if auditioned for the part of Jim Halpert or Dwight Schrute and explained why it’s important that the right actor gets booked for the right part.

“I don’t remember, it was either Jim or Dwight,” said Parsons. “Which tells you exactly why I wasn’t right for it. There wasn’t a role that I was a ringer for. I knew Rainn Wilson and I knew John Krasinski and I think that’s why I can’t remember who it was because I knew whatever part it was, somebody I sort of vaguely knew got it.”

Jim Parsons auditioned for the role of either Dwight or Jim on @TheOfficeTV, he doesn't remember which one exactly. He discussed the difference between knowing when you're right/wrong for a role.

For Jim's full appearance: https://t.co/SSUX1m9C8w pic.twitter.com/P5K08yrKio

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 24, 2021

After “Big Bang Theory,” CBS spun off the series and created “Young Sheldon,” which airs on Thursday nights. While Parsons didn’t get either role on “The Office,” things ended up working out for the actor on CBS where he won multiple Emmy Awards and Golden Globes for his portrayal Cooper. Parsons knows he was the perfect person to play Cooper and that’s why he didn’t have a hard time when he missed out on snagging a part on the hit series about Dunder Mifflin.

“Did you know you were the right person for Big Bang Theory?” asked Patrick.

“Yeah. I didn’t know what they would think, but I knew that I felt I would be in the final mix. With The Office, this just shows how stupid I am about Hollywood. I thought what a dumb idea for a show. If we wanted a show about an office in America, we would’ve done it already. I was wrong and I have no foresight with things like that.”

Parsons said if he got the role on “The Office,” he never would’ve gotten the role of Sheldon on “Big Bang Theory.”

Mantra “pulled up in distress” during Sunday’s ninth race, park officials said. The horse managed to cross the finish line in last place, and was vanned off. He was later euthanized due to a fractured right front ankle.

Mantra had 24 races in his career, with two first-place finishes. He is the sixth horse to die during Santa Anita’s winter/spring meeting.

The track is getting ready to allow fans back in to the stands on April 2 after being closed to the public for more than a year because of the pandemic.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

ANAHEIM (CBSLA) — In an effort to give visitors a more touchless experience at its parks, Disney is testing facial-recognition technology that might one day make its way to the Disneyland and California Adventure parks in Anaheim.

Disney rolled out its first test system this week at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida. The technology converts an image of a guest’s face into a unique number, which is then associated with the form of admission being used for park entry, the company said.

“With the future in mind and the shift in focus to more touchless experiences, we’re conducting a limited 30-day test using facial recognition technology,” a statement from Disney said.

Disney says they have put security measures in place to protect guest information from unauthorized access and use, and the images and associated unique numbers that are captured will be discarded within 30 days after the conclusion of the test. The company also says they will not share this data with any third parties.

The voluntary test is being conducted through April 23. It’s not clear if the technology will also be tested at Disneyland or California Adventure.

LOS ANGELES (CBS LA) – The USC men’s basketball team is in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time in 14 years. This is the second time that head coach Andy Enfield has led a program to the Round of 16 after he coached 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16 in 2013.

Coach Enfield spoke with CBSLA’s Jim Hill about his team’s victories over Drake and Kansas, Evan and Isaiah Mobley and what it will take to make a deep run in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

“We didn’t expect to beat Kansas by as many points as we did, but we did expect to win the game,” said Enfield. “Our players came very prepared mentally and were focused to prepare for Drake in our first round game and especially Kansas in our second game. Kansas is an exceptional basketball team and they had won nine out of 10. They were playing their best basketball late in the season. They’re exceptionally talented and offensively they are really hard to guard. They had a top 10 defense in the country. I thought it was going to be a very close basketball game. I was very proud of the way our players were able to pull away.”

The Trojans beat the number three seeded Jayhawks by over 30 points. Enfield’s squad will face the seven seeded Oregon Ducks on Sunday and he is really impressed with his team’s confidence going into the matchup.

“They are playing really well together and they believe in each other,” said Enfield. “At tournament time, you have to be very confident in what you are doing on the court. You have to have a good week of mental preparation. We’ve been in a hotel 14 straight days and counting. By the time our game rolls around on Sunday, we’ll have been in the hotel for 20 or 21 straight days. That’s hard on anybody, especially college-aged student athletes. I think they have to try and stay as focused as they can, but enjoy the moment and relax a little this week and get prepared the best they can for Sunday.”

Sunday’s game will be the second time the Ducks and Trojans battle on the hardwood. USC beat Oregon 72-58 in Los Angeles on February 22. The Mobley brothers have been menaces so far with Isaiah averaging 16 points and 6.5 rebounds and Evan averaging 13.5 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game thus far. USC has also held their opponents to just 13 of 48 shooting from beyond the arc.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will resume enforcement of all parking violations in unincorporated areas of the county on April 1, officials reminded residents Wednesday.

The department’s Parking Enforcement Detail will begin issuing tickets for sweet sweeping violations, expired registration and other violations.

Vehicles that have been warned via a “red tag” will also begin to be towed.

Those in need of financial assistance to pay citations can make arrangements at http://www.lasheriffparking.com, by calling 866-561-9744, or writing to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, P.O. Box 30629, Los Angeles, CA 90030-0629.

The city of Los Angeles resumed enforcement of parking violations in October and changed its street-sweeping services from weekly to bi-weekly on March 1.

Officials launched a notification system and map to help residents adjust to the change.

Residents can enter their address here to get notifications 24 hours before their street will be swept.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A 32-year-old Los Angeles County man who survived an eight-month-long battle with COVID-19 was finally released from a San Diego area hospital Tuesday.

Eduardo Moreno is discharged from a San Diego area hospital following an 8-month-long battle with the coronavirus. March 23, 2021. (KFMB-TV)

Eduardo Moreno of Norwalk was discharged from Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla Tuesday to much fanfare from hospital workers, who lined up to cheer him on as he was wheeled out.

According to CBS affiliate KFMB-TV, Moreno was admitted to the hospital on July 13. He contracted COVID-19 while visiting his parents and daughter in Baja California.

Dr. Scott McCaul told reporters that Moreno suffered advanced respiratory failure, pneumonia and lung damage. He was also put on life support for several months.

“He had these moments of near loss and the requirements for surgeries,” McCaul said.

He spent two months in physical therapy, KFMB-TV reported.

“I thank God and I thank the doctors and the nurses in the ICU, all of them are so great, they did a great job with him,” his mother, Cecilia Amador, said. “He even told me, ‘Mom, you know what? I believe I don’t want to go home.’ And I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘I’m used to all of them, they’re my family.'”

(CBS Local)- The first weekend of the tournament is over and the field has been whittled to 16 teams. There are quite a few surprises, including the second-ever 15-seed to make the Sweet 16, Oral Roberts, and four total double digit seeds. The question heading into this weekend’s games is whether the upsets will continue or if the high seeds will begin to make their presence felt.

For all of the craziness, three top seeds (Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan), two second seeds (Alabama, Houston), and a three seed (Arkansas) are still alive. What should we expect from this weekend’s regional semifinals matchups? Can a double digit seed complete their Cinderella run to the Final Four? We dove into the Sweet 16 matchups to see how each team got here and what the key could be in advancing to the Elite 8.

Midwest Region

(12) Oregon State vs. (8) Loyola-Chicago 2:40 p.m. Saturday, 3/27 on CBS

The Beavers have been one of the hottest teams in the country, winning three straight games to win the Pac-12 tournament and earn their bid before posting 70 and 80 points respectively in their opening two games of the tournament.

They’ve won their first two games in vastly different ways, hitting 10/21 threes and only 6/10 free throws against Tennessee before flipping those numbers against Oklahoma State going 32/35 from the line and 6/21 from deep. What has stood out in both wins is their ability to take care of the ball (18 total turnovers) and defend the three point line (13/55 combined). Granted, neither Tennessee (33.1% 3PT) nor Oklahoma State (33.2% 3PT) were overly proficient shooting teams in the first place.

That changes Saturday when the Beavers face a Loyola-Chicago team that is clinical in its execution (19 turnovers total) and has hit 15 of 37 attempts (40.5%) from three thus far. The Ramblers kept both Georgia Tech and Illinois off the

Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

offensive glass (5 total offensive rebounds), which will be a key to watch Saturday as Oregon State has feasted on the offensive boards thus far (18).

For CBS Sports college basketball analyst Steve Lappas, the pace of the game will also be a key factor to watch out for.

“Loyola is the slowest playing team in America. They’re very methodical, they don’t turn the ball over, they take it to the end of the shot clock so the tempo of the game I think is going to be a huge factor in that game,” said Lappas.

For what it’s worth, Vegas likes the Ramblers, installing them as 6.5 point favorites.

(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Houston 9:55 p.m. Saturday, 3/27 on TBS

Here we are again. A Syracuse team that people debated whether they should be in the tournament or not is in the Sweet 16. The Orange’s success has come primarily due to red-hot three point shooting. Through two games they’ve buried 29 threes in 58 attempts an absurd 50 percent mark. Considering their season mark is 35.3 percent, you’d expect some regression in the near future.

The Orange defense was stifling against San Diego State, allowing 11 threes but on 40 attempts. Against West Virginia, the Mountaineers were able to find a bit more space hitting 11 of 26 from deep. But, they turned the ball over 14 times as the Orange had deflections throughout the game.

Credit: Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Against Houston, it will be interesting to see how the Cougars attack the zone. They haven’t shot overly well from three thus far (15/47 31%) which could pose problems.

“People are not used to playing that zone from outside the ACC,” said Lappas. “If you watched the way San Diego State

and West Virginia tried to attack it, it’s just not the way you want to attack it. They have to get the ball to the baseline, get it to the corner besides getting it to the middle. Everybody just concentrates on playing catch from wing to top to wing then throwing it into the high post but you have to use the baseline against that zone too. Make those guys guard more area.”

Another big question is what Dejon Jarreau is able to bring to the table. The senior was laboring through a hip injury in the win over Rutgers on Sunday but he gutted it out and hit a key three late. The guard trio of Jarreau, Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser were the driving force for Kelvin Sampson’s team this year. How they find the creases and open spaces in the Syracuse defense will be key as will their defense on Buddy Boeheim and Alan Griffin. Vegas has the Cougars as six point favorites.

South Region

(5) Villanova vs. (1) Baylor 5:15 p.m. Saturday, 3/27 on CBS

The Wildcats have been a bit surprising through their first two games for just how casually they have dominated their opening opponents. In the opener they beat Winthrop 73-63 before raining threes on North Texas (15/30) to end the Mean Green’s run. One could argue that the five seed should run through a 12 and 13 seed in that fashion but remember, there were questions about this ‘Nova team entering the tournament because of the loss of senior guard Collin Gillespie.

Davion Mitchell. Credit: C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Thus far they have answered those questions. But, Baylor presents a big test in that the Bears trio of guards can cause problems on both ends. Case in point, the Bears have forced 24 and 13 turnovers in their first two games while hitting 19 of 50 threes (38%). MaCio Teague, Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler present a test for Nova’s new look backcourt that they’ve yet to see in this year’s tournament.

“Collin Gillespie not being there, they’ve done a tremendous job so far of disguising it and being able to overcome it, this is a little different story,” said Lappas. “These guys (Baylor) have three not just tremendous guards, but three tremendous defensive guards. All three of these guys are high level offensive players. Then you have a guy in Davion Mitchell and Mark Vital who are two of the best defensive players in the country. Villanova, who is one of the most efficient half court teams in the country, I think they’re going to be up against it trying to score against this Baylor team.”

The Wildcats have turned the ball over just 11 times in their first two games. If they can keep that level of execution here, this game will be interesting. Baylor is seen as a seven point favorite.

(15) Oral Roberts vs. (3) Arkansas 7:25 p.m. Saturday, 3/27 on TBS

The Golden Eagles are just the second 15-seed ever to reach the Sweet 16. It’s largely thanks to the efforts of sophomore guard Max Abmas and junior forward Kevin Obanor. The pair have combined to average 56.5 points per game in the wins over Ohio State and Florida. Which is why it’s no surprise that Lappas is keyed in on how Eric Musselman’s group defends the pair to slow them down.

“I know he knows, he’s got to stop those two guys,” said Lappas. “If a team has two guys get 57, they can beat anybody. So I think they (Arkansas) have to really bear down on these two kids and make some of these other guys beat them. I’m going to guess that’s what Eric Musselman is going to do…You’re not going to stop them completely but you have to get those two guys to shoot 14/35 or something.”

Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Not to be lost in those upsets is Oral Roberts’ ability to turn opponents over too. They forced Ohio State into 16 giveaways

and Florida into 19. Arkansas hasn’t turned the ball over much thus far (10 & 9 in first two games), that will be an area to watch here.

Also of note, on the Razorbacks side, we saw what coach Musselman’s group is capable of in terms of turning up the heat on opponents defensively when they faced Colgate (22 turnovers). I’ll be interested to see if they go to a press at some point against ORU to try and speed them up getting them into bad shots and turnovers.

As for offensively, the Razorbacks haven’t been effective from three (9/33) but they aren’t overly reliant on the deep ball for offense. Instead it’s been battering opponents inside, including on the offensive glass (19 offensive rebounds). Oral Roberts has been prone to allowing opponents to get offensive rebounds allowing both OSU and Florida to pull down 10. Rebounds and turnovers two key areas to watch on Saturday night. Arkansas is a 11 point favorite.

West Region

(5) Creighton vs. (1) Gonzaga 2:10 p.m. Sunday, 3/28 on CBS

The Blue Jays needed a late missed layup from UC Santa Barbara’s Amadou Sow to avoid the upset in the first round before rebounding to comfortably take care of Ohio in Round 2. A big difference between those two games was better efficiency from three (9/21 vs. Ohio) and the Bobcats having a terrible night from the foul line (9/16). Overall, the Jays have been strong in defending the three point arc (12/52) but that defense will be tested on a completely different level by Gonzaga.

Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

“They have to do something with Drew Timme and that’s a bad matchup for them,” said Lappas. “Christian Bishop has been really good this year but he’s a 6’7″ center. A 6’7″ center against Drew Timme is not working. That’s going to be a big issue.”

The Bulldogs have cruised to the Sweet 16, much as they did throughout the regular season, winning each of their first two games by double digits. They haven’t shown much in the way of weakness in either outing and are heavy favorites (13.5 points) here. The biggest question, as Seth Davis pointed out in The Athletic, is whether any team will force their bench to play a bigger role. Mark Few played just seven guys despite beating Oklahoma 87-71 on Monday. If a couple players get into foul trouble, how the ‘Zags bench performs will be closely watched.

(7) Oregon vs. (6) USC 9:45 p.m. Sunday, 3/28 on TBS

Oregon has only had to play one game after their first round matchup with VCU was cancelled due to COVID positives within the Rams program. The Ducks apparently put that extra practice time to good use as they rung up 11 threes and shot 56 percent from the field in upsetting 2-seed Iowa on Monday. Oregon’s offense is highly efficient (10th Ken Pom) and not shabby on the defensive side either (52nd).

How they handle the inside presence of Evan and Isaiah Mobley will be interesting to watch. The brothers have been menaces so far with Isaiah averaging 16 points and 6.5 rebounds and Evan averaging 13.5 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game thus far. They have also held their opponents to just 13 of 48 shooting from beyond the arc.

Oregon doesn’t really have a clear answer for the Mobleys inside, evidenced by the 72-58 dismantling they received from the Trojans in February. What did they learn from that matchup and how they apply it here will be one to watch.

“I think the Oregon team right now is really starting to gel,” said Lappas. “Will Richardson’s back in the flow, he was out for about half the season, he’s back into the flow of the game now. It’s a different Oregon team. They can’t really compete inside in this game. This USC team is a lot like Florida State defensively because they’re big, they’re tremendous inside the lane. But, I think the one thing about USC is they’re going to have to come out and guard these guys.”

East Region

(4) Florida State vs. (1) Michigan 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 3/28 on CBS

The Seminoles defense has really carried them through their first two wins of the tournament over UNC-Greensboro and Colorado. In those two games, they’ve held their opponent to an average of 53.5 points, 25 percent shooting from three and 13 turnovers. But, the offense hasn’t really awoken yet. They shot 0-of-9 from three against UNCG before then shooting 6-of-17 against Colorado.

That won’t be enough against Michigan. The Wolverines have allowed just seven made threes in their first two matchups and opponents haven’t been good from inside the arc either, shooting just 37.5 percent there. The Seminoles will have to execute to their regular season level (38.2% 3PT) to give themselves a shot at knocking off the top seed in the region.

Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

“I don’t think this is a great matchup for Florida State for one big reason. They’ve been a great shot blocking team and

they do a really good job of defending two point shots but they don’t really come up against a Hunter Dickinson who’s a really good inside player, post player that can pass,” said Lappas.

For Michigan, they have been able to absorb the loss of Isaiah Livers to a broken foot without much problem thanks to the combined efforts of Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown. In the win over LSU on Monday, the pair combined for 42 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while shooting 8-of-15 from three. Brooks and Brown more than made up for the missing Livers there. Now, the question will be if they can do the same against this Seminoles defense which is much better than what the Tigers brought to the table.

“Obviously, they have not missed Livers yet but you have to think that will come up at some point,” said Lappas. “The only guy I’m worried about for Michigan is Mike Smith because he’s small. He’s a really good player but he’s only 5’10”-5’11” and these Florida State guards are very big. But, I just think this Michigan team is so solid on both ends and I think Florida state is going to have a tough time trying to score.”

(11) UCLA vs. (2) Alabama 7:15 p.m. Sunday, 3/28 on TBS

The Bruins are just the latest team to make a run from the First Four to the Sweet 16. We’ve seen the extra game be a benefit for teams in that 11-seed range before and it certainly seems that was the case here. Mick Cronin’s group escaped Michigan State in OT before upsetting BYU and then ending Abilene Christian’s hopes. They’ve done it with a combination of three point shooting and defense (42.8% for vs. 24% against) along with taking care of the basketball (18 total turnovers).

Credit: Jack Dempsey/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

But, they now face an Alabama team ranked third in the nation in defensive efficiency, one that can bother the Bruins shooters (30% 3PT against). The Tide’s shooting has been inconsistent as they hit just five threes against Iona before exploding for 16 against Maryland. The question is which version of the Tide offense shows up Sunday. Is it the lights out shooting group? Or the one that struggled from the field against Iona?

“Alabama thrives off on making threes in transition off of their defense,” said Lappas. “And it’s not a full court pressure. It’s a half court defense but they force a lot of steals, a lot of turnovers and that’s where they get those threes in transition. If you make them shoot those threes in the half court, which is what I think Mick Cronin is going to have them try to do, those threes aren’t the same.”

UCLA plays at one of the slower tempos in the country (337th KenPom Adjusted Tempo) and they will need every bit of that half court execution here.

One other key to watch here. Free throw shooting. UCLA has gone just 9-of-16 and 6-of-13 in their last two games from the stripe while Alabama was 13-of-23 against Iona before hitting all 10 of their foul shots on Monday. The later we get in the tournament, the more those shooting woes can rear their heads and make the difference between moving on and heading home.

VENTURA (CBSLA) — The first day of school for the 2021-22 year will be full-time and in person for Ventura Unified School District students.

Superintendent Dr. Roger Rice announced at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting that all grade levels within the district will be able to return to school this fall full-time and in-person this August.

“I’m thrilled to announce that due to the recent change in social distancing guidelines from the CDC, and our state and local health departments, in addition to other strategies we are currently implementing, we will open full-time, in-person with a schedule similar to pre-Covid at all of our school sites in the Fall of 2021,” Rice said in a statement.

Distance learning will still be offered for families who are not ready to have their students return fully.

The district’s elementary schools have been open for in-person learning on a hybrid schedule for some time now, and the district says the county confirmed there has been no COVID transmission on its campuses. District officials say they are using funds from a state in-person learning grant to buy new furniture for many of its campuses to replace outdated and bulky desks in order to maximize space in classrooms.

(CBS Detroit) — The third stimulus check began arriving in bank accounts over a week ago. And, as of last Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had officially delivered 90 million payments valued at $242 billion. Another 150,000 checks valued at $442 million went out by mail. The latest batch of payments started processing last Friday, with Wednesday, March 24 as the official pay date. A large number of additional payments will be mailed as well.

The relief payment, worth up to $1,400 per person, is part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic relief package. The American Rescue Plan Act looks to cushion COVID’s economic impact and support the economy while it recovers from the pandemic. The package also extends unemployment benefits, improves the child tax credit, and much more. While many people have already received their allotted share of the $422 billion earmarked for stimulus checks, others are still awaiting theirs. Many factors could contribute to the longer timetable.

When Could My Stimulus Check Arrive?

The American Rescue Plan Act became law ahead of the March 14 deadline, when the previous $300 federal unemployment benefit bonus expired. The IRS, which had twice distributed stimulus checks, started the process again immediately. And people noted economic impact payment (EIP) deposits in their bank accounts within days. Early recipients tended to be people who have bank accounts on file and submitted recent tax returns.

The President has stated that roughly 85 percent of Americans will ultimately receive money. In general, direct deposits arrive more quickly. Paper checks and debit cards, which have to be mailed, can take weeks. At least that was the case for the previous two payments.

Payments go out in batches, meaning there isn’t necessarily cause for concern yet. The legislation says the government technically has until the end of 2021 to distribute the money. For most people, it won’t take nearly that long.

The IRS has a helpful tool called ‘Get My Payment‘ to let people track the status of their stimulus check.

What Do ‘Get My Payment’ Explanations Mean?

The ‘Get My Payment’ portal came about as a result of the CARES Act, which included the first stimulus payment. The tool is designed to give status information to those expecting stimulus payments. However, it may not always be clear what the IRS is actually saying.

Many people will receive a payment status message that says their payment has been processed. The message will also include a payment date and how the payment is to be sent, meaning direct deposit or mail. Other people will be told that they’re eligible, though the payment is awaiting processing. No date will be given, because it is pending.

‘Get My Payment’ may also say that your payment status is not available. That could mean that the IRS has not processed the payment, does not enough information to send out a payment, or the potential recipient is ineligible.

The portal could instead say that more information is needed. That means the post office failed to deliver your payment and returned it to the IRS. The Agency says that the best way to update an address is to submit a 2020 tax return. (‘Get My Payment’ doesn’t allow users to change their address in the system.) Alternatively, a pending recipient can instead submit their bank account information through the tool to have payment delivered electronically.

The tool could also tell you to try again later. The system limits a user to three failed login attempts and five successful logins over 24 hours. So receiving this message could mean that your information doesn’t match what the IRS has on file or that you have logged in too many times.

What Could Delay My Stimulus Check?

The IRS needs to have current bank account information, which they’ve used to issue a tax refund. They can’t make a payment to someone using an account and routing number they previously only used to accept payment. The IRS also requires up-to-date earnings and personal information to issue the proper payment. For the first stimulus check, that came from 2018 or 2019 tax filings. For the second stimulus check, it came from 2019 tax filings. The IRS is pulling that information from 2019 or 2020 tax filings this time around.

So anyone who doesn’t have up-to-date information on file with the IRS could be looking at delays. That may include someone who recently moved or changed banks. It might also include someone who hasn’t filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020. Many people don’t file tax returns because they don’t make enough money to pay taxes. Not coincidentally, these are also generally the people who most need stimulus payments.

Certain banks have policies that can delay the arrival of stimulus via direct deposit. For example, a handful of JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo customers expressed dismay when the first batch of direct deposits took days arrive in their accounts. Some smaller banks, however, credited the money to their customers right away. The actual settlement date for the first batch of ACH transfers was March 17, meaning that was the day that the money was officially available to banks. The two financial institutions receiving complaints waited until the money actually arrived rather than crediting it in advance. The same scenario could hold up payments for future batches.

Another potential delay stems from the method people use to file their taxes. Those who submit returns by mail may also experience delays in receiving their stimulus payment. Paper returns take longer to process than electronic returns, and the agency is experiencing a backlog brought on, at least in part, by the pandemic. As with most office workers, many IRS employees have had to do their jobs from home. Paper returns were inaccessible and sat waiting in trailers. About 6.7 million returns had yet to be processed by the end of January.

Aside from personal delays, institutional factors could play into when someone’s money actually arrives. The IRS is right in the middle of tax season. While CARES Act checks went out around the same time last year, the tax deadline was pushed from April 15 to July 15. The second stimulus check was distributed before the 2020 tax season began. This time, though, the IRS is responsible for distributing millions of relief payments while accepting and processing millions of tax returns. The tax deadline has been pushed until mid-May, which could relieve some of the burden. But instituting the tax break on the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits, as stipulated in the stimulus package, may also draw resources away from sending out relief payments.

Distributing periodic Child Tax Credit checks is another task that will fall to the IRS. While that isn’t due to start until July, organizing the program is likely already underway.

Some recipients of Social Security who don’t file taxes have also experienced delays. The IRS has prioritized sending payments to those with current information in their system, meaning those who filed their taxes for 2019 or 2020 or used the non-filers tool when it was available last year. Having direct deposit set up through the Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t seem to guarantee that the IRS has ready access to that information.

According to a letter from the House Ways and Means Committee to the heads of the IRS and SSA, “Over the past year, the IRS and SSA have worked closely together to ensure that the previous rounds of direct payments were paid promptly and automatically to these beneficiaries, even if they do not normally have a tax return filing requirement because they fall below the income threshold for filing.”

But as the Committee sees it, that cooperation is falling short this time around. “Some of our most vulnerable seniors and persons with disabilities, including veterans who served our country with honor, are unable to pay for basic necessities while they wait for their overdue payments.”

The Committee has urged the agencies to fix the matter right away and provide an update in the very near future.

What If The Amount Is Wrong?

The topline $1,400 number that’s drawn so much attention won’t necessarily be what people receive. The actual amount could change based on income restrictions, the number of dependents and other factors.

This stimulus package phases out checks more quickly than the previous two. So while the income threshold remains at $75,000 ($150,000), those earning $80,000 ($160,000) or more will receive nothing. If the phase out progresses at a constant rate, that would mean people would receive $.28 less for every $1 they earned over the limit. Put another way, that means those with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $76,000 should receive $1,120, and that total would fall by $280 for every additional $1,000 of income.

The American Rescue Plan expands the pool of eligible dependents to include dependents over the age of 16. In that group are college students and older adults with certain kinds of disabilities. Such a change makes an estimated 13.5 million more people eligible to receive stimulus checks. As an example, what if an adult with two kids and an income under $75,000 also has a third dependent in college? She would receive $5,600 this time around. Assuming the new faster phaseout, that amount would decrease to $4,200 at an AGI of $80,000; $2,800 at an AGI of $85,000; $1,400 at an AGI of $90,000 and $0 at an AGI of $95,000.

Those whose dependent status has changed — perhaps because of a child born last year or a dependent family member who now qualifies for stimulus — may receive an incorrect payment. The IRS won’t know about a 2020 baby until the parents submit their 2020 taxes. So they would issue $2,800 to a married couple who welcomed their first child last year but had yet to file. Once those parents submit their 2020 taxes, the agency would automatically send out an additional $1,400.

A similar issue could arise with families who don’t typically file but used the non-filer tool to update their dependent count last year. Dependents above the age of 16 weren’t previously included, so the IRS won’t have them on record. Filing a return for 2020 could ensure that they do.

Those without dependents might also see their third stimulus check affected by their taxes. Income changes from year to year, as people receive raises, switch jobs or become unemployed. The first relief payment was passed in March of 2020. At that point, some people had filed their 2019 taxes and some had not. So the check amount could have been based on 2018 or 2019 taxes. The second relief payment became law in December of 2020, after most everyone had filed their 2019 taxes. So that amount was determined by 2019 tax filings.

The third relief payment was signed over two months before the revised federal tax deadline (May 17). The amount could be based on an individual’s 2019 or 2020 taxes, depending on when you file. The past year has seen significant unemployment, which often hurts the finances of individual households. Many others have seen their hours reduced. If your income changed significantly from one tax filing to the next, so too could the amount of your stimulus check.

Why Do We Need Stimulus Checks?

The economy shrank by 3.5 percent in 2020, the largest single-year decline since the end of World War II. Weekly unemployment figures remain historically high, with approximately 770,000 people initially applying for unemployment insurance in the second week of March. (For reference, a typical pre-pandemic week saw about 250,000 new unemployment applications.) An additional 282,000 sought Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Approximately 18.2 million people were receiving unemployment benefits of one kind or another as of the end of February. That’s roughly one out of every nine workers. While the official unemployment rate is 6.2 percent, the actual rate is probably closer to 10 percent, given all the people who have dropped out of the labor force. On the bright side, employers added another 379,000 jobs last month.

An economic bounceback depends on the widespread distribution of a COVID vaccine. And efforts to inoculate the public are progressing. Shortages and winter weather had forced some areas to temporarily close vaccination centers and scale back administering the vaccine. Many who qualify had faced problems in scheduling appointments. Nevertheless, Americans have received over 128 million doses, with 25.3 percent of the population having received at least one dose and 13.7 percent completely vaccinated. Vaccination numbers continue to increase at a rate of about 2.6 million doses per day.

The Food & Drug Administration recently authorized Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine, with millions of doses already shipped. Biden has recently stated that the country will have enough doses to vaccinate all Americans by May. Actually putting needles in arms will likely take longer. Mask-wearing and a general lack of normalcy could continue into 2022. Currently, domestic COVID cases are approaching 30 million, while deaths exceed 544,000.

Originally published on Monday, March 22 @ 4:00 p.m. ET. 

SANTA CLARITA (CBSLA) – Santa Clarita residents struggling to cover their rent because of the COVID-19 pandemic will soon have an opportunity to get some help.

The city of Santa Clarita announced Wednesday that it will launch a $6.3 million rental assistance program beginning April 1.

To qualify, a household must make at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI), which for a family of four for Los Angeles County is $56,300. Priority will be given to those at 50% of the AMI.

If approved, applicants will receive up to four full months of unpaid rent. To apply, click here.

“We know how tough the past year has been on our community,” said Mayor Bill Miranda said in a statement. “For those who have not been able to pay their rent due to impacts of the pandemic, this program will help them get back on their feet, and more importantly, stay in their homes.”

The funding is part of a $2.6 billion statewide rent relief program that provides money from December’s $900 billion Congressional stimulus package. It is designed to cover back unpaid rent for the period between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.

The city of Los Angeles is itself distributing $235 million in rent relief to help about 64,000 families. The application window for its program opens March 30.

L.A. County has been under an eviction moratorium since early March 2020 that will go through at least June 30. Under the moratorium, landlords cannot evict tenants for nonpayment of rent. However, the back-rent will continue to accrue, and once the moratorium is lifted, landlords will be allowed to evict those tenants.

A report in January found that about one-fifth of all Los Angeles County tenants paid rent late at least once during the pandemic.

PASADENA (CBSLA) – A crane came crashing down onto a two-story home in a Pasadena neighborhood late Tuesday night during a movie shoot amid strong winds.

March 24, 2021. (CBSLA)

The accident involving a lighting crane occurred at around 10:30 p.m. in the 3600 block of San Pasqual Street while film crews were conducting a night shoot. There were no significant injuries.

A neighbor told CBSLA that it sounded like an explosion when the crane came down and flipped onto its side.

“It felt like a tornado, you know,” Brenden Finnegan, who lives near the house which was damaged, told CBSLA.

“They raised the boom lift and lowered it to take someone off, the operator, about five minutes later there was a big, loud crash,” he added.

There were 30 mile-per-hour winds blowing in the area, but it was not immediately clear if the winds caused the crane to come down or if something else occurred, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

Three residents were displaced, the fire department said. The extent damage to the home was not immediately confirmed.

March 24, 2021. (CBSLA)

Inspectors with the Pasadena Building and Safety Division  were called to the scene as well. Work crews would be coming out Wednesday morning to clear the debris and remove the crane.

March 24, 2021. (CBSLA)

A few blocks away, a tree was cracked by the powerful winds and its fallen branches landed up against the side of a home at Lotus Avenue and Grayburn Road.

In nearby Sierra Madre, a large tree came down onto a street in the 200 block of Raymona Avenue. It crashed onto a parked SUV, crunching the windshield and hood.

Meanwhile, tents were also blown over for outdoor eating areas at East Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue.

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A Riverside man is scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday for allegedly stabbing his mother to death after an argument.

Otis James Porter, 38, was arrested Sunday at a home in the 4200 block of Monroe Street after police say he called 911 to report he stabbed his mother and accidentally stabbed himself.

(credit: Riverside Police Department)

When officers arrived, they detained Porter and found 62-year-old Linda Coleman suffering from multiple stab wounds and not breathing. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police say their preliminary investigation determined Porter got into an argument with Coleman and attacked her, stabbing her several times. During the altercation, he also stabbed himself in the leg.

Porter faces murder charges and is being held on $1 million bail.

The investigation into this murder is ongoing, police said, and anyone with information about this homicide or about Porter can contact Detective Bryon Adcox at (951) 353-7134 or email him at JAdcox@RiversideCA.gov, or Detective Jim Brandt at (951) 353-7137 or email him at JBrandt@RiversideCA.gov.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — UCLA defied expectations by making it to the Sweet Sixteen, but now they face powerhouse Alabama on Sunday, and Coach Mick Cronin minced no words about what his players are facing.

“They’re a high-octane team. They can really, really get it going, burning nets,” Cronin said in a conversation with CBS 2 and KCAL 9 Sports director Jim Hill. “They’re a team that’s had multiple games where they’ve made 14, 15 three-point shots in a game. And they can shoot at every position, and they can shoot your lights out.”

Cronin says they have faced other fast, athletic teams before, namely Oregon in the Pac-12.

“Alabama – they rebound the ball better than Oregon. So that’s a big concern for me,” Cronin said. “Not only their shooting, we’ll do a good job with that, I think, but their rebounding is probably going to be my biggest concern, limiting their shot attempts.”

UCLA entered the NCAA tournament on a four-game losing streak, but have survived three games in five days. Cronin said it will be a tough week of being stuck in a hotel, working to prepare for the face-off with Alabama.

“I think after we had those losses, it’s just taken us some time to get the other guys up to speed and really get our formula for success, but we’ve really been winning as a team,” he said.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A 22-year-old Ventura County woman who was caught on video falsely accusing a Black teen of stealing her cell phone and then tackling him to the ground in a New York City hotel back in December has been sued by the teen’s family.

The family of 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. held a news conference Wednesday in New York City to announce it is filing a civil lawsuit against 22-year-old Miya Ponsetto and the hotel where the attack occurred, CBS New York reports.

Ponsetto is also facing criminal charges in the case.

Keyon Harrold Junior’s family announces lawsuit against #arlohotel and #MiyaPonsetto @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/jGzRvyjNlg

— Kiran Dhillon (@KiranDhillonTV) March 24, 2021

According to CBS New York, on Dec. 26, Ponsetto is accused of attacking Harrold Jr. and his father inside the lobby of the Arlo Hotel in New York City. The entire incident was captured on cell phone and surveillance video.

Miya Ponsetto, 22, was arrested in Piru, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2020. (Ventura County Sheriff’s Office)

A hotel manager also approached Harrold and asked to see the phone, which he did not have, CBS New York reports.

An Uber driver later found the woman’s phone in his car returned it to the hotel, according to CBS New York.

On the afternoon of Jan. 7, Ponsetto was taken into custody on a fugitive warrant outside her home in the Ventura County town of Piru after leading deputies on a short pursuit when she refused to initially pull over.

She was extradited to New York City to appear on charges of attempted assault, attempted robbery, grand larceny and acting in a manner injurious to a child. She is back in Southern California after being granted supervised release.

In an interview with CBS This Morning’s Gayle King which was conducted just a few hours before her arrest, Ponsetto claims that she wasn’t targeting Harrold.

“I was approaching the people that had been exiting the hotel, because in my mind, anybody exiting is probably the one, might be the one, that is trying to steal my phone,” Ponsetto said. “I admit yes, I could have approached the situation differently, or maybe not yelled at him like that and made him feel, some sort of, inferior way, making him feel as if I was like, hurting his feelings because that’s not my intention. I consider myself to be super sweet, I really never ever meant for it to like hurt him or his father either.”

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A massive water main break flooded several blocks of a residential South Los Angeles neighborhood and created a huge sinkhole in the process.

March 24, 2021. (CBSLA)

The break occurred in the 1100 block of West 69th Street in the Vermont-Slauson neighborhood at around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday. A large sinkhole appeared a few hours later.

Video from the scene showed at least three blocks affected.

According to the L.A. Department of Water and Power, an eight-inch iron water main broke, leaving 48 customers without water.

Water service was expected to be restored by 4 p.m.

There was no word on what caused the break. There was no significant damage to nearby homes and buildings.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Police released a sketch of a man they say beat a woman in Sherman Oaks and tried to strangle her, and may have also been behind other assaults in the area.

Los Angeles Police Department investigators say the most recent attack was on March 9. A woman who was walking her dog was grabbed by the neck from behind, thrown to the ground, and punched. She told police her attacker also tried to strangle her, and only stopped when a passersby intervened.

(credit: LAPD)

The same man is believed to have assaulted people in two other incidents – one on Feb. 9 in the 13400 block of Moorpark Street and again on Feb. 12 in the 13000 block of Ventura Boulevard.

The suspect is described as a muscular Black man with braided black hair and dark brown eyes between 25 and 35 years old, about 5-foot-6 and approximately 150 pounds. He was seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a large emblem on the front, dark jeans, and black shoes with a white stripe along the side.

Anyone with information about the suspect or these attacks can call Van Nuys Detective Kropfl at (818) 374-0085.