The Brief

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges Thursday against five men accused of engaging in unlicensed contracting work in the Eaton Fire burn zone.

In a news conference, Hochman said unlicensed contractors may promise to rebuild destroyed homes faster and cheaper, but they can expose homeowners to faulty workmanship, liability for worker injuries and sometimes outright theft.

“This increases the likelihood of fraud,” Hochman said. “You’re going to give them a whole bunch of money upfront, and you may never see them again.”

The five men charged are:

• Daniel Escarzaga, 28
• Andrew Escarzaga, 27
• Edgar Geovanni Lopez Revolorio, 42 
• Melvin Hairon Mejia Ordonez, 41
• Guillermo Ramirez, 54

The defendants have not yet been arraigned in Los Angeles County Superior Court, according to prosecutors. It’s not yet clear if each has an attorney.

In four separate complaints, the district attorney alleges the men were contracting without licenses during a natural disaster, a felony violation of California’s business and professions code.

Hochman said an investigation by his office found the men knew they were operating without a license but held out their services to fire victims anyway.

Rebuilding is just getting underway for many families. Most have yet to break ground, but a small group of homeowners already have rebuilt structures lost during the fire.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, said at the news conference that homeowners should turn to vetted lists of licensed contractors as they map out their plans.

“Hiring unlicensed contractors often ends up costing more in the long run,” she said.

Hochman said the defendants are expected to be arraigned Jan. 8.

This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on Dec. 4, 2025.

Ever wanted to walk or bike down some of City Terrace’s most iconic avenues or catch breathtaking views of downtown from the hills of East L.A. — all on car-free streets?

Camino City Terrace, an event modeled after CicLAvia, is your chance.

On Dec. 13 and 14, about 1.6 miles of East LA roads will be open to pedestrians, cyclists, joggers and runners of all skill levels. The event is organized by L.A. County in partnership with Metro.

Several streets will be closed, and organizers are recommending specific parking locations for residents affected by the closures.

Here’s what to know ahead of the inaugural event.

When and what time is the event?

Camino City Terrace will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 14.

What streets will be closed?

City Terrace Drive between Ditman Avenue and Van Pelt Avenue will be closed to car traffic during the event. Hazard Avenue between City Terrace Drive and Dobinson Street will also be closed to car traffic.

What time are street closures in effect?

Streets will begin closing at 7 a.m., and residents whose cars are parked along the event route should have their vehicles moved by then.

Streets will reopen as soon as possible after the event ends at 3 p.m., but no later than 7 p.m., according to a county spokesperson.

Vehicles parked on the event route after 7 a.m. on Dec. 13 and 14 may be ticketed and possibly towed.

Parking is tough in East LA. Will any lots be open for neighbors impacted?

Yes. The county is working to secure free resident parking between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 14 at Harrison, Kennedy and Anton elementary schools, as well as on Marengo Street between City Terrace Drive and Evergreen Avenue.

There will also be vehicle parking for residents at the parking lot at City Terrace Park.

Can I ride my e-bike? And are there any other types of vehicle restrictions?

The county encourages everyone on e-bikes to turn off their motors and pedal along.

Bikes, skateboards, scooters, skates and other people-powered vehicles are allowed. Motorized wheelchairs and mobility devices for people with disabilities are also permitted.

Will I be able to drive across the closed streets in City Terrace?

Yes. The intersection of City Terrace Drive and Pomeroy Street will allow car crossing during the event. Additionally, the intersection of Snow Drive and Hazard Avenue will allow cars to cross the closed route.

Will Camino City Terrace have activity hubs?

There will be three hubs with vendors and services for attendees to enjoy:

• The Ditman Hub will be at Ditman Avenue and City Terrace Drive.
• The 323 Food and Flea will be located at the corner of City Terrace Drive and Hazard Avenue.
• The City Terrace Park Hub will be near the park’s parking lot.

Community members can enjoy a diverse selection of activities, including holiday programming at City Terrace Park where Santa will be stationed for photo-ops. Walk ‘n Rollers will have a bike skills rodeo and helmet giveaway at the Ditman Hub, according to an L.A. County spokesperson.

For more information, email mail@carsla.net or call (213) 365-0605

The Walt Disney Company has invested $1 billion in OpenAI’s Sora video-generation tool, making it the first major media company to license its intellectual property to an AI system.

Household names like Mickey Mouse, Darth Vader, Iron Man and Cinderella are just some of the several hundred characters that are included as part of this three-year licensing deal that allows fans to generate and share videos with these characters, using Sora.

“This is very much a situation of if you can't beat them, join them,” said Erik Barmack, AI columnist for The Ankler. He added that the media conglomerate’s characters were being generated in videos by Sora users already, and the company wants to engage those users while also having its own guardrails in place.

Currently, vague limitations have been outlined by Disney CEO Robert Iger in the deal, including a ban on the use of character voices and on how long a video’s duration can be. Barmack said there will be blocking that Disney will likely define what is or isn’t appropriate for a Disney character.

“They are not going to put Lilo and Stitch into adult situations. But those guardrails have not been published as part of this deal yet," he said.

Disney also will become a “major customer” of OpenAI and use its technology to build new products, tools and services. It also will roll out ChatGPT for employee use. Both companies said they are committed to responsible use of AI that protects the safety of users and the rights of creators. As part of the deal, some user-generated Sora videos will be made available on the Disney+ streaming service.

Learn more

Listen to our interview with Erik Barmack, AI columnist for The Ankler on AirTalk with Larry Mantle.

Irvine city leaders approved a land swap with property developer FivePoint in a 4-3 vote Tuesday, greenlighting the development of 1,300 market-rate units that won’t have to comply with affordable housing requirements.

As part of the deal, the city will give FivePoint 26.4 acres of land within Great Park in exchange for 35 acres bordering the Irvine Spectrum, dubbed the Crescent site.

 The development of 1,300 market-rate housing units, said Stephanie Frady, director of community development at the city, will generate more than $200 million in special taxes Great Park residents pay to fund school expansions and public infrastructure development.

The Crescent site “ creates an exciting opportunity for transit-oriented development and an important linkage between the Great Park and the greater Spectrum area,” said Pete Carmichael, assistant city manager.

The Irvine Spectrum attracts 17 million visitors each year, while Great Park sees around six million, with many more expected as the park builds out.

Because of the unequal acreage in the land swap, city officials also voted to waive state affordable housing requirements for the developer. The staff report for Tuesday’s meeting did not include a financial analysis of the land swap or the effects of waiving affordable housing requirements for FivePoint. LAist has requested those documents. But during the meeting, Carmichael said the 8.6 incremental acres are valued at around $66 million and that the deal benefits the city  by about $37 million.

Elizabeth Hansburg, co-founder of People for Housing OC, called the land swap an opportunity for the city to have greater say in the kind of development bordering a transit center.

 ”When the city becomes the owner of the land adjacent to the transit center, then the city will be held to a higher percentage of affordable [housing] than a private entity would be,” she said.

Housing close to a transit center, Hansburg said, opens up “the region of where you can go for jobs.”

“For households that are low income and maybe aren't a two-car family, or maybe there isn't a car for every driver, having proximity to transit does increase your mobility in terms of areas where you're able to go to work,” she said.

$15 million toward a public library

In the land swap, FivePoint also will give the city $15 million. During Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Larry Agran pushed for the city to consider using that money toward a final resting place for veterans.

But residents spoke out overwhelmingly against the idea during the public comment portion of the meeting, calling for the money instead to go toward a library.

In the end, Councilmember Melinda Liu introduced a motion to approve the land swap and to  prohibit expenditure of any portion of the $15 million on the design or development of a columbarium for cremated remains. That motion passed 4-3.