Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Owen Kaye in his office at the Hollywood Courthouse in Los Angeles on March 12, 2025.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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Topline:
Addiction and homelessness are a constant presence in L.A.’s mental health court. Its judge wants defendants to “feel like someone who’s deep in the system of power cares about them.
The backstory: When a criminal defendant’s mental competency to stand trial is at issue, their case will get redirected to a handful of courtrooms like Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Owen Kaye. In partnership with L.A. County’s Office of Diversion and Reentry, these mental health courts can also further assess the alleged offenders for treatment and housing placement.
Kaye's path to mental health court: A former legal aid attorney, federal public defender and civil rights attorney who’d filed multiple lawsuits against the county for deprivation of mental health care, Kaye suddenly found himself assigned to the mental health court soon after Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him to the bench in 2020.
Read on... for more details how Kaye landed in mental health court and what former prisoners experience in this courtroom.
In a Hollywood courtroom, prosecutor and defense attorney both asserted their positions on how to best administer justice to the man appearing before them in shackled restraints. Judge Ronald Owen Kaye surveyed documents on his computer, then looked over his eyeglasses from person to person.
“We’ve got quite a lot going on here,” Kaye said that day in February. He then turned his focus squarely to the defendant. With a state-appointed psychiatrist’s evaluation now on file, the judge wanted to discuss next steps. “I’d like to hear where you stand on all this, sir. Let’s talk turkey.”
“I’m sorry, your Honor,” responded the man in earnest. “I wasn’t planning on having turkey for lunch. I was kinda hoping for tuna.”
With a gentle smile, Kaye removed his glasses and patiently explained to the troubled defendant how the turn-of-phrase simply meant it was time to get to business. In Kaye’s Los Angeles Superior Court, that business often entails balancing criminal justice with appropriate mental health care needs to address both public safety and individual accountability.
When a criminal defendant’s mental competency to stand trial is at issue, their case will get redirected to a handful of courtrooms like Kaye’s. In partnership with L.A. County’s Office of Diversion and Reentry, these mental health courts can also further assess the alleged offenders for treatment and housing placement.
Defendants appear before Judge Kaye via different means. Many are transported from L.A. County Jail, shackled and ushered into the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies. They often stand disheveled, maybe aloof or hypervigilant, lucid or confused, bouncy or somber.
Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Hollywood Courthouse on March 12, 2025.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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Others appear remotely from two video monitors live streamed from county and state facilities. Some even enter the building through the front door on their own volition.
In March, one defendant nodded and stared unblinking through the video screens as his public defender told the court his client was ready to accept treatment and be transferred from county jail to a state hospital.
“Is that what you want, sir?” said Kaye. “We want to get you out of that locked box as soon as possible and get you where you can get help, but I need to hear it from you.”
“I want to go home,” the man said, his body tense as he leaned closer to the camera in distress. “I want to go home.”
Both Kaye and the public defender explained to him that being released was not an option. Either the court would find him incompetent and place him in hospitalized custody — or if he was found competent, he would stand trial in a criminal court and face his felony charges.
“I want to go to trial so I can go home,” the man continued.
“Sir, in this court you absolutely have the right to a trial to determine mental competency,” Judge Kaye assured him. “But your attorney and the prosecutor have agreed in the best interests of justice to get you treatment at the state hospital. You don’t want that?”
The man’s wild-eyed expression told the story of his incompetence. “Yes, I want to go home.”
Judge Kaye postponed a ruling for 30 days. “Talk to your client,” he said to the defender. “But if he says he wants a trial here, we’ll have to honor that.”
On a Friday in February, a woman appeared on the monitors from a treatment facility, with a clinician beside her raving about her steady improvement over the last six months. She smiled and waved as Kaye listened to her positive evaluation report.
“We are all so happy to see you doing so well,” Kaye said. “Just continue on this path and you’ll be back with your family, okay?”
“Yes, judge,” she said. “Thank you for changing my life.” Like many people receiving services through the Office of Diversion and Reentry, she found stable mental health care through the court’s ability to offer and monitor residential housing and treatment.
“No, no,” he said. “You’re the one working to get yourself better. Keep it up.”
Kaye’s path to mental health court
A former legal aid attorney, federal public defender and civil rights attorney who’d filed multiple lawsuits against the county for deprivation of mental health care, Kaye suddenly found himself assigned to the mental health court soon after Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him to the bench in 2020.
“I really didn't know what to expect, but I did know from my prior civil rights practice a bit about the lack of mental health care in Los Angeles County,” said Kaye. “So I felt how fortuitous that somebody like me would have the authority to assure that, as much as possible, quality care is provided.”
“I'm always balancing these issues of liberty — people’s freedom; and treatment — getting them quality of care; and making sure the community is safe. That's essentially what I do in virtually every aspect of my job.”
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Owen Kaye at the Hollywood Courthouse.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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A 2004 article from the Los Angeles Times on display in Kaye’s office, on March 12, 2025.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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Kaye said that the last handful of years on the bench have opened his eyes to the ravaging toll methamphetamine abuse extracts on a person’s long-term mental health. “I also never knew firsthand the level of methamphetamine abuse that is just plaguing the homeless and the mentally ill community, and how profoundly difficult methamphetamine is as a drug to kick,” he said.
He has also been struck by the effectiveness of psychotropic medications. “I had no idea of how they can interrupt delusional thinking and give a person a level of stability,” he said. “With the right care and the right psychotropic medications, I've seen miracles happen.”
Where the circumstances merit intervention and housing, Kaye tries to look at a person’s full history and make a positive impact on their lives. But it’s complicated, particularly when he encounters people who’ve been in and out of the criminal justice and mental health systems for years or even decades.
“I deal with chronic homelessness, chronic mental illness, and drug abuse,” he said. “The drug abuse is often a manifestation of the mental illness because they're engaged in self-medication — and that all manifests in criminal conduct.”
Launched in 2015, L.A.’s Diversion and Reentry services have helped more than 13,000 incarcerated persons with diagnosed mental health disorders transition successfully out of county jail. The program currently handles over 2,500 participants in residential housing treatment, with roughly 1,400 in permanent supportive housing.
California’s Department of State Hospitals began a pilot program in 2018 that helped implement diversion services in 28 additional counties to address the growing numbers of criminal defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial, many of whom also deal with homelessness and/or substance abuse.
Effective June 30, the pilot program will end — to be replaced by permanent diversion services available to all counties that choose to implement them. According to the Department of State Hospitals, 10 permanent county programs have already been contracted, and 14 others are currently in the process of having their contracts finalized.
Tents in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles on June 20, 2021.
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Teun Voeten
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Sipa USA via Reuters
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On another day in Kaye’s court, a middle-aged man appeared in person for a scheduled progress check and stood at the small podium on the public side of the courtroom. He and Kaye spoke about his progress in outpatient treatment.
“Are you still living in that RV on the street?” Kaye asked him. “Are you working?”
“I’m just barely getting by, your Honor,” he said. “It’s a struggle.”
“We can get you in a housing program right now,” the judge said. “Hot meals, a safe bed, a stable health care environment. But I can’t force that on you. It’s your decision.”
The man declined Kaye’s offer, citing how he lives in his vehicle with his girlfriend and their dog — and they all need to stay together. He walked out of the court with a follow-up appearance scheduled in 60 days.
“My vision, if at all possible, is to make people feel comfortable in court and make them feel like they matter,” he said. “They can actually be looked at in the eye by someone in authority and feel like someone who's deep in the system of power cares about them.”
New courtroom experiences for former prisoners
The human potential for growth — and to be able to earn a second chance — is a recurring theme of Kaye’s career. Away from the bench, he also works with the formerly incarcerated community to provide emotional support and inspiration.
In collaboration with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and the Los Angeles Innocence Project, Kaye meets with newly paroled people, welcoming them into his courtroom and chambers, where he is free of his robe and the usual symbols of authority.
Franky Carrillo, chief policy director for the Innocence Project in L.A., knows Kaye well. After being exonerated in 2011 for a wrongful murder conviction, Carrillo first partnered with Kaye to bring a civil lawsuit against L.A. County, a case that resulted in a $10 million settlement approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2016.
Through his nonprofit, Restorative Project, Carrillo has brought Kaye on retreats with mixed groups of formerly incarcerated ex-lifers, criminal justice reform advocates and allies to speak and help build a stronger sense of community.
“I think it's very healing to have Judge Kaye be present, in order to maybe take away the stigma of what a judge might've signified in someone's life — 20, 30 years prior, when they were sentenced,” said Carrillo. “Lo’ and behold, you're free, and this is your first interaction with a judge on the outside.”
Mery Alaberkyan served as Judge Kaye’s judicial assistant from 2023 to 2024, while starting Loyola Law School. Her time in his court shaped her vision of the kind of lawyer she hopes to become.
The most important lesson Alaberkyan took away from Kaye’s courtroom demeanor was his humanizing style of communication.
“He would greet every single defendant, making sure they were acknowledged and that they understood what was happening in the courtroom,” she said. “You see people in a jumpsuit and most people's reaction is to shy away, but he actually made sure that defendants were treated like this is their case and not something that was happening to them — like, whatever you need to say, you may say.”
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Owen Kaye in his office at the Hollywood Courthouse in Los Angeles on March 12, 2025.
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Jules Hotz
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CalMatters
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On April 5, the Criminal Courts Bar Association of Los Angeles honored Judge Kaye with its annual Morton Herbert Award for outstanding community service. Typically, the award goes to attorneys for volunteer work. Only once before has it gone to a judge since it was created in the 1950s.
“This category fit him perfectly,” said Christopher Chaney, the association’s executive director, who represented several clients in Kaye’s court during the COVID-era mental health crisis.
“We all know about his empathetic approach and the work he does going into prisons and helping individuals with their life after prison,” Chaney said. “Our recidivism rates – the numbers are so upside down. We gotta figure out soft landings for these guys when they get out.”
The night of the award ceremony, Carrillo and other formerly incarcerated individuals joined the black-tie gala to celebrate their friend and ally. In a tuxedo, standing beside his wife at a VIP table, Judge Kaye hugged many of them and made sure they were included in photos.
“You know, mental court anywhere — but especially here in Los Angeles — is not easy,” Carrillo said. “Because he came pre-equipped with the compassion that I think all judges should have, it’s just perfect. It's a win-win for the county and for everyone in the courtroom.”
Unique Markets is a great place to find last-minute gifts this weekend.
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Courtesy Unique Inc.
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In this edition:
Clockshop’s annual Kite Festival, UCLA hosts work about the fires, a kids' book fair at the Japanese American National Museum and more of the best things to do this weekend.
Highlights:
Clockshop’s free annual Kite Festival takes over the L.A. State Historic Park, giving you a chance to enter your homemade kite into a competition, check out artist-commissioned kites and an inflatable sculpture, and, of course, participate in a free kite-making workshop.
The second annual Nikkei Children’s Book Festival brings children’s book authors and illustrators to the Japanese American National Museum for a fun day celebrating the love of reading.
Spend Friday afternoon and evening than at UCLA, exploring a new collection of interactive exhibits and music created by artists impacted by last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires.
This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting a group of artists in Venice who are creating installations that are open 24/7 right on the boardwalk, and doing free pop-up opera and other performances at night all summer long. Being a Venice local, it’s been so fun to see these projects come in along an otherwise pretty quiet stretch of Ocean Front Walk — take a stroll there this summer and you never know what or who you might see.
Licorice Pizza has your weekend music picks. On Friday, Muna begins their two-night run at Shrine Expo Hall, and Wu Lyf plays the first of two nights at the Lodge Room. Plus, Snow Tha Product is at The Novo, Fishbone plays the Teragram, and Netflix Is a Joke has two music-focused events: Beautifully Broken Comedy with Jelly Roll at the Greek, and A Visit From ‘Portlandia’ with Fred & Carrie at the Ford. The dream of the '90s is alive! Saturday, the Netflix fun continues with two nights of Flight of the Conchords at the Greek; on Sunday, Rodrigo y Gabriela are at the YouTube Theater and Norah Jones is at Pacific Electric.
Last weekend, I strolled down to the free jazz shows on Third Street Promenade and was happy to see so many folks out for the music. This week, the fest continues with its marquee events, including Kamasi Washington (the festival’s organizer), jazz legend Stanley Washington (with Stewart Copeland of The Police) and many more greats taking the stage at Santa Monica’s Tongva Park.
Venice Art Walk
Through Sunday, May 17 910 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
8-27-006 001
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Ed Templeton
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Venice Family Clinic Art Exhibition
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Check out dozens of artworks from established, mid-career, and emerging artists — and maybe even snap one up — at the annual Venice Art Walk, benefiting the Venice Family Clinic. This year’s Signature Artist is L.A. artist Alison Saar; the gallery and the online auction are free to peruse and open to the public all week long.
Unique Markets
Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10 Cooper Design Space 860 S. Los Angeles St., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $11.54; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Unique Inc.
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Bring mom to pick out her own perfect gift at this spring’s Unique Markets at the Cooper Design Space penthouse. The Unique Market has a knack for finding brands that go on to become L.A. cool-kid household names, like Hedley & Bennett, P.F. Candle Co., CoolHaus, Poke'To and more. There are also free drinks, a free DIY charm-making station and a photo booth with free Polaroid prints.
JANM’s Nikkei Children’s Book Festival
Saturday, May 9, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Japanese American National Museum 100 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo COST: $10 ADULTS, KIDS FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy JANM
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The second annual Nikkei Children’s Book Festival brings children’s book authors and illustrators to the Japanese American National Museum for a fun day celebrating the love of reading. In the morning, there’s a special reading of Ken Mochizuki’s Baseball Saved Us (9:30 a.m.), plus a session with Maggie Tokuda Hall, the author of Love in the Library and a national leader of Authors Against Book Bans. An afternoon session (1 p.m.) features Korey Watari, the author of Kimi the Ballerina, and Mike Wu, a Pixar artist and the illustrator of Kimi the Ballerina. Many more authors and illustrators will be on hand, plus there will be arts and crafts, signings, a pop-up book store and more.
Firebirth
Friday, May 8, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Herb Alpert School of Music Lani Hall Theater 445 Charles E. Young Drive East, Westwood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Mural by wemok_art/Photo by Michele Yamamoto
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I don’t think there’s a better place you could spend Friday afternoon and evening than at UCLA, exploring a new collection of interactive exhibits and music created by artists impacted by last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires. From a custom Fender Stratocaster crafted for San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity from trees that were damaged around the Eaton Fire to listening and viewing stations for works from local artists, including the L.A. Field Recording Club, there are all kinds of ways to explore how the community has responded and processed grief and resilience over the past year. A panel conversation features Chris Douridas (KCRW), Jessica Schwartz (UCLA Musicology), Liz Koslov (UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability) and Kim Yu (Altadena Town Council, Caltech), followed by a closing concert with works from UCLA students and faculty, including the Herbie Hancock Institute Band and the Los Angeles premiere of Will Rand’s Firebirth with violinist Grace Alexander.
L.A. Art Book Fair
Through Sunday, May 10 Printed Matter ArtCenter College of Design, South Campus 960 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena COST: $8, FREE ON SUNDAY; MORE INFO
So much more than just a collection of art books, the annual L.A. Art Book Fair is organized by Printed Matter and features a whole weekend of DJs, live music and exhibitions. This year’s projects include an archival show of newspapers by Chicano in Print; a curated selection of Ed Ruscha's expansive Sunset Strip project by The Getty Research Institute; artifacts of pre-Y2K Asian girlhood from the '90s band Emily’s Sassy Lime (E.S.L.), organized by Ooga Booga; and a site-specific billboard project by Werkplaats Typografie that evolves over the course of the fair.
PICASSO: Le Monstre Sacré
Through Sunday, May 17 Odyssey Theatre 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A. COST: $38, MORE INFO
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Brigitta Scholz Mastroianni
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NUX Photography
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If you saw Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up special Nanette, perhaps you also will never be able to read Picasso’s name without whispering Pablo Pic-asshole to yourself. It’s no secret that Picasso, like many brilliant artists, had a dark side, and this new play, coming to the Odyssey straight from London, explores just that. British actor Peter Tate and Olivier Award-winning director Guy Masterson bring their production here for just two weeks.
Clockshop Kite Festival
Saturday, May 9, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. L.A. State Historic Park 1245 N. Spring St., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Let’s go fly a kite! Clockshop’s free annual Kite Festival takes over the L.A. State Historic Park, giving you a chance to enter your homemade kite into a competition, check out artist-commissioned kites and an inflatable sculpture, and, of course, participate in a free kite-making workshop.
Effort to buy land near eagle nest is halfway over
Makenna Cramer
leads LAist’s unofficial Big Bear bald eagle beat and has been covering Jackie and Shadow for several seasons.
Published May 7, 2026 5:00 AM
Big Bear's bald eagle nest, including eaglets Sandy and Luna, on Wednesday.
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Friends of Big Bear Valley
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YouTube
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Topline:
The fundraiser led by environmental organizations to buy land in Big Bear Valley to prevent construction of a planned housing project not far from the famous bald eagle nest for Jackie and Shadow is about halfway over but has so far raised roughly a quarter of its $10 million goal.
Why it matters: Some people say the project, slated to include 50 lots for custom homes and a marina with 55 boat slips, would harm rare plants and wildlife in the area. That includes the famous bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, and their young eaglets Sandy and Luna, who nest less than a mile away.
Why now: The “Save Moon Camp” fundraiser, which officials have said is the most ambitious effort in Friends of Big Bear Valley history, has raised more than $2.5 million as of Wednesday.
What's next: If the groups don’t raise $10 million by July 31, Friends of Big Bear Valley has a backup plan.
Some people say the project, slated to include 50 lots for custom homes and a marina with 55 boat slips, would harm rare plants and wildlife in the area. That includes the resident bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, and their young eaglets Sandy and Luna, who nest less than a mile away.
The organizations instead want the land to be placed under a permanent conservatorship.
The “Save Moon Camp” fundraiser, which officials have said is the most ambitious effort in Friends of Big Bear Valley history, has raised more than $2.5 million as of Wednesday.
Jenny Voisard, the nonprofit’s media manager, told LAist that the money has mostly come through small donations from thousands of loyal fans around the world.
She said Friends of Big Bear Valley is “deeply grateful” for the love and support the community has shown since the fundraiser launched in February. She described the donations as an “investment in conservation and humanity.”
“What happens with California's biodiversity is important to every one of us on this planet, and you are all helping to take care of that,” Voisard said. “Biodiversity is responsible for the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and the medicine we take. And you're all heroes.”
How the fundraiser is faring
Voisard said she’s been struck and brought to tears by how personal the fundraiser has become to people.
Some fans have been donating monthly, every payday or with their morning latte money. Others have been writing letters to news outlets, institutions, government officials and “anybody that will listen,” she said.
Friends of Big Bear Valley’s eagle livestream has become a popular fixture in classrooms, and a few elementary schools have organized their own fundraisers to support “Save Moon Camp.”
A third grade class at Wildwood Elementary in Yucaipa, for example, pooled together $373 for the fundraiser, Voisard said. Another elementary school in Connecticut sent a little more than $970.
“This is our next generation of environmental caretakers and stewards, and so that's why this is so important,” she said. “We need to raise the money, and it's not about the amounts. It's that they believe in what we're doing and that it's worth saving.”
Larger gifts have also been rolling in.
There have been a few $50,000 donations, an anonymous donation of $77,000 and a $20,000 gift sent along with a handwritten letter. Voisard said Friends of Big Bear Valley is actively reaching out to philanthropists and tribal councils to garner their support as well.
You can learn more about the fundraiser and track its progress at SaveMoonCamp.org.
Addressing common questions
If the groups don’t raise $10 million by July 31, Friends of Big Bear Valley has a backup plan.
Voisard said there’s a financing option that would allow the groups to purchase the land — but with quarterly payments and a high interest rate. She acknowledged that would be “difficult” and require longer-term fundraising, but it’s an option.
The Trump administration has recently taken steps toward a sweeping agency overhaul, including moving the headquarters out of Washington, D.C., and closing research facilities in 31 states, including California. The Forest Service lost more than 5,800 employees last year, or about 16% of its workforce, amid Trump’s push to cut federal spending, according to the New York Times.
But the land transfer process would take years, and Voisard said a different administration would be in charge by then.
“This land will also have special protected status, so that we don't go through all of this for nothing,” she said.
The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust is no stranger to the preservation process. It has helped conserve more than 15,000 acres of land in the San Bernardino National Forest since it was founded in 1995, according to the organization.
Moon Camp concerns from the community
T.J. Fraser moved to Big Bear Valley’s community of Fawnskin about eight years ago to escape city life in Los Angeles. He said he's “100% opposed” to the Moon Camp project for a "myriad of reasons."
The most important factor is protecting the bald eagles and the joy they bring to people, but he said he’s also concerned about development changing the quiet, close-knit community.
“I think part of living here … is that you learn very, very quickly that we adapt to the surroundings,” he said. “We don't expect the forest to adapt to us.”
Fraser said residents’ respect extends to the squirrels, bears and coyotes in Fawnskin, which he described as “our neighbors.” He added that the eagle livestream, which features a picturesque view from the trees towering over Big Bear Lake, may be some viewers' only connection to nature.
“I think that if they were able to look into that screen and extrapolate out into those trees, in the water, and understand that people live there, and the way that we live there is very similar to the way the eagles live in the nest,” he said. “We're all in it together. … No matter where you live, you are a product of nature and the environment.”
Fraser said he sees the fundraiser as helping Jackie and Shadow stay in the area for years but also as a message: There are some things more important than money.
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Monica Bushman
produces arts and culture coverage for LAist's on-demand team.
Published May 7, 2026 5:00 AM
Elle Fanning in Apple TV's "Margo’s Got Money Troubles."
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Apple TV
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Topline:
The new Apple TV series, based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Rufi Thorpe — and starring Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer — puts a spotlight on the Orange County city of Fullerton, where it's set and was filmed.
What the author says: Thorpe is from Orange County and in an interview with LAist last year said that setting Margo’s Got Money Troubles in Fullerton was her “little authorly gift” to the character of Margo, who has a baby at the age of 19 and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet: “Yes, it was going to be terrifying and hard and she wasn’t going to know if she was going to get through it, but she was going to do it in Fullerton, dammit.”
The real locations: Some of the locations featured in the show include Fullerton College, beloved local restaurants like Rutabegorz and Angelo's and Vinci's (now closed sadly), and the pedestrian bridge that leads to the Fullerton train station and reads "Welcome to Downtown Fullerton."
Why it matters: Amid increasing concerns about film and TV production leaving Los Angeles, Margo's Got Money Troubles' writer/producer David E. Kelley has doubled down on keeping production work local.
Margo's Got Money Troubles was also a recipient of a state film and TV tax credit. A recent report from FilmLA has sparked hope that California's expansion of its film and TV tax incentive program last year may be starting to have positive effects.
Read on ... for more about the Fullerton locations featured in the series.
Why is the new Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles — which stars Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman and Nicole Kidman — set in the Orange County city of Fullerton?
Author Rufi Thorpe, who wrote the book the series is based on and is an executive producer on the show, is from Orange County and has set some of her earlier books in smaller Southern California locales too — in Corona del Mar (where Thorpe grew up) and a fictional Southern California beach city inspired by El Segundo.
In an interview with LAist last year, Thorpe said that setting Margo’s Got Money Troubles in Fullerton was her “little authorly gift” to the character of Margo, who has a baby at the age of 19 and turns to OnlyFans to make ends meet.
Thorpe said she grew up visiting a friend of her mom’s, a classical pianist, in Fullerton, so she had a sense of the city’s low-key vibe: “It’s a very cute city, and [there’s] just so many dentists and tax preparation offices — just so many!”
And it felt like a nice place to put her main character, who she was going to be putting through a lot: “Yes, it was going to be terrifying and hard and she wasn’t going to know if she was going to get through it, but she was going to do it in Fullerton, dammit.”
It maybe also didn’t hurt that Kelley’s wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, is from Orange County herself, which Pfeiffer told the Television Academy’s emmy magazine was part of the reason why she connected so much with the book, and signed on along with Kelley, Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman and others to executive produce the series.
And while Fullerton locations have often been used inother movies and TV shows, what’s different about Margo’s Got Money Troubles is that it’s purposefully recognizable as Fullerton, instead of the locations standing in for someplace else.
The locations IRL
Fullerton College
A screenshot of Elle Fanning in a scene from "Margo's Got Money Troubles," filmed at Fullerton College.
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Apple TV
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The scenes that were shot on location at Fullerton College, where Margo is a freshman and has an affair with her English professor, didn’t just add to the show’s sense of place. The community college’s newspaper The Hornet reports that the fees for filming at the college also helped fund a scholarship program.
Rutabegorz
Rutabegorz Restaurant in Fullerton, CA.
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Monica Bushman / LAist
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The popular Fullerton cafe Rutabegorz isn’t specifically named in the book or show, but it’s well known in Orange County (with another location in Orange), and is the setting of a pivotal scene between Margo and her mom Shyanne, played by Pfeiffer.
A little bit of Rutabegorz history (from this author, who went to high school in Fullerton!): Before it became a coffeehouse in the 1970s, and later a full restaurant, for 48 years it was the office and residence of a doctor, who — according to a sign in the restaurant about the building’s history — was the first to administer the antibiotic medication penicillin to a patient in Southern California.
Today, Rutabegorz is known for its quirky decorations, healthy food options (including very big salads) and long-running $1 chip and dip special.
The Fox Fullerton Theatre
The Fox Theatre in Fullerton, CA.
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Monica Bushman / LAist
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The Fox Theatre in Fullerton dates back to 1925 and is one of the city’s most recognizable buildings, but it hasn’t been an operational theater since 1987, when it closed and fell into disrepair. The Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation, which is leading the ongoing restoration effort, does hold some special events there, including the 100th birthday celebration for the theater in May of 2025.
Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante
Angelo's and Vinci's on Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton, CA.
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Monica Bushman / LAist
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Next door to The Fox Theatre is another beloved, but also now closed, Fullerton institution — the Italian restaurant Angelo’s and Vinci’s. The site of many a special occasion meal for locals, with ornate decorations (and a monster-themed wine cellar) the restaurant closed in 2023 after a 52-year-long run.
In the series, Margo is a waitress at Angelo’s and Vinci’s and has her baby shower there. And for anyone who remembers going to the restaurant, it’s nice to see the space alive again in the show.
Fullerton Car Wash on Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton, CA.
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Monica Bushman / LAist
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Other Fullerton locations in the series include the Fullerton Car Wash (across from the British pub The Olde Ship) and the Fullerton Lodge Motel, which locals will recognize as being next to the popular B&B Donuts and across from Costco.
More Fullerton spots to check out
Fullerton is only one stop (and about a 30 minute ride) away from L.A.’s Union Station on Amtrak or Metrolink. Here are some other spots to check out if you’re making a day trip:
Electric guitar history: The creator of some of the most popular electric guitars in the world was a life-long resident of Fullerton. The Leo Fender Gallery is housed in the Fullerton Museum Center, which is right down the street from Rutabegorz.
Great pizza in Orange County: Fullerton is home to a couple of multi-award winning pizza places — Two Saucy Broads for New York style pizza and Fuoco for Neapolitan style.
A touch of Disney magic, plus cocktails: Somewhat of a counterpart to Angelo’s and Vinci’s in its old-school charm, the restaurant and cocktail bar The Cellar dates back to 1969 and was designed by one of the “imagineers” responsible for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, which opened in 1967.
New episodes of 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' are available to stream on Apple TV on Wednesdays. The final two episodes air May 13 and 20.
Agents raid park in drug trafficking investigation
By Nathan Solis, Hanna Kang and Marina Peña | The LA Local
Published May 6, 2026 4:41 PM
Federal agents arrested several people and searched multiple businesses around MacArthur Park on Wednesday as part of an investigation into drug trafficking.
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Marina Peña
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The LA Local
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Topline:
Federal agents swarmed MacArthur Park on Wednesday afternoon in a joint operation targeted at suspected drug dealers.
More details: Agents also searched six businesses in the Westlake neighborhood and said that at least 18 people were arrested as part of the investigation, which was called “Operation Free MacArthur Park.”
Why now: The suspects are allegedly tied to distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine out of the park, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Agents also raided a home in Calabasas and found 40 pounds of fentanyl believed to be part of the network of drugs distributed to MacArthur Park, according to authorities.
5:18 p.m. Wednesday, May 6: This story has been updated with additional details.
Federal agents swarmed MacArthur Park on Wednesday afternoon in a joint operation targeted at suspected drug dealers.
Agents also searched six businesses in the Westlake neighborhood and said that at least 18 people were arrested as part of the investigation, which was called “Operation Free MacArthur Park.”
The suspects are allegedly tied to distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine out of the park, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Agents also raided a home in Calabasas and found 40 pounds of fentanyl believed to be part of the network of drugs distributed to MacArthur Park, according to authorities.
Agents in tactical gear and armored vehicles rolled through the neighborhood shortly after 2 p.m., according to images shared over social media, and an agent used a large saw to cut through a metal security door at a business storefront on Alvarado Street, NBC News reported.
The investigation included six businesses in Westlake and a federal indictment names 25 people, with several who have not been found.
Authorities arrested 18 people in connection to suspected drug trafficking in and around MacArthur Park. The suspects were identified in a news conference Wednesday by federal authorities.
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Hanna Kang
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The LA Local
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The raids began Tuesday evening and are expected to continue, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced during a press conference outside the park.
He was flanked by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department. Armored vehicles lined Alvarado Street and more agents in tactical gear stood under the shade of a nearby tree.
“We’re not leaving,” Essayli said. “We’ll come back as many times as we need to.”
The Los Angeles Police Department announced it provided assistance to its federal partners and clarified the investigation was not related to immigration enforcement.
Anthony Chrysanthis, special agent in charge for the DEA’s field office in Los Angeles, reiterated that the federal agency will return to Westlake.
“We will be watching this place every day, all the time. We’ve been gathering evidence for 60 days,” Chrysanthis said. “Privately, we get phone calls every day. ‘What are you doing about this?’ So, if you live in an area where you see drug activity, you can plan a friendly visit from law enforcement.”
Chrysanthis said the operation at the park was chosen because “this place is symbolic to Los Angeles.”
“The communities have to go back to the people. We have to make our city safe again for all people in Los Angeles. So today the message starts,” he said.
Troy Feller, volunteer with the faith-based organization Dream Center, was handing out lunch to people in the park when agents arrived. Feller saw police and agents wearing tactical gear pull up to the park.
“They started wrapping up the area really quickly. We’re out here every week and we have never seen something like this,” Feller said.
By 4:30 p.m. the road closures around the park reopened. A vendor swept up the sidewalk around their stall. Boxes of aspirin, back pain ointment and fake eyelashes spilled onto the sidewalk, along with broken glass.
A hole cut through the metal security door was visible from the sidewalk where an agent used a saw to cut into the vendor’s stall. Boxes of Monistat and Neosporin hung from inside the stall.
Araceli Arrega said she found out about the raid from the news coverage of the federal raid.
“I found out on TV they were cutting up my store. We don’t sell drugs here. I sell creams and medicine,” Arrega said. “They didn’t find anything. I can’t open my store until I fix my door.”
Aura Garcia, who owns Vitamins and Plus next to Arrega’s store, said law enforcement officers went to her daughter’s home and took her into custody. Garcia said officers also handcuffed her 13-year-old granddaughter in the process.
Garcia is still uncertain about whether the arrest is related to the federal operation. Their store was raided Wednesday, but she reiterated that they do not sell drugs.
Susana Cruz, an employee at the market La Bendición de Dios near Alvarado and Sixth said, “They thought that we sold drugs here, but they didn’t find anything.”
Cruz said federal agents raided the market and threw all the products to the floor, which includes creams and other pharmaceutical items. Agents also pulled down a security camera at the market.
Jose Ramirez, a street vendor on Sixth and Alvarado said, watched the aftermath of the raid from the sidewalk.
“I don’t know if this is all for show, but this made people afraid and the businesses that are barely surviving, I don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” he said. “There’s other ways to combat drug trafficking. I don’t know what the mayor is thinking.”
Others in the neighborhood said they support the operation in response to the ongoing drug use at the park.
Victoria Sykes, has lived in the neighborhood for the past five years and has been visiting the area for at least two decades.
“I’ve seen people dealing drugs here on Alvarado and I personally support what happened here today because I think drugs should leave this neighborhood. It’s not safe. We need to clean it up,” Sykes said.
The federal indictment names several people, including Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, 31, and Jackson Tarfur, 28, who are both from the Westmont neighborhood in South Los Angeles. Authorities claim that the couple hand-delivered drugs to storefronts and dealers street-level dealers. Federal documents detail 27 drug deals of fentanyl and methamphetamine from March 9 to April 15 in and around MacArthur Park.
The indictment references multiple street gangs, including 18th Street. Chrysanthis with the DEA said the operation is intended to send a message to the drug traffickers who operate out of the park.
“This is our park. This park belongs to the people of Los Angeles and to anyone who wants to sell drugs, I want them to look around because at any day we can come back and take it,” he said.
When asked why the operation took place now, Chrysanthis said, “FIFA is coming. The Super Bowl is coming. The Olympics are coming. It’s time to give the community back to the people of LA.”
