Lindsay William-Ross

19-year-old Nathan Ramon Wells is learning the very hard way that aiming a laser pointer at the wrong target at the wrong time has some serious consequences. The Cathedral City man was sentenced yesterday to serve 15 months in a federal prison, along with three years on supervised release. Wells pointed a green laser at a California Highway Patrol helicopter on June 3, 2009, as the aircraft was assisting the local police in a...

Congrats to everyone who took part in the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon today! (Photo by fordsbasement via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr) The latest LA Times poll shows Boxer leads Fiorina 50% to 42% in their Senate race, and Brown leads Whitman 52% to 39% for Governor. A man was killed and a woman seriously burned as they tried to steal copper wire from a vacant lot in South Gate. Swimmer...

Getting in the Halloween spirit (Photo by Plutor via Flickr) At least 35 people were arrested last night during the course of the 13th Annual Halloween Monster Massive, a rave and live music event held at the L.A. Sports Arena, reports ABC7. "Of those arrested, most will face narcotic possession charges for having either marijuana or ecstasy with them, Los Angeles police Sgt. Brandea Hill of the Southwest station said. There were also a...

One man was wounded, but is in stable condition, following what appears to be a gang-related shooting that took place last night outside a Chuck E. Cheese in Torrance, according to CBS. The victim had multiple gunshot wounds to the torso area. Most witnesses fled the scene, but officers have determined about 8-10 alleged gang members had been fighting in the parking lot. Torrance police Sgt. Jeremiah Hart shares many people's surprise about the...

Photo by andrewarchy via Flickr Starting today and running for an entire week, a number of independent boutiques are each offering special discounts to shoppers as part of Boutique Week, happening October 24-31 in several major U.S. cities. Among the L.A. boutiques participating in this semi-annual event include Una Mae's, Betsey Johnson, Calleen Cordero, Unique Vintage, Clever, Atmosphere, and more; a full list and access to discounts is here. You'll need to get the...

Photo by Archie Tucker via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Public funeral services will be held Monday for state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, who died last week at age 53 after a long illness. Late last night an SUV knocked down a tree onto the 101 Hollywood Freeway near Universal Studios, causing accidents and a major traffic jam. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Authorities in Hawthorne are investigating the double murder of...

Authorities in Costa Mesa say that medical examiners have been able to determine the identity of a female corpse that has spent the last several months in the passenger seat of another woman's vehicle, according to MyFox LA. The Orange County coroner's office hydrated the fingertips on the mummified, withered body in order to obtain fingerprints. The deceased, a homeless woman, apparently befriended the car's driver, who allowed her to spend the night in...

A 26-year-old woman was wounded in a drive by shooting that took place over night in the Jefferson Park neighborhood, reports KTLA. The victim was shot in the head as she sat in her car while "a suspected gang member fired multiple rounds at a rival driving a passing car." After being shot, the woman managed to drive herself to the nearest hospital, where she is now listed in stable condition....

Photo by courtney____ via Flickr South Pasadena's City Council has approved an ordinance that aims to protect school-age kids of the future, according to the Pasadena Star-News, by ensuring retailers don't sell cigarettes near schools. The new ordinance "prohibit[s] the sale of tobacco within 500 feet of public schools," which isn't actually a current issue, "since there are no stores that sell tobacco products that are within the proximity limit." The aim is to...

Motorists traveling on Florence Avenue between Main and Broadway in South Los Angeles tonight can expect to encounter an LAPD sobriety and drivers license checkpoint slated to run from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. As usual, the LAPD has a regimented plan for the checkpoint in order to both penalize intoxicated drivers and to educate the public about the dangers of driving under the influence:

The Smokehouse is a smoky (natch) Scotch drink, garnished with bacon (Lindsay William-Ross/LAist) A chill in the air means for those who imbibe it's time to sip on some autumn-inspired cocktails aimed at warming us up from the inside out. Downtown's Drago Centro's bar program, in the hands of Beverage Director Michael Shearin and Head Bartender Jaymee Mandeville, has put together a comprehensive, innovative, and impressive fall cocktail menu. From the list, our 5...

Not all cookies make kids smile (Photo by visualpanic via Flickr) A trio of OC boys went to the hospital yesterday after ingesting cookies baked with marijuana, according to ABC7. The three friends, ages 9, 10, and 11, respectively, were given the laced cookies at the home of the eldest boy, where they each consumed one cookie, then went to a nearby park to play. While at the park, they all began to complain...