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Listen Listen
Robert Garrova
What I cover
I’m always on the hunt for esoteric history and strange haunts since my first LAist/KPCC internship over a decade ago. And I break down complicated mental health stories in a place where the L.A. County jail is the de-facto mental health institution and the system of care can feel intractable.
My background
I started at LAist as an intern back in 2013. My public media journey includes time directing Marketplace with Kai Ryssdal and being very cold as a reporter in New Hampshire.
My goals
I want my coverage to fascinate and surprise SoCal residents, even the ones who have been here the longest. And I want my mental health stories to help people living with mental illness and their families understand complicated systems of care while feeling less alone in their journey.
Best way to reach me
I would love to hear from you if you have feedback or concerns about Explore LA or mental health stories. You can reach out by email, rgarrova@laist.com
Stories by Robert Garrova
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Huntington Beach has partnered with a nonprofit provider that sends out two-person teams of crisis counselors to a range of calls involving non-violent mental health and substance use crises.
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The City Council voted Wednesday to request proposals for one or more contractors to head up a citywide pilot that will handle some behavioral health crises without the help of police.
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The June 30 explosion injured 27 people; the local city councilmember says the investigation confirms LAPD “negligence."
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The head of the school police officers union said one shooting involved two Santee students, the other involved two adults outside Maple Primary Center.
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If approved, the money would fund business grants, repairs, and mental health services for victims of the June 30 botched LAPD fireworks detonation that tore through a South L.A. Neighborhood.
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The agreement with the California Department of Justice comes after a years-long state investigation found Bakersfield police have carried out “unreasonable stops, searches, arrests, seizures,” and several other violations.
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A city council aide says the city is working "fast and furiously" to finish repairs and has put displaced households up in a hotel and given them $10,000 each.
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A new county pilot program is designed to give people who have a mental illness, substance use disorder, or are unhoused an offramp from the criminal justice system — before charges have been filed.
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The Sheriff's Department released deputy body-worn camera footage of the fatal shooting, several months after it occurred and a day after the Ordaz family announced it had filed a federal lawsuit.
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The lawsuit names four deputies who were on scene and accuses them of being “negligent,” “careless” and “using unjustifiable lethal force.”
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The L.A. City Council asked the City Attorney to ensure that affected families are compensated for injuries and property damage. A representative from the City Attorney’s office said it’s received 145 claims so far.
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Buck, a fixture in West Hollywood politics and a gay rights activist, could spend the rest of his life in prison for providing drugs that led to the overdose deaths of two men at his apartment.
