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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
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Closed during the pandemic, the Elysian Valley and Sepulveda Basin recreation zones are reopening this Memorial Day for hiking, fishing, kayaking and bird watching.
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David Ordaz Jr. was in the midst of a mental health crisis when a family member turned to law enforcement for help. Now, charges have been filed against one of the deputies involved in his killing.
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Last fall, the Board of Supes approved a proposal to dismantle juvenile halls and probation camps. Five months later, the money to fund the plan isn’t in the County CEO's initial budget proposal.
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The supervisors’ vote comes on the same day the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles released a new report detailing claims of “aggressive and continuous” harassment by deputies of two families.
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The bulk of the money — about $53 million — would go towards training, after three separate reports on the department’s handling of last summer’s demonstrations stressed that as a deficiency.
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Body cam video of the March 31 incident in which a deputy shot and wounded Isaias Cervantes only shows part of what happened. The family’s lawyer and disability rights advocates say the footage proves deputies needlessly escalated the situation.
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Some $10 million would go towards alternative mental health crisis response programs, which have yet to be finalized.
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Sheriff Alex Villanueva says he will release the video once he's given Isaias Cervantes' family a chance to view it.
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Training — from command staff operations to use of less lethal weapons — is a throughline in three reports commissioned in response to last year's unrest.
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The number of Mental Evaluation Unit teams has gone down over the last five years, from 17 to just 12.
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The family of Isaias Cervantes says he was unarmed and its lawyer says Cervantes was 'completely compliant' when a deputy allegedly shot him in the back. The Sheriff's Department says Cervantes was assaulting a deputy and trying to take his gun when he was shot.
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The proposal calls for diverting 4,500 people with mental health issues out of jail and greatly expanding mental health and substance use treatment.
