Zach Behrens

The teenager arrested on suspicion of setting at least 14 fires in the Yucaipa area has been charged with setting two of them, reports the LA Times. One of the fires was in the Crafton Hills area. The total acreage burned under the fires allegedly set by 16-year-old Ricky Sean Lukacs is around 1,000....

2010 is bringing about some good prospects, including deals to bring you entertainment all year long. The Roxy in West Hollywood yesterday launched Club Rox, a new limited $100 program that gets you into any show at The Roxy and the upstairs On the Rox as long as they are not a private event or a non-ticketed show. "This is our way of showing our appreciation for all of our loyal customers and new patrons we’ve met this past year," the venue's blog explained...

LAPD traffic detectives are seeking the public’s help with additional information that could help explain the cause of yesterday's traffic collision which involved two cars and a Mertolink train. As the LAPD tells it, here's what happened:

In 1992, the year of the riots, there were around 1,500 murders | Photo bya bcmacsac1 via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr As the year-end approaches, statistics on crime are coming out. Los Angeles' murder rate topped 300 over the weekend, according to the Daily News, but that was still over 60 murders less than last year. Overall, L.A. County has seen a drop in crime throughout. Areas patrolled by Sheriff's Deputies saw the...

Los Angeles Attorney Dolly Gee today became the first Chinese-American woman in U.S. history to serve as a federal district court judge when the Senate confirmed as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California. “Dolly Gee has an exemplary record and she will be an outstanding addition to the federal bench," said Senator Barbara Boxer, who recommended to President Barack Obama that Gee be nominated. "As a daughter of immigrants from rural China, she personifies the American dream. She used her position as a prominent attorney in Los Angeles to promote racial tolerance..."

The man charged with leading the office that investigates complaints and use of force incidents along with auditing the Los Angeles Police Department yesterday was nominated by President Barack Obama to be a United States Attorney. André Birotte, Jr. has been L.A.'s Inspector General since 2003, joining the office two years prior. “These men and women have not only the legal experience and aptitude, but the commitment to public service to make exemplary United...

Photo by Symic via Flickr In a contentious fight that some say will define West Hollywood, the City Council Monday night took the first steps toward banning smoking (.pdf), voting to "direct the City Attorney to draft a comprehensive ordinance prohibiting smoking in outdoor patios and open air spaces at restaurants, bars and other establishments with common outdoor patios or open air spaces." If passed, it would put the city in line with Los...

Over a two-year period, Los Angeles increased revenues from red light enforcement cameras from $200,000 to $400,000. The culprit? A recent doubling in fines for running red lights when making a right turn. The LA Times explains: The change, based on a legal recommendation from the city attorney, affects thousands of motorists each year who make rolling right turns against red lights -- known as "California stops." According to Los Angeles Police Department estimates...

Between the storms | Photo by bill90814 via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Department store windows are a big deal in some cities around Christmas time, including Los Angeles of yesteryear. More on why cyclists should continue taking a stand against DWP's Festival of Lights. Sarah Palin on Twitter yesterday questioned if "death panels back in?" the national health care debate. "With Los Angeles County and most of its 88 cities struggling with double-digit...

Photo by Ca-los! via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr More examples of delayed fire department responses linked to budget cuts are coming to light. One of the most recent incidents involved a 22-year-old South L.A. woman suffering from a cardiac arrest. "Normally, the closest paramedic-staffed engine would have been a half-mile away," explained the LA Times. "However, that engine had been shut down and a unit 1.7 miles away responded instead, arriving four minutes...

The Los Angeles Zoo recently received a little surprise when a female Kikuyu colobus monkey on contraceptives gave birth on November 27th. The sex of hasn't been identified yet, but it weighed about a pound and measured around eight inches long. "Because breeding is closely monitored to comply with the Species Survival Program (SSP) and the L.A. Zoo*s colobus monkeys are genetically well represented in North American zoos, the mother was placed on implant contraceptives in October 2008," explained the Zoo's public information officer, Jason Jacobs, in a news release. "They were meant to be effective for a period of two years, which is why this adorable baby was such a surprise for the Zoo!"

As with every year, Metro is offering free rides on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. tomorrow and next week Thursday, all rides are free no matter what bus or train you're on. Remember, however, to check schedules as it is only on New Years Eve when certain lines will have 24-hour service (including the Orange Line)....