By Paulo Murillo | LOS ANGELES – The Christopher Street West Association (CSW) that produces the LA Pride celebration – announced Tuesday that multi-award winning global superstars Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion will headline LA Pride in the Park, with additional artists to be announced.

Following last year’s overwhelming success and demand, the multi-stage event will expand to a two-day concert experience with headliners Megan Thee Stallion on June 9 and Mariah Carey on June 10 at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Across 32 acres and with a capacity for 25,000, LA Pride in the Park is one of the most sought after and largest Official Pride concerts in the country. Additionally, the official theme for this year’s Pride season is “All Out with Pride,” which celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community’s diversity, resilience, and joy.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of LA Pride 2023,” exclaimed Carey. “I am happy to be back in person celebrating with the LGBTQIA+ community here in Southern California and throughout all of the lands!!! Let’s come together to celebrate love, inclusion, and Pride.”

“I can’t wait to headline LA Pride in the Park and celebrate the phenomenal LGBTQIA+ community,” said Megan. “This incredible event advocates for diversity, inclusivity and equality, so I’m honored to perform and have a blast with all of the Hotties in attendance.”

“Mariah Carey and Megan Thee Stallion are the perfect artists to headline LA Pride in the Park this year as we expand to two days,” said Gerald Garth, board president of LA Pride. “These empowering and iconic women are sure to take the stage by storm to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and will undoubtedly make this year’s LA Pride in the Park an unforgettable experience.”

Early Bird Single Day and Weekend passes are sold out. General Single Day ($69) and Weekend ($119) as well as VIP Single Day ($299) and VIP Weekend ($549) are now available to purchase at lapride.org.

Carey has been a longtime ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and has spoken out in support of equality and acceptance. In 2016, she received the Ally Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for her work to advance LGBTQIA+ rights. In addition to her advocacy work, Carey has also been a vocal supporter of LGBTQIA+ artists and creatives.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in 2021, awarded Megan Thee Stallion, a three-time GRAMMY-winning recording artist, the 18th Congressional District Hero Award in Houston for her humanitarian initiatives. out against the intolerance of the LGBTQIA+ community within the hip-hop genre.

Stallion told People magazine in a 2021 interview that, “Representation is important, and it is really crucial for us all to have compassion and acceptance of every human.”

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Paulo Murillo is Editor in Chief and Publisher of WEHO TIMES. He brings over 20 years of experience as a columnist, reporter, and photo journalist.

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The preceding article was previously published by WeHo Times and is republished with permission.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Marathon will take over the city of Angels for the 38th running March 19, 2023.

The weekend includes a 2-day Health & Fitness Expo at the famed Dodger Stadium on March 17 – 18, a Saturday 5K, the LA Big 5K, and the Charity Half Marathon and Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 19.

The marathon will result in widespread road and freeway ramp closures throughout the city on Sunday morning into the early afternoon.

The 26.2-mile race begins at Dodger Stadium, ends on Avenue of the Stars in Century City, and passes through some of L.A.’s most historic neighborhoods including Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Hollywood, West Hollywood, parts of Historic Route 66, and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Freeway ramp closures include (times vary):

Northbound 110:

• Hill Street/Stadium Way
• 110 N/B to 101 S/B Temple Street

Southbound 110:

• Hill Street
• Stadium Way
• Sunset Boulevard 

Southbound 101:

• Temple Street
• Broadway
• Highland Boulevard
• Vine Street (Right turn lane)
• Gower Sttreet (Right turn lane)
• Hollywood Boulevard

Northbound 101:

• Spring Street
• Grand Avenue
• Echo Park Avenue/Glendale Boulevard
• Hollywood Boulevard
• Gower Street (Left turn lane)

Southbound 405:

• Santa Monica Boulevard(Left lane)
• Wilshire Boulevard(eastbound)
• Wilshire Boulevard (westbound)

See the full list of freeway ramp closures with specific times: (Link)

Marathon street closures will be extensive, generally starting at 4 a.m. and reopening progressively as the final athletes travel the course.

UPDATED WEDNESDAY 8 March: The LAPD announced that the man believed to be the suspect in the brazen fatal stabbing of Xavier Chavarin, a straight-A student who attended Woodrow Wilson High School, was taken into custody after barricading himself inside an Alhambra home.

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Bureau Homicide detectives are asking for the public’s help in providing any information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect involved in the murder of a teenager.

Last Friday officers from the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Station responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon at around 3:55 p.m. in the 4500 block of Valley Boulevard. When the officers arrived, they located a 17-year-old male victim suffering from stab wounds.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and attempted to perform life saving measures, but unfortunately the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at scene.

Xavier Chavarin, a straight-A student who attended Woodrow Wilson High School and was supposed to graduate this June, was waiting outside King Torta restaurant for his mother to pick him up.

Surveillance footage obtained by LAPD homicide investigators captured the suspect stabbing Chavarin. According to the LAPD, the unnamed suspect drove to the location exited his vehicle and approached the victim standing on the sidewalk. The suspect produced a large knife and stabbed the victim multiple times.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, long wavy black hair with a long beard, wearing a long black jacket with a black shirt underneath, black pants, black shoes, and a black baseball hat with white writing. The suspect’s vehicle is described as a 1996-2001 Honda CR-V SUV, black in color.

In an interview with KABC 7, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he was shocked by the attack and sent 10 additional counselors to Woodrow Wilson High School to comfort staff and students.

“I’m shocked, as the entire community should be shocked,” Carvalho said. “When something goes wrong with a kid like that, the entire community should bow its head and think about what’s happening in Los Angeles.”

Chavarin’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral and memorial services.

Detectives believe the same suspect is involved in a separate assault with a deadly weapon cutting, on March 3, 2023, around 8:55 p.m. at the 5400 block of Valley Boulevard. The suspect approached the 33-year-old victim and stabbed him several times without saying anything. The suspect in this incident appears to wear the same clothing, however he was not wearing the baseball hat and he was riding a skateboard during his assault.

Detectives believe the same suspect is involved in a separate assault with a deadly weapon cutting, on March 3, 2023, around 8:55 p.m. at the 5400 block of Valley Boulevard. The suspect approached the 33-year-old victim and stabbed him several times without saying anything. The suspect in this incident appears to wear the same clothing, however he was not wearing the baseball hat and he was riding a skateboard during his assault.

Two Stabbings Leaves One Dead:

Anyone with additional information is urged to call Central Bureau Homicide Detective J. Calzadillas, or S. Ruiz at (213) 996-4116.

During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. 

Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. 

Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the LA Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.

By  Ileana Wachtel  | LOS ANGELES – In March, nearly 1.4 million CalFresh beneficiaries in Los Angeles County will receive their final pandemic-era boost intended to help make food more affordable for low-income people. Every household will receive at least $95/month less, and some could see reductions of as much as $250/month.

The expiration of the three-year-long supplement to the federal program, known as SNAP in other states (and formerly known as “food stamps”), coincides with new research findings revealing that last year, more than 1 in 3 (37%) of low-income residents of L.A. County experienced food insecurity. That’s 10 percentage points higher than in 2018 and just 5 points shy of the early pandemic rate of 42% in 2020.

Food insecurity is defined as a lack of access to enough food to live a healthy, active life.

The study, published by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ Public Exchange, also determined that about 1 in 4 of all Angelenos, or approximately 800,000 households, experienced food insecurity in 2022.

Key Points:

• In 2022, 37% of low-income Angelenos experienced food insecurity — 10 percentage points higher than 2018 and just 5 points shy of the early pandemic rate of 42% in 2020.
• Nearly one-quarter of all Angelenos — about 800,000 households — experienced food insecurity in 2022. Rates for Latino and Black residents were three times higher than for white residents.
• During the pandemic, beneficiaries of the federal food assistance program, known as CalFresh in California and SNAP in other states, received an emergency boost in payments. March is the last month the three-year long supplement will be offered.
• A related study of four eastside L.A. neighborhoods designated “food deserts” revealed that the biggest issue for residents isn’t access to food but rather price, quality and variety.

“After a dip in 2021, food insecurity clearly worsened last year. The expiration of the emergency boost to the CalFresh program, while inflation and food costs remain high, could push low-income Angelenos to the precipice of a ‘hunger cliff,’” said Kayla de la Haye, the lead researcher and associate professor of population and public health sciences at Keck School of Medicine of USC.

As one Latina mother explained to researchers in December 2022: “[During the pandemic] that was my fear, that [my children] didn’t have enough. I started skipping a meal to make sure they were fed. And it’s worse now. Because the bills went so [high]. And it’s kind of scary.”

Women, young adults, and Latino and Black residents were disproportionately impacted by food insecurity in L.A. County in 2022, with rates of food insecurity three times higher among Latino (33%) and Black (33%) Angelenos than white residents (11%). Additionally, more than 4 in 10 food-insecure households have children.

The CalFresh program was created to improve the health and well-being of low-income Californians through financial assistance that can be used to buy food at many markets and food stores. The emergency boost in benefits was introduced in March 2020.

The study findings are based on data from a representative sample of more than 1,000 L.A. County residents who participate in the USC Dornsife Understanding America Study.

L.A.’s Eastside: Many Grocers — Few Affordable, Quality Options

A related study led by de la Haye and coordinated by USC Dornsife’s Public Exchange evaluated access to food by residents of Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno and City Terrace — eastside neighborhoods designated “food deserts” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The researchers determined that contrary to what the “food desert” label suggests, those neighborhoods have 269 retail outlets that sell groceries. Nine in 10 households had access to six or more stores selling groceries within a 15-minute walk of their home. A lack of access to food stores, which is a contributor to food insecurity and health, wasn’t a top concern for residents — however high prices, low quality food and a limited variety of healthy items were.

“The stores in my neighborhood are small and a little pricey,” said one eastside resident. “But if you need something immediate, this is where you come. … Sometimes the vegetables go bad quickly, faster than other companies.”

Many in the predominately Latino neighborhoods said they had to go to multiple stores to get the type and quality of groceries they want, which adds time and transportation challenges. They also said they’d like to see existing stores provide better access to a wider variety of food that is healthy, high-quality, organic and affordable.

To address the issues they identified, the researchers include several recommendations in their study report:

• Leverage existing programs, or develop new programs and initiatives, to improve the quality, variety and healthfulness of foods.
• Identify more opportunities to make high-quality, organic, healthy foods more affordable. For example, expand subsidies and enrollment in government food programs like CalFresh and Market Match, and help local grocers get set up to accept them.
• Tailor strategies to improve access to groceries to households that need it most. .
• Expand community programs that can supplement healthy food access and strengthen a culture of healthy eating and well-being.

Read the complete study (link)

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The preceding article was previously published by USC Dornsife’s Public Exchange and is republished with permission.

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Police Department is asking for the community’s help in providing any information that would assist in identifying a man wanted for attempted kidnapping and robbery on campus.

UCLA police investigators said that on February 5 at about 4:30pm, that a suspect described as a Black male between 25 and 40 years old, 5’10”, slim build, short dark hair, brown eyes, and wearing a dark blue shirt with white lettering with light blue jeans. approached a victim near Parking Structure 1 on campus.

He grabbed and held her hands and refused to let go, demanded she provide him money, and attempted to take her to another location while claiming he had a gun although the victim said she didn’t see a weapon. Then, at about 6:45pm, a suspect with a similar description approached 2 other victims near Structure 7 and committed similar acts.

In both cases, the victims, who are are UCLA Students. were able to pull away from suspect and leave the area. Police added that the suspect had an orange/red blanket with him during second incident. A witness later described contact with someone who resembled the suspect wearing a black “puffy” jacket with the right sleeve missing.

With assistance of the victims, the sketch depicted above was created. (Featured image)

If you have any information, please contact:

Detective M. Freund at the UCLA Police Department at 310-825-1491 (24 hour line) or the UCLA Police Department Anonymous Reporting Line at 310-794-5824 and refer to report #23-0283.

Note: The Anonymous Reporting Line is not monitored 24/7.

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park (D- CD11), led a unanimous vote on Wednesday by the city council to approve a historic $65 million agreement between Los Angeles World Airports and Lulu’s Place that will bring state-of-the-art recreational and enrichment opportunities to approximately 20 acres of LAX’s Northside Area.

The transformative project will include new tennis courts, soccer fields, a dog park and community playground.

“Activating LAX’s Northside area with green spaces and recreational opportunities has been a long-time community vision,” said Councilwoman Park. “I’m thankful for this groundbreaking partnership with Los Angeles World Airports and Lulu’s Place, which will serve and enrich countless generations of Westchester residents and Angelenos, while honoring the life and legacy of an extraordinary woman  – Lulu Kimmelman.”

The restoration of LAX’s Northside Area for community-based uses goes back decades when LAWA first acquired 340 acres of land abutting LAX’s northern boundary in the 1970s. After robust community engagement, the City Council approved an Environmental Impact Report for the site in 2016 which envisioned the development of new green spaces, airport use, and commercial use, in addition to design guidelines for the site.

“Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is excited to work with CD11, the community, and the Kimmelman Foundation and its partners to bring a state-of-the-art recreational facility to a portion of the vacant LAX Northside campus,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, LAWA. “The Lulu’s Place team is developing this multimillion-dollar facility that will bring tennis courts, pickleball courts, soccer and multi-purpose fields, a dog park and a children’s playground to the community at no cost to the City or to the airport.”

Lulu’s Place is inspired by the passion and generosity of its namesake – Carol “Lulu” Kimmelman – a California native who passed away in 2017. A lifelong tennis player and former public school elementary teacher, Lulu believed fervently in the power of tennis and other sports to transform the lives of young people from all backgrounds. 

“Lulu believed all children have the potential to achieve greatness. By harnessing the power of athletics and education, Lulu’s Place will serve generations of young Angelenos as a living legacy to an extraordinary woman,” said Doug Kimmelman, president of the Kimmelman Family Foundation and husband of Lulu Kimmelman. “We’re grateful to LAWA, Councilmember Park, and Mayor Bass for enabling yesterday’s momentous approval, and look forward to being great partners with the City as this world-class community center takes shape.”

The project has been celebrated by the local community, over 100 of whom gave public comments and submitted letters of support during this week’s Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee, which heard the item before City Council’s consideration.  

“As a mother and president of the NCWP, this is an exciting investment in our community that will bring new recreational opportunities for our children to add to the resources available to our local schools,” said Paula Gerez. “ I am proud of the significant role our Neighborhood Council played in working with the Kimmelman Foundation to make sure Lulu’s Place is successful, and we look forward to the on-going partnership that will help shape this project as it moves forward.”

“The Lulu’s Place project is an exciting one for the St. Bernard High School community, and I am thrilled about our families having access to the amazing parks, athletic facilities and especially the learning opportunities, said Rosalie Roberts, principal of St. Bernard High School. “As an educator for more than 20 years, I know these learning resources can change the lives and the future academic trajectories of a young person by exposing them to hands-on relevant learning opportunities. We are grateful that the Lulu’s Place project is moving forward.”

In approving the lease, Councilwoman Park also instructed Los Angeles World Airports to continue their engagement with the surrounding community to address concerns related to the construction and operation of the project.

LOS ANGELES – After an hours long stand-off outside a home at Willis Avenue and Burbank Boulevard in Van Nuys with FBI agents, Eric Christie was arrested for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Christie is seen in multiple video and still photos on the East Front Capitol steps wearing a black sweatshirt with ‘Fags for Trump’ silkscreened on it, draped in a Pride flag, and carrying a hammer.

According to NBC News, Christie is a known local far-right anti-vaxxer and protested against coronavirus pandemic restrictions around the Los Angeles region and often attended rallies supporting former president Trump.

Christie, whom the Associated Press said is 56 years old, was identified for his role in the January 6 insurrection by online sleuths and was publicly identified and named by the anti-fascist activist and security researcher Chad Loder in February 2021.

The U.S. Department of Justice still has Christie’s case under seal, though the criminal complaint reveals some of Christie’s alleged actions that day.

According to prosecutors, he ran toward the Capitol after a crowd pushed through barriers, then runs up steps on the east side of the building while repeating “This is our Capitol” on the bullhorn.

He later stood atop a government vehicle parked near the Capitol and added more chants to his bullhorn, including “It’s a MAGA party, it’s a MAGA party,” “Welcome to MAGA country, District of Columbia” and “Beverly Hills is in the house,” prosecutors said.

“Christie was previously named by a defense attorney in another Jan. 6 case, in which the court filing suggested Christie was a ‘suspicious actor’ and questioned why he hadn’t been arrested yet,” NBC News also reported.

Christie was also a write-in candidate for Los Angeles City Council in 2020.

According to law enforcement sources he was arrested at an address associated with him.

Breaking: After an hours-long standoff, the FBI arrested LA resident Eric Christie for his involvement in Jan. 6, sources confirm.

Christie, a write-in candidate for city council in 2020, appeared at the riot in a “fags for trump” shirt and carrying a hammer. pic.twitter.com/oybof7i1ZJ

— Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) December 23, 2022

LOS ANGELES – In her first official press conference, newly sworn-in L.A. City Mayor Karen Bass issued a declaration marking a state of emergency on the city’s homelessness crisis as her first official act as mayor.

Flanked by L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian and Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn along with other elected and city officials, Bass told reporters “we are united and serious about the city’s crisis of homelessness.”

“I will not accept a homeless crisis that afflicts more than 40,000 Angelenos and affects every one of us. It is a humanitarian crisis that takes the life of five people every day,” the mayor added just prior to officially signing the declaration. “It must stop, and change starts now…There will be no holding back on my watch.”

Her campaign for the office of Mayor of L.A. was largely focused on ending the homeless crisis — a promise the new Mayor addressed Sunday in her inaugural speech. 

“Tragically, our city has earned the shameful crown as being home to some of the most crowded neighborhoods in the nation—Pico Union, South L.A., East L.A., the East Valley. We know our mission – we must build housing in every neighborhood,” Bass told the audience gathered at Microsoft Theatre.

The latest count by the L.A. Homeless Services Authority revealed that there were 41,980 unhoused people in the city this past year, up 1.7% from 2020.

“The mayor’s first priority and likely the main one for some time to come is homelessness,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles told KABC 7 Eyewitness News Monday.

“The voters don’t expect a miracle but will be looking for a clear and credible path toward measurable and visible improvement,” Sonenshein said. “It’s an opportunity for an energetic reset on a crisis that has seemed stuck, and also a chance to restore confidence in local government in Los Angeles.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declares a state of emergency on homelessness:

The order immediately gives Mayor Bass the power to lift rules and regulations that slow or prevent the building of permanent and temporary housing for the unhoused; to expedite contracts that prioritize bringing unhoused Angelenos inside; and that allow the city to acquire rooms, properties and land for housing for Angelenos in need. Moving forward, Mayor Bass will issue executive directives to advance these critical reforms.

Immediately prior to signing the declaration, Mayor Bass met with her department heads – as well as the heads of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and Metro – to outline her strategy to move Los Angeles forward with a unified approach to homelessness. The Los Angeles County CEO was also present for the meeting.

She also met with frontline service providers and Janice Hahn, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; Hydee Feldstein Soto, City Attorney; Kenneth Mejia, City Controller; Paul Krekorian, City Council President; Curren Price, President pro tempore, Los Angeles City Council; and Nithya Raman, Los Angeles City Councilmember and Chair of the Homelessness and Poverty Committee.

All of the above attended the signing. 

LOS ANGELES – In a unanimous vote, the Los Angeles City Council today approved an ordinance that will prohibit the distribution and sale of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) products, commonly referred to under the trade name Styrofoam, in the City of Los Angeles.

“I am pleased that we were able to advance yet another transformative environmental policy with unanimous support of the City Council,” said Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, the chair of the Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River committee. “Angelenos want to be good stewards of the environment, and this legislation is reflective of that value – as well as the urgency with which it must be implemented. There is no place in the City of Los Angeles for harmful environmental products like Styrofoam, and with today’s decisive action we are making that imperative a reality. I hope that future Councils, along with other jurisdictions across the country and the world, follow our lead on environmental justice and the elimination of products that degrade public health.”

“Our world is drowning in plastic. To the point where, in any given week, each of us ingests enough plastic from our food and water to make a credit card,” said Council President Paul Krekorian.  “The petrochemical industry is lying to the people of the United States by trying to convince them that somehow it’s OK to use these products because they’re recyclable. They’re not. Almost no plastic ever gets recycled and styrofoam definitely does not.  The steps that we’re taking today are an important part of changing industries, changing consumer behavior and educating the public about the harm that this is causing them,”  Krekorian said.

“EPS foam, also known as Styrofoam, is toxic from production to usage to landfill. The Styrene and Benzene in EPS are both known carcinogens and can also negatively affect workers inside EPS factories. The manufacturing process can contaminate neighborhoods outside EPS factories. The toxins can leach into hot drinks and food as people use cups and food containers. And then EPS ends up as little white bits marring our world-class beaches,” said Councilmember Paul Koretz, the author of the original legislation. “Even worse, the manufacturing process releases significant amounts of hydrofluorocarbons, which are massively potent greenhouse gasses. It’s way past time for Styrofoam to go away forever.”

The Council also approved an additional ordinance that adds to the Los Angeles Municipal Code a section promoting the use of reusable bags and regulating the use of plastic and paper single-use carryout bags at apparel stores, farmers’ markets, food or beverage facilities, hardware stores, and open air markets. In addition, the Council approved instructions to LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) requiring reports back to the Council, by April 2025, regarding compliance with these new policies. The Council also instructed LASAN to prepare outreach programs to educate stakeholders on both ordinances.

Additionally, the Council requested that all proprietary departments, along with their respective boards, adopt and implement the ordinance requiring “zero waste” at City facilities and events, along with a direction to LASAN to prepare an outreach program and further instruction to all departments to report back on progress with this ordinance, which was passed earlier this year. 

“LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) has a unique responsibility when it comes to protecting public health and the environment,” said Alex Helou, LASAN Assistant Director. “We do that through the hard work of collecting, recycling and composting materials, but also through the much less visible work of educating residents on what can and can’t be recycled. Items like expanded polystyrene, plastic bags and single-use foodware accessories do not belong in the blue bin.”

“For more than 30 years, Heal the Bay has conducted thousands of cleanups, removing millions of pieces of plastic off of our beaches and out of our waterways. It is clear that cleanups will never solve the issue of plastic pollution. To truly protect public health, we need aggressive and responsible solutions like today’s unanimous vote by the Los Angeles City Council to ban polystyrene addressing upstream sources and slowing the production and sale of plastic products, said Tracy Quinn, President and CEO of Heal the Bay. “We commend Councilmembers Koretz, Krekorian, and O’Farrell for their leadership on this issue and look forward to helping put these laws into effect in the new year.”

LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge handed down a sentence of 21 years in a California prison to James Howard Jackson, who had shot then thirty-year-old Ryan Fischer, a gay professional dog walker in Hollywood on Feb. 24, 2021.

The robbery/dognapping made global headlines after it was revealed that the two French Bulldogs taken were owned by Oscar and Grammy award winning singer Stefani Germanotta, known as Lady Gaga.

Fischer was walking three of the singer’s dogs when Jackson shot him during a struggle and then along with an accomplice grabbed two of the dogs in the 1500 block of N. Sierra Bonita Avenue just off Sunset Blvd, taking off in a late-model white Nissan Altima 4-door sedan.

The Lady Gaga connection was a coincidence, authorities told KTLA/Associated Press. The motive was the value of the French bulldogs, a breed that can run into the thousands of dollars, and detectives do not believe the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the musician.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the sentence handed down was part of a plea deal.

“The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a coldhearted violent act and provides justice for our victim,” the office said in a statement. Howard had been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

In a victim’s impact statement made prior to Jackson’s sentencing, Fischer said:

“Your honor, thank you for the opportunity to give my impact statement here in court, and for everything you, Michele Hanisee [Deputy LA District Attorney] and the DA’s office, and detectives and law enforcement have done to bring these cases to completion. It’s hard to believe that it’s nearing 2 years since I was taking Asia, Koji and Gustav out for an evening stroll when – in an instant – I suddenly found myself fighting with everything I had to protect those dogs from being stolen. But it wasn’t enough: I was beaten, strangled, shot and left to die bleeding out on a sidewalk and gasping for my life. And Koji and Gustav were gone.

In some ways that night and everything that followed: from hospital stays, lung collapse after lung collapse and eventual surgery and partial removal- physical therapy that I’m still in to get mobility and sensation fully restored in my shoulder, chest and hand, the media storm that made me terrified to even go back to my home or walk on the street, the loss of a career, friendships, sense of self and savings and then aimlessly traveling this country for over a year as I went into debt, contemplated suicide, and struggled – and continue to struggle – with my identity and how to move past such a life-changing, earth-shattering event…

Sometimes it feels like all that happened to someone else, and other times it feels like I never left that sidewalk. A part of me is still trying desperately to save those dogs knowing you were going to shoot me. I’m sure it feels the same for you, Mr. Jackson. I imagine you’re on that sidewalk sometimes too. You shot me and left me to die, and both of our lives have changed forever. A limbo neither of us asked to be in.

In my darkest hours, when I feel lost and abandoned and mourn a life and those dogs I sacrificed myself for, a life I’ve accepted – through a lot of therapy – I’ve accepted I’ll never see again, I try to focus on what I’ve gained:

• A deeper love for friends and family that have shown up and continue to show up even when I’m still such a mess. I love you and thank you.
• That, despite everything and the trauma I still work through in regards to them, I love dogs so so much and look forward to continue bringing them back into my life.
• Gratitude for strangers that became family and have supported me in countless ways.
• And that I finally feel healthy enough to stop running from my problems.
• Forgiving myself for not being able to save those dogs that night and falling down again and again these last two years.
• Forgiving friends who didn’t and don’t know how to be there for me in the lengthy recovery process this continues to be.

And forgiveness for you. It’s something I’m still working on but I do forgive you and everyone involved with the attack. You completely altered my life, and I know I can’t fully move forward from the night you shot me until I said those words to you.

My hope for you is the same for me: to live a life of purpose and grow from what happened that night. Moving forward, it’s going to be a hard road for both of us, and I know from prison it won’t be easy. But I do hope you find a calling there as I continue to search for my own and live life contributing to others. It’s the only way to heal from this experience.

I also wanted to give gratitude, to thank you for not killing – for not harming – the dogs after everything and the media storm. They were returned and returned to their mom. I don’t think I could have lived with myself if they died.

And, in general, I just wanted to say how guns have impacted my life and countless others and continue to harm our society. I look forward to contributing to a future that doesn’t destroy so many lives and so many people in this country. It doesn’t make sense to fear for your life at school, places of worship, clubs, or when you’re taking dogs out for an evening stroll.

Thank you all for your time today.“

KTLA/AP also reported that another accomplice, Harold White, pleaded no contest Monday to a count of ex-convict in possession of a gun. White, who was in a relationship with McBride at the time, will be sentenced next year.

The couple had allegedly tried to help White’s son, Jaylin White, avoid arrest in the aftermath of the shooting.

Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley earlier this year pleaded no contest to robbery.