Media contact information for Randy Economy and Brian Hews and Los Cerritos Community Newspaper
Randy Economy and Brian Hews are "two of the best" Investigative Reporters in all of Southern California. They are responsible for uncovering the biggest 'political pay to pay scandal' in the HISTORY of Los Angeles County government, deep inside the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office. Randy and Brian's work has been featured on Fox News, NBC LA, CBS/KCAL, KTLK-AM 1150, The Mark Isler Show, The David Cruz Show, Univision Radio Network, KTLA News, Los Angeles Times, LA Daily News, KFI Talk Radio, KABC Talk Radio, KABC Eyewitness News and dozens of other media outlets across America. He is the On-Line Editor for Hews Media Group who publishes Los Cerritos Community Newspaper and the La Mirada Lamplighter. If you are interested in interviewing Randy and Brian for your news program, radio talk show, etc., drop an email to Randy@CerritosNews.net, or call 562 407-3873 during regular business hours. Thanks for all of your AMAZING SUPPORT and INTEREST! America's community newspapers are the BACK bone of a FREE MEDIA. Los Cerritos Community Newspaper can be found at www.loscerritosnews.net. Investigative Reporting is becoming a "lost art" here in the United States. Randy Economy and Brian Hews are determined to "keep politicians" on their toes and accountable.
Great GREAT NEWS! Last night, around 11:30 p.m., Judge Lefkowitz was found in the city of Carson in good health. What a relief for her many friends and family members.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Linda Lefkowitz has gone missing after leaving here home in Pacific Palisades on Monday. The 71-year-old Lefkowitz left her home to go to work at the Santa Monica Superior Court House, but apparently never made it to work. She has reportedly not been seen since 8:30 Monday morning.
Scary situation.... hope she is found and returns home to her family.
Remember Abdul Arian, the unarmed 19-year-old man who has shot by members of the Los Angeles Police Department after a high speed chase on the 101 Freeway? Turns out that Abdul was clean as a whistle that night according to toxicology reports released today.
90 rounds of gun fire were used by law enforcement. The entire situation was filmed lived all over Los Angeles.
Over reactions by law enforcement happen, but could this case have been prevented?
My heart goes out to Abdul's family, and his close friends.
Another large earthquake has hit Japan today. This time it was a 6.4 and is near Honshu. How much more can one country endure? Stay Tuned. Here are the official details about the quake.
113 km (70 miles) SE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
116 km (72 miles) NE of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
157 km (97 miles) ENE of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan
405 km (251 miles) NNE of TOKYO, Japan
I just heard the news that Rodney King has been found dead here in Los Angeles this morning.
This is from CNN: "Rodney King, whose beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 was caught on camera and sparked riots after the acquittal of the four officers involved, was found dead in his swimming pool Sunday, authorities and his fiancee confirmed. He was 47."
I am very saddened by his passing.
He changed America in many, many ways.
Keep him in your Prayers this day. Think about the impact this ONE person made in the lives of all of us here in Los Angeles, and around the world.
If you lived here in LA back during the "Rodney King Riots" you will truly understand the historical value of his passing today.
In November 1989, King robbed a store in Monterey Park, California by threatening to hit the store owner with an iron bar and then shot him. He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment.[3]
At the time of the beating, King was divorced and had three children.[3]
Incident
High speed chase
On the night of March 2, 1991, King and two passengers, Bryant Allen and Freddie Helms, were driving
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 30: Rodney King arives at EsoWon bookstore to sign copies of his new book, 'The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption,' on April 30, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. King is best known as the victim of a brutal police beating that took place in Los Angeles. It’s been 20 years since the Rodney King verdict that sparked infamous L.A. Riots. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
west on Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Prior to driving on the Foothill Freeway, the three men had spent the night watching a basketball game and drinking at a friend’s house in Los Angeles.[4] After being tested five hours after the incident, King's blood-alcohol level was found to be just under the legal limit. This meant that his blood alcohol level can be estimated at approximately 0.19 — which is almost two and a half times the legal limit in California — when he was driving.[5] At 12:30 am, Officers Tim and Melanie Singer, a husband-and-wife duo of the California Highway Patrol, spotted King’s car speeding. The officers then pursued King at high speeds, though the exact speed of the car is disputed. The initial police report stated that King had reached a speed of 117 miles per hour, but an LAPD officer later told reporters that the exact speed of King's car was closer to 90 miles per hour. [6][7] According to King’s own statements, he refused to pull the car over because he thought a DUI would violate his parole for a previous robbery conviction.[8]
King exited the freeway, and the chase continued through residential streets at speeds allegedly ranging from 55 to 80 mph.[9][10] By this point, several police cars and a helicopter had joined in the pursuit. After approximately eight miles, officers cornered King’s car. The first five LAPD officers to arrive at the scene were Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno, and Rolando Solano.
Confrontation
Screenshots of King lying down and being approached by LAPD officers
Officer Tim Singer ordered King and his two passengers to exit the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. The two passengers complied and were taken into custody without incident.[4] King initially remained in the car. When he finally did emerge, he acted bizarrely: giggling; patting the ground; and waving to the police helicopter overhead.[10] King then grabbed his buttocks. Officer Melanie Singer momentarily thought he was reaching for a gun.[11] She drew her gun and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. King complied. Singer approached King with her gun drawn, preparing to make the arrest.
At this point, Sergeant Stacey Koon intervened and ordered Officer Melanie Singer to holster her weapon. LAPD officers are taught not to approach a suspect with a drawn gun, as there is a risk of the suspect gaining control of it if they get too close.[12] Koon then ordered the four other LAPD officers at the scene — Briseno, Powell, Solano, and Wind — to subdue and handcuff King in a manner called a "swarm", a technique that involves multiple officers grabbing a suspect with empty hands. As the officers attempted to do so, King physically resisted. King rose up, tossing Officers Powell and Briseno off his back. King then struck Officer Briseno in the chest.[13] Seeing this, Koon ordered all of the officers to fall back. The officers later testified that they believed King was under the influence of the dissociative drugphencyclidine (PCP).[14] King's toxicology results tested negative for PCP.[15]
Use of the Taser
Sergeant Koon then ordered the officers to "stand clear." King was standing and was not responding to Koon's commands. Koon then fired a Taser into King's back. King groaned; momentarily fell to his knees; then stood back and yelled for almost five seconds".[16]
As George Holliday's videotape begins, King is on the ground. He rises and moves toward Powell. (Solano termed it a "lunge," and said it was in the direction of Koon.)[16] At this time, taser wires can be seen coming from King's body. As King moves forward, Officer Powell strikes King with his baton. The blow hits King's head, knocking him to the ground immediately.[17] Powell hits King several additional times with his baton. The videotape shows Briseno moving in to try and stop Powell from swinging, and Powell then backing up. (Koon reportedly yelled "that's enough.") King then rises to his knees; Powell and Wind continue to hit King with their batons while he is on the ground.[18]
Koon acknowledged that he ordered the baton blows, directing Powell and Wind to hit King with "power strokes." According to Koon, Powell and Wind used "bursts of power strokes, then backed off." The videotape shows King apparently continuing to try to get up. Koon orders the officers to "hit his joints, hit the wrists, hit his elbows, hit his knees, hit his ankles."[18] Finally, after 56 baton blows and six kicks, five or six officers swarm in and place King in both handcuffs and cordcuffs, restraining his arms and legs. King is dragged on his stomach to the side of the road to await arrival of a rescue ambulance.[18]
Unseen by those involved, George Holliday, a private citizen, caught the lengthy beating on video from his apartment near the intersection of Foothill Blvd and Osborne St. in Lake View Terrace. He contacted the police about a videotape of the incident but was dismissed. He then went to KTLA television with his videotape, which broadcast it on air in its entirety.[19] The footage became a media sensation. Portions of it were aired hundreds, if not thousands, of times around the world, and it "turned what would otherwise have been a violent, but soon forgotten, encounter between Los Angeles police and Rodney King into one of the most widely watched and discussed incidents of its kind."[20]
The video of the beating is an example of sousveillance - that is, of citizens watching police. Several copwatch organizations were subsequently organized nationally to safeguard against police abuse, including an umbrella group, October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality.[21]
Post-arrest events
King was taken to Pacifica Hospital immediately after his arrest. He suffered a fractured facial bone, a broken right ankle, and numerous bruises and lacerations.[22] In a negligence claim filed with the city, King alleged he had suffered "11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken [bones and teeth], kidney damage [and] emotional and physical trauma."[23] Blood and urine samples taken from King five hours after his arrest showed that he could be presumed intoxicated under California law. The tests also showed traces of marijuana (26 ng/ml), but no indication of PCP or any other illegal drug.[23] At Pacifica Hospital, where King was taken for initial treatment, nurses reported that the officers who accompanied King (including Wind) openly joked and bragged about the number of times King had been hit.[24] King sued the city over the beating, settling for $3.8 million.[25]
The officers
The Los Angeles district attorney charged officers Koon, Powell, Briseno, and Wind with use of excessive force. While Sergeant Koon did not strike King and had only used the Taser, he was the supervisory officer at the scene and was charged for "willfully permitting and failing to take action to stop the unlawful assault." The initial judge was replaced, and the new judge changed the venue, as well as the jury pool, citing contamination of the jury pool by the media coverage. The new venue was a new courthouse in Simi Valley in neighboring Ventura County. The jury consisted of Ventura County residents — tenwhite, one Latino and one Asian. The prosecutor, Terry White, was African American. On April 29, 1992, the jury acquitted three of the officers, but could not agree about one of the charges for Powell.[4]
Los Angeles MayorTom Bradley said, "the jury's verdict will not blind us to what we saw on that videotape. The men who beat Rodney King do not deserve to wear the uniform of the L.A.P.D."[26]PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush said, "viewed from outside the trial, it was hard to understand how the verdict could possibly square with the video. Those civil rights leaders with whom I met were stunned. And so was I and so was Barbara and so were my kids."[27]
The news of acquittal triggered the Los Angeles riots of 1992. By the time the police, the U.S. Army, Marines and National Guard restored order, the casualties included 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damages to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. Smaller riots occurred in other cities such as San Francisco, Las Vegas in neighboring Nevada and as far east as Atlanta,Georgia.
Federal trial of officers
After the riots, the United States Department of Justice reinstated the investigation and obtained an indictment of violations of federal civil rights against the four officers. The federal trial focused more on the evidence as to the training of officers instead of just relying on the videotape of the incident. On March 9 of the 1993 trial, King took the witness stand and described to the jury the events as he remembered them.[28] The jury found Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon guilty, and they were subsequently sentenced to 32 months in prison, while Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseño were acquitted of all charges.[4]
Later life
In 1993, King entered an alcohol rehabilitation program and was placed on probation after crashing his vehicle into a block wall in downtown Los Angeles. In July 1995, he was arrested by Alhambra police, who alleged that he hit his wife with his car, knocking her to the ground. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail after being convicted of hit and run.[29] On August 27, 2003, King was arrested again for speeding and running a red light while under the influence of alcohol. He failed to yield to police officers and slammed his vehicle into a house, breaking his pelvis.[30] On November 29, 2007, while riding home on his bicycle, King was shot in the face, arms, and back with pellets from a shotgun. He reported that it was done by a man and a woman who demanded his bicycle and shot him when he rode away.[29] Police described the wounds as looking like they came from birdshot, and said King offered few details about the suspects. In May 2008 King checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California, which was filmed as part of the second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which premiered in October 2008. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who runs the facility, showed concern for King's lifestyle and said that King would die unless his addiction was treated.[31] He also appeared on Sober House, a Celebrity Rehab spin-off focusing on a sober living environment, which aired in early 2009. Both shows filmed King's quest not only to achieve sobriety, but to reestablish a relationship with his family, which had been severely damaged due to his drinking.[32]
During his time on Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, King worked not only on his addiction, but on the lingering trauma of the beating. He and Dr. Pinsky retraced his path from the night of his beating, eventually reaching the spot where it happened, the site of the Children's Museum of Los Angeles.[33]
In 2009, King and other alumni of Celebrity Rehab appeared as panel speakers to a new group of addicts at the Pasadena Recovery Center, marking 11 months of sobriety for him. His appearance was aired in the third season episode "Triggers".[36]
On September 9, 2010, it was confirmed that King was to marry Cynthia Kelley, who was a juror in the civil suit he brought against the City of Los Angeles.[37]
On March 3, 2011, King was stopped by Los Angeles police for driving erratically. He was issued a citation for driving with an expired license.[38][39][40] This arrest led to his February 2012 misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.[41]
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 30: Rodney King arrives at the EsoWon books store to sign copies of his new book, 'The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption,' on April 30, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. King is best known as the victim of a brutal police beating that took place in Los Angeles. It’s been 20 years since the Rodney King verdict that sparked infamous L.A. Riots. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
On April 12, 2012, King released a statement to the media regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting. Ki
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 30: Rodney King arrives at the EsoWon books store to sign copies of his new book, 'The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption,' on April 30, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. King is best known as the victim of a brutal police beating that took place in Los Angeles. It’s been 20 years since the Rodney King verdict that sparked infamous L.A. Riots. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
ng said he was "grieving for Trayvon Martin" and stated how the scream on the audio of George Zimmerman's 911 call reminded him of his own screaming during his beating by the LAPD.[42]
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 30: Rodney King arrives at the EsoWon books store to sign copies of his new book, 'The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption,' on April 30, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. King is best known as the victim of a brutal police beating that took place in Los Angeles. Its been 20 years since the Rodney King verdict that sparked infamous L.A. Riots. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
During the past five years, I have been working with literally hundreds of young people here in the greater Cerritos and Norwalk area about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. It is a real problem here in our community. We all need to take action to help our children....
So.... I was THRILLED to see that You Tube has launched a new effort to reach out to communities around cyber space about this epidemic. Here is more about the "About Above the Influence's" channel.
Yep. Every teen's life is filled with pressure, some good, some bad.
Above the Influence wants teens to recognize the negative pressures in their lives and stand up to them, including the pressure to use drugs and alcohol. To do this we give you the hard facts about drugs, reasons why living Above the Influence is better than living under, and stories from real teens.
Remember, to take the time to help young people here in our community, where ever you call "home!"
A brush fire that has already destroyed 2,000 acres in the Beaumont area of Riverside County here in Southern California has already hit You Tube.....
Found a couple of clips and wanted to post them. I have a horrible feeling that this is going to be another bad fire season here in Southern California.
On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at approximately 3:05 pm, deputies responded to “Bank of America," 8921 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, regarding a robbery call.
During the robbery, a male suspect handed the teller a note and demanded money. After receiving an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect quickly left the bank.
Detectives later discovered that the suspect walked to a nearby clothing store and purchased blue jeans, a dark grey button down shirt, a black belt and black dress shoes with the stolen money. The suspect changed into the new clothes in the store and was last seen on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Through investigative techniques and crime analysis Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators identified the suspect as 31 year-old Jose Luque, a transient who was wanted for a parole violation, and who had
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
been convicted of kidnapping and was considered armed and dangerous.
Suspect Luque was now wanted for Bank Robbery.
On June 11, 2012, West Hollywood Sheriff’s detectives discovered that Suspect Jose Luque was already in custody, having been arrested on Saturday, June 9, 2012, by Los Angeles Police Department officers for Violation of Parole.
Sheriff's investigators subsequently additionally charged him with the West Hollywood Bank Robbery.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Major Crimes Bureau detectives will be presenting the case to the District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.
LISTEN TO RANDY ECONOMY AND BRIAN HEWS ON KFI TALK RADIO
Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Publisher Brian Hews and Reporter Randy Economy were featured on KFI AM 640 on the Tim Conway Jr. Show on Thursday, October 17 to discuss the arrest of Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez, Property Tax Agent Ramin Salari and Assessor Major Property Appraiser Mark McNeil on dozens of felony charges.
The segment was broadcast live to millions of listeners throughout the Western United States. LCCN will post additional interviews by Mr. Hews and Mr. Economy in the future.
WATCH: LCCN, Randy Economy featured on Fox News
Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic
Los Cerritos Community Newspaper’s exclusive groundbreaking coverage into the corruption probe at the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office is now the focal point of a multi part series that began airing Wednesday night on Fox News 11 in Southern California.
LCCN was the first media outlet to break the story about the massive criminal investigation that has now gripped the entire Los Angeles County Hall of Administration. “We thank Fox News for recognizing featuring Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in their coverage,” said Brian Hews, President and Publisher of Hews Media Group.
“LCCN has been working with dozens of media outlets across the country on this massive scandal for the past eight months,” Hews said.
Featured in this report is LCCN Investigative Reporter Randy Economy who tells about how the community newspaper was able to “piece the puzzle together” that has resulted in the arrest of one former property appraiser, and the recent departure of Assessor John Noguez on a “paid leave of absence.”
Look for more segments on Fox News 11 during the next several days and weeks. Reporter Gina Silva is featured in this segment.
Randy Economy appears on NBC News Non Stop California with Colleen Williams
Randy Economy appears on California Non Stop with Colleen Williams from NBC News.Randy Economy appeared on NBC New's Non Stop California in June, 2012. This is what NBC said about Randy and Los Cerritos Community Newspaper.
"Los Cerritos Community Newspaper recently published hundreds of e-mails between Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez and several property tax agents. The emails were obtained by the newspaper through a series of public document requests. This is the second set of documents published by the community newspaper that has been at the forefront of reporting and exposing the alleged pay to play activities between tax agents and Noguez for the past two years. Reporter Randy Economy joins Colleen Williams on Nonstop News LA to discuss how their investigation began on June 25, 2012.”
Hear Randy Economy and Brian Hews on the David Cruz Show!
Hear Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Publisher Brian Hews and Reporter Randy Economy on The David Cruz Show during the week of June 25, 2012 on KTLK AM 1150 in Southern California. The segment begins at the 56:00 part in this clip and lasts for thirty minutes.
Brian Hews, Randy Economy on CBS 2 News KCAL 9 with Investigative Reporter Dave Bryan
Los Cerritos Community Newspaper featured CBS News with Investigative Reporter Dave BryanCBS/KCAL Investigative Reporter Dave Bryan interviews Randy Economy and Brian Hews from Los Cerritos Community Newspaper the day more than 300 law enforcement officials raided 12 different locations in the political scandal that is consuming Los Angeles County. Thanks CBS News for acknowledging the hard work of LCCN!
Great GREAT NEWS! Last night, around 11:30 p.m., Judge Lefkowitz was found in the city of Carson in good health. What a relief for her many friends and family members.
