State report finds deputies justified in fatal Altadena shooting
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Probe finds no fault in evacuation decisions in Eaton Fire By Joe Taglieri
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o misconduct or delay in evacuation decision-making by the Los Angeles County Fire Department occurred in response to the Eaton Fire for areas west of Lake Avenue, according to a report released Monday. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone initiated the independent investigation because Altadena residents deserve transparency. The Eaton Fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, scorched over 14,000 acres while destroying more than 9,400 structures, leaving thousands displaced and killing 19 people — many of whom were in West Altadena. "While the report provides an honest account of our operations, we recognize that no investigation can truly capture the horror and tragedy residents endured," Marrone said in a statement. "My focus is to ensure that the lessons learned from the Eaton and Palisades fires are turned into lasting changes that will better protect our residents and neighborhoods into the future." Citygate Associates conducted the investigation that reviewed evacuation decisions, incident communications and fire behavior during the critical overnight hours between 9 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2025 and 6 a.m. the next morning. After examining interviews, operational records, dispatch information and incident communications, investigators concluded that fire command staff "acted
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California attorney general releases scathing report on ICE detention facilities By Joe Taglieri
joet@civicnewsgroup.com
joet@civicnewsgroup.com
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An aerial view shows at least three burned-down homes and charred trees in Altadena from the Eaton Fire. | Photo by Mayra Beltran/Los Angeles County courtesy of UCLA
appropriately amidst unprecedented fire and weather conditions that grounded aircraft, leaving them without aerial surveillance to track the spread of the Eaton Fire in real-time," according to the department. Advocates for fire survivors were skeptical of the investigation's findings. "My evacuation alert didn't come until 5:45 in the morning, I don't know what reality they're living in," said Joy Chen, executive director of the Every Fire Survivor's Network. "They're saying evacuation orders were issued at 3:25, that must have been the first evacuation orders west of Lake Avenue. Different parts of west of Lake got it at different times. I was in the last group, which was 5:45. It's very misleading for them to say evacuation orders for west of Lake had already been issued at 3:25 — maybe some evacuation orders, but not all."
Chen added she thought the data in the report seemed "highly massaged." The group Altadena for Accountability released this statement: "For fire survivors, this report amounts to pages of deflection without accountability," according to the group. The report "declines to acknowledge any meaningful failures and offers little assurances that substantive changes will be made to better protect Altadena residents in the future." Fire survivors also said "the review is not objective" because the county's "consultant ... relied heavily on the recollections and records of (Fire Department) insiders. Experiences of residents who were there on the scene, many throughout the evening and following day of the fire, were minimized and sidelined," according to Altadena See Eaton Fire Page 43
for Accountability. "Fires and emergencies rarely come without chaos," the statement continued. "First responders and tax funded agencies have a duty to treat communities equitably and to prevent harm that is preventable. The complexity of the fire is not an excuse, where there were over 9,000 structures burned, 19 deaths, and only 1 fire truck sent to West Altadena. "Fire survivors deserve answers that only a truly independent investigation by the California Attorney General’s office can provide. In particular, the question of whether Altadena residents’ civil rights were violated due to age, race, disability, or socioeconomic status, and whether the policies, practices, and systems in place served all communities fairly, remains open.
alifornia Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday released the state's fifth report on conditions at immigration detention facilities where federal authorities hold detainees before deporting them. During inspections conducted at the seven U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities last year, the California Department of Justice found that conditions have largely worsened as the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign has caused overcrowding and led to limited resources including access to medical care and conditions of confinement. Six detainees died between September and March — the highest number since the DOJ started reviewing immigration facilities in 2017. State inspectors reported declining conditions for detainees experiencing inadequate medical care, delays in medical treatment, overcrowding, inadequate food, excessive use of force by detention facility guards and inadequate clothing, violating standards such as those guaranteeing nutritious meals, an adequate environment, reasonable uses of force, and adequate medical care. State officials said the deaths and substandard conditions that fail to meet ICE’s own standards for facilities raise serious safety concerns as the detainee See ICE report Page 05
population grows and underscore the need for more robust oversight. “This is cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable — and it is past time for the Trump Administration to do something about it," Bonta said in a statement. "My office has worked tirelessly to shine a light on conditions at these facilities — and I hope this report will generate the rightful outrage and urgency necessary to improve conditions and protect detainees’ civil rights.” Bonta said the deportation campaign in California "has led to a shocking increase in detainee populations — and facilities have been alarmingly unprepared to meet this new demand." DOJ facility inspectors "found evidence of inadequate medical care and heard countless reports of disturbing, unsafe, and unsanitary conditions and a lack of basic necessities.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security suggested selfdeportation — the federal government is offering people in the nation illegally $2,600 and a free flight to their home country. "We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream," according to DHS, of which ICE is a division. "If not, you will