'Sirat' named best international feature film at Palm Springs film fest
Board approves online auction for nearly 1,000 properties
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Thursday, January 15-January 21, 2026
Activists, relatives demand justice for LA man fatally shot by ICE agent; detainee dies in Indio
VOL. VOL. 10, 12,
Blythe hospital to remain open with loan from city; county to take over management
By Joe Taglieri
R
elatives of the man shot to death by an off-duty federal immigration agent in Northridge on New Year's Eve gathered with dozens of supporters Tuesday to call for criminal charges against the agent involved. An unidentified agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement fatally shot Keith Porter Jr., 43, around 11:30 p.m. Dec. 31 in the 17700 block of Roscoe Boulevard in the northwest San Fernando Valley. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the agent "bravely responded to an active shooter situation" and "exchanged gunfire with (Porter)." The Los Angeles Police Department was continuing the investigation of the shooting Tuesday. Local activists and Porter's family have said he was not an "active shooter" but also indicated he was firing a gun into the air to celebrate New Year's Eve. Law enforcement has consistently warned against shooting into the air as a means of celebration, saying the practice often leads to people being injured or possibly killed by falling bullets. Activists and relatives of Porter attended the LA Police Commission meeting Tuesday, calling for the agent involved in the shooting to be identified and arrested. "Keith was one of the most loving, kindest people on this Earth, and everyone has attested to that fact," Jsane Tyler, Porter's cousin,
By Joe Taglieri
joet@beaconmedianews.com
Keith Porter Jr. was fatally shot Dec. 31 by an off-duty ICE agent. | Photo courtesy of Lee Merritt/Facebook
told the commission. "The only mistake that he made on New Year's Eve was thinking that he had the right to celebrate the way many Americans have from the beginning of time. The same way my grandfather did. And we learned that behavior from the people that brought us here. "So when are we going to press charges on this murderer? When is he going to be named? When is he going to be arrested? The night that my cousin lost his life, no procedures were followed," Tyler said. Porter's death has led to increased criticism of federal immigration agents operating throughout Southern California since June. The Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, in Minneap-
olis by an ICE agent renewed discussion of the Porter case. The agent who killed Good reportedly fired into her moving Honda Pilot SUV during an immigrationoperation. During the Los Angeles City Council meeting Friday, several council members discussed the shooting of Good. Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez said Porter's death should not be forgotten. Franceola Armstrong, Porter's mother, spoke during the council meeting. "He didn't deserve this," Armstrong said. "He was on his way back. He didn't even get to pop the champagne. He didn't get to say goodbye. I just want to touch my baby one last time, kiss his face See ICE deaths 15
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joet@beaconmedianews.com and hold him. I don't have him. His life was snatched from us. Lord, please, I just wish you could get justice for my child." Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic Hope and among the organizers of a vigil to mark Porter's death, said last week the shootings of Good and Porter were "not isolated incidents" and "reflect a dangerous pattern of excessive force, poor judgment and a lack of accountability that is costing innocent people their lives," he said in a statement. "We are coming together to mourn, to demand truth and to call for justice." According to federal officials, an ICE agent fatally shot Good in self-defense. They accused her of attempting to "weaponize" her vehicle and run down law enforcement officers after interfering with an immigration-enforcement operation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good's actions were an "act of domestic terrorism" and part of an escalating trend of assaults and attempted attacks against immigration agents throughout the U.S. Noem said an ICE agent was injured by Good's vehicle and treated at a hospital. ICE operates in Downey Over the weekend in Downey, federal immigration agentsconducted enforcementoperations Saturday, as ICE opponents protested in downtown Los Angeles and throughout
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lythe's only health care facility with an emergency room has accepted an emergency loan from the city to prevent closure, officials said Monday. The Blythe City Council on Friday evening approved a $330,000 "bridge loan" that kept Palo Verde Hospital open, staving off a potential closure at midnight Saturday. As a condition of the loan, hospital administrators agreed to contract with Riverside County or a county-approved manage-
ment team to assume the facility's day-to-day management and operation, Interim City Manager Mallory said. The intention of the loan "is to provide immediate operational oversight and stability" while officials look for solutions that lead to long-term financial sustainability. “We are determined to provide a future pathway for the hospital’s operations," Crecelius said in a statement Friday prior to the council meeting. “However, we ask for urgent action from the
See Blythe hospital Page 15
Riverside County board elects new chair, vice chair By City News Service
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he new chair of the Board of Supervisors vowed Tuesday to "look ahead to the future" in prioritizing objectives for Riverside County over the next 12 months, emphasizing the importance of "fiscal transparency" and responsiveness to residents' needs. "We can't just look at today; we have to think about tomorrow," Board Chair Karen Spiegel said Tuesday in her opening statement, following a unanimous vote to seat her at the head of the dais for 2026. "We need to look ahead to the future and See Board Page 15
have clear goals with measurable outcomes." Spiegel, who last took the helm in 2021, said that compared to that time, "it's a whole different world now," making it incumbent on the board to adjust its policies and practices to suit changing conditions. "We have to have a commitment to innovation, transparency and service," she said. "We don't always agree up here, but that's alright, as long as we get to a decision that is best for the county." One of the most exciting