Riverside Independent_4/27/2026

Surprise, surprise: LA area, IE again top country for smog pollution

By City News Service

The Los Angeles-Long Beach area retained its dubious distinction as the nation’s smoggiest region, with ozone pollution getting worse over the past year, according to an annual report by the American Lung Association.

The region has been ranked the worst area for ozone pollution in 26 of the past 27 years of the association’s “State of the Air” report. But the Southland isn’t alone in its misery. According to the latest report released Tuesday, nearly half of all American children live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution.

“Clean air is not something we can take for granted. It takes work,” Harold Wimmer, president/ CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a statement. “For decades, people in the U.S. have breathed cleaner air thanks to the Clean Air Act. Unfortunately, that progress is now at risk due to extreme heat and wildfires, fueled by climate change, and policy changes that are making the problem worse.

“Now is the time to strengthen air pollution standards, but EPA is doing the opposite. In the last year, EPA has weakened enforcement and rolled back rules that would have protected kids from power plant and vehicle pollution. Children need clean air to grow and play, and communities need clean air to thrive. Leaders at every level must act to improve and protect America’s air quality.”

The report found that 44% of people in the United States live in a county that received a failing grade in at least one of the study’s three measures of air pollution, with 32.9 million people living in counties that earned poor grades in

all three categories.

People of color are more than twice as likely as white people to live in areas that failed in all three categories. Hispanic people are more than three times as likely as white people to live in such areas.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach area ranked the worst in the nation in terms of ozone pollution. Three other California communities placed in the top five in terms of smog, with Visalia placing second behind LA/Long Beach, followed by Bakersfield-Delano; Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona; and Fresno-Hanford-Corcoran placing fifth.

“Ground-level ozone pollution, also known as smog, is a powerful respiratory irritant whose effects have been likened to a sunburn of the lungs,” according to the Lung Association. “Inhaling ozone can cause shortness of breath, trigger coughing and asthma attacks, and can cause premature death. Though progress has been made over the years to clean up ozone, that progress is fragile, and more communities are seeing their worst ozone levels in years.”

The Los Angeles-Long Beach region was again ranked the seventh-most polluted region in the country for short-term particle pollution, the same ranking as last year. The region was also seventhworst for year-round particle pollution, an improvement from last year, when the area ranked fifth. The short- term figure represents daily spikes in particle pollution, or soot, while the year-round figure is an annual average.

On a countywide level, San Bernardino County was ranked as the nation’s most ozone-polluted place to live, followed by Riverside, Los Angeles, Tulare and Kern counties. Kern County also topped the list as the most polluted county for yearround particle pollution.

Los Angeles and Riverside counties all earned failing grades in the report for all three pollution categories, as did Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Merced, San Bernardino, Stanislaus and Tulare counties.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, which works to improve air quality in most of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties,

issued a statement saying the Lung Association report does not reflect “significant progress” being made to improve the air.

“The region has seen a long-term decline in unhealthy ozone days and harmful pollution levels,” according to the AQMD.

“Notably, 2025 recorded some of the lowest ozone levels on record, demonstrating continued improvement in air quality,” the agency reported. “However, a few of the high pollution days captured in this year’s report were driven by largescale wildfires — events that are increasing in frequency and intensity. ...

“Progress toward clean air depends on strong partnerships at every level. South Coast AQMD will continue working with communities, businesses, and state and federal agencies to advance solutions that protect public health for all, while delivering critical benefits to sensitive populations, including children, by reducing exposure to harmful emissions and supporting clean air initiatives in communities where families live, learn, and play.”

TBy Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com

heSanBernardino CountyBoardof SupervisorsonTuesday proposed amendments on how to spend more than $9 million in federal grants for homelessness, housing and other services for low- and moderate-income residents in unincorporated areas and 13 cities.

Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the proposed 2026-27 Annual Action Plan and an amendment to the 2019-20 Annual Action Plan, which will return to the board for a vote on May 5.

Officials said the Annual Action Plan guides spending of $9.36 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support infrastructure, affordable housing and homeless services.

The county’s projected 2026-27 allocation includes roughly $6 million in federal Community Development Block Grants, $2.78 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds and $562,000 in an Emergency Solutions Grant.

“These funds will be strategically utilized to address essential community needs, ranging from Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant infrastructure and street improvements to the construction of new affordable housing units and the strengthening of the regional homeless response system, including street outreach and emergency shelter services,” according to a county statement.

HOME program money will be allocated through partnerships with qualified housing developers,

nonprofit organizations and county departments, Robert Gilliam, the county’s acting director of community development and housing, wrote in a report for the board.

“Funds support new construction of affordable rental housing for low and very low-income households within the HOME Consortium and unincorporated areas,” according to the report.

“To expand the supply of safe, stable, and affordable housing, (the county) anticipates receiving approximately $2.8 million in HOME funds. Of this total, approximately $2.3 million is being strategically directed to a high-impact affordable rental housing development.”

The HOME project will create approximately 106 new affordable housing units, including 22 dedicated units for “transitional-age youth,” or TAY, with the remaining units for low- and very lowincome county residents.

The Emergency Solutions Grant program to address unsheltered homelessness funds street outreach, emergency shelters, “rapid rehousing” efforts, homelessness prevention initiatives and the Homeless Management Information System, or HIMS. ESG spending reinforces the county’s regional shelter and homelessness response system in alignment with the 2022 Homeless Strategic Action Plan.

“Funding will be deployed to strengthen core system infrastructure, expand evidencebased interventions, and enhance regional coordination to ensure measurable reductions in unsheltered homelessness,” Gilliam reported. Priority ESG spending includes:

Riverside man who abused 3 immigrant children for years headed to prison

By

City News Service

A50-year-old Riverside manwhosexually abused an immigrant girl and threatened or physically harmed her two brothers, over whom he had guardianship, for years was bound for state prison Wednesday to serve a term of 52 years, eight months behind bars.

Mazen Aliwi Alawi was convicted by a Riverside jury in February of 10 counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, three counts each of child abuse and making criminal threats, and one count each of assault with a deadly weapon and witness intimidation.

According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, between 2016 and 2019, Alawi repeatedly abused the siblings -- two boys identified only as “E.A.” and “M.A.” -- and their sister, “S.A.,” at his residence on Matthews Street, as well as other locations in Los Angeles County.

Only S.A. was sexually molested, while Alawi beat or threatened her brothers, all of whom were under 12 years old at the time, court papers stated.

During a hearing April 17 at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka imposed the required sentence under state law.

“The defendant took away my childhood, my innocence and separated me from my mother,” S.A. told the court during the sentencing hearing. Prosecutors said that, through an arrangement

with the children’s mother, whose identity was not disclosed, they were brought to the United States “after fleeing a war-torn country,” which wasn’t named.

“The victims’ mother was left behind after Alawi promised to bring her to the U.S. but never did,” the DA’s Office said. “Beginning the day they arrived, the defendant repeatedly sexually abused the one victim ... while also physically abusing (her brothers).”

Court papers said he injured M.A. with a knife in 2016. The defendant also punched, kicked and threw household items at all of the minors at different times.

S.A. suffered re-occur-

ring instances of the defendant touching her privates and rubbing against her to “gratify his lust, passions and sexual desires,” according to the criminal complaint.

One of the male victims said at the sentencing that the “one thing I thank God for is that (Alawi) has given me an example of what not to be.”

Specific details regarding how the defendant arranged guardianship over the children were not provided, and it was unclear which of the children finally reported the abuse.

Alawi, who had no documented prior felony convictions, was arrested in May 2019.

Gang member accused of killing Cat City man arraigned

By City News Service

Adocumentedgang memberaccused with two juveniles of gunning down a 36-year-old Cathedral City man pleaded not guilty Thursday to firstdegree murder and other charges.

Gabriel Isaiah Rocha Jr., 19, of Cathedral City was arrested earlier this month following a nearly twomonth investigation by the Cathedral City Police Department into the slaying of Cristian Zaragoza.

Along with murder, Rocha is charged with a special-circumstance allegation of killing for the benefit of a criminal street gang, as well as sentence-

enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant was arraigned Thursday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for June 10 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Rocha is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.

According to CCPD Commander Jon Enos, on the morning of Feb. 17, Rocha and two 14-yearold boys, identified only as Cathedral City and Indio residents, allegedly targeted Zaragoza in the 30800 block

of San Gabriel Circle, near San Luis Rey Drive.

Court documents indicated the alleged assailants were acting in the interest of their gang, which wasn’t named, at the time of the encounter.

The victim was shot several times, after which Rocha and the boys allegedly fled, Enos said.

He said officers and paramedics reached the location within minutes, and Zaragoza was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the ensuing weeks, homicide detectives, with assistance from investigators assigned to the Riverside County Gang Impact Team, identified Rocha and

the two boys as the alleged attackers, according to Enos.

No other details were disclosed.

Warrants were served on the trio at a property in the 69100 block of Dinah Shore Drive on April 8, when they were taken into custody without incident.

Rocha was transported to jail, while the boys were booked into Riverside Juvenile Hall. Their murder case will be deposed in Riverside County Juvenile Dependency Court.

Rocha has no documented prior felony convictions in adult court. Background information on the juveniles was unavailable.

Walmart to remodel stores in Riverside County

By City News Service

Walmartplansto remodelseveral stores in Riverside County this year as part of a broader effort to upgrade dozens of locations statewide. The retailer said it will remodel 56 stores across California, with improvements focused on store layouts, technology and expanded services aimed at creating a faster and more convenient shopping experience.

In Riverside County, stores slated for upgrades are:

-- Corona, 1560 W. 6th St.; -- Hemet, 1231 S. Sanderson Ave.; -- Riverside, 5200 Van Buren Blvd.; and -- Riverside, 6250 Valley Springs Pkwy.

Companyofficials said upgrades will include enhancements to both instore and online shopping, including expanded delivery options and updated mobile app features designed to help customers navigate stores and access services more easily.

“We’re continuing to invest in California with a

focus on how we can better serve communities across the state,” Jay Cordray, senior vice president of Walmart’s West business unit, said in a statement. “By modernizing our stores, we’re making everyday shopping more convenient and creating a more connected experience, while empowering our associates to better support the evolving needs of our customers.”

The remodeled stores are also expected to feature updated pharmacies, vision centers and

expanded product selections, along with redesigned spaces intended to improve customer flow and accessibility.

Walmart said the projects are part of a larger investment strategy that has included more than $1.1 billion in store upgrades across California over the past five years.

Officials said remodels will be completed throughout the year, though specific timelines for individual locations were not immediately available.

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MThe counterterrorism czar without a counterterrorism plan

By Hannah Allam, ProPublica

arch unfolded like a stress test for U.S. counterterrorism authorities.

The month opened with a gunman in an Iranian-flag shirt killing three people at a bar in Texas. Then, an attack with homemade explosives outside the mayor’s mansion in New York City. Next came a deadly shooting March 12 on a Virginia college campus and, the same afternoon, a car-ramming at a Michigan synagogue. Days later, agents arrested a man charged with threatening a mass shooting at an Ohio mosque.

To current and former national security officials, these were omens, signs of the dangers they predicted last year when President Donald Trump began redirecting counterterrorism resources toward his mass deportation campaign.

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They had warned of a diminished ability to respond should major global events inflame threats at home and abroad. Now, they say, the war in Iran has locked the Trump administration into a showdown with a sophisticated state sponsor of terrorism at a time when U.S. security agencies have hemorrhaged expertise and leadership is in flux.

The urgency of the moment has trained a spotlight on Sebastian Gorka, the White House counterterrorism adviser tasked with drafting a blueprint for fighting homegrown and international threats. Nearly a year ago, Gorka declared a national counterterrorism strategy “imminent.” By July, he was “on the cusp” of unveiling the plan — a phrase he repeated three months later in October. And again in January.

To date, no strategy has appeared, and no explanation for the delay. When it is finally released, current and former counterterrorism personnel say, they expect a document rooted in politics rather than intelligence, with little detail on how to combat threats after a year of deep cuts across national security agencies.

“Strategies are only worth the amount of resources you put into them,” said a former senior official who served in the first Trump administration. “We’re entering very dangerous territory.”

The shifting promises are unsurprising to colleagues familiar with the brash, quick-tempered Gorka, a gate crasher in Washington’s buttoned-up defense establishment. His threats and boasts are laced with grandiose language and delivered in a booming, Britishaccented voice.

ProPublica interviewed more than two dozen national security specialists across party lines to trace Gorka’s path to one of the most sensitive jobs in government. Nearly all spoke on condition of anonymity because of the Trump administration’s record of retaliation.

His ascent, they said, tells the story of a startling transformation of the U.S. counterterrorism agenda in Trump’s second term. Eyerolling over Gorka’s bombast has given way to anxiety about the administration’s preparedness to identify and stop major plots.

In the first Trump administration, Gorka lasted just seven months before being forced out by the “adults in the room,” as some staffers referred to the more moderate gatekeepers then around the president. In that brief stint, he reportedly struggled to obtain security clearance and faced an outcry over ties — which he denies — to a far-right group in Hungary.

After the exit, he hosted a right-wing podcast and popped up in ads selling fish-oil pills for pain relief. Then his fortunes changed again with the 2024 election

that swept Trump back to power, this time with a more conspiratorially minded wing of the Make America Great Again movement. Gorka’s loyalty paid off with a phoenixlike return to the White House in a role sometimes called “counterterrorism czar.”

“I’ve been waiting 25 years for this job,” he confided on his podcast before taking office.

The first year of Trump’s second term was so frenzied that even the colorful Gorka faded into the background as the administration dismantled federal agencies and created a secretive, sometimes deadly immigration force. Now, however, the counterterrorism director’s role is coming back to light as hostilities roil the Middle East and heighten the risk of attacks in the United States or against American interests or allies overseas.

Days before U.S. military operations began in Iran, FBI Director Kash Patel fired a dozen personnel from a counterintelligence unit that monitored threats from Iran, CNN reported — part of a wider purge of some 300 agents specializing in counterterrorism.

Former officials said the sudden loss of that many colleagues is devastating to the sensitive, granular work of preventing attacks.

“I don’t think about it in raw numbers. I think about it in the wealth of expertise and knowledge that has been

cut across all levels,” a former senior Justice Department official said. “What you lose is that nuance — with a smaller team, you can only go so deep.”

An FBI spokesperson said the bureau does not comment on personnel numbers but that agents are “working around the clock” and had disrupted four alleged U.S.-based terrorist plots in December alone. “The FBI continuously assesses and realigns our resources to ensure the safety of the American people,” the statement said.

ProPublica sought an interview with Gorka directly and via the White House. He did not respond to a detailed list of questions but assailed the requests in two posts on X, where he has 1.8 million followers. The first was a “no,” along with insults, addressed to several journalists who had asked him to comment on the strategy. In the second post, directed at ProPublica, Gorka accused the reporter of writing a “putrid piece of hackery.”

“If the criticism is we’re killing too many Jihadis (759) since 20th January 2024, or rescuing more US hostages in 12 months (106) than Biden did in 4 years, I stand by our historic wins for AMERICA First,” Gorka wrote, with an apparent typo. Trump took office in January 2025.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in an email that the restructuring of agencies “has made the

entire foreign policy apparatus even more responsive to potential threats” and praised Gorka for “an incredible job” leading interagency talks.

“Anyone attempting to smear him and the President’s national security team is only revealing that they haven’t been paying attention for the past year,” Kelly wrote, “as anyone with eyes can see that our homeland is more secure than ever.”

Inattention “Can Be Deadly”

Gorka has emerged as one of the last men standing after a tumultuous stretch for U.S. counterterrorism leadership.

His original boss, national security adviser Mike Waltz, was booted to the United Nations after the Signalgate scandal, leaving the role to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was already juggling portfolios and is busier now with Iran.

Another blow came when Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned last month in protest of the war in Iran, which he said was pushing the United States “further toward decline and chaos.”

Gorka was livid. He told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations that he called Kent the day of his resignation and left a

message calling him an “utter disgrace” for criticizing the president in wartime.

“At the end of my voicemail,” Gorka recounted, “I said, ‘Good riddance to you, Joe.’”

Within days, Gorka was angling for Kent’s old job at the counterterrorism center, the government’s hub for analyzing terrorist threats, The Washington Post reported. Colleagues said they weren’t surprised — the role brings more power — but added that Gorka would likely face a tough Senate confirmation process if nominated.

The leadership disarray compounds the risks of hollowed-out counterterrorism operations, say national security analysts.

At a time when hundreds of personnel typically would’ve been assigned to thwarting attacks amid international conflict, the administration “has gutted this capacity through firings, forced resignations, and slashed budgets,” a panel of national security analysts wrote in the journal Lawfare.

The Justice Department acknowledged in budget proposal documents that its National Security Division is facing “unprecedented personnel constraints,” struggling to keep up with increas-

Counterterrorism

ing caseloads and a 40% drop in the number of prosecutors.

At the State Department, former officials said, Iran specialists at the counterterrorism bureau were dispersed to regional offices where counterterrorism is one of many priorities. The entire team focused on threat prevention was eliminated. As a senior official who recently left put it, “They keep saying we can do it all even though they have half an arm now, and no legs.”

Since the Iran war started, officials say, some counterterrorism specialists who had been reassigned to immigration have returned to their old roles, creating a whiplash that can disrupt investigations and analysis.

“If you’ve dropped all the cases and have taken people off the target set for an extended period of time, you can’t just drop back in and pick up where you left off,” said Ben Connable, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer who leads the nonprofit Battle Research Group. “The men and women who are back on that portfolio are going to have to play catch-up, and that conveys risk.”

The Department of Homeland Security hasn’t published any national

terrorism advisory bulletins, periodic updates to alert the public to the current threat level, since September. It has not released the annual Homeland Threat Assessment since Trump returned to office, according to Colin Clarke, executive director of the security-focused Soufan Center, and fellow terrorism scholar Jacob Ware. A DHS spokesperson said updates on the documents “will be provided following the end of the Democrat DHS shutdown.”

Gorka’s long-awaited strategy, Clarke and Ware said in an op-ed, could help clarify White House thinking on how to handle threats when “defenses are divided, disorganized and underresourced.”

“This is the moment for the Trump administration to demonstrate that it recognizes the stakes,” the researchers wrote. “In counterterrorism, inattention can be deadly.”

Winding Path to White House

Gorka’s path to the White House began in the cottage industry of self-styled terrorism experts that sprang up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He became a regular on a training circuit where speakers received lucrative contracts from international governments and law enforcement agencies to teach about the threat of militant Islamist movements. Many trainers of that era maligned Islam and backed policies that violated the rights of ordinary American Muslims in the name of counterterrorism, according to civil liberties watchdogs.

“For him, counterterrorism is kinetic and it’s against one type of enemy: the jihadist enemy,” said an associate who has known Gorka for two decades.

Born in the United Kingdom to Hungarian parents, he attended college

in London and served as a reserve intelligence soldier in the British military. He later spent time in Hungary, dabbling in nationalist politics and earning a doctorate degree.

In 2008, Gorka moved to the United States with his American wife, also a counterterrorism specialist, and eventually became a naturalized citizen — “a legal immigrant,” as he is introduced at events.

As an instructor at think tanks and military institutes, he pushed an image of Muslims as inherently violent, according to current and former colleagues. They say his fixation on Islamist militancy crosses into a more generalized bigotry, a claim Gorka has dismissed as “absurd.” He insists that his focus is “the war inside Islam” between radicals and Western-aligned Muslim leaders. “We want to see our friends win that war,” he has said.

A former senior Justice Department official recalled an FBI agent lobbying hard to get Gorka hired as a counterterrorism trainer several years ago. The official “didn’t feel comfortable clearing him in on my credentials” for an office visit so instead drove over an hour to watch a lecture.

Gorka’s talk was “reductionist” in its portrayals of Islam as locked in a civilizational war with the West, the former official recalled.

Immediately after the event, the official advised against hiring Gorka because his teachings potentially violated department principles against bias in training.

“I came back and said to the U.S. attorneys, ‘Let’s be careful here,’” the former official said. “They put a flag.”

Concerns about Gorka’s approach flared again when he

See Counterterrorism Page 05

joined the first Trump administration through the MAGA strategist Steve Bannon. Gorka, who had worked at Bannon’s right-wing Breitbart outlet, was appointed to the Strategic Initiatives Group, an in-house think tank at the White House.

The appointment prompted 55 House Democrats to demand his firing in a letter calling his association with far-right groups “deeply troubling.” They focused on the Hungarian nationalist group Vitézi Rend, whose medal Gorka wore on a military tunic to Trump’s inaugural events. Gorka has denied belonging to the organization, which had Nazi ties during World War II, and said the medal honors his father’s escape from communism.

Gorka’s qualifications for the job also came under scrutiny. Critics dug out and posted his dissertation, which was pilloried by other academics for a simplistic chart that placed terrorism on a spectrum somewhere between “peacekeeping” and “thermonuclear war.”

He eventually was ousted in August 2017, days after Bannon, in an internal power struggle. In his resignation letter, Gorka blamed his departure on the idea that “forces that do not support the MAGA promise are — for now — ascendant within the White House.”

Reporters spotted him outside loading his belongings into the back of a Mustang convertible with vanity plates “ART WAR.”

Dream Job

Gorka’s comeback symbolizes the hard-right swing of Trump’s second term.

Even some prominent conservatives were shocked by Gorka’s return. Michael Anton, who also served in the last Trump administration,

SoCal man pleads guilty to posing as ICE agent to bilk Latino immigrants

ASanDiegoman pleadedguilty Wednesdayin downtown Los Angeles to federal charges for impersonating an immigration agent in order to con tens of thousands of dollars from Orange County immigrants who sought “green cards” and U.S. citizenship.

Davyd George Brand Jimenez, 55, of San Ysidro, entered his plea to 10 counts of false impersonation of a federal officer or employee, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count each of fraudulent possession and use of U.S. government seals and aggravated identity theft.

Sentencing is set for July 16, at which time he will face up to 117 years imprison-

ment, a three-year period of supervised release, a fine of $4 million, and $152,476 in restitution to at least 25 victims, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Brand Jimenez pretended to be a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to scam victims, primarily targeting undocumented members of the Latino community by telling them he could help with work permits, legal U.S. residency and U.S. citizenship. He charged each victim between $10,000 and $20,000, prosecutors said.

In addition to falsely claiming to be an ICE agent or a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official, Brand Jimenez sometimes told victims that he was a “G-18” official, which is a

reportedly withdrew from consideration for a senior national security role rather than work alongside him.

The jabs don’t seem to faze Gorka, who tells a story of standing outside the White House in January 2025, ready to swipe his badge the moment it was activated after Trump’s swearing-in. He has referred to his role as a dream job.

“I pinch myself every single day,” Gorka told the “Triggernometry” podcast.

The counterterrorism director’s responsibilities include coordinating policy for external threats as well as leading efforts to free wrongfully detained Americans around the globe. Gorka can be remarkably candid and mercurial for a senior official with such a sensitive remit, according to hours of his public remarks reviewed by ProPublica.

He has exploded at journalists (“Go to hell!”) and cut off interviews when he didn’t like the questioning (“We’re done!”). He repeats anti-immigrant tropes and boasts that “Judeo-Christian civilization is the ultimate form of human existence.” He has urged Christians and Jews to buy guns to defend themselves “on the front line of the war between civilization and barbarity.”

Gorka’s public remarks also offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of working for a boss he calls “the most consequential American president” of modern times. At one event, he pulled out his phone to let the audience hear his ringtone: Trump delivering his classic “tired

By City News Service

nonexistent position.

Brand Jimenez failed to file immigration paperwork for his victims, and he never obtained any immigration benefits for them, according to the indictment. Because he was not providing any immigration benefits for his victims, Brand Jimenez fabricated immigration documents with the victims’ names that fraudulently displayed the Homeland Security emblem, papers filed in L.A. federal court state.

Brand Jimenez also fabricated a stay of deportation order and provided it to one of his victims as proof that the victim would not be deported, which was not true, officials said.

In another instance, Brand Jimenez provided a victim

with a valid Social Security card, a U.S. passport card and a California Identification Card, and he directed that victim to use those documents under the name of a different person as proof of authorization to reside and work in the United States, according to the DOJ.

Counterterrorism

of winning” line.

Gorka has said his workday begins with a drive to the White House while listening to his favorite podcast, hosted by proTrump military historian Victor Davis Hanson. Upon arrival, he has to turn in his cellphone before spending up to 12 hours a day in “my SCIF,” the acronym for the secure chambers where senior officials discuss classified matters.

On Thursdays, he convenes an interagency discussion of the latest threats. He name drops “Marco,” “Kash” and other friends in senior roles: “They ask me as I bump into them in the West Wing: ‘Have you killed more jihadis today?’”

In his office, Gorka keeps a globe on his desk and a large poster of the Twin Towers on the wall, an everpresent reminder of 9/11. His team’s custom lanyards are printed with “WWFY & WWKY” in honor of a Trump line: “We will find you and we will kill you.”

Cloud of “Red Mist”

On Gorka’s watch, targeted militants don’t simply die.

They are “human filth” who are “obliterated,” he tells audiences, describing bodies stacked “like cordwood” after receiving “eternal justice” from the Trump administration’s “hammers of hell.”

Before the Iran conflict, Gorka was focused on a revival of the “war on terror” in parts of Africa and the Middle East. He claims U.S. strikes have killed more than 750 militants he

has described as “leading jihadis” with “American blood on their hands or who were plotting attacks against Americans.”

“If we know where you are, anywhere in the world, we can kill you within 72 hours if the president says so,” he boasted last spring.

In the example Gorka shares most often, he briefed the president on a militant recruiter in Somalia who had been under surveillance for over a year during President Joe Biden’s administration. On the spot, he said, Trump ordered the fighter killed. Around 30 hours later, on Feb. 1, 2025, Gorka says, he watched live from the White House Situation Room as a U.S. strike vaporized the fighter into “a cloud of red mist,” a description he has repeated at least half a dozen times.

He sometimes screens declassified video of the militant being blown to pieces, as several State Department staffers found out when they watched him speak last year. Unsettled, they tried to rush out after the event but were corralled to flank Gorka in a photo op. “I look like a hostage,” one person in the picture said.

The staffers — since pushed out of government by cuts — said they had expected Gorka’s bravado but were horrified by his glee over what they described as a “snuff film.” Many other personnel expressed similar concerns that issues requiring level-headed professionalism were entrusted to someone they regarded as a volatile ideologue openly

preaching bloodlust.

“He’s trying to show off” to the president, one longtime counterterrorism official said. “‘I nuked another 100 jihadis — pay attention to me.’”

Gorka’s claims of battlefield victories are often exaggerated or misleading about who was targeted and why, according to security officials and counterterrorism analysts. They say there are fewer than 10 “leading” Islamist militants in the world, and the idea of killing hundreds is absurd. The White House did not address a question about whether the numbers are inflated.

“It’s the word ‘leading’ that gets me,” said Clarke, of the Soufan Center. “I have no doubt they’re killing people, but they’re probably foot soldiers.”

Reports of civilian casualties from U.S. operations also muddy the death tolls, especially in Somalia and Yemen. But the Trump administration has shown little interest in investigating; it gutted a Pentagon office tasked with addressing civilian harm.

Take the “red mist” strike, for example. It targeted Ahmed Maeleninine, an Islamic State group recruiter who was hiding out in a cave complex in Somalia. Gorka said the Biden administration had surveilled Maeleninine for more than a year without striking. That’s true, said one former counterterrorism official with direct knowledge of the intelligence involved, but there was more to the story.

“He left out the part

about the women and children,” said the official, who recently left government. “I knew the reason we hadn’t gone after him before was because he had his wife and children around him 24/7. Now, maybe they got lucky and found one time where they got a clear strike.”

U.S. Africa Command, which oversees the military’s Somalia operations, said in announcing the February 2025 strike that “approximately 14 ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed and no civilians were harmed.”

New Urgency Gorka’s formal title is deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council.

The role was upgraded from “special assistant” in recent years, though officials say the powers of the office have weakened since the days of early counterterrorism czars like Richard Clarke, who served under three presidents and revealed that senior leaders had ignored repeated warnings about al-Qaida before the 9/11 attacks.

Christopher Costa, a retired Army intelligence officer who spent a year in the same job under the first Trump administration, described the role as “the convening authority for all things counterterrorism for the president of the United States.”

“It was rolling up your sleeves,” Costa recalled. “It was more than just policy work — it was mitigating current threats.”

Iranian threats against U.S. targets have brought renewed attention to the lack of a Trump counterterrorism doctrine.

Gorka has been tightlipped about the contents of his strategy. Officials who typically would’ve been involved in interagency discussions say they haven’t been consulted. One person briefed on a working draft summed it up as “Sunnis. Shiites. Cartels.” Others said they expected the addition of far-left antifascist militants, a tiny subset of the extremist threat that receives disproportionate attention from the Trump administration. Gorka told another colleague he was writing the document himself, without traditional input from partner federal agencies. “There was no ‘U.S. government strategy’ involved,” the colleague said. “It might as well have been a new book he was writing.”

At his recent Council on Foreign Relations appearance, Gorka was asked — again — when the strategy would be released. He glanced at his staff and shifted in his seat.

He confided that he had “put my life’s work into this massive document” but had received feedback in recent days to “Cut it down, Gorka!” He said he would make trims and send the draft back to senior aides in hopes of getting a presidential signoff.

“Keep your fingers crossed,” Gorka told the audience.

Republished with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Alhambra City Notices

NOTICE OF ALHAMBRA PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

Watch and listen to the meeting via Zoom Webinar as follows: Zoom Webinar direct link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82735405361 Webinar ID: 827 3540 5361

Or by telephone by dialing (833) 548-0276 (Toll Free) or (833) 5480282 (Toll Free) or (877) 853-5257 (Toll Free) or (888) 475-4499 (Toll Free) or +1(669) 900-9128 or +1(253) 215-8782 or +1(346) 248-7799 or +1(301) 715-8592 or +1(312) 626-6799 or +1(646) 558-8656 and entering Webinar ID: 827 3540 5361. Please Note: All members of the public calling or logging into the meeting will be muted so that the meeting can proceed. If there are technical difficulties with Zoom during the meeting, the meeting will proceed regardless.

Addressing the Commission:

In person: Any person wishing to address the Commission during the meeting is asked to complete a Speaker Request Card and submit it to the Secretary. When called upon by the President, please step to the podium and give your name, address and organization or other party you represent, if any, in an audible tone of voice for the record.

Via Zoom or Telephone: “Raise your hand” - Members of the public may speak by using the “Raise Hand” function during the public comments portion, if on Zoom or telephone. Staff will unmute speakers participating via Zoom or telephone and announce your name when it is your time to speak.

Comments are limited to 5 minutes; however, the presiding officer may either extend or reduce the maximum time to such period of time as the Commission may determine.

All comments shall be addressed to the Commission as a body and not to any member thereof. No person, other than the Commission and the person having the floor, shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the Commission, without the permission of the President. No question shall be asked a Commissioner except through the President.

Any member of the public who needs accommodations or who needs their comments translated should email or call the Community Development Department at mmccurley@alhambraca.gov or (626) 570-5034. All requests for accommodations or translation services shall be made by 4 p.m. the Thursday prior to the Planning Commission meeting. If accommodation or translation is not requested by 4 p.m. the Thursday prior to the Planning Commission meeting, staff will try to accommodate the request to the best of their efforts to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety. All participants are encouraged to email their comments prior to the beginning of the meeting, but are not required to do so. All written comments received prior to the meeting will be entered into the record and distributed to the Planning Commission for their review.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a regular meeting of the Alhambra Planning Commission will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 7:00 P.M., or as soon thereafter as the matters may be heard, in the Council Chambers of the Alhambra City Hall, 111 South First Street. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following item:

ADDRESS: Citywide

APPLICANT: City of Alhambra

FILE NO.: AMD-26-05, AMD-26-06, AMD-26-07, AMD-26-08

REQUEST: This is an application for Zoning Text Amendment AMD-26-07, Zoning Map Amendment AMD-26-05, General Plan Amendment AMD-26-08, and General Plan Map Amendment AMD-26-06. The proposed City-initiated amendments include updates to the City’s existing Objective Design Standards and Standards for Specific Uses in Title 23 (Zoning) of the Alhambra Municipal Code, as well as the elimination of the West Main Corridor Master Plan Overlay District Zoning classification and the corresponding Downtown Specific Plan Overlay General Plan Land Use designation, in order to accommodate the adoption of new focus-area Design Guidelines. The amendments will ensure City documents reflect internal consistency in their references to General Plan Land Use designations and Zoning classifications. Additionally, updates are proposed to rectify prior mapping errors for two (2) existing parcels at APN 5364-018-019 and 5364-018-020.

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, staff has conducted an initial review of the project application and has determined

LEGALS

that the above referenced project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) unless otherwise noted above.

Further details and legal descriptions relating to the above application is on file and may be viewed in the Community Development Department in City Hall during City Hall business hours 7:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M., Monday through Thursday.

Any person wishing to be heard on this matter is invited to attend the hearing and speak to the Planning Commission at the time and place stated. Written input may be submitted before or during the hearing. If you challenge the proposed action in Court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.

CITY HALL: (626) 570 5034

NOTICE NO. N2M26-53

ALHAMBRA PLANNING COMMISSION

ANDREW HO

Director of Community Development

Publish: April 27, 2026

ALHAMBRA PRESS

LEGAL NOTICE CITY OF MONTEREY PARK

AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING IMPLEMENTING MEASURE NDC BY ESTABLISHING A CITYWIDE PROHIBITION ON DATA CENTERS AND AMENDING THE MONTEREY PARK MUNICIPAL CODE TO IMPLEMENT SUCH PROHIBITION.

The Monterey Park City Council introduced an Ordinance at the April 20, 2026, special City Council meeting. If adopted, the ordinance would implement Measure NDC by establishing a citywide prohibition on data centers and become effective the same date as Measure NDC, if adopted by voters on June 2, 2026, in accordance with the Elections Code and Measure NDC.

The second reading and adoption of the proposed Ordinance is scheduled to take place at the May 6, 2026 regular City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m., in the City of Monterey Park, California, or as soon thereafter as possible.

For a copy of the proposed Ordinance, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (626) 307-1359.

Approved as submitted above:

Karl Berger, City Attorney

ATTEST:

Maychelle Yee, City Clerk

Publish April 27, 2026

MONTEREY PARK PRESS

LEGAL NOTICE

CITY OF MONTEREY PARK

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING VARIOUS CHAPTERS AND SECTIONS OF THE MONTEREY PARK MUNICIPAL CODE (“MPMC”) TO PROHIBIT DATA CENTER LAND USES CITYWIDE; AMEND VARIOUS REGULATIONS WITHIN THE SATURN PARK INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ZONE (MPMC CHAPTER 21.14) TO IMPLEMENT THE GENERAL PLAN; AND AMEND THE MARKET PLACE SPECIFIC PLAN (ORDINANCE NO. 2231).

The Monterey Park City Council introduced an Ordinance at the April 20, 2026, special City Council meeting. If adopted, the proposed Ordinance would amend various chapters and sections of the MPMC to prohibit data center land uses citywide; amend various regulations within the Saturn Park Innovation and Technology Zone (MPMC Chapter 21.14) to implement the General Plan; and amend the Market Place Specific Plan (Ordinance No. 2231).

The second reading and adoption of the proposed Ordinance is scheduled to take place at the May 6, 2026 regular City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m., in the City of Monterey Park, California, or as soon thereafter as possible.

For a copy of the proposed Ordinance, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (626) 307-1359.

Approved as submitted above: Karl Berger, City Attorney

ATTEST:

Maychelle Yee, City Clerk

April 27, 2026

MONTEREY PARK PRESS

Glendale City Notices

CITY OF GLENDALE –NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 2.40*2

The City of Glendale is proposing a substantial amendment to its FY 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan to add a new activity using prior-year HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds.

The City proposes to allocate $683,361 in HOME funds through a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) to support the rehabilitation and expansion of an existing affordable housing facility in Glendale into permanent supportive housing for low-income residents.

This amendment qualifies as a substantial amendment under the City's Citizen Participation Plan because it adds a new activity not previously described in the FY 2025-2026 Annual Action Plan.

The draft amendment is available for public review at:

• Online: www.glendaleca.gov/affordablehousing

• In person: Community Development Department – Housing Division, 141 N. Glendale Avenue, Suite 202, Glendale, CA 91206

Public Comment Period: April 27, 2026 – May 29th, 2026

Written comments may be submitted by email to abrownell@glendaleca.gov, by mail to the address above, or online at www.glendaleca.gov/affordablehousing. All comments received by May 29th, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. will be considered before the amendment is submitted to HUD.

Public Hearing: The Glendale City Council and Housing Authority will hold a joint public hearing on June 2nd, 2026 at 3:00 PM at 613 E. Broadway, 2nd floor, Glendale, CA 91206 to consider adoption of the substantial amendment.

Contact: Aaron Brownell, Senior Housing Project Manager | abrownell@glendaleca.gov | 818-550-4530

Publish: _____________

Publish April 27, 2026 GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF MABEL CARIDAD GALINDO Case No. 26STPB04019

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of MABEL CARIDAD GALINDO

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Vanessa Galindo in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Vanessa Galindo be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on May 21, 2026 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 5 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a

notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner:

G MARK SANTA ANNA ESQ SBN 165416 GMSA LEGAL 360 E 2ND ST STE 800 LOS ANGELES, CA 90012-4607 CN126373 GALINDO Apr 20,23,27, 2026 GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Andre Felix Case No. 26STPB04271 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Andre Felix

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Arturo Fernando Felix in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Arturo Fernando Felix be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required

to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on May 18, 2026 at 8:30 AM in Dept. 4. located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Petitioner:

Arturo Fernando Felix 3294 E. Lavender Drive Ontario, Ca 91762

626-373-5970

April 20, 23, 27, 2026

BALDWIN PARK PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

EVERARDO PALACIOS MARTINEZ AKA EVERARDO

P. MARTINEZ AKA EVERARDO MARTINEZ

CASE NO. PROVA2600256

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of EVERARDO PALACIOS MARTINEZ

AKA EVERARDO P. MARTINEZ

AKA EVERARDO MARTINEZ.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ADRIANA PALACIOS MARTINEZ in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that ADRIANA PALACIOS MARTINEZ be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 05/21/26 at 9:00AM in Dept. F3 located at 17780 ARROW BLVD., FONTANA, CA 92335

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner PAUL D. VELASCO, ESQ. - SBN 192421 VZ LAW, LLP

333 W. BROADWAY, SUITE 100 LONG BEACH CA 90802

Telephone (562) 432-5541

BSC 228351

4/23, 4/27, 4/30/26

CNS-4034055# ONTARIO NEWS PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: KAREN ELIZABETH PEET

CASE NO. 26STPB03971

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of KAREN ELIZABETH PEET.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by KAREN HEARN in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that KAREN HEARN be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 05/11/26 at 8:30AM in Dept. 9 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner LANI M. GOODMAN, ESQ. - SBN 240307

SUNDSTEDT GOODMAN PC 7755 CENTER AVENUE 11TH FLOOR HUNTINGTON BEACH CA 92647

Telephone (714) 960-9999

BSC 228358 4/23, 4/27, 4/30/26 CNS-4034082# WEST COVINA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

LEGALS

ANN M. GOLFARB AKA ANN MARIE GOLDFARB AKA

ANNE M. WINTER

CASE NO. 26STPB04170

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of ANN M. GOLFARB AKA ANN MARIE GOLDFARB AKA ANNE M. WINTER.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CHRISTINE WINTER in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CHRISTINE WINTER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with limited authority. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 05/15/26 at 8:30AM in Dept. 9 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

LAWRENCE J. KALFAYAN - SBN 100670

99 S. LAKE AVE., STE. 501 PASADENA CA 91101

Telephone (213) 488-1060 4/23, 4/27, 4/30/26 CNS-4034432# PASADENA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

MARIA RAMIREZ

RODRIGUEZ MORGAN

CASE NO.

30-2023-01354058-PR-LACMC

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of MARIA RAMIREZ RODRIGUEZ MORGAN.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by LISA MACCARLEY in the Superior Court of California, County of ORANGE. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that LISA MACCARLEY be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the per-

sonal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 06/04/26 at 1:30PM in Dept. CM07 located at 3390 HARBOR BLVD., COSTA MESA, CA 92626

NOTICE IN PROBATE CASES

The court is providing the convenience to appear for hearing by video using the court’s designated video platform. This is a no cost service to the public. Go to the Court’s website at The Superior Court of CaliforniaCounty of Orange (occourts.org) to appear remotely for Probate hearings and for remote hearing instructions. If you have difficulty connecting or are unable to connect to your remote hearing, call 657-622-8452 for assistance. If you prefer to appear in-person, you can appear in the department on the day/time set for your hearing.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner CHRISTOPHER R. MILTON - SBN 220361 MILTONLAW 2626 FOOTHILL BLVD., STE. 200 LA CRESCENTA CA 91214

Telephone (818) 463-3780 4/23, 4/27, 4/30/26 CNS-4034657# ANAHEIM PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: MARIA HIGA AKA MARIA TERESA HIGA AKA MARIA TERESA SILVIA HIGA CASE NO. PROVA2600271

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of MARIA HIGA AKA MARIA TERESA HIGA AKA MARIA TERESA SILVIA HIGA.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by HERNAN PASTEN in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that HERNAN PASTEN be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 05/19/26

at 9:00AM in Dept. F2 located at 17780 ARROW BLVD., FONTANA, CA 92335

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

DANIEL B. BURBOTT - SBN 279759

GAUDY LAW, INC.

267 D STREET

UPLAND CA 91786

Telephone (909) 982-3199

4/23, 4/27, 4/30/26

CNS-4035041# ONTARIO NEWS PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: MICHAEL CLAUDE PORTER CASE NO. 26STPB04273

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of MICHAEL CLAUDE PORTER.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by GERALDINE GIRON PORTER in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that GERALDINE GIRON PORTER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 05/18/26 at 8:30AM in Dept. 18 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special

Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner

WILLIAM BOON, ESQ. - SBN 202150

858 N. CURSON AVENUE

LOS ANGELES CA 90046

Telephone (323) 655-0908 4/23, 4/27, 5/4/26 CNS-4035067# WEST COVINA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: SUNNY MONTIE CASE NO. 30-2026-01562637-PR-LACMC

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of SUNNY MONTIE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by LINDA MARTIN in the Superior Court of California, County of ORANGE. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that LINDA MARTIN be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 06/24/26 at 1:30PM in Dept. CM08 located at 3390 HARBOR BLVD., COSTA MESA, CA 92626 NOTICE IN PROBATE CASES

The court is providing the convenience to appear for hearing by video using the court’s designated video platform. This is a no cost service to the public. Go to the Court’s website at The Superior Court of CaliforniaCounty of Orange (occourts.org) to appear remotely for Probate hearings and for remote hearing instructions. If you have difficulty connecting or are unable to connect to your remote hearing, call 657-622-8452 for assistance. If you prefer to appear in-person, you can appear in the department on the day/time set for your hearing.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner PIERRE J. RODNUNSKY, ESQ. SBN 182888 RODNUNSKY & ASSOCIATES 5959 TOPANGA CANYON BLVD., #220

WOODLAND HILLS CA 91367

Telephone (818) 737-1090 4/23, 4/27, 4/30/26 CNS-4035262# ANAHEIM PRESS

ment generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20260003489

Pub: 04/20/2026, 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026 San Bernardino Press

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

File No. FBN20260003525

The following persons are doing business as: Empire Apartments, 3132 Triumph Lane, Ontario, CA 91764. Mailing Address, PO Box 1919, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91727. VMA Apartments 1, LLC (CA, 3595 Inland Empire Blvd BLDG 2 #2100, Ontario, CA 91764; Victor M Martinez, Managing member. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on April 9, 2026. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Victor M Martinez, Managing member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 15, 2026 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other

than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20260003525 Pub: 04/20/2026, 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026 San Bernardino Press

FILE NO. FBN20260003378

FILED: April 13, 2026

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

ABANDONMENT:

County of Original Filing: San Bernardino

Date of Original Filing: April 13, 2022

File No.: FBN20220003383

Fictitious Business Name(s): Brow Bar threading studio 12200B Central Avenue Chino, CA 91710 San Bernardino County Mailing Address, 12200 B Central Ave, Chino, CA 92880. San Bernardino County

Name of Registrant: (1). Kalpana Bogati (2). Radha Dhami

This business is/was conducted by: a general partnership Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on March 1, 2022 BY SIGNING BELOW, I DECLARE THAT I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS FORM AND THAT ALL INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE AND CORRECT. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).) I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes public record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250-6277).

FBN20260003378

/s/ Kalpana Bogati, Owner 04/20/2026, 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026

San Bernardino Press

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

File No. FBN20260003737

The following persons are doing business as: A1 Canvas, 8448 loma pl, upland, CA 91786. Mailing Address, V. louis G valentine. County of Principal

LEGALS

Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 1, 2007. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ louis G valentine, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 21, 2026 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20260003737 Pub: 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026, 05/18/2026 San Bernardino Press

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20260003295

The following persons are doing business as: LA RESERVA DEL CORTE, 16200 Arrow Blvd #119E, Fontana, CA 92335. Mailing Address, 16200 Arrow Blvd #119E, Fontana, CA 92335. GEEARTS Legacy Holdings, LLC (CA-B20260154191, 16200 Arrow Blvd 102D, Fontana, CA 92335; MARIA D TORRES, Managing Member. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form

and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ MARIA TORRES, Managing Member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 10, 2026 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20260003295

Pub: 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026, 05/18/2026 San Bernardino Press

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20260003379

The following persons are doing business as: LN Eyebrow Threading, 12200B Central Ave, Chino, CA 91710. Mailing Address, 1220 W San Bernardino Rd Apt 115, Covina, CA 91722. Dhana Thapa. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on April 1, 2026. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pur-

suant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Dhana Thapa, Owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on April 13, 2026 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20260003379 Pub: 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026, 05/18/2026

San Bernardino Press

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as (1). ReloPath (2). Vector Real Estate 33175 Temecula Pkwy A508 Temecula, CA 92592

Riverside County Donohue Group, Inc (CA, 33175 Temecula Pkwy A508, Temecula, CA 92592

Riverside County This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. William Robert Donohue, CEOStatement filed with the County of Riverside on April 15, 2026

NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before

the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202605718 Pub. 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026, 05/18/2026

RIVERSIDE INDEPENDENT

The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Tortilleria Mi Rancho Mexican Food 19248 Harvill Ave Suite C Perris, CA 92570 Riverside County NIcolas Hernandez Lagunas, 19248 Harvill Ave Suite C, Perris, CA 92570 Riverside County

This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)

s. NIcolas Lagunas Statement filed with the County of Riverside on April 23, 2026 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.

Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202606201 Pub. 04/27/2026, 05/04/2026, 05/11/2026, 05/18/2026 Riverside Independent

San Bernardino appoints Tarik Rahmani as finance director

By Staff

Tarik Rahmani is San Bernardino’snew finance director, who brings nearly twenty-five years of high-level municipal finance and executive leadership experience to the organization.

Rahmani most recently was chief financial officer and interim deputy city manager for the city of North Miami Beach. There he oversaw multiple departments, including Finance, Utilities, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and the Library. Rahmani was responsible for managing the city’s operating budget, capital improvement and infrastructure programs and long-term financial strategy.

“Tarik Rahmani brings a

proven track record of financial leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking to San Bernardino,” San Bernardino City Manager Eric Levitt said in a statement. “His extensive experience in municipal finance and his ability to align fiscal strategies with community priorities will be instrumental. He is a great addition to our team.”

Previously Rahmani held leadership roles with several cities in California, including as deputy city manager and finance director for Carson in southwest Los Angeles County, officials said. In Carson he served as the city’s chief financial and innovation officer, leading a large finance staff and overseeing budgeting, capital improve-

ment and infrastructure programs.

Rahmani also was president of finance for the League of California Cities, where he represented municipal finance interests on the organization’s Board of Directors and worked collaboratively to support cities across the state.

“I am honored to join the City of San Bernardino and look forward to working with the City Council, staff, and community to advance sound financial practices and support the City’s continued growth and success,” Rahmani said in a statement.

Rahmani’s earlier experience includes senior financial leadership positions in the Pacific Northwest cities

Anyma, Justin Bieber cause fines after breaking Coachella curfew

By City News Service

Goldenvoice,operator oftheCoachella

Valley Music and Arts Festival, was fined a total of $44,000 by the city of Indio for two artists breaking curfew during weekend two of the festival, city officials said Tuesday.

Electronic artist Anyma

was fined $24,000 for ending his set at 1:09 a.m. on April 17, and Justin Bieber was fined $20,000 for going two minutes past on April 18, according to a city spokesperson.

The city and Goldenvoice have an established agreement in which the city imposes a $20,000 fine for

any set exceeding the 1 a.m. curfew on Fridays and Saturdays and at midnight on Sundays, with an added $1,000 for every minute after five minutes past the deadline.

No fines were issued for the first weekend of the music festival.

Gas line rupture at high school campus prompts precautionary evacuations

By City News Service

Agas line was split open Thursday in the parking lot of San Jacinto High School, prompting firefighters to evacuate the campus as a precaution.

The leak was reported at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the parking area near the intersection of Tiger Lane and North Ramona Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency said two

engine crews were sent to the location and immediately detected the smell of natural gas outside the high school, where classes were already letting out for the day. Students and staff were directed to exit the grounds — away from where the gas line had been damaged, according to reports from the scene.

Crews ultimately confirmed that a 3-inch main located about four

of Seattle and Bellevue, Washington.

In San Bernardino, Rahmani will oversee all financial operations for the city, including budgeting, accounting, treasury, purchasing, payroll, grant management and business registration. Officials said he will play an important role in ensuring fiscal sustainability while supporting the city’s policy priorities and services for residents and businesses.

Rahmani has a master’s degree in agricultural economics from New Mexico State University and a bachelor’s degree in enterprise financial management from the University of Carthage in the North African nation of Tunisia.

Woman struck, killed by freight train in Corona

By City News Service

feet beneath the surface had been punctured as a result of construction activity. SoCal Gas Co. technicians were immediately summoned to make repairs. In the meantime, firefighters were able to shut off the gas at the campus. It was unclear why the construction workers had not confirmed the presence of the line prior to starting work at the site.

A50-year-old woman was fatally struck by a train after she stepped onto tracks near downtown Corona, authorities said Thursday. Silvia Gaitan of Hemet died just after 3 p.m. Wednesday when she was hit by a freight train on Burlington Santa Fe Railroad tracks in the 900 block of Railroad Street, near North Buena Vista Avenue, according to the Corona Police Depart-

ment.

Sgt. Brandon Palaoro told City News Service witnesses spotted Gaitan walking along the tracks, and when the freighter approached, she “appeared to intentionally remain on the tracks,” even as the train engineer “sounded the horn.”

Palaoro said the victim was hit at an unknown speed before the train came to a stop.

The witnesses and train

personnel, none of whom suffered injuries, immediately called 911. Corona Fire Department paramedics pronounced Gaitan dead at the scene. The tracks were closed for part of the afternoon while a preliminary investigation was conducted.

Anyone with information about the victim or the death was asked to contact the police department at 951-736-2330.

Efforts to slash the number of impounded dogs and cats who are euthanized in Riverside County animal shelters are gradually paying off, according to a report released Thursday by the Department of Animal Services.

“With targeted investments, passionate staff and impressive partner and community support, we have much to be proud of, with even more work ahead of us in 2026,” agency Director Mary Martin said Thursday. “I’m focused on enhancing and adding to our lifesaving programs, strengthening our national and local partnerships and providing real resources for pet owners when they need our help.”

Martin pointed to programs and campaigns implemented in 2025 that

Report: Riverside County gradually netting success in reducing animal euthanasia

have put the county on track to achieve a 90% pet life preservation rate in the county’s four shelters.

The Department of Animal Services published what specific strategies have been embraced in the agency’s 2025 Annual Report, which can be found at rcdas.org/ rivcorise.

Some of the programs have included elimination of most adoption fees -- with the exception of dog licenses, which generally run $25 or less -- “life flights” of large numbers of canines that nonprofit organizations pay to transport to shelters across the United States for adoption, pet fostering, expanded hours at most shelters and expedited “trap-neuter-return-to-field” programs for cats. The county is among the

By City News Service

nation’s largest pet intake centers. Last year, more than 29,000 dogs and cats were impounded, in addition to 5,000 other animals, including livestock and wildlife, according to the report.

Officials said 17,349 spay/ neuter surgeries were carried out in 2025. Adoptions went up 13%, and roughly 3,200 pets were successfully reclaimed by their owners after being impounded.

The gains resulted in an 82% “live release rate” for canines, and a 73% rate for cats last year, according to the agency.

“We’re making real progress toward a 90% release rate and a `No-Kill County,”’ Supervisor Manuel Perez said. “With ongoing community support -- through adoption, fostering, volunteering and responsible pet ownership --

we can save even more lives together.”

Last May, the Board of Supervisors approved the “no kill” policy, resolving that the county will make it an objective to preserve the lives of a minimum of 90% of all cats and dogs impounded at its shelters.

The no-kill effort dovetails with a reformation initiated by the board after one organization alleged that the county had the highest pet kill rate in the nation.

In 2024, the board hired Austin, Texas-based Outcomes for Pets LLC Principal Adviser Kristen Hassen to rectify problems within the agency, and in February 2025, the supervisors approved the Executive Office’s selection of Martin to head the department following a nationwide executive recruitment drive.

Man accused of perpetrating 2022 DHS murder arraigned

By City News Service

Afelonaccusedof gunningdowna

41-year-oldDesert Hot Springs man almost four years ago pleaded not guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder and other charges.

Camillo Castillo, 28, of Desert Hot Springs, allegedly killed Jayson Jamar Green in 2022.

Alongwithmurder, Castillo is charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations and being a prior-strike felon.

Hewasarraigned Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dean Benjamini, who

scheduled a felony settlement conference for June 12 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

The defendant was being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center.

According to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department, on the morning of July 18, 2022, there was an unspecified confrontation between the defendant and Green in the area of Buena Vista Avenue and West Drive.

During the encounter, Castillo allegedly pulled a handgun and shot the victim multiple times, then fled the location, police said.

Paramedicsarrived moments later and found Green gravely wounded. He was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he lingered in a coma for a week before dying.

“Whileinvestigative efforts were exhaustive, detectives were unable to identify a suspect at the time, and the case remained unsolved,” according to a DHSPD statement.

The investigation was reopened earlier this year, netting “new leads” that pointed to Castillo as the alleged shooter, the agency stated.

No other details were disclosed, including a possible motive.

Homelessness

• “System-level investments that improve coordination, service delivery, and access to shelter connected to regional navigation centers;

• “Coordinated encampment response and proactive street outreach to connect unsheltered individuals to housing pathways;

• “Rapid rehousing interventions designed to reduce lengths of stay in emergency shelter and accelerate exits to permanent housing;

• “Strategic enhance-

ments to HMIS and coordinated entry infrastructure to improve data quality, performance management, and system accountability.”

With the funding, the county aims to achieve measurable decreases in unsheltered homelessness, improve “system outcomes and performance,” accelerate transitions into permanent housing and enhance the county’s ability to provide “equitable, datadriven and results-oriented services across the full

continuum of homelessness response,” according to the county staff report.

Supervisors also OK’d a substantial amendment to the 2019-20 Annual Action Plan to shift $425,000 in CDBG coronavirus funding.

“This adjustment allows for the reallocation of $300,000 to support nutritional services through senior meal programs in the western region of the county, while the remaining $125,000 will be redirected to fulfill funding require-

ments for other eligible existing projects,” according to the county statement.

The cities that receive portions of the county’s HUD funding are Adelanto, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Needles, Redlands, Twentynine Palms, Yucaipa and the Town of Yucca Valley, Gilliam reported, Gilliam reported. The cities of Chino Hills and Rancho Cucamonga elected to participate only in the HOME program.