Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012- 2017.
www.lmlamplighter.com 6 DelivereD to 10,000 homes every week
la miraDa, ca., NovemBer 22 , 2019 Serving La Mirada and ten other surrounding communities • April 10, 2026 • Vol. 70, No. 25 • LMLAMPLIGHTER.COM
CALTRANS REROUTED TRAFFIC WITHOUT INFORMING CERRITOS, ILLEGAL MOVE WILL COSTMount THE CITY $5 MILLION Questions as OVER Bellflower
BY BRIAN HEWS
Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News has obtained a letter, dated September 6, 2019, addressed to Caltrans from the city of Cerritos that blasts the state agency for rerouting tractor-trailer traffic through the City due to I-5 construction projects. Shockingly, the rerouting was done without notifying the City.
The City is claiming that the rerouting has caused over $5 million in damage to the streets, increased pollution in the area, increased traffic noise, and increased the safety risk of residents. Further the letter states that Caltrans is in violation of the project’s final Environmental Impact Report which obligates the agency to coordinate with cities to minimize adverse impacts
during the construction period. “Caltrans has failed to coordinate thus far, and any further lack of communication or consultation with the City and its residents is unacceptable.” The City blasted Caltrans for establishing a detour route on southbound Carmenita between the I-5 and Artesia Blvd., and eastbound Artesia Blvd. between Carmenita and the I-5. “Neither stretch of Carmeni-
Mayor Pro Tem Fails to Provide Key Loan Docs on Out-of-District Property
ta or Artesia is a city designated flows onto arterial streets.” truck route, commercial vehicles The City then cited the nuover 6,000 pounds are strictly merous safety hazards caused by prohibited on the streets, per the rerouting of traffic, concerns City Municipal Code.” that have been voiced by CerriThe Caltrans rerouting of tos residents in calls and emails and his wife and in aand Deed trucks Pro has Tem caused severe dam- chez to both HMG-LCCN the Mayor cites of Trust securing a $421,000 age and increased traffic at peak City. “no comment” after three loan recorded just days later. The rerouting on Carmenita hours, the extensive damage requests for loan documents Those filings raised immedialone is estimated “to cost $5.2 takes large trucks by two schools, that could clarify how ate legal questions about whethmillion to repair,” and the “aver- Stowers Elementary and Carmethe out-of-district property er Sanchez’s principal residence age daily traffic on said streets was nitainMiddle addition District school 1 ratherin than Diswas classified. has significantly increased and trict 4, the district he was elected
CALTRANS page 14 to represent. See Under California law, councilmembers must reside in the district they serve, and BELLFLOWER — In No- a change in residence can trigger vember, Los Cerritos Commu- removal through court action. nity News first reported that But the residency issue was then Bellflower District 4 Coun- only part of the concern. The cilman — now Mayor Pro Tem recorded loan documents reBY THOM MARTIN action, jumping out of her car — Victor Sanchez had declared quired the the borrower occupy grabbing boy andtohelping the a Somerset Street duplex in Dis- the property as a principal resThe City of Lakewood held woman. trict 1 as owner-occupied in re- idence — a sworn, notarized its annual Award of ValorThat lunShe took them to Artesia High corded public documents. obligation that lenders treat cheon on Nov. 6 to thank the men School, where they received meddesignation appeared in both a as a material condition of the and women of the Los Angeles ical assistance and were ultimateGrant Deed transferring a half County Sheriff’s Department and ly transported to the hospital. interest in the property to San, Page 7 Fire Department, as well as the See PROPERTY Because of her selfless accommunity volunteers who pro- tions, the City of Lakewood retect and serve Lakewood. cently awarded Bridget with the Bridget Perrizo, a staff mem- Mayor’s Award at the city’s anber at Artesia High was honored nual Awards of Valor ceremony. when she helped two people that "I always wondered what I was being attacked by a dog. would do when faced with a situBridget, was headed back to Avenue, keyone," stepsaid toward a ation likea this Perrizo. By Brian developwork fromHews lunch when she spot- future "By thelarge-scale grace of God, I had the tiedtototake regional ted a dog attacking a woman and ment courage action.transit. I'm so Thethat agreement grantsand HoNORWALK — had Norwalk young boy. The dog knocked glad both the mom son 2 LLC officials advanced twothey of were the tel2Suites them to the ground and are okay, and I'm soexclusive honored to to this negotiate with the city, city’s mostfor consequential de- rights screaming help. receive award.” velopment this week Bridget efforts immediately took effectively positioning the deSee HEROa page hotel15 while approving emergen- veloper to bring forward cy infrastructure repairs and or mixed-use project. While contracts with unusually high no final proposal has been apcontingencies — underscoring proved, such agreements typithe growing pressure to man- cally signal that detailed plans age growth, aging systems, are forthcoming and that the and state housing mandates. city has narrowed the field to At the forefront, the City a single development partner. City leaders have long Council authorized an exclusive negotiating agreement for prop- viewed the Transit Village erty within the Norwalk Transit Village area near Bloomfield See NORWALK, Page 6 By Brian Hews
ARTESIA HIGH STAFF-MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD OF VALOR FROM LAKEWOOD
THE LUNAR SURFACE appears in striking, high-resolution detail during the Artemis II mission flyby as Earth sets in the distance. Captured April 6, 2026, just minutes before signal loss, the image reveals the contrast of night and day across Earth, with sharply defined ridges, deep shadows, and rugged terrain stretching across the Moon’s surface. Image Credit: NASA.
Cerritos Residents Warned After Hidden Surveillance Devices Discovered Near Homes Hidden camera found on Summerwind Street used by burglary crews to monitor Cerritos home activity.
Artesia-Based Hospice Operator Charged in Even more concerning, sim- $9 Million Fraud Scheme
ilar devices have reportedly been spotted mounted on poles in other parts of the city. By Brian Hews This isn’t a random prank or neighborhood curiosity. ARTESIA — A healthcare By Stepheny Gehrig It’s part of a growing pattern operator who ran a hospice across Southern California business out of Artesia is now where organized burglary crews at the center of a massive fedCERRITOS when TRASH piles up— at Just a condominium complex in Hawaiian Gardens. The City chose Waste Resources are using hidden cameras to fraud that allegedly siyou thoughtassecurity Incorporated their newcameras hauler, who said they would immediately begineral trash pickcase up. Photo Brian Hews. “case” homes before striking. phoned millions from Medicare. were for homeowners, burglars In Arcadia, a homeowner Lolita Beronilla Minerd, 65, are now installing their own. previously discovered a cam- of Anaheim, was arrested as part of a sweeping federal investiTRASH WILL FINALLY GET CLEANED UP IN HAWAIIAN GARDENS gation targeting hospice fraud
era camouflaged in a hedge and aimed at nearby homes, prompting police warnings that the device was likely used to track residents’ routines. A similar case in Garden Grove involved a camera hidden in bushes outside a residence. The trend has also surfaced farther north. In San Jose, police reported multiple hidden cameras placed outside homes, some connected to Wi-Fi and portable power
across Angeles County. includedLos several default letters, Authorities allege Minerd used which, under California’s Public her company, Topanga Hospice Resource Code Section 49000, Care which operated in starts Inc., the clock on termination. Artesia from 2020 to 2025, to City staff even went the extra submit roughly $9.2 million in step and attempted to work with fraudulent claims to Medicare, CWS to cure the breaches and ultimately receiving moreofthan defaults starting in March this $8.5 million in payments. year, each of which gave CWS According steps to resolvetotheinvestigators, defaults. the scheme relied on recruiting In addition to the default noindividuals whoalso were not ter-to tices, the City attempted minally ill and enrolling them arrange meetings with CWS but in hospice care under false preCWS did not attend most meettenses. ings. In some cases, individuals were allegedly approached in public placesSeeand later TRASH pageof-15 fered monthly cash payments, along with medical supplies, in exchange for signing up as hospice patients. The operation was part of a broader federal crackdown that resulted in multiple arrests involving healthcare professionals across Southern California, including nurses and other licensed providers accused of exploiting the hospice system for financial gain. Minerd’s Artesia-based operation is one of several businesses identified in the inves-
See CAMERAS, Page 6
See FRAUD, Page 6
BY BRIAN HEWS
“Poor leadership, no foresight on the situation, typical of this While rotting trash is accumu- City Council,” former Hawaiian lating in many parts of Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Rey Rodriguez Gardens, Mayor Myra Maravilla told HMG-LCCN. and the City Council finally conThe staff report included in ducted a hearing, waiting an en- last week’s meeting presented tire week, and allowing the trash clear evidence that CWS was in to accumulate even more, to once violation of its contract with the again discuss terminating CWS’ City, but Mayor Maravilla and the contract. Council were apparently afraid to Under the Ralph M. Brown pull the termination trigger, leavAct, Maravilla and the City Coun- ing residents driving by stinky cil could have sent out Components a notice piles for thesurveillance foreseeable HIDDEN CAMERA: of of a trash concealed and held a meeting within two future. device found hidden in landscaping, camouflaged with leaves and days totoaddress situation. voluminous staff report debris monitorthenearby homes withoutThe detection.
In a development that feels more like a spy movie than suburban life, a hidden surveillance camera was recently discovered tucked inside bushes on a quiet residential street in Cerritos—and authorities say it’s not an isolated incident. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Cerritos Station, the device was found on the 12500 block of Summerwind Street, positioned to quietly monitor activity at a nearby home.
Norwalk Pushes Transit Project, Resolves Housing Dispute, Oks Emergency Repairs
Cerritos Reports Double-Digit Drop in Crime ty-related offenses, which fell by more than 27 percent yearover-year. Burglaries, thefts, and vehicle-related property CERRITOS Crime in Bridget ARTESIA HIGH—staff-member Perrizo receivednotable the Award crimes all showed de-of Cerritos trendingfordownValor fromisLakewood saving two in a dog attack. clines, continuing a trend that ward overall in early 2026, but has helped push Cerritos below a closer look at the numbers its recent historical averages. shows a more complicated and But the improvement comes concerning picture beneath the with a caveat. Violent crime surface. While property crimes increased by nearly 28 percent like burglary and theft are fall- compared to last year, with aging significantly, violent crime gravated assaults leading the is moving in the opposite di- surge. Assaults rose from 14 rection, raising new questions incidents last year to 22 this about public safety in the city. year, representing a jump of According to the March more than 57 percent. While 2026 crime statistics, total re- the overall number of violent ported crimes dropped to 636 incidents remains relativecompared to 769 during the ly low compared to property same period last year, a de- crimes, the upward trend is sigcline of more than 17 percent. nificant and difficult to ignore. The decrease is largely driven by a sharp reduction in proper- See CRIME, Page 6
LCCN Staff Report