LOS CERRITOS
Winner of Nineteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2021 Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • May 8, 2026 • Vol. 41, No. 27 • LOSCERRITOSNEWS.NET
La Palma Mayor’s Law School Hit With Lawsuit, Flagged by State Bar, Then Shut Down Small Orange County city faces mounting lawsuits, labor claims, and scrutiny surrounding mayor’s failed correspondence law school operations. By Brian Hews Three weeks ago, Los Cerritos Community News exclusively reported that the one square mile City of La Palma with an annual budget of $13 million had been hit with an $8.2 million harassment lawsuit, putting the small Orange County city under an uncomfortable spotlight. Just one week later, LCCN reported about a second lawsuit—this time alleging wage theft and labor violations inside the City’s Tiny Tots recreation program. The complaint claims employees were routinely required to work full days while being paid for only part-time
hours. Now, another major headache has gripped the city—this time involving La Palma Mayor Nitesh Patel and a law school that shut down after a lawsuit and a damning State Bar report. Patel ran the American International School of Law, an unaccredited, for-profit correspondence law school based in Irvine. Court records show that Patel and the school were named in a 2018 lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court alleging intentional misrepresentation related to the school’s academic program and services. The complaint accused the school of making false representations to prospective students regarding instruction, academic support, and bar preparation resources. The case was dismissed with prejudice in November 2018, meaning it cannot be refiled. No details about any settlement or See PATEL, Page 7
California Residents Monitored After Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak Linked to Cruise Ship California health officials are tracking returning passengers while international investigators work to contain the rare virus outbreak aboard expedition cruise vessel. By Brian Hews
California health officials are monitoring residents who were aboard a Dutch expedition cruise ship tied to a rare hantavirus outbreak that has killed three passengers and sickened several others worldwide. Officials stressed Thursday that no California cases have been confirmed and that the current public health risk remains low.
The outbreak is linked to the MV Hondius, a polar expedition cruise vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions that departed Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic and Antarctic voyage. According to the World Health Organization, at least five confirmed cases and several suspected cases have been connected to the ship. Three passengers have died. The California Department of Public Health confirmed that state residents were among the passengers aboard the ship and are now being monitored after notification from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There is no information that the California residents are
Photo by Loren Kopff
CHAMPS! LA MIRADA HIGH BASEBALL TEAM TAKES CROWN TROPHY TIME: La Mirada players celebrate moments after clinching the program’s 33rd league championship and 11th consecutive league title following a 9-0 victory over Bellflower last Friday under head coach Jimmy Zurn. La Mirada has now gone 101-8 in league play since 2016. Story page 10.
Cerritos Budget Task Force Members ‘Raise Concerns’ By Brian Hews
CERRITOS — Four members of the City of Cerritos’ Resident Budget Task Force are publicly raising concerns about the scope of the city’s recent budget review discussions as officials prepare for another major budget study session Monday night. The Cerritos City Council is scheduled to receive the task force report and conduct a budget study session during its May 11 meeting as the city continues evaluating long-term fiscal challenges and possible budget-balancing options. According to the city, the 16-member Resident Budget Task Force met four times between late March and late April to discuss the city’s budget climate, expenditure reductions, operational efficiencies, and
See VIRUS, Page 7
See BUDGET, Page 4
See POLICE , Page 1
See PARADE, Page 1
Santa Fe Springs Names First Police Chief New Santa Fe Springs Police Department takes major step toward 2028 launch with appointment of veteran community policing leader. By Brian Hews
Santa Fe Springs officials have officially appointed veteran law enforcement executive Paul Espinosa as the first police chief of the newly formed Santa Fe Springs Police Department, marking a historic milestone as the city prepares to transition away from contracted policing services and establish its own independent municipal police force. The appointment represents one of the biggest developments yet in the formation of the city’s new police department, which is expected to officially begin operations March 1, 2028. City officials said the creation of the Santa Fe Springs Police Department will provide greater local control over policing policies, staffing, operation-
al priorities, and community outreach programs while establishing a department specifically focused on Santa Fe Springs neighborhoods and businesses. Espinosa began his law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1994 and served in numerous assignments Paul Espinoza during a career spanning more than three decades. During his time with LAPD, Espinosa worked assignments in patrol, narcotics, vice, investigations, and specialized enforcement operations before promoting through the ranks of officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. According to city officials, Espinosa served in leadership positions across eleven community police stations throughout all four geographic bureaus See CHIEF, Page 7
See SSI CUTS, Page 1