(NEW YORK) — California search and rescue crews are looking for a missing helicopter with five Marines aboard, the U.S. Marine Corps said.
The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was “reported overdue” to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Tuesday night. The helicopter departed from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas and was en route to Miramar, in the San Diego area.
The Marines have asked for help from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Civil Air Patrol.
The sheriff’s department said it received a call at 1:50 a.m. and sent its own helicopter to search, but the helicopter wasn’t able to reach the area due to the atmospheric river storm hitting the region. The sheriff’s department said it has now sent off-road vehicles to navigate the rough terrain.
Firefighters responded to the point where the helicopter was last known, and nothing was found, Cal Fire officials said.
(WASHINGTON) — The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, according to a statement.
“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat,” the statement said.
The ADIZ is a zone that stretches out 150 miles from the U.S. coastline where the U.S. requires aircraft to identify themselves.
NORAD tracks aircraft in the region through a “layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft,” according to their statement, and they say they remain “ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America.”
Russia’s defense ministry issued a press release about a long-range training flight by bombers to the Arctic that might offer a description of some of the Russian bombers in this incident saying that two Tu-160 strategic missile carriers performed a flight over the neutral waters of the Arctic Ocean and the Laptev Sea, lasting over 10 hours.
“The flight was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace,” said the commander of long-range aviation, Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, whose words were reported to the Russian Ministry of Defense. “Long-range aviation pilots regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Baltic Seas, and the Pacific Ocean.”
Strategic bombers Tu-160, Tu-95MS and long-range bombers Tu-22M3 are part of the long-range aviation of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation. Long-range aircraft are the air component of the Russian nuclear triad, but they can also carry out strikes with conventional missiles and bombs, including cruise missiles, says the Russian Ministry of Defense.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation Tuesday into Harvard University for possible discrimination after Arab and Muslim students filed a civil rights complaint against the university.
More than 60 DOE investigations into K-12 schools, colleges and universities have been opened for alleged discrimination regarding shared ancestry since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
“We support the work of the Office of Civil Rights to ensure students’ rights to access educational programs are safeguarded and will work with the office to address their questions,” Jason Newton, director of Media Relations & Communications at Harvard, said in a statement to ABC News.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America, which filed the complaint on behalf of the students in January, alleges that the students have been targeted with “rampant harassment and racist attacks including doxxing, stalking and assault simply for being Palestinian, Muslim, and supporters of Palestinian rights.”
The group also alleges that some students have been assaulted for wearing keffiyehs, which are traditional Palestinian scarves.
The students who filed the complaint attend Harvard College, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Divinity School, and Harvard Law School. This is at least the second complaint made against Harvard in recent months.
“Our complaint addresses Harvard’s failure to protect more than a dozen students from harassment, intimidation, and threats based solely on their status as Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and supporters of Palestinian rights,” the legal fund said. “This investigation signifies an important step toward accountability and justice for these students, who all deserve the right to learn in a safe environment and the freedom to express their views.”
Harvard has also been under scrutiny for alleged antisemitic activity, prompting administrators to create a Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism.
After the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights receives a complaint, it evaluates and determines whether it will open an investigation, according to the agency.
These investigations have been opened under Title VI, a law that bans discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any institution or program that receives federal funding from the DOE.
Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, some college students — including students from Jewish and pro-Israel communities — told ABC News that they do not feel safe on campus and they do not feel supported by their universities.
Harvard has been under scrutiny since tens of student groups issued a statement on the overseas conflict in Israel following the attack. It stated that Israeli policies and its impact on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza are “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” following the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 people.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 27,585 people have been killed and 66,978 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.
In a previous request for comment on the civil rights complaint, the university said it did not have a comment. Instead, school officials pointed to a list of supports and resources the university put in place for students and pointed to last Friday’s announcement of a Presidential Taskforce on Combating Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Bias.
Harold Staten (right) with his son Harold DeBose (left) celebrate after Staten was exonerated from prison after nearly 40 years behind bars. (Pennsylvania Innocence Project)
(PHILADELPHIA) — A man incarcerated for nearly 40 years was released from prison on Monday after a judge ruled his conviction be overturned.
Harold Staten, 71, was found guilty after prosecutors said he set a 1986 fire that killed a man in Philadelphia after his home burst into flames, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Charles Harris and three others jumped from the home’s second floor. Harris succumbed to severe burns three days later.
“We have been working on Harold Staten’s case in various ways for over a decade and are elated that he is now home with his family to start the next chapter of his life after nearly 4 decades of wrongful incarceration,” the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, which filed the petition for his release, told ABC News in a statement.
Staten’s conviction decades ago was based on science that was considered flawed by a judge on Monday and conflicting testimonies from a teenager after the fire, according to the district attorney’s office. Staten was serving a life sentence without parole for arson, second-degree murder and other related charges.
“Current fire investigations rely on a modern understanding of fire dynamics and the scientific method — all of which was absent from the investigation in this case,” Assistant District Attorney Carry Wood told ABC News in a statement. “A review of Mr. Staten’s conviction, which included a report from a former ATF Special Agent and Certified Fire Investigator, led us to conclude that there is little credible information that could stand up his murder conviction today.”
The DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) began to review Staten’s petition for relief in 2022 after the Pennsylvania Innocence Project filed a Post Conviction Relief Act petition, according to the district attorney’s office. The CIU retained a forensic expert who concluded that the original cause determinations of the fire were not supportable under modern fire investigation standards and the cause of the fire should be considered undetermined, rather than arson.
The original determination of the use of a fire accelerant was due to the heavy damage and the fire pattern on the floor in the entryway. Both are not actually evidence of anything more than a fire had occurred, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Fire investigation experts for both the defense and the Commonwealth independently concluded that the tragic fire that led to Mr. Staten’s conviction should never have been classified as an arson,” The Pennsylvania Innocence Project told ABC News. “Not only was Mr. Staten wrongly convicted, but it is likely that no crime even occurred.”
The rowhouse on North Percy Street in Philadelphia erupted into flames at approximately 3:38 a.m. on Oct. 30, 1984, according to the district attorney’s office. Harris, his partner, Marion DeBose, her daughter Juanita and a tenant Robert Williams leaped from a window on the second floor to escape. Harris later died from his burns.
The prosecutors who first tried Staten said he started the fire because of an argument over a can of missing bug spray, according to the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors stated that he poured an accelerant into the house’s front entrance to start the fire.
Witness testimony that put Staten at the scene was challenged in earlier, unsuccessful attempts to throw out his conviction. After the fire, a 17-year-old girl, initially said she didn’t see Staten near the house within the timeframe of the fire, but in an interview afterwards, she said she saw Staten near the front entrance of the home, according to the district attorney’s office. The teen also admitted to using cocaine the night of the incident, the district attorney’s office added.
Information was uncovered that would contest the 17-year-old’s credibility years later, including testimony from her roommate that the prosecution’s witness was severely intoxicated the night of the fire, according to the district attorney’s office.
Staten did not immediately return ABC News’ request for a statement or interview.
“Ultimately it was Mr. Staten’s own relentless efforts to prove his innocence that led to this result,” the Pennsylvania Innocence Project told ABC News.
(FORT MYERS, Fla.) — A suspect in a hostage incident at a Florida bank was shot and killed by a SWAT sniper, authorities said.
Two hostages were unharmed in what Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno called a “chaotic scene.”
The incident unfolded at a Bank of America in Fort Myers shortly after 11 a.m. ET. on Tuesday.
“We received a call of a bank robbery in progress with multiple hostages,” Marceno said during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon.
The suspect was armed with a knife and claimed to have a bomb, Marceno said. He was holding two people hostage, the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s office responded within minutes, deploying SWAT, drones and a robotic dog, Marceno said. Deputies secured the building while hostage negotiations began, he said.
At some point during the negotiations, the suspect “became physical,” Marceno said.
“He started to put one of the hostages in like, a headlock and he had the knife to her throat,” Marceno said.
A SWAT sniper, fearing for the life of the female hostage, shot and killed the suspect, Marceno said.
None of the hostages nor responding law enforcement were injured, Marceno said.
“I’m proud to say that both hostages are safe,” Marceno said. “Their safety was paramount.”
The suspect was identified by the sheriff’s office as Sterling Ramon Alavache, 36.
The SWAT sniper involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave, per standard protocol for the sheriff’s office, Marceno said.
Marceno did not release any further details due to the open investigation.
It is unclear who the victims were or how long the hostage negotiations lasted.
A Bank of America spokesperson deferred comment to local law enforcement due to the active investigation.
John Sugben told ABC Naples, Florida, affiliate WZVN-TV he was inside the bank at the time of the hostage incident.
“There was some commotion and the person I was working with in the bank went out and talked to someone and she said, ‘C’mon, let’s go, we gotta leave,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Federal and state officials are still seeking leads nearly one year after four bald eagles were found shot dead in Arkansas.
The eagles were discovered on Feb. 13, 2023, in the town of Pyatt in Marion County, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is investigating the incident along with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
The eagles had been shot sometime between mid-January and mid-February of 2023, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said. Red-tailed hawks, a pet dog and a couple of deer carcasses were also found shot and killed in the area, federal officials said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Southeast said on social media Tuesday that it is continuing to seek information on the shooting of the bald eagles.
A spokesperson for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission told ABC News they are highlighting the case now “in hopes of generating new leads.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the bald eagle killings.
The Center for Biological Diversity also announced in May 2023 that it is offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
“We grieve the senseless and illegal killing of these majestic birds and want the perpetrator brought to justice,” Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the center, said in a statement at the time. “This cowardly act against America’s national bird can’t go unpunished. I hope someone steps forward with information.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Conway Office of Law Enforcement at 501-513-4470 or the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at 833-356-0824.
Bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibit the killing of the animals. Violations of these statutes carry maximum criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and/or two years in federal prison, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.
Bald eagles, the only eagles unique to North America, were listed as endangered in most states in 1978, following the enactment of the Endangered Species Act. The species was delisted in 2007 and its recovery is considered “one of the most well-known conservation success stories of all time,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.
(NEW YORK) — Four bolts designed to prevent the door plug from falling off the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane were missing before the plug blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report of the incident released on Tuesday.
Boeing records reviewed by the NTSB showed that damaged rivets on the edge frame forward of the plug were replaced by Spirit AeroSystems employees at Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington, on Sept. 19, 2023, according to the agency’s report. Boeing had to open the plug by removing the two vertical movement arrestor bolts and two upper guide track bolts for the rivets to be replaced, but photo documentation obtained from Boeing showed evidence that the plug was closed with no bolts in three visible locations, according to the NTSB report.
One bolt area is obscured by insulation in the photo, though the NTSB said it was able to determine in its laboratory that that bolt was also not put back on.
After examining damage to the recovered plug, the NTSB determined that the “four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED plug were missing before the MED plug moved upward off the stop pads,” the preliminary report stated.
Boeing said Tuesday it would review the NTSB’s findings “expeditiously” in a statement following the release of the report.
“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened. An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory,” Boeing president and CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement Tuesday. “We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers.”
Boeing said it is taking “immediate action to strengthen quality,” including implementing a plan to ensure all mid-exit door plugs on 737-9s are installed properly and adding inspections further into the supply chain.
Spirit AeroSystems said in a statement Tuesday that it is reviewing the NTSB’s report and “remain focused on working closely with Boeing and our regulators on continuous improvement in our processes and meeting the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability.”
The door plug fell off a few minutes after Alaska Flight 1282 took off from Portland International Airport on Jan. 5. Passengers captured footage showing a hole where the door plug came loose on the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane. The plane safely made an emergency landing and no one was seriously injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded approximately 171 Max 9s worldwide following the incident. Alaska Airlines resumed flying the Boeing 737 Max 9 following fleet inspections on Jan. 26.
Alaska Airlines said Tuesday it remains “in close contact” with the NTSB.
“Safety is always our top priority,” the airline said in a statement. “As this investigation moves forward, we have full confidence in the safety of our operation and aircraft.”
The FAA is increasing its oversight of Boeing and began an audit of the company’s production and manufacturing in the wake of the door plug blow-out.
Boeing said Tuesday it will “fully and transparently support the FAA’s investigation, audit and oversight actions.”
“This added scrutiny — from ourselves, from our regulator and from our customers — will make us better. It’s that simple,” Calhoun said.
The CEO took responsibility for the incident in the company’s fourth quarter earnings call last week, saying the company is “accountable for what happened.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Quick and cheap are two of the first words that come to mind when thinking about fast food. But some McDonald’s customers have criticized the restaurant giant over recent higher menu prices, prompting the CEO to address the issue of affordability during the company’s latest earning call.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski spoke to analysts on Monday morning about the fast food chain’s mixed fourth quarter results, as well as the global market impact with ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Muslim communities, and ultimately about how to re-engage lower-income customers.
After the earnings results were posted, McDonald’s shares tumbled nearly 4% on the New York Stock Exchange by closing.
While global same-store sales – meaning stores that have been open for at least a year – were up 3.4%, short of Wall Street’s expectations, Kempczinski said those earnings results were impacted by the war in the Middle East.
Domestically however, same-store sales were up by 4.3%, which was more closely aligned to previous quarters and company expectations for what the CEO called “normalized growth.”
In the U.S., McDonald’s reported “strong average check growth driven by strategic menu price increases,” but the CEO admitted that there has been a sales dip in the wake of the increased menu prices.
McDonald’s noted a drop in transactions with one of its core consumers: lower-income customers who make $45K a year or less.
“Eating at home has become more affordable,” Kempczinski said. “The battleground is certainly with that low-income consumer.”
Kempczinski posited that these customers may have opted for less dining out, with prices and inflation on groceries cooling faster than the Consumer Price Index category for food away from home.
“What you’re going to see is more attention to affordability,” he emphasized. “Think about that as an absolute price point, which is more important for that consumer to get them into the restaurants than maybe value messaging. We are set up well to go after that.”
Kempczinski also wrote about the earnings on LinkedIn, writing, “we remain confident in the resilience of our business.”
Kempczinski further declared during the earnings call that the burger chain is already well positioned with its $1, $2, $3 menu platform.
“There will be some activity at the local level to make sure we continue to provide value for the lower-income consumer,” Kempczinski said, without providing any further details on how or when that could be expected.
Over the summer, McDonald’s customers in Connecticut complained of a nearly $18 price tag for a Big Mac combo meal, as first reported by the New York Post.
Franchises are allowed to set their own prices and choose whether or not to opt in for corporate promotions, which is why menu prices may vary by location.
(NEW YORK) — A second storm within one week is pummeling nearly the entire state of California with heavy rain and life-threatening flooding.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where floodwaters have inundated roads and high winds are knocking down power lines and trees.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 06, 12:48 PM
Los Angeles mayor: ‘This storm continues … take precautions’
“This storm continues — and that means we still need Angelenos to take precautions,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned Tuesday.
Periods of rain will continue Tuesday creating dangerous conditions on the roads and increasing the chance of mudslides and flooding, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said.
No fatalities have been reported in LA, Bass said.
Crews have responded to 307 mudslides and 257 fallen trees, Crowley said.
If you must go outside, use caution, Crowley warned. Slow down if driving and always be on the lookout for downed power lines and trees, she said.
The mayor commended residents who have checked on each other in hard-hit communities and stressed that everyone should check on their neighbors.
The “historic” rain is expected to taper off late Tuesday night, National Weather Service meteorologist Ariel Cohen said.
There’s a chance for more atmospheric rivers this spring, Cohen said.
Feb 06, 10:53 AM
By the numbers
Downtown Los Angeles recorded 7.03 inches of rain on Sunday and Monday, marking the wettest two days in the city since 1956.
Los Angeles averages 14.25 inches of rain for an entire year. So far this year, LA has recorded nearly 11 inches of rain, or 75% of the city’s annual rainfall.
And the rain is still falling. As of Tuesday morning, the three-day rainfall totals have climbed to: 12.2 inches in San Bernardino County; 12 inches in Bel Air in Los Angeles County; 9.4 inches in Santa Barbara County; 8.7 inches in Ventura County and 7.6 inches in downtown Los Angeles.
Feb 06, 7:39 AM
Southern California sees historic rainfall
As of early Tuesday, almost a foot of rain had fallen in Los Angeles’ Bel Air neighborhood over a period of less than three days, according to the National Weather Service
As of Monday, downtown Los Angeles had recorded 7.03 inches of rain in two days, making it the city’s wettest two-day period since 1956 when 7.44 inches of rain fell. It’s also the third wettest two days in Los Angeles’ history, with records dating back to 1877.
Los Angeles typically gets 14.25 inches of rain over an entire year. Since the start of 2024, the sprawling Southern California city has recorded almost 11 inches of rain — 75% of its annual average.
Feb 06, 7:06 AM
Latest forecast
A storm system continues to slam Southern California, with an atmospheric river bringing a plume of moisture all the way from the tropical Pacific Ocean.
The National Weather Service has flood watches in effect Tuesday morning for California as well as Nevada and Arizona. Winter storm warnings and snow alerts were also in effect for nine western states, from Montana to California, as this storm spreads into the Rocky Mountains.
As of early Tuesday, up to 3 feet of snow had already fallen on the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The threat of flash floods on Tuesday will be mostly from Los Angeles to San Diego in California and from Yuma to Phoenix in Arizona. Locally, less than 1 inch of rain is in the forecast for Los Angeles, but the foothills around the city could get an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain.
On Wednesday, another storm system — much weaker — is expected to move through California from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles by the evening hours. The storm could dump an additional 1 inch of rain on southern California.
Feb 05, 10:08 PM
President Biden pledges ‘any and all federal support’ California needs
President Joe Biden told California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass he is committed to helping communities impacted by the monster storms with “any and all federal support requested.”
Feb 05, 10:17 PM
LAFD rescues man and dog from LA River
Los Angeles Fire Department personnel rescued a man and his dog from the Los Angeles River Monday.
Around 2:45 p.m. PT, authorities received a report from a bystander that a man had jumped into the water to rescue his dog. Fire crews responded and found that the dog had managed to swim to the edge and escape the rapids.
The dog was taken to a shelter for temporary care.
At a press conference Monday night, officials said LA County Fire had rescued 16 people from flooding conditions and five cats.
Feb 05, 4:50 PM
Flash flood warning in Los Angeles area extended to 6 p.m. PT
A flash flood warning that covers the Los Angeles-area cities of Glendale, Pasadena and Santa Clarita has been extended until 6 p.m. local time.
A flood advisory covering all of LA County is in effect until 3 p.m. local time.
Feb 05, 4:43 PM
3 people killed by fallen trees
Three people have been killed by fallen trees during the monster storm slamming California.
A man in Carmichael died after a tree fell on him, a Sacramento County spokesperson said Monday.
A tree fell on a house in Boulder Creek on Sunday, killing one resident inside, according to the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department. A second person managed to escape the home, authorities said.
The third fatality was recorded in Yuba City. An 82-year-old man was in his backyard on Sunday when he was killed by a falling redwood tree, Yuba City police said.
Feb 05, 3:13 PM
Flash flooding, mudslides ongoing threat from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles to San Diego
Flash flooding and mudslides are an ongoing threat from Santa Barbara to San Diego on Monday, with the Los Angeles area in the bull’s-eye, as a historic atmospheric river storm slams Southern California.
Ten inches of rain fell in some areas of Southern California. Many spots saw more than a month’s worth of rain over the last 24 hours.
Los Angeles recorded over 4 inches of rain in 24 hours, marking the city’s wettest day since December 2004.
The heavy rain and flooding will continue through Tuesday morning. Another 2 to 4 inches of rain is possible from Los Angeles to San Diego.
By Tuesday afternoon, the downpours will wind down. By Wednesday morning, the showers will linger in Southern California and most of the heavy rain will move into Arizona.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Feb 05, 2:59 PM
Over 130 flooding incidents reported in LA
Los Angeles has seen 2 to 5 inches of rain, while the Santa Monica mountains and Topanga Canyon area on the outskirts of Los Angeles are facing 5 to 10 inches of rain, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference Monday.
The fire department has responded to over 130 flooding incidents and 49 mudslide and debris flow incidents, and Los Angeles police recorded more than 65 traffic collisions, Crowley said.
“Overall, the county has weathered the storm well,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.
The atmospheric river event will continue through Tuesday, bringing another 1 to 3 inches of rainfall to Los Angeles, Crowley said.
Feb 05, 1:45 PM
Cars trapped on flooded roads, drivers rescued amid extreme rainfall
Evacuation orders and evacuation warnings have been issued in some parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Orange counties as life-threatening flooding hits the region, trapping people in cars and forcing residents to evacuate their homes.
In Los Angeles’ Baldwin Hills neighborhood, about six cars crashed while heading down a hill where the road was partly covered with mudslide debris, according to Los Angeles police. Multiple people were injured and one person might have suffered a broken leg, police said.
In San Bernardino County, three people were trying to drive across a flooded road when the car became submerged, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The three people clung to a tree and were rescued, officials said.
In Los Angeles’ Studio City neighborhood, firefighters rescued 16 residents after debris flow damaged homes, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. No one was injured, officials said.
Feb 05, 12:42 PM
2nd fatality confirmed
Two people have been killed by fallen trees during the powerful California storm.
A tree fell on a house in Boulder Creek on Sunday, killing one resident inside, according to the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department. A second person managed to escape the home, authorities said.
The second fatality was in Yuba City. An 82-year-old man was in his backyard on Sunday when he was killed by a falling redwood tree, Yuba City police said.
Feb 05, 11:22 AM
Over 500,000 waking up without power
More than 516,000 customers in California are waking up without power Monday morning as a powerful rainstorm slams the state.
Flash flood warnings and flood advisories are in effect for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Feb 05, 9:25 AM
Latest forecast
Los Angeles recorded more than 4 inches of rain on Sunday, beating the city’s daily record of 2.55 inches set in 1927.
The relentless rainfall and life-threatening flooding are ongoing across the Los Angeles area on Monday morning and will continue throughout the day.
A flash flood warning is in effect from Malibu to Beverly Hills to Brentwood to Hollywood to Burbank.
By Tuesday morning, the heaviest rain will be targeting areas east of San Diego.
On Tuesday afternoon, scattered downpours continue throughout California, and by Wednesday, just a few light showers and sprinkles will remain.
Feb 05, 7:37 AM
4 million under flash flood warning in Southern California
The National Weather Service has a flood watch in effect Monday morning for some 40 million residents in California, where more than a month’s worth of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours.
There was also a flash flood warning in effect until at least 9 a.m. PT for more than 4 million residents in Southern California, from the Santa Monica Mountains to the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park, including the areas of Hollywood, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Santa Monica, Encino and Brentwood. There were reports of numerous damaging landslides, inundated roadways, submerged vehicles as well as flooded creeks and streams within the region.
Automated rain gauges indicate between 5 and 8 inches of rain have already accumulated in the warning area, with rainfall continuing. An additional 1 to 4 inches of rain was possible there.
-ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 5:49 AM
Over 634,000 customers without power in California
Power is out for hundreds of thousands of electric customers in California amid severe weather.
As of 2:40 a.m. PT on Monday, more than 634,000 customers were without power across the Golden State, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
Feb 05, 5:34 AM
Man killed by falling redwood tree in Yuba City, police say
A man was killed by a falling redwood tree in his backyard in Yuba City in Northern California on Sunday, authorities said.
The Yuba City Police Department identified the victim as 82-year-old David Gomes.
A neighbor, who reported the incident, told the responding officers that they last saw Gomes at around 3 p.m. PT and believed they heard the tree fall about two hours later, according to police.
“Through the investigation, it appeared Gomes was possibly using a ladder to try and clear the tree away from his residence when it fell on him,” police said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley, who killed four students at Oxford High School in November 2021.
Crumbley was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
