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Alleged Airbnb fraudster based in L.A. indicted on federal charges

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

An alleged scammer who is accused of using listings on Airbnb and other vacation rental sites to defraud would-be tenants has been indicted on federal charges.Shray Goel faces charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to an indictment filed last month.Goel, believed to be about 35 years old, and accomplices allegedly used "a variety of fake host accounts on Airbnb and Vrbo" to net about $7 million, according to Court Watch and 404 Media, which reported the indictment on Tuesday.Between January 2018 and November 2019, Goel and others "would allegedly double book their rental properties, meaning that multiple parties were supposed to stay at them at the same time," the report said. "They would then trick customers into taking replacement bookings at inferior residences, and find ways to refuse refunds to guests who were entitled to them, the court record reads," according to Court Watch and 404 Media. "In some cases, Goel and others listed properties that they wer...

Major indoor flood causes Compton Courthouse to close until further notice

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

The Compton Courthouse will be closed until further notice due to a pipe burst over the weekend, officials said. According to a media release from Los Angeles County Superior Court, the major flood has left the elevators, stairwells and lobby inaccessible at the courthouse, located at 200 West Compton Boulevard.  Fleeing California: Moving company says exodus continued in 2023 “The Court is in the process of working with partners at the Judicial Council of California, who own and operate the facility, to assess the damage and obtain an estimate on when the courthouse will reopen,” the L.A. County Superior Court release said. Video from outside the courthouse on Tuesday morning showed dozens of people waiting for court services, with one woman beginning to work outdoors.A woman is seen working outside the Compton Courthouse on Jan. 2, 2024 after a major flood closed the courthouse. (KTLA)All imperative and in-custody matters will be immediately transferred to another courthous...

2 Pronounced Dead after Two-Vehicle Collision on South Normandie Avenue [Los Angeles, CA]

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Father and 5-Year-Old Girl Killed in Auto Accident near West 50th StreetLOS ANGELES, CA (January 2, 2024) – Two victims were killed late Sunday night after a two-vehicle collision on South Normandie Avenue and West 50th Street.Around 11:00 p.m. on December 31st, law enforcement arrived at the scene. Surveillance footage from the vicinity captured a white SUV in high-speed pursuit of a red sedan moments before the collision occurred. The SUV subsequently collided with the sedan from behind, prompting the sedan’s driver to initiate a pursuit of the SUV into the intersection.A southbound vehicle then collided with the SUV, propelling it into a street sign and fence. The impact resulted in fatal injuries to the father and a 5-year-old girl who were occupants of the SUV. Emergency medical personnel arrived, extricating the remaining individuals from the vehicle. Paramedics transported the mother, a 2-year-old child, and another child to a nearby hospital for further medical a...

Oakland: High-end Mexican restaurant to shutter Jan. 6

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Calavera, the upscale Mexican restaurant in Uptown Oakland, announced on Instagram that it will close Jan. 6.During its heyday, the restaurant was so popular, the noise levels were off the charts, according to our 2015 dining review. Clearly, diners found the atmosphere and menu of small plates, street tacos and creative cocktails irresistible. But the restaurant has faced a series of challenges in subsequent years.In April 2016, three former employees launched a class action lawsuit against the restaurant alleging wage theft. By the time the lawsuit was settled in April 2022 for an undisclosed amount, 263 employees had signed on, according to Oaklandside.In December 2022, the San Francisco Chronicle panned the restaurant with a review bearing the headline: “What does gentrification taste like? This dreadful Oakland restaurant serves it on a tortilla.”The bar area is photographed at Calavera Mexican Kitchen and Agave Bar on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 in Oakland, Calif. (Aric...

Sharks’ Couture explains what needs to happen before he returns, as timeline comes more into focus

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

SAN JOSE – Injured San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture said he wants to be a full participant in at least two practices before he thinks about rejoining the team’s lineup, meaning he could potentially play again as soon as this weekend if he continues to skate without any setbacks.The Sharks are at home this week and as of now are scheduled to practice on both Wednesday and Friday. San Jose closes a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Maple Leafs.“I want to practice twice,” Couture told Bay Area News Group on Tuesday.Couture, out with a lower-body injury since before the start of training camp, said he’s still taking things day-by-day, noting it was unclear whether he’ll be able to be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. He took part in another one of the Sharks’ morning skates Tuesday as they prepared to play the Detroit Red Wings at SAP Center.Couture has had at least two setbacks in his recovery from the undisclosed injury, with the most recent...

At least 5 dead, dozens hurt in wave of Russian missiles

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

By Illia Novikov and Hannah Arhirova | Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s two largest cities came under attack early Tuesday from Russian missiles that killed five people and injured as many as 130, officials said, as the war approached its two-year mark and the Kremlin stepped up its winter bombardment of urban areas.Air defenses shot down all 10 of the Russian Kinzhal missiles, which can fly at 10 times the speed of sound, out of about 100 of various types that were launched, claimed Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief.But other missiles got through in Kyiv and in Kharkiv, the provincial capital of the northeastern region. In Kyiv and its surrounding region, four people were killed and about 70 were wounded, while in the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and about 60 were hurt, the Interior Ministry said.The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile that is rarely used by Russian forces due to its cost and limited stocks. The barr...

Cold snap sends temps in Finland, Sweden to below minus 40

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

By Jari Tanner | Associated PressHELSINKI — Finland and Sweden recorded their coldest temperatures of the winter Tuesday when thermometers plummeted as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) as a cold spell grips the Nordic region.Cold and snow disrupted transportation throughout the region, including in Norway where a major highway in the south was closed due to the weather and ferry lines suspended operations. Swedish train operators said the cold snap caused substantial problems for rail traffic in the Arctic north.Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, recorded a temperature of minus 41.6 degrees C (minus 42.8 F) early Tuesday, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.“It’s the coldest temperature we have had so far this winter, and it will continue to be quite cold weather in the north,” SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist said.The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute reported temperatures o...

Kurtenbach: 5 under-the-radar free agents who could salvage the SF Giants’ offseason

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Contrary to popular belief, the Giants do not need to spend the massive pile of money they allocated for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.In fact, the Giants would be foolish to sign a big-money free agent now that those two players are Dodgers.No, San Francisco needs to stay nimble. With big money comes long terms — the Giants might be able to afford the pay, but they can’t afford four-plus years of a second-tier free agent.(If those guys were sure things, they’d be signed by now.)After going for the big play and failing — again — the Giants need to stay true to their systems (it did win 107 games one season) and remain flexible. Don’t do anything this offseason that you’ll regret next offseason.Of course, the Giants still need to augment their whole roster, but director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi tries to turn the organization into a self-sustaining winning machine — one that might create a big-time free agent one day.Luckily, baseball’s ...

Former SF city employee charged with conflict of interest laws

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

(KRON) – A former employee of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, Van Zeng, has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of having a financial conflict of interest in a government decision. According to the District Attorney’s Office,  Zeng signed off on an inspection of his own home. He also signed off on inspections for two construction projects for Mutual Seiko Construction, his father’s company. Zeng was the contractor for the projects.  Inert bomb found on Santa Cruz County beach San Francisco law prohibits a city and county employee from participating in, making, or seeking to influence a governmental decision in which the employee has a financial interest. “San Franciscans should expect our public employees to act with integrity and not engage in self-serving behavior,” said the San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “My office is committed to rooting out employees who violate ethics laws and hold them accountable.”   Zeng was arraigned and plead...

Federal judge dismisses effort to block Trump from Virginia ballot

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:37:00 GMT

Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Win McNamee) Protesters supporting U.S. President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters entered the U.S. Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation's capital. (Photo by Win McNa...