Latest news with #FBILosAngeles
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
FBI announces $50K bounty on masked protester who assaulted officer during LA anti-ICE riots
The FBI has put a $50,000 bounty on a violent masked rioter who assaulted a federal officer during this weekend's anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles. The unidentified suspect injured an officer when he hurled rocks at law enforcement vehicles on Saturday afternoon on Alondra Boulevard in Paramount, according to the FBI. He also damaged an FBI vehicle. Advertisement The agency is offering a reward of $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. 3 Federal authorities are searching for a man who threw rocks at police in LA County on Saturday. FBI Los Angeles 3 The unidentified man also damaged a law enforcement vehicle. FBI Los Angeles Advertisement 3 Rioters took the to streets in Los Angeles and San Francisco over the weekend. AFP via Getty Images Photos released by the FBI show the suspect wearing a motorcycle helmet and sunglasses at the demonstration. Another photo shows him wearing a cap and face mask to obscure his identity. Chaos erupted in the country's second-largest city over the weekend over President Trump's immigration policies. Advertisement On Saturday, Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to respond to protests around federal buildings in downtown LA, where ICE officials were detaining immigrants to be deported. The president demanded the arrest of all rioters wearing face masks as tensions escalated and even spread to San Francisco. LAPD's Chief of Police Jim McDonnell had said his force was 'overwhelmed' by the protests, as rioters armed with hammers and cinder blocks threw concrete at officers. Riots in San Francisco also turned violent as protesters tore through buildings and clashed with police in riot gear, shooting fire works at officers. Advertisement Police said two officers were injured in San Francisco's financial district. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said that about 60 people were arrested. 'Everyone in this country has a right to make their voice heard peacefully, and local law enforcement will always protect that right and the rights of everyone in our city to be safe,' he posted on X. 'But we will never tolerate violent and destructive behavior, and as crowds dwindled, a group that remained caused injuries to police officers, vandalized Muni vehicles, and broke windows of local businesses.'
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Indian Express
FBI says suspect in Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing left behind ‘anti-pro-life' writings
After a car bomb attack near a fertility centre in Palm Springs, California on Saturday, the FBI said it has identified the suspect and believes the 25-year-old man, responsible for the detonation, left behind 'anti-pro-life' writings before carrying out the attack and the investigators are treating it as an act of terrorism. The FBI identified Guy Edward Bartkus of Twentynine Palms, California as the main suspect behind the apparent car explosion on Saturday, which damaged a fertility clinic in Palm Springs in the desert east of Los Angeles. A senior FBI official called the incident the 'largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California.' A body was found near the charred remains of the car and the FBI said it belonged to the suspect Barktus, who tried to livestream the act and left behind writings that communicated 'nihilistic ideations'. 'Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism. The FBI is investigating it as such.' -Our Assistant Director in charge at @FBILosAngeles Akil Davis giving the latest on the explosion in Palm Springs, CA. Our teams are working day and night on the ground to assist. — Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) May 18, 2025 During a press briefing, Akil Davis, assistant director at the FBI's Los Angeles field office said 'We are fairly confident that Mr. Bartkus is our primary suspect.' Davis added that Barktus died as he was trying to livestream the explosion. His body was recovered near the vehicle – a 2010 silver Ford Fusion. 'The subject had nihilistic ideations, and this was a targeted attack against the IVF (in vitro fertilization) facility. Make no mistake. We are treating this…as an intentional act of terrorism,' Davis added, Reuters reported. The blast on Saturday claimed the life of one person, who was identified as the suspect Bartkus, while four other people were injured. However, reports showed no embryos kept inside the fertility clinic were harmed in the explosion. Authorities were executing a search warrant in Twentynine Palms, which is about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Palm Springs and comprises 28,000 residents. The Saturday blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers clinic but the IVF centre confirmed that its staff remained unhurt in the incident.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
FBI identifies IVF clinic bomber as 'pro-mortalist' who opposed birth without consent
The man authorities say is responsible for bombing a reproductive center in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday has been identified as Guy Edward Bartkus. The 25-year-old is from Twentynine Palms, California, authorities said during a news conference Sunday morning. He is described as a "pro-mortalist," the New York Post reported. The car bomb he allegedly set off killed him and injured four people. There was "no loss of any sensitive material" as a result of the bombing at the IVF clinic, an FBI Los Angeles assistant director in charge said, referring to embryos. "Yesterday, a man intent on harming others in our city failed," Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills said during the news conference. "Palm Springs survived, and we are stronger and more resilient as a result." At Least 1 Dead After Bomb Rocks Palm Springs Reproductive Center: 'Intentional Act Of Terrorism' The bombing has been labeled by authorities as an intentional act of terrorism. Read On The Fox News App While investigators believe they know the timeline of when Bartkus entered Palm Springs, they are asking for the public's help with where he might have gone before the explosion went off. Minivan Plows Through Crowd Injuring At Least 9 In Busy Los Angeles Shopping District Bartkus was in a silver Ford Fusion with license plate number 8HWS848, FBI Los Angeles said in a post on X. "The subject, had nihilistic ideation," Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of FBI Los Angeles' field office said. "And this was a targeted attack against the IVF facility. Make no mistake, we are treating this, as I said yesterday, is an intentional act of terrorism." Investigators are aware of and are "tracking a possible manifesto" as part of the investigation, Davis said. "This is probably the largest bombing scene that we've had in Southern California," he said. "This does eclipse the bombing matter in Aliso Viejo," Davis added, referencing the 2018 attack at a day spa. "It's that big." Fox News' Matt Finn and Laura Prabucki contributed to this report. Original article source: FBI identifies IVF clinic bomber as 'pro-mortalist' who opposed birth without consent
1News
18-05-2025
- 1News
One killed after 'intentional' explosion outside US fertility clinic
An explosion that heavily damaged a fertility clinic in the California city of Palm Springs appears to have been intentional, local authorities say. One person was found dead, and the FBI said it was sending investigators, including bomb technicians, to the scene. Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills said in a statement that the blast 'appears to be an intentional act of violence' and that several buildings were damaged, some severely. 'There has been one fatality, the person's identity is not known,' Mills' statement said. The act was being investigated as a possible car explosion, said two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss preliminary information from an ongoing investigation. Authorities have not disclosed a motive. FBI Los Angeles said in a social media post on X that 'assets being deployed include investigators, bomb technicians & an evidence response team.' Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also assisting. The city of Palm Springs said Saturday that the explosion happened at 11am local time (6am NZ time) and that residents were being asked to avoid the area around North Indian Canyon Drive near East Tachevah Drive. Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, confirmed that his clinic was damaged. He told The Associated Press in a phone interview that all of his staff were safe and accounted for. The explosion damaged the practice's office space, where it conducts consultations with patients, but left the IVF lab and all of the stored embryos there unharmed. 'I really have no clue what happened,' Abdallah said. 'Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.' Aerial footage showed a burned-out car in a parking lot behind the building that housed the fertility clinic's office space. The blast caved in the building's roof and blew a wide debris field across a sidewalk and four lanes of the street on the other side of the structure. Rhino Williams, 47, was chatting with customers at a restaurant he helps manage inside the Skylark Hotel just over a block away from the scene when he heard a huge boom. Everything rattled, he said, and Williams — who has a background in aviation — immediately sprinted to the scene to see if anyone was in need of help, thinking a helicopter might have crashed. Williams saw a large dark gray plume of smoke and covered his nose with his shirt as he smelled burning plastic and rubber. He said he saw a building had 'blown out' into the street, with bricks and debris scattered everywhere, and spotted a car's front axle on fire in the building's parking lot. He said it was the only car in the lot that he saw. He ran into the building, calling out and peering behind the counter to see if anyone was inside. He did not hear a response and did not see anyone behind the counter. Williams said he ran around to check on other nearby buildings. Multiple windows of the neighbouring liquor store were also blown out, he said. Once he saw authorities arrive, he headed back to the hotel. Nima Tabrizi, 37, of Santa Monica, said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion. 'The building just shook, and we go outside and there's massive cloud smoke,' Tabrizi said. 'Crazy explosion. It felt like a bomb went off. ... We went up to the scene, and we saw human remains.' Palm Springs is a tiny community in the desert about a two-hour drive east of Los Angeles. Its known for upscale resorts and a history of celebrity residents.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
4 wanted by FBI for allegedly stealing over $200K in EBT funds last seen in Southern California
The Brief Four individuals, Ilie-Sebastian-Laur Vasilescu, Birdal Osman, Silviu-Florin Spiridon, and Bogdan Adrian Purgariu, are wanted for allegedly defrauding recipients of a federal benefits program. The suspects reportedly used small skimming devices and cameras to intercept data and PIN numbers from victims' EBT cards. The suspects allegedly installed skimming devices on point of sale terminals in California to access EBT card funds unlawfully. LOS ANGELES - The FBI is actively searching for four men last seen in Southern California who are accused of stealing over $200,000 in EBT funds from more than 300 victims. What we know The FBI has identified four men wanted for their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud recipients of a federal benefits program. Ilie-Sebastian-Laur Vasilescu, Birdal Osman, Silviu-Florin Spiridon, and Bogdan Adrian Purgariu are accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud recipients of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) funds. The suspects allegedly installed skimming devices on various point of sale terminals, such as gas station pumps and ATMs, to unlawfully access funds from victims' EBT cards. These devices were capable of recording, storing, or transmitting data, and small cameras were used to capture customers entering their PIN numbers. The stolen information was then used to withdraw funds or incur charges without the victims' consent. On April 19, 2023, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Ilie-Sebastian-Laur Vasilescu in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Santa Ana, California. He was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. What we don't know While the FBI has confirmed the suspects were last seen in Southern California, specific details regarding their exact locations and the timing of their sightings remain unknown. What's next The FBI is urging anyone with information on the whereabouts of these men to come forward. Individuals can contact the FBI Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565, reach out to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or submit tips online at The Source Information for this story is from the FBI Los Angeles.
