Latest news with #JessicaCuchilla
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teen arrested in fatal flare gun shooting in Huntington Beach
A teenager was arrested on suspicion of murder after allegedly shooting and killing a man with a flare gun in Huntington Beach on Friday night. Officers with the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of Florida Street and Utica Avenue around 8:40 p.m. Friday, according to department spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla. Upon arrival at the scene, officers located the victim, identified by the Orange County Coroner Division as Jose Manuel Nares of Huntington Beach, suffering from a gunshot wound inflicted by a flare gun. The 29-year-old received medical aid and was taken to a hospital, where he died. The suspect, whose identity is being withheld because he is a juvenile, fled the scene but was "quickly located by responding officers," Cuchilla said. The weapon was also recovered. The teen was booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall, Cuchilla said. Statistics about flare gun fatalities are limited. However, Lt. Brian Smith of the Huntington Beach Police Department said flare guns launch projectiles that can cause injury, or they can be modified to fire other types of ammunition. In 2021, a 41-year-old man in Auburn, Wash., died after being shot in the chest by a modified flare gun, according to local news reports. "Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe this was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the community," Cuchilla said of the Huntington Beach shooting. Anyone with video surveillance or information related to the shooting is encouraged to call the Huntington Beach Police Department at (714) 878-5640. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Vehicle loses control on Pacific Coast Highway, drives into waters near Bolsa Chica Conservancy
Huntington Beach police's rapid deployment unit was called to the wetlands near the Bolsa Chica Conservancy early Thursday, where a vehicle was submerged under water after driving off Pacific Coast Highway, officials reported. The crash happened shortly before 6 a.m., when a vehicle traveling northbound on the highway, just south of Warner Avenue, lost control and careened into the wetlands, Huntington Beach police spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla said. The driver, an unnamed man, was able to exit the vehicle as a marine safety specialist equipped with SCUBA gear conducted an underwater clearance to ensure no additional occupants were trapped inside the vehicle. It was determined the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle. He sustained no injuries from the crash, and impairment does not appear to have been a factor in the incident, Cuchilla said Thursday. The vehicle, the make and model of which were not immediately reported by responding officers working the night shift, was successfully removed from the waters. The 1,445-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, one of the largest and last remaining coastal wetlands in California, is home to more than 1,000 documented species of wildlife and is stewarded by the nonprofit conservancy, which offers classes, exhibits, displays and tours in the Interpretive Center located near the scene of Thursday's incident.
Los Angeles Times
16-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
2 Separate deaths under investigation in Huntington Beach
Two people died in separate Huntington Beach incidents Wednesday morning — a fatal collision involving a pedestrian near Beach Boulevard at Talbert Avenue and an apparent suicide about one-half mile north of the pier — that are both under investigation by police. Huntington Beach police spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla confirmed a male pedestrian was declared dead at the scene of the vehicle collision, which happened shortly after midnight. He was identified only as a 45-year-old resident of the city of Stanton. A green Honda CRV driven by a 73-year-old Santa Ana man was traveling north on Beach when it struck the pedestrian in a traffic lane just north of the road's intersection with Talbert Avenue, according to police. The driver's name was not made public. The pedestrian was rendered unconscious from the collision and died by the time paramedics arrived on scene, Cuchilla said. The driver of the vehicle sustained no injuries and remained at the scene to cooperate with investigating officers. It does not appear impairment played a role in the crash, the spokeswoman said. Later Wednesday morning, just before 7:30 a.m., police received another call about a woman's body discovered on the beach near Lifeguard Tower No. 8, just north of the Huntington Beach Pier, off Pacific Coast Highway, between 8th and 9th streets, according to Cuchilla. No other identifying information was available in the hours immediately following the discovery. Responding officers called the fire department to the scene but canceled the call when the individual was determined to be dead, she said. While no further details about the condition of the body were available Wednesday, police believe the unidentified woman might have taken her own life, Cuchilla reported. 'Preliminary investigation indicates it is a suicide — we're not investigating a crime, we're not looking for anybody and there is no public safety threat,' she added. As of Wednesday afternoon, the county coroner's office was not identifying either of the two individuals, pending notification of their next of kin, according to a sheriff's department spokesman.
Los Angeles Times
27-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach employee injured in second city-vehicle-involved crash this week
A Huntington Beach employee was hospitalized with minor injuries Wednesday morning after a public works truck was struck by a vehicle that reportedly ran a red light at Goldenwest Street and Slater Avenue — the second city-employee-involved crash this week. Huntington Beach Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla confirmed Thursday officers responded to the scene at around 7:30 a.m. regarding a collision involving four vehicles, including the city truck and a red 2014 Kia Niro crossover vehicle. Officers determined the Kia was traveling southbound on Goldenwest and crossed into the intersection at a red light, crashing into the work vehicle, which had been driving west on Slater. The colliding vehicles ensnared two other vehicles that had been driving in the area at the time of the incident, and the truck ultimately landed on its side. Paramedics arrived on scene and transported the city employee to a nearby hospital, Cuchilla said. While his condition was not immediately known Thursday, Cuchilla described the employee's injuries as minor. Wednesday's incident marks the second time this week a Huntington Beach employee was involved in a vehicle crash while on duty. A police officer driving in a marked patrol car was reportedly driving near Beach Boulevard and Yorktown Avenue Sunday at around 10:15 p.m. when it was struck by a black Kia sedan. Six individuals were hospitalized following Sunday's collision, although it is unknown whether the officer was injured. City News Service reported the police SUV sustained front-end damage, while a side door of the Kia was also damaged.
