Latest news with #KTLA5
Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Irvine man charged with hate crimes against Latino men, accused of racial slurs and throwing hot coffee
An Irvine man was charged with hate crimes against Latino men after he was videotaped allegedly hurling racial slurs and throwing hot coffee on one man and punching an elderly man. Robert Tackett, a 54-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, a felony count of violation of civil rights, a felony count of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and a felony count of inflicting injury on an elder adult, according to an Orange County District Attorney's Office news release. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison, officials said. He is being held on $500,000 bail at the Orange County Jail. According to the release, Tackett had a 'negative interaction with the driver of a garbage truck' and the incident was filmed by another driver. Tackett allegedly followed the driver who filmed him, tried to run him off the road and slam into his vehicle, and yelled 'anti-Hispanic racial slurs.' Tackett allegedly tried twice to crash into the driver's vehicle and threw a hot cup of coffee onto the car and driver, authorities said. The driver didn't call police but was identified after he posted the video on social media. In a video obtained by KTLA5, a man later identified as Tackett was seen driving a white work van and swerving into the lane of the driver, who was taking the video. In a second incident around 5:30 p.m. on the same day, Tackett is accused of getting out of his van after stopping at a stoplight in Westminster and punching a 72-year-old driver through the window of his pickup truck 'while yelling profanity and anti-Hispanic slurs,' authorities said. Another driver recorded the alleged attack and called the Irvine Police Department after seeing the video of the first attack on social media, officials said. Tackett was arrested by California Highway Patrol on July 24 in Mammoth, officials said. 'Hate is a venom that poisons everything — and everyone — it touches. An attack motivated by hate is not an attack on just a single individual; it is an attack on the very fabric of our society and our community as a whole,' said Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer in the release. .
West Australian
17-07-2025
- West Australian
California: 21 children seized after a malicious surrogacy scheme is uncovered
Police have removed 21 children from the care of their legal parents following the discovery of an alleged surrogacy scheme. A Los Angeles couple allegedly founded a company called Mark Surrogacy, and used it to trick women into carrying babies for them under the guise that they were 'matched' with different 'infertile' couples. The women then discovered that they were all surrogates for the same couple, and had all been told the same story, with some of the babies now in foster care. Silvia Zhang, 38, and Guojun Xuan, 65 are believed to be the legal parents of 21 such children between the ages of two months and 13 years old. Most of the children are between the ages of one and three. KTLA5 reported that over the course of years, the couple had allegedly tricked women from all over the United States. Police have learned that none of the surrogates knew that they were carrying the same couple's embryos. One of the surrogates, Kayla, was 'matched' with the LA couple through Mark Surrogacy. She is now attempting to raise money on a GoFundMe page to cover legal fees after she discovered that the baby she carried for the couple ended up in foster care. Kayla described the ordeal as a 'horrific situation'. 'This little one deserves stability, love, and a safe home. I am prepared and deeply committed to providing that for her, but the legal process to secure placement is complex and costly,' she wrote. KTLA5 reportedly spoke to three other women, who said they were also surrogates for the same LA couple. Both Ms Zhang and Mr Xuan have denied any wrongdoing, but all 21 of their legal children have been taken into protective custody. The allegation came to light following an abuse allegation against the couple in May. They were arrested after their two-month-old baby suffered a traumatic head injury, which police said was a result of a nanny violently shaking and hitting the baby. The baby was only taken to hospital two days later. Police said video footage also showed other nannies abusing the children. Fifteen of the children were then removed from the couple's home in Arcadia, and police then located the six remaining children, who were living in the homes of family and friends. Ms Zhang and Mr Xuan were charged with felony child endangerment and neglect, but KTLA5 reported that they have been released since the initial arrest in May. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear if they will face more criminal charges related to operation of the surrogacy company. Police say the nannies have not been located.
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Perth Now
California: 21 children seized after a malicious surrogacy scheme is uncovered
Police have removed 21 children from the care of their legal parents following the discovery of an alleged surrogacy scheme. Police have removed 21 children from the care of their legal parents following the discovery of an alleged surrogacy scheme. Credit: Arcadia Police Department / Supplied Police have removed 21 children from the care of their legal parents following the discovery of an alleged surrogacy scheme. A Los Angeles couple allegedly founded a company called Mark Surrogacy, and used it to trick women into carrying babies for them under the guise that they were 'matched' with different 'infertile' couples. The women then discovered that they were all surrogates for the same couple, and had all been told the same story, with some of the babies now in foster care. Silvia Zhang, 38, and Guojun Xuan, 65 are believed to be the legal parents of 21 such children between the ages of two months and 13 years old. Most of the children are between the ages of one and three. KTLA5 reported that over the course of years, the couple had allegedly tricked women from all over the United States. Police have learned that none of the surrogates knew that they were carrying the same couple's embryos. One of the surrogates, Kayla, was 'matched' with the LA couple through Mark Surrogacy. She is now attempting to raise money on a GoFundMe page to cover legal fees after she discovered that the baby she carried for the couple ended up in foster care. Kayla described the ordeal as a 'horrific situation'. 'This little one deserves stability, love, and a safe home. I am prepared and deeply committed to providing that for her, but the legal process to secure placement is complex and costly,' she wrote. KTLA5 reportedly spoke to three other women, who said they were also surrogates for the same LA couple. Both Ms Zhang and Mr Xuan have denied any wrongdoing, but all 21 of their legal children have been taken into protective custody. The allegation came to light following an abuse allegation against the couple in May. They were arrested after their two-month-old baby suffered a traumatic head injury, which police said was a result of a nanny violently shaking and hitting the baby. The baby was only taken to hospital two days later. Police said video footage also showed other nannies abusing the children. Fifteen of the children were then removed from the couple's home in Arcadia, and police then located the six remaining children, who were living in the homes of family and friends. Ms Zhang and Mr Xuan were charged with felony child endangerment and neglect, but KTLA5 reported that they have been released since the initial arrest in May. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear if they will face more criminal charges related to operation of the surrogacy company. Police say the nannies have not been located.
7NEWS
15-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Panorama City: Body of toddler found discarded next to bin in Los Angeles, police ‘horrified'
The body of a young child has been found abandoned next to a garbage bin, with authorities investigating to determine 'what the child went through'. The grim discovery was made in a car park in Panorama City, Los Angeles on July 12 after police officers responded to a call about the child at 7am, People reported. The boy is unidentified, but is believed to have been about three or four years old. It is unclear what condition the body was found in. First responders were called to the scene at the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, and attempted resuscitation, but were unable to revive the child who was pronounced dead at the scene. Meghan Aguilar, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, said the finding is 'horrific'. 'It impacts every single one of us that comes to these scenes, everyone at home who hears about these scenes,' she said. 'We've got mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, anyone — you don't have to be one of those to know how horrific this is. I don't know the cause of death of this individual, again, that will be up to the coroner to determine. But no one deserves to be handled in this manner.' Detective Aguilar said that to be left out to be discovered by a stranger is 'absolutely horrible'. Members of the local community held a vigil for the child last Saturday. Corey Watkins, a local resident, told Californian television station KTLA5 that the tragedy 'weighs on the heart' because young children are 'so innocent'. He said children 'don't necessarily know what's going on, and they're looking to adults for protection'. LAPD are looking for surveillance footage from nearby cameras to further the ongoing investigation and the child's cause of death is currently being determined by the coroner. Stream free on
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Perth Now
Tragic discovery: Toddler's body found discarded next to bin
The body of a young child has been found abandoned next to a garbage bin, with authorities investigating to determine 'what the child went through'. The grim discovery was made in a car park in Panorama City, Los Angeles on July 12 after police officers responded to a call about the child at 7am, People reported. The boy is unidentified, but is believed to have been about three or four years old. It is unclear what condition the body was found in. First responders were called to the scene at the 8200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, and attempted resuscitation, but were unable to revive the child who was pronounced dead at the scene. Meghan Aguilar, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, said the finding is 'horrific'. 'It impacts every single one of us that comes to these scenes, everyone at home who hears about these scenes,' she said. 'We've got mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, anyone — you don't have to be one of those to know how horrific this is. I don't know the cause of death of this individual, again, that will be up to the coroner to determine. But no one deserves to be handled in this manner.' Detective Aguilar said that to be left out to be discovered by a stranger is 'absolutely horrible'. Members of the local community held a vigil for the child last Saturday. Members of the local community held a vigil for the child last Saturday. Credit: Youtube/KTLA5 Corey Watkins, a local resident, told Californian television station KTLA5 that the tragedy 'weighs on the heart' because young children are 'so innocent'. He said children 'don't necessarily know what's going on, and they're looking to adults for protection'. LAPD are looking for surveillance footage from nearby cameras to further the ongoing investigation and the child's cause of death is currently being determined by the coroner.
