Latest news with #Mariscal
Los Angeles Times
18-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
‘We all need hope': Altadena community park reopens four months after fires
Before January's Eaton Fire, Eric and Ali Glasser and their three young children made a habit of walking a few blocks from their Altadena home to Loma Alta Park. Over the last few months, the Glassers have been driving by watching construction crews' progress on repairing the park's damage. They arrived at Loma Alta's grand reopening Saturday morning eager to find some normalcy in a life that's been anything but recently. 'This little guy has been really sad about his playground burning,' said Ali Glasser, 43, pointing to her 2-year-old son who was eyeing a winding slide on new playground equipment. The Glassers' home survived the fire — neighbors helped fight nearby flames — but smoke and ash damage have forced them away. They've moved 14 times before settling in a rental in Highland Park. Ali Glasser called the park's reopening 'a beacon and bright spot amidst a lot of devastation.' 'As a community we're all still mourning,' she said. 'At the same time, life does go on for our children.' Neighbors in Altadena and government, business and nonprofit leaders hailed the renovated, rebuilt and expanded Loma Alta Park at a reopening ceremony Saturday. They praised the park as a hub for gathering and recreation as the community recovers from a disaster that displaced more than 6,000 families. The park, which spans 17 acres, escaped major damage from the fire, but playground equipment melted and ash covered the pool and spread over the grounds. Los Angeles County workers and thousands of volunteers worked to clean up the area. Businesses and nonprofits donated funding and equipment. Saturday's debut came with all new play structures, a conversation nook with Adirondack chairs and coffee stand, a satellite library, baseball fields, computer lab and renovated pool and basketball court. Within hours of the mid-morning ribbon cutting, dozens of children traipsed through the play areas, seniors were deep into a bingo game and families lined up for a Little League baseball ceremony. Mark Mariscal, a 36-year Altadena resident who lost his house in the fire, said he was excited to spend time with his grandchildren in the park again. While he's found alternative housing, Mariscal said he and many other fire survivors remain unsettled and daunted by the lengthy process of rebuilding their homes. It was important to celebrate one of the only public spaces that could reopen now, he said. 'We all need hope, and we all need love and we all need appreciation,' Mariscal said. The decision to reopen the park so quickly wasn't without controversy. Many residents reacted angrily when L.A. County officials called for volunteers in March to help with rebuilding the park, saying that the decision was tone deaf in the face of fire survivors' trauma and unsafe given the toxicity of the debris. Glasser said she felt 'mixed emotions' about the park's reopening, noting neighbors' concerns on the timing and extent of the cleanup efforts. Some residents came to the opening to call attention to critical housing and public safety problems in the wake of the fire that they said weren't being addressed. Julie Esnard, 67, said she and her neighbors feel trapped in their apartment building, which is reserved for low-income seniors. The building, which opened last year, is still standing along an Altadena commercial strip but was damaged by smoke and ash. Esnard said evacuation the night of the fire was chaotic after the building lost power. Elevators no longer functioned, and residents had to drag themselves down the stairs while the complex filled with smoke, she said. The building's residents returned two weeks after the fires, and Esnard is unconvinced that it's safe. Multiple burned lots across the street from the building haven't been cleared of their debris, and residents are fearful of what remains on the sites. 'Nobody goes outside,' Esnard said, leaning on her walker. 'It's toxic and we're old.' Esnard, who has lived in Altadena for 60 years, joined about two dozen other residents and activists who marched and held up signs at the opening calling for greater protections for renters, more enforcement of laws requiring homes to be habitable and direct assistance for fire survivors still living in cars and shelters. They delivered a letter to Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area, asking her to host a town hall to address their concerns. 'We're mad and we want things to change for the better,' Esnard said. 'Renters and elders have been ignored.' Barger said she planned to review the request, but said 'it was unfortunate that they felt it was better to disrupt' Saturday's event. Barger toured the park's refurbished amenities and said residents were thankful for somewhere to return so soon after the fires. 'People were grateful for the fact that they have a place, a space to come,' Barger said. 'Many of them are displaced, so they're coming up here and reconnecting with their community.'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
California gang member gets 10 years for selling drugs near school
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A San Diego man has been sentenced in federal court to a decade in prison for distributing narcotics near a school. The United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of California announced Friday thta Manuel Joseph Mariscal was sentenced in federal court after task force officers purchased meth, a firearm and ammo from him during a controlled purchase in June of 2022 and recovered contraband during a search of his home a year later. SD City Attorney moves to close massage parlor over alleged prostitution, trafficking An Old Town National City criminal street gang member, Mariscal, was sentenced Friday in federal court to 120 months (10 years) in prison. The court reports task force officers purchased methamphetamine, a Ruger Mini Thirty CAL. 7.62 x 39 rifle and several rounds of ammunition, from Mariscal at his home in June 2022, which was located just 852 feet away from Zamorano Elementary School in San Diego. Then, on June 21, 2023, law enforcement served a search warrant at Mariscal's home and recovered meth, a firearm, ammo, a firearm silencer, a firearm laser sign with gun mount parts, heroin, and a composition book with pay information. The court says he was arrested that day on charges from the June 2022 controlled purchases by task force officers. Police release video of fatal shooting in south central San Diego In addition to the federal charges, Mariscal also faces state charges from the search of his San Diego home, including child abuse, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a possessor of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a felon, and a prohibited person owning firearm/ammunition. Mariscal pleaded guilty in the federal case on Sept. 17, 2024. The East County Regional Gang Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego County Sheriff's Office, National City Police Department, and San Diego County District Attorney's Office investigated this case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
$55 million worth of fentanyl seized in Southern California; 3 suspects facing decades in prison
Three alleged fentanyl dealers – including a brother and sister – are facing decades in prison for their roles in a major drug trafficking scheme, local and state officials announced on Tuesday. The trio is accused of possessing more than 50 pounds of fentanyl with an intent to sell, according to L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office. It is further alleged that the weight of the substance containing fentanyl is more than 20 kilograms. They were caught after a joint investigation between the California Department of Justice's Fentanyl Enforcement Program and the Downey Police Department turned up the large cache in an apartment within the city of Downey on Jan. 22, authorities said. '#goteem': Southern California police go full Gen Z with arrest report The DOJ added that, in the Jan. 22 bust, five kilograms of heroin, ten pounds of methamphetamine, a kilogram of cocaine, narcotics packaging and two firearm suppressors were also located. The 50 pounds seized is more than all the fentanyl seized at the U.S.-Canada border in 2024, officials said; a total of 43 pounds was seized at the border last year, and a single kilogram of fentanyl is enough to kill 500,000 people. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the seizure equates to 14 million lethal doses of the drug. The approximate street value of the seized fentanyl, if sold by the gram, would be between $453,000 and $1.36 million. 'This one seizure could have killed literally every resident in L.A. County by itself,' DA Hochman said at Tuesday's press conference. The suspects were identified as Carlos Manuel Mariscal of Huntington Park, Gustavo Omar Gomez, also of Huntington Park, and Priscilla Gomez of Torrance. The latter two are siblings, the DA's office confirmed. Mariscal, 39, is charged with two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance, one count of possession of a silencer and another count of unlawful possession of ammunition prohibited by a prior conviction. He is being held on $60,000 bail, and if convicted as charged, he faces 31 years and eight months in prison. Thousands at risk due to volcanic eruption in Guatemala 44-year-old Priscilla Gomez faces two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance as well as a single count of sale, transportation or offer to sell a controlled substance. She is being held on $35,000 bail and could spend 28 years in prison if convicted as charged. Her brother Gustavo, 48, is charged with two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance and faces 24 years in prison if convicted as charged. His bail was set at $10,000. The preliminary hearing for Mariscal and Gustavo Gomez is set for March 20. Priscilla Gomez remains in federal custody. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
03-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Chepe Mariscal not stressing about no finish of Ricardo Ramos at UFC Fight Night 253
LAS VEGAS – Chepe Mariscal beat Ricardo Ramos with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 253 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Take a look inside the fight with Mariscal, who won for the eighth straight time, including his first five as a UFC featherweight. Chepe Mariscal def. Ricardo Ramos Result: Chepe Mariscal def. Ricardo Ramos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Updated records: Mariscal (18-6 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Ramos (17-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) Key stats: Mariscal outstruck Ramos 125-37. Mariscal on the fight's key moment 'It's always going to be tough to get finishes on these big names. He's a well-experienced fighter. He's been in the UFC for a long time. I'm just glad to go out there with a good fight IQ and get the victory.' Mariscal on getting his black belt 'I'm a black belt in judo, so it's good to put this black belt in jiu-jitsu up on my resume. … Every day of my life, (I've been working toward my black belt). I get with my coaches – it's all consistently. They're not just giving them away (for nothing).' Mariscal on what he wants next '(I want) anybody. I've been calling out dudes. My last press conference, I gave out names. They don't even look at it, those guys. It's whoever – anybody, anywhere, any time. I've never said no to an opponent.' To hear more from Mariscal, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 253. Gallery UFC Fight Night 253: Best photos from Las Vegas View 105 photos
USA Today
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 253's Chepe Mariscal eager to climb ranks with 'gladiator' mentality
Chepe Mariscal has designs on being one of the UFC's great action fighters. Mariscal is off to a hot start to his octagon tenure with four consecutive victories and one Fight of the Night bonus. He will look to continue his winning ways Saturday at UFC Fight Night 253 when he takes on Ricardo Ramons in a featherweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN+). Ramos (17-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC) has shown capable of delivering jaw-dropping moments in the cage, too, with three Performance of the Night bonuses to his name, including two for spinning back elbow knockouts. That creates a recipe for a memorable bout, and Mariscal (17-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is embracing that reality. 'I feel like I'm that gladiator who just takes every fight,' Mariscal told MMA Junkie Radio. 'Whoever I've got to get through, whatever their name is. … I want to be one of the most violent fighters out there.' Despite his style, Mariscal, 32, finds himself fighting at the UFC Apex for the third consecutive time instead of in front of sold-out crowd in large arenas. However, he hopes that will change going forward if he keeps producing the way he has been. 'I feel like I will obviously keep climbing the ladder,' Mariscal said. 'I look at it as the UFC is stacked with superstars right now, and I know I've got to keep knocking on the door and hopefully get on the those big pay-per-view cards.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 253.
