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By 4:21 p.m. the fire was reported knocked down. A total of 38 firefighters located a contents fire in one room on the 2nd floor and extinguished it in 18 minutes. There were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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The suspect, Luchiano Antonio Lewis Villanueva was taken into custody by police. He was arrested for suspicion of being under the influence of drugs and for several felony charges. No additional details about the case has been disclosed to the public. 

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Mr. Sedaghat is a fine jewelry designer who owns Star Jewelry in Los Angeles. Reports indicate that unbeknownst to him, his tire had been slashed. The thieves waited for him to stop and check on the tire before jumping out of their van and robbing him.

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the matter. Canyon News reached out to LAPD Topanga Division for more information but did not hear back in time for print.

Police are asking for more information from those who may have been in the area to properly identify the suspects and bring them to justice.

The post Thieves Rob Jewelry Designer, Slash His Tires appeared first on Canyon News.

Sherman has learned how to “quietly” do nothing. He distances himself from controversy. He’s not a leader…He’s a follower. Not a thinker…A party “yes man.” He always shows up one day too late to act as if he’s helping, but instead, he awkwardly just stands there doing nothing with his goofy smile.

How much has he cost you personally? As a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, Sherman has consistently led the fight to kill Bitcoin and all Cryptocurrencies. In fact, having so many financial institutions as supporters, he has advocated “outlawing” digital currencies. So, as it turns out, he has been on the wrong side of history for over 15 years. He has tried to stop the future. Bitcoin started trading in July of 2010 for $0.05 per coin. If you had bought just one Bitcoin, then or even in 2016 (just nine years ago) for $400 a coin it would be worth $124,005 today. So much for his negative rhetoric, hollow scare tactics, financial advice, and proposed killer legislation.

He chimed in with the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris LIE that the border was secure when in fact it wasn’t, and they knew it. He kept silent when Biden struggled mentally in his campaign. He claims to support Israel…sometimes. He continues to stall in leading a solution to the Metro Transit Project connecting the San Fernando Valley to LA’s West side. The endless delays have been bogged down by his accountant-due-diligence mentality instead of having an assertive vision with momentum to get it done.

As a career politician who has never earned more than $174,000 a year, he has a home in Los Angeles and a home in Washington, D.C. worth an estimated $14 Million dollars. How is that mathematically possible? Well, I said he was an accountant.

Regarding the Palisades and Malibu fires, I agree with real estate billionaire and former LA Mayoral candidate, Rick Caruso, who proclaims, “If it’s predictable it’s preventable.” Sherman and Mayor Karen Bass, both career politicians, don’t practice preventive governance, but instead, they rely on remedial governance.

Sherman claims and implies that Sherman Oaks and Sherman Way were named after him and his family. That’s simply a lie. Sherman Oaks and Sherman Way were named after General Moses Hazeltine Sherman (1853-1932). He was a land developer and entrepreneur from Vermont who came to California in the late 1800s and founded Sherman Oaks development. If Brad Sherman will lie about a town being named after him and his family, what else will he lie about?

It’s time for a change. My name is Larry Thompson, and I am running for United States Congress. This will be my second attempt to unseat Sherman. In the recent 2024 election, I received over 108,000 votes, which is the most votes ever received by a candidate running against him.

With your help, I plan to defeat him this time.

I am a Christian first. A Conservative second. A Republican third.

I am a member of Turning Point USA and Stand With Crypto . I am a compassionate, intelligent, experienced businessman who uses Common Sense. I am running for Congress to awaken, organize, and unite the dissatisfied Democratic voter, the canceled conservative voter, and the undecided No Party Preference voter. Visit: www.LarryThompsonForCongress.com

I have been endorsed by the California Republican Party, the Los Angeles County Republican Party, the Ventura County Republican Party, California Young Republicans, California College Republicans, Los Angeles County Young Republicans, the American Independent Party, Brock Pierce, Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation, David Hernandez, Chairman of the Los Angeles Hispanic Republican Club, and Regional Vice Chair of CAGOP’s Los Angeles County, and Kelsey Grammer, among many others. Visit my 32-Point Political Vision at Larry Thompson For Congress – 32 Points

Democrats and Non-Party Preference voters, I believe I will earn all or most of the Republican votes, but I cannot win without your votes also. You have voted for Sherman for 30 years…! What about giving me a shot? My term would only be for two years. If I don’t do a better job than him, vote me out in 2028 and put him or another Democrat back in.

California’s District 32, where I am running against Sherman, encompasses at this time the communities of Bel-Air, Bell Canyon, Beverly Glen, Brentwood, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino, Malibu, North Hills, Northridge, Pacific Palisades, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, Topanga, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills. The district traditionally trends Democratic by a large margin of 70-30.

I know, it’s difficult to make a party change. Change isn’t just difficult. Sometimes, it feels impossible.

You know the feeling. You make a bold decision — to eat healthier, end a toxic relationship, move to a new city, leave that job, start that business, finally go after the life you keep pretending, you’re not afraid of. You start out strong, your heart full of conviction. But weeks—or even days—later, you find yourself back where you started, sabotaging your progress or convincing yourself it was never worth it anyway. And then comes the shame.

You wonder why everyone else seems to manage change so gracefully while you’re drowning in self-doubt. You ask yourself, “What’s wrong with me?” But the truth is: nothing is wrong with you. Change is not a straight path. It is a reckoning. A grief. A rebirth. A neurological, psychological, and emotional storm that stirs up every part of your identity. It’s not that you’re weak. It’s that you’re human.

American author, speaker, and pastor, Dr. John Maxwell, says, “When it comes to change, there are three seasons of timing: People change 1. when they hurt enough that they have to, 2. when they learn enough that they want to, and 3. when they receive enough that they are able to.”

Are you in any one of these three seasons?

Isn’t it time you tried something new to build a future for you and your children? Sometimes the person that brought you here isn’t the person you need to guide you forward.

Think about it. Vote for change. Vote for Larry Thompson for Congress.

Please contribute to our campaign: https://secure.anedot.com/larry-thompson-for-congress/donate.

Larry Thompson For Congress

23838 Pacific Coast Highway, #273

Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 288-0700 Office
(310) 991-0747 Mobile

E-mail: Larry@LarryThompsonForCongress.com
Corporate Website: http://www.LarryThompsonOrg.com
Campaign Website: http://www.LarryThompsonForCongress.com
Donate: https://secure.anedot.com/larry-thompson-for-congress/donate

Written By Larry Thompson

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The fire was inside one unit in a one-story strip mall. Companies on scene reported heavy smoke from the restaurant and requested additional companies, including help from Los Angeles County Fire resources that were nearby at the time of incident origin. DOT was notified for traffic control.

By 5:04 p.m., the kitchen fire in the Blu Jam Cafe was declared extinguished in 33 minutes. A total of 117 firefighters on scene were able to confine the fire to just one unit, preventing spread to the rest of the strip mall.

Companies remained on the scene for overhaul and salvage of any property that is possible — expect traffic to be affected in the area. There were no reports of any injuries.

Blu Jam Cafe was established in 2006. On their website, the establishment states:

“Fresh ingredients including produce are delivered all week long at each of our locations. We strive to serve the best, so we source the best. We take pride in partnering with smaller companies, farms and purveyors because we believe in attention to detail, quality and service. This is the Blu Jam way.

Some of our friends include Babe Farms, Grimmway Farms, Lili Farms, Milo’s Poultry Farms, Creekstone Farms, Wild Isles, Butternut Mountain, Bar-M, Chasin Foods, Caffe LA, Kaena Wines, and the list continues to grow as we go.”

They have locations in Hollywood, Downtown LA, Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills and Atwater Village.

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Samuel was found dead in his cell on Saturday, July 12, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office disclosed. He was charged with three counts of murder as well as the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. Haskell was facing life in prison without the possibility of parole for his crimes and he was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, July 14 for a preliminary hearing.

Had the case proceeded to a preliminary hearing, the District Attorney’s Office would have presented the following evidence that Haskell IV, was in prison for killing and dismembering his wife and dumping the body, in addition to murdering her parents.

On or about November 6, 2023, he murdered and dismembered his 37-year-old wife, Mei Li Haskell, killed her mother, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather Gaoshan Li, 71, in the Tarzana home they all shared.

The following day, Haskell hired and paid $500 to several day laborers to take away heavy black plastic trash bags from his home in Tarzana. After driving away from the home, the workers opened one of the bags and saw human body parts. The workers returned the bags and money to Haskell, took pictures of the defendant, the bags and the front of the residence, then alerted police. When authorities responded to the home to conduct a welfare check, no one was there, and the bags were gone.

Later the same afternoon, he was recorded on video a short distance from his home driving into a parking lot, removing a large trash bag similar to the one returned by the day laborers from the trunk of his Tesla, and disposing of this bag into a trash dumpster in Encino before driving away.

On November 9, 2023, the Los Angeles Police Department revealed they identified and arrested Haskell IV for murder, in connection to the unidentified female torso found in the area of Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue.

On November 8, 2023, around 6 a.m., an individual looking through dumpster bins found a bag containing a woman’s torso, prompting the police to be called. The investigation provided detectives with information that led them to a residence in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in the West Valley area.

The home was forensically processed for evidence and detectives discovered that the location was the family residence where the suspect lived with his wife, Mei Lei Haskell, his in-laws and three children. The children were located and are being cared for by family members.

Investigators determined he rented the Airbnb in October for the time period between November 6 to November 18, 2023. A Home Depot receipt dated October 20, 2023, for the purchase of plywood, canopy, moisture barrier, coveralls and diamond-saw blades was found in his wallet.

Inside the rented vehicle, police found a .357 loaded revolver inside a holster, 32 rounds of live ammunition, a blood-encrusted military-style knife, a headlamp and firearm sight and passports for himself, his wife Mei and their three children. DNA analysis of blood on the military knife matched to all three victims, while blood stains on the firearm matched the genetic profiles of Mei Li and Gaoshan Li. A search warrant was served on the defendant’s office where detectives found $67,000 in cash.

Additionally, law enforcement learned in reviewing the defendant’s cell phone extraction that Haskell Jr. had been having an affair with a 27-year-old woman who they interviewed. He told her in October 2023 that his children would soon be living with his parents.

On November 2, the defendant asked her to accompany him on a trip to Japan. Homicide detectives recovered a one-way ticket to Japan purchased by Haskell Jr. on October 21, 2023. The following day, Haskell Jr. purchased a roundtrip ticket for his girlfriend to accompany him from November 28 to December 12, 2023. The remains of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li have never been found.

Samuel’s father has worked for high profile celebrities like Dolly Parton and Whoopi Goldberg. Haskell IV was booked for 187 (a) PC-Murder and is currently being held on $2 million dollar bail.

According to the New York Post, Haskell IV was known to have a large cache of weapons in his home. He shot many films that have been posted on his Facebook and TikTok pages that include violence and the fetishization of Asian women. Brandi Glanville, the former star of the reality series, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” appears on a scene in one of those films.

The post Samuel Haskell IV Commits Suicide While In Prison appeared first on Canyon News.

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The LAPD reported on May 26, between 2 a.m. and 2:40 a.m., the suspects entered a home in the 22000 block of Wyandotte Street. The location was being used to produce a movie. The suspects took three hard drives containing unedited video footage recorded for a movie.

Anyone with details about the crime is asked to contact Topanga Burglary Detective Roel at 818-756-5844. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

The post Police Searching For Suspects Who Stole Movie Footage appeared first on Canyon News.

The sentencing took place in Department 101 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

A jury previously found Sementilli guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of financial gain and lying in wait, as well as conspiracy to commit murder on April 11, 2025. She sobbed in court as the verdict was read.

Evidence presented at trial showed that she conspired with her lover, Robert Louis Baker, to murder her 49-year-old husband, Fabio, in order to collect millions in life insurance benefits.

On January 23, 2017, Baker fatally stabbed Fabio as he sat on his backyard patio in Woodland Hills before fleeing the scene in Sementilli’s Porsche, which was later found abandoned. Baker previously pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy to commit murder and was also sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole

Fabio was a well-known celebrity hairdresser. He shared three children with the defendant, Gessica, Isabella and Luigi.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division led the investigation.

The post Monica Sementilli Sentenced To Life For Murdering Fabio Sementilli appeared first on Canyon News.

The incident started after 7 a.m. in the San Fernando Valley in the area of Sherman Way and Woodman Avenue in Van Nuys. The woman was driving a white van with three dogs, when individuals reported seeing gunshots in the vehicle by Norm’s restaurant.

The LAPD was contacted, who tried to speak to the individual who pointed a gun to her head before fleeing the scene.

The woman was driving through red lights and on the wrong side of the road, as well as the curb to evade police. The chase halted near Arcana Road and Marmora Street, where a barricaded situation transpired for close to 45 minutes as the suspect, laid on a person’s porch. According to reports, authorities tried to calm the woman who kept the gun to her head, while on her van, as she screamed and yelled.

Details on what prompted officers to fire at the woman has not been disclosed to the public. The woman’s dogs fled after she was shot causing her behavior to become more erratic, according to reports. There were no additional injuries reported during the incident.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported at 8:13 a.m. that they transported one patient, at 20935 W. Arcana Road, a 42-year-old female in serious condition to a local hospital for treatment. The woman was listed in serious condition.

The post Armed Suspect Shot In Woodland Hills By LAPD After Chase appeared first on Canyon News.

Bedoy reported the incident describing it as essentially human feces and urine, calling it “disgusting.” A brief check on the home’s security camera confirmed the poop was not from a wild variety, an animal of some sort. The camera captured the moment the Amazon driver wearing the symbolic Amazon vest, left the package on the porch, dropped her drawers, and then defecated.

Reports indicate that the deposit made was not exclusive to the Bedoys. A neighbor a few blocks caught video footage of the same Amazon Delivery woman dropping her pants and pooping at their residence as well.

Amazon reportedly apologized to the customers affected by the delivery driver’s behavior calling it, “deeply disturbing,” and confirmed that the driver was not a direct employee but worked through an independent contractor. She was immediately identified and has since been relieved of her duties. She will not be delivering on behalf of Amazon any longer.

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The following information came directly from LAPD and has been posted in full text in a press release that may be found on the LAPD website.

The investigation has, “revealed that the suspect accessed the victim’s residence by entering through a skylight in an adjacent vacant apartment and traversing the balconies. A physical altercation occurred between the suspect and the victim, which ultimately resulted in the victim’s death”.

Operations-Valley Bureau Homicide assumed investigative responsibility for the case. Following an exhaustive investigation, homicide detectives identified the suspect as:

Erick Escamilla, a 27-year-old male, Hispanic, with black hair, brown eyes, standing five feet six inches tall and weighing approximately 170 pounds. His date of birth is October 7, 1997.

Escamilla was allegedly seen on Ring doorbell video trying to get into apartments using a screwdriver. The LAPD also released images of the suspect showing him wearing a dark-colored jacket and a hat.

On May 8, 2025, the FBI Task Force, along with Valley Bureau Homicide detectives, located Erick Escamilla at a local hospital. He is currently receiving medical treatment.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department website, Inmate Locator, Escamilla has a criminal history.

On December 6, 2024, Escamilla was arrested by San Fernando Police Department on felony charges.  Booking records read, “Case Adjudicated.” He was subsequently released on December 26, 2024.

On February 17, 2025, Escamilla was placed under citizen’s arrest on misdemeanor charges and released after spending the night in jail.

On May 7, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) initiated an internal investigation after officers were dispatched to Valley Village Apartments in Woodland Hills, on what seemed like a ploy, until a deceased man’s body was found a day later.

This unsolved crime report was first reported on April 26 and updated on May 1.

LAPD officers responded to a call for a welfare check in the 12600 block of Riverside Drive. Responding officers discovered a deceased male, later identified as Menashe, “Manny,” Hildra.

New reports indicate that the body found in the apartment is believed to have been
deceased before the officer’s initial discovery of the corpse.

Detectives reportedly found blood outside the apartment complex. In addition, LAPD
received calls at this apartment complex the week prior.

LAPD Chief McDonnell made the following statement regarding this investigation:

“Officers responded to a radio call of an assault with a deadly weapon in progress. They did
not hear or see any signs of disturbance. They were not able to make contact with anyone
inside, so the officers cleared the location.”

Multiple social media reports of someone on the roof. Another report indicated that someone was attempting to break into the empty apartment unit next door.

Reports indicate that it was the next day when a neighbor requested a welfare check, that
police found the body of Menashe Hidra. His death was ruled a homicide.

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After a 10-week trail, jurors found defendant Monica Sementilli guilty of one count of murder with special circumstance allegations that the killing was carried out for financial gain and by means of lying in wait. She was also found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder. The verdict makes her eligible for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors proved that Monica and her co-defendant, Robert Louis Baker, were involved in a romantic affair and conspired to kill Fabio Sementilli, 49, in his Woodland Hills home in case BA452975.

On January 23, 2017, Baker fatally stabbed Fabio as he sat on his patio, then fled the scene in the victim’s Porsche, which was later found abandoned miles away. Baker previously pleaded guilty to first-degree, special circumstances murder of Fabio, killing him with a knife, and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Monica devised the plan to get her hands on her husband’s $1 million dollar life insurance policy.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman of the Major Crimes Division and Deputy District Attorney Heather Steggell of the Organized Crime Division. The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

“I want to acknowledge the exceptional work of the prosecution team of Beth Silverman and Heather Steggell in presenting their case with professionalism and diligence,” said District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “These experienced prosecutors and detectives investigated and prosecuted this case over eight years, painstakingly putting together each piece of this murder puzzle to overcome the lies and deception of Monica Sementilli and her lover who thought they had made a clean getaway.”

Fabio was a well-known celebrity hairdresser. He shared three children with Monica, Gessica, Isabella and Luigi.

Sentencing for Monica is scheduled for June 23 in Department 101 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

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Officers from the Arcadia Police Department responded to the 50 block of Woodland Lane in Arcadia regarding a report of a male intruder and a gunshot victim at the location.  Upon arrival, officers located an adult male, who resided at the location, suffering from a gunshot wound.  The Arcadia Fire Department responded and transported the victim to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation is ongoing, and currently, there’s no additional information available at this time. Anyone with details about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

To provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use a smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

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