The City Council on Friday approved a motion aimed at addressing an abandoned luxury skyscraper development in downtown Los Angeles, after more than 25 floors were tagged with spray paint.

Council members voted 14-0 to instruct city departments to begin an abatement process to secure the site and restore the sidewalks should the property owners fail to respond by Feb. 17, and remove all graffiti and debris, and securely fence the property on their own accord.

The planned $1 billion multi-use complex, known as Oceanwide Plaza, began construction some years ago, but stalled since 2019 when Beijing-based developer Oceanwide Holdings could no longer finance it.

With recent events at Crypto.com Arena such as the Grammy Awards and the statue unveiling of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020, worldwide attention has fallen on the tagged complex as well.

“We confront a challenge that undermines the very character of our neighborhoods — that is both blight and criminal vandalism,” Councilman Kevin de León said prior to the vote, who represents the 14th District where the development is located.

He added, “Last week, the eyes of the world turned toward our vibrant city where we hosted the Grammy Awards. Yet, I missed the excitement. We could not ignore the blight across the street on the building of a private development that failed to be completed.”

While he noted graffiti art has its place, it should not be on public or private property, where it defaces city streets and diminishes a sense of security.

“Let me be clear, defacing this property or any public property is not the fault of the city or due to neglect by the city,” de León said. “That responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the developer. There’s no ifs, ands or buts.”

According to the councilman, the city notified the property owners in several different ways, such as email, phone calls, fax and messages through social media platforms.

“(They) have to get their act together,” de León said.

He noted that if the property owners do not act within the legal amount of time, the city will take action. The Bureau of Street Services will ensure the removal of all obstructions blocking sidewalks and streets, including K-rail and scaffolding.

The councilman took a moment to address criticism from L.A. residents, who did not approve of the Los Angeles Police Department spending time on “security” for the complex or for spending resources because it’s abandoned. Some housing advocates have said the time and money spent could be used to address the city’s homelessness crisis.

“LAPD belongs to the people of the city of L.A., and the constituents,” de León said. “Their efforts should not be diverted to protect for-profit developers.”

LAPD Central Division, which oversees Downtown L.A. and other areas, reported at least seven individuals have been arrested on suspicion of vandalism, trespass, burglary and other crimes, according to recent statements. Central Division detectives were also placed to investigate crimes committed at the site.

On turning the complex into housing, de León said it was easier said than done.

“It’s not that simple because we don’t have a billion dollars lying around right now to buy this three-tower development,” he said.” That’s just the current value, if you will, more or less on the actual abandoned building. It will take another billion dollars, at least, and I’m that conservatively, to actually complete and finalize this building.”

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez supported the motion, adding “This circumstance is one of exploitation and criminal activity.”

She referred to the building as a “huge black eye” and a “red flag” about how the city needs to be vigilant and obstruct these activities from occurring.

Councilwoman Imelda Padilla said she was shocked by how much people wouldn’t stop talking about the tagged complex.

“At the end of the day, the only reason why we’re talking about it is because it’s just so gigantic,” she added. “But we have these all over Los Angeles. I can think of at least four buildings that are mini versions —what (it is) is neglect from property owners.”

Jonathan Limas-Reyes was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha to serve 188 months in federal prison and ordered to pay funeral costs of $6,934, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Limas-Reyes, 27, pleaded guilty in August to a felony charge of distribution of fentanyl.

On Oct. 29, 2021, Limas-Reyes sold the pills to the Downey teen, according to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court.

Use of the pills “resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of victim A.K.,” prosecutors wrote.

“If not for the fentanyl that A.K. received … A.K. would have lived,” court papers state.

Limas-Reyes “knew it was illegal for him to sell the pills to A.K., and knew that they contained fentanyl or some other federally controlled substance,” according to federal prosecutors.

VAN NUYS — An expert called by the prosecution in socialite Rebecca Grossman’s trial testified today that a crash that killed two young brothers in Westlake Village in 2020 was caused by speed.

Grossman, the 60-year-old co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, is charged with two felony counts each of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, along with one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death involving the Sept. 29, 2020, collision that left 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother Jacob dead.

The prosecution alleges that Grossman was speeding at the time she hit the boys, with Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould telling jurors that Grossman was “flooring it” to get herself up to 81 miles per hour on a 45-mile-per-hour street and driving just over 70 mph at the time of impact. The older boy died at the scene and his 8-year-old sibling died at a hospital.

Grossman’s attorneys insisted she was not the driver responsible for the deadly crash, which they contend occurred outside a crosswalk. The defense — which contends that Grossman was driving 52 mph “at best” — pointed the blame at former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, whom they allege was driving a black Mercedes SUV just ahead of Grossman’s white Mercedes SUV.

Erickson was described by a prosecutor as Grossman’s boyfriend at the time.

When asked about his conclusion of the cause of the accident, an expert in human factors related to drivers’ abilities to recognize and respond to hazards said he determined it was “simply speed.”

“Is it fair to say that speed kills?” Deputy District Attorney Jamie Castro asked the expert, Jeffrey Muttart.

“Based on the facts of this case, yes,” Muttart responded.

Under cross-examination by lead defense attorney Tony Buzbee, the expert said it would have been extremely difficult for Grossman to avoid the collision if the children had been struck by Erickson and if one of the children had gone airborne. But he said the facts of the case “don’t support that.”

Under renewed questioning by the prosecutor, Muttart said that Erickson had denied hitting anybody and that Erickson said that he saw the two boys and a reflective scooter in the crosswalk.

Another prosecution witness, CHP Officer Robert Leffler, testified that he had stopped Grossman for speeding 92 mph on the 101 Freeway in March 2013 — more than seven years before the crash — and that he remembered her telling him that she hoped he didn’t need the burn center in the future.

Grossman is a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, the director of the Grossman Burn Centers.

The CHP officer said that Grossman had initially been apologetic and informed him that her husband had been called in to work and that she was rushing to pick up her children, but said that she grew frustrated after he wrote the speeding ticket and informed her about the dangers of speeding.

He acknowledged that he didn’t write Grossman’s alleged remark to him about the burn center on the ticket.

“It just sticks out,” he said, noting that he went through the traffic citations he had issued years earlier after learning about the deadly crash.

The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case-in-chief Friday, with the defense expected to begin its portion of the case next Tuesday.

In testimony last week, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Rafael Mejia told jurors that he didn’t find any evidence indicating that more than one vehicle was involved in the collision, saying he only saw debris from a white vehicle.

Mejia said he found Grossman about three-tenths of a mile away standing outside her white Mercedes-Benz SUV, which had front-end damage.

“She told me that her vehicle was disabled by Mercedes-Benz,” Mejia told jurors, saying that the airbags had gone off and that Grossman told him that she had hit something but she didn’t know what she struck.

Under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Jamie Castro, the sheriff’s deputy said he didn’t find any debris consistent with a black SUV or any kind of black vehicle.

“We didn’t see any indicators there was another vehicle,” Mejia said, indicating that the debris at the scene indicated a white vehicle had been involved.

The deputy said a Mercedes-Benz emblem was found among the debris at the scene of the collision, adding later on cross-examination that another Mercedes-Benz emblem was discovered. He noted that the auto chain has multiple emblems on their vehicles.

Of his interaction with Grossman, the deputy said, “She kept telling me to call her husband. … Her husband could help those kids.”

He said he smelled “alcohol coming from her person,” and contacted a unit to come to perform a DUI investigation.

The deputy said he saw a person who identified herself as Grossman’s daughter and said she was there to pick up her mother. He said he told her that she couldn’t go home with her. He said he never saw a man hiding in the bushes watching the police investigation, and would have considered that highly suspicious.

Deputy District Attorney Ryan Gould told jurors in his opening statement that blood testing done on Grossman after the crash determined she had alcohol and Valium in her system, but that she is not charged with driving under the influence. Jurors don’t need to find her guilty of that in order to convict her of the charges, he said.

In his opening statement, lead defense attorney Tony Buzbee alleged that Erickson’s vehicle went through the intersection 2 1/2 seconds before Grossman and hit the two children first. He told jurors that Erickson stopped up the road, hid in the bushes and watched after the collision.

Under cross-examination, the deputy said he wasn’t aware that a black SUV had gone through the intersection mere seconds before Grossman.

He acknowledged that the first debris from the crash was found 50 feet away from the crosswalk, and said he relied in giving his estimate of the point of impact on the accounts of witnesses who indicated that the victims were in the crosswalk when they were hit. He noted that there was no fluid found in the crosswalk.

The deputy said he had considered the possibility that more than one vehicle was involved in the collision with the boys, but ruled it out saying that all of the debris was “consistent with a white vehicle.” He said he believed the crash was caused by the vehicle “traveling at an unsafe speed,” and added that he stands by that conclusion.

Jurors also heard an audiotape of Grossman’s conversation with an operator with a Mercedes-Benz service in which the woman said she didn’t know if she had hit anyone and said she was driving when her airbag “exploded.”

“I don’t know what I hit,” she said in the recording when a 911 operator was patched in and asked if she had hit someone.

Rebecca and Peter Grossman were separated at the time of the crash, according to a statement by her husband posted on a website supporting her.

Grossman is free on $2 million bond. She could face up to 34 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged.

Launched with a $59 million gift from Leonard and Pamela Schaeffer, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service aims to “strengthen democracy by training generations of public leaders and advancing evidence-based research to shape policy that addresses the nation’s most pressing issues,” USC President Carol Folt said.

The institute combines and expands two programs — the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service.

“The newly formed Schaeffer Institute accelerates USC’s capacity to develop effective academic leaders and to forge critical high-impact partnerships with influential policymakers and organizations,” Folt said in a statement.

“There are times in the life of a university when a vision and an opportunity align to become a powerful force to serve the public good,” she said. “And our students and our nation need this now more than ever.”

The institute is the first major research and education facility to be headquartered at USC’s Capital Campus, which Folt opened in Dupont Circle last spring.

Schaeffer said the new institute has the potential to have a long-lasting impact at a time when the United States needs it most.

“Our country is experiencing a series of challenges that are unique in our history,” he said. “We are facing many difficult issues around the world — climate change, pandemics, violent conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, and world trade and economic problems, to name a few. Here at home, we are experiencing the loss of faith in science and government. The institute will have the faculty, students and postdocs to provide the analysis and facts necessary to counter erosion in public discourse and promote more effective policy solutions.”

The $59 million gift will fund the build-out of the seventh floor of the Capital Campus, which will be dedicated to the Schaeffer Institute. The institute also will have offices on the USC University Park Campus, according to the university.

The Schaeffers’ donation also will provide a permanent endowment for the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service, the fellowship for undergraduate students to work in local, state and federal government offices, according to USC.

The fellowships, which are administered by USC, are open to students across USC as well as those at four other participating universities: Harvard University; Princeton University; UC Berkeley; and the University of Virginia. The gift will allow at least 50 students from across the five universities to participate in the fellowship every year, officials said.

Leonard Schaeffer was the founding chairman and CEO of WellPoint, a health insurance company. He is a professor at USC and was elected to the university’s  Board of Trustees in 2013.

Meanwhile, the Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine area fell 22 spots to No. 78 on the Santa Monica-based think tank’s 2024 rankings list, which measures the economic vitality of 200 large metro areas and 203 small cities.

The L.A.-Long Beach-Glendale had been No. 87 in the 2022 rankings before climbing to No. 68 on the 2023 list. Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine was No. 56 in the 2023 rankings and No. 69 in 2022.

Austin, Texas was ranked as the best-performing large municipal area in the country on the 2024 list, while Idaho Falls, Idaho, was the best performing small city for the second consecutive year.

Among the criteria in the report are job creation, wage growth and the output of the high-tech sector, along with housing affordability, community resilience, broadband access and income inequality.

The data reviewed for the 2024 rankings were primarily from 2022, the report said.

“In 2022 (the main year covered in this report), the U.S. labor market added more than 6 million jobs, 90.7% of which were in metropolitan areas,” according to the report.

“Although metros continue to drive the nation’s growth, the geographic distribution of this growth has changed. Between 2019 and 2022, a few big metros (such as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale and New York-Jersey City-White Plains) experienced a relative slowdown in job and wage growth accompanied by population loss, while economic and population growth took off in metros in Texas and neighboring states in the Sunbelt region.”

Maggie Switek, director of the Milken Institute’s research department, said in a statement, “The labor market displayed remarkable resilience in 2022.”

“By the end of the year, total U.S. employment exceeded its pre-pandemic level, though the national statistics mask important differences across metropolitan areas,” she added. “Many low-tier large and small cities continued to struggle, with employment numbers that remained below their 2019 levels. This signals that the pandemic has had long-lasting impacts on the economy of several metropolitan areas.”

No California cities placed in the top 25 in this year’s rankings. San Francisco was the highest-ranking California area on the large cities list, placing 27th, with San Diego 37th. The Riverside area placed 68th.

Thousand Oaks dropped from 79th place in the previous report to 135th place in current survey.

SANTA ANA — A former Anaheim elementary school teacher and high school wrestling coach was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

Richard O’Connor, 45, of Anaheim, pleaded guilty May 15 to a count of possession of child pornography.

O’Connor’s attorney, Josef Sadat, argued for no prison time while prosecutors and probation officials recommended five years behind bars.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter noted support O’Connor received in letters as well as the defendant’s “virtuous” life outside of the crimes. O’Connor had about two dozen supporters in court Monday.

Sadat detailed O’Connor’s difficult upbringing to explain why the teacher joined a social media group displaying child pornography. Sadat said his client was molested as a 9-year-old and that his mother was at times neglectful and his father would leave pornographic magazines around the house. As a result, O’Connor grew addicted to adult pornography, his attorney said.

Sadat said two experts concluded O’Connor was not a pedophile and was a low risk to re-offend. O’Connor was also “extremely cooperative and forthcoming” with authorities since his arrest, Sadat said.

O’Connor tearfully recounted how his life changed when he and his wife were finally able to conceive a child two years ago.

O’Connor started teaching when he was 23, he said.

“So my whole adult life I was someone else’s parent,” he said. “I liked being a father figure.”

O’Connor said after his arrest he started seeing a therapist who helped him talk about childhood trauma that he had suppressed.

“Since April I’ve been away from my family,” he said, adding he is working in the restaurant industry in the Big Bear area.

“I still want to help people,” even though he now is prohibited from teaching or aiding kids, he said. He also wants to continue to be a presence in his toddler son’s life.

“I know it’s going to be really hard for him growing up, but I really want to be there for him as a dad,” he said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Sedrish Rabbani read a letter into the record from the father of two children who lived with O’Connor, who married the man’s ex-wife. The Orange County Fire Authority firefighter recounted what he characterized were “inappropriate” moments his son had with O’Connor.

The father said O’Connor spent a weekend with the firefighter’s son in Big Bear alone in 2020 when the boy was 11. The father also said he grew concerned when O’Connor would frequently text with the boy about playing online video games together.

On another trip the son had with O’Connor the boy sent his father pictures of pastries shaped like genitalia, the firefighter said. The father also said O’Connor regularly viewed R-rated movies with the boy.

Sadat emphasized that child protective services interviewed all of the students O’Connor interacted with as an educator and he was “cleared” of any wrongdoing with students.

Carter repeatedly emphasized the otherwise “virtuous” life O’Connor has lived.

The judge added that he “finds your remorse has been extraordinary.”

But, Carter said, he could not justify no prison time because of the nature of some of the images found on O’Connor’s device. One of the images was of a boy 7 to 9 years old with hands bound.

“This is a line that cannot be crossed,” Carter said.

Carter gave the defendant until April 19 to report to prison.

O’Connor will be on supervised release when he gets out for up to 20 years. He could have the last five years eliminated if he obeys the terms of release.

Carter ordered the defendant to register as a sex offender.

O’Connor previously worked as a fourth-grade teacher at Crescent Elementary School and was a volunteer boys’ wrestling coach at Canyon High School in Anaheim, according to federal prosecutors.

Investigators found at least 81 videos and 158 images of child pornography, some of which included infants or toddlers as well as violent material, prosecutors said.

The returned objects include gold jewelry, an elephant tail whisk and an ornamental chair originally taken from the Asante Kingdom in what is now Ghana by British forces during a 19th-century conflict.

Fowler director Silvia Forni and other museum staff announced the return of the objects to the ruler of Ghana’s Asante people, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Monday, the 150th anniversary of the British looting of Kumasi, a city in the Asante region of Ghana, according to the Fowler.

“We are globally shifting away from the idea of museums as unquestionable repositories of art, as collecting institutions entitled to own and interpret art based primarily on scholarly expertise, to the idea of museums as custodians, with ethical responsibility for the collection and towards the communities of origin of these collections,” Forni said in a statement.

Forni said the Fowler conducted extensive research into its colonial-era African collection. Once the museum confirmed the histories of the objects, Fowler officials began a years-long process to return the objects to the Asante, according to the museum.

“At the Fowler Museum, we think of ourselves as temporary custodians of the objects in our collection,” said Erica P. Jones, the Fowler’s senior curator of African arts. “In the case of pieces that were violently or coercively taken from their original owners or communities, it is our ethical responsibility to do what we can to return those objects. It is a process that will occupy generations of Fowler staff, but it is something that we are unwavering in our commitment to accomplish.”

Sergey Ochigava, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu to the 93 days spent behind bars, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,174 to Scandinavian Airlines, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said they expect Ochigava to be placed into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.

Ochigava, who held both Russian and Israeli passports, was found guilty last month in Los Angeles federal court to one count of being an aircraft stowaway.

Ochigava apparently tailgated an unsuspecting passenger through a security turnstile at Copenhagen Airport so that he could enter an airport terminal without a boarding pass.

The next day, he passed through the boarding gate undetected and stowed away. During the flight, the cabin crew noticed Ochigava, because he moved between multiple unassigned seats.

When the flight landed on the afternoon of Nov. 4, Ochigava encountered U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, who discovered he was not listed as a passenger.

Ochigava gave false and misleading information about his travel to the United States, including telling the officers that he left his passport on the airplane.

Ochigava had been in federal custody since his arrest.

Flooding could be “catastrophic” during heavy rainfall in Orange County and inland cities including Corona, Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino, National Weather Service forecaster Adam Roser warned Sunday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday proclaimed a state of emergency for eight local counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino.

“California: this is a serious storm with dangerous and potentially life-threatening impacts,” Newsom said. “Please pay attention to any emergency orders or alerts from local officials.”

Emergencies were also declared by Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

“Very heavy” rainfall was expected through 6 a.m. Monday in the Los Angeles area, with a 20% chance of thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall, around 4-8 inches is anticipated there until midnight on Tuesday, before turning into more moderate rain the rest of the day.

Mountain and foothill areas could see up to 8-14 inches – and possibly 15 inches of rain throughout that window.

“That’s a lot of water, people,” NWS meteorologist Ryan Kittell said in a briefing on Sunday. “We’re just expecting a lot of freeway flooding and road flooding, road closures. There will be a lot of flooding of parked cars … just a real mess.”

Here are the latest details on the upcoming storm. This is a DANGEROUS SYSTEM with major risks to life and property. Substantial flooding. Residents should heed any evacuation orders. Stay off the roads, especially the freeways, this afternoon through at least Monday morning. pic.twitter.com/z7uVIvKMAN

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 4, 2024

Those who can work remotely should do that, or at least stay off freeways Monday morning, he said.

The region was under a flood watch through Tuesday afternoon and at least one flash flood warning: For the Malibu/Topanga area stretching east to Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

Flash Flood Warning including Santa Monica CA, West Hollywood CA and Beverly Hills CA until 9:00 AM PST pic.twitter.com/c17sBIanMb

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 5, 2024

Through 6 p.m. Sunday, Downtown Los Angeles had received 1.18 inches from the early hours of the storm system, the NWS said. In Orange County, Brea had received 1.42 inches by 8:30 p.m.

Yesterday, Feb 4th, DT L.A. had 4.10" of rain. Exceeded daily record of 2.55" set in 1927. Since 1877, 3rd wettest day ever for Feb (hiest 4.80" on 2/24/1913). Ties for 10th wettest day ever with 3/15/2003. (Wettest day ever 5.88" on 3/2/1938.) #LARain #LAWeather #SoCal #cawx

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 5, 2024

In Long Beach, 19 people were temporarily stranded off the coast Sunday afternoon when a boat shipwrecked into the breakwater. One minor injury was reported from the accident, which officials said happened after the mast on the vessel broke off amid gale force winds and rough waves.

Heavy rain and flooding Sunday also led to some motorists getting stranded in Tarzana, where a Los Angeles Fire Department swift water rescue team deployed a raft to rescue victims in their cars in the 19000 block of Oxnard Street, at Donna Avenue, news agency Onscene.TV reported.

The cars were stuck in two to three feet of water at the intersection. A 911 call came in at 6:22 p.m. Sunday, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said.

The stranded vehicle’s occupants remained inside because of the unpredictable currents at the intersection, Prange said. No injuries were reported.

Onscene also reported that in La Habra, a wall collapsed into a parking area, damaging at least three vehicles at 990 W. Las Lomas Drive.

Later Sunday, rock and mudslides were reported in the canyon roads leading to and from Malibu, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

“Currently, Malibu Canyon Road is closed between Malibu Crest and Mulholland Highway.  Traveling on other routes (Kanan Dume Road, Topanga Canyon, etc.) is not advisable,” LASD said on social media.

In Studio City, nine homes were evacuated Sunday night due to a debris flow that damaged at least two of those homes and threatened others.

Firefighters were called at 9:08 p.m. Sunday to 11960 W. Lockridge Road, off Fryman Road and bordering on Fryman Canyon Park, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Nicholas Prange.

Firefighters assisted 16 residents with evacuations, Prange said. Some were precautionary, “in case further soil instability causes another flow nearby,” Prange said.

LAFD heavy equipment was on the scene to help deal with soil and debris, he said.

No injuries were reported, Prange said. The American Red Cross was available to help the displaced residents.

In Huntington Beach, a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions by flooding.

#FLOODING: Northbound & Southbound PCH from Warner Avenue to Seapoint Street is closed due to flooding caused by heavy rains. Please use caution while driving and obey all detour signs. For real time updates, please check: https://t.co/0mHKv5L74s #CHP #BeSafe #StayAlert #MoveOver pic.twitter.com/4OiPIjR1On

— Caltrans District 12 (@CaltransOC) February 5, 2024

Residents in the La Tuna Canyon Road area north of Hollywood Burbank Airport were ordered to evacuate Sunday because of the high risk of debris flow triggered by the heavy rain.

Quick timing update for everyone:

Key points:
Focus of heavy rain on Orange County, Inland Empire, and San Bernardino County Mtns Today-Mon

Moderate to heavy rain not reaching San Diego County until Mon evening

Snow levels not falling until Mon evening#CAwx pic.twitter.com/woKMozC2p3

— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) February 4, 2024

In Riverside County, officials on Sunday advised anyone within the Santa Ana river bottom or the San Jacinto riverbed or channels to leave immediately to higher ground as heavy rains may result in dangerous water flows in that area.

Orange County and Inland Empire areas will also see steady and significant rain move through Monday night, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Adams said on Sunday.

Flooding also is expected in various parts of the Inland Empire, as the storm will deliver prolonged periods of rain and mountain snow, with gusty south winds in the deserts.

San Bernardino and Riverside County mountain areas should expect heavy rain until 6 p.m. Monday. Mountain areas along the 15 Freeway and through the Cajon Pass could see up to a foot of rain, Roser said.

A wind advisory has been issued for coastal areas of Orange County until 10 a.m. Monday, with 15 to 25 mph winds and gusts of up to 45 mph. Residents should expect heavy rain and a moderate to high risk of potential flooding through Tuesday evening, with rainfall totals between 4 to 6 inches in Orange County, Adams said.

In the Inland Empire, rainfall will vary from 2 inches to upwards of 6 inches in areas including Chino and Ontario. The mountains also are expected to receive substantial rain, between 4 to 8 inches, as well as 6-12 inches in foothill areas near Mt. Baldy.

There also is a remote chance of a waterspout or tornado along the coast, Kittell said.

California has mobilized 8,500 emergency responders to help local agencies around the state with potential flooding, mud and landslides, transportation problems and 911 calls, Newsom said.

Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach all planned to be closed Monday.

Long Beach City College has closed both its Liberal Arts Campus at 4901 East Carson St. and its Pacific Coast Campus at 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway on Monday. Students should check to see if their classes will be online, and employees will work remotely.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district planned to keep schools open Monday, with the exception of Vinedale Elementary School in Sun Valley. Carvalho added that district officials would continue to monitor the storm, and plans could change later.

Elsewhere, strong winds and heavy rain brought treacherous conditions to the coastal city of Ventura, west of Los Angeles, said Alexis Herrera, who was trying to bail out his sedan, which was filled with floodwater. “All the freeways are flooded around here,” Herrera said in Spanish. “I don’t know how I’m going to move my car.”

On Sunday, customers called the Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center inquiring about sandbags, flashlights and generators, said assistant manager Lupita Vital. Sandbags sold out on Saturday, so people were buying bags of potting soil and fertilizer instead, she said.

“People are trying to get anything they can get that’s heavy to use it as, you know, protection for their doors and everything,” Vital said Sunday.

Nearly 846,000 customers were without electricity statewide by Sunday evening, with most of the outages concentrated in coastal regions, according to poweroutage.us.

—————————————————————————————

Evacuation orders and centers include:

• In Los Angeles County, evacuation orders were issued for the Owen Fire area, on Santa Maria Road from Topanga Canyon, and the Agua Fire area along Soledad Canyon Road east of Agua Dulce Canyon Road, in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Tuesday.
• A shelter was established at OneGeneration Senior Enrichment Center, 18255 Victory Blvd. in Reseda.
• Evacuation centers for people and household pets opened at Sunland Senior Citizen Center at 8640 Fenwick St. and Lake View Terrace Recreation Center at 11075 Foothill Blvd.
• Large animals can be evacuated to Hansen Dam Horse Park at 11127 Orcas Ave. in Lake View Terrace, the LA Equestrian Center at 480 Riverside Drive in Burbank, and at Agoura Animal Care Center, 29525 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills.

There were assorted evacuation warnings in the region, including in San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Staff writer Hunter Lee and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

How Southern California officials, residents are preparing for dangerous storm

*****

U.S. Coast Guard officials said Saturday morning they were seeking the public’s help to find a 60-year-old mariner and the vessel he was sailing from Long Beach to Hawaii.

Noel Rubio departed from Long Beach bound for O’ahu on Dec. 28 in a 32-foot Westsail sloop known as Malulani, with plans to arrive on Jan. 18, but he never made it, according to the Coast Guard.

The last contact with Rubio occurred on Dec. 28, when he used a cell phone to call a friend from an area south of Catalina Island.

According to the Coast Guard, a VHF-FM marine band radio is the only means of communication on Malulani.

“The Coast Guard is greatly appreciative of the expert consult advice on weather and routes provided by experienced trans-pacific sailors,” Douglas Samp, search and rescue mission coordinator in the Rescue Coordination Center Alameda, said in a statement. “Mariners intending to conduct an open ocean passage are highly encouraged to have multiple layers of communication, including a VHF-FM DSC radio, HF DSC radio, satellite communications, and a 406Mhz electronic position indicating radio beacon as the notification of last resort to help SAR authorities locate your position in a time of need.”

Anyone with information about Rubio or Malulani is urged to contact Joint Rescue Coordination Center Alameda at 510-437-3701 or RCCAlameda1@uscg.mil or Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 808-535-3333 or JRCCHonolulu@uscg.mil.