Herbert Wigwe, co-founder of Access Bank, was among the victims, family members from his home village of Isiokpo said. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, who was president of the National Council of the Nigeria Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2021, and served as the group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc from 2021 to 2022, also was confirmed dead by a family member in Lagos.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a Eurocopter EC helicopter crashed at about 10 p.m. on Friday with six people on board.

“The scene of the crash was determined to be east of the 15-Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said in an emailed statement on Saturday. “No survivors have been located.”

The helicopter went down near Baker, a town of 700 people about 95 miles southwest of Las Vegas, said Peter Knudson, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board.

The helicopter took off from Palm Springs Airport around 8:45 p.m. and was en route to Boulder City, Nevada, when it crashed, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s officials told KABC-7 that they have not been able to locate any survivors and the cause of the crash is unknown.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to the site to investigate the crash. A news conference is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday.

“It has been confirmed all six people on board the aircraft are deceased,” the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said Saturday afternoon. “The identities of the deceased will be released once positive identification has been made and next of kin notifications have been made.”

On his X account, Wigwe posted in January: “Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect.  Let’s honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count … Let us number our days.”

Logs from the California Highway Patrol show there was rain and snow in the area at about the time of the crash.

Halloran Springs Road crosses over Interstate 15 in an area known to travelers for an abandoned gas station with a sign declaring “Lo Gas” and “Eat.” It’s located in a remote area of the Mojave Desert, with an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet

The crash comes less than a week after a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crashed in the mountains outside San Diego on Tuesday during historic downpours. Five Marines were killed.

Boulder City is about 26 miles southeast of Las Vegas, where the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers are set to play in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.

Bloomberg, the Associated Press and staff writer Hunter Lee contributed to this report.

Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. pleaded guilty to a felony involuntary manslaughter count for the death of firefighter Charlie Morton and two felony counts of recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure. He has been sentenced to two years of felony probation, one year in county jail, and 200 hours of community service.

Morton, a Forest Service firefighter on a Big Bear hotshot team, died after he became trapped against a wall of flames in the El Dorado fire.

Angelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing a fire on another person’s property. She was sentenced to a year of probation and 400 hours of community service.

The Jimenez’s also have been ordered to pay $1.7 million in restitution, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office.

The couple was charged in 2021. They both pleaded not guilty, and requested that all charges be dismissed. One charge was dismissed in January.

“Resolving the case was never going to be a win,” District Attorney Jason Anderson said in a press release. “The Defendants’ reckless conduct had tremendous impact on land, properties, emergency response resources, the displacement of  entire communities, and resulted in the tragic death of Forest Service Wildland Firefighter Charles Morton. All these factors were given an extraordinary amount of consideration throughout every step of investigation, the Grand Jury process, and court proceedings.”

Residents of Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks, Barton Flats and Oak Glen were among those evacuated. The fire also burned in Cherry Valley in Riverside County. The fire burned 22,680 acres, destroyed five homes and damaged four others.

In addition to the criminal charges, the couple also faced a lawsuit from the U.S. Forest Service over the illegal fireworks that allegedly started the fire.

Edin Alex Enamorado, 36, is being held at High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on charges of kidnapping, making criminal threats, assault with a deadly weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, false imprisonment and conspiracy. In all, eight people were charged, but one person was granted bail because he faced lesser charges.

Judge John Wilkerson, with about 40 of Enamorado’s supporters in the courtroom, said he could not come up with conditions such as ankle monitoring that he believed would protect the public from the defendants and guarantee their appearance at trial if they were released.

Ten deputies stood guard in the courtroom, more than twice what is normally seen at murder trials.

“Are they afraid (the defendants) are terrorists?” one of the defense lawyers, Damon Alimouri, said afterward.

Enamorado’s attorney, Nicholas Rosenberg, said he plans to appeal the judge’s decision. He spoke with his client after the hearing and relayed this statement from him: “I am not surprised by today’s ruling but this continues to prove San Bernardino County is corrupt.”

His supporters have said the so-called Justice 8 are being prosecuted partly because Enamorado has taken on people in authority including Fontana Mayor Aquanetta Warren, whose city has cracked down on non-permitted vendors. He also used a bullhorn to protest outside the home of a deputy who was videotaped body-slamming a 16-year-old girl who authorities say reached for an officer’s pepper ball launcher during a melee.

Enamorado has a large following on YouTube.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus has said the defendants’ actions go beyond those protected by the First Amendment. He said they were responsible for assaults during protests in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, and that they videotaped themselves threatening and humiliating their victims.

The seven other defendants are residents of Upland, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Ontario.

The next hearing is scheduled for March 1.

The Long Beach Police Department responded to the school at around 1:04 p.m. and found an 18-year-old boy who had a BB gun, and a 15-year-old boy who had a knife.

The boys had been detained by a school police officer, and were then arrested by LBPD. Both weapons were recovered.

The school district said that the weapons were confirmed by Poly High staff, and urged parents to be cautious.

“This incident is a reminder to speak to your child about the importance of making positive choices and that their actions and words have consequences,” said Poly High principal Bill Salas.

Police would not confirm how the boys acquired the weapons, if they knew each other, or why they brought them to the campus.

The investigation is ongoing.

Salvador Alejandro Sanchez killed Kenneth French, 32, after the non-verbal man slugged Sanchez as the off-duty officer held his toddler in the sausage samples line in the deli on June 14, 2019. French’s parents, Russell and Paoli, were wounded as they attempted to shield their son from the volley of 10 bullets.

A mistrial was declared in January after the jury deadlocked on one count of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a firearm.

Defense attorney Michael Schwartz said that jurors favored acquittal on the voluntary manslaughter charge by a 9-3 count and were deadlocked on the firearm assault counts that leaned more to acquittals.

Sanchez, now 33, was not in uniform. He said he thought he had been shot and therefore fired in self-defense.

Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy argued during the monthlong trial that Sanchez acted in haste, and had he taken a moment to assess the situation would have realized he had not been shot and that the danger had passed.

A hearing when the AG’s Office would announce its decision had been scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Superior Court in Indio. But because Superior Court Judge Jason L. Stone was not going to be available on Tuesday, a telephone hearing was held on Friday, the defense attorney said.

The prosecutor “invited the court to dismiss the case, which the court did,” Schwartz said.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed Friday that it will not retry the case, which it filed after the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office did not file charges and a Riverside County grand jury declined to indict Sanchez.

“The Department of Justice stands by the decision to charge and prosecute this case, however, after considering a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the input of the surviving victims and feedback from the trial jury, the department has decided not to retry the case,” the AG’s Office said.

$17 million verdict in Corona Costco shooting death against ex-LAPD officer, city of LA

In an interview, Schwartz said: “Mr. Sanchez and his family feel humbled and grateful to God for the outcome, and also obviously appreciative of the Attorney General’s (Office’s) decision not to retry the case. The stress on the Sanchez family, emotionally as well as financially, has been enormous.”

Sanchez was fired from his job after the LAPD ruled that his actions were outside of policy.

But a federal jury weighing a wrongful death lawsuit against the LAPD and Sanchez awarded the Frenches $17 million after deciding he acted within the scope of his employment, said the Frenches’ attorney, Dale K. Galipo.

“That day, my client’s sole purpose was to defend his son and himself from a violent assault,” Schwartz said. “At this point, he just wants to support his family and raise his family in peace. The event was tragic for everyone. The incident occurred in 2019 and we are now in 2024. It’s been five years. It’s time for everyone to move on.”

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.

The quake was centered nearly 8 miles west/northwest of Malibu, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt away as far as the Inland Empire and into south Orange County. There were more than 20 smaller aftershocks reported.

The earthquake happened two hours after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck just off Hawaii.

The temblor near Malibu was some 38 miles deep, according to the USGS. The initial quake was followed by a 3.0 aftershock.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said that no injuries have been reported. The fire department said it is in “earthquake mode” and firefighters will be surveying the city for any potential damage.

According to the National Weather Service, there is no tsunami advisory, watch, or threat in effect.

There was a M4.6 #earthquake at 1:47Pm PST near #Malibu Make sure to let the scientists know if you felt it at the USGS DYFI page! https://t.co/O1aCkl5tV0 https://t.co/ktFKVXFECr

— Caltech Seismo Lab (@CaltechSeismo) February 9, 2024

The quake coincidentally fell on the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, which was recorded as a magnitude 6.6. The earthquake killed 64 people and caused over $500 million in damages.

How the 1971 Sylmar earthquake changed the lives of two first responders

This is breaking news. The story will be updated as more information becomes available. 

Officers and investigators were doing a business check in the 900 block of South Euclid Street around 2 p.m., Sgt. Jon McClintock, spokesman for Anaheim Police, said.

“We received information and complaints it was an illicit marijuana dispensary,” he said.

It was located at the end of the strip mall, he said. Marijuana dispensaries are not allowed in the city.

Two men and a woman inside the dispensary refused to get out. Police called in members of SWAT and tactical negotiators, McClintock said.

Police evacuated one or two nearby businesses, he added.

The trio came out shortly after 5 p.m. They were arrested for various drug offenses, the sergeant said.

– Steve Legare, Manhattan Beach

A. Yes.

Like a loaf of bread, they all have expiration dates.

Currently, only burgundy, lime green, yellow and blue stickers allow the driver to take a carpool lane without a passenger. The first three colors expire on Sept. 30, 2025; those with blue stickers only have the rest of this year.

To help the environment, the state offered stickers in waves to owners of qualifying new versions of zero- or low-emission vehicles to get those cars and trucks on the roadway instead of gas-fueled models. After awhile, perhaps a couple of years, the state yanks back the carrot for a wave of vehicles. The next wave gets a different color or style of sticker, so officers can tell them apart.

This all started back in 1999, via the California Legislature.

“The current program will end on Sept. 30, 2025, unless new legislation is passed,” said John Swanton, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, which keeps the official list of the qualifying vehicles.

Letting non-carpoolers into carpool lanes has always been a bit of a balancing act – the feds get grouchy when there are so many cars and trucks in those lanes as to clog ’em and slow ’em down.

“It’s an incentive that has a finite amount of availability,” Swanton explained. “Several times over the past two decades that this program has existed, the growing numbers of new vehicle sales have required the Legislature to modify the program to make sure that it continued to drive new vehicle sales, but did not overwhelm the HOV lanes.”

Q. Dear wise one: When drivers reach the age of 70, they typically must renew their driver’s license every five years by taking a test – even though they probably know the rules of the road forwards and backwards. So why don’t kids who ride e-bike/scooters ( these are motor vehicles) also need to take a class and test about the rules of the road? That should be required BEFORE they are allowed to ride them on public roads and sidewalks. For our safety as well as theirs.

– Bobbie Prentice, Santa Ana

A. Our rules of the road are determined by the state’s lawmakers. Honk can’t even figure out why his lint filter fills up, but his clothes don’t shrink, so he isn’t sure why e-bikes aren’t regulated much.

He does know that a bill that would have moved the state closer to having e-bikers without driver’s licenses pass an online test and get a photo ID died about a week ago. It would have also prohibited those under age 12 from riding e-bikes.

Right now, the restrictions are limited: There are three classes of e-bikes, with the first two allowed to go up to 20 mph. Third-class e-bikes can go up to 28 mph, but the rider must be at least 16, wear a helmet and not have a passenger.

HONKIN’ FACT: A 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint is on the auction block later this month at GAA Classic Cars in North Carolina. The late, great Jimmy Buffett bought it in 2002 with 8,578 miles on the odometer. He added a roll bar for his surf boards and, the auction house says, the convertible also sports “his extravagant sound system.” The Falcon is metallic blue with a white top. The car now has roughly 11,845 miles on it. Included in the sale is a signed guitar.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

She escaped with minor injuries.

Eric Sherwin, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, said the woman was walking on red-brick tiles, just after 9:45 a.m., when they collapsed under her and she fell into an old septic tank.

Members of an urban search-and-rescue team that included Rancho Cucamonga Fire District firefighters constructed a tripod over the 3-foot-wide hole and attached a rope to it. That rope was on a crank attached to the back of a battalion chief’s SUV.

One firefighter, who has about 15 years of experience in such rescues, was lowered into the hole.

Sherwin said the idea of lowering a ladder was rejected because the woman was injured from tiles falling on her, and rescuers were concerned she might have difficulty climbing.

They gave the woman a helmet to wear.

Firefighters pulled her to the surface about noon. She was taken away from the Hacienda Mobile Park at 8200 Cherry Ave. via ambulance.

Fontana(Update): USAR team has established a rescue system. Rescuer has made entry. pic.twitter.com/QOGztj9p4f

— San Bernardino County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) February 8, 2024

Lizeth Gonzalez, 20, whose mom Gloria Gonzalez is a good friend of the woman, said the victim is 39 years old.

The victim has four children, from a 1-year-old son to a daughter in college. She had been doing laundry; there is a building with washers and dryers about 100 feet from her home.

A middle-school daughter heard her mother yelling. The daughter told her father, Gonzalez said, who didn’t believe his wife was in a hole until he heard her panicked voice.

That’s when someone called 911.

The methodical rescue from the 3-foot-wide pit took about two hours.

“She was pale as a ghost,” Gonzalez said when she saw the woman after the rescue. “She looked like she could barely get her breath in. …

“We thank God she’s OK, and she was able to get out,” Gonzalez said.

Sherwin said search-and-rescue teams perform this type of rescue several times each year, particularly in the High Desert. He said these septic tanks are typically in concrete vaults that include a concrete lid. He couldn’t say on Thursday whether this accident was related to the record-setting rainstorm that had just passed through.

“This is something we train for constantly,” Sherwin said.

The city was sending someone from the building and safety department to examine the septic tank, Sherwin said.

The woman has been removed from the sinkhole in Fontana. pic.twitter.com/OKBrwCGYfo

— Brian Rokos (@BrianRokos) February 8, 2024

Initially, it was believed she had fallen into a sinkhole.