Explore

Footer - NEW

Legal Footer

Main - NEW

Mobile

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

This is member's only content.

Members get unlimited access to all of our stories, along with incredible perks like free tacos, invites to our events, access to our mobile app, and much more!

Become a Member of L.A. TACO

Register to continue

Please register for L.A. TACO

L.A. TACO

L.A. TACO STAFF

News

Headlines: Instagram Geotagged Photo Revealed PnB Rock’s Location Before Shooting; L.A. Ranks As Deadliest City for Rappers

An LAPD officer points a "less-lethal" rifle at a photographer, while a group of officers stands in the background.

Los Angeles

A New Twitter Bot Will Tell You an Officer’s Name, Rank, and Race By Putting In Their Serial Number

Headlines: Fatal Stabbing At ‘Mineshaft’ Gay Bar in Long Beach; Beverly Hills Man Being Sentenced For Buying Hitman With Bitcoin

Crime

Boyle Heights Community Warns of Drivers Stalking Women

Laura is a desmadrosa, a product of East Los, an educator, and a hood establishment connoisseur.

Laura Tejeda

Drink

A Ska-Powered Coffee House Skanks Its Way To Boyle Heights

Headlines: ‘Birria’ Added to the Dictionary; Tropical Storm to Drop a ‘Year’s Worth’ of Rain

Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their &#8220;distinguished journalists.&#8221; In 2023, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men&#8217;s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

Homelessness

Homelessness Is Rising Slower Than It Did In Previous Years But How Accurate Is The Data?

Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”

Janette Villafana

Los Vendedores Ambulantes de L.A. Enfrentan Crisis de Salud Mental Al Ser Víctimas de Acoso, Robo, y Muerte

Featured

L.A. Street Vendors Deal with Mental Health Crisis As They Continue to Be Harassed, Robbed, and Killed

Headlines: Tiny Seabug ‘Mini-Sharks’ Are Swarming and Biting Beach-Goers Across California; S.F. Decriminalizes Mushrooms

All Articles