Welcome to L.A. TACO’s daily news briefs, where we bring our loyal members, readers, and supporters the latest headlines about Los Angeles politics and culture. Stay informed and look closely.
—The body of 79-year-old Rudy Lazo of San Bernardino was recovered from Tijuana earlier this month, where he was killed while making donations of toys and other necessities to families-in-need. Lazo's son believes his father was beaten to death during a suspected robbery and abduction. A GoFundMe is collecting donations for the family. [NBC]
—Eagle Rock: A man was shot while walking in a carport around 2 am on Friday morning when he was confronted by an assailant and fired at multiple times. The victim believed to be in his forties, is expected to survive. [The Eastsider LA]
—Inland Empire: The Los Osos High School varsity dance team recreated Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance at their recent prom rally in Rancho Cucamonga, and video of the performance is going viral on social media. [KTLA]
—Bellflower: Over 7,000 signatures have been collected in support of preserving artist Sloe's mural depicting Vin Scully, Kobe Bryant, Tupac Shakur, and Nipsey Hussle at Speedy Auto Tint. The City of Bellflower has asked the business to remove the mural, saying it's visible on a main street. A GoFundMe is collecting legal fees in the fight to save the artwork. [Change.org]
—Beverly Crest: A pilot was killed Saturday night in the crash of a single-engine Cessna C172 plane near Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles’ Beverly Crest neighborhood, the L.A. Fire Department said. According to authorities, The plane was en route from Bermuda Dunes near Palm Desert to Van Nuys Airport when it was reported missing earlier in the evening. [LAT]
—Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, the Danish "Lord Mayor" of Copenhagen, Denmark, has written an open letter to the mayor of Solvang, CA., decrying the recent and public homophobic stances of local politicians on a variety of issues, including flying rainbow pride banners on its city streets. "You'll know already of Denmark's long-standing position as one of the most progressive countries in the world... I was surprised to read about the opposition from some of your council members to ideas put forward by your LGBTI+ community for Solvang to embrace Santa Ynez Valley Pride publicly and visibly," Andersen wrote. [KEYT]
—Americans spend more money on weed than they do on chocolate and craft beer, claims a report by MJ Biz Daily. The report finds that Americans spent roughly $30 billion on legal marijuana in 2022 compared to $20 billion spent on chocolate. [Stoners Doing Things]