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.
—Rosarito: A private autopsy revealed that a public defender killed in a beach town in Baja that is a popular destination among L.A. and O.C. residents last month, sustained "about 40 fractures in the back of his skull." Mexican authorities previously said that Elliot Blair, 33, died due to a fall. He was found dead on January 14, several floors below the hotel room he and his wife shared for their wedding anniversary. During an interview with Good Morning America, Blair's widow, Kimberly Williams, said, “someone did this to him.” A cause of death has not yet been declared, and it could take more than a month to publish the final report. [LAT]
—The City of Los Angeles filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the legality of “no-vending zones.” In a statement, the group behind the lawsuit said, “Recently, the city has offered words of support for street vendors, yet in practice, it defends policies that are harmful and discriminate against our clients. The city’s response to our lawsuit ensures that sidewalk vendors – who have been wrongfully excluded from popular areas of the city for years – will have to wait even longer for an end to the city’s exclusionary treatment. Our clients are prepared to continue the fight for the rights of sidewalk vendors in Los Angeles as long as necessary.”
—Los Angeles police are asking witnesses and sexual assault victims of a man suspected of raping multiple women to come forward. Benjamin Parke Belser, a 36-year-old South LA resident, was charged with a dozen felonies earlier this week and is being held on more than $6 million bail. Police allege that Belser used social media and dating apps to target victims. Police believe that the sexual assaults began in 2017 and continued until 2022 when the LAPD opened an investigation against Belser. [City News Services/NBC LA]
—Gas prices rose 10 cents this week. A spokesperson for AAA told The Times that the increase is likely due to "refineries switching to summer blend fuel, which is more expensive than winter blend fuel." Gas prices are expected to continue to increase in the coming weeks, as temperatures rise and summer travel kicks off. [LAT]