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.
—According to Crosstown LA, shoplifting reports are "soaring," after hitting their highest monthly total in January since at least 2010, reaching 805. February had 775, or 27.7 reports of shoplifting per day. [XTownLA]
—Yang Bing Yi, the founder of the first Din Tai Fung in Taipei, Taiwan, is dead at the age of 96. Yi started off making cooking oil and selling xiao long bao on the side and opened his first restaurant location in 1972. Today it is an international chain with more than 170 locations in 13 countries, including several extremely popular L.A. locations. [Yahoo! News]
—Xavier López Rodríguez, better known as the Mexican children's entertainer “Chabelo," has died at the age of 88. Born in Chicago, Rodriguez was raised in Mexico City and created the character Chabelo, a mischievous and playful child in constant trouble, in the 1950s, appearing in his own shows through the 2010s as well as starring in movies, recording music albums, and writing children’s books. An icon in Mexico and fans and celebrities are leaving their memories for him. [KSU Sentinel]
—Long Beach: A 16-year-old boy was injured by a stray bullet resulting from an argument between four adult men outside of a business in Long Beach on Saturday night. As the child walked away from the physical fight, they were struck in the lower body and rushed to a hospital by paramedics with a non-life-threatening wound. [LBPT]
—Chesterfield Square: A massive display of fireworks, said to go off for about 10 minutes, set off on a South L.A. street led to confusion and speculation. [JJahirx02 via Sarah Saryan]
—Westlake: A man in his late twenties was found dead from stab wounds around 1 am this morning near Eighth and Carondelet streets, just south of MacArthur Park. No details on any suspects nor were any arrests made. [NBC]
—Chatsworth: Newly released dashcam video shows a Kia going airborne on the Ronald Reagan Freeway after it runs into a tire that popped off of a truck. The Kia struck the tire and was launched several feet off the roadway, flipping in the air before landing on its roof and rolling several times before eventually standing on its tires again. No significant injuries were reported. [Yahoo!]
—33 non-ductile (meaning inflexible or brittle) concrete buildings owned by L.A. County face increased risk of collapse from an earthquake and will require seismic upgrades, including Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, home to the five county supervisors, and the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, where autopsies are performed. [LAT]
