L.A. Times - Orange County News

Orange County health officials walk back claim that there was 'no leak' in chemical tank crisis

Rong-Gong Lin II, Tony Briscoe — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 22:59:17 GMT

In response to questions from The Times, the O.C. Healthcare Agency said it did not dispute statements that vapors were released from the pressurized tank on May 21.

O.C. immigration attorneys suspended for filing briefs filled with AI-hallucinated errors

Grace Toohey — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 21:18:01 GMT

Briefs from two Orange County attorneys contained "multiple nonexistent cases, misattributed quotations, and gross misrepresentations" from generative AI, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found, issuing temporary suspensions.

Orange County business owner accused of supplying Iran with 'sophisticated' U.S. tech

Seamus Bozeman — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 00:23:57 GMT

Jamshid Ghomi, 63, of Newport Coast is accused of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to a federal criminal complaint.

'We need answers.' Politicians demand accountability from GKN Aerospace after hazmat crisis

Clara Harter — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:00 GMT

In the aftermath of a six-day chemical crisis that displaced tens of thousands of Orange County residents, elected leaders want answers from GKN Aerospace.

Arellano: O.C.'s most overlooked city weathers chemical crisis

Gustavo Arellano — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Stanton, with about 40,000 residents, has long been a regional afterthought, the type of community that makes the news only when a tragedy happens

Industry knew about chemical 'runaway' dangers for years. Then came near-catastrophe in O.C.

Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin II — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

A failing tank holding 7,000 gallons of a highly reactive chemical at a Garden Grove aerospace plant forced 50,000 evacuations and nearly triggered a catastrophic explosion.

All evacuation orders lifted in O.C. chemical crisis. Threat is over, officials say

Clara Harter, Salvador Hernandez — Wed, 27 May 2026 03:08:28 GMT

The rest of the approximately 50,000 evacuees in Orange County are safe to return after authorities said there was no remaining danger of a chemical tank explosion.

Orange County leaders say previously evacuated area is safe. Experts say risks linger

Tony Briscoe, Clara Harter — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:02:42 GMT

Although many environmental experts praised the efforts of first responders, they remained skeptical that no toxic substances had been released.

Cooling system at chemical tanks likely failed, forcing mass O.C. evacuations, fire officials say

Hannah Fry — Tue, 26 May 2026 21:03:37 GMT

The crisis at a Garden Grove aerospace firm that required the evacuation of 50,000 people was likely caused by the failure of a cooling system designed to regulate the temperature of the chemical tanks, officials told The Times.

The next few hours critical in battle to prevent O.C. chemical explosion

Rong-Gong Lin II, Hailey Branson-Potts, Deborah Netburn, Summer Lin — Mon, 25 May 2026 03:40:49 GMT

Days after mass evacuations were ordered in Orange County, the next few hours could be crucial in dealing with a volatile chemical tank at a Garden Grove aerospace company that has threatened to either explode or cause a major spill.

With conditions worsening, how will the Orange County chemical crisis get resolved?

Rong-Gong Lin II, Emily St. Martin — Sat, 23 May 2026 23:34:16 GMT

The battle to keep a highly toxic chemical from exploding took a step backward Saturday.

What we know about GKN Aerospace, the firm at center of O.C. chemical leak

Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin II — Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The chemical leak that triggered evacuations across a swath of Orange County on Friday is located at GKN Aerospace, a manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom.

Why is Orange County chemical tank crisis so hard to fix?

Rong-Gong Lin II, Hannah Fry — Sat, 23 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Evacuation orders have been issued in portions of the cities of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Stanton and Westminster.

A night of fear, confusion as thousands flee their homes in O.C. amid chemical crisis

Eric Licas, Hailey Branson Potts, Allen J. Schaben — Sat, 23 May 2026 05:05:47 GMT

It was a night of anxiety and questions as people across a wide swath of central Orange County fled their homes due to the risk of a chemical explosion at a Garden Grove aerospace firm.

Officials say a chemical explosion in Orange County could be catastrophic. Here's why.

Rong-Gong Lin II, Hailey Branson-Potts, Salvador Hernandez, Tony Briscoe — Fri, 22 May 2026 23:55:41 GMT

An "unprecedented" situation was taking hold in Orange County on Friday, as a chemical tank was at risk of spewing a highly toxic chemical that can cause severe respiratory distress and hospitalization, officials said.

Garden Grove chemical leak: Evacuations, closures, shelters

Salvador Hernandez, Rong-Gong Lin II, Clara Harter — Fri, 22 May 2026 21:50:51 GMT

A failing tank in Garden Grove holding toxic chemicals has prompted major evacuations. Here's what you need to know.

Thousands evacuated around leaking Orange County chemical tank: 'It fails, or it blows up'

Salvador Hernandez, Clara Harter, Tony Briscoe, Rong-Gong Lin II — Fri, 22 May 2026 01:58:47 GMT

Residents and several businesses in Garden Grove were evacuated as toxic chemicals spewed into the air from a leaking storage tank at an aerospace company.

Bloody attack amid huge crowd of minors on e-bikes in O.C. 'Out of nowhere,' man says

Salvador Hernandez — Tue, 12 May 2026 23:08:20 GMT

Sam El-Said said he was hit in the face with a glass bottle thrown by someone in the crowd of young e-bike riders and was kicked and stomped on by multiple people.

Amazon halts high-speed e-bike sales in California after fatal crashes

Rebecca Ellis — Sun, 10 May 2026 23:21:26 GMT

Orange County's prosecutor says Amazon agreed to stop California sales of e-bikes that can go faster than state speed limits after a series of fatal collisions.

Teen dies after losing control of electric motorcycle in Garden Grove

Clara Harter — Sat, 9 May 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The Santa Ana teen was traveling at around 35 mph on a black E Ride Pro electric motorcycle when he struck the median and lost control of the vehicle, according to authorities.

Immigration crackdown souring Orange County's view of Trump, poll finds

Hannah Fry — Wed, 6 May 2026 20:34:47 GMT

Six in 10 residents disapprove of President Trump's hard-line immigration actions, according to the survey, a stark contrast to the county's historical stance on the issue.

John Seymour, Anaheim mayor and U.S. senator, dies at 88

Gustavo Arellano — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Republican John Seymour, a former Anaheim mayor and state and U.S. senator, died April 18 at his home in Carlsbad. He was 88.

Orange County's Carbon fire now 71% contained; evacuation warnings lifted

Lila Seidman — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:21:18 GMT

A fire burning in unincorporated Brea was halted at about 200 acres and was 71% contained as of Sunday evening.

Una adolescente fue asesinada en un tiroteo en Santa Ana. ¿Podría una recompensa ayudar a encontrar a su asesino?

Gabriel San Román — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 18:19:30 GMT

La recompensa en el caso de Victoria Barrios es una de las muchas que se ofrecen en todo el estado por asesinatos sin resolver en los que se han agotado todas las pistas de investigación.

A teenager was slain in a Santa Ana drive-by. Could a reward help find her killer?

Gabriel San Román — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The reward in the Victoria Barrios case is one of a number offered throughout the state for unsolved murders that have exhausted investigative leads.

O.C. deputies shoot man who had brandished gun at his ex's new boyfriend, authorities say

Gabriel San Román — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:29:43 GMT

A man is in critical condition after Orange County sheriff's deputies opened fire and struck him several times early Friday morning in Lake Forest, authorities said.

California woman registered her dog to vote, cast ballots in the pooch's name, prosecutors say

Andrew J. Campa — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:20:38 GMT

Costa Mesa resident Laura Lee Yourex, who bragged on social media about registering her dog to vote and subsequently cast ballots in the animal's name, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

Kidnapping and assault case plays out across Orange County. Suspect arrested, victim found safe

Cierra Morgan — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:16:58 GMT

A kidnapping and assault case began in Anaheim and ended with an arrest in Newport Beach, according to police.

He stole Lego pieces, put dried pasta in the box, police say. Shake it, they 'make the same sound'

Howard Blume — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:34:04 GMT

Irvine police track a Lego theft suspect to Paramount. Detectives say he bought Lego sets, replaced pieces with dried pasta and then collected refunds.

Teen on electric motorcycle hits 81-year-old, leaves him fighting for his life, authorities say

Clara Harter — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:21:57 GMT

An 81-year-old man is in critical condition after he was hit by a 14-year-old boy on an electric motorcycle near an Orange County high school, authorities said.

Shaikin: If the Padres can sell for $3.9 billion, are we closer to an Angels sale?

Bill Shaikin — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:58:08 GMT

Padres are reportedly about to be sold for $3.9 billion. What implications does this have for the Angels, and would it move owner Arte Moreno to sell the team?

Former Trump lawyer John Eastman disbarred for trying to overturn 2020 election

Andrew J. Campa — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:14:44 GMT

The California Supreme Court ordered attorney and former law school dean John Eastman disbarred Wednesday for his role aiding the Trump administration's attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Former O.C. cop used database to track woman, contacted her thousands of times, prosecutors say

Summer Lin — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:17:59 GMT

Robert Jay Josett pleaded guilty to unauthorized computer access and fraud, annoying and repeated phone calls and contempt of court for violating a restraining order.

Former SoCal school board trustee messaged teen boys, called them 'sexy,' prosecutors say

Nicole Macias Garibay — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:10:11 GMT

Christopher Gerard Becerra, 42, faces felony charges accusing him of soliciting photos from two minors and trying to induce false testimony from an employee.

Arellano: Huntington Beach MAGAs want to take their revolution to Sacramento

Gustavo Arellano — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

If there's one thing I've learned while tracking H.B.'s ever-aggrieved conservatives for a quarter century, it's to never underestimate them — the more you do, the more they scheme.

8-foot great white circles Newport surfer. Get ready for a 'very sharky summer,' expert says

Clara Harter — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:17:49 GMT

With unseasonably warm weather and the start of an El Niño cycle, Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe predicts this sighting is just the start of a 'very sharky summer.'

Near miss at O.C. airport as helicopter crosses United jet's path. 'Not good,' controller says

Fedor Zarkhin, Terry Castleman — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:33:35 GMT

The close call occurred as a United jet flying out of San Francisco was approaching John Wayne Airport and a Sikorsky helicopter 'crossed in front of United's flight path,' the FAA said.

Shaikin: What is the Angels' future in Orange County? In Anaheim, uneasy lies the halo

Bill Shaikin — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:37:04 GMT

In the coming months, the city of Anaheim expects to release an assessment of what it would take to keep Angel Stadium up and running for years to come.

In Anaheim and Sacramento, a two-front challenge to the Angels' Los Angeles name

Bill Shaikin — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:06:18 GMT

Assemblyman Avelino Valencia has introduced state legislation that could require any sale or new lease of the stadium property be conditioned upon the team reverting to the Anaheim Angels name.

Convicted murderer in college rearrested after cutting GPS monitor, fleeing class, officials say

Cierra Morgan — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:12:45 GMT

A 22-year-old man convicted of murder cut his ankle monitor and fled from classes he was taking at an Orange County community college. He was arrested shortly afterward.

Rare death by rattlesnake bite in Orange County highlights hidden danger on SoCal trails

Cierra Morgan — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:20:42 GMT

The death comes as rattlesnakes are beginning to appear on trails across Orange County earlier in the season, according to outdoor enthusiasts and animal control officials.

Seven Disneyland employees taken to hospital in hazmat situation at theme park

Hannah Fry — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:06:27 GMT

Seven Disneyland employees were treated at hospitals Tuesday after an odor in a backstage area at the park caused them to become dizzy and short of breath.

Orange County sheriff's deputy shot fiancée nine times, prosecutors say

Summer Lin — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:03:50 GMT

An Orange County Sheriff's deputy was charged with voluntary manslaughter after allegedly shooting and killing her fiancée in their Tustin apartment, according to authorities.