Police are searching for two men in their mid-20s who allegedly shouted anti-gay slurs and threatened a UCLA student with a knife near the campus early Friday morning, authorities said.

The victim was walking south in the 400 block of Gayley Avenue when a dark-colored four-door sedan pulled up in front of the victim about 1:30 a.m., according to a statement by the UCLA Police Department.

The two suspects exited the vehicle, approached the victim, threatened the individual with a knife and shouted anti-gay slurs, according to the statement.

The two suspects then fled south on Gayley.

One suspect is described as a white male who is about 5-foot-9 and weighs between 160 and 170 pounds. Authorities believe he is between the ages of 26 and 27, has a shaved head and was wearing a grey hoodie and blue jeans at the time of the incident.

The other suspect was described as a male Latino, between 26 and 27 years old, weighs about 300 pounds and has long “slicked-back” hair. Authorities believe he was wearing baggy clothing.

The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

Anyone with information is asked to call the UCLA Police Department at (310) 825-1491.

Compton man arrested on suspicion of arson

Kardashians may be victims of 'swatting,' sheriff says

Man suspected of shooting mother is wounded by Montebello police

-- Nicole Santa Cruz

A 23-year-old Glendale man was arrested after firing a single gunshot into the air in Old Town Pasadena shortly after midnight Friday, police said.

Paul Engle allegedly fired a shot into the air near South Fair Oaks Avenue and West Colorado Boulevard at 12:20 a.m., said Lt. Diego Torres of the Pasadena Police Department.

No one was injured. It was unclear why Engle fired the shot, Torres said.

Police later arrested Engle at his home in Glendale. He was booked on suspicion of reckless discharge of a firearm and is being held on $250,000 bail.

Compton man arrested on suspicion of arson

Kardashians may be victims of 'swatting,' sheriff says

Man suspected of shooting mother is wounded by Montebello police

-- Nicole Santa Cruz

Residents across Los Angeles County are observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President Obama’s inauguration with more than just one day of service.

The federal holiday honoring King is usually accompanied by a day of community service, though volunteers have been gathering clothes and shoes at schools, houses of worship and businesses for more than a week. They sorted them into bundles Saturday at the Big Sunday offices on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.

Big Sunday, an amalgamation of volunteers and nonprofit organizations, will deliver the bundles to local shelters, including West Side Homeless Outreach, MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) and Bienvenidos, which provides family services throughout Los Angeles, officials said.

“We believe that people need help year-round and people can help year-round,” said Rachel Schwartz, Big Sunday’s spokeswoman.

“It’s not just about one day of the year, but whatever people can do is great. The thought is: When everyone helps, everyone wins,” she said.

The city of Long Beach launched its days of service Saturday by having the normal monthly cleanup for the California Heights Neighborhood designated as one of Monday’s service events.

Other National Day of Service activities in Long Beach will include community tree planting along the Wrigley Green Belt Park, cleanups along the Long Beach Boulevard Corridor and nature trail cleanup to help restore the DeForest Park Nature Trails in North Long Beach.

Downtown Long Beach will also get a scrub-down, purging tree wells of trash, weeds and debris along 7th Street.

Compton man arrested on suspicion of arson

Kardashians may be victims of 'swatting,' sheriff says

Man suspected of shooting mother is wounded by Montebello police

-- Dalina Castellanos

A 49-year-old Costa Mesa woman was arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly getting into a car accident, hitting the driver with her vehicle then fleeing the scene, authorities said.

The two vehicles were involved in a collision near West 19th Street and Meyer Place about 10:40 p.m., said Sgt. Byran Wadkins of the Costa Mesa Police Department.

One of the drivers, a 24-year-old man, pulled over and got out of his car to inspect the damage, Wadkins said. He was then hit by the second driver who used her vehicle to pin him between the two cars, Wadkins said.

The suspect, identified as Vilma Velasquez, 49, fled the scene, Wadkins said.

An officer nearby happened to catch the vehicle fleeing on his dashboard camera, Wadkins said. After an investigation, police were able to locate the suspect at her apartment in the 900 block of West 19th Street, where she was arrested about 1:25 a.m., he said.

The victim suffered severe trauma to his legs and was transported to a local hospital but is expected to survive, Wadkins said.

Velasquez was booked on suspicion of felony DUI and felony hit-and-run. She is being held on $100,000 bail at the Orange County jail.

ALSO:

California reporting widespread flu illnesses

Manti Te'o hoax: Uncle says linebacker manipulated by 'liar'

Mark Yudof to step down as president of UC system in August

--Nicole Santa Cruz

Authorities on Saturday said they were investigating whether the Kardashian family is the latest victim of a celebrity "swatting" incident, in which a crank caller alleges violence is occurring at a star's home.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a crank call Friday at the Malibu home where the Kardashian family lives.

There was no one home when deputies arrived, but they were able to eventually confirm that the family was fine and at different location, officials said.

Kardashian family members tweeted that numerous sheriff's patrol cars converged on the Malibu home.

The exact nature of the phone call to authorities was not revealed.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said authorities were trying to determine whether this was another "swatting" incident. Other celebrities have been victimized by such hoaxes, including Tom Cruise and Ashton Kutcher.

ALSO:

California reporting widespread flu illnesses

Manti Te'o hoax: Uncle says linebacker manipulated by 'liar'

Mark Yudof to step down as president of UC system in August

-- Andrew Blankstein

A 37-year-old Compton man was arrested after allegedly setting fires to an Inglewood hotel room, scaling the complex’s balconies and threatening to kill himself, authorities said.

Officers responded to a call of suspicious circumstances at a Motel 6 off Century Boulevard about 10 p.m. Friday, said Lt. Neal Cochran of the Inglewood Police Department.

The suspect, identified as Danny Harley, would not respond to officer’s requests to open the door, and had set five small fires in the motel room, authorities said. Harley then went outside onto the balcony of the room and began climbing down the side of the complex, from the seventh to the second floor “like Spider-Man,” Cochran said.

At one point, the suspect, who was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, brandished a knife and threatened to kill himself, Cochran said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department placed a ladder near the second floor, and the suspect made his way to the ground. The suspect was taken into custody about 12:15 a.m.

Harley was arrested on suspicion of arson and is being held in a hospital psychiatric ward.

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Plaschke: Manti Te'o hoax never should have gotten this far

Natalie Wood death probe found new evidence, sources say

Son of 'Barney' co-creator arrested on attempted murder charge

-- Nicole Santa Cruz

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was investigating an incident in which Montebello police shot and wounded a 24-year-old man suspected of shooting his mother Friday, officials said Saturday.

The suspect was shot by police while wielding a shotgun at a Catholic school in the 800 block of North Garfield Avenue, said Sheriff's Dep. Don Walker. Sheriff's homicide detectives are assisting Montebello police in the investigation. 

Officers were responding to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon about 3 p.m. Friday. When officers arrived, they discovered a woman who had been shot and wounded in the upper torso by her son, Walker said.

The suspect had fled the scene, but authorities later spotted him getting into a vehicle driven by another man, Walker said.

The driver led authorities on a short pursuit that ended in front of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church School, officials said.

The suspect exited the vehicle with a shotgun, which prompted officers to fire, Walker said. He then ran onto school grounds, where the shooting continued.

School was not in session when the shooting occurred, but some students and teachers in an after-school program were gathered in the school’s auditorium, Walker said.

The woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition. The suspect was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Walker said. Neither mother nor son was identified. The shotgun was recovered at the scene.

The suspect driver fled the scene and has not been located, Walker said.

ALSO:

Pedestrian killed by freight train in Oceanside

Winter heat: Temperatures to top 80; high surf at beaches

Amid serious flu season, should nurses be required to get shots?

-- Dalina Castellanos

Public health officials warned Friday that the flu virus wreaking havoc elsewhere in the nation has finally arrived in California, causing widespread hospitalizations across the state.

The increase in illnesses so early could signal a worse flu season than in years past, and medical experts are urging everyone to take precautions by getting a flu shot.

But Times health writer Anna Gorman reports that only about 60% of doctors, nurses and other medical workers get the shot each year, according to a report by the California Department of Public Health. And hospital administrators are grappling with whether to compel them.

State and federal health officials said that it's important for healthcare workers to get immunized because their jobs put them in a position to spread the virus to large numbers of patients. Moreover, hospitals need them to stay well during the busy flu season.

“The flu is particularly severe, particularly deadly among folks that have underlying conditions, and these are the very folks you find in hospitals,” said Gil Chavez, deputy director of the center for infectious diseases for the California Department of Public Health.

After a long cold snap, Southern California will continue to warm up this weekend, with highs topping 80 degrees.

According to the National Weather Service, the warm-up will extend into next week.

Lows will be in the 40s and 50s, while the highs will near 80 Saturday and in the high 70s on Sunday.

Officials warned of high surf -- topping 20 feet on the Central Coast and 8 feet along L.A. County coasts -- and rip currents at local beaches through Monday.

--Shelby Grad

Graphic: NWS

Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o strongly denied he had any role in an elaborate hoax involving a girlfriend Te'o later learned did not exist, blaming instead a Palmdale man for the entire incident.

"I wasn't faking it. I wasn't part of this." he told ESPN.

In the interview, Te'o identifed the alleged hoaxer as Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. He said Tuiasosopo and two other people perpetrated the scam. Tuiasosopo, he added, called him this week to apologize.

"Two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing," he said.

A deadspin.com report Wednesday linked the Palmdale man to the hoax that fooled media outlets across the nation. The man allegedly was involved in creating a Twitter account for a fictitious woman and linking her with the Heisman Trophy runner-up, who spoke repeatedly to the media about her, her illness and death.

"I hope he learns," Te'o told ESPN, referring to Tuiasosopo. "I hope he understands what he's done. I don't wish an ill thing to somebody. I just hope he learns. I think embarrassment is big enough."

The player's uncle, Alema Te’o, told Salt Lake City radio station KZNS-AM that his nephew wasn't in on the hoax.

The alleged hoaxer "is a liar, he concocted the whole thing, he misrepresented whatever program that he was trying to get across to Manti, and shoot, he lied every step of the way," he told the station.

The woman whose photo was used as part of the hoax lives in the South Bay. The Times tried unsuccessfully to reach her Thursday, but the TV show "Inside Edition" spoke to her briefly.

"Right now, I'm not making any comment," she told the show. "So go and contact my legal attorneys and they will help you out."

The extent of her connection to the hoax -- and whether she was a participant or someone was using her photo -- remains unclear. She was not at her workplace Thursday when The Times visited there.