October 22, 2021 Hews Media Group-Community News eNewspaper

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HEWS MEDIA GROUP

"Contempt is the weapon of the weak - and a defense against one's own despised and unwanted feelings." - Alice Miller

Winner of Fourteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2018. Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities • October 22, 2021 • Vol. 35, No. 52 • loscerritosnews.net

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes in Los Angeles County Increased by 76% in 2020 The L.A. County Commission on Human Relations' special report collected data from the L.A. County Sheriffs.

1st CEB, Jim Edwards Memorial Golf Tournament THE EVENT raised over $17,000 and will be used to provide Welcome Home Bags, Deployment Bags, and Baby Bags, as well as funds for the Marines to use for activities and events at Camp Pendleton.

Through Hardship Emerges Achievement BY VALERIE MARTINEZ In the span of two years, California High School senior Elizabeth “Lizzie” Guzman lost both of her parents as her mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer and her father was inElizabeth Guzman carcerated. With help from her maternal grandparents and aunt – who became her caretakers – Guzman found the moti-

vation to work through her grief and excel in school, becoming a star student at Cal High. “I reached a point sophomore year where I wanted to give up and almost did,” Guzman said. “But my family helped me push myself so that I could do something with my life.” After moving to her new home, Guzman was faced with the decision of changing schools or staying at California High School. Ultimately, she requested to remain a part of the Cal High family, where she has

See ACHIEVE page 12

Commerce Renews Successful Prevention and Intervention Program BY TAMMYE MCDUFF Since 1987, Commerce has used the Prevention and Intervention Program [PIP] which has been an important factor in the deterrence of delinquent activity throughout the City of Commerce. The program has been instrumental in undermining gang activity in the community that poses a danger to Commerce residents. A PIP Officer is assigned from East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Social Services personnel from Los Angeles, forming a collaborative network of people

and agencies that expedite the response to potential volatile situations. When appropriate, the assigned officer has temporarily removed delinquent youth from the community, and exercised authority as a Court Agent. The contract allows the Officer to monitor adults who are on probation. This program serves to assist in reducing incidents of truancy, delinquency and other serious behavioral problems and has statutory authority pursuant of the Penal Code to intervene and provide certain expertise and re-

See PROGRAM page 12

Human Remains Found In Cerritos BY BRIAN HEWS This past Tuesday, human remains were found on the Bloomfield Avenue westbound on-ramp to the 91 freeway. The body was in a state of decomposition, and detectives were called at 7:38 p.m. to the area where they found the remains, said Deputy Miguel Meza of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. But the human remains were found on property belonging to the State of California so

See REMAINS page 12

Anti-Asian hate crimes in Los Angeles County increased by 76% in 2020 compared to 2019 — from 25 to 44, the largest number of such crimes reported since 2001, according to a county report released Wednesday. The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations' special report collected data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, more than 40 city police departments, dozens of police agencies at schools, colleges, universities and trained community-based organizations. Since 1980, the LACCHR has collected hate-crime data and issued an annual Hate Crime Report, encompassing all reported hate crimes in the county. This year's is scheduled to be released next month — with Wednesday's special report on anti-Asian hate crimes one element of that wider survey. Among the significant findings: Specific Asian nationalities and ethnicities were the targets

of hate. Most slurs were antiChinese, but anti-Japanese and anti-Asian Indian hate crimes also occurred. Among the victims were people of Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Guatemalan ethnicity. In 10 of the anti-Asian hate crimes (23%), the suspects explicitly blamed the victims for COVID-19. The median age of victims increased from 30 to 41 from year to year. Half of the victims were over 40, including two seniors. In 2019, there were no victims of hate crimes over 40. The rate of hate crimes that were violent was 76% in 2019 and 77% in 2020 — significantly higher compared to prior years. It was 58% in 2018. There was a tripling in the number of female victims of anti-Asian hate crime compared to the previous year, rising to nearly half of all victims. In cases in which the race of the suspect was known, whites comprised 42% of anti-Asian hate crime suspects, followed by Latino/a (36%) suspects and African American (19%) suspects. "This last finding is particularly important," said Robin Toma, the LACCHR's executive director. "Contrary to impressions

See VIOLENCE page 12

RAISING FUNDS TO FIGHT POLIO RIDE ON: La Mirada Rotarian Paul Milward rides in an Arizona event November 20 in honor of his father Charles Milward, who suffered from childhood polio. Diego DeLama will be riding too. See page 2.


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