SPECIAL SERIES: Westside Wellness | February (pages 6-7)
NEWS
Century City/ Westwood
CenturyCity-WestwoodNews.com
Feb. 7 – Feb. 20, 2020
Local Official Arrested for Throwing Explosives WEST LA-SAWTELLE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEMBER ARRESTED IN MOLOTOV COCKTAIL INCIDENT
BY SAM CATANZARO
A man arrested last weekend for throwing Molotov cocktails out of his car in Santa Monica is a member of a city-sanctioned neighborhood council serving the West LA-Sawtelle area, officials have confirmed. Korie Schmidt, a Santa Monica resident, faces criminal charges after the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) arrested the 31-year-old man last month for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails out of his car. According to SMPD Lieutenant Candice Cobarrubias, on January 19 around 3 p.m. `throwing what was described as Molotov cocktails onto the streets in the area of both Santa Monica Boulevard and Pico Boulevard.
Photo: Santa Monica Problems
Police activity on Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica.
“It should be noted that we had been receiving calls about this same subject and vehicle over the course of the weekend,” Cobarrubias said. On Sunday, SMPD officers spotted a car matching the description in the area of
Centinela Avenue and Pico Boulevard. A traffic stop was conducted and evidence was found inside the vehicle that tied the subject and the vehicle to the suspect who was seen throwing Molotov cocktails, according Photo: Santa Monica to Cobarrubias. Police Department “As a precaution, Korie Schmidt as it was unknown what else may be in [the] disheveled car, LASD Bomb Squad was notified and is responding to render the vehicle safe,” Cobarrubias said. SMPD police arrested Schmidt on a $500,000 bond and on Wednesday, January 22, SMPD Arson Investigators presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s (DA) Target Crimes Division. According to the SMPD, the DA filed against Schmidt seven counts of Possession of a Destructive Device, one count of Possessing Destructive Device Materials and
two counts of Possession of Explosive Device with Intent to Destroy Property. According to Eric Nakamura, Vice-Chair of the West Los Angeles-Sawtelle Neighborhood Council (WLASNC), Schmidt is currently a member of the City of Los Angeles-sanctioned body of elected officials. WLANC Chair Jamie Keeton, said the council has no further comment on the matter. Schmidt, who is listed as the WLASNC Secretary and Small Business Representative, is serving an elected two-year term set to end in 2021. In addition, Schmidt applied to fill a vacancy on Santa Monica City Council in January 2019 after Santa Monica City Councilmember Tony Vazquez vacated his seat. “I am a leader in that I know when to lead, and know when to follow. I also know when to stand up when it is right,” reads Schmidt’s application. “I want to help create the foundation for new systems that will bridge the gap in the cycle of transience to homelessness to producing income.” In addition, Schmidt’s’ application stated that he is “known to some as ‘Sir Innovate’”
11 Injured, 1 Dead in West LA High-Rise Fire 25-STORY BUILDING CATCHES FIRE
BY SAM CATANZARO A 19-year-old man is among 11 victims of a fire that broke out in a West Los Angeles highrise apartment complex last week, the second time the sprinkler-less building had caught fire in the past decade. According to the Los Angeles coroner, 19-year-old Jeremy Bru died Friday evening at a hospital from smoke inhalation and burns. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the fire was reported at 8:37 a.m. on the 7th floor of a 25-story residential high-rise complex know as Barrington Plaza located at 11740 Wilshire Boulevard. “We were met by residents that were literally hanging out of windows,” said LAFD Public Information Officer Captain Erik Scott during a media briefing. A total of 335 LAFD personnel responded by ground and air, and were assisted by the nearby Santa Monica Fire Department, LAPD Los Angeles Police Department and allied agencies in successfully managing the incident. According to the LAFD, 15 residents were hoisted off the roof by helicopter. Two firefighters sustained injuries battling the fire. According to Scott, they suffered
Photo: Citizen App
Photo: Citizen App
A 25-story high rise near Brentwood on fire Wednesday.
A man clings to the side of the burning high rise .
minor burns and were treated and transported to a local hospital. “That’s due to the intense flames they had to deal with. These firefighters were literally driven to their bellies halfway through that hallway,” Scott said. The LAFD treated 11 civilian patients. Seven were transported to a local hospital while four were treated and released on the scene. “The two most serious patients were 30-yearold males. One of which was gravely injured and we had to perform CPR,” Scott said. According to Scott, the other most serious was another 30-year-old male that was in critical condition. “[he was] hanging out of the window, on the ledge due to the intense heat inside of that
building unit of which our firefighters were able to bring that aerial ladder to and rescue. Our understanding is that was the critical patient,” Scott said. The wind-driven fire was extinguished one hour and 19 minutes after it was first reported. There were eight civilian patients, most suffering from smoke exposure. Six were transported to a local hospital, including one person who was in
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grave condition, according to the LAFD. According to the LAFD, high rises in the City of Los Angeles are inspected annually. Barrington Plaza was last inspected in June 2019 and was up to code, says Scott. The 25-story building had no sprinklers, even though the same building burned almost seven years ago. According to Scott, Barrington Plaza is one of 55 non-sprinkler-ed high-rises in LA. All of these were built prior to 1974 and therefore the LAFD says they are not required to have sprinklers. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. “Arson investigators are still working very closely with the LAPD to determine the cause,” Scott said. According to LAPD Captain Goddard, there is no link to a separate fire that broke out at a modern sealed high rise office building on the northwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard earlier Wednesday morning. According to Goddard, that fire, which was extinguished in 40 minutes, was started by a welding accident.
Samuel Moses, CPA 100 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
310.395.9922