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November 22 – December 5, 2019
Source of Washed Up Needles Unknown LA County lifeguards, Public Health still investigating incident By S am C atanzaro Recently, a “large amount” of medical supplies, including 100 hypodermic needles, washed ashore on Venice Beach, forcing authorities to close part of the beach. Four days later, the source of the needles remains unknown. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 10, lifeguards observed a large amount of medical supplies along the shoreline south of the Venice Beach Pier and cordoned off the area for several hours. The materials were reported to have included over 100 hypodermic needles and lancets, tools used to prick the skin for collecting blood samples. There have been no reported injuries related to medical supplies.
The source of the needles and medical supplies is not currently known as the incident remains under investigation. The incident has some Venice Beach residents surprised and worried “I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Mike Bonasede, a Venice resident, told NBC 4. “I’ve seen single needles here and there, probably from people on land. But my guess is somebody probably dumped that stuff, the way it was washed up there.” “It’s obviously very disturbing, you know. Hopefully, someone can figure out where it came from so it never happens
again,” added Michael Gaspark, another Venice resident. Yo! Venice has reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) and LA County Lifeguards. Public Health said that lifeguards contacted the LA County Fire Health Hazmat who along with the Department of Beaches and Harbors responded and performed the cleanup of the medical supplies. Public Health directed further questions regarding the source of the needles to LA County Lifeguards. LA County Lifeguards in a tweet said
Photos: LA County Lifeguards
Various medical supplies found on Venice Beach Sunday morning.
that authorities will continue to patrol the area by land and sea to monitor for any further materials but at the time of publishing have not responded with further information regarding the source of the needles.
Whole Foods Employee Killed by Truck on Lincoln Devasted family of Timoteo Martinez Ildefonso looking for help
Photo: Courtesy GoFundMe. LEFT – Timoteo Martinez Ildefonso and his children.
By Sam Catanzaro Three days before his 44th birthday, a man was killed by a pickup truck while crossing the street from his break at the Venice Whole Foods and now his devastated family is searching for answers. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Timoteo Martinez Ildefonso died Friday, November 15 crossing Lincoln Boulevard after being hit by a pickup truck making a left turn around 9:30 p.m. Ildefonso was on his way back to work. According to the LAPD, witnesses say the driver stopped and tried to talk to Ildefonso, who was apparently unaware he had been seriously injured
with a ruptured spleen, as he returned to work. “I just keep wondering if somebody called an ambulance right away, would he have been able to pull through,” Martha Eve Jimenez, Ildefonso’s wife, told ABC 7. “His head was bloody, and a
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coworker told me he brought him ice and a supervisor said, ‘Well, OK, drive him home.'” Jimenez went onto say she is unsure why the driver, coworkers or her husband did not call the police or an ambulance following the accident.
According to the LAPD, the case is not considered a hit and run since the driver of the pickup truck, which witnesses say is red, stopped after hitting Ildefonso. Law enforcement is still trying to track down the driver. A GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/ help-mom-kids-who-lost-their-dad-in-hit-andrun) has been set up to assist Ildefonso’s family with funeral and living expenses. In addition to leaving behind his beloved wife Jimenez, Ildefonso also leaves behind three kids ages 7, 9 and 12. “His family is devastated and in need of financial assistance. The funds will cover funeral expenses and the family’s living expenses without Timoteo’s income,” reads the description for the fundraiser which has raised $26,505 out of its $50,000 goal at the time of publishing. “Eve [Jimenez] is overwhelmed with gratitude to every single person who has donated to help her family.”
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