An arsonist set a fire that blackened the walls of an Escondido mosque early Sunday and left a note on the house of worship’s driveway referencing a shooting rampage at two New Zealand mosques that left dozens dead, investigators said.

There were seven people inside the Islamic Center of Escondido...

Larry Cohen, the maverick B-movie director of cult horror films such as “It's Alive” and “God Told Me To,” has died. He was 77.

Cohen's friend and spokesman, the actor Shade Rupe, said Cohen passed away Saturday in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones.

Cohen's films were schlocky, low-budget works...

Of the many outrageous allegations revealed by federal prosecutors in the college cheating scandal, one stands out.

Someone paid $6.5 million to get his or her children into elite schools. But the identity of that parent — and details about which schools were involved — remains a mystery nearly...

A shallow magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Saturday evening three miles from Mesa Grande, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 10:41 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 6.8 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 14 miles from Ramona, Calif., and 19...

A shallow magnitude 4.3 earthquake was reported Sunday morning 41 miles from Capetown, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 4:32 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 53 miles from Fortuna, Calif., 58 miles from Eureka,...

A shallow magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon one mile from Gilman Hot Springs in Riverside County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake occurred at 3:11 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 6.2 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was three miles from San Jacinto,...

A shallow magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday morning off the Northern California coast, six miles from Petrolia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 11:20 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 9.9 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 21 miles from Fortuna,...

The salty marine air was coming off the bay as we crossed the grounds of San Quentin State Prison just before midnight and entered the building that houses the death chamber.

It was December 2005, and I was about to witness an execution. Stanley “Tookie” Williams, one of the early leaders of L.A.’s...

The college admissions bribery case has left people fuming.

Stories of wealthy, well-connected parents allegedly paying large bribes to buy their kids seats in top-tier universities or high scores on college admission exams have stoked disgust and angry calls for the accused to be punished.

But...

On the mantel in a South Los Angeles home, the lovingly arranged keepsakes reflect a family’s pride.

Damion Lester Jr. smiles broadly in his senior class portrait, decked out in the blue cap and gown of nearby George Washington Preparatory High School. His certificate of high honors for his A grades...

Millions of disaster victims — including thousands of those hit by California wildfires — had personally identifiable information put in jeopardy when they applied for housing relief with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, authorities said Friday.

The federal Office of Inspector General said...

Heather Repenning officially won the right Friday to face front-runner Jackie Goldberg in a May runoff for a pivotal seat on the Los Angeles Board of Education.

Repenning made it on the ballot after finishing 31 votes over Graciela Ortiz, county officials announced.

Ortiz has the right to challenge...

It was one of the biggest scandals ever to hit Hollywood: a private investigator using wiretaps to secretly gather the secrets of celebrities and entertainment titans.

The case of Anthony Pellicano, “private eye to the stars,” captivated Hollywood for years and brought down some big names.

Now...

The next move in the college admissions scandal will unfold in a Boston federal courtroom April 3, when Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin and other defendants are set to appear in court.

Federal prosecutors announced that the actresses as well as Loughlin’s husband, fashion designer J. Mossimo Giannulli,...

A shallow magnitude-3.1 earthquake was reported Friday morning four miles from Littlerock, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 8:15 a.m. PDT at a depth of 3.7 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was seven miles from Sun Village and 10 miles from Palmdale.

By February, the snow made many neighborhoods here feel subterranean.

Twenty-foot walls of white, corniced by the wind, leaned over the plowed roads. Residents worked feverishly to keep the snow from swallowing their homes. They dug tunnels and narrow passageways to the street, opened portals to...

I get it, Devin Nunes.

Your feelings are hurt.

You don’t like being called names, or being told that you belong in prison.

But when a person has a public profile — even a teensy one like mine — attacks will follow. Vilification comes with the territory. (As does praise, but whatever.)

Criticism,...

It was late September, and the Dodgers’ season was slipping away.

For Ransom “Randy” Jackson, it had been a disappointing year. He was brought in to take over for the aging Jackie Robinson, but injuries had kept him on the bench for much of the 1957 season.

Called to the plate in Philadelphia,...

Can Southern Californians have good things?

We might find out this weekend when officials impose new rules meant to control rampant crowds going to see this year’s epic super bloom of wildflowers in Lake Elsinore.

Officials said several detours and road closures will be in place this weekend to...

Some of the parents charged in the colleges admissions scandal have a tough choice to make in the coming weeks: Do they fight the charges against them or agree to cooperate with federal authorities?

Legal experts say cutting a deal makes sense for some defendants because of the overwhelming evidence...

The Trump administration's reliance on industry-funded environmental specialists is again coming under fire, this time by researchers who say that Louis Anthony “Tony” Cox Jr., who leads a key Environmental Protection Agency advisory board on air pollution, is a “fringe” scientist and ideologue...

With their parents now facing criminal charges, the children at the center of the college cheating scandal face an uncertain future.

It remains unclear how much the children knew about the alleged fraud committed by their parents to get them into college. And that could play a role in what happens...

Intense bursts of rainfall and hail closed the 710 Freeway at the 91 Freeway on Wednesday.

Street flooding was reported in the Compton and Long Beach areas due to the downpours. Several motorists found themselves trapped.

The freeway and connector roads were reopened about 5:45 p.m., but the California...