Category: California
California Thieves Smash Through Wall, Steal $180K in Pokémon Cards as Crime Crisis Spirals
Organized retail criminals target collectible shop in latest brazen heist highlighting state’s failed progressive policies
California Thieves Smash Through Wall, Steal $180K in Pokémon Cards as Crime Crisis Spirals
Organized retail criminals target collectible shop in latest brazen heist highlighting state’s failed progressive policies
Another secret Chinese biolab found on US soil?
Following the discovery that Chinese communist agents were coordinating intimidation, espionage, and coercion campaigns out of illegal police stations in the United States, officials found something potentially more threatening in Reedley, California: a Chinese biolab containing deadly pathogens including Ebola.
The secret Chinese lab apparently was not one of a kind.
‘These items, importantly, were consistent in appearance to the items found and described in the Reedley, California, lab investigation.’
SWAT officers with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department raided a home in the city’s northeast end on Jan. 31, discovering a suspected illegal biolab apparently linked to the Chinese national who owned the Reedley site.
Footage shows local and federal agents massing outside a Sugar Springs Drive residence near Washington Avenue and Hollywood early Saturday morning while drones patrolled overhead.
A tactical robot dog explored the interior and conducted air sampling before members of the LVMPD’s All-Hazard Regional Multi-agency Operations and Response team made entry.
The main house was home to three renters who were safely removed and are apparently not targets of the investigation. The locked garage was home to “refrigerators, a freezer, laboratory-type equipment, and numerous containers holding unknown liquid substances,” according to police.
The apparent biological materials, which were carefully collected over the course of the weekend along with other evidence, were initially transported to a Southern Nevada Health District facility for safe storage, then taken to an FBI lab for testing.
LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill indicated on Monday that “these items, importantly, were consistent in appearance to the items found and described in the Reedley, California, lab investigation.”
RELATED: How Americans can prepare for the worst — before it’s too late
Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images
McMahill noted further that “the home was owned by the same individual connected to a prior, illegal bio-lab investigation in Reedley, California, that occurred in 2023.”
That individual is Jia Bei Zhu.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party noted in its report on the Reedley biolab that the California lab operated under the direction and control of Zhu, a Chinese citizen associated with communist regime-linked companies as well with Chinese military-civil fusion entities.
‘This can’t keep happening.’
Zhu, a wanted fugitive from Canada, where he is the subject of a $330 million judgment for stealing American intellectual property, illegally entered the United States under the false identity of “David He,” said the report.
While unlawfully in the U.S., Zhu set up a network of companies and accumulated a vast supply of potential pathogens including including Ebola, COVID-19, HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, which he is accused of keeping and poorly storing at one or more unlicensed and unregistered labs.
In addition to thousands of samples of potentially dangerous diseases and hundreds of boxes of medical devices subject to a U.S. Food and Drug embargo, the Reedley lab was home to roughly 1,000 mice that were genetically engineered to mimic the human immune system.
One lab worker reportedly told local officials that the transgenic mice were altered “to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus.” Dead mice were apparently disposed of “without the use of a licensed medical waste hauler.”
According to the congressional report, the Reedley biolab received millions of dollars in unexplained payments from Chinese communist banks.
Zhu was arrested by federal agents on Oct. 19, 2023, and indicted the following month for allegedly distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits and making false statements to authorities about his identity. He was slapped with additional charges in 2024 for alleged conspiracy and wire fraud.
Zhaoyan Wang, Zhu’s supposed lover and business partner, was charged with helping facilitate the alleged fraud through Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech Inc. — biolabs she operated in Reedley and Fresno. Wang is also a Chinese national.
McMahill indicated that Zhu, who has a trial hearing scheduled for Feb. 23, remains in federal custody.
The LVMPD also arrested the property manager of the Vegas residence, 55-year-old Ori Solomon, on a charge of disposing and discharging hazardous waste. Solomon was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
On Saturday, the FBI searched a second Vegas home on Temple View Drive but found no threat at the location. The FBI also revisited the Reedley lab on Sunday, reported KFSN-TV.
Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) said in response to the latest lab discovery, “This can’t keep happening.”
“The federal government must do more to stop illegal labs from operating in our communities,” added Kiley.
Kiley and fellow California Reps. Jim Costa (D) and David Valadao (R) have called for a hearing on their Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025.
Editor’s note: The headline of this article has been edited after publication for clarity.
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California’s Bay Area Hammered By Over 30 Earthquakes, Strongest Recorded At 4.2
No injuries or significant structural damage has been reported from the earthquake activity
LAPD defies Newsom: Chief refuses to enforce mask ban on ICE
The Los Angeles Police Department says it will not enforce a new California law that restricts federal immigration agents from wearing face coverings, pushing back against a measure backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and aimed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department will not stop or cite federal agents for violating the state’s mask ban, citing safety concerns and the risk of escalating confrontations between law enforcement agencies.
‘It’s not a safe way to do business.’
“The reality of one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict over something that would be a misdemeanor at best or an infraction — it doesn’t make any sense.”
RELATED: Anti-ICE rioter’s deadly mistake: Woman allegedly tried to run over federal agents before she was fatally shot
Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The No Secret Police Act, signed by Newsom in September, prohibits most law enforcement officers, including federal agents, from wearing masks or facial coverings while carrying out official duties, with limited exceptions for undercover work or protective equipment. Supporters say the measure increases transparency and prevents the use of “secret police” tactics during immigration operations.
Federal officials and Republican leaders have sharply criticized the law, arguing it endangers agents by exposing their identities and unlawfully interferes with federal authority. The U.S. Department of Justice has challenged the law in court, saying it violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
McDonnell said the LAPD’s role is to maintain public safety, not to police federal officers engaged in immigration enforcement.
“You have the ICE agents who are doing their job. And for us to come in then and try and create an enforcement action for wearing a mask, it’s not a safe way to do business,” McDonnell said.
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Gun-toting homeowner fires at burglar who broke into California residence after midnight; teen suspect shot multiple times
A gun-toting Los Angeles homeowner shot at a burglar who broke into the residence early Tuesday morning.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting at the home in the 11600 block of Laurel Crest Drive in Studio City around 4 a.m., KNBC-TV reported, citing the Los Angeles Police Department.
‘Too bad owner didn’t hit more suspects.’
Police said the homeowner shot at one of the burglary suspects, whom authorities identified as a 16-year-old male, KNBC reported.
The two suspected burglars fled the scene in a Black Chevy Traverse, the station said.
Police said the driver of a car matching the description of the suspected burglars’ getaway vehicle dropped off a 16-year-old at a hospital with gunshot wounds, KNBC noted.
The teen was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon, and his condition was stable, the station said, citing police.
None of the residents in the home were injured, and it was unknown if anything was taken, KNBC reported.
According to the station’s video report, the second suspect is still on the loose, there were no physical descriptions of either suspect, and video shows a shattered glass back door.
A number of commenters underneath KNBC’s Facebook post about the incident aired spirited reactions to it:
- “California will probably charge the homeowner on some ridiculous law, and the 16-year-old’s family will probably sue the homeowner and win,” one commenter noted.
- “If you’re old enough to commit a crime then you’re old enough to get shot,” another user said.
- “Good,” another commenter stated. “Too bad owner didn’t hit more suspects.”
- “Hopefully he learned his lesson [to] not break into people’s houses,” another user offered.
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Gavin Newsom’s ‘Self-Puffery’ Gets Him in Trouble With David Axelrod
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Video: Crooks plow car through jewelry store entrance in broad daylight smash-and-grab. But the suspects got sloppy.
Crooks crashed a car through a jewelry store entrance in a brazen, broad-daylight smash-and-grab heist caught on surveillance and cellphone video Friday afternoon in Southern California.
The Anaheim Police Department said officers responded to Classic Jewelers on East Santa Ana Canyon Road around 2:30 p.m., KTLA-TV reported.
‘My life flashed before my eyes.’
Employees told police that multiple suspects intentionally rammed a dark-colored Nissan Rogue into the front of the business to gain entry and steal jewelry, the station said.
“Eight to 10 guys run in with masks, trash cans, and crowbars, hammers, and smash every showcase,” the store owner told KTTV-TV.
The owner added to KABC-TV that he told the crooks “‘I have a gun. Get out. I have a gun.”
Well, they allegedly took the gun, too.
“My gun was on the table. They grabbed my gun, and at that point I thought I was going to get shot,” the owner recalled to KTTV.
“My life flashed before my eyes,” he added to KTLA.
The store owner said the group got away with about $1 million in gold and jewelry, as well as his gun, KTLA noted.
“They took everything within a matter of a minute,” he recounted to KTTV. “This is our livelihood.’
The suspects then fled in two Dodge Charger sedans, police told KTLA, adding that the Nissan used to plow through the store’s entrance — which was stolen — was driven from the scene.
But one thing ultimately worked in the jewelry store’s favor: An employee recorded cellphone video of the escaping vehicles — and their license plates were on the clip.
Subsequently, cops were on the lookout and soon caught up to the cars.
Police told KTLA one of the cars was involved in a multi-vehicle collision, and all four occupants — the driver and three passengers — fled but were soon located and arrested.
Then an Anaheim Police Department air unit located what was believed to be the second suspect vehicle — and that car also was involved in a multi-vehicle crash, police told KTLA. Immediately two males believed to be involved in the jewelry store heist were arrested, and a handgun was recovered at the scene, police added to the station.
Police found trays loaded with stolen jewelry in one of the cars, KTTV said.
Two additional males were arrested hours later in the rear yards of separate residences, police added to KTLA.
Police told KTLA a total of eight suspects — all of whom are under the age of 24 — were identified as:
- Jose Andres Martinez-Colindres, 24, of Inglewood
- Leontrey Gipson, 23, of Los Angeles
- Deondre Jones, 23, of Los Angeles
- Tylaind Brown, 20, of Compton
- Khilen Toles, 20, of Inglewood
- Khamari Toles, 20, of Inglewood
- Latrell Mathews, 19, of Los Angeles
A 17-year-old male from Los Angeles also was among the arrestees, KTLA said.
The seven adult suspects were booked on suspicion of multiple felonies, pending review by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, police told KTLA, adding that the juvenile was released to a guardian pending further proceedings.
Several uninvolved motorists were hospitalized in the two vehicle crashes, KTLA reported, adding that their injuries were “non-life-threatening.”
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Why Canada’s Chinese EV bet is a big mistake
Canada’s decision to slash tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles is being sold as a pragmatic trade adjustment. In reality, it looks more like a self-inflicted wound to the country’s auto industry, workforce, and long-term economic sovereignty.
Lower prices today may come at the cost of lost manufacturing tomorrow — along with vehicles that struggle with quality and cold-weather reliability in a country where winter is not a minor inconvenience but a defining reality.
A vehicle that looks competitive on paper may tell a very different story after several Canadian winters.
Under an agreement announced earlier this month, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into the country each year at a tariff of just 6.1%, down from the 100% rate imposed in 2024.
Officials emphasize that this represents less than 3% of the domestic market. But auto markets are shaped at the margins. Even a relatively small influx of aggressively priced vehicles can disrupt pricing, undercut domestic producers, and discourage future investment.
Under pressure
Canada’s auto sector is deeply integrated with the United States, with parts, vehicles, and labor flowing across the border daily. That system has supported hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs for decades. Introducing low-cost Chinese imports into that ecosystem does not simply add consumer choice; it destabilizes a supply chain already under pressure from regulatory mandates, rising costs, and declining market share.
That pressure is already visible. The combined market share of General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis in Canada has fallen from nearly 50% to roughly 36%. These companies are not just brands on a dealership lot. They are employers, investors, and anchors for entire communities. When their market position erodes, the consequences ripple outward through plant closures, canceled expansion plans, and lost supplier contracts.
Cold comfort
Supporters argue that Chinese EVs will make electric vehicles more affordable, accelerating adoption and helping Canada meet emissions targets. But affordability without durability is a hollow promise. Many Chinese EVs entering global markets have yet to prove themselves in extreme climates. Cold weather is notoriously hard on batteries, reducing range, slowing charging times, and increasing mechanical stress — conditions Canadian winters deliver in abundance.
Reports from colder regions already using Chinese EVs raise concerns about performance degradation, software issues, and inconsistent build quality. Battery thermal management systems that perform adequately in mild climates can struggle in deep cold. Door handles freeze, sensors fail, and range estimates become unreliable. These are not minor inconveniences when temperatures plunge and drivers depend on their vehicles for safety as much as transportation.
Quality concerns extend beyond climate performance. Chinese automakers have made rapid progress, but speed has often come at the expense of long-term durability testing. Western manufacturers spend years validating vehicles under extreme conditions precisely because failure carries real consequences. A vehicle that looks competitive on paper may tell a very different story after several Canadian winters.
Cheap creep
There is also the question of what happens to Canada’s manufacturing base as these imports gain a foothold. History offers a clear lesson. When markets are flooded with low-cost vehicles produced under different labor standards and supported by state-backed industrial policy, domestic production suffers. Plants close, jobs disappear, and skills erode — losses that are extraordinarily difficult to reverse.
Europe offers a cautionary example. In the rush to meet climate targets, policymakers opened the door to inexpensive Chinese vehicles, only to see domestic automakers squeezed between regulatory costs and subsidized foreign competition. The result has been declining investment, layoffs, and growing concern about long-term competitiveness. Canada risks repeating that mistake but without Europe’s scale or leverage.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Image
Spy game
The geopolitical implications cannot be ignored. Modern EVs are data-collecting machines, equipped with cameras, sensors, GPS tracking, and constant connectivity. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that Chinese-built vehicles pose national security risks. Whether or not those fears are fully realized, perception matters. The United States has already signaled that Chinese EVs will not be allowed across its border, even temporarily.
That leaves Canadian consumers in a difficult position. A vehicle purchased legally in Canada could become a barrier to travel, commerce, or even family visits. The idea that a car could determine whether a driver can cross the world’s longest undefended border should give policymakers pause. Instead the Carney government appears willing to accept that risk as collateral damage.
Realism over resentment
Some Canadians, frustrated by U.S. tariffs and rhetoric, may view this pivot toward China as an act of defiance. But trade policy driven by resentment rather than realism rarely ends well. Replacing dependence on the United States with dependence on China does not restore sovereignty; it simply shifts leverage from one superpower to another, often with fewer shared values and less transparency.
President Donald Trump has made his position clear. He is open to Chinese companies building vehicles in North America if they invest in domestic factories and employ domestic workers. What he opposes are imports that bypass production, undermine jobs, and introduce security risks. Canada’s deal does nothing to address those concerns. Instead it places Canadian workers and consumers squarely in the crossfire.
The promise of cheaper EVs may sound appealing in the short term, but the long-term costs are becoming harder to ignore. Lost manufacturing jobs, weakened supply chains, unresolved quality and cold-weather issues, and strained relations with Canada’s largest trading partner are not abstract risks. They are predictable outcomes.
Canada built its auto industry through integration, investment, and a commitment to quality. Undermining that foundation for a limited influx of low-cost imports is not a strategy. It is a gamble — and one Canadian workers, manufacturers, and drivers are likely to lose.
Feds Demand That ‘King of Fraud’ Gavin Newsom Pay Back $1.3 Billion
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing renewed scrutiny after Trump administration officials demanded that the state repay approximately $1.3 billion…
