November 2009 Archives

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More and more middle-class families are finding themselves on the streets. Correspondent Lisa Ling reports on this new group, she calls the Hidden Homeless.

Even more people find themselves on the brink - facing foreclosure on their homes. That's bad enough, but now, as the LA Time's David Lazarus reports, scammers are coming out of the woodwork to offer help. False help as it turns out.

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Los Angeles County contains the largest number of people living below the poverty line in the entire country. With the high cost of living here, it's no wonder that many of those people are homeless.

Even sadder, among those homeless are thousands of children.

We present some disturbing facts, collected by the social service agency, School on Wheels.

While many people facing foreclosure are preyed upon by the unscrupulous, a huge class of folks in Southern California have never been able to afford a home here.

That's illustrated in a disturbing project put together by the Center for Housing Policy. Their Paycheck to Paycheck database combines information about housing prices and compensation paid to workers in a variety of jobs, and breaks it all down into specific metro areas.

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The following images are from an art installation by Travis Somerville at Otis College of Art and Design. It's based—obviously—on the days in the South when "Whites only " and "Blacks only" drinking fountains were not art, but real life. Sommerville has taken the idea to another level. Whether it's a higher or lower level is up to you, but here's a kind of puzzle made from the images to see how quickly you can recognize the stereotypes.

Whatever your opinion, it's a very interesting show at the Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis through December 12th. It's called "Dedicated to the Proposition..." You can get more info here.

A new class of homeless: Lisa Ling reports on middle-class families hit hard by the recession, and out on the street.

Don't believe it: The LA TIme's Steve Lopez says recent data showing homelessness decreasing is bunk.

And, not homeless yet, but close: Consumer columnist David Lazarus on a rash of scams targeting homeowners facing foreclosure.

Plus another chance to test your neighborhood knowledge in the visual puzzle, Name That Spot.

Bad times for millions of homeowners facing foreclosure is turning out to be good times for scam artists. Some homeowners become so desperate, they fail to exercise basic good judgment. And scamsters are becoming ever more sophisticated.

According to Fannie Mae, the most common "Foreclosure Rescue" scheme goes like this:

A homeowner in trouble is approached and offered a deal that will allow him to stay in his home, as a renter, in return for the deed to the property. The scam artist also usually offers a repurchase deal, so the homeowner can buy the house back when they are in better financial shape.

Once the miscreant has the deed, he sells the house, uses the proceeds to pay off the delinquent loan, pockets the equity and disappears.

Warning signs for this scam include:

• Being approached by a stranger with an unsolicited "rescue" offer.
• Receiving an unsolicited call, mail or flyer about "foreclosure rescue" or saving your home.
• Participating in a complicated deal that you don't fully understand.
• Signing documents that have blanks or false statements. Regardless of what you are told, this is never okay.

If you suspect that you have been a victim of mortgage fraud or are aware of a possible scam, you can report it by calling the Mortgage Fraud Hotline 1-800-4FRAUD8 (1-800-437-2838).

In California, you can also contact the State Attorney General's Office.

Thanks to all who wrote in. This week's Spot is the headquarters for our city's public library system, one of the largest in the world.

Designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, the building is topped with a pyramid, and includes a four-wall mural by illustrator Dean Cornwell.

On April, 29, 1986 an arson fire severely damaged the building and destroyed a significant part of the library's collection. The whole city came together to raise funds for the restoration of the Central Library, which reopened in October of 1993

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Coming up this week - how to catch an arsonist.

Plus, a follow up on last week's story about FEMA deciding that certain neighborhoods in Los Angeles are flood zones. This week, a similar situation in Ventura County

Novelist, teacher and family man Marcos Villatoro shares his personal tale of involvement with the H1N1 flu virus.

Last week correspondent Judy Muller reported on some South LA home owners who'd been hit with big insurance bills after FEMA declared their neighborhoods to be flood zones.

This week, Judy follows up, and finds a similar situation in Ventura County.

Arson is the leading cause of wildfires in California. But it's tough to solve an arson crime and convict a suspect. Correspondent Angie Crouch looks at the work of arson investigators, and how they piece together bits of evidence at a crime scene that's little more than ashes.

Correspondent Angie Crouch reports on the work of the region's arson investigators and the tough business of piecing together evidence at a crime scene that has been ravaged by fire.

We follow up on last week's story about FEMA declaring parts of Los Angeles as flood zones. It turns out LA is not alone. This week we look at Ventura, where FEMA and the county have been going round and round over what is, and isn't in a flood zone.

And our commentator Marcos Villatoro relates his personal tale of involvement with the Swine Flu.

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Photo: Chris Humphrey, all rights reserved

Convicted arsonist John Orr, when he was with the Glendale Fire Dept.

In the history of arson investigation, no case has been more surprising than that of John Leonard Orr.

A fire captain and arson investigator, Orr was convicted in 1992 of three counts of arson and sentenced to life in prison. Though he has always maintained his innocence, investigators believe he may be the among the most active serial arsonists in history. A federal agent who investigated Orr believes he may have been responsible for as many as 2000 arson fires between the 1984 and 1991, when he was arrested.

The case against Orr had its roots in a 1984 fire that destroyed a hardware store in South Pasadena. Though a host of investigators concluded the cause of the fire was an electrical malfunction, Orr, who was among the investigators, insisted it was an arson fire.

Over the next few years, a series of of fires were set near the sites of arson investigation conferences. A fingerprint was found on a piece of notebook paper at the site of one of the fires. Eventually, investigators were able to match the print to John Orr.

Agents placed a tracking device in Orr's car, and on December 4, 1991, when he was found at the scene of a suspected arson fire, Orr was arrested.

That an arson investigator would be an arsonist is strange enough, but to add another bizarre note to the incident, Orr had written a novel, Points of Origin, which centered on a serial arsonist who was also a fireman. The book became the basis of an HBO film, Point of Origin, starring Ray Liotta. And Orr's story was also the basis of a novel, Fire Lover by ex-LAPD officer Joseph Wambaugh

Thanks to Chris Humphrey for providing the photo of John Orr. In the 1980's, Humphrey was a photographer for the Glendale News-Press. He now lives in Northern California.

SoCal Connected presents a little diversion to test your neighborhood knowledge - Name That Spot.

Here are some visual details from a specific site somewhere in Southern California. It might be a city block, a neighborhood, a park, or a civic institution. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to study the material and try to guess the location.

OK. Can you Name That Spot?

You can use our contact form to send us your guess.

And if you missed it, try your luck with last week's Name That Spot.

Our friends at Neon Tommy have been busy tracking Los Angeles County health officials' handling of the swine flu pandemic. USC Annenberg student reporter Callie Schweitzer sums up some rather extensive team reporting with an overview of the individuals who succumbed to the virus and uncovers how some counties may be breaking the law by withholding death certificates from the public.

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SoCal Connected presents a little diversion to test your neighborhood knowledge - Name That Spot.

Here are some visual details from a specific site somewhere in Southern California. It might be a city block, a neighborhood, a park, or a civic institution. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to study the material and try to guess the location.

OK. Can you Name That Spot?

You can use our contact form to send us your guess. (Just make sure to select "Name That Spot" as a subject.) Or, those of you using Twitter can tweet your guess using the #SCCNAME Twitter hashtag using the embedded window below. Sorry, no prizes for the winners. This is Public Television.

Try the first Name That Spot. It's a single block in the heart of Hollywood.

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Read an excerpt from Michael Connelly's new book, "Nine Dragons." For more, including an audio clip from the same book, visit his website.

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Like to do a little investigating yourself? Peruse some of the documents used to put together Judy Muller's story on the FEMA flood maps.

You'll need the latest version of Adobe Reader, which you can download here if you don't have it already.

Then click the document below and dig in.

Most of the viewers that wrote in got this one. The correct answer: Leimert Park.

Situated just north of the Crenshaw District, this beautiful neighborhood was originally developed in the late 1920's. It features lots of tasteful architecture, and lots of spectacular trees. For more than a generation, it's been a focal point for African-American arts and culture in Los Angeles.

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Bill Bratton is gone, and a new police chief takes his place. He's LAPD veteran Charlie Beck. The LA Weekly's Jill Stewart has some advice for the new top cop.

A award-winning police reporter, Michael Connelly is beloved by crime fiction fans for his taught thrillers.

SoCal's Val Zavala spent some time with Connelly, talking crime, journalism, and sharing one his favorite spots in the city.

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Some residents of LA neighborhoods recently got a nasty surprise. FEMA, The Federal Emergency Management Agency, recently declared parts of LA to be flood zones. But, as correspondent Judy Muller reports, FEMA used 40 year-old maps as the basis for their decision. And the City of LA failed to intervene, even though FEMA gave them the chance. Now many residents are facing huge bills for insurance, and are blaming both federal and local governments for hanging them out to dry.

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FEMA decides some LA neighborhoods are in danger of flooding. LA Crime writer Michael Connelly's Los Angeles. And a letter to the new police chief.

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Read an excerpt from Connelly's latest novel, Nine Dragons

Crime novelist Michael Connelly, featured in this week's So Cal Connected, got his start as a police beat reporter for the LA Times.

Since switching from fact to fiction, he's sold millions of books (they've been translated into 35 languages) and won every major award for mystery writing.

Connelly is a uniquely talented storyteller.

But newspapers seem to breed fiction writers. In fact, the crime novel genre boasts a number of former "cop shop" reporters. Just to name a few:

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Hail to the chief (of police, that is). William Bratton's LAPD has been credited with transforming MacArthur Park from crime-ridden to nearly crime-free in just a handful of years. In this 2006 Life & Times story, correspondent James Hill looks at how they did it. Along the way he talks to Charlie Beck, the man the mayor has picked to be the new chief.

Coming up this week
Long-time residents say there's never been any standing water, but some homeowners in South Los Angeles are paying thousands for flood insurance. Find out why in a special SoCal Connected investigation.

Plus, crime writer Michael Connelly's Los Angeles. And an open letter to the new LA police chief.