Southern California

A South El Monte man who participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 along with thousands of other supporters of former president Donald Trump was caught after he told an Uber driver about what he did that day, officials say.

“So, has it been violent all day?” the Washington, D.C.-based Uber driver asked Jerry Daniel Braun, 68, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.

Braun, with a bushy white beard and a bald head, was trying to stanch bleeding from his forehead.

“Well, it started around, right when I got there,” Braun told the driver. “I tore down the barricades.”

According to footage from outside the Capitol included in the complaint, Braun scuffled with police and attacked a journalist with a plank of wood that day. The Uber driver later turned over footage from his dashboard camera that captured his conversation with Braun.

“Well, how’d that work out for ya” the driver asked.

“Well, it looks like, uh, Biden’s gonna be our president,” Braun said.

The FBI ultimately tracked Braun down after they got a tip from the Uber driver about a week after the Capitol attack. But that only started their search: The agent involved in the investigation into Braun described using footage of the riot posted online by hundreds of amateur sleuths dedicated to finding more Jan. 6 participants.

From that footage, the agent found tiny details on the clothing of one rioter that day that led him to Braun.

The online detectives found video of a man attacking the barricades outside the Capitol. Footage from the body camera of a Metropolitan Police Department officer showed the man joining others in struggling with officers over a metal barricade.

Camera footage showed the same man later wielding a large plank of wood that he brandished to menace police. The man also encountered a video journalist wearing a helmet emblazoned with the text, “Press.” The man and the journalist exchange words, after which the man attacked the reporter with the plank of wood and his fists.

From that footage, the man the FBI focused on could be seen wearing black clothing, including a jacket, a face mask, sunglasses, gloves and a beanie.

Poking out from the face mask was a white beard. And in his jacket pocket was a pen and a business card. The part of the card that was visible had the text “Ask for JD,” and part of a phone number. That led them to a motorcycle parts business in Southern California where Braun worked.

On Nov. 8, 2021, FBI agents searched Braun’s home. During that search, Braun told the agents “he had been analyzing politics his whole life,” and went to Washington, D.C. to hear Trump’s speech on the lawn outside the Capitol. According to the complaint, Braun then admitted to taking part in the attack on the Capitol.

“After being asked by the agents if (he) had anything he wanted to tell them before he departed the search location, BRAUN responded, ‘Guilty,’” agents wrote in the complaint. “When asked what he was guilty of, BRAUN responded, ‘Everything.’ “

Agents also asked Braun about his head injury. He told the agents that he was carrying a pizza while walking to the Uber he ordered, then tripped and “busted” his head. Whether that’s true or not, agents haven’t said if they think Braun was injured during the fighting outside the Capitol.

Braun was arrested on April 12 in West Covina. He was released after his daughter entered a $20,000 bond on his behalf. Court records showed he appeared in a Washington, D.C. courtroom via video conference on Tuesday, where he faced felony charges of obstruction, entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct.

Braun was just one member of a motley collection of California residents who journeyed to the Capitol that day to attempt to stop the U.S. Senate and Vice President Mike Pence from certifying the election of Joe Biden as president.

Among those residents were a former La Habra police chief, a beauty salon owner, and a doctor promoting COVID-19 conspiracy theories, among others. Many of those charged so far have professed beliefs in a cross-section of extreme, right-wing movements, including Q Anon conspiracy theorists, as well as COVID vaccine and mask mandate protesters.

While the agents were in his home, Braun handed over his cell phone to them. They found text messages he sent in December 2020 indicating he was preparing for violence at the Capitol.

“I’m flying to DC, on 1/5/2021 for the stop the steal rally, gonna be wild,” Braun allegedly wrote in an unidentified recipient. “Shopped for some body armor to protect from stabbing and all backordered. You know where I can buy some body armor?”

An attorney for Braun declined to comment about the case on Tuesday.

A 48-year-old man was killed when his scooter and an SUV collided at Tyler Street and Wells Avenue in Riverside, police said.

David Ducoing of Riverside was riding eastbound on Wells, Sgt. Ryan Taack said. At about 8:15 p.m., a 2015 Chevy Suburban driven by a 29-year-old motorist was heading southbound on Tyler.

“The Chevy and the scooter collided as they entered the intersection,” the sergeant said, without specifying which one had the right of way.

The SUV driver was not hurt and immediately stopped, Taack said. The investigation was under investigation.

A man died in a two-vehicle traffic crash Sunday in Pomona that injured a 3-year-old and left another man hospitalized in critical condition, police said.

The collision happened around 2:40 p.m. at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Dupont Street, according to Pomona police.

All involved occupants were taken to a hospital, including a 49-year-old male driver as well as a 28-year-old male driver and his three-year-old passenger, said Aly Mejia, spokeswoman for the Pomona Police Department.

Shortly after being hospitalized, the 49-year-old man died from his injuries, Mejia said. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The other driver was hospitalized in critical condition while the 3-year-old passenger was released to a guardian with minor injuries Sunday, Mejia said.

Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, Mejia said.

A stretch of roadway on Valley Boulevard from Dupont Street to Ridgeway Street in Pomona was temporarily closed due to the crash, police reported.

Anyone with information on the crash was asked to call Pomona police at 909-802-7741 or 909-620-2048. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

City News Service contributed to this report

A 35-year-old wrong-way driver was killed early Sunday during a single-vehicle crash on the Pomona (60) Freeway in Pomona, near the Los Angeles/San Bernardino county line.

The crash on the eastbound freeway, east of Phillips Ranch Road, occurred at about 4 a.m., the California Highway Patrol reported.

The Montclair resident was driving a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta at an unsafe speed, westbound in the eastbound lanes approaching a break in the concrete center divider wall when his car struck the edge of the wall, the CHP said.

The motorist, the lone occupant inside the car, was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol and/or drugs are suspected factors in the crash, authorities said.

The driver’s name was not released.

The CHP’s Baldwin Park area office urged anyone with information regarding the crash to call them at 626-338-1164.

 

Two women were killed Sunday when a car rear-ended another car on the Pomona (60) Freeway, authorities said.

A 24-year-old man also suffered minor injuries in the crash on the eastbound freeway, west of Reservoir Street, which occurred a little after 2:05 a.m., the California Highway Patrol reported.

A woman driving a 2019 Honda Civic rear-ended a 2013 Toyota Camry that had stopped from a previous crash ahead, the CHP said. That woman and a 23-year-old woman from Chino — a passenger in the Camry — were pronounced dead at the scene.

Paramedics rushed the driver of the Camry, a 24-year man from Chino, to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center with minor injuries. Alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in the crash.

A Sigalert issued at 2:49 a.m. closing all eastbound lanes was canceled at approximately 8 a.m., the CHP said.

The CHP’s Baldwin Park area office urged anyone with information regarding the crash to call them at 626-338-1164.

There was no other information available.

 

A driver was shot by someone in a car on the 215 Freeway in San Bernardino on Wednesday night, April 13, the California Highway Patrol said.

The shooting happened in the southbound lanes north of Baseline Street at about 8:39 p.m. The victim, driving a blue BMW 325, was hospitalized.

The shooter was still being sought Thursday, said Officer Ivan Sandoval, a CHP spokesman. The victim, who was expected to survive, was unable to provide a description of the shooter or his car or provide any information on what led up to the attack, Sandoval said.

The CHP asks anyone with information on the case to call Officer Sherman at 909-383-4247.

“Bubble Watch” digs into trends that may indicate economic and/or housing market troubles ahead.

Buzz: California’s economy has modest risks of seeing its business growth chilled by serious real estate weakness compared with other states.

Source: My trusty spreadsheet analyzed state-by-state gross domestic product data for 2021 from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. A crash-damage estimate was defined by looking at the growth of three property-related niches — construction, finance and real estate — within a state’s GDP and comparing it with the broad tabulation of business output.

The trend

California has long been known for its dynamic and volatile property-related industries. But the pandemic era’s real estate fever has been a national phenomenon.

For example, California had 21% of its 2021 GDP growth tied up in these three real estate categories. But that’s just a mid-range 25th largest share among the states and below the 23% nationwide level.

History tells us that the more any economy is dependent on real estate success, the more one should be worried about the future. And these are skittish times for the property business as financing costs are undergoing a stunning surge — interest rate hikes on par with what was seen during the infamous 1980s interest rates spikes.

Wyoming’s growth was most dependent on real estate last year with 82% of its 2021 business expansion tied to property niches. Next was Delaware at 52%, Oklahoma at 41%, New York at 39% and Louisiana at 38%.

The smallest share was found in Alaska at 3%, followed by Nebraska at 7%, North Dakota at 9%, Maryland at 10% and Indiana at 12%.

And California’s economic arch-rivals? Texas was 13th-highest at 26%; Florida was No. 11 at 28%.

The dissection

Let’s look at the risks.

By my math, California’s 2021 real estate growth was eighth highest at 1.6% vs. a nationwide expansion of 1.3%.

Remember, GDP is the tally of all spending on goods and services, so it’s a giant number. And it’s typically a slow-moving economic benchmark compared with, say, fluctuations in real estate sales counts or values.

The biggest real estate GDP jump in 2021 was found in New York at 2%, which was rebounding from a pandemic population outflow. Next was Delaware, Florida, Maine, and Utah at 1.9%. By the way, Texas was No. 13 at 1.5%.

Smallest? Alaska was up by a tiny sliver, then North Dakota at 0.2%, Maryland at 0.3%, followed by Nebraska and New Mexico at 0.4%.

But real estate’s economic boost os by no means guaranteed.

So, we compared real estate expansion with a state’s overall economic growth. Let’s look at the state GDP extremes.

California’s business growth ranked No. 3 at 7.8% vs. the nation’s 5.7%.

Tops? Tennessee (8.6%) and New Hampshire (8.5%) topped the Golden State. Then came Nevada at 7.1%, and Florida and Indiana at 6.9%. Texas? No. 19 at 5.6%.

Worst? Alaska at 0.3%, then Ohio at 2.1%, Oregon at 2.2%, Maine at 2.4% and New York at 2.5%.

How bubbly?

On a scale of zero bubbles (no bubble here) to five bubbles (five-alarm warning) … TWO BUBBLES!

Don’t forget, we’re gauging how much a bubble’s bursting might hurt, not the chance a bubble exists.

A state economy’s low-danger formula would be strong overall growth with a modest share of that expansion tied to bubbling real estate. So if the property game does cool, other business drivers might keep the local economy in forward gear.

So, look at my math this way: California’s combined rankings for 2021 growth and its real estate dependence added up to the eighth-lowest risk score among the states. Indiana was safest, followed by New Hampshire, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska, and Nevada.

Diciest? Wyoming then Oklahoma, Louisiana, Delaware and Vermont.

And California’s economic arch rivals? Texas had the 16th highest risk, and Florida No. 21.

Post script

Since GDP can miss the human impact of business change, ponder state employment by concentrations in construction, financial and real estate jobs.

California ranked No. 30 at 10% of its jobs tied to property and banking industries.

Tops? Delaware at 15.8%, then Arizona at 14%, Utah at 13.4%, Florida at 13.3%, Colorado at 12.7%, and Texas at 12.3%.

Lowest? DC at 5.5%, then Mississippi at 7.9%, Alaska at 8.3%, Vermont at 8.4%, and West Virginia at 8.6%.

Jonathan Lansner is business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

California has seen a dramatic increase in driving under the influence (DUI) fatalities over the last several years. No community has been spared the stark headlines about another DUI-related death. In 2021, Sacramento County experienced a 125% increase, while San Diego, Kern, El Dorado, and Placer counties all saw DUI deaths nearly double. And Yolo County witnessed a fivefold increase. In Los Angeles County, we have also seen a dramatic increase in DUI fatalities and crashes. The saddest reality for the families devastated by these horrific crashes: these deaths were completely preventable.

According to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, California ranks above the national average for impaired driving fatalities, with DUI fatalities increasing eight percent over 10 years, as national DUI deaths decreased by eight percent. California’s DUI deaths are moving in the wrong direction and driving impaired is an ever-increasing problem with high-crash risk. The Legislature must do more to ensure our roads and families are kept safe, while also examining our justice system for opportunities for reform.

California has made significant progress in recent years on criminal justice reform, and rightly so – the advancement of social justice depends on smart reforms. Diversion programs, which can provide Californians with a crucial second chance, are a particularly important reform element. We’ve seen since these programs were enacted, that the majority of the time they work as intended. But there are times when they do not, and we must move swiftly to address issues as they arise.

In 2020, Assembly Bill 3234 directed that diversion programs be available for all misdemeanor crimes, including DUI. Since that time, many of us expressed the need for strict guidelines to ensure serial DUI offenders aren’t avoiding penalties or accountability for their crimes. Additionally, a recent state Appellate Court decision ruled against diversion programs for misdemeanor DUI convictions. This is an opportunity for the Legislature to prescribe smart standards for DUI diversion programs that will help rehabilitate offenders, reduce recidivism, and protect public safety.

To address these issues and make our streets safer, I have introduced SB 1021, the DUI Diversion and Safety Act, to establish a diversion program for first-time, misdemeanor DUI offenders. Participants are required to enroll in a DUI education program, attend a victim impact panel, and install an ignition interlock device while participating in the diversion program. These new safeguards will give individuals the knowledge and experience to learn from their actions and to prevent senseless tragedies related to DUIs in California. This bill fulfills what Governor Newsom identified in his signing message for AB 3234, “to expeditiously remedy this issue [misdemeanor DUI] with the Legislature in the next legislative session.”

SB 1021 will provide a crucial second chance for those who deserve it, while ensuring repeat DUI offenders be held accountable for the seriousness of their crimes. This legislation limits the number of times an individual can participate in a DUI diversion program, remedying the problem that a chronic or habitual impaired driver could be arrested multiple times for misdemeanor DUI without a conviction ever showing up on their record. This bill also gives the courts the ability to treat an individual as a repeat offender if they are arrested for additional DUIs after completing a DUI diversion program.

Importantly, SB 1021 recognizes social inequities within the criminal justice system, evidenced by the fact that individuals from communities of color are disproportionately arrested for DUI in California. This bill declares the imperative that these community members have equitable access to participate in DUI diversion programs, and that race and ethnicity of program enrollees and completion rates are measured to ensure that equitable access to these programs is occurring.

Unlike many other misdemeanor offenses, DUIs are not always a “victimless crime” and certainly not something Californians want to see more of. We all want safer streets and to keep habitual drunk and impaired drivers off our roads.

That’s why dozens of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving are educating the public about the ongoing threat and dangers associated with driving under the influence and why they are actively supporting this effort: to ensure that those repeatedly convicted of DUI are held responsible for their actions while giving others the chance to learn from their mistakes.

Californians have the right to safe roads and second chances.

Steven Bradford represents the 35th State Senate District.

A 27-year-old Pomona woman pleaded guilty Friday and was immediately sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison for a drunken driving, hit-and-run crash in Anaheim that killed three men.

Cynthia Lizbeth Ayala accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian. She could have faced up to 21 years and eight months in prison if convicted at trial.

Ayala killed 32-year-old Jacob Rolon of La Mirada, 36-year-old Richard Zuniga of Anaheim and 63-year-old Alexander Smiller of Los Angeles in a May 4, 2021 crash at Brookhurst Street and Orange Avenue.

Officers responded to the crash at about 2:50 a.m. and found a white Mercedes-Benz sedan abandoned and a black Kia with the three victims inside, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene, Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Shane Carringer said in May.

Witnesses saw two women in their 20s get out of the Mercedes-Benz and into another vehicle, Carringer said. The women later went to an area hospital, where one was treated for minor injuries and the other was more seriously hurt and required surgery, Carringer said.

The criminal complaint said Ayala’s blood-alcohol level was at .218.

The Mercedes-Benz was moving northbound on Brookhurst Street when it slammed into the Kia, which was exiting the parking lot of a hookah lounge, Carringer said. The Mercedes-Benz caught fire, but it was a small blaze that an officer on scene extinguished.

Ayala pleaded guilty to three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and single counts each of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08% causing injury and hit and run with permanent and serious injury, all felonies.

Ayala also admitted sentencing enhancements for fleeing the scene after committing vehicular manslaughter.