Man arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting woman he hired as escort

Los Angeles police say a 25-year-old man sexually assaulted a woman he hired as an escort in Westwood about two weeks ago. Police said Virenkumar Patel met the unidentified woman on Levering Avenue early on Aug. 31 after connecting with her on an escort website and offering to pay her about $800 per hour. Last […]

Westwood councils seek investigation of local storefront signs

Two Westwood associations have asked city officials to investigate local storefront signs after a Westwood councilmember claimed they promote activities that violate U.S. sanctions against Iran, though it is unclear whether those claims are valid. The Westwood Neighborhood Council approved two motions in its monthly meeting Wednesday at the request of councilmember Roozbeh Farahanipour, an […]

Pro-Israel protesters rally outside Wilshire Federal Building

Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Wilshire Federal Building Sunday, holding signs and flags to show their support for Israel in light of its current conflict with Hamas. The protest was the ninth in the past two months to address recent attacks exchanged between Israel and Hamas, the latter of which has ruled the Gaza […]

Anti-Semitic flier placed under door of Jewish-owned business

An anti-Semitic flier with swastikas was found under the door of a business run by Jewish individuals in Westwood on Tuesday. Boruch Cunin, a rabbi at the Chabad House at UCLA, said the business owner and an employee later came to him to discuss the flier. “I told them to come over, and they came […]

On-demand hauling service Buddytruk moves forward with LA launch

Priyanka Tripuraneni needed a way to move her box spring and mattress to her new apartment down the street for the summer. The two items were impossible to fit in her small car. Through an application on her iPhone, the fourth-year neuroscience student connected with a Buddytruk driver, who came to help her pick up […]

Water main break may have resulted from outdated engineering practices

City officials cited outdated engineering practices as the cause of last week’s water main burst in several statements this week. There was an extensive amount of corrosion both inside and outside of the pipes that burst on July 29 near UCLA, said Jim McDaniel, senior assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Department of Water […]

Arrests made at pro-Palestine protest in Westwood

More than a thousand pro-Palestine protesters marched down Wilshire Boulevard once again Saturday afternoon, drawing verbal conflicts with about 30 pro-Israel supporters who walked across the crowd. Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Andy Neiman said there have been at least two arrests made at the protest, although he could not say which protesters were arrested […]