OC district attorney wants charges dismissed against fired Santa Ana jailer

• October 25, 2024

Orange County prosecutors will ask a judge next week to dismiss felony charges against a fired Santa Ana Jail officer accused of doctoring computer logs after an inmate died by suicide on his watch.

New evidence from a review of the case and an interview of the accused jailer has prompted the district attorney’s office to conclude it can no longer meet its burden of proof.

“The presumption of innocence until proven guilty is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system and it is one that must never be forgotten,” said District Attorney Todd Spitzer, in a prepared statement.

No one involved with the case would elaborate on the new evidence. Judge William Scott Zidbeck is expected to consider the dismissal request Oct. 31, according to the district attorney’s office.

Former correctional officer Esteban Gonzalez, 39, of Chino was charged in September with three felony counts of altering public documents while working at the Santa Ana City Jail. Gonzalez faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison if convicted on all charges.

He was accused of falsifying computer logs to make it appear that he had conducted required safety checks on inmate Darryle Samuel, who was found hanging by a bedsheet in his cell in June 2021. Entries made by Gonzalez in the log of safety checks did not correspond with video footage from jail security cameras, prosecutors said in a September news release announcing the charges.

At least one computer entry was changed by Gonzalez at the same time paramedics were trying to resuscitate Samuel, the release said.

A standard death investigation by the district attorney’s officer found that Samuel died hours after learning his girlfriend was pregnant by another man. The inquiry found no crimes committed in the death, but that Gonzalez allegedly doctored the computer log.

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However, a later review by Deputy District Attorney Deborah Einhorn of the Special Prosecutions Unit found discrepancies in the evidence compiled by the Santa Ana Police Department, enough to request the case be dropped.

Neither district attorney officials nor Gonzalez’s attorney would disclose details about the discrepancies. The Santa Ana Police Department declined comment because the case remains pending.

“Esteban and myself have disputed the case from the very beginning. He didn’t need to be charged for this,” said Gonzalez’s attorney, Brett Rutkowski. “We’re glad he can get his name back and his reputation back.”

It was unclear Thursday whether Gonzalez would get his job back. Gonzalez made $173,364 in pay and benefits in 2022, according to the public pay database Transparent California.

​ Orange County Register 

Former Clippers staffer sues, says he was fired over Kawhi Leonard concerns

• October 25, 2024

A former Clippers trainer is claiming in a lawsuit that he was wrongfully terminated for raising concerns that star forward Kawhi Leonard was receiving “unsafe and illegal treatment” for his injuries.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Los Angeles County.

Randy Shelton, a former strength and conditioning coach at San Diego State, first met Leonard while the six-time All-Star played for the Aztecs. Given his close relationship with Leonard, the Clippers hired Shelton in 2019 as a strength and conditioning coach.

He is seeking significant but unspecified damages, his attorneys told ESPN.

On Thursday, the Clippers denied the allegations, saying “Mr. Shelton’s claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton’s employment contract and paid him in full.  This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false.”

Shelton alleges that he was targeted and subjected to discrimination and harassment after his complaints despite the team’s assurances he would be protected. He was terminated shortly thereafter; no explanation was given, according to the lawsuit.

The trainer also alleges the Clippers engaged in tampering while recruiting Leonard to Los Angeles from the San Antonio Spurs, actions that “leapt well beyond the bounds of the NBA constitution,” according to the suit obtained by ESPN.

In the lawsuit, Shelton claims the Clippers first contacted him in 2017 after Leonard, who was then with the Spurs, suffered a postseason-ending ankle injury in Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference finals. Leonard missed the first 27 games of the next season because of a right quadriceps injury leading to an ongoing rift with the Spurs over the rehab treatment.

According to the lawsuit, Shelton claimed a Clippers executive sought health information about Leonard, a Finals MVP, emphasizing the need for discretion as the player became increasingly disgruntled with the Spurs’ organization.

Leonard eventually was traded to the Toronto Raptors, leading them to their first NBA championship in 2019. He became an unrestricted free agent after that season and signed with the Clippers, giving the team immediate championship credentials.

Shelton was hired by the Clippers that year, but saw his role diminished and any information about Leonard’s health was withheld shortly thereafter.

In the lawsuit, Shelton alleged that the Clippers violated Article 35 of the NBA’s constitution, which prohibits teams from directly or indirectly attempting to entice players under contract with one team to join another team.

Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said in 2019 that the Clippers operated under the league’s rules in pursuit of Leonard.

Frank said during an introductory news conference, “We never had a conversation with Kawhi or with any of his people. We always felt by doing it out in front that we were being very, very transparent.”

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“We hope that our client’s lawsuit will serve as a wakeup call to the Clippers organization that their players are not just dollar values but are humans requiring proper – and not hastened – health and recovery treatment for the careers and lives afterwards,” John David, one of Shelton’s attorneys, said in a written statement to ESPN and NBA Insider Chris Haynes.

Last season, Leonard played in 68 regular-season games – his most since 2016-17 – and averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals while earning his sixth All-Star selection before his knee cost him games at the end of the season and limited him to two games in a first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Problems with his knee also led to him being replaced on the U.S. Olympic roster this summer and remains a significant issue.

Leonard has missed 179 of a possible 435 games since joining the Clippers in 2019, and he remains sidelined “indefinitely” to start this season while rehabbing inflammation in his right knee.

​ Orange County Register 

El Pollo Loco is testing a ‘swicy’ new flavor; find out where

• October 25, 2024

El Pollo Loco is testing a “swicy” new item called Mango Habanero Chicken at eight locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

The Costa Mesa-based chain describes it as fire-grilled chicken coated with our new sweet and spicy sauce. It is being served in individual and family meals.

“Swicy” is a trendy way to describe sweet and hot flavors.

Mango Habanero Chicken is available for a limited time, but sales will help determine whether it becomes a permanent menu item, according to a news release.

The test is going on at a restaurant in Lynwood at 11118 Long Beach Blvd.

In Orange County, there are three restaurants in Santa Ana: 101 South Harbor Blvd., 2501 South Bristol St. and 1702 E. 17th St.

There are two in Anaheim: 1201 S. Beach Blvd. and 969 S. Euclid Ave.

The other two are at  5251 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, and 22381 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita.

Information: elpolloloco.com

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​ Orange County Register 

Fryer: Division 1 championship football game deserves better location

• October 25, 2024

Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed this week that the CIF Southern Section Division 1 football championship game on Nov. 29 will be played at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

It’s not the finest venue in the Los Angele-Orange County megalopolis region for a top-shelf high school football championship game.

It’s an old place, built in 1950. Seating capacity is 11,600. All of the seating is on the same side of the field, facing east.

Long Beach State used “Vets” for its home games when that college had a football team. Long Beach City College and Long Beach Poly play home games there. The 2021 CIF-SS Division 1 final was played there, a Mater Dei win over Servite that coupled with the Monarchs’ state championship win a couple of weeks later were Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson’s “last hurrahs.”

The positives …

It’s got good artificial turf and a fine scoreboard. Parking is plentiful, is close to the stadium and, unlike the nearby 2024 World Series location, is easy to enter and exit.

The negatives …

Dang, it’s old, looks like it and acts like it. The restroom and concessions facilities are antiquated. We’ve been spoiled by what we’ve experienced at Honda Center, Crypto.com Arena and SoFi Stadium and will be, too, when we get around to checking out the Intuit Dome.

The past two CIF-SS Division 1 football finals were played at old places, too, the Rose Bowl and the Coliseum. But those are grand venues.

Mater Dei wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, right, makes a touchdown catch in front of St. John Bosco cornerback Frankie Edwards III in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship football game the Coliseum in Los Angeles on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

CIF-SS assistant commissioner Thom Simmons explained that choices were limited.

The Rose Bowl and Coliseum are unavailable because of UCLA and USC games at those places the day after the Division 1 final. Revenue sharing with the participating schools, which Simmons said can be as much as $40,000 to a school in a Division 1 football final, is important to the Southern Section which covers all stadium costs and sometimes, Simmons added, the Southern Section loses money when having a game at a high-rent venue. Angel Stadium long ago became cost-prohibitive for CIF-SS football championships.

Saddleback College doesn’t work because the CIF-SS constitution requires equal everything, including seating, to be available to both teams. Saddleback College and renovated and shiny Hilmer Lodge Stadium at Mt. San Antonio College have much more seating on the home side than on the visitor’s side.

So the Division 1 final is at Veterans Stadium. Once the game is underway, the high-quality of the teams that will play in that game and the national championship implications will be what matters. Whether it’s another Mater Dei-St. John Bosco game or Mission Viejo is in it or someone else, the great players and the great plays will consume the attention of all.

Yet it remains disappointing that the best high school football in the nation will not have its championship game in a commensurate place.

NOTES

Santa Margarita football junior receiver Trent Mosley, with a foot in a walking boot, did not play last week when the Eagles lost to Orange Lutheran 13-10 at Orange Coast College. He was All-Orange County first team and a Trinity League co-MVP last season, the latter honor especially impressive because those awards usually go to someone on a league championship team but Santa Margarita was a third-place team last year. Mosley spent last week’s game in the coaches’ booth, making his inability to play an educational experience for himself whereas many players in his situation would have just hung out on the sidelines. …

When Servite quarterback Leo Hannan was unable to play against JSerra a couple of weeks ago because of a knee injury, Hannan wore a headset so he could listen in on coaches’ communications and play calls. Again, a top player finding a way to learn and improve. …

Football lineman Jacob Maiava transferred from Santa Margarita to Crean Lutheran, quarterback Michael Tollefson transferred from JSerra to Tustin but neither was granted athletic eligibility at their new schools. Both recently moved out of state, Maiava to Hawaii, where he enrolled at Kahuku High, and Tollefson to Arizona, and is now enrolled at Mountain Pointe. Kahuku sometimes plays Orange County teams – Mater Dei traveled there and beat Kahuku 38-7 in September. …

Narbonne’s football team won its first two Marine League games by forfeit because the other teams in the league are boycotting their games against the Harbor City school. Narbonne has two more league games on its schedule, and those schools have stated they too will choose to forfeit rather than play Narbonne. Those four opponents allege that Narbonne breaks rules to attract football players. Narbonne lost to Los Alamitos 49-6 on Aug. 30. …

Mater Dei’s girls volleyball team swept Los Alamitos in three sets Wednesday in the first round of pool play in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. The Griffins, who have played their best of late, certainly made the Monarchs work for it. The scores: 25-22, 25-23, 25-23. …

Mater Dei is home against Redondo in the second round of pool play on Tuesday. Los Alamitos plays at Sunset League rival Huntington Beach on Tuesday. Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach split their two league matches, both of which went to five sets. …

Two O.C. girls volleyball teams meet Saturday in the Division 3 second round: St. Margaret’s at Cypress. …

The cross country season is mostly quiet for several days before league finals are held, many of them Nov. 1. CIF-SS prelims are Nov. 15 and 16 at Mt. San Antonio College. CIF-SS finals are Nov. 23 at Mt. SAC. …

CIF-SS boys water polo playoffs brackets will be released Saturday. A committee made up of members of the CIF-SS Boys Water Polo Advisory Committee, mostly coaches, will decide the number of teams and the playoff format for the CIF-SS Open Division. Last year’s Open Division had eight teams. JSerra defeated Newport Harbor in the Open Division final. …

Massey Ratings will be used to place teams into the boys water polo playoff divisions. Among the top eight teams in the final Massey Ratings were No. 1 Newport Harbor, No. 2 JSerra, No. 5 Corona del Mar, No. 7 Mater Dei and No. 8 Santa Margarita. …

Fan Duel Sports now is the name of the cable TV channel that carries CIF-SS football. Fan Duel is an online gambling company. When Fan Duel televises the St. John Bosco-Mater Dei football game live Friday, the broadcasters’ microphones will continue to have CIF-SS logos on them. …

The Inuit Dome in Inglewood, the Clippers’ new home, will have a series of high school basketball games there Jan. 10. The seven games, all Mission League and Trinity League games, include Orange Lutheran vs. Servite, JSerra vs. Santa Margarita and Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco.

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​ Orange County Register 

Onions from Salinas-based produce company linked to deadly E. coli outbreak, McDonald’s says

• October 25, 2024

By Jonel Aleccia and Dee-Ann Durbin | Associated Press

A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak at McDonald’s, officials with the restaurant chain said Thursday. Meanwhile, other fast-food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — pulled onions from some menus.

McDonald’s officials said that Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California, sent onions to one distribution facility, which led the fast-food chain to remove Quarter Pounder hamburgers from restaurants in several states. McDonald’s didn’t say which facility it was.

An outbreak tied to the burgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including a person who died, federal health officials have said. Investigators said they were focused on slivered onions as a potential source of the infections.

U.S. Foods, a major wholesaler to restaurants across the country, said Thursday that Taylor Farms had issued a recall this week for peeled whole and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said. But the wholesaler also noted that it wasn’t a McDonald’s supplier and that its recall didn’t include any products sold at the fast-food chain’s restaurants.

Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not confirm that the agency is investigating Taylor Farms. A spokesperson said Thursday that the agency is “looking at all sources” of the outbreak.

In the meantime, other national restaurant chains temporarily stopped using fresh onions.

“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” Yum Brands said in a statement.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands wouldn’t say where onions were removed or whether the company uses the same supplier as McDonald’s. Yum Brands said it will continue to follow guidance from regulators and its suppliers.

Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said Thursday that 5% of its restaurants use onions distributed by Taylor Farms’ Colorado facility. Burger King restaurants get deliveries of whole, fresh onions and its employees wash, peel and slice them.

Even though it wasn’t contacted by health officials and it had no indications of illness, Restaurant Brands said it asked the restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to dispose of them two days ago. The company said it’s restocking with onions from other suppliers.

Chipotle said Thursday it doesn’t source onions from Taylor Farms or us any other ingredients from the Colorado facility.

Onions have been implicated in previous outbreaks. In 2015, Taylor Farms recalled a celery and onion mix used in Costco chicken salads after 19 people were sickened with E. coli. Last year, 80 people were sickened and one died in an outbreak of salmonella poisoning tied to bagged diced onions from Gills Onions of Oxnard.

At least 10 people have been hospitalized in the McDonald’s outbreak, including a child who suffered a severe kidney disease complication as a result of the infection. Illnesses were confirmed between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Victims were infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to CDC.

A Greeley, Colorado, man is suing McDonald’s after contracting an E. coli infection. In a lawsuit filed this week, Eric Stelly said he ate food from a local McDonald’s on Oct. 4 and fell ill two days later. After he sought emergency care, health officials confirmed his infection was part of the outbreak.

Symptoms occur of E. coli poisoning can occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. They typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is especially dangerous for children younger than 5, people who are elderly, pregnant or who have weakened immune systems.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Will Dodgers’ ‘pen be mightier than Yankees’ bats?

• October 25, 2024

Sandy Koufax. Johnny Podres. Don Drysdale.

See? The Dodgers have won a World Series with a three-man starting rotation. Against the Yankees, no less.

Then again, that was 61 years ago. Koufax set a World Series single-game strikeout record (15, surpassing Carl Erskine’s 14) in a 5-2 Game 1 victory and closed it out in Game 4, 2-1. Drysdale shut out the Yankees – the Mickey Mantle/Roger Maris Yankees – in Game 3, 1-0. Podres, the veteran whose 2-0 shutout victory in Game 7 in 1955 helped wash away years of Brooklyn Dodgers frustration at the hands of the bullies from the Bronx, won Game 2 in ’63, 4-1 – and it was the only time in the series the Dodgers needed a relief pitcher, with Ron Perranoski getting the final two outs for a save.

And now that we’ve had our ancient history lesson for the week … what are the chances the Dodgers can do it again now, with three starting pitchers and a cast of thousands (seemingly) coming out of the ’pen?

Consider this statistic: Through the first 11 games of this postseason, Dodger starters have pitched 36⅔ innings. Dodger relievers have taken down 60⅓. Of those, 27 innings came in bullpen games (counting three innings from rookie/sometimes starter Landon Knack). And the likelihood is that there will be at least one more of those in this series along with starts by Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler.

(Who probably should be known as The Survivors.)

My pick for World Series MVP before we start? Why not Blake Treinen, if the Dodgers should pull this off? He’s throwing as well as he has all season and has ascended to No. 1 on Dave Roberts’ trust tree with a 1.13 ERA in eight innings through the postseason.

Or maybe Evan Phillips, who hasn’t allowed anything in 6⅔ innings. Or, perhaps, Alex Vesia, who had an 0.00 ERA for three innings in the National League Division Series against the Padres but was unavailable for the NL Championship Series against the New York Mets because of injury. Assuming that he’s available here, it gives the Dodgers one more left-hander coming out of the bullpen for late game situations.

The seven Dodgers pitchers who would be trusted with late-game innings, counting Vesia, have a collective 1.80 ERA over 40 innings of work. Of those, Ryan Brasier is the outlier with a 5.14 ERA.

The bottom line is that in a historic matchup, with iconic players on both sides, the Dodgers’ chances of winning almost certainly will come down to their bullpen.

Their fans should be used to this, given the number of occasions over the years that relievers have given up critical hits and let games get away. Of course, the rule of thumb has been that the relievers give up the hits and runs but Roberts always gets the blame.

Under these circumstances, some of those critics actually have been giving Roberts credit for his pitching decisions recently, if grudgingly in some cases. Over the last two series, he has done a masterful job of not only picking the right guy at the right time, but of keeping particular relievers from facing particular hitters multiple times. The more a hitter sees a pitcher in a series the better chance he has, but Roberts’ usage negated that against the Padres and the Mets.

This will be the toughest task and likely the key to the series, limiting a Yankees lineup that features presumptive American League MVP Aaron Judge, Juan Soto – whose teams have eliminated the Dodgers twice, the Washington Nationals in 2019 and San Diego Padres in 2022 – and Giancarlo Stanton. The latter two carried the Yankees in the ALCS against Cleveland, Stanton with four homers, seven RBIs and a 1.222 OPS (on base-plus-slugging percentage), Soto with three homers (including the series-winner in Game 5) and six RBIs and a 1.373 OPS.

Then again, these Dodgers are capable of scoring plenty of runs, with presumptive NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman at the top of the lineup, assuming Freeman’s ankle is healed enough for him to play. And let’s not forget that in a June series in Yankee Stadium, when the Dodgers outscored the Yankees 17-10 and won two out of three, Teoscar Hernandez was 6 for 12 with three homers – including a grand slam in the middle game, an 11-2 Dodgers victory – and nine RBIs.

So, maybe Teoscar for MVP if the Dodgers win it?

Even though the Dodgers had the better regular-season record (and thus, home-field advantage in Games 6 and 7 if necessary), and even though they have three former MVPs at the top of their lineup and an offense that averaged 5.2 runs per game in the regular season and has scored 70 runs in 11 postseason games, they’re considered the underdog here specifically because of those starting pitching concerns.

In a season in which they used 40 pitchers – really! – over 162 games, and have basically an entire starting rotation injured and unavailable, that they’ve gotten here is in itself an achievement. Finishing the regular season with the game’s best record? Going from the brink of Division Series elimination to the World Series?

Hey, it’s already been a wild ride.

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But if relief pitching is as important as it seems to have become in this era, these guys have one more miracle left in them. And if you want to be precise, in my mind this World Series matchup is occurring a year late.

From the March 29, 2023 online edition of the publication you’re reading, my forecast:

“In a year when the game returns to a classic style, get ready for a classic World Series: Dodgers vs. Yankees. And it says here that 2023 will be a repeat of 1981, which will be perfect symmetry in a season in which the Dodgers will finally retire Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34.”

Obviously the crystal ball was foggy when it came to the date. And as it turns out, the spirit of Fernando will indeed hover over this series, following his death Tuesday.

So I’m putting it on the table: Dodgers in six.

[email protected]

​ Orange County Register 

JJ Redick lauds Lakers’ defense: ‘We’re building trust’

• October 25, 2024

EL SEGUNDO — Outside of 3-point shots not falling, the Lakers’ first game under coach JJ Redick, a 110-103 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, couldn’t have gone much better.

Especially on the defensive end of the court.

“We had some possessions with textbook multiple-effort plays,” Redick said after Thursday’s practice. “Just the mixture of stuff that we did and then our guys executing the different coverages was really good.”

And the fact the Lakers had the defensive performance they did against the Timberwolves, converting 16 turnovers into 19 points and holding Minnesota to 41 points at halftime, while also struggling to knock down perimeter shots, was cause for encouragement.

With the Lakers shooting 5 for 30 from 3-point range on Tuesday, they became just the 12th team since the introduction of the 3-point line during the 1979-80 season to attempt 30 or more from behind the arc and make five or fewer and still win, according to Stathead.

Teams will often allow their offensive production to dictate their defensive effort.

That wasn’t the case against the Timberwolves.

“We’re building trust, that’s the biggest thing,” Redick said. “Trust does not happen overnight. It’s a word we’ve used a lot. You need reinforcement of that trust. It can happen in a practice, it can happen in a game, it can happen in a film session. The best reinforcement though is in a game.

“And when you talk about being a process team, you need to certainly get results to sort of build that trust in the process. Our guys are starting to do that.”

That trust, and their defense, will be tested in their next two home games that’s followed by a five-road trip.

The Lakers host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, a team they played twice during the preseason, before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.

The Suns opened their season on Wednesday by beating the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

“It starts with three elite offensive players,” Redick said, referencing Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. “They’re doing a lot of like-size, small-small screening and getting behind the defense. That’s something we have to be really cognitive about in switching groups.

“If you watch the game [Wednesday] night, it’s a lot of nail isos with Kevin Durant late game. Those are tough to defend. A great player at the nail is … it can be an unsolvable problem if they’re making shots.”

NICKNAME GAME

In a battle of nicknames for Lakers rookie wing Dalton Knecht, it looks like the original is here to stay.

Knecht, affectionately nicknamed “Knecht 4” after being given the No. 4 jersey when the Lakers drafted him in June, received another nickname from an L.A. icon last week.

“You called him by the wrong name – his new name is Westside,” Snoop Dogg said while appearing on the Oct. 18 episode of ESPN’s “First Take”. “Westside Knecht.”

Knecht found out about the new nickname suggestion from friends before posting a poll on X (formerly Twitter) to see which moniker he should go by.

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“How I first found out, my friends were texting me and I didn’t believe them,” Knecht said. “And then my parents sent it to me and I was like, ‘Wow. This is crazy.’ I couldn’t believe it.”

The poll, which was voted on 17,217 times, went in favor of “Knecht 4” by a 77%-23% margin.

Said Knecht: “So I guess ‘Knecht 4’ is the one. But Snoop Dogg can call me ‘Westside [Knecht]’.

SUNS AT LAKERS

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet/710 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Auction for Laguna Niguel’s Ziggurat closes with $177 million final bid

• October 25, 2024

The five-month auction for Laguna Niguel’s iconic Ziggurat has apparently ended, with the federal office complex going, going, gone for $177 million.

The General Services Administration sales website shows “Bidder #02” won the auction with the final bid, a minimum $300,000 increment at 3.p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Rules for this auction, which started June 5, said if the highest bid is topped in a 24-hour period, the deadline gets extended another 24 hours. No bid was made in that timeframe, ending the sales process on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Curiously, “Bidder #02” was the high bid on only one other day – the auction’s first day. They win the pyramid-shaped Chet Holifield Federal Building and 89 acres, a sprawling campus that’s no longer needed by the federal government. It’s a rare development opportunity in south Orange County.

The final bid still requires GSA approvals and payments before the winner begins the lengthy process of getting city approval for any large redevelopment expected at the site.

Bid bits

Here’s what you need to know about the online auction for a prime south Orange County real estate opportunity …

Last price: Is 153% above the $70 million initial asking price.

Activity: 157 bids on 61 days.

Size: 146 bids at the $300,000 minimum increment. The largest move was a $24.7 million bid on June 5.

Bidders: Three unidentified participants, dubbed “#01” with 79 bids, “#02” with 64 bids, and “#03” with 14.

Extra time: The auction’s “soft” close translated to a $40.2 million price bump since the original July 31 deadline. That’s 29% more.

End of the line

The auction likely means the beginning of the end for the seven-story, beige-colored building designed by famed architect William Pereira.

The building — named in 1978 after the longtime congressman from California — once housed a dozen or federal agencies. Now it’s largely vacant.

Its first auction, which required to keep the landmark, million-square-foot structure intact, drew no bids. You see, the market for office space has been weak since the coronavirus rearranged the nation’s workplace.

If work-from-home didn’t kill off Ziggurat, it’s the fact that half-century-old offices would need huge reinvestment dollars just to be competitive.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

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​ Orange County Register