Marine killed in rollover at Twentynine Palms base was part of elite training group

• July 30, 2024

A highly trained 26-year-old staff sergeant who used his combat experience to mentor junior Marines was identified on Tuesday, July 30, as the person who died from injuries after a vehicle rollover on a range at Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.

Staff Sgt. Jerry L. Betzold, of Avon, Indiana, was pronounced dead by doctors at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs on Sunday, July 28, after suffering major injuries on Saturday while overseeing a training exercise at the base. He was first treated at Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital in Twentynine Palms after the accident and then flown to the Palm Springs hospital on Sunday.

Betzold was driving a high-mobility multi-purpose vehicle across one of the ranges when it rolled over and severely injured him, said Capt. Johnathon Huizar. No other Marines were in the vehicle, which is agile and lightweight and can carry machine guns and anti-tank launchers.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jerry Betzold, with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, trains in a coxswain course at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, May 27, 2021. Betzold is a Avon, Ind. native. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sarah Marshall)

Huizar described Betzold as “an experienced infantry Marine” among an elite group of Marines at the base who mentor, teach and coach younger Marines. This group of Marines call themselves “coyotes.”

“He came with a lot of experience before he got here,” Huizar said. “His role is the center of excellence on ground maneuvers. His position was significant in developing young Marines.”

In their role, these coyotes, in signature neon-orange flak jackets, plan and run the training exercises at the combat center, known for its rigorous ranges and vast training areas, as well as observe and assess training to ensure Marines are ready for their next mission or deployment.

The coyotes are known to work hard and long hours, especially during service-level training when units from across the Marines come out to the desert base to learn more skills and become better warfighters, Marine officials said.

“Staff Sergeant Jerry Betzold represents all that is good and pure in our nation and Corps,” said Col. David Hart, director of Tactical Training Exercise Control Group. “He tragically lost his life while working to ensure our combat formations remain ready when the nation needs them.”

“His loss is deeply felt across our Marine Corps family,” Hart added. “Our hearts and full support will remain with his family and friends as we all navigate this extremely difficult time.”

Bitzold enlisted in the Marines on Aug. 15, 2016, and trained as an infantry Marine. In 2021, he deployed to Okinawa with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, also based at Twentynine Palms. He was just promoted to staff sergeant on March 1.

His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (third award), Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (second award), Sea Service Deployment Medal (fourth award), Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

The incident is under investigation by NCIS, as all military deaths are.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Angels deal Luis Garcia, hold other potential trade pieces

• July 30, 2024

The Angels reportedly sent right-handed relief pitcher Luis Garcia to the Boston Red Sox in a deal just before the Tuesday trade deadline, while the club held on to players like starting pitcher Tyler Anderson, infielder Luis Rengifo and outfielders Taylor Ward and Kevin Pillar.

There had been reported interest in all four players, but the Angels apparently did not find an offer they felt was sufficient. Anderson, Rengifo and Ward all remain under control for at least one more season.

Garcia, who is a free agent at the end of the season, has a 3.71 ERA in 43⅔ innings this season.

The return for Garcia was not immediately apparent.

In a smaller move, the Angels picked up right-hander Mike Baumann from the San Francisco Giants, in exchange for cash considerations.

Baumann, 28, has a 4.41 ERA in 34⅔ innings with three teams this season. He started the season with the Baltimore Orioles, was traded to the Seattle Mariners and then was purchased by the San Francisco Giants. He was designated for assignment by the Giants last week.

Baumann had a 3.76 ERA in 60 games with the Orioles last season.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Acting Secret Service director says he’s ‘ashamed’ after Trump assassination attempt

• July 30, 2024

By ERIC TUCKER, FARNOUSH AMIRI, REBECCA SANTANA and CLAUDIA LAUER

WASHINGTON — The Secret Service’s acting director on Tuesday told lawmakers he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was unsecured and said it was regrettable that local law enforcement had not communicated to his agency that a gunman had been spotted on a nearby roof.

Ronald Rowe also testified that he recently visited the shooting site and laid down on the roof of the building where shots were fired in order to evaluate the gunman’s line of sight during the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“What I saw made me ashamed. As a career law enforcement officer and a 25-year Secret Service veteran, I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured,” he said.

The testimony was the most detailed catalog to date by the Secret Service of law enforcement failings and miscommunications, with Rowe accepting blame for his own agency’s mistakes while also pointedly criticizing local law enforcement for communication breakdowns that resulted in his agency not sharing information that a gunman, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been spotted on the roof of a building less than 150 yards (135 meters) from the rally stage where Trump was speaking.

“Neither the Secret Service counter sniper teams nor members of the former president’s security detail had any knowledge that there was a man on the roof of the building with a firearm,” Rowe said. “It is my understanding those personnel were not aware the assailant had a firearm until they heard gunshots.”

He said that the shooting amounted to a “failure on multiple levels,” including a failure of imagination and a “failure to challenge our assumptions.”

“We assumed that the state and locals had it,” Rowe said. “We made an assumption that there was going to be uniformed presence out there, that there would be sufficient eyes to cover that, that there was going to be counter-sniper teams” in the building from whose roof Crooks fired shots.

“And I can assure you,” Rowe added, “that we’re not going to make that mistake again.”

He said he had implemented multiple reforms since taking over as acting director last week, including mandating that every event security plan is vetted by multiple experienced supervisors before being implemented, expanding the use of aerial drones to improve visibility of roofs and dedicating more resources to improve communications at events where the Secret Service is operating.

Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, was struck in the ear by a bullet or a bullet fragment in the assassination attempt, one rallygoer was killed and two others were injured before the gunman was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

The blunt and at times emotional testimony Tuesday, featuring combative exchanges with lawmakers, ensured that an already simmering blame game between federal and local authorities will continue. It also suggested that Rowe, with ready and generally detailed answers, was determined to strike a different posture than that of his predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned last week after facing intense criticism from lawmakers from both major political parties following responses at a congressional hearing that were seen as evasive and lacking in specifics.

Tuesday’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees was the latest in a series of congressional sessions dedicated to the law enforcement lapses and missed communications that preceded the shooting.

Local law enforcement officers had first observed a suspicious-looking man at the rally site more than an hour before the event and circulated that information, including photographs of a man who turned out to be Crooks. But the officers ultimately lost track of Crooks, who was able to scale the roof of a building at AGR International Inc., a supplier of automation equipment for the glass and plastic packaging industry, and fire an estimated eight shots with an AR-15-style rife.

Shortly before the shooting, a local officer climbed up to the roof to investigate. Crooks turned and pointed his rifle at the officer, who retreated.

Even though text messages among local snipers revealed anxiety about the man, Rowe said the only thing the Secret Service knew at the time of the shooting was that law enforcement was contending with a suspicious-looking man.

“No information regarding a weapon on a roof was ever passed to our personnel,” Rowe said. At another point, he noted, ”It is troubling to me that we did not get that information as quickly as we should have. We didn’t know that there was this incident going on.”

But Rowe’s willingness to assign blame to local law enforcement opened him up to harsh criticism from Senate Republicans, who saw him as failing to take sufficient responsibility.

“Isn’t the fact that a former president was shot, that a good American is dead, that other Americans were critically wounded — isn’t that enough mission failure for you to say to the person who decided that that building should not be in the security perimeter, probably ought to be stepped down?” said Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican.

Rowe, raising his voice, responded that he has “lost sleep over this for the last 17 days” and that he would not be rushed “to judgment” by Congress. He assured lawmakers that “people will be held accountable.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said if something like this happened in the military, “a lot of people would be fired. And if a lot of people are not fired, the system failed yet again.”

He added: “Nothing’s going to change until somebody loses their job.”

Related Articles

The FBI, meanwhile, disclosed new details about Crooks, with Deputy Director Paul Abbate saying a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019-2020 timeframe, when Crooks would have been in high school.

Abbate did not identify the social media platform, saying investigators were still trying to definitively determine that it belonged to Crooks. However, he indicated that it was separate from an account on a different platform called Gab that was active in 2021.

The chief executive of Gab posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, during the Senate hearing that Crooks’s presence on that platform was consistent with being “pro-Biden and in particular pro-Biden’s immigration policy.”

On Monday, the FBI revealed that Crooks had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico.

The FBI also said that Trump has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim.

​ Orange County Register 

Galaxy opens Leagues Cup play at San Jose

• July 30, 2024

The Galaxy went into the Leagues Cup break with a win against the Portland Timbers on July 20.

On Wednesday, the team returns to action with its first game in this year’s Leagues Cup tournament against a familiar rival, traveling to San Jose to take on the Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m.

The Galaxy and Earthquakes have met three times this season, with the Galaxy winning all three. The Galaxy has outscored the Earthquakes by a combined score of 10-4.

“It’s an important event for us,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said of Leagues Cup. “We’re going to try to balance a couple of things, which is get our guys back, who have been out, try to use our roster a bit. Just to get through this tournament, the games are every 3-4 days. You have to use everybody and we have to get some guys going, like Emiro (Garces), more minutes for him, getting guys reintegrated who are coming back (from injury) and being mindful of guys who have played a lot of minutes (this season).”

The Galaxy is in Group B with San Jose and Chivas de Guadalajara. In the opening game, San Jose and Chivas played to a 1-1 draw, but the Earthquakes won the penalty kick shootout to earn two points. The Galaxy will face Chivas on Sunday.

The big issue for the Galaxy could be a feeling of complacency, considering how easily they’ve handled the Earthquakes this season.

“It’s a tournament and there’s a trophy at the end of it,” Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado said. “That’s the exciting part. You just have to see that as the end goal, lifting that trophy. We’ve faced them three times, but now there’s a trophy at the end of these next few games, so there’s definitely something on the line.”

San Jose had a crowd of 50,675 on Saturday in their shootout win over Chivas at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Wednesday’s game will be at PayPal Park, which has a capacity of 18,000.

“Every time you have to go away and beat a team again, it becomes more and more difficult each time,” Vanney said. “Against Chivas, they looked very motivated. I thought their emotional energy was high, they were very competitive, out pressing and making the game very difficult for Chivas. We know what their capacity is and what they’re capable of, so it’s important that we have to match the intensity of the game.”

Perez loaned to Nashville SC

The Galaxy has loaned Jonathan Perez to Nashville SC for up to 18 months.

A product of the Galaxy Academy system before signing as a Homegrown Player, Perez had his contract renewed last season through 2026 with an option for 2027.

The Galaxy has the right to recall Perez from the loan in the summer of 2025, but Nashville SC holds an option to permanently buy his rights.

Related Articles

“I think it’s a big opportunity for him,” Vanney said. “There’s two really big pieces. One is the playing time. I think he goes there and I think they’re looking for somebody to come over and play a significant role, that’s something Johnny’s ready for. He needs to step in. He’s had good minutes for us. He needs to stay healthy and he showed that’s he capable of playing at the MLS level. He just needs that experience and this allows that. I hope he goes there and he shows them what he’s capable of doing and he earns their trust right away.”

LEAGUES CUP: GALAXY at SAN JOSE

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Where: PayPal Park; San Jose

How to watch: Apple TV (free)

​ Orange County Register 

Lifeguards who saved July 4 pier jumper in Venice Beach earn Medal of Valor

• July 30, 2024

The frantic woman was clutching onto a small nylon rope attached to the pier piling, clinging on for her life.

The sun had gone down and fireworks lit the night’s sky, the colorful bursts reflecting off the dark ocean. Thousands of people watched the display above the Venice Pier from the sand, unaware of the dire situation unfolding in the saltwater sea, where a building south swell was creating hazardous conditions as big waves roared toward shore.

Alerted by people on the pier who saw the woman jump into the ocean, Los Angeles County Fire Department Ocean Lifeguards Max Malamed and Ryan Aronson jumped into action to rescue the pier jumper on July 4, 2023 – a heroic save that earned the duo this year’s Medal of Valor award at a ceremony to take place on July 31 at King Harbor Yacht Club.

The 2024 International Surf Festival “Lifeguard Medal of Valor” dinner will also give the   “Distinguished Service Award” to Paramedic Rescue Boat Captain Brian Kari and Paramedic  Ocean Lifeguard Specialist Sean Kennedy, along with the Avalon City Fire Department, for a call on Dec. 18, 2023 on Catalina Island to help a young female giving birth.

Also being honored is retired Captain Jim “Jake” Jacobson, who will be given the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Jacobson began his career in 1971 and retired in 2008 after 37 years of service.

“Known as a “lifeguard’s lifeguard” Captain Jacobson worked on every beach within Los Angeles County, from Malibu to San Pedro and is known as one of the most inspirational lifeguard mentors in the Department,” reads an announcement.

The awards started in 1981 as a way to recognize “that the public recognizes and appreciates the tremendous efforts they undertake,” according to organizers.

The Medal of Valor recipients will receive a bronze medal featuring a running lifeguard carrying a rescue buoy.

“We are delighted to recognize these exceptional acts of courage and public service, combined with professionalism and quick-thinking,” said Chris Linkletter, president of the International Surf Festival, in the announcement. “Our event proudly celebrates these L.A. County Ocean Lifeguards who embody going above and beyond the call of duty.”

For Malamed and Aronson, the distress call for the fully-clothed woman who jumped off the pier came just as they were ready to get off duty. After the people on the pier pointed out her location, they jumped into action – literally.

“With eyes on the victim, the duo performed an extremely difficult night pier jump into large surf to rescue a fully clothed adult woman who was grasping a tiny piece of nylon rope attached to a pier piling and apparently experiencing a psychiatric emergency,” reads a description of the rescue.

“Upon jumping off the pier, I swam to the victim and noticed that she was clinging onto the rope very tightly, which she refused to let go of,” recalled Aronson. “And she was not responsive verbally to me. I had no idea of her psychological state.”

The duo convinced her to let go of the rope and grab onto the rescue buoy, said Malamed, just as a set of two-to three-wave set slammed on top of them inside of the pilings.

“We got the victim away from the pier, swam her up the coast and when the sets had passed, we were able to get out of the water where ALS resources were on scene waiting,” Aronson said.

While pier rescues are not uncommon, the nighttime conditions and few resources available because of the late time, as well as the crowds and fireworks, made the scene “extremely chaotic,”  Malamed said.

“Despite the hazardous, complicated, and arduous aspect of the rescue, the trio made it safely to shore,” the announcement reads.

The emergency call on Catalina Island on Dec. 18 came following a young woman giving birth.

“Upon arrival, the baby was cold, dark blue and still attached to the umbilical cord,” the announcement reads. “After assertive and successful treatment by Kari, Kennedy, and members of the Avalon City Fire Department, both the baby and mother were stabilized enough to transport.”

The mother and child were transported by two ALS helicopters from Air Mercy and L.A. County Fire Department to a mainland NICU.

The theme of this year’s event is “Celebration of the L.A. County Junior Lifeguard Program,” which for nearly 100 years every summer has offered as many as 3,000 kids from across the region education and training in ocean and beach safety, physical conditioning, basic first-aid, CPR, and environmental awareness, while developing the next generation of lifeguards and leaders.

The “Lifeguard Medal of Valor Awards” dinner is presented in conjunction with the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and is the kick off to the International Surf Festival, which hosts several athletic events throughout the South Bay through the weekend, from swims and relays to paddleboard and surf contests, volleyball and more.

“The chamber is honored to recognize these heroic and inspirational individuals, and to have supported the ‘Lifeguard Medal of Valor’ dinner for the past 43 years,” said Dominik Knoll, CEO and president of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, in the announcement. “It is always our pleasure to shine a deserving spotlight on the dedicated professionals who protect our beachgoers.”

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Donald Trump says Kamala Harris, who’s married to a Jewish man, ‘doesn’t like Jewish people’

• July 30, 2024

By MICHELLE L. PRICE

NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump in an interview on Tuesday claimed Vice President Kamala Harris, who is married to a Jewish man, “doesn’t like Jewish people” and seemed to agree with a radio host who called second gentleman Doug Emhoff “a crappy Jew.”

Trump, in an interview on WABC radio on Tuesday, claimed Harris looked uncomfortable while meeting last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“You can see the disdain,” he said, adding, “No. 1, she doesn’t like Israel. No. 2, she doesn’t like Jewish people. You know it, I know it and everybody knows it and nobody wants to say it.”

Trump has tried to capitalize on divisions in the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war and sought to paint his political opponents as antisemitic while overlooking some of his own past comments and behavior, such as dining at his Florida club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist. With Harris replacing President Joe Biden as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Trump has escalated his attacks on her.

“America is better than the fear, hate, and despicable insults of Donald Trump,” said James Singer, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign. “Vice President Harris believes Americans want a president who unites our country instead of divides it, uses the power of the presidency to help families instead of hurt them, and has a vision for our future, instead of taking us backwards.”

In the interview, the Republican former president repeated comments he has made before lashing out at Jewish voters who back Democrats, saying anyone who does “should have their head examined” and “if you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool. They have let Jewish people down since Obama at a level that nobody could believe.”

As Trump continued on, he again said of Harris, “She dislikes Jewish people and Israel even more than Biden did.”

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The interview host, Sid Rosenberg, then mentioned Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and said, “He’s Jewish like Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Are you kidding me?”

“Yeah,” Trump said.

“He’s a crappy Jew,” Rosenberg said, continuing.

“Yeah,” Trump said again.

Rosenberg went on, saying of Emhoff, “He’s a horrible Jew.”

They then moved on to criticizing Harris on other issues.

Related Articles

Trump made a similar claim about Harris disliking Jewish people on Friday while speaking to a Christian group at a Turning Point USA gathering in Florida. He has also ignited blowback in the past for making similar remarks about Jewish people, like when he said in March that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion.”

Emhoff, the first Jewish person to serve as the spouse of a nationally elected U.S. leader, has been one of the most visible members of the Biden administration speaking about combating antisemitism. He hung mezuzahs on the doorposts of the vice president’s residence and led Passover celebrations at the White House.

Emhoff’s office declined to comment Tuesday.

Related Articles

Trump’s campaign has also criticized Emhoff’s adult daughter Ella for posting on her social media account a fundraising link for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees. Israel has sought to ban the group and suggests it supports terrorists. European leaders have said that is a baseless accusation.

Rosenberg, who is Jewish, is a longtime conservative New York City radio personality who hosts “Sid and Friends in the Morning,” on 77 WABC. Guests on his show have included Trump-world figures like Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr.

Rosenberg came to prominence as a sidekick and sports anchor on Don Imus’ long-running morning radio show. He drew backlash in 2001 for making racist comments calling tennis star Venus Williams an “animal” and saying that she and her sister Serena should pose for National Geographic magazine. He was fired from Imus’ show over those remarks but re-appeared on the show later and was involved in the incident that got Imus fired in 2007, in which Imus made a racist and misogynist remark about the mostly black Rutgers University women’s basketball team.

AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller in Washington and AP writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

New Habitat for Humanity homeownership opportunities coming to Santa Ana

• July 30, 2024

The rising costs of living have left little hope for folks with dreams of homeownership, but Habitat for Humanity wants to change that by developing affordable homes for low-income families.

The organization broke ground on new projects in Santa Ana on Saturday, July 27, marking the construction of six new affordable homes for low-income families, including three duplexes.

Each 1,403-square-foot home will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a private yard, an attached two-car garage and guest parking space. One unit will be constructed as an accessible unit for veterans or a person with disabilities.

“I’m very happy about these homeownership opportunities coming to the Artesia Pillar neighborhood,” Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez said of the project during a City Council meeting earlier this month. “I encourage (residents) to reach out to Habitat for Humanity and the city of Santa Ana for more information.”

The City Council earlier this month approved a $2.2 million grant agreement for the project from the city’s inclusionary housing fund.

Currently, 1 in 5 families are paying 50% of their household income for their rent or mortgage, officials said in a statement. With that in mind, homes built by Habitat for Humanity Habitat in Orange County are available for qualifying families at a reduced purchase price and interest rate based on up to 35% of their annual income and a reduced down payment.

For more information about the application process, visit habitatoc.org/apply-for-a-home. Homes are expected to be available in fall 2025.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Report: Power problems disrupt Port of LA’s green transition

• July 30, 2024

Power surges and outages at the Port of Los Angeles are hindering efforts to phase out diesel-powered machinery as officials rely more on the electric grid to power their operations, a news report said on Tuesday.

Representatives of private companies that handle containers at the port said power surges and lulls are knocking out cranes and other cargo equipment, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The terminal operators have been asking how the port expects to achieve a mandate to phase out diesel-powered machinery by 2030 when the  power supply is so unreliable, the newspaper reported.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the port’s main problem isn’t power supply but power distribution.

“The surges and the lulls are magnified with more sensitive electrical equipment,” Seroka told the Journal.

Several executives told the newspaper the power issues are knocking out not just cranes but also the automated gates that accept and deliver boxes to trucks and the computer systems that manage the location of containers.

The terminals are leased to private companies by the city-controlled port, and they get their power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Simon Zewdu, senior assistant general manager at LADWP, told the Journal one of the port’s major weaknesses is that it is served by overhead power lines that are exposed to the elements. LADWP officials said the outages were caused by a series of unusual events, including equipment failure, bad weather and birds hitting power lines.

Zewdu said LADWP is working on a $500 million project to bring extra power to the port using underground lines, which should improve reliability, according to the Journal. The project is expected to be complete by 2029.

The terminal operators upgraded ship-to-shore cranes to run on electric power decades ago. Now, they are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in electric- and battery-powered equipment such as yard cranes and massive forklifts, the Journal reported.

Los Angeles and Long Beach ports committed in 2017 to phase out diesel-powered cargo-handling equipment as part of a wider push in California to reduce emissions.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register