California woman jumps out third-story window to escape ‘vicious’ pimp known as ‘Dice Capone,’ prosecutors say

• April 28, 2023

Seattle, Washington (KPTV) — A man has been indicted this week on several charges after a woman made a harrowing escape from him in Seattle.

Self-identified “pimp” Winston Cornell Burt, also known as ‘Dice Capone,’ has been federally charged with sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion, transportation of an adult female for prostitution through coercion and enticement, and two counts of unlawful possession of firearms.

Burt, 31, is accused of taking the 20-year-old victim from her home in California to traffick her for sex in Seattle, according to court documents obtained by FOX 13 Seattle.

Prior to his arrest on Nov. 6, 2022, court documents stated that Burt would kick, punch, and pistol-whip the victim if she expressed a desire to stop working for him.

One night, the woman tried to flee out the front door of an Airbnb where she, Burt, and other women were living, but Burt scooped her up and pushed her to the ground, according to the court documents.

Fearing for her life, she rushed upstairs with Burt after her and then leaped from the third-story window, according to the records.

She then ran naked into bustling Aurora Avenue, according to court filings.

When an Uber driver saw the woman in trouble, he picked her up. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Burt then chased them in his car and fired rounds at the van. The ridesharing driver was likewise armed and responded by firing back.

“(The woman) felt safer in the middle of a busy highway, practically naked, at night than being within arm’s reach of the defendant,” Gauen wrote. “Surveillance video from a nearby business has corroborated the woman’s account of what happened.”

They managed to get away from Burt and the woman was taken to the hospital by Washington State Patrol. According to court filings, she suffered black eyes, broken ribs, a broken leg, and spinal damage.

Burt was arrested on Nov. 6 while attempting to leave an Airbnb in south Seattle.

“The level of violence in this case is stunning – brutal beatings of young women, threats with firearms, emotional and physical control of every aspect of the victims’ lives,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “I commend the Seattle Police Department and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for working quickly to get Mr. Burt in custody, thus ensuring the immediate safety of the victim and the community.”

The indictment demands the confiscation of two firearms, more than $24,000 in cash, and $100,000 in jewels.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion is penalized by a mandatory minimum of 15 years in jail and up to life in prison. According to the office, “transportation of an adult female for prostitution through coercion and enticement” is penalized by up to 15 years in jail, and illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by 10 years in prison.

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​ Orange County Register 

Weight loss brand Jenny Craig considers bankruptcy 

• April 28, 2023

By Rachel Butt and Reshmi Basu | Bloomberg

Jenny Craig Inc., the weight-loss services provider backed by H.I.G. Capital, is considering a bankruptcy filing if efforts to find a buyer for its assets fail, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

A filing could come as soon as next week, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private.

The struggling diet company remains in months-long discussions with its lenders to re-work roughly $250 million of debt. Miller Buckfire & Co. has been running a sale process on behalf of the company, which has a loan scheduled to mature in October 2024.

While the company will likely pursue a liquidation, the talks are fluid and plans could change, the people said.

“Like many other companies, we’re currently transitioning from a brick-and-mortar retail business to a customer-friendly, e-commerce driven model. We will have more details to share in the coming weeks as our plans are solidified,” CEO and President Mandy Dowson told Bloomberg.

Representatives at H.I.G. didn’t respond to requests for comment.

CION Investment Corp. and Pacific Investment Management Co. are among major lenders to the company. As of the fourth quarter, CION marked its first-lien loan position at roughly 78% of par value and moved its investments to non-accrual status, according to a filing. Non-accrual loans indicate that the company’s financial situation is deteriorating or debt repayment is at risk.

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Carlsbad, California-based Jenny Craig offers structured programs to help members lose weight, including a recently launched line that delivers fresh meals to customers. It has nearly 500 company-owned and franchised locations across the US and Canada, and roughly 600 centers worldwide.

On top of diet changes and exercising, the weight-loss industry is embracing increasingly popular drugs to help customers shrink their waistline. Investors cheered after WW International, previously known as WeightWatchers, closed its acquisition of a telehealth provider that will help it access the growing market for new obesity drugs.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

​ Orange County Register 

Real estate news: Apartment developer buys offices near Outlets at Orange for $22.5M

• April 28, 2023

A 150,161-square-foot office building just blocks from the Outlets at Orange shopping center has been sold to an investor looking to convert the property into a multifamily project, according to the brokerage Newmark.

City Centre I, which sits on 6.8 acres at 625 The City Drive South, sold for $22.5 million to Watermarke Properties.

SEE MORE: 83 townhomes coming to Anaheim office site

Newmark, which represented the unidentified building owner in the sale, said Watermarke is pursuing entitlements for potentially 360 housing units at the site.

“City Centre I was an attractive covered land play in central Orange County that received strong interest from a wide range of buyers and capital sources,” said Paul Jones, an executive managing director at Newmark. “The existing asset offered in-place cash flow, while the buyer secures entitlements for a new multifamily development.”

RELATED: Orange housing plan contains unrealistic homebuilding sites, state says

Newmark said zoning designations at the site allow for up to 60 units per acre. The ground floor would be reserved for retail spaces.

Conversions of offices, much like dormant malls, to apartments have become the latest salvo in California’s housing shortage. Since the work-from-home pivot, developers and property owners are eyeing under-used sites for redevelopment.

Local projects office-to-housing conversions include a two-building campus in Anaheim that’s being converted to 83 apartments and another two-office spread in Tustin that will add 18 duplexes and four detached homes to the city. Toward the coast in Newport Beach, a two-building, 42,697-square-foot office property was sold for $20.4 million to a local residential real estate developer. No plans for that property have been shared, so far.

SEE MORE: 40 new homes coming to Tustin, replacing 2 office buildings

University names business school after Patty Arvielo

Patty Arvielo, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Tustin-based mortgage company New American Funding, likely got the surprise of a lifetime when Vanguard University named its business school after her earlier this month.

The private university presented Arvielo with the honor at a surprise unveiling April 19 at the Costa Mesa campus.

Vanguard said Patty and her husband, Rick Arvielo, have partnered with the school and its vision as it restructures its academic program. The couple made a substantial contribution to the school, which did not disclose the amount, only saying it was the “largest academic donation in the university’s 103-year history.”

SEE MORE: Top Workplaces 2022: In good times and bad, New American Funding runs ‘with heart’

“For someone who didn’t think she was smart — or fit the profile of what smart means in America — my story is important and I share it to empower you,” she told an audience of nearly 800 students, faculty, staff and supporters in attendance. “Because that’s what this country offers and that is why our grandparents and parents came to this great country, to offer us the opportunities to succeed!”

The business program at Vanguard, a private, Christian-based school founded in 1920, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It offers degrees in accounting, business administration, management and marketing.

“We are honored to align our business programs under Patty Arvielo’s name because of who she is — a phenomenal business leader and role model for Hispanic, female and all students whose life story and work demonstrate what is possible,” said VU President Michael J. Beals.

The Patty Arvielo School of Business will launch in the 2024-2025 academic year, Vanguard said.

Josh Dale, Bryce Grandison, Taylor Johnson, Rylan Mukssood and Shaun Wiechmann, students at Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business & Economics, won the NAIOP SoCal Orange County Real Estate Challenge. (Courtesy of NAIOP SoCal Orange County)

Chapman students win real estate challenge

A team of students from Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business & Economics won the NAIOP SoCal Orange County Real Estate Challenge.

The second annual contest featured graduate student teams from Chapman and UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business Center for Real Estate.

Chapman’s five-member team took home the Orange Cup at the April 20 event, which was held at UCI.

The competition determines the best use for a unique parcel of land in Southern California. To win, the team had to accumulate the most points during written and oral presentations to a judging panel of local commercial real estate industry leaders, and a live audience.

For the 2023 competition, the project was a 2-parcel site in Brea with four buildings. All are occupied in various states of leasing, but its location meant it was a good candidate for redevelopment.

Chapman University’s presentation proposed a focus on a healthcare-related office as well as a new nursing school and senior living community.

Chapman University’s team included Josh Dale, Bryce Grandison, Taylor Johnson, Rylan Mukssood and Shaun Wiechmann. The UCI team incluced Jon Bradford, Serena-Yuwei Dai, Dale Padelford, Alec Shaul and Zakary Win.

Real estate transactions, leases and new projects, industry hires, new ventures and upcoming events are compiled from press releases by contributing writer Karen Levin. Submit items and high-resolution photos via email to Business Editor Samantha Gowen at [email protected]. Please allow at least a week for publication. All items are subject to editing for clarity and length.

​ Orange County Register 

Anaheim church to host community well-being health fair on Saturday

• April 28, 2023

A community health equity fair, organized by UC Irvine medical students, is set for Saturday, April 29, at the New Hope Presbyterian Church in Anaheim.

It’s the second year the church has hosted the health event, organizers said. Students from the Leadership Education to Advance Diversity – African, Black and Caribbean program at UC Irvine School of Medicine will provide free medical screenings and consultations.

Participants can meet UCI doctors and students who specialize in heart, skin, dental, environmental and mental health. Local agencies, including the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders, OC Health Care Agency and the Health Equity for African American League Collective, will be present.

There will also be free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and Narcan use trainings.

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The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. New Home Presbyterian Church is located at 2580 W. Orange Ave.

See here for more information and to register.

​ Orange County Register 

HOA Homefront: See what legislation is brewing for HOAs

• April 28, 2023

This the first column in a two-part series on California legislation regarding homeowners associations.

After a few quiet years in Sacramento regarding HOAs, California’s Legislature is quite active this year with at least eight proposed bills affecting HOAs in 2024.

Four are helpful and four are not. Today’s column will address the first four that are helpful, and the other four will follow next week.

A perennial problem for HOAs is a lack of membership participation preventing board elections. Many associations have elections canceled year after year due to the failure to have the minimum number of members participating, also known as a quorum.

A recurring and incorrect urban legend is that an obscure corporations code statute allows HOAs to reduce their quorum to a lower number if the first attempts fail. Some HOAs try to amend their bylaws to establish a lower quorum, but even that amendment vote requires a minimum quorum to pass.

Assembly Bill 1458, authored by Assemblyman Tri Ta of Westminster, would make a simple but important change, allowing HOAs to use a quorum of 20% for the next attempted election if the first board election meeting failed for insufficient participation. This reduction in quorum only would apply to board elections and no other membership vote decisions.

Assembly Bill 648 would, if passed, allow HOAs to have purely virtual or telephonic meetings without having a physical location announced for those not wishing to participate virtually or telephonically. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia of Anaheim, would require that any board votes must be by roll call vote and clear instructions for participation be provided. Only board meetings could be purely virtual or telephonic. This expands the present law, which allows purely virtual board or membership meetings only when a declared emergency makes a physical meeting unsafe or impossible.

California law allows a property owner to execute a “revocable transfer on death deed” to allow someone to transfer a residence upon death without a trust or probate proceeding.

Stock cooperatives were excluded from this law because their members have shares of stock not deeds. Assembly Bill 288, authored by Assemblymember Brian Maienschein of North San Diego County, adopts California Law Revision Commission recommendations. The bill would allow owners of stock cooperative homes to also execute the revocable transfer on death “deeds” to transfer that share of stock (and therefore the home) to someone without a trust or probate proceeding.

Civil Code 5551, enacted in 2020, requires all HOAs to have visual inspections of exterior elevated elements within the HOA’s maintenance or repair responsibility. The inspection must be by a licensed structural engineer or architect, and the first inspection must occur by the end of 2024.

Assembly Bill 1101, authored by Assemblymember Heath Flora of the San Joaquin Valley, would add a third allowable inspector as an option, a Branch 3 registered pest control company.

“Branch 3” licenses are regarding the destruction of wood by pests or organisms and require 100 training hours training (80 of which is fieldwork) and a test to obtain, per California Regulations Title 16 Section 1937. This would make Civil Code 5551 inspections easier and less expensive for HOAs to obtain.

June 2, 2023 is the deadline for bills to pass their initial house of origin, so there is time to contact your representative and voice your opinions. Visit leginfo.legislature.ca.gov to read the bills.

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers and Partner of Richardson Ober LLP, a California law firm known for community association expertise. Submit column questions to [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

ISA World Para Surfing Championship coming to Huntington Beach

• April 28, 2023

Huntington Beach has been selected to host the International Surfing Association’s World Para Surfing Championship later this year.

The event, now in its eighth year, follows an Olympic-style format and if organizers are successful in their bid, it will soon be part of the Paralympic Games.

Last year’s championships at Pismo Beach in Central California drew 180 athletes on 28 national teams, a huge leap from the first event in 2015 that drew 69 competitors from 18 nations. Competition this year will run from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11.

The ISA is working to get the sport added into the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles; surfing debuted in the last Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Huntington Beach officials have made it no secret that they want to host the surfing portion of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and if approved by the International Paralympic Committee, surfing’s first Paralympic Games.

“Huntington Beach checks all the key criteria boxes for venue selection for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games’ venue selection,” said Kelly Miller, CEO of Visit Huntington Beach. “HB’s historical and iconic pier delivers arguably some of the most consistent waves in all of California.”

And, if the Olympics, Paralympics and U.S. Open of Surfing were to be all held at the same time of year, there could be a operational cost savings by using the same set up on the sand for all three events, Miller noted.

Surf City also has great accessibility from beach resort hotels, restaurants and shops to what would be the Olympic venue footprint near the pier, right in the heart of downtown, he noted.

“The ability to move easily to and from the venue regardless of the challenges competitors or attendees might have during a very busy time is critically important,” Miller said.

The city in recent years has installed two Mobi-Mats, strips of blue mesh material that lay across the sand as beach paths, near the pier so people in wheelchairs or who need a more solid surface can get closer to the water’s edge. There’s also one at the Equestrian Center to help access therapeutic horse riding programs at Central Park.

Kumaka Jensen, who has spina bifida, is the first to use a Mobi-Mat in Huntington Beach, CA on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. The mat is a nylon mesh that lies on the sand and keeps devices like wheelchairs from sinking into the sand.(Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

And there’s more effort underway to make sure all visitors feel welcome, Miller said, with the city taking proactive approaches to develop programs and experiences that cater to a variety of populations who want a world-class beach experience.

“Accessibility matters. We are forming a task force by mid-June that is representative of a variety of challenged populations to help us craft a strategic vision and plan,” he said. “Our vision is for Huntington Beach to be known as one of the most accessible cities in the country.”

Being selected by the ISA as the 2023 World Para Surfing Championship venue will help spearhead those initiatives, he said, and discussions will be underway with hotels and community partners to streamline ideas and experiences “to make anyone’s visit to Surf City USA unforgettable.”

The International Paralympic Committee is currently considering the inclusion of para surfing with the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee, officials said.

In January, the IPC governing board confirmed that para surfing has “demonstrated the competitive viability and integrity of the sport, as well as the strategic benefits to the Paralympic Games,” ISA officials said in a statement.

Huntington Beach has played a historic role in the sport of surfing, hosting many major surfing events through the decades.

The ISA World Surfing Games were held in town in 1984, 1996, 2006 and 2022, and the ISA World Juniors in 2005, 2018 and 2019. It’s also been home to the U.S. Open of Surfing for decades.

“I am so excited to see the world’s best para surfers in the iconic Surf City USA for the very first time. It will be amazing to see the level of energy and joy that para surfing can bring to the Paralympics at such an ideal stage,” ISA President Fernando Aguerre said in the announcement. “Para surfing continues to grow every year as we run this amazing and important championship. Athlete participation grows and the level of performance and competition increases at such a phenomenal rate.”

The ISA’s mission to create “A Better World Through Surfing,” is apparent through all the para surfing athletes, he said. “The life-changing effect that the ocean has is undeniable and surfing has played a key role in the healing of mind, body and spirit for so many in the para surfing community.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Can the new Problem Solvers Caucus make for better politics in California?

• April 28, 2023

That grand American myth of a halcyon time in the not-too-distant past when politicians of all stripes were friendly adversaries who were always collegial and hoisted a sarsaparilla together every evening after the sausage-making was done is probably mostly … a myth.

Surely it is true that Tip O’Neill, say, and Ronald Reagan, when one was the Democratic speaker of the House and the other the Republican president of the United States, had a glass of Irish whiskey, neat, together from time to time and toasted their health and that of the old country.

And, true, we’re guessing the same is not true of Speaker McCarthy and President Biden in the present day.

Since hope springs eternal, Americans can always root for a better political future when lawmakers can at least sometimes solve obvious problems.

Here in California, a small effort to make that happen has existed in Sacramento in the form of the Problem Solvers Caucus.

As CalMatters’ Sameea Kamal reports, “Every other week, the 21 members of the Problem Solvers Caucus gather for lunch to hear presentations on different policies. This session, they’re focusing on clean energy and homelessness — issues they say impact every legislative district in California.”

With the name and the intent based on the group of the same name in Congress, members say they have a “goal of creating a ‘neutral space’ that puts policy before politics.”

Just the very idea of that goal — the representatives we send to the state Capitol meeting together to get stuff done for us, their constituents, first and foremost, rather than toeing some party line that we don’t care a thing about — is music to most Californians’ jaded ears.

We may be — mostly; increasingly less so — registered nominally as either Republicans or Democrats. But few of us go deeply into the weeds of our party’s platforms. We just want economic and social prosperity in California.

More from CalMatters: “Launched in 2021 by then-Assemblymembers Adam Gray, a Democrat from Merced, and Jordan Cunningham, a Republican from San Luis Obispo, and Chad Mayes, the only independent legislator last session, the caucus includes equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, as well as proportional Assembly and Senate representation, according to Sen. Josh Newman, a co-chairperson and Democrat from Brea.”

One aspect for members of the caucus: “That structure — different from even other bipartisan caucuses — is designed to make it truly impartial. One condition of membership: No one can actively work against another member’s bill.”

Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua, a Democrat from Stockton, says working closely with Republican colleagues makes him think more about the fiscal impact of bills, which would be a nice thing for a lot more Sacramento Democrats to ponder now and again.

“You think of a bill — of what it does, and it may be really, really good,” he says. “But … it opens up my eyes more to look not just at the bill, but spend a lot more time on the fiscal part — like what is the cost of the bill? … Is it coming out of the general fund? Is it going to be a tax? So it really brings more awareness.”

California Republicans in the Legislature also have something very real to gain by going bi-partisan: Any hope of having skin in the game whatsoever, given the Democrats’ supermajorities in both the state Senate and the Assembly.

“Based on the policy that’s coming out of the Legislature, it’s pretty clear the progressives are getting their way,” Sen. Scott Wilk of Lancaster said. “So what can I do to be relevant and positively affect the lives of 40 million Californians? I think the best — the only — hope is the Problem Solvers.”

Perhaps, though at least so far the caucus has largely avoided taking on some of the biggest problems in the state. The caucus should be front and center championing sweeping reforms of the California Environmental Quality Act, for example, or working to dismantle wasteful projects like the high-speed rail project.

A big test for what the caucus can achieve may come now that the state is facing a massive budget deficit and will have to actually prioritize spending.

There are plenty of problems to solve. Here’s to hoping the Problem Solvers Caucus is up to the task of solving some of the big ones.

​ Orange County Register 

Memorial Mass honors former Mayor Richard Riordan and his devotion to LA

• April 28, 2023

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan will be honored today as Angelenos gather for a memorial Mass to celebrate the life of a man remembered for the way he led the city following the 1992 L.A. riots and during the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Riordan died April 19 at age 92. Soon after news broke of his passing, political, civic and religious leaders throughout L.A. were quick to praise Riordan for his lasting contributions to the city.

Today’s Mass will be at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A. Riordan had played a key role in getting the facility built after another cathedral suffered severe damage during the Northridge earthquake.

The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. with remarks by current L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, one of Riordan’s daughters, and other dignitaries. Archbishop José H. Gomez will preside over the 2 p.m. Mass. The homily will be delivered by Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, pastor at Riordan’s former parish, St. Monica Catholic Church.

The Mass will be livestreamed at olacathedral.org/RichardRiordan.

The service is open to the public, though seating is limited. Information about how to get to the cathedral, street closures and security checks can also be found on that website.

Born May 1, 1930, Riordan grew up in New York but eventually moved to Southern California, where he founded the law firm Riordan & McKinzie.

Law wasn’t his only pursuit, however.

Riordan was also a businessman who entered politics late in life. When elected in 1993 to serve as mayor, Riordan became the first Republican to hold that title in more than three decades.

Known as socially progressive but fiscally conservative, Riordan spurned the six-figure salary assigned to the mayor and instead accepted the job for just $1 a year.

Riordan led as mayor through the lens of a businessman, valuing results over bureaucratic red-tape. Often, he would encourage his staffers to do whatever they had to do to get the job done and to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

As the city’s top leader, Riordan inherited a fractured city when he became mayor a year after the infamous L.A. riots that followed the acquittal of four White officers caught on camera beating Rodney King, a Black motorist stopped by police.

In addition to trying to help Angelenos heal after the riots, Riordan was confronted with another challenge about six months after taking office: helping L.A. rebuild after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

During his eight years as mayor, Riordan also successfully helped championed against a campaign for the San Fernando Valley to secede from the rest of L.A.

Those who knew him say Riordan was also an avid reader who helped rebuild the city’s library system and that he loved children and gave generously to support the city’s youth.

Riordan died at his Brentwood home last week surrounded by his wife, Elizabeth, other family members, friends and his “precious pet dogs,” according to his family.

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​ Orange County Register