Mayor Villaraigosa loses senior press secretary
Starts new job in Chicago
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's senior press secretary announced today she is leaving Los Angeles for her native Chicago to be the communications director for that city's police department.
Sarah Hamilton will step down from the Los Angeles mayor's staff on Friday. She will start her new job in mid-August.
Hamilton has worked for Villaraigosa since March 2009, handling press duties through three years of budget crises, the selection of Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck, the attack on a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium and, most recently, the "Carmageddon'' freeway closure.
Before coming to Los Angeles, Hamilton coordinated media for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and was deputy director of communications for the Clinton Foundation for 4 1/2 years.
"Working in the Villaraigosa administration has been fantastic, and it is an honor to have played even a small role in the phenomenal work this mayor is doing for this city,'' Hamilton said.
"It is bittersweet to leave Los Angeles, but as a Chicago native, I am very excited to return to the city where I grew up and serve its residents by working in Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel's administration.''
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—With one alleged suspect in custody, police will continue the search today for a man and a female believed to have been involved in the brutal assault of a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium on opening day.
Giovanni Ramirez, 31, of Los Angeles, was taken into custody by Los Angeles police at about 7:10 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of North Mariposa Avenue. He was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon—the foot he used to kick his victim—and held in lieu of $1 million bail.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to highlight his eight years in office — particularly in the areas of public safety, education, business, transportation and the environment — when he delivers his final “state of the city” address this afternoon.
A man cleared of the beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow at Dodger Stadium on opening day last year is suing the city and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, alleging defamation.
Giovanni Ramirez, who is representing himself, is asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said today he welcomed news of a pending sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but said he wanted the new owner to be somebody local.
“It absolutely has to be somebody from L.A., somebody who loves this town, who believes in this city and understands that the Dodgers aren’t just a team. They’re a collective community asset,” the mayor said.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Two men were charged today with mayhem, assault and battery in connection with the opening-day beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow outside Dodger Stadium, and the man who had been arrested in connection with the beating was officially exonerated.
Louis Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, both of Rialto, are scheduled to be arraigned Monday in downtown Los Angeles. They were both arrested Thursday and were being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
