Print Police are searching for a gunman who wounded three teenagers in a shooting in Boyle Heights on Monday afternoon The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call about a multi-victim shooting at 3:51 p.m The Los Angeles Fire Department took a 15-year-old who were suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds The suspect was last seen traveling northbound on North Soto Street in a gray BMW sedan Authorities described the suspect as a heavyset man wearing a tie-dyed sweatshirt and blue pants The incident triggered a large law enforcement response and the closure of North Soto Street in both directions, according to helicopter video from KTLA. Clara Harter is a breaking news reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she covered politics and education for the L.A. Daily News. While at the Daily News, she published a series on fentanyl addiction that won a first-place investigative journalism award from the L.A. Press Club. Harter majored in political science and Middle Eastern studies at Columbia University. She loves surfing and, when not reporting, can most likely be found in the ocean. Climate & Environment World & Nation California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map 2025Two people were taken to a hospital and a suspect was in custody after a police chase ended with a two-vehicle crash in Boyle Heights.BOYLE HEIGHTS LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Two people were taken to a hospital and a suspect was in custody after a police chase ended with a two-vehicle crash Sunday afternoon in Boyle Heights The collision occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m near the Fourth Street overpass at the 101 Freeway wanted on suspicion of a shooting and assault with a deadly weapon was detained by Los Angeles Police Department officers Two innocent people were transported to a medical center with unknown injuries after being involved in the crash “From the time I was 5, every Christmas I’d get racetrack sets and RC cars,” says Young, wearing a B-Sedan baseball cap. “It’s always been cars in my life.” A model Toyota Celica. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) Though toys lit his spark, it was his uncles’ street-racing days, and the Japanese cars they drove, that ultimately shaped his taste. The RX-3 he’s polishing now, once featured on the TV series “Jay Leno’s Garage,” isn’t just a vintage gem. It’s the same model owned by one of his uncles, and the first one that caught his ear. “I liked it because it sounded racy,” he says. A sign on the wall sums up the hub’s ethos: “Come for the cars, stay for the vibes.” But VJMU is about more than just cars. It’s also about inclusivity, mentorship and community building. What sets the club apart is its focus on making car culture accessible to everyone. Cars don’t need to be in mint condition. VJMU embraces an unapologetically raw and edgy spirit that Young likens to “underground hip-hop.” That ethos is reflected by VJMU handing out awards at its car shows such as “best patina” and “best work in progress.” Lifestyle From the Venice Boardwalk to Rodeo Drive and Boyle Heights’ Cesar E these walks allow you to experience L.A.’s streets and sidewalks by foot what matters more than a pristine restoration is how the car showcases its owner’s unique style reflected in the club’s motto: “Fresh s— only.” “It’s about individual expression through your build,” he says “Where’s the spin on it with your personality?” VJMU’s focus on making a personal statement with one’s car is rapidly turning into a movement with its own momentum Young just wanted to have some fun with friends While he was still a professional mixed martial artist Young — who owns and teaches classes at Fight Academy Pasadena — organized a casual potluck-style hangout for car-loving pals outside one of his matches Hoping to create something more intentional yet still personal he teamed up with car-obsessed friends: forklift mechanic Jaime Cabral IT professional Marlon Trujillo and Honda sales tech Henry Mendez A framed photo of VJMU club members hangs on the wall (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) The group of native Angelenos bonded over their shared love of pre-1975 Japanese cars Young explains that they have fewer moving parts than traditional piston engines yet deliver surprising power for their relatively compact cars from this era are considered smog-exempt saving both the cost and hassle of compliance Alongside Young’s RX-3 was Barbachan’s red ’72 Mazda RX-2 while Trujillo brought a vintage Mazda rotary engine pickup truck to the mix but his ’73 white Toyota Corolla still fit squarely within the pre-1975 Japanese car wheelhouse The group gave themselves a name — Vintage Japanese Motor Union — a logo printing VJMU decals and selling them for $5 each at local car meets and online “We wanted to see if we could expand our reach in the community throw events that reflect our style and monetize the brand,” Young says The grassroots branding helped fuel momentum and broaden their influence It also showed them their potential as a legitimate car club VJMU staged its first official car show in 2019 outside a friend’s body shop that drew 140 vintage Japanese cars and several hundred attendees The overwhelming turnout made it clear that it was time to establish a permanent home base of their own That marked the turning point for what has grown into a distinguished car club and brand — with major sponsors like Falken Tires Sunoco and Hagerty — as well as a marketing and events company curating high-profile gatherings like SoHo Warehouse’s five-year anniversary party last October which featured performances by notable hip-hop artists Talib Kweli and Murs Racing posters and photos are displayed on the walls (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) VJMU also boasts almost 24,000 social media followers An outlier in the Japanese classic car space as a prominent Black influencer Young acknowledges the importance of that visibility it’s less about recognition than representation but I do see it as a necessity for people to know that car culture runs through every neighborhood,” he says “It just so happens that I grew up in South Central and some people just didn’t take notice of us in general Young takes particular pride in VJMU’s identity as a Black- and Latino-owned car club competing as a team in a sport that’s traditionally been dominated by affluent At a recent race-meets-car-show at Willow Springs Raceway Young says it was deeply moving to witness so many Black and Latino kids feeling welcome in a space where they could not only see themselves reflected but begin to imagine their future in a world that hasn’t always made room for them That inclusive spirit is steering VJMU’s next phase Young’s developing a school-based internship program that would offer academic credit and paid experience to local youth granting access to a world they might otherwise have never stepped into framed by the picturesque Sixth Street Viaduct Its outdoor area is suited to large-scale car meet-ups and crowds and its cinematic surroundings match the club’s gritty aesthetic Tools and racing awards (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) The spot also embodies deep Los Angeles pride “We’re rooted in our L.A.-ness 100%,” Young says different aesthetics … it’s always been something that came about from L.A. whether it’s lowriders in Boyle Heights or driving out to the coast with the top down with the bridge kind of separating the East and West side,” he continues the clubhouse will house two race simulators available for rent with sponsored community days covering costs for those who can’t afford the fee Ask any local to define the neighborhood and they’ll tell you it’s the ‘real Eastside.’ In the meantime, Young is preparing for the clubhouse’s next big event, a Cinco de Mayo street celebration on May 4 with live music, local food vendors and, of course, plenty of vintage Japanese cars. Looking further ahead, he is hoping to shut down the Sixth Street Viaduct for a full-on VJMU takeover for the clubhouse’s two-year anniversary next year. Wherever the road beyond that leads, it’s clear that VJMU’s wheels are in motion. Juliana Yamada is a photography fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She grew up in Torrance and earned her bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from San Francisco State University. She has held photo internships at the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED and the San Francisco Standard and has worked with the Associated Press, CalMatters and more. In 2024, she received grant support from Women Photograph for a yearlong photo essay. Travel & Experiences LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio A California bill aims to curb illicit copper wire sales amid a surge in thefts that have blacked out streetlights in Boyle Heights and other parts of Los Angeles This piece of legislation — introduced by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez — seeks to crack down on copper wire theft by enhancing reporting requirements for junk dealers and recyclers establishing a licensing requirement for copper sellers modernizing restrictions on the possession of scrap metal from critical public infrastructure and revising penalties to better reflect the true cost to the public “These measures will increase transparency discourage illicit sales and ensure accountability throughout the recycling and resale process,” according to an analysis of the bill said the “consequences of these thefts are far-reaching.” The city’s Bureau of Street Lighting reported about 45,000 service requests in 2024 many of which were due to theft or vandalism in “one particularly egregious case,” Gonzalez said 38,000 feet — nearly seven miles — of copper was stolen from the Sixth Street Bridge This resulted in repair costs of approximately $2.5 million despite the stolen metal’s street value being a mere $11,000 “These crimes go beyond financial losses; they create unsafe conditions for residents and businesses by leaving streets neighborhoods and business corridors in complete darkness,” Gonzalez said Supporters of the bill include the League of California Cities The Recycled Materials Association is opposing the bill noting that requiring “many of the honest and hardworking retail suppliers that collect and sell recycled material to obtain an expensive and time-consuming contractor’s license would either force them out of business or give them no option other than to sell to black market recyclers,” according to the bill’s analysis many people are laying low and keeping their heads down Cesar Chavez Avenue is the backbone of this immigrant community It's usually busy with people selling fruit, tamales, clothing and trinkets on the street, but on a recent Friday afternoon, the sidewalks were quiet — residents feared Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids Just off the avenue, in the broadcast studio of radio station KQBH Kennia Camacho is using her weekly hour-long show "What I noticed is the lack of people showing up in places and how entirely scary it's been." She said "How do we feel safe walking down the street?" The 19-year-old takes to the airwaves every Friday evening for an hour to discuss her own fears and the crisis facing her community "I wanted my show to be something like a place where I can be myself and hopefully people can also be themselves." The low-power station's broadcast covers an area of just 10 miles It's located in the historic building that's home to the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory a nonprofit community hub offering classes in arts and more than 85% of households do not speak English at home according to data from the LA Department of City Planning Fears of ICE raids in Los Angeles have emerged in recent months and many in the community are spending more time at home which means fewer customers at local businesses they make more sense than they do in my head," Camacho said 'I don't deserve to be here,' it's almost like when she was a 17-year-old high school senior she said she grew up with the radio always on in her home and was drawn to the way that many of these broadcast personalities connected with their audiences "My whole purpose is to connect with people," she said "I wanted my show to be a place where I can be myself and hopefully lead so people can also be themselves." The theme of one recent show was impostor syndrome Camacho discussed her anxiety of an upcoming summer internship She looks up to older family members who have left LA to go to college and pursue careers but wonders if success might mean giving up parts of herself she shares a story about one of her relatives Despite her elite education and accompanying success she told Camacho she felt sad and lonely because her cultural culinary needs weren't being met She had a hard time finding tortillas in Boston I had to understand that not everyone has tortillas This is something we eat every single day," Camacho said "This tortilla is really a symbol that there aren't enough people like you for that to even be in the store near you And this is the first time in your life you're not surrounded by people like you." The second half of her show is dedicated to sharing crises sent to her during the week by friends The crises are commonplace for many college-age students: a nail artist anxious about charging his first professional client or Camacho dealing with romantic rejection and balancing multiple part-time jobs alongside a full class schedule Camacho feels the weight of responsibility she has taken on as a young voice of her community discussion of ICE raids and deportation has been part of every show "How can we uplift our community at this moment and remind ourselves that we're not alone?" She said She also works with local nonprofits handing out red cards informing people what their rights are if they encounter ICE community and Crisis Communicator with giving her strength and confidence to succeed She says she wants her show to be a way that people can understand that it's okay not to be okay You are deserving of all of these good things." and I think that's just come from my radio show," she said And if I have to be the brown woman that beats it and makes it She's turning around and using that confidence to help her community face its own crisis The radio version of this story was produced by Paige Waterhouse Become an NPR sponsor At a ceremony on April 11, non-profit developer A Community of Friends and Metro officially opened Lorena Plaza, a new affordable housing complex near the A Line's Indiana Station in Boyle Heights "Projects like Metro's Lorena Plaza exemplify a viable path to providing Angelenos with stable housing and opportunities through the Metro Joint Development Program—a program I had the honor of directing as Chair of Metro two years ago Our goal was to create 10,000 housing units on Metro-owned properties by 2031 with at least half designated as affordable," said L.A County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Hilda L we celebrate not only one of many new affordable housing projects in the First District but also the collaboration of partners like A Community of Friends who are crucial in working together to create meaningful solutions to housing challenges in Boyle Heights and throughout Los Angeles County." Named for its location at 1st and Lorena Streets the project consists of a four-story featuring 49 studio and three-bedroom apartments above roughly 7,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space The apartments will serve a mix of veterans as well as households earning between 30 and 50 percent of the area median income level designed the contemporary podium-type building which includes landscaped interior courtyards and Huizar dropped his objections to the project The project is the first Metro joint development to debut in 2025, but will not be the last. Completion of the 187-unit Vermont Santa Monica apartments is expected this summer in East Hollywood. Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky Looking for affordable housing? Visit lahousing.lacity.org/aahr and housing.lacounty.gov California's 2024 state income limits Click here for additional affordable housing resources Print The playwright speaks to De Los about her East L.A.-inspired production which opens in New York on April 27 Before “Real Women Have Curves” was a stage play or an award-winning film it was just a dream that Josefina López jotted down in her journal during bathroom breaks from her job at a garment factory in Boyle Heights She drew inspiration from her fellow seamstresses — women at the margins of society — who still radiated joy and wisdom despite their exploitative circumstances “My intention was to show people the courage it takes to be a person who’s been marginalized and to still love yourself,” said López over a Zoom call More than two decades since the 2002 release of the film — which introduced audiences to the Emmy-winning actor America Ferrera — López’s L.A dream is now getting its shine in New York Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo “Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” makes its official Broadway debut on April 27 at the James Earl Jones Theater This classic Eastside story centers Ana García a headstrong teen with educational aspirations The story touches on matters of body image and sexual autonomy within their community of immigrant women who are often shown toiling inside a garment factory amid the sweltering summer heat of 1987 The Broadway musical will round out the various iterations of this timeless story with music by Mexican singer Joy Huerta — one half of the duet Jesse y Joy — and composer Benjamin Velez The book for the musical was developed by Lisa Loomer along with Nell Benjamin López considers the musical’s premiere “divine timing.” “This story is coming out exactly at this time when we need a story to change the narrative about immigrants being criminals,” said López, referring to the Trump administration’s latest attempt to mass deport immigrants to El Salvador’s notorious prisons without due process “It takes getting to Broadway to change culture,” López added with a nod to the cultural impact that Jonathan Larson’s 1996 musical “Rent” had on the national conversation surrounding HIV/AIDS On the first day of production rehearsal, López gave an emotional speech about why she felt called to write “Real Women Have Curves” 37 years ago López based much of the story on her own experience as an undocumented young woman “I knew there was something magical and special about this moment in my life,” López told the cast “This story matters even if the whole world says you’re replaceable who leaves Boyle Heights to follow her dreams in the Big Apple López moved to New York City at 18 years old She attended the INTAR (International Arts Relations) Hispanic Playwrights in Residence Laboratory; led by Cuban American playwright María Irene Fornés it was where she began formalizing her ideas into a play “I wanted to fight for my humanity and write about my humanity,” López recalled “and about what it is to be a real human being and a woman.” (Michaelah Reynolds) Her first stage drama would premiere in 1990 at the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco with various productions taking place across the country thereafter it caught the attention of film producer George LaVoo who later approached López about adapting it for film With HBO supporting the production, America Ferrera, then 17, was cast as Ana — her biggest film role yet, after appearing in Disney sports comedy “Gotta Kick It Up!” Lupe Ontiveros, who performed in stage productions of the play and in various Gregory Nava films The 2002 film, directed by Patricia Cardoso, proved a hit at the Sundance Film Festival — it won the esteemed Audience Award for dramatic film. The onscreen mother-daughter pair, Ferrera and Ontiveros, jointly won the Special Jury Prize for acting. Trujillo, who is originally from Cali, Colombia, was undocumented for several years in Toronto before moving to New York to pursue a career in musical theater choreography. López called the partnership “a match.” “He’s the right director because I don’t have to explain to him the pain of being undocumented,” said López. “He understands how you suffer and feel invisible.” The Broadway musical represents a full-circle moment for López, who once fantasized about “Real Women Have Curves” being on a marqueeduring her New York residency. She might have even manifested its destiny in one of the final scenes of the 2002 film, when Ana surfaces from the subway station and finds herself in front of the box office of a Broadway show. The filming location was not intentional, López recalled — it was simply the closest subway station to LaVoo’s apartment— but something about that moment feels like kismet now. “It is my story and it is my fate,” said López. Andrea Flores is a reporter with De Los covering the many contours of Latinidad for the Los Angeles Times. She has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University and is originally from Waukegan, Ill. The entrance is angled in a way that you cannot easily see inside. Its two storefront windows are either partially or fully obstructed. But as soon as you walk in, the name of Alberto Santillan’s three-year-old store begins to make sense. A single hallway accesses three rooms — each bigger and more chaotic than the last. Up first is what Santillan calls the reading room, where classic graffiti, Playboy, film and art magazines lie on the floor or are positioned across the wall. Following that is the media room, packed with bookshelves, boxes and tables full of CDs, cassette tapes, vinyls and most of the 2,000 Mexican and American movies on VHS tapes that he once bought for $300 in the Central Valley. “You can drop 100 VHS tapes in front of me and I can tell you in two minutes which ones are worth watching,” said Santillan, a scrawny 35-year-old with thick-framed glasses who enthusiastically spoke about every item he touched. “I have years in this game.” He described the final room as “the ballroom,” since it’s the largest section of QVO. Old-school novelty shirts and outerwear hang from three large clothing racks. A mix of clothes are stashed in a few medium-sized boxes and sit on the floor in piles. Against the wall on the left side of the ballroom is a projector screen; across from it is a Panasonic projector in between two speakers. Magazines are displayed above clothing items in a room at QVO Laboratories in Los Angeles on March 3. (Etienne Laurent / For De Los) Since he opened three years ago, Santillan has hustled to make QVO more than just a place to shop. He has hosted everything from mental health support groups for Spanish speakers to screenings of underground films. His approach has earned praise from customers and collaborators. “He really knows about some pretty obscure stuff,” said Dan Kapelovitz, a Hollywood-based attorney and experimental filmmaker, who allowed Santillan to screen his 2012 movie “Triple Fisher: The Lethal Lolitas of Long Island” after Santillan reached out. “I thought I knew about all this obscure stuff, but he knows even way more.” “I think a lot of vintage stores now rely heavily on aesthetic and popularity,” said Michael Anthony Hall, who has collaborated with Santillan by screening LGBTQ-themed movies at the shop. “Now it almost feels like the vintage stores are competing with the department stores, whereas before that was an accessible route. I feel like QVO really holds on to that essence where it’s like for the community, it’s for Boyle Heights.” Music tapes are displayed in a room at QVO Laboratories. (Etienne Laurent / For De Los) “A space like mine is kind of unheard of, you know,” Santillan said sorrowfully as he looked down at the floor. “There’s no place like it and it’s worthy of your support.” “They are trying to demolish this building,” Santillan said of his landlord, Tiao Properties. “They want skyscrapers that are gonna be expensive, nice apartments that nobody in the neighborhood can afford.” Last year, QVO hosted community meetings for people, tenants and non-tenants alike, who opposed Tiao Properties’ plans. They informed one another about renters rights and protections in Los Angeles, and created a coalition that went to the city council to ask for help. “[The meetings] succeeded in uniting a lot of desperate folks to get involved,” Santillan said. Eva Garcia, a tenant organizer for the Community Power Collective, which works with low-income renters to win economic and social justice, said Santillan was kind and open to building community. “While he lent us [his store as a space] to have our meetings and for our tenants to learn their rights, for me it was mutual support,“ Garcia said. “Alberto received [help] from the community in different [ways] and one of them was to defend [his] building from being destroyed, so that he would not be evicted.” A Community Power Collective meeting inside QVO Laboratories. (Roberto Garcia-Ceballos) Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised in the Central Valley, Santillan grew up listening to 92.9 K-Fresno, which played classic rock such as The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and The Beatles. “That station got me on that ‘Maybe you’re into old things,’ you know?” he said. “And that’s cool, you know. Older s— will never go out of style. It’ll never die.” Santillan moved to Los Angeles in 2014 after losing his job — “I used to be one of those dudes who would post up on a street corner and just flip a sign, you know?” — and after his brother joined the Navy. He bounced around L.A. — East Hollywood, Silver Lake — trying to find a place he could afford and that felt like home. Then, Santillan came to Boyle Heights and never left. “I’ve lived here for seven years,” he said. “I ride very hard for this neighborhood.” Around the time he moved to the Eastside, Santillan dedicated himself to selling and curating clothes, cultural ephemera and analog media on eBay full time. “It’s fun like knowing things and translating that knowledge because a lot of people don’t really have a grasp on that,” he said. When his storage unit he was operating out of became too crammed to add any more items, Santillan decided to open a shop. He originally only wanted to run a store, but expanded his vision when he purchased a projector and sound system for $115, and found his current location through a Craigslist ad — “From looking at it to having the keys was like a week and a half.” He chose QVO Laboratories as his store’s name from his interest in research and trying new things, and the abbreviated form of the Spanish phrase “quiubo,” a contraction of “que hubo,” which translates to “what’s up” — a friendly greeting used across Latin America. For his shop’s logo, Santillan drew inspiration from the iconic logo of the infamous Mexican crime magazine “Alarma!.” QVO Laboratories owner Alberto Santillan stands in “the ballroom” of his vintage shop, which contains piles of clothes, a projection screen and a projector. (Etienne Laurent / For De Los) “You know, with any retail space in Los Angeles, it’s a work in progress,” Santillan said. “It’s still rolling along, I’m still learning more, and finding more stuff.” One issue that lingered in his mind since he opened QVO was that he said his landlord told him upfront that he only had two years before Tiao Properties planned to raze the building. The mixed-use establishment is about 100 years old with apartments upstairs and commercial spaces downstairs. When 2024 rolled in, Santillan and other longtime tenants worked together. In March, they attended an East Los Angeles Area Planning Commission meeting at Ramona Hall in Lincoln Heights where they and other community members urged commissioners to reject Tiao Properties’ plans to replace the Cesar E. Chavez Avenue building with a six-story structure, arguing the new development would price out longtime residents and not fit the aesthetics of Boyle Heights. Commissioners Gloria Gutierrez, Lydia Avila-Hernandez, and David Marquez agreed, citing a lack of parking and blocking out sunlight, among other concerns. Santillan and his fellow tenants won a temporary stop to the plan. “We won fair and square, you know?” he said. “It was like, community banding together, and we defeated the evil landlord.” Tiao Properties spokesperson Stephen Chavez told De Los in a statement that the real estate company is “looking at other options” for the QVO Laboratories building, “because of its delay and the feedback they are getting from the community. The original proposal is being reassessed, so there is no decision yet on how they are going to move forward on that property.” (Etienne Laurent/For De Los) Santillan is resigned to battling his landlord for the foreseeable future. However, he tries to stay hopeful by keeping himself busy with his ultimate goal and vision. “I want to see [QVO] thrive, grow, and continue to find its community,” he said. “I want to keep this in the hands of the community because it’s a rare gem and it deserves to exist. “But this is the long-term goal,” he concluded matter of factly. “I want to buy the building.” Amy Contreras is a spring intern with De Los the Los Angeles Times vertical that explores Latine culture and identity Contreras is a recent graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she worked on creating its first Latine campus newspaper Latine community through written storytelling