Feds Seize Suicide Kits Sold by 91-Year-Old Woman

(NEWSER) - The California man who murdered his ex-wife and eight members of her family on Christmas Eve while dressed as Santa Claus had cocaine in his system, the Los Angeles Times reports. The coroner’s office said the cocaine was present in trace amounts and was only a contributing factor to Bruce Jeffrey Pardo’s rampage. After committing the murders and setting the house where they took place ablaze, Pardo took his own life. More»

34,000 plants growing in Topanga State Park

(NEWSER) - A $100 million marijuana plantation was destroyed by a police raid in Topanga State Park in Los Angeles on Friday. The 34,000-plant operation deep in the park's back country is the largest busted by cops in the Santa Monica Mountains in seven years, reports the Los Angeles Times . No one was arrested, but three men were spotted fleeing the scene. Park rangers and sheriff's deputies discovered the operation after finding a dam that was diverting water from a creek to irrigate the plants in the park, which is located entirely within LA city limits. More»

Oblivious texter nearly walks into new neighbor

(NEWSER) - There goes the neighborhood. A black bear apparently sick of roughing it in the wilds of California decided to check out a suburb 10 miles north of Los Angeles in the Verdugo Mountains area. The bear was spotted lounging on a lawn before investigating several backyards, shooting him to the top of the list of suspects tearing through trash bins the last few weeks, reports AP . One pedestrian was so focused on his cell phone that he didn't notice his new neighbor until the last minute—then sprinted to safety. Despite the bear's powerful jaws and giant claws, the three-year-old male appeared to be "pretty mellow," said one ranger. He was eventually tranquilized while napping under a tree, and removed to a woodsy area where the taxes aren't so high. More»

Valerie Nash, 47, was discovered yesterday in Palms neighborhood

(NEWSER) - A Los Angeles woman was found dead yesterday after apparently committing suicide with a chainsaw. Police say Valerie Nash, 47, was discovered inside her home in Palms by her sister, "with a chainsaw wound on her neck," reports CBS Los Angeles . An LAPD sergeant says, “At this point, we’re investigating it as a suicide, as she left a suicide note." More»

Cessna strays too close as Obama heads to LAX

(NEWSER) - What were they smoking? A four-seater Cessna plane hauling marijuana yesterday strayed into restricted airspace designed to protect President Obama, who was flying on Marine One; the small plane was intercepted by fighter jets. The incident occurred as the president was traveling in the helicopter from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport, reports the Los Angeles Times . Authorities attempted repeatedly to contact the Cessna 182. When the pilot failed to respond, two F-16s forced the aircraft to land nearby at Long Beach Airport, where it was met by law enforcement. More»