Arraignment has been scheduled in mid February for the five Memphis police officers
in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.
NBA Conference Finals game 3 tonight at 9PM. Golden State Warriors leads the series 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks. It is expected that the Mavericks will do much better defensively on their home court, in this must win game for them.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There were new developments overnight in the scandal surrounding nursing home deaths during the pandemic. Published reports by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal allege top aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo intervened to rewrite a July 2020 draft report by the Department of Health on nursing home deaths to conceal the actual number of people who passed away. It was a problem because of a March 25 Department of Health order that said nursing homes should accept a return of patients who had COVID-19 and had been treated in hospitals, CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported. According to the papers, the draft report said that nearly 10,000 nursing home residents died from the coronavirus . But after the alleged “rewrite,” which excluded patients transferred to hospitals who later died, the public was told the number of people who died was 6,432. Beth Garvey, special counsel to the governor, issued a statement saying: The out of facility data was omitted after DOH could not confirm it had been adequately verified – this did not change the conclusion of the report, which was and is that the March 25 order was “not a driver of nursing home infections or fatalities.” Federal prosecutors are investigating the alleged cover-up of nursing home deaths. Cuomo is also facing new revelations in his sexual harassment scandal after one of his accusers spoke out on camera for the first time. Charlotte Bennett, 25, spoke from the heart in an exclusive interview with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell . Bennett is one of three women pointing their fingers at the governor. Bennett charged that in May 2020, Cuomo asked her what she called inappropriate questions that made her think he wanted to have sexual relations with her. Bennett said the governor repeatedly asked her about being a rape survivor. “Why do you think he was fixated on you as a survivor of sexual assault?” O’Donnell asked. “I think it’s really strategic. I think abusers look for vulnerabilities, previous traumas, the idea that maybe I’m more willing to accept behavior because I have a history of sexual violence, perhaps I’m not as confident in myself because of my history,” Bennett said. Cuomo publicly apologized to Bennett and said he never touched anyone inappropriately.
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Reports: Top Cuomo Aides Allegedly Altered July Report To Conceal Number Of Nursing Home Deaths
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Several people are hurt, including two children, after a multi-vehicle crash sent debris flying through the air during the morning commute in Manhattan. The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. at the corner of 2nd Avenue and East 50th Street in Midtown . Police said a white van was driving south on 2nd Ave. when it hit a black Toyota Camry, causing the Camry to spin out and crash into an outdoor dining area nearby. Fortunately, no one was inside the structure. The white van then crashed into a food stand about a block away at 49th Street. Police said seven people were taken to the hospital, including two children, ages 5 and 7, who were hit by debris. (Credit: Blank Slate Restaurant) A restaurant owner whose business is right in front of the scene said one of his employees heard a loud bang and rushed out to help. “He came right out, he called 911. Luckily, no one got hurt. We had people seated in all these little huts. Luckily, just some debris made it over here, nothing more than that,” Zach Israel told CBS2’s Kiran Dhillon. “We heard the sirens all morning. My son said he woke up and heard like a boom, like a bomb, or someone falling from a building and screens,” another person added. All of the victims were taken to area hospitals in stable condition and expected to be OK. Police said the driver of the van is in custody. Check back with CBS2, CBSN New York and CBSNewYork.com for more on this breaking news.
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7 Hurt, Including 2 Children, After Car Slams Into Outdoor Dining Structure In Midtown
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Nearly five months after Westchester County and Long Island theaters reopened , New York City movie theaters welcomed back audiences Friday. Theaters can reopen at 25% capacity, with no more than 50 people per screen at a time. Masks and social distancing are required, except when eating or drinking, and seat will be assigned. As CBS2’s John Dias reported, the popcorn was popped and the soda was flowing. Some things felt the same at many theaters again for a pastime countless have missed. “Just the experience of getting out of the house and doing something else, being around other people,” Manhattan resident Lars Dewenter told Dias. “The popcorn, the big screen, the Dolby surround sound. The stuff you just don’t get at home watching on your regular TV,” Flatbush resident Beverly Johnson said. It’s been almost a year since statewide COVID restrictions shut down movie theaters. Mostly all have since been lifted, but the city was last. So most New Yorkers have been forced to stream movies at home. “Watching at home by myself is different,” said Ricky Ho, of Rego Park, Queens. While some companies like Regal Cinemas still haven’t set a reopening date, and others aren’t opening concession stands, AMC Theaters welcomed back guests at all of its 13 city theaters. A line formed before the one in Times Square reopened. Dias met an Upper East Side man named Thomas who had been waiting outside for an hour to make sure he scored a ticket to see “Raya and the Last Dragon.” “It’s a Disney film, and the last Disney movie I saw in theaters was of course ‘Onward,’” he said. He said he feels safe being back, especially since AMC partnered with Clorox and Harvard University public health faculty to develop safety protocol, including upgraded air filtration and automatic seat blocking in each auditorium. “It’s more safer than, no offense to any people at restaurants, but it’s more safer than dining inside,” he added. All theaters are limited to 25% capacity, with no more than 50 people per screen at a time. Masks and social distancing are required, except when eating or drinking, and there is assigned seating. Billiard halls also reopened statewide Friday at 35% capacity in New York City and 50% outside the city.
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New York City Movie Theaters Reopen After Nearly A Year Of COVID Restrictions
UNION CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A couple hundred seniors were among the first New Jersey residents to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Friday in Union City . Many of the residents CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge met had been worrying about how to use a computer to book an appointment, or even how to physically get there. So health officials brought the vaccine to them — right in their own apartment building. Since the Johnson & Johnson shot only requires one dose, they are now fully vaccinated. Gov. Phil Murphy met health officials and watched as Anna Maria Flores received her vaccine. She said she feels safer and relieved. She was one of 400 seniors at the Union Plaza apartments getting the single-dose shot Friday morning. The building was chosen because a large majority of the seniors who live there have disabilities, and the single-dose is much more accessible. There have been questions surrounding Johnson & Johnson’s overall efficacy not being as high as Moderna and Pfizer , but health officials say it has its advantages . It’s easier to transport and store, and you don’t have to worry about booking a second shot. Officials say that makes it more effective in the more vulnerable or hard to reach communities. “That’s terrific, because you never know what could happen in six weeks, four weeks or whatever. That’s just terrific,” one woman said. “This vaccine was tested in the teeth of the raging virus, including a significant amount of the trial in South America, Brazil specifically, and South Africa,” Murphy said. “One-hundred percent effective against hospitalizations and death, thank God, 85% effective against severe illness.” The governor stressed the sooner people get shots, the better change of keeping people out of hospitals and preventing variants from spreading.
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New Jersey Health Officials Bring State’s First Doses Of Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine To Union City Senior Complex
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — Three people face several drug-related charges Friday after a honey oil lab exploded inside a Riverside apartment. (credit: Riverside Police Department) The explosion happened at about 6 a.m. Monday morning in the 600 block of Central Avenue, in the Canyon Crest neighborhood of Riverside. Police officers and firefighters were called out to respond to the fire, which was determined to have been caused by a butane honey oil lab set up inside one of the apartments and displaced several neighbors. A 38-year-old man with severe burn injuries was taken to the hospital shortly after the explosion, police said. Officers went to the hospital to talk to him and the woman who took him to the hospital and identified them as the residents of the apartment where the explosion happened. (credit: Riverside Police Department) The unidentified man was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Burn Unit for further medical treatment, but faces charges in the explosion to be filed at a later date, according to police. The woman who took him to the hospital, 41-year-old Lisa Marie Twyman, was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit a felony, and outstanding misdemeanor warrants. Twyman is being held on $50,000 bail. Cutter Mendonca, 22, was also arrested in a car nearby on outstanding warrants, weapons violations, and drug violations. He is also believed to be affiliated with the two suspects and their apartment, police said. The displaced neighbors were assisted by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Victim Services Unit. Anyone with more information about the suspects or the investigation can contact the Riverside Police Department’s narcotics unit at (951) 353-7200.
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3 Face Drug Charges After Honey Oil Lab Explodes In Riverside Apartment
CORONA (CBSLA) – The city of Corona teamed up with Riverside County to offer seniors a a chance to get the COVID-19 vaccine this week. A COVID-19 vaccine event at the Corona Senior Center in Corona, Calif. March 4, 2021. (CBSLA) The two-day Pfizer vaccine event was being held Thursday and Friday at the Corona Senior Center. It was open to anyone age 65 and older. For information on getting an appointment, click here . Through Thursday, Riverside County has recorded 290,744 cases and 3,884 deaths from the disease. Over 547,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered.
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COVID Vaccine Event Held For Seniors In City Of Corona
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — The New York State Assembly and Senate are voting to repeal temporary emergency powers granted to Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Those powers are set to expire April 30. If repealed, executive orders currently in place related to the reduction of COVID-19 cases, the vaccine process and requiring face coverings will remain in place for 30 days. READ MORE: Reports: Top Cuomo Aides Allegedly Altered July Report To Conceal Number Of Nursing Home Deaths However, Cuomo would no longer be allowed to make decisions without input from the legislature.
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New York State Legislature Voting On Repeal Of Gov. Cuomo’s Emergency Powers
( CBS Detroit ) — A third stimulus check is a very popular idea, and it’s not hard to see why. People like free money. A Quinnipiac University poll last month showed that almost 80 percent of Americans favor $1,400 stimulus checks and not quite 70 percent support the $1.9 trillion stimulus package that contains them. The scope of the American Relief Plan, including income caps on stimulus checks, is currently up for discussion in the Senate. The minimum wage hike looks likely to disappear entirely. The income phase out for stimulus checks also seems like it will become much more drastic. Other changes are certainly possible before an amended version of the bill is voted upon. If it passes in the Senate with the simple majority allowed by the reconciliation process– no Republicans are expected to vote in favor — then it will return to the House. The bill, in whatever form it ends up, will probably be far from perfect. Most bills are. But many complaints have arisen since it was initially proposed back in January. Foremost among them may be that it doesn’t match the present needs of the country. The economy and the fight against COVID have both shown signs of improvement in the last two months. The pace of job layoffs has slowed some and the rate of vaccinations has picked up. The country seems to be emerging from the dark days of winter. There is a light at the end of the tunnel that isn’t an oncoming train. Yet the country is also about to receive a stimulus package nearly the size to the $2 trillion CARES Act, passed at the pandemic’s outset. That begs the question: is the American Relief Plan, as constructed, really what’s needed right now? Pete Kyle, the Charles E. Smith Chair Professor of Finance at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, doesn’t think so. “I would err on the side of moderation and conservatism in the sense of not make it too big,” says Kyle. “Because the dangers of doing too much are really catastrophic. The dangers of doing not enough are that you can do more…” Aside from a $1,400 relief payment, the American Rescue Plan also currently includes higher unemployment benefits, a bigger child tax credit, help for communities and small businesses, and billions more dollars to stop the spread of COVID-19 through testing, tracing and vaccinations. These and other programs aim to support millions of Americans dealing with financial troubles brought on by the pandemic and prop up the economy as vaccinations continue. The bill passed the House with minimal changes but could face a rockier road in the Senate. How the bill evolves in the coming days will determine how much money actually reaches the public. But there are dangers — or, at least, uncertainties — to injecting this much stimulus into the economy. One of the possible dangers is inflation . By the end of the year, the Congressional Budget Office expects the federal debt to exceed the size of the whole economy, which, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), is almost $21 trillion . (GDP measures the value of all the goods and services produced in an economy.) Another $1.9 trillion in stimulus would probably add to the deficit and eventually the debt. A higher federal debt means the government has to pay more in interest to service it. More money spent on servicing the debt means less spent on goods and services for the country. People’s standard of living declines. U.S. companies become riskier investments, increasing their cost of borrowing. Those costs are passed on to consumers, leading to inflation in the economy. That’s how the theory goes. “My opinion is that [1.9 trillion] will risk government debt overwhelming the private savings, create inflation and lead to high real interest rates,” says Kyle. “And that’s a very dangerous situation to get into. “We already had a stimulus enacted back in December,” Kyle points out. “And that should carry us forward for six months or so. With the stuff they are doing now, a lot of it will show up later. But later the economy should have recovered. And maybe you don’t want to overstimulate the economy later. That poses catastrophic risks. And when I say catastrophic, I mean a repeat of what happened in the 1970s.” The 1970s saw inflation rates reach 8.8 percent in 1973 and rise to 12 percent toward the end of the decade. Interest rates reached as high 20 percent. (For reference, the annual inflation rate in 2020 was 0.6 percent, and interest rates were in the low single digits.) Stimulus checks, in particular, could also pose a serious risk. According to Kyle, “the kind of stimulus that’s being discussed, which is mailing checks to everybody, that is encouraging people to stay at home and not to work. It’s going to create, essentially, exactly the possibility of a catastrophic outcome, because inflation is driven both by demand and supply. The demand is the demand for products, and the supply is the supply of labor. Labor is not being supplied, because people are staying home. You get wage inflation, because wages are being bid up. And then that will be passed to the demand side, and we’ll see price inflation.” The economy and the public is already expecting a sizeable stimulus package. And politicians — at least Democrats — are aiming to deliver the bill by March 14. So it’s a little late in the game for wholesale changes. Suppose time were somehow less of an issue. What could be done to allay inflation fears and make the bill more palatable to the more fiscally conservative, while still addressing some of the ongoing weakness in the economy? As Kyle notes, “there has been a huge amount of support going to the economy. And continuing with a shrinking level of support would be reasonable. And that would mandate going forward with a program of tapering off the support that we have been giving the economy in the past year. Looking towards the private sector industries that have been shut down, the opening will create new jobs. The government spending, which has supported the economy for a while, might go quite moderate or even small.” Whatever else may get cut, there’s little chance the country won’t see a third round of stimulus checks. They’re just too politically popular. But many believe they also come with a significant downside. “The idea of these giant stimulus checks has an element of let’s redistribute some wealth, and let’s buy some votes at the same time by taking credit for it,” Kyle says. “You have a lot of people who’ve been sitting at home receiving government support and are used to not working. There’s a lot of inertia in a lot of people. So what we need to do is give them incentives, but not incentives to stay at home. But, rather, incentives to get into the workforce. So I would prefer to see incentives that are aimed at rewarding people for getting into the workforce, not rewarding people for not working. If you think the economy needs stimulus, give people tax cuts for participating in the labor market, rather than giving them payments to stay out of the labor market.”
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Stimulus Check Update: Are Relief Payments Bad For The Economy?
( CBS Los Angeles )- The final weekend of college basketball’s regular season is here, and CBS has a Los Angeles rivalry battle on tap as the USC Trojans visit the UCLA Bruins in the Pac-12 conference regular season finale on Saturday afternoon. The Trojans dominated the Bruins, 66-48, in the first meeting at the Gallen Center and are looking for a season sweep. College Basketball on CBS analyst Gary Parrish points to how the Bruins handle Trojans star Evan Mobley as the key to whether they’ll be able to avoid the season sweep. “UCLA did a pretty decent job, all things considered, on Evan Mobley in that first game. He only had nine points got six field goal attempts,” Parrish said in an interview with CBS Local’s Ryan Mayer. “Obviously that wasn’t a recipe for success, because they still lost the game by 18. But I do think everything starts with keeping him under control when USC’s on offense, and then on defense making sure he’s not too disruptive. You have to be aware of where he is at all times, the reason that defense is so good starts with him.” The Trojans defense ranks among the nation’s elite, checking in at 15 in Ken Pomeroy’s Adjusted Defensive Efficiency ratings. Not only that, they’re in the top 30 in offensive efficiency. So this is a tough matchup for UCLA, especially considering the loss of senior guard Chris Smith in early January to a torn ACL. “Every conversation about UCLA has to start with the fact that they lost their best player after eight games. The fact that Mick has been able to hold this thing together as well as he has all things considered, is pretty impressive. Losing your best player is hard. If you add him back into this roster, everything is different,” Parrish said. But, the Bruins can certainly make Saturday competitive if they’re just able to find their normal shooting stroke against the Trojans. The first time the two met, UCLA shot just 3-19 from three, a 15.8% clip that’s well below their 36.9% mark for the season. If they’re able to get closer to that season-average clip and do the same type of defensive job they did on Mobley in the first outing, they could certainly pull out the win at home. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, both teams appear to be headed for the NCAA Tournament in just a few weeks. For USC, there’s an opportunity to make a real run in the tournament if, as Parrish says, they can just find their form from a few weeks ago. “There was a time not too long ago when I was looking at USC and talking about them as a legitimate Final Four contender. They’re now projected as more of a seven seed. In terms of what you want to see, just get back to playing the way you were when you won seven straight games,” Parrish said. “We know what’s capable from this team, we don’t have to wonder about how good they can be, we’ve seen them be good. They need to spend this weekend and this week getting back to what they were in January, because what they were in January was, I think, one of the best teams in the country.” “They have a coach who has done it before, not at USC but at Florida Gulf Coast, so he knows what it looks like to march through a bracket to make the second weekend. And they have an undeniable future lottery pick in Evan Mobley who has lived up to all expectations, perhaps exceeded them,” Parrish continued. “You’re talking about a 7-footer who is awesome around the rim, and awesome rim protector but can also step away from the basket and knock down perimeter jumpers. He is exactly what you look for when you are looking for a modern-day big in the NBA.” Tune in Saturday, March 6 as USC and UCLA wrap up their Pac-12 regular seasons with a crosstown battle on CBS tip-off set for 4 p.m. ET.
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If USC Can Find Its Earlier Form, CBS’ Gary Parrish Believes They Could Make A Run In NCAA Tournament: ‘We Know What This Team Is Capable Of’
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Police are trying to track down a man in new surveillance video allegedly connected to the deadly stabbing of a good Samaritan who tried to stop a robbery in Brooklyn . Yong Zheng , 46, was killed on Feb. 26 after he intervened in what turned out to be a robbery of an illegal gambling den in Sunset Park . Zheng, who was returning from dinner with his family, saw the victims of the robbery confront the suspects and believed it may have been another anti-Asian hate crime . Zheng ran over to help and was stabbed four times by the suspected robbers. The three robbery victims were also stabbed, but are expected to be OK. Zheng was the sole provider for his family, working as a bus driver. The community has set up a fundraiser for his two young children. To donate, visit gofund.me/85622e18 . Police arrested 45-year-old William Smith for Zheng’s murder, but sources said at least two other accomplices were on the loose. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips . All calls are kept confidential.
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NYPD Releases New Video Of Man Wanted After Good Samaritan Stabbed To Death Trying To Stop Robbery In Brooklyn
SAN DIEGO (CBSLA) – Nine great apes at the San Diego Zoo have received a COVID-19 vaccine, it was reported Thursday. The four orangutans and five bonobos received an experimental vaccine developed by drug maker Zoetis, per CBS News. The zoo chose to give the great apes the vaccine after several gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park contracted COVID-19 in early January. “That made us realize that our other apes were at risk,” Nadine Lamberski, chief conservation and wildlife health officer for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, told the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper Thursday. “We wanted to do our best to protect them from this virus because we don’t really know how it’s going to impact them.” They mark the first known non-human primates to get the shot, according to CBS News . Zoetis announced in late January that it had received a request from the zoo to provide them with the experimental vaccine for emergency use. Zoetis said it has tested the vaccine on dogs, cats and minks, and so far it has proven to be safe and effective. A San Diego zoo spokesman told CBS News that the great apes each received two doses of the vaccine over the past several weeks. This comes after at least two members of the troop of eight western lowland gorillas were infected with the disease in early January, showing symptoms such as congestion, mild coughing and lethargy. By late January, the animals were eating, drinking and interacting , which seemed to indicate they were on their way to fully recovering. The San Diego Zoo and its Safari Park reopened to the public on Jan. 30 after being closed for several months due to California’s regional stay-at-home order because of the pandemic. The nonprofit San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is the parent company for the zoo and the safari park.
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9 Great Apes At San Diego Zoo Become First Non-Humans To Receive A COVID Vaccine
CALIFORNIA CITY (CBSLA) — A relative of two missing toddlers from Kern County spoke out this week about the ongoing search for 4-year-old Orrin and 3-year-old Orson West. (credit: CBS) The two young brothers disappeared from the backyard of their adoptive parents’ home in California City on Dec. 21. There have been multiple searches in Bakersfield , where the boys lived with their adoptive parents, before moving to California City in September. Rosanna Willis, a biological relative of one of the boys, spoke to the Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce about the search . She said her gut feeling was that foul play is involved in the boys’ disappearance. “Two kids don’t just come up missing, especially in Cal City,” Willis said. “if you go out there and you look at the area, the neighbors, they see everything. Some of the neighbors there said they ain’t never seen kids.” Police say the boys’ adoptive parents are cooperating with the investigation. Since the boys went missing, money raised by several YouTubers have funded digital billboards offering a $122,000 reward for information leading to the boys.
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‘2 Kids Don’t Just Come Up Missing’: Relative Of Missing Kern County Toddlers Speaks Out
BEVERLY HILLS (CBSLA) — A woman was shot Thursday afternoon during an armed robbery attempt at an upscale restaurant in Beverly Hills. March 4, 2021. (RMG News) The shooting was reported just after 2 p.m. at the Il Pastaio restaurant at Brighton Way and North Canon Drive. CBSLA learned the robbery target was the co-owner of jewelry store TZURI. Two shots were fired, one of which struck a nearby woman in the leg. “All I heard was them getting loud,” said Drew Hancock, the shooting victim’s boyfriend. “I looked up and saw the fight when they pushed the guy into the barrier.” He tried to shield his girlfriend while rushing inside. “As we were going through there were three more shots,” said Hancock. “On the way inside, my girlfriend was hit by a ricochet in the calf.” (RMG News) According to Beverly Hills police, three male suspects in masks demanded property from a 40-year-old man sitting on the patio. Police believe the robbers wanted his Richard Mille watch, worth an estimated $500,000. “Three of them jumped on him,” said a witness. “One grabbed his watch, the other one put the gun on his head.” However, the man — a former Israeli soldier — fought back. During the scuffle, one of the suspects’ guns went off. A woman who was lunching at a nearby table was struck in the leg. All three suspects then ran away, hurting a second woman in the process. “People scattering, all the while screaming and yelling in terror, and everyone just completely flooded the street and ran away,” said one man. March 4, 2021. (CBSLA) The gunshot victim was transported with non-life-threatening injuries. She is recovering at home, CBSLA confirmed. The second woman was treated at the scene for unspecified injuries. The owner of the restaurant said in 26 years he has never seen violence like this. “It’s upsetting. It’s discouraging. It’s like, what’s next?” said Celestino Drago, owner of Il Pastaio, The three men were in their 20s and wearing masks, police said. Investigators are searching security cameras in the area, hoping for more details. It’s unclear if they made off with the watch. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Police Department investigators are looking into a similar crime which occurred on the patio of Toca Madera restaurant, located in the 8400 block of West 3rd Street in Beverly Grove. Some personal items were stolen from that victim as well. The exact details of that incident were not confirmed. Beverly Hills police said its still unclear if the two crimes are connected.
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Woman Shot During Brazen Daylight Robbery At Beverly Hills Restaurant