Return of the two-wheel terrors
Tomo Chien
April 24, 2025
Good morning. It’s Thursday, and I’m reading about the best places to eat before you watch the Dodgers. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Dozens of bike-borne teenagers descended on the Ralphs near campus Saturday, stealing alcohol and throwing items at employees before hurling slurs at a gay couple in the parking lot. In response, the couple kissed each other then pepper sprayed the teens, who hours earlier punched somebody in the Village in what appears to be part of a recent crime trend.
2.
Residents in the Parkside IRC dorms didn’t tell RAs that a freshman allegedly pointed a gun at another student until more than three days after the fact — which explains why the incident happened on a Friday, but DPS responded the following Monday. A USC spokesperson said the RA immediately notified DPS once alerted.
3.
An open letter that opposes the Trump administration’s policies has garnered signatures from over 220 university leaders, including those at several major California schools. Missing from the list: Carol Folt. “It’s a pretty benign letter,” said professor Tara McPherson, who lambasted Folt’s absence. “It’s not a radical woke document.”
4.
In November, a USC sophomore who was drunk and high on cocaine crashed a Tesla Cybertruck in Northern California, killing three colleges students in the car, including himself. Now, the parents of one of the crash victims are suing the late USC student’s estate for negligence.
5.
Cops arrested the dude who allegedly chainsawed at least a dozen trees in downtown in an incident that made for several viral videos. Samuel Groft, 45, is accused of using an electric chainsaw to cause upward of $347,000 in damage over a 12-day vandalism spree. Police declined to share any possible motive.
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