On Tuesday, May 14, Adriana Galindo, 34, of Mexico, was driving a 2015 black Chevrolet Malibu along the 10 Freeway in Indio with her son when Border Patrol agents stopped her vehicle, authorities allege in a criminal complaint.

According to an affidavit, Galindo, a U.S. citizen, told authorities she was driving to Los Angeles to purchase clothing for a retail store in Mexico and then returning home later that day.

After Galindo consented to a search of the car, a trained narcotics K-9 alerted law enforcement to the presence of narcotics odor, the DOJ said.

Agents initially found a single blue pill of suspected fentanyl, but after seizing the vehicle for further search, 93.3 pounds of fentanyl pills were discovered in a “non-factory compartment” under the car鈥檚 front seats, Thursday’s statement said.

Galindo was arrested and admitted to knowingly transporting illegal drugs but not knowing which drug. The affidavit alleges that she was paid $4,000 to do so.

Her son was released to the custody of his aunt, a California resident, according to the DOJ.

According to Thursday’s statement, the DOJ charged Galindo on with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

“If convicted, Galindo would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment,” the DOJ said.

A Banning jury in March found Angel Martine McIntire, 29, of Beaumont guilty of one count of voluntary manslaughter and acquitted him of two counts of first-degree murder.

McIntire was arrested in 2022 after a nearly two-year Riverside County sheriff’s investigation into the disappearance of Diana Perez Gonzalez.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, McIntire and Gonzalez had a conflicted relationship that began in August 2018. McIntire and Gonzalez聽moved in together, but within a year, he became abusive, prompting Gonzalez, who was pregnant with their daughter, to obtain a restraining order against him and to move out of their shared residence in December 2019, according to the brief.

The abuse inflicted on the woman culminated in a domestic violence conviction against McIntire. However, because the two had a baby together, they continued to communicate, ultimately resulting in her welcoming the defendant into her home in the 3000 block of Crooked Branch Way in the fall of 2020, the brief said.

Gonzalez then became pregnant again, which fueled discord, and McIntire again turned physically abusive, according to court papers.

On Dec. 4, 2020, with Gonzalez eight weeks pregnant, investigators theorize McIntire attacked her, inflicting fatal injuries, though the method remains unknown.

According to the brief, relying on mobile phone signal pings and social media activity, detectives were able to track McIntire’s movements that day, which took him through Cherry Valley, Beaumont, Gilman Springs, Aguanga, Cahuilla, Palm Desert and back home. At one point during the circuit, he dropped his and the victim’s daughter at his mother’s home in Beaumont, telling her that he didn’t know where the victim was, relaying the same information to Gonzalez’s family over the following week, according to court papers.

One of her relatives finally reported her missing on Dec. 11, 2020, and detectives immediately suspected foul play. However, McIntire was adamant in statements to detectives that he had no clue of his girlfriend’s whereabouts, suggesting she had returned to her native Mexico.

McIntire’s attorney, Daniel DeLimon, said he told jurors during the trial that there was not enough evidence to convict his client of murder.

“There was an absence of evidence as to where, when, how, and why she was murdered,” DeLimon said in an interview Friday. “The prosecution argued that those things didn鈥檛 matter as long as they believed he killed her and argued a killing under those circumstances could only be murder. They relied heavily on prior instances of domestic violence and his conduct after her disappearance. We argued there was insufficient evidence to show he did it and insufficient evidence to set what crime he committed.”

While someone can be charged with murder for the death of a fetus, DeLimon noted, there is no charge of manslaughter of a fetus, so there was no conviction related to the fetus’ death.

appearing in Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga, received the bulk of the term, 10 years, for his conviction on a county of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Five years was added to that term as a sentencing enhancement for fleeing the collision. Charges related to DUI and causing injury accounted for the other five years.

Wicks, in which was dropped, did not receive any credit for time served. He has been held without bail since his arrest in June of 2022. Wicks had a previous DUI conviction in San Bernardino County.

The collision happened just before 1 a.m. on March 31, 2022, on the northbound 15 Freeway near Jurupa Avenue, the California Highway Patrol said. Gary Boeldt II was driving in the left lane when Wicks struck the Oceanside resident’s car from behind 鈥渋n excess of 100 mph,鈥� a CHP news release said. Boeldt鈥檚 car plunged down an embankment and overturned. He was killed and his wife, Christine Lynn Carroll, was injured.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said Wicks was co-owner of Wicks Brewery, a statement that operators of the brewery disputed after his arrest. He was, however, involved in the creation of the brewery’s beer. .

The giveaway is to celebrate Parton’s creation of a signature Krispy Kreme line called the Dolly Southern Sweets Doughnut Collection. This includes doughnuts dipped in strawberry icing with glitter sprinkles, peach filling and brown sugar icing, banana pudding and wafers and a chocolate cream pie with whipped topping. Sweet tooths rejoice. And can anyone say “diabetes?”

To get the free original glazed doughnut (amusingly, you can’t get a free Dolly-inspired doughnut with this promotion), “anyone ‘Dolly鈥檇 Up,’ 鈥� from being decked out in Dolly merch to singing their favorite Dolly song” is eligible.

This deal is not available online or at the drive-thru, and at participating locations only. Locations include Irvine, Long Beach, Gardena, South Pasadena, Industry and Ontario.

Learn more and find participating locations: .

Hamby also wants to earn the first All-WNBA selection of her 10-year career this season, so she鈥檚 looking forward to playing against two-time MVP A鈥檍a Wilson and several former teammates in a nationally televised game on Saturday afternoon.

鈥淚 wanted the assignment,鈥� Hamby said after Friday鈥檚 practice at the team鈥檚 training facility at El Camino College. 鈥淪he鈥檚 the best player in the world. I was her teammate for a while. I was on that great team when I wasn鈥檛 a starter for Vegas so I鈥檝e guarded her for a lot of time (in practices) and throughout her career and I鈥檓 looking forward to it.鈥�

Hamby, a two-time All-Star in 2021 and 2022, who played eight seasons for the Aces until while she was pregnant before the 2023 season, had a double-double with 20 points (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 14 rebounds in on Wednesday night at Long Beach State.

The Sparks (0-1) did not practice Thursday, so the team will only have 24 hours of preparation before facing the Aces.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a short turnaround, limited prep with no shootaround, so anxiety that you don鈥檛 have the two or three days that we had to prepare for Atlanta but excited to go and see us continue to get better and scrap against the best,鈥� Sparks coach Curt Miller said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the mental thing, that鈥檚 what you have to reach the rookies about,鈥� Hamby said. 鈥淵ou have to spend a lot of time in prep and film work and being mentally locked in.鈥�

The Sparks went 1-2 against Las Vegas last season, highlighted by a 78-72 win on Aug. 19, in which Layshia Clarendon led the way and scored a team-high 22 points. The Sparks were one of just five teams that beat the Aces last season, who finished 34-6 in the regular season, before going 8-1 in the playoffs.

The Sparks were the only聽 team to beat the Aces in Las Vegas during the regular season.

鈥淚 hope we can聽revert to the confidence that we had against them last year,鈥� Miller continued. 鈥淲e played them well in many games.鈥�

Clarendon, an 11-year WNBA veteran, is coming off their first career triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in Wednesday鈥檚 loss to Atlanta, in which the Sparks were outscored by a 20-point margin on points in the paint, and by a nine-point margin in the fast-break points.

鈥淧oints in the paint was a big thing. … We want to knock down 3s, but it鈥檚 a battle of the paint in this league,鈥� Clarendon said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e about to go play A鈥檍a Wilson, one of the best in the league so it鈥檚 another good test to look at it and say already we get another shot to say how are we going to attack the paint.鈥�

Sparks guard Kia Nurse had a team-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers against Atlanta. Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall selection in last month鈥檚 draft, had 11 points, four assists, two rebounds, two blocked shots and five personal fouls over 20 minutes in her WNBA debut.

In the Aces鈥� opener Tuesday, Wilson had a double-double with a team-high 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists as the Aces pulled off an 89-80 victory against the Phoenix Mercury. Two-time All-Star guard Jackie Young had 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Two-time All-Star guard Kelsey Plum added 19 points and five assists.

Hamby said limiting Wilson, Young and Plum will be paramount if the Sparks want to pick up their first win of the season against the Aces.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to hit tough shots but if they have to take 20 shots to score 20 points, I think we鈥檙e happy with that,鈥� Hamby concluded.

On Friday afternoon, Sparks forward/center Azur谩 Stevens (left arm) and guard/forward Rae Burrell (non-COVID illness) were ruled out on the team鈥檚 injury report ahead of Saturday鈥檚 game.

SPARKS AT LAS VEGAS ACES

When: Saturday, noon

Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas

TV: ABC (Ch.聽7)

Records: Sparks (0-1), Aces (1-0)

The Rancho Cucamonga-based roaster is partnering with the Phoenix-based supermarket chain to open cafes within five of its more than 60 grocery stores in Southern California.

The first cafe, in Fontana, will celebrate its grand opening Friday, May 24 through Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. The store is at 16964 S. Highland Ave. in the Highland Village shopping center.

Cafes in Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Eastvale and Fullerton stores are expected to follow in coming months.

“We鈥檝e always had the philosophy of meeting our customers where they are. The idea of putting a Klatch where you鈥檙e grocery shopping, making your life a little bit easier, makes a lot of sense for what we do,鈥� Heather Perry, chief executive officer of the coffee company, said in a phone interview. It was , Mike Perry and Cindy Perry, in 1993.

Klatch already has seven cafes in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. The Sprouts partnership will nearly double the list and add a presence in Orange and Riverside counties as well.

To make room for the coffee shops, Klatch is repurposing public seating areas that were available to customers to relax or eat their grab-and-go purchases.

Those rooms tend to be underutilized, according to Steve Lamontagne, vice president of portfolio optimization.

“We want our stores to be as productive as they can,” he said in a separate phone interview.

The cafes are a pilot program that began a year ago in Arizona with a partnership with Press Coffee, also based in Phoenix.

Sprouts set up five Press coffee shops in its home state and went looking for a local partner for five additional coffee shops in Southern California. Lamontagne said that Sprouts was impressed by Klatch’s commitment to direct trade with coffee growers.

Sprouts reached out to Klatch about a year ago, according to Perry, and began stocking its whole bean blends in March.

She said the Sprouts cafes would be staffed by Klatch employees and provide the same experience as its own cafes, with about 90% of the menu.

But Klatch cafes will also have Klatch exclusives, Perry said. During the opening weekend celebration in Fontana, it will be serving a dalgona coffee created for Klatch’s 30th anniversary celebration last fall.

Dalgona, or whipped, coffee is a trendy, Instagram-friendly beverage that comes from Macau or South Korea and is made with coffee, sugar and a hand mixer. The Klatch version is named Smudgepot after heaters once used to avoid frost damage in citrus orchards.

“Oranges and orange groves are a huge part of Southern California culture,” said Perry. “What we did for this drink, we took off on the dalgona trend. We take espresso and cold brew and orange blossom water and orange extract and syrup and put in a nitrous canister and whip it so its super-light and serve it on a base of oat milk. It’s light and refreshing and orangey.”

The first 25 customers to purchase a Smudgepot each day during Memorial Day weekend will get a free Klatch Coffee glass can, and the first 50 customers on Saturday will get a Sprouts reusable shopping bag, the news release said.

Another exclusive will be Berry Ricotta Toast, made with seasonal berries and local honey on artisan bread, according to a news release.

“Sprouts is very local within the communities they operate,” said Lamontagne. “Klatch has been rooted in the communities where they operate for the last 30 years. They take their business very seriously and really, really focus on their customers. It’s really that blend. I can’t stress enough how the partnership comes together and how we make sure that works. We could partner with any of the big coffee companies out there, but that’s not the way Sprouts goes to market.”

Perry had a similar thought.

鈥淲e鈥檙e treating these just like Klatch cafes. There鈥檚 no difference in our minds.鈥�

Information: ,

Southern California’s unemployment rate hit an 11-month low in April.

My trusty spreadsheet, , found Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties had a 4.3% unemployment rate compared with 4.8% in the previous month. It’s likely a seasonal dip, as the rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points in April in the pre-pandemic 2015-19 period.

Consider that April’s rate was the lowest since May 2023, but it’s still higher than the 3.9% joblessness seen in April 2023. Unemployment for the region averaged 4.7% in 2015-19.

The four-county tally of unemployed workers was 386,000 鈥� down 50,700 in a month but up 36,600 in a year. The jobless count is 9% above the 424,700 average in pre-pandemic 2015-19.

Increased employment helped to lower regional joblessness.

Local bosses had聽7.97 million at work in April 鈥� up 23,000 in a month, and up 74,600 in 12 months. Local hiring averaged 22,600 in April in 2015-19. March 2024 saw 23,100 employees added.

The past year’s job growth of 0.9% topped the previous 12 months’ 0.6% increase, but it’s slower than the 2.2% hiring pace throughout 2015-19.

Industry swings

Job changes in key Southern California business sectors, ranked by one-month change …

Health/social services: 1,321,400 workers 鈥� up 6,600 in a month and up 67,400 in a year.

Restaurants: 694,500 workers 鈥� up 6,000 in a month and up 7,600 in a year.

Government: 1,040,100 workers 鈥� up 5,200 in a month and up 28,500 in a year.

Hotels/entertainment/recreation: 264,300 workers 鈥� up 2,800 in a month and up 2,500 in a year.

Private education: 218,700 workers 鈥� up 2,500 in a month and up 14,200 in a year.

Personal services: 267,500 workers 鈥� up 1,800 in a month and up 6,800 in a year.

Logistics/utilities: 799,800 workers 鈥� up 1,000 in a month but down 2,600 in a year.

Financial: 356,000 workers 鈥� up 900 in a month but down 4,200 in a year.

Information: 219,900 workers 鈥� up 700 in a month but down 16,200 in a year.

Retailing: 725,100 workers 鈥� up 100 in a month but down 1,400 in a year.

Manufacturing: 565,000 workers 鈥� down 1,200 in a month and down 9,800 in a year.

Professional-business services: 1,123,300 workers 鈥� down 1,400 in a month and down 19,600 in a year.

Regional differences

Here’s how the job market performed in the region’s key metropolitan areas …

Los Angeles County: 4.58 million workers, after adding 18,100 in a month and growing by 32,600 in a year. Hiring averaged 8,900 for the month in 2015-19. Unemployment? 4.5% vs. 5.2% a month earlier; 4.7% a year ago; and 5.2% average in 2015-19.

Orange County: 1.7 million workers, after adding 2,400 in a month and growing by 21,000 in a year. Hiring averaged 6,920 for the month in 2015-19. Unemployment? 3.7% vs. 3.9% a month earlier; 3.1% a year ago; and 3.6% average in 2015-19.

Inland Empire: 1.69 million workers, after adding 2,500 in a month and growing by 21,000 in a year. Hiring averaged 6,820 for the month in 2015-19. Unemployment? 4.8% vs. 5.1% a month earlier; 4.1% a year ago; and 5.2% average in 2015-19.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California 色情论坛 Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

One of the world premieres in the concert is “Al Pie de la Monta帽a” (“At the Feet of the Mountain”), a piece by Fernando Arroyo, the orchestra’s first composer in residence, who was commissioned to write the symphonic poem centered around San Bernardino and its history.

“It鈥檚 a retrospective of the city going through its early indigenous roots, the mission and pioneers of the region, the 1920s and old Hollywood, the boom of the Black and Latino communities, the struggle and a hopeful future with the idea of the mountain range and the desert as two spirits watching over the town,” Anthony Parnther, the orchestra’s music director and conductor, said in a news release.

Arroyo received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in composition from the Manhattan School of Music and a doctorate in composition from UCLA where he worked with composers Bruce Broughton, Paul Chihara, Ian Krouse and David S. Lefkowitz.

His music has been performed throughout the world and ranges from solo instrumental works, chamber music and large symphonic works to film, theater and popular music. His film music includes work on “Independence Day: Resurgence,”聽 “Pet Fooled,” “Survivors” and “Midway,” according to the news release.

The second premiere on the program is the “Morgante” violin concerto by Argentinian composer Andres Martin, dedicated to African American conductor Michael Morgan. Venezuelan violinist Samuel Vargas will be the soloist.

Vargas, who has performed on tours in 40 countries, has won awards including first prize in the 2021 Sphinx Competition and grand prize in the 2019 Jefferson Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. He has founded eight Venezuelan chamber orchestras and mentors young musicians in the United States and South America, according to the news release.

The program also includes the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and “Danz贸n No. 2” by Mexican composer Arturo M谩rquez.

M谩rquez, who was born in Mexico, spent his middle school and high school years in Southern California, where he began his musical training. After he returned to Mexico, he studied at the Conservatory of Music and the Institute of Fine Arts, then studied in Paris and at the California Institute of the Arts.

Raphaela Lacerda, who is in her second year as associate conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony, will conduct M谩rquez’s “Danz贸n No. 2.”

Tickets for the May 25 concert are $20-$100, available at or by calling 909-381-5388. Tickets for students and active military are $15.

Goats, chickens, pigs, sheep and even cows call the space home during the , greeting thousands of visitors each season.

Many still pregnant and give birth on the fairgrounds in Pomona.

Guests can get hands-on in the barnyard with activities such as the petting zoo, and learn more about the animals at various educational lectures given by the animal handlers.

Admission to The Big Red Barn is included with each fairgoer’s ticket. The fair runs Thursday-Sunday through May 26, plus Memorial Day. For hours and ticket information, see .

In a separate confrontation, a knife-wielding Aaron James, 17, slashed the hand of another San Bernardino County deputy who ostensibly was trying to stop the youth from cutting himself.

Both mentally troubled teenagers are now dead, killed in midcrisis by deputies who had no choice but to shoot, authorities say.

The deaths of Gainer and James, less than a month apart in March and April, have put a spotlight on Southern California’s programs for dispatching behavioral health workers to aid police in crises involving those struggling with mental health issues.

In the case of Gainer, deputies responding to his home in Apple Valley were unaware of his autism and that the department had previous dealings with him, authorities say.

And in James’ death, mental health workers were not called by deputies because the scene was deemed not secure “for safe engagement with the individual,” according to San Bernardino County’s Behavioral Health Department. However, James spent most of his time barricaded in a locked bathroom, shielded from first responders.

Mental health workers might have been useful in persuading James to surrender.

鈥淚f there is a weapon, law enforcement has to be there for safety concerns. But can they step back and let mental health professionals lead the conversation?鈥� said Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.聽 鈥�(Families are) trying to get help for their loved ones, not get their loved ones killed.鈥�

Programs aimed at de-escalation

Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties have programs that dispatch mental health workers with officers even while the threat of violence is still active. All the programs vary in how they work, but they all have the same goal 鈥� keep incidents involving the mentally ill from escalating to the point where the person hurts someone or is killed themselves.

Experts stress that each emergency is fluid, and the response can be reassessed in the field.

Linda Molina, Orange County鈥檚 director of crisis and acute care, said law enforcement can at times make matters worse.

鈥�(But) sometimes we need that officer. We need that badge and that uniform,” Molina said.

Judy Mark, president of the statewide Disability Voices United, believes police should never be called to deal with someone having a mental health crisis. Her group trains families with an autistic member to instead create a circle of friends and mental health professionals who can be contacted in a crisis.

鈥淵ou bring people in who have more empathy,鈥� said Mark, who once trained police officers on dealing with the autistic. She now believes police are untrainable in that regard.

鈥淪omebody waving a knife doesn鈥檛 need a gun pointed at them. (Officers) need to back off and come up with an alternative method for empowering the individual in crisis,鈥� said Mark, whose son is autistic.

Some Southern California counties have another hole in their safety net 鈥� psychiatric teams that pair a mental health worker to ride with a law enforcement officer are not available at night or on weekends.

“This is something that should be available 24/7; crises don’t just happen during the weekday,” Wesolowski said. “We don’t just provide ambulances during business hours, so why should we do (that) for mental health crises?

“We don’t tell someone having a heart attack at 4:45 p.m. on a Friday that you have to wait until Monday morning.”

Two mental health episodes

In family photos, Ryan Gainer has a wide, infectious smile, all teeth and glee.

But on March 9, he was upset, breaking property and threatening family members at his home, according to police. A caller on the 911 line urged sheriff’s deputies to take him away.

San Bernardino County deputies had been called to the house five previous times, each ending peacefully with Gainer transported to a mental health facility.

But on this day, the responding deputies purportedly were unaware of his history.

Footage from a body-worn camera shows one of the deputies rushing toward the open front door, shouting, 鈥淲here is he?鈥�

Gainer came running through the doorway wielding the garden tool. Two deputies fired a total of three times, hitting Gainer, who died from his wounds.

His family has filed a wrongful death claim 鈥� typically a precursor to a lawsuit 鈥� against the county.

‘Abandoned their training’

鈥淭hey abandoned their training,鈥� said the family鈥檚 attorney, DeWitt M. Lacy. 鈥淭hey shouted, 鈥榃here is he?鈥� As soon as they saw Ryan, they presented a gun. Law enforcement officers are trained to deal with this 鈥� approaching in a calm manner, not making threats; those are the types of things they are actually trained on.鈥�

Asked by the Southern California 色情论坛 Group how much training these specific deputies received in dealing with the mentally troubled, the Sheriff’s Department would not respond, but said, generally, deputies get 40 hours of training.

Like Gainer, Aaron James of Hesperia had a documented history of mental problems.

James escaped April 5 while being transported to a mental health facility from a hospital where he was being treated for cutting himself three days before his death. James, himself a foster child, fled to a foster home in Victorville where his sister was staying and locked himself in a bathroom.

James had caused problems at the home before and someone there called deputies to collect him. The deputies tried for about 30 minutes to get James to come out of the bathroom, but when that failed, they kicked down the door for fear that he was about to hurt himself, authorities said.

James was holding a knife and a deputy was slashed. Deputies pepper sprayed James, who was pushed or fell into the bathtub, where he was shot.

At a news conference, Sheriff Shannon Dicus complained of the lack of county resources to help those struggling with mental health crises.

鈥淥ur social safety network is not working and needs to be strengthened,鈥� Dicus said at the time. 鈥淭here is no reason for law enforcement to be the ones that end up having to get involved in these crises.”

How programs work

In San Bernardino County, the behavioral health department has two programs for dispatching mental health workers with police: the and the

However, both are available only during standard business hours and not on Saturday or Sunday. The COAST program also is not available on Fridays. These arguably are crucial times when the programs may be needed most.

The TEST program is located at 26 sites throughout the county.

The COAST program offers four teams consisting of a mental health professional, a firefighter emergency medical technician, a plainclothes law enforcement officer and a therapy dog. Those teams are located in Fontana, San Bernardino, Ontario and Highland.

For nonpolice emergencies, the county operates a psychiatric crisis call center, which can be reached at 800-398-0018 or by text at 909-420-0560, as well as urgent care centers in Victorville, Yucca Valley, Fontana and San Bernardino. The call center and the urgent care centers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In Riverside County, law enforcement and county clinical therapists are paired together through the The teams are active in 18 of the county鈥檚 28 cities, 40 hours a week, but not at night. The Riverside Police Department has two therapists and is able to operate beyond those hours.

The county’s mental health professionals work alongside officers to de-escalate a crisis, said Robert Youssef, spokesperson for the Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health.

鈥淭he law enforcement officers ensure the environment is safe for all involved, while our clinicians are prepared to engage immediately and actively work to stabilize the situation,鈥� Youssef said. 鈥淭his collaborative effort is essential as it provides an immediate mental health response.鈥�

In 2023, he said, nearly half of the 2,345 people contacted through the program did not need to be hospitalized or incarcerated.

鈥淭his approach not only prevents more severe outcomes but also helps ease the burden on health care and judicial systems, ensuring that individuals receive compassionate, appropriate care at critical moments,鈥� Youssef said.

In one recent encounter, a Riverside County clinician helped disarmed a schizophrenic man holding a family member at knifepoint.

“Upon arrival, and with law enforcement securing the scene first, our CBAT clinician successfully engaged the individual, ultimately persuading them to put down the knife,” Youssef said. “This intervention not only prevented potential harm but also ensured the individual received the necessary care under a (mental health) hold.”

The county also has teams of mental health professionals that are available 24/7 to accompany police officers who request assistance.

Los Angeles County operates a program called Each team consists of a sheriff鈥檚 deputy and a clinician from the county Department of Mental Health.

There are 34 teams embedded with the Sheriff鈥檚 Department throughout the 4,060-square-mile county, with an additional six teams dedicated to the most dangerous situations and five more that specialize in cases involving military veterans. All are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The county also operates a 24-hour triage system for the MET operation.

鈥淥ur MET teams are critically important in responding directly to emergency calls involving someone experiencing a mental health crisis and de-escalating what could be dangerous situations,鈥� Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said. 鈥淭hey have saved lives, helped our deputies during difficult calls, and have been able to connect people who are struggling (with) the help they need.鈥�

The county has also established a “988” hotline for nonpolice situations involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Available for dispatch are Psychiatric Mobile Response Teams that are made up of unarmed mental health professionals.

In Orange County, there are 17 teams that pair a county mental health professional with a law enforcement officer. The teams do not operate 24/7, but some are available at night and during weekends.

If it is a nonpolice emergency, mental health workers go out in pairs without an armed officer, Molina said. The availability of the teams depends on the city.

“It’s (all) certainly a start,” said Wesolowski, from the national alliance. “But it’s nowhere near enough.”