L.A. Superior Court Judge Carlos Chung Ends Lancaster Man’s Ordeal—Pedro Guzman is the mentally impaired U.S. citizen deported to Tijuana by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) nearly three months ago. The frightened Guzman wandered the streets of Tijuana for 89 days before being detained by U.S. border guards Aug. 5 on a probation warrant. Guzman reached Chung’s Lancaster courtroom Aug. 7, and the Korean American judge promptly ordered him released to his family. Judge Chung, 37, is the son of Korean immigrants.
- An update on Pedro Guzman’s release, L.A. Observed, Daily News, L.A. Times. Guzman’s harrowing tale was first reported on by the L.A.Weekly’s Daniel Hernandez. Read his chilling “Lost in Tijuana” here.
- Background on Judge Carlos Chung, YouTube.
Washington, D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s appointment by young Mayor Adrian Fenty raised plenty of eyebrows. Would a Korean American woman with little experience as a school administrator be the best person to revamp a troubled, largely African American D.C. school district? Clearly, Rhee’s feet are to the fire. It will be fascinating to see how this 37-year-old Harvard-educated policy innovator will acquit herself.
- “Rhee’s Appointment Criticized,” David Nakamura/Nikita Stewart, Washington Post.
- Editorial: “The New Chancellor,” Washington Post.
- “D.C. Council Approves Rhee as Schools Chief,” Nikita Stewart, Washington Post.
- Rhee Bio, National Council on Teacher Quality, Wikipedia.
- Mayor Adrian Fenty Bio, Wikipedia.
Rough and tumble William Fujioka retired as CAO of the city of Los Angeles earlier this year, took a month off and immediately accepted the CEO post and a hefty raise with the sprawling Los Angeles County, making the 55-year-old Sansei and former gang member one of the nation’s most powerful public officials.
Rolando Luda Ramos, a surveillance specialist with the Soboba Indian Casino in San Jacinto, Riverside County, nearly pulled off the perfect heist. Cocaine, women and the lack of an escape plan proved to be his downfall. Jerry Yang took more cash from the Rio in Las Vegas than Luda Ramos, and he did it legally. The desert-dwelling Chinese Hmong American beat out Vietnamese Canadian Tuan Lam in the no-limit Hold ‘Em finals of the World Series of Poker to win $8.25 million.
Sadly, our summer photo montage includes a shot of Neal and Man-Ling Williams of Rowland Heights, Calif. Man-Ling Williams, 27, has been charged with the murder of her husband and their two sons, Devon, seven, and Ian, three, in the couple’s home Aug. 8.
