66 66 
ARIZONA WOMAN SENTENCED TO 
FEDERAL PRISON FOR EATON FIRE 
RELIEF FRAUD 

An Arizona woman was sentenced today in downtownLos Angeles to one year behind bars for having submitted 
a fraudulent claim for wildfire relief funds, listing a

nonexistent Altadena address as her primary residence 
that she claimed was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

 Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, received 
more than $23,000 in disaster relief funds from the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency based on 
her false claims. She also made reservations through 
FEMA to stay at two hotels -- one in downtown Los 
Angeles, the other in Hawthorne -- during Februaryand March of 2025, paid for by the government, according 
to the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

Along with the prison term, Woods was ordered by

U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson to pay $23,441 inrestitution to FEMA. 
Woods pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court in 
October 2025 to one count of fraud in connection with 
a major disaster or emergency benefits.

 ``This is not defendant's first and only encounter with 
law enforcement; she has multiple prior arrests and has 
sustained convictions'' for receiving stolen property, 
making a false representation, violating probation,
possession of a forgery device, and taking the identityof another, according to the government's sentencingpapers.

 Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged Woods 

with FEMA fraud in April 2025 after an investigation 

revealed she falsely claimed her Altadena home burned 
down in the Eaton Fire.

 Investigators discovered the Altadena address she 
gave in order to claim wildfire relief funds did not ex


ist and Woods had never lived in Altadena. CNS 

MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS 
FOR EATON, PALISADES FIRE 
VICTIMS TO REMAIN OPEN

 Two mental health drop


``LACDMH and its part-
in centers serving residents 

ners offer a broad range of 
affected by the deadly 2025 

services, including individ-
Eaton and Palisades fires 

ual and family counseling, 
will be open 

crisis stabilization, support 
today and continue operat


groups, case management,
ing through June after Los 

wellness activities, and link-
Angeles County officials 

age to other resources,'' 
announced the extension. 

the department said in a 
The Los Angeles Coun


statement. 
ty Department of Mental 

The walk-in centers op-
Health, in partnership 

erate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
with the state's CalHOPE 

Monday through Friday, at 
program, said the centers 

540 W. Woodbury Road in 
will remain open to provide 

Altadena and 15247 La Cruz 
counseling and support for 

Drive in Pacific 
residents displaced or other-

Palisades. 
wise impacted by the

 A fire support line is also 
fires. 

available at 833-659-0600, 
The fires, which erupted in 

allowing residents to speak 
January 2025, in Pacific Pali


with a mental health professades 
and Altadena, killed at 

sional, officials said. 
least 31 people, destroyed 

The services are funded 
about 16,000 structures 

through a federal emergency 
and displaced thousands of 

response grant. CNS 
residents. 

4-YEAR-OLD FILLY DIES AFTER TRAINING INJURY AT SANTA ANITA 

ARCADIA FIRE DEPARTMENT JOINT FIRE TRAINING 
CENTER RECEIVES $2 MILLION FEDERAL AWARD 

As a foothill community, 
Arcadia has 
repeatedly faced the 
threat of fast-moving 
wildfires, most recently 
during the Eaton 
Fire and the Bobcat 
Fire. With fire season 
increasingly becoming 
a year-round concern, 
the Arcadia Fire 
Department and the 
United States Forest 
Service have partnered 
to establish a 
Joint Fire TrainingCenter in Arcadia to 
strengthen local preparedness 
and meet 
growing regional 
training needs. 

“After the devastating 
Bobcat and Eaton 
fires, it was clear that 
wildfire preparedness 
must continue to 
evolve. Representative 
Chu recognized the regional benefit of this project and advocated tirelessly to secure the funding that will make this facility 
a reality. The new Joint Fire Training Center not only strengthens Arcadia, but all the neighboring communities along 
the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, helping first responders meet future wildfire threats with greater readiness and 
resilience,” said Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang. 

The facility will be constructed on approximately 30,000 square feet of land at the Angeles National Forest Headquarters,
located adjacent to the 210 Interstate. Plans call for a four-story training tower featuring live-fire training capabilities and 
classroom space. The Joint Training Center will also include residential simulation areas within the tower, allowing firefighters 
to practice hose deployment, ladder operations, rappelling, roof operations, and high-angle rescue exercises. 

This unique partnership is designed to strengthen interagency emergency response and improve regional wildfire preparedness. 
The project was made possible through a $2 million federal grant secured by Congresswoman Judy Chu. While 
both agencies initially pursued funding in 2024, federal budget delays postponed the final award until February 2026. 

“Ensuring our communities are prepared for and protected from natural disasters is one of my top priorities in Congress. 
From the Bobcat Fire in 2020 to the recent Eaton Fire that destroyed nearly 6,000 homes and took 19 lives, our region has 
seen firsthand how devastating these disasters can be,” said Rep. Chu. “Arcadia sits along the foothills of the San Gabriel 
Mountains, which puts the entire community at a higher risk from fast-moving wildfires. That’s why I was so proud to secure 
$2 million in federal funding for a new Joint Fire Training Center in Arcadia. Through this partnership between the 
Arcadia Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service, firefighters will receive essential regional training, improve coordination 
between agencies, and become better equipped to protect families across the San Gabriel Valley for years to come.” 

The $2 million grant will benefit Arcadia, the U.S. Forest Service, and neighboring communities throughout the San Gabriel 
Valley, which regularly face dangerous wildfire conditions. 

“The Joint Training Center project is an example of the continued partnership and collaboration between the U.S. Forest 
Service and the City of Arcadia that will serve our firefighters and the people of our local foothills for years to come,” said 
Robert Garcia, USFS Angeles National Forest Fire Chief. 

With major funding now secured, the 
next phase of the project will include a 
detailed site assessment and design process. 
Although the project was last estimated 
at $2.7 million, rising construction 
costs and inflation may require 
additional resources. 

Future updates on the project will be 
posted on the City’s website at ArcadiaCA.
gov. 


As temperatures begin to warm, mosquito activity increases. Mosquitoes are 
considered the world's deadliest animal due to the diseases they can carry, mak-
ing prevention especially important this time of year. Check for standing water 
around your home and yard, and visit www.sgvmosguito.org for additional tips. 


A 4-year-old filly has died after 
suffering a training injury at Santa 
Anita Park, officials said earlier this 
week.

 Eiffel, who had six career races and 
one first-place finish, died Saturday, 
according to the California Horse 
Racing Board, which categorized her 
death as ``non-musculoskeletal.''

 Eiffel's last race was a third-place 
finish at Santa Anita on March 15, 
according to the industry website 
Equibase. She had an official work


out on Saturday.

 ``Eiffel had what appears to have 
been a cardiac issue as she was returning 
to the barn following routine 
training Saturday morning,''
Santa Anita's Senior Vice President 
and Executive Producer Amy Zimmerman 
told City News Service.

 ``The horse was immediately attended 
to by an expert team of on-
site veterinarians but sadly, quickly 
passed away,'' she added. `` ... As is 
protocol, the horse will undergo a 

necropsy overseen by the University 
of California (Davis) School 
of Veterinary Medicine and the 
findings reported to the California 
Horse Racing Board. Unfortunately,
incidents such as this are generally 
classified as `sudden deaths' and 
rarely have definitive causational 
findings.''

Eiffel is the seventh horse to die 
from a racing or training injury at 
the Arcadia track this year. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com