PORT OF LOS ANGELES (CBS2) — L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti says it may be time to do away with the city-owned yacht after CBS2 uncovered that renovation costs were in the millions of dollars.

“It’s a misuse of taxpayer dollars,” the mayor said.

CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein has been following the money for two years and says “Angelena II” still isn’t approved for use by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The problem stems in the 73-foot yacht’s batteries. The batteries were part of a first-of-its-kind conversion to a hybrid system to improve air quality. Renovations began two years ago.

The vessel, purchased in 1988, is being used as a tour boat by the city-owned Port of L.A.

But the Angelena just sits in the port because it still hasn’t been cleared for use by the Coast Guard.

Now the port is taking action.

“Personally, I’m very disappointed in this project and I’d like to see this being made whole,” said Jim Morgan, the port’s director of construction and maintenance.

A notice of default, obtained by CBS2 News, was sent to EnergyTech Marine Group, the company that designed the hybrid technology.

The city is claiming defects such as “dysfunctional battery management system” and “faulty cabling design.”

That gives EnergyTech until June 20 to cure this default or the company faces legal action.

“We’re telling our vendor, ‘Look, enough is enough. You’ve either got to put up or we’re going to have to look for other alternatives.”

But the president of EnergyTech, Jack McCoy, says it’s the city’s fault.

McCoy told Goldstein, “The port hasn’t completed its part of the construction” and EnergyTech has done all the work it’s been contracted to do.

Renovations began under former Port Director Geraldine Knatz, who announced her retirement last fall, weeks after CBS2 revealed the cost of renovations.

The original budget was $700,000, but CBS2 found the costs skyrocketed to $3.2 million in September 2013.

The latest figures show renovations, as of this April, are at $4,017,616 in public money — and counting.

Meanwhile, the Angelena still sits.

“Do you think it’s time to pull the plug?” Goldstein asked Garcetti.

“I will certain look and ask our new executive director of the port to look at whether that’s something we should do, should we even have this and if we’re midstream, sometimes you’re too far in to stop,” the mayor replied. “But I want accountability for what happened and, if we can, maybe even pull the plug.”

While the port spends millions on Angelena restorations, it seems they can’t go without a tour boat, since they’re now renting another one. CBS2 found invoices for tens of thousands of dollars: one invoice rang in at more than $14,000 for one month, another $13,000, and dozens priced at $1,600, with an $800 hourly rate.

The total comes out to nearly $250,000 in public money spent on rentals since the Angelena has been out of service.

The guest lists show foreign trade partners who do business at the port, but others who don’t, such as USC students.

It’s all money that’s being spent while the port and the city are looking at millions of dollars in cost overruns for the Angelena.

“I think it’s appalling that we’re at this situation. This is something that, if they had had full information, we shouldn’t have gone forward with it in the first place,” Garcetti said.

Now the clock is ticking on the Angelena renovations, with a June 20 deadline to get the ship sailing — or else.

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The city of Los Angeles’ pothole-repair numbers may be filled with holes, CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein has learned.

His revelation could punch holes in the city’s claim that they filled 22,375 potholes in fiscal years 2011 to 2013.

Goldstein showed Kevin James, the president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, a video that captured a city pothole crew filling cracks on Goleta Street and Sharp Avenue in Sun Valley.

Goldstein later obtained the crew’s worksheets.

On the entry of Goleta and Sharp, the crew put “X’s” in the column “PH,” which means they claimed to have repaired a pothole.

“It’s inaccurate. What you showed me was not a pothole. Those were cracks, so those should have been listed as cracks, not potholes,” James said.

The crew in question and others were found claiming to fill potholes as small as one foot by one foot, which James said is a red flag.

“One by one by one should not qualify as a pothole,” he said. “We actually have a nice technical definition of a pothole. It’s an indentation of roughly 2 feet in diameter in the shape of a pot. Thus, pothole.”

Asked about the accuracy of the city’s claim, James said: “It’s obvious. Looking at this, David, the accuracy of the number provided by the (Bureau of Street Services) is off. No doubt about it.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti claims pothole repairs are up, even though the numbers may be flawed.

“Whether they’re using a bad methodology this year and past years, we know we’ve done more potholes. I want to make sure the number is an honest number, though, too. If it’s a crack repair, call it a crack repair,” Garcetti said.

Meantime, Goldstein reports that an investigation is underway into whether pothole repair crews have been doing their jobs in a timely manner.

Last month, hidden cameras captured a crew going to breakfast just after they left the yard in the morning.

Another crew arrived back at the yard an hour and 40 minutes earlier than they claimed on their timesheet.

Both instances apparently went undetected until Goldstein exposed what was going on.

Since the investigation, James said, crews have been supervised both on the ground and electronically.

The city has started to deploy a smartphone GPS tracking system called mComet.

So far, seven of 12 pothole crews have been issued the phones.

The system will show the route of each truck in real time and collect data on where it stopped and for how long.

“All it takes is one or two people to spoil it for everybody else, and if we can make sure the people know they’re being watched and being tracked, we can have that accountability,” Garcetti said.

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It looks like a scene from a local sports bar: groups of men watching the World Cup on TV, cheering with every play on the big screen.

But CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein reports undercover cameras found some of these men could be scoring your taxpayer dollars during working hours, sometimes for hours at a time, in the restaurant at Caltrans headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

The restaurant is privately owned, catering not only to Caltrans employees but also to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, which is in the building at 100 South Main St. It is also open to the public.

They recently put out a flyer telling “everyone to enjoy watching your favorite World Cup soccer games” — and as Goldstein reports, hidden cameras show many did.

In fact, Goldstein’s cameras caught dozens of people watching games during normal business hours, all while possibly earning your taxpayer money.

It wasn’t just the USA games, where even Mayor Eric Garcetti played hookey from work; crowds were also seen watching games featuring Cameroon, Germany, Iran and Belgium, among others, Goldstein learned.

Many spectators came with their Caltrans badges clipped to their waists, and while some stayed just for lunch around noon, others took time out of their workday to watch the 9 a.m. game and the noon game, a doubleheader on the taxpayer time.

Camera crews spotted one man — Farid Rekabi — for three straight days. Rekabi, a Caltrans electrical engineer who made nearly $94,000 last year, was first spotted June 13 watching the 9 a.m. Mexico vs. Cameroon game for almost an hour.

The next Monday, cameras caught Rekabi in the restaurant watching games for more than two hours, as well as the next day for another two hours, according to Goldstein.

On July 1, an undercover camera caught Rekabi in the restaurant watching the Argentina-Switzerland match with at least 17 others for 45 minutes of the 9 a.m. game, until Goldstein pulled his own version of a red card.

“Mr. Rekabi, we’ve seen you here for three straight days for hours at a time watching the games,” Goldstein said.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Rekabi replied.

“Is that a good use of taxpayer money?” asked Goldstein.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Rekabi said.

When Rekabi was pressed as to why he was watching the game on state time, he had no response.

Caltrans officials launched an immediate investigation after they were shown the videotape, but said some or maybe all of the employees could have been on time off and came downstairs to watch soccer.

“Can you really sit there and look me in the eye and say that most of these people had leave time?” Goldstein asked Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

“Again, I don’t really know and that’s the honest truth,” Wonder said.

A Caltrans official later told Goldstein that Rekabi had no leave time during the days he was seen watching the World Cup, leaving his time paid for by taxpayers.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A Los Angeles police officer is being investigated after video showed him punching a woman twice in the face while she was in lockup.

CBS2′s Investigative Reporter David Goldstein obtained a copy of the confrontation.

The incident occurred late at night in February in the LAPD’s Van Nuys division and was also recorded on the station’s surveillance tape.

The 35-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of petty theft.

The officer said the woman “aggressively” moved toward him. He said because of her aggressive move, he was forced to kick and punch her.

Authorities told Goldstein there were inconsistencies in the officer’s report about the incident.

The story also comes to light at the same time the CHP is involved in a case involving an officer caught on video repeatedly punching a woman in the face along a freeway.

The tape involving the LAPD officer shows him kicking and then punching the woman twice in the face.

The struggle between the officer and the woman, and then the officer’s partner, is brief. It lasts about 15 seconds.

Goldstein showed the video to Cheryl Dorsey, a former LAPD officer who retired after 20 years in the department. He asked her if the tape shows the use of excessive force.

“Absolutely, it’s excessive,” Dorsey said. “I don’t see anything that she did that would warrant that kind of assault.”

She said she felt the officer’s actions crossed a line.

“The kick was inappropriate, in my opinion,” Dorsey said, “and the subsequent blows, the closed fists to her face, head, was inappropriate. It was excessive.”

According to the arrest report obtained by CBS2 News, police said the woman was arrested Feb. 23 at a 7-Eleven store in Van Nuys after allegedly failing to pay for a can of beer and some candy.

In his report, Officer Alvin Clark said the woman who is described as Hispanic told him: “You (expletive) negroes don’t know who are you are dealing with.”

He said she began to spit, excessively throw her head violently from side to side and bite at the air.

The woman  was taken to the Van Nuys station and put in a holding cell. In the cell, suspects are monitored by closed-circuit video without sound.

After about 25 minutes, Clark returns to the holding cell and takes off the woman’s handcuffs. He said in his report that he asked the woman to take off her jewelry.

When she dropped an earring to the floor, the officer writes, he asked her to pick it up.

Goldstein froze the video at the point where Clark said the woman advanced toward him. He said she advanced toward the door with her body in a fighting stance, “hands closed in a fist.”

He said he “executed a side kick” and then approached her “to apply handcuffs.”

After restarting the video, Goldstein says, the tape shows the woman  moving and Clark kicking and then following up with punches and a struggle.

Richard Lichten, a use-of-force expert who spent 30 years with the LA County Sheriff’s Department, says what he saw on the video doesn’t match the report.

“After the officer kicked the suspect,” said Lichten, “from what I saw on tape, he immediately went up to her and began using his fists, punching her. I did not see any attempt to handcuff her.”

He adds: “To me, it looks like punishment. It looks like ‘You didn’t do what I told you to do. I’ve been dealing with you for the ride here and now you’re going to pay.’ “

LAPD officials told Goldstein the confrontation has been under investigation since it happened, both an internal and criminal probe. They told him there are “some” inconsistencies between the arrest report and the videotape.

“The inconsistencies indicated there was a discrepancy between the kind of force reportedly being used and the actual force that was observed on the tape,” LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman said.

Police officials wouldn’t get into specifics with Goldstein about the inconsistencies. They did say the two officers involved in the confrontation have been assigned home with pay while the investigation continues.

The woman was treated for wounds and charged with resisting arrest.

[Editor's Note: CBS2 did not release the suspect's name because we have been unable to track her down.]

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —  The family of a woman shown being kicked and punched by an LAPD officer is suing the city for damages.

The confrontation was captured on police surveillance video in the LAPD’s Van Nuys division and shown last week in a story Only On CBS2.

In a report, Officer Alvin Clark said he was protecting himself when the woman “aggressively advanced” toward him. The woman is now identified in court papers as Jessica Nunez, 35

Investigative reporter David Goldstein showed the video to experts in police work and use of force.

Former officer Cheryl Dorsey, who spent 20 years with the LAPD, said: “Absolutely, it’s excessive.”

Richard Lichten, a use-of-force expert with 30 years as a member of the Sheriff’s Department said the video recorded in February looked more “like punishment” and not someone simply trying to handcuff a suspect.

LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman told Goldstein that Clark was being investigated internally due to “some” inconsistencies in Clark’s report and what was shown on the video.

Attorney Luis Carrillo now represents Nunez.

“I was horrified [by the video],” Carrillo said. “A trained officer doesn’t have to use that amount of force to subdue a woman.”

Nunez had been arrested on suspicion of petty theft.

Carrillo told Goldstein that Nunez has a learning disability and is being cared for by her sisters.

“They had no knowledge that this was videotaped until, thanks to [David Goldstein], you put it on the air,” Carrillo said. “And then they were even more horrified.”

Carrillo says the fact the woman has a learning disability makes the story even more outrageous.

“According to their training, post training, they are to become aware of indicators of disabilities and therefore to use better communicative skills to talk to the person. You don’t need have to resort to force,” Carrillo said.

The two officers involved, Clark and his partner, have been pulled from patrol duty and are assigned home with pay until the investigation is completed.

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A trip to a high-end massage chain turned into alleged sexual assaults, according to several Southern California women.

CBS2’s investigative reporter David Goldstein has the story.

One woman, who wished not to be identified, recalled paying for a session at Massage Envy Spa in Glendale, part of a nationwide chain with more than 1,000 locations across the country.

But the woman, 34, said she was “shocked” when the male masseuse’s hands wandered where they shouldn’t have.

“The next thing I know, he just put his hand underneath my underwear and started touching me sexually,” she said. “When he pulled my underwear to the side that’s when I finally jumped up and said ‘OK, this is not what I was looking for. This is not what I’m interested in.’ “

She sued Massage Envy and therapist David Iler, claiming the assistant manager told her they “had filed a police report about the incident.”

Her attorney, David Ring, says they never did.

“What that signaled to me that Massage Envy wanted to protect itself over protecting its own customers,” Ring said.

Another woman, a 30-year-old nursing student from Glendale, also went to the same Massage Envy spa location, paying for a massage with a different therapist.

“His hands went underneath the sheet on my breasts. He massaged it for a couple of seconds, whereafter I took his hands. I swayed it away with the sheet on top of me. I sat up on the bed. I asked him to leave,” she said. “It’s so scary. You’re in that bed, and it’s no different than having someone walk into your house and rape you, because you’re unaware, your guard’s down.”

Her lawsuit against Massage Envy and therapist Ryan Coombes alleges she wasn’t his first victim. It says Massage Envy “should have known of his inappropriate conduct as a result of prior complaints.”

“He violated me and he got away with it. And they let him continuously work there,” she said.

The lawsuits have been settled confidentially.

Both women also filed complaints with Glendale police but neither therapist was charged with a crime, although they no longer work at Massage Envy.

The manager of the Glendale branch never returned calls for comment. Employees at the establishment were reluctant to contact her.

However, the branch isn’t the only one where women claim to have been sexually assaulted.

Goldstein found criminal filings and civil lawsuits against Massage Envy locations in Southern California and more than a dozen states across the nation, including: Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

At a Seal Beach location in 2012, 29-year-old massage therapist Jason Michael Elliott was arrested and accused of sexual assault against three women, one saying “he touched her vagina under the sheet over 20 times.”

Elliott was arrested and convicted of three counts of sexual assault.

At a Laguna Beach location in 2011, a woman claimed massage therapist Mark Valenzon “placed his erect penis against Plaintiff’s head.” Valenzon is now a registered sex offender after being convicted of sexual battery.

All of Massage Envy’s 1,000 locations are franchised.

A company spokesperson insisted, however, that despite multiple cases their “rate of incidents is extraordinarily low.”

“Inappropriate conduct is a challenge for the entire massage therapy industry,” the spokesperson said.

Ahmos Netanel runs California Massage Therapy Council, a nonprofit agency set up by the state to police massage therapists, as the organization’s CEO.

The agency does not, however, police the spas they work in.

“We have no knowledge, jurisdiction over businesses, Massage Envy or others,” he said.

The California Massage Therapy Council does certify therapists and run background checks.

Even so, Elliott and Valenzon passed and were certified. They’ve since been suspended due to their arrests.

But the two therapists accused by the two victims who won their cases retain valid certifications because they were not charged with crimes, meaning they can work anywhere in California.

“The law does not allow us to use settlements – civil lawsuits – as a ground for revocation,” Netanel said.

The nursing student who says she was assaulted by Coombes hopes that will change.

“It’s kind of scary because anyone’s daughter, anyone’s sister, anyone’s mom could end up in his hands again for a massage,” she said.

Experts say the best advice is to remember you’re in control. If you feel uncomfortable, you should stop the massage.

CBS2 tried to contact the two therapists alleged to have assaulted the women but both have moved out of California.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The financial burden on most young adults who pursue a college education through the California State University system is no secret.

Every year, Cal State students struggle to pay the thousands of dollars owed in tuition, loans and increased fees.

Meanwhile, the discovery of how CSU administrators are spending large amounts of donated money, meant to benefit the universities, is shocking.

CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldsten found hundreds of thousands of dollars, donated with the intention of supporting students’ educations and benefiting the schools, yet being spent by administrators on amusements.

Fancy parties, alcohol, $7,000 season tickets to the Hollywood Bowl, and top LA restaurants are a number of things this donated money is paying for.

The money comes in from private donations, including alumni, and is funneled through non-profit foundations, located on every Cal State campus.

After examining the tax returns, millions of dollars were found in contributions and grants.

While some of this money did go to student aid, thousands of pages of receipts revealed plenty of surprising charges.

At Cal State Los Angeles, a $3,000 American Express gift card was discovered, which was a retirement gift for Cal State Fullerton President Milton Gordon. Gift cards for additional retirees totaled more than $9,000.

Also found was a $5,100 membership to the exclusive City Club on Bunker Hill, as well as thousands of dollars that went towards meals at expensive restaurants, all charged by former Cal State LA President Dr. James Rosser, who is now retired.

Students, when told of the manner in which the donated money is being spent, were clearly disappointed.

“I think it’s extremely sad, because this is a low-income university,” one student said. “A lot of students that come here come from low income families and low-income communities.”

Other schools in the Cal State system were likewise involved.

At Cal State Northridge, checks were discovered, adding up to nearly $15,000 for an interior designer, who worked on the president’s on-campus housing. An addition $17,000 was spent for the kitchen appliances.

At Cal State San Bernardino, thousands of dollars seem to have gone towards meals, as well as drinks, along with a membership to the exclusive Arrowhead Country Club.

Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on catered receptions at the home of Cal Poly Pomona President Michael Ortiz. This was spent in the name of fundraising, as donor money instead went towards receptions with premium bars and bottles bought at Costco for Ortiz to use at receptions and dinners.

Ortiz, meanwhile, defends the spending, stating that the events are a way to raise money to supplement statewide budget cuts. However, he admits that donor money can be used much more leniently than taxpayer money.

“We would not spend state money on the same things we spend foundation money on,” Ortiz said. “In other words, we wouldn’t have an event which required us — not require — but allowed us to serve alcohol and other things. That would not be something that we’d use state money for.”

CSU Chancellor Timothy White, who heads all the universities, also chimed in, stating that the parties are not all meant for fun.

“It’s hard work,” White said. “It’s hard work to build relationships over time.”

White says it is necessary to ‘wine-and-dine’ wealthy donors.

“I think people expect the normal hospitality,” White said. “I mean, those people that are wealthy live in a life style of comfortable living.”

Ethics expert Bob Stern says that schools should use more restraint when spending donated money.

“Donors to universities should give because they’re giving to a university. They shouldn’t be giving because they’re wined and dined,” Stern said. “I think they should be using it as if it were tax money. I don’t think they should be saying ‘Okay, well, because this is all private money that’s coming in, we can spend it as we choose’.”

The universities say that the trustees watch over the spending, and maintain that all of it is absolutely necessary.

The students will never feel the same way.

“I feel cheated, you know? It’s really unfair.”

SAN PEDRO (CBSLA.com) — City officials announced Wednesday that the multimillion-dollar Angelena Project has been canceled.

The yacht was used to give tours of the city-owned port of Los Angeles.

According to authorities, a plan to install a hybrid motor in the yacht was introduced nearly two years ago. It has still not been approved for use by the Coast Guard.

CBS2’s David Goldstein spoke with Port Director Gene Seroka, who admitted that media coverage may have played a part in the decision.

“I have no representation at this point to give me confidence going down the line that this boat will be seaworthy,” Seroka said.

So far, more than $4 million in public money, including a $571,000 federal grant, has been put into renovations on the yacht.

According to Seroka, the original projection for the yacht was $700,000.

“Knowing the amount of money that has been spend to date,” Seroka said. “I cannot authorize another dollar spent on this project.”

Cutting its losses, the port plans to sell the yacht or will dismantle and sell it for parts.

The Angelena Project originally began under former Port Director Geraldine Knatz, who has since retired.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Are lottery retailers beating the odds, or is there something more going on?

A CBS2 News investigation found some store owners cashing in winning lottery tickets at surprising rates.

Ali Ibrahim, owner of Hi-Crest Liquor & Junior Market in Garden Grove, is winning big.

CBS2 found Ibrahim and his family have cashed in almost all the big winners purchased at his store.

“You’ve won more than $300,000. What is your secret?” CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein asked.

And he’s not alone. CBS2 found retailers across Southern California who cashed in tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings purchased at their stores. It’s not illegal, but experts say some may be defying the odds.

CBS2 obtained the names of every person who won $600 or more playing the California Lottery over the past 11 years, which came out to nearly 500,000 winning tickets.

In the business, they’re called taxable tickets, because jackpots of $600 and more have to be cashed at the California Lottery District Office. There, officials will take out federal taxes and any child support or money owed to the state.

CBS2 found Ibrahim on the list. He won $600 or more 192 times and has gleaned more than $300,000. Most of it came from tickets purchased at his own store; Ibrahim won 142 of the 188 winning tickets at Hi-Crest.

If you include his relatives — they won 166 of the 188 winning tickets — purchased at Hi-Crest, which comes out to 88 percent of the winning tickets.

Ibrahim didn’t want to talk about it.

“Mr. Ibrahim, can I ask you a question? Seventy-five percent of your taxable winners in your store, you’ve won. You’ve won three out of four tickets of $600 or more. How are you doing that?” Goldstein asked. “Can you answer the question, sir?”

Skip Garibaldi is associate director of the UCLA Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics.

His take on Ibrahim’s lucky streak: “Yeah, that is very peculiar for sure.”

The mathematician calculates that some of these retailers are even beating the best Las Vegas odds or spending an absurd amount of money. In Ibrahim’s case, Garibaldi said he would have had to spend big bucks.

“I think he spent about $2 million on Hot Spot, which is his preferred game,” the expert said.

“$2 million to win $304,000?” Goldstein said.

“That’s right. That’s what it looks like from the numbers,” Garibaldi said.

At California Lottery headquarters in Sacramento, security officials say Ibrahim’s frequency of winnings certainly has put him on their radar – more than once.

“We’ve probably done at least 10 investigations in that location … because we want to test the integrity of the retailer,” said Stephen Tacchini, the deputy director of law enforcement for the State Lottery and the former chief of the San Francisco Police Department.

He said they haven’t caught Ibrahim doing anything wrong, but they’re watching.

“Do you think it’s suspicious winning three out of four?” Goldstein said.

“I can draw some conclusions, but there’s nothing we found that he’s doing wrong. He may be purchasing tickets from customers, which is a violation of our regulations. We know that does occur,” Tacchini said.

That’s one reason why retailers’ names are near the top of the list for suspicious winners.

Experts say they’ve been known to purchase winning tickets for 50 or 75 cents on the dollar, if the winner is trying to avoid paying taxes or debts. That’s against the rules.

Lottery officials also conduct stings in which an undercover officer posing as a customer hands a clerk a winning ticket, only to have him come back and say it’s a loser.

Some retailers are also known to gamble more than others, which is why they may win. And when they do, they say it’s just their lucky day.

Or is it?

Angela Kouch owns MJB Video in Koreatown. Her 119 wins at the store netted her more than $79,000. Her husband had one win for $5,000.

And a frequent customer Jose Ruiz has won 260 times, tallying more than $200,000. Together, they’ve won 380 of the 392 taxable wins in the store since 2003, which comes out to 96 percent.

But when pressed, Kouch admitted not all the wins were hers.

“So, you were buying winning tickets?” Goldstein said.

“Yeah,” she said.

“That’s not allowed,” Goldstein said.

“I don’t make money,” Kouch replied.

She says the Lottery caught her and withheld money.

“Are you buying winning tickets from other people?” Goldstein asked Ruiz.

“On occasion,” Ruiz replied.

Ruiz also confessed to buying tickets but said he pools money with friends, and most of his wins were legitimate.

“June, July, August, September of this year – you got every month,” Goldstein said of Ruiz’s winning streak.

“That’s pretty good,” Goldstein said.

“Not bad. I play to win,” he replied.

Then there’s Cuong Nguyen, who owns a café in Reseda that’s claimed 75 Lottery wins in the past 11 years. If you included his relatives, that came out to 99 of the stores 204 taxable wins. That’s 48 percent of all taxable wins.

Nguyen had a familiar response: “Yeah, it’s luck.”

“It’s just luck?” Goldstein asked.

Nguyen replied: “Yeah.”

The same went for Assad Harmouch. He owns Village Liquor in La Crescenta. He’s had an amazing winning streak: 17 scratcher winners at his own store in the past three years, raking in $59,000 total.

“Last year, you won $1,000 on Oct. 16th, $1,000 on Oct. 21, $1,000 on Oct. 29, $25,000 on Nov. 14,” Goldstein told Harmouch.

“That’s correct,” Harmouch said.

“That’s a pretty lucky streak,” Goldstein replied.

“Thank you. Well, I spend a lot also at the same time,” he said.

Garibaldi said the odds of winning more than $600 on a scratcher are one in 1,917. He estimated Harmouch would have had to spend nearly $600,000 to win $59,000.

“That doesn’t make sense right?” Goldstein asked the mathematician.

“I agree; it does not make sense,” Garibaldi said.

Bill Hertoghe was the former head of security for the California Lottery.

“ ‘Lucky,’ I hear that a lot, yeah,” Hertoghe said. “In my experience, they’re not that lucky. And if they are, they shouldn’t be just retailers. They should be professional gamblers.”

He believes some retailers are buying tickets or scamming winners. The Lottery said it has a security force to crack down on those who are skirting the rules.

Critics said these people are beating the odds so much so they may be too lucky.

Lottery officials said that without absolute proof, it’s difficult to break the contracts with retailers. In fact, they’ve been sued for doing so in the past.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — One of California’s most powerful lawmakers is demanding action after documents were uncovered detailing trucks leaving toxic waste on Southern California freeways.

California State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon was troubled after learning about evidence showing that state regulators have known about the trucks leaking hazardous waste from a battery recycling facility, now owned by Exide, onto public roadways for nearly 25 years.

“I think it’s disgusting,” de Leon said. “I think, perhaps at best, you have severe negligence. At worst, you may have collusion.”

CBS2 first learned of the trucks leaking lead-contaminated waste after obtaining a document, which details a California Highway Patrol stop in Castaic in 2013.

A Hazmat team had to be dispatched when “the trailer was leaking liquid onto the ground,” according to the document.

Paul Kewin, Chief of Enforcement for the Department of Toxic Substances Control, said in September that his agency considered the incident to be the only one of its kind that they had knowledge about.

“That’s the only case where a load of waste from that facility was found to be leaking on the road,” Kewin said.

However, another document, later obtained, painted a different picture.

This document, from December 15, 1989, details an inspection conducted by the Department of Health Services — the predecessor to DTSC — on the same battery recycling facility, which was then owned by GNB Incorporated.

The report states, “A high concentration of soluble lead has been detected dripping out of the trailers.”

Another report that same year suggests that DHS inspectors “…found hazardous levels of lead leaking onto Interstate 5.”

While Kewis told CBS that he had no knowledge of trucks leaking before 2013, he said that, upon closer inspection, the trailers’ condition reveals that they had been leaking for a long time.

“I can’t explain how that got passed us,” Kewin said.

Secretary for Environmental Protection Matt Rodriguez, the state’s top environmental regulator, who oversees the DTSC, has refused to answer any questions regarding the issue.

However, Senator de Leon says he has a number of questions of his own.

“I know I’ll be speaking with the secretary of EPA, as well as with the governor directly, to get to the bottom of this,” de Leon said. “Someone’s not telling the truth.”

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — We caught Los Angeles parking officers writing ticket after ticket, hitting motorists with a $73 fine.

“It’s unfair, really unfair, and really bad,” said one woman who’d just been cited.

STREET CLEANING PARKING ENFORCEMENT SEARCHABLE CHART

CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein found her ticket, and potentially thousands of others, should never have been issued.

“These are five people that got tickets that shouldn’t have gotten them,” Goldstein said to one of the officers handing out the inappropriate tickets.

“Sir, to my knowledge, I had no idea,” the officer responded.

All the tickets were issued for street cleaning violations because there is no parking on certain days of the week.

CBS2 found that 622,873 tickets had been issued since Dec. 1, 2013, and city officials collected $45,469,729 in fines.

But after residents complained they were being ticketed on street cleaning days, even though the sweeper never showed up, Mayor Eric Garcetti promised he would change all that.

Last December, the city launched a website, updated everyday, that shows routes with relaxed parking enforcement because the sweeper was canceled.

CBS2 shot video of an officer ticketing a BMW even though it was parked in a relaxed enforcement route. The officer cited the driver $73 for “No Parking – Street Cleaning.”

It was a ticket that shouldn’t have been issued.

On another day, CBS2 found the same thing happening, with windshields filled with tickets.

“It’s $73 that can go towards my kid’s education and now I have to pay it to the city,” the motorist said. “It’s ridiculous. It really is.”

Most motorists didn’t know about relaxed enforcement and thought they were caught red-handed – until Goldstein told them.

He spoke to Katie Donahue, who had just received one of the bogus tickets.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Donahue said. “They’re preying on the citizens’ lack of knowledge about this.”

The lack of knowledge evidently extends to those in the department as well. Goldstein caught up with parking officer Destiny Reynolds as she was handing out tickets in a relaxed parking zone.

“This is a relaxed parking zone, did you know that,” Goldstein asked. “You have been writing tickets, we saw you writing tickets just now. This is a relaxed parking area. This is inside the zone, did you know that?”

“Let me check that out,” Reynolds replied.

Reynolds decided to check it out only after she was confronted and after she already had issued a ticket in the relaxed parking zone.

“How come you wouldn’t know that? You have been writing tickets…” Goldstein said.

“No, I actually just got here, sir,” Reynolds replied.

However, minutes earlier, CBS2 saw her issue a $73 ticket. She used her radio to see if what Goldstein had told her was true.

Goldstein said, “What do you think officer?”

“Yes,” she said.

“It is a relaxed parking area?” Goldstein said.

“Yes,’ Reynolds replied.

“So, you were about to write this person up? This person would never have known that right?” Goldsten said.

Reynolds only managed, “Right. Have a good day.”

CBS2 caught another traffic officer issuing five tickets one day. This officer also claimed to have no knowledge of the relaxed zones.

“We’ve seen you writing bogus tickets,” Goldstein said. “You wrote five tickets and it was a relaxed parking day.”

“That’s because they didn’t tell us,” the officer said.

When Goldstein reminded the officer that five people had received tickets unjustly, the officer replied, “I didn’t know.”

L.A. Department of Transportation Chief Greg Savelli said sometimes they don’t get the word from street services until it’s too late: “You’re making us aware of a flaw in the system and we’re more than willing to look at these flaws and try to fix them.”

But he stopped short of committing to refund everyone’s money.

“Shouldn’t you have an obligation to go back and look at tickets issued this morning to see if they were issued improperly?” Goldstein said.

“We could certainly do that,” the DOT head said.

Mayor Garcetti, meanwhile, was much more blunt.

“I’ve said, ‘Make this right. Period’,” the mayor said.

Mayor Garcetti says that people who received the bogus tickets will be getting a refund.

“Well, that is absolutely unacceptable. I can’t tell you how upset I was to hear that and, thanks to your reporting, people who got those tickets are going to get a refund, and it’s going to stop. Period,” the mayor said.

The DOT now said they’re trying to determine just how many citations were issued in error from Dec. 1, 2013, when the program began.

“Those citations will be dismissed and refunds will be issued to those who have already paid.”

And because of CBS2’s investigation, street services said they’ll get the word out earlier, so officers won’t continue issuing tickets to innocent motorists.

To see if you received a parking ticket in the city of L.A. for a street-sweeping violation since Nov. 27, 2013, you may be entitled to a refund because of CBS2’s investigation. Click here to see if you’re eligible and for information on contesting your ticket.

Click here to find a list of today’s relaxed parking enforcement routes.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — City leaders sounded off Wednesday in reaction to a story in which CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein exposed that parking enforcers were issuing bogus parking tickets throughout LA County.

In the story, which aired Tuesday night, Goldstein approached parking officers who were issuing parking tickets to vehicles parked in designated “relaxed parking” zones — or areas that are supposed to be immune to parking tickets issued due to street cleaning.

Relaxed parking zones are designated when a previously scheduled street sweeper is cancelled for that street at any given time.

The city, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, has started the process of figuring out just how many tickets were issued to LA motorists in error. The number could be hundreds or thousands.

“I was pissed. That was unacceptable,” Mayor Garcetti said of the tickets.

Safety Streets LA’s Jay Beeber, who is also a candidate for city council, stated that Goldstein’s report exposed a flawed system, in which he says the city simply doesn’t care who gets ticketed.

“If Nordstrom did this to their customers, they wouldn’t be in business for maybe two days,” Beeber said.

The relaxed parking routes were set up and shared with residents on this city website in order to alert motorists as to when the street sweepers weren’t coming.

The Department of Transportation, however, says that, in some cases, they were not notified as to the cancellations, and their officers didn’t know not to issue tickets in that area, until Goldstein approached them on the issue.

“You made us aware of a flaw in the system, and we’re more than willing to look at these flaws and try to fix them,” DOT Chief Greg Savelli said.

Mayor Garcetti, meanwhile, shot down Savelli’s answer, and was more upset over the situation.

“No, this isn’t a flaw in the system,” Mayor Garcetti said. “This was a mistake that was made, and people have to own that mistake.”

DOT’s Bruce Gillman says that those who were issued parking tickets unjustly will receive a refund in the form of a check in the mail.

There are more than 600,000 to examine for the past year.

Click here to see if you’re eligible and for information on contesting your ticket.

Click here to find a list of today’s relaxed parking enforcement routes.

RELATED:

CBS2 Investigates: LA Parking Officers Caught Handing Out Bogus Tickets

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — They’re lined up outside welfare offices, on street corners and in supermarkets: people hawking free cellphones for those in need.

CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein says it’s called the California Lifeline Program, but it’s more commonly known by another name.

“Is that what they call the ‘Obama phones?’ ” asked one customer.

The program exploded under President Barack Obama: 14 million American have the free phones, costing $2.2 billion in subsidies nationwide in 2013. And it’s all paid for by taxpayers.

There’s a Lifeline surcharge on everyone’s cellphone bill, and just in California the numbers have tripled: 30,000 new subscribers in August, 90,000 just last month.

Officially, you need proof of government assistance or low income in order to qualify for the program.

But our undercover producer hit the streets telling people she didn’t have anything — no Medi-Cal or EBT card — and found plenty of salespeople, many of whom work on commission, willing to offer advice on how to bend the rules.

One salesman for Budget Mobile stationed outside a South L.A. welfare office was one of those people.

“Do you have any friends or family that might have EBT or some sort of social service?” he asked our producer. “What you could do is ask your friend to sign up for a free phone and when it comes in, they can let you have it.”

But once someone receives a phone, they’re not supposed to do that.

In a statement (PDF), Budget Mobile spokeswoman Robin Enkey said the company is in “strict compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations.”

Outside one welfare office on Grand Avenue, two salespeople for Assurance Wireless said our producer could use someone else’s card, which is against the rules.

But it was outside another welfare office on 108th and Central that Erica, also with Assurance Wireless, went the furthest.

“You don’t need an ID or a Social Security number, none of that,” she said. “I would make up the Social, the last four, I would make up those four numbers for you.

“If you have a friend or something that already has their EBT, I’ll take a picture of their card so that you can get the phone,” Erica offered.

“But would it be in my name?” our producer asked.

“Yeah, I can put it in your name,” Erica replied.

We never went through with any of the transactions and later went to talk with Erica.

“How’s the Obama-phone business, good?” Goldstein asked. “You said you would give her a phone, you’d make up a Social Security number, you’d let her use someone else’s ID.”

She denied the allegation.

“No, I did not tell her that,” said Erica. “I never told her I’d let her use somebody else’s ID or make up a Social.”

Even after playing the video footage, she still denied it.

“No, no, I didn’t tell here that she could use somebody else’s EBT card,” she said.

In a statement, a company spokesperson said Assurance Wireless is investigating the conduct described in this report.

“State and federal regulations require Lifeline applicants to present valid proof of program eligibility and to certify to the accuracy of information provided on the application,” the statement read. “Assurance Wireless continuously audits the conduct of its sales agents to ensure that proper procedures are being followed and that only valid applications are collected.”

Kris Vosburgh of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association says all of us paying for the program are being ripped off.

“There appears to be very little oversight on a multibillion-dollar program,” said Vosburgh. “We’re just getting a lot of scammers who are applying and they’re not being filtered out by the system. There just isn’t a checks and balances overseeing this system.”

But the FCC, which regulates the program nationally, says it’s been cracking down. Last year, it canceled 2 million subscribers because of fraud and abuse.

In California, state regulators say they do even more fraud detection than the Feds.

But on the streets, we still found those who are bending the rules.

“Is that the way the process is supposed to work?” asked Goldstein.

“Well, I don’t feel like answering any more questions,” Erica of Assurance Wireless replied.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — An investigation by CBS2’s David Goldstein caught employees from various public agencies parking in front of fire hydrants – not on emergencies, but while going to lunch.

Most drivers are slapped with a $68 fine for parking within 15 feet of a hydrant, but for public workers, we found the city of Los Angeles lets them get away with it.

“How come you don’t ticket the DWP guy at the fire hydrant?” Goldstein asked one parking-enforcement officer.

Parking in front of a fire hydrant can be a serious public-safety issue. In Boston last April, firefighters had to make their own path through a car in order to feed a hose from the hydrant.

“It is dangerous because it impedes us from gathering our water supply,” a fire official said.

However, in Studio City, two MTA workers were casually eating lunch at a Subway. Outside, they parked their truck right in front of a fire hydrant for almost half an hour.

Goldstein asked the MTA workers about their truck, but the workers claimed they weren’t there long.

“I just had to use the restroom real quick, man” one worker said.

“No, you were eating inside of Subway,” Goldstein pointed out. “You’ve been in there for 20 minutes at least. We saw you.”

“Sorry,” the worker said, driving off in the truck and leaving his partner to walk away on foot.

A spokesperson for MTA said parking in front of a hydrant violates MTA policy, stating: “All employees are supposed to follow appropriate traffic laws.”

In Van Nuys, CBS2 found two DWP workers eating lunch, sharing something on a cellphone and carrying on a conversation. Outside, their truck was parked in front of a fire hydrant, even though there was an open metered spot just behind the hydrant.

Even parking enforcement didn’t do anything about the vehicle. A hidden camera captured a parking enforcement officer walk right past the DWP truck, still parked in front of the hydrant, and ticket our undercover van for an expired meter.

Goldstein questioned why the DWP truck at the fire hydrant wasn’t ticketed.

“It’s California exempt. I can’t,” the parking-enforcement officer said.

“No, the law says they can’t park at a hydrant,” Goldstein told the officer.

The officer referred Goldstein to the department’s media-relations officer.

As the officer drove away, inside the restaurant, a hidden camera caught the DWP employees get up abruptly, pay their bill and come out around the back side of the restaurant. A worker in a blue shirt walked away, while the driver made his way back to the truck.

“How come you guys parked in front of the hydrant?” Goldstein asked the driver.

“I’m working here; I’ve got a little pressure complaint,” the DWP employee said.

Goldstein revealed that he saw the workers eating lunch while parked at the hydrant, but the driver continued to deny it.

“We have shots of you inside eating lunch,” Goldstein said. “You parked at the hydrant while all the metered spots were open. Isn’t that a danger, parking at a fire hydrant?”

The worker didn’t respond.

A DWP spokesperson said: “If the employees were on a lunch or other break and not on the scene of an incident, parking in front of a fire hydrant would have been against city parking regulations.”

LADOT says they don’t ticket utility trucks parked at hydrants because they assume they’re working at a job site. The city’s municipal code says trucks “in use for construction or repair work” are exempted.

Further, DOT says its not their job to search out whether they’re at lunch or working.

“Do you think they should park there and go to lunch?” Goldstein asked.

“No, I don’t think they should,” Los Angeles City Councilman Tom Labonge said. ” (It’s) very dangerous, very dangerous, (and) it’s wrong. It’s dangerous, and it’s wrong.”

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Transportation Security Administration’s decision to allow passengers to go through the pre-check screening line designed for those with approved security clearance, some say, is compromising safety.

To enter the pre-check program, passengers normally need to be fingerprinted, pass an extensive background check and pay $85.

But CBS2’s David Goldstein found that the TSA is randomly selecting passengers who aren’t enrolled to reduce wait times.

“Yes, I was afraid. Maybe something else should be done about pre-check to secure it,” said Allen Bell, a Los Angeles resident.

Thousand Oaks resident Felicia Friedland was also chosen when she returned to LAX from New York.

“I actually thought about that. ‘Like, why me?’ They really don’t know me, but they did it for me anyway,” she said.

Since the program started last December, roughly 700,000 people have signed up for TSA’s pre-check, which has shorter lines.

Passengers in the pre-check program aren’t required to remove their shoes, belts and jackets and are permitted to leave laptops and liquids in carry-on bags before going through an X-ray machine.

But allowing anyone to pass through, according to Phil Little, creates a system ripe for terrorists.

“Particularly with Khorasan and some of these other groups with very sophisticated nondetectable explosives. We’re setting ourselves up for a disaster just like we did before 9/11,” said Little, a security expert.

CBS News’ Travel Editor Peter Greenberg, who is enrolled in the program, says the TSA’s move is counterproductive.

“It’s a mess and, in fact, for those of us who are frequent flyers, we think it’s little bit of a joke and it’s frustrating because the concept of pre-check is that you are a trusted traveler, you’ve been vetted, you’ve done the background check, and your reward for that is that you are supposed to go through a streaming, seamless line. It’s not,” Greenberg said.

TSA officials refused to comment on the safety concerns but do say they have multiple levels of security at many airports, including at LAX, where they make an assessment of all passengers before they reach the checkpoints.

In a statement, the TSA said: “Someone wishing to do harm to the transportation system cannot predict with any degree of certainty they’ll be randomly selected for expedited screening.”

“We can have a real problem on our hands,” said Congressman Adam Schiff, a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Schiff says TSA’s decision to allow other passengers into the pre-check line is unacceptable.

“Well, it certainly does get around the background check in a way that may put us at risk, and that’s something that I think we need to really delve into and decide whether this has to be done away with, this process of waving people into the pre-check line,” he said.

Schiff says he’s awaiting a report from Homeland Security before making any decisions.

For now, though, TSA continues to randomly select passengers into the pre-check line who have not previously been vetted.

Last year, the pre-screened benefits were extended to all members of the U.S. Armed Forces and, two weeks ago, to all students of the U.S. service academies.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Arrest reports of those in custody after protests locally of the Ferguson grand jury decision reveal that many are in their 20s and 30s and at least one is from New York City.

Overnight Wednesday, dozens were detained in downtown Los Angeles after being repeatedly asked to disperse.

In all, the Los Angeles Police Department said 183 demonstrators were arrested.

“There are some people that show themselves as transients. We have one, I’ve noticed, which was a college professor. So, we have everything in between,” Cmdr. Andy Smith of the LAPD told CBS2’s David Goldstein.

Of the 81 arrest reports that have been processed thus far, CBS2 found that 55 people live in the city of Los Angeles while 23 live in neighboring cities.

They listed Santa Monica, Orange, Downey, Azusa, Torrance, Moreno Valley and Anaheim Hills as their places of residence, to name a few.

Two were from Northern California and one from New York City.

As Goldstein reports, a 60-year-old man is the oldest while 15 arrestees are juveniles. Most are in their 20s and 30s.

Although there was one felony arrest, Goldstein says most were being processed on misdemeanor violations.

Normally, the LAPD says, many would have been released on their recognizance with an order to appear in court at a later date.

But in this instance, authorities are insisting on bail in the amount of $500.

“In this case, because these people are part of a protest that is continuing, they will not be released on their own recognizance,” Smith said.

Unless they post bail, police said, they’ll be in jail until Monday morning due to the holiday weekend.

Wednesday morning, a Los Angeles activist group tweeted: “LAPD is holding the protesters hostage by doing this.”

Despite those claims, police said they’re complying with the law.

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HACIENDA HEIGHTS (CBSLA.com) — An accident involving two big rigs and a tour bus Wednesday shut down several lanes of the 60 Freeway in Hacienda Heights.

The crash was reported at 9:42 a.m. on the eastbound side of the freeway at Seventh Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“One truck struck another truck . . . the impact caused [the second truck] to go toward the center median . . . to cause the second impact of the truck and the charter bus,” CHP Officer Perez said.

The bus was carrying 19 people and headed to Pala Casino in San Diego County.

“My understanding is that eight were not injured at all, 13 were transported to local hospitals with minor to moderate injuries,” he said.

Three eastbound lanes were reopened around 12:20 p.m., while the number 4 and 5 lanes remained closed until at least 1 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

LISTEN LIVE TO KNX 1070 FOR LIVE TRAFFIC UPDATES

The bus is operated by Bus Limo Express in Monterey Park, which has a clean safety record. However, CBS2’s David Goldstein noted that the rear of the bus involved in Wednesday’s crash was operated by Da Zhen, which has a murkier record.

According to the state Public Utilities Commission website, Da Zhen Travel Agency Charter’s certificate was suspended on Dec. 19 and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says the company is not authorized to carry passengers.

A tour bus operated by Da Zhen overturned in Irwindale in 2013, injuring 52 people, when authorities say it changed lanes and hit another car. Da Zhen Travel’s record includes four moving violations in the past two years, including three for speeding 15 miles or more over the limit, according to federal officials.

Da Zhen and Bus Limo Express, which operate out of the same office on Garvey Avenue in Monterey Park, were not available for comment.

Federal officials say that even though Da Zhen’s license is suspended, the bus can operate legally with another licensed operator such as Bus Limo Express.

LOS ANGELES (CBS2) — A CBS2 investigative report has prompted the city of Los Angeles to refund more than $1.1 million in parking tickets mistakenly doled out to drivers and, just recently, parking officials were caught still handing out unnecessary fines.

The city issued 12,656 tickets from December 2013 through November 2014 in areas where motorists shouldn’t have been cited. CBS2’s David Goldstein and his investigative team used hidden cameras late last year to bring it to light.

When Goldstein presented the findings to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, he was less than thrilled: “I’m pissed!”

And Traffic Officer Sonja Miller said it made her more vigilant about the tickets she writes: “Yes, sir, that’s why we check. That’s why we check because we saw your story. We always check.”

If you have your citation number, check this searchable database to see if you’re eligible for a refund. If your citation number is here, the city says a check will be coming in the next few weeks. If you do not have a citation number, you can call 866-561-9742 with your license plate number to find out if you’re getting money back.

Drivers like Katie Donahue were cited for street-cleaning violations, claiming there was no parking on certain days of the week. But on those days, those streets were listed on the city’s relaxed parking enforcement website because the sweeper had been canceled — so, those tickets should never have been written.

Now, Donahue and thousands of other drivers qualify for a refund.

“You’re going to get your $73 back,” Goldstein told her.

“That’s great. That’s like getting a real fancy dinner out,” the driver said.

Transportation officials say it was a communication breakdown, and the officers didn’t get notified in time.

CBS2’s investigation inspired the Department of Transportation to notify officers throughout the day on two-way radios, according to DOT Chief Greg Savelli.

“As soon as the notice is received,  the supervisors will get it. The dispatch center will get it. They will broadcast it every 15 minutes … during the period of time the route is canceled,” Savelli said.

CBS2 again used hidden cameras to check if the new policy is working.

Over three days, the investigative team caught officers writing tickets in the relaxed parking zones all over the city.

CBS2 watched an officer issue a ticket to Tammy Sue Roberts’ Hummer in a relaxed zone.

“The city said they were going to correct this whole thing, yet you got a ticket again today,” Goldstein said.

Roberts replied: “Well, I’m not happy. I don’t want to pay it.”

And as for Miller, who said she “always checks,” she was caught writing two tickets in a relaxed zone while patrolling East L.A. Another officer was doing the same thing at roughly the same time.

When asked about it, Miller said she first checked with DOT and there was no notice given on the radio like the chief had promised: “And if we don’t know, that’s how we’re notified, on our air. We don’t just say, ‘OK, we’re going to ignore that and write tickets.’ No. We don’t do that.”

The mayor responded to these new findings with the same disappointment and promised there would be changes. He laid the blame on human error, even though it’s been months since CBS2 first exposed the problem.

“How can people trust the city; they’re still getting tickets?” Goldstein said.

“I think $1.1 million in refunds is a pretty good down payment on trust,” the mayor replied.

But that’s only a down payment. CBS2’s recent findings have pushed the city to refund another 1,512 tickets — roughly $53,000 — issued by mistake from Nov. 15, 2014, through Jan. 22 of this year.

That brings the total to more than 14,000 tickets refunded.

DOT officials say they hope to have wifi-enabled handheld devices for their officers by May that would prevent them from writing improper tickets.

In the meantime, Miller says she’ll double-check before writing any new tickets, and may even call on CBS2 to confirm.

“This is cool? You sure?” the officer asked Goldstein before writing up a ticket during a recent shift.

“As far as I know. You’re the one with the badge,” Goldstein said.

She replied: “No, no, no. You know more than I do because you’re an investigative reporter, hey, hey.”

Click here to see if you’re eligible and for information on contesting your ticket.

Click here to find a list of today’s relaxed parking enforcement routes.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — He sits in a wheelchair with a sign reading: “Could you spare a dollar for a homeless, disabled U.S. Navy vet?”

The dog tags around his neck and military salute make it look official.

And the scene of him sitting in the chair playing tricks with his cat certainly tugs at the heartstrings of passers-by who pony up money.

But would they have given if they saw the hidden camera video that saw him appearing to walk uninjured?

From CBS2’s undercover van in Burbank, we watched this man get off a MTA bus using a wheelchair ramp.

Almost every day, he’d maneuver his wheelchair down the sidewalk with his cat carrier on his lap, then set up shop outside either the 99 Cents store or in the Ralphs parking lot. He’d wave to some customers, salute others who passed him and show off his trained cat, who’s on a leash.

It seemed to pay off with people dropping money in the bucket.

(credit: CBS)

He told our undercover producer his name was Troy Ridimann. The same name and photo match to this Facebook page.

And he has stories to tell of his service, which he says took place on Coronado Island from 1983 to 1993.

“I was a petty officer, first class, Navy diver and master diver,” he said.

Ridimann says he was injured diving for a missile that misfired into the Pacific Ocean.

“I went down 433 feet below the ocean surface and recovered it; 1,500 pounds-per-square-inch pressure compressed my cartilage in my ankles, my knees and my hips to the point where I don’t have any,” he said.

“I can still move. It just hurts. Mine’s bone on bone.”

And he ends his story with these words: “The only thing I can do is tell the truth. I don’t lie about anything.”

Keep those words in mind because when we followed him to another location, Ridimann got up out of his wheelchair, seemingly without any problem, and walked around.

Not just once. And sometimes not even slowly. It seemed Ridimann was moving freely. We saw him getting in, and then out, of a car numerous times, even though he said he had compressed cartilage in his ankles, knees and hips.

But that may not be the only story he’s telling. We checked with the Navy, which says it has no record of a Troy Ridimann ever serving.

We showed the video to Robert Kelly. The retired Navy petty officer, first class, is in a wheelchair, suffering from years worth of diving.

“It’s just terrible. It’s a slap in the face to veterans, and especially disabled veterans, that he would go this far to take money out of our pockets, out of people’s pockets, to tug at their heartstrings and defraud people that he’s a veteran,” Kelly said.

And it angers people who gave him money, like Charlene Flores of Burbank.

“It’s just not right,” Flores said.

When we caught up with Ridimann, he was wearing a Navy sweatshirt and walking just fine.

When asked about the discrepancy, he began limping as he walked away, insisting he served in the Navy and was in fact “hurting.”

He also insisted he was not scamming people for money.

He had nothing else to say and walked away briskly with no more war stories to tell.

AGOURA HILLS (CBSLA.com) — More than a dozen people have filed small-claims cases against an Agoura Hills doctor, stating that they were never paid as promised for participating in medical research.

CBS2 investigative reporter David Goldstein paid a visit to Jay Udani, the CEO of a company called Medicus Research. But the doctor did not want to talk about why his company has left people like Vickie Ellington high and dry.

“I feel like I was completely suckered,” said Ellington, a Torrance resident who, like many middle-age men and women, was looking to lose weight.

She found an ad for Staywell Research on Craigslist. The company offered to pay $1,000 for a weight loss study.

“My thinking at the time was kill two birds with one stone,” Ellington said. “Lose weight and make money.”

She said all she had to do was sample and new product and keep a diary.

“The idea is not to diet, it’s to put this on all your food and eventually it curbs your appetite,” Ellington said.

She said she completed the six-month study in May, and was promised to get paid whether she lost weight or not. But both the results and her money never materialized.

“I never lost weight. I never got paid,” Ellington said.

And she’s not alone. There are dozens of people who have complained online about signing up for studies with Staywell and never seeing a dime for all sorts of research.

“I’m feeling upset over being gyped out of $1,175,” said Stephanie Payne of Van Nuys, who said she completed a diabetes study last year and didn’t see any money. “I called every two weeks.”

Eventually, the company offered an installment plan in October, promising her weekly payments of $235.

“I got the first check. I put it in the bank and it bounced three weeks later,” Payne said.

Staywell Research is run by Medicus Research, which is located in a building in Agoura Hills and operated in part by Udani, a doctor who has a very impressive resume online.

Dr. Udani claims to have his own theory of clinical trials. A licensed physician with the California Medical Board, he seems to have a good standing in the industry according to a video that states “Dr. Jay Udani’s reputation precedes him.”

When Goldstein wanted to find out why more than a dozen people have filed cases against Udani, the doctor tried to protect that reputation.

“Doctor, can I talked with you a second,” Goldstein asked. “A lot of people claim you owe them money. They went through the research and your company hasn’t paid a dime.”

The doctor claims he “is” paying.

“I’m working with my team to take care of all this,” he said.

“Why is it taking so long,” Goldstein asked. “It’s been months. People have bounced checks. Why is that?”

Udani didn’t answer, getting in an elevator to get to his office and blocking the camera. The doctor eventually made his way to the garage, only repeating the same line.

“We have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said.

“Can you give me some proof,” Goldstein asked.

“Yes, give me your card and I’ll send you proof,” Udani said.

Udani never provided any proof, Goldstein reported.

Meanwhile, Ellington found a better way to lose weight.

“I changed the way I eat and started exercising,” she said.

But she still wants to get paid.