A former student from UC Santa Barbara, convicted of multiple rapes and sexual assaults, is set to serve at least 30 years in prison. This lengthy sentence concludes a prolonged legal battle centered on disturbing instances of sexual violence at one of the nation’s most notorious party schools.

Arian Eteghaei, aged 24, was handed a 30-years-to-life sentence in California state prison, following his conviction for forcible rape and sexual penetration. This sentencing comes after a dramatic attempt to escape custody, as he made a bold, yet unsuccessful, bid for freedom immediately after his conviction.

This case of Eteghaei has resurfaced discussions about sexual violence at UC Santa Barbara, which has held the title of the nation’s top party school according to Niche for the last two years.

Further heightening the concerns, Eteghaei not only faced charges for misdemeanor domestic violence but was also found guilty under a special allegation that stated his sexual crimes were perpetrated against multiple victims.

“This case would not have been possible without the extraordinary courage of the victims who came forward and participated in a long and difficult legal process,” Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch said. “Their strength and willingness to testify allowed the truth to be heard and ultimately allowed the defendant to be held accountable for the serious harm he caused.”

Authorities say Eteghaei escaped by force while in custody on Jan. 16, the same day the jury returned its verdict.

The alleged escape landed Eteghaei another felony case, with prosecutors charging him in March with one count of escape by force.

Eteghaei’s sexual assault prosecution stretched back years and centered on crimes committed while he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.

“This case required years of persistence, careful investigation, and tremendous support for the victims,” Savrnoch said. “The collective work of this team exemplifies the commitment of law enforcement, prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates to seeking justice for survivors of sexual violence.”

Campus crime data previously reviewed by News Media show more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, while two separate sexual assault reports this spring and summer prompted campus-wide warnings and heightened concerns about student safety.

In June, UC Santa Barbara police issued a campus-wide Timely Warning after a woman reported being stalked and groped in broad daylight near Tierra De Fortuna Park.

Police said the woman was walking along a paved access road on UCSB’s West Campus around 11:30 a.m. June 24, when a man riding a bicycle passed her before circling back multiple times over the next 15 minutes.

During the first two encounters, police said the man stopped to ask her questions. On the third pass, investigators said he approached the woman from behind, groped her and fled toward nearby Tierra De Fortuna Park.

The incident marked the second Timely Warning issued by UCSB police in under two months.

In May, an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.

Days after the attack, the survivor’s family, through attorney Tyrone Maho, publicly appealed for witnesses to come forward, saying anyone who attended the fraternity party or was near Tropicana Gardens on the night of May 9 could hold critical information.

The family also urged the university’s chancellor to ask the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to take over the investigation, arguing that the unidentified attacker remained “a potential threat to our community,” while expressing gratitude for the work already done by UC Santa Barbara police.

The attack prompted a candlelight vigil where students gathered to support the survivor and raise concerns about campus safety.

UC Santa Barbara has been ranked the nation’s top party school by Niche for the past two years.

Campus crime data previously reviewed by News Media showed the university recorded more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, according to its Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports.

The reports also showed increases in other reported crimes in recent years, including weapons arrests and burglaries.

In a statement previously provided to News Media following the May attack, UC Santa Barbara police said federal law limits what officials can disclose about active investigations, but emphasized that reports of crimes on university property are fully investigated by sworn officers.

The department said it remained in direct contact with the survivor’s family and works closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office when appropriate.

News Media reached out to the UCSB for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Aaron Donald hasn’t made any official statements about returning to the Los Angeles Rams, yet he seems to be playing the role of the world’s least convincing retiree.

This Monday, the 35-year-old sparked more rumors of a comeback as he was spotted training at the Rams’ facility. Accompanying him were fellow defensive linemen Braden Fiske and Desjuan Johnson. A video shared by 2Tenths Speed & Agility captured Donald maneuvering through cones and agility ladders, clad in a Rams helmet, under the guidance of his long-time speed coach, DeWayne Brown.

Desjuan Johnson, who was Donald’s teammate during what was thought to be his final NFL season in 2023, noticed something striking. It wasn’t just that the three-time Defensive Player of the Year was back in form.

“It didn’t feel like he missed a beat at all,” Johnson shared with The Athletic. “He seems even quicker, maybe a bit hungrier,” he added, hinting at Donald’s enhanced drive and speed.

Quicker?

Donald apparently spent two years away from football aging in reverse, which seems unnecessary for someone who already retired as the most terrifying defensive tackle of his generation.

The assessment also echoes what Donald said before the Rams’ 2021 championship season. He claimed he was becoming quicker, stronger and better conditioned with age.

Five years later, Johnson is essentially offering the sequel: The older Donald gets, the less natural law appears to apply.

The Rams properly listed Donald’s first official workout on the NFL transaction wire because he used team equipment. He has also worked out at UCLA in a Rams helmet and recently brought Brown from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles.

Individually, those details could be dismissed as an accomplished retiree staying in shape. Collectively, they look suspiciously like someone preparing to tackle professional football players again.

Donald began exploring a potential comeback after Los Angeles acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Pairing those two would give the Rams six Defensive Player of the Year awards and opposing offensive coordinators six months of insomnia.

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Fiske never had the opportunity to play beside Donald, arriving as a rookie shortly after the legend retired. Johnson did, making his assessment particularly meaningful.

Donald must still decide whether to end his retirement, and the Rams would need to complete the corresponding roster and contract work. His contract demands could present one final obstacle. Until then, every workout will be examined like grainy footage of a rare and extremely muscular animal.

But Donald is wearing Rams equipment, training with Rams defenders and reportedly moving faster than he did before retirement.

If this is merely a casual fitness routine, he has selected a remarkably elaborate way to remain retired.

Paul Skenes, noticeably shirtless, was seen taking a leisurely walk on the beach alongside his popular influencer girlfriend, Livvy Dunne. This comes at a time when questions swirl about his weight and his recent form on the baseball field.

The 24-year-old MLB athlete stirred concern among fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week. On Tuesday, he was unexpectedly removed from the pitcher’s mound after delivering yet another disappointing performance in a tough season.

Notably, just shortly before the game’s events, the CY Young award recipient was captured having some fun under the sun with Dunne, who is set to appear in the next Baywatch film. The photos, captured by the Daily Mail, show the couple relishing a break on his day off.

The right-handed pitcher, together with his former gymnast partner, leisurely walked along the pristine sands of Key Biscayne, Florida. This scenic outing preceded the Pirates’ matchup against the Marlins in Miami.

Dunne showcased her fit silhouette in a chic black and white bikini, channeling the classic Baywatch spirit as she sprinted out from the waves, completing her iconic beach run.

Meanwhile, Skenes slipped out of his blue t-shirt and let it all hang out in his swim trunks and white cap. 

His ‘dad bod’ appearance came as Pirates MLB reporter John Perrotto suggested that some have attributed Skenes’s recent dip in performance to his ‘weight gain.’ 

‘Multiple people have said Skenes looks heavier this season and less athletic,’ Perrotto wrote. ‘They cite the possibility of carrying extra weight slowing down his delivery and causing the drop in his fastball velocity.’

Meanwhile, MLB legend Curt Schilling hinted that Skenes’s arm may be overworked, leading to the drop in velocity. 

‘The Athletic has an article asking what’s wrong with Paul Skenes. Go back and check my social media BEFORE the WBC, and then the posts regarding his mechanics,’ Schilling wrote on Wednesday. ‘I am not Carnac, I just did his job for a living and have studied it my entire life. This was predictable, and I predicted it.’ 

Last August, long before the World Baseball Classic, Schilling had responded to another social media post, writing: ‘Might be the worst take in history of a delivery. Paul Skenes is a max effort thrower. ‘effortless without much strain’? Hate to be harsh but that was spoken as if you’ve never thrown a ball or don’t play the sport.’ 

He added: ‘Skenes mechanics will make it very hard for him to take on that workload unless he can tone down the effort. He won’t LOSE anything, but will gain long term benefits.’ 

Skenes was pulled from Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Marlins after throwing just five innings, including just 65 pitches. 

He yielded just two runs against Miami, striking out four, but did serve up a solo homer in the bottom of the third and an RBI single in the fifth. 

The pitcher, who claimed the Cy Young title last season after hitting 99 mph or higher on his fastball 68 times, did not exceed 96.5 mph on his heater during the matchup at loanDepot park.

The numbers are far from what fans are accustomed to seeing from the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, sparking concerns among the Pirates fanbase. 

‘If I were the manager I’d probably do it too,’ Skenes said, according to USA Today. ‘He walked me through everything and it all made sense.

‘Wish I could have gone more but, you know, it kind of is what it is.’

Pirates manager Don Kelly insisted the decision to pull the ace was not motivated by injury concerns. 

‘Anybody this time of year is… not injured, but guys in August aren’t 100 percent,’ Kelly told reporters, per MLB.com. ‘It wasn’t injury-related that he came out. Just thought it gave us the best chance to win there.’ 

Skenes’s struggles have come amid Dunne’s shooting for the upcoming Baywatch series in California alongside the likes of Brooks Nader, Stephen Amell, Noah Beck and more.

The reboot will air on Fox from an as-yet-unspecified date, likely to be in 2027.

The pair have been dating since their days at LSU, and she recently joined him on the red carpet in Philadelphia ahead of the 2026 All-Star Game.

Livvy regularly follows her man around the country to watch him pitch in the major leagues, and she often posts photos of herself sitting in the stands during his games.

When asked how they manage to juggle their respective schedules to find time for each other, Dunne said in February: ‘Honestly, I don’t think we have any rules. I just think being super present with one another while you’re together, while you have that time together, is super important.’

‘I mean, he makes time to come to my events,’ she added. ‘I make time to go watch him pitch. I try to make every start I can.’

What started as a contentious post on Facebook has transformed into a significant legal ordeal for a judge from West Texas. Currently, he is embroiled in a federal civil rights lawsuit and is also confronting a unique bid led by his own district attorney seeking his removal from office.

Judge Terry Johnson of Midland County is under scrutiny for allegedly disclosing a political critic’s sensitive information, including their Social Security and driver’s license numbers, along with their birth date. These details were posted mere hours after the critic made public some federal court records connected to Midland County.

“Nino America,” the online persona of Christino Rodriquez, claims in a detailed 26-page federal lawsuit that Johnson acted in retaliation. According to Rodriquez, the judge misused his authority to access private information, broadcasting it in response to criticism of local governance.

The lawsuit describes an incident where Johnson allegedly shared a 2015 arrest warrant on his personal Facebook page with the caption labeling the individual as a “Convicted felon trying to be a player.” However, the complaint points out that the charges from that warrant were later dropped, and Rodriquez was never convicted in relation to that case.

The filing also points to what was redacted — and what wasn’t.

Rodriquez’s home address and telephone number appeared blacked out, while his Social Security and driver’s license numbers remained visible. The lawsuit argues the selective redactions support its allegation that the disclosure was intentional.

James “Trey” Trainor, an attorney representing Rodriquez, told News Media the case goes beyond one Facebook post.

“The lawsuit is really about retaliation and abuse of power,” Trainor said. “It’s kind of secondarily about First Amendment rights and the ability of people to actually criticize government without having government being used as a weapon against them.”

Trainor said Rodriquez is active in the Midland community, attends public events and speaks out about local government.

“At the end of the day, he did that and he upset the county judge, and the county judge thought it was time to retaliate against him,” Trainor alleged.

Trainor said Johnson had an employee access a criminal justice information system to obtain information about Rodriquez.

The federal complaint alleges Johnson obtained the unredacted warrant either through his own official access or through county personnel acting at his request or direction.

Trainor said the disclosure has left Rodriquez and his wife worried about identity theft and where the information could end up.

“This is probably the highest form of doxxing that you could ever engage in by putting this type of personal information out there,” Trainor said.

“We don’t know how many pictures were taken, how many screenshots were saved, all of those types of things,” he added. “So we really don’t have an overall understanding yet of how broad the damage is.”

Trainor said his team has begun discussions with the Social Security Administration about potentially changing Rodriquez’s Social Security number.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief, including lifetime identity-theft protection and credit monitoring. No dollar amount has been attached to the case.

“We’re still looking into how much it’s actually going to cost and talking to experts on what the overall negative effect on Nino’s life is going to be,” Trainor said.

For Trainor, the case also raises a broader question about what happens when citizens criticize those in power.

“We need that information to be available to law enforcement to track down the bad guys,” Trainor said of criminal justice information. “The only difference here is that my client wasn’t a bad guy. He was just somebody who decided to speak out about a local issue.”

Meanwhile, the separate effort to remove Johnson from office is also evolving.

Midland County District Attorney Glenn Harwood filed a petition Aug. 6 seeking Johnson’s removal, the first step under Texas law in attempting to oust a county-level elected official.

“There’s a lot of gates that it has to go through before it actually gets to a removal action,” Harwood told News Media.

Harwood said the petition goes to the region’s administrative judge, who can dismiss it or assign it to another judge. An outside prosecutor would also have to decide whether to pursue the civil action.

Now, Midland ISD Trustee Brandon Hodges has moved to intervene in the case, arguing his involvement could keep the removal effort alive if a legal challenge arises over Harwood’s dual role as district attorney and the resident who initiated the proceeding.

Hodges’ filing says he is not seeking to replace Harwood or add new allegations against Johnson. Instead, he is asking to join as an independently qualified Midland County resident and adopt the same grounds for removal already alleged by Harwood.

“I intervened so this removal case does not die on a procedural technicality tied to Glenn Harwood’s dual role,” Hodges said in a statement provided to News Media. “If the court rules against him on that issue, the case still needs to move.”

“Midland County deserves a real decision, not delay, excuses, or a quiet escape hatch for insiders,” Hodges added. “I filed to help make sure that happens.”

The 16-page filing argues Harwood occupies an unusual position because he initiated the removal proceeding as a Midland County resident while also serving as district attorney and swearing that the factual allegations in his petition are within his personal knowledge.

Hodges does not allege Harwood acted improperly and is not asking the court to remove him from the case. His filing instead describes the intervention as a way to prevent a potential dispute unique to Harwood from derailing the removal proceeding.

Steven Villela, a candidate for Midland County Commissioner Precinct 3, also joined those calls in a Facebook post, saying he agreed with Harwood that Johnson should resign.

“No elected official is above the law, and every public servant has a duty to protect the rights and confidential information of the people they serve,” Villela wrote.

“Accountability isn’t about politics, it’s about doing what’s right,” he added.

Harwood emphasized that the removal effort is separate from Rodriquez’s federal lawsuit, saying he has “no role” in that case.

He also acknowledged what he described as a “potential criminal case,” but declined to comment further because “nothing has happened on that front publicly yet.”

Trainor separately told News Media that he and Rodriquez were interviewed by a Texas Ranger.

Trainor said the Ranger asked questions to verify whether the information shown online, including the Social Security and driver’s license numbers, belonged to Rodriquez.

Trainor also said subpoenas had been issued to Meta seeking confirmation of when and where the information was posted and potentially viewed.

The controversy has also generated public calls for Johnson to leave office.

Midland County resident Shandi Williams called for Johnson’s resignation during a Commissioners Court meeting, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.

Johnson lost his reelection bid after failing to advance from the March 3 primary. If he remains in office, his term is expected to end in early 2027, when election winner Jay Marquez is set to take office, according to the Reporter-Telegram.

News Media reached out to Johnson and his attorney for comment.

This weekend, dogs will have free rein over some of Los Angeles County’s public pools.

As we bid farewell to summer, five pools in LA County are set to host a unique event on Saturday where humans aren’t allowed to dive in.

These pools are reserved for the county’s beloved annual “Pooches in the Pool” celebration. Dogs will have the opportunity to swim and enjoy themselves before the pools are drained and prepared for maintenance.

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with LA County Animal Care and Control, is welcoming dog owners to bring their pets for an afternoon filled with swimming and fun by the pool.

This canine festivity will take place at five selected county pool locations:

• City Terrace Pool in East Los Angeles

But there are rules, because even dog pool parties apparently require paperwork. At each location, small dogs get first dibs on the water from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the big dogs from 6 to 7 p.m.

People can hang out around the pool deck and cheer on their pups, but the water belongs exclusively to the dogs.

There are a few other hoops to jump through before your pooch can live out his aquatic dreams. Dogs must have current vaccinations and owners are required to bring a completed registration form. The county’s rules and registration paperwork are available through its Parks and Recreation channels.