Quick start to your week - a lot moved across the Valley heading into Monday, so here’s what to know:

Let’s get into it 👇

After a string of break-ins - including a bold jewelry store hit and multiple home invasions - Mayor Karen Bass ordered increased LAPD patrols across the Valley.

🔥 What’s happening:

🚓 Extra patrols added along Ventura Blvd and nearby areas — including Northridge, Granada Hills, Woodland Hills, Studio City, Valley Village, and North Hollywood
🏠 Porter Ranch (April 17): homeowner confronted a masked intruder inside his home; suspect fled after entry through a broken window
💎 Sherman Oaks (April 19): burglars broke through a wall to access a jewelry store; major damage reported
🏠 Granada Hills (April 16): same home hit for the third time, caught on Ring camera
📊 LAPD says burglaries are down 44% year-over-year, but recent incidents have residents on edge

📍 Why it matters locally:
This hits directly in our backyard — and with Ventura Blvd as a main Valley artery, increased patrols bring some needed reassurance.

🧠 NNN Take:
Lock up, stay alert, and stay connected. Neighborhood group chats + Ring footage are helping crack these cases faster. 📹🤝

👉 ABC7 — Mayor orders more patrols  ·  NBC LA — Porter Ranch hot prowl  ·  ABC7 — Sherman Oaks jewelry smash  ·  ABC7 — Granada Hills hit 3x

Federal authorities made a major arrest at LAX this weekend — and it’s tied to an international weapons operation spanning multiple countries.

🔥 What’s happening:

🛫 A 44-year-old Woodland Hills woman was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to travel abroad

💣 Prosecutors say she brokered deals involving drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured in Iran

🌍 The weapons were allegedly sold to Sudan, a country currently in a prolonged and deadly civil war

📦 Authorities claim she worked through international networks and companies to coordinate deals and logistics

⚖️ She now faces federal charges — and up to 20 years in prison if convicted

📍 Why it matters locally:
This isn’t just a headline — it hits close to home. A San Fernando Valley resident allegedly tied to global arms trafficking raises serious concerns about how international operations can operate quietly out of local communities.

🧠 NNN Take:
Stories like this are rare — but they’re a reminder the Valley isn’t just local… it’s connected to global headlines in ways most people don’t expect.

Back in February, Fermin Hernandez saw a Tesla engulfed in flames on Nordhoff — and didn’t hesitate. This weekend, he was formally recognized for his actions.

🔥 What’s happening:

🚒 Feb 9: Hernandez spots a burning Tesla on Nordhoff; doors locked, flames spreading
🪟 Breaks a window, pulls one person out — then goes back three times to rescue the second
🎖️ April 18: Honored by Councilmember John Lee and LAPD Devonshire Division
💬 “I’m either going to burn with her or get her out.”
💬 “They’re human — and human life matters.”

📍 Why it matters locally:
This happened right in the heart of Northridge near CSUN — close to where many of us live and commute.

🧠 NNN Take:
Real hero, real fast. The Valley shows up when it counts. ❤️

CSUN engineering students are pushing prosthetic tech forward with a new 3D-printed arm — and you can see it live May 1.

🔥 What’s happening:

🦾 Uses shape-memory “muscle” wires instead of motors — lighter, quieter, cheaper
🦶 Foot controls let users operate the hand with toe clicks
🧠 New haptic system allows users to feel textures
🎮 VR training program helps users adapt faster
📆 Senior Design Showcase: May 1 at Autodesk Technology Engagement Center (open to public)

📍 Why it matters locally:
CSUN’s engineering program is doing serious, real-world innovation right here in the Valley.

🧠 NNN Take:
This is Valley-built tech worth seeing in person — May 1. 👋🦾

Matador pride 🫶 — three CSUN students took the top three spots at LA’s biggest press photography contest, marking the first sweep in over 20 years.

🔥 What’s happening:

🏆 Benjamin Hanson — Student Photojournalist of the Year
🥈 Blake Fagan — runner-up (tie)
🥈 Anthony Tedesco ’24 — runner-up (tie)
📷 All mentored by CSUN’s Ringo Chiu, who also won in the pro division
🗓️ Contest covered major LA stories from 2025

📍 Why it matters locally:
CSUN continues to produce top-tier photojournalists — and this sweep brings it full circle back to 2002.

🧠 NNN Take:
Don’t be surprised if the next iconic LA news photo comes from a Matador. 📸🔥

A packed weekend for the Matadors. Baseball dropped a brutal opener at home, then flipped the script to take the next two games and the series from UC Davis. Softball hit a wall on the road against UCSB. And the men's volleyball team closed their regular season in Honolulu against the eventual Big West champ.

🔥 The weekend in six innings:

⚾ Baseball, Fri 4/17: UC Davis rolled the Matadors 11-3 at Robert J. Hiegert Field behind a 14-hit attack and three home runs
⚾ Baseball, Sat 4/18: CSUN evened the series 11-2 — a six-run seventh blew it open
⚾ Baseball, Sun 4/19: Series clinched, 5-3. Freshman Charles Rogers got the start and needed just six pitches to work a clean first. Matthew Pena went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Andrew Becker added two hits and an RBI, Lucas Alaniz earned the win and James Voorhies locked down his 4th save. Matadors now 22-16 (11-10 Big West)
🥎 Softball, Sat 4/18 at UCSB: dropped both halves of the doubleheader — 4-3 (game 1) and 9-0 in five innings (game 2). Raegan Jackson had 2 RBI in game 1 and Malia Williams went the distance in the circle
🏐 Men's Volleyball at No. 2 Hawai'i: No. 18 CSUN fell in straight sets Friday (25-20, 25-16, 25-16) and then in four Saturday (25-15, 21-25, 25-14, 25-16). Hawai'i clinched the Big West regular-season title. Next up for the Matadors: the Big West Championship at UC Irvine this week.
🏖️ Beach Volleyball: Matadors hit a packed slate at LMU, Cal State Bakersfield and Pacific on the weekend

NNN Take: Taking two of three from UC Davis at home keeps the Big West postseason hopes very much alive. Freshman Charles Rogers looking like a guy. 🫡 And the men's VB crew gets the only chance that matters next — the Big West tournament bracket. 🏐

👉 CSUN Baseball — Series clincher  ·  Game 2 recap  ·  Softball at UCSB  ·  MVB season finale

• 📅 A local event coming up
• 🏪 A new or longtime local business
• 📣 Something happening others should know

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