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Clara Harter

I am a a reporter at the L.A. Times covering stories across Southern California. 

In 2025, I helped lead our breaking news coverage of wildfires, ICE raids, protests and legal battles with the Trump administration. Through my enterprise reporting I have investigated cult leaders now charged with murder, collected data on the epicenter of L.A.'s overdose epidemic and ridden 65 miles on a Mexican-American horseback pilgrimage. 

I have appeared live on BBC News, CBS Los Angeles, Sky News, Spectrum News and more. I produce videos on my investigative work for the L.A. Times Instagram. 

Los Angeles Times •

A child dies. Two men vanish. Police investigate secretive California religious group

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. The ambulance siren blared down the quiet residential street where a 4-year-old boy was dying.When police and paramedics arrived at 1521 Latham St. in Colton, they had no clue they were entering the home of a secretive religious group that — years later — would land in the spotlight after two members were reported missing.Inside the house, police found Timothy Thomas unresponsive with vomit around his mouth, ac...
Los Angeles Times •

He was one of California’s most notorious Mexican outlaws. Now they ride in his honor

CANTUA CREEK, Calif. — For three days and 65 miles, the riders will travel through the heat and dust of the Central Valley to honor a man from the Gold Rush era who, depending on the point of view, was either a freedom fighter or a ruthless criminal.Their journey begins in Cantua Creek, a rural community in Fresno County, where California Rangers claimed to have shot and killed Joaquin Murrieta in 1853. As proof, they cut off his head and pickled it in a jar.The nearby California Historical Land...
Los Angeles Times •

ICE raids across L.A. spark backlash; Trump officials vow to continue operations

Fallout from aggressive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in Los Angeles continued Saturday, with fierce pushback from protesters, open sparring between L.A. leadership and federal officials and the Trump administration vowing to send the National Guard to the city to assist with operations.Border czar Tom Homan told Fox News the Guard would be deployed Saturday night to help with operations. It’s unclear how many Guard members would arrive and exactly what their role would be.It c...
Los Angeles Times •

Soaring burglaries in post-fire Altadena rattle residents: 'Trauma on top of the trauma'

When the smoke of the Eaton fire cleared, residents whose homes were left standing believed they had escaped disaster. But many are finding that blessing comes with a curse. They are now prime targets for opportunistic thieves who prowl their neighborhoods at night. Jenna and Howard Morris’ home has been burglarized three times: first on the night they evacuated, then at the start of April and then again the following week. “When we found out that our home survived, we had no idea that three mon...
Los Angeles Times •

'Horrifying' fire at California lithium battery plant sparks calls for new clean energy rules

When a massive fire erupted at one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities in Monterey County, it didn’t just send plumes of smoke over nearby communities — it cast a pall over the future of California’s clean energy industry.The fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant, which ignited on Jan. 16, burned for five days and ultimately destroyed around 80% of the batteries inside the building. Now, as the smoke clears, Monterey-area officials warn that the blaze may be a harbinger...
Los Angeles Times •

Firefighters gain ground on deadly L.A. wildfires, but more wind is on the way

Calmer winds and higher humidity helped firefighters make progress Saturday battling an unprecedented fire siege that has devastated the foothill community of Altadena and coastal enclave of Pacific Palisades — but officials warned that Santa Ana gusts will pick up again next week and cautioned the public to stay on alert. “These winds, combined with low humidity and low fuel moisture, will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County high,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Satur...
Los Angeles Times •

Palisades fire: Worst is 'yet to come' as winds gain speed, ground aircraft

Fearsome winds forced crews to ground firefighting aircraft in the battle against the Palisades fire on Tuesday night, making it even more challenging for firefighters to get a handle on the fast-growing blaze.The use of aircraft was halted shortly before 8 p.m., and Los Angeles fire officials said they would continually reassess weather conditions to determine when they might be used again, said Margaret Stewart with the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire remained 0% contained at 11 p.m. Tue...
Los Angeles Times •

Pacific Palisades fire explodes to nearly 3,000 acres as thousands of residents flee, homes are lost

A fire was burning out of control Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, destroying homes and forcing residents to abandon their vehicles and flee amid a potentially “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm.Wide swaths of Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu were under an evacuation order by the afternoon, as residents fought traffic jams and heavy smoke as they tried to escape the nearby flames. The Palisades fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. near Piedra Morada Drive and was pushed by intense wind g...
Los Angeles Times •

Ex-wife, 4 others conspired to kill Woodland Hills doctor outside his practice, police say

The ex-wife of a Woodland Hills doctor has been arrested along with four others in his execution-style slaying outside his medical practice this summer, according to police. Hamid Mirshojae was shot in the back of the head as he walked to his car after work on Aug. 23. The shooting occurred a few months after the doctor was jumped by a trio of men with baseball bats, an attack that he said left him fearing for his life.His ex-wife, Ahang Kelk, was taken into custody Thursday on suspicion of murd...
Los Angeles Times •

How an 836-pound 'cursed' emerald traveled the Americas, ruining lives and bankrupting men

It was an ordinary day at his Los Angeles law office when John Nadolenco opened a letter from Brazil enlisting his help in a mission to retrieve a stolen, and quite possibly cursed, 836-pound emerald.The year was 2014, the heyday of the Nigerian prince email scam, and the up-and-coming attorney was no fool. “I immediately thought it was just completely fake, a total hoax,” he said. “I was like, ‘I’m not falling for this one. I’m smarter than this.’”He tossed the letter in the trash.But Nadolenco...
Los Angeles Times •

Women once held in California 'rape club' prison reach historic settlement to protect inmates

Inmates at a recently closed, scandal-plagued Bay Area women’s prison dubbed “the rape club” have reached a historic settlement that will increase oversight and protections for about 500 inmates transferred out of that facility and into federal prisons across the U.S.In August 2023, eight inmates formerly housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin filed a class-action lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons on behalf of individuals who were incarcerated at the facility, alleg...
Los Angeles Times •

Graphic details emerge in Monterey sex assault claim against Pete Hegseth, Trump's Cabinet pick

A woman told Monterey police that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense secretary, took her phone, blocked her from leaving his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, according to a newly released police report. The Monterey Police Department on Wednesday night released a 22-page report revealing graphic details in the October 2017 assault allegation filed against Hegseth, which did not result in any charges. The report shows two starkly different narratives about what un...
Los Angeles Times •

Graphic details emerge in Monterey sex assault claim against Pete Hegseth, Trump's Cabinet pick

A woman told Monterey police that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense secretary, took her phone, blocked her from leaving his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, according to a newly released police report. The Monterey Police Department on Wednesday night released a 22-page report revealing graphic details in the October 2017 assault allegation filed against Hegseth, which did not result in any charges. The report shows two starkly different narratives about what un...
Los Angeles Times •

2 weeks after they inherited a home, the Mountain fire wiped away their fresh start

Two weeks ago, Brittanie Bibby, husband Kenneth and their 15-month-old baby moved from Arizona to Camarillo to live in the home she inherited from her father, maxing out their credit cards to turn the dilapidated property into a safe place to live. On Wednesday, that safe place burned to the ground, leaving the family with no home, no savings and no clue what comes next. The next day, the shellshocked parents struggled to come to grips with the financial toll of the incident and the catastrophic...
Los Angeles Times •

California hails $544 million in illegal weed seizures. But it's just a drop in the bucket

Two major state programs to combat illegal cannabis recently sent out news releases lauding their collective seizures of some $544 million worth of illicit weed. But when it comes to reining in California’s sprawling black market, experts say it’s just a drop in the bucket.Those in the thick of the fight against illegal pot, like Mendocino County Sheriff Matthew Kendall, can’t help but roll their eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, I love when those guys [state law enforcement officers] show up to help,”...
Los Angeles Times •

Latino residents slam 'trust fund hipsters' in ugly L.A. gentrification battle

For the young and upwardly mobile hipsters of Northeast L.A., the Frogtown Flea Crawl was the hot new event of their perfectly Instagrammable dreams.For many residents of the historically working-class Latino community, it was their breaking point.This fall, the event became an unexpected flash point in L.A.’s debate over gentrification as long-simmering neighborhood tensions exploded and a vocal group of residents ultimately pushed the ultra-popular flea market out of town.The twice-monthly cra...
Los Angeles Times •

A surf gang at Lunada Bay harassed outsiders for decades. Can anything stop them?

Lunada Bay is the stuff big wave surfers’ dreams are made of. During a heavy swell, 20-foot waves unfurl in a perfect right-hand line, delivering a potent blend of adrenaline and serenity. “It feels like a little hit of a drug, honestly, because it’s just so beautiful, so magical,” surfer Sofly Matturi said. “The wave is your canvas.”When the surf’s up, only a dozen or so surfers can be found riding the wave, tucked in a cove beneath the cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Visiting Lunada Bay...
Los Angeles Times •

A surf gang at Lunada Bay harassed outsiders for decades. Can anything stop them?

Lunada Bay is the stuff big wave surfers’ dreams are made of. During a heavy swell, 20-foot waves unfurl in a perfect right-hand line, delivering a potent blend of adrenaline and serenity. “It feels like a little hit of a drug, honestly, because it’s just so beautiful, so magical,” surfer Sofly Matturi said. “The wave is your canvas.”When the surf’s up, only a dozen or so surfers can be found riding the wave, tucked in a cove beneath the cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Visiting Lunada Bay...
Daily News •

UCLA hoped to avoid police crackdown on protesters. What went wrong?

The Palestine Solidarity Encampment at UCLA ended in the precise manner university leaders initially sought to avoid — with a massive police force arresting more than 200 protesters in the dead of night.

When the encampment sprung up on Royce Quad last Thursday, April 25, the university envisioned a world in which students could peacefully display their message on the large green field while students shuttled to class nearby.

Instead, they faced a situation where protesters allegedly blocked s
Daily News •

UCLA pro-Palestinian encampment left in a rubble as students vow campus protests ‘are not over’


• None Crews clean up the encampment occupied by Palestinian supporters at UCLA on Thursday, May 2, 2024. At around 3:30am law enforcement began arresting the supporters who had been camped out on the quad in front of Royce Hall for about a week. 132 occupiers were taken into custody and clean-up of the area began immediately. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
• None Crews clean up the encampment occupied by Palestinian supporters at UCLA on Thursday, May 2, 2024. At around 3:
Daily News •

Senator Bernie Sanders joins striking workers at Hotel Figueroa in downtown L.A.

On Friday afternoon, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders joined striking hotel workers in downtown Los Angeles to demand the Hotel Figueroa, and hotels across Southern California, provide better pay and working conditions.

“The message from today is we are sick and tired of the greed from corporate America,” said Sanders. “Workers deserve a decent life and this union deserves a decent contract.”

The rally on April 5 was organized by labor union Unite Here Local 11, which is leading the largest hotel w
Daily News •

In LA, Gov. Newsom celebrates narrow win for Prop. 1 mental health measure

Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the passage of Prop. 1 at a Downtown L.A. press conference on Thursday, March 21, after tense weeks during which his $6.4 billion mental-health bond measure teetered dangerously close to failure.

Having narrowly escaped political disaster, Newsom was thrilled with his narrow victory.

“I’ve never been associated with something I’m more proud of” Newsom said, adding that now is the time to deliver on his vision to fix the broken mental health system and get people of
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