Absentee Voting In Norwalk, CA

Thousands of LA County voters stood in line up to three hours to drop off their absentee ballots to the Registrars Office in Norwalk, CA. The line was full of eager first time voters and families, several in Halloween costume. Overall the atmosphere was exciting and hopeful.

LA Weekly slideshow click here.

Photos By Ted Soqui c 2008

Governor Schwarzenegger's Brioni

Governor Schwarzenegger was in Los Angeles yesterday to help launch the new solar panels atop the Staples Center. The Governor showed up wearing an amazing tieless Brioni suit. Brioni are among the world's most expensive suit makers. Each hand sewn made suit can take up to 18 hours to make and can cost up to 10 thousand US dollars each. Brioni also created the suits for the James Bond films 1995-2006. Brioni is based in Abruzzo, Italy. Other notable Brioni suit owners, Al Pacino, Robert Kennedy, John Wayne, Jim Belushi, George Bush, John Gotti, and Clark Gable.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

Freedom of the Press?

Michael Roth, VP of AEG and Staples, attempts to stop photojournalist Ted Soqui from taking photos at an open press event. Roth put his hands and stood in front of Ted Soqui's camera, then grabbed his LAPD credentials and read his name aloud in an attempt to intimidate him. Wonder what would of happened if he aggressively grabbed and pulled on a TV journalist credential, or if Ted Soqui grabbed Roth's credential? Ted Soqui was the only photographer not permitted to photograph CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger standing and posing for the press in the middle of a solar panel field over 50 yards away. Several other photojournalist clicked away while Ted Soqui was stopped. All of the press, including Ted Soqui, were cleared and had to wear a bright orange band around their wrist. The Governor has his own body guards and CHP escorts. Last time we checked, Roth was not employed as a body guard or official escort for the state of California or Governor. Ted Soqui has photographed several US Presidents, Senators, Governors, Members of Congress, and hundreds of VIP's and has never had a press person stop him from doing his job. 

Photos of Ted Soqui courtesy of Eric Leonard c 2008

Photo of Schwarzengger by Ted Soqui c 2008

61 Mongols Motorcycle Gang Arrested In Nationwide Sweep

Sixty-one Mongols motorcycle gang members were arrested in a multi-agency nationwide sweep today. A press conference was held on a blocked off street behind LAPD's Parker Center in Downtown LA to display items seized from the gang. Over twenty custom choppers, Mongols vest with official Mongols patches, and guns were on display for the media. The operation code named "Black Rain" was a three year probe into the Mongols gang, with several male and female police officers going into deep cover to infiltrate the Mongols organization. The Mongols were involved in hate crimes against blacks, drug trafficking, fire arms violations, and assaults.  Federal government officials vowed to go after the Mongols' intellectual property, including logos and websites to make them illegal to wear or display without seizure and arrest by police.

Here is a slideshow of my photos on the LA Weekly site.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

LA Fashion Week Final Day

Runway looks from the last and final day of the LA Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Featured designers were Samora, Tulle & Cloth Logic, Amelia Tora, and the Green Initiative Humatarian Fashion Show. This will be the last time LA Fashion Week will be held at Smashbox Studios. There is no new named venue at this time.

Click here for my LA Weekly slide show.

Quoted in the LA Weekly on shooting the runways.

Photos By Ted Soqui c 2008

LA Fashion Week Day 4

Day 4 featured shows by Debra Davenport, Eco-Ganik, and Christian Audigier.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

LA Fashion Week Day 3

Today's shows featured designs by Joeseph Domingo, Lana Fuchs, and Lauren Conrad.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

LA Fashion Week Day 2

LA Fashion Week day 2 featuring designs by Beach Bunnny Swimwear, Julia Clancey, Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier, and Elmer Ave.

Photos By Ted Soqui c 2008

LA On Fire, Again.

LA's on fire again. 

Here's a slideshow on the LA Weekly site.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

Mercedes-Benz LA Fashion Week Spring '09 Begins

Fashion designers Kevan Hall, Suh-Tahn, Sheiki, and Whitley-Kros open the LA Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Smashbox Studios with their 2009 designs.

Body Dig For Boy Who Was Killed 40 Years Ago Ends

The body recovery for a 16 year old San Fernando Valley boy, Roger Dale Madison, murdered by serial killer, Roger Dale Madison, 40 years ago most likely lies beneath the 23 freeway in Moorpark, CA, and cannot be recovered. Child serial killer Roger Dale Madison was on death row at San Quinten, but killed himself before his scheduled execution date. He also confessed to the killing of Roger Dale Madison and several other children. Madison often buried his victims in southern California freeways during his job as a freeway builder in the '50s and '60s.

The five day long dig that created a 20 foot deep and 40 foot wide hole next to the 23 freeway ended with a memorial service that was attended by the victim's sister, Sherry Barlow who flew in from Oklahoma. She also laid a dozen red roses next to the dig site and was given a jar of soil from the dig by LAPD Chaplains. LAPD Lead Detective Vivian Flores lead the investigation and teared up at the end of the dig. Vivian Flores, LAPD, and Sherry Barlow both believe that Roger Dale Madison in buried beneath the 23 freeway.

Photos By Ted Soqui c 2008

Body Dig For Boy Who Was Killed 40 Years Ago

An excavation began today in Moorpark near the Ventura County/LA County for 16 year-old Roger Dale Madison was possibly killed and buried by serial murderer Mack Ray Edwards. Edwards preyed on children and has been linked to at least 18 murders in the 195os and '60s. While on San Quinten's deathrow, Edwards hung himself with a TV cord , but also confessed to the kidnapping and killing of Roger Dale Madison. The dig is next to the 23 freeway and will take about ten days to complete. Edwards was a construction foreman for a California freeway road building company back in the '60s and buried his victims under the new freeways. Edwards turned himself in to the LAPD, due a bad conscience back in 1969. New evidence from author Weston DeWalt, who was investigating another child disappearance back in 1957, and interest from LAPD Lead Detective Vivian Flores, the search was renewed. With ground penetrating radar, a particle detector that sniffs out human bones, and cadaver dogs officials found an area of great interest to begin the dig. Over 44 FBI agents and dozens of police officials are involved in the dig.

Here is a slideshow of my photos from the dig in the LA Weekly.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008

100 Year Anniversary Party At The Original Philippe

100 years of Phillipe's.

Here is a slideshow of my photos in the LA Weekly.

Photos by Ted Soqui c 2008