{"id":47383,"date":"2013-12-31T17:51:09","date_gmt":"2014-01-01T01:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=47383"},"modified":"2013-12-31T21:03:47","modified_gmt":"2014-01-01T05:03:47","slug":"our-top-10-most-viewed-stories-of-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/12\/31\/our-top-10-most-viewed-stories-of-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Top 10 Most Viewed Stories of 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Most<\/a><\/p>\n

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2013 (at 4 pm), TheAVTimes.com<\/em><\/a> garnered more than 4.5 million pages views<\/strong> (4,598,666 to be exact) from 814,531<\/strong> unique visitors, according to Google Analytics. (View the stats here.<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

This means we have more than doubled our readership and page views since our first full year online in 2012.<\/p>\n

We owe our continued growth in readership to loyal readers, like you, who visit our site each day, comment on our articles and share them with your friends and family.<\/p>\n

Once again, thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n

With 2014 just hours away, we\u2019re taking a look back at the Top 10 Most Viewed Stories of 2013, which contributed to our growing readership.<\/p>\n

10. Suspect caught after Lancaster car chase, carjacking <\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Lancaster<\/a>On Nov. 26, 2013, a local parolee-at-large was taken into custody after an erratic sequence of events that included a car chase, foot chase, carjacking and hostage situation. Reputed gang member Rodney Redondo<\/strong> had been on the run since absconding parole in September. When patrol deputies spotted Redondo in Lancaster, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, armed with a handgun and driving a stolen vehicle stocked with masks, ammunition, gloves, and other \u201cburglary tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Redondo led the deputies on a car chase and foot chase before stopping a passing vehicle at gunpoint and demanding to be driven away. No victims were injured, and Redondo was tasered and taken into custody. The story captured the attention of thousands of readers and became our 10th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related story<\/span>: Most Wanted AV Parolees<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

9. Deputy involved traffic crash kills 2<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Fatal<\/a>On Dec. 14, 2013, 31-year-old Palmdale resident Robert Delgadillo<\/strong> and his fianc\u00e9e, 20-year-old Sara Paynter<\/strong>, were killed when the Ford Explorer they were riding in collided with a sheriff\u2019s patrol car near the intersection of 17th Street East and Avenue R in Palmdale.<\/p>\n

There is conflicting information about the speeds of both vehicles and whether or not the Ford Explorer stopped for a posted stop sign. The incident remains under investigation, and the results could take weeks or even months, authorities said. This did not stop readers from speculating about the cause and the fault of this deadly collision, making it our 9th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

8. Girl hit in car-to-car shooting in Palmdale<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Desirae<\/a>On Sept. 4, 2013, Desirae Macias<\/strong> was shot in the head during a car-to-car shooting in Palmdale. The 7-year-old had been riding in the back seat of her family\u2019s vehicle, as it was being chased through Palmdale neighborhoods by shooting gang members. Desirae was pronounced brain dead and passed away just a few days later. Palmdale residents Jesus Peralta<\/strong> and his brother Carlos Peralta<\/strong> were charged with murder in connection with the shooting.<\/p>\n

The senseless violence outraged the community, and made the story our 8th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related stories<\/span>: Arraignment postponed for brothers charged with murdering 7-year-old<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

7. Teen shot dead at Lancaster house party<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Kevin<\/a>On March 30, 2013, a local house party posted to social media outlets ended in the death of 17-year-old Kevin Tatum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The shooting happened after a confrontation erupted in the backyard of the home in the 700 Block of East Avenue K in Lancaster.<\/p>\n

When deputies responded around 1 a.m., hundreds of young party goers scattered from the scene. Deputies detained many people for questioning, but were unable to catch the killer. The murder remains unsolved, and anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the Sheriff\u2019s Department\u2019s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. The story was our 7th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

6. Ex guard ordered to trial in prison drug smuggling case<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Andre<\/a>On Nov. 28, 2013, as many residents were enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday, Lancaster prison officials were conducting an operation to catch one of their own.<\/p>\n

Andre Scott<\/strong>, a 42-year-old prison guard for more than a decade, was arrested that day for smuggling drugs into the prison for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Scott was charged with multiple felony counts on Nov. 29, but the story still managed to slip under the radar.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 17, an AV Times<\/em> reporter was in an Antelope Valley courtroom tracking an unrelated case, when the preliminary hearing was called for Andre Scott. We switched gears and covered Scott\u2019s hearing instead. The former prison guard was ordered to stand trial, and the story became our 6th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here.<\/a><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

5. Lancaster crash kills four, victims ID\u2019d<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Arturo<\/a>On Sept. 21, 2013, four people died when a Honda Civic ran a stop sign and broadsided a Toyota pickup truck in the intersection of 10th Street East and Avenue G.<\/p>\n

Both vehicles careened into a ditch, killing three of the five people in the Honda \u2013 identified as 22-year-old driver Marissa Fritz<\/strong>, 17-year-old Breanna Heyrend<\/strong> and 17-year-old Roland Mohan<\/strong>. A passenger in the pickup truck, 49-year-old Arturo De La Torre,<\/strong> was also killed in the collision.<\/p>\n

There was an outpouring of sympathy for all involved in the deadly collision, and the initial story became our 5th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related story<\/span>: Family mourns loss of crash victim, pleads for 4-way stop<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

4. One dead, three injured in motorcycle group crash<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Jose<\/a>On the afternoon of Oct. 19, 2013, 19-year-old Jose Gutierrez<\/strong> was speeding on Elizabeth Lake Road when he swerved his Infiniti G20 into oncoming traffic on the winding 2-lane road.<\/p>\n

The teen crashed head on into a group of out-of-town motorcyclists, killing 58-year-old Peter Volden<\/strong> and critically injuring 41-year-old Danny Rincon,<\/strong> 55-year-old Patricia McBee<\/strong> and 60-year-old Richard McBee<\/strong>. Grieving loved ones felt the collision could have been avoided, while family members of the driver felt the incident was an accident. As tensions boiled over, we eventually shut off commenting on the article. The story became our 4th<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related stories<\/span>: <\/em><\/p>\n

Teen charged with manslaughter in motorcycle crash<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Palmdale teen ordered to trial in fatal motorcycle cras<\/em>h<\/a><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

3. 13-year-old dead after suicide\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Nigel<\/a>On April 15, 2013, Hillview Middle School was placed on lockdown as authorities searched for a 13-year-old student who was believed to be suicidal and armed with his father\u2019s handgun.<\/p>\n

Nigel Hardy<\/strong> was being bullied, and had gotten into a fight with another student, which led to his suspension from school.<\/p>\n

His stepfather found a suicide note and discovered his handgun missing. Authorities desperately searched for Nigel all day, and later that evening, the worst was confirmed.<\/p>\n

Nigel committed suicide in Kern County at approximately 8 p.m., Monday, April 15, 2013. \u00a0The tragic story attracted media attention from around the world, and brought bullying and its effects to the forefront. Our \u00a0initial story on the incident was our 3rd<\/sup> most viewed story of 2013. Read the story here<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related stories<\/span>:<\/p>\n

School District responds to Hillview student suicide<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Hundreds attend tearful vigil for teen who committed suicide<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

School District forum sets tone for moving forward<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

2. Palmdale boy dies after abuse<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Gabriel<\/a>On May 22, 2013, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez<\/strong> was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull, cracked ribs, and burns and bruises throughout his body. Two days later, the boy passed away.<\/p>\n

Gabriel\u2019s mother, Pearl Fernandez<\/strong>, admitted to being present while her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre<\/strong>, repeatedly abused Gabriel and caused his injuries in their Palmdale apartment. Mother and boyfriend were each charged with one count of capital murder in connection with the deadly beating.<\/p>\n

Gabriel\u2019s plight drew national attention, sparked several local protests and triggered a county investigation that ended with the firing of two social workers and two supervising social workers. Our initial story on the incident attracted more than 95,000 page views and became our second most viewed story of 2013. Read it here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related stories<\/span>:<\/p>\n

Couple charged with capital murder in death of Palmdale boy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Arraignment delayed again for accused child killers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Justice for Gabriel protest, teacher speaks out<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Four social workers fired in death of Gabriel<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Making a difference at Gabriel\u2019s House<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

1. Palmdale toddler beaten to death<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Zanai\"<\/a>On Sept. 22, 2013, 2-year-old Zanai Noel<\/strong> was near death when her mother brought her to Palmdale Regional Medical Center. Zanai suffered \u201csevere internal injuries consistent with hard blows to the back causing rib fractures, hemorrhages, a collapsed lung, internal bleeding and a pulverized liver,\u201d said sheriff\u2019s homicide detective Q. Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

When an autopsy report confirmed Zanai\u2019s cause of death, her mom\u2019s boyfriend, Matthew Worthen<\/strong>, was arrested and charged with murder. The charge shocked several in the community, who were still reeling from the abuse-related death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez.<\/p>\n

The child\u2019s biological father shared his anguish with The AV Times<\/em>, and the story garnered nearly 100,000 page views, making it our most viewed story for 2013. Read it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Related story<\/span>: Man pleads not guilty to killing girlfriend\u2019s baby<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Honorable mention: Most viewed category of 2013<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"handcuffs1\"<\/a>For the second year in a row, our \u201cArrest Logs\u201d<\/strong> was our \u201cMost Viewed Category\u201d. This happened, even though the Arrest Logs were not updated for the entire month of December 2013.\u00a0Many of you have contacted us to find out why, and we have responded to as many emails as possibly.<\/p>\n

Here is the long explanation on what happened: We were originally obtaining the \u201cArrest Logs\u201d directly from the Lancaster and Palmdale Sheriff\u2019s Stations. Earlier this year, officials from the Lancaster Sheriff\u2019s Station cited budget cuts as the reason why they could no longer afford to print a redacted version of the Arrest Reports to make available to the media. We then began obtaining the Arrest Reports from a third party agency. While extremely reliable, the third party agency\u2019s arrest information only reveals which Lancaster and Palmdale residents are arrested (as opposed to all suspects arrested from a particular sheriff\u2019s substation). \u00a0The new information also does not include the location of each arrest. We made up for this by adding Crime Maps. We figured most readers would rather know where crimes were taking place, than where suspects were being arrested.<\/p>\n

Around Thanksgiving of this year, there was another setback. The third party agency upgraded their systems, and apparently something went wrong. They have since been unable to furnish Arrest Reports involving Lancaster residents, and they say they\u2019re \u201clooking into the issue.\u201d As we wait for this issue to be resolved, we will begin publishing Arrest Reports, for Palmdale residents only, after the first of the New Year. We will follow with Lancaster residents when, and if, the situation is resolved.<\/p>\n

As always, thanks for reading\u2026 Happy New Year!<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

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From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2013 (at 4 pm), TheAVTimes.com garnered more than 4.5 million pages views (4,598,666 to be exact) from 814,531 unique visitors, according to Google Analytics. (View the stats here.) This means we have more than doubled our readership and page views since our first full year online in 2012. We […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}