Coronavirus: 12 photos show skid row— and judge trying to help - Los Angeles Times
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12 photos show skid row during pandemic — and the judge risking his life to help

Healthcare workers
David Barker visits a friend living in a tent on skid row in Los Angeles in March. Barker is not homeless.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Time)
By Benjamin Oreskes
 and Photography by the staff of the Los Angeles Times
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As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter has been on a mission to force changes in the living conditions for the homeless people of L.A. At 76, Carter knows he should be at home and away from people, not outside leading a tour of the largest concentration of homeless people in the country.

Here are the scenes from skid row in downtown Los Angeles.

Herb Smith
Herb Smith, far left, chief executive of the Los Angeles Mission, is joined by staff and volunteers to assemble 150 bags of food and hygiene products for distribution to homeless people on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Judge David Carter
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter tours skid row with Los Angeles Police Officer Deon Joseph in early April.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Herb Smith
Herb Smith, right, chief executive of the Los Angeles Mission, helps Juanita Glover as she receives bags of food and hygiene products.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Herb Smith
Robert Taylor, a participant in the Fresh Start program at the Los Angeles Mission, has his temperature taken by security guard Angel Jurado on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Herb Smith
Brent Kostanski, who is homeless and living on skid row, enjoys a sandwich from a food distribution package.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Homeless
Members of the Love My Neighbor Foundation help feed the homeless on skid row.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Homeless
Prince Thomas III, who is homeless, stands by tents on skid row.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Crews clean an area along 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles.
Crews clean an area along 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles.
(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
Herb Smith
Bags of food and hygiene products that will be distributed to homeless people on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Herb Smith
Los Angeles Mission Chief Executive Herb Smith gives face masks to Juanita Glover, left, and Carmen Santiago.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Herb Smith
Ralph Sutton of the Los Angeles Mission hands out food and hygiene products on skid row.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
ORANGE, CA -- TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020: UC Irvine Medical Center health care workers bang on the windows in a return of gratitude as they watch about 25 Orange County first responders vehicles participate in a drive-by parade of gratitude as they battle COVID-19 at the hospital, which currently has 8 patients with the virus in Orange, CA, on April 14, 2020. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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ORANGE, CA -- TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2020: Armando Mendoza, 53, of Anaheim, who was the hospital's second-ever COVID-19 patient, spent 45 days at St. Joseph Hospital, the longest local stint of any COVID-19 patients, celebrates with gratitude to God, all his health-care professionals (his nurse, Puynh Nguyen pushes his wheel chair and his doctor, Dr. Jooby Babu to his right) and his family and supporters as he is released to his awaiting family with applause and salutes from hospital workers in Orange, CA, on May 5, 2020. Mendoza was healthy and had no underlying health conditions when he contracted the virus. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA - APRIL 11: A coyote wanders around Curry Village looking for a meal in Yosemite Valley on April 11, 2020. Yosemite National Park is closed to visitors due to the coronavirus, Covid 19. Animals roam the park without having to worry about crowds of people. Madera County on Saturday, April 11, 2020 in Yosemite National Park, CA. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 20: Maricela Moreno, manager at El Tarasco in Marina del Rey, disinfects cash at the restaurant. She said a lot of customers pay with Apple Pay or credit cards. Marina del Rey on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

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Benjamin Oreskes

Benjamin Oreskes is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. He covered state and national politics, City Hall, homelessness and wrote the Essential California newsletter. Before coming to The Times in February 2017, he covered foreign policy at Politico in Washington, D.C.

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