D.A. to Weigh Whether Reporter Violated Law

Sheriff’s officials said they would ask the Los Angeles County district attorney to determine whether Times reporter Michele Fuetsch should be charged with making a false report of a natural-gas leak to a 911 emergency dispatcher.

Capt. John Anderson said the call was placed Wednesday morning from a residence in the Lakewood neighborhood where a gas explosion in another home the night before had critically injured a mother and her two children.

Both fire and sheriff’s units were dispatched in response to the call. At the time, Fuetsch was reporting for The Times on Tuesday night’s explosion. “This appears to have been a misunderstanding,” said Times Suburban Editor William Rood. “We are looking into it.”