Mayor among 8 arrested in $5m scandal

THE mayor, ex-city manager and six current and former officials of a blue-collar California suburb were headed from jail to court as residents of Bell celebrated their arrest on charges of bilking taxpayers out of $5.5 million (€4.1m).

As mayor Oscar Hernandez, former city manager Robert Rizzo and the others were rounded up during morning raids on their homes, residents across the city honked their car horns and burst into cheers.

The eight were scheduled to be arraigned in court later last night on charges of misappropriating more than $5.5m in public funds.