Who's Looking out for You??

Matt Welch | August 25, 2005

On Fox News Aug. 7, John Loftus, a former federal prosecutor, gave out the La Habra, California, home address of Iyad Hilal, who he said was the leader of a terrorist group with ties to the London bombings. He later repeated the La-Habra-is-harboring-a-terrorist line on popular local talk radio KFI.

Outraged Southern Californians drove by the house, taking surveillance pictures, yelling profanities, and spray-painting the word "Terrist." But the vigilant citizens didn't know one relevant detail -- Iyad hasn't lived at that address for at least three years.

"I'm scared to go to work and leave my kids home. I call them every 30 minutes to make sure they're OK," [house resident] Randy Vorick said.

"I keep telling myself this can't be happening to me. This can't be happening to my family. But it is. I want our lives to be normal again."

L.A. Times story (which seems to be having server trouble) here; abridged version available here.