STAR IS GONE
Lake tragedy; young son is found unhurt Cops collar five in rising rapper Pop Smoke slay
Difficult conditions have hampered the recovery effort. The search was suspended Wednesday night due to zero visibility, the sheriff ’s office said, while divers had less than 1 foot of visibility in the water in the daylight on Thursday.
Authorities characterized the work as “a very slow process.” Water and air searches ran until darkness fell on Thursday.
Officials said the child was wearing a life vest, but do not believe Rivera was. An adult-sized vest was found aboard the boat, which was in water estimated to be 30 feet deep.
Rivera’s identification was also found on the boat, which had been rented several hours before authorities found the child.
Her son has been reunited with family members and is healthy and safe. Rivera had the 4-year-old with ex-husband actor Ryan Dorsey.
Officials say Rivera had been to the lake before and was familiar with it. Lake Piru is about 55 miles northwest of Los Angeles’ downtown area.
Rivera played the cheerleader Santana Lopez on “Glee” for six seasons, beginning in 2009. She appeared on each of the musical TV series’ 113 episodes.
One of Rivera’s co-stars on the show, Harry Shum Jr., wrote in a tweet, “Praying.”
Pop star Demi Lovato, who appeared on four episodes of “Glee,” urged her followers in an Instagram post to pray that Rivera is “found safe and sound.”
Officials closed the lake Thursday amid the search.
Tragedy has repeatedly struck among members of the “Glee” cast. In July 2013, actor Cory Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room at age 31, after taking heroin and alcohol.
In December 2015, actor Mark Salling was arrested, and later pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. He committed suicide in January 2018 at age 35. Salling, who dated Rivera for three years starting in 2007, faced four to seven years behind bars.
Rivera got her acting start on “The Royal Family,” playing Hillary Winston in 1991. She most recently portrayed Collette Jones on the “Step Up: High Water” series.
Five people were arrested early Thursday morning in connection with the death of Pop Smoke, the rising Brooklyn rapper whose February killing in Los Angeles stunned the hip-hop community, cops said.
Detectives picked up three men and two boys around 5 a.m. local time, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, was 20 years old when he was shot to death by intruders at a Hollywood Hills home on Feb. 19.
The LAPD did not release the names of any suspects. The investigation is ongoing, according to the police department.
Cops believe that the suspects were engaged in a robbery at the time of the shooting, Capt. Jonathan Tippet said.
Tippet told the Daily News there wasn’t evidence that the shooting was “associated with anybody from New York.”
Pop Smoke, who grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn, has been honored by murals in his neighborhood following his death. He was known for songs including “Dior” and “Welcome to the Party.”
The hip-hop artist died after a home invasion not far from Hollywood Blvd. Pop Smoke had shared the address of the home where he was staying on social media, possibly leading the suspects to the house.
His killing was met with horror from members of the music community.
“Rest Up Pop Smoke, you were too young,” tweeted the Chicago artist Chance the Rapper. “God Bless and comfort your family. What a crazy trajectory you were on man smh.”
At the time of his death, Pop Smoke had a tour planned to start in Washington, D.C., on March 2. He arrived on the rap scene in 2018.
His 19-track posthumous album “Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon” landed last week.