PATCH PM: 2016 Ends with Tragedy and Absurdity

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The final week of the year was nothing short of heartbreaking in Los Angeles. Mother-daughter legends Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher died unexpectedly within a day of each other, leaving fans and much of the Hollywood community in mourning. We learned that Zsa Zsa Gabor died the same day her son was killed in a crash on Mulholland Drive. And twin two-year-olds perished in a fire while their father was critically injured trying to rescue them.

On a lighter note, an entire shopping center was shut down Friday while a SWAT Team tried for hours to rouse a nightshift worker who fell asleep in his SUV with a phone case in his lap that looked like a gun. They tried banging on his windows and blaring their sirens, but it took almost two-hours for sleeping beauty to awake and for everyone to realize it was all a misunderstanding.

Goodbye, 2016, so glad to see you go!

Here are the Patch headlines people are talking about:

• Debbie Reynolds, Iconic Hollywood Actress, Dead at 84
• The legendary actress died one day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher, died.
• Carrie Fisher, Beloved 'Star Wars' Actress, Dies The actress was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchise. She was 60.
• LA Councilman Defends Proposal to Ban Childless Adults from Playgrounds Facing scorn for a proposal to ban adults without children from playgrounds, Councilman Mitch O'Farrell said law is about improving safety.
• Zsa Zsa Gabor's Son Killed in Mulholland Crash Same Day his Mother Died Zsa Zsa Gabor and her ninth husband's adopted son Oliver Prinz von Anhalt was killed in a motorcycle crash on Mulholland Drive.
• Suspect in Culver City Mall Attack, Robbery of 90-Year-Old Man Arrested Footage the suspected attacker generated numerous leads, which led detectives to suspect's home and arrested him without incident.
• SWAT TEAM: Sleeping Man with Gun-Like Phone Case Shuts Down Shopping Center A nightshift worker who fell asleep in his car triggered a SWAT Team response and the closure of a busy Alhambra shopping center.
• Twin Toddlers Killed, Father Critically Hurt Trying to Save Them in LA House Fire Two 2-year-old boys died in a South Los Angeles house fire, and their father suffered severe burns trying to save them Tuesday.
• Authorities Searching for More Victims of Cerritos Broker's Alleged Escrow Scam The man was suspected of being involved in an escrow fee scam involving 32 victims with a total loss of $498,000, authorities said.
• Boy, 6, Critical in Accident Crossing Street Near Monrovia The boy and his mother were not in a crosswalk when they attempted to cross North Vernon Avenue.
• Charter-NBC Contract Impasse Could Mean Football Blackout for 1.6 Million Southlanders Stalled negotiations between the cable giant and NBC could mean Angelenos will miss Sunday's highly anticipated NFL game.
• L.A. Man Arrested for Alleged In-Flight Fight with Minnesota Woman The two are facing disorderly conduct charges after fighting on a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Los Angeles.
• 333 La Cienega Project Opponents Cry Foul Over Developer's Contributions to City Officials The high-rise project was approved by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission in November despite that it would be well above zoning limits
• Pedestrian Struck, Killed by Metro Gold Line Near Monrovia The age of the victim was not immediately available, and there was no immediate explanation why that person was on the tracks.
• LAPD Criminalist Alleges Department Squashed Evidence Against Officer in Love-Triangle Murder Citing a trend of cover-ups in high-profile cases, a criminalist claims she was pressured to suppress findings tying a murder to an officer.
• Eighth Baby Safely Surrendered Under County Program, Supervisor Janice Hahn Says The baby boy was surrendered Tuesday at a hospital in Pomona, according to Janice Hahn's office.
• Woman Killed When Car Careens off Overpass onto Oncoming 110 Freeway Traffic The dramatic crash over the 3rd Street overpass caused several wrecks and shut down the northbound lanes of the Harbor (110) Freeway.
• Possible New Gas Leak Reported at Porter Ranch Near Plugged Well SoCalGas believes that this was an "off-gassing" of the soil, which has happened at the site before.
• Islamic Leader Faces Firestorm After Tweet Wishing More Had Died in Plane Crash The director of Los Angeles' Council of American-Islamic Relations has since taken down the tweet.