Luz Pena
A notebook: blank pages waiting to be filled with ideas, stories, and memories. The medium remains constant, but with time the stories change. At age 11, the pages were filled with childhood memories from my hometown in Barranquilla, Colombia. At age 12, the memories and adventures stopped and were replaced with simple words and phrases: "Hello", "My name is Luz", "I'm from Colombia". My notebook became my tool to learn English as a young immigrant to the US. Today, my notebook is for our community, where each blank page is an opportunity to give someone a voice. What's your story?
I've worked in the NY, LA, and SF markets. In the Bay, I was a video journalist for Univision 14. In Los Angeles, I was a reporter, host and digital correspondent for Fox Spanish national network, and Fox Sports/Fox Deportes. In New York, I was a reporter for the FoxNews.com platform.
Throughout my journalism career, I've been honored with 9 Emmys, a Society of Professional Journalist - excellence in journalism award, a L.A Press Club Award, and named one of the top 40 Latinos in American Media by the Huff Post. I graduated from Hofstra University in New York with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science.
I'm thrilled to be part of the ABC7 news team and would love to tell your story! Reach out anytime on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Luz's Stories
Surfer dies at San Francisco's Ocean Beach despite numerous lifesaving efforts
A surfer lost his life at San Francisco's Ocean Beach Thursday despite life-saving measures by multiple surfers and members of the National Park Service ocean rescue team, who found him floating face down in the water.
Will eyes replace IDs? New AI tech scans your iris to prove user is human
Met with mixed public reaction, the device, known as the Orb, was created by Tools for Humanity -- a company co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Its goal is to create a verified digital identity for individuals.
Rotavirus levels rising across Bay Area: Here's how it spreads, who's most at risk
High concentrations of rotavirus across the Bay Area are raising concerns among infectious disease experts. Here's what to know.
DOJ swears in 82 immigration judges in record hiring push, explicitly calls for 'deportation' in ad
Following an aggressive ad recruitment drive to bring in "deportation judges," the Department of Justice announced the swearing-in of 82 immigration judges, the largest class in history to tackle the 3.2 million backlog in cases.
'Somebody knows': Family of missing Bay Area teen seeks answers 10 years after her kidnapping
Then 15-year-old Pearl Pinson was on her way to school when she disappeared, just blocks from her home in Vallejo. To mark the anniversary, supporters decorated the site and handed out pearl necklaces as a symbol of remembrance.
Caltrans considering 140 mph bus that would take passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles
Caltrans is exploring the idea of a high-speed bus system that could travel up to 140 miles per hour between San Francisco and Los Angeles, offering an alternative form of transportation for travelers. Would you ride in one?
At least 10 San Francisco seniors on verge of eviction, fearing homelessness
A group of seniors in San Francisco, including a retired Muni driver, is on the verge of eviction - and asking the city to intervene. Residents accuse their property's management company Domus Management of poor communication and bad bookkeeping.
Man charged for making threats against San Francisco schools, court documents show
A 41-year-old man has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with threats made against several schools in San Francisco, according to court records.
EXCLUSIVE: Fired SF immigration judge retraces last asylum case to Guatemala after DOJ dismissals
Former San Francisco immigration judge Jeremiah Johnson said he was fired by the Department of Justice about 30 minutes after granting asylum to an Indigenous family from Guatemala, a moment he said propelled him to seek answers, traveling there to retrace his final case.
SF sees drop in unsheltered homelessness, reports 15-year low from most recent count
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said the city is seeing a significant decline in unsheltered homelessness, citing preliminary results from the most recent Point-in-Time count. But findings have drawn scrutiny from advocacy groups who point out that the method of data collection was recently changed.