Swedish family saved from LA by sheriff's deputies

A family of seven from Sweden was found walking on Sepulveda Boulevard near LAX at 4:30 a.m. on Friday. They were out of money after changing their return flight itineraries due to a health emergency at home. They had been in Los Angeles for a family member's graduation. From the LANG papers:

The Trandafilovic family was comprised of mom, dad and five daughters, she added. The children were a 2-year-old girl, two 10-year-old twin girls, a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl.

"Deputies were able to kind of talk to them with the limited English they do know," Nishida said. The family was then taken to the sheriff's Carson Station.

"We actually have a (reserve) sergeant who speaks Swedish who came out," she added. The sheriff's department has deputies speaking more than 100 languages.

After learning of their predicament, the deputies decided to circulate an e-mail to try and raise funds to help the family.

They procured donations which were used to provide the family with hotel lodging, food and transportation to Los Angeles International Airport, where they boarded a Sweden-bound airplane Sunday, Nishida said.

Photo: LA County Sheriff's Department