Earthquake east of Los Angeles hits magnitude 4.4, USGS says

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Magnitude 4.4 earthquake strikes east of Los Angeles

U.S. Geological Survey says the quake shook Southern California, about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook Southern California about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake struck about 7:33 p.m. local time, the USGS said. It was centered about three miles north of the city of La Verne in the San Gabriel Valley.

“It was like if somebody had grabbed it and was shaking the house,” Vickie Carillo of La Verne, who was watching "Jaws 2" with her son, told the Los Angeles Times.

“It was like if somebody had grabbed it and was shaking the house."

— Vickie Carillo of La Verne

The quake was followed by a magnitude 3.4 temblor a minute later.

“We haven't had an earthquake in quite a while — I mean not like that,” Carillo said, after finding trophies, books and other items on the floor. “I'm just glad I didn't get in the shower like I was going to.”

Victor Flores, who lives in a two-story house in La Verne, told the Times that the shaking was “extremely violent.”

“It was moving the whole house,” he said. “It shook hard for what seemed like 10 to 20 seconds, and then it just kept going. It was really loud too, kind of like thunder. It just hit really hard and quick.”

The main quake was widely felt, either as a sharp jolt near the epicenter or a rolling motion farther away.

It shook buildings for several seconds in downtown Los Angeles.

The jolt also was felt 40 miles away in Sylmar to the northwest and 30 miles south in Huntington Beach.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.