Law Enforcement

1 person killed, another seriously wounded in Westside shooting
Los Angeles police on Tuesday night were investigating a deadly shooting after multiple gunshots rocked a Westside neighborhood. One person was killed and another was taken to a hospital in serious condition after gunshots were reported shortly before 7:30 p.m. in the 11300 block of Pearl Street in the Sawtelle neighborhood, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Los Angeles Times

Woman's body found in bushes near Banning Park in Wilmington
Investigators are looking into whether a 28-year-old woman found slain in Wilmington was sexually assaulted, police said Tuesday. A passer-by walking a dog discovered the woman's body in some bushes on L Street near McFarland Avenue at 5:30 p.m. Monday, police said. Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division were assigned to the case because of the possibility it involved sexual assault, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Patrick Gannon said.
Torrance Daily Breeze

Theft suspect accused of targeting Korean men on dating websites
Police said they are seeking additional victims of a woman who allegedly used Internet dating sites to target Korean men in Los Angeles and Orange counties and then stole their property. Investigators said they believe Sunmee Kim, 36, targeted men who trolled websites such as koreancupid.com and then met with them. Police arrested her Dec. 21 on outstanding warrants issued from both counties.
Los Angeles Times

Arson suspect's mother was in U.S. illegally when arrested
The mother of suspected arsonist Harry Burkhart was illegally in the U.S. when she was arrested last week on a criminal warrant issued by German authorities, officials said. Dorothee Burkhart, who was living in Los Angeles at the time of her arrest, currently has "no lawful immigration status," according to Department of Homeland Security records. Given Burkhart's illegal status, authorities have lodged an immigration detainer against her, authorities said.
Los Angeles Times

Rival union group wants probe into peace officers' site hacking
A California law enforcement group called Tuesday for a legislative investigation into the hacking of a statewide peace officers union website by a shadowy international group calling itself Anonymous. The request by the Peace Officers of California was sent to leaders of the Senate and Assembly public safety committees on the eve of the Legislature's return to the Capitol for 2012.
Sacramento Bee

Hackers reveal personal data of 860,000 Stratfor subscribers
A computer hacking group has revealed email addresses and other personal data from former Vice President Dan Quayle, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, and hundreds of U.S. intelligence, law enforcement and military officials in a high-profile case of cyber-theft. The unauthorized release of account information for 860,000 subscribers to Stratfor, a Texas-based company that provides analysis of national and international affairs, makes it possible to identify some subscribers and, in theory, impersonate them in cyberspace, analysts warned.
Los Angeles Times

Gun Sales

Gun sales break records before Christmas, as FBI reports gun dealers ordered 1.5M background checks in December
Guns were more likely than ever to land beneath Christmas trees in 2011, as the FBI reported record-breaking firearm sales in the days leading up to the holiday. Gun dealers requested more than 1.5 million background checks on buyers in December, the highest single-month figure since the stats began being kept - and one that topped the previous record, set in November 2011, CNN reported.
New York Daily News

New Law

New handgun regulation faces federal lawsuit
A new California law that prohibits the carrying of an unloaded handgun in public already is under legal attack. Charles Nichols, a Redondo Beach resident, filed a lawsuit late last year in federal court against the state seeking to overturn restrictions on where he can display a handgun. AB 144, which took effect this week, expands California's firearm regulations to prohibit people from openly carrying an unloaded handgun outside of a person's home or vehicle.
California Watch

Ballot Initiative

Plan to change three-strikes law moves toward November ballot
California voters may once again have the opportunity to change the state's three-strikes mandatory-sentencing law. An initiative to change the law has been cleared to gather petition signatures, a potential step toward the November ballot. The proposed change would reduce the sentences of some currently serving time, and reduce prison time for those who are convicted of nonviolent felonies and already have two prior felony strikes.
Los Angeles Times

Pensions

Pension reform: More expensive than doing nothing?
Pushing public workers out of pension plans with guaranteed payouts could save taxpayers billions each year - but perhaps not until the folks reading this story are grizzled and gray, according to new analyses by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. In the short-term, the LAO said, pension reform could actually cost governments, and the taxpayers who fund them, more.
Orange County Register