Law Enforcement

LAPD's Devonshire Division targets crime in 7-square mile area
She was dressed in a body-hugging top and tiny miniskirt with torn fishnets and black boots - drawing lingering stares from men and disgusted head shakes from women driving on a busy stretch of North Hills. What appeared to be another prostitute on the corner by the Motel 6 - a spot known to be frequented by hookers - was actually an undercover cop setting up a sting. Three men were arrested in three hours, a relatively slow day, but one which nonetheless made the point to johns: Don't come back here.
Los Angeles Daily News

3 stabbed at Hollywood tattoo parlor; suspect remains at large
Three men were stabbed at a Hollywood tattoo parlor, and the suspect remains at large, police said Sunday. The stabbings occurred near the corner of Hollywood and Schrader boulevards about 2:30 a.m., said Sgt. Sal Ogaz of the LAPD's Hollywood station. Two of the men were in stable condition at a local hospital, while the third has been released, Ogaz said.
Los Angeles Times

Would-be hockey-mask bandit arrested in front of Woodland Hills Wells Fargo
A would-be bank robber wearing a hockey mask and hockey gloves was taken into custody Sunday by Los Angeles police in Woodland Hills, and taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, a police spokeswoman said. The attempted bank robbery occurred at a Wells Fargo branch at 20800 Ventura Blvd. around 2 p.m., LAPD officer Karen Rayner said. "Some of the bank employees saw the man walk up to the front of the bank, locked the doors so he couldn't get in and then called police," said an LAPD spokeswoman, Officer Karen Rayner.
Los Angeles Daily News

Suspected gang-related shooting leaves 31-year-old man dead
A 31-year-old man died early Sunday after being shot in the head in South Los Angeles in what police described as gang-related violence. The victim, who was not being identified until his family was notified, was wounded in the assault around 7:40 p.m. Saturday near Central Avenue and 92nd Street, said Los Angeles police department spokeswoman Karen Rayner. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital at 1:45 a.m. Police are looking for two possible assailants in the case but did not elaborate on a possible motive or say whether the victim was a gang member.
Los Angeles Times

$100 million in PCP seized in LA, Culver City
Authorities say $100 million worth of PCP and nearly $400,000 in cash has been seized at multiple locations in Los Angeles and Culver City. The Los Angeles Times reports the seizure is being described as a major bust of a national drug-trafficking organization that was distributing to Texas, New York, Washington D.C. and other cities. The huge cache of PCP totals roughly 10 million individual doses, which in the Los Angeles area sell for between $10 and $20 each.
Associated Press

Police look for Northridge woman missing for three months
Authorities circulated a photo of a 22-year-old Northridge woman who went missing three months ago in hopes that someone may know her whereabouts. Guadalupe Cristina Bautista Hernandez was last seen Nov. 15 leaving her home in the 19000 block of Parthenia Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. None of her family or friends have heard from her since then. Hernandez is Hispanic, 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 90 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.
Los Angeles Daily News

California should fully fund public safety realignment
To comply with U.S. Supreme Court orders to reduce overcrowding in California's 33 prisons by 30,000, Assembly Bill 109 last year declared that nonserious, nonviolent and non-high risk sex offenders would serve their sentences in county jails. They also become the responsibility of county probation officers instead of state parole officers. The big question is whether the state will live up to its commitment to fund the transfer of these responsibilities.
Desert Sun Editorial

Drones set sights on U.S. skies
Daniel Gárate's career came crashing to earth a few weeks ago. That's when the Los Angeles Police Department warned local real estate agents not to hire photographers like Mr. Gárate, who was helping sell luxury property by using a drone to shoot sumptuous aerial movies. Flying drones for commercial purposes, the police said, violated federal aviation rules.
New York Times

Politics

Villaraigosa cabinet rumors start again
Let the rumors begin. With Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa being named chairman of the Democratic National Convention this summer in Charlotte, N.C., the rumor mill is alive with speculation that it is seen as a grooming period for a potential cabinet post in a second Obama administration. These are the same rumors that circulated after Obama's election four years ago when Villaraigosa came off a successful tour as a surrogate for the president in Western states.
Los Angeles Daily News

Health Care

10 counties expand medical coverage for low-income residents
Nearly two years before the federal health reform law kicks in, 10 California counties have expanded medical coverage to more than 250,000 people who were previously uninsured, according to new state data. They are among 47 counties participating in the state's Bridge to Reform program, which provides health coverage for low-income residents and enables them to receive free care at their local public clinics and hospitals.
Los Angeles Times