Law Enforcement

2 LAPD officers injured in Los Feliz crash
Two Los Angeles police officers were injured, though not critically, when their patrol car crashed in Los Feliz late Tuesday night. The crash happened shortly after 11 p.m. at the intersection of Los Feliz Boulevard and Riverside Drive. Authorities said the officers were trying to pull a driver over for a traffic violation when their squad car jumped a curb and struck a light pole. No other cars were involved. The two officers inside were taken to the hospital, but they're expected to be OK. The traffic violator was not apprehended, investigators said.
ABC7

LAPD Rampart meeting on 'Use of Force' happens quietly
Andrea Sheradin Ordin, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, was among those who attended the community meeting on police use of force last Wednesday at the Rampart Station headquarters on Sixth Street. The meeting was one ordered by LAPD head Charlie Beck to respond to several incidents across LAPD jurisdiction involving police "use of force." It was chaired by Rampart captain Steve Ruiz and organized through his office.
Echo Park - Silver Lake Patch

Knock knock burglary raids
A Los Angeles Police Department task force has served seven search warrants connected to a rash of knock knock burglaries in the San Fernando Valley. 11 people were detained today. One hundred investigators served warrants on four pawn shops in downtown Los Angeles, two homes, and one bank. Detectives did 14 months of surveillance in the area, following the burglars from their homes to the houses of victims, then to pawn shops. Police say they believe the pawn shops owners are working with the burglars.
KFI AM 640

Suspect in custody for Israel Cervantes shooting
Detective B. Martin of LAPD Northeast's Homicide Division confirmed on Wednesday morning that an arrest has been made in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Highland Park resident Israel Cervantes. According to police reports, Cervantes was fatally wounded near the Highland Park Gold Line station on Marmion Way at around 2 a.m. on Monday morning. A message posted on Northeast Area LAPD's Facebook page on Tuesday night informed followers that officers "have the suspect in custody from the Marmion Way murder."
Highland Park - Mount Washington Patch

Judge says tennis referee accused of murdering her husband with a coffee cup must give DNA sample
Lawyers for a prominent professional tennis referee who is charged with the coffee-cup killing of her husband lost a bid Wednesday to block California prosecutors from taking a sample of her DNA. Lois Ann Goodman, who is free on $500,000 bail and wearing an electronic monitoring device, appeared in court with her lawyers. They argued it would be an impermissible intrusion to force her to give a saliva sample.
Associated Press

Vandals paint anti-government graffiti on L.A. City Hall
Even though the Occupy movement has long since been evicted, a sign of discontent with the status quo popped up Wednesday morning at City Hall. Overnight, an unknown person spray-painted an obscenity on the north side of the building directed at the government, although the disgruntled person misspelled "government." The peace sign and the word "love" also defaced the building. City employees are in the process of removing the graffiti and the incident is under investigation, said Peter Sanders, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Los Angeles Times

Traffic

Shuttle Endeavour flyover could jam L.A. freeways
Space shuttle Endeavour circled Earth 4,671 times in its 25 missions to space. But its final loop Friday will present something somewhat alien to the spacecraft: the Los Angeles commuter. Perched atop a modified Boeing 747, the orbiter will circle Southern California on Friday morning before landing at Los Angeles International Airport midday. The shuttle will fly 1,500 feet over several area landmarks, including the Getty Center, Griffith Observatory and Universal Studios. Disneyland, the Queen Mary and Long Beach Aquarium are also on the list, along with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge and the California Science Center in Exposition Park - the orbiter's permanent home.
Los Angeles Times

Proposition 32

Proposition 32 is deceptive and should be rejected
If Proposition 32 did what supporters claim -- limit all special-interest money from corrupting the political system -- we would race to endorse it. It doesn't. It is a deceptive sham that would magnify the influence of wealthy interests while shutting out those with competing views. Proponents call this initiative "paycheck protection" because it bars the collection of union dues from paychecks for political purposes, even if union members give permission. Voters rejected attempts to do this in 1998 and 2005.
Contra Costa Times Editorial

City Government

Sale of AEG throws curve into quest to bring NFL back to L.A.
The plan to sell entertainment behemoth Anschutz Entertainment Group has thrown a new curve in the two-decade quest to bring professional football back to Los Angeles, leaving some allies at City Hall blindsided and forcing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to explain why he did not divulge the information sooner. Villaraigosa and other city leaders insisted Wednesday that AEG's plan to build a $1.2-billion football stadium in downtown L.A. is still on track, with the proposal expected to sail through the council next week.
Los Angeles Times