Law Enforcement

LAPD finds $2M worth of cocaine in parked big rig in Lake View Terrace
Two men were in custody today on suspicion of drug-related crimes following the discovery of an estimated $2 million worth of cocaine hidden in the trailer portion of a big rig parked at a truck depot in the Lake View Terrace area, authorities said. Investigators went to the facility in the 12000 block of Lopez Canyon Road about 8:45 p.m. Thursday, Los Angeles police Officer Bruce Borihanh said.
City News Service

Some 1,300 evacuate LA mall after briefcase scare
An upscale mall in Los Angeles is open again after more than 1,000 workers and shoppers evacuated for more than four hours over a suspicious briefcase. LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza says a man returned to his car Sunday on the first floor of the parking structure at the Beverly Center. Carranza says the man called police and told them the car and a briefcase inside it had been moved, and after recent suspicions over his safety he was extremely concerned. The bomb squad used a robot to remove the briefcase from the car, blasted it with water and detonated it. Nothing dangerous was discovered.
Associated Press

Downtown L.A. freeway shooting victim in critical condition
A driver shot on the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles was hospitalized in critical condition as officials searched for the gunman. The victim, whose identity hasn't been released, was thrown from a car after being shot twice, investigators said. The shooting occurred at about 5 p.m. Saturday between 8th and 9th streets, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Cecil Manresa.
Los Angeles Times

Man wounded by gunfire at family party dies at hospital
A man who was critically wounded by gunfire at a family party in South Los Angeles died Sunday, more than five hours after he was taken to the hospital, police said. Authorities said the shooting occurred about 12:35 a.m. near Avalon and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards after a guest was kicked out of the party and returned with a gun. The gunman fled after shooting three people, including two women, one of whom was hit in the neck and the other in the chest.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. County Explorer competition helps shape future law enforcement officers
Their mission to protect and to serve began the moment they arrived within the verdant canyons of Castaic on Sunday. Once there, they raided marijuana fields, pulled domestic violence victims from danger and rescued a fallen fellow officer, all before noon. Though these were just tactical scenarios, the hundreds of teenagers and young men and women who participated in Sunday's 2nd annual North County Law Enforcement Explorer competition received the opportunity to learn the skills needed to save a life, solve a crime and protect the public as well as themselves.
Los Angeles Daily News

Some donors are rethinking Dorner reward pledges
As the manhunt for Christopher Dorner gripped Southern California last month, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a $1-million reward for the capture of the fired LAPD officer. Two claims have been made on the money since Dorner's death Feb. 12 - by a couple near Big Bear who were tied up and whose car was stolen and by a man whose pickup truck Dorner later hijacked. Now, however, some groups that pledged money are reconsidering.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD to allow online reporting of some crimes
At the Los Angeles Police Academy, new officers are trained in how to write investigative reports. But one day soon, you'll be able to write your own official LAPD report from your laptop or iPad, then print it out. No experience necessary. It's part of an initiative the department has been working on for months, which gained steam Thursday when the City Council passed a motion telling the LAPD to introduce online reports.
Los Angeles Daily News

Traffic

Coldwater Canyon Avenue closed for a month
Drivers who traverse the hills between the Westside and the San Fernando Valley are bracing for long detours as Coldwater Canyon Avenue closed for a month beginning Saturday. In the evenings and on Sundays, one lane in each direction will be open. The rest of the time, the road will be completely closed between Mulholland Drive and Ventura Boulevard.
Los Angeles Times

Nearly half of toll lane users on 10, 110 are solo drivers
Drivers opting to ride the pay lanes on the 110 and 10 freeways are shaving 15-20 minutes off their trips while paying $3 to $4 in tolls on average per one-way trip, according to a report released Friday by Metro. Since Metro converted carpool lanes into high-occupancy toll lanes called Expresslanes, the transit agency has given out 125,000 FasTrak transponders, something it calls "a major milestone."
Los Angeles Daily News

Prisons

Cold-case prosecutors seek DNA from dead California inmates
Opening a new frontier for solving cold cases, California prosecutors are hunting for DNA from killers, rapists and other prison inmates who died before authorities obtained their genetic profiles. Prosecutors from Sacramento, Los Angeles and Orange counties are sifting through old court exhibits and examining long-since forgotten crime-scene evidence in search of blood, saliva and other material that can be tested for DNA.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pushes to privatize L.A. Zoo, Convention Center
With less than 100 days left in his term, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is making one last big push on two of his signature proposals - privatizing operations at the Convention Center and the Los Angeles Zoo. The city's unions, meantime, oppose the proposals and know time is on their side. They are trying simply to delay the matters until after July 1, when a new mayor and City Council will be sworn in.
Los Angeles Daily News

City Election

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas endorses Wendy Greuel for mayor
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on Sunday endorsed Wendy Greuel in the L.A. mayoral race. "As I have watched the election unfold, I have become convinced that the candidate best able to lead all of Los Angeles during this troubled time is City Controller Wendy Greuel," Ridley-Thomas said. "I have known Wendy for over 25 years. I have confidence in Wendy Greuel. She is a committed problem solver, whose knowledge of city government, experience and appeal to all segments of our city equips her to lead."
Los Angeles Times