Law Enforcement

LAPD seeks public's help in locating 2 missing sisters
Authorities Tuesday asked for the public's help in locating two missing sisters who have each been described as having the mental capacity of a 13-year-old child. Danielle Lee, 25, and Tania Lee, 24, were last seen April 16 in the 7700 block of South La Salle Avenue. Officials say they may be traveling with a black male and that Danielle could be in need of medical attention.
CBS LA

2 LAPD officers injured in car accident in Hollywood
Two Los Angeles police officers were injured in a vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon while responding to a report of a stabbing. The two officers' car collided with another vehicle near Santa Monica Boulevard and Vine Street around 3:00 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department said. They were taken to a local hospital with injuries that authorities described as minor. They had been responding to the incident at a fast-food restaurant.
Los Angeles Times

South LA auto repairman fatally shot; suspect sought
Investigators are trying to identify a man who fatally shot an auto repairman in South Los Angeles Monday. LAPD officers responded to the scene in the 2100 block of Florence Avenue around 5:20 p.m. According to authorities, a suspect entered the auto body parts store and allegedly confronted the owner. An argument ensued and the suspect shot the victim multiple times before fleeing through the alley.
ABC7

LAPD hosting Van Nuys gun buyback May 4
The city of Los Angeles will host four anonymous gun buybacks, including one in Van Nuys, on May 4. People who drop off guns anonymously will get Ralphs gift cards for up to $100 for handguns, rifles and shotguns and up to $200 for what the state classifies as "assault weapons." The city said the buybacks have taken in nearly 10,000 guns since 2009. Critics have questioned whether they make the city safer, as many of the guns turned in are old or unwanted, not those likely to be used in crimes.
Los Angeles Daily News

L.A. investigates alleged patient dumping by Nevada
Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich has launched a criminal investigation into possible patient dumping by a psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas, a spokesman said Tuesday. Trutanich's office is trying to determine whether Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital improperly dumped patients in Los Angeles, as alleged in an investigation by the Sacramento Bee.
Los Angeles Times

LA reaches $4.2 million settlement with 2 women fired on in Christopher Dorner manhunt
The city of Los Angeles has reached a $4.2 million settlement to compensate the two women who were injured when police mistakenly opened fire on them during the manhunt for disgruntled ex-cop Christopher Dorner. Margie Carranza, 47, and her mother Emma Hernandez, 71, were delivering newspapers around 5 a.m. Feb. 7 when LAPD officers blasted at least 100 rounds at their pickup truck.
Southern California Public Radio

Traffic

Study: Yes, L.A. has the worst traffic in the country - again
Los Angeles has reclaimed the dubious honor of having the worst traffic in the United States, according to an annual congestion scorecard. The report, from data company Inrix, reaffirms what many Angelenos already believe: that L.A. has the worst traffic in the country, that its freeways are among the most crowded, and that the worst time of the week to drive home is Friday afternoon. The average Los Angeles driver spent 59 hours sitting in traffic in 2012, or about two and a half days, the data showed.
Los Angeles Times

Legislation

Lawmaker, DAs push for streamlined death penalty
La Mesa Sen. Joel Anderson is carrying separate measures to speed up death penalty reviews, including what will likely be a controversial proposal to bring back the gas chamber. "Removing unnecessary impediments to carrying out the punishment meted out by judges and juries will ensure timely justice," the Republican said in a statement. "It is clear that the death penalty needs reforming when condemned inmates are often living longer on death row than their victims did their entire lives," Anderson added.
San Diego U-T

California Senate committee rejects bill to allow a later 'last call'
California lawmakers today cut off a push to keep booze flowing at bars, clubs and restaurants until 4 a.m. Senate Bill 635, by state Sen. Mark Leno, creates a process to extend the hours of on-site liquor sales from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. The bill failed to clear the Senate Governmental Organization Committee on a vote of 4-6, with several Democrats voting no or laying off.
Sacramento Bee

Prisons

Jerry Brown tours prison after court ruling on crowding
Freshly home from his trade tour of China, Gov. Jerry Brown made a quiet and unannounced stop: prison. The governor spent a little more than an hour on Friday at the California Institution for Men, a state prison in Chino. He was accompanied by his corrections secretary, Jeffrey Beard, and the prison system's head psychologist and acting chief of inmate mental healthcare, Tim Belavich.
Los Angeles Times

City Election

Wendy Greuel outlines fresh attack on rival Eric Garcetti
Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel stepped up attacks on rival Eric Garcetti on Tuesday, repeating ethical accusations brought up at Monday night's televised debate and adding a new one -- that Garcetti accepted thousands in donations at a fundraiser hosted by an ex-felon. Greuel, the city controller, called the media to her Boyle Heights campaign office to reiterate recent attacks against Garcetti that she says call into question his ability to lead a city as large and complex as Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Times