Law Enforcement

Gang member who killed four deserves to die, prosecutor argues
A gang member convicted of fatally shooting four people -- including a 10-year-old boy riding a bicycle outside his home -- deserves to die for his crimes, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday. Deputy Dist. Atty. Amy Ashvanian said Charles Ray Smith was responsible for two separate deadly shootings in 2006, including one that became known as the "49th Street Massacre." In that incident, three people were killed by two men wielding AK-47s on a quiet South Los Angeles street.
Los Angeles Times

How an Eagle Rock business owner's wallet was stolen and $1,600 charged on her credit card
Last week, two women entered an Eagle Rock Boulevard business, robbed the store-owner's wallet, and within minutes charged up $1,600 on the store-owner's credit card at Target. The incident was narrated by Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer Nina Preciado while presenting an overview of the past month's crimes in Eagle Rock to the board of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council on Tuesday night.
Eagle Rock Patch

Warm weather causing a spike in burglaries in South Bay, Harbor Area
Burglars are taking advantage of the warmer spring weather, targeting South Bay and Harbor Area homes where residents have left their windows open while away for even short periods of time, police said Tuesday. The Harbor Area has experienced a spike in residential burglaries in San Pedro and Wilmington, and Torrance has recorded 10 more residential break-ins this year than at the same time last year.
Torrance Daily Breeze

Skid row's storage bins tell gritty tales
The Central City East Assn. lets the homeless keep their belongings in plastic trash bins. A few owners find jobs or homes, but many vanish without claiming their property. The Central City East Assn., a nonprofit group serving local businesses, opened the center in 2002 with about 300 bins for homeless people's belongings, later expanding to 600. The city paid for 500 more bins last year. There are never enough, supervisor Peggy Washington says.
Los Angeles Times

Police seek driver in fatal hit-and-run
Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Traffic Division asked for the public's help Tuesday in finding a hit-and- run driver who fatally injured a 62-year-old man in the Silver Lake area. The collision occurred May 17 about 9:15 p.m. Rogelio Vera was walking across Sunset Boulevard in the west crosswalk at Maltman Avenue when he was struck by a newer model blue or black Ford F-250 or F-350 crew cab pickup truck, police said.
Echo Park - Silver Lake Patch

Woman robbed at gunpoint at Darlington and Bundy
Robberies are on the rise in Brentwood, with one of the most recent happening to a woman talking on her cell phone on May 31. Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer Maria Gray told the Brentwood Community Council Tuesday night a woman was at the corner of Darlington Avenue and Bundy drive at approximately 8:45 p.m. Friday, May 31 when a man approached her and showed a handgun.
Brentwood Patch

Canadian man pleads guilty in L.A. to federal charge in 'Grandparent Scam'
A Canadian man accused of orchestrating a scheme to dupe Southland grandparents into believing their grandchildren or other relatives were in danger in foreign countries and immediately required money pleaded guilty Wednesday to a fraud charge in downtown Los Angeles. Pascal Goyer, 30, entered his plea to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner.
City News Service

Apple, others to meet with law enforcement over violent phone thefts
With violent street thefts of smartphones and other mobile gear continuing to be a problem, top law enforcement officials from New York and San Francisco will meet with Apple, Google, and other manufacturers next week to discuss possible tech solutions, such as a "kill switch" that would render stolen devices worthless. "With 1.6 million Americans falling victim to smartphone theft in 2012, this has become a national epidemic," San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said in a press release Wednesday.
CNET

The Courts

A landmark decision puts public safety first
Monday's Supreme Court decision upholding the police practice of taking DNA samples from people who have been arrested but not convicted of a crime is a major victory for law enforcement and public safety. In upholding a Maryland law, the High Court decided one of the most important criminal procedure cases it has taken up in decades. In the 5-4 ruling that altered normal ideological alliances, the Court ruled that the practice amounts to the 21st century version of fingerprinting.
LAPPL Blog

Parole

Manson family member Leslie Van Houten is again denied freedom
A parole board on Wednesday rejected Manson family member Leslie Van Houten's 19th attempt to win freedom. The board also decided she could not seek parole again for five years. Van Houten, 63, was convicted of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their home in Los Feliz. She has repeatedly been denied bids for parole over the last four decades. The hearing took place at the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa heading to Utah for Mitt Romney event
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will spend a few hours hobnobbing Thursday with political and business leaders at for Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's "Experts and Enthusiasts" retreat in Park City, Utah, then return to Southern California to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Villaraigosa is scheduled to return to Southern California at 5:20 p.m. to greet Xi at LA/Ontario International Airport. Xi will meet with Obama in Rancho Mirage Friday and Saturday for a discussion centered around cybersecurity.
City News Service