Law Enforcement

Arleta wireless phone store owner killed in apparent robbery
Police searched Tuesday for a gunman who killed a wireless phone store owner during an apparent robbery as the victim was closing up his shop in Arleta for the night. The shooting at 8940 Woodman Ave. near the intersection of Osborne Street happened around 8:40 p.m. Monday, according to Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the LAPD's Mission Station.
City News Service

Have you seen this suspect in Westfield Topanga mall kidnapping, sexual assault?
The LAPD was searching Monday for the man who robbed and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman, after kidnapping her at knifepoint from Westfield Topanga mall, officials said. The woman, a mall employee, was leaving work at about 5:30 p.m. July 4, when she was approached by the man in the parking lot and forced into her car. Over the next three hours, he made the woman drive around the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles, officials said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Man arrested and charged with slaying of Army officer
A 27-year-old Long Beach man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the fatal beating of a West Point graduate and U.S. Army Ranger last month at a downtown club, authorities said Monday. Los Angeles Police arrested Steven Hong on July 2 in the 7300 block of Central Avenue. He was charged with murder on July 5 by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. Hong has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and was being held in lieu of $1-million bail, according Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department records.
Los Angeles Times

In Memoriam

State Capitol flags at half-staff to honor Hawthorne officer
Flags at the state Capitol in Sacramento are flying at half-staff Tuesday in memory of a Hawthorne police officer who died Monday after a freeway crash, according to Gov. Jerry Brown's press office. Sgt. Leonard Luna was off duty and riding his personal motorcycle to pick up his police motorcycle when the crash occurred at around 5:30 p.m. Monday on the 105 Freeway near Lynwood.
Los Angeles Times

Prisons

29,000 inmates enter 2nd day of hunger strike in largest prison protest in California history
In the largest prison protest in California history, 29,000 inmates have refused to eat for a second day in a row to protest long-term isolation of inmates in what are called security housing units, or SHU. California holds 4,500 prisoners in those facilities at four prisons across the state. Inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison near the Oregon border launched the hunger strike to protest a level of confinement they call "torture."
KPCC

Female inmates sterilized in California without approval
Doctors under contract with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sterilized nearly 150 female inmates from 2006 to 2010 without required state approvals, The Center for Investigative Reporting has found. At least 148 women received tubal ligations in violation of prison rules during those five years -- and there are perhaps 100 more dating back to the late 1990s, according to state documents and interviews.
The Center for Investigative Reporting

L.A. County seeks to block release of convicted rapist
Los Angeles County prosecutors are seeking to stop a convicted serial rapist who has spent nearly two decades in state mental hospitals from being released in the county. Assistant Dist. Atty. Joseph Esposito told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that his office had flown a prosecutor to San Jose to file legal paperwork to block Christopher Evans Hubbart from being freed in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Eric Garcetti vows to reverse cuts in L.A. summer jobs for youths
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed Tuesday to rebuild a summer jobs program for young people that was scaled back as public funding dropped sharply over the last two years. Garcetti made his pledge to expand the "Hire LA's Youth" program at a South Los Angeles event his office organized to showcase his plans to stimulate the city's economy.
Los Angeles Tismes

Garcetti pledges different approach to City Hall diversity
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti says he wants to think about City Hall diversity "more robustly." "We have diversity programs that date back to the 1970s," he said. "The model back then," he added, "was to get one person of each color at each thing," Garcetti explained. "I want to get past that kind of tokenism towards a broader diversity." In an interview later, Garcetti said people still think in terms of four broad categories: black, white, Latino and Asian-Pacific Islander. He said that doesn't begin to touch on the city's diversity.
KPCC

LAFD Chief Brian Cummings says he wants to keep his job
Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings says he wants to retain his position under new Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has asked all department heads to reapply for their jobs and has signaled he will pay extra attention to management of the city's Fire Department. Cummings told The Times he would like to remain chief until at least 2018. He said he wants to lead the LAFD to improved management of its growing number of medical rescues, which now account for more than 80% of 911 calls for help.
Los Angeles Times