Law Enforcement

Laguna Beach motorcycle officer killed in crash
A Laguna Beach police motorcycle officer has died after a crash involving a pickup truck. The officer, identified as 42-year-old Jon Coutchie, was killed in the accident late Saturday night at the intersection of South Coast Highway and Cleo Street in Laguna Beach. Police say Coutchie was trying to locate a vehicle that had eluded officers when he was struck by a Chevrolet pickup truck. He died at the scene. The driver of the truck and two passengers were questioned. No arrests have been made.
ABC7

Violence-racked weekend claims 10 lives in L.A. County
At least 10 people were shot or stabbed to death in Los Angeles County over the weekend in a wave of mayhem that stretched from the High Desert city of Palmdale to the coastal community of Long Beach, according to authorities. More than 10 others were injured in attacks in the county. In Los Angeles, a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death just after midnight Saturday during an argument on Figueroa Street and Pico Boulevard, said LAPD Officer Gregory Baek. Four people were taken into custody in connection with the killing, which may have been gang-related, he said.
Los Angeles Times

Venice fatal hit-and-run suspect arrested
A woman has been arrested after police say she struck and killed a homeless man in Venice, then just drove off. The hit-and-run happened Friday morning as the 33-year-old man crossed the street at the intersection of Venice and Lincoln boulevards. An anonymous tip led police to the driver, identified as 33-year-old Kara Kiehle. She was arrested Friday afternoon at a home on Realto Court in Venice. Kiehle was booked under the charge of fatal hit-and-run. She is being held on $50,000 bail.
ABC7

South Los Angeles discount store murder: $50K reward offered
The city of Los Angeles is now offering a $50,000 reward in the murder of South Los Angeles store clerk Martha Sanchez. For the second night in a row, a vigil was held Friday, as people marched from the nearby police station to the Happy Bargain 99 Cent Store, where the 39-year-old mother of five was shot to death during a robbery Tuesday night. Those at Friday night's rally called for justice and an end to the violence.
ABC7

Police hold open house to return stolen jewelry
When police caught a pair of burglars red-handed in Woodland Hills a few weeks ago, they got much more than they anticipated. One of the thieves confessed to officers that the break-in wasn't his first, and when they searched his Northridge home, they were stunned to find cameras, more than 1,500 pieces of jewelry, 20 pairs of binoculars and even a guitar signed by the rock band Green Day. Police say the man, who was not identified, was caught with one accomplice and admitted to having others.
Los Angeles Daily News

Police raid Internet cafe over suspected illegal gambling
Los Angeles police arrested 23 people on misdemeanor charges in a raid on a Van Nuys Internet cafe suspected of hosting an illegal gambling operation, the LAPD said Friday. Officers from the Van Nuys vice unit served a search warrant Thursday at the Talk & Win Internet cafe on Sherman Way after getting an anonymous tip that gambling was taking place there, the LAPD said in a statement. Officers seized 42 computers and $9,200 in cash, and arrested 20 people on suspicion of gambling at an illegal facility and three on suspicion of possession of a gambling device.
Los Angeles Times

L.A. homeless recruited to buy new iPhones feel cheated
More details are emerging about a man's attempt to purchase numerous iPhone 5s Friday by recruiting homeless people from Los Angeles' skid row to wait in line outside a Pasadena Apple store. Pasadena police arrested two people when the scheme broke down Friday morning. But officials said they don't plan a larger criminal investigation. "It's not a police issue. It's a business issue," said Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson.
Los Angeles Times

Smart Cars

Cars' safety systems are getting a whole lot smarter
We're still a long way from sending unmanned cars to the grocery store, but automated safety systemsare starting to havea real effect now in protecting passengers and limiting accident damage, according to regulators and insurance industry experts. Such systems can alert drivers to an impending rear-end collision - and slam the brakes. They can stop a vehicle from hitting a post as it backs up. They can track the speed of the car in front, adjusting to maintain a safe distance. Some warn a driver when a car is about to wander out of its lane, and steer it back on course. Another system automatically adjusts headlamps to better illuminate turns.
Los Angeles Times

Guns

Keeping guns away from people with mental illness is a complex issue
For years, federal and state governments have struggled to build a background check system that can keep guns out of the hands of mentally troubled people. But the fix isn't that simple. Because of problems in the mental health system and NICS' definition of mental illness, the national background check system has proved to be a haphazard way of trying to identify who might be too dangerous to own a gun.
Los Angeles Times

Pensions

City Government