Missing woman, 95, last seen being wheeled out of convalescent home
Los Angeles police on Monday asked for the public's assistance in finding a 95-year-old woman who was last seen Sunday being wheeled out in a wheelchair from a convalescent home. Authorities said Flora Johnson, who suffers from multiple medical conditions, was with two female relatives when she was taken from Western Convalescent Hospital on West Adams Boulevard.
CBS LA

FBI, LA officials warn of counterfeit goods this holiday season
Heading into the holiday shopping season, everyone is looking for a good deal. But Los Angeles city leaders are warning consumers that counterfeit handbags and watches are hurting the U.S. economy. They look like the real thing, but officials are cracking down this holiday season on counterfeit goods, and say they are costing Americans jobs. The LAPD Vice Division says counterfeit goods are actually more lucrative than drugs. At first glance, it looks like tens of thousands of dollars in high-end merchandise -- But it's all junk.
ABC7

LAPD prepares for Black Friday, reminds shoppers to 'Lock It, Hide It, Keep It'
Shoppers and merchants aren't the only ones preparing for Black Friday; so are Los Angeles police. Officers Monday reminded shoppers of numerous safety tips and precautions to keep in mind during holiday shopping. The LAPD emphasized the principles of its "Lock It, Hide It, Keep It" program, in which shoppers who have packages and valuables in their vehicles are urged to keep them out of sight and make sure the car is locked.
CBS LA

Police investigating car fire, 1 injured in house fire in Canoga Park
Police Monday were investigating the cause of two fires in Canoga Park. A house fire was reported around 4:30 a.m. at Farralone Avenue and Canoga Park, officials said. One person suffered unspecified injuries. It was unclear what caused the fire. The second incident was reported just before 6 a.m. at Nevada Avenue and Stagg Street. A resident told authorities he heard a loud bang, ran outside of his home and found a small explosive on his vehicle, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The bomb squad was called in to investigation.
CBS LA

Investigators probe Pacific Palisades hate crime after 8 cars are marred with swastikas
Authorities in Pacific Palisades are investigating a hate crime after a vandal, or vandals, targeted and tagged eight vehicles with swastikas. KCAL9s Melanie Woodrow spoke to some of the people whose cars were vandalized. "There's nothing sicker," said Maritza Ramon-Roberts. She discovered her car has been vandalized while standing with her 10-year-old daughter. "My daughter started crying, she was extremely upset," said Ramon-Roberts. "It's horrible I am forced to have this conversation with my daughter."
CBS LA

Tree trimmer distraction burglary reported at Gentry Ave. home
Los Angeles police say two men posing as Department of Water and Power workers burglarized a home in the 4400 block of Gentry Avenue at 3:30 p.m., Nov. 19 through another distraction tactic. It is one of the most recent reported distraction burglaries in the Studio City and North Hollywood area. According to Senior Lead Officer Michael Lewis, one suspect knocked at the victim's door claiming to be trimming trees for the city and was working on a neighbor's yard but needed access to the victim's yard.
Studio City Patch

Presidential Visit

President Obama meets with family of slain TSA officer
President Barack Obama has visited with the family of a Transportation Security Administration officer who was killed at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month. White House spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama gathered with relatives of officer Gerardo Hernandez at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday. Obama was in Los Angeles to attend Democratic Party fundraisers. Obama also met with TSA agents Tony Grigsby and James Speer, both of whom were wounded in the shootings.
Associated Press

Prisons

Study finds results 'mixed' after implementation of prison realignment
A recent study has called California's Prison Realignment an experiment in prison reduction "that was poorly planned" and in many instances gave counties little to no time to properly prepare for the influx of inmates into the local supervisory system. The Stanford Law School and Stanford Criminal Justice Center said realignment or Assembly Bill 109, a law that looked to reduce the state's prison population by shifting monitoring and housing responsibilities of lower-level offenders to individual counties, has the potential to improve the state's handling of those convicted of property and drug crimes but as of now, that potential has yet to be realized.
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Traffic

North 405 Freeway's Sunset Boulevard offramp reopens after 4-month closure
The Sunset Boulevard offramp from the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway reopened Monday following a roughly four-month closure for reconstruction. The rebuilt ramp is roughly 60 percent longer, allowing for more vehicles and easing the transition of vehicles off the freeway, according to Metro, which is overseeing the $1 billion 405 Freeway construction project in the Sepulveda Pass. The new ramp includes two northbound right-turn lanes to eastbound Sunset and one northbound left-turn lane to westbound Sunset.
City News Service