Law Enforcement

Man shot dead in suspected gang attack in Lincoln Heights
A 22-year-old man died after he was shot multiple times in Lincoln Heights in a suspected gang-related attack, Los Angeles police said Wednesday night. The victim was not breathing when he was found on a sidewalk shortly after 5:30 p.m. in the 2700 block of Manitou Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Police said the shooter ran from the area. No arrests had been made. Anyone with information regarding Wednesday's slaying is asked to call police at (877) 527-3247.
Los Angeles Times

2 Chino burglary suspects arrested on skid row after freeway chase
At least two "armed and dangerous" burglary suspects were arrested Wednesday on skid row following a police chase that began in Chino and continued on the San Bernardino Freeway, Los Angeles police said. Los Angeles police assisted Chino police in arresting two of three suspects who got out of a Nissan sedan and ran into a downtown building, officials said. A third suspect was still being sought, officials said.
Los Angeles Times

Police capture inmate who escaped L.A. Twin Towers jail
A convicted inmate who escaped last month from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles was captured Wednesday night in Santa Monica, authorities said. Christopher Lee Brown, 37, was taken into custody "without incident," after being identified by an informant outside the Pico Youth and Family Center near Pico and Lincoln boulevards, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy Quiana Birckbeck said. Brown is being held without bail and will have an added charge of escape, Birckbeck said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD to be on the lookout for drivers who text
The Los Angeles Police Department will team with other agencies in a monthlong "zero tolerance" enforcement and education campaign designed to curb texting and operating hand-held cellphones while driving. Special enforcement operations to cite cellphone violators will take place Thursday, April 8, April 17 and April 22. The minimum ticket costs $161 with subsequent tickets going up to at least $281.
Studio City Patch

Latest cyberscam enables crooks to extract huge sums from ATMs
Sounding alarm over an especially sinister new wave of cybercriminals, regulators are warning bankers that hackers have succeeded in changing the controls on automated teller machines to enable thieves to make nearly unlimited withdrawals using fraudulent debit, prepaid and ATM cards. The hackers often schedule the withdrawals for holidays and weekends, when extra cash is loaded into ATMs and monitoring by the banks drops off, an umbrella group for financial regulators said Wednesday.
Los Angeles Times

Child predator: Help us identify John Doe 28
The FBI is seeking the public's help to stop a child predator. The unidentified individual we are seeking is known only as John Doe 28. In November 2012, online video of the man engaging in sexually explicit activities with a young boy was reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), an organization that works closely with the Bureau to stop child predators.
FBI

Prisons & Jails

California adds another private prison
California corrections officials have agreed to lease another private prison within the state, telling the GEO Group it will get $9 million a year to house some 260 female inmates at a facility north of Bakersfield. The four-year contract for the McFarland Community Reentry Facility will house women serving the final portion of their prison terms. The Florida-based prison operator said in a statement to investors Tuesday that it expects to begin accepting inmates by this fall, and that the contract allows occupancy to be doubled within the year.
Los Angeles Times

Gov. Brown offers help to counties taking more felons
Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday told law enforcement officials from throughout California that he is willing to do more to help them absorb the thousands of felons being sent to county jails rather than prison as part of the realignment program begun in 2011. With county sheriffs and police chiefs in town to lobby state government for money and help, Brown cautioned nearly 300 of them in a speech that the state cannot go on a spending spree if it wants to set aside funds for tougher days ahead.
Los Angeles Times

City Government

Tax filings give hint to number of marijuana shops in L.A.
More than 450 medical marijuana shops have filed renewals to pay Los Angeles business taxes this year - more than three times as many as are allowed to stay open under Proposition D. The new numbers won't settle the debate over how many medical marijuana businesses are now operating in Los Angeles. Additional pot shops may be open but have fallen delinquent on their taxes. Some may have never registered to pay taxes at all. But the numbers provide the latest hint at what has happened since Los Angeles voters passed new rules attempting to restrict medical marijuana shops. Los Angeles Times