Law Enforcement

San Jose Cop's Suspected Killer Found Dead
The man suspected of killing a veteran San Jose police officer in a shootout was found dead early Wednesday on the balcony of his home where he had been holed up, police said, after what the mayor called "San Jose's darkest hour." Police found the suspect dead on his balcony with at least one gunshot wound when they entered his home around 3:20 a.m., a police spokesman said."
NBC Bay Area , ABC 7

LAPD Motorcycle Officer Hurt In Sylmar Accident
An LAPD motorcycle officer was hospitalized Tuesday after a traffic accident in Sylmar, authorities said. The crash was reported shortly after 1:30 p.m. he northbound Golden State (5) Freeway north of Roxford Street in Sylmar, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol.
CBS Los Angeles , NBC Los Angeles

LAPD struggles with spike in violent crime, shootings
Los Angeles police are struggling to combat an increase in crime across the city this year, including a sharp spike in the number of people shot. Officials said Tuesday that shootings recorded by police are up 31%, amounting to 54 additional victims this year. Overall, the LAPD reported a 27% spike in violent crime and a 12% rise in property crime through March 21 compared to the same period last year.
Los Angeles Times

Beck: LAPD to review 'number of issues' in ex-Mexican Mafia leader event
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday that internal affairs investigators would look at a "number of issues" involving a meeting the LAPD arranged between business executives and a former shot-caller for the Mexican Mafia .
Los Angeles Times

Woman killed in Van Nuys stabbing
A woman was found dead Tuesday in an alley and a man was wounded in a stabbing in Van Nuys, police said. The stabbing was reported near Kester Avenue and Lemay Street about 7:15 a.m., according to Los Angeles Police Officer Liliana Preciado.
Los Angeles Daily News

Jefferson Park Arsonist Sought By LAPD
The Los Angeles Police Department hopes surveillance video will help catch the arsonist who set a vehicle on fire in Jefferson Park early Monday. The incident occurred outside a music studio rental space in the 4700 block of W. Jefferson Boulevard at about 2:30 a.m. The arsonist was caught on video, putting some items under a silver 2001 Volkswagen Beetle and then lighting them up. Moments later, the vehicle bursts into flames.
ABC 7

Highland Park shootings blamed on gang feud
Shots rang out near Burbank Middle School on Monday as families were getting ready to attend a baseball game. It's the most recent Highland Park shooting that police say is connected to a gang feud. No one was injured in the Monday shooting, which took place at about 5 p.m. near Figueroa and Meridian streets but a vehicle was struck by bullets, said LAPD Northeast Division Capt. Jeff Bert. Monday's incident would make nine reported shootings within or near Highland Park in the last six weeks, according to Bert.
The Eastsider

City To Offer $15K Reward For Hit-And-Run Driver Who Struck 86-Year-Old Near USC
The city is offering a reward to help solve a devastating hit-and-run that occurred near USC last week in which an 86-year-old woman was struck and left on the road. LA City Councilman Curren Price is set Thursday to announce a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver. Barbara Summerfield remains hospitalized with two broken legs, cracked ribs, pelvis fractures and head injuries, while the suspect who struck her remains at large.
CBS Los Angeles

South L.A. Fatal Shooting Suspect Shot, Killed By Deputies After Exchanging Gunfire
A man who allegedly shot and killed a woman in South Los Angeles was killed during a shootout with deputies on Wednesday. Homicide investigators said it all began with an assault with a deadly weapon call involving a female who was apparently shot by the suspect in an alley. The circumstances leading up to the shooting and the relationship between the man and the woman remain unclear.
ABC 7

City Government

Raising the minimum wage debated at L.A. City Council committee hearing
Economists sparred Tuesday over the effects of a proposal to raise the minimum wage to as high as $15.25 per hour in Los Angeles during a city council committee hearing on Tuesday attended by hundreds of business people and activists. The city council is considering raising the minimum wage from $9 an hour to $13.25 an hour by 2017, to $15.25 an hour by 2019, and higher in subsequent years based on the Consumer Price Index.
Los Angeles Daily News

Should L.A. County lift ban so parolees can live in public housing?
Los Angeles County officials are considering easing restrictions that bar people with criminal records from housing assistance programs. The county Housing Authority's standards are stricter than federal guidelines and also stricter than the city of Los Angeles when it comes to screening out applicants based on their criminal records.
Los Angeles Times