Law Enforcement

Motorcyclist flees LAPD at 130 mph, crashes and dies in San Fernando
A motorcyclist died Wednesday morning when he slammed into a fire hydrant after shooting a gun into the air and fleeing police in the San Fernando Valley, authorities said. The incident lasted only minutes and started in Sun Valley, where LAPD officers on patrol responded to a 911 call about gunshots in the 12100 block of Sheldon Street, said Lt. Dino Caldera. The first officers to the scene spotted a man on a motorcycle that matched the description of the shooter. When the rider spotted the officers, he sped off, police said.
Los Angeles Times

LAPD Warning: More Criminals Using High-Tech Trick to Break Into Cars
The Los Angeles Police Department is warning Southern California drivers about a growing car theft trend that targets keyless car entry remotes. Investigators say more thieves are using an inexpensive gadget called a “power amplifier” to quickly unlock cars sitting in private driveways, clearing out valuables as owners sit inside their homes, completely unaware of what's happening just a few feet away.
NBC Los Angeles

$50,000 Reward Offered in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash
A $50,000 reward was offered Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of the driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed 22-year-old Manuel Enrique Mendoza-Hernandez in the South Park neighborhood of LA this month. Around 8:30 p.m. on June 7, Mendoza-Hernandez was riding his bike on the sidewalk at the intersection of Slauson Avenue and San Pedro Place.
NBC Los Angeles

White Van Sought After Pedestrian Struck in South L.A. Hit-and-Run
Authorities are searching for a white van involved in a hit-and-run crash in the Vermont Vista neighborhood of South Los Angeles that left a woman hospitalized Wednesday. The crash occurred near the intersection of West 112th Street and Figueroa Street at about 2:15 a.m., according to Sgt. Tim Jones of the Los Angeles Police Department.
KTLA 5

3 Men Arrested in "Heinous" Slaying of Taco Vendor
Three men have been arrested in connection with the slaying of a father and husband who was gunned down at his South Los Angeles taco stand two days before Father's Day, police announced Wednesday. The men were believed to be gang members who range in age from 18 to 35, Los Angeles Police Department officials said. But the men's names were not released because the case remained under investigation, police said.
NBC Los Angeles

Man Found Bludgeoned to Death on Westlake District Street; Attacker at Large
Los Angeles police on Wednesday were investigating what led to the beating death of a 23-year-old man who was found lying in a street in the Westlake neighborhood. The victim, later identified as Oscar Lazo, was located in the area of Union Avenue and Rockwood Street at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Ryan Rabbett.
KTLA 5

Three L.A. County deputies convicted in beating of jail visitor
Three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were convicted Wednesday of beating a handcuffed man bloody and then lying to cover up the abuse. A federal jury deliberated for only four hours before returning guilty verdicts against Deputies Sussie Ayala and Fernando Luviano and former Sgt. Eric Gonzalez, who supervised the incident and boasted about the assault in a text message to a colleague.
Los Angeles Times

Police Recruiting Now Entering a New Age
They poach officers from nearby police departments. They entice recruits by playing up the drama and heroism of policing through video close-ups of flashing lights and holstered guns. They wrestle with how to offer better pay. But most of all, cognizant of the recent turmoil over officer-involved deaths in Missouri, Baltimore and elsewhere, America's police chiefs are looking for compassionate men and women who are in the field to do good.
Officer.com

City Government

Garcetti, Villaraigosa and Newsom, eyeing 2018, lay out visions for California
On a recent day filled with earnest discussions about mayoral policy matters, three politicians sketched out appeals that could become very familiar in future California elections. Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles mayor, geeked out about the governing potential of his smartphone. His predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, passionately defined education as the next civil rights movement. Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor and current lieutenant governor, warned that government is verging on extinction.
Los Angeles Times

L.A.'s Summer Night Lights program focuses on at-risk youth
Summer Night Lights, run by the Mayor's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, last year drew more than 900,000 residents for late-night basketball, flag football, Zumba dancing, arts and crafts clinics and more while serving more than 560,000 meals at targeted at-risk parks. It helped secure each park by adding police and gang intervention specialists, while reducing gang-related crime by 15.4 percent from the year before, according to the city. It also created nearly 1,100 local jobs, which included the hiring of 325 at-risk youth.
Los Angeles Daily News

L.A. City Council might give amnesty to owners of illegal residential units
The Los Angeles City Council directed attorneys Wednesday to draft an ordinance that would give amnesty to the owners of illegal residential units, as part of a larger effort to retain affordable housing in the city. The proposed ordinance would give owners of multi-family complexes a path toward making their unapproved units legal, as long as the units are kept affordable, are safe to live in and comply with other conditions.
Los Angeles Daily News