CHP Officer Dies From Injuries Suffered in Crash During South Sacramento Pursuit
A California Highway Patrol officer died from injuries he suffered Wednesday when he was involved in a crash during a high-speed chase in south Sacramento and thrown from his motorcycle. Lucas F. Chellew, 31, an 8-year veteran of the CHP died at 6:11 p.m. at UC Davis Medical Center, authorities announced in a 9:30 p.m. news conference at the hospital. “My heart aches on this terribly tragic day for the CHP as we have lost a hero, who swore a sacred and honorable oath to serve and protect the people of California,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a written statement. “Please keep Officer Chellew's family, friends and the entire CHP family in your thoughts and prayers as they mourn his loss.”
The Sacramento Bee

Pregnant Woman Loses Unborn Child After Being Shot in Chest in South LA
A homicide investigation is underway after a pregnant woman was shot in the chest in South Los Angeles, which resulted in the death of her unborn fetus. Authorities said the incident happened around 1:40 a.m. and the woman was found on the street in the 1300 block of 77th Street and Raymond Avenue. The woman was shot multiple times, authorities said. She has not been identified but is in her mid-20s to early 30s. She was taken to a hospital and rushed into surgery. The woman is listed in critical condition. Authorities said after the woman was taken out of surgery, it was revealed that her unborn child had died.
ABC 7

El Sereno Woman Killed, Son Hurt In Hit-And-Run Crash
A woman was killed after being hit by a two vehicles in El Sereno Wednesday, police said. The crash happened about 6:45 p.m. in the 5200 block of Alhambra Avenue, according to Officer Sal Ramirez of the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim, in her 30's, was walking in an unmarked crosswalk while carrying her two-year-old son. But before she was hit, she managed to toss her son out of the path of the vehicles, investigators said. Police said the second driver did stop, but the first driver took off.
CBS 2

South L.A. Area Teen With Autism Found Safe After Disappearing for Several Days
A 15-year-old boy with autism has been found safe Wednesday and was reunited with his family several days after the teen disappeared from his South Los Angeles area home last week. Jaylan Milek Lewis had last been seen about 10 p.m. Thursday when his mother thought he went to bed at their home in the 1500 block of West 111th Place in the unincorporated Westmont area. Just before 7 a.m. Friday, Lewis' mother discovered he had left the home sometime during the night and reported him missing, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated in a news release. Following his disappearance, investigators said Lewis has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism and may be headed to the Westwood area.
KTLA 5

LA Leader Calls for ‘Smart' System After LAPD Front Desk Phones Go Down
Calls placed to the Devonshire and Van Nuys stations at noon Wednesday were greeted by a recorded message from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti thanking callers for calling 311. Residents who called the department's Topanga division on Wednesday reached a disconnected line until 2 p.m. Last Thursday, the same stations — with the exception of Topanga — had similar phone issues as well as the West Valley and Valley Traffic divisions. Councilman Mitchell Englander said Wednesday he plans to introduce a motion on Friday at a City Council meeting to address the issue, starting with a new citywide LAPD telephone system that would replace outdated technology and “is not just replacing an old system with a new system. It replaces old with smart.”
Los Angeles Daily News

Man Accused in Slayings of Gas Station Clerk, Dispensary Owner Pleads Not Guilty
A man accused of murdering a gas station clerk during a robbery in Los Feliz and the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary during a robbery in Mar Vista the next day pleaded not guilty Tuesday to double murder charges. Kayshon Moody is charged in the Jan. 17 killing of M.D. Mizu Rahman, 34, who was shot to death Jan. 17 at a Chevron station in the 2100 block of North Vermont Avenue, and the Jan. 18 shooting death of Ovik Oganesyan, 50, at a medical marijuana dispensary at 12480 W. Venice Blvd.
NBC 4

Accused Dodger Stadium Attacker Pleads to Assault in 2015 Beating
A Palos Verdes Estates man pleaded no contest to an assault charge Wednesday for punching a man in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium after a Dodgers-Mets game. Michael Rae Papayans, 28, entered his plea to a felony count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and admitted an allegation that he caused great bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The case against Papayans is expected to be reduced to a misdemeanor if he serves 14 days in jail, pays more than $100,000 in restitution to the victim and completes 80 days of community service and an anger management course, according to the District Attorney's Office.
MyNewsLA.com

Protesters Gather in Anaheim Over LAPD Officer Firing Gun During Confrontation with Teens
Chaos erupted Wednesday night after what started as a peaceful assembly on the street where a shooting happened the day before — involving an off-duty LAPD officer — devolved into a protest involving as many as 300 people. The confrontation began Tuesday over ongoing issues with juveniles walking across the officer's property near Euclid Street and Palais Road, Anaheim Police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said. A 13-year-old boy is accused of threatening to shoot the off-duty officer, at which time the officer attempted to detain the boy until Anaheim police arrived, he said. That led to a physical confrontation between the officer and several other juveniles. At that time, the officer, who hasn't been identified, discharged his gun once.
Los Angeles Daily News

Retailers and Law Enforcement Officials Want Lawmakers to Increase Penalties for Repeated Theft on Businesses
Retailers and law enforcement officials want lawmakers to amend parts of a 2014 voter initiative that reduced drug possession and some theft crimes to misdemeanors in order to increase penalties for repeated theft on businesses. Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) says the measure, Proposition 47, has spurred organized crime rings to target retailers and hurt consumers. His legislation would make it a felony to steal $950 worth of property in a year. Currently, under Proposition 47, a theft crime would have to involve $950 worth of property in a single incident to rise to the level of a felony. The bill is sponsored by the California Grocers Assn., the California Police Chiefs Assn. and Crime Victims United California. If approved by the Legislature, it would have to head to the ballot for approval by voters as it seeks to amend the state Constitution.
Los Angeles Times

Republican Lawmaker Wants California Voters to Deport Felons Released from Prison Who Are in the U.S. Illegally
New legislation in the state Senate would ask voters whether violent felons who are in the country illegally should be deported once they are released from prison. The bill by state Sen. Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto) would place the issue on the ballot in 2018 and would enshrine the mandate in the California Constitution. "We're concerned about the public's safety in California," Berryhill said Wednesday. The proposal would apply only to those felons serving time for one of the state's 23 violent crimes. While current procedures generally include an effort at deportation for those without legal status once they're released from prison, the new bill goes further. It would deny any public assistance for any ex-felon immigrant who came back to California.
Los Angeles Times

Sick, Dying and Raped in America's Nursing Homes
The unthinkable is happening at facilities throughout the country: Vulnerable seniors are being raped and sexually abused by the very people paid to care for them. It's impossible to know just how many victims are out there. But through an exclusive analysis of state and federal data and interviews with experts, regulators and the families of victims, CNN has found that this little-discussed issue is more widespread than anyone would imagine.
CNN