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| NEWS of the Week |
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The following group of articles is but a small percentage of the info available to the community policing and neighborhood activist. It is by no means meant to cover every possible issue of interest, nor is it meant to convey any particular point of view.
We present this simply as a convenience to our readership.
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MJ Goyings
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Many thanks to our very own "MJ" Goyings, a resident of Ohio,
for her daily research that provides us with the news related material that appears on the LACP & NAASCA web sites. |
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Law Enforcement News
LAPD Officer To Be Honored At Dodger Game
A Los Angeles Police Department senior lead officer serving Skid Row will receive Community Hero Awards from the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday evening in connection with African American Heritage Night. Deon Joseph has been the LAPD's senior lead officer for Skid Row for 10 years. Through outreach programs initiated by Joseph, including self-defense seminars for women, crime in the area has reduced by 40 percent.
MyNewsLA.com |
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NYPD Officer Dies Of 9/11-Related Cancer
A veteran NYPD officer died of the cancer he developed following his involvement in search and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. Officer Richard Lopez, 52, died of the illness on June 24 and had served with the NYPD for 20 years, according to Officer Down Memorial Page. Lopez leaves behind a wife, daughter and brother. Lopez was one of many first responders who responded to the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Seventy-one LEOs, 343 members of the NYC Fire Department and more than 2,800 civilians were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
PoliceOne |
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Virginia K-9 Shot And Killed During Pursuit
A K-9 was killed in Virginia during a shootout with a suspect. On Wednesday, a Virginia State Trooper spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Connecticut and attempted to pull the driver over, WTVR reported. Corinne N. Geller, Virginia State Police Public Relations Director, said the driver refused to pull over and sped away. During the ensuing pursuit, authorities said the driver fired at the trooper's vehicle. Troopers eventually positioned themselves to stop the suspect, who continued to fire at police.
PoliceOne |
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Homicide Suspect In Custody After Pursuit Through South L.A.; Victim's Family Says She Killed Him Over His Sexuality
A woman being sought in connection with a homicide was taken into custody after leading police on a pursuit through South Los Angeles streets with a young female in the back seat on Thursday, according to authorities and video. Later on Thursday, family and friends of the man she is suspected of fatally stabbing accused her of targeting the victim because of his sexuality. The pursuit started in the area of 88th Place and Main Street, in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood, around 11:45 a.m., according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ray Brown.
KTLA 5 |
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1 Person Shot In Parking Lot Of El Sereno Hamburger Restaurant: Police
One person was wounded in a shooting outside of a hamburger restaurant in El Sereno on Thursday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The shooting happened about 2:37 p.m. in the parking lot of Troy's Burgers located in the 4800 block of Valley Boulevard, LAPD Officer Drake Madison told KTLA. Police did not know the unidentified victim's condition. Two suspects were at large following the shooting, according to Madison. They were both described as Hispanic males, about 5 feet 5 inches tall with bald heads. No further information was released.
KTLA 5 |
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Nephew Of LA Woman Dragged To Her Death Is Going Door-To-Door Looking For Surveillance Video
The nephew of a woman fatally injured when she was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle and dragged for three blocks in South Los Angeles will go door-to-door beginning at 8 a.m. Friday in the neighborhood where the crime occurred looking for surveillance video of the drivers involved. NBC4 reported the nephew, whose name was not disclosed, said he understands police detectives have already conducted a search for surveillance video, but he believes someone had to have seen something. Police responded about 1 a.m. Thursday to a call reporting a body in the street near the intersection of 84th Place and Central Avenue and located the victim, who died at the scene, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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4 SoCal Subway Restaurants Robbed By Same Suspect Still At Large, Police Say
Four Southern California Subway restaurants have been hit by the same armed robber, authorities say - the latest just Thursday night in Porter Ranch. Authorities responded to the Porter Ranch store in the 19300 block of Rinaldi Street at about 10:30 p.m. Los Angeles police said a suspect entered the restaurant, brandished a gun and demanded money. An employee complied and handed over an unknown amount of cash before the suspect fled. Police said the gun was never discharged, and no injuries were reported.
ABC 7 |
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Mental Competency Evaluation Ordered For Suspected Dating App Predator
A mental competency evaluation was ordered Thursday for a man who is suspected of killing a nurse and raping another woman in New York and is charged in Los Angeles County with sexually assaulting and trying to kill a woman in North Hollywood after they went on a date. Criminal proceedings against Danueal Drayton were suspended after a defense attorney declared a doubt about the defendant's mental competence, according to Paul Eakins of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
NBC 4 |
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Helping Youths Can Be A High-Wire Act, But It's
One L.A. County Sheriff's Department Is Eager To Support
Ricardo Contreras was some 15 feet in the air. He was harnessed and wore a helmet, but was hesitant about continuing. An L.A. County Sheriff's Department deputy said to him softly, “Breathe, take some air in. You're OK.” Contreras, 11, finished the ropes challenge course by rappelling down a rope. His fellow Camp Courage members cheered, as did several deputies. “A little bit scary,” Contreras said shyly. “I couldn't feel myself, and when I was, like, right there, I couldn't pull it. They told me that if I tried, I'd succeed, so I tried.” It was a big deal to Contreras. The look on his face was priceless.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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4 SoCal Dentists Arrested On Rape Charges In Las Vegas
Four dentists from Southern California have been released after being held without bail for allegedly raping a woman in Las Vegas. The suspects, identified as Saman Edalat, Poria Edalat, Sina Edalat – all brothers – as well as Ali Badkoobehi, were arrested Saturday, July 28, on suspicion of raping the victim in a suite in the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The four men were booked into the Clark County Detention Center on accusations of sexual assault, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and kidnapping. Their charges remain pending in Las Vegas Justice Court.
CBS 2 |
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California's New Data Privacy Law Came To Be In About A Week. Here's What You Need To Know.
Think about your everyday digital footprint: You pull up Facebook to see what your friends are up to and read the news, use your credit card to buy groceries and Google a stray thought. All of your purchases, interactions and web searches rely on an exchange of information between you and the company providing the service. And it's not always clear what personal details are collected, where that information goes and how it's used. But come 2020, Californians will have a bit more control. In June, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a landmark new data privacy law called the California Consumer Privacy Act. It's the first law in the United States that comprehensively regulates data privacy — applying broadly to information collected by both online and brick-and-mortar businesses.
Capital Public Radio |
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Public Safety News
Red Flag Conditions Threaten To Stoke Large Wildfires Burning In Northern California
Firefighters throughout the state were bracing for strengthening winds forecast this weekend that threaten to fan the flames of multiple Northern California wildfires, including the deadly Carr fire. As of Thursday, there were 18 wildfires burning across the state. Although a number of them had scorched less than 100 acres, those smaller fires are contributing to the drain on critical resources, especially as firefighters from around the state and nation are being called to battle the big blazes. A red flag warning was issued Thursday for parts of Northern California, including Redding, which has already been devastated by the massive Carr fire.
Los Angeles Times |
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Local Government News
LA County Prepares To Ban E-Cigs At County Parks, Beaches
Smoking has been banned at Los Angeles county parks and beaches for more than a decade, and the Board of Supervisors took the first stop toward extending the prohibition to include e-cigarettes and marijuana. A motion co-authored by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis highlights the use of e-cigarettes by teens as a growing public health concern. Selling flavors like bubble gum, cotton candy, apple juice and sour gummy worms has helped drive market growth among young smokers and e-cigarettes are now the most commonly used form of tobacco by American youth, according to a 2016 report by the U.S. surgeon general.
FOX 11 |
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Law Enforcement News
Colorado Officer Critically Wounded In Shooting
An officer in Colorado was critically wounded after police exchanged gunfire with a suspect. The Colorado Springs Police Department said the shooting happened early Thursday morning after police responded to reports of multiple shots fired, KDVR reported. When police arrived at the scene, an armed suspect shot at officers, who returned fire. Officer Cem Duzel, a five-year veteran of the department, was shot and critically wounded during the exchange of gunfire. He was rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery.
PoliceOne |
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Police And Community Honor Fallen Washington Officer
After Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno was killed in the line of duty on July 22, his boots were removed for the last time — to reveal the freshly-painted, bright-blue toenail polish from when he had taken his 6-year-old daughter, Peyton, for a pedicure. About a month ago, he took his son, Adrian, for a haircut and rewarded the 4-year-old's good behavior with a deluxe Nerf gun that on Tuesday sat among wreaths of flowers, a game-day flag from Washington State University and a wooden box containing Moreno's ashes on the stage set up at Kent's ShoWare Center.
The Seattle Times |
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Mayor Garcetti announces changes for the L.A. Police Commission
Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday nominated an attorney who had a hand in some of the most critical reforms in Los Angeles police history to the department's civilian oversight panel. Dale Bonner was nominated to replace Cynthia McClain-Hill on the five-member Police Commission, which oversees the LAPD. Bonner once worked with the now-defunct Christopher Commission, which examined police conduct and policies in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file LAPD officers, said Bonner will have a “full plate of issues” to deal with and balance against public safety needs when he joins the board. "As Los Angeles prepares for the World Cup and Olympic Games, as well as grapples with rising crime and a shortage of police officers, it will be imperative for police commissioners to stay focused on keeping neighborhoods safe,” the union said in a statement that also thanked McClain-Hill for her service.
Los Angeles Times |
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LA keeps kids out of gangs with Summer Night Lights program
The city of Los Angeles launched a program called Summer Night Lights in 2007, which extended park hours until 11 p.m. in an effort to help children stay out of gangs. Many players on a baseball field in East Hollywood Wednesday night were raised in the program. "A way up and way out of a lifestyle that really doesn't hold promise," Councilman Mitch O'Farrell said. "We're really trying to make a difference and bring purpose to a beautiful city that at times is delicate and we have to endure difficult moments as we have in the last two weeks. But we're here and we're committed and we're proud to be a part of all of this," LAPD Capt. Cory Palk said.
ABC 7 |
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Shooting In South L.A. Turns Into Homicide Investigation
A shooting in South Los Angeles was determined a homicide investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday night. Officers responded about 7:45 p.m. to a report of a shooting in the 600 block of West 80th Street near Hoover Street and found the male victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound, according to Officer Jeff Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section. The victim was taken to a hospital, Lee said, but his age and an update on his condition were not immediately available. Two male suspects were seen leaving the location in a gray van headed west on 80th Street, Lee said.
NBC 4 |
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Hit-And-Run Victim Dragged 3 Blocks In South LA Fatality
A person was struck by a vehicle Thursday and dragged for three blocks in South Los Angeles, police said. Police responded about 1 a.m. to a call reporting a body in the street near the intersection of 84th Place and Central Avenue and located the victim, who was so badly injured officers could not determine if the person was a man or woman, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section. The victim was struck at 81st Street and Central Avenue and dragged by the vehicle to the location where the body was found, Eisenman said.
MyNewsLA.com |
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Homeless encampment shooting in Los Angeles captured on surveillance video
Authorities in Los Angeles are investigating a targeted shooting at a homeless encampment that left one man injured -- and was captured on stunning surveillance video released Tuesday. The Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release the shooting took place on July 26 just after 3 p.m. in the city's Venice neighborhood under a freeway overpass. In the video, the driver of a Honda Accord gets out of the vehicle and runs to the sidewalk where three men are gathered near tents. The man then gets a handgun from his shorts and fires "multiple rounds" at one of the three men, according to the LAPD. A passenger in the Honda can be seen getting out of the car and walking toward tents before pointing the gun towards a man.
Fox News |
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LA And Long Beach Men Arrested On Suspicion Of North Hollywood ‘Knock-Knock' Burglary, $10k In Loot Found
Four people were arrested in connection with a so-called “knock-knock” burglary in North Hollywood and authorities said Thursday they believe there may be more victims of the robbery crew in Los Angeles and Orange counties and encouraged those victims to come forward. The arrests were made July 26 by detectives with the sheriff's Burglary-Robbery Task Force, with assistance from officers with the Los Angeles Police Department's North Hollywood Division, according to Deputy Trina Schrader of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Alleged Dating App Predator Says 'Voices' Made Him Kill NYC Nurse, Admits To Los Angeles Attack: Report
A man accused of killing a Queens nurse, leaving her naked in a blanket with her teeth knocked out in her own bedroom after the two met on a dating app, says voices in his head made him do it. Danueal Drayton spoke to a reporter with New York's Daily News who visited him at a Los Angeles jail. Danueal Drayton told a Daily News reporter who visited him at a Los Angeles jail, where he has been in custody on charges involving another woman he allegedly held captive in California, that he remembers strangling Samantha Stewart two weeks ago and talked about voices urging him to harm people.
NBC 4 |
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Man Accused Of Vandalizing North Hollywood Catholic Church Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Of Arson, Burglary
The man accused of vandalizing one of the Los Angeles areas' best-known Catholic churches was charged Wednesday, authorities said. Russel Congleton, 58, pleaded not guilty two counts each of arson of property and vandalism, and one count each of arson of a structure and second-degree commercial burglary, according to a news release from the L.A. County District Attorney's Office. On July 25, Congleton allegedly broke into St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in North Hollywood, shattered stained glass windows, damaged religious statues and set trash bins on fire, police said.
KTLA 5 |
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Arleta Man Sent To Prison For Money Laundering Tied To The Sinaloa Cartel
An Arleta man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for his role in a black-market “hawala” money laundering scheme that transferred about $4.5 million on behalf of the Sinaloa Cartel and its drug trafficking affiliates. Sucha Singh, 54, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder to serve three years of supervised release following his 63-month prison sentence. Singh was allowed to remain free pending a Jan. 17 self-surrender date. “I recognize this may be a one-time offense, but hundreds of thousands of dollars were moved around — and it was drug money,” the judge said from the bench. “There have to be consequences.”
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Orlando Police After Massacre
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit which claimed police officers didn't do enough to stop the gunman responsible for a massacre at a Florida nightclub, but he gave survivors and family members two weeks to file another complaint. U.S. District Judge Paul Byron said Wednesday that the claims weren't specific enough to allow the city of Orlando and the police officers to make an adequate defense. The lawsuit named just one police officer who was working security off-duty at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Thirty other officers are merely referred to as "John Doe."
AP |
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Ohio officer's charitable work highlighted in 'Dirty Jobs' star's new show
An Ohio officer was profiled in Mike Rowe's new show for his charitable work and relationship with the community he serves. In the latest episode of the show, Rowe visits Canton Officer Lamar Sharpe, who runs a nonprofit called “Be a Better Me Foundation.” The nonprofit provides role models to the inner city youth of Canton, Ohio. Rowe and his crew spent the day riding along with Sharpe as they visited the community, discussed Sharpe's upbringing and how he works to build relationships with the community members he serves.
PoliceOne |
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Public Safety News
Gov. Brown Discusses Need To Protect California Utilities From Fire Liability
California Gov. Jerry Brown said he believes electric utilities could go bankrupt due to the increasing threat of wildfires, if current law isn't changed. After touring the state emergency operations headquarters, which is coordinating efforts to contain fires that have burned more than 300,000 acres, the governor discussed his proposal to limit power companies' liability when their equipment causes the fires. “My goal was to try to find a reasonable balance that would reward players, including utilities, for doing the right thing, but make them liable when they didn't take the steps that commonsense and prudence would warrant,” Brown said.
Capital Public Radio |
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California Fires Rage, And Gov. Jerry Brown Offers Grim View Of Fiery Futur
As fire crews struggled to gain containment on more than a dozen wildfires raging across California on Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown told reporters that large, destructive fires would probably continue and cost the state billions of dollars over the next decade. “The more serious predictions of warming and fires to occur later in the century, 2040 or 2050, they're now occurring in real time,” Brown said at a news conference at the state's emergency operations center outside Sacramento. State officials said more than 13,000 firefighters are on duty fighting 16 large fires that have burned a total of 320,000 acres and displaced more than 32,000 residents.
Los Angeles Times |
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Local Government News
Los Angeles Moves To License Pot Growers After Long Delay
Los Angeles began accepting license applications from marijuana growers, manufacturers and testing companies Wednesday, after months of delays that left many businesses in the state's largest legal marketplace struggling to survive. The start of the process arrived with a mix of relief and anxiety from businesses that have been waiting since Jan. 1, when California broadly legalized cannabis for adults, to enter the legal economy. "We've been hanging on by the skin of our teeth," said retailer and cultivator Donnie Anderson, who has been paying thousands of dollars of rent for months on commercial space he hasn't been able to use without a cultivation license.
KPBS |
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L.A. City Officials Considering Ban On Selling, Manufacturing Fur
Los Angeles could become the biggest city in the United States to ban businesses from selling fur, under a plan being vetted at City Hall. At a meeting Wednesday, animal welfare activists argued that the fur trade was brutal, inhumane and unnecessary. “The bottom line is that humans do not need to wear the fur of another animal. Not in Los Angeles, not in any other city.… To continue to allow the sale of fur is to condone violence,” said Brian Ruppenkamp, a member of Los Angeles Animal Save.
KTLA 5 |
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Law Enforcement News
Charges: Slain Milwaukee Police Officer Was Shot In Head
Prosecutors allege a man fatally shot a Milwaukee police officer in the back of the head last week. The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office on Monday charged 30-year-old Jonathan Copeland Jr. with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 52-year-old Officer Michael Michalski. Copeland also is charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting at two other officers. Those officers were not hit. According to the complaint, police went to a home on Milwaukee's north side Wednesday to arrest Copeland on a warrant for felony drug crimes.
Associated Press |
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Arkansas K-9 Killed During Shootout With Suspect
An Arkansas K-9 was killed and a trooper was injured following a shootout with a suspect. On Monday, an Arkansas State Trooper was patrolling a highway when he saw a vehicle that had earlier been identified as being pursued by Missouri police, KTHV reported. After being pulled over by troopers, Arkansas State Police said the driver, identified as 35-year-old James Edward Blackmon, exited the vehicle and fled on foot. During the ensuing foot pursuit, an Arkansas trooper deployed K-9 Hemi, who made contact with the suspect.
PoliceOne |
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Man Accused Of Killing Border Patrol Agent In 2010 Extradited From Mexico To U.S. To Face Trial
A member of a drug-robbery ring suspected in the 2010 shooting death of a Border Patrol agent in Arizona has been extradited from Mexico to stand trial in the United States. Heraclio “Laco” Osorio-Arellanes was transported to the U.S. on Tuesday, according to a statement by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Osorio-Arellanes is charged with several crimes including first-degree murder and is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Tucson, the statement said. U.S. officials say Osorio-Arellanes was a part of a group of bandits who engaged in a 2010 shootout with Brian Terry and three other Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona.
KTLA 5 |
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Deadly Family Dispute In South LA
A South LA neighborhood was shaken Tuesday night after a family argument turned into a deadly shooting. As CBSLA's Rachel Kim reports, investigators are looking for the man who opened fire on his relatives and turned a case of family violence deadly. Just after 4 p.m. Tuesday the LAPD responded to a disturbance call on 41st and Long Beach Avenue in South LA. “It was actually a family dispute over living accommodations where it was three cousins who were arguing about ownership of a property,” said LAPD Newton Division Lt. German Hurtado. The officers cleared the call and left. But about an hour later they came back after shots were fired.
CBS 2 |
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LAPD Releases Video Of Van Nuys Standoff In Which Officers Fatally Shot
A Hostage The Los Angeles Police Department had gone 13 years without killing a hostage or a bystander. Then, on June 16 in Van Nuys, a man in a confrontation with police officers grabbed a bystander and held a knife to her throat. On Tuesday, at a news conference unveiling dramatic video footage of the Van Nuys shooting, LAPD Chief Michel Moore described changes in tactics and weaponry that may lessen the odds of another hostage situation ending in the death of an innocent person. Steve Gordon, a member of the Los Angeles Police Protective League board of directors, said Perez put the Van Nuys officers in a “very, very bad position.” “I believe they reacted the best they could under the circumstances,” Gordon said. “They deployed less-lethal force the best they could, but in the end, the suspect was able to deflect that.”
Los Angeles Times |
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El Sereno Fatal Shooting Sparks Death Investigation
An investigation is underway following a deadly shooting in El Sereno early Wednesday morning. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a report about a shooting around 4:45 a.m. in the 3800 block of Drysdale Avenue. Homicide detectives from LAPD's Hollenbeck Division were at the scene, where dozens of evidence markers were placed on the roadway. Additional details were not immediately released.
ABC 7 |
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LAPD Seeks Help Finding Shooters Who Killed 3 Teens Outside 4th Of July Party In Westlake
Authorities on Tuesday asked for the public's help to find those responsible for killing three young adults, including a pregnant woman, during a family's Fourth of July celebration in the Westlake district. The shooting occurred near the 1600 block of West Second Street about 12:30 a.m. on July 5, according to a Los Angeles Police Department news release. The victims — 19-year-old Junior Salinas; his 18-year-old girlfriend, Abril Onofre; and their 18-year-old friend, Ruben Alcantara — were outside the party when they were each shot, the release stated.
KTLA 5 |
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Police Searching For Suspect In Fatal South LA Hit-And-Run Collision
Police are asking for the public's help in locating a hit-and-run suspect responsible for killing a pedestrian in South Los Angeles last weekend. L.A. resident Sabrina Williams, 60, died when she was struck by the suspect's vehicle on Imperial Highway just west of Success Avenue at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to the LAPD. The driver of a newer-model Black Toyota Rav 4 SUV failed to stop or render aid to the victim. As part of the 2015 Hit and Run Reward Program Trust Fund, a reward of up to $25,000 is available to community members who provide information leading to the offender's identification, apprehension and conviction or resolution through a civil compromise.
ABC 7 |
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$50K Reward Offered For Information In Deadly South L.A. Street Racing Crash
Authorities on Tuesday offered up to $50,000 to anyone with information leading to the identification of a driver who fled after a fatal crash in South Los Angeles. Los Angeles police announced the reward as they continued to investigate what they believed to be a street racing incident, which left an innocent man dead and a woman critically injured on July 22. Witnesses saw a BMW and a white sedan traveling at least 90 mph southbound on Central Avenue at around 1:30 a.m., according to LAPD.
KTLA 5 |
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Suspect Who Shot Homeless Man In Mar Vista Sought
Police Tuesday sought the public's help in identifying a suspect who shot a homeless man last week near an encampment in Mar Vista in an attack caught on surveillance video. The shooting occurred about 3:05 p.m. Thursday beneath a freeway overpass in the area of Venice Boulevard and Globe Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The driver of an older-model Honda Accord was heading west on Venice then turned north on Globe and stopped. The driver got out of the car and jogged toward the sidewalk where three men were gathered near tents. He pulled a handgun from his shorts and opened fire on one of the men, all three of whom scattered, police said.
MyNewsLA.com |
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Man's Conviction Upheld For Girlfriend's Killing After Child Support Request
A state appeals court panel Tuesday upheld a man's conviction for murdering his ex-girlfriend in downtown Los Angeles four days after she sought child support for their two young children. The three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal found the evidence "amply supports" a jury's finding of the special circumstance of murder while lying in wait against Oscar Cedano, who was convicted in November 2016 of first-degree murder. Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain, along with an allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a handgun.
NBC 4 |
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Man Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison For Raping German Tourist In Hollywood
A judge sentenced a man to nearly 10 years in state prison on Tuesday for raping a German tourist in Hollywood two years ago, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced. Otis Barway, 24, received a sentence of nine years and six months in prison after he was found guilty earlier this month of one count each of forcible rape in concert. A jury convicted co-defendant Kenneth Mack, 29, of two counts of forcible rape in concert. Prosecutors say that on Dec. 5, 2016, both men lured the victim to an isolated rooftop, where Mack knocked her to the ground and the men raped her.
ABC 7 |
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Two Studies, One Troubling Takeaway: The Guns Best at Killing Are the Same Guns Criminals Covet
The same weapons that the gun industry pumps out in ever greater numbers are more likely to fatally injure people, a new study shows. The public safety risks of popular medium- and large-caliber firearms models are compounded by another fresh research finding: Criminals are seeking out those same guns. In the first study, scholars dug into Boston Police Department investigative files and sorted shootings by the caliber of the guns with which they were committed. Caliber is a measure of a bullet's diameter, which in turn affects the force with which it strikes a target and the size of the channel as it penetrates.
The Trace |
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Public Safety News
A New Normal For California: Destructive Wildfires Throughout The State
This is the new normal: There are 17 serious wildfires burning throughout California, including one of the deadliest and most destructive in the state's history. Firefighters this month have been laboring under triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions to gain control over fires that have burned indiscriminately through residential neighborhoods, rolling hills and steep, forested terrain. The flames are stoked by dry brush and areas of dead trees, some of which haven't burned in decades. As of Tuesday, more than 12,300 firefighters were on the lines battling infernos that have burned more than 280,000 acres across the state. “It's a horrendous battle,” said Scott McLean, a deputy chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Los Angeles Times |
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Local Government News
Los Angeles City Council Votes To Turn Old LA Children's Museum Into Skid Row Homeless Housing
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday on a plan to turn the former LA Children's Museum at the Los Angeles Civic Center Mall into temporary housing for the homeless. The 14,000-square-foot facility can house 120 beds for homeless people from Skid Row, according to city officials. The building, situated across from city hall, is the first to be transformed into temporary shelter for the area's rapidly growing homeless population. Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar has said Skid Row hosts the "largest homeless encampment in the nation," with city estimates putting the number of people without shelter at more than 2,000.
ABC 7 |
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L.A. Councilman Paul Koretz Seeks A Temporary Ban On Electric Scooters
The zippy electric scooters that have popped up on street corners and sidewalks across Southern California should be banned in Los Angeles until the city begins issuing permits to the companies providing them, a city councilman said Tuesday. Councilman Paul Koretz's motion tells city officials to take “all available measures” to ban the scooters in L.A. and instructs transportation officials to issue cease-and-desist letters to any company offering scooters for hire.
Los Angeles Times |
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Law Enforcement News
Report: Florida Officer Was Killed With His Own Gun
Investigators say a suspect in a cellphone theft fatally shot a Florida police officer with the officer's gun. The News-Press of Fort Myers reports that court documents filed Monday say 29-year-old Wisner Desmaret was fleeing officer Adam Jobbers-Miller after stealing a cellphone July 21 when he appeared to surrender. Investigators say that video from the officer's body camera shows Desmaret then lunged at Jobbers-Miller, knocking him onto his back. They say Desmaret then pulled the officer's gun from his belt and shot him. He then taunted other officers and fled before being shot.
Associated Press |
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Retired Officer Dies From 9/11-Related Illness
A Fort Mill man who spent months sifting through toxic rubble at the World Trade Center site after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, has died from an illness related to exposure at the site. Paul John Johnson, a retired New York police officer, died July 22 at the age of 60 after being diagnosed with a lung disease afflicting thousands who breathed in that toxic air at Ground Zero. He leaves behind his wife Alexandria, 9 children and 19 grandchildren.
The Herald |
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VIDEO: Latest Shooting At Homeless Encampment Near Mar Vista Highlights Danger To Neighbors, Concerned Residents Say
Police are searching for a pair of men who were caught on security video opening fire on a homeless encampment near Venice, an area trying to deal with the growing homeless population. In the video, a gray Honda Accord can be seen pulling up to the encampment near Venice and Sepulveda boulevards. A man gets out and opens fire before a second man approaches the tents. They both retreat after the man fires the gun, and they flee.The ambush is the latest in what L.A. residents say is a growing trend of violence in transient enclaves and their surrounding areas. L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the area, says he and his office are working with outreach teams and the LAPD to address the crime, but residents point to the latest incident as proof the encampment is dangerous.
CBS 2 |
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Police Pursuit Of Armed Robbery Suspects Ends In Watts
Police were pursuing what initial reports described as armed robbery suspects in the South LA area on Monday evening at approximately 7:10 p.m. Newschopper4 Bravo and Gil Leyvas were overhead as the vehicle exited the 105 Freeway. The pursuit concluded when the car stopped in Watts at a crowded housing complex. Officers immediately took one of the two suspects into custody, while the other suspect ran long enough to take his shirt off and try to blend into the crowd. The switch of clothing didn't work, though, as LAPD immediately identified the suspect and arrested the man.
NBC 4 |
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LAPD Finds Thousands Of Stolen Items In Van Nuys, Sylmar Residences — 2 Arrested
Los Angeles police officers in Van Nuys and Sylmar found thousands of stolen items in two residences on Monday — goods taken in what officers called a lengthy campaign of vehicle burglaries across the San Fernando Valley by a ring of thieves. Officers from the LAPD Van Nuys and Mission divisions served two search warrants Monday morning at a home in Sylmar and an apartment in Van Nuys. LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza said two men were arrested — 24-year-old Shant Balyan and 27-year-old Davit Asoyan. According to sheriff's booking records, both men were being held without bail on charges of identity theft, drug possession and possessing stolen property.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Armed Robbers Sought In Cell Phone Store Caper
Police on Friday released security video of two men wanted for robbing a South Los Angeles cell phone store at gunpoint. The crime occurred about 6:30 p.m. at the Metro PCS store in the 4700 block of South Broadway, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. One suspect pointed a gun at employees and the other removed the tray from the cash register, police said. They fled with cash and other valuables. Both suspects were described as black and 25-30 years old. The gunman was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and 130 pounds.
NBC 4 |
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Arrest Made In Break-In Of St. Charles Borromeo Church In North Hollywood
A 58-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection to a break-in at a North Hollywood church. Russell Congleton was taken into custody shortly before 8 a.m. near Lankershim Boulevard and Riverside Drive after someone recognized him from a flyer and called police. He is accused of getting into into St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church last week and starting a fire. Los Angeles police got a call just before 5 a.m. Wednesday that someone broke into the church. Because of the extensive damage done near the altar, all masses were canceled.
ABC 7 |
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Suspected NY Killer Pleads Not Guilty To North Hollywood Sexual Assault
A man suspected of killing a nurse and raping another woman in New York pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he sexually assaulted and tried to kill a woman in North Hollywood after they went on a date. Danueal Drayton, 27, of New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested July 24 by police in North Hollywood. He is accused of sexually assaulting the 28-year-old woman, trying to strangle her and refusing to let her leave her apartment, according to Deputy District Attorney Elan Carr. Drayton was supposed to be arraigned Friday, but he refused to board a bus meant to take him to court.
FOX 11 |
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Woman Pleads Not Guilty To Triple Murder
A Los Angeles woman, who's accused of killing a disabled man and his mother and stepfather at their Leimert Park home after they took her in and gave her a place to stay, pleaded not guilty Monday to triple murder charges. Nancy Amelia Jackson, 56, is also facing a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders, but prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty. She is being held without bail in the killings of Phillip White, 65; his mother, Orsie Carter, 79; and his stepfather, William Carter, 83.
MyNewsLA.com |
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Reputed Mexican Mafia Members Indicted For Organizing Murders From Behind Bars
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said Monday the murder indictments of five people -- including a man aiming to lead the Orange County chapter of the Mexican Mafia -- will send a message that investigators are disrupting activities of the notorious prison gang. "Our hope is this certainly will disrupt what they're doing right now," Rackauckas said. Five men were indicted in March in connection with the Jan. 19, 2017, killing of 35-year-old Robert Rios in Placentia. Rios was killed for allegedly not paying "taxes" to the gang on drug sales, Rackauckas said.
NBC 4 |
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First Tests Are In, And 1 In 5 Marijuana Samples In California Isn't Making Grade
One in five batches of marijuana has failed laboratory testing since new state safety requirements kicked in July 1, according to data from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control. Failures have been triggered by inaccurate labeling or contamination from pesticides, bacteria or processing chemicals. Those testing requirements and results have left some retailers with severely limited inventory over the past few weeks, as cultivators and product manufacturers scramble to get compliant products to market.
OC Register |
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The Sex-Trafficking Case Testing the Limits of the First Amendment
At the time, Backpage was the largest online publisher of sex ads in the world with city-specific sites spanning 97 countries. In the 11 years since it had been launched, it had earned some $500 million for its owners. But it was also the scourge of law enforcement officials across the country whose investigative files teemed with hundreds of examples of cases that had connections to ads on the site: a young girl forced to perform sex acts at gun point, choked to the point of seizures and gang-raped; a woman whose pimp fed her drugs, stole her identification documents and sexually assaulted her with a firearm; yet another woman who tried to escape her pimp by jumping out of a vehicle on the highway and was run over and killed. Attorneys general in multiple states had tried to shut down the site and prosecute its owners and all had failed.
Politico |
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Public Safety News
Woman Rescued From Burning House In Venice, Transported In Critical Condition
A woman was critically injured in a house fire in Venice Tuesday morning. Firefighters went to the 900 block of South 4th Avenue about 4:40 a.m. and found a single story home with smoke showing from the rear of the residence and excessive storage conditions inside, according to Margaret Stewart with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters made entry into the home and rescued a woman, who was transported to a hospital in critical condition, Stewart said.
MyNewsLA.com |
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Firefighters Try To Make Progress On 17 Fires That Cut Path Of Destruction
The neighborhood looked like a patch quilt of destruction. One home, reduced to a heap of smoldering rubble. Next door, another home stood unscathed. The pattern continued until Elizabeth Barkley, acting commander of the California Highway Patrol's Northern Division, drove up to her own property in Redding and confirmed what she'd already heard: Her home was gone. “I realized I'm just one of the many that is going to be in this situation,” Barkley said from a hotel room.
Los Angeles Times |
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California's Many Wildfires Connected By Common Thread Of Extreme Heat
The northern Sacramento Valley was well on its way to recording the hottest July on record when the Carr fire swept into town Thursday. It was 113 degrees, and months of above-average temperatures had left the land bone-dry and ready to explode. Within a few hours, hundreds of structures were lost and six people killed. The destruction adds to California's worst wildfire year on record — dozens dead since October, with more than 10,000 structures lost from San Diego to Redding. There are many reasons for the grim totals, but experts say one common denominator connects the disastrous fires: California is facing extreme heat, the likes of which it has never seen in the modern historical record.
KTLA 5 |
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Local Government News
Orange Line Plan Eyes More Development Near Three Valley Stops
A new city plan calls for denser development along the popular Metro Orange Line. The proposal, known as the Orange Line Transit Neighborhood Plans project, would allow taller buildings along the 18-mile bus line that carries about 30,000 riders each day. The plans don't offer any specific development projects, but rather seek to rezone pieces of industrial land, allowing developers to build higher office towers and multi-family apartment buildings within a half-mile radius of the Orange Line stops in North Hollywood, Van Nuys and Sepulveda.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Law Enforcement News
Female LAPD Officer Recovering After Being Shot During North Hills Traffic Stop; Wounded Suspect In Custody
A female Los Angeles Police Officer remains hospitalized Saturday after being shot in the leg in North Hills during an evening traffic stop, police said. At around 10:15 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Plummer Street and Noble Avenue, the female officer and her partner pulled a car over and that's when the shooting happened, LAPD officials said. "We don't know what type of violation occurred or whether the officer may have recognized the suspect, whether he had an outstanding warrant. That's unknown at this point," Sgt. Frank Preciado told KTLA. "What we do know is when the female officer, who was the driver officer, approached the vehicle that's when the suspect shot and injured that officer."
KTLA 5 |
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Gunman Opens Fire On Officers After Carjacking Pregnant Woman In South LA, Police Say
A gunman opened fire on LAPD officers after carjacking a pregnant woman Sunday evening in Exposition Park, authorities said. The incident prompted a massive search for the suspect that continued well into the early morning hours. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded shortly after 10:00 p.m. to a report of a family dispute in the area of 29th Street and Normandie Avenue. While the officers were at the scene of that incident, the carjacking suspect drove past and shot at them, an LAPD spokesperson said. Police returned fire, striking the stolen vehicle.
ABC 7 |
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Florida Officer Dies A Week After Being Shot
A Florida police officer has died from injuries he sustained in a shooting last weekend. Fort Myers police said in a news release that 29-year-old Adam Jobbers-Miller died Saturday at a local hospital. Authorities say Jobbers-Miller had been shot in the head July 21 by a fleeing suspect while responding to a reported assault and cellphone theft at a gas station. He was hospitalized and had been in critical condition ever since. The Fort Myers News-Press reports the suspect, 29-year-old Wisner Desmaret, was taken into custody after being shot by another officer. It is unclear whether he has an attorney.
Associated Press |
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3 Arrested In Connection To Shooting that Wounded 2 Massachusetts LEOs
Three arrests have been made in connection to the shootout that left two Falmouth police officers and a 21-year-old suspect injured. Police arrested 21-year-old Malik Antonio Koval, the main suspect who allegedly shot Falmouth Police Officers Donald DeMiranda and Ryan Moore on Friday afternoon. Police have also arrested Kimberly Koval, 38, and Marcus Maseda, 18, who allegedly interfered with the officers' work following the main suspect. Kimberly Koval and Maseda were charged with the obstruction of justice, interfering with the duties of a police officer and assault and battery on a police officer.
MassLive.com, Springfield, Mass. |
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Woman Fatally Struck By Car In Hit-and-Run While Walking To Store In Watts
A woman was fatally struck by a car early Sunday in Watts as she was walking to a store, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The victim was crossing the street at Imperial Highway and Success Avenue when she was hit by the car. "Witnesses observed the vehicle basically make a U-turn after they struck her," Jonathan Tom, commanding officer of LAPD's South Traffic Division, told KTLA. "The woman is 60-years-old." The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. LAPD officials are looking for a white sedan or a small SUV in connection with the fatal crash.
KTLA 5
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Man Suspected In North Hollywood Attack Confesses To Six More Murders, Newspaper Reports
A man suspected of killing a nurse and raping another woman in New York and sexually assaulting and trying to kill a woman in North Hollywood after they went on a date last weekend has confessed to killing as many as six additional victims, according to a New York Daily News report that cites law enforcement sources. Danueal Drayton, 27, of New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested about 5 p.m. Tuesday by police in North Hollywood. He is accused of sexually assaulting the 28-year-old woman, trying to strangle her and refusing to let her leave her apartment, according to Deputy District Attorney Elan Carr
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Abducted Infant Found, Mother Arrested In North Hills
The LAPD arrested Kiera Simone Caldwell for abducting her 6-month-old baby boy, Jaequaiwn Jacquice Jackson, Sunday. Police identified Caldwell as an abusive parent with the child believed to be in danger prior to locating the mother and son in North Hills. As of Sunday night, the infant was in the care of police and getting checked at the hospital for any possible injuries or abuse sustained during the abduction. Caldwell was arrested outside her home on the 8900 block of Orion Avenue, as the baby boy was placed into the back of an Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance.
NBC 4 |
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San Pedro's ‘Hometown' LAPD Captain Is Moving On – And That's Got Some Locals Bummed Out
News that LAPD Harbor Division Capt. Michael Oreb is being transferred in August to LAPD's Internal Affairs Division is not going down easily among community leaders. “I am so depressed,” said Elise Swanson, president and CEO of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. His last day will be Aug. 6. Replacing him, following an interim period, will be Capt. Greg McManus.Oreb, 54, came on board March 20, 2016, when the area was experiencing an uptick in crime and homelessness. Among the qualities that earned him an immediate embrace: He was born in San Pedro, giving him instant community cred, and had experience working with the homeless on Skid Row as commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Division.
Los Angeles Daily News |
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Burglars Hold Woman At Gunpoint, Steal $100K Worth Of Items
Police are searching for two men who held a woman up at gunpoint in her Brentwood home before making off with $100,000 worth of valuables. Officers responded to the home invasion robbery on Homewood Drive around 11:45 p.m. Friday, said Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Rhone. The woman was home alone at the time, he said. The two men, armed with handguns, forced their way inside and stole expensive jewelry, watches and handbags, Rhone said. While the woman was not bound during the robbery, she did suffer "superficial" injuries, the lieutenant said.
NBC 4 |
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In L.A.'s street-racing scene, 'likes' and followers can be just as important as engines and tires
Popular Instagram accounts, YouTube channels and other forms of social media have served as a bullhorn for Los Angeles' street-racing community in recent years, said law enforcement officials and members of the racing community. The larger a car club or race organizer's online following, the easier it can draw large crowds to illegal events. The platforms have helped expand Los Angeles' reputation as a proving ground for car clubs from as far away as San Bernardino and Oakland, allowing regional rivalries to gain steam through online wars of words and video clips of racers performing on their home turf.
Los Angeles Times |
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Search Underway For Domestic Violence Victim Who Disappeared In LA
An active search is underway for a missing 24-year-old Los Angeles woman who police say was a victim of domestic violence prior to her disappearance. According to Los Angeles police, Veronica Vargas was last seen at around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday near the 2600 block of North Figueroa Street in the Montecito Heights area near Elysian Park. Vargas was leaving he non-profit she works for, a group that helps people with immigration issues. Vargas was recently the victim of domestic violence, which “has caused alarm in her disappearance,” police said in a news release.
CBS 2 |
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Alleged Wedding Ring Thief Arrested In Studio City
Police announced an arrest Friday in connection with the alleged theft of two rings from a nail salon in Studio City. Officers took Yuri Cho, 25, into custody on Monday and returned the wedding and engagement ring to the victim, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department. Details of Cho's arrest were not disclosed. The theft occurred about 4 p.m. on June 20 in the 12100 block of Ventura Boulevard, near Laurel Canyon Boulevard, police said.
FOX 11 |
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Porter Ranch Man Charged With Ex-Wife's Stabbing
A man who allegedly stabbed his ex-wife at the Porter Ranch home they shared, triggering an officer-involved shooting, is facing attempted murder and other charges that carry a potential sentence of 23 years to life in state prison. Alen Alpanian, 53, pleaded not guilty Thursday to one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon — a knife — and two counts each of injuring a spouse or cohabitant and resisting an executive officer, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
MyNewsLA.com |
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How The Golden State Killer And A Genealogy Database Spawned A Golden Era In Cracking Cold Cases
John and Mei-lian Lin were having dinner and watching the news when the story broke that investigators had used a public genealogy database to help find the 72-year-old man they believe is the Golden State Killer, cracking one of California's most notorious cold cases in decades. John Lin dropped his fork. Then he picked up the phone. With a direct line to Alameda County Sheriff's Det. Patrick Smyth, he asked if the same novel technique could help solve the murder of his 14-year-old daughter, Jenny. In 1994, she was stabbed to death in their Castro Valley home.
Mercury News |
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Public Safety News
Arrowhead Hotshot Killed In Ferguson Fire, Raising Death Toll In Wildfires Across The State To 8
A firefighter was killed Sunday morning battling the massive Ferguson fire near Yosemite National Park, marking the second firefighting death in Mariposa County and the eighth fire-related death as more than a dozen wildfires rage across the state. Brian Hughes, captain of the Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots, was killed when he was struck by a tree while working with his crew to set a back fire — a tactic designed to limit a fire's spread — on the east side of the fire, according to the National Park Service. He was treated at the scene but died before he could be taken to a hospital. He was 33.
Los Angeles Times |
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One Year After L.A. Firefighter's Fatal Training Accident, Department At Odds With State Safety Regulators
It was supposed to be a routine training exercise: firefighters climbing a ladder to the roof of a six-story building in downtown Los Angeles, as though the structure were on fire. On that June morning in 2017, firefighter Kelly Wong made it more than halfway up the ladder, leaning against the Barclay Hotel at a 73-degree angle. But then the 29-year-old lost his footing, falling from the ladder onto the fire truck below. He died from his injuries days two later. Now, lawyers for the Los Angeles Fire Department are at odds with workplace safety regulators over their investigation into the incident, the first fatality during a department training exercise since 1985.
KTLA 5 |
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Mosquitos In San Fernando Valley Test Positive For West Nile Virus
Summer is in full swing in Southern California, and after a brief early lull, so is the West Nile virus. Mosquito samples collected in Sherman Oaks and Porter Ranch tested positive for the virus in the past week, the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District announced Saturday. With only three positive samples this year - including one a week ago - the inevitable annual West Nile virus infestation is off to a slower start in 2018, the district said. "Last year [at this time] we already had 43 positive samples reported," district Director of Scientific Technical Services Susanne Kluh said in a statement.
NBC 4 |
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Local Government News
Officials Push To Extend Metro Through West Hollywood Before 2028 Olympics
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's passenger rail system stretches deep into the corners of Los Angeles County, drawing commuters to downtown from Long Beach, Azusa, North Hollywood and Santa Monica. But only a handful of the Metro system's 93 stations intersect with a second line, a design that often forces riders to travel miles out of the way to change trains. A rail extension Metro is planning through Hollywood, Beverly Grove and West Hollywood would address that problem, serving as a north-south spine through central L.A. and creating transfer points with three other rail lines.
KTLA 5 |
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