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Los Angeles
Police Protective League
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the union that represents the
rank and file LAPD officers
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Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League
April 6, 2022 |
Law Enforcement News
LAPD Chief Michel Moore Criticizes Suspect-Handling In Follow-Home Robbery Arrests
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said robberies involving guns in the city increased by 70 percent this year. That's why he has some sharp criticism for how suspects are handled or not handled after they're arrested. Cell phone video of an armed robbery in January is part of a growing case file against 18-year-old Matthew Adams, who was arrested alongside Eric Wilson, 32 and Jayon Sparks, 24. "He's definitely violent. He's definitely armed and so his involvement is significant," said LAPD Lt. Ben Fernandes. The supervisor of LAPD's recently formed Follow Home Task Force says all of Adams' alleged crimes had something in common. "Handguns. Firearms are always involved in these crimes," said Fernandes. Adams is accused of a robbery spree that spans from LA's Westside to Burbank, over a period of at least three months. During that time — Adams was arrested three times — and let out every time. Posting bail and being released on his own recognizance. Moore says the bail schedule — that's set by the courts — isn't working. “Justice delayed is justice denied," said Moore. "It also allows for individuals who are charged with very serious offenses to continue to be in a community setting." CBS 2 |
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Los Angeles follow-home robbery suspect arrested after being released from prison days earlier
Matthew Adams, 18, has been detained for a fourth time this year after he allegedly attacked two UCLA students outside a residence, robbing them of two expensive watches and an iPhone totaling over $145,000, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. Investigations following a series of follow-home armed robberies in the downtown Los Angeles area have resulted in the arrests of three suspects, including one suspect who has already been arrested three times this year before he was subsequently released back onto the streets and allowed to repeat the alleged crimes. Fox News |
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3 Arrested In Series Of Follow Home Robberies In Hollywood And LA
The Los Angeles Police Department announced the arrests Tuesday of three men in connection with follow-home robberies dating back to January, in which the suspects allegedly robbed people at gunpoint of luxury watches, jewelry, phones and more. The three men were identified as Matthew Adams, Eric Wilson and Jayon Sparks. After follow-home robberies began in early 2021, the LAPD said it began dedicating resources to a newly created Follow Home Task Force. Sparks and Wilson were arrested March 24 on suspicion of robbery and concealed carry weapon in a vehicle, respectively. After a warrant was served at their apartment in the 7300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, officers allege they found property from previous robberies. Adams was arrested on suspicion of robbery March 31 during a traffic stop. On January 7, 2022 a woman and man were followed into their parking garage from a high-end restaurant in the 8700 block of Melrose Ave in West Hollywood. When they got into the elevator, Adams allegedly ran inside before the doors closed with another unidentified person. The man pulled a gun while Adams allegedly stole their watch, wallet, and cellphone. NBC 4 |
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Spike in Deadly Hit-and-Runs In LA Leaves Families Devastated
Trinidad rosas brought an elaborate floral cross ...to this small shrine on the sidewalk near Whittier and Esperanza in Boyle Heights. Then, she tidied up a bit, making sure the candles were still lit and the other bouquets were upright. On the lamppost nearby: her cousin, Francisco Rosas looked down from a small photo. "He was a good man and a hard worker," she told us, as tears filled her eyes. He was looking forward to a trip soon, back to Mexico to visit his kids,” Trinidad Rosas said. But Saturday, around 10 p.m., someone in a ford fusion hit Francisco hard in the crosswalk here, as he attempted to cross the street. The impact threw him thirty feet, leaving him right near where the flowers are. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Just 16 miles away, earlier that same day, two other people barely escaped the same fate. Surveillance video from West Hollywood shows the victims, two men, standing near a parked car on Sunset Boulevard at 2 a.m. In both incidents, the drivers did not stop. They did not render aid and they did not call 911. They left family members like Trinidad devastated by either the pain of death or the long-term effects and extreme cost of serious bodily injury. NBC 4 |
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DWP Scandal: What Did the LA City Attorney Know?
LA City Attorney Mike Feuer was scheduled to participate in a December 2017 meeting that's been revealed as a key moment in the extortion prosecution of one of Feuer's former top deputies, as part of a widening federal investigation into allegations of corruption at the Department of Water and Power amid the utility's excessive billing debacle, according to records obtained by NBC4's I-Team. Federal prosecutors allege a key discussion about the extortion took place during the Dec. 1, 2017 meeting. “If he was in the room, he knew about it," said Jamie Court with Consumer Watchdog, who's been raising the alarm about how the DWP cases were handled by the City Attorney's Office since 2015. NBC 4 |
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Freeway Shootings: Three Shootings Reported Within 24 Hours On LA County Freeways
The California Highway Patrol is investigating three separate shootings that occurred Tuesday on Los Angeles County freeways. It is unknown if any of the shootings are related. The latest shooting happened just before 5 p.m. on the northbound 710 freeway near the 105 in Paramount. Two victims were transported to the hospital, their condition is not known. Traffic is backed up for miles as lanes have been shutdown while officials investigate. Cars are trying to exit off of Alondra Blvd. The second shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. on the eastbound 91 freeway near the Avalon Boulevard off-ramp in Carson. The shooting left one person injured. A man and woman were in the victim car. The woman was shot and taken to a local hospital. She is in serious, but stable condition. The suspect fled the area. The first shooting happened overnight on the 710 Freeway in South Gate. A man who was wounded later died from his injuries. Bullets fired from one car to another around 12:30 a.m. The victim, who has not yet been identified, was in the number one lane. The unidentified suspect was in the number three. Suddenly, there was a barrage of bullets coming at the victim. The victim pulled over to the median to call CHP for help, while the suspect fled using the Florence exit. The victim was taken to the hospital were he later died. FOX 11 |
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LAPD Is Well Prepared For An Active-Shooter Event, A Review And Officials Say
Los Angeles police officers are well prepared if an active shooter event breaks out, a watchdog review and officials say. With the number of such crimes continues to rise nationally, the city's Police Commission had requested a review of the Los Angeles Police Department's training and tactics for such chaos compared to six other large agencies in the country. The review, by the Office of the Inspector General, found that the LAPD had similar training standards compared to the other departments and exceeded them in some areas. “I think the department is well-equipped and well-trained to respond to any type of tactical situation,” Deputy Chief Marc Reina said during the commission's Tuesday, April 5, meeting. Reina, who is part of the department's Training Bureau, said that the department has continued to improve its active-shooter training regularly and introduced a new course in October. Approximately 865 officers have gone through that course so far, which includes six hours of outdoor time and focuses not only on stopping a threat, but providing medical care, Sgt. Robert Quiroz said. The department has more than 9,400 sworn officers; it is unclear how many will undergo the new training. Assistant Inspector General Django Sibley said that the department's training covers a suspect armed with any weapon who has threaten to use deadly force or to seriously hurt someone and continues to be a threat, according to the review. Los Angeles Daily News |
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11-Month-Old Boy Reported Missing Reunited With Mother
An 11-month-old who was reported missing has been reunited with his mother, officials said. The Los Angeles Police Department was searching for the infant who had been missing since last week. According to LAPD, Theo Alexander Guarino was last seen on March 31, around 11:55 p.m. in 1500 block of West Vernon Avenue in South Los Angeles, with his father's friend. Officials added there is an ongoing custody dispute between the boy's parents. No further details were released. FOX 11 |
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LA Buys From Public 267 Firearms, Including 15 Ghost Guns, To Get Them Off Of The Streets
Seventeen assault weapons and 250 other firearms, including 15 ghost guns, were surrendered to the Los Angeles Police Department during a recent so-called “gun buyback” program , LAPD Chief Michel Moore said on Tuesday, April 5. The annual program was held at five locations across the city on March 26. People were given gift cards of up to $100 for surrendering handguns, shotguns, ghost guns and rifles, and gift cards of up to $200 for surrendering assault weapons. “I believe it's a safer Los Angeles with those 267 fewer firearms,” the chief said. “I recognize that the number of firearms in our communities is substantial, but every firearm off the street is one less firearm that can be used against another individual.” The program was held in the Exposition Park, Florence-Firestone, Van Nuys, Wilmington and Westchester neighborhoods. The possession of ghost guns is illegal under a law that went into effect last year after passing the City Council unanimously. Ghost guns are virtually untraceable firearms, without serial numbers, that can be assembled by unlicensed buyers from purchased kits. The unfinished parts are inexpensive and not required under federal law to have a background check to purchase. Los Angeles Daily News |
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LA To Donate Surplus LAPD Ballistic Helmets, Vests To Ukraine
The Los Angeles Police Commission Tuesday approved the donation of surplus ballistic helmets and vests from the Los Angeles Police Department to a foundation that will deliver the equipment to Ukraine for its army to use in its defense against Russia. The 526 helmets and 378 vests will be donated to the First-In Fire Foundation, which will be responsible for the shipment and delivery to Ukraine. The department said the items are prepared in pallets and ready for immediate shipping. "The equipment has no value to the LAPD,'' the department's chief Michel Moore said in a letter to the commission. He added that Mayor Eric Garcetti "is aware of this donation and fully supports the transfer of the equipment to aid the Ukrainian people.'' The commission unanimously passed the motion without a discussion. The city has sought ways to aid Ukraine amid Russia's invasion. Russia has been accused of apparent war crimes'' against Ukrainian civilians by Human Rights Watch, and President Joe Biden on Monday called Russian killings of civilians in Bucha a "war crime.'' The Los Angeles City Council on March 25 voted to initiate the process to adopt Kyiv as a Los Angeles sister city, which would allow L.A. to send Kyiv retired goods such as ambulances and fire trucks. ABC 7 |
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Suspect In Robberies Of 21 Men He Met Through Grindr Gay Hookup App Arrested By FBI
J.S. met Derrick Patterson in March on Grinder, the gay sex hookup site, and invited him to his room at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Shortly after his arrival, Patterson asked if he could watch porn on J.S.'s mobile phone, according to the FBI. J.S. gave him the phone, but he soon suspected Patterson was locking himself out of the device on purpose. He wanted to watch J.S. type in the four-digit passcode — the same passcode J.S. used for online banking. The encounter quickly soured: Patterson threatened to shoot J.S. and stole his phone and wallet, FBI agent George Maloney alleged in court papers. Within hours, Patterson started draining J.S.'s accounts, making $600 in ATM withdrawals and taking $1,800 by Venmo and $2,000 by Zelle, the agent said. It was the 21st time in just over two years that Patterson, 22, had robbed men who saw his profile on Grindr and invited him into their homes or hotel rooms for sex in Los Angeles, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, according to the government. FBI agents arrested Patterson in Inglewood on Monday on a federal robbery charge. Los Angeles Times |
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Five Teenage Boys Attacked In A Bathroom At Canoga Park Mall
Parents are angry and demanding action after three suspects attacked their teenage boys at a Canoga Park Mall on Sunday. "They lost their ring, they lost their necklace, they got hit," said one of the parents Adam Johansson. "Three men followed my son and four of his friends to the bathroom, attacked them and robbed him.” The Los Angeles Police Department and the Westfield mall are investigating the violent robbery where two of the five boys were injured. "The safety and well-being of our entire community and everyone visiting and working at Westfield Topanga is our highest priority," the mall's management said in a statement. "We are partnering with local law enforcement to investigate the incident." The teenagers were in a bathroom when the suspects attacked them. Another parent, David Leif said that the suspect slammed one of the teenager's heads into the ground. The suspects also kicked the teen's head. Aside from the physical abuse, the suspects also stole the boys' phones, jewelry and IDs before fleeing the scene. The mall has been a target of thieves in recent months, with an attempted robbery at a jewelry store where one person was injured and a smash-and-grab-robbery where suspects stormed a Nordstrom. CBS 2 |
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Arson Investigation Launched After Firefighters Knock Down Two Fires In Boyle Heights
An arson investigation has begun into two fires that burned in Boyle Heights late Tuesday morning, just a mile and a half apart and within half an hour of each other. The first fire, at a one-story commercial building in Boyle Heights, was extinguished in just under 20 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. That blaze began just after 10 a.m. Fire crews were dispatched to the building, which LAFD sources said was a small appliance store, at Lorena Street and Estrada Street in Los Angeles. "The fire appears to have primarily been an outside fire... which extended inside," the LAFD said in a statement. The fire began in some refrigerators outside of the business. The fire crews were able to stop the fire before it spread to an attached medical clinic, according to the LAFD. No injuries were reported, and firefighters did not find any people trapped in the building. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are under investigation. NBC 4 |
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Glendale Officers Recover 5 Stolen Vehicles, Make 8 Arrests: Police
The Glendale Police Department announced on Tuesday that officers located five stolen vehicles and arrested eight people between Feb. 23 and March 31. Two people, 36-year-old Gabriyel Kechechyan of Los Angeles and 35-year-old Noriar Kantzabedian of Burbank, were arrested just before midnight on Feb. 23 when officers found them in a stolen car in the 1400 block of Raymond Avenue, police said in a press release. When officers found the stolen car, they spotted “a glass pipe with burnt residue in plain sight inside of the vehicle,” and when searching the car, they discovered methamphetamine, police said. They also found Kechechyan had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Both were arrested: Kechechyan for vehicle theft, possession of a controlled substance and the warrant, and Kantzabedian for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful paraphernalia. Kechechyan is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, while Kantzabedian was cited and released, jail records show. KTLA 5 |
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2 Shot, Wounded In Hawthorne: LACoFD
Authorities are investigating after two people were shot in Hawthorne Tuesday afternoon. The shooting, with occurred at about 3 p.m. near the intersection of West 139th Street and Doty Avenue, required two people to be transported to a local hospital, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The identities, ages and genders of the victims has not yet been disclosed. The Hawthorne Police Department is investigating. KTLA 5 |
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Sacramento Shooting Suspect Got Out Of Prison Despite DA's Opposition
The man arrested for possessing a machine gun at the scene of Sunday's deadly shooting in Sacramento was allowed to leave prison in February despite opposition from the county's district attorney to his early release. Smiley Martin, 27, was convicted in 2018 and was serving a 10-year sentence for domestic violence and assault when he was released. He was arrested Tuesday morning at a Sacramento hospital on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen handgun that was converted to be a fully automatic weapon. Police said he was injured in a gun battle in downtown Sacramento that broke out about 2 a.m. Sunday outside a series of nightclubs, causing the deaths of six people and injuring 12. In a video confirmed by law enforcement, he is seen wielding the gun on social media on Saturday, just hours before the shooting. His brother, Dandrae Martin, has been arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Almost exactly a year ago, Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert's office opposed Smiley Martin's release from state prison to the Board of Parole Hearings in a two-page letter, first reported by the Sacramento Bee. Los Angeles Times |
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Third Man Arrested, Then Released On $500K Bail, For Gun Charge After Sacramento Mass Shooting
Sacramento police announced a third arrest Tuesday stemming from Sunday's mass shooting downtown, saying they had taken into custody a man seen carrying a firearm after the incident. Daviyonne Dawson, 31, was arrested late Monday and a gun was recovered, police said, adding that Dawson will be charged as possessing a firearm despite being prohibited from having one. “At this time, Dawson is not charged with crimes directly related to the shootings,” police said. “Based on the type of firearm recovered, detectives do not believe that this gun was used in the shooting. Detectives are continuing to investigate this crime and identify additional suspects.” Dawson subsequently was released from the jail Tuesday after posting $500,000 bail, a law enforcement source said. Police still are searching for multiple suspects they believe fired weapons that killed six and wounded 12, and none of the three charged so far have been accused of firing at individuals during the incident near 10th and K streets at 2 a.m. Sunday. Sacramento Superior Court filings show Dawson has felony cases from 2012, 2014 and 2015, and documents say he was charged in 2014 with the Halloween assault on a man as a member of the Starz street gang. Sacramento Bee |
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Illinois Officer Seriously Wounded In Grocery Store Shooting, Suspect Killed
An Oak Forest police officer was in serious but stable condition Monday following a shooting Sunday inside a Food 4 Less grocery store in that city in which police exchanged gunfire with a 21-year-old Calumet City woman who later died from her injuries. State police are investigating the shooting that happened at about noon in the store, at the northeast corner of 159th Street and Central Avenue. The officer, who identify has not been released, was wounded in an exchange that started a few blocks west of the store when Oak Forest officers were called to help a motorist needing assistance. The woman, Ketura Wilson, later died at a hospital. The Cook County medical examiner's office, following an autopsy, said Monday that Wilson died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled her death a homicide. Jackie Human, who was shopping with her husband at the grocery, said the shooting occurred near the store's delicatessen counter, where they had ordered items moments earlier. "If we had gotten just one more thing at the deli we would have been right in the line of fire," said Human, of Oak Forest. Going to the grocery store is a Sunday routine for the couple, and Human said Monday she was still shaken a day after the shooting. Lake County News-Sun, Gurnee, Ill. |
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Local Government News
LA City Council Supports Bill to Incorporate Women's Needs in Homeless Response
A resolution in support of a California Senate bill aimed at incorporating the needs of domestic violence victims and unaccompanied women into homelessness planning was passed by the Los Angeles City Council Tuesday. The resolution was introduced by Council President Nury Martinez and Councilman Joe Buscaino. It shows the city's support for Senate Bill 914, introduced by Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park. "Domestic violence is one of the leading drivers of women's homelessness, with approximately 57% of women reporting domestic violence as the cause of their homelessness," the resolution stated, citing national data. If the legislation is passed, it would require California cities and counties that receive homelessness response funding from the state to ensure that domestic violence victims' and unaccompanied women's needs are incorporated into the systems. The resolution notes that unaccompanied women wait more than 10 years to access stable housing, which it says is twice the rate of men. It adds that unsheltered women are at a higher likelihood of sexual violence, trauma and inadequate access to hygiene supplies. NBC 4 |
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City Council Backs $3-Million Settlement For Firefighters Who Alleged Retaliation
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday agreed to pay up to $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a group of firefighters who alleged that they faced retaliation after reporting misconduct in the Fire Prevention Bureau. The council voted 11 to 0 for the settlement payout. Councilmen Joe Buscaino, Mike Bonin, John Lee and Kevin de León were absent. In their 2017 lawsuit, about half a dozen firefighters said untrained fire inspectors took part in rushed or incomplete building inspections. These were part of the Los Angeles Fire Department's “Operation Catch-Up” program, launched following a 2015 Times report on the backlog of overdue inspections. The firefighters' complaints were also outlined in a 2016 Times article in which they accused Fire Prevention Bureau officials of cutting corners by using poorly trained firefighters who were coaxed by supervisors to relax safety rules and overlook violations while conducting inspections. The firefighters said they faced harassment and discrimination from the city for speaking out. One said the LAFD made a list of all attendees of a union meeting after a firefighter complained about the inspection process, the complaint states. Los Angeles Times |
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City Officials Will Cut Ribbon On Historic Filipinotown Gateway With May 7 Celebration
City officials will celebrate the new, soaring gateway over Los Angeles's Historic Filipinotown with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 7, kicking off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month. The gateway's installation over Beverly Boulevard was completed Saturday. It welcomes visitors from the eastern entrance to the neighborhood, rising 30 feet high and spanning 82 feet across the width of the roadway. Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, who represents the area, said he was was impressed by the new gateway once it was up. "This community is so deserving of such an iconic, impressive landmark," O'Farrell said in a statement. "The Historic Filipino Eastern Gateway pays fitting tribute to the incredible contributions of the Filipino community in Los Angeles and beyond." The monument was designed by Filipino artist Eliseo Art Silva, who created the massive mural at nearby Unidad Park that features prominent Filipinos such as Jose Rizal, with Celestino Geronimo, Jr. It features design elements such as the parol, an ornamental lantern common during Christmas; the Gumamela flower also known as hibiscus, and the Sarimanok — a legendary bird that is a symbol of good fortune in the Philippines. CBS 2 |
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About the LAPPL - Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at:
www.LAPD.com |
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