LAPD Offers $5,000 Reward For Info On Violent Hit-and-Run Crash Caught On Camera
Police are offering a $5,000 reward for information on a violent hit-and-run crash that was caught on camera. A video released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows the moment the suspect smashes into the victim before speeding away. Police say the suspect ran a red light moments before it slammed into another car at the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard on Oct. 30 around 9:50 p.m. The suspect's vehicle is described as a gold-colored 2007 Acura TL sedan with a California license plate of 7USH327. After the crash, the suspect's mangled car quickly pulls into a gas station parking lot, makes a U-turn and drives away. The victims were a couple who were driving home from work. They sustained minor injuries and were treated by paramedics at the scene, officials said. Police have since contacted the vehicle's owner who denies driving the Acura during the crash. The owner claims they loaned the car to someone else, but couldn't recall their full name. The vehicle was impounded for evidence, but the suspect remains at large. KTLA 5

Downtown LA Business Owners Concerned Crime Is Uncontrollable
Tuesday night's stabbing spree inside a target store in Downtown Los Angeles has residents and people who work in the area extremely concerned. There's no question that homelessness has expanded dramatically in Downtown LA but now business owners are demanding more from the city government in order to prevent another stabbing like the one that took place Tuesday. A homeless man stabbed a child and woman that night inside the Downtown LA Target store located on 7th and Figueroa Street. The suspect was shot by a security guard and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The two victims did not suffer fatal injuries but the woman was said to be in critical but stable condition. Fortunately, the stabbing did not result in a fatal conclusion but business owners say the attack was just one of many crimes that take place in the area on a daily basis.  CBS 2

Fencing Rings That Netted $18 Million In L.A. Railroad Thefts Are Taken Down, Authorities Say
Two theft rings that netted more than $18 million worth of merchandise stolen from railroad cars have been dismantled, authorities said Thursday, months after images of a sea of discarded containers along Union Pacific tracks in Lincoln Heights drew national attention. In the months-long operation aimed at curbing rail theft across Los Angeles County, a task force has made more than 700 arrests and recovered millions of dollars in stolen goods, including designer handbags, power tools and a pair of empty coffins, authorities said. “This needed a dedicated series, and it also needed police resources outside of just LAPD, California Highway Patrol, the Sheriff's Department, law enforcement agencies,” Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said at an afternoon news conference. “People's willingness to buy something at a discount and seeking that out is fueling the greed of receivers to go find individuals who'll go out and who'll commit burglaries.” Though the Los Angeles Police Department had previously investigated rail theft, the task force was formed in January in response to “the unrelenting assault and the continued loss and the proliferation of debris and the dangers that were posed by this ongoing threat,” Moore said. Los Angeles Times

Police Searching For Four Suspects Who Attempted To Rob 7-Eleven In Westchester
Police are searching for four suspects who attempted to rob a Westchester 7-Eleven early Friday morning. According to Los Angeles Police Department, the suspects, all men, targeted the store on 5500 W. Centinela at around 2 a.m., when the store's security guard intervened. He fired at the suspects, causing them to run from the store. The security guard, who spoke with CBS off camera, said that he was sitting inside of his car when he saw the suspects attack the store clerk, beating him while he was on the floor. He said he fired at least two rounds, but doesn't believe he hit any of the suspects. It was not immediately clear what, if anything was stolen, though the security guard said that they grabbed e-cigarettes on their way out of the store. Officers have yet to detain any of the suspects.  CBS 2

California Driver Accused Of Hitting Law Enforcement Recruits Released From Jail
The saga involving the 22-year-old driver accused of plowing into 25 law enforcement recruits from various agencies across Los Angeles County with a Honda CR-V while driving the wrong way in Whittier continues to take bizarre turns. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that Nicholas Joseph Gutierrez is back on the streets after being released from custody a little before 10 p.m. Thursday. The announcement comes hours after Gutierrez was taken into custody and arrested for the attempted murder of peace officer(s) and may have been under the influence of a recreational drug when the crash occurred. According to LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the investigations left authorities believing that the crash was intentional. "They did a thorough investigation. They interviewed dozens and dozens of witnesses and victims," Villanueva said, regarding the crash believed to be done intentionally. "That was the conclusion." FOX 11

4 Injured In Stabbing On Ocean Front Walk In Santa Monica
A stabbing Thursday evening on Santa Monica's Ocean Front Walk left four people injured, according to information released by the Santa Monica Observer. It happened at Ocean Front Walk and Bicknell around 10 p.m. The news publication said that two victims were transported to UCLA Medical Center with conditions unknown. Another two people were treated on scene, indicated their injuries were less serious. The suspect is said to be in custody.Westside Current

Los Angeles Man's Foot Found Floating In Yellowstone National Park Hot Spring
A foot found floating in Yellowstone National Park's Abyss Pool in August is that of a 70-year-old Los Angeles man, park officials said Thursday. The foot was found by a staff member Aug. 16 in a shoe in the hot spring located in the southern part of Yellowstone National Park. The positive identification based on DNA analysis indicates the remains belonged to Il Hun Ro, of Los Angeles, the park said in its statement. Details about Ro's death were not immediately available. It remains unclear how he ended up in the hot spring. "The investigation determined, to the best of our knowledge, that an unwitnessed incident involving one individual happened on the morning of July 31, 2022, at Abyss Pool, and no foul play occurred," the park said in a statement. "Based on a lack of evidence, the circumstances surrounding the death of Ro remain unknown." Family members have been notified, the park said. NBC 4

Authorities Seize $1 Billion Worth Of Fake Designer Goods In SoCal
Seaport officials seized $1 billion worth of counterfeit products in 2022, marking a new record. Officials with the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport hit the historic mark on Sept. 15, hitting the record number in less than a year. The most popular counterfeit items include apparel, accessories, handbags, wallets, footwear, watches, jewelry, and consumer electronics. Images released from the bust featured a bounty of fake designer goods including Nike Dunks, handbags from Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Gucci slides, Burberry scarves and plenty of fake apparel, cologne, wallets and more. The $1 billion amount reflects the estimated total manufacturer's suggested retail price of the seized goods if they were genuine. Authorities say the accessibility of online shopping has made it quite easy to sell counterfeit designer goods. KTLA 5

Photos: Texas Patrol Car Riddled With Bullets After Man Opens Fire With ‘AK-47-Style' Rifle
Photos shared by the Houston Police Department reveal the shocking aftermath of a shooting that left a patrol car riddled with bullet holes. KHOU News reported the incident began when Houston police identified a car going at a high rate of speed, running stoplights and driving erratically. As officers attempted to pull over the driver, the suspect threw an unidentified item from his window in the direction of police. The man eventually lost control of the vehicle, smashing into a nearby tree. The driver then began shooting at police through his windshield using a "AK-47-style" style rifle, according to HPD Assist. Chief Wyatt Martin. Two officers returned fire, hitting the suspect several times. "These officers were very lucky. If you see the front of their vehicle, the suspect was firing from inside his vehicle, and he struck their vehicle numerous times in the hood and in the windshield,” Martin told KHOU News. “The officers were very lucky that they were not hit.” PoliceOne

Los Angeles County Public Health Reports 2nd Death From Monkeypox
Although cases overall are decreasing, a second person in Los Angeles County has died from monkeypox, health officials said Thursday. The county's first confirmed fatality from the infection was reported in September. Details on the second fatality, including the person's age and city of residence, were not released to maintain confidentiality. Doctors are urging those at risk who are immunocompromised to get both monkeypox vaccine shots and if you're ill, seek treatment right away. But even as the new fatality was reported, county health officials said prevalence of the infection is much lower now than it was months ago. The county is now seeing an average of three new monkeypox cases per day, according to chief medical director Dr. Rita Singhal. By comparison, during the surge in cases two months ago, the county was seeing about 20 new cases a day. Since then, public vaccination efforts have helped lower the spread. ABC 7

County Health Officials Once Again “Strongly Recommending" Indoor Masking With COVID Cases On The Rise
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials are once again strongly recommending people to mask up as coronavirus cases are on the rise. With the latest data released on Thursday, which shows that the local seven-day average of daily new COVID-19 infections rose to 100 per 100,000 residents, officials are "strongly recommending" that people consider masking in all public indoor settings. That number is a significant jump from last week, which was 86 per 100,000 residents. 1,949 infections were reported on Thursday, with the seven-day average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus sitting at 6.8% on Thursday, up from 5.7% a week ago. The recommendation is not a mandate, so masking is not required by any means. But, officials warn that if numbers continue to trend in the wrong direction, Angelenos could see the return of mandatory masking.  CBS 2

LA City Hall To Be Lit In Red To Honor Victims Of Drunk Driving
Los Angeles City Hall will be lit red Friday evening to honor the victims of drunk driving. The event is in accordance with Mothers Against Drunk Driving's 36th annual "Tie One On for Safety" campaign. It will be the first time that the hall is lit red to in memory of victims of drunken and drugged driving, according to Patricia Rillera, MADD's state executive director. The lighting will be preceded by a candlelight vigil, beginning at 4:45 p.m. The campaign is planned to highlights efforts to save lives ahead of one of the most dangerous times of the year on the United States roadways — the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.  CBS 2