2 suspects wanted for distraction thefts targeting elderly victims in Southern California
Law Enforcement News
2 suspects wanted for distraction thefts targeting elderly victims in Southern California
Two suspects are wanted for targeting elderly victims in a series of distraction thefts across Southern California. The men are wanted by the Los Angeles Police Department for coordinated thefts that typically focus on older residents. The latest incident involved a victim who was shopping at a store on the 1600 block of West 25th Street in San Pedro. The pair surrounds their victim typically at the checkout line. One suspect will watch as the victim enters their PIN on the keypad. He will suddenly drop some cash on the ground and ask the victim to help pick it up. As the victim bends down to retrieve the money, a second suspect will approach in an attempt to distract the victim while quickly taking the unattended debit card. If they fail to grab the card, they will follow the victim into the parking lot and somehow convince the victim to bring out their debit card before quickly stealing it.
Suspected copper thief at elementary school in Van Nuys in custody
At least two people were taken into custody after reports of copper theft at an elementary school in Van Nuys Friday morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPD tells NBC4 Investigates that a man was seen on the school playground cutting copper pipes. Officers set up a perimeter around Anatola Elementary School, located on the 7000 block of Anatola Avenue. When police arrived, they believed the man went deeper inside the school. At least two people were taken into custody, according to the LAPD. One was believed to be a getaway driver and the other was found hiding in a trash can on campus. The investigation is ongoing. No further details were immediately available.
Image from victim's phone helps Anaheim police make arrest in attack on mom and teen
Security camera and cellphone video captured frightening moments for a woman and her teen daughter when they were attacked near an Anaheim bus stop. The security camera video shows the mother and daughter walking away from the bus stop near the corner Lincoln Boulevard and East Street Tuesday at about noon when they were attacked by a man whom police said attempted to sexually assault them. In the video, the man carrying a bag can be seen crossing a street as the woman and girl are walking on a median under an overpass. Video shows the woman and her daughter cross to the other side of the street followed by the man.
South LA Man Faces Sentencing for Armored Truck Robbery
A South Los Angeles man faces sentencing Friday for the armed robbery of an armored truck in Hawthorne on Valentine’s Day in 2022, a heist in which more than $166,000 in cash and customer checks were stolen and a firearm was discharged after the driver was held at gunpoint. Deneyvous Hobson, 39, of the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, was found guilty in November 2024 of one count each of conspiracy, interference with commerce by robbery (known as a Hobbs Act crime), using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Coroner IDs Woman Found Dead in Homeless Encampment
A 36-year-old woman whose dog-bitten body was found by Los Angeles Police Department detectives at a homeless encampment in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood near South Los Angeles was identified by county authorities Friday. The victim — identified by Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as Claudia Guerrero — was pronounced dead at the scene. The body had suffered dog bites, but it was unclear if those wounds occurred after she was already dead, said LASD Homicide Lt. Steven De Jong.
Public Safety News
Why California cops and firefighters are pushing for a new perk on top of their pensions
A full career as a California Highway Patrol officer or a Cal Fire firefighter often ends with a six-figure pension that provides a comfortable retirement after countless hours spent in harm’s way. This year, the unions that represent CHP officers and state firefighters are seeking a different end-of-career incentive: The opportunity to accumulate one big check in addition to that annual pension. They’re backing legislation that would create a supplementary savings program to allow state law enforcement officers and firefighters to leave public service with a payout. It’s called a deferred retirement option plan, which several local law enforcement agencies already offer to their officers. “It’s a retention tool,” said Jake Johnson, president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen. He said late-career officers might choose to continue working for the CHP rather than retire if they have access to the supplementary savings plan, particularly if they have already locked in a pension amount that meets their needs.
California bill to bar police from taking second job with ICE advances in state Assembly
A bill that would prevent police officers from moonlighting with federal immigration enforcement agencies, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is advancing through the California State Assembly. AB 1537 passed the State Assembly's committee on public safety on Tuesday. The bill also requires that officers report any offers for secondary employment related to immigration enforcement to their place of work. Those failing to comply could face decertification as a peace officer in California. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, whose district includes Mar Vista, Ladera Heights, Mid-Wilshire and parts of South Los Angeles.
ICE is deporting crime survivors Congress has long protected; multi-state lawsuit challenges policy
Nearly eight months ago, Yessenia Ruano self-deported from the U.S. along with her husband and their 10-year-old twin girls who are U.S. Citizens. "Honestly, it's been a difficult process," Ruano told Eyewitness News from El Salvador. The mother and former Milwaukee public school teacher's aide said she and her family were forced to make the decision after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement threatened to deport her during a check-in. Ruano is a plaintiff in what is now a class-action lawsuit against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of noncitizen survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other serious crimes, who like Ruano are pursuing lawful immigration status, and who for decades, congress has shielded from deportation. However, people in these groups are being arrested, detained, and deported, according to attorneys.
‘Everybody down!': BWC shows Austin officers stop mass shooting suspect in under a minute
Newly released police body camera footage shows bargoers and pedestrians fleeing and ducking for cover in the moments after a gunman began firing outside a Texas bar, leaving three dead in what is being investigated as potential terrorism. “Everybody down!” one officer yells. “Where is he?” The terrifying moments captured on video by officers and surveillance cameras that were released Thursday show how the shooting that wounded more than a dozen others unfolded quickly early Sunday in downtown Austin’s entertainment district. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said officers arrived within 56 seconds of the first 911 call, shooting and killing the suspect after he fired at police.
Public Safety News
Los Angeles Marathon to impact several roads across the city. Here's a look at the closures.
As thousands of runners and walkers get ready to participate in the 2026 LA Marathon on Sunday, several roads will be impacted by closures. The "Stadium to the Stars" marathon will go through some of the city's historic neighborhoods and famous landmarks. The list of iconic venues participants will pass along the 26.2-mile course includes the Capitol Records Tower, Olvera Street, the Chinatown Dragon Gate, Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
