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Law Enforcement News

3 Of 4 Suspects In San Pedro Park Shooting Released As D.A.’s Office Requests Further Investigation
Days after four men were arrested in connection with a July shooting at San Pedro’s Peck Park that killed two people and injured several others, three have been released from custody as prosecutors requested additional investigation. The men were arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Monday. Three of the men were released Monday under California Penal Code 849(b)1, which states that an arrestee can be released if an “officer is satisfied that there are insufficient grounds for making a criminal complaint against the person arrested.” “A case was presented to our office, but we have asked for further investigation,” Greg Risling, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, said Wednesday in a statement. “Our office is in communication with the Los Angeles Police Department regarding the case and will review the evidence once it is presented for filing consideration.” One man remained in custody without bail as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records. But the man has not been charged, and records also show his arrest disposition as insufficient grounds for a criminal complaint, with no court date listed.
LA Times

LAPD Asks For Help Identifying Suspect In Fatal Shooting Of Teens At Lincoln Heights Street Carnival
Police are asking the public for help finding the person who shot and killed two teenage boys at a street carnival in Lincoln Heights. During a press conference Wednesday at the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollenbeck station, investigators and family members urged any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward to help find the killer. Javier Mejia and Winfield Lee, both 17 years old, were fatally shot Sunday night. "The loss of life of this degree is profound and has everlasting impacts on these families for generations to come," said Chief Michel Moore. Homicide detectives say the shooting may be gang-related and believe it stemmed from a brawl at a nearby gas station involving as many as 20 people or more. An hour after the fight, a man pulled out a gun and fired into the crowd, authorities said. A blurry surveillance image shows that man leaving the scene on a bike. Detectives believe they'll soon have their hands on better video, but are still asking for the public's help as well. "There were literally hundreds of people at this carnival. We have spoken to some witnesses... but we believe there are several other people that (saw) what happened and the fact is this could be anyone's brother or anyone's son," Lt. Ryan Rabbett said. "We're looking for people to come forward. Call our detectives with information."
ABC 7

After PnB Rock’s Death, Ice-T Says Some Rappers Skip Jewelry Because L.A. Is ‘Dangerous’
Ice-T has a word of advice for any rappers visiting L.A.: This city is no place to show off your bling. His comment came in the wake of the robbery this week in South Los Angeles that left Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock dead Monday afternoon. “People are still hitting me up about my comments about LA Gang culture,” the actor-rapper tweeted Wednesday morning. “If you NOTICE, LA rappers don’t wear a lotta Jewelry... Me, Snoop, Cube, Dre, Game, Kendrick.. The list goes on.. It’s not cause we’re broke. LA is just a Dangerous place, rapper or not. Why test the streets.” The gunman who killed 30-year-old PnB Rock at a Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles restaurant demanded jewelry and other valuables before getting into a struggle with the rapper and opening fire, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday. The brazen robbery happened soon after the performer’s girlfriend location-tagged him in an Instagram post — since deleted — as being at the restaurant. Police are investigating whether that is what sparked the attack.
LA Times

Teen Fentanyl Overdose Deaths Soaring In California
The overdose death of a student at Bernstein High School in Hollywood Tuesday night added to an already troubling trend of increasing youth overdoses linked to Fentanyl. At least two other students were hospitalized after police say they ingested pills they believed were Percocet. Fentanyl is a “synthetic opioid, approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain. It is also 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Illegally made fentanyl, usually mixed with heroin or cocaine, is the leading cause of overdoses and deaths in the United States. California recorded 4,009 fentanyl-related deaths in 2020. According to the CDC, this was a 140.5% increase from 2019, when the state recorded 1,675 deaths. California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard data shows a soaring death rate among 15 to 19-year-olds since 2012. In 2020, 250 California teens ages 15 to 19 died from fentanyl overdoses. 2021 saw a slight decline to 224. The data also suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
KTLA 5

Four Men Injured In Skid Row Shooting
Four men were injured in a shooting in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row area Wednesday, and an investigation was underway. The shooting was reported just before 2 p.m. in the area of East Fifth Street and San Julian Street, Officer Rosario Cervantes of the Los Angeles Police Department told City News Service. Four men "in various conditions'' were taken from the scene to be treated at hospitals for gunshot wounds, said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Events leading up to the shooting were under investigation, and no suspect information was immediately available.
NBC 4

Suspect Sought In Homeless Shooting In Venice
Two homeless men were shot near an encampment in Venice. The shooting happened around 11:00 p.m. Police say a 35-year-old man and a 41-year-old man were shot on Hampton Avenue, near Rose Avenue. One victim had a gunshot wound to a leg and another with gunshot wounds to the upper torso. The shooting occurred adjacent to the Venice Bridge Home and at one of the largest homeless encampments in Venice. Police say both victims are homeless. The victims were taken to a hospital in stable condition. There is no suspect description at this time.
WestSide Current

2 Arrested In Burglary Of California Congresswoman's Home
Police arrested two men in connection with a burglary at the Los Angeles home of a California congresswoman last week where only two guns were stolen, authorities said Wednesday. The men were arrested Tuesday after investigators saw them get into a vehicle that had been parked at the home of Rep. Karen Bass during the burglary Saturday. Bass, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles, previously said two firearms had been stolen during the break-in. The guns were safely and securely stored when they were stolen, she said in a statement released by her campaign. Cash, electronics and other valuables were left behind. “It’s unnerving and, unfortunately, it’s something that far too many Angelenos have faced,” she said last week. Los Angeles police announced the arrests on Wednesday but did not say Bass had been the victim of the crime. KTTV-TV first reported the arrests Wednesday in an interview with Bass, who did not have details about the burglary. She said she has guns for personal safety, though she believes gun control is important.
SF Gate

Food Delivery Robot Rolls Through Crime Scene In Viral Video
Police arrested two men in connection with a burglary at the Los Angeles home of a California congresswoman last week where only two guns were stolen, authorities said Wednesday. The men were arrested Tuesday after investigators saw them get into a vehicle that had been parked at the home of Rep. Karen Bass during the burglary Saturday. Bass, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles, previously said two firearms had been stolen during the break-in. The guns were safely and securely stored when they were stolen, she said in a statement released by her campaign. Cash, electronics and other valuables were left behind. “It’s unnerving and, unfortunately, it’s something that far too many Angelenos have faced,” she said last week. Los Angeles police announced the arrests on Wednesday but did not say Bass had been the victim of the crime. KTTV-TV first reported the arrests Wednesday in an interview with Bass, who did not have details about the burglary. She said she has guns for personal safety, though she believes gun control is important.
Yahoo! News

Police Seeking Witnesses Who Saw Glendale Man Sexually Abuse 13-Year-Old Boy
Glendale police are searching for anyone who may have witnessed the sexual assault of a 13-year-old boy in late-August. The incident is said to have occurred on Aug. 31, when the boy and his family were ordering at the "Yum Yum Donuts" shop located on W. Glenoaks Boulevard. The suspect, whom police have since identified as 31-year-old Glendale resident Farid Lalezarzadeh, allegedly "walked behind the victim and pinched him on the buttocks," before using a hand sanitizer station located at the counter. "As he walks up, he's gonna use hand sanitizer as a ruse to get close to the kid, cause the kid happens to be standing next to the sanitizer pump, with his left hand he appears to grope or pinch the child's butt. Then you see the child react," said Glendale PD's Victor Jackson. Another patron witnessed the incident and stepped in between Lalezarzadeh and the boy. He and his friend confronted Lalezarzadeh, who immediately left the property. Glendale Police Department officers were able to locate the suspect at a later time and arrest him for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. He has since been released on bail.
CBS 2

141 People Arrested In Southern California Tied To Internet Crimes Against Kids, Police Say
A five-county enforcement effort targeting internet crimes against children netted 141 arrests, authorities announced on Wednesday, Sept. 14. “Operation Protect the Innocent” was conducted Sept. 6-12 by personnel from the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes more than five dozen law-enforcement agencies. The task force, led by the Los Angeles Police Department, covered Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The enforcement effort coincided with children returning to school. The task force receives cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that involve the possession, distribution and manufacturing of child sexual-abuse material, and the sexual exploitation of children through the internet. At a news conference Wednesday morning outside LAPD headquarters, LAPD Chief Michel Moore was accompanied by the leaders of numerous law enforcement organizations involved in the operation. “In 2019, the Los Angeles task force … received 8,525 cyber tip leads … of suspected child abuse, of child sexual-abuse material,” Moore said. “In 2020 that number had grown to more than 24,000.”
OC Register

Illegal Pot Shops Are Thriving In Plain Sight
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Wednesday, Sept. 14. I’m Marisa Gerber, a narrative writer on the Metro desk. While reporting on the world of illegal pot dispensaries in Los Angeles, my colleague Matthew Ormseth met a security guard at an unlicensed storefront that had been raided four times in the last year and a half. Even so, the guard told him, he didn’t expect much to change. “I don’t see it slowing down,” the guard said. “Just look up and down the street. It’s everywhere. And everyone’s making money.” In his story this week, Matthew takes us to Indiana Street, the dividing line, as he calls it, in the battle between legal cannabis dispensaries and their unlicensed counterparts, which don’t abide by tax and regulatory obligations imposed by officials and, therefore, can charge much lower prices. Matthew’s piece, the latest in a Times series examining the broken promises of pot legalization in California, paints a picture of legal shops struggling to stay afloat as unlicensed dispensaries boom in plain sight and sometimes become magnets for crime. Many of the illegal shops, he notes, advertise freely, using signs out front or Yelp pages.
LA Times

Fake Active Shooter Reports At California Schools Spur Investigations, Authorities Say
Police were investigating a string of reports of active shooters or threats to several California schools on Wednesday, but the calls were quickly determined to be hoaxes and students are safe, authorities said. Law enforcement sources told The Times that while investigations are continuing, the FBI has gathered information that shows a possible link between a dozen false reports at schools across California and Texas in recent days. In California on Wednesday, there were reports of shootings, lockdowns or evacuations at Lancaster High School in the Antelope Valley, Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista, Gibson Elementary and Bullard High School in Fresno and Santa Rosa High School. The hoaxes were all similar: A single person called 911 and made reports of an active shooter and, in some cases, people injured. The calls led to lockdowns and evacuations, spreading fear among students, parents and teachers, before police were able to search the campuses.
LA Times

Man Gets Life In Prison Without Parole For Killing Texas Cop
A man was sentenced automatically to life in prison without parole after a jury convicted him of capital murder Wednesday in the 2021 shooting death of a Dallas-area police officer. A Dallas County jury deliberated a little over an hour before finding Jaime Jaramillo, 38, guilty in the shooting death last Dec. 3 of Officer Richard Houston outside a Mesquite supermarket. An arrest warrant affidavit said that Houston, 46, was answering a domestic disturbance report when he arrived at the supermarket parking lot to find Jaramillo, his wife, their daughter and another woman involved in an altercation. The affidavit says that the daughter told police that she and her mother believed Jaramillo was cheating on his wife with another woman. The affidavit says that when Houston went to talk to Jaramillo, the man pulled out a gun and shot Houston before shooting himself. Jaramillo recovered from his wound to face trial in the shooting, for which prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty. Defense attorneys tried to show that Jaramillo did not realize that Houston was a police officer, which would render the murder a non-capital crime and eligible for parole. Police video showed that Houston was in uniform and arrived in a marked patrol car.
Associated Press

Judge Orders Iowa Teen Trafficking Victim To Pay $150K In Restitution To Family Of Rapist She Killed
An Iowa teenage sex trafficking victim who stabbed her rapist to death was sentenced by a judge on Tuesday to five years of closely supervised probation and must pay $150,000 restitution to her abuser's family. Pieper Lewis, 17, stabbed her abuser, 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, more than 30 times in June 2020. She was initially charged with first-degree murder. Last year, Lewis pleaded to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury, both of which were punishable by up to 10 years in prison. However, Polk County District Judge David Porter deferred those prison sentences on Tuesday, meaning Lewis could serve 20 years if she violates her probation. Porter said he ordered Lewis to pay restitution to Brooks' family because the court was "presented with no other option." He explained that the restitution is mandatory under Iowa law. Lewis, who was 15 when she stabbed Brooks in a Des Moines apartment, had run away from home to escape her abusive adoptive mother. She was sleeping in the halls of an apartment building when Christopher Brown, 28, took her in and began trafficking her to other men for sex, according to officials.
Yahoo! News

Public Safety News

LA County Reports 1,777 New COVID Infections, 16 Deaths
Los Angeles County reported another 1,777 COVID-19 infections Thursday, along with 16 more virus-related fatalities. According to state figures, there were 717 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Wednesday, down from 735 on Tuesday. Of those patients, 89 were being treated in intensive care, up from 83 a day earlier. County officials have said about 43% of patients with COVID were actually hospitalized due to virus-related illness, while the rest were admitted for other reasons, with some only learning they were infected when they were tested upon admission. The new infections reported Wednesday lifted the county’s cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 3,433,754. The official number of new cases reported each day is believed to be an undercount of actual infections in the county, due to wide usage of at-home tests, the results of which are not generally reported to the county. The 16 new COVID-related deaths lifted the county’s overall death toll to 33,414. The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 5.8% as of Wednesday, roughly the same rate as the past week.
MyNewsLA

LA County Monkeypox: First Case In Nation Linked To Workplace Exposure
The Los Angeles Public Health Department has reported the nation's first monkeypox case in a healthcare worker who was exposed to the virus at work. Very little information about the condition of the healthcare worker is known. It is also unknown how that person contracted the virus. "Like we say about essential workers have more exposure to COVID; they have more exposure to monkeypox just by your membership alone when in that community and therefore it really is prudent to come in and get vaccinated now," Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer during a County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. This information comes just days after Public Health confirmed the first death due to monkeypox in an LA County resident. The person "was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized," the health department said in a statement earlier this week. The case was only the second in the United States being investigated as a possible monkeypox death. Texas previously reported a death involving a monkeypox patient.
FOX 11

Local Government News

LA Council Committee Recommends Ending COVID Eviction Moratorium In February
In a contentious meeting Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council’s Housing Committee voted to recommend ending pandemic-era eviction protections in February but did not approve recommendations made by the Los Angeles Housing Department. The committee voted 3-1, with Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson dissenting, to suggest that the full council approve ending protections for tenants facing hardship due to the financial impact from COVID-19 on Feb. 1. The LAHD report suggested ending the moratorium on Dec. 31, but Councilman Gil Cedillo proposed an amendment to extend it by a month. The committee also approved a second amendment by Cedillo ensuring evictions related to unauthorized pets cannot be enforced until 60 days after the moratorium expires. The committee did not approve amendments offered by council members John Lee and Nithya Raman. Lee sought to remove eviction protections for tenants of commercial properties and to remove prohibitions on rent increases under the city’s rent stabilization ordinance.
MyNewsLA