3 Chicago Gang Members Arrested In Beverly Crest Triple Slaying; 1 Connected To North Hollywood Killing

Three men associated with a gang have been arrested in connection with two deadly Los Angeles shootings in a case in which all suspects and victims were from the Chicago area, police said Friday, May 12. Investigators, however, would not specify the motive for the shootings that killed three women and wounded four other people in January and a man in December. “We can’t discuss the motive but we can say that it’s associated with Chicago,” Capt. Jonathan L. Tippet, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, told a headquarters press conference. “One thing that can be said is that the violence that occurs in Chicago today is having an effect on all of us,” he said. Tippet said the three suspects are “involved in” and “connected to” a gang but did not go into detail about their relationship with the group. The arrests followed a nation-spanning investigation involving numerous law enforcement agencies including FBI violent crime task forces, Tippet said. Dejean Thompkins, 28, was arrested last month in the Chicago area. Dontae Williams, 22, was also arrested in April in Gary, Indiana, and was transferred to Chicago. Daries Stanford, 28, was arrested May 10 in the Manhattan area of New York. All three are awaiting extradition to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Daily News

Man Killed In Marina Del Rey Road Rage Shooting Had Dreamed Of Living In California

A 25-year-old Jordanian man who was killed in a suspected road rage attack in Marina Del Rey this week was described by friends and neighbors as a music-loving surfer who was building his life in Southern California. Mohammad Khair Hani Ali Zaid AlKilany, known to friends as Kilani, had lived for years in the Los Angeles area and had been working in real estate before he was fatally shot Monday, friends said. “He was my best friend. ... He was always there to support me," said Ash Carrillo, who once lived with Kilani and was neighbors with him in Venice. “I can only remember him as funny and sweet and a rock, really." Kilani was in a car with a close friend Monday afternoon near Marina del Rey when a driver cut them off and instigated a conflict, Carrillo said. At a stoplight, Kilani got out of his car to talk, she said, but the other driver escalated the situation. The Los Angeles County coroner's office said Kilani was fatally shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Carrillo said Kilani dreamed about California when he was growing up in Jordan, where almost all his family lives. She said he hadn't been home in years as he waited on his green card. The Los Angeles Police Department has not identified a suspect, and no arrests have been made. An agency spokesperson said there were no updates on its investigation.

Yahoo! News

Man Shot And Killed Outside DTLA Metro Station

A man was shot to death outside a Metro station in downtown Los Angeles Friday night, and the LAPD is searching for the shooter. Officers were called to the Metro Red Line Station at the intersection of W. 1st Street and Hill Street just before midnight Friday night. When officers arrived at the seen, they found a 36-year-old man suffering from a gunshot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooter, who police identified as a 23-year-old man, ran from the station. Police said the two men were arguing, when the suspect took out a gun and shot the man. Police released no other information about the victim or the suspected shooter. Anyone with information about the crime was asked to contact police. Metro has faced its share of safety issues, especially in the last few months. More than 20 people had died on Metro between January and March 2023, according to a Los Angeles Times report. According to Metro, the Red Line had the highest number of crimes in 2022. 

FOX 11

Video Shows Gunman Open Fire On Man Arriving Home In Northridge

Video captured the terrifying moment a gunman opened fire as a man pulls up to the driveway of his Northridge home. The shooting took place at a home on the 9600 block of Texhoma Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Friday night. Home security video seen below captured the victim pulling up to his circular driveway as a brown Kia sedan was parked on the street nearby. “I noticed a suspicious vehicle parked in front of our neighbor’s house, parked pretty far away from the curb, so it was very unusual to see a vehicle parked that way,” recalled the victim, who did not want to be identified. The victim parked near his front door and was about to exit his car when he noticed the suspicious vehicle suddenly drive up to the curb in front of his house. That’s when a gunman hopped out of the car and began firing. “A gentleman jumped out from the backseat wearing a hoodie and a bandana,” recalled the victim. “I just saw him lift up and point a black handgun with a long silencer in the front. So I closed my door right away and hit the gas and jumped the curb.”

KTLA 5

2 Men Brutally Beaten By Armed Robbers At Clothing Boutique In Downtown LA: Surveillance Video

Two men were brutally beaten by armed robbers during an incident that was captured on surveillance video at a clothing boutique in downtown Los Angeles. The robbery occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday at a store in the 1100 block of South Main Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Disturbing footage, captured by a surveillance camera inside the small business, shows the two assailants beating a man on the floor during a prolonged struggle. One of the suspects is seen holding an automatic handgun. The second victim is later seen in the video after apparently being injured in an off-camera altercation. He collapses as the robbers continue to attack the first victim, whose spilled blood ends up smeared across the floor. Afterward, surveillance video from outside the store shows the attackers running to a sedan that is parked curbside. They were last seen heading southbound on Main Street in the car, which had tinted windows.

ABC 7

Silver Alert Issued For 69-Year-Old Man Missing From Hollywood

The California Highway Patrol issued a Silver Alert to help the Los Angeles Police Department locate a 69-year-old man who went missing in Hollywood. Aleksandr Masteruk was last seen about 10 a.m. Wednesday ay Ivar Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, according to the CHP. Masteruk is white, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 150 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a green puffy jacket and blue jeans and believed to be on foot. Anyone who sees Masteruk is asked to call 911. The CHP activates a Silver Alert when an elderly, developmentally or cognitively impaired person is missing and determined to be at risk to aid in their swift recovery.

MyNewsLA

Death Investigation Underway After Man Found With Gunshot Wound To Head In Agoura Hills

A death investigation was underway after a man was found with a gunshot wound to the head early Saturday morning in Agoura Hills, authorities said. The incident happened just after 12 a.m. inside a townhome community on Strawberry Hill Drive, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Authorities found the man, only identified as being in his 40s, near a pool. A Sheriff's Department spokesperson initially described the case as a homicide, but authorities later characterized it as a death investigation. 

ABC 7

Authorities Looking For Missing 17-Year-Old Girl From East LA

Authorities Friday sought the public's help to find a 17-year-old girl who went missing from the East Los Angeles area. Marlen Morales was last seen about 11 p.m. Thursday in the 700 block of South La Verne Avenue, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported. Morales is Hispanic, 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 131 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a navy blue sweater, black pants, and a blue backpack. "Ms. Morales has no history of running away," a sheriff's statement said. "Her family is concerned for her well-being and asking for the public's help." Anyone with information about her whereabouts was urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 323-264-4151. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or use the website.

CBS 2

Louisiana Officer Wounded In Shopping Center Shooting ‘Fighting For His Life'

The Denham Springs police officer critically wounded in a shooting at a local shopping center Thursday evening had volunteered to go to the scene even though it wasn't his role, the Denham Springs Police Department said. In a statement Friday morning, DSPD spokesman Sgt. Scott Sterling called Corporal Shawn Kelly a "lifetime public servant," and said that, despite the fact he was assigned to the department's traffic unit, Kelly had offered to take the call when it came in around 4:30 p.m. He's "the type of officer who wants to respond to every call and help every person he can reach, which is why he was even where he was yesterday afternoon," Sterling said. Kelly was one of multiple officers who responded to calls about an argument between a man and a woman in the parking lot outside Petco at the Spring Park Plaza shopping mall just off I-12 Thursday evening, law enforcement officials said. When police arrived, the man, identified by the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office as 30-year-old Justin Roberts of Denham Springs, reportedly began to fire at them, striking Kelly multiple times. Officials say Roberts attempted to flee the scene toward Highway 190 but was quickly stopped by Livingston Sheriff's deputies. The department said Roberts approached the deputies while brandishing a gun, leading deputies to shoot him.

The New Orleans Advocate

Fentanyl, Meth Overdoses Contributing Factor In Large Spike In Homeless Deaths In LA County

A report released on Friday revealed a troubling trend amongst the rate of deaths within the Los Angeles County homeless population, with fentanyl and meth contributing to a drastic spike in deaths. According to the report, released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the rate of death among homeless people jumped by 55% between 2019 and 2021. The report says that the mortality rate amongst homeless people in 2019 was 2,056 per 100,000, a number that rose to 3,183 in 2021. Actual numbers, however, show that 1,289 homeless people in the county died in 2019, while 2,201 died in 2021. The noted increase was largely fueled by drug overdoses, accounting for nearly 40% of all fatalities in 2020 and 2021 combined — equaling two deaths per day on average. The rate of death caused by overdoses doubled between 2019 and 2021. In that same span, overdose deaths due to fentanyl nearly tripled, jumping from 20% to 58% from 2019 to 2020. In 2021, 71% of those fentanyl overdoses also involved methamphetamine. 

CBS 2

San Fernando Valley Automotive Legend Bert Boeckmann Dies At 92

The San Fernando Valley’s automotive superstar Bert Boeckmann has died at 92, leaving behind a legacy of selfless leadership at the world’s number one Ford dealership, Galpin Motors, a tight-knit family bound by love and an unbeatable track record of community service. When Boeckmann joined the Galpin team in 1953 it was a small dealership struggling to pay its bills. Now, 70 years later, it is a vast empire with 12 brands, more than 1,000 employees and more than $1 billion in annual revenue. The company has held the unique honor of being the top-selling Ford dealer for 29 consecutive years. Despite all the time and energy he poured into the business, Boeckmann always found more to give to his family. He died peacefully in his bed on April 28, surrounded by relatives who loved him. His secret to success, both in business and in family life, was to treat everyone with kindness and compassion. “The thing that had the biggest impact at Galpin and the biggest impact in our family is the true love that he had in his heart for people from all walks of life,” said his son Beau Boeckmann, president and COO of Galpin Motors. “To me that is his biggest and lasting legacy.”

Los Angeles Daily News

LA City Council Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

Los Angeles City Council members held a presentation Friday honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month and highlighted the many contributions of Asian Americans. “There are dozens of ways to experience and learn more about the AAPI culture – from cultural museums to art film screenings, to cooking classes, as just one example,” Councilman John Lee said, who led Friday’s presentation alongside Councilwoman Nithya Raman. Lee said for all of the festivities and celebrations across the city, there is also a thread of seriousness. “We all know that in the last few years, they have been especially difficult for the AAPI community as we have continued to face incidents of hate and discrimination,” Lee said. “One of the things I always reiterate to the public is that if you see an instance of hate and you are a victim yourself, please speak up.”

MyNewsLA

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.