4 Arrested, Including 2 Teens For South L.A. Murder

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested four people in connection with a shooting in South L.A. that left one person dead and another injured. Authorities say the incident occurred on March 3 in the 12000 block of South Figueroa Street near the El Diamante Sports Bar shortly before 10 p.m. Responding officers found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. One victim, 31-year-old Joel Villalobos, was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim — identified as 42-year-old Pedro Arias, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. LAPD made four arrests for the shooting. The suspects have been identified as: Luis Chavez, 47, of Inglewood; Ivan Gonzalez, 21, of Lynwood; Christian Castillo, 18, of Gardena; and Daniel Murillo, 18, of Gardena. A motive for the shooting is still under investigation. “There’s a sports bar that’s a little bit south of the intersection,” LAPD Capt. Bennett said. “It’s unknown what happened inside the bar prior to this.” Video from the March 3 incident shows several bullet casings on the ground and a white tent covering the deceased victim as homicide detectives investigated the scene. Murillo was arrested on March 14. He has been charged with murder and attempted murder. He is being held on $3 million bail.

KTLA 5

Gun Violence Claims The Lives Of 2 Women In Separate South L.A. Shootings

The Los Angeles Police Department is seeking the public’s help to find the suspects in separate shootings that left two women dead. The first incident occurred around 8:50 p.m. on March 19. Officers were called to the 800 block of South Hoover Street, where they found an unresponsive female. When LAPD arrived, they found a 24-year-old woman had been shot, and it appeared that she had been hit by a vehicle. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Then, on March 21, officers were called to the area of 70th Street and Figueroa Street around 4:20 a.m. When they arrived, they found a 20-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries. There has been no further information provided about the victims, and LAPD did not say if the shootings were connected. No suspects have been identified. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call South Bureau Homicide Division detectives at 323-786-5100.

KTLA 5

Man Dies After Being Shot, Slamming Car Into Building In Downtown L.A.

A man died after he was shot and crashed his vehicle into a building in downtown Los Angeles early Sunday, police said. Officers responded to reports of a vehicle driving into a building near 9th Street and Stanford Avenue in the Fashion District shortly after 5 a.m., said LAPD Officer Charles Miller. Firefighters were attempting to treat the man when they noticed he had been shot, Miller said. The unidentified man, who was described as being in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are trying to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting of the victim before the crash. No arrests have been made, Miller said. 

Los Angeles Times

Man Shot To Death In Watts

A man was shot to death Sunday morning in the Watts area of South Los Angeles. The shooting occurred at bout 2:40 A.M. in the 9700 block of Bandera Street, according to a dispatcher at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, she said. He was believed to have been about 20 years old, she said. Suspect information was not available, she said.

MyNewsLA

Suspect Sought In Fatal Hit-and-Run Of Homeless Man Near Downtown Los Angeles

Police are searching for the driver involved in the fatal hit-and-run of a homeless man early Saturday near downtown Los Angeles, authorities said. Police responded to a call about 2 a.m. of a man lying face down in the street near 8th and Alvarado streets in Westlake, west of downtown, according to Officer Norma Eisenman, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department. The unidentified man, who is believed to have been unhoused, was pronounced dead at the scene, Eisenman said. No other information about the victim was released. No suspect has been identified in the incident. According to a report from KTLA-TV, the 35-year-old man was walking in a marked crosswalk when a motorist going westbound on 8th Street struck him.

Los Angeles Times

Burglars Apparently Broke Through Wall To Get Into Jewelry Store In Downtown LA

Two suspects were caught on camera burglarizing a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles' Fashion District. The incident happened early Wednesday morning at the Gilded Jewelry store in Santa Alley. It appears they broke through the wall from a neighboring business to get inside. The store posted videos showing the damage on Instagram. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, thousands of dollars in merchandise was stolen. 

ABC 7

Family Searches For Man Who Disappeared In Los Angeles County

Loved ones are searching for a missing man who disappeared in Los Angeles County. The missing man was identified as Davondre Smith, 20, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Smith was last seen on March 18 on the 3200 block of Magnolia Avenue in Lynwood at around 10 a.m. He’s described as a black male standing 6 feet tall and weighing 140 pounds. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hat, black hoodie, black pants and white/red Nike Jordan-style shoes. Smith’s family has not heard from him since his disappearance and is concerned for his well-being. They released a photo of him in Hope someone may have spotted him. Anyone who may know of Smith’s whereabouts or has additional information is asked to call the LASD’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500.

KTLA 5

SoCal Malls See Beefed Up Police Presence Over Concerns Of ‘Mall Takeovers'

Concerns over potential disturbances spurred by social media have prompted increased police presence at shopping centers in Southern California this weekend. The Torrance Police Department is ramping up its readiness for another possible "teen takeover" event at the Del Amo Fashion Center, in the wake of similar events, both at Del Amo, and other shopping centers in the area. "We're preparing in case of another social media-fueled event," a spokesperson for the Torrance Police Department said. One week ago, Long Beach Police increased patrols outside the Pike Outlets, after social media rumors told of a similar gathering. The increased patrols paid off, after a massive fist fight broke out at the shopping center. Nearby, around the time of the fight, a 16-year-old boy was shot in downtown Long Beach. The Del Amo Fashion Center is no stranger to similar situations, with the mall closing early several times over the last few years due to fights, large gatherings and more. 

FOX 11

S.F. Woman Convicted Of Organized Retail Thefts Totaling Almost $44K

A San Francisco woman was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for a being involved in a series of retail thefts, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Friday. Savannah Church, 25, pleaded guilty to committing assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, two counts of organized retail theft and one count of petty theft. In addition to the two years in prison, Church will have to pay nearly $44,000 in restitution. “Organized retail theft is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in San Francisco,” Jenkins said in a statement. “My office will continue to partner with the San Francisco Police Department to ensure there is accountability and that perpetrators face consequences.” Prosecutors alleged that Church was part of a group that entered stores including Walgreens, Sephora and Bath and Body Works, took merchandise and fled without paying in a series of incidents from April to September 2023. Church was arrested last September in connection with a separate incident in August, when prosecutors allege that Church and another woman beat a 63-year-old man who tried to intervene in the robbery of a person in the Tenderloin.

San Francisco Chronicle

California Woman Violently Attacked After Road-Rage Incident

A 65-year-old Riverside County woman says her physical and mental health have deteriorated since she was violently struck in the face by an alleged speeding driver that stopped, got out of his car and attacked her. The assault, which happened two weeks ago, according to the victim, Norco resident Wendy Hamilton, was captured on several home surveillance cameras. “I am so upset,” she told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “It’s a lot to deal with and it’s altered my health and that’s horrible.” Witnesses say the incident happened after a neighbor yelled at the man to slow down on the neighborhood streets. “Mikey yelled out slow down and the guy put it in park and got out ready to fight,” Hamilton explained. That’s when the 65-year-old said she grabbed her cellphone to take a picture of the man’s license plate, but before anyone knew what was happening, the man got out of his vehicle turned on her. “He saw me, and he came for me, and he was trying to steal my phone,” she said. “He kept demanding me, ‘Give me your phone, give me your phone.’” Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene where they cited him for assault and battery charges and released him.  

KTLA 5

Man And Dog Rescued From Burning Apartment And Laundry In Boyle Heights

Two people were evaluated for injuries after a fire broke out in a Boyle Heights building with a commercial laundry on the ground floor and living space above, according to authorities. The fire was reported at 11:57 P.M. at 3051 E. Wabash Ave. at Sentinel Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brian Humphrey. It took 72 firefighters 32 minutes to put out the fire in the 7,500 sq. foot structure, Humphrey said. Firefighters rescued a man and a dog from the living area and another civilian was also medically evaluated, according to Humphrey.. Both people declined medical care. The cause of the fire was under investigation, Humphrey said.

MyNewsLA

Multiple Homes Red-Tagged After Landslide In Hollywood Hills

Yet another round of rain on Sunday added to the already saturated soil in Southern California, resulting in several Hollywood Hills homes getting red-tagged. A landslide, which happened behind some homes in the 9200 block of Flicker Way, led to three homes getting flagged by Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety officials. Firefighters were called to the scene on Sunday morning after learning of the "hill movement," they told KCAL News. No injuries have been reported and no rescues were necessary. The extremely wet winter season created severe issues across the region, leading to hundreds of reported mudslides and landslides since the start of the year. Severe land movement led to the red-tagging of homes in Rancho Palos Verdes and Sherman Oaks in recent months. 

CBS 2

LA City Council Halts Dodger Stadium Gondola Project For Further Study

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved a motion to halt approvals for a gondola project that would provide access to Dodger Stadium until further studies can be conducted on its potential impacts. Council members voted 11-2 in support of the motion introduced by Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the First District, where the gondola would be located. As part of the action, council members approved $500,000 for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to hire a consultant to conduct assessments. Approximately $50,000 would come from a Street Reserve Fund and the remaining $450,000 from the city's General Fund -- money that was already designated for the First District. Council members Tim McOsker and John Lee voted against the motion, and Council members Monica Rodriguez and Kevin de León were absent during the vote. Hernandez, who opposed the project, is calling on the LADOT to examine policies and procedures at other stadiums and high-capacity venues throughout the region, such as the Rose Bowl, Hollywood Bowl, SoFi Stadium, BMO Stadium and the Coliseum with an eye on possibly finding alternatives to consider alongside the gondola.

NBC 4

LA City Council Confirms Richard Katz To DWP Board

The Los Angeles City Council confirmed the appointment of Richard Katz, a former state assemblyman, to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners. Council members voted 12-1 to place Katz on the five-member board, which oversees and sets policy for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The LADWP serves more than 4 million residents of the city, along with its businesses and visitors. Councilwoman Nithya Raman was the lone "no" vote, while council members Monica Rodriguez and Kevin de León were absent during the vote. Attempts to reach Raman's office for a comment were not immediately successful. Mayor Karen Bass nominated Katz to fill a vacancy due to the departure of Nicole Brady, vice president of the board. Katz will serve a term ending on June 30, 2026. Prior to the vote, council members had the opportunity to ask Katz about his goals as a potential water commissioner.

Westside Current

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 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.