$50k Reward Offered For Information In Killing Of 25-Year-Old Man In Boyle Heights

A $50,000 reward has been offered for information on the deadly shooting of a 25-year-old man in Boyle Heights in June. Los Angeles Police Department officers made the reward public as their investigation continues regarding an incident that happened on June 13. They were dispatched to the 3400 block of Emery Street at around 4:30 a.m. that morning after learning of a man suffering from a gunshot wound, a statement from the department said. The victim, Noah Martinez, was declared dead at the scene. The investigation has continued since then, but now detectives are hopeful that someone from the public will be able to come forward and identify the suspect. Anyone who many know more is urged to contact LAPD's Central Bureau Homicide Division detectives at (213) 996-4104.

CBS 2

Unattended Child Struck By Car In Los Angeles Neighborhood, Police Say 

An unattended child was struck by a car after running into a Los Angeles street late Monday night. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers received a call regarding a traffic collision at the intersection of West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Halldale Avenue in Exposition Park at 11:58 p.m. When they arrived, they found that a vehicle driving westbound on MLK Jr. Boulevard “did make contact with the child,” an LAPD spokesperson confirmed. “The unattended child ran into the street and was struck by the passing vehicle,” the spokesperson added. Video from the scene shows the car, a red Pontiac sedan, in the middle of the roadway with caution tape surrounding it. The child, whose age was not immediately released, was rushed to a nearby hospital with a head injury. Their condition is not known. The driver of the vehicle, who stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities, was not speeding or under the influence, police said. 

KTLA 5

Man Swings Garden Hoe, Threatens Customers At Home Depot

A man armed with a garden hoe was taken into custody Monday after he threatened people outside the Home Depot in Mar Vista, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. Just before 6 p.m. Monday, police were called to the Home Depot located at 12975 Jefferson Blvd after multiple 911 callers reported an assault with a deadly weapon suspect. Witnesses said the man was threatening customers while swinging around a garden hoe. It was also reported that police took the man into custody twice. Officers initially released the man after detaining him for his actions, but they were quickly called again due to his ongoing behavior. He was taken into custody, again, without incident, the LAPD said. No injuries were reported.

Westside Current

Gardena Gang Member Convicted In 2020 Murder

One of three members of a Gardena street gang linked to the death of a 29-year-old man who was gunned down in front of his home in November 2020 was found guilty Monday of a federal charge likely to bring a sentence of life in prison. Justin “Hitta” Arteaga, 23, of Gardena, was found guilty in downtown Los Angeles of one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering murder. He has been in federal custody since December 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Before the shooting began, the murder victim, Evan Campbell, and his brother were seated in parked car near the driveway of their Gardena home when they were confronted by three men on foot — Arteaga, Antonio “Tank” Yanez, 26, and George “Lil Vampy” Hernandez — who were all armed with handguns, evidence showed. Campbell’s brother told the men they were not affiliated with a gang and they were simply in front of their longtime home. As the men neared the parked car, Campbell stepped out of the vehicle while his brother texted their father, asking him to bring his gun outside because of the escalating situation, the Los Angeles federal court jury heard.

MyNewsLA

Homicides In California Dropped By 14% In 2023. Guns Were Still The Most Used Weapon By Far

California had a 14.2% drop in the number of homicides reported last year as the state continued a recent downward trend, but guns are still overwhelmingly the most common weapon used to kill someone. There were 1,892 homicides reported last year throughout the state, a decline from the 2,206 reported in 2022 and 2,361 ides in 2021, according to the 2023 Homicide in California report released Monday by the state Attorney General’s Office. It was among several criminal justice statistical reports released. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the statistical information is essential to understand, prevent and combat crime and encourage local groups, policymakers and law enforcement “to review the data and recommit to taking action.” “We must continue to act to combat crime and keep our communities safe,” Bonta said in a news release. “While crime rates remain significantly below their historical highs, there is always more work to be done to protect public safety in our communities. To do so, we must have accountability and appropriate consequences for those who break the law.”

Sacramento Bee

2 Officers Shot Trying To Use Less Lethal Force, Suspect Killed As Officers Return Fire

The two Waterloo police officers who were shot Sunday were attempting to use non-lethal force to detain a suspect with a gun, according to investigators. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said Kelvin Lee Plain Jr., 35, shot the officers after he was Tasered Sunday morning. The officers returned fire, striking Plain, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police and first responders were on the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting in which a man was killed and two officers were injured on Sunday, June 30, 2024. DCI officials said both officers are in stable condition. One underwent surgery and another was expected to be released from the hospital Monday. The officers haven’t been identified publicly. Authorities said the officers responded to a report of a man with a gun who was wearing green and riding a bike in the 200 block of Manson Street around 8:22 a.m. They found Plain riding a bicycle in Sullivan Park. He continued riding his bike away from officers and then dismounted and ran on foot, DCI officials said.

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Tennessee Police Find Drugs Disguised As Taco Bell Burritos During Traffic Stop

A wanted woman was arrested after police found illicit drugs concealed in Taco Bell wrappers and tortillas during a traffic stop in Tennessee last week. The Mt. Juliet Police Department said in a statement posted on X that officers stopped a vehicle with a suspended license on Interstate 40 on Friday, June 28. During the stop, officers seized meth, LSD, THC and fentanyl-laced gummies, pills and marijuana. Mt. Juliet police posted images of the drugs wrapped like burritos. “Not your average Taco Bell order,” the department wrote. An unidentified 37-year-old woman from Nashville, who was wanted in three counties, was arrested during the stop, according to police. Her charges included failure to appear in Sumner County court, drug possession in Rutherford County and failure to appear in Wilson County court. “Thanks to our diligent team, these dangerous drugs are off the streets, and this wanted individual is now behind bars,” the department said.

KTLA 5

Bear Wanders Through Industrial Area Of Chatsworth In Unusual Sighting

Southern California's foothill communities are no stranger to bear sightings, but folks in the Chatsworth area were surprised by a bear that was spotted roaming their neighborhood. The collared and tagged bear was seen Monday night in an industrial area near De Soto Avenue and Lassen Street. Los Angeles police officers responded to the area and watched the bear as it meandered between industrial buildings and parking lots, but they eventually left the animal to keep wandering. By early Tuesday morning, the bear was seen nestled high up a tree in the same area. Nearby residents said they heard about the bear through the Citizens app and couldn't believe how close it wandered into the city. Many flocked to the area in hopes of spotting the bear with their own eyes. "It jumped a couple fences and then it ran across the street," said Crystal Amaya of Canoga Park. "I've always wanted to see a bear and I never thought I would see it here in my hometown... I don't like animals being hurt so I just hope it ends up safe."

ABC 7

Crews Turn A Corner With California’s Largest Wildfire As Massive Heat Wave Brings New Danger

California firefighters battling a blaze that has ripped through more than 13,000 acres of the Sierra National Forest just north of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and close to several hydroelectric facilities finally began to gain control Monday afternoon. Crews had the Basin fire 17% contained after days of being unable to get a handle on the fire. The wildfire was one of several burning throughout the state as officials braced for the longest heat wave so far this year, set to kick off Tuesday, two days before the Fourth of July. Forecasters predict broiling weather and increased wildfire risks. “We are starting to see an uptick in fire activity that we have been predicting,” said Robert Foxworthy, spokesperson for Cal Fire. “What’s primarily driving the fires we’re seeing now is those lighter fuels; those grasses ... that dry out quickly are now dead and receptive to fire.” Two years of back-to-back wet years produced eye-popping blooms and fields of grasslands across the state, which are now browning under punishing heat. And those grasses are already becoming fire fuel.

Los Angeles Times

The Toll Of Extreme Heat Rises In California As OSHA Advances Worker Protections

As California heads into a dangerous holiday heat wave that will blanket millions of residents in triple-digit temperatures, state and federal officials are vowing to do more to address the worsening threat — and the rising costs — of extreme heat. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, announced that it will advance a proposed rule to protect indoor and outdoor workers from high temperatures at the national level. If finalized, the regulations would establish temperature-based standards for an estimated 35 million workers in places such as warehouses, kitchens, farms and construction sites. The proposal, which has been in the works since 2021, would apply to workplaces where the heat index regularly rises above 80 degrees, according to senior administration officials. It would follow similar moves from California, which became the first state in the nation to establish permanent heat protections for outdoor workers in 2006 and approved heat regulations for indoor workers just last month.

Los Angeles Times

City Council To Consider $1M Allocation For Security For Jewish Institutions

The Los Angeles City Council is expected Tuesday to vote on a proposal to provide $1 million to fund nonprofit community security services to protect Jewish places of worship, community centers and schools. The motion by council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Bob Blumenfield would allocate $400,000 to Jewish Federation Los Angeles for its Community Security Initiative, $350,000 for a contract with Magen Am for community patrols, and $250,000 to the Jewish Community Foundation so it may provide grants to nonprofit organizations to support Jewish community safety efforts in the city, according to Tuesday's agenda. The motion comes in response to a violent clash between Palestinian and Israeli supporters outside a synagogue in the Pico-Robertson district June 23. "While everyone has a right to peaceful protest, we also have the right to be safe from fear and violence," Yaroslavsky, whose 5th District includes Pico-Robertson, said in a statement released Wednesday. "The events on (June 23) were deeply disturbing and highlighted the urgent need for increased protection for our community's most vulnerable institutions."

Westside Current

LA City Council To Consider Proposal To Renovate Convention Center

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday is expected to consider a proposal to modernize and expand the downtown Convention Center in preparation for the 2028 Olympics. Council members will vote on whether to spend up to $54.4 million for preconstruction work on the facility, but some officials have recognized the tight timeline the city would face to complete the project. The preliminary work will help the city determine if the remodeling project can actually be done in time — and if the result shows it can’t then elected leaders will have the ability to pull the plug on the project. The council’s Tourism and Trade Committee, as well as the Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee previously approved the proposal in June. “…(We) came up with an alternative,” Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso told the budget committee on June 26. “Originally, it was supposed to be a design, build, finance, operations and maintenance agreement with the joint venture in the interest of time because we could not get all of those things done.”

MyNewsLA

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.