Another Person Fatally Stabbed In Latest Metro Violence

A person was fatally stabbed just after getting off a Metro bus in South Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon. At 2:10 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the Metro station at Slauson Avenue and the 110 Freeway, a spokesperson told KTLA 5 News. Once the officers arrived, they found that the victim and assailant had exited the bus together before they got into an altercation. The assailant pulled out a blade and stabbed the victim multiple times before fleeing, police said. That victim was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The attacker, believed to be a white or Hispanic man about 30 years old, was still at large as of 3 p.m. In a statement, Metro noted that “violence in the communities we serve spilling over onto our public transit systems continues to be an issue in Greater Los Angeles.”

KTLA 5

Family Of South LA Hit-and-Run Victim Hopes New Video, Reward Will Lead To Break In Case

New video recently obtained by the Los Angeles Police Department shows a hit and run from nearly a year ago. On Sept. 30, 2023, around midnight, 43-year-old Kyesha Hardgraves was hit by a van while attempting to cross the street near Normandie Avenue and 83rd Street. Detectives are hoping the new evidence will prompt someone to come forward with information. "I know a lot of times when there's a collision involving a ped, it oftentimes it's not always the person driving the cars fault," said Detective Ryan Moreno of the LAPD. "Sometimes people run out in the street. There could be lighting issues, there could be a wide range of reasons why people get struck sometimes. But we'd like to talk to this person, this driver to get their side of the story of what happened." The victim's daughter, Kaylesha Hardgraves, described her mother as very kind and generous. She says all she wanted was her whole family together and for her son to grow up knowing his grandmother. Now all she wants is justice. "Whoever does know any information about what happened," said Kaylesha Hardgraves. "I just hope that you please come forward and help me find closure and my family. It's very hard. I just want peace."

ABC 7

Brazen Gunman Threatens Employees At Koreatown Bakery, Steals Shop’s Cash

Employees at a Koreatown bakery had their lives threatened when an armed robbery suspect pulled a gun on them and demanded cash from the register just before closing time earlier this week. The terrifying ordeal at Coin de Rue Bakery and Cafe, located in the 100 block of North Western Avenue, happened just before 11 p.m. on June 25. The cafe’s security cameras captured the brazen thief as he strolled into the shop dressed in dark clothing with a black ski mask over his face and a camouflage cap on his head. After stopping at the register, the suspect, described by police as a man in his 30s, pulled a large revolver out of a satchel he was wearing on his chest, pointed it at the three employees and demanded the cash. “I’m really scared,” Jay Yoo, who manages the bakery, told KTLA’s John Fenoglio. “He said, ‘Open the register. Give me all the cash.’ He was pointing [the gun] everywhere. He hit the register with the gun. He was pointing it at our employees.”  

KTLA 5

Metro Leaders Will Consider Adding Its Own Police Unit

The LA Metro Board of Directors is considering creating its own police force amid an uptick in violent crimes reported across the transit system. Dubbed the “Transit Community Public Safety Department implementation plan,” (TCPSD) the proposal calls for the creation of an in-house public safety department over a five-year transition. Transit leaders will discuss the possibility of the plan in a meeting scheduled for Thursday. “We still recognize there is a need for more our public is looking for more,” said Robert Gunmer, Deputy Chief of Systems Security and Law Enforcement at Metro. “You will see dedicated metro police with their primary focus their only focus on transit services.” As part of the plan, recruits for the police force would undergo a four-week training program and officers would be deployed via a zone-based deployment model. It would replace Metro’s current system, which contracts multiple agencies to enforce safety across its public transit. Currently, the multi-agency contract costs the transit system $194 million per year. The TCPSD proposal includes four different service models that range in price from $155 million to $214 million.

NBC 4

260 Home Burglaries Unsolved In San Fernando Valley Wi-Fi Jamming Scheme

Neighbors in the San Fernando Valley were asking police for help Wednesday after hundreds of brazen home burglaries have gone unsolved. A neighbor who did not want to be identified showed KCAL videos of his home in Studio City ransacked, with clothing thrown around his room and his windows smashed. "There's not a day that goes by that we don't think about it," he said. In the massive scheme, the burglars dress up as construction workers and use Wi-Fi jamming technology to evade security cameras, smash through glass, and steal possessions. Investigators believe there are several people involved in multiple plots. The Los Angeles Police Department said it is the latest neighborhood targeted in a series of burglaries in the North Hollywood and Studio City areas. 260 burglaries have been recorded so far with no arrests. Homeowners are now discussing hiring private patrols as an added layer of security. A neighborhood watch meeting was held Wednesday night with neighbors and LAPD officers in attendance. 

CBS 2

Authorities Seek Help Locating 42-Year-Old Man With Mental Disorder

A 42-year-old man with an unspecified mental health disorder was reported missing Wednesday after being last seen near the Ramona Gardens area of Los Angeles. Albert Arthur Moody was last seen in the 2000 block of Marengo Street around noon Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Moody was described as a 5-foot-9-inch tall Black man weighing 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was seen wearing a white hospital gown. Sheriff’s officials said that Moody’s family is growing concerned about his well-being due to his mental health condition. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Moody was urged to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

$20,000 Reward Offered In Killing Of 28-Year-Old Man At Compton Pool Party

Detectives and family members asked for help Wednesday in the murder of a 28-year-old man shot earlier this month at a pool party in Compton. A $20,000 reward for information was offered in the June 7 killing of Robert Abdelkader III. He was shot and killed at a party near Mayo Avenue and Greenleaf Boulevard, where deputies saw a large group of people leaving a residence as they arrived. Abdelkader died at the scene. He was one of six people shot at the party. His parents were at a sheriff's department news conference Wednesday when the reward for information was announced. "Robert was such a sweet young man, genuine, kind," said mother Inez Tootie Adkins. "Help me get this killer off the streets because next time he could kill again, and it might be your son." Detectives said the shooters left the party through an alley behind the home. He described Abdelkader was an innocent victim of a senseless act of violence. Investigators said 200 to 300 people -- potential witnesses -- were at the party. "I know there's like a code where you don’t want to say anything, but I'm begging," Adkins said. Abdelkader's father also was at the news conference. He described his son as generous and pleaded with witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

NBC 4

Nearly 7 Million Fentanyl Pills Seized In California This Year

The Governor’s Office announced Wednesday that nearly 7 million pills containing fentanyl have been seized in California, including at ports of entry at the southern border, since January. In May alone, the California National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force, which helps local and federal officials, seized 1,170,893 fentanyl pills and 986 pounds of fentanyl powder, according to a news release. “California’s robust partnerships to tackle illegal fentanyl are leading to significant results time and time again,” Governor Gavin Newsom stated. “We will continue to take fentanyl out of our neighborhoods, hold drug traffickers accountable and expand access to life-saving medicine to benefit all Californians.” The Task Force focuses specifically on gathering information to cut off illegal narcotics trafficking. “Recently, Governor Newsom more than doubled the deployment of CalGuard servicemembers to crack down on fentanyl smuggling,” according to the news release. The federal government also announced sanctions this month against cartel traffickers bringing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.

KTLA 5

‘Game Changer': Pennsylvania PD’s Newly Installed Tech Helps Solve Crime, Enhances Police Response

This year, Allentown installed and activated dozens of devices across the city designed to help police respond to crime quickly by detecting gunshots and reading and identifying license plates. According to police Chief Charles Roca, the technology, financed by a $1.5 million grant from a state agency and approved by City Council, has been a “game changer.” Roca said findings from the technology now factor into investigations of practically all major crimes in the city. Recently, the devices helped police arrest two suspects in a fatal shooting, the department announced this month. While advocates say the technology helps police respond more quickly to violent crime and solve cases more efficiently, some critics say the devices could be used to improperly surveil people. The $1.5 million, two-year contract with Flock Safety provides Allentown with 67 automatic license plate readers throughout the city, as well as an unspecified number of gunshot detection devices specifically in the Center City region. The Flock Safety license plate reader cameras instantly capture detailed data about license plates and vehicles, and automatically alert police when a stolen or wanted car passes by. Raven gunshot detection devices are precise enough to detect the difference between a gunshot and a firework, Flock Safety spokesperson Holly Beilin said at a news conference in February. The devices, upon detecting a gunshot, alert police and record and save a five-second audio clip for use as evidence.

The Morning Call

Fire Extinguished At Apartment In West Adams

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters knocked down a fire in a second-floor unit at an apartment building in the West Adams area. Fire crews were called at 2:21 a.m. to 1935 S. La Salle Ave. near Washington Boulevard where they encountered an intense fire at the 29,000 square foot, three-story, 33-unit garden-style building, said LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey. It took firefighters 32 minutes to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

Bacteria Warning Issued For 18 Beaches In Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters at 18 area beaches due to high bacteria warnings on Thursday, June 27. The warning covers the following beaches: Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach (near Will Rogers Tower 18, 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek); Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu (100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon); Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey (entire swim area); Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach (100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms); Santa Monica Pier (100 yards up and down the coast from the pier); Trancas Creek at Zuma Beach (100 yards up and down the coast from the creek); Malibu Pier (100 yards up and down the coast from the pier); Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (entire swim area); Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach (entire swim area); Dockweiler State Beach (Westchester Storm Drain, 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain); Santa Monica Beach (Pico-Kenter storm drain, Santa Monica South Tower 20, 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain); Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove (entire swim area); Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach (entire swim area); Puerco Beach (Marie Canyon Storm Drain, 100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps); Carbon Canyon Beach (Sweetwater Canyon Storm Drain, entire swim area); Topanga County Beach (Castlerock Storm Drain, entire swim area); Latigo Shore Drive in Malibu (100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps); and Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove (100 yards up and down the coast from the Paradise Cove Pier). Information on beach conditions is available 24 hours a day on the county's beach closure hotline at 1-800-525-5662. 

CBS 2

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.