Death Of Year-Old Girl Near LAX Under Investigation: LAPD

A girl about a year old died today near Los Angeles International Airport, and an investigation was underway, authorities said. Officers were sent to Sepulveda and West Century boulevards about 10:10 a.m. on a report of a "medical emergency," according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Information was not immediately available on the girl's name or cause of death, police said. The LAPD's Abused Child Unit was assigned to conduct a death investigation, police said. So far it has not been confirmed whether the mother and the girl were homeless. Authorities have not made any arrests as investigations continue.

NBC 4

LAPD Searches For Driver That Ran Over Pedestrian That Collapsed In The Middle Of The Road

Police are searching for the driver who ran over a pedestrian in the early hours of Sunday morning. Security camera footage showed the pedestrian walking into the street at about 2:05 a.m. on Dec. 17 before suddenly collapsing in the middle of the road near the intersection of Western and Vernon Avenues. A few moments later what appears to be an SUV drove by the camera, striking the man that was already lying motionless in the street. The suspect continued to drive off and did not stop to check on the victim, who later died at a nearby hospital. The driver who fled the area faces vehicular manslaughter charges, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators advised all motorists to mind their speeds while driving and to stop whenever they are involved in a collision. They also reminded pedestrians to obey the rules of the road and to walk in designated walking areas, like sidewalks and crosswalks. LAPD asked anyone with information on the case to contact Detective Lorena Huerta at Southwest Traffic Division at (323) 421-2500.

CBS 2

Woman Arrested In 2 Armed Robberies In Los Angeles Area

An armed woman believed to be responsible for multiple robberies in the Los Angeles area is under arrest. The Los Angeles Police Department says the woman robbed two different locations within an hour on Sunday armed with a semiautomatic handgun. Shortly after the LAPD's the air support team located the suspect's car in the area of 46th and Avalon. A woman was taken into custody and police recovered a gun and stolen property. Investigators believe she likely had a male accomplice. Police say she could have had a male accomplice driving a grey Chrysler 300 with paper plates and possible rear quarter panel damage. They say both suspects could also be connected to a robbery in the area of 51st and Central a day earlier. 

ABC 7

ICE Nabs More Than Two Dozen Illegal Immigrant Sex Predators, Some With Child Sex Offenses, In LA

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week arrested 26 illegal immigrant sex offenders in a two-day operation in California, while the U.S. continues to face an escalating migrant crisis, which has diverted resources to the border. The more than two dozen foreign nationals were arrested between Monday and Wednesday, and the operation focused on those identified as having criminal convictions for sex offenses. Those arrested included child sex predators, including a 40-year-old Mexican who had been convicted in California for felony lewd acts with a child, and continuous sexual abuse. Agents also took into custody a 35-year-old Guatemalan convicted of felony child molestation and a 19-year-old Salvadoran convicted of felony sexual forcible oral copulation of a minor over 14 and battery by restraint. The operation was conducted by the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Los Angeles.

FOX 11

LA County 15-Year-Old Reported Missing In Apparent ‘Parental Abduction'

Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding a missing 15-year-old boy who may have left Los Angeles for Texas. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the teen – Amari Cooper, who also goes by "A3" – was last seen in the 6200 block of South Van Ness Avenue on December 11 when he left to visit his father. On December 22, LASD reports Cooper was supposed to be with his mother, but the teen never got dropped off by his dad. Now, LASD reports the teen was "taken" by his dad and could be headed to, or in Houston. LASD said the teen's dad would violating court order for taking Cooper to Texas. Cooper is listed at 5-foot-3 and weights about 110 pounds. Anyone with information on Cooper is asked to call 323-820-6700.

FOX 11

Santa Monica Police Arrest Suspect In Attempted Homicide On Christmas Eve

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) arrested a man they say was involved in an attempted homicide. The incident occurred Dec. 24 at about 11:26 p.m. SMPD officers responded to an assault in progress at an apartment in the 1300 block of 14th Street. Upon arrival, officers found a male resident with serious facial injuries and stab wounds to his forehead, neck, and back. The victim, still conscious, was able to describe his attacker, who is known to him. Other officers were flagged down by witnesses who heard the argument and recognized the attacker, identified as 29-year-old, Christopher Clay Williams. Williams was taken into custody without incident in the 1300 block of Alley 14 and booked into the Santa Monica Jail for Attempted Homicide. The victim was transported to a local hospital. Anyone with information related to this individual or incident is encouraged to contact Detective Tavera at [email protected], Detective Sergeant Gradle at [email protected], or the Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427."

Westside Current

Actor Charlie Sheen Survives Strangulation, Robbery By Neighbour At His Home In Malibu

Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen was allegedly attacked by a woman with a deadly weapon at his house in Malibu on Wednesday, according to police. The woman, identified as Electra Schrock, is a neighbour of Sheen. She has been arrested and charged with assault and burglary. The police reached Sheen's home after receiving reports of "battery/disturbance" in the area on Wednesday afternoon. According to the police, the woman had "forced her way into his home and attacked him when he opened the door". "The suspect, Electra Schrock, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, force likely to create great bodily injury ... and residential burglary," said a Los Angeles police spokesperson. "She ripped Charlie's shirt and attempted to strangle him," per a report by TMZ. He received treatment by paramedics at home but was not taken to the hospital. The police did not reveal what kind of weapon was used by the accused. This was not the first time that the two neighbors had a confrontation. Schrock once reportedly threw some sticky liquid on Sheen's car. The police have not been able to suggest the motive behind the attack. Schrock is expected to be arraigned at the Van Nuys courthouse on Friday.

International Business Times

California Sex Offender Arrested Again On New Child Porn Charges

Local and federal law enforcement agents are asking for help in identifying more victims of a convicted sex offender who was arrested again for exploiting minors online. Edgar Carrizalez, 30, was arrested in a multi-agency raid on his Fontana home in early August, according to Fontana Police. “Carrizalez was caught using various online platforms to contact minors, seeking illicit photos,” police said. Multiple electronic devices were seized which, according to police, confirmed that he was exploiting children. To date, 19 victims have been identified across the country but police believe there are more who have not yet been identified or have come forward voluntarily. Anyone who has had contact with Carrizalez or has information about this case is urged to contact the Fontana Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at [email protected].

KTLA 5

St. Louis Initiative Aims To Reduce Homicide Rates By 20% Using Focused Deterrence Strategy

A new regional effort aimed at cutting homicides by 20% over the next three years would focus efforts by police and social services on the relatively small number of people involved in many murder cases here. The recommendation was issued Friday by a working group of about 30 law enforcement officers, elected officials, criminologists and others who met all week on the issue at the Washington University School of Medicine campus. Many details still must be worked out and the proposal needs formal buy-in from local elected officials. But the basic idea is to use a strategy called “focused deterrence,” in which police and social service providers give people repeatedly involved in violence a choice. “They will collectively confront these individuals and groups and give them a very simple message,” Thomas Abt, a Maryland -based criminologist who led the weeklong conference, said after Friday’s wrap-up. “If folks want to make a change for the better, we will make those services available. If they keep shooting, we will follow up with targeted enforcement action,” he said. St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy, who has used the approach in other cities, said such individuals could get help with addiction and mental health problems, job training, high-school equivalency courses and other programs.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

2 Dogs Killed In Christmas Morning House Fire

Two pets died when flames raced through a home in Los Angeles’s South Park neighborhood early Christmas morning. The fire was reported around 12:55 a.m. at a detached bungalow in the 5000 block of South San Pedro Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Video from OnScene TV showed smoke billowing from the single-story home as firefighters sawed ventilation holes in the roof. The fire was extinguished in about 14 minutes, officials said. No people were injured, however, two dogs perished in the fire. Grieving family members consoled each other at the scene, video showed. Five residents were displaced and provided immediate assistance, the fire department said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

KTLA 5

Fire Crews Knock Down A Cypress Park Movie Studio Fire Where A Wedding Reception Was Taking Place

Firefighters spent an hour and a half battling a massive commercial fire in the early morning hours Saturday at a movie studio in Cypress Park where a wedding reception was taking place. Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to a 2:15 a.m. call of a fire at the media production and event space called LA River Studios at 2800 N. Division Street. An LAFD representative said all wedding reception attendees and staff were safely evacuated from the building as 157 firefighters battled the stubborn blaze. No injuries were reported and firefighters remained at the scene overnight, knocking down hotspots. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

CBS 2

A New Coronavirus Variant May Be Behind California’s COVID Rise

Coronavirus transmission is once again spiking in California entering the winter holiday season — and a new subvariant may be partly to blame, officials say. This latest subvariant, JN.1, is now estimated to account for roughly 44% of COVID-19 cases nationally, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That share is twice as high as any other identified subvariant, and a startling rise from the prior estimate of 21% for the two-week period that ended Dec. 9. “We’re also seeing an increasing share of infections caused by JN.1 in travelers, wastewater and most regions around the globe,” the CDC said in a statement. “JN.1’s continued growth suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems than other circulating variants.” The World Health Organization this week classified JN.1 as a “variant of interest,” meaning it has potentially concerning characteristics — such as an ability to more easily infect individuals or avoid the protection afforded by vaccines and therapeutics.

Los Angeles Times

L.A.’s Latest Move To Limit Oil Drilling In The City

Los Angeles leaders have taken another step aimed at addressing public health and environmental threats posed by oil extraction in the city. In a 12-0 vote last week, the Los Angeles City Council called on the city’s petroleum administrator to terminate as soon as possible an expired pipeline franchise agreement at the West Pico oil drill site. If that occurs, the company won’t be able to transport oil from the facility, located on Pico Boulevard just west of Doheny Drive. The motion also directs the petroleum administrator to investigate 20 years of alleged violations at the site and impose appropriate fines. Although council members stopped short of shuttering the facility that has operated since 1965, some viewed the adopted motion as a means of protecting neighborhoods from oil drilling and moving away from planet-warming fossil fuels. “I brought this motion forward to highlight that the City Council’s job isn’t done when it comes to protecting our neighborhoods, schools and places of worship from the dangers of oil extraction,” Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the district where the Pico site is located, said during a recent committee meeting.

Los Angeles Times

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.