EXCLUSIVE: Jury Convicts Abelardo Bon Of First-Degree Murder In Double Homicide At Venice Beach

After a full day of deliberations, a 15-member jury reached a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, June 5, convicting Abelardo Bon of first-degree murder in the tragic deaths of Courtney Johnson and Brandon Neal, both 31 years old. The courtroom atmosphere was heavy with emotion as the verdict was read. The parents of both victims, overwhelmed by the weight of the moment, broke down in tears. The conviction of Bon for first-degree murder in the deaths of Johnson and Neal concluded a nearly three-week trial. The event, which took place on April 15, 2022, involved the shooting of the two young adults at their Venice Beach home. Bon, 28, sat slumped over next to his two public offenders, while the DA Rachel Hope Hardiman reminded jurors before they deliberated on their verdict of the extensive and incriminating evidence presented over the past three weeks, which included video footage of the alleged suspect casually rummaging through the victim’s garage for four hours after callously shooting the couple in their bedroom where they had been sleeping at about 3am. At one point during the video, the suspect can be seen making the sign of the cross across his chest as if praying, only to abruptly return to stealing more items, including a cell phone which would ultimately lead to his arrest a month later on May 19. “It took him four hours to collect things he wanted to steal,” Harriman told the jurors after describing the killings as an “absolute ambush and mutilation.”

Westside Current

California ‘Third Striker,' Who Prosecutors Warned Posed Threat To Public, Convicted Of Murder

A 53-year-old man with a violent criminal history has been convicted of murder after a judge allowed him to participate in a collaborative court program, despite objections from Orange County prosecutors. Effrum Maland Burnett, 53, of Yorba Linda, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the stabbing death of Toye Mim Jones outside a sober living home in Anaheim last year. Burnett, who has two prior strikes for kidnapping and robbery in Los Angeles County, also received a special enhancement for using a knife in the murder. The deadly stabbing happened on July 18, 2023, when Burnett, along with Christina Roberts and another man, drove to the sober living home on Canton Avenue to retrieve a 2009 Dodge Ram truck that Roberts claimed was hers. A confrontation ensued between Jones and Roberts, escalating into a physical altercation involving Burnett. After being hit in the eye by Jones, Burnett stabbed him five times, puncturing his heart. Jones was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Burnett faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 19, 2024, in Department C35 of the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. 

FOX 11

Man Fatally Shot In Broadway-Manchester Area

Police Thursday are investigating the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man near the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Broadway-Manchester. Los Angeles Police Department officers from the department’s Newton Division responded to 64th Street and Broadway at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday where they found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles Fire Department. Police said there was no suspect description.

MyNewsLA

4th Grader Shows Off Loaded Gun At Los Angeles Elementary School

Parents expressed shock Thursday after a 4th grader brought a loaded gun to an elementary school in Los Angeles earlier this week. The 10-year-old boy was caught with the loaded 40-caliber Glock 22 handgun at Glassell Park Elementary School after showing it to another student on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported. A third student also saw the gun and reported it to school officials, the Times reported. “It’s a little scary. I’ve already been skeptical about bringing my kid to public school anyway because of things like this,” one parent told KTLA outside the school Thursday. “They should have security checking the students when they walk in. That’s scary,” another parent said. The boy’s parents have been notified about the gun, which was apparently reported stolen, however, it was unclear who made the report and who the weapon belongs to.

KTLA 5

2 Stabbed At Woodland Hills Home, Suspect Allegedly Held His Father At Knifepoint

A man suspected of stabbing two people was allegedly holding his father at knifepoint when officers arrived to a Woodland Hills home Wednesday morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers responded at 8:40 a.m. to the home located in the 24200 block of Hatteras Street, where they found the stabbing victims and the suspect holding his father hostage, LAPD said. Police said officers shot a taser at the suspect and took him into custody. Aerial footage shot just after 10 a.m. shows police tape around the entrance to the home, with two patrol vehicles and several officers seen just outside the house. No other details have been released as police continue to investigate.

CBS 2

Man Dies After Falling Into MacArthur Park Lake During Fight, LAPD Says

A man is dead after police say he fell into the lake at MacArthur Park while fighting with several others. The Los Angeles Police Department said it is investigating a homicide after the death was reported around 8:30 a.m. Witnesses told police a confrontation occurred near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street. Eventually, that confrontation moved near the lake, where one man fell into the water. Emergency services then recovered the body. While investigators continue looking into what led up to the confrontation, frequent parkgoers expressed concerns over the death. William Melendez, an ambassador for Homies Unidos Peace, pointed out the drug usage at Macarthur Park. “The drug use seems to be getting worse, which causes violence,” Melendez said. It is unclear if drugs were a factor in the investigation. “We don’t know what led up to it,” Lt. Ryan Rabbett of the LAPD Central Bureau homicide unit said. “If it was a dispute over narcotics? We just don’t know.” Police said the individuals involved in the fight have been arrested with help with witness testimony and surveillance video.

NBC 4

USC Chabad House Vandalized Overnight In Incident Caught On Video

The USC Chabad House was vandalized in an overnight incident that was captured on surveillance video. "Two thugs just smashed the glass on our front door and ran off," Chabad of USC wrote in the caption of a video posted late Tuesday night on Instagram. "Hoping @uscedu DPS can track them," the statement said, referring to the university's Department of Public Safety. "Our world keeps getting crazier! Thank G-d none of the kids were near the door and we are all safe. Have to figure out something to secure the front door until we can get this fixed." Video shows four people biking down Severance Street and stopping at the Jewish student center, which was clearly labeled with banners. Two people get off and quickly run up to the front door. Once the damage is done, they get back on their bikes and ride off. No injuries were reported.

ABC 7

Man, 64, Goes Missing In Compton Area Of Los Angeles

Authorities Thursday were asking the public’s help in finding a 64-year-old man who went missing in Compton. Elijah Harper Jr., who has medical conditions and considered at-risk, was last seen around 11:10 p.m. Tuesday in the 16500 block of South Thorson Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Harper was described as a 5-foot, 9-inch tall Black man weighing approximately 200 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, white shirt and black pants. Anyone with information regarding Harper’s whereabouts was asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

Feds Charge 47 People Linked To Sinaloa Cartel-Linked Drug Trafficking Network In Imperial Valley

Federal agents arrested 36 people, including a U.S. Border Patrol agent, allegedly linked to a California-based drug, firearms and money laundering network tied to the Sinaloa Cartel. Agents raided locations far and wide on Wednesday, serving search warrants in the Imperial Valley, San Diego, Fresno and Los Angeles, along with Phoenix, Ariz., and Salem, Ore, the Department of Justice announced in a news release. All told, 47 people have been charged in connection with the alleged crime network. Among those arrested was U.S. Border Patrol agent Alexander Grindley, who was accused of methamphetamine trafficking. Grindley is also linked to multiple spinoff investigations in the case and in other jurisdictions, according to authorities. Eleven people named in the federal charges remain at large. More than 400 federal, state and local police agencies were involved in the raids. Since the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation began, federal agents have seized more than 700 pounds of methamphetamine, 52 guns and 4 kilograms of fentanyl. An undisclosed amount of cocaine and heroin were also seized by federal agents during their investigation.

Los Angeles Times

Southern California Man, 74, Facing Decades In Prison For Child Pornography

A 74-year-old man accused of distributing, receiving and possessing child abuse sexual material pleaded guilty to the federal criminal charges earlier this week and now faces decades in prison. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Southern District of California Office, Herbert Redholtz, a resident of West Covina, used his personal computer and email account between April and November 2014 to amass images and videos of children, including infants and toddlers, engaged in sexual acts. “Redholtz’s email account contained approximately 448 images and 109 videos depicting sexually explicit content involving children as well as 402 images and 25 videos depicting child erotica,” federal prosecutors said in a news release. “This account also contained approximately 1,109 emails containing evidence of similar images sent to or from Redholtz’s email address.” The 74-year-old admitted that he knew these visual depictions involved minors under the age of 12, who were being abused for sexual acts.  

KTLA 5

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.