Fiancée Of Slain L.A. County Deputy Speaks Publicly For First Time

The grief-stricken fiancée of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Ryan “Clink” Clikunbroomer, who was killed Saturday in an ambush-style shooting while he sat in his patrol vehicle, spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday at a press conference to announce murder charges against the suspect. The 30-year-old deputy and his fiancée, Brittany Lindsey, had gotten engaged to be married just four days before the fatal shooting. “Ryan was the best guy I ever met,” Lindsey said at the podium, unable to hold back tears. “He was so thoughtful and caring. I’m so happy I was able to love him, it was not long enough. I couldn’t wait to start our lives together, to get married and start a family.” Investigators believe the suspect, 29-year-old Kevin Salazar, ambushed and shot Clinkunbroomer on Sept. 16 as he sat at a red light near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q. The deputy was rushed to the Antelope Valley Medical Center where he died from his injuries. After an hours-long standoff outside of his Palmdale home early Monday morning, Salazar was arrested for the shooting. The 29-year-old entered dual pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity in the killing of the deputy. 

KTLA 5

$218,000 In Stolen Retail Goods Found In An L.A. Backyard; 10 Arrested, Police Say

Investigators arrested 10 people last week after uncovering a scheme involving more than $218,000 worth of merchandise stolen from retail stores in the L.A. area. The arrests were made after the stolen items were found in the backyard of a Los Angeles residence. The location was found to be a “fence,” officials said, where stolen goods are deposited before being sold as legitimate wares in person or on the internet. In this case, the investigators learned the items were being sold at various swap meets throughout the Los Angeles area, according to authorities. Law enforcement seized 8,844 items worth an estimated $218,379.69 stolen from retailers such as Victoria’s Secret, CVS, Ralphs, Rite Aid, Amazon and Walgreens. Detectives also recovered $44,836 in cash as evidence. Seven men and three women were arrested, all of whom were from Compton, authorities said. The case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol’s Southern Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

Los Angeles Times

LA Woman Out At Least $100,000 After Being Robbed By Men Who Followed Her To Hancock Park Garage

A Los Angeles woman is out at least $100,000 after she was robbed at gunpoint in a parking garage by suspects who followed her car. Surveillance video captures the moments where the suspects, believed to be two men, followed her all the way to the Hancock Park parking garage. Once she got out of the car, the suspects held her up at gunpoint and took money, purse and jewelry off of her. This is despite the fact that the complex was gated. As of late Wednesday night, the suspects remain on the run. They were seen in a black sedan. The woman owns a jewelry store in Koreatown and it is believed the suspect followed her during her drive from work. 

FOX 11

Robbers Get Away With $20,000 In Boyle Heights Restaurant Burglary

Three burglars were caught on camera using a power tool to force their way into 7 Mares Restaurant. They broke open the security gate first and then used crowbars to smash down the glass door. The family-owned business is on Cesar Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights. "It's very sad because we obviously work very hard. We are here daily even on Sundays, Saturdays, weekends. This is an everyday job. So it's super sad to see when people come and take your hard work," said Tania Diaz, the owner's daughter. It happened on Tuesday before 5 a.m. The crooks made their way into the office building. The family said thieves cut into a large safe and took off with more than $20,000 in cash. Burglaries in the city of Los Angeles at retail locations including restaurants and markets have increased in 2022 and over the last 12 months, compared to previous levels over the last decade, according to Los Angeles Police. According to Diaz, employees who were starting their early shift called 911 when they saw the crooks take off in a BMW sedan. The workers were not hurt and were OK.

ABC 7

LAPD Searching For Missing 91-Year-Old Woman With Dementia

Police and family are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 91-year-old woman who has dementia. Maria Perez was last seen around 3 p.m. Saturday in the 600 block of West Century Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. She has dementia and gets lost easily, and her family is concerned for her safety. Perez is described as having light gray/white hair and brown eyes. She is 5 feet 1 inch tall and weights around 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, yellow skirt and black shoes. Anyone who has information about Perez or her whereabouts is asked to call Officer Hendrickson of LAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800.

KTLA 5

FBI Offers $25k Reward For Information On Music Producer's 2009 Shooting Death In Inglewood

The FBI announced on Wednesday a $25,000 reward for information that helps solve the killing of a 21-year-old man who was gunned down in Inglewood in 2009. "Today marks the 14th anniversary of the senseless homicide of Kevin Robert Harris II, an athlete and aspiring musician, outside a music studio on the corner of Crenshaw and 118th Place in Inglewood," the agency said in a statement. According to the FBI, Harris was in his vehicle at about 8 p.m. the day he was shot. The department added it believes someone knew he was going to be at that location and shot him before he was able to get out of his car. “We do think he was targeted," Sean Steele, an FBI agent in the Los Angeles bureau, said. "Why was he targeted? He was only parked 10 to 15 seconds.” His devastated family said they hope the reward incentivizes the public to come forward with information. “It is tough going through these years for me and his mom without him being here, without him being age 35 right now, because of some cowardly act," said Kevin Harris, the victim's father. "Harris was a basketball player and a graduate of St. Bernard High School in Los Angeles," the FBI said. "Harris was a ... songwriter with a burgeoning career in the music industry when he was murdered." Anyone with information on the crime was urged to call the FBI's Los Angeles office at 310-477-6565.

NBC 4

Video: Kentucky Officer Pulled To Safety By Colleague During Shootout Following Traffic Stop

Body-worn camera video shows the moment a Louisville Metro police officer was shot during a traffic stop, with another officer pulling him to safety as the suspects continued to fire. The shooting happened Sept. 7 at approximately 2:37 a.m. According to the department, Officer Brandon Haley was attempting to catch up to a vehicle that did not have its lights on. Dash cam video shows the vehicle pull over onto a sidewalk. The two suspects who were inside the vehicle then fled on foot. As Haley started to run toward the vehicle, several suspects began shooting from a nearby house. Haley was immediately struck in the chest by gunfire. He fell to the ground and returned fire, video shows. While he was still being shot at, Haley ran to the other side of the street where he was met by another officer, identified as Officer Billotto. As Billotto was assessing Haley's injuries, the suspects began shooting at the officers again. While on his knees, Billotto returned fire and dragged Haley about a block to safety, the department said. Billotto continued to render aid to Haley while he relayed information to responding officers. Haley was taken to a hospital in a patrol vehicle with life-threatening injuries, according to the department. 

PoliceOne

Video: Georgia Officers, Bystanders Lift Flipped Vehicle To Rescue Pinned Driver

A driver flew through a sunroof and got stuck under a 3,600 pound car — then came a “heroic” rescue in Georgia, officials said. The 19-year-old driver struggled to breathe as he became trapped, with his head “squeezed in between the vehicle and the roadway,” according to the Lawrenceville Police Department. “He’s up under the car,” one person can be heard saying in a nearly 3-minute video police shared Sept. 18 on Facebook. That’s when the department’s officers jumped into action with the help of good Samaritans. Video shows the group lifting part of the car off the road to try to free the crushed driver. Fortunately, the group was eventually able to raise “the vehicle high enough for the driver to get pulled out.” The driver had several injuries and went to a hospital, officials said. The rescue was reported Sept. 13 in the Lawrenceville area, roughly 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Officers said they spotted a car speeding before it was found crashed, with its wheels in the air and the driver stuck beneath. “The actions of the four officers and the good Samaritans likely saved his life,” police said.

Charlotte Observer

1 Dead, 3 Hurt In Hollywood Hills Crash

One person is dead and three others injured after a two-car crash in Hollywood Hills early Thursday morning. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, two cars collided just after 2 a.m. at the intersection of Highland and Milner, not far from the Hollywood Bowl. One person died at the scene. Three victims - two women and a man - were taken to a hospital. One of the victims, a 35-year-old woman, is in critical condition, authorities said. The cause of the crash is not yet known. Roads in the area will be closed for several hours as the investigation continues. 

FOX 11

Fire Again Strikes Vacant House In Boyle Heights

The cause of a fire in a vacant house in Boyle Heights is under investigation Thursday, and authorities say the site has been the scene of several fires in the past. The fire with intense flames burned Wednesday night and started around 8 p.m. Firefighters responded to the fire in the 400 block of South Boyle Avenue, near East Fourth Street and the Golden State (5) Freeway, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. The 46 firefighters assigned to the fire immediately went to work protecting the house and apartment building next to the burning house, Prange said. They did not enter the house because its structural integrity was compromised by the previous fires, according to Prange. Firefighters managed to protect both neighboring residential structures and knocked down the bulk of the flames at the vacant house, Prange said.

MyNewsLA

Where Southern Californians Can Find The New COVID-19 Vaccine

Although shipments of the newest COVID-19 vaccines started arriving in Southern California pharmacies and clinics last week, Kaiser Permanente members will need to wait just a little longer to get their shot from the healthcare provider. Kaiser Permanente, which serves more than 9 million Californians, is not yet offering its members the newest booster — formulated to target viral strains health officials believe will be dominant this fall. Kaiser said it expects to begin administering the updated shots across the region by Sept. 28. In the meantime, Californians insured through Kaiser can visit another pharmacy to be vaccinated, but they should be prepared to pay steep out-of-pocket costs. Pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens began receiving the updated vaccine last week. The shot is available at the drugstores at no cost through most insurance plans. But pharmacists at multiple CVS locations in Los Angeles said Wednesday that Kaiser members would not be able to get the shot at the drugstore if they wanted it covered through insurance.

Los Angeles Times

Kevin de León Running For Reelection Despite Calls For Resignation After Racism Scandal

When Los Angeles Councilman Kevin de León refused to resign following the leaked audio scandal that rocked city hall, even after months of protests, including one outside of his own home, it's no surprise the day would come when he announced his reelection campaign. "I could have, you know, put my head in the sand and acted like there's no room for improvement. There's no room to look deeper inside, but I didn't do that," he told Eyewitness News during an interview on Wednesday. "I engaged with a lot of folks in the religious community, other community leaders, and it was a process. It's a journey, and quite frankly, it's not a process that's necessarily over. It's a journey that may take years, but it's a process nonetheless, and I think I've become a better person because of it." Even if the councilman has healed, many of his constituents have not and are calling for new leadership. California State Assemblymembers Miguel Santiago and Wendy Carrillo are among those competing against de León in the March primary.

ABC 7

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.