Good Samaritan Helps End Lengthy Police Chase, Pinning In Suspect On Surface Street

Police chased a robbery suspect in the South Los Angeles and Harbor areas for more than an hour Thursday before he was stopped with the help of a good Samaritan who pinned him in on a congested surface street. The chase started in the South LA area around 3 p.m. The suspect was driving a dark Mercedes sedan, with a multicolored flag flying out the open sunroof. The suspect first headed south on the 405, then in the Harbor area switched over to the 110 and headed back northbound. At least seven LAPD units were seen trailing the vehicle. The suspect was wanted in connection with a robbery - possibly of the vehicle itself - and was believed to be armed. At one point the sedan slowed down on the 110 and the suspect threw an object out of the window which appeared to be a handgun. One of the units in the pursuit pulled over to retrieve the evidence.

ABC 7

Hidden Tracker Inside Stolen Designer Purse Leads To Arrest Of Burglary Crew

Investigators say that a hidden tracking device inside of a stolen designer purse helped them in the arrests of several members of a burglary crew targeting several Southland communities in recent months. According to Los Angeles Police Department members of the group are suspected of committing at least 20 home burglaries in West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. "The M.O. they were using, they were going along the side of the house into the rear yard and smashing one of the windows and going inside," said LAPD Detective Timothy Kirkpatrick. Members of the crew were caught on camera at several different homes, making off with stolen items in places like Granada Hills and Studio City, where three homes were hit last Friday. It was from one of those homes that the suspects stole the designer handbag equipped with the concealed tracker. The homeowner was alerted of the burglary by home surveillance footage and the tracker's sudden movement.

CBS 2

LAPD Seeking Public’s Help In Locating Missing Man

Authorities are looking to the public for help in finding a man who has been missing for a month. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Robert Gutierrez, 53, was last seen near the 800 block of East 89th Street in the Green Meadows neighborhood of L.A. around 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 21. Gutierrez is described as a Hispanic male with brown hair and brown eyes. He is listed as being 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and camouflage shorts. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Robert Gutierrez is urged to contact Officer Hendrickson with the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247. 

KTLA 5

Woman Arrested On Suspicion Of Arson In Series Of Reseda Fires

A 33-year-old woman was arrested in connection with a series of arson fires within a 72-hour window in Reseda. The suspect was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked on suspicion of arson, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. She was arrested by investigators from the LAFD's Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section. Fourteen trash and vegetation fires were set during a 72-hour period during the second week of September in the San Fernando Valley community. No injuries were reported and firefighters limited property damage after responding to prompt 911 calls. In one case, the back of a truck was set on fire. Residents rushed to put out flames with a garden hose. The suspect is believed to have set at least four of the fires, the LAFD said. The remaining fires remain under investigation, and anyone with information on the case was urged to call the LAFD Arson Tip Line at 213-893-9850 or email tips to [email protected].

NBC 4

Social Media Influencer Says He Was Targeted In Violent Hollywood Hills Home Invasion

A social media influencer visiting from Dubai said he was among three victims robbed during a violent home-invasion robbery in Hollywood Hills West Thursday night. The robbery was reported shortly after 11 p.m. in the 8100 block of Mannix Drive, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Surveillance video captured some of the incident, showing two masked suspects standing outside the front door. The victims say the suspects were armed and eventually gained access by breaking a side window. The surveillance video also shows the suspects running out of the home through the front door carrying several items. One of the victims was allegedly pistol-whipped in the face during the robbery. 

KTLA 5

App That Lets Drivers Video Chat With Deputies During Traffic Stops Being Tested In WeHo

To reduce tension and nervousness related to interacting with law enforcement, deputies in Los Angeles County are testing out SafeStop, a technology that allows cops to communicate with drivers through an app. Here's how it works – Say you're on San Vicente Boulevard, you run a red light and next thing you know, you have red lights in your rearview mirror. What happens next is you and the deputy communicate through a videochat before the deputy walks up to your car. LASD's West Hollywood station is the first to try this out. Deputies there will be on a 6-month trial with the pilot program. "As we move through the trial we'll expand it, probably from our traffic deputies to other patrol deputies as well and see how it goes," said Captain Bill Moulder from the West Hollywood station. "It's a great tool. It's a great public safety technology option and so as the more opportunities we have to test out different kinds of technology when interacting with our community, it is really beneficial to help us provide better service and I think to ensure better safety for our community."

FOX 11

Heroin Found In Diaper Bag At California Highway Checkpoint

Border Patrol agents working a freeway checkpoint north of San Diego discovered more than 5 pounds of heroin hidden in a diaper bag earlier this week. The heroin was wrapped in several plastic bundles that looked like large white eggs. According to a Border Patrol news release, agents stopped a 38-year-old woman who was driving a black Ford pickup at the checkpoint along I-15 just south of Temecula, California. During the traffic stop, agents searched the vehicle and discovered four cellophane-wrapped bundles inside a diaper bag. The woman was reportedly traveling with her 5-year-old daughter. The unidentified driver was taken to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station, where it was discovered she had a previous conviction for narcotics smuggling, agents said. After examining the bundles, CBP says the agents determined the packets contained 5.4 pounds of heroin with an estimated street value of $69,120.

KTLA 5

California Law Removing Guns From People Under Restraining Orders Survives Court Challenge

A California law that bars people who are under restraining orders from possessing firearms survived a federal court challenge on procedural grounds Thursday, marking a win for gun control advocates. A split panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 that Huntington Beach couple Miranda and Richard Wallingford’s challenge to California’s law was moot — or no longer legally viable — because the restraining order at the heart of their case had lapsed and they are no longer barred from possessing guns. The decision leaves California’s law intact at a time when other state weapons laws are being dismantled — including by the 9th Circuit — in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that upended 2nd Amendment jurisprudence nationwide. Alexander Frank, an attorney for the Wallingfords, said he and his clients were disheartened that the court had avoided the couple’s underlying claim that their “fundamental liberties” under the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms were being violated by the state. “Obviously we’re disappointed that the 9th Circuit decided to punt it on mootness,” Frank said. “It’s a rights issue that goes beyond the parties in the case.”

Los Angeles Times

'A Devastating Loss': Texas Officer Killed In Hit-and-Run On Highway While Driving To Work

An Arlington police officer was killed on his way to work Thursday morning in a hit-and-run accident on Interstate 20 westbound in Dallas, officials said. Officer Darrin McMichael was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, the Arlington Police Department said in a news release. Around 6:30 a.m. the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department sent out an alert on social media that westbound I-20 was closed at the Saint Augustine exit due to a major accident. Doug Sisk, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department, said a little after 6 a.m. a sport utility vehicle in the far left-hand lane reduced speed due to slow traffic ahead. McMichael’s motorcycle hit the SUV and the officer fell onto the left-hand shoulder of the road. A dark-colored sedan ran over McMichael as he lay on the shoulder of the freeway and kept going. Sisk said their main priority right now is to find that car and driver. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident. Officials are looking for a dark-colored Dodge or Chrysler car and asking that anyone who has dashcam video of the accident to contact Detective Chaney at 214-589-2323.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

2 Dead As Woman Pushing Man In Wheelchair Struck Crossing Street In Slymar

A tragic accident happened Thursday night in the San Fernando Valley. Two people were struck and killed while crossing the street in Sylmar. SkyFOX was over the scene near the intersection of Astoria Street and Foothill Boulevard around 7:40 p.m. Thursday. The Los Angeles Police Department said that a man was pushing a woman in a wheelchair when they were hit by an oncoming vehicle. The man died at the scene. The woman was rushed to a hospital where she later died. Police say the victims were not in a crosswalk. The driver stayed at the scene. No arrests have been made. Additional details were not immediately available.

FOX 11

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.