Law Enforcement News

I'm Rick Caruso: This is why I want Los Angeles' vote in the mayoral election
I love Los Angeles - I grew up and raised my own family here. My grandparents emigrated here and started their lives from scratch as they worked hard to achieve the American Dream. They instilled in me strong family values, a hard-working spirit, and a deep commitment to giving back to the community. These are the values that motivate me to this day and they are what inspires me to run for Mayor.
FOX News

Restaurant Owner, Son ID'd As Victims Killed In Woodland Hills Crash Involving Suspected DUI Driver
A Malibu restaurant owner and his teenage son were identified as the victims killed in a fiery crash involving a suspected DUI driver on Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills, Eyewitness News has learned. Andrea Bullo, owner of the popular Moonshadows restaurant in Malibu, and his 13-year-old son Marco were killed Tuesday night, an employee of the restaurant confirmed Thursday. The coroner has not officially released their identities. Authorities say a Camry was driving at a high rate of speed when it slammed into Bullo's Mustang. A fire broke out after the collision in the 23100 block of W. Mulholland, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The two victims in the Mustang were pronounced dead at the scene. The Camry driver, identified as 21-year-old Kevin Gonzalez, was taken into custody under the suspicion of driving under the influence.
ABC 7

Man On Bike Killed By Hit-and-Run Driver In Los Angeles Crosswalk
Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed a man riding his bike in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles Thursday night. The crash was reported around 11:30 p.m. as the man was riding in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Hauser and West Adams boulevards, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson said. The victim, described as a Hispanic man in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle fled the scene without offering assistance or identifying themselves. There was no description of the driver or the vehicle involved in the crash. The victim was believed to be homeless, the spokesperson said. The intersection was closed during the investigation.
KTLA 5

Los Angeles Man Found Guilty Of Murder For Shaking Liquor Store Clerk From Car
A Los Angeles man who killed a Long Beach liquor store clerk by shaking him off of his moving car two years ago was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder last week, authorities said. Jurors also found Jamal Darby, 35, not guilty of robbery when they returned their verdict on Thursday, Oct. 27, said Matthew Krasnowski, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Darby is scheduled to be sentenced in Long Beach Superior Court on Dec. 13. On July 23, 2020, Darby walked into a liquor store in the 300 block of Anaheim Street, grabbed items inside the store and walked out, Long Beach police said following his arrest in August 2020. The store clerk, Victor Talavera, 57, of Long Beach followed Darby and jumped onto the hood of Darby’s car to keep him from driving off with the items, police said.
LA Daily News

California DOJ Says LAPD Officers Acted In Self Defense In Shooting Of Unarmed Civilian
Following a first-of-its-kind investigation, the California Department of Justice says that two Los Angeles officers acted in self-defense in the 2021 shooting of an unarmed civilian. "The California Department of Justice has determined there is insufficient evidence to support criminal charges," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. In a news conference, Bonta said the officers acted in self-defense even though the man was not carrying a gun but a lighter with the handle of a pistol. This determination comes after the first investigation required by the 2020 law, AB 1506. The law went into effect two weeks before the July 2021 shooting. It requires the DOJ to investigate any officer-involved shooting that results in the death of an unarmed civilian. "I'm glad the Department of Justice is the second set of eyes on these types of circumstances to make sure we either get it right when we come to our decisions or correct us when we're wrong," said Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners President William Briggs. "It's the kind of transparency our city needs — and our state needs."
CBS 2

Sentencing Postponed Again For Man Convicted Of Killing Nipsey Hussle
Sentencing for the man convicted of murdering Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle in a 2019 shooting in South Los Angeles has been postponed to Dec. 19. Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 32, was originally scheduled to be sentenced Thursday. This is the second time his sentencing has been postponed. In September, the Nov. 3 court date was set. Officials said a separate hearing will be held Dec. 1 on a defense motion to reduce Holder's murder conviction to voluntary manslaughter. In July, a Los Angeles County jury convicted Holder Jr. of first-degree murder in the killing of Hussle outside his clothing store in March 2019. Holder was also convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter for injuring two bystanders in the incident, along with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Jurors also found true allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a handgun and that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on one of the victims.
FOX 11

Person Injured After Shooting In South Los Angeles
A person was shot in South Los Angeles Thursday, and police were searching for the suspect. The shooting was reported about 2:50 p.m. in the area of Vermont Avenue and West Colden Avenue, near Bret Harte Preparatory Middle School, said Officer Rosario Cervantes of the Los Angeles Police Department. Details on what led up to the shooting were unclear, though one victim was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. No suspect description was immediately available. Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to contact the LAPD at 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
MyNewsLA

LAPD Asking Public's Help Finding Teen Missing Since Halloween
The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public's help finding a teenager who has been missing since Halloween night. Andrew Jason Wright, an 18-year-old high-school senior, was last seen Monday around 6 p.m. near the 1700 block of Federal Avenue. He was last wearing a black coat, maroon vest, gray pants and black leather shoes. His mother says he has recently been suffering from depression and is extremely worried. "He went on a walk around 6 p.m." Anna Wright said. "He was supposed to go trick-or-treating with his little brother and sister at 7. And he never came back." Andrew's father set up a search party where volunteers have been going around looking for him and passing out flyers. Anyone with information is urged to contact LAPD's Missing Persons Unit at (213)996-1800. During non-business hours, calls can be made to (877)LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips may be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
ABC 7

Police Searching Santa Monica High School Campus Following Bomb Threat
Authorities on Thursday were searching the campus of Santa Monica High School in response to a telephoned bomb threat, but no devices or suspicious items have been found. “At approximately 11:42 a.m., the switchboard operator received a phoned-in bomb threat, alleging the bomb was set to go off within five minutes,” school Principal Marae Cruce said in a statement to the parents and others. “The school contacted the police immediately following this phone call. The school is currently in a shelter-in-place, and all students are safely in classrooms.” About 1:30 p.m., police tweeted that officers were "conducting a thorough search to ensure the students remain safe. The K9s are on scene and continuing the search.” Police were working to clear the area. “Clearing the area means checking thoroughly to ensure no potentially dangerous items are found. We are utilizing officers on foot, drones for overhead assistance and K-9s to ensure the students are released into an area deemed safe.”
NBC 4

First Look Into LA County Sheriff's New Task Force Going After Fentanyl Dealers
Across Los Angeles County, at least one person a day is dying from ingesting fentanyl. It is a powerful drug intended for those with severe pain, like cancer. However, a synthetic form of the drug, made illegally, is showing up on streets across the country, including here in Southern California. Federal investigators say it is found in drugs like cocaine and heroin, but also in counterfeit pills that look real and can be ordered on social media apps. The I-Team was on call with a new Los Angeles County Sheriff Task Force designed to focus exclusively on investigating drug overdose deaths, from the suburbs to the central city. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office and law enforcement are responding to a record number of fentanyl-related deaths. One mother explains how her family has been impacted. Perla Mendoza lost her only child to an overdose death: her 20-year-old son Elijah in September of 2020. She says he was spending the night at his grandmother’s house in Long Beach. Unable to sleep, he asked a friend where he could find some medicine to help.
NBC 4

FBI Warns Of ‘Broad’ Threat To New Jersey Synagogues; Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. Increases Patrols
The FBI said Thursday that it had received credible information about a “broad” threat to synagogues in New Jersey, a warning that prompted some municipalities to send extra police officers to guard houses of worship. The nature of the threat was vague. The FBI’s Newark office released a statement urging synagogues to “take all security precautions to protect your community and facility,” but wouldn’t say anything about who made the threat or why. The alert was posted after officials discovered an online threat directed broadly at synagogues in New Jersey, a law enforcement official said. The posting did not target any specific synagogue by name, the official said. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Messages left with the FBI’s Newark office weren’t returned.
KTLA 5

Inside Stockton’s Search For A Serial Killer: ‘This Person’s On A Mission’
When it became clear that someone was killing random people on the streets of Stockton, police were blunt about who they were dealing with. “This person’s on a mission,” Police Chief Stanley McFadden said. It would take time for authorities to figure out that the killings — which started in Oakland and then moved east to the Central Valley city — were connected. They all occurred under cover of darkness, at night or in the early-morning hours, McFadden said, and each victim was alone. Some were shot multiple times. Authorities have arrested a suspect but released few details about a motive or other information. That has left many in the community with unanswered questions. Five victims were homeless men, yet it remains unclear whether they were targeted because of their unhoused status. Nonetheless, the killings sent shockwaves through Stockton’s homeless community. Stephen Bentley, a deacon with St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, which provides resources and programs for homeless residents in Stockton, said fear in the community was palpable.
LA Times

Retired New York Police Sergeant Dies From 9/11-Related Illness
A retired police sergeant died from an illness resulting from his rescue efforts at ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001, the New York State Police said in a news release. Ivan Morales, 42, joined the New York City Police Department in 2001 and, while he was still at the police academy, assisted in rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks, according to his obituary. Morales later joined the New York State Police in 2005, serving on the force for 17 years and retiring as a sergeant, according to the release. “Ivan loved nothing more than being a dad and watching the New York Yankees,” stated his obituary. Almost 10,000 first responders to 9/11 have been diagnosed with cancer and “[m]ore than 2,000 deaths have been attributed to 9/11 illnesses” as of 2018, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal.
The Charlotte Observer

Public Safety News

LAX Contract Worker Remains In Coma After Accidental Carbon Dioxide Release At Airport
A contract worker is in a medically-induced coma, fighting for his life following an accident at Los Angeles International Airport. Cris Abraham, 36, was among four people inside a utility room on Monday when carbon dioxide was suddenly released from the fire suppression system, displacing oxygen in the room. The odorless gas caused the husband and father of two to go into cardiac arrest. Firefighters arrived wearing protective gear, got him to safety and performed CPR. He was hospitalized in critical condition. Three other people who had been in the room at the time were able to evacuate safely. It's not clear yet what triggered the discharge of carbon dioxide, as there were no indications of a fire.
ABC 7

Firefighters Knock Down Boyle Heights Commercial Building Blaze
Battling heavy flames in the early morning hours, fire crews extinguished a blaze at a one-story commercial building in Boyle Heights Friday. Firefighters arrived at 1:35 a.m. to 3133 E. 12th St. where they found flames coming out of the building's roof, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. Firefighters used equipment including ladder pipes and remote firefighting capabilities to contain the blaze, Prange said. It took more than 120 firefighters an hour and 33 minutes to extinguish the flames. Prange said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
CBS 2

LA County Reports 1,300 More COVID-19 Infections
Los Angeles County reported more than 1,300 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, along with seven new virus-related deaths. The 1,332 new cases lifted the county’s overall total from throughout the pandemic to 3,491,716. The number of cases released by the county each day is an undercount of actual COVID activity, due to the widespread use of at-home tests, the results of which are generally not reported to the county. With seven new fatalities, the county’s cumulative number of virus-related deaths rose to 33,992. According to state figures, there were 419 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Thursday, down from 427 on Wednesday. Of those patients, 50 were being treated in intensive care units, up from 48 a day earlier.
MyNewsLA

US Deaths Caused By Alcohol Spiked During Pandemic, CDC Reports Show
The rate of deaths that can be directly attributed to alcohol rose nearly 30% in the U.S. during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new government data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already said the overall number of such deaths rose in 2020 and 2021. Two reports from the CDC this week provided further details on which groups have the highest death rates and which states are seeing the largest numbers. "Alcohol is often overlooked" as a public health problem, said Marissa Esser, who leads the CDC's alcohol program. "But it is a leading preventable cause of death." A report released Friday focused on more than a dozen kinds of "alcohol-induced" deaths that were wholly blamed on drinking. Examples include alcohol-caused liver or pancreas failure, alcohol poisoning, withdrawal, and certain other diseases. There were more than 52,000 such deaths last year, up from 39,000 in 2019.
FOX 11

Local Government News

LA Council Set To Wrap Up Fourth Week Of Meetings Since City Hall Scandal
The Los Angeles City Council is set to wrap up its fourth week of meetings Friday since the City Hall racism scandal broke, with Councilmen Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo showing no intentions of resigning and the council attempting to move forward with regular business. Protesters have regularly attempted to disrupt meetings with chants and shouts, demanding that de Leon and Cedillo resign before the council meets. But the number of protesters has dwindled this week from a couple dozen last week to around 10 on Wednesday. Neither de Leon nor Cedillo has attended a meeting since Oct. 11. This week, Council President Paul Krekorian has moved to eject protesters after several quick warnings.
MyNewsLA