Jury To Decide Fate Of Kenneth Gay, Facing Trial Again In 1983 Death Of LAPD Officer Paul Verna

In the summer of 1983, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Paul Verna was on patrol on his motorcycle in Lake View Terrace when he spotted a gray, two-door Oldsmobile Cutlass on the road. He flashed his lights at the driver, who pulled over on Hoyt Street, a neighborhood tucked away from busy Van Nuys Boulevard just to the northeast. Nothing would have appeared out of place with this particular traffic stop: At that moment, Verna wouldn’t have known anything about Pamela Cummings, the driver who exited the Oldsmobile. He wouldn’t have been aware of her two passengers, either: Kenneth Earl Gay, Pamela’s friend from childhood, sitting in the passenger seat, and her husband, Raynard, laying low in the backseat. As he wrote Pamela Cummings’ name in his notebook, Verna might not have noticed whether she was behaving strangely: For the last two months, she had acted as a getaway driver for Gay and her husband as they committed a string of violent robberies across the San Fernando Valley. Verna would have no idea Raynard Cummings was quite prepared to kill him. Verna also would never know how many details of his death — by at least one gunshot at near point-blank range, then by a flurry of five more shots as he lay on his back dying in the street — would still be debated more than 40 years later. Gay, now 65 and imprisoned for much of his life, is on trial again this week for what he did or did not do to cause Verna’s death.

Los Angeles Daily News

‘He Didn’t Deserve To Die Like That’: Friends, Neighbors Express Anger After Homeless Man’s Car Set Ablaze In South L.A.

Every now and then, Maria Reyes would hop on a bus in West L.A. and take a nearly two-hour ride to South Los Angeles to visit her best friend. About four months ago, her friend started living inside a blue Ford SUV that he parked on East 102nd Street, just off Avalon Boulevard. There, the two would pass the day talking and laughing. At home, Reyes worried about him. He used a wheelchair to get around and after contracting COVID twice — falling into a coma each time — he needed a heart transplant. But she found comfort in knowing a network of family and friends would check on him. And neighbors had grown fond of him because of his joyful, kind and respectful personality. Some of them, they said, would call him tio — uncle. So it was a gross shock to everyone on East 102nd Street to learn that someone had set fire to his SUV as he slept inside on Sunday. Authorities said the man suffered third-degree burns and died a few hours later at a local hospital. Brian Humphrey, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the fire was reported at 1:39 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters arriving at the scene came across a vehicle engulfed in flames. Video footage of the fire showed firefighters dousing the flames and the body of a person at the entrance of a parking lot of a small shopping plaza.

Los Angeles Times

Police Respond To Hollywood Hills Mansion After Call Reporting ‘Unknown Trouble’

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a mansion in Hollywood Hills West on Thursday after receiving calls of an “unknown trouble,” authorities announced. While police did not say exactly what time the call came in, officers responded to 1754 Sunset Plaza Drive after receiving reports of a woman heard screaming and multiple suspects seen leaving the residence. They then called for backup, LAPD Officer Im told KTLA. Aerial footage from Sky5 showed a heavy police presence at the residence, along with personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department. A white vehicle could be seen parked on the top level of the residence, while two floors below what appeared to be a mattress and other items were piled up on a balcony. It’s not the first time police have responded to this Hollywood Hills West home. In Jan. 2022, a 41-year-old man barricaded himself inside the home with a dog after allegedly pointing a shotgun at a person. The man was only taken into custody after an hours-long standoff involving SWAT officers.

KTLA 5

Kia, Hyundai Thefts Continue To Be A Problem In Los Angeles, Police Say

The Los Angeles Police Department is warning drivers of Hyundai and Kia vehicles to be aware of continued car thefts spurred by an ongoing social media trend. The trend started on the social media video platform TikTok, which showed people how to bypass a critical security function to allow the vehicles to be started without keys. The trend led to a massive surge of thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles across the country last year. On Thursday, officials from the LAPD said similar thefts of the same make of automobiles have been reported in the Van Nuys area in recent weeks. To combat the rise in thefts, Kia and Hyundai have rolled out some software updates and issued recalls for affected vehicles. Police are urging anyone who owns a vehicle from Kia or Hyundai to be aware of the theft risks, and contact the manufacturers to see if their vehicle is susceptible to theft and eligible for security fixes. Police also encourage additional safety measures for these vehicles, including utilizing a steering wheel club, which can lock a steering wheel in place, making it near-impossible to drive off in without unlocking the club. Some police stations might have steering wheel clubs for these specific makes on hand, according to the LAPD.

KTLA 5

2nd Deputy Ambushed By Gunman In Compton Testifies During Trial

Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Emmanuel Perez-Perez and his partner were about to leave the Metro Blue (A) Line’s Compton Station for their next patrol stop on Sept. 12, 2020, when he heard gunshots. “While we were waiting, that’s when we were ambushed,” Perez-Perez said in Compton Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 9. “I vividly remember four shots, and then everything went black.” Perez-Perez testified a week into the trial of Deonte Lee Murray, who faces four counts of attempted murder, four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count each of robbery, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon in a trio of shootings in Compton in September 2020. Prosecutors accuse the 39-year-old Compton resident of shooting a man in the leg and taking his black Mercedes-Benz sedan on Sept. 1, 2020, then, after learning his best friend had been fatally shot by deputies serving a search warrant at the friend’s Compton home, on Sept. 10, 2020, driving that car during another pair of shootings. That day, Murray is accused of shooting a man he thought was a detective as the man sat in the driver’s seat of his SUV outside the Compton Courthouse, prosecutor Stephen Lonseth has said. Two days later, authorities say, he allegedly walked up behind the sheriff’s SUV with the two deputies inside and opening fire through the passenger window.

Los Angeles Daily News

Homeless Man Booked For Attempted Murder At Santa Monica Library

On August 9, 2023, at about 8:09 a.m., patrol officers responded to the Ocean Park Branch of the Santa Monica Public Library regarding a Check the Status call for service. A library employee tried to wake up a homeless male at the front doors and discovered he was badly injured. The victim, a 41-year-old male, was found with blunt force trauma to his face and a swollen forehead. The unconscious victim was transported via ambulance to a local hospital. He is currently listed in critical condition and is expected to survive. At approximately 12:35 p.m., detectives investigating the incident spotted a person of interest who was loitering in the front of the library. Upon contact with the suspect, he became uncooperative and threatening in his behavior. Additional responding officers deployed a taser after the subject attempted to assault uniformed officers. The suspect, who is homeless, was booked for attempted murder, felony battery on a police officer, giving false name to a police officer, and resisting arrest. Anyone with information related to this crime or suspect are encouraged to contact the SMPD Investigations Division during business hours at (310) 458-8451 or the Watch Commander 24-hours at (310) 458-8427.

Westside Current

Memorial Service Held For LASD Recruit Struck By Wrong-Way Vehicle In Whittier

A memorial service was held Thursday for a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recruit who died in July after he was struck by a wrong-way vehicle while training with dozens of colleagues last year. Alejandro Martinez, 27, died July 28 at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood after an eight-month battle with severe injuries. The service was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown L.A. Following the service, Martinez's body was escorted to Forest Lawn Covina Hills where a private burial service was held. In November 2022, dozens of law enforcement recruits were struck by an SUV during a training run in Whittier and suffered injuries ranging from minor to critical. The crash injured 25 recruits, including Martinez, sheriff's officials said at the time. The driver of the SUV, 22-year-old Nicholas Gutierrez, was initially arrested but was released with sheriff's officials saying the complex case needed more extensive investigation. No charges have been filed. His attorney said Gutierrez fell asleep behind the wheel, calling it a "tragic accident."

ABC 7

Fentanyl Crisis: California Teen Overdose Deaths Plunged In 2022

The fentanyl epidemic eased its grip on California teens last year as the number of fatal overdoses plummeted among the age group, a decline welcomed by health officials and community activists who had feared the state would continue to see hundreds of young people dying from the drug each year. Newly released state data showed 151 teens ages 15 to 19 died from a fentanyl overdose in 2022, down from 230 the year before and 250 in 2020 — a 40% decline in two years, according to preliminary state data updated late last week. The decline follows three years of campaigns and government response to mitigate the fentanyl crisis, which has crept into middle schools and high schools in small towns and cities across California in recent years. Still, many connected to that effort said that while they had hoped to see a decline, they were surprised by how large it was. Chelsea Shover, assistant professor-in-residence at the UCLA School of Medicine and an expert in the fentanyl crisis, saw the numbers for the first time on Tuesday. Her first impression: “That’s really surprising to me.”

San Francisco Chronicle

Georgia Deputies Spot ‘Red Flags’ During Pursuit, Save Teen From Human Trafficking

A police chase ended with the rescue of a 16-year-old girl who was being sex trafficked across Atlanta, deputies in Georgia say. Authorities recognized the “red flags" after Anthony Holmes, 32, was detained Aug. 2 near Siloam, according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies had tried to pull him over for “an equipment violation” before he sped off, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. A woman was in the car with him, as well as teen who deputies said had been trafficked from South Carolina to metro Atlanta and “sold for commercial sex” on multiple occasions. Holmes led law enforcement on a pursuit between counties, topping speeds of 119 mph, Greene County Sheriff Donnie Harrison told WSB-TV. Using a PIT maneuver, they caught up with the accused trafficker. Authorities secured a warrant for Holmes’ arrest on Aug. 4. Investigators learned the teen girl was a reported runaway from Ohio and had previously been identified as a human trafficking victim in South Carolina, deputies said. “Holmes and another female adult transported the victim from South Carolina to Atlanta where her exploitation continued,” according to the release.

PoliceOne

Michigan State Police K-9 Finds Woman Who Was Missing After Crash For 2 Days

A woman missing for two days after a car crash was rescued, thanks to a police K-9, Michigan troopers say. The 45-year-old woman was reported missing in Livingston County after she crashed her vehicle near her home Sunday, Aug. 6, according to Michigan State Police. She reportedly struck a tree on her property, but family members were unable to find her, WWJ reported. Crews searched more than 200 acres in their attempts to find the woman, WHMI reported. She was ultimately found Tuesday, Aug. 8 with the help of a K-9 named Woodson. Woodson, along with Trooper Jeff Schrieber, came upon the missing woman in a cornfield about three-quarters of a mile away from the crash site, state police said. “(She) was found lying on the ground with injuries that appeared to be suffered from the crash, and unable to move,” according to state police. “While waiting for help to arrive, a large storm came into the area, bringing with it lightning and a severe downpour.” Troopers carried the woman several hundred yards to a waiting ambulance, and she was taken to a hospital, according to state police. Initially in critical condition, she was upgraded to stable, WDIV reported. Livingston County is about 55 miles northwest of Detroit.

Charlotte Observer

Funeral Procession Held For Firefighters Killed In California Helicopter Crash

Cal Fire honored two of their own who were killed in a helicopter crash with a funeral procession through the Inland Empire on Thursday, August 10. Cal Fire Assistant Chief Joshua Bishoff and Captain Tim Rodriguez died when their helicopter collided with another Cal Fire chopper over the weekend. "They were outstanding firefighters, they were good family men, they were good friends," said Cal Fire Captain Dave Bell. "They are going to be missed tremendously." Bishoff and Rodriguez were moved from the Riverside County Coroner's Office to the funeral home in Menifee. As is tradition, multiple agencies came out to pay their respect to the fallen heroes. CHP and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department lead the way in the funeral procession as a Cal Fire helicopter followed the hearses overhead. Residents were invited out to pay their respects to the two men. "The fire service is one giant family," said Cal Fire family member Kitty Alvarado. "My heart goes out to the chief."

FOX 11

Cal Fire Is Adding A Powerful New Tech Tool This Season To Help Predict How Fires Spread

Last fall, as the Mosquito Fire exploded across tens of thousands of acres in the Sierra foothills, the fire behavior specialists for Cal Fire sprung into action. As the blaze tore across the dry terrain of Placer County and threatened the town of Volcanoville, they mustered a broadside of tech tools, from thermal cameras to airborne sensors, to determine how and where the fire might spread. Predictive computer models looked at factors such as wind conditions and how dry different terrains might be based on a network of cameras.  Since 2019, much of that predictive technology has been run through a software called Technosylva, which allows Cal Fire specialists to plug in fire attributes like rate of spread to model what a blaze might do next. But with the Mosquito fire, they tested a powerful new tool that will become standard this fire season to help the agency get the jump on fire spotting and weather-influenced behavior. The technology, built by researchers at San Jose State University, is called the Weather Research Forecasting System and will be one of the tools Cal Fire uses this season to help the agency get the jump on fire spotting. The critical differences will be the ability to predict where firebrands, or embers, from a fire might land and ignite new hotspots, and to better understand how the hot and dry winds swirling around a conflagration will influence and even create the weather around it in real time.

San Francisco Chronicle

53 People Have Died From The Maui Wildfires, Governor Says, And Historic Lahaina Has Burned Down

A search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of obliterated neighborhoods and landmarks charred beyond recognition, as the death toll rose to at least 53 and survivors told harrowing tales of narrow escapes with only the clothes on their backs. A flyover of historic Lahaina showed entire neighborhoods that had been a vibrant vision of color and island life reduced to gray ash. Block after block was nothing but rubble and blackened foundations, including along famous Front Street, where tourists shopped and dined just days ago. Boats in the harbor were scorched, and smoke hovered over the town, which dates to the 1700s and is the biggest community on the island’s west side. “Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press. More than 1,000 structures were destroyed by fires that were still burning, he said. Already the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami killed 61 people on the Big Island, the death toll will likely rise further as search and rescue operations continue, Green added. “We are heartsick,” Green said.

KTLA 5

New Coronavirus Subvariant Eris Is Gaining Dominance. Is It Fueling An Increase In Cases?

A new coronavirus subvariant, nicknamed Eris, has rapidly risen to prominence nationwide and is now thought to account for more U.S. cases than any of its counterparts at a time when transmission has been creeping upward. It’s possible the subvariant, formally known as EG.5, may have even further immune-escape advantage than some earlier members of the sprawling Omicron family — a viral dynasty that has dominated the globe since December 2021. But officials emphasize that doesn’t necessarily mean Eris will cause a big wave. “There are a couple of mutations on this particular variant that may have more immune evasion again. But it is very similar, and still a subset variant of Omicron,” California state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said in a briefing with health professionals Tuesday. According to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Eris comprised 17.3% of coronavirus specimens nationwide for the week ending Saturday, up from 11.9% a week earlier.

Los Angeles Times

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.