LAPD, FBI ramping up security at the Oscars amid ongoing war in Iran
LAPD, FBI ramping up security at the Oscars amid ongoing war in Iran
Amid rumors that Iran may be planning drone attacks against California in response to missile strikes by the United States and Israel, Los Angeles and federal authorities are tightening security for Sunday's Academy Awards. There are no credible or uncredible threat against the Dolby Theatre where Hollywood's biggest night is set to take place, the Los Angeles Police Department told NBC Los Angeles Wednesday. The LAPD is deploying uniformed officers, surveillance cameras and drones in the area while working closely with the federal partners and private security at the award show, the department said. About 1,000 private security officers will be present at and near the venue. "We want to reassure every Angeleno that we continue to coordinate with all of our Federal, State, and local partners for intelligence and information sharing during the ongoing Middle East conflict," the LAPD said in a statement. "We share this information in real time, assess every credible lead, and adjust our posture as needed to ensure the safety of our City." While monitoring intelligence, the LAPD also said it plans to activate its special units, including SWAT and bomb squad, equipped with bomb-sniffing dogs, on site.
Serial arson suspect facing death, life in prison after Hollywood fire killed 2 elderly sisters
A 39-year-old man is now facing death or life in prison after authorities announced Wednesday that he has been charged in connection with a series of fires in Hollywood, one of which killed two elderly sisters in their home. The suspect, identified as Jovan Lamar Duverne, was charged with two counts of murder and 11 counts of felony arson, and stands accused of setting a series of fires between Jan. 26 and Feb. 4, 2026, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors allege Duverne set fires at 10 different locations in Hollywood, using a handheld torch-style lighter to ignite rubbish and attempt to start fires at buildings throughout the neighborhood. “Setting fires anywhere is reckless and extraordinarily dangerous, but deliberately igniting multiple fires in a residential community shows a shocking disregard for human life,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. Authorities say the suspected arson spree turned deadly on Feb. 4 around 2 a.m., when Duverne allegedly set fire to a residence in Hollywood.
2 men brutally beaten in targeted Sun Valley auto shop attack; 2 cars stolen
A chaotic scene unfolded in Sun Valley Wednesday night as a large group of 10 to 12 people attacked two men at an auto body shop, leading to a brutal assault and the theft of high-end vehicles. Officers responded to the 8500 block of Lankershim Boulevard around 10:30 p.m. At the scene, they found a man bleeding from the head. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, at least one suspect was armed with a pistol and used it to whip one of the victims, while the second victim was also beaten. Video showed one of the victims with a bloody face, but he was conscious and alert. The suspects fled the scene with two luxury cars: a Genesis (Hyundai's luxury brand) and a white BMW. Before police could clear the property to ensure no suspects remained inside, they were forced to secure two guard dogs on the lot. Investigators have stated they do not believe this was a random act of violence; rather, the victims appear to have been targeted, possibly over a business-related disagreement.
‘Get off the road!’ Wild video shows man severely injured in Brentwood hit-and-run
The Los Angeles Police Department released shocking footage Wednesday of a hit-and-run that left a man severely injured in Brentwood and asked for the public’s help in finding the suspect. According to police, the collision happened around 12:34 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2026, in the southbound lanes of Bringham Avenue north of Gorham Avenue. Video provided by LAPD first shows an unidentified man sitting in the roadway, not responding to a bystander’s warnings, while a horn is blaring in the background. “Hey man, you gotta get off the road, there’s a car coming!” The bystander can be heard shouting as the suspect vehicle quickly approaches. “Stop, stop, stop, stop!” The video pauses just after the moment of impact, and the victim is blurred once he is struck by the car. When the footage resumes, the car is seen driving off, while the victim is lying in the street where he was hit. Police describe the suspect vehicle as a black Toyota Prius and said the car continued southbound on Bringham Avenue toward San Vicente Boulevard, without stopping to render aid and/or identify themselves to the pedestrian.
L.A. boy, 14, arrested in armed carjacking, police pursuit in Orange County
Police in Orange County arrested a 14-year-old boy behind the wheel of a car that had reportedly been stolen during an armed carjacking earlier in the day. It’s unclear exactly when the incident occurred, but night shift officers with the Cypress Police Department spotted the stolen vehicle near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Moody Street. “They followed the vehicle until Anaheim PD’s helicopter ‘Angel’ arrived overhead, and a vehicle pursuit ensued,” investigators said in a social media post. In dashcam footage of the chase released by the department, the teen suspect repeatedly attempted to evade officers, at one point even driving over a curb in what appeared to be a near miss with one of the officer’s patrol cruisers. Eventually, the juvenile drove into a dead-end street, bailed out of the vehicle and took off on foot, running into the backyard of a nearby home. Body-worn camera footage showed officers approaching the open gate of a resident’s backyard where the teen could be seen hiding under a boat trailer. Footage shows officers ordering the teen out and onto his stomach where he was quickly cuffed and taken into custody.
SoCal brothers arrested for $6M workers' comp insurance fraud
Two brothers, who own a number of towing companies across Southern California, were arrested after being accused of lying about employee payroll and defrauding insurance companies out of nearly $6 million of insurance premiums, state authorities announced Wednesday. The California Department of Insurance said Mark Hassan, 46, of Corona Del Mar and Ahmed Hassan, 35, of Walnut, underreported employee payroll by paying their workers under the table, thus paying lower workers' compensation insurance premiums. The investigations were launched against the brothers after the Insurance Department received three fraud referrals, prompting officials to examine several companies owned by the brothers, including Hadley Tow in Whittier and California Heights Tow in Walnut. In all, the Hassan brothers reported a total payroll of $3 million to their insurance companies, but an audit showed their accurate payroll should have been $16.7 million, the department explained. "The illegal actions resulted in an estimated premium loss of $5,897,487," the state agency said in a statement.
BWC: California officer responding to domestic call shoots man chasing after woman with knife
Bodycam footage released this week shows a man who was threatening a woman with a knife in Chino responding “shoot me,” after police ordered him to drop the weapon. Moments later, as he pursued the victim, they opened fire. A witness called police to report a woman screaming coming from 16250 Homecoming Drive in Chino around 9 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2025, according to a critical incident video Chino police released on Monday, March 9. “My neighbors are having a domestic dispute and he’s hurting her. It’s really bad and there’s yelling and screaming,” the witness told a 911 dispatcher. “He’s hitting her. She’s crying for help,” said the witness, who could see the altercation through a window. Another neighbor also called 911, telling dispatchers that “some kind of abuse” was going on and they could hear a woman saying “Don’t stab me,” “Don’t kill me” and something about a knife. The caller said it was their second time calling within about a week, according to audio of the call. The bodycam footage shows Chino police arriving at the home and entering through the garage shortly after 9 p.m. Inside, they found 29-year-old Royce Johnson of Anaheim “holding a large knife aggressively towards the female victim,” police said.
BWC: Man rushes at Iowa officers with machete before fatal OIS
The Marion Police Department released body camera footage showing an officer-involved shooting of a man who approached officers with a machete. The Iowa Office of the Attorney General also released a report on the incident, ruling the officer justified in his use of force. An officer responded on Feb. 4 to a residential neighborhood after a caller requested to speak with an officer, according to the report. Upon arrival, the officer encountered a man and his neighbor standing on the sidewalk. The neighbor told police the two had been discussing religion. The man appeared reluctant to speak with the officer and questioned why the officer worked “for evil,” video shows. A second officer arrived to assist. After several minutes, the man pulled out a machete-style weapon about two feet long and began gesturing toward the officers. Police repeatedly ordered the man to drop the weapon. When he refused, one officer deployed a TASER, which had little effect. The man then charged toward an officer while shouting that officers could not stop him.
Public Safety News
Motorcyclist Dies in Accident on Sunset Boulevard
A 51-year-old motorcycle rider was killed after he fell off of his motorcycle in Pacific Palisades, the Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday. Officers responded at 10:35 p.m. Wednesday to Sunset Boulevard and Marquez Avenue, where they learned the victim was traveling east on Sunset when he apparently fell from the bike and was struck by a vehicle heading in the opposite direction, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. The victim was taken by Los Angeles Fire Department to a hospital, where he died from his injuries, police said. It was not immediately known if the driver of the other vehicle remained at the scene while police investigated the cause of the crash.
Pedestrian hit and killed by Amtrak train in Glassell Park
The Los Angeles Fire Department said that a pedestrian was hit and killed by a train Wednesday in the city’s Glassell Park neighborhood. It happened at approximately 11:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of Media Center Drive. Metrolink said that the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train 774 struck the person between Glendale and L.A. Union stations. LAFD said that when paramedics arrived at the scene, the pedestrian was beyond medical help and was declared dead. It’s unknown why the person might have been on the tracks, but Sky5’s Rich Prickett said that an encampment was seen under an overpass nearby. No other people were reported injured on or around the train.
Overdose deaths drop among homeless near MacArthur Park, new report shows
A new Los Angeles County public health report shows a significant drop in overdose deaths among people experiencing homelessness in the MacArthur Park area, officials announced Wednesday. According to the report, “Lives Lost: Mortality Trends and Prevention Opportunities for People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County, 2015–2024,” overdose deaths among unhoused people in ZIP code 90057, which includes MacArthur Park and surrounding neighborhoods, fell 32.8% between 2023 and 2024, dropping from 64 deaths to 43. The trend was also reflected across the county’s Metro Service Planning Area, where overdose deaths among people experiencing homelessness declined 30.8%, from 467 deaths in 2023 to 323 in 2024, the report found.
High bacteria levels prompts LA County beach warnings ahead of heat wave
Temperatures are expected to soar amid a regional heat wave Thursday, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning people to avoid ocean waters at several beaches due to high bacteria levels. Health officials said the warnings were issued after recent water samples showed bacteria levels exceeding state health standards, which could increase the risk of illness. Meanwhile, warnings were lifted for the following beach areas where recent sample results identified water quality levels within state standards: Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and Herondo Street storm drain in Hermosa Beach, near Hermosa Tower TK. Recorded information on beach conditions is available 24 hours a day on the county's beach closure hotline, 1-800-525-5662. A map of impacted locations and more information can be found at PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach/.
Local Government News
LA Council to Form Ad Hoc Committee on Measure ULA
The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved a motion to create a three-member ad hoc committee to review and make recommendations to alter the so-called “Mansion Tax.” The council unanimously approved the motion, which was introduced Match 4 by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado amid concerns that 2022’s voter-approved Measure United to House Los Angeles is hurting affordable housing production, and could be vulnerable to a possible threat led by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. The tax on properties above $5.3 million is not just for mansions but apartments, commercial buildings and other developments. All pending files related to Measure ULA will be referred to the ad hoc committee, which is expected to be dissolved no later than April 30 unless it is extended by the council.
