LAPD Releases New Images Of 3 Suspects Involved In Palms Stabbing

Police released new images of three suspects involved in the stabbing of a man in the Palms area. The incident happened the afternoon of April 23 in the 9000 block of Venice Boulevard, just southwest of Robertson. Police said a woman and two men approached the victim and an argument ensued. The woman hit the man with a metal rod then stabbed him repeatedly before all three suspects fled. The victim survived the attack and was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department. 

ABC 7

Arrest Made In Savage Hollywood Beating Shared On Social Media

An arrest has been made in a brutal beating in Hollywood that left a man apparently unconscious on the Walk of Fame. Video of the early Monday morning attack drew attention on social media and TMZ, and the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release that officers responded to that reported altercation in the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard and found “a severely injured male victim.” The victim, who has not been identified, was treated for several injuries at a local hospital, police added. On Wednesday, police arrested Hollywood resident Jorge Luiz Garcia, 27, on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, police said in a news release. According to the LAPD, Garcia pepper-sprayed the other man, knocked him to the ground and “continued to punch the victim while he was lying unconscious on the ground, resulting in severe injuries to the victim.” The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for the filing of possible charges.

KTLA 5

Deputies Shut Down South Los Angeles Streets After Reported Bank Robbery

Deputies closed two major South Los Angeles streets Thursday afternoon to investigate a reported robbery at a local Wells Fargo branch. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department closed Florence and Central Avenues as dozens of deputies combed through the area. Deputies received the call at about 5:15 p.m. The sheriff's department said the call originated from someone inside the bank who spotted someone outside walking with a mask on. The person never entered the bank, never made any demands and in no way tried to rob the branch. When deputies arrived at the location, they found an armed security guard, who worked for the bank, outside and detained him during the investigation. Deputies made it clear that the guard was not a suspect. Investigators never found the man in a mask. The sheriff's department detained several people while searching the parking lot but detailed everyone once they cleared the area. 

CBS 2

Police were advised to avoid mass arrests; then came the US campus protests

In the three tumultuous weeks since protests broke out at U.S. universities, police have descended on dozens of campuses to sweep up students in mass arrests, adhering to an approach many criminologists have found to be outdated and counterproductive. New York police arrested nearly 300 people at Columbia University and City College of New York on April 30 during protests over the war in Gaza, setting off flash bangs to stun and disorient demonstrators. Two nights later in Los Angeles, police collared more than 200 people at UCLA.

Reuters

Compton Man Pleads To Leading Role In Drug Trafficking Ring

A Compton man pleaded guilty to a federal narcotics charge Thursday for leading a locally based drug-trafficking organization that shipped cocaine to Alaska on commercial airline flights and through the U.S. mail. Raul Cisneros Jr., 45, pleaded guilty to a single count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8, when he faces between 10 years and life in federal prison. He is the last of nine defendants in the case. Eight other people have been convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to prosecutors, Cisneros orchestrated the drug-trafficking operation between July 2014 and August 2016. In October 2015, he was stopped by law enforcement while heading to an accomplice’s home, and prosecutors said he was found in possession of roughly $5,000 in cash and 22 pounds of cocaine intended for sale. A search of his home turned up 66 pounds of cocaine, 167 grams of crack cocaine and a pound of methamphetamine, all of which were found in his kitchen cabinets, prosecutors said. Hundreds of empty green cellophane wrappers were also found, along with a money counter. Four firearms and 72 rounds of ammunition were also located, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

MyNewsLA

California 7-Year-Old Boy Stabbed By Adult Brother With Steak Knife, Police Say

A 7-year-old boy is fighting for his life in critical condition at the hospital after authorities said he was stabbed multiple times by his 24-year-old brother in South Whittier Thursday night. An official with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the call came in just after 10 p.m. Someone reported a family disturbance and that someone had been stabbed at a home in the 9600 block of Ben Hur Avenue, near the intersection of Lambert Road and Mills Avenue. The young victim was rushed to LA General Medical Center where he is in critical but stable condition. The suspect was also taken to the hospital to be evaluated because he suffered injuries as his parents tried to separate the two. It is believed the suspect was suffering a mental health crisis at the time of the incident. Once the suspect is medically cleared, the LASD said he’ll be booked for assault with a deadly weapon. At this point, his name has not been released by investigators. The investigation is ongoing.

FOX 11

Hospital Seeking Identity Of Man Found In South Los Angeles

A Los Angeles County hospital is asking for the public’s help to identify a patient who was found nearly a month ago in South L.A. St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood says the man was found on April 15 on East 96th Street in the Florence-Graham area. The patient, hospital officials said, is unable to communicate his name or other information that would help identify him. He’s described as a white man in his mid-60s with gray hair and blue eyes. He’s about 6-foot-1 and weighs around 125 pounds, the hospital said. Due to patient confidentiality laws, the hospital did not disclose any information about the man’s condition. Anyone who recognizes him is urged to contact the St. Francis Medical Center Social Services Office at 310-900-8630 and provide patient reference number 11. After hours and weekend calls can be made to 310-900-7993.

KTLA 5

Dockweiler And Venice Beaches Partially Closed After Untreated Sewage Spill

Public Health officials closed the popular waters off Dockweiler and Venice Beaches after thousands of gallons of untreated sewage spilled in the area. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the notice on May 9 after the sewage spilled into the Ballona Creek the day before. About 14,400 gallons spilled into the waterway, which leads to the coast near Dockweiler and Venice. Originally, the closure only affected Dockweiler State Beach, but an incoming swell threatened to push the ocean water toward Venice Beach. Public Health officials advised residents and visitors to avoid the water and any areas with wet sand. The department will conduct water sampling starting on May 10 to determine if the sewage has left the area. Scientists will not reopen the beach until they get at least two test results showing that bacterial levels have returned to health standards. 

CBS 2

Up In Flames: Rising Number Of Homeless Fires Threatens LA Neighborhoods

Just before 10 one recent morning, an LA neighborhood was rocked by loud explosions that residents say sounded like bombs going off. "There were two huge explosions, and when I looked out my apartment window I saw plumes of black smoke," said Jeanne Rice, who lives around the corner from a homeless encampment at Wilton Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. Those plumes of smoke and fire were coming from a homeless tent that had exploded into a ball of fire, destroying the tent and other tents around it. The I-Team found this was just one of several encampment fires recently in this neighborhood dotted by new apartment and condo buildings. "We have fire after fire after fire, and now they're putting us in danger. We're all in danger in this neighborhood," said resident Levi Freeman. LA Fire Department data for the last five calendar years, obtained by the I-Team, shows the number of fires related to homeless people has been steadily climbing. There were 13,909 homeless fires in 2023, almost double the number of such fires in 2020. These fires usually start in or around homeless tents, but often spread to nearby commercial or apartment buildings, sometimes injuring and, in rare cases, killing people.

NBC 4

LA Council Members Price, de León Back On Committees Despite Scandals

Los Angeles City Council members Curren Price and Kevin de León are back on several committees, despite being caught up in separate scandals. Price stepped down from his committees in June, after he was charged with embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest. Price says he's innocent. De León was removed from his committees in 2022, after a secretly recorded conversation featuring racist remarks became public. He apologized and is running for a second term in the November election.

ABC 7

LA City Council Members Look At Funding Sources To Support Priority Functions

Amid a projected multi-year deficit and efforts to “right-size” the 2024-25 budget, Los Angeles City officials are continuing their efforts to identify possible funding sources for “priority” programs and services. On Wednesday, the City Council’s five-member Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee began working through more than 150 budget memos, with the intent of narrowing them down to at least 35. The 35 memos represent areas where council members hope to ensure funding for certain programs and services. The committee met into the evening but could not finish its work due time constraints, and opted to extend the meeting to next Thursday, May 16. During the meeting, council members expressed concerns and echoed sentiments from department heads, who last week explained how cuts to their operational budgets and elimination of vacant positions would impact their ability to function — or in some ways not provide a higher level of service that they aim to achieve. Some council members suggested that they move funding away from the Los Angeles Police Department and Mayor Karen Bass’ cornerstone homeless program, Inside Safe, for other things.

MyNewsLA

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.