LAPD Reports Uptick In Violent Crimes, Robberies

Violent crime in Los Angeles is up 2.9% compared to March 2023, and robberies have increased by 9.5%, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. During Tuesday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Interim Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi reported an uptick in violent crimes, with 73 homicides so far this year compared to 57 at this point in 2023, an increase of 28.1%. Choi said robberies continue to "plague us as a crime problem.” He also emphasized that property crime is down 4.6% compared to the same time last year, and said Los Angeles continues to see about a 3.1% decline in Part 1 or major crimes. While overall violent crime and robberies have risen so far this year, Choi reassured commissioners that homicides are down 6.4% and victims who are shot are also down by 3.4% compared to 2022. Choi said robberies with firearms are up 2.9%, gang-related robberies are up 5.3% and motor vehicle theft is up 6% compared to 2023. Kias, Chevrolets and Hyundais are still the "most stolen" vehicles, and the city has seen a 4.6% increase in E-bikes and scooters being stolen, he added. Though there's an increase in robberies this year, Choi noted that gang-related robberies are down 25.5% and robberies with firearms are down 35% compared to 2022.

Westside Current

Police Surround A Harbor City Residence After Reported Shots Fired

Police surround a Harbor City apartment complex after reports of possible shots fired by a distraught man, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police responded at 9 a.m. to a call of a possibly armed domestic violence suspect barricaded in a residence. A large police presence can be seen in the 26200 block of President Avenue with SKYCal overhead. An LAPD helicopter can be seen circling the area, assisting officers on the ground. Traffic was routed away from the area during the standoff. At around 6 p.m., officers reported that the man was taken into custody without further incident, ending the nearly nine-hour ordeal. 

CBS 2

Party Girls, Karaoke, Extortion In Koreatown: Trial Exposes Dark World

The drivers would circle Koreatown, piloting a van filled with party girls. The so-called doumi — decked out in bikini tops, short skirts and tight dresses — were looking to get hired at one of the many karaoke bars that fill the neighborhood. Doumi drivers, named for the hostesses they transport, could make $40 an hour for each passenger hired to party with karaoke customers. And each month, drivers would pay a portion of their profits to Daekun Cho, a well-known figure in Koreatown. Authorities arrested Cho last year, and he’s since been charged with 55 counts of extortion, one count of attempted extortion and another of carjacking. In a federal trial that unfolded in downtown L.A. this month, prosecutors painted Cho, 39, as a gangster who for years extorted monthly protection fees from karaoke bar owners and doumi drivers, many of whom were in the country illegally and did not speak English fluently. He carried out acts of violence on those who did not pay or who violated his rules, they said in court, including beating one driver with a baseball bat and shooting a doumi in the neck. Prosecutors displayed photos from Cho’s Instagram account and images of his tattoos to identify him as a member of the Grape Street Crips, a predominantly Black gang based in Watts’ Jordan Downs housing project.

Los Angeles Times

Authorities Seek Public Help Finding 69-Year-Old Man Diagnosed With Dementia

Authorities sought the public’s help Tuesday in locating a 69-year-old man last seen in Compton diagnosed with dementia and other unspecified medical issues that require medication. Robert Robinson Jr. was last seen Thursday around noon in the 1900 block of North Santa Fe Avenue, near the border with Lynwood, according to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Deputies described Robinson as a 5-foot-10-inch tall Black man weighing 120 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Robinson is blind in his right eye and has a mustache and goatee, authorities said. Robinson was last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt, pants and black Adidas shoes. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

3 L.A. County Residents Sentenced For Stealing Over $2.5 Million In Target Gift Cards

Three L.A. County residents were sentenced to prison for laundering over $2.5 million in Target gift cards. The trio was identified as: Blade Bai, 35, of El Monte; Bowen Hu, 28, of Hacienda Heights; and Tairan Shi, 29, of Diamond Bar. After a 10-day trial in September 2023, all three were found guilty of scamming victims into buying gift cards under the false pretense of resolving various financial problems, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Between June 2019 and November 2020, prosecutors estimate over $2.5 million worth of gift cards were laundered. The scheme involved a network of scammers calling victims and persuading them to buy one or more Target gift cards to rectify nonexistent issues. The targeted victims were often older adults, officials said. During these calls, the suspects posed as law enforcement officers or government employees while telling the victims their identities had been stolen or warrants were issued for their arrest. Others were sent fake tech support emails claiming issues with the victims’ financial accounts. They also posed as retail and tech support staff claiming issues with the victims’ accounts and falsely offering to fix the nonexistent issues.

KTLA 5

NYPD Officer Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop

An NYPD officer was fatally shot during a Monday car stop in Queens, Mayor Adams said, calling the incident “a senseless act of violence.” “We lost one of our sons today and it is extremely painful,” Adams said at a press conference. “It’s extremely painful.” Uniformed officer Jonathan Diller and his partner pulled Lindy Jones, 41, and Guy Rivera, 34, over near the corner of Mott Ave. and Smith Place in Far Rockaway just before 5:50 p.m., cops and sources said. The men were in a gray Kia SUV and were illegally parked in a bus stop, according to police. “[Rivera] was asked to leave the car,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at the news conference. “He was given a lawful order numerous times to step out of the car and he refused. Instead of stepping out of the car, he shot our officer.” Diller, 31, was shot in the torso underneath his bullet resistant vest, but “still stayed in the fight,” Kenny said. “[Diller] was trying to unarm the person that had just shot him as [Diller] was on the floor,” Kenny said. “The gun hit the ground and as the perpetrator was still reaching for it, this cop was able to grab it, although he was still shot.” Diller’s partner shot Rivera once in the back, police and sources said. 

New York Daily News

Video: Florida Officer Remains Calm, Applies Tourniquet To Own Bloodied Leg After OIS

The Tallahassee Police Department has released body camera footage showing an officer return fire at suspects and then rendering medical aid to himself after being shot, WCTV reported. Video of the Sep. 25, 2023, incident released March 25 shows Officer Caleb Babb arriving on a scene where a 911 caller reported several armed suspects, according to the video release. Babb reported a suspicious vehicle leaving the area, before seeing one of the suspects coming out of a residence. Babb then ran after the suspect and instructed him to stop and put down his weapon. The suspect did not comply, turning around and reentering the residence, the video shows. The officer ran after the suspect, approaching the door of the residence. As Babb came near the residence, another suspect could be seen opening the door holding a weapon. He fired at Babb, striking him. Babb returned fire before retreating behind a residence to treat his injuries. Video shows Babb’s leg covered in blood. He maintained a calm demeanor as he worked to apply a tourniquet, video shows. “I look down and I have bright red arterial blood on my boot,” Babb said during an interview posted on Facebook by the department. “You can’t help others if you’re down for the count so I know I had to kind of fix whatever this was and then I could go back to work.”

PoliceOne

Mother Delivers Baby On Los Angeles Sidewalk

A newborn baby appears to be okay after being born on a sidewalk in Exposition Park Monday night. Firefighters were sent to the 3800 block of South Figueroa Street around 11:30 p.m. to assist a woman who went into labor. The woman’s water apparently broke while she was walking on the sidewalk. Firefighters helped as the woman delivered the baby and then cut the umbilical cord, stringer news service RMG News reported. Video showed firefighters wrapping the baby in a towel and then handing the newborn over to mom. Both mother and child were taken to a local hospital for evaluation but appeared to be okay.

KTLA 5

3 L.A. Council Races On Track For Runoffs, With Certification Set For Friday

With final vote certification set for Friday, challenger Ysabel Jurado and incumbent Kevin de León remain on track for a November runoff for the 14th District City Council seat, according to vote numbers released Tuesday. The 14th District is one of three council races headed for a runoff. Jurado, a tenants-rights attorney, stood at 8,611 votes (24.52%) to de León's 8,214 (23.39%), according to totals released Tuesday by the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Since the previous results from the March 5 primary were released last week, Jurado added four votes to her total, while de León picked up another five. The 14th District encompasses Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Downtown Los Angeles, El Sereno and Northeast Los Angeles. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the primary vote, the top two vote-getters square off in a November runoff. In the Second District, former Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian holds a lead over business owner Jillian Burgos. As of Tuesday's ballot update, Nazarian stood at 14,025 (37.18%) votes to Burgos' 8,426 (22.34%).

Westside Current

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.