LAPD Ride Remembers Fallen First Responders

The fourth-annual "A Ride to Remember" was held in Mission Hills to honor fallen first responders. The annual event also raises funds for LAPD's Police Activities League (PAL) program, which provides a safe environment for kids during non-school hours. The ride started as a tribute to an officer who died of COVID-19 and the event has since expanded. Anahi Diaz was at the event to honor her brother, Juan Diaz, who was killed while off-duty by gang members after he confronted taggers in 2019. LAPD's cycling team was also at the ride. Anahi and many of the other riders from Sunday are training for the Police Unity Tour in May where they ride from New Jersey to Washington, D.C. in three days to honor the fallen officers. 

FOX 11

Woman Shot And Killed In Los Angeles’ Westlake Neighborhood

A woman was found with a fatal gunshot wound in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles Monday morning. Police were called to the scene near Ingraham Street and Lucas Avenue just before 2:30 a.m. Arriving officers found the woman suffering from a gunshot wound, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel pronounced the unidentified woman dead at the scene. She was believed to be between 30 and 40 years old, the spokesperson said. Video showed the victim was found down on the sidewalk, where officers put up a white canopy and crime scene tape. Investigators have not announced a possible motive for the shooting and no description of a possible suspect was released.

KTLA 5

Venice Attacks Suspect Charged With Rape, Torture And Attempted Murder

Los Angeles County prosecutors charged the main suspect in the horrid Venice attacks with several crimes, including rape, torture and attempted murder. "We are deeply outraged and appalled by these incomprehensible brutal sexual assaults committed against these two innocent survivors," District Attorney George Gascón said. "Such despicable acts have no place in our society and will not be tolerated." In total, the District Attorney's Office charged 29-year-old Anthony Francisco Jones, described as transient by police, with seven felonies: Two counts of forcible rape; one count of sexual penetration by use of force; one count of mayhem; one count of torture; one count of attempted murder; and one count of sodomy by use of force. Prosecutors said Jones kidnapped multiple victims and inflicted great bodily injury during the alleged sexual assaults. Gascón described these attacks as "the most heinous sexual assaults" he's ever seen. Jones will be held without bail. If charged, he will face life in prison. 

CBS 2

Police Seeking Driver In Deadly Hit-and-Run In Reseda

Police are asking for public help to find the hit-and-run driver who fatally struck a pedestrian in Reseda on Sunday. The crash happened at around 9 p.m. on Sherman Way near Etiwanda Avenue, according to Los Angeles Police Department officials. The victim, a man in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was not immediately released due to the pending investigation. LAPD investigators say that the man was crossing the road in a marked crosswalk "when he fell to the ground." The reason behind his fall remains unclear, but they say that he was "unable to get up from lanes of traffic" and was hit by a dark-colored sedan traveling eastbound on Sherman Way. Instead of stopping to help, the driver fled from the area. As usual with deadly hit-and-run crashes in Los Angeles, a standing reward of up to $50,000 has been offered by city officials for information that helps solve the incident. Anyone with further details is urged to contact detectives at (818) 644-8036 or (818) 644-8024.

CBS 2

Recruit Firefighter Killed On 101 Freeway In Studio City; Hit-and-Run Investigation Underway

A recruit firefighter was killed in an accident on the 101 Freeway in Studio City Monday morning. The crash was reported at 5:14 a.m. on the northbound lanes at Vineland Avenue. LAFD identified the victim as 22-year-old Jacob Fuerte. In a video posted on X, LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said Fuerte was on his way to training and may have been involved in a traffic collision. "He got out of his vehicle, likely to assess the situation and render aid to anyone in need, when he was hit by another vehicle," Scott said. Paramedics responded to the scene, but Fuerte was declared dead at the scene. "I received devastating news this morning that one of our firefighters lost their life tragically. He had just started his firefighting career, which requires courage, bravery, and prioritizing others before oneself. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family during this most difficult time," said LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley in a statement.

ABC 7

Burglary-Turned-Hours-Long SWAT Standoff Startles Westwood Residents

One person was arrested in Westwood Saturday evening after a roughly 5-hour standoff with police. The standoff started around noon Saturday after a man suspected of burglary ran into a home on Wilkins Avenue. Initial reports indicated the man had a baseball bat and was possibly carrying a knife. Dozens of curious neighbors watched from the street as police responded to the scene. "I think it’s exciting," said Danna, a neighbor. "I was supposed to go to like two parties today. I was deciding to go to one in Santa Monica or Echo Park. But this is way more exciting." Police at the scene initially seemed relaxed. Officers helped evacuate those nearby and then used a loudspeaker to try and get the suspect to leave the home. "[Police] put on their riot gear, the helicopters, like he hasn’t come out," said Danna. "They did get the family out and they seemed really scared." One neighbor, James Knight, heard the helicopters and went outside. Knight says he logged into the Citizen App to broadcast the standoff for his neighbors to watch. "This stuff doesn’t normally happen here," said Knight. "Actually, it never happens here."

FOX 11

Teen Shot And Killed In South Los Angeles

A teenager was shot and killed near a bus stop and a convenience store in South Los Angeles Monday. The shooting happened in the 10800 block of Western Avenue near West 108th Street just before 4 p.m., according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department. When they arrived, they found nearly 50 teens gathered and one boy suffering from a gunshot wound. The teenage victim was taken to a hospital but died at the facility, the Sheriff's Department said. "Unfortunately, you know, with these fights, we never know when somebody is armed. You know, during this these situations. I do believe that there is always school personnel out here. There is security. But unfortunately, with these fights, we never know," Lieutenant Omar Camacho, LA County Sheriff’s Homicide Detective, said. Detectives say they detained two people at the scene, but did not confirm if they were also teens. Video footage from the shooting scene showed the victim being taken into an ambulance while other teens wearing backpacks were standing around.

NBC 4

Man Arrested In Marina del Rey After Gunfire Sprayed From Rooftop Is Reportedly Livestreamed

A man was arrested Saturday night after allegedly shooting multiple rounds of gunfire from the top of a Marina del Rey apartment building, scaring neighbors and drawing a large emergency response, authorities said. No one was injured as a result of the heavy gunfire, which was sprayed down on the streets along the 4100 block of Via Marina, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. An arrest was made after 911 calls came in after 10 p.m. about relentless gunfire in the affluent seaside Los Angeles neighborhood. The suspect — whose name has not been released — is in custody, and an investigation is ongoing, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. A livestream of the incident appeared to be posted by the shooter, according to City News Service. Those videos appear to have been removed from the internet. An L.A. County Sheriff’s Department helicopter observed a male suspect on the roof of an apartment complex “firing rounds from a rifle,” according to a news release. Armored SWAT-style vehicles responded to the active shooter scene and closed down streets in the Via Marina area late Saturday night. Witnesses told City News Service that the man is a chef.

Los Angeles Times

AI-Generated Child Pornography Is Circulating. This California Prosecutor Wants To Make It Illegal.

After several reports of artificial intelligence-generated child pornography surfaced in California, Ventura County Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko advocated for a change to state law to protect children who are increasingly vulnerable to this misuse of technology. Last December, Nasarenko received his first tip regarding a person who had artificially created photos depicting an underaged girl performing sex acts with an adult man. “When it came to my attention, I said let’s file [charges],” Nasarenko told The Times. But, because of current loopholes in California law, he learned that he couldn’t press charges in cases where the photos of children are AI-generated. Last year, the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said it had received 4,700 reports of AI-generated photos that depict child sexual exploitation. Los Angeles middle and high schools have gone as far as to expel students for creating AI-generated sexually inappropriate images of their peers. In the last five months, Nasarenko’s office has received six tips related to photos depicting minors engaging in sexual acts.

Los Angeles Times

New York Police Officer, Deputy Killed In Shootout

Two police officers were killed Sunday night in a shootout on a suburban street in Salina. A Syracuse police officer and an Onondaga County sheriff’s deputy were both killed when they went to follow up on a traffic stop where the driver sped away, said Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile. The officers were not identified. The trouble started with a traffic stop at 7 p.m. in the city’s Tipp Hill neighborhood, Cecile said. That’s when Syracuse police tried to pull over a car, but the driver refused and sped off. Police took the plate number, which led them to a home on Darien Drive , a short street with tidy lawns and basketball hoops in the driveways. There, police saw guns in the back of the car, Cecile said. And then, from inside the home, they heard the sound of a gun being readied to fire, he said. Gunfire filled the little neighborhood as the officers and the suspect exchanged shots. The two officers and the suspect were all hit. The suspect also was killed, Cecile said. He did not identify the man. “This is our worst nightmare come true,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh . “Our thoughts right now are with the families of those two officers, those heroes.” Police gave some details about the two officers who were killed. The Syracuse officer had three years on the force. He was ambitious and hard-working, Cecile said.

PoliceOne

Video: Florida Deputy’s Shoulder Mic Blocks Bullet, Saving His Life, Sheriff’s Office Says

A Hillsborough deputy was injured Sunday when a man fired shots in a Carrollwood park, hitting his shoulder mic, authorities said. Deputy Kerr Craige, 33, was treated at a local hospital for a minor injury and released later that day, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The man accused of opening fire, 32-year-old Anthony William Carpenter, was arrested on three counts of attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement with a firearm, and one count each of resisting an officer with violence and armed trespassing. The incident started about 10 a.m. when a deputy was patrolling the area near Beacon Meadows Park, 4824 Ridge Point Drive, Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said during a news conference at the park later in the day. The deputy encountered Carpenter, who had been trespassed from the park on Saturday, and called for backup. Two more deputies arrived. “We have come into contact with him before, he has always been defiant, so we trespassed him yesterday,” Maurer said. “Deputies came back today and found him here again with a very aggressive dog. They asked Mr. Carpenter to leave, he was defiant.” For about 25 minutes, deputies told Carpenter to show them his hands, which he had in his jacket pockets, Maurer said. Deputies asked him if he was armed and he said no, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Tampa Bay Times

Forklift Carrying Steel Rebar Topples And Lands On Worker In Bel-Air, Killing Him

A construction worker was killed in Bel-Air on Monday afternoon when a forklift carrying a load of rebar toppled onto him, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles firefighters responded at 1 p.m. to a call about an adult male trapped under a forklift at 970 N. Moraga Drive, said Brian Humphrey, Fire Department spokesperson. Upon arriving, firefighters found a man trapped under a forklift that had been carrying steel rebar at the construction site. Humphrey said that, despite the quick response from fire crews, including those trained, certified and equipped for Urban Search & Rescue, the worker could not be saved. Fire paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. He was not immediately identified. The fatal construction accident comes nearly a month after a Los Angeles Port worker died in a similar accident.

Los Angeles Times

L.A. County Hospital Seeks Help Identifying Patient

A local hospital is asking for the public’s help to identify a patient found in Los Angeles County. The male patient was transferred to a Dignity Health hospital from a recuperative care facility in Glendale. He has no personal belongings, documentation or ID cards to help hospital staff identify him. He has not been able to communicate his personal information to staff either. He is believed to be around 57 years old and is described as a Hispanic man around 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 156 pounds. He has brown eyes and gray hair. No tattoos or other distinct physical markings were observed, staff said. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Dignity Health at 818-502-4739.

KTLA 5

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass urges business and philanthropic leaders to help fund housing for homeless people

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass used her State of the City address to announce a fundraising campaign to bring homeless Angelenos indoors, calling on business leaders, charitable organizations and wealthy individuals to contribute to the effort.

Bass also defended the city’s new contract with the police union, saying it has led to an increase in applicants seeking to join the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles Times

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.