LAPD Says Fentanyl, Black Tar Heroin Seized In Los Angeles Was Enough To Kill 11 Million People

More than 50 pounds of powdered fentanyl and nine pounds of black tar heroin was seized in South Los Angeles — drugs worth an estimated street value of over $4 million and enough fentanyl to kill more than 11 million people, according to police. Narcotics investigators were working a case near downtown LA on Wednesday which led to the arrest of Jose Alberto Soto, 28, who was taken into custody on suspicion of selling fentanyl, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release Thursday. From there, officers conducted a follow-up investigation that led to the serving of a search warrant at a location in the 7500 block of Central Avenue, in the Florence-Graham neighborhood of South LA, according to police. There, investigators seized the dozens of pounds of fentanyl and heroin as well as $14,500 in cash, police said. LAPD referenced figures from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for the Los Angeles area in estimating the drugs to be worth more than $4 million. And, given the DEA's estimate that 2mg of pure fentanyl can be a fatal dose, police said the amount seized could be enough to kill more than 11 million people. 

CBS 2

Man Fatally Shot In Panorama City

A man was fatally shot in Panorama City, and an investigation was underway Friday. Officers were sent to the 14000 block of Blythe Street about 6 p.m. Thursday, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. “When officers arrived, they found the victim on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound,” an LAPD statement said. The man, about 50, died at the scene. Information on his identity was not immediately available. No arrests were reported. Any possible witnesses, or anyone with security video of the area, was urged to call Valley Bureau homicide detectives at 818-374-9550, or 877-LAPD-247. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or use the website www.lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Attempted Murder Charges Filed In South L.A. Shootout That Wounded 6 Homeless Bystanders

Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed attempted murder charges against four suspects for their alleged roles in a mass shooting in South L.A. late last month, an incident police say was gang-related and injured a group of bystanders. Los Angeles police said in a report that the six victims, who appeared to have been unhoused, were standing near the corner of 74th and Figueroa streets on the afternoon of Sept. 25 when gunfire broke out between two sets of suspected gang members. One group arrived to the confrontation in a vehicle and several suspects opened fire before fleeing, police said. Five of the victims were women, four of whom are between the ages of 39 and 63, and one was a 36-year-old man, police said. The age of one female victim was not known. The victims were treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries, police said. Two others were also caught in the crossfire but unharmed, police said, which led to a total of eight counts of attempted murder filed this week against the suspects. Police said security video from nearby cameras showed three of the suspects arriving at the scene in a four-door Chevy with black rims, dressed in hoodies to conceal their identities. Surveillance footage, combined with other investigative methods, led gang detectives and members of the LAPD’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force to arrest four suspects — two adults and two juveniles, said Capt. Johnny Smith.

Los Angeles Times

3 Arrested In Connection With Shooting Of Influencer Miguel Aguilar During Robbery In West LA

Three people have been arrested in connection with the shooting of fitness influencer Miguel Aguilar during a home robbery in West Los Angeles last month, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The shooting happened on Sept. 13 outside a home in the 11400 block of North Thurston Circle near Sunset Boulevard. According to police, at least four armed suspects approached Aguilar and his wife in their driveway, demanding their belongings. That's when one of the suspects shot Aguilar in the head before they ran to a getaway car waiting nearby. TMZ reported that the thieves went after Aguilar's Rolex watch. Aguilar was taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition, officials said. One of the suspects, Mario Melara, was injured during the robbery-shooting and later died at a hospital, according to police. It was unclear how Melara was injured. The three other suspects - Jason Melara, Daymonee Johnson, and Makhi Taylor, were located in Northern California and arrested. 

FOX 11

Olympic Snowboarder On The Run, Accused Of Running Largest Cocaine Supplier To Canada Through SoCal

An Olympic snowboarder along with 15 others were charged for allegedly running a massive international drug trafficking operation to smuggle cocaine into Canada from Colombia through Mexico, using Los Angeles as their transportation hub, federal authorities announced Thursday. Ryan Wedding, a Canadian citizen who competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, allegedly ran a criminal enterprise that smuggled 16 tons of cocaine to Canada every year, being the largest cocaine supplier to the country. “Just from March to August of this year alone, we found they transported 1,800 kilograms of cocaine,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “On a yearly basis, they would move about 60 tons of cocaine. The cocaine shipments were “routinely” shipped from Colombia to Mexico, then they were transported to Los Angeles stash houses before being smuggled into Ontario, Canada, federal investigators alleged. Wedding, who now resides in Mexico, was on the run while several of the defendants were in custody awaiting their court appearance in Los Angeles in the coming weeks. “We will not allow Los Angeles to be used as a trans-shipment point," Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton of the Los Angeles Police Department, which collaborated with the FBI, DEA and other international law enforcement agencies in the latest takedown, said. Hamilton also said there were violent acts that can be “traced directly” to the alleged criminal enterprise.

NBC 4

Elderly Woman Robbed Of Necklaces In Reseda By Drive-By Thieves In Minivan

An elderly woman said her jewelry was stolen from her neck by drive-by thieves last month in front of her home in Reseda. 76 year-old Vicki Huff told Eyewitness News she was watering her plants on Sep. 21 when a dark blue minivan pulled up to her home with 2 men and a woman. Huff says the woman asked her for directions to the nearest church. The woman tried to give Huff $20 dollars in appreciation, to which Huff refused. That is when the woman grabbed Huff's arm and placed a fake gold necklace around her neck while simultaneously stealing the gold necklaces Huff was wearing. Before Huff noticed, the thieves drove off. "As soon as she did that, the man stopped talking to me, stepped on the gas and went on down the road and I was suspicious," Huff said. Huff says her necklaces, a gold cross and a religious medal, held sentimental value for her and that she had never taken them off in over 30 years. "It's a symbol of my faith to me, when I was baptized. It was a very personal thing for me to have and it breaks my heart, you know. It's sad," said Huff.

ABC 7

South L.A. Family Scammed Dozens Of Immigrants Out Of More Than $220K

Three relatives from South Los Angeles must repay more than $200,000 they took from dozens of immigrants in a years-long scam. Judith Gil; her brother, Oscar Mauricio Gil; and her daughter, Minerva Gil, were sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years of probation and must pay their 73 victims almost $223,000, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. In addition, the convictions for various counts of grand theft, criminal conspiracy and extortion resulted in suspended prison sentences. They include seven years for Judith, five years for Oscar and three years for Minerva. Between 2008 and 2021, the Gil family offered immigrants legal services for work permits and residency using the business FJA and Associates. Despite taking nearly a quarter million dollars in total, the three failed to deliver on their promises. “The trio filed invalid political asylum cases for the victims, resulting in the majority being unknowingly processed for deportation,” prosecutors said.

KTLA 5

Over $143,000 Worth Of Stolen Goods Discovered In Southern California Retail Theft Bust

Four suspects were arrested in a bust operation that shut down an organized retail crime ring in Southern California. The group is allegedly responsible for thefts across Orange and Los Angeles counties, according to the California Highway Patrol. The suspects were identified as: Victor Manuel Marcos Marino, 33, Maria Isabel Orozco Cadena, 31, Elena Huezo, 43, and Jose Aurelio Diaz Magana, 36. Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 27, authorities said they were involved in at least 10 thefts and escaped with around $10,000 in stolen merchandise. Throughout the investigation, two residences in Anaheim and Bloomington were associated with the crew. On Oct. 14, investigators served multiple search warrants at the homes where they discovered around $143,746 worth of stolen retail goods. Photos of the bust showed the stolen items were stored in dozens of suitcases at the Anaheim home and in large black bags and suitcases at the Bloomington home. The four suspects were taken into custody in Anaheim and booked into the Orange County Jail.

KTLA 5

North Carolina K-9 Shot, Killed During Pursuit

A K-9 officer was shot and killed during a pursuit involving a suspect wanted for a fatal double shooting the previous day, WFMY reported. The pursuit began on Oct. 16 when three suspects, wanted for a shooting that left two workers dead outside of a home, fled after a suspicious vehicle complaint, according to the report. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle struck another vehicle head-on. Two of the suspects fled on foot into a wooded area following the crash, according to the report. K-9 Draco was deployed to assist with apprehending the suspects when one of the suspects, a 42-year-old man, began shooting, striking K-9 Draco. Officers from the Mount Airy Police Department and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office attempted to provide medical aid to K-9 Draco at the scene, according to the report. Surry County Emergency Services transported K-9 Draco to Foothills Veterinary Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. The 42-year-old suspect also died during the confrontation. “K-9 Draco died a hero and will be deeply missed,” the police department stated. The other two suspects involved in the case were taken into custody.

PoliceOne

NYPD Official: Tren De Aragua Gang Recruiting Children As Young As 8

The NYPD’s Detective Bureau is closely monitoring the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which has reportedly expanded its presence in New York City amid a surge of asylum seekers, FOX 5 reported. NYPD Detective Bureau Assistant Chief Jason Savino stated that this is the first time the gang has shown significant organizational structure in the city, with members as young as 11 years old involved in crimes, and some robbery suspects as young as 8. Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela in 2012, is notorious for its involvement in drug dealing, human trafficking and robberies across South America, according to the report. Police say the gang has grown increasingly brazen, with members openly displaying weapons on social media and committing crimes in areas like Times Square. A subset of the gang, known as “Los Diablos de la 42" (Little Devils of 42nd Street), has been targeting locals and tourists in the Times Square area. Savino noted that the gang uses the high-profile location to flaunt their activities online, adding that despite multiple arrests for over 50 robberies, all suspects are currently back on the streets, according to the report. 

PoliceOne

North Hollywood Middle School Students Treated After Banned Substance Use

More than a dozen middle school students were treated for consuming a “banned substance” in North Hollywood Thursday morning, fire officials confirmed. A total of 16 were treated by first responders after the Los Angeles Fire Department, which received a medical aid call at around 10:30 a.m. from Walter Reed Middle school on Irvine Avenue. Among the students linked to the substance, two were transported to a local hospital while 14 others were released to the school. None of the students suffered from life-threatening conditions, the LAFD said. The Los Angeles Unified School District acknowledged the incident, saying the students “may have consumed a banned substances. “We ask that you talk to your children about substance abuse and the harmful side effects of controlled substances. We need your help to educate our students about the harms that drugs can cause," the LAUSD said.

NBC 4

Red Flag Parking Restrictions Go Into Effect Friday In Los Angeles

A red flag parking restriction will be in effect in Los Angeles beginning at 8 a.m. Friday due to weather conditions to assist quick response efforts for firefighters, the Los Angeles Fire Department announced Thursday. The parking restriction will remain in effect until further notice. Vehicles illegally parked in areas within the “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones” will be towed, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The parking enforcement is being enforced to aid in quick response to fast-moving brush fires and swift evacuations. “The parking restrictions are planned for at least 24 hours and will be reevaluated based on the weather conditions,” the LAFD said in a statement. Drivers are reminded to look for “Red Flag Days” no parking signs to ensure compliance.

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.