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Los Angeles County changes sex crime policy after boy’s slaying
Los Angeles County prosecutors must speed up the filing of felony charges against persons accused of sex crimes or violence against family members, according to a new policy announcement Thursday. The announcement follows a recent Los Angeles Times report highlighting how a backlog of criminal cases in the district attorney’s office may have played a role in the sexual assault and slaying of a 13-year-old boy. Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Steve Katz said Thursday that once a decision has been made to seek an arrest warrant in such cases, the process to file a criminal complaint must begin within one business day, according to a copy of an officewide memo reviewed by The Times. “The urgency with which a case should be processed and filed is particularly great when the underlying conduct involves family violence or a sexual assault, including matters in which the accused is not in custody,” Katz wrote. A spokesperson for Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said Thursday that there was a push “to streamline case processing at every level — from filing deputies to support staff — to ensure expeditious justice without sacrificing the standards needed to file a case.”
Los Angeles Times
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Police search for alleged driver involved in deadly hit-and-run in Canoga Park
The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for the alleged driver who killed a man during a hit-and-run in Canoga Park Friday morning. Police said they received calls around 1:15 a.m. about a pedestrian who was hit by a car near the intersection of Sherman Way and Independence Avenue. They believe the pedestrian was outside of the crosswalk when he was hit by the driver traveling eastbound on Sherman Way. The driver fled the scene in a Mercedes. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by members of the LA Fire Department. Police do not have a description of the driver and are continuing to investigate the incident.
CBS 2
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Man in custody after brief police pursuit through Hollywood
Police in Los Angeles pursued a suspect believed to be armed with a gun through city streets on Thursday morning. Sky5 was over the chase around 8:40 a.m., when the suspect was fleeing LAPD officers in the Hollywood area, and eventually into Koreatown. He was driving at a low rate of speed while navigating tight city streets. He appeared to be smoking an unknown substance at one point. At 8:43 a.m., the driver made a brief stop in the area of Clinton Street and North Kingsley Drive, but then continued through the residential neighborhood. By 8:46 a.m., the suspect stopped the vehicle after the road was blocked by a large truck in the area of North Hobart Boulevard and Lemon Grove Avenue. He climbed out of the window and surrendered himself to police. Officers made sure there was no additional threat inside the gray sedan being driven by the suspect before taking him into custody. It’s not yet clear when or why the pursuit started.
KTLA 5
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LAPD Arrests Suspected DUI Driver After Crashing into Apartment Pool
The driver of a vehicle that crashed into the pool at an apartment building in Winnetka is in custody Thursday on suspicion of driving under the influence, police said Thursday. The crash was reported at 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the 7200 block of Winnetka Avenue and Sherman Way, Fox 11 reported. The driver was taken into custody by Los Angeles Police Department by officers shortly after the crash. Fox 11 reported no one was injured in the crash.
MyNewsLA
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West Los Angeles bakery targeted in destructive burglary
Police are searching for four burglary suspects who smashed their way into a West Los Angeles bakery Thursday morning. The suspects drove up to Bibi’s Bakery & Cafe at 8928 West Pico Blvd. in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood at 2:30 a.m. Surveillance footage showed the hooded thieves using a hammer to shatter the glass front door before quickly running inside. They were seen using a tool to pry open a cash drawer and a safe, but were ultimately unsuccessful. “They ended up taking the tips that were on the counter, so maybe it was $50 worth of tips that we had accumulated,” said owner Dan Messinger. After emptying the tip jar, they fled the shop in a black sedan before police arrived at the scene. Employees who arrived at the bakery around the same time heard the security alarm ringing and immediately called the shop’s owner.
KTLA 5
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LA man says thieves cloned key fob signal to break into his BMW
A Los Angeles man says thieves broke into his BMW twice without smashing windows or leaving behind any damage. Two different burglars broke into the car within a matter of hours by cloning the vehicle's key fob signal, the victim said. The thefts happened last week. Dashcam video shows the men looking through the car that was left in the parking garage of a downtown L.A. apartment complex. Despite locking the car, the victim says the burglars stole two drones, two Louis Vuitton jackets and a Louis Vuitton watch. There was no damage to the vehicle. Police are still investigating how the suspects got into the car and say they can't confirm if the two break-ins are related.
ABC 7
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Southern California man arrested for allegedly providing drugs, alcohol to underage girls for sex
A San Fernando Valley man was arrested on suspicion of sexually preying on underage girls by offering free drugs and alcohol in exchange for sex. Ivan Hernandez, 30, of Valley Village, was arrested for the alleged crimes on March 23, the Burbank Police Department announced Thursday. Officers from the Los Angeles and Burbank police departments had been investigating Hernandez for possible lewd contact and unlawful sex with underage victims. On March 23, police responded to a call reporting suspected drug activity at an undisclosed location where Hernandez was found inside a car with an underage girl. Investigators said Hernandez had allegedly been providing nitrous oxide, marijuana, and alcohol to underage victims in exchange for sexual acts. He reportedly used Instagram to locate his victims and would lure them in with the promise of free drugs and alcohol. Detectives believe he often recorded these sexual encounters on his cell phone. Anyone who may have been a victim or has information on the case is asked to call Detective Shifley of the Burbank Police Department at 818-238-3210.
KTLA 5
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LACo Woman to Plead Guilty to Fraudulently Seeking FEMA Wildfire Relief Funds
A Los Angeles County woman is expected to plead guilty Friday to seeking disaster relief funds by falsely claiming that her property was damaged in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, despite having no residence affected by the disaster. Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood has agreed to enter a plea to one federal count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Robertson admitted in her plea agreement that she filed a fraudulent application for FEMA benefits on Jan. 28, seeking disaster relief for a Palisades property that she neither owned nor rented. As a result of her fraudulent application, Robertson obtained about $25,000 in FEMA benefits, prosecutors said. At the time of her arrest, Robertson also allegedly attempted to obtain additional FEMA benefits for a purported property lease in San Francisco, officials said. A host of false claims were made in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires that started on Jan. 7. Together, the wildfires burned nearly 60,000 acres, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and resulted in the deaths of 29 people. Former President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration, which prompted FEMA to develop a program to provide financial assistance to fire victims.
Westside Current
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BWC: Agitated man stabs Kentucky officer’s ballistic vest before fatal OIS
Louisville Metro Police released body camera footage and 911 recordings related to a fatal shooting of a man who threatened officers with a knife, WLKY reported. According to police, officers were responding to reports of a disturbance on April 27 when they encountered the suspect, who witnesses said had been yelling and acting violently outside the complex, according to the report. While officers were en route, the man allegedly broke into a neighboring apartment and took a kitchen knife. The incident was captured on a surveillance camera inside the apartment, and a resident called 911. Body-worn camera footage shows officers attempting to communicate with the man, who was holding a knife. Officers gave repeated commands for him to drop the weapon, which he initially did. However, as officers approached, the suspect picked up the knife again and began to struggle with them. Police said during the struggle, the man swung the knife twice, striking Officer Cody Chapelle in his chest, hitting his ballistic vest with a plate. Officer Benjamin Klingenfus, after deploying a TASER with no effect, fired a single shot that struck the man in the head. Officers immediately called for medical assistance. The suspect was later pronounced dead from his injuries.
PoliceOne
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‘Suffering in silence': New Jersey sheriff’s suicide highlights growing mental health crisis among police
The sheriff did not share his secret with anyone. He arrived at a Turkish restaurant in Clifton seemingly in good spirits on a chilly, overcast afternoon in January 2024. Flanked by one of his deputies, Richard Berdnik sat at his usual table and ordered an appetizer and a water. The popular Passaic County Sheriff then posed for a photo with the owner of Toros — his de facto second headquarters — smiling for the image as he had countless times before in his 13 years in the elected post. After a brief conversation, Berdnik excused himself to use the bathroom around 3:30 p.m. A single gunshot reverberated through the restaurant a minute later. “Everything we saw from (Berdnik) that day showed he was acting perfectly normal before tragedy struck,” said Leo McGuire, his friend and a former Bergen County Sheriff. Except Berdnik, 64, had a plan. He wanted to die. “We found out later that he cleaned out his desk before he went” to the restaurant, said a law enforcement source who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation. “No one knew.” All they knew was yet another brother in blue had been lost in New Jersey.
PoliceOne
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Vacant Hollywood home burns down after string of fires allegedly caused by squatters
A vacant Hollywood home burned down Thursday, one week after FOX 11 was first to report on homeless squatters taking over the building. Thursday morning’s destructive blaze along the 1700 block of Wilton was the fourth fire at the location in about two weeks. "It’s almost comical," said Jeanne Rice, a neighbor. "I’m kind of laughing a little bit, because it’s like a joke. We’ve been tortured over it." Rice is one of several neighbors on Wilton who have complained to city officials for months about two vacant homes on the street taken over by squatters. Nearby residents have reported public drug use, constant nudity, large fires, and a general disregard for laws. "If there are abandoned buildings on the street, they can’t be lying there for like a year without being knocked down," said Carolita Blythe, another neighbor. "Because, people without homes are going to go into the buildings." According to neighbors on Wilton, a building next to the abandoned homes is being used a residential hotel for the recently homeless. They claim some residents of the hotel have been kicked out and have been squatting at the nearby vacant homes.
FOX 11
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Sherman Oaks Apartment Fire Extinguished in 16 Minutes
A fire at an apartment in Sherman Oaks was extinguished in 16 minutes Thursday evening by Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters. Firefighters were called at 8:59 p.m. to the two-story garden-style building at 4415 N. Woodman Ave., near Saticoy Street, where they encountered smoke initially showing from a second-story unit. They were able to contain the flames within the unit, said LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz. One person was being treated at the scene by paramedics. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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. | | | | |
