Man Charged With Brutally Assaulting Two Women On Venice Canals Appears Emotionless In Court

The man accused of sexually and brutally assaulting two women on the Venice Canals on April 6 appeared in court Wednesday morning for a pre-trial hearing. Anthony Francisco Jones, 29, was seen wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit as he sat emotionless behind a glass holding area at the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse. Prior to his court appearance, Jones and his attorney, public defender E John Myers, were in discussions. When Judge Cathryn Broughan asked Jones if he understood his rights, the suspect responded yes with what sounded to be an undetermined accent. Upon looking at his appearance, Westside Current can confirm that Jones is the same man seen in various security footage obtained by authorities from within and around the Venice Canals community and surrounding bars, restaurants and shops. Jones was arrested in San Diego on April 11 and booked at the LAPD-West Bureau on April 12, and charged with two counts of forcible rape, one count each of sexual penetration by use of force, one count of sodomy by use of force, one count of mayhem, one count of torture and one count of attempted murder.

Westside Current

LA Mayor Says Metro Board Of Directors Will Push For More Police Visibility

Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board of Directors Chair Karen Bass said Wednesday she and other board members will introduce a motion next week calling for an increase in law enforcement patrols and visibility on the transit system's buses and trains. The move follows a spate of violent crimes connected to the system in recent weeks, including the fatal stabbing of a woman on a B Line train in the Studio City area last month and a trio of attacks this week that left three people stabbed and another struck in the chest during a robbery. "As chair of the Metro (board), I am right now working with my colleagues -- the other members of the board of directors -- on a motion that we'll put forward at the next meeting, which is next week, that will be calling for an increase of patrols, increased visibility, on the buses and the trains," Bass told reporters Wednesday. Concerns about safety on the Metro system have escalated in recent weeks, despite statistics showing an overall drop in crime tied to buses and trains over the past year.

CBS 2

Men Disrupt Los Angeles Metro Service By Climbing On Top Of Red Line Train

Police were called to a Metro Red Line train in downtown Los Angeles after two men climbed on top of one of the trains Thursday morning. Sky5 was over the Historic Broadway station on West 2nd Street and South Broadway at 5:45 a.m. after authorities received a trespassing call. The incident drew a large presence from the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department as one of the individuals was believed to be armed with a knife. Authorities were able to quickly get one of the men off of the train but the second individual seemed less cooperative. Shortly before 6 a.m., aerial video showed two people being detained outside the station. Police at the scene later said that no weapon was found but the men will be booked for “delay of transit.” It was unclear why the men decided to climb on top of the train.

KTLA 5

Police Seek Help Finding 73-Year-Old Man With Unspecified Medical Condition

Police sought the public’s assistance Wednesday to locate a 73-year-old man with an unspecified medical condition requiring monitoring who was last seen in South Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Ronnie Lawson was last seen around noon May 5, leaving a church in the 8100 block of South Western Avenue on foot. Detectives described Lawson as a 5-foot-7-inch tall Black man weighing approximately 130 pounds with a bald head and brown eyes. He has no teeth and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and blue Croc shoes. Anyone with information regarding Lawson’s whereabouts was urged to contact LAPD Missing Person Unit Officer Hendrickson at 213-996-1800. Calls during non-business hours or weekends should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Man Accused Of Raping Multiple Women Near Angeles National Forest

A man accused of raping multiple women in the same week near Angeles National Forest was arrested by LA County Sheriff's. Eduardo Sarabia, 40, was arrested at gunpoint along Highway 39 when a sheriff's deputy heard a woman inside his van screaming for help, according to police. LA County Sheriff Investigators say Sarabia is responsible for raping a second woman on May, 12 in the same area he was arrested. Cuauhtemoc Torres, a local business owner, said it's fortunate because many people visit the area for recreation. "There’s so many people going up there for hiking or biking and I feel terrible to hear that news," said Torres. "This is normally a safe place to run so I’m really surprised”. Sarabia faces charges of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation. His next court date is scheduled for June 27 and is being held under a no-bail status. Police believe there may be more women who were attacked and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

NBC 4

Pregnant Mother Leaves Baby Behind At Lomita Business

Los Angeles County deputies need help identifying a baby who was abandoned by an adult woman at a Lomita store. Investigators first learned about the infant on Tuesday afternoon after store employees called the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Witnesses told deputies that an unidentified woman walked into the business with the baby in her arms. She asked employees to call her a taxi while she used the restroom. As a store employee arranged for the taxi, the woman placed the infant in a shopping cart and walked over to the restroom. When the taxi arrived, the woman left the store and left the infant behind in the shopping cart. She left for an unknown location in the taxi. Deputies arrived at the store at around 5:00 p.m. and placed the abandoned infant into the care of the Department of Children and Family Services. She is between seven and nine months old. Deputies urged anyone with information to call Lomita Sheriff's Station at (310) 539-1661. Those wishing to stay anonymous can call LA Crime Stoppers at 1(800) 222-8477. Tips can also be submitted to their website.

CBS 2

Suspected Killer Arrested In 20-Year-Old Southern California Cold Case

Authorities in Ventura County have arrested a man who they say killed an elderly man at his home more than 20 years ago. Antoine Nehme of Victorville was arrested Tuesday in connection with the murder of 71-year-old Dennis Leroy Wood, who was found shot dead inside his Moorpark home on April 16, 2004. Nehme was 52 years old at the time. Wood’s body was found by deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, who visited his home on the 12500 block of Mountain Trail Street as part of a wellness check. The elderly homeowner was found dead from at least one gunshot wound and his death was immediately ruled a homicide. The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that Wood died from gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and his body was undiscovered for about two weeks. The Sheriff’s Office said investigators worked the case and pursued all the leads they had at the time, but the trail eventually went cold.

KTLA 5

Man Pleads Guilty To 2021 Killing Of Off-Duty New Orleans Officer, Another Man

A 22-year-old man facing trial in Houston for the murders of off-duty New Orleans Police Detective Everett Briscoe and one of his fellow Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club members has pleaded guilty in the case, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Frederick Jackson, of San Antonio, agreed on Tuesday to be sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2021 killings which occurred while Briscoe, 41, and New Orleans businessman Dyrin “DJ” Riculfy, 43, were on a guys’ trip to Houston. “We wanted him to admit guilt for both murders and go to prison for the equivalent of a life sentence, and this accomplishes both of those goals,” Harris County Assistant District Attorney Keaton Forcht said. “It was important to the families of the victims that he take responsibility.” Houston police called the Aug. 21, 2021, homicides a botched robbery. Briscoe and Riculfy were in Houston with other Zulu members from New Orleans. Authorities say Jackson as his co-defendants, Anthony Rayshard Jenkins, 24, and Khalil Nelson, 21, had been targeting areas such as the Galleria looking for victims to rob of their jewelry and other high-end property. Briscoe and Riculfy were on the patio of Grotto Ristorante near the Galleria when the robbery crew spotted Riculfy’s Saints jersey and what looked to be an expensive watch, according to authorities. They decided the target the men, leading to the fatal shootings. Briscoe was pronounced dead scene. Riculfy died Aug. 31 after spending 10 days in the hospital.

New Orleans Advocate

Trash Fire Burns By Tents In Westchester, Near Bluffs

Firefighters extinguished a rubbish fire behind a building today in Westchester, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed. Just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were sent to the 6700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard after a driver in the area reported seeing flames and smoke, the LAFD said. Residents of the area noted the fire began next to where tents were located. A few residents also expressed concerns due to the flames being in such close proximity to the Kentwood Bluffs. Firefighters said it took crews just over an hour to extinguish the blaze. No structures were burned, and no injuries were reported, according to the department.

Westside Current

LA County To Release Sterilized Mosquitoes To Fight Against Invasive Species

Los Angeles County has launched its latest plan to fight an invasive mosquito species by using what may seem like a counter-intuitive strategy. "We are targeting a species that's responsible for transmitting some really nasty diseases," Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District director Steve Vetrone said. "So we're looking for a novel way to aid us in our fight." The target is the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also known as the yellow fever mosquito. The district said the species rapidly spread across L.A. County in the last decade. Scientists hope to stem the growth with their new strategy called sterile insect technique or SIT. "We use X-ray technology to sterilize male mosquitoes which don't bite and then those will be released out to mate with wild females and this particular species," Vetrone said. Scientists decided to use this method since the mosquitoes are resilient to common pesticides. They also law their eggs in small hidden water sources in people's front yards, backyards, patios and in other areas where mosquito control agencies can't easily access. 

CBS 2

LA Council Recognizes Senior Fraud Awareness Day

The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday recognized National Senior Fraud Awareness Day by celebrating a group of seniors working to prevent their peers from becoming victims of scams. Council members Katy Yaroslavsky, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Heather Hutt highlighted the efforts of the Stop Senior Scams Acting Program, which recently held events in the Fairfax District and Lincoln Heights. “When we talk about senior fraud, the stakes are really huge,” Yaroslavsky said. “This problem is only growing as scams prey on the growing digital divide and become more sophisticated. It’s our collective responsibility to safeguard and empower our seniors.” The councilwoman encouraged her colleagues to host the group and organize workshops in their respective districts. Hutt said the FBI reported that elderly victims of scams increased by 84% between 2021 and 2022. Hundreds of thousands of cases of financial exploitation of senior occur each year, representing a loss of more than $3 billion annually, she added.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council OKs Study Into Deaths Of Zoo Elephants

The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday ordered a study into the death of two Asian elephants at the city's zoo, including a possible update to standards of care for the remaining elephants at the facility. In a 14-0 vote, the council approved a motion introduced by Bob Blumenfield and Eunisses Hernandez in February. The L.A. Department of Zoo is expected to report back in 30 days on the cause of death for the elephants, Jewel and Shaunzi, as well as detail current standards of care for elephant management and any improvements needed. According to city documents, on Jan. 20, 2023, the L.A. Zoo announced that 61-year-old Jewel -- the oldest Asian elephant in the zoo's care -- had to be euthanized due to declining health. A year later, the zoo announced that 53- year-old Shaunzi had to be euthanized as well due to her declining health. Jewel spent 30 years in the custody of a private owner until 2009, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture rescued her. After recovery and rehabilitation, Jewel and Tina -- her companion of 30 years -- arrived at the zoo in 2010. Shaunzi was born in 1970 in Thailand and spent much of her youth in a circus environment. She arrived at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in 1983 and transferred to the L.A. Zoo in 2017.

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.