Man In Critical Condition After Shooting In Chinatown

A man is in critical condition after being shot in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles early Thursday. The shooting was reported just after 2 a.m. in the 900 block of North Hill Street, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. Responding officers located a man between 20 and 25 years old who had been struck by gunfire. The unidentified victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital in critical condition, the spokesperson said. No description of the suspect, who fled the scene after the shooting, or any possible getaway vehicle were available. The spokesperson said it was not known if the shooting was gang-related.

KTLA 5

Park Pushes For Real-Time Crime Centers In Response To Crime Spike

Amid a surge in property crime and retail theft, Councilwoman Traci Park is urging the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to develop a plan for setting up Real-Time Crime Centers in all 21 of the city's police divisions. Park introduced a motion on Wednesday that aims to broaden the scope of a pilot program that's already seeing success in Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, and Van Nuys through the use of advanced surveillance technologies, including Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and CCTV systems. The initiative stems from a noticeable increase in criminal activities in Park's district, highlighted by more than 50 car burglaries in just one weekend and numerous commercial robberies on the Westside. "The Westside has been acutely impacted by property crime and retail theft, leaving residents and businesses devastated," Park stated, emphasizing the necessity of adopting technological solutions to safeguard the community.

Westside Current

LAPD Detains Woman Who Allegedly Tried To Kidnap 4-Year-Old Boy From Target

A woman who allegedly grabbed and then tried to run off with a 4-year-old boy from an L.A. Target store earlier this week is now in police custody. The unidentified woman was found and taken into custody shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in North Hollywood near the intersection of Magnolia Boulevard and Tujunga Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on X. On Sunday, a woman allegedly tried to kidnap the child — grabbing the boy forcibly from behind and carrying him out of a Koreatown Target store, according to the LAPD. She put the boy down outside the store after his parents confronted her and then ran away. The incident is under investigation, and the suspect’s name has not been released. As of early Wednesday evening, she had not yet been arrested but remained in police custody, according to the LAPD. 

Los Angeles Times

Boardwalk Brawl Involving Naked Woman Shines Spotlight On Issues In Venice Beach

A recent viral video showing a naked woman armed with what appears to be spiked bats has drawn the public's attention to Venice Beach for all the wrong reasons, shining a spotlight on the community already mired in issues. The video shows the moments that the completely nude woman and another clothed woman were involved in a bizarre brawl on the Venice Boardwalk. Onlookers can be seen surrounding the fracas as the clothed woman swings the spiked weapon at the naked woman, who continues to jump back and avoid being hit. Eventually, the naked woman is able to get the weapon, which she throws at the clothed woman as she walks away. Somehow, nobody was hurt during the incident. "Thank God she didn't hurt anybody, or they didn't hurt anybody," said Kevin Lekar, who lives in Venice. "They were both throwing it. Anybody could have gotten hurt." As shocking as the video is, people who live in the area say it's nothing out of the ordinary. 

CBS 2

LAPD Officers Surround Vacant Downtown LA Graffiti Towers

Officers surrounded a high-rise tower covered with graffiti early Wednesday after a report of trespassers on the fenced-off property in downtown Los Angeles. Officers said the teens were seen running into one of the buildings in what has become a common sight over the past few weeks at the troubled property. One teen was stopped when they tried to enter the building, police said. At about 6:30 a.m., officers said a group of teens appeared to still be on the property. Work began Friday to place fencing around the vacant high-rise development known as Oceanwide Plaza. The fencing along 12th Street between Figueroa and Flower streets is intended to deter people from entering the site of the graffiti-covered towers. An initial $1.1 million was approved by the Los Angeles City Council to address the development, where work stopped in 2019 after the Chinese Developer ran out of money. The towers were supposed to house condos, a hotel and mall.

NBC 4

L.A. Couple Arrested In Mexico On Freeway Shooting Charges

A Los Angeles couple was arrested in Mexico and brought back to Southern California to face charges of attempted murder related to a freeway shooting in Boyle Heights last year. Lorraine Covarrubias, 23, and Robert Sarabia, 25, were connected to a Dec. 19 early morning shooting on the 10 Freeway east of Soto Street, the California Highway Patrol said in a news release. Just before 5 a.m. that day, CHP officers and members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department found a white Honda Accord on the shoulder of the road, and inside, two men had sustained gunshot wounds. Covarrubias and Sarabia were identified as the suspected shooters, but authorities found they had fled the country on Dec. 23. On Wednesday, however, the couple was found and arrested in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico and extradited back to the U.S. Covarrubias faces attempted murder charges, while Sarabia faces charges of being an accessory after the fact. He also is being held without bail on an unrelated warrant.

KTLA 5

Gym Owner Fights Off 3 Brazen Attackers In West Hollywood

A wild attempted robbery in West Hollywood was caught on camera, and despite three attackers taking just one person, the victim was able to fight all three of them off. It happened Tuesday. Security footage showed a black Cadillac pulling over on Sunset Boulevard. Seconds later, three masked men jumped out. Another surveillance camera captured the attackers running up on Rocco DiStefano. One of the thieves had a gun. "I turned around, and I'm looking down the barrel of the pistol," DiStefano said. "They're yelling, ‘Take it off, take it off,’ and at this point, I try to run and I realize I'm running into a corner. The only thing I can think to take off, I'm looking at my Rolex. So I take off my Rolex and I clasp it in my hands and I tell them ‘You’re going to have to take it from me.'" Security cameras kept rolling. They showed the thieves following DiStefano and his dog around that corner, before knocking him to the ground, punching him in the back of the head and kicking him, all with the gun pointed at him.

FOX 11

Carson Cold Case: Family Seeks Answers In Search For Suspect Who Killed Mother And Son

On the eighth anniversary of the unsolved murders of Michelle and Jordan Love, family members are asking local authorities to increase the reward money for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers. Michelle and Jordan, a mother and son, were shot and killed on February 27, 2016. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says they were sitting in their car in front of their house in Carson when they were shot. The drive-by shooting happened just before midnight. The family said the two had just returned home from the movies. At the time of the shooting, Michelle was a 54-year-old mother of three children, and Jordan was a 27-year-old father with an infant daughter. Eight years later and the suspect(s) responsible for their deaths are still outstanding. A $100,000 reward was offered for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. However, on Tuesday, the family said that increase is not significant, and they are asking local authorities to help increase the reward again. 

FOX 11

Louisiana Police Capture Murder Suspect Who Escaped After Pepper Spraying Deputy, Stealing Cruiser

Leon Ruffin, the murder suspect who escaped from custody two days ago by pepper spraying a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy and stealing a marked patrol unit, was rearrested Tuesday at a hotel in New Orleans East, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto. “Mission accomplished,” said Lopinto, who hinted additional arrests of possible accomplices will follow. “Certainly [Ruffin had] some type of assistance during the last two days.” Earlier Tuesday the sheriff released surveillance footage of the escape and roundly defended the deputy’s actions, calling Ruffin an “animal” and suggesting that critics of how the incident was handled apply for jobs on the force themselves. Ruffin, 51, of Algiers, had been held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna since his July 21 arrest in the shooting death of his longtime friend, Gannon Johnson, 53. He was awaiting trial on charges including second-degree murder. Ruffin pleaded not guilty to the homicide. He reportedly suffered a seizure Sunday afternoon while at the jail and was taken to Ochsner Medical Center West Bank. He was not handcuffed or shackled during the trip because he was in a wheelchair with an orthopedic boot and wearing an arm sling, Lopinto said. Sheriff’s investigators, however, suspect Ruffin was purposely faking the injuries. “I think that’s a ruse,” the sheriff said. “Unfortunately, he gamed the system in order to be able to take advantage of the situation.”

New Orleans Advocate

Watch: Texas Officers Rescue Woman Trapped In Car Overturned In Creek

 Body camera footage shows officers rescue a woman from an overturned vehicle in a body of water, MyTexasDaily.com reported. The Feb. 27 incident occurred when Denton Police Department Officers Hupp and Lopez responded to a 911 call that a vehicle had driven off a bridge, according to the report. The officers located the vehicle turned upside down in a creek shortly after arriving at the scene. Video shows the officers calling out to see if anyone was inside the car. The driver responded by honking the horn. Officer Lopez waded into the water, broke the rear driver’s side window and pulled a woman from the driver’s seat. She was alone in the car, according to the report. The woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the report. A DWI investigation is underway. 

PoliceOne

L.A. Hospital Seeks Family Of Unidentified Patient

A local hospital is asking for help to identify a patient who was found in Redondo Beach. He is described as a man in his late 60s to early 70s, according to Los Angeles General Medical Center. He has been hospitalized since Feb. 19. Hospital staff are hoping to locate his family members or loved ones. The man is described as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing around 189 pounds. He has gray hair, blue-gray eyes and a medium to heavy build. He has very distinctive tattoos on his left arm and his left inner wrist. He wasn’t found with any personal belongings to help identify him, hospital staff said. Anyone who may recognize the patient is asked to call Karmen Wiseman, a Clinical Social Worker at L.A. General Medical Center at 323-409-7715.

KTLA 5

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.