Man Found Guilty In 2020 Ambush Shooting Of 2 LASD Deputies In Compton

The man found guilty of a crime spree that included the 2020 ambush shooting of two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies who were wounded while sitting in their patrol vehicle is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday. Deonte Lee Murray, 39, was convicted Sept. 28 of two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer for the Sept. 12, 2020, attack on Deputies Claudia Apolinar and Emmanuel Perez-Perez, which was caught on surveillance video outside a Compton transit center. Jurors also convicted Murray of one count each of attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carjacking and robbery, along with four counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. Murray is facing a potential life prison term. The prosecutor told the jury that Murray shot four people and tried to kill three of them, including the two sheriff's deputies whom he allegedly tried to ambush in what the prosecutor said was "no impulse." Lonseth noted that Murray allegedly said afterward that he couldn't believe that the deputies hadn't died.

FOX 11

In PnB Rock Slaying, Two New Suspects Are Charged With Robbery And Helping Suspect Flee State

Two new suspects are facing charges in the robbery and killing of rapper PnB Rock, who was shot to death in September 2022 while dining at Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles in South L.A, authorities said. Tremont Jones was charged with two counts of robbery, conspiracy to rob the rapper and illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, according to a criminal complaint filed in September. Another suspect, Wynisha Evans, was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Both Jones and Evans pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned at the Compton Courthouse last month, said Venusse Dunn, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities had arrested the pair in May in connection to PnB Rock’s killing. However, since charges had been filed in court as a separate case, apart from the main murder case, Jones and Evans remained largely unknown to the public. The new suspects’ charges were brought to light this week after Rolling Stone attended their most recent hearing in Compton on Monday.

Los Angeles Times

Bicyclist Dragged Under Vehicle In Deadly Hit-and-Run In Valley Glen

A bicyclist was killed in Valley Glen after he was dragged under a vehicle by a hit-and-run driver who remains on the loose, police said on Tuesday. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at 11:40 p.m. Monday to a 911 call regarding a man down at Van Nuys Boulevard and Calvert Street. Upon their arrival, officers learned the 40-year-old victim was riding a bicycle south on Van Nuys and the suspect, who was driving a vehicle in the same direction, struck the victim and did not stop, according to LAPD. The victim, who police said was homeless, died at the scene. Witnesses at the scene told a videographer that the victim was dragged from Van Nuys and Burbank Boulevard Burbank and fell from underneath the vehicle at Hatteras Street. The LAPD's Valley Traffic division is handling the investigation, the LAPD spokeswoman said. The driver has not been located.

NBC 4

Shots Fired During Bank Robbery In Northridge, Police Say

Authorities are investigating a bank robbery that happened in Northridge on Tuesday, in which the thieves are said to have taken tens of thousands of dollars. Officers were dispatched to the Wells Fargo bank, located in the 8800 block of Corbin Avenue, at around 2:40 p.m. after learning of the robbery. Their preliminary investigation revealed that the robbers had made off with at least $30,000, had stolen a woman's fanny pack and fired a gun into the air as they fled from the area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators say that the suspect, only described as a man who was around 5-foot, 8-inches tall and weighing around 150 pounds, was driving a grey Mercedes-Benz. It remains unclear whether the robbery occurred inside of the bank or in the parking lot. 

CBS 2

Pickup Slams Into Cars At Hollywood Intersection Before Crashing Into Pizzeria

At least one person was hospitalized Tuesday after a pickup struck two vehicles stopped at a Hollywood intersection before crashing into a pizzeria, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The crash was reported shortly after 9 p.m. near the intersection of La Brea Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. Security camera video showed the pickup rear-end a car at a stoplight, then strike a BMW SUV before it ended up partially inside Raffallo's Pizza. The LAFD said a 32-year-old man was taken to a hospital following the crash. The severity of that individual’s injuries was not clear, and authorities did not say if the man was walking or in one of the vehicles involved in the crash. It was not immediately clear what led to the crashes.

NBC 4

Dad Arrested After 2 Children Killed, 2 Others Injured In Lancaster

A father has been arrested in connection with the deaths of his two children and the hospitalization of two others as a result of suspected child abuse in Lancaster.  Prospero Serna was arrested Monday and faces charges of murder and child abuse, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Deputies responded to a call Saturday reporting child abuse in the 1800 block of East Avenue J-2 around 11:50 p.m. At the scene, deputies found four children all under the age of 10 suffering from cuts to their bodies. All four children were taken to the hospital. Two children later died, while the other two remain in stable condition for non-life threatening injuries, officials said. Serna was initially detained as a person of interest early Saturday morning. By Monday, however, the LASD said that "homicide detectives determined there was sufficient evidence to arrest Prospero Serna for the crimes of murder and child abuse. However, [Serna] is refusing to cooperate with Sheriff's deputies, therefore delaying his booking process."

FOX 11

Southern California K9s Help Crack Down On Child Predators

In an effort to protect children, actively monitoring registered sex offenders is what a certain group of dogs are specially trained for. These aren’t just regular dogs. These K9s — named Chewie and Solo — are professionally trained to catch predators as part of their full-time job with the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team. Chewie and Solo are electronic scent detection dogs that can sniff out a variety of devices and tech that may hold potential evidence police may need. They work as part of a task force created by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “Pretty much anything that can store digital media, whether it’s a cell phone, a USB, a micro SD card, an external hard drive, iPads [and more,]” explained Joel Pabelico with the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team. Following extensive investigation and surveillance, the task force will execute a search warrant before sending in the K9s.

KTLA 5

Mom Accused Of Holding Parties For Teens, Encouraging Sexual Assault Charged In California

A woman accused of hosting parties for her teenage son and his friends in Northern California where she encouraged them to drink and sexually assault intoxicated girls was charged Monday with more than five dozen felony and misdemeanor counts. Shannon Marie O’Connor, 49, was indicted by a grand jury in Santa Clara County on 63 charges including child endangerment for furnishing alcohol to minors and aiding and abetting sexual assault, the Mercury News reported. Seventeen alleged victims testified at the grand jury hearing, the paper said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether O'Connor, who was ordered to remain in jail without bail, had an attorney who could speak to the charges. Prosecutors contend that O’Connor staged six alcohol-fueled parties in 2020 at her-then home in Los Gatos and other places. Prosecutors allege she bought beer, vodka, whiskey and other liquor and encouraged the teens, who were mostly 14 and 15, to drink to the point of unconsciousness.

FOX 11

Arizona Sheriff's Department K-9 Stabbed To Death During Search For Robbery Suspect

A Pima County Sheriff's Department K-9 named Kenzo was stabbed to death Friday night while helping deputies search for two men linked to an armed robbery, officials say. Deputies were conducting a search related to an armed robbery when they saw a man enter a commercial yard. Kenzo was then released to search the yard, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Saturday in a news release. "K9 Kenzo became unresponsive during the search causing deputies to enter the commercial yard ... K9 Kenzo was found unresponsive next to the subject with life-threatening injuries," the release said. The wounded dog was rushed to a veterinarian hospital, but it died. A necropsy is scheduled, but the release said Kenzo "had injuries consistent with a stabbing." Two men were arrested. Cody D. Bartlett, 36, was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, aggravated robbery and killing/harming a work/service animal, the department said Saturday. Juan Tacho, 32, was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, aggravated robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Arizona Daily Star

Alabama Officer Whose Legs Were Shattered By Drunk Driver While Directing Traffic Takes First Steps Since Incident

An Alabama police officer who was hit and severely injured by a driver going 80 miles per hour has taken her first steps since the incident occurred, WBRC reported. Elizabeth Minter was directing traffic when an impaired driver ignored all warnings and sped through the intersection, “knocking her out of her boots” according to police. Minter’s injuries were extensive, according to a July al.com report. “Right now, I’m in a wheelchair. I have an external fixator device on my entire left leg, rods through my pelvis and hips going all the way across, a brace on my broken right leg, and a bandage on my healing broken ankle,” Minter said in July. “My recent x-rays have shown that things are healing on track.” A video the Pelham Police Department shared on Facebook showed Minter smiling as she took her first steps since the incident occurred with the help of a walker.

PoliceOne

Fire At Valley Glen Four-Plex Knocked Down

A fire at a four-plex in Valley Glen was quickly extinguished Wednesday. Fire crews were called at 3:28 a.m. to 12408 W. Archwood St. west of Whitsett Avenue and the Hollywood (170) Freeway where they attacked the fire, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. It took 30 firefighters 26 minutes to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

Los Angeles Fourth District Candidates Discuss Vision For Mass Transit And Public Safety In Key Debate

Councilmember Nithya Raman and Ethan Weaver went toe to toe on key topics facing Angelenos, including public safety and mass transit during a 90 minute debate on Monday. Both are running for the Council District Four seat, a seat Raman secured in 2020 by unseating then councilmember David Ryu. The Fourth District, spans from Silver Lake to Sherman Oaks, with 260,000 residents calling it home. Before her election, Raman served as the Executive Director of Time's Up Entertainment. She also co-founded a volunteer group aimed at assisting individuals experiencing homelessness in her neighborhood. Weaver, a Deputy City Attorney in Los Angeles, has been instrumental in advancing Project LEAD, a program designed to divert homeless substance abusers from the criminal justice system into drug treatment and mental health programs, job training and placement initiatives. While both candidates are Democrats, Raman is one of three members of the Democratic Socialists of America currently serving on the Los Angeles City Council. 

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.