Man Sentenced for Attacking Two Officers at LAPD’s Harbor Station
Man Sentenced for Attacking Two Officers at LAPD’s Harbor Station
A Los Angeles man who pleaded no contest to assault and other charges stemming from an attack on a police officer and a watch commander at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Station in San Pedro was sentenced Wednesday to 33 years in state prison. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Debra Cole said it was “mind-boggling to me,” noting that Jose Cerpa Guzman had no previous criminal record. “Your choices, Mr. Guzman, have left some devastating consequences,” the judge told the 34-year-old defendant. Deputy District Attorney Geoff Lewin said no one knows “why he did this to this day.” Guzman pleaded no contest March 23 to two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm on a peace officer and one count each of robbery and evading a peace officer in a plea deal that resulted in two attempted murder charges being dismissed.
7 nabbed in crackdown as home burglaries surge in the Valley
Seven people have been charged in connection with a surge in residential burglaries in the San Fernando Valley carried out by “brazen, calculated and predatory” crews of thieves, authorities said. The suspects are accused of participating in at least 20 home burglaries, making off with wallets, high-end handbags, watches, jewelry and more, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. “These defendants are accused of prowling neighborhoods, smashing their way into homes and stealing from families who were left shaken and violated,” said Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman in a statement. Although organized burglary crews targeting residential homes is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, there was an upswing in incidents in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas last month, with thieves striking nine homes in a one-week period alone. In response, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass directed the Los Angeles Police Department to increase patrols along Ventura Boulevard, a hot spot for burglaries.
Pokémon and One Piece cards stolen in $300,000 West LA card store burglary
Pokémon and One Piece cards were stolen over the weekend in a burglary at a Los Angeles card store. RWT Collective manager Ebrahim Alas told NBC4 Investigates that a security alarm was activated at about 3 a.m. Sunday at the store in the 11300 block of West Olympic Boulevard. When he arrived, he found the front window of his business shattered. After checking security camera video, Alas said the thieves appeared to have left just before he arrived. They smashed display cases and stole about $300,000 worth of cards, including unopened Pokémon card boxes and Japanese manga series One Piece cards. The video showed three masked and gloved men breaking into the store. No arrests were reported. The LAPD told NBC4 Investigates that officers took a burglary report. In January, Pokémon cards and other merchandise was stolen at the same business in an armed robbery. The cards belonged to a shop regular's personal card collection. The customer was leaving the store Sunday night when he encountered the robbers, who had also been inside the store, as he walked to an underground parking garage and was held up with a handgun.
California DOJ announces felony charges in $1.5 million SoCal Rolex watch scheme
The California attorney general announced felony charges against a jewelry store owner who allegedly stole nearly $1.5 million through fraudulent Rolex sales to victims in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Nelson Andres Holdo is accused of swindling 22 victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for Rolex watches that never existed. According to the CA DOJ, the thefts occurred over several years, beginning in 2021. Charges include grand theft and writing a fraudulent check, with white-collar crime enhancements. The DOJ received significant assistance from the Newport Beach Police Department in the investigation. Holdo allegedly targeted buyers seeking Rolex watches valued between $50,000 and $100,000. He would falsely promise these clients that he could source the requested watches through his overseas brokers, convincing them to wire the full purchase amount upfront.
California doctor ran nation’s ‘largest Botox fraud scheme,’ filing $45 million in claims for lush lifestyle
More than a year ago, federal officials noticed something fishy about a Glendale-based doctor: she had collected more in Medicare Botox reimbursements than any other provider in the nation. During a four-year period beginning in 2020, Violetta Mailyan pocketed more than $25 million for Botox injections through Medicare payments, more than five times what any other doctor made in the same time frame, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. Turns out, it was all part of an elaborate fraud scheme that prosecutors say ignored Medicare’s rules for Botox coverage and brazenly fabricated medical records, all to fund the doctor’s lavish lifestyle. Mailyan, 45, was convicted this week in federal court, accused of submitting more than $45 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for Botox injections and attempting to mislead investigators working on the case. Prosecutors said she submitted claims for injections “that were never provided and medically unnecessary” from 2019 through 2025, working as the primary physician, owner and operator of Healthy Way Medical Center in Glendale.
CHP Announces Memorial Day Weekend Enforcement Campaign
The California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday it will launch a statewide Memorial Day weekend enforcement campaign focused on seat belt use, reckless driving and impaired driving as heavy holiday travel begins across California. The CHP’s Holiday Enforcement Period will run from 6 p.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Monday, with officers conducting targeted patrols on highways and local roads statewide. “Wearing a seat belt remains one of the simplest and most effective ways to save lives,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. “Crashes are unpredictable, and taking a moment to buckle up before every trip can mean the difference between life and death.” According to the CHP, preliminary 2024 and 2025 data show more than 13,000 crashes statewide involved an unrestrained occupant, resulting in more than 1,300 fatalities. During last year’s Memorial Day enforcement period, CHP officers investigated 22 fatal crashes within the agency’s jurisdiction. Of the 21 vehicle occupants killed, nine were not wearing seat belts, according to the agency.
Public Safety News
California’s largest wildfire has destroyed historic sites, threatened rare plants
California’s largest active wildfire charred nearly 17,000 acres on Santa Rosa Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, as of Wednesday morning. And while it poses no threat to the public, its impact is being acutely felt in other ways. The Santa Rosa Fire erupted last Friday after authorities said a sailor shipwrecked on the island’s rocky shore and set off flares to get attention, although the exact cause remains under investigation. He was later rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. Nearly a third of the island has burned, about 23 square miles. Two uninhabited historic structures have been lost, Johnson’s Lee Equipment Shed on the western edge and Wreck Line Camp Cabin on the eastern edge, National Park Service officials said. While no humans permanently inhabit the island today, it is part of the Chumash tribe’s homelands. Among the fire crews deployed Wednesday was a crew from the Chumash Fire Department. “The U.S. Wildland Fire Service has also sent National Park Service firefighting resource advisors to the island who will be working in tandem with the Chumash to protect cultural and natural resources,” officials said.
Local Government News
Councilwoman Jurado Calls for Exploration of Entertainment Zone for DTLA
In a bid to support night life and economic development in downtown Los Angeles, Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Wednesday calling for a report on the feasibility of establishing a so-called “entertainment zone.” If approved by the full City Council, the motion would direct city departments to analyze state law and evaluate potential implementation requirements and safeguards. Staff would provide recommendations regarding whether and how an entertainment zone could function responsibly in the downtown area. The motion is expected to be considered by members of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee before reaching the full council. “Downtown Los Angeles is one of the strongest economic and cultural engines of our city, but our local businesses, hospitality workers, restaurants, bars and cultural corridors are still recovering from years of disruption,” said Jurado, whose 14th Council District includes downtown and northeast LA neighborhoods.
LA Councilwoman Rodriguez Calls for Fiscal Accountability Ahead of 2028 Olympics
City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez called Wednesday for an audit the LA28 organizing committee in what she called an effort to protect Los Angeles from potential fiscal harm related to hosting the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Rodriguez has raised concerns about city taxpayers being left “holding the bag” on Olympic costs. While the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games has a $7.1 billion projected budget, the city is expected to cover the first $270 million in potential losses. California legislators agreed to have taxpayers statewide cover the next $270 million in losses, but anything after would fall on L.A. taxpayers. The federal government has agreed to provide $1 billion for security-related costs, and has been asked to contribute $2 billion for Games-specific transportation initiatives. Rodriguez, however, introduced three motions aimed at establishing fiscal safeguards to protect L.A. taxpayers ahead of the 2028 Games.
