Metro’s top security officer ousted days after filing complaint with inspector general

Metro’s top security official was fired two days after she filed a report with the agency’s inspector general’s office, her attorney said. Gina Osborn, a former FBI agent who was the agency’s first chief safety officer, “was summarily terminated by [Chief Executive] Stephanie Wiggins,” said her attorney, Marc R. Greenberg. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it does not comment on personnel issues. In a brief note sent to board members and their staff on Wednesday, Wiggins said that Osborn was “no longer with the agency.”

Los Angeles Times

A Former Cal State Northridge Official Was Gunned Down At L.A. Live. Two Have Been Arrested

Two people now face murder charges in a brazen 2023 killing inside a restaurant in the heart of the downtown L.A. Live complex. Investigators believe Phillip Pasco Clark, 33, was the man who stormed into Fixins Soul Kitchen at Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard last November and gunned down Sidney Barrett Morris, 43, while he ate dinner. Morris was an educator and nephew of a Motown singer. Clark “walked straight up to Mr. Morris and shot him in the back of the head,” Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said during a Thursday morning news conference. Clark and 50-year-old Santana Kelly, who police say helped plot the killing, were arrested last week and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, authorities said. Both pleaded not guilty in a brief court appearance Tuesday, and it was not immediately clear who their attorneys were. Authorities declined Thursday to discuss a motive in the shooting or describe what, if any, relationship Morris had to the defendants. The brash November shooting was the first homicide recorded at L.A. Live, the sprawling downtown arts and entertainment complex that houses nightclubs, concert venues, restaurants and the Crypto.com Arena, where the Lakers, Clippers and Kings play home games. The hub opened to the public in 2007.

Los Angeles Times

2 Killed In Jefferson Park After DUI Driver Hits UPS Truck At 100-Plus MPH, LAPD Says

Two people were killed Thursday after a suspected DUI driver traveling at more than 100 mph clipped a UPS truck and went into oncoming traffic in Jefferson Park, the Los Angeles Police Department said. According to the LAPD, the crash occurred shortly before noon near the intersection of Arlington Avenue and W. 29th Street. There, the driver of a black BMW traveling southbound on Arlington Avenue ran a red light and struck a UPS truck, causing him to swerve into oncoming traffic and strike parked cars. The driver of the BMW then ran from the scene but was caught by witnesses who chased him, police said. Eventually, the driver was found hiding between two homes in the area. “Some good Samaritans who witnessed the collision gave chase, went after him, called 911 but continued to follow the suspect as he went through the neighborhood,” said LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno. “

NBC 4

Man Wounded In Gang-Related Shooting In Reseda

Police Friday are investigating the shooting of a 29-year-old man in Reseda that they believe is gang-related. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to Vanowen Street and Darby Avenue at 5:09 p.m. Thursday when they learned the victim was walking on the sidewalk when he heard several shots before discovering he had been shot, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. The victim was taken to a hospital by a private party and was in stable condition. There was no suspect description.

MyNewsLA

FOX 11’s Susan Hirasuna Has Car Stolen; Later Recovered In East Hollywood Following Pursuit

FOX 11 anchor and reporter Susan Hirasuna didn’t anticipate she’d be the victim of a crime while during coverage for the station’s nightly newscast. On Thursday night, Hirasuna discovered her Tesla had been stolen and reported it missing. Later that evening, patrol officers with the Los Angeles Police Department spotted the vehicle and initiated a pursuit. Moments later, the pursuit came to an end in the East Hollywood area when the battery inside the white Tesla died. The suspect was later arrested and thankfully, Hirasuna is doing OK. During the investigation, the LAPD discovered the suspect in the car may have been connected to an assault on Skid Row on Wall and East 5th Street, in which a person was struck with an ax. Authorities said the victim in that incident was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. However, the suspect in the ax attack has not been taken into custody, LAPD officials said. 

FOX 11

At Least 14 Injured In Crash Involving MTA Bus In Leimert Park

At least 14 people were injured in a three-vehicle crash, including an MTA bus in the Leimert Park area on Thursday. The crash happened at around 3:40 p.m. in the 3500 block of W. 39th Street, according to Los Angeles Fire Department. They arrived to find one car that had rolled onto its side during the collision, another that had come to a stop near a light pole, and the bus. Firefighters said that nine of the 14 people injured were taken to a local hospital. Three of the transports suffered moderate injuries, and six were in fair condition. The rest of the patients declined transport. The people injured were from the bus and the other vehicles involved. Circumstances leading up to the crash remain under investigation. 

CBS 2

LA City Attorney Urges Support Of California Bill Targeting Child Sex Trafficking

As part of ongoing efforts to address human trafficking along South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto Thursday urged state leaders to support a bill targeting child prostitution. During a morning news conference at City Hall East, Feldstein Soto said AB 2419 needs to clear a hurdle through the State Assembly Committee on Public Safety. Assemblyman Mike Gipson, D-Carson, introduced the bill to expand the parameters for issuing search warrants in cases involving child prostitution to include communications that facilitate the solicitation of minors. "Eradicating sex trafficking along the Figueroa corridor in South L.A. is a priority of mine because the activity -- which can involve minors -- can be violent and devastating," Feldstein Soto said. "AB 2419 will give our law enforcement partners a crucial tool which will make it easier to hold predators accountable while protecting children from sexual exploitation." She added, "I urge the public safety committee to pass this bill, and am grateful to Assemblymember Mike Gipson for his partnership and dedication to strengthening our laws, especially those that will protect minors."

ABC 7

Family Searches For Missing 12-Year-Old L.A. County Girl

Authorities and loved ones are searching for a missing girl who disappeared in Los Angeles County. The girl, who is at risk, was identified as Angel Marie Birchfield, 12, by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Birchfield has been missing since March 26. She was last seen on the 14100 block of South Corday Avenue in Hawthorne at around 10 p.m. The girl has health conditions that require medication, her family said. Birchfield is described as a Black female standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 167 pounds. She has brown eyes and her hair is styled in box braids. She was last seen wearing a brown turtleneck sweater, black jeans, and pink and black Puma brand shoes. She may be headed to Pasadena, Torrance, or Hawthorne, officials said. Her loved ones have not heard from her since her disappearance and are concerned for her well-being. Her photo is being released in hopes someone may recognize her. Anyone who may have spotted Birchfield or knows her whereabouts is asked to call the LASD’s South L.A. Station at 310-820-6700. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

KTLA 5

California Man Allegedly Housed, Sexually Assaulted Underaged Teen He Met On Reddit

A 32-year-old Southern California man is accused of housing and engaging in sexual relations with an Arizona teenager who ran away from home after the two spoke online, according to federal prosecutors. Trevon Nathaniel Langstaff was arrested in his Long Beach apartment on Wednesday after a missing 14-year-old girl was found at the home. The girl’s family realized she was missing on Tuesday morning, according to the office of United States Attorney Martin Estrada. When searching their neighborhood and speaking to her friends, her family learned that she’d talked about running away from home the week prior and that she’d talked to a man online who “harbored” teenagers. Prosecutors said she told the friend that the man was hosting two other teens at the time and that he’d provide her with a room to stay in and a cell phone. Langstaff and the young girl met on an online Reddit forum for runaways, prosecutors said. Phone records showed that the pair had been in communication.

KTLA 5

Mourners Flood Wake For Slain NYPD Officer

Mourners including former President Donald Trump and Mayor Eric Adams filled a Long Island funeral home to salute slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller days after he was shot to death during a routine traffic stop in Queens. A sea of police officers filled the sidewalk and street outside the Massapequa Funeral Home for afternoon and evening wakes for the three-year cop and family man who was hailed as a hero for his dedication to public safety. A thin blue line was painted along Merrick Road in the heart of Massapequa Park, where blue ribbons dotted homes throughout the neighborhood. “He loved what he did,” Diller’s brother-in-law Joseph said at a vigil in the town Wednesday night. “He was born to be a cop. He was born to be a hero. He died being a hero. He died doing what he loved. I will forever be a better person because of him.” More than 1,000 people showed up in the rain to attend the vigil, including Diller’s fellow NYPD officers, local police officers, friends and neighbors. Trump, who railed against Diller’s accused killer on social media, also paid tribute to Diller in the same post. “To Officer Diller’s family, and all of the other brave men and women of law enforcement who put your lives on the line every day, we love you, we appreciate you, and we will always stand with you!” Trump posted.

New York Daily News

Video: Man Who Texted ‘Murder’ To 911 Wounds Florida Officer Before Fatal OIS

A Margate resident who had a documented history of struggling with a mental health illness texted 911 on the morning of March 21 with the address of a Fort Lauderdale hotel and the word “murder.” Karl Chludinsky’s 911 call and texts that morning led Fort Lauderdale Police officers to believe there was possibly a victim in his sixth-floor hotel room at the Holiday Inn Express in the 1500 block of Southeast 17th Street, and that he was armed and would shoot whoever approached his room. After Chludinsky was dead and officers entered the room, they found no one else inside. Fort Lauderdale Police released new segments of 911 communications audio and body-worn camera video of the shootout in the hotel hallway Thursday, one week after Chludinsky’s death. The video shows officers shouting for Chludinsky to come out of his room and the moment Chludinsky opens the hotel room door, lowers his hand pointing a gun at the officers, prompting the officers’ spray of bullets and Chludinsky shooting back at them through the door. The three officers who shot at Chludinsky were identified Thursday as Officer Pascal France, Officer Jose Lopez and Officer Jack DiCristofalo, who was also shot during the encounter.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

900 Unhoused People Died In The City Of LA In 2023, Report Says

The City Controller's Office released a map of unhoused deaths in 2023 using data obtained from the County Medical-Examiner Coroner. The map shows details such as age, gender, cause and mode, as well as the Council District and location where each death occurred. While last year there was a reduction in homeless deaths, the controller's office said “any number of unhoused deaths is unacceptable.” In response to the controller's report, Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement Thursday saying, “Every death that occurs is a tragedy and we express our condolences to those friends, family and community members who have lost a loved one due to this crisis.” She added, “The focus of our work has been to take urgent action to save lives and while the controller's data released today indicates a decrease in deaths, we know that there is still much more work to be done.” Highlights of the controller's analysis showed that the most common mode of death was categorized as an “accident” (about 678 deaths or 75%.) About 40, or 4%, homeless people were murdered in 2023, accounting for 12% of all homicides in the city. Unhoused people represent about 1% of the population.

NBC 4

Firefighters Knock Down Intense Fire At Mar Vista Home

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire at a one- story residence and were able to protect nearby threatened buildings Friday in Mar Vista. Fire crews responded to the fire at 2:23 a.m. at 3947 S. Mclaughlin Ave. between Venice Boulevard and Washington Place, where they found the home engulfed in flames and quickly deployed hose lines for an interior attack, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. Other firefighters used ladders to perform ventilation on the rooftop to allow smoke and highly heated gases to escape and make it more survivable for fire crews below, Prange added. It took 35 firefighters 26 minutes to knock down the flames. 

Westside Current

Flood Watch For Southern California As Storm Hits Easter Weekend

A storm system will move into the region on Friday and is expected to give the Southland a wet Easter weekend. The "unseasonably cold and vigorous storm system" is expected to bring rain to most areas, including a chance of thunderstorms, along with mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service. The system is expected to hit hardest late Friday night through midday Saturday, with showers and possible thunderstorms lingering through Sunday, "some of which could be very strong with very heavy downpours, hail, gusty winds and possibly even a small tornado or waterspout." Rain totals of 1.5 to 3 inches are anticipated in coastal and valley areas, with as much as 5 inches possible along some south-facing mountain slopes. A flood watch will be in effect Friday evening through Sunday afternoon covering the bulk of the Southland, noting that "excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, urban areas, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations." Most of the precipitation is anticipated late Friday and Saturday, but showers are likely to continue through Sunday, according to the NWS.

CBS 2

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.