Law Enforcement News

77 L.A. City Employees Lose Pay After Refusing To Sign Notice For Vaccine Mandate
Dozens of Los Angeles city employees are now going unpaid after refusing to sign notices that directed them to get COVID-19 vaccines by a December deadline — and the numbers could grow in coming weeks, Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Protective League has sued the city, calling for a court order that would prevent the city from charging employees for testing. In the suit, the police union argued that the city had engaged in “bad-faith bargaining” by withholding information about the company it contracted for coronavirus testing, which is co-owned by a city commissioner. The union said the testing plan appears to “involve issues of conflicts of interest” and raised suspicions about why the city was requiring testing to be done through one specified company. The police union also announced this week that it had lodged a complaint with the Ethics Commission, asking it to investigate whether a Board of Fire and Police Pensions commissioner, Pedram Salimpour, failed to fully disclose his income sources on disclosure forms. The complaint revolves around business positions and income other than the city testing contractor Bluestone.
Los Angeles Times

Man Found Guilty Of Killing Girlfriend's 2-Year-Old Son In Their LA Apartment In 2015
A man was found guilty of assaulting and murdering his live-in girlfriend's 2-year-old son at their Los Angeles apartment in 2015. The verdict came down just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday after hours of deliberations. Ronald Salmond was found guilty of second degree murder and child assault. Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami told the panel in his closing argument that Salmond "beat Elijah to death,'' with defense attorney Angela Cheung countering that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. Salmond, who is now 31 years old, was charged with one count each of murder and assault on a child causing death involving the boy, who died June 12, 2015, less than eight hours after the defendant made a 911 call reporting that the boy was choking and not breathing. The boy had been left in Salmond's care along with his 4-year-old sister by their mother while she was away from the home for an appointment that afternoon. An autopsy determined that the boy had suffered multiple traumatic injuries, according to records from the coroner's office. Salmond was arrested by Los Angeles police in March 2017 and has remained behind bars since then, according to jail records.
ABC 7

Man Sentenced To 11 Years For Killing Of Julius Rondez, LA Dept. Of Water And Power Employee
A man was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in state prison for an attack that left a longtime Department of Water and Power employee in downtown Los Angeles dead after the 70-year-old victim had just finished his workday. Gerson Carrillo Torres, 25, pleaded no contest Sept. 10 to voluntary manslaughter for the July 2, 2019, attack on Julius Rondez. The victim was punched while walking in the 400 block of East Temple Street, near Alameda Street, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Rondez was knocked to the ground and hit his head on the pavement, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The married father and grandfather died at a hospital the next day. Authorities have not determined a motive for the attack, according to Deputy District Attorney Ashley Rosen. Torres — who police said was recognized from surveillance video — was in the area of Third and Wall streets when LAPD officers detained him several days later. He has remained jailed since then. Torres was initially charged with murder.
CBS 2

Armed Prowler Taken Into Custody After Manhunt In Lake View Terrace Neighborhood
A man believed to be wanted for a string of burglaries in the northeast San Fernando Valley was taken into custody after an intense manhunt in Lake View Terrace Wednesday night. Police were out in full force searching for the so-called "Shadow Hills prowler" after receiving several 911 calls from neighbors who reported seeing the the armed prowler. The LAPD and several other law enforcement agencies responded to the area of Wheatland Ave. and Wentworth St. around 7:30 p.m. It wasn't until 10:30 p.m. that police located him and K9 units moved in to apprehend him. Neighbors called 911 to say they heard gunshots. Another 911 call was made by a neighbor who reported seeing a man with a backpack run through their backyard. Neighbors have been on edge for days… now many can rest knowing the suspect was finally caught. The man is responsible for a string of burglaries at residential and commercial buildings in Shadow Hills and other parts of the northeast San Fernando Valley.
FOX 11

LAPD, Family Seek Public’s Help Locating 16-Year-Old Missing Since Sunday
Family members and the LAPD on Wednesday asked for help to locate a 16-year-old boy who has been missing for a few days. Darrleon Wilmore’s last known whereabouts were in the West Adams neighborhood around 6:45 p.m. Sunday, when he was seen walking away from a business near Crenshaw Boulevard and the 10 Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Family and friends are concerned because they haven’t heard from him since despite attempts to contact him, police said in a news release. LAPD distributed photos of the missing teenager as they sought the public’s assistance to track him down. Wilmore is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, according to police. He was wearing a white sweatshirt, green windbreaker pants and black Crocs when he was last seen. Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s Southwest Juvenile Unit at 213-485-2585 or Southwest Detectives at 213-485-2710. Calls should be directed to 877-527-3247 during non-business hours and weekends. Anonymous tips can also be left via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or by going to the website www.lacrimestoppers.org.
KTLA 5

Exclusive: Missing For 3 Days, Patrick Bolden-Smith Discovered Back In Hospital And In Police Custody
Two days after 26-year-old Patrick Bolden-Smith disappeared following discharge from County-USC Medical Center, where he underwent a mental health evaluation, he’s back in the hospital, but this time, his mother said, he’s in police custody. “I’m just trying to understand how we got here, and how am I going to get him out of this situation,” said Theresa Bolden, the 26-year-old’s mother. Theresa flew in from her home in New Orleans late last week to pick up her son. She said he had no history of mental health issues, but was increasingly stressed, agitated and confused. So, early on Sunday morning, she called 911 to get him to a hospital for care. “I thought that’s how the system was going to work, and I’ve learned firsthand, clearly, that it’s not. And it’s terrifying,” she said. According to her, Bolden-Smith was released from County-USC Medical Center just five hours after he arrived. For the next three days, she had no idea where he was or what condition he was in. However, late Tuesday, she found out from the Los Angeles Police Department that her son was arrested for getting into a scuffle with someone and, again, taken to the hospital for mental health care. The 26-year-old is now facing charges that could include assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder.
CBS 2

Police Seek Public Help To Find Stolen Puppy
Police Wednesday sought public help to find a pit bull puppy stolen in the West Hills area of Los Angeles. The 8-month-old dog was stolen at about 4 p.m. on Nov. 2 from the owner's yard in the 15000 block of Nordhoff Street, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Police circulated photos of the dog, described as "short in stature," gray and white in color, with light-colored eyes. Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the LAPD Mission Area detective office at 818-838-9866, 877-LAPD-247, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
NBC 4

Girl, 17, Reported Missing In Canoga Park Found
A 17-year-old girl who had last been seen in Canoga Park has been found, police announced Wednesday. Kyla Scott was last seen about 12:15 p.m. Thursday walking away from her home in the 20900 block of Community Street. The Los Angeles Police Department announced Wednesday evening that Kyla had been found. No further details were released.
MyNewsLA.com

Woman Killed, Man Injured In Westmont Shooting, Authorities Say
A woman was killed and a man seriously injured in a shooting Wednesday in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Westmont, authorities said. About 3 p.m., Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting in the 1300 block of W. 95th Street, Sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Dean said. At the scene, deputies found a Black man in his 40s who had been shot several times in his chest, Dean said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was stable Wednesday night. Meanwhile, deputies learned that someone had dropped off a Black woman in her 20s at a different hospital, Dean said. The woman, who had been shot once in the chest and once in the lower body, died at the hospital. Detectives believe the man and woman were shot in the same incident, although the relationship between the two — if any — remained unclear Wednesday night, Dean said. Investigators were still trying to identify the person who drove the woman to the hospital, because that person may have witnessed the shooting, Dean said. Several hours after the shooting, 95th Street remained cordoned off at the intersection with Normandie Avenue as detectives canvassed the block, collecting shell casings and searching for footage from home surveillance systems.
Los Angeles Times

Homicide Investigators Looking Into Man Found Shot To Death In Compton Alley
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department began a homicide investigation after a man was found shot to death in an alleyway in Compton Wednesday morning. The sheriff’s department was called to an area located near the intersection of South Willowbrook Avenue and East El Segundo Boulevard around 9:40 a.m. Shortly after, responding deputies pronounced a man dead at the scene. The victim has not been identified and no further information was immediately available. Anyone with information is asked the call the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips online.
FOX 11

Villanueva Claims Crime Will Spike On Buses And Subways If LA Metro Ends Contract With Sheriff’s Department
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday that crime would spike along Los Angeles County’s rail and bus lines if officials approve recommendations from what he called a “woke advisory group” that would end his and other department’s contracts to police the transit system. The proposals were unanimously approved by LA Metro’s 14-member Public Safety Advisory Committee earlier this month, and are pending a vote by the transit agency’s board of directors. The committee’s plan would replace law enforcement at bus stations and train platforms with “transit ambassadors,” and shift jurisdiction on transit lines away from the Sheriff’s Department and into the hands of local law enforcement. Currently, the Sheriff’s Department as well as the Los Angeles and Long Beach police departments are contracted to serve the LA Metro system. Officials from the transit agency have recommended that its board of directors maintain those agreements until they expire in June 2022 at a cost of more than $75 million. They also want to extend the contracts for at least another six months while officials work out the details of the advisory committee’s proposals. Villanueva said the advisory committee, in contrast, wants to re-allocate that $75 million into services for the homeless and mentally ill, as well as the hiring and development of transit ambassadors.
Los Angeles Daily News

Social Media Platforms Becoming Sites Of Illegal Fentanyl Drug Sales Targeting Teens, L.A. Officials Warn
Social media platforms are increasingly becoming the settings of illegal drug transactions, including for teenagers who are unknowingly getting fentanyl-laced pills, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said. “It’s no longer the guy on the corner selling the drugs. Now they got to the social media sites and the online platforms, because they have that anonymity,” Lt. Sean Hinkey with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department told KTLA. This isn’t just happening in L.A. County. In September, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning about a sharp increase of fake pills containing fentanyl nationwide that are becoming available to anyone with a cellphone, including minors. Teenagers have been a target for the illicit drug sales, with youths thinking they’re buying pharmaceutical grade drugs like Xanax, Oxycodone or Adderall, but actually end up consuming counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, officials said. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is around 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal.
KTLA 5

Police Seek Information On Suspect Who Broke Into Parked Car In Glendale
Police Wednesday sought the public’s help to identify the person who broke into and stole cash from a parked car in Glendale. The suspect driving a black SUV about 9:10 a.m. Saturday followed a victim who had withdrawn cash from a bank ATM and, once the victim parked and left their car in the 200 block of South Central Avenue, broke a window and retrieved the money before fleeing the scene, said Glendale Police Department Sgt. Christian Hauptmann. “The MO is consistent with numerous similar, recent ‘jugging’ or bank-follow incidents involving suspects in rental cars following victims from bank parking lots,” he said. The suspect vehicle was described as a late model black Toyota 4Runner with dark tinted windows, no front license plate and possibly an Oregon rear license plate. Anyone with information on the robbery was asked to call the Glendale Police Department at 818-548-4911. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
MyNewsLA.com

Amber Alert Issued For Abducted Santa Rosa Teen Girl Believed To Be In SoCal
Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a 15-year-old girl abducted in Santa Rosa who is believed to be in Southern California. California Highway Patrol reports that 15-year-old Georgiana Bambaloi is believed to have been abducted just before 2 p.m. Wednesday in Santa Rosa. The suspect has been identified as 20-year-old Ionita Cimino. The two could be Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego or Riverside Counties, CHP said. The two are believed to be traveling in a green 2007 Chrysler Town and Country minivan with Texas license plate No. 12478U3. Cimino is described as 5-foot-7 with brown hair and eyes. Bambaloi is described as 5-foot-6 with a thin build and brown hair and eyes. Anyone who sees them should call 911.
CBS 2

Rapper Young Dolph Is Shot And Killed In Memphis
Rapper Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., better known by his stage name Young Dolph, was shot and killed in Memphis on Wednesday, according to police. Memphis Police Department Chief CJ Davis said officers responded to a shooting at a cookie shop at around 12:30 p.m. where the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. "The preliminary information indicates that the victim is Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. However this information will be confirmed once the identification process has been completed," Davis said in a statement. Davis added, "This shooting is another example of the senseless gun violence we are experiencing locally and nationwide. Our hearts go out to the Thornton family and all who are affected this horrific act of violence." Officials said no information about a suspect is available. Young Dolph was the victim of multiple shootings in recent years. In 2017, more than 100 shots were fired at his bulletproof SUV in Charlotte, N.C. He managed to walk away unharmed and later released a song about the incident called, "100 Shots." "A hundred shots, a hundred shots. How the f*** you miss a whole hundred shots?" he raps in the song. That same year, he was involved in another shooting outside of a hotel in Los Angeles. At the time, LAPD officials told reporters that the shooting occurred after an argument with three men, "which escalated to a physical fight. At one point, Young Dolph was knocked to the ground. And then one of the suspects pulled out a handgun and began shooting at him."
NPR

Watch: Atlanta Cops Pull Unconscious Man From Burning Car
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Police Department released bodycam video of a heart-pounding rescue. According to police, officers were called to the scene on Sunday after a driver crashed into several houses and a tree. Video shows officers sprinting towards a burning car. A man is seen unresponsive and slumped over the wheel. As the flames grew taller, the officers worked together to drag the man out through the driver’s side window. Investigators believe the car went airborne and traveled completely through two houses before hitting a tree and bursting into flames, police said. The driver is expected to survive. “The quick thinking, and bravery exhibited by Officer Adams and Officer Todd saved the occupant from a tragic outcome,” police wrote on Facebook. “We could not be prouder of these two officers.”
PoliceOne

Public Safety News

No-Burn Order Issued For Thursday For Many Parts Of Southland
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a no-burn order for much of the Southland Thursday due to a forecast of high air pollution in the area. Residents in the South Coast Air Basin are prohibited from burning wood, both indoors and outdoors, from midnight Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Thursday. The South Coast Air Basin includes the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties and all of Orange County. The order does not apply to mountain communities above 3,000 feet, the Coachella Valley or the high desert. Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat are also exempt from the requirement. Fine particles in wood smoke, also known as particulate matter or PM2.5, can get deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as asthma. Residents can receive no-burn day notifications by signing up for Air Alerts via email or text at http://www.AirAlerts.org.
CBS 2

Confusion Reigns Over Who Is Eligible For Boosters, Prompting California To Take Action
With confusion mounting over who is eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, California health officials updated the state’s guidelines Tuesday to say that essentially all adults are recommended to get the additional vaccinations. The move by the California Department of Public Health could be a precursor to federal officials taking similar action by the end of this week. There is increasing expectation that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will officially make booster shots available to all fully vaccinated adults, as long as enough time has passed since receiving their initial vaccination series. California’s move echoes recent efforts undertaken in places such as New York City, Colorado and New Mexico, as some health officials nationwide have voiced alarm at the sluggish booster uptake and expressed worry about a potential fifth COVID-19 surge that could strike this winter. Average daily coronavirus cases nationwide have risen by 14% over the last week, and average new daily COVID-19 hospital admissions are up by 5%.
Los Angeles Times