Person Killed After Gunfire Erupts In Downtown Los Angeles

One person is dead and another person has been taken into custody after a fatal shooting in a busy corridor of downtown Los Angeles Thursday afternoon. Authorities responded to the intersection of 6th and Main streets at around 3:45 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to KTLA. Aerial footage from Sky5 captured officers, along with medical personnel from the L.A. Fire Department, attempting life saving measures on a victim who was lying on the sidewalk near a trail of blood. Details are extremely limited and it’s unclear what led to the shooting. At around 4:15 p.m., first responders were seen placing a canopy, typically used during fatal incidents, over the area where the gunshot victim was laying. LAPD later confirmed that the victim was deceased at the scene and that a suspect had been arrested. No further details were provided.

KTLA 5

Man Injured In South LA Shooting

Police Thursday were investigating a shooting in South Los Angeles that injured a man before the suspect fled in a four-door sedan. Officers initially responded to the intersection of 39th Street and Western Avenue around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday to reports regarding shots fired, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison. It was later determined that the shooting took place at the intersection of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, where paramedics took the victim to a hospital with a gunshot wound to a leg. He was listed in stable condition. The suspect was last seen in a gray four-door Subaru. Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Metro Board Ponders Facial Recognition, Other Security Measures After Subway Killing

Transit officials are looking at facial recognition technology and fare gates as they scramble to find a way to secure the Metro system after a grandmother was fatally stabbed on the subway this week. The suspect arrested in the killing of 67-year-old Mirna Soza had once been banned from the system by a court order. Distressed by her death and a rash of attacks, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board on Thursday asked its staff to look into a litany of measures to beef up security on the sprawling system, including creating a protocol for communication among law enforcement agencies, examining the feasibility of facial recognition devices, and securing station gates. “Our agency has grappled with a very real and unacceptable level of violence, illicit drug use sales and overdoses, and a blatant disregard for the law, our code of conduct and, quite frankly, basic human decency,” said board member and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who initiated the effort. “Until we completely reverse security reality on our system, I’m concerned that we will never come back.”

Los Angeles Times

Following Brutal Attacks, Venice Community Brainstorms New Safety Measures

Residents who live near the Venice canals gathered Thursday to discuss new safety measures to adopt weeks after two women were brutally assaulted in the area. Among the ideas explored to increase safety in the neighborhood were added street lights, foot patrols and a network of security cameras – all in effort to prevent more attacks like the one Mary Klein was victim to. “He tried to kill me,” she told NBC4 from her hospital bed following the April 6 assault. “He knocked my two front teeth out.” Klein was taking a stroll near the canals when she was randomly attacked by a man who police later identified as 29-year-old Anthony Jones. He was arrested in connection with Klein’s attack and another woman’s attack in the same area; he now faces charges that include attempted murder, rape, mayhem and torture. “Something needs to change, and let’s use our technology and our resources and our computers to get that stack of critical evidence that a judge will look at and say, ‘Oh, you got the facts correct,’” Klein said Thursday at the virtual community meeting. The disturbing crimes left neighbors feeling uneasy and fearing for their safety.

NBC 4

Culver City Elderly Woman Loses Thousands To Check Fraud

A Culver City holocaust survivor lost thousands of dollars after her caregiver allegedly stole her check book. Berta Sklanslky, 93, did not even sign some of the checks that were deposited yet the bank refused to refund her money when she first reported it. She said she felt betrayed by her caregiver of 3 months, who is accused of stealing $5,500. The woman allegedly took Sklanslky's checkbook and started cashing fraudulent checks. People are being warned not to mail checks -- or to use a secure mailbox -- as check fraud is on the rise nationwide. In 2022, 680,000 claims of suspected check fraud were reported to the federal government. That's nearly double from the year prior. However, in Sklanslky's case, the person who allegedly stole from her was someone she welcomed into her home. "I still feel very hurt because I trusted her," Sklanslky said. "And every check was either not signed by me or signed by her name." In total, nine checks without Sklanslky's signature were allegedly cashed by the caregiver. Sklansky didn't notice the missing money right away, something that made it difficult to get it reimbursed. She was initially only able to get two of the checks refunded by her bank, Wells Fargo, because 30 days had already passed since the first seven were cashed.

CBS 2

LA County Woman To Plead Guilty In Counterfeit Postage Case

A Los Angeles County woman is set to plead guilty Friday to federal charges alleging she used counterfeit postage to ship millions of parcels in a scheme prosecutors say caused the U.S. Postal Service to lose over $60 million. Lijuan “Angela” Chen, 51, of Walnut, has agreed to enter her plea to federal counts of conspiracy and forging and counterfeiting postage stamps, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Chen allegedly provided shipping and postage services to businesses, including e-commerce vendors operating out of China, that sought discounted USPS rates for mailing their products within the United States, according to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court. “Multiple examinations conducted by USPS and USPIS staff have revealed that the vast majority of the postage used by Chen and her business to ship goods within the United States is counterfeit,” prosecutors wrote. Chen’s Industry-based business received parcels from the vendors and others, applied shipping labels showing postage purportedly paid, then arranged for the parcels to be transferred to USPS facilities to be shipped across the nation, federal prosecutors contend.

MyNewsLA

Texas Officer Dies Days After Being Shot By Suspect

An officer has died from gunshot wounds sustained while on duty, the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce to our police family and the Corpus Christi community the passing of Officer Kyle Hicks,” the Corpus Christi Police Department stated on Facebook. “Officer Hicks sustained injuries in the line of duty on April 20, 2024. We mourn the loss of a great husband, father, brother, son, friend, and co-worker. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Hicks.” Officer Hicks was critically injured while responding to a report of a domestic disturbance and gunfire, according to the report. The assailant was also shot and killed at the scene by other officers present with Hicks. Hicks, who had served with the Corpus Christi Police for two years, is survived by his wife and four children, according to the report. The police department has revealed that Hicks’ organs will be donated, continuing his legacy of service.

PoliceOne

Man Who Pleaded Guilty To Causing Deaths Of Missouri Officer, K-9, Pedestrian Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

A Jackson County judge sentenced a 20-year-old Tonganoxie man to 10 years in prison for causing a crash that killed two people, including a Kansas City police officer. Jerron A. Lightfoot pleaded guilty in February to two counts of involuntary manslaughter for recklessly causing the deaths of Officer James Muhlbauer and Jesse Eckes, a 52-year-old bystander caught in the wreckage. Muhlbauer’s K-9 police dog, Champ, was also killed in the crash. During a hearing Wednesday, Judge Sarah A. Castle sentenced Lightfoot to 10 years on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. Under terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors had agreed to cap their recommendations at 10 years in prison for each of the two felony convictions to be served concurrently. Lightfoot’s attorney, Lance Sandage, asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence, which would have partially or entirely suspended the jail sentence as long as Lightfoot met all conditions of probation. As part of the conditions of probation, Sandage asked the judge to consider limiting his jailtime to a short period, also known as shock time. Upon learning his sentence, Lightfoot was handcuffed and led out of the Jackson County courtroom.

Kansas City Star

1 Taken To Hospital Following Multi-Vehicle Crash In Mar Vista

A person was hospitalized today with non-life-threatening injuries following a three vehicle collision in Mar Vista, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed. At 8:08 a.m. Thursday, firefighters and police officers responded to the intersection of W Palms and S Sawtelle Boulevards after a multi-vehicle crash was reported, according to authorities. An image on social media showed a black BMW sandwiched between a white Nissan and a white Toyota. One person was taken to a hospital with “minor injuries,” the LAFD said. The cause of the collision was under investigation, according to authorities.

Westside Current

Rolls Royce, Bentley Destroyed In Hollywood Hills West Fire

Two high-priced cars were destroyed when a fire broke out overnight at a home in the Hollywood Hills West neighborhood of Los Angeles. The fire was reported just before 1 a.m. in the 9200 block of West Cordell Drive. The homeowner was asleep at the time of the fire but a neighbor called 911 after seeing the flames from his window. Video shows firefighters trying to douse a Rolls Royce and a Bentley as they were engulfed in flames. The owner said the cars alone are valued at nearly $1 million. It was unclear what caused the fire.

KTLA 5

Delayed Wildfire Season Expected Cross California As Brush Clearance Inspections Begin In LA

Heavy rain and snow brought on by an El Niño weather pattern well into the Spring, has meteorologists forecasting another below-normal wildfire season for California. Accuweather's lead long-range forecaster, Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, warned-don't let your guard down. The opposite extreme, La Niña, is approaching, expected to hit late this summer, bringing with her Santa Ana winds. "It does look like another below-normal season here in California. The soil moisture is rich. We don't have any drought," Pastelok said, adding, "It could get abnormally dry during the course of the summer season and we could have some smaller fires kicking up during the course of the summer season." That combined with the lush fuel thanks to above-normal precipitation could be disastrous. Captain Erik Scott with the Los Angeles Fire Dept. reminded property owners Thursday, May 1 was just days away. That's when brush clearance inspections start for the City of Los Angeles. Scott said the goal was to have a defensible space to help firefighters save lives and property.

ABC 7

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.