Police Continue To Search For Man Involved In Double Stabbing

The LAPD released new details about two random stabbings in El Sereno on Friday and police want the public’s help to help find the man they believe is responsible for both. One of the stabbings left a high school student dead and the second stabbing victim is a father of three. The families of both victims told NBC4 they believe they were random attacks and although police have not confirmed that yet they are saying the same man is connected to both. New surveillance video shows the stabbing suspect seen wearing a black jacket with wavy hair, a beard and a hat walk up to the teen victim when he wasn’t looking and stab him in the back. The teenager who was killed was17-year-old Xavier Chavarin, who was a student at Woodrow Wilson High School. "It breaks my heart, the fact that they just took him away from me," said Laura Frias, the mother. "Perfect child, perfect child." Police say it happened Friday just before 4 p.m. outside of the King Torta in El Sereno. Chavarin was a senior in high school and a straight-A student. He was just waiting for his mom to pick him after school when the suspect got out of a older model Honda CRV and killed him using a large knife.

NBC 4

Fatal San Pedro Hit-and-Run Captured On Camera; Driver Still At Large

Newly released video captures the moment a 51-year-old cyclist was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in San Pedro last weekend. The incident, according to police, occurred while the cyclist, identified as Oscar Montoya, was riding northbound on Pacific Avenue, south of Channel Street, at around 12:40 a.m. Saturday when a light-colored vehicle, possibly a Toyota Scion, traveling in the same direction rear-ended him. Graphic video of the incident shows the force of the collision knocked Montoya into the air, onto the vehicle’s roof before being thrown back onto the street. The driver of the vehicle slows to a stop for a few brief moments before fleeing and failing to help the cyclist. A Good Samaritan tried to help, but paramedics with the Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the 51-year-old dead at the scene.  

KTLA 5

Armed Woman Arrested Following Standoff With Police In Westlake Area

Police arrested an allegedly armed woman following a lengthy standoff in the Westlake area Tuesday afternoon. According to a report from Los Angeles Police Department, officers were dispatched to the area at around noon in regards to a medical emergency call. Upon arrival, paramedics said that the woman, in her mid-30s, allegedly produced a gun and fired several shots in the air before barricading herself somewhere in the 2600 block of James M. Wood Boulevard. Police had set up a large perimeter as they attempted to deescalate the situation prior to the woman's arrest, which was announced at around 4 p.m. The woman has not yet been identified. 

CBS 2

Police Make Arrests After Pursuit And Collision In Harvard Heights Area

Police arrested four people after a pursuit of an allegedly stolen car ended in a three-vehicle collision in the Harvard Heights neighborhood Tuesday, leaving a 20-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman in critical condition. Officers briefly pursued the vehicle, which crashed into two other vehicles at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday near Washington Boulevard and Western Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department. Four people in the allegedly stolen car were arrested, the LAPD reported. Their names were not released. In addition to the two critically injured patients, a 22-year-old woman, a 15-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the LAFD reported.

MyNewsLA

4 Businesses Hit By Same Smash-and-Grab Burglars In Koreatown, Hollywood: LAPD

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating a string of smash-and-grab burglaries overnight Tuesday at several businesses in Koreatown and one in Hollywood. The LAPD confirmed to FOX 11 they believe the four burglaries are connected and are looking for the same three suspects in connection with all four incidents. Descriptions of the suspects or vehicle were not released. The crimes occurred within a 15-minute period beginning around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to police. Two businesses - the Katsu Bar and Hae Jang Chon Korean BBQ - both located in the Serrano Marketplace strip mall were robbed and damaged. It's the second time in six months Katsu Bar has been robbed, the owner told FOX 11. At Hae Jang Chon, an employee was inside the restaurant when it was ransacked at 4 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The employee was able to run away and hide inside a back room for two hours. Sweet Corner Bakery was also hit by the alleged burglars, authorities said.

FOX 11

Former Burbank HS Student Accused Of Going On Campus, Sexually Assaulting Several Teen Girls

A 22-year-old former Burbank High School student is accused of going inside the school Monday and sexually assaulting several teen girls. According to the Burbank Police Department, Patrick Nazarian of Glendale, who graduated from Burbank High in 2018, managed to make his way onto the campus at around 9 a.m. where he allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. The girl told officers Nazarian approached her while she was in the bathroom, police said. "The man sexually assaulted the victim, a short struggle ensued, and the suspect fled the bathroom before being apprehended by school employees," read a statement released by police. Police said officers spoke with two additional female students - a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old - who said they were also "inappropriately touched" by Nazarian. Police said he was able to get into the school through an unlocked door in the student parking lot.

ABC 7

Anthony Avalos: Mom, Boyfriend Found Guilty In ‘Monstrous' Killing Of 10-Year-Old Boy

A Lancaster woman and her boyfriend have been convicted of torturing and murdering her 10-year-old son Anthony Avalos. On Tuesday, Judge Sam Ohta found Heather Maxine Barron, 33 and Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 37, guilty of first degree murder and torture in the June 21, 2018, death of Anthony. The judge also found true the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. They were also convicted of two counts of child abuse involving the boy's half-siblings, identified in court as "Destiny O." and "Rafael O." The defendants "derived pleasure from seeing Anthony suffer," the judge said. According to the judge, Anthony was deeply malnourished, dehydrated and had severe head trauma. "The acts of knowingly preventing Anthony from access to liquids involve each defendant actively keeping Anthony's bedroom door locked for the substantial duration of the period required to cause the severe dehydration, or when Anthony was not locked in his room. For each, to vigilantly watch him or prevent him from access to liquids. Evidence adduced at trial shows both defendant Leiva and Barron at separate times independently went into Anthony's room. This meant each had to lock his door when each exited. This was clearly a purposeful and coordinated action by both the parents meeting the requirement of willfully," the judge read. 

FOX 11

Four Suspects Allegedly Stole Over $1 Million In Goods From Microsoft Facilities In California

Four suspects were charged for allegedly stealing over $1 million worth of items from Microsoft facilities throughout Southern and Central California. The alleged thefts included tons of Xbox and Acer products that were stolen off cargo trucks departing from Microsft shipping facilities, according to the California Attorney General’s Office. The suspects were identified as Jorge Alberto Soto, Norlan Jose Cruz Montenegro, Jose Daniel Mayen Ortiz and Byron Noe Tercero Cruz, on court documents. Their ages were not released. From February through June 2022, the suspects targeted trucks in multiple counties including Los Angeles, Kern, Tulare and Tehama, officials said. Two suspects were arrested in Northridge on Feb. 2, while two other suspects remain at large, authorities said. Officials say the thieves’ mobile devices confirmed they were present during the various cargo thefts.

KTLA 5

2 Kidnapped Americans Found Dead In Mexico; 2 Others Rescued And Returned To The U.S.

Two of four U.S. citizens kidnapped at gunpoint in northern Mexico last week were found dead Tuesday, Mexican authorities said, while two others were rescued after an intense manhunt that renewed U.S. focus on violence south of the border. The Americans were located Tuesday morning in a small wooden house in a field outside the violent border city of Matamoros, said Irving Barrios Mojica, the attorney general of Tamaulipas state. Mexican authorities detained one suspect, identified only as Jose Guadalupe N., 24, who they said was guarding the house. The two survivors — Latavia “Tay” McGee and Eric James Williams, who was badly wounded in his left leg — were rushed to the border in a convoy of ambulances and law enforcement vehicles and handed over to U.S. authorities in Brownsville, Texas. The frantic rescue came four days after unknown gunmen fired on the tourists amid a busy stretch of downtown Matamoros, then loaded them into the back of a pickup truck and sped away. The disappearance of the four friends sparked an international incident, with the FBI launching an investigation, the White House intervening and some Republican members of Congress calling for invading Mexico with U.S. troops.

Los Angeles Times

'Every Second Counts:' LAFD Chief Aims To Tackle Increased Response Times, Staffing Shortages

The Los Angeles Fire Department is busier than ever. There was the COVID-19 pandemic, then add to that the homeless crisis, the rise in fentanyl overdoses and an uptick in violent crime. Last year, the LAFD responded to nearly 500,000 incidents, 46,000 more incidents than the average between 2016 and 2019 prior to the pandemic - which is about 10% higher. "We are over worked," said LAFD paramedic Jonathan Valenzuela. As a result of the call volume, LAFD response times have increased citywide. EMS and non-EMS responders both took a minute longer in January 2023 compared to January 2016. In January of this year, the average response time was more than 7 minutes. "Every second counts when it comes to the services we provide," said LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley. 

ABC 7

Massive Fire Breaks Out Inside LA County Building In Historic South Central

Fire crews extinguished heavy fire near downtown Los Angeles after flames were reported on the top floor of a six-story building owned by the Los Angeles County. The fire was first reported before 4 a.m. in the 2600 block of S. Grand Avenue. An orange glow could be seen through building top floor windows. One-hundred sixty LAFD firefighters battled the blaze at the pre-1960 concrete structure, which houses administrative offices for several agencies, including the Department of Public Health. The fire department declared a knockdown at around 5 a.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation. No injuries were reported.

NBC 4

LA County Reports 900 New COVID-19 Infections

Los Angeles County reported 900 new COVID-19 infections, while the number of virus-positive patients in county hospitals plummeted below 600, according to the latest data. The 900 new cases reported Tuesday lifted the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 3,710,799. Daily case numbers released by the county are undercounts of actual virus activity in the county, due to people who use at-home tests and don’t report the results, and others who don’t test at all. According to state figures, there were 569 COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals as of Tuesday, down from 649 on Saturday. Of those patients, 60 were being treated in intensive care units. Another 10 virus-related deaths were reported by the county Tuesday, raising the overall death toll to 35,781. A majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, health officials have said.

MyNewsLA

3 City Council Members Want A Law Designating L.A. A ‘Sanctuary City’

Soon after President Trump took office, Los Angeles immigration groups demanded that City Hall label L.A. a haven for immigrants in the face of his promised crackdown. The Los Angeles City Council ultimately passed a resolution that declared L.A. a “city of sanctuary” — a symbolic gesture that offered no legal protections. Now, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Nithya Raman want to strengthen L.A.’s laws around immigration. They announced Tuesday they would seek passage of an ordinance declaring L.A. a “sanctuary city” and barring city personnel or resources from being used in federal immigration enforcement. If adopted, the law would be largely similar to one in San Francisco. It prohibits city employees from using city funds or resources to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the enforcement of federal immigration laws unless such assistance is required by federal or state law.

Los Angeles Times

Councilmembers Propose Changes To Al Fresco Ordinance To Support Local Businesses

In response to the concerns raised regarding an updated Al Fresco Ordinance, Councilwoman Traci Park, along with President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember John Lee and Councilmember Tim McOsker, submitted a letter to Los Angeles City Planning on Tuesday. The letter addresses concerns from restaurant owners and residents regarding potential hardships that may arise from the City Planning's current draft of the ordinance. Some policy recommendations councilmembers submitted in the letter include supporting a streamlined process for existing participants, acknowledging the significant investments made by existing participants in creating outdoor dining spaces, ensuring processes are not excessively expensive or challenging, particularly for small businesses, and eliminating or decreasing additional Conditional Use Beverage (CUB) requirements for current Al Fresco restaurants serving alcohol.

Westside Current

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.