Police union calls for probe into LA council president's alleged phone call during traffic stop
Police union calls for probe into LA council president's alleged phone call during traffic stop
The Los Angeles Police Union is asking both the city attorney and the district attorney to find out. " "If those allegations are true, they should be investigated," said Jamie McBride with LAPPL. "You're trying to use your position to get out of the ticket, and that's actually a crime."
7 On Your Side Investigates asked Harris-Dawson if he asked for help getting out of the citation. "No, I actually was eager for him to write me a citation," Harris-Dawson answered, referring to LA Schools Police officer who pulled him over and cited him. "Because I want to see him in court." ABC7 also asked the council president if he violated any traffic law prior to being pulled over. "That's something we'll take up in court. You guys will be welcome to cover the hearing when that happens," replied Harris-Dawson.
Convicted double murderer out on parole kills South L.A. mother of 6
The Los Angeles County District Attorney says the law that allowed a man convicted of double murder out on parole contributed to a third murder of a South L.A. mother, and now, a day ahead of her killer’s sentencing, her family is speaking out. Fatima Johnson, a 53-year-old mother of six, was found dead by her daughters in her apartment on July 4, 2021. Her family grew worried after she failed to show up for work or return text messages. Johnson’s grisly murder, in which her hands were tied while she was choked or smothered to death while being wrapped in a blanket, led investigators to Darryl Lamar Collins, who had been convicted of killing two other people in 1998. Collins, who only served 25 years of his 50-year sentence for those murders under California’s youthful offender laws, killed Johnson less than a year after he was released from prison. “If you’re under the age of 26 years old when you commit the offense – here, he was 24 years old – once you serve 25 years, you’re eligible for parole,” L.A. County DA Nathan Hochman told KTLA. “That’s exactly what happened with Mr. Collins.”
SFV Man Pleads No Contest to Murdering His Sister-in-Law
A San Fernando Valley man pleaded no contest Thursday to first-degree murder for his sister-in-law’s shooting death in 2017. Marcos Tulio Flores, now 41, was immediately sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison following his plea, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The case stemmed from the Jan. 8, 2017, shooting of Sulma Flores, who died later that week. Seven other charges against Flores –including evading a pursuing peace officer while driving recklessly, assault with a firearm, burglary and criminal threats — were dismissed as a result of his plea. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office alleged shortly after the case was filed that Flores had shot his sister-in-law and threatened his estranged wife and her family with a gun at their Van Nuys home, then led police on a televised late-evening chase the next day after officers began following his car that matched the description of the one connected to the shooting.
Man killed in intentional hit-and-run crash in South Los Angeles, police say
Police are searching for the driver who they say intentionally ran someone over in South Los Angeles overnight. The incident happened on Florence Avenue between Hobart and Harvard boulevards around midnight Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators say a suspect intentionally drove onto the sidewalk and hit a pedestrian twice before fleeing the scene. The victim, identified as a 54-year-old man, was taken to a hospital where he later died. Additional details about what led up to the hit-and-run crash were not available.
High-speed pursuit ends in violent crash in Reseda; 2 injured
A police chase through the San Fernando Valley ended in a major crash early Friday morning, leaving two people injured and one person in custody. CHP officers initially responded to the DeSoto Avenue exit on the northbound 101 Freeway in Reseda around 3:20 a.m. following reports of a speeding and evading vehicle, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver of a gray Dodge Durango fled from officers, leading them on a pursuit that ended when the suspect crashed into a Subaru at the intersection of Sherman Way and North Wilbur Avenue, officials said. Video from the scene confirmed the Durango’s front end was destroyed by the impact. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene, while the driver of the Subaru was taken to a hospital for treatment. The condition of the Subaru driver is unknown. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the suspect.
FBI arrests 11 in real estate and loan fraud of Los Angeles elderly victims
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the arrest of 11 people, mostly Southern California residents, involved in a complex fraud scheme where property titles of elderly victims were allegedly stolen for the sake of securing millions of dollars' worth of loans. Nearly all defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, while other additional charges range from aggravated identity theft to money laundering. Stolen identities were allegedly used to secure high-value real estate loans, fabricate financial documents, and "move millions of dollars through a maze of fraudulent businesses and funnel accounts," said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Los Angeles Field Office. According to the federal grand jury indictment, from January 2021 to May 2023, Nazaret Chakrian and Arnold Moradians, both from Hollywood, stole personal identifying information of elderly victims who owned properties in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Westwood, and Chinatown.
BWC: Virginia officer stops ‘bloodbath,’ fatally shoots man actively stabbing family member
A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a man who was actively stabbing his son-in-law inside an apartment, according to body-worn camera video released by the department. The video, released during a news conference on March 19, shows officers responding to an apartment on Feb. 23 after 911 callers reported screams, an armed man and an injured woman banging on a door. When officers arrived, they found an adult female victim outside the apartment suffering from severe trauma. After entering the apartment, officers encountered 54-year-old Chhatra Tapa armed with a knife and kneeling over an adult male victim, police said. The video shows officers repeatedly ordering Tapa to drop the knife. When he did not comply and continued the assault, one officer fired multiple rounds. Police said officers found three stabbing victims at the scene: an adult male and two adult females. A 1-year-old child inside the apartment was not injured. Officers immediately began providing medical aid to the victims and the suspect until Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel arrived. Tapa was pronounced dead at the scene. The three victims were taken to a hospital in life-threatening condition, and the two adult women later died.
Public Safety News
Hospital seeks help identifying man found in L.A. jewelry store
Los Angeles officials are asking for the public’s help in identifying a hospitalized man who was found earlier this month in a jewelry store in Downtown Los Angeles. According to a Thursday release, Los Angeles General Medical Center is caring for a man believed to be in his 60s who has been hospitalized since March 7. The unidentified patient, listed as “John Doe,” was found in an altered state inside a jewelry store in the 600 block of South Hill Street, officials said. He is described as about 5 feet and 1 inch tall, weighing about 127 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes. Hospital officials are urging anyone who may recognize the man or have information about his identity to contact the Department of Social Work. Katie Garibay, a clinical social worker, can be reached at 323-409-3761 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Health Officials Issue Beach Warnings Amid Heat Wave
As a heat wave continues to drive crowds to the coast, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health was warning Friday that ocean water at several beaches is unsafe due to elevated bacteria levels, while clearing some previously affected areas. The affected beach areas are: Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach, 100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms; Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, entire swim area; Dockweiler State Beach, Culver Boulevard storm drain, 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain; Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu, 100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms; Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove, 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek; Wilshire Boulevard storm drain at Santa Monica Beach, near North Tower 12, 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain; Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu, 100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon; and Escondido Creek at Escondido State Beach, 100 yards up and down the coast from the creek.
