Search Underway For Murder Parolee Seen Armed With Rifle In South LA Neighborhood

Authorities are still looking for a murder parolee who was able to evade authorities during a barricade situation in a South Los Angeles neighborhood this week. The search stems from an incident that started Tuesday night and carried into Wednesday morning. Officers responded to the Florence neighborhood after receiving a call about a man with a gun. The suspect, 42-year-old Ezequiel Garcia, was seen armed with with a rifle in the area of 69th Street and Avalon Boulevard. When officers arrived, Garcia ran away and into a junkyard. Authorities surrounded the area and searched for him, but hours later later determined that he had managed to get away. Garcia is currently on active parole for murder and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Anyone with information is urged to contact detectives at (323) 846-6547.

ABC 7

Los Feliz Pharmacy Targeted By Burglary Crew Using Electric Saw

Surveillance video captured a burglary crew brazenly using an electric saw while attempting to smash their way into a pharmacy in Los Feliz. Early Wednesday morning, three suspects approached R&D Pharmacy located on Franklin Avenue at around 4 a.m. They were seen using an electric saw and a crowbar to shatter the store’s glass entrance before sawing into the metal gate behind it. The pharmacy’s owner, Roselyn Roque, said this was the second time her pharmacy had been targeted in just three weeks. Despite diligently locking up her store every night and protecting it with steel gates, an alarm system, motion detectors, chains and padlocks, she said the suspects don’t appear to be deterred from returning. As a pharmacist, Roque said she unfortunately also knows what the thieves are after. “Opiates and stimulants,” she said.”They have really high value on the streets.”

Yahoo! News

Officials, Family Search For Missing Southern California Teen

Officials and loved ones are searching for a Southern California teenager who has been missing for over a month. Haven Griffith, 17, was last seen on May 11 in Northridge, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She is described as a female standing 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 115 pounds. She has brown eyes and black hair. Authorities believe she could be in the areas of Northridge or possibly Palmdale. The details surrounding her disappearance are unknown. Anyone who may have seen Griffith or knows her whereabouts is asked to call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-275-5273.

KTLA 5

L.A. Wants To Make Firing Bad Cops Easier. Should The LAPD’s Watchdog Have A Role?

The Los Angeles Police Department’s much-maligned disciplinary system is on the verge of a major transformation, and members of the L.A. Police Commission expressed concern Tuesday about being left out of the discussion. The five-member commission, appointed by the mayor to provide civilian oversight of the department, was responding to a City Council proposal that could give the LAPD chief the power to fire cops outright for suspected misconduct and reform a process that critics say has seriously undermined accountability efforts. The City Council’s tentative plan, which would require approval from Los Angeles voters in November, focuses on disciplinary panels comprising only civilians, which review the cases of officers accused of misconduct and decide whether they should be fired or face punishment. The proposed reforms would do away with all-civilian panels, adding a sworn member of the department as one of the three representatives. A split composition was once standard. However, since 2019, officers have been able to choose which type of panel they will face, and the all-civilian route has proved more lenient. Department officials previously said that of the 27 hearings held last year for officers whom the chief wanted to fire, all-civilian panels gave the accused lighter discipline in 11 cases.

Los Angeles Times

Woman stabbed to death in Chatsworth; family believes boyfriend is killer

A woman was stabbed to death in Chatsworth early Tuesday morning, and her family believes her boyfriend is the killer. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, someone reported hearing a man and a woman arguing around 1:45 a.m. at home on Owensmouth Avenue. When the caller went to check on them, he or she found the woman suffering from a stab wound to her neck.

ABC 7

Sinaloa Cartel Possibly Connected To Major Bust In Southern California

When a white Ford F-150 led the California Highway Patrol on a police chase, little did the officers know that by the time they stopped the driver, they’d find close to 200 pounds of drugs and large amounts of cash in the truck. But they did, also arresting a Hispanic man in his 40s, who they are still questioning for possible drug cartel involvement. On June 18 around 9:37 a.m., California Highway Patrol K-9 officers stopped the vehicle on the 5 Freeway and Boyle Ave for a traffic violation. The driver fled, leading officers on a pursuit through various streets and freeways. The chase ended on 2nd Street, west of Figueroa Street. While arresting the driver, officers found approximately 190 pounds of methamphetamine worth $3.4 million and about $5,000 in cash. This happened just down the street from where federal officials announced a 10-count indictment linking local Sinaloa cartel operatives with underground Chinese groups laundering millions of drug sales money in Southern California. 

FOX 11

Florida Detectives Solve 37-Year-Old Cold Case Murder Of Former Firefighter-Paramedic

For decades, the brutal slaying of a bodybuilder in his Broward townhouse left investigators with more questions than answers. The lengthy search for answers in the murder of William Halpern partially ended when Miramar Police Detective Danny Smith announced Tuesday that he cracked part of the case. On Oct. 21, 1986, Halpern, a 28-year-old known by loved ones as Billy, was found in his home with his neck slashed ear to ear. The former Hallandale firefighter-paramedic turned art and coin dealer had been bound and beaten. Smith identified a suspect — Harry Van Collier, who was 28 when he, too, was murdered in the ‘80s. The detective, however, believes Collier was just one of several people who are responsible for Halpern’s death, as it would’ve likely required more than one man to subdue him during a struggle. He said he will continue probing the case to identify the other perpetrators. “If Harry Collier were alive today, we would be charging him with murder and he would stand trial,” Smith said. “We’re able to exceptionally clear the case on death of offender.” Smith told reporters in January that investigators had a “99% completed puzzle” and needed “one puzzle piece” to solve the slaying. Halpern’s death is tied to The Apollo Gym & Fitness Center in Hollywood, a front for sketchy dealings like loan sharking, drugs and murder for hire. Anywhere from 12 to 30 killings in the 1980s across Miami-Dade and Broward were affiliated with the gym, the Miami Herald archives show.

Miami Herald

Procession Honors LA County Firefighter Killed In Front-Loader Explosion In Littlerock

Firefighters from the Los Angeles County and city of Los Angeles fire departments, and other public-safety agencies, formed a procession Wednesday to transport a county firefighter to his final resting place after he was killed when part of a burning front-loader exploded at a quarry in Littlerock. Andrew Pontious, 52, a 19-year veteran firefighter, died around 2 p.m. Friday in the explosion at a quarry in the 7300 block of Pearblossom Highway. Pontious leaves his wife, Kim; his stepdaughter, Sara; parents Gary and Ellie; brother, David, a former county fire department captain; and an extended family. On Wednesday morning, firefighters from the L.A. County and L.A. city fire departments joined firefighters from the West Covina and Alhambra fire departments and other public-safety agencies in a procession to transport Pontious' body from the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner- Coroner to Forest Lawn-Covina Hills cemetery. Pontious also served the communities of El Monte, Rosemead and San Fernando during his career, according to the county fire department.

ABC 7

Syringe Needles Pose Health Dangers, Create Eyesore By South LA Metro Station

Those who work and live in the Florence-Graham neighborhood of South Los Angeles expressed concerns Wednesday about used syringe needles and trash scattered near a Los Angeles Metro light rail station. Roberto Sanchez, who uses the Blue Line station to commute to work, said seeing needles on the ground in the area is nothing new. But last Friday was the first time he stepped on one of them. “As soon as I touched the floor and hit the needle, I immediately felt a sharp pain and then a puncture,” Sanchez said. “The needle penetrated my shoe and hit my skin.” Sanchez said, after the needle went through his skin, he went to the emergency room to get a tetanus shot and get blood work done. “When it comes to personal health, I always aim to make sure I’m healthy. But for something out of the way to happen to me and I have no control over, it’s very scary and it makes me feel very weak,” he explained. Mary Hellen, who lives nearby the Florence-Graham station, said she and her friend have been picking up the abandoned neelds and throwing them in the trash. “Me and her clean the street where we live. And it’s awful,” Hellen said. Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell whose district includes the area said that the safety of residents in the area is “a top priority.”

NBC 4

2024 May Be ‘Rough Year’ For Wildfires, Cal Fire Warns

Nearly 90,000 acres have been scorched by more than 2,000 wildfires this year, according to Cal Fire. According to the state’s fire protection agency, June, typically recognized as the beginning of California’s wildfire season, has been a very active month for firefighters, which suggests we may be in for a “rough year.” “Californians are seeing first-hand fires that have been sparked across the state. If June is any indication, 2024 looks to be a busy fire year,” Cal Fire officials said in a news release issued Wednesday. Cal Fire says it has registered 2,156 wildfires year to date, which are responsible for burning more than 89,500 acres and destroying at least 22 structures. As of Wednesday, there are 14 active fires of at least 10 acres burning across California. The Post Fire, which has burned more than 15,600 acres near Gorman, is among the most destructive of the early fire season. “Around 1,600 firefighters from 43 different crews have responded to the Post Fire, along with 26 water tankers, 13 bulldozers, 24 helicopters,” Cal Fire said. The fire has a current containment level of 39%.

KTLA 5

California Firefighters Celebrate One Of Their Own Becoming Cancer-Free

There wasn't a dry eye in the house as a special celebration took place at the City of Hope Orange County Lennar Cancer Center in Irvine on Thursday morning. In a moment captured on Good Day LA, around 50 uniformed firefighters from Corona, Orange City Fire, Huntington Beach and other departments across Southern California surprised Corona Fire Battalion Chief Brandon Willson with a "clap-in." The heartwarming moment occurred as Willson showed up at the cancer center for his final chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Willson was welcomed by his sons, wife and colleagues. 

FOX 11

Councilman Pushes To Rename DTLA Plaza For Black Hero Of Early Los Angeles

A prominent downtown Los Angeles plaza may soon have a new name. City Councilman Kevin de León is expected to announce on Wednesday that in addition to the ongoing work at Pershing Square, the 5-acre park could also get a new name, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. And Wednesday, which is Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S., is an apt day to announce the proposed new park namesake: Biddy Mason, a former slave who the Times described as an “unsung L.A. hero.” The current name of the park, which often hosts protests and special installations like an ice rink at Christmas, honors Gen. John Pershing, the top American commander during World War I. The honor was bestowed in commemoration of Armistice Day ending the conflict. While Pershing was of national importance, Mason helped shape the future of Los Angeles in the 19th century. After successfully suing for her freedom, Mason worked as a nurse and midwife until she was able to buy land and build a home between Broadway and Spring Street. 

KTLA 5

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.