LAPD Discovers Woman's Body In RV Near LAX Following Canadian Man's Confession

A Canadian man surrendered to the Los Angeles Police Department on Friday, confessing to the killing of his partner. He claimed the act was in self-defense after she allegedly threatened him with a knife. Following his confession, police were directed to an RV parked near the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where they discovered the woman's body, which had significantly decomposed. The vehicle was immediately seized for a thorough investigation. The couple, originally from Canada, had been living in the RV. The exact details leading to the fatal confrontation are currently under investigation. Authorities have yet to disclose the identities of the involved parties. 

Westside Current

Security Guard Fatally Shoots Person Allegedly Trying To Run People Over In Home Depot Parking Lot

A security guard fatally shot a driver who was allegedly trying to run people over in a Home Deport parking lot in South Los Angeles on Sunday. The shooting happened at around 1:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the hardware store located in the 1800 block of Slauson Avenue, according to Los Angeles Police Department officers. Investigators say that the guard opened fire on the man behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz after he tried to run him over. They say that the security guard was detained following the shooting, but it was unclear if he was under arrest or simply detained for further questioning. A second person was also injured in the shooting. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment on injuries of unknown severity. The ages and identities of the shooting victims are not immediately known. 

CBS 2

Victim Wounded In Shooting At Woodland Hills Hotel; Search Underway For Man, Sex Worker

Police are looking for a man and a sex worker they say are behind a robbery and shooting at a hotel in Woodland Hills. Officers were called to the Best Western on Ventura Boulevard around 11 p.m. Friday night, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities say the sex worker and victim got into a dispute over services. During the exchange, her employer got involved and shot the client. Police say the pair then stole about $20,000 and a Fendi bag from the victim. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. 

ABC 7

2 Wounded In Shooting At Hollywood Hills House Party

Two men were wounded early Monday in a shooting at a house party in the Hollywood Hills. Shots were fired during an argument at a Super Bowl party, police said. The shooting was reported just after midnight Monday in the 1600 block of North Crescent Heights Boulevard. A 26-year-old man and a 27-year-old man were hospitalized. Their injuries were not considered life-threatening. Two people were in custody early Monday, police said. Two handguns were recovered at the scene.

NBC 4

More Arrests Made At Graffiti-Covered DTLA High-Rise

A dozen more arrests were made over the weekend at the site of the graffiti-covered, vacant high-rise building in downtown Los Angeles that continues to draw backlash from the public and city officials. Twelve arrests were made Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The taggers walked right in and were met by police officers, but the suspects denied they were there to tag Oceanwide Plaza, officials said. Multiple spray paint cans and an illegal firearm were recovered during those arrests. Last week, four suspects - Sebastian Zoro-Gutierrez, 29; Andrew Rios, 30; Mauro Aguilar, 35; and Jessie Carreon, 44 - were arrested on suspicion of trespassing inside the tagged building. Two others, Victor Ramirez, 35, and Roberto Perez, 25, were arrested on the same charge the week beforehand. Former LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore told FOX 11 that graffiti artists are coming from all over the world to leave their mark, but the LAPD has regained control of the building. Viral video showed a team of taggers vandalizing the Oceanwide Plaza on S. Figueroa Street across from Crypto.com Arena and Peacock Place, formerly known as LA Live.

FOX 11

Suspect Apprehended For Vandalism On Venice Boardwalk

A suspect was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday after being spotted tagging cars near the Venice Boardwalk by a plainclothes officer, authorities said. The officer attempted to intervene, but the individual fled the scene on foot, prompting a chase. The pursuit concluded with the suspect's apprehension. Police have not yet released the identity of the suspect or the specific charges they face.

Westside Current

TikToker Helps Capture Suspected Child Predators In Southern California

A local social media star said he is protecting the streets of Southern California by capturing suspects wanted for preying on children. Known by the nickname “Black Biden,” the good Samaritan said his mission in life is to protect children and minors because he feels the criminal justice system is not doing enough. He spends his time setting up potential suspects through online messaging where he poses as an underage boy or girl. When a suspect agrees to meet with him, he will contact authorities and record the moment officers arrive to confront and arrest the suspect. One of the videos posted on his social media page shows a suspected child predator running chaotically through a Carl’s Jr. fast food restaurant as officers try to capture him. The suspect, Cody Lane Oreiro, 41, of Hawthorne, eventually gets tackled to the ground by Long Beach police. He was arrested on charges of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes and resisting a police officer.

KTLA 5

Couple Whose Gender-Reveal Party Sparked The Massive El Dorado Fire Sentenced

The couple whose pyrotechnics during a gender-reveal party set off what came to be known as the massive El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County in 2020 was sentenced Friday after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. The couple inadvertently started the 22,000-acre fire on a scorching hot day in a Yucaipa park with a device that was supposed to emit blue or pink smoke, authorities said. The fire killed U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter Charles Morton, injured two more firefighters and 13 others, destroyed five homes and forced hundreds to evacuate. Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. was sentenced to a year in county jail, two years of felony probation and community service after pleading guilty to a felony count of involuntary manslaughter in Morton’s death and two felony counts of recklessly causing fire to an inhabited structure, according to the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office. Angelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing a fire to another’s property and was sentenced to a year summary probation and community service, prosecutors said. The Jimenezes were also ordered to pay victims’ restitution in the amount of $1,789,972.

Los Angeles Times

New Mexico Officer Killed In Stabbing Before Suspect Shot And Killed By Witness

A New Mexico police officer died after he was stabbed by a suspect, who was shot and killed by a witness to the attack on Sunday evening, police said. Las Cruces Patrol Officer Jonah Hernandez was stabbed at least once shortly before 5 p.m. after responding to a report of a trespasser on South Valley Drive, the Las Cruces Police Department said in a statement posted on social media. A witness to the attack used the officer’s police radio to call for help after the stabbing, but Hernandez died after he was transported to MountainView Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, police said. The suspect, a 29-year-old man, was believed to have been shot and killed by the same witness, according to police, who did not release the suspect’s identity pending notification of his next of kin. Hernandez was a former resident of El Paso, Texas, who had served with the Las Cruces police for two years, the statement said. The Las Cruces police said additional information will be shared later in the week. 

Associated Press

1 Tennessee Deputy Killed, 1 Wounded By Suspect During Traffic Stop

Authorities in eastern Tennessee were searching early Friday for a suspect they say was involved in a shooting that killed one sheriff’s deputy and left another wounded. Warrants have been issued for 42-year-old Kenneth Dehart, who is wanted on suspicion of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm after the Thursday evening shooting, Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said in posts on the department’s Facebook page. Deputy Greg McCowan, 43, was killed in the shooting during a traffic stop. A female officer was shot in the leg and returned fire. Deputy Shelby Eggers, 22, was treated at a hospital and released to recover at home, Berrong said. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. We had an officer killed tonight,” Berrong said during a news conference in which he was visibly upset. “I’m so sorry that we’ve lost a young man. I talked to his family earlier. I apologized for not protecting him.” A reward of more than $60,000 has been offered for information that leads to an arrest, Berrong said. “We’re going to get this man off the streets of east Tennessee and put him behind bars,” he said. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the hunt for Dehart, who should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached if spotted, the sheriff’s office said.

Associated Press

Man Dead After Fire Burns South LA Building With Cannabis Operation Inside

A man is dead after a large fire broke out inside a building in South Los Angeles, where another discovery was made early Saturday morning. The fire was reported around 1:30 a.m. at the one-story building on E Manchester Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. After extinguishing the flames that engulfed the structure, firefighters searched through the smoldering debris and found the remains of an adult man. No other people were found. They also discovered that the "seemingly abandoned building" had a cannabis operation inside, which officials said could've been very dangerous. "They discovered this cannabis operation, which could've been potentially life-threatening for our firefighters due to the sheer number of cylinders and hazardous materials that are inside," said LAFD Capt. Adam VanGerpen. "This was a very dangerous situation and it could've been much worse," he said while stressing the fact that the roof collapsed during the firefight.

ABC 7

Sodden Blankets, Swollen Hands And Police Sweeps: Surviving On The Streets During LA’s Historic Storm

In a small Metrolink car park north of Los Angeles, Carla Orendorff packs up a trolley with plastic storm kits – containing items such as plastic cutlery, sleeping bags and socks – to distribute among those living on the streets on Thursday morning. Her dog, Lavi, “insisted” on coming with her, she tells The Independent. Carla is barely out of the parking lot when she spies someone she knows, who waves. “How did you do in the rain?” she asks. “Horrible,” comes the response, “I was soaking wet and cold as s***”. Carla is one of several outreach workers for the unhoused community living in Van Nuys, an area in the San Fernando Valley of LA. The informal team – composed of volunteers – often goes out providing supplies bought with their own money to those in need, but operations have been ramped up in recent weeks during the intense storms that have battered the state of California. For many of LA’s unhoused population, which numbers in the tens of thousands, the impacts were acute and devastating.

The Independent

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.