Shooting suspect crashes into LAPD cruisers at end of short chase; 2 officers injured
Law Enforcement News
Shooting suspect crashes into LAPD cruisers at end of short chase; 2 officers injured
A shooting suspect crashed into police, injuring two LAPD officers, at the end of a chase near the produce market in downtown Los Angeles early Wednesday morning. It all started near 7th Street and Central Avenue around 1 a.m. when officers responded to calls of a shooting in the area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A chase ensued but didn't last long. Video from the scene shows the driver in a white SUV weaving around and past several police vehicles in an attempt to get away. The suspect continued down the street before crashing head-on into a police cruiser near Alameda and Bay streets. Additional footage from the scene shows the cruiser also hit another LAPD vehicle during impact. At least two officers were injured in the crash but their condition was not known. Video also shows at least one officer resting on the curb. The suspect fled toward the nearby produce market, prompting authorities to briefly place it on lockdown. It's unclear if any arrests were made, but at least one person was seen being detained at the scene.
LAPD detectives seek public help finding North Hills hit-and-run driver who severely injured pedestrian
Los Angeles Police Department detectives are seeking help from the public in locating a hit-and-run driver who left a pedestrian with severe injuries in the San Fernando Valley on Monday night. The crash was reported just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street in the North Hills area, according to a news release from LAPD. Investigators say that an older, dark-colored Toyota Camry was driving east on Nordhoff while passing through the intersection when it struck a 39-year-old pedestrian, who was walking inside a marked crosswalk. Instead of stopping to help, the driver fled from the scene, police said. The victim, who hasn't yet been publicly identified, was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. As their search continues, police remind the public that anyone who has information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect is eligible for a reward of up to $25,000 through the Los Angeles City Administrative Code's Hit-and-Run Reward Program Trust Fund. Anyone who knows more was asked to contact LAPD's Valley Traffic Division at (818) 644-8116.
Los Angeles woman faces 24 years in prison for real estate fraud
A Los Angeles woman was formally charged with 25 felony counts of real estate fraud Monday in connection to a dozen falsely filed mechanics liens accusing Los Angeles County homeowners of millions of dollars in unpaid contracting work. The suspect, 58-year-old Rita Ortiz, now faces more than 24 years in state prison, if convicted. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the investigation “one of the most egregious cases of alleged real estate fraud” he’s ever seen. “The homeowner victims in this case cannot sell their property until these liens are cleared,” Hochman said. “Our Real Estate Fraud Section will do everything in our power to seek justice for these individuals. Once convicted, we will additionally seek a court order to clear title for all who have been victimized by the defendant.” According to court records, Ortiz filed 24 mechanics liens and one grant deed against 10 properties in L.A. County between September of 2023 and February of 2026. The alleged real estate fraud cost the victims of the case more than $500,000 in losses, the DA’s office said.
Southern California children’s party DJ raped teen while she was unconscious, prosecutors allege. Other victims sought
A Southern California disc jockey accused of raping a 17-year-old girl while she was unconscious was charged Monday by the Orange County district attorney’s office, and authorities are seeking additional victims. Glenn Canyon Childers, 32, of Los Alamitos worked as a DJ at children’s parties, according to the district attorney’s office. In addition to drugging and raping the girl, he had a cache of child sexual abuse images, authorities allege. Childers faces one felony count of rape of an unconscious person, one felony count of rape by use of drugs, one felony count of possession of child pornography and seven misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of eight years and eight months in prison and one year in Orange County Jail. The charges stem from an August incident in which the Los Alamitos Police Department received a report of an underage girl who was given drugs and sexually assaulted. In a statement, the district attorney’s office said, “Childers was identified as a suspect in the sexual assault as well as being in possession of child pornography.” The police investigation took a pivotal turn last week when they arrested Childers at his home. He was released Wednesday after posting a $100,000 bond, according to jail records and the district attorney’s office.
Florida executes man who killed Florida officer with his own service weapon in 1991
A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop was executed Tuesday evening in Florida, becoming the third person put to death by the state this year after a record 19 executions in 2025. Billy Leon Kearse, 53, was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was condemned for the 1991 shooting death of Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish. The execution started just after 6 p.m. When a warden asked Kearse if he had any final words, he said all he could do was ask for forgiveness from Parrish’s family. “To his family, I sincerely apologize for what I’ve done,” Kearse said. “There is no way I can ever repay that.” More than a dozen family members and police officers gathered to observe the execution. Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later. It was another quarter of an hour before a medic entered the room and pronounced Kearse dead. After the execution, Parrish’s widow, Mirtha Busbin, said she has found peace. “It’s been a long, long 35 years,” said Busbin. “We didn’t win anything though; we lost another life, but we did get justice.”
‘I would have killed them all': Florida sheriff says suspect who wounded deputy ran out of ammo
A suspect who opened fire on Volusia County deputies investigating a vandalism complaint later told investigators he intended to kill them and would have done so if he had not run out of ammunition, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. Deputies had responded to a home on Candler Drive on March 2 after a woman reported that a man jumped on her vehicle and damaged it earlier that morning. Instead of a property crime investigation, deputies were met with gunfire. Deputy Jose Rivera was shot once in the arm and once in the leg. Authorities say the suspect fired 12 rounds. According to the sheriff, the incident began around 5 a.m. when a woman arrived at the residence to pick up the suspect’s mother for work. An altercation followed, and investigators say the suspect jumped onto the hood of her vehicle and vandalized it. The woman reported the incident later that afternoon, prompting deputies to respond. Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows deputies approaching the home and making contact. Within moments, shots ring out. Sheriff Chitwood said shell casings recovered from the front door down the driveway indicate the suspect fired at deputies and followed their movement as they repositioned.
Public Safety News
City Council to Develop Amnesty Program for LACo Cannabis Businesses with Unpaid Taxes
The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday instructed staff to develop a so-called “amnesty program” for licensed cannabis businesses, citing a need to support more than 500 delinquent operators who collectively owe some $400 million in taxes and recoup a portion of those dollars. In a 13-0 vote, the council approved a proposal introduced by the Office of Finance, which seeks to capture unpaid cannabis taxes that otherwise would be lost. Council members Traci Park and Hugo Soto-Martinez were absent during the vote. “There’s still work to do with the tax amnesty program,” said Councilwoman Imelda Padilla, who chairs the council’s Government Operations Committee, which is leading discussions on the matter. “The city finds itself with a unique opportunity to bring businesses into compliance,” Padilla added, noting that any dollars collected from the proposed program would further support existing operators and ensure they stay in the city.
LA Council to Decide on Historic Status for `Brady Bunch’ House
The Los Angeles City Council is set to decide Wednesday whether to designate the “Brady Bunch House” as a historic-cultural monument, a move that would grant landmark protections to the Studio City property made famous by the classic television sitcom. The house, used in exterior establishing shots during the show’s run from 1969 to 1974, is instantly recognizable to generations of viewers who watched Mike and Carol Brady raise their blended family of six. Although interior scenes were filmed on a studio lot, the home’s facade became one of television’s most familiar suburban images. At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the house at 11222 W. Dilling St. be added to the city’s list of historic-cultural monuments, pending final approval by the City Council. The commission determined the proposed designation meets the criteria for monument status under the Los Angeles Administrative Code.
