Suspect Identified After 2 Police Officers Injured In South LA Shootout

A suspect was found and apprehended hours after a shootout in South Los Angeles left two police officers injured, authorities said. Nija Hill was taken into custody at about 1 a.m. Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD officers responded to a report of an armed robbery near the intersection of East 92nd Street and South Central Avenue at 9 p.m. Friday, officials said. Police said Hill had pistol-whipped two victims in an alley adjacent to a laundromat, located near the 9200 block of South Central Avenue. Hill then went inside the laundromat and threatened several other people, according to police. The suspect then went outside where he again threatened several vendors with the firearm, police said. The laundromat was evacuated and video showed customers running in several directions, some carrying their clothes. As the officers arrived at the scene, they saw Hill standing on the sidewalk outside of the laundromat and he immediately took off running. During the foot pursuit, the suspect opened fire, striking both officers, the LAPD said. Police established a perimeter and called a SWAT team. At that time, Hill apparently tried to carjack someone near 93rd street and Clovis Avenue but was unsuccessful, according to police. Soon afterward, officers found Hill with a leg injury, hiding inside a vehicle blocks from the scene. He was sent to a hospital where he was treated for his wound and cleared for booking. The two officers were released from the hospital Saturday morning after being treated for minor injuries. Another person -- possibly a victim in the robbery -- suffered an injury to the forehead.

ABC 7

Two LAPD Officers Injured When Patrol Car Hit By Another Vehicle

Two Los Angeles police officers were injured early Sunday when their patrol car flipped over after being struck by another vehicle, whose driver was arrested, officials said. The crash occurred about 2 a.m. at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Rosecrans Avenue in South L.A., the department said. The driver of the car that hit the officers’ vehicle was a juvenile, who was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, police said. The two officers were taken to a hospital after the crash and have since been released, officials said. 

Los Angeles Times

Police: Man Shot Dead In Restaurant That Also Housed Illegal Casino 

A man was shot to death at a restaurant in Gardena that also housed an illegal casino, police say. According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the shooting occurred around 8 p.m. Saturday and involved two men considered “regulars” at the establishment, Salvimex Restaurant, which is located in the 14100 block of South Vermont Avenue near Rosecrans Avenue. The two were seated at different tables when the suspect walked up and shot the victim unprovoked, the spokesperson said. He was struck at least once in the chest and died at the scene. No identifying information – other than the decedent being a 35-year-old man – was released. The suspect fled the restaurant, got in a vehicle and left the area in an unknown direction, police said. He remains outstanding as of Sunday morning. No description was immediately available. 

KTLA 5

Fatal Shooting In Gramercy Park

A 57-year-old man was killed Saturday when he was shot by a man in the Gramercy Park area of Los Angeles. The shooting was reported about 3:40 p.m. Saturday in a parking lot in the area of Western Avenue and 103rd Street, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison told City News Service. The victim was reported unconscious and not breathing, but he was taken to a hospital by paramedics where he was pronounced dead, Madison said. The suspect was described as a man about 30 years old, wearing all black clothing, seen fleeing the scene on foot, Madison said.

MyNewsLA

Man Stabbed To Death Outside Of Echoplex Music Venue In Echo Park

Authorities are investigating a deadly stabbing that happened outside of the Echoplex music venue in Echo Park early Saturday morning. It happened at around 2:15 p.m. outside of the live music venue, located in the 1800 block of Sunset Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers arrived and found the victim, a 33-year-old man, suffering from multiple stab wounds, LAPD officers said. The victim, who remains unidentified, was pronounced dead at the scene. There was no information immediately available on a suspect or motive in the stabbing. Anyone who may know more is asked to contact LAPD investigators at (323) 561-3211.

CBS 2

Police Hunt For Armed Robbery Suspect In Venice Beach Canals; Residents Urged To Stay Indoors

Police are actively searching for a man suspected in an armed robbery near Venice Beach, now believed to be hiding in the Venice canals area. Authorities have locked down sections of the canal and are advising residents to remain indoors with doors securely locked. The suspect, described as a Black male in his 20s to 30s with black dreadlocks featuring blonde tips, was last seen in a restricted area of the canal north of 28th St., near Ocean Ave., Dell Ave., and Venice Way. Police have deployed multiple units to block bridge access, and a police helicopter is scanning the area from above. K-9 units are also en route to assist in the search. The man reportedly robbed several tourists near 537 Venice Way, across from the Venice Beach Library, late yesterday afternoon. Items taken during the robbery included wedding rings, a purse, and an iPhone. Witnesses say the suspect wielded a handgun during the incident, though no injuries were reported. Police were able to recover the suspect’s backpack nearby, though the gun was not found. Officers suspect he may be hiding within the perimeter, prompting an intense search operation.

Westside Current

Authorities, Loved Ones Search For Missing Los Angeles County Woman

Loved ones and authorities are searching for a woman who disappeared in Los Angeles County. Rosemary Caratao, 40, has been missing since Oct. 21, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. She was last seen walking away from her home in the 600 block of North Bonnie Brae Street in Echo Park at around 9 a.m. Caratao is described as an Asian female who stands 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighs about 190 pounds. She has brown eyes, black hair and was last seen wearing a multi-colored shirt, blue pants and blue shoes. The woman’s family has not heard from her since her disappearance and it’s unknown where she may have been headed that morning. No possible health conditions that may have contributed to her disappearance were mentioned by the LAPD. Anyone who has seen Caratao or knows her whereabouts is urged to call Detective Lopez at 213-996-1800. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. 

KTLA 5

Driver Strikes NYPD Officer While Fleeing Traffic Stop

An NYPD officer’s leg was injured Tuesday when a driver plowed into him in Brooklyn after cops tried to stop the man for driving without a license plate, police said. At around 9:30 p.m., officers spotted the vehicle and tried to pull it over near Forbell St. and Sutter Ave. But instead of stopping, the 25-year-old driver accelerated toward one of the officers, injuring his leg, cops said. The officer was taken to an area hospital in stable condition; the driver was arrested and is in custody, police said. One of the officers involved fired his gun but did not hit anything, a police source told the Daily News. The NYPD would not immediately confirm that detail.

New York Daily News

715K Fentanyl Pills Confiscated During Federal-Local Drug Operation In Albuquerque

Nearly three-quarters of a million fentanyl pills were confiscated during a recent federal-local drug operation in Albuquerque — enough to “provide every citizen of Albuquerque with at least one pill,” the feds say. Tomas Rubalcaba, 45, Joaquin Rubalcaba, 40, Humberto Gastelum and Frederick Chavey, 39, are charged with multiple counts of distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the case. The charges came after the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office confiscated about 715,000 fentanyl pills, other drugs and a dozen firearms last week. According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release, the Rubalcabas and Gastelum will remain in custody until trial, which has not been scheduled. Chavey is in third-party custody while a fifth person, Ismael Vargas, 37, remains at large. If convicted, they could face more than 10 years in prison. “We can’t always talk about our narcotics investigations because they are so sensitive, but I want the public to know that local law enforcement is working closely with federal law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to attack the source of illegal drugs flowing into New Mexico,” Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said in a statement.

Albuquerque Journal, N.M.

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.