Teen Dies In One Of Several Street Takeovers Over 2-Day Span In South Los Angeles

Communities across South Los Angeles were rocked by chaos over the weekend as a series of illegal street takeovers between Saturday through Monday ended in a fiery crash, looting and the death of a 15-year-old. People living in neighborhoods across South LA said they feel like these illegal gatherings are out of control, becoming more violent and destructive each time. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, two 15-year-old boys were at an illegal street takeover early Saturday near 54th Street and Western Avenue when they spotted what appeared to be a robbery in progress. The LAPD said both teens were shot when they tried to run away from the scene. The boys took themselves to a nearby hospital, where one succumbed to his wounds. In a separate incident that took place early Monday morning in the Manchester Square area, more than 300 spectators gathered as a car was set on fire before the LAPD dispersed the crowd, a video from the site showed. A couple of hours later, people at a separate street takeover broke into a nearby Wingstop restaurant on Manchester Avenue and Avalon Boulevard. Store employees told NBC4 that chicken and water bottles were stolen. Residents are very concerned about the increasing violence with street takeovers.

NBC 4

Woman Killed In Hit-and-Run Crash In Baldwin Hills; Police Searching For Suspect

A woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash early Tuesday morning in Baldwin Hills, and a search for the driver is underway. It happened just before 2 a.m. near La Cienega and Obama boulevards. The woman, who has not been identified, was crossing the street when she was struck. Details on the investigation are limited but police said some evidence was left at the scene, though investigators did not elaborate. Police said the suspect is believed to be driving a dark-colored Toyota Camry. Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities. 

ABC 7

Man Wounded In Shooting In Downtown Los Angeles

A man was in the hospital after being shot Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Los Angeles Police Department officers from the department’s Central Division responded at 4 a.m. to Central Avenue and Sixth Street where they learned the victim was shot while he was driving at the intersection of Stanford Avenue and Sixth Street, LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes told City News Service. The victim drove to Central and Sixth, where officers found him and took him to a hospital. There was no suspect description.

MyNewsLA

Police Continue Search For Hit-and-Run Driver Who Severely Injured 72-Year-Old Woman In South LA

Police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver who severely injured a woman in her 70s in South Los Angeles back in January. The crash happened at around 7:40 p.m. on Jan. 22, as the 72-year-old woman was walking inside of a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 60th Street in the Van Ness area, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators say that a late-model burgundy SUV was driving southbound on Eighth Avenue when it struck the woman. Instead of stopping to help, the driver fled the scene and has been outstanding since. The woman, who remains unidentified, was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries. A standing reward of up to $25,000 has been offered by the city of Los Angeles for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect involved in the incident. Anyone with more information was asked to contact LAPD detectives at (323) 421-2500.

CBS 2

LAPD Officers Allowed To Carry Guns At Paris Olympics After France Makes Exception

Eager to ramp up security preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics, the Los Angeles Police Department is sending a small cadre of officers to Paris for this year’s Games. And — in a bit of a geopolitical flex — the LAPD had a hand in convincing the French government to temporarily suspend its law against overseas police officers being armed in the country. Thirty-two LAPD reserve officers and a supervisor will travel overseas next week as part of the Olympic delegation to work at event sites across the country, under the supervision of the French national police and the Gendarmerie, according to law enforcement documents reviewed by The Times. France will cover the officers’ airfare and lodging expenses, but not meals, the documents say. The reserves have gone through the Police Academy just like regular officers, and can “perform the same functions as regular, full-time officers,” the LAPD says on its website. Three teams of reserves will remain in France at varying times during the Games, working 8- to 12- hour shifts, five days a week. The visiting officers won’t wear body cameras, according to documents outlining plans for the trip. And although they will be in full uniform and armed with their service weapons, their duties will be largely ceremonial — more to provide a visible presence than make arrests or assist with crowd control.

Los Angeles Times

House In Westchester Reportedly Burglarized With Residents Present

Officers responded to a home burglary in Westchester on Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed today. At 6:29 p.m. Sunday, police were sent to 8326 Croydon Avenue after a 911 caller reported a hot prowl burglary, which is when a suspect or suspects attempt to burglarize a home while its residents are present. The department said the suspect left the location, and responding officers completed a theft report. It was not clear what was stolen, the LAPD said. An image posted on X by the account ScannerPacific, showed a woman in handcuffs seemingly being escorted from the house. No injuries were reported.

Westside Current

Witness: Italian Tourists Robbed On Metro Train In Los Angeles 

Two tourists from Italy were robbed on a Metro train in Los Angeles on Monday night, according to a witness. Preliminary information indicates that the robbery occurred near the Expo/Vermont station on the Metro E line around 11 p.m. A witness who only spoke Spanish told stringer service KNN that two suspects stole the pair’s phones and attempted to assault them. “We were sitting on the Metro and there were two Italian tourists…two people took their cell phones and tried to hit them,” the witness said. “It was a very worrying situation for everyone on the train.” The Los Angeles Police Department later confirmed that the robbery occurred and that the victims were tourists; however, they did not say exactly what was taken or where they were from. The tourists were not injured, police added. The suspects were described as two Black men. 

KTLA 5

Officials Searching For Soldier Who Disappeared From Southern California Army Base 

Army officials at Fort Irwin National Training Center are searching for a soldier who went missing late last week. According to a press release issued Sunday by the Army base’s public affairs office, U.S. Army PFC Alejandro Espinola of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment failed to report for duty on Thursday and was subsequently reported missing. Espinola, 26, is said to be 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 164 pounds. He is a native of Los Angeles, one of his friends told KTLA. He drives a dark gray 2018 Hyundai Elantra with temporary tags, the friend added. Authorities at Fort Irwin, which is located in San Bernardino County northeast of Barstow, are using “all available means” in their search for Espinola. “The health and safety of our soldier is our number one concern,” Col. Kevin T. Black, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Commander said. “The chain of command is actively communicating with PFC Espinola’s family to keep them informed of ongoing search efforts.” Anyone with any information regarding Espinola’s whereabouts is asked to call local their law enforcement agency or contact Fort Irwin’s Criminal Investigation Division by calling 760-442-9316. 

KTLA 5

Suspect Wanted In Fatal Shooting Of Michigan Officer Arrested Following Manhunt

A man accused of fatally shooting a Melvindale cop and eluding authorities for more than a day is finally in police custody. Michael Lopez, 44, was arrested just before 6:30 p.m. Monday in the 3400 block of Gilbert Street near Livernois in Detroit, according to a spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police and neighbors who watched the arrest. Video shows a swarm of authorities around Lopez, his hands handcuffed behind his back. Alice Czarnecki, a neighbor on Gilbert Street who watched the arrest from her home, said she had never seen Lopez before. She described the neighborhood as family-oriented and said it scared her to know Lopez was trying to hide just across the street from her. She had never seen so many law enforcement officers in one place. “He seemed evil. It seemed like he didn’t have compassion for what he did; he smirked at the camera,” Czarnecki said. Lopez was wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of Mohamed Said , 26, an officer with the Melvindale Police Department, late Sunday morning after a struggle near a car wash. Lopez allegedly fled the scene on a bicycle. Multiple agencies were looking for the 44-year-old before his arrest, including the Michigan State Police, Wayne County Sherriff’s Office and Detroit Police Department.

Detroit News

Video: 7 Washington Officers, K-9 Injured In Crash With Fleeing Drive-By Shooting Suspects

Seven police officers and three other people were hospitalized Friday after three vehicles collided during a high-speed chase in North Spokane. Interim Spokane Police Chief Justin Lundgren said he spoke with all seven officers in the hospital, and he expects them to make full recoveries. Lundgren said his understanding is that no one is in critical condition. A police canine was also injured in the crash. “Any injury is tragic, but I am grateful it did not result in the loss of life,” Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown said in a statement. Yellow and red barricade tape cordoned off the scene of the crash for a block in each direction. Debris and chunks of the suspect car littered the street as the armored vehicle sat near the middle of the intersection. Lundgren said detailed diagrams and measurements of the entire scene would be needed before that area of the road could open up again. It all started with a two-minute chase that began when officers in the patrol car noticed that the suspect car matched the description of a recent drive-by shooting. Lundgren did not specify which shooting. Lundgren said officers in the patrol car were just finishing a search warrant for a separate case when they encountered the suspect vehicle in the area of Indiana Avenue and Division Street around 1 p.m. The officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspects took off eastbound on West Carlisle Avenue. The patrol car began to pursue the suspects and called for additional backup.

The Spokesman-Review

Weekend Sewage Spill Shuts Down Venice And Dockweiler Beaches

Public health officials have issued an ocean water closure from Dockweiler State Beach to Venice Beach following a sewage spill over the weekend. According to LA City Sanitation, approximately 15,000 gallons of sewage were discharged at around 4 p.m. on Saturday, entering Ballona Creek. The spill was caused by a broken water main that pushed sand into the sewer, causing a blockage. According to the LA County Department of Public Health, beach visitors should avoid contact with not only ocean water at the affected beach areas, but also any wet sand. The affected beaches will remain closed for at least 48 hours. In addition, two water quality tests will be conducted before they open again to ensure that their bacteria levels meet health standards. The Department of Public Health says it will start conducting water sampling on Monday.

NBC 4

Long COVID Risk Has Decreased But Remains Significant, Study Finds

The risk of developing long COVID — enduring, sometimes punishing symptoms that linger well after a coronavirus infection — has decreased since the start of the pandemic, a new study found, with the drop particularly evident among those who are vaccinated. But the dip does not mean the risk of developing long COVID has vanished. And given the rise in new infections, particularly during periods like now, when data indicate transmission is elevated, even a lower rate of prevalence means many Americans risk developing symptoms that can last months or years after their initial infection clears. “We have people in the clinic here with long COVID, and they’re significantly affected, and some of them are profoundly disabled,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System in Missouri. The study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that 10.4% of people who were infected early in the pandemic suffered from long COVID symptoms a year after their acute infection.

Los Angeles Times

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.