Armed Home Invasion In Hollywood Leaves One Injured

A man was injured during an armed home invasion robbery Wednesday in the Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles Police Department officers were called at 1:35 a.m. to the 2500 block of Vasanta Way west of North Beachwood Drive where they were told two armed men wearing ski masks and armed with semi automatic pistols entered the home through a rear door and burglarized the residence, LAPD Officer Melissa Podany told City News Service. The suspects pistol whipped the male victim and took currency from the residence. A female victim was not injured. Podany said the suspects were described as men wearing dark clothing.

MyNewsLA

Thieves Raid Storage Unit For Designer Shoes, Valuable Comic Books To Sell Online, LAPD Says

The Los Angeles Police Department announced the arrests of four people they say stole more than $1 million in high-end shoes and vintage comic books from a storage unit earlier this year. The theft of valuable comics in January and $1 million in designer shoes in April prompted a police investigation that identified 35-year-old Bryan Alberto Escalante as a person of interest, the LAPD said in a news release. “Investigators observed that several stolen items were being sold by Escalante on popular mobile-driven local marketplaces on the internet,” the release said. Police said Escalante was arrested for a similar burglary in 2020, after which he also tried to sell the stolen goods online. On Thursday, police searched multiple homes in the 2500 block of Marine Avenue and storage units, locating “the recovery of a substantial amount of designer shoes and the majority of stolen comic books,” police detailed. Four people were arrested, including Escalante, who was charged with two counts of commercial burglary and is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail, according to police.

KTLA 5

Suspect Identified In Brutal Beating Of East LA Woman

The long road to recovery continues for a 67-year-old woman who was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted outside her East Los Angeles home, and the search is on for her attacker. You can look into Rosalina Martinez’s eyes to see her pain. There are the obvious physical ones, such as the bruises and her swollen eyes. But the real pain is so much more than physical after she was attacked in broad daylight by a stranger. Authorities said the attack happened on the morning of Saturday, July 15 when she was outside cleaning. The stranger, later identified as 21-year-old Sergio Andrew Garcia, allegedly pulled up on a bicycle and went straight toward her. She was knocked to the ground as he began punching her in the face over and over again. And if that wasn’t traumatizing enough, Martinez said he tried to rape her. After punching her, he proceeded to pull down her pants and undergarments. When neighbors heard her screaming for help, they jumped in and scared the suspect away. 

FOX 11

Mid-City Man Arrested After Selling Illegal Firearms To Undercover ATF Agent

A Mid-City man is facing 15 years in federal prison after he illegally sold multiple firearms to an undercover federal agent. Ellourth Eladio Simon, 32, pleaded guilty on May 25 to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of possessing a machine gun. According to the Department of Justice, Simon admitted to selling four handguns and a "ghost gun" AR-type rifle to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives for a grand total of $8,400 on Nov. 10, 2021. This bust revealed that Simon had a partner that also participated in the illicit sale of 27 firearms. After a five-day trial, a jury found 40-year-old William Nirion Peña guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Prosecutors said he provided the weapons, which included two silencers and a "Glock switch," to Simon before the 32-year-old sold it to the federal agent. 

CBS 2

Koreatown Man Found Guilty Of Gun Trafficking

A 40-year-old man from Los Angeles was convicted by a federal jury for a scheme involving the illegal sale of 27 guns, including a “Glock switch,” which transforms a semiautomatic firearm into a machine gun, authorities announced Tuesday. William Nirion Peña, a resident of Koreatown, was found guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license at the end of his five-day trial, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office. During the trial, prosecutors showed that Peña provided a substantial amount of ammunition and an estimated 10 guns to a co-conspirator, identified as 32-year-old Ellourth Eladio Simon, who then sold the firearms, which included two silencers without serial numbers and the Glock switch, to an undercover agent. Simon, a resident of L.A. Mid-City neighborhood, pleaded guilty in May to a count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and another count of possessing a machine gun. The 32-year-old admitted that he was involved in eight illegal gun transactions, some involving multiple firearms. One of those sales, in Nov. 2021, involved the sale of four handguns and a “ghost gun” AR-type rifle for nearly $8,500 to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KTLA 5

LAPD Not Enforcing Immigration Law As City Poised To Become Sanctuary City

The city of Los Angeles' Police Commission approved a report Tuesday providing details of the Los Angeles Police Department's continued commitment to not enforce immigration law, as city officials prepare to bring forth an ordinance officially making L.A. a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants. Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the 2022 report on Immigration Enforcement, Task Force Reporting Requirements and Department Operations, an annual report intended to ensure that the department does not participate in any enforcement actions involving immigration status violations. According to the report, the LAPD received 783 detainer requests from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2022 — none of which were honored. The report also includes a breakdown of various joint task forces involving the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies conducted in 2022. In each case, no people were arrested for immigration enforcement purposes.

FOX 11

1 Killed, 2 Others Critically Injured In Inglewood Shooting, Authorities Say

One person was killed and two others were injured in a shooting in Inglewood overnight. The shooting happened near Century Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue around 10 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Inglewood Police Department. All three victims were rushed to the hospital, but one of them did not survive their injuries. The others remained in critical condition. Details about what led up to the shooting or a possible motive were not available. No arrests have been made. 

ABC 7

1996 Malibu Cold Case Murder Solved With New DNA Evidence, Providing Family And Friends Some Closure

For 27 years, the murder of a 17-year-old in Malibu went unsolved. Now, after finally being able to match DNA evidence to the killer, family and friends of the victim have some closure. It was a day the loved ones of Gladys Arellano had been waiting decades for on Tuesday. They were able to see her suspected killer in court as he pled guilty to kidnapping and voluntary manslaughter. "It's never enough for having taken a life of such a beautiful soul," said Elizabeth Arellano of her sister Gladys, whose body was found in Topanga Canyon two days after her murder on Super Bowl Sunday in 1996. Our camera wasn't allowed in court, but a mugshot of Jose Garcia has been released to the public. Garcia faces 19 years in prison for Gladys Arellano's death. Gladys Arellano's sisters and best friend told the court what Garcia did nearly destroyed them, as they wondered for more than 25 years what happened to her. "It was tough. But it felt really good to finally get it off your chest and actually, like, seeing him and you know, releasing it. And having some kind of comfort," said Vanessa Arellano, Gladys Arellano's younger sister.

ABC 7

3-Year-Old Shoots Infant Sister With Unsecured Gun In San Diego, Officials Say

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a report of a shooting by a 3-year-old that left the child’s 1-year-old sibling dead. The shooting was reported around 7:30 a.m. Monday at a home in the 1100 block of South Stagecoach Lane in Fallbrook, a community 20 miles northeast of Oceanside. A caller told sheriff’s dispatchers that the 3-year-old had accidentally shot the baby, the department said in a news release. San Diego sheriff’s deputies went to the home and confirmed that the older child had gotten hold of a gun that had not been securely stored in the home, the department said. The 1-year-old girl was found with a head injury and taken to Palomar Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. “The Sheriff’s Department extends our sympathies to the family and those affected by this death,” the department said. The shooting remains under investigation by San Diego County sheriff’s homicide detectives. The department said there were no outstanding suspects.

Los Angeles Times

West Virginia Trooper Shot During Traffic Stop, Suspect Killed After Manhunt

An Ohio man who was on the lam after shooting a West Virginia State Patrol officer earlier in the day was shot and killed Monday night running from a wood line near Sunset Hills Missionary Church on Independence Road near Coal City. Scott O'Brien was still armed as troopers gave chase, according to a press release from state police. Troppers were able to identify and visually confirm that the fugitive was still armed. O'Brien refused verbal commands to drop his weapon, "resulting in the use of lethal force," the news release said. O'Brien was pronounced dead on the scene. The news release did not say how many shots were fired. Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the hunt for O'Brien after he was reported to have shot and injured a state trooper Monday morning in Raleigh County. Identified by police as Scott Arthur O'Brien of Hamilton, Ohio, he was pulled over by a state trooper at 9:16 a.m. Monday at the Dollar General in Midway off of exit 42 of I-77. Six minutes into the stop, O'Brien pulled out a gun and fired a single round at the trooper striking the trooper in the elbow, according to a release from police.

The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.

Alabama Firefighter Dies Days After Being Shot Inside Fire Station

One of two Birmingham firefighters shot last week at a fire station in the city’s Norwood community has died. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Firefighter Jordan Melton was pronounced dead Monday evening. He was 28 and had only been a firefighter for several weeks. “Birmingham Fire and Rescue mourns the loss of Firefighter Jordan Melton, who passed away this evening, ‘’ Capt. Orlando Reynolds announced at 7:17 p.m. Firefighter Jamal Jones also was shot, and is recovering. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin released this statement: “My heart is hurting today. It devastates me to share that we’ve lost our own firefighter Jordan Melton. But before I talk about Jordan the public servant, I want to celebrate Jordan the man. Jordan was a vibrant young brother who was full of life. He loved to talk sports as much as he loved good barbecue. He had a brilliant mind for business, but he was always down to lighten the mood with a joke or two. He was also a wonderful son to his mother, who has been his rock in these difficult past few days. Though Jordan had served at Birmingham Fire and Rescue for more than a year, he had just graduated from the recruit academy one month ago.”

PoliceOne

Are Handguns Or Rifles Used More Often In Mass Shootings?

Public mass shootings capture the nation’s attention, and understandably so: They’re random, and statistically rare, making them seemingly impossible to prepare for. The deadliest mass shootings have been perpetrated with military-style rifles, which inflict devastating wounds that are often unsurvivable. This reality has steered the policy debate about how to respond to such incidents, leading to calls to ban rifles like the AR-15 and limit the sale of high-capacity magazines. But mass shootings accounted for less than 2 percent of gun deaths in 2022, according to an analysis of data collected by the Gun Violence Archive. In fact, the vast majority of shootings — including mass shootings — are comitted with handguns. The Violence Project, a nonprofit that tracks mass shooting incidents, provides one of the most comprehensive databases of guns used in such attacks. Before we get into the data, though, it’s important to note that The Violence Project looks at a narrow subset of mass shootings: those that occur in public places, take four or more lives, and have no connection to underlying criminal activity. That means it excludes domestic shootings that take place indoors, as well as shootings in which dozens of people are injured but not killed.

The Trace

Two People Fall 20 Feet After Crane Overturns In San Pedro Billboard Removal

Two people were injured after falling 20 feet when a construction crane overturned in San Pedro, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The incident occurred on North Gaffey Street in San Pedro where a team was removing a long-fraught billboard, not far from the end of the 110 Freeway, officials said. Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker was on the nearby overpass, which looks out over Bandini Canyon Park, celebrating the billboard’s removal when he heard a loud bang. He said it appeared that one of the arms of a crane broke, sending two workers crashing down. No one was trapped and the two victims were taken to a hospital. McOsker, who called 911 after the crash, said both workers were responsive, but he didn’t know the extent of their injuries. “I’m so sorry for these workers, but I will say, I’m glad that we were there,” he said. “We had resources there that could respond more quickly to the injuries.”

Los Angeles Times

LAFD Sees Increase In 911 Calls During The Heat Wave

The hot temperatures are fueling 911 calls for medical and fire issues. Over 4,000 911 emergency calls come into the Los Angeles Fire Department’s call centers on a daily basis according to the LAFD. Now the heat is generating more calls but fire officials say they are ready. “Call takers take calls from all over the city and they send it to the dispatcher which is me or metro fire or rescue and we dispatch them,” Omar Rodriguez, a firefighter dispatch, said. Rodriguez is a firefighter dispatcher and is the first line of contact to field crews during a 911 emergency. Rodriguez is one of several responding to fire or medical emergencies within the 470 square miles in the city of Los Angeles at the Metro Fire Communications near downtown. On Tuesday NBC4 got a first hand look at the operations which according to fire captain Erik Scott is unlike others because callers get a real life firefighter with real life-saving experience.

NBC 4

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.