Woman Faces 16 Felony Charges For Chaotic West LA Pursuit, Crashing Into 5 Police Vehicles

The woman who led police on a chaotic, dangerous high-speed pursuit through West Los Angeles, crashing into cars as she drove the wrong way on the 405 freeway, faces 16 felony charges the District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. Lisa Ann Heflin, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday, including 10 counts of assault upon a peace officer. Los Angeles Police Department officers first encountered Heflin Friday, May 17 as they responded to a disturbance call at 4:30 a.m. at Rose and Fourth avenues in Venice. When officers approached her, she allegedly got into her van and drove off, crashing into a police vehicle as she drove. She continued to lead police on a 30-minute pursuit through Venice, Santa Monica and West Los Angeles before getting on the northbound 405 freeway. During her high-speed chase, she appeared to intentionally drive her van at LAPD vehicles. Police tried to stop her, using several PIT maneuvers, but Heflin continued on, driving in circles and going the wrong way on the freeway, with smoke coming up from the van's hood. The pursuit ended as Heflin drove into oncoming traffic, hitting three drivers before climbing on the roof of her van and jumping onto the hood of a semi-truck.

CBS 2

LAPD Officers, Nonprofit Surprise Family Of Seven With Renovation Of Home

Los Angeles police officers swapped out their duty belts for tool belts Wednesday to help surprise a family with a major transformation of their home. The effort is part of a program aimed at building bridges between the LAPD and the community. Cinthia Joch, her husband and their five kids had their South L.A. home transformed in a matter of hours thanks to officers with LAPD's 77th Street Division and the Healthy Room Project. The goal of the Healthy Room Project is to change the narrative between law enforcement and the communities they serve. "We do this with a major one-day transformation. We find families through the officers in at-risk and challenging communities, and we come in and we completely transform their bedrooms," said Janet Crown, co-founder of the Healthy Room Project. "We build the furniture, we paint the rooms and completely renovate these existing homes." The Healthy Room Project team and officers spent hours building furniture and transforming the home for the family. The Healthy Room Project has completed more than 160 rooms in 16 cities, with 1,500 volunteers and more than 500 officers participating.

ABC 7

Total Crimes Within LA Metro System Surge Over 65% In Early 2024

The number of total crimes within the LA Metro system surged more than 65% in the first three months of 2024, according to new data. The latest report on public safety showed between January and March of 2024, there were 1,719 crimes, including non-violent incidents. During the same period in 2023, there were 1,034 reported incidents. Trespassing appears to be the most frequently committed offense, with 844 incidents of trespassing during the three-month period. And more narcotics were discovered with 212 incidents, and the number of larceny incidents was also up. But more violent and serious crimes appeared to be ticking down, according to the report. There were 40 fewer cases of battery on LA Metro in 2024. Robbery was also down more than 40%. While the latest report did not reflect the latest incidents, the month of May had at least seven confirmed violent incidents, the most in a month-to-month so far this year. As more Metro riders and operators experienced violence, the LA Metro Board is poised to bring back more uniformed officers on the train platforms and bus entrances. “We are going to start with a surge to knock this spike down,” Ara Najarian, a longtime Metro Board member and a member of the Glendale City Council, said. LA Metro officials were also looking for new solutions to remove the unhoused and those suffering from mental health illnesses from the transit system, Najarian said.

NBC 4

Man Wounded In Shooting In Hollywood

An investigation was underway Thursday regarding a shooting in Hollywood that left one man wounded. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division were called to 1640 Cahuenga Blvd., near Hollywood Boulevard at 3:30 am. regarding a shots fired call. When they arrived, officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg, LAPD Officer Matthew Chavez told City News Service. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel took the victim to a hospital in stable condition. There was no suspect description.

MyNewsLA

Restaurant Worker In Downtown LA Brutally Attacked By Customer Over Food Order Delay

A restaurant worker in downtown Los Angeles is speaking out after he was brutally attacked by a customer over a food order, saying he hopes police find the man before he strikes again. The incident happened on Monday at the Wokcano restaurant on 7th and Flower streets. Kevin Oxlaj, who works as a busser and host, said the customer became upset because his food was taking too long to come out. The man then began yelling at Oxlaj's co-worker, who's pregnant. "We did tell him that we apologize," said Oxlaj. "We did tell him we are sorry that it took forever." "I told him, 'Please don't scream at my co-worker. She's pregnant. She can't be going through all this stress, please show some respect,'" he recalled. When Oxlaj asked the customer to stop, the man began beating him in the head. The attack was captured on surveillance video, which shows the man repeatedly punching Oxlaj after backing him into a corner. "I felt the rest of the swings," said Oxlaj. "A customer ended up getting out of his table, ran out out of his seat and was able to push him out, but as he was pushing him away from me, the guy had me, like, still by the arm ... didn't want to let me go."

ABC 7

Group Allegedly Stole, Cashed Checks Throughout L.A. and Orange Counties — Then Posted It on Instagram

A group of Southern Californians allegedly stole mail and checks from post offices throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, often hitting several locations in a single day — then turned to social media for help cashing in on their haul. Authorities are accusing Antonio Hernandez and confederates Ivan Murillo-Hernandez and Alexis Garcia Martinez of ripping off mail from unsuspecting venues with the help of four juveniles, whose names were not released. They then allegedly went on social media to solicit people with bank accounts to help them fraudulently cash the stolen checks. Check amounts ranged from the low four figures — $1,500, $1,725 and $1,800 — to a whopping $555,099.14 on one light pink business check. Total damages to financial institutions tallied more than $800,000 over a 10-month spree that ended in August 2023, authorities allege. Sometimes the check crew would even post Instagram reels of their police chases or of them flashing thousands of dollars in cash, asking followers for likes, according to court documents. A grand injury responded to their attention requests last week with indictments against Hernandez, Murillo-Hernandez and Martinez on felony charges, including bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, robbery of a post office and mail theft. The three are expected back in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on June 20 for a pretrial conference.

Los Angeles Times

$800K In Diamonds, Gold And Cash Stolen In Southern California Jewelry Heist

The owner of a well-fortified San Gabriel Valley jewelry store is reeling after thieves managed to break in and get away with some $800,000 worth of diamonds, gold and cash. The May 15 incident occurred late at night when a crew of four to five burglars broke into Desiré Jewelry in Glendora, disabled the shop’s alarm system and surveillance cameras, hauled in heavy equipment and spent six hours cutting into the store’s safes. Monir Kassis, the owner of Desiré, didn’t discover the burglary until May 18. Retracing the thieves’ steps, he told KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell that the crooks busted through the roof of his shop on Glendora Avenue and got away with all his inventory. “There’s a big bag of diamonds, about 600 carats of diamonds in that bag,” he said, “and a lot of gold chains, a lot of gold for repair.” Before the store’s surveillance cameras were disabled, they recorded the sound of thieves hauling in their equipment, likely gas-powered torches and drills. “You start hearing drilling and very loud noise,” Kassis said. Cameras also recorded two of the thieves, but so far it has been difficult to identify them.  

KTLA 5

Pedestrian Killed In Collision In Lincoln Heights

A 69-year-old pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle near the Cesar Chavez Bridge in Lincoln Heights, authorities said Thursday. The collision was reported at 11:11 p.m. Wednesday near Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Mission Road where Los Angeles Police Department officers learned a vehicle heading west on Cesar Chavez struck a pedestrian who was standing in the roadway, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel pronounced the man dead at scene. The driver, a 24-year-old man, remained at the scene and cooperated with police.

MyNewsLA

How ‘Ketamine Clinics' In LA Treat Patients With Mental Health Disorders

A powerful drug that’s been around for decades is being used in a new way to help treat patients with mental health illnesses. Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is being used as a sedative to help people who’ve been diagnosed with illnesses including PTSD, eating disorders, depression, and more. In Los Angeles, several “ketamine clinics” have popped up to help treat these kinds of patients. “People who couldn’t get out of bed in the morning and go to work, they are going to work,” Dr. Steven Mandel said of the treatment. Mandel is a board-certified anesthesiologist who co-founded Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles, which has served more than 6,000 patients with ketamine infusions. In basic terms, the doctor said the treatment essentially rewires the brain to create new connections, restoring key circuits in regulating moods. “It’s the fastest reliever of depression that we have,” Mandel said. The ketamine is administered intravenously, and the treatment consists of six infusions given over the course of about three weeks. Each infusion costs $600. “It’s not magic, it takes time for new growth to occur in the brain,” Mandel said. According to the doctor, the treatment is safe and even effective for teenagers. He added that he hopes those who are grappling with mental health disorders look beyond the stigma surrounding ketamine and get the help they need.

NBC 4

City Council Weighs In On Proposed Budget For LA. Here's What's Still On The Chopping Block

The Los Angeles City Council Thursday will review Mayor Karen Bass' proposed $12.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2024-25 and may look to adopt the plan that is intended to address a multi-year deficit. The meeting will be continued from Wednesday, when council members heard about four hours from residents of the city. Public comment will be closed for the item. According to Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who chairs the budget committee, their meeting will be scheduled until 7 p.m., but expects that they will get through their work earlier. The council will review proposed changes to the budget as recommend by the budget committee last Thursday. Council members will go page-by-page and address any items called special. Any memos or items that would have a budget impact will be referred to the budget committee for further discussion. The City Council may approve the revised budget Thursday, or call for further revisions before a final vote. Following the council's approval, the revised spending plan would go to Bass for her signature or veto. The budget needs to be approved by the City Council and Bass before the start of the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Westside Current

LA City Council Committee Advances Proposal To Clean Up Sherman Way Tunnel

A Los Angeles City Council committee Wednesday advanced a motion calling for a comprehensive plan to clean, maintain and bolster security of the Sherman Way Tunnel. The three-member Public Works Committee voted unanimously in favor of motion that aims to address ongoing issues of an underpass located in the San Fernando Valley, connecting Van Nuys Airport to Saticoy and Vanowen Streets. The tunnel was built in 1959 to prevent the closure of Sherman Way, which had to be routed under the runway at the airport. Councilwoman Imelda Padilla, who represents the 6th District, including the area where the tunnel is located, introduced the motion in March, and it was seconded by her colleague, Eunisses Hernandez. Padilla, a member of the committee, also amended her motion to require the city to look at possibly using revenue generated by the Van Nuys Airport to fund graffiti abatement and secure the tunnel. Otherwise, the motion instructs the city administrative officer to identify funding for the work to be done. According to her motion, the tunnel presents “unique security risks” and is a challenge for departments to consistently clean because it can require multiple lane closures and take several evenings to complete.

MyNewsLA

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.