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Law Enforcement News
Nonprofit Offers To Fully Pay Mortgages Of 2 El Monte Police Officers Killed On Duty
A New York-based nonprofit announced it will pay the mortgages of the two El Monte police officers who were killed in the line of duty last week. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation said it will pay the mortgages - in full - of Officer Joseph Santana and his partner Corporal Michael Paredes. The nonprofit's Fallen First Responder Home Program pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty and have young children. "We come together as a nation to honor the service and sacrifice of Officer Santana and Corporal Paredes," said CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Frank Siller in a statement released this week. "These two men were answering a call for help when they were gunned down by a criminal out on parole, a criminal who should have been in custody but was set loose to terrorize this city. This senseless and tragic loss has torn apart two families and the entire El Monte community and it could have been avoided." Santana and Paredes were killed during a gunfight at the Siesta Inn in El Monte. Authorities said the officers confronted a suspect, who was identified as Justin Flores, in a room at the motel, leading to gunfire. Both officers were ultimately shot to death and Flores died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot, according to authorities.
ABC 7
Gascón Says El Monte Suspect Had ‘No History Of Violence' Before Allegedly Killing 2 Cops
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón outlined his reasons for why his office allowed the alleged killer of two El Monte police officers back on the streets instead of behind bars. During a press conference Tuesday, Gascón said the suspect, Justin Flores, had "no history of violence" prior to the incident that killed Corporal Michael Paredes and officer Joseph Santana earlier in the month. "It was basically someone that had been drug addicted for many years. He had been arrested mostly for drug related offenses," Gascón said of Flores. The LA County DA adds it was "almost a decade ago" since Flores was arrested and convicted of burglarizing and stealing his own grandparents' TV. The press conference comes as Gascón received blame from some for letting the alleged gunman Justin Flores – a man with an extensive criminal record dating back to 2010 – end up back on the streets and not behind bars. Flores, 35, was offered a plea deal by Gascón's office in 2021. Flores, who officials say is a known gang member, received the bare minimum sentence with no jail time and was placed on probation. "This individual should have been in custody for at least 32 months," said LA County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami earlier in the month.
FOX 11
‘Armed And Dangerous’ Suspect ID’d In Fatal Hollywood Double Shooting
Police are asking the public for help Tuesday in their search for a man suspected in the fatal shootings of two people in Hollywood last week. Los Angeles Police Department investigators identified 32-year-old Marvin Francell Williams as the gunman in the June 16 slayings of 35-year-old Nadia Campbell and 40-year-old Ajani Patridge. Williams had been in a dating relationship with Campbell when he shot her and Patridge for unknown reasons, the Police Department stated in a news release. Campbell’s three young children were in a nearby vehicle when the shootings occurred, police said. Williams, who is from the Compton area, was last seen walking northbound on Vista Del Mar Avenue. He was described as a Black man, standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds. Williams has multiple neck tattoos and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to police. Anyone who sees Williams was asked not to approach him, and instead call the LAPD at 213-382-9470.
KTLA 5
Veteran Randomly Punched, Loses Consciousness Near Koreatown Bus Stop
A veteran was knocked unconscious for seemingly no reason near a bus stop in Koreatown. The victim said that he was looking at his phone while waiting for a bus at Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue around 1:45 p.m. when the attacker came up from behind and punched him, seemingly for no reason. A witness confronted the suspect after he knocked the veteran unconscious. The attacker then grabbed the veteran, a 32-year-old man who was still unconscious, and handed him to the witness before saying "see, he's fine." The witness then placed the victim onto the bench as the attacker walked away. The veteran began to regain consciousness when paramedics arrived. The crew then transported the victim to the hospital where he was interviewed by police. The Los Angeles Police Department took a batter report and began to look into the incident.
CBS 2
LAPD Investigating Robbery In Winnetka; Victim Held At Gunpoint By Two Suspects
Authorities were investigating a robbery that took place in Winnetka early Tuesday morning. The incident was reported just before 6 a.m. on Stagg Lane, where the victim was approached by a pair of suspects who forcibly took both property and money before fleeing from the area on foot. One of the two suspects held the victim at gunpoint as the robbery occurred. Los Angeles Police Department investigators have detailed that both suspects are allegedly Black males, one of which was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, and the other was wearing dark pants. The victim was not injured in the incident. Investigators were unsure if the robbery was a follow-home.
CBS 2
Bill Cosby Found Liable In 1975 Sexual Assault Of Teen At Playboy Mansion
Jurors at a civil trial found Tuesday that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. The Los Angeles County jury delivered the verdict in favor of Judy Huth, who is now 64, and awarded her $500,000. Jurors found that Cosby intentionally caused harmful sexual contact with Huth, that he reasonably believed she was under 18, and that his conduct was driven by unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in a minor. The jurors’ decision is a major legal defeat for the 84-year-old entertainer once hailed as America’s dad. It comes nearly a year after his Pennsylvania criminal conviction for sexual assault was thrown out and he was freed from prison. Huth’s lawsuit was one of the last remaining legal claims against him after his insurer settled many others against his will. Cosby did not attend the trial or testify in person, but short clips from 2015 video deposition were played for jurors, in which he denied any sexual contact with Huth. He continues to deny the allegation through his attorney and publicist. The jury began deliberating last Thursday, and announced late Friday it had reached a verdict on all but one issue -- relating to the issue of punitive damages against Cosby.
FOX 11
Man, 23, Reported Missing After Last Being Seen Near Inglewood
A 23-year-old man with bipolar disorder, hemophilia and diminished mental capacity was reported missing after last being seen near Inglewood Tuesday. Andrew Lopez was last seen about 7 a.m. in the 10000 block of Firmona Avenue, near Century Boulevard, in the unincorporated Lennox area, just south of the Inglewood city limit, according to Deputy Raquel Utley of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Lopez is Hispanic, 5-feet-4 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hat, gray sweater and gray jeans, and was carrying a blue backpack. Lopez may have been heading to the 10800 block of Condon Avenue in Lennox, Utley said. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to call the Sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
MyNewsLA.com
Man Accused Of Killing Irvine Resident Camping With Kids In Malibu Creek State Park Sentenced For Attacking Deputies
A man accused of murdering a research scientist from Irvine in Malibu Creek State Park was sentenced Tuesday, June 21, to three years and eight months in jail for attacking two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies while he has been in custody. Jurors had found Anthony Rauda, 45, guilty of two felony counts of battery with injury on a peace officer. The sentence he received Tuesday from Superior Court Judge David Fields amounted to time he has already served behind bars. Rauda remained in jail while awaiting trial on far more serious charges. He was convicted for an attack on a deputy after a hearing in his murder case at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse, and for an attack on a sheriff’s deputy at the Men’s Central Jail with a shaved-down pencil. In her closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu told jurors that Rauda became “angry and rageful” over court proceedings, and “he takes it out on deputies.” Rauda was brought to the downtown Los Angeles courtroom for his sentencing in a chair in which he was confined.
LA Daily News
$1.5 Million Worth Of Fentanyl, Powder Seized By Gang Investigators In Riverside County
The Riverside County Gang Impact Team seized more than $1.5 million worth of fentanyl-laced drugs over the past two weeks, the Riverside County district attorney’s office said Monday. The seizure found about 40,000 M30 pills containing fentanyl, five kilograms of powdered fentanyl and three firearms, the district attorney’s office said. The operation occurred over three separate investigations conducted by the gang unit across Riverside County over a two-week period. Fentanyl is a man-made synthetic opiate that is known to be highly addictive and cheaper than other opiates. It’s also 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the news release. The district attorney’s office noted that this is an ongoing investigation, which is part of a greater effort by Riverside County to stop the flow of fentanyl in the county and help save lives. “Hundreds of people are dying every year in Riverside County due to fentanyl poisoning. Victims, including young people, are illegally obtaining pills they believe are oxycodone or Percocet but instead, contain fentanyl,” the news release said.
LA Times
Video: Albany Officer Stabbed, Suspect Shot In Scuffle
An Albany Police officer was stabbed in the arm and the suspect then shot by police midday Monday in Albany, police said. Both the officer and the suspect were taken for treatment and were in stable condition later Monday afternoon, police said. The incident began at around 11:50 a.m. in the 100 block of Franklin Street, police said. Officers responded there for reports of a domestic and found that a man involved had outstanding warrants from previous incidents, police said. "While attempting to take the man into custody for the outstanding warrants, he stabbed an Albany police officer in the arm with a knife," Albany Police spokesman Steve Smith said on Twitter. "An Albany police officer shot the suspect in the torso." More information was expected to be released later Monday, Smith said.
The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, N.Y.
Public Safety News
Fire Damages Vacant House In Arleta Area
A fire damaged a vacant house in the Arleta area Tuesday. Firefighters sent to the 12800 block of West Tonopah Street at about 11:50 a.m. extinguished the flames in 23 minutes, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
MyNewsLA.com
Coyote Fire Contained In Hollywood Hills: LAFD
A brush fire in the Hollywood Hills was contained at about 1 acre in size, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The Coyote Fire, which burned in the 3600 block of Barham Boulevard, was reported shortly after 9:30 p.m., the LAFD said in an alert. Despite its proximity to the Ava Apartment complex, there was “no imminent structure threat,” the LAFD added in another alert. The LAFD sent 100 firefighters, including three aerial units, fighting the flames in medium-to-heavy brush, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department offered aid as well, the Fire Department said. “No injuries have been reported. No structures damaged. No formal evacuation. This fire was entirely within the City of Los Angeles, and did NOT threaten the AVA Apartments, Universal City / Universal Studios, the distant Hollywood sign on Mt. Lee, Forest Lawn Cemetery or the neighboring City of Burbank,” the department added. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
KTLA 5
LA County Reports 12,000 More COVID Cases Over 3-Day Period
Los Angeles County confirmed more than 12,000 new COVID-19 infections in its latest data, dating back to Saturday, along with 11 more deaths. The Department of Public Health announced 4,344 cases from Saturday, 4,217 from Sunday and 3,566 from Monday. The numbers are likely low due to delays in reporting from the weekend. The county no longer releases COVID numbers on weekends. According to the agency, six virus-related deaths were reported Saturday, three on Sunday and two on Monday. The numbers released Monday gave the county a cumulative total of 3,069,037 COVID cases throughout the pandemic, and an overall virus-related death toll of 32,261. Updated COVID hospitalization numbers were not immediately available, due to a delay in reports from the state. The most recent figure from Saturday indicated there were 639 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals, with 67 of them being treated in intensive care. The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 9.8% as of Monday.
FOX 11
Local Government News
Minimum Wage Hike For LA Healthcare Workers Tentatively Approved By City Council
The Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved an ordinance Tuesday that would raise the minimum wage for people working at covered health-care facilities in the city to $25 per hour. The "Minimum Wage for Employees Working at Healthcare Facilities" initiative, which was brought to the council through a successful petition drive, would raise the workers' minimum wage and have it adjusted annually to account for increases in the cost of living. The ordinance would also prohibit employers from funding the minimum wage increase by laying off workers or reducing benefits or hours. The council had the choice of either adopting the initiative or putting it before voters. On a 10-2 vote, the council opted to adopt the measure without going to a public vote. Council members Joe Buscaino and Paul Krekorian opposed the measure. Since the vote was not unanimous, the issue will have to return to the council next week for a second vote. People who work for healthcare facilities in Los Angeles do not have their own minimum wage law and are included under the city's general minimum wage of $15, which will increase to $16.04 on July 1. Los Angeles' minimum wage is based on the region's Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in the L.A. metropolitan area.
FOX 11
L.A. City Council Bypasses Ballot, Approves Measure To Reduce Workload For Hotel Housekeepers
Most hotels in the city of Los Angeles will be required to limit the daily workload of housekeepers, offer overtime pay under certain circumstances, provide “panic buttons” to protect their workers from sexual harassment and do away with policies that automatically forgo daily cleaning, under a measure approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council. Unite Here Local 11, a union representing Southern California hotel workers, filed more than 110,000 signatures on a petition to put the measure on the city’s Nov. 8 ballot. Instead, the council voted 10 to 3 to bypass the ballot process and adopt the measure outright. A second, mostly procedural vote is scheduled for June 28. The measure takes effect about 30 days later. The measure comes as Los Angeles tourism leaders hope to see a rebound in the region’s tourism industry, which was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Los Angeles County hosted 50 million international and domestic visitors, who spent $22 billion, according L.A. tourism officials.
LA Times
LA City Council Approves Law Banning Bicycle Assembly On Sidewalks
The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance today to prohibit people from assembling or disassembling bicycles in the public right-of-way. A motion to have the ordinance drafted was introduced by Councilman Joe Buscaino and passed the City Council 10-4 on Feb. 8, with council members Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Nithya Raman, Curren Price and Mike Bonin opposed. Harris-Dawson said at the time that the potential law could have gotten him arrested as a child. The ordinance was tentatively approved on June 14 by an 11-3 vote, with Raman, Bonin and Price again opposing it, but Harris-Dawson voting yes. Since the measure did not receive unanimous approval on first reading, it returned to the council Tuesday for a second vote, and it was approved on a 9-3 vote, with Bonin, Raman and Harris-Dawson opposing. The ordinance is modeled after one already in effect in Long Beach to prohibit the assembly, disassembly, sale, offer of sale, distribution of bicycles and bicycle parts on public property or within the public right-of- way. Buscaino said it would prevent "bicycle chop shops,'' in which people disassemble stolen bikes and sell the parts on sidewalks.
NBC 4
