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Law Enforcement News
LAPD Officers Help Woman Deliver Baby
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department helped a woman delivery a baby boy.
ABC 7
Suspect In Murder Of Homeless Amputee In South LA Also Shot Another Person Days Later, Police Say
Two people have been charged with the "brutal and callous" murder of a homeless amputee who was sleeping in his wheelchair in front of a South Los Angeles McDonald's when he was shot in the head. A third person was also in custody in connection with the May 17 murder, but charges have not yet been filed against that individual. One of the suspects under arrest is also accused of shooting and wounding another homeless person only days later. The Los Angeles Police Department says Rubi Aguiano-Salazar, 37, was arrested for the murder of 69-year-old Gerold Lipeles. On May 17, Lipeles was shot near the McDonald's on West Century Boulevard, police said. Investigators said he was asleep outside the restaurant when a woman walked up and shot him in the head. Lipeles was described as a military veteran and double amputee. When police developed information that led them to Salazar, she was already in custody for another shooting. The LAPD alleges Salazar shot a homeless woman in the back at a bus stop in South LA on May 21, only four days after Lipeles was killed.
ABC 7
Two Critically Wounded In North Hollywood Shooting
Two men in their 20s are in critical condition after being shot during an apparent robbery early Friday in North Hollywood. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded just after midnight to the 11100 block of Califa Street where they found the two men suffering from gunshot wounds, LAPD Officer Drake Madison told City News Service. The victims were taken to a hospital in critical condition. During the course of their investigation detectives learned the men were shot by three suspects wearing ski masks during a robbery, Madison said. Witnesses told police the suspects drove away in a white SUV in an unknown direction. The shooting is under investigation.
MyNewsLA
Man In Custody Following Standoff With Police Downtown
Police were involved in a standoff with a man allegedly armed with a gun downtown Thursday morning. The call reporting a man with a gun in the 1200 block of South Flower Street came in around 5:50 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Madison confirmed. Officers were on scene and involved in a standoff with the suspect, Madison said. The USC Department of Public Safety asked the public to avoid the intersection of Adams Boulevard and Figueroa Street in University Park due to the police activity off campus. The suspect was later taken into custody, video from the scene showed. Police have not identified the suspect.
KTLA
Thousands More Kia, Hyundai Vehicles Stolen In Los Angeles This Year Because Of A TikTok Challenge, LAPD Says
The teenager in Milwaukee calmly explains to his nervous interviewer how he’s stolen possibly hundreds of cars with nothing more than a screwdriver and a USB cord. All it took was a little ingenuity of kids with too much time on their hands. The interview, posted to Youtube in May 2022, shows two teenaged members of the “Kia Boys,” a loose confederation of young car thieves in Milwaukee who police say have stolen hundreds of Kia and Hyundai vehicles over the last two years. The boys tell their interviewer they don’t fence most of the cars they steal. Rather, they abandon them wherever they can, usually within a day. He says the thefts are simply for social media glory. Innumerable videos posted to TikTok show the Kia Boys participating in wild stunts around Milwaukee: Teens packed into cars ripping through neighborhoods and screeching their tires. Or teens on top of cars, laying on their hoods or standing up through sunroofs, driving by at top speed. Inevitably, those stunts have led to crashes and even deaths. Now local police think the trend has made its way to Los Angeles, too. Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department told police commissioners on Tuesday that thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in the city have made up a significant chunk of the increase in stolen cars over the last two years.
Mercury News
Police Seeking Additional Victims Of Woodland Hills Child Sex Offender
Police are searching for possible additional victims of a child sex offender in Woodland Hills. Detectives with Los Angeles Police Department arrested Peter Fletcher after receiving an online tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, resulting in a warrant to search his home. They found child sexual abuse material on several electronic devices in Fletcher's home, and arrested him for knowingly possessing child pornography. He is being held at $20,000 bail. Police believe that due to the extensive amount of material in Fletcher's possession, there may be additional victims they are unaware of at this time. They ask anyone who believes they are a victim, or who might know of a victim, to contact Detective Paula Meares at (562) 624-4027.
cBS 2
16 Arrests Made For EBT Fraud: LAPD
Authorities made over a dozen arrests and seized hundreds of illegally-cloned EBT cards as part of a months-long investigation into EBT fraud, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Thursday. According to the LAPD, the suspects stole private account information of California EBT cardholders by creating illegally cloned cards encoded with that victim's account information, then conducted large cash withdrawals from the victims' accounts at ATMs across Los Angeles County and statewide, police said. Overall, 16 suspects were arrested, and 339 illegally cloned EBT cards seized. Additionally, $106,269 in cash was recovered. Charges are pending. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about these incidents or the identity of additional suspects is asked to call the Southern California High Tech Task Force, Detective Feeney at (818) 576-8860, or (818) 374-9420.
FOX 11
ATF: 2 California Men Arrested After Selling Guns And Gifting Pipe Bombs To Undercover Agent
After selling firearms, ammunition and gifting pipe bombs to an undercover federal agent, two Hemet men were taken into custody, authorities announced Wednesday, Aug. 31. In a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, Stanley Camarena, 29, and Manuel Perez, 52, were charged with one count of being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition, said the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in a news release. Camarena was arrested Tuesday, Aug. 30, while his roommate, Perez, was arrested Wednesday, the ATF said. Between Aug. 23 and Tuesday, the two sold several guns, ammunition and six pipe bombs to the undercover agent in three separate transactions, the ATF said. Camarena is a three-time convicted felon and Perez had seven felony convictions on his record, authorities said. On Aug. 23, the two allegedly sold a .45-caliber pistol, a .762-caliber rifle, a semi-automatic rifle without a serial number and a privately manufactured AR-style firearm without a serial number, officials said. About 590 rounds of ammunition were also sold to the undercover agent, the ATF said.
Mercury News
California Highway Patrol Launching Labor Day Weekend DUI Blitz
Expect to see more officers on the road over the Labor Day weekend. CHP has announced that it will implement a “Maximum Enforcement Period” beginning at 6:01 p.m. on Friday and continuing until 11:59 p.m. Monday to discourage driving under the influence and get intoxicated drivers off the road. “Alcohol-and drug-impaired driving continues to be a leading cause of traffic fatalities and injuries in California, and the moment an impaired driver gets behind the wheel, they put themselves and every other person on the road in great danger,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said in a news release. Forty-three people died in crashes on California’s roads over Labor Day weekend last year, CHP said. Officers made 985 DUI arrests and issued more than 6,000 speeding citations. “The CHP is committed to enforcement and non-enforcement strategies, including education and community engagement, to ensure the highest level of safety for everyone traveling throughout California during the holiday,” said Ray. CHP encourages anyone who sees an impaired driver to call 911.
KTLA 5
Florida Sheriff's Office Hires In-House Counselor Following Officer Suicides
A former NYPD officer has been hired to serve as an in-house mental health supervisor following recent officer suicides. Nancy Rosado was hired as a full-time mental health specialist by Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, who said the need was “greater than ever,” ClickOrlando.com reported. Rosado, who responded to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, said she can relate to what officers go through daily. “They will talk,” Rosado said. “If they find the person they’re speaking to is compassionate and competent to deal with them, yeah, they will talk.” Rosado spoke to the importance of speaking up, noting officers should not fear their jobs will be in jeopardy for admitting they’re not OK. “This doesn’t hurt you. This doesn’t hurt your career,” Rosado said. “On the contrary, it keeps you safe from behaviors that could cost you your career later on." Currently, there are also 15 peer counselors at the sheriff’s office – with more to come. “We’re getting results. It’s changing the culture within the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to make it more acceptable to ask for help,” Capt. Fred Hinderman, one of the first chosen by Rosado to become a peer counselor, said.
PoliceOne
Detroit Police Department Losing An Officer Nearly Every Day
Since the beginning of 2022, the Detroit Police Department has lost 223 sworn officers – averaging out to about 28 officers per month. With four months in the year remaining, that number has already more than doubled from those who left the department in 2021. But the officers aren’t leaving the profession altogether. Instead, they are joining departments outside of Detroit for better pay, benefits and safer working conditions, The Detroit News reported. “One of the big issues we have is, we’re losing officers to the suburbs at a good rate,” Detroit Police Assistant Chief David LeValley said. “We get them, train them in the academy and then the suburban agencies are not shy about recruiting and taking our officers.” Steve Dolunt, a retired Detroit Police assistant chief, said some officers are saying, “‘Screw it. I’ll go to work in the suburbs where I can make more money and I don’t have to deal with all that crap.’ Can you really blame them?” The department has ramped up its recruiting efforts, resulting in the hiring of 138 officers. However, the agency is still 200 officers short of its budgeted positions. Another 61 recruits will graduate before the end of the year, but Dolunt says replacing seasoned officers with rookies may come with a price.
PoliceOne
Detroit Police Department Losing An Officer Nearly Every Day
Since the beginning of 2022, the Detroit Police Department has lost 223 sworn officers – averaging out to about 28 officers per month. With four months in the year remaining, that number has already more than doubled from those who left the department in 2021. But the officers aren’t leaving the profession altogether. Instead, they are joining departments outside of Detroit for better pay, benefits and safer working conditions, The Detroit News reported. “One of the big issues we have is, we’re losing officers to the suburbs at a good rate,” Detroit Police Assistant Chief David LeValley said. “We get them, train them in the academy and then the suburban agencies are not shy about recruiting and taking our officers.” Steve Dolunt, a retired Detroit Police assistant chief, said some officers are saying, “‘Screw it. I’ll go to work in the suburbs where I can make more money and I don’t have to deal with all that crap.’ Can you really blame them?” The department has ramped up its recruiting efforts, resulting in the hiring of 138 officers. However, the agency is still 200 officers short of its budgeted positions. Another 61 recruits will graduate before the end of the year, but Dolunt says replacing seasoned officers with rookies may come with a price.
PoliceOne
Public Safety News
Emergency Evacuation Alert On TV In Los Angeles Was An Error
A frightening emergency alert urging residents to evacuate immediately accompanied by the blaring emergency alert system sound was apparently accidentally broadcast on televisions in the Ventura and Los Angeles areas Wednesday, authorities said. The Ventura County Sheriff took to Twitter to clear up the confusion. The alarming message took over TV screens as the Route Fire raged in Castaic, forcing evacuations and freeways closures. The emergency alert made in error also went out in Spanish. It wasn't clear how many viewers saw the emergency alert at around 5 p.m. PST. The alert appeared on KNBC and KVEA. It isn't the first time a frightening alert has gone out in error. In May 2022, a public safety alert out of Glendale urged Los Angeles residents across the region to evacuate. It turned out to be a drill. In 2018, a false missile alert in Hawaii caused a panic, sending Hawaiian residents scrambling to find shelter.
NBC 4
Falling Rates Of COVID-19 Put LA County Into CDC's ‘Low' Activity Level
Los Angeles County officially moved into the "low" COVID-19 activity level Thursday, thanks to a falling rate of new infections and continued slower pace of new virus-related hospital admissions. But the county's public health director warned that despite the move, transmission of the virus remains widespread, and she urged continued precaution against infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved Los Angeles County into the "low" category Thursday, with the average rate of new COVID infections falling below the threshold of 200 per 100,000 residents. The official infection rate as of Thursday was about 193 new cases per 100,000 residents. The county's hospitalization numbers also remained low, with the average daily rate of new virus-related admissions estimate at 9 per 100,000 residents -- below the CDC's threshold of 10 per 100,000 residents. Those statistics were good enough to move the county out of the "medium" activity category. The move has no practical effect for residents, since it will not trigger any changes in public health protocols, with most restrictions already lifted. "Moving into the low community level reflects minimal stress on the hospital care system in L.A. County associated with COVID-19,'' Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told reporters during an online briefing.
ABC 7
Flex Alert Extended Through Friday As Southern California Heat Wave Drags On
Southern California residents were asked to conserve energy again on Thursday and Friday as the California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued a Flex Alert for a second and third consecutive days. Forecasters are calling for the heat wave already gripping the region to get even worse over the next few days, prompting electricity usage to likely reach its highest levels of the year. A Flex Alert is issued to ask residents to voluntarily reduce electricity usage between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. each day to prevent rolling blackouts. Thermostats should be set at 78 degrees or higher, and residents are asked to avoid using large appliances and turn off unnecessary lights during the daytime hours. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday to ramp up the state’s energy production. “We are anticipating this extreme heat to be a length and duration the likes of which we haven’t experienced in some time,” Newsom said.
KTLA 5
