Law Enforcement News

Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Rick Caruso Sits Down With KTLA
With the race to become the next mayor of Los Angeles entering its final leg, Rep. Karen Bass and developer Rick Caruso are in a virtual tie. Caruso says that seeing the city he loves in crisis is what’s driving him to run for mayor. On Tuesday, the mayoral candidate sat down with KTLA for a discussion on how he hopes to run the City of Angels. KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade reports.
KTLA 5 Video

Man Shot During Altercation Near Downtown Los Angeles
A man in his 20s is hospitalized Thursday after being shot by an assailant near downtown Los Angeles. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division responded at approximately 10:50 p.m. Wednesday to 548 Mateo and Sixth streets west of Santa Fe Avenue where they learned the victim was approached by four men and the victim began arguing with them, an LAPD spokeswoman told City News Service. At some point one of the suspects drew a handgun and fired multiple shots at the victim. The suspects drove away from the scene. A videographer at the scene said the suspects were later arrested but LAPD could not confirm that. The victim was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
MyNewsLA

Fentanyl Pill Seizures In L.A. Region Skyrocket
Seizures of fentanyl-laced pills have more than quadrupled so far this year across four Southern California counties compared to last year, an increase that authorities said Tuesday underscores their efforts to keep pace with the continuing influx of the drug into the region. At a meeting of the Los Angeles Police Commission, L.A. Police Department officials said that through September more than 904,000 pills containing the potent synthetic opioid that is more than 50 times stronger than heroin have been confiscated by regional task forces. The figure marked a sharp jump over the roughly 189,000 pills recovered by the task forces over the same period last year. The seizures in Los Angeles., Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties were made during multiple operations by the region's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces, which are overseen by federal authorities and target drug trafficking networks in Southern California. The program operates task forces in other parts of the country as well. Authorities have had to adjust their tactics as Mexican cartels have shifted their smuggling efforts from cocaine to fentanyl, which offers significantly higher profit margins, LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza told commissioners. A pill costs between 80 cents and $1.50 each to produce and is sold for $15 to $30 a pop on the streets of Los Angeles, officials said.
Yahoo! News

Ex-LAPD Captain Aided Cover-Up Of Les Moonves Sexual Assault Claims, Prosecutors Say
A new legal settlement involving CBS and former president/CEO Les Moonves claims that a former Los Angeles Police Department captain tried to help him cover up a sexual assault allegation. NBC4's I-Team obtained court documents that show the captain shared confidential information about the accuser and progress of the investigation with CBS. The LAPD announced Wednesday afternoon that it launched an internal investigation into the retired command officer and the allegations outlined in the agreement with the New Yorker attorney general. CBS and its former president, now 73, will pay $30.5 million as part of the settlement, which says the network's executives conspired with the LAPD captain to conceal sexual assault allegations against Moonves. Prosecutors in the insider trading investigation alleged that the network and Moonves benefitted by hiding negative information from investors and the public.
NBC 4

Study Shows Fewer Women Are Riding Metro Amid Safety Concerns
It's supposed to be an easy way to get around but some riders are passing on public transportation in an alarming new trend. Ridership by women has dropped 4% on buses and 2% on trains since 2019. While it may not seem like much, these new statistics are concerning for the leadership at the Los Angeles County Metro. "We are concerned about it because we are very focused on delivering a good customer experience for all our riders," said Chief Customer Experience Officer Jennifer Vides. Vides said the survey polled 12,000 riders in the spring. Its findings revealed that Metro has a lot more work to do to improve the experience for women. "We have work to do in order to improve the experience for women," said Vides. Although she doesn't know exactly why women are choosing other ways to get around, Vides said the women who are riding cite safety, with half concerned about crime and harassment while riding.
CBS 2

Homicide Detectives Announce $20K Reward For Unsolved Shooting Death Of Philadelphia Man In Compton
On Wednesday, grieving mother Movita Johnson-Harrell from Philadelphia joined a news conference with law enforcement in Los Angeles County and pleaded for help to solve the shooting death of her son. The incident happened last year in Compton. The sheriff's department announced a reward for information leading to the arrests of the suspects. Johnson-Harrell continues to look for answers about the death of her 30-year-old son Donte Lee Johnson. The last time she saw him was the day before the shooting. "On March 4, 2021, kissed me on the left cheek five times, looked me in my eyes and said, 'Mom, I love you. I'll see you later.' And the next time my son came home it was in a box," Johnson-Harrell said. "I am begging for the community's help right now." According to investigators, Johnson, a Philadelphia resident, was in Compton visiting friends and family when the shooting occurred. Johnson was killed at a shopping plaza on the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Elm Street.
ABC 7

Two Homeless Men Arrested For Shooting At 7-11
On October 29, 2022, at 9:35 p.m., Officers responded to a report of shots fired at the 7-11 located at 1865 Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica. Upon arrival, officers found the glass from one of the front doors shattered along with one of the windows next to the front door also shattered. Officers met with the two on-duty employees and several witnesses none of whom were injured during the incident. According to employees, two suspects came into the store, took a case of beer, and tried to leave without paying. One employee tried stopping the suspects and pepper sprayed the first suspect as he exited with the beer. The second suspect started arguing with the employee and was also pepper sprayed as he left. During the argument, the first suspect returned to the front of the store with a handgun and a shooting occurred. Officers quickly located one of the suspects, Jason Salgado, near the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. The second, Marvin Smith, was found when an area resident hosting a Halloween party flagged down officers and told them a male matching the description of the shooter wandered into their gathering. Smith was taken into custody shortly after while trying to hide nearby.
WestSide Current

Woman, 27, Reported Missing After Last Being Seen In Lancaster
A 27-year-old woman was reported missing Wednesday after last being seen in Lancaster. Mikkebra Alexis Debose was last seen about 11 a.m. Wednesday in the 44800 block of Sierra Highway, near Antelope Valley High School, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Debose is Black, 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 250 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue denim jacket, green shirt and gray pants. Debose is dependent on medication, and may have been heading to the 700 block of East 56th Street in Long Beach, a sheriff’s deputy said. Anyone with information on her 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

Catalytic Converter Theft Ring That Made Hundreds Of Millions Is Busted, Feds Say
A national catalytic converter theft ring that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue was taken down in an unprecedented federal investigation, the Department of Justice said Wednesday. The operation included arrests, searches and seizures in California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina and Virginia. Twenty-one defendants were charged in two indictments that were unsealed Wednesday in U.S. district courts for the Eastern District of California and the Northern District of Oklahoma, federal officials said. Investigators also served 32 search warrants and seized millions of dollars in assets including homes, bank accounts, cash and vehicles. The operation is the first national takedown of a catalytic converter theft ring coordinated by the Justice Department, said Lauren Horwood, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of California. In the California case, brothers Tou Sue Vang, 31, and Andrew Vang, 27, are accused of operating an unlicensed business with 51-year-old Monica Moua from their home in Sacramento.
LA Times

Parkland School Shooter Formally Sentenced To Life In Prisony
Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz formally received a sentence of life without parole Wednesday after families of his 17 slain victims spent two days berating him as evil, a coward, a monster and a subhuman who deserves a painful death. Cruz, shackled and in a red jail jumpsuit, showed no emotion as Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer pronounced one-by-one 34 consecutive life sentences — one each for the slain and the 17 he wounded during the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in suburban Fort Lauderdale. The judge’s voice broke as she read the first sentences, but she gained strength and volume she moved down the list. Scherer had no other choice in sentencing; the jury in Cruz’s three-month penalty trial voted 9-3 on Oct. 13 to sentence him to death, but Florida law requires unanimity for that sentence to be imposed. Scherer made no comments directed at Cruz beyond what was legally required. Instead, the judge commended the victims' families and the wounded, calling them strong, graceful and patient.
Associated Press

Video: Oklahoma Deputy Revives Man After Fentanyl Overdose
Bodycam video shows the tense moments one officer acted quickly to help revive a man from a drug overdose. News on 6 shared video that shows a deputy responding to a call for help at an Oklahoma residence, finding a man unconscious once he arrived. The officer quickly administered the overdose-reversing drug, Narcan, and began performing chest compressions to help the man regain consciousness. The unnamed man can eventually be heard making a snorting noise as he began to breathe again. He was conscious when transported to a local hospital for further treatment, according to News on 6. "Our deputy, we believe, did a fantastic job. We're very proud of him," Aaron Brilbeck, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, told News on 6. Brilbeck informed the news platform the uptick of fentanyl use and deaths has plagued Oklahoma City, with usage numbers rising over the last few years. Just this year, investigators have already taken 29 pounds of the drug off the streets.
PoliceOne

Public Safety News

Mobile Homes Destroyed In Wilmington RV Park Fire
Several mobile homes were destroyed when a fire spread through the Pacific RV Park in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles Thursday morning. The blaze was reported around 2 a.m. in the 1000 block of North McFarland Avenue. Flames were pushed by 10 to 20 mph winds but firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in about 45 minutes. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Video from the scene showed five mobile homes that appeared to have been damaged in the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation
KTLA 5

Bacterial Level Warnings In Effect For Several LA County Beaches
Health warnings were in place Wednesday for a number of Southland beaches due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautioned those who are planning to visit the beaches below to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters: Hermosa Beach Pier; Manhattan Beach Pier; Redondo Beach Pier; Avenue I storm drain at Redondo Beach; Torrance Beach at Malaga Cove; Mother's Beach in Marina del Rey and Santa Monica Pier.
CBS 2

LA County COVID Hospitalizations On The Rise As Holiday Season Approaches
The number of COVID-19-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals rose again Wednesday, with state figures showing the figure again rising above 400. The number of COVID-positive patients has bounced up and down in recent weeks, with health officials closely watching the figures as they hope to avoid another winter surge of virus infections, hospitalizations and deaths. According to state figures, there were 427 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Wednesday, up from 388 on Tuesday. Of those patients, 48 were being treated in intensive care units. County officials have said that about 40% of COVID-positive patients were actually admitted to hospitals due to virus-related illness, while the others were admitted for other reasons, and in many cases only learning they were infected when they were tested at the hospital.
FOX 11

Local Government News

LA City Council Eyes April Special Election For Seat Vacated By Nury Martinez
An ordinance that sets a special election next year for the Sixth District seat vacated by Nury Martinez was approved Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council. The council voted 10-0 to approve a date of April 4 for the special election. The special election is estimated to cost the city up to $7.65 million, according to the City Clerk's Office. A runoff, if necessary, will be June 27. Council President Paul Krekorian said the funding would be discussed further in the Budget and Finance Committee. The ordinance will come before the council next week for final consideration. The Sixth District -- which includes central and eastern portions of the San Fernando Valley -- is being overseen by a non-voting caretaker, the city's chief legislative analyst, Sharon Tso. A non-voting caretaker does not hold a seat on the council, but oversees the council office to make sure the district provides constituent services and other basic functions. The last day for interested candidates to file a declaration of intent is Dec. 12, according to the ordinance.
NBC 4

L.A. City Council Approves Law Targeting Pregnancy Centers That Mislead On Abortion
The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday that prohibits any crisis pregnancy center from misrepresenting the health services it performs, including abortion, and provides individuals legal recourse if they are misled. The law, introduced by City Atty. Mike Feuer, allows the city to fine a pregnancy center up to $10,000 if it is caught falsely advertising the services it provides, such as prenatal care, abortions or emergency contraceptives. Individuals who are misled by these centers can sue and seek damages under the new law, which takes effect immediately via an urgency clause. The council approved the ordinance, originally introduced in August, with an 11-0 vote. Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, who continue to face calls to step down due to them participating in a racist closed-door conversation about council colleagues, did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.
La Times