California Man Charged With Drugging, Sexually Assaulting 5 Women

A California man is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least five women across Los Angeles and West Hollywood, according to officials. Andrey "Cosmo" Nguyen, 37, is charged with seven counts of rape by use of drugs, three counts of sexual penetration by anesthesia or controlled substance, one count of forcible rape, one count of oral copulation by anesthesia or controlled substance, one count of sale/transportation/offer to sell a controlled substance and one count of sexual battery. Between June 2021 and June 2023, Nguyen allegedly drugged and assaulted women between the ages of 18 and 21, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Friday in announcing the arrest. "The violence and trauma that the five survivors in this case endured is abhorrent and will not be tolerated," Gascón said in a statement. "My office is committed to working tirelessly to prevent sexual assault, support survivors, and hold abusers accountable. We encourage any additional victims of Andrey Thanh Nguyen to come forward." Nguyen was arrested Wednesday and pleaded not guilty at an arraignment the following day, Gascón said. Bail was set for $1,230,000 and his next court date is scheduled for August 30. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating the case.

FOX News

'Flash Mob' Of 30+ People Raids Canoga Park Nordstrom

A massive group ransacked a Nordstrom store at the Topanga Mall in Canoga Park Saturday, making off with handfuls of clothes and handbags. It happened around 4 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A group of between 30 to 50 people ran into the store grabbing merchandise off the shelves. Video taken from inside the store showed the group, in mostly black, running through the store, knocking over displays and grabbing whatever they could before running out of the store. Police estimate the stolen goods are worth between $60,000 and $100,000. The mall was not evacuated, police said. One man who was sprayed with bear spray was treated by paramedics. Video taken from inside the store showed the group, in mostly black, running through the store, knocking over displays and grabbing whatever they could before running out of the store. Police estimate the stolen goods are worth between $60,000 and $100,000.

FOX 11

LAPD Hosts Meeting To Address Dangers Associated With Street Takeovers

Los Angeles Police Department officials hosted a meeting on Thursday in hopes of pumping the brakes on the rampant amount of street takeovers hitting Southland roads. The wildly popular events have a penchant to turn dangerous, whether it be fatal collisions or incidents that tragically turn into fights and sometimes shootings, like the one that left two people dead over the weekend in South Los Angeles. Typically, street takeovers feature racing, dangerous driving stunts and high-powered cars spinning around busy intersections with complete disregard for any traffic in the area as hundreds of people stand around the area to record the ongoing chaos. Officers discussed an array of events that flood roadways, even expanding to low rider cruising events, which many view as a timeless tradition of the Latino culture designed to honor the effort drivers put into their beloved vehicles. "It's a beautiful celebration of car enthusiasts who put thousands of dollars into their hobby," said Angela Gonzales-Torres, who lives in Highland Park. "It made it seem like they were dangerous."

CBS 2

Man In Custody After Being Shot By LAPD And Barricading In Koreatown Building

A man in his 30s, who was shot by Los Angeles police before barricading for several hours at a building in Koreatown, has been taken into custody, authorities said Sunday. Officers responded at 9:20 p.m. Saturday to reports of a man with a rifle near Kenmore Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles police said. They attempted to make contact with the man but at some point one of the officers opened fire, striking him, the LAPD said on Twitter. “The suspect ran from the officers and a second (police shooting) occurred,'' authorities wrote. “He then barricaded himself behind the stairwell of a building near the intersection of 7th Street and Vermont Avenue.'' A SWAT team responded and attempted to get the suspect to come out from behind the stairwell, police said. “SWAT utilized a remote controlled tracked vehicle to assess the suspect's condition and attempted to retrieve the suspect's firearms,” department officials said. “The tracked vehicle's arms were unable to retrieve the weapons.” SWAT officers then deployed another type of controlled vehicle that was able to remove the man's firearms, “which allowed officers to approach the suspect and provide medical treatment,” LAPD said.   

NBC 4

FBI Offers $20,000 For Information In 20-Year-Old Kidnapping Of Los Angeles Boy

The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information in the 20-year-old kidnapping of a Los Angeles boy who was abducted in Mexico. The bureau released a new generated image of what then-2-year-old Joshua Keshaba Sierra Garcia is believed to look like now in an effort to find him “alive or deceased.” Garcia was abducted on Aug. 12, 2003, in Mexico City. The toddler was months away from turning 3 years old when his family traveled to Mexico for his baptism, according to the FBI. Garcia’s 14-year-old babysitter was murdered during the kidnapping, law enforcement authorities said. Multiple ransom calls and a money drop ensued, leading to one kidnapper’s arrest by Mexican law enforcement. But the boy was never found. The FBI increased its previous $10,000 reward this month, which marks exactly two decades since Garcia’s abduction. At the time, the boy was described as being about 28 pounds and 3 feet tall, with black hair, brown eyes and pierced ears. He was last seen that August morning wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue shorts and sandals. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565, or submit an anonymous tip to tips.fbi.gov.

Los Angeles Times

Former USC Gynecologist Ordered To Stand Trial On Sexual Assault Charges

George Tyndall, the onetime University of Southern California campus gynecologist accused of preying on a generation of female students, will stand trial on sex crimes charges related to 16 former patients, a judge ruled Friday. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said prosecutors presented enough evidence in a series of hearings for Tyndall, 76, to face a jury. That trial is expected to take place next year. Tyndall, who practiced at the campus health clinic for three decades, is charged with 27 felonies — 18 counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and nine counts of sexual battery by fraud. The alleged crimes occurred between 2009 and 2016. Prosecutors initially filed charges in 2019 related to 21 former patients, but had to drop counts related to five women. “We were unable to make contact with one victim … and four victims advised us that they were opting out of the case,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Reinhold Mueller, the lead prosecutor, in an email. Tyndall’s lawyer Leonard Levine said his client is “looking forward to” the trial. “He believes he will be exonerated after a fair trial, which he expects to get,” Levine said.

Los Angeles Times

Illinois Officer Critically Wounded Returns To Work, Awarded Purple Heart

With a lot of hard work and support from his family and brothers and sisters in blue, East Moline Police Sgt. William "Billy" Lind, who was critically injured while attempting to arrest a wanted man in October, has made it back to work. For now, he is on restricted duty, but Police Chief Jeff Ramsey said Lind has made amazing progress from the injuries he suffered, including a cracked skull, while attempting to take an arson suspect into custody in October. During a ceremony Monday, Lind received the East Moline Police Department's Purple Heart Award from Ramsey. The award is presented to an officer who has received a serious injury resulting from an assault with potentially lethal force while acting in the line of duty. "Sergeant Lind has made great progress in recovering from the serious head injuries suffered in the incident back in October of 2022," Ramsey told the Times on Thursday. "The severity of his injuries was very serious and he continues to work with his doctors on what his restrictions are regarding his job duties as a police officer," Ramsey added.

Quad City Times

Minneapolis Officer Shot, Injured During Ambush

A Minneapolis police officer was shot and wounded by automatic gunfire during an apparent ambush while pursuing a robbery suspect in an unmarked car on the city's North Side late Friday night, Police Chief Brian O'Hara said. The seven-year department veteran was struck in the back of the shoulder and taken to North Memorial Health, where he remains in stable condition. "By the grace of God, he is alive, awake and talking," O'Hara said during a late-night news conference. "This incident underscores the incredible courage, bravery — and truly the restraint of our officers as they face incredible challenges today. Putting their lives on the line to protect strangers." Four suspects, including a teenage boy, were later taken into custody, O'Hara said. Investigators also recovered one firearm from the scene. O'Hara gave this account of the chaotic string of events Friday night: Just before 8 p.m., officers observed a white Chevrolet Equinox in the area of a robbery that just occurred at 36th and Queen avenues N. in Minneapolis, O'Hara said. Officers from the Fourth Precinct attempted a traffic stop on the SUV. The vehicle had a COPS alert for fleeing from Brooklyn Park police on Thursday, he said. The vehicle initially pulled over but then fled.

Star Tribune

Two Rescued, One Hiker Missing In Pacific Palisades

Two lost but uninjured hikers were hoisted aboard a Los Angeles Fire Department Air Ops helicopter, but a search for a third hiker, who left the others, was unsuccessful. A 911 call was received around 9:10 p.m. Saturday and fire department personnel responded by land and air to 1501 N. Will Rogers State Park Road, according to LAFD spokesperson Margaret Stewart. After an exhaustive search by air and ground of all trails in the area, firefighters were unable to located the third missing hiker. The adult male hiker has not be in contact with his family and the incident is transitioning to a "missing person" with the Los Angeles Police Department in command. 

Westside Current

LA County Fire Department Canine Search-and-Rescue Teams Head To Maui

As the death toll from a wildfire that destroyed a historic Maui town climbed to 93, first responders from the Los Angeles-area were preparing to fly to the region to assist with search-and-rescue efforts. Three canine teams from the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2) were expected to depart Sunday from LAX. The team was activated Saturday by FEMA. In a statement announcing the dispatch of these disaster responders, the LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, in part, "We send our Maui ohana strength and our support during this difficult time." Authorities have warned that the effort to find and identify the dead was still in its early stages. The blaze is already the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, according to the Associated Press.

CBS 2

Maui Death Toll Hits 93, Making It The Deadliest Wildfire In Modern U.S. History

The death toll in the Maui fires climbed to at least 93 on Saturday, officials said, surpassing California’s Camp Fire, which killed 85, cementing the event as Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster and the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history. Gov. Josh Green said at a Saturday evening news conference that the number of dead is expected to rise. He added that the economic loss from the blaze has approached $6 billion. Green said it was rare to “see this level of government leadership all come together,” and thanked the federal government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for its help amid the devastation. He also said that there would be reviews of existing policies and the government response “to make things safer going” forward “because the world has changed,” referring to the extraordinary winds from a nearby hurricane that whipped up the fire and spread it quickly. Officials said at the news conference that the level of destruction was difficult to comprehend, and Gov. Green said many people were “stunned” and “traumatized.”

Los Angeles Times

Mayor Karen Bass Launches Inside Safe Program In Hollywood

On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez announced a new Inside Safe operation on Selma Avenue outside of Larchmont Charter School. Launched in December 2022 as part of a larger strategy to combat the L.A. homelessness crisis, Inside Safe is a citywide, voluntary proactive housing-led initiative aimed at bringing people inside from tents and encampments and preventing encampments from returning. “We are working every day, across Los Angeles, to urgently confront the homelessness crisis. We will not let up,” said Mayor Bass. “Inside Safe continues to bring people inside who were living on the streets and in encampments and help connect them with housing and services.” The new Inside Safe Selma location is the 24th encampment operation throughout L.A. with operations that cleaned up encampments in Venice, Del Ray, and South L.A.

KTLA 5

City Council Moves To Secure Al Fresco Dining In The Coastal Zone

The Los Angeles City Council moved forward on Saturday to establish a permit process to permanently allow al fresco restaurant dining on both private property and in the public right-of-way in the city's coastal zone. In a 12-0 vote -- with councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt and Monica Rodriguez absent for the vote -- the council instructed the city's Planning Department and other relative departments to prepare a report within 60 days with recommendations to create a Coastal Development Permit plan. In doing so, the city would give permanent status to some 154 temporary al fresco permits issued during the pandemic, as well as enable other restaurants to apply for outdoor dining. Council members Traci Park and Tim McOsker, who represent the coastal areas, introduced the motion with the intent of providing an "invaluable lifeline" to small businesses and keeping restaurants open. “I rise today to give voice to more than 150 restaurants in the coastal zone who may be left behind once this body approves a permanent al fresco program, due to rules and regulations that are unique to the coastal area,'' Park said, addressing her colleagues around the horseshoe. 

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.