Rewards Offered For Information Connected To Four Unsolved Los Angeles Homicides

Authorities on Monday announced rewards for information that will help solve four different homicides that have occurred within Los Angeles County dating back to 2007. The homicides, which are unrelated, were discussed during a press conference held by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. "Your assistance will help bring so much relief to these victims' families," Sheriff Luna said while speaking at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. "And we ask that you please call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau to share with homicide investigators that little piece that may be missing that can solve these crimes." The rewards, which are varying amounts, have been offered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The following cases were discussed by law enforcement officials, who were joined by the devastated families, during Monday's news conference: On February 25, 2007, 70-year-old Luis Sandoval was shot at around 5 a.m. while riding his bicycle on Olympic Boulevard in East Los Angeles. He survived the initial shooting, but succumbed to injuries nearly three and-a-half months later in June. Investigators believe that he was an innocent bystander in a shooting that occurred between "rival tagging crews" nearby. They are offering a $25,000 reward for information in the case. "We just want closure to this and find the murderer that assassinated my dad," said Sandoval's son, Robert.

CBS 2

30-Year-Old Woman's Body Found Wrapped In Plastic Inside South LA Home, Police Say

A disturbing homicide investigation is underway in South Los Angeles after a 30-year-old woman's body was found inside a home. The woman's body on Sunday was found wrapped in plastic at the home on Wall Street, just south of the 10 Freeway. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a woman made the discovery in her son's room after smelling gas. She found the body and then called 911. Police identified the suspect as a 26-year-old man, but his name has not been publicly released. No arrests have been made. The victim was identified as Hannah Rachel Collins. It's unclear how she died or how long she had been in that room. 

ABC 7

Local Musician Turns Tragedy Into Triumph With Latest Song Addressing Robbery Experiences, Rise In Crime In L.A.

Rising pop artist Izza is just one of the people on the long list of victims of violent crimes across Los Angeles. However, she might be the only one who decided to turn her experiences into a song. The Encino native had several belongings stolen from her house in Aug. 2022, and while she was devastated to have lost her possessions, she was more focused on apprehending those who were responsible for taking them. “I felt extreme loss and defeat, but even though I lost so many of my things, all I cared about was catching the robbers,” Izza said. “I worked closely with the detective that was assigned to my case and although he tried his best, there were hundreds of other cases that took precedence over mine.” This wasn’t the only time Izza fell victim to a burglary; in 2020, she was followed home by a homeless man who then broke into her house, she said. “I have also experienced frequent harassment and have constant fear that my safety is being jeopardized, even in neighborhoods that are deemed to be ‘safe’,” Izza said. “I have dialed 911 more times this year than I have probably spoken to distant relatives…the Los Angeles I grew up in and know is not the Los Angeles I see today.” 

KTLA 5

High School Football Coach Arrested On Child Pornography Charges; Investigators Seeking More Victims

Police are seeking additional victims of a high school football coach and substitute teacher who was arrested on child pornography charges over the weekend. According to Los Angeles Police Department, David Vernon Prince Jr., 28, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of contact with a minor for sexual misconduct, distribution or showing pornography to a minor and possession of child pornography. His bail has been set at $45,000. It's not immediately clear where Prince taught and coached, but LAPD says that he was employed at several schools in the Los Angeles and Long Beach areas as a substitute teacher and assistant football coach. Due to the nature of the crimes, investigators with LAPD's Juvenile Division's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit are seeking additional victims. Thus far, they have identified one victim located in Los Angeles. Detectives described Prince as 6-feet tall and weighing around 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact LAPD at (562) 624-4027.

CBS 2

84-Year-Old Grandmother Seriously Injured After Being Shoved Off Bus In South LA

An elderly woman suffered serious injuries after authorities said a stranger gave her a hard shove off a bus near a stop in South Los Angeles. Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said it happened near a bus stop in the 2400 block of Vermont Avenue in South LA's University Park neighborhood. The victim, an 84-year-old grandmother, suffered severe injuries all over her body after someone shoved her and the victim fell flat onto the concrete. Witnesses told FOX 11 the attacker allegedly spat on the woman moments after throwing her off the bus. LAPD investigators have not released the suspect's name. However, they said she was arrested on the same day of the horrific incident. The suspect is known to frequent the area. The violent incident remains under investigation.

FOX 11

Glendale PD Arrests Man Accused Of Peeping, Prowling At Home With Children Present

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of peeping and prowling at a Glendale home where children were present, authorities said Saturday. Calese Carron Crowder has also emerged as a person of interest in related cases, according to Sgt. Victor Jackson of the Glendale Police Department. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant after suspecting Crowder in a peeping incident last Sunday, Jackson said. "In the most recent incident, Crowder is accused of peeping into the occupied residence of a Glendale family," he said. "The family, including children, were home at the time of the incident. Glendale police patrol officers were quickly dispatched, and the Detective Bureau continued their investigation this week." The Glendale resident was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail and is expected to be arraigned Monday. Glendale police urged anyone with information regarding the case to call them at 818-548-4911. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800- 222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.

FOX 11

Sentencing For LA County Bank Robber Postponed

A sentencing hearing was postponed Monday and a new date was not immediately set for a Los Angeles County man convicted of robbing three banks during a six-day crime spree while on supervised release for previous bank robbery convictions. Rickey Lewis, 54, of Willowbrook, pleaded guilty last year to three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to his plea agreement, in January 2019, Lewis stole a total of $4,035 in cash by robbing two JPMorgan Chase bank branches in Gardena and an International City Bank branch in Long Beach. Lewis also attempted to rob a Bank of America branch in Downey. During the robberies, Lewis threatened to shoot bank tellers — though it was not apparent that he was carrying a firearm — and he had clear tape on his fingers. In fear for their lives, the bank tellers handed over the cash, court papers show.

MyNewsLA

Heartwarming: Kentucky Police Line Sidewalk To Welcome Fallen Officer's Son On First Day Of School

A 5-year-old boy had a special welcome on his first day of kindergarten. As Riley Cottongim walked into the school, the sidewalk was lined with officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department, where his father, Officer Zach Cottongim, had served, ABC News reports. Cottongim was killed in the line of duty in December 2021 when he was struck by a vehicle as he inspected an abandoned vehicle on the side of an interstate. "I could just feel Zach. I could feel him standing there with them," Cottongim's widow, Jamie Cottongim, told Good Morning America. "I just felt so close with him in that moment and to see Riley smiling and high-fiving all of them, it was amazing." Along with his wife and 5-year-old son, Zach Cottongim is survived by his second son Alexander, who is now 2. Jamie also works for LMPD in the records department. She said the officers being at the school was a shock for both her and Riley. "He had an amazing day. He told me it was the best day ever," Jamie told Good Morning America. "His teacher also told me that by the time he got to class, he had the biggest smile on his face."

PoliceOne

'We Salute Her Hard Work': South Carolina Police Bloodhound Tracks Shooting Suspect Hiding In Woods

A Socastee man who shot another three times with an AR-15 rifle Aug. 4 was tracked down by a bloodhound and later arrested by Horry County Police for attempted murder. Horry County Police used its bloodhound Reba to help track down Jan Alexander Boyzo Osuna, 19, of Socastee, who was wanted in the shooting. The victim was shot in the stomach and thigh and had to have life-saving surgery, according to a police report. The shooting, which took place on Buddy Lane off of Highway 707 about 2:13 p.m., caused police to shut down part of the highway for several hours and advise residents to avoid the area and stay inside their homes. A posting on Facebook Aug. 5 showed officers in tactical gear posing with K-9 Reba on the back of a truck and in water. "...We thought we'd recognize resident good girl, Bloodhound Reba, who just yesterday led officers to a dangerous person who was hiding in the woods with a weapon. We salute her hard work, as well as that of all of our officers, K9 and human, who will find a way around any obstacle (including a DEEP ditch) in pursuit of keeping others safe," the post said.

The Sun News

LAFD Knocks Down House Fire In Granada Hills

Firefighters knocked down a fire inside a two-story house under construction and also kept the flames from spreading to another exposed home in Granada Hills. The blaze at 12245 N. Louise Ave. was reported at 3:26 p.m., said Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire did burn did burn some vegetation and some nearby trees, but those flames were quickly put out by firefighters, Stewart continued. The department dispatched 34 firefighters to the scene and extinguished the blaze in 30 minutes, she said.

MyNewsLA

Valley Fever: Why The Fungal Disease Is Spreading Into Northern California

The effects of climate change in California, from harsher heat waves to more volatile rainstorms, are well established. Lesser known is what those crises can help fuel: the northern migration of infectious diseases. One, in particular, is already on the move. Valley fever, a respiratory disease spread by fungal spores that grow in soil, has long been concentrated mostly in the Arizona desert and California’s lower San Joaquin Valley. But a growing body of research suggests the disease is gaining a foothold farther north, driven by warming temperatures and extreme swings in rainfall and drought tied to climate change. Annual cases of valley fever in California rose from fewer than 1,500 in 2001 to a high of more than 9,000 in 2019, according to the state’s public health department. In 2021, the last year with available data, the state recorded more than 8,000 cases. “Valley fever is starting to expand into areas of California where it used to be less common,” said Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health Infectious Diseases Branch. “It’s an indicator of climate change that impacts human health.”

San Francisco Chronicle

LA Council Proclaims Aug. 11 As `Fernando Valenzuela Day’

As part of the Dodgers’ weekend celebration to honor legendary left-hander Fernando Valenzuela and retire his No. 34, the Los Angeles City Council Friday proclaimed Aug. 11, 2023, as “Fernando Valenzuela Day.” Dodger fans from all across the city — including city staff and workers — filled the Council Chambers to see the beloved Mexican pitcher and participate in his recognition. The council recently approved a resolution to recognize the 62-year-old Valenzuela, and waited until Friday to host a presentation to coincide with the start of “Fernandomania.” Councilwoman Euinsses Hernandez led the presentation and said this weekend “Angelenos across the city will be celebrating Fernando and his incredible legacy.” Valenzuela — wearing a blue suit, the signature color of the Dodgers — walked up to the podium alongside the councilwoman and shared a few words first in English and then in Spanish. “Thank you for this invitation. I don’t have many words to say. I played 11 years here and then after I continued to work but with another department,” Valenzuela said. “Thank you to the team for giving the opportunity to be in this beautiful city.”

MyNewsLA

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.