Traffic Fatalities Eclipse Murders In Los Angeles In 2023

The LAPD recorded more traffic deaths than murders in 2023 -- often with speeding or distracted drivers to blame, Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday. “2023 saw increases, year over year, and from years earlier, from traffic fatalities, particularly fatal hit and runs and fatal pedestrian and bicycle collisions," he said. Data ending December 30, 2023 showed at least 330 traffic fatalities occurred in the City while there were 327 murders recorded during the same time period. Recent traffic deaths include a mother, father, and their 5-year-old daughter killed on New Year's eve by a driver allegedly fleeing the scene of another crash, and that of 26-year-old Luis Espinoza on December 8, when he was struck by an LAPD officer driving at high speed in South LA. The officer has been placed on administrative leave and could face a criminal charge, the Department said this week. Final year-end data wasn't yet available this week. Moore said the City experienced an overall 3.2% reduction in violent crime, and among the murders, far fewer people described as homeless were victims. “We’ve seen cleaner streets, but also safer communities, as we see a double digit reduction in crime involving homeless individuals, and 36 fewer homicide victims," he said. The I-Team reported that people experiencing homelessness were the victims of nearly one-quarter of the City's murders in 2022.

NBC 4

Body Discovered In Machado Lake In Harbor City

A body was discovered Tuesday in Machado Lake at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, but the circumstances of the person's death were unknown. According to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange, firefighters responded to the 25900 block of South Normandie Avenue around 4:10 p.m. regarding a water rescue, and a person was found unresponsive in the lake. It was unclear how the person got into the lake or how the person died. The Los Angeles Police Harbor Division was investigating the death, but no details were immediately available.

NBC 4

Authorities Search For Suspect After 2 Injured In Hollywood Shooting

A shooting investigation is underway after two people were taken to the hospital for injuries Tuesday morning. The shooting was reported just before 8 a.m. at Santa Monica Boulevard and Sycamore Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Paramedics took one person with a gunshot wound to the hospital in an unknown condition. A second person was also taken to the hospital, but it was unclear what type of injury they had. No arrests were immediately reported. Authorities are looking for a possible suspect driving a white vehicle. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

CBS 2

71-Year-Old Serial Bank Robber Arrested In Los Angeles

A 71-year-old serial bank robber has been arrested after his latest heist, stealing more than $60,000 from a bank in Los Angeles County last month, authorities announced Tuesday. On Dec. 21, Bruce Edward Bell, who has four prior bank robbery convictions and has spent over 40 years in the Federal Department of Corrections, robbed a bank in the 8000 block of Vineland Avenue in Sun Valley. “During this incident, Bell entered the location, grabbed an employee and pointed a firearm,” a new release from the Los Angeles Police Department stated. “Bell forced the employee to walk over to an access-restricted door. Bell demanded entry into the secure area and stated he would otherwise shoot the employee.” After gaining access to the secure area, the 71-year-old ordered another employee to fill a bag with cash. He fled the scene with $64,000 in cash. Witnesses who saw Bell flee in a silver 2002 Volvo sedan called 911. Officers from LAPD’s Foothill Division spotted his vehicle and made a high-risk traffic stop resulting in his arrest, the recovery of the cash and a black replica firearm, police said. The 71-year-old was booked into the LAPD jail facility.  

KTLA 5

Ex-Dodger Julio Urías Will Not Face Felony Charges From Sept. 2023 Domestic Violence Arrest

The District Attorney's Office Tuesday declined to file any felony charges against then-Dodger pitcher Julio Urías stemming from his September arrest outside BMO Stadium in Exposition Park on suspicion of domestic violence. The case, however, was referred to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for consideration of a possible misdemeanor case. A City Attorney's Office spokesman could not be immediately reached after business hours Tuesday to comment on whether that office has received or reviewed the case. Urías, who became a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, was arrested Sept. 3 by Exposition Park police following a much-publicized soccer match between LAFC and Inter Miami – featuring star Lionel Messi – at BMO Stadium. He was released the next morning on $50,000 bail. According to a DA's Office charge evaluation worksheet dated Tuesday, the alleged victim in the case was Urías' wife, who was not identified. "They engaged in an argument whereby the defendant pushed the victim against and fence and pulled her by the hair or shoulders," according to the document. "Neither the victim's injuries nor the defendant's criminal history justify a felony filing. The case is accordingly referred to the city attorney for misdemeanor filing consideration."

FOX 11

San Pedro Man Pleads Not Guilty To Securities Fraud Scheme

A San Pedro man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges accusing him of using his “TeamBillionaire” email list and social media accounts to deceive investors into buying penny stocks while simultaneously selling off those same stocks for a profit. Michael M. Beck, 48, was charged last month in Los Angeles with three federal counts of securities fraud and three counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a possible penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A trial was tentatively set for March 5 in L.A. federal court. The indictment alleges that Beck purchased blocks of penny stocks and then promoted those stocks to his many followers on the social media platform then known as Twitter. Prior to promoting the stocks to the followers of the @BigMoneyMike6 handle on Twitter, Beck allegedly encouraged subscribers of his TeamBillionaire email group to buy the stock, thereby increasing its trading volume and making the stock look more attractive to potential investors.

MyNewsLA

Authorities Continue Investigation After Man Abruptly Disappears In Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is searching for a man who has been missing for nearly three weeks. Information from an LASD release indicates that 40-year-old Gregory Joseph Ojeda was last seen in the 14600 block of Horticultural Drive in Hacienda Heights on Dec. 22 around 5 a.m. Ojeda, a resident of Los Angeles County, is a Hispanic man who stands at 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 195 pounds, authorities said. He has black hair, brown eyes and tattoo sleeves on both arms. What he was last wearing is unknown. He may be driving a gray 2002 GMC Safari van with the California license plate #4YWM930. There is concern for Ojeda’s well-being, LASD said. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau’s Missing Persons Detail. 

KTLA 5

She Was A Victim Of The ‘Happy Face Killer.’ Investigators Close In On ID But Ask Public’s Help

More than 30 years after a woman died violently at the hands of the “Happy Face Killer,” Riverside County investigators are close to a breakthrough in identifying her — but they’re seeking the public’s help. The serial killer, whose name is Keith Hunter Jesperson, boasted of killing the woman and seven other female victims in the early 1990s, sending letters to the press about his exploits that he signed with a smiling face. He referred to the woman he killed in Riverside as “Claudia,” but investigators have never been able to confirm her identity, according to the Riverside County district attorney’s office. “Our goal is to identify this victim and provide closure to her family, wherever they may be,” Dist. Atty. Mike Hestrin said in a statement. “We are hopeful someone hearing any of these details may remember anything that could help us reunite this woman with the family who may have been looking for her for over three decades.” Jesperson has been in custody since 1995 and pleaded guilty to murdering this Jane Doe in 2010, according to authorities. In his confession, Jesperson said he met the victim in August 1992 at a brake check area along Highway 15 south of Victorville.

Los Angeles Times

Firefighters Extinguish Fire At North Hollywood Church

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire Wednesday at a one-story vacant church in North Hollywood. Fire crews responded at 2:25 a.m. to 7005 N. Radford Ave. between Hart and Vose streets where they found smoke coming from the church, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. It took 30 firefighters 20 minutes to put out the flames. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

LA Councilwoman Padilla Seeks To Align City Ordinance With State Law On Cruising Events

City Councilwoman Imelda Padilla Tuesday introduced a motion seeking to align city law with state law in regard to vehicle cruising events. On Jan. 1, Assembly Bill 436 went into effect, repealing the prohibition of cruising events across the state. Additionally, AB 436 removed a provision that barred a common modification made to cars, allowing vehicles to ride low to the ground, called "low riding." According to Padilla's office, in celebration of the state law, a cruise night occurred on Jan. 6 at Van Nuys Boulevard between Oxnard Street and Burbank Boulevard. However, the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys Division communicated to the event organizers that all vehicle code violations and L.A. city codes were still enforceable, and that night street events require event permits approved by the city. L.A. city code defines cruising as "the driving of a motor vehicle two or more times within a six-hour period, in a particular direction." "Cruising has been known to be part of many multicultural communities, and is seen as a way of artistic expression, popularized by Chicano/Latino communities and vehicle enthusiasts in general," the motion reads. "The confusion between the state's messaging and the LAPD's understanding of the law has created unnecessary inconveniences to local communities."

ABC 7

LA Council Looks To Appoint Lead For Homeless Prevention Efforts

The City Council Tuesday moved forward with several recommendations aimed at identifying whether the Community Investment Family Department would be a good choice to lead homeless prevention efforts. Council members originally voted 13-0 to move the matter forward with council members Curren Price and Kevin de León absent. However, Council President Paul Krekorian introduced a motion to reconsider the matter to allow council members to provide remarks. Afterward, the recommendations were approved in 14-0 vote with de León present. Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez said the recommendations are about seeing if the CIFD would be able to serve as the central department for homeless prevention. Staff will report back with a look at the department's current staffing levels and budget, and also include funding recommendations that would address whatever gaps there may be. "We know that the CIFD operates Family Source Centers -- they do a lot of work around domestic violence, and human trafficking," Soto-Martinez said. "They (CIFD) led the BIG:LEAP Program looking at guaranteed basic income for the city of Los Angeles."

Westside Current

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 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.