L.A. Model Found Dead In Refrigerator Allowed Suspected Killer To Stay In Her Apartment Before Brutal Slaying

Maleesa Mooney, a 31-year-old model and real estate agent whose body was found stuffed inside a refrigerator in her downtown L.A. apartment last year, allowed the suspect in her slaying to stay in her home only to be “repaid with torture and murder,” according to prosecutors. Mooney was found dead Sept. 12 in her apartment in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street after her family requested a welfare check, authorities said. Mooney’s body was found inside a refrigerator, with wrists and ankles bound and her mouth gagged, according to an autopsy report by the L.A. County medical examiner. She died by “homicidal violence” inflicted by others, the medical examiner ruled. Her family confirmed that Mooney was two months pregnant at the time of her death. She is believed to have been killed on Sept. 7, five days before her body was found, according to court records. Suspect Magnus Daniel Humphrey, 41, of Hopkins, Minn., was arrested on Nov. 3, 2023, in Minneapolis and was extradited to Los Angeles, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Humphrey was on federal probation at the time and was arrested at his home on an unrelated federal warrant, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles Times

Police Searching For Woman Accused Of Trying To Kidnap 4-Year-Old Boy At Target Store In Koreatown

Police are searching for a woman they say attempted to kidnap a 4-year-old boy at a Target store in Koreatown. The incident happened around 12:40 p.m. Sunday at a store at Next on Sixth Apartments at 620 S. Virgil Ave., between Sixth Street and Wilshire Boulevard. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the woman forcefully grabbed the boy from behind without consent and carried him outside of the store. She then put the child down when she was confronted by child's parent. The suspect, who was identified as a 40-year-old woman, fled on foot. Police said she was last seen wearing a brown jacket, black shirt, blue jeans and black and white shoes. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

ABC 7

Series Of Break-Ins Hit Pico-Robertson Condo Complex

A series of repeated break-ins continues to hit a condo building in the Pico-Robertson area. The suspects have been caught on camera, sometimes even using power drills or the mail carrier's master key, to break into the condo complex on the 800 block of S. Wooster St. in Los Angeles. The most recent break-in occurred on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Residents said this was the third break-in in a single week. But despite calling 911, residents said authorities never showed up. "Despite having all the footage…there's no interest on their [police] behalf to take prints," said condo resident Kayla LaBeau. "And so, unfortunately, myself and my neighbors have been left investing and spending thousands of dollars to further increase the security in our building. Only to find this happening again and again." Another resident said the burglars are so brazen because they "know they're not going to get in trouble." The residents of the Pico-Robertson condo complex said they are pleading with the Los Angeles Police Department to further investigate these incidents.

FOX 11

Video Shows Brazen Thieves Stealing Car From Quiet Street In Hollywood Hills 

A man and a woman were caught on camera stealing a car from a quiet street in Hollywood Hills. The individual who submitted the video, who wished to remain anonymous, told KTLA that the theft of their Kia SUV occurred on Scenic Avenue near Vista Del Mar Avenue just before 7 a.m. Saturday and involved a “young couple seemingly out for a stroll.” The “stroll” took an abrupt turn when the two stopped walking and checked their surroundings before the man took out “a small tool or device” that he used to bypass the Kia’s locking system. “The couple [walked] slowly down the block past several nice cars, and they stopped at the Kia,” the individual who submitted video said. “They check to make sure the coast is clear then wham, the male partner pulls out some small tool or device and begins breaking in[to] the car.” “Whatever tool he has bypasses the alarm system that is native to the Kia locking system, a vulnerability that Kia has failed to address for too long, much to the peril of this writer,” they added. 

KTLA 5

Silver Alert Issued For 93-Year-Old Woman Last Seen In San Pedro

Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating a 93-year-old woman who was last seen in San Pedro, prompting a Silver Alert. Soledad Garcia was last seen around 3 p.m. Saturday near the 3600 block of Barbara Street, according to the LAPD. Garcia has Alzheimer's disease and police say her family is very concerned. Garcia is 4-feet, 11-inches tall and weighs about 105 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was seen last in a gray sweater and blue sweatpants. Anyone with more information as to her whereabouts was asked to call the Harbor Community Police Station at (310) 726-7700. 

CBS 2

Fencing Raised At Site Of Graffiti-Covered Downtown LA Skyscrapers

Work began Friday to place fencing around an unfinished downtown Los Angeles high-rise building that became a target for taggers. Video from NewsChopper4 showed heavy construction equipment placing fencing around the vacant high-rise development known as Oceanwide Plaza. The fencing along 12th Street between Figueroa and Flower streets is intended to deter people from entering the site of the graffiti-covered towers. Scaffolding also has been removed around the construction site. An initial $1.1 million was approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council to address the development, where work stopped in 2019 after the Chinese Developer ran out of money. The towers were supposed to house condos, a hotel and mall. Councilman Kevin De Leon proposed another $2.7 million, as a loan, to cover costs associated with security services, fire safety upgrades, graffiti abatement and other measures. City Council members voted to hold off on that $2.7 million for the time being until another estimate could be conducted, according to de Leon's office. City officials officially began an abatement process on Feb. 17, after the building's developer, Oceanwide Holdings, did not respond to demands from the city to address ongoing issues. Ultimately, the city hopes Oceanwide gets the land cleaned up and a group of investors comes forward to take over the project.

NBC 4

Man Found Shot To Death In Compton

A man was found shot to death Sunday morning in Compton, authorities said. The shooting was reported at about 2:10 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Long Beach Boulevard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported. Deputies responding to the scene were flagged down regarding a gunshot victim in the backyard of a home. Deputies discovered the man lying on the ground unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds to the upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and no further information was immediately available. Anyone with information regarding the homicide was urged to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Massachusetts Officers Find Cocaine, U.S. Army Rocket Launcher During Traffic Stop

A police detective says he was unnerved to find a U.S. Army rocket launcher along with crack cocaine when searching a suspicious truck in central Massachusetts. Det. Alex Sinni from the Sutton Police Department told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his first concern after finding the M190 launcher under the backseat of the truck was for everybody’s safety. “Once we were able to determine it was unloaded, we secured it,” Sinni said. “And then we searched the rest of the vehicle to make sure there were no explosives or rockets, or anything crazy like that.” Sinni said the driver of the truck was “pretty vague” about how he had got his hands on the launcher and what he planned to do with it. “I couldn’t really get a straight answer about it,” Sinni said. The M190 is a training model of the M72 light anti-tank weapon that was first used in the Vietnam War era. The U.S. Army said it needed more time to look into the situation before providing comment. The truck was parked outside a Red Roof Inn in Sutton, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Boston, and the detective decided to search it after watching the driver sitting in the vehicle for about 30 minutes. Sinni said he thought it was “a bit weird” that the driver was parked to the side of the hotel away from the rooms for so long and hadn’t gone inside the main hotel entrance.

Associated Press

Firefighter Seriously Injured In Wilmington Explosion Released From Hospital

Less than two weeks after being seriously injured in the Wilmington Explosion, firefighter Dan Goen is going home to his family. The first responder was one of nine firefighters hurt when a compressed natural gas tank exploded on a big rig on Feb. 15. Goen is counting his blessings that he’s able to go home to his wife and two daughters. “I’m just extremely grateful for god, first of all for saving me,” Goen said after being released from the Los Angeles General Medical Center. “For my wife for all of the support, all my family and friends … thank you to everybody involved.” Goen also took the time to single out all of the firefighters in the City, as well as hospital staff for helping him recover from his injuries. “Blessed to not only be alive, but also, to not have any career-ending major injuries,” he said. “So, I am very blessed and happy to be here.” Many of Goen’s fellow first responders welcomed him with applause and cheers when he walked hand-in-hand with his wife out of the hospital.

KTLA 5

Firefighters, Geologist And Safety Inspectors Focus On Brentwood Hillside

Firefighters, building inspectors and a geologist were in a Brentwood neighborhood tonight where there was concern that the hillside around five homes was slipping. The Los Angeles Fire Department was summoned at 4:16 p.m. Saturday to the 1400 block of North Bundy Drive, where residents were concerned about the stability of the hillside near Mount Saint Mary's University's Chalon Campus, said the LAFD's Nicholas Prange. "Building and Safety performed an initial assessment and will be sending out a specialist within 48 hours for an additional slope assessment,'' Prange said. They concluded that an official evacuation order was not needed. "Responders on scene were in close communication with residents, explaining the situation and findings,'' he said. No injuries were reported. The responders cleared the scene around 7 p.m.

ABC 7

Norovirus Cases Soar In California. Here Are The Signs To Watch For

While the Bay Area is enjoying a reprieve from COVID-19 and the flu, some residents are dealing with another nasty bug. Highly contagious stomach viruses are rapidly spreading across the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 12.8% of laboratory tests for norovirus are coming back positive in the country’s West region, the highest figure since June and second only to the Northeast at 13.9%. The Midwest follows at 10% and the South is at 9.5%. Norovirus is the top cause of vomiting, diarrhea and food-borne illness, per the California Department of Public Health. It is often referred to as “stomach flu” or “food poisoning.” The recent surge in cases comes weeks after a luxury cruise ship docked in San Francisco with over 150 people reporting symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, resembling norovirus. While the cause of the illnesses was unknown, the CDC notes that norovirus outbreaks typically occur in closed and crowded spaces like hospitals, schools, camps and cruise ships. The virus spreads through personal contact with an infected person or by consuming contaminated food and drinks. Touching a surface with the virus and then putting unwashed hands in the mouth can also lead to infection.

San Francisco Chronicle

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.