Woodland Hills Homicide Linked To Death Of Child Found On 405 Freeway, LAPD Says

A homicide investigation is underway after a man was found dead at a Woodland Hills apartment complex and police say the incident is linked to the death of a child found on the 405 Freeway earlier in the day. Police say the man's body was found just after 7:30 a.m. Monday face down on the ground at the Montecito apartments on Variel Avenue. It apparently happened inside the garage. Crime scene tape was surrounding a black vehicle. The garage gate was also damaged. Investigators have not released much information, other that this is not gang-related. On Monday afternoon, LAPD detectives said it believed the homicide in Woodland Hills was connected to another tragedy involving two children on the 405 Freeway. Detectives are also investigating whether the incidents were also related to a deadly crash in Redondo Beach.

ABC 7

Woman Taken Into Custody After Wielding Knife On Venice Boardwalk

A woman in Venice was taken into custody today after she waved a weapon around, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday, officers were sent near Brooks Avenue and Ocean Front Walk following a 911 call of a woman with a knife, the LAPD said. The suspect was located on the boardwalk and taken into custody, according to the department. No injuries were reported.

Westside Current

Family, Police Seeking Public Help To Locate Woman Who Went Missing In Southern California

The Los Angeles Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance to help locate a missing woman. Friends and family are concerned for the well-being of 23-year-old Noelle M. Lynch. She hasn’t been heard from since April 3. Authorities say Lynch was last seen leaving an apartment building on foot in the 900 block of East Redondo Avenue in Inglewood. LAPD says Lynch left without her personal belongings, and may or may not be able to identify herself. Lynch is described as White, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighs approximately 125 pounds. The 23-year-old was last seen wearing a dark t-shirt, green sweatpants with a military logo, and white sneakers. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

KTLA 5

Man With Mental Disorder, 35, Missing In Sylmar

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sunday circulated a photo of a 35-year-old man suffering from a mental disorder who went missing in Sylmar. Matthew Aaron Gallegos was last seen at about 8:45 p.m. Saturday in the 14400 block of Olive View Drive, the Sheriff’s Information Bureau reported. Gallegos was described as a 6-feet-4-inch tall Latino man weighing 200 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes and a full beard. He was last seen wearing a black sweater, black shorts and black shoes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to call the LASD’s missing persons unit at 323-890-5500. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

Police Investigate Multiple Reports Of Anti-Semitic Graffiti In Santa Monica

Police Sunday were actively investigating multiple reports of anti-Semitic graffiti in various areas throughout Santa Monica. Myesha Morrison, a public information coordinator for the Santa Monica Police Department, said the graffiti was discovered on sidewalks, trees and light posts, including along Pico Boulevard. "Let me be clear: there is no place for hate in Santa Monica," said Chief Ramon Batista of the Santa Monica Police Department. "We are appalled by these cowardly acts of anti-Semitism. Our department is fully committed to upholding the safety and dignity of all members of our community." Anyone with more information about this case was asked to call authorities at 310-458-8491 or utilize the Santa Monica 3-1-1 app. 

CBS 2

Beverly Hills Scammer Pleads Guilty To $18-Million Cannabis Con

A convicted Beverly Hills con artist with a long history of swindles pleaded guilty to another one Friday, admitting that he duped investors out of more than $18 million by concocting a sham cannabis empire while completing a sentence in a prior criminal case. Mark Roy Anderson, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He duped his victims with false claims that he ran companies invested in hemp farms and cannabis-infused retail products, as well as a sham bottling business. Anderson, his investors discovered, is a convicted con artist who started swindling people at least three decades ago. He launched his purported hemp business immediately after his May 2019 release from the federal prison in Texas where he had served more than 11 years for an oil investment scam, federal authorities said. In the first scheme he pleaded guilty to Friday, Anderson tricked investors in 2020 and 2021 into providing funding for his company, called Harvest Farm Group, to harvest and process hemp grown on his farm into medical-grade cannabidiol (CBD) isolate — a chemical found in marijuana — to be sold for a substantial profit. Anderson persuaded investors to invest in Harvest Farm Group by falsely representing that, through the company, he owned and operated a hemp farm in Kern County. He also lied that he had already completed successful and profitable harvests of hemp from the farm, which the FBI said did not exist.

Los Angeles Times

Southern California Couple Charged With Murdering Boyfriend’s Ex-Girlfriend

The Ventura County District Attorney has filed murder and kidnapping charges against an Oxnard couple accused of killing one of their former lovers. Authorities say 37-year-old Jorge Alberto Garfias and 33-year-old Margarita Jimenez are responsible for the death of Yanelly Vargas. Officials say Vargas was Garfias’ ex-girlfriend. The incident occurred just before midnight on March 17 at a bar in Oxnard. Vargas was allegedly tricked into coming outside of the establishment by Jimenez and Garfias. When the victim exited the bar, the couple allegedly assaulted Vargas and forced her into their vehicle. Vargas was able to exit the suspects’ vehicle after approximately 15 minutes. After she managed to escape, Jimenez followed the victim and shot her, authorities said. Jimenez and Garfias fled in their truck before Oxnard Police officers arrived on the scene. Emergency responders found Vargas suffering from a single gunshot wound. She was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries. The entire incident was captured by a nearby surveillance camera, officials say. The couple was arrested on April 3.

KTLA 5

New Jersey Officer Stabbed In Face, Another Injured While Responding To 911 Hang Up Call

A 30-year-old man who ran out of a house and stabbed a police officer in the face with a pocket knife on Sunday night has been charged with attempted murder and other offenses, authorities said. Officers showed up at a home on the 300 block of Cresson Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. after several hang-up calls to 911, Galloway police said. As two officers spoke with a woman, her son, Keith E. Kiminski, “darted” out of the house and attacked one officer, officials said. The two police officers then fought with Kaminski for several minutes before backup arrived and he was taken into custody. The officer stabbed on the right side of his face was released from an area hospital on Monday afternoon, Galloway Mayor Tony Coppola told NJ Advance Media. The officer — identified by police as Erik Tarnow — underwent surgery prior to his release, police said. Members of the police department gave Tarnow an escort to his home, where he will rest and make an expected full recovery, the mayor said. ”Galloway has a great morale, and these guys watch out for each other on a daily basis,” Cappola said. “When one gets hurt, especially in the line of duty, they’re there for each other.”

PoliceOne

‘I Don’t Play No Games With Them’: Mother Turns In Her 2 Sons Suspected Of Shooting At Mississippi Officer

A mother turned in her two sons after she saw photos released by the Holly Springs Police Department showing they were involved in a police pursuit and allegedly fired shots at officers, WMC reported. Police stated that an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle driving erratically without headlights on, according to the report. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspects fled. At least two shots were fired from the vehicle. “It was dangerous for the officers and any other pedestrian and anyone that was on that interstate at that time. That was a very dangerous situation,” Holly Springs police chief Darryl Bowens stated. The suspects reportedly abandoned the vehicle and ran into a wooded area, according to the report. They were captured on video from a Ring doorbell camera. The police department posted pictures of the suspects on social media the next day. After seeing the photos, the suspects’ mother, who was not named, turned the 17- and 18-year-olds into the department, according to the report. “I don’t play no games with them. If you want to do the crime, you gotta do the time — plain and simple,” the mother told Action News 5.

PoliceOne

Authorities Respond To Calls Of Man Climbing Power Pole In Hollywood 

A man having a “possible psychological crisis” climbed a power pole in Hollywood early Sunday afternoon, authorities said. According to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert, the man climbing the pole, located at Saint Andrews Place and Santa Monica Boulevard, was first reported at 12:13 p.m. As of 1:10 p.m., he was still on the pole, LAPD confirmed to KTLA. Firefighters quickly set up an air cushion around the pole. LADWP crews were dispatched to the scene to assist with shutting down power, the LAFD alert said. Video from the Citizen App shows the man nearly halfway up the power pole while authorities call to him from the ground below. What caused the man to climb the power pole is not known.

KTLA 5

Firefighters Douse Flames In Trees At Duplex Buildings In LA

Firefighters knocked down a fire in several trees adjacent to a two-story duplex structure in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles Sunday. The fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday at 6081 W. Cashio St., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames in the trees and worked in offensive mode utilizing fire attack hose lines with vertical ventilation to keep the fire from spreading vertically or horizontally in four exposed two-story structures. The department used 36 firefighters who were able to extinguish flames in all exposed structures in 52 minutes. LAFD resources remained on the scene performing salvage and overhaul. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council To Consider Temporary Moratorium On Breeding Permits

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday will consider a temporary moratorium on dog breeding permits, which officials say is an attempt to address overpopulation at the six city-run animal shelters. In order to implement the temporary moratorium, the City Council will need to approve an ordinance. Last week, the three-member Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee passed the ordinance in a 2-0 vote on consent, meaning no prior discussion was held on the matter. Councilman John Lee, who sits on the committee, was absent during the vote. According to city documents, the moratorium would be lifted once shelters were at or below 75% capacity for three consecutive months and could be automatically reinstated if shelter capacity rises above 75%. The shelters are "experiencing a dire crisis due to the overcrowding of dogs,'' which is consistent with trends in public and private animal shelters nationwide, officials previously said. The city has seen steadily increasing numbers of dogs, cats, and rabbits at its six shelters for the last few years, and commissioners and many animal advocates from the private sector have lobbied for a halt to breeding and more robust spay-and-neuter efforts as the two most important steps toward tackling the problem.

NBC 4

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.