Gang Member Charged With Shooting LA County Deputy Pleads Not Guilty

A reputed gang member who allegedly shot a Los Angeles County sheriff's motorcycle deputy in West Covina, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of attempted murder of a peace officer and other counts. Raymundo Duran, 47, of Covina, was ordered to remain jailed without bail. He was scheduled to return to court June 18 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial in connection with the April 22 attack on Deputy Samuel Aispuro. The deputy was on his sheriff's department motorcycle in full uniform and was stopped at the intersection of southbound Barranca Street at East Garvey Avenue, Sheriff Robert Luna said last month. The bullet struck Aispuro in the back, but it did not penetrate his bulletproof vest, according to the sheriff. The deputy was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and was subsequently "recovering at home," Luna said last month. Duran was arrested that night after being detained by California Highway Patrol officers at the CHP's San Onofre inspection facility in northern San Diego County on suspicion of DUI and weapon possession.

FOX 11

Police Investigating String Of Burglaries At Glassell Park, Eagle Rock Businesses Overnight

Police are investigating a string of burglaries that took place at several businesses in northeast Los Angeles overnight. They believe that two men wearing masks used a crowbar to make entry into at least five businesses early Monday morning, according to reports from Los Angeles Police Department investigators. The first string of burglaries happened a little after 4:30 a.m. in the 4100 block of Verdugo Road in Glassell Park, where a hair salon, laundromat and Michal Budny's restaurant were hit. "He went all over the restaurant, a lot of mess," Budny said. "Came out with only $2." Surveillance footage shows one of the burglars making their way around the restaurant floor while using a headlamp to light their path. A few doors over Ivy Barbosa's hair salon was similarly targeted, with the suspects making off with just $15. 

CBS 2

Burglary Investigation Underway In DTLA

One person is in custody and another on the run after a burglary attempt at an industrial building in downtown Los Angeles. According to police, it happened at the building off Lemon Street early Tuesday morning. Responding officers actually found one of the suspects hiding inside when they entered the building, officials said. Large piles of bags with green leafy substances poking out were seen on the roof. It's unknown what's inside the building. No suspect information was immediately available.

FOX 11

Ten More Vehicles In Westchester Broken Into

At least 10 vehicles in Westchester were reportedly broken into early Monday morning. Just after 3 a.m. Monday, suspects targeted and burglarized vehicles parked on Vicksburg Avenue near 85th place, and on Croydon Avenue near W 79th Street, according to residents of the area. It was also reported that vehicles on Lilienthal Avenue near Wiley Post Avenue were broken into as well. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed numerous reports were filed Monday morning around 9 a.m. following the rash of burglaries. 

Westside Current

Woman Hospitalized After Being Stabbed At Metro Station In West Athens, Authorities Say

A woman was hospitalized after she was stabbed at a Metro station in West Athens Monday night, authorities said. The incident is one of two attacks on the transit system to happen within hours of each other. The stabbing was reported around 9 p.m. on the west side of the Vermont/Athens station, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It's unclear what led up to the stabbing, but it reportedly happened inside an elevator. Video shows deputies looking inside an elevator that was cordoned off by crime scene tape. The woman was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. Authorities said the suspect was last seen going westbound on the train toward Hawthorne. Investigators are still working to identify the suspect. A few hours before the woman was stabbed, police were called to another stabbing involving juveniles on a Metro bus that was traveling through Glendale. The incident happened around 7 p.m. Monday and initially started as a reported robbery, according to the Glendale Police Department.

ABC 7

South Gate Man Pleads Guilty To Running Drug Trafficking Ring Using ‘Trap Cars' To Hide Drugs

A South Gate man has pleaded guilty to running an international drug trafficking ring that used modified cars with hidden compartments to distribute the drugs across the U.S. Joel Antonio Villegas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, the Justice Department announced Friday. In his plea agreement, Villegas admitted to running the trafficking ring from at least November 2017 to September 2019, bringing drugs like cocaine, heroin and more into the U.S. from Mexico. As part of the trafficking effort, the Justice Department said Villegas' ordered his conspirators to buy cars, which were then outfitted with hidden compartments. Those compartments were then used to hide drugs and drug money as the cars caravaned across the border for deliveries. Villegas was arrested in 2019. When authorities executed a warrant at his home, police said Villegas tried to destroy evidence by setting payment ledgers on fire and destroying cell phones. Police found guns, cash and jewelry at the home.

FOX 11

Study Finds More Than 115 Million Fentanyl Pills Seized By LE In 2023

A study has shown a significant increase in law enforcement seizures of illicit fentanyl, especially in pill form, according to a news release from the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse. The study, supported by the National Institute of Health, showed that the number of fentanyl-containing pills seized soared from 49,657 in 2017 to 115,562,603 in 2023, according to the report. “Fentanyl has continued to infiltrate the drug supply in communities across the United States and it is a very dangerous time to use drugs, even just occasionally,” stated NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. “Illicit pills are made to look identical to real prescription pills, but can actually contain fentanyl.” The Western U.S. has become a hotspot for fentanyl seizures, with a significant portion of the fentanyl captured being in pill form, according to the report. In 2022, over 107,000 people died from drug overdoses, 75% of which involved an opioid like fentanyl. “Illicit fentanyl is highly potent, cheaply made, and easily transported, making it extremely profitable,” according to the report. The synthetic opioid is about 50 times more potent than heroin, and an amount as small as two milligrams can be a lethal dose.

PoliceOne

Trash Truck Erupts In Flames, Chars Parked Cars In Los Angeles Neighborhood

A massive fire inside of a city trash truck charred several parked cars and spread thick plumes of smoke across a residential street in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pico-Union Monday. Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the 1700 block of Westmoreland Avenue at around 2:15 p.m. on reports of the blaze and that it had spread to other vehicles. “It did look like a movie because they do movies on this block,” a man who lives on the street to KTLA’s Sara Welch. “I was like, ‘Oh, they’re shooting a film,’ because they had it closed down all the way from there.” Video footage of the fire obtained by KTLA showed flames coming from what appeared to be the bottom rear of the trash truck, while just feet away on the curb, flames could be seen beneath three parked cars. As the fire continued, crackling and popping could be heard coming from the truck.

KTLA 5

Hepatitis A Spreading Among Los Angeles Homeless Population, Health Officials Say

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating an outbreak of the highly contagious liver disease hepatitis A among its homeless population. Health officials said five cases of hepatitis A have been reported since mid-March among people experiencing homelessness. The virus, which can spread among people even before they have symptoms, can be found in the stool and blood of those who have been infected. Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine and yellow eyes and skin. “Individuals that are unhoused are at higher risk for contracting hepatitis A infection because they often have limited access to hand-washing and toileting facilities,” the department wrote in a statement. The health department said it was offering free hepatitis A vaccines to people experiencing homelessness in encampments and interim housing sites where there is a risk of potential exposure. The vaccine can be given to people even after they’ve been exposed to protect against developing the infection. The department said it was working closely with healthcare and homeless services providers to increase awareness about the virus and growing risks. It urged residents to get vaccinated and to wash their hands after using the bathroom.

Los Angeles Times

LA County To Reopen Rent Relief Program Applications For Limited Time

Los Angeles County next week will reopen applications for its rent relief program for landlords impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs announced Monday. The application period will open on Monday at 9 a.m. and continue until 4:59 p.m. June 4. Potential applicants were urged to review eligibility requirements, register to receive a link to the application once it opens and access the application directly when it is available by visiting lacountyrentrelief.com. Several community organizations will also provide free webinars and technical assistance in multiple languages. Support services will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting from the application opening date. “L.A. County landlords can start applying in exactly 1 WEEK at lacountyrentrelief.com. If you are a tenant, make sure to refer your landlord to apply for the program,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath posted on X Monday afternoon. The program, officially known as the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program, was launched Dec. 12, 2023, in an effort to provide financial support to landlords who have been economically impacted by the pandemic. Spearheaded by the Board of Supervisors and administered by The Center by Lendistry, the program provided more than $68 million in financial support to qualified.

NBC 4

LA City Council To Confirm New Head For Department Of Water And Power

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday is expected to confirm longtime Pacific Gas and Electric executive Janisse Quiñones as the next general manager of the Department of Water and Power. Bass nominated Quiñones after a nationwide search for a new leader, prompted by general manager Martin Adams’ announcement that he would be retiring. If approved, Quiñones will lead the department through the transition toward 100% clean energy by 2035. Last week, the council’s Energy and Environment Committee voted in support of Quiñones to serve as the head of the agency that serves thousands of residents across the city. The committee also backed the Board of Water and Power Commissioners in paying Quiñones a salary of $750,000 a year — nearly twice as much as her predecessor. Last year, City Council approved a new salary range between $435,000 to $751,000 for the general managers, who oversee the city’s DWP, port and airport. The new salaries went into effect December 2023.

MyNewsLA

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.