Homeless Man In Encino Attacks Metro Bus Rider With Wrench

Police arrested a homeless man for attacking a Metro bus rider with a wrench in Encino Tuesday afternoon. The attack happened at about 2:05 p.m. near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Balboa Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Division. Originally, the LAPD believed it was a stabbing. West Valley investigators said the suspect suffered from a "mental illness." Metro said the suspect stole a cell phone from the victim before slamming the wrench into his chest. The victim did not need medical assistance or hospitalization. Officers added they arrested one person. Metro said the suspect was arrested for assault and battery after he walked away from the bus. "Metro thanks the LAPD for its quick action to apprehend the suspect in this case," a spokesperson said in a statement. 

CBS 2

15-Year-Old Boy Jumped, Severely Injured In South Los Angeles

Police are searching for a group of suspects who jumped and severely injured a 15-year-old boy in the Watts area of South Los Angeles Tuesday night. The attack was reported just after 9 p.m. in the parking lot of a strip mall with restaurants near Century Boulevard and South Alameda Street. Officers responding to an assault with a deadly weapon call found the boy suffering from severe injuries, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said. The teen was transported to a local hospital and is expected to survive, the spokesperson said. Investigators believe the juvenile was jumped by the group following some type of altercation but no further details were provided. It was unclear how many people were involved in the fight and no suspect descriptions were released.

KTLA 5

LA Mayor’s Dog Helped Thwart Break-In Suspect Who Left Trail Of Blood After Smashing Door: Report

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' German shepherd helped delay and scare a home intruder who breached her Windsor Park mansion during a security shift change in late April, according to a report. The trespasser, identified as 29-year-old Ephraim Hunter, left a trail of blood after bashing a glass door and screaming "Karen!" multiple times as he attempted to access several bedrooms on April 22 before police detained him, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing law enforcement sources. Another law enforcement source told the LA Times responding officers believed Hunter was high on methamphetamine during the incident. Interim Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi told the outlet that no officers were on the property during the break-in. Choi said a routine shift change in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) security plan schedule had led to a gap in protection. While Bass waited for LAPD to arrive, her German shepherd Stax successfully interrupted Hunter and delayed him from breaking into a set of bedrooms on the mansion's second floor. The dog allegedly did not bite the intruder.

FOX News

Gunman Accused In Jewish Hate Crime Shooting In Pico-Robertson Agrees To Plead Guilty

The man accused of shooting two Jewish men in Pico-Robertson last year has agreed to plead guilty to hate crime and firearm charges, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. Jamie Tran is expected to plead guilty as charged to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using a firearm illegally, according to a press release. Tran is expected to receive a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison. "These horrific acts - motivated by poisonous, antisemitic beliefs - shocked our community," United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. "Law enforcement will continue to work together to prevent and punish hate crimes. Our resolve remains firm, standing with our Jewish community and others to oppose acts of hate." Tran allegedly researched the locations of kosher markets and in February 2023 went to Pico-Robertson where he allegedly shot a Jewish man near a synagogue. He returned to the same area the next day and shot another Jewish man at close range, according to authorities. Both victims survived the shootings. He was arrested the following day and has remained in custody, according to authorities. Tran had been restricted from owning firearms due to mental health issues, but allegedly acquired two guns in January 2023 through a third party.

ABC 7

L.A. Vehicle Thefts Skyrocketing In This Area

Automobile thefts continue to plague the Los Angeles region, but one area in particular is being hit harder than ever. According to a report from the nonprofit news outlet Crosstown L.A., the San Fernando Valley is seeing historic levels of auto thefts this year. During the first quarter of 2024, January through April, auto thefts in the Valley went up more than 28% from the same timeframe the previous year — more than five times the citywide figure. In just the first four months of the year, there were 2,731 vehicles thefts in the LAPD’s Valley Bureau jurisdiction. Crosstown says that a reorganization of LAPD crime data has made it harder to narrow down which areas are being affected the most, but police officials say neighborhoods that have historically been victimized continue to be targeted. Some specific neighborhoods, Van Nuys for instance, have experienced relatively steady theft figures in the last several years. Meanwhile, in North Hollywood and Pacoima, thefts are higher than ever.

KTLA 5

LAPD Offering Free Steering Wheel Locks And Anti-Theft Software Updates For Hyundai Vehicles

The Los Angeles Police Department in collaboration with the Hyundai Corporation is offering free security software updates and VIN etching for Hyundai owners. The updated anti-theft protection software is meant to deter thieves from stealing Hyundai vehicles. In 2023, Hyundai vehicles were among the most stolen in Los Angeles, accounting for 13% of total vehicle thefts. Only second to Kia, which accounted for 17%. The free event occurs at Eagle Rock Plaza at 2828 Colorado Boulevard, beginning Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The process takes approximately 30 minutes to update the anti-theft protection software. Attendees will also receive a complimentary steering wheel lock and have the option to have their vehicle's VIN etched to their catalytic converters, an added safety measure to prevent the sale of stolen parts.

NBC 4

Another Westchester Home Broken Into, Suspects Flee Before LAPD Arrives

Suspects attempted to burglarize a Westchester home Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. Just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, police were sent to the 7600 block of Truxton Avenue after a 911 caller reported a burglary in progress, the LAPD said. The suspects attempted to enter the home, possibly gaining access into the house, according to authorities. It was reported that the suspects, who were gone before police arrived, fled the scene in a black SUV. Police took a burglary report. 

Westside Current

Authorities Seek Help Finding 14-Year-Old Girl

Authorities sought the public’s help Tuesday in locating a 14-year-old girl last seen in Los Angeles. According to the California Highway Patrol, Katie Collins was last seen around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Detectives described Collins as a 5-foot-7-inch-tall Black girl weighing 245 pounds with brown hair and eyes. It was unclear what the teen was wearing before being reported missing, and it was unknown exactly where she was last seen. She is believed to be on foot. Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts was urged to call 911.

MyNewsLA

LA County Prosecutors Charge Man Accused Of Trying To Kill His 7-Year-Old Brother

The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged the man accused of viciously stabbing his 7-year-old brother multiple times at their Whittier home last week. "My heart goes out to this innocent child and his family during this incredibly challenging time," District Attorney George Gascón said. "The trauma and emotional impact of such an incident is immeasurable, especially when it involves a member of your own family." Prosecutors charged 24-year-old Cristian Gutierrez with one count of attempted murder and added that he inflicted great bodily injury and used a knife during the commission of the crime. The alleged stabbing happened at the brothers' home in the 9600 block of Ben Hur Avenue just after 10 p.m. last Thursday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The boy suffered multiple stab wounds and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors listed him in critical condition at the time, but he was expected to survive. Gutierrez ran away before deputies arrived. However, they eventually found him bleeding a block away. It's unclear what caused his injuries. 

CBS 2

FBI Reports Assaults On LEOs In The US Reached A 10-Year High In 2023

The rate of assaults on American law enforcement reached a 10-year high in 2023, with more than 79,000 officer attacks reported, according to a new FBI report released Tuesday. The report analyzes data from state, local, federal and other agencies across the U.S. to determine trends in violence against law enforcement. It shows that the number of officers assaulted and injured by guns is also climbing. Agencies reported 466 assaults with firearms in 2023, which is the highest level in a decade, FBI officials said. That’s up from less than 200 officers assaulted and injured by guns in 2014. There were 60 officers killed as the result of criminal acts in 2023, compared to 61 the year prior and 73 in 2021. While those numbers declined over the last three years, there were more officer killings as the result of criminal acts in that time than any other three-year period in the last two decades, FBI officials said. Those killed between 2014 and 2023 had an average of 12 years of experience as a sworn officer, according to the report. More than 230 officers were reported accidentally killed in the line of duty between 2019 and 2023. Most of those officers — 57% — died in vehicle crashes, and another 30% were hit by a vehicle.

Associated Press

BWC: Man Fires At Officers With 2 Handguns, Wounding 1 Before OIS

Body camera footage shows a man firing two guns at officers simultaneously, leading to an officer-involved shooting, KIRO reported. The May 4 incident began when officers responded to calls of a domestic disturbance at a motel, according to the report. Body camera footage released May 11 shows officers knocking at the motel room door, announcing their presence and requesting that the occupants come out with nothing in their hands. Video shows a woman exiting the room and cooperating with officers while a man stands in the doorway with one arm still inside the apartment. The man questioned officers, saying that he wanted to ensure his safety before exiting the apartment. One officer asked the man whether he had a gun, to which the man responded that he had multiple. “Do you have a gun in your hand?” the officer asked the man. “Yeah, I do,” the man replied. The officer then spoke with the man for several minutes, attempting to convince him that he would not be hurt as long as he exited the room without a gun in his hand. “I have a body camera that’s recording audio and visually, sir. I don’t want to hurt you…” the officer said. “…I don’t care about your warrants; I care about your safety and my safety.”

PoliceOne

Wildfire Weather Is Increasing In California And Much Of The U.S., Report Finds

Wildfire weather has become more frequent in the Western United States over the past five decades, with some of the largest jumps in California, according to a new report by Climate Central, a nonprofit news outlet that reports on climate change. The report looks at three key weather conditions — heat, dryness and wind — that, when combined, load the dice for wildfires to spread quickly and grow large, said Kaitlyn Trudeau, senior research associate with Climate Central. Aggressive and impactful reporting on climate change, the environment, health and science. “We’re really talking about days when the stage is set for prime wildfire growth,” she said. “All three conditions are working together to make for really dangerous meteorological conditions.” The report serves as a good reminder that the Western U.S. has become warmer and drier in ways that tend to promote more large wildfires, said Park Williams, climate scientist and professor in the UCLA Department of Geography, who was not involved in the analysis. “We’ve seen in tons of academic research over the last decade that fire weather is increasing in the U.S. — and most of the increase has been in the West — over the last half-century or so,” he said. “So this report is very much in line with that general conclusion.”

Los Angeles Times

L.A. City Council Backs Plan To Double Sewer Fees

Many Los Angeles residents will see their sewer fees double over the next four years, with the City Council approving the increases Tuesday over the objections of business groups concerned that landlords will be disproportionately affected. The council voted 11 to 4 for the rate hikes, with Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez, Kevin de León, Imelda Padilla and Heather Hutt dissenting. The increases are needed to fund the rising cost of construction and materials, officials with the Bureau of Sanitation said. The officials said that labor costs will rise 24% over the next five years because of a recent salary package for city workers backed by Mayor Karen Bass and the council. At Tuesday’s meeting, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the city’s Energy and Environment Committee, urged the council to support the series of increases. There hasn’t been an increase since 2020, when the council paused consideration of higher fees because of COVID-19. “Unfortunately, this is one of those situations where we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place,” said Yaroslavsky, who called the fee raise “not insignificant.”

Los Angeles Times

LA City Council Advances Ethics Reform For November Ballot

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday amended and approved a series of proposed ethics-related changes to the City Charter that are expected to go before voters in November. Council members voted unanimously to bolster the Ethics Commission, make it more independent and enhance its enforcement powers. Council members also amended four provisions of the proposal in a 13-2 vote — with Councilwoman Nithya Raman and Council President Paul Krekorian opposing those. As part of the item, council members also approved creating a Charter Reform Commission, which would be tasked with reviewing the entirety of the charter, and updating specific areas as referred to them by the Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform and the City Council. The commission would have 13 members, including four appointed by the mayor, two appointed by the council president and another two appointed by the council president pro tempore. The eight appointed members would then begin an application process and develop criteria to appoint the remaining members. The five additional members would be subject to council approval.

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.