Jealousy Of Porn Actor Led To Murder Attempt With Golf Club, LAPD Says

A man was arrested last month after he tried to ram an adult film star’s motorcycle and bludgeon the victim with a golf club, according to Los Angeles police. James Gosselin, 26, allegedly attempted to run over an adult film actor identified in an LAPD search warrant affidavit as “Hamilton” while Hamilton rode his motorcycle April 2. Gosselin was jealous because Hamilton had made an adult film with his ex-girlfriend “Gia,” according to the warrant’s statement of probable cause. Gosselin was booked for attempted murder April 4, jail records show, and released the next day on a $1 million bond. He was also charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and he faces another charge for illegal possession of a loaded gun in public, according to Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department arrest records. Gosselin pleaded not guilty to all charges May 3. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 6 in Van Nuys for a preliminary hearing. His attorney, Michael Moshe Levin, did not respond to a request for comment. In the alleged April 2 attack, Hamilton was riding his motorcycle when another vehicle twice bumped into his back wheel, causing him to lose balance, the search warrant affidavit said. Hamilton told LAPD investigators he looked back to see Gosselin try and fail to put on a ski mask before exiting his vehicle wielding a golf club.

Los Angeles Times

Suspect In Deadly Shooting On Metro Bus Charged With Murder

The Los Angeles County Attorney on Monday announced the charge against the suspect accused of killing a Metro passenger in Commerce. "This tragic and senseless shooting claimed the life of a beloved husband and father innocently riding on a Metro bus," District Attorney George Gascón said. "This heartbreaking incident comes on the heels of recent violent acts targeting innocent Metro passengers and a driver." Prosecutors charged 30-year-old Winston Apolinario Rivera with one count of murder accompanied by a special allegation of the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime. If convicted as charged, he faces 35 years to life in prison. The deadly shooting happened on May 17 inside a Metro bus in the 6200 block of Slauson Avenue. Rivera entered the bus and sat behind Juan Luis Gomez-Ramirez. When the bus stopped, Rivera allegedly followed Gomez-Ramirez to the exit and shot him in the head, instantly killing him. Prosecutors said he ran off the bus and hid under a train until deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department found him.

CBS 2

Police Searching For Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In Sylmar

Police are seeking public help in locating a hit-and-run driver who fatally struck a pedestrian in Sylmar in early May. It happened at around 9 p.m. on May 8 near the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Terra Bella Street, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers say that a large, silver pickup truck traveling "unsafe" speeds hit an unidentified pedestrian before fleeing northbound on Foothill Boulevard towards Van Nuys Boulevard, the statement said. The pedestrian, only identified as a man in his 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene by responding Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. As usual with deadly hit-and-run incidents in Los Angeles, city officials are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspect involved. Anyone with further information is asked to contact LAPD investigators at (818) 644-8036. 

CBS 2

2 Arrests Made In Hollywood Assault On '90210' Actor Ian Ziering

Two people were arrested Tuesday in connection with an assault on actor Ian Ziering in Hollywood back in December, police said. The incident happened on the afternoon of Dec. 31 near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The "Beverly Hills 90210" actor was driving with his daughter when he says he was involved in an altercation involving several people on minibikes that apparently started when one of them struck his car. "In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car," he wrote on Instagram at the time. "This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself." An LAPD statement describes the incident: "The confrontation began between the victim and one of the minibike riders over possible damage to his vehicle. Three to four additional minibike riders jumped in and assaulted the motorist. One of the minibike riders is captured swinging an object at the victim, nearly striking him. After the assault, the minibike riders vandalized the motorist's vehicle while his ten-year-old child remained in the front seat."

ABC 7

LAPD Investigating Daring Tightrope Stunt At Downtown LA Graffiti Towers

A tightrope stunt caught on video high above downtown Los Angeles is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Benjamin Schneider, 28, known on social media as "Reckless Ben," told NBCLA last week that he was creating an art piece when he walked on a slack-line between the abandoned Oceanwide Plaza high-rise buildings known as Graffiti Towers. Schneider and his team slipped past police assigned to security and into the buildings with a drone camera to capture the stunt about 40 floors up on video. "I wanted to create the greatest art piece Los Angeles has ever seen," Schneider said. He said he entered the buildings Saturday night and performed the stunt Sunday morning about six to seven times. He told NBCLA he thought an arrest was likely. “The only thing going through my mind when I was walking was pretty much, 'Don’t look down, don’t fall, and die,'” Schneider said. “There’s fire trucks beneath me, there’s police officers, they were just all at the bottom. They didn’t come up and do anything, they were just watching from the bottom I guess.” NBCLA has reached out to Los Angeles police for more details about the investigation. 

NBC 4

2 Arrested In Marina Del Rey Following Citizen’s Arrest

Two people were arrested Tuesday in Marina Del Rey, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to the 13600 block of Marina Pointe Drive after a 911 caller reported that a citizen was holding a battery suspect down, according to the LAPD. The department said a man was arrested for an assault with a deadly weapon, while another person was arrested for battery. It was unclear if the citizen was the one arrested for an assault with a deadly weapon. Nobody was taken to a hospital due to the incident, according to authorities.

Westside Current

Suspected L.A. Gang Members Arrested By U.S. Postal Inspectors

At least one suspected member of a Los Angeles gang and multiple co-conspirators were arrested by United States Postal Inspectors and are facing several charges. Antonio Hernandez, an alleged member of an infamous L.A. gang, was arrested alongside Ivan Murillo-Hernandez and Alexis Garcia Martinez, according to the United States Postal Inspection Service. The three have been charged with mail theft, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and robbery of a Post Office. Several juveniles have also been implicated, officials said. From at least November 2022 to August 2023, the three defendants allegedly stole mail from Post Offices across Los Angeles and Orange counties, using threats of force or other tactics in hopes of stealing mail that contained checks, cash or other valuables. To date, officials say the crew stole more than $800,000 from victims around the state. A crucial part of the scheme involved the recruitment and use of several juvenile co-conspirators, according to USPIS.

KTLA 5

51 Arrested, 29 Firearms Seized In Southern California Gang Raids

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department completed a week-long operation aimed at crime suppression, performing parole and probation checks that resulted in 51 felony arrests. Authorities say they targeted known gang members and people prohibited from owning firearms during Operation Consequences and seized 29 firearms, including six ghost guns. The operation was spread throughout the High Desert, with 20 search warrants served in San Bernardino, Adelanto, Hesperia, Victorville and Apple Valley. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors authorized funds to assist with county-wide crime suppression.

KTLA 5

Dark-Web Drug Dealer In Southern California Gets 10 Years In Federal Prison

A 41-year-old man from Glendale is the eighth person convicted by a federal jury for participation in a darknet drug dealing operation selling methamphetamine and MDMA both in the United States and internationally, authorities announced earlier this month. In a news release, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Central District of California Office say that from at least April 2019 to May 2020, Arbi Setaghaian Sangbarani was a member of a dark web drug trafficking organization known as NoLove that mailed meth and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, to customers who ordered them on the internet in exchange for virtual currency. The illicit narcotics, according to authorities, were stored and packaged at a residential home in the Sunland-Tujunga area of Los Angeles. Nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 6,700 MDMA pills were discovered and seized by law enforcement from a shed on the property in February 2020. In addition to storing, packing and mailing the drugs to customers, the 41-year-old was also tasked with laundering some of the proceeds of the illegal narcotic sales.  

KTLA 5

Driver Intentionally Hit Mass. PD Chief With His Car Twice

A driver is on the run from police after intentionally hitting a Massachusetts police chief with his car Tuesday afternoon, according to authorities. Hinsdale, New Hampshire, police have identified the driver as Michael Martelle. Warwick police said they are seeking charges against him in connection with the incident, but it is unclear what the charges are. Warwick Police Chief David Shoemaker was assisting a sergeant with a traffic stop when the driver involved in the stop — who was later identified as Martelle — hit Shoemaker with his car twice, Warwick police wrote on Facebook. Martelle then fled north into New Hampshire, and Warwick police stopped chasing him due to safety concerns. Hinsdale police were notified of the incident just before 3:20 p.m., according to the department. Officers responded and soon found Martelle’s vehicle. After noticing the officers, Martelle took off at a high rate of speed, but soon crashed on Brattleboro Road. Both Martelle and Estrella Crespo — a passenger in Martelle’s vehicle — ran away on foot following the crash, police said. Police soon arrested Crespo and charged her with disobeying an officer.

PoliceOne

Report Ranks U.S. Cities With Increased Homicide Rates In 2023

Throughout the past few years, the U.S. homicide rate has surged. However, we now know more insight into just how much the rates have increased, according to a report from WalletHub. Homicide rates have fallen by an average of roughly 5% in 40 of the most populated U.S. cities between Q3 2021 and Q3 2023. For comparison, the homicide rate in these cities was 10% higher in Q1 2023 than it was in Q1 2021. The comparison was based on per capita homicides in Q3 2023, as well as per capita homicides in Q3 2023 compared to Q3 2022 and Q3 2021. The following cities had the most significant homicide rates overall: Washington, D.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Detroit, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Atlanta, Ga.

PoliceOne

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.