Rebuttal to the Los Angeles Times’s “No on Prop. 36” Endorsement

Prop. 36 preserves safeguards that ensure only the most dangerous and culpable will be subject to sentencing enhancements upon conviction. These provisions will ensure those who commit malicious crimes pay the price for the harm they inflict on the innocent, while those suffering from addiction get the help they need. According to a poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California, 71% of likely voters support Prop. 36’s sensible, balanced changes. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know any of this to read the disingenuous endorsement against Prop. 36 published by the Los Angeles Times editorial board last Sunday. 

Westside Current

Suspect In Deadly Hijacking Of LA Metro Bus Identified, Booked For Murder, Police Say

The suspect in a deadly hijacking of a Los Angeles Metro bus was identified and arrested on suspicion of murder, police said. The incident started before 1 a.m. Wednesday at Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police said 51-year-old Lamont Campbell hijacked the Line 81 bus, which was traveling southbound and was carrying the driver and two passengers. Investigators described the incident as a kidnapping situation and said the emergency panic button alerted police. After the driver pushed the silent alarm, the electronic display on the front of the bus read "Call 911," prompting people to call 911. "These radio calls consisted of a disturbance on a bus, unknown trouble on a bus, and potentially an assault with a deadly weapon that was occurring on the bus," said Deputy Chief Donald Graham with the LAPD's Transit Services Division. 

ABC 7

6 Shot In South L.A.; Three Suspects At Large

Six people were shot in South Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, with at least one critically wounded, authorities said. Police were searching for three suspects who fled the scene after the gunfire. The incident happened around 3:15 p.m. at 74th and Figueroa streets, authorities said. Five of the victims were women and one was a man between the ages of 30 and 60, according to police and local news reports. “We don’t believe they were the intended targets” in the shooting, Los Angeles Police Detective Dean Vinluan told KTLA. “They probably just got caught up in the crossfire.” The cause of the shooting is unknown, LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im told The Times. At least four victims were transported to a local hospital, with one in critical condition and the other three in moderate condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The suspects’ vehicle was a four-door Chevy with black rims that was last seen heading south on Flower Street at 74th Street, Im said. Officers at the scene reported they were searching for three suspects — one female and two males. One suspect was wearing a black hoodie, the second was wearing a blue hoodie, and the third was wearing a gray hoodie, Im said.

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Man Accused Of Raping At Least 11 Women Faces Possibility Of Life In Prison

A Los Angeles man arrested last year on accusations that he forcibly raped numerous past romantic partners was indicted by the Los Angeles County Criminal Grand Jury on 26 charges. Terrance Hawkins, 42, has been charged with crimes against 11 victims, including ten counts of forcible rape, nine counts of intimate partner violence and three counts for stalking. He also faces charges for animal cruelty and gun violations. At the time of his arrest last April, authorities described Hawkins as a “serial rapist” with a “long history of briefly dating women, abusing them, and filming them during sexual intercourse.” He met many of his victims on dating apps and social media, officials from the Los Angeles Police Department said. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office unsealed the Grand Jury indictment, which detailed Hawkins’ alleged crimes. “From 2014 to 2023, Hawkins is accused of dating and physically and sexually abusing women throughout the county,” the D.A.’s Office wrote in a press release. In July 2023, police announced that they’d identified at least 16 alleged victims of Hawkins. It’s unclear how or why the Grand Jury settled on 11 in its indictment.

KTLA 5

A Group Of ‘Youthful Males’ Keeps Robbing L.A. 7-Eleven Stores

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for help in identifying and apprehending a group of young males involved in an organized effort to rob 7-Eleven stores within a small radius of the city. The department announced on Wednesday that it plans to increase patrols in the areas of 10 7-Eleven locations within LAPD’s Rampart, Hollywood, Wilshire and West L.A. Divisions. Between Friday, July 12 and Friday, Sept. 20, there have been 14 separate robberies across the 10 stores in the area. In each instance, the crew rolls up to the stores on bicycles during the evening hours and steals items, damages property and leaves without paying, police said. The group usually contains between 20 and 40 “youthful males” that appear to be teenagers of varying ethnicity and physical descriptors, police said. Witnesses have told authorities that the suspects have physically pushed them, although no injuries have been reported. Police said 13 of the 14 robberies occurred on Friday nights. Wednesday marked the first time authorities said the string of robberies was connected to one individual group.

KTLA 5

Thieves Use Truck To Break Into Sunland Liquor Store

Video footage showed the moment thieves used a truck to ram into the front of a liquor store in Sunland early Thursday. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the break-in happened at the SDV liquor store on the 8300 block of Foothill Boulevard at around 3:45 a.m. Two people were seen running into the store to steal items after a black pickup truck crashed through the entrance of the business. It was unknown if the truck was stolen. 

NBC 4

Armed Murder Suspect Captured After Nine-Hour Standoff

A 24-year-old armed murder suspect was taken into custody Thursday after a nine-hour standoff with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s deputies in Compton. The suspect was arrested at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, deputy Daniel Dominguez told City News Service. According to the LASD, the armed man was identified by LASD homicide investigators as a suspect in the Jan. 7 shooting death of a man in the 12800 block of San Pedro Street in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles. Deputies were called to the 1400 block of 131st Street around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in response to reports regarding an armed suspect, who had barricaded himself inside the residence, according to the department. After confirming the suspect was inside the house, deputies surrounded the residence and tried to coax the suspect to leave the home and surrender peacefully. After numerous attempts, the suspect did not comply and remained inside the residence, the department said.

MyNewsLA

Man Tossed Bomb Into California Courthouse, Injuring Six, Authorities Say

Six people were injured after a 20-year-old man tossed a backpack that exploded at a security screening area of a courthouse in Santa Maria on Wednesday, authorities said. The loud explosion left the courthouse filled with smoke as Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies, Santa Maria police and California Highway Patrol officers scrambled to find and hold the suspect down outside the courthouse. The suspect had been due to appear in court Wednesday to face a charge over a firearm violation, Undersheriff Craig Bonner said during a news conference. The man was identified as Nathaniel McGuire, a Santa Maria resident who was arrested July 28 after deputies found him carrying a loaded revolver that was not registered, Bonner said. “At this point, we do believe this to be a local incident, involving a local resident, with a local grievance,” Bonner said. The blast from the backpack was caused by “an intentionally set improvised explosion device,” a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said in a social media post.

Los Angeles Times

Texas Officer Shot In Face During Ambush That Killed Colleague Now Blind In Both Eyes

A Texas police officer has been left blind after being wounded in a targeted shooting that killed another officer, KPTV reported. According to the Dallas Police Department, Senior Corporal Karissa David was among the officers who responded to a shooting on August 29, where 30-year-old Corey Cobb-Bey allegedly shot and killed Officer Darron Burks while Burks was sitting in his patrol car. Police said that upon David’s arrival, Cobb-Bey ran toward her and shot her multiple times, including in the face. David is now blind in both eyes, according to an update from her family. Another officer, Senior Corporal Jamie Farmer, was also injured but has since been released from the hospital, according to the report. “Our officers were targeted by this coward,” said Police Chief Eddie Garcia during a police briefing. “And for no other reason than the uniform that we wear.” David’s family shared that donations are being used for modifications to her home, medical technology, and transportation to therapies. They expressed gratitude for the public’s support and asked for continued prayers.

PoliceOne

Firefighters Rescue Person From Echo Park Lake In Los Angeles

Emergency crews rescued a man who was possibly drowning in Los Angeles’ Echo Park Lake Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Fire Department was alerted that a person was in the water around 9 p.m. Rescuers arrived and pulled the unidentified person from the lake. The patient was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition. Video from the scene showed the victim was sitting up while being taken to the ambulance. It was unclear how the person got into the water or why they were there in the first place.

KTLA 5

Public Health Investigates Fourth Case Of Locally Acquired Case Of Dengue In LA County

Los Angeles County health officials said Wednesday a Panorama City resident is the latest case of locally acquired dengue. This is the fourth person infected with the mosquito-borne disease in LA County. Just last week, three cases were confirmed in the Baldwin Park area. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said this latest case is unrelated to the previous cases, and that none of the patients had a history of traveling to areas where dengue is endemic. “We are seeing the local transmission of dengue, which is unprecedented in Los Angeles County. Preventing mosquito bites and mosquito breeding is the best way to stop the ongoing local transmission of dengue,” said Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer. In October and November of last year, single locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed by health officials in Pasadena and Long Beach. Dengue is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Those infected may experience flu-like symptoms, such as high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, joint muscle pain, rash, and mild bleeding. Health officials said symptoms usually last between two and seven days, with a recovery of about a week.

NBC 4

Free COVID-19 Tests Are Back For Fall 2024. Here's How To Get Them.

As cases of a new COVID-19 variant tick upward across the U.S., the federal government is again offering Americans free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Individuals and households can begin ordering the test kits later this month, on the heels of a summer wave of COVID-19 cases. The Biden administration restarted the same program last fall, too, after a brief pause to conserve test supplies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, has started taking orders again for the at-home COVID-19 tests through the COVIDTests.gov website. Once an order is placed, U.S. Postal Service ships the test kits directly to peoples' homes. U.S. households will be permitted to order as many as four test kits each. The over-the-counter kits detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year, according to HHS. They are expected to start shipping the week of Sept. 30 and are intended to help provide home testing options ahead of the holiday season, when families often travel to gather for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other celebrations. 

CBS 2

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.