Policing Empty Streets Amid Coronavirus: Cops Are Killjoys, Bearers Of Goodwill

The police officers chased the suspected thief on foot, losing sight of him and spotting him again on the west side of Los Angeles. They caught up and slapped handcuffs around his wrists. Then, the adrenaline gave way to concern. “I had to put hands on this guy … Did I have my mask on?” LAPD Sgt. Aron Alagren, who supervised the officers, said of the second thoughts cops sometimes had in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. In the weeks since that mid-March encounter, the virus has tightened its grip on the city.

California Law Enforcement Ask State To Change $0 Bail Rule After Crime Rates Spike

Ventura County law enforcement leaders requested the state make changes to a temporary rule lowering bail during the pandemic, claiming its effect has increased certain crimes. The COVID-19 outbreak has prompted several emergency rules from the California Judicial Council, the policy-making arm of the courts system, in order to limit the spread of the virus. The goal of the judicial council has been to balance public health concerns with the rights of people accused of crimes as courts across the state are largely shut down. Local police have also done their part to reduce the jail population, where conditions are ripe for transmission. Among them include issuing citations then releasing those arrested at the scene, which can be done for certain misdemeanors. Along those same lines, the judicial council approved an emergency rule April 6 lowering bail to $0 for most misdemeanors and some low-level felonies. It went into effect April 13 and so far leaders of Ventura County law enforcement have seen "serious, negative consequences," of the rule, according to a letter sent to the judicial council May 4. 

COVID-19 Cases Reach 108 LAPD Employees, 27 For LAFD

The number of Los Angeles Police Department employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 has risen to 108, while the Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting 27 cases, officials said this weekend. Of the 108 cases in the police department, 45 have recovered and returned to full duty, one member is hospitalized, and all other individuals are self-isolating at home and recovering, according to Jessica Kellogg, public information officer for the city Emergency Operations Center. Kellogg said 22 LAFD employees have recovered and returned to work, and there have been no hospitalizations. The remaining five employees are isolated and recovering at home, Kellogg said Saturday.

Van Nuys Man Fatally Shot In Pacoima

A 26-year-old man in Pacoima was killed by two gunman who got out of a sedan, fired several shots at him and drove away, police said Sunday. The victim was identified as Davon Pledger of Van Nuys, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Pledger was standing in front of a home in the 13200 block of Cornelius Street at 10:45 p.m. Saturday when a dark-colored sedan drove up and a passenger and the driver exited the car, police said. The duo fired several shots, got into the sedan and drove away in an unknown direction. Officers dispatched to the scene in response to an “assault with a deadly weapon call” found Pledger on the ground suffering from several gunshot wounds. Arriving paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. LAPD Valley Bureau Homicide detectives urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call them at 818-374-1925.

Woman Arrested After Crashing Into LAPD Patrol Vehicle, Police Say

A woman has been arrested after crashing into a Los Angeles Police Department patrol vehicle Friday night, police say. The incident happened around 9 p.m. near Jefferson Boulevard and Arlington Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Two officers were transported to a hospital to be evaluated. No additional information was immediately available.

Police Release Photo Of Jeep From Northridge Hit-And-Run Crash

Police Sunday circulated a photo of a light gray/silver Jeep Cherokee that they believe was involved in a May 1 hit-and-run traffic crash in Northridge, which left a 36-year-old motorcyclist with severe injuries. The biker was going southbound on Winnetka Avenue passing Roscoe Boulevard, when his motorcycle collided with a 2014-17 Jeep Cherokee that was making a left turn from northbound Winnetka Avenue into westbound Roscoe Boulevard, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. “After the collision, the driver of the Jeep Cherokee stopped the vehicle momentarily,” according to an LAPD news statement. “The driver fled the scene failing to render aid and exchange information as required by law.”

Mystery Solved: LAPD Returns 103 Photos To Family Living In Northridge Area

The case of the missing family photos has been solved. More than a week after finding 103 photos, apparently from the mid-1990s, scattered inside a stolen car recovered in Maywood, police returned the snapshots to their rightful owner, a family living in the Northridge area. “They were shocked, in disbelief,” said Detective Ian Lewis of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Station. “They were very appreciative and expressed that those photos held memories and would be good to pass on to their children.” Details of the photos’ owners were not disclosed for privacy reasons, and the detective said he didn’t want to discuss the case much because it was pending reasons, and the detective said he didn’t want to discuss the case much because it was pending.

Man With Schizophrenia And Heart Problems Goes Missing In South L.A.

A 41-year-old man with schizophrenia and congestive heart failure went missing in South Los Angeles, and authorities are asking for public help to find him. Sabu Abramson was last seen Tuesday about 2 p.m. in the 11200 block of New Hampshire Avenue, near Vermont Avenue, in the Westmont area of South Los Angeles, according to Deputy Eric Ortiz. He is black, stands 6 feet, 2 inches, and weighs about 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, black, flat-cut hair and a scar on his chest, Ortiz said. He was wearing black pants, a white shirt and red-and-white Adidas shoes when he was last seen. Anyone with information about his whereabouts was asked to contact the sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500 or 911. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

Santa Monica Man Allegedly Conned 4 Women, Including Actress Jenifer Lewis, Out Of Nearly $400,000 In A Romance Scam

A Santa Monica man pled guilty to a federal fraud charge Friday for a romance scam in which he tricked women into investing tens of thousands of dollars into fake companies. Antonio Mariot Wilson, a.k.a. Dr. Tony Mariot and Brice Carrington, 57, agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud Friday after acquiring a total of $387,000 from victims of his scam, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. He previously served a four-year term in federal prison for wire fraud and tax evasion after pleading guilty in 2009. Between May 2015 and October 2018, Wilson met four women, some on dating apps including Bumble, and convinced them to engage in romantic relationships with him. He then proceeded to con them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the plea agreement filed Friday.

L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva Calls For Increased Regulation Of ‘Ghost Gun’ Parts

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva calls for increased regulation of “ghost gun” parts in an interview to be broadcast Sunday night on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” Ghost guns, also known as kit guns or 80-percent guns, are virtually untraceable weapons that can be made at home using legally purchased parts to complete the 80% already assembled. They are sold at gun shows and online. The unfinished parts are not required under federal law to have serial numbers or a background check to purchase. A ghost gun was used in the Nov. 14 shooting attack at Saugus High School that killed two students and wounded three others before the 16-year-old shooter turned the gun on himself and later died, Villanueva said shortly after the shooting.

Public Safety News

Firefighters Rescue Man Trapped Under RV In Sylmar

Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department rescued a pedestrian who was trapped under an RV. Firefighters responded to the westbound 210 freeway near Roxford St. around 7 p.m. It's unclear how the person got underneath the RV, but the fire department says the man was under the vehicle for almost 30 minutes. The fire department said the man "was impaled by an object underneath and that had to be cut to free him." The victim was conscious but in critical condition. He is being transported to the nearest trauma center.

LA County Reports 484 New COVID-19 Cases, 18 More Deaths

Los Angeles County health officials announced 18 more deaths due to the coronavirus and 484 newly confirmed cases Sunday, bringing the county's totals to 1,530 deaths and 31,677 cases. "Each day, we report these numbers knowing that there are people who are grieving their loved ones who have passed away from COVID-19. To all of you, we are so deeply sorry for your loss,'' said Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director. "As we begin our recovery journey, we are grateful for all you have done to get us to this point. More than ever, we all need to continue to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, and to, most importantly, save lives."

Projections Show California COVID-19 Cases And Deaths Rising More Than Expected

California is one of a handful of states where coronavirus cases and deaths are rising faster than researchers expected, according to the latest calculations in a widely relied-upon model of the COVID-19 outbreak. Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the institute’s latest projections suggested the nationwide fatality count would reach 137,000 by Aug. 4. It stands now at nearly 80,000. The picture is mixed in some of the country’s most populous states, he said. “Some good-ish news coming out of New York and New Jersey and Michigan, where the death cases and death numbers are coming down faster than expected,” he said. “Some other states where cases and deaths are going up more than we expected — Illinois and then Arizona, Florida, California as examples of that.”