‘She was part of a new generation’: 39-Year-Old LAPD Detention Officer Mourned Following Weekslong Battle With COVID-19

Erica McAdoo, the first LAPD employee reported to have died of COVID-19, is described as a beloved and respected officer who raised standards and expectations at the agency’s Custody Services Division. The senior detention officer died July 3 from coronavirus complications at age 39, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. McAdoo is survived by her mother Donna Royston. The governor’s office on Monday ordered Capitol flags to be flown at half-staff in McAdoo’s honor. McAdoo served at LAPD’s Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to the Custody Service Division, which first disclosed her battle with COVID-19 in an Instagram post in April. “Erica was a professional who embraced the challenges of custody work and the transition from custody officer to custody supervision,” said a statement from the Custody Service Division. “She was part of a new generation, raising the standard and level of expectations for our personnel. Always with a reassuring smile and calming disposition, Erica’s presence – and absence was felt. … Our Division, and [its] personnel are better because of her time and commitment.”

Texas Deputy Shot While Responding To Domestic Disturbance

A deputy constable was shot while responding to a domestic disturbance in north Harris County early Tuesday morning. The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office deputy was with his partner at the Cranbrook Forest Apartments in the 13800 block of Ella Boulevard shortly after midnight, the second time police were summoned for a disturbance in a matter of hours. Details of the disturbance were not immediately available. Deputies approached the door and spoke with a man inside the apartment, Harris County Sheriff’s Office senior deputy Thomas Gilliland said. That conversation devolved into a physical fight, which is when the man pulled a handgun and shot one of the deputies in the stomach, Gilliland said.

One Dead, One Injured In Watts Drive-By Shooting

One man was killed and another wounded in a drive-by shooting Tuesday evening in Watts. Gunfire erupted in the 1800 block of East 105th Street, near Wilmington Avenue, about 8:10 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A preliminary investigation determined a man in his 40s was standing in front of a liquor store with a man in his 20s when four suspects drove by and fired multiple shots, striking both men, police said. The older man died at the scene and the second victim was taken to a hospital with stable vital signs, police said. A detailed description of the suspects or suspect vehicle were not immediately available. Anyone who witnessed this deadly shooting was asked to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247.

Police Investigating Attempted Robbery At ATM In Culver City

Culver City police sought public help Tuesday to find five men who tried to rob a woman at gunpoint as she stood at an ATM. The crime occurred about 11 p.m. Monday at a Bank of America in the 3800 block of Culver Center Drive, the Culver City Police Department reported. “Officers were flagged down by a woman who stated that five males just attempted to rob her at gunpoint,” a police statement said. “The victim told officers that she was standing in front of the ATM at the Bank of America (when) an older model Toyota Corolla occupied by five Hispanic males drove alongside of her,” police said. A passenger pointed a handgun at the woman and demanded money, police said.

Woman Arrested In South Gate After Stealing, Killing Kitten

A woman was arrested Tuesday after being caught on surveillance video carrying off a kitten who was later found dead on a South Gate street. Local residents posted fliers about the incident in the area and shared the video with authorities including animal rights groups, in the woman could be identified and found. According to officials, someone spotted the woman and called the police on Tuesday evening. She was found with another kitten. In a Facebook post, Cindy Esquivel posted images of the woman with orange hair walking onto a porch. Security video shows the woman walking up to the porch carrying a bag, a sweatshirt and a face mask under her chin unlatching the gate to the porch.

Transient Sentenced To 141 Years To Life For Pacific Palisades Crime Spree

A transient convicted of going on a one-day crime spree in Pacific Palisades — in which he carjacked three women — was sentenced to 141 years to life in state prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Brian Thomas Cruz, now 50, broke into a woman’s home on Aug. 11, 2014, and forced her at knifepoint to drive him from her house, police and prosecutors said. The woman intentionally crashed her car near Palisades High School, but Cruz carjacked another woman, a teacher, and crashed that vehicle a short distance away, authorities said. He then went into another home and forced another woman to surrender her car keys, according to Deputy District Attorney Eugene Hanrahan.

LA County Votes To Initiate Plan To Close Men’s Central Jail Within The Year

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to initiate a plan to close the Men’s Central Jail within the year. “LA County is prioritizing our ‘care first, jails last’ approach to criminal justice to demonstrate our commitment to racial and economic justice,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis. Supervisor Kathryn Barger made clear that her support for gathering additional information about alternatives to a jail did not mean that she supports closing the facility.

8 Arrested, Including L.A. Mother And Her 4 Children, For Allegedly Stealing $1.1 Million In Unemployment Benefits Fraud Scheme

Eight people were arrested Tuesday for allegedly creating fake businesses to claim more than $1.1 million in unemployment benefits, officials said. The nine-count indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges a three-year conspiracy to cheat the California unemployment insurance program through the creation of fraudulent cleaning services and boutique stores, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. The indictment charges each of the eight defendants, at least six of whom are related, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Seven of them were expected to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Jolivet, who was arrested in Indianapolis, was expected to appear in court in Indiana on Wednesday.

Long Beach Police Seeking Public Help To Find Missing Man

Long Beach police Tuesday sought public help to find a young man who went missing who needs medication for an undisclosed medical problem. Christopher Timmons, 21, was last seen about 8:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary Medical Center in the 1000 block of Linden Avenue, according to the Long Beach Police Department. “Timmons has medical conditions, requires daily medications, and may become disoriented,” a police statement said. Timmons is white, 5-feet-11 inches tall, weighs 250 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, light brown shorts, and black flip-flops. He has a tattoo of “LB” on his left hand. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was urged to call the LBPD Missing Persons Detail at 562-570-7246.

L.A. County Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Raping, Killing 13-Year-Old Bakersfield Girl

A Los Angeles County man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, kidnapping, and rape in connection with the death of a Bakersfield teenager who vanished last week, KTLA sister station KGET reported Monday. Thirteen-year-old Patricia Alatorre was last seen at her family’s home on Granite Hills and Crescent Ridge Streets in South Bakersfield the night of July 1, according to the Bakersfield television station Initially, Alatorre was reported as a runaway teenager. “She did make a makeshift person in the bed. That’s not like her,” her mother, Clara, told the station. “She put her pajamas in the head part to make it look like somebody was in the bed, but she locked her door.” The mother said her daughter had never run away before and there have not been any issues in the family. Her parents tried to locate her phone but found the signal ended on the freeway south of town. Police uncovered evidence in the case several days later.

California Agency Testing 'Live 911' Technology To Shorten Response Times

A California police department is testing out a new system that officials say could help officers while on patrol. According to KFSN, the Clovis Police Department is just the third agency in the country to start using ‘Live 911,’ a technology that allows officers to listen to 911 calls as they come into dispatch. CPD officials say it enables officers to respond to calls more quickly by cutting out the middleman. “Instead of waiting for dispatch to type in the details to send it to the radio operator and to come out over the radio, which sometimes can take up to two minutes, officers are able to hear the information right away,” Clovis Police Lt. Jim Munro told KFSN. “It has been a game-changer to be honest with you.” In addition to saving precious minutes, officials say Live 911 gives officers more context about a call than they would have gotten with the old system.

Man Dies After Being Critically Injured In Reseda House Fire

A man in his 60s died after being critically injured in a Tuesday evening house fire in Reseda. The fire was reported at about 6:55 p.m. in the 7700 block of Aura Avenue, near the intersection of Keswick Street and Tampa Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The department said firefighters encountered excessive storage conditions inside the home when they arrived on scene, delaying access to the building. The victim, who was not immediately identified, was pulled out of the fire and taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later died from his injuries. It took 36 firefighters about 15 minutes to fully extinguish the blaze in the one-story, single-family home. Arson investigators were dispatched to the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

14 Firefighters At LAFD's Station 80 Test Positive for COVID-19

Fourteen firefighters at the Los Angeles Fire Department's Station 80, near LAX, were home Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19. The firefighters tested positive either Monday or Tuesday, according to LAFD's Margaret Stewart. The station, which is part of the fire department's West Bureau, has since been disinfected and there is "no disruption to service,'' as all positions are being covered by other firefighters, Stewart said. Those who tested positive are either asymptomatic or showing mild symptoms.

COVID-19 Surge Worsens In L.A. County With New Daily High Of More Than 4,000 Cases, Higher Infection Rate Reported

Coronavirus conditions in Los Angeles County continued to deteriorate on Tuesday as officials released numbers that marked another new record for daily new cases and the inflection rate continued to surge. Officials confirmed 46 more coronavirus-related deaths and 4,015 additional cases Tuesday — the highest number of infections the county has reported in a single day. That’s largely due to the roughly 2,000 test results that were backlogged from July 2 to July 5. The seven-day average for the county’s daily positivity rate — those who test positive for the virus — has climbed to 11.6%.

Local Government News

LA County Cracks Down On Price Gouging, Fines Up To $10,000 Per Violation

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday to strengthen protections for consumers and small businesses and crack down on price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas recommended the ordinance, which authorizes civil actions against price gougers and penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs said it has received nearly 2,000 reports of price gouging and over 700 other complaints from a wide variety of consumers since a state of emergency was declared March 4th. "It is unconscionable to exploit people's fears during a pandemic and force them to pay exponentially more than is reasonable for goods and services, essential or otherwise,'' Ridley-Thomas said.