Police: 3 Officers Shot Responding To Call In Maryland Were ‘Ambushed’

Three police officers who were shot while responding to a call Sunday evening in Maryland were ambushed, authorities said. “Within seconds of arriving, they were under fire,” Prince George's County Interim Police Chief Hector Velez told reporters at a news conference Sunday night. The officers were responding to a reported home invasion about 6:30 p.m. at an address in Hyattsville, a city about 32 miles (52 kilometers) southwest of Baltimore, police said. Two of the three officers shot were “saved” by their vests, Velez said. One officer was struck in the chest and had injuries to an arm and a leg. Another officer was shot in the back. The third officer was wounded in the foot. The officers returned gunfire, and two men were in custody. The men were not injured, police said.

Police: Armed ‘Anarchists' Attack Denver Police HQ

Dozens of armed “anarchists” descended on the Denver Police Headquarters late Saturday and damaged buildings, set fires and injured an officer, city officials said Sunday. A dozen people were arrested. “I want to be clear, what we experienced last night was not a protest. It was anarchy," said Murphy Robinson, executive director of public safety. “The people that showed up last night — the anarchists that showed up last night — brought weapons to the table. They had guns, they brought explosives, axes, machetes and had one intent purpose and that was to harm our officers that were there to serve in the line of duty to protect our city.” Fireworks were shot at officers, an American flag and a tree outside a courthouse were set ablaze, windows were shattered and fast-food restaurant was broken into during the unrest, news outlets reported. One officer suffered a concussion and third-degree burns, said Police Chief Paul Pazen.

Scuffle Breaks Out, Unlawful Assembly Declared After Protesters March To LAPD Headquarters

Dozens of protesters marched Monday night to LAPD headquarters over recent police shootings of Black men, including Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The group peacefully walked through light traffic and mostly empty streets before stopping in front of Los Angeles Police Department headquarters where a video projected onto the building played in front of the crowd. Police officers could be seen walking out in front of the building as the protesters arrived around 10 p.m. Some protesters were seen tearing down a barricade around 11 p.m. that police had set up earlier. Around 11:30 p.m., police could be seen scuffling with several protesters as they moved the crowd away from the building. Police said the gathering was an unlawful assembly.

Police Break Up Big House Party In Studio City

Police were called to break up a house party that drew in an estimated 200 people in Studio City over the weekend. Neighbors say they are fed up and have repeatedly asked the owner to stop renting out his home that allegedly has a built-in nightclub. According to reports, the party began late Sunday night and lasted into the early hours of Monday morning at the rental property located in the 7200 block of Caverna Drive. Police said it was one of several parties they shut down over the weekend. In Studio City, several neighbors told FOX 11’s Gigi Graciette they are frustrated and that the parties are an ongoing issue. Some even said they have been working with the City Attorney and City prosecutors to make it stop.

LA DA Sends Robbery, Hate Crime Case Back To LAPD For Investigation; No Charges Filed

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Monday it had not filed charges against the men accused in an alleged hate crime attack that happened last week in Hollywood. According to the D.A.’s office, the case was sent back to the Los Angeles Police Department for further investigation into the robbery and attack that was captured on cell phone video. Last Thursday, Carlton Callway, 29, and Willie Walker were arrested in connection with the attack on three transgender women — including YouTube star Eden Estrada, who goes by Eden the Doll. Police said they were still looking for a third suspect, identified as Davion Williams.

Gascón Campaign Accuses D.A. Lacey Of Flouting Election Law, But Election Experts Disagree

In the latest round of sniping in a bitter battle to decide Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor, George Gascón accused Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey of violating election laws Monday, a claim met with skepticism by legal experts. In a letter to the district attorney’s office, Gascón’s campaign alleged Lacey violated state criminal law and an election code by using public resources and displaying the L.A. County seal in campaign communications. Gascón’s campaign alleged the violations occurred as Lacey appeared on TV to debut an advertisement critical of Gascón and during two campaign events later that month, including one where she sought an endorsement. In each instance, Lacey appears in front of a banner that displays the county seal and insignia of the district attorney’s office. Lacey’s campaign coordinator, Walter Koch, said in each case Lacey was in her living room. She was simply using pictures from her office as a background on Zoom, the popular video-chat program that has become ubiquitous during the coronavirus pandemic. “Does George Gascón have anything better to do than complain about a Zoom background? D.A. Lacey is busy doing the people’s work during this time of crisis,” Koch said in a statement. Bob Stern, who authored the state’s Political Reform Act, noted the Government Code cited in the Gascón campaign’s letter defines the use of a public resource as “substantial enough to result in a gain or advantage to the user” that would also need to have a monetary value. Stern said it was unlikely a brief appearance in an office or the use of a phone line would meet that standard.

Man Accused In Ladera Heights Fatal Shooting Of Sports Coach Pleads Not Guilty

A 29-year-old ex-con accused of gunning down a man outside a house party in Ladera Heights last month pleaded not guilty Monday to a murder charge. Tylon Deshawn Geoffrey White, 29, of Compton, also faces one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon, along with gang allegations, stemming from the shooting death of 25-year-old Jakeil Reynolds. White, who is being held in lieu of $4.04 million bail, was ordered to return to court on Nov. 17, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing. On July 22, Reynolds, a youth sports coach and teaching assistant at a local school, was attending a party in the 5800 block of Holt Avenue, near Slauson Avenue, when an argument occurred and he left the house, according to Deputy James Nagao of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Long Beach Man Accused Of Indecent Exposure, Stalking Several Teenage Girls And Women Around L.A. Area

A Long Beach man has been charged with indecent exposure and stalking involving eight females ranging in ages 15 to 46, stemming back to last October, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday. David Leon Lopez, 34, plead guilty to five counts of indecent exposure, four counts of stalking and one count of contact with a minor for a sexual offense. According to prosecutors, between Oct. 1, 2019, and Aug. 2, Lopez followed teenage girls and women from his car and exposed himself. The alleged incidents happened in Long Beach, Santa Monica and Los Angeles. If convicted as charged, the defendant faces up to seven years and six months in county jail. Lopez is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 14. The case remains under investigation by the Long Beach Police Department.

Pomeranian Puppies Smuggled From Russia Intercepted At LAX

Customs inspectors at Los Angeles International Airport intercepted eight Pomeranian puppiesthat were smuggled into the country from Russia, authorities said Monday. Inspectors on Aug. 9 stopped two "27-year-old citizens of Russia (who) arrived from Moscow and applied for admission into the United States,'' said Jaime Ruiz of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "The travelers initially declared they were bringing four dogs for their vacation in Mexico,'' Ruiz said. "Upon review of the four dogs' medical history, CDC officials determined that the documentation accompanying the four dogs was fraudulent because the dogs' ages were falsified on their rabies vaccination certificates and they were too young to receive rabies vaccination.'' CBP personnel discovered four other puppies hidden in an abandoned carry-on bag left by the travelers in the inspection area, Ruiz said.

Ex-Controller From Glendale Sent To Prison For 87 Months For Embezzling $2.8 Million From Employer

A Glendale man was sentenced Monday to 87 months in federal prison for embezzling $2.8 million from the commercial printing company where he worked and filing false tax returns. Sean Edin Talaee, 63, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II to pay $2.9 million in restitution. The defendant pleaded guilty last year in Los Angeles federal court to mail fraud and submitting a false tax return. In a letter to the court, Talaee wrote that he had “basically ruined” his life by committing the crimes. “My life is broken and I know I only have myself to blame,” the defendant wrote. “Nevertheless, I am resolute on making amends and trying to repair my life and the damage I have caused. I know I only have about 10 to 15 years of working life left, and would like to be able to try to put my life back together.”

Bay Area Man Indicted In Alleged Norteño Gang Killing as Community Activist Who Spoke Out Against Violence, Youth Incarceration

In July 2019, with her surviving son at her side, a tearful Sha’ray Johnson addressed a crowd at an anti-violence rally outside of City Hall. Just 11 days earlier, Johnson’s son, 15-year-old Day’von Hann, had been shot and killed as he walked on the 3200 block of 24th Street. The shooter, identified by witnesses as a man in his early 20s armed with a rifle, opened fire after a companion asked other passers-by about their gang status. Hann, according to authorities, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I would rather not be here and have my baby home. He had so much ahead of him,” Johnson told the crowd in-between sobs, SF Weekly reported. “You don’t play God. You can’t take peoples lives. Please, just stop. That’s all I ask.” The rally included not just families of those who’d fallen prey to gun violence, but surviving victims as well. One of them, Fernando Madrigal, told those in attendance that he still couldn’t feel his left hand after being shot on Interstate 280 just weeks earlier.

Texas Suspect Wanted On Suspicion Of Murder Arrested In California

A suspect wanted in Texas on suspicion of murder has been arrested in Ventura County. Jorge Izquierdo, 29, was arrested in Port Hueneme. He stands accused of allegedly killing his girlfriend in San Antonio, before fleeing. He also is accused of leaving their two children at the scene. A warrant was issued for Izquierdo’s arrest Saturday, and he was located in California. He was subsequently taken into custody and is awaiting extradition to Texas.

Public Safety News

LA County Reports 13 COVID-19 Deaths, Nearly 2K Cases; Urges Residents To Remember July Virus Spikes

Los Angeles County’s health officer noted Monday downward trends in coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations while reminding residents that past complacency and deviations from health orders led to upward spikes. “The work we have all done as a community and the sacrifices we are making are working,” Dr. Muntu Davis said. “We’re preventing COVID-19 infections, including serious illness and deaths. Second, if we can maintain this lower transmission, it means that we could begin to think about schools and more businesses reopening or someday moving their operations back indoors. “But what I’d like to stress is the importance of all of us learning from our recent past and the spikes in cases, hospitalizations as well as deaths in our community that we experienced in July,” he said. “As we continue our journey of recovery, we must all proceed with caution. All of us must own our roles in this recovery.”

Wildfires Continue To Illuminate Holes In California’s Emergency Alert Messaging

In Napa County, a wildfire alert meant for cellphones would not connect, because of a coding error. In Sonoma County, similar alerts were sent to areas that required no evacuation, and linked to an evacuation map that was a year old. And in Solano County, an emergency operations official missed a call to report for work because his phone was set to vibrate. As fire crews battle a massive system of wildfires sparked by freak lightning storms, emergency officials are learning once again of the technological shortcomings of localized alert systems. Despite heeding much of the emergency management guidance dispensed in the last year from Sacramento, counties dealing with the LNU Lightning Complex fire burning in Northern California have nonetheless encountered issues.

U.S. COVID-19 Deaths Drop Below 1,000 A Day For First Time Since July

Declines in the average number of daily Covid-19 deaths and in new cases indicate that the virus’ summer surge through the US is waning. The 7-day average of coronavirus deaths dropped below 1,000 a day over the weekend for the first time since late July. Also, the average number of new cases dipped to about 42,600 as of Sunday, well below its peak in mid-July of around 67,000 daily cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Although the trends are in the right direction, the US remains the world leader in total cases and deaths. For comparison, the European Union is experiencing a worrying surge in coronavirus; on Sunday, all 27 countries reported a total 7-day average of 17,000 new cases per day. Will these US declines continue? And how low will the totals go? The answers to those questions are complicated by the planned reopening of schools, which has already led to outbreaks at universities in at least 19 states.

LA City To Launch ‘Kids First’ Program Helping Homeless Families With School-Age Children

A new program will be starting in Van Nuys and North Hills to help homeless families with school-age children, city officials announced Monday. The $770,000 “Kids First” program is a collaborative effort led by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez that will give educational, life-needs and housing assistance throughout the LAUSD school year to over 50 families. “We recognize that there are over 18,000 in LAUSD and a very high concentration is right here along Sepulveda Blvd. and in the northeast San Fernando Valley in many of the hotels along the boulevard,” Martinez said. About 60 children live in the Hyland Motel at 7041 Sepulveda Blvd., where Martinez held a Monday news conference. “Homeless children living temporarily in motels have major challenges in all facets of their lives: education, healthcare, housing and food access,” Martinez said.