Man With Gun Arrested In East Hollywood Near Report Of Shots Fired At Officers

A man allegedly armed with a gun was arrested in East Hollywood Wednesday, but police could not immediately confirm a report that shots had been fired toward officers. The man was arrested about 6 p.m. near Normandie and Lemon Grove avenues, according to Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department. CBS2 reported that a suspect near the intersection had fired at an officer, but Lopez could not confirm that report. Further information was not immediately available.

40-Year-Old Man Killed In Harbor Gateway Shooting, Suspect At Large

Police are searching for the gunman who killed a 40-year-old man early Wednesday in the Harbor Gateway area near Torrance. Jimmy Jackson was standing with a group of men around 12:20 a.m. in a carport near the 1500 block of Plaza Del Amo, near Denker Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said. According to witnesses in the area, a fight broke out between the men before gunshots were fired. Jackson suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect still remains at large as of Wednesday afternoon and no description was provided. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to reach out to the LAPD’s Harbor Area Homicide Unit at 310-726-7889 or 310-726-7887. Tipsters can call 310-726-7730 during non-business hours. To remain anonymous, call 800-222-8477(TIPS).

Homeless Man Dies In Overnight Shooting On Skid Row

A man who was homeless was shot to death in downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said. Officers responded to a reported shooting in the 500 block of San Julian Street around 1:40 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. They arrived to find a male victim with a gunshot wound, LAPD said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not release his identity, but described him as a homeless man around 55 to 60 years old. Paramedics and officers were seen around what appeared to be a body covered with a white sheet in the middle of San Julian Street. LAPD did not have a description of any suspect. Investigators do not believe the shooting to be gang-related, a department spokesperson told KTLA.

LA District Attorney Lacey Slams Controversial Tweets Allegedly From Gascon's Public Policy Committee

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey is slamming controversial tweets allegedly posted by members of the D.A.challenger George Gascon’s public policy committee, which included anti-police remarks, support for the abolishment of prisons, and encouragement for protesters burn a city down. The tweets were allegedly posted by Alisa Blair and Tiffany Townend Blacknell, two members of Gascon’s Public Policy Committee. Tweets posted by the accounts belonging to Blair and Blacknell are under the microscope. On May 29, during the civil unrest after the killing of George Floyd, Blair posted a tweet that said “Burn that sh*t down. We must destroy in order to rebuild.” On June 5th, in response to a video of LAPD engaged with protesters in LA’s Fairfax District, Blacknell’s Twitter account posted “Look at these barbarians! #LAPD is an occupying army! #DefundPolice.” “I was stunned,” L.A. County D.A. Jackie Lacey told FOX 11. “You shouldn’t have anybody on your committee whose talking about burn it down, when the city is burning because of rioting and looting. The other tweet, abolish prisons? So where do rapists go? Where are people who murder going? Are these people going to inform the public safety policy for the LA County DA’s office? They shouldn’t!”

Protesters March For 3rd Night In L.A., Some Clash With Police

Protests in downtown Los Angeles against police brutality turned violent late Wednesday night as demonstrators and officers clashed in the Third Street tunnel and an unknown number of arrests were made. Officers set up skirmish lines at both sides of the tunnel and corralled protesters, who began fighting with police in riot gear for a brief period before pulling back around 11:10 p.m. Prior to the tunnel clashes, some protesters dressed in all black vandalized the U.S. Bank Tower, located at 633 W. Fifth St., spraying graffiti on the building’s glass doors. As protesters moved away from the area and through the Third Street tunnel, Los Angeles police officers could be seen moving in and blocking both sides of the tunnel, holding the group in the tunnel. Police used non-lethal means to take some protesters into custody, ABC7 reported.

Police In L.A. Region Announce Dozens Of Arrests And Ongoing Pursuit Of Suspects From Summer Unrest

Police from across the Los Angeles region announced Wednesday the arrests of dozens of people on arson, burglary and looting charges stemming from the unrest of late May and early June that gripped cities including Long Beach, Santa Monica and L.A. Officials said the arrests were part of an ongoing effort among local, state and federal agencies to hold accountable individuals and organized criminal groups that took advantage of mass protests against police brutality to burglarize stores and cause mayhem. Standing alongside many of the area’s most prominent law enforcement officials outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters downtown, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the arrests were the result of good police work as well as tips from community members and protesters who realized the crimes they had witnessed were not in the interest of social justice or police reform. “I want to point out that many of these arrests are the direct result of tips and leads and our community stepping forward, including demonstrators — people who were lawfully and rightfully in our streets and witnessed acts of arson, attacks against police officers, attacks on other protesters, burglary and other crimes,” Moore said.

Postal Distribution Center In South Los Angeles Evacuated After Bomb Threat Reported

A massive postal distribution center in South Los Angeles has been evacuated late Wednesday morning after reports of a bomb in the building. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene, and all the employees were escorted out of the building. Police say there were no injuries and no evidence of any explosive devices after the K9 search was completed. A portion of Central between Gage and Florence was closed to vehicles after the incident was reported but has since reopened. 

5 People Detained In Suspected Gang-Related Long Beach Shooting That Left Teen Dead In 2019

Five people are in custody in connection with an October 2019 shooting that left an 18-year-old dead in Long Beach, authorities announced Wednesday. Eronald Deas of Compton was killed in the incident that happened the evening of Oct. 6 in the 100 block of E. 69th Way, the Long Beach Police Department said. The victim was walking across the intersection of 69th Way and Muriel Avenue when a group came up to him on foot and fired multiple shots, hitting Deas in the upper torso, according to the preliminary investigation. Officers received reports of gunshots heard in the area at around 7:10 p.m. that night and found Deas on the sidewalk, the Police Department said at the time. They tried to save the victim’s life before the Long Beach Fire Department arrived, police said, but Deas was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

Man Faces 3 Years In Jail For Animal Neglect Charges After 5 Dogs Found Malnourished, With Ticks In L.A. Home

A man is facing three years in jail for animal neglect charges after five dogs were found living in unsanitary conditions in his Los Angeles home, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced Wednesday. Oscar Alonso Melgar has been charged with five counts of animal neglect and one charge of maintaining a dog kennel without a permit. The dogs, all boxers that are eight months to five years old, were found “severely malnourished and infested with ticks” on Aug. 14, officials said in a news release. Animal control officers from the Department of Animal Services discovered the dogs while responding to a complaint about the home. Neighbors reported unsanitary, unhealthy living conditions, as well as the prevalence of ticks, which began infesting neighboring properties, officials said. Neighbors apparently were so concerned about the dogs that one started to give them water.

Fashion District Company And Owner To Plead Guilty To Customs, Tax Violations

A Fashion District clothing company and its owner have agreed to plead guilty and pay back more than $100 million for a scheme to undervalue imported garments and avoid paying millions of dollars in duties to the United States, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also alleged a tandem tax fraud scheme in which company owner Sang Bum “Ed” Noh failed to report millions of dollars derived from cash transactions. In conjunction with the criminal charges filed late Tuesday, prosecutors filed plea agreements in which Ambiance Apparel and Noh agreed to plead guilty to felony offenses and pay a total of nearly $118 million, which includes nearly $36 million in cash seized from Ambiance and Noh in 2014, federal prosecutors said. Noh, 66, of Bel Air, agreed to plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy and filing a false tax return, which carry a total penalty of up to eight years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Convicted Terrorist Arrested In California On Meth Charges

A man who served years in prison for conspiracy to commit terrorism has been arrested in Southern California on suspicion of selling large quantities of methamphetamine, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Ahmed Binyamin Alasiri, also known as Kevin Lamar James, faces two counts of distribution of meth, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office. It wasn't immediately known if the 44-year-old Garden Grove resident has an attorney. Alasiri was on supervised release following a 2009 conviction for conspiracy to levy war against the United States through terrorism, prosecutors said. Alasiri’s co-conspirators committed armed robberies of gas stations to raise money for attacks Alasari had planned on U.S. military operations and Israeli and Jewish facilities in Southern California, prosecutors said.

Public Safety News

Large Fire Engulfs South LA Commercial Building

A large blaze erupted at a large commercial building in South Los Angeles early Thursday morning. The blaze broke out in the 2600 block of Broadway Street before 1:30 a.m. Dozens of firefighters arrived on scene to find heavy flames and smoke billowing from the roof. It took about 80 firefighters to bring the blaze under control, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson said. No surrounding buildings were damaged and there were no reported injuries. Arson investigators were on scene working to determine a cause. It was no immediately clear what was housed in the building.

Los Angeles County Begins Program To Combat Acts Of Hate

Responding to what officials called increased acts of hate in recent years, most notably against Asian-Americans due to the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles County Wednesday announced a campaign aimed at encouraging reporting of such incidents and responding to them. The "L.A. vs Hate" campaign is a three-pronged effort that will include a marketing outreach campaign encouraging people to report acts of hate, improved resources for residents to report such acts through the county's 211 hotline and a network of agencies to assist victims and develop prevention strategies. "L.A. County is one of the most culturally diverse and vibrant communities in the world," Supervisor Hilda Solis said. "Despite our diversity, these past few years have seen a steady rise in reported hate acts in our county. We also know that as a result of COVID-19, there has been an ugly backlash toward our Asian-Pacific Islander community.

Health Officials Say LA County Is Moving Closer To Removal From State Watch List

Los Angeles County continues to inch close to meeting the standards to be removed from the state's COVID-19 county watch list, health officials say. On Wednesday, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer reported 198 cases per 100,000 residents. County officials say Los Angeles has met five of the state's six indicators to get off the list - and is getting closer to meeting the sixth. That sixth indicator is getting the case rate to less than 100 per 100,000 residents. Officials also confirmed 58 new deaths and 1,642 additional cases, bringing the county's total to 5,663 deaths and 235,386 cases. Counties on the watch list must have additional business closures beyond what is already required statewide, including gyms and fitness centers, beauty salons and shopping malls, among others.

Local Government News

LA City Council Approves $30M For Free Childcare For Low-Income Working Families, Programs At Parks

The City Council voted Wednesday to use $30 million to provide childcare relief to low-incoming working families in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Council President Nury Martinez, who co-authored the proposal with Councilman Curren Price, said the cornerstone of the effort is putting about $10 million toward the Recreation and Parks Department to create 50 Alternative Learning Centers for educational childcare at parks throughout Los Angeles. "Securing affordable childcare is an enormous burden on low-income working moms during the best of times, but during this COVID-19 pandemic, we have utter desperation as mothers are forced to choose between work or staying home and not having enough money to pay their rent and feed their kids," Martinez said.