Vigil Held For Deputy Still Hospitalized After Compton Ambush Shooting

A prayer vigil was held Thursday morning for a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy who remains hospitalized after being shot by a lone gunman in Compton over the weekend. Her fellow deputy, also wounded in the ambush, was released from the hospital Wednesday, but Sheriff Alex Villanueva said they both have a long recovery ahead of them. A reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooter reached $530,000 Thursday, according to the Department. Contributions to the deputies’ long term recovery efforts can be made through the ALADS C.A.R.E.S. Foundation.

Reward Climbs Past $500,000 For Tips Leading To Suspect Who Shot 2 Deputies In Compton

Donors pledged over $530,000 as of Thursday, Sept. 17, in exchange for information leading to whoever shot two LASD Deputies in Compton, while more than $800,000 has been donated to fund the patients’ recoveries. One of the two wounded deputies was released from the hospital Wednesday, while the other remained at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. They were both shot multiple times while parked in a patrol vehicle at the Metro Blue Line station on Saturday. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors initially approved a $100,000 reward Tuesday, Sept. 15, for information leading to the arrest of the gunman and any potential accomplices. Other government bodies have since contributed an additional $180,000 in support of the manhunt, and private donors have raised another $250,000, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy James Nagao said. No arrest in the shooting was announced as of Thursday evening.

1 Injured In Shooting At Hollywood Hotel

One person was injured during a shooting at a Hollywood hotel late Wednesday, officials said. The incident was reported about 11:30 p.m. at the Dream Hotel, located at 6417 Selma Ave., a Los Angeles Police Department officer told KTLA at the scene. Multiple shots were fired inside a room in the hotel and one victim was able to get away and make it to a hospital. The victim’s condition was unknown. Police did not have any information about the gunman. A search revealed there were narcotics in the room and the incident is being investigated as a drug deal gone wrong, the officer said. No further details about the shooting were provided Thursday morning. Several LAPD units lined the streets around the hotel early Thursday amid the ongoing investigation, video from the scene showed.

A Dramatically Diminished L.A. School Police Force Under Proposed Cuts

Two months after a divided Los Angeles Unified school board slashed funding for its police department by more than a third, the contours of a dramatically diminished force emerged this week. Under a plan presented to the board on Tuesday, police officers would be removed from school campuses and weekend patrols meant to protect schools from vandalism would be eliminated, among other cuts. The debate over the proposed cuts, set for later this month, marks a wide split on the board over the role that armed, uniformed officers should play in providing security to hundreds of thousands of students enrolled at more than 900 campuses.

LAPD Responds To Report Of Party At Sherman Oaks Home

The Los Angeles Police Department was called out late Thursday night for reports of a major party happening at a home in Sherman Oaks. According to police, officers responded to the complaint at a home at the corner of Matilija Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard and issued a warning, though no arrests were made. Sky 9 was overhead the party that showed an elaborate set up in the yard of a large home, complete with stage, dance floor and what appeared to be a large pop-up restaurant. Citations have been issued to homes hosting large events in violation of state and local public health orders, and utilities have been shut off to at least one home.

Man Shot And Killed In East Los Angeles

A man was shot and killed in East Los Angeles and the shooter was on the loose Thursday morning. Deputies were dispatched about 6:10 p.m. Wednesday to an alley behind the 6100 block of East Allston Street, two blocks south of Whittier Boulevard, where they found the victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound to the upper body, according to Deputy James Nagao of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The victim, whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital, where he died, Nagao said. A suspect description was not released. Anyone with information about the shooting was urged to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those wishing to report anonymously can call 800-222-TIPS.

Man Charged With Robbery, Assault In Compton Carjacking

A man who drew a large police response during an hours-long search for him in a Lynwood neighborhood earlier this week has been charged in connection with a Compton carjacking. Deonte Murray, 36, faces one count each of carjacking, second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm/personal use of a firearm, a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokesman told KTLA. The charges also include allegations that Murray is associated with a criminal street gang, discharging a rifle inflicting great bodily injury and personal use of an AR-15. Murray allegedly carjacked a 51-year-old man who was shot in the leg with a high-powered rifle on Sept. 1 near the 500 block of Essey Avenue, officials said following his arrest. Murray pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 28. He remains in custody on $1.24 million bail and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.

Caught On Video: 2 Men Steal ATM From Culver City Restaurant

Police need the public’s help to track down two men who stole an ATM machine from a Culver City restaurant. The theft happened Wednesday at Public School 310, 9411 Culver Blvd., near Main Street, Culver City police said in an Instagram post. Two men apparently got into the restaurant through an unlocked rear door. Surveillance video shows them walking into the hallway where the ATM was located, next to the restaurant’s bathroom, before the masked man spray paints the lens of a surveillance camera. With the surveillance camera lens painted over, the men removed the ATM machine and left the restaurant in an unknown direction, according to police. The amount of the money in the ATM was not known.

Ex-USC Official Gets Probation In Admissions Fraud Case

A former USC admissions official was sentenced Thursday to probation with nine months in home detention for accepting thousands of dollars in payments to ensure graduate school admission for unqualified international students. Hiu Kit David Chong was also ordered to serve 30 hours of community service and immediately pay a $40,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Chong, 36, of Arcadia admitted to falsifying applicants’ admission packets with doctored college transcripts, phony letters of recommendation and fraudulent personal statements in exchange for $8,000 to $12,000 per student. His case is not part of the nationwide college admissions scandal. Chong pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court in April to a single wire fraud count, a felony carrying a possible penalty of up to 20 years behind bars.

Retired NYPD Cop Dies Of Cancer Related To 9/11 Search Efforts

An NYPD detective died earlier this month from cancer he developed after his search and recovery assignment at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terror attacks. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Detective Peter Gianfrancesco died September 2 from cancer believed to have been caused by exposure to toxins at the World Trade Center. Gianfrancesco had served with NYPD for 20 years and retired in 2012, according to NYPD. He leaves behind his wife and daughter.

Manhunt Underway After Barrage Of Bullets Fired Into Home Of 2 New Jersey Cops

A manhunt is underway for two gunmen who fired 10 shots at the Camden home of married county police officers who just had a baby. Seven of the shots hit the home and six penetrated the structure - two through the front door - during the Tuesday, Sept. 15 incident shortly before midnight on Clinton Street, Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki told the media at a press event Thursday evening. The officers and their 10-day-old baby were not injured. They were on the second floor at the time. The officers, a man and woman, have been with the department for four years and two years, respectively, and remain on leave, officials said. They were born and raised in Camden.

Public Safety News

Firefighter Killed Battling Wildfire Sparked By Gender-Reveal Party Pyrotechnics

A firefighter was killed battling the El Dorado fire in San Bernardino County, which has burned nearly 20,000 acres. Few details were immediately available about the death. “The name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement released Friday. The fire broke out Sept. 7 near Yucaipa. Officials said it was caused by a smoke-emitting pyrotechnic device that was part of a gender-reveal party in a park. Such devices typically shoot off blue or pink smoke to signal the gender of an expected child. The cause of the death is under investigation. Meanwhile in L.A. County, the Bobcat fire opened a new dangerous front as it barreled toward homes in the Antelope Valley on Thursday, prompting new evacuations and further straining exhausted firefighters.

California Firefighters Keep Losing Their Own Houses While Battling To Save Others

Firefighter Geoffrey Keller had just finished a 24-hour shift on Aug. 18 cutting down brush around the blazes in the Santa Cruz Mountains when he received a frantic call from his wife, Allegra. A wildfire, part of the CZU Complex, was approaching their home on Last Chance Road in Davenport, a small coastal town about 11 miles northwest of Santa Cruz. She had taken their 1-year-old son to Keller’s mother’s house in Santa Cruz, but wanted to return home to grab some belongings. Keller, who works for Cal Fire, raced home to meet his wife. Despite being hosed down, the house burned to the ground. As wildfires have sprinted across more than 3 million acres in California this year, the unprecedented devastation has upended the lives of firefighters who’ve lost their own homes while trying to save others’. The fires in 2020 have destroyed more than 6,000 buildings in the state, including the homes of at least 12 firefighters, according to Cal Fire Local 2881, the agency’s union.

911 Integration With Uber App Expanded To Beverly Hills, Burbank, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance

Uber is expanding 911 integration with its app to the cities of Long Beach, Burbank, Torrance, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Uber riders currently can use an emergency button in the app during a trip to give 911 dispatchers their real time location, car make and model, and license plate number. Uber says the integration of 911 in the app transmits that information automatically so it shows up on dispatchers’ computer screens, and does not need to be given verbally. “Every second counts in an emergency, and we want to make sure our users get help quickly with accurate information if faced with an emergency situation,” Sachin Kansal, Uber’s safety products lead, said in a statement. The emergency button was first launched in May 2018 in just a handful of cities, including Los Angeles. With the expansion, it now covers 60% of all Uber rides in the United States, according to Uber.

Flu Shot Is Vital, LA County Officials Urge, Especially During Coronavirus Outbreak

Another three dozen coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by Los Angeles County health officials, who again issued a call for people get a flu shot and continue taking precautions against the spread of infection. The county Department of Public Health reported 38 new virus deaths. The new deaths lifted the countywide total since the start of the pandemic to 6,324. Another 1,160 cases were also announced by the county, for a total of 257,271 since the pandemic began. The mid-day report did not include updated numbers from Pasadena and Long Beach, which operate their own independent health departments. Pasadena reported four new cases, for a total of 2,489, but added no new deaths to its total of 121. Another 68 cases were reported in Long Beach, bringing its total to 11,379; the city’s death toll remained 237.