LAPD Officer Recovering After Attack At Harbor Station In San Pedro

An on-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer was injured during a confrontation with a man at the department’s Harbor Station late Saturday that ended with a short car chase before the man was arrested. The attack happened just before 10 p.m. in the lobby of the Harbor Station at 2175 John S. Gibson Blvd. The injured officer who was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover has been with the department for at least three decades, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said during a press conference. Moore said that it appears the man walked into the Harbor Division and at some point managed to take the officer's gun. LAPD sources told NBCLA the suspect hit the officer with his own gun. Moore said the suspect fired the gun, but none of the bullets hit the officer. A watch commander heard the commotion in the lobby and returned fire, but did not hit the suspect. The officer suffered injuries consistent with being "pistol whipped," according to Moore. The suspect ran from the police station, entered a vehicle, and was chased by other officers to the area of 18th Street and Pacific Avenue where he was arrested. Another police officer suffered minor injuries during a scuffle that arrest, Moore said.

Police Investigating After Driver Fires At Vehicle Of Off-Duty LAPD Officer In Reseda

Authorities are investigating after a driver fired a handgun at an off-duty LAPD officer’s vehicle in Reseda early Saturday morning, officials said. The officer was driving his personal vehicle down Vanowen Street near Lindley Avenue around 5:45 a.m. when a person driving a black sports utility vehicle opened fire, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release. The gunshots hit the officer’s car, but he was not injured, police said. Both vehicles were driving down Lindley Avenue when the gunfire rang out. LAPD has not identified the driver who opened fire and the motive for the shooting is unknown. Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detectives at 213-486-6910.

2 Montebello Men Sentenced To Decades In Prison For Killing Downey Police Officer During Botched Robbery

Two half-brothers were handed lengthy prison sentences Friday, Sept. 25, nearly five years after they attempted to rob an off-duty Downey police officer before one of them shot and killed him while he sat in his personal vehicle in the parking lot of police headquarters, authorities said. Steven Knott, 23, and Jeremy Alvarez, 26, both of Montebello, pleaded guilty to various charges in March, including attempted murder and three counts of robbery as part of a crime spree that began in September 2015, prosecutors said. That spree culminated with the murder of Officer Ricardo Galvez, 29, on Nov. 18, 2015. Galvez was a five-year veteran of the Downey Police Department after serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps.

LAPD Arrests Sexual Assault, Attempted Murder Suspect In Venice

A transient suspected in a sexual assault and attempted murder in Venice was arrested Saturday. Kwan Dante Adams, 24, was arrested about 8:15 a.m. in the Venice Beach area by detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division, Fugitive Warrant Section. Adams was booked for an outstanding robbery warrant and being held without bail at the Los Angeles County jail. Detectives from the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division were continuing the investigation into the crimes that occurred Sept. 8. No details about those crimes were immediately available. Anyone with information on the sexual assault and attempted murder was asked to call Robbery Homicide Division at 213-486-6910 or the LAPD’s tipline at 877-527-3247.

Woman Found Guilty Of Setting Fellow Homeless Person On Fire In South L.A.

A woman was found guilty of pouring gasoline on a homeless man and setting him on fire in the Harvard Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles last year, officials announced Friday. Shalonda Christine Shaw, 34, who was also described as being homeless, was found guilty of one felony count of mayhem, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. A jury also found true an allegation of personal use of a dangerous and deadly weapon, gasoline. The incident occurred on Sept. 5, 2019, at a homeless encampment in the 1600 block of West Slauson Boulevard. Shaw poured gasoline from a container onto the 36-year-old victim and lit him on fire, prosecutors said. The victim suffered burns on 30% of his body, including his hands, feet and legs.

Police Investigate Pair Of Shootings In Northeast LA

A man is in stable condition after being shot in Highland Park Sunday, authorities said, but the suspect remains at large. It occurred at 1:50 a.m. in a large apartment complex at 120 E. Avenue 40, according to an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Northeast Station. The man, who was from outside the area, was struck by gunfire, police said, adding investigators believe the incident may have been gang-related.

Authorities Arrest Man Alleged To Be Driver Who Struck Woman, 70, And Fled

A 34-year-old man was arrested Friday in Koreatown on suspicion of severely injuring a 70-year-old woman in a hit-and-run in Chinatown earlier this month. Authorities offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the suspect in the Sept. 4 hit-and-run collision, and "detectives received a tip that led to the identification of the driver," according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Christopher David Smith was arrested Friday about 2:45 p.m. at his home in the 900 block of Menlo Avenue, one block east of Vermont Avenue, police said.

Police Search For Suspects In Venice Beach Bar Fight Shooting

Police Saturday asked for the public’s help to locate two of three suspects involved in the shooting of a man and woman during a fight at a Venice Beach sports bar. One suspect is already in custody. The shooting occurred at 1 a.m. Wednesday at a sports bar just west of Pacific Avenue on Washington Boulevard, police said. The man and woman were socializing with friends and family in the outdoor dining patio area when a verbal dispute with three suspects turned into a physical fight, police said. One suspect fired a handgun, striking both victims, before the suspects fled. The man was hospitalized with stable vital signs and the woman was treated at the scene, police said. Detectives were able to identify the shooting suspect and served a search warrant at a location in Norwalk, police said. The handgun allegedly used in the shooting and other evidence was seized and the suspect, a Los Angeles resident, was arrested.

LAPD Urges Drivers To Stop Speeding As It Reports Over 6,500 Crashes To Date This Year

With speeding-related crashes on the rise in the city of Los Angeles amid the COVID-19 pandemic, police on Thursday had a simple message to motorists: slow down. The vast majority of the more than 6,500 collisions reported in the city thus far in 2020 have involved excessive speeds, according to Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Gary Walters. That’s a higher number than this point last year. However, LAPD officials noted that, to date, there have been fewer deadly crashes, with 150 fatalities reported this year. “So what we’re seeing is, a decrease in the number of fatal collisions, but we’re seeing an increase in our severe collisions and collisions related to speed,” LAPD Capt. John Pinto said. Excessive speeds became an issue after stay-at-home orders were issued in March due to the coronavirus, as fewer motorists hit the roads for their daily work commutes.

Man Arrested In South LA After Carjacking, Leading Police On High-Speed Chase That Ended With T-Bone Crash

A driver was taken into custody on Sunday in South Los Angeles after a wild pursuit and crash. The incident started around 6:15 p.m. near 80th and Avalon, with the suspect driving erratically throughout neighborhood streets. About 25 minutes later, he ditched the first car, jumped into a second one and took off speeding. At some points, the driver was on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing pedestrians and other vehicles. He hit spike strips deployed by police, which appeared to lead to him losing control of the vehicle before driving out into traffic at Manchester and Wadsworth and getting T-Boned by another driver, who was uninvolved in the pursuit. Police said the suspect is a known gang member with a long rap sheet. He was wanted for armed carjacking, kidnapping and robbery.

Family Seeks Help Finding Missing 21-Year-Old South Los Angeles Man, LAPD Says

The family and friends of a missing 21-year-old South Los Angeles man are asking for the public's help finding him, the Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday. According to his mother, Juan Carlos Hernandez was last seen leaving work on September 22, near the 8100 block of Western Ave. At the time, he was wearing a gray hoodie, light-colored shorts, long black socks and dark Vans sneakers. He hasn’t been seen since and his family is concerned, LAPD said in a press release. Police described Hernandez as a "male Hispanic, brown hair, brown eyes, 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds." Anyone who may have seen Hernandez or have any information regarding his whereabouts was asked to contact the LAPD, Missing Persons Unit, at 213-996-1800.

Police Arrest A Suspect Of Carjacking An 82-Year-old Man In Culver City

Police Friday said they have arrested a 20-year-old man they believe attacked and carjacked an 82-year-old man in his vehicle at a convenience store parking lot in Culver City. The 82-year-old man was treated for serious injuries to his head and remained in the hospital for more than a week. He has since been released, the Culver City Police Department reported. The attack happened approximately 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 at the 7-Eleven at 5495 Sepulveda Blvd., according to police. Police said Jonathan Rosas, of Inglewood, approached the man on foot and physically assaulted him. “After attacking the victim, the suspect forcibly removed the victim from the vehicle, entered the driver seat and drove away in an unknown direction,” according to a news statement. Follow-up investigations, forensic evidence and video surveillance identified Rosas, who was arrested Tuesday in Inglewood by Culver City police detectives. He was arrested on suspicion of carjacking and elder abuse.

Public Safety News

Woman Dies In House Fire In Lake View Terrace

A woman was killed Sunday in a house fire in the Lake View Terrace neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, authorities said. Her son had been staying in a nearby recreational vehicle at the time of the fire and was not harmed, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. The woman was discovered by firefighters at the scene, where she was pronounced dead. No other injuries were reported. Firefighters responded to the reported structure fire at 3:40 a.m. in the 11500 block of North Kismet Avenue, according to the LAFD’s Brian Humphrey. Upon arrival, they discovered flames coming from the backside of the home. It took a team of 38 firefighters to extinguish the flames in a building that was used extensively for storage, Humphrey said. The fire was knocked down at 4:14 a.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

L.A. County Coronavirus Numbers Show Continued Decline In Hospitalizations

Los Angeles County saw a continued decline in the number of people with serious cases of COVID-19 this weekend, with fewer than 700 patients hospitalized on Sunday. There were three times as many COVID-19 hospitalizations during the summer surge. The reduction in the most serious cases came as the county reported 815 new cases overall and 10 deaths for the day. These are declines from past highs, but the lower numbers may reflect a lag in weekend reporting, the county said. There were 692 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday, compared with 1,100 in late August and more than 2,200 in mid-July. Hospitalizations, like new cases and deaths, are considered a key indicator of how well counties are handling the spread of the coronavirus and how much demand the pandemic is putting on local healthcare systems.

SoCal Braces For Heat Wave, Winds As Red Flag Warning Takes Effect

The wildfire risk will be high Monday across much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Inland Empire as a heat wave roils the region, bringing with it a red flag warning. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday for the Santa Clarita Valley, the San Gabriel Mountains, the Angeles National Forest and the Topatopa Mountains in Ventura County. It is also in effect for the valleys in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the Inland Empire, the San Bernardino and Cleveland national forests and the San Jacinto Mountains. The red flag warning will be in effect for the area being burned by Bobcat Fire, which has scorched over 114,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest and Antelope Valley foothills and was 65% contained as of Sunday. Wind speeds are expected to hit between 30 and 45 miles per hour and humidity will drop to the single digits, the NWS reported. Temperatures will reach the high 90s in many areas.

Authorities Searching For Missing California Firefighter, Last Seen On Sept. 20

A search for a missing firefighter was underway Friday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Big Bear Hotshot Carlos Alexander Baltazar has not been seen since Sept. 20, authorities said. He was reported missing by his family on Sept. 24. His car was found abandoned on Hwy 18 near Delta Avenue by the California Highway Patrol on Sept. 20. His fire backpack was found about 75 yards away from where his vehicle was located. K9s continued to track Carlos' scent but the scent was eventually lost. Carlos was off duty at the time and not in the area of the El Dorado Fire, officials said. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts was asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at 760-956-5001.