Man Charged In Shooting Of 2 Los Angeles County Deputies

Prosecutors charged a 36-year-old man Wednesday with a brazen ambush of two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies earlier this month, an apparently unprovoked shooting as they sat in a squad car outside a rail station. The deputies suffered head wounds in the Sept. 12 attack and have since been released from the hospital. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said their recoveries will be a long process and include further reconstructive surgeries. The suspect, Deonte Lee Murray, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges Wednesday during his arraignment. He faces life in state prison if he is convicted. The sheriff’s department arrested Murray two weeks ago in connection with a separate carjacking. But officials at the time said it was not related to the ambush case. Murray has a criminal history including convictions for sales and possession of narcotics, firearm possession, receiving stolen property, burglary and terrorist threats, authorities said. Wednesday’s criminal complaint includes allegations that he associates with gangs.

Deadly Violence In L.A. Up 15% So Far This Year, Mirroring National Trends

As Los Angeles continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic, economic shockwaves and protests, there is another growing problem: Homicides are up nearly 15% over last year. The city is hardly alone as a new national study shows that the number of killings, while still far lower than decades ago, climbed significantly in a summer that saw 20 cities’ homicide rates jump 53% compared with the three summer months in 2019. Homicides increased in places such as Atlanta and Chicago between June and August of 2020, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice. Los Angeles, which was one of the cities included in the study, has recorded 226 homicides as of Saturday, compared with 197 at the same point in 2019. Since June, killings are up nearly a fifth compared with the prior year, according to data. If the numbers hold, it would mark the largest homicide increase in years. 

Kidnapping Suspect In Custody After Slow-Speed Chase On Shredded Tires Through South LA

A man described as a possible kidnapping suspect was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a slow-speed chase on shredded tires through the South Los Angeles area. When the vehicle finally stopped and the driver surrendered, a woman in the passenger seat emerged from the vehicle. She walked away from the vehicle and officers detained her and placed her into a patrol car. It was not immediately clear if she was the kidnapping victim. The chase began around 3:30 p.m. in South Los Angeles. The suspect ran over one or more spike strips, but continued driving at slow speeds on the shredded tires. LAPD officers followed closely as the Chevy Suburban looped around the area for about half an hour, finally coming to a stop around Broadway and 89th Street. At that point, the driver surrendered with his hands out the window. The woman emerged from the vehicle and was detained by officers.

Armed man surrenders in Northridge SWAT standoff

An armed man who was in a standoff overnight with police in Northridge surrendered to a SWAT team Thursday morning, authorities said. Officers were sent to the 17500 block of Raymer Street about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. About 5:30 a.m. Thursday, a SWAT team and a bomb squad were sent to the scene, police said.

Former Ride-Hailing Driver Sentenced After Pleading To Sexual Assault Of Passenger In Boyle Heights

A former ride-hailing driver has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading to sexually assaulting a passenger in Boyle Heights nearly three years ago, officials announced Wednesday. Kamaru Deen, 37, pleaded no contest to one felony count of sexual battery by restraint, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The judge in the case also ordered Deen to a lifetime sex offender registration. The incident occurred on Nov. 25, 2017 when Deen pulled over at the end of an arranged ride along the 1300 block of South Grande Vista Avenue. Prosecutors said he opened the door for the victim, grabbed her and pressed her against the car. He then groped the victim and rubbed himself on her, officials said. Deen left the area as the victim’s friends walked toward the vehicle.

2 Young Brothers Killed In Westlake Village Crash; Woman Arrested For Vehicular Manslaughter

Two young brothers have died after a crash in Westlake Village on Tuesday night. Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 9, were hit by a car as they crossed the street in a crosswalk at about 7:10 p.m. at the intersection of Triunfo Canyon Road and Saddle Mountain Drive. One boy was pronounced dead at the scene. The second was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later, according to the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Department. Authorities said that the boys were walking with their family in the crosswalk when they were hit. “The family was in a marked crosswalk,” said LASD Capt. Salvador Becerra. “As [their mother] realized two cars were speeding her way, she was able to reach out and grab one of her children off of a Razor scooter, with another child in the stroller as the car entered the intersection and hit the other two.” Rebecca Grossman, 57, was arrested on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and is being held on $2 million bail. She did not stay on the scene, and her white Mercedes with front-end damage was towed away about a half-mile from where the boys were struck.

Man Gunned Down In Westmont Area

A man was shot Wednesday afternoon in the unincorporated Westmont area and died at a hospital. Deputies from the South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station responded about 1 p.m. to an assault with a deadly weapon call in the 11100 block of Manhattan Place, about two blocks from Western Avenue, and found the victim, who was unresponsive and had sustained gunshot wounds to his upper body, according to Deputy Eric Ortiz of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A second victim, who had sustained a grazing gunshot wound to the lower body, was also found at the location. That victim was treated at the scene and released, Ortiz said. There were no reports of arrests and a detailed description of the shooter was not immediately available.

‘We Need Someone To Come Forward': 2009 Inglewood Killing Remains Unsolved

The unsolved 2009 shooting death of a 21-year-old rising hip-hop artist and producer in Inglewood is the subject of Wednesday night's edition of "48 Hours Suspicion." Kevin Robert Harris II was driving to a recording session at a music studio at the corner of 118th Place and Crenshaw Boulevard on Sept. 20, 2009. As soon as he arrived, another car pulled up next to him and approximately 10- 17 shots were fired into his car, according to FBI Special Agent Sean Sterle of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. Harris died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital, Sterle said. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the death of Harris, a graduate of St. Bernard High School in Playa Del Rey who recorded under the name Track Bully. Inglewood is also offering a $25,000 reward.

Ban on chokeholds among California criminal justice reforms

Spurred by the slayings of George Floyd and other Black people in police custody across the country, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday banned certain chokeholds as he approved several new laws designed to increase oversight of the criminal justice system. But amid national calls to defund the police, he vetoed a priority bill of reform groups that would have provided state funding for community organizations to take over some police duties in an effort to deescalate confrontations.

In latest clash with NRA, Newsom signs bill to help police trace guns

New pistol models sold in California will eventually have to include micro-stamping technology that will make them easier to trace by law enforcement if they are used in crimes, under legislation signed Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The measure is the latest flashpoint in a years-long battle between the governor and the National Rifle Assn. that included a clash over Proposition 63, a 2016 initiative by then-Lt. Gov. Newsom, which regulated guns and ammunition.

Porter Ranch Lobbyist Pleads Guilty In LA City Hall Bribery Scheme

A longtime lobbyist and former Los Angeles City Hall official pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of conspiring with now-suspended Councilman Jose Huizar in a bribery scheme. Morrie Goldman entered his guilty plea to a felony count of conspiring to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud in the government’s ongoing investigation of corruption at City Hall. He was one of several people who established two political action committees, one of which purportedly supported a variety of causes but actually was created to primarily benefit the City Council campaign of a relative of Huizar’s who was planning to run for his council seat, according to federal prosecutors.

Public Safety News

Nail Salons, Indoor Shopping Malls Can Reopen In Los Angeles County At 25% Capacity

Los Angeles County has approved the staggered reopening over the next 10 days of indoor nail salons and indoor shopping malls, according to public health director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer. Both will be limited to 25% occupancy. Outdoor playgrounds can also reopen at the discretion of individual cities. The reopenings were announced a day after the county Board of Supervisors agreed to open a waiver process for schools to offer in-person instruction for students in pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade, and voted to reopen craft breweries, wineries and outdoor card rooms. Timelines for those business reopenings have not yet been announced, but they are also expected to occur over the next 10 days, Ferrer said. The openings come despite what Ferrer described as a "small increase'' in daily coronavirus case numbers when compared to the early part of September. She said the increase "may either reflect lower testing numbers at the beginning of the month, or they may reflect the fact that we're starting to see some small increases in community transmission.''

91 Human West Nile Virus Cases Reported In California As Officials Encourage Risk Reduction

Spreading diseases such as malaria, West Nile and Zika, mosquitoes are among the deadliest animals in the world. To date, California officials have reported a total of 91 West Nile virus cases in people statewide. Of those, L.A. County Public Health said it has identified 27 local cases. West Nile virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S. Mosquito season is typically from March to late October or early November, and there are currently no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat the disease in people. Most people infected with West Nile virus do not feel sick, but one in five people experience a fever and other symptoms, the CDC says. About one out of 150 infected people develop serious and sometimes deadly reactions to the disease, according to health experts.

Local Government News

Los Angeles City Council Votes To Resume Normal Parking Enforcement Oct. 15

Relaxed parking enforcement measures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are scheduled to end Oct. 15, under action taken Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council. The city will resume parking enforcement and impounds when applicable for street cleaning, abandoned vehicles, oversize and overnight restrictions, peak-hour and anti-gridlock zones, and expired vehicle registration. Normal parking enforcement had been tentatively slated to resume on Thursday, but Councilman Joe Buscaino submitted an amendment to delay the enforcement and use the next two weeks to educate the public on the city's policy. On Oct. 15, the city will resume enforcement of expired preferential parking district permits. The council suspended imposing new citation late penalties until Oct. 22.