Robbery Suspect Fires At LAPD Officers In Downtown LA

A Los Angeles Police Department officer returned fire after a woman allegedly shot at officers responding to a robbery in progress in downtown Los Angeles. Officers were flagged down by Business Improvement District security personnel, who reported a robbery in progress near 11th and Main streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. "We can confirm the female suspect fired at officers ... at least one round fired by the suspect appears to have struck the front hood of the officer's patrol vehicle,'' police wrote on Twitter. No officers were injured, and at least one officer returned fire about 2:30 p.m. The suspect, described as a woman in her 30s, was not struck, and she was taken into custody, according to police.

LAPD Officer, 4 Others Injured In 3-Vehicle Crash In South LA

An officer with the LAPD and four civilians were injured Friday night in a three-vehicle, hit-and-run crash in South Los Angeles. Paramedics took a 40-year-old man, a 1-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl to a nearby hospital in unknown condition. The officer and a fifth patient declined to be taken to a hospital, according to authorities. The crash was initially reported in the 1300 block of West 37th Street, near Normandie Avenue, at about 9:45 p.m. Officers on patrol tried to pull over a motorist during a routine traffic stop. The suspect did not stop and tried to flee from officers, said Officer Rosario Cervantes of the LAPD's Media Relations Section. At some point the motorist struck another vehicle, injuring two people in that vehicle, Cervantes said. According to LAPD, an occupant in the suspect’s vehicle was rushed to an area hospital with critical injuries, she said. The motorist in that vehicle was taken into custody.

Deputy Attacked In Westmont During Traffic Stop, Dragged For 10 Blocks

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was assaulted early Sunday in the unincorporated Westmont area of South Los Angeles, and a female suspect was in custody. The female deputy, who works out of the South Los Angeles Station, was trying to stop a vehicle at Vermont Avenue and West 97th Street shortly after 2 a.m., when the suspect attacked her and drove off, according to Deputy Trina Schrader of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. The suspect allegedly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her about 10 blocks as she drove up Vermont until the deputy managed to free herself, Deputy Armando Viera said. Deputies pursued the suspect for about three miles, until she was taken into custody at Florence and Western avenues. While deputies were in the process of arresting her, one ``accidentally discharged'' a duty weapon, Viera said. No one was hit by the stray bullet, he added. The injured deputy was transported to a hospital for treatment of her non-life-threatening injuries, Viera continued.

Two Men Shot During Fight In El Sereno

Two men were wounded Saturday when a fight involving multiple suspects led to gunfire at or near an El Sereno Mexican restaurant. The shooting was reported about 3:40 p.m. at 4976 Huntington Drive South, according to Officer F. Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. One victim was 25 years old and the other was 35, Gonzalez said. Paramedics took them to hospitals, where they had stable vital signs. The suspects fled the scene, he said, and the victims were not cooperating with police. The shooting was believed gang related.

Violent Hate Crimes In L.A. Hit Highest Level In More Than A Decade; White Supremacist Acts Jump 38%

Los Angeles County reported the highest number of violent hate crimes last year in more than a decade, with white supremacist crimes jumping by 38%, while attacks on the transgender community surged 64%, according to a new report. Of the 524 hate crimes reported in the county last year, 343 were of a violent nature, the largest number in this category since 2008, according to the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations 2019 annual report. There was one reported case of attempted murder. Black individuals remained the most frequently targeted victims of hate, according to the report, which gathers data from law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and community-based organizations. Hate crimes can range from slurs against an individual of a targeted group to vandalism to disorderly conduct and violent assaults. Black people were targeted in 47% of the racially motivated hate crimes in 2019 while constituting only 9% of the county’s population, said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Man Wounded In Atwater Village Shooting

A man was wounded Saturday in an Atwater Village shooting. It happened about 5:30 p.m. in the 4100 block of Chevy Chase Drive, according to Officer F. Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. The suspect approached the victim, shot him and fled the scene, Gonzalez said. The victim, in his 20s, was hospitalized with stable vital signs, the officer said. It was unknown whether the shooting was gang related and no suspect information was available, he said.

Man Booked In Connection With Hit-And-Run That Left 75-Year-Old On Life Support

The driver suspected of hitting a man with his white pickup truck is in jail. Oscar Suarez, 44, turned himself into police Saturday morning in connection with the felony hit-and-run. Suarez stands accused of striking a man with his car, exiting the vehicle, reentering his car, and fleeing the scene without rendering help. The victim, 75-year-old Guillermo Cartagena, remains on life support. Cartagena, a beloved father and grandfather, was crossing the street Thursday night when he was struck by the Toyota Tacoma. Suarez has been booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. His bail has been set at $28,340.

New Video Released Amid Search For Woman Suspected Of Trying To Kidnap 2 Boys In South L.A.

Police on Friday released a new video of a woman wanted in connection with the kidnapping of two boys in separate South Los Angeles incidents. The video was released just one day after the Los Angeles Police Department first made the public aware of the incidents, and released footage of one of the alleged attempted kidnappings. The first incident occurred about 6 p.m. Oct. 18 along the 100 block of West Manchester Avenue in the Florence neighborhood of South L.A. The victim went to a restaurant in the area when the assailant walked up to her as she was going to her car. The would-be abductor demanded that the victim hand over the victim’s 1-year-old brother, claiming the boy was her child. The victim continued toward her car, but the woman followed them and tried to take the child from the victim’s hands, police said. The victim asked for help and ran back into the restaurant.

LAPD Searching For Missing Woman, 26, Last Seen Near LAX

Los Angeles police continued their search Sunday to find a 26-year-old woman who went missing nearly two weeks ago near Los Angeles International Airport. Linh Hoang was last seen at a Motel 6 near LAX Oct. 10, the LAPD reported. Hoang is Asian. She stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 143 pounds, according to the LAPD. She was last seen wearing a charcoal gray sports jacket, black T-shirt and black leggings, police said. Anyone with information on her whereabouts was asked to call the LAPD’s Pacific Division at 310-482-6334. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

Woman Killed 2 Days After 18th Birthday By Suspected Drunk Driver In Wrong-Way Crash On 105 Freeway

An 18-year-old female passenger was killed by a suspected drunk wrong-way driver Saturday on the westbound Century (105) Freeway in South Los Angeles, in a crash that involved three vehicles and injured five people. The wrong-way vehicle crashed head-on into another vehicle near Long Beach Boulevard at 3:05 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The Los Angeles County coroner's office identified the deceased woman as Briauna Ramirez, whose 18th birthday was Thursday. Ramirez, the front-seat passenger of a 2012 Honda, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 24-year-old man driving a 1999 Honda entered the westbound freeway traveling eastbound and struck a 2012 Honda occupied by five people. The driver in the 1999 Honda, a resident of West Covina, was rushed to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood with moderate injuries and was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

Court Officials Warn Of Email Scam About Jury Duty

Los Angeles County residents are being warned about an email scam that threatens fines if they don't appear in federal court for jury duty. The sender -- JuryDuty@donotreply.gov -- purports to be from Clerk of Court "Sherry Mason." Los Angeles Superior Court officials noted Friday that they don't send those types of emails for jury service -- federal courts don't either --and that the emails should be deleted without opening them or clicking on any links. The Los Angeles court system noted its official summons are only issued under the name of Sherri R. Carter, who is the court's jury commissioner, and are mailed. Anyone with questions about a suspicious communication that appears to be from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County or a law enforcement agency should contact the Court or a law enforcement agency, officials said.

780 Pounds Of Marijuana Found In Trailer Of Truck Pulled Over In Lake Los Angeles; 2 Arrested

A trailer filled with hundreds of pounds of cannabis led to the arrests of two people in Lake Los Angeles, authorities said Friday. A deputy was patrolling the area of 240th Street East and Avenue J-8 on Thursday when he stopped a Ford F-150 which was towing a trailer that emitted a “very strong odor of marijuana,” a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department news release stated. While investigating, the deputy discovered more than 780 pounds of pot in the trailer, according to the release. The Sheriff’s Department released a photo of the trailer that appeared to show it filled with marijuana plants. Two people were in the pickup at the time and both were arrested on suspicion of transporting marijuana. Authorities did not release the name of either individual.

Public Safety News

Backlog In Reporting Of Test Results Swells Coronavirus Case Count In L.A. County

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Los Angeles County swelled significantly this week — the result, officials said, of a sizable backlog in the reporting of test results because of technical glitches. The full extent of the problem and how much it will affect the county’s COVID-19 case counts remain to be seen. Public health officials said Thursday that they’ve addressed the issues, though they expect to receive more accumulated results in the coming days. Of the 3,600 new cases reported in the county Thursday, officials said roughly 2,000 were from the backlog. County public health officials confirmed 2,773 new cases on Friday, with those higher numbers also being attributed to the backlog. In a statement to The Times, the county Department of Public Health cited “processing issues in the state’s reporting system that resulted in a large volume of duplicate records being sent to L.A. County.”

Los Angeles County Emergency Officials Warn Of Fire Conditions In The Coming Days

An abrupt change from cool fall weather to extreme dry winds over the next couple of days has Los Angeles County emergency management officials sounding the alarm about potential wildfires and power outages. “We have had a week of pretty cool weather,” said Kevin McGowan, director of L.A. County’s Office of Emergency Management. “Starting at midnight tonight that’s going to flip 180 degrees. … We want people to be prepared.” The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Sunday night through Tuesday afternoon. “It’s going to be a pretty good Santa Ana event,” said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Winds gusts in the mountains could reach 70 mph to 80 mph, “but it’s going to be windy down in the valleys as well,” Wofford said. Humidity will drop into the single digits.

L.A. County Approaches 300,000 Coronavirus Cases; California Surpasses 900,000

The number of California’s confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 900,000 on Saturday, with total related deaths topping more than 17,300, public health officials reported. Across the state’s 58 counties, Los Angeles County remains by far the hardest hit, with nearly 300,000 cases and 6,989 deaths. On Saturday, the L.A. County Department of Public Health confirmed 2,173 new cases and 17 new deaths. “As we move closer to the tragic milestone of 7,000 deaths in L.A. County and are seeing an increase in cases, please remember the choices we each make every day have a significant impact on whether we slow the spread of the virus,” public health director Barbara Ferrer said in a press release. “The virus doesn’t take a break for parties or celebrations.”

Local Government News

L.A.’s budget crisis worsens as deficit projections climb to $600 million

The pandemic-driven financial crisis at Los Angeles City Hall has deepened significantly over the past three months, with budget analysts warning the city’s shortfall could reach $400 million to $600 million by the end of the fiscal year. Dustin DeRollo, spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the LAPD’s largest union, said city leaders should look elsewhere if reductions are needed. The council already cut 250 officers from the department’s budget earlier this year, he said. “With murders up 26% and shootings up 23%, and no sign of slowing, more cuts to police resources make zero sense and put Angelenos at risk,” he said. “We’ve already made sacrifices to support city budget shortfalls.”

Several L.A. City Council Members Back Law To Ban Homeless Camps Near City Shelters

Several Los Angeles City Council members are pushing for a new law that would make it illegal for homeless people to set up camps near freeway overpasses and the city’s new temporary “bridge” shelters. A motion to be considered by the council Tuesday asks City Atty. Mike Feuer to draft a new ordinance that would allow the removal of tents and other makeshift shelters close to the nearly two dozen shelters that have opened in the last two years under Mayor Eric Garcetti’s A Bridge Home program, as well as other facilities planned around the city in response to a lawsuit currently being heard in federal court. Feuer issued a statement Friday saying he supports the motion, coauthored by council members Joe Buscaino, Bob Blumenfield, Monica Rodriguez and Paul Krekorian and seconded by three others. “My office has been working with council member Blumenfield on this approach, which I’ve long supported,” the statement from Feuer said.