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Los Angeles
Police Protective League
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the union that represents the
rank and file LAPD officers
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Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League
October 5, 2021 |
Law Enforcement News
Police Search For South L.A. Homicide Suspect Who Allegedly Carjacked Another Person In Bell
Authorities are looking for a man who allegedly fatally shot a 61-year old man in South Los Angeles and carjacked another person in Bell over the weekend. The incident began about 10:30 a.m. Sunday when the LAPD received a call about a shooting in the 400 block of East 92nd Street in the Green Meadows neighborhood. Police said the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Jesse Medrano, was involved in a dispute with family members when he allegedly fatally shot Ruben Marrufo and critically injured two other family members. Medrano drove off in a vehicle that was later abandoned in Bell. He then allegedly carjacked a person and has not been apprehended, police said. No further details about the homicide or carjacking have been released. Medrano is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs around 170 pounds. He is bald, has brown eyes and a photo released by LAPD shows he has a tattoo on his neck and several on his face. KTLA 5 |
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Video Appears To Show Sexual Predator Attack Homeless Woman In Van Nuys
LAPD sex crimes detectives said crystal clear surveillance video of an apparent rape attempt in Van Nuys should help them find a man accused of attacking at least one homeless woman as she slept. The attack happened around 3 a.m. on Sept. 15 as the woman slept in a doorway of a business in the 6200 block of Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys. “She was sound asleep under a fully lit canopy,” LAPD Detective Jeff Briscoe said. “It's a pretty brazen attack and it's likely he's done it before, and most likely will do it again.” The video shows the woman in a sleeping bag when a man approaches and then squats down beside her. He's described as being Armenian or Latino, in his 20s with tattoos on his left arm and a specific Christian cross tattoo on his neck, wearing a beige t-shirt and black pants with clean, white Nike shoes. As he reaches to touch her, she appears startled and tries to push him away. Realizing what happens, she fumbles for a cell phone in her sleeping bag to call 911. LAPD says the video shows the man step back, watch her try to find her phone, and then drops his pants, revealing his genitals. They believe he targeted the woman at her most vulnerable. As she tried to fight him off, the man appears to try to kiss her, at one point forcing her left hand onto his penis – all the while she continues to kick and push and eventually tried to hit him with a plastic bucket. “She does her best and to her avail she was able to fend off the attack,” Det. Briscoe said, but adds that the video shows the man return nine minutes later for another attempt. NBC 4 |
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Woman, 37, Killed In Two-Vehicle Crash On Freeway Near Downtown LA
A 51-year-old motorist suffered moderate injuries and his passenger, a 37-year-old woman, was fatally injured Sunday when their BMW struck a disabled vehicle on the 10 Freeway, on the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles, authorities said. The crash occurred a little after 5 a.m. on the eastbound freeway, just west of Santa Fe Avenue, the California Highway Patrol reported. Initially, there was a single-vehicle crash, which left a vehicle disabled within the lanes of traffic. The motorist inside that vehicle fled the scene, the CHP said. Moments later, a second eastbound vehicle — a 2006 BMW 328i — the disabled vehicle. As a result of the impact, the driver of the BMW, a 51-year-old man from El Monte, was rushed to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center with moderate injuries. His passenger, a woman from Baldwin Park, was taken to the same hospital, where she later died from her injuries. "As a result of this collision, additional collisions occurred at the same location," according to a CHP statement. The CHP did not release a description of the initial, disabled vehicle. NBC 4 |
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Men From Glendale, Tujunga To Plead Guilty To Hate Crime Charges In Beverly Hills Attack On Turkish Restaurant
Guilty pleas are expected Monday from two Los Angeles County men accused of attacking diners at a family-owned Turkish restaurant while shouting anti-Turkish slurs, hurling chairs at the victims and threatening to kill them. William Stepanyan and Harutyun Chalikyan both agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and a hate crime count. After they enter their pleas to the two felony offenses, the defendants will each face up to 15 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Turkey and Armenia have a long history of conflict, part of which has stemmed from Turkey's support of Azerbaijan in its border conflict with Armenia. When a new war broke out between Armenian and Azeri military forces in September 2020, tensions in Turkish and Armenian communities escalated worldwide, including in the United States. Numerous protests and counter protests, pitting individuals of Armenian and Turkish descent against one another, took place in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Daily News |
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L.A. Actor Pleads Guilty To Running A $650 Million Ponzi Scheme
A Los Angeles actor who appeared in low-budget horror and science-fiction movies pleaded guilty Monday to running a $650 million Ponzi scheme. Zachary Joseph Horwitz, who used the name Zach Avery in film credits, formally entered his plea to one federal count of securities fraud, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Sentencing was set for Jan. 3. Horwitz, who lives in the Beverlywood area, bilked investors who thought their money would finance distribution rights for movies that would run on HBO and Netflix. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also sued Horwitz and his firm, 1inMM Capital LLC, in civil court over the scam, which involved the sales of film-licensing rights, primarily in Latin American markets. Horwitz, 34, operated 1inMM Capital as a Ponzi scheme, using victims' money to repay earlier investors and to fund an “opulent” lifestyle, including the purchase of a $6 million Beverlywood home, federal prosecutors said. Los Angeles Daily News |
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Man Shot And Killed In East Los Angeles
An investigation is underway after a man was shot and killed in East Los Angeles late Sunday night, officials said. Just before 11 p.m., deputies responded to the 1000 block of Gage Avenue after getting reports of a gunshot victim, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. When they arrived, they found an unresponsive man, about 40 years of age, lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his upper torso, sheriff's Lt. Charles Calderaro told KTLA. Paramedics arrived and rendered aid to the gunshot victim, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, according to the lieutenant. Officials have not released the man's name. “At this time, we're canvassing the neighborhood for potential witnesses, looking for any kind of video surveillance,” Calderaro said Monday morning. It's unclear who opened fire or what led up the shooting. No further details were immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. KTLA 5 |
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Man Found Shot To Death In Compton
A man was shot to death Saturday in Compton. The shooting occurred at about 9:25 a.m. in the 600 block of East Pine Street, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The sheriff's department urged anyone with information about the homicide to call them at 800-222-8477. MyNewsLA.com |
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Opioid Overdose Epidemic Is Rapidly Spreading Across The Bay Area
In just the past week, three people died at three different stations inside the vast Bay Area Rapid Transit system from causes believed to be drug overdoses. Efforts to resuscitate them, including by administering the opioid reversal drug Narcan, were unsuccessful, reports said. The deaths occurred in Fremont, Daly City, and Pleasant Hill, cities in three different counties — Alameda, San Mateo, and Contra Costa, respectively — that are all miles from San Francisco's toughest streets. Reports like these of drug overdose deaths, especially involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl, are becoming increasingly frequent in other parts of the Bay Area than just San Francisco, where the deadly impact of the opioid epidemic has been most pronounced over the last decade. In recent years, fentanyl, which is exponentially stronger and more lethal than heroin but cheaper to produce, has saturated the region's drug market and driven up the rate of opioid-related deaths. Every Bay Area county except Napa has been affected so far, according to the Chronicle's analysis of data from the California Department of Public Health's overdose dashboard. As California began to see a growing number of overdoses from fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, the department's opioid safety workgroup warned first responders: “With fentanyl in our drug supply, first responders are likely to encounter it on the job and may have safety concerns.” San Francisco Chronicle |
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DEA Agent, Gunman Killed Aboard Amtrak Train In Arizona
A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent was killed Monday when a passenger, who also died, opened fire as officers were doing a routine inspection for illegal contraband on an Amtrak train in Tucson, Arizona, authorities said. A second agent and a Tucson police officer were wounded. “It's very horrific and we're all just coming to terms with just how terrible a loss this is,” Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said. “But I also want to reflect on the really heroic actions of the officers at the scene. They literally ran towards the danger, into the car, where there was an active shooting situation going on.” Magnus spoke outside the hospital where the wounded agent and Tucson officer had been taken. The agent was listed in critical condition while the officer was in stable condition. He said authorities would not be releasing their names. The FBI has taken over the investigation of the shooting, which sent passengers fleeing. It happened just after 8 a.m. on a train stopped at the station in the city's downtown. Associated Press |
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Watch: Florida Trooper Crashes Into Vehicle To Save Deputy's Life
A Florida state trooper was praised for a split-second decision that may have saved a fellow cop's life last week. Dramatic dashcam video shows a fleeing vehicle barreling toward a deputy, who was laying spike strips. At the last second, a state trooper slams into the suspect's car, spinning it away from the unprotected deputy. “Initially my reaction is, ‘Wow that was extremely brave, extremely courageous and extremely dangerous," said Danny Alvarez with Tampa's Police Benevolent Association to WFLA. Alvarez said the state trooper's decision to crash his car was risky. “I think people watch way too many movies and think that after someone crashes their car trying to save somebody else, that they're always going to walk away. You're looking at a video where a Florida state trooper put his life on the line to stop a dangerous situation and save the life of a fellow law enforcement officer that he probably doesn't even know,” Alvarez said. Back in February, Florida deputy Michael Magli was killed while deploying stop sticks. PoliceOne |
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NYPD Finding More ‘Ghost Guns,' Dedicates Special Team
Ghost guns are spookily real, and the New York Police Department is finding so many of the untraceable weapons that it is dedicating a team of investigators to find them. The make-them-yourself weapons — which mirror the typical $250 to $500 cost of a ready-to-shoot handgun — have no serial numbers that enable officers to track who has bought and sold them. They're sold in pieces. Buyers then put together the parts to make guns. Judging from the website of one manufacturer, you need to know what you're doing to assemble its guns — an online video shows buyers how to use a hand drill and a drill press to assemble one of its gun frames. Pistol frames, barrels, slides and other parts are sold separately. But gun parts often can be purchased without background checks — a dream come true for people trying to get around restrictions on sales. NYPD Deputy Inspector Courtney Nilan, of the Intelligence Bureau, said online kits are an alternative to buying guns on the “Iron Pipeline,” the name officers give to the stretch of I-95 in the southeast where New York criminals buy guns in states with less restrictive gun laws. “This is an easy Iron Pipeline,” said Nilan. “It's so easy. You don't have to drive anywhere. New York Daily News |
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Public Safety News
Firefighters Responding To Small Explosion At Northridge Commercial Building
Authorities are responding to a small explosion at a commercial building in Northridge. The explosion was reported at 2:42 p.m. in the 18300 block of West Eddy Street. One person was reportedly transported to a local hospital for injuries. When firefighters arrived on scene, light smoke was showing from a shipping container on the property. Aerial footage from AIR7 HD indicated there was light damage to the exterior of the building. ABC 7 |
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LA County Lifeguards Close Beaches Due To Lightning Strikes
Los Angeles County lifeguards were clearing beaches Monday afternoon due to lightning strikes. All L.A. County beaches were closed from San Pedro to Malibu, including Avalon and Catalina Island. Lifeguards were clearing the water of all people and advised beachgoers to seek shelter immediately. Meanwhile, all beaches in Long Beach and Carlsbad were also being closed due to lightning in the area, city officials said. The coastline was expected to remain off-limits until the storm passes. Lightning had also been detected near Del Mar in San Diego County. The system moved north into Orange County and is expected to move to the Inland Empire. Rain could arrive in Los Angeles and Ventura counties late Monday afternoon and last throughout the night, according to the National Weather Service. CBS 2 |
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LA County COVID Hospitalizations Drop Under 800 For 1st Time In Nearly 3 Months
COVID-19 hospitalizations fell below 800 in Los Angeles County, according to the latest data, declining by 35 people to 790 and continuing a month-long downward trend. According to state figures, the number of COVID-positive patients in intensive care in the county also declined, from 231 on Saturday to 228. The number of COVID-positive people hospitalized in the county has fallen 30 times in the past 34 days, bringing the number down from a summer peak of nearly 1,800. Infection rates among residents and staff at skilled nursing facilities have also dipped, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported Friday. The department also reported 1,032 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 additional deaths Sunday, although those numbers likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Health officials say about 90% of the people who have died with COVID-19 had underlying health conditions. The rolling average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus remained low, at about 1.7% as of Friday. ABC 7 |
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Local Government News
MacArthur Park To Temporarily Close October 15
Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo confirmed Monday that the lakeside portion of MacArthur Park, where about 200 homeless people have taken up residence, will temporarily close on Oct. 15 for "much-needed deferred maintenance." The park's south side, between Alvarado and Park View streets and Wilshire Boulevard and Seventh Street, will close for 10 weeks starting at 10 p.m. Oct. 15. The people living there are being offered shelter by teams with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and People Assisting the Homeless, according to Cedillo's office, which said that about 164 people had already been moved indoors as of Wednesday. Outreach began in January, Cedillo's office said. Residents are being offered Project Roomkey placements in hotels and motels in the mid-downtown area, said Cedillo's Deputy District Director Jose Rodriguez. He added that people living in the park would not be stopped from relocating to the north side of the park, across Wilshire, during the south side's closure, and the city will continue outreach and trash collection to those unhoused residents. FOX 11 |
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LA City Council To Consider Motion Aimed At Developing Public Bank
The Los Angeles City Council today will consider authorizing the Chief Legislative Analyst to seek contractors or consultants to help the city create a public bank. The vote comes nearly two years after former City Council President Herb Wesson introduced a motion aimed at establishing the city's first public banking institution. That motion — introduced on Oct. 11, 2019 — was seconded by Councilmen Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz and passed 14-0 on Dec. 4, 2019. The council members proposed the motion soon after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 857, which allows statewide establishment of public banks. “A public bank is a huge and essential step to building back better from the COVID crisis and from the recession,” Bonin said in a statement to City News Service Monday. “With a public bank, we can invest in our neighborhoods, promote affordable housing, help struggling small businesses, support a just transition to a green economy, and advance equity. This is an exciting opportunity to create a system that champions people and not special interests, and I appreciate the opportunity to discuss it with my friends, colleagues and neighbors.” Los Angeles Daily News |
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About the LAPPL - Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at:
www.LAPD.com |
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