 |
|
|
Los Angeles
Police Protective League
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the union that represents the
rank and file LAPD officers
|
|
|
|
Daily Local & Regional NewsWatch
Daily News Digest
from LA Police Protective League
November 29, 2021 |
Law Enforcement News
Retired LAPD Officer Murdered, Officials Searching For Stepson As Person Of Interest
A retired officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was stabbed to death inside his Palmdale home Wednesday. Detectives with the county sheriff's department are searching for his stepson, Tyrell Gay, as a person of interest. According to the sheriff's department, the murder occurred Wednesday, November 24 at 4 p.m. at a home on the 39500 block of Colchester Court in Palmdale. Officials identified the victim was retired LAPD officer Darryl Lee. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives released a photo of Gay in hopes of locating him. He is considered to be armed and dangerous; if seen people should call 911. FOX 11 |
|
NewsConference: Crime Is Up, LAPD Seeks More Money
It wasn't that long ago that the LA City Council and Mayor Eric Garcetti said it was time to cut the police budget by $150 million, as some council members condemned the practices of the LAPD as racist. But then crime started climbing. Now the police commission is seeking a 12% increase in the police budget, and wants to hire more officers. NBC4's Conan Nolan talks with president of the Los Angeles Police Commission William Briggs. NBC 4 |
|
Crime On L.A. Trains, Buses Rises As Riders Return: ‘Poor People Are Suffering The Most'
As she waited for a Metro train in Hollywood, Maritza Mancilla shielded herself behind the escalator bringing passengers down into the fluorescent lit underground. She wanted to see the newcomers before they could see her. The 55-year-old, who relies on public transportation to get to her job as a house cleaner, has seen fights break out on the train. She's seen a man attempt to open the car doors while they were in motion. At the Hollywood/Western Metro station earlier this year, a man exposed himself to her. “If I could work from home, I would,” she said. With the pandemic easing and lockdowns lifted, a return to normalcy has come with benefits: increased economic activity, more people going back to work and school and holiday gatherings and social interactions. But on the Los Angeles public transit system — where ridership has rebounded to about 843,000 weekday daily riders from a pandemic low of about 363,800 — normal has also brought with it a rise in crime. In 2021, through September, reports of violent crimes were up 25% from the same time last year and 9% from 2019, according to L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority data. Some crimes, such as aggravated assaults, are exceeding pre-pandemic levels even though bus and rail ridership hasn't fully recovered. Although still rare, homicides jumped from one in 2019, to three in 2020, the first full year of the pandemic. So far in 2021, five people have been killed in stations or on public transport, including a 28-year-old woman fatally shot on the train while on her way to work. Los Angeles Times |
|
1 Dead After Argument, Shots Fired At Valley Village Hotel
A person is dead after gunfire erupted at a Valley Village hotel Friday morning, police said. A group of people staying at the Hotel Mariposa in the 12800 block of Riverside Drive were visited by another group around 7:30 a.m., the LAPD said. An argument happened and it escalated into shots being fired. A person from the visiting group was killed outside of an elevator. At least one person from the visiting party knew the group staying at the hotel, but further details about what led up to the argument are unclear. The victim has not been identified. LAPD did not confirm if the person was shot, only that shots were fired. The coroner's office will determine the cause of death. Whitney Rosales, who was visiting from the Bay Area, was coming down from the elevator when she saw blood splattered on the floor. A person of interest is in custody. ABC 7 |
|
Pedestrian Killed In Harvard Heights Hit-and-Run; LAPD Asks For Public's Help In Finding Driver
The Los Angeles Police Department asked the public's help in locating the vehicle and motorist responsible for the hit-and-run death of a 23-year-old man in the Harvard Heights area. The collision was reported at about 7:35 p.m. Friday in 2100 block of Venice Boulevard, near Normandie Avenue, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The pedestrian was crossing southbound Harvard Boulevard, at the intersection with Venice Boulevard in a marked crosswalk, when he was struck by a dark-colored, 2014-19 BMW sedan going eastbound on Venice, the LAPD said. The Los Angeles resident was pronounced dead at the scene. His name will be released pending notification of next of kin, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call LAPD West Traffic Division detectives at (213) 473-0234 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. ABC 7 |
|
Black Friday Smash-and-Grab Robberies Put LAPD On Tactical Alert
Los Angeles police late Friday were on citywide tactical alert after a wave of smash-and-grab “flash mob” robberies at high-end stores. And in Lakewood, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives were investigating a possible smash-and-grab robbery at a Home Depot after people stormed into the store Friday night and fled with sledgehammers and bolt cutters, according to authorities and a store employee. The Los Angeles Police Department declared the alert around 8:30 p.m. Friday and lifted it at 2 a.m. Saturday. The alert followed a string of robberies in the area early in the evening, including an incident at 5:30 p.m. in which at least 10 men robbed a store at 130 S. La Brea Ave., pushed employees onto the ground and fled, according to LAPD Officer Mike Lopez. Lopez said that another attempted robbery on La Brea Avenue around 5:30 p.m. ended with an employee being sprayed with some kind of chemical agent, and another robbery was carried out at gunpoint in the 7800 block of Melrose Avenue. Los Angeles police also took three people into custody Friday afternoon in the area of Melrose Avenue and Gardner Street after pulling over a vehicle for a traffic violation and spotting clothing with security tags “in plain sight,” connected to another theft, Lopez said. Los Angeles Times |
|
LA Thieves Attack Security Guard In California's Latest Smash-and-Grab
Smash-and-grab thieves were at it again in California on the eve of Thanksgiving. A group of five suspects stole about $25,000 in expensive purses from a Nordstrom store in the Westfield Topanga mall in Los Angeles Wednesday evening. They assaulted and used bear spray on a security guard during the smash-and-grab, police said. "It's unfortunate because these people that are here are just trying to shop for the holidays [and] for their families," said LAPD Deputy Chief Alen Hamilton, according to CBS LA. "We've deployed extra officers here. It just so happened that this was one part of the mall where they were able to get in and get out, even with our officers being deployed here." The police force deployed extra officers to the mall following a series of mob theft attacks in the state in recent days, but the thieves targeted the Nordstrom at a moment when no officers were around, the outlet reported. The security guard was treated by paramedics and is expected to be OK following the attack. At least one suspect was described as wearing an orange wig during the robbery. The suspects grabbed seven to eight purses and fled in a newer-model gray Ford Mustang, ABC 7 reported. The incident comes after a group of thieves smashed windows with a sledgehammer and other tools at a Nordstrom store at a luxury mall called The Grove late Monday in Los Angeles. Officers pursued an SUV involved in the crime. Three arrests have been made. FOX News |
|
3 Injured In Hyde Park Shooting
Three people were injured in Hyde Park Saturday night after a reported shooting, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The shooting was reported at about 6:25 p.m. in the 6000 block of Brynhurst Avenue, according to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange and a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department. Three people – a 20-year-old woman, a 25-year-old man and a 40-year-old man – were taken to local hospitals with unknown injuries, Prange added. The victims' conditions and what led up to the alleged shooting remain unknown, and no further details were released. KTLA 5 |
|
Robber Uses Pepper Spray To Aid In Theft At Beverly Grove Boutique: LAPD
A Beverly Grove business was robbed Friday night, leaving at least one person suffering from the effects of pepper spray, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The boutique near the intersection of Melrose Place and La Cienega Boulevard was robbed at about 5:21 p.m., according to Officer Orris of the LAPD. The robber used pepper spray on someone — it remains unclear if it was a shopper or an employee — and stole merchandise before leaving the store, police said. The suspect remains outstanding, Orris said. A chemical substance was also used in a commercial theft on Wednesday in Canoga Park, police said. KTLA 5 |
|
Nordstrom At Westfield Topanga Mall Hit In Latest Rash Of Flash Mob Robberies
A Canoga Park mall was the scene of a flash mob-style robbery Wednesday night, similar to one pulled off at the Grove earlier this week. Around 7 p.m., three to five suspects entered a Nordstrom in the Westfield Topanga mall and stole nearly $25,000 worth of designer bags, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspects entered the store, which was open at the time, and sprayed a security guard with a chemical substance before fleeing the scene in a green Ford mustang. The security guard was treated and released at the scene by the Los Angeles Fire Department, Deputy Police Chief Alan Hamilton said in an interview with RMG News. It was unclear at the time if the suspects were armed with more than the chemical spray, Hamilton said. Police departments across Los Angeles County have been increasing their presence around major shopping malls and retail outlets after a flash mob robbery at the Nordstrom at the Grove Monday night. On Saturday, Luis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue stores in the Rodeo Drive area in Beverly Hills were targeted by a group of burglars, prompting the city to hire private security firms to patrol the area. Los Angeles Daily News |
|
Man Suspected Of Killing Denver Resident Day After Jail Release Arrested In LA
A man suspected of killing a Denver resident a day after being released from jail was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles, police said. Brian Murray, 40, was being held for investigation of first-degree murder in the death of William “Stu” Hoebel, 77, on Thursday, Denver police spokesperson Doug Schepman said in a statement. It is not known if Murray has a lawyer and online jail records did not say when he would be scheduled to be in court. He had repeated contact with police in Louisville, Colorado, 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Denver, in the days before Hoebel was killed, KDVR-TV reported. After Murray allegedly told dispatchers he was armed and wanted police to shoot him, Louisville police took him to the hospital on Nov. 14 to have him put on an mental health hold. However, no one was available to evaluate him and he was able to leave. Police took him to the hospital again after getting a court order for an evaluation on Nov. 16 but ended up arresting him after he said had been given a gun but tossed it. He was jailed on suspicion of obstructing government operations and attempting to influence a public servant. On Nov. 17, after finding the gun, police planned to arrest Murray on additional charges but learned he had been released without having to pay any money. NBC 4 |
|
Black Friday In LA County Marred By Multiple Smash-and-Grab Robberies
A citywide tactical alert was lifted Saturday, after a Black Friday marred by several more smash-and-grab robberies across Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Police Department issued the alert Friday night and called it off at around 2 a.m. Saturday. The department defines a tactical alert as enabling all available officers to respond to a criminal incident if necessary. A Home Depot in Lakewood was hit by a group of multiple suspects who took about $400 in tools that might have been intended for use in other planned robberies. A large group entered the Bottega Veneta store at 8445 Melrose Place -- near Croft Avenue and the border with West Hollywood -- and stole an unknown amount of items before fleeing Friday night. In the Lakewood case, four suspects were in custody after being arrested in Beverly Hills. Police received a call regarding several vehicles driving with no license plates near Beverly Drive and Dayton Way just after 9 p.m. Friday, Sgt. Jeff Newman of the Beverly Hills Police Department told City News Service. Officers stopped one of the vehicles and took the suspects into custody. The suspects were booked at the Lakewood Sheriff's Station and items among the alleged stolen property were recovered, Lakewood city officials said Saturday. The city said the sheriff's department will send more deputies out to patrol the mall and the city will share the costs. Officials added that they would ask District Attorney George Gascon to prosecute the suspects to the fullest extent of the law. NBC 4 |
|
Investigation Underway After Woman Found Fatally Stabbed In East LA
Homicide detectives on Sunday were investigating the circumstances surrounding the stabbing death of a woman in her 20s in East Los Angeles. The incident was reported Saturday just after 6:15 p.m. on the 4100 block of Whittier Boulevard in an unincorporated area of East L.A., according to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Responding deputies found a woman suffering from stab wounds to the upper torso. The victim, who officials only described as a Hispanic woman in her 20's, was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. No suspect description or additional details were immediately available. Anyone with more information about this incident is asked to call the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or visit the website www.lacrimestoppers.org . KTLA 5 |
|
Flash Mob Robbers Hit Lakewood Home Depot; 4 Suspects Arrested
Four people police believe were involved in a flash mob robbery at Home Depot in the Lakewood Center Mall on Friday night have been arrested in Beverly Hills. The Home Depot incident was one of several brazen robberies playing out around Los Angeles on Friday, including one where a security guard was punched and another where an employee was sprayed with a chemical agent. Beverly Hills police officers received a call regarding six vehicles driving with no license plates near Beverly Drive and Dayton Way just after 9 p.m. Friday, Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said. The officers stopped two cars and found several adults and two infants, Rivetti said. Ultimately, they detained four people who were later arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on suspicion of their involvement in the Home Depot robbery. How they were linked was not immediately disclosed. Eight teenagers or young men entered the Home Depot in the 5000 block of Hardwick Street at about 7:45 p.m. and stole tools, including hammers, crowbars, wrenches, and sledgehammers, according to the Sheriff's Department. Los Angeles Daily News |
|
$10,000 Reward Offered In Search For Killer Of 13-Year-Old Pasadena Boy
Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information that helps find the killer of a 13-year-old Pasadena boy who police say was hit by a stray bullet fired through his bedroom window as he played video games. Iran Moreno was wounded at 6:12 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of North Raymond Avenue and died later at a hospital, according to the Pasadena Police Department. The reward was offered by the city of Pasadena for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects responsible for his death. The target of the shooting was unknown, but it did not appear to be the boy, police said. Multiple shots were fired, but police did not know whether the shooter fired from a vehicle or was on foot. Mayor Victor Gordo called for increased police presence in the wake of the shooting in a Monday afternoon news conference. "We can't continue to take the same approach to public safety in this city or in the region and expect different results," Gordo said. "It's not too long ago that we called on more resources for the police department, that we said to the police department, `we need more enforcement, we need more officers on the street.' And I'm here to renew those calls, to say that we should and we must do things differently." FOX 11 |
|
12-Year-Old Fatally Hit By Stray Bullet On Thanksgiving, According To San Diego Family
A family Thanksgiving gathering turned tragic on Thursday when a 12-year-old was apparently fatally struck by a stray bullet while playing in the backyard of a San Diego home. Angel Domingo Gaspar Gallegos, 12, was with about a dozen of his cousins when his younger brother heard a loud bang and saw Angel fall to the ground, according to family members. “We thought my backyard was the safest place in the world for the kids to play,” Maria Gaspar, the victim's aunt, said Saturday. Gaspar said she was hosting a large holiday family gathering with approximately 40 family members at the home she had recently moved into in the Skyline neighborhood. Gaspar said Angel's mother tried to stop the bleeding from the gunshot wound to his back while the family waited for emergency services around 9:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. San Diego police officers and other emergency responders performed CPR on the boy. “I think he was already gone before they even got here,” said Gaspar. The child was rushed to UC San Diego Medical Center where he died. The shooting happened on Cahill Drive near Brutus Street. Angel was visiting the home as a family guest. He attended Parkway Middle School in La Mesa. San Diego Union Tribune |
|
Retired Officer Protecting California News Crew Dies After Being Shot In Attempted Robbery
A security guard has died after he was shot while he protected a San Francisco Bay Area television news crew covering a smash-and-grab theft, part of a rash of organized retail crime in the region. “We are devastated by the loss of security guard and our friend, Kevin Nishita. Our deepest sympathy goes to Kevin's wife, his children, his family, and to all his friends and colleagues,” KRON-TV's vice president and general manager, Jim Rose, said in a statement issued Saturday. The former police officer was an armed guard for Star Protection Agency and provided security for many reporters in the region. He was shot in the abdomen during an attempted robbery of KRON-TV's camera equipment near downtown Oakland on Wednesday, police said. The news crew was covering a recent robbery where a group of thieves broke in and stole from a clothing store. A reward of $32,500 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in Nishita's killing. “This senseless loss of life is due to yet another violent criminal act in the Bay Area. We hope that offering a reward will help lead to the arrest of those responsible so they can face justice for this terrible tragedy,” Rose said. Associated Press |
|
Indianapolis Breaks Homicide Record As Man Found Fatally Shot
246. That's the number of people who have been killed by someone else in the city of Indianapolis so far in 2021. And it's the most ever in a single year. Indianapolis on Saturday passed its all-time record of 245 total homicides set last year. The number of homicides has increased steadily since at least 2012, with a dip in 2019 before a steep increase in killings in 2020 and now 2021. The city's latest deaths came after a nine-day period without any homicides — the longest streak this year, according to an IndyStar analysis of homicide data. On Friday, a man was shot and killed at a northwest side apartment complex. On Saturday, a man died on the city's south side, in the 3100 block of Harlan Street. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers responded to the neighborhood, near East Troy Avenue and South Keystone Avenue, about 1 a.m. and found the man shot and killed inside a vehicle. Few other details have been released in those deaths, as of Saturday, and the men have yet to be identified. The city in early November broke its criminal homicide record for the second consecutive year. The Indianapolis Star |
|
Public Safety News
Massive Blaze Rips Through Commercial Building South Of Downtown Los Angeles
More than 100 firefighters battled a greater-alarm blaze at a textile-filled commercial building in the Central-Alameda area of Los Angeles Thursday evening. The fire was reported at 7:48 p.m. in the 4800 block of South Alameda Street, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The roof collapsed over an 80,000-square-foot building that adjoined four different buildings, Stewart said. Thick plumes of smokes visible from miles out filled the sky as firefighters fought the flames with the help from aerial ladder trucks. A fire also erupted at the location on Tuesday, Stewart said. "With our investigators on scene, they're gonna be able to start to determine what the circumstances were around this fire," said LAFD Capt. Cody Weireter. ABC 7 |
|
Facing New Omicron Variant, L.A. County Urges Mask Wearing, Testing, Vaccinations
Amid growing concerns about the new Omicron variant, Los Angeles County health officials are urging the public to wear masks in indoor public settings and at outdoor “mega events” and be vaccinated as the best way to protect against another winter surge. The variant, first identified in South Africa amid a spike in infections there, has more mutations than any scientists have seen, including some that may make the virus more resistant to immunity generated from previous infections or vaccines. But much isn't known, including whether the variant is more transmissible, results in more severe illness or reduces the efficacy of vaccines. L.A. County officials agreed there is still much to know about the variant, but “we know enough about COVID to take steps now that can reduce transmission as we prepare to better understand the additional strategies that may needed to mitigate this new variant of concerns.” Los Angeles Times |
|
California Health Officials Watching For Omicron Variant Of Coronavirus
The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals increased slightly Sunday, rising from 565 Saturday to 568, according to the latest state figures. The number of those patients in intensive care rose from 155 to 157. Those numbers came as the county reported 575 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths associated with the virus, in totals that likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The county has now reported 1,525,486 cases of COVID-19 and 27,128 fatalities since the pandemic began. Of the 9,402,000 individuals tested to date, 15% have tested positive for the virus, the department said. Officials are also keeping a wary eye on the new Omicron variant detected in Africa and Europe. "California is closely monitoring the new Omicron variant, which has not yet arrived in California or the U.S.," state Public Health Director Tomos Aragon said. FOX 11 |
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
|
|
