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LA Man Arrested In Beating Death Of Toddler Who Suffered Head, Brain Injuries

Authorities have arrested and charged a North Hollywood man for the beating death of a 14-month-old baby, according to authorities. Cesar Daniel Cabrera Jr., 20, is charged with assault on a child that would likely result in the child becoming comatose or paralyzed and child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office announced Friday. "The physical abuse suffered by this young boy is horrifying. That the alleged perpetrator is the child’s father is unconscionable," District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. "The harm inflicted in this case warrants that special allegations be filed. My office is committed to protecting our children by holding accountable anyone who abuses them." The charges also include special allegations of abuse to a child under 5 years old and felony offense while out on bail. A police report states that the 14-month-old boy suffered brain and head injuries as a result of the alleged abuse. Cabrera, his biological father, allegedly admitted to the crime in an interview with police. The alleged assault took place on March 22, when Cabrera was out on bail for a separate crime, court documents show.

FOX News

L.A. police and firefighters gave up raises during COVID. Now they’re getting paid back

Faced with the prospect of employee layoffs and other drastic measures, L.A.’s elected officials persuaded police officers, firefighters and thousands of other city employees to delay their scheduled raises for a year or more. But that deal came with a caveat: If the state or federal government came through with a big financial rescue package, city leaders would be required to reopen talks with those same employees — opening the door for them to claw back those pay increases. The final agreement on the list, now heading to the City Council, represents nearly a third of those funds: $44.5 million in bonuses and other benefits for rank-and-file police officers represented by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the LAPD’s biggest union.

Los Angeles Times

Teen Killed In Shootout Along Hollywood Walk Of Fame

A teenager is dead following a shootout along Hollywood's Walk of Fame overnight. The victim was shot just after 1 a.m. on Hollywood Boulevard. Preliminary information reveals it appears that a group of men - at least one armed with a gun - tried robbing another group of men, leading to a shootout with multiple people shooting at each other. Witnesses said they heard about 10 gunshots. The victim was taken to the hospital where he later died, officials said. He was shot multiple times. At least four suspects were seen running from the scene, including at least one that had been with the victim. It's unclear if this was an attempted robbery, or if the men got into some type of argument that led to the shootout. The investigation remains ongoing. 

FOX 11

Man Fatally Stabbed By 5 Men In Westlake District

A man was fatally stabbed by five different suspects early Saturday morning in the Westlake District. The Los Angeles Police Department received the 911 call just after 1 a.m., reporting a stabbing attack on the 742 block of Westlake Avenue, south of Wilshire Boulevard and MacArthur Park. When LAPD officers arrived to the scene of the stabbing, they found the victim lying in an alley with multiple stab wounds, according to City News Service. Witnesses told LAPD they saw at least five men stab the victim and ran away after. The victim was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. It's unclear what was the motive behind the attack and authorities are not sure whether this was a gang-related homicide.

CBS 2

12 shot in coast-to-coast weekend mayhem; victims in New York, LA

Twelve people were shot in two separate shootings over the weekend, one on the east coast and one on the west coast. Police in New York say six people were shot around 3 a.m. on Sunday in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Albany. One hour later, at 1 a.m. California time, a gunman opened fire into a crowd at a Los Angeles area bar, injuring at least six people. The suspect is in custody, the Los Angeles Police Department told FOX 11 Los Angeles. 

Fox News

6 Wounded After Gunman Opens Fire Into Crowd Following Argument At Bar In Boyle Heights

At least six people were sent to hospitals from a shooting that followed an argument early Sunday morning inside a bar in Boyle Heights, authorities said. A suspect is in custody and all the victims are expected to survive their wounds, said Officer Rosario Cervantes of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section. ABC7 reported the incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. at the Holiday Bar in the 2400 block of Whittier Boulevard, where a verbal dispute escalated into a fight before the shooting, according to Los Angeles police Lt. Leticia Ruiz. Cervantes said four males and two females were shot, and three of the victims took themselves to hospitals. Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said paramedics took four people to hospitals. No further details were immediately available.

Los Angeles Daily News

27 New Officers Graduate From LAPD Academy, Giving Hope To Addressing Department's Staffing Issues

As the Los Angeles Police Department reports not meeting its staffing goals, a graduation ceremony on Friday is giving the department some hope. A total of 27 new officers were honored after graduating from the police academy. The graduating officers - 22 men and 5 women - all completed 912 hours of training over the course of 24 weeks. Earlier this week, Chief Michel Moore alerted the Board of Police Commissioners of the department's staffing issues. "This has been a profession that has taken a turn for the worst in sense of its desirability," said Moore during Friday's ceremony. "People are looking at, 'Is this a profession that I can enjoy? That I can make a meaningful difference, but if I make a mistake or if I make an error, am I going to be crucified for it?'"

ABC 7

A New TikTok Challenge Is Showing How To Hot-Wire Cars. Kias And Hyundais Are Vulnerable, LAPD Warns

Los Angeles police issued an alert Thursday saying a TikTok trend may be behind an uptick in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, with viral videos from across the country exposing a weakness in the cars’ ignitions that can make them easier to hot-wire. The “TikTok Kia/Hyundai social media challenge” is likely a factor in a rise in theft of Kias and Hyundais, the LAPD alert said. The vehicles last year made up about 13% of all stolen vehicles, but this year that number has increased to about 20%, police said. The vehicles at risk do not have an ignition immobilizer, which makes the cars easier to compromise, according to the LAPD. Police officials said Kia and Hyundai owners should consider utilizing a steering wheel locking device or antitheft system to deter such auto thefts. TikTok videos about the stolen vehicles are shared frequently on the social media website, as well as documenting the process of how the cars are stolen. Many local news outlets have covered the issue, citing the mostly anonymous, so-called “Kia Boys” as the culprits, especially in Milwaukee, where it appears the trend may have started or has become most widespread.

Los Angeles Times

Man Pleads Guilty To Six Armed Robberies, Mostly 7-Eleven Stores, During Two-Week Crime Spree

A South Los Angeles man pleaded guilty Friday to a federal conspiracy charge and admitted to committing six armed robberies of businesses, including several 7-Eleven stores, during a two-week crime spree late last year. Colin Powell Lacey, 28, of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, according to federal prosecutors. According to his plea agreement, Lacey participated in the armed robbery of six businesses — five of which were 7-Eleven convenience stores — from Nov. 13, 2021, to Nov. 29, 2021, authorities said. In one instance, on Nov. 29, 2021, Lacey and his co-conspirator, Kyle Richard Williams, 25, of Inglewood, went together to a smoke shop located in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles, authorities said. Williams entered the store, pointed a handgun at the cashier and stole $442 while Lacey waited outside the store. That same night, Lacey and Williams robbed 7-Eleven stores in Hollywood and Mid-City, making off with $600 and $100, respectively, authorities said. Lacey and Williams fled in Lacey’s Hyundai.

Los Angeles Times

CHP Arrests Five In Connection With Large-Scale Cargo Theft

A two-year investigation by the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Cargo Theft Interdiction Program team has ended with five arrests in connection with a large-scale cargo theft operation, officials announced this week. The suspects are responsible for over $9 million of loss related to the theft of cargo shipments of electronics and electronic components, officials said in a social media post. Investigators worked closely with the CHP Southern Division CTIP team to investigate high-volume thefts throughout the state. On Aug. 4, the CHP CTIP teams, Los Angeles Airport Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted a joint operation within Los Angeles County, serving multiple search and arrest warrants. In all, five suspects were arrested, more than $1 million in stolen cargo was recovered and nearly $250,000 in cash was seized. Items recovered included products from Google, MSI, Hewlett Packard, Samsung, Dell, Microsoft, Sonos, Sony, Apple, Asus, Ring, Max Mara and other brands.

Mercury News

Man shot, 2 women zip-tied in Temple City home invasion

Authorities are investigating after a man was shot during a home invasion Sunday in Temple City. According to authorities, it happened around 4:30 a.m. at a home in the 9700 block of Longden Avenue. When officers arrived at the home, they found two women zip-tied and the man suffering from a gunshot wound. A baby inside the home during the crime was uninjured.

Fox 11

Man Who Ambushed, Killed California Deputy Sentenced To Life Without Parole

Former U.S. Air Force Sgt. Steven Carrillo will serve life in a California prison, without the option of parole or appeal, a Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge ruled Friday. Carrillo, 34, formerly of Ben Lomond, shot and killed Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller during a firefight with law enforcement on his family's Waldeberg Road property on June 6, 2020. Carrillo, part of an extremist and violent anti-government and anti-law enforcement "Boogaloo" movement, also attempted to murder five others — including Ramponi, Deputy Alex Spencer, two California Highway Patrol officers and Patzke, all charges to which he admitted as part of a plea agreement June 27. Friday's sentence was delivered before a courtroom packed with family, friends and coworkers of Gutzwiller, along with those Carrillo had injured and their supporters. Two additional courtrooms were set aside for overflow community attendees to listen in while several emotional victim statements were read aloud.

Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.

'Dangerous Trend': 3.1M Fentanyl Pills Seized At Arizona Border In One Month

The amount of fentanyl pills seized at the southern border in Arizona drastically increased in August, from already historically high numbers. Over the weekend, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port of Nogales made two significant seizures. The combined total was 1.57 million fentanyl pills, 114 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin and 2 pounds of fentanyl powder, according to Customs and Border Protection. The majority of the fentanyl pills and cocaine were concealed in a floor compartment of a commercial tractor trailer, and the rest were removed from the floor compartment of a separate vehicle. Director of Field Operations Guadalupe Ramirez called it a "massive seizure" in a tweet Monday. In August alone, officers at the Nogales port have seized 3.1 million fentanyl pills, "highlighting the dangerous trend of deadly narcotics smuggling," Ramirez's tweet said. More than 3 million in one month shows a large increase to an already record-setting trend. Toward the end of July, Nogales port seizures had exceeded 5 million fentanyl pills so far this fiscal year, which only had two months to go, according to Nogales Port Director Michael Humphries.

Arizona Daily Star

LAFD Knocks Down House Fire In Chinatown

Firefighters knocked down a house fire Sunday in Chinatown. The blaze at 624 N. Beaudry Ave. was reported at 1:06 a.m., according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Firefighters extinguished the bulk of the fire from the exterior and then transitioned to an interior offensive operation with a second company, Stewart said. The department dispatched 34 firefighters to the scene and extinguished the flames in 14 minutes, she added. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

MyNewsLA

LA County Sees Rise In COVID Hospitalizations

The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals increased by 62 to 889, with 102 in intensive care, up one from the previous day, according to the latest state data released Saturday. The county's hospitalization figures have varied dramatically in recent days, dropping from 924 on Wednesday to 802 the next day, then rising back up to 889 over the next two days. There was no immediate explanation for the fluctuation. Health officials have said that roughly 43% of the COVID-positive patients were actually admitted for virus-related illness, while the others were admitted for other reasons, with some only learning they were infected when they were tested at the hospital. Saturday's numbers come one day after the county reported 3,694 new COVID infections and 20 additional deaths linked to the virus. That brings the cumulative totals to 3,396,657 cases and 33,096 fatalities since the pandemic began, according to the county Department of Public Health. 

NBC 4

LA City Council Votes To Incentivize Affordable Housing In High-Resource Areas

In an effort to create more affordable housing in higher resource neighborhoods, the Los Angeles City Council called Friday for preparation of an ordinance that would incentivize affordable housing projects in such areas. Only 14% of the affordable housing units permitted in the last decade in Los Angeles were located within high-resource neighborhoods, while 86% were in neighborhoods deemed low-resource and high-poverty. “I want to make sure that balance looks a little better for Los Angeles going forward,” said Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who introduced the initial motion in August 2021 along with Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson. The council voted 12-0 Friday to direct the Department of City Planning to prepare an ordinance that would expand incentives for projects located on land already zoned for multi-family housing, with a focus on commercial zones, transit areas and corridors. The city would also incentivize projects on publicly owned land, parking zones and land owned by faith-based institutions. The incentives could include "ministerial approval" for such projects, meaning the permitting process would be streamlined and the project given approval as long as it meets certain objective standards. 

NBC 4