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Law Enforcement News
One Arrested After Brazen Robbery In Traffic: LAPD Searching For One Other Suspect
One person has been arrested for an attempted car robbery near the Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, but police are still trying to identify a second suspect. Cyree Jamal Carter, 23, of Inglewood, was arrested back on April 19, and has been charged with attempted robbery and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The charges stem from a robbery on April 16. According to LAPD, a car Carter was in pulled alongside another car in traffic on Highland Avenue near Melrose Avenue. Authorities say the driver pointed a handgun at the victims and demanded they hand over their belongings. The victim tried to drive away but got stuck in traffic. The suspects tried to follow, LAPD says, and ended up crashing into the back of the suspect's car, causing a four-vehicle collision. The suspects then got out of the car and ran away. Three days later, LAPD located Carter in Long Beach. When officers attempted to take him in, Carter allegedly led officers on a pursuit, before getting out of the car and running. He was eventually caught. Carter was originally held on $500,000 bail, but that was reduced to $230,000 after charges were filed. Carter has since posted bond and has been released. Police are still trying to identify the second suspect involved in this robbery. She's described as roughly 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 130 pounds. 
1 Wounded In Shooting On 110 Freeway In South L.A.
A person was wounded in a shooting on the 110 Freeway in the South Park area of South Los Angeles Friday night. The shooting occurred near the northbound 110 Freeway and Slauson Avenue, though the victim exited the freeway and stopped near the intersection of 57th Street and Broadway, according to Officer Cruz of the Los Angeles Police Department. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the area at about 9:15 p.m. to take the wounded person to the hospital, said Margaret Stewart of the LAFD. Aerial footage from Sky5 showed visible damage to the victim’s vehicle, a silver Mercedes-Benz sedan, though the victim’s condition has not been released. The California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation, Cruz said.
'I'm Really Lucky To Be Here': Man Stabbed On LA Metro Describes Surviving The Traumatic Attack
A man who was robbed and stabbed on a LA Metro bus is speaking out for the first time. Nearly two months ago, Allan Heinz was on his way to work near LAX when he was robbed and repeatedly stabbed while on a LA Metro bus. Security cameras caught the entire incident. Heinz was sitting on the Green Line when all of a sudden another man lunged at him and swiped his phone. Heinz chased him onto the Avalon platform where the suspect then stabbed him four times in the leg. At one point, someone mistook Heinz for the attacker and pulled him away. "I was like ‘hey you got the wrong guy’ with blood all over me. But this homeless lady, out of nowhere, risked her life for me and she was sitting at the platform watching it. She put her hand pressure on my legs as she prayed for me," Heinz told FOX 11. He says it took more than 30 minutes for help to arrive. 
Police Seek Public's Help To Find Dog Stolen From SUV In East Hollywood
Police on Monday sought the public's help to find a dog that was stolen along with a woman's SUV in East Hollywood. The victim left her vehicle running with the dog -- named Loki -- inside in the 1100 block of North Vermont Avenue near Los Angeles City College on Saturday when the SUV was stolen by an unknown suspect, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The vehicle was found and recovered in the 3900 block of Middlebury Street, near the 101 Freeway and Westmoreland Avenue, less than 24 hours after the robbery. However, Loki was not found inside. Anyone with information on Loki's whereabouts was asked to call the LAPD Northeast Community Police Station watch commander at 323-561-3244. Calls made during non-business hours or on weekends should be made to 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Man Dies After Being Shot In Boyle Heights
A man died Saturday night after he was shot multiple times in Boyle Heights. The shooting happened around 10:05 p.m. near the intersection of South Indiana and Dennison streets. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies from the East L.A. station responded to the scene after receiving reports of a shooting victim in the area. Deputies arrived on scene and found a man in his 40s suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. The man was transported to the hospital where he was declared deceased. Investigators say there is currently no known motive or suspect information related to the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. You can also submit an anonymous tip online at LACrimestoppers.org.
Man In His 40s Killed In East LA Shooting After Visiting Food Truck; Second Such Shooting In Month Span
Authorities on Sunday were investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a man in East Los Angeles. Deputies responded to South Indiana and Dennison Streets at around 10 p.m. Saturday evening following reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they located a man in his 40s who had been shot multiple times. He was rushed to the hospital where he died. Witnesses say the victim had eaten at a food truck, crossed the street, and was fatally shot. CBS reporters spoke with several residents who live in the surrounding area, who are rightfully concerned by the series of events. "I thought we just heard fireworks," said Jose Morales, who lives right outside of where the shooting took place. "When I came out I saw the cops - it wasn't fireworks." He continued to note that he and his neighbors are left with questions, concerned for their safety. "Everyone's trying to find out what happened, but they didn't tell us anything," Morales said. A motive for the shooting remains unknown. An investigation is underway, with investigators considering the incident a possible connection to another unsolved fatal shooting that occurred on March 28 outside of a food truck in East Los Angeles, where a 27-year-old man died.
LASD Deputies Take Fourth Grade Girl On Special Shopping Spree At Citadel Outlets Mall
Members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in East L.A. are going beyond the call of duty to help a young girl and her family go on a special shopping spree. Sofia Moncada has a lot to sing about. The fourth grader is in the U.S. on a medical visa from Colombia. She's received an eye transplant, and she recently also got to go on a shopping spree courtesy of the Citadel Outlets mall and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. "I felt happy and loved it and I bought some lip gloss that was a heart-shape," said Moncada through a translator. She got new clothes too, and best of all, some candy. Her mom says her daughter appreciates everything. "She is very happy a lot if doors have opened up for her through the connection that we've made through the sheriff's department, and through the school, and through the community," Nuvia Neira said through a translator. "And now my daughter is going to be on TV." For deputies, outreach like this is an important way to connect with the East L.A. community. "These are the small moments that you don't realize 'wow your dream came true,' that you're actually giving back to the community," said LASD Sgt. Mayra Sotomayor. "At one point, we were the children in the community, and somebody, or maybe there was some time of impact, that impacted us to become deputy sheriffs.
Already Heavily Surveilled, Beverly Hills Adds More Cameras In Hopes Of Stopping Crime
Beverly Hills is already one of the most heavily surveilled cities in the nation, but city officials say more is better as it looks to combat increased crime. Existing security cameras didn’t stop a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store last month, but the city’s police chief said the footage will help in the investigation. Now the city plans to expand its use of surveillance cameras, but the idea has some locals pushing back. The city already has about 2,000 active security cameras, but they are used to solve crimes after the fact and aren’t monitored live. Chief Mark Stainbrook said that’s about to change.
Ex-DWP Executive Sentenced To 6 Years Federal Prison In Corruption Case
A former top executive of the Los Angeles\ Department of Water and Power was sentenced today to six years in federal prison for his role in a bribery scheme stemming from a probe of the city's handling of the botched launch of a DWP billing system. David H. Wright, 62, of Riverside, will also have to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and pay a fine of $75,000. Prosecutors said Wright accepted bribes from a lawyer in exchange for supporting a $30 million, no-bid DWP contract, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The lawyer named in the case, Paul O. Paradis, pleaded guilty to a federal bribery count and is awaiting sentencing. Wright admitted in his plea agreement that he accepted kickbacks and participated in “corrupt schemes'' while leading the municipal utility. The cases against Wright and Paradis were the first criminal charges arising out of the investigation into the billing system rollout and subsequent litigation. The failed system led to many customers receiving wildly inflated bills. Wright was the DWP general manager from September 2016 until July 2019, when prosecutors say he was removed from office by Mayor Eric Garcetti after the FBI conducted searches of the DWP and the City Attorney's Office.
Pasadena Youth Basketball Coach Charged With Multiple Counts Of Lewd Acts On Child, Using Minor For Sex Acts
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies are asking people to come forward with any additional information they may have in regards to a recent arrest of a San Gabriel Valley youth basketball coach and referee, who has been charged with several counts of sexual assault in relation to a minor. On March 16, deputies launched an investigation based on a Suspected Child Abuse Report (SCAR), which led them to the suspect, Miles Alexander, who they learned had been in contact with a 13-year-old girl via social media application Snapchat. After speaking with the victim, one of which deputies believe could be many, they learned that Alexander offered the 13-year-old alcohol and drugs in exchange for explicit pictures and videos. As the investigation continued, they learned that Alexander had been in contact with "many individuals, mostly female," as detailed by an LASD press release. Due to this knowledge, authorities are under the impression that there are more victims of Alexander's that they have not been in contact with. 
Seven Charged With Distributing Fentanyl That Killed 10 In Orange County
Federal prosecutors have charged seven people with distributing fatal doses of fentanyl that killed 10 people over the last several years in Orange County. The cases, announced Friday, underscore the degree to which the powerful synthetic opioid has pervaded the illegal drug market in Southern California. Most of the people who overdosed in the cases had used cocaine or counterfeit prescription pills that, unbeknown to them, were laced with fentanyl, according to prosecutors. All seven defendants, who are charged in separate cases and not an overarching conspiracy, are accused of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. If convicted of the offense, they would each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. William Dick Jr., 40, is charged with selling drugs to four people at a Newport Beach home last October, three of whom overdosed and died. The lone survivor told police that he and his wife had gone to a house on Balboa Island where their friends were staying, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent wrote in an affidavit. The man said he called a dealer from whom he’d bought cocaine in the past and ordered $200 worth of the drug, according to the affidavit.
FBI Director Says Violence Against LEOs ‘Doesn’t Get Enough Attention’
In a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday, FBI Director Christopher Wray discussed the uptick in violence against police officers. “Violence against law enforcement in this country is one of the biggest phenomena that I think doesn’t get enough attention,” Wray said in the CBS interview. Wray also added that in 2021, “officers were being killed at a rate of almost one every five days.” According to Wray, 73 officers were murdered in 2021 – a 59% increase from the previous year. Wray said many of the slain officers were ambushed or killed while on patrol. “Wearing the badge shouldn’t make you a target,” Wray said. Wray says the uptick in police murders can in part be attributed to a 29% spike in murders nationally. “Certainly, the pandemic didn’t help,” Wray said in the interview. 
Police: Drunk Driver Plows Into Squad Car, Hitting State Trooper
A Florida state trooper miraculously avoided serious injury after a suspected drunk driver crashed into the trooper’s squad car, reported FOX 13. The unnamed trooper was standing in front of his marked cruiser while protecting an earlier crash scene, according to the report. Police said the accused drunk driver plowed into the back of the patrol car, which pushed the vehicle into the trooper. The trooper was thrown to the ground and suffered minor injuries, according to FOX 13. The suspect, Tamico Gilbert, was hospitalized with minor injuries and was charged with multiple DUI-related charges, the report said. Photos from the Florida Highway Patrol showed extensive damage to the squad car. 
'Stunned' Deputy Spots Man Tying Sock Full Of Drugs To Jail Fence
A police deputy in Alabama was talking on his cell phone Tuesday, April 19 when he noticed something nearby that shocked him. Fewer than 20 yards away, a man had walked up to the Walker County Jail and was tying a sock full of something to the fence, according to an April 20 news release on the Walker County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. When deputies looked inside the sock, they found it stuffed with crystal meth and marijuana, the release said. “The plan was that an inmate worker would eventually retrieve the drugs and try to sneak them inside the jail,” the sheriff’s office said. “Instead, Chief (Deputy Anthony) Leach — stunned at the guy’s stupidity — walked over and apprehended him.” According to deputies, the man was “no stranger” to law enforcement. Leach escorted the man into the building and told the investigative division to find the man’s vehicle outside, the release said. Deputies found his getaway vehicle with two people inside parked illegally in a handicap spot after they had circled the block to pick up the man, according to the sheriff’s office. The man who was accused of tying the drug-filled sock to the fence faces charges of attempting to elude, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and first-degree possession of marijuana, the sheriff’s office reported.
Public Safety News
Pilot Killed In Plane Crash In Sylmar Area Is Identified
The pilot who died in a small plane crash in Sylmar has been identified as John King, 62, of Torrance. He died when his twin-engine Cessna 337 Skymaster crashed alongside the westbound Foothill (210) Freeway in Sylmar Wednesday, according to the coroner's office. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, the FAA said. Details about why the plane went down were not immediately available. The location is near Whiteman Airport in the northeastern San Fernando Valley. The crash is the third in recent months near Whiteman Airport. In November, a plane crashed in a neighborhood near the runway, killing a Civil Air Patrol pilot. In January, a plane landed on train tracks near the airport and was struck by a Metrolink train. LAPD officers rescued the pilot from the wreckage moments before the train crashed into the plane. The county Board of Supervisors asked its staff to begin compiling documents and data that would need to be presented to the FAA if the county opted to seek a closure of the airport.
25-Year-Old Hiker Severely Injured After Falling 100 Feet In West Hills Hoisted To Safety: Video
Search and Rescue crews conducted a dangerous nighttime rescue of a critically injured hiker in the West Hills community of the San Fernando Valley. The 25-year-old hiker plummeted over 100 feet down the side of the mountain before coming to a rest. Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department and Ventura County Fire Department located the man after responding to the scene just before 8 p.m. Friday. The hiker was then strapped into a gurney and hoisted up to safety by an LAFD helicopter. The 25-year-old was rushed to the hospital with "significant traumatic injuries," according to LAFD. No further details were immediately known.
LA Fire Hoisting 56-Year-Old Man In Tarzana After He Suffered Severe Leg Injury
Los Angeles Fire Department Air Ops is conducting a hoist operation to rescue a 56-year-old man who suffered a suspected leg fracture on Sunday. The man was hiking near Caballero Canyon Trail in Tarzana, near Braemar Country Club, according to LA Fire. He was located at the 4000 block of North Reseda Boulevard. The identity of the injured hiker has not been released and it's unclear how he suffered his injury. 
BA.2 Blamed For Rising COVID-19 Cases In LA County
The number of COVID positive patients at county hospitals in Los Angeles rose slightly Sunday while those infected with the coronavirus appeared to be on the rise, based on the latest state figures released Friday. As of Sunday, 218 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 27 were being treated in intensive care. The latest figures come after the county reported another 2,056 infections Friday, raising the pandemic total to 2,859,799. Another 12 COVID-related deaths were reported then, raising the overall death toll to 31,924. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health does not report COVID data on weekends. Also on Friday, residents within the county were once again reaching for their masks following a new local COVID-19 health order requiring face coverings on all public transit, including buses, trains, taxis and ride-hailing service vehicles. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said the rule will not apply to people aboard airplanes, which are beyond the county's jurisdiction. She stressed that the county is still seeing "a lot of transmission" of COVID-19, and the infectious BA.2 subvariant of the virus is continuing to spread -- now representing 84% of all local cases that undergo special testing to identify variants.
Local Government News
LA City Council Considers Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics At City Facilities, Events
The Los Angeles City Council will vote Wednesday on a motion aimed at phasing out single-use plastics from city facilities and city-sponsored events. If the motion is passed, the Bureau of Sanitation also would develop an online zero waste training course that would be implemented for all city employees annually starting January 2023. Each city department would be instructed to develop zero waste plans by Sept. 30. The motion also seeks consideration of two other ordinances, which would require further analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act, to: create a citywide ban on products made from expanded polystyrene, such as Styrofoam, and expand the Single-Use Carryout Bag Ordinance to stores that give out such bags at the point of sale. Last week the city passed an ordinance aimed at reducing plastic waste in restaurants by making single-use foodware available only when requested by customers.