Good Morning. Join us on Saturday, June 4th for LAPD's 19th Annual "Still Saving Lives" Car Show sponsored by Fusion Motor Company. The event will take place from 9am - 3pm at Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills. Click here for more information.
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Man’s Conviction Upheld For Woman’s 1980 Killing
A state appellate court panel Tuesday rejected an appeal filed on behalf of a man who was already serving time for murder when he was convicted of killing a woman who was stabbed 16 times and whose head was bludgeoned with an eight-pound weight in her Silver Lake apartment more than four decades ago. The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found that the evidence of Harold Parkinson’s guilt in the August 1980 killing of Stephanie Sommers was “overwhelming” and that he was “conclusively identified through forensic DNA analysis as being the person who had sex with Sommers at the time she was killed.” “The forensic evidence also proved that Sommers did not get up after having sex; rather, she was either raped and then murdered, or beaten unconscious and/or killed and then raped,” the panel concluded in its ruling, which rejected the defense’s contention that there were errors in Parkinson’s trial. Parkinson, now 62, was convicted in November 2019 of first-degree murder. Jurors also found true the special-circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a rape, along with allegations that Parkinson used a weight and a knife during the attack on the 36-year-old woman.
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Reputed Federal Informant, Whistleblower Found Dead In L.A. After He's Reported Missing
A reputed federal informant and whistleblower who went missing after he was reported to have turned over a trove of secret files about Deutsche Bank was found dead at a Los Angeles school this week, a police official said Wednesday. The body of Valentin Broeksmit, 46, was found Monday at Woodrow Wilson High School shortly before 7 a.m., Sgt. Rudy Perez of the Los Angeles School Police Department said in an email. Records of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner do not list a cause of death. Los Angeles Police Capt. Kenneth Cabrera told the Los Angeles Times that authorities do not suspect foul play. Broeksmit was last seen driving a red Mini Cooper on the afternoon of April 6, 2021, on Riverside Drive and was later reported missing by relatives, Los Angeles police said. His vehicle was found, the department said, but Broeksmit remained missing. Perez said Wednesday that he appeared to be homeless. According to a 2019 profile in The New York Times, Broeksmit was a musician and the son of a Deutsche Bank executive who died by suicide in 2014. After his father's death, Broeksmit gained access to his father's email account and found hundreds of files related to the bank, including board meeting minutes, financial plans, spreadsheets and password-protected presentations, the newspaper reported.
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Fatal Head-On Crash Turns Into Shooting Investigation In South LA
A fatal head-on collision has turned into a shooting investigation in South Los Angeles, authorities said. Officials said a crash was initially reported at the intersection of East Gage Avenue and South Avalon Boulevard just before 2:30 a.m. When paramedics arrived, they realized one of the crash victims had been shot, and he was declared dead at the scene. The coroner has identified the victim as 39-year-old Yovany Rodriguez. "At this point, what we know is this individual was shot, and it appears he was in his car when he was shot -- probably a block or two east of this location. So, we’re reviewing video and trying to figure out what led up to this," said Lt. Ryan Rabbett with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Homicide Division. The second crash victim was not injured, Lt. Rabbett said. He was interviewed by detectives and released at the scene. A description of the suspect or suspect’s vehicle was not available. Anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting is asked to contact the LAPD.
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Street Vendor Shot: Suspect Robs Two Vendors In South LA, Shoots One
On Saturday night, a suspect robbed two street vendors at gunpoint in South Los Angeles and shot one of the vendors, according to LAPD. Surveillance video shows when the man in the black jacket showed up with a gun at a food vendors spot at Aranda's Car Wash near Florence Avenue and San Pedro Street. The suspect shot fruit vendor Pablo Briones in the foot. "At that moment I just noticed there was a vibration in my foot. I didn't feel anything. After my body started feeling the pain," said Briones. "We know that we are exposed to this kind of violence for selling on the street." The suspect first approached David Jimenez, a taco truck worker at Tacos Arandas, struck Jimenez in the head with the gun and took their money. Jimenez said the suspect is a previous customer. "He is known in the community. I told him that I know him. That's when he hit me with the gun and I gave him the money," said Jimenez. "I told myself, 'He's going to kill me.' So, I gave him the money." According to LAPD, a second vendor tried to intervene. The suspect then targeted Briones and took his money. Briones said to the suspect "God Bless You" and that's when the suspect shot him in the foot and fled the scene. The victim was transported to a hospital.
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Help Needed To Identify Second Suspect In Attempted Robbery, Shooting At Melrose Avenue Store
A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting at a man as he chased him through a Melrose area boutique in a robbery attempt, but police are looking for a second suspect in the incident. Jamario Kevin Ray of Los Angeles is being held without bail in connection with the April 10 shooting and attempted robbery on Melrose Avenue. Ray was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon and had a warrant for a parole violation, and has since been charged with one count each of attempted murder, attempted robbery, and being a felon with a gun. According to the LAPD, Ray is believed to be one of two men who chased down a man wearing an expensive watch into a clothing store on Melrose Avenue. The man who was being chased ran inside the store and towards a backroom, while the suspects followed and fired six rounds in his direction. He was not hit by gunfire, police said. Detectives located more surveillance video from near the alley where the robbery suspects were seen coming from, and determined they had arrived in a vehicle and were driven away by a third person. Police are still looking for the second suspect in the robbery. He was described as a Black man in his 20s, about 6 feet tall and between 170 and 190 pounds. He wore a navy hooded sweatshirt, gray pants, and black shoes. Anyone with information about the robbery, or any other incidents involving one of the suspects, can contact detectives Alonzo or Mrakich at (213) 486-6840.
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Pedestrian Killed By Vehicle In Sherman Oaks
Sky9's Desmond Shaw reports from over Sherman Oaks where a pedestrian was struck and killed in the area of Magnolia Boulevard and Buffalo Avenue. The driver of the vehicle did remain at the scene and appears to have sustained frontend damage to their car. LAPD was investigating.
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Man, 30, Reported Missing In Koreatown
Police Wednesday sought the public's help to locate a 30-year-old man who was last seen in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles. Deangelo Deshawn Harris was last seen about 8 p.m. on Friday in the area of Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, near Lafayette Park, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Harris is Black, 5-feet-8 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to contact the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800. Calls made during non-business hours or on weekends can be directed to 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online.
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$18.85M Settlement Reached In West L.A. Lamborghini Crash That Killed Woman
The family of a woman killed in a West Los Angeles crash involving a speeding Lamborghini last year will receive at least $18.85 million after a wrongful death settlement was reached with the then 17-year-old driver, the family’s attorney announced Wednesday. The law firm representing the family called the agreement one of the largest settlements in California history for a single plaintiff in a wrongful death case. Monique Muñoz, 32, was killed on Feb. 17, 2021, when she was heading home from her job at UCLA Health. She was heading west on Olympic Boulevard and was waiting to turn left on Overland Avenue when the driver of a Lamborghini SUV ran a red light and crashed into her vehicle going more than 100 mph. The impact caused Muñoz’s car to nearly split in half and she died at the scene. The driver, Brendan Khuri, suffered moderate injuries and was hospitalized. He was arrested nearly a week after the deadly crash and eventually admitted to a gross vehicular manslaughter charge. Last October, he was sentenced to seven to nine months in a juvenile camp.
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Dog Missing After SUV Stolen In East Hollywood Found Safe
A dog that was in an SUV when it was stolen off an East Hollywood street Saturday afternoon has been found safe and reunited with its family. Tara Luhv, the vehicle’s owner, said she was inside a gymnastics studio with her daughter when her 2019 Honda Pilot was stolen. Luhv had left her dog Loki inside with the air running but kept the key fob with her. Luhv told KTLA that Loki suffers from separation anxiety and she didn’t want to leave him alone for an entire busy day. She checked on him frequently in the moments leading up to the crime, but there was just enough time between those check-ins for a man to break in and drive off. On Monday, police announced that the vehicle was recovered not far from where it was stolen, but Loki was still missing. The next day, Luhv and her children were reunited with their beloved pet. Loki had been living under a freeway where he was being cared for by a homeless man, Luhv said. He is healthy and happy to be home, she added. Luhv said she recently moved to Los Angeles on a “leap of faith” to start fresh and give her kids a new life. With the return of Loki and the family vehicle, it looks like their plan is back on track.
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Man Taking Photos Of His McLaren Pistol Whipped And Robbed Of Rolex Watch In Malibu
A man taking pictures of his McLaren in Malibu was pistol-whipped for his Rolex watch. The incident happened in off Pacific Coast Highway near Coastline Road on Tuesday afternoon. Two men robbed the man as he was taking pictures of his McLaren. They got away in a white Honda. LA County Sheriff's Department Lt. Greg Evans. The victim suffered a cut on his head. No further information was available.
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Barstow Parents Arrested On Suspicion Of Killing Their 1-Year-Old Son
A Barstow father and mother were arrested on suspicion of murdering their 1-year-old son who was found with injuries stemming from abuse, police said Tuesday. An investigation into the suspects, identified as 27-year-old Ricardo Mendez and 24-year-old Antanita Miller, began when Barstow police was contacted by the Pomona Police Department Monday around 11 p.m. Pomona police responded to the Pomona Valley Hospital to investigate the death of a one-year-old boy who arrived at the facility unresponsive and with "injuries consistent with ongoing abuse," the Barstow Police Department said in a news release. "The officers observed visible signs of trauma to the victim's body such as lesions, bruising, and burn marks," the news release said. "Some of the injuries appeared to be in different stages of the healing process." The child was pronounced dead by medical personnel when he was taken to the hospital. As the investigation continued, Pomona police detectives determined the injuries likely happened in the child's Barstow home, where he lived with his parents. The child died from his injuries in Barstow before his parents drove to Pomona to meet family, police said.
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4 Victims Rescued From Suspected Human Trafficker In San Bernardino County
Four young women were rescued from a suspected human trafficker in Colton last week. The girls, ranging in age from 17 to 22, were found by members of the San Bernardino County Human Trafficking Task Force on Friday around 6 a.m. on the 400 block of N. Sperry Drive. The task force located the women after they were contacted by their counterparts in San Diego County regarding a 17-year-old girl who was reported missing out of the county earlier this month and was believed to have been a victim of human trafficking. The San Bernardino task force tracked the girl to Colton, where she was rescued alongside three adult women who are also believed to be victims of trafficking. All four have been put in contact with victim resources and medical care, and the teen has been reunited with her family. As part of their investigation, authorities identified Devon Stewart as the person responsible for trafficking the four women and exploiting them in the “commercialized sex industry.” During his arrest, authorities found him in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol ghost gun and several ecstasy pills. The 33-year-old Lakewood man was booked into the Central Detention Center where he faces charges for human trafficking, possession of narcotics and possession of a firearm.
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Watch: Officer Run Over, Knocked Into Oncoming Traffic After Stop
A shocking traffic stop caught on dashcam shows the moment an officer was run over while trying to take a man into custody. The video shows Franklin Police Officer Dustyn Stevens struggling with Roy Nicholson after pulling Nicholson over for a traffic violation, FOX 17 reported. Officer Matt Lamarr comes over to help, but Nicholson manages to fight his way back into his car and starts driving away. The officers are dragged before being knocked to the ground and into oncoming traffic. While fleeing, Nicholson runs over Stevens’ legs. “It could’ve run over his chest, his head, all of these different vital organs, so the fact that it ran over his legs, and they weren’t broken, is really miraculous,” said Lt. Charlie Warner of the Franklin Police Department. Warner says the situation could have been much worse if the officers had been any closer to oncoming cars. “We had officers hurt. But they could have been killed. That really drives home the importance to all of us as drivers to move over,” Warner said. Witnesses helped officers find Nicholson, who was taken into custody a short time later, according to the report. Nicholson is charged with two counts of aggravated assault against a first responder and felony evading. Police say Nicholson is now free on a $40,000 bond.
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Watch: Florida Deputy Scales Balcony To Rescue Toddler From Apartment Fire
A sheriff's deputy in Florida climbed up a balcony and plucked a 1-year-old girl to safety from a third-story apartment that had caught fire, the dramatic rescue captured on the deputy's body-worn camera. Deputy William Puzynski climbed to the second-floor balcony early Saturday and asked the mother to hand off the baby in diapers as flames shot from the apartment one floor above. He then brought the baby down before the mother and grandmother were subsequently rescued by firefighters. The video posted online captures Puzynski telling the woman “hand me the baby, hand me the baby. We are coming,” as he goes up and balances himself on the railing before she extends the crying baby to him. “Please, come get me,” she pleads afterward. Firefighters using a ladder brought the mother and grandmother down from the third-floor apartment safely. They also evacuated other residents while responding to the fire at an apartment building in Orlando. The Orange County Fire Rescue said the fire caused extensive damage with 24 units impacted. The camera that recorded the infant's rescue was attached to Puzynski's vest, which he had taken off before climbing up the building.
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Coronavirus Cases Climb In California. Will Hospitalizations Follow?
Coronavirus cases are continuing to climb in California, but it remains unclear whether hospitalizations will also begin to tick upward, as is already happening nationally. California is now reporting an average of about 5,000 new coronavirus infections a day, up nearly 85% from last month. Statewide, the coronavirus case rate has risen to 95 cases a week for every 100,000 residents. A rate of 100 or more is considered a high rate of transmission — the worst of four categories defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But hospitalizations have yet to follow the same path in California, and in fact are at near-record lows. On Tuesday, 1,008 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized statewide. Los Angeles County is experiencing a similar trend. The nation’s most populous county is now reporting 1,700 cases a day — which amounts to a rate of 120 cases a week for every 100,000 residents. The last time the county’s case rate exceeded 100 was early March. Like the state, this bump in cases has not yet triggered a flood of new COVID-19 patients. On Friday, the number of coronavirus-positive patients in Los Angeles County fell to 209 — the lowest single-day total on record, state data show. The count had crept up slightly, to 235, as of Tuesday.
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CDC Study Finds Three In Five In U.S. Have Had COVID-19
A study Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates three out of five Americans have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, up from one in three overall last fall, indicating how easily the omicron variant spread through the country over the winter. The study also found children were more likely to have been infected than older adults, with the rate among kids rising from less than half last fall to three out of four. “These findings show a high infection rate for the omicron variant, especially among children,” the CDC said. But with new cases on the rise in California and the much of the country, CDC officials cautioned that the findings should not be interpreted to mean that people with evidence of prior infection are protected from getting the virus again and continued to urge people to get vaccinated or a booster. “Vaccination remains the safest strategy for preventing complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection, including hospitalization among children,” the CDC said. “Therefore, staying up to date with vaccination is recommended for all eligible persons, including those with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
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LA City Council To Phase Out Single-Use Plastics At City Facilities, Events
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to begin phasing out single-use plastics from city facilities and city-sponsored events. The city will also continue to take steps toward potentially banning polystyrene products such as Styrofoam. "Our future in Los Angeles is plastics-free," Councilman Mitch O'Farrell said Wednesday. "Our phase-out of single-use plastics has been underway for years now through the plastic bag ban of about nine years ago to straws-upon-request about four years ago and plastic-utensils- upon-request just last year." The city attorney will be instructed to draft an ordinance phasing out plastics at both city facilities and at events happening on city property. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Sanitation will develop a zero-waste training course for all city employees to take annually beginning January 2023. Each city department must also develop zero waste plans by Sept. 30. Violators will be subject to a first and second written notice followed by a $25 fine for each subsequent violation.
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