Los Angeles City Council's Nury Martinez Resigns Following Leak Of Racist Recording

 LAPD detective Jamie McBride on the resignation of Los Angeles City councilmember Nury Martinez on 'The Evening Edit.'

FOX Business Video

Nury Martinez resigns from L.A. City Council in wake of audio leak scandal

Nury Martinez resigned her seat on the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday, in yet another sign of the enormous fallout that has followed leaked audio of a racist and crude conversation involving Latino political leaders.  The announcement comes days after The Times published a recording in which Martinez is heard making racist remarks while talking with fellow Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo and labor leader Ron Herrera about how the city’s council district boundaries should be redrawn.

Los Angeles Times

Police Arrest Homicide Suspect In South LA

A homicide suspect was taken into custody Wednesday after hiding from police for several hours in the south Los Angeles area, causing a nearby school to go on lockdown, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The incident started around 7:39 a.m. Wednesday at Success Avenue and E. 96th Street. Authorities went to serve a warrant, but the man ran into the neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The 41-year-old suspect was wanted in connection with the shooting death of a man in his 20s on Aug. 5. Police set up a perimeter and began looking for him, and nearby 96th Street Elementary School in the 1400 block of East 96th Street was placed on lockdown as a precaution during the search. Authorities arrested the man early Wednesday afternoon, police said. His name was not immediately available. No injuries were reported.

CBS 2

New Year's Day Murder: Possible Suspect Images Released In South LA Shooting

The months-long search continues for a murder suspect wanted in connection to the New Year's Day shooting in South Los Angeles. Back on January 1, the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call in the 1600 block of East Washington Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers found a man, later identified as Marcus Marshall, with a gunshot wound. Marshall was pronounced dead at the hospital following the Jan. 1 shooting, LAPD said. Fast-forward to October of 2022, LAPD released grainy surveillance images showing what may be the suspect wanted in connection to Marshall's death. The suspect is described as a Black man, possibly in his 50s, with a thin build and standing at about 6-foot-6. Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call 213-996-4173.

FOX 11

California AG Launches Probe Of Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Process Discussed In Secret Recording

California's top prosecutor on Wednesday announced that his office is launching a probe into Los Angeles' redistricting process following a leaked recording of three city council members and a labor union official making racist remarks and discussing the re-drawing of district maps. The move by Attorney General Rob Bonta comes amid an uproar in City Hall and calls by city leaders and the public to investigate how council districts are drawn up. "My office will conduct an investigation into the City of LA's redistricting process," Bonta said. "We're going to gather the facts. We're going to work to determine the truth. It's clear an investigation is sorely needed to help restore confidence in the redistricting process for the people of L.A." City officials have been embroiled in a firestorm this week after a secret recording in which then-City Council President Nury Martinez, council members Kevin de Léon and Gil Cedillo, and Ron Herrera, a labor leader, made racist remarks while discussing how to carve up council districts in an effort to strengthen Hispanic areas.

Yahoo! News

Police Ask For Public’s Help Locating 22-Year-Old At-Risk Missing Man

Authorities with the Inglewood Police Department are asking for the public’s help in locating an at-risk missing 22-year-old man. Mickel Newton was last seen leaving his residence in a white 2005 PT Cruiser on Sept. 21, according to police. The 22-year-old is described as Black male, approximately 6 foot, 2 inches tall, weighing around 170 pounds with brown hair and black eyes. Newton, who speaks to mother on daily basis, has not contacted her since his disappearance, and police said she believes he may have been abducted or be in danger. Anyone who may see Newton or have information about his whereabouts was encouraged to contact Detective Thompson at 310-412-4386 or by email at jthompson@cityofinglewood.org.  

KTLA 5

Man, 21, Goes Missing In Compton

Authorities Sunday circulated photos of a 21-year-old man possibly suffering from depression who went missing in Compton. Engel Ruiz Talavera was last seen Thursday near the 700 block of Caldwell Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Talavera was described as a 5-feet-7-inch tall Latino male weighing 136 pounds with short black hair, brown eyes and a scar above his left eyebrow. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, black jeans and a white baseball cap. The sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit urged anyone with information regarding Talavera’s whereabouts to call them at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

LASD: Sisters, 9 And 11, Reported Missing In Lancaster, Possibly With Uncle

Two sisters, ages 9 and 11, were reported missing from Lancaster and may be with their uncle, and authorities Wednesday sought the public’s help to find them. Julia Cherrie Brown, 9, and Jewel Precious Brown, 11, were last seen about 4 p.m. Tuesday on the 43500 block of 17th Street West, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Julia is Black, 5 feet tall, weighs 110 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black jeans and black shoes. Jewel is Black, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs 100 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. Deputies say the sisters may be with their uncle, Frederick Brown, 30, described as Black, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. They are possibly in a white 2007 Mercedes Benz CLS550, California license number 8REL582.

MyNewsLA

Man Arrested For Allegedly Robbing 4 LA County Banks In 2 Months

A 32-year-old man who allegedly robbed four banks over a two-month period was arrested in Long Beach Wednesday. Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department learned of the robberies, which occurred close to one another and involved a suspect giving a demand note to a teller before fleeing the scene, authorities said. The LASD also noted that the crimes involved the same suspect and vehicle descriptions. The department, in cooperation with the Bell Police Department, was able to identify the suspect as Devon Neal and arrested him early Wednesday morning at his residence in the 6300 block of Rahn Avenue, near Jordan Plus High School in Long Beach. Neal was booked into the LASD's Lakewood station jail and was being held on $50,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Los Cerritos Municipal Court on Friday.

FOX 11

CA Attorney General Bonta Announces Millions Of Fentanyl Pills, Powder Seized In State

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that millions of fentanyl pills and powder have been seized in the state since April 2021. "DOJ-led task forces have seized over 4 million fentanyl pills and nearly 900 pounds of fentanyl powder, and arrested 200 dealers and poison peddlers across the state," Bonta said. This was a statewide move by the California Department of Justice to combat fentanyl, a powerful and potentially addictive synthetic opioid. "We've been noticing an increase in fentanyl involved deaths since 2016 here in L.A. County and the most significant increase was after the pandemic. So, 2020 into 2021, we saw a doubling in the rate of overdoses here in L.A. county," said Brian Hurley, medical director at the division of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Task forces throughout the state have been working to disrupt fentanyl operations. "In Southern California after a thorough investigation, we executed an operation through the Los Angeles IMPACT task force which resulted in the seizure of 52 pounds of powder fentanyl. That's enough fentanyl to make 250,000 pills," Bonta said.

ABC 7

2 Illinois Officers Shot, Suspect Killed In Shooting Incident

Two Decatur police officers are in stable condition, one having undergone surgery for treatment of his wounds, after they were shot early Wednesday morning while conducting a traffic stop, Police Chief Shane Brandel said. The driver of the car they stopped died during an exchange of gunfire that involved three Decatur police officers and a Macon County Sheriff's Department deputy. The incident occurred around 12:25 a.m. in the 1300 block of East Walnut Street. "Anytime there is a loss of life, we are saddened, and our condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased," Brandel said in a news release. "We are also hurting for our officers, who were out working the streets trying to confront violent offenders and they were faced with an officer's worst nightmare. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of our officers."

Herald & Review

2 Connecticut Police Officers Fatally Shot, 3rd Wounded

Two police officers were fatally shot and a third wounded while responding to a domestic violence call in Connecticut, authorities said Thursday, amid an exceptionally violent week for officers across the country. The officers were shot in Bristol, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Hartford, Connecticut state police said, and the wounded officer was reported to have “serious injuries.” Sgt. Christine Jelteman of the state police said the officers from the Bristol Police Department responded to domestic violence call involving two siblings at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and were met by a man outside the home. “Shots were fired, fatally wounding one officer on scene,” Jeltema said at a news conference Thursday. Two additional officers were hit by gunfire, Jeltema said. One died at a hospital and the other was seriously wounded, police said.

Associated Press

Home Erupts Into Flames In Pico-Union

A fire at a vacant two-story apartment building was extinguished Thursday in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. LA City Fire Department firefighters battled the blaze around 1:43 a.m. It happened at 1654 W. 20th Street west of Vermont Avenue. Firefighters there discovered heavy flames showing on the building's second floor that extended to the attic, said LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. It took 42 firefighters 30 minutes to extinguish the flames. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. 

CBS 2

LAFD Working To Extinguish Blaze At Van Nuys Commercial Building

Firefighters Wednesday were working to extinguish a blaze at a Van Nuys commercial building. Los Angeles Fire Department crews were sent to the building, located at 7056 Van Nuys Blvd., at about 2:45 p.m., according to the department’s Margaret Stewart. The LAFD upgraded the fire to a greater alarm response just after 3 p.m., and ground crews diverted traffic from the area after the facade of the burning building collapsed. The LAFD also shut off power in the area as a precaution, which caused elevators in a nearby assisted living facility to become stuck. Firefighters were sent to that facility to handle the situation caused by the loss of power, Stewart said. The fire department announced just before 4:40 p.m. that the fire had been contained to the building of origin, though ground crews were still working to extinguish the flames.

MyNewsLA

LA County Health Dept. Announces Plan For Uganda Ebola Outbreak

A week after the federal government announced it will reroute travelers who have been to Uganda in the past 21 days through five U.S. airports following an Ebola outbreak in the African nation, LA County health officials announced their conclusion. "The risk of Ebola virus disease in LA County is low, as no travelers coming from Uganda within the past 21 days will be coming directly through LAX,'' the county health department said. "Any such travelers will first be screened for EVD (Ebola virus disease) and cleared to continue travel at the five U.S. airports (named by the federal government).'' Twenty-one days is the incubation period for the Ebola virus. The U.S. airports through which travelers will be rerouted for health screenings are JFK Airport in New York, Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., O'Hare Airport in Chicago and Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta. Travelers with LA County as their final destination who did not exhibit any symptoms at the five screening airports will be referred to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control with contact information for monitoring. Travelers without a local phone number will be provided a phone, the health department said.

NBC 4

After Scandal, LA City Attorney Mike Feuer Moves To Take Redistricting Power Out Of City Hall's Hands

While the racist language heard in the leaked recording of Los Angeles City councilmembers has been the focus of most of the attention since its release, the context of the recorded conversation — redistricting the City Council — also has many concerned. Now, LA City Attorney Mike Feuer is calling for a special election to remove council influence from the process. Feurer is calling on council members to get a ballot measure in front of voters in the spring to make that happen. Feuer wants the city to contract with Los Angeles County, and use the county's independent redistricting commission to help create new council maps ahead of the 2024 election. Currently, the City's redistricting commissioners are council appointed, and the comission's proposed redistricting lines can be adjusted by council members. That's what appears to be behind the October 2021 meeting between former Council President Nury Martinez and council members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon.

FOX 11