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DA Gascón, LA County Probation Department Sued Over El Monte Officers' Death

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, his office and the county Probation Department are being sued for wrongful death by relatives of one of two El Monte police officers who were fatally shot by a convicted felon at an El Monte motel last June, the plaintiffs' attorneys announced Thursday. The Los Angeles Superior Court complaint lawsuit brought by family members of the late Officer Joseph Santana states that Justin Flores, 35, was placed on probation in a plea deal in 2021 after he was arrested in 2020 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and methamphetamine. Even though Flores had a prior felony conviction for burglary, Gascón issued a directive barring the prosecutor handling Flores' case from filing a strike allegation against Flores, the suit states. In doing so, Gascón disregarded California's "three strikes" law, which requires prosecutors to plead prior known strikes, the suit states.

FOX 11

Menendez Brothers Cite Documentary As Evidence It’s Time They Were Freed; Petition Filed

Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers who shot and killed their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion, are asking the courts to vacate their 1996 convictions, citing new evidence from a documentary series alleging that their father sexually assaulted a former underage member of Menudo. Roy Rosselló, a former member of the internationally popular boy band in the 1980s, alleged he was drugged and raped when he was 13 or 14 years old by Jose Menendez, an RCA Records executive at the time. The allegations were first raised in the Peacock docuseries “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed,” a three-part series that looks into allegations that band members were abused by the group’s creator, Edgardo Díaz. In the series, reported by journalists Nery Ynclan and Robert Rand, Rosselló alleges Díaz sexually abused him during his time with the band. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that they had opened an investigation into at least one of the alleged attacks.

Los Angeles Times

Suspect Fatally Shot By LAPD After Pursuit Downtown Los Angeles, Two Suspects Still At Large

A suspect was fatally shot by Los Angeles police in a confrontation that followed a brief vehicle and foot pursuit. The shooting occurred around 12:50 a.m. on Friday near a freeway overpass in the area of 16th Street and Maple Avenue, just north of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Two other suspects remain at large. Officers began pursuing the three suspects in a vehicle shortly after midnight near Manchester and the northbound Harbor 110 Freeway. LAPD said officers noticed one of the suspects had a handgun inside the vehicle. The suspects got on the freeway, with the driver traveling at high rates of speed before transitioning to the eastbound 10 Freeway, then exiting at Maple and ultimately bailing out of the vehicle. The officers began chasing the suspects on foot and at some point two officers opened fire on one of the men, striking him multiple times. The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

CBS 2

49-Year-Old Man Fatally Shot In South Los Angeles

A 49-year-old man was shot and killed Thursday in South Los Angeles. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the 800 block of West 104th Place, between Vermont Avenue and Hoover Street, around 3:54 p.m. to conduct a death investigation deemed a homicide, the department reported. There is no suspect description. Anyone with information regarding this shooting is urged to call the LAPD at 1-877-275-5273. Callers who choose to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

Bomb Threat From Disgruntled Passenger Prompts Evacuation On LAX-Bound Flight

LAX police evacuated a JetBlue flight from Las Vegas after receiving a report of a bomb on the plane. Authorities said Las Vegas police learned about the possible threat at 2 p.m. Thursday. They added that the man who allegedly made the threat was a disgruntled passenger who missed his flight and told authorities that his luggage possibly contained a bomb. Las Vegas police "took enforcement action" on the man who made the threat and informed Los Angeles Airport Police. LAX officers have cleared the plane and are currently inspecting the aircraft. "LAXPD is currently conducting their investigation to ensure that the luggage is clear of any threat to passengers and aircraft," LAX police said. At about 4:40 p.m., police confirmed that all luggage was checked and cleared. There are no active threats on the plane. 

CBS 2

L.A. County Soccer Coach Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Minors; More Victims Sought

A man who worked as a soccer coach in Los Angeles County is being accused of sexually assaulting minors between 2011 and 2022. Ernandes “Nando” Dasilva, was arrested on suspicion of sex crimes against children under 14 years old, but he has since been released, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. At least one of the crimes he is accused of occurred in Westlake Village, officials said without elaborating. Dasilva had access to young players during the time of the alleged assaults and detectives believe there may be additional unidentified victims. Authorities have not released further information about the allegations or the victims involved. Dasilva is 65 years old, is 5 feet 7 tall, weighs 155 pounds has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with additional information about Dasilva, or believes they may have been victimized by him, is asked to contact the LASD’s special victims bureau at 877-710-5273.

KTLA 5

Ex-UC Davis Student Arrested In Serial Stabbings That Have Terrorized City

Police on Thursday named a young man recently “separated” from UC Davis for academic reasons as the suspect in stabbings that left two men dead and one woman in critical condition in this bucolic college town just west of Sacramento. Carlos Reales Dominguez, 21, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder, Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel said at an afternoon news conference. Davis Mayor Will Arnold praised the law enforcement effort. “It’s because of the fine police work that we are here today to announce that the individual believed to be responsible for these horrific, brutal attacks is no longer free to terrorize our community,” Arnold said. “A murderer is off the streets, and our families will sleep easier tonight.” Dominguez, who was majoring in biological sciences, had been in his third year at UC Davis until April 25, when he was separated for unspecified academic reasons, according to the university. He had no criminal record, police said.

Los Angeles Times

Jail Escapee Linked To Murder Of North Carolina Deputy Captured In Mexico; Suspect's Sister Arrested

A suspect who is charged with killing Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd and escaped jail has been captured. The Wake County Sheriff's Office said Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo, 26, was captured Thursday afternoon by Mexican authorities in the state of Guerrero. Marin-Sotelo is one of two brothers charged in Byrd's death. He escaped with another inmate early Sunday from the Piedmont Regional Jail, the Wake County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Marin-Sotelo's sister, Adriana Marin-Sotelo, was arrested and charged by the FBI with assisting in the escape. She will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bond. The Wake County Sheriff's Office said surveillance video from the Piedmont Regional Jail shows Marin-Sotelo climbing over the fence at 1:40 a.m. on April 30. He was believed to have been driving in an early 2000 red or burgundy Ford Mustang with a 30-day North Carolina temporary tag.

PoliceOne

Sheriff: Last Of 4 Escaped Mississippi Prisoners Found

The last of four prisoners who escaped from a Mississippi prison was found Thursday morning at a home about 20 miles from the prison, the sheriff announced. The Hinds County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force took Corey Harrison, 22, into custody at a Crystal Springs home and a female acquaintance was also arrested and is facing charges in connection with the escape and investigation, Sheriff Tyree Jones announced in a social media post. Jones thanked the “state, federal and local law enforcement agencies that assisted with the tense days long investigation and search regarding the escapees. All escapees are accounted for.” Harrison and three other inmates escaped from the Raymond Detention Center near Jackson, Mississippi’s capital, on April 22, officials said. Casey Grayson was found dead at a New Orleans truck stop over the weekend, officials announced earlier this week. His cause of death will not be determined until results from an autopsy report are returned. Investigators have not found any signs of foul play, Jones said.

Associated Press

Textile Warehouse Fire Burns For More Than 3 Hours In Commerce

Fire crews battled flames for more than three hours Friday morning at an industrial warehouse building in Commerce. The LA County Fire Department first received a call at around 3:30 a.m. about a single-story building that’s surrounded by flames and heavy smoke at 6501 Flotilla St., just east of the 5 Freeway. A plume of black smoke could be seen for miles. The building is believed to contain textiles and garment materials. There is no threat to nearby properties or homes as the fire is contained to the building. There are no reports of any injuries.

NBC 4

Four People Hospitalized Due To Gas Leak At Marathon Petroleum Refinery In Wilmington

Four people were hospitalized Thursday morning following a gas leak at the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Wilmington, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The leak was reported at the refinery on East Pacific Coast Highway at about 6:39 a.m., according to a Fire Department release. One person was rescued by firefighters using a rigid basket or stretcher and lowered by a rope system to the ground. The gas was reported to be hydrogen sulfide and butane. Three of the people were listed in moderate condition and one was in serious condition. The risk from the gas has since been mitigated and there’s no further hazard to people in the area, according to the Fire Department. Marathon confirmed four employees were hospitalized after they were exposed, according to news reports.

Los Angeles Times

2 Minor Tornadoes Touch Down In Carson-Compton Area, Damaging Buildings And Vehicles

Two minor tornadoes touched down Thursday morning in the Carson and Compton area, damaging vehicles and buildings and toppling at least one large tree, officials said. The National Weather Service says the first tornado, rated a relatively weak EF0, hit around 8:45 a.m. in the area near Avalon Boulevard and E. Walnut Street, following a "concentrated short path of minor damage to a couple of buildings, vehicle damage from debris, and tree damage." It was estimated to have winds swirling up to 75 mph. About 10 minutes later, the NWS said, another EF0 tornado hit nearby in Compton near Greenleaf Boulevard and S. Santa Fe Avenue. "The tornado produced a very narrow path of minor damage including a downed power line, tarps torn from a nursery, minor roof damage to a home, downed small tree limbs, and siding damage to a couple of homes."

ABC 7

COVID Global Health Emergency Is Officially Ending, World Health Organization Says

COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, the World Health Organization said Friday, marking a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies worldwide and killed at least 7 million people worldwide. "It's with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "That does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat," he said, adding that he wouldn't hesitate to reconvene experts to reassess the situation should COVID-19 "put our world in peril." The U.N. health agency says that thousands of people are still dying from the virus every week, and there have been recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. President Biden signed a bill in April officially ending the U.S. national public health emergency over COVID. 

CBS 2

City Council To Further Delay Vote Regarding LAPD Robot Donation

The Los Angeles City Council Friday is expected to again delay a vote on whether to accept a donation of a $278,000 dog-like, four-legged robot, which has sparked concern among some council members and prompted protests from activists. The donation is listed on Friday’s City Council agenda, but Hugh Esten, director of communications for Council President Paul Krekorian, said the council has requested to delay the vote until May 23. The council discussed the donation of the robot in early March, and after nearly three hours of debate, Council President Krekorian called for a 60-day delay in the vote, with the intention of providing time for council members to become more aware of the deployment policies for the device. Council members were also urged to introduce proposed conditions on accepting the donation, such as receiving assurances about how and when the robot would be used.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council Looks To Hire More Crossing Guards

The Los Angeles City Council Thursday unanimously approved a report calling for ways to expedite the hiring of more crossing guards, driven by a sense of urgency after a crash that killed a woman and critically injured her 6-year-old daughter near Hancock Park Elementary School on April 25. The council instructed the city's Department of Transportation to work with the Los Angeles Unified School District and seek ways to reducing the time it takes to complete criminal background checks and obtain medical clearance. “While the district continues to push for the expedited hiring of crossing guards, we also know that crossing guards alone won't solve the problem of pedestrian safety and therefore we are also in support of the amended motion language that also considers other measures that may enhance pedestrian safety,” LAUSD representative Genesis Coronado told the council during public comment. Council members instructed the city's Personnel Department to report back on the feasibility of utilizing initiatives such as the Targeted Local Hire and Bridge to Jobs programs to recruit and hire crossing guards. The council is also considering the feasibility of implementing a cash referral program.

NBC 4

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.