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FBI And LAPD Serve Multiple Search Warrants And Arrests In Multi-Agency Operation

The FBI along with the LAPD have announced Wednesday multiple arrests from a multi-agency operation investigation criminal activity. In October 2022, gang investigators from the LAPD's Harbor Division began working on a joint investigation with the FBI. They targeted the Westside Wilmas criminal gang which they believed was involved in the sale of illegal firearms and narcotics throughout the Harbor area. According to authorities, their investigation widened beyond just the scope of the Westside Wilmas gang and expanded into the Mexican Mafia. The FBI has served multiple search warrants at several locations throughout the South Bay and at locations spanning up to Bakersfield, according to authorities. As a result they have arrested a number of individuals in addition to firearms which include assault weapons, ghost guns, pounds of illegal narcotics and fentanyl.

NBC 4

LAPD Searching For Car Thief Who Used Stolen Vehicle To Livestream Burnouts During Street Takeover

The LAPD is seeking the public's help in finding a car thief who used a stolen Dodge Charger to livestream himself doing burnouts during a street takeover in South L.A. The wild video of the thief driving the sports car at high-speeds in circles, causing smoke to flood the area nearby and leaving scrapes on the roadway, was recorded on April 30 at the intersection of Vernon Avenue and Figueroa Street. The video was livestreamed on social media. Police attempted to pull over the driver and the stolen vehicle on the night of the takeover, but the driver successfully fled the scene. But, on May 12, police found the stolen vehicle parked in the area of Vernon Avenue and McKinley Avenue. The car has a license plate issued to an Infinity. A check on the Charger's Vehicle Identification Number found that the car had been stolen from the city of Downey. The driver is described as a male between 18 and 25 years old who has black hair and a mustache. If you have information on the suspect, the LAPD is urging you to contact Detective Juan Campos of the Central Traffic Detectives at 213-833-3713, or email him at [email protected], or contact the Central Traffic Division Watch Commander at 213-833-3746 during weekends and off-hours.

ABC 7

LAPD Volunteer Identified, Recovering After Being Swarmed By Bees In Encino

A Los Angeles Police Department volunteer is on the mend and recovering in the hospital after he was attacked by a swarm of bees in Encino Monday. The volunteer identified only as “Gary” was stung anywhere from 50-100 times as he tried to help with traffic control in a residential neighborhood that was actively being terrorized by a swarm of aggressive bees. Gary is an Air Force veteran who has been an LAPD volunteer for nearly 18 years. The terrifying attack happened around 5 p.m. on the 17100 block of West Adlon Road. “It was gut-wrenching,” said his son, Daniel, who watched the events unfold on live TV. “I couldn’t even believe it. It looked so painful. It’s easy to criticize after the fact, but at the time, I’m sure everyone was doing the best they can or was not sure what to do, but it was just horrible. I was yelling at the screen going, ‘Why aren’t people helping? This is ridiculous. Go out, please help.’” The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene for a report of a swarm of bees that had stung at least one person. Police later responded and began closing down roadways and urging residents to stay indoors.

KTLA 5

Jury Hears Closing Arguments In Actor Danny Masterson's Rape Retrial

A prosecutor told jurors Tuesday that actor Danny Masterson "carefully sought out his prey" and then drugged and raped three women between 2001 and 2003, while his attorney questioned the credibility of the alleged victims and urged the panel to acquit his client. "It all starts with a drink ... This is his play book," Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson told the downtown Los Angeles jury, saying that the 47-year-old co-star of "That '70s Show" drugged his alleged victims so he would be in control. "Like all predators, the defendant carefully sought out his prey." The jury is the second to hear the case against Masterson, who was charged in 2020 with three counts of rape by force or fear involving the three women on separate alleged occasions. During last year's trial, jurors leaned in favor of acquittal on all three counts against Masterson -- voting 10-2 on one count, 8-4 on another and 7-5 on the third -- but they were unable to reach a unanimous decision, leading to the mistrial last Nov. 30. Prosecutors confirmed in January that they wanted to retry the actor, and Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo rejected a defense effort to have the charges dismissed.

CBS 2

Investigation Underway After Man Shot And Killed In Compton

An investigation is underway after a man was fatally shot in Compton on Tuesday. The shooting occurred around 10:55 a.m. in the 200 block of West Rosecrans Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The victim, who died at the scene, has not been identified and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information on the death was urged to call the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. 

CBS 2

Suspect Arrested In Culver City Stabbing

A suspect has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a person in Culver City over the weekend, authorities said Tuesday. The crime occurred at about 6:05 p.m. Sunday on Buckingham Parkway, according to Sgt. Edward Baskaron of the Culver City Police Department. Baskaron said officers responded to a call regarding a male who was being detained by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies near Buckingham and Slauson Avenue. "Officers met with the victim who advised them that he was walking on Buckingham Parkway when the suspect approached him while wearing a ski mask and gloves," Baskaron said. "The suspect walked behind the victim and forcefully removed his backpack," Baskaron continued. "As the victim resisted, the suspect stabbed the victim several times with a large butcher knife, causing multiple lacerations to the victim's back and arm." The victim was taken to a hospital by paramedics and treated for non- life-threatening injuries, Baskaron said. The suspect, a male whose age and name were not released, was arrested by police, and the crime was classified as an attempted murder, Baskaron said. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration.

Westside Current

California Brink’s Drivers Shocked By Size Of Jewelry Heist — Stolen Bling May Be Worth $100 Million

The two drivers lingered in the darkness in the hours after their Brink’s big rig was burglarized at the Flying J Travel Center. They tried to make sense of the brazen, late-night jewelry heist. “If this was me and I was going to do something like this, I’d try to stay in the shadows as much as possible,” theorized driver James Beaty. The other driver, Tandy Motley, had another thought: “You know what worries me the most is they always want to blame the employee first.” It was after 3 a.m. on July 11, and thieves had just made off with more than 20 large bags of jewelry, gems and other items that the Brink’s tractor-trailer had been transporting from the International Gem and Jewelry Show in San Mateo to the L.A. area. The heist occurred during a 27-minute window in which Beaty slumbered in the vehicle’s sleeper berth and Motley ate a meal at the Flying J, a sprawling truck stop just off Interstate 5’s sinuous Grapevine in Lebec, Calif. At first, Beaty and Motley weren’t sure how much had been taken from the vehicle. But after one of the two L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputies on the scene asked about the size of their load, Motley took an inventory of the cargo. And he said he counted only 49 of the 73 bags that had been placed on the vehicle before it departed. “Holy s—,” said Beaty, 53. He told Motley to “double-check” the count, adding, “That’s a lot.”

Los Angeles Times

9 LEOs To Be Honored With Medal Of Valor Awards

Two New York Police Department officers ambushed and killed responding to a 911 call and the rookie cop who took down the gunman are among those who will be honored Wednesday by President Joe Biden with the Medal of Valor, the nation's highest honor for bravery by a public safety officer. The three NYPD officers, a Houston police officer, Colorado police official, Ohio sheriff’s deputy and three FDNY firefighters are the nine who will be receiving medals in a White House ceremony. NYPD officer Wilbert Mora and his police partner Jason Rivera were shot Jan. 21, 2022, while responding to a call about a family dispute in a Harlem apartment. Officer Sumit Sulan shot and killed the gunman, ending the deadly encounter moments after it began. Rivera died that night, Mora was pronounced dead four days later. The fallen cops were no strangers to tensions between the NYPD and some of the communities they police; they'd both seen it growing up. Both sought to be catalysts of change when they became police officers, but neither got the chance they deserved, gunned down during a spate of shootings of police officers in 2022 in the city. “We know police officers put their lives on the line every day, and we ask them to do too much, to be counselors, social workers, psychologists; responding to drug overdoses, mental health crises, and more,” Biden said during his State of the Union speech. “We ask too much of them.”

Associated Press

Photos: Texas Deputy Survives Crash After Being Ejected, Thrown 50 Feet From Cruiser

A Polk County deputy survived a crash in his patrol vehicle after he was ejected and thrown nearly 50 feet, according to PolkCountyToday.com. The crash happened May 12 around 11:30 p.m. Deputy Caleb Boyer with the Polk County Sheriff's Office was responding to an urgent call when he came up behind a trailer that was being pulled by a pickup truck without lights on. To avoid hitting the trailer, Boyer cut right, causing his patrol unit to leave the pavement. The patrol vehicle jumped a culvert, landed and rolled, ejecting Boyer about 50 feet from the vehicle before it landed upside down. Boyer landed in the grass. He was airlifted to Kingwood Hospital. According to KDFM, Boyer has undergone surgery for a broken femur, broken foot and other injuries. Doctors said he will survive, but he has a long road to recovery. The crash remains under investigation. 

PoliceOne

Los Angeles General Looking To Identify Patient Found On 101 Freeway

Hospital officials are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who has been hospitalized for several days after he was found unconscious on the 101 Freeway in East Hollywood. The unidentified patient has been hospitalized since May 11 and staff at Los Angeles General Medical Center, previously LAC+USC Medical Center, have been unable to identify him or locate any friends or family members. He’s described as having black hair and dark brown eyes. His build is “slender,” as he weighs 135 pounds and stands at 5 feet 8 inches. Officials believe he’s about 25 years old. The man was found on the southbound side of the 101 Freeway in East Hollywood, according to L.A. General. Due to medical privacy laws, the extent of his injuries cannot be released. Anyone who may recognize the man is urged to contact licensed clinical social workers Daisy Rivera at 323-409-3754 or Nicole Crayon at 323-409-3877.

KTLA 5

Driver Killed After Car And Metrolink Train Collide In Sun Valley

One person is dead after a collision between a Metrolink train and a car Tuesday afternoon in Sun Valley. The crash occurred around 3:20 p.m. near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Raymer Street and left the vehicle mangled between two tracks. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The cause and circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, authorities said. “It’s just a reminder to anyone, whenever they’re around the railroad tracks, to be very careful and to always think a train is coming,” said Scott Johnson, a Metrolink spokesman. According to Metrolink, no injuries were reported among the 54 passengers aboard the train, which was traveling from downtown Los Angeles to Moorpark. Tracks between Hollywood Burbank Airport and Van Nuys on the system’s Ventura County Line remained closed Tuesday afternoon.

Los Angeles Times

LA City Council Fails To Halt Benedict Canyon Hotel Project

After more than two hours of public comment, deliberation in closed session and suggestions of an ethics violation, the Los Angeles City Council Tuesday rejected a bid to halt a much-debated hotel project in Benedict Canyon that has drawn the ire of some neighbors. The council deadlocked on a 7-7 vote on a motion introduced by Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the area as part of her Fifth District. The motion would have directed the city planning director to reconsider the initiation of a General Plan amendment needed to permit the proposed Bulgari Hotel to be built in a residential area. The council's Sixth District seat remains vacant following last year's resignation of then-Council President Nury Martinez, so there was no tie- breaking vote available on Tuesday. The Department of Planning previously approved the start of the process that would give a specific zoning designation for the project to advance. Although the motion was defeated, it still does not guarantee the project will ultimately be built. The council will discuss the project again once the Planning Department releases an environmental impact report.

CBS 2

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.