Good morning! On April 15, 2023, Officer B. Jerry Sandoval was killed in a traffic collision. Please consider donating to the Blue-Ribbon account established for Jerry to support his wife, Christine and twin sons, Logan and Jacob. Click here for more details.

Memorial Planned For LAPD Northeast Division Officers Killed In Line Of Duty

There will be a memorial ceremony Thursday for the 10 Los Angeles Police Department officers who died in the line of duty since 1915 while assigned to the Northeast Division. LAPD Chief Michel Moore is expected to preside over the Thursday afternoon ceremony at the LAPD Northeast Station. Among those also expected to be on hand are department commanders, Northeast Division personnel, and family members of fallen officers. “The ceremony will include the dedication of an `End of Watch’ memorial sculpture in memory of the 10 officers who died in the line of duty while assigned to Northeast Division over the years,” an LAPD statement said. The LAPD officers and their date of death are: Sgt. John F. Toolen, Oct. 19, 1915; Policeman George E. Papst, July 27, 1924; Patrolman Arthur L. Davenport, May 16, 1926; Policeman William H. Marple, Feb. 27, 1929; Policeman John M. Schomaker, Feb. 27, 1929; Policeman Paul Donath, April 28, 1932; Policeman Malcolm L. Beaty, Aug. 29, 1966; Policeman Donald L. Highley, Feb. 10, 1968; Detective Abiel “Abe” Barron, June 25, 2003; and Police Officer Landon Dorris, Oct. 22, 2006.

MyNewsLA

Father Of 3 Killed In Northridge Shooting While Earning Money For Daughter’s Birthday Cake

A family remains devastated after a beloved father of three was killed in a Northridge strip mall shooting while working to earn money for his daughter’s birthday. On April 15, 38-year-old Juan Lopez was hired as a painter to cover up gang graffiti on the exterior wall of Northridge Ice Cream. While Juan was painting, a gunman drove up, stepped out while holding an “Uzi” type semi-automatic handgun and opened fire, striking Juan multiple times in the chest, said LAPD. Three other men who were standing nearby were also shot, police said. Juan was pronounced dead at the scene. A father of three children, Juan was trying to earn extra money to buy his daughter a birthday cake when he was fatally shot that day. A painter from Nicaragua, Juan escaped violence in his home country and sought political asylum in the U.S. in Dec. 2022. His sister, Ruth Lopez, said he was seeking a better life and worked to support his young family back in Nicaragua. 

KTLA 5

LAPD Searching For Driver That Killed A 23-Year-Old Bicyclist

After a month of investigating, the Los Angeles Police Department is asking for help tracking down the driver that killed a 23-year-old bicyclist. According to police, the deadly collision happened on the night of April 13 at the intersection of Main and 43rd Streets in South L.A. Investigators believe that 23-year-old Inmer Samuel Cruz was crossing the road when a silver Mercedes Benz car ran him over. The driver sped away from the scene and left Cruz to die. Police believe the driver was in a 2008-2013 Mercedes Benz C230 or C330. Anyone with information connected to the crash should call investigators at (213) 833-3713. Those wishing to stay anonymous should contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit their website here. The city has established a fun rewarding up to $50,000 for any information that helps officers solve hit-and-run crashes. 

CBS 2

Teen Climbing 6th Street Bridge For Social Media Stunt Fell To His Death, LAPD Chief Says

A 17-year-old boy died over the weekend after falling from the 6th Street Viaduct during a climb up the iconic bridge that he was trying to share on social media, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore. The teen fell “when climbing upon one of the arches, in order to post, apparently, a social media broadcast,” Moore said at Tuesday’s meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. “He slipped and fell to his death.” The teen has not yet been publicly identified. It wasn’t immediately clear which social media platform he was using or how he was trying to “broadcast” the climb. Police responded to the scene just after 2 a.m. Saturday, according to Officer Warren Moore, a spokesperson for the LAPD. He said the teen was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. “Tragically we see that location, while it has spawned a great deal of pride in Los Angeles, it has also unfortunately served as a backdrop now for tragedies such as this,” Moore said. “Our added patrols will continue at that location … to counter such reckless actions.”

Los Angeles Times

LAPD Looking For Suspect Who Stabbed Metro Bus Driver Multiple Times

A Metro bus driver was hospitalized in critical condition today after being stabbed multiple times during an argument with a passenger in Woodland Hills. The driver and suspect exited the bus around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday near Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Erwin Street and continued the argument and the suspect stabbed the driver multiple times with a knife or a sharp object, police said. It is unclear what led up to the argument. The driver was taken to Northridge Hospital, where he underwent surgery, police said. "This heinous act of violence is horrific, and the harm done to one of our Metro drivers is tragic,'' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “Safety on Metro is a top priority, and I will redouble my efforts as mayor and as a Metro board member to keep transit riders and workers safe.” The suspect was described as a 6-foot tall man, approximately 21 years old, with blonde curly hair. He was wearing a red shirt, black pants and carrying a black backpack. Video of the suspect was taken by a camera on the bus, police said. He was last seen eastbound on Owensmouth Avenue.“Metro is shocked and sadden to hear about this heinous act of violence and is providing support to our employee and his loved ones,” Metro said in a statement. “We will work closely with the LAPD to investigate this incident, identify and prosecute the suspect." Anyone with information regarding the stabbing was asked to call 877-LAPD-24-7.

NBC 4

Boy Reported Missing After Last Being Seen At South Los Angeles School

A 13-year-old boy was reported missing after last being seen at his school in South Los Angeles Wednesday. Carlos Ramirez was last seen near the 600 block of East 115th Street, west of Stanford Avenue and near Imperial Highway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Carlos is Latino, 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black shoes. Anyone who has seen Carlos or knows of his whereabouts was asked to call the Southeast Area Police Station at 213-972-7828. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 877- 527- 3247. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222- 8477 or sent to lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Residents Fear Arsonist Is Behind String Of Suspicious Car Fires In Sunland-Tujunga Area

A string of suspicious car fires in the Sunland-Tujunga area has residents on high alert, especially one woman who said she lost two vehicles in a matter of weeks. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, there have been about 20 vehicle fires between February and May. "Our arson investigators are actively collaborating with LAPD major crimes division to find the suspect," said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott. Recently, a vehicle was found burned on Plainview Avenue and neighbors fear they're all being intentionally set on fire. "After it was put out, the fire department said, 'Well, it looks suspicious,'" said resident Nonna von Sonn, who told Eyewitness News she lost two of her vehicles. The first incident occurred on Monday, May 1, in which her family's Camaro was burned. Then, two weeks later on May 16, a vehicle that was parked in front of hers caught fire. The flames spread to her car, damaging its front end. "Our other car, the very front end of it was completely melted because of the other car that had been set on fire," she said.

ABC 7

Woman Gets Purse Snatched At Culver City Restaurant; Suspect Shoots At Innocent Man While On Run

A woman had her purse snatched at a Culver City restaurant and as the suspects were on the run with the stolen purse, police say one of the suspects opened fire at an innocent man. On May 14, the Culver City Police Department was flagged down by a man near the area of Culver Boulevard and Watseka Avenue around 7:40 p.m. The man who flagged police told officers that one of the suspects shot at him before taking off from the scene. Prior to the alleged shooting, police later learned a woman has her purse snatched while dining at a restaurant near the shooting scene. A man chased and caught the suspect before a fight broke out. A getaway car with two people inside was parked nearby and one of the suspects inside the car fired one round. The suspect that got beat up by the innocent man hopped inside the getaway car and got away without the woman's purse. Officials did not give a specific description of the three suspects. The car was loosely described as a black 4-door older model sedan.

FOX 11

Beverly Hills Man Charged With Scamming Victims Over $9 Million For Fake Hemp Farm

A Beverly Hills man was charged Tuesday for allegedly soliciting more than $9 million from investors for a nonexistent hemp farm. The suspect, Mark Roy Anderson, 68, is a disbarred attorney who is currently serving an 11.5-year sentence for an unrelated crime at the time of the indictment. In 2012, Anderson was found guilty of running an “investment scheme that collected more than $9.5 million from victims who were falsely promised huge profits through investments in various oil companies and oil ventures,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In the current case, Anderson faces five counts of wire fraud alleging he tricked investors into providing funds for his company, Harvest Farm Group, to harvest and process hemp that would be turned into medical-grade CBD isolate and sold for a substantial profit. Anderson allegedly used the stolen funds for personal expenses including over $650,000 worth of luxury and vintage vehicles, over $142,000 in retail purchases and other expenses, withdrawing over $400,000 in cash, and over $1.3 million for a residence and surrounding citrus groves in Ojai.

KTLA 5

After Several Close Calls, Police Arrest Man Driving Erratically On SoCal Streets

A driver wanted for a narcotics violation was taken into custody after speeding and nearly causing several crashes on Southern California streets Wednesday night. The driver had several near-misses as he wound through cities including Pasadena, Downtown Los Angeles, Lincoln Heights and finally Cypress Park. Police opted to follow the driver in a helicopter instead of deploying ground patrol vehicles. Nonetheless, he ran red lights and almost hit pedestrians, cyclists and other cars while driving erratically. The man eventually stopped under an overpass in Cypress Park. His SUV appeared to have a flat tire as plainclothes officers took him into custody.

NBC 4

Illinois Sheriff's Office K-9 Killed In Shootout Following Pursuit With Suspected Carjacker

A man police believe was involved in a carjacking in Aurora was killed in a shootout with police in Geneva following a pursuit that began in South Elgin Wednesday afternoon, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said. Kane County Sheriff's Office K-9 Hudson was also killed during the incident after he was deployed when police said they saw the man had a handgun. The man who was fatally shot allegedly carjacked a Honda Accord in Aurora around 1:57 p.m., and sheriff's deputies later spotted the vehicle using license plate readers in South Elgin, officials said. Hain said deputies tried to conduct a traffic stop but the car did not stop. Deputies then initiated a pursuit that led from the area of South Elgin and ended at Randall Road and Fabyan Parkway in Geneva, where the vehicle was stopped by sheriff's deputies. At that point, the man exited the vehicle and "displayed a weapon toward deputies," sheriff's officials said. The police dog, Hudson, was deployed and became involved in "an active struggle" with the man, officials said. An exchange of gunfire then occurred, Hain said, during which the man and the K-9 were shot.

The Beacon News

'I'm Hit! I'm Hit!': Bodycam Videos Show Shootout That Wounded 2 Officers, Killed Suspect

Videos released from multiple body-worn cameras show intense moments when Indianapolis police officers were involved in a shootout that wounded two officers and killed a suspect, WXIN reports. The Indianapolis Police Department released an edited video compiling the bodycam footage from three officers who were involved in a pursuit that ended in a shooting from an April 20 incident. Police said the suspect, identified as Daniel Yefter Ghebrehiwet, drove off as officers attempted to pull him over near an intersection. As he drove away, officers attempted two PIT maneuvers on Ghebrehiwet's car but were unsuccessful. Police said the suspect continued driving and went into a business parking lot with officers still in pursuit. As officers step out of their patrol cars, gunfire can be heard on the bodycam videos. Police said the suspect began open firing on the four officers with a rifle before the patrol cars were even stopped. “Ah! I’m hit, I’m hit, I’m hit,” Det. De Leon yells as he falls to the ground. “On my foot, in my foot.”

PoliceOne

Stranded Hiker Rescued From Cave In Bell Canyon

A stranded hiker was rescued Wednesday afternoon after he got lost in a cave in Bell Canyon. The hiker called authorities after he became stranded in a cave within a remote area of Bell Canyon. He told first responders that he was stuck and unable to return to his vehicle on his own. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded with a helicopter and located the hiker. A rescuer was lowered down to him, but a hoist rescue was not an immediate option because of the location. Together the hiker and the rescuer were able to get out of the cave and find higher ground where they were both hoisted into the helicopter and dropped off nearby. The 34-year-old hiker did not suffer serious injuries and was returned to his vehicle, the Fire Department said.

KTLA 5

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.