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'Big Evil' Was ‘Programmed To Kill' In L.A. Now He's Eligible For Parole After Plea Deal

A notorious Los Angeles killer from the 1990s known as "Big Evil" is eligible for parole after serving more than 25 years on charges that once landed him on death row. Cleamon "Big Evil" Johnson, 55, pleaded no contest and was convicted Thursday of a sole count of murder in a case stemming from five murders in the early 1990s, when he was the leader of a small but disproportionately violent subset of the Bloods — the 89 Family Swans — in South Los Angeles. Johnson was once on death row at San Quentin State Prison for two of the five killings, but racist comments made by the lead LAPD detective on the case prompted a judge to decide that Johnson would no longer be subject to the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if he was convicted at retrial. The convicted killer has already been in state prison more than 25 years, meaning he is eligible for parole now, though that does not mean he will be granted it. "I was on this case for 16 years and I'm very pleased with the outcome," said Bob Sager, Johnson's defense attorney. Johnson's no-contest plea Thursday came for the killing of Payton Beroit, who was gunned down along with his friend, Donald Loggins, at a carwash on 88th Street and Central Avenue in 1991. While Johnson pleaded no contest to the Beroit murder, charges were dropped against him in the killing of Loggins along with three others: Albert Sutton, Georgia Jones and Tyrone Mosley.

Yahoo! News

Avid Crenshaw High Athlete Is Shot And Killed Outside Party; LAPD Investigating

By all accounts, Quincy Reese, 16, had a bright future ahead of him. A talented athlete, Reese was a star Crenshaw High School basketball player who also played baseball and was planning to try out for the football team, according to family and friends. He also had a 3.4 grade-point average and was going to be a senior this fall. But all of that ended tragically when Reese was shot and killed Friday night while attending a party with friends at an old motorcycle club in the Manchester Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles. Responding police officers found Reese on the sidewalk in front of some homes on 74th Street east of Western Avenue, according to KTLA. There have been no arrests in the case. An LAPD public information officer said Sunday that there was no other information available about the shooting, the motive or the suspect involved. Friends and family described Reese as a gifted athlete who was respectful of others. “He was a great outgoing personality,” said Ed Waters, the Crenshaw High boys’ basketball coach. Reese’s father, Quincy Reese Sr., said in an interview with The Times that “my world changed” when his son was born and that he was going to be an “outstanding athlete.” He described Reese Jr. as a gentleman who loved his basketball teammates and was not one to back down from a challenge.

Los Angeles Times

Man Found Shot To Death In North Hollywood Parking Lot

A man was found shot to death after gunfire erupted outside of a business complex in North Hollywood early Saturday morning. Los Angeles police officers responded to reports of shots fired in a parking lot near Cleon Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard around 1:05 a.m. Police said the victim was standing in an alleyway behind some businesses when he was approached by the suspect and gunfire erupted. Arriving officers found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect fled the area before police arrived. It’s unclear what led up to the deadly shooting. LAPD is looking into whether the incident may be gang-related. The victim’s identification was not released as police continue investigating the case.

KTLA 5

LAPD Unveils New State-Of-The-Art Device To Combat Catalytic Converter Thefts

The Los Angeles Police Department has a new tool to combat catalytic converter thefts and its state-of-the-art technology will make it harder for thieves to steal them. Though they've offered VIN etching services in the past, the department now has a new Insta-Etch marking device. One way of etching a VIN number on a catalytic converter is by hand, marking each number, digit by digit. However, this new tool engraves all of the digits automatically. It's the only Insta-Etch marking device in the department and it's part of services offered by the LAPD Northeast Division for communities like Eagle Rock. Robert Moore, a local Uber driver, finds the new service extremely helpful. "Converters are backordered, maybe months away from being able to get one," he said. "It's pretty necessary. I'm an Uber driver. It's my livelihood to be able to have my vehicle." The device costs about $8,000 and was purchased with grant money, the department said. Marking the catalytic converters will help investigators identify those that have been stolen once they've been found.

ABC 7

3 Armed Men Rob Armored Truck In South LA

Detectives Sunday continued their investigation into the robbery of at least $15,000 from an armored truck at rifle point by three men wearing ski masks in the Hyde Park community of South Los Angeles. The robbery occurred around 11:20 a.m. Saturday on Crenshaw Boulevard west of Florence Avenue, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison told City News Service. The men were described as about 6-feet tall, between the ages of 30 and 35. Police said they took about $15,000 and fled in a white SUV eastbound on Florence Avenue. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was an armored truck parked in front of a 7- Eleven. The LAPD's 77th Street station urged anyone with information about the robbery to call them at 323-786-5075 or 877-527-3247. Anonymous tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

FOX 11

Task Force Targets Downtown, South L.A. ‘Street Takeovers' Overnight

LAPD officers responded to multiple "street takeovers" in South Los Angeles overnight where at least 150 vehicles were reportedly involved at one of the locations, performing dangerous stunts for crowds of spectators. A task force special unit targeting sideshows was patrolling Sunday night, which has been a usual big gathering night for the sideshows, police said. Police said once officers showed up, spectators and vehicles would quickly move and regroup to another location. At about 1 a.m. Monday, officers went to 6th and Mateo streets just west of the L.A. River. Three arrests were made, and five vehicles were impounded, according to the Los Angeles Police Dept. A gun was also recovered, police said. Other street takeovers reported overnight included the intersections of Normandie and Florence avenues; Normandie and Jefferson Boulevard; Western Avenue and Century Blvd.; Jefferson and Western; 101st Street and Normandie; La Cienega and West Adams boulevards; and 54th Street and Western.

CBS 2

Man Terrifies Hollywood Hills Residents By Knocking On Doors, Talking Incoherently

Hollywood Hills residents are on edge after a man wandered the neighborhood knocking on doors while talking incoherently. The recent run-ins have homeowners afraid and wondering how much security they have around their homes. It's been a week full of strange and frightening encounters caught on camera in the usually quite Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. The first incident reported to police occurred around 9:12 p.m. on Wednesday on Linforth Drive. The suspect, identified as a male in his 30s or 40s, was knocking on the victim's door and talking incoherently. "It was extremely scary the way he was talking through the door," homeowner Vanessa Beecroft said. "It felt like a horror movie." Beecroft said he was yelling for about 15 minutes before running off. "I was wondering what did he really want? Did he want food, shelter, what did he want from the house?" Beecroft said. "Because he didn't open the door when the door was actually unlocked." She says he's the same man seen on surveillance video several hours later outside a home on nearby North Beachwood Drive.

ABC 7

East Los Angeles Murder Suspect Remains At Large

Authorities are searching for a suspect wanted for the murder of a man in East Los Angeles. The suspect was identified as Kevin Freddy Medel, 26, by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Medel also goes by the nickname, “Snoop.” Medel is wanted for a June 8 homicide that took place near 1st and Indiana Streets around 5:10 a.m. When authorities arrived, they found a male victim had been stabbed to death. Medel fled the scene of the crime and has remained at large since, said LASD. Medel should be considered armed and dangerous. The suspect is known to frequent the East L.A. and Monterey Park areas. Anyone who has seen Medel or knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact the L.A. County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to “Crime Stoppers” at 800-2228477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

KTLA 5

Reports Reveal Terrifying Details Of Ambush That Killed California Police Detective

The mentally ill man who killed San Luis Obispo police Det. Luca Benedetti in 2021 had amassed a cache of guns and ammunition before he essentially ambushed officers as they tried to serve a search warrant at his apartment, three new reports show. The reports, which uphold officers’ actions in the incident, reveal previously unreleased details about the events that led up to the shooting and what happened on May 10, 2021. They were released on Wednesday in response to a public records act request filed by The Tribune, the same day that San Luis Obispo police posted video of the shooting that showed that Edward Giron fired first after officers broke down the door and attempted to serve the warrant. The video, which police Chief Rick Scott called “deeply disturbing,” comes more than two years after the incident at the complex on Camellia Court that also injured Det. Steve Orozco and only ended when a gravely wounded Giron retreated into his apartment and shot himself with Benedetti’s rifle. The reports were produced by the SLO County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and Cuesta Polygraph Investigations, which conducted an internal affairs investigation.

Sacramento Bee

Washington Officer Tackles Armed Teen At High School Graduation Ceremony

A 17-year-old boy was arrested Saturday with a loaded pistol at a Bellingham Public Schools graduation ceremony after a confrontation that included a threat to shoot the father of another boy, police said. A Bellingham Police officer tackled the teen as he was reaching for a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol tucked in his waistband, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email. "Officers were able to recover a firearm from the 17-year-old's pants, as it had slipped from its original position of the waistband down to his knee," Murphy said. No injuries were reported. Neither the teen or the victim were identified in the statement, and it was unknown if the suspect was a student. Murphy said the teen was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of felony harassment, unlawful possession of a firearm, possessing a weapon capable of producing bodily harm, obstructing a law enforcement officer and possessing a dangerous weapon on school facilities. Police included a photo of the pistol, a Polymer 80, with a 16-round Glock magazine and 15 9mm cartridges.

The Bellingham Herald

Woman Rescued After 25-Foot Fall In Hollywood Hills

A 26-year-old woman had to be rescued by crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department after falling some 25 feet in the Hollywood Hills on Sunday, authorities announced. LAFD personnel responded to 3850 N. Barham Blvd. after receiving a 911 call just after 12:30 p.m. Firefighters used a ladder truck, along with a rope system, to lower a litter basket down to the victim after she sustained a possible leg fracture from the fall, according to an LAFD news release. Crews then hoisted the woman back to street level. The woman was then taken to the hospital in fair condition, LAFD said. The circumstances leading up to the woman’s fall are unclear and authorities did not provide any further details.  

KTLA 5

L.A. City Council Moves ‘Sanctuary City’ Ordinance Forward

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday voted to toughen policies around the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement. On a 12 to 0 vote, the council asked city attorneys to write a new law that would bar city personnel or resources from being used for immigration enforcement. The law would also bar federal immigration authorities or other entities connected to immigration enforcement from accessing city databases or anyone’s personal data. City Council members Bob Blumenfield and John Lee were absent from Friday’s vote. L.A.’s proposal, referred by council members as a “sanctuary city” law, would essentially codify existing policies, including a 2017 executive directive issued by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti. If passed, the law would be similar to one in San Francisco. That law prohibits city employees from using city funds or resources to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers in the enforcement of federal immigration laws unless such assistance is required by federal or state law.

Los Angeles Times

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.