LAPD Claps Back At Mejia's Fake Math

Responding to a city report that found Black and Hispanic/Latino people were arrested at a "disproportionate rate" between 2019 to 2022, the Los Angeles Police Department denied the numbers point to discriminatory practices, noting that Black and Hispanic/Latino residents are also disproportionately represented among crime victims and reported offenders. "Arrest demographics are important in understanding the interplay between those engaged in criminal activity and arrest activity," according to an LAPD statement released late Tuesday. "Several studies including the Center for Policing Equity & Policing Project identify that disparities in and of themselves do not mean discrimination exists. Significant other factors such as the roles of poverty, education, and under resourced communities have critical implications." According to the department, the disparities noted in a recent City Controller's Office report analyzing arrest figures "are consistent with other over-representation when comparing select groups of individuals in relationship to residential populations. For example, while Black Angelenos make up 8% of the residential population they represent 24% of violent crime victims and 39% of homicide victims. Similarly, when combined, Black and Hispanic victims represent 70% of reported violent crime and 87% of homicides." LAPD officials added that Black individuals are reported offenders in 41% of violent crime, 39% of homicides and 50% of robberies.

Westside Current

2 Suspects Sought In Fatal Boyle Heights Shooting

Police were searching for two suspects allegedly involved in a fatal shooting Tuesday night in Boyle Heights, authorities told KTLA. Officers responded to reports of the shooting shortly after 7:42 p.m. in the 2800 block of East 4th Street at Evergreen Recreation Center. At the scene, authorities said they found a male victim suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. A preliminary investigation into the shooting revealed that the victim had been walking through the park when he had a verbal altercation with the two suspects, LAPD said. One of the suspects then reportedly shot the man multiple times. Video of the scene showed an area of the recreation center cordoned off with police tape as officers looked for evidence, including on the fields and near the bleachers where the victim may have been shot. The suspects, a male and a female, were last seen near Evergreen and 4th Street. The male is described as Hispanic, light-skinned, approximately 15 to 16 years old, wearing a black and gray L.A. hat and white t-shirt.

KTLA 5

Suspect Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Victim While “Providing Massage Services"

Los Angeles police arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting someone while "providing massage services." Suspect Jesus Tabares was arrested at his place of work on July 27 near the 8600 block of Reseda Boulevard in Northridge. Investigators from Los Angeles Police Department said Tabares "was providing massage services" when he allegedly sexually assaulted his victim. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged him with two felonies: forced oral copulation and digital penetration with a foreign object. Tabares is being held on a $100,000 bail. Detectives released Tabares' booking photo because they believe he may have sexually assaulted others. Anyone with information regarding the case should contact Devonshire Area Sexual Assault investigators, Danielle Tumbleson and Ruben Arellano, at (818) 832-0609. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through L.A. CrimeStoppers via phone 1-800-222-8477 or its website.

CBS 2

FBI Finds 200 Sex Trafficking Victims, Including 59 Missing Children

The FBI announced Tuesday it found more than 200 sex trafficking victims and more than 125 suspects during a two-week child exploitation operation in July. During “Operation Cross Country,” the FBI also located 59 victims of child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation and 59 missing children. The operation was in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The FBI teamed with other federal agencies and state and local police to identify or arrest 126 suspects of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking and 68 suspected traffickers. “Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights that preys on the most vulnerable members of our society,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The FBI’s actions against this threat never waver, as we continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated.” “About 300,000 children are trafficked every year across the world,” said NewsNation national security analyst Tracy Walder. “The U.S. only accounts for about 5.1% of those children that are trafficked.” FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces across the country work throughout the year to locate victims and their traffickers. Walder said operations like these, which have gone on for nearly two decades, are important because they’re not only reuniting children with their families but also spreading public awareness.

KTLA 5

Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Forklift In Downtown LA

A man was arrested for allegedly stealing a forklift and crashing it into a building in downtown Los Angeles, authorities said Wednesday. Officers were sent to Eighth Street and Broadway at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. No injuries were reported. The man’s name was not immediately available.

MyNewsLA

Man Found In Barrel At Malibu Lagoon Was Aspiring L.A. Recording Artist. ‘He Was A Good Kid’

The man whose body was found inside a barrel at Malibu Lagoon State Beach on Monday has been identified as a 32-year-old Sylmar man who was pursuing a career in music, according to authorities and a family friend. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner identified the man as Javonnta Murphy but divulged no details about the cause and manner of death, which is being investigated by Los Angeles County sheriff’s homicide detectives. Murphy grew up in South Los Angeles with his four brothers — two older and two younger, said Patrick Nelson, 46, a family friend who dated Murphy’s mother and considered himself a stepfather of sorts to Murphy. After the death of Murphy’s grandmother, who anchored their family, Murphy moved into an apartment of his own in Sylmar, Nelson said. He was pursuing a career in rapping and dreamed of becoming a successful artist, Nelson said. Murphy spent his free time lifting weights and running, Nelson said, and was father to a young son. “He was a good kid, good person. He didn’t gang-bang. What happened to him, I just don’t understand,” Nelson said. Lt. Hugo Reynaga of the sheriff’s homicide bureau said the 55-gallon drum was first spotted Sunday by a maintenance worker, who paddled out in a kayak and pulled it to the sandy shore of the Malibu lagoon. The maintenance worker didn’t open the container.

Los Angeles Times

4 Teen Robbery Suspects Arrested After Pursuit In Los Angeles County

Four teenagers were arrested for a series of armed robberies targeting local doughnut shops across the South Bay following a pursuit. The suspects were identified as Markhi Toles and Joshua Charles, both 18 years old, and two unidentified 17-year-old boys, according to the El Segundo Police Department. Investigators had been working to surveil and track down the group responsible for a series of armed robberies throughout the region. On July 26, officers spotted the suspects’ vehicle and attempted to pull it over. The teens refused to yield and sped off instead, leading officers on a pursuit. Multiple agencies responded to the chase including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and the Riverside Police Department. Eventually, the vehicle was stopped and the four suspects were arrested at the scene, police said. Following the arrests, multiple search warrants were served at the suspects’ homes. During the search, police discovered a stolen vehicle, multiple realistic pellet handguns, stolen lottery tickets, and a ski mask — all items connected to the robberies, authorities said.

KTLA 5

22-Year-Old South Carolina Police Officer Killed While Saving Person On Train Tracks

He is being hailed as a hero. Easley Police Officer Matthew Hare died before daybreak Wednesday as he was helping get a man experiencing a mental health crisis off the train tracks in Easley. The man was saved. Hare was hit by an oncoming passenger train and died at the scene. He was 22. Lt. Ashley Anderson of the Easley Police Department struggled to hold back tears as she faced the news media Wednesday. “It is a tragic day,” she said. She asked that people keep the officer’s family in their prayers. The Amtrak passenger train had just left Greenville en route to Clemson and ultimately New Orleans. It was delayed for several hours as the State Law Enforcement Division and the Pickens County Coroner’s Office investigated. Hare was sworn in as an officer in October 2022.

The State

Louisiana Deputy Marshal Shot, Killed While Serving Warrant

A deputy marshal and another man were killed and a woman was critically wounded in a shooting during a drug investigation in southern Louisiana, authorities said Tuesday. Ville Platte Deputy Marshal Barry Giglio died at the scene around 8:30 p.m. Monday, authorities said. Giglio was shot while helping members of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office serve a search warrant in a home where drug activity was suspected, Louisiana State Police said. A man and a woman in the home also were struck by gunfire and taken to hospitals, where the man died, authorities said. One person was arrested but authorities didn't immediately release the names of the suspect and the other victims or other details of the shooting. “This tragedy is yet another reminder of the sacrifices men and women in law enforcement make each and every day when they put on their uniform and badge, not knowing if they’ll come home to their families at the end of each day," Ville Platte Mayor Ryan Leday Williams said. "Deputy Marshall Giglio’s ultimate sacrifice in service of his community will never be forgotten.”

Associated Press

'Our Dog Saved The Lives Of The Officers And Citizens': California K-9 Killed In Shooting

A confrontation in a parking lot at Mesa College early Wednesday led to a police K-9 being killed and an armed man being shot by San Diego police, officials said. Few details were immediately available about the incident, including the condition of the man who was shot. Police said the incident began shortly before 1:30 a.m. when someone reported "some sort of shooting-type incident," said San Diego police spokesperson Adam Sharki. The location of the shooting wasn't immediately released. Sharki said officers confronted the suspect on the community college campus in the Clairemont neighborhood. "Officers responded to a radio call involving some sort of shooting-type incident," Sharki said. "(During) the course of that investigation, officers had a confrontation with a suspect which led to an officer-involved shooting." Sharki said police were investigating several different scenes. The initial call was about a road rage-type incident, according to police Officer David O'Brien. The suspect left his car on a center divider off Mesa College Drive Circle near Armstrong Place. Fox 5 San Diego showed a white Tesla with its trunk open and lights flashing behind police crime scene tape at the campus.

San Diego Union Tribune

2 Men Dead After Small Plane Crashes, Erupts In Flames At Van Nuys Airport

Two men are dead after a small plane crashed and erupted into flames at Van Nuys Airport Wednesday morning. An Eyewitness News helicopter crew stationed at the airport witnessed the crash from about 150 feet away. Our cameraman who was on the tarmac also attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. There is a fire station at the airport and firefighters were on scene quickly, using foam and water to extinguish the highly flammable aviation gas. According to the Federal Aviation Administration registry, the single-engine aircraft was a CSA SportCruiser. Airport police said the plane was registered at the Van Nuys facility. It wasn't immediately clear if the crash happened upon a departure or landing. Witnesses described the plane heading nose-down into the ground before it crashed and burst into flames. "They did very a very high impact, what was described as nose-first into the ground," Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said. "Tragically that likely quickly caused the death of both of the occupants."

ABC 7

Valley Fever Could Hit California Hard. The Drought-to-Downpour Cycle Is To Blame

After California’s record-breaking winter rains, public health officials are warning about an increased risk for valley fever this summer. “California’s dry conditions, combined with recent heavy winter rains could result in increasing valley fever cases in the coming months,” California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomás Aragón said in a news release.  During a drought, the fungus that causes valley fever often is less active, but it grows once the rains return, according to the Department of Public Health. Valley fever cases have been lowest during drought and highest in the years immediately following a drought, raising concerns for this summer and fall after the record-breaking rain that hit California. Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis or “cocci,” is caused by a fungus that grows in dirt. People and animals can get sick if they breathe in the dust that contains the fungus. It typically affects the lungs, resulting in symptoms including chest pain, cough, fever and fatigue. Symptoms can last for a month or more. Since the symptoms overlap with other respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, lab tests can sometimes be needed to determine whether the infection is valley fever. People who test negative for COVID-19 but continue to experience symptoms for more than a week should speak to a doctor.

Los Angeles Times

City Council President Proposes Committee Changes In Wake Of Price Scandal

In response to City Councilman Curren Price surrendering his committee assignments in June amid criminal charges, council President Paul Krekorian will seek to shuffle the membership of multiple committees, change some jurisdictions and meeting times, and dissolve one committee altogether. In a June 20 letter to Mayor Karen Bass, the City Clerk, council members and city departments, Krekorian said he would introduce a resolution and motion to make the following changes: the Economic and Community Development Committee will be dissolved and its responsibilities redistributed; oversight of the Economic and Workforce Development Department and other economic-, workforce- and business-related matters will be under the jurisdiction of the Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee; oversight of the Community Investment and Families Department, Consolidated Plan, FamilySources Centers, and policies related to reduction of poverty, etc., will now fall under the Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee; the Rules, Election and Intergovernmental Relations Committee will meet on the third Friday of each month at 1 p.m. etc.

Westside Current

L.A. City Council Backs Controversial L.A. Zoo Renovation Plan

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday backed a major renovation for the Los Angeles Zoo, a controversial proposal that’s been criticized by hillside neighborhood and environmental groups as harmful to Griffith Park. The City Council voted 13 to 0 to certify the environmental impact report for the city-owned facility. Zoo officials want to upgrade the 1960s-era facilities, expand conservation efforts and add more space for animals. Key details of the makeover remain unknown after zoo officials said in June they would explore other options in the face of the opposition over construction that would cut into the hills. Without final designs, the renovation’s cost — which would be paid for with private and public funding — is unknown. An earlier estimate put the initial phase of construction over the next few years at $650 million. The plan the council signed off on Wednesday also estimated that nearly 300 employees will need to be hired at the zoo over the next 18 years because of the additional facilities. Councilmember Nithya Raman said in a statement before Wednesday’s vote that she expects the zoo, which is in her district, to continue to work with local groups on the plans.

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.