Good morning. The LAPD's Mission Area presents cigar/hookah night on Thursday, August 24th. The event will take place at 11860 Balboa Blvd. from 6pm - 10pm. Click here for more information.

Man Hospitalized After Being Shot in His Car in Reseda

A man is his 30s was shot in Reseda and authorities Wednesday are searching for the shooter. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a shots fired call at 10 p.m. Tuesday to 18422 Vanowen St. between Reseda Boulevard and Darby Avenue where they learned the victim was sitting in his car when a man drove up to him and ordered him out of his car, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. The suspect then shot the suspect and ran away, leaving his car at the scene. The victim was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, police said. There was no suspect description.

MyNewsLA

Man hospitalized after being shot in South Los Angeles

Police are investigating a shooting that left one man wounded in South Los Angeles Tuesday evening. According to Los Angeles Police Department, officers were dispatched to a home located near South Central Avenue and E. 46th Street, across the street from Sally Ride Elementary School, after learning of the shooting. They arrived to find a man in his 40s suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the back. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he is in unknown condition. Investigators did not provide any information on a suspect involved in the shooting, but with SkyCal overhead, they could be seen surveying the driveway of the home and a garage. 

CBS 2

LAPD to use AI to analyze body cam videos for officers’ language use

Researchers will use artificial intelligence to analyze the tone and word choice that LAPD officers use during traffic stops, the department announced Tuesday, part of a broader study of whether police language sometimes unnecessarily escalates public encounters. Findings from the study, conducted by researchers from USC and elsewhere, will be used to help train officers on how best to navigate encounters with the public and to “promote accountability,” said Cmdr. Marla R. Ciuffetelli of the Office of Constitutional Policing & Policy; Machine learning, she said at a meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners, “is in its infancy, but will undoubtedly become a profound element in officer training in the future.” Over three years, researchers will review body camera footage from roughly 1,000 traffic stops, then develop criteria on what constitutes an appropriate interaction based on public and office feedback and a review of the department’s policies, according to Benjamin A.T. Graham, an associate professor of international relations at USC and one of the study’s authors. These criteria will then be fed into a machine learning program, which will “learn” how to review videos on its own and flag instances where officers cross the line, Graham said.

Los Angeles Times

Caught On Video: Thieves Ransack Beverly Hills Wig Shop That Serves Cancer Patients

Surveillance video shows a group of thieves smashing their way into a Beverly Hills boutique that makes wigs for cancer patients. The incident happened Monday night at The Wig Fairy on La Cienega Boulevard. The footage captured the moment at least three people broke in and ransacked the store. The thieves got away with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, but the owner says they took more than just inventory - they took time away from women who are fighting through tough times. "We had to make such heartfelt phone calls today. Calling clients and letting them know that 'I'm so sorry that you've waited but I can no longer ship you the wig and I need you to wait again'...which is not normally the answer," said Mona Zargar, the store's owner. "Because if someone is going through treatment, they're expecting their hair to fall out pretty much on the second treatment. So they don't have time to wait." The Wig Fairy is now working around the clock to get back on track and help their customers regroup.

ABC 7

Suspect in Santa Monica assault to commit rape case may have more victims, police say

Authorities are searching for more possible victims of a man arrested earlier this month on suspicion of assault to commit rape, the Santa Monica Police Department posted on its Facebook page Monday. Police say 27-year-old Fernando Chavez met with his victim while working in downtown Los Angeles. After Chavez finished his shift, the two went to a beach in Santa Monica. That’s where police say the victim was violently assaulted for refusing to have sex with Chavez. Chavez was arrested on Aug. 4 on suspicion of assault to commit rape, the post stated. He remains in custody and is being held without bail. nvestigators are searching for any additional victims or witnesses in the case. Chavez also has a pending case with the Orange County Police Department. He is suspected of assault to commit rape and forcible penetration with a foreign object in that case. Anyone with further information about Chavez, or who believes they may have been victimized by him, is urged to call Detective Holloway at 310-458-8934 or the watch commander at 310-458-8427.

KTLA 5

Man stole over $400,000 worth of cars from Southern California dealerships

A man was found guilty of a scheme that resulted in over $400,000 worth of stolen vehicles across Southern California. The suspect, Jean Parret, targeted car dealerships in multiple counties including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Kern and San Diego counties, according to the California Attorney General’s Office. Between November 2021 and February 2022, Parret used victims’ stolen identities to open lines of credit and purchase numerous high-end vehicles from car dealerships, authorities said. The total amount of stolen vehicles is estimated at over $400,000, according to court documents, with many dealerships victimized in the scheme. A large amount of the stolen vehicles were eventually transported across the border to Mexico for displacement, officials said. “His victims included not only the lenders and dealerships who lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but also the identity theft victims who were left dealing with the financial, legal, and emotional impacts of having their identity stolen and their credit damaged,” said the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

KTLA 5

Texas officer suffers fatal medical emergency after directing school traffic

An officer with the Hudson Independent School District Police Department died during a medical emergency. According to the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department, firefighters responded to Bonner Elementary Friday afternoon for a medical call. The department said they were saddened to discover that it was Officer Bryan Holley. Holley collapsed after completing the traffic control assignment at the school, Officer Down Memorial Page states. Holley devoted 10 years of his service to the Hudson Independent School District Police Department. His dedication to law enforcement spanned 31 years in total. His lengthy career includes 17 years at the Angelina County Sheriff's Office and another four years at the Angelina County Constable's Office - Precinct 1. He leaves behind his wife, four children and three grandchildren. 

PoliceOne

Gun thefts from cruisers have become more of a common problem, experts say

Experts say gun thefts from law enforcement vehicles, like the incident last month when an AR-15 was stolen from a Connecticut environmental police officer's car, have become a more common problem. A spokesperson for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the weapon and ammunition were "properly locked" in the vehicle by a member of the agency's Environmental Conservation police. However, that didn't prevent the gun and ammo from being stolen during a series of smash-and-grab car burglaries in a residential area in Wallingford. "It seems to be growing a little bit more," said Felipe Rodriguez, a former New York Police Department detective sergeant who is now an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Rodriguez said thieves now have access to cutting tools like 18-volt grinders. So even though an officer adheres to procedure by securing their guns in the vehicle, grinders and "pneumatic hydraulic type tools are now able to defeat the locks," Rodriguez said. More thieves are now armed with these tools to steal catalytic converters, which continues to be a growing trend. In Florida, where Rodriguez also worked in law enforcement, the problem became so pronounced that deputies were no longer allowed to keep their rifles in their cars at night.

Journal Inquirer

Lack of DNA samples hinders effort to identify Maui wildfire victims as over 1,000 remain missing

More than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for more than two weeks after devastating wildfires ripped through Maui, officials said. Urgent efforts to identify the remains of those discovered in the ashes have prompted emergency leaders to call on families for DNA samples to aid in the identification process. As of Wednesday morning, only 104 families had submitted DNA samples, limiting the process. "The number of family members who are coming in to provide DNA samples is a lot lower than they've seen in other disasters," said Maui County prosecuting attorney Andrew Martin. Texas resident Jayson Musgrove, who traveled to Maui in search of his missing mother Linda Vaikeli, submitted his DNA. "It's hard to get answers because nobody really knows what's happening," he said. "Until someone tells me exactly where she's at, I'm not gonna stop looking for her." The identification of remains has been made more complex due to multiple lists from different agencies. In addition to DNA analysis, authorities are using cellphone technology to help pinpoint individuals' whereabouts. 

CBS 2

Amid outcry, L.A. City Council defends rejection of ethics nominee

When the Los Angeles City Council torpedoed a high-level political appointee last week, it all happened quickly and quietly. No one on the council offered a reason Friday for the swift, and some say brutal, 14-to-0 vote rejecting Jamie York, who had been nominated by City Controller Kenneth Mejia to serve on the city’s five-member Ethics Commission. But after days of complaints from York’s allies and a number of neighborhood council leaders, the explanations have come tumbling out. City Council President Paul Krekorian said Monday he was troubled by York’s past professional work raising political contributions for candidates, including former Mayor Eric Garcetti, U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-San Pedro) and state Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas). The Ethics Commission issues penalties for violations of the city’s campaign finance laws, among other things. A day later, he questioned whether York, a vocal proponent of stronger ethics laws, would show a willingness consider opinions that differ from her own “without devolving into invective.”

Los Angeles Times

City Council OKs Plan to Expand Food Program to Harbor City, Watts

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved a motion seeking to expand a food program to the Harbor region and South Los Angeles to address the lack of access in so-called “food deserts.” The motion seeks to expand the city’s Healthy Neighborhood Market Network, a program intended to ensure access to fresh produce within a half mile of residents in Watts and Harbor City. The council unanimously approved the motion, introduced by Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents Council District 15, which includes the two communities. “Where you live shouldn’t dictate your access to healthy diet options,” McOsker said in a statement Tuesday afternoon following the vote. “This program will serve the One-Five in two ways: providing opportunities for healthier food options for our residents and empowering small businesses. The Healthy Neighborhood Market Network program is not about promoting big, corporate grocery stores, but to empower our existing community businesses to become successful food entrepreneurs.”

MyNewsLA

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.