LAPD Officer Injured While Trying To Break Up Street Takeover Near Downtown LA

Police up and down California were on high alert for street takeover and sideshow events this weekend. Warnings were publicized about a series of events known as the "LA to the Bay" or "Cali vs everyone" sideshow moving north from Southern California over the weekend. It's not clear which events were connected, but in Los Angeles there were several street takeovers. At one, an LAPD officer was struck in the head while trying to clear an intersection near the Arts District downtown. She was taken to a hospital to be treated and then released. This week the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss calling on multiple agencies to host a community symposium on street takeovers. 

ABC 7

One Killed In Echo Park Shooting

A man was fatally shot in Echo Park and police Saturday are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. Los Angeles Police officers were called at approximately 11 p.m. Friday to the intersection of Douglas and Toluca streets where they found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. There was no suspect information.

MyNewsLA

1 Shot In Panorama City, Suspects At Large

Police are searching for shooting suspects after a person was shot in Panorama City on Saturday afternoon. Officers responded to a shooting on the 8400 block of Cedros Avenue around 3:51 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Arriving officers found one person with injuries at the scene. They were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Their current condition is unknown. Citizen video showed a large police presence near an area with multiple apartment complexes. A crowd of bystanders can be seen surrounding the scene. It’s unclear how many suspects were involved. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear as authorities continue investigating.

KTLA 5

Crowd Sets Trash Cans, Car On Fire At Skateboarding Event In Hollywood Before Police Move In

A skateboarding event in Hollywood turned rowdy Saturday night as partygoers lighted trash cans and at least one car on fire before police declared an “unlawful assembly” and ordered people to leave. The crowd gathered in the 1600 block of North Cherokee grew unruly just after 7:20 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. People started lighting trash cans on fire and setting off fireworks, authorities said. Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a freelance journalist who was at the scene, captured video of a burning vehicle — possibly a prop vehicle or decommissioned police car — at the end of a skateboarding ramp. Event photos from earlier in the day showed the faux cruiser covered in colorful graffiti, with cartoon police painted on cardboard windows. One attendee said that revelers had jumped on top of the car in celebration and bashed in the fake windows before the vehicle was set ablaze. After the fire started, dozens of people ambled around calmly as the car burned, and a few continued skating up the ramp toward the flames. Motorcycle riders did wheelies as smiling attendees took selfies. Eventually, authorities declared the gathering unlawful and moved to disperse the fiery festivities.

Los Angeles Times

Hit-and-Run Suspect Involved In Four-Vehicle Crash In Baldwin Hills: LAPD

Eight people, including one child, were involved in a multi-vehicle crash that resulted in one car narrowly missing a home in Baldwin Hills. The crash was reported around 4:15 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Potomac Avenue and Obama Boulevard. There, four vehicles all crashed after a driver attempted to evade police during a traffic stop, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Police said they attempted a traffic stop on a driver suspected in a hit-and-run, but that individual failed to stop. Law enforcement then issued an alert in the area for a reckless driver who refused to yield. When authorities arrived at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and Obama Boulevard, they saw smoke and four cars in a crash, including the suspected hit-and-run driver. The driver was arrested at the scene and two passengers in the vehicle took off. After setting a perimeter, officers located those individuals and later arrested them. LAPD did not name those who were arrested. The suspect’s vehicle contained firearms, ski masks, jewelry and multiple cell phones, according to police. Detectives are working to investigate if the vehicle they were traveling in was stolen. Law enforcement said the other drivers and passengers in the wreck sustained injuries they described as non-life threatening. Authorities did not say if anyone was hospitalized in connection with the crash.

NBC 4

$50,000 Reward For A Suspect ID In Cross Burnings At Sylmar Church

The Los Angeles City Council approved a $50,000 reward Friday for information leading to the identification and conviction of those responsible for setting three wooden crosses on fire on the front lawn of a Sylmar church. The council approved this motion in a 13-0 vote. The motion was introduced following the Los Angeles Police Department's investigation into the crime that occurred on July 6. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 5 a.m. report of a rubbish fire outside the Sylmar Christian Fellowship Church. When the fire department arrived at the Polk St. location, officials found only smoldering wood crosses that had been toppled over, according to officials. According to authorities, the crosses appeared to have been doused in lighter fluid before being set on fire. No injuries were reported.

FOX 11

Smash-and-Grab Robbers Use Hammers To Steal $20K Worth Of Perfume Stolen From Northridge Macy's

An investigation is underway after a group of up to 6 smash-and-grab robbers allegedly stole $20,000 worth of perfume from Macy's at the Northridge Fashion Center. It happened just after 11 a.m. inside the mall located near Shirley Avenue and Prairie Street. According to police, between 5 and 6 men armed with hammers and wearing black-hooded sweaters committed the alleged robbery. They got into a black car before leaving the scene, officials said. No other information was immediately available. 

FOX 11

LA County Considers 'Symposium' To Tackle Growing Issue Of Street Takeovers

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors next week will consider calling on a host of county and other agencies to hold a community symposium on street takeovers. The motion by Supervisor Holly Mitchell calls on the county Department of Public Health, Department of Public Works, Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol, the District Attorney's Office and other organizations to take part in a meeting no later than Feb. 28, 2024, then report back to the board with recommendations for addressing the issue. The board will consider the motion at its regular meeting Tuesday. Street takeovers have been a growing problem across the Southland, highlighted in July 2022 when the Sixth Street Viaduct opened near downtown Los Angeles, leading to an almost immediate surge of dangerous stunt driving and vehicle takeovers on the bridge. Mitchell's motion suggests participants in the symposium consider proposals such as providing secure permanent closed tracks, separate from public streets, for street performance activities in communities most impacted by illegal street racing and street takeovers. She also suggested infrastructure improvements to curb street takeovers, along with an examination of whether land use encourages street takeovers.

Westside Current

North Carolina Deputy Killed In Crash While Driving To Work

A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy was hit and killed when his vehicle was struck by a box truck Saturday morning, authorities said. Auston Smith Reudelhuber, a 32-year-old deputy with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, died at a hospital, Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. said. Reudelhuber also was an Army Reservist who served six years active duty, the sheriff said. “We are heartbroken to share that we have lost one of our own in the line of duty,” Kimbrough said on Facebook. “We are asking for prayers for the Reudelhuber family as well as for our FCSO Family.” Reudelhuber was driving his patrol car to his shift when he was hit in the 5200 block of North N.C. 150 in Davidson County at about 5:15 a.m., Kimbrough said. He died at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, the sheriff said. Further details of the crash were unavailable Saturday, including the name of the truck driver, the driver’s injuries and if any charges filed were filed. Reudelhuber was hired in 2021 after working three years for the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. “It is with a heavy heart” the sheriff said as he announced Reudelhuber’s death.

Charlotte Observer

The Impact Of Mexican Cartels On U.S. Law Enforcement: Understanding The Threat

On February 21, 2023, a jury in the Brooklyn Federal District Court convicted Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico’s former Public Security Secretary, of aiding the Sinaloa Cartel and accepting millions of dollars in bribes. Garcia Luna served as Mexico’s top law enforcement official from 2006-2012 and led Mexico’s Federal Investigative Agency from 2001-2005. Cartel influence over Mexican government officials exists at all levels, and their influence does not stop at the United States-Mexico border. In Mexico, these cartels act with impunity against politicians, government officials, police, and journalists. Mexican cartels pose a significant threat to law enforcement agencies in the United States. These organized crime groups operate globally, engaging in a variety of illegal activities such as drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking. To gain influence over police and other law enforcement agencies, courts and correctional institutions, cartels often attempt to bribe officials and, in some cases, even place their own members in positions of power. This strategy enables cartels to gain long-term influence within these organizations. The cartels’ illicit activities in the United States are often inconspicuous. The subtlety creates a disconnect between American streets and the cartels, sometimes making it challenging for even the most experienced officer, deputy, or agent to detect cartel influence. Recognizing the presence of cartel activity on American streets can facilitate the identification of their tactical shifts, which include using social media platforms for recruitment and collaborating with American gangs to broaden their reach. 

PoliceOne

Greater Alarm Fire In Silver Lake Extinguished

Firefighters controlled and finally contained a Greater Alarm fire at a residence that sustained a partial roof collapse Saturday in Silver Lake. The fire was reported at 3:28 a.m. and firefighters responded to the 2300 block of West Fargo Street, west of Glendale Boulevard, where they encountered heavy fire and excessive storage conditions inside the two-story hillside home, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. It took 90 firefighters 35 minutes to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

11-Year-Old Boy Hospitalized After Being Hit By Metro Bus In North Hollywood

An investigation is underway after a Metro bus driver hit and seriously injured an 11-year-old boy in North Hollywood. The incident happened around 8 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Bellaire Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The boy was riding a scooter when the bus struck him, but additional details about the collision were not available. Authorities say he suffered severe injuries and remained hospitalized on Tuesday morning. So far, Metro has not commented on the crash.

ABC 7

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 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.