Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News Woman Arrested For Sherman Oaks Fires Was Allegedly Out Due To Zero Cash Bail Policy A woman has been taken into custody, accused of intentionally setting a series of fires in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles overnight. That same woman had been arrested a week ago, but had been released as part of Los Angeles County's new zero cash bail policy. Jacqueline Whatley, 36, was taken into custody Wednesday for allegedly setting multiple fires. She's facing attempted murder charges for the fires that destroyed a business, a home and even an occupied tent. The first was set Tuesday night. Just after 11:15 p.m., crews were called out to Mark's Garden, a one-story floral shop on W. Ventura Boulevard. Fire officials said the fire started outside then spread inside. Less than three hours later just after 2 a.m., another fire was reported at a one-story home on N. Nagle Avenue. The owner of the home told FOX 11's Christina Gonzalez that he is lucky his son noticed flames outside the front door when he got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. FOX 11 Wrong-Way Crash On 10 Freeway In Downtown LA Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured: CHP One person was killed and three others were rushed to the hospital in critical condition following a wrong-way crash on the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said. Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department were called to the transition ramp on the eastbound lanes of the 10 Freeway, near the eastbound 60 Freeway, just before 4:10 a.m. Prior to the collision, authorities received a 911 call from someone who reported seeing a wrong-way driver. One of the crash victims was pronounced dead at the scene by firefighter paramedics, while three others, including a child, were taken to the hospital. Their names have not been released by authorities. The CHP issued a SigAlert and four lanes remain closed for the investigation. FOX 11 Teacher At Los Angeles Unified Arrested For Alleged Possession Of Child Pornography A teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District school was arrested by a special task force as part of an investigation into alleged possession and distribution of child pornography. The teacher, who was not named, was arrested in Claremont Wednesday morning. He’s been identified only as a 60-year-old man who is a current teacher at LAUSD. He was arrested by members of the San Bernardino Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The arrest was made as part of an ongoing investigation into the production, possession and distribution of pornography in the region. Police officials said a search warrant was served at a home in Redlands in San Bernardino County, which later led them to Claremont, which is in L.A. County. During the arrest, several electronic devices were discovered and seized as evidence. He was taken into custody “just before dawn” on Wednesday, and is expected to face felony charges related to the investigation. KTLA 5 Police Seek Public Help Finding Non-Verbal 44-Year-Old Woman Police sought the public’s help Wednesday to find a 44-year-old non-verbal woman last seen in the Watts area of Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Lashawn Scott was last seen on foot in the 10300 block of Compton Avenue on Monday, causing her family to grow concerned about her well-being. Detectives described Scott as a 5-foot-6-inch Black woman weighing 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, but there was no description of a top that Scott was last seen wearing. Anyone with information regarding Scott’s whereabouts was urged to contact the LAPD Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. During non-business hours or weekends, calls should be directed to 877-527-3247. MyNewsLA Riverside Officer Awarded For Work Using Text Feature To Save Kidnapping Victim An officer with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is being recognized after her quick reaction helped save a girl who was kidnapped. Officer Meghan Gonzalez was presented with the RapidDeploy “Superstar” award by the department for using the text-from-911 feature and Radius Mapping, helping to locate the victim. “The Superstar Award recognizes individuals for their ‘excellence in action,’ honoring those who made a life-saving impact, demonstrated exceptional use of RapidDeploy technology, and continue to enhance emergency response throughout their community,” Sergeant Deirdre Vickers said. This award has only been given to someone once before in the company’s history. On May 2, 2023 at 9:11 p.m., Gonzalez received a 911 call where she heard noises in the background like the dinging from a car door and a voice. Although she could not understand anything, she kept listening for a few minutes to try and detect if this was an emergency. “That just didn’t sit right with me,” Gonzalez said. “I had my intuition gut feeling.” She told the caller to press any number on the keypad if they needed help, but received no reply. Gonzalez then used RapidDeploy to contact the caller via message to ask if there was an emergency. She received a “YES” reply. NBC 4 Parents Suing Snapchat Over Fentanyl Deaths Parents whose children died after taking drugs containing fentanyl were inside a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday, hoping a judge will allow their lawsuit against the social media company Snapchat to move forward. It was an emotional day for the dozens of parents, who say their children died too soon after taking drugs they did not know contained the powerful synthetic opioid. They are among a group suing Snapchat, alleging in court documents that the social media platform allows people to sell illicit drugs on their platform, leading to deaths. Jaimie Puerta said he lost his son, Daniel, after he took half a pill that he bought online thinking it was oxycodone. Instead, Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators determined it was a counterfeit pill loaded with fentanyl, a synthetic drug 50 times more deadly than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “You have a social media app like Snapchat which is propagating these drug deaths by facilitating and allowing drug dealers to sell illicit counterfeit drugs to our children,” Puerta said. The lawsuit also alleges Snapchat’s platform makes it difficult for law enforcement to track down evidence of illegal activity. NBC 4 South Texas Police Officer Fatally Shot During Pursuit A South Texas police officer was fatally shot after he joined an hourslong pursuit of two men who fled a traffic stop and led officers on a chase through several cities before they were arrested, authorities said. San Benito Lt. Milton Resendez was fatally shot as his vehicle crossed paths with the suspects' vehicle late Tuesday night, police Chief Mario Perea said at a news conference Wednesday. Perea said it wasn’t known how many rounds were fired at Resendez’s vehicle but one round struck his front bumper and another went through the driver’s side door, hitting him just below his body armor in the abdomen. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. “He cared about everyone, he got along with everyone," Perea said. Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said the pursuit began around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on South Padre Island when a truck carrying the two men, two women and two small children was pulled over for speeding on the beach. As the driver was being questioned outside of the truck, a passenger started the truck, the driver jumped into the bed and they sped off, he said. At one point, the two women and the children got out of the vehicle, Saenz said. The women were detained and questioned. Associated Press Maryland Officer Loses Use Of Legs After Driver ‘Intentionally’ Hit Him A Maryland officer has lost the use of his legs after being intentionally struck by a suspected drunk driver this morning, WTOP reported. Montgomery County Police Sgt. Patrick Kepp, 36, remains in “critical condition” and has “lost the use of both of his legs,” Chief Marcus Jones said in a news conference. The driver, Raphael Mayorga, 19, was speeding at rates of up to 110 mph leading up to the incident. Officers decided to pursue him when he ran another driver off the road, according to the report. Kepp parked in the crossover of the interstate before getting out of his car to deploy spike strips. “The vehicle is observed actually intentionally moving from the middle lanes to the far-left lanes and Mayorga came directly at Sgt. Kepp as he was deploying the ‘stop sticks,'” Jones said. “He intentionally struck Sgt. Kepp in the main lanes of I-270.” Mayorga kept driving until he was stopped further down the interstate with spike strips by another officer, according to the report. Mayorga is being charged with first-degree attempted murder, as well as other charges. He has been known to “provoke officers into chasing him” in the past. PoliceOne Public Safety News Woman Found Dead In Panorama City House Fire Firefighters worked to put out a Panorama City house fire Wednesday morning where someone inside the home was found dead. Preliminary reports came out that there was a person trapped inside the home in the 8700 block of N. Matiljja Ave. during the fire which started around 8 a.m. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters worked to get the blaze under control in the single-story home and put it out within about 20 minutes. The fire department reported that a woman, described by residents as mobility impaired, was found lifeless in a rear bedroom. She was determined to be dead. Three other residents, including one child, who were home at the time of the fire, are being medically evaluated by LAFD paramedics at the scene for smoke exposure. The fire cause is under active investigation. CBS 2 12-Year-Old Boy Suffers Burn Injuries In Apartment Fire In Wilmington A 12-year-old boy suffered burn injuries to his hands in a fire in a two-story garden-style apartment building in Wilmington Wednesday evening and taken to a hospital. The fire in the 200 block of East Opp Street near Broad Avenue was reported around 7:25 p.m. Wednesday and knocked down in 12 minutes by 30 firefighters, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The cause of the fire was under investigation, Humphrey said. MyNewsLA Move Over Day Reminds Drivers To Give Emergency Responders Space To Work National Move Over Day is this Saturday, and transportation officials and advocates are reminding drivers of their duty to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles on the side of the road. Drivers who do not move over for vehicles with their lights flashing put first responders, tow truck drivers and others at risk of serious injury or death. Frank Orozco, owner of Goldline Towing in Ventura County, learned that lesson firsthand when he was hit on Feb. 4 while trying to help a stranded AAA member on the 101 Freeway, the organization pointed out in a news release. “Helping stranded drivers on the side of the road should not be one of America’s most deadly jobs, but it is,” the release added. “On average, two emergency responders, including tow providers, are hit and killed every month. Roadside crashes are notably deadly for tow workers. Government data shows that tow providers are killed at a rate of almost 43 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to just three for all other industries.” As for Orozco, he “survived the crash but continues to use a wheelchair.” KTLA 5 Local Government News Mayor's Controversial Termination Of LADOT Commissioner Sets Stage For LA City Council Meeting Friday The city Transportation Commission Wednesday approved a hotly debated housing project in West L.A. -- much to the frustration of residents who have raised concerns over public safety and impacts to nearby businesses. Commissioners voted unanimously, 4-0, to use the city-owned parking lot at 2377 Midvale Ave. near Westwood and Pico boulevards for an interim housing project. The commissioners also concurred with a recommendation from the Bureau of Engineering to determine the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. According to the office of Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents the 5th District and who introduced the project in July, the commission's action was necessary as it controls the use of the parking lot. The commissioners previously took up the matter last week, but board president Eric Eisenberg requested the matter be held until the members could hear from a representative from the Bureau of Engineering to better understand the commission's role in the project. His request was unanimously supported by his colleagues. Westside Current 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. 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