Leader Of L.A.-Based Gang Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison

The leader of a gang based in the San Fernando Valley was sentenced Monday to 16 years in prison on federal racketeering and narcotics crimes. Mario Alberto Miranda, 32, of Sherman Oaks, was the leader of a gang referred to by the United States Department of Justice as the “Vineland Boys.” Miranda was charged as the lead defendant in a federal grand jury indictment that targeted 31 of the gang’s members and associates. On June 26, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as the RICO Act, to distribute methamphetamine. From September 2008 to November 2019, Miranda and other members of the gang engaged in drug trafficking throughout the San Fernando Valley. According to the DOJ, Miranda operated as the gang’s drug supplier and shot-caller who managed drug and firearms stash houses and extorted drug dealers who operated in areas that were under the gang’s control. Miranda sold methamphetamine to buyers at a residence in Pacoima and a North Hollywood clothing store that he ran. He also sold about 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine to one specific buyer over the course of multiple transactions and ordered a co-conspirator to obtain a pound of meth for another buyer, the DOJ said.

KTLA 5

3 Westlake District Strip Mall Businesses Hit By Burglars

An investigation is underway after several businesses in a Westlake District strip mall were burglarized by "the mom and pop burglars" overnight, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.  Police said two men wearing masks and dark clothing broke into three businesses in the Temple Plaza - LA Beauty, Dollar Hits Pinoy Street Food, and Mom's Bakeshop early Monday morning. Edmond Remijio, who is homeless, was sleeping in front of one of the businesses when the sound of breaking glass woke him up. He called 911 to report the burglary just after 4:30 a.m., officials said. Nothing was taken from LA Beauty, but it was a different story for Dollar Hits. One cash register with cash was taken, and another one was damaged in the business known around the world for their Filipino food - thanks in part to being featured in a Netflix documentary. It's unknown if anything was taken from the bakeshop. "I work hard for this and for my staff, especially tonight is my Christmas party," said business owner Elvira Chan. "We don't have business today because of the Christmas party for the staff." Anyone with information is asked to call police. 

FOX 11

Famed L.A. DJ Accused Of Sexually Assaulting 6 Teen Girls: Rolling Stone

Influential Los Angeles radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer has been accused of sexually assaulting six underage girls decades ago, including two who went on to successful music careers. On Monday, Rolling Stone published a report detailing Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin’s allegation that Bingenheimer, believed to be 27 at the time, assaulted a then-15-year-old Wiedlin at his club, English Disco, in 1974. “It was weird; it never occurred to me that that had been a crime. I didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t until the #MeToo movement started when I realized I was sexually assaulted by [an adult] when I was 15,” Wiedlin told the magazine. Bingenheimer, who hosted “Rodney on the ROQ” on KROQ 106.7 for four decades, did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment, the magazine said. In addition to Wiedlin, four other women told Rolling Stone that Bingenheimer assaulted them while they were underage. A sixth woman, Runaways songwriter Kari Krome, also claimed Bingenheimer assaulted her when she was a teenager. She filed suit earlier this year.

KTLA 5

Search Underway For Gas Thieves In Agoura Hills

A search is underway for a pair of thieves who stole gas from a work truck in Agoura Hills. The incident happened on Nov. 22 on Canwood Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Authorities say the thieves damaged the gas tank of the truck, which belongs to a business in the area. The suspects then got away in a red motorcycle with a trailer and a scooter. Anyone with information is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lost Hills Station. 

ABC 7

Elderly Man Beaten In Apparent Hate Crime Attack In Beverly Hills; Suspect Arrested 

Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the assault of an elderly man in Beverly Hills that may have been racially motivated. According to a media release from the Beverly Hills Police Department, officers responded to the area of North Rexford Drive and North Santa Monica Boulevard just after 9 a.m. Saturday morning on calls of an assault with a deadly weapon. Responding officers found an elderly man who had sustained a laceration on his head after being struck with a belt, according to BHPD. “During the commission of the crime, the suspect made anti-Semitic statements to the victim,” Beverly Hills police said. The victim, who was accompanied by his wife at the time he was assaulted, was treated at the scene by paramedics and did not require further medical attention, officials said. A man claiming to be the victim’s son posted on X, formerly Twitter, that his parents were on their way to shul — the Yiddish word for synagogue — when the attack was carried out. Included in the post was a picture of a bloody shirt allegedly belonging to the victim.

KTLA 5

Maria Del Carmen Lopez: Family Hopes For Return Of Mother Kidnapped In Mexico Nearly A Year Ago

A family in Norwalk is still desperately searching for their mother, nearly a year after she was kidnapped in Mexico. Maria del Carmen Lopez was taken from her home in Pueblo Nuevo, Colima, Mexico back on February 9, 2023. This time last year, the 63-year-old surprised her seven kids in Norwalk with a visit. Just months later, the American citizen was taken. At his home, it looks like Christmas, but son Tony Lopez said he doesn't feel like celebrating. "Thanksgiving came and went," he said. "It's just very different. It doesn't feel right." Tony Lopez said the people who kidnapped his mom demanded a ransom that was "completely unobtainable to us. Way out of the question. It was a ridiculous amount." Since then, the kidnappers have gone silent. The FBI has offered a reward for Lopez's return, and her family has plastered the area near where she was taken with bus ads and missing posters. Just a few months ago, the family said Mexican authorities arrested two men believed to be tied to the kidnapping ring. But not even that got their mother back.

FOX 11

He Wasn’t Allowed To Own A Gun In California. But He Bought One — And Killed His 10-Year-Old Son

Christy Camara decorated her home for the holidays this month, festooning a slender fir tree with ornaments made by her son, Wyland Gomes. There’s a red-and-green picture with his handprints from preschool. There’s his fourth-grade photo. Her refrigerator is similarly bedecked with Wyland’s artwork and little notes he wrote, some of them about his love for his mom. But Camara, who lives in Oceano (San Luis Obispo County), won’t be celebrating Christmas with her quiet, funny son with the goofy laugh and the love of baseball. The ornaments and other mementos commemorate a life cut short. Wyland died four years ago, shot dead at age 10 by his father, Victor Gomes, who then took his own life. Victor Gomes purchased the Glock semiautomatic pistol he used in the crime from an authorized gun dealer — even though Camara had a restraining order against him at the time, which barred him from owning firearms. Now she’s suing the state of California, the state attorney general and Kings County Superior Court (which granted the restraining order), seeking to understand what went so horribly wrong — and to keep it from happening to someone else.

San Francisco Chronicle

$2 Trillion Worth Of Counterfeit Products Are Sold Each Year. Can AI Help Put A Stop To It?

As the holiday season approaches and the shopping frenzy intensifies, consumers are being warned to stay vigilant against the rising menace of counterfeit products. These imitations are becoming increasingly difficult to identify — and potentially dangerous. The world's largest online retailer has been using artificial intelligence and machine learning to root out sellers trying to peddle counterfeits on its platform. Three years ago, Amazon created an in-house counterfeit crime unit made up of former federal prosecutors, law enforcement and data scientists based around the world to go after counterfeit sellers. The company says it's closely tracking suspicious behavior online to protect customers. "What's critical is that our teams of data scientists and our automated tools are checking [the] data day in and day out," said Kebharu Smith, a former federal prosecutor and now director of Amazon's counterfeit crimes unit. Smith says Amazon is using AI tools to scan over 8 billion listings from sellers each day. Machine learning and data collection allows them to screen logos and trademarks to compare them with what's provided by the brands. It allows them to flag products that may be counterfeit. 

CBS 2

Flames Engulf California Yacht Club In Marina Del Rey; 2 Firefighters Injured

Two firefighters were injured while battling flames that engulfed a yacht club that has been a local landmark in Marina del Rey for decades. The fire was reported around 11:30 p.m. Monday at the California Yacht Club on Admiralty Way, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Fire crews arrived on scene to heavy fire and smoke billowing from the building, and it was quickly upgraded to a 2nd alarm fire before it was eventually extinguished. The injured male firefighters were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries, but additional details about their injuries were not known. The California Yacht Club started back in 1922. The former owner told Eyewitness News that his father helped build the Marina del Rey building over 50 years ago. "It's been a home for so many people. We are so heartbroken right now... It tears me apart to see... It's just terrible," said Steve Hathaway. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

ABC 7

Fire Crews Knock Down Exposition Park Blaze

An outside fire that briefly threatened several structures in the Exposition Park area was quickly knocked down Monday, and no injuries were reported. About three dozen firefighters responded around 4:10 p.m. to the fire in the 1100 block of West 37th Place, according the Los Angeles Fire Department. The flames were initially threatening a detached garage and a two-story residential fourplex. Crews were able to contain the blaze within 12 minutes. It was unclear what sparked the fire.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council To Honor Civil Rights Attorney, Luis Carrillo

The City Council Tuesday will honor civil rights attorney Luis Carrillo for his 47-year career advocating on behalf of his clients and the Latino community. Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the commendatory resolution on Dec. 5, will lead the ceremony in Council Chambers during Tuesday’s council meeting at 10 a.m. Carrillo’s family, friends, and supporters will be in attendance as he receives this recognition. Karen Waters, daughter of Rep. Maxine Waters, and Oscar D’ Leon, of the “Lion of Salsa,” will also be present. While Carrillo is set to retire, his commitment to the Latino community dates back to the 1960s when he championed the cause of East L.A. High School students during “Walkouts,” which were protests that demanded equal opportunities and conditions for students attending Los Angeles Unified School District schools in Latino communities. He litigated institutional child sexual abuse cases and several civil rights cases focused on improving Los Angeles Police Department’s use of force training requirements and policy.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council Considers Charter Reform Commission To Rebuild Public Trust

As part of ongoing efforts to revamp city governance, Los Angeles city Council members Tuesday will consider recommendations that would begin the process of creating a commission to overhaul parts of the City Charter. Creating a charter reform commission would need to be approved by city voters. The council is aiming to put the issue on the 2024 or 2026 ballot. Among the recommendations going before the council Tuesday is one that would ask several city departments to provide feedback and identify sections of the City Charter that would benefit from reform and modernization. Council President Paul Krekorian, Council President Pro Tem Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Councilman Tim McOsker introduced the motion on Sept. 19. According to the motion, the current charter was developed in the late 1990s through two charter reform commissions that conducted an "extensive review and analysis of every section of the prior charter." Officials said that process was conducted due to widespread dissatisfaction with the city at the time, which included a failed secession movement in the San Fernando Valley.

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.