LA Man To Stand Trial In Connection With Drowning Death Of 2-Year-Old Son

A judge ruled Friday that there was sufficient evidence to require a Los Angeles man to stand trial in connection with the death of his 2-year-old son. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor rejected a defense motion to dismiss the case on Friday against Durrell Diontae Daniels, who is charged with one count each of murder and assault on a child causing death. The case against Daniels, now 35, stems from the June 6, 2019, death of his son, Legacy, who was one of a set of triplets. An autopsy concluded that the toddler died from drowning by being intentionally submerged in a bathtub and blunt head trauma, according to Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami. Anise King testified during the hearing that she was asked that day to perform CPR on the boy, but said she didn't touch him because he already seemed dead. She described the father's demeanor as "very" calm. Paramedics were subsequently sent to the apartment in the 200 block of South Whitmer Street after 911 was called. Los Angeles Police Department Noe Lopez told the judge that Daniels told him that he had been in the bathtub with his two sons and that the toddler was splashing water and began choking.

FOX 11

Young Woman Killed, Man Wounded In Sun Valley Drive-By Shooting

A 19-year-old woman was killed and a 20-year-old man wounded in a drive-by shooting during the early-morning hours in Sun Valley Saturday. Police say the victims were entering their vehicle around 1:20 a.m. in the 11100 block of Lorne Street when four male suspects approached in a vehicle. One of the males pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds at the victims before the suspect vehicle sped off in an unknown direction, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Arriving officers found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The woman was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said. The man was hospitalized in stable condition. The suspect vehicle was described only as a dark-colored four-door sedan.

KTLA 5

Probe Underway In Downtown LA After Man Is Fatally Stabbed

An investigation was underway in downtown Los Angeles after a man was fatally stabbed, authorities said. The stabbing occurred overnight around 1:45 a.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Wall Street. There, police arrived on scene to locate the victim who was rushed to the hospital where he died. A motive for the stabbing was not immediately known, and the incident remains under investigation. Anyone with more information about this case was asked to call the LAPD at (323) 846-6547. 

CBS 2

Got Your Phone Or Laptop Stolen Recently? LAPD May Have Found It

Have you been the victim of theft in Los Angeles recently? You just might be in luck. The Los Angeles Police Department has recovered bins and bags full of personal electronic devices, including laptops, iPads, iPhones and more. Detectives believe many of the devices were taken during burglaries of vehicles and homes in the L.A. area. According to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, detectives have already identified an Apple MacBook that was taken in a car burglary that occurred near Echo Park in November. Police said $45,000 worth of cameras and camera equipment was also taken in that incident and has been recovered. If you think any of those devices may be yours, call LAPD.

ABC 7

4-Year-Old Killed During Road Rage Shooting In Lancaster: LASD

An investigation is underway after a 4-year-old boy was shot to death in a road rage confrontation in Lancaster, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced. The violence occurred around 7:30 p.m. Friday when the boy and his parents were traveling near Sierra Highway and East Avenue J. There, the suspected assailant cut them off and then followed the family through the streets. During this time, the boy’s parents slowed down and the other driver pulled up to the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle and opened fire. According to LASD, the child, who was seated in the backseat, was shot in the torso. The parents immediately took the victim to an area hospital, where the 4-year-old died of his injuries. Authorities responding to the case found the suspect vehicle in the area and arrested two individuals on suspicion of murder. The identities of those who were arrested were not immediately released, but the sheriff’s department described them as a 29-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman. The identity of the child who was shot was not released. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

NBC 4

One Dead And Four Injured After Shooting At Willowbrook Shopping Center

Five people are injured after a shooting at a strip mall in Willowbrook, two of those people reportedly in critical condition. LA County Sheriffs Department got a call around 2:30 p.m. about a shooting at a shopping center located between El Segundo Boulevard and San Pedro Street. Deputies were seen coming in and out a bargain store in the strip mall. Five people were transported to the hospital, one of those people have died at the hospital as a result of their injuries. The motive of the shooting is still unknown.

NBC 4

Mailbox Thief Hits West Hollywood Apartment Buildings

The LA County Sheriff’s Office is on the lookout for a man who’s been known to steal people’s identities. Detectives say 37-year-old Christian Wood is likely still in West Hollywood after breaking into three apartment buildings to steal mail. The burglaries happened between September and November. Video shows the man walking into a locked mail room, taking out what detectives call a pry tool and breaking into the boxes within seconds. He then proceeds to grab mail row by row. "Generally, its identity theft, so he’ll use people’s mail when they get their personal information and use it to steal identity," said LA County deputy Brandon Zeff. The sheriff’s department says Wood has prior convictions for identity theft and burglary. "There’s lots of secure documents that come in the mail. I get all kinds of things, medical documents that could have information that I don’t want getting out," said one West Hollywood resident. In one of the other mailbox burglaries, the suspect tried to light some of the mail on fire. 

FOX 11

California Sheriff's Deputy, K9 Hurt In Suspected DUI Crash On PCH

A suspected DUI driver who was out on probation for DUI was arrested after crashing into a Ventura County Sheriff's deputy and his K9 partner on Pacific Coast Highway. It happened around 8:40 p.m. Saturday on southbound PCH near Deer Creek Road, according to authorities. Deputy Castaneda and his K9 partner Danny were responding to a call reporting a suspicious person in the parking lot of Neptune's Net, officials said. While headed in that direction, the patrol car was involved in a collision with the suspected DUI driver, who was traveling northbound on PCH. During the crash, the deputy's vehicle went off the road, became airborne, and landed on the boulders near the water below. The deputy was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, while K9 Danny sustained a minor cut to the face. The suspect was booked for felony DUI.

FOX 11

Accused Serial Killer Lured Victims By Asking Them To Help Dig Up Buried Gold, Washington State Prosecutors Say

A Washington state man in jail awaiting trial in one murder case has been charged with three more killings, and prosecutors say he lured all four victims by asking them to help dig up buried gold. The victims were carrying large amounts of cash or had recently come into a substantial amount of money, according to court documents. Richard Bradley Jr., 40, was charged in May 2021 with first-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Brandi Blake, whose body was found buried in a sprawling park in the town of Auburn, Washington. In the last two weeks, prosecutors have filed three more murder charges against Bradley, The Seattle Times reports, in the shooting deaths of a father and adult son in May 2021 and in the 2019 death of a man whose remains were found near Blake's grave. Bradley's defense attorney, Peter Geisness, did not immediately return voice and email messages on Saturday. Bradley is scheduled to stand trial next month in Blake's death. He has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea on the other murder charges, according to online court records. According to jail records, Bradley is being held at King County Correctional Facility on multiple charges, including murder, arson, unlawful possession of a firearm, identity theft and trafficking in stolen property.

CBS 2

Crews Use Robotic Vehicle To Battle L.A. Commercial Fire

Authorities are trying to determine the cause of a fire that seriously damaged a single-story commercial building in south central Los Angeles on Saturday. The fire at 911 E. 59th St. was first reported around noon, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Heavy smoke and flames were apparent when firefighters first arrived and officials quickly determined they needed additional resources. Over 80 firefighters with the help of an RS3 Robotic Firefighting Vehicle finally extinguished the blaze in about an hour and 18 minutes, LAFD said. No injuries were reported.

KTLA 5

LA County Public Works Searching For Missing Tool That Can Cause Radiation Sickness

LA County Public Works is looking for a tool that, if mishandled or damaged, can cause radiation sickness. It was last seen in Little Rock. Officials said that the device, a thin layer density gauge, was lost by public works crews testing the thickness of the roadway between 110th Street East and Avenue R-4 on Dec. 14 at about 4 p.m. They said it was last seen in the back of a county work truck. They described the device as a bright yellow box with a radiation logo on the side. It's about 19 inches long, 9 inches wide and 6 inches tall. It has a 5-inch handle. Public Works has contacted local, state and federal authorities as part of their search for the item. They are offering a $1,000 reward for the device's return. The thin layer density gauge can cause radiation sickness if it is mishandled or damaged. Authorities urged anyone who finds it to call 911 immediately. These devices use radiation to measure density, similar to how X-rays work. They are lined with lead shielding around a sealed source of radiation. A damaged device may spread radioactivity. 

CBS 2

COVID-19 And Flu Cases Are Rising In California. How Bad Will The Holiday Uptick Be?

COVID-19 and flu are rising across California, sparking new warnings from health officials to take precautions as the wider winter holiday season looms. The uptick is modest and not wholly unexpected — wintertime surges have been an annual occurrence since the coronavirus first emerged. But experts say lagging uptake of the latest reformulated vaccines has left some populations particularly vulnerable to severe health outcomes that are largely preventable at this point. Over the week that ended Dec. 9, 2,449 Californians were newly admitted to hospitals with a coronavirus infection, up 40% over the last month, according to federal data. California was considered to have “high” viral illness activity level as of Dec. 9, among the worst designations in the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “Respiratory illness activity is rapidly increasing across the United States,” the CDC said in a bulletin Thursday afternoon. “Millions of people may get sick in the next month or two, and low vaccination rates mean more people will get more severe disease. Getting vaccinated now can help prevent hospitalizations and save lives.” 

Los Angeles Times

Protesters Kicked Out, City Council Approves Report Into Threatening Flyers

The City Council Friday approved a motion calling for a report on threatening flyers and antisemitic messages with the intent of introducing harsher penalties for that crime. Council members voted 12-0 on the matter, requesting a closer look at how often threatening flyers are being disseminated to Latino, LGBTQ, Black and other minority groups, and antisemitic messages as well. The goal is to see if there are opportunities to increase or enhance the penalties for this kind of hateful action, according to Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who introduced the motion alongside Nithya Raman on Oct. 20. Council members Curren Price, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Heather Hutt were absent during the vote. "This item is simply about looking at the issues of hate flyers," Blumenfield said prior to the vote. "Hate flyers that are dedicated to all sorts of folks because of their perceived identity or nationality." He added, "If you send a hateful flyer with the intent to intimidate someone, that is more than literate, than we must have some other tool in our arsenal to deal with that and to help prevent that kind of hate targeting."

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.