Daily News & Updates Law Enforcement News LA Working To Combat Smash-and-Grab Robberies By Adding More LAPD Foot Patrols Smash-and-grab crimes have been a trend at large retail stores and the Los Angeles Police Department says it's starting to trickle down to mom-and-pop shops, particularly in the community of Eagle Rock. There has been a rash of these kinds of thefts in the past several months targeting small businesses. Luciano Alcorta, the owner of the Malbec Market, a restaurant on Colorado Boulevard, says the thief stole cash and wine bottles from his business. "It is a sad reality but I know it happens in different cities. For me what you want to see as a business owner, as a customer is you want people to feel safe walking the street and coming into different businesses," said Alcorta. The suspect remains at large and there's an ongoing investigation. Alcorta says it's costing him about $5,000 in loss and repairs. To address the rise in break-ins and thefts at mom-and-pop shops, L.A. councilmember Kevin de León says he is proposing to allocate $100,000 for more LAPD foot patrols along Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevard. That's about 2-4 additional officers patrolling the area, according to LAPD. ABC 7 ‘Nobody Stopped’: Who Struck Two Brothers In A Crosswalk? Murder Trial Begins For L.A. Socialite Nancy Iskander was in the crosswalk of a quiet Westlake Village street with three of her children when she heard engines roaring. Two sport utility vehicles were barreling toward them. Iskander put up her right hand in a desperate effort to stop the speeding vehicles and dived for safety, grabbing her 5-year-old son. Her next memory is of her two older boys — Jacob, 8, and Mark, 11 — crumpled on Triunfo Canyon Road. Los Angeles County prosecutors say Rebecca Grossman was behind the wheel of a white Mercedes that fatally struck the boys in the marked crosswalk. Witnesses say she was driving as fast as 81 mph and traveled another half-mile after slamming into the children. More than three years after the brothers’ deaths, the murder trial of the Hidden Hills socialite began Tuesday as jury selection got underway. More than 150 potential jurors were sworn in in a Van Nuys courtroom, with Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Brandolino having them fill out detailed questionnaires to begin the process. Grossman, 60, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death in connection with the fatal Sept. 29, 2020 collision. The murder counts are somewhat unprecedented as Grossman was not charged with driving under the influence, which is typically used to prove gross negligence in vehicular fatalities. Los Angeles Times Owner Searching For Stolen Custom Car After Suspects Caught On Video In Woodland Hills A man is desperately searching for his expensive classic car after it was stolen in Woodland Hills, and there may be some hope in the form of surveillance video. The seafoam green 1962 Impala convertible low-rider with hydraulics - worth $100,000 - was stolen on Jan. 11 in front of Seth Wayne's home. "I only had it for like a week and half, but I've been wanting this specific car for a long time... I bought it on Christmas Eve and they stole it on my birthday," he said. Surveillance footage along Ventura Boulevard captured two suspects trying to figure out how to get it started. At one point, sparks could be seen flying from the car. "These guys know nothing about this car. They had to break the grill to get into it. They couldn't open the hood, couldn't figure that out... no knowledge of the hydraulics, that's where the sparks are coming from," Wayne said. They ended up using a Prius to push the old classic in order to get a running start - only to be involved in a hit-and-run crash, he says. Wayne, a car fanatic and collector, says it will be hard to replace the unique convertible. He's been searching high and low for the car, but so far no sign. He's hoping surveillance video and the public will be able to help track down the treasured ride. ABC 7 Hawthorne Burger Joint Shooting Leaves Lawndale Father Of 4 Dead A family was left heartbroken and searching for answers after an off-duty security guard was fatally shot in the stomach in the parking lot of a Hawthorne burger restaurant. Authorities said the victim got into a fight with the suspect in the parking lot of Fabulous Charbroiled Burgers in the 3300 block of W. Rosecrans Avenue, near the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard, just before 2 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators called the incident a "senseless shooting." Family members identified the victim as Eddie McAllister, of Lawndale. They said he stopped to get something to eat after getting off work as an unarmed security guard at the time of the shooting. "Everybody loves him wherever he goes," the victim’s daughter, Emani McAllister, told FOX 11. Family members told FOX 11 that Eddie McAllister was the father of four children. Surveillance video from the restaurant shows both men throwing punches before they both fell to the ground. The video proceeds to show the suspect pulling out a gun and shooting McAllister. Police have not released the suspect’s vehicle description and continue to canvass the scene and surveillance footage for clues. Those with information about the deadly shooting are asked to contact Hawthorne PD. FOX 11 Man Fatally Gunned Down After Dispute At Neighborhood Basketball Game One person was fatally shot and another hospitalized after a basketball game in the South Bay area of Los Angeles turned deadly Sunday, authorities announced. Officers with the Hawthorne Police Department responded to 911 calls about the shooting in the 2000 block of West 120th Street in Hawthorne at around 11:30 a.m., according to a news release from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. At the scene, officers located two adult males in their early 30s, both of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. Medical personnel rushed the victims to the hospital where one of the men was pronounced dead. There was no word on the condition of the second man. During the course of their investigation, police learned that there had been some sort of dispute between players on the basketball court. Authorities said that one group of players left the location after the disagreement, but returned a short time later, exited their vehicle and began shooting at another group. KTLA 5 Carson Cemetery Robbed Of Gravestones A Week After Similar Crime In Compton Authorities Monday were investigating a burglary and vandalism at a Carson cemetery that was targeted by thieves who took more than 100 name plaques from some final resting places. The crime occurred at Lincoln Memorial Park in the 16700 block of South Central Avenue, not far from Woodlawn Celestial Gardens in Compton, which was targeted about a week earlier, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. About a hundred bronze name plates were pried off mausoleum graves, along with a large plaque commemorating WWII African American veterans, which was donated by famed boxer Joe Lewis, in the '40’s. "The thought of someone even picking a cemetery to rob ... was utterly disgusting to me," Aisha Woods, a community advocate living in Carson, said. Woods pointed out the missing name plaques throughout the cemetery, which were taken during an early morning burglary on Friday. "It takes a lot of force to pry this off," Woods said, displaying one plaque that was bent out of shape but not completely removed from the wall. FOX 11 Texas K-9 Awarded With Purple Heart For Protecting Officers During Shootout A Texas K-9 officer has received a Purple Heart medal for his bravery in responding to an officer-involved shooting, KTVU reported. K-9 Jack was with officers who were attempting to serve a warrant, according to the report. A shootout ensued and Jack was shot in the paw, according to the report. “On that evening, Jack very selflessly, with bravery and purpose, put himself between the fugitive and officers,” said Weatherford Police Chief Lance Arnold. “There is no question in my mind that Jack’s actions that night prevented further harm to our officers and those that were there.” Jack was presented with a medal and a prize box, which included toys and his favorite snack, cheese whiz. The department stated that Jack has fully recovered since the Nov. 16 incident and is back at work. PoliceOne Crime Stoppers, ATF Launch Partnership To Curb Illegal Gun Possession In Kentucky Bluegrass Crime Stoppers and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced a unique partnership Wednesday, one that’s aimed towards taking illegal guns off Lexington’s streets. The partnership is the first between a Crime Stoppers organization and the ATF, a federal agency. Both agencies are offering cash payouts in exchange for information that leads to an arrest and seizure of a firearm used in a crime, or the arrest of someone in possession of a stolen gun. “For this program to be successful, we need the community’s support,” said ATF special agent in charge Shawn Morrow said. “You can contribute to public safety by providing information.” Bluegrass Crime Stoppers contributed $15,000 towards the fund while the ATF contributed $10,000. Cash payouts will be in the amount of $2,000 to $1,000 from each agency. If the tip leads to the seizure of multiple guns, an extra $500 bonus will be attached. “With this initiative, we understand that to drive action, we’ve got to do something a little bit different, and that’s where this initiative is going to do something a little bit different,” said David Ashford, chair of Bluegrass Crime Stoppers. The idea for the partnership sprouted in the Spring of 2023 when officials saw a Facebook post about the number of guns stolen from cars. Word of the Facebook post reached the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers’ board room, and they volunteered to help. Lexington Herald-Leader Public Safety News Firefighters Cut Through Double-Lock Security Door To Rescue Residents In Hollywood House Fire Firefighters sawed through a metal security door to rescue residents in an early morning fire at a Hollywood home. Two residents were hospitalized after the fire in the 1300 block of North Cherokee Avenue. One was in grave condition. Four firefighters were hospitalized, but none of their injuries are considered life-threatening. When firefighters arrived at the burning one-story home, they encountered flames, heavy smoke and a metal security door locked on both sides. They used a power saw to cut through the locked door. "This shows how important it is for our firefighters to be well versed on focible entry," said LAFD Capt. Adam Vangerpen. "We test our tools and equipment every single day because lives are on the line when we get there." A flashover occurred when fire crews were inside the building. The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes. NBC 4 Preparing For Next Disaster On The 30th Anniversary Of Northridge Earthquake On the 30th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake, the Los Angeles Fire Department is urging residents to prepare for future temblors and other natural disasters. The magnitude-6.7 Northridge Earthquake struck in the early morning hours of Jan. 17, 1994. After the dust settled, at least 57 people were dead, some put the death toll at 61, and 11,846 people in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties were treated at hospitals. Property losses were pegged at $40 billion. It was the costliest disaster in U.S. history. Insured losses were estimated at $12.5 billion. Aid from the federal government was estimated at $13 billion. In Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, a total of 114,039 residential and commercial structures were damaged. But only 9,001 of those were in Ventura County, and just 19 were in Orange County, according to local business departments. The quake, which struck at five seconds before 4:31 a.m., affected an area covering 2,192 square miles. It was the first temblor to knock out power in every area of the vast metropolis of Los Angeles. The floor of the San Fernando Valley was completely blacked out after the shaking stopped, except for a few fires visible for miles. CBS 2 Public Health Warns Of Bacteria At L.A. County Beaches High bacteria levels have prompted Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials to issue ocean water use warnings for several area beaches. Officials say visitors to Latigo Shore Drive in Malibu and Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey should avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters for the entire swim area. In Santa Monica, the same warning applies 100 yards up and down the coast from the Santa Monica Pier, the Pico-Kenter storm drain at Santa Monica Beach near South Tower 20 and the Ashland Avenue storm drain near South Tower 28. “These warnings have been issued due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested,” officials said. A recent warning for Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, however, has been lifted. For information on beach conditions, call 1-800-525-5662 or visit PublicHealth.LACounty.gov/Beach. KTLA 5 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. Download Our Mobile App Listen To Our Podcast Los Angeles Police Protective League | 1308 W 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!