Man Killed In Point Fermin Shooting

A man was shot and killed at Point Fermin in San Pedro late Wednesday night. The man, believed to be between 30 and 35 years old, was found under a staircase near Paseo Del Mar and Meyeler Street just before midnight, the Los Angeles Police Department said. He had sustained a gunshot wound and was declared dead at the scene. He was not homeless, and it’s unclear if the shooting was gang-related, police said. No information about the shooter has been released.

KTLA 5

Search Continues For Homeless Man Who Stabbed Teen In Northridge

A search was continuing Tuesday for a transient who slashed a teenage boy while the victim was walking home from school in Northridge. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the 14-year-old boy was approached by the suspect around 5 p.m. Monday in the 9600 block of Balboa Boulevard, near Plummer Street. Police said the homeless man asked the teen for money, and when the boy said no, the suspect attacked him with a shard of glass, cutting him multiple times. “The victim fell backwards and the suspect ran westbound on Superior Street,” police said in a statement. The 14-year-old was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect was described as a man in his 50s, last seen wearing a dark-colored beanie and jacket.

MyNewsLA

South Los Angeles Shooting Call To Police Turns Out To Be A Truck Ramming Another Car

Residents in a South Los Angeles neighborhood reported gunshots to police early Wednesday morning, but when officers arrived they found a woman injured inside a car after it was rammed by truck, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Security video from a home near Bandera Street and E. 92nd Street captures what all the noise heard by neighbors was – a truck ramming a white sedan, which then crashed into parked cars, as booming crash noise and car alarms blare in the background. Police responded around 4:40 a.m. to the area on Bandera Street for a reported shooting, but learned it was an incident between two drivers. A man driving the black truck started ramming the other car with a woman inside several times, causing it to damage two other parked cars, according to the LAPD. The man driving the truck fled on foot and police are looking for him. The woman, who lives in the area, was injured and taken to a hospital in unknown condition, according to the LAPD. It is not known if the victim and suspect know each other, and police do not have any suspect information at this time. 

CBS 2

2 Teens Detained After Leading LAPD On High-Speed Pursuit

Two teens led officers from the Los Angeles Police Department on a high-speed pursuit Tuesday night. During the chase, the suspect weaved through traffic and nearly hit pedestrians while driving on the streets surrounding downtown LA before entering the westbound 10 Freeway. The suspect continued the erratic driving, often reaching speeds above 100 mph while cutting past other drivers. At times, the suspect used the freeway shoulder to speed past other cars. The driver continued on the 10 Freeway until reaching the Sunset Park neighborhood of Santa Monica. Back on the streets, the suspect entered a parking lot near Donald Douglas Loop and 31st Street near the Santa Monica Airport. Both of the people in the car jumped out in the middle of the lot and split up while police trailed behind. LAPD quickly detained both of the suspects. Police said the driver was 14 years old while the passenger was 17. 

CBS 2

Video Appears To Show UPS Driver Open Package, Steal Apple Watch In Front Of South LA Home

A UPS delivery driver is out of a job after surveillance video appears to show him stealing a pricey Apple Watch instead of dropping off the package at a South Los Angeles home. Eliu Abraham Chavez received a notification that his package was delivered. It wasn't until he reviewed home security videos from Monday afternoon that he realized why his watch never arrived. Footage shows the UPS driver about to drop off a bag at Chavez's front door, but he never steps foot into the yard. The employee walks up the sidewalk before some bushes block the camera's view. But once he reemerges on the other side of the bushes, he appears to rip open the bag and stuffs the Apple Watch in his pocket. He then throws the bag in a nearby recycling bin and runs back to the UPS truck. Chavez couldn't believe it, so he checked his neighbor's garbage.

ABC 7

Father Pleads Not Guilty To Fatal Shooting Of 9-Year-Old Son In West Rancho Dominguez

A father accused of fatally shooting his 9-year-old son in West Rancho Dominguez pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. Nicholas Thomas Jones, 32, appeared in court to enter the plea and was ordered held on $3 million bail. Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies arrested Jones after they say his son Princeton Jones was shot to death in the backyard of his grandfather's house in West Rancho Dominguez over the weekend. Family members described Princeton as funny, caring and said he adored his mother. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help his family. A vigil was held Sunday to honor the boy. The incident happened just after 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Haskins Avenue, near Visalia Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department initially identified the location of the shooting as Compton, but later said it was West Rancho Dominguez, an unincorporated community just to the west of Compton. A preliminary hearing has been set for Jan. 7.

ABC 7

LA County Man Pleads Guilty To Ponzi Scheme Targeting Elderly Churchgoers

A Los Angeles County man agreed to plead guilty after running a Ponzi scheme that stole more than $5.9 million from mostly elderly church parishioners. Once 48-year-old Sylvein William Maximilian D'Habsburg XVII submits his guilty plea he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the sole count of wire fraud. In the plea agreement, D'Habsburg admitted to operating the Ponzi scheme between January 2018 and June 2023. During that time he hired recruiters to identify potential investors for two of his companies, Wild Rabbit Technologies LLC and BAI Intelligence LLC. They mainly targeted Filipino people in LA County, including elderly church parishioners, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. D'Habsburg claimed he had created an artificial intelligence that could predict the future and detect a COVID-19 infection solely based on a video recording and other claims. He also claimed to investigators that he his companies received roughly $500 million form retired professional athletes and celebrities such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Steve Wozniak. 

CBS 2

2 Kindergartners In ‘Extremely Critical’ Condition After Northern California School Shooting

Two kindergartners were critically wounded in a shooting at a Christian elementary school in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday. The incident, which ended in the apparent suicide of the gunman, may have been religiously motivated, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said. The shooting took place at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, roughly 70 miles north of Sacramento, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a news alert shortly before 2 p.m. The Sheriff’s Office received information indicating that the gunman had targeted the school due to its religious affiliation, Sheriff Kory Honea said at a Wednesday evening news conference. Deputies found two young boys wounded at the scene. They were transported to local hospitals and remained in “extremely critical condition” on Wednesday evening, Honea said. “I am thankful that they are still alive,” Honea said, “but they have a long road ahead of them.” The shooter, a man armed with a handgun, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities. The Sheriff’s Office believes it has identified the shooter but is not releasing this information to the public yet.

Los Angeles Times

Escaped Murderer Still At Large, California Prison Officials Say

The search for a convicted murderer who escaped custody during a trip to a Kern County courthouse remains ongoing, and the public is being warned he could be dangerous. Cesar Hernandez, 34, escaped Monday morning after he jumped out of a prison transport van at the Kern County Superior Courthouse in Delano. Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County in 2019 and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He was being transported to Delano to face charges for manufacturing weapons while incarcerated. If convicted, it would be considered his “third strike” under California law, meaning he could receive a mandatory life sentence. More than 24 hours after his escape, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said its agents, alongside local law enforcement, continued to actively search for Hernandez and “gather intelligence as they investigate this case.” Hernandez is described as 5 feet 5 inches, weighing about 160 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

KTLA 5

Man Smuggled Weapons To North Korea After Coming To California As Student, Feds Say

Although Shenghua Wen entered the United States on a student visa, eventually settling in San Bernardino County, law enforcement officials say he had a more nefarious purpose: exporting shipments of firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea. Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested Wen, 41, at his Ontario home, alleging he acted as an operative for the North Korean government, smuggling illicit goods concealed inside shipping containers from Long Beach. Wen, who authorities said is a Chinese national living illegally in the U.S. after overstaying his visa, has been charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which deals with sanctions and frozen foreign assets. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Wen’s federal public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It is illegal to supply North Korea with certain technologies and military supplies without U.S. government approval, according to U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada. “North Korea engaged in a scheme to circumvent and evade those restrictions,” Estrada said at a news conference Tuesday morning. “It’s essential we keep sensitive materials, including military equipment, outside the hands of our adversaries where they can harm us or our allies.”

Los Angeles Times

Man Convicted Of Attempted Murder Of NYPD Rookie Sentenced To At Least 39 Years In Prison

A menacing Queens bus rider convicted of shooting a rookie NYPD cop after an altercation with a fellow passenger was sentenced to at least 39 years in prison on Monday as a courtroom filled with angry cops looked on. Gunman Devin Spraggins was convicted last month of attempted murder for shooting Officer Brett Boller for intervening in a petty fight over a bus seat in Jamaica. Boller, 22 at the time, was just months into his dream job as an NYPD officer when he crossed paths with the armed transient who shot him in the hip. Officials said Boller was fortunate to survive. “A police officer has spent over a year with surgeries and physical therapy recovering from getting shot, and only by a twist of fate was not killed,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “With the officer on the ground, this defendant did not attempt to escape. Instead, he aimed that gun and pulled the trigger again. This would have been a cold-blooded execution, if not for the magazine dropping from the gun as Spraggins ran from the police.” Prosecutors said Spraggins had been harassing a passenger over a seat when the driver flagged down Boller and his partner to intercede. The April 5, 2023, dispute quickly spilled from the bus onto the street, where Boller chased the suspect down near 161st St. and Jamaica Ave. Spraggins pulled a gun and shot the officer in the hip during the ensuing scuffle, police said. The bullet shattered Boller’s hip and pierced his femoral artery, according to court papers.

New York Daily News

9-Year-Old Creates Lemonade Stand, Raises 5 Months Of Daycare Tuition For Family Of Fallen Florida Deputy

In the wake of a tragic crash that killed three Palm Beach County motorcycle deputies, a 9-year-old boy is making a heartfelt effort to support the family of one of the fallen officers, WPTV reported. Charlie Allsup set up a lemonade and cookie stand to raise tuition money for the family of Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, who was fatally injured in the Nov. 21 crash, according to the report. Diaz, a veteran of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office since 2004, was one of three deputies struck by an SUV while stopped on the shoulder of the road. Despite fighting for his life, Diaz succumbed to his injuries on Nov. 25. He had served on the motor unit for more than a decade and was remembered as a loving and joyful person dedicated to helping others, according to the report. Charlie, whose sister attends the same daycare as Diaz’s son, was moved to help. “He asked me if there was a way we could raise money to try to help the family,” Charlie’s mother, Christina Allsup, told WPTV. “We’re trying to pay off as much of their tuition as possible so that they have one less thing to worry about during this difficult time.” So far, Charlie has raised enough to cover four or five months of tuition for the family and plans to donate electronics as well, according to the report. Thousands attended a Dec. 3 memorial service for Diaz and his colleagues, Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller and Cpl. Luis Paez. Waller served with the sheriff’s office for over 18 years, while Paez had a law enforcement career spanning 36 years, including more than 20 years as a motor deputy, according to the report.

PoliceOne

Hospital Seeks Public’s Help Identifying Jane Doe Patient

Los Angeles General Medical Center staff sought the public’s help Tuesday in identifying a female patient who has been hospitalized at the facility since last week. The woman was admitted on Wednesday for unspecified reasons after being found in downtown Los Angeles. She was described as a 5-foot-3 Black woman of about 60, weighing 123 pounds, with short dark hair, brown eyes and two undisclosed tattoos. Anyone with information regarding her identity was urged to contact the Los Angeles General Medical Center Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253. Calls after business hours should be directed to the Department of Emergency Medicine Social Work at 323-409-6883 or 323-409-5254 on weekends.

MyNewsLA

Ocean Water Warning Issued For Several Los Angeles County Beaches

Los Angeles County public health officials have issued a number of ocean water warnings for public beaches due to high bacteria levels. Beachgoers are advised to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in the water because of the levels, which exceeded the health standards during their most recent test, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The affected beaches are: Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach - 100 yards up and down the coast from the public restrooms, Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove -100 yards up and down the coast from the creek, Malibu Pier in Malibu - 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier, Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach - 100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps, Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro - the entire swim area, Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey - the entire swim area, Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica - 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier, and Castlerock Storm Drain at Topanga County Beach - 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain. Additionally, several beaches had previous ocean water bacteria level warnings cleared, including Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach, Dockweiler State Beach, Topanga Canyon Beach and the Windward storm drain at Venice Beach. 

CBS 2

LA City Council Approves Contentious Lease For Van Nuys Airport Hangar

The Los Angeles City Council overwhelmingly approved a contentious lease for an aviation company at Van Nuys Airport Tuesday afternoon. The 11-2 vote, approved a five-year lease with Bonseph Helinet LLC, which could be extended to 25 years, for an office and hangar space on the airport. Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the lease, while their colleagues Traci Park and Heather Hutt were absent. In a closed session, the council agreed to settle with the aviation company, which filed a lawsuit against the city when they rejected a proposed lease from Bonseph Helinet LLC in March. The motion passed on a slimmer margin of 8-5 with Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Kevin de León and Monica Rodriguez joining Padilla and Soto-Martinez in the opposition. "Today, I stood firm, voting with my conscience and with my constituents to ensure Van Nuys Airport respects and values the surrounding community," Padilla wrote in a statement. "While I fully support the airport's vital economic contributions, I remain deeply concerned about the flawed RFP process between LAWA and Bonseph-Helinet—a process that lacked transparency and fairness."

CBS 2

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.