LAPD searches for hit-and-run driver who killed pedestrian in Westlake

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for the driver of a Nissan who struck and killed a pedestrian in an alley in the Westlake neighborhood the night of Dec. 2. At about 11 p.m., a pedestrian was in an alley west of Westlake Avenue and north of Wilshire Boulevard when a silver Nissan Sentra hit him, police said in a news release. The man, whose name and age have not been released, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

KTLA 5

Hannah Kobayashi's family offers refunds to GoFundMe donors after she is found safe

The family of a Hawaii woman who police said was found safe after she seemingly vanished nearly a month ago offered to reimburse anyone who made a donation during the search. The Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday said Hannah Kobayashi, 30, was found unharmed. Her loved ones have now disabled donations on a GoFundMe account that was created to help pay for resources volunteers apparently needed as they looked for her. Her family also said they will give the money back.

ABC 7

Mayor and LAPD chief tout double-digit drop in homicides compared with last year

Los Angeles has so far this year recorded double-digit percentage declines in homicides, nonfatal shootings and slayings stemming from gang feuds, according to police data released Tuesday. City officials touted the numbers as proof that public safety is improving after concerns about crime motivated voters in November’s election. Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the numbers Tuesday at an early morning news conference at Watts Labor Community Action Committee Center, a jobs and social services nonprofit. Bass said that through the first week of December, there were 266 people killed citywide, a decline of 15% compared with the number slain in the same period in 2023.

Los Angeles Times

Suspect steals Porsche, leads LAPD on chase before crashing into innocent driver

A suspect is in custody after allegedly stealing a Porsche and leading officers on a chase that ended in a multi-vehicle crash. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect carjacked a Porsche in the Hollywood area. The carjacking victim was not injured, police said. The suspect then led police on a chase through parts of LA. The chase came to an end in South Los Angeles when the suspect crashed into an innocent driver. 

Fox LA

UCLA police chief, blasted for security lapses that led to protest violence, is out

Former UCLA police chief John Thomas, who was criticized for security lapses that led to the violent protests on campus last spring, is no longer with the University, it was announced Wednesday. Thomas’ last day with UCLA was Tuesday, the UCLA Police Department posted on X. Thomas had previously been reassigned from his role as chief of police, with Gawin Gibson temporarily acting as chief from May to September, the Daily Bruin reported. 

KTLA 5

‘It is unacceptable’: L.A. County hate crimes reached an all-time high last year

A man in San Pedro shouted a racial slur and chucked a glass bottle at a Black bus driver on her break. A trans woman getting off the Metro in Koreatown was told she belonged in hell. A

father on his way to a Tarzana synagogue was interrupted by a man threatening to “kill all of you Jews.” The grim encounters were among the record-breaking number of hate crimes reported across L.A. County last year, an increase fueled by an onslaught of harassment directed at Jewish, Black and LGBTQ+ people, according to a county report released Wednesday. The report from the county’s Commission on Human Relations found 1,350 reported hate crimes — up 45% from the year before. It’s the highest level since the commission began counting in 1980.

Los Angeles Times

‘A cry for help.' Homeless man dances on car and smashes windshield, then spends a night in jail

Video captured a homeless man jumping on the hood of a car before smashing its windshield at the corner of Hollywood and Highland, and it’s just one of the countless scenes across Los Angeles and California in which homeless people suffering from addiction or mental illness vandalize property, assault people or sometimes even commit murder. The woman who shot the video happens to be a therapist who treats the unhoused. “It was obviously a cry for help,” Madeleine, who only wished to be identified by her first name, said. “It felt like he was at the end of his rope.”

NBC 4

LAX website down amid computer system ‘anomalies’

The website for Los Angeles International Airport remains down Thursday morning as officials troubleshoot problems within the computer system. “Los Angeles World Airports detected anomalies in our communication network earlier this morning,” the airport authority that owns and operates LAX wrote in a statement about the situation.

KTLA 5

Calif. sheriff says office will not abide by new county policy limiting cooperation with ICE

The sheriff of the nation’s fifth-largest county on Tuesday defied a new policy to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, setting up a showdown over a new obstacle to President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans. Earlier Tuesday, San Diego County supervisors voted to prohibit its sheriff’s department from working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the federal agency’s enforcement of civil immigration laws, including those that allow for deportations. California law generally prohibits cooperation but makes exceptions for those convicted of certain violent crimes.

Police1

‘Santa antics': Mass. man fleeing from detectives rescued by firefighters after trying to hide in chimney

A Massachusetts man fleeing police became stuck inside a chimney, requiring firefighters to assist in his arrest due to his “Santa antics.” The City of Fall River Police Department released bodycam video Wednesday of a man who found himself in a seasonal bind after he and another man tried hiding on a roof when detectives with a warrant came to visit. One of the men, identified as 32-year-old Tanisha Ibay, attempted to evade arrest by jumping off the roof and landing on a parked vehicle.

New York Daily News

Crazy climbs, bold crimes and gerbil theft: Police1’s dumbest criminals of 2024

Every year, a handful of criminals stand out — not for their cunning or clever schemes, but for their truly baffling lack of judgment. From a man stealing a semi loaded with Corvettes as his post-prison getaway vehicle to another hiding in a dryer like a game of hide-and-seek gone wrong, these cases serve as both cautionary tales and comedic gold. Here are the dumbest criminals of the past year, guaranteed to make you laugh, shake your head and wonder, “What were they thinking?”

Police1

Councilwoman Traci Park, flanked by new LAPD chief and DA, unveils new public safety plan

Flanked by Los Angeles's new police chief and the county's new district attorney, City Councilwoman Traci Park announced Monday that 100 license plate readers are headed to the Westside's Council District 11 to address public safety concerns. Expect to see the readers throughout the district as a way to use technology to catch criminals, as the Los Angeles Police Department deals with staffing shortages. "Public safety is not optional," said Park. "It is fundamental to the well being of a functional city. If people come here to commit crime, they will be apprehended and prosecuted. the party is over. The failed social experiment is over."

ABC 7

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.