Search for hit-and-run driver who killed father of four in Reseda

Authorities are searching for the driver responsible for killing a father of four in Reseda Friday night. The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. at the intersection of Saticoy Street and Amigo Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim, a 60-year-old man, was crossing the street after leaving a bible studies group, a close friend told NBCLA. A coworker and friend of the victim remember him as a great, responsible person and a man of faith. A witness, who chose to not be identified, said he was parked behind the car of the victim. "He looked at me and a car passed by very fast, about 70 (mph), and hit him — dragged him and left him there," said the witness. Neighbors in the area tell NBCLA that the traffic on the street has been a concern. "Sometimes a lot of traffic, sometimes the people don't respect," said Jose Alvaca, a neighbor. "The traffic is coming fast and maybe the problem." The LAPD Valley Traffic Division said the driver took off in a burgundy Chevy Tahoe. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact the LAPD Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8000.

NBC 4

Los Angeles doctor charged after allegedly raping unconscious woman

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department released the photo of a 42-year-old doctor after prosecutors charged him with several felonies related to the sexual assault of an unconscious woman. Investigators identified the suspect as Babak Hajhosseini, a doctor who most recently worked at Wound and Burn Centers of America and Catalina Island Health. The LA County District Attorney charged Hajhosseini with eight felony counts including rape, sodomy and oral copulation of an unconscious or asleep person. LAPD investigators said Hajhosseini posted high-paying job listings on recruiting websites to identify potential victims. He would allegedly invite the potential victims to work overtime at his home before pressuring them to drink alcohol. In at least one instance, Hajhosseini convinced a woman to consume an alcoholic beverage, according to police. The woman fell unconscious before the 42-year-old doctor allegedly sexually assaulted her and recorded the incident, according to investigators. He was arrested on Nov. 26 before posting bail on Nov. 29. 

CBS 2

‘He’s got a gun!’: Victims tackle armed robber in South Los Angeles

Two people are recovering from gunshot wounds after standing up to an armed robber on Saturday night in South Los Angeles, according to police. According to the Los Angeles Police Department’s preliminary investigation, it was around 11:30 p.m. when the suspected robber walked up to two victims standing on a sidewalk in front of a church on the 1700 block of East 114th Street. The suspect, who LAPD later identified as 54-year-old Kevin Doby, allegedly used an AK-style rifle to demand the victims’ property. Officials did not immediately identify the victims. As Doby was attempting to rob the two people at gunpoint, LAPD said the victims charged at him and took Doby to the ground. “As the victims and suspect struggled over control of the gun, Southeast Patrol Division uniformed officers were conducting a regular patrol in the area and observed the group fighting,” LAPD said in a release. As the officers got out of their car and approached the fight, one of the victims yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times, according to the report.

KTLA 5

Break-in reported at Los Angeles-area home of Marvel actor Simu Liu

A break-in was reported at the Los Angeles-area home of Marvel actor Simu Liu, police confirmed to Eyewitness News Monday. It happened Friday around 11 p.m. Officers responded to the scene but didn't find anyone at the home, which is reportedly being renovated. Police were unable to confirm if anything was taken. The incident remains under investigation. Liu starred in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film "Shang-Chi" and was one of the Ken dolls in the 2023 blockbuster hit "Barbie." 

ABC 7

Southern California shoplifters hid stolen merch in ‘girdles,’ authorities say

Two Los Angeles residents were arrested after investigators caught them using “girdle-style devices” to hide stolen merchandise on their bodies, including 17 pairs of jeans stolen from the Camarillo Premium Outlets. The arrests followed a month-long investigation into thefts at Under Armour stores in Camarillo and Carlsbad, with losses totaling $4,500. Jose Mujica, 61, and Anyela Corredor-Casallas, 52, were taken into custody on Dec. 17 after Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force detectives observed the pair leaving an Under Armour store at the outlet mall. Mujica had previously been identified as a suspected shoplifter from the store. The two were found with stolen items stuffed into girdles they were wearing, along with additional merchandise and tools to bypass security in their vehicle, officials said. Notably, during their arrest, detectives found 17 pairs of jeans from another store concealed in their girdles. They were arrested and booked into jail on $100,000 bail to face felony charges including conspiracy to commit organized retail theft and burglary.

KTLA 5

CHP stepping up patrols for New Year’s holiday

California Highway Patrol officers will be out in larger numbers over the New Year holiday to keep impaired and reckless drivers off of the state’s roadways. The CHP said that its maximum enforcement period will last 30 hours, starting after 6 p.m. on Tuesday and continuing to midnight on January 1. During this time, more officers will patrol the state’s highways, looking for drivers who are speeding, distracted, impaired or who do not have on their seatbelts. The agency regularly conducts these enforcement periods around the holidays, with more officers patrolling and sometimes during longer shifts. The most recent period was on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. During that period, more than 300 drivers were arrested on suspicion of DUI and five people died in crashes that the CHP investigated, the agency said. During last year’s New Year’s period, CHP officers arrested 892 drivers for suspicion of DUI, the CHP said. The agency asks anyone on the roadways who sees a driver who may be impaired to call 911 and provide the following details: vehicle description, license plate number, location and direction of travel.

KTLA 5

Pro athletes’ homes are being targeted by South American organized theft rings, FBI says

South American crime rings that have targeted wealthy Southern California neighborhoods for sophisticated home burglaries the last several years may now be targeting professional athletes’ homes across the country. According to an FBI report obtained by ABC News, organized theft groups from South America are believed to be behind burglaries at the homes of at least nine professional athletes between September and November. The string of thefts prompted the FBI to issue a warning to sports leagues noting that crime groups are targeting athletes’ homes in pursuit of cash and valuables including watches, designer handbags and jewelry, the report states. Some of the biggest names in American sports — including Patrick Mahomes, Luka Dončić and Travis Kelce — have been victims of these recent break-ins and burglaries. According to the report, South American theft groups conduct extensive research before plotting the burglaries. This includes monitoring players’ whereabouts and weekly routines via social media, tracking their travel and game schedules and conducting physical surveillance at their homes. Many of the attacks are staged while the athletes and their families are away at games.

Los Angeles Times

Senator’s son sentenced to 28 years for killing a N.D. deputy during pursuit

The adult son of North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer was sentenced to serve 28 years in prison Monday in connection with a wild chase in which he fled from a hospital and drove into a deputy’s vehicle, killing the deputy. Ian Cramer, 43, pleaded guilty in September to all of the charges against him, including homicide while fleeing a peace officer, preventing arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing an officer and drug- and driving-related offenses. Those charges related to a Dec. 6, 2023, chase and crash that killed Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Martin, 53. State District Judge Bobbi Weiler handed down the sentence of 38 years with 10 years suspended, three years of probation and credit for over a year served in jail. She also included recommended treatment for addiction and mental health. But he likely won’t serve the full 28 years, the judge said. “The (state) Department of Corrections has their own policy on how much time you’re going to serve,” Weiler said. “These are not mandatory minimums, which means that you’re probably going to serve a small portion of that 28 years and be out on parole, so that’ll ... give you an opportunity to have a second chance that Deputy Martin does not have, nor does his family have.”

Associated Press

‘City has never been safer': Boston hits lowest homicide rate since 1957

In a public safety milestone, Boston slashed its 2024 homicide rate to 24 killings, positioning itself as one of the safest major cities in the nation, according to officials. There were 37 homicides in the city in 2023, 40 each in 2022 and 2021 and 56 in 2020, Boston Police Department statistics showed. “In the entire time that I’ve been a police officer … the city has never been safer, period, when it comes to crime and particularly violent crime,” Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said during a Friday afternoon press conference at Boston Police Headquarters. Cox added the 24 homicides in 2024 “appears to be the lowest since 1957,” and is “by far the lowest … since the data began tracking reliably in 2007.” In addition to the 33% decline in homicides citywide since 2023, gunfire incidents have decreased by 14%. Violent crime overall dropped by 2%, said Cox. And arrests have been made in over 50% of homicide cases, he said. “This is about saving lives, and that is maybe the most important investment of all,” Mayor Michelle Wu said during the press conference.

PoliceOne

Man crushed to death by SUV in Canoga Park

A man in his 40s was pronounced dead after being crushed under an SUV in a crosswalk. Video from the Citizen app showed firefighters and paramedics who responded to the area of Owensmouth near to Topanga Canyon in Canoga Park just after 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Despite the efforts to get the victim out, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident remains under investigation. No further details were immediately available.

FOX 11

Los Angeles red flag warning in effect this week as temperatures warm up

With no rain in the forecast for at least the next seven to 10 days, this wet season is looking pretty dry. A red flag warning is even going into effect for parts of Los Angeles County this week. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning from 7 a.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday for the Santa Clarita, western San Fernando, and Calabasas valleys, Santa Monica Mountains, and the southeast Ventura County valleys. Gusts could reach 30 to 45 mph. The warning goes into effect as gusty north to northeast winds, followed by low relative humidity, are forecast. "Our wet season, we've had virtually zero rainfall, which means any time we flip the winds back to an offshore wind and drop the relative humidity, fire danger's going to go up," Paul Deanno, KCAL News meteorologist, said. On New Year's Day and Thursday, the first two days of 2025, temperatures in areas of Los Angeles County will be 15 degrees above average. 

CBS 2

Nasty norovirus is back in full force with US cases of the stomach virus surging

Cases of a wretched stomach bug are surging in parts of the United States this winter, according to government data. The most recent numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were 91 outbreaks of norovirus reported during the week of Dec. 5, up from 69 outbreaks the last week of November. Numbers from the past few years show a maximum of 65 outbreaks reported during that first week of December. A norovirus infection is characterized by sudden vomiting and diarrhea. Outbreaks are often seen on cruise ships, in congregate living situations like nursing homes and jails, as well as schools and places where people are close together. Here are a few things to know about the virus. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, responsible for 58% of such infections acquired in the country each year, according to the CDC. Norovirus infections are caused by a group of viruses that spread easily, with as few as 10 viral particles having the ability to make someone sick, health experts say. There are about 2,500 norovirus outbreaks reported annually in the United States. The outbreaks can occur throughout the year but are most common from November to April. Along with with vomiting and diarrhea, common symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, body ache, headache and fever.

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.