Catalytic converter thief shouted ‘No!’ before accomplice shot Johnny Wactor, police say

When Johnny Wactor found three people in masks trying to steal the catalytic converter from his Toyota Prius last May, one of the thieves yelled “No!” before his “hot-headed” companion fired a single shot into the “General Hospital” actor’s chest, a detective testified Monday. New details about the case came at a preliminary hearing for Robert Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, who are charged with murdering Wactor in downtown Los Angeles. The defendants, both 18, have pleaded not guilty. In a jailhouse conversation secretly recorded by authorities, Estrada said he hadn’t wanted to “work” stealing catalytic converters with Barceleau, whom he called “hot-headed,” said Det. Justin Howarth of the Los Angeles Police Department. Estrada claimed he yelled at Barceleau not to shoot before Barceleau pulled the trigger, Howarth said. Nicknamed “Smalls,” the 5-foot 6-inch, 110-pound Barceleau told an informant in a separate recording that he shot Wactor because the actor was “going after the homie” after finding them hoisting up his car to saw off its catalytic converter, Howarth said.

Los Angeles Times

Three Arraignments Scheduled for Suspects in Woodland Hills Clinic Murder for Hire

Arraignment is set Monday for three people charged in connection with the shooting death of a doctor outside his medical clinic in Woodland Hills in what authorities have described as a murder-for-hire. The victim’s ex-wife, Ahang Mirshojae, 53, of Calabasas, is charged along with Evan Hardman, 41, of Tomball, Texas; and Sarallah Jawed, 26, of Canoga Park, in the Aug. 23 slaying of her former husband, Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, 61. Authorities said the victim was ambushed Aug. 23 as he walked to his vehicle in the parking lot outside his clinic in the 5900 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, near Warner Center Park. Ahang Mirshojae was arrested Dec. 12, with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman subsequently alleging that the woman hired a hit man to kill the victim for unspecified financial gain. The murder charge against her includes the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and murder for financial gain in connection with the slaying of her ex-husband, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. She is also facing a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an alleged baseball bat attack May 3 on her former husband.

MyNewsLA

Police seek driver in Larchmont hit-and-run causing ‘serious’ injuries

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for a driver who struck and seriously injured a woman crossing a street in the Larchmont neighborhood in October. The woman, 22, was hit as she crossed Western Avenue near Clinton Street just before 3:45 a.m. on Oct. 16, police said in a news release. Video shared by the LAPD shows the woman and a man exiting a vehicle parking in the roadway on Clinton Street and apparently arguing before they start to cross Western Avenue outside of a crosswalk. As the man turns and heads back in the direction of the vehicle, the woman attempts to dodge a vehicle. That vehicle, which authorities believe could be a gray Toyota Camry, instead slams into the woman. That sedan then continued north without the driver stopping to help or identify themselves. The man who was with the woman also fled without stopping to help. The woman was “severely injured” and taken to a local hospital for treatment. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to the driver’s identification and conviction or civil settlement. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Morton at 213-473-0233 or Detective Holmes at 213-473-0238.

KTLA 5

Man brutally beaten at a downtown LA restaurant

A brutal attack in a fine-dining restaurant left a man seriously hurt while a woman's scream pierces through the establishment. The man got jumped by multiple other men at The Palm in downtown Los Angeles. The incident took place during a New Year's Eve celebration event. According to the man who got beaten, the attack was unprovoked. As the incident remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, the man's wife told FOX 11 she fears for their safety. As of the start of January 2025, the Palm has since shut down for good. The man says the incident left him with a broken jaw and nose. As of January 3, no arrests have been announced in connection to the New Year's Eve brawl.

FOX 11

Video shows Mercedes Benz weaving past large group riding bicycles in Mid-Wilshire

Video shows speeding driver narrowly miss a large group of people on bicycles in a harrowing scene on a street in Los Angeles' Mid-Wilshire area. Los Angeles police responded to a call from the cyclists at about 2 p.m. Saturday. In the video, a white Mercedes Benz sedan can be seen weaving past cyclists traveling the same direction with traffic in lanes on Olympic Boulevard. At one point, the Mercedes Benz was traveling the wrong way on the street. The person recording the video can be heard yelling for cyclists to watch out. A separate video, also posted to Instagram, shows several people smashing the driver's car in a parking garage less than a mile away. The LAPD said the incidents are connected. The LAPD said it is aware of the video. Officers responded to the parking garage for a vandalism call. The driver was questioned, but no arrests were made, the LAPD said, adding that the agency is gathering more evidence and attempting to understand the sequence of events.

NBC 4

Burglars target Jefferson Park home multiple times over holiday break

A nurse says thieves broke into her Jefferson Park three times over the holidays, turning them far from cheerful. "I'm just not myself. I can't find clothes to wear, shoes.. It's just hard," said Michaela Thompson. On Christmas Eve, while she was helping others as a nurse at the VA hospital, thieves were helping themselves to her home, ransacking every inch. Security cameras captured a glimpse of the intruders walking around inside before she says they cut the power off. Thompson said if the thieves needed anything, they should've just asked her. "Instead, they do this to us. It makes it very hard," she said. "Even if it was jewelry, they could have asked me. I would have given them whatever they want. But the way they leave the house is like trash." She says the thieves got away with jewelry, electronics and even the laptop she was using for school. Then on Christmas day, while she was away, the thieves made it back onto her property. But Thompson says a neighbor scared them off. She called the police but by the time they arrived, they were gone.

ABC 7

Southern California man, 24, busted using Instagram to sell ‘ghost guns’

A 24-year-old man from Los Angeles County was sentenced to a little more than 10 years in federal prison for his role in the armed robbery of a confidential informant and the operation of an unlicensed firearm dealing business, officials announced Monday. In a U.S. Department of Justice news release, prosecutors said Salvador Lopez, a resident of Whittier, helped sell at least 15 illegal firearms, some of which were “ghost guns” lacking serial numbers, to federal agents and their informants. At one point, the 24-year-old had also agreed to another firearms deal with a confidential federal informant, but instead of following through, he messaged a minor with instructions to rob the informant. “The minor and his accomplices not only robbed the informant of $5,000, but they also robbed the informant’s personal cellphone and vehicle,” prosecutors said. “Lopez then received a cut of the robbery’s proceeds.” Lopez, as well as the three other defendants in the case – Ivan Quintos, 27, of Azusa, and Mark Perez, 23, and Zachary Dry, 24, both residents of Nevada – pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in Oct. 2024.  

KTLA 5

CHP warns public about AMBER Alert scam to 'register children'

The California Highway Patrol is warning the public to beware of fraudsters posing as "AMBER Alert representatives" offering to "register" children. "They ask for confidential info and to meet at your home," the CHP said Saturday on social media. "This is not how the AMBER Alert system works." No registration is ever required, the CHP said. AMBER -- which stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response -- is only activated by law enforcement agencies investigating reports of an abducted or missing child. The alerts are intended to provide the public with immediate information about a child abduction. The CHP said it is the only agency authorized to activate AMBER Alerts. "Never provide personal information or answer calls from unknown or 'possible scam' numbers," the highway patrol said. If contacted by a scammer, the CHP said, report it to your local law enforcement agency immediately.

FOX 11

FBI: New Year’s truck attack suspect visited New Orleans before, recorded video with smart glasses

The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with Meta smart glasses, an FBI official said Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar also traveled to Cairo and Canada before the attack although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a news conference. Federal officials believe Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and former U.S. Army soldier, was inspired by the Islamic State militant group to carry out the attack. Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during an exchange of gunfire at the scene of the deadly crash of the rented pickup truck on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. Federal investigators so far believe Jabbar acted alone, but are continuing to explore his contacts. “All investigative details and evidence that we have now still support that Jabbar acted alone here in New Orleans,” said Raia. “We have not seen any indications of an accomplice in the United States, but we are still looking into potential associates in the U.S. and outside of our borders.”

Associated Press

Fire Crews Knock Down Apartment Fire in Florence

Firefighters knocked down a residential fire in the unincorporated Florence area of Los Angeles Sunday. Smoke was reported emerging from a two-story building at 761 E. 73rd St., between Stanford and McKinley avenues, around 5:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. In under 15 minutes, LAFD fire crews knocked down a small fire in one unit on the second floor, authorities stated. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

Unusual ‘life-threatening and destructive’ winds bring risk of winter fires, power outages to Southern California

By January, Southern California usually has experienced enough rain that a major winter wind event does not bring fears of a major fire. But not this year. More than eight months without any measurable rainfall, Southland officials are gearing up for what is expected to be a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm. Beginning Tuesday, the winds are forecast to last several days and hit areas well beyond the region’s typical wind corridors — with the potential to stretch an already-active fire season into January. “This upcoming event is extreme,” said Capt. Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department. “Many people think that when the winter months come they might be out of fire danger and that’s simply not true, especially in Southern California.” Gusty, dry winds — some that could reach up to 100 mph — are forecast across much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties beginning Tuesday, and are expected to elevate the threat for fast-moving wildfires and also cause major damage to trees, power lines and even high-profile vehicles.

Los Angeles Times

What is the HMPV virus in China? The human metapneumovirus and its symptoms, explained.

The human metapneumovirus, also known as HMPV, is reportedly surging in China, raising questions about what the illness is and if it's a concern to those in the U.S. Chinese health officials have not confirmed that HMPV is what is driving hospitalizations in the country, and recent reports from China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate the increase may actually be due to influenza A. But with less public knowledge around HMPV in the U.S., worries of a potential new pandemic have risen — though experts say there isn't need for alarm. "The concern for a pandemic can be put at rest," Dr. Carla Garcia Carreno, Children's Medical Center Plano director of infection prevention and control, told CBS News, adding not only is the virus fairly stable, it's also not a novel virus like COVID-19 was. "This has been circulating for a while, so people have some immunity against this human metapneumovirus."

CBS 2

L.A. Council to Decide Future of Television City Expansion Project

The City Council Tuesday will consider final approval for a proposed $1 billion expansion of Television City — and also hear from nine groups that filed appeals against the project over concerns it would harm the surrounding community. In 2019, L.A.-based Hackman Capital Partners, a real-estate investment company, bought the property from CBS for $750 million. The company filed an application with the L.A. Planning Department to add more production stages and office space on a lot at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. The council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee in December finally recommended approval of the project and denied appeals. The full council is slated to give its final decision on whether the development should move forward. If approved, the project would allow studio production at the 25-acre site and development of 1.686 million square feet for sound stages, office and retail spaces.

MyNewsLA

LA City Council Set to Resume with Focus on Committee Schedules

The Los Angeles City Council will reconvene Tuesday following a three-week winter recess, with plans to finalize the schedules for its committees, which oversee critical city functions such as public safety, the homelessness crisis and housing. Under the City Charter, the council president organizes the committees, which provide recommendations and information to guide future council decisions. Council members will consider approving the proposed schedules for long-standing committees. 

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.