One Dead, One Wounded in Shooting at Hollywood Nightclub

An argument at closing time for a Hollywood nightclub led to a shooting Sunday that killed one man and sent another person to a hospital. The shooting occurred at 1:52 a.m. Sunday at the Warwick Nightclub at 6507 W. Sunset Blvd., according to Los Angeles Police Department Det. I. Lowe. Arriving officers found the two victims and a large crowd, Lowe said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. The other victim was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. Shortly after arriving, officers located a man they suspected of involvement in the shooting and recovered a firearm, Lowe said. The man was detained pending further investigation.

MyNewsLA

Trial begins for man accused of serial rapes, dumping women’s bodies at L.A. hospitals

Online and in person, David Pearce presented himself to women as a talent manager, music mogul and other versions of a high-level Hollywood player — someone who could help make their L.A. dreams a reality, prosecutors said. But that was all a front to lure them back to his Olympic Boulevard apartment, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Catherine Mariano, where Pearce became a “nightmare.” “He’s the guy you fear your daughter encountering while out celebrating a birthday. He’s the guy you fear at a bar. … He’s the guy you fear your friend connecting with on a dating app,” Mariano said in court Thursday morning. Prosecutors say that Pearce had been drugging and raping women for nearly two decades across Los Angeles, and that his actions turned deadly in November 2021 after Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales Arzola went home with Pearce and some friends following an East L.A. rave. The next day, the women were dumped at hospitals in a vehicle driven by Pearce and his roommate, Brandt Osborn, authorities said. Within two weeks, both women were dead of drug overdoses.

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles police say they're ending escorts to burned neighborhoods in the interest of public safety

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell on Sunday discussed the department's decision to stop escorting fire victims into burned and evacuated neighborhoods. "We tried to be as compassionate as we could be by putting together escorts that provided limited access for people to get into the area, very deliberately, and be able to retrieve medication or pets in some cases," McDonell said during a press conference. While initially successful, McDonell says that the numbers of residents requesting to return to their homes became overwhelming for officers. He also noted that some people became frustrated with the long wait times which added to the stress. In recent days, with fire intensity somewhat reaching a lull in parts of the Palisades Fire burn scar, long lines of cars awaiting police escort to their homes could be seen on roads leading to impacted neighborhoods. "Today we need to suspend that practice, effective immediately," he said. 

CBS 2

Burglary suspects dressed as firefighters arrested in L.A. fire zone, officials say

Los Angeles authorities said they arrested 29 more people overnight in the fire zones, including one burglary suspect who was allegedly dressed as a firefighter. Of the arrests, 25 people were apprehended in the Eaton fire zone, four in the Palisades fire zone, authorities said. “We have people who will go to all ends to do what they do,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said of a man dressed in a fire jacket and helmet burglarizing homes. One man, who was driving a truck, was arrested in the Palisades area, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and LAPD said. Other suspects were found inside the vehicle. The men pretended to be associated with a fire station but a quick check with the L.A. Fire Department proved that not to be the case, officials said. Sheriff Robert Luna said those arrested were not from the area and that some had firearms and drugs. About 20 similar arrests were made earlier last week. Curfews remained in place in the fire zones, and the National Guard and police continue to conduct patrols in these areas.

Los Angeles Times

Police detain 2 people at Vice President Harris’ Brentwood home during curfew hours

Police confirmed to KTLA that officers detained two people at Vice President Kamala Harris’ home in Brentwood during curfew hours on Saturday. The Los Angeles Police Department said a call came into the West L.A. station around 4:40 a.m., reporting a potential burglary on the Vice President’s property. Officers responded to the residence located on Bundy Drive, north of Sunset Drive, and found two individuals on the property. Some reports said the subjects were two men dressed all in black, but that detail has yet to be confirmed by police. LAPD said officers detained the two people who were breaking curfew, but have since released them as they found no evidence that they were committing a crime. Details are extremely limited, police did not immediately say what the two people were doing on the Vice President’s property or whether the incident would be further investigated. National Guard members and local enforcement from the LAPD, Santa Monica Police and Airport Police Departments reminded residents that they will continue to patrol fire zones from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., ready to arrest anyone for trespassing, looting or any other type of violation.

KTLA 5

Scam artists are taking advantage of the Los Angeles-area wildfires, officials warn

As wildfires continue to blaze across Los Angeles County, authorities are sounding the alarm on another potential threat to the public: scams relating to the disaster. Multiple law enforcement officials have warned of bad actors scheming to take advantage of charitable people looking to chip in and give to those in need due to the fires. We have people with big hearts who want to help, they want to donate, they want to support the victims," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press conference Saturday. "We also see scammers who are taking advantage of that goodness and that generosity and scamming and defrauding those individuals. Bonta urged the public to beware of fraudulent organizations falsely claiming to be charities or nonprofits aiding fire victims. Scammers have at times targeted elderly individuals, immigrants and non-English speakers, Bonta said. In some cases, he added, the fraudulent organizations use names that sound misleadingly legitimate.

ABC 7

Pasadena officer’s heroic rescue in L.A. wildfires immortalized in NYT photo

A powerful image captured during the Los Angeles wildfires highlights the life-saving efforts of police officers. The photograph, featured by the New York Times, shows a police officer, identified as Pasadena Police Officer Chrystian Banuelos, carrying an elderly person through thick smoke and flames to safety. Banuelos is no stranger to emergencies. A former member of the Grand Island Police Department in Nebraska, he previously made headlines for saving an elderly woman who choked and lost consciousness, Central Nebraska Today reported. He was given a Lifesaving Award in 2022 for his actions. “Former GIPD officer Chrystian Banuelos is now a member of the Pasadena Police Department, and as you can tell through this photo — he’s making an invaluable difference,” Grand Island Police Department said in a statement on Facebook. The New York Times photograph has drawn significant attention online, with many commenters praising it as a testament to the courage of first responders. 

PoliceOne

Parents discover teen son is shooting suspect, so they turn him in

A teenager wanted in a felony shooting case was turned in by his parents who drove him to the police department, according to investigators in south Georgia. The suspect, 19-year-old Phillip Andrew McDonald, is accused of firing shots into the walls of a home, striking one person, the Valdosta Police Department said in a Jan. 7 news release. It happened Dec. 19 at a home on Samuel Street in Valdosta, about a 230-mile drive southeast from Atlanta. “When officers arrived at the house, they found a 20-year-old male, who had been shot in the upper leg. Officers immediately applied a tourniquet,” police said. “Medical staff credited the first officers on the scene for saving the victim’s life by applying the tourniquet. ... The victim in this case is in stable condition.” An investigation revealed the victim and another 19-year-old man were inside the home when bullets began flying through the walls, police said. The shooting is believed to be the result of an “altercation” between McDonald and people in the home, detectives said. Warrants were issued, charging McDonald with two counts of felony aggravated assault, felony aggravated battery, felony criminal damage to property, and felony possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, police said.

Charlotte Observer

Death toll from Palisades and Eaton fires climbs to 24

The number of confirmed deaths from the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires jumped to 24 on Sunday evening. Eight of these deaths are from the Palisades fire and 16 are from the Eaton fire in Altadena, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. Two of the victims have been officially identified by the county agency. Victor Shaw, 66, died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries at his Altadena home. Charles Mortimer, 84, of Pacific Palisades died in a hospital from a heart attack, smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. 

Los Angeles Times

Firefighters Prepare for More Strong Winds in Pacific Palisades

Beleaguered firefighters continued to battle the stubborn Palisades Fire Sunday, aided by a pause in the gusty Santa Ana winds that have driven the destructive blaze since it broke out early last week. The fire was still just 11% contained Sunday afternoon after burning 23,713 acres, and residents and officials were on edge with another strong wind event expected to blow in Monday and last until Wednesday. "Heads up! Strong, locally damaging, NE/E winds will affect West LA Co. & much of Ventura Co thru Wednesday. Critical fire weather is expected, so PLEASE have multiple ways of getting notifications in case of new fires & prepare ahead of time," the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office posted Sunday afternoon on X. Compounding the wind events, humidity continues to be low, and the region is suffering from an unusually long absence of rainfall. Forecasters said the Palisades area has not experienced any significant rain since last April, and no rain is forecast for the next two weeks.

Westside Current

Where can evacuated people in LA find supplies, resources and aid?

As destructive wildfires continue to tear through Southern California, many donation centers were quickly overwhelmed with an outpouring of contributions from the community. For evacuees, many of whom have been left with next to nothing, access to needed items like clothes, toiletries and even funds are going to be critical in the coming days and weeks. Here's where evacuees can find food, clothing, disaster relief, pet care and other resources: Santa Anita Park: Evacuees can visit the parking lot next to the race track at Santa Anita Park to find clothes, pillows, pallets of bottled water and other necessities. The ad-hoc donation center, which was originally assembled in the Rose Bowl parking lot, also has a food station, where evacuees can get a free meal. The center is open for pickups 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. P.T. Sunday and will be accepting donations until Sunday evening. Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has over 600 partner locations offering food and non-food items to evacuees, including some in areas under evacuation orders. Evacuees can use the agency's Pantry Locator to find the bank closest to them. World Central Kitchen: World Central Kitchen, founded by chef Jose Andres, has set up several mobile locations across Southern California, offering free hot meals to those impacted by the fires.

NBC 4

What ignited the deadly California wildfires? Investigators consider an array of possibilities

Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the huge fires that have killed at least 16 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area. In hilly, upscale Pacific Palisades, home to Hollywood stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and Billy Crystal who lost houses in the fire, officials have placed the origin of the wind-whipped blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded arroyo. While lightning is the most common source of fires in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to rule that out quickly. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton Fire, which started in east Los Angeles County and has also destroyed hundreds of homes. The next two most common causes: fires intentionally set, and those sparked by utility lines. John Lentini, owner of Scientific Fire Analysis in Florida, who has investigated large fires in California including the Oakland Hills Fire in 1991, said the size and scope of the blaze doesn’t change the approach to finding out what caused it.

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.