Man, 61, Killed in Hit-and-Run Collision Riding Electric Scooter Identified

A 61-year-old man who was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding an electric scooter in South Los Angeles was identified Thursday. The man, identified by the county medical examiner as Gregory Simpson, was struck around 1 a.m. Jan. 5 in the 100 block of East Manchester Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police said BMW SUV was being driven at high speed westbound on Manchester when it struck the man, who was traveling in the same direction. Simpson was pronounced dead at the scene. The city is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect. Anyone with additional information regarding the fatal hit-and-run collision was urged to contact Officer Antonio Hurd or Detective Ryan Moreno at 323-421-2500.

MyNewsLA

L.A. arson suspect tells officers he ‘liked the smell of burning leaves’

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell provided details Wednesday on two arson suspects arrested not far from the current fire zone. Officers responded to the first incident around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday near Glenoaks and Van Nuys boulevards. McDonnell said a citizen had detained a possible arson suspect and extinguished a fire in a nearby tree. “During the investigation, the suspect admitted to starting the fire because he liked the smell of burning leaves,” McDonnell said. The unidentified suspect was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson. Later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a female setting multiple piles of rubbish and trash on fire near North Santa Monica Boulevard and North Vermont Avenue. Officers took the unidentified suspect into custody as firefighters quickly extinguished the rubbish fires. “The suspect admitted to setting multiple fires that day and stated that she enjoyed causing chaos and destruction,” McDonnell said.

KTLA 5

Hollywood High student is stabbed and hospitalized; another student is arrested

A 15-year-old Hollywood High School student was seriously injured Monday in an on-campus stabbing and a 17-year-old student has been arrested in the attack, officials told The Times. According to law enforcement sources, the injured student, a boy, suffered a life-threatening stab wound and required emergency surgery. Another student, whose name was not released because she is a minor, was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted murder, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The school district provided little information about the stabbing, including the nature of the injuries, citing privacy and restrictions in reporting incidents involving minors. But details have emerged based on what students have told their parents and from law enforcement sources who are not authorized to speak on the matter. The assailant allegedly plunged a knife into the middle of the boy’s back, sources said. The injured student was rushed to the hospital. The incident was investigated both by Los Angeles School Police and the LAPD. The LAPD confirmed the age and gender of the victim and the alleged attacker.

Los Angeles Times

California officials open multiple price gouging investigations in wake of LA County wildfires

Los Angeles was already dealing with a housing crisis before last week's wildfires left thousands without a home overnight, and now price gouging is making it harder for fire victims to find a place to stay. California law enforcement officials announced Thursday they have opened multiple predatory pricing investigations into fraud, assorted price-gouging scams and unsolicited low-ball offers on property during the current state of emergency in Los Angeles County. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said law enforcement has been working to tackle "this unlawful and unscrupulous conduct" since the emergency was declared on Jan. 7. Bonta also announced the creation of the Disaster Relief Task Force and the launch of a website dedicated to its response: OAG.ca.gov/LAFires. "Preying on people during such a vulnerable time is not just fundamentally wrong, it is illegal," Bonta said in a statement. Price gouging is also impacting those who were already looking for a place to rent, as well as people who are currently renting and struggling to keep up with rental payments in an expensive housing market.

ABC 7

$100K in jewelry stolen in violent kidnapping, robbery in Southern California

Two men are wanted in connection with a violent robbery in Los Angeles County, in which a victim was held at gunpoint and tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry was stolen, officials announced Thursday. The terrifying incident unfolded on Jan. 11 at around 10:15 a.m. in the 7600 block of Firestone Boulevard in Downey, according to a news release from investigators with the Downey Police Department. The two suspects, police said, entered Gold Dream Fine Jewelry and asked to see some merchandise, but as the sales associate was tending to them, one of the suspects tackled and gagged the associate, brandished a firearm and forced them into a backstock room while the other suspect ransacked the store. In photos released by investigators, one of the suspects can be seen holding a handgun to the head of the victim as they are on the ground with their hands up. Authorities said the duo was able to get away with gold, jewelry and watches worth more than $100,000.  

KTLA 5

Suspect wanted for killing Texas deputy fatally shot after wounding K-9 during shootout

A suspect who was wanted in the shooting death of a Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy was killed during a shootout with law enforcement, the Houston Police Department said during a news conference. The incident began around 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 15 in the parking lot of a shopping center. Deputy Jesus Vargas, a member of the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, was serving a warrant to apprehend a repeat violent offender, police said. As Vargas approached the suspect, identified as Robert Lee Davis III, Davis opened fire, killing Vargas. An hours-long manhunt ensued. During the search, a U.S. Marshals Service K-9 officer alerted to a dumpster behind the shopping center, according to police. As officers secured the area, the K-9 again signaled the suspect’s presence. Davis emerged from the dumpster and shot the K-9 twice. U.S. Marshals Service deputies returned fire, fatally shooting Davis, police said. The K-9 was life-flighted to a veterinarian where he is reported to be stable, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Vargas, a 17-year veteran of the department, leaves behind a wife and three children.

PoliceOne

Man attempts to shoot up Alabama police station, officers return fire before he can get inside

A 911 caller kept his word when he pledged to show up at a police station with guns blazing, but he didn’t live long enough to get into the building, according to investigators in north Alabama. The gunman died in the parking lot when officers returned fire, Florence’s Chief of Police Mike Holt said at a press conference. It happened around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, outside the Florence Police Department , about a 115-mile drive northwest from Birmingham. “An individual called 911, said that he was at the police department and he was going to shoot the place up,” Holt said. “Officers responded. He was armed, he fired shots and our officers returned fire and the suspect is deceased.” It’s not yet clear if the suspect was shooting at the building or at officers who confronted him, Holt said. The number of officers involved is not yet known, but some poured out of the building, while others arrived in patrol cars, he said. No officers were hurt. Investigators have not released the suspect’s name or a possible motive. Holt said he “had no idea” why the suspect called 911 to warn police of his arrival. The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office will lead an investigation of the shooting, he said.

The Bradenton Herald

New Orleans attacker had researched similar violent rampage and how to access Bourbon St. balcony

Before plowing a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans, killing 14 people, the man who carried out the Islamic State group-inspired attack had researched how to access a balcony on the city’s famed Bourbon Street and looked up information about a similar recent attack at a Christmas market in Germany, the FBI said. Nearly two weeks after Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s rampage, the FBI continues to uncover new information detailing the extensive planning by the 42-year-old Army veteran who scouted out the area multiple times in the months leading up to the attack. Authorities have also been piecing together a timeline of his radicalization. In the early hours of New Year’s Day, Jabbar could be seen on video surveillance placing two containers with explosive devices, which would remain undetonated, in the French Quarter. Shortly after, around 3:15 a.m., Jabbar sped a white pickup truck around a police car blockading the entrance of Bourbon Street, where partygoers continued to wander around the street lined with bars. He drove through revelers before crashing and being killed by police in a shootout. Fifty-seven people were injured, authorities said.

Associated Press

Over 1,500 ‘Glock switches’ seized by Chicago customs officers in 2024

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Chicago intercepted 473 shipments containing a total of 1,507 weapon-modifying devices in 2024, according to a CBP release. The devices, known as “Glock switches,” are used to modify firearms to function as fully automatic weapons. The majority of these devices originated in China and were intended for delivery to various locations across the United States, CBP reported. “These seizures clearly illustrate how closely CBP examines import manifests and identifies items that could potentially harm our nation or our citizens,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations for the Chicago Field Office. “Using their targeting experience, they’re able to consistently spot new shipping trends and keep these dangerous devices out of the hands of criminals. There are reasons these items are illegal.” Pistol automatic fire conversion switches, which are illegal to use or possess, convert standard semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic firearms. These devices enable the user to pull and hold the trigger to fire continuously, discharging the maximum amount of ammunition. They can be purchased online or manufactured using 3D printers. The importation of such items is restricted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

PoliceOne

As death toll climbs, 31 people remain missing as result Los Angeles wildfires

As the death toll from wildfires in Los Angeles County climbs to 27, officials with the sheriff’s department announced that 31 active missing persons cases remain under investigation. In a news release, authorities said that as of Jan. 16, 43 missing persons cases have been reported to LASD’s Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Unit, 12 of whom have been found safe. The deadly Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena still has 24 active missing persons cases, while there are 7 active cases in connection with the Palisades Fire. Authorities said that nine decedents reported missing have been located in structures destroyed in the Eaton Fire, with four recovered in structures destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Another 16 structures associated with active missing persons cases have been searched by deputy personnel with cadaver dogs and search and rescue crews in which no individuals or remains were found. Additionally, two structures destroyed in the Palisades Fire associated with missing persons reports are currently being searched, officials said.  

KTLA 5

‘Nobody talks about the family at home.' Firefighters' families await their safe return

Hundreds of heroic first responders battling the brush fires in Los Angeles County have loved ones who are awaiting their safe return. Amid the disastrous fires, the spouses and children of first responders say they’re keeping their firefighting loved ones in mind as they support them from afar. “I’m proud of him for doing what he loves and for doing it without question,” said Jenna Partlow. Partlow’s husband, Bryan, is part of the El Segundo Fire Department and was deployed with a strike team to the Palisades Fire. His brave efforts in the firefight led to personal sacrifices, including missing his wedding anniversary and his son’s 8th birthday. “I think in situations like this, it’s just the unknown of when will it end and when does he come home,” Partlow said. “And I think that’s something I can manage, but a 5 and an 8-year-old have a hard time with.” She explained the couple’s young children often ask when they’ll be able to see their dad again. They often forget he’s in the middle of the firefight and ask if they can see him at his fire station. “When I tuck them in at night, I’m like, ‘Let’s pray for the firefighters, let’s pray for the firemen.’ And for the first time, my 8-year-old was like, ‘Is dad alive?’ I’m like, ‘Well, yeah, he’s going to be safe. He’s going to be fine,’” Partlow said.

NBC 4

Firefighters boost containment of Palisades and Eaton fires amid break from destructive winds

Containment on the Palisades and Eaton fires that have kept thousands of Los Angeles County residents out of their homes, some for more than a week, grew overnight after winds that have plagued the region began to die down. Containment of the Eaton fire, which has burned just over 14,100 acres in Pasadena and Altadena, jumped to 55% on Thursday morning, up from 45% a day earlier. At the Palisades fire, which has burned 23,700 acres, containment was at 22% Thursday morning, up from 17% a day earlier, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Containment is a reference to how much of the fire’s edge, or perimeter, has been surrounded to the extent firefighters believe they can stop the fire from expanding. But officials have stressed that there is still much work to be done in the fire zones before residents can return. More than 150,000 Angelenos remain under evacuation orders and warnings. It’ll be at least another week before some people can begin heading back to their homes in the evacuated fire zones, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference on Thursday.

Los Angeles Times

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.