L.A. man convicted in drug overdose deaths of two women, serial rapes

A self-proclaimed nightlife promoter who dumped two women at L.A. hospitals after they overdosed at his home was convicted of two counts of murder and seven counts of sexual assault on Tuesday. David Pearce, 42, was arrested in November 2021 for his role in the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales Arzola after he was caught on camera driving their limp frames to hospitals in a car with no license plates. Prosecutors alleged he provided the drugs that caused their overdoses, then failed to get them medical attention for hours. Both women were dumped at hospitals about 12 to 14 hours after passing out at Pearce’s Olympic Boulevard apartment. Giles died a short time later of an overdose of fentanyl and cocaine, and Arzola spent 11 days in a coma before dying of organ failure and cocaine intoxication. News of Pearce’s arrest led at least a dozen women to come forward and accuse him of sexual assault, with many saying he posed as a well-connected Hollywood figure to lure them to his apartment after nights of partying. Some said they lost consciousness or felt “paralyzed” after he served them a drink, and awoke to Pearce assaulting them.

Los Angeles Times

Man shot and killed at North Hollywood park; police detain at least one person of interest

A man was shot and killed at a North Hollywood park on Tuesday and police say they've detained at least one person of interest as they investigate the matter. It happened at around 1:40 p.m. at North Hollywood Park, located at Tujunga Drive and Magnolia Boulevard, according to Los Angeles Police Department investigators. Thought circumstances leading up to what prompted the shooting remain unclear, officers arrived and found the victim, only identified as a man in his 50s, dead at the scene. A short time later, officers reported detaining one person a on Magnolia Boulevard between Vineland Avenue and Lankershim Boulevard. Police say that both the victim and suspect are believed to be homeless. SkyCal flew over the scene of the shooting, where a large area of the park was surrounded in yellow crime tape. A white tent covered the spot where the victim's body laid. About 10 yards away where a bike with a white bag laid on its side. 

CBS 2

Weeklong human trafficking sting operation nets 547 arrests across California 

The Los Angeles Police Department teamed up with the L.A. County Sheriff Department’s Regional Human Trafficking Task Force and over 100 other law enforcement agencies and victim advocacy groups to conduct “Operation Reclaim & Rebuild,” a weeklong sting into human trafficking across California. According to an LAPD media release, the operation – conducted between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1 –primarily focused on rescuing victims of sexual slavery and human trafficking, apprehending their captors and disrupting the demand for vulnerable individuals. As a result of “Operation Reclaim & Rebuild,” 547 suspects were arrested across California on various criminal charges, LAPD stated, with 333 of them described as “exploiters.” A total of 166 adults were identified as trafficking victims, with a further 11 minors rescued from possible exploiters, bringing the total number of recovered victims to 177. All of them were offered support services; the minors were placed in protective custody and are receiving support from the Department of Children and Family Services.

KTLA 5

Neighbors tackle alleged arsonist after brush fire near Chatsworth

With deputies rushing to the scene, a group of neighbors in Chatsworth chased down a man they said started a couple of brush fires near their homes. "He just started running," resident Amilcar Fajardo said. "There were other guys there. They all helped out. We just stopped him and that was it." Fajardo works in Bell Canyon, near where a small brush fire started Monday afternoon. He was heading home but saw flames near the road and stopped. "I just see a couple of women and kids running towards the side of the hill," he said. "You can see the heat waves." Santiago Martinez lives in the community next to where the fire burned. "The neighbors and the firefighters were really trying to put out the fire, but if the person is three minutes away from us lighting another fire," Martinez said. "You really have to act sometimes." Martinez said he witnessed the suspect lighting another fire near another community along the road. 

CBS 2

L.A. city attorney alleges mega real estate firm Blueground engaged in illegal price gouging

Los Angeles City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto has sued the apartment behemoth Blueground US Inc., alleging the provider of furnished rentals engaged in multiple instances of illegal price gouging in the wake of the region’s fires. Under a state of emergency, landlords and their representatives are generally barred from raising rent more than 10% above what they charged or advertised before the fires broke out Jan. 7. In its lawsuit, announced Tuesday, the city attorney’s office cited more than 10 cases in which it alleged Blueground engaged in illegal price gouging, including at one apartment in downtown Los Angeles where the company raised rent more than 30%, from $4,140 a month to $5,400. Blueground, which could not immediately be reached for comment, is not a typical apartment company. It leases units from property owners, furnishes the apartments and then rents the units to tenants and businesses that need long-term housing for their workers. Its website says Blueground operates worldwide, though it’s unclear whether the entity the city attorney sued, Blueground US Inc., is only an American subsidiary.

Los Angeles Times

Suspected DUI driver intentionally rams California PD cruiser head-on, video shows

A Grover Beach man intentionally rammed his truck head-on into a police vehicle on Sunday while officers were attempting to stop him, police said. Steven Tomis , 62, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and DUI with injury, the Grover Beach Police Department said in a news release. Officers first responded to the 400 block of Leoni Drive for a report of a disturbance involving a vehicle, police said. When the officers arrived on scene, they determined Tomis collided his 1974 Ford pickup truck with another vehicle. Tomis evaded the first arriving officer who tried to contact him and attempted to flee the area, police said. When the second officer arrived with his emergency lights on in an attempt to stop the truck, Tomis accelerated his vehicle, steered toward the officer’s patrol car and “intentionally collided head-on” with the officer. Dash cam footage released by the agency shows Tomis’ truck accelerating toward the patrol vehicle head-on before impact.

The Tribune

Maine K-9 killed, officer wounded in standoff

Police killed a man who they say shot a deputy and killed a police dog during an hours-long standoff Monday in Aroostook County. The incident began Monday morning when Maine State Police and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office were called to 20 Ranger St. in Portage Lake , where a woman told police she had been fighting with 29-year-old Steven Righini . She said he had pushed her into a wall and was inside the house with their 4-week-old infant. A man who identified himself as Stephen Righini of Maine posted a video to X during the standoff, where he said he was fighting for “righteousness and Christianity to be restored in this country.” After trying unsuccessfully to get Righini to come outside, troopers and deputies tried to take him into custody. While struggling with the officers, Righini pulled a gun from his waistband and shot at them as he ran back into the house, according to state police spokesperson Shannon Moss. 

Portland Press Herald

Los Angeles medical center looking to ID hospitalized woman

Los Angeles General Medical Center is asking for the public’s help to identify a woman who was brought to the hospital earlier this week. The woman was found Sunday near the intersection of 6th and Julian streets in downtown. She’s believed to be around 35 years old, standing 5 feet 3 inches and weighing around 170 pounds. She has brown eyes and short hair that’s dyed red. Due to patient confidentiality laws, the L.A. County Department of Health Services is unable to provide additional details about her condition. Anyone who might recognize the woman is urged to contact the Los Angeles General Medical Center Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253. During non-business hours, calls can be made to 323-409-6883.

KTLA 5

Los Angeles prepares for two rain systems as burn scar areas remain on edge for potential mudslides

The Los Angeles area is preparing for the tail end of an atmospheric river that will bring "beneficial rain," forecasters say. Two storm systems are expected to bring some much-needed rain after the region battled several weeks of extremely dry conditions. The lack of rain and strong Santa Ana winds helped fuel the wildfires that ravaged the Pacific Palisades and Altadena communities. The National Weather Service said clouds will develop throughout the day and temperatures will begin to drop. Rain will be overspread through the area into the overnight hours. The NWS said Los Angeles and Ventura counties could receive between .5 and .75 inches of rain Tuesday through Wednesday, with the mountains and hills getting between .75 and 1.5 inches of rain. "For LA/Ventura Counties, rain rates and totals are expected to be significantly lower and chances remain under 5% for rates to exceed USGS thresholds over the recent burn scars," the NWS said.

CBS 2

LA City Council Considers Pause on Evictions for Extra Occupants Due to Fires

The City Council Tuesday will consider an ordinance that would temporarily prohibit landlords from evicting tenants for having unauthorized occupants and pets, who have been displaced by the multiple fires that erupted in January. City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the Pacific Palisades, introduced an emergency motion calling for such protections on Jan. 14,  a week after the fires started on Jan. 7. Park proposed prohibiting evictions of tenants who welcomed displaced residents and their pets for one year. "Some impacted people and their pets are currently staying with friends and family in rental properties that may not allow pets or additional persons under current leases," the motion reads. "To prevent further instability and distress, it is necessary to learn more about the impact of the fires on our city's housing stock and to update the municipal code as soon as possible to provide eviction protections related to relocated people and pets," the motion continued.

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.