Arson probe underway in Chinatown after witness reports seeing man with gas can igniting fires

An arson investigation was underway after firefighters extinguished two structure fires early Wednesday morning in Chinatown and witnesses reported seeing a suspect with a gas can, authorities said. The fires were reported about 2:15 a.m.in the 800 and 900 blocks of North Broadway. News video from the scene showed Los Angeles Fire Department personnel dousing flames at a street-facing business and at a small shack-like structure in the parking lot behind a two-story building. A security guard who called 911 said an unidentified man was seen setting fires, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A detailed description of the possible suspect was not available. Officers arrived at the scene and conducted a search but no suspect was found. No injuries were reported in the fires.

ABC 7

LAPD Seeks Help ID’ing Larchmont Hit-And-Run Driver

Authorities sought the public’s help Wednesday in identifying a driver involved in a hit-and-run collision that killed a 26-year-old woman in Larchmont. The crash happened around 3:20 a.m. June 22, 2024, when the pedestrian, who was crossing Western Avenue at Rosewood Avenue in a marked crosswalk, was struck by a white pickup, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Police posted video on the department’s YouTube page showing the truck striking the woman, in hopes of generating tips from the public. The city of Los Angeles has a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of drivers involved in fatal hit-and-run crashes. Anyone with information was asked to contact West Traffic Division detectives at 213-473-0234. During non-business hours, calls should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

MyNewsLA

Pickup slams into pedestrian in Pacoima hit-and-run

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for the driver of a pickup truck that slammed into a pedestrian in Pacoima last week, leaving him in critical condition. The white truck was headed north on Laurel Canyon Boulevard near Terra Bella Street on Feb. 12 when it struck a man in his 60s who was walking near the crosswalk, police said in a news release. The pickup continued north on Laurel Canyon without stopping to help. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to the driver. The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Garibay at 213-677-8157. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).

KTLA 5

Man in custody after pursuit ends in crash in Vermont Knolls neighborhood

A man is in custody after he crashed into a tree during a police pursuit in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood Wednesday morning. The Los Angeles Police Department said they initiated a pursuit of a robbery suspect around 1:25 a.m. A brief pursuit took place near the 8400 block of South Flower Street before the man hit a tree and damaged several other vehicles. He got out of the vehicle and fled the scene. The LAPD set up a perimeter before the man was later taken into custody. 

CBS 2

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's LA home burglarized on Valentine's Day

The Los Angeles home of actress Nicole Kidman and musician Keith Urban was burglarized on Valentine's Day, sources told ABC News. Around 8 p.m. Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department received a report of a burglary and responded to the celebrity couple's home. Police say an unknown number of suspects smashed a glass door, ransacked the home and then took off. It's not clear what, if anything, was taken. Kidman and Urban were not home at the time, and sources say it's not believed they were targeted. The case is the latest burglary case nationwide involving celebrity victims. ESPN reports LAFC soccer player Olivier Giroud lost approximately $500,000 worth of jewelry when his L.A. home was burglarized earlier this month. Giroud, France's all-time top goal scorer, had 10 luxury watches stolen from him, a source told ESPN. The striker and his family were not at the property at the time.

ABC 7

LAPD Will Conduct DUI Checkpoints Across City Thursday Through Sunday

The Los Angeles Police Department will conduct DUI checkpoints throughout the city from Thursday through Sunday, the department announced Wednesday. Officers will be looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, including marijuana, some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs that could impair driving. A first-time DUI charge could cost drivers about $13,500 in fines and penalties, and impaired drivers could also have their license suspended. The checkpoints were scheduled for: Thursday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Northeast area; Friday, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.: at Glenoaks Boulevard and Truesdale Street; at Florence and La Salle avenues; and at Sunset Boulevard and Orange Grove Avenue; Saturday, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Western Avenue and Sixth Street. Additionally, DUI saturation patrols will be deployed Sunday between noon and 8 p.m. in the North Hollywood and Topanga areas.

MyNewsLA

5 arrested in California murder-for-hire scheme stemming from ‘contentious’ divorce: officials

Authorities on Tuesday announced the arrest of five men connected to a murder-for-hire scheme in San Bernardino stemming from what officials called a "contentious" divorce. The victim, 44-year-old Yesenia Torres, was gunned down in broad daylight outside a Burger Point restaurant in front of terrified patrons and employees. During Tuesday’s press conference, authorities presented surveillance footage of Torres in the restaurant parking lot on Jan. 10, 2025. The video showed Torres walking to her vehicle from the restaurant while a vehicle pulled up behind her. A short time later, a passenger, later identified as 31-year-old Gerardo Llamas, pulls up behind her. Surveillance footage proceeds to show the two engaging in conversation as Llamas, while armed, takes her purse. Several witnesses tried to intervene. However, they were shot at. Authorities said a total of nine rounds were shot at the victim with one expanded casing coming from when the gun jammed when the victim fought back.

FOX 11

7 Chileans accused of stealing millions in valuables from Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow

Three of the suspects took selfies next to a safe and stolen items. Another donned expensive jewelry. One even wore a Kansas City Chiefs jersey. Three months later they have been charged, along with several other Chilean nationals, with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property after they allegedly broke in and stole valuables worth more than $2 million from the homes of professional athletes. According to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., the seven defendants have been targeting athletes in the United States since October, executing well-planned burglaries of their homes while they competed in games. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum of 10 years in prison. The suspects apparently couldn’t keep from incriminating themselves. Three of those charged — Pablo Zuniga Cartes, 24, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, 20, and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, 27 — are in a photo posing next to a safe containing about $1.5 million in watches, chains, jewelry, designer bags and cash stolen from the Wisconsin home of Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis.

Los Angeles Times

79-year-old man points gun at cops outside NYPD precinct before fatal OIS

A gun-toting 79-year-old man who showed up outside a Queens police station Tuesday night was fatally shot by cops, police said. The elderly man, behind the wheel of a white Lexus, pulled up outside the NYPD’s 111th Precinct stationhouse on the corner of 215th St. and Northern Blvd. in Bayside around 6:40 p.m. , NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera said at a news conference. He then confronted a uniformed officer assigned to stationhouse security and “suddenly displayed a firearm and pointed it at the officer,” Rivera said. The officer repeatedly instructed the elderly man to drop the gun, and when backup officers arrived and issued the same command, the man continued to aim the weapon at them. Four cops fired their weapons, striking the man numerous times. Police performed CPR on the gunman as medics rushed to the scene. He was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where he died. The officers who fired their weapons were taken to an area hospital for observation, but none were injured in the shooting. Police recovered a loaded Cobra .38 Special from the scene. The precinct’s glass windows were shattered after officers fired their weapons inside the vestibule.

New York Daily News

LA Council OKs $5 Billion in Contracts for LAX Upgrades

The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday signed off on $5 billion in contracts for design-build and construction services at LAX, advancing efforts to improve the airport ahead of major global events coming to the region. In a 11-0 vote, council members approved the Los Angeles World Airports' latest Multiple Award Task Order Contract, also known as MATOC. Funds will cover 51 contractual agreements for pre-qualified contractors that will aid the airport with forthcoming projects under LAWA's Capital Improvement Program. Council members Ysabel Jurado, Traci Park, Curren Price and Hugo Soto- Martinez were absent during the vote. Airport officials said they have 31 prime contractors, 13 of which are first-time prime contractors with LAWA. Through MATOC, the pool of 31 contractors will be in a better position to pursue some of the 51 contracts identified by LAWA. The five-year initiative aims to expand opportunities for diverse, small  and local businesses while streamlining the procurement process for upcoming projects. Officials said 20 of these projects are expected to begin later this year.

Westside Current

LA Council Votes to Preserve Terminal Island Historic Buildings

The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved a motion calling for the preservation of two buildings from the Japanese American Commercial Village on Terminal Island. In a 12-0 vote, council members instructed the Department of City Planning to prepare an application and initiate the process that would designate the buildings as historic cultural monuments. The buildings, located at 700-702 and 712-716 Tuna St. in San Pedro, are among the last “standing links” to a once-thriving fishing village, according to Councilman Tim McOsker’s office. McOsker, who represents the Harbor Area, introduced the motion last week. “Today’s motion will help preserve the two last remaining structures that were part of a vibrant community destroyed by hate and paranoia,” McOsker said. “It is an important story, an American story, that needs to be told for generations to come in honor for our families.”

MyNewsLA

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.