‘Their names will never be forgotten’: Fallen officers honored at 2025 Peace Officers’ Memorial Service

On the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, law enforcement officers, families of the fallen and national leaders gathered for the 44th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service to honor officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. The solemn ceremony, hosted by the Fraternal Order of Police, marked National Peace Officers Memorial Day, a tradition established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The 2025 service paid tribute to 345 officers whose names were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Vice President JD Vance delivered the keynote address, recognizing the sacrifice made by those who chose a career in law enforcement despite its inherent risks. “These men and women chose their careers not for enrichment or self-exaltation,” Vance said. “They woke up each and every morning. They put on their uniforms. They said goodbye to their loved ones. And they stepped into the unknown.” Among the officers remembered was St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer David Lee, who was struck and killed by an impaired driver while assisting at a crash scene.

PoliceOne

Judge refuses to dismiss charges in DTLA killing of 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor

A Los Angeles County judge is refusing to dismiss charges against the men accused of killing former "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor in downtown L.A. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen -- who reviewed transcripts from a hearing in January before another judge in which the two men were ordered to stand trial -- said Wednesday he found "sufficient evidence" to allow the case against Robert Isaiah Barceleau and Sergio Estrada, now both 19, to move forward. Barceleau and Estrada have pleaded not guilty to one count each of murder and attempted second-degree robbery in the May 2024 deadly shooting of the 37-year-old. Wactor confronted several people trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car when he was shot and killed. Barceleau is also facing a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery, along with allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury and death to Wactor.

ABC 7

Three Hospitalized After Broadway-Manchester Shooting

Two men and a woman are in the hospital Thursday after they were shot in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The first shooting was reported at 11:43 p.m. Wednesday near 101st and Main streets. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived at the scene, where witnesses told them a man was standing outside a vehicle when a masked assailant approached him and began shooting, striking the man and at least two others inside the vehicle, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. The victims sustained gunshot wounds to their arms and legs and were taken to a hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics in stable condition, police said. There was no suspect description.

MyNewsLA

Suspect yells racial slurs at woman, attacks her car with power saw in Hollywood 

Video captured a violent confrontation as a man yelled racial slurs at a woman before attacking her car with a power saw in Hollywood. On May 13, the victim said she was trying to find a parking spot in a neighborhood near Lexington and Lodi Avenues around 7 p.m. As she drove on the narrow streets, she approached a truck that was blocking the road. It was parked outside a home that was under construction. When she asked the truck owner if he could move his vehicle, she said things escalated almost immediately. Two men reportedly began yelling profanities at her, along with racial slurs, including the N-word. One of the men approached her open car window. “He stuck his hand inside [my car] and reached at me, reached at my phone, and that’s when I took out my pepper spray and deployed it,” said the victim, who did not want to be identified out of safety concerns. “I maced him and then he backed away.” The woman said he went to the garage of the home under construction and emerged while holding a power saw.

KTLA 5

Menendez Brothers’ Parole Hearing Scheduled for June 13

A bid for parole by Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have served about 35 years behind bars for the 1989 shotgun slayings of their parents, was expedited this week following a judge’s decision to reduce their sentence, with a parole hearing now set for the brothers in mid-June. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic re-sentenced the brothers to 50 years to life in prison, making them immediately eligible for parole consideration because they were younger than 26 when the crime occurred. The brothers had been serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. Even before Tuesday’s hearing occurred, the brothers were scheduled to appear before state parole officials on June 13 for a review to determine if they should be considered suitable for a grant of clemency by the governor. Menendez attorneys had asked the governor previously to consider clemency as another possible avenue to secure their release. But in light of Jesic’s ruling Tuesday, a state parole board will instead consider on June 13 whether to recommend parole for the Menendez brothers, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Thursday.

MyNewsLA

Former La Cañada Flintridge city manager charged with fraud, embezzlement

A former La Cañada Flintridge assistant city manager was charged with stealing nearly $200,000 in proceeds from insurance claims meant for the city coffers but diverted to his own personal bank account, LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Thursday. Carl F. Alameda, 45, allegedly sent demand letters to insurance companies between 2016 and 2022 requesting reimbursement for accidents or property damage caused by insured drivers in the city, according to officials. He is accused of falsifying invoices and requesting that the payments be sent to an address he provided. Once insurance companies sent the payments, Alameda allegedly deposited those checks into his personal bank account. The deposits totaled up to $193,096, according to prosecutors. Alameda faces 11 felony counts of embezzlement and 23 counts of insurance fraud. The former city manager pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return to court on July 23. If convicted, Alameda could face up to 33 years in prison. 

NBC 4

‘We’re in deep ...’: Men posing as nonprofit scam $1.5 million from California county, officials say

Two men who allegedly posed as a local nonprofit to scam Fresno County out of $1.5 million in 2020 were charged Thursday in a federal indictment. Jafaar September Nyangoro, 52, of Franklin, Tenn., and Peter Bah Acha, 45, of Berlin were charged with wire fraud and a conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud Fresno County, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California. Court documents allege that the men and other unnamed people gained access to an email account used by the director of a Fresno nonprofit in 2020. They used the email address to submit fraudulent invoices to Fresno County and solicit payments to a bank account they controlled, the statement said. Over several weeks in the fall of 2020, the county sent payments totaling more than $1.5 million to Nyangoro’s bank account, according to the Justice Department. Three days after the final payment, a bank involved in the transactions reversed several transfers due to suspected fraud, prosecutors allege. Realizing the scheme had been uncovered, Nyangoro sent a WhatsApp message to a group including Acha and others: “We’re in deep s—,” according to prosecutors. “The last 3 transactions from County of Fresno have been reversed. Please call me ASAP!”

Los Angeles Times

After turbulent run, California lawmakers unanimously pass bill on solicitation of minors

The state Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed legislation to strengthen criminal penalties for soliciting 16- and 17-year-olds for sex, a crime measure that set off weeks of political turbulence at the state Capitol. The original author of the bill, Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento), said she wanted to target demand by cracking down on perpetrators as well as increasing protections for victims. Her legislation, in part, would have given prosecutors the ability to charge offenders who buy sex from older teens as a felony or a misdemeanor. Controversy erupted in April when Democrats, after a committee hearing, voted to strip the felony provision out of the bill in cases involving 16- and 17-year-olds. That action created a firestorm of criticism on social media and drew a swift rebuke from Republican lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Democrats cut a deal last week amid public pressure, adjusting the penalties to apply only to offenders more than three years older than the victim. “This is our solution to one of the most prevalent problems in the state of California, the exploitation and the trafficking of children,” Assemblyman Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), chair of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety, told his colleagues before the vote.

Los Angeles Times

LA County community sees daily arson, trash fires; 1,000+ this year

Members of a South Los Angeles community say they're fed up with the constant trash fires and crime in what they call their "lawless" neighborhood. Residents say jurisdictional ambiguity has led to confusion on how to respond in the area. A recent report from the Los Angeles Fire Department says the local homeless population has been involved in at least 500 trash fires in the area since January 1, 2025. The number doubles when accounting for nearby areas serviced by the county — that averages to more than seven a day. The Watts station tells FOX 11 that "easily" 95% of the fires they respond to are homeless-related. Underneath the interchange of the 105 and 110 freeways, there have been more than 1,000 there since January. 

FOX 11

The Eisner Intergenerational Orchestra will host Los Angeles fire aid benefit concert

The Eisner Intergenerational Orchestra presents the Los Angeles Fire Aid Benefit Concert, May 17, 7 p.m., at the Aratani Theater. The Los Angeles Fire Aid Benefit concert will be in support of locally-based musicians and singers who were affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Members of the Los Angeles Dream Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Los Angeles Opera chorus will be performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The Eisner Intergenerational Opera is a diverse group of musicians ranging from ages 13 to 80-years-old. The group unites a multigenerational sounds that brings a unique musical repertoire. Mayra Gonzales, student participant of the Heart of LA Eisner Intergenerational Orchestra, explains her reasoning for participating in the benefit concert. "I know firsthand how scary it is to evacuate from your home, and I want to be part of this special event for those who are still scared," said Gonzales. "I believe music can be healing and that is what we need."

ABC 7

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.