Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News ‘He died a hero': LAPD sergeant struck, killed while helping motorists A Los Angeles police sergeant who stopped to help motorists on the 405 Freeway was killed in a multi-vehicle crash early Monday, shutting down southbound traffic through the Sepulveda Pass for hours, officials said. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell identified the sergeant as Shiou Deng , a 26-year veteran of the department who he said was struck by oncoming traffic after attempting to aid an initial crash. One person was killed in that initial crash, but was not immediately identified, according to California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Joe Zizi. Deng stopped at the initial two-car crash just after 2 a.m. Monday, in what appeared to be an attempt to provide emergency assistance, Zizi said. But right after the sergeant stepped out of his vehicle, he was hit by oncoming traffic, Zizi said. Deng was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, McDonnell said. “He died a hero,” McDonnell said at a Monday morning press conference. “He was out there caring for others, putting their safety before his own.” Deng had been promoted to sergeant about two years ago, McDonnell said. He spent the bulk of his career working in the agency’s Mental Evaluation Unit, which helps officers respond to the crisis calls. Los Angeles Times Flags at State Capitol to fly at half-staff for fallen LAPD sergeant killed assisting crash victim on 405 Freeway Flags at the California State Capitol and the Capitol Annex Swing Space will be flown at half-staff in honor of LAPD Sgt. Shiou Deng, who was struck and killed early Monday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. Authorities said Deng came upon a recent collision on the 405 Freeway near Moraga Drive around 2 a.m. and stopped with his lights on to help. “He exited from his police vehicle and as he approached the crash site, he was struck from the rear by oncoming traffic,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said during a news conference later in the morning. “He was transported to UCLA Medical Center, and despite their valiant efforts, he did not make it. He passed sometime this morning,” McDonnell said. Deng joined the LAPD more than 26 years ago. He spent 17 years in the department’s Mental Evaluation Unit, which handles calls involving people in mental health crises. He was promoted to sergeant two years ago and most recently served in the West Los Angeles Division. He is survived by his wife and parents. “Jennifer and I are heartbroken by the loss of Sergeant Deng, who dedicated more than 26 years to serving the Los Angeles community with pride and purpose,” Newsom said in a statement. “We join his family, friends, and fellow officers in mourning and in honoring his memory. May his service never be forgotten.” KTLA 5 Wife in deadly love triangle with racquetball coach and her hair-mogul husband gets life sentence The wife of a celebrity hairstylist will spend the rest of her life in prison for having her lover kill her husband in what was supposed to appear to be a home invasion robbery gone wrong. Monica Sementilli , 53, was sentenced to life without parole Monday for the brutal stabbing of her husband, Fabio Sementilli , 49, in their Woodland Hills home eight years ago. A jury in April convicted her of murder and conspiracy to commit murder for masterminding the slaying that took place on their Woodland Hills deck, where one of their daughters found him wounded in a pool of blood. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald Coen, before pronouncing the sentence, rejected a bid by Sementilli’s legal team to get her 25 years to life in prison, labeling her the “mastermind in this conspiracy to commit murder.” Coen said her lover, who carried out the attack, “did not have the intelligence to plan the brutal, well-thought-out slaughter.” Fabio Sementilli suffered multiple wounds to his face, jawline, neck, chest and thigh, and the fact that his $8,000 Rolex watch was left on his wrist when he was killed left detectives puzzled. Los Angeles Times Two Wounded in South Los Angeles Shooting Two people were hospitalized Tuesday after they were shot by an assailant in South Los Angeles. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the area of 61st Street and Avalon Boulevard at 10:38 p.m. Monday regarding a shooting, police said. Officers found the victims, one suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg and the second victim with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. The victims — whose names, ages and genders were not provided — were taken to hospitals by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. Their conditions were not immediately clear. The motive for the shooting was unknown, police said. MyNewsLA SFV Man Pleads Guilty to Laundering Over $4.6M in Medicare Scheme A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty Monday to laundering more than $4.6 million in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud Medicare of nearly $16 million through sham hospice companies. Mihran Panosyan, 46, of Winnetka worked with others to launder the proceeds of a massive Medicare fraud scheme, transferring the fraudulently obtained funds between multiple accounts before spending them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Panosyan pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to a federal charge of money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, at which time he will face up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors said. Panosyan’s co-defendant, Petros Fichidzhyan, previously pleaded guilty to charges of health care fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, and was sentenced to a dozen years in prison. Trial against the other three defendants in this case is scheduled to begin July 29. Prosecutors said the scheme comprised three parts. First, three of Panosyan’s co-defendants used the identities of foreign nationals no longer in the United States to operate several sham hospice companies. They maintained fraudulent identification documents, bank accounts, checkbooks, and credit and debit cards in the names of purported foreign owners. MyNewsLA Thieves burglarize small Los Angeles bakery that ‘just started out’ A local bakery was burglarized overnight, and a family member of the store owner says the small business has been open for just over a year. Ivory’s Bake Shop, located on Olympic Boulevard in West L.A.’s Sawtelle neighborhood, was broken into around 4 a.m. Monday morning, according to Ivory’s sister, Amber. The bakery was opened within the last year-and-a-half and was equipped with alarms and a security system, but that did not deter the suspects from forcefully entering. The masked suspects eventually fled the area and have yet to be caught. While police were initially unable to provide descriptions, surveillance footage sent in by Amber shows them approaching the store in a sedan and trying to smash the glass, which they did successfully after briefly struggling. Another video shows one of the thieves grabbing something on the front counter before scurrying out of the store, leaving a trail of broken glass behind. Per the Los Angeles Police Department, the thieves did not get away with anything, but a vandalism report was taken. KTLA 5 Four hospitalized after shooting at Compton park Four people were hospitalized following a shooting at a park in Compton on Saturday. It happened a little before 5:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of W. El Segundo Boulevard near Compton Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Upon arrival, deputies found two people suffering from gunshot wounds to their upper bodies. They were both taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. Two other victims self-transported to the hospital and are also said to be stable, according to deputies. There was no information provided on a suspect or motive in the incident. CBS 2 Suspect in double shooting at California shopping center shot and killed by off-duty cop Officials said a man and a woman were shot and killed in a shopping center parking lot in the Inland Empire over the weekend. The Fontana Police Department responded to a call of a shooting at the Falcon Ridge Town Center on Summit Avenue in Fontana around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. Upon arrival, police found a 43-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman suffering from gunshot wounds. They were both taken to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead at the hospital by medical personnel. A third person – believed to be the gunman accused of killing the man and a woman – was also shot at the scene. Following an investigation, an off-duty deputy with San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department happened to be where the shooting broke out and ended up shooting the alleged gunman. The 45-year-old alleged gunman was pronounced dead at the scene. FOX 11 Half-mile drug-smuggling tunnel connecting Tijuana to San Diego shut down by Border Patrol At a depth of about 50 feet, a roughly half-mile-long tunnel connecting a home inside the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood with a commercial warehouse across the border in San Diego County has been uncovered by federal authorities. U.S. and Mexican authorities say they believe the passage was dug to transport large-scale contraband. The tunnel measured 42 inches in height, 28 inches in width and was equipped with electrical wiring, lighting, ventilation systems and a track system, according to authorities. Whatever safe passage the tunnel offered ended Monday when Border Patrol agents shut down the construction site with the aid of Department of Homeland Security officials and Mexican authorities. “As we continue to strengthen the nation’s air, and maritime border security, it’s not surprising that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes,” Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector, said in a statement. “Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives.” Border Patrol agents from San Diego’s Tunnel Team discovered the tunnel in April as it was actively under construction but didn’t uncover the origin point until this week. Los Angeles Times Public Safety News Fire at Westlake Apartment Building Extinguished A fire in a three-story garden-style apartment building in the Westlake district Monday evening was extinguished by its sprinkler system. Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters responded at 10:36 p.m. Monday to 1900 W. Third St., between Westlake and Burlington avenues, where they found smoke coming from a second-floor unit, spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz said. An electric scooter was damaged in the fire, according to Lantz. No injuries were reported. Fire crews will remain at the scene for overhaul, sprinkler shutoff and mitigation of potential lithium-ion battery hazards, Lantz said. MyNewsLA Public Health issues ocean water use warnings for L.A. County beaches With the summer season in full swing and many planning to hit the beach, Public Health officials are urging visitors to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean water at certain locations. The affected locations include: Windward storm drain at Venice Beach — 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain; Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove — 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier; Castlerock storm drain at Topanga County Beach — 100 yards up and down the coast from the storm drain; Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica — 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier; Mothers Beach in Marina del Rey — Entire swim area; and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro — Entire swim area. These warnings have been issued because bacterial levels exceeded health standards during the last test. KTLA 5 About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,800 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. 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