Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News Cudahy vice mayor skips city council meeting after ‘gangs' social media video makes headlines Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez for the city of Cudahy did not attend Tuesday's city council meeting, which was expected to be her first public appearance since her social media video made headlines nationally. In the now-deleted social media post, Gonzalez appeared to call on street gangs to interfere with the federal government’s immigration enforcement operations. On Tuesday, the city council was scheduled to meet for the first time since it was made aware of the video, in which Gonzalez explicitly mentioned the 18th Street and Florencia 13 gangs. “I want to know where all the Cholos are at in Los Angeles, 18th Street, Florencia,” she said in the video. “You guys tag everything up, claiming hood. And now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang, there ain’t a peep out of you.” In the video, Gonzalez sounds as if she is trying to nudge the street gangs to make a stance against federal law enforcement while alluding immigrant agents as a gang. “We’re out there protecting our turf protecting our people. Where are you at?” she said. Since the video circulated online, the LA Police Protective League, the union for the LAPD officers, called on the federal law enforcement to investigate Gonzalez’s comments and for her to resign from the city of Cudahy. The Department of Homeland Security also responded to the video on social media calling the comments "despicable.” It was not immediately clear whether the city council would take action in response to Gonzalez’s video. The city of Cudahy had said in a statement last week that it was aware of the video. NBC 4 2 adults charged with assaulting horses, and a teen with attempted murder at L.A. protests L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman announced new charges against people at immigration protests in L.A., including a man and a woman accused of assaulting law enforcement horses and a teen accused of attempted murder. Hochman said his office had charged more than 40 people in connection with protest-related violence and vandalism and intended to file more charges as attorneys continued to review evidence. At least 14 people are facing separate federal charges in relation to the L.A. protests, with alleged crimes including assaulting officers with cinder blocks and Molotov cocktails, and conspiracy to impede arrests. Among the new charges announced by the D.A.’s office Tuesday were those against a 17-year-old boy, who faces one felony count each of attempted murder, assaulting a peace officer and vandalism, as well as two misdemeanor counts of rioting. Iran Castro, 29, of El Monte and Dana Whitson, 66, of Oro Valley, Ariz., were charged in separate alleged assaults on L.A. County Sheriff’s Department horses during different days of protests in downtown L.A, prosecutors said. Castro is accused of pulling on the bridle of one horse and grabbing the reins of another as mounted deputies moved toward a crowd of protesters to enforce dispersal orders on June 14. Castro has been charged with two felony counts of assaulting a peace officer, two felony counts of animal cruelty and one felony count of resisting arrest. Los Angeles Times Man’s Conviction Upheld for Fatal Stabbing in Mid-City Area A state appeals court panel Tuesday upheld a man’s conviction for voluntary manslaughter for stabbing a 30-year-old Oakland man in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles nearly 3 1/2 years ago. The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s contention that jurors were improperly instructed in Rolando Alexander Maura’s trial. Maura, now 64, was charged with murder for the March 11, 2022, stabbing of Justin Dumas, but was convicted in 2023 of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter — the only charge he challenged in his appeal. He was also found guilty of a hit-and-run driving charge involving a collision in which the Kia Soul he was driving went through a red light and struck a Mercedes-Benz moments earlier at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and Washington Boulevard. Dumas had been talking to his mother on the phone early that morning when she heard screeching in the background and she asked what had happened, and Dumas told her that there was a car accident and that he had almost been hit, according to the appellate court panel’s ruling, which noted that the woman said she subsequently heard the sounds of scuffling. MyNewsLA LA County man convicted of fentanyl-related death on Metro train A 37-year-old man from Los Angeles County faces at least two decades in federal prison after a jury found him guilty in the fentanyl-related death of a Metro train rider. Shane Christopher Brown faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life in federal prison after the jury convicted him of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. "This case underscores why curtailing the illegal distribution of fentanyl is a priority for the Drug Enforcement Administration," DEA Special Agent in Charge Matthew Allen said. "Everyone who deals fentanyl is dealing in death." The death happened two years ago on Jan. 16, 2023. DEA investigators said surveillance cameras captured Brown giving the victim fentanyl while riding the then-Gold Line train, now the A Line, through Azusa. The victim overdosed and died within 10 minutes. The victim's toxicology reports showed that fentanyl was the only illicit substance in his blood, according to court documents. CBS 2 Van Nuys Attack Labeled `Domestic Terrorism’ Charter Communications has deemed a June 15 attack on its communications network in Van Nuys an act of domestic terrorism, “based on the nature of the fiber cuts, extent of damage and make-up of impacted customers.” According to the company, the early morning attack severed 13 cables, including more than 2,600 individual fibers. The company said it also disrupted connectivity and impacted redundancy to emergency services, including a U.S. military base, emergency dispatch and 911 communication services, local fire and police departments, financial institutions, court buildings, health care facilities and hospitals, educational institutions, as well as cell towers providing mobile services. In total, more than 50,000 residential customers and more than 500 business customers were affected for up to 30 hours. “These criminal attacks on our country’s vital communications networks are intentional and cause outages that put lives at risk,” Charter President and CEO Chris Winfrey said. “This is a pervasive and persistent threat to American families and businesses across the country that cannot be tolerated, and such life-threatening events should be declared acts of domestic terrorism and prosecuted accordingly. MyNewsLA Southern California sex offender arrested for allegedly raping 16-year-old girl A registered sex offender was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in San Bernardino County. The suspect was identified as Ardy Vance Thompson, 50, of Victorville, according to the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Department. On June 24, the girl was picked up by Thompson who allegedly gave her marijuana before driving her to a deserted area west of National Trails Highway in the unincorporated area of Oro Grande, deputies said. While parked there, Thompson is accused of sexually assaulting the girl. It’s unclear how the two initially met, but authorities said Thompson was not known to the victim before the incident. With the help of surveillance video, Thompson was later identified as the suspect and arrested for rape on June 28. He was transported to the West Valley Detention Center where he is being held on a $500,000 bond. Deputies confirmed that Thompson is currently listed on California’s Megan’s Law website as a “violent sex offender.” KTLA 5 70 empty Bud Lights found in car after driver stopped in California wine country, police say More than 70 empty Bud Light cans were found in a car during a DUI arrest in Northern California, according to authorities. On Sunday, Cotati Police Department officers encountered a driver who was struggling to stay in a traffic lane and stopped the vehicle, according to a social media post. Not only did the driver have an open container of alcohol in the cup holder, authorities said, but police found more than 70 empty beer cans inside the vehicle. Authorities later determined the driver’s blood-alcohol content was 0.25% — more than three times the legal limit. The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license due to a previous DUI, police said. The driver’s identity wasn’t revealed. “We want to remind everyone that drinking and driving is not worth it,” the police department wrote on social media. “The outcome could have been much worse had our officers not stopped the driver.” Los Angeles Times CHP to be ‘out in full force' 4th of July weekend as millions hit the road As a record-number of Americans buckle their seatbelts to travel over the Fourth of July weekend, the California Highway Patrol plans to have all their officers “out in full force.” The agency will launch a statewide holiday enforcement period from July 3 to July 6 in an effort to support safe driving during the holiday weekend. Citing an “ongoing need for heightened enforcement,” officers will focus on impaired, aggressive drivers, the agency said. “Reckless driving and speeding have deadly consequences,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee in a statement. The enforcement period will begin at 6:01 p.m. Thursday and continue through 11:59 p.m. Sunday. In a 24-hour enforcement last month, highway patrol officers made almost 400 arrests for driving under the influence, CHP said, and issued nearly 18,000 citations for excessive speed, distracted driving and seatbelt violations. Eleven people died in crashes during the period, according to the agency. “It’s every driver’s responsibility to make safe choices behind the wheel. Let’s work together to prevent tragedies by always designating a sober driver and keeping our roads safe for everyone,” Duryee said. The CHP reminds residents to “buckle up, slow down and designate a sober driver,” whether it’s traveling to a firework show or returning home from a BBQ. NBC 4 Public Safety News L.A. hospital looking to identify unresponsive patient A Los Angeles hospital is asking for the public’s help to identify an unresponsive man who has been receiving care for the last several days. The unidentified man was found early Sunday morning, and was brought to California Hospital Medical Center in downtown L.A. for treatment. Hospital staff said he was located around 2 a.m. near the intersection of West 18th Street and St. Andrews Place in Harvard Heights. Days after he was brought to the hospital, his identity is still a mystery as he remains unconscious and was not carrying any documentation or evidence that could shed light on who he is. He’s described as a Black man in his early 30s with black hair and brown eyes. He’s approximately 5 feet 10 inches, and weighs around 170 pounds, hospital officials said. In addition to the physical description, he also has several notable tattoos across his body, including the letters “FIG” on his left inner arm, and what appears to be “Chief Wahoo,” the former mascot of the Cleveland Indians, tattooed on his forehead and chest. KTLA 5 Local Government News LA City Council Codifies Housing Protection Against `Renovictions’ Four months after temporarily barring landlords from evicting tenants as a result of a substantial remodeling to their units, the City Council Tuesday approved recommendations that will enshrine protections for rents from so-called “renovictions.” In a unanimous vote, the City Council advanced changes to its Just Cause Ordinance, which provides eviction protections for tenants and requires landlords to have a legal reason to terminate a tenancy. These amendments are intended to regulate evictions related to remodeling a housing unit. “To make it clear, what we’re doing today is we’re denying renovictions, but we’re also creating a clear pathway to renovations that works for both the tenants and the landlords,” said Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who advocated for the policy. The city terms a substantial remodel as a “no-fault” eviction, in which tenants in good standing can be evicted if their unit requires major structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical system work. Property owners must self-certify that it will take 30 days or more to complete such projects. MyNewsLA Los Angeles approves plan to spend nearly $425 million in ‘mansion tax’ money The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to spend nearly $425 million collected from Measure ULA, directing the money to a series of affordable housing and homelessness programs. The spending plan for the 2025 fiscal year that started Tuesday is the largest yet under Measure ULA, also known as the mansion tax. The voter-approved measure, which taxes property sales above about $5 million, has drawn criticism from the real estate industry for years and recently been the subject of several reports that found it has limited property sales and thus reduced property tax revenue and the construction of new housing. Backers, however, tout the measure as providing crucial dollars to affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs at a time when the state and county have cut funding. In all, the 2025 ULA spending plan is greater than all other years combined. “Don’t believe the hate from big-money real estate or their lies appearing all over the media,” Joe Donlin, director of United to House LA, said in a statement. “Measure ULA is doing the steady work to create stable homes and good jobs for Angelenos.” Los Angeles Times LA City Council unanimously approves crackdown on "disaster tours" of Pacific Palisades Los Angeles City Council members on Tuesday unanimously authorized a crackdown on bus tours in the Palisades Fire zone. The so-called "disaster tours," which started after the Pacific Palisades reopened to the public in mid-June, were reported to city leaders by residents in the area, according to Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district represents the area. She introduced the motion last week, receiving full support from other members of the council. Tuesday's vote now calls on the Department of Transportation to restrict bus tours in the neighborhoods impacted by January's devastating fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 of homes. "It's disgusting and despicable that there would be businesses out there trying to exploit and make money off of the tragedy and misery that people experienced in these fires," said Pete Brown, a spokesperson for Park's office. CBS 2 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. Listen To Our Podcast Los Angeles Police Protective League | 1308 W 8th St | Los Angeles, CA 90017 US Unsubscribe | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice