Young woman dies after alleged attack by boss at 7-Eleven. Police investigate death as homicide

Family members of Jessica McLaughlin — a young woman who they say was violently attacked by her 7-Eleven manager, leaving her on life support — have said their last goodbyes after losing hope for a medical miracle. McLaughlin died in a hospital on Wednesday, eight days after she was attacked at the Los Angeles convenience store, her family said. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating her death as a homicide and continuing to search for the woman suspected in the deadly assault. The 24-year-old went to work on June 24 at the 7-Eleven store in the 5700 block of Melrose Avenue, Sean McLaughlin said in a GoFundMe post set up to help pay for his sister’s funeral expenses. An unidentified manager attacked the young woman inside the store, her family alleges. Police said the incident began as a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical confrontation. Officers responded shortly around 2 p.m. after a report of battery and found an unconscious woman. McLaughlin’s manager attacked her after the argument, her family said, based on a witness who saw the attack and spoke to police. “She held her down, sat on top of her, and didn’t let her breathe,” Sean McLaughlin wrote in the post about the unnamed manager.

Los Angeles Times

Police investigate triple stabbing in Westlake District

Police are searching for the person responsible for stabbing three people in the Westlake District Thursday morning. The Los Angeles Police Department found three individuals suffering from severe stab wounds near Third and Sixth Street on Bonnie Brae Street. All three victims were taken to the hospital and are in stable but critical condition. The stabbing is under investigation. Police do not have any suspect information but believe the stabbings could have been related to an argument. 

CBS 2

62-year-old pedestrian dead after South LA crash with hit-and-run driver

A 62-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in South Los Angeles early Wednesday. The collision happened at around 12:50 a.m. at the intersection of San Pedro Street and Imperial Highway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police say that the pedestrian, a 62-year-old man, was crossing Imperial Highway southbound when he was struck a tan-colored Honda heading eastbound. The driver did not stop to help the pedestrian, instead continuing to drive eastbound towards Avalon Boulevard, police said. The victim was declared dead after he was taken to a nearby hospital. Anyone who knows more is asked to contact LAPD at (213) 677-9791.

CBS 2

Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed Cyclist in South LA At-Large

Police Wednesday sought the public’s help in tracking down a driver who fatally struck a 30-year-old man riding a bicycle in the Vermont-Slauson neighborhood of South Los Angeles and then fled the scene. The crash occurred when the vehicle, which was speeding east on 67th Street toward Flower Street, hit the bicyclist as he rode east on Flower, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The driver did not stop and was last seen continuing east on 67th Street toward Grand Avenue, police said. No description of the vehicle was available. The bicyclist was taken to a hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, where he was pronounced dead, according to the LAPD. Anyone with information about the fatal crash was urged to call Officer Lozada at the LAPD’s South Traffic Division.

MyNewsLA

Man, 69, Goes Missing in Palms

Authorities Thursday were trying to locate a 69-year-old man who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and dementia after he went missing in the Palms neighborhood of Mid-City Los Angeles. Joaquin Solano was last seen about 9 a.m. Wednesday walking near his home in the 3700 block of Vinton Avenue, not far from the intersection of Overland and Venice boulevards. Solano is Hispanic, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. He was wearing a yellow baseball cap, white T-shirt, brown shorts and sandals when he went missing. Anyone with information about Solano’s whereabouts was urged to call the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800.

MyNewsLA

‘They were professionals’: L.A. jewelry store taken for $1.5M in gold, diamonds

A well-organized burglary crew of at least four people escaped with an estimated $1.5 million in gold and diamonds after breaching the roof of a family-owned jewelry store in El Monte. Thieves were able to get on the roof and come down through the ceiling Saturday night at Meza’s Jewelry on Main Street, spending eight hours in the shop before leaving through the door with a suitcase full of precious valuables. One of the items taken out the business was the store’s interior surveillance system containing video evidence of the break-in. An exterior camera, though, captured the hooded thieves walking away from the scene. It was Rossanna Meza, a co-owner of the store, who later made the discovery. “I saw everything was taken, everything was gone,” she told KTLA’s Sandra Mitchell. “It’s all our savings, our whole life right there. We’ve been working so hard and all of a sudden, we have nothing.” The shop’s owners have been targeted by thieves before.  

KTLA 5

California man was member of white supremacist terror group with ‘hit list’ of officials, feds say

A 24-year-old California man gathered private information on federal officials for an assassination hit list that he shared with other members of a terrorist group known as the “Terrorgram Collective,” according to an indictment unsealed in federal court Wednesday. Noah Jacob Lamb targeted people the group felt were “an enemy of the cause of white supremacist accelerationism,” and included their photograph, home address, and in some of cases, photos of their spouse, as part of the hit list, according to the federal grand jury indictment. Targets were listed on cards that were shared in private Telegram channels and group chats, federal officials said. Those cards included an image of a rifle and a short description of why the targets would be eliminated, according to court documents. Lamb was arrested Tuesday afternoon and is in custody in Sacramento County. He faces eight charges, including conspiracy and soliciting the murder of federal officials. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. 

Los Angeles Times

‘Heart and honor': S.C. rookie deputy shot, killed in ambush

A deputy trying to arrest a suspect in a South Carolina home was ambushed, shot and killed early Tuesday while a second officer was wounded, authorities said. The suspect in the shooting was also shot and killed, investigators said. Deputy Devin Mason and the second officer were inside a home near Lamar around 1:30 a.m. when they were attacked, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, without providing additional details. Mason died, while the second officer, whose name was not immediately released, was in the hospital in stable condition, authorities said. Cameron Ray Dennett, 25, also was killed in the shooting. He was wanted for criminal conspiracy, forgery and a computer crime and was not allowed to have a gun, deputies said. A 28-year-old woman facing similar charges was taken into custody and was not hurt, investigators said. Mason, 27, graduated from the state’s criminal justice academy three months ago and had just finished field training last week, Darlington County Sheriff Michael August said in a statement. “In his time with us, he demonstrated unwavering dedication, integrity, and professionalism,” August said, “Deputy Mason served the people of Darlington County with heart and honor. Though his time with us was far too short, his impact will not be forgotten.”

Associated Press

BWC: Suspect fires at Texas officers, wounding 1 before fatal OIS

Body camera footage released by El Paso police shows a fatal shootout that unfolded when officers responded to a family violence call, the El Paso Times reported. The suspect was killed and an officer was wounded in the exchange of gunfire, which erupted moments after the officers arrived at the home on June 1. The video, released June 30, captures the two-officer patrol arriving at the home around 3:26 p.m. As they approached, the suspect appeared outside the house holding a handgun. “Raise your hands,” one officer shouted just before shots rang out. The footage shows the suspect pointing the firearm, then moving toward the street and then back toward the house as officers returned fire. He repeatedly shouted, “Shoot me,” while raising and lowering the weapon. The officers sought cover in multiple areas, but each time they did, the suspect ran to a location where he could point the gun at them. During the rapid exchange of gunfire, one officer was hit in the leg and applied a tourniquet to herself before being transported to a hospital in stable condition. The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

PoliceOne

Man rescued after falling into manhole in downtown Los Angeles

A man was rescued after being trapped inside a manhole in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday. After fire crews responded to the area of Olympic Boulevard and Maple Avenue before 12 noon, they were able to pull him out in about 90 minutes. The HazMat and Urban Search and Rescue teams supported the operation, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The rescued man was transported to a hospital in fair condition, officials added. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were also at the rescue site to investigate how the man ended up falling into the manhole.

NBC 4

Paws on patrol: Cal Fire's K-9s help sniff out Fourth of July fire risks

As fire danger spikes ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is unleashing its secret weapon: highly trained K-9s that can sniff out the smallest traces of accelerants. The dogs are tasked to use their noses of justice to uncover the origin, cause and circumstances of fires and explosions in the state as part of Cal Fire’s Arson and Bomb Unit’s K-9 program. Mocha, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador, is part of the specially trained accelerant detection K-9 brigade. She works side by side with arson and bomb Investigator Charlie Elder to track down evidence and determine the cause of wildfires. “She makes the community safer,” Elder said, explaining that Mocha is capable of investigating the entire area of a fire scene and tracing more than 60 different odors, including charcoal, gasoline, diesel and mineral oil, that are commonly used in arson or suspicious fire. “Their noses are very valuable. She’s been very accurate when there’s been ignitable liquids and where there’s not been any ignitable liquids,” said Elder. When she discovers a scent, Mocha alerts her partner by sitting or laying down and then is rewarded with her favorite tennis ball that she chews up. 

NBC 4

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.