Suspect fires on federal agents during Calif. immigration operation; FBI posts $50K reward

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of a suspect who allegedly fired a weapon at federal law enforcement officers during a protest in Ventura County, ABC News reported. The shooting occurred just before 2:30 p.m. on July 10 in Camarillo where federal agents were conducting an immigration enforcement operation at Glass House Farms, a licensed cannabis farm, that drew protests, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. In a post on social media, Essayli said an unknown individual appeared to point and fire a handgun at agents. He shared a still image and video captured by Los Angeles news outlet KABC, showing a person wearing a black T-shirt and a white medical mask. “Make no mistake: anyone who targets our agents will face the full force of federal prosecution,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. During the raid, authorities discovered 10 undocumented minors at the farm, eight of whom were unaccompanied, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement posted on X. He added that the facility is now under investigation for potential child labor violations.

PoliceOne

Man shot dead in East Hollywood

A death investigation is underway in East Hollywood after a man was found shot to death Friday morning, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police responded to a call reporting shots fired at 4204 Beverly Boulevard near Normandie Avenue around 2 a.m. Officers discovered the victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head. He died at the scene, according to police. The victim's identity was not released. No suspect information was immediately available. The investigation into the fatal shooting will be handled by the Los Angeles Police Department's West Homicide Bureau. Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to call police. 

FOX 11

L.A. County’s charter reform accidentally repealed anti-incarceration ballot measure

Last November, voters approved a sprawling overhaul to L.A. County’s government. They didn’t realize they were also repealing the county’s landmark criminal justice reform. Eight months later, county officials are just now realizing they unwittingly committed an administrative screwup for the ages. Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Janice Hahn coauthored Measure G, which changed the county charter to expand the five-person board and elect a new county executive, among other momentous shifts.

Los Angeles Times

Convicted ‘Hillside Strangler’ serial killer is denied parole, will be eligible in a decade

Kenneth A. Bianchi, one of the two men convicted in the so-called “Hillside Strangler” serial murders that terrorized Los Angeles in the 1970s, lost his most recent bid for parole Thursday after 46 years behind bars. The California Board of Parole Hearings decided to deny Bianchi’s parole after hearing testimony from several victims and opposition from prosecutors. The panel determined that he should be eligible for parole again in 10 years, officials said. Behind bars, Bianchi, now 74, changed his name to Anthony D’Amato two years ago. Bianchi has been behind bars, most recently in Washington state, since 1979 when he and his cousin and crime partner, Angelo Buono Jr., were apprehended in connection with 12 murders of women in Los Angeles and Washington state. The two men impersonated police officers to lure their victims from nearby locales — a bus bench in Eagle Rock, the Tamarind Terrace apartments in Hollywood — before raping, torturing and murdering them, then discarded their bodies on hillsides around the city. Bianchi cut a plea bargain that held out the possibility of parole, and he agreed to testify against Buono.

Los Angeles Times

Suspect arrested for retail thefts targeting shoe stores across Los Angeles County

A suspect was arrested for a series of costly retail thefts targeting shoe stores across L.A. County. The suspect was identified as Henry Rivera, 23, of Compton, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD’s Organized Retail Crimes Task Force (ORCTF) was investigating Rivera in connection with at least nine separate incidents of robbery and grand theft. During the thefts, Rivera allegedly escaped with around $25,800 worth of stolen merchandise. On July 2, he was located in the 100 block of E. Alondra Boulevard in Compton. He was taken into custody following a search warrant where police found two firearms and a substantial amount of stolen goods. He was arrested for grand theft and remains in custody on $300,000 bail.

KTLA 5

MS-13-Linked Defendant Gets Plea Deal in 2018 Lake Forest Machete Killing

A woman prosecutors have linked to the El Salvadoran gang MS-13 has received a plea deal to testify against two other men in a machete and knife attack that killed a man and wounded his girlfriend nearly seven years ago at a Lake Forest apartment complex, according to court records obtained Thursday. A mistrial was declared last month in the first trial for Jose Rafael Andrade Membreno, 29, and Xiomara Elizabeth Berrios, 25, when witness Jessica Rodriguez refused to testify, according to court records. She had been granted immunity but still refused to testify, leading Orange County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Menninger to hold her in contempt, court records show. Prosecutors then offered a deal to Berrios, who has agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder and face 25 years to life in prison. She and Membreno had both been facing life without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, co-defendant Edwin Francisco Diaz, 25, who was supposed to be tried at a later date, will now be tried with Membreno, according to a ruling Thursday from Menninger.

MyNewsLA

2 Southern California brothers allegedly stole $2.7 million through COVID fraud scheme

Two Southern California brothers were arrested for allegedly defrauding the government of $2.7 million through a scheme that targeted COVID relief funds and small business loans. The suspects were identified as Norayr Madadi, 40, of Burbank, and Vazrik Madadi, 44, of Glendale, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The alleged crimes took place from March 2020 to April 2021. According to the indictment, Norayr was a banker at Wells Fargo who opened fraudulent accounts with the names of shell companies and stolen or fake identities. The brothers obtained millions of dollars through loans from the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, prosecutors said. They’re accused of submitting loan applications with fake and stolen identities, along with false statements about revenues, operations and employees. Two of the stolen ID victims were developmentally disabled and lived in long-term care facilities, court documents said. Through this scheme, the pair stole approximately $2.7 million. They disbursed the funds into their personal bank accounts and reportedly spent the money at casinos and purchased luxury cars and jewelry.

KTLA 5

BWC: Man grabs rifle during traffic stop, rams Ariz. police cruiser before fatal OIS

The Gilbert Police Department released body-camera footage showing the moments leading up to a fatal officer-involved shooting last month after a driver pointed a rifle at officers during a traffic stop, AZ Family reported. The incident occurred on June 11 when officers responded after a witness reported a man slumped over the steering wheel of a silver sedan that was blocking traffic, according to the report. Body-camera footage shows officers attempting to wake the driver by knocking on the window and trying to open the locked door. The suspect briefly made eye contact and waved before leaning forward and grabbing a rifle. Officers shouted, “Gun!” as they took cover. Shots were fired as the suspect rammed an unmarked police SUV with his vehicle. Additional rounds were discharged when the suspect reversed and struck another marked patrol vehicle behind him. The suspect was shot and killed. No officers were injured, according to the report. Police later recovered a rifle inside the car and a handgun in the suspect’s waistband. Two more handguns, including one reported stolen, were found in a backpack, along with loaded magazines, $1,760 in cash, alcohol and a scale with packaging materials.

PoliceOne

ICE plans to open its largest California detention center at Kern County prison

Federal authorities plan to open the largest immigration detention center in California at a former state prison in a Kern County desert town about an hour southeast of Bakersfield. It’s not immediately clear when the privately-owned 2,560-bed jail could reopen as an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. The Kern County facility is located in California City, an Antelope Valley town of 15,000, and previously operated as a state prison until its closure in 2024.

Fresno Bee

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.