Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News LAPD recruits hear from community ahead of graduation To become a police officer, recruits go through rigorous training and study of the law. At the LAPD Academy, recruits also hear from members of the community in a day of discussion. It's a partnership between two entities working to build trust between the community and law enforcement. The concept falls under the LAPD's innovative Community Safety Partnership Bureau, founded in 2011. The LAPD website says, "Community Safety Partnership (CSP) represents a relationship-based policing model that has proven effective in building public trust and reducing crime." Speakers are invited by the nonprofit Project Blue. CEO Marc Maye, who grew up in Compton and became a Catholic school principal in South LA, considers himself a voice of the community. In a suit and tie before an October academy class, he says, "I guarantee you, you want to be given a fair shot when you step into these communities." The mission of Project Blue "is to build trust and safety in inner-city communities through rigorously implemented and measured youth programs that strengthen relationships between community and law enforcement." Project Blue has an emphasis on sports and programs that pair police officers with kids' programs, particularly in Watts. One such program is the popular football team, the Watts Rams, with officers serving as coaches for young players and cheerleaders. FOX 11 Authorities Identify 16-Year Old Boy Fatally Shot in NoHo A 16-year-old teen who was shot to death near East Valley High School in North Hollywood was identified by county authorities Thursday. The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner identified Danny Lopez as the victim of the shooting. The shooting occurred just after 9 p.m. Saturday near Vineland Avenue and Chandler Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police said the teen was approached by two suspects and one of them shot him before both fled the scene on foot. Paramedics rushed the victim to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It was not immediately known if the shooting was gang-related, police said. Anyone with information regarding the shooting was asked to call the LAPD’s North Hollywood station at 818-754-8300, or 877-527-3247 during non-business hours or on weekends. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. MyNewsLA USC grad student accused of serial rapes, drugging women in Southern California A USC graduate student is accused of being a serial sexual predator, using drugs to rape and assault multiple women, and authorities are looking for additional victims, Los Angeles police announced Wednesday. Sizhe Weng, 30, is being held without bail after being arrested and charged with eight felony counts involving drug-facilitated sexual assaults of young women he met since beginning his graduate studies in 2021. Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at a news conference that the Los Angeles Police Department began investigating Weng in January after German authorities reached out about a similar investigation in Europe involving a Chinese national who they learned was a student living in Los Angeles for several years. Eventually, the information gathered by LAPD and German authorities led to detectives serving a search warrant at Weng’s home in South L.A. near the USC campus, Hamilton said. Hamilton said detectives arrested Weng Aug. 28 on suspicion of rape of an intoxicated person and searched his home. On Sept. 2, Weng was charged with eight felony counts of rape, sodomy and sexual penetration involving drugs and anesthesia, Hamilton said. Weng has pleaded not guilty. Los Angeles Times Burglar shot in the legs by house sitter in North Hollywood A man suspected of breaking into a North Hollywood home on Wednesday was shot in the legs by a house sitter during a confrontation, police said. Officers responded to the residence in the 4300 block of Willowcrest Avenue around 6:30 p.m. after a suspect forced entry into a home by breaking either the front or side door, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The person inside the home was housesitting for a family member, said police. According to police, the victim confronted the suspect, which led to a physical confrontation. During the altercation, the suspect reportedly threw an e-bike at the victim. The victim then shot the suspect in the legs with a .40 caliber firearm, police said. About 20 minutes later, after the first burglary call, officers responded to another call to a nearby location about a person who had been shot. Here, investigators confirmed the individual was the suspect from the break-in. Details about the suspect were not immediately released. NBC 4 Man accused of starting Palisades Fire charged with more felonies The Uber driver accused of setting the blaze that became the Palisades Fire is facing three additional charges, including two felonies, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire, the DOJ said in a news release. These new charges join the previous allegation of destruction of property by means of fire and raise his possible maximum sentence, if convicted, from 20 to 45 years. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison. Authorities say Rinderknecht set a fire in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2025. That blaze, the Lachman Fire, continued to burn underground until the heavy winds of Jan. 7 brought it back above ground as the Palisades Fire, which devastated the Pacific Palisades while burning more than 23,000 acres, destroying more than 6,800 structures and killing 12 people in the Palisades and Malibu. KTLA 5 13 LA County workers charged with stealing $437K in unemployment benefits Thirteen Los Angeles County employees were charged for allegedly stealing more than $437,000 in state unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, the district attorney's office announced Wednesday. The defendants allegedly filed unemployment claims while working for the county between 2020 and 2023, purporting to have earned less than $600 per week during each two-week claim period, even though they all earned more than that amount. They're accused of stealing a combined total of $437,383. Each defendant was charged with a felony count of grand theft, and a lesser-included misdemeanor offense, the DA's office said in a news release. "It is shocking that these county employees, who are receiving their county check every single two weeks, are also telling EDD at the same time that they're unemployed and they receive no money," L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference. Of those charged, five worked for the Department of Children and Family Services and one worked for the Sheriff's Department. ABC 7 Loved ones search for 2 missing Southern California children Loved ones are searching for two Southern California children who have been missing for three weeks. Jaiden Jones, 12, and Jordynn Jones, 12, have not been seen since Sept. 24, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The pair, who are considered at-risk, were last seen on the 1900 block of East Palmer Street in Compton around 3:55 p.m. Jaiden is described as a Black boy standing 4 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 80 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. Jordynn is a Black girl who stands 4 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 100 pounds. She has brown eyes and black hair. It’s unknown what they were wearing when they disappeared. Family members have not heard from the children since and are very concerned for their well-being. Their family did not mention any health issues that would contribute to their disappearance. Anyone who may know their whereabouts or has information on the case can call the LASD Detective J. Harris at 562-547-8888 or the on-duty watch commander at 310-605-6500. KTLA 5 BWC: Hammer-wielding man approaches New Mexico officer in Chili’s parking lot before fatal OIS Las Cruces police released body camera footage from a fatal officer-involved shooting of a man who advanced toward an officer while armed with a hammer outside a Chili’s, KFOX 14 reported. The Oct. 9 incident began around in the restaurant parking lot, according to the report. Multiple 911 callers reported a man with a hammer and a knife threatening customers. In the bodycam video, the responding officer initially approaches the restaurant but redirects upon locating the suspect in the parked car. The suspect is seen sitting behind the wheel, music playing, with his car windows down. When asked to exit the vehicle, the suspect retrieves a claw hammer and steps out. The officer draws his firearm and repeatedly commands the suspect to stop and raise his hands. The suspect continues to walk toward the officer despite the warnings. After the suspect closes a distance of roughly 60 feet, the officer fires three shots, striking him in the chest. After the man collapses, the officer calls for help and begins administering medical aid. Additional officers arrive soon after, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported. PoliceOne Missouri executes man who fatally ambushed trooper outside his home in 2005 A Missouri man was executed Tuesday for the fatal shooting of a state trooper more than 20 years ago. Lance Shockley, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. following a lethal injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre. Shockley was convicted of killing Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Dewayne Graham Jr. in March 2005. Prosecutors said he waited for hours near Graham’s home in Van Buren, in southeast Missouri, and shot him with a rifle and shotgun after the trooper exited his patrol vehicle. Shockley’s execution was one of two in the country Tuesday. Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, died by lethal injection in Florida for the killings of two women whose bodies were found in a rural pond in 1996. In the death chamber, Shockley’s head was elevated on a pillow, and he raised his head off the pillow and communicated with loved ones in the witness room to his left. A woman there appeared to try to carry on a detailed conversation with him from his soundproof room. After about 90 seconds, he laid his head back on the pillow and appeared to stop talking. Associated Press Public Safety News Hospital Appeals to ID Hospitalized Man in His 50s A patient at Los Angeles General Medical Center remains unidentified Wednesday, weeks after he was found. Officials at the hospital did not disclose where the man was located, but indicated he has been hospitalized since Sept. 26. The man is in his mid-50s, stands 5-feet-5 inches tall, weighs 157 pounds and has closely cut salt-and-pepper hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information that could help uncover the man’s identity was urged to call social workers handling the case at 323-409-3877 or 323-409-5253. After hours, calls can be directed to 323-409-6883. MyNewsLA Officials say LA beaches could be contaminated after storm, urge people to stay out of water Officials are urging beachgoers to stay out of the water due to possible contamination after a wild October storm hit Southern California Tuesday, but some surfers are risking a sick stomach just to catch some "sick" waves. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urges beachgoers to stay out of the water for at least 72 hours, especially near discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers due to potentially higher bacteria levels, but not everyone took the advice. Video from AIR7 showed the rain runoff flowing into the sea. "My roommate told us not to surf a day after the runoff," said surfer Ben Methvin. "He's like 'You don't want to get sick, a lot of people get sick' I was like 'The only thing that's going to be sick are these waves'." Robyn Lentz, a surfer from San Diego, said they "might get a sinus infection but there's a price you pay." "I mean those guys are getting great rides and there's only 5 guys out at 8 a.m. in Malibu," Lentz added. The beaches were not so crowded Tuesday. Eyewitness News spoke to one of the few paddle boarders out in Malibu on Wednesday morning. ABC 7 LA County reports first locally acquired dengue case of 2025 mosquito season The first locally acquired case of dengue of the 2025 mosquito season was confirmed, Los Angeles County Public Health officials announced Wednesday. A mosquito-borne illness was reported in a San Gabriel Valley resident with no history of travel to areas where dengue is endemic, officials said. The patient developed symptoms in September and is recovering. "While the potential risk for widespread dengue virus transmission in Los Angeles County remains low, this case highlights the presence of infected mosquitoes locally and underscores the importance of preventive measures to control the spread of this virus,'' health officials said in a statement. Los Angeles public health officials launched an investigation in September after three people were confirmed to be infected with dengue, despite not having traveled to dengue-prone regions. A total of 14 cases were reported during the 2024 mosquito season. According to LA County Public Health officials, it is extremely rare for an area where the virus had not previously been transmitted by mosquitoes. NBC 4 About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,700 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