Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates Law Enforcement News Two of four wire theft suspects arrested in Mission Hills Los Angeles Police Department announced the arrest of two suspects in Mission Hills and the recovery of $50,000 worth of copper wire. The arrests comes the very same day the Los Angeles City Council gave its final approval to a proposed ordinance that would create a Metal and Wire Theft Reward program to fight rampant copper wire theft in the city. The two suspects were identified as 53-year-old Concepcion Vasquez and 51-year-old Jose Garcia Avila. Both men were booked into the LAPD's Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of grand theft. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department's Mission Station were alerted around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday to a ``grand theft in progress'' in the 15000 block of Germain Street, near San Jose Elementary School just west of Woodman Avenue. “The person reporting observed multiple suspects cutting copper wire from an electrical pole and called the police,'' according to an LAPD statement. ``Upon arrival, the officers observed four suspects at the location with large pieces of copper wire and metal cutting tools on the ground.” Three of the four suspects ignored commands to surrender and fled on foot, with one of them quickly caught and a second located as backup arrived, police said. NBC 4 Group of thieves target muscle car in Studio City heist caught on video Perplexed thieves broke into a Studio City garage, trying to steal a coveted muscle car, but then spent the next hour trying to get it out. It was all caught on camera. The owner of the 2017 Dodge Charger Daytona 392 says the cars have a 60% higher theft rate. Still, he says the neighborhood he lives in is safe, and he never thought this would happen to him. "I got the phone call at 6 a.m. in the morning by the manager who manages it, 'Your car got stolen,'" said Stephan Wendel, the owner of the muscle car. Video shows the thieves stealing the Dodge Charger Daytona from the shared garage of his Studio City apartment building, where he's lived for almost 20 years. "It's amazing how they got the car started," Wendel said. "I have my keys, right? I have two of my keys. Here's the keys, one of my keys. I have another key here, so I don't know how they did it." It's also unclear how the suspects gained access to the building's garage in the first place. They got in around 4:30 on Tuesday morning. ABC 7 FBI agent posing as both dad and 12-year-old daughter busts alleged SoCal pedophile An undercover FBI agent busted an alleged pedophile living in Ventura by posing as both a dad and a daughter on online messaging platforms. Trevor Lyons told the dad he would like to speak with his 12-year-old daughter, saying, “I’d love to see how much of a freak she is,” according to court documents. Lyons is accused of then adding the daughter as a friend on Discord and asking her if she would perform sex acts on him. The agent, meanwhile, was secretly controlling both accounts. Lyons, 41, was arrested Monday and is accused of producing and distributing child pornography from around May 2020 to December 2024. A federal grand jury charged him in a nine-count felony indictment with sexual exploitation, attempted sexual exploitation of a child to produce sexually explicit visuals, attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and distribution of child pornography. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of life behind bars. The undercover agent began exchanging messages with Lyons in a group chat on the Kik messaging app in August 2024, where the agent posed as a 43-year-old man with the username “UC Dad,” according to the indictment. Los Angeles Times 12 arrested in connection with yearslong California-wide cargo theft ring: deputies A dozen people were arrested in connection with a cargo theft ring that spanned the entire state and lasted for more than four years. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department released information on Tuesday stating that, between March 2021 and June 2025, members of the Singh Organization acquired or fraudulently used real trucking companies to bid on authentic shipping contracts. No further details surrounding the nature of the Singh Organization was disclosed. Upon winning the bids, the company would take possession of the freight; however, rather than deliver them to the right destination, they diverted and stole them. The freight targeted most by the organization included “primarily electronics, appliances and other high-value consumer goods,” deputies said. “The stolen cargo was later distributed through intermediates or black market channels, with an estimated loss in the millions of dollars,” authorities added. KTLA 5 California father charged in connection to son's death who was swept away by floodwaters in Barstow A California father has been charged in connection with the death of his 2-year-old son, Xavier Padilla-Aguilera, after he was swept away by floodwaters in Barstow last month. Brandon Padilla-Aguilera, 26, has been charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, according to court documents. The Barstow Police Department said on Sept. 18, officers and crews from the Barstow Fire Protection District were sent to the area of the 24000 block of West Main Street after receiving reports that a vehicle had been swept away by floodwaters. Police determined the vehicle had been carried into a wash north of West Main Street. During the incident, Padilla-Aguilera and his son exited the vehicle and were separated from each other. When authorities located Padilla-Aguilera, he was on an island created by the floodwaters, Barstow police said. Emergency responders from several other agencies and civilian volunteers assisted in conducting an extensive search of Padilla-Aguilera's son before he was ultimately located deceased on Sept. 19. CBS 2 Suspect in 150-mph pursuit that led to Georgia officer’s death sentenced to 30 years in prison When he fled from officers in a stolen car on Jan. 4, 2024, De’Cedric Vonche Donson had already been arrested 17 times with three felony convictions. Despite his criminal history, the 26-year-old failed to stop when Coweta County Deputy Eric Minix attempted to pull him over on I-85. Donson eventually hit speeds of more than 150 mph during a chase that ended across the state line when Minix was struck and killed by an Alabama officer. This week, Donson pleaded guilty to six counts of felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and one count of theft by receiving stolen property, according to Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herb Cranford. Donson was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 20 years on probation. “This case highlights both the moral responsibility of those who flee from law enforcement for the consequences of their flight and also the necessity to remove violent felons from our communities,” Cranford said in a statement Wednesday. “It was Donson’s responsibility as a member of society to pull over, and everything that followed his failure to do so is his moral responsibility. “The idea, espoused by some, that law enforcement should not chase fleeing felons empowers criminals — including violent offenders like Donson — and incentivizes them to always flee and endanger the public in doing so,” Cranford added. Atlanta Journal Constitution ‘Cycle of catch and release’: North Carolina PD calls out repeat offenders, including juvenile arrested 111 times Repeat offenders are playing a significant role in Mecklenburg County’s violent crime trends, exemplified by one juvenile who has been arrested more than 100 times in the past two years, WSOC reported. Data released by the department in its third quarter report shows that 60% of those arrested for violent offenses this year had previous charges. “We continue to see a troubling pattern: a disproportionate number of violent incidents and property crimes are being committed by individuals with extensive criminal histories — many of whom continue to cycle through the justice system without facing meaningful consequences,” Sergeant Todd Martin stated in the report. “The cycle of catch and release does not reduce crime in our community.” One example cited by police during a news conference addressing the report involves a 15-year-old arrested 111 times since August 2023, including 55 car thefts and 45 counts of breaking into vehicles. Officers say they also discovered multiple firearms in his possession and a phone containing internet searches related to killing a police officer and capital murder. The teen was most recently released in September. PoliceOne Public Safety News Woman rescued by LAFD after 8-foot fall into manhole in Harbor Gateway Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters rescued an approximately 40-year-old woman who fell 8 feet down a manhole into drainage Wednesday morning in Harbor Gateway. Firefighters responded at approximately 2:54 a.m. to 1300 W. 190th St. and Normandie Avenue where they learned the woman had fallen down the manhole, said LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Firefighters established a rescue operation to reach the victim. Using a rope system with a high-point over the hole, firefighters conducted a confined space operation and safely lowered rescuers. The woman suffered injuries to her waist and told rescuers she fell into the hole early Tuesday , according to broadcast reports. The woman will be taken to a hospital for evaluation, Stewart said. ABC 7 Who is he? Man found after 30-foot fall in Los Angeles Health officials are asking the public for help on Wednesday with identifying a patient who has been in a Los Angeles hospital since suffering a major injury over the weekend. The unidentified man in his 40s was found near Temple Street on Saturday before being taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center, the L.A. County Department of Health Services said. Officials said the patient had suffered a possible fall from approximately 30 feet high but gave no further details about his injuries. As of Wednesday, no friends or family members of the man have come forward to identify him. He was said to weigh about 190 pounds and had blue eyes with a shaved head. Anyone with information about the man’s identity was urged to call Clinical Social Worker Nicole Crayon at 323-409-3877 or the L.A. General Medical Center Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253. KTLA 5 LA Fire Board to request near $200M budget for 2026-27 The Los Angeles Board of Fire Commissioners Tuesday advanced a preliminary budget request of $199.3 million to hire staff, support training and fund other resources needed to address emergencies, prepare for wildfires and upcoming world events. In a unanimous vote, commissioners approved a report detailing high-priority funding requests for the department in fiscal year 2026-27. The request is expected to be reviewed by the Mayor's Office. Any requests that receive a green light will require a formal final request. City departments are expected to submit formal requests by Nov. 21, part of an early assessment as Mayor Karen Bass and her team develop her proposed city budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2026. According to a report from the Los Angeles Fire Department, staff identified $75.7 million in operational requests and $123.6 million in non-departmental requests. The fire department is seeking additional funds for two new academy classes and one class continuing from the current fiscal year to replace 179 firefighters who are expected to be lost to attrition. Officials are also looking to restore emergency incident technicians, as well as add other positions to support emergency response at Los Angeles International Airport, hazardous materials and dispatchers. NBC 4 Local Government News LA Council to Extend Contract with Eviction Defense Aid Non-Profit The City Council is expected Wednesday to amend a contract with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to continue eviction defense services for tenants. Council members are expected to provide $8.4 million to the nonprofit organization as part of the agreement, increasing the total contract from nearly $76 million to $84.3 million. City officials have said providing additional funding is necessary to sustain the organization’s services. The City Council and Mayor Karen Bass approved a new five-year contract with the organization earlier this year, but City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto refused to authorize it. She argued the contract should have undergone a competitive bidding process, though Housing Department officials said allowing it as a sole-source contract was fine. In the summer, city officials authorized an initial extension of the contract for seven months through January 2026, and provided about $6.6 million in funding. The foundation is the lead contractor that administers the Stay Housed L.A. program, which provides free legal services to eligible tenants facing eviction. Los Angeles County also partners with the organization for the same service. MyNewsLA 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. 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