SoCal cop was among Hollywood producer’s rape victims. She died days before his sentencing

It’s unknown whether self-proclaimed “entertainment professional” David Pearce knew the fate of the women he was prosecuted for drugging and raping over a 14-year period. What is certain, however, is that one of those women — who transformed her sexual assault trauma into a service career — wasn’t there to witness his sentencing. Pearce was handed a 146-year prison sentence Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court after being convicted of first-degree murder for the overdose deaths of model Christy Giles and architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, as well as the rape of seven other women from 2007 to 2021. Among Pearce’s victims was La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, according to the L.A. County district attorney’s office. The 25-year-old officer was struck and killed by a vehicle on the 8 Freeway near San Diego on Oct. 20. The New York Post first reported her connection to the case. Craven was helping motorists involved in a traffic collision when she was fatally struck. One of those individuals also was killed by the same driver. A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Craven was honored with a funeral procession from San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium to Skyline Church in Rancho San Diego on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Times

Man pleads not guilty to murder, torture of LA model found stuffed inside refrigerator

A Minnesota man pleaded not guilty on Thursday to murder and torture charges stemming from the death of a model who was found bound, gagged and stuffed inside the refrigerator in her downtown Los Angeles apartment. Magnus Daniel Humphrey, 43, is charged in the September 2023 death of Maleesa Mooney, 31. The murder charge includes the special-circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. Mooney, the sister of Guyanese pop singer Jourdin Pailine, was found dead on Sept. 12, 2023, inside her refrigerator at her apartment in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street. The last time anyone heard from Mooney was on September 7, 2023, and Humphrey left the apartment the next day, but it was days before her body was discovered. Dr. Brice Hunt of the medical examiner's office declared the cause of death was "homicidal violence," most likely homicidal asphyxia. A supervising criminalist testified that Mooney had multiple ligatures on her, including items of clothing, shoelaces, and a charging cable, and a pink zippered hooded jacket was stuffed into her mouth.

FOX 11

1 pedestrian killed, another hospitalized in Lake View Terrace hit-and-run, suspect at large

One pedestrian was killed and another rushed to the hospital after a hit-and-run crash in Lake View Terrace Thursday night, authorities said. The driver fled and remains at large. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the deadly hit-and-run on Foothill Avenue near Kagel Canyon at around 8:34 p.m. AIR7 was over the scene as officers placed a tent over a sheetcovered body in the street. A car's bumper and other debris from the impact was seen on the nearby sidewalk and in the street. The car fled the scene, according to LAPD. There is no vehicle description. Officers are now looking for surveillance video and any Eyewitnesses. The identities of the victims were not immediately released and there was no update on the condition of the person that was hospitalized.

ABC 7

LAPD Offer Tips for Safe Trick-or-Treating on Halloween

Ghosts, goblins, super heroes and other characters will be out in search of treats this Halloween night and the Los Angeles Police Department offered some tips to keep them safe. The LAPD estimates two million children live in LA County. Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated pedestrian deaths are 43% higher on Halloween, and children between the ages of 4 and 8 are 10 times more likely to be hit by a vehicle. The commander of the LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division, Capt. Gerry Davila, offered tips Friday for safe Trick-or-Treating: Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Don’t run, across the street. Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up. Teach children to never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars. Trick-or-Treat with an adult.

MyNewsLA

Suspected arsonists set South LA home on fire

Two suspected arsonists in West Adams are caught on camera setting a house on fire. According to police, the incident happened early Friday morning on South Harcourt Avenue just off Hickory Street. Police said the suspects poured gasoline on a home and set it ablaze before running off. The fire caused massive damage and the Los Angeles Police Department is searching for the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call the police.

FOX 11

Drive Safe, Sober on Halloween, or Consequences Could Be Scary

Halloween revelers who risk driving under the influence or breaking other traffic laws could face scary consequences with the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies slated Friday to crack down on anyone who takes their thrills too far. Beginning at 6 p.m., the CHP will be conducting a 12-hour maximum enforcement period, or MEP, during which all available officers will deploy onto freeways, highways and unincorporated roads throughout Riverside County to nab DUI suspects and other lawbreakers. Personnel from the Beaumont, Blythe, Indio, Riverside and Temecula CHP stations are slated to take part in the enforcement campaign. “Impaired driving destroys lives, and even one life lost is one too many,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. “This Halloween, we’re asking everyone to do their part before the festivities begin, arrange a sober ride and help us keep California’s roads safe for everyone who uses them.” During the agency’s 2024 Halloween MEP, there were about 500 crashes in the CHP’s jurisdictions statewide, with nearly 100 of those caused by drunken or drugged motorists. Two people were killed and 60 others injured. A total of 120 drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated last Halloween, according to figures.

MyNewsLA

FBI searches Melodee Buzzard’s home in case of the missing California girl

The search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard took a new turn on Thursday when the FBI searched the girl’s Santa Barbara County home weeks after she was reported missing. Detectives escorted the girl’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, off the property to another location “that would not interfere with their ability to conduct a thorough search,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said. Along with the search at the home in the 500 block of Mars Avenue, authorities also searched a storage locker and the rental car that the girl was last seen in. Authorities said Melodee was missing on Oct. 14 after a prolonged absence from her school. Officials believe she was last seen as recently as Oct. 7 and may have been driven to Nebraska by her mother, the Sheriff’s Office said. Sheriff’s detectives and FBI agents served a search warrant at the Buzzard home where a makeshift memorial on the sidewalk includes a picture of the curly haired girl. “We appreciate the FBI’s assistance in today’s searches,” Lt. Chris Gotschall from the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “In cases like this, every detail matters and it is invaluable to have additional resources and specialized expertise. Collaboration with our federal partners allows us to ensure we’re using every available tool to help bring resolution to this case.”

Los Angeles Times

California man arrested following child porn upload to Snapchat

A San Bernardino County man suspected of uploading child pornography to a popular social media site was arrested on Wednesday following a monthslong investigation. Steven McGuire, 29, of Grand Terrace, was identified as a suspect after Snapchat became aware in May that an apparent child sexual assault video had been uploaded from a particular user account. The information was reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which was accessed by the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and shared with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Once McGuire was determined to be the person suspected of uploading the material to Snapchat’s servers, a search warrant was issued for his home in the 11000 block of Mount Vernon Avenue, the sheriff’s department said. Authorities served the warrant at McGuire’s home on Wednesday, where investigators say additional evidence was recovered. McGuire was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony possession of child sexual abuse material. His bail was set at $30,000.

KTLA 5

‘Potential terrorist attack’ thwarted in Michigan: FBI

Multiple people have been accused of planning a “potential terrorist attack” in Michigan over the Halloween weekend, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday. Details about the suspects and their alleged plans have not yet been made public. Patel said “multiple subjects” were arrested in Michigan on Friday morning, and federal agents were seen at two homes in Dearborn. Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, said federal agents “disrupted a Jihadi terror plot.” The FBI’s Detroit field office confirmed agents were in the nearby cities of Dearborn and Inkster on Friday morning “conducting law enforcement activities” but did not directly connect their presence to Patel’s statement. “More details to come,” Patel wrote on social media. “Thanks to the men and women of FBI and law enforcement everywhere standing guard 24/7 and crushing our mission to defend the homeland.” There was no ongoing threat to public safety, according to the Detroit field office. NewsNation national security contributor Tracy Walder said she is familiar with the area from past events around Detroit, including another foiled plot earlier this year.

KTLA 5

1 person found dead after crews put out Valley Village apartment fire

Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to a fire burning inside an apartment unit of a Valley Village complex on Thursday morning, and when it was extinguished, a person was discovered inside, dead. Around 10:46 a.m., 44 firefighters worked to put out a fire in a first-floor unit of a two-story apartment building in the 11000 block of W. King Street. Crews located one person inside, who was determined to be dead. Their age and gender are now known at this time. According to LAFD, crews prevented the fire from spreading to any other units, and all the residents were allowed to go back to their homes. LAFD Arson investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire. The Identification and cause of death of the person found in the burned apartment unit will be handled by the LA County Medical Examiner and the Los Angeles Police Department.

CBS 2

Driver missing after pickup truck bursts into flames on Los Angeles’ West Side

Fire crews responded to a burning pickup truck in Los Angeles’ West Side early Friday morning but were unable to locate the driver. The crash was reported around 3 a.m. after the driver slammed into several yellow sand barrels on the side of the Marina Expressway near Culver Boulevard and went off the road. Shortly after, the pickup burst into flames, igniting a nearby tree. Los Angeles Fire Department crews were sent to the scene to extinguish the fire, but the driver was already gone. Video showed California Highway Patrol officers searching the crash scene and on the other side of a creek, but they were unable to locate anyone in the tree-covered roadside area. It was unclear if the driver fled the scene after the crash or was injured and hadn’t been located yet.

KTLA 5

LA County search and rescue team heading to Jamaica to support hurricane response

The Los Angeles County Fire Department's international search and rescue team was set to leave for Jamaica Thursday night to support recovery efforts in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa tore through the island nation and the region. The team known as USA-2, consisting of 34 members, four canines and 42,000-pounds of equipment, was scheduled to hop on a private charter out of LAX. The team will provide search, rescue and recovery assistance as well as initial medical stabilization for people who may be trapped under collapsed structures. "This highly skilled international search and rescue team includes firefighters, paramedics canine search teams a physician and structural engineers," LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said. "We will be joining our counterparts USA 1 out of Fairfax Virgina to provide search rescue and recovery assistance." The team goes through rigorous training with the skillset to swiftly mobilizing and provide assistance. They are also equipped with specialized tool and advanced communication gear to assist. Joining the Los Angeles County team will be the Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire Department's international USAR team, USA-1, which has also been activated.

NBC 4

Wave of RSV, particularly dangerous for babies, sweeping across U.S.; doctors urge vaccination

A wave of the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus is sweeping across the United States — sending greater numbers of babies and toddlers to the hospital, recent data show. The onset of RSV comes as the country heads into the wider fall-and-winter respiratory virus season, also typically marked by increased circulation of ailments such as COVID-19 and the flu. But RSV, the leading cause of infant hospitalization nationwide, presents particular risk for the youngest babies, a major reason health experts recommend pregnant women either get vaccinated near their delivery date or immunize their newborns. “This is the perfect time to get your vaccine for RSV if you have never gotten one,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement to The Times. RSV can spread through coughs or sneezes but also by touching a contaminated surface, such as a door handle, and then touching your face before washing your hands, health officials warn. For the week ending Oct. 11, about 1.2% of emergency room visits nationwide among infants younger than 1 were due to RSV — up from 0.4% a month earlier, according to data posted by PopHIVE, a project led by the Yale School of Public Health.

Los Angeles Times

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.