Woman saved by landlord from man who broke into her Studio City apartment speaks out

The woman who was saved when her Studio City landlord opened fire on a naked intruder is speaking out and recounting the terrifying encounter. Chloe Dzielak says she doesn't know what would've happened if her neighbor and landlord, a 79-year-old Vietnam War veteran, hadn't jumped into action. It unfolded Friday when the naked man broke into her apartment and then attacked her neighbor, George Karkoc, who opened fire and killed him. "I'm so thankful for George. My husband was out walking the dog and I was alone and I don't know what I would've done without him there. I don't know what the outcome of this would've been," she said.

ABC 7

BLM Financial Scrutiny: Years Of ‘Lavish’ Spending Preceded Federal Fraud Probe

Reports of a revived federal investigation into potential widespread fraud within the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) broke on Thursday, but scrutiny over the group’s lavish donor fund spending was reported years ago. Following nationwide anti-police protests in 2020 that made Black Lives Matter a household name, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly renewing an investigation into whether the BLMGNF defrauded donors. This federal probe, which began under the Biden administration, now has new life under President Donald Trump and the Trump-appointed top prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli. Essayli’s office did not respond to a request for comment. The BLMGNF’s current leaders, who have previously denied wrongdoing, have reportedly received subpoenas as part of the probe. In a statement, the group maintained that it “is not a target of any federal criminal investigation,” adding, “We remain committed to full transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of resources dedicated to building a better future for Black communities.” The DOJ has the authority to investigate alleged fraud on both a civil or criminal level, though the current legal framework for the reported BLM probe remains unclear.

Tampa Free Press

LAPD issues tactical alert for shooting incident at downtown Los Angeles apartment building

The Los Angeles Police Department has issued a tactical alert for a shooting incident at a high-rise apartment building in downtown LA on Wednesday morning. The LAPD posted on X that officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area near Ninth Street and Broadway. They said a crime scene was established and they were asking people to avoid the area around Broadway between Eighth Street and Olympic Boulevard. A few minutes later, they posted an update saying that Hill Street was also included within the perimeter. SkyCal flew over the scene where several officers could be seen entering the apartment building wearing tactical gear. According to LA Metro, buses on Line 94 will be detoured due to the policy activity until about 1 p.m. It is unclear what led up to the shooting incident. 

CBS 2

Man arrested in kidnapping, sexual assault of girl in Hollywood; LAPD seeks more victims

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding more victims of a sexual assault suspect. David Josue Lopes, also known as David Lopez, was arrested last week in the Westlake area for the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a girl in Hollywood. The 37-year-old's arrest is part of an ongoing investigation between the department's Juvenile Division-Stuart House Unit and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Sex Crime Unit. Detectives believe there may be additional unidentified victims due to the bold and serious nature of the assault. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at (424) 259-7096. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

ABC 7

Loved ones search for missing 14-year-old Southern California girl

Loved ones are searching for a Southern California girl who has been missing for over a week. Jade Duran, 14, was reported missing on Oct. 31, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Duran was last seen walking in the 8500 block of Sylmar Avenue in Panorama City around 3 p.m. She is described as a Hispanic girl who stands 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, and carrying a pink backpack. Duran mainly lives in Orange County and at the time, authorities said she may have been “visiting cities in Orange County and other counties in southern Los Angeles,” LAPD said on Nov. 11. Her family did not mention any health or mental conditions that would have contributed to her disappearance. They have not heard from her since and are very concerned for her well-being. Anyone who may know Duran’s whereabouts or has information on the case can call LAPD Detective Summey at 818-838-9890. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247. 

KTLA 5

Hollywood piano teacher who fled country before sex abuse verdict arrested in Australia

A piano teacher to the stars who fled the country last month just before a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing a student was arrested in Australia, authorities said. John Kaleel, 69, was taken into custody by Australian Federal Police on Oct. 31, according to Nicole Nishida, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the agency investigating him in the United States. It was not clear where Kaleel was arrested, and Australian authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kaleel, an Australian national, was facing a retrial on multiple counts of sexually abusing a student last month when he fled the country on Oct. 8, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Kaleel disappeared while jurors were deliberating at the Airport Courthouse. His attorney, Kate Hardie, said she last saw Kaleel after driving him home from court on Oct. 7. She declined to comment on his arrest. It is expected that Kaleel will be returned to the U.S., where he faces a lengthy prison sentence after he was convicted of multiple counts of committing lewd acts with a child. Kaleel taught private piano lessons in the U.S. for more than 25 years, and his clients included the children of the creators of beloved television series such as “Mad Men” and “Orange Is the New Black.” But he became the subject of a Sheriff’s Department investigation in 2015 when a student told detectives Kaleel had been acting inappropriately toward him for years.

Los Angeles Times

5 Los Angeles County men found guilty of murders tied to MS-13

After a nine-week trial, five Los Angeles County men were found guilty of a string of murders tied to MS-13. The Department of Justice said the following five men committed six murders to advance their standing in the international gang: Walter Chavez Larin, 26, Roberto Alejandro Corado Ortiz, 30, Edwin Martinez, 28, Bryan Alexander Rosales Arias, 28, and Erick Eduardo Rosales Arias, 27. The men will be sentenced in July 2026. They face a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. "Cases such as this one serve as a reminder that MS-13 has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization," said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's LA Field Office. "The defendants in this case carried out barbaric attacks on their victims to simply enhance their ranking within the gang. During the trial, prosecutors said the men killed members of a rival gang and people who had violated MS-13's rules. The murders happened throughout LA County, including some in the Angeles National Forest and other mountainous areas in the region.

CBS 2

BWC: Man takes gas station clerks hostage, shoots Colorado officer in leg before fatal OIS

A man was fatally shot by police after firing at officers during an armed standoff at a gas station in Aurora, the Denver Gazette reported. One officer and two store clerks were injured in the Oct. 27 incident, according to the report. According to police, the suspect entered the gas station and became agitated when the clerks did not have his preferred brand of cigarettes. He then displayed a firearm and ordered employees to lock the doors, turn off the lights and call police. When five officers arrived, they heard a gunshot from inside and forced entry through a glass door. “Where’s he at?” the officers can be heard asking the clerks. As they moved toward the clerks, the suspect fired several rounds from behind a store shelf, striking one officer in the leg. Four officers returned fire, discharging a total of 57 rounds and striking the suspect multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A Springfield Armory 9mm Hellcat pistol was recovered near him. Both clerks sustained minor injuries believed to be caused by shrapnel. One was hit in the foot and the other in the leg. Authorities believe the injuries were the result of a ricochet or debris from an officer’s round, though ballistic testing is still underway.

PoliceOne

L.A. hospital trying to ID woman who speaks only Spanish but can’t read or write it

A Los Angeles area hospital is asking for the public’s help to identify a woman who has been receiving care for the past two weeks but is unable to identify herself. The woman was brought to California Hospital Medical Center in downtown L.A. on the morning of Oct. 28, after she was found on the 2000 block of James M. Wood Boulevard. Officials for Dignity Health say she has no identifying documentation or other evidence that might reveal who she is. They say she speaks only Spanish, but cannot read or write it. She’s described as a woman in her mid-to-late 60s with brown eyes and gray hair. She’s approximately 5 feet tall and weighs around 160 pounds. Hospital staff believe the woman was born in the Michoacan region of Mexico. Anyone with any information that may help to identify her is urged to contact Dignity Health staff at 213-605-1336.

KTLA 5

Sunland Mobile Home Fire Kills Dog

A mobile home caught fire in Sunland Wednesday morning, killing a dog, but its lone human occupant managed to escape the flames. The fire was reported just before 7 a.m. in the 10700 block of North Sherman Grove Avenue. Arriving units found the one-story, single-wide structure fully engulfed in fire. A man was found outside and was evaluated by paramedics, but not immediately taken to a hospital, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Middleton. The dog was found inside the structure. The fire was extinguished in 40 minutes by 36 firefighters, but not before it spread into a second unit, Middleton said. The extent of damage to the second residence was not immediately available.

MyNewsLA

Southern California braces for potentially dangerous debris flows from upcoming cold rainstorm

A storm bringing heavy rain and the potential for widespread flooding is expected to make its way into the Southern California region by Thursday, weather officials say. The National Weather Service said the storm should arrive by Thursday night in most areas and will remain through Saturday, with the possibility of lingering showers into Sunday. Weather officials are taking precautions with the heavy rainfall expected, warning residents about the potential dangers, including thunderstorms, flooded roads, debris flows in burn scar areas and gusty winds. The atmospheric river is moving south from the Gulf of Alaska and CBS LA meteorologists call it the coldest storm since the beginning of the year. CBS LA has issued a Next Weather Alert that will be in effect on Thursday and Friday for most of Southern California. The CBS LA news team is committed to keeping communities up to date about weather that could significantly impact their daily routines or commutes to work and school.

CBS 2

LA Council Likely to Approve Overspending Adjustment Plan

Three months into the fiscal year, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to approve a plan Wednesday to address a projected budget gap of $263 million caused by unexpected spending in several city departments and other costs. As part of the plan, the council would authorize the allocation of $14.19 million to cover immediate expenses, such as $1.36 million for outside counsel through December, and nearly $6 million for costs related to cleanup of fire debris and repairs to stormwater infrastructure. Top city officials further identified $169.41 million in possible actions to reduce year-end overspending down to an estimated $80 million. Last week, the council’s five-member Budget and Finance Committee advanced the recommendations as detailed in the First Financial Status Report, which covers the first three months of fiscal year 2025-26. 

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. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.