Suspect arrested for murder after man’s body discovered in Los Angeles

A suspect was arrested for murder after a man’s body was discovered in Los Angeles. The suspect was identified as Jose Raul Gonzalez, 37, of Long Beach. On Nov. 8, Los Angeles police responded to reports of a body in the 2600 block of South Maple Avenue. Officers found the male victim had suffered multiple injuries before his death. Following an investigation, detectives determined the victim was assaulted at the 72nd Street Equestrian Park in Long Beach. The victim and Gonzalez were reportedly “engaged in a dispute over property” when the victim was fatally attacked, police said. LAPD handed over the case to the Long Beach Police Department. On Nov. 13, Gonzalez was located in the 500 block of East 72nd Street in Long Beach. He was arrested for murder and is being held on $2 million bail. Police did not release his booking photo. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin by the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Homicide Detectives Juan Carlos Reyes and Lisette Temblador at 562-570-7244.

KTLA 5

Weapon used by former Laker at Sherman Oaks Airbnb was a ghost gun, LAPD says

The handgun used by a former Lakers player to fire warning shots during an attempted home invasion in Sherman Oaks last week as a ghost gun with a high-capacity magazine, the Los Angeles Police Department told NBC4 Investigates exclusively Friday. Christian Wood was staying at an Airbnb on Otsego Street last week when a group of people tried to break into a house by smashing the back door window in the middle of an afternoon, the police had said last week. After Wood fired three or four rounds at the ground, the suspects ran away in a getaway car. Wood claimed the gun was not his, and that he found it in the two-story rental home, according to the LAPD. Ghost guns as well as large-capacity magazines, which can hold more than 10 rounds, are illegal in the state of California. As an investigation into the origin of the handgun and the attempted burglary continues, police will run ballistics on the gun and conduct DNA testing. No one was arrested as of Friday. The LAPD expects to present the case to prosecutors once the investigation is complete.

NBC 4

Los Angeles police arrest "Mountain Bike Bandit" accused of more than 20 burglaries

Los Angeles Police Department officers have arrested a suspect they dubbed the "Mountain Bike Bandit," who they believe is connected to at least 20 different commercial burglaries in the San Fernando Valley over the last several weeks. Juan Montes, 26, of North Hollywood, was arrested early Saturday morning for two different burglaries that happened in Studio City at around 3 a.m., LAPD officers told CBS Los Angeles. The burglaries, which happened at Reno's Pizza on Ventura Boulevard and Argo Mediterranean on Ventura Boulevard, were just the latest in what police believe is a lengthy list of burglaries, including six that happened overnight on Thursday. Upon responding to those incidents, police said that they quickly found Montes and took him into custody. They said that he was riding a mountain bike and wearing a backpack similar to those that they've seen in multiple security videos from businesses that were burglarized. They said that they also discovered that Montes was in possession of burglary tools. Police said that Montes is currently on parole after he was released from jail for a previous commercial burglary crime, but they did not provide specific details. 

CBS 2

Burglars target beloved ice cream shop in Lincoln Heights

A popular ice cream shop in Lincoln Heights is asking for the public's help in finding the men who broke in and burglarized their store. The burglars broke through the iron security bars and shattered the glass door to get into Rico Tejuino Los Reyes. They stole cash, ice cream and other products. The family business is a staple that's been in the Lincoln Heights community for more than 30 years. It's well-known for its juices, smoothies and authentic Mexican ice cream. They are open regular hours, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

ABC 7

4 officers shot in rural Kansas responding to domestic violence call

Four law enforcement officers were shot Saturday morning while responding to a domestic violence call at a home in a rural area south of Topeka, and a 22-year-old male suspect died of gunshot wounds at the scene. The suspect’s 77-year-old grandfather was also wounded in the gunfire, but he and the law enforcement officers are all expected to recover, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said. The KBI identified the suspect as Stephen M. McMillan. The shooting occurred around 10:30 a.m. Three Osage County sheriff’s deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were shot, the KBI’s director and the patrol’s superintendent said. Two deputies underwent surgery at Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center and were in good condition, the KBI said, and the third deputy was discharged. The trooper was transferred from the same hospital to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. “After being on scene less than 10 minutes, gunfire erupted,” Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith said during a news conference at the Carbondale City Library. Three deputies and two troopers fired during the incident, the KBI said.

Associated Press

Carjacking, crash leads NYPD cops to 600 pounds of marijuana

A bizarre Brooklyn carjacking that ended with a stolen SUV crashing through a fence and teetering on a retaining wall above a highway was part of a massive illegal marijuana attempted robbery involving more than 600 pounds of weed, police said Tuesday. Three people — two of the three carjackers, as well as their victim — were arrested for their part in a half-baked plan to steal the SUV, which had more than 150 pounds of marijuana hidden inside, cops said. Victim Ting Liu, 37, was driving the pot-packed 2014 Toyota Sienna through Dyker Heights when three men approached his SUV as he was stopped near the corner of Bay Ridge Parkway and 11th Ave. around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, cops said. The suspects punched Liu in the face, knocking him to the ground. Then they repeatedly kicked him while one of the men had his hand jammed in his pocket as if he had a gun. The trio robbed Liu of his cell phone, wallet and keys, then threw their victim in the back of the Sienna and drove off. Witnesses saw the abduction and called police. About a half hour later, the speeding Sienna plowed through a fence at the corner of Dyker Place and 84th St. and plunged down a small embankment, cops said. It came to a crunching halt at the edge of a retaining wall above an on-ramp to the Manhattan -bound lanes of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

New York Daily News

Person Found Deceased in Hyde Park Fire

A person died Sunday as a result of a fire that broke out in a row of bungalows in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The fire broke out just around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, with smoke showing from one unit in the 6000 block of South Brynhurst Street, south of West Slauson Avenue and west of Crenshaw Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in just over 20 minutes, preventing it from extending to adjacent residences, according to the department. A statement released by the LAFD indicated that firefighters conducting a search inside the unit just after 5 p.m. located a deceased person whose age and gender were not immediately known. The LAFD’s Arson team was expected to investigate the cause of the fire. The identification and cause of death of the deceased will be handled by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

MyNewsLA

L.A. hospital looking to identify unconscious patient brought in with major injuries

A Los Angeles area hospital is asking for the public’s help to identify a man who has been receiving care for several days but whose identity remains a mystery to staff. He was brought into Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance on Nov. 9 around 7:10 a.m., officials for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services said in a news release Friday. He was brought to the hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel who found him lying in the street near Imperial Highway and Lemoli Avenue in Inglewood. At the time, he was suffering from “severe distress, with swelling and bruising to the left eye.” The unidentified man has no documents or clues that could determine his name, and a fingerprint search has resulted in no results, officials said. DHS is now requesting help from the local media and the public in hopes someone might recognize him. He’s described as having green eyes and light brown hair. He has a thin build, standing around 5 feet 8 inches and weighing around 130 pounds. His skin complexion is described as light with freckles on his face and nose, and hospital staff believe he may be mixed-race or Latino.

KTLA 5

Hazardous Materials Exposed During Wilmington Fire

A fire outside a Wilmington recycling plant Saturday exposed some hazardous materials containers that required firefighters to battle the flames from a distance. The fire was reported at 7:37 p.m. Saturday at 1128 N. Henry Ford Ave., at Alameda Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Lyndsey Lantz. “Facing access issues, first-arriving companies forced entry through a large gate,” Lantz said. “Engine companies then utilized powerful streams of water to ensure firefighters remained at a distance from the hazardous materials.” After all active flames were out with no structures damaged, the runoff from the containers was contained and assessed by the hazardous materials specialists, she said. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

Jaime Moore sworn in as new Los Angeles fire chief after City Council confirmation

It’s official: Jaime Moore is the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Mayor Karen Bass Friday swore in Moore as the next LAFD chief after the LA Council unanimously voted to confirm him. Moore, who previously served as the commander of operations for the fire department’s Valley Bureau, has over three decades of experience. He’s also the department’s first Spanish-speaking and second Latino chief. “My mission is straightforward: to strengthen our connection with the communities we serve, to enhance our preparedness and resilience, and to ensure that the Los Angeles Fire Department continues to work toward being a model of excellence and trust,” Moore said. Mayor Bass appointed Moore on Oct. 24, nine months after former Chief Kristin Crowley was fired. Interim Chief Ronnie Villanueva led the fire department while the city searched for a replacement. “Today marks an important and inspiring moment for Los Angeles and for our Fire Department,” Mayor Karen Bass Friday. “As we continue strengthening our emergency response and implementing a suite of reforms, I know he will work to make every neighborhood safer.”

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.