Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates Law Enforcement News California officer killed in crash during pursuit An Alhambra Police Department officer has died following a crash involving a fleeing suspect, KTLA reported. Officer Alec Sanders, 28, was pursuing a suspect when the suspect vehicle crashed into his cruiser. Two of the three people inside the suspect vehicle were ejected. A passenger in the suspect vehicle died at the scene, according to KTLA. “[Sanders] was known for his unwavering reliability,” Chief Garrett Kennedy said. “He was the type of officer who responded to every call, whether he was dispatched to it or not.” Sanders, who joined the department eight months ago, was described as intelligent and a hard worker. He previously served with the Long Beach Police Department. He was engaged to be married and is also survived by his parents and siblings. “He will be deeply missed by his family, his friends and his coworkers, who are all one in the same. The Alhambra Police Department is one big family,” Kennedy said. Authorities have not announced what prompted the pursuit. The driver of the fleeing vehicle sustained moderate injuries in the crash and was being questioned, KTLA reported. PoliceOne Police dog takes down man accused of shooting at LAPD helicopter A police dog took down a man accused of shooting at a police helicopter in South Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the 2100 block of West 76th Street at about 1:20 p.m. after receiving reports of a man with a firearm who was threatening family members. The suspect and police exchanged gunfire as officers arrived. The man ran into a nearby house, prompting SWAT and K9 units to respond. The officers tried to negotiate with the suspect for about four hours until he fled from the house. A police dog quickly tracked the suspect down and bit him, ending the standoff. LAPD said paramedics took the man to the hospital for treatment. Detectives found a firearm at the scene. No one was injured in the brief shootout. CBS 2 Man sentenced to 15 years for violent armed robbery spree targeting Southern Calfornia pharmacies A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in an armed robbery crew that targeted pharmacies across Southern California. Aaron Carter, 40, of Fontana, was sentenced to 180 months in prison and was ordered to pay $103,200 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. Carter was a member of a four-person crew that spent six weeks robbing pharmacies in 2024 while violently manhandling employees and stealing cash from the registers, prosecutors said. The crew had targeted pharmacies in Woodland Hills, Newport Beach, Fullerton and Temecula. The other three suspects were identified as: Diamond Lucious, 25, of Victorville, Kamaria Kendrick, 25, of Menifee, and Isaac Penaldoza, 35, of San Bernardino. During each robbery, three people in hoodies and facemasks would enter the pharmacies, two of whom would be armed. They would force employees to the ground, steal cash from the registers and violently drag the employees around the store. The fourth suspect would grab a trash can from inside the business and place a large amount of stolen medications inside. KTLA 5 Locksmith explains why it's easy for thieves to steal high-end cars After thieves stole high-end cars, using technology like antennas and tablets, one locksmith said Thursday the devices can be purchased by anyone, making newer car owners vulnerable to such thefts. Anaheim Police Department officials have told NBC Los Angeles exclusively that criminals are using tablets meant for locksmiths to target expensive vehicles. Other thieves are also going after cars with keyless entry key fobs by using antennas, according to officials. Since keyless entry key fobs use signals to open doors for their rightful owners, thieves are intercepting those signals for their own use. Corey Friedman, who runs the California Institute of Locksmithing, said the tablet that criminals used in at least two thefts in Orange County is similar to what he and other locksmiths use to reprogram cars. “I always hate to see criminal activity, but we’re kind of used to it in the industry,” Friedman said. “Technology is more in the hands of the common person, I’ll say it that way. And once you learn it, it’s not hard.” Police said people have also been using antennas to steal cars, holding it outside a home, trying to pick up the signal from your key fob inside. NBC 4 Florida deputy fatally shot while serving eviction notice A Florida sheriff’s deputy was killed while attempting to serve an eviction notice Friday in a beachside residence on the state’s Atlantic coast, the county sheriff said. Another deputy and a locksmith working for law enforcement were shot, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said at a news conference. The locksmith is in surgery and listed in critical condition, as is the accused shooter, Flowers said. The 47-year-old deputy who died, Terri Mashkow, was a 25-year-veteran of the sheriff’s office, Flowers said. The officers went to the house in the Bermuda Club neighborhood near Vero Beach, where a resident of the home was evicting her son, Flowers said. While officers were in the entryway, the son grabbed a firearm and began “indiscriminately firing” at the deputies, the sheriff said. The other deputy was shot in the shoulder and is recovering, Flowers said. Vero Beach is more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier acknowledged the shooting during a news conference Friday but didn’t provide further information. Associated Press ‘We will not relent': Largest ever takedown of a single gang in Queens nets 32 arrests The largest ever takedown of a single gang in Queens netted a trove of deadly weapons and led to dozens of arrests of members who participated in a violent turf war that terrorized neighborhoods for years, officials said Thursday. In all, 32 reputed gang members were indicted on charges of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in connection with a four-year turf battle in southeast Queens that often played out in broad daylight, near parks, public schools and residential areas. “They terrorized rivals, and harmed innocent bystanders, to maintain and expand their geographic dominance,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. ’”Tragically, three people were murdered due to this gang’s indiscriminate violence. We will not relent in our work to dismantle gangs in this borough.” The gang — the Bad-Co Ballout gang — was responsible for at least 13 shootings dating back to 2021 — including the three homicides, Katz said. The gang was based in Queens Village, which members referred to as “Shadyville,” she said. The “Shadyville” title was a tribute to the gang’s reputed leader Jahvon Attapoku, 21, who goes by the nickname “Shady,” officials said. New York Daily News Public Safety News Boyle Heights Commercial Building Catches Fire Despite the stormy weather and rain, a stubborn contents fire early Friday morning at a commercial building in the Ramona Gardens neighborhood of Boyle Heights defied efforts to douse the flames, forcing crews to take defensive positions and fight the blaze from outside the structure. Firefighters responded to the blaze about 1:15 a.m. Friday at 2727 E. Alcazar Street, between Murchison and Perris streets, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz. Nearly 90 firefighters were at the scene at one point, the LAFD reported. Crews turned off their incident clock about 2:45 a.m., according to Lantz, who said the Department of Building and Safety red-tagged the 100 feet by 100 feet metal-clad commercial building, meaning it was uninhabitable, unsafe to enter and would likely be bulldozed in short order. MyNewsLA Motorist driving through Westlake hit by falling tree A tree crashed down on top of a driver as heavy rain fell in Los Angeles’ Westlake District overnight. The unidentified motorist was traveling on West Olympic Boulevard near South Alvarado Street around 11 p.m. Thursday when the falling tree crushed part of their car. Video showed that the back of the car, which appeared to be a Lexus, was barely visible through the tree’s branches. The driver was able to escape the vehicle, but it was not immediately clear if they were injured in the incident. A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson later reported that the driver was OK. The tree was still down in the roadway as of 6:30 a.m. Friday, and it was unclear how long it would take to remove it. The tree fell as heavy rain fell on Los Angeles overnight, prompting flood watches and warnings Friday morning. KTLA 5 Hospital seeks help identifying ventilated patient found in South Los Angeles A Los Angeles hospital is asking for the public’s help to identify a man who is on a ventilator after being found on a South L.A. street earlier this week, officials said. Los Angeles General Medical Center, operated by the L.A. County Department of Health Services, said the patient was discovered without identification on Crocker Street and has been hospitalized since Nov. 18. The man, listed as “John Doe,” is believed to be about 55 years old. He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs approximately 162 pounds, and is bald with brown eyes, according to hospital officials. His most notable identifiers are tattoos on both arms. Anyone who recognizes the patient is urged to contact Los Angeles General’s Social Work Department. KTLA 5 LACo Deploys Control Measures to Reduce Dengue-Positive Mosquitoes Los Angeles County officials Thursday confirmed the presence of dengue in mosquitoes in the region, and began deploying targeted control measures to reduce the risk of disease transmission caused by the bugs. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District found what are known as Aedes mosquitoes in the county — the dengue-positive mosquito was collected from surveillance traps in Sun Valley, a community located in the San Fernando Valley. It’s the first confirmed detection of dengue in the Aedes mosquitos population in both the county and state, according to county officials. L.A. County Department of Public Health staff previously confirmed seven infections of locally acquired dengue this year. These individuals were detected in the areas of La Puente, Sun Valley and North Hollywood. 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. 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