Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News 3 charged with murder in ambush-style shooting of 22-year-old Latin singer in Northridge, DA says Three men have been charged with murder in connection with the shooting of 22-year-old Maria De La Rosa, an aspiring Latin singer who was killed in an ambush-style attack in Northridge, prosecutors confirmed Wednesday. The shooting occurred shortly before 1:25 a.m. Saturday near Bryant Street and Tampa Avenue, where the suspects allegedly approached a parked car, demanded money from the three people inside and then opened fire, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. All three people inside the car were wounded. "This was a ruthless and targeted attack that stole the life of a young woman and artist and inflicted profound lifelong trauma on her family and the two survivors," L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. "My Office will pursue this case aggressively to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable for this senseless and deadly violence." De La Rosa, known professionally as DELAROSA, was fatally struck by gunfire. The two other victims sustained critical injuries. ABC 7 Hit-and-run driver fled before car burst into flames in Reseda crash, police say A driver reportedly ran off after a hit-and-run crash ended in a fiery explosion in Reseda on Wednesday night. It happened around 10:15 p.m. at Tampa Avenue and Sherman Way, where three cars collided, and one burst into flames. "I just heard like, a big bang. I came running out and just saw a car, like, in flames," said witness Joshua Cruz. "I went close, but it was already, like, blowing up. I went back." Video from the scene shows an explosion during the large car fire. Police say the driver of the burning vehicle ran away, leaving behind two intoxicated passengers. Witnesses said they were able to get out before the fire. Los Angeles police are now reviewing nearby cameras to track down the missing driver and determine whether DUI played a role in the fiery crash. ABC 7 Los Angeles FBI seizes rare Mercedes in connection with alleged drug kingpin FBI agents in Los Angeles have seized a rare Mercedes Roadster worth $13 million as part of their drug trafficking investigation into former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. The car, a silver 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR, is one of six of its kind ever made, according to Autoblog. Federal investigators believe the car may be connected to Wedding and his associates, who are accused of transporting cocaine from Mexico into the U.S. and Canada. Earlier this month, prosecutors unsealed an indictment that accuses Wedding of ordering the killing of a witness who had planned to testify against him in a 2024 federal narcotics case. The witness was shot and killed in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January, The Times reported. Wedding is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for allegedly running a vast and lucrative criminal enterprise. The Canadian-born snowboarder competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, placing 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom. “He chose to become a major drug trafficker and a killer,” said U.S. Atty. for the Central District of California Martin Estrada during a news conference last year. Los Angeles Times Man steals Amazon delivery van, crashes into parked cars in Mid-City A man stole an Amazon delivery van and ended up crashing into parked cars in the Mid-City neighborhood of Los Angeles Friday morning, police said. The vehicle was stolen on W. 21st Street near S. Longwood Avenue at around 7:30 a.m., according to the van's driver. The driver said he hopped out of the truck to drop off a package and turned back around within seconds, only to find a man sitting in his car. "Somebody was in the van waiting," said Gabriel Tapia whose Amazon delivery car was stolen. "So as soon as I stepped on the van, they turned it on, and they put it on drive. As soon as that happened, I just jumped out because I was thinking about my life." But the suspected thief did not go very far: he ended up crashing the stolen car into at least three parked cars a couple of blocks away, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. Tapia said he also ran down to catch up with the van and found the aftermath. One of the victims said his car no longer has a back end after he witnessed the theft and collision real time. "I heard the sound. I saw the guy who stole the truck," Jorge Granera said. "I never missed a day, and I love my job. Now this happened. You get the van stolen, then you get termination.' It sucks because I have a family. I don't know what's going to happen next." NBC 4 Music entertainer Ray J arrested by LAPD on Thanksgiving, records show Music entertainer Ray J was arrested by Los Angeles police on Thanksgiving. Jail records show Ray J, whose real name is Willie Norwood, was arrested around 4 a.m. Eyewitness News is still awaiting word on exactly why the 44-year-old was arrested, but records show it was for a felony. LAPD tells ABC News that they were called for a domestic dispute. The 911 caller reportedly told dispatch he was possibly armed, and the dispute involved a custody battle. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond. The "Sexy Can I" singer is the younger brother of singer and actress Brandy. ABC 7 South Los Angeles barbershop's pet cat stolen during Thanksgiving Day burglary A South Los Angeles barbershop is desperate for the return of their beloved pet cat, which was taken during a Thanksgiving Day burglary. It happened at around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27, at LA Fresh Cuts Barbershop, which is located in the 1800 block of E. Florence Avenue, according to the store's owner, Joe Gomez. Surveillance camera footage shows the moments the suspects used a pickup truck to ram the front of the shop, destroying the front door and window to gain entry. Once inside, the three alleged burglars took the shop's barber machines, tools, merchandise and a car belonging to the owners. They also took a cash jackpot for a fantasy football league that the shop runs for its clients. On top of all of that, the owners say that their beloved Savannah cat named Simba was also taken. The security footage shows two of the suspects leaving the store with a large kennel. CBS 2 Los Angeles man charged with shutting down 110 Freeway for music video shoot A Los Angeles man was charged with shutting down the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles in 2023 to record a music video, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Eduardo Erik Martinez, 32, pleaded not guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit exhibition of speed and two counts of felony vandalism and is now due back in court on Dec. 11 for a preliminary hearing, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. "During the afternoon rush hour traffic on Nov. 22, 2023, Martinez had several vehicles block the northbound 110 Freeway near the 9th Street offramp," the release said. "The defendant then allegedly began recording a music video while other vehicles did donuts behind him and around him." Martinez's bail was set at $100,000, prosecutors said. He was also charged with vandalizing a bench in Department 40 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center while he was in court for an unrelated incident on Oct. 21, 2024, according to the release. CBS 2 Mass shooting leaves four dead, 11 injured during family gathering in Stockton Four people have been pronounced dead after a mass shooting at a banquet hall in Stockton on Saturday evening, according to Heather Brent, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office said that people had gathered for a family event when the shooting occurred on the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue. 15 victims were struck in the shooting and hospitalized. Brent told FOX40 in a press conference that deputies believe this may have been a targeted situation. However, crews on the scene said detectives are working on all scenarios of the incident. This remains an active investigation and the roadway will be closed for some time until further notice. At this time, the sheriff’s office has yet to report any arrest or identification of the suspect. Victims have yet to be identified. SJCSO advises the public to stay clear of the area. KTLA 5 Suspect in shooting of National Guard members now facing a first-degree murder charge Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced Friday, while investigators continue to seek a motive and the U.S. government announced a halt to all asylum decisions. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were hospitalized in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House. President Trump announced Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died. U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro’s office said the charges against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan war, now include one count of first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Beckstrom and Wolfe were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of Trump’s mission in the nation’s capital that federalized the D.C. police force, which he says is a crime-fighting campaign. The president has deployed National Guard members to many Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles, to assist with his mass deportation efforts. Los Angeles Times BWC: Michigan officer rushes to perform CPR, save choking baby A Sterling Heights police officer is being celebrated for his life-saving actions on a baby boy who had stopped breathing after choking in a Walmart store. Officer Edwar Talia responded to the Walmart on Van Dyke Avenue Nov. 1 at around 8:30 p.m. for a report of a 5-month-old infant who was having trouble breathing. Newly-released bodycam video showed Talia rushing into the Walmart to find the distraught mother with her child, who appeared not to be breathing. He began giving continuous back blows to the infant, which cleared the airway and allowed the child to breathe on his own again. “I rushed in there — the doors could not open fast enough,” Talia told WXYZ-TV. The department praised Talia’s calm actions. “The Sterling Heights Police Department prides itself on being ready for any chaotic or unexpected incident,” the department said in a news release. “Officer Talia’s quick and heroic actions undoubtedly saved this baby’s life.” The boy’s single mother, Bayley Simon, can be seen on the bodycam footage response as people tried to assist the infant as the officer arrived. She was breastfeeding little Jameson when he choked and went limp. PoliceOne Public Safety News Off-duty paramedic rescues neighbor's daughter as fire burns near LA home An off-duty paramedic ran toward danger to rescue his neighbor's daughter as a fire burned feet away from her Los Angeles home. Seven-year-old Savannah Vasquez was upstairs in her bedroom when she felt the heat emanating from the flames engulfing a tree outside her family's home in the Larchmont neighborhood. "I went to tell my grandma," Savannah said. "She went to tell everyone to get out of the house." The young girl said she didn't grab anything and ran out of the house without her shoes. "It felt hot. It hurt," she said. Her neighbor, off-duty paramedic Richard Recinos, saw the flames and heard that everyone had run out of the home. However, when he shifted his focus to the house, he realized Savannah was standing two feet away from the fire. "I had a leather jacket," he said. "I zipped it up, adrenaline kicked in and I ran in to go get her." The little girl's mother, Martha Vasquez, said she's eternally grateful for Recinos' actions. CBS 2 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