Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates Law Enforcement News 17-year-old girl possibly targeted by human trafficker at San Fernando Valley mall The parents of a teenage girl are warning others to be alert after they said she was possibly targeted by a human trafficker at a Canoga Park shopping mall. The girl’s parents said the incident happened at the Westfield Topanga Mall on Dec. 4. The 17-year-old was replacing her phone screen protector at the Zagg kiosk around 6:30 p.m. As she stepped into an elevator headed to the second floor near Neiman Marcus, a woman suddenly held the doors from closing and stepped inside. Moments later, the woman reportedly began pestering the teen with personal questions and asking for her Instagram handle. She asked to take a picture of the girl so she could introduce the teen to “older rich men” at a New Year’s Eve party. The teen said she refused the woman’s requests and, after exiting the elevator, began walking away, but the woman continued following her and pressuring her to provide her Instagram information. After returning home safely, the girl reported the incident to her parents. KTLA 5 Former South Bay Postal Worker to be Sentenced for Bank Fraud A South Bay woman who formerly worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Torrance is set to be sentenced Monday for stealing checks and debit and credit cards from the mail then selling them to her accomplices. Mary Ann Magdamit, 31, of Carson, pleaded guilty in August in Los Angeles federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Magdamit is a former letter carrier at the Torrance Main Post Office. According to her plea agreement and court documents, Magdamit stole mail containing checks, personal identifying information, as well as debit and credit cards. She then activated the stolen bank-issued cards online, used the cards to make purchases, and sold some stolen cards to her co-conspirators. She also arranged to have accomplices cash the stolen checks, usually by people using counterfeit identity documents in the name of the check’s payee, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. MyNewsLA LA County contractor accused of defrauding families in home remodeling projects After saving for more than a decade to remodel her home, the last place Adriana Mcgowen thought her family would spend most of their time was the garage. "For the last 14-15 months, this has been our living room, TV room, playroom," she said. McGowen said she met contractor Rick Ramirez through her kids' preschool. She hired him in June 2024 to remodel her downstairs and kitchen. She said it was supposed to be done by November. "We've spent, to date, with Dezign Construction, close to $450,000," West Hills resident Andrea McGowen said. "We paid for appliances, Tesla wall battery, fireplace, other materials up front and they were never produced." McGowen claims Ramirez started pressing her for large payments after she hired him. "Here's the $77,000 that he invoiced us for our appliances," McGowen said while showing CBSLA invoices from Ramirez. "Here is the check we wrote to him in June 2024 for the appliances, and it was cashed at Jim's Check Cashing." CBS 2 11 Los Angeles County employees charged in over $700,000 pandemic unemployment fraud scheme Eleven more Los Angeles County employees have been charged with felony grand theft for allegedly stealing unemployment benefits while working full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The new charges, announced by the office, follow an earlier round of filings in October against 13 county employees accused of similar conduct. In total, prosecutors say 24 employees fraudulently collected a combined $741,518 in unemployment benefits between 2020 and 2023. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said his office intends to pursue the cases aggressively. “My office will continue relentlessly rooting out fraud and prosecuting government employees who steal from the public they serve,” Hochman said in a statement provided by the District Attorney’s Office. While most county employees “ethically fulfill their duties,” he said, those who “exploit the system and betray the public’s trust” will face prosecution. KTLA 5 FBI on the Hunt for 73-Year-Old Woman Who Allegedly Defrauded CA Bank of Millions A 73-year-old woman accused of defrauding the Banc of California if about $14.7 million nearly a decade ago remains wanted by the FBI. Mary Carole McDonnell is suspected of multiple fraud schemes beginning in July of 2017 that continued until at least May of 2018 throughout Orange and L.A. counties, federal officials said Saturday. Investigators said they believe that McDonnell also defrauded additional financial institutions in a “similar fashion,” with an estimated loss of more than $15 million. FBI officials stated “McDonnell falsely claims to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access.” In December 2018, a federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell after she was charged on suspicion of bank fraud and aggravated Identity theft. She is described as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and around 145 pounds, with blond hair, blue eyes and a scar on her right knee. McDonnell goes by many aliases such as Mary Carole Carroll, Mary Carol McDonnell, Mary Carroll McDonnell, Mary C. Carroll and Mary Carroll McDonald, officials said. MyNewsLA California man accused of sexually exploiting teen girl in Arizona, police say Tempe Police say they have made an arrest in a sexual exploitation case involving a teenage victim who lives in the East Valley city. In a statement released on Dec. 4, police identified the suspect as 23-year-old Daniel Angel Martinez of Pomona, Calif,. which is located in the Los Angeles area. Martinez was arrested on Nov. 19. Officials said the investigation began in August 2025, after the victim's parents found explicit chats and images on her phone. The victim was described as a 13-year-old girl. "The investigation revealed Martinez and the victim initially met online through Discord when she was 12 and developed a romantic relationship," read a portion of the statement. "Between January and September 2025, the investigation shows they exchanged hundreds of nude images and videos. Detectives also learned Martinez traveled from California to Arizona on multiple occasions and engaged in sexual conduct with the victim on at least three occasions." FOX 11 Illinois police officer wounded in 2016 shooting dies from injuries A Park Forest Police detective has died from wounds sustained in a 2016 shooting, ABC7 Chicago reported. Detective Tim Jones was 24 years old when he was shot in the head while responding to a break-in. The injury left him paralyzed.“Tim’s long and difficult battle came to an end. And while our hearts are broken, we remain incredibly proud of the fight he gave. Tim will always be an inspiration and a reminder of the power of strength, faith, and the unwavering support of family and loved ones,” the department stated. Funeral arrangements for Jones have not yet been finalized. “We would also like to thank the community for that steadfast support throughout the years. From every blue porch light to the viral #TimStrong hashtag, we saw our community rally around Tim, and we are truly grateful,” the department stated. PoliceOne Boston homicides up 36% in 2025 Crime is down across the city, but homicides have increased by 36% this year according to the latest statistics released by Boston police. While the total number of crimes committed in the city is down about 2% compared to this time last year, the Boston Police Department has reported 30 homicides so far in 2025, up from 22 homicides reported during the same period in 2024 — a 36% increase. The uptick, which could increase by 2025’s end, comes after two straight years of declining homicide numbers for the city. But officials stress this year’s numbers are still low by historic standards. There were 37 homicides in Boston in 2023, down from 41 in 2022. The city then saw a big drop last year to just 24 homicides total in 2024, the lowest homicide number for the city since 1957. At the time, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the the city was the safest he’d ever seen it. “In my entire time that I’ve been a police officer, going back since when I came on, the city has never been safer, period, when it comes to crime, particularly violent crime, and it could go back to before I was born in the city,” said Cox, a Boston native who started at the department in 1989. Boston Herald U.S. strengthens penalties for those linked to Tren de Aragua gang The U.S. imposed sanctions Wednesday on alleged affiliates of the Tren de Aragua gang and increased the reward to as much as $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of one of the leaders of the criminal group now designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The actions come as President Donald Trump’s administration has accused the gang, which originated in a prison in Venezuela, of being at the root of violence and the illegal drug trade in many U.S. cities. Tren de Aragua also has become a key reference point in military attacks against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as well as Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control levied sanctions Wednesday on Venezuelan entertainer Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, who is known as “Rosita,” on accusations of providing material support to Tren de Aragua by helping the head of the gang, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, escape from Tocorón prison in Venezuela in 2012. Navarro, known as Rosita for her character on a Venezuelan comedy show, has been linked to Guerrero for years. Local media previously reported that Araya, also a showgirl, frequently performed in a prison where Guerrero was once held and Tren de Aragua was established. Associated Press Public Safety News Firefighters Battle Koreatown Duplex Fire Crews battled a structure fire that broke out at a two-story duplex in Koreatown Saturday. Firefighters responded around 9 p.m. Saturday to 847 S. Berendo St. near the intersection of West Eighth Street and Vermont Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officials with the department said flames were visible from the second floor. Crews were able to knockdown the blaze about 30 minutes later. It was unclear if there were any reported injuries. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. MyNewsLA New LAFD chief talks Palisades Fire, department changes and future plans Los Angeles City Fire Chief Jaime Moore is heading up a department that's facing mounting scrutiny for the Palisades Fire, as well as shrinking morale among the rank and file. He recently discussed this and more on Eyewitness Newsmakers with Marc Brown. One of many issues the Los Angeles Fire Department is accused of is not properly extinguishing the Lachman Fire, which broke out in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1, 2025. Chief Moore explained how chaparral from the Lachman Fire held embers deep down in the soil, even though it was undetectable. "The incident commander believed that that fire was out and directed individuals to pick up the hose. That wind was strong enough to where it blew up the holdover fire to where the ember cast came up. There was still some materials that could burn there and with that wind cascaded it well past that containment line," Moore said. Chief Moore also discussed pre-deployment, the after-action report and policy changes, specifically when it comes to holdover fires. ABC 7 LA County will stick to existing hepatitis B vaccine recommendations, defying CDC's advice Los Angeles County and California public health officials will continue to recommend hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns at birth, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to roll back on its guidance, the LA County Department of Public Health announced Friday. For decades, parents have been recommended to give their newborns the first dose of the vaccine against hepatitis B, a viral liver infection without a cure, within the first 24 hours of their birth. After the first dose, children typically get the second dose at 1 to 2 months, and the third between 6 to 18 months of age. But now under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., anti-vaccine activist, the CDC will give more control to mothers: if women test negative for hepatitis B, they can decide with their doctor whether to give the first dose until after the baby turns at least 2-months-old. Hours after the CDC advisory panel voted on the new recommendations, the LA County Department of Public Health said it is following “the existing” guidelines, giving all babies hepatitis B vaccine “as early as possible.” “There are no modifications to immunization schedules or vaccine availability for Los Angeles County residents, at this time,” the public health department said in a statement. NBC 4 California sounds the alarm on a dangerous rise in mushroom poisonings California health officials are warning residents to avoid foraging wild mushrooms following a recent outbreak of amatoxin poisoning, including one adult death, tied to toxic varieties that resemble edible species. The advisory was issued after the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed a rise in cases linked to wild, foraged mushrooms. According to CDPH, 21 cases had been identified by the California Poison Control System (CPCS) as of December 5, with clusters in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas and additional cases emerging elsewhere in the state. Patients have included both children and adults, and several individuals have required intensive care. At least one person may need a liver transplant, CPCS reported. One adult fatality has also been confirmed. State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan cautioned that amatoxin-containing mushrooms, particularly the death cap (Amanita phalloides), pose a grave danger because they are often indistinguishable from safe, edible varieties. KTLA 5 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