LAPD cadet with big dreams faces life-threatening illness

Since she was 3 years old, Giselle Navarro knew she wanted to become a police officer. Now, the Venice High School senior, who turned 18 on Monday, is struggling to attend classes after being diagnosed with kidney failure in October. “It’s been really hard for me, because I’m the healthiest of my siblings,” Navarro said. “It’s really hard, but I push myself every time. I thank God that I’m alive and not in the hospital bed.” Navarro joined the Los Angeles Police Department’s cadet program when she was 15. She quickly achieved the rank of lieutenant and impressed officers. “She stood out because she had officer presence,” said LAPD Youth Service Officer Brianna Brown. “She wasn’t meek, she wasn’t timid (and) she was ready from day one.” Navarro needs a donor who is 18 to 50 years old with type A positive blood. She isn’t giving up on her goal of studying criminology at USC before becoming a K-9 officer with the LAPD. “I will fight through it, but it is very hard,” Navarro said. Brown said Navarro is a pillar within her community. “She’s just an amazing soul,” Brown said. “She’s always had a heart of gold. She puts herself last in every aspect. It’s no different now, and I just feel like it’s our time to give back to her.” Those looking to help Navarro should visit LivingDonorAssistance.org or contact Marina Peralta at Cedars Sinai Hospital: [email protected].

NBC 4

LAPD detectives seek new information in 2024 double homicide investigation

Los Angeles police are asking for help from the public as they continue investigating a deadly double shooting that happened in the South Park neighborhood in 2024. It happened on June 2, 2024 at around 12:15 a.m., when officers were called to reports of shots fired near Maple Avenue and 12th Street, according to an LAPD news release. Upon arrival, they found 18-year-old Christian Hart and 20-year-old Clarence Simpson suffering from fatal gunshot wounds, the release said. Since then, investigators have been unable to identify a suspect or determine a motive for the incident. "The city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department are seeking to provide Simpson's and Hart's family with justice and closure for the loss of their family member and are seeking the public's assistance in locating the persons responsible for this senseless murder," police said in a statement. Detectives shared two new photos of suspect vehicles that were possibly involved in the incident on Monday. The first car was described as a white 2009-2012 Audi A4 with tinted windows, and the second was described as a gold 2011-2016 BMW 5 Series that also had tinted windows. 

CBS 2

Details emerge in gruesome murder of Rob Reiner and wife Michele in L.A. home

While homicide investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department have said very little about the investigation into the allegedly gruesome stabbing deaths of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, details continue to emerge. The couple was found dead inside their Brentwood home in the 200 block of South Chadbourne Avenue around 4:40 p.m. Sunday. Preliminary, though unconfirmed reports, suggested the couple’s daughter, Romy Reiner, discovered her parents and called police. Firefighters reportedly found Rob, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, inside the home suffering from stab wounds. They were declared deceased at the scene. Police have not released details regarding the deaths. TMZ reported that the couple “had their throats slit by a family member, possibly after an argument.” The outlet also reported that after calling law enforcement, Romy called Billy Crystal and his wife Janice who “arrived at the scene in a flash” and “saw the slain bodies.” At Sunday night’s news conference, LAPD Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton told reporters that investigators did not have a suspect or a person of interest. However, on Monday morning police confirmed that the Reiners’ 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, had been arrested late Sunday night in connection with the brutal killings.  

KTLA 5

2nd doctor to be sentenced in connection with Matthew Perry's ketamine death

The second of two doctors who were convicted in connection with Matthew Perry's ketamine death is set to be sentenced on Tuesday. Mark Chavez, of San Diego, admitted to illegally supplying Ketamine to Perry, who died of an overdose in 2023. He also surrendered his medical license. Chavez faces up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said. Chavez is one of five people charged and convicted in connection with the "Friends" actor's death. He pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting to selling fraudulently obtained ketamine to another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, that was then sold to Perry in the weeks before the actor died from an overdose. The two doctors did not provide the ketamine that ultimately killed Perry, who was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home in October 2023 at the age of 54. Though federal prosecutors said they knew that the actor had a history of substance abuse and that the drug would be administered without medical supervision.

ABC 7

$20k reward offered as search for gunman in 2024 South Los Angeles drive-by shooting continues

A $20,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the arrest of a gunman who allegedly shot and killed 22-year-old Raejonette Morgan during a drive-by shooting in South Los Angeles in 2024. The reward was increased for the second time since the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide investigation was launched on July 2, 2024. It was then that Morgan was traveling on Vermont Avenue in her white Mercedes-Benz in the Westmont area, when she was approached by what investigators say was a 2016-2018 blue two-door Honda Civic. Detectives believe that the driver of the Honda fired at Morgan more than a dozen times, causing her to crash into a 105 Freeway onramp near Vermont Avenue. Video from the scene showed Morgan's driver's side door riddled with bullet holes. The suspects, who still haven't been identified, fled from the area heading south on Vermont, deputies said. New details were shared on the suspect's Honda Civic during a news conference on Monday. Detectives say that the car has spoilers, louvers on the rear window, black wheels and a loud exhaust system.

CBS 2

Man sentenced to 20 years in prison after assaulting, strangling ICE officer

A 23-year-old man was given the maximum sentence — 20 years in prison — after he “intentionally assaulted and strangled” an on-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer in Wichita, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas. “Violence against law enforcement is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with very seriously,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser said in the release. According to court documents Diego Barron-Esquivel, who was described as a Mexican national in the release, “did intentionally and forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate and interfere with” an ICE agent during an altercation on Feb. 28. As a result, the officer was injured, the press release read. Barron-Esquivel was arrested on March 21 and pleaded guilty in September to forcibly assaulting a federal officer. Court documents show that he asked for leniency. On Dec. 4, a judge sentenced Barron-Esquivel to the maximum penalty: 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Wichita Eagle

‘47 Ronin’ director convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million meant for TV show

Filmmaker Carl Erik Rinsch, who directed the 2013 action film “47 Ronin” starring Keanu Reeves, was convicted Thursday for defrauding Netflix of $11 million. U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff found Rinsch guilty of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York announced. Attorney Benjamin Zeman, who represents Rinsch, denounced the verdict in a statement shared Friday. “I think the verdict was wrong and I fear that this could set a dangerous precedent for artists who become embroiled in contractual and creative disputes with their benefactors,” Zeman said, “in this case one of the largest media companies in the world, finding themselves indicted by the federal government for fraud.” A representative for Netflix did not comment on Rinsch’s conviction. Federal prosecutors alleged in a March indictment that the $11 million was meant to go toward finishing a TV show in which $44 million had already been invested. Prosecutors allege the money instead went into Rinsch’s personal accounts, his personal spending and his personal gains and losses. The director, 48, “quickly transferred” the money from the Rinsch Co. account, where it had been deposited March 6, 2020, by Netflix, through a number of additional accounts until about $10.5 million wound up weeks later in a personal brokerage account.

Los Angeles Times

Bus, 2 vehicles involved in crash near LAX

At least two people were hospitalized Monday after a bus and two other vehicles crashed near the Los Angeles International Airport, first responders said. Emergency crews were called to Westchester Parkway and Jetway Boulevard for the multi-vehicle crash, which appeared to involve an employee shuttle bus. Two vehicles and the bus were involved in the crash, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. One person was seriously injured and another suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both of those individuals were transported to a nearby hospital. It’s unclear how many people were aboard the bus at the time of the crash. Details on what led up to the incident remain under investigation.

NBC 4

Pico-Union Apartment Catches Fire

A fire at a residential building in the Pico-Union neighborhood was extinguished in 41 minutes, the Los Angeles Fire Department said Tuesday. Fire crews responded at 7:23 p.m. Monday to 1301 S. Berendo St. and West Pico Boulevard where they found the flames on the building’s second floor, LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said. It took over 70 firefighters to locate, isolate and extinguish the fire, Stewart said. No injuries were reported. An LAFD arson investigator was called to the scene to determine the cause of the fire and representatives from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety responded to assess the quality of the building’s structure.

MyNewsLA

L.A. General Medical Center seeks help identifying hospitalized woman

Los Angeles General Medical Center is asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who has been hospitalized for several days, officials announced Saturday. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the unidentified female patient — listed as “Jane Doe” — has been receiving care at the public hospital since Dec. 10, 2025. Hospital officials say the woman is approximately 50 years old, stands about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs roughly 106 pounds. She has dark brown hair, brown eyes and visible tattoos on her chest. The patient was found on Marengo Street, near Los Angeles General Medical Center, but her identity remains unknown. An image released by the medical center shows the unidentified woman lying in a hospital bed, with medical monitoring equipment visible as she receives care. The hospital’s Department of Social Work is asking anyone who may recognize the woman or have information that could help identify her to come forward. Those with information can contact Clinical Social Worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6884 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Department of Social Work can also be reached at 323-409-5253.

KTLA 5

Highly contagious norovirus strain causing surge of infections across Southern California

Health officials are warning the public that cases of norovirus, also known as the “winter vomiting disease,” have been spiking across Southern California ahead of the winter season. The contagious virus affects the gastrointestinal system, causing vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea that could last several days. Symptoms typically begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure. The virus spreads when someone accidentally ingests small particles of feces or vomit from a person who is infected. Norovirus levels are increasing across California, and the rise is especially notable in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas, according to the California Department of Public Health. In L.A. County, concentrations of norovirus are on the rise in wastewater, confirming an upswing in overall infections, the Los Angeles Times reported. The emergence of a new strain, GII.17, could lead to an increase of 50% more infections than in years past, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

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.