Man Sentenced to 50-Year-to-Life Term for Security Guard’s Murder

An ex-con who was found guilty of murdering a security guard outside a private student housing complex near USC was sentenced Thursday to 50 years to life in state prison. Alexander Crawford, now 34, apologized to the victim’s family in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom, while noting that no apology “could ever rectify what has taken place.” He said that he does “take accountability” for his actions, but maintained that he is “not really a bad person.” “I’m going to take this life experience and use it to become a better person,” he told Jave Garanganao’s family. Authorities said the security guard had asked Crawford earlier to leave the Lorenzo apartment complex in the 300 block of West Adams Boulevard, about a half-mile from the main USC campus, on Dec. 27, 2022. During the sentencing hearing, nearly a dozen people spoke on behalf of the victim, who was described as a devoted father to his teenage daughter. 

MyNewsLA

1 stabbed, killed during argument in Northridge, police say

One person was killed after being stabbed during an argument in Northridge overnight, and a suspect was taken into custody. The deadly incident unfolded around 9:30 p.m. Thursday on Wilbur Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators say the suspect and victim were seen arguing, but it's unclear what the fight was about. The suspect pulled out a knife and cut the victim before running away, police said. The victim, who has not been identified, died at the scene. Meanwhile, the suspect was seen being arrested at a grocery store about a mile away. The relationship between the two was also unclear, but police said the stabbing was not gang-related. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

ABC 7

LAPD seeks drivers in fatal hit-and-run by 3 vehicles

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public’s help in tracking down the drivers of three vehicles that struck a pedestrian and left him to die in Studio City just before Christmas. The vehicles hit the man as he was sitting in the roadway of Ventura Boulevard at the intersection with Van Noord Avenue at about 5:40 a.m. on Dec. 23, police said in a news release. The first vehicle, a white cargo van headed east on Ventura, ran over the man’s foot and kept driving, police said. “Moments later, the pedestrian laid down on the roadway when two additional vehicles ran over him,” police said. “All three vehicles also continued eastbound Ventura Blvd without stopping or rendering aid.” The second vehicle is believed to be a white sedan, while the third is a white SUV. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 818-644-8033.

KTLA 5

NoHo Woman to Plead Guilty to Acting As Getaway Driver in Armed Robbery Spree

A San Fernando Valley woman is expected to plead guilty Thursday to federal charges for her alleged role as the getaway driver in a series of robberies of smoke shops, donut shops and convenience stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties two years ago. Abigail Luckey, 50, of North Hollywood, has agreed to enter a plea to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery — known as a Hobbs Act offense. Co-defendant Antonio Bland, 36, of North Hollywood, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the case and is set for sentencing on Feb. 26 in Los Angeles federal court. A third defendant, Ronnie Tucker, 23, of Long Beach, is awaiting trial. Prosecutors say a dozen businesses were targeted in January and February of 2024: a smoke shop in Tustin, nine 7-Eleven stores in North Hollywood, Burbank, Torrance, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, and donut shops in Los Angeles and Downey.

MyNewsLA

Hidden camera discovered outside elderly woman’s home in Highland Park

An 80-year-old woman and her family are frightened after a hidden camera was discovered outside her home in L.A.’s Highland Park neighborhood. The woman’s son, identified only as “Kenny” out of safety concerns, said his mother called him when she noticed the device hidden among her potted plants on Jan. 5. As she was watering the plants, she suddenly spotted a rectangular device that was camouflaged with fake grass. “She saw the wire hanging out,” Kenny said. “I pulled it out and it was a camera hidden right here and it’s facing the front door.” Kenny believes the hidden camera was meant to monitor his mother in a possible burglary attempt. He immediately disconnected the battery pack and covered the camera lens with tape. “It was wrapped really carefully and taped really tight inside,” he told KTLA’s Sara Welch. Kenny said he wasn’t able to turn the device off because it required a password to unlock. He reported the incident to the Los Angeles Police Department and turned the device over to detectives.

KTLA 5

Silver Alert Activated For At-Risk 68-Year-Old Man Last Seen in Hollywood

A Silver Alert was activated Wednesday on behalf of an at-risk 68-year-old man last seen in Hollywood. Timothy Carney was last seen at 11 a.m. on Dec. 30 near Formosa Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol, which activated the alert Wednesday on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department. Carney was described as a 6-foot-tall man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and eyes. It remains unclear what he was wearing when last seen. Anyone with information regarding Carney’s whereabouts was urged to call 911. The CHP established the Silver Alert program to issue and coordinate searches for missing elderly, developmentally disabled or cognitively impaired individuals.

MyNewsLA

Santa Monica mother charged with her baby girl's murder

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged a Santa Monica woman with her baby girl's murder. Investigators arrested 24-year-old Carmen Degregg without incident after she made "statements indicating she had harmed her child," while wandering around UCLA's campus, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Officers found her baby at an apartment in the 2000 block of Broadway in Santa Monica. They said the child had "significant injuries." Paramedics took the baby to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. "The allegations in this case describe extreme violence against a child who was entirely vulnerable and unable to protect herself," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. "When a parent is accused of causing a child's death, our office has a duty to act decisively and to seek the maximum accountability permitted by law."

CBS 2

California man convicted of killing five of his kids over a decade

A Central California man has been convicted of murdering five of his infant children within months of each of them being born over the course of a decade. Paul Allen Perez, 63, was convicted Tuesday of four counts of murder and one count of assault of a child under 8 with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death, according to a Yolo County district attorney’s office news release. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole and is scheduled to be sentenced April 6. Perez killed all the children between 1992 and 2001 in Northern and Central California, according to the release. The remains of one of the infants were found submerged in a cooler in 2007 and familial DNA determined that Perez was the biological father. “These crimes involved pure evil,” Yolo County Dist. Atty. Jeff Reisig said in the release. “The defendant should die in prison. May the souls of his murdered children rest in peace.” On March 29, 2007, the body of an infant was found by a fisherman in a waterway east of Woodland, according to a Yolo County Sheriff’s Office news release. The baby was found in a sealed container and weighed down with heavy objects.

Los Angeles Times

BWC shows moments leading up to fatal shooting of Calif. PD K-9 by fleeing gang member

The Burbank Police Department released body camera footage showing the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of a police K-9 during a confrontation with an armed suspect in November, ABC 7 reported. K-9 Spike was killed on Nov. 22 during a foot pursuit of a suspect who was fleeing a traffic stop. The incident began when officers initiated a traffic stop. The suspect, a passenger in the vehicle, fled on foot after being told to get out. A police helicopter later located him hiding in dense brush near the freeway. Multiple agencies responded to the scene, and K-9 Spike was deployed to take the suspect into custody. In response to the K-9 deployment, the suspect fired multiple shots, wounding K-9 Spike. Spike was rushed to the emergency vet, but did not survive his injuries. The suspect continued to fire at officers, striking cruisers. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect. The suspect was a documented member of the 18th Street Gang and had a history of weapons-related arrests, according to the report. He was also previously taken into custody in 2010 for illegal re-entry into the U.S. after being deported. Spike, who served with the department for two years, was honored in a public memorial and procession following the incident.

PoliceOne

Highland Park Apartment Building Catches Fire

Crews knocked down a fire at an apartment building in Highland Park Thursday, and a 70-year-old woman was being evaluated for possible injuries. The fire was reported at 1:03 p.m. in the 200 block of North Avenue 54, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The first arriving companies encountered flames coming from a second-floor unit in the rear of the two-story building, according to LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz. Firefighters ventilated the roof and attacked the flames inside the building, she said. The fire was out in 19 minutes, Lantz said. An update on the woman’s condition was not immediately available.

MyNewsLA

LA Council Reconvenes Friday With Focus on Palisades, Immigration, Budget

The Los Angeles City Council is set to meet Friday for its first session of the new year following a three-week recess, with agenda items expected to include rebuilding Pacific Palisades, responding to federal immigration enforcement actions, and efforts to increase city revenue. Earlier this week, residents in Pacific Palisades marked the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire, an event marked by anger, frustration and cautious hope about rebuilding. While city officials have taken steps to restore the coastal neighborhood, a proposal to waive permit fees for property owners in the fire zone drew concern from some council members in December. Permit and plan check fees associated with the repair or reconstruction of homes damaged or destroyed by the wildfires have been paused since April 2025. Two proposals are under discussion to permanently waive those fees, with the city covering the cost. Some council members have expressed concern about assuming the expense as the city works to reduce budget deficits after closing a $1 billion shortfall and avoiding 1,600 layoffs.

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.