LAPD homicide clearance rate rose to nearly 70% in 2025

Los Angeles police solved more than two thirds of all homicides citywide in 2025, a year that ended with the fewest number of slayings in six decades, according to statistics presented by local authorities on Thursday. Of the 230 homicides logged in areas patrolled by the LAPD, officials said that 156, or 68%, were considered solved. By the department’s definition, a homicide can be “cleared” through an arrest or other factors, including if the killing was deemed legally justified or the suspect dies. Whether the case results in criminal charges or a conviction is not part of the department’s methodology. Factoring in the 78 homicides from past years that were solved in 2025, the clearance rate rose to 101%, officials said. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the department’s success in solving homicides was the result of more data-driven actions against the relatively small number of individuals responsible for an outsize proportion of violent crimes, as well as collaboration with federal law enforcement and other agencies. McDonnell pointed to an 8% reduction in the number of gunshot victims citywide, a decline he attributed to a significant increase in the number of guns seized by police. In 2025, LAPD officials recovered 8,650 firearms, 1,000 more than the previous year, he said. Gang killings still account for most of the city’s homicides, but are far below where they were in years past, officials said. The chief said police need to remain diligent since “every life lost was one too many.” The trends for other categories of violent crime were a “mixed bag,” he said, and concerns about property crimes such as burglary and vehicle thefts remain ongoing.

Los Angeles Times

3 women, man hospitalized after overnight shooting in Los Angeles 

A man and three women were rushed to a hospital after being shot in L.A.’s Broadway-Manchester neighborhood overnight, police say. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, gunfire erupted in the 100 block of West 89th Street around 1 a.m. Wednesday. The location provided by police is not far from Dr. Owen Lloyd Knox Elementary School. The victims were all standing outside in a residential area when they were shot at, an LAPD spokesperson told KTLA. All of them were taken to a hospital where, as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, they were listed in stable condition. The suspect in the shooting remains outstanding, authorities said, and no description was available. It was not immediately known if the incident was gang related. 

KTLA 5

Drive-by Shooting in South Park Leaves Two Injured

Two 33-year-old men were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the South Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles and an investigation of the shooting is underway Wednesday. Los Angeles Police Department officers from the department’s Newton Division responded at approximately 10:50 Wednesday to 51st and San Pedro streets regarding a shots fired call. When they arrived at the scene, officers found one man who had been shot in the thigh and another in the leg, an LAPD spokeswoman told City News Service. Witnesses told officers a group of men seen near the scene drove up to the victims and fired several shots at them, police said. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics took the first victim to a hospital in stable condition and the second man was treated at the scene. The suspects drove away from the shooting in an unknown direction, police said.

MyNewsLA

LAPD investigating 2 hit-and-run crashes that left pedestrians with severe injuries in December

Los Angeles Police Department officers are investigating two different hit-and-run crashes that left pedestrians with severe injuries in December. The first instance happened on Dec. 12, 2025 at around 6 a.m., when police say that a dark-colored vehicle driving westbound on 9th Street, near L.A.'s Fashion District, struck a pedestrian who was crossing Maple Street in a crosswalk. Instead of stopping, the suspect continued to drive, fleeing from the area westbound on 9th Street, police said. The victim, who hasn't been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics with severe injuries, a news release from LAPD said. Officers responded to the scene of another hit-and-run crash on Dec. 29, 2025 at approximately 1:50 a.m. near Bonnie Brae Street and 6th Street, near the Westlake District, according to another LAPD news release. The crash happened as a black Honda sedan was driving north on Bonnie Brae Street when it "veered to the right and collided into a parked vehicle," the LAPD release said. "That collision caused the parked vehicle to crash into the victim, who was standing next to it.” Police say that the driver fled north on Bonnie Brae instead of helping the victim. 

CBS 2

7-Eleven employee attacked in downtown LA, separate store robbed in Westlake

A 7-Eleven employee was attacked at a store in downtown Los Angeles. The incident happened at the convenience store location on Los Angeles and 2nd Street around midnight Tuesday. The employee was treated at the scene, and investigators don't think anything was taken. Meanwhile, there was another incident at a separate 7-Eleven store in the Westlake area. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the store on Witmer Street and Wilshire Boulevard was robbed by an adult man around the same time as the downtown L.A. incident. The suspect allegedly used force to rob the store and then dropped stolen goods while making his escape in a waiting car. No arrests have been made in either incident.

ABC 7

Statewide human trafficking crackdown led to hundreds of arrests, L.A. authorities say

Authorities in Los Angeles on Tuesday touted the results of a statewide crackdown on human trafficking, announcing the arrests of more than 600 suspects and saying more than 170 victims were rescued as part of the operation. The weeklong campaign was part of an annual effort spearheaded by the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, and 80 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies looking to curb a crime that officials said targets the most vulnerable. “This is a multibillion-dollar industry,” said Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman. “It is nothing less than modern slavery.” Operations focused on corridors known for prostitution, and also involved parole and probation checks on individuals previously arrested for similar crimes, authorities said. In one case, Sheriff Robert Luna said, a citizen complaint about a possible residential brothel led to the discovery of multiple residential brothels in Walnut and the arrest of six suspected traffickers. “California will not be a refuge to predators,” Luna said. The arrests and the annual enforcement campaign, Luna said, are meant to send a message to traffickers in the area: “We’re coming after you. Don’t do this. You’re going to be arrested, and you’re going to be held accountable.”

Los Angeles Times

Suspect accused of ramming LASD Deputy at Commerce Gas Station on the run

A manhunt is underway in Commerce after a driver allegedly used a pickup truck to strike a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy before leading authorities on a brief pursuit that ended in a foot chase. The incident began at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of East Washington Boulevard and Fidelia Avenue, according to authorities. A suspect reportedly slammed his pickup truck into a deputy's vehicle at a gas station and immediately fled the scene. About two miles away, in the 6000 block of Southside Street, the suspect crashed into at least one parked vehicle, officials said. Following the second collision, the suspect ditched the truck and ran away into a nearby residential area. The deputy was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released.

FOX 11

California lawmakers push bipartisan effort to toughen penalties for DUI offenses

California lawmakers introduced a bipartisan legislative package to crack down on drunk driving in the state. "California is the epicenter of America's drunk driving crisis," said State Assemblywoman Cottie Petris-Norris, who authored one of the bills. In addition to longer license suspensions and increased training for law enforcement, the bill package aims to require first-time offenders to install an interlocking ignition device, which requires a breathalyzer test to start a car. Petris-Norris has tried to push the bill through the state legislature twice before. "There have been 35 other states that have implemented similar laws with similar requirements," Petris-Norris said. "We have seen that it works." Another bill would close a loophole that allows judges to dismiss cases against drunk drivers facing misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges if they take an alcohol education program. "I think most people would be surprised to learn that," Petris-Norris said. "That's why we want to make sure we close that loophole and strengthen accountability."

CBS 2

Teen girl found dead in Hollywood house fire, elderly woman listed in ‘grave’ condition

A teenage girl is dead and her grandmother in grave condition after a fire burned through a home in Hollywood, according to authorities. The fire was reported around 3 a.m. at a home in the 1700 block of North Vista Del Mar, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert. When crews arrived, they were immediately “pushed back by the flames of how intense it was at the front of the house,” LAFD Capt. Cody Weireter told KTTV. Eventually, firefighters got enough of a handle on the fire to get inside and look around. Crews found a 15-year-old girl and 70-year-old woman, officials said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene but paramedics were able to revive the elderly woman on the way to the hospital, Weireter told reporters. She was listed in grave condition. The fire was knocked down in under 20 minutes and the cause is under investigation.

Los Angeles Times

1 dead, 4 injured in crash on 5 Freeway in Sun Valley

One person was killed and four others were injured Tuesday night in a two-car crash that temporarily shut down all southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway in Sun Valley, authorities said. The collision was reported just before 10 p.m. and forced the California Highway Patrol to shut down all southbound lanes of the freeway at Sunland Boulevard. A person was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Fire officials said four females - ages 7, 19, 22 and 42 - were taken to hospitals in fair or serious condition. Video from the scene showed a red SUV with extensive front-end damage and another damaged vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway. Traffic on the southbound 5 was brought to a standstill as officials investigated the crash. The cause of the collision is unknown. One lane reopened just before 11:20 p.m. It's unclear when all lanes will reopen.

ABC 7

LA City OKs plan to waive rebuilding permit fees for eligible Palisades Fire survivors

Almost 13 months after the devastating Palisades fire, Los Angeles city leaders are moving closer to offering major financial relief for families still struggling to rebuild. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to advance a proposal that would waive rebuilding permit fees for residents and businesses impacted by the fire — a move many homeowners say could determine whether they are able to return at all. Some homes in Pacific Palisades are already under construction. Others have not yet begun. Residents say permit fees, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, have been a major obstacle in the rebuilding process. "That can make the difference for a lot of people, so I’m glad to hear that," said resident Larry Newman. Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the Palisades, said Tuesday’s vote was a critical first step. The council directed the city attorney to amend an ordinance that previously prevented the city from waiving those fees.

FOX 11

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.