Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News Man sentenced for killing 17-year-old honor student in El Sereno A man was sentenced to 24 years to life in state prison for fatally stabbing a 17-year-old honor student in El Sereno in 2023 and attacking another man in downtown Los Angeles, the LA County DA's Office confirmed to NBC Los Angeles Tuesday. David Anthony Zapata, now 35, pleaded no context to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Xavier Chavarin, a straight-A senior at Woodrow Wilson High School. The teenager was waiting for his mom to pick him up after school when the attacker got out of a older model Honda CRV and killed him using a large knife on March 3, 2023. "It breaks my heart, the fact that they just took him away from me," Laura Frias, the teen's mother, had told NBCLA in 2023. "Perfect child, perfect child." During Tuesday's sentencing in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, the Chavarin family was present and spoke directly to Zapata. "You're a coward. You killed my son,'' Daniel Chavarin, the late teens father, said. Hours after attacking Xavier, Zapata stabbed the second victim, Daniel Villalobos, in the community northeast of downtown Los Angeles, authorities had said. Villalobos, a father of three, was later treated and released from the hospital. Zapata was arrested a few days later following an hours-long standoff at the Alhambra home where he lived had to be dispatched to the San Gabriel Valley neighborhood. “These were senseless attacks," LAPD Lt. Ryan Rabbett said in 2023. "No confrontation, no words exchanged. Really just spontaneous and brutal." NBC 4 Arrests made in ‘takedown’ of sex trafficking operation on L.A.’s Figueroa corridor Federal and local law enforcement agencies arrested nine people Wednesday, part of what officials described as a major “takedown” of a sex trafficking operation in the Figueroa corridor of South Los Angeles. The operation, which unfolded early Wednesday morning, involved Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles Police Department, according to First Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, who said they were “targeting human trafficking in the Figueroa corridor, where girls as young as 14 are being sold for sex.” A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in L.A. said an arrest was also made Monday tied to the case. A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday said the accused were “members and associates of an organization known as the ‘Hoovers.’” In August, authorities touted another operation on the Figueroa Corridor. Officials said the Hoovers gang largely controlled sex trafficking and prostitution along a 3.5-mile stretch of Figueroa Street between approximately Slauson Avenue and Century Boulevard. Known as “The Blade,” the Figueroa corridor is by far the most notorious sex trade hub or “track” in the city. Police officials and advocates for trafficking victims say that the Hoovers gang has long held a stranglehold on the area. Federal charging documents said the Hoovers formed in the late 1970s with territory that largely encompassed the Figueroa corridor. Los Angeles Times Chaotic street takeover breaks out in Pacoima after Mexico's World Cup win A street takeover broke out at a Pacoima intersection Tuesday night following Mexico's World Cup win, with drivers performing dangerous donuts as crowds looked on. Video from AIR7 showed a man sitting on the ledge of a car window as the vehicle spun in circles in the intersection. At one point, several spectators approached a vehicle and were seen recording the driver's stunts from just a few feet away. Tire marks from burnouts were visible on the street as multiple vehicles participated in the street takeover. A few blocks away, Los Angeles police formed a skirmish line as officers cleared another gathering. Fans took to the streets across Los Angeles on Tuesday night to celebrate Mexico's 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the World Cup. AIR7 also captured scenes along Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, where fans gathered at an intersection waving green, white and red Mexican flags. Similar celebrations occurred in Huntington Park and Boyle Heights, where crowds shut down intersections. In other parts of the San Fernando Valley, AIR7 recorded fireworks lighting up the night sky. ABC 7 Man dies after violent solo crash in Sherman Oaks A man died in a single-car crash in Sherman Oaks early Wednesday morning, authorities say. According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the collision occurred just before 1 a.m. in the 3600 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. “It appears that the driver was traveling northbound on Sepulveda when he lost control, crossed the center median and struck a light pole,” the spokesperson confirmed. “Only the driver was in the car and no other victims or patients were reported.” The identity of the decedent was not immediately known. Graphic video obtained by KTLA shows the deceased victim still inside the wrecked vehicle while Los Angeles Fire Department first responders worked to drag the car away from the pole it was wrapped around. His body was eventually wrapped in a white sheet before it was removed from the scene. It was not clear right away what caused the man to lose control of his vehicle. KTLA 5 Missing San Pedro man found stabbed to death, reward offered for suspect info Detectives are offering a reward for suspect information after a San Pedro man who was reported missing by loved ones was found stabbed to death. Damon Eugene Bluthenthal, 50, was reported missing from his apartment on Christmas Eve 2024. Five days later, Bluthenthal’s body was found at a vacant lot in Compton near the Artesia station along the Metro A Line, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. His body had been concealed with materials. He had multiple stab wounds and injuries that appeared to be defensive wounds. He had also been suffocated. He was pronounced dead at the scene by fire department personnel. “Evidence pointed to the fact that he was murdered at a different location and disposed of in Compton,” LASD detectives said. “Investigators have worked very hard on this case and have exhausted all leads, therefore we are asking for the public’s help for any information that can help solve this murder,” said LASD Lt. Steve de Jong. On June, 30, 2026, a $15,000 reward was announced by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. KTLA 5 Public Safety News SoCal Officials Urge Fireworks Safety Ahead of Fourth Of July As Southern Californians prepare for Fourth of July celebrations, the California Fire Foundation Wednesday was urging residents to use fireworks responsibly and take precautions to reduce the risk of wildfires and injuries. The foundation said residents should use only California State Fire Marshal-approved “Safe and Sane” fireworks where they are legal, keep fireworks away from dry grass and other flammable vegetation, and always have a bucket of water or garden hose nearby. Officials also advised lighting only one firework at a time, carefully following manufacturer instructions and soaking used fireworks in water before disposing of them. The foundation noted that local governments may prohibit all fireworks, even those approved by the state, particularly in communities with elevated wildfire risk. Residents were urged to check local regulations before purchasing or using fireworks. MyNewsLA CDC seeks source of parasitic outbreak linked to ‘explosive’ diarrhea in multiple states The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to find the source of a parasitic illness that’s spreading across the country. At least 145 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported across 17 states. Twenty people have been hospitalized after suffering severe symptoms. Public health teams are investigating several clusters of cases reported in New York, Illinois and Texas. New York has been the hardest hit, with 31 to 80 people sickened there since the outbreak began, according to Nexstar’s WPIX. Other states linked to the outbreak include Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin, WPIX reported. Cyclosporiasis is a type of food poisoning caused by a parasite, according to the CDC. People usually become infected from eating contaminated food or water. KTLA 5 Local Government News Los Angeles City Council pulls proposal for non-citizen voting from November ballot Los Angeles City Council members on Tuesday agreed to scrap a proposal that would put a measure allowing non-citizen voting on the November ballot. Instead, the council unanimously voted to pursue further study, with the eventual goal of the proposal returning to voters sometime before 2028. The decision was made after several council members voiced concerns about the proposal's potential impact, including Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, who introduced it in April and advocated for the amendment. He said that he had not done enough outreach on the proposal. "I grew up in South Central Los Angeles. The Black and Brown solidarity is deep to me, and means something to me, and I don't want this to be something that gets pushed through that is seen as negative, something negative for the city of Los Angeles," he said, noting that he received letters from Black community leaders that raised concerns about the potential impact. CBS 2 LA Council Approves Fourth & Central Mixed-Use Development in Downtown The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday unanimously approved zoning for Fourth & Central, one of the largest mixed-used development projects in the city’s history. Located on eight acres adjacent to the Little Tokyo/Arts District Metro station, Fourth & Central will consist of 1,521 apartment units, 400,000 square feet of office space, more than 100,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and two acres of public open space across 10 buildings at the crossroads of Little Tokyo, Skid Row and the Arts District. Cold storage facilities, parking lots and warehouses are currently at the site. The project will be owned by the warehouse company Los Angeles Cold Storage. The Downtown Women’s Center will be the service provider for residents. “We have literally spent years working on our plan to transform this industrial property into a mixed-use community,” Larry Rauch, president of Los Angeles Cold Storage, said in a statement. “To hear our city’s decision-makers agree with our vision for what downtown Los Angeles can and should be makes today’s major milestone all the more rewarding,” Rauch added. 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. 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