Good Morning. LAPD Officer Sum Hu, or “Bebe” to her friends, has spent the last several years caring for her ailing parents, all on her own. Her parents’ final wishes are to be buried in a specific cemetery honoring their culture. Officer Hu would very much like to fulfill and honor her parent’s wishes, but she will struggle to find the funds to cover the burial costs for her both of her parents. Click here for more information if you’re interested in helping Officer Hu.
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13-Year-Old Boy Shot In South L.A.
A 13-year-old boy was shot and wounded in South L.A. on Sunday evening, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The shooting occurred about 6:30 p.m. in the 4800 block of McKinley Avenue in the city’s Newton division, police said. The boy was transported for medical treatment at a local hospital in what was described as “stable” condition, said Capt. Stacy Spell, an LAPD spokesman. Spell said preliminary information was that the boy had been shot in the leg, but few details about the incident were immediately available Sunday night. The shooting comes amid a spate of sustained gun violence, which hit a 10-year high in 2020 in Los Angeles, and continued into 2021, which has gotten off to an even deadlier start than the year before. As of Feb. 13, homicides were up nearly 38% this year compared with the same period last year, according to LAPD data. Shootings were up nearly 145% over last year, and more than 163% over the same period in 2019. Much of the violence has occurred in South L.A. Police and community leaders blame a mix of factors — many to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated shutdowns. Police officials have said they are putting more officers into the neighborhoods most affected by the violence, and hope that easing COVID-19 restrictions will help restore balance and bring violence levels down. Violent crime was elevated in cities across the U.S. last year, not just in Los Angeles, leading criminologists and law enforcement leaders to believe localized factors — such as LAPD budget reductions, or changes in local deployments — are unlikely to be the main cause of the uptick.
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Man, 23, Wounded At Party In South L.A. Warehouse
A man suffered several gunshots while attending a private party Saturday at a warehouse in South Los Angeles, authorities said. The shooting occurred a little after 1:10 a.m. in the 600 block of West 135th Street, said Officer Rosario Cervantes of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section. The victim was hospitalized with stable vital signs, Cervantes said. The shooting occurred at a private party inside a warehouse where at least 50 people were in attendance, according to CBS2, which also reported that the victim was a 23-year-old man from Pasadena. Cervantes said she could not confirm that account.
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LAPD Searching For Driver Who Ran Down Man In Central-Alameda Area
Police asked for the public’s help Sunday to find a hit-and-run driver who critically injured a 51-year-old man returning home from a market in the Central-Alameda area of Los Angeles. The crash happened about 10:15 a.m. in the 1100 block of East 49th Street, according to Los Angeles police. The victim suffered multiple blunt force traumas and was transported to Los Angeles County USC Medical center for treatment and remained in critical condition, the LAPD reported. The vehicle was described as a green 2004 to 2009 Toyota Prius with a heavily damaged front windshield, the LAPD said. The city is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver who never stopped after the crash. Anyone with information on the driver’s whereabouts was asked to call LAPD Officer C. LaFleur at Central Traffic Division at 213-833-3713.
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Onlooker Hit, Injured After Vehicle Loses Control During Street Takeover In South LA
A spectator was injured during a street takeover in South Los Angeles overnight. The incident happened early Saturday morning at the intersection of Gage and Normandie avenues, according to the LAPD. Video from the scene shows the cars doing spinouts and donuts, surrounded by a crowd that had gathered to watch the dangerous spectacle. At one point, one of the drivers lost control of the car and collided with the onlooker. The victim, only identified as a 31-year-old woman, suffered a broken leg and pelvis but taken to the hospital in stable condition. The driver of that car abandoned the vehicle at the scene before running away. Police have not yet made any arrests.
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Family Searching For Missing College Student From Brentwood, Suffering Mental Distress Due To Pandemic
It’s been exactly two months since 21-year-old Dane Elkins disappeared and he may be suffering from mental distress due to the pandemic. Family members say they have every reason to believe he is still alive. They are hoping someone recognizes him and he’s able to come home safe and soon. Elkins’ family passed out flyers at a Starbucks near their home Sunday afternoon. The UC Santa Cruz engineering student is a 23-time national (12-time world) racquetball champion and has a black belt in Taekwondo. His mom says he suffers from mental distress, which has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 crisis. "He was feeling isolated during the pandemic," says Deborah Elkins. "He was secretly living in his car and telling us he was staying with friends." His last known location, four days before Christmas, was southbound on the 5 Freeway near Templin Highway and Pyramid Lake in Castaic. Elkins had called 911 twice but when officers arrived, he was nowhere to be found. His car was still running with the tires flat and his cell phone, wallet and laptop inside. Elkins is 5’11 with an athletic build, 170 pounds. He has curly brown hair, green eyes and possibly a beard. If you see Elkins, investigators ask you to follow him discreetly, call 911 and take pictures, which you can send to [email protected]. Information can also be provided to the Los Angeles Police Department, Missing Persons Unit, at 213-996-1800.
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Arson Suspect Arrested In Series Of Fires Along 101 Freeway In Echo Park
Authorities arrested a man who allegedly admitted to setting six fires along the 101 Freeway in Echo Park early Friday morning, officials said. Edgar Saavedra-Recinos of Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of arson in the series of blazes that broke out between about 4:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. near the 101 Freeway and Coronado Street, the L.A. Fire Department said in a news release. The fires burned vegetation along the freeway’s containing walls and damaged a homeless encampment, but firefighters were able to put the flames out before they spread further. Aerial video from Sky5 showed a person running from where flames were burning along the freeway. A witness told KTLA she’d seen the arsonist in the area before. After examining the scenes and speaking to multiple witnesses, investigators identified Saavedra-Recinos as the suspect, LAFD said. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., an arson investigator searching the area of the first fire spotted Saavedra-Recinos and arrested him. After being booked by L.A. police, he admitted to starting all six fires, officials said.
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Mother Of Two Killed By A Stray Bullet That Came Through Her Window In Willowbrook
A stray bullet struck and killed a mother of two in Willowbrook when a fight that broke out during a gathering in a nearby parking lot resulted in gunfire. Deputies responded about 11 p.m. Tuesday to a call of a gunshot victim on the 13100 block of San Pedro Street, south of East El Segundo Boulevard. They found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. No arrests have been reported. The victim was identified as 40-year-old Dorothea Mercer. “She was a cool, loving person. She had kids,” said her brother, who asked not to be identified by name. “She was joyful, always having fun, always smiling. Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the case but have yet to make an arrest. “It's senseless man, I don’t know what’s going on,” the brother stated. “Every day it’s a different person dying over something senseless, you know?” “Just try to pray, keep prayers alive. Pray for the kids, pray for us, family and friends. Even for the people who did it, pray for them too.”
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LASD Searching For Killer In Athens Area
Sheriff’s homicide detectives continued their search Sunday for the person who gunned down a woman and wounded a man in the Athens area of unincorporated Los Angeles County. The shootings were reported at 3:25 p.m. Saturday in the 11800 block of Berendo Avenue, according to Deputy Trina Schrader. The fatal victim, a woman in her 20s, was taken to a hospital by friends, and pronounced dead, Schrader said. Her name was withheld pending notification of next of kin. Responding deputies found a man in his 50s who suffered a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital and was last listed in stable condition, Schrader said. A motive for the shootings was unknown at this point. Anyone with information was asked to call the LASD’s homicide detectives at 323-890-5500. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
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Florida Police Officer Dies In Rollover Crash On Duty
Miami resident Horacio Sebastián Dominguez — father, husband, military veteran, Miccosukee police officer — died in a single car crash on Interstate 75 early Sunday morning, the tribe and police department announced. Dominguez was 43 years old. He leaves behind a wife and a young daughter, the department said. "At this time the Tribe is providing support and assistance to the fallen officer's family," the department said. The department said Dominguez served with the Marines and had retired recently after serving as an Army National Guard staff sergeant. Florida Highway Patrol said a tire blowout caused Dominguez's marked police cruiser to flip several times as he headed west on I-75 around 1:26 a.m. Dominguez wasn't wearing his seat belt, was thrown from the car and landed in the median.
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2 NYPD Cops Seriously Injured In Crash With Cab En Route To Shooting
Two NYPD cops responding to a Brooklyn shooting were struck by a livery cab early Saturday, sending both officers to the hospital with broken bones and fractures, officials said. The cops were responding to a ShotSpotter alert on Vermont St. in East New York around 6:30 a.m. when a dark-colored sedan crashed into the squad car at the corner of Pennsylvania and Livonia Aves., said police. The marked squad car careened off the livery car and slammed head-on into a concrete and metal pillar for an elevated train line. Pictures from the scene show the crumpled cop car wrapped around the stanchion. Both officers suffered serious leg injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals. The 49-year-old livery cab driver was not seriously harmed, officials said. A doctor from Brookdale Hospital who witnessed the crash ran over help as 911 was called. One cop suffered two broken femurs and hip and head injuries and was taken to Brookdale Hospital. The second cop suffered a compound fracture on his left leg and was taken to Jamaica Hospital, officials said.
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L.A. County Continues To See Decline In Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations And Deaths
Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,465 new cases of the coronavirus and 93 related deaths, noting that case numbers are usually lower on the weekends because not all laboratories report results. Still, the sustained decline in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths suggests the county is turning the corner from a vicious fall and winter surge that killed about 12,000 people. The county has reported more than 1.1 million coronavirus cases overall and nearly 20,000 related deaths since the pandemic began. There were 2,213 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals as of Saturday, a drop of nearly 46% from two weeks before, when there were 4,079 patients. Orange County has seen similar trends, on Sunday reporting 252 new cases of the virus, 40 related deaths and 577 hospitalized patients, a drop of about 45% from two weeks before. Health officials have urged people to continue to remain vigilant about observing safety precautions as several variants of the virus are circulating in Southern California, including the one that emerged in the U.K. and is believed to be 50% more transmissible.
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More Cases Of U.K. COVID-19 Variant Detected In LA County
Los Angeles County reported 2,393 new cases of COVID-19 and 136 additional deaths on Saturday, while adding that two additional cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, first discovered in the U.K., have also been detected here. This brings the total of the B.1.1.7 variant to 14 in Los Angeles County. The U.K. variant is known to spread more easily and quickly than other variants. In January 2021, British scientists reported evidence that suggests it might be associated with an increased risk of death compared with other variants, but the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said more studies were needed to confirm this finding. "With the U.K. variant circulating in the county, we will likely see more variant cases identified in the county,'' Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. "We must remain diligent with our safety measures even though we see overall decreases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Let's keep our guard up because we know letting our guard down will lead to more cases and, tragically, more deaths again.'' The new numbers bring the county's totals to 1,179,063 infections and 19,793 deaths since the pandemic began.
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Vaccinations To Resume Tuesday At L.A. Sites After Delayed COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Is Shipped
With a delayed COVID-19 vaccine supply now shipped to Los Angeles, vaccinations are set to resume Tuesday at all six city-operated sites, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Sunday. People whose appointments were postponed Friday and Saturday will be prioritized first this week, and they’ll be notified about their new appointment by Monday, the mayor said. Those due for their second doses at a city-run site should hear from the city about their next appointment by Tuesday, he added. Some 26,000 vaccine doses meant for L.A. were held up in Kentucky, and another 37,000 doses meant for next week’s appointments were sitting in Tennessee amid severe weather conditions. About 12,500 COVID-19 vaccination appointments scheduled for Friday in the city were pushed back, and even more were postponed the next day. L.A.’s six vaccination sites include those at Dodger Stadium, Hansen Dam, San Fernando Park, Lincoln Park, Pierce College and the Crenshaw Christian Center. People in dozens of vehicles arrived at the Dodger Stadium COVID-19 vaccination site Friday morning, some saying they didn’t know all appointments were canceled because of the shortage in doses.
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