Good Morning. Join Mission Division officers for a memorial bike ride honoring the 1-year anniversary of LAPD Officer Valentin Martinez's passing. There is a 20 mile and 40 mile route. The event will take place Saturday July 24th, 2021. The proceeds raised for this event will benefit Mission's youth groups and more importantly, an education fund for Officer Valentin Martinez's 5 month old twin boys. Click here for more information.
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Memorial Service To Be Held At Forum For LA County Firefighter Killed By Colleague
An invitation-only memorial service will be held at the Forum Thursday for Los Angeles County Firefighter Tory Carlon, who was shot and killed by a colleague. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby, county Supervisor Kathryn Barger, other invited dignitaries and Carlon's family are set to attend the 10 a.m. service which will be streamed at the department's Facebook page. Carlon, 44, was shot multiple times at Fire Station 81 in the 8700 block of Sierra Highway on June 1 by off-duty firefighter Jonathan Patrick Tatone, 45. A 54-year-old fire captain was also injured in the shooting. Carlon was pronounced dead at the scene. The fire captain was taken to a hospital and treated for his wounds. After the shooting, Tatone drove to his home in Acton about 10 miles from the station and appeared to set fire to the structure. He was later found dead in the home's backyard of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
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The Deadly Results Of Defunding The Police
The Woodson Center family lost one of our own on Memorial Day. Makhi Buckly, the 19-year-old grandson of Carl Hardrick, one of our most faithful leaders in youth violence prevention, was fatally shot in Hartford, Conn. Makhi was a student athlete in his freshman year at American International College in Springfield, Mass. When Carl called to tell me the terrible news, his words broke my heart: “It’s my job to keep kids safe, but I can’t even protect my own grandson.” Our grief is shared by hundreds of minority families that have lost children to senseless violence over the past year. In June 2020, 3-year-old Mekhi James was killed on his way home from a haircut, riding in the back seat of a car in Chicago. A week later, 10-year-old Lena Marie Nunez-Anaya was killed after a stray bullet came through the window of her Chicago apartment. In July 2020, 7-year-old Natalia Wallace was shot in the forehead as she played outside, also in Chicago. Eleven-year-old Davon McNeal was struck by a stray bullet shortly after a Fourth of July peace cookout organized by his mother in Washington. In April, 11-month-old Dior Harris was shot and killed in the back seat of a car in Syracuse, N.Y. Two other children who were riding in the same car were also wounded. Over the past few years, the deaths of unarmed black people at police hands—including the murder of George Floyd—have rightly generated national outrage. But the number of unarmed blacks killed by police represents a fraction of those who are killed each day in our neighborhoods. Many of these victims are children. In 2020 nearly four children and teens were shot and killed each day in America on average. Yet the national press habitually ignores any victim who isn’t killed by the police, distorting our understanding of what is really going on.
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One Of Two Murderers In Reseda High School Handball Stabbing Resentenced As Juvenile
The killer of an 18-year-old man who was stabbed to death while playing handball at Reseda’s Cleveland High School in 2013 was resentenced Monday as a juvenile — which may mean his release from confinement is imminent. Judge Morton Rochman ruled that 25-year-old Anthony Carpio — who was a 16-year-old gang member when he pulled a knife on Kevin Orellana and stabbed him multiple times — would be subject to a maximum confinement of 16 years to life. That mirrors Carpio’s original sentence, but as a juvenile, Carpio would be under the jurisdiction of the Division of Juvenile Justice, which typically releases offenders at the age of 25. A retired deputy district attorney and pro bono victims’ rights lawyer representing Orellana’s family told City News Service, “He will likely be out very soon.” As an adult, Carpio wouldn’t have been eligible for parole earlier than 2026, according to state prison records. Carpio, of Panorama City, and his older brother, Michael Steve Carpio of Pacoima — both gang members — were convicted on Oct. 31, 2015, of second-degree murder in Orellana’s killing.
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Teenager Shot In Florence Neighborhood Of South LA
A teenager was shot Monday in the Florence neighborhood of South Los Angeles, and authorities were looking for the gunman. The shooting was reported around 10:38 a.m. near the intersection of Avalon Boulevard and East 83rd Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The victim, a teenager whose exact age and gender were not immediately released, suffered a gunshot wound under the right shoulder. The teen was conscious and breathing when first responders transported the teen to the hospital in stable condition. No suspect description was available. Additional details were not released.
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Pedestrian Killed In Van Nuys Hit-and-Run Crash; Driver Sought
Police are asking for help in their search for a hit-and-run driver that killed a pedestrian in Van Nuys Sunday evening. The unidentified victim was crossing Hazeltine Avenue just south of Gault Street when he was struck by a silver sedan shortly before 9 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department stated. The driver of the sedan, which was traveling northbound on Hazeltine, then fled the scene without attempting to render aid to the victim, according to the Police Department. The victim, described only as a man in his 30s, was taken in grave condition to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Investigators say the silver sedan involved in the crash has severe damage to the front end and windshield area. Authorities are searching for the vehicle and the driver. No description of the driver was immediately available. A reward of up to $50,000 is available to whoever provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
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Man Wounded In Koreatown Shooting
A man was wounded in a shooting in the parking lot of a bank in Koreatown and the shooter was on the loose Tuesday morning. Los Angeles police responded to a shooting about 10:55 p.m. Monday at a Bank of America branch near Olympic Boulevard and Western Avenue and discovered the victim had left the scene and crashed his vehicle into a parked car near Western Avenue and San Marino Street. The victim was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. Video from the scene showed the victim’s sedan crashed into a parked vehicle and officers scouring the parking lot for evidence. A detailed description of the shooter was not immediately available.
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L.A. Dentist Accused Of Sexually Abusing Patients, Targeting Immigrants And Low-Income Women
A Los Angeles dentist was charged Monday with sexually abusing nine female patients and accused of preying on women from immigrant and low-income communities. Emad Fathy Moawad, 50, is accused of targeting the female patients who came to his office on Beverly Boulevard and Normandie Avenue between 2013 and 2018, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney. His victims during the five-year span ranged in age from 27 to 73. Moawad is charged with nine counts of sexual battery by restraint, three counts of sexual penetration by use of force and a single count of attempted sexual penetration by use of force. “This case is especially concerning because its victims are low-income people and immigrants who are less likely to report crimes due to fear,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges. “We are asking other possible victims to come forward and help us keep our community safe.” Moawad appeared in court on Monday, but his arraignment was continued to Wednesday. The charges follow a lengthy investigation by LAPD sex crimes detectives with the department’s West Bureau. Moawad did not return calls seeking comment Monday.
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Teen Returns Home After Disappearing In Hollywood Hills For Several Hours
A teen at the center of a hiking search and rescue came home safely after disappearing in Hollywood Hills for several hours. Prior to his return emergency crews responded to a call in the 6400 block of Widlake Drive regarding a missing 15-year-old boy. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the teen returned home on his own after crews did a thorough scan of hiking trails in Hollywood Hills. The boy was believed to be missing for about six hours before his parents told authorities he came home on his own.
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Assault On Asian American Woman In Culver City Investigated As Possible Hate Crime
An assault on an Asian American woman in Culver City early Monday is being investigated by police as a possible hate crime, officials reported. Officers responded to a call about an assault that occurred at 1 a.m. in the 13300 block of Washington Blvd, the Culver City Police Department said. The victim, who is of Asian American descent, told police she was walking to work heading west on Washington Boulevard when she was approached by a man who asked her for a cigarette. “Fearful of the male suspect, the victim told him that she did not have a cigarette and began to walk away,” police said in a post on Instagram. “As the victim attempted to walk away, the suspect approached her from behind, yelled a racial slur and hit her on the right side of her head with an unknown object causing her to fall to the ground.” The assailant then fled on foot heading west on Washington Boulevard. He is described as a white man, about 35 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, heavy set, with light-colored hair and was possible balding.
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Police In Santa Cruz Recover 9 Vintage Guitars That Were Stolen In L.A.
Authorities have recovered nine vintage guitars stolen nearly a year ago in a $2-million heist in Southern California. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Santa Cruz police found the guitars after serving search warrants at three locations in the city following a tip from Los Angeles police. The instruments are worth a combined $225,0000. They were part of some $2 million in music equipment stolen from a Los Angeles County storage unit in July. Southern California police made several arrests in connection with the case last year. Authorities later discovered that the guitars were being sold online via an address in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz police Lt. Arnold Vasquez said no arrests were made because it wasn’t immediately clear how the guitars came into the possession of people linked to the search locations.
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Number Of ‘Ghost Guns’ Seized By San Diego Police On Pace To Double Last Year’s Take
San Diego police are on pace this year to nearly double the number of ghost guns — firearms that are assembled by hand and are usually untraceable — that they impounded last year, according to a new report on the proliferation of such weapons in the city. Police have gone from finding and seizing an average of 17.6 ghost guns a month last year to an average of 35.6 ghost guns a month this year, according to the report San Diego police provided to a member of the City Council Friday. Of every five guns police seize, one is a ghost gun. And, the report states, the consensus among investigators in the department’s Special Operations Unit is that 90 percent of the ghost guns San Diego police found were made by “a small group of people” that sell the guns by using social media. The five-page overview came at the request of Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who last month asked Chief David Nisleit for a report on proliferation of such weapons and the enforcement efforts targeting them. Ghosts guns are firearms assembled by hand from parts that sometimes come in prepackaged kits, which are legal. Because the parts are not classified as guns, they have no serial numbers, making them difficult if not impossible to trace.
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Northern California Gun Bust Uncovers $600,000 Unemployment Fraud Scheme
In what a district attorney called a “dangerous combination,” prosecutors say a gun bust has led investigators to uncover $600,000 in pandemic-related fraud from California’s beleaguered unemployment agency. Adrian Sykes, 24, was arrested Monday for the second time in the case, this time in Las Vegas. He was initially arrested in February after a traffic stop in Sacramento, where prosecutors said he was found with an illegal fully automatic handgun. A search of his home turned up drugs, body armor and five guns including an assault rifle and two loaded unregistered guns, one a Mac-9 and the other an assault pistol, prosecutors said. Investigators said they also found six unemployment agency debit cards. Sykes was initially charged with six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one of possessing drugs with a firearm, and one of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He posted bail and was released, but investigators followed up on the debit cards. Prosecutors allege that Sykes and his girlfriend, Brittney Murchison, 26, filed 35 fraudulent unemployment claims and obtained more than $600,000 using personal identifying information from victims nationwide.
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Gun Violence In 6 States This Weekend Brings US Mass Shootings To 272 So Far This Year
As the nation marked the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando on Saturday, it has a staggering and grim new statistic to contend with for 2021. So far this year, we have suffered 272 mass shootings, according to Gun Violence Archive. From Friday afternoon to Sunday, at least nine people were killed and another 47 were injured in eight mass shootings in six states, according to data compiled by CNN and the Gun Violence Archive. An 18-month-old and 4-year-old were among the youngest victims, authorities said. The total number of mass shootings is about 40% higher than at this point in 2020, and about 65% higher than at this point in 2019, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. There were an estimated 194 mass shootings in the US during this same period in 2020, and an estimated 164 mass shootings in the US in this same period in 2019. CNN defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot, excluding the shooter. This weekend’s mass shootings include incidents in Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Washington state.
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2nd Arrest Made In Deadly Downtown Austin Mass Shooting
Police made a second arrest Monday in a weekend shooting that killed a man and left more than a dozen more people wounded after gunfire rang out on in a busy, downtown Austin entertainment district. Officers arrested a 17-year-old boy at Harker Heights High School in Harker Heights, according to statements from Austin police and the Killeen Independent School District. He is facing a charge of aggravated assault. Austin police are working closely with the Killeen Independent School District and its police department in the investigation, according to a statement from the district. A spokesman for Killeen school police confirmed the arrest of the 17-year-old and referred further questions to the school district about 70 miles (112.65 kilometers) north of Austin. The school district referred questions to Austin police, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Austin police announced a prior arrest Saturday, hours after the early-morning shooting. Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon has said investigators believe the violence started as a dispute between two parties. Chacon declined to disclose details such as whether detectives believe both suspects fired shots, citing the ongoing investigation.
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LA County Set To Largely Reopen Tuesday After More Than A Year Of Coronavirus Restrictions. Here’s What That Means
Los Angeles County is about to hit a milestone on Tuesday, June 15 — by joining California in fully reopening its economy. After a year of scrambling to stay alive, businesses will be allowed to forgo coronavirus-related social distancing and open to full capacity, while fully vaccinated individuals can largely ditch masks. Bars can put their stools back at the counter. Dodger Stadium will be at full capacity for the first time since 2019. Restaurants and stores don’t have to worry about capacity limits either. And folks don’t have to fret about whether they are 6 feet apart from others. But the change also comes with uncertainties and concerns. Business owners, for example, have said government agencies haven’t provided precise information about what is allowed starting Tuesday, meaning the reopening could mark another daunting phase as they navigate the post-pandemic world. Specifically, some have said they are unsure whether their vaccinated workers would need to wear masks, ask patrons about their vaccination status, or require both workers and staff to wear face coverings for now.
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Milestone: California Reopens, Lifts Majority Of Its Mask Restrictions, Ends Social Distancing Requirements
Marking a milestone, California Tuesday lifted the vast majority of its coronavirus restrictions for the first time since the pandemic took hold 15 months ago. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the state ended the stay-at-home order and its four-tier, color-coded roadmap of restrictions on economic activity and public gatherings that was based on county coronavirus case rates and testing-positivity rates. The state officially lifted all physical-distancing requirements and capacity restrictions at businesses and public gatherings. The result is that businesses can generally return to near-normal operations, including indoor bars and restaurants. Concerts can resume, along with full-capacity crowds at sporting events. Gyms and fitness centers can reopen indoors at full capacity as well. The Abbey in West Hollywood held a special midnight countdown celebration to mark the official lifting of the restrictions. The famous Langer’s Deli in Westlake has only been doing takeout and delivery for the past 469 days. They will have customers dining inside for the first time since March of 2020.
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