Law Enforcement News LAPD detective speaks out on 'Fox & Friends,' says people were 'sold a bag of goods' on bail reforms "I blame the [American Civil Liberties Union]. I think they sold everybody a bag of goods with this zero bail policy as we see. Our chief came out yesterday and said that 14 of these people that were arrested did not stay in jail. They got released and some of them were arrested and out on release from a prior smash and grab robbery," LAPD detective Jamie McBride told "Fox & Friends." Fox News 14 Arrested After Series Of Smash-and-Grab Robberies, All Are Out Of Custody: LAPD Authorities in Los Angeles on Thursday announced more than a dozen arrests in recent smash-and-grab thefts at stores where nearly $340,000 worth of merchandise was stolen, part of a rash of organized retail crime in California. Fourteen people were arrested in connection with 11 brazen robberies between Nov. 18 and 28, and all are out of custody, police Chief Michel Moore said. Most bailed out or met no-bail criteria, and one is a juvenile, he said. At a joint news conference, both Moore and Mayor Eric Garcetti called for an end to a no-bail policy for some defendants aimed at reducing overcrowding at Los Angeles County jails during the coronavirus pandemic. Garcetti said with the pandemic easing, it’s time to make room again in lockups for criminals who commit violent acts and put store employees in danger. “We need the help of our criminal justice system, of our judges, of our jailers,” Garcetti said. “We have opened up a lot of the city because we’re in a better place with COVID. We should be able to also open up our jails, and we should be able to have judges that put people behind those bars.” A statewide policy of imposing $0 bail for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies ended last year, but it was kept in place within the LA County Superior Court system. KTLA 5 Caught On Video: Car-To-Car Shooting In Del Rey Sends Bullet Into Occupied Apartment, Crashes Into Pickup Truck Police say the drivers involved in two car-to-car shootings are also believed to have committed a hit-and-run that took out a pick-up truck in Del Rey. According to the LAPD, radio calls of a shooting in progress in the 5000 block of South Slauson started coming in at about 1:20 a.m. on Nov. 21. Reports said that a person inside a Blue Hyundai Elantra had exchanged shots with whoever was inside a silver Infiniti G35, or similar vehicle. When officers got there, they didn’t find either of those cars – but they did find the wreckage of a hit-and-run crash in front of the Culver Slauson Recreation Center. Surveillance footage collected by LAPD detectives showed a blue 2014-16 Hyundai Elantra with neon undercarriage lights driving into the neighborhood just before gunfire is heard. One of those rounds was found to have gone through the living room window of a nearby occupied apartment. Police say it’s not clear whether the hit-and-run crash occurred before or after the shooting, but the Hyundai apparently hit a pickup truck that was parked in front of the recreation center, then was captured on video fleeing the scene and being followed by the Infiniti. As both cars drove on Slauson Avenue toward Culver, two more cars were caught on video chasing after the Hyundai and the Infiniti. Police say more gunfire was heard on video, and is believed to have occurred near Culver and Slauson. CBS 2 L.A. Man, 29, Arrested In Jacqueline Avant’s Killing In Beverly Hills Beverly Hills police on Thursday arrested a 29-year-old Los Angeles man in connection with the killing of Jacqueline Avant, a prominent philanthropist and wife of music legend Clarence Avant, as more details emerged about the shocking crime. Authorities accused Aariel Maynor of entering the couple’s Trousdale Estates home early Wednesday and shooting Jacqueline Avant with an AR-15 rifle. Police did not disclose a motive for the attack. But hours later, Maynor shot himself in the foot at another home during an alleged burglary attempt, police said, and that is how he was connected to the Avant slaying. The arrest marked a swift end to a manhunt in a case that sent shock waves throughout Hollywood and national politics, in which the Avants were prominent figures who counted celebrities as well as former President Clinton as friends. “It is a sad case, and although we are happy we have an arrest, I feel so bad for the family,” Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook said. “The evidence thus far shows that only one suspect was involved in the crime and the motive remains under investigation. Our focus now has transitioned from finding a suspect to a continuing investigation that will lead to a successful prosecution.” Los Angeles Times LAPD Investigating After Surveillance Video Appears To Show Another Armed Robbery The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating another surveillance video appearing to show an armed robbery in what's believed to be the Fairfax area Thursday. In the video, three people appear to be returning home when two men approach them, demanding they open the front door, and telling the victims they are with the DEA. When the victims appear to struggle opening the front door, punches and curse words are slung. One of the suspects appears to be armed in the video. LAPD detectives confirm the incident is under investigation and said they are aware of the video but have been unable to find a police report at this time. The most recent video follows a string of violent follow-home robberies and armed robberies in the area, including some robberies specifically targeting elderly residents. Anyone with information on the robberies was asked to contact LAPD Rampart Robbery Det. A. Trimino at 213-484-3631 or Det. E. Ignacio at 213-484- 3627. Calls made during non-business hours or on weekends can be directed to 877-527-3247. FOX 11 Man Arrested In FBI Raid On Northridge Home In Hospice Fraud Case A man was arrested Thursday morning during an FBI raid on a residence in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Northridge in connection with a hospice fraud investigation. Oganes Doganyan, 49, was taken into custody at around 5 a.m. in the 17600 block of Parthenia Street, an FBI spokesperson confirmed to CBSLA. Doganyan is under arrest along with 38-year-old Kristine Arutyunyan of Glendale. Both are accused with paying illegal kickbacks in a healthcare fraud scheme. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the two “paid illegal kickbacks for the referral of Medicare beneficiary information that could be used to bill for purported hospice services.” The two caused fraudulent claims to be billed to Medicare for hospice services that were “medically unnecessary” and “not eligible for reimbursement.” Both are charged with federal counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, and paying kickbacks. If convicted as charged, each faces a maximum sentence of up to 35 years in federal prison. CBS 2 City Clerk Confirms Bonin Recall Petition Headed To Verification Stage The Los Angeles City Clerk confirmed Thursday that the "raw number of signatures" on the recall petition against Councilman Mike Bonin was enough for it to proceed to the verification state, which will occur over the next 30 days. The City Clerk did not specify the number of raw signatures, but the recall effort's organizer, Nico Ruderman, told City News Service on Nov. 10, when the petition was submitted, that the group collected 39,188 signatures. The group needs 27,317 signatures to qualify for the ballot. If the group has enough valid signatures of Council District 11 residents, the City Clerk will send a Certification of Sufficiency Report to the City Council, which will have 20 days to call for holding of a special recall election between 88 days and 125 days of the council's action. Bonin was reelected in 2017 with 71% of the vote and is seeking reelection in 2022. His district includes Venice, Pacific Palisades, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Sawtelle and more Westside neighborhoods. FOX 11 Recent Thefts Prompt LAPD Warning For Work Truck Owners To Use Tracking Devices Los Angeles police have noticed more and more work trucks being stolen so that thieves can get to the expensive tools that owners are using them to store. Detectives in the Wilshire Division say some of the stolen trucks are being recovered, but with tools missing from the vehicles. The Wilshire Division serves several communities including Arlington Heights, Fairfax, Mid-Wilshire, Mid-City, Hancock Park, Larchmont Village and Melrose. “If the vehicle and tools are not equipped with any GPS monitoring device, a helpful way to track the whereabouts of the vehicle and tools would be the use of monitoring devices,” the Los Angeles Police Department stated in a news release Thursday. The real-time tracking information provided by these devices can be essential in helping victims and officers recover the stolen vehicles and property, the news release stated. The devices are small enough to fit on a key ring and can be affixed to most of the vehicle’s compartments and inside tool boxes. Anyone with questions can contact the LAPD Wilshire Division at 213-473-0459. KTLA 5 Information Wanted In Culver City Armed Robbery Culver City Police are seeking information in regards to an armed robbery that occurred on Sunday evening. The incident took place near the Westfield Culver City Mall on Sepulveda Boulevard at around 10:45 p.m. A man sitting on a bus-stop bench was approached by two men who held him at gunpoint while they took the victim’s property. The victim stated that the men then entered a dark-colored sedan and fled the scene. According to the victim’s description, both men are aged allegedly aged between 25 and 30 years old. The man with the gun was wearing a blue bandana over his face and a grey and black hooded sweater. Anyone with information was asked to contact CCPD Public Information Officer Assistant Chief Jason Sims at 310-253-6391. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. CBS 2 1 Arrested, 2 Outstanding In Glendale Follow-Home Carjacking And Robbery, Police Say One man has been arrested in connection with a violent November robbery in Glendale, and police are searching for an additional two attackers, officials said Thursday. The man who was arrested, 27-year-old Marquise Hulse of Los Angeles, is one of three men who followed a Glendale resident to their home in the 1100 block of Sweetbriar Drive and carjacked them at gunpoint, police said. The attack occurred about 4:30 a.m. Nov. 2, when three men punched and grabbed the victim, took their keys and held them at gunpoint as they walked toward the victim’s house, police said. Before the thieves could get inside the home, the victim called for help, and a neighbor scared off the attackers, police added. The three attackers fled, one in the car in which they arrived and two in the “victim’s high end vehicle,” police said. The total loss during the robbery, including the carjacked vehicle, was estimated at more than $300,000, authorities added. Later that day, police arrested Hulse, who is on felony probation for burglary, possessing a firearm and evading arrest. He was wearing two GPS ankle monitors at the time of the attack, police said. KTLA 5 4 Burbank Businesses Targeted In String Of Break-Ins, Police Say Four small stores in Burbank were targeted in a string of break-ins early Friday morning. Officers responded to an alarm in the 3200 block of Magnolia Boulevard around 2:40 a.m., according to the Burbank Police Department. Officers found all four storefronts, which appear to be small businesses, with broken windows. It's unclear if anything was stolen from inside the stores. Police have not made any arrests. ABC 7 Man Stabbed To Death In Lancaster Park A man in his 20s was stabbed to death during an argument with another man in a Lancaster park Thursday. The stabbing occurred just before 3 p.m. in American Heroes Park in the 700 block of West Kettering Street, between Sierra Highway and 10th Street West, according to Deputy Miguel Meza of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. The victim was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Meza said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name was not released pending notification of his next of kin. The suspect ran from the park. The weapon has not been found, Meza said. Anyone with information on the stabbing was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org. MyNewsLA.com Former UPS Worker Sentenced In Scheme To Ship More Than 100 Pounds Of Fentanyl, Other Drugs A former UPS worker was sentenced to nearly six years in prison Wednesday for a scheme that involved shipping parcels of fentanyl and other drugs from Chula Vista, Calif., across the U.S., according to court records. Ernesto Renteria, 45, had worked for UPS for 14 years and was on medical leave with herniated discs when he committed the crime, according to a sentencing memorandum by his defense attorney, Jan Ronis, and family letters submitted to the court. In May, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were conducting surveillance on a suspected drug courier when they followed her to a home in the Eastlake neighborhood of Chula Vista, according to a complaint filed in San Diego federal court. Agents watched as the woman delivered a cardboard box and a backpack to Renteria, the complaint states. Renteria later drove to his own home nearby and loaded more boxes into his pickup. Agents then followed him as he drove to a driverless UPS truck parked in the area. He loaded six boxes into the truck. Los Angeles Times 2 Utah Officers Shot, Seriously Wounded In Deadly Standoff A Utah police officer is in serious condition and a second is in critical condition after a shootout Wednesday night, according to KUTV. The suspect was killed. According to the report, the incident began at a gas station where 20-year-old Anei Joker was holding a baby hostage inside a car. Police said officers were able to negotiate with Joker to release the infant, but the man refused to get out of the car himself. Ultimately, Joker got out of the car and shot at multiple officers, who returned fire. A police spokesperson told KUTV that detectives were trying to arrest Joker in connection to rape and robbery cases. The baby was not harmed, according to FOX 13. Police did not immediately elaborate on the officers’ conditions. The investigation is ongoing. PoliceOne The Up-Beat: Top Police Heroes Of November From small gestures of kindness to incredible acts of heroism, police officers help their communities every day. Our monthly news roundup, The Up-Beat, aims to bring greater attention to these inspiring stories. 1. Hero Of The Month: Officer Gary Wallace - Officer Gary Wallace was off duty and enjoying a Christmas parade with his daughter earlier this month when an SUV plowed through the crowd, killing six and injuring 62. The Franklin Police officer sprang into action. Now, Wallace has reunited with the victims he saved on that tragic day. 2. Watch: NYPD Commissioner Helps Surprise Officer With Marriage Proposal - An officer thought she was headed to the top cop's office for an award. Instead, she left with a diamond ring. 3. Deputy Carries Girl He Saw Struggling Up 30 Rows To Her Seat At Football Game - When Deputy Hall saw a spectator having trouble, he didn't hesitate to offer a hand. 4. Kansas PD Replaces Bike For Trusting Teen Who Loaned His To A Stranger - This Kansas police department worked some early holiday magic for a young boy who fell prey to a stranger's false promises. PoliceOne Public Safety News North Hollywood Explosion Damages Apartment Building, Shatters Windows An explosion at an underground electrical vault damaged a North Hollywood apartment building, shattering residents’ windows early Thursday morning, officials said. The blast was reported at 7:45 a.m. in the area of 5640 N. Farmdale Avenue. It happened in a subterranean electrical vault located in the garden space of a 37-unit, three-story apartment building, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an alert. The forceful blast was heard over a wide area, according to LAFD. Concrete debris from the electrical vault’s lid and the force of the blast damaged the structure and broke multiple windows. The explosion did not start a fire and no injuries were reported during the incident. It’s unclear what triggered the blast. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was called to the scene, as was the Department of Building and Safety. KTLA 5 Los Angeles County Confirms First Case Of Omicron Variant Los Angeles County on Thursday confirmed its first local case of the omicron COVID-19 variant, a day after the first U.S. case of the variant was reported in Northern California. According to the county's Department of Public Health, the individual who tested positive for the variant returned to Los Angeles County after traveling to South Africa from London on Nov. 22. "This infection is most likely travel-related," the department wrote in a press release. The health department said that the individual is a Los Angeles County resident and is fully vaccinated. The person is self-isolating and their symptoms are said to be improving without medical care. A small number of close contacts in Los Angeles have been identified and, to date, all have tested negative and have no symptoms. "Throughout the pandemic, we have always known there would be more mutations, resulting in the possibility of a more dangerous variant than the Delta variant," said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. "While we can’t know for certain the impact of Omicron at this time, the good news is that we already know how to reduce transmission and slow spread using both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions. I encourage everyone to take the steps that we know offer protection, including getting vaccinated or boosted, tested if you feel sick or are a close contact, and wearing your mask indoors and at large mega events." FOX 11 LA County Sees A Slight Uptick In COVID-19 Hospitalizations The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles County ticked upward slightly in its latest data, while health officials again urged people to get vaccinated or receive a booster shot in response to the discovery in Northern California of the Omicron variant of the virus. The Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa, and it was designated a ``variant of concern'' by the World Health Organization last week. Although no cases of the variant have been confirmed in Los Angeles or Southern California, health officials have said it is likely already circulating in the United States. "While the spread of Omicron across the globe is worrisome, we have both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions at hand to respond to the emergence of a new variant of concern,'' county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. ``We can reduce transmission by getting vaccinated, wearing masks, keeping our distance and avoiding crowds, testing and quarantining. Every action we take now to reduce spread will help.'' Research is still being conducted on the Omicron variant to determine if it is potentially more resistant to vaccines, more easily transmitted or a source of more serious illness. State officials said Wednesday, however, they were encouraged that the patient who tested positive for the variant in San Francisco was fully vaccinated and developed only mild symptoms that are improving. 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