Law Enforcement News LAPD Union Accuses Commissioner Salimpour Of Ethics Violation The Los Angeles police union has accused an L.A. City commissioner of lobbying for his company to receive a multi-million dollar city contract. “The old saying says where there’s smoke, there’s fire and I think these emails show there’s fire,” said Robert Rico, counsel for the LAPPL. The Los Angeles Police Protective League believes that the emails show that Commissioner Pedram Salimpour, appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to the Board of L.A. Fire and Police Pensions, conspired to get his company, PPS Health, which operates as Bluestone Safe, to the front of the line for a lucrative deal testing city employees for COVID-19. The LAPPL has also filed a complaint with the Personnel Department and the City Ethics Commission and claim they are not doing this to resist testing but to ensure the proper company is chosen. CBS 2 Brutal, Brazen Crimes Shake L.A., Leaving City At A Crossroads Crews of burglars publicly smashing their way into Los Angeles’ most exclusive stores. Robbers following their victims, including a star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and a BET host, to their residences. And this week, the fatal shooting of 81-year-old Jacqueline Avant, an admired philanthropist and wife of music legend Clarence Avant, in her Beverly Hills home. After two years of rising violent crime in Los Angeles, these incidents have sparked a national conversation and led to local concern about both the crimes themselves and where the outrage over the violence will lead. While overall city crime rates remain far below records set during the notorious gang wars of the 1990s, violent crime has jumped sharply in L.A., as it has in other cities. Much of the violence has occurred in poor communities and among vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, and receives little attention. However, since the start of the pandemic and more rapidly in recent months, crime has crept up in wealthier enclaves and thrust its way to the center of public discourse in L.A. — against a backdrop of COVID-19 angst, evolving political perceptions of what role police and prosecutors should play in society and, now, a holiday season upon which brick-and-mortar retailers are relying to stay afloat. Some wonder if this could be a turning point for California, which for decades has been at the center of the movement for criminal justice reform, rolling back tough sentencing laws and reducing prison populations. Los Angeles Times Double Murder Suspect In Sylmar Accused Of Burying Uncle’s Body, Staging Mother’s Death As Suicide A man taken into custody in the slayings of his mother and uncle in Sylmar buried his uncle’s body in a yard while staging his mother’s death as a suicide, Los Angeles police said Thursday, Dec. 9. Marcel Ianyves Gradvohl, 38, was arrested on Nov. 29 on suspicion of double murder in the deaths of 67-year-old Maureen Gradvohl and 58-year-old Edward Steckel after being questioned by LAPD detectives, said Lt. Chris Ruiz, a homicide detective. Gradvohl was being held on $5 million bail, according to jail records. Detectives believe that the killings happened three days prior on Nov. 26, Ruiz said. On Nov. 29, police received a call around 8:30 a.m. from the younger Gradvohl to report that his mother had committed suicide in the 12600 block of Amboy Avenue, Ruiz said in an interview. Upon arrival, police asked Gradvohl to come to the police station for questioning, the detective said. Ruiz said that detectives suspected the suicide was staged after looking around the scene. The uncle’s body was eventually found buried in a yard at the location, Ruiz said. “(The suspect) presented (his mother’s death) one way, but some astute patrol people presented it another way,” said Deputy Chief Alan S. Hamilton with the LAPD in an interview. “We would have believed (Gradvohl’s) story if we didn’t find (Steckel’s) body.” The motive for the killings is still under investigation, the detective said. Los Angeles Daily News Man Shot And Killed During Argument Near USC Campus A man was fatally shot Thursday after an apparent argument in Los Angeles. Police were called at 2:30 a.m. to the Motel Park at 4151 Figueroa St. just south of the University of Southern California and near the Harbor (110) Freeway, where they found a male victim suffering from gunshots wounds, said Officer Lizeth Lomeli of the Los Angeles Police Department. According to police, the victim was in an argument with an unidentified woman who was seated in another car with an unidentified man. The victim punched the woman and the man with her shot the victim, Lomeli said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspects drove away from the scene and there was no vehicle description, Lomeli said. The suspects are described as a Latino man and a Latino woman. MyNewsLA.com Column: After Smash-and-Grab Thefts Across California, Is It Time To Reconsider Proposition 47? For many, the lead villain in the rash of smash-and-grab thefts plaguing California is a sentencing reduction ballot measure that voters approved overwhelmingly seven years ago. “I think it was the biggest con job in California history,” says Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, a former Republican who intends to run for state attorney general next year as an independent. “Criminals have been laughing at us. ... There’s a clear belief — and very large reality — that there’s no consequences any more to theft. ... You tell everybody we’re not going to hold anybody accountable and guess what’s going to happen?” The measure was Proposition 47, co-authored by then-San Francisco — now Los Angeles — Dist. Atty. George Gascón and strongly supported by then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who later was elected governor. Proposition 47 was approved by a landslide vote of roughly 60% to 40%. The measure reduced from a possible felony to a misdemeanor the possession of narcotics for personal use and certain property crimes. The narcotics piece isn’t an issue, but the sentence reduction for thefts is. Under 47, the crimes of petty theft, receiving stolen property and writing bad checks were lowered to misdemeanors when the value was less than $950. No prison time. In some counties, maybe a short time in jail or a wrist slap. Los Angeles Times Caught On Camera: Thieves Steal From House In Broad Daylight While Family Is Home A family in the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles survived a scary ordeal after thieves stole items from their property while they were inside. Security cameras at the house captured the incident Monday afternoon. One of the suspects scaled a wall to enter the backyard of the home, then walked to the side door of the garage. A man and woman took off with the homeowner’s $2,700 electric bicycle, then returned shortly after to steal power tools. The father of the family, who was home at the time and only wanted to go by Dan, believes the crooks that broke in are familiar with the area. “I’m feeling what a lot of people are feeling which is that there’s a marked uptick of this type of crime and it’s sad,” said Dan Thursday. “I feel like for a long time things were pretty good, so I’m sad about it.” Nobody was hurt in the incident. The homeowner filed a police report but so far no arrests have been made. CBS 2 Police: Homeless Man Sets Vehicle On Fire at Windward Circle A homeless man is in custody tonight after police say he set a vehicle on fire. The suspect, a male transient, is said to have doused a Mercedes-Benz with lighter fluid before setting it on Fire Thursday afternoon, according to police. The incident happened at 213 Windward Avenue. Police say the suspect fled the scene, but was later identified. The Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating into the incident. WestSide Current Operation Shoes From Santa: LAPD Giving Out Shoes, Toys To Children It's a holiday tradition for the Los Angeles Police Department...Operation Shoes from Santa. The police department gave out 1,500 pairs of shoes and toys to several children in the community. FOX 11 Video Police Looking For Suspects In Armed Robbery Of Marijuana Dispensary Police were looking for four suspects who robbed a marijuana dispensary at gunpoint Thursday in the Hyde Park area of South Los Angeles. The crime occurred about 11:15 a.m. Thursday near 59th Street and Crenshaw Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A person suffered an undisclosed injury at the scene, police said. No descriptions were available of the suspects, who remained at large early Thursday afternoon, police said. MyNewsLA.com Rapper Slim 400 Shot, Killed In Inglewood Rapper Slim 400 was shot and killed in Inglewood Wednesday night, according to police. The rapper, whose real name is Vincent Cohran, was shot at 7:50 p.m. in the area of Manchester Boulevard and 7th Avenue. Officers on patrol heard the gunshots and responded to find a man on the ground with gunshot wounds, Inglewood police Lt. Neil Cochran told reporters. The victim was treated by paramedics at the scene and then rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he died, the L.A. County Fire Department told CBSLA. No arrests have been made and there was no word on a motive. The exact circumstances of the shooting were unclear. Investigators were canvassing the area for security video and witnesses. CBS 2 Delta Flight To LA Diverted After Passenger Assaults Flight Attendant And Air Marshal, Police Say A Delta flight headed to Los Angeles from Washington D.C. was diverted to Oklahoma City Thursday night after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant and an air marshal, authorities say. According to an Oklahoma City police captain who spoke with ABC News, a "combative passenger" on the plane assaulted a flight attendant, though it's unclear what prompted the altercation. At some point, an air marshal attempted to intervene and was also assaulted by the passenger. The plane landed at the Will Rogers World Airport around 7:40 p.m. where police took the suspect into custody. Footage from the incident showed the unruly passenger, who was not wearing a mask, arguing with another individual on the plane. Video also showed him being restrained and start to yell while sitting down. His hands were behind his back in plastic handcuffs as authorities entered the plane to take him into custody. ABC 7 Former East L.A. College Dean Is Charged With Embezzlement, Misappropriation Of Funds A former dean of East Los Angeles College was accused of overbilling the school for trips he took as part of his job, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced Thursday. Paul De La Cerda, 47, was charged with one felony count each of misappropriation of government funds and embezzlement of government funds. De La Cerda is accused of forging documents he submitted for reimbursement, according to the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors say De La Cerda, who previously served as the dean of economic development and innovation with East Los Angeles College, overbilled the school about $1,600 for several hotel stays between March 2017 and 2019. De La Cerda left East L.A. College in June 2021, said William Boyer, Los Angeles Community College District’s director of communications. The student newspaper said he was dismissed in March, but Boyer couldn’t confirm that. “This is a very serious matter, and ensuring that we are good and careful stewards of the public taxpayer monies entrusted to us is a top priority for the district, our board and executive staff,” Boyer said in a statement. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. De La Cerda is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 7. Los Angeles Times 50 Firearms Recovered Following Arrest Of Man Who Pointed Gun At Woman During Confrontation Over Parking Spot An assault with a deadly weapon investigation in Palmdale led to the discovery of about 50 firearms and a suspect was arrested, officials said Thursday. The incident unfolded about 1 p.m. on Dec. 1 when Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were flagged down at 10th Street East and Avenue R. The victim told deputies she was confronted by a man over a parking spot located behind a beauty salon. She said the suspect pulled out a gun and pointed it at her head while she was in her car. She was able to drive away and left the scene before contacting the deputies, officials said. The suspect was eventually identified and deputies responded to the 900 block of East Avenue R, where they surrounded the area and tried to contact the suspect. The man was eventually taken into custody without incident and a search of the location led to the recovery of the firearms. The unidentified suspect was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of assault weapon, officials said. His father was also arrested for being in possession of assault weapons, and were both booked pending further investigation. KTLA 5 180 People Arrested During Investigation Into San Bernardino Street Gang A joint investigation into the Westside Verdugo criminal street gang has resulted in the arrest of 180 people. In June, the San Bernardino Police Department requested help from the California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit in its investigation. Together with the district attorney’s office and several other local law enforcement agencies, officials made 180 felony arrests, shut down 30 illegal gambling establishments, seized 92 handguns, 19 assault weapons, $295,870 in cash and hundreds of pounds of illicit drugs, according to a statement from the attorney general’s office. The illegal gambling sites were operated by members and associates of the gang, and it brought in tens of thousands of dollars a week for them. In 2021, five homicides, four attempted murders, and multiple other crimes were linked to the sites, according to Attorney General Rob Bonta. On Wednesday, the investigation ended in a large-scale operation with agents issuing 34 search warrants, arresting 31 suspects, and seizing 11 firearms at multiple sites in San Bernardino County. FOX 11 Southern California Authorities And Parents Struggle With Surge In Unfounded School Shooting Threats Students at Citrus Valley High School in Redlands became concerned when a classmate stopped talking to people for several days. Some noticed he went silent shortly after a 15-year-old in Michigan shot and killed four students at his school in late November. The students contacted authorities on Dec. 3 and said they feared the Inland Empire teen might be planning to harm people. When police interviewed the boy, he told them his odd behavior was part of what he called a “social experiment. ” He said he did not intend to hurt anyone. Investigators determined he did not have access to weapons and did not present a threat to others. “We have to take every report seriously,” Redlands police spokesman Carl Baker said. “We don’t want to be in a position where we ignored something that should have been ringing alarm bells.” Campuses nationwide receive reports of possible attacks every day, and the overwhelming majority are unsubstantiated. But none can be ignored. And each one has the potential to result in panic, Redlands Unified School District spokeswoman Christine Stephens said, regardless of whether any credible threats were made. Redlands Daily Facts Police: Man Opens Fire In California Police Station Parking Lot, Is Killed Gunfire erupted outside a California police station when a “screaming” man showed up in the parking lot and started shooting late Wednesday, Dec. 8, according to the Stockton Police Department. The man was killed when five officers returned fire, officials said. His identity and a motive have not been released. It happened around 8:30 p.m. outside the department’s operations building at 22 E. Market St. Initial reports came from callers in the parking lot, who described “a shirtless white male” was in front of the police station, “firing a gun,” officials said. “Six Stockton police officers responded from inside the Operations Building and exited through the front lobby doors,” officials said. “The suspect was screaming and armed with a firearm. The officers told the suspect to get on the ground and drop the gun. The suspect got on his stomach but refused to drop the gun. The suspect continued to scream, stood back up with the gun pointing in the officers’ direction, and began to run towards the officers. Five officers fired their service weapons, shooting the man.” The officers attempted “life-saving measures until medics arrived,” but the man died at the scene, officials said. No officers were injured. The Charlotte Observer Authorities Warn Of Criminals Using QR Codes, Gift Cards To Scam People This Holiday The holiday season is, unfortunately, a great time to be a scammer, according to the National Consumers League. The FBI says thousands of people become a victim of holiday scams every year, and scammers are finding new ways to rob people of their money and personal information. Everything from QR codes, to store-bought gift cards, should be examined with a careful eye as you shop this holiday season. "Come to find out you just got scammed out of your money, you're just like, is this happening?" said Desmond Ramey, who experienced a gift card scam earlier in December. The gift card Ramey bought at a store in Bakersfield, California returned an error message when he tried to use it. So he asked the store manager to look at it. "She pulls off the barcode and underneath is the original barcode, and she goes, well you have been hit by a scam," Ramey said. "The fraudsters seem to be one step ahead of the security measures put in place to stop them," said John Breyault, of the National Consumers League. How does a gift card scam work? Fraudsters usually place their own barcodes over a real gift card barcode. When the card is activated at a retailer, the money is added to the scammer’s card instead of yours. This type of scam isn't new. Ramey was given a refund and told by the manager that gift cards shouldn’t have a raised bar code like a sticker. FOX 11 Public Safety News LA County Moves Back Into ‘High Transmission' Category As COVID Cases Increase, Health Officials Say Exactly two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday and its associated gatherings of family and friends, Los Angeles County is seeing a resulting increase in COVID-19 cases, the public health director said today, calling the trend a possible start of yet another winter surge of infections. In an online briefing, Barbara Ferrer said the increase was visible by Dec. 1, when the county's seven-day average daily number of new cases topped 1,000 -- a 19% increase from the previous week. She also noted a resulting increase in hospitalizations, with the daily number of COVID patients nearing roughly 600. "We do expect increases to continue on the heels of our Thanksgiving gatherings, but already, based on trends, we are looking at possible beginnings of a winter surge,'' Ferrer said. She said the county's current average daily rate of new infections has risen to 13 per 100,000 residents, up from 8 per 100,000 residents a week ago. ABC 7 US Expands Pfizer COVID Boosters, Opens Extra Dose To Age 16 U.S. health authorities again expanded the nation’s booster campaign Thursday, opening extra doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to several million 16- and 17-year-olds. The U.S. and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination, calls that intensified with the discovery of the worrisome new omicron variant. On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech — once they’re six months past their last dose. And hours later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the last barrier as Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, issued a statement strongly encouraging those teens to get their booster as soon as it’s time. Boosters are important considering that protection against infection wanes over time and “we’re facing a variant that has the potential to require more immunity to be protected,” Walensky told The Associated Press. 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