Robberies. Drought. Tent Camps. Los Angeles’s Next Mayor Faces a Litany of Crises.
Peter Nichols has lived for 22 years in a two-bedroom Cape Cod in the Fairfax District, in the flat, bungalow-lined midsection between the east and the west sides of Los Angeles. His block used to make him proud, with its neat lawns and palm trees: Crime was low. Streets were clean. When a problem arose — drug use in the park, traffic from the nearby Melrose Avenue shopping district — the city seemed to know how to address it. All that has changed. Homicides in his area have risen from one in 2019 to more than a dozen this year, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He cannot drive more than a block or two without passing homeless encampments. Drought has withered the yards. Trash blows past on the Santa Ana winds. Waves of robberies have left armed guards posted for months outside high-end sneaker boutiques. Earlier this month, police officers responding to a burglary four miles from Mr. Nichols’s house arrested a parolee in connection with the slaying of an 81-year-old philanthropist in her mansion. “Now there’s this new variant,” he said about the coronavirus. “It’s like, what are we going to die of? Ricochet? Robbery gone wrong? Heat? Drought? Omicron? Delta? If you were watching this through the lens of a camera, you would think it was the makings of a disaster movie.”
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Man In 50’s Shoots And Kills Armed Suspect After Attempted Robbery In Exposition Park
Police are investigating after an armed suspect was shot and killed following an attempted robbery early Saturday morning in Exposition Park, outside a home on 35th Place, near Normandie Avenue. Calls about the incident came in just after midnight, when neighbors heard gunfire ring out on the street. Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said that a man in his 50’s was standing outside when three young men in their 20’s, armed with weapons, approached him in an attempt to rob him. That’s when police said there was a struggle between the victim and one of the attempted robbers, causing the robbery suspect to lose his weapon. CBSLA was told that the victim, the man in his 50’s, ended up picking up the weapon and shooting the attempted robber. The other two robbery suspects got in their car and drove off. The suspect who was shot died at the scene. Investigators are looking for the two other suspects, alleged to be in their 20’s, who they said were also armed during the attempted robbery. They are also reviewing the home surveillance cameras of some of the houses in the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the incident or at least a shot of the car driving away from the scene.
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Man Shot In Highland Park
A man wounded Saturday in a shooting in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles. The shooting occurred at 7:23 p.m. at 5250 York Blvd., according to a desk officer at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center. The man was unconscious when paramedics took him to a hospital for treatment, the officer said. His condition was not immediately available.
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2 Held After USC Student Killed Amid Reported Street Race Near University
Two drivers have been detained after a USC student was killed while crossing a street near the campus. The victim, identified by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office as 21-year-old Arian Rahbar, was crossing Jefferson Boulevard at Harvard Boulevard near his home when he was struck at about 3 p.m. Saturday, police said. The vehicle that hit him was traveling eastbound on Jefferson, according to a dispatcher with the Los Angeles Police Department. Rahbar was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver stopped, the dispatcher said. Multiple news reports said the vehicle was in a street race with another vehicle at the time of the crash and both drivers were taken into custody. The cars — a Dodge and an Infiniti — were also in police custody, LAPD Detective Ryan Moreno told KTLA5. “You have two cars, possibly from two local car clubs that are known for racing, doing the street racing, so we’re still piecing that together, but unfortunately, it’s something you’re seeing a lot more of nowadays,” Moreno said.
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Hit-and-Run Driver Strikes, Kills 85-Year-Old Man In Reseda: LAPD
An 85-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Reseda on Friday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The man was crossing Saticoy Street near Garden Grove Avenue at about 2:45 when he was struck by a white, four-door, “possibly newer model Hyundai Accent” traveling east, police said. The driver continued without stopping to help the man, who was taken by the Los Angeles Fire Department to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The victim has not been publicly identified, pending notification of next of kin. Anyone with information is asked to call 818-644-8035. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting lacrimestoppers.com.
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1 In Custody After Shots Fired Near Hollywood Memorial For Vicente Fernández
One man was in custody after multiple shots were fired in Hollywood Sunday night near where a large crowd had gathered to honor the late Mexican singer Vicente Fernández. Witnesses reported hearing more than five shots in the 6100 block of Hollywood Boulevard, about two blocks east of Vine Street. Dozens of people had gathered at the singer's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor his memory. The 81-year-old performer died on Sunday in Mexico. Witnesses tell Eyewitness News they saw what appeared to be a person's arm holding a handgun fire into the air from an upper-story apartment across the street from the memorial. At least one bullet struck a glass door on the same side of the street where people had gathered for the memorial. There were no injuries reported. It was not clear if the shots were intentionally aimed at people gathered on the Walk of Fame. LAPD officers responded to the scene very quickly. They began searching the area and cleared the crowd out from the memorial to establish a crime scene. By around 8 p.m., the LAPD confirmed that officers had taken a man into custody in connection with the shooting.
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Sheriffs Plead For Federal Crime Crackdown: Why Aren't Roaming Criminal Groups ‘Domestic Terrorists?'
Vernon Stanforth, a sheriff in Fayette County, Ohio and president of the National Sheriffs' Association, called for more federal funding for law enforcement as crime continues to rise across the country. On "Fox & Friends," he said that smash-and-grab robberies that are plaguing liberal cities and retail stores could be stopped with harsher penalties.
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French Bulldog Allegedly Stolen From Woman In Hollywood; $5,000 Reward In Search For 'Mona'
A family is asking for the public's help in finding their beloved French bulldog who was allegedly stolen at gunpoint in the Hollywood area. The family says Mona, the 3-year-old dog, was stolen at gunpoint from a 58-year-old woman on Wednesday, December 8 on North Detroit Street between Fountain Avenue and De Longpre Avenue. According to the family, the suspects – described as three Black men – allegedly pulled up to the dog and the woman in a black sedan, got out of the car and held the woman at gunpoint to the head. The tense situation scared Mona and one of the suspects grabbed the dog and the suspects ran off with the French bulldog. The family tells FOX 11 that Mona has malformation in her spine and needs to take her medication. Mona is microchipped, according to the family.
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Utility Van, Man's Source Of Work, Stolen From Reseda Apartment Complex Garage
Valentin Davila knows exactly where his utility van was parked. It was in the same spot it usually sits in when he's not driving it -- underground, at his apartment, in what's usually a gated complex on Wilbur and Sherman Way in Reseda. "Mi van estaba allí," he says. My van was there. "Pues fue la que robaron," -- that was what they stole. It happened last Sunday night, Dec. 5. Davila's whole business, installing and fixing air conditioners, is in limbo right before the holidays. There's been a recent slew of smash-and-grab and follow-home robberies in Los Angeles. But the people targeted in those incidents were chosen based on the cars they drove, or the jewelry they wore. This time, the theft affects a family working paycheck to paycheck. "Era la fuente de mi trabajo," Davila said -- it was my source of work, and now, he's lost everything. The LAPD is still investigating this theft. But the surveillance video that might have existed, doesn't. The police have also checked with apartment complexes in the area to see if they might have caught the van taking off -- but so far, no leads.
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6 Arrested In Connection With 5 Separate Follow-Home Robberies In Glendale; More Suspects Outstanding
Glendale Police have arrested six suspects in connection with five separate follow-home robberies in the city, authorities said Friday. "Since January of 2021, there have been a total of nine follow-home robberies in the city of Glendale that have been reported to the Glendale Police Department," Glendale police Sgt. Christian Hauptmann said in a statement. Hauptmann said that officers arrested six suspects for their alleged involvement in five of the crimes, but noted that "there are multiple outstanding suspects involved in these various follow-home robberies that are actively being pursued by the Glendale Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Unit." Glendale Police reminded residents to be aware of their surroundings when driving home from any location. "Watch to see if you are being followed by another vehicle, and if you are, call 911 immediately and proceed to the nearest police station," Hauptmann said. "You can save the address for the Glendale Police Department (131 N Isabel St, Glendale, CA, 91206) in your cell phone or GPS device for quick reference if needed in an emergency." Residents were also urged to report suspicious activity by calling the Glendale Police Department's non-emergency line at 818-548-4911.
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Man Shot To Death In South Gate Homeless Encampment
A man was shot to death Saturday in a homeless encampment on the Los Angeles River Bike Path in South Gate. The shooting was reported at 1:44 p.m. on a bike path near Salt Lake and Wood avenues, said Deputy Alejandra Parra of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. South Gate police officers were called to the scene and “discovered the victim unresponsive on the ground near a tent within the encampment,” Parra said. “The victim appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds.” The man, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene, Parra said. There was no suspect information immediately available. “It is unknown if this shooting is gang related or related to the two recent murders that occurred in homeless encampments in South Gate,” she said. Sheriff's homicide detectives were assisting South Gate police with the investigation. Anyone with information was asked to call homicide detectives at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Investigators Search For Suspects In Inglewood Stabbing
Homicide detectives Saturday are investigating the fatal stabbing of a 59-year-old man in an unincorporated area of Inglewood. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded at 11:08 p.m. Friday to the 11800 block of Aviation Boulevard regarding an assault with a deadly weapon where they found the victim suffering from stab wounds, said Deputy Miguel Meza of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and there is no suspect information available at this time. Deputies have not recovered the murder weapon, Meza said. Anyone with information about this stabbing is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or submitted online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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49-Year-Old Granada Hills Man Arrested In Connection To Fatal Hit-And-Run Friday Night In Burbank
Police have arrested a 49-year-old Jesse Molina, of Granada Hills, in connection to a fatal hit-and-run at the intersection of San Fernando Boulevard and Grinnell Drive. According to police, the collision involved an adult female pedestrian and occurred around 9:30 p.m. Paramedics attempted life-saving measures but the pedestrian died at the scene. Police have yet to identify the victim. There are reports that the driver arrested in this collision may have been involved in another, earlier crash. The area around San Fernando Boulevard between Burbank Boulevard and Cypress Avenue was closed while police investigated. It is unknown if speed was a factor in the crash.
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27-Year-Old Sherman Oaks Woman Shot In Face On 210 Freeway In Pasadena
A driver was in critical condition at a hospital after a still-unidentified assailant shot her while she was on the eastbound 210 Freeway in Pasadena Thursday night, Dec. 9. The 27-year-old Sherman Oaks woman, who was shot in the face and arm, drove herself to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, according to the California Highway Patrol. Staff at the hospital notified Pasadena police just after 7 p.m. Police told the CHP at 7:30 p.m. The shooting happened on the freeway at Lincoln Avenue. The victim was driving a Dodge Challenger. “At this time it’s unknown if she was targeted,” CHP Sgt. Robert Ruiz said. The CHP doesn’t have details yet on what happened before the shooting, according to Ruiz. He added that investigators haven’t been able to speak to the victim. The suspect’s vehicle was last seen entering the eastbound 210 Freeway from Howard Street, he said. There were no descriptions of the suspect or the vehicle the assailant used. The CHP asked that anyone with information about the shooting call Detective M. Yasutake at 323-644-9550.
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Riverside County Man Is Charged In Serial Rape Case After Attacks On Six Women
A man in Coachella faces a slew of criminal counts in connection with brutal attacks on six women. Riverside County Dist. Atty. Mike Hestrin announced Friday that his office was filing 14 felony counts, including four counts of attempted murder, against the man in what authorities say is a serial rape case. Prosecutors say Jose Manuel Martinez Garcia, 36, carried out the attacks from September 2020 to August 2021. “The attacks included three victims being strangled to unconsciousness and two incidents in which the victim was struck by the defendant’s pickup,” prosecutors said. “In one of those, the victim sustained a broken leg. She was left injured in a ditch in Thermal for several days before being found and given medical assistance.” After a long investigation, investigators from the Indio Police Department and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department identified Garcia as the suspect, prosecutors said. He was arrested Oct. 5 and has been held without bail since. Charges involving four victims were initially filed, but detectives continued investigating whether Garcia was connected to other crimes, prosecutors said. On Friday, authorities charged Garcia in connection with crimes involving two further victims, prosecutors said. In addition to the attempted murder counts, Garcia faces charges of forcible rape, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping and other sex-related counts.
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Is It A Steal? How To Know If That Score On eBay Or Amazon Is Legitimate
Find a great deal through an online marketplace? There may be a chance that hot-ticket item you purchased might have been stolen. A recent surge in smash-and-grab thefts at retailers has illuminated the role online marketplaces play in the movement of stolen items. Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department announced more than a dozen of arrests linked to smash-and-grab thefts involving stolen merchandise worth more than $340,000. Organized retail has become a growing concern for companies, says the National Retail Federation. According to an October 2020 survey, organized retail crime costs retailers an average of $700,000 per $1 billion in sales. On Thursday, 20 CEOs of top retailers including Best Buy, Target, Nordstrom and Walgreens urged lawmakers in a letter to pass legislation to curb the sale of stolen goods through online marketplaces. "In the current environment, criminal networks and unscrupulous businesses have exploited a system that protects their anonymity to sell unsafe, stolen, or counterfeit products with little legal recourse," reads an excerpt from the letter.
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Retail Giants Call On Congress To Address Crime Surge
CEOs of leading retail stores in America sent a letter to Congress pleading lawmakers to take action as a surge of robberies continues to plague the country. Home Depot, Best Buy, Target, Nordstrom, and CVS are among the 20 companies calling for legislation that would prevent and deter criminals from easily reselling stolen merchandise online. The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act (INFORM Consumers Act) would, according to its authors and retail leaders, make it harder for criminals to hide who they are by using fake identities to sell stolen goods. Consumers would also be able to easily identify who they are buying from. According to Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who introduced the legislation in October, the INFORM Consumers Act "directs online platforms that allow for third-party sellers of consumer products to verify the identity of high-volume third-party sellers, which will prevent organized retail crime." This comes as stores across the country are dealing with spikes of shoplifting and "smash-and-grab" robberies. In California, the Los Angeles Police Department said 14 people were arrested for 11 smash-and-grab robberies but were all later released due to the state's zero-bail policy. A Safeway grocery store in San Francisco, which used to be open 24 hours, is now only open until 9 p.m. and has also added security gates specifically to deter shoplifters.
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Video: Accused Shoplifter Breaks Bone In Cop's Face After She Confronts Him
A serial shoplifter broke a bone in the face of a uniformed police officer moonlighting as a security guard at a Manhattan drug store on Friday morning, cops said. The officer — whose name was not released — was working a department-sanctioned side gig at a Duane Reade on E. 34th St. in Murray Hill when store staff alerted her around 11:35 a.m. that one of their regular shoplifters was stealing, police said. When the officer tried to keep the shoplifter from leaving the store by blocking a doorway, the punchy perp reached for her throat. In a brief struggle, the officer tried to grab the dressed-in-black perpetrator — who then unleashed a roundhouse that knocked her to the ground. The officer suffered a fractured bone in her face and a lacerated left ear. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, cops said. No pilfered goods were recovered and the suspect was still at large on Friday night, said police. Anyone with information about the incident can call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-8477. All calls are confidential.
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New Orleans LEO Killed At Houston Restaurant Was Robbed For Gang Member's Bail, Police Say
The fatal, botched robbery of New Orleans Police Detective Everett Briscoe and another Zulu member during a vacation in August was instigated by a jailed gang member who wanted money for bail, authorities said at a court hearing in Houston this week. Anthony Jenkins' recorded phone calls from the Harris County jail captured him directing his brother and two other men to commit one robbery, then another, to secure enough stolen jewelry for his release on $50,000 bail in a different hold-up, according to court records and a report from KTRK-TV about a Thursday court hearing. Both robberies were on Aug. 21. The second, outside the Grotto restaurant in Houston's Galleria area, ended with the shooting of Briscoe and fellow Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club member Dyrin "DJ" Riculfy, prosecutors say. The men were in Houston as part of a weekend trip for Zulu members. They'd hopped off a bus from New Orleans hours before they were shot. The shooting led to anguish and outcry in both cities. Police in Houston tied it to a larger trend of deadly robberies. New Orleanians mourned the loss of a veteran cop and his friend, both members of a cornerstone social organization.
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Man Killed By Metro Red Line Train At Hollywood Station
A man was fatally struck by a Metro Red Line train Sunday evening in Hollywood. The victim became trapped under the train, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. The crash happened at the station at 6250 Hollywood Blvd. around 8:15 p.m., according to Humphrey. Firefighters located the trapped man and discovered he was dead, Humphrey said. The man’s name will be withheld pending notification of next of kin. Firefighters were in the process of removing the body, Humphrey said. It was unclear whether the man fell or jumped in front of the train.
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LAFD Rescues, Airlifts Seriously Injured Mountain Biker Out Of Santa Monica Mountains
A mountain biker was seriously injured after falling while riding his bike in the Santa Monica Mountains in the area between Pacific Palisades and Encino Saturday, requiring an airlift from the Los Angeles Fire Department. The 23-year-old biker was reported injured just before 11:30 a.m. along the Sullivan Fire Road that passes along the eastern edge of Topanga State Park, according to an LAFD alert. Officials said the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the fall and was in serious condition after sustaining injuries to his head, arm and shoulder. An LAFD rescue helicopter was able to land nearby and was assisted by ground crews to medically stabilize the man, officials said. The biker was then transported by air to a regional trauma center. No further information was immediately available.
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LA County’s COVID Hospitalizations Dip Below 700
The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals declined slightly on Sunday, Dec. 12, after surging past 700 yesterday amid signs of a winter spike in COVID cases. There are 698 COVID patients at county hospitals, down from 707 on Saturday, according to the latest state figures. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care is 179, down from 182 a day earlier. The county confirmed its seventh known case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Saturday. The fully vaccinated patient recently traveled somewhere in the United States, had mild symptoms and is self-isolating, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Public Health has identified close contacts in Los Angeles County, some of whom have tested negative, and others are awaiting test results,” officials said. “Additionally, close contacts have been identified outside of the county that are being tested.” The Omicron cases underscore the critical need for safety measures while traveling, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
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