Law Enforcement News 'Evil That Was Just Caught': How Citizens Helped Police Capture Murder Suspect Shawn Laval Smith A murder suspect is off the streets of Los Angeles and in police custody after being recognized by people in Pasadena. A citizen led police to the arrest of Shawn Laval Smith, the man suspected of killing 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer inside the Hancock Park furniture store she worked at. Smith was arrested exactly a week after he killed Kupfer. But for those seven days, prior to his arrest, he was freely walking around LA as police and community members diligently sought him out. Smith was arrested by Pasadena police officers around 11:50 a.m. Wednesday at a bus stop near the intersection of E. Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue. Minutes before his arrest he asked restaurant employees to use the restroom of a Cheesecake Factory. After using the restroom, Smith left the restaurant and sat on a bus bench. That’s when a man standing near the bus stop recognized him and called police. "I certainly hope it is because that guy needs to be captured," said arrest witness Charlie Sanchez Salinas. "Evil that was just caught from that thing. He just had this cold look in his face," Salinas added. A $250,000 reward was being offered to help Los Angeles Police track down Smith... it is unclear at this moment who will earn that reward. Smith has a lengthy criminal background with previous charges out of California, North Carolina and South Carolina. Online records obtained by FOX News show at least 11 arrests in Charleston, S.C., dating back to 2010, including a pending case for allegedly discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle on Nov. 13, 2019. FOX 11 Inside Edition Examines Shawn Laval Smith History, Brianna Kupfer’s accused killer Now there is growing outrage over why Smith, who has such a long rap sheet, was free to roam the streets. Last year, he was arrested on a felony charge of assault upon a police officer in San Mateo, California. Smith pleaded no contest to resisting an officer. Soon after, a judge found he had violated probation and issued a warrant for his arrest. Inside Edition Video LAPD Offers Cash Rewards For Information In Three Jefferson Park Hit-and-Run Crashes Los Angeles police are offering a total of $100,000 in rewards for information on three hit-and-run crashes this month in the Jefferson Park area that left two people injured and a third dead. The first crash occurred around 5:40 p.m. Jan. 5 on 30th Street near 4th Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A midsize, silver SUV lost control while trying to turn right onto southbound 4th Avenue, police said. The SUV jumped the curb and hit 46-year-old Nallely Oregel, who was walking her dog on the sidewalk. Oregel was injured and taken to a hospital, police said. The driver continued southbound on 4th Avenue without stopping. There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to the driver’s arrest and prosecution, police said. The second crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. Jan. 7 on Western Avenue near 29th Street, police said. Giovanny Castro, 25, was riding a scooter on Western when a silver or gray sedan hit him and continued south without stopping, police said. Paramedics took Castro to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, police said. Authorities are also offering a $25,000 reward for information in this crash. The third crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11, police said. Luis Martinez, 47, was walking eastbound, against traffic, on Jefferson Boulevard near 11th Avenue when a maroon Chevrolet Trailblazer hit him. The driver continued westbound on Jefferson without stopping, police said. Paramedics brought Martinez to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he later died. Los Angeles Times $50,000 Reward Offered For Clues In 2016 Murder Of DeAndre Hughes In Front Of His Watts Home The family and friends of DeAndre Hughes are pleading for clues that could help solve his 2016 murder. A $50,000 reward for information was offered Thursday in Hughes’ murder. Hughes was shot several times on July 17, 2016, right in front of his home on East 120th Street, across the street from Magic Johnson Park. Barbara Pritchard, Hughes’ mother, said he is her second child to be murdered in Watts in just three years. “My children is laying over in Inglewood cemetery, and I can go talk to them, but they can’t talk to me,” she said. “I can celebrate their birthdays, but they can’t celebrate their birthdays.” She was joined by other mothers who have lost their children to gun violence, in a unified plea to stop the killings. Police say the unknown suspect had walked up to Hughes just before the shooting, then fled in a vehicle. No other information was available about the murder. Anyone with information about the shooting can call LAPD Detective Roger Fontes at (323) 786-5100. CBS 2 Body Discovered Off La Tuna Canyon Road Prompts Homicide Investigation Homicide detectives are investigating after the body of a man was discovered off of La Tuna Canyon Road Wednesday, Jan. 19. Foothill area patrol officers responding to a call found the body on a steep embankment to the north side of La Tuna Canyon, about 2,700 feet west of the La Tuna Canyon exit of the 210 Freeway. The dead man has not been identified. There have been no arrests reported, and no suspect descriptions were available on Thursday. Anyone with information should contact Valley Bureau Homicide Detectives at 818-374-9550. Weekend calls should be made to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go to lacrimestoppers.org. Los Angeles Daily News Stolen Motorcycle Rider Killed In West Hills Crash After Speeding Along Surface Streets At 100 mph A motorcycle rider was killed in a violent high-speed crash in West Hills Thursday afternoon, and two other people were injured, officials said. The motorcycle collided with a car at the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Fallbrook Avenue shortly after 1 p.m. Los Angeles police were following the stolen motorcycle when it crashed, according to LAPD. They say it was not a pursuit. Officials say that the motorcyclist was going at least 100 mph before the crash. The motorcycle rider died at the scene. They have not yet been identified. No further details were immediately known. The investigation is ongoing. ABC 7 Celebrities Call For Action After Father And Son Beaten Unconscious In Toluca Lake After a father and son were left bloodied and unconscious in Toluca Lake in an apparent random attack, a mother was not giving up on finding the attackers, and some celebrities were even sharing the story on social media to find them. Back in August, while Jay McLean was out getting a drink with his two sons at "Mrs. Robinson’s Pub," formerly known as "Timmy Nolan’s" in Toluca Lake, he was attacked and left unconscious. While one of the sons stepped outside to call an Uber, he was attacked by three men, whose images were captured on surveillance camera footage. The father quickly stepped in to protect his son when he was hit by one of the attackers, and left unconscious on the floor. McLean’s ex-wife, Cheryl McLean, has not stopped in her search to identify and locate the suspects that attacked her family. “We looked at footage. They never talk to them, never crossed paths with them,” she said. The family says the attack was completely unprovoked and would just like justice for what happened. Jay and his oldest son were both knocked unconscious when they were found by the youngest son. Jay, who has worked for Disney Theme Parks for 40 years, suffered a bruised face, multiple broken bones, and anxiety from the attack. According to the LAPD, it is still an open investigation and no arrests have been made relating to the attack. NBC 4 Opinion: Bonin Survives Recall Scare, But Is The Damage Already Done? The Recall Bonin 2021 effort was able to secure 25,965 valid signatures, just some 1,400 short of the required number to spur a special municipal election. But it just wasn’t to be. Despite a valiant effort of some 200 volunteers from around the 11th CD with an emphasis of workers coming from the Venice Community, just what is Mike Bonin’s future in public office and continuing as the council member representing Venice? With 39,271 signatures collected, there was a high degree of confidence that this 120-day effort through the summer and fall would translate to a special municipal election that would have shortened Bonin’s ten years in office and despite falling short on the signatures, does that mean Bonin is any less popular than he was yesterday? Reaching 95% of the legal goal, the Recall Bonin forces will have to reassess their options and quite possibly consider a legal challenge to those signatures that were deemed insufficient by the LA City Clerk’s Office. In the audit of signatures that was supplied to recall organizers Nico Ruderman and Katrina Schmitt, they broke down in specifics why these were deemed invalid. And while the recall effort has been stalled and possibly over, does this further enable Mike Bonin’s outright contempt for 11th CD residents tired and exhausted by his failed programs and policies, especially when it comes to rampant homelessness and rising crime? Yo! Venice Silver Alert Issued: 88-Year-Old Marie Alexander Last Seen Wednesday Morning In South LA A Silver Alert was issued Thursday on behalf of a 88-year-old woman last seen in South Los Angeles. Marie Alexander was last seen at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the area of West 21st Street and South Bronson Avenue, near the Santa Monica (10) Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol, which issued the Silver Alert on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department. Alexander is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 114 pounds, with brown eyes and blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a brown jacket and white shoes, and is believed to be on foot. Anyone who sees Alexander or knows of her whereabouts was asked to call 911. The Silver Alert program was established by the CHP to issue and coordinate alerts involving the unexplained or suspicious disappearance of elderly, developmentally disabled or cognitively impaired individuals. CBS 2 USC Frat Parties Can Return, But Security Guards Now Required Following Sex Assault Allegations Most University of Southern California fraternities can resume having parties in March, as long as security guards are posted at stairs or hallways in fraternity houses that lead to bedrooms, under a new policy enacted months after allegations of several sexual assaults and drugging at the Sigma Nu fraternity house. The string rules were issued in advance of spring "rush," or recruiting for Greek Life. The rules also include a mandate that 100 percent of chapter members complete prevention education workshops and that members agree to abide by a new community standards agreement. In addition, chapters must complete an advanced risk and compliance assessment and implement enhanced security measures. "About 4,000 of our students participate in fraternity and sorority life at USC, and many say that this is a central part of their USC experience," Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Charles Zukoski wrote. "Our community must work together to end sexual assault on our campuses. We appreciate everyone who brings forward concerns and reports sexual assault and other issues impacting safety and well-being, and we understand how difficult this can be." FOX 11 Investigation Underway After Man Fatally Shot In Compton A man was fatally shot in Compton Thursday morning, officials said. The incident was reported about 9:05 a.m. along the 900 block of South Mayo Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The victim, described only as an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not release any details about a possible suspect or suspects. The scene is near several schools and a park. Anyone with additional information about the shooting can call the agency’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. KTLA 5 Inglewood Man’s Conviction Upheld For Killing Wife In Front Of Children A state appeals court panel Thursday upheld an Inglewood man’s conviction for fatally shooting his wife in the head in front of their four young children in 2015. In a 2-1 ruling, the panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal noted that there had been “ongoing and consistent discord” between Andy Steve Valdez and his wife, Sandra, and that “prior acts of violence against the same victim and a pattern of marital discord are extremely probative on the issue of Valadez’s mental state in shooting his wife.” Acting Presiding Justice Luis Lavin wrote in a dissenting ruling that he would reverse the judgment and remand the case for retrial, writing that he was not confident that a juror who was removed from the case before deliberations began had lacked sufficient proficiency in English to fully understand the evidence and instructions. Valadez was convicted in January 2020 of second-degree murder, criminal threats and child abuse, with jurors finding true allegations that he had personally used a firearm during the commission of the crimes on Nov. 11, 2015. The victim’s 63-year-old aunt ran into the home when she heard the gunfire and struggled with Valadez over the gun after he threatened the couple’s children, authorities said. Valadez was arrested that day by Inglewood police who were responding to a call of shots fired at the home in the 400 block of West Olive Street. MyNewsLA.com Hollywood Producer Who Scammed $30 Million Pleads Guilty Hollywood producer William Sadleir will have to give up his 10,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion and other assets after admitting to scamming a BlackRock Inc. trust out of more than $30 million it had invested in his business. The 67-year-old Sadleir pleaded guilty in New York on Wednesday to two counts of wire fraud and reached a forfeiture agreement with prosecutors, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement on Thursday. Sadleir, who had been scheduled to go to trial next week, faces as much as 20 years in prison when he is sentenced May 10. Sadleir is a founder and former owner of Aviron Group LLC, a production and distribution company. He was arrested in May 2020 and accused of diverting a large portion of the $75 million invested in Aviron by the BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust. He also was accused of using coronavirus relief funds for personal purposes. “While the decision to plead guilty is always difficult, it was important for Mr. Sadleir to take responsibility for his behavior,” his lawyer, Matthew Schwartz, said in a statement. “Mr. Sadleir apologizes to everyone who has been hurt by his actions.” Los Angeles Daily News LA Ethics Commission Accuses Ex-Councilman Englander Of Misusing Position, Exceeding Gift Limits The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission has accused former Los Angeles Councilman Mitchell Englander of misusing his position on the City Council, accepting gifts such as bottle service and alcohol at a Las Vegas nightclub that went beyond the limit set in city ethics law, and failing to report the gifts. The commission’s director of enforcement, Kenneth C. Hardy, states in an accusation dated Jan. 10 that actions Englander admitted to when pleading guilty in 2020 to taking part in a scheme to falsify material facts in a political corruption case amount to violations of city ethics law. The commission’s accusation lays out two counts of accepting excess gifts, one count of misusing a city position, and two counts of failure to disclose the gifts. A statement from Englander’s attorney disputed the count of misusing a city position, and said that the accusations are “duplicative of the federal criminal case.” Englander represented a northwest San Fernando Valley district from 2011 until 2018, when he resigned. The guilty plea and written agreement in the federal criminal case lays out actions Englander took in 2017, while still a council member. Los Angeles Daily News Baldwin Hills Man Pleads Guilty To Luxury Car Scheme Defrauding Vehicle Owners Who Wanted Out Of Their Leases A Baldwin Hills man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal criminal charge of conning victims nationwide into giving him their high-end and exotic vehicles. Geoffrey Eldridge Hull, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a news release. From April 2016 to November 2019, Hull marketed himself and his companies as being in the position to find people to take over leases for high-end and exotic car — such as Bentleys, Ferraris and Maseratis — from individuals no longer wishing to continue their leases, according to his plea agreement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Despite assuring victims that his venture was successful, Hull and his companies did not find people to take over these leases, the news release states. Using a longtime friend and business associate to vouch for the quality of his program, Hull promised leaseholders that he would quickly find credit-qualified buyers to legally assume the lease through the original finance company and he agreed to cover monthly lease payments in the meantime. KTLA 5 Memphis Police Officer Among 2 Killed In Crash Memphis Police Officer Corille Jones, 32, was killed in a two-vehicle crash early Thursday, reported FOX 13. The driver of the other car also died, police said. According to the report, Jones was on duty when another vehicle struck his car. Jones was rushed to the hospital where he died. The other driver was pronounced dead at the scene, according to FOX 13. Jones had served for just under two years, police said. He leaves behind two daughters. The investigation is ongoing. PoliceOne N.Y. Police Leaders Decry Governor's Bail Reform Policies This past September, a Lockport man was released early for a parole violation but is now back in Niagara County Jail and facing more serious charges. In the short time out of jail, Shawn Pittler, 33, of 133 Chestnut St., accrued charges of criminal contempt, possession of stolen property, grand larceny and robbery. On the first charge, occurring on Nov. 14, Pittler was arrested by Lockport police when he allegedly attempted to make contact with his father who had a restraining order against him and called the police. Pittler was taken into custody, charged and his parole was notified, but he was ultimately released. Then, on Dec. 21, Pittler allegedly fled with accomplices from sheriff's deputies from the Family Dollar in Newfane to the corner of Chestnut and and Chapel streets in the City of Lockport where the driver of the getaway car collided with another vehicle. The driver got away but Pittler was arrested for shoplifting and charged with possession of stolen property. Sheriff Mike Filicetti said it was bail reform and similar laws that led to the release of suspects who, like Pittler, will only offend again. "He's been charged with possession of stolen property and also parole put a detainer on him — a warrant on him — because he is one of the ones that was released under 'Less than More' back in September," Filicetti said. "He was released (then) and also he was arrested by the City of Lockport in November for criminal contempt and then we released him again. Finally parole could put a detainer on him so he could be held at the jail (this last time)." Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y. Public Safety News Jonathan Flagler: Solemn Flag Service Held For LA County Firefighter Killed In House Fire A solemn flag ceremony was held Thursday in Vernon for a Los Angeles County firefighter who died battling a house blaze in Rancho Palos Verdes, honoring a man who dedicated two decades to the fire service. AIR7 HD was over Fire Station 13 in Vernon, where Jonathan Flagler started his career in 2002. The 47-year-old was mostly recently assigned to county Fire Station 83. A flag that flew over that station was raised at Station 13 during Thursday's ceremony, then later lowered, formally folded and will be presented to Flagler's family. "We'll always remember the day we lost our brother," county Fire Department Chaplain Vince Roldan said during the ceremony. "Jon was a true hero. And he lost his life in the line of duty upholding his oath to protect the lives and property of the community he served. There is a scripture in the gospel of John that says 'Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.' That's the heart of a firefighter and it is also why we are all hurting so much right now." ABC 7 Firefighters Investigate Late Night Fire On Abbot Kinney The cause of a fire on Abbot Kinney is under investigation. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded to a fire at 2814 S Abbot Kinney Boulevard around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. It took 34 firefighters about 20 minutes to knock down the fire , according to LAFD. No injuries were reported. WestSide Current Los Angeles County Reports Highest Number Of Daily COVID Deaths Since Last March Los Angeles County on Thursday reported 102 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily number since last March. COVID-19 hospitalizations were the highest amount seen in the county in recent weeks, with 4,814 Los Angeles County residents currently hospitalized with the virus. While the overall COVID hospitalization number remains below last winter's peak of more than 8,000, health officials stressed that the rising patient population is creating strain at hospitals that were already coping with staffing shortages. Those shortages have been exacerbated by COVID cases among healthcare workers, which have also been rising. The county also reported 42,115 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus rose again on Thursday, to 17.5% up from 16.9% on Wednesday. A month ago, the testing-positivity rate was just 2%. The percentage of COVID-19-positive hospital patients admitted to intensive care units in LA County is slowly rising, despite suggestions that the omicron variant of the virus causes less severe infections, health officials said. FOX 11 Coronavirus Transmission Rates Are Falling Across California, Bringing Guarded Optimism After weeks of an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases that challenged hospitals, schools and other institutions, there are growing indications that the surge spawned by the Omicron variant is flattening and, in some parts of California, even beginning to wane. Health officials in San Francisco said Thursday they believe they’ve passed the peak of the latest wave. And in Los Angeles County, there’s cautious optimism that the days of exponential growth may be in the rearview mirror. But officials warn that hospitals will continue to face significant challenges in the coming days and weeks, and that Californians need to keep their guard up. “We can now confidently say that we are on the beginning of a downward trajectory,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco’s director of health. According to state data, San Francisco averaged nearly 2,700 cases a day from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9 but is now averaging about 2,000 cases a day. But he added, “The surge is not over yet. ... Hospitalizations, which trail the peak in cases, will still continue to go up. We are urging people to remain particularly vigilant for a little bit longer. Cases are still very high.” Los Angeles Times ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit our website LA Police Protective League | 1308 West Eighth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!