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LAPD Officer Injured During Altercation With Assault Suspect In Sherman Oaks

A Los Angeles police officer had to be hospitalized after getting into an altercation in Sherman Oaks Wednesday morning. Police responded to the intersection of Beverly Glen Boulevard and Deervale Drive around 10 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department Officer Marin said. Investigators said the officer was involved in a fight with an assault with a deadly weapon suspect. The unidentified suspect was eventually taken into custody. The officer and the suspect were both injured during the altercation, prompting two ambulances to be sent to the location. No further details about the fight or the extent of the injuries was immediately available.

KTLA 5

LA's Homeless Were 24% Of City's Murder Victims

Nearly one quarter of the murders recorded in Los Angeles in 2022 described the victim has homeless, a hugely disproportionate number considering homeless people make up roughly 1% of the City's population of more than 3.8-million. Year-end crime data for 2022 reviewed by the I-Team showed LAPD detectives investigated 381 homicides and listed the victims as homeless in 92 of them, or 24% of all cases. In 2021 the data showed victims described as homeless represented 23% of the City's 408 homicides. People living in tents, RVs, or encampments are far more vulnerable to harm beyond violence. The LA County Department of Health reported last year that deaths of homeless people for all causes have climbed each year since 2017, with drug overdoses, heart disease, Covid-19, and traffic injuries claiming more lives than murders (the Health report examined deaths in all of LA County, not just in the City of LA).

NBC 4

Police Seeking Public Help To Find Hit-And-Run Motorist In Woman’s Death

Authorities Thursday will appeal for the public’s help to find the hit-and-run motorist responsible for fatally injuring a woman who was dropping off toys at a south Los Angeles shelter on Christmas Eve. Trina Newman-Townsend, 62, was injured about 3:30 p.m. Dec. 24 at Broadway and 88th Street and died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Police said Newman-Townsend was dropping off toys to a shelter with her children, and as she returned to her parked vehicle she was struck by a blue, mid-size sedan that sustained significant damage to the front passenger area. The vehicle was traveling north on South Broadway and continued in that direction, failing to stop, according to police. ABC7 reported that she was a mother, grandmother and community activist who helped raise foster children. A Thursday morning news conference was planned at the LAPD’s South Traffic Division to seek the public’s help finding the hit-and-run motorist.

MyNewsLA

Police Arrest 24-Year-Old Man In Echo Park Hit-and-Run

The Los Angeles Police Department announced Wednesday that they’ve arrested a 24-year-old Los Angeles man in connection with a November hit-and-run causing injuries. On Thursday, police sought the public’s help in identifying the driver seen fleeing the scene after a stolen 2006 Saturn Ion collided with a 1998 Toyota truck at about 7:10 a.m. at Glendale Boulevard and Scott Avenue in Echo Park on Nov. 9, police said in a news release. The occupants of the Toyota suffered minor injuries. On Friday, police arrested Alexis Emilio Chavarria near Bixel and Temple streets in Echo Park and booked him for felony hit-and-run. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office decided to charge the hit-and-run as a misdemeanor, though they added a felony charge of driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. If anyone has information, please contact Detective Juan Campos at 213-833-3713 or email him at [email protected].

KTLA 5

Person Found Dead In Downtown L.A. Freight Elevator

A person was found dead in the doorway of a freight elevator at the rear of a commercial building in downtown L.A. Wednesday morning. Paramedics were sent to 820 S. Broadway about 11:40 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Information was not immediately available on the identity of the person, described by the fire department only as a male whose age was not known. According to the LAFD, the person was found "trapped at the 2nd floor level freight elevator doorway at the rear of a six-story commercial building." The circumstances of the death were under investigation.

CBS 2

Rapper Theophilus London Found ‘Safe And Well' After He Was Reported Missing In LA

Rapper Theophilus London has been found safe after a missing persons report was filed with Los Angeles police last week, his family said. The rapper's cousin, Mikhail Noel, posted on Instagram that London is "safe and well." "We have found Theo. He is safe and well," Noel's post reads. "At this time the family would love prayers and privacy. Thank you all!!!" "Truly appreciate everyone's support in finding my cousin," the caption said. "It's refreshing and rewarding to have such a strong support system of family and friends!!! God bless each and everyone of you all." London's relatives have been trying to determine his whereabouts over the last few weeks and filed a police report. LAPD said in a news release on Dec. 28 that the rapper's family members lost complete contact with him in October of 2022 and the last known sighting of London was at around 12 p.m. on Oct. 25 in the neighborhood of Skid Row in downtown L.A.

ABC 7

Pregnant Woman, 25, Shot To Death In Artesia

A pregnant woman was shot and killed in Artesia, and now detectives are searching for her killer. The shooting happened Dec. 29 around 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Pioneer Blvd. and Artesia Blvd. The circumstances of the shooting are unknown. The victim was taken to the hospital where she died, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives. A GoFundMe account identified the woman as Marissa Alexis Perez, 25. She was expecting a baby in June. No description of a suspect was given. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting lacrimestoppers.org. 

FOX 11

Authorities Seek Public’s Help In Locating Missing Woman

Authorities sought the public’s help Wednesday in locating a missing woman from East Los Angeles. Florencia Rojas, 75, was last seen on Wednesday at 10 a.m. on the 120 block of North Herbert Avenue in East Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Rojas was described as being 5-feet-5 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. She has blond/gray hair and brown eyes and was said to be diagnosed with dementia, according to LASD. Rojas was last seen wearing a gray sweater and black pants. Anyone with information on Rojas’ whereabouts or location was encouraged to contact the LASD Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be called in to 800-222-8477.

MyNewsLA

Mastermind Of College Admissions Scam Sentenced To 3½ Years In Prison

William “Rick” Singer, the self-styled college admissions consultant who bribed coaches and rigged exams to slip the children of his wealthy clients into the country’s best universities, must spend three years and six months in prison for masterminding a scheme that made him millions of dollars and rocked the country’s elite academic institutions. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel on Wednesday ordered Singer to pay $10 million in restitution to the federal government. The sentence for Singer, 62, brings to an end what prosecutors called the largest college admissions fraud ever uncovered by law enforcement authorities. In addition to sending dozens of wealthy, powerful parents and coaches to prison, the case laid bare profound inequalities within higher education in America. Some parents, for instance, argued their payments to Singer were no different than the donations universities regularly seek from applicants’ families. Their lawyers dug into admission practices at one of Singer’s preferred targets, the University of Southern California, revealing that school officials tracked how much a family stood to give when weighing whether to admit their child.

Los Angeles Times

'I Had To Come Back': California Sergeant Returns To Work After Leg Amputation

Mark Addy is good. You know it's true, because he says so. And he knows it's true, because it says so right on his prosthetic left leg. The San Bernardino County sheriff's sergeant had his leg amputated after an off-duty traffic collision in 2021. He said he never doubted that not only would he recover, but also would someday go back to work. After 14 months and 13 days, Addy returned to full duty in December. "Of course, the initial thought is what is going to happen, but honestly, it never fazed me. I kind of looked at it as a new challenge," Addy, 42, said in a recent interview at the sheriff's headquarters in San Bernardino. Addy sees a reminder that he has met the challenge every morning during the 20-minute process to affix the prosthesis below his knee using liners, lotions and lubrication. "GOOD" — the name of a podcast produced by motivational speaker Jocko Willink — is written on the titanium leg. "No matter how bad a situation is," Addy said, summarizing the former Navy SEAL's message, "there's going to be some good that comes out of it."

San Bernardino County Sun

Suspect In Times Square Machete Attack Of NYPD Officers Charged With Attempted Murder

The man accused of attacking two New York police officers near Times Square on New Year’s Eve was charged Monday with attempted murder. Trevor Bickford, a 19-year-old described by authorities as a recently radicalized jihadist visiting Manhattan from Maine, could also face federal terrorism charges. Bickford’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on attempted murder and attempted assault charges was pending Monday as he continued to be treated at Bellevue Hospital after being shot by police during the attack. At about 10 p.m. Saturday, Bickford allegedly went after officers stationed at Eighth Avenue and W. 52nd Street just outside the Times Square New Year’s Eve frozen zone, police said. New York Police Department Officer Paul Cozzolino, who graduated from the Police Academy on Friday, suffered a fractured skull and cut to his head on his first day on the job. Officer Louis Iorio, an eight-year NYPD veteran, suffered a less serious gash to his head.

New York Daily News

LAC+USC Medical Center Officials Seeking Help Identifying Patient

Health officials are seeking public assistance in locating an unidentified patient at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. According to the hospital, the man has been a patient under their care for four days, though no one knows who he is. They say that the patient is between 35 and 45 years old, and is described as 5'9" tall, weighing around 175 pounds. He has brown hair and greenish-brown eyes, along with a black tattoo of two demons and a lion on his right arm. Anyone with information on the patient's identity is urged to contact the Department of Social Work at (323) 409-4317 or (323) 409-3134.

CBS 2

High Surf Advisory Going Into Effect For All Los Angeles County Beaches

With heavy rains and strong winds battering the Southland, the National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for all Los Angeles County beaches. The advisory goes into effect Thursday at 6 a.m., NWS reports. Winds will be out of the south with gusts from 35-45 knots and possible storm force gusts up to 50 knots. The largest waves will hit west facing shores, with surf in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties expected in the range of 8-12 feet, according to the weather service. “Surf is forecasted to be upwards of 12 feet with increased rip currents. Know your limits and check in with a lifeguard,” the L.A. County Lifeguards tweeted. NWS recommends mariners remain in port, seek safe harbor, and/or secure their vessels for severe wind and combined seas.  

KTLA 5

LA County Reports Additional 2,138 New COVID Cases, 26 More Virus Deaths

Los Angeles County logged 2,138 new COVID-19 cases and 26 additional virus-related deaths in its latest data, while county hospitalizations related to the coronavirus maintained a weeklong trend of hovering around 1,200. The data released Wednesday by the L.A. County Department of Public Health came a day after the agency reported nearly 7,000 new COVID-19 cases over the long holiday weekend, along with 62 more virus-related deaths. A day-over-day comparison between Wednesday’s 2,138 new cases and Tuesday’s case count would not be relevant, as the county was still reporting Tuesday’s number as 575 — with the warning that the number reflects an undercount due to a lag from weekend reporting. Monday’s new case count was 1,035 and Sunday’s 1,837, with both numbers also believed to be undercounts. The number of new cases reported each day is also, typically, an undercount of actual virus activity because many residents rely on at-home tests without reporting the results, while others don’t test at all.

MyNewsLA

Mayor Bass' Housing Program Focusing On Encampments Launches In Venice

A program announced by Mayor Karen Bass in an effort to provide housing for people living in encampments is being implemented in Venice, officials announced Wednesday. The program, called the Inside Safe Initiative, will work to identify the "highest need encampments'' that have a chronic and high demand for services, according to an executive directive signed by Bass last month. Using citywide coordination between various departments and agencies, the action plan calls for identifying interim housing and eventually permanent housing resources for each person living in the encampments. The program initially began in Hollywood at encampments near Cahuenga and the Hollywood (101) Freeway. According to Bass and Councilwoman Traci Park -- who represents Venice -- people living in encampments near the intersection of Sunset and Pacific avenues have accepted housing following outreach, but they did not specify how many people.

NBC 4

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education.