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Man Set To Be Sentenced For California Police Officer’s Shooting Death

Sentencing is set Monday for a man who pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter for the killing of a Pomona police SWAT officer who was helping to serve a search warrant at a San Gabriel house where the defendant and his family lived more than eight years ago. David Martinez, 44, was acquitted in two separate trials — first of first-degree murder and then of second-degree murder stemming from Officer Shaun Diamond’s October 2014 shooting death. Jurors in the most recent trial deadlocked last October on two other charges — the lesser count of voluntary manslaughter and assault with a firearm on a police officer. Martinez pleaded no contest Nov. 30 to both of those counts and admitted gun allegations. Martinez — who waived his right to a third trial — made an open plea to the court, with no stipulation announced in open court on what sentence he will face. 

MyNewsLA

1 Arrested, 2 Sought In South L.A. Street Takeover That Left Woman Dead

A 28-year-old man wanted in connection with the death of a woman during a South Los Angeles takeover on Christmas Day has been arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico, police announced Tuesday. Dante Chapple Young was arrested last week and is awaiting extradition back to Los Angeles. The Orange County native faces a murder charge, while two other people involved in the death of 24-year-old Elyzza Guajaca remain at large. The deadly incident occurred around 9 p.m. Dec. 25 during a large street takeover at the intersection of Florence Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. Three vehicles were speeding and doing donuts when Young, who was driving a black Chevrolet Camaro, lost control after hitting a tow truck being used to block the street and eventually crashed into a crowd standing on the sidewalk. Young was then seen on video getting out of the car, getting into a scuffle with the crowd and running away, authorities said.

KTLA 5

L.A. Traffic Deaths Rose In 2022, Surpassing 300 Fatalities For First Time In Two Decades

Traffic deaths climbed again in Los Angeles last year, with 300 people killed on city streets — the highest number in at least two decades, city officials said. According to Los Angeles Police Department data, 312 people were killed in traffic collisions last year, 5% more than in 2021 and a 29% increase over 2020. L.A.'s streets remain particularly deadly for pedestrians and bicyclists, with 159 people killed in collisions involving pedestrians and motorists, a 19% rise compared with 2021, and 20 people killed in collisions involving bicyclists and motorists, an 11% rise. The traffic carnage in L.A. in 2022 outpaced national trends. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that fatalities from traffic crashes were essentially flat nationwide in the first nine months of 2022 compared with 2021. Fatalities among cyclists and pedestrians rose nationwide last year but were lower than the percentage rise seen in L.A.

Los Angeles Times

LAPD Widens Investigation Into Source Of Racist City Hall Leak

Information obtained by Los Angeles police from search warrants served on Twitter and Reddit has led detectives to additional investigative avenues as they work to uncover who recorded a meeting between three L.A. City Council members and a labor leader that was filled with racist and offensive comments, according to court documents and sources. The LAPD’s Major Crimes Division focused at first on the identity and Internet Protocol addresses behind a Reddit account that posted the audio last year and a Twitter account that tipped off reporters and others to the existence of the recordings, according to a search warrant issued in October and obtained by The Times. The warrant, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation, is one of as many as half a dozen filed by detectives tasked with unmasking who is behind the recordings that plunged City Hall into protests over the racist remarks and provided a window into the backroom machinations of the city’s redistricting process.

Los Angeles Times

Police Seek Man Who Allegedly Trespassed Into Beverly Hills Home

Authorities released photos of a man who they believe trespassed into a home in Beverly Hills Sunday. Officers were dispatched shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday to the 1000 block of Laurel Way, in what was initially thought to be a residential burglary, the Beverly Hills Police Department reported. At some point during their investigation, the call was downgraded from a burglary to a trespass. No one was apprehended, after a lengthy search with "heavy police presence," according to a police statement. The department then released what appears to be surveillance photos of the suspect and asked anyone with information regarding the incident to call them at 310-550-4951.

CBS 2

Gang Shooting Caught On Video Shuts Down Youth Academy In Compton

Surveillance video captured a gun battle between two rival gangs near an after-school Compton youth academy, which has been forced to shut its doors due to the violence. The shooting, which happened on Dec. 9, had staff at L.A. City Wildcats Youth Academy screaming for kids on the playground to get inside and take cover. Fortunately, none of the children or staff were injured during the incident. Police are still searching for the gunmen. “We’re not open for business,” Derrick Cooper, founder of Wildcat Youth Academy, told KTLA, “And my business is kids.” Cooper said the plan was to have children return at the start of the new year, but added that the recent violence has grown out of control.  

KTLA 5

Authorities Searching For Suspect Who Stabbed Man To Death In South Los Angeles

Authorities are investigating a homicide in South Los Angeles after a man was found stabbed to death on Sunday. Deputies were dispatched to the 1100 block of West 107th Street in unincorporated Los Angeles County after receiving reports of s tabbing at around 12:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found a man suffering from what appeared to be a stab wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. His identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin. There was no information immediately available on a suspect in the incident. Anyone with information was asked to contact detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at (323) 890-5500.

CBS 2

Video Captures Restaurant Owners Brutally Attacked In Glendale

Security video captured the moment two people were brutally attacked while unloading items into their Glendale restaurant on Friday. The victims say the incident happened around 5:50 p.m. outside of their restaurant on Brand Boulevard. Video shows a male victim standing still as three male suspects approached him in a narrow walkway. Words are exchanged when suddenly, one of the men punches the victim in the face, sending him tumbling to the ground. As the restaurant’s owner, an older woman, walks over to the fallen victim, another man smacks the woman in the head before walking away. The woman’s daughter says her mother had asked the tenants upstairs to move their vehicle, which was blocking the loading dock to their restaurant. She said when the tenants backed up their car, they hit a pole and became upset. Later that day, a black sedan pulled up from which three men hop out to attack the victims. They said the suspects threatened to return in the future.

KTLA 5

9 U.S. Citizens Arrested For Smuggling Weed Out Of LAX

London authorities arrested nine United States citizens for allegedly smuggling more than 700 pounds of cannabis out of Los Angeles International Airport. According to the British National Crime Agency, airport workers seized the drugs spanning from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16 from travelers who had packed the marijuana into their luggage on flights from LAX to Heathrow Airport. One seizure was made on Jan. 10, another was made the following day, six were made over the weekend and the final seizure was made on Monday. In all, around 750 pounds - or 340 kilos - of cannabis were seized. The estimated value of the product is around $7 million. "We are working to understand how these seizures are connected, however, to get this many off the same route in such a short period of time is clearly very unusual," said NCA Senior investigating Officer Darren Barr. "Drugs couriers face stiff sentences, so I'd urge anyone considering getting involved in such ventures to think very carefully about the consequences."

CBS 2

Dangerous Mix Of Fentanyl And Animal Tranquilizer Detected In Few Seizures In San Diego

The medication xylazine is used to sedate horses and cattle. But when mixed with opioids and injected by humans, it can cause people to black out for hours and leave festering wounds that can result in amputations. The withdrawal symptoms are said to be worse than those from heroin or methadone. When the animal sedative is cut into fentanyl and heroin and sold on the street, it’s commonly referred to as “tranq” or “tranq dope.” The Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Diego field office reported that xylazine has been detected 23 times in the last two fiscal years in San Diego and Imperial counties; the agency did not say if it was found in samples seized at the border with Mexico or came from dealers, users or some other source. Nationwide statistics show that the drug’s use is on the rise. A DEA intelligence report from October said the expanded use of xylazine as an addition to fentanyl may be driven in part by its low cost and lower risk of scrutiny by law enforcement, since it’s not a controlled substance.

Los Angeles Times

Man Gets 60 Years In Prison In Slaying Of Fort Worth Officer

A man was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty in the 2018 fatal shooting of a Fort Worth police officer, prosecutors said. Samuel Mayfield, 37, pleaded guilty to a murder charge in the slaying of Garrett Hull, an officer who was promoted to corporal after his death. Mayfield didn't shoot Hull, but he was one of three men officers were pursuing after a robbery at a bar when Hull was killed, Tarrant County prosecutors said. Police said that Mayfield, Timothy Huff and Dacion Steptoe were confronted by Hull and a team of undercover and uniformed officers after the trio robbed a Fort Worth bar. The three men ran in different directions when they saw the officers. Steptoe opened fire, killing Hull, prosecutors said. Then another officer fatally shot Steptoe. Mayfield and Huff were arrested and charged in Hull's death, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said that Texas law allows a person to be criminally responsible for the actions of someone else if there's a conspiracy to commit one crime and another felony occurs.

Associated Press

Ohio PD Gets 60 Ballistic Shields After Money Is Raised To Honor Slain LEOs

The Clark County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday afternoon announced details about the purchase of new "critical" safety equipment, made possible by a local business' fundraiser that honored two local deputies who died in the line of duty. The widow of one of the deputies said the ballistic shields could have saved her husband last year. Enon-based Brandeberry Winery in October last year raised $13,000 through the sale of its "Hero in Blue" bottle, of which it promised to donate $4 of each purchase to the Clark County sheriff's office. The money raised through Brandeberry's fundraiser, as well as funds from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 209, went toward the purchase of 60 ballistic shields. The personal shields have been in the office's possession since last week and have the ability to stop a wide variety of ammunition, including high-powered rifles, according to Maj. Chris Clark.

Springfield News-Sun

Video Of Mountain Lion Roaming Westlake Village Neighborhood Sparks Excitement, Health Concerns

A home security camera captured a mountain lion prowling through a Westlake Village neighborhood, and the homeowners say it isn't the first time the big cat has walked through their property. For the Malgieris, it was a shocking and surprising repeat visit at 2 a.m. "There it was, on the side of the house this time. Calmly walking through. Unbelievable," said Rob Malgieri. The mountain lion, which was not tagged, was first captured on camera on Dec. 19. "We were stunned when we looked at it... We've seen bobcats before - we have all the animals out here, but never seen a mountain lion." This time, the family noticed the big cat might have a minor injury. In the video, the mountain lion appeared to have a bit of a limp on the front left paw. "Kind of stressing down on the left shoulder. I noticed as soon as I watched it that something was off in the cadence." Malgieri checked with a local veterinarian, who said it's not likely a serious issue.

ABC 7

LA County COVID Death Toll Reaches 35K

Los Angeles County reported 63 new COVID-19-related deaths from a four-day period ending Tuesday, pushing the overall death toll past the 35,000 mark, along with about 3,200 new infections. The county Department of Public Health noted that the statistics are likely low due to delays in reporting from the weekend. Health officials reported 21 virus-related deaths Saturday, 16 on Sunday, 14 on Monday and 12 on Tuesday. The dates reflect the days the deaths were reported, not necessarily when the deaths occurred. The 63 new fatalities gave the county an overall virus-related death toll of 35,031. The Department of Public Health also reported 1,421 new infections Saturday, 809 Sunday, 477 Monday and 510 Tuesday. The 3,217 new cases gave the county a cumulative total from throughout the pandemic of 3,662,445. Health officials have stressed that the official number of cases is an undercount, due to the large number of people who rely on at-home tests without reporting the results to the county. Other people don't test at all, despite being possibly infected, officials said.

NBC 4

Warm Clothing, Proper Heating Advised As Freezing Temperatures Hit Parts Of L.A. County

A cold weather alert has been issued for parts of Los Angeles County that are expected to dip into freezing conditions this week. Lancaster, Mt. Wilson, Pomona, the Santa Clarity Valley and Woodland Hills are expected to dip under 32 degrees this week, continuing in most areas until Friday, officials said. “Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during cold weather,” Dr. Muntu Davis, L.A. County’s health officer, said in a statement Sunday. “Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don’t get too cold when they are outside.” Freezing temperatures are expected in Lancaster and Mt. Wilson beginning Monday and continuing until Friday. Similar conditions are predicted to begin Tuesday for the Santa Clarita Valley and Wednesday for Pomona and Woodland Hills. Public health officials are advising people in those areas to dress in layers of warm clothing if they’re going outside, to protect their head, hands and feet and to check on friends and family with limited mobility and access to heat. Pets should also be kept inside overnight.

Los Angeles Times

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 9,200 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.