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Hugo Soto-Martinez's Staffer Called LAPD Asking For ‘Extra Patrol' On Lexus; Public Points Out Hypocrisy

Los Angeles City Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez's staffer called LAPD asking for "extra patrol" on a white Lexus. That request left some officers noticing the irony of the staffer wanting help from police after the staffer's boss, Soto-Martinez, was so open about pushing for the abolishment of police. In fact, Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Jerretta Sandoz refers to Soto-Martinez as "Mr. Defund the Police.” "Better yet, is Mr. Abolish the Police," Sandoz said, correcting herself in an interview with FOX 11's Gina Silva. Soto-Martinez, who represents LA's District 13, has identified himself as an abolitionist on the issue of policing. But on Wednesday night, LAPD received a call from Soto-Martinez's office asking for "extra patrols throughout the night" for a parked white Lexus belonging to the Council Member because the vehicle broke down. "Police officers have so much more to do than to go and do X patrol on anyone's vehicle," Sandoz said when she heard about Soto-Martinez's office's request. "When you are anti-police, abolish the police… then why are you calling for help?" Those we spoke with in LA's District 13 also noticed the irony and hypocrisy. "I think anyone who wants to abolish the police is like ridiculous because when **** goes down and something happens, it's negative. They end up calling the police," said a man FOX 11 spoke with.

FOX 11

Gunman ‘Essentially Executed’ California Police Officer On Duty, Investigators Say

Authorities on Friday described the killing of a Selma police officer as happening before the officer had a chance to react, and said he was “essentially executed.” Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. was killed Tuesday while approaching a man, according to Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni. Carrasco, a 23-year-old native of Reedley, had been an officer since May 2021 and had a baby on the way. Carrasco was on a routine patrol in a police car about 11:52 a.m. Tuesday in a residential Selma neighborhood west of Highway 99, Zanoni said. As Carrasco approached a man — whom police have said was 24-year-old Nathaniel Dixon, a felon on probation — the officer and the man spoke briefly, Zanoni said. Carrasco turned his car around and as he passed the man again, a homeowner told the officer that Dixon did not belong on the property. “(Dixon) was trying to go into that yard like he lived at that house,” Zanoni said. “Once Carrasco got out of his vehicle, I believe that’s when Dixon realized ‘he got me.’“

The Fresno Bee

Two Women Killed In Downtown L.A. In Separate Homicides

Two women were killed in downtown Los Angeles early Sunday in separate homicides that occurred just blocks apart, police said. Police had few details of the crimes, and could not identify the women or say whether the incidents — one a stabbing, the other a shooting — were related. The first killing was called in at 1:51 a.m. from the 300 block of South Main Street, just blocks from City Hall, police said. An unidentified woman in her 30s, who was possibly homeless, had been stabbed and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two hours later, police responded to a call about a shooting at 5th and Wall streets, a few blocks southeast of the stabbing, authorities said. They found a woman in her 30s or 40s, also possibly homeless, shot to death inside a car. No arrests have been made in either incident.

Los Angeles Times

Reseda Man Pleads Guilty To Selling 17 Pounds Of Meth, Dozens Of Ghost Guns

A San Fernando Valley man pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges for selling about 17 pounds of methamphetamine and 89 firearms, including dozens of ghost guns, or firearms that lack serial numbers. Julio Ernesto "Iroe" Lopez-Menendez, 27, of Reseda, pleaded guilty to one count each of distribution of methamphetamine and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Lopez-Menendez has been in federal custody since his arrest last April. U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a May 26 sentencing hearing, at which time Lopez-Menendez will face a sentence of up to life in federal prison, federal prosecutors said. According to his plea agreement, from January 2022 to April 2022, Lopez-Menendez engaged in transactions in which large numbers of firearms and pound quantities of methamphetamine were sold. Many of the firearms sold were so-called ghost guns.

ABC 7

Man Killed By Hit-and-Run Vehicle In Van Nuys

A 55-year-old man was crossing a Van Nuys street when he was struck by a dark-colored vehicle that fled the scene, leaving him to die, authorities said Saturday. The victim was identified as Peter Escalante of Van Nuys, according to the coroner’s office. The crash occurred at 10:15 p.m. Friday at Oxnard Street and Woodman Avenue, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement. The man was crossing southbound on Oxnard when he was struck by the vehicle that was westbound on the same street, police said. The driver failed to stop or attempt to aid the mortally injured pedestrian, police said. Escalante was pronounced dead a the scene, police said. Drivers involved in collisions are required to pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services and remain at the scene to identify themselves.

MyNewsLA

Inmate Walks Away From Correctional Facility In Los Angeles

The search is on for an inmate who walked away from a community reentry program in Los Angeles. Carlos Montes was serving a five-year sentence for second-degree robbery and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, according to a CDCR news statement. He was last seen Saturday at the Male Community Reentry Program. Montes walked away from the the facility wearing a burgundy shirt and jean shorts. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officers received notification of an alarm on Montes' monitoring device at 4:30 p.m., according to a CDCR news statement. "Agents from CDCR's Office of Correctional Safety were dispatched to locate and apprehend Montes and notification was made to local law enforcement," according to the statement.

CBS 2

Dad Of 3 Severely Beaten After Road Rage Incident From 110 Freeway In South LA

A family is pleading for justice and an arrest after a road rage incident left a father of three beaten and bloody. The California Highway Patrol called the violent incident as a "road rage" encounter and pledged to continue investigations. On January 25, Sandra Tocohua said she was in the car with her husband, Adrian Burgos Herrera, 33, when a road rage incident started with another car at the 110 Northbound Freeway and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the South Los Angeles area. "Before we exited, he [the other driver] was already trying to hit us for no reason. We're not sure what exactly got him angry or what was his problem. As we were exiting, he got in front of us and then he was driving slow to get us pissed off but we kind of ignore it but then once we were exiting onto the exit, again he tried to hit us there and then he got in front of us again," said Tocohua.

FOX 11

Man Arrested For Allegedly Having Gun At Kids Soccer Tournament

A man was arrested Sunday after allegedly bringing a gun to a park where a soccer tournament was being held for children aged 8 to 12 years old. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Marina del Rey station received a call at 10:20 a.m. about a man possibly armed at the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area at 4100 S. La Cienega Blvd., according to a watch commander. The officials added that law enforcement personnel were still at the scene early Sunday afternoon. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA

Authorities Search For Missing Mother And Baby In Los Angeles County

Authorities are searching for a mother and her baby who disappeared in Lancaster on Friday. The mother was identified as Petisa Shenelle Hyde Davis, 25, and her daughter is Oluwaelumi Ikuomola, 2, both from Lancaster. Both mother and child were last seen on the 500 block of W. Lancaster Boulevard around 7:28 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Both are considered at-risk individuals, authorities said. “Davis has a diminished mental capacity, and her family is very concerned for her well-being,” said LASD. Davis is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair and was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and black shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call the LASD’s Missing Persons Unit at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

KTLA 5

Two Men Arrested In ‘Cold-Blooded’ Massacre Of 6, Including Mother And Baby, In Tulare County

After a predawn gun battle and a series of raids across California, authorities said Friday they had arrested two men accused of killing six people, including a teen mother and her baby, in an execution-style massacre that stunned the Central Valley farm town of Goshen last month. The suspects were identified as Noah David Beard, 25, of Visalia and Angel “Nanu” Uriarte, 35, of Goshen, both Norteño gang members, according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Uriarte engaged in a gun battle with federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives early Friday and was wounded before being taken into custody, officials said. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said Uriarte, who could face federal charges in the assault of a federal officer, underwent surgery at a hospital and was expected to survive. Investigators identified Beard as the suspect accused of killing the 16-year-old and her baby.

Los Angeles Times

California PD Pushes To Fill Police Vacancies With $30K Incentive Program

In the wake of an FBI and district attorney investigation that led to eight officers being placed on leave, the Antioch Police Department is ramping up hiring to address its shortage of cops. The eight Antioch officers are under investigation for what investigators called “crimes of moral turpitude,” including issues related to the K-9 unit, cellphones, alleged involvement with cocaine and steroids, and possible civil rights violations. They make up 8% of the patrol force. Though few details have been released, the chief indicated that one of the officers resigned last month, while the other seven are still on paid administrative leave. “The city remains committed to supporting the efforts of this investigation,” Thorpe said at a press conference with Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford on Thursday. “We’ve been fully cooperating with the DA’s office and the FBI to ensure that they have a seamless process in obtaining the information that they need.”

Bay Area News Group

Driver Rescued After Falling 100 Feet Down Cliff In Beverly Crest

The Los Angeles Fire Department rescued a woman after her vehicle fell 100 feet down into an embankment Saturday afternoon. A 35-year-old woman was found outside of the vehicle. No other passengers were in the vehicle and no one else was trapped inside. The woman is said to be in "at least serious condition." The rescue operation was reported at the 8000 block of Mulholland Drive. Crews are closing Mulholland Dr at Laurel Canyon and Coldwater Canyon, according to the LAFD. Drivers are advised to avoid the area. Firefighters are preparing for a “two line rope system using a litter basket” while a medic will be lowered to assist in evaluating the woman. “Due to the severity of injuries to the patient and the terrain, LAFD Air Ops will conduct a hoist operation and air ambulance transport,” the LAFD said.

NBC 4

Firefighters Knock Down Winnetka House Fire

A fire damaged a house Friday in the Winnetka area, but no one was hurt. Firefighters sent to the 20300 block of Sherman Way about 10 a.m. extinguished the flames in the single-family home in 21 minutes, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation. 

Los Angeles Daily News

While COVID Raged, Another Deadly Threat Was On The Rise In Hospitals

As COVID-19 began to rip through California, hospitals were deluged with sickened patients. Medical staff struggled to manage the onslaught. Amid the new threat of the coronavirus, an old one was also quietly on the rise: More people have suffered severe sepsis in California hospitals in recent years — including a troubling surge in patients who got sepsis inside the hospital itself, state data show. Sepsis happens when the body tries to fight off an infection and ends up jeopardizing itself. Chemicals and proteins released by the body to combat an infection can injure healthy cells as well as infected ones and cause inflammation, leaky blood vessels and blood clots, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is a perilous condition that can end up damaging tissues and triggering organ failure. Across the country, sepsis kills more people annually than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and opioid overdoses combined, said Dr. Kedar Mate, president and chief executive of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Los Angeles Times

LA Council Approves One-Month Grace Period For Tenants Behind On Rent

The Los Angeles City Council has adopted an ordinance providing tenants who are behind on their rent with a one-month grace period prior to their landlord beginning eviction proceedings, but there were not enough votes for it to take effect immediately. The ordinance is part of a package of renter aid the council began discussing after it voted to let the COVID-19 state of emergency expire at the end of January. The council's decision also sunset the temporary tenant protections that have been in place since the start of the pandemic. The ordinance allows tenants behind on rent to stay in their apartments for a month, unless they owe more than one month's worth of fair market rent. The draft ordinance included an urgency clause, but because it only received nine votes Friday -- three short of the 12 votes required to activate the clause -- it will take effect in 31 days. 

FOX 11

Fence Surrounding Echo Park Lake To Be Removed, LA Council Member Says

Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez announced Thursday that a chain-link fence surrounding Echo Park Lake will be removed. It's been nearly two years since 183 people living in encampments in the park were removed. The park was closed for repairs and reopened with a chain-link fence still surrounding the iconic recreation area. The removal effort on March 25, 2021 was met with large protests, in which hundreds of officers descended on Echo Park and arrested about 180 people, including journalists. "It remains a stain, a tainted legacy of the biggest homeless failure of the city of Los Angeles," Soto-Martinez said. "We cannot have that. If we're going to move forward and address the root causes of these issues, we have to take down the fence."

ABC 7

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