LAPD Chief Moore Informs Police Commissioners Of Increase Of Shootings And Homicides

LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the Board of Police Commissioners Tuesday that Los Angeles has seen an increase in homicides and shooting violence this month, but he said it was accompanied by an overall reduction in crimes. Moore delivered his final update to the board Tuesday regarding recent crime statistics and significant events, as he is set to retire Thursday. The chief reported a continued reduction of 7.4% in Part One crimes, such as violent crimes and property crimes. February saw an increase in homicides and shooting violence with 47 homicides year-to-date, compared to 40 homicides at this time last year. So far this year, the Los Angeles Police Department has reported 189 shooting victims versus 174 in the same time last year. “The department is closely following the instances of where these are occurring,” Moore said. “We have seen an increase in gang-related and street violence between opposing factions within out neighborhoods.” LAPD officials are working with gang reduction, youth development, outreach and intervention workers in an effort to address disputes to prevent further violence, Moore added.

MyNewsLA

ADDA Files Charge Against DA Gascón For Alleged Anti-Union Falsehoods

The Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA), representing nearly 800 prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, has filed an unfair labor practice charge against District Attorney George Gascón. The charge stems from Gascón's allegedly false and anti-union statements made during an interview with the Southern California News Group, which were later published across Los Angeles and Orange counties. The union accuses Gascón of making unfounded allegations aimed at discrediting the ADDA's efforts to protect its members' rights in the workplace. According to ADDA President Michele Hanisee, Gascón's remarks sought to detract from the union's achievements and shift blame for his own leadership shortcomings onto the district's line prosecutors. Gascón's disputed claims include assertions that the ADDA refused a pay raise offer for its members, advised against applying for promotions, and unauthorizedly raised union dues to fund campaigns against him. The ADDA refutes these claims, highlighting that they have never dissuaded members from seeking promotions and that any dues increase was approved by members to cover legal costs in defense against Gascón's alleged retaliatory actions. ADDA Vice President Ryan Erlich criticized Gascón's motives, suggesting his fabrications were intended to erode the union's credibility among its members. The backdrop to this legal challenge is Gascón's re-election campaign, amid growing dissatisfaction with his tenure.

Westside Current

Los Angeles Woman Found Dead Inside Burning Car In Tulare

A woman found dead inside a burned-out car in Tulare on Feb. 15 was an Angeleno, KTLA sister station KSEE/KGPE reports. The Tulare Police Department said they responded to Bardsley Avenue near Laspina Street around 2 a.m. for reports of a crash, but when crews arrived, they found a car on fire. Investigators say the woman found dead inside the trunk of the burning car was 58-year-old Patrice Michelle Armstrong. On Feb. 21, officers from the Tulare Police Department traveled to Los Angeles and served a search warrant at Armstrong’s home where detectives say they located what appeared to be a crime scene. Detectives were able to determine that the homicide within Los Angeles Police Department’s jurisdiction, which took over the investigation. According to the Tulare Police Department, the suspect, 44-year-old Branden Bayilynn Howard of Tulare, was detained during a traffic stop on Feb. 15 and arrested on suspicion of homicide. Detectives are still waiting on the official autopsy report for the cause of death.

KTLA 5

Suspected DUI driver crashes into police cruiser during L.A. chase

A suspected DUI driver being pursued by Los Angeles Police Department officers was apprehended after he crashed into one of the police cruisers chasing him, authorities said. The pursuit began just before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night in Sunland and lasted for about five minutes, according to stringer service KeyNewsTV. The collision occurred near the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Fenwick Street.

KTLA

LAPD Cracks Nike Sneaker Heist Ring After Uncovering A Seller’s Alleged Connection To A Warehouse Employee

Most die-hard sneakerheads wouldn’t think twice about waiting hours in line to be the first to score the Air Jordan 4 BRED Reimagineds — which retail for $200, but can resell for double that on the collectors market. Some write computer code to snap up pairs of limited edition Jordans and other coveted Nikes as soon as they go on sale online. And then there are those suspected of going to even greater lengths to get exclusive kicks. Los Angeles police are investigating a theft ring that allegedly swiped millions of dollars worth of shoes in an elaborate scheme that stretched from a cavernous Nike warehouse in Memphis, Tenn., to a swanky Hollywood apartment building. So far, only one person has been charged in connection with the case, a 37-year-old Tennessee man who police say operated around L.A. — allegedly with the help of a Nike employee from back East. The suspected insider has not been charged, and court records suggest others involved have also avoided arrest and prosecution. The case has roiled the L.A. sneaker world, where collectors have been left wondering whether local retailers had knowledge of the thefts. Los Angeles authorities announced the seizure of a large cache of stolen Nike gear at a news conference late last month, but a search warrant affidavit filed by LAPD detectives and reviewed by The Times offers new details into the operations of the theft ring, which remains under investigation.

Los Angeles Times

Teen Beaten, Stabbed At Dockweiler Beach; Mother Calls It Hate Crime

Cameras rolled during a violent assault at Dockweiler Beach, where a 16-year-old was stabbed and beaten while his assailants shouted racial and homophobic slurs. The victim's mother, who chose to remain unidentified, recounted the harrowing incident. "They kept saying 'strip that fool' and other offensive and derogatory remarks. They just said so many hateful things," she said. It happened during a beach party promoted on social media on Feb. 10th. The teen tried to help a friend when a fight broke out. "When he went to go help her up I guess the guys didn’t like it, and they came and wanted to fight, and my son didn’t want any problems," his mother said. "The guy just pushed him, and then another guy came and they just all started attacking him - there was nothing my son could do." When she got to the hospital, doctors told the victim’s mom they weren’t sure if he would survive. "Everything went black from there." Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said they're close to identifying the people involved in the incident. As of Tuesday, police have not confirmed the incident was a hate crime.

FOX 11

2 Arrested In 6 Break-Ins At Marina Del Rey Shopping Center

Two people were arrested in a series of break-ins early Monday at a shopping center in Marina Del Rey. Security camera video from inside Nick the Greek shows one of the burglars break a window at about 1 a.m. to enter the restaurant in the Los Angeles County seaside community. The burglar took cash from a register as another burglar targeted other businesses. Five other burglaries were reported early Tuesday morning in the same area, including at Juice Crafters and Ulta Beauty. A witness said he saw a break-in in progress at the Ulta store, then caught one of the burglars. The man said he held the thief until police arrived. Details about the arrests were not immediately available.

NBC 4

LA County Officials Offer $20k Reward For Information On Cemetery Vandalism

Los Angeles County officials are offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for a series of vandalisms at local cemeteries, where bronze plaques and memorial markers were stolen. The crimes date back to early January, when the Woodlawn Celestial Gardens cemetery in Carson was hit by thieves who stole dozens of plaques and destroyed headstones in the process. Supervisor Holly Mitchell introduced the motion to request the reward, calling on the history of the cemeteries being targeted. "The cemetery includes numerous prominent figures and many local military veterans going as far back as the Civil War and the Spanish-American War," said Mitchell's motion. "The property owner estimates the financial loss to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars." Weeks later, Lincoln Memorial Park was targeted by vandals, who ripped bronze markers and plaques from headstones and mausoleum walls on Jan. 12. 

CBS 2

California Seized Enough Fentanyl Last Year To Kill Everyone In The World ‘Nearly Twice Over’

Roughly 62,000 pounds of fentanyl smuggled into California was confiscated by authorities in 2023. The total amount of the potent synthetic opioid seized last year “is enough to potentially kill the global population nearly twice over,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Tuesday. In 2023, the California National Guard supported other law enforcement agencies in counter-drug operations across the state, seizing a record 62,000 pounds of fentanyl at ports of entry, according to a news release from Newsom’s office. It’s unclear what means were used to smuggle the opioid and what form the fentanyl was in when shipped. Compared with just a few years ago, the amount of fentanyl seized by authorities has dramatically surged. In 2021, California authorities seized more than 5,300 pounds of the drug, with a street value of $64 million. In 2022 that rose to 28,000 pounds, with a street value of $230 million, based on the U.S. Department of Justice evaluation of illegal-drug values in the Los Angeles region. The total amount of fentanyl seized in 2023 would be worth roughly $670 million, according to authorities. It’s unclear whether the leap in the amount of fentanyl seized was due to the larger number of officers making seizures or whether traffickers greatly ramped up the amount of drug they were trying to smuggle into the state.

Los Angeles Times

LAFD Firefighter Released From Hospital After Suffering Burn Injuries In Massive Explosion

A Los Angeles firefighter was released from a hospital on Monday, more than a week after he and eight of his colleagues were injured in an explosion involving a natural-gas canister on a semitruck. The blast occurred on the morning of Feb. 15 as the Los Angeles Fire Department was on the scene of a fire on the truck near the intersection of Alameda Street and Henry Ford Avenue. Twelve firefighters "responded to a truck with pressurized cylinders on fire," the agency said in a statement. The blast happened six minutes after they arrived. Several firefighters were immediately rushed to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and others were initially evaluated at the scene before they too were hospitalized. Medical crews at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center raced to intubate Firefighter Dan Goen, who suffered the most severe injuries. He was ultimately transferred to the LA General Regional Burn Center for more specialized care. On Monday, Goen walked out of the facility to applause from fellow firefighters. He offered his thanks for all the support he's received and said he is looking forward to spending time with his wife and daughters.

ABC 7

Firefighters Extinguish Fire At Residence In Venice

A fire at a two-story home under construction was quickly extinguished Wednesday in Venice. Fire crews were called at 2:28 a.m. to 705 E. Broadway Ave. between San Miguel Avenue and Broadway Court where they found heavy flames coming from the residence, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. Firefighters had to contend with downed hazardous electrical wires in the rear of the home and deployed hose lines around the perimeter of the fire, using a "surround and drown" tactic, Prange said. It took 45 firefighters 31 minutes to knock down the flames. No injuries were reported. 

Westside Current

Bass, Councilmembers Secure $300M For LA During Sacramento Trip

Mayor Karen Bass and other city officials announced Tuesday that the Los Angeles region will receive $300 million in emergency reimbursements, with $60 million directly benefiting the city for COVID-19 expenses. Bass and a delegation including five City Council members were set to conclude two days of meetings at the statehouse in Sacramento on Tuesday and return to Los Angeles later in the afternoon. According to Bass' office, during a meeting Monday with the state's Office of Emergency Services, city officials were informed that Los Angeles would receive reimbursements for COVID-19 expenses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Other funding will be applied toward homelessness and storm relief. "We must continue to do all we can to join forces at every level of government to save lives and bring Angelenos inside," Bass said in a statement. "I want to thank the governor for continuing his work to lock arms with us to deliver for the people of Los Angeles."

FOX 11

About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 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.