Man Arrested In Brutal Slaying Of L.A. Model Whose Body Was Found In Refrigerator

A Minnesota man has been arrested as a suspect in the September killing of Maleesa Mooney, a 31-year-old model and real estate agent in Los Angeles who was pregnant at the time of her death, police announced Wednesday. Mooney was found dead Sept. 12 in her downtown apartment after her family requested a welfare check, police said. According to an autopsy report, her body was found in her refrigerator at the bloody crime scene. Her arms and legs had been bound, and Mooney had blunt-force trauma injuries to her head, neck, torso, arms, wrists and ankles, according to the autopsy report from the L.A. County Medical Examiner Department. LAPD detectives identified 41-year-old Magnus Daniel Humphrey of Hopkins, Minn., as her alleged killer. Officials did not share a possible motive on Wednesday or discuss evidence that reportedly linked Humphrey to Mooney’s brutal death. Humphrey, who had been on federal probation, was arrested at his home in Minnesota on an unrelated federal warrant, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. It wasn’t immediately clear what day he was arrested. He is to be transported to L.A. soon to face charges of murder and torture, according to officials and court records. Humphrey is accused in court records of killing Mooney on Sept. 7, five days before she was found dead.

Los Angeles Times

Closing Arguments Begin In Rebecca Grossman Murder Trial

A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that Rebecca Grossman, a co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, was speeding at 73 mph when she plowed into and killed two young brothers, while the woman’s lead attorney countered that authorities had failed to properly investigate the crash and determine who actually hit the boys. Lead defense attorney Tony Buzbee asked the nine-man, three-woman panel why they haven’t heard during the trial from former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson — whom the defense contends was behind the wheel of a black Mercedes-Benz that the defense contends struck the two boys first. Deputy District Attorney Jamie Castro told jurors that the man described at the time by the prosecution as Grossman’s boyfriend was “absolutely reckless” but that “there is not a shred of evidence that he hit them, not a shred.” Jurors are expected to get the case Thursday after hearing the prosecution’s rebuttal argument. Grossman, 60, is charged with two counts each of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one felony count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death in the Sept. 29, 2020, crash in Westlake Village that left 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother Jacob dead. “This was not a tragic accident. This was murder,” the prosecutor said during her closing argument.

MyNewsLA

Man Found Shot Shortly After Alleged Kidnapping At Sylmar Gas Station

A man was found shot after he was allegedly kidnapped in front of a Sylmar gas station Wednesday morning. It happened around 6:30 a.m. at the Mobil gas station at Encinitas Avenue and Roxford Street. A man named Craig watched the whole thing unfold. "It was really quick, but the guy didn't put up a fight," Craig said. "Three or four guys out of the SUV, walked up to the guy, grabbed him, walked him over, got into the car. One guy ran in front of my car, [they] almost got hit by another car, an SUV that drove by, and that was it." Shortly after the alleged kidnapping, the same victim was found miles away, in the 148000 block of Little Tujunga Canyon Road, with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics took the man to the hospital. Officials did not provide any information on his condition. While officials did not have any descriptions of the suspects, Craig said the suspects were driving a white SUV and a black sedan. "That was all I saw, and it was real quick," he said. "They came in, came out and then they just disappeared."

FOX 11

Drunk Driver Who Struck, Killed NYPD Officer Sentenced To More Than 20 Years In Prison

A woman who struck and killed a New York City police detective after speeding through an NYPD roadblock while driving drunk was sentenced Wednesday to more than 20 years in prison. A jury convicted Jessica Beauvais, 35, of Hempstead of aggravated manslaughter and other charges in October. She was arrested in April 2021 following the death of 43-year-old Anastasios Tsakos. Tsakos, a father of two and 14-year veteran of the police department, was struck and killed around 2 a.m. on April 27, 2021, while assisting officers at the scene of another fatal crash on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. Beauvais had a blood alcohol content that was nearly twice the legal limit for driving two hours after the accident, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, and she also was without a valid license. “Her license had been suspended, she was drunk and had smoked marijuana,” Katz said in a news release Wednesday. “For everyone’s safety and wellbeing, including her own, the defendant should not have been behind the wheel of a car.” A Supreme Court justice sentenced Beauvais to consecutive sentences of 20 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter and 2 1/3 years to 7 years for leaving the scene of an incident.

Associated Press

Florida K-9 Dies After Being Shot By Suspect

A K-9 who was shot in the line of duty has died, FOX 35 News reported. K-9 Leo of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was shot by a suspect on Feb. 17 while responding to a call, according to the report. Leo was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, but was wounded in an area not covered by the vest. Leo was rushed to a veterinary hospital, where he succumbed to his wound on Feb. 20. Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods stated that Leo had potentially saved the life of his handler, Corporal Justin Tortora. “He was trained to fight crime, to help those in need, and protect his handler at all cost,” Woods said. Leo had served with the department for three years, according to the report. “He will never be forgotten, and he will stay in the hearts of all of us in the sheriff’s office,” Public Information Officer Valerie Strong said.

PoliceOne

Massachusetts Officer Saves Choking Infant 10 Minutes After Completing CPR Training

A Massachusetts officer had to put his knowledge from a CPR training to the test just minutes after completing the course, police said. As a 30-year veteran officer at the Winthrop Police Department, Robert Jaworski enrolled in a CPR refresher course to complete Tuesday, Feb. 20, according to a Winthrop Public Safety news release. Ten minutes after he finished his training, the police department said it got a very important call. A 1-month-old baby was choking in a home and needed help, police said. Responders from the police department and Winthrop Fire Department rushed to the house, but Jaworski was the first to arrive, officials said. The infant named Savannah was being watched by her grandparents when she started to choke on her formula, grandfather Daniel Barnes told WCVB. “My wife was trying to pat her on the back to clear the airway, and thank God the ambulance and the cops showed up,” Barnes said, according to the news outlet. When Jaworski made it to the scene, Barnes told WCVB the officer turned her over to face the floor and patted Savannah’s back three times. “The third back blow, the child started crying, which is always a wonderful thing,” he said to the outlet.

Charlotte Observer

LAFD Firefighters Rescue 1,200-Pound Horse From Sinkhole In Lake View Terrace

With the help of heavy equipment and a massive team of specialists, Los Angeles firefighters were able to rescue a 1,200-pound horse who sank into a hole in Lake View Terrace. The horse named Lucky was stuck for hours in the muddy ground, after the property owner says an apparent sinkhole opened up in the backyard. Firefighters were eventually able to pull her out, hoisting her with the help of an excavator, and while she seemed to be in distress, she otherwise appeared to be unharmed and was walking on her own. "The name of the game is to not hurt the horse, to keep her calm," LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said while the rescue was still underway. "She's been in mild to moderate distress at this time and we want to get her freed and get more definitive care." Scott said more than 50 firefighters were involved in the rescue, including a SMART unit - Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team. A helicopter was also launched but it was determined the best approach was to use an excavator and vacuum truck to dig out the sand and then lift the horse out with straps to the point where she could use her hind legs to assist the final effort.

ABC 7

Storm Damage: Los Angeles Sees Nearly 100 Flooding Incidents From Winter Rain

As yet another winter storm moves out of Southern California, we're getting a brief snapshot of the damage left across the city of Los Angeles. As of Tuesday evening, there were nearly 100 major flooding incidents in L.A. due to blocked storm basins. A little more than half of those have been cleared. The city also responded to 126 reports of downed trees and at least 47 debris flows. Only 14 of those have been cleared. The storm also wreaked havoc on the region's roads. Massive mud and rockslides in Malibu came tumbling down, prompting the immediately closure of several roads. Meanwhile, rainfall totals released Wednesday are painting a picture of one of the region's wettest months ever recorded. The latest storm dropped 1.99 inches of rain in downtown L.A. and it makes it the fourth wettest February in that area since 1877, when records first were reported. 

ABC 7

City Council Calls For Study On Insurance Costs, Impacts On LA Housing

The Los Angeles City Council instructed staff Wednesday to conduct an analysis of insurance increases and how those costs are impacting developments for unhoused individuals. Council members voted 12-0, and expect a report back within 90 days on the matter. Additionally, staff will provide potential state or federal action that could be taken to address the issue. The action was initiated by a motion introduced by council members Katy Yaroslavsky, Paul Krekorian and Marqueece Harris-Dawson in December 2023. According to the motion, dramatic hikes in insurance costs and the exit of several insurance carriers from the state's multifamily housing market are "increasingly jeopardizing" the development of supportive housing units for formerly unhoused individuals. The council members noted that insurance costs have increased anywhere from 25% to 550% on properties -- which cannot be covered by simply raising rents. Some insurance carriers are not renewing policies, leading developers to acquire new policies at increased prices. "While the insurance commissioner and state lawmakers are aware of the issue and are discussing various proposals, it is essential to understand the depth of the challenge faced locally, as the failure to curb these skyrocketing costs will result in a reduction of new supportive housing being developed," the motion reads.

Westside Current

LA Council Looking To Aid Recruitment Of Behavioral Health Workers

The Los Angeles City Council approved recommendations Wednesday aimed at improving the coordination, delivery and communication of general and behavioral health services. In a 12-0 vote, council members instructed staff to work with county officials to identify organizations, by council districts, currently providing health services and report back with strategies to better serve Angelenos. Other city departments will be tasked with identifying academic institutions and certification programs that could aid in the effort. Additionally, the city will look to address behavioral health workforce shortages through possible incentives, such as student loan repayment, payment of school and certification fees and moving stipends, among other ideas. Council members Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Nithya Raman, Paul Krekorian and Monica Rodriguez initiated the effort through a motion they introduced in late January. According to the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California’s February 2023 report, which surveyed 57 counties across the state, more than 70% of county behavioral health agencies had difficulty recruiting new hires.

MyNewsLA

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.