June 2008 Archives
Three people broke into a home and beat up someone on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. The victim stated that on June, 26, 2008 at about 4 p.m. he opened the door and was jumped by three suspects. The suspects hit, choked, and struck the victim on the face with a stick. The suspects spent about 20 minutes inside his residence and removed numerous electronic items and fled in an unknown direction.
Someone was shot in the elbow Friday at 1:05 a.m. in the 18800 block of Strathern Street. The victims were standing in front of their residence when the suspects pulled up in a vehicle. The suspects asked if they were from a gang. The victims told them that they were not in a gang at which time, the driver suspect reached over the passenger and fired one round, striking one of the victims in the elbow. The suspects then sped off.
Well apparently, he is only co-starring in cartoon films. Check out his kid-oriented website.
Cities and counties are battling manhole-cover thefts, a crime spree that police tie to the weak economy. Hundreds of 200-pound covers have disappeared in three months in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Georgia as scrap metal prices pop up.
An armed robbery and a home-invasion robbery from overnight ...
An armed robbery occurred at 9:12 a.m. in the 13900 block of Ventura Boulevard. The victim was standing outside of his store when the suspect pistol-whipped him. The suspect took money from the victim and then entered the store. When the suspect was unable to find any more money, he ran away. The victim was taken to Kaiser Hospital for stitches.
A home-invasion robbery occurred at 12:04 a.m. in the 1200 block of Moorpark Street. The suspects approached the apartment where the victims were at with a handgun, entered and demanded money. The Suspects took off north through the apartment complex with the victim's money.
This is not the right way to start a Friday morning, especially for the family of the guy who was killed.
Another homicide in the Valley overnight. Details are sketchy. But we'll flesh it out...
Police this morning were trying to piece together the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of an 18-year-old man whose body was found on a Sylmar street.The shooting occurred in the 13500 block of Kismet Avenue at 12:15 a.m., police said.
An ideologically split Supreme Court struck down DC's handgun ban saying it went too far. The ruling strengthens individual gun owner rights and is a major victory for gun advocates. In addition to striking down the country's toughest gun ban, the court also held unconstitutional the requirement that shotguns and rifles be kept disassembled or unloaded or outfitted with a trigger lock
This is from the Washington Post:
The Supreme Court, splitting along ideological lines, today declared that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns for self-defense, striking down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun ownership as unconstitutional.The 5 to 4 decision, written by Justice Antonin Scalia represented a monumental change in federal jurisprudence and went beyond what the Bush administration had counseled. It said that the government may impose some restrictions on gun ownership, but that the District's strictest-in-the-nation ban went too far under any interpretation.
Scalia wrote that the Constitution leaves the District a number of options for combating the problem of handgun violence, "including some measures regulating handguns."
"But the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table," he continued. "These include the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home."
The court also held unconstitutional the requirement that shotguns and rifles be kept disassembled or unloaded or outfitted with a trigger lock. The court called it a "prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense."
If you haven't checked out our new Valley Crime Map, you should. It's a list of 92 significant crimes - from homicides, to assaults to shootings, to robberies and burglaries - in the Valley since May. I've been compiling the data and uploading it into a new online database that maps the crimes out by street and allows you, the viewer to, search by neighborhood and get up-to-date information about crime near you.
Thanks to the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Bureau, the information comes to me about daily. I'd like to know what you think about the map and how we can make it more useful. E-mail me with your thoughts.
A judge approved a preliminary injunction against the San Fers gang this morning, a move that now restricts the movement of hundreds of gang members over a 9.5-mile stretch of the Northeast Valley and gives police broader arrest authority.
In a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court that lasted just a few minutes, Judge David P. Yaffe granted the request from the City Attorney's Office and District Attorney's Office. Nobody voiced opposition in court.
Previously, community members have complained the injunction, one of the city's largest, spreads too far, folding in middle class neighborhoods in Sylmar and San Fernando untouched by daily violence.
But after several town hall meetings, both the Sylmar and Mission Hills neighborhood councils backed the injunction even as some argue police and prosecutors pushed it through without consulting the community.
There seems to be a bit of a disagreement among the region's top cops about the root causes of gang violence; racial tensions versus gang loyalty.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca believes serious inter-racial tension fuels the city's gang problem and he made a strong case for it an LA Times opinion piece that ran a few weeks ago. In doing so, he directly took on LAPD Chief William Bratton, who has repeatedly pointed out that violence emanates from gang affiliation, not skin pigmentation. To clarify his point, head of LAPD's detective bureau and 30-year veteran Charlie Beck laid out his argument in the LATimes Opinon section today.
It is true, of course, that many of L.A.'s gangs are organized along racial lines. Gangs almost always have been. You name the race or ethnic group and, during some time in history, some of their number have resorted to forming gangs to leverage their power in society. The Italians and the Irish come to mind in the 20th century. But being made up along racial lines doesn't mean that every crime is racially motivated. Mostly, the gang violence we see on the streets of Los Angeles is committed for other reasons -- over turf control, over traditional gang rivalries, over drug deals, over who disrespected whom, and over women. These are not racially motivated killings.
The danger of overstating racial conflict, thereby turning a discussion into a self-fulfilling prophesy, is very real. As our city grows and as demographics shift, cross-racial contacts increase, along with opportunities for conflict.
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Of course, you have to keep in my mind that the two men see gangs from very different places. Beck works the streets where gang members' first loyalty is to their neighborhood or close friends. With freedom, gang members can pick and chose who and when to fight.
Baca oversees the county's overcrowded jail system, where loyalty is not so clear cut and alliances are key to survival. There, race constantly bubbles to the surface. Inmates are often separated not only along gang lines but race, because in a place that nobody can call home, it is easier to define loyalty by skin color.
A couple of robberies from overnight ...
ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 6/23/08, 2029 hrs LOCATION: Devonshire St. Sepulveda Blvd.
TYPE OF WEAPON: Handgun SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 1 # OF SUSPECT(S): 1
INJURIES: No TYPE OF INJURIES: None
GANG RELATED: No NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: The suspect entered the market armed with a handgun. The suspect threatened the cashier with a handgun. The cashier in fear for her safety, gave the suspect the money in the cash register. The suspect then fled the location.
ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 6/23/08, 2226 hrs LOCATION: San Fernando Mission Blvd/Woodley Ave.
TYPE OF WEAPON: Handgun SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 1 # OF SUSPECT(S): 1
INJURIES: No TYPES OF INJURIES: None
GANG RELATED: No NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: The suspect entered the market armed with a handgun. The suspect located the store manager and at gun point directed the manager to the store office. The suspect then ordered the manager to open the store safe, the manager then grabbed for the suspects handgun and a struggle ensued. As a result of the struggle, the handgun was fired 2 times with no injury to anyone. The suspect took the money and fled the location in an unknown direction.
A couple of incidents from over the weekend ...
A home invasion robbery was reported yesterday at 1 a.m. in the 4400 block of Allott Ave. The suspect, described as a black male, forced open the front door of the victim's residence. The suspect pointed a handgun at the victim, demanded property and struck the victim on the head with the handgun. The suspect fled with the victim's purse.
A robbery was reported yesterday at 2:10 a.m. at Erwin Street and Clybourn Avenue. The victim is a pizza delivery employee. After delivering the pizza, the victim walked towards his vehicle when he observed a vehicle stop in the middle of the roadway and three suspects exited. The victim ran towards his vehicle and was immediately surrounded by the gun and knife wielding suspects. They demanded his money and the victim in fear complied. The victim ran in an attempt to escape but was tripped by one of the suspects. The suspects fled in their vehicle with the victim's property.
In addition to the guy getting shot in the butt yesterday afternoon behind the Ralphs, there was a robbery at 8:30 last night at the Sports Authority store at 8700 Tampa Ave. in Northridge. Here's how the police said it went down. The victim and his wife were in the parking lot of the Sports Authority store. As they got out of their vehicle, five 13-17-year-old Hispanic males ran towards them from across the street and surrounded them. One suspect pulled a small handgun from his pocket, pointed it at the ground in front of the victims, and demanded their property. The victims complied and all the suspects ran away and into an apartment complex on Parthenia Street. The victims were not injured.
Also, don't forget to check out the new Valley Crime Map that shows the last month's worth of crimes compiled from LAPD and news reports.
Last night, the Sylmar Neighborhood Council held a community meeting on a proposed 9.5-square-mile gang injunction zone, one of the largest in the city.
Under the injunction -- the fifth in the San Fernando Valley and 37th citywide -- those identified as San Fers gang members would not be able to associate in public places or stay out past curfew and could not act as lookouts or be in the presence of controlled substances in the area, which covers all of San Fernando and Sylmar.
I didn't get a chance to go but I am told the auditorium at Sylmar High School was packed with residents.
The gang coordinator at the City Attorney's Office, police, and representatives from city Councilman Richard Alarcon's office and gang experts all took questions.
Luis Rodriguez, who lives in the injunction zone and is the author of "Always Running," a memoir of growing up in gangs, said it was one of the most informative and frank meetings he has been to about the injunction, but he still left feeling that everyone was circling around the problem.
"We have to deal with the roots," he said. "Right now we are squeezing the gangs out of the L.A., but we are not stopping it. All we are doing is spreading."
Read past jump to see Alarcon's letter.
Industry publications were abuzz this with speculation that "LAPD," a pilot TV show based on Los Angeles cops, could replace the long running NBC show "E.R." which is heading into its final season.
John Wells, the producer of The West Wing," "ER," and "Third Watch" set up the drama series and writer Ann Biderman of "NYPD Blues" is on board.
It's been quite a while since we have had a serious network LA-based cop show and it would be interesting to see how the LAPD is portrayed. Corrupt cops based out of the LAPD's Rampart division in the 1990s inspired the creators of the "The Shield," another LAPD cop show on the FX network that is also heading toward a final season. In real life, former gang cop Rafael Perez stole six pounds of cocaine from the LAPD's evidence room, framed gang members and covered up a bank robbery. He was sentenced to 23 five years in prison.
Let's see if LA cops are Adam-12 or Rafael Perez this time around.
The LAPD's crime report from overnight in the San Fernando Valley ...
VALLEY TOTAL HOMICIDES: 36
GANG RELATED HOMICIDES: 11
VAN NUYS AREA
Homicides = 3
Gang Related Homicides = 1
(Justifiable = 1)
Child annoying
06/17/08
8:15 a.m.
Sherman Way and Sepulveda Boulevard
TYPE OF WEAPON: N/A
# OF SUSPECT (S):1
A 12-year-old victim was waiting for the school bus when a white male pulled up in a silver Toyota and attempted to gain attention. The victim in fear walked away. The suspect pulled into a parking lot and said something crude to the victim. The victim ran towards a sheriff's deputy across the street and the suspect took off north.
Vandalism of police vehicle
06/17/08
3 p.m.
LOCATION: Van Nuys Station
TYPE OF WEAPON: N/A
# OF SUSPECT (S): Unknown
INJURIES: No
Officers discovered unknown suspect(s) had scratched two Xs into the paint of the front and rear passenger doors of the police vehicle. Officers did not see any suspect(s) and were not sure when it occurred. Officers had conducted a vehicle inspection prior to their start of watch and did not observe any damage.
WEST VALLEY AREA
Homicides = 6
Gang Related Homicides = 0
(Justifiable = 1)
Burglary
6/12/08 - 6/14/08
17700 Blk Palora St
TYPE OF WEAPON: Unk
# OF SUSPECT(S): Unk
INJURIES: No
Someone went into the location and took six Picasso paintings worth $100,000. The reporting party is the executor of the estate. The owner of the property is deceased. Detectives are conducting the investigation.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD AREA
Homicides = 11
Gang Related Homicides = 4
(Justifiable = 1)
FOOTHILL AREA
Homicides = 9
Gang Related Homicides = 5
(Justifiable = 1)
DEVONSHIRE AREA
Homicides = 3
Gang Related Homicides = 0
(Justifiable = 0)
MISSION AREA
Homicides = 4
Gang Related Homicides = 1
(Justifiable = 0)
VALLEY TRAFFIC DIVISION
2007/2008
Total Fatals 2008 - 26 people have been killed in 25 collisions
Total Fatals 2007 - 23 people have been killed in 22 collisions
Total Pedestrian Fatals 2008 - 8
Total Pedestrian Fatals 2007 - 5
Fatal traffic crash
DATE/TIME:06/17/08
6:25 p.m.
Deventry St/Rincon Ave
A person was driving east on Daventry when the victim, age 4, ran south onto Daventry colliding with the vehicle. The victim was taken to Pacifica Hospital where the victim died. The victim had gotten away from his family who were unloading their vehicle when he crossed the street unsupervised.
So I updated the Valley Crime Map, compiling a month's worth of information provided by the LAPD's Valley Bureau. You can search by neighborhood to see what crimes have been going near you. Check it out here. And tell me what you think.
The spokesman for the state's Justice Department forwarded me the state's significant cases for May. Included are big weapons, drugs and fraud cases. Enjoy.
CACHE OF WEAPONS AND AMMO FOUND IN PROBATIONER'S RESIDENCE
Special Agents with the Bureau of Firearms (BOF) checked the Armed Prohibited Person System and noted that a subject, Tom Powell, was listed as owning three firearms; however, due to previous criminal conviction he is prohibited from possessing and owning firearms. When agents determined that Powell was on searchable probation out of San Benito County, they conducted a search of his residence and located over 1,300 rounds of ammunition and a large gun safe. Powell told officers he had sold all of his weapons but he could not produce any records regarding the sales. A locksmith was called to the residence and opened the safe where agents retrieved five rifles, four handguns and one shotgun. Powell was arrested while other agents continued the search of the house. Located in the attic were additional weapons, including an unregistered AR-15 assault weapon, a 12-gauge shotgun and a revolver.
COMMERCIAL BRIBERY SCHEME AT CAL CASINO
While Special Agents from the Riverside Office of the Bureau of Gambling Control (BGC) were investigating several management employees of the Pechanga Resort and Casino, the Agents uncovered evidence that floor supervisor, Kathy Zhou, who was recently suspended from her job, was charging casino job applicants $3,000 each to falsify their job applications to secure employment. Agents monitored a telephone conversation between Zhou and one of her "customers," during which she instructed the individual not to say anything to DOJ agents. Zhou admitted to the witness during this conversation that she lied to the agents when they questioned her, and was admonishing everyone involved to "keep their stories straight." Zhou was arrested on charges of commercial bribery and obstructing a criminal investigation.
A couple of robberies to report from yesterday.
A robbery was reported yesterday at 3:30 p.m. in the 14400 block of Victory Boulevard. The manager of a restraunat was walking to his vehicle with cash when he saw two Latino males in a brown vehicle parked in the rear alley. The male passenger, armed with a gun, got out of the vehicle and approached the manager. The manager in fear gave the suspect the cash. The suspects took off north in the rear alley. The suspects pushed a vehicle (parked at the apron of the alley leading into the street) out of the way to escape.
A robbery was reported yesterday at 5:50 p.m. in the 4800 Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The suspect approached the victim behind the counter. The suspect pulled a shotgun and demanded money. The victim, in fear, complied. The suspect got into his vehicle and took off.
A couple of incidents to catch up from last week.
A robbery was reported Wednesday at noon in the 6300 block of Fulton Avenue. Two black male suspects used a small caliber pistol to rob three victims of their property before taking off in an unknown direction.
A take-over robbery was reported Wednesday at 1:25 p.m. in the 12000 block of Ventura Boulevard. The suspect went into a bank, pulled a gun and demanded money. The teller provided the suspect with money. The suspect left the bank into a waiting vehicle.
Someone broke into a home and stole a safe on Thursday sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the 16400 block of Garvin Drive. The thieves broke through a rear door, disabled the alarm and ransacked the house. They took a small portable safe inside the closet which contained jewelry and cash and went out the front door.
A robbery was reported Thursday at 7:20 p.m. at Lorne Street and DeGarmo Avenue. The suspect approached the victim, pointed a gun and demanded property. The victim, in fear, complied and the suspect fled with the victim's property.
While LAPD Chief William Bratton said that media has been playing up the city's race problem, his counterpart at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has a completely different view.
So let me be very clear about one thing: We have a serious interracial violence problem in this county involving blacks and Latinos.Some people deny it. They say that race is not a factor in L.A.'s gang crisis; the problem, they say, is not one of blacks versus Latinos and Latinos versus blacks but merely one of gang members killing other gang members (and yes, they acknowledge, sometimes the gangs are race-based).
But they're wrong. The truth is that, in many cases, race is at the heart of the problem. Latino gang members shoot blacks not because they're members of a rival gang but because of their skin color. Likewise, black gang members shoot Latinos because they are brown.
Here is his full editorial in the LATimes
LAPD sent this this afternoon. Tally on total homicides in the Valley so far this year is 34, 11 of which are gang related.
Here's a breakdown by division:
VAN NUYS AREA
Homicides = 3
Gang Related Homicides = 1
ATTEMPT ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 06/09/08, 2010 hours LOCATION: Sepulveda Boulevard/Ventura Boulevard
TYPE OF WEAPON: Bodily Force SUSPECT (S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM (S): 1 # OF SUSPECT (S): 7
Injuries: No TYPE OF INJURIES: N/A
GANG RELATED: Unknown NOTIFICATIONS: WC
COMMENTS: A victim was on a bus when she observed suspect-1 exit the bus and remove her bicycle from the bus bike rack. As the suspect rode off slowly on her bicycle, the victim chased the suspect and applied the brakes on the bicycle, causing the suspect to fall. The victim wrestled the suspect for control of the bicycle and managed to get away as she rode back towards Ventura Boulevard. Suspects 2-7 threw small rocks in her direction. One rock struck the victim on the back of her head but did not cause any injuries. Victim was able to get on another bus to call the police.
WEST VALLEY AREA
Homicides = 6
Gang Related Homicides = 0
(Justifiable = 1)
NORTH HOLLYWOOD AREA
Homicides = 11
Gang Related Homicides = 4
(Justifiable = 1)
FOOTHILL AREA
Homicides = 9
Gang Related Homicides = 5
(Justifiable = 1)
DEVONSHIRE AREA
Homicides - 3
Gang Related Homicides - 0
(Justifiable - 0)
HOT PROWL
DATE/TIME: 6/9/08, 0945 hours LOCATION: 8700 blk Independence
TYPE OF WEAPON: None SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIMS: 1 # OF SUSPECTS: Unk
INJURIES: No WHAT TYPE OF INJURIES? N/A
GANG RELATED? Unk NOTIFICATIONS: C/O's, OVB, SID
COMMENTS: Unknown person(s) entered an open bedroom window after removing its screen. The unk suspect(s) removing the victims property from the bedroom and did not enter any other room in the house. The victim was in the front of the house during the incident.
MISSION AREA
Homicides = 2
Gang Related Homicides = 1
(Justifiable = 0)
ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 06/09/08, 0750 hours LOCATION: 14700 blk Rinaldi
TYPE OF WEAPON: verbal threats SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 1 # OF SUSPECT(S): 1
INJURIES: None TYPES OF INJURIES: None
GANG RELATED: Yes NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: Suspect entered the Store, selected property and passed the register without making an attempt to pay. Suspect made eye contact with the cashier and stated she had a weapon. Suspect fled on foot with property.
ATTEMPT ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 06/09/08, 2100 hours LOCATION: 13708 Hubbard
TYPE OF WEAPON: simulated handgun SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 1 # OF SUSPECT(S): 2
INJURIES: No TYPES OF INJURIES: N/A
GANG RELATED: Unk NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: Two male suspects (Hispanic or Black, 25 years, nfi) approached the victim in his front yard. Suspect 1 simulated a handgun and attempted to steal a computer from the victim.. The victim refused to relinquish the computer. Suspect fled the location in a vehicle.
ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 06/10/08, 0551 hours LOCATION: 14000 blk Astoria
TYPE OF WEAPON: gun/bodily force SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 1 # OF SUSPECT(S): 2
INJURIES: Yes TYPES OF INJURIES: contusions to face and head
GANG RELATED: Unk NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: Two male suspects approached the victim in an underground parking lot. Suspects pointed a handgun at victim. Suspect's struck the victim in the face with bodily force and stole victim's wallet, cellular phone and currency.
VALLEY TRAFFIC DIVISION
2007/2008
Total Fatals 2008 - 25 people have been killed in 24 collisions
Total Fatals 2007 - 21 people have been killed in 21 collisions
Total Pedestrian Fatals 2008 - 7
Total Pedestrian Fatals 2007 - 5
LAPD blog updates us on another South L.A. killing.
A man standing in a large group on the street is shot and killed.On June 8, 2008, at around 11:50 p.m., police were called to the area of 88th Street and Western Avenue to investigate a shooting that occurred at that location. When officers arrived they discovered 20-year-old Frederick Eugene Moore, lying on the sidewalk. Moore had received a gunshot wound.
Los Angeles City Fire personnel responded and provided emergency treatment for the victim before transporting him to a local hospital. Moore failed to respond to emergency treatment and died.
Detectives say that Moore was standing within a large group of people at 88th Street and Western Avenue. For unknown reasons, shots were fired. The suspect was last seen entering a light colored vehicle and left the location.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call South Bureau Homicide Detectives Durazo and Barling at 213-485-1383. On off hours, weekends, and holidays call the toll free number 1-877 LAWFULL (529-3855).
The summer season of violence got off to an early start with 14 people killed across the county this weekend, six of which were in the Valley.
The LAPD is updating its Web site with some of the latest shootings. Here's one from South L.A.
One man died and one escaped injury during what detectives believe was a gang related shooting.On June 7, 2008, at around 6:25 p.m., Michael Smith, 20-years-old, was walking with his friend near the corner of 95th Street and Vermont Avenue. Smith and his friend had just walked a female companion to a nearby bus stop.
The suspect who was described only as a male Black, approached Smith and the other man from the opposite corner and began firing a handgun at them. Smith was hit by gunfire in the upper body and staggered a short distance before collapsing in the center median on Vermont Avenue. The other intended victim was not injured.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call South Bureau Homicide Detective Sal LaBarbera at 213-485-4341. On off hours, weekends, and holidays call the toll free number 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).
HATE INCIDENT
DATE / TIME: 6/06/08, 1600 hrs LOCATION: 10800 Hesby Street
COMMENTS: The incident stems from an on-going neighbor dispute.
Suspect left a note on the victim's vehicle that read, "Fxxxx
white u a racist sick = u mind your business!"
BUSINESS ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 6/8/08, 0226 hrs LOCATION: Saticoy & Lindley
COMMENTS: Two suspects entered the Tacos Mexico at above location, pointed
a gun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk complied and suspect
fled taking U.S. currency.
In a bloody weekend of violence, a dozen people were killed - six in the San Fernando Valley in mostly gang-related crimes.
The victims were killed in five incidents in the central-eastern parts of the San Fernando Valley. Two were gang related, two were unknown and one was a bizarre rear-ender car crash that left the driver and a passenger dead and resulted in the arrest of a DUI suspect.
The New York Times today has a story about how the medical marijuana law is unintentionally allowing big-time pot growers a good cover.
The Times today has a fascinating story about a new movement called OpenCarry.org, a group founded by a couple of Virginia-based gun owners tired of concealing their weapons and encouraging gun owners to openly carry their pistols. Many consider it a badge of honor and feel quite brave, even when encountered by armed cops ready to fire their weapons. Well, I don't know about that. But the story reminds me of an old Johnny Cash tune that offered a bit of sage advice,
Don't take your guns to town, son
Leave your guns at home, Bill
Don't take your guns to town.
Police are looking for a man who has gone on a string of cash tray robberies at five businesses.
A serial robber is on the loose, and police are asking for the public's help tracking the suspect down.The bandit is believed to be responsible for at least five robberies over the past two months in the Mid-City Wilshire and Hollywood area. The robberies occurred at various times of day, and the man pointed a handgun at the clerk each time.
The suspect is described as a White male 25-30 years of age with brown hair. He stands between five feet seven and five feet nine inches tall.
* April, 29, 2008 - At 10:20 p.m., a man wearing a camouflage cap and a grey hooded sweatshirt, walked into the Ardmore Liquor store located at 3rd Street and Ardmore Avenue, picked up a pack of gum and took it to the counter. When the cashier opened the register, the man removed a gun from his waistband, grabbed the entire cash drawer and fled in a burgundy 80's Toyota Camry.
* May 1, 2008 - At 2:50 a.m., the suspect entered a Denny's restaurant located at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, where he pointed a handgun at the clerk and demanded money. The suspect grabbed the entire cash register drawer and ran.
* May 3, 2008 - At 3:20 a.m., the suspect walked into the same Denny's restaurant, this time wearing a wig. He pulled out a handgun, demanded the employee to turn over the money and again took off on foot with the cash register tray.
* May 31, 2008 - At 11 p.m., the suspect walked up to a parking lot attendant near the Beverly Center at La Cienega Boulevard and 3rd Street and robbed the employee at gunpoint once again, the suspect got away with the entire cash register tray.
* June 2, 2008 - At 2:45 p.m., the bandit entered a Chinese restaurant at 2nd Street and Western Avenue. As before, the suspect pulled out a handgun, ordered the clerk to hand over the money and fled with the cash register tray.
Anyone with information about these robberies is urged to call Wilshire Robbery Detective Luis Corona at (213) 922-8266. On off hours, weekends, and holidays calls may be directed to the toll free number 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).
From LAPD Valley Bureau ... notes of significant incidents overnight.
ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 6/5/08, 2130 hrs LOCATION: 5400 block of Beckford
TYPE OF WEAPON: Handgun SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 1 # OF
SUSPECT(S): 1 male Hispanic
INJURIES: No TYPE OF INJURIES: N/A
GANG RELATED: N/A NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: The suspect approached the victim, pointed a gun at him and stated, "Give me your watch and empty your pockets." The victim complied. As the suspect was running away, he threw the victim's keys into a nearby bush. No injuries.
HOME INVASION ROBBERY
DATE / TIME: 6/5/08, 2100 hrs LOCATION: 18800 block of Sylvan
TYPE OF WEAPON: Handgun, Knife SUSPECT(S) IN CUSTODY: No
# OF VICTIM(S): 4 # OF
SUSPECT(S): 3 (1 male black, 2 male Hispanics)
INJURIES: No TYPE OF INJURIES: N/A
GANG RELATED: N/A NOTIFICATIONS: W/C
COMMENTS: The suspect entered the Victim's residence pointing a gun and holding knives. The suspects ordered the victims to the floor and ransacked the house. The suspect fled with property and caused about $300 in damage. There were no injuries.
Good morning. Had a SWAT callout last night in Sunland ... Ended with the arrest of the barricaded suspect.
SUNLAND - LAPD SWAT team officers blasted tear gas canisters into a Sunland home today to flush out a 61-year-old man who had threatened his ex- girlfriend with a handgun, then barricaded himself inside for roughly five hours, police said.
The incident began when the man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's house in the 10800 block of Leolang Avenue near Jayseel Street around 8 p.m. Thursday, said an officer at th Los Angeles Police Department's Foothill Station.
A popular 17-year old football player who was slain last weekend after he confronted gang members crashing a graduation party will be buried Friday at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
Jesus Florian, known to friends as "Chimpo," was beloved among students at Francis Polytechnic High School.
"There was a lot of grief about the loss," said the school's interim principal Gerardo Loera. "He was a popular guy."
Over the past week grieving Polytechnic students raised $4,540 for Florian's family while the football booster club raised $3,000 for them.
Police said Florian did not associate with gangs but the shooting comes amid a spate of juvenile homicides in the San Fernando Valley _all gang-related.
On May 12, Manuel Rodriguez, a 16-year-old was shot and killed as he rode his bicycle near Remick Avenue and Weidner Street in Pacoima.
On May 5, Alejandro "Slash" Villa, a 14-year-old was shot in the back and killed after a fight with a group of teenage boys along the 12700 block of Van Nuys, less than a block from his Pacoima home.
On April 18, Victor Fajardo, a 15-year-old was shot and killed as he walked along the 7000 block of Ethel Avenue near Madison Middle School in North Hollywood.
The youngest of those murdered, Villa was a former Maclay Middle School student who had attended meetings at Communities in Schools, a gang intervention group, but friends and family said teetered on the edge of trouble.
His killing prompted a series of meetings at the school where students range in age from 9 to 14 years of age and experts say the lure to gangs begins. Counselors met with the parents of at-risk youth, each from separate gang territories to warn them of the dangers.
But some just didn't believe their young children could get tangled in the violence.
Now, with the summer months approaching --traditionally the most violent days in the city-- gang intervention groups and others are worried about the numbers of teens on the streets.
"There's no outreach out there. There are things to do for kids but it is minimal, especially in this part of the Valley," said Luis Rodriguez, author of "Always Running La Vida Loca, Gang Days in LA" and owner of Tia Chucha's Cafe in Lake View Terrace.
Police are still searching for Florian's killers and a $50,000 reward is expected to be posted next week.
Here's a crime update from LAPD Valley Bureau:
VALLEY TOTAL HOMICIDES: 31
GANG RELATED HOMICIDES: 10
VAN NUYS AREA
Homicides = 3
Gang Related Homicides = 1
(Justifiable = 1)
WEST VALLEY AREA
Homicides = 6
Gang Related Homicides = 0
(Justifiable = 1)
NORTH HOLLYWOOD AREA
Homicides = 10
Gang Related Homicides = 4
(Justifiable = 1)
FOOTHILL AREA
Homicides = 7
Gang Related Homicides = 4
(Justifiable = 1)
A mauling investigation was reported yesterday at 11 a.m. in the 13700 block of Louvre Street. When police arrived, two pit bulls were inside the yard, preventing authorities from entering the location. Fire Department personnel utilized their fire extinguisher and contained the dogs in the back yard. A 2-year old child had been bitten in the face. Officers ensured that the location was clear of all persons and contained the dogs in the back yard. Animal Control arrived and removed the dogs without incident. The child was air lifted to Children's Hospital for serious but not life-threatening injuries to his face.
A LAUSD employee was arrested for soliciting a prostitute last night at 7:30 p.m. at Hansen Dam. Vice officers brought in an arrestee who solicited an undercover male officer at Hansen Dam. The arrestee is an employee for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Initially, it was believed that the arrestee was a teacher, but it was determined that he is a program coordinator who works out of the District Office on Balboa Boulevard. Per RACR, an arrest of this type did not require any notifications to the School District.
An attempted carjacking was reported yesterday at 9 p.m. at Commerce and Valmont. Three suspects forcibly stopped the victim's vehicle, beat the victim with fists and a hammer, and demanded the victim's vehicle, wallet and money. Officers located the suspects and the vehicle in the area of Samoa and Tujunga Canyon, a frequent hang out known by Toonerville gang members. The suspects were booked for 664/215 PC Attempt Carjacking. The victim suffered injuries to his face, cheek, and had swelling to his calf, and bruising.
A pursuit ended yesterday at 10:30 p.m. at Foothill and Gladstone. Officers went in a short pursuit of a suspected DUI driver. The pursuit ended without incident when the suspect pulled over.
DEVONSHIRE AREA
Homicides = 3
Gang Related Homicides = 0
(Justifiable = 0)
A burglary was reported Tuesday sometime between 5 and 9 p.m. at 10400 Nevada Street. The suspect entered the residence through an unlocked sliding glass door in the kitchen area. The suspect took the victim's purse from the kitchen table and took off. The victim was in another room at the time of the incident.
An attempted robbery and assault was reported this morning at 1:45 a.m. at 17503 Tribune St. One suspect simulated a gun and demanded the victim's money. The victim stated, 'Are you serious?' Then a second suspect punched the victim, causing him to fall to the ground. Both suspects began punching the victim as the first suspect stabbed the victim while the second suspect attempted to take the victim's property. The suspects took off running as the victim was following them. The suspects got into a car and disappeared. The victim discovered he was bleeding and was taken to a local hospital and treated for cuts to his forearm and puncture wounds to his torso. The victim is in stable condition.
MISSION AREA
Homicides = 2
Gang Related Homicides = 1
(Justifiable = 0)
A use of force was reported this morning at 3:22 a.m. at 14424 Kingsbury. The suspect was involved in an attempted rape of his wife. Officers responded to suspect's residence in response to a radio call. The suspect refused to get out of his residence and speak with officers. Officers were informed there was a shotgun and handgun within the residence. Ultimately after repeated requests the suspect reluctantly got out of his home but refused to comply with officers' commands. Police used beanbag rounds and bodily force to take him into custody.
VALLEY TRAFFIC DIVISION
2007/2008
Total Fatals 2008 - 23 people have been killed in 23 collisions
Total Fatals 2007 - 20 people have been killed in 20 collisions
Total Pedestrian Fatals 2008 - 7
Total Pedestrian Fatals 2007 - 5
SUN VALLEY -- With police still searching for the killers of a 17-year-old Polytechnic High School football player shot to death at a house party, officials announced Wednesday they will be seeking a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Police say Jesus Florian, known as "Chimpo," was not associated with gangs but confronted gang members who crashed the party after midnight Saturday. He was shot several times in his upper torso.
It's unclear why he confronted the shooter, but the high school graduation and birthday party near Neenach Street and Amboy Avenue had just been winding down. Police say teens had been dancing, and the person who threw the party was not involved.
City Councilman Tony Cardenas, who represents the area, introduced the reward motion to the council Wednesday. It is expected to be approved next week.
"This is another tragedy involving a promising student who had a wealth of opportunities and a bright future brutally taken away from him," he said.
The suspect is described as a Latino in his late teens or early 20s with a shaved head and a thin mustache, 5 foot 8 to 5 feet 9 inches tall with a stocky build.
Anyone with information is asked to call LAPD North Hollywood detectives at 818-623-4045.
You talkin' ta me? Yeah, that's right, fugedaboudit ...
NEW YORK (AP) -- A reputed acting mob boss and eight other suspected gangsters were arrested Wednesday on federal charges accusing them of coast-to-coast Mafia crimes, ranging from gangland hits in New York to a home invasion by police impersonators in Los Angeles, authorities said.
Nothing like a good mob caper to round out the day.
From overnight in the Valley, significant crimes ...
A report of someone brandishing a weapon was reported yesterday at 3:20 p.m. at Sherman Way and Jordan Avenue in Canoga Park. The victim, described as a 40-year-old male, was sitting in his car in the Post Office parking lot, waiting for his girlfriend, when the suspect, described as male white between 30 and 40, approached. The suspect stated to the victim "I need a hundred dollars and I need transportation." The victim was not in fear and ignored the suspect. The suspect then stated "leave a hundred dollars on the seat and leave the key." Then the victim's girlfriend returned to the car and the suspect turned away. The victim then saw the handle of a semi-automatic pistol in the suspect's pocket. There were no injuries and no property was taken.
A robbery was reported yesterday at 10:45 p.m. in the 14600 block of Chase. The suspect, described as a male black in his 20s, 6-feet, 150-160 lbs, approached the victim in the parking lot and pointed a stainless steel semi-automatic pistol at the Victim. The suspect rummaged through the Victim's pockets and removed currency and jewelry before taking off in a vehicle occupied by three additional male blacks.
Good morning. Cops are looking this morning for a hit-and-run driver who killed a 9-year-old boy in East Los Angeles.
Jesus Sanchez and his family were crossing Ford Boulevard just south of Cesar Chavez Avenue at 12:04 a.m. Sunday when a vehicle going northbound at a high rate of speed struck him, CHP Officer Luis Mendoza said.
The red, late 1990s to early 2000s two-door Honda with tinted rear windows and a spoiler with brake lights did not slow or stop after hitting the boy, Mendoza said. The car then ran a light at Cesar E. Chavez Avenue at Ford and turned left.
This just in, from Foothill Division ...
PACOIMA - A suspected carjacker got a taste of his own medicine Tuesday morning after stealing a GMC truck and crashing it into parked cars including a mail truck, before being beaten and detained by citizens on the street, police said.
From our friends at LAPD Valley Bureau this morning:
An assault with a deadly weapon shooting was reported yesterday at 4:10 p.m. at Gloria Avenue and Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys. A male suspect in a vehicle fired at several pedestrians on the street. A school bus with children on it witnessed the incident. The school bus was not hit.
A robbery was reported yesterday at 6 p.m. in the 22700 block of Oxnard Street. A male white in his 40s entered a gas station with a large knife and walked right into the cash register room where he demanded the employee open the register and give him the money. The suspect gave the employee his own bag. Once the suspect had the money, he ran away.
On the 40th anniversary of Robert Kennedy's slaying at a Los Angeles hotel, The San Francisco Chronicle writes about the conspiracy theories that abound in the case.
Examples:
-- Sirhan fired his .22-caliber revolver from a few feet in front of Kennedy, according to police, yet Los Angeles County coroner Thomas Noguchi reported that the fatal shot was fired less than one inch from Kennedy's head, behind his right ear. Of the four shots fired at Kennedy, all came from the rear. None of this was raised at Sirhan's trial because his defense was based on the theory that he suffered from "diminished capacity" rather than on any challenge of prosecutors' evidence.
-- Sirhan's revolver held eight rounds; a radio reporter's tape recording of the shooting has sounds of what one audio expert describes as 13 shots. Sirhan never had a chance to reload before bystanders tackled him. Two of the sounds on the tape are what forensic experts call "double shots," which means two shots so close together that they couldn't have come from the same revolver.
-- Several witnesses saw a security guard just behind Kennedy draw his revolver, and one reported seeing him fire it.
-- Over the years, Sirhan has told investigators who interviewed him in prison that he was in a hypnotic trance during the shooting and can't remember it at all. He said he could not remember writing, "RFK must die." He did not respond to an interview request for this story.
Our sister paper, the Long Beach Press-Telegram analyzed arrests of juveniles in Long Beach. They find that while the country has been seeing a decline in juvenile crime, Long Beach has been steady, among other findings. I haven't gotten through it all yet, but check it out here.