Have you seen Santa trying to cross the street this holiday season? Did you yield to him or were you naughty? Those who are bad are getting tickets in the LAPD's Santa Claus Crosswalk Enforcement Detail. You may have also seen a rise in DUI Sobriety Checkpoints, and heard of the free MTA riding this Christmas and New Year's. It's been a busy week for the LAPD and here is some blotter info:

1. A 20-year old man stabbed his mother to death in Boyle Heights yesterday afternoon. Another family member wrestled him to the ground until police arrived.
2. An off-duty detective was shot at in Arleta on Monday. Driving near Arleta Ave. and Devonshire St., an SUV ran a red light and almost hit Detective Schmidt's personal car. After an argument, the SUV occupants began to throw cans and bottles and left. Schmidt followed the SUV as he called LAPD's Foothill Division, but before officers could respond, the car stopped and the occupants ran. One occupant shot at Schmidt and he returned fire. No one was injured and the shooter and two others were captured.
3. A 23-year old man was shot on the 8000 block of Vermont Ave. while standing in front of an apartment building. The motive for the shooting is gang related.
4. It is suspected that marital problems led to emmy-winning 64-year old make-up artist Hallie D’Amore shooting her husband before killing herself in Venice last week on Friday.
5. 24 people were arrested on Friday at a cockfighting event in Southwest LA on Friday. "At approximately 9:00 p.m., an anonymous caller notified the Los Angeles Police Department that nearly 50 male Hispanics were gathered in the 700 block of West Washington Boulevard for an animal fight. The caller also stated that two suspects were armed with guns. Police Officers responded to an abandoned building at the location and saw 80-100 suspects engaged in illegal cockfighting. When the assembled men saw the police, they attempted to flee."

Photo by SSCusp via Flickr