Results tagged “homicide”

It was February 19th when 38-year-old Pasadena resident Leroy Barnes was sitting in the passenger seat of a car that was pulled over. As officers approached the car, Barnes put his hands into his backpack, which led to a series of events ending in his death, after 11 bullets, seven in his back, reports the Pasadena Star News.

A 21-year-old man was killed in Northridge yesterday when a vehicle pulled up and began opening fire, possibly mistaking the victim for someone else. About one half hour earlier, two groups of black males got into a verbal dispute at the corner of White Oak Avenue and Lassen Street. One group fled when they realized the other group was armed with handguns. Most ran across the street to take cover on a church's grounds.

Statistics for 2008 crime in California were released today (.pdf) by the Attorney General's office, finding that homicides and many other crime categories were down. In 2007, there were 2,258 homicides, compared to 2,143 in 2008--a 5.1 percent change. Forcible rape slightly decreased 1.6 percent to 8,906 incidents. The other two violent crime categories, robbery and aggravated assault, also went down to 69,391 and 104,793, respectively. However, burglary and larcenty theft over $400 increased slightly.

A woman's charred body was found shortly after midnight after firefighters doused a dumpster fire in Santa Fe Springs near the 5 freeway. Her hands and feet appeared to be bound by some kind of electrical cord, reports the LA Times.

It was baby Andrew Garcia's baptismal celebration the morning he was shot in the head. Earlier and just a few blocks away, a large party was held for the 4-month-old child. At around 1 a.m. on Sunday on Kittridge Street in Van Nuys, Andrew, his mother and a friend, who is pregnant, were sitting in a parked car outside a friend's house. The friend, 28-year-old Anna Contreras, was feeding Andrew while the father and Eric Ramirez, 18, stood outside. Two young men walking by got into a verbal exchange with them, which escalated with several shot gun rounds fired at the family.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's patrol large swaths of land from up in the Antelope Valley to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Charged with all unincorporated areas such as parts of South LA and communities like Castaic and cities that contract their services like West Hollywood and Santa Clarita, yesterday the agency announced a major drop in crime despite the economic downturn. The news comes on the heels of four fatal deputy-involved-shootings that occurred within one week's time.

Yesterday evening, a mother walked into her Thousand Oaks apartment shortly before 6 p.m., finding her son, daughter and husband dead in what police are calling "a gruesome scene." Police say that there is "no reason to believe" that there is a murder suspect on the loose, but would not specifically say it was a murder-suicide. The family lived on the 2700 block of White Ridge Place. The son was 12 years old, the daughter, 7, and the father, who neighbors believe shot his kids before turning a gun on himself, was 52.

The Station Fire has grown to 160,357 acres--that's over 250 square miles--up some 3,000 acres since last night. The blaze, now contained at 57 percent, has been a difficult fight for personnel and last night calmed on the western end, but became more aggressive on the northern one.

The Station Fire, which has killed two firefighters, destroyed 64 homes and has burned through 148,258 Acres--that's 230 square miles--was determined to be arson last night. “Forensic examination has led this team effort to conclude … that it was an act of arson," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore to the L.A. Times. Mile marker 29 along the Angeles Crest Highway, where investigators believe the point of origin is near, is now a crime scene.

Although it was all but official until now, today the Los Angeles County coroner's office "confirmed that it has ruled Michael Jackson's death to be a homicide, caused primarily by 'propofol intoxication,'" reports KNX1070 in a breaking news e-mail alert. The LAPD, the lead agency into the death, also announced this morning that separate investigations will occur into matters uncovered in the death investigation, but do not directly relate to the cause of Jackson's death. Those most likely are the various drugs, prescription included, found at his home and in his body. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement will be looking into those aspects. The LAPD's press release is below in full.

With less than a week left, there have been 18 gang-related homicides this month in South LA. That's already six more than July meaning close to 40 deaths in two months for one region of the city. That said, the LAPD and other agencies announced an effort today to flatten that trend. "Every spike in crime is a clue for preventative measures," said Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese, Commanding Officer, Operations-South Bureau.

The July search warrant affidavit that officials used to raid the Houston offices of Michael Jackson's personal doctor was unsealed today, offering up what has been speculated for weeks: "lethal levels" of anesthetic propofol killed the pop star.

Last week, authorities raided Dr. Conrad Murray's office in Houston. Today, his other office and home in Las Vegas. Search warrants said DEA and police were looking for "items constituting evidence of the offense of manslaughter that tend to show that Dr. Conrad Murray committed the said criminal offense." Murray's lawyer told the Associated Press yesterday that he did not prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Jackson. Murray was paid $150,000 a month to care for the pop star and was at the Bel Air abode when he died.

Police say 46-year-old Akop Aduryan was shot and killed after a verbal dispute on a North Hollywood sidewalk last night. It happened around 11 p.m. on the 7500 block of Goodland Avenue. "An unidentified person heard arguing in a foreign language, then gunshots and called 911," says the LAPD. "Aduryan was struck in the chest and died at the scene. Investigators have few leads and there is no suspect description. The motive for the shooting has not been determined." Anyone with information regarding this murder is urged to call Detective Rich Wheeler at (818) 623-4045. During off-hours, call 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). Callers may also text “Crimes” with a cell phone or log on to www.lapdonline.org and click on web tips. When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with “LAPD.” Tipsters may remain anonymous.

By LA Weekly's count of every murder within Los Angeles city limits, we are at 168 as of yesterday when a taxi driver stabbed earlier this month died of his wounds. Compare that to last year July 18th, when there were 208 murders and juxtapose that to the 162 this year as of that date. That's a 22.1% decline in murders so far. Add to that, the murder rate has declined over the last few years. The LAPD's consent decree ended last week, which in theory should let officers be more productive in some aspects, but some oppose the lifting of the decree. The ACLU contends that there are still problems within the department in regards to racial bias.

Last Easter Sunday, downtown Los Angeles experienced the neighbor's first murders of the year. Two skid row residents were shot and killed inside the Lamp Lodge on Stanford at 7th Street. Kevin “KK” Cohen, 49, and Tommie Hayes, 27, were found around 5 a.m. that morning with multiple gunshot wounds. Both were not staying at the hotel. "One of the men was found in the hotel’s first-floor lounge, and the other victim had walked out of the hotel after the shooting and collapsed in the parking lot," the LA Times reported a week after the incident.

If you were wondering why helicopters hovered above West LA for hours last night, they were assisting police on the ground after a man was shot and killed by an officer. The incident happened around 11:40 p.m. on the 13000 block of Iowa Avenue. Few details are available on what led up to the shooting.

Shots broke out this morning at Family Dental Care around 10:38 a.m. this morning in Simi Valley. Exactly an hour later, the suspect shooter surrendered to police, but not before killing one, critically injuring three and leaving another with minor wounds. No word yet on the motive.

LA Weekly is tracking every murder within Los Angeles city limits and yesterday in Pacoima, the 137th for 2009 occurred. Yesterday, "30-year-old Gerardo Cruz was standing out in front of his girlfriend's house with her brother drinking beer when three alleged gang members jumped out of their blue compact car and 'shot up the place.'" Although gang related, police said Cruz was not affiliated with any gangs. This was the fourth homicide in the LAPD's Foothill Division this month. Citywide, homicides are significantly down--around 32%--compared to last year.

A family hired forensics expert said today that he believed David Carradine's death was not a suicide, but the cause of death could not determined until he received more information from Thai authorities, the Associated Press reported today. Carradine was found hanging dead last week, with ropes tied around his neck, wrists and genitals, in a Bangkok hotel. Thai officials original suspected suicide, but later said it could have been accidental, too, because the way he was found indicated a possible act of auto-erotic asphyxiation. It could be a few weeks before the private forensics expert receives more information from Thailand so he can complete his report.

For the second time this year, a bus making a turn has fatally struck a pedestrian crossing the street. It was about 7:25 p.m. at Temple and Spring when the woman, believed to be in her 30s, crossed the street correctly on a green light, but seemingly at an angle, a Metro spokesperson told the LA Times. Earlier this year, a DASH bus making a turn killed a woman at 5th and Flower near Central Library.

A shooting that occurred around 3:10 p.m. at the La Cienega Boulevard entrance of the Beverly Center has left one man dead. He was transported to Cedars-Sinai where he died. Two suspects, one of them who may be a female, are on the loose.

A shooting on the 900 block of North Doheny Drive this morning at 9:05 a.m. left one man dead and a 50-year-old woman in critical condition. The circumstances surrounding the incident are not yet known, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's representative over the phone. UPDATE: This incident apparently was an attempted murder-suicide.

The big news today about a serial killer wasn't the alleged identity of the Zodiac Killer or anything about the possibly-still-on-the-loose Grim Sleeper, but of the Southland Strangler, also known as the Westside Rapist, who would target elderly women, raped and kill them in the 70s and 80s. He was arrested last month and could be responsible for up to 30 murders.

Following the appearance of hit-and-run suspect Claudia Cabrera in court yesterday--she pleaded not guilty--the family of Adriana Bachan announced two memorial services, one in Los Angeles. Tonight's 7 p.m. service will be held at St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church on 712 Grand Avenue. Tomorrow at 1 p.m., a service in Bachan's home town Santa Barbara will be held in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish at 1300 East Valley Road.

Four unrelated murders took place in Long Beach between Thursday and Saturday, making for a violent series of days in the city, the Press-Telegram is reporting. The most recent victim, 27-year-old Garrett Norris, who was playing basketball in Orizaba Park, and was shot at around 6:40 p.m. after "two male suspects tried to run off with his belongings." Norris chased his robbers into an alley when one turned around and fired at him; he "was pronounced dead at a hospital."

Last Thursday afternoon, Leroy Barnes, 38, was apparently driving on the wrong side of the road when Pasadena officers pulled him over. They originally said Barnes, a long time criminal, shot at them--they returned fire killing him. Now they say that story is wrong.

A 21-year-old shot and killed by police during a Sunday shootout at a Chino Papa John's Pizza was identified as a bystander and not a suspect as originally thought. The announcement came yesterday afternoon after going over witness and officer statements. When police arrived the two 28-year-old robbers, Edward Cisneros of La Mirada and Joel Anthony Jaquez of Hacienda Heights, allegedly opened fire hitting one of the officers. Both suspects and the officer are in the hospital. Daniel Baledran, 21, of Rubidoux was nearby when police took him for one of the suspects.

It happened yesterday afternoon in broad daylight; 14-year old Baudelio Guadalupe Jara was walking near Cantlay Street and Vineland Avenue, just north of Sherman Way in North Hollywood when he was "killed in an apparent drive-by shooting." The Daily News reports that Jara was fired at by the passenger of a "gray compact car," who issued several shots; the vehicle sped away and was "last seen traveling southbound on Vineland Avenue toward Sherman Way." Although some sections of North Hollywood see some violent activity, the fact that this took place midday is what is particularly striking. Sadly, Jara "had multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries." Police are working to piece together what happened and why, and ask that anyone who knows anything about the incident to call North Hollywood Homicide Detectives at (818) 623-4075 or (877) LAPD-24-7.

Tomorrow night, South LA community members and the LAPD will be holding a vigil "to create community awareness to a series of 12 murders over a 22 year period that police believe were committed by a serial killer, to remember the victims and to disseminate information regarding these cases and the suspect(s)." The murders--all in the South LA region and mostly women--by the media-named "Grim Sleeper" occurred between 1985 and 2007 and are tied together by DNA testing. The LAPD is using four billboards to advertise their up to $500,000 reward to also create awareness and the vigil will be held at the location of one of those: southeast corner of Colden Avenue and Figueroa Street at 5 p.m. tomorrow.