Yesterday afternoon, LAPD SWAT stormed a house in Reseda believed to be where a 24-year-old man was being held for ransom. The man was rescued with non life-threatening injuries and seven men and one woman were arrested at the home on 18300 block of Schoolcraft Street near Etiwanda Avenue. It started at 7:00 p.m. on Monday evening when the man called his mother saying he had been kidnapped and money was being demanded. The family......

"little green leaf," by Melle Music via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr For those who thought oil spills only happened when big tankers in Alaska collided with icebergs, may I point you to the South Bay? Crews were busy Saturday cleaning up about 5,500 gallons of oil that spilled into the wetlands area around Machado Lake. The oil apparently overflowed from an oil-and-water separator at the Cooper & Brain Oil Co. field near PCH......

Photo by Tom Andrews via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr 45-year-old murder suspect Hovik "John" Mankyan, who engaged police in a lengthy standoff on Good Friday in Palmdale, is reportedly "clinging to life" in the hospital. Mankyan, who is wanted for a 2004 North Hollywood homicide "ingested poison and severed arteries" prior to surrendering. Honors on Ice: The Anaheim Ducks will honor SWAT officer Randal Simmons, who died in the line of duty,......

There's something scary about this scene that took place a few weeks ago in Glassell Park, which ended with LAPD Officers shooting two alleged gang members, injuring one and killing another: The Nissan suddenly stopped and Daniel Leon, 22, and Jose Angel Gomez, 18, jumped out and began shooting at officers, Leon with an AK-47 rifle and Gomez with a handgun. Now, this past week, we hear of three more officer involved shootings. Are criminals......

Photo by karynsig via Flickr This month at LAist, we've been covering breakfast in our Wake Up LA series helping you explore new morning nosh options. On Saturday, there's a one-time breakfast event that we highly encourage you to attend -- one that continues the spirit of giving that exemplifies a man who gave his life for the people of this city. In honor of fallen LAPD SWAT member Randall Simmons, from 7:00 to......

10,500 people packed into the Crenshaw Christian Faith Dome this morning for a very special service for fallen LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons. Police officers from as far as Canada have come to Los Angeles to honor him. More waited outside and people began to gather on the streets along the procession route. Media watcher, Kevin Roderick at LA Observed pointed out this morning as he liveblogged the funeral that "every network owned TV station......

Zoom in, zoom out, click on the icons and click on the lines for more info and times of closures | View Larger Map Last week Wednesday night, February 6, 2007, Veteran Officer Randy Simmons was killed upon entering the home of a gunman who reported to have shot three family members. This was the first casualty in the 41-year history of the LAPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit. Funeral arrangements for Simmons are......

Photo by el daverino via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr A Musical Valentine to Santa Monica: Sia just announced a last-minute show (definitely her last before Coachella!) for tomorrow, February 14th at 2PM in Santa Monica at the Starbucks Hear Music Coffeehouse on Third St. Promenade, first come first serve. She kicks off her North American tour the following day, Friday, in San Diego. The 15-year-old boy shot on Tuesday at a......

I wouldn't normally encourage anybody to go out and gorge on a Whopper, but today, the Burger King downtown at Cesar Chavez and Grand Avenue is donating 100% of its sales to the family of SWAT officer Randal Simmons, who was killed last week in a deadly shoot-out in Winnetka. The fundraiser will be running all day today, until midnight tonight. A donation box will also be available at the restaurant for those who......

Maybe he's a cat person? LA Times big-wig Sam Zell has been quoted as saying a healthy love of lady-parts is downright patriotic. LA Observed explores the origins of what was said and why; apparently Zell thinks pussy's so nice, he said it twice: "He said: 'Everyone likes pussy. It’s un-American not to like pussy'" explains someone at the Times. Prince Andrew paid a visit to Compton yesterday to helm the ribbon-cutting ceremony at......

Yesterday's violent and fatal standoff between a man inside his home on Welby Way in Winnetka and the LAPD's SWAT team left five people dead, including 51-year-old SWAT Officer Randal Simmons and the gunman himself. Family and friends had unofficially identified the victims as being the Rivera family, and believed the gunman was 20-year-old Edwin, son of Gerardo ,54, who also was shot and killed. The coroner has officially confirmed those identities, as well as......

A member of the Los Angeles Police Department's elite SWAT team was shot dead in a gunbattle with a barricaded suspect in the San Fernando Valley this morning. * UPDATE: The suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police around 7:30 a.m., leaving the death toll at 5 (AP). The Mayor has lowered city flags in honor of the officer killed on duty. Randal Simmons, 51, a 27-year veteran officer with the LAPD,......

Was last night's earthquake cause to some full moon effect madness? Breaking News: "A man from the San Fernando Valley has contracted this year's first human case of West Nile virus in Los Angeles County, health officials said Thursday." (NBC4) A female suspect has been shot by police in a Sylmar Bank robbery. (KABC) "A SWAT standoff in the parking lot of a Taco Bell ended early this morning with the arrest of a......