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Police found this cache of weapons after a barricade incident in Studio City. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Police Department
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Gun violence continued to plague the Los Angeles area this past week, with a number of shooting-related incidents claiming lives and doing damage.
Man killed in shooting near Hawthorne
A man was shot and killed in an unincorporated area bordering Hawthorne, authorities said Saturday.
Deputies were called at 6:56 p.m. Friday to the 5100 block of 141st Street, between the San Diego (405) Freeway and Inglewood Avenue, where they found the victim, a man about 55 to 60 years old, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Deputies fire weapons at suspect in South Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies fired their weapons at a suspect Saturday in South Los Angeles, east of Inglewood, authorities said Saturday.
The shooting occurred at approximately 2:53 a.m. in the area of 87th Street and Western Avenue, according to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
It was not immediately known if the man was struck by gunfire from the deputies and no deputies were injured.
There were no further details.
Man killed in Alhambra shooting
A man approximately 40-45 years old was shot and killed in Alhambra, authorities said Saturday.
Alhambra Police Department officers were called about 9:24 p.m. Friday to the intersection of South Almansor and East Bay streets where they found the victim sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to his upper torso, said Lt. Mike Gomez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau.
No other information was immediately available.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Sheriffs homicide detectives are assisting Alhambra police with the investigation.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Woman wounded in West Hollywood shooting; suspect at large
A man allegedly fired multiple shots inside a West Hollywood apartment complex Friday, injuring a woman in an adjacent unit and sparking an hours-long standoff, but the suspect eluded capture.
The shooting was reported about 8:15 a.m. at the building at Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, according to the sheriff’s department. A sheriff’s spokesman told KNX at the scene that the woman — in her 50s — was shot twice, once in the neck and once in the lower extremities by bullets that passed through the wall of her apartment.
Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, sheriff’s officials said.
“The bullets going through the wall, I would say, reduced the velocity of the bullets and decreased the deadliness of the bullets,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Investigator Craig Little.
Sheriff’s deputies unsuccessfully attempted to make contact with the suspect in a third-floor apartment, prompting a standoff and evacuations of some building residents.
Santa Monica Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, which were both closed in the area, have been reopened.
Members of the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau were brought to the scene via helicopter, which landed on La Brea Avenue just north of Santa Monica Boulevard.
Nine hours into the standoff, sheriff’s deputies stormed the suspect’s apartment at about 5:15 p.m. but found it empty, according to reports from the scene.
Sheriff’s officials said investigators know who the suspect is. Deputies were conducting a search of his apartment.
There were no immediate reports of any other injuries.
One shot during melee at Dockweiler Beach
At least one person was shot Friday evening during a series of fights involving what police estimated was between 500 and 1,000 people at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey.
Los Angeles Police Department officers were called after 8 p.m. to the beach regarding a shots fired call, according to CBS 2.
The condition of the person who was shot was unknown.
In addition to the LAPD, officers from Los Angeles Airport Police and the Manhattan Beach and Hawthorne police departments were called to create a skirmish line at Imperial Highway and Vista Del Mar and to assist with crowd control.
El Monte freeway shooter at large
A gunman was at large after a vehicle-to-vehicle shooting Friday on the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway.
It was reported around 9:40 a.m. on the northbound 605, south of the San Bernardino (10) Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a man in his 20s at the wheel of a black SUV pulled alongside a Toyota Prius and fired a shot at the driver side, according to the CHP.
The person in the Prius drove to a Mobil gas station on Ramona Boulevard and called 911. Investigators found a bullet round in the car, but the motorist was not injured, according to the CHP.
The shooter drove away east on the 10. He was last seen wearing a black shirt and a black hat. A motive for the shooting was not provided.
Anyone with information about the shooting was encouraged to contact CHP Officer D. Lauritzen or Public Information Officer M. Lizarraga at 323-980-4600.
Police investigate no-hit shooting in Long Beach; shell casings discovered
Officers discovered shell casings and others signs that a shooting had occurred in Long Beach Thursday morning but were unable to locate any shooting victims.
Officers dispatched about 4:15 a.m. to the area of Summit Street and Fashion Avenue, regarding a “shots call,” located evidence, which included shell casings, the Long Beach Police Department reported.
No injuries were reported, police said, and there was no suspect information available. A motive for the shooting was unknown and the investigation was ongoing.
Victim of fatal Van Nuys shooting identified
A 46-year-old man who was killed when a gunman shot him to death and wounded a 44-year-old man in Van Nuys was identified Thursday.
Witnesses told Los Angeles Police Department officers who responded at 2 a.m. to a home in the 15100 block of Gilmore Street, west of Laurel Canyon Boulevard Saturday, that a man knocked on the door and when the victim responded, the suspect shot both victims and ran away, an LAPD spokeswoman told City News Service.
The victim, Artyom Manukyan, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics rushed the 44-year-old man to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to Officer Drake Madison of the LAPD’s Media Relations Division.
Police Continue Search for Masked Carjacking Suspects
A manhunt for two armed and masked carjacking suspects who allegedly fired shots while stealing a woman’s car at gunpoint near a Santa Monica parking lot near the Venice border continued Wednesday morning.
Santa Monica Police Department officers initially responded at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday to the 100 block of Main Street regarding reports of shots fired during a carjacking near one of the city’s beach parking lots, Sgt. Frank Marnell told City News Service.
According to CBS 2, the victim, who was unharmed, walked to the Santa Monica Police Department and reported the crime.
The suspects fired shots and hit at least one vehicle before leaving the area into nearby Venice and crashing the stolen vehicle into another one, according to KNBC 4.
Police found several shell casings at the scene of the carjacking.
Los Angeles Police Department officers from the Pacific Division station created a perimeter at Main Street and Rose Avenue to search for the suspects, LAPD Officer Tony Im told City News Service.
According to Fox 11, at least one suspect is believed to be armed with a semi-automatic weapon.
Murder suspect killed in police shooting at Vernon truck yard
A murder suspect was fatally shot at a Vernon truck yard Wednesday after fleeing from members of a multi-agency gang task force and trying to wrestle a weapon away from a female officer, authorities said.
According to the South Gate Police Department, the shooting occurred at 7:12 a.m. in the 5600 block of District Boulevard in a truck yard. Video from the scene showed a body covered by a sheet.
According to South Gate Police Chief Darren Arakawa, officers from multiple agencies involved with the task force carried out searches of various locations Wednesday, primarily homeless encampments along the Los Angeles River bed. At one of the eight targeted locations, the suspect was spotted, and he fled into the Vernon truck yard, officials said.
The unidentified suspect was confronted by a South Gate police officer, who was attacked by the suspect, officials said. The suspect tried to take away the officer’s gun, and eventually punched the female officer in the face, who responded by shooting the suspect, police said.
Authorities said a gun was recovered at the scene. Officers taking part in the search had been warned in advance that the suspect was believed to be armed and dangerous.
Arakawa said the suspect has an extensive criminal record and had been released from prison last year.
Details were not immediately available on the crimes for which he was being sought, but they involved an attempted murder and a murder, both in early March, officials said.
The state Department of Justice will investigate the shooting.
South LA gang associate pleads guilty in fatal shooting of LAPD officer
A street gang associate pleaded guilty Wednesday to her role in the robbery and killing of an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer who was gunned down in January 2022 while house-hunting with his girlfriend.
Haylee Marie Grisham, 19, entered her plea for her part in the robbery and fatal shooting of Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The charge of violent crime in aid of racketeering carries a possible sentence of life in federal prison without the possibility of parole because the fatal shooting occurred during a robbery, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson set sentencing for Sept. 11.
Three other defendants — all suspected gang members — face trial in July in Los Angeles federal court.
On the night of Arroyos’ death, Grisham and her co-defendants were driving around looking for someone to rob when they decided to target the victim, who was wearing gold chains around his neck, according to her plea agreement.
While committing the robbery, the three co-defendants — one of whom was Grisham’s boyfriend — killed Arroyos, the document states.
“When defendant participated in this robbery … she was a major participant and acted with reckless indifference to life,” according to the plea agreement.
Also charged with violent crime in aid of racketeering to increase and maintain position within the Latino gang based in South Los Angeles were Luis Alfredo De La Rosa “Lil J” Rios, 30; Ernesto “Gonzo” Cisneros, 23; and Jesse “Skinny Jack” Contreras, 35.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva indicated at the time of their arrests that he directed detectives to take the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office because of his opposition to District Attorney George Gascón’s decision to no longer pursue sentencing enhancements in gang cases.
Those enhancements in a murder case can mean the difference between a life term with the possibility of parole and never being released from prison.
The shooting occurred about 9:15 p.m. Jan. 10, 2022, in the 8700 block of Beach Street, near Firestone Boulevard, in the unincorporated Firestone-Florence area, authorities said.
According to a complaint filed by FBI Special Agent Seamus Kane, Rios admitted in an interview with sheriff’s detectives his involvement in the killing, saying he and the other defendants were driving around looking to “make money,” which he further explained meant to rob a person of property or money.
Federal prosecutors allege that Rios and Cisneros exited a black pickup and confronted Arroyos, a three-year veteran of the LAPD, and his girlfriend as they were searching for a home to purchase in the area.
The two gang members allegedly pointed guns at the victims and removed property from both, including a wallet and two silver chains from Arroyos’ neck, said sheriff’s Capt. Joe Mendoza
“At some point after Cisneros removed (Arroyos’) chains, (Arroyos) and the two suspects exchanged gunfire,” according to court documents.
Arroyos sustained a single gunshot wound, ran from the area and collapsed in an alley as the two suspects left the scene in the truck.
Responding sheriff’s deputies found bystanders performing CPR on Arroyos, Mendoza said. The deputies loaded Arroyos into a patrol car and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives retrieved a loaded handgun from the scene belonging to one of the suspects, and the sheriff’s department received a report of a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the area of Junction Street and East 60th Street about a mile-and-a-half from the site of the shooting, Mendoza said.
Investigators later determined the wounded man was Cisneros and he had sustained the gunshot during the shootout with Arroyos. Contreras was also found in the area hiding inside the garage of his residence in the 5900 block of Junction Street.
A second handgun was retrieved from Contreras’ residence, Mendoza said.
Rios and Grisham — who were then a couple — were later found and taken into custody at their home.
Man killed in drive-by shooting In Boyle Heights identified
A 51-year-old man shot and killed in what police said they believe was a drive-by, gang-related shooting in Boyle Heights was identified by the coroner’s office Tuesday.
Police were called Saturday to 2739 1/2 Wabash Ave., between North Mott Street and Forest Avenue, where they learned Andrew Gutierrez was standing outside a house when a car drove by slowly and someone inside it opened fire on him, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman told City News Service.
Gutierrez was taken to a hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics where he was later pronounced dead, according to coroner records.
The vehicle involved in the shooting was driven from the scene, police said. There is no description of the suspect or vehicle.
Man charged in deadly West Hills shooting
A Connecticut man was charged Tuesday in a weekend shooting in the parking lot of a shopping center in West Hills that left one man dead and three others injured.
Mark Elton Connole, 34, was charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder, along with allegations that he personally used a handgun and personally inflicted great bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Co-defendant Amy Waters, 33, of Simi Valley, was charged with one count each of accessory after the fact, fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle while driving recklessly and possession for sale of a controlled substance, according to the DA’s office.
The shooting was reported about 3:45 p.m. Saturday in the Fallbrook Center’s parking lot in the 22900 block of Vanowen Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
“One of the victims met with the suspect for unknown reasons. An argument ensued between the suspect and the victims when the suspect produced a handgun and began to fire at them,” police said.
The name of the victim killed in the shooting was being withheld pending notification of relatives. The other three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Waters allegedly drove to the area in a red Honda and picked up Connole after he crashed his vehicle, according to police.
Waters allegedly led police on a pursuit, but she eventually pulled over and was taken into custody along with Connole, according to the LAPD.
Police said a firearm was recovered.
“This brazen act of violence occurred in the middle of a Saturday afternoon,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges. “Innocent shoppers could easily have been hurt or killed. This shocking level of disregard for the safety and well-being of our community will not be tolerated.”
Connole and Waters are set to be arraigned April 13 in a Van Nuys courtroom.
Victim of Hollywood shooting identified
One of two men fatally shot during an argument in Hollywood was identified Monday.
The shooting was reported at 12:20 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The coroner’s office on Monday identified one of the victims as Jaheim Hunter, 21. Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. The second man who was shot died at a hospital, but has not yet been identified.
Two suspects were being sought.
According to authorities, the two victims were in the same group as the two suspects when an argument broke out and one suspect pulled out a handgun and opened fire.
Both suspects fled on foot, police said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide at 213-382-9470.
Authorities investigate shooting death of man in Artesia
Authorities were investigating the shooting death of a man in Artesia.
The shooting was reported around 9:55 p.m. Saturday in the 11900 block of 168th Street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The victim was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. No motive or suspect description was immediately available.
Anyone with information about the shooting was urged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 800-222-8477.
