The Votes Are In!
2023 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → 
Crime Sep 09, 2023
| Photo by alexbowmore/Envato Elements
by
share with
Gun violence continued to plague the Los Angeles area, as another pile of shooting reports were filed over the last seven days.
Police, suspects shoot at each other in Hollywood
Police exchanged gunfire with suspects Saturday in Hollywood.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division encountered the suspects at 1:35 a.m near Hollywood Boulevard and Ivar Avenue when the suspects shot at them and the officers returned fire, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service.
The suspects sped away from the scene with officers in pursuit.
It was not known what provoked the shooting.
No officers were injured.
One killed in Echo Park shooting
A man was fatally shot in Echo Park and police Saturday are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
Los Angeles Police officers were called at approximately 11 p.m. Friday to the intersection of Douglas and Toluca streets where they found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
There was no suspect information.
Man found shot to death in Hawthorne
A man was fatally shot in Hawthorne early Friday, and investigators asked anyone with information about the killing to come forward.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which was assisting the Hawthorne Police Department with the investigation, authorities responded shortly before 2 a.m. to the 11900 block of South Van Ness Avenue, between 110th and 120th streets and south of the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway.
Hawthorne police officers found the victim, described only as a Hispanic man, suffering from gunshot wounds, sheriff’s officials said. County fire department paramedics were called, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
There was no immediate information about a possible suspect.
Anyone with information about the case 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. Tips can be sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Man fatally shot in Cudahy convenience store
A man was fatally shot Friday inside the Cudahy convenience store where he worked.
Deputies were called at 4:50 a.m. to the Circle K store in the 5000 block of Clara Street and Wilcox Avenue where they found the victim inside, said homicide Lt. Patricia Thomas.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said a black sedan was seen leaving the scene after the shooting.
The owner of the convenience store told ABC7 the victim was an employee of the store, and the shooting was believed to have occurred during an attempted robbery. It was unclear if anything was actually stolen.
Anyone with information about this 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 and tips can be sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Bystander wounded in Pacoima shooting
A bystander is in the hospital Thursday recovering after he was shot by at least two assailants in a drive-by shooting in Pacoima.
Los Angeles Police Department officers were called at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday to 12465 Adelphia Avenue, south of Foothill Boulevard where they learned the suspect drove up to a woman and fired at her, an LAPD spokeswoman told City News Service.
Witnesses told police the woman seemed to be the target of the shooting but the bullets struck the man, who was walking nearby.
The woman was not injured, police said.
The victim was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds in stable condition.
There was no suspect or vehicle description.
Man fatally shot during argument in Compton identified
A 59-year-old man shot and killed in an argument with another man in Compton was identified Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
Deputies from Compton Sheriff’s Station were called at approximately 10:19 p.m. Sept. 1 to 1222 S. Whitemarsh Street, west of Wilmington Avenue, regarding a gunshot victim. Upon their arrival, they found Kevin Celestine with gunshot wounds to his upper torso, homicide Lt. Hugo Reynaga said.
During the course of their investigation, detectives learned that before the shooting, Celestine and the suspect arguing and at some point the suspect drew a handgun and shot Celestine, authorities said. The suspect then drove away northbound on Whitemarsh Street.
Celestine was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics.
There was no suspect description.
Anyone with information about the case 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. Tips can be sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Man arrested on suspicion of Long Beach murder
A 40-year-man was behind bars Wednesday in connection with the killing of a homeless man in Long Beach.
Los Angeles resident Justin Jackson was arrested Tuesday near the 11000 block of Hoover Street in South Los Angeles, according to the Long Beach Police Department. He was booked on suspicion of murder and jailed in lieu of $3 million bail.
He is suspected in the killing of 36-year-old Michael Toloai, who was fatally shot around 4:40 p.m. Aug. 15 in the 3400 block of Andy Street, police said. Authorities who responded to the shooting scene pronounced Toloai dead at the scene.
Police said homicide detectives believe Jackson and Toloai were acquaintances, and the shooting was the result of an unspecified dispute. No other details were released.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to contact Homicide Detectives Michael Hubbard or Jesus Espinoza at 562-570-7244. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Three charged in Angeles Crest Highway killing
Three men have been charged with murdering and robbing a man at a scenic turnout on Angeles Crest Highway in Pasadena in July, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Luis Ventura, 24, Marco Antonio Hernandez, 18, and Abraham Ernesto Alvarenga Cortez, 21, are charged in the killing of Jesse Enrique Munoz, whom authorities said was shot multiple times at about 3:50 a.m. July 22.
The three are also charged with robbing a female who was with the 32-year-old victim, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Cortez is additionally facing an allegation that he personally used a handgun.
Ventura — who was arrested July 26 by Pasadena police — was initially charged with robbing Munoz and his companion, with the murder count subsequently being filed. He has pleaded not guilty and is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Oct. 6, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against him to proceed to trial.
Hernandez and Cortez are set to be arraigned Sept. 11.
A fourth man who allegedly was involved with the crime has not been identified, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Munoz was allegedly robbed and murdered by the three defendants and an unidentified man and died at the scene, prosecutors said.
Lt. Keith Gomez of the Pasadena Police Department said in July that investigators believed Munoz’s shooting was connected to the killings of two other people who were found dead July 24 in a vehicle in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Jorge Ramos, 36, and TaylorRaven Whittaker, 26, were shot to death inside a parked Subaru sedan in the 7000 block of Palos Verdes Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Gomez declined to give specifics about the alleged link between the two shootings.
Man wounded in shooting in South Los Angeles
A 35-year-old man was in the hospital Wednesday after he was shot in South Los Angeles.
Officers from the Newton Division of the Los Angeles Police Department received a shots fired call at 12:51 a.m. and responded to 545 East Vernon Ave. and Avalon Boulevard. Upon their arrival, they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound, an LAPD spokeswoman told City News Service.
The victim was taken to a hospital in an unknown condition.
Police said the victim was unable to give officers a description of the suspect.
Man, woman fatally shot in car with infant In backseat
A man and woman who were fatally shot in a car in Harbor City while their year-old baby was in the backseat were identified Tuesday, and police asked anyone with information on the shooting to come forward.
The shooting occurred at 6:37 p.m. Monday in the area of 1018 253rd St., according to a desk officer at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center.
Police said 21-year-old Carlos Loera and 18-year-old Ashley Guzman were seated inside a vehicle when someone approached and fired several gunshots at them.
Paramedics took Guzman to a hospital, where she died, police said. Loera was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police initially said the year-old child, who was in a child safety seat in the back seat of the vehicle, was not injured, but they later determined he had been struck by gunfire. The child was taken to a hospital, treated and then released to family, police said.
The motive of the shooting remains unknown.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to contact LAPD South Bureau Homicide Division Southeast Squad Detectives Fraga or Ybanez at 323-786-5100 or 323-786-5500. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. During nonbusiness hours, calls can be made to 877-527-3247.
Suspect wounded by deputy gunfire In East Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies shot and wounded a robbery suspect Monday afternoon in East Los Angeles.
Deputies from East Los Angeles Station responded to a call about a person with a gun in the 300 block of Atlantic Boulevard. There, they determined an armed robbery had occurred, and they soon also found a second robbery victim.
With a description of the man, department officials said they were then able to locate the armed suspect. Upon encountering him, he allegedly produced a firearm and a deputy involved shooting occurred.
The shooting happened about 1:20 p.m. in the area of South Atlantic Boulevard and East 4th Street.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital and was in stable condition, officials said.
No other injuries were reported.
Anyone with information about the incident was encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
Suspect fatally shot by deputies at Hacienda Heights home
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office Wednesday released the name of a man shot and killed by deputies after allegedly stabbing his father to death at a home in Hacienda Heights.
The man shot and killed by deputies was identified as Robert Boozer, 42, of St. George, Utah. The decedent’s father was identified as William Patrick Boozer, 69, of Hacienda Heights.
The shooting was reported at about 5:30 a.m. Monday at a residence in the 16700 block of Dawn Haven Road, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies were dispatched to the scene on a report of a family disturbance. At some point after their arrival, deputies opened fire on Robert Boozer, who was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, department officials told City News Service.
William Patrick Boozer was also pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said.
The sheriff’s Homicide Bureau urged anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting to call them at 323-890-5500. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Man fatally shot in the Oakwood area near Venice
A man was fatally wounded Monday morning in a shooting in the Oakwood area of Los Angeles near Venice.
The shooting occurred about 12:30 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and Broadway Street, Los Angeles Police Officer Drake Madison told City News Service.
The 35-year-old man was found in the street with a gunshot wound, Madison said.
Paramedics took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the officer said.
Suspect information was not available but investigators believed the shooting was gang-related, Madison said.
Burglary suspect allegedly fires at Sun Valley homeowner
A man is in custody after allegedly breaking into a Sun Valley home Monday, exchanging gunfire with the homeowner and fleeing up a hillside near the residence.
Officers were dispatched at 7:55 a.m. Monday to a residence in the 10000 block of Olivia Terrace in response to an “assault with a deadly weapon, shots fired” call, according to Officer Drake Madison of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Division.
A suspect had broken into the home and exchanged gunfire with the homeowner before fleeing the scene up a hillside above the location, Madison said.
Officers eventually arrested the suspect and an ambulance was called to the location because the suspect reported that he had trouble breathing, Madison said. His condition was not immediately known.
No further information was immediately available.
Man found shot to death in vehicle in South LA
A man who was found fatally shot inside a vehicle in South Los Angeles was identified Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner’s office identified him as Juan Ramos Rivera, 23, of Los Angeles.
Officers dispatched at 1:07 a.m. Sunday to an assault with a deadly weapon call in the 100 block of West 71st Street located Rivera inside a vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene. No further information was immediately available.
Anyone with any information regarding the shooting was urged to call the LAPD’s Newton station at 323-846-6547. During nonbusiness hours or on weekends call 877-527-3247. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go directly to lacrimestoppers.org.
Woman shot to death in Pearblossom
A woman who was shot to death in the Pearblossom community of the Antelope Valley was identified Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office identified her as 43-year-old Trisha Ann Cook. The agency had no city of residence for Cook.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies responded just before 11 a.m. Sunday to a shooting at 130th Street East and Avenue R-4, according to the LASD’s Homicide Bureau.
The deputies found Cook with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body, sheriff’s officials said.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Suspect information was not immediately available.
A news videographer at the scene said she was found inside a trailer parked at a homeless encampment.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Wounded man crashes vehicle head-on into another vehicle in Compton
A man died after he was shot Sept. 2 while driving in a business area of Compton and continued to drive until he crashed head-on into another vehicle.
The shooting was reported at 12:58 p.m. near the 1400 block of North Long Beach Boulevard, north of Rosecrans Avenue, according to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office on Thursday identified Daniel Le Shawn Welch of Long Beach as the victim. Welch’s death was listed as a homicide.
The preliminary investigation revealed the man was shot in the upper body while driving at the intersection of Bullis Road and Rosecrans Avenue and continued a short distance until crashing head-on into another vehicle on Long Beach Boulevard, sheriff’s officials said. He was the only occupant of the vehicle.
The driver of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries and was taken by paramedics to a hospital for treatment, officials said.
There was no suspect information immediately available.
Homicide detectives were summoned to conduct a crime scene investigation.
Anyone with information was asked to call homicide detectives at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Man found shot dead in ‘shed-like’ structure under bridge identified
A man who was shot to death, and whose body was retrieved from a “shed-like” structure beneath the Culver Boulevard bridge at the Ballona Creek flood control channel, was identified Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.
The victim was identified as 49-year-old Anthony Quinn Ussery, who had been “experiencing homelessness,” according to the agency.
His body was retrieved Saturday by lifeguards, fire personnel and a swift water rescue team, authorities said at the time of the discovery.
“He had been shot,” LAPD Officer Tony Im said at the time.
The medical examiner’s report said that Ussery suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. No other information was immediately available.
First responders were dispatched to 13551 W. Culver Blvd. about 10:40 a.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
The case was still under investigation.
The LAPD’s Pacific station urged anyone with any information regarding the homicide to call them at 310-482-6334. During non-business hours or on weekends, call 877-527-3247. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go to lacrimestoppers.org.
