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Crime Nov 04, 2023
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Shooting deaths and injuries are an unfortunate fact of life in the Los Angeles area, and this past week was no exception.
Man shot to death in Bellflower
A man was shot to death Saturday in Bellflower, and the killer is still on the loose.
Deputies responded at 1:22 a.m. to the 9000 block of Artesia Boulevard east of Lakewood Boulevard and south of the Artesia (91) Freeway, where they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body, according to homicide Lt. Michael Gomez of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs’ Department.
The victim, described as a man about 40 to 50 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene.
No motive or suspect information was immediately available
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 tips can be sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Man fatally shot in Florence community of unincorporated LA County
A man was shot to death Saturday in the Florence community of unincorporated Los Angeles County, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 4:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of East 62nd Street, where the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
There was no other information available.
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 or tips can be sent to lacrimestoppers.org.
Suspect arrested in 2001 killing of man, 2-year-old daughter in Compton
A suspect was behind bars Friday in connection with the 2001 driveby Compton killings of a 24-year-old man and his 2-year-old daughter, who investigators said were innocent victims of a gang war.
Jahon Smith, 47, was arrested Monday in connection with the Aug. 8, 2001, killings of Stephen Murphy and his daughter Kali, who were shot in 13100 block of Willowbrook Avenue. Murphy was shot on the front porch of his grandmother’s house as he tried to carry his daughter to safety when he heard the gunfire erupt, officials said.
According to District Attorney George Gascón, Smith was charged Wednesday with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. The charges include a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders and an allegation of personal use of a handgun.
His arraignment at the Compton courthouse was postponed until Nov. 29, according to court records.
Gascón said Smith faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole.
Investigators declined to release extensive details about the evidence that led to Smith’s arrest. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau Lt. Hugo Reynaga said last month that modern DNA testing was being done on evidence that was collected 22 years ago that they believed would lead investigators to a suspect in the Murphys’ killings.
Officials said earlier that Murphy and his daughter were visiting his grandmother, and Murphy was getting ready to put his daughter in the back seat of his car when the gunfire erupted. Murphy tried to run into the house with his daughter in his arms, but he was shot on the front porch. The girl was struck in the head with a bullet and died at a hospital, sheriff’s officials said.
Reynaga said during a September news conference to renew public interest in the case that Murphy and his daughter were simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they were an accident to the killers who were out there trying to commit murder.”
Reynaga reiterated Friday that the shooting was one in a series that occurred over the course of two nights as the result of an apparently ongoing gang war at the time, and other suspects are still being sought.
“This case is not over by any means,” Reynaga said. “It continues to be an ongoing investigation until all the suspects involved in murdering Kali, an innocent 2-year-old baby girl, and her young father Stephen are held accountable,” Reynaga said. “Investigators know there are multiple suspects in this case. To date, investigators have used all resources and available tools in this case for the arrest of Jahon Smith. There is still additional DNA evidence being analyzed in this case and investigators continue to await the results.”
He said the crime spree began the previous night, Aug. 7, 2001, when 22-year-old Richard Lawrence was fatally shot in the 2000 block of North Grape Avenue in Compton.
Witnesses provided a basic description of two male suspects in the crime, and sheriff’s officials released artist renderings in hopes of generating tips from the public. Reynaga said the suspects in that shooting were driving a gray Chevrolet Caprice.
The following night, five separate drive-by shootings occurred in about a five-minute span, in what Reynaga said were believed to be retaliation for the killing of Lawrence.
The shootings began in the 13300 block of Largo Avenue, where a victim suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to the head and shoulder, Reynaga said. A short time later, a non-injury shooting occurred in the 2300 block of Lucien Street.
Murphy and his daughter were killed in the third shooting of the night.
Another shooting occurred a short time later in the 2000 block of West 131st Street, where a 15-year-old boy suffered a graze wound to the head, Reynaga said. After that, a sheriff’s deputy came under fire, but was not struck, in the 1900 block of North Anzac Avenue.
Reynaga said the gold Oldsmobile Cutlass the suspects were driving was later seized by deputies. It was evidence collected from that car that Reynaga said was undergoing DNA testing.
He urged anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s department.
Stephen Murphy’s mother, Phyllis, spoke during Friday’s news conference and thanked investigators for not giving up on the case. She called her son and granddaughter “two innocent victims who were tragically gunned down and taken away from us.”
“We finally feel that justice may not always be swift, but it will be sweet now that the person responsible will be held accountable,” she said. “Stephen was a loving and kind person, a loving father, a dedicated young man who loved his family. … He always saw the good in everyone. He never, as far as I know, never did anything to hurt anyone in his entire life. Stephen never said one unkind word to me. He was always a loving, a kind son. Just always a loving person.”
Man killed in shooting in Boyle Heights
A man was fatally shot Friday morning in Boyle Heights.
Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollenbeck Division responded at 2:43 a.m. to the 2400 block of Emery Street and Downey Road where they found the victim in the street with multiple gunshot wounds, LAPD Officer Annie Moran told City News Service.
Witnesses told police two suspects ran away from the scene and drove away in an unknown vehicle.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
There were no suspect descriptions.
Man injured in shooting outside Fairfax District market; shooter on the loose
A gunman who shot a 28-year-old man in the leg outside the Erewhon Market in the Fairfax District then fled the scene in a Lamborghini SUV remained at large Friday.
Officers responded to the 7600 block of Beverly Boulevard around 5:15 p.m. Thursday to the market near The Grove shopping center to a report of a shooting, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison.
Video from the scene shows a confrontation between the victim and a man with dreadlocks inside the garage. The victim then walks to the Lamborghini and appears to challenge a passenger. The original two men in the dispute and the Lamborghini passenger then walk outside the garage, where the argument continues and the man with dreadlocks shoots the victim, who crumples to the sidewalk.
The victim drove himself to a hospital, Madison said. Police said investigators were questioning the man at the hospital.
Police said the shooting suspect was described as 6 feet tall and wearing a white shirt and black pants. The license plate of the car he was driving was 8WWS816, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The suspect drove away in an unknown direction. Madison said the shooting did not appear to be gang-related.
16-year-old boy shot in broad daylight in San Pedro
A 16-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting between two groups arguing in San Pedro Thursday.
Officers were sent to 12th Street between Gaffey Street and Cabrillo Avenue around 4:15 p.m. Thursday to a report of shots fired, according to Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Officer Drake Madison.
Madison said detectives also went to a hospital, believed to be Little Company of Mary San Pedro Hospital, to speak with the victim, who stated that he was walking in the area of 12th Street between Gaffey Street and Cabrillo Avenue and witnessed two groups of individuals presumed to be Blacks and Hispanics arguing.
The victim then heard multiple gunshots and felt a pain in his hip before all the suspects ran away, while one got away in an unspecified vehicle.
The victim was taken to a hospital by a friend and was listed in stable condition, Madison said.
The investigation remained ongoing.
Suspect arrested in 2020 Long Beach fatal shooting
A 26-year-old man was taken into custody Thursday in connection with a shooting that occurred during the summer of 2020 that killed a 23-year-old man.
Armando Hernandez is accused of fatally shooting Jose Rodriguez in the 1400 block of Chestnut Avenue around 5 p.m. June 24, 2020, in what was described as a possible gang-related killing, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Police said detectives discovered Rodriguez suffering from several gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body in a park, where witnesses were attempting life-saving measures until the arrival of law enforcement.
Detectives took over and continued administering life-saving measures until paramedics arrived and took him to a hospital in critical condition. He died two days later.
According to police, Rodriguez was approached at the park by two suspects who began shooting at him.
The suspects fled the scene, heading eastbound toward Chestnut Avenue.
Investigators from the Special Investigations Division, along with the assistance of a SWAT team, served a search warrant around 4 a.m. Thursday in the 200 block of West 14 Street, where they located Hernandez, who exited his residence and was taken into custody without incident.
Hernandez was booked on suspicion of murder and was being held on $2 million bail, police said.
It was unclear if investigators have located the second suspect involved in the shooting.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to contact LBPD Homicide Detectives Oscar Valenzuela or Leticia Gamboa at 562-570-7244. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Man armed with a machete shot to death by police in Calabasas
An investigation was continuing Thursday into the fatal shooting by police of an allegedly machete-wielding 35-year-old homeless man during a confrontation at a popular Calabasas restaurant.
Police were called at 7:40 p.m. Wednesday to the 23400 block of West Calabasas Road and Mulholland Drive regarding an assault with a deadly weapon, LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman told City News Service.
Upon their arrival, officers located the man — identified by the LA County Medical Examiner Department as Benjamin Pritchard — who had been armed with a machete and allegedly attacked someone in the parking lot of a McDonald’s, police said. Pritchard then ran to the nearby Sagebrush Cantina restaurant, where he was confronted by officers, allegedly while carrying a knife and a bottle, police said.
Officers attempted to subdue the man using a Taser, but those efforts failed, police said, and officers ultimately shot the man, who died at a hospital.
Police recovered the machete and a knife at the scene.
Eisenman said no officers were injured.
Homeless man fatally shot in Harvard Heights identified
A homeless man who was fatally shot in the Harvard Heights area of Los Angeles was identified Thursday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s office identified Deshawan Greenfield, 35, as the victim of the shooting.
Officers went to the 3100 block of West Pico Boulevard about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Greenfield died at the scene, police said.
No arrests were reported, and no suspect description was released.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call 877-LAPD-247.
Authorities ID suspect injured in Long Beach police shooting in Montebello
A 33-year-old shooting suspect who allegedly rammed a pair of Long Beach police vehicles while trying to elude detectives in Montebello, prompting at least one officer to shoot him, remained in custody Wednesday.
Oscar Alejandro Ramires was being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to jail records.
He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, intimidating or dissuading a victim, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, a felon in possession of a firearm, a felon in possession of ammunition, resisting arrest through threats or violence and a warrant for violating post release community supervision.
According to the Long Beach Police Department, detectives were in the 700 block of Via Altamira, near Garfield Avenue, around noon Tuesday conducting surveillance and attempting to serve a search warrant concerning a shooting that occurred in Long Beach on Sept. 25, when Ramires allegedly shot a female victim in the 6000 block of Olive Avenue, near Atlantic Avenue.
Ramires exited the residence under surveillance and drove to a nearby gas station, where detectives attempted to make an arrest, police said. At that point, Ramires allegedly got back in his vehicle “and intentionally struck two detective vehicles and two additional vehicles as he attempted to flee,” prompting at least one officer to open fire, according to Long Beach police.
“Officers were equipped with body-worn cameras. LBPD is in the process of reviewing the footage and will make the available to the public as soon possible,” LBPD said.
Detectives briefly lost sight of Ramires but located him a short time later back in the 700 block of Via Altamira, where he was taken into custody, then taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound suffered in the earlier shooting, police said.
Police said one officer suffered minor injuries when Ramires struck the detectives’ vehicles. It was unclear if that officer was taken to a hospital.
Police said detectives recovered a firearm at the scene.
Anyone with information regarding this case was urged to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Chasen Contreras or Don Collier at 562-570-7244. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Two suspects escape after robbery at Northridge Wells Fargo
Two suspects fled a Wells Fargo in Northridge with an undisclosed amount of cash Tuesday after one of them fired a shot.
Officers responded to the 8800 block of Corbin Avenue, near Nordhoff Street, around 2:30 p.m. to a report regarding shots fired at a Wells Fargo, along with thousands of dollars worth of stolen property, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Although details are limited, ABC7 reported that the suspects fled with at least $30,000. It was unclear if the robbery occurred inside or outside the bank branch.
Police said a 60-year-old was taken to a hospital for minor injuries to a hand that was not related to the shooting.
Detectives described the suspect’s vehicle as a gray Mercedes-Benz, which two men occupied.
Police said one of the suspects was identified as a 5-foot-8-inch Hispanic man weighing 150 pounds and wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a black hat.
The second suspect was unidentified. The weapon used during the robbery was described as a black semi-automatic handgun.
Man hospitalized after shooting in Hollywood
A man was hospitalized Tuesday after he was shot inside his home in Hollywood.
Los Angeles Police Department officers from the Hollywood Division were called at 11:32 p.m. Monday to 5640 Franklin Ave. and North Gramercy Place where they learned the man was inside his home when the suspect knocked on his front door. Before the victim could answer the door, the suspect fired multiple shots through the door, striking the victim multiple times, an LAPD spokeswoman told City News Service.
The victim was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
There was no suspect description.
Teen shot during attempted robbery in Winnetka
A 16-year-old boy suffered gunshot wounds during an attempted robbery in the Winnetka area of Los Angeles, authorities said Monday.
The boy was walking just before 6 p.m. Sunday in front of 8231 Mason Ave. when he passed four men believed between the ages of 18 and 19 years old, according to a dispatcher at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center.
The men told him to empty his pockets and the boy refused, so one suspect produced a handgun and shot him, she said.
The men drove away from the scene in a vehicle, the dispatcher said.
The boy was taken to a hospital by paramedics and his condition was not known, she said.
Man wounded in Westchester shooting
A man suffered a gunshot wound during an argument with another person in the Westchester area of Los Angeles, authorities said Monday.
The shooting was reported just after 3 p.m. Sunday at La Tijera Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, according to a dispatcher at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center.
The suspect produced a handgun during the argument and shot the 51-year-old man, she said.
Paramedics took the victim to a hospital where he had stable vital signs, the dispatcher said.
The status of the suspect was not available.
Man shot, critically wounded at park in Pasadena
A man was shot at a park in Pasadena on Sunday and is in a hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
Officers were dispatched at about 2:20 a.m. to Washington Park at 700 E. Washington Blvd. regarding a shooting and located a man with a gunshot wound who was unresponsive, the Pasadena Police Department reported.
Paramedics rushed the victim to a hospital. The motive for the shooting was unknown.
Pasadena police urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call them at 626-744-4241.
Man shot, killed in Lancaster
A man was shot and killed Sunday morning in Lancaster, authorities said.
The shooting occurred at approximately 1:46 a.m. in the 44800 block of Fig Avenue, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
Paramedics rushed the victim to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
No further information was immediately released.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or use the website lacrimestoppers.org.
Person shot, killed in Norwalk
A person was fatally wounded Sunday morning in Norwalk, authorities said.
The shooting occurred about 12:40 a.m. in the 13900 block of Maidstone Avenue, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The victim was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead. There was no other information available.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
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