Crime and Law

Maria Hicks Gets Justice: Grandmother Murdered for Standing Up to Taggers Angel Chris Rojas and Cesar Lopez

Vicious taggers in 2007 murdered Maria Hicks, a beloved grandmother and neighbor in Pico Rivera, for committing the insult of flashing her headlights at one of them to stop him as he scrawled graffiti on a wall in her community. Today Norwalk Superior Court Judge Dewey Falcone sent that violent tagg ... More >>

McDonald's Facing Two More Hot Coffee Lawsuits

Back a lifetime ago in 1994, McDonald's was sued over the temperature of its coffee when a woman accused the fast food chain of serving coffee so hot, it gave her third-degree burns when the cup spilled on her legs and groin. Now it's déjà vu all over again, as McDonald's is defending itself agai ... More >>

Albert Abrams, City Hall's Ex-Neighborhood Councils Chief, Indicted, Arrested For Child Porn

Albert Abrams, the former chief of the L.A. Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, was arrested this morning by federal agents after he was indicted yesterday as part of a child-porn case, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The former president of the City of Los Angeles' Board of Neighborho ... More >>

Cliff Shepard, LAPD Detective Who Helped Nab the Grim Sleeper, on the Cases He Cracked and the Ones That Got Away

Detective Cliff Shepard has served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 37 years and 13 days. He retires today, bringing to a close a career spent tracking and catching some of the most notorious serial killers in L.A.'s history. There was Rodney Acala, the handsome and charismatic UCLA gradu ... More >>

Multiple People Shot at Hollywood Residence That Went Up in Flames

Updated at the bottom with the suspected shooter, a fourth victim found inside the house. First posted at 1:04 p.m. At least three people were shot at a residence in Hollywood that went up in flames, according to police and fire officials. Police were called to 517 N. Harvard Boulevard at 12:40 p. ... More >>

L.A. Sheriff's Creepy New Facial-Recognition Software Matches Surveillance Video With Mug Shot Database

The Lancaster station of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department got a little help from Big Brother in cracking its latest robbery spree: Of three armed robberies in Lancaster over eight days, one of the incidents was caught on surveillance tape. So Sheriff's investigators entered "a clear image of th ... More >>

Michelle Anderson, South L.A. 24-Year-Old, Shot Dead After Allegedly Being Lured From House Onto Sidewalk

A young woman from South Los Angeles was gunned down last night on a sidewalk near 87th Street and Denker Avenue. Police responders found 24-year-old Michelle Lorraine Anderson lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to her head -- yet mysteriously, nobody had seen the shooter, CBS LA reports. ... More >>

Grandson Shot Trying to Save Grandpa During North Hollywood Robbery, LAPD Says

Updated at the bottom with two suspects arrested. The story changed after our first report (the victim was the grandson, not son), and our headline changed soon after to reflect that. First posted at 6:05 a.m. Jan. 10. A man was killed when he tried to defend his father during a robbery in North Ho ... More >>

Top 10 Food-Related Lawsuits of 2011

Taco BellTaco Bell gives thanks for being sued over the contents of its meat​A look at this year through the lens of the food-related lawsuits is like watching the first season of The Killing: an exercise in frustration, bewilderment, and, occasionally, excitement. From the mother who sued N ... More >>

Ben Bradley Murderer Convicted: Reactions From the Theater Community

The Boy Scouts' Police Problem

Dozens of teenage Explorers have been sexually abused by cops. Should Scouts share the blame?

Outrage Review

Conrad Murray Gets Four Years in L.A. County Jail for Involuntary Manslaughter

Could Conrad Murray wiggle out of his full four-year sentence?​Update: L.A. Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore says Murray will likely serve "a little less than two years." More dauntingly, the D.A. wants him to pay over $100 million to Michael Jackson's kids. Also: remorseless BOO ... More >>

West Hollywood Marijuana Dispensary The Farmacy Robbed of Weed, Cash: Three Suspects Quickly Nabbed

Correction after the jump: A dispensary worker says the suspects were tracked via a stolen smartphone and that they were previously unknown to the shop. Three men were arrested after a brazen robbery of West Hollywood's well-known marijuana dispensary called The Farmacy over the weekend. The heist ... More >>

Steve Cooley, L.A.'s District Attorney, Vows to Prosecute Criminals Back to Prison Despite Inmate Reduction Plan

James Fayed Gets Death Penalty: L.A. Gold Trader Who Plotted Wife's Murder Could Cost Taxpayers Over $300 Million

KTLAJames Fayed is sentenced to death.​James Fayed's crime was as heinous as they come: Last summer, the wealthy businessman admitted to a Los Angeles jail mate that he'd paid several men to murder 44-year-old Pamela Fayed, his estranged wife, in a Century City parking garage in 2008. (The cou ... More >>

Teflon Sheriff Lee Baca Can Now Decide Inmate Sentences: D.A. Steve Cooley Concerned About More Bad Guys on L.A. Streets

D.A. Steve Cooley is not liking 'realignment.'​If you think Sheriff Lee Baca's L.A. County Jails are a mess now, what with years'-old allegations of deputies beating inmates and a reported system of problem cops being assigned to lockup duty, just wait. You see, under California's inmate-redu ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. Magnets For Robbers, Violence, Organized Crime -- Report

Fox 11 NewsRobbery in progress.​Only weeks after RAND took a controversial study of marijuana dispensary crime off the shelf following questions about its validity, a Fox 11 News report gives at least anecdotal evidence that some pot shops are dangerous places (especially for people who work t ... More >>

Grim Sleeper Suspect Tied to Six More Murders, Cops Say: LAPD to Hold Community Forum Tomorrow

Lonnie Franklin Jr.​The Los Angeles Police Department will host a "community forum" in South L.A. tomorrow following revelations that investigators have allegedly linked six more victims to Grim Sleeper serial killer suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. The Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend ... More >>

Prisoners, Parolees Headed to L.A. Under State Prison Downsizing: LAPD Chief Beck Says 150 Cops Will be Cut From Streets to Handle Them

Some of the worst news about L.A.'s response to the transfer of thousands of state prisoners and parolees to county jails and local police oversight is that the LAPD says it will need to take 150 officers off the streets to deal with them. In a geographically vast city with less than 10,000 officer ... More >>

Freeway Shooter in San Diego Might be Headed North to L.A: Car Registered Here

Updated at the bottom: A suspect was detained in the San Fernando Valley. First posted at 4:18 p.m. Cops in L.A. County were on the lookout for a freeway shooter in a car that's registered in Lancaster. A series of at least four freeway shootings -- with one driver injured and a CHP officer target ... More >>

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Sues Kinde Durkee, Alleges Massive Theft, Accuses First California Bank of Cover-Up

Dianne Feinstein: Guns blazing​Sen. Dianne Feinstein filed a lawsuit today against Kinde Durkee, alleging that the disgraced treasurer took millions from her campaign accounts.Feinstein also sued First California Bank, alleging that bank officials intentionally overlooked red flags because they wa ... More >>

California Parents Can Be Forced to Attend Anti-Gang Classes if Kid Is Caught With Booze, Weed, Fake ID, No Bus Pass

picasaur.usTomorrow's gangsters.​California State Assemblyman Tony Mendoza is tackling L.A.'s gang problem one uninvolved parent at a time: In a bill that breezed through Legislature yesterday -- virtually unreported, except by our sister paper OC Weekly (so proud!) -- Mendoza gives the state ... More >>

Clarification: Are You Sure I Don't Have to Pay My L.A. County Red-Light Camera Ticket?

This is your brain on red-light camera tickets.​In the month-and-a-half since we published "L.A. City Council Says You Don't Have to Pay Your Red-Light Camera Tickets," we've received dozens of panicked emails from drivers who were caught red-handed, squeaking an L.A. intersection. "I wanted ... More >>

DNA Testing of California Arrestees Shot Down; 'Grim Sleeper' Suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. Wouldn't Have Been Caught Without It

Lonnie Franklin Jr. was just a sketch, before DNA testing made him a suspect.​We totally get the Fourth Amendment crusade against testing the DNA of any and every person arrested on felony charges: It's invasive, preemptive and Big Brother-esque. But even if only 50 percent of said arrestee ... More >>

Rodrick Brumfield, L.A. Homicide No. 47: Man Found Shot Dead in South Park Apartment

Los Angeles TimesRodrick Brumfield​A 44-year-old black man, Rodrick Brumfield, was fatally shot on March 1. LAPD responded to a call reporting gunfire at 10:20 p.m. and found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds in an upstairs residence in the 5300 block of South Broadway. After police off ... More >>

Winning the Future: Car Thieves Prefer Domestic Makes for First Time Since 2002

​President Obama should be damn proud of the 2010 car-theft report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, craftily titled "Hot Wheels": Nationally--and for the first time since 2002--thieves preferred domestic makes over foreign brands. Ford took three spots, Dodge two and Chevrolet held o ... More >>

Teen Smash-And-Grab Robbery Suspect Arrested by LAPD With Help From His Own Parents

LAPDA Koreatown smash-and-grab.​Just be glad you're not this kid: A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with a smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery that happened downtown on July 12. And you know who cops say fingered him? His own parents. The teen wasn't identified because he's underage. ... More >>

Jose Roman, L.A. Homicide No. 39: Teenager Fatally Shot in Back Near Port High School

Google MapsThe street where Jose Roman was killed​By Ryan Deto On February 13, Jose Roman was shot dead near the corner of West 1st and South Palos Verdes streets, just a couple hundred yards from Port of Los Angeles High School. LAPD officers, after responding to reports of gunfire, discove ... More >>

California Death Penalty Could be Overturned With Your Vote: L.A. Police Union Says No to Statewide Ballot Measure

Richard Ramirez is still alive.​To kill or not to kill, that is the question that could be coming to a voting booth near you. Will you pull the trigger? The state Assembly's Public Safety Committee approved Berkeley state Senator Loni Hancock's SB 490 last week, setting off a firestorm of cri ... More >>

California Prison Parolees in L.A. Might End up Under Sheriff's Supervision Because County Probation Department is so Troubled

Sheriff Lee Baca, left, with county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.​How bad is the L.A. County Probation Department? So bad that the county's leaders are actually looking at giving state parolee supervision duties, which would normally be taken over by local probation officials, to the departm ... More >>

Ernesto Viagomez, L.A. Homicide No. 26: 22-Year-Old Man Killed in Gang-Related Shooting

Google MapsThe street where Ernesto Viagomez was shot​By Ryan Deto On January 31, 22-year-old Ernesto Viagomez was shot on the corner Santa Monica Boulevard and Ardmore Avenue in East Hollywood. The Los Angeles Times reported that Viagomez walked out of a liquor store and was confronted by a ... More >>

Michael Randolph, L.A. Homicide No. 27: Man Found Fatally Shot Inside Crashed Car in South L.A.

Los Angeles TimesMichael Randolph​By Ryan Deto On the evening of January 31, Michael Randolph was found shot multiple times inside a car that crashed into a liquor store in the 200 block of West Imperial Highway. After the store owner notified the police, paramedics arrived and took the midd ... More >>

Jose Vera-Eugenio, L.A. Homicide No. 16: 21-Year-Old Man Murdered in South L.A. While Sitting in Car

Google MapsThe street where Jose Vera-Eugenio was killed​By Ryan Deto A Latino man shot dead on January 17 was later identified as 21-year-old Jose Vera-Eugenio. Coroner's records show the victim sustained multiple gunshots to the head and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the cri ... More >>

Christian Hernandez Admits on CHP Officer Application That he Viewed Child Porn: He Gets 30 Years For Molesting a 5-Year-Old

childrefuge.orgFile photo (not the actual victim).​When we think of molesters and child-porn aficionados, we don't necessarily think "genius." But this guy has to be more bent that most: Federal authorities say they caught 31-year-old child molester Christian Hernandez after he vied to become ... More >>

Republicans Launch Fresh Attack On Janice Hahn Over Gang Workers

​Remember the booty-shaking attack video on Janice Hahn? The one that was declared the most offensive campaign ad of all time?Republicans immediately distanced themselves from it. But that doesn't meant they've given up on making an issue out of Hahn's support for gang-intervention programs. Quite ... More >>

Beverly Hills Hotel Sued For Alleged Sexual Harassment, Racial Discrimination (A Hotel Lawyer Says The Claim is B.S.)

dorchestercollection.comAlberto Del Hoyo.​Two women and three men who worked at the Beverly Hills Hotel are suing the storied venue for sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage violations. The juiciest parts of the suit, filed in L.A. Superior Court yesterday, allege ... More >>

Public Counsel Sues Lancaster And Palmdale Over "War" On Section 8 Housing

​Update: Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris calls the lawsuit "inflammatory bullshit." More below. Update 2: Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford gives his own defense. A public interest law firm filed a racial discrimination suit today against Lancaster and Palmdale, charging that the cities have declared "war" on ... More >>

M-Bone, Member of "Teach Me How to Dougie" Crew Cali Swag District, Killed in Inglewood

M-Bone is first from the left at the beginning of the video, wearing plaid shirt. Several news outlets are reporting that Montae Talbert, best known as M-Bone, member of the hip-hop crew Cali Swag District, was gunned down yesterday night in Inglewood. The SoCal crew became world-famous thanks to ... More >>

Marijuana Possession Can Still be a Felony: Pro-Cannabis Group Mad at Gov. Brown For Not Changing That

'I pledge to uphold the polyester.'​The pro-marijuana brigade is unhappy with Gov. Jerry Brown's latest budget proposal, noting that he's refused to do as they say and reduce minor drug possession cases from felonies to misdemeanors, a move that could save California hundreds of millions. It' ... More >>

Gabriel Ben Meir: Possible Suspect in MTV Murder Is 35-Year-Old Black Man With Wire Glasses, Gold Jewelry, Shotgun

Los Angeles TimesThe young victim​Update: Destiny Young (see below) was charged today with two counts of murder (one of which was allegedly related to Meir's demise) and five counts of second-degree robbery, the D.A.'s office announced. Jabaar Vincent Thomas and Richard Edward Anderson were hi ... More >>

Venice 13 Gang Busted for Drugs, Guns by Sting Operation Posing as 'Villainz Ink' Tattoo Parlor

Villainz Ink: Come for a tat, leave with criminal charges!​Ever make a trip to Villainz Ink in Venice? If so, as revealed this morning by the L.A. office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, you had the honor of standing in a federal booby trap. Thanks to the sting ... More >>

Dreamiest Mugshot Ever? Rick Springfield Arrested in Malibu

Rick Springfield​Soap star and "Jessie's Girl" singer Rick Springfield was arrested in Malibu last night on suspicion of drunk driving. According to the Sheriff's Department, Springfield, 61, caught the attention of a patrol deputy from the Malibu/Lost Hills Station at approximately 8 PM as ... More >>

Revok, Famed L.A. Graffiti Artist, Arrested at LAX, Held on $320,000 Bail

Gregory BojorquezRevok.​Updated after the jump: Revok gets 180 days for violating his probation. A "free Revok" campaign erupted on Twitter over the weekend after the Fairfax district street artist was nabbed at LAX. Sheriff's officials said the man born Jason Williams was arrested at LAX la ... More >>

Cleaning Out Dodger Stadium

Can the clock be turned back on drunken, violent crowds and 'bad" fans?

Grim Sleeper: Eight More Victims Linked to Case of Alleged Serial Killer Lonnie Franklin Jr., Cops Say

Lonnie Franklin Jr.​Updated: In an exclusive, Christine Pelisek of the Daily Beast has the names and photos of the new victims connected to the investigation -- here. We also update after the jump with some of the names police have subsequently put forward. LAPD detectives say they [added:] m ... More >>

Over 2,000 Cellphones Smuggled Into California Prisons in 2 Months; Prison Guard Union Still Won't Accept Security Scans Without Pay

mobilebehavior.comBusiness as usual​That's the bad news. The good news is that California State Senator Alex Padilla pushed a bill to punish cellphone smugglers through its first stage of approval yesterday (his third attempt in the last four years). Currently, phones are used by jailed bigsh ... More >>

Gay Rights Activists Thrilled with Barack Obama's Decision to Back Off on Defense of Marriage Act

​Gay rights activists in California and across the United States are thrilled with the Obama Administration's decision today to stop defending the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act in federal court. "This is a huge victory for gay and lesbian couples and removes any doubt that the freedom to marr ... More >>

[Updated, Again]: Dervaes Family Trademarks "Urban Homestead" Term: Legal Battle Follows

The cover of The Urban Homestead, written by Erik Knudsen and Kelly Coyne, which might be renamed in the next printing.​Updated, 2/22, 12:30 p.m.: The Dervaes family recently filed a Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA) take down notice to Google regarding content in The Urban Homestead by K ... More >>