Crime

Party People, Prepare For a .05 DUI Alcohol Limit

If you thought .08 was a tough blood alcohol limit for driving under the influence, just wait. There's a movement afoot to lower the threshold to .05, which some of the lighter weights among us could hit in under an hour with just a few drinks under their belts. In fact:

Silver Lake Reservoir Robbers Target Joggers

Cops are on the lookout for two or three robbers who have targeted joggers around the Silver Lake Reservoir in recent weeks. So far the LAPD has only recorded two such crimes, including one last week, but the M.O.s are similar and there's no telling if the suspects will attack again:

Marijuana Sack Is No Cause For Deportation, Supreme Court Says

Can you share with your buds a bit more marijuana than you should legally have and get away with it? Can you have weed for, say, a small party and still not have to face deportation for felony "intent to distribute?" In an amazing sign of the country's changing attitudes toward pot, the U.S. Suprem ... More >>

Ali Syed: Four Dead In Orange County Road Rampage

Updated at the bottom with the suspected shooter's identity. Headline has changed. First posted at 11:59 p.m. A man went on a shooting rampage in Orange County today, resulting in four dead and at least two wounded, authorities said. It's not immediately clear what motivated the attacks, which sta ... More >>

Christopher Dorner Gets No-Bail Warrant, Death-Penalty Eligible Murder Charges

Christopher Dorner is officially a man with a no-bail murder warrant over his head. That after the Riverside County District Attorney's office today charged him with murder and attempted murder following his alleged fatal ambush of a Riverside cop and shootings involving that officer's partner and ... More >>

Will Cardinal Roger Mahony Face Charges for Sex Abuse Cover Up? SNAP says Yes

On the front page of this morning's Los Angeles Times, the paper notes that several legal experts suspect Cardinal Roger Mahony will not face criminal charges for covering up clergy sex abuse due to the statute of limitations. One advocacy group says those experts have it wrong. "We aren't police, ... More >>

AK-47 Bandit Is One Scary Bank Robber

The scariest bank robber ever? The FBI is turning up the heat on the so-called AK-47 Bandit, who has targeted, among other banks in the Western United States, a SoCal California Bank & Trust. Not only that, but the AK isn't fake. He pulled the trigger and injured a police officer, feds say:

Would You Buy Art Created by a Serial Killer?

Ever wanted to buy a half-eaten bag of Reese's Pieces, owned by Charles Manson? Well, for $425 they're yours, from a black market in serial killer memorabilia that has sprung up online. Now you can log on and buy charming watercolor paintings by child killers and hand-written letters from cannibals ... More >>

Sons of Anarchy Meets Mad Men in Danny Lyon's Classic Biker Portraits

"Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders" at Duncan Miller Gallery's Bergamot Station location is one of the most engaging -- and surprising -- photography shows of the past year. Featuring 50 prints from Lyon's landmark 1968 book of the same name, "The Bikeriders" documents four years, 1963-67, during which the ... More >>

Why Does Everyone in L.A. Drive Drunk All the Time?

Car culture was the last element I embraced in my new life as an Angeleno. The first few months I lived here, filling my gas tank made me physically ill. The cost! The fossil fuels! The hours spent in traffic! I may have cried about it once or twice, alone in my sad sublet behind one of Silver Lake' ... More >>

Albert Abrams' Child Porn Nets 7 Years Behind Bars For Ex-L.A. Neighborhood Councils Chief

More information added at the bottom. Albert Abrams, the former neighborhood councils chief at L.A. City Hall who once admitted he "was watching myself from a distance watching" child porn, was sentenced to 7 years behind bars today. He faced five counts of distributing child pornography, two coun ... More >>

Friends Wrongfully Imprisoned for Nearly Two Decades — Until the Innocence Project Won Their Freedom

Imprisoned nearly two decades for murder, it took another brutal slaying to free them

Beverly Hills Murder Trial: Scott Barker Found Guilty of Murdering Tony Takazato

For the in-depth story about the Beverly Hills murder, read the L.A. Weekly story "Did Scott Barker Knife Rich Kid Tony Takazato to Save His Girlfriend From Prostitution?" On Tuesday, October 2, in less than a day of deliberating, the 12-member jury agreed on a verdict: Scott Joseph Barker, a 25-ye ... More >>

Richard Alarcon Faces Perjury Trial Over Squatter House Saga

They say when you buy a vintage car, you don't want one with a "story." You know -- if it requires too much explanation, there's trouble ahead. And frankly, Richard Alarcon's story about the Panorama City house he was supposed to be living in to qualify for his City Council district election is one ... More >>

Mara Salvatrucha Gang Turf Targeted in Spate of Deadly Koreatown Area Shootings

Updated at the bottom with a report stating there's a gang truce. First posted at 7:07 a.m. Monday. A spate of gang-related shootings have broken out in and around Koreatown in recent months, most happening in a neighborhood known as the epicenter of the global El Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha gang. ... More >>

Gunfire Erupts at Mayor's Anti-Gang Program 'Summer Night Lights' in Sun Valley; Two Shot

Amid proud statistics from the mayor's office on the effectiveness of his anti-gang program Summer Night Lights since it began five years ago, a shooting at the Sun Valley Park location has "set the bar back," a member of the neighborhood council tells the LA Daily News. Last Thursday night, a crow ... More >>

Gang Map Study Shows Crime Happens Along Borders Between Sets in L.A.

If you don't like being shot here in the city of L.A., the gang capital of the nation, the places to avoid are the boundaries between gangs (we have a map of some of the crimes after the jump). That seems to be one of the takeaways of a UCLA-led study published online this week in the journal Crimi ... More >>

Abdul Arian: $120 Million Lawsuit Filed in Case of Teen Shot by LAPD on Live TV

That $120 million legal claim against the city in the case of Abdul Arian, a 19-year-old who was fatally shot on live television by LAPD officers in April, is now a $120 million lawsuit. This after the city rejected the claim. The suit, filed yesterday in L.A. Superior Court, comes after the famil ... More >>

Calvin Sneed, Compton 'Pimp,' Murdered by Parents of His Sex Slave, Says San Francisco DA

The parents of an 17-year-old runaway tracked down her Compton pimp and shot him dead in NorCal, says the San Francisco DA. Calvin Sneed, a 22-year-old member of the Nutty Blocc Crips (according to the LAPD), allegedly went back up north in early June to try to retrieve the girl, whom he'd been pim ... More >>

Bryan Barnes, Javier Bolden Catch Possible Death Penalty Case in USC Murders

Bryan Barnes, 20, and Javier Bolden, 19, were charged today with capital murder in connection with the shooting deaths of USC students Ming Qu and Ying Wu on the early rainy morning of April 11. The slayings, about a mile from campus, shocked the school and inspired the students' parents to sue USC ... More >>

Jamiel Shaw, L.A. Football Star, Murdered Over His Spider-Man Backpack, Says D.A.; Shaw's Gang Affiliation Won't Factor Into Trial

The trial for Pedro Espinoza, illegal immigrant accused of murdering 17-year-old footballer Jamiel Shaw Jr. in March 2008, finally got underway today. It's been highly politicized thus far -- delayed by raging controversies over Espinoza's undocumented status, Shaw's own gang affiliation and whethe ... More >>

Marquis Edwards, Bloods Gangster Known as 'Baby Uzi,' Convicted of Murdering Two Innocent Latinos in South L.A.

The Bishops Bloods gang is known for running the 52nd Street corridor on the Eastside of South L.A. Most of the set's beefs seem to involve other African American gangs that dwell in the LAPD's rough Newton Division, but for some reason a Blood named Baby Uzi opened fire on at least two Latinos who ... More >>

Blackjack With Pedophiles: Why Gambling on Our Ability to Stop Sex Offenders Isn't the Way to Go

By Dr. Paul Abramson and L.J. Williamson Riot Act is a semi-regular column that challenges conventional wisdom in controversial issues In 2008, a 35-year-old LAUSD teacher got one of his fifth-grade students alone in the classroom at lunchtime, and convinced the 10-year-old boy to masturbate him t ... More >>

What's a DUID (Driving While High) in California?

Weed lawyers Allison Margolin and Daniel Perlman explain the rules for drivers

Kendrec McDade Wasn't the First: 6 More Controversial Police Shootings of Unarmed L.A. Black Men

As the investigation continues into 19-year-old Kendrec McDade's death by police gunfire on March 24, the scenario is looking worse and worse for the two Pasadena police officers who shot McDade. Last Saturday, at a tense community meeting near the crime scene, Pasadena Police Chief Philip Sanchez ... 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 >>

The Boy Scouts' Police Problem

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

Outrage Review

Know Your L.A. Hip-Hop Dances: Who, Exactly, Is Allowed To Crip Walk?

[Editor's Note: Writer Jessica A. Koslow is a USC master's student writing her thesis on krumping. Know Your L.A. Hip-Hop Dances explores some of the most popular street dances in our city.] Crip Walk "I'm C-Walkin' on the mutherfuckin' concrete," raps Ice Cube on "Go To Church." Other Crip Walker ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>