Tag: Shooting

HOLLYWOOD—On Thursday, November 21, detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Division reported they need the public’s help to locate a shooting suspect.

The LAPD reported that a shooting occurred on October 15 at approximately 12:15 p.m. Officers responded to a report of a shooting near Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue. Upon arrival, officers located a woman who had been shot. She was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, detectives learned the victim had been in the process of renting a scooter when the suspect approached her and initiated an argument. The suspect fired multiple shots at the victim with a semi-automatic handgun before fleeing southbound on Western Avenue. A passerby who witnessed the incident captured still images of the suspect as he fled the scene.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male with black hair and brown eyes. He stands between 5 feet and 5 inches to 5 feet and 8 inches tall and weighs between 130 and 160 pounds. He appears to be 20 to 25 years old.

Anyone with details about the shooting or suspect is asked to call Detective Greg Papik at Hollywood Division (213) 972-2971. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, October 16, the employee who was shot during a shooting at Santa Monica College has died, Lt. Erika Aklufi with the Santa Monica Police Department confirmed to Canyon News.

Santa Monica College (SMC) Custodial Operations Manager Felicia Hudson, 54, of Newman, Georgia was fatally injured following a shooting that occurred at the SMC Center for Media & Design (CMD) on Monday, October 14. Hudson was transported by first responders to a local area hospital where she passed away from her injuries at approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16.

The SMPD released information confirming that the suspect behind this incident was apprehended by law enforcement near El Segundo Blvd. and Aviation Blvd. in Hawthorne. He was found deceased inside his vehicle from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. SMPD detectives identified Davon Durell Dean, a custodian at the college, as the suspected shooter.

The SMPD is leading this ongoing investigation, and additional updates will be coming from SMPD. Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact SMPD at 310-458-8491. No additional suspects are involved, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic loss of our colleague Felicia Hudson, who served the college for nearly three decades with dedication and heart. She took great pride in being a steadfast coworker and leader,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery. “To Felicia’s family, loved ones and friends, SMC extends our heartfelt condolences and prayers. The college will be conducting a thorough review of this incident. SMC is providing crisis counseling services to employees and students as we grieve our irreplaceable colleague.”

In an email to the college community, Dr. Jeffery shared that the Santa Monica College Foundation has established a legacy fund in collaboration with Hudson’s family: foundation.smc.edu/felicia-hudson.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News via email that a suspect involved in a shooting at Santa Monica College on October 14 has died.

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has confirmed that a Santa Monica College (SMC) Custodial Operations Manager was critically injured following a shooting that occurred at the SMC Center for Media & Design (CMD), 1660 Stewart Street, at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024.

Santa Monica College Police Department (SMCPD) Chief Johnnie Adams stated, “As we try to make sense of this horrific act of workplace violence, the safety of our community is our primary focus. We are deeply grateful to SMCPD personnel and all our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to apprehend the suspect.”

“To help our community through this very difficult time, SMC will be providing…counseling and mental/emotional support,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery in an October 15 message to the community. “At this heartbreaking time, I urge us all to come together in kindness and compassion as we navigate this unspeakable tragedy.”

On the evening of the shooting, SMPD, SMCPD, and Santa Monica Fire Department personnel arrived quickly to render aid and secure the campus. The suspect fled immediately after the shooting and remained at large overnight. The victim was transported to a local hospital and remains in critical condition.

After a swift and thorough investigation, SMPD Detectives identified Davon Durell Dean, 39, an SMC employee, as the suspected shooter. He has a history of arrests including for attempt murder in 2011 and an assault with a deadly weapon, a firearm, in 2019. His only convictions were for misdemeanor property crimes in the past.

On October 15, at approximately 3 p.m., officers with the Hawthorne Police Department, located the suspect’s vehicle near El Segundo Boulevard and Aviation Boulevard. After a short pursuit, a pursuit intervention technique was used to stop the suspect’s vehicle.

Despite the efforts of the Hawthorne Police Department’s Crisis Negotiations Team, Durrell was found deceased inside his vehicle from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Los Angeles County Coroner will be responding.

The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are working to determine the full sequence of events leading to the incident. There are no known additional suspects involved and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

“I am so proud of our detectives who worked tirelessly throughout the night in collaboration with our partners at the Santa Monica College Police Department to identify and locate the suspect in this tragic incident. Our officers’ commitment to the safety of the Santa Monica community is evident and remains paramount,” said Police Chief Ramon Batista.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Monday, July 29, 2024, Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News via email that a conviction transpired in an attempted homicide from January 2023.

The SMPD reported on January 18, 2023, SMPD Officers responded to a ‘Shots Fired’ call in the 1500 block of Palisades Park. Responding officers discovered a victim who was shot in the face and subsequently transported to a local hospital.

During the investigation, detectives uncovered evidence that on that date and time the victim was in an argument with three subjects.  One of the subjects, later identified as Angel Diaz, 21, a resident of Los Angeles, produced a handgun and shot the victim once in the face.

The incident is believed to be gang related.  Detectives discovered the suspect got rid of evidence at the crime scene, which was later confirmed via DNA as belonging to Diaz. Diaz was captured on CCTV footage as he fled the area on foot.

SMPD detectives discovered Diaz was arrested on February 10, 2023, by the Los Angeles Police Department for attempted murder with a handgun. Ballistic evidence proved that the handgun used in the SMPD case was also used in the LAPD case.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed attempted murder charges against Diaz for both the SMPD and LAPD incidents.   On July 9, 2024, Diaz pled guilty to 245(b) PC – Assault with a semi-automatic firearm. He was sentenced to nine years in state prison. This sentence is to run concurrent with his sentence for the LAPD case.

For additional details regarding this investigation contact Detective Ismael Tavera at 310-458-2256 or Lieutenant Aklufi at 310-458-8493.

By Trevor

MALIBU—The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a fatal shooting that transpired on Wednesday, April 24. The LASD reported they were made aware of a shooting at 2:55 p.m. on the 800 Block of Westlake in Malibu.

Authorities arrived on scene to find an adult male dead. The LASD is not able to provide any additional details at the time.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wanting to remain anonymous can call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

By Trevor

TOPANGA—The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Force Investigation Division is investigating an Officer-Involved Shooting (OIS) that occurred in the Topanga Division on Saturday, October 7. The LAPD reported that around 12:57 a.m., Topanga Division uniformed officers received a radio call of a male holding a handgun while seated inside a grey pick-up truck in the parking lot of a shopping center located in the 21000 block of Sherman Way.

Upon arrival officers located the truck parked in the lot and positioned their vehicles behind it. Due to the truck’s tinted windows, it was unclear if the vehicle was occupied. Officers approached the truck on the passenger side and observed the suspect, later identified as Oscar Lopez, 44, seated in the driver seat, and a second individual in the front passenger seat.

Both individuals appeared to be intoxicated and did not respond to verbal commands to exit the truck. After opening the passenger side door, an officer saw a handgun in Lopez’ waistband and ordered him multiple times not to reach for the handgun. Lopez lowered his right hand toward his waistband and an OIS occurred. Lopez was struck by gunfire and personnel from the Los Angeles City Fire Department responded and pronounced Lopez dead at the scene.

The passenger in the truck was removed by officers just prior to the OIS and he was not injured. The LAPD’s Family Liaison Section made notifications to Lopez’ next of kin about his death, while at the scene.

A loaded Polymer 80, Model 940 C, 9mm black semi-automatic handgun was recovered and was booked as evidence. An additional magazine containing four live rounds was recovered from the scene and was booked as evidence. No officers or community members were injured during the incident.

LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and interviewed witnesses and supervised the collection of evidence by the Forensic Science Division.

The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with LAPD’s policies and procedures. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office who responded to the scene will review the subsequent FID investigation, evidence collected, and witness statements to determine if the force used by the officer was reasonable.

By Trevor

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating an Officer Involved Shooting that transpired on Saturday, September 9. The LAPD Force Investigation Division indicated a shooting occurred around 1:45 a.m. at a nightclub on the southwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Ivar Avenue. Security guards flagged down uniformed officers and noted that a group of patrons were fighting and pointed out a male who appeared to be the cause of the altercation.

The suspect who was identified as a white male, approximately 30 years old, got into the driver’s seat of a white Mercedes-Benz that was parked on Ivar Avenue south of Hollywood Boulevard. The suspect drove the car in reverse, negotiated a turn and stopped in the middle of the street facing the west curb.

While the officers were driving towards the suspect’s Mercedes-Benz, the suspect who was seated pointed a handgun outside of the driver’s side window and fired the weapon towards people on the west sidewalk, involving in an OIS.

The suspect immediately fled southbound in his vehicle towards Sunset Boulevard.  Officers initiated a pursuit and after a short distance, lost the suspect’s vehicle and the pursuit was stopped. No officers or community members were injured during the incident.  Force Investigation Division (FID) and Robbery Homicide Division (RHD) investigators responded to the scene and are investigating.

The LAPD’s specialized Force Investigation Division responded to the scene, interviewed witnesses, and supervised the collection of evidence by the Forensic Science Division personnel.  The complete investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation and whether the use of deadly force complied with LAPD’s policies and procedures.

By Trevor

HOLLYWOOD—A 35-year-old man was shot outside of Hollywood grocery store Tuesday, August 29, and police are now looking for a suspect.

At around 4:40 p.m. the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call about a shooting that took place in the parking lot of the Pavilions store located near the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Vine Street.

When police arrived, they discovered the 35-year-old victim suffering from a gunshot wound who was still conscious and breathing. He was transported to a nearby hospital after the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at the scene.

According to video footage of the scene, bullet holes were visible in the victim’s car.

The suspect is described as a 30-year-old man with a ponytail who was last seen driving westbound on Melrose Avenue in a white four-door Toyota hatchback. No other details are available.

Investigators are unsure what led up to the incident.

This shooting occurred just days after 53-year-old Mario Palacios Membreno was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting that took place in North Hollywood. He was shot at his home and died at the scene. According to the medical examiner he died by a gunshot wound to the chest. Police do not have a description of the suspect.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call LAPD’s Hollywood station at (213) 972-2971.

By Christianne

BEVERLY HILLS—A 17-year-old was killed and two other victims were injured in a shooting that occurred near the Beverly Center in the early hours of Sunday, July 9.

At approximately 3:50 a.m., Police responded to a radio call of an ambulance shooting near the intersection of 3rd Street and Orlando Avenue, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles Police Department.

The first victim discovered, a 17-year-old male identified as Zackary Dickson-Hislop of Los Angeles, and was declared deceased at the scene. The two other male victims, ages 17 and 26, were transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in stable condition.

Details on events leading up to the shooting have yet to be released. 

Detectives are seeking information on the suspect who has yet to be apprehended. He was last seen running southbound on Orlando Avenue from 3rd Street on foot.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide Detectives at 213-382-9470. Anonymous tips can be submitted by telephone at 1-800-TIPS (800-222-8477) or online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.

By Paige Strickland

WEST HOLLYWOOD/BEVERLY HILLS—The Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect responsible for the death of a 17-year-old male and injuries to two other victims on Sunday, July 9.

The LAPD reported at 3:50 a.m., officers from the Wilshire Area responded to a call of an ambulance shooting at 3rd Street and Orlando Avenue. After arriving on the scene, officers found three victims who were shot. Victim 1, a 17-year-old male, was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles Fire Department Personnel. Victim 2, a 17-year-old male, and Victim 3, a 26-year-old male, were taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, by Los Angeles Fire Department Personnel for medical treatment and are listed in stable condition. The name of the deceased has not been disclosed to the public.

Authorities have described the suspect as a Black male, who was last seen traveling southbound on Orlando Avenue from 3^rd Street on foot.

Anyone with details on the shooting is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide Detectives at 213-382-9470. During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Tipsters can visit www.lapdonline.org, and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.

By Casey

WEST HOLLYWOOD—Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest of the person of interest Joshua Findley on Tuesday, May 9, related to a shooting on April 7. The LASD reported the incident occurred on April 7 at the 7100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard at an apartment complex where the victim was injured.

Findley is currently in the custody of the LASD for unrelated charges including a parole violation and illegal possession of a firearm. There is no additional information available at the time.

He currently had two outstanding warrants for his arrest, unrelated to the shooting.

Anyone with details about the shooting is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station or Detective D. Martinez at (310) 855-8850. To remain anonymous contact “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.

By Donald

TOPANGA—The Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Bureau Homicide detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in providing any information that would lead to the identification and arrest of the suspect involved in the murder of Bilal Bin Abdullah, 43, of Lancaster.

The LAPD reported on Sunday, November 27, at 3 p.m., Topanga Area patrol officers responded to a shooting call in the 20000 block of Sherman Way. Officers arrived to find a male inside the home, suffering from gunshot wounds. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded and pronounced Abdullah dead at scene.

Preliminary investigation revealed, a male entered the location and confronted Abdullah in the upstairs bedroom. Several shots were heard, and the suspect fled the location in a red or maroon sedan.

Anyone with additional details is asked to call Valley Bureau Homicide Detective Mark O’Donnell, at (818) 374-9550. During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters can visit www.lapdonline.org and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Tipsters may download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.