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Tag: los angeles county sheriff

  • Christmas Day shooting in Lancaster leaves 16-year-old boy dead, 4 wounded

    A Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department cruiser at a crime scene. (File photo courtesy of the department)

    The search continued Friday for suspects in a Christmas Day shooting that killed a 16-year-old boy and wounded four others in Lancaster.

    It occurred around 1:10 p.m. Thursday in the city in the Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County.

    The boy was discovered by deputies and pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    A 17-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy and two men, 19 and 29, were taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, the department reported.

    The hospitalized victims’ identities were not released.

    No suspects have been arrested, Sheriffs Deputy Tracy Koerner told City News Service.

    The cause of the shooting remained under investigation.

    Authorities urged anyone with information about the shooting to call the Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Los Angeles County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.


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  • 16-year-old killed, 4 wounded in Christmas Day shooting in Lancaster

    A 16-year-old boy was killed and four others were injured during a Christmas Day shooting in Lancaster, authorities said Thursday night.

    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that deputies responded to the 1000 block of E. Angela Court, a suburban street that ends in a cul-de-sac lined with single-family homes with red tile roofs and two-car garages. The incident was reported shortly after 1:00 p.m.

    They discovered the 16-year-old at the scene of the shooting, where he was declared dead. A 17-year-old girl, 15-year-old boy and two men, 19 and 29, the statement said, were taken to a local hospital with “non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.”

    The department said in an email late Thursday that “[a]t this time we don’t expect any other updates.”

    The department is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. To report a tip anonymously, call “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), download the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store, or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

    Connor Sheets

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  • Sheriff Deputies Catch, Arrest Three Involved in Burbank Armed Robbery

    Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies have arrested three suspects in connection with a robbery that occurred shortly after a traffic collision on November 16, 2025, near Third Street and Delaware Road.

    Burbank Police officers initially responded to the scene for a reported traffic collision around 10:46 p.m. When they arrived, those involved informed officers they had just been robbed. Investigators determined the victims were approached by two men who were not involved in the collision. After briefly engaging the victims in conversation, the suspects attempted to forcibly remove a gold necklace from one of them, sparking a physical struggle. The suspects stole additional property before fleeing to a waiting white SUV driven by a woman.

    Detectives launched an immediate investigation, reviewing surveillance footage and using technology to identify the suspect vehicle. On November 19, 2025, deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Walnut Station located the vehicle and detained two male adults and one female adult matching the suspects’ descriptions. A search of the SUV uncovered the victims’ stolen property, clothing tied to the robbery, and other suspected stolen items.

    The suspects were identified as 31-year-old Brenda Ramirez Ohlmann of Rhode Island, 31-year-old Victor Gabriel Correa De Los Santos of New York, and 33-year-old Manuel Milciades Felipe Medina of New York. All were arrested by Burbank Police detectives and booked on felony robbery charges under 211 PC.

    Prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office have filed one count of 211 PC and one count of 182/211 PC against each of the three suspects.

    The Burbank Police Department acknowledged the assistance of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Walnut Station, whose coordination played a key role in the arrests.

    Staff

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  • Three dead, one wounded in South Gate domestic violence case

    Two women are dead and a third woman wounded in South Gate after being shot by a male relative who then killed himself, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    The shooting appears to be a case of domestic violence, officials said.

    According to the Sheriff’s Department, South Gate Police Department officers pulled up to the 8400 block of San Luis Avenue early Saturday after a 911 caller said a man was shooting a firearm in her residence.

    The suspect was leaving the residence when he fired at police, who returned fire, striking the man, according to the Sheriff’s Department. The man went back inside and the officers heard more gunshots.

    Once inside, the officers found a woman in her 70s with gunshot wounds. The woman was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, according to police.

    The two women who were killed, a 25-year-old and a woman in her early 50s, had also been shot. The man was found dead after with the Sheriff’s Department described as a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

    The weapon the man used to shoot at the South Gate officers was found at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

    The Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the incident, including the officer-involved shooting.

    Those with information are encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).

    Dakota Smith

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  • Man steals car with three children inside, crashes in Malibu after pursuit, authorities say

    A man was arrested after stealing a car in East Los Angeles with three children inside, then crashing it in Malibu during a police pursuit Friday evening, officials confirmed.

    The car, a light-colored sedan, was left running with three children inside at a 7-Eleven on East Olympic Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A stranger jumped inside the idling vehicle and took off at around 6:38 p.m.

    The California Highway Patrol began pursuing the vehicle minutes later, traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway at Maple Avenue in Los Angeles, the agency confirmed.

    The chase continued until roughly 7:34 p.m., when the sedan appeared to T-bone a light-colored SUV at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Kanan Dume Road in Malibu.

    Following the crash, live footage broadcast from a news helicopter showed the suspect fleeing the scene barefoot and shedding layers of clothes. The man ran through a residential area into a field before being arrested.

    Four people at the scene were taken to a hospital — three by helicopter and one by ambulance, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Three were listed with minor-to-moderate injuries, but no condition was available for the fourth person.

    It is unclear how seriously injured the children were, but they were conscious and breathing after the crash as paramedics removed them from the vehicle, KTLA-TV reported.

    The suspect’s name was not immediately released.

    Sandra McDonald

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  • 1 dead after boat overturns off Redondo Beach. Child and captain among the rescued

    1 dead after boat overturns off Redondo Beach. Child and captain among the rescued

    A boat carrying six people including a child overturned off Redondo Beach on Sunday, killing one man on board, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    The Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol received a distress call just after 1 p.m. reporting a boat had overturned and the people on board were in the water clinging to it.

    Harbor Patrol deputies and lifeguards rushed to the boat and pulled five people, including one child and the boat’s captain, out of the water, authorities said. All five were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

    But a sixth person, described only as a male adult, was reported missing and later found inside the overturned vessel by a rescue diver. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. No information on the victim’s identity was immediately available.

    Authorities are investigating.

    Joseph Serna

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  • Woman allegedly kidnapped by ex-boyfriend released after slow-speed pursuit

    Woman allegedly kidnapped by ex-boyfriend released after slow-speed pursuit

    A woman who was allegedly kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend in El Monte was released after a 21-mile freeway pursuit through Los Angeles and Orange counties that at one point slowed to a crawl.

    According to the El Monte Police Department, the man showed up at the woman’s place of work in the 10300 block of Lower Azusa Road just before 6 p.m. Saturday. The two argued before the man allegedly forced the woman into her car, police said, and drove off without allowing her to exit. The woman called a friend, who tracked the car via the Find My iPhone app and contacted law enforcement.

    A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter located the car on the 5 Freeway in the area of Commerce and notified California Highway Patrol.

    CHP attempted a traffic stop, but the man continued to drive, leading law enforcement on a chase for more than 20 miles.

    “Spike strips were utilized to puncture the vehicle’s tires which caused it to become inoperable and yield” near the 405 Freeway and Westminster Avenue, police said in a statement.

    But first, multiple law enforcement vehicles slowly tailed the vehicle as it inched onward in a slow-speed pursuit, KCAL News footage showed, until the car finally came to a stop.

    The suspect and a woman in the passenger’s seat got out of the car, video showed. The man walked over to the woman and hugged her while she spoke into her phone. He then slowly walked backward toward law enforcement with raised arms and surrendered. The woman was not injured, police said.

    The suspect is at a processing facility on $100,000 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

    El Monte police said that charges of kidnapping and felony evading would be submitted to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Police Department at (626) 580-2100.

    Colleen Shalby

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  • Man shoots woman, himself after confrontation in another man’s home, officials say

    Man shoots woman, himself after confrontation in another man’s home, officials say

    A man was in critical condition after allegedly fatally shooting a woman in Lancaster early Sunday, then attempting suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    The pair were described only as male and female Hispanic adults. The man confronted the woman in another man’s Lancaster home, according to a statement released Sunday by the Sheriff’s Department. The suspect shot one round into the home; no one was injured.

    The suspect and the woman, “who are believed to be an estranged couple,” according to the department’s statement, left the home together in the woman’s vehicle. They got into an argument and stopped the vehicle at East Avenue H and Challenger Way in Lancaster.

    About 12:30 a.m. Sunday, they stepped out of the vehicle as they continued arguing. The suspect shot and killed the woman before driving away in her vehicle, leaving her body behind, the statement said.

    At 2:09 a.m., the suspect drove to Palmdale, where he shot himself inside the victim’s vehicle outside the home of a member of her family, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

    The suspect was treated for an apparent gunshot wound at a nearby hospital. He was listed in critical condition, a sheriff’s spokesperson said Sunday evening. The spokesperson said no additional information about the incident was being released yet, including the identities of the suspect and the victim.

    The Sheriff’s Department statement said homicide investigators continued to investigate the incident.

    The department urged anyone with information about the incident to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

    Connor Sheets

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  • Deputies shoot carjacking suspect through rear window in chaotic confrontation in Pico-Union

    Deputies shoot carjacking suspect through rear window in chaotic confrontation in Pico-Union

    Sheriff’s deputies shot a fleeing carjacking suspect after a chase Wednesday afternoon in Pico-Union, according to officials and footage of the scene.

    Just before 2:30 p.m., deputies from the East L.A. Station started to pursue a suspect in a gray Toyota Camry, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

    The chase ended about 20 minutes later at Vermont Avenue and Venice Boulevard, where video showed the Toyota crashing into several cars and a light pole.

    The front tires began smoking as the driver apparently tried to accelerate backward into the patrol cruiser that was boxing the suspect in from behind. The driver, still seeming to accelerate, leaned out the window and extended an open hand.

    Seconds later, at 2:51 p.m., an unknown number of deputies opened fire, shooting into the rear windshield of the Toyota. Several rounds pierced all the way through the car, leaving five holes in the front windshield along with what appeared to be blood splatter.

    After the gunfire ended, deputies using a bulletproof shield approached the vehicle and pulled someone from the passenger side of the vehicle.

    Authorities said the suspect was taken to the hospital in unknown condition.

    Keri Blakinger, Richard Winton

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  • Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot near 10 Freeway; person of interest has been detained

    Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy shot near 10 Freeway; person of interest has been detained

    A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was shot Monday on the 10 Freeway, authorities said.

    The Sheriff’s Department confirmed to The Times that a deputy assigned to a motorcycle unit was shot on the freeway in West Covina but did not provide additional information, saying the investigation is ongoing.

    The westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway were closed in West Covina near Barranca Street, NBC4 reported.

    Sources told The Times the deputy was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the back.

    Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman for the department, said the deputy was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and is in stable condition.

    Authorities said they are looking into a person of interest in connection with the shooting. Deputies tracked a white van and now have a La Puente home surrounded, sources told The Times.

    This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

    Karen Garcia, Richard Winton

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  • Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy dies six months after fire at shooting range

    Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy dies six months after fire at shooting range

    A veteran Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has died six months after he was severely burned in a fire at one of the department’s mobile shooting ranges, a family spokesperson said Sunday.

    Alfredo “Freddy” Flores, 51, of Sylmar, died Saturday evening at Valley Presbyterian Hospital, where he was being treated for third-degree burns suffered when a tractor-trailer range where he was getting re-certified burst into flames last October in Castaic.

    Flores, and a second injured deputy serving as range master, were initially taken to a local hospital in critical but stable condition and sent to Los Angeles General Medical Center for further treatment. Flores was transferred to Valley Presbyterian and never left the Van Nuys hospital, said attorney and family spokesman Joe A. Nunez.

    Flores was a 22-year department veteran who worked at the North County Correctional Facility, Altadena Station and, at the time of the accident, Court Services West Bureau. “He was well-respected in the department and in the community and his passing will leave a huge void in the hearts of many who knew him,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

    The department did not provide an update on the condition of the other injured deputy.

    The blaze started around 9:30 a.m. Oct. 10 in the trailer, which was parked next to the men’s jail at Pitchess Detention Center. At the time, Sheriff Robert Luna said the department would conduct an investigation to find out the cause and “get to the bottom of it so we prevent it from happening again.”

    The Department has relied on more than a dozen range trailers so thousands of deputies can test their skills four times a year as required by department policy. After the fire, the department shut down all of its mobile firing ranges, launched an internal investigation and called in the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for help.

    It was at least the fourth time in less than a decade that a Sheriff’s Department mobile range caught fire.

    In 2016, a contractor working on a trailer parked at the department’s Tactics and Survival Training Center using a metal grinder sparked a blaze. It is unclear how much damage it caused or if anyone was injured.

    In 2019, a mobile trailer being used by sheriff’s deputies at the Marina del Rey sheriff’s station during a training exercise caught fire when a non-explosive device used to simulate a stun grenade started a fire that engulfed the trailer. All the deputies escaped injury.

    That same year, a trailer parked near the Castaic jail complex caught fire. As with the 2016 blaze, officials said the cause was a contractor with a power tool. The department did not offer additional details.

    Multiple range experts told The Times last year that mobile range fires appear to be rare but there is a risk of fire from unburned gunpowder at any range that isn’t adequately cleaned and ventilated.

    In a statement, Nunez said Flores’ family was “acutely aware of the inherent risks associated with the position” but nothing could have prepared it for “his untimely departure due to injuries sustained stemming from the malfunction of equipment during a training drill.”

    Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn released a similar statement Sunday, saying that though Flores “put his life on the line every day to protect the communities he served, it is a terrible tragedy that he lost his life from what should have been a routine training exercise.”

    Nunez said the family was thankful the department is not using mobile shooting ranges and would not comment if they would be filing a wrongful-death lawsuit. He said he was serving as a family spokesperson.

    Funeral arrangement have not yet been completed, he said.

    Times staff writer Keri Blakinger contributed to this report.

    Laurence Darmiento

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  • Sheriff’s deputies fatally shoot man who they say drove van toward officers in East L.A.

    Sheriff’s deputies fatally shoot man who they say drove van toward officers in East L.A.

    Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man late Saturday in East Los Angeles after he allegedly drove a van toward one of the officers after fleeing the scene of a crime, authorities said.

    Deputies responded to a domestic assault call shortly before midnight in the 1500 block of North Herbert Avenue, according to the sheriff’s department.

    Deputies saw the alleged assailant leave the area in a green van, according to the department.

    They found the man driving west on the 3900 block of Snow Drive and tried to stop the van, officials said. The deputies got out of their vehicle and drew their guns. The man made a U-turn in a cul-de-sac and then started driving toward one of the deputies, according to the sheriff’s department.

    The driver was shot in the torso, about 11:47 p.m. The sheriff’s department did not immediately report how many deputies shot the man or how many times he was shot.

    The unidentified man, reported to be between 40 to 45, was taken to a hospital, where he died, officials said.

    A deputy was taken to a hospital and treated for a related injury. No one else was injured.

    As of late Sunday morning, the sheriff’s department had not released the name of the man or further details surrounding the shooting.

    This is a breaking news story based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement. It will be updated if more information becomes immediately available.

    Jaclyn Cosgrove

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  • Mother arrested on suspicion of killing her 4-year-old daughter

    Mother arrested on suspicion of killing her 4-year-old daughter


    A woman has been arrested on suspicion of killing her 4-year-daughter, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and local news reports.

    Deputies responded to a call about a child being assaulted in the 4800 block of Civic Center Way in East Los Angeles about 11 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. They found the young girl unresponsive in a vehicle.

    The child, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

    The mother was detained at the scene and subsequently placed under arrest on suspicion of murder, according to a Sheriff’s Department press release. She was identified as Maria Avalos, 38, authorities told ABC7.

    A Los Angeles County medical examiner’s autopsy report released Saturday ruled the child’s death a homicide. The autopsy report listed the cause of death as “combined effects of strangulation and sharp force injury of the wrist.”

    The department said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.



    Melody Gutierrez

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  • Metrolink passenger car in Antelope Valley sprayed with bullets as gunfire erupts nearby

    Metrolink passenger car in Antelope Valley sprayed with bullets as gunfire erupts nearby

    A gunman sprayed a Metrolink train with bullets late Wednesday night at a Palmdale station, leaving two people hospitalized and a passenger car pocked with holes.

    The shooting occurred near the platform where the northbound Antelope Valley Line train 229 was departing for Lancaster. Authorities said two people outside the train were hit as bullets also struck the passenger car.

    The train’s passengers reported the gunfire, said Scott Johnson.

    One of the shooting victims was wounded in a hip and the other in a calf, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Stowers. Their injuries were not life-threatening, he said. Emergency responders took them to a hospital for treatment.

    Some media outlets said a woman injured her head while dodging gunfire, but Stowers was unable to confirm those reports.

    Authorities had no information on what led to the incident or the identity of the shooter as detectives continued their investigation.

    The train experienced a nearly one-hour delay as L.A. County sheriff’s deputies conducted the investigation. Metrolink has removed the bullet-damaged passenger car from service.

    No other Metrolink services were affected.

    When asked about safety concerns among passengers who take the Antelope Valley Line, Scott said, “Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and armed security officers regularly ride Antelope Valley Line trains to provide safety and security.”

    Anthony De Leon

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  • Mudslide concerns prompt Topanga Canyon evacuation warning ahead of storm

    Mudslide concerns prompt Topanga Canyon evacuation warning ahead of storm

    Fearing possible mudslides, officials issued an evacuation warning for some Topanga Canyon residents ahead of heavy rainfall expected late Sunday into Monday.

    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department alerted residents living in a zone along Santa Maria Road just north of Topanga Canyon Boulevard to be prepared to leave their homes as the wettest weather from a trio of recent storms rolls into Southern California.

    According to the National Weather Service, from 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected to drench Topanga Canyon throughout Monday, with thunderstorms possible for the area.

    Southern California has “had a series of storms since Friday,” said David Gomberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “This one that is coming in overnight and into tomorrow will be the strongest of the series.”

    No flood watches were in effect for Los Angeles County as of Sunday evening.

    “There’s still possibilities for some locally heavy rates because we have thunderstorms in the forecast,” Gomberg added. “But we’re not looking for a widespread heavy rain event.”

    The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for San Diego County on Monday.

    For affected Topanga Canyon residents, the evacuation warning goes into effect at 9 p.m. Sunday and extends through 6 a.m. Tuesday.

    Officials encouraged residents to monitor local weather while gathering loved ones, pets and supplies.

    Last January, a mudslide and a tumbling boulder forced the closure of a section of Topanga Canyon Boulevard after heavy rainfall.

    Residents can visit L.A. County’s website to learn if they are in areas that may be affected by mudslide evacuations.

    Gabriel San Román

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  • Costco shopper was dragged 50 yards by getaway car, officials say. Brothers arrested in robbery

    Costco shopper was dragged 50 yards by getaway car, officials say. Brothers arrested in robbery

    A pair of brothers were arrested last week in a November robbery that critically injured the victim after she was dragged through a parking lot by the getaway car, officials said.

    The robbery was reported at 6:40 p.m. Nov. 26 in the parking lot of a Costco on Castleton Street in the City of Industry.

    The victim had been putting away her purchased items in her car when the assailants’ vehicle pulled up next to her, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies said.

    Mugshots provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department of suspects Andrew Morrison, left, 34, and David Morrison, 38, who are accused of a robbery in the parking lot of a Costco in the City of Industry on Nov. 26, 2023.

    (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

    The two occupants of the car, identified by authorities as suspects David Morrison, 38, and Andrew Morrison, 34, allegedly tried grabbing the woman’s purse while driving away — but she refused to let go. The victim continued to hold onto the purse as the car sped away, dragging her about 50 yards through the parking lot before she let go as the vehicle exited on Hanover Road, authorities said.

    The victim suffered critical but non-life-threatening injuries for which she was treated at a hospital.

    After an investigation by the sheriff’s burglary-robbery task force, deputies served a search warrant Thursday in Diamond Bar. Both suspects were detained, and evidence from the robbery — including personal property of the victim — was seized, officials said.

    David and Andrew Morrison were arrested on suspicion of robbery and booked into Los Angeles County jail with bail set at $500,000. The pair remain under investigation for potential connections to other robberies in the San Gabriel Valley. Anyone who may have information for investigators can call (562) 956-7187.

    Jeremy Childs

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  • Woman killed, five other people injured in Hawthorne shooting

    Woman killed, five other people injured in Hawthorne shooting

    One woman was killed and five other people were injured in a shooting early Sunday near a Hawthorne strip mall, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    The shooting happened around 12:27 a.m. in the 14100 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, said Lt. Art Spencer with the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. The Hawthorne Police Department arrived and found a man suffering from gunshot wounds, who was taken to a hospital and stabilized, Spencer said.

    Spencer said that as Hawthorne police continued to investigate, they learned that five other people had been shot in the same incident. One of them, a woman, died of her injuries at a hospital. Among the remaining victims, one was in critical condition and the rest were stable, he said.

    “It looks like they were congregating in the strip mall and the shooting occurred,” Spencer said.

    No suspect has been identified and no motive for the shooting has been determined at this time.

    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is assisting Hawthorne police with the investigation, is encouraging anyone with information about the shooting to contact their Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or provide information anonymously at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).

    Emily Alpert Reyes

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  • Suspect in killing of 27-year-old Lancaster-area teacher arrested

    Suspect in killing of 27-year-old Lancaster-area teacher arrested

    Los Angeles County sheriff‘s deputies have arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of murder after a woman’s body was found this week stuffed inside the trunk of a car at his home and set on fire.

    Veronica Aguilar, 27, had been living in a home owned by the suspect, Matthew Switalski, in the Quartz Hill neighborhood near Lancaster. The UCLA graduate taught at a nearby elementary school and was beloved by the families she worked with and her friends.

    Aguilar’s body was found by Los Angeles County firefighters responding to a garage fire Wednesday.

    “Her story is all over the news of her brutal death,” her brother Juan Aguilar wrote on a GoFundMe page meant to raise money for a funeral. “Things will never be the same ever again. We miss her so much. She had the best spirit she always had a smile. My family is heartbroken.”

    “She was the sweetest teacher in the world,” one parent of a student wrote on the website. “We were blessed to have her in our lives. My daughter loved her so much.”

    Switalski is a former Northrop Grumman employee, and KABC-TV reported that he worked at the defense company until May. He was, according to LinkedIn, a program, cost and schedule controller and had worked for the company since 2010.

    In the spring, court records show, Switalski was arrested and charged with several counts of rape and sexual misconduct with a romantic partner. After being arraigned in June, he was released on $600,000 bail, according to court records.

    After the fire was extinguished at the Quartz Hill home Wednesday morning, authorities quickly identified Switalski as a suspect. Crews had searched the garage and discovered the woman’s body inside the trunk of the car.

    He was arrested Thursday in Kern County, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He’s being held at the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station on a $10-million bond and has been charged with a felony, according to the department’s inmate locator.

    Benjamin Oreskes

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  • Huntington Park police open fire on driver who they say rammed their vehicles

    Huntington Park police open fire on driver who they say rammed their vehicles

    Huntington Park police responding to a call of a road rage incident Saturday afternoon shot at the suspected driver involved, who then rammed their vehicles following a pursuit, authorities said.

    The 51-year-old man, who was not identified, was treated at a nearby hospital for an apparent gunshot wound to his upper body and was in critical but stable condition, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating, said in a news release Sunday.

    The department said the shooting occurred Saturday after police officers responded to a report about 3 p.m. of a road rage incident in Huntington Park in southeast Los Angeles County.

    After police attempted to pull over the suspect’s vehicle, the driver fled to Hacienda Heights, where he rammed multiple Huntington Park police vehicles, causing police to open fire, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

    The driver was believed to be under the influence, authorities said. A Huntington Park police officer sustained a minor injury.

    Andrew Khouri

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  • Suspect is arrested in attack on grandfather pushing grandchild in stroller

    Suspect is arrested in attack on grandfather pushing grandchild in stroller

    A man suspected of attacking two victims, including a man who was punched while pushing his grandchild in a stroller, was arrested Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    Angel Sanchez Jr., 29, of Santa Barbara, was arrested in Oxnard about 2:15 p.m., the sheriff’s department announced in a news release. Sanchez was booked on suspicion of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.

    Sheriff’s officials received calls about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday about two separate unprovoked attacks. The first victim was a boy and the second a 60-year-old grandfather who was punched in the face while pushing a stroller near the 26000 block of Agoura Road and Lost Springs Drive/Cottonwood Grove Trail, authorities said.

    Both victims were Asian American/Pacific Islander, but authorities have not determined if they were the victims of a hate crime and the motive remains under investigation.

    In a video from news station KTLA-TV, the assailant can be seen walking directly toward the victim while he was pushing a stroller. The victim is then punched in the face and he and the stroller fall to the ground, according to the video. Authorities did not release any details about the victims’ condition following the attack.

    The assailant, who is seen wearing a backward baseball hat and a dark T-shirt, quickly walked away from the victims after the attack.

    He then drove away in a silver 2005 Honda Odyssey with Nevada license plates, 183W80, authorities said.

    Sanchez could face additional charges when the case is presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for filing, said the sheriff’s department.

    Anyone with information about the assault can contact the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station at (818) 878-1808 or the detective on the case at (818) 878-5523.

    Nathan Solis

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