Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
LASD will Never Forget 911!
On Thursday, March 25, 2021, Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference in front of the Hall of Justice to announce his support for the Asian community. He was joined by; Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles, Akira Muto; Honorary Consul General of Cambodia in Los Angeles, Mr. Kim Chha Hout; Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles, Kyung Jae Park; Mayor of Monterey Park, Yvonne Yin; Mayor of San Gabriel, Chin Ho Liao, the support of Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles, Zhang Ping, the Sheriff’s Community Advisory Council, and other highly respected community leaders.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in hate crimes against the Asian-American community. The fatal shooting of eight people, including six women of Asian descent, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, is the latest attack against Asian-Americans, and it shook the nation. Unfortunately, it was not an isolated incident. On Sunday, March 21, 2021, a man disrupted a ‘Stop Asian Hate’ protest in Diamond Bar by driving through a group of protesters while hurling insults against China.
Sheriff Villanueva called for zero tolerance for hate crimes in Los Angeles County, especially towards Asian Americans. He urged people to report crime by calling 911 if it is an emergency, contacting a local law enforcement agency, or remaining anonymous by calling LA Crime Stoppers at 800-222 or by visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
Undersheriff Tim Murakami talked about his experience as a 4th generation Asian-American. He explained that historically, the Asian community has been very quiet. For the most part, they accept things, overlook them and move on. He urged the community to stand up as a group and realize “they’re Americans, they have the right to be here, they have the right to be respected and the right to be protected.”
Sheriff Villanueva reminded everyone that everyone is looking for the same things in life, security and a sense of belonging at the end of the day. “If you’re a recent arrival or you’ve been here for generations, all of you are welcome in Los Angeles County. We welcome you in this great nation of us,” he concluded.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva is the FIRST Los Angeles County Sheriff to successfully implement a policy banning “deputy cliques.” The policy went into effect in February 2020, and a video reinforcing his message was recently released to the Department. All sworn Department members have been briefed and are being held accountable. This is what culture change within the organization looks like.
January 12, 2021
Since January 1, 2019, LASD received 3,725 SB-1421 record requests, and to date, 3,593 of those requests have been fulfilled. In addition, 335 cases have been publicly posted on www.lasd.org under the “Transparency” tab. There is more to come, now that funding has been approved for the much needed tracking and redaction software… READ MORE
January 7, 2021
Los Angeles County Sheriff Villanueva firmly believes, “We are not safer by putting the interests of offenders over the needs of victims of crime.”… READ MORE AND VIEW VIDEO
January 6, 2021
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is proud to assist our public health partners in this historical and monumental mission to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine. The goal is to help slow the spread of COVID-19… READ MORE
January 05, 2021
Never a dull moment with the Malibu Search and Rescue Team. These types of specialized teams have been utilized during a critical call for service. Their swift action has resulted in saving countless lives. Just recently, an injured hiker recently was rescued from Malibu State Creek Park… READ MORE
DECEMBER 30, 2020
LASD Super-Spreader Enforcement Team has been hard at work tracking Super-Spreader events during the Month December, 2020… READ MORE
December 31, 2020
The year 2020 has been a difficult and challenging time for many families and communities. It was a privilege to be a part of “The First Responders Toy Giveaway” event to show appreciation to the residents we serve… READ MORE AND VIEW VIDEO
On the morning of Tuesday, December 1, 2020, Detectives from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Operation Safe Streets (OSS) Bureau, conducted a follow up investigation involving a felon in possession of a firearm. Detectives authored and served two search warrants for two locations in the city of El Monte.
During the search warrant, detectives seized eight firearms and a large amount of narcotics which included over 100 lbs. of methamphetamines and approximately 15 lbs. of heroin. Two suspects, both adult males, were arrested for felon in possession of loaded firearms and narcotics for the purposes of sales.
“Despite trying times, our personnel continues to proactively provide the best public safety possible. A lot of delinquent lifestyles start at a young age and involve drugs, gangs and of course, violence. I’m really proud of our OSS Bureau’s dedication, determination and commitment to keep our community safe,” said Sheriff Villanueva.
OSS provides enforcement aimed at combating the criminal activities of hard-core gangs, while intervening to discourage youth from continuing in gang activities.
Even in the middle of a pandemic criminal activity does not stop. This year, teams from OSS have arrested 461 suspects for violent crimes, and they have seized 305 firearms and conducted 470 search warrant operations.
Anyone who sees activity that appears to be suspicious or criminal in nature should contact their local sheriff’s station, or remain anonymous and call “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS.
October 30, 2020, at about 11:30 am, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, accompanied by Department members, LAPD Officers, and LAPD Deputy Chief Jorge Rodriguez held a food drive for community members.
Held at the Greg Smith LAPD Devonshire PALS Youth Center, community members arrived from across the Valley, lining their vehicles to receive donated care baskets and other non-perishable food items. As community members’ vehicles formed an extensive line across lanes of Parthenia Street just east of Wilbur Avenue, deputies and officers were joined by the Devonshire Police Activities League Supporters, Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee, Members of the LASD Community Advisory Council, and MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity).
Hundreds of families expressed their thanks to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies and Los Angeles Police Officers as they placed boxes and bags of non-perishable foods into their vehicles. Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Jorge Rodriguez and Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva also took an active role in handing out food to families. The vehicle traffic went on for a few hours, as more and more community members formed lines and patiently awaited their turn.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department understands the hardship and challenges individuals and families face during these uncertain times. We believe it is our duty to protect our community from crime and lend a helping hand. Economic hardships and life hurdles have affected everyone during this covid-19 outbreak. We hope that this partnership between Los Angeles law enforcement, the city, and our non-profit organizations brings more help to the community in need. It is this dedication to our community that defines the character of our service.
LAPD Officers and LASD Deputies have profound care for the community, and our efforts to curve hunger are a reflection of that sentiment. We hope that this engagement resonates with the community and builds a solid bridge of trust and understanding.
The Sheriff’s Department is thankful to the Temple Ramat Zion, One Generation, the Greater Los Angeles Food Bank, and Goya Foods of California for their generous contributions. A Special Thanks to Jack Kayajian, who dedicated hundreds of volunteered hours and his ability to navigate through the most challenging times, made this event a success.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva held a press conference today, Wednesday, September 30, 2020, to announce the arrest of the suspect who deliberately attempted to kill two deputies in an ambush-style shooting, while they sat in their patrol car.
Sheriff Villanueva noted the cowardly act was followed with bystanders celebrating and cheering the despicable act. He relayed how he saw the worst in humanity when a crowd made its way to the hospital and chanted for the deputies to die while they fought for their lives. In juxtaposition, he saw the best of humanity when the entire Sheriff’s Department worked together to bring justice to the deputies. The outpouring of support from the community, the nation, both presidential candidates, people from all walks of life, including children, was a source of support, not only for the injured deputies, but for all law enforcement personnel.
Homicide Bureau unit commander, Captain Kent Wegener, gave a summary of the ambush and events which led to the arrest of the suspect. The shooting occurred Saturday evening, September 12, 2020, north of the Metro Blue Line Station, located at 101 East Palmer Street, in Compton, as two deputies sat in a marked patrol car. The suspect surreptitiously approached the passenger side of the patrol car and fired multiple rounds through the open window. Both deputies suffered gunshot wounds to their heads and extremities. The suspect fled the scene in a black sedan, and a monetary reward was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
Through review of video and witness statements, investigators determined the armed suspect drove from the scene of the attack in a black Mercedes Benz. In the following hours, investigators learned that on September 1, 2020 -eleven days prior to the attempted murder of the deputies- a carjacking occurred on Bradfield Avenue, in Compton. The suspect shot the carjacking victim in the leg with a high-powered rifle and stole a black Mercedes Benz. The suspect was a male Black adult. The carjacking case was investigated and an arrest warrant was obtained for Deonte Lee Murray, 36, of Compton.
On Tuesday, September 15, 2020, at approximately 11:30 A.M., units from the Major Crimes Bureau – Surveillance Apprehension Team located the suspect and attempted to stop him in a vehicle. The suspect fled in a 2006 Toyota Solara and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, the suspect threw a pistol from his car, which was recovered and held as evidence. The pursuit lasted until the suspect abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot near the 3100 block of Carlin Avenue in Lynwood.
Around 9:50 P.M., the suspect was located, hiding in the bushes; he was detained and arrested for the carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon warrant. The stolen Mercedes Benz was recovered a short distance from the containment and impounded as evidence.
In the days following, a forensic firearms report was published by the crime laboratory, which compared ballistic evidence from the scene of the ambush to the pistol discarded by the suspect during the pursuit. It was determined through ballistic comparison that the pistol recovered was the same gun used to shoot the deputies. The gun in evidence was a .40 caliber, 80% non-serialized pistol, loaded with eight rounds, five rounds short of its 12-round capacity. The number of missing rounds coincides with the five rounds fired at deputies during the ambush attack. Murray has a criminal history to include multiple felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Dozens of video clips were collected, and witnesses are still being identified and interviewed. As a part of the interviews, photographic lineups may be conducted, involving the suspect’s image. In consideration of the ongoing investigation, and to avoid any compromise of the case, photographs of the suspect are not yet being released to the public. Investigators believe Murray acted alone in the attempted murder of the deputies and are not looking for any other suspects at this time.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced that, earlier this morning, her office charged Murray with two felony counts of Willful, Deliberate and Premeditated Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer. Murray also faces charges of Attempted Murder, Carjacking, Robbery, and Assault in relation to the carjacking. If convicted as charged, he faces life in state prison. His bail was set at $6,155,000.
To Close or Not to Close? Consider the Victims and Their Families
Patricia Wenskunas, founder and CEO of Crime Survivors, a non-profit advocacy and resource center for crime victims, made a plea to the Board of Supervisors and the public to consider the impact of reducing the 2020-2021 fiscal budget for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). The $545 million budget cut was recently approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in response to a shrunken purse after COVID-19, despite the availability of alternative sources of money for government than sales tax.
In addition to more than 300 pending personnel layoffs, Board members also followed CEO Sachi Hamai’s recommendation to eliminate four important investigative bureaus: Special Victims Bureau, which investigates crimes against some of the most vulnerable of our population, children and victims of sexual assault, who are victims of atrocities like physical abuse, sexual abuse and rape; Operation Safe Streets, which investigates gang-related crimes, collects gang intelligence and maintains current information on local street gangs; Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau, which investigates crimes committed online and various forms of fraud, including identity theft, real estate fraud and wire fraud; and Major Crimes Bureau, which specializes in investigating kidnapping for ransom, illegal medical practices, extortion, solicitation for murder, series and pattern robberies, etc.
Scrapping these specialized bureaus will cause investigations to be decentralized and conducted at a station-level by detectives whose caseloads are already heavily burdened. Special Victims Bureau detectives, alone, average 25-30 cases per month, and carry specialized training and valuable experience with them as they leave their positions.
The discussion of these pending losses came during a press conference on Monday, July 6, 2020, at the Sheriff’s Training and Resource Center in Whittier, with Sheriff Alex Villanueva, family members of crime victims, and victim advocates in attendance. As a victim of attempted murder, Mrs. Wenskunas revealed her very personal encounter with detectives; she spoke in first person of seeing their compassion, dedication and commitment to victims and the community. She addressed the elimination of the Special Victims Bureau, Major Crimes Bureau, Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau, and Operation Safe Streets, and the proposal to close the Men’s Central Jail.
Mrs. Wenskunas addressed the Board of Supervisors directly and thanked them for watching the press conference. “We need to make sure that victims are provided justice within our legal system,” she said. “We cannot let these offenders not serve their time and be released back into our communities.” And yet, with elimination of the specialized investigative bureaus, the closure of a jail facility and the impending release of inmates, “…victims’ voices are not heard. Who’s speaking about the victims?” she asked, and read a list of crime classifications and numbers of inmates LASD would be forced to let out:
Murder 1,199
Attempted Murder 762
Manslaughter 65
Rape 105
Sexual Assault/Child Molestation 391
Robbery 1,196
Attempted Robbery 194
Carjacking 142
Domestic Violence 743
Human Trafficking 85
Kidnapping 64
Assault with a Deadly Weapon 1,717
Arson 178
“This is why we have to oppose them closing the Men’s Central Jail. This is dangerous, dangerous offenders that will be released back into our communities,” stressed Mrs. Wenskunas. “It’s unacceptable. Again, we have no political agenda, here, whatsoever. This is about victims, and victims and survivors, and their families, and public safety. Period.”
Malinda Wheeler, owner and president of Forensic Nurse Specialists, has worked with Special Victims Bureau detectives for more than 25 years. She made the purpose of her participation in the press conference crystal clear: “I’m here today to advocate for the full-funding, no-cuts of the Special Victims Bureau.” Early in her career, Mrs. Wheeler found children needed specialized services to get them to talk about their traumatic incidents, only once, and in a legally defensible manner. With this, she helped form the Children’s Advocacy Center. “There is no question that a specially-trained, team approach works best for the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and sex crimes. Special Victims Bureau investigators are specially-trained and aware of the sensitivity for handling these cases,” she said.
Ana Estevez, the mother of Armazd “Piqui” Andressian, a five-year-old boy who was suffocated to death by his father in 2017, also advocated for saving the detective bureaus. She recalled the care and dedication the detectives gave to handling the investigation, and how much it meant to her. Their tenacity led to the location of the little boy’s body and the father’s conviction. Mrs. Estevez read a text she sent them on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, the anniversary of his body’s discovery, “It has been three years today. Thank you for bringing my Piqui home,” she said tearily. She recounted the detectives’ collaboration with other units and agencies who worked tirelessly for 72 days to locate her beloved, lost son.
Parents of a murdered son, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Walker, recounted the day in 2014 when he was shot to death while waiting for a meal he ordered. He was 26 years old.
Mrs. Walker expressed her thanks to detectives who worked on his case and also asked for consideration of the families, as related to the closure of the detective bureaus and jail facility. “I stand here today to ask that you consider the families of these victims, who are voiceless…” she said. “Christopher no longer has a voice. He had a beautiful smile, but you would never see that anymore.”
Mrs. Walker’s voice shook with grief as she addressed those with the power to provide or take away, “I ask you, I pray and I beg of you to consider this father and this mother, this family. There are many other families like us. We stand by silently and we don’t really say much ‘cause nobody wants to hear what we have to say. But, would you, please, consider us as you investigate, as you consider whatever it is that you’re going to do in voting on the reducing of funds for the departments?”
In closing remarks, Sheriff Alex Villanueva recounted the loss of a young girl’s life in a shocking carjacking event, which occurred a day earlier, on Sunday, July 1, 2020, in Pico Rivera. The suspect, a 26-year-old man on probation, stole a running minivan with four children inside and drove off with the rear sliding door open. Two of the children jumped out and two remained inside the vehicle. As the vehicle sped, the children were ejected and sustained massive trauma. The 13-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene and her eight-year-old brother fights for his life in critical condition at a local hospital. The suspect carjacked two more vehicles before being apprehended by citizens who held him until deputies arrived.
The suspect was arrested late May, 2020, for felony weapons violation but was released with a citation due to the current zero, emergency bail schedule. The Sheriff kept in the event’s thread of remembering the victims. “I heard a lot in the news about ‘Say His Name/Say Her Name,’” he said. “Well, I will say her name again: Isabella Cortez. Let’s not forget her.”
To view the press conference, click: https://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment/videos/3371808249497035
The County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, February 4, unanimously approved funding for the Pitchess Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (EVOC) project. The future facility will be utilized to train entry-level and in-service Department personnel in basic and advanced vehicle handling dynamics, and evasive driving tactics. The proposed project would utilize several parcels at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center located at 29310 The Old Road, Castaic, California.
The $15,500,000 project will consist of, but not be limited to, a vehicle driving/training track, skid pan, new modular office/locker rooms, collision avoidance and pursuit track, track appurtenances, paved parking area, bioswales, landscaping, and relocation of Southern California Edison and various facility power poles. The overall site area for the proposed EVOC is approximately 44.5 acres.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) currently operates an emergency vehicle operations center at the Pomona Fairgrounds. LASD has used the existing facility on the fairground property for more than 35 years to provide training in emergency vehicle operations to deputy sheriff trainees and police officers enrolled in LASD’s Academy, in addition to ongoing vehicle operations training for LASD staff.
The current arrangement between LASD and the Fair Association requires the EVOC office to cease operations for approximately two to three months per year for major events, such as the LA County Fair and National Hot Rod Association. These disruptions to the EVOC training schedule limit the number of training days available to LASD and created challenges with meeting LASD’s mandatory training requirements.
“I want to acknowledge and thank the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for today’s approval of the Pitchess Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (EVOC). The future EVOC will provide deputies with the necessary skills and knowledge to operate vehicles in emergencies while mitigating the many risks associated with the practice,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. “The Safety of the public and the effectiveness of our personnel is of paramount importance for us. This facility will assist the Sheriff’s Department in improving law enforcement’s driving capabilities and community safety,” he added.
Two months after the tragic and deadly shooting at Saugus High School, players from the L.A. Dodgers Surprised Saugus High School Students during one of their campus pep rallies Friday morning.
Students were in awe as they had the chance to meet and play games with some of the players. While others were getting jerseys signed by the athletes. Players like, Austin Barnes, Matt Beaty, Walker Buehler, Caleb Ferguson, Dylan, Floro, Kyle Garlick, Tony Gonsolin, Adam Kolarek, Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Zach McKinstry, Max Muncy, Justin Turner and Jimmy Nelson offered words of encouragement and support for students.
As part of the “Dodgers Love LA Community Tour”, a
week-long engagement where the Los Angeles Dodger players, alumni and employees
partner with community based organizations to help promote and support work
that positively changes the lives of children, teens, and adults, Dodger
players focused on showing gratitude to Santa Clarita Valley Station Deputies,
first responders, other law enforcement agencies and military servicemen who
came to assist the students at Saugus High School.
After the rally at Saugus High, players visited Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s
Station and had lunch with Sheriff Alex Villanueva and station personnel.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said “I want to thank the LA Dodgers and their
organization for offering support to our personnel, and the students of this
community. This team is an integral part of LA County, we all root and
support them during their season. And it was wonderful to see them come
up here and show support for all of us in the Santa Clarita Valley that were
affected by this senseless tragedy.”
