Email from Los Angeles Police Protective League Daily News & Updates   Law Enforcement News Gunman accused of killing Woodland Hills doctor pleads not guilty The accused gunman in the killing of a Woodland Hills doctor, whose death prosecutors believe was the result of a murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by the victim's ex-wife, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and other charges. Evan Hardman, 41, of Tomball, Texas, remains jailed without bail pending his next scheduled court appearance on March 17, when attorneys will discuss bail and a date will be set for a preliminary hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Hardman is charged in connection with the Aug. 23 killing of Dr. Hamid Mirshojae, 61. Also charged with murder in the case are the victim's ex-wife, Ahang Mirshojae, 53, of Calabasas, and Sarallah Jawed, 26, of Canoga Park. Ahang Mirshojae and Jawed both pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges Monday morning and were also ordered to return to court March 17 for a bail hearing and a preliminary hearing. The murder charge against Mirshojae includes the special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and murder for financial gain, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. She is also facing a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with an alleged baseball bat attack May 3 on her former husband. FOX 11 Third suspect arrested and charged in the 2017 stabbing death of hairdressing mogul Authorities say they have arrested the mystery man who allegedly teamed up with an accomplice to fatally stab famed hairstylist Fabio Sementilli seven years ago at a Woodland Hills mansion. Prosecutors allege Christopher Austin was the second man involved in the killing, along with the lover of Sementilli’s wife. Austin was recently arrested in connection with the killing and extradited from Washington state. On Oct. 18, after being sent back to Los Angeles, Austin pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder with the special allegations of the use of a deadly weapon, and pleaded not guilty Wednesday to an additional charge of conspiracy to commit murder. The 38-year-old Austin, prosecutors allege, conspired with Monica Sementilli, the hairstylist’s wife, and her lover Robert Louis Baker in January 2017 to kill her husband as part of a scheme to pocket his $1.6 million in life insurance. Austin’s alleged conspirators have been behind bars for more than five years, but until recently Austin’s identity and whereabouts had been unknown. Sementilli was the father of three and an executive at the hair-care giant Wella. Los Angeles Times Stabbing attack of woman crossing East Hollywood street captured on security video Los Angeles police are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a man who was captured on surveillance video stabbing a woman in an East Hollywood crosswalk. The incident occurred at noon on Jan. 18 near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Edgemont Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Video of the attack shows the woman crossing the street next to two other people when the assailant approaches her from behind and attacks her, making stabbing motions toward her head. The first officers to arrive on the scene found the woman suffering from multiple stab wounds. Paramedics took her to a hospital with injuries that officials said were not life-threatening. Police investigators said she was stabbed twice before the attacker fled east on Santa Monica Boulevard to the Vermont/Santa Monica Metro station. Police described the suspect as a 30-year-old man with black hair and brown eyes, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. In the video he is wearing dark pants, a jacket and a black-and-white striped shirt. The LAPD released an image of the man’s face in hopes that someone will recognize him. Los Angeles Times Pickup sought in fatal hit-and-run in San Fernando Valley The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public’s help in tracking down the driver of a pickup truck that struck and killed a pedestrian in Mission Hills Wednesday night. At a few minutes before 10 p.m., a black Chevrolet truck was headed west on Rinaldi Street near Sepulveda Boulevard when it hit a pedestrian, then continued without stopping to help, police said in a news release. That pedestrian, a man in his 30s who was outside of a marked crosswalk, was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld pending notification of his family. A reward of up to $50,000 is available for information leading to the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Ramirez at 818-644-8025. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). KTLA 5 Woman hurt after shots fired near Home Depot in Hollywood A woman was taken to an area hospital after shots were fired in Hollywood on Wednesday morning, authorities said. An official with the Los Angeles Police Department said they received reports of shots fired at 5:06 a.m. at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and N. St. Andrews Place near Home Depot. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a woman suffering from at least one gunshot wound. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition. A detailed description of the suspect was not available. No further information was immediately released and the investigation is ongoing. FOX 11 A$AP Rocky's accuser testifies about confrontation in Hollywood A$AP Rocky 's accuser, former friend and the key witness at his trial took the stand Tuesday afternoon. Rocky, the rapper and partner of Rihanna, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for allegedly firing at the friend who goes by A$AP Relli. Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, met Relli, born Terell Ephron, in high school in New York when both were part of a crew of creators who called themselves A$AP — which stands for Always Strive and Prosper. They remained close for years, as Rocky’s star rose. But their relationship soured, coming to a head on Nov. 6, 2021, when the two aired their grievances in a confrontation on the streets of Hollywood. Prosecutors say Rocky pulled out a handgun and fired two shots at Relli, who says bullets grazed his knuckles. The defense argues Relli was the aggressor, and Rocky fired a starter pistol to break up a fight between him and another member of their crew. They said Rocky carried the pistol, which only shoots blanks, for security. Before the jury was brought in, the defense revealed that they do not have the pistol. NBC 4 Previously Convicted LA Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Ammunition A Los Angeles-area man with prior felony convictions was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison for illegally possessing ammunition during an incident last year in which pointed a firearm at a man and threatened to shoot his dog, officials said Tuesday. Edward Conway, 47, who was a transient at the time of the offense, was sentenced Monday in downtown Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Conway pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, on Feb. 25, 2024, Conway held a gun to the head of his ex-girlfriend’s cousin, demanding that he get the former girlfriend on the phone. Conway also threatened to shoot the man’s dog if he didn’t cooperate. Conway allegedly pointed at a camera on the man’s house and demanded that the victim turn the camera off. When the victim told Conway he was unable to do so, Conway fired his gun at the camera, pushed his gun into the victim’s back and pinned him to a car while continuing to threaten him, prosecutors said. MyNewsLA 4 men face life in federal prison for alleged international child exploitation ring The US Attorney's Office announced charges against four men accused of participating in an international "neo-Nazi child exploitation enterprise" that victimized more than a dozen minors, two of whom were in Southern California. In its indictment, a federal grand jury charged the following men with one count of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise: New Jersey native Collin John Thomas Walker, 23, Hawaii native Clint Jordan Lopaka Nahooikaika Borge, 41, French national Rohan Sandeep Rane, 28, and Texas native Kaleb Christoper Merritt, 24. Walker and Borge were arrested on Jan. 30 while Rane and Merritt were arrested earlier this month. "The defendants here are alleged to have committed horrific acts against children," said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. "There is nothing more important than protecting our youth. Our office will continue its effort to aggressively prosecute and incarcerate dangerous predators." CBS 2 San Francisco tech founder and wife arrested for allegedly defrauding investors out of millions San Francisco tech founder Alex Beckman and his wife, Valerie Lau, were arrested last week after prosecutors accused the couple of defrauding investors out of more than $60 million. Beckman and Lau are accused of crimes including securities fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and obstruction of justice, according to a complaint filed last week in the San Francisco U.S. District Court. Lau worked as an attorney for Beckman’s startup, ON Platform, formerly known as GameOn, from at least 2016 to 2024. Beckman’s company makes artificial intelligence software for customers, including retail brands and professional sports leagues. The couple allegedly defrauded investors in ON Platform by faking bank records and impersonating business contacts, according to the complaint. In one instance, when an investor wanted to see a bank statement, Lau allegedly planted a fake statement showing a $13-million account balance and placed it at the bank so that when Beckman and the investor arrived they would see the balance, prosecutors said. The account’s real balance was $25.93, after Beckman allegedly wired $320,000 to a relative. Los Angeles Times BWC: Suspect stabs 2 K-9s, swings knife at Idaho officers before fatal OIS Last January, Jeremiah Gaver told police that he thought they’d kill him. He was pursued after an Ada County sheriff’s deputy saw him looking into backyards and walking around businesses, all while wearing a tarp, according to the Meridian Police Department, which led the Critical Incident Task Force investigation into the shooting. Law enforcement assured him that he was going to be OK, the report said. Gaver kept saying he didn’t want to die, according to the report. “No, no one’s gonna shoot ya. Stop saying that, OK?” was one of the responses from law enforcement. But after he didn’t comply with a host of commands and questions “for almost a half hour,” according to a news release Wednesday from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and then stabbed two K9 dogs in the course of avoiding police who had tasers and a bean bag shotgun, five law enforcement officers opened fire. Gaver, 37, died at the scene. Meridian police turned their CITF investigation over to Owyhee County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Topmiller, whose legal review determined that none of the five officers should be charged. “Based on this comprehensive assessment, I find that the deputies’ actions in shooting Gaver were legally justified under Idaho law,” Topmiller wrote in a letter to Ada County. Idaho Statesman Public Safety News Firefighters Quickly Quell Panorama City Duplex Fire Firefighters Thursday quickly put out a contents fire in one room at a duplex in Panorama City. Firefighters dispatched at 10:06 a.m. Thursday to 13946 W. Roscoe Blvd. had the fire out within 12 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. No injuries were reported. It was unclear what was burned. The cause of the fire was under investigation. MyNewsLA Hospital in Los Angeles County seeks help identifying patient Officials at a hospital in Los Angeles County are asking for the public’s help in identifying a patient who is unable to communicate his name, nor the names of any of his family members. The approximately 70-year-old Hispanic male was found in the 7900 block of Imperial Highway in Downey and brought to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, though the date that he was hospitalized was not provided. The patient stands at around 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 160 pounds with gray hair and a gray beard. Officials said he speaks Spanish but cannot communicate his identity or next of kin. Anyone who might recognize the patient is urged to contact Linda Woo in the hospital’s social services office at 310-900-2094 or 310-900-7619. Hospital officials are hoping to connect the patient with his loved ones as soon as possible. KTLA 5 About the LAPPL: Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents more than 8,900 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. Listen To Our Podcast Los Angeles Police Protective League | 1308 W 8th St | Los Angeles, CA 90017 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice