LAPD Officer Turned Novelist Joseph Wambaugh Dies in Rancho Mirage

Former Los Angeles police officer turned best-selling author Joseph Wambaugh, known for books such as “The Onion Field” and “The New Centurions,” has died at the age of 88. Longtime family friend Janene Gant told The New York Times that Wambaugh died Friday of esophageal cancer at his home in Rancho Mirage. The author of more than 20 books also co-created the Emmy-winning anthology series “Police Story,” which aired as a weekly series on NBC from 1973 to 1977 and launched three spinoffs, including “Police Woman” starring Angie Dickinson. Several of Wambaugh’s novels were adapted for the big screen, including “The Onion Field,” “The Choirboys” and “The New Centurions.” Wambaugh co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his 1970 book “The Onion Field,” which told the real-life story of the 1963 kidnapping of two Los Angeles police officers. One was killed and the other was left devastated. The 1979 film co-starred James Woods, John Savage and Ted Danson.

MyNewsLA

West LA residents on edge after naked man assaults 63-year-old woman outside her home

Residents in West Los Angeles are living in fear after a naked man attacked a 63-year-old woman outside her home. Many are now afraid to step outside. The horrifying scene happened Thursday afternoon near a construction site on the 2400 block of Barry Avenue. Nearby workers heard the woman's desperate screams for help and immediately rushed to help. "He came up from behind her. He's on top of her. He's completely naked," said Rick Dreyfus, a general contractor. Dreyfus witnessed the terrifying scene unfold. "So at that moment when we all took off, the next thing I saw was him running down the street naked trying to get into a car," Dreyfus said. Police arrived on the scene and arrested the suspect. LAPD said the man also assaulted a 3-year-old child in a nearby elevator before attacking the woman. Residents and workers said a growing homeless encampment nearby has been causing a lot of people to fear for their safety.

ABC 7

Man Hospitalized After Adams-Normandie Shooting

A man was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday after being shot in the Adams-Normandie neighborhood. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at 12:51 a.m. Saturday to 1825 W. 25th St. between South La Salle and South Congress avenues where they learned the victim was walking on 25th when he was approached by the suspect, who shot him, an LAPD spokesman told City News Service. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department took the man to a hospital, where he is listed he critical condition. The suspect fled the location on foot, police said.

MyNewsLA

LAPD arrests 2 in video of teens on bikes beating man in Mid-Wilshire

Two juvenile suspects were arrested Friday in connection to a shocking video released last Saturday of a group teenagers on bikes beating a man on a Mid-Wilshire street. The two arrests followed an anonymous tip shortly after the story was made public. LAPD maintains they need the public's help to track down the rest of the perpetrators. The video shows approximately two dozen teenage boys assaulting and berating a man near the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Carrillo Drive around 5 p.m. After an initial argument between the victim and attackers, the attackers immediately overwhelmed the victim, punching and kicking them to the ground. When outsiders intervened, the attackers left the area together riding their bicycles southbound on Carrillo Drive. The victim sustained injuries but did not go to the hospital. Anyone who recognizes the individuals in the video or who has information on the attack is encouraged to contact LAPD Wilshire Area’s Detective Carlos, Serial No. 41244, at 213-922-8229. Anonymous tips can be made by contacting Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

NBC 4

Loved ones seek help finding critical missing teenager last seen in Gardena

Family members and police are asking for the community’s help to find a teenage boy who has now been missing for four days. The Los Angeles Police Department issued a release on Friday, identifying the critically missing teen as 16-year-old Mohammod Tahir. Tahir was last seen walking in the 15800 block of South Vermont Avenue around 7 p.m. on Feb. 24, according to LAPD. The department described Tahir as a boy of Middle Eastern descent who stands about 5 feet and 8 inches tall, weighs about 130 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. When he was last seen, LAPD said Tahir was wearing a blue sweater, navy blue dress pants and black shoes. Tahir’s loved ones are worried for his well-being, and LAPD said he suffers from medical conditions. If you have seen or have any information regarding the whereabouts of Tahir, officials ask that you contact Southeast Division, Detective Patsenhann at 213-972-7848 or dial 911. 

KTLA 5

Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism to visit USC, UCLA

The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced Friday it will visit 10 university campuses that have experienced “anti-Semitic incidents since October 2023,” including both USC and UCLA. The statement did not specify when the visits would take place or which incidents the task force would research. “The President, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and the entire Administration are committed to ensuring that no one should feel unsafe or unwelcome on campus because of their religion,” wrote Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Task Force’s mandate is to bring the full force of the federal government to bear in our effort to eradicate Anti-Semitism, particularly in schools. These visits are just one of many steps this Administration is taking to deliver on that commitment.” Federal officials will meet with university leaders, impacted students, local law enforcement, and community leaders to consider “whether remedial action is warranted.” Both USC and UCLA experienced mass student protests regarding the ongoing war in Gaza last spring.

NBC 4

Former Minnesota officer dies from injuries sustained during 2010 on-duty attack

A former St. Paul police officer who was brutally attacked while responding to a 911 hang-up call more than a decade ago has died of her injuries, the police department announced Sunday. “It’s with great sadness that we share the passing of retired Saint Paul Police Officer Felicia Reilly, who passed away Saturday, March 1 , 2025,” St. Paul police spokesperson Nikki Muehlhausen said. “Those who knew Felicia remember her as compassionate, devoted, and an inspiration to many. Felicia was a hero and she will be profoundly missed.” She was the first St. Paul female officer to die from injuries received in the line of duty, according to the St. Paul Police Retirement Association . The statement from the association said that her husband, Matt Reilly , was at her side when she died. Reilly quit his job as a St. Louis Park police investigator to take care of his wife, whose condition grew progressively worse over the years. Her family released a statement Sunday saying that Reilly “was injured in the line of duty and that was what killed her,” her family said. “She fought to stay alive.”

Pioneer Press

Ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding's alleged accomplice in deadly drug ring extradited to U.S.

An alleged accomplice of ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, accused of co-leading an international drug trafficking ring and ordering killings alongside the former pro athlete, has arrived to the U.S. after being extradited, prosecutors said Friday. Andrew Clark, who was living in Mexico when he was arrested, is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday in connection with charges detailed in a 16-count indictment out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Wedding, 43, and Clark, 34, are both Canadian citizens who are facing murder charges in addition to federal counts of drug trafficking, accused of running an operation that trafficked mass quantities of cocaine across North America. Clark, whose aliases include "The Dictator," has been described by federal prosecutors as Wedding's right-hand man. The leading role he allegedly played in the drug ring was detailed in a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office Friday. "The defendant, as described in the superseding indictment, played a key role in running a violent, international drug trafficking organization that was responsible for multiple murders," Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally said in the statement. "We are grateful to have him in the United States where he will face justice."

CBS 2

L.A. County hospital needs help locating family of injured man

A Los Angeles County hospital needs help locating the family of an injured man. The patient was found near the 700 block of E. Florence Avenue in Inglewood and has been hospitalized since Feb. 28. He was transported to the St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood where he remains hospitalized. Hospital staff believes his name is Aaron Spellen, however, he has not been able to communicate either verbally or nonverbally. He is described as a man around 60 years old who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. The extent of his injuries was not released. Anyone who recognizes the man or has additional information is asked to call the hospital’s Social Services office at 310-900-2094 or 310-900-7619.

KTLA 5

One-Story Home Destroyed by Valley Glen Fire

A single-family home was destroyed by an early morning fire in the Valley Glen neighborhood,, city fire officials said Sunday. The fire was reported at 12:21 a.m. on the 12000 block of West Califa Street with heavy smoke and fire showing from the rear of the home, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz said. More than 100 firefighters “operated in offensive mode, coordinating roof and interior attacks to knock down all flames within 31 minutes,” Lantz said. One person was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but refused transport to a hospital.

MyNewsLA

Metro bus shears fire hydrant in West Adams

A Metro bus crashed into a fire hydrant in the West Adams neighborhood on Saturday, causing water to gush dozens of feet into the air before the source could be shut off. It happened at around 4:50 p.m. near the 1100 block of W. 23rd Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. For unknown reasons, the bus crashed the hydrant, causing firefighters to rush to the area. They say that the driver of the bus contacted the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to report that the hydrant was sheared in the crash. No customers were affected by the incident, LADWP officials said. A Metro spokesperson released a statement on the crash, which read, "Metro thanks the Los Angeles Fire Department for their timely assistance in shutting off a fire hydrant that was hit by a Metro bus turning from southbound Hoover Street onto 23rd Street. No passengers were on board the bus at the time of the incident."

CBS 2

LA Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, studies town of Paradise's recovery

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, spent Thursday in another fire-ravaged community -- the town of Paradise in Northern California -- where 90% of the homes were destroyed by the Camp Fire in 2018. In Paradise, utilities have been moved underground, roads have been widened and reconfigured to have one lane in and potentially three lanes out. Six years ago, during the evacuation, people died in their cars. "There's a lot of signs of life and hope. From everything I've heard, Paradise has been very resilient during a painful process. And I know that what lies ahead for us in Pacific Palisades is going to face many similar challenges," said Park. ABC7's Phillip Palmer traveled to Paradise recently, highlighting how Paradise is currently the only city in the U.S. to require all new homes meet the "wildfire prepared home standards," which means ember-resistant vents, metal gutters, 6-foot vertical clearance for any exterior wall, and five feet of defensible space. "I want to rebuild the Palisades back to what it was, smarter, safer, and more resilient. But, I also don't want it to be a new community that no one recognizes," said Park.

ABC 7

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.