LAPD Blog

Pedestrian Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department, West Traffic Division Detectives are requesting the publics’ help in identifying the suspect responsible for the hit and run death of 22-year-old Keymontae Mackenzie. On Friday, September 27, 2013, around 3 a.m., a motorist traveling eastbound on Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Highland Avenue, collided with the pedestrian who was apparently stepping off the curb/sidewalk when he was struck. The motorist continued eastbound on Santa Monica Boulevard, failing to stop and render aid or to identify himself. The impact of the collision caused the pedestrian to sustain life threatening injuries.  Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the pedestrian dead at the scene. Detectives’ investigation revealed the motorist was driving a light colored older model Ford, Thunderbird. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact West Traffic Division Detective White at (213) 473-0234.  During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stopper at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters may also go to www.LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

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Pedestrian Fatally Struck by Train

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Central Traffic Division is currently investigating a train versus pedestrian traffic collision. On September 27, 2013 around 6:40 p.m. a fatal train versus pedestrian traffic collision occurred at the intersection of Vernon Avenue and Long Beach Blvd.  The victim, described as a male Hispanic, was attempting to cross Long Beach Blvd when he was struck by a southbound passenger train after ignoring the crossing arm and approaching train warning lights. The victim was pronounced dead at scene by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics.  His identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin. Anyone with information can contact Central Traffic Division Detective Johnny Meneses or Detective Felix Padilla at (213) 972-1825. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stopper at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to www.LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

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LAPD Responds To Court’s Order On Special Order #7

Los Angeles: LAPD issues directive to Department employees to discontinue impound procedures established by Special Order #7. On Friday, September 27, 2013, around 8:00 p.m., Chief Charlie Beck issued a Notice to all of his personnel to immediately stop following the impound procedures delineated in Special Order #7 established on April 10, 2012. The direction of the Chief of Police was issued with the advise of the City Attorney's Office. The directive complies with the order issued by the Los Angeles County Superior Court.  The Los Angeles Police Department will discontinue to utilize the procedures in Special Order #7 when impound scenarios occur. Officers will continue to exercise sound judgment and shall continue to consider the totality of the circumstances when determining whether an impound/removal of a vehicle is appropriate. In all cases officers shall always take into account and consider the "Community Caretaking Doctrine" to ensure compliance with the 4th Amendment. Before implementing Special Order 7 the Department sought and then followed the advice of both the City Attorney of Los Angeles and the Attorney General of the State of California.  The policy was vetted through the Police Commission and reviewed by both the Mayor and City Council.  "I am disappointed in this court's decision and believe it inappropriately undermines the Police Departments' authority to lawfully direct the conduct of its Officers," stated Chief Charlie Beck.  "I look forward to the next phase of the judicial process," Beck concluded. As law enforcement professionals, the Los Angeles Police Department will continue to serve our communities with the highest level of service and professionalism. Department policies and procedures are established to guide our officers in this endeavor and this directive has been issued with that effort in mind. Any questions regarding this directive may be referred to the LAPD Media Relations Section at 213-486-5910.

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19-Year-old Autistic Man Missing in LAPD’s Rampart Area

Los Angeles: The family of Alberto Ramirez and the Los Angeles Police Department requests the public’s assistance in locating Ramirez. Ramirez was last seen on September 29, 2013, leaving his residence in the 3400 block of South Alvarado Street, in Los Angeles.  He was walking southbound Alvarado Street from 6th Street near a park.  Ramirez’s family advises that he is autistic with a mental capacity of a 5-year-old.  They are extremely concerned for his health. Ramirez is described as a 19-year-old male Hispanic with no hair and brown eyes.  He stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds.  He was last seen wearing a blue shirt, blue checkered shorts and no shoes.  The family also states that Ramirez will answer to his name when called. If you have seen, or have any information regarding the whereabouts of Ramirez, please contact the Los Angeles Police Department, Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800 or the LAPD Rampart Area Watch Commander at 1 (213) 484-3050.  During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters may also go to www.LAPDOnline.org  click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

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Interfaith Press Conference to Promote Peace

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Friday September 27, 2013 – In a strong show of support and unity, the Los Angeles Police Department, City Officials along with regional and national law enforcement executives and diverse faith leaders, reaffirmed religious freedoms and respect along all sectarian lines to deliver the message of partnership, peace, and solidarity.
 
A few weeks ago Chief Beck invited interfaith leaders to discuss current matters through most of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, specifically Syria.  Attacks carried by terrorist militant groups have targeted minorities (Christians, Kurds, and Shiite communities) in different parts of the world.   Although the intensity of emotions has been felt around the world, Los Angeles stands in solidarity to reject all forms of bias, intolerance or violence directed at any of the City’s multi-religious communities.  With longstanding partnerships in place with inter-faith coalitions, the LAPD takes a proactive approach to maintaining peace and dismantling any prospect of violence. 

Former Boxer Arrested in Manager’s 1987 Cold Case Murder

 

Los Angeles: Detectives from the Cold Case Homicide Unit of Robbery-Homicide Division have announced the arrest of a former professional boxer for the 1987 murder of his manager.

On September 25, 2013, around 10:45 a.m., members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Los Angeles Police Department Fugitive Task Force took 50-year-old Exum Speight into custody in the City of San Fernando.  Speight was charged in a warrant issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, with one count of murder for the killing of Douglas Stumler.  The murder occurred on March 29, 1987, in Stumler’s apartment in the 1200 block of South La Cienega Boulevard in the West Los Angeles Area.  Stumler was discovered by a friend who went to check on his welfare after he had failed to report to work at the Los Angeles County Housing Authority.  Stumler had been sidelining as a boxing manager, with Speight being one of his boxers.  The original investigation was handled by the West Los Angeles Area Homicide Unit.

The break on this investigation came after LAPD Cold Case detectives reviewed the case and screened the evidence for potential forensic leads under a grant the Unit received from the National Institute of Justice’s “Solving Cold Cases with DNA” program.  DNA evidence did play a key factor in this case getting solved.

Douglas Stumler was a native of New Albany, Indiana, who moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Indiana approximately six years before his death.  He had been managing Exum Speight for approximately two years.  In 1996, nine years after Stumler’s murder, Exum Speight fought Wladimir Klitschko, the current heavyweight champion of the world.  Mr. Speight is expected to appear for arraignment in the Airport Superior Court on Thursday, September 26, 2013.

Anyone with information concerning this crime is asked to contact LAPD Robbery-Homicide Cold Case Detective Jackson at 213-486-6825.  During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "web tips" and follow the prompts.

 

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Notes from the September 24, 2013 Weekly Police Commission Meeting

Chief Podcast

•    The Board of Police Commissioners held a moment of silence in honor of those killed in the Kenyan hostage siege.

•    Police Commission President Steve Soboroff said obtaining personal video cameras for officers was an important thing to do and former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan pledged $50,000 to the program.  He added he met with the Reverend Greg Boyle and Father John Bakas who help take gang members off the streets, make them productive members of society, and are complimentary and supportive of the Department’s Constitutional and Community Policing philosophies.

•    Police Commissioner Robert Saltzman said he was honored to attend the Above and Beyond Medal of Valor and Purple Heart ceremony last week. He went on to thank President Soboroff for the attention he has brought to the issue of video and audio cameras for officers.  Commissioner Saltzman said he fully supports the efforts to expand the use of video equipment but it does require some careful consideration of the policies and procedures regarding their use and the retention and storage of the videos captured.  He noted the Department will be doing some field testing of the cameras as asked the Department to give the Board regular reports regarding testing and policy development.   

•    Police Chief Charlie Beck offered his condolences to the Laguna Beach Police Department for the loss of one of their Motor Officers over the weekend.  He said the Department would offer support and any resources they might need in the coming week.  Chief Beck thanked the Commissioners for attending the Medal of Valor Purple Heart awards ceremony last week and also said there were two drive-by shootings in the Watts area which resulted in two homicides.  He added that information received from members of that community led to the arrest of the primary suspects in the incident. 

•    The verbal presentation and update from the Commanding Officer and Community Police Advisory Board (C-PAB) representative regarding community initiated problem solving, crime strategies, and other programs and goals within Mission Area was given by Captain Todd Chamberlain and Ms. Betty Ley.  Ms. Ley informed the Board Mission Area has a Teen C-PAB and an Emergency Preparedness Committee which recently formed.  She also said the Mission Area C-PAB hosted an Open House at the station which included a Health and Resource Fair.  Ms. Ley completed her comments by stating Mission Area held their very first National Night Out event this summer and was going to host an Officer Appreciation Day on October 9th.

•    The Commission President’s report, dated September 18, 2013, relative to commission liaison and assignments, was approved.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the transmittal of the extension for the 2009 Community Oriented Policing Services Technology Grant, was approved and transmitted to the Mayor and City Council.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 10, 2013, relative to the professional services agreement between the City of Los Angeles and Sierra Systems, Inc., for the training, evaluation and management systems for the Los Angeles Police Department, was approved and transmitted to the Mayor.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the transmittal of the grant application and award for National Institute of Justice’s 2013 Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) backlog reduction program, was approved and transmitted concurrently to the Mayor and City Council.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 18, 2013, relative to the transmittal of the grant agreement for fiscal year 2013-04 sobriety checkpoint mini-grant program from the University of California Berkley – Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, was approved and transmitted concurrently to the Mayor and City Council.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the request for approval of a personal services agreement with Lojack Corporation for stolen vehicle recovery network services, was approved and transmitted to the Mayor.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the destruction of obsolete duplicate records, for Newton Area, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the destruction of obsolete duplicate records, for Gang and Narcotics Division, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the destruction of obsolete duplicate records, for Records and Identification Division, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the destruction of obsolete duplicate records, for Commercial Crimes Division, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 13, 2013, relative to the destruction of obsolete duplicate records, for Mission and West Valley Areas, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 10, 2013, relative to the destruction of obsolete duplicate records, for Detective Support and Vice Division, was approved and transmitted to the City Clerk, Records Management Officer.

Officer-Involved Shooting Occurs in West Adams Area

Los Angeles:  On Wednesday September 18, 2013, around 5:58 p.m., Southwest Patrol Division uniformed police officers responded as a backup unit to a man with a gun radio call in the 5400 block of West Adams Boulevard in the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Southwest Area.  LAPD Air Support Division’s helicopter also arrived overhead and observed an individual that matched the description of the suspect broadcasted in the radio call.  As officers arrived, the LAPD helicopter directed officers to the suspect. The suspect was sitting on the south curb of Adams Boulevard and was accompanied by another male Hispanic, who was sitting next to him, east of his position.  Police Officer Manuel Armenta and his partner exited their patrol car and took cover behind a parked car on the south curb, drew their service pistols and gave verbal commands in both English and Spanish.  While still seated, the suspect retrieved a handgun from his waistband area and an officer involved shooting occurred.   The suspect was struck by the officer’s rounds and was subsequently taken into custody.  The individual accompanying the suspect was not hit by gunfire. Wilshire area uniformed police officers also arrived immediately after the officer involved shooting.  A handgun was recovered from the suspect at the scene.  Los Angeles Fire Department responded and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene. The additional male was arrested for public intoxication and transported to Southwest Area.  There were no officers injured during the incident. Force Investigation Division responded to the incident and will conduct a thorough investigation of the officer-involved shooting. The investigation will ultimately be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Office of the Inspector General and Board of Police Commissioners for compliance with the Department’s use-of-force policy, which states that an officer’s use-of-force actions must be objectively reasonable. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division will conduct a comprehensive review of the facts of the officer-involved shooting.   Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call LAPD’s Force Investigation Division at (213)-486-5230. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters may also go to www.LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

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Pedestrian Killed by Hit-and-Run Motorist

Update
09-20-13

Today around 3:30 p.m., an anonymous web-tip led to the follow up investigation and arrest of 33-year-old Kara Kiehle of Venice.  She was arrested at her residence in the 500 block of Realto Court.  She was booked under the charge of Hit-and-Run Fatal at LAPD Valley Jail Section and is being held on $50,000.00 bail.

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles Police Department, West Traffic detectives are requesting the publics’ help in identifying the suspect responsible for the hit and run death of a 33-year-old male pedestrian.

On Friday, August 20, 2013, around 12 a.m., a motorist traveling westbound on Venice Boulevard collided with the pedestrian who was attempting to cross the street on Lincoln Boulevard.  The motorist continued westbound on Venice Boulevard, failing to stop and render aid or to identify himself.  The impact of the collision caused the pedestrian to sustain life threatening injuries.  The Los Angeles Fire Department responded and pronounced the pedestrian dead at the scene. 

Detectives’ investigation revealed the motorist was driving a dark colored vehicle, possibly a Toyota.  The motorist was described as a female, possibly White or Hispanic.

Anyone with additional information is urged to contact West Traffic Division Detective Johnson at 213-473-0234 or 213-473-0222.  During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stopper at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to www.LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

 

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Randy Simmons 5K Challenge Run, Cross Fit and Bike Ride

The 6th Annual Randy Simmons 5K Challenge Run is taking place on Saturday October 19, 2013 beginning at 8 a.m., rain or shine.  The event will also include a fitness challenge and a Police Unity Tour bike ride of 26 or 50 miles.

This event will be held at the Elysian Park Police Academy located at 1880 North Academy Road, Los Angeles, 90012 and begins promptly at 8 a.m.  For online registration please visit www.active.com, Keyword: “Randy Simmons 5K”.

Police Officer Randall Simmons, a 27-year veteran of the LAPD, was murdered in the line of duty on Thursday February 7, 2008.  Officer Simmons became the first LAPD SWAT officer to die in the line of duty. To view more information about the event or on Officer Randy Simmons, please visit http://www.randysimmonsswat.com/randysimmonsswat/.