LAPD Blog

Words of Wisdom for LAPD Graduating Class

Twenty-eight new Los Angeles police officers graduated August 18 at a mid-morning ceremony before an audience of family and friends. In attendance, were Chief Bratton, Department Command Staff, representatives from the Board of Commissioners and the Mayor’s Office.

Guest speaker U.S. Army Lieutenant General Russel Honoré addressed the group of graduates. Lieutenant General Honoré shared an important story with the all-male class.

"Most of the people in our society are sheep," he said. "They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who hurt one another by accident. Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy."

"Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog," he went on. "I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. You are now sheepdogs and sheepdogs follow wolves wherever they go."

Lieutenant General Honoré led the Department of Defense response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana through Joint Task Force-Katrina. Highly decorated, he has served in a variety of command and staff positions focused on Defense Support to Civil Authorities and Homeland Defense.

The graduating officers have completed 1,035 hours of training in 32 weeks. Three lateral officers graduated with the regular recruit class, following the completion of a two-month lateral officer academy.

These officers are experienced peace officers who have been certified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standard and Training. They have joined the LAPD after serving with other California law enforcement agencies.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Los Angeles Police Academy.

What Skid Row Offensive?

As I read the news on August 17, I was pleased to see that the Los Angeles Times is drawing much-needed attention to City homelessness.

In an article titled, LAPD’s Crime Offensive on Skid Row is Slipping, the Times raised several valid points. Regrettably, the newspaper incorrectly reported on the LAPD’s skid row offensive.

Allow me to clarify—the LAPD’s skid row offensive has not faltered because there is no such thing. The so-called offensive is instead part of a larger strategy to prevent and reduce crime called the Safer Cities Initiative, a strategic plan endorsed by Mayor Villaraigosa to address social conditions that contribute to crime.

The Safer Cities strategy seeks to build partnerships and collaborations—among businesses, criminal justice agencies, community groups, private organizations and City Departments—using the broken windows approach to develop creative solutions.

As part of Safer Cities, additional LAPD officers will be assigned to Central Division beginning in September to abate criminal activity. Additionally, the Department is working closely with the American Civil Liberties Union to reach reasonable working solutions to address an unresolved lawsuit that limits police officers’ ability to arrest people for sleeping on the street.

The LAPD remains committed to achieving its public safety goals in the skid row area. Increased LAPD presence, however, is only part of the solution.

Torie Osborn, who focuses on homelessness solutions for Mayor Villaraigosa, said it best.

"I think there are people who think that public safety is the answer to poverty and homelessness," Ms. Osborn is quoted as saying in the Times. "I don't think it is, and the mayor doesn't think it is."

"You can't ask the police to transform an entrenched community of homelessness and alienation," she went on to say. "You need medical treatment, addiction treatment, recovery beds and, most of all, supportive housing."

What Ms. Osborn proposes is the true, long-term solution to combating homelessness in Los Angeles and throughout the county. Homelessness is a social ill that we cannot arrest our way out of.

William J. Bratton

Chief of Police, Los Angeles Police Department

Spate of Truck Tailgate Thefts in San Fernando Valley

Los Angeles: Los Angeles police detectives want owners of American made trucks, especially those owners who live in the San Fernando Valley, to be aware of tailgate thefts. 

All five of the LAPD San Fernando Valley police divisions have experienced tailgate thefts sporadically, but Mission Division has had an unusually high number in the last week.  Thirty-six tailgates have been removed from trucks so far this year; nine taken between Wednesday, August 9 and Sunday, the thirteenth.

Some newer models of trucks have tailgate locks to deter thefts, but most trucks do not.  "Owners can protect themselves by installing after-market tailgate locks," said LAPD spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vernon.  "The locks cost about $25, versus the cost of a replacement tailgate for $1,000."

Tailgates do not have serial or identification numbers, so thieves can easily sell them to unscrupulous repair shops.  Owners can also increase the likelihood of getting a stolen tailgate returned by etching the truck vehicle identification number or the owner’s license number on the tailgate.

The most commonly targeted trucks have been model year 2000 and newer Fords, Chevrolets, Dodges, and GMCs.

Anyone with information on suspects or leads is requested to contact Mission Auto Detectives at 818-838-9810.  On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at the Detective Information Desk, at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).

SWAT CALL OUT - NEWTON AREA

During the early morning hours of Thursday August 10, 2006, Newton Area officers responded to a radio call of a despondent male inside a two-story single family home in the area of 29th Street and Maple Avenue.  Located just south of Downtown Los Angeles.  Officers found a man confined to a wheelchair, indeed despondent, but armed with a high-caliber rifle with possible hostages. 

Under the leadership of Captain Dennis Kremins, Newton Area, a command post was established to coordinate the response of Department and City resources, e.g.,SWAT, Los Angeles Fire Department and Crisis Negotiators.  Unlike television programming and or motion pictures where incidents like this take minutes to resolve this incident would take 20 hours.  LAPD SWAT officers, Newton Patrol officers, and the Crisis Negotiators worked jointly to bring stability to the problem.  This included evacuating nearby residents, who were provided temporary housing by the American Red Cross, and re-directing both pedistrian and vehicular traffic.  LAFD Firefigthers and Paramedics worked through shifts to provide adequate resources.

SWAT, an experienced and elite team, was able to make entry when the suspect momentarily released the high caliber rifle.  The entry team was able to secure the home and take the suspect into custody without harm to either the suspect or officers.  The suspect was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. 

A job well done by Newton Area, whose quick response and analysis stabilized the situation.  SWAT and the Crisis Negotiators for their expertise and extreme patience in dealing with a person in need of medical attention.  LAFD, as always, the finest fire department in the world.

For attentional information please visit www.lafdblog.com. 

Lieutenant Ruben De La Torre

Public Communications Section

 

Residential Distraction Burglaries Target Elderly Victims in Los Angeles

Los Angeles:  Detectives are investigating a series of home burglaries that have occurred throughout Los Angeles in recent months.  The crimes are being committed by organized groups of transient thieves who prey on vulnerable elderly victims.

The suspects, a diverse group of males and females, ages 17 to 50, have been variously described as Caucasian, Eastern European, Hispanic, Filipino and "Gypsy."  They often work in teams and pose as utility company employees, construction workers, plumbers or individuals claiming to be searching for a lost pet.  They are sometimes accompanied by small children.  Some are narcotics users.

The suspects always ask for the victim's permission before entering their home or backyard, on the pretense of inspecting a plumbing, electrical or construction problem, or say they are looking for a lost pet.  The suspects are usually very courteous and convincing.  Once the victim(s) is distracted, a secondary team of burglars enters the residence and steals valuables.  The burglars target elderly victims living in single family homes.

Most recently, on August 2, 2006, a distraction burglary of an elderly victim in Pacific Area was observed by an off-duty LAPD officer who lived across the street.  The officer's actions foiled the crime and resulted in the arrest of Franklin Peck, 35, who was charged with elder abuse, residential burglary, possession of controlled substances and outstanding warrants.

Police are seeking to raise public awareness of these crimes.  Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jeff Anderson or Detective Dimitri Kort, Commercial Crimes Division, at 213-485-2524, during normal business hours.  After hours and on weekends, call the 24-hour toll free Detective Information Desk at 1-877-LAW-FULL (1-877-529-3855).

The identities of callers wishing to remain anonymous shall be protected.

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Woman's Body Found in Eagle Rock, Local Man Arrested

Los Angeles:  Detectives arrested a local man for murder after they followed tire tracks from a dead woman's body on a street in Eagle Rock to a man's house a few blocks away.

Around 1:30 this morning, August 16, 2006, a resident coming home from work found the woman's dead body lying on the street, in the 5200 block of Loleta Avenue in Eagle Rock. 

Los Angeles Fire paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.  She was initially described as Caucasian and between 30 and 40 years old.  Her body was nearly nude.  The cause of death was not immediately apparent.  The coroner's office later identified her as a 42-year-old Hispanic woman, whose name was withheld pending notification to her family.

"We will have to wait for the coroner's examination before we know how the woman died," said LAPD spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vernon.  “There is no doubt, though, that she was a victim of foul play.”

Uniformed officers noticed a distinct tire trail leading from the woman's body, north to Hill Drive, then west to Vincent Street.  The trail lead directly to 5127 Vincent Street, the home of David Deltoro, 50, who is a Los Angeles City Fire Captain.

Deltoro was detained at his home soon after the woman's body was found, then booked on murder charges around 3:00 PM by Robbery Homicide detectives.  Deltoro's bail was set at $1 million.

Anyone with information is asked to call Robbery Homicide Division at 213-485-2129.  On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-817-529-3855).

Golay and Rutterschmidt Arrested on Murder Charges

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles police detectives arrested 75-year-old Helen Golay and 73-year-old Olga Rutterschmidt this evening around 7 PM after a federal judge released the two women from federal custody so they could be re-arrested on state Capital Murder charges.

Both women were booked on charges of murdering Paul Vados, 73, and Kenneth McDavid, 50, in order to claim insurance proceeds.  Both women have already been indicted federally on mail fraud charges in connection with their scheme.  Both men's deaths were initially investigated as hit-and-run accidents, Vados in 1999 and McDavid in 2005.

"We owe a debt to the Los Angeles office of the FBI," said lead investigator Detective Dennis Kilcoyne.  "They put the federal case together so we could take both these women out of circulation before they could strike again.  That gave us breathing room to complete the homicide investigation."

Detectives also relied on assistance from the State Department of Insurance to help locate the life insurance policies the women opened on their targeted victims.  Representatives from the FBI and the Department of Insurance were both present as the women were booked.

The murder charges are based upon the totality of the circumstances behind the women's scheme.  The keystone in the case was connecting DNA found on a silver Mercury Sable station wagon to Kenneth McDavid's 2005 death in a West Los Angeles alley.  "We found tissue in three locations on the undercarriage of the car," Kilcoyne said.  "We have records to show both women bought this car in 2004, then they stored it at Golay's house."  The car was later abandoned and sold off for storage fees.

Detectives believe the women are directly involved in killing the men.  "We think they drugged them with pills or alcohol first, then ran over them," added Kilcoyne.

Investigators found applications for $800,000 life insurance policies for these men.  As the case moves toward trial, detectives released two photographs and the three names in the hopes of locating and interviewing the men:  Nicolas Koos, born November 17, 1939; Jimmy Allen Covington, born August 9, 1960, and Scott B. Gones.  No picture or birth date was available for Gones.  Detectives believe Covington may be in the San Francisco area. 

Golay and Rutterschmidt will be arraigned tomorrow morning in Division 30 of the downtown Superior Courthouse.

Detective Dennis Kilcoyne will take media questions in front of Parker Center tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 PM.

Double Murder in Montecito Heights

 Los Angeles: A man was arrested for stabbing his common-law wife and stepson during a family dispute at their home on 28th Avenue.  Two young children were taken into protective custody.

When police arrived around 10:00 PM last night, August 14, 2006, they found Carol Bloomfield, 36, and Jonathon Bloomfield, 15, suffering from stab wounds.  Bloomfield's common-law husband, Emilio Heredia, 39, was also present and wounded.  Carol died at the scene, and Jonathon died soon after at a local hospital.

Officers arrested Heredia and booked him for the murders of his wife and stepson. 

A 2-year-old and 7-month-old child were in the home at the time of the incident.  Neither were injured, but officers placed the children under protective custody.  Heredia and Bloomfield were the parents of both children.

Heredia is being held on $2 million bail.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Detective Scott Smith, Hollenbeck Detectives, at 323-526-3679.  On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).

Chief Voices Concern over Assaults on Officers

Los Angeles:  Police Chief William J. Bratton voiced his concern today over a rise in the number of gun assaults on police officers this year.  The news conference was held following the ambush Saturday night of two LAPD officers patrolling in Montecito Heights, during which one officer was seriously wounded by an assault rifle.  Two men have been arrested in connection with the shooting.

City Councilman Jose Huizar and Police Commissioner Andrea Ordin joined Chief Bratton at the news conference to decry the number of assaults on officers and ask the public's help in providing information to solve such crimes.

"While homicides are down six percent and aggravated assaults are down over nine percent, I'm concerned that gun assaults on officers are up nearly 100 percent," said Chief Bratton.  "The dichotomy speaks to the number of guns available to criminals and their propensity to use them."

Saturday night's attack left Officer James Tuck wounded three times, most seriously in the left wrist.  Surgeons worked yesterday to repair his hand, and doctors remain hopeful he will regain its full use.  A bullet also pierced Tuck's ballistic vest through the back panel.

Since July 3, 2025 last year, officers in Hollebeck Area have come under fire six times by assailants, more often than any other police area in the city.  In most of the cases, the gunmen have been gang members, though there appeared to be no gang affiliation in Saturday night's assault.

For all of last year, LAPD officers were shot at 15 times.  The shooting on Saturday already matches that total for this year.  Of the 15 shootings at officers this year, officers returned fire only four times. 

Detectives released the names of both men arrested for the assaults: Jose Perez, 31, who was wounded by the officers' return fire, and Alfredo Escobedo, 36, who was driving the black Honda both men were riding in at the time of the incident.  Perez was arrested immediately after the shooting, while Escobedo was located a block away about 90 minutes later.  Both men were booked on charges of Attempted Murder of the two police officers.

As the investigation progressed, detectives reported that Officer Tuck and his partner, Officer
John Porras, both fired at Perez, who was struck in the leg.  "These two officers did everything right, given the circumstances they faced that night," Bratton said.  "It's amazing that Officer Tuck was able to draw and fire his weapon, given the severity of this wounds."

"I was gratified to hear of the good Samaritans on Sierra Avenue who came out of their homes to help Officer Tuck with blankets and water," added Chief Bratton. 

Detectives released the booking photographs of both suspects in the hope of soliciting more information from the public about the men's activities in the days prior to the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Robbery Homicide Division at 213-485-2129.  On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).  Callers may remain anonymous.

Hollenbeck Area Officer Upbeat Following Assault-Rifle Attack

Chief William J. Bratton announced on August 14 that Hollenbeck Area Officer James Tuck, 26, remains in good spirits, despite sustaining serious injuries from an AK-47 assault late Saturday night.

"This was an attempted assassination on two police officers," Chief Bratton said. "We can credit the officers’ quick reactions and excellent training for keeping these two violent criminals from getting away. I am very thankful that neither officer was killed."

The incident took place in the Montecito Heights area when Officer Tuck and his partner, Officer John Porras, 48, made a traffic stop. As their police car rolled to a stop behind the vehicle, a passenger violently emerged, charging the officers and spraying the police car with high-velocity rounds.

Most bullets hit the passenger side of the police car, through the windshield, striking Officer Tuck at least three times. As a result, Officer Tuck’s left hand was nearly severed at the wrist. He also sustained two other wounds, one on the right elbow and one on the back. Officer Porras sustained wounds to the face from glass fragments. Both officers returned fire, stopping the attack, and wounding one of the assailants. One suspect was arrested at the scene, while the second man—who drove away—was later detained. Both suspects have been booked for Attempted Murder of a Police Officer.

At a midmorning news conference two days after the attack, Chief Bratton expressed concern at the rising number of unprovoked firearm assaults on officers. This marks the fifteenth attack this year, in comparison to nine similar assaults at this time last year. In 2006, Hollenbeck Area officers have experienced the highest surge in such deadly aggression.

"Too often the public takes for granted the risks that police officers face," Chief Bratton said. "Though, I was gratified to hear about the good Samaritans who came out to help Officer Tuck with blankets and water."

Officer Tuck graduated from the police academy about nine months ago, while Officer Porras is an 18-year LAPD veteran.

Speaking to Officer Tuck’s disposition in the hospital, Chief Bratton said the rookie officer appears undaunted by the situation. The Chief said he smiles often and enjoys the company of family and friends.

To illustrate Officer Tuck’s positive outlook, Chief Bratton recounted an exchange between the two. The Chief said, "When I asked if there was anything I could do for him, he said, ‘We really need some water coolers at Hollenbeck Station.’"