Suspects arrested in Wilmington shooting of two deputies

Authorities on Saturday identified two suspects in the shooting of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department SWAT team members who were serving a search warrant in Wilmington early Friday. 

Aaron Collins, 28, of New Orleans and Carlos Mercado, 27, of Carson were in custody after Friday’s shooting in the 1200 block of Ronan Avenue in Wilmington, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Collins was booked on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer. Mercado, who had outstanding warrants for traffic violations, was booked on a narcotics charge. 

Imprisoned ex-congressman wants gun rights restored

Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, nearing completion of a prison sentence for bribery and tax evasion, has asked the judge who sentenced him to restore his right to carry weapons so he can enter shooting contests and hunt bears and cougars after he is released.

In a letter to District Judge Larry Burns, Cunningham said that he will be 71 when he's released from prison in December to a halfway house in Little Rock, Ark., and that he has cancer. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing firearms.

Bicyclist struck by SUV, then fatally shot in Koreatown

A man on a bicycle was shot dead and another man was wounded in Koreatown on Saturday afternoon, police said.

A bicyclist was struck by a white SUV near the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and San Marino Street around 1:20 p.m., according to Los Angeles Police Officer Karen Rayner. 

L.A. County seeks extradition of woman in ex-husband's slaying

Los Angeles County authorities are seeking the extradition of a woman arrested in Mississippi this week on a murder warrant in connection with the 2007 fatal shooting of her former husband in Whittier.

Patrick Duffey, 50, was found dead in his home in the 15800 block on Sharon Hill Drive on April 26, 2007.

Ex-wife of police officer arrested on suspicion of Ventura murder

The ex-wife of a Ventura police officer has been arrested in the 2009 slaying of her aunt, a crime that stunned one of the city’s upscale waterfront neighborhoods.

Gina Drake, 45, was booked into Ventura County Jail on Friday — nearly three years after the stabbing death of Wendy DiRodio, 61.

CHP shifting to SUVs for patrol cruisers

When Ford announced it would stop making the Crown Victoria sedan, the California Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies around the country were faced with replacing the iconic cop car.

Some agencies decided to go smaller with police versions of cars like the Chevy Caprice and Dodge Charger sedans.

Prosecution of false accuser in rape case seen as difficult

A day after a former high school football star had his rape conviction dismissed, attention focused on the woman who recanted the sexual assault claim she made 10 years ago.

Wanetta Gibson was a high school sophomore when she accused Brian Banks of raping her at Long Beach Poly High School. She and her family sued the school, receiving a $750,000 settlement, and Banks spent five years in prison after pleading no contest to forcible rape.

Man confessed in 2 Orange County slayings, transcript says

A community theater actor accused of killing two friends in an elaborate plot to frame one for the slaying of the other confessed to police immediately after his arrest, according to a grand jury transcript that was made public Friday."I'm crazy, and I did it," Daniel Patrick Wozniak, 28, told a Costa Mesa detective after the 2010 killings, according to the testimony.

Wozniak, who was arrested at his own bachelor party just days after the crimes, is accused of luring Samuel Herr, 26, to the Liberty Theater at the Los Alamitos Army Airfield and shooting him twice in the head.

Ex-football player, wrongly jailed for rape, wants money from state

A former high school football star who had his rape conviction dismissed plans no legal action against the woman who recanted the sexual assault claim she made 10 years ago.

But Brian Banks, 26, does plan to file a claim against the state, seeking money for his time behind bars, his attorney said.

Two girls die, trapped in trailer engulfed by flame

Two toddlers died in a fire that broke out Friday at a trailer home near Bakersfield.

The fire occurred in the town of Edison where the girls, believed to be about 2 and 3 years old, were playing with two older boys, about 4 and 5.

Mom accused of trying to drown son was ranting, witnesses say

A Palmdale mother was being held on $1 million bail after authorities alleged she tried to drown her 8-year-old son in their apartment complex swimming pool.

Witnesses told TV reporters they heard the woman yelling at her son, "You have to go. This is the end of the world."

Crime alerts for Vermont Square, Beverly Grove and 19 other L.A. neighborhoods

Crime reports are up significantly in 21 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of the latest week of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

16 neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Vermont Square (A) was the most unusual, recording 25 reports compared with a weekly average of 10.9 over the last three months.

Beverly Grove (Q) topped the list of five neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 30 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 15.6 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for May 17–May 23, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

Violent crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Vermont Square	10.9	25
Watts	9.5	17
Winnetka	2.1	6
Downtown	20.5	31
Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw	5.5	11
Exposition Park	6.6	17
Venice	3.2	5
Chesterfield Square	3.1	8
Harbor Gateway	1.9	6
Woodland Hills	1.8	4
Van Nuys	7.2	14
Echo Park	2.5	5
Hyde Park	8.3	16
Koreatown	9.6	13
University Park	1.4	3
North Hollywood	6.0	10

Property crime up significantly

Neighborhood	Average	Reports
Beverly Grove	15.6	30
Century City	4.4	8
Gramercy Park	6.1	14
Vermont Vista	12.8	22
South Park	12.5	21

Gang members sentenced to 30 years for botched Gardena shooting

Two gang members were sentenced to 30-year prison terms this week after pleading guilty to attempted murder and other charges involving a botched ambush shooting in an unincorporated area near Gardena in March.

Michael Atkins, 21, and Donte Butler, 20, shot at and missed two people they mistook for rival gang members in the 14500 block of South Keened Avenue, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a  statement. A patrol deputy spotted them fleeing the  scene on foot and gave chase.

Deputies fired on while serving warrant in Wilmington

Two men were arrested after someone opened fire on deputies serving a search warrant early Friday on a house in the 1200 block of Ronan Avenue in Wilmington, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

Two members of the sheriff's special weapons team were struck by bullet and stucco fragments and were treated at the scene for minor injuries, a department statement said. One of the rounds hit a deputy's weapon.

Actor said of 2 slayings, 'I'm crazy and I did it,' transcripts show

A community theater actor accused of killing two friends in an elaborate plot to frame one for the other's murder confessed to police immediately after his arrest, according to a grand jury transcript made public Friday.

“I'm crazy, and I did it,” Daniel Patrick Wozniak, 28, told a Costa Mesa detective after the 2010 killings, according to the testimony.