Free Republic

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating after a homeowner shot and killed a home invasion suspect. Officers were first called to a home in the 11400 block of Swinton Avenue in Granada Hills around 5 a.m. Saturday morning on calls of a “hot prowl,” or a burglary in progress when the homeowner is present, law enforcement officials said. “The officers’ preliminary investigation determined that approximately three to four armed males in their 20s entered the home with the intent to burglarize the location,” LAPD said on X, formerly Twitter, just after 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. “A suspect pointed a...

A massive “street takeover” in the Granada Hills neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley led to 11 arrests and several injuries, including two officers who were hurt while trying to break up the crowd, authorities said. Video of the Saturday night incident shows cars screeching and spewing exhaust as they drive in tight circles, or “doughnuts,” at San Fernando Mission and Balboa boulevards. 21 vehicles were impounded and 25 citations were issued... So-called street takeovers or sideshows involve street racers or members of car clubs taking over a stretch of road or an intersection to perform burnouts, doughnuts and other...

LOS ANGELES – A real estate development consultant has agreed to plead guilty to a federal racketeering offense for participating in a wide-ranging “pay-to-play” scheme in which developers bribed public officials – including a member of the Los Angeles City Council – to secure official acts that would benefit their projects.          George Chiang, 41, of Granada Hills, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute.          Chiang was charged with participating in the RICO conspiracy in a criminal information filed today in United States District Court. In conjunction with...

A Black Lives Matter activist said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey's husband brandished a gun at her as she, along with other protesters, rallied outside the couple's home in Granada Hills early Monday morning. Melina Abdullah, one of the the most vocal Black Lives Matter organizers in Los Angeles, released video of the confrontation she said happened between her and Lacey's husband David at around 5:40 a.m. The footage opens with a man holding up a firearm at his door saying: "Get off of my porch, right now. Get off." A woman is heard responding: "Good morning. Are...

A month after the rollout of California’s massive effort to issue driver’s licenses to 1.5 million undocumented immigrants, the process is working overall in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Still, many applicants report a mixed bag of experiences. Local advocacy groups are scrambling to address overflowing driver’s license preparation classes. Some test-takers are showing up at the Department of Motor Vehicles without studying, and some tech-phobes fear the touch-screen test format that allows four minutes for each question. Language kinks were being untangled last week for Mixteco speakers after confusion over whether translators could assist during the written and...