Just in from Northeast Division: Robbery in Echo Park

This just came in from the Northeast Division E-Policing Newsletter, and it’s a little scary. Be careful out there!

On September 7th, 2010 at approximately 12:05 AM a street robbery occurred in the Echo Park area. The victim, a female, was walking near Laveta Terrace and Scott Avenue with a male friend. Two suspects appraoched on foot, one armed with a baseball bat. They demanded the victims property then struck the victims friend on the leg with the bat. The victim complied and surrendered her property. The suspects then fled the area by vehicle.

Approximately 50 minutes later near Ames Street and Ben Lomond in the Franklin Hills area, a lone male was walking home when he was approached by two suspects that were armed with baseball bats. The suspects demanded his property. When the victim refused and began to scream for help, he was struck on the head with the bat. The suspects fled on foot.

The suspects are described as being male hispanic, approximately 16 to 20 years of age and wearing dark colored hoodies. In one incident their vehicle was described as a white 4 door sedan, possibly a 1980’s model.

While both crimes occurred miles apart , they have a variety of similarities that have led us to believe that they were committed by the same suspects. The investigations continue, and at this time there is nothing that indicates that the victims were chosen based on sex, descent, race, or sexual preferance. It does appear that the most common factor is the location of each crime and time of day. Both areas were dark with little vehicle or foot traffic. It has not been determined if the incidents are gang related.

Anyone with any information on these two incidents is urged to contact the Northeast Robbery Detectives at ( 213) 485-2566 or after hours, the Northeast Watch Commander at (213) 485-2563. (DR#101119069 and 011119139)

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Echo Park shooting last night results in death of a teenager

Today is a heartbreaking day for the family of a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed around 11:30 last night near Temple Street and Union Avenue. The Eastsider LA and L.A. Now are both reporting that it may have been a gang-related shooting.

L.A. Now quotes LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh as saying:

A male suspect walked up to the victim at the corner of Temple Street and Union Avenue about 11:30 p.m., Borihanh said. The suspect, described as 19 to 24 years old, fired multiple rounds at the victim with a handgun, striking the victim in the head and shoulder.

Lt. Wes Buhrmester of the Rampart Division told The Eastsider LA that the victim was in an argument with the suspect, who fired five rounds:

Right now (8:00 a.m.), the investigation is still ongoing.  Rampart Homicide Unit detectives responded to the scene, and are still here, piecing things together.  The victim has been identified and his parents notified and interviewed, however because he is a juvenile his name is being withheld at this time.

Thanks to The Eastsider LA and L.A. Now for keeping us in the know. Be safe everyone!

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Sobriety checkpoint tonight in Echo Park

It may not be a holiday weekend, but tonight (Friday, August 20) is another Sobriety/DUI checkpoint in Echo Park, this time on Glendale Blvd. at Berkeley (thankfully not on Sunset Blvd. this time, which usually holds up that outgoing Stadium traffic we all love to hate).

Expect the traffic stop to occur from 7:00 pm to around 12:30 pm. We will have to find out after they set up whether or not it’s directed at north-bound or south-bound traffic (or both) on Glendale Blvd.

Be safe out there!

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Gunshots: A common occurrence in Echo Park?

On Saturday, August 14, shots were fired near Echo Park Lake, injuring one man. That same night at 12:30 am, residents heard gunshots on Echo Park Avenue near Baxter. Then yesterday (Sunday, August 15), another round of shots were fired in the 7-Eleven parking lot on Sunset Blvd. and Rosemont, injuring one man. We are all starting to wonder, what the heck is going on?

The past couple of months, there have been a noticeable surge in gunshot reports. An ambitious reader of the neighborhood blogs has put together a list of those reports we’ve read about on our neighborhood forums and websites, a list that reveals just how often these things may be occurring in the neighborhood:

  • August 15 at around noon: 7-Eleven parking lot, one man injured, does not appear to be gang related.
  • August 15 at 12:30 am: Residents report shots new Echo Park Ave. and Baxter
  • August 14 at 1:00 pm: East side of Echo Park Lake, one man injured, likely gang related.
  • August 6, 10:30 pm: Northern Echo Park Avenue (Valentine or Avalon), no one injured but no evidence of a shooting.
  • July 27 at 3:30 am: Angelino Heights, 1400 block of Ridge Way.
  • July 25 at 3:00 am: Echo Park Lake vicinity (Montrose St.) – shot fired during bike robbery
  • July 24 at 4:00 pm: The Higher Path dispensary robbery and murder.
  • July 21 at 2:00 am: Shooting outside of The Echo, three people injured.
  • June 30 at 2:30 pm: Occurred Near Rosemont Elementary School, several shots fired.
  • May 18 at 4:00 pm: Edgeware and Court St., gang related (one block from where 4-year-old Roberto Lopez, Jr. was killed by a stray bullet in 2009).

h/t to The Eastsider LA for keeping all of us in the know about the shootings in our neighborhood, which we love so much. Has Echo Park changed in the past 10 years? If it hasn’t will it ever?

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Shots fired in Echo Park this afternoon

Things look pretty peaceful right now at Echo Park Lake, but The Eastsider LA is reporting that shots were fired earlier this afternoon near Laguna and Echo Park Avenue, leaving one man injured:

An afternoon shooting near Echo Park Lake left one man injured in what one resident described a “Wild West” scene, police said.  The victim told police he was fired upon by suspects in a car  on Echo Park Avenue, said Sgt. Michael Mabie with the Rampart Division.  Details are still sketchy but the man – who was shot in the leg and was grazed in the back by another bullet – was able to drive himself or have a relative drive him to a nearby hospital, Mabie said.  No suspects were in custody and police were still interviewing residents.

A resident commented on the article, saying, “First thing I screamed as I went outside is anybody hurt? It has been over 15 years since I have heard so many shots. Thanks to all the neighbors on Laguna for the descriptions given to the police.”

There’s a LOT of tagging on along Laguna Avenue near Laveta Terrace, but the Eastsider article says it’s unclear the tagging is related.

Click here to read the full article.

UPDATE:
The Eastsider LA reported an update last night, saying the shooting does appear to be gang related and that the victim is believed to be a gang member.

If you have any information about the incident on Sunday, call the Rampart Division at (213) 484-3400.

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Echo Park Dispensary Shooting Update

Flickr photo via Walking Flower

News sources (including Echo Park’s own Eastsider LA) are reporting one arrest has been made and another suspect being sought for the robbery and shooting that took place on June 24 at the Higher Path marijuana dispensary in Echo Park. The LAPD held a news conference today to announce new developments in the case, specifically the arrest of 31-year-old Daniel “Scooter” Hinton. They are still looking for another suspect, 27-year-old Raymond Lemone Easter. Hinton is currently being held without bail.

The robbery resulted in the slaying of dispensary employee Matthew Butcher and the injury of the store’s security guard.

h/t The Eastsider LA for the scoop!

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Arrest Made in Shooting at The Echo

Photo via ChinaShop Magazine

The Eastsider LA is reporting that police have made an arrest in relation to the June 21 shooting outside of The Echo nightclub in Echo Park.

The incident occurred around 2:00 am on Monday, June 21. A Rampart Division officer told us in an update that the suspect supposedly shot at a security guard after being denied entry into the club. The suspect was described as: “a stocky White or Latino male standing 5′-8″ to 5′-11″ tall and weighing between 200 to 230 pounds, according to preliminary reports.”

The shooting injured three people, two were released from the hospital after being treated, the third was shot in the torso and was hospitalized (we have no updates on his condition at this time).

Lt. Wes Buhrmester with the LAPD Rampart Division told The Eastsider LA today: “Our gang unit followed a bunch of leads and made an arrest in that shooting at the Echo, which occurred on June 21. They just did so a little while ago after serving a search and arrest warrant.”

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Echo Park Crime Updates

At last night’s Echo Park Improvement Association’s Town Hall meeting, we had a rep from both the Northeast and Rampart Divisions to provide us with an update on crime in the Echo Park area. Some notes worthy of mention are:

  • Officer Hill says the Yankee Game weekend enforcement went well, that they were citing people for public drinking as early as 10:00 am in Elysian Park. Northeast also had a DUI task force in place near stadium exits for drunk drivers.
  • Two significant arrests were made Wednesday in relation to recent burglaries (one on Clifford by the elementary school). Approximately four or five people retrieved their stolen property from that bust.
  • From the Rampart Division, there are no new updates on the robbery at the Higher Path Dispensary last week.
  • July 4th is on Sunday, and we were reminded that fireworks are illegal in Los Angeles. Anyone who has lived in Echo Park during a 4th of July knows the havoc that goes on at the Lake. Officers will be responding to calls if residents notify 311 (or 911 if it’s an emergency) of any illegal activity.
  • Update on the shooting at the Echo a couple of weeks ago: the Rampart officer at the meeting last night says apparently someone had been denied entry into the club, so he came back and shot at a security guard.

And from Captain Bill Murphy, we have some information to share from the Northeast Division E-Policing Newsletter we received yesterday:

National Night Out will take place in Echo Park at the Walgreens on Tuesday, August 3 from 5-8:00 pm. “National Night Out is a fun and informative event with entertainment provided at each site.”

Dodger Night: “On Wednesday July 28, 2010, from 6-9:00 pm at the Dodger Stadium Stadium Club overlooking the right field and first base lines. The Dodgers recently renovation the Stadium Club and it now has an overhang deck with a spectacular view of the ballpark. Everyone is invited to this event and free parking will be provided in lot L. Come hear from your Captains, SLOs, and elected officials regarding the ‘State of Northeast Area.’ Make sure you get there early as last year several hundred people attended this event.”

Neighborhood Crime Update:

Echo Park

Over the last week the crime looks good. Over the past 28 days there are some property crimes occuring along the Sunset corridor mostly from late PM hours through daybreak (a few car break-in and GTAs). We had a bad burglary problem that I spoke about in the last newsletter. This has been cleaned up tremendously with several arrests of burglars over the past four weeks.

Elysian Valley

Very clear over the past week – only a few property crimes over the past 28 days.

You can contact Captain Murphy at 26152@lapd.lacity.org. To sign up for the E-Policing Newsletter, go to lapdonline.org. Then click on E-Policing in the navigation. All you have to do is provide your email address and you’re set!

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Trouble near Elysian Park Ave. and Sunset Blvd.

Tweets started coming in not too long ago about road closures and traffic building up on Sunset Blvd., and The Eastsider LA is now reporting that police are searching for a gunman following a possible shooting.

Photo via resident and business owner Justin Warwick

The photo above, taken by Warwick owner Justin Warwick, shows that LAPD are diverting traffic on Sunset Blvd.

In addition, ABC7 is reporting the following:

LAPD officers were on the scene of a reported shooting near Echo Park on Sunset Blvd. Thursday afternoon.

The shooting occurred on the 1300 block of West Sunset Blvd. at about 4:13 p.m. Thursday, according to the LAPD.

One person has been transported by firefighters.

No suspects were arrested.

Police did not immediately release further details.

Los Angeles Police were investigating the incident.

We’ll keep you posted! Follow us on Twitter!

UPDATES:

LA NOW reports that one man at the pot dispensary, The Higher Path, where the robbery took place was killed, while another is in the hospital. The Echo Park robbery occured at around 4:15 pm, and hours later at 9:15 pm another dispensary was robbed El Centro Avenue in Hollywood, leaving another employee dead. The LAPD have not yet determined whether or not the two events are linked.

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Shooting Outside The Echo Spooks Residents

According to several news sources, a man parked out front of The Echo opened fire on a few people who were leaving the nightclub last night at around 2:00 am. Two of the men were injured but released from the hospital, but the third was shot in the torso and is still hospitalized.

Rampart Police have not yet determined why the gunman opened fire or if there’s any connection to the victims, but the thought of such random violence has some of us Echo Park residents a little spooked.

“Scary stuff. I may have made an error in judgment in moving to this neighborhood,” wrote resident “Chris L” on The Eastsider LA comments section about the event.

But Lt.Wes Buhrmester of the Rampart Patrol Division is trying to be reassuring, responded to the comment: “You did not make an error in judgment in moving to Echo Park. And I say this being a resident of LA (Montecito Heights) myself. This was not borne out of any activity by the victims, or by the establishment. We are trying to establish motive. While it is not apparent as those of many crimes, there was some reason for the suspect to fire at the group, and we will ascertain it. Echo Park is still an excellent place to live, work, visit and do business. Unfortunately, no areas are immune to violence.”

We are hoping for a connection so that this doesn’t end up being some random violence that we could all be subject to. Be safe out there!

UPDATES:

  • It’s possible the suspect may have been standing in the street when the shots were fired, rather than parked on a motorcycle out front. The investigation is ongoing.
  • The Echo is beefing up security. From the website: “We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred outside of our venue last night and are concerned about the well being of those injured. As the investigation is on-going, we are unable to make any further statements regarding the details of the incident at this time. Please be assured that safety is our first priority and to ease the concerns of our patrons, The Echo will have additional security and street patrols in place for upcoming shows.”

Related Articles:

  • “Three injured in shooting outside Echo Park nightclub.” The Eastsider LA, June 21, 2010
  • “3 men outside popular Echo Park club wounded after gunman opens fire.” LA Now, June 21, 2010
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Sobriety Checkpoint Tonight in Echo Park

The last sobriety checkpoint was not too long ago (on May 5), but another one has already been set up in Echo Park for the Memorial Day weekend drivers. The Cinco de Mayo DUI checkpoint had three DUI arrests, 15 citations issued, and 14 cars impounded (stats from Captain Bill Murphy).

The checkpoint is located at Sunset Blvd. and Portia, just in front of Little Joy and A Grocery Warehouse.

No reason to get down about the DUI checkpoint. If you’re looking for a place to hang out for a while, ECOS vintage store is having a DUI checkpoint sale with 50% off vinyl records (located at 1529 Sunset Blvd.).

Be careful out there! The checkpoints usually last until midnight or sometimes a little later.

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Northeast Crime Update

Here’s your Northeast Division Neighborhood Crime Update from Captain Bill Murphy:

Echo Park
We have a burglary trend in this neighborhood between noon to 6 PM. We have detained and/or arrested some suspects over the past week Some of these crimes maybe committed by juveniles and we have tremendously increased truant enforcement in the neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silverlake. One resident attempted to detain a subject (juvenile suspect) and unfortunately, he broke away and took off (please be careful about taking action into your own hands – your life is not worth taking this risk over). We did get a composite of this subject and put it out to all of our police officers.

Note: We did have an incident that occurred yesterday in East Hollywood (will not be in these crime statistics and the suspect is probably not involved in any Echo Park or Silverlake burglaries – but its an amusing story.)

Yesterday a lady came home and when she pulled into her driveway she noticed that her garage door was open and that a man was inside her garage rummaging through her other vehicle parked in the garage. She immediately asked him what he was doing in the garage and he yelled “I am looking for my friend.” Knowing that he was not her friend, she immediately pressed the garage door remote control she had in the vehicle she was driving – and then drove her vehicle up against the garage door to trap the suspect inside. She then calmly phone 9-1-1 and reported the burglary-in-progress as the suspect began to bang on the inside door pleading ” please let me out – I am on parole – I just got out of jail.- I can’t go back” He was immediately arrested and will be heading back to a confining 9 x 12 foot cell. While I do not recommend taking action – this was very quick thinking on the lady’s part which resulted in the suspect’s capture!

And for good measure, here’s the rest of the crime update for the rest of the Northeast area:

Read more

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Northeast Crime Report Update

While Silver Lake, Highland Park, and some other neighboring areas are having some recent crime, Echo Park seems to be pretty quiet according to the most recent Northeast newsletter on recent crime events.

According to the email, Echo Park is reported as having “No trends or patterns over the past 28-day period. A few property crimes over the past week.”

The rest of the email reads as follows:

Read more

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“Distraction” burglary on Glendale Blvd.

From the E-Policing newsletter, sent today at around 1:00 pm:

On April 6th, 2010 at 3:15 PM an elderly distraction burglary occurred at the 2200 block of Glendale Blvd. The victim was approached by a male white who stated he needed to examine a cable wiring to the rear of her residence. She accompanied the male to the rear of the property and while there, a second suspect entered her residence and removed U.S. currency from her purse. Both suspects then fled the location. No vehicle was seen. The vict describe the suspect as Male White, Brown hair, Brown eyes, 5’10, 170 lbs, 25-30 years old. He was wearing a yellow shirt with “Tom Cat” written on the breast pocket and dark pants.

Please advise your neighbors of this in case they are not signed up for E-policing.

There are several things that you can do to prevent being a victim:

  • Do not answer your door to anyone that you do not know, even if they say it’s an emergency and need help
  • If they say they are from a utility service or other entity, ask for ID and/or phone the company and verify if they are representatives
  • Do not leave a worker inside your home while another one leads you around your home or yard
  • Report suspicious activity or people loitering in the area.

For emergencies, call 911
For Non-Emergencies call 1-877-ASK-LAPD

Be careful out there!

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Recent Car Break-ins in Echo Park

From a resident on the the Echo Elysian Forum:

In the past week we’ve had at least four car break ins that I’ve noticed plus my own car. We are in a strange pocket of EP – our streets bound the small portion of Elysian Park, Lilac Terrace and a small section of Montana and Elysian Park Drive. Coupled with that fact is the ongoing back and forth between LAPD and Parks about who patrols our area. And we’ve had a lot of gang tags. Personally, we call everything in we can, but I’m not sure if everyone in our area does the same.

We’re heading into Dodger season worried more about safety and far less about parking. We can handle parking. But we need a police presence in EP. When I first moved here 7 years ago we had patrol car cruising around that we saw at least twice a day.

Most of all I just want to warn my neighbors to take everything out of their cars that can be seen (phone chargers, loose change, any sort of portable electronics) and to call everything into NE division that happens – don’t just shrug your shoulders, say “it’s Echo Park” and move on… we deserve a safer neighborhood. I’m not talking Beverly Hills… I’m just saying we should be able to park on the streets and not have a 100% chance of break ins.

For you folks out there, the non-emergency phone number for the police is 877-275-5273. The direct line for the Northeast Division is 213-485-2563

There’s also the Echo Park Security Association, they have a meeting coming up on March 28 where you can find out how to get the group to patrol your neighborhood.

Be safe everyone!

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