Wow, I see some prison time in a cop’s future.  Incredible.  I had remarked privately to friends the day of the shooting that even if the incident was real, which I had assumed it was at the time, the ridiculously long ‘lock down’ of the area was absurd being that I’m sure the assailant was long gone by the time back up would have arrived.  What kind of elaborate scam was this officer trying to pull off?

LA Times Blog writes:

A Los Angeles school police officer who was wounded last week in a shooting that prompted authorities to shut down a large swath of Woodland Hills concocted a story that he was the victim of the shooting, authorities said Thursday night.

The startling revelation came at a hastily called news conference by Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck, who said detectives became suspicious about the officer’s story as they investigated the case.

Police earlier had said that Los Angeles Unified School District Officer Jeff Stenroos was shot in the chest after he was confronted by a man Jan. 19 as he was attempting to break into vehicles in Woodland Hills, near the eastern boundary of the El Camino Real High School campus.

The incident generated a massive police response that inconvenienced thousands of people for the day as officers blocked roads, shutdown schools and refuse to let people in or out of a 7-square-mile area.

More than 300 officers swarmed the west San Fernando Valley, locking down nine schools and setting up the dragnet as they looked for a suspect described as a white man in his 40s, wearing a bomber or black hooded jacket and blue jeans.

While many expressed frustration and anger at the inconvenience caused by the size and length of the operation, LAPD officials defended the decision as necessary to protect the public. They noted that the incident was especially serious because it involved an attack against a fellow law enforcement officer.

Authorities had even offered a $100,000 reward for information of the case and compiled a composite of the shooting suspect.

The Daily  News writes:

In what police called a rare string of robberies in the San Fernando Valley, two masked men on Saturday night robbed a liquor store, drug store and a sandwich shop – even taking cash and cell phones from patron, in less than 2 hours.

In an unrelated robbery, another armed suspect robbed a liquor store on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Karen Rayner said.

“It’s quite unusual to have so many in such a short span of time,” Rayner said Sunday.

The first robbery occurred at 8:45 p.m. when two men, one armed with a handgun, entered a liquor store in the 21000 block of Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills and demanded cash from the till.

About 15 minutes later, the same men robbed a sandwich shop in the 16000 block of Ventura Boulevard in Encino. At 10 p.m., the men robbed a large drug store in the 15600 block of Ventura Boulevard in Encino, Rayner said.

“They had their faces (partially) covered (with bandanas), were wearing gloves, demanded cash and ended up walking away with an undetermined amount of cash from all the locations,” Rayner said.

Rayner described the suspected robbers as black and between the ages of 20 to 30.

The suspects also demanded cash and cell phones from some customers in the businesses, Rayner said.

See the rest of the story at DailyNews.com.

Alert Message has been issued by the LAPD – Topanga.

Thursday August 19, 2010 1:47 PM PDT

Topanga Residents victims of vandalism.  See email for further inforamtion. Be aware!

During the late night hours of August 18, 2010, at approximately 11:00 p.m. members of the Topanga Area community were the victims of a series of vandalisms.  These occurred in the area of Sherman Way on the north, Vanowen Street on the south, Oakdale Avenue on the west and Corbin Avenue on the east.

The suspects are described as four (4) Male, White or Hispanic and are between the ages of 17 to 23. They spray painted garage doors, walls, sidewalks and vehicles using a black and or green spray paint to write profanities.

If you have information, please call the Topanga Area front desk at (818) 756-4800.  If you see suspicious people in your neighborhood, please call our dispatch at (877)275-5273,(877) ASK-LAPD or for a crime in progress please call 911.

If you would like to report anonymous tips please call CRIME STOPPERS at 800) 222-TIPS (8477) or text a tip to CRIMES (274637).

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/3204197/.

Dennis Zine’s office reminds us:

Councilman Dennis P. Zine would like to remind everyone that the City of Los Angeles offers a $1000.00 reward for the arrest and conviction of vandalism/graffiti suspects.  Please see www.lapdonline.org “Graffiti and Illegal Dumping Apprehension Program” for details.

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/3204907/.

LAPD is currently involved in a standoff with a woman in Reseda.  Suspect is armed with a 9mm handgun and is apparently depressed and on meds.  Her sister is in the process of evicting her from the home.  After police were called at 9pm this evening, suspect confronted police at entrance with handgun, then retreated into the home.  Thanks to Samira for the tip and to a police scanner on my Droid phone for more details.  Apparently there is also possibly a suicide note.  This might end badly.

(in progress)

Update: I had to go to bed around 1am, hopefully I can get some info on how this ended.

Update: According to ABC7, this ended peacefully:

RESEDA, Calif. (KABC) — A woman was arrest after a police standoff in Reseda on Tuesday that was apparently sparked when she was being evicted from her home.

Police said the two sisters who lived at a home on the 7300 block of Shirley Avenue got into an argument. It seems one of them was being evicted but refused to leave.

When police arrived at about 7:30 p.m, the sister being evicted grabbed a gun. Police called a SWAT team in, and the woman was eventually taken into custody without incident.

No one was injured in the incident.

Per, a loyal reader and Woodland Hills resident, writes on our Facebook wall:

Yesterday somebody planned to rob my house. Here is the story:

I was in bed, just about to sleep when my dogs start to bark like crazy. I turn the light on, and I hear my fence gate close with a bang. Then I saw two people walk very fast as they passed the house on the sidewalk.

Why then my house? It was dark and I now… only have one car, and that car is in the garage, there is an empty car space on the driveway. So it looked like nobody was home. It was my fault to forget to lock my gate. Had it been locked it probably would have been too much of an effort to climb a 7 foot fence, and climb out again with their loot.

On Friday night LAPD sent out this message via Nixle:

Police activity @ on schoenborn btwn topanga cyn and canoga. Avoid area.

Topanga is currently involved in a police activity.

Please avoid this area for the next several hours. Avoid schoenborn btwn Topanga Cyn and Canoga.

As it turns out, someone decided to bring a hand grenade to the station so the LAPD could dispose of it.

On Saturday, LAPD wrote:

Man drops off grenade at Topanga Station

Last night (June 11, 2010) around 9:15 p.m. a man came into Topanga Station and advised that he wanted to turn in a grenade which he had in his car. Officers immediately shut down Schoenborn Street between Topanga Canyon and Canoga and conducted some limited evacuations in the area around the man’s car. The bomb squad responded and determined that the grenade was a “practice” grenade with a live training fuse. Bomb Squad personnel removed the training fuse and detonated it in the alley next to the station.

Police are occasionally called out when someone is cleaning out their garage and finds an old grenade. The best thing to do is not to touch the grenade, just call 911. If the grenade is live, it should not be handled by anyone other than a trained expert. LAPD’s bomb squad will respond out to the house to dispose of the grenade.

If you have an old firearm that you want to turn in to the police station, you can put it in the trunk of your car, take it to the police station, and have an officer remove it from your car. DO NOT take the firearm into the police station. We have curbside service and will take the firearm from your car for you.

Be safe out there.

I think, one could argue, that if you find yourself in the possession of a grenade you are going to have to endure high drama when disposing of it – well, that is if you decide to dispose of it safely and responsibly.  Ultimately, this means that the LAPD is going to swarm your house and shut down your entire neighborhood.  Alternatively, putting it in your trunk and taking it adjacent to the police station means that at least your neighbors won’t have to witness the drama.  Then again, in that scenario you could blow yourself up.  So, I guess it might be best to endure the public humiliation and call 9-1-1.

Trying to get back on the ball here after dealing with moving and getting a new Internet connection.  It’s getting kind of hard to keep up with all of the murders in Canoga Park as it spirals into oblivion, but a guy was knifed to death this past Saturday and the LAPD has a suspect.  Check out the Nixle alerts below, in reverse chronological order.

Advisory Message has been issued by the LAPD – Topanga.

Monday June 7, 2010 3:45 PM PDT

(UPDATE) June 7, 2010 Re: Murder of Michael Silva–Suspect Identified

Canoga Park: Today, LAPD Topanga Area homicide detectives held a news conference to provide the public with information on a suspect wanted for the June 5, 2010 murder of Michael Silva.

The suspect was identified as 32-year-old Jerry Wizar of Canoga Park. Wizar is described as a male Hispanic with brown hair, brown eyes, stands 5 feet 11 inches tall, and weights about 200 pounds. A photo of Silva is available through Topanga Area detectives.

According to detectives, Jerry Wizar and Michael Silva were long time acquaintances.

On June 5th at about 2 a.m. Wizar and Silva were involved in an argument that erupted into a physical altercation. Wizar pulled a knife and stabbed Silva, causing his demise. Wizar ran from the scene leaving Silva lying unconscious on the sidewalk in front of a residence in the 7000 block of Glade Avenue.

————

June 5, 2010

Man Found Stabbed to Death

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Topanga Area Homicide Detectives are asking the public to provide information that would lead to the arrest of a suspect wanted for killing 39-year-old Michael Silva.

On June 5, 2010, at around 2 a.m., Topanga Area patrol officers responded to a 9-1-1 call of an “unknown trouble” at a residence in the 7000 block of Glade Avenue in the City of Canoga Park.

When officers arrived, they found the victim, identified as 39-year-old Michael Silva of Canoga Park lying unconscious in the driveway with multiple stab wounds to his body.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced Silva dead.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Topanga Area homicide detectives at (818) 756-4869. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to

(818) 756-4800 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crimestoppers 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 “webtips” and follow the prompts.

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/2440148/.

They have definitely amped up the use of Nixle recently, haven’t they?  Very good.  This situation with burglars is super depressing and scary as I’m sure many of you will agree.

Topanga Station sent out this notification on Wednesday via Nixle:

Woodland Hills burglary suspects arrested

Two burglary suspects were arrested in Woodland Hills shortly after breaking into a house. A diligent neighbor saw the two suspects entering the home in the 21000 block of Avenue San Luis and called 911. The police helicopter spotted the suspects’ car as they were fleeing the scene and directed officers to a shopping center on Ventura Boulevard, where the suspects were arrested. Due to the quick thinking of the neighbor in calling 911, the suspects did not get away with any property; police found that they had dropped the property they were intending to steal inside the house as they fled.

People are afraid and this is very real.  Monday’s arrests are not the end.

LAPD Topanga Station Writes on Wednesday:

Numerous residential burglaries occurred today in Chatsworth, Canoga Park & West Hills. Lock your doors and windows when you leave home. Be aware of strangers in your neighborhood and report suspicious activity immediately 8187564800 or in emergency call 911.

They also sent out these tips:

Burglary Prevention Tips

Lock all windows and doors – even if you live on the second floor of an apartment building. Lock sliding glass doors. Two-story residences – lock upstairs windows, sliding glass doors, and French doors. Remember suspects can climb onto a balcony.

Alarms: Use it! Add additional window security (example – pins in the window or wooden dowels in sliders)

Install motion detectors on all levels of the residence.

Never leave a ladder outside and accessible to a burglar.

Relocate valuables. Most burglars take property from the master bedroom.

Photograph and make a list of your valuables. Include serial numbers.

Vacation Strategies:
Let a trustworthy neighbor know that you are away. Ask that person to keep a lookout for your residence. Leave on one (1) light inside your home.

Mail and newspapers should be picked up or stopped.

Have a neighbor or friend park their vehicle in your driveway or parking slot.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Detective Theresa Gordon at 27033@lapd.lacity.org

Many of you observed and were possibly inconvenienced by the insane amount of police activity in West Hills yesterday afternoon/evening, but it looks like there was a big payoff for it.  LAPD Topanga Area SLO Brent Rygh took the time to write me this morning to let my readers know what happened.

Police responded to a call for service of burglary suspects in the area of 6400 Bobbyboyar Ave.  Officers were able to immediately locate and detain one suspect.  Officers closed off the surrounding streets to set up a perimeter around the area and search for a second suspect.  A second suspect was captured inside the perimeter.  Rygh explained that they ultimately connected these two suspects to 3 additional suspects that were stopped a few blocks away.   A total of 5 suspects were arrested and discovered to be in possession of property from several burglaries in the area.

Obviously, LAPD’s warnings to be vigilant about the security of your home and vehicles needs to be heeded because degenerates like these guys are clearly on the prowl in our area.

Thanks to Brent Rygh and other Topanga Area officers for their hard work and a special thanks to he and others who are clearly working diligently to keep the public informed and to get the Nixle alerts back on track.