Another day in DTLA, another criminal caper. This week in crime, our intrepid heroes in blue have managed to wrestle a whopping 2,000 pounds of copper from the grubby paws of the city’s most brazen wire thieves. It’s a victory, we’re told. A “significant victory,” even.
K-Leon and the Heavy Metal Task Force
City Councilmember Kevin de León, along with City officials, on Tuesday touted the success of the newly formed “heavy metal, copper-wire” task force. The collaboration between the LAPD and the Bureau of Street Lighting has yielded significant results in the ongoing battle against copper theft, with 82 arrests since its inception in February. A crime that plagues the downtown freeway and residential areas and has even managed to plunge the 6th Street viaduct into darkness.
Pacific Dining Car a Victim of Arson?
The Pacific Dining Car has met yet another dramatic, unwelcome catastrophe, if not its final curtain call.
This past weekend, the same Flames that once kissed prime cuts and bathed choice lobsters in melted butter nearly consumed the iconic location on 6th and Union as firefighters raced to the scene. Luckily, there were no injuries.
Originally opened in 1921, the restaurant, which was housed in a replica railway car, became a classic standard for power lunches, 24-hour dining, and star-studded soirées for 100 years.
Sadly, Pacific Dining Car didn’t survive the economic downturns brought on by COVID-19. Coupled with internal family disputes, 2022 saw the iconic destination shutter its doors.
Flash forward a few years. Now that its iconic cow mascot has disappeared into the ether, the location has grown increasingly decrepit, with rotting wood, dimming paint, weeds sprouting through cracks, and metal fixtures lingering without luster attracting unhoused vagrants.
While owners and advocates from the community had expressed hopes of restoring the eatery to its former glory, this devastating fire has undoubtedly dashed those immediate plans.
Prowler attacks young student at WREN
A 21-year-old USC student is fighting for her life after a brutal attack inside her apartment at WREN Tuesday night. Discovered unresponsive in her first floor unit after a family welfare check, the victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Early indications point to a violent assault, prompting an urgent hunt for the assailant.
Residents are grappling with a shattered sense of security. Despite the building’s 24/7 security, investigators suspect the perpetrator possibly scaled the glass barrier and landed in the patio area before accessing the woman’s apartment.
It’s also unclear whether the patio door was unlocked or whether anything was taken from the woman’s home.
Anyone with any information on the case can contact LAPD Officer Marcenik at 213-996-4150 or Detective Arroyo at 213-996-4104.
Manhunt Intensifies for Killer of Wactor the Actor
New images of the suspects involved in the fatal shooting of a Los Angeles bartender have been released by authorities. The victim, 37-year-old Johnny Wactor, was killed while confronting catalytic converter thieves targeting his vehicle.
Despite putting himself between his colleague and the assailants, he was fatally shot, by what surveillance shows are three masked characters in a black Infiniti Q50 sedan. One suspect is believed to have a distinctive tattoo above the left eye and on the right cheek.
Anybody with information about the shooting is asked to contact detectives at (213) 996-4143 and (213) 996-4173.
Homelessness Officially Now a Crime?
Just days after a recent Supreme Court ruling allowing states to remove homeless encampments comes Governor Gavin Newsom’s directive to dismantle homeless encampments in California.
The Court’s decision permits cities to fine or arrest unhoused individuals for camping in public spaces in the eyes of many reads homelessness is now a crime.
Critics argue that without adequate shelter and services, these measures merely displace individuals rather than providing long-term solutions.
They point out that California has a severe shortage of shelter beds and that previous attempts to clear encampments have not effectively reduced homelessness.
Advocates emphasize the need for comprehensive housing solutions and support services rather than punitive measures. The broader concern is that without addressing the root causes of homelessness, such as affordable housing and social services, leaving the downtown population to ask …will these policies exacerbate the issue for the city’s already, overly burdened social servicing district known as Skid Row, or rather than resolve it?
