LAPD Blog

Math Teacher Arrested for Molesting Students

Los Angeles:  A school teacher was arrested and charged for committing lewd acts against school girls.

In July 2008, detectives began a criminal investigation against Suspect 32-year old Ricardo Flores, a math teacher and PE coach at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Sun Valley. A 12-year-old female student reported to the police that Flores had committed lewd acts against her over the course of one school year from September 2007 through May 2008 on school grounds.

Detectives from the Sexually Exploited Child Unit assumed the investigation and have conducted over 60 interviews of other students and staff at the school. The interviews resulted in one additional victim, a 14-year-old female student, who was also molested by Flores.

On September 16, 2008, Flores was arrested and booked, with bail set at $1 million.

On September 18, 2008, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed 10 counts of 288 (a) PC, Lewd Acts upon Child under 14, against Flores.

Flores photo is being made public in order to look for any possible additional victims. Flores has worked at various after school programs in the Los Angeles area prior to working at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary for 4 years.

Anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Detective Moses Castillo, Juvenile Division, at 213-485-6550. After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855) or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD. Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD website, www.lapdonline.org. All tips will remain anonymous.

In Memory Of

Spree DeSha
SOW: February 2001
EOW: September 12, 2024

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Dear Lord,
Be with me on my beat this day and every day.  Grant that each weary block I walk may ease a brother's way.  Let me be kindly to the old, and to the young, be strong, but let me triumph over those whose acts are cruel and wrong.  And if according to your plan I am to lose my life, please bless with your protecting hand my family.

USC Student Stabbed to Death

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles Police Detectives from Robbery Homicide Division are investigating the murder of a University of Southern California (USC) student.

At about 2:30 this morning, three USC students were walking past a gated multi-unit apartment complex in the area of 28th Street and Orchard Avenue.  While walking, a male Black yelled out to the students. Consequently, one of the students became involved in a heated argument with the suspect, which led to a physical fight on the ground.

After the fight, the suspect fled on foot and the victim, 23-year-old Bryan Richard Frost, a  student in the USC School of Cinematic Arts, told his friends that he thought he may have been stabbed.

The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Robbery Homicide Division is handling the investigation, and authorities at the campus have issued a student alert.  There is no evidence that this incident was gang related.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Robbery Homicide Detectives at 213-485-2155.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855) or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD.  Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD website, www.lapdonline.org.  All tips will remain anonymous.

For additional information, please call Media Relations Section at 213-485-3586.

CVS Pharmacy Robbery Captured on Surveillance Video

Los Angeles: Detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a man who robbed a Northridge CVS Pharmacy that was captured on the store’s video surveillance system. 

On Monday, September 1, 2008, at 10 p.m., a male suspect entered the pharmacy located in the 8500 block of Reseda Boulevard.  The suspect posed as a customer and remained inside the store after the final closing announcement was made.  The suspect simulated a handgun from inside an athletic bag he was carrying, approached the store manager and demanded money from the safe.  The manager, along with another store employee, escorted the suspect to the rear office where they were directed to place money from the safe into a trash bag then into the athletic bag.  The suspect then walked both store employees out of the store and instructed them to wave at him as he walked away from the location.   

The suspect is described as a male, Black, 6’2” tall, weighing about 200-250 pounds.  He is about 40 years old and was last seen wearing a gray button-up shirt, blue jeans, brown work boots, a black baseball cap and sunglasses.

There were no injuries reported during the robbery.  Anyone with information regarding this suspect or his whereabouts is asked to call Devonshire Robbery Detectives at 818-832-0609. After-hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).  Callers may also remain anonymous by texting “CRIMES” with a cell phone or by logging on to www.lapdonline.org and click on Web Tips.

Notes for the September 16, 2024 Police Commission Weekly Meeting

•    Police Commissioner John Mack led the commission in observing a moment of silence in honor of those who perished in last Friday’s deadly Metrolink collision.

•    Police Commissioner Andrea Ordin offered her condolences to the friends and family members of those lost in the Metrolink collision.  She also stated she attended the Art Walk on Skid Row.

•    Police Commissioner Robert Saltzman reported that following last week's Commission meeting, Richard Ray from the Department of Disability and LAPD staff met to discuss improved service to the hearing impaired community.  He said some of the devices may be appropriate for use in the Department.  He also attended a meeting with Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger and Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz on USC issues.

•    Police Commissioner Alan Skobin said he was at the scene of the Metrolink collision and said he was very proud of the response by firefighters, police, medical technicians and members of the community.  He also said that there is a lot of healing to be done by both the family members of those who perished and rescue personnel alike.  Commissioner Skobin recalled two instances which really touched him as well.

•    Police Chief William Bratton announced the funeral services for Police Officer Spree Desha, who was among the 25 victims of the Metrolink collision, would be held on Thursday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angeles in downtown Los Angeles.  Chief Bratton attended a congressional hearing on weapons of mass destruction with New York Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly.

•    The Department’s verbal presentation and discussion relative to the status of DNA grants and DNA processing backlog was given by Ms. Laura Filatoff and Ms. Yvette Sanchez-Owens.  They stated the Department has a back log of 7200 cases which needs to be analyzed.  Due to lack of funds and personnel, Scientific Investigation Division (SID) is not able to process the cases.  Councilmember Jack Weiss, who has championed this issue, said he was able to create 16 Criminalist positions for SID but does not have the funds to hire the personnel.  He estimated the cost of eliminating the backlog while maintaining current workloads would be $4.5 million, with completion by 2013. Ms. Filatoff also said the 2004 and 2005 grants have been closed and the 2006 grant is 61% spent.  The 2008 grant can start in October.

•    The Department’s verbal presentation and update, as requested by the Board, on the current status of the personnel complaint investigations relative to the MacArthur Park incident occurring on May 1, 2007, and the status of recommendations contained in the Department’s report “An Examination of May Day 2007” was given by Mr. Gerald Chaleff, Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur and Deputy Chief Mark Perez.  Mr. Chaleff said that as a result of the incident there are 320 plaintiffs, 295 in federal court and 25 in state court.  Deputy Chief MacArthur offered the findings of the Departments report.  She said that there were 23 recommendations in the report and that the recommendations have been regularized.  Some of the recommendations were the formation of the Incident Management and Training Bureau, annual review of crowd controls, continued use of the sound vehicles, training of videographers, and standardized protocols.  Deputy Chief Perez said the investigation into the incident was the most extensive internal investigation in the Department’s history, consuming 12,000 working hours.  He also said there were a total of 80 allegations involving 29 employees. The breakdown is as follows: 3 officers received Official Reprimands, 5 received 3-day suspensions, 2 received 5-day suspensions, 1 received 10-day suspension, 3 were downgraded in rank and 4 were recommended for termination.  There were no categorical use of force allegations.

•    The Department’s report, dated September 4, 2008, relative to the Transmittal of Grant Application for the 2008/09 Paul Coverdell forensic Sciences Improvement Program, was approved and transmitted to the Mayor and City Council

•    The Department’s report, dated August 27, 2008, relative to the City Controller Audit of Fiscal Operations Division of the Los Angeles Police Department- Bi-Annual Report, was approved.

•    The Department’s report, dated June 18, 2008, and Inspector General’s report, dated September 9, 2008, relative to the review of the Department’s Confidential Informant Control Package Audit, was approved.

Monthly Media Availability with Chief Bratton Anonymous Tips May Help Detectives Solve Three Major Cases

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Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced the implementation of an anonymous crime tip reporting system which uses a common e-mail and cell phone texting platform.  The Honorable Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Sheriff Lee Baca joined Chief William Bratton this morning to unveil the new software applications and provided an update on three major cases currently being handled by LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Detectives.

TIPSOFT SMS is an application which allows a tipster to provide information to the LAPD and remain completely anonymous.  Short Message Service or “SMS” for short are common text messages which can be used by virtually any cell phone user.  A third party provider captures the tip and assigns the tipster a code which can be used by the tipster so that, if desired, the tipster can re-enter the system to add information or claim rewards.         

TIPSOFT WEB TIPS is an anonymous method of receiving tips via e-mail.  A tipster using any computer in the world can log in to provide information.  Because the tipster and the police can communicate only through an “anonymizer,” the tipster need not ever be known to the police.  The tipster can log back in and provide additional information, such as answering follow-up questions posted for them by the police. 

Since the very early days of policing, people have been fearful (sometimes legitimately so) that reporting information to the police could have very undesirable outcomes.  A call about a crime could result in a visit from one or more detective or uniformed officer in police car.  The “bad guy” might watch the investigation and retaliation would be all but certain.  Perhaps a normally law abiding citizen would withhold critical information on a Robbery or Murder for fear that their own misdemeanor warrant would come to light.

Until now there was no system whereby information could be passed from the public to the police and back without the identity of the person providing information being known to the police.  Ultimately many valuable tips were withheld from the police because people lacked confidence that their identity would be held in the confidence.  Anonymous letters did not have a mechanism to ask simple follow-up questions, eliminate hoaxes, or deliver rewards.  These new systems overcome all of these concerns. 

The cell phone “text to tip” system requires a simple two part process.  First the tipster needs to text “274637” which can be easily remembered by spelling the word “CRIMES” on the keypad.  Next, the person must begin the text with the letters LAPD.   The web based system requires that the person log in to http://www.tipsubmit.com and click on the LAPD in the agency pull down menu.  From there, the tipster should simply follow the prompts.

Robbery Homicide Division Detectives were present at today’s news conference and are hopeful that these systems will open the flow of information between a community fearful of gangs or distrusting of the police in three current major cases:  The Murder of Sheriff Deputy Juan Escalante, the Serial Murder Case (“The Grim Sleeper”), and the Series of Robberies in Newton Area.  Information about these crimes, including the murder of the off duty Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff is being requested.  He was killed on August 2, 2024 in Northeast Los Angeles in an area where witnesses are afraid to be discovered cooperating with the police.      

Please contact Lieutenant Sean Malinowski, Regional Crime Center, LAPD at 213-485-7088 or LAPD Media Relations Section at 213-485-3586 for additional information. 

Chief of Police to Mete Out Discipline

Los Angeles: In addition to a report on the implementation of all 23 recommendations for institutional reform, today, the Board of Police Commissioners was presented with the details of the discipline to be meted out by the Chief of Police for misconduct committed on May 1, 2007.

The personnel complaint investigation alone represented over 12,000 hours of work and was the most exhaustive investigation in Department history.  Many sworn and civilian personnel of all ranks completed witness and complainant interviews, a detailed analysis of video tape and still photography, and numerous updates and comprehensive reports.

Twenty-nine named officers were charged with one or more acts or omissions, for a combined total of 80 allegations.  The Chief of Police sustained 31 allegations against 15 officers.  Among the officers disciplined, three will also receive a reduction in paygrade and four will be transferred from Metropolitan Division.   

Under California Law, public disclosure of discipline as it pertains to specific peace officers, is prohibited.  To the extent permitted by law and in the spirit of transparency the following details were disclosed:

3 Officers are to receive Official Reprimands
5 Officers are to receive suspensions and loss of pay for 3 days
2 Officers are to receive suspensions and loss of pay for 5 days
1 Officer is to receive a suspensions and loss of pay for 10 days
4 Officers have been recommended for termination

Originally presented to the Board of Police Commissioners on October 7, 2007, Police Administrator Gerald Chaleff and Deputy Chief Sandy Jo MacAuthur discussed the full implementation of all 23 recommendations of the report, An Examination of May Day 2007.  The 23 recommendations in the five categories of Policy, Planning, Command, Training, and Auditing were not only fully implemented, but developed into a schedule of recurring audits and training.

Among the most significant reforms are the creation of the Incident Management and Training Bureau, the funding and deployment of a Deputy Chief to oversee that command, annual reviews of related policies, regular and ongoing training, standardized planning and reporting, command oversight and audits.      

Police Commission President Anthony Pacheco stated, "I commend the Chief and all of the staff who worked literally thousands of hours on this investigation.  Critical self-analysis is very difficult on any level and I feel that everyone involved in this incident approached it with honesty and fairness.  The 2007 MacArthur Park incident was a big lesson for the LAPD to learn, and that is exactly what happened.  The entire Department is now moving forward in a better direction after that lesson. We will continue to monitor the complaints process and to evaluate continuing police reform arising from the MacArthur Park incident. What we have seen thus far is encouraging for best police practices and improved community relations in our City."

Additional information about the MacArthur Park Incident is available at

www.LAPDonline.org.

http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/Final_Report.pdf

http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/FINAL_REPORT_SPANISH_10.20.07.pdf

COMPSTAT Citywide Profile

Crime Statistics September 13, 2024

VIOLENT CRIMES                2008**             2007**          % Chg

Homicide                             255*                285           -10.5%
Rape                                    555                 653           -15.0%
Robbery                              9158               9460             -3.2%
Agg Assaults **                    8643               9257             -6.6%
Total Violent Crimes       18,611           19,655            -5.3%

PROPERTY CRIMES

Burglary                             13174              13891            -5.2%
BTFV                                 20540              21613            -5.0%
Personal/Other Theft         18836              19235            -2.1%
Auto Theft                         15487              16607            -6.7%
Total Property Crimes    68,037            71,346           -4.6%
Total Part I Crimes         86,648            91,001           -4.8%

* Numbers reflects a change in reclassification for Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) guidelines and numbers are adjusted accordingly.

** Prior to 2005, Aggravated Assaults included Child/Spousal Simple Assaults

Suspects Arrested in West Los Angeles Murder Case

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles Police Detectives made two arrests in the West Los Angeles Murder.

On July 28, 2008, at 6:30 p.m., Pamela Fayed, a resident of Ventura County, was brutally murdered in a parking structure at 1875 Century Park East.  West Los Angeles Division Detectives started the investigation and learned that Pamela Fayed and her husband, James Fayed, owned a company that was the focus of a Federal fraud investigation.  James Fayed was subsequently arrested and held in federal custody pending the federal investigation.

As the case progressed, detectives assigned to Robbery-Homicide Division assumed investigative responsibility for the murder investigation.

Working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Assistant United States Attorney's office, detectives obtained several leads that led to the arrest of Jose Luis Moya, 47, on Thursday, September 11, 2008.

This morning, Robbery Homicide Division detectives obtained a warrant and criminal filing for James Fayed for the murder of Pamela Fayed.  This afternoon, James Fayed appeared in court of a Federal matter and detectives arrested him at that court appearance.  Fayed will be transferred to the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department pending his arraignment for the murder charge.

Both the LAPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are continuing their investigations.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division, Detectives Salaam Abdul or Louis Zorrilla at 213-485-2129.  Persons can also call the 24-hour hotline number, 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).

West Valley Homicide

Los Angeles:  At around 7:40 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2008, West Valley patrol officers responded to a call of a shooting in which a young Reseda man, Bradley Ticas, had been shot several times in the upper torso.

When officers arrived at the scene, located at Wilbur Avenue and Kittridge Street, Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were attempting to treat the victim before transporting him to Northridge Medical Center.  At 8:22 p.m., Ticas died.

At this time, the suspects are still at large and little is known about them. They were last seen driving a beige or white vehicle as they left the scene.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Homicide Division during regular business hours at 818-374-7725. After hours and on weekends, calls may directed to a 24-hour, toll-free hotline number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).