LAPD Blog

Photo Shop, Fraud Shop

Los Angeles:  The Joy Photo shop was shut down earlier today after the owner, Sung Ok Park, 51 years of age, was arrested for “Manufacturing and Distribution or Sale of False Citizenship or Resident Alien Documents.”

On June 23, 2009, at around 2:20 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, in a multi-agency task force, served a search warrant at the Joy Photo Shop located at 2065 West 6th Street.  The multi-agency task force has been conducting an on-going investigation in the area of MacArthur Park related to the manufacturing and distribution of fraudulent California Drivers License and Identification Cards, "Green Cards," and Social Security Cards. 

The MacArthur Park area is known to Law Enforcement and the public for the blatant selling and distribution of fake ID’s and documents.  These fake documents are often used to facilitate crimes such as identity theft, benefit fraud, forgery, juvenile delinquency, evasion of justice and potentially acts of terrorism. 

It is a known fact that many of Rampart’s most notorious street gangs are financed through these types of criminal enterprises. 

Park is being held on $75,000 bail.

Anyone with information about this, or other similar crimes, is asked to call the Rampart Gang Impact Team, Sergeant Richard Lozano at 213-484-3450.  After hours or on weekends, calls may directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 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.

Notes from the June 23, 2025 Weekly Police Commission Meeting

•    Police Chief William Bratton stated two major events, the Lakers rally and parade, went off very well and showcased the professionalism of the Department and its officers.  He also mentioned a Los Angeles Times report on the public’s opinion on the Department mirrored that of the Harvard Study which was released May 2009.  The Chief stated the reports are the tipping point in the public’s opinions on the Department.

•    The Department’s verbal presentation and discussion relative to the status of the digital in-car video system was removed from the calendar.

•    The Department’s report, dated June 2, 2009, relative to the 77th Street Area Command Accountability Performance Audit (IAID NO. 09-046), as given by Captain Lance Smith, was approved.  Captain Smith informed the Commission he looked at articulation and documentation when it came to probable cause, performance evaluations, and probation and parole searches.  He brought in personnel from Risk Management and a performance auditor to help evaluate.  Captain Smith added training provided to personnel is on-going and repetitive.  Commissioner Andrea Ordin was pleased with the remarkable change that took place between 2007 and 2009.

•    The Department’s report, dated June 12, 2009, relative to Home-Garaging Authorities – Fiscal Year 2009/2010, was approved.

•    The Department’s report, dated June 12, 2009, relative to Special Order Regarding Home-Garaging, Temporary Home-Garaging and Dispersal Parking – Revised, was approved. 

COMPSTAT Citywide Profile

COMPSTAT Citywide Profile

Crime Statistics June 20, 2025

VIOLENT CRIMES                2009**           2008**          % Chg

Homicide                             131*              193           -32.1%
Rape                                    354               383             -7.6%
Robbery                              5717             5891             -3.0%
Agg Assaults **                    5277             5648             -6.6%
Total Violent Crimes         11,479          12,115            -5.2%

PROPERTY CRIMES

Burglary                               8463              8904           -5.0%
BTFV                                  13408            14093           -4.9%
Personal/Other Theft           12347           12850           -3.9%
Auto Theft                           8502            10380          -18.1%
Total Property Crimes     42,720          46,227          -7.6%
Total Part I Crimes          54,199          58,342          -7.1%

* 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

Pedestrian Killed in a Hit-and-Run

Los Angeles:  The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is asking for the public’s help in locating the hit-and-run driver who killed a 30-year-old man early this morning in North Hollywood.

At around 2 a.m. Gabriel Pompa, a resident of North Hollywood, was walking on Vanowen Street at Satsuma Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound. The force of the impact caused the victim to be thrown from the point of impact and then hurled into a tree. The victim suffered massive injuries and died at the scene.

Anyone with information is asked to call Valley Traffic Detectives at 818-644-8032.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247) 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 may remain anonymous.

The 2009 Essay Contest Winner

The 6th Annual LAPD Essay Contest was open to students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades enrolled in the Los Angeles Unified School District and schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  Students were asked to write what they would do that would have the greatest impact on the community if they were a Los Angeles Police Department officer for a day.  Each of the ten winners and their essay are featured on the Department’s website, one each week.  The following essay is one of the ten winning submissions.

If I were an LAPD officer, how could I impact the community?  I would let people know we are there to help.  Community problems worth working on are drug awareness, neglected children, and how to help us become closer to the community we serve.

One of the major problems in our community or should I say the whole country, is teens taking drugs.  This is a danger to themselves and everybody around them.  I would visit schools and tell the children about the terrible things that drugs do.  I would visit kids in detention centers and ask them to help younger children stay off drugs by having them tell their stories.

Next, I would focus on neglected children.  These children are virtually defenseless in life.  They are too young to get a job and are usually afraid to ask for help because they don’t trust adults anymore.  Maybe their parents are on drugs or there is no food in the house.  I would persuade their parents to get help.  I would visit the children and tell them to call me in an emergency.  I would organize events like bake sales, concerts, or talent shows to raise funds for groceries or clothes to make their lives a little easier.  I would ask stores to help out too.

The final task would be to help turn young kids’ lives around by being a good example.  I would join a big brother program and convince some police officers to join.  Spending time with kids is the only way to make them trust you.  I would organize some basketball or baseball games with the local kids so that they can see that we like fun too and help get rid of the bad stereotype we have.

So if I were an LAPD officer, I would strive to make the city of Los Angeles a better place especially for children who are the future.  I would get officers to join me in making sure that the children know we care about them.

LAPD KOSTing to the 4th of July weekend

Listen in this Sunday, June 28, 2009, as Officer Paul Robi, LAPD Bomb Squad, sits down to talk with Christine Martindale, radio personality and Public Affairs host of “Sunday Journal.”  Officer Robi will inform listeners about the Department’s efforts to reduce injuries, death, and property damage associated with the illegal use of fireworks. The show will air on KOST 103.5 FM at 6:00 a.m. and will also air on sister station MY-FM 104.3 FM at 11:30 p.m.

The LAPD Firework Reduction Campaign is a collaborative effort between the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles Unified School District Police Department, and The Children's Burn Foundation.

Calls for service related to fireworks and shots fired during this period have drained police resources.  Last year, between June 1, 2025 - July 12, 2008, there was a total of 4,097 radio calls for service related to fireworks and shots fired.

Man Found Burned to Death in Wheelchair

Los Angeles: About 2:45 a.m. this morning, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) 77th Division officers and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) paramedics responded to a call about a man on fire in a wheelchair at Manchester and Western Avenues.

The incident began when a motorist was driving past a strip mall at Manchester Avenue and Saint Andrews Place where he observed a man in a wheelchair engulfed in flames.  The motorist flagged down a passing Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff who notified the LAPD and LAFD.  Shortly after, paramedics responded to the location and pronounced the man dead.

The victim, whose identity has not yet been released pending notification of family members, was a 54-year-old, homeless Black male who was confined to a wheelchair.  A preliminary investigation has revealed the decedent was at a strip mall parking lot in the 1800 block of West Manchester Avenue in front of a restaurant where he had a small makeshift encampment set up in front of the business.  

The fire victim, who was apparently a cigarette smoker, had severe burns on his torso and extremities, but there was no evidence of trauma that would indicate an assault nor evidence of fire accelerants present at the scene or on the decedent’s body.  Preliminary indications show that the incident is an accidental death that may have been caused by the decedent when he accidentally set his clothes on fire.  At this point in the investigation, the death is classified as “undetermined,” pending further information, forensic evidence processing and an autopsy.

The ongoing investigation involves LAFD arson investigators with the assistance of detectives from the LAPD Criminal Gang/Homicide Group.  Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Arson Investigator John Little at 213-485-6095 or LAPD Detective Christopher Barling at 213-485-4341.  After hours or on weekends, calls may directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 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 may remain anonymous.