A person disassembling lithium‑ion batteries sparked a Westlake apartment fire Thursday morning. HazMat teams and 45 firefighters extinguished the blaze and monitored air quality.

More than $100,000 in designer handbags were taken from a Larchmont-area home Wednesday; LAPD is investigating.

A federal judge will sentence an Oxnard man this week after prosecutors say he trafficked more than 1,700 reptiles into the U.S.

A video shows a West Hollywood security ambassador punching a homeless man at West Hollywood Park. Allied Universal removed the worker and the city opened an investigation.

LAPD chased a shooting suspect across South L.A.; the driver cut through parking lots and ran red lights while officers trailed into Hawthorne and Inglewood.

A burglary suspect reportedly barricaded himself in a Pacoima home early Thursday, prompting a heavy LAPD response while residents escaped unhurt.

A four‑mile stretch of South L.A.'s Figueroa Corridor known as "the Blade" has become an open hub for prostitution, officials and survivors say. Federal indictments and local patrols have so far failed to curb the trade.

A 39-year-old man has pleaded not guilty in the 2003 Hollywood killing of Rosalba Acosta; prosecutors are asking a juvenile court to transfer the case to adult court.

A freelance photographer says a LASD less‑than‑lethal round pierced his thigh during June anti‑ICE protests and required surgery; a formal claim accuses deputies of excessive force.

A midday crash on northbound SR‑14 at Newhall Avenue wedged a car under a big rig and left one person dead, prompting lane closures and heavy delays through Santa Clarita.

A registered sex offender accused of abducting and assaulting a 13‑year‑old in Westminster was arrested in Guatemala after a multi‑agency manhunt. Prosecutors have charged him with multiple felonies.

LAFD crews responded to a wires-down call near Gaffey Street in San Pedro; residents were urged to stay back and report emergencies to 911.

A judge revoked Matthew Werner’s probation and ordered four years in state prison after finding he traveled without permission; alleged victims say the ruling may prompt more reports.