Los Angeles, Ca
1 in 3 homeowners with security cameras have spotted package thieves: report
Package deal thieves, porch pirates, field bandits — no matter you wish to name them; they’re a rising drawback throughout the nation.
A brand new nationwide survey from U.S. Information & World Report discovered that about half of American owners polled have had deliveries stolen. A few third of these owners caught the thieves within the act.
The survey included 2,000 People who’ve dwelling safety cameras.
They have been requested a wide range of questions, together with how typically they examine their safety footage and what they use their cameras to watch.
Crime was an apparent purpose for individuals buying cameras, and an awesome quantity (90%) stated they really feel that safety digital camera are a great crime deterrent.
However regardless of the prevalence of dwelling safety cameras, greater than three-quarters of respondents stated they nonetheless fear about package deal thieves.
Almost half (47%) stated they’ve had packages stolen; much more (55%) stated they’ve actively taken steps to stop thefts.
With the busy vacation season in full swing, and with extra buyers choosing supply than ever, the danger of deliveries being stolen in more likely to solely go up.
On-line purchasing through the holidays went up 64% from 2019 to 2021, in accordance with the survey’s writer. This 12 months, FedEx alone had delivered round 6.2 million packages daily to houses and companies throughout the nation.
And regardless of the rise in dwelling safety cameras, there’s nonetheless little probability {that a} porch pirate shall be arrested and efficiently charged for pulling a Grinch.
A 2022 Package deal Theft Report by Safety.org discovered that 44% p.c of people that caught a package deal thief within the act in all probability had sufficient proof to get that particular person arrested, however these apprehended thieves hardly ever face extreme expenses.
Whereas mail theft is a federal crime and can lead to stiff penalties, that legislation solely applies to packages and parcels positioned in or close to mailboxes. If a package deal is dropped in your steps, you are by yourself, Safety.org stated.
If the median worth of your package deal is lower than $50, the theft shall be thought-about a misdemeanor in a lot of the nation – together with California. Within the Golden State, any theft underneath $950 is taken into account petty theft (a misdemeanor.)
So what are you able to do to cut back your danger of falling prey to a package deal thief? That’s, in case you’re not just like the 55% of People polled who stated they don’t seem to be already taking proactive steps.
Safety.org recommends choosing safe supply areas while you’re not at dwelling, i.e. your work’s mailroom or routing the ship to a neighbor who you recognize is dwelling. There are additionally providers offered by firms like Amazon which give safe lockers on your packages, though these usually are not obtainable in all cities.
However arguably probably the most surefire option to keep away from getting your package deal swiped out of your stoop: require a signature. You will need to be sure you’re dwelling when your supply arrives, however that inconvenience may prevent your hard-earned cash and stop a liked one from dropping out on a vacation reward.
Los Angeles, Ca
2 men from L.A., 2 from Las Vegas arrested for allegedly selling fentanyl, cocaine, on dark web
The United States Department of Justice announced four men have been arrested for selling fentanyl pills and cocaine on the dark web.
Authorities say Southern California natives, 21-year-old Alejandro Soto, and 21-year-old Austin Blanco, both from Burbank, and Las Vegas residents, 23-year-old Craig Rushton, and 20-year-old Christian McKibben have all been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of distribution of cocaine.
The investigation began in April of 2021. The DOJ says the four men conspired with 23-year-old Van Nuys native Brian McDonald, and 23-year-old Ciara Clutario, of Burbank, to traffic fentanyl and cocaine.
McDonald and Clutario allegedly created vendor profiles on darknet marketplaces to sell fentanyl, cocaine, and other illegal narcotics in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The pair maintained online dark web profiles and arranged drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders received through the profiles, and offloading cryptocurrency received on the darknet marketplaces into cryptocurrency wallets that the co-conspirators controlled.
Both McDonald and Clutario were charged last year, their trials will begin on Aug. 6.
The DOJ says Soto, Blacano, McKibben, and Rushton were directed by McDonald and others to package and ship the drugs sold on the darknet. The defendants allegedly took care of the packaging of the narcotics at McKibben and Rushton’s home in Burbank.
The defendants allegedly sold and shipped hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine, to drug purchasers across the country.
If the four men are convicted, they face the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Los Angeles, Ca
Canoga Park structure fire kills two dogs
A structure fire in Canoga Park killed two dogs early Tuesday morning, while another was rescued, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Fire crews arrived to smoke billowing from the home on West Napa Street, just west of Owensmouth Avenue.
The fire broke out at approximately 8:15 a.m.
Firefighters rushed into the single-story residence and rescued one of the three dogs.
The homeowners were not at the property when the fire started, and no injuries other than those to the dogs have been reported.
LAFD said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Daredevil walks between downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers, high above skyline
Shocking video captured a daredevil walking a rope between two downtown Los Angeles skyscrapers.
Oceanwide Plaza, a $1 billion mixed-use retail and luxury apartment building, has been vacant for years and has become infamously known as the graffiti towers, attracting artists and those looking to perform death-defying stunts.
YouTuber Ben Schneider was the latest to attempt a stunt at the location when he walked across a slackline between the buildings, looming high above the L.A. skyline.
Schneider, a self-proclaimed performance artist and daredevil, posts videos under the YouTube handle “Reckless Ben” and has amassed over 350,000 subscribers.
Despite a police perimeter surrounding the buildings, Schenider said he was able to slip past any watchful eyes on May 12.
“We pretended we were a religious cult and we got 20 people to all hold signs saying ‘Jesus Saves’ and the signs were blocking the police’s point of view so we just hopped the fence,” he said.
Inside the building, he and his team members climbed 500 feet up the tower multiple times to string together and tighten two one-inch nylon straps between the towers.
While holding a camera attached to a selfie stick, Schneider carefully mounts the line and begins walking across the rope, his camera capturing the soaring viewpoint and moving traffic down below.
“I call it moral graffiti,” Schneider said of his stunt. “I’m a moral graffiti artist. I vandalize buildings without causing any building damage.”
Schneider, who is an experienced slackliner, spent over two minutes walking the line while attached to a safety harness.
“I was pretty confident that Ben could pull it off,” said Lydia Ren, Schneider’s team member who served as a lookout during the stunt. “I just do this for fun. This is not a job. I actually work at a VR startup so this is like my weekend thing.”
Once police realized there were trespassers inside the towers, authorities began searching the premises. Schneider was seen hiding in a bathtub and covering himself with plywood. He stayed there for several hours before finally exiting the building and evading arrest.
Despite the name of his YouTube handle, Schneider said he’s well aware of the dangers of such stunts.
“Everything’s dangerous,” he said. “Driving a car is dangerous, but we still drive. The stunt I did was dangerous but I think the reward outweighed the risk because I think we inspired a lot of people. I got to push myself out of my comfort zone. We got to do something scary and inspire the world to go live their best life.”
Oceanwide Plaza is a $1 billion mixed-use retail and luxury apartment project with three unfinished structures. Construction had stalled in January 2019 after the developer lacked the funds to complete it.
The complex, which is located in the heart of downtown L.A.’s entertainment district, has attracted many artists which have since covered over 27 stories of its exterior with graffiti.
The building has been an ongoing problem for police and city leaders due to constant trespassing for those eager to tag the building, perform death-defying stunts, and or even BASE jump.
In March 2024, city council members agreed to allot $3.8 million to clean up and secure the site, which has seen numerous arrests in the weeks since the tagging began.
Footage of Schneider’s stunt can be seen in the video player above.
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