A man died on Saturday after he attempted to swim across Laguna Lake, according to authorities.

In a news release, the Fullerton Police Department said authorities responded to reports of a possible drowning at the lake at 6:57 p.m. Witnesses told police that a man entered the lake and tried to swim across, but he wasn’t seen exiting the water.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department Underwater Search and Recovery Team later recovered the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Foul play was not suspected in the man’s death. His identity will be released later, police said.

According to police, swimming is prohibited at Laguna Lake.

The FBI is searching for a man wanted in connection with a deadly shooting in Los Angeles County.

The suspect was identified as Cesar Villarreal, 46, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

He is known by aliases including “Moreno,” “Rat,” “Black Boy,” “Little Black Boy,” Cesar Garcia and Cesar Moreno. He is a “convicted felon and known gang member,” authorities said.

On May 21, 2010, Villarreal was at a store with his two young daughters when he began arguing with two men. 

During the confrontation, Villarreal allegedly pointed his gun at the men who eventually left the store. Shortly after as Villarreal was driving his pickup truck without his daughters, he spotted the men a short distance from the store. 

That’s when he allegedly shot the pair, leaving one man dead and the other injured, authorities said.

Villarreal fled the scene and has remained on the run since. He is believed to be living in Mexico, according to detectives. He has previously lived in Baldwin Park and may have ties to Oregon.

He may also be in the company of his longtime companion, Obdulia Medina, who is not a fugitive, the FBI noted.

They may be accompanied by Medina’s daughter, Aileen Cecille Rey Diaz, 23. Villarreal and Medina also have a daughter together, Ahtziri Citlalli Villarreal-Medina, 17, who may also be with them.

Villarreal is described as a Hispanic man around 5 feet 6 to 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 160 to 165 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. 

He has scars on his back and left ankle. He has a tattoo of red lips and the word “Ofelia” on his left chest. He is fully tattooed from above his right chest and around to his back along with his left and right legs below the knees.

His last known occupation was a concrete mason and cement finisher.

Villarreal was charged with murder by the L.A. County Superior Court and a state warrant was issued for his arrest on June 11, 2010. 

A federal arrest warrant was issued by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on August 27, 2010, after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Other charges he is wanted for include attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

The FBI is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. He should also be considered “armed and extremely dangerous.”

Anyone who knows Villarreal’s whereabouts or has information on the case is asked to contact a local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

The Los Angeles Police Department is searching for the suspect in a fatal hit-and-run that killed a man who was on a bicycle.

The incident occurred around 8:05 p.m. Friday near the area of Woodley Avenue, south of Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys.

Authorities say a silver SUV was speeding southbound on Woodley Avenue when it collided with the victim, who was thrown from his bicycle and onto the road.

The silver vehicle failed to stop at the scene and was last seen continuing southbound on Woodley Avenue towards Burbank Boulevard.

LAPD says the victim is a man in his early 40s. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone with information about this collision is asked to contact Valley Traffic Division,
Investigator Hansen at 818-644-8115 or Reyes at 818-644-8022.

Los Angeles saw a record number of traffic fatalities in 2023, and 2024 is off to a troubling start, according to data compiled by Crosstown L.A.

Based on publicly available police reports, the nonprofit news outlet found there were 343 traffic deaths in 2023, the third consecutive year of increases, and 77 deaths through the first three months of 2024.

Hit-and-run deaths in L.A. have nearly doubled in recent years, the data shows, from 56 in 2020 to 108 in 2023. Through April 6, there have been 31 fatal hit-and-runs in the city.