A man suspected of kidnapping a woman in East Los Angeles on Thanksgiving Day has been arrested and charged, authorities announced Wednesday.

Deputies responded to the 1200 block of Dickson Avenue on Nov. 28 after witnesses reported seeing a woman being physically assaulted.

Officials obtained surveillance video that showed an apparently distressed woman exiting a white-colored SUV moments before a man approached and threw her to the ground.

“The suspect then picked up the female and forcibly placed her back into the vehicle where he proceeded to physically assault her,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated. “The vehicle then drove off with both the suspect and victim in it.”

Detectives later identified the suspect and arrested Ivan Cruz at his residence in Santa Fe Springs without incident.

“The female adult victim observed on video surveillance being assaulted was identified as his girlfriend,” the Sheriff’s Department stated.

She was located in East Los Angeles and was treated for minor injuries by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Cruz was ultimately arrested and on Monday he was charged with felony kidnapping and domestic violence.

He remains in custody on $1 million bail.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or may have further information was asked to call the Major Crimes Bureau at 562-946-7893.

Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

A 28-year-old Ventura County man, who is out on bail, is facing 9 felony charges in connection with the distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), officials announced Tuesday.  

An investigation into the suspect, identified as Oxnard resident Angel Martinez, began in July when authorities with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Unit were monitoring a file sharing network and spotted the illicit materials being shared from an Oxnard apartment.  

As the investigation progressed, a search warrant was issued and executed on Nov. 16 at the residence in the 2900 block of Albany Drive.  

“Martinez was arrested at the scene without incidence and numerous electronic items, including cell phones, hard drives, laptops and a desktop computer were seized,” according to a VCDA news release.  

The 28-year-old has been charged with seven felony counts of distribution of CSAM, a felony count of possessing CSAM with intent to distribute and a felony count of possession of CSAM.  

Martinez, who pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to appear in court in January and remains free after posting a $50,000 bond.  

The City of Oxnard in July 2024 partnered with the district attorney’s office to investigate internet crimes against children.  

Senior Deputy DA Marc Leventhal, a member of the VCDA’s Special Prosecutions Fraud & Technology Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case, officials said.  

Nathan Hochman was officially sworn in as the 44^th Los Angeles County District Attorney on Tuesday during the ceremony on the front steps of the Hall of Justice.

Hochman replaces former District Attorney George Gascón, who lost his reelection bid in a landslide in November.

Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger officially swore in Hochman. During the ceremony, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, and other local leaders spoke.

Among many issues Hochman has inherited from the previous DA, none may be more high-profile than the Menendez brothers’ murder case.

In October, Gascón announced that he would support resentencing the brothers, who have spent nearly 35 years behind bars for killing their parents.

 Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted to fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez, after fearing their parents were about to kill them to stop people from finding out that Jose Menendez had sexually abused Erik Menendez for years, according to the Associated Press.

The resentencing recommendation could provide the brothers a chance at freedom after spending over three decades in jail. In 1996, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with KTLA in November, Hochman outlined his plans for navigating the case.

“Here’s my approach, whether it’s the Menendez case or quite honestly any case: you have to do the hard work,” he told KTLA on Wednesday morning. “You have to look, in that case, at thousands of pages of confidential prison files, you have to review thousands of trial transcripts from months-long trials, and you have to speak to the prosecutors, law enforcement and the defense counsel…and the victims’ families.”

“Only then can you be in a position to determine whether resentencing is the remedy in this situation or whether what is asked for in the resentencing is the appropriate request,” Hochman continued. “I’m not in that position now, but I can tell you if I do have to make that call, I will do the hard work to make the right decision.”

L.A. County’s new D.A. also vowed to eliminate “pro-criminal extreme policies and empower the 750 prosecutors Gascón didn’t even speak to.”

“I am going to listen and learn from them [because] they bring collectively thousands of years of prosecutorial experience, and while I have 34 years, I understand the difference. So I will ask them what is working and we will continue it, and [I will ask] what’s not working and their solutions to fix [those problems.]” Hochman said.