Southwest
Texas woman says she had to take cab to hospital due to 'defund police' repercussions
The repercussions of liberals’ “Defund the Police” movement that reached its peak in 2020 continue to reverberate in communities across America.
One Texas woman told Fox News on Monday that, due to a slashed police budget in the capital city of Austin that led to an officer shortage, she was ping-ponged between 911 to municipal service hotline 311 several times until she finally called a rideshare service to take her injured children to a hospital.
Lauren Klinefelter reacted on “America Reports” to news that one precinct in Austin had zero patrol officers for a several-hour span recently, saying she is not surprised at the report.
“In February of 2022, me and my children were in a pretty bad car accident. I called 911. I was routed to 311… they threw me back to 911, and I was just kind of in a roundabout circle of going back and forth, back and forth for about an hour. My children were visibly injured. My car was totaled,” she said.
‘COLD HEART’ BIDEN TO BLAME FOR GA STUDENT’S SLAYING, TEXAS OFFICIAL SAYS
Klinefelter added that she eventually hired an Uber. She said her mother now works for the local 311 service and attested to the claim some emergency calls are being routed to the non-emergency number – which in cities like New York and Washington takes reports of treacherous sidewalk conditions, traffic signal outages, noise complaints and more.
“America Reports” anchor John Roberts added that Austin has also seen a spike in murders – to a rate of one per week – that a local Fox affiliate reported is also attributed to the police staffing shortage.
Roberts recounted working in Austin in the past, and recalled it being a pleasant and fun city to visit.
“It’s a scary place right now,” Klinefelter countered.
DR PHIL’S CALL TO ACTION: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ON CRIME WAVE CAUSED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
She said Austin residents affected by the worsening conditions are trying to unite as a community to be heard by local leaders in hopes of reversing the worrisome trend.
After the 2020 vote by Austin City Council to slash the police budget by about 30%, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott predicted it would put Austin law enforcement and their families at a higher risk and said the state Department of Public Safety will try to “stand in the gap” to protect the community.
Councilmen like now-U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas by contrast celebrated the resolution, tweeting “We did it!”
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Casar said at the time the police budget reduction would “reinvest resources into our community’s safety and well-being,” and said thousands of people corresponded with or testified before the council in favor of the budget cut, before closing the tweet with the hashtag BlackLivesMatter.
A spokesperson for the city of Austin told Fox News Digital in recent days that Austin Police face “some of the most pressing departmental concerns in the organization, particularly in the area of staffing and training.”
“The need for additional resources for APD remains a top priority and the Interim City Manager will be assessing what options are available to the city,” the spokesperson said.
Joe Gamaldi, vice president of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) told Fox News on Monday that Austin lawmakers’ “defund the police” movement has been an “unmitigated disaster.”
“They defunded their department by $150 million. The next year, they had their highest murder rate in recorded history. Aggravated assaults are up 18%, car thefts are up 77%, and their response times to emergencies are up to ten minutes,” Gamaldi, who has served with the NYPD and Houston agencies, told “The Ingraham Angle.”
Gamaldi said it is not just urban areas like Austin feeling a rise in crime and reduction in patrols. He added that police applications in New Jersey are down 90%, and down 80% in Illinois.
“You know where they’re not having recruiting problems? Where you have communities that actually support police officers that don’t treat their officers like crap, who actually treat them fairly,” he said.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this report.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Man wanted for deadly Los Angeles road rage shooting extradited from Mexico
A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
Los Angeles, Ca
NB 405 Freeway closed near LAX after pursuit ends in gunfire
The northbound 405 Freeway will remain closed for several hours near Los Angeles International Airport after a police pursuit ended with officers opening fire Friday morning. Unconfirmed reports indicated the incident began with a robbery at a 7-Eleven store, which ended with Los Angeles Police Department officers pursuing the suspect in a Kia. The chase […]
Los Angeles, Ca
'Top Gun: Maverick' actor identified as victim stabbed to death in Tarzana
The victim in a bizarre and deadly stabbing in Tarzana has been identified as 81-year-old character actor James Handy, best known for a recent role in Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” The stabbing happened around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 19200 block of Erwin Street in the West Valley area. Officers responded after receiving a […]
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