A former California Highway Patrol officer and a 27-year-old woman were charged today with four counts of murder for their respective roles in a fiery crash that left four people dead on the 605 Freeway last summer.
“This horrific tragedy could have been avoided if a motorist accused of drunk driving hadn’t gotten behind the wheel and driven over 110 miles per hour and an on-duty CHP officer hadn’t driven over 130 miles per hour and neglected his duty,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “These two defendants are now inextricably linked because they consciously chose to disregard human life over responsibility, leaving four families grieving and irreparably changing the lives of everyone affected by one night of unimaginable trauma.”Read more...
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman today announced the launch of a countywide LA Metro bus advertisement campaign warning everyone that lying or misrepresenting facts to obtain workers’ compensation benefits to which a person is not entitled is a felony.
“Knowingly making a false statement to collect workers’ compensation benefits is textbook fraud, and we are filing charges against anyone who engages in it — employees, medical providers, attorneys or any other participants in the schemes,” District Attorney Hochman said. “If you choose to falsify a claim, exaggerate an injury, or create false medical documentation, you are committing a felony, and my office will prosecute you. In fact, the very buses that soon will carry this message are connected to a recent case in which a Metro bus driver is now charged with staging a fake workplace fall to fraudulently obtain benefits.”Read more...
A 35-year-old woman was charged today for trying to kill musician Rihanna after she fired at semiautomatic rifle at the singer’s Beverly Crest home over the weekend. No one was injured.
“Opening fire in any populated neighborhood is extremely dangerous, puts lives at risk and will be fully prosecuted,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “Thankfully, no one was injured in this shooting, but this careless violence will not be tolerated in our community. Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons.”Read more...
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman was joined by Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris, and East West Bank Managing Director of Retail Banking for Southern California, Renee Sun, to urge the public to stay vigilant when withdrawing and depositing money at banks and ATMs ahead of the Lunar New Year.Read more...
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman today outlined the Office’s continued efforts and innovative approach to combat human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, combining tougher felony charging decisions against sexual exploiters/buyers, commonly referred to as ‘johns’ and sex traffickers/pimps as well as providing services from community-based organizations to directly support sex worker victims and survivors.
“Human trafficking is essentially modern-day slavery, and Los Angeles County for far too long has been one of its epicenters,” said District Attorney Hochman. “A year ago, we announced we were going to aggressively prosecute traffickers and pimps – and we did – but there is still a crisis for families in these neighborhoods. Our office is now doing three things at once to go after the demand and supply side of this illegal sex industry: filing felony cases, including conspiracy charges, against the sexual exploiters/buyers who drive demand, aggressively seeking years of prison time against the sex traffickers/pimps, and offering resources and services to sex workers, in an effort to end their exploitation.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman was joined by Jennifer Levi, the mother of 18-year-old Braun Levi, who was killed in a pedestrian-involved collision earlier this year. Levi will speak about the charges filed in the death of her son. Additional speakers include Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park and California State Senator Bob Archuleta.Read more...
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced that 32-year-old Nick Reiner was charged today with murdering his parents, Hollywood luminary Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner, over the weekend at the couple’s Brentwood home.
“Prosecuting cases involving family violence are some of the most challenging and heart-wrenching we face because of the intimate and often brutal nature of the crimes,” District Attorney Hochman said. “Rob Reiner was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation. His murder and his wife of more than 35 years, Michele Singer Reiner’s murder, are shocking and tragic. We owe it to their memory to pursue justice and accountability for the lives that were taken.”Read more...
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman was joined by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger to announce felony charges against five unlicensed contractors as a result of an operation conducted by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). At the news conference today, District Attorney Hochman urged fire victims to watch out for unlicensed construction contractors preying on victims of the January wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena disaster zones.
