The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-largest municipal police department in the United States, after the New York City Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.
The Hillside Strangler is the media epithet for an American serial killer—later discovered to be a duo, Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono—who terrorized the women of Los Angeles between October 1977 and February 1978, during a time when Southern California was plagued by several active serial killers. The nickname originates from the pattern of many of the victims' bodies being discovered in the hills surrounding the city, typically victims of strangulation.
Gloria Rachel Allred is an American attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving feminist causes. She has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Leslie Ann Sykes is an American television news anchor, journalist and reporter. Sykes is the morning and midday co-anchor of the Eyewitness News at KABC-TV, ABC's owned and operated television station in Los Angeles.
Michelle Tuzee is a former television news anchor. Tuzee is best known for her 23 years as a lead anchor at KABC-TV Los Angeles. Tuzee co-anchored KABC's Eyewitness News at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. with Marc Brown.
Frank Lyga is an American former police officer of the Los Angeles Police Department, who shot and killed Kevin Gaines. The resulting LAPD investigation of Kevin Gaines helped lead to the Rampart Scandal.
Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known by the nickname Grim Sleeper, was an American serial killer who was responsible for at least ten murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California from 1984 to 2007. He was also convicted for rape and sexual violence. Franklin earned his nickname when he appeared to have taken a 14-year break from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002.
George Gascón is an American attorney and former police officer who served as the District Attorney of Los Angeles County from December 7, 2020 to December 3, 2024. A member of the Democratic Party and a former member of the Republican Party, Gascón served as the district attorney of San Francisco from 2011 to 2019. Prior to his work as a prosecutor, he was an assistant chief of police for the LAPD, and Chief of Police in Mesa, Arizona and San Francisco.
Jasmyne Ariel Cannick is an American politician, journalist, and pop culture, race issues and politics commentator. She is also known for her work as an advocate for underrepresented and marginalized communities. She was selected as one of ESSENCE Magazine's 25 Women Shaping the World, KCET's Southern California Seven Women of Vision, one of Los Angeles' Most Fascinating Angelenos by the L.A. Weekly and as one of the Out100 in 2019.
On February 24, 1986, the body of Sherri Rasmussen was found in the apartment she shared with her husband, John Ruetten, in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. She had been beaten and shot three times in a struggle. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) initially considered the case a botched burglary and were unable to identify a suspect. Rasmussen's father believed that LAPD officer Stephanie Ilene Lazarus, who was formerly in a relationship with Ruetten, was a prime suspect.
Pauline Tanyaradzwa Adele "Tanya" Fear is a British actress and comedian. She had a recurring role on the 2015 television series Spotless and appeared in the Doctor Who episode "Arachnids in the UK" in 2018. In 2021 she announced that she would use the name Tanyaradzwa Fear professionally, having previously been credited as Tanya Fear.
Jacquelyn Phillips Lacey is an American politician who served as the District Attorney of Los Angeles County from December 3, 2012 to December 7, 2020. Lacey was the first woman, and first African-American, to serve as LA District Attorney since the office was created in 1850.
George Hill Hodel Jr. was an American physician, and a suspect in the murder of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. He was never formally charged with the crime but, at the time, police considered him a viable suspect, and two of his children believe he was guilty. He was also accused of raping his daughter, Tamar Hodel, but was acquitted of that crime. He lived overseas several times, primarily in the Philippines between 1950 and 1990.
Daniel Brandon Bilzerian is an American poker player, businessman, and social media influencer. He gained notability for his extravagant lifestyle and photo ops with scantily dressed female models on social media. He is the eldest son of businessman Paul Alec Bilzerian and the brother of poker player and writer Adam J. Bilzerian.
Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old African-American man, died from multiple gunshot wounds after being shot by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers in Florence, Los Angeles, California on August 11, 2014. In the weeks and months that followed, Ford's shooting triggered multiple demonstrations and a lawsuit by Ford's family claiming $75 million in damages.
On February 19, 2013, the body of Canadian tourist Elisa Lam was recovered from a large cistern atop the Stay on Main hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, where she had been a guest. She was last seen alive on January 31 and was reported missing by her parents on February 8. Her body was discovered by a hotel maintenance worker investigating complaints of flooding and low water pressure.
Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were a Pakistani-American mass murder duo who were the two perpetrators of a terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, United States on December 2, 2015. In the attack, they killed 14 people and injured 22 others. Both died in a shootout with law enforcement later that day.
Samuel Little was an American serial killer who was convicted of eight murders and confessed to committing 93 murders between 1970 and 2005. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program has confirmed his involvement in at least 60 murders, the largest number of confirmed victims for any serial killer in American history. Little provided sketches for twenty-six of his victims although not all have been linked to known murders.
Jetpack man is an unknown person or object observed flying what appeared to be an unauthorized jetpack around the Los Angeles area at least five times from 2020 to 2022. Multiple airplane pilots reported seeing the jetpack man at altitudes around 5,000 feet (1,500 m).
