Homicide

Nov 2 2010
Gang rivalry Kitchen Crips and Swan Bloods

SOUTH LOS ANGELES, Calif.—An autopsy was pending today on the body of a 5-year-old boy who was shot by two suspected gang members while he showed off his Spider-Man trick-or-treating costume in his yard in South Los Angeles.

The City Council today may also consider offering a reward for information that leads to the two gunmen who killed Aaron Shannon Jr.

Aaron died late Monday at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 77th Street Station police said.

Oct 26 2010

May be connected to third slaying

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A 53-year-old man was charged today with capital murder in the slayings of a Hawthorne couple during a robbery at their home last week.

John Wesley Ewell was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at the Airport Branch Courthouse on two counts each of murder and residential robbery, along with the special circumstance allegation of murder during a robbery.

Oct 19 2010

Last seen June 2009

LOMITA, Calif.—A 31-year-old woman has been missing for nearly a year and a half, and sheriff's investigators asked today for the public's help intheir stalled search for the Lomita resident.

Raven Joy Campbell was last seen about noon on June 4, 2009, leaving the Western Avenue residence where she was living at the time, according to the sheriff's department.

She may be living on the street, according to detectives, who could not be reached to elaborate.

Oct 13 2010

Department had been unable to provide information

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has asked the Department of Children and Family Services to provide 20 years of data on the deaths of children with prior history with the department.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas made the proposal, saying the department had been unable to provide essential information.

"DCFS has acknowledged that record keeping, formatting issues and other problems have thus far prevented DCFS from presenting a clear, consistent statistical picture of child deaths over time,'' said Ridley-Thomas.

Oct 5 2010

$5,000 reward

LANCASTER, Calif.—Sheriff's deputies today announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of whoever killed a 14-year-old girl and wounded six people at a Sept. 5 party in Lancaster.

Dominique Peatry of Lancaster was killed and two other females and four males, 13-26 years old, were shot near Nugent Street and Sixth Street East early that Sunday, Nicole Nishida of the sheriff's department said.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”