Crime
Rampart Division Investigates Early Morning Vehicle Assault and Shooting Incident in East Hollywood
LOS ANGELES, CA – Around 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2025, officers from the LAPD Rampart Division responded to a radio call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in the East Hollywood area.
Preliminary investigation reveals that a vehicle drove into a crowd of people for reasons that remain under active investigation.
When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the driver of the vehicle being physically assaulted by several bystanders.
Upon further assessment, officers determined the driver had also sustained a gunshot wound.
The injured driver was transported by paramedics to a nearby hospital. His condition has not been publicly disclosed.
As a result of the vehicle driving into the crowd, a total of 23 individuals were transported to area hospitals for medical evaluation and treatment.
The Los Angeles Fire Department classified multiple victims with varying degrees of injury, ranging from critical to fair condition.
According to witness statements and initial reports, the individual responsible for shooting the driver fled the scene on foot.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing around 180 pounds, bald, and last seen wearing a blue jersey.
He is believed to be armed with a silver revolver and was last observed heading westbound from Vermont Avenue.
The Los Angeles Police Department urges anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact Rampart Division Detectives at (213) 484-3424.
For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted through LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
The investigation is ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.