"Los Angeles Newsflash: Recently, an 18-year-old mother, living in the U.S. illegally, gave birth behind a food truck and left her newborn in a dumpster. Fortunately, a passerby discovered the child in time and called 911. Police and paramedics rescued the baby and rushed it to the hospital.
Authorities quickly linked the case to the food truck, identified the young mother, and sent her to the hospital as well. She will be charged with felony child abandonment. Her bail—originally set at $90,000—was raised to $200,000. But according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she poses a flight risk, so her release has been put on hold. She is currently being held in the women's jail."
"Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department raided multiple residential locations, arresting several suspects and seizing large quantities of narcotics, drug money, and firearms. Charges include possession of controlled substances for sale, unlawful possession of firearms, possession of stolen firearms, illegal transport of marijuana, money laundering, illegal cultivation of marijuana, and illegal residency. Some suspects have been released on bail ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.The LASD stated they will pursue those involved in laundering drug proceeds, as well as individuals and organizations engaged in processing marijuana into edibles. They will also continue investigating the upstream supply chain and take aggressive enforcement measures. Further details were withheld, citing ongoing operations. Both the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the DEA Los Angeles Division have expressed interest in the case."
"During yesterday's pursuit of a drug suspect, the suspect's vehicle collided with a woman's car while she was completing an Uber delivery. Her vehicle suffered extensive damage, and she was injured as well.
What made the incident worse for her was hearing from deputies that the collision occurred during lawful police action—meaning the Sheriff's Department would not be liable for damages. The suspect had no money to pay restitution, and the car he was driving belonged to a dealership with no insurance coverage.
Her own insurer refused the claim, explaining that she carried personal-use coverage, not commercial coverage, so accidents while driving for Uber were excluded. Uber stated that she had not checked a required consent box in her work agreement, and therefore, they had no obligation to compensate her either.
The woman said she had driven for Uber for three years and never understood the insurance fine print. What she couldn't accept was that, even if vehicle damage wasn't covered, injuries sustained while working should be compensated. Uber still maintained it wasn't their responsibility. She had only finished paying off the car loan less than six months ago. Now the car was wrecked, and no one would take responsibility. She was left with nothing but bitter tears."
Felix sat in the office, half-listening to the radio as he copied his report. The more he listened, the more absurd it sounded—drug dealers walking out on lower bail than a baby-dumping mother. Apparently, bail amounts were set based on assets: the wealthier you were, the higher the bail. If you skipped, the bail money was forfeited—everybody wins. By that logic, the young mother must have been rich in spiritual assets.
Yesterday's drug bust had gone smoothly—no shots fired—so there was no need for administrative leave, only an after-action report. Ironically, after all the cases Felix had been part of, this was the first time he was writing one.
He leaned over to Mark, who was also busy with paperwork."Hey, the news says the FBI's 'watching the case.' What's that supposed to mean?"
Mark didn't look up. "Exactly what it says. If it's a major case crossing state lines or beyond a department's capability, the FBI can just take it over. That's what we hate—they make it sound like we're not up to the job."
"How so?"
"They recruit people with military or law enforcement backgrounds, or specialists in tech, finance, medicine, engineering, law, education—you name it. Plus, they've got nationwide resources. Of course they're strong. But these days, a lot of their authority has been stripped by Homeland Security. They're a little weaker than before."
"Why don't you apply to the FBI?"
"I never went to college. And being a regular cop's fine by me—I can help a lot of people every day."
Felix smirked but kept quiet. Back in school, the FBI had actually approached him once, but he turned them down. Too much politics in that pond—and if he joined, there was a good chance he'd never get near the kind of high-intensity cases he liked.
Mark's jaw tightened. Felix wisely turned back to his report.
Just then, a group of older white men walked in and headed straight for the captain's office."Who are they?" Felix asked.
Mark glanced up. "El Monte city officials. Probably here to see if they can take some of those hundreds of pounds of seized marijuana off our hands—after it's cleared as evidence."
"Hundreds of pounds? They couldn't smoke it all in a lifetime."
"Who said they were gonna smoke it? Haven't you been following the news? El Monte's building a marijuana cultivation and retail center. But growing takes time. They want to buy the seized stuff cheap so they can open the storefront sooner."
Typical politicians—slick as an oil spill.
"I heard Temple City residents are pushing a petition to block marijuana cultivation."
"Too late. You missed the news. A few days ago, El Monte held a public hearing and voted unanimously to approve the cultivation plan. Then they went ahead and greenlit four grow-and-distribution sites in a row."
"No way! Chinese residents wouldn't have agreed to that."
"They didn't have to. They controlled who got in the room—and the demographics. Hardly any Chinese faces in there."
Typical politicians—dirty to the core.
Felix asked, "So, will Captain Mesa sell them the stash?"
"Think about why we're called the Temple City Station and not the El Monte Station. A big chunk of our budget comes from Chinese-owned businesses in Temple City. Only a fool would risk upsetting that for a quick payout. Mesa's no fool."
Sure enough, the city officials came out of the office soon after, looking distinctly unhappy.
Felix felt a small surge of satisfaction. He didn't care much about marijuana policy, but watching them leave empty-handed was gratifying.
He figured he'd learned another small truth: People might betray their class—but they rarely betray their own interests.