Los Angeles Police Department officers discovered an illegal gambling operation and detained 26 individuals early Saturday morning in Koreatown, following a report of a hostage situation.
The incident began shortly after 4 a.m. when authorities received a tip regarding a gunman holding a person hostage at an address on the 3400 block of West 8th Street, near Kingsley Drive. Upon arrival, officers located an abandoned warehouse that had been converted into an illicit gambling establishment.
During the operation, 26 people were detained. Of those, six were arrested due to outstanding warrants. "We had a radio call of a male armed with a gun, and officers discovered an illegal gambling operation," stated LAPD spokesperson Officer Charles Miller. The alleged gunman and hostage were not present at the scene, and no injuries were reported.
The individuals taken into custody for outstanding warrants are currently being processed. The remaining detained individuals were released. Video footage from the scene depicted approximately a dozen police officers in tactical gear outside the building, with nearly two dozen people appearing to be detained and restrained.
