BRIEFLY TEEN SHOT IN HEAD NOT SERIOUSLY HURT.

NORTH HILLS - A 17-year-old boy was lucky to be alive Saturday after he was shot in the head at close range, but the bullet never entered his skull.

The victim, whose name was not released, was rushed to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition, according to Sgt. Rafael Hechavarria of the Los Angeles Police Department's Devonshire Division.

According to Hechavarria, the victim and the suspect were walking near Nordhoff Street and Langdon Avenue at about 2:30 p.m. It was unclear if they were walking together or the nature of their relationship, he said.

The suspect shot the victim at close range with a 9 mm pistol. The bullet broke the victim's skin on his head, but never entered the skull, Hechavarria said. The suspect remained at large Saturday as police continued to investigate.

- Daily News

One person killed in crash in forest

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - One person was killed Saturday after driving off a road in the Angeles National Forest and falling more than 400 feet into a ravine before sparking a brush fire, officials said.

The crash occurred at about 8:15 a.m. on the Angeles Forest Highway near Hidden Springs, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The fire burned about an acre of brush, but was extinguished immediately, authorities said.

No one else was injured. The name of the victim and the cause of the crash was still under investigation, authorities said.

- Daily News

Man admits killing toddler with car

OXNARD - A man changed his plea and acknowledged in court that he ran over and killed a toddler and then drove away.

Mike Hernandez, 54, of Oxnard was arrested on Sept. 26, two days after 15-month-old Francisco Morales was struck in a yard outside the home of the boy's uncle in El Rio.

Hernandez pleaded no contest Friday in Superior Court to felony hit-and- run driving, misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and misdemeanor driving without a license. He earlier had pleaded not guilty.

Hernandez faces up to five years and five months in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 17.

- Associated Press

LAPD will replace bulletproof vests

The Los Angeles Police Department will replace bulletproof vests worn by many of its nearly 3,000 officers after the manufacturer warned the material might weaken over time.

Second Chance Body Armor Inc. has agreed to replace the Zylon material with Kevlar within a month, Assistant Police Chief George Gascon said Friday. The LAPD also recently canceled an order for Second Chance vests for its special weapons team, he said.

In August, the Michigan-based company began notifying hundreds of police departments around the country that it has stopped selling two vest models because tests showed the material was degrading before the five-year warranty expired.

- Associated Press

Boy, 5, may lose foot after being hit

PACOIMA - A 5-year-old boy was in stable condition late Saturday after being hit by a minivan while he was running toward an ice cream truck, police said.

The driver of the minivan, who is in his 40s, stopped to help the child during the 5:45 p.m. accident near the intersection of Kelowna Street and Haddon Avenue, but he drove away after paramedics arrived.

``We would like to talk to him and get his statement,'' said Valley Traffic Lt. Steven Allen. ``Otherwise we'll have to assume he's a hit-and- run driver.''

The boy was airlifted to Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. He could potentially lose one of his feet due to his injuries, Allen said.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the LAPD's Valley Traffic Division at [phone].

- Daily News