July 2008 Archives

If you watched the Greta show Thursday night, you might have seen Christine Jeanbart and Zanni Meguerian plead for help to find their sons. 

This email came to me this morning from Robert Sulahian, the brother of the Westchester men who abducted their sons and might be headed to Syria:

"I undersigned Dr.Robert Sulahian (Silah), brother of John & George Silah, after reviewing the websites which has been designed on this occasion, project the heartrending story of the action that John & George have taken against their families (X wives & children). I declare that this action is categorically rejected and I publicly condemn this inhuman and harsh action of my brothers that has been taken against their X wives and children, consequently, against the human kind at large.

He also said he does not believe his brothers will harm the children.

An autopsy on a Ventura woman found dead aboard a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Atlanta has determined she died from a pre-existing heart condition.

Michaele O'Neil Carnahan, 61, died in the restroom aboard Delta flight 950. She was on her way to a wedding in Florida.

Georgia Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kris Sperry released information saying Carnahan's personal doctor had been monitoring her for suspected heart problems.

The specific problem will be determined later by microscopic examination, 

The first trial ended with an acquittal for Eric Sanford. Now he's on trial again with a second co-defendant, Julio Perez. Testimony gets underway today in a Compton courtroom. We'll keep you updated!

A woman who died aboard a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Atlanta early Wednesday was from Ventura.

Michaele O'Neil Carnahan, 61, was discovered in the restroom aboard Delta flight 950, authorities said.

Carnahan was on her way to a wedding in Florida, said John Bankhead, a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

"She was found deceased inside the restroom and there was a physician on the plane who pronounced her dead when they got to her," Bankhead said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

Bankhead said there was nothing to indicate foul play.

"Everything points to natural," he said.

I got this very important press release about a very important meeting to discuss THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Councilman Zine Convenes
Los Angeles Regional Paparazzi Task Force
What: A regional task force on paparazzi will convene to hear testimony from key stakeholders to develop proposals to consider in the legislative process. The meeting can be viewed live on Ch. 35 or via the following link: http://ita.lacity.org/lacityview35/.
When: Thursday, July 31st, 2008
9:30 AM Press Conference on the South Lawn Steps of City Hall

10:00 AM Meeting
Where: Los Angeles City Hall
Council Chambers (Room 340)

200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Who: Councilmember Dennis P. Zine
Sheriff Leroy Baca
Screen Actors Guild
City of Beverly Hills
City of Calabasas
City of Malibu
City of West Hollywood
State and County Representatives

Why: Paparazzi are becoming increasingly aggressive in their tactics, posing a clear danger not only to the people they are trying to photograph, but to the general public around them. Councilman Zine has already introduced a motion to curtail the reckless behavior of the so-called paparazzi and that motion is pending a public hearing in the Public Safety Committee. In the meantime, he has assembled a regional task force to develop concrete ideas and to determine the most effective legislation to move forward through the process.

I'm glad all these important people are keeping busy on this most important topic for all of us. Meanwhile, back to the gang problem, the hospital closures, schools that don't teach, roads that need repair and the housing crisis.

A Long Beach police officer responding to a report of a man walking down the street ended up shooting the guy.

Today, the LAPD confirmed the man with a gun was an LAPD traffic officer. The Long Beach Press-Telegram has an updated story.

Here's what the LAPD just put out:

An officer involved shooting occurred in the 200 block of Mira Mar Avenue in the City of Long Beach on July 30, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

The suspect involved in this incident has been identified as 26-year old Jason Geggie, an off-duty Los Angeles Police Officer. Geggie has been with the Department for one and a half years and is currently assigned to Central Traffic Division.

The Long Beach Police Department is handling both the criminal and officer involved shooting investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department's Internal Affairs Group has initiated its own personnel investigation.

Christine Jeanbart and Zanni Meguerian have established a few Web sites as they try to find their sons, allegedly abducted by their fathers.

My Daily Breeze story story today talks about the women's fears that their children could be in danger because the father's allegedly have people chasing after them.

My earlier story




The Web sites are findthesilahchildren.com, georgesilah.com, and johnsilah.com.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I spent Tuesday's earthquake on the telephone with a homicide detective. When things stopped shaking, we got right back to work.

Here's a paragraph from Tim Grobaty's column in the Long Beach Press-Telegram today on his experience in the quake. It made me laugh:

Our next-door-cubicle occupant, police reporter Tracy Manzer, hardened beyond reason by a life of crime, was playing a word-search puzzle on Facebook like some kind of old lady with a lot of cats, when the quake hit, and throughout the eternity's duration of the quake, she quietly informed us about how "the building is supposed to whip around violently during an earthquake - and, oh look, I found the word `what-a-bunch-of-pansies' - so how about everybody stops hollering like tourists and settles down?"

Here's how Judge Judy rode out Tuesday's earthquake. (Basically she got up and ran.)

I just experienced that entire earthquake on the phone with Detective David Alvarez at the Harbor Division......

I joked that now we have to meet in person. We've only spoken on the phone. That was the lengthiest earthquake I can remember.

By the way, there's a community meeting in Wilmington coming Thursday to discuss the killing of Tony Ortega. An article is on the newspaper's front page today and on the Web site.

Employees at three El Segundo businesses sold alcohol to minors during a recent police undercover operation, officers said.

Police and agents from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control visited 23 businesses in the city on July 22, sending in an underage decoy to try to buy alcohol.

Here's the ones who need to check for IDs next time:

• 7-Eleven, 100 W. Imperial Ave.
• Rite Aid, 220 E. Grand Ave.
• La Sirena Grill, 710 Allied Way

Three workers at those business were given citations. The business owners could face sanctions later.

These businesses did not sell alcohol to the minors:

• Chevron Gas Station, 601 Vista del Mar
• Hollymain Liquor, 404 Main St.
• Su Casa, 403 Main St.
• Tavern on Main, 123 Main St.
• Richmond Bar & Grill, 145 Richmond St.
• Purple Orchid, 221 Richmond St.
• Old Town Patio, 115 Richmond St.
• Cooke's Market, 121 West Grand Ave.
• Office Downtown, 206 East Grand Ave.
• Embassy Suites, 1440 East Imperial Ave.
• Village Liquor, 506 Center St.
• Hacienda Hotel, 525 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
• Chile Verde, 630 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
• Leonard's Liquor Store, 630 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
• Sizzler Restaurant, 600 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
• Stick & Stein, 707 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
• Teresa's Mosaic Cafe, 150 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
• Cozymel's Mexican Grill, 2171 Rosecrans Ave.
• Daily Grill, 2121 Rosecrans Ave.
• Marmalade Café, 2014 Park Place

Those businesses will receive a letter from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control commending them for being successful in preventing the sale of alcohol to minors.

I want to make it clear as I write this that I'm not making light of the tragedies here. But I was talking about this yesterday in the newsroom and it happened again today.

Last week, I wrote a story about a couple guys arrested as suspects in the stabbing of an off-duty LAPD officer in San Pedro. One of those men was named Kareem Valdez. He is 21. Well, he was born right at the height of the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers. You have to figure that Kareem's mom was a fan of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest Lakers ever. "We'll call him Kareem!"

So, this morning, I read something about an Inglewood man arrested on suspicion of killing his 6-month-old daughter. It's a horrible case and I'm glad I'm not involved in covering it.

But his name drew my attention -- McAdoo House. House was born in 1983, right in the middle of Bob McAdoo's stint with the Lakers during the opening years of the same Showtime era. That's No. 11 down there.

Can't you just hear his mom and dad say, "Let's call him McAdoo!" And yeah, some might have called the Forum, "McAdoo House." McAdoo was great. I attended his first game as a Laker.

I wonder how many other people out there are named for the Lakers. Are there people named "Magic?"

I guess it would take quite an effort to know if there was an increase of Jameses and Byrons and Kurts in the 80s in LA. But is there a Rambis Rabinowitz? Is there a Cooper Nguyen?

Obviously the names that showed up in the stories I mentioned are alleged bad guys, but if there are lawyers and doctors and chefs and teachers named Kareem and Worthy, it'd be fun to know. Maybe I should just change my name to Worthy Altman.

And what's happening now? Do we have lots of babies named Kobe and Lamar and Farmar set to come? Odom seems like a cool first name -- at least until he gets traded.

Three men accused of stabbing an off-duty Los Angeles police officer outside a San Pedro bar pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges Monday.

Two of the men were arrested right after the July 19 attack, while the third suspect, Richard Raymond Blasing30, was arrested last Wednesday, according to the Sheriff Department's Web site. Blasing, Kareem David Valdez, 21, and Abel Miguel Ulloa Jr., 28, each pleaded not guilty in Long Beach Superior Court to one count each of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Blasing is also charged with a count of being an accessory to a crime. The stabbing occurred outside the Crimsin Bar, 345 W. Sixth St, where the unidentified officer was attending a birthday celebration for a friend. The officer got caught in a dispute between the defendants and a bouncer, who did not want to let them into the bar, police have said. During the melee, the unidentified officer was stabbed in the abdomen. He is expected to recover.

The Fresno news crew tagging along with police this weekend hit the jackpot on a call to a local casino where a man was in custody for trying to bet weed. He had a medicinal marijuana card, but was carrying waaaaaaaay more than the law allows. I'm curious what his hand looked like, and pretty certain he wasn't playing with a full deck.

 

Redondo Beach's Recent Law Enforcement Events report for the week:

Monday 07/21
08:37 hrs - An area of the Public Works Department was evacuated briefly when a voice mail "bomb threat" message left over the weekend was received. RBPD and RBFD conducted dual inspections of the facility premises, the search came up negative for any bomb. The phone call is under investigation.

Tuesday 07/22
15:24 hrs - 2 juveniles were walking in the 2600 blk of Harriman when 2 males approached them. The males ordered them to give up their "stuff" and said they had a gun. The juveniles gave over their iPod and Zen MP3 players and the suspects fled. Based on a detailed description of the suspects by the juveniles, an alert RBPD officer soon located them, under the RR tracks on Grant. Both suspects, who also turned out to be juveniles, 17 years of age, were arrested and booked for robbery.

19:15 hrs - Officers responded to the report of a burglary in the 800 block of North Juanita which had occured sometime in the afternoon. No sign of forced entry could be located. The victim claimed to have lost $50,000 cash and $31,000 in jewelry.

Thursday 07/24
Subsequent to several incidents of illegal dumping of landscape debris at various locations in the city, RBPD Patrol initiated a surveillance of a possible suspect. They subsequently arrested Tom Healy, resident of Rancho Palos Verdes, for illegal dumping. Healy confessed to the earlier incidents and was charged with RBMC violations, as well as violation of probation and driving while unlicensed.

19:23 hrs - Officers were dispatched to a report of a suspicious person in a vehicle with the alarm sounding in the 600 blk of south Broadway. While en-route to the location, officers were advised that the license plate returned "stolen vehicle." Arriving officers detained the male driver and subsequently arrested him for vehicle theft. While still on-scene, officers were contacted by a nearby resident and advised that the same suspect had attempted to break into his residence earlier in the day. Attempt burglary charges were added to the booking. 

In case you missed it in Sunday's Daily Breeze, we had a story about a capital murder case that just got underway at the Torrance Courthouse for Barry Mosley, who is charged with killing three women, two of whom he allegedly raped, and trying to kill a little girl, who he also is accused of raping. Following our story online, there are some user comments and questions I'd like to address here.

Bon Scott from the Palos Verdes Peninsula wrote:

I was on this jury and got kicked off. It will be a horrible experience for the remaining jurors. Several questions: why is being tried in Torrance? Why was there so little coverage of the crimes when they happened? I am glad the Breeze is covering it since no one else seems to care.

All together now:

An El Segundo man killed in a motorcycle crash near Los Angeles International Airport was identified today as 20-year-old Daniel Swiggum.

Swiggum, a former El Segundo High School student, died in the 1 p.m. crash Thursday on Imperial Highway just west of Sepulveda Boulevard under the Century (105) Freeway overpass, Los Angeles police Traffic Investigator Greg Davis said.

Police said Swiggum was following a 21-year-old friend west on Imperial. The friend slowed to 35 mph to navigate the curve under the freeway, but Swiggum drove past him at 55 to 65 mph.
Swiggum lost control and struck a curb. His 1979 Honda CB750K flipped into the air

Swiggum was launched from the motorcycle into the freeway's concrete support.
Although he was wearing a helmet, Swiggum suffered a serious head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Swiggum was a wrestler and football player while attending El Segundo High School.

I get e-mail:

Capt. Don Schwartzer, commanding officer, of the Los Angeles Police Department's South Traffic Division writes:

Dear Mr. Altman:

I wanted to thank you and the Daily Breeze for the very generous coverage you offered one of our unsolved hit and run fatal collisions. Your article was very detailed and thoughtfully prepared to hit all of the pertinent facts of this case from 1992 where Fred and Ezna Crescitelli were fatally injured while crossing the street in San Pedro.

We appreciate this partnership and assistance. Thank you.

Chris Delgado writes:

Mr. Altman,

How much is the Lennox station paying you to drag this poor victim and his family's name through the mud? Your story does nothing to present both sides. The people in the comments area seem to know a lot more than you do and should have your job, or you have a biased point of view and are trying to protect the cops from public opinion. The headline should read "Unarmed Man Gunned Down in his Own Driveway By Police while Sitting in his Car not Bothering Anyone."

Here's some very important court news from our friends at City News Service: (Trying to get a whole new blog audience.)

LOS ANGELES -- Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese and Los Angeles-based
dominatrix Cynthia Butler have settled a lawsuit that gives Von Teese the rights to a 2001 fetish film she starred in called "Slick City."

Von Teese, whose real name is Heather Sweet, claimed Butler stole her half of the rights to the film and cash. She filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 8 and her allegations
included fraud and intentional misrepresentation.

According to a stipulated judgment filed by Butler's lawyer on Wednesday, "all rights and
inventory, including masters of the film 'Slick City,'" will be returned to Von Teese.

Deputies will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint from 7 p.m. Friday night to 3 a.m. Saturday on Avalon Boulevard north of 169th Street in Carson.

A young motorcyclist was killed Thursday when he lost control and crashed on the El Segundo border, police said.

The crash occurred about 1 p.m. on Imperial Highway west of Sepulveda Boulevard on the Los Angeles side of the street.

No other vehicles were involved.

The motorcyclist's name was not immediately released. He was an El Segundo resident.

Ok, so I posted this one for its headline value. (Most of you are probably are too young to get the joke.)

Anyway, the FBI sent this about Stephen and Bruce Ironside, who defrauded elderly victims with a telemarketing scam:

Two Vancouver men were sentenced in June and July 2008 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for operating a large scale fraud which victimized U.S. residents, many of them elderly, who collectively suffered approximately $3 million in monetary losses, announced Salvador Hernandez, Assistant Director of the FBI in Los Angeles, Thomas O'Brien, United States Attorney in Los Angeles and Gordon McRae, Superintendent and Officer In Charge of the Commercial Crime Section of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The brothers, Stephen Ironside, 53 and Bruce Ironside, 51, both pleaded guilty to operating a fraudulent telemarketing business from Vancouver, British Columbia, doing business as Newport Group and West Star. Through their business, the brothers defrauded victims who were told they had been chosen as winners of a foreign lottery, or were among those with an excellent chance of winning. The Ironsides employed numerous telemarketers who used fictitious names when speaking with the victims.

On June 2, 2008, Stephen Ironside was sentenced by Judge Stephen Wilson to forty-one months imprisonment for mail fraud in connection with the telemarketing scheme; he was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $1.8 million.

On July 21st, 2008, Bruce Ironside was sentenced by Judge Stephen Wilson to 51 months imprisonment for wire fraud in connection with the telemarketing scheme; he was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $1.8 million.

Cross-border fraud is a growing crime problem where victims receive phone calls or letters of congratulations advising them that they are winners of a particular lottery.

In 2007, hate crime in Los Angeles County rose 28 percent, from 594 to 763, the highest level in five years, according to the Human Relations Commission's annual report. The 36-page report is chock full of interesting statistics about the types of hate crimes being perpetuated, against who and where. It takes a special look at some specific areas, including white supremacists, gangs, homophobia and hate crimes arising out of the war in the Middle East.

In the South Bay last year, there were a reported 87 hate crimes. The most reports were in the San Fernando Valley, which had 190, while the area with the least was the Westside, with 37, which includes Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey and Westchester.

Was Elliot Ness really an FBI agent? Does the FBI have "X-Files?" Do they have files on every American? Did "Machine Gun Kelly" give FBI agents their "G-Men" nickname? (That's him over there.)

The FBI, celebrating its 100th anniversary, answers these questions and more in a report called The Top 10 Myths in FBI History.

(They easily put out the most interesting press releases that show up in my email inbox and I thank them for the diversion.)

3.  California law regarding Criminal Interference with Custody does not differentiate between the parents when an abduction occurs.  The concealing parent will be charged with a felony no matter what the custody arrangement is, indeed even if there isn't one in place. 

4.  Someone needs to apprise Lt Mossler of the law ASAP before these boys are permanently missing. 

By the way, Canada is extremely cooperative in locating and recovering American children brought there illegally.  However, these men already have a month's head start and it appears that no one is doing their job in LA County......as usual.

From City News Service:

Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn pleaded not guilty today to charges of conflict-of-interest and misappropriation of public funds involving a low-interest loan he obtained through the city in 2004.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Henry J. Hall ordered the 72-year-old mayor to return to court Aug. 21, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require him to stand trial.

"My client is not guilty, and we are fighting the case 100 percent,'' defense attorney Albert DeBlanc Jr. told reporters outside court.

  

Adam Loza is, so far, the only one of three defendants to be convicted in the slaying of two gas station clerks during a 2006 attempted robbery. He was scheduled to be sentenced today, but we've been told the hearing will be postponed. His co-defendants, Eric Sanford and Julio Perez, are scheduled to appear tomorrow for a pretrial hearing.

Sanford and Loza were tried together earlier this year in Compton Superior Court, but the jury deadlocked on charges against Sanford.

Check out our Court Tracker in the next few days for updates in this and other South Bay cases.

Manhattan Beach Police Chief Rod Uyeda is going green.

The chief has turned in his 2005 Mercury Marquis with a gas-guzzling V-8 engine and received a 2008 Saturn Aura Hybrid sedan.

City Manager Geoff Dolan said in a statement that Uyeda is serving as an example.
Police throughout the country have begun looking at hybrid vehicles to save money on gasoline.

Manhattan Beach's Green Team works to study the city's current environmentally friendly practices and future practices.

"Though I'd like to believe I'm still a front line crime fighter, in reality I am more of an administrative department head and my days of involving myself in high-speed police chases and being a first responder are basically over," Uyeda said in a statement.

"I will still roll quickly on calls, but the time I save between driving a V-8 and a 4-cylinder hybrid in dense metropolitan city traffic is minimal. Besides, I'm also saving the City some gas money!"

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested 21-year-old Jose Sarmiento, who had been involved in a rash of sexual assaults, on Monday, July 21, 2008.

The crimes occurred from August 2007 to April 2008. Sarmiento was known to walk or ride a bicycle in the area of West Los Angeles and grab adult female's buttocks and breasts as they walked on the sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Most of the crimes were committed during the day in the residential area of Santa Monica Boulevard and Barrington Avenue.

At this time, there are 15 victims where the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office filed ten counts of sexual battery, two counts of battery, one count of indecent exposure, and one count of peeping. Sarmiento is currently being held on bail and is also awaiting immigration proceedings.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims or witnesses and are asking for anyone with information to call Officer Justin Malcuit or Officer Tim Shumaker of the Operations West Bureau Sexual Assault Detail at 213-473-0404. After hours and on weekends, please call the 24-hour Detective Information Desk at at 1-877-LAW-FULL (529-3855).

Adolph Laudenberg's conviction for the 1972 rape and murder of Lois "Bonnie" Petrie, 43, was upheld today by an appellate court. Laudenberg, 80, was arrested in September 2003 after confessions he made to two of his daughters-in-law surfaced. A coffee cup with his DNA closed the book on his case and he was convicted by a Long Beach jury in November 2006.

The Harbor City man was also suspected in the murders of several other women in the Harbor Area and the San Francisco Bay Area, but has not been charged for those crimes. Laudenberg, a former taxi driver, was frail and sick in his latter court appearances, including his May 2007 sentencing hearing where he was sent to prison for the rest of his life.

Laudenberg's story was featured a month ago on Dateline, which has a transcript and photographs up at their Web site. The show dubbed him the "The Santa Claus Strangler," although no one ever called him that before.

Yesterday was the 74th anniversary of the killing of gangster John Dillinger, the FBI's Public Enemy No. 1 during the early 1930s. He was wanted for bank robberies, shootouts and jailbreaks.

Special Agent Melvin Purvis pursued him.

The FBI sent me a press release about a movie being made about Dillinger and Purvis. Johnny Depp stars as Dillinger. Batman himself, Christian Bale -- who can't seem to get any publicity lately -- plays Purvis. (Unless he's in the slammer, I guess.)

Here's the FBI's report.

And here's Johnny:

These are photos of the Silah brothers of Westchester who are suspected of taking their sons and disappearing. The boys' mothers are frantically trying to find them before the boys are taken to Syria. A full story is coming later tonight.

Robert Soloway, a 1997 graduate of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, was sentended in a Seattle federal courtroom this afternoon for charges related to his business of spamming e-mail inboxes with unsolicited messages - including those advertising his own business.

I'll have a full report on the case and sentencing in tomorrow's Daily Breeze. However, I'd like to note that, in the hour or so that I've been writing this story, I've received messages with these subject lines in my e-mail inbox:

• Stop Collection Calls
• PayPal Security Department
• Summer discount on w4tches delivery
• Angelina Jolie nude movie
• Do you want to enlarge your penis?
• Winning notification

Not that I'm against these cases or think that spammers shouldn't be targeted, but I can't help but think that prosecuting spammers is like filling a swimming pool with water - with an eye dropper.

 

In keeping with today's serial killer theme, here are some letters that a pop culture jokester wrote to serial killers in California's in the late 1990s, pretending to be a kid who wants to drop out of school, along with their hand-written responses. Then, he writes back a decade later thanking them for their advice.

Besides Charles Manson, who was and remains crazy, and the Night Stalker, who really just wanted pictures of girls in bikinis, most the inmates stepped up to the plate and told him little Billy to stay in school.

Also included are letters and responses to the Hustler's Larry Flynt, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and others.

From the Redondo Beach Police Department's Recent Law Enforcement Events report:

7-16-08 (Wednesday):
At approximately 6 p.m., officers responded to the 2400 block of Hadley Lane regarding a possible drunk driver. Officers learned that witnesses watched a blue Dodge Durango pull away from the curb, knock down a fence across the street, then back into a utility pole. The driver pulled away from the pole, traveled east on Hadley Lane and ran head-first into another utility pole. The witnesses detained the driver and called the police. Investigating officers subsequently arrested the driver for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.

7-19-08 (Saturday):
Officers responded to numerous complaints of broken windows to cars that were parked in North Redondo over night. More than a dozen windows were broken on several different vehicles sometime during the previous evening. Evidence was collected at a couple of the crime scenes and the investigation is ongoing.

At 9:09 p.m., officers responded to the report of an injury collision at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Diamond Street. Responding officer located one of the drivers, who was riding a motorcyle, pinned underneath the other vehicle involved in the collision. The preliminary investigation revealed that the motorcyclist was traveling N/B PCH and collided with a vehicle that negotiating a left turn from S/B PCH to E/B Diamond Street. The motorcyclist was dragged under the vehicle for approximately fifty feet before the car came to a stop.

The rider of the motorcycle was transported to Harbor General Hospital for treatment, The driver of the car was ultimately arrested for driving under the influence.

Seriously. I wouldn't kid. Ruben Vargas' sentencing hearing was postponed one more time today because the family of the victim, who wanted to be there, were out of town. We've chronicled this saga here, here and here. He's now scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10.

I think it's safe to say now that he's spent more time waiting to be sentenced than he will actually spend behind bars.

The Modesto Bee has a story about a criminal defense attorney who deals with stress by painting oil on canvas portraits of notorious serial killers. Sounds like good times.

The LAPD just released this statement tonight:

Suspects Arrested in the Unprovoked Attack and Stabbing

of an Off-Duty LAPD Police Officer

 

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police detained and arrested two suspects in the unprovoked attack and stabbing of an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Police Officer in front of the Crimsin Bar, 345 West 6^th Street in San Pedro.

On July 18, 2008, during the early evening hours, an off-duty police officer was attending a birthday celebration for an acquaintance inside the Crimsin Bar.  At 11:00 pm, bar security personnel refused entry to Kareem Valdez and another male due to prior inappropriate conduct inside the pub.  This led to a heated argument between Valdez and a member of the security team at the front door of the bar.  Valdez left angry and returned with his friends, Abel Ulloa and another male. 

The off-duty police officer, who had walked outside to the front of the bar to smoke a cigarette, was unaware of the earlier confrontation.  Valdez returned with two friends intending to enter the bar.  There was another verbal argument between security and Valdez which quickly turned into a pushing and shoving match with the security member.  

 From our friends at City News Service

A 27-year-old man was ordered today to stand trial for allegedly claiming falsely that he had a bomb at Los Angeles International Airport on July 2.

Superior Court Judge Richard Berry found sufficient evidence to require Scott Juhun Lee of
Irvine to proceed to trial on the felony charge.

The phony bomb threat prompted the closure of the upper- and lower-level roads through the
airport near Tom Bradley International Terminal, but a bomb squad searched a bag he was
carrying and found no explosives, authorities said.

"A pedestrian walked up to them (officers) and stated 'I'm a terrorist. I have a bomb in the bag
and I'm going to explode it now,'" Airport police Sgt. Jim Holcombe told reporters on July
2.

Gregory Patterson seemed to be just your normal college kid. In 2005, he was 21 years old and studying liberal arts at California State University, Northridge. He came from a loving family and had no history of violence. Then he met Levar Washington, a former prison inmate who somehow lured Patterson into his terrorist cell and, with others, they plotted violent attacks on local military and Jewish targets.

The LAPD just sent this one to me:

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested a sex offender who has failed to register for the past 36 years.

On July 19, 2008 at about 12:20 p.m., Hollenbeck division officers saw a man dressed in a hospital gown walking outside of the USC Medical Center near Boyle Heights.

Officers went to check on the man and discovered that he was Charles Frank McDuffy, 64, who had walked out of the hospital on his own. The officers took McDuffy back to the hospital. During a routine background check, the officers found that McDuffy was a sexual offender and had failed to complete his annual registration.

The last time McDuffy registered was in 1971.

McDuffy was arrested for failing to register as a sexual offender and is being held on $20,000 bail.

Workers using a backhoe at a major construction site in Carson ruptured an underground 8-inch gas line about 10:30 a.m.

Albertoni Street between Avalon Boulevard and Main Street is shut down.

Firefighters are standing by in case of an explosion. Sheriff's deputies are blocking access to the route.

Nearby stores remain open for the moment. Gas Company crews are working to bypass the break so they don't have to shut down service to other businesses, including a hotel, a strip mall, a Starbucks and an Arco service station, County Fire Capt. David Martinez said.

Sounds like a good place to stay away from.......

*There was no bomb.


How dumb can someone be to make a bomb threat on voice mail?

That's what someone did over the weekend. Workers at the Redondo Beach Public Works department at Gertruda and Catalina were forced to evacuate when they discovered the message at 8:35 a.m. Someone threatened that a bomb was in the place or he was going to put one there, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Peter Grimm said.

Two police officers searched the building and found nothing. A fire crew was about to do the same when I stopped by about 9:40 a.m. About eight workers stood waiting down the street.

"There will be a full investigation into who did this," Grimm said. "We don't take it lightly."

I'm sure workers will listen closely to the tape later to see if they recognize the caller's voice now that police have it forever.

In case you missed it Sunday, I had a story about the search for Christian Faustino Lopez Herrera, wanted in the 1992 hit-and-run deaths of Fred and Ezna Crescitelli at Pacific and 4th in San Pedro.

 

 

A Florida police officer has lost his job for insisting on preferential treatment at Starbucks, and threatening to withhold police services if his demands were not met. He created a venti brewhaha for himself.

 

 

Jimmie Lunceford got the maximum today - five years and eight months in prison - for his actions over what the judge described as the "weekend from hell." Despondent over a break-up with his girlfriend, he left her adult daughters numerous threatening voicemail messages, tried to break into one of their homes and then slashed a police dog's neck when officers responded.

More details about the case and the hearing will be in tomorrow's Daily Breeze.

It's time for me to talk down to all of you.

A Lawndale gang member will spend 50 years to life in prison for a shooting that left a teenager in wheelchair forever. Gilbert Espinoza, 32, was sentenced in Torrance Superior Court Wednesday. A jury found him guilty in April of three counts each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

He was also convicted of allegations that the shooting was gang-related and that he used a gun and caused great bodily injury. The shooting occurred Sept. 22, 2006 on Prairie Avenue just north of Redondo Beach Boulevard.

Espinoza yelled out a car to three 14-year-old boys who were walking, asking them where they were from - a typical challenge that often leads to violence. While two of the boys responded that they "don't bang," one yelled back: "Redondo." Espinoza, who belongs to a rival Lawndale gang, made a U-turn and shot out the window, hitting the boy who said "Redondo."

The victim was hit in the back and is now paralyzed.

A professional household manager was ordered to stand trial today on attempted murder, assault and threat charges after allegedly beating and choking his Palos Verdes Estates employer.

The case, which will be fully vetted in tomorrow's Daily Breeze, gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of wealth - where homes need managers to oversee everything from maintenance and security to dog walking and errands.

Peter Woods said got the job through an online ad. The prosecutor asked him if the ad was "like Craigslist," and he said yes - but it's not clear if that's where it was. However, I did find this today, for those of you who may be interested in such a job. Woods said he earned his household manager certification at Starkey International Institute.

Although violence is really never funny, there was a kind of snarky moment during today's preliminary hearing after Woods described his job duties.

Deputy District Attorney Antranig Balian: "So, she paid you $2,000 to turn on the air, alarm and TV?"

Woods: "I think it's a little more complicated than that."

Indeed.

Stephen Anthony Frlekin, who has a CPA practice in Brea, is accused of pilfering the money from Veterinary Pet Insurance and transferring to offshore accounts. He's due in court tomorrow, according to an Orange County District Attorney press release.

A man who dressed up in a penis costume and ran across the stage during a New York high school's graduation ceremony was ordered by a judge to write an apology to his hometown and get it published in a local paper.

The article about the Calvin Morett's sentence for, frankly, being a dick, mentions that a video of the prank made it's way to You Tube. I had to see for myself - but was more shocked at the number of videos that came up when I simply typed the words "penis costume" into the search window.

 

Hermosa Beach reporter Andrea Woodhouse writes today that the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission has slapped two popular bars with an earlier curfew and other restrictions. The move is in response the number of police calls that are made at the Pier Plaza establishments for rowdy, drunken craziness.

It's a controversial decision, with bar owners and patrons on one side defending the right to party up against residents in the increasingly yuppified and family-oriented area who are fed up with the throw up.

An aspiring actor-comedian -- he's 37 -- who works as a guide for tours of movie stars' homes has been charged with setting fire to a family's rented sport utility parked under a fully-occupied Hermosa Beach hotel on July 6.

No one knows why Derek Padraig O'Donnell, 37, of North Hollywood allegedly did it.

Firefighters say sprinklers helped protect the building from burning down.

Full story coming to Dailybreeze.com and Thursday's print edition.

 

 

 Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, better known as Nate Dogg, made his initial appearance in Compton Superior Court today. He was arraigned on charges that he threatened and stalked a woman.

07-10-08 (Thursday):
300 block of North Pacific Coast Highway (between Diamond/Carnelian intersections on State Route 1:
Approximately 8:00 p.m., a pedestrian, crossing mid block (east to west), across North Pacific Coast Highway, was struck by an oncoming vehicle traveling north in the number two (2) lane of travel. The pedestrian (unidentified male adult) suffered serious head injury and trauma. The pedestrian was transported to County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. As of this report date, he remains in a coma.

2300 block of Artesia Boulevard:
Approximately 9:30 p.m., officers observed an adult with an eighteen-month year old child. The child was dirty and chewing on what appeared to be a tobacco cigarette. An uninvolved party reported the same. Officers contacted the adult and ascertained the subject did not possess the means or sustenance to properly care for the child. The subject was subsequently arrested for the investigation of child endangerment. The child was transferred to the custody and care of the Department of Children Family Services (DCFS).

1800 block of South Pacific Coast Highway:
Approximately 11:40 p.m., officers responded to the vicinity regarding a "check the welfare." The officers' tenacious and caring efforts resulted in the location of a subject, who was on the ground, shivering, with little or no movement. Quick thinking on the officers' part netted recognition of medication problems. Paramedics were summoned, and the subject was transported to Little Company of Mary Hospital. Subject was treated without lasting complications.

Funeral services began this morning for Lt. Gilbert Valderrama, a 19-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Police Department, the force that keeps the peace at county hospitals, parks and buildings. Most recently, Valderrama was a watch commander at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Valderrama was killed in an off-duty crash in Hacienda Heights on July 9. An 18-year-old man also died.

A colleague described Valderrama as a mentor and motivator for those who served under him.

Channel 2 interviewed his wife Tuesday evening.

This story in the L.A. Times is a couple days old, but it's about a hearing disabled young boy who wears an ear piece as part of a cochlear implant and how thieves have twice mistaken it for Bluetooth headsets. The first time, he got the piece back. But after a recent grab-and-run at a Los Angeles fast food restaurant, the boy's world has once again gone silent.

Here's the results of Friday night's sobriety checkpoint in Redondo Beach.
It operated from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday at Catalina Avenue between Diamond and Emerald streets:

• 1,415 vehicles and drivers checked
• 4 arrests for driving under the influence
• 26 citations issued
• 9 vehicles impounded

Read the story

Got this in the inbox recently:

Dear Ms. Nix:
Gosh, your COURT TRACKER department in the DB is fantastic!
What public documents do you use to compile this valuable reporter's resource.
I'd like to maintain something like this for the rest of the county.

In Admiration,

Dwight Babamoto
Sun Valley by way of Rolling Hills

For those of you who don't know what my new best friend Dwight is talking about, you should check out my little labor of love, The Court Tracker. It's the criminal cases I'm following, most of which we've written on and will report on again when there's a significant development. I try to update it as often as possible - usually a couple times a week. It's searchable by defendant, upcoming court date, etc. One day soon, I hope to add civil cases, too.

Check it out and let me know if I've missed anything!

Dr. Lawrence Saks may have become infamous in the South Bay, but he hails from north of the border. Canada's National Post reports today on Sak's beginnings, and his current problems with the medical board and the law. No new information on the charges, but some quotes from family that are kinda interesting as well as some background about his life.

Federal prison records show that Saks, a Rolling Hills resident, bailed out of jail late last month. He is due back in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles on Monday for a pretrial hearing.

It's been an unusual couple of days in a Washington state federal courtroom, where former Palos Verdes Estates resident Robert Soloway is undergoing a sentencing hearing for his spamming activities. It's a landmark case - the biggest ever against the largest spammer known. The government asked for two days to present witnesses to testify about Soloway's fraudulent, annoying and damaging business, but they did not finish Monday as expected.

The case is scheduled to continue next Tuesday, July 22. Prosecutors have asked for nine years in prison, Soloway's attorneys said no more than two is justified. The Palos Verdes Peninsula High School graduate faces a maximum of 20.

Readers write:
Q. Great article. (Torrance methamphetamine crackdown). I'm curious were any of these suspects illegals?

Jim, Torrance

A. Fourteen alleged felons are facing deportation.

Steve McDonald writes:

Larry,

"Just wanted you to know that you have fans out there! Even though I moved off to Santa Barbara from the South Bay I still read the Daily Breeze (hard copy and online) regularly because of your articles and your blog. I lived in the South Bay for 46 years, my folks still live there. Keep up the great work and thanks."

Bobbie, a resident of Torrance says:

"Thank you for the front page article about our Torrance Police Department. Larry did a great job! To the men and women who worked on "Operation Accountability"...thank you for all the hard work. Just relieved to hear none of our police were hurt.

A wake up call to our community that drugs traffic and its people are here selling drugs to local residents and our kids. They maybe our neighbors! Its really scary to read in Larry's article the amount and types of drugs and the amount of weapons that were confiscated!
Just hope these major suppliers will think twice before they decide to move into the South Bay. This article brought it home to all of us to know drugs is around us.

Thank you Torrance Police for continuing to make our community a safe place. Thank you Larry for that great article!! It really made my day!"

There's a long-standing joke in the food service industry about seving "sneezers" to customers who give you a hard time. Some Nebraska fast food workers, though, took it to a whole new level.

A cop and his family, who claim they were served food laced with urine and spit, won a $40,000 lawsuit against KFC/Taco Bell.

Chief judge of Washington D.C.'s Superior Court issued 92 arrest warrants recently for citizens who shirked their civic duty in the District, the Washington Post reports.

These courts take those summons seriously. Los Angeles Superior Court has a similar policy of fining jury duty scofflaws up to $1,500 or sentencing them to jail. Usually, after being ordered to appear before a judge, most people get slapped with a $200 fine and signed up for jury duty on the spot.

These are the addresses of locations allegedly tied to the Torrance Police Department's crackdown on methamphetamine sales in the city and South Bay:

Torrance
4700 block of 191st Street
4500 block of Narrot Street
4000 block of 182nd Street
2800 block of Winlock Road
900 block of Sartori Avenue
2300 block of Del Amo Boulevard
2300 block of Apple Avenue
4800 block of Reynolds road
2100 block of Del Amo Boulevard
4300 block of Highgrove Avenue
2800 block of Winlock Road
19600 block of Darien Street
2600 block of 235th Street
5500 block of Torrance Boulevard
23700 block of Western Avenue
19700 block of Tomlee Avenue
21600 block of Marjorie Avenue
18700 block of Kornblum Avenue
20700 block of Anza Avenue

Redondo Beach
2300 block of 190th Street

Gardena
1600 block of 134th Street

Harbor Gateway
1600 block of Plaza del Amo
2800 block of Carson Street

Lomita
25000 block of Petroleum Avenue

Carson
21300 block of Ronan Avenue

There wasn't room to get this into the story today about Torrance's crackdown on the methamphetamine business in the South Bay.

These agencies assisted them in the busts:

Gardena Police Department
Redondo Beach Police Department
LAPD Harbor Division
LAPD Gun Detail
LAPD Organized Crime Unit
LASD Carson station
LA IMPACT
Long Beach Police Department narcotics unit
LA County District Attorney's Office major narcotics unit
LA County Probation department
LA County Department of Children and Family Services
California Department of Corrections -- state parole
Southern California Edison Loss Prevention Unit (for indoor marijuana grows)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Federal Drug Enforcement Administration
FBI Gang Task Force and Joint Terrorism Task Force
U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Brandon Pettway, who listed his occupation as high school coach when he was arrested in April, was in court today for arraignment on five felony counts. The former star wide receiver who graduated Gardena High School in 2000, then reportedly went on to coach there, is charged with two counts of sale or transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of cocaine base for sale - with a special allegation of criminal activity near a school (Purche Elementary), and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Pettway, 26, has a prior conviction for a 2001 robbery.

He's supposed to be arraigned somtime today in Torrance Superior Court. We'll have a full report in tomorrow's Daily Breeze.

Reporting on courts and crime over the years, one of the things that has always stood out is how different domestic violence is. Victims are placed in horrendous situations, often feeling they have no choice but to stay with their abuser because of emotional, physical and financial ties - as well as fear because many abusers threaten their partners or their families with violence if the victim leaves.

The Daily News has a feature today about an LAPD unit that reaches out directly to the victims during domestic violence calls. The program is not city-wide and is pretty unique.

A Tennessee man who fell down during some fervent praying has sued the church for $2.5 million.

Two heroes aboard the Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter heard a mother's 911 plea today, landed in the street outside her home and saved her baby from choking.

Wow.

The pilot, Rick McNaughton, and his observer partner, R.J. Garwood, were listening to the radio when the mother made her desperate call at 11:45 a.m.

Her 1-year-old son had stopped breathing and was turning blue. She was hysterical and could not understand what the dispatcher was telling her to do.

The officers, fearing road construction in the area would slow a response on the ground, landed in the street and ran inside.

They dislodged whatever was blocking the boy's throat.

Police believe they acted so quickly, they not only saved the boy's life, but prevented brain damage.

Here's the Orange County Register's story.

Two men trying to burglarize a Torrance house fled today when the resident came home, police said.

The 11:40 a.m. burglary attempt in the 22600 block of Eastwood Avenue prompted an hourlong search, but officers were unable to locate the men, Torrance police Lt. Ross Bartlett said.

A female resident sensed something was wrong when she arrived home and found a car she didn't recognize parked outside her house. A gate to her rear yard was open.

As she walked to the house's rear, the men dashed from the house and jumped over a rear wall. The car out front took off.

She called the police, who surrounded the area. A helicopter searched from above.

Police believe the occupants of the car called the burglars inside and tipped them to run.

No one wants to talk about it, but the sexual harassment lawsuit filed a year ago against Torrance-based Robinson Helicopter founder Frank Robinson was dismissed today. I don't know why, other than that the plaintiff, Judith Gentry, asked for it. Usually, such an action is taken after the parties reach a settlement - but no settlement is confirmed in this case.

The full report, as sorted out by court filings in the case, will be in tomorrow's Daily Breeze. The Cliff's Notes version is that Gentry was Robinson's executive assistant for nine years and didn't like sexual comments or observations the 78-year-old Rolling Hills resident allegedly made.

Police will conduct a driving under the influence checkpoint from 6 p.m. tonight to 2 a.m. Saturday on Catalina Avenue between Diamond and Garnet streets in Redondo Beach.

Today is Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson's 59th birthday.

So the District Attorney's Office said a big "Happy Birthday" by charging the former ER physician with a variety of crimes for allegedly stopping his car in front of two cyclists on July 4 in Brentwood, causing one rider to crash through his rear window.

Thompson was charged today with two felony counts each of reckless driving causing injury, battery with serious bodily injury and the special allegation of causing great bodily injury, the District Attorney's Office said.

Police said that when Thompson stopped his Infiniti, one of the cyclists was propelled through the window. He suffered broken teeth, cuts on his face and a broken nose that was nearly cut off.

Ron Peterson, 40, told the Los Angeles Times that the driver "yelled out some profanity and 'Ride single file.'"

Peterson said he tried to steer around the car but clipped it. "I ended up being catapulted over my own bike and landed in frontof the car," he said.

The other cyclist hit the ground and suffered a shoulder separation.

Thompson, who lives on Mandeville Canyon Road, owns a medical documentation company in Woodland Hills. He was released on $30,000 bail.

He is scheduled to appear at the Airport courthouse on Aug. 1 for arraignment and faces nearly eight years in prison.

Some residents of Mandeville Canyon Road are apparently unhappy with the number of cyclists who ride there.

No word on what Thompson is doing to celebrate his big day.

Photos from laist.com

The Associated Press is reporting that the island get-away is now dealing with some serious big-city gang issues. So far, the problems are minor. But, as one merchant said, if nothing is done early-on, the problems will grow just like cancer.

Ouch. 

Following the deadly shooting of a suspect during a raid of a Saratoga marijuana farm this morning, authorities from several agencies are continuing their search for two more suspects who fled in the hilly and wooded area.

A few broken things were found on our front porch this morning. Ya think someone didn't like a story?

 

That commotion overnight in Hermosa Beach was the search for a burglar who walked out of a house just as the resident arrived home.

Mark Gillett Scheuer, 21, of Los Angeles struggled with the resident and ran when he was confronted at 1:30 a.m. in the 100 block of The Strand.

Scheuer took the resident's laptop.

Police and a police dog located Scheuer hiding in the 200 block of Palm Drive.

Scheuer was taken to jail on suspicion of burglary and robbery.

  Tony Zendejas, who once kicked for the L.A. Rams (if you can remember a time that Los Angeles had football), was arrested today for allegedly drugging a female patron at his Pomona bar and raping her, according to the District Attorney's office.

From their release:

 Antonio Zendejas, 48 (dob 5-15-60), is charged with one felony count each of rape by use of drugs, rape of an unconscious person, sodomy by anesthesia or controlled substance and sodomy of an unconscious victim, said Deputy District Attorney Rouman Ebrahim with the Sex Crimes Division. The felony complaint also alleges he caused great bodily injury.

Zendejas, who retired in 1995 after playing for 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers, was arrested early this morning at his Yorba Linda home by Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives. He is being held on $260,000 bail.

On Jan. 26, Zendejas allegedly gave a female patron at his restaurant and bar a drink which made her groggy. She allegedly woke up in a nearby motel room and reported to authorities she had been raped. L.A. County Sheriff's detectives launched an investigation.

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in state prison. His arraignment in case KA083673 is scheduled for Friday at Pomona Superior Court.

Usually, officer-involved shootings - especially those involving this many officers - make headlines. This one in Washington seemed to creep quietly by....

*Updated with new headline to show they shot the man, but didn't kill him.

Those who have happened upon taggers in the past have faced danger, but this is just sad and ridiculous.

A man suspected of stabbing a female friend in Hawthorne was arrested Wednesday when he tried to obtain medication to treat his recent kidney transplant, police said.

Gustavo "Gus" Plascencia, 36, was arrested when hospital employees at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance, Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii said.

Plascencia was sought since Sunday when he allegedly stabbed the woman at a residence in the 4800 block of 120th Street. Police released his photograph to the Daily Breeze and notified hospitals that he medical attention. He had a kidney transplant about a month ago.

Ishii said the woman was asleep when he plunged a knife into her.

"It appears his intent was to kill her and himself afterward due to some type of domestic quarrel," Ishii said. "She was able to fight back and protected herself and he took off."

Police have not determined if the victim is his girlfriend. She remains hospitalized at the same medical center where he was caught. He apparently was spotted there on Monday.

Plascencia was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He was taken to the county jail medical ward.

A Russian woman was so mad at her drunk husband's refusal to get up from the sofa bed, she kicked a handle that activated a mechanism that folds the couch up against a wall.

She then marched away angry, not realizing he fell between the mattress and the back of the couch. When she returned three hours later, she thought he was asleep. He was. For good.

Reuters reported that rescue workers had to saw the side panels of the couch to free the body. He was in his underwear and lying headfirst between the cushions.

Workers figured he died instantly.

The City Attorney's office today is proclaiming victory against grafitti, one tagger at a time. A 19-year-old pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor vandalism count and will serve 90 days in jail and 36 months probation. Jonathan Gonzalez must also pay the City of Los Angeles $275 for damage to city property, and he lost his license for a year.

"Charges against Gonzalez stem from a routine patrol on June 21 by senior sead officers in Tarzana , who observed Gonzalez and an accomplice vandalizing a city light pole with a yellow marker at the intersection of Reseda and Ventura boulevards. Gonzalez was quickly apprehended by officers immediately following the incident and admitted to being in a local "tagging crew" and on probation for a prior vandalism conviction," according to a City Attorney press release.

There are crime blogs. Then there are niche crime blogs. These often result in collections of similar types of crimes that, when grouped together, can really make your stomach turn. This is one such blog: Bad Breeders. It's a round-up of all the horrible things parents do to their children.

A soldier who served two tours in Iraq lost his faith in God along the way. He now claims in a federal lawsuit that the military retaliated against him because he failed to embrace religion. What would Jesus do?

While Larry Altman was reporting yesterday on the case about San Pedro resident Kimberly Hald, there was some discussion among the reporters about how readers will respond in the user comments to that story.

We predicted, correctly, that readers would touch on the fact that whenever the allegations are against a woman accused of sexually assaulting a man (or, in this case, boys), there's always the faction that believe there is "no victim." Why is that? Do people really think that boys, who obviously have problems based on where they're living, will not be negatively affected when someone they are supposed to trust and respect takes advantage?

We also knew that some would fixate on what Hald looked like, likely hoping to fuel some perverted fantasy floating around in their minds. True to form, within 10 comments, readers were already raising questions about her appearance.

C'mon. Really? Ok, ok. It's out of your system. Now, let's see if we can have some intelligent discussion about some very serious issues raised in this story, and many others we report on here at the Daily Breeze. Pretty please? 

This should spark plenty of discussion about "the good ol' days when I was a kid."

A 7-year-old Hawthorne boy filed a claim against the city of Lawndale because he broke his elbow rolling down a hill at William Green Elementary School in Lawndale. The claim, submitted on the boy's behalf by Cohan Law Group of Beverly Hills, cited "negligent and lack of supervision by school staff" because they "failed to make sure rolling down a hill would be safe for the children." It blames the teacher for allowing kids to roll down the hill on top of each other.

The boy underwent surgery to repair his elbow. The claim estimates more than $250,000 in damages.

The City Council rejected the claim last night, clearing the way for the boy to file a lawsuit.

A San Pedro woman who worked as a probation department employee has been charged with having sex with teenage boys held at Juvenile Hall.

Kimberly Hald, 35, was arrested at her home June 25. She faces 16 counts of sexual misconduct.

Police said there are three victims.

"It's illegal to have sex with a confined person and a confined minor," Los Angeles police Detective Jeff Allen said. "Basically she is a person of authority, and not only that, she is obviously an adult and they are not."

Full story later on dailybreeze.com and in Wednesday's Daily Breeze

We've all seen the stories from time to time about the kid who finds a bag of money and turns it in to the police. The kid is usually hailed a hero for his honesty. Often if the money is returned to the person who lost it, the kid gets a reward.

So, that said, after parking outside a market on Sunday evening, I noticed a white envelope on the ground when I got out of my car. On it, someone had written "$9,500."

I picked it up. "Please let there be money inside," I thought to myself. I was disappointed it was empty.

I suspect that the envelope once contained money that belonged to the market, and I hope whoever last held the envelope had already deposited the cash  in the bank. Hopefully nobody lost it.

I admit I'm not sure what I would have done if it contained $9,500. That would have made life a lot easier.

Would I have turned it in? Probably. We've all watched The Twilight Zone. I'd probably have faced some horrible consequences if I didn't. And, oh the guilt of wondering who it belonged to. I'd worry some old man had lost his life savings. Or worse, it belonged to some drug dealer who would never stop looking for it.

But, wow. No more car payments. A week's vacation someplace.

I wonder what I would have done.

The Gardena Police Department is recruiting teenagers and young men and women for its Explorer Program.

Males and females ages 14 to 20 attend an 11-week training program at South Bay Regional Explorer Academy at El Camino College from September to November.

Applications can be downloaded from the police Website at www.gardenapd.org or obtained by calling Sgt. Steve Prendergast at (310) 217-6188.

Applications should be returned to the Police Department by August 18.
More information is available at http://gardenapd.org/getInvolved/explPost.asp

Here's the top of what I just filed:

A former Manhattan Beach church intern pleaded no contest Monday to a misdemeanor sexual battery charge for groping an 18-year-old co-worker.
Clifford Ames Jr., 28, of Gardena was then sentenced to 40 days of community service on a Dept. of Transportation work crew and three years probation.
He must also register as a sex offender.
Ames changed his plea just as he was about to go to trial before Torrance Superior Court Judge Hector Guzman.
Earlier Monday, Guzman ruled that a jury could hear about two prior incidents of Ames being accused of sexually assaulting boys when he was still a juvenile.

Here's some stuff from Redondo Beach's Recent Law Enforcement Events report issued today:

Monday 06/30
08:45 - RBPD Patrol responded to a report of a burglary-in-progress in the 1700 block of Marshallfield Ln. Investigation revealed that the ex-girlfriend of the victim resident had made entry via a window and took several items she claimed belonged to her, and then fled the scene. The victim's wife was at home and called the police. Officers observed the ex-girlfriend leaving the area in her vehicle and detained her. She was subsequently booked at RBPD for burglary.

13:36 - A 25 year old suspect was at his 71 year old grandmother's residence in the 2300 block of 190th. Suspect demanded her ATM card and when she refused to give it to him, he struck her with his fist, knocking her unconscious, to the ground. Suspect fled but was located by RBPD Patrol at Lilienthal Parkette. He was arrested and booked for assault and Elder Abuse.

Jimmie Lunceford, convicted of making criminal threats and stabbing a Redondo Beach police dog, was not sentenced as scheduled,. A hearing date last week and then one today were both postponed because the judge called-in sick.

Oh, and that motion for new trial his attorney wanted to file? He didn't.

More haggling over restitution and some unanswered questions led a judge to postpone sentencing today for the 8th time for Ruben Vargas, facing 16 months in prison for leaving the scene of an accident.

In case you missed it because you were busy celebrating Independence Day on Friday, we ran a profile about a Palos Verdes Peninsula resident who is a gun rights lawyer - and how recent developments on that front have left him right in the thick of things.

During an interview last week, Chuck Michel and I talked a little bit about applying gun philosophies to the home, especially when children are there. He said some interesting things about it. For one, he doesn't let his sons play with "toy" guns because they encourage sloppy and unsafe handling. Both his kids have gone through gun safety classes, which mostly teaches how to stay away from guns and notify an adult if you see one.

So, while his kids weren't exposed early-on to firearms, they still picked up a lot from pop culture. He mentioned you can't even get away from guns on the Disney Channel. One day, when one of his sons was still quite young, he bit his quesadilla into the shape of a gun and pretended to shoot it.

His philosophy is that guns are so prevalent, like it or not, we better figure out how to co-exist safely with them. He realizes that this doesn't always make him the most popular guy in the room, but he's got his reasons.

Nothing says Independence Day like spirited criminals. Happy 4th!

I had an awfully difficult time last month getting detailed information about a three-vehicle crash on the San Diego Freeway in Carson that killed an 8-year-old Palos Verdes Estates boy.

As I reported, several people were injured in the June 22 crash on the southbound side near Avalon Boulevard.

The boy, Brandon Lundy, was ejected from the 2001 Ford Explorer and died when he landed in the carpool lane on the freeway's northbound side.

The CHP told me the collision happened after the driver of a sport utility vehicle made an unsafe lane change at 65 mph, sideswiped another car, lost control, slammed into the center divider and bounced into another car.

Several others in that car went to area hospitals, the CHP said.

The names of the other motorists and passengers were not released, and I was told no one else was hospitalized. Well, that was completely wrong.

I got this e-mail today from the driver of the "sideswiped" car:

Working Stiff sent this email:

I read about the mail theft in Manhattan Beach. You said two trays were taken and a small tub. My question was: Do you know if the mail that was stolen was only being delivered to Manhattan Beach residents, or to other neighboring cities? Did that mail carrier specifically work for Manhattan Beach residents, or did he deliver mail to other cities later in the day? Could you please find out from the authorities what cities the stolen mail was going to? Was it ALL Manhattan Beach or other cities too? I know it was recovered, and they will be contacting the residents saying it will be delayed, but I am expecting some important mail this week, and was wondering exactly what cities were affected---- (Torrance, Rolling Hills, Palos Verdes, Lawndale, Hawthorne etc.)

Randy DeGasperin, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said that particular carrier was only assigned to one route in that Manhattan Beach neighborhood. All the stolen mail belonged to people on that route.

Mail officials are working to get the mail delivered after photographing it as evidence. Anyone who was waiting for a passport or prescription drug that they need should contact the Manhattan Beach post office.

By the way, the third suspect remains at large. The two men arrested have been charged with robbery.

Orange County sheriff's deputies issued an Amber Alert today after a man shot his estranged wife and kidnapped their 9-year-old son in the Portola Hills area. The man was identified as Lonnie Ramos, 44. The shooting occurred during a custody exchange.

Here's a copy of the Amber Alert bulletin:
Amber Alert Ryan Ramos1.pdf

Teenagers skateboarding near an abandoned house in Beverly Hills made a startling discovery last week when they detected a foul stench coming from the residence.

They roamed inside the house and discovered a mummified body lying in a fetal position, the Beverly Hills Weekly reported in today's edition.

Police told the paper they believe the man was dead for a year. He appeared to be white and in his 40s or 50s. They think he was homeless because they found an assortment of old bags and an old bicycle near him.

The cause of death wasn't immediately known, but foul play was not suspected, police said.

The property owner hadn't been at the house for a long time, the paper said.

The principal of a small Westchester high school appeared in a downtown courtroom today for arraignment on child pornography charges, but the proceeding was postponed until July 24.

Randolph Cornfield, principal of 40-student Del Rey Continuation High School, is charged with two felony counts for the for the images allegedly found on his home computer.

"Posing as a 12-year-old girl, Cornfield allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversation in an Internet chat room and offered to provide nude photos," according to release issued yesterday by the District Attorney's Office. "Authorities were tipped off and after executing a search warrant, allegedly discovered child pornography at Cornfield's Playa Del Rey residence," according to the statement.

Cornfield, 60, has worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District since 1982.
If convicted, he faces up to three years and eight months in prison, according to prosecutors.

Hawthorne police officers want everyone to know they will be enforcing fireworks laws big time this weekend.

Only Safe and Sane fireworks are allowed, and only on Friday, July 4 from noon to 10 p.m.

Tickets are costly. Penalties range from $100 to $1,000 for each violation and/or arrest.

While a detective ticked off the traumatic injuries suffered by 14-year-old Kelsey Fukuda as a result of being struck while walking in a crosswalk by Rodrigo Guevara, the baby-faced Guevara - facing up to four years in state prison for leaving the scene of an accident -didn't show really any reaction. One of his family members, though, was obviously torn-up by hearing the impact her speeding brother had on the two Wilmington Middle School girls he hit.

The young woman cried when registered nurse Jackie Block testified about watching the collision, then getting out to check on the girls. "Thank you for stopping to help," she whispered to Block as she left the courtroom after testifying.

As Detective Charles Martin, trying to keep his own emotions in check, spoke of how Kelsey will probably never speak or walk again, the woman sobbed in the back of the courtroom.

This just arrived from the District Attorney's Office:



LOS ANGELES - The principal of Del Rey Continuation School is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on two felony counts of possessing child pornography on his home computer, the District Attorney's office announced.

Randolph Barnett Cornfield, 60 (dob 8-18-47), has been charged in case BA342541 with possessing child pornography on a CD-ROM and on a zip drive, said Deputy District Attorney Marc Beaart with the High Tech Crimes Division. Cornfield, who was arrested June 12 by LAPD officers with the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, was released on $20,000 bail.

Posing as a 12-year-old girl, Cornfield allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversation in an Internet chat room and offered to provide nude photos. Authorities were tipped off and after executing a search warrant, allegedly discovered child pornography at Cornfield's Playa Del Rey residence.

If convicted, the LAUSD principal faces up to three years, eight months in state prison. An investigation is continuing.

Here's a preview of photos that will appear in tomorrow's paper from today's search and arrests of the suspected mail robbers:

The third guy eluded capture. The police have returned to their stations and will seek out the third later.

Both captured suspects needed treatment for dog bites. We'll have more on this

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pen was busy today, as he signed into law two measures that will help victims of elder abuse and identity theft.

SB 1343 by Senator Jim Battin (R-La Quinta), gives seniors and disabled adults the right to have up to two support persons with them when delivering difficult testimony in cases of elder abuse. 

"By allowing a friend or family member in the courtroom while giving difficult testimony, elderly and disabled adults will feel more comfortable coming forward and pressing charges to allow justice to be served," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "This legislation not only protects this vulnerable community, but  helps to prevent these types of crimes from happening again."

SB 612 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), gives victims of identity theft a better opportunity to obtain justice by allowing identity theft cases to be prosecuted in the county where the victim lives - which is not always the location of where the crime occurs.

These are the photographs of the Lomita homicide victims. Jamie Aguallo, 50, of Lomita is on the left. Tyce William Riddle, 19, of Torrance is on the right.

Nothing new yet to report, but today is July 1, when federal checks are in the mail.

Photographer Brad Graverson is out at the search site.

I am also working on trying to update the double-homicide in Lomita. Busy day.

Redondo Beach police and other agencies just chased a car through the South Bay onto Palos Verdes Drive East, where the three suspects abandoned their car in Rancho Palos Verdes and ran.

A search is underway near Mustang Road. That's what the helicopter is doing.

I'm told the three suspects held up a mail carrier in Manhattan Beach, took some mail and sped away. A Redondo Beach officer spotted them and the chase was on.

We'll have more when we can get it.

It looks like the murder re-trial for Cameron Brown could begin later this month - just about two years after a Torrance jury deadlocked between first-degree murder, second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.

A pretrial was held yesterday in Brown's case in its new home before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. However, Brown wasn't there. Sheriff's deputies told Pastor that Brown refused to leave the jail to come to court, according to Deputy District Attorney Craig Hum. There was no explanation given for Brown's boycott of the proceeding, during which another pretrial was scheduled for July 15.

Brown is charged with special circumstances murder for the November 2000 death of his 4-year-old daughter, Lauren Sarene-Key, who died after plunging off a Rancho Palos Verdes cliff near Inspiration Point. Prosecutors contend he killed her to shirk his child support responsibility, while Brown maintains the little girl slipped.

There are news reports about a fatal shooting early this morning in Lomita. We're hearing that there may be two victims. We're checking on the details and will have an update as soon as we can.

The Los Angeles Times has a report this morning about a cocaine possession trial that a judge abruptly ended yesterday after learning that two Los Angeles police officers gave very different accounts of an arrest than what was caught on videotape. Now, the officers may be charged.