September 2008 Archives

Ricky Diggs, who calls himself "planeguy," was at the Torrance Municipal Airport on Nov. 6, 2003, when two helicopters collided midair, killing two and severely injuring Gavin Heyworth. After reading my article this week about the FAA settling with the surviving pilot for $4.5 million, Diggs e-mailed me to share what he saw and heard that horrific afternoon.

"Gavin was in the R22 crossing the field on a North to south heading. The other pilots were in an R44 that was traveling approximately 20 to 50 feet off the ground until they called for a departure towards King Harbor. They were given permission to do so and was told to expedite. They complied and that is when they climbed right in front of me from Taxiway Alpha over to 29L and was accending rapidly. That is when I heard the controller tell Gavin to Caution other heli .. and land something 29R. But it was too late. I saw everything. The R44 climbed into the bottom of Gavin who was in the R22 and immediately lost both Skids and the tail boom.

Charges were dropped Friday against a Hermosa Beach man accused of stabbing another man in the back during a fight on The Strand.

Michael Arthur Cody, 20, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Torrance Superior Court, but the alleged victim did not show up to testify. When the prosecutor said she could not proceed, Judge Laura Ellison granted Cody's motion to dismiss the case.

Cody, son of Easy Reader publisher Kevin Cody, was charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and an allegation that he used a deadly weapon. The 23-year-old victim was stabbed twice in the back during a fight at 2 a.m. on Aug. 17 at The Strand and Pier Plaza, according to the police.

I got a call from Patrick Gunn, who works at Turner's Outdoorsman on Hawthorne Boulevard in Redondo Beach.

Probably not for long. In fact, I'm sure he's getting his walking papers right about now.

Gunn, 21, says it's worth losing his job to get the word out about what he considers poor security at one of the South Bay's leading gun sellers.

"They should at least have a working security system that protects us somewhat," he said. "They said they were thinking about putting it in."

If you saw my previous article, you'll remember that a man walked into the store on Monday, pulled a gun and ordered employees to raise their hands. One worker tried to grab the gun away, prompting the gunman to fire a bullet into the ceiling to show he meant business. The robber escaped with nine Kimber and Smith & Wesson handguns.

A video camera took footage of the man, who wore sunglasses and a hat, but police tell me it isn't of good enough quality for them to identify a suspect. In fact, it isn't worth providing to the media to show on television and on the Internet because nobody would be able to make out what's on it.

Gunn was working when the gunman arrived. A camera faced the front door, but no cameras faced the gun counter where the suspect stood, he said. A police officer told me this was accurate.

Here's what else Gunn said:

This came out late tonight. Why he killed her, I dunno. I've been asking about this for weeks and they put it out after business hours.

Torrance police conducted a driver's license checkpoint from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the southbound lanes of the 22100 block of Western Avenue.

Here's the numbers:

19 unlicensed drivers or drivers not possessing a California license.
3 people driving with suspended driver's licenses
33 cited for other infractions and equipment violations
21 vehicles impounded

The Redondo Beach Police Department will open its next Citizens Police Academy on Oct. 2.

The 12-week course teaches participants about police training, the special weapons team, criminal investigation, the canine unit, gangs, narcotics and the patrol division.

To obtain an application, log onto this Web site or contact Community police officer Ian Miesen at 310-379-2477, ext. 2493 or email him at ian.miesen@redondo.org.

This one came in from "Victor," talking about Martin Gudino, who's charged with shooting at a sheriff's helicopter the unincorporated area near Carson a few months ago:

"Hes my brother and i know it wasnt him!!!!!"

Cindy DMN wrote:

"Just wanted to pat yall on the back for the hard work you do bringing us all of the good juicy news. Since the scanners went digital some of us ambulance chasers are suffering from withdrawals wanting to know what the heck is going on. Thanks for keeping us up on all of the trash and good stuff. We appreciate.."

Me: Thanks!

You could hear him coming before you could see him. Clink. Clink. Clink. The chains on his arms and waist rattled in the court's lock-up before Thedward Candler, 25, emerged into the courtroom. About a dozen family or friends watched as he made his way to the counsel table. His hands, one of which was wrapped in a bandage, were balled up as he took his seat.

It's been one year and one week since 76-year-old Severa Madrona was found bloodied and gasping for breath in the backyard of an El Camino Village home. She was only several blocks from her own home, on her early morning walk, when she was raped and killed. Candler, a recent parolee from Gardena, was linked to her death by DNA, and now faces capital murder charges.

His preliminary hearing got underway late this morning in Torrance Superior Court and will continue this afternoon. I'll have a full story for tomorrow's Daily Breeze on the hearing, and I'll try to send Twitter updates from the courtroom this afternoon. You can see those over there on the right ----> (which is still having technical difficulties since mine and Larry's updates are apparently meshed). Or, sign up for your own Twitter account and get the updates directly from me @dbreezeCourts.

Here's something from the Hawthorne police crime blotter, coming to a newspaper near you on Saturday:

09/15/2008 1030 HRS - 0440 HRS 09/22/2008        12300 BLK VAN NESS AV
Suspect(s) used bolt-cutters to access 19 tractor-trailers, siphoning over 1800 gallons diesel fuel.

Gardena police Capt. Ed Burnett put this out tonight:


On 9/24/08 the Gardena Police personnel, served a graffiti related search warrant in the 1000 block of 159th Street.  Officers were lead to this location after a thorough investigation of graffiti tagging throughout Gardena and surrounding cities.

Officers located and arrested Julian Castillo Rangel, 19 years old, of Gardena.

The investigation showed that Rangel, who uses the moniker of "Hate", defaced both city and private property approximately 300 times since early 2006. The value of the damage is estimated to be in excess of $100,000.

"Hate" quickly rose to the top of the Gardena Police Department's most wanted list after numerous instances of tagging with the moniker "Hate" began to appear on billboards, awnings, walls and poles.

Officers were able to identify Julian Rangel as "Hate."  A search warrant was subsequently served at Rangel's residence, where spray cans, "slap tags", and other graffiti paraphernalia were located.

Rangel was arrested for an outstanding vandalism warrant and numerous felony graffiti charges. Rangel is being held on $150,000 in bail pending trial.

Anyone with information about a Graffiti vandal can call Officer Luis Villanueva at
310-217-6137.

Sneak peak of one of tomorrow's stories, today!

One of three taggers believed responsible for thousands of dollars in vandalism across the South Bay was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in jail. Mathew Galvez, 18, of San Pedro pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of felony vandalism.

In exchange, he agreed to serve the jail time and three years probation, during which the art student cannot have any vandalism tools, according to Carson Sheriff's Detective Armando Hernandez. Galvez must also serve 30 days performing community service for the state Department of Transportation and pay $4,800 in restitution, Hernandez said.

 

Gardena police have announced that two "Shotgun Crips" gang members have been charged in the brutal killing of Hae Sook Roh, a Rosecrans Avenue clothing shopkeeper on May 12. I'll have a story up soon.

Just got word that trial began yesterday in an Inglewood courtroom for a man who allegedly propositioned a 13-year-old girl in an online chat room, only to find out that he was really talking to an undercover Redondo Beach police detective. Yani Leppanen, who said, "I'd like to lick you from the toes on up" when the officer sent a photo of a young girl, maintains he was only testing the government to see if they were patroling for predators.

Guess they were.

Not sure yet if Leppanen will take the stand in his own defense. The trial is only in session on sporadic afternoons, and should last until next week. One way or another, we'll report the verdict.

Every Wednesday in the Daily Breeze, we run a South Bay reader's essay in our My Turn column. Usually, the space is filled by long-time residents waxing nostalgic about something in the past. This week, though, John Smith tells a sad tale of losing his wife and then his losing battles against the bureacracy and the justice system.

Read John's story here.

From City News:

The gunman who killed two men and wounded three others in a drive-by attack near the Metro Blue Line Station at Compton Boulevard was at large today.

The shooting broke out about 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, said Deputy Byron Ward of the
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. Two men died at the scene, and two women and a man were taken to hospitals, Ward said.

A woman whose name was withheld was reported in critical condition early today after
undergoing surgery, Sgt. Douglas Iketani at the sheriff's Compton Station said. No hospital conditions were available for other two people wounded -- the woman had a
graze wound, and the man an elbow wound -- but deputies said both had stable vital
signs.

The shots apparently were fired in a drive-by attack, but no description of the
vehicle was made available early today. The names of the dead and wounded were unavailable early today.

Hi all.

I've been asked why the user comments are off on the purse snatch story.

The editor had to put a halt to the comments on the purse snatch story because some people couldn't handle themselves with proper respect for others.

So, if you'd like to comment on that story, please email me at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com or comment directly on the entry on the crime and courts blog. I will post them for you.

A full story will come out later, but here's the gist of what happened out there today around Hawthorne Boulevard and 177th Street across from the Galleria. The info is from Sgt. Phil Keenan of Redondo PD.

Wonder what all the commotion was over by the Galleria in Redondo?

This from Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan:

A couple of teens grabbed a woman's purse just after 11 a.m. at the shopping mall and ran across Hawthorne Boulevard into Torrance. Police surrounded the area and searched for the last few hours.

The got em both. I'll have more later.

A federal judge had already ruled that air traffic controller negligence caused the Nov. 6, 2003, mid-air collision at Torrance Municipal Airport. But instead of going to trial to argue about how much to pay him, the FAA decided to settle with Gavin Heyworth for $4.5 million - nearly the same amount a judge awarded to the family of a pilot who died in the crash following a trial in July.

"I'm not the same person I was the day I climbed into that helicopter," said Heyworth, a 27-year-old former Marine. "I'm no longer capable of doing what I could do as a Marine. I'm essentially a young man in an old man's body. Now I have to redefine my life."

His attorney, James Pocrass, added, "For the last five years, Gavin's life has been centered around healing and this trial. My wish is that this settlement allows Gavin closure so he can go on with his life."

I'm working on a full story about the settlement.

Previously: FAA to pay $4.75 million for Torrance helicopter crash

Every time I get another update on this case, it amazes me that the national media has blown it off. I just don't get it. Three kids are missing with men who might take them out of the country. Their mothers haven't seen them since June.

Anyway, the Westchester Lutheran Church choirs -- kids and adults -- will perform Thursday at the school to raise money to help search for the boys.

Students Alex and Zaven Silah, and their cousin, Greg, have not been heard from since their fathers, George and John Silah, failed to return them to their mothers following summer custody visitations. Both men have been charged with kidnapping.

In addition to student and adult choirs, Alex's seventh grade classmates will perform a song in his honor.

Alex and Zaven's mother, Zanni Meguerian, will speak during the program. A representative of the Association for the Recovery of Children also will address the case.

The fundraiser will begin at 7 p.m. at the school at 7831 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Donations also can be sent to the school office, made payable to ARC with the designation of "Silah Boys."

Contact the school office at 310-670-5422 for more information.

The FBI and Los Angeles police department are investigating the case. A reward has been offered for information leading to the boys return and the Silahs arrests.

Mothers plead for help

Redondo Beach police tell us what they've been up to:


Monday 09/15
12:00 hrs - Torrance Police requested assistance from adjacent agencies for containment of a stolen vehicle suspect that had just fled from them on foot. One of the RBPD units that responded was a K-9 unit and the K-9, Dak, was eventually utilized for a building safety search. Dak discovered the suspect hiding under a desk, seized and held him for officers. Suspect was booked by Torrance Police on suspicion of vehicle theft and related charges.

19:06 hrs - A twenty-eight year old female committed suicide by hanging herself over the edge of a railing at her home on Avenue "A." She was discovered by her mother, who called 911. Paramedics attempted to revive her with negative results. She was transported to Little Company of Mary where she was pronounced deceased.

Wednesday 09/17
00:42 hrs - A vehicle that was described by witnesses as being involved in a purse-snatch robbery at the Galleria last week was observed by Sheriff Deputies in the City of Lennox. Deputies detained the juvenile occupants of the vehicle and notified RBPD. We took custody of the juveniles and impounded the vehicle. One of the juveniles, a female, admitted to involvement in the Galleria robbery to the interviewing officer. She was detained and transported to a juvenile detention facility. This juvenile was also wanted for a previous robbery by another jurisdiction. The investigation continues.

Thursday 09/18
23:42 hrs - Officers were dispatched to a fight involving 2-3 subjects fighting inside of Old Tony's. Officers arrived in the area and contacted one of the subjects as he was leaving the pier on foot south bound on the bike path. As officers were talking to the detained subject, the suspect's brother approached in an aggressive manner. He was ordered several times to stay back. The subject refused to back away and instead pushed against one of the officers.

Officers attempted to take him into custody and he became combative. He was ultimately Tased so that he could be controlled. A third subject approached officers, this time a female, the girlfriend of the first subject detained. She began yelling at officers and interfering. She was ordered several times to back away, but refused.

The female then threw her shoes at one of the officers and kicked towards her. This subject was then Tased and eventually taken into custody. The arrested female continued to be uncooperative even while in RBPD jail and had to be restrained. She was secured in a sobering cell for her safety. When it was later discovered that she was bleeding from abrasions on her arm and hands, paramedics were requested. Paramedics examined her and determined that medical attention was not required. Felony vandalism charges were later added to her booking when it was discovered that she had torn away a large area of padding from the interior of her cell.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting today that the unincorporated Athens area had 11 shootings this summer - eight of which resulted in death.

Their story is here.

Police wrote tickets to nine people who agreed to buy alcohol for a minor during a so-called "shoulder tap" sting operation in three beach cities.

The operation occurred Thursday outside several businesses in Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach.

During the operation, minors working undercover with the police asked adults to buy alcohol for them. Of the 125 adults solicited, nine agreed and bought alcohol, Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Chris Vargas said.

Police cited three in Manhattan Beach, two in Hermosa Beach and four in Redondo Beach.
One person also was arrested on outstanding warrants.

The police agencies of the three cities are conducting the operations under a grant from the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control to help keep alcohol out of the hands of juveniles, police said.

Manhattan Beach has 123 bars, restaurants and retail stores licensed to sell alcohol. Hermosa Beach has 99 and Redondo Beach, 208.

I found this video on Youtube that shows a shoulder tap operation. I think it's in Modesto, but not sure.

As I reported in a previous entry, a gunman held up Turner's Outdoorsman in Redondo Beach today and made off with 10 to 15 handguns.

Here's what happened in May 2007 at Turner's store in Riverside. Three gunmen made off with about several dozen guns, all caught on tape.

A robber just fired a shot into the ceiling at a Redondo Beach gun store and escaped with 10 to 15 handguns.

The robbery occurred about 10:45 a.m. at Turner's Outdoorsman at Hawthorne and Redondo Beach boulevards, police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.

The gunman walked away west and out of sight.

"It's very concerning when a confirmed bad guy has 10 to 15 more handguns," Keenan said. "He is not going to use them. He is probably going to sell them."

The robber was described as Asian, 20 to 25 years old, wearing a black baseball cap, a Pendleton sweater, and possibly tan pants.

During the early part of the summer, I decided to catch on to Mad Men. I watched all the episodes from last year and started with the new ones. A friend told me it was great and it's become the only "must see" show I have these days now that Sopranos is gone. Last night it won the best drama Emmy.

(I will watch Lost when it returns, but that's only because I feel obligated after having watched so many episodes already. But it's tiresome. There's got to be a payoff at some point, right?)

Anyway, one of the amusing things about Mad Men is to see how times have changed. It occurs in the early 1960s. They smoke and drink excessively in the office and at home (they must all reek), and treat female employees like sex objects. (The sexual harassment would bring dozens of lawsuits today.)

They also show things that make you snicker. The stuff we don't do today: Besides the non-stop drinking and smoking, they order fried chicken for dinner, leave trash all over the ground at a picnic, let kids put plastic bags over their heads to play, and drive without seat belts.

On a recent episode, Don Draper, a man cheating on his wife with a woman cheating on her husband, was driving drunk, actually taking swigs from the open bottle as he motored down the highway with her.

He crashed, of course, and was arrested for hitting the legal blood-alcohol limit in New York of 0.15, or nearly double what it is now. I laughed when the cop said the legal limit was 0.15 because that's pretty darn drunk.

If I was writing a story today, it would get a "nearly twice the legal limit" line next to it. The limit today is 0.08.

Police in LA are trying to identify a homicide victim whose body was found burning Sept. 11 in an industrial area near Central Avenue and 15th Street. A lot of homeless people live there and scavenge for cans.

Detectives will hold a news conference later this morning to describe a tattoo that they hope will identify her.

*It's a tattoo on the back of her neck that says "Carlos." Waiting for somebody to send me a drawing of it.

So, if you know a woman with the name Carlos on the back of her neck, call the LAPD's Newton division.

You gotta be a pretty bad guy if your name appears on the same list as Osama Bin Laden. That's the case with Emigdio Preciado Jr., who's on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. He's wanted for allegedly trying to kill two sheriff's deputies in Whittier in 2000.

He's known as "The Dancing Fugitive" because they found video of him dancing. He's a gang member known as "Junior," "Trigger," "Spooky," and "Snyper."

FBI officials believe he's most likely in Mexico, so they've put up a wanted billboard at the border. They think about 175,000 people will see it every day as they cross.

Here's the wanted flier and the dancing video.

Click below for the FBI's press release:

Some of you might remember Brandon Wexler. He served two tours with the Navy in Iraq and returned unscathed.

In June 2007, he slowed on the Harbor Freeway to aid a disabled motorist. A drunken driver struck his motorcycle from behind and sent him flying.

He was critically injured. Doctors had to repair his crushed pelvis, broken leg, and damaged internal organs. He was lucky to survive.

When I covered the story, I visited him at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. The ICU waiting room was filled with guys just back from Iraq who had arrived to support their friend.

Wexler, now 24, spent four months in the hospital.

I followed up on him the other day. This time, it's all good news.

Although Wexler has some nasty scars from repeated surgeries, and some lower back pain, he said his only other lasting physical problem from the crash is a limp. After doctors put his pelvis back together, one leg is a bit shorter than the other.

He lives in Redondo Beach and recently started a job as an agent for New York Life Insurance Company. He works in Pasadena.

"I'm doing good," he said.

Stories like this don't often end positively. Glad this one did for a change.

(Oh, and I got his number if you want to throw a little business his way. You gotta figure he knows a little something about life insurance.)

A San Pedro man was arrested and is facing attempted murder charges for a fight at a Redondo Beach bar last week that left a 23-year-old man in a coma.

John Penna, 30, was arrested Wednesday and charged Friday with assault and attempted murder, according to Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman. He's scheduled to make his first appearance today made his first court apperance today in Torrance Superior Court, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is being held on $30,000 $750,000 bail. He has a criminal record, but Freeman declined to comment on it's details.

Freeman said witnesses picked Penna out of photographic line-ups. Police believe Penna is the man who threw one punch at Matthew Klaus just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 12 during an argument at Brixton on the Redondo Beach pier. The hit threw Klaus, a Lawndale man, backward down several flights of stairs. He hit the back of his head and suffered multiple skull fractures and bleeding in the brain. He remains in a medication-induced coma at the intensive care unit of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, according to family members.

It's still not known what the fight was about, Freeman said. Police plan to post fliers around the pier this weekend, hoping more people will come forward to talk about the incident, he added. Anyone with information about it is urged to call Detective Fabian Saucedo at (310) 379-2477, ext. 2481.

Previously: RB bar fight leaves Lawndale man in coma

Her name was Darlene Cleo Thomas.

She was found dead Monday in the water off Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro. It was suicide. She jumped from a cliff.

That's all sad, and you wonder why she did it, but it's even worse that she is listed as having a last known address as "Indigent/homeless."

She was born Aug. 18, 1989. She just turned 19.

If anyone knew this girl, please contact me.

Who knows whether former secretary Cheryl Oldham's claims against pornographic purveyor and casino owner Larry Flynt are true. What's surprising is her claim that trying to cover-up the Hustler magazine and Gardena casino owner's extra-curricular activities left her "sick, sore and lame."

We have the wire story on a yesterday's appellate court ruling here.

Click here to see the opinion for yourself.

Police will conduct a driving under the influence and driver's license checkpoint from 8 p.m. tonight to 3:30 a.m. Saturday in the southbound lanes of Vermont Avenue at 167th Street in Gardena.

None for the Road

It's been a bit crazy in the Crime & Courts machine lately, so I'm a little behind in some of my cases. In doing some updating, I learned this today:

A former Palos Verdes Estates "house man" has pleaded guilty to assaulting his employer, and will spend a year in jail, a prosecutor said Thursday. Peter Woods, 55, pleaded no contest last Friday to one count of assault causing great bodily injury and received the jail term and five years probation, according to Deputy District Attorney Lester Kuriyama.

Woods must also undergo a year of anger management counseling and keep away from his former boss and her son.

Woods' employer, Sheri Kantor, testified at a preliminary hearing earlier this year that Woods threatened to killer her, choked her and punched her on March 19 in her home in the 800 block of Gatos Place. But Woods testified he only grabbed and pushed his 57-year-old boss when she blocked his way when they were in a dispute over his pay.

An attempted murder charge against Woods was dropped in exchange for his plea.

Previously: PVE "household manager" accused of trying to kill employer

I get emails:

Ruth V. Sobeck of Palos Verdes offered this explanation for why train victim Chuck Peck's cell phone called his family all night after the Metrolink crash, even though he was killed instantly:

This is not puzzling to me. I had a bluetooth device that would dial entries from my contact list all the time, even if it was in the pocket of a jacket hanging on a chair. I know two other people who have had the same experience. I bet there was one with debris on it that might have been pressing a button, until the battery died.

This person, thinking they were anonymous, sent me this. I don't know what story she is referring to and thought the world should see her correspondence. (It came in just like this. I didn't change anything, but broke it into more readable paragraphs. And for those who don't know, all caps means the writer is shouting.)

HEY LARRY ,
YOU SHOULD BE FIRED AND BANNED FOR LIFE FROM WRITING CRIME REPORTS FOR THE DAILY BREEZE ! ! YOU ARE A LIAR AND SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR SLANDERING AND RUINING PEOPLES LIVES !!

CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT A FRIEND OF MINE ARE 90% LIES THE PUBLIC IS SUPPOSED TO TRUST AND BELIEVE WHAT YOU REPORT !!! WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT THAT IS !!!!!

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU HAVE SLANDERED THIS PERSON AND
REPORTED HUNDREDS OF FALSE THINGS ABOUT HIM !!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU MAN. YOU REALLY NEED TO START BEING A TRUTHFUL AND HONEST REPORTER OR GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS !! IF YOU CONTINUE TO ACT IN SUCH A LEES THAN PROFESSIONAL WAY ITS GOING TO HAUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE !!!

PLEASE ALL I AM ASKING OF YOU IS TO GET YOUR FACTS AN STATEMENTS FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE AND REPORT THE TRUTH !!!! NOT A BUNCH OF LIES<<<<<<<<<

I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING AND HOPE YOU WILL THINK NEXT TIME BEFORE WRITING LIES ABOUT SOMEONE JUST TO GET YOUR SATISFACTION. THANK YOU

SINCERELY ,A TORRANCE RESIDENT OF 40 YEARS

Comment: Ninety-percent lies?

Julio Perez and Eric Sanford were each sentenced today to 50 years to life in prison by a Compton Superior Court judge who said she didn't buy their excuses.

Sanford and Perez were two of three people convicted for killing service station workers Eduardo Roco and Esther Arteaga on Nov. 4, 2006.

Denise is on her way back from court and will have a story up soon.

Previous

We admit that we don't really know why, but we're now Twittering. Do you Twitter? We'll take advice.

You can see what I'm saying about courts @dbreezeCourts

Larry will be tweeting about crime (and who knows what else) @dbreezeCrime

*Tweet*

In writing Ken Lamb's obituary today, I was struck with the feeling that Lamb spent more hours in the courtroom than out of it. The obit, which will run tomorrow, includes a lot about his life and career - as recalled by friends and colleagues, including District Attorney Steve Cooley, who called Lamb the "Babe Ruth" of trials.

Recently, Lamb jotted down some of his favorite trial memories. Here are a few of them:

•  In a case where Lamb had to prove the defendant caused great bodily injury by biting the victim in the face and ear, Lamb took a bite out of a pear and taped the piece back into the rest of the fruit. Like the pear, the victim will never be the same - Lamb told the jury.
• When a judge told Lamb he could not move more than two feet away from the podium, Lamb dragged the podium throughout the coutroom as he delivered his argument.
• In closing, the defense attorney argued that Lamb failed to call the correct witness. "In my final argument, I walked out into the hall and yelled out the victim's name," Lamb wrote. "I then walked back inside and stated that the most important witness could not be called because the defendant killed her."

In the courtroom, friends say, Lamb is known for his closing arguments. At Legends last week, where friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate and say good-bye, Lamb delivered perhaps one of his most powerful summations.

"Appreciate every day you have," he said to the silent crowd. "Appreciate the people you're with. If you don't, you'll blink and it might be gone."

Previously: OBITUARY: Deputy District Attorney Ken Lamb

I'm sad to announce that Ken Lamb, a long-time prosecutor who spent many years in Torrance, died last night at the age of 55. Lamb had a grueling battle with cancer.

He's being remembered this morning as a prolific and honest prosecutor. Last week, he gathered with many of his colleagues and friends for a celebration of his career. Today, those who were with him said he was energetic and vivacious last week, and are stunned.

I'm working on a full obituary for tomorrow's Daily Breeze, along with Press-Telegram staffer Kelly Puente - who wrote a lovely article last week about Lamb.

I've written a number of times about the rash of catalytic converters that have occurred throughout the South Bay (and the country) in the last year or two.

A while back, El Segundo police held an "Etch N Catch" program to engrave identifying information on the auto parts so that police can tie thieves to specific crimes when they make recoveries.

El Segundo will hold another free service for truck and SUV owners this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last time, it was only for El Segundo residents, but this time, there's room for more.

For more information and to make an appointment, call 310-524-2200.

If you are unaware, thieves target the catalytic converters on vehicles with high ground clearance because the parts contain precious metals that are worth hundreds and thousands of dollars.

I'll update this later when I get her name, but Harbor Division homicide detectives say the 19-year-old woman found dead in the water off Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro on Monday committed suicide. She jumped off the cliff.

As of yesterday afternoon, her name was not released pending notification of next of kin.

Here's what the police sent me to let me know what's the haps in Redondo Beach.

09-08 (Monday)/ 4:50 a.m.
Location: 1200 block of Aviation Boulevard
Officers responded to an alarm call and observed signs of burglary activity. Removed was the mailbox slot to the front door of the business. Window and sliding door found to be off track, with several desks ransacked and rummaged. Search of the premises ended in negative results for a suspect. The investigation is related to the following entry.

09-08 (Monday)/ 7:30 a.m.
Location: 1300 block of Clark Lane
While processing the scene, in the aforementioned entry, a citizen contacted officers regarding an individual hiding in a yard south of the location. This individual was watching the officers. Containment was launched. Officers located a bench, which appeared to have been dragged, from the front of a crawl space. Dirt had been disturbed, and footprints were present indicating ingress underneath the structure. An announcement was made and a police canine was deployed. The police dog located a suspect hiding. The suspect (adult) incurred a minor dog bite, and was transported to Torrance Memorial Hospital for medical attention. The suspect was linked to several commercial burglaries in the area, including one in the City of Hermosa Beach.

09-09 (Tuesday)/ 12:48 a.m.
Location: 631 Vincent Park - Redondo Union High School
Unknown suspects (two) start a fire atop the composite file north of the football field. They fled the area on foot. No structural damage occurred. A joint investigation continues by the Redondo Beach Police Department Investigations Division and the Redondo Beach Fire Department Arson Unit.

09-10 (Wednesday)/ 11:07 a.m.
Location: 631 Vincent Park - Redondo Union High School
Transferred call, from another law enforcement agency, stated: "There is a bomb at the end of the Pier." Three (3) separate searches fostered negative results in locating any device. The investigation continues.

I spent a good part of today visiting with the family of Chuck Peck, a former Torrance man whose father and stepmother live in Manhattan Beach. He was killed aboard the Metrolink train.

A bar fight in Redondo Beach last week has left a Lawndale man in a coma and police looking for a suspect. Matthew Klaus, 23, had a verbal altercation with another man at Brixton on the Redondo Beach pier just before 1 a.m. on Friday, according to Sgt. Phil Keenan.

                                                              The suspect punched Klaus (left), who fell backward down several stairs and hit the back of his head on the concrete floor below, Keenan said. The suspect and four or five friends ran from the club and were last seen entering the parking structure, Keenan said. He was described as a Hispanic man in his mid 20s who was about 5-feet, 10-inches tall and weighed approximately 250 pounds, Keenan said. Keenan said the investigation is continuing.

Klaus was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance, where he remains in a drug-induced coma in critical condition. He has multiple skull fractures and bleeding in the brain.

His mother, Renate Klaus, said they are just waiting now to see if the swelling in his brain stops.

 

This story is about a Sacramento Police Department motorcycle officer who lives in nearby Rocklin. The story, with a video that includes the reporter asking the cop how he feels about neighborhood kids being afraid of him, is linked here.

Many alums return their schools to celebrate homecoming. But South High School graduate Skiler Gascon, 21, didn't go to his alma mater's big game to cheer on the team - he came back with a gun, which he used to hold-up four teenage boys walking to the Torrance school.

The boys, ages 15 and 16 at the time of the Nov. 2 robbery, were walking along Pacific Coast Highway about 7 p.m. when Gascon called out to them, pointed the gun at them and demanded money.

Between them, Gascon netted no more than $25.

A jury convicted Gascon of armed robbery in April, and he was sentenced to 23 years in state prison on Monday. According to Deputy District Attorney Tim Hu, Gascon has a history of criminal problems.

It's Harbor Area Monday apparently. I've been typing non-stop all afternoon trying to keep up.

I just finished a story about all kinds of stuff that went down in the Harbor Area today.

Here's what happened. Look for the upcoming story on dailybreeze.com and in the Tuesday print edition.

Police arrested a burglar who jumped through a double-paned window in San Pedro, searched for car thieves in Harbor Gateway, investigated the death of a 19-year-old woman found floating in the ocean off Royal Palms Beach and examined a hand grenade that forced an evacuation of a fire station and bank in San Pedro.

That's all on top of a separeate story updating the two weekend Harbor Area homicides. One suspect surrendered today in one of them. The other remains a mystery.

Los Angeles police officers will hand out burgers and buns tonight at a San Pedro pub to raise money for youth programs.

Police officers will work as servers at the San Pedro Brewing Company from 5 to 9 p.m. The Tip-a-Cop program will benefit programs including their boot camp that targets troubled teens.

Most officers will be fully uniformed while they wait on tables. Folks at the bar tell us that last year officers received tips above $20.

San Pedro Brewing Company is located at 331 W. Sixth Street.

If you wondered what the helicopter and all that commotion was earlier around 228th Street and Western Avenue in the Harbor Gateway, here's the answer:

Police in both Torrance and Lomita got hits on a LoJack signal from a stolen vehicle.

They tracked it to a 2008 Audi SUV near 228th and Western. When the bad guys inside saw the cops, they tried to run and crashed.

Two guys were detained right away. The driver fled into the neighborhood.

Police from LAPD and Torrance, along with Lomita sheriff's deputies, searched for him and found him a short time ago.

Detectives decided to only keep the driver. He is Kamrin Tyler Kelly, 19, of Downey. He's being booked as we write into the Torrance jail on suspicion of auto theft, hit-and-run, resisting arrest, and obstruction.
 
Scott Varley's photo shows a Torrance officer talking to some residents. That's not the bad guy.

Harbor Division homicide detectives are handling a couple of weekend killings.
Just talked to Jim Perkins, who heads the unit:

We possibly will get an update later today on the shooting near the Village Pub at 25th Street and Western Avenue.

Francisco Esparza, 25, of San Pedro died in that one, which occurred at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Two men in a vehicle shot him. Esparza is a gang member.

Police tell me the problem began with some women fighting. Somehow it ended with Esparza dead.

The people involved had been at the bar, but the problems began outside.

In the other killing, a woman found shot in the head in an alley near the 1600 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Harbor City has been identified.

She's Shanta Lucero, 22, of Long Beach.

Police don't know much more than that, but figured out she wasn't killed there. Whoever shot her, did it somewhere else, and dumped her body in the alley. She was discovered about 12:05 a.m. Sunday.

Detectives are trying to determine where the crime occurred.

The FBI has released stats showing crime is down in 2007, but check out this clock that's within the press release. It shows how often crimes occur across the country:

With all the horrible news going on, try this one as the goofiest story of the week.  I found it on the Internet, via Associated Press, and had to pass it along. It's true. It really is. I'm sure it will become a Lifetime movie of the week.

I paraphrase:

Wendy Brown, that's her over there, stole her daughter's identity to attend high school in Green Bay, Wisc. She's 33, but doesn't look a day over 36, so go figure.

She joined the cheerleading squad at Ashwaubenon High School (thank God the biggest name we have here is Leuzinger)  as her 15-year-old daughter, who lives in Nevada with her grandmother.

According to the news report, Brown wanted to get her high school diploma and become a cheerleader because she missed out on it in her childhood. (Gimme an N. Gimme a U. Gimme a T. Gimme an S. What's that spell?)

So she went to cheerleading practice during the summer, received a locker and went to a pool party at the coach's house.

Anyway, high school employees said she looked older than a student, but behaved like a high school girl. Apparently they had no idea until school started that she was an old woman.

Police arrested her for identity theft. If convicted of identity theft, she could go to prison, where she can run for cell block president.

Photo from AP, via AOL.

Sometimes, we reporters wonder if, after we file our stories, anyone besides our editors are looking at the fruits of our labor. Sometimes, it's easier to pretend nobody is. But it is nice to know that the care and work you put into an article is appreciated. Leave it to Deede Keller's kind family to take a moment to let me know:

Denise,

When I called Deede, she would answer and I would always proclaim: "Deedleeeee, Dave......Deedleeee, Dave.......!!!" Just another small thing now among the countless voids her loss has meant to myself and all her family and friends. Following that whirlwind of drama and tension, Pat, Kevin and I are certainly relieved for the outcome, yet still somewhat emotionally flat, possibly with the finality of it all.

We family members want to commend you and your newspaper for respecting Deede with an accurate recounting of the proceedings, while intimating how special Deede was to so many. We stayed Monday night near El Segundo, drove by Deede's house, then visited her bench in Library Park.

I believe Deedleeee would approve of the overall outcome and urge us all to move along with our lives, with her memory within short reach. Thanks again.

Respectfully,

Dave Buchanan

Pat Sparks

Kevin Buchanan

Joe Buchanan

Everyone here at the Daily Breeze wishes the best for the family, and hopes that moving on isn't as hard as it seems.

Previously entries here.

Deputies will conduct sobriety and driver's license checkpoints from 7 p.m. tonight to 3 a.m. Saturday on Avalon Boulevard north of Elsmere Drive and on Avalon north of Carson Street in Carson.

Police will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint from 8 tonight to 4 a.m. Saturday in the 12700 block of Hawthorne Boulevard in Hawthorne.

Here's a couple of videos set to Hermosa Beach's own band Black Flag's "Drinking and Driving":

The actual video:

The lyrics: (After the jump)

Never before at the Torrance Courthouse have I seen so many people trying to fit in one courtroom as I did yesterday for the verdict in the penalty phase Barry Mosley's trial. The crowd - mostly friends and family members of the victims, along with some courthouse workers riveted by the case and courtwatchers - gathered outside the courtroom early for the scheduled 2 p.m. verdict. Sensing that some of the victims' loved ones were getting a bit worked-up, every person had to get in line and be checked by a security guard with a metal-detecting wand before going in the courtroom.

Staff photographer Steve McCrank, Daily Breeze intern Douglas Morino and I somehow ended up at the end of the line. By the time we got to the door, word was coming that there were no seats left. The bailiffs, though, knew we needed to get in, and were kind enough to let us stand at the front of the courtroom, behind the clerk. It was a vantage point I don't normally have - being able to see the defendant and the audience instead of the backs of everyone's heads.

Before the jury came in, Judge Mark Arnold tried to diffuse the tension by addressing the friends and family members, many of whom had come for the bulk of the trial. "I've been impressed by how you've conducted yourselves," Arnold said. "I ask that you continue that level of integrity and decorum you have displayed so far."

After the jurors took their seats, Arnold said he had a request from Juror No. 11 to hold a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11. The packed room grew still, while many in the audience bowed their heads and some of the 15 or so bailiffs who were there for extra security placed their hands over their hearts.

There were three verdicts read by the clerk - one for each victim. With each pronouncement of "death," the room remained quiet, but hands shot up in the air. Mosley never flinched.

In a press release issued by the District Attorney's Office late yesterday, District Attorney Steve Cooley paid kudos to Deputy District Attorney Steve Schreiner (and hopefully that DDA Tony Aguilar wasn't mentioned was just an oversight!), as well as the office's investigators who worked on the case.

"This was an appropriate case for the death penalty and I am pleased with the jury's recommendation," Cooley said. 

Today's story on the verdict can be found here (along with Steve's photos).

Previous entries on Mosley are here.

To find out more about capital punishment in California, click here for the Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation death penalty page.

I've written a number of entries about the search for Christine Jeanbart's and Zanni Meguerian's sons.

Their ex-husbands, George and John Silah, took off with the kids after failing to return them from summer custody visitations.

The L.A. City Council has offered a reward, the D.A.'s office has charged both men, the women have gone to the media and the FBI and LAPD are investigating. Nothing has happened, unfortunately, to bring Alex, Zaven and Greg home.

Back on Aug. 6, the women stood before the media and pleaded for their sons' return. They spoke directly to their husbands and kids. I taped them on my digital audio recorder, but didn't have the ability to post their words here at the time. Now I figured it out.

So here are the women's pleas. The man introducing them is their attorney, Ronald Brot:

ZanniMeguerian.wav 

ChristineJeanbart.wav

Here is a transcript.

Jurors in Torrance just recommended that Barry Mosley, 48, be put to death for raping and strangling two women and a teenage girl in their Athens area homes.

It didn't take them long for such a serious decision. They've been listening for weeks to testimony about some of the most heinous acts anyone can commit -- Murder during rapes, burglaries and sodomy and multiple murders.

The jury's recommendation goes to Judge Mark Arnold, who will formally sentence Mosley at a later date.

We have Denise Nix and Douglas Morino in the courtroom and will have full coverage for you later.

Previous Mosley entries

The Torrance jurors deliberating whether Barry Mosley should live or die for his crimes took about two hours to make that decision. They deliberated yesterday afternoon then, just moments after they resumed this morning, they indicated that they reached a verdict.

It's scheduled to be read this afternoon at 2 p.m.

Today's story on the trial is here.

Previous blog entries on Mosley can be found here.

Kanye West was arrested this morning at LAX when he allegedly confronted a photographer and smashed his camera to the ground, the celebrity gossip site, TMZ.com, is reporting.

No, this wasn't one of our photogs.

A TMZ camera guy then began videotaping the scene. Kanye's bodyguard went after his camera and hurled it onto the ground.

Kanye then yelled, "Gimme that (effing) tape!"

Police took both Kanye and his bodyguard into custody.

Check out TMZ.com

There's the New Mexico motorist, convicted four times for DUI, who told a cop he was driving erratically because his passenger spilled his beer.

Two men arrested for marijuana possession have a similar tale to Harold & Kumar, but they're apparently a lot dumber.

A New York Verizon technician was charged for tapping into customers' lines to make $220,000 in phone-sex calls.

A big thanks from me to all these men for making my Thursday a touch more interesting.

What is the worst of the worst? Prosecutors seeking to condemn a killer often argue to juries that, if any case cries out for the death penalty, than this is that case. On the other hand, defense attorneys trying to save their clients' lives will argue that, no - there are far worse crimes out there than what this person is accused of doing, and shouldn't we save the needle for them?

Deputy District Attorney Steve Schreiner illustrated that point to a Torrance jury today, saying that, when most people think who should be on death row, they think of people like Charles Manson. But Manson's attorney would argue capital punishment is for people who have committed more murders, like night stalker Richard Ramirez. Ramirez's attorneys, of course, would say let's reserve the ultimate penalty for those who really deserve it - like Adolf Hitler. Hitler's attorneys? They'd point to Joseph Stalin. And on and on. Until it moves to the next level: "Well, did he eat his victims?" Schreiner said.

There is no law that says the death penalty must be only given to the worst of the worst, Schreiner argued. "But the defendant, in fact, is in that class of people who we categorize as the worst of the worst."

Defense attorney Richard Everett's approach was to argue that killing Mosley would, in a way, be justifying murder. "When is it ever appropriate to kill someone?" Everett asked. "The state is aking you to get together, with cool minds, and issue an order to kill this man. Is that justice? When is a life for a life justice?"

We'll see what the jury thinks and let you know the verdict as soon as we do.

Previous entries on Mosley's case can be found here.

... Postponed again. Ruben Vargas returns for his 11th sentencing date on Oct. 8.

You can follow the saga by clicking here.

Police are urging residents in a south Torrance neighborhood to keep their children and pets indoors during early morning hours following sightings of two coyotes.

One caller told police a coyote killed a cat.

"This is a first for Torrance," Torrance Animal Control administrator Patrick Wren said. "There may have been people who spotted them. As far as an attack this is an all time first."

The Police Department received four phone calls at 3 a.m. on Tuesday about coyotes roaming the neighborhood around Crest and Highcliff roads, Torrance police Sgt. Bernard Anderson said Wednesday.

Torrance animal control officers are looking into the reports and have consulted with the state Department of Fish and Game.

Police said sightings should be immediately reported to the Torrance Police Department's Animal Control Office at 310-618-3850 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or after hours to the Police Department at 310-328-3456.

Anyone reporting an emergency should call 911.

It's been a little more than two weeks since the penalty phase began for Barry Mosley, convicted of killing two women and a teenage girl in two separate Athens-area incidents in 1999 and 2000. He raped two of his victims - along with a then 8-year-old girl who survived the attack and testified against him.

Closing arguments are going to begin this morning with the prosecution arguing he is an evil and violent predator who left a void in the lives of his victims' family that should be paid with his own life. The defense, though, will argue that the evidence shows a childhood of abuse and a head injury contributed to his behavior, and his life should be spared.

We'll have a story on the arguments and will let you know what the jury decides...

Previously:

Torrance jury finds man guilty of three murders, rape  

Death penalty trial in Torrance

Things here at the Crime & Courts blog got pretty heavy lately. And while I'm not really one to laugh at crime or crime victims, I hoped this morsel of crime news from the Fresno Bee could help lighten the mood a little bit.

Check out: Burglar victims wake to spice rub, sausage attack

My poor Court Tracker. When things get busy on the Crime & Courts beat, the database takes a back seat.

With some of the hoopla from the last couple days settling down, I got some quality time today with the Tracker.

Stop on by and check it out. Some things to note on this recent update: Hermosa Beach resident Michael McDermott now has two cases; I've added the recent Carson tagger arrests (they were scheduled for an arraignment today) and Pedro Nunez and Matthew Acosta are scheduled to be arraigned in a couple days - meaning their preliminary hearing is over and a judge found there was enough evidence to hold them for trial for allegedly holding up a Torrance sandwich shop.

I try to update it every couple days, so check back often!

From police reports:

09-06-08 (Saturday)

• On 09-06-08 at approximately 12:38 a.m., Redondo Beach officers were dispatched to 239 N. Harbor Drive (On The Rocks) regarding a group fight in progress. Officers were separating the crowd when an officer contacted a male subject who was intoxicated.

The intoxicated suspect refused to comply with commands. When the officer attempted to arrest the suspect his two sisters interfered. One of the suspect's sisters grabbed the officer's right arm while the other attempted to put her arms around the officer's neck. Several other officers then took hold of the two sisters and took them both into custody. The male suspect continued to resist arrest and was taken into custody after being subdued by a Taser.

• On 09-06-08 at approximately 2:00 a.m. the Inglewood Police Department requested mutual aid. The request was for a K-9 unit and additional officers to assist with containment. An Inglewood patrol officer had observed a group of gang members walking down the street and one of them was armed with a rifle. The gang members fled from the officer in a nearby vehicle, except for the armed suspect who fled on foot down an alley. The officer established containment and a Redondo Beach K-9 Officer was sent to assist along with two other officers.

The three Redondo Beach officers were used as a search team. Of the four K-9 search teams that responded it was the Redondo Beach K-9 search team that located the rifle. At approximately 5:00 a.m. the search for the suspect was called off with negative results.

• On 09-06-08 at approximately 12:46 p.m., an off-duty Redondo Beach sergeant observed a male Hispanic adult write graffiti MS-13 and LA MARA SALVATRUCHA 13 on a bus bench. The sergeant contacted dispatch and provided the information. A patrol officer responded and arrested the suspect.

• On 09-06-08 at approximately 6:09 a.m., Redondo Beach officers responded to assist the fire department on a structure fire at 615 Emerald. When officers arrived an attached garage was fully engulfed and everyone had already exited the residence. Officers remained on-scene to assist with traffic control efforts.

The turning, twisting plot that was the Erwin Howard murder trial over the last few days was exciting and dramatic. As a long-time court reporter, I've never seen a case take so many stunning turns in such a short period of time. It was a first.

Also a first - for the Daily Breeze, anyway - was the use of a videocamera in court to capture every moment. I was in the courtroom, but have to say that watching Howard and Julia "Deede" Keller's family on video this morning still moved me. While I'm in court reporting, I often don't get to look around because I'm busy writing in my notebook. Watching the video, I was able to sit back and just watch and listen without worrying about getting a complete quote and accurate detail. The quality of the video itself is impressive.

Check out the confession here and the plea and sentencing here.

Click here to see all our previous blog entries on the case.

Not that it would have taken someone like Columbo to figure out, but let's face it: EVERYBODY knew Erwin Howard killed his former wife Deede Keller from the day she disappeared from her El Segundo home.

I reported first in the Daily Breeze that Howard had left the country at the same time Keller went missing.

Yes, it's ALWAYS the husband.

So I Ieft a note on Howard's door to try to talk to him. He first called me back and left a message long after I'd gone home from work. 

It was July 19, 2004, a few days after Keller's body was found in the trunk of her car in San Diego. He had just returned from Bolivia. We spoke a few days later when he called me again. I published a story with his denial that he had anything to do with the crime.

Meanwhile, I saved the voice mail message all these years. Now that Howard's finally fessed up and is headed to prison (I watched the amazing video and have never seen anything like it in all my years of crime reporting), I figured you might as well hear the voice that I couldn't erase. He doesn't say anything incriminating, or anything even interesting, but I think you'll get why I saved it.

Here it is: erwin howard.wav

Homicide detectives see some pretty nasty stuff every day. But how about this one.

Detective Dan McElderry described the scene Saturday alongside the Century Freeway in Lennox where he investigated the discovery of a transient found stabbed to death:

"It was the most rat-infested place I've ever been in my life," he said. "Big ole rats."

Rats, he said, were screaming and crawling all over the ground and jumping in the trees.

"All around us," he said.

A homeless encampment was nearby.

"It was really bad. Those poor people," he said. "You wish something could be done for them."

A residential area is a half-block away.

Perhaps Caltrans or vector control can take a look and fumigate the area?

The courtroom was quiet and tense this morning. The day could've gone a number of ways. Defense attorney Andrew Flier was in the court's lock-up with Erwin Howard. The jury, expecting day three of Howard's trial, were waiting in the hallway. In court, nothing is ever a done deal until it's on the record - and Howard had had a whole weekend to mull the plea deal he seemed ready to accept last week.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Deputy District Attorney John Lewin told the courtroom crowded with Keller's friends and family. "It's like when the refs spend a lot of time in the replay booth."

Nearby rested a never-used poster board. On two sides, Flier wrote all the ways he planned to tell the jury Howard was innocent of Keller's slaying: no DNA, no physical evidence, no injuries to Howard.... The opening statement that went with the board was never delivered. Instead, in an 11th hour decision, Howard decided to admit he had killed Keller, but his attorney was going to try to convince the six men and six women on the Los Angeles Superior Court jury the killing was in the heat of passion and amounted to voluntary manslaughter.

I check every day with the coroner's office for updates on the body found in a Hawthorne SUV on Aug. 27.

So far, there aren't any. The coroner's office told me today that the man has been identified by fingerprints. He was a 42-year-old white man. Coroner's officials are searching for his next of kin, so his name has not been released.

Previously I reported that he was shot in the back.  

The body was found parked outside a Hawthorne church at 118th Place and Felton Avenue. It had been there about a day and was decomposing.

Here's what's been up in Redondo Beach with a followup with more later.

(This is unedited from the Police Department.)

09-01-08 (Monday)

On 09-01-08 at apprixmately 7:04 p.m., Hermosa Beach PD responded to a residential burglary and a black male suspect ran from them. A perimeter was established and the assistance of the Redondo Beach K-9 team was requested. Two RBPD K-9 teams responded along with several officers. The K-9 teams searched for nearly 2.5 hrs, but were unable to locate the suspect.

On 09-01-08 at approximately 10:18 p.m., a patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 200 blk. of south Broadway. The officer noted the smell of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 261 grams of marijuana, packaging, scale, a replica handgun and other evidence of narcotic sales.

09-04-08 (Thursday)
On 09-04-08 at approximately 10:20 p.m. a Redondo Beach detective assigned to a multi-agency task force organized an undercover narcotics transaction. The initial negotiations were for the suspects to purchase 70 kilograms of cocaine for 1.2 million dollars. However, the suspects later changed the deal to purchase only 30 kilograms. Six suspects were subsequently arrested and approximately 4-5 hundred thousand dollars were found in the suspect's trunk. All six suspects were booked into the Redondo Beach jail.

09-05-08 (Friday)
On 09-05-08 at approximately 9:10 a.m., a female jogger was attempting to jog east bound across PCH @ Pearl, in the cross walk, when she was struck by a south bound vehicle. The number #2 lane, and the left turn lane drivers yielded for the jogger. However, a driver in the number #1 lane did not see nor yield to the jogger. She was struck and injured. The injuries were non life threatening, but she was transported to HGH with rib and lung injuries. Traffic Div. motors handled the report.

Here's the official police press release on the El Camino College attack. You'll notice it explains more in detail what he did to her, including touching her inner thigh.

Attemptedsexualassault.pdf

El Camino college officials have released this notice today:

EL CAMINO COLLEGE CAMPUS ALERT 

 

The El Camino College Police Department is investigating a report made by a female student after she was grabbed by an unknown suspect. The victim successfully pushed the suspect away and sustained no injuries

The student reported that at 6:45 p.m. Friday, Sept 5 she was walking alone in the college's two-story parking structure, listening to an electronic music device. As she approached her car, she was grabbed from behind. The victim elbowed the suspect and the suspect ran away. The victim sustained no injuries.

There is no physical description of the alleged assailant at this time.

El Camino College Police again remind the campus community to be vigilant about safety - in all situations and locations. Police advise everyone to walk in a group or at least with one other person at night, use the campus shuttle service, and to put away distracting items such as music listening devices and cell phones.

Important Safety Reminders

• Have keys in hand before walking to your car
• Always be aware of your surroundings - remember the use of electronic music listening devices and cell phones may significantly distract you
• Don't walk alone
• Use the buddy system
• Learn the location of "Code Blue" POLICE phones located throughout campus. These phones are directly linked to the college Police Department and are considered 911 priority lines. Students and staff are encouraged to utilize these phones for any emergency
• Use ECC Courtesy Shuttle operated by ECC Police from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Use one of the POLICE phones located throughout campus, or call campus police 310-660-3100 for this service. 
• In an emergency contact campus police by using one of the POLICE phones on campus; calling 911 from any pay phone on campus; or by calling 310-660-3100 from a cell phone
• Night students and faculty are encouraged to park in the same general area as other faculty or students with night classes in their building; this provides the opportunity for a group of students and faculty to walk to their cars after dark
• Immediately report any suspicious activity to campus police

The comments on the tagging arrests story are turned off. I guess this morning that some people had a difficult time being decent. 

UPDATE: Looks like the guy pulled his video off the Web after I posted it.

Carson sheriff's detectives have arrested three young men as suspects in dozens of incidents of tagging along the Harbor Freeway from San Pedro to Gardena. Read the story.

They are still looking for more suspects, including a guy who posted this video of his many graffiti accomplishments. (Can you spell E-V-I-D-E-N-C-E?) His alleged accomplices took photographs of their work. Investigators found the photos during Thursday morning raids and have all those shots ready to take to court.

Here's the video:(Advisory: The dude chose music that contains some offensive language.)

Don't know too much, but apparently there was a report of a man with a gun at the Scottsdale Estates in Carson this afternoon.

The Inglewood Police Department has issued a statement this afternoon addressing its most recent controversial officer-involved shooting. The shooting of Eddie Franklin involved seven officers who reportedly fired more than 40 rounds. The City Council has called for more training, and activists have called for a probe of the shooting and three previous ones.

Just moments before the jurors took their seats, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin came into the audience where many of Julia "Deede" Keller's friends and family were sitting. Hurriedly, he told them Erwin Howard's attorney just said he was changing the defense to killing in the heat of passion - meaning Howard now admits he killed Keller, but did not have the intent to murder her.

With only seconds to react, some of Keller's loved ones cried and embraced. The jury came in, and decorum was once again forced. It was a stunning admission for family and prosecutors who seemed to always know Howard's involvement in the death of his 54-year-old former wife. With the mountain of evidence against him laid out yesterday by Lewin, it seemed like a smart move for the defense to go to what Lewin semi-jokingly referred to as their "Plan B."

If the jury believes Howard, who is expected to testify, it could mean the difference between a half dozen or so years in prison and the rest of his life.

To summarize, here is how Flier laid out Keller's death to the jury: Howard went over late on the night of July 8, 2004, to discuss their troubled relationship. He knocked, she let him in. The conversation turned "heated," she slapped him and he freaked.

Howard grabbed her in a bear hug, squeezed hard and she passed out. He panicked, believing her dead and thinking no one would believe him, so he wrapped her up in the blankets and the tape.

After court yesterday, Flier made an ominous statement to me about the prosecution being wrong about what happened that night because nobody really knows beside the deceased. Now, we all do.

Michael Keller, the victim's son, is on the stand. He is testifying about Keller and Howard's relationship, as well as their normal habits and practices in daily life to help establish the prosecution's theory that Howard followed Keller in the days before her death. Flier said that wasn't true.

 

 

Earlier today, Denise text messaged me from her seat at the Erwin Howard murder trial that his attorney admitted in the courtroom today that his client was involved in the slaying of his former wife, Julia "Deede" Keller, in El Segundo in 2004.

Apparently Howard's trying to dodge a murder conviction that will send him away for good, and argue "heat of passion" or something else to get convicted of voluntary manslaughter. That will mean less time in prison.

We'll have more later when Denise can file her reports.

Howard's admission is quite different from what Howard told me in a telephone call on July 22, 2004, about a week after his former wife was found dead in the trunk of her car.

Here's what I wrote:

Two days after detectives searched his home and demanded a DNA sample, the former husband of a South Bay real estate agent found dead in San Diego denied any involvement in her killing, calling it "a horrible nightmare."

In a brief telephone interview Thursday, Erwin Howard, 50, answered with an emphatic "no" when asked if he had anything to do with the death of Julia "Deede" Keller. But, he said, he understood that his sudden trip to Bolivia to aid his sick mother raised suspicions.

"If I had anything to do with it, I would have fled the country and got lost there," said Howard, Keller's second husband. "I came back. I chose to come back."

Here's another quote from the story:

"Every day it's a nightmare, and I'm going to wake up and everything is going to be like it was," he said. "This is nothing but a horrible nightmare."

Howard also told me he was grieving his wife's death and planned to attend her funeral. He denied that he had not accepted the couple's breakup and divorce.

More from the story:

"I'm in a state of shock," Howard said. "This is devastating not only for me but for the whole community and especially their family."

Howard said he traveled to Bolivia to help his 86-year-old mother, who fell July 7 at her home in Santa Cruz and refused to go to the hospital.

Unable to reach her by telephone, he said he decided on short notice to fly to Bolivia. There, he found his mother in pain with a hematoma on her arm. He said he took her to a clinic for treatment.

Deputy District John Lewin pretty much only does long, complex cases - many of them having gone cold for years, if not decades. They include the murder cases against a former TRW engineer who killed his wife in Torrance over child support payments, a man who killed a prostitute in his Redondo Beach apartment and whose body was never found and a former fast food restaurant worker convicted last year for the decades-old murder of a colleague at the KFC where they worked in Torrance.

The robbery suspect who led a police chase from Lomita to San Pedro and barricaded himself inside his apartment on 30th Street in San Pedro for four hours Tuesday was charged Thursday with 20 felony counts.

Prosecutors charged Kevin Thomas St. Pierre, 38, with nine counts of robbery and 11 counts of commercial burglary.

Police have tied St. Pierre to 11 holdups or attempted holdups at businesses in San Pedro, Torrance, Redondo Beach and Lomita, Deputy District Attorney Craig Hum said.

Los Angeles police chased St. Pierre following a robbery in Lomita on Tuesday. He fled to his apartment in the 900 block of W. 30th St. and refused to come out.

A SWAT team coaxed him out.

Earlier, a woman called and complained I hadn't covered the big search in San Pedro for the robber the other day. She complained a helicopter was overhead and police were everywhere.

I explained I wrote updates all afternoon on the blog and had a story with two photos in the paper the next day on Page 3. She told me she doesn't use the Internet and didn't see the story. "Nobody saw it," she said.

Anyway, shortly after that I received a couple of emails I thought I'd share. I appreciate the nice ones I get but I get plenty of negative ones like these too.  So here we go. (I didn't change anything.) I don't know what the problem is today:


Mike8182 wrote:

"please make sur you get all the facts right before you go out and print
them or post them on the web, this is the second time you go out and do
this type of mistake. you make people look bad i will advise to please
get your story stright before you out and wright your next story."

I'm assuming Mike is the same person who wrote this one, but it came over as anonymous:

"hey larry your a piece of shit i don't understand how your your working
for a loyal newspaper. now i know why your not working for the big dogs
like l.a. times or OC registar. cause you don't know how to get your
stories right."

And I think he's the same Michael who wrote this one some months ago:

"Get your facts straight you stupid fucken asshole. i hope you loved ones die one day and someone writes about them without knowing the total facts. You make it seem as if the bottle belonged to the people whi died but like you said it is not for sure so why even fucken write it stupid fucken idiot!!! if i could i would seriously make you pay but i don't respond to fucken idiots that have nothing better to do but get hardons on writting stupid shit!!"

And this one-word email from the same guy:

"Bitch"

We've gotten several inquiries about a car crash we missed over the holiday weekend at Western and Lomita in Harbor City. Sometimes things happen and we don't hear about them right away, especially on a holiday period.

Here's what happened, according to LAPD Detective Rodney Jones:

A guy named Rigoberto Santillan, 20, of Harbor City was north on Western when he allegedly ran a red light and struck Juan Ramos, 47, of Long Beach at 4:45 a.m. Saturday.

Ramos, who had the green, was headed west on Lomita. He was on his way to work.

Santillan's Chevy Suburban hit Ramos' Jeep Cherokee on the driver's side. Ramos was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

Santillan suffered minor injuries. He was not arrested, but is expected to face manslaughter charges.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Ramos was a family man, police said.

Here's a report from Denise, who has spent the morning in the courtroom:

The long-anticipated murder trial of Erwin Howard got underway in Los Angeles with Deputy District Attorney John Lewin presenting about half of his opening statement over the first nearly two hours. Howard is accused of killing his former wife, El Segundo resident Julia "Deede" Keller in July 2004.

Dozens of Keller's friends and family members are in the courtroom. Before the jurors entered, many of them were wearing buttons with the South Bay Realtor's photograph on them. This raised the ire of defense attorney Andrew Flier. Flier and Lewin could be heard outside the courtroom in a heated discussion. Flier accused Lewin of orchestrating a ploy for sympathy.

Lewin came back into the courtroom and talked with the group and lightly suggested that tactically the buttons were not a good idea. People wearing them removed them.

During the opening statement, Lewin detailed in a chronological fashion all of the physical and circumstantial evidence he believes shows Howard killed Keller. Most of the evidence comes from those in the close-knit El Segundo community, who noticed Howard's comings and goings around Keller's residence in the weeks preceding her death, as well as computerized records from Howard's job at the American Airlines maintenance hangar at LAX.

In addition, it appears a lot of evidence will be by way of the former couple's friends and family who will relate to the six-man, six-woman jury conversations they had with Howard and Keller about their relationship before her disappearance and death.

Keller was missing for several days before her body was found in the trunk of her car in San Diego.

It's been more than four years since Julia "Deede" Keller's body was discovered in the trunk of her car in San Diego. Today, her former husband will go on trial for allegedly killing the popular El Segundo resident and Manhattan Beach real estate agent. Prosecutors believe the motive is simple: "If I can't have her, no one else can."

But the largely circumstantial evidence case against Howard, 54, will be anything but simple. Deputy District Attorney John Lewin will take weeks to try and show how a calendar notation here, some wicked words there and some apparently sneaky activity around the days of 55-year-old Keller's death point the finger of blame dirctly at the former American Airlines baggage handler.

Opening statements are scheduled for 10 a.m. in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.

Imagine being the prosecutor or defense attorney on a normally run-of-the-mill one-count armed robbery trial, but presenting your case before one of the country's highest-ranking judges. Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is one of the jurors deciding whether defendant Raymond Sequeria, 33, is guilty or not in a Torrance Superior Court trial.

During closing arguments today before Judge Steven Van Sicklen, Kozinski - the only panelist wearing a jacket and tie - seemed relaxed and attentive as Deputy District Attorney Ken Fuller argued the case.

Kozinski, who lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, made headlines a couple months ago when his personal Web site containing sexual images was outed by a foe while the judge was presiding over a high-profile obscenity trial. Links to the Web site are no longer accessible, but click here for a story about it.

The stacks of bank documents presented during Karen Sue Hale's preliminary hearing today was daunting. But, depsite Judge Laura Ellison's stern warning to the prosecutor to find a way to sum up the evidence, it didn't happen. So,on the witness stand, Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce Treasurer Glenn Mitchell went one-by-one over the 166 deposits and withdraws, plus the 30 or so checks, Hale allegedly made without authorization.

Hale is accused of embezzling $39,959 from her former employer by depositing membership funds and donations into an account she was directed to close, then taking the funds back out. Not sure what happened to most the money, but some went to L.A. Galaxy soccer tickets, some went to a new computer and some of the checks were written to the 53-year-old Lawndale woman's husband.

She comes back to Torrance court Sept. 17 for arraignment. We'll have a full story on the prelim in tomorrow's Daily Breeze.

 

Members of the El Segundo Youth Football and Cheer organization have raised $6,000 to present to the foundations of two South Bay youth sports icons.

Boys and girls raised the money during a jog-a-thon last month at El Segundo High School.

They will present $3,000 checks to charities supported by the families of Randall Simmons and Craig Burris. The families of both men will take part in a pep rally Friday at 6 p.m. at Recreation Park.

A bonfire will follow at 7:30 p.m.

Burris was a Lawndale school trustee who died in April. He was commissioner of the Pacific Coast Youth Football Conference, which he founded in 1987, at the time of his death.

Simmons, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident, was a Los Angeles police officer killed in a gunbattle in the San Fernando Valley in February.

He was active with his children in the El Segundo program.

This is a true story:

We got a phone call a little earlier this morning from someone at Associated Press asking us if we could send a photographer to LAX, where there was a report of an "explosion on a bus."

Explosion at LAX? On a bus? Could this be terrorism?

We all jumped into action. Photographer Robert Casillas grabbed his camera and took off for the airport. I immediately got on the telephone and called LAPD and tried to get through to the Fire Department. (no one answered.) There was little information to be had.

City News Service, an organization that supplies info to the media, put out an advisory about an "explosion" at the airport. Channel 7 on the TV above me started flying over the airport while talking about an explosion.

Art Marroquin, our ace LAX reporter, finally got in touch with his sources at the airport. It turned out that some clumsy traveler had knocked over a fire extinguisher while getting on a bus and caused it to discharge all over the roadway.

That caused a massive traffic jam because Haz Mat crews had to clean it up.

When we learned what it was we all shook our heads. There was no explosion. Maybe a bang.

Makes you wonder if the terrorists have already won.

Here's the story posted on dailybreeze.com

Just got this news release from the District Attorney's Office:

LOS ANGELES -- Former sitcom actress Mackenzie Phillips was charged today with felony possession of drugs following her arrest last month at LAX, the District Attorney's office announced.
 
Phillips, 48 (dob 11-10-59), was arrested Aug. 27 after she went through a security check at LAX Terminal 4 and officers allegedly found needles and suspected drugs.

She is charged in case SA068775 with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, heroin and cocaine, and one misdemeanor count of unauthorized possession of needle or syringe. She is out on $20,000 bail.

Arraignment will be in October.

(Phillips, top, with Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli, played Julie Cooper on the  late 70s early 80s sitcom.)

One Day at a Time's Mackenzie Phillips busted at LAX

I was looking up a story in the Modesto Bee about some nutty guy who tried to cut his own arm off at a Denny's restaurant and found a much more positive story about Modesto police officers helping to deliver a baby in a car. 

Probably won't do much with this today, because we don't really cover where this happened but Lennox deputies shot somebody this morning just over the Inglewood border.

The man who held police in a standoff on 30th Street in San Pedro is being linked to about a dozen holdups of gas stations, markets and other businesses in San Pedro, Lomita and other cities. He's suspected in crimes in Torrance and Redondo Beach.

His name is Kevin Thomas Saint Pierre. He allegedly help up a business in the 2000 block of Palos Verdes Drive North in Lomita Tuesday morning. LAPD officers gave chase.

Apparently he wore a Rich Gannon No. 12 Raiders jersey in most of the crimes before switching to a UCLA jersey. I talked to LAPD and sheriff's detectives who have been hot on his trail. The full story will come out a bit later on dailybreeze.com and Wednesday's print edition.

We don't have a photo of him yet. Police plan to work with victims to identify him as a suspect in as many crimes as they can before they let you see his face. That's the SWAT team assembling outside Saint Pierre's apartment.

The Boeing Company is accused of inflating its prices for a contract on a missile decoy system for the B-1 Bomber. The aerospace giant, which has facilities in El Segundo, allegedly bilked the U.S. government out of $7.5 million by outsourcing production of some components, according to the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

We'll have a full report in tomorrow's Daily Breeze.

Police confirm that the standoff in San Pedro has ended. The guy surrendered.

I'll get more when I can.

(By the way, thanks to the residents up close who kept me informed.)

That standoff on 30th Street in San Pedro continues. The SWAT team has arrived and is figuring things out.

LAPD spokesman Sam Park told me that the guy is wanted for numerous robberies in the Harbor Area.

Previous entry on standoff

This is all I know so far: Officers trying to catch an armed robbery suspect started following him about 10:30 this morning from an apartment in the 2000 block of Palos Verdes Drive North.

Apparently there was a chase. He abandoned his car and ran into an apartment in the 800 block of West 30th Street. He is refusing to come out.

LAPD tells me that besides being a robbery suspect, the guy is despondent over a breakup.

He is believed to be armed.

Don't know what he's suspected of robbing. We'll get more later  hopefully.

I got a couple e-mails asking about a helicopter flying over Hermosa Beach last night on the Redondo Beach border. It was around Aviation and Artesia about 9 p.m.

They were looking for a burglary. Police tell me a resident saw a man trying to break into a home. The guy ran when police arrived. Officers surrounded the area and tried to find him.

Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach officers helped out, but he got away.

Based on user comments at dailybreeze.com, as well as the phone calls and letters we receive, it's a safe bet to assume this is a topic that interests many of our readers. Our colleague at the Daily News reported yesterday that federal prosecutions of illegal immigrants with felony records are up more than 20 percent from last year. The full story can be found here.