November 2008 Archives

A Westchester family has established a scholarship at Loyola High School in Los Angeles in memory of Peter "P.J." Wenner, a young man killed in a boating accident in Hawaii. Wenner, 19, was a member of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's sailing team. Here are some photos the Wenner family sent us. The address to send donations is at the end.

 

The other day I covered the story of the suspected "methamphetamine lab" in San Pedro. Dozens of people were forced to evacuate while police and firefighters investigated. As it turned out, it wasn't a meth lab at all. It was a retired scientist's apartment and he maintained a full research lab. 

Anyway, firefighters had discovered the lab when they broke into his unit because water was pouring out of it. I was told a toilet had been overflowing, possibly for weeks while the resident was away.

We got this letter in response to my story:

Re: 'Meth lab' wasn't so sinister, DB 11/26/08

With reference to the subject story, I seriously doubt that the leak was due, as Larry Altman writes, to the owner (leaving) "the toilet stopped up".

The spill was more likely due to a leak developing in a valve in the tank, which could have started to overflow some time after the owner left.

The negligence implied by your staff writer Larry Altman may be quite unjustified, and certainly was not substantiated in the article. Larry might well study "How Toilets Work", and gain technical knowledge and insight into a common plumbing fixture.

Thanks for the advice. I'm flushed with embarrassment and will plunge right into that. (By the way, the commas and periods go inside the quotation marks.)

Two people were killed inside the Toys R Us in Palm Desert.

It happened about 11:30.

"We have two dead individuals inside the store," Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

"The events of why the shots were fired is still ongoing."

Press-Enterprise story

This comes from today's New York Daily News:

*I originally misspelled his name with a y.

El Segundo police sent this out late today, but it applies to all. Have a great Thanksgiving and try not to make any work for those of us who will be working over the holidays...

 

 

During the holiday season, roads are packed with people traveling to visit family, shop and celebrate. Unfortunately, it is also a popular time for people to socialize with alcohol, increasing the number of irresponsible drivers. According to the most recent available statistical data, there were 3,511 traffic fatalities in the U.S. between Thanksgiving and New Year; 37.5% of these were alcohol related!  Help keep our roads safe and ensure your own security this holiday season by keeping in mind these safety tips when driving and when hosting a holiday party.

 

On The Road

 

• Wear a safety belt at all times
• Don't talk on your cell phone while driving
• Always place children in age appropriate child safety restraint systems (infant/child seats, booster, etc.)
• Place all children less than 12 years old in the back seat at all times
• Never leave children alone in the car. It is dangerous and illegal in California
• Never drink and drive!
• Always use a designated driver
• Even if you are not drinking, always be alert to those on the road that have been

Hosting a Responsible Party

 

• Have non-alcoholic beverages available for guests
• Serve light foods such as meats and cheeses to help retard alcohol absorption
• Arrange for an official designated driver for your party
• Find alternate transportation for intoxicated guests or persuade them to sleep over
• Be responsible for your guests, even if it means taking their car keys. 
  
  The El Segundo Police Department wishes everyone a safe and joyous holiday season.  Together we can make a difference in our community.

 

 

A bicyclist killed when he collided with a garbage truck in Lawndale was identified Wednesday as a Hawthorne man.

Elijah Miclea, 56, was killed at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the accident at Marine Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard, Lennox sheriff's Deputy Tim Crise said.

Miclea was on a bicycle on the southeast corner when the Waste Management truck made a right turn. For some reason, Miclea rode his bike into the side of the truck, Crise said.

Miclea was knocked down and fell under the wheels. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Crise told me it preliminarily appears the bicyclist was at fault, but he is continuing to investigate.

If you ever see something like this as you go about your lives, feel free to give us a call or send an email to me. There's a pretty good chance you know something I don't.

I'm still catching-up with my cases after a couple of weeks of a lot of time in court, and out sick. Here's one from early last week:

Two Wilmington men are in state prison for holding up a Torrance sandwich shop.
Pedro Nunez, 24, and Matthew Acosta, 21, each pleaded no contest on Nov. 17 to four robbery charges for the March 11 crime. In exchange for the pleas, Torrance Superior Court Judge James Brandlin sentenced Nunez to 16 years in state prison and Acosta to 18 years, according to Acosta's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Joe Gualano.

The pair entered The Sub Club deli in the 4300 block of Pacific Coast Highway near Anza Avenue, around lunchtime. One of them, wielding an assault rifle, entered the rear of the shop at 12:15 p.m. The other entered the front door with a handgun. Six employees and customers were held at gunpoint while they were robbed of wallets, cash and jewelry. The robbers also took the cash in the register.

 As they fled, a witness took down the license plate number of their car. Undercover detectives spent the next few days watching Nunez and Acosta and arrested them at Fries Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington. They confessed to the police.

Brandon Pettway, a former football coach at Gardena High School, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing today in Torrance Superior Court his drugs and weapons charges. However, his attorney told the judge that he would like to continue the hearing because he believes there appears to be a way to resolve the case. He comes back Jan. 9.

Pettway, who is out of jail on bail, was arrested April 8 after narcotics officers allegedly watched him sell drugs near Purche Avenue Elementary School. According to the police, a search warrant of his home turned up drugs and weapons.

Previously: Gardena HS coach charged for drugs and gun

Some of you probably read the series of articles that ran in the Breeze about LAPD Officer Kristina Ripatti, who was paralyzed during a gunbattle with a gang member in Los Angeles.

Those articles, by our former colleague Brent Hopkins at the Daily News, chronicled Ripatti's recovery and rehabilitation, and culminated with the birth of her second child.

Brent followed all of that closely in interviews with Ripatti and her husband, Tim Pearce, who also is an LAPD officer.

Apparently the Ripattis inspired Brent so much he decided to leave the journalism business and become a cop. That's quite a change.

Brent and I had some limited contact through email before he left the Daily News, but we had never met. He was very concerned about the welfare of his fellow reporters and the job cuts that loomed.

I knew some weeks ago that Brent had graduated from the LAPD police academy and was assigned to the Harbor Area. He asked me not to make any deal of it, so I haven't.

So here's my point: As I worked my way toward the big event on Western Avenue in San Pedro on Monday night, I was standing behind the yellow police tape when this young guy walked up to me in a uniform.

"You must be Larry Altman," he said, extending his hand. "Brent Hopkins."

"Heyyyyyyyyy!" I responded.

So I finally met him. For his friends over at the Daily News: He looked good in the uniform, has a freshly shaved head, and had the very important task at that moment of carrying a large case of bottled water to his more experienced colleagues.

I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other out there on our respective beats.

I get comments, yes I do:

"I think that they should have given you an award for outstanding crime
blogging. I subscribe to several newspaper crime blogs, and yours is
the best by far. Keep up the good work."

"larry altma is ugly"

One man has been killed today in a car wreck at El Segundo Boulevard and Budlong Avenue in Gardena. 

Due to some web problems, we'll post this story here:

Turns out it wasn't a meth lab after all:

Residents of a large housing complex in San Pedro were forced to evacuate Monday evening after firefighters discovered what they believed to be was a methamphetamine lab in one of the units.

It turned out to be a scientist's apartment and wasn't a lab.

Firefighters found chemicals they believed were suspicious while responding to a flooding call shortly before 4 p.m. at the Casa Verde Estates complex in the 28000 block of Western Avenue.

Police said they responded, suspected they had discovered a drug lab and called out the bomb squad to examine what appeared to be an explosive device. Firefighters said that turned out to be inert.

The whole event created a mess. Northbound Western Avenue was closed to traffic, causing a backup into San Pedro. The southbound lanes remained open, but traffic was still snarled.

Residents of 68 units were evacuated to the neighboring Garden Village shopping center parking lot, while some tenants were told to stay inside. Others who were arriving after work couldn't enter their units.

"We can't go into our apartments?" said Carol Smith, one of about 30 people standing outside.

Rudy Carruolo arrived home
Advertisement
from work and was not allowed in. His wife, Janelle, remained inside their home.

"My wife's in there and she can't come out, and I can't get in," Carruolo said.

By 7:30 p.m., dozens of people remained in the parking lot. The investigation continued until about 9:30 p.m.

Employees at the nearby Albertsons brought out bananas and bottles of water to residents who milled about, talking and waiting for word on when they could go home.

Neighbors said residents of the unit in question often had loud parties and people were constantly coming and going.

Firefighters said later that a scientist lived in the unit and he could not be located.

larry.altman@dailybreeze.com

 

It wasn't a meth lab. Story coming soon. 

Redondo Beach's weekly activity report, this week by Capt. Tom Krafick:

11-17-08 (Monday):

Artesia Boulevard at Kingsdale Avenue: At about 9 a.m., Redondo Beach Police Officer Delery observed a suspicious person and contacted him. Officer Delery checked the person for warrants and learned that he had an outstanding felony no bail arrest warrant for robbery. The person was taken into custody without incident.

1700 Block of Rockefeller Avenue: At about 9 a.m., Redondo Beach residents locked and left their home. The resident returned home at about 8 p.m. that evening and realized that their house had been ransacked. The person(s) responsible for this crime appeared to have gained entry by prying open a window. The homeowners identified a significant loss in jewelry. This case is under investigation.

Congratulations are in order for this year's Society of Professional Journalists/Los Angeles award winners:

Among them is Terry Vermeulen Keith of City News Service, who spends more time in the courtroom than even Denise. She's covered everything you can imagine -- from celebrity cases to the most violent crimes in L.A. Although she doesn't often get her name into the paper, a great deal of her work runs here in various forms in the Daily Breeze.

One more from the tardy file:

A San Pedro man has pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and will spend 12 years in prison for killing a 42-year-old Long Beach resident. Joe Meza, 41, changed his plea on Tuesday in exchange for prosecutors dropping a murder charge, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Meza was arrested 5:30 a.m. Nov. 9, 2005, after he allegedly broke into a car in Long Beach. He had blood stains on him, police said at the time. About 30 minutes later, police officers called to the 100 block of Eagle Street in Long Beach found a man with multiple stab wounds. Warren Jackson was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The link between Meza and Jackson is not known.

It's been a crazy week here inside the Court Machine, so I'm a little late updating some of my cases. I just learned about this one:

A robbery suspect who holed up in his San Pedro home for four hours will spend seven years in prison, according to prosecutors. Kevin Thomas St. Pierre, 38, pleaded no contest to 22 counts of robbery, attempted robbery and commercial burglary in Torrance Superior Court on Nov. 13, said Deputy District Attorney Don Syn.

St. Pierre made his plea without a deal from prosecutors, allowing a judge to decide what his punishment should be. He was believed responsible for holdups or attempted holdups at businesses in San Pedro, Torrance, Redondo Beach and Lomita.

Los Angeles police chased St. Pierre following a robbery in Lomita on Sept. 2. He fled to his apartment in the 900 block of West 30th Street and refused to come out. He finally surrendered after a special weapons team surrounded his home.

The Torrance Unified School District sent this email today to West High School students' homes. I'm looking into it.

A student was walking to school at 8:25 am on Henrietta & Del Amo Blvd. A man grabbed her arm and asked her what she was doing this weekend.

She tried to pull away. He grabbed her arm tighter and as she pulled away he pulled her towards his car. She pulled away and ran to school.

The man walked in the opposite direction and then turned back and got in his car and drove away. The man was wearing a blue/black suit with a red tie. He was about 5'8" or 5'9" or taller. He had light skin, dirty blonde hair and a dark blue/black/grayish four door compact car.

A Hawthorne police detective who died mysteriously in his sleep on his 34th birthday was killed by a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol, the coroner's officer said this week.

Jeffrey Rand of Redondo Beach died from the "effects of multiple drugs." His May 3 death was ruled an accident.

Rand had meprobamate, hydrocodone and alcohol in his system, authorities said.

Meprobamate is a prescription drug used to treat symptoms of anxiety and nervousness, according to Webmd.com. Hydrocodone is a prescription drug used as a pain medication.

Rand had been out before his death celebrating his birthday with friends.

Rand helped helped rebuild an Iraqi police force while serving in the Marine Reserves.
He died in his sleep.

A man suspected of being the so-called "Bladed Bandit," responsible for about a dozen robberies in Hawthorne, Lawndale, Westchester and Los Angeles, has been arrested.

Kirt Eugene Cole, 49, was taken into custody early Wednesday in connection with the crime spree that began in October, Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii said today.

He actually was busted for allegedly beating up his girlfriend shortly after he allegedly held up a 7-Eleven in Inglewood.

Hawthorne police made the arrest

More coming soon.....

The Los Angeles Times is reporting this morning that a Torrance police officer's lying in a report has led to the a drug dealer's release from prison.

Here's their story.

So, I 've been asked to do a story about how the hands free law is working. What do you think? I find myself fumbling around for the Bluetooth while I'm driving and putting my hand up to keep it pressed into my ear so I can hear. Was this law really a good idea? Anyone gotten a ticket?

Send me your opinions at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com and include your phone number so I can contact you.

Oh, and here's a funny video.

This is the "Grandma Bandit." She's sought for robbing the same bank in Chino on Jan. 14 and Nov. 14. During the crimes, she told tellers she was being victimized in some way by other individuals. FBI agents don't know whether this was true, but it might just have been a ruse to gain sympathy and avoid a police response. During the January robbery, the Grandma Bandit lifted her shirt to reveal a metal object with wires attached. She presented a note that read, "Please help this lady, she is strapped." The woman robbed the bank while asking the teller to help her. She then walked out of the bank and was seen getting into the driver's side of a white SUV. During the latest crime last Friday, she again presented a note. She was wearing a wig and made statements indicating she was under some sort of duress. She is about 60 years old, possibly of Middle Eastern descent, 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 6 inches tall with a thin build and prescription glasses. If you recognize her, call the FBI at 310-477-6565 or 1-888-CANT HIDE. During business hours, the Riverside FBI office can be reached at 951-686-0335.

Looks like we have another possible victim of the identity thieves who pilfered $49,500 out of a Lennox woman's bank account.

A Hermosa Beach resident contacted me today and said a woman fitting the description of one of the suspects in my article and blog post looks like the person who withdrew $4,500 from her Torrance business' account at a Washington Mutual Bank branch in Monterey Park in April.

"I have a photo of her and she looks a lot like the heavy woman in your article, however she had sunglasses and a hat," the Hermosa woman said.

The thief tried to withdraw another $4,500 from the same account the VERY NEXT DAY. A bank official thought there was something wrong with that and called the victim. That's when the suspect split.

The victim said the suspect had a fake driver's license with the victim's name and suspect's face.

The bank reimbursed her the lost cash, but she said it cost her a lot of money to clean up her books and protect her accounts.

The victim said the LAPD didn't do much to investigate, so she was glad to call Sheriff's Department Detective Robert Connor today at the Lennox station.

He told me today he's received plenty of phone calls from Daily Breeze readers since the article came out, and has received some good tips to try to identify these women.

I heard from reporter Serene Branson at Channels 2 and 9, who's doing the story tonight on the TV news, so that will broaden the potential audience of people who can identify them.

I met Connor the other day here in the office. I got a good vibe that he'll do all he can to catch 'em.

The ACLU of Southern California plans to sue U.S. officials today, claiming the government has a U.S. citizen, a former Hawthorne resident, detained and is violating a whole host of his rights by keeping him there without charges being filed. Here's the whole story.

A lot of the details for this report came from ACLU documents, which included sworn affidavits from Naji Hamdan's associates and family. In them, they also talk about the plight of Muslim Americans in the wake of 9/11, and how interrogation and surveillance have become a part of the norm. You can read them for yourself, here:

Hamdan Habeas.pdf <---- The complaint expected to be filed today.

Hamdan exh 3-7.pdf <---- The first set of exhibits.

Hamdan exh 13-19.pdf <---- The second set of exhibits, which contains a lot of background information on the United Arab Emirates and its foreign relations, human rights history and economics, as well as information about terrorism and 9/11.

Lennox sheriff's Detective Robert Connor is trying to find these two women. They are suspected of stealing a woman's identity and cashing checks in her name. They made off with $49,500, but got their pictures taken in the bank. (Pretty good shots, don't you think?)

Washington Mutual reimbursed the account holder, so the bank is now the listed victim. If you know who these people are, call Connor at 310-680-5741.

Ex-Manhattan Beach Sgt. Shawn Shelton appeared in Natchitoches Parish Court in Louisiana on Monday and pleaded not guilty to drugging and killing a 19-year-old man there.

Judge Eric Harrington set the trial for March 16 and appointed an attorney to represent Shelton. (Shelton can get a new one if he wants.)

Shelton, left, is charged with killing Justin James, below, in October 2005. Prosecutors contend Shelton drugged James with a combination of Xanax, morphine and cocaine in an effort to sexually assault him. The drug combination killed him.

Shelton already is serving a sentence of 35 years to life for kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old boy in Las Vegas.

From what I've been told, they won't waste much time down there in Louisiana getting this trial underway. They don't have too many cases like this. The courthouse has two courtrooms.

From what I gathered while trying to get information over the phone, the judge has imposed a gag order on the officials involved to avoid swaying jurors.

James' mother, Lisa, was in the courtroom, along with her husband Lynn, and children Destiny and Zach. Here's one of her observations:

"Shelton has gained yet more weight than in Nevada. He was very big! He was in his orange striped coveralls with handcuff and chains on his feet.

 When he was through he looked out in the audience and gave my husband Lynn a very, very hard look. He looked at us and walked on."

She closed with this: "This is what we had been waiting for. My husband and I have waited to see him back in Natchitoches, La. where the crime was committed."

Previous entry

The Airport Courthouse jury deliberated a little more than one day before returning not guilty verdicts on two counts this morning for Thomas Snodgrass.

We'll have a full story up later.

Previously: Hawthorne online predator jury still out and how a reporter got thrown out of court

There are few things in life that annoy more than someone whose whole task is to uphold the law ... yet they don't know what the law is.

Case in point: On Friday, I entered Judge Katherine Mader's courtroom at the Airport Courthouse during jury instructions. Closing arguments in Thomas Snodgrass' trial were to follow, so I was sitting quietly, virtually alone in the gallery, listening to the instructions. The bailiff approached me and asked if I was there for a specific case. This isn't unusual - bailiffs are generally helpful and want to make sure people are in the right place or see if they have a case on calendar. I told her I was here for this case, and that I'm a reporter for the Daily Breeze.

This is where things got ugly.

 

NEWS RELEASE

UNITED STATES POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

November 17, 2008

Postal Inspectors Warn: Fires Spark Charity Scams

Postal Inspectors remind the public to be wary of charity scams that often follow a disaster. While news coverage of the devastation sparks the compassionate nature of most, there are no doubt, a few who are overcome with greed and prey on the benevolence of others. The emotional scenes and our charitable nature create the perfect conditions for the fraudsters to carry out their scheme.

Fraudsters take advantage of the fact that there are more than 700,000 federally recognized charities soliciting for charitable contributions. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service reminds everyone to be cautious when making a donation. Postal Inspectors saw numerous charity scams emerge in the days following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Southeast Asia earthquake and tsunami, and the September 11th terrorist attacks.

The recent California fires offer a new opportunity for fraudsters to perpetrate charity scams. If you're considering a contribution to help with relief efforts, it's important to know where your donation dollars will go. California Charities can be researched on the Attorney General website, http://ag.ca.gov/charities or at the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, http://www.give.org.

Scam artists who use the U.S. Mail to misrepresent charities, may be convicted of mail fraud and face up to 20 years in prison and fines.

U.S. Postal Inspectors offer these additional precautions:

• Give donations to known charities, or research new or unfamiliar charities first.

• Refuse high-pressure appeals. Legitimate fundraisers won't push you to give on the spot.

• Be suspicious of solicitors who say they can only accept a cash donation.

• Always make checks out to the name of the charity, never to an individual.

• Be wary of "sound-alike" charities, many scammers use names that sound similar to names of legitimate charities.

• Be skeptical if someone thanks you for a pledge you don't remember making. This is a tactic scammers use to lull victims into sending "additional" funds.

• Ask for ID. For-profit fundraisers must disclose the name of the charity requesting the donation--it's the law. Many states require paid fundraisers to identify themselves as such and to name the charity for which they're soliciting. If the solicitor refuses to tell you, hang up and report it to law enforcement officials. Also ask how much of your donation goes to those in need and how much goes to the fund raiser.

If you believe you've been scammed by a fake charity, contact your local Postal Inspection Service office at 877-876-2455. Visit our website, http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov, for additional information or to file a fraud complaint.

About the U.S. Postal Inspection Service

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the country. For more than 200 years, Postal Inspectors have protected the U.S. Postal Service, its employees and its customers from criminal attach and protected the nation's mail system from criminal misuse. To learn more, visit http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

Several months ago, most of the officers at the Torrance Police Department shaved their heads to support their colleague, Officer Steve Kroesen, who has Hodgkins Lymphoma. Well, he needs a stem cell transplant and is looking for a match.

Torrance city employees today are submitting saliva swabs. The public can help out on Saturday. It's easy. They take a swab from your cheek and off you go.

Even if you don't match the officer, you might match someone else. I did this several years ago and came back as a match last year for someone. They ended up not needing me, but I was ready to go.

The flier for Satruday's even is below and a story Josh Grossberg did on Officer Kroesen follows on the jump.

Help catch the Blade Bandit. He's robbed 12 businesses in Westchester, Los Angeles, Hawthorne and Lawndale. He has a knife, gets violent and has stabbed two people. Call the LAPD at 213-485-2511 to let them know who he is.

Just got off the phone with the head of the parish jail in Natchitoches, La. 

Friday

Deputies will conduct sobriety and driver's license checkpoints from 7 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday on Main Street south of Torrance Boulevard and on Avalon Boulevard north of Carson Street in Carson.

Saturday

Police will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint from 8 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday in the eastbound lanes of Manhattan Beach Boulevard near John Street in Manhattan Beach.

Police have ended the search in north Torrance with three - all five suspects in custody.

Staff photographer Robert Casillas took these photos.

Two people were in a stolen car, another was caught running from the house and a couple apparently were not located were located just before noon.

We'll have complete coverage later.

 Court of Appeal Announces

Destruction of Records

Los Angeles--The Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District (Los Angeles) has announced its intention to destroy the following criminal records pursuant to Rule 10.1028(c), California Rules of Court:

All criminal cases numbered between B001001-B009999 (1983-1984).

Anyone who knows of a reason why any of the above cases should be retained, whether for historical or other reasons, should notify Joseph Lane, Clerk/Administrator. The reasons for retention should be in writing by November 30, 2008 to:

Mr. Joseph Lane, Clerk/Administrator

Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District

300 South Sprint Street, Second Floor,

North Tower

Los Angeles, California 9001

A preliminary hearing scheduled for today for Joseph Storm, accused of hitting a gay man who was wearing a "No on Prop. 8" button with a "Yes on Prop. 8" sign in Torrance, was postponed until Dec. 8.

Since his arraignment, Storm posted $50,000 bond and bailed out of jail. He's also hired a new attorney.

Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) issued this statement today about the anti-Obama hate graffiti that occurred earlier this week in Torrance.

"The recent hate graffiti occurring in parts of my district against Barack Obama supporters demonstrate the impotence of those responsible for the hate vandalism. Having failed to stop a landslide victory by the first minority to become President of our country, those who are unwilling to accept progress have now resorted to illegal hate crimes. This is unacceptable.

I served on active duty in the armed forces because I believe there is no greater country on earth. In no other place in the world would Barack Obama's story even be possible. The isolated acts of hate that have occurred do not represent America, nor Americans, nor the good people of my district. I and my office will work with law enforcement to ensure that those responsible be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Lieu represents the 53rd Assembly District, which includes El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Marina Del Rey, and portions of the City of Los Angeles.

If you see the helicopter and the commotion up in north Torrance, police are looking for three burglary suspects.

Police Sgt. Mark Athan said officers received a report of a burglary in progress about 10:20 a.m. in the 4300 block of 179th Street. Officers got there and stopped a couple people in a stolen car, but three others fled from a house they were possibly burglarizing.

Officers have surrounded the area and are searching for them. Redondo Beach officers are assisting.

The Sheriff's Department doesn't know how many of the 5,635 kits it has in storage still need to be tested. The report is in the wake of a recent disclosure from the LAPD that it has about 7,000 of the kits backlogged for testing.

From City News Service:

 LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A sheriff's commander told the Los Angeles County
Board of Supervisors today that his department is storing 5,635 evidence kits
from rape cases, but it was unknown how many had been processed and checked
against crime databases.
   The board asked about crime lab backlogs in light of the recent
disclosure that the Los Angeles Police Department has about 7,000 ``rape kits''
had been unopened since the evidence was collected.    Sheriff's Cmdr. Earl
Shields of the Technical Services Division said department employees were
trying to determine how many of the 5,635 kits had been processed and hoped to
have an answer by the end of next week.

The issue of where to house sex offenders, especially the violent ones, resurfaces again and again. In the South Bay, Torrance, Gardena and other locales have had recent grapples with this issue. Here's what happened in Oakdale when an offender moved in (with video).

Previously:

High-risk sex offender moves into Torrance, moves out, maybe is staying

High-risk sex offedner arrested on drug charge in Torrance

Report: Sex offenders illegally housed in Gardena

Carson sex offenders

Anyone who regularly reads the Daily Breeze's user comments would not be surprised to hear about the amount of anger and hatred that is targeted at Latinos. Experts say a lot of the negative feelings come from the increasingly hot immigration debate.

Here's this from the Associated Press today:

Advocates say rhetoric fuels anti-Hispanic crime
By DEEPTI HAJELA and FRANK ELTMAN
Associated Press Writers

NEW YORK (AP) _ It was meant to be a short jaunt to a friend's home to watch a movie.

I thought I'd pass this along:

I often stop on the way home at the Ralphs at Manhattan Village in Manhattan Beach. On Monday, I had barely gotten out of my car about 6 p.m. when a woman approached me. She said she had lost her purse and asked if I could give her money for the bus.

Now I'm a decent guy, but I'm skeptical about things like that. I said "Sorry" and continued into the store.

When I left the store about 15 minutes later, she was still out there in the lot approaching people.

Well, on my way home again Tuesday night, I needed to stop at the supermarket again.

I got out of my car and what do you know, there she was. She walked up to me and started telling me the same story. I stopped her: "You asked me the same question last night," I said.

I blew past her as she responded, "I'm sorry." I went about my shopping and she was gone when I exited the store minutes later.

I suppose that somewhere someone with a story about losing her purse is telling the truth and needs some help, but hmmm, this same lady two nights in a row? Might this be a con?

I thought you'd like to know. She appeared to be in her mid 50s, white, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, gray hair, and thin.

If you've seen her anywhere else, let us all know.

The Los Angeles Police Department put this press release out just now:

On June 12, 2008, Victim Min-Woo Cho, (right), a 24-year-old male Korean National, was reported

missing by his family members in Wilshire Area.

In the beginning, this case appeared to be a typical missing person investigation. There was no evidence of wrongdoing or foul play noted. The victim had simply vanished.

About a month after Cho's disappearance, an unidentified deceased body was discovered in Northeast Division. Based on the limited circumstances known to the Los Angeles Coroner's Office, the cause of death of the decedent remained undetermined.

The detectives diligently and thoroughly investigated the two cases. Using DNA evidence, the detectives were able to connect the cases and positively identified the decedent as Min-Woo Cho. Over the course of the investigation, the detectives were able to gather additional evidence, which was used to implicate the suspect in the murder of Min-Woo Cho.

On October 15, 2008, in the City of Gardena, the suspect, Steven Hyun Kwon, 24, was arrested and booked for the murder of Mr. Cho.

As a result of the detective's dedication and diligence, a sense of closure could be brought to the victim's family.

Kwon's bail has been set at two million dollars.

The motive for the murder remains unclear.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Detectives Ken Yeung and Alan Solomon, Gang & Operations Support Division at (213) 847-1620. After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD. Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD Web site.

A woman's body was found today floating in the water off White Point in San Pedro. The body was found about 1 p.m.

The cause of death wasn't immediately known.

A Coast Guard spokeswoman said the death has no immediate correlation to the rescue underway at sea right now.

These photos are pretty shocking. I know they are tough to look at, just as the image of President-elect Barack Obama hanging by his neck in a Halloween display a couple weeks ago upset a lot of people in Redondo Beach.

These photos aren't from Mississippi. They are from two locations in south Torrance. Vandals targeted at least four homes continuing to display Obama campaign signs in the days after Tuesday's historic election. Each of the victims is a strong supporter.

As one victim told me for my story today on the Web site and Tuesday's print edition: "It made me think this is a small price to pay for what we achieved to get him elected. I think people have suffered far worse than this in our nation's history. I'm proud that we supported him and he's going to be our next president. It just shows we have more work to do."


I also received this email from Torrance resident Kristen Cochrane. Thanks for writing, Kristen.

"My name is Kristen Cochrane and I am a recent graduate of UC Irvine. A few months ago, I was anxiously anticipating my move back to Torrance because I missed the wonderfully diverse and accepting atmosphere. Today however, I feel that atmosphere has been lost.

Got this today from a reader:

"Hi Denise,

Just curious what 'pretrial' means?  Does this mean that the defendent will go before a jury? Or plea-bargaining first?"

 "A pretrial is kind of the generic term used to describe court dates that occur between a preliminary hearing and re-arraignment and the actual trial. Although most cases don't actually go to trial (most plea bargain out), the system has to assume they all are. At pretrial hearings, not much usually happens. The lawyers will exchange evidence and information, they'll iron out any issues that may arise and they'll discuss offers. Then, they just set another date for pretrial and trial. There are statutory regulations regarding how quickly a case must move through the system, but if a defendant waives those rights, things can drag on (and on and on)."

 

 

Late last week, Gardena police arrested Steve Brown, who they believe beat and raped an exotic dancer he befriended at the King Henry Viii in March. He is being charged today, and is expected to be arraigned later, for one count of kidnap for the purposes of rape, four counts of forcible oral copulation in the course of a kidnapping and one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.

Click here for our previous entry on the crime, along with a composite sketch police released of the then-unknown suspect.

I was gone last week, so it's time to catch up. Here's a police recap of stuff that went on in Redondo Beach from the end of last month. Our story on the Obama effigy reported here went national.

First here's an alarming entry, although we haven't been told where this happened.......

On 10-24-08 at approximately 2:30 p.m. a 10 year old student was walking home from school. She observed a male subject in a vehicle parked in the red zone near her school. Inside of the vehicle she observed that the occupant was looking at her and smiling. As she passed the vehicle she observered that he was exposing himself and masturbating. The student reported the incident at school on 10-28-08. The case is under investigation.

10-29-08 (Wednesday)

On 10-29-08 at approximately 4:30 p.m. a person called the Police Department to report a home with an effigy of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama hanging off the balcony. A patrol officer responded and saw the house in question was decorated for Halloween. The house had the figure hanging off the balcony by a necktie with a meat cleaver hanging out of the neck in addition to a sign stating "NoBama". The Investigations Division contacted the resident along with a member of the Secret Service and the John McCain Presidential Campaign. Police presence was maintained througout the evening. Late in the evening the resident removed the head of the figure but left the sign in place. The incident resulted in a front page news article in the Tursday, October 30th edition of the Daily Breeze. The Police Department received several media inquiries on Thursday about the display as well as several phone calls from concerned citizens.

On 10-29-08 at approximately 5:00 p.m. A female suspect was observed stealing merchandise at Macy's department store at the Galleria mall. As the suspect left the store, with Loss Prevention agents chasing after her, she got into her car and tried to get out of the parking lot. A patrol officer gave chase and was finally able to stop her at 182nd St and Felton Ln. The female was arrested without further incident for theft and evading arrest.

Chief U.S. District Judge Alicemarie Stotler will take senior status, the Metropolitan News Enterprise reported. Stotler was head deputy DA in Torrance from 1987 to 1988.

Charges were dropped this week against a man arrested for a Redondo Beach bar fight that left a Lawndale man in a coma. John Penna, 30, of San Pedro, was charged with attempted murder for the Sept. 12 incident at Brixton on the Redondo Beach pier.

Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's office, said the charges against Penna were dismissed because investigators believe he is not the right suspect. She said she could not elaborate further and that the investigation is continuing.

Matthew Klaus, 23, was punched during an argument with an unknown man. He fell backward and hit his head. An update on his condition was not immediately available.

Previous entries here.

Once reporters hit "send" on a story, they lose almost all control over what happens next. Unfortunately, sometimes what happens next is that little nuggets we really liked in our story are cut for various reasons, like space or personal taste.

In today's story about San Pedro resident Silvino Torrez, who was sentenced yesterday to 165 years to life for molesting four young girls, there was originally a quote from Deputy District Attorney Bob Hight about Torrez being 221 years old when he will be eligible for parole. It's gone now, but I liked it so much and thought it was so illustrative of the disgust that Hight had for this defendant that I'm resurrecting it here for you:

"If he lives that long, I hope to be there to argue for his continued incarceration," High said.

Some of you legal eagles out there might enjoy perusing this 64-page Supreme Court petition asking for an immediate stay of Prop. 8.

I'm about 24 hours late on this, but wanted to note the appointment of a boat-load of new judges to the Los Angeles Superior Court, including San Pedro resident and former L.A. City Attorney Jim Hahn. Staff Writer Donna Littlejohn had a chat with him about his new job that you can read here.

To see who the other new judges are, click here.

I spend a looooooot of time in courtrooms. So, while I'm not a lawyer, I have a pretty good idea of how the legal process plays out and what court procedures are like. Because of this exposure and experience, by husband gets kinda annoyed with me when I start yelling at the television about how it "just doesn't happen like that." I know it's fiction, but I get so frustrated that, because of Hollywood, most people think DNA tests can be completed in an afternoon, that closing arguments are dramatic and last five minutes, that murder cases get to trial in a week, that hearsay evidence is admissible ... you get the gist. I spend my entire day striving for accuracy and truth, and it feels undermining.

Luckily, some productions do make an effort to get it right. In a recent Writers Guild of America, West article, Loyola Law School professor (and one of my favorite go-to legal experts) Laurie Levenson discussed how she consults for television and film productions about courtroom procedure and such. The article is by Redondo Beach resident Denis Faye, a comic book author, journalist and screenwriter we've featured on the Daily Breeze's Daily Link for his very funny blog, Easy Fiend.

Two alleged bank robbers dubbed the "Backpacker Bomber Bandits" were ordered on Wednesday to stand trial for crimes at five banks in Los Angeles County. At a preliminary hearing for Curtis Boyd and Darryl Smock in Torrance Superior Court, bank employees described how the bandits usually presented a threatening note to get money.

Smock, 41, of Los Angeles said he had a bomb in his backpack, while Boyd, 47, of Hawthorne, threatened victims with a gun that he sometimes showed, according to Deputy District Attorney Don Syn. The spree spanned July and began in Santa Monica, but included banks in Hawthorne and Torrance. The pair is also believed responsible for robberies in Orange County.

A Torrance police detective testified they each confessed after their arrest in August.
Boyd and Smock will stand trial for four counts each of robbery and burglary, two counts each of attempted robbery and two charges that a firearm was used. They return to court on Nov. 19.

Previous entries are here.

This advisory just came across on the City News wire:

"Eds: At noon, attorney Gloria Allred and a lesbian couple she represents, Robin Tyler
and Diane Olson, will discuss a lawsuit they are filing to challenge Proposition 8,
which bans same-sex marriages."

No one's really said what will happen for sure to the same-sex couples who have married in California since the Supreme Court said in May that such a ban is unconstitutional. A legal challenge, though, would keep the status quo in place while the litigation process plays out.

Rodrigo Guevara could have faced, at the most, four years in state prison for felony hit-and-run - despite his egregious driving that left one girl severely injured on April 9 in Wilmington. Deputy District Attorney Danette Gomez said she isn't angry with the judge for offering Guevara three years. She's angry that, without intoxication, that the max he could get was four years, according to California Vehicle Code Section 20001(a)(2).

It doesn't get much better when the victim dies. Gomez, who is also prosecuting Cristian Herrera for a 1992 double fatal hit-and-run in San Pedro, said he is facing only eight years and four months maximum if convicted.

Are you angry? You can channel that into something productive by contacting your state representatives. They're in charge of fixing the punishments. Not sure who to contact? Look here and enter your zip code on the left hand side, down a few scrolls.

Previous blog entries on Guevara are here.

All that hoopla earlier today was about a stolen car taken from the area. Deputies pulled the vehicle over and there are two suspects in custody.

We're getting the details in a bit, but it looks like there was some police activity where Rolling Hills Road and Portugese Bend connect. A caller reported that Sheriff's Deputies were out en masse, with their guns drawn. No one from the department could talk to verify details, except to say that whatever it was - no one got hurt, someone is in custody and it's over.

We'll keep you posted.

 

I'm off this week, but I thought I'd answer this one as I checked my emails:

A Torrance resident asked why we didn't have the home invasion from last Thursday night in the paper. We had a line on it here on the crime blog, but we didn't have enough to put an article together for the newspaper. I couldn't even get exactly where it occurred other than Carson Street.

We tried. But a Torrance police sergeant overseeing the investigation wouldn't give out any information about it and a public information officer never returned my call on Friday.

It wasn't for lack of trying.