BREAKING NEWS: Man shot dead in hostage situation was child actor wanted for killing girlfriend in Hawthorne, abducting son
EL MONTE (CNS) - Detectives today identified a 38-year old Hawthorne
murder fugitive who took his 6-year-old son hostage at gunpoint, barricadedhimself and the child inside an El Monte restaurant bathroom, and then
triggered a bloody standoff that left the suspect dead and the boy wounded.
The hostage-taker was identified as Manuel Benitez of Hawthorne, who's
also known as Mark Everett, Mike Evers, Manuel Velasco, and Manuel De Velasco,
according to the FBI's Web site.
Benitez worked as a child actor under the stage name, Mark Everett. He
had acting roles in the movies ``Stand and Deliver'' and ``Pee Wee's Big
Adventure.'' Everett also appeared in the television series ``Galactica 1980''
and ``Highway to Heaven.''
According to the FBI, Benitez spoke several languages, including
Cantonese, German, Spanish, French and English.
Benitez was wanted in connection with the June 21, 2004, murder of his
girlfriend, Stephanie Spears, that occurred at 13026 Florwood Avenue, Deputy
Derrick Thompson of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau said.
According to the Web site of the Fox series ``America's Most Wanted,''
Benitez/Everett allegedly bludgeoned his girlfriend to death with a dumbbell
inside their home during a fit of rage over a bad break-up.
After the break-up Benitez allegedly tried to take their son Benjamin,
who was 3 at the time, while Spears was asleep. When she woke up and confronted
him, he became enraged and attacked her, the Web site reported.
Benitez then reportedly took off with his son and was believed to have
fled with his mother Elizabeth Velasco to Cuba or Mexico, where Velasco has
family ties, the Web site reported.
On May 11, 2005, a state warrant was issued by the Superior Court of
California, County of Los Angeles, for Benitez's arrest after he was charged
with murder.
He was also charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution
and an arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, Central
District of California, on March 21, 2006, according to the FBI's Web site.
In June 2007, the FBI offered a $20,000 reward for information leading
to his arrest.
Thompson said detectives were now seeking the public's help in locating
Velasco, whose picture on the FBI's Web site shows a woman wearing eyeglasses
with short white hair. Anyone with information on her whereabouts was asked to
call (323) 890-5500.
The events that culminated with Benitez's death began about 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday when El Monte police responded to a call of a suspicious person with a
child near the intersection of Ramona Boulevard and Santa Anita Avenue,
sheriff's Sgt. David Infante said.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Benitez armed with a
handgun. Benitez then reportedly grabbed his son -- Benjamin, who is biracial,
Black and Latino -- and positioned him between himself and police, Infante
said.
Benitez then took the boy inside Tai Pan Chinese Food, at 3580 Santa
Anita Ave., and locked himself and the child inside a bathroom, threatening to
kill himself, Benjamin, and any responding officers, Infante said.
Crisis negotiators entered the restaurant, establishing communication
with the man for roughly two hours, but he refused to comply with their
requests to surrender or release the child, Infante said.
Hours into the standoff, the bathroom door opened, and the Special
Weapons Crisis Entry Team deployed a flash-bang device inside the room. The
team then entered the bathroom, attempting to rescue the boy and take the
suspect into custody, he said.
Then, ``an officer-involved shooting occurred,'' Infante said, adding
that the suspect suffered a gunshot wound, and was pronounced dead at the
scene. Two handguns in Benitez's possession were recovered following the
shooting, he added.
Shortly after that, officers emerged from the restaurant carrying the
boy, who suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his leg, according to
the sheriff's department. It was unclear whose gunfire he was wounded by.
About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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