RB victim-turned-criminal gets state prison
A Redondo Beach man, whose nefarious business dealings likely made him the victim of a brutal home-invasion robbery, will spend more than three years in prison. William Spalding's Torrance Superior Court trial was about to begin on Nov. 20 when he pleaded no contest to felony counts of grand theft and obtaining money, labor or property under false pretenses, prosecutors said Monday.
Spalding, 44, was then sentenced to three years and four months in prison. A self-proclaimed movie producer with criminal convictions for fraud, Spalding was attacked Nov. 6, 2007, in his home in the 700 block of Irena Avenue. The invaders beat him and taped him, naked, to a bed post before leaving with a television, digital cameras, a computer, his two Mercedes-Benz cars and other items.
Two people, Amadi Zaid and Paula Hattar, are charged for the alleged crime. They return to court Jan. 28. During their preliminary hearing in February, there was evidence that the two were ripped-off by Spalding, who lied about his Hollywood connections and success.
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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About the Blogger
Denise Nix knew as young as grade school, when she spent every summer working on the camp newspaper, that she wanted to be a journalist. Denise has spent most of the last 12 years of her career in the courtroom. She joined the Daily Breeze in 2001, where she tracks and reports on hundreds of cases at every level of the justice system. And she's never, ever, seen a judge use a gavel.
E-mail Denise at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com.
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