Court tells pop star to pay up

I periodically get this, or similar, types of questions about the Cameron Brown case and other high-profile and aging cases:

"I have searched all over the web for updated information on this case, and I find nothing.  Can you please tell me if the re-trial of Cameron Brown in the death of his daughter Lauren is scheduled, or what is causing all the delays?  I'm not local so must rely on the net for information."

Brown was in court today for a pretrial, and is currently scheduled to return again March 4 for another pretrial. This is all very typical and not uncommon - especially when dealing with bigger cases that have a lot of evidence. I can't say exactly what causes delays, but I do know that the lawyers and the judge have to put aside a big chunk of time for cases like this. Currently, the prosecutor is engaged in a double-defendant Rolling Hills murder trial that is expected to take months, so I wouldn't expect Brown's retrial anytime soon.

And when the stakes are high, they want to make sure they cross every t and dot every i.

In between, if you just want an update on this or other South Bay cases, you can check out the Court Tracker at www.dailybreeze.com/courttracker, which can be reconfigured to list by name, date, etc.

In 2002, Rolling Hills Covenant Church was experiencing a strange series of incidents in which someone broke in and used the church computers to look up child pornography. During investigation of one such incident, sheriff's deputies from Lomita recovered "human semen and exrement near the computers, as well as multiple Xerox printed pages depicting the computer history of Web sites, links and unidentified female minors associated with the church computer system," according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court last week.

Deputies responded to the church on July 29, 2002, for a burglary call, and caught Richard Welton as he tried to flee.

According to the District Attorney's office, Welton pleaded no contest to two burglary counts and was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2002.

A similarily crude pattern of crimes resurfaced more recently at some West Covina churches in the years since Welton's parole. This time, Welton was connected through the DNA he leaves behind. He is back in federal custody and was recently indicted by a federal grand jury for child pornography possession.

Our colleagues at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune have the latest, as well as a link to the documents that detail Welton's alleged activities ... if you're into that kind of thing.

 

  

This was from yesterday: Torrance SWAT nabs burglary suspect

A reader left a comment on one of our previous entries about Cori Desmond, letting people know that a memorial fund was established to help the family with funeral and burial costs.

According to the post, the administrator of the fund is Lori Desmond, Cory Daye's cousin. If you wish to help please send your donation to the Cori Daye Desmond Memorial Fund c/o Cal National Bank, 29000 South Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes. Acct # 5589633720.

Last week and over the weekend, many, many more lovely comments and remembrances were posted here about Desmond. Thank you to everyone for sharing.

Previously:

Cori Desmond is missed

Following up on Cori Desmond

Torrance woman found dead on mountain road last seen in Redondo Beach

 

 

A man who set fire to a car parked under a fully occupied Hermosa Beach hotel was sentenced to nearly a year in jail and probation on Friday. Derek Padraig O'Donnell, 37, of North Hollywood previously pleaded no contest in Torrance Superior Court to one arson charge, according to a court clerk. He was sentenced to time served and three years probation, but will return to court April 8 for a restitution hearing.

After the July 6 pre-dawn blaze under the Quality Inn at 901 Aviation Blvd., investigators estimated the damage at about $60,000. O'Donnell, an aspiring comedian and actor who leads tours of move stars' home, was staying at the hotel with two friends. He is seen on surveillance video standing next to rented 2008 Jeep Commander just before he sets it on fire, fire investigators said.

The outpouring of love and support for Cori Daye Desmond and her family continued today, even with a candlelight vigil last night and an intense manhunt that has yet to result in an arrest.

Nearly everyone you talk to knew Desmond or her family. The South Bay is large, but during times like this, you really realize what a small, tight-knit community it is.

Desmond's friend An Tran-Tang sent along some photos taken last year at North High School's 10-year reunion, held at Beaches in Manhattan Beach - where Desmond later worked.

 

Tran-Tang said this: "These are a few pictures from our 10 year North High School reunion

which was taken place at Beaches in Manhattan Beach on November 15th, 2008 that I would like to share. We all missss her soo much!!! She was truly a great person. Thank you for your time."

Once again, we'd like remind anyone who thinks they might have information about Desmond's slaying to call WeTip at 800-78-CRIME, or the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at 909-387-3589.  

Like I wrote in my story in today's Daily Breeze, it seems Joe Nino and Miguel Torres' second trial won't be vastly different from their first one in terms of evidence, defense and such.

I'm not privy to all the pretrial evidentiary motions Judge Eric Taylor made, but they went over a couple last minute ones before opening statements yesterday that were kinda interesting.

For one, Erick Velasquez, the prosecution's star witness with the immunity deal, cannot tell the jury that he was carrying around a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun because he wanted to be a badass like Torres - who always carried a gun. This ruling appears subject to Velasquez actually being able to establish with what frequency Torres allegedly carried a gun.

Also, when talking about the car tire rims that supposedly supplied Torres with a motive to kill, no one can mention that that they were stolen. (Juan Vasquez apparently had the rims as a result of a carjacking he did with Nino.)

In addition, in the first trial, it was said that Torres suggested they call Nino to take care of Vasquez by saying "he's a pretty crazy guy." That statement can't be said to the jury this time.

The trial is running in the afternoons only and is expected to take weeks, if not more than a month. We'll be revisting it here and there on the blog, and will, of course, bring you the verdict.

Retrial gets underway this afternoon in Torrance for Joe Nino and Miguel Torres, who are accused of killing a friend they had disputes with. They allegedly conspired together to get a bullet in 20-year-old Juan Vasquez's head in a drainage ditch behind Rancho del Mar Continuation School in Rolling Hills in 2001.

They were convicted of capital murder in 2003 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

However, their convictions were overturned in July 2007 by the appellate court, which found prosecutors wrongly booted minorities from the jury.

Opening statements will begin this afternoon, but not expected to conclude until tomorrow. We'll have a full story after everyone gets a turn in Friday's Daily Breeze. Until then, I'll try to do some updates here and Twitter bits from the courtroom @dbreezecourts. You can also check out my Twitter feed over there ---->

The trial is sure to have some drama, partly because Torres' attorney, Matthew Fletcher, is a, uh, strong advocate. We've heard he's already been tossed from the courtroom at least once by Judge Eric Taylor after refusing to drop an argument about whether his client should be called "Miguel" or "Michael" during trial. In the first trial, he was close to being held in contempt and jailed by now retired Judge James Ideman after Fletcher ignored Ideman's order to not ask a certain question of a witness. Fletcher has gone to jail on at least one other case.

 

Came across this crazy story via a Google Alert hit yesterday on the XBIZ Newswire, which bills itself as Adult Entertainment Industry News for the Media. Whatever. The story had the words "Torrance," "hit man" and "online adult model" in it, so I knew it was gold.

We asked the Arizona Republic if we could re-print their shorter version of the story about the case, but they refused. At our request, the Associated Press kindly picked it up so we could run the story in the Daily Breeze. That version is here.

But, for more details on this salacious entanglement, check out XBIZ. It's a bit convoluted, but juicy.

Anyone know David Elms?

In the user comments following today's story and in the comments on the blog entry here, it's clear that the murder of 28-year-old Cori Desmond struck a chord in both strangers and loved ones.

We're going to be working on a follow up today, so check back later.

Authorities are now saying that Cori Desmond was involved in an argument with an unidentified man in the Bac Street Lounge prior to her disappearance....

Larry is out at Mackay Lane in Redondo Beach where Cori Desmond's grayish Jeep Wrangler was found today by police. The 28-year-old North High School graduate's body was found near Highway 330. Here's a story on it.

Police said she was last seen at the Bac Street Lounge, where she previously worked, on Artesia Boulevard early Sunday morning. She went there after she left her bartending job at Beaches in Manhattan Beach Saturday night.

Her father, Mark Desmond, was out at the scene. "I don't know what to say," he said. "Somebody knows something."

Police said they did not know how she died, other than that she suffered blunt force trauma.

After graduating North, she earned her degree in criminal justice at Long Beach State University, her dad said.

"She had everything going for her," Mark Desmond said.

Scott Sellars, a Beaches employee, told reporter Andrea Woodhouse that Desmond worked her shift Saturday, then didn't show up Sunday morning. She worked there almost four months, but was an experienced waitress.

"She was great. She was a bundle of energy and always had a smile on her face," Sellars said, calling her a "beautiful young lady."

 

Our pals over at the Daily News love them their databases. Here's the latest one, which details the Los Angeles Police Department's 207 most-wanted criminals.

(Special props to anyone who takes the time to find any Most Wanted with South Bay connections!)

Here's the LAPD's press release on the Harbor Gateway robbery from Sunday night.


Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department detectives are investigating an armed take-over robbery during which a security guard was tied up.

On Sunday, February 15, 2009 at around 8:00 p.m., Harbor Area Officers were called to a warehouse operated by a logistics company located in the 1500 block of Francisco Street in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles. Officers arrived to discover the immobilized security guard and that a robbery had occurred.

A preliminary investigation revealed that several suspects forced entry onto the logistics company property by cutting through a secure rear gate. Simultaneously, suspects drove to the entrance of the property in three semi-trailer trucks. When the guard attempted to stop and detain the drivers for identification, armed men approached the guard and subdued him. The guard was then tied up and left on the ground inside the location.

I found questions waiting for me when I arrived today. Some residents of Torrance wondered what was up early Saturday morning......

Q. Larry, thought you might shed some light. Last night, there were a few helicopters buzzing around North Torrance (specifically 175th street) from about 3:30 until well after 4 am. Do you know what was going on?

Q. Maybe you can help me. I am trying to find out what happened in my neighborhood (177th Street between Hawthorne and Prairie) last night. A helicopter was circling the area in the middle of the night. We stayed in, but would really like to know what was happening.


A. Here's what Torrance police Lt. Mark Hein told me this morning:

Police responded to a burglary in progress at 3:35 a.m. in the 4000 block of 175th Place. The caller said people with flashlights were looking into cars.

The burglars ran when police arrived. Officers caught one immediately, but another took off running.

Police surrounded the neighborhood. A sheriff's helicopter circled above, and Redondo Beach police arrived with police dogs.

They found the burglary, along with the fact several cars had been broken into in the area.

The suspects were identified as Marco Perez, 22, of Long Beach and a female, Daisey Serrano, 20, also of Long Beach.

They were held on suspicion of burglary.

LONG BEACH - Charges were filed today against two Whittier men allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of a woman whose body was discovered late last month in San Pedro.

Deputy District Attorney Carrie Smith of Long Beach Branch Office said Michael Lee Bonfiglio, 31 (dob 6/12/77), and Raul Tiscareno, 26 (dob 9/20/82), are charged with one count each of murder, conspiracy to commit a crime and second-degree robbery. 

Prosecutors declined to file charges on Friday against a Lomita school janitor arrested for allegedly grabbing a 13-year-old female student's breast. Rolonzo Smoot, 23, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Los Angeles Unified School District police officers after a Fleming Middle School student reported that he grabbed her as they passed each other in the hall earlier that day.

Deputy District Attorney Jodi Link said prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Smoot, but have ordered him to attend an office hearing to discuss his behavior.
Smoot was released from custody Friday, according to the Sheriff's Web site.

A couple of readers aren't happy about today's story about Frank Torres' background. He's the guy who tried to save his foreclosed home in Carson by locking himself inside it the other day.

Sylvia Alvarado writes:

"I think you went too far to report his past activity with his arrests. This has no bearing on today and what is happening now. Focus on current events not the past. Send this to your other counterpart as well.

I guess you will do anything to make news.

Very disappointing."

Rhonda Windsor of Torrance writes in a blog comment:

Re: Mr.Torres. Who cares if he's had run in with the law? That is
nobody's business. I fail to see how that information has anything to
do with his foreclosure. He's a good man. He works hard, takes care of
his family. And actually owned a home.

I think your reporter should go on leave without pay. You turned a good story into trash. You should be ashamed.

We lost our home also. Thank God I didn't call the Daily Breeze for help."

Here's a transcript of a phone message I received this morning from Carson Mayor Jim Dear at 9:40 a.m. It speaks for itself, but I have a comment at the end.

"Hey Larry, it's Mayor Dear. How you doing? I read your article in today's paper. Today's Friday the 13th.

And just a correction, not so much in this article but the article that came out the day before yesterday. Both in the article and also in the caption underneath the photograph, the man, Mr. Torres, when he was in his house, he was actually on his cell phone with me.

He did speak with his brother briefly. Mostly he spent 25 minutes on the phone with me and I negotiated with him to leave the house. So you can verify that with Capt. Todd Rogers at Carson sheriff's station, and you know the number there, of course.

So ask Capt. Rogers what transpired. I was on the phone with him almost the whole time and I was actually on the phone when he yelled out the window, you know, 'I'm on the phone with the mayor.'

I think you were present at the time when he, when Mr. Torres stated that. The television networks got the information accurate about who actually negotiated him out of the house, but your newspaper really didn't make that very clear. I thought you should have the accurate information on that I know you like to have the facts.

And I hope you have a good day....

(Gives his numbers)

All right Larry, you have a good day and I appreciate if you do any followup articles that you verify with Capt. Rogers, the sequence of events. And so, if you have a followup article, I don't know if you will or not, please state that correctly.

Thanks a lot Larry and have a good day."

The Los Angeles Times reports that Hawthorne Police Department didn't do such a good job investigating themselves.

A Lomita school janitor may be charged Friday for allegedly grabbing a 13-year-old female student's breast as she walked down the hall.

Rolonzo Smoot, 23, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Los Angeles Unified School District police officers, according to Sgt. Dan Scott of the sheriff's special victims unit.

Officers were summoned by Fleming Middle School's principal after the girl reported being groped earlier Wednesday, Scott said.

Denise will have the full story at Dailybreeze.com later.

Our sister paper, The Beach Reporter, interviewed the Hermosa Beach resident who confronted a burglar from neighboring Manhattan Beach in his home last week. Here's their story.

The California Supreme Court denied Sean Christian Bradley Sr.'s petition to review his second-degree murder and child abuse causing death convictions for his 6-month-old son's 2005 death in Gardena. Bradley asked the high court in December to review his case after the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected his appeal the month before.

Our last story on the case is after the jump.

Don't know who posted this sign Wednesday, but it's an interesting spot. This is Frank Torres' former house, the one where he barricaded himself Tuesday to make a point about the foreclosure crisis. Carson Mayor Jim Dear was out there doing television interviews. Dear spoke to Torres during the standoff with deputies, urging him to give up. Torres took his stand after workers arrived to remove his belongings from his foreclosed home.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Two months after Costco was ordered to pay $420,000 to an employee who was retaliated against for complaining of mistreatment because he is gay and HIV-positive, the warehouse store was ordered today to pay an even larger amount in attorneys' fees.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis directed Costco to pay lawyer Leo J. Terrell $471,240, plus another $39,540 in costs. Terrell was entitled to attorneys' fees because the case involved discrimination.

On Dec. 3, a jury found that Terrell's client, Juan I. Valera, endured a hostile work environment at the Inglewood warehouse. The jury, which did not include any gay members, rejected his claims of sexual orientation discrimination, that Costco failed to provide accommodations for his needs and that the company acted with malice.

"I'm happy with getting all my fees,'' Terrell said outside court. Terrell said he is still trying to get Valera, who remains on leave from Costco, reinstated by the company to his old position as photo manager and may have to file another lawsuit on his behalf to do so.

"He's unemployed and has no health insurance, and that's a death sentence for someone who has HIV,'' Terrell said.

 

Here's the latest on the ongoing prison overcrowded crisis.

I received this letter from Torrance resident Bob Kelchner on the story I did on Carson resident Frank Torres' efforts to save his foreclosed home:

Your article in the Breeze today about Frank Torres had good balance.  This could happen to any of us. Wouldn't you do the same as Torres and fight to keep your home???  The Home Mortgage situation looks like a one way street.  The banks get bail outs from the Fed and these situations with home owners get pushed aside.

It seems to me that the bank would make out better with the original home owner making payments.  Now, the bank must sell the loan to another bank and then put the property on the market for sale.  How long and how much $$$$$$ is that going to take.

There must be something the community can do with this. Can Mayor Dear of Carson contact the bank that has the paper on this property and put sale on HOLD?  Go back and renegotiate loan with Frank Torres. This is a good human interest story for the Breeze and of course the right thing to try and do."

Police were searching two north Torrance neighborhoods Tuesday night for fleeing suspects, including one man wanted for murder.

The searches were underway in the area of 173rd Street and Eastwood Avenue and near 165th Street and Van Ness Avenue.

The Sheriff's Department is involved in the searches and helicopters are in the air.

The homicide did not occur in Torrance.

More details will be available Wednesday.

Sheriff's deputies talked Frank Torres out of his former house a little while ago.

"Whatever happens, happens," he told his wife. "At least we tried."

Torres barricaded himself in his home on Anchor Avenue in Carson earlier today when workers for the bank arrived to clear out his stuff.

The bank owns the house and there was nothing Torres could do to save it. All his options were over, despite the fact he got a new job and said he could make the payments now.

Sheriff's deputies let him go because he committed no crime. Thankfully no one got hurt.

I'm working on the full story and will publish it as soon as I can.....

The Smoking Gun has a good one today about a beef at a Burger King in Boynton Beach, Fla.

Some dude who ordered a No. 7 combo meal (chicken fries, french fries and a soda for $4.49) while in a drive-through line called 911 to complain it was taking too long to get his food. He was also upset they didn't have lemonade.

Said the exasperated 911 operator, who was upset that he called for such a stupid reason: "911 is if you're dying."

The police responded and Jean Fortune could face a charge of  "misuse of the 911 system."

The Smoking Gun has the story, police report and the 911 call.

I get a question like this one posed to me quite a bit, so I thought I'd answer it.

"Is there any update on Mr. Burrescia, who was murdered last month. I went to high school with his son. I look on dailybreeze.com every day to see if there is an update but so far nothing."

Here's the answer:

I have nothing to tell you. The police haven't told me anything about this case, so I don't have anything to report.

Normally, in a prominent case like this, we might have covered the funeral, but it took place while we were covering the story of the Wilmington man who killed his family.

In the Burrescia case, I have no behind the scenes information on what's happening like I do on many other cases involving other police agencies. The Torrance Police Department is very tight-lipped on what's going on. I don't have access to the actual investigators, so I don't even know what they are doing.

As soon as I get something, I will tell you..... 

Police on Friday identified a man believed to be the "Salt & Pepper Bank Bandit" wanted in connection with at least 15 robberies, including one in Manhattan Beach.


The man was identified as 49-year old Brian Robinson. He is also wanted on an outstanding warrant charging him with bank robbery in Arkansas, police said.

The latest robbery occurred Thursday when he robbed the First Federal Bank at 9618 West Pico Blvd.

The crimes began Jan. 5. Most have been in West Los Angeles, but one occurred Jan. 24 at the Bank of America branch at Manhattan Village in Manhattan Beach.

The Salt & Pepper bandit gets his name because of his graying hair.

He usually presents a note that demands cash from a teller. He flees in a car described as a gold 1993-1997 Toyota Corolla.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Tracy Benjamin at 213-485-2511. The after hours and weekend number is 1-877-LAPD-24-7.

A Wilmington man was killed Friday when he crashed into a light pole in Long Beach, police said.

The 23-year-old man died in the 4 a.m. crash on Pacific Coast Highway near Caspian Avenue, police said. No other cars were involved.

The man was driving west on Pacific Coast Highway in a 2995 Ford Mustang when he veered to the right and struck the pole.

Long Beach paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

The cause of the crash was under investigation and it was unknown whether alcohol was a factor, police said.

The man's name was withheld until his family was notified.

Daily Breeze Assistant City Editor Josh Grossberg was victimized. Here's his story:

Somebody broke into my house yesterday and took some things of little monetary value, but were very important to me.

How did they get in? I left the back door open for the half hour I was gone.

It was trash day and I knew rain was coming, so I wanted to get the bins out early. I left the door open because I did only half of the trash cans and was planning to do the rest when I got home.

In other words, I was stupid. And some idiot criminal who has no regard for other people's belongings got lucky.

 

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.

An electrical subcontractor pleaded no contest Wednesday to a charge of recklessly starting a brush fire on Santa Catalina Island in May 2007.

Gary Dennis Hunt, 51, was extradited from Indiana last January to face two charges for the fire, caused when he used an open-flamed torch to cut cables on the island's radio tower, according to Deputy District Attorney Ann Ambrose.

Hunt is expected to be sentenced to three years in state prison when he returns to Long Beach Superior Court on May 28, Ambrose said.

The fast-moving blaze injured several fire fighters and caused an estimated $20 million in damages, destroyed several structures and more home as it swept across more than 4,000 acres. Hunt has agreed to pay at least $5 million in restitution, but the full amount he will pay will be decided at a later hearing.

A Los Angeles Fire Department assistant chief and his family pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges stemming from a San Pedro hit-and-run and an ensuing cover-up.

Robert Franco, 53, and his wife, Gerri Franco, 49, each pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor conspiracy count and were sentenced to 36 months probation and 30 days of community service, according to Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the City Attorney's office. Their son, Richard Franco, 20, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of hit-and-run. He also got 36 months probation and 30 days of community service for the state Department of Transportation, Mateljan said.

Richard Franco slammed his Toyota Tundra truck into two parked cars on 37th Street around 2 a.m. on Nov. 3. The truck flipped, and he immediately used his cellular telephone to call home, according to prosecutors. His parents arrived a few minutes later and Franco stayed while Mrs. Franco drove their son away. She soon returned and picked up her husband, and they left. However, they returned again minutes later and told responding emergency personnel that Mrs. Franco was behind the wheel.

The truth was learned from neighbors who witnessed the events, prosecutors said.

When charges were filed in May, a fire department spokesman said the department would not take any action against Franco until the criminal case was complete.

This is the gunman who claimed to have a bomb last week in a failed bank robbery attempt in Gardena.

The man ran from the Wells Fargo Bank branch at 1221 Redondo Beach Blvd. when an employee struggled with him, police said.

The gunman tried to rob the bank shortly before 6 p.m. Jan. 30. He claimed that two bags contained explosives. When the employee stepped in, the man set down his bags, ran out of the bank and into the parking lot.

FBI and sheriff's bomb squads examined the bags and determined they did not contain explosives.

The robber is described as Asian, in his 40s or 50s, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, 125 to 150 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes, an Asian accent, scars on his chin, and had several fingers bandaged.

He wore a two-toned baseball cap, a dark blue or green blazer, a light-colored dress shirt, Docker type pants, reading glasses, brown business casual shoes.

He drove a maroon late 1990s or early 2000 Dodge Caravan van with tinted windows.
Anyone with information about the man is asked to call the Gardena police at 310-217-9670 or Detective Pamela Robinson at 310-217-9653.

The Los Angeles Times' LA Now blog says that the first of two funeral services for the Lupoe family is set for tonight. Here's their report.

Here's our previous entries on last week's murder suicide that claimed seven, including five children.

Cristian Herrera got one year in jail this morning, as reported by Max Zimbert, who is working up a longer story to go up later on dailybreeze.com and in The Daily Breeze tomorrow.

Previously, we reported that Herrera took a deal that prosecutors didn't like - but the sentencing laws were pretty restrictive, so he wouldn't have received much more if convicted at trial.

The clock was ticking. It was hot. 6 p.m. passed. 6:20. Where was the limo? Yes, limo.

By 7 p.m., the time the show began, it was obvious nobody was coming to get me. I was bumped. I went inside, took off my suit and left an angry message for the producer.

It wasn't the first time I failed in my 20-something-year newspaperman effort to get on television. The Nancy Grace show called me once to go on air and talk about a gruesome murder case.

For the complete story, click here

Federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided a medical marijuana dispensary in Marina del Rey earlier today.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the federal government wants a new facility in the area to hold the ever-growing influx of illegal immigrants in need of incarceration.

The government closed a detention center on Terminal Island in October 2007, saying the San Pedro facility needed repairs including work on a hot water boiler and a fire-suppression system. More than 400 detainees were transferred to other facilities in California, Texas, Arizona and Washington, frustrating attorneys fighting their cases in immigration court.

Though the government had said the San Pedro detention center would be closed temporarily, Kice said that the necessary repairs are on hold indefinitely.

"Given the expenses involved, ICE has elected not to proceed with any construction until a final decision has been made about the future of the facility," she said.

The full story can be found here.

The Orange County Register has the story about James Kubeck, who spent two months in a hospital after wiping out on his motorcycle on a blind Pacific Coast Highway curve. He's suing CalTrans.

The woman found shot in the head behind a popular San Pedro restaurant has died, police said Monday.

The woman, Ginie M. Samoya, 27, of San Pedro died Sunday at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from her wound.

Samoya was about 8:15 a.m. in her Toyota Tercel parked in an alley behind the Pacific Diner at 3821 S. Pacific Ave.

Los Angeles police Capt. Dave Lindsay said detectives continued investigating leads on Monday.

"We're making progress," Lindsay said. "This was not a random act and people in the area really don't have anything to worry about."

It runs about 42 minutes.

A Hawthorne couple claimed Hawthorne police officers use brutal tactics while answering a loud noise complaint. Anthony Goodrow said officers broke his jaw and didn't give him proper medical treatment while his then girlfriend, Karla Goodrow, maintains she was falsely arrested.

We'll have a full report later on dailybreeze.com and in The Daily Breeze.