July 2009 Archives

Last time I posted a blog about 39-year-old Steven Schneppershoff, lots of people who know him and his family in the South Bay left some interesting comments. Here's the latest in the case from the Peoria Journal Star.

Jesus Sedillo smiled and blew kisses at his family in the Long Beach courtroom before heading into the lock-up to begin the rest of his life in prison - without the possibility of ever getting out. He was sentenced today for the murders of Manuel Lopez, 17, of Wilmington on Sept. 23, 2006, in a car-to-pedestrian shooting at Bayview Avenue and F Street and Richard Romero, 18, of Wilmington, about six weeks later.

During the last crime, Sedillo wore a wolf mask as he shot from his car into the vehicle carrying Romero, his cousin Edward Villegas and his sister, Jessica Romero, near Pacific Coast Highway and Broad Avenue.

Full story will be up later on a contentious hearing on Sedillo's new trial motion and Romero's mother's tearful courtroom statement 

Some readers wondered (as did I) how Hermosa Beach police had a photograph of their stabbing suspect, but didn't know who he was. Sgt. Robert Higgins answered that one tonight:

"The picture came from a customer who happened to take a picture of the bad guy... bad luck for him..."

Police officers, by the way, managed to identify Rudy Distrito of Wilmington on their own. Detectives did get some calls from the public after they released the picture to the media, but they went out on their own and found him.

Just in from the District Attorney's Office:



LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated less than a day today before convicting a 24-year-old Inglewood man of murdering a federal employee last year at a Westside ATM.

Deputy District Attorney Charles Chaiyarachta of the Hardcore Gang Division said the jury convicted McKenzie Carl Bryant of first-degree murder and found true the special circumstance of murder during an attempted robbery. He also was convicted of attempted first-degree automated teller machine (ATM) robbery, first-degree ATM robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. The jury also found true allegations that Bryant used a handgun to commit the crimes.

The e-mails  have been flying back and forth from New York to Torrance in the last week as CBS "48 Hours Mystery" prepares to rerun the show "Conspiracy to Kill."

The show about the "Lomita Black Widow" case had more than 8 million viewers when it aired in February. It's set to run again this Saturday night at 10 p.m.

Much  has happened since the first showing and the producers have had to make some adjustments for the repeat.

As you will recall from Daily Breeze coverage, Sonia Rios Risken, 60, of Lomita was found shot to death in her home in 2007. Her demise came a year after her second husband, Law "Larry" Risken, was shot to death in the Philippines.

Suspicion fell on his wife when the Daily Breeze discovered her first husband, Earl John Bourdeau, suffered the same fate in her homeland 19 years earlier.

When someone ended Sonia Rios Risken's life, CBS decided it was mysterious  enough for  its real-life crime hour.

Since the program's first run, sheriff's detectives arrested Risken's nephew, Eric Delacruz, right, and his Navy friend, Fernando Romero, in her slaying. And last week, her friend and private investigator, Henry Hoskins, who was interviewed for the show, was found dead in his Gardena bail bonds office. The coroner said it was suicide, but many of his friends don't agree.

Producers are working to add the new developments, using photos and information from the Daily Breeze

The man killed in that crash at crash at Crenshaw and Dell Amo yesterday has been identified as Ector Louis Gonzalez, 34, of Long Beach.

If you know this guy, call Hermosa Beach police.

He's wanted for questioning in a stabbing that occurred outside Sharkeez in Hermosa Beach last week.

Someone pulled out a knife during a fight and stabbed a Torrance man.

They call this guy a "person of interest." He's described as Filipino, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a heavy build.

Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call Detective Michael Frilot at 310-318-0332.

A family's pit bull grabbed a 17-month-old boy's face in its mouth Tuesday in Redondo Beach when the baby tugged on its tail, police said.

The mauling occurred about 9 a.m. in the family's home in the 1000 block of Palos Verdes Boulevard, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.

"The child had touched the tail or pulled the tail," Keenan said. "The dog turned around, grabbed the child by the face and mauled it."

The mother pulled the dog's jaw off the baby's face and called police. The call went out that a dog had bitten a baby in the eye.

"The child has severe dog bites in the face, puncture wounds and it nicked the eye," said Keenan, who was on the call.

Paramedics found bite wounds on the baby's forehead and cheek. The boy was taken to County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. His condition was unknown.

The pit bull was in a back room, still excited. Two Redondo Beach animal control officers worked to corral the dog while two police officers stood by.

Animal control officers took the dog into custody for a vicious dog investigation.

The family could not be reached for comment. No one was home Tuesday afternoon.
The incident comes a week after two loose pit bulls attacked and killed a smaller dog just blocks away.

Here's a press release just in from the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding yesterday's federal jury verdict:

ANAHEIM MAN GUILTY OF INTERFERING WITH UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT CREW FOR DISRUPTING HONG KONG-LOS ANGELES TRIP

LOS ANGELES - An Orange County man has been convicted of interfering with a flight crew for abusive behavior that led a United Airlines flight crew to handcuff and duct tape the unruly passenger to his seat.

James Allen Cameron, 50, of Anaheim, was found guilty of the felony charge yesterday afternoon by a federal jury that heard about two days of witness testimony.

The same jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of guilt on a misdemeanor assault count that alleged Cameron struck an off-duty United pilot during the April 23, 2008 flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles International Airport.

The evidence presented at the trial showed that Cameron, who had been drinking, became agitated several hours into the flight. After an off-duty pilot took the seat next to him, Cameron attempted to get out of his seat, but the off-duty pilot stopped him by putting his hand on the defendant's shoulder and telling him to remain seated. A few moments later, Cameron punched the off-duty pilot in the neck. Flight attendants, a passenger and the off-duty pilot subdued Cameron, restraining his hands with flex cuffs. Shortly after that, even though he was restrained, Cameron lunged up and punched a flight attendant on the chin. The crew then held Cameron down and duct-taped his legs and chest. Even after this, Cameron managed to loosen himself, and the flight crew was forced to use seven seat belt extensions to restrain him. After other passengers on the flight later saw Cameron biting and chewing at his restraints, the crew was forced to put metal handcuffs on his wrists.

The charge of interference with a flight crew carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

Cameron will be sentenced by United States District Judge Robert H. Whaley in the fall.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Los Angeles Airport Police Department.

I continue to receive calls from Henry Hoskins' friends about his death. The coroner says the bail bondsman killed himself, but his friends continue to disagree and say he was murdered.

I spoke to a detective at Gardena PD today who says he's still talking to people and has not closed his case. He's waiting to speak with the doctor who did the autopsy.

I won't write anything more for the paper until there's some more definitive information from the police, but in the end, Hoskins might have left us all with a big mystery.

By the way, that's a driver's license photo, not a booking shot. Want to make that clear.

*Update: His name is Dexter Lima and he went to Narbonne High.

If you know him, please contact Denise Nix, who is working on a story. She is at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com


If you are a family member or friend of the teenage boy who nearly drowned Sunday at Manhattan Beach, can you please contact us?

Reporter Sandy Mazza is working on a story about the riptide dangers and would like to update his condition. We do not know his name. Police and fire officials have not released it.

We would like to speak with someone connected to the family.

Email Sandy at sandy.mazza@dailybreeze.com or call her at 310-543-6636.

Thanks.

This just arrived from the LAPD:

July 25, 2009

***UPDATE***
On July 26, 2009, at approximately 7:15 p.m., Central Area Detectives booked Charlie Samuel, a male Black from Los Angeles, for the murder of Lily Burk.

Detectives received confirmation Sunday afternoon on latent prints collected from Burk's car that confirmed that Samuel had been an occupant inside the vehicle. They then discovered that Samuel was already in custody.
 
Detectives believe that Burk encountered Samuel in the area of Wilshire Boulevard and Wilshire Place at around 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, July 24, 2009. Burk and Samuel then travelled to the downtown area of Los Angeles where Burk made several attempts to get money from an ATM.
 
After several unsuccessful attempts, Burk phoned both of her parents to ask how to use her credit card to get money from an ATM. She was told by her father that the card she had could not be used at an ATM. Burk then made arrangements with her father to go to their home to pick up an unspecified amount of money. She never made it home.

City News Service

A 50-year-old parolee who was initially arrested on suspicion of drinking in public and carrying drug paraphernalia was behind bars today for allegedly killing a 17-year-old girl whose body was found in the passenger seat of her car near Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.

Charlie Samuel, 50, of Los Angeles, was arrested Friday night for the lesser offenses, but by
Sunday, he was booked on suspicion of killing Lily Burk, whose body was found around 6:30
a.m. Saturday near Alameda and Fourth Street.

Samuel was being held without bail. The killing was believed to be the result of a botched
robbery.

"We are grateful that the police apprehended someone so quickly and that this man is off the
streets," Burk's parents, Deborah Drooz and Greg Burk, said in a statement read to KTLA by
a family friend. "We don't want him to hurt anyone else. We will now let the legal process run
its course."

From the District Attorney's Office:

LONG BEACH - An ex-felon was charged today with five counts of attempted murder following a shooting Wednesday that left a 4-year-old Long Beach boy in stable condition.

James Leland Landrum Sr., 46 (dob 7-13-63) was charged in a felony complaint for arrest warrant with the attempted murder of the boy, who was struck once in the head by a bullet, his six-year-old sister and three others, said Deputy District Attorney John Lonergan. The complaint - NA 082726 -- includes gang and firearm allegations.

Landrum was arrested this morning in El Paso, Texas, Lonergan said. Prosecutors will seek Landrum's extradition to Los Angeles for arraignment and trial.

The shooting of the boy, Josue H., occurred in the 2100 block of Earl Avenue near East 21st Street just after 7 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Lonergan said the defendant was allegedly arguing in the street with a second man when he pulled out a gun and fired once. The bullet missed the man and struck the child, who was standing nearby, he said.

Landrum pleaded no contest in 2002 of possession of cocaine base for sale and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Police in Long Beach have scheduled a news conference this afternoon to announce an arrest in the shooting of the 4-year-old boy, who was hit by a stray bullet.

Here's DA's press statement on the Miguel Magallon conviction. Jurors found him guilty of killing Capt. Michael Sparkes, who led the county police force at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center:

LOS ANGELES - A jury convicted today a 26-year-old Los Angeles man of the 2004 first-degree murder of an off-duty Los Angeles County police captain who was fatally shot as he was riding his bicycle in Compton.

Miguel Angel Magallon also was found guilty of the attempted second-degree robbery of Capt. Michael Sparkes. In addition, the jury found true the special circumstances of murder during an attempted robbery and murder during a drive-by shooting, as well as multiple special allegations including murder to enhance a street gang and personal use of a firearm.

The veteran officer was fatally shot on Aug. 10, 2004, as he was riding his bicycle at Redondo Beach and Avalon boulevards in the Rosewood area near Compton shortly after 5:30 a.m.

Deputy District Attorney's Darren Levine and Phillip Stirling of the Crimes Against Police Officers Section (CAPOS) prosecuted the case.

Prosecutors argued Magallon used an AK-47 assault rifle to murder Sparkes. The veteran officer was on the ground on his cell phone calling 911 when he was hit with a second round of gunfire. Levine said the officer was "assassinated" during an attempted robbery.

The jury deadlocked on the special circumstance of murder of a peace officer. Judge Kathleen Kennedy ruled a mistrial on that one special circumstance.

The jury returns Monday at 10:30 a.m. to begin the death penalty phase of the trial.

Is there some big party tonight I haven't been invited to?

A gang member was convicted today of killing a longtime police officer as he rode his bicycle to work to head security at County-Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

Jurors at Los Angeles Superior Court found Miguel Magallon, 26, guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree attempted robbery in the Aug. 10, 2004 slaying of Capt. Michael Sparkes, a 30-year member of the Los Angeles County police force.

Sparkes was not far from his home in the unincorporated Rosewood area near Carson when he engaged in a gunbattle with Magallon and Orvis Anthony, 24.

Anthony received a sentence of 50 years in prison in a plea deal for his testimony against Magallon.

Jurors also found Magallon guilty of special circumstances allegations that could result in a death sentence. Prosecutors will present evidence seeking the death penalty. Jurors must decide whether to recommend death or a sentence of life in prison without parole.

"DUNK A COP FOR CHARITY"

The Torrance Police Department will be attending a benefit dunk tank tomorrow (July 25th) at Sam's Club in Torrance.  The dunk tank is a benefit to raise money for the Sunshine Kids, an organization dedicated to working with children with cancer.  Representatives from the Torrance Police Department, Torrance City Council and the Torrance Unified School District, Board of Education will be on hand for your dunking pleasure

Scheduled to participate are:

1030- Lieutenant Tom Stark - Torrance PD

1045 - Councilman Bill Sutherland- Torrance City Council

1100 - Chief John Neu - Torrance PD

1115 - Lieutenant Steve D'anjou - Torrance PD

1130 - Don Lee - TUSD Board of Education

Prices are: $3 for 2 balls, $6 for 5 balls and $10 for a guaranteed dunk.  ALL proceeds go directly to the Sunshine Kids charity.

Location: Sam's Club #6628  2601 Skypark  Torrance

For more information, contact Sam's Club directly at (310) 534-0134

Earlier today, I received an e-mail that apparently is spreading like a virus all over the South Bay. In it, a woman essentially reports another one of those "white van" incidents like Redondo Beach reported several months ago. If you remember that, men in a white van tried to abduct a woman.

A Hermosa Beach woman later reported the same thing. I haven't heard anything about that one since.

I checked on today's email, but, to me, it didn't seem legit. I called Redondo Beach police who hadn't heard of any "white van" incidents.

Torrance PD has now issued a statement saying no crime was committed today and it's pure speculation that the van in that e-mail had anything to do with what was reported in Redondo Beach a while back.

These things come up once in a while. Someone spreads an e-mail that scares everyone. I remember one about a robbery at a local mall that had a lot of people unnecessarily on edge.

So, if you got that e-mail today, please read this bulletin from the Torrance Police Department:

.
Suspicious_Van_23_July_09.pdf

The westbound lanes of El Segundo Boulevard are closed as crews work to repair a broken utility pole and traffic signal.

A 4-year-old Long Beach boy remains in critical condition with a bullet in his forehead today. Police said he was hit with a stray bullet as he played outside his home.

Someone in a fight nearby pulled out a gun and fired it, but missed his intended victim and hit the boy.

The Press-Telegram has the update.

Ok, I'm frustrated and my work day has come to an end. I've tried for hours now to get an LAPD police official to tell me officially what the big search in San Pedro was all about today. I haven't gotten anywhere. It's ridiculous and lately, pretty normal. 

Last night I started reading a bangup of a bonfire of a crime novel by
the inimitable Joseph  Wambaugh. Being an old daily newspaper police
beat reporter. This morning I lived it, dozens of sirens and
helicopters began around 10 a.m., downtown along the Pacific
Corridor,(a couple of our policewomen cut quite a fine figure running
down  Pacific with guns unholstered and drawn, others were a little
less-lithe and light on their  feet. But hours later, no one even knows
what's happening. Is it safe to go outside? If so, for whom?  

Susan Shaw is being held without bail in Hawaii, where she is facing 122 counts of identity theft and other charges. The Honolulu Advertiser ran a story a couple weeks ago based on jailhouse interviews with Shaw, and others. It's a long read, but good.

Previously: Hawaiian beauty queen with Manhattan Beach ties does not get bail in identity theft case

Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of robbing as many as 17 Southern California 7-Eleven convenience stores.

Raymond Moreno, 18, was arrested at an abandoned house in Anaheim, and two 17-year-old boys were taken into custody in Chula Vista, Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez said.

The first arrest was made Friday in Chula Vista, and the other two were arrested Tuesday, Martinez said. The juveniles were taken to Orange County Juvenile Hall, and Moreno was taken to an Orange County jail.

The robberies began June 20 and continued until July 16, Martinez said. The robbers posed as customers, then held up the clerk.

Crimes occurred in Anaheim, Yorba Linda, Brea, Long Beach, Fullerton, Placentia, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, La Palma and Lynwood, Martinez said.

Police originally said one crime occurred in Carson, but they now believe the crime was not related.

Just got this Tweet from Hawthorne PD:

HawthornePDSgt in foot pursuit of a handcuffed prisoner 118th/Truro. Suspect taken into custody for the second time w/o incident. Sgt. winded but OK.

So, I'll start by saying I don't know much of anything. First, the police told me nothing was going on. Then I was told there was a chase.

Anyway, the people of San Pedro have informed me that there are helicopters circling above and streets blocked off around Mesa and Pacific and 13th and 15th streets.

The Harbor Division folks told me they are looking for someone who led a chase a little earlier today.

I don't know if it has anything to do with the homicide at Mesa and 17th last night. Same general area.

I'll do my best to get something later.

A 45-year-old man found shot on a San Pedro street died later at a hospital, police said today.

David Medina of San Pedro was discovered about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday on Mesa Street near 17th Street, Los Angeles police Detective Jim Perkins said.

Police said Medina was walking south when someone walked up to him and shot him.

The motive was unknown.

It also was unknown how long he lay wounded before he was found.

Medina, who was in cardiac arrest, was taken to County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he died.

Robbers held up a couple sitting in their car in Torrance, forcing the male victim into his house to get more cash, police said today.

The crime occurred about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 1800 block of Middlebrook Road, near Sepulveda Boulevard and Cabrillo Avenue.

"It appears at this point to be random," Torrance police Sgt. Bernard Anderson said. "They were sitting in their vehicle and were surprised by the robbery suspects.

Read the full story.

The law is pretty clear on what the difference is between first and second-degree murder. Well, clear to legal scholars, anyway. But even then, how that law is interpreted and applied to a set of facts is quite a subjective process. Getting 12 jurors to agree during that process can often be the backbone of a murder trial.

In closing arguments Tuesday in the capital murder trial for Miguel Magallon, Deputy District Attorney Darren Levine gave one of the clearest analogies I've ever heard in explaining the difference. Everyday, he said, when he leaves his office at the Civic Center, he must decide whether to walk a half-block up to the crosswalk, then a half-block back ... or merely hustle across several lanes of traffic. Complicating the decision is that police cars often park at a nearby Metro station.

Levine said when he pauses, looks toward the police cars to see if any cops are around, then proceeds across - he is guilty of first-degree jaywalking. It was willful, deliberate and premeditated. But when he simply just heads across without a thought to the consequences - even for a brief millisecond - that is second-degree jaywalking.

While Magallon's defense attorney, Victor Salerno, said the slaying of Los Angeles Police Capt. Michael Sparkes on Aug. 10, 2004, was a "classic case" of second-degree murder, Levine used the same term to argue that the deadly confrontation on the street near Carson was first-degree murder. In the end, it's up to the jury.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League released this statement this afternoon:

LOS ANGELES - July 21, 2009- The Los Angeles Police Protective League said the state budget deal which calls for the early release of 27,000 inmates from state prisons will put the public's safety at risk and will increase the number of victims and the cost of crime in California. .

According to news reports, legislators have agreed to allow some inmates to finish their sentences on home detention, creating new incentives for the completion of rehabilitation programs and scaling back parole supervision for the least serious offenders.

"For months we have been warning the public that the prison gates are going to fly open in order to close a $26.3 billion state budget deficit. The fact is that California officials that are jeopardizing public safety, as the overall costs and risks far outweigh any initial savings to the Department of Corrections budget," said League President Paul M. Weber.

The LA Times is reporting that the state budget deal negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders would reduce the population of California prisons by nearly 27,0000 inmates in the current fiscal year.

A Torrance man was stabbed early today during a fight outside Sharkeez bar in Hermosa Beach, police said.

The victim and stabber were among a group of people kicked out of the bar at 52 Pier Plaza because they caused a disturbance about 1:30 a.m., Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Robert Higgins said.

Moments later, a fist fight broke out in front of the bar.  During the fight, one man pulled a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times in the upper body and chest and ran.

Police searched the area but could not find him.

The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. His name was not released to protect his safety.

A broker found slain inside a Westchester house was the brother of a woman who killed a San

Pedro couple she victimized in a real estate fraud case that bilked them of $2 million.

Ricardo M. Contreras, 45, a real estate agent and notary public, was not criminally charged in that case that sent his sister to prison for two life terms, but was accused in a wrongful death lawsuit of notarizing many of the fraudulent documents that she used in the scheme.

Full story at dailybreeze.com

A Gardena-area man is spending a year in county jail for breaking his 2-year-old son's leg, prosecutors said Monday.

Travondray Woods, 23, pleaded no contest on July 14 in Torrance Superior Court to one count of child abuse and was immediately sentenced to a year in jail, five years probation and parenting classes.

He was arrested in April after the boy was taken by ambulance from the home in the 14700 block of Lemoli Avenue to a hospital for what turned out to be a broken leg.

Woods told officers the boy hurt himself when he collided with his little sister. He later admitted he punched the boy in the leg.

WESTCHESTER (CNS) - A real estate agent made a startling discovery while
showing a house in Westchester -- a body on the living room floor, police
said today.

The encounter happened in a 1,900-square-foot house at 8917 Kittyhawk
Ave. about 7 p.m. Saturday, according to police and a camera crew.

Police told a Newsreel video crew the agent, who was preparing to show
the three-bedroom, two-bath house couldn't find the key in the lockbox on the
door, then went with the client to the backyard and found a broken window.

Inside was the body of a man in his 30s on the living room floor.

It was unclear how long the man had been dead, but detectives put on
masks when they went inside. A white car on the street may have belonged to the
victim, Newsreel reported
.
Police confirmed the basic facts, but detectives don't know what
happened, LAPD spokeswoman Rosario Herrera said.

The body was turned over to the coroner's office for an autopsy, which
should establish the cause of death.

The apparently bank-owned house is priced at $539,000 and listed by the
Modern Realty Co., which specializes in foreclosures and bank-owned properties,
according to its Web site.

Just when you thought it was safe to venture outside, there's some new vandal out there causing trouble on the streets of Torrance.

Ok, so police took care of getting the BB-gun guy off the streets. (I don't want to convict that gentleman here, but I haven't heard of any glass window shootings since he was taken into custody. I'm just saying.)

Now there's a new problem. Residents in the Hollywood Riviera have somebody driving around their streets hurling watermelons and eggs at their cars.

It's happened the last several nights. One resident said there's watermelon all over the streets.

A watermelon dented her car door, causing $1,400 damage. The car's in the auto shop getting fixed.

The streets include Via Los Miradores, Calle de Arboles and Paseo de las Tortugas.

"I want to catch these little suckers," the resident said.

My colleagues suggested I use silly puns in this story, like "these crimes are the pits," or this is a really "seedy" thing to do.

I won't. I'd be pretty upset if this happened to me.

Torrance police Lt. Patrick Shortall said officers are working on the problem.

He said whoever is doing this might think these are pranks, but they are wrong.

"They're crimes," he said.

By Denise Nix
Staff Writer
In murdering his mistress, who he believed was pregnant, in her Hawthorne apartment, Ricky Madison would stop "for no one or nothing," a judge said Friday before sentencing Madison to die.
As Judge James Dabney told Madison of his fate, the robust and shackled 49-year-old rocked gently in his chair, causing a soft clink.
Otherwise, Madison showed no reaction to his punishment for killing Aysha Sly, 27, who was stabbed 172 times in her apartment in the 12200 block of Manor Drive on Dec. 5, 2006.
But for the shackles and Dabney's quick and clear voice as he read from the death warrant he would later sign, the Airport Courthouse courtroom was still and quiet.
Outside of court, Sly's mother described feeling a release of relief as Dabney ordered Madison to death row.
"He got what he deserved," said Rosalind James.

From City News Service

A woman was convicted today for her role in the March 2008 shooting death of an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee who was confronted at an ATM near Westchester.

Enjoli McClendon -- who authorities said was the getaway driver -- was found guilty of
first-degree murder and attempted robbery of Mylus Mondy, along with the robbery of another
person who was at the ATM while the victim was arriving.

Jurors rejected a special circumstance allegation of murder during the course of an attempted
robbery, which would have resulted in a life prison term without the possibility of parole.

McClendon, 23, is now facing "upward of 25-to-life," with sentencing set for Aug. 21,
Deputy District Attorney Charles Chaiyarachta said.

The alleged triggerman, McKenzie Carl Bryant, faces trial next week in a downtown Los
Angeles courtroom.

He could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of murder and the
special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a robbery.

Mondy was attacked around 11:30 p.m. on March 9, 2008, as he arrived at an automated teller machine in the 6600 block of La Cienega Westway

Mondy walked up to the ATM, unaware that a robbery was in progress, and was ordered to
turn over his money. The 48-year-old man was then shot once in the back as he tried to run
away.

McClendon was arrested by Los Angeles police four days after the shooting, and Bryant was
arrested a day after McClendon.

A funny thing happened on my way to watch a murderer get sentenced to death at the Airport Courthouse. Outside, I noticed a camera crew filming a trio of guys. Here's where you learn a little about me: It wasn't the 6'7" tattoed and pierced eccentric basketball star that caught my attention, but the (by comparison) squat, hat-wearing drug counselor featured on Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab. Yeah, OK, so I watch reality television, and not sports. Sue me.

Don't know why drug counselor Bob Forrest and basketball star Dennis Rodman were at the courthouse. Don't know who the third guy was they were talking to and laughing with. But I took pictures with my camera phone as a true groupie, er, reporter should do.

Denise reports in from court:

Ricky Madison, 49, was just sentenced to die for the brutal stabbing death of his girlfriend in Hawthorne in 2006. He believed she was pregnant. (She had miscarried just days before.)

Madison was convicted in May in the slaying of Aysha Sly, 27. He stabbed her 172 times.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Dabney imposed the sentence at the Airport Courthouse.

Denise is on her way back and will file a full story later.

Ever go to the Hamburger Hamlet up on Sepulveda near National Boulevard in West Los Angeles?

Well, according to a City News Service story today, a waitress (don't we call them servers now?) was sentenced today to five years probation and fined $3,000 for stealing customers' credit card numbers.

April DuBoise, 29, used a "wedge," a device that reads and stores data from
a credit card for downloading to a computer for about six weeks in early 2006.

She then sold the credit card information to an unidentified man, who charged up people's accounts.

The restaurant said the bad publicity from the thefts caused it to lose business and cost 50 employees their jobs.

So, you think she got off a bit light on this one? Sounds like the prosecutor thinks so.

Here's the rest of the City News story:

DuBoise was initially charged with misdemeanors but eventually pleaded no contest to 34
felony counts of identity theft and credit card fraud, according to Deputy District Attorney
James Toro.

Although prosecutors had asked for "substantial" prison time for DeBoise, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bob Bowers Jr. instead sentenced her to probation and various court
and probation-related fines.

Bowers told DuBoise she revealed a "degree of criminal sophistication" and "took advantage of a position of trust" in carrying out the thefts, but he also indicated mitigating factors before pronouncing sentence today.

Among those, he said, were DuBoise's efforts to repay the victims, remorse, and the fact that she is "unlikely" to victimize others again.

Prosecutors had estimated losses of around $28,000, but in court papers filed Thursday, Toro said that figure "appears to be a gross underestimation of the true damage caused by the defendant."

Toro said outside court that probation was "not fair" in light of the fact that only half the
workers who lost their jobs were rehired, and of the 25 left unemployed, "two are in their 60s and had been with the chain for decades."

"Their prospects are limited," he said. "Sometimes the consequences of criminal behavior go beyond (what's obvious)."

Bowers also warned DuBoise that "there are people who believe you should be on the way to state prison right now."

"If you are found to be in violation of this probation, you will go to state prison," he said.

DuBoise made no comment after the hearing. 

Jurors deliberated about a half-hour today before convicting Brian Foucher of eight counts. Look for the story later.

Well, OK, not in real trouble. And believe me, I'm the last one in the world to discourage anyone from reading a newspaper.

I will, however, roll my eyes at you if you do read a newspaper article about a trial  - even if the article ran seven years ago - and then you go ahead and mention the article to your fellow jurors during deliberations.

So, Juror #9 in the Brian Foucher rape/kidnapping trial apparently mentioned during deliberations Tuesday afternoon that, as the trial progressed, she remembered reading about the case in 2002. The foreperson, who Judge Eric Taylor described as "conscientious, dilligent and honest," heard the elderly juror say something about "mental state." None of the other jurors reported hearing anything beyond the mention of the newspaper article.

Deputy Public Defender Joe Gualano asked Taylor for a mistrial, arguing Juror #9 tainted the group. At the very least, Jurors 12 and 9 had to go, he said. Link fought for 12 to stay, noting that the young woman did all she could to protect the sanctity of the panel. In the end, Taylor agreed that Juror #9 had to go. She didn't seem too surprised.

This was about a half-hour ago, and she was replaced by an alternate. Just got word a verdict will be read in about 20 minutes.

Note: I'm trying to get word on where this crime occurred in Carson. Will add it later if I get it.

Police are looking for two men who have robbed up to 16 7-Eleven convenience stores since June, including one in Carson.

The crimes began June 20, primarily at stores in Orange County cities between 11:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m., Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez said.

In the crimes, the robbers posed as customers. One casually approached the clerk, pulled a kitchen knife and demanded the clerk open the register.

"Once the draw is open, the robber will take the money out of the drawer and then they leave," Martinez said.

Nobody has been seriously hurt, but one clerk was cut on the hand during a crime.

One robber is white, in his early 20s, with a medium build. He wears a black-hooded sweat shirt.

The latest crime early Thursday occurred in the 700 block of North East Street in Anaheim.
 
After one robber pulled a knife, both men went behind the counter and scooped up money from two registers.

Robberies have occurred in the Orange County cities of Anaheim, San Clemente, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda and La Palma, and in the Los Angeles County cities of Long Beach, Lynwood and Carson.

Anyone with information should call Anaheim detectives at 714-765-1959.

Our sister paper, the Daily News, is reporting a burglary at the home of actor Orlando Bloom.

TMZ is reporting that thieves got into the Hollywood Hills house through a window and snatched $500,000 in jewelry.

He's best known for the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Dongfan "Greg" Chung was found guilty today of six counts of economic espionage and other counts in federal court.

A prosecutor with the District Attorney's Office has resigned after dishing out legal opinions about the Michael Jackson case on Larry King Live.

Her bosses didn't like it and she wants a media career anyway, soooooo.......

Story on LATimes.com

Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Brian Brown sent along this item about Internet fraud:

Fraud continues to plague our citizens, and the relative anonymity of the Internet provides new ways for con men to renew old scams.

Here's a common example of Internet fraud:

You offer something for sale through the Internet for $100. A buyer emails you, and you arrange for payment. "He" sends you a check for $1,100 and explains his secretary filled out the check wrong or some such excuse. He asks you to deposit the check in your account, take your $100 for the item, 10 percent for your troubles and then wire the remainder back. The victim does this, then shortly thereafter finds out the check they deposited was counterfeit and they now owe the bank a lot of money.

We want people to be aware they should NEVER wire money to anyone they don't personally know. If someone sends a check for an amount over the purchase price, they can always send another check for the correct amount. Avoid personal and business checks whenever possible. Be skeptical of overpayments.

A 50-year-old man was shot to death early today in Wilmington, police said.

Eric Douglas, who might have been residing at a sober living house in southwest Los Angeles, was shot about 2:15 a.m. at Broad Avenue and F Street, Los Angeles police Detective Jim Perkins said.

Douglas was standing on the corner when two people approached him. Douglas ran. They fired numerous rounds at him, striking him.

Douglas collapsed. He was pronounced dead at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Police don't know the motive behind the slaying, but said it occurred near the Bonnie Lee Hotel, a known location where drug dealing occurs.

In 2007, former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo filed suit against the hotel, charging that undercover Los Angeles police officers made repeated drug purchases on the site for years.

A woman was killed today when she collided with a trash truck in Wilmington, police said.

The crash occurred about 5:50 a.m. on Pacific Coast Highway between Figueroa Street and Frigate Avenue.

The woman was traveling west in a passenger car and crossed over the double line into westbound traffic, police said.

The trash truck was heading east.

The woman was killed. The occupants of the trash truck complained of pain, but were not seriously hurt.

Los Angeles Police Department traffic investigators were investigating the crash.

Did you miss it the first time?

Well, here's your chance to join the more than 8 million people who watched the Lomita Black Widow story in February. CBS is repeating the 48 Hours Mystery broadcast on Aug. 1 at 10 p.m.

It tells the story we've covered here about Lomita hairdresser Sonia Rios Risken, who likely had two husbands murdered in the Philippines 19 years apart, and then had someone kill her inside her  home.

The show will have a new ending because no one had been arrested before the first airing.

Sonia's nephew Eric Delacruz and a Navy friend, Fernando Romero, were arrested in April for allegedly killing her.

So tune in. I participated last year in the show and spoke to a producer today. They've asked for some of our photographs of Delacruz's arrest and are redoing some things.

Earlier

After covering the court beat in the South Bay for nearly a decade, I've learned that some of the attorney have their "things" - those tried and true schpiels they use before a jury to make their point. More often than not, arguments in criminal trials focus on identity, since many cases are true "whodunits."

In Brian Foucher's trial, which just went to the jury this afternoon, all four victims picked Foucher in police photos as the man who kidnapped, or tried to kidnap, them from streets in Inglewood and Rancho Palos Verdes over a two-day period in February 2002. While none of the victims gave, or could possibly give, exact descriptions on such things as weight, height and eye color - they all said they were positive or 100 percent sure he was the predator who used a gun to confront them.

The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Jodi Link, is head of sex crimes at the Torrance branch. She's been there almost as long as I've been here and, because of the nature of the cases she's handled, our paths cross very often and I've seen her handle more than a dozen trials, easily. Now, I can sometimes predict which of her trial tricks will appear in closing argument.

So I wasn't surprised when she asked the jury to think about Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa in making her point about the sanctity of the victims' identifications. She asked them to think what side she parts her hair on, if she's wearing a necklace and the neckline of her shirt - turtleneck, v-neck, scoop neck? I always, always get at least one of the items wrong in my own head during this little exercise.

Then, she holds up the photo. There's a big difference between the ability to describe an individual and the ability to recognize them, she says. "You would know her when you saw her and you would be able to recognize her," she adds.

The jurors deliberated a couple hours today and will return Thursday afternoon because of Wednesday's court furlough. My story on today's closing arguments will be posted later tonight.

They're lucky it wasn't too hot cause this would've been unbearable in a black robe otherwise.

A 21-year-old Inglewood man was arrested today as a suspect in an attempted purse snatching in Hermosa Beach.

Hermosa Beach Police Chief Greg Savelli said the crime occurred about 10 a.m. near 2nd Street and Bayview Drive.

The robber drove past the victim in a black GMC and tried to grab her purse as he went by. Police put out an alert and Redondo Beach officers found the suspect and vehicle near the Redondo Beach pier.

The victim identified the man, Savelli said.

Israel Eli Contreras was arrested. Charges are pending.

Inside the vehicle, police found additional purses and identifications belonging to other victims, including a burglary victim in Marina del Rey.

Los Angeles: Detectives from Gang and Narcotics Division announced the arrest of a top ten wanted gang member for murder.

Suspect Dion Durell Hayes was wanted for the July 5th 2005 murder of Andre Williams. Hayes is a "79 Swan Family Blood" gang member known as "Solo". This was a gang-related murder. Hayes has prior assault charges and was convicted of a second degree assault for a homicide committed in Seattle, in 2000.

On July 5, 2005, at approximately 12:10 a.m., residents in the area of the 700 block of East Florence Avenue heard several gunshots. Minutes later the victim was discovered dead in the rear alley. The victim had sustained gunshot wounds.

Gary Finmark, the 44-year-old guy arrested as the suspect in all the window shootings across the South Bay, was charged today with 70 counts of felony vandalism.

He appeared in Torrance court and pleaded not guilty. Judge Thomas Sokolov ordered him held on $1.4 million bail. That's a bit less than his original bail of $2.1 million.

Although Finmark is suspected in possibly 200 cases of vandalism, prosecutors filed 70 against him. (It's pretty much overkill after that.)

Each vandalism count calls for $20,000 bail. Do the math and come up with $1.4 million.

Oh, and it isn't really likely, but if he's convicted of all the counts, he's facing up to 49 years in prison. Now that isn't realistic because murderers sometimes don't get that much.

But it will be interesting. Prosecutors also might seek restitution from Finmark for the victims, although it doesn't appear that Finmark has ever worked for a living.

I talked to Finmark's father today, as well as a friend of his. The story will appear on dailybreeze.com sometime Friday night and into the weekend.

A jazz concert on Saturday at Trump National Golf Course will benefit the foundation that bears Los Angeles SWAT officer Randal Simmons' name. Simmons, who hailed from Rancho Palos Verdes and died in a gunbattle in February 2008, worked closely with inner-city kids, and his memory and works lives on through the foundation. To learn more about the concert, visit The Official Randy Simmons Website.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Harvey Silberman was indicted in federal court for allegedly trying to stop a proponent from running against him in the 2008 election, the L.A. Times is reporting.

Police are looking for a Florida man who wandered away from his mother's truck this week in Hawthorne and vanished.

Victor Emmanuel Gomez, 20, of Greenacres is unstable and known to talk to himself, and unfamiliar with the area, police said.

Gomez accompanied his mother, who is a truck driver, on a ride from Florida to pick up a load Tuesday from a business at El Segundo Boulevard and Cerise Avenue in Hawthorne, police said.

While his mother was watching the load, she saw Victor get out of the truck. When she was finished, he was gone.

The mother believed he had gone to get some food and waited for him for four hours. She called police when he did not return.

His mother has been waiting at the location for the past two days for his return.

Gomez similarly disappeared earlier this year and made his way from Florida to his brother's house in New York, police said.

Gomez is Latino, 6 feet tall, 130 to 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing a black shirt with a white ogo on the front, and blue jean shorts.

Anyone with information should contact Hawthorne police Lt. Larry Grajeda at 310-349-2836or the department at 310-349-2700.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested in Hawthorne on Thursday in connection with a weekend gang-related shooting in Northern California.

The teen was arrested at an apartment in the 14000 block of Yukon Avenue.

Two people were wounded in the shooting at an apartment complex in the Sacramento Valley city of Citrus Heights, Citrus Heights police Sgt. Doug Fletcher said.

Two suspects, a 17-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man, were arrested.

Fletcher said police identified a third suspect and developed information he was in Hawthorne.
Hawthorne officers made the arrest.

The teen is believed to be the triggerman, Fletcher said.

Citrus Heights investigators will collect the suspect, who will face attempted murder charges.

Two suspected burglars were arrested in Hawthorne Thursday after they were spotted breaking into a home.

Neighbors saw the crime occurring about 1:30 p.m. in the 13900 block of Jefferson Avenue and called police, Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii said.

The burglars were leaving the home at the time the officer arrived. They dropped the stolen property in their hands and ran.

Officers arrested Channon Hardiman, 21, of Los Angeles immediately. The other fled into the neighborhood, triggering a search with a helicopter in the air and police dogs on the ground.

Anjuan Cotton, 22, of Los Angeles was found in a back yard.

Cotton and Hardiman were arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Arun Bhumitra, president of Arjay Plaza at Hawthorne and Lomita boulevards in Torrance, wrote this letter to thank Torrance police for catching a suspect in the glass shootings:

I would like to express my utmost gratitude and appreciation to Mayor Frank Scotto and Police Chief Neu for spear-heading a task force to finally arrest Gary Matthew Finmark.
 
This individual had been terrorizing major streets such as Hawthorne, Sepulveda and Pacific Coast Highway for the past several months by shooting and breaking glass windows. He has cost business owners thousands of dollars in damages, including myself.

It is this kind of leadership and action from our law enforcement that helps our community flourish and keeps our City of Torrance a great place to live, work and play.

Thanks much,

Arun Bhumitra,
President, Arjay Plaza

This always amazes me how many people don't have valid licenses.

Officers cited 234 drivers for having suspended licenses or no licenses at all during checkpoints in Hawthorne.

Police conducted the driver's license checkpoints on Wednesday on Crenshaw Boulevard and Northrop Avenue and on Hawthorne Boulevard at 126th Street, Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii said.

Officers towed the 234 cars, and arrested five people, including two on weapons charges.

Anybody who knows Tony Capozzola, the high-profile Redondo Beach lawyer who doesn't have to find interesting stories because they find him, will not be surprised to hear that his law career is the basis for a new television series currently being pitched around town.

Based on a viewing of the pilot's five-minute trailer this week,"Capozzola's Law" is a dramatic series based on the colorful and eccentric veteran attorney's real-life cases and clients, which has included celebrities like Michael Jackson and sports stars including players and coaches from the Lakers, Raiders and Rams.

The trailer, filmed a few months ago on a Saturday at the Torrance Courthouse, shows clips of the pilot. In it, an actor playing Capozzola represents Sgt. Allen Roth, who plays himself nearly 20 years after Capozzola secured his acquittal on charges that the Iwo Jima war hero had sex with a female cadet at Redondo Union High School's ROTC program.

From there, the true story of how Capozzola was hired to represent former Gardena church pastor Arleigh Eugene Cox, who was convicted the day Roth was found not guilty, continues. The trailer shows how Capozzola reluctantly took on the appeal, and worked to prove Cox's attorney mishandled the case, winning Cox a reversal of his conviction and 38-year prison sentence. (Cox, 62, died not long after of the AIDS virus, which Capozzola said he contracted when he was raped in prison).

With many actors on strike, the producer asked Capozzola to find some friends to fill in. Thus, the trailer features Judge Mark Arnold as the judge, Redondo Beach City Attorney Mike Webb as the jury foreman and Torrance attorney Bruce McGregor as the prosecutor. If you look close, there are other familiar faces, including Arnold's court clerk and a long-time bailiff. (Capozzola also appears on screen as a well-wisher to the actor Capozzola).

The trailer will get a private viewing this weekend for the cast and crew at a local restaurant. Capozzola said the show's makers have a meeting next week with HBO. Stay tuned....

Redondo Beach police say Gary Finmark is their suspect too in the window shootings. They'll be filing their cases with Torrance.

I have a list of the crimes they suspect him in and will deal with that in a bit.


Meanwhile, I  just got back from talking to Finmark's mother, Betty, at the New Horizons retirement complex in Torrance. She did not open the metal security door.

Apparently, her son also told her he did it because he was bored.

"I said, 'Why in God's name did you do something like that?'" she said. "He said, 'He was just bored.'"

Told his bail is more than $2 million, the mother said, "Then he has to stay in. I'm not Michael Jackson, you know."

He's also unemployed and single.

More in a bit.

Per Donna Littlejohn: There lots of police activity over in San Pedro. Police have some streets closed.

Officers say there's a man with a shotgun in the 1000 block of South Weymouth Ave. in Pedro. Possible domestic dispute.

** UPDATE: They caught him. That's all we know.

Back in 2007, when Phillip Michael Dorsett went on trial for the June 16, 2005, shooting death of Jesse Fujino, 18, in Inglewood, it struck us as a strange case of a seemingly rich kid from The Hill who found a life of crime down below. I don't remember but the specifics of why, but I do remember there being a lot of fall-out from Dorsett's family after we ran an article about his conviction (after the jump).

Last month, the 2nd District Court of Appeal upheld Dorsett's second-degree murder conviction, but said the prosecutor did not present enough evidence to support the allegation he committed the murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang. The appellate court said he could not be re-tried on the allegations because doing so would be double-jeopardy. The end result, though, doesn't change things much as far as Dorsett's 40 years to life in prison sentence goes.

The Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, which provides legal services to all children in the county's dependency court system, is holding an art auction and party to raise funds for the much-needed organization which, like all much-needed organizations, is suffering in the wake of budget cuts upon budget cuts. Click here for information about the the July 25 Viva LA Art event.

Aysha Sly's family was in Judge James Dabney's Airport Courthouse courtroom this morning awaiting to hear what he would do with Ricky Madison - send him to death row or order to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for Sly's Dec. 5, 2006, violent death in Hawthorne. But Madison's attorney called in sick, so the whole thing got put over until Friday, July 17. I plan to return again...

To read more about the case, follow the jump.

What struck me as the most impressive part of this L.A. Times report is that these reporters had the time and resources to investigate such a massive undertaking. What they found is that the Los Angeles Police Department's much-touted public crime map omitted about 40 percent of the city's serious crimes - going back about six months.

A woman was struck by a van and killed Wednesday in Lennox, police said.

The woman was walking at Lennox and La Cienega boulevards at 1:20 p.m. when she was struck by the white Toyota van.

She was believed to be in her 40s, California Highway Patrol Officer Jose Nunez said.
The CHP is investigating.

Here's a little more on Tony Ray Woods, the guy charged with robbery and sexual assault in Gardena.

I just got the complaint which shows he has three prior violent felonies on his record:

He was convicted of robberies on Aug. 5, 1983, Dec. 16, 1983, and July 17, 1987.

He also was convicted of possession of a controlled substance on Sept. 15, 2004.

I'm still waiting for the state to send me his prison record. It may not come today.

Previous blog entry on Woods.

Here's the District Attorney's Office's complaint against Woods:

Rev. 900-1/99 DA Case 29169974 Page 1 Case No. YA075470

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, Plaintiff, v. 01 TONY RAY WOODS (08/08/1965) Defendant(s).

CASE NO. YA075470 FELONY COMPLAINT

The undersigned is informed and believes that:

COUNT 1

On or about January 13, 2008, in the County of Los Angeles, the crime of SECOND DEGREE ROBBERY, in violation of PENAL CODE SECTION 211, a Felony, was committed by TONY RAY WOODS, who did unlawfully, and by means of force and fear attempt to take personal property from the person, possession, and immediate presence of BASKIN ROBBINS.
"NOTICE: The above offense is a violent felony within the meaning of Penal Code 667.5(c)."
"NOTICE: The above offense is a serious felony within the meaning of Penal Code section 1192.7(c)."

Z Dewart, mother of Allison Dewart, who was killed by a drunken driver on Jan. 7, 2006, is hoping to have a large group of participants with her on Sept. 26 at the annual Walk Like MADD 5K fundraiser for the organization.

"If you are able to walk, please bring family, friends, co-workers, and your dog," Dewart wrote in an e-mail to spread the word. "If you are not able to participate in person, would you please register yourself and family as virtual walkers?"

The event is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. at Queen Mary Events Park, 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach. It's not too early to sign up, either to participate in person or as a "virtual" walker through the Internet.

Dewart will walk in memory of her 18- year-old daughter, who was killed along with Harbor City resident Michella Matasso Fincannon, 19. A wrong-way drunken driver hit their car on the 15 Freeway in Rancho Bernardo.

Dewart lived in Torrance and was a star athlete at West High School.

Several South Bay families who have been victimized by drunken drivers have participated in the walk as well.

For more information, go to www.walklikemadd.org.

Here's what was doing in Redondo Beach with the chopper overhead. I stopped by to check it out.

Neighbors in the 3200 block of Gibson Place saw a burglary in progress. Police got there quickly and arrested two teens. They got the third riding nearby on a stolen bicycle.

The search was on for the fourth. That was the Hawthorne police chopper overhead. Police dogs searched on the ground.

All this began around 3. I left about 5:20. They were doing some last-minute searching. We'll find out later if they caught the last one, but it looked like the officers were wrapping things up.

Three out of four is pretty good....The last one won't take long to identify.

Mark Desmond called to say three billboards asking "Who killed Cori Daye Desmond?" have gone up on Artesia Boulevard in Redondo Beach. I'll take a look later this afternoon.

The crime victim's father purchased the billboards at Condon Avenue, Perkins Lane and Felton Lane in an effort to solve the case.

They will be up for about a month.

"I'm going to keep them up there to let people know the guy is still out there," Desmond said. "Maybe it will save somebody."

Desmond's 28-year-old daughter was last seen Feb. 15, leaving the Bac Street Lounge in Redondo Beach. Her Jeep was parked nearby.

Her body was found the next day in a bag at the side of a road near Running Springs. She appeared to have suffered from blunt-force trauma.

Mark Desmond said 50 electronic billboards continue to display from midnight to 2 a.m. in West Los Angeles, Westwood, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Palms, West Hollywood and Westchester.

A $10,000 reward has been offered in the killing. Anyone with information is asked to contact WeTip at 8

I haven't been posting these recently because I couldn't open them, but now I downloaded the software to do that...So, back by popular demand, the Redondo Beach Recent Law Enforcement Events report:


Prepared by: Lt. Todd Heywood

Period: June 29, 2009 / July 5, 2009

Sunday, June 30, 2009, 5:51 p.m.

Members of the Redondo Beach Police and Fire Department's received information about the possible possession of dangerous and illegal fireworks in the 500 block of Blossom Ln.

Officers conducted surveillance and observed a possible transaction. Officers arrested a subject for possession of illegal fireworks. The investigation subsequently led them, members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Bomb Squad, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to a residence in the City of Torrance.

Public safety personnel confiscated approximately 3,000 pounds of fireworks and explosive making materials.

Officials arrested two suspects, a 39-year-old resident from Redondo Beach, and a 40-year-old resident from Torrance.

Monday, July 1, 2009, 11:08 p.m.

While on routine patrol, an officer observed a vehicle being driven with a minor equipment violation. The officer ran the license plate and learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen in the City of Los Angeles. Redondo officers, assisted by officers of the Cities Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, stopped the vehicle which contained three individuals.

They arrested the driver of the vehicle without incident for being in the possession of a stolen vehicle and booked him at the Redondo Beach jail.

Friday, July 3, 2009, 10:20 p.m.

Members of the Redondo Beach Police Department assisted members of the Torrance Police Department and the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) task force as they pursued a vehicle through the City of Redondo Beach. The pursuit terminated in the area of Hawthorne Blvd. and Emerald St., where the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton told Channel 9 that there were no arrests and no
significant incidents of crowd unrest during the Michael Jackson memorial ceremony, either
inside or outside Staples Center.

From City News Service

Actor Jon Cryer's former wife will not be charged with any crimes in the wake of her arrest in Hermosa Beach for suspicion of abusing her son, prosecutors said Tuesday.

"Although the child was injured, there was insufficient evidence to prove the crimes of child abuse or child neglect," Deputy District Attorney Jodi Link said in explaining why she declined to file a case against Sarah Louise Trigger.

Trigger, 40, was arrested May 28 at her home after her estranged husband and father of the 2-year-old boy injuries to his neck, police said.

Cryer is not the boy's father. The "Two and a Half Men" star does have a 9-year-old son with Trigger.

When social workers and police officers went to her home, she apparently gave different stories about the boy's injuries.

She's remained free on $100,000 bail since her arrest.

This just in from City News Service:

A Los Angeles Police Department detective shot and killed herself in the lobby of the sheriff's Santa Clarita Valley Station, authorities said today.

Detective Susan Clemmer died at the scene of the shooting, which occurred about 9 p.m.
Monday, said Officer Tenesha Dobine of the LAPD's Media Relations office.

According to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore, the woman entered the sheriff's station at
23740 Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia and spoke with two deputies, one
of whom became concerned for her.

The deputy left her in the lobby, where she shot herself, Whitmore said. No sheriff's department personnel were injured.

The circumstances of the shooting were under investigation.

Our files here show Clemmer was a "bystander" officer at the Rodney King beating and testified during the case. She appeared in a few stories.

Here's one:

A Lomita man was arrested when he allegedly tossed fireworks under a Sheriff's Department mounted posse working in Hermosa Beach on July 4, police said today.

Craig Conant, 25, was arrested on suspicion of harming, interfering with or obstructing a peace officer's horse or dog, and possession of an explosive device, police said.

The incident occurred when sheriff's deputies on four horses, joined by two Hermosa Beach officers on two horses, worked on the Strand, Hermosa Beach Police Chief Greg Savelli said.

Chief Greg Savelli sent this along to report on the July 4th weekend in Hermosa Beach:

The 4th of July in Hermosa Beach was well attended. The crowds appeared to be larger than the past two years, with thousands on the beach, attending parties throughout the City as well as being patrons in our many businesses.

 The City population swelled to approx. 100,000 (by rough estimate) by 5pm, when the wind picked up and much of the Beach crowd began to leave the City. Many of the home parties ended around 10pm at the conclusion of the fireworks show. The downtown stayed active until bar closing.

The Ironman competition had about 400 participants and another 500 watching. It took place at the water line and there were no problems. It appears the coordinators of the event were able to keep alcohol consumption to the contestants only and the event dispersed by noon.

Joyce DeWitt, a star on the 1970s hit "Three's Company," was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in El Segundo, police said today.

DeWitt, 60, of Santa Fe, N.M. was arrested at 4:19 p.m. July 4 at Pine Avenue and Sierra Street when she drove around a barricade to keep cars away from the annual fireworks show, El Segundo police Sgt. Dan Kim said.

Witnesses said DeWitt pulled up in a black sports car, parked, and staggered toward a police officer standing in uniform next to his motorcycle.

She slurred, "Where the hell is East Oak Street?" a witness said.

An officer asked how much she had to drink and she said, "Just one." She then reached into her car, pulled out a plastic container and began drinking from it.

It was unclear what was inside.

An officer "observed signs of possible alcohol intoxication," Kim said.
DeWitt, who played Janet Wood from 1976 to 1984, failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the El Segundo jail. She was cited and released at 1:20 a.m. Sunday.

DeWitt took a breath test, but the result was not available.

DeWitt starred with John Ritter as Jack Tripper, and Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow on the popular situation comedy.

Ritter's character feigned being gay so he could live with DeWitt's and Somers' characters.
The District Attorney's Office will review the case and determine whether to file charges.

From City News Service:

 A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman says the body of that missing diver has been found in the Malaga Cove area.

Hi everybody. Happy Fourth:

If you'd like to follow my Twitter updates for Daily Breeze crime news, I'm at dbreezecrime...

A number of you have found my personal Twitter account and probably are offended when I don't approve you as a follower. I just started this up yesterday and you found me! But I just did that for personal stuff so I can follow things I want to follow away from the working world......

But you'll get my updates at Dbreezecrime......I plan to step it up and anyone can follow.

Twitter away.....

LA Times reporter Andrew Blankstein -- who deserves a day off -- is reporting that the judge in the 2006 Carson gas station slayings was arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of DUI.

Check out his story on Judge John Thaddeus Doyle.

Prosecutors filed explosives charges on Thursday against two men arrested in connection to an illegal fireworks bust in Torrance.

Brian Flanigan, 40, in whose home the 3,400 pounds of explosives were discovered, is charged with possession of ingredients to make a destructive device and possession of an explosive, according to Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's office.
Patrick German, 39, of Redondo Beach, was charged with one count of possession of an explosive, Gibbons said.

They're both scheduled to be arraigned in Torrance Superior Court on July 8, 2004.
The pair were arrested Wednesday following an investigation that began with a tip in Redondo Beach the previous day.

At Flanigan's home in the 1600 block of Beech Avenue, investigators say they found enough explosives to have destroyed surrounding homes had they ignited.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski was rebuked by his colleagues over on the Third Circuit, and apologized. Case closed.

Previously: An in-depth look at RPV resident/federal judge's humor

From the Los Angeles Police Protective League:

LAPPL Directors and other public safety experts will be regularly posting items at http://www.lapd.com/blog/ and invite their members and those interested in policing issues to join the dialogue. Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged as the LAPPL broadens its communications efforts with both its membership and the public.

"The goal of the blog is to provide insight into law enforcement from a police officer's perspective," said Paul M. Weber, LAPPL President. "As officers, we want Los Angeles residents to know the challenges we face in policing the city.  At the same time, we want residents to share their perspective on public safety issues with us, hopefully resulting in a lively and constructive forum."

The LAPPL blog will also follow a number of other law enforcement-related blogs, serving as a one-stop resource for relevant news and commentary.  Additionally, the League is preparing to integrate Twitter into the blog, according to Weber

A man sought for exposing himself to girls in El Segundo has struck again.

The man dropped his shorts in front of two girls at 7:55 p.m. Monday near California Street and Palm Avenue, police said Wednesday.

The girls were walking south on California when a car blocked a driveway. The man got out, exposed himself and drove away.

The man was white, in his mid to late 20s, 6 feet tall with blonde hair in a buzz cut. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and dark blue basketball shorts. He drove what might be a 2006-2009 silver 4-door Honda Civic.

Police said he matches the description of a man who committed four similar crimes

• Nov. 6 in the alley north of the 800 block of Grand Avenue.
• Jan. 8 in the alley east of the 400 block of Standard Street.
• March 13 in the 300 block of West Mariposa Avenue.
• April 4 in the 300 block of West Pine Avenue.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Pat Goodreau at 310-524-2216 or Detective Vince Martinez at 310-524-2263.

My story on the illegal fireworks seizure will be posted shortly.

Here's the mug shots of the two guys arrested: Brian Flanigan, 40, of Torrance, left, and Patrick German, 39, of Redondo Beach. Firefighters and police say Flanigan had so many illegal fireworks stored at his house that it could have leveled his neighborhood had it caught fire.

Redondo Beach police and fire have just made a large fireworks seizure in Torrance on Beech near Crenshaw and Torrance. I'm heading over.

**UPDATE:

Police and firefighters have recovered several thousand pounds of illegal fireworks stored at a house in the 1600 block of Beech Avenue in Torrance. Firefighters say the situation was so dangerous it could've caused a catastrophe had it caught fire.

The seizure occurred early this morning following a tip to Redondo Beach Police Department that the resident was selling fireworks. Firefighters say the resident also was manufacturing home-made fireworks, and discovered 400 pounds of black powder in the house.

"Had he had an accident, and had the garage blown up, it would've leveled and killed the people in every house around him," said Redondo Beach fire Division Chief Steve Hyink.

We'll have photographs, identities and more details soon.