From City News Service

Misdemeanor charges were formally dismissed today against rapper Kanye West and his manager in a case stemming from a September 2008 run-in with a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport.

Superior Court Commissioner Mark Zuckman agreed last October that he would dismiss the
case upon being presented with proof that the two had each completed 50 hours of community service.

West, 32, and Don Crawley, 34, got into a confrontation with a photographer before a security
checkpoint at LAX's Terminal 4 on Sept. 11, 2008, and the run-in was captured on videotape by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

A woman who spent about an hour fussing with the dogs at an El Segundo pet adoption event took a pit bull for a walk and never returned, police and organizers said.

The theft Thursday evening at the PAL Rescue & Adoption program at Petsmart was captured on videotape, and police are hoping they can identify the woman.

"It's a little disturbing," said Shannon Reck, a PAL Rescue volunteer. "I guess the people had been out in front of Petsmart for several hours. It's really nerve-racking."

The woman, accompanied by a young man, made off with Starley, a white and black Pit Bull Terrier mix.

"Starley is a sweet, gentle loving pup," PAL's Web site says. "She is a little over a year old and weighs about 45 pounds."

PAL Rescue volunteers regularly hold pet adoption events at the business in Plaza El Segundo.

We're still waiting to see what happens with the investigation into the teen driver who struck and killed Jamel Kammoun, a professor at Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes.

You'll remember the 17-year-old was allegedly speeding on Hawthorne Boulevard, spun out of control and killed Kammoun, who was out for his morning walk.

The college's president sent this letter out today to assist the professor's family:

Dear College colleagues and community members,

As you can well imagine, Professor Jamel Kammoun's passing in December was a great loss for his family. The College is working closely with Dr. Kammoun's wife to address the financial support of their three young daughters.

Many in the community have asked how they can help support the Kammoun family on a financial level. Colleagues, friends and community members are welcome to send financial donations to support the family to:

The Kammoun Family
P.O. Box 2367
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

Please know the College deeply appreciates any and all support that can be extended to the family during this great time of loss and grief.

Regards,

Michael S. Brophy, Ph.D., M.F.A.
President of Marymount College

We apparently had some technical difficulties with the Web site, which kept the complete version of my story on yesterday's Cameron Brown hearing from getting up. It's there now.

A Redondo Union High School teacher was charged Thursday with exposing himself to three teenage students.

Louis Jay Haddad, 50, of Seal Beach faces three misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting a child under 18, and a single count of indecent exposure, Redondo Beach City Prosecutor Brenda Wells said.

He could face up to 3 years, 6 months in prison if convicted.

Haddad was arrested Dec. 3 when a 16-year-old student alleged that the media arts teacher committed a lewd act in front of her while alone in a classroom, police said.

Two more alleged victims came forward after his arrest, the prosecutor said.

As the plan goes, San Bernardino Deputy District Attorney Karen Khim is sharing with me some of the evidence presented this morning in the murder case against Redondo Beach resident Tony Lopez Perez.

We got about two-thirds through the interview when she had to run out for the meeting. What I've heard so far is just basically details on evidence we already knew, like exact times Cori Desmond was caught on surveillance video around Artesia Boulevard early on Feb. 15 and what she looked like after being found in a trench behind a snowy mountain road embankment. Her four witnesses were all detectives from the San Bernardino Sheriff's homicide unit.

Khim did say that, after the two-hour preliminary hearing, Perez was ordered to stand trial.

Look for a more complete update later on dailybreeze.com

A reader sent this to me just now. Honestly, I don't know know who to call on something like this. If anyone knows the answer, please let us know?

Here's what the reader said:

I've scanned the local news and couldn't find any info about the phenomena my friend and I saw walking down Hawthorne Blvd (just past Carson blvd) around 8 pm last night. I was absolutely certain at first that a small plane was crashing at Zamperini, both of us seing a bright streak headed towards the ground in that direction at a steep angle. But obviously that would have been news right away, the only other guess we had was it was a meteorite. And since there don't seem to be any reports of it crashing to Earth, I guess it must have hit the ocean.

Just wondered if DB had recieved any other reports of anyone else seeing what was a very bright streak through the sky headed groundward? Reconstructing the angle of descent, it seems like it would have been off Pt Fermin/near the LA harbor entrance and I can't imagine it went unoticed.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor refused Cameron Brown's motion to dismiss the first-degree murder charge, and all the lesser offenses included in it. "I believe there should be a third trial in this case, and there will be," Pastor said.

Firefighters responded about 10:10 a.m. today to a big rig on fire at 190th Street and Western Avenue in Torrance.

A large column of smoke could be seen spewing into the air.

Police also responded to control traffic. No one was hurt.

There are days on the court beat where it seems the only way to get it all done would be to clone myself. Tomorrow's gonna be one of those days. It's not rare for me to be faced with multiple court cases at the same time. It is rare, though, that my conflicting schedule is the result of two very high profile cases both at a pivotal point ... 75 miles apart.

My editor and I have spent the last day or so strategizing. Here's what we came up with:

Thursday morning at 8:30, I will attend the pretrial hearing scheduled for Cameron Brown in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. At the hearing, his attorney is expected to argue that the first-degree murder charge be thrown out following two hung juries. There may also be discussion related to his bail (which is currently set at No Bail) and his defense attorneys. I will try to update here, and on Twitter, as soon as things are decided. I'll have a story up on the Web as soon as I can.

That means that the preliminary hearing for Tony Lopez Perez, the Redondo Beach man accused of killing Cori Desmond, will forward without me in a San Bernardino courtroom. Unfortunately, no reporters from our sister paper at the San Bernardino Sun are available, either. So, I have made arrangements to interview the prosecutor by phone later in the day, and I will try to get as much information as I can from her regarding the evidence presented.

Stay tuned, tomorrow's gonna be interesting.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal issued it's opinion today in the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition v. City of Manhattan Beach case. The opinion, which was certified for publication (meaning it sets a precedence), upholds a trial judge's ruling that the city's ban on plastic bags was wrong because it doesn't come after a proper environmental impact report. The opinion states:

"The ordinance prohibited certain retailers, including grocery stores, from providing plastic bags to customers at the point of sale. The trial court vacated the ordinance and disallowed reenactment pending an environmental impact report. The trial court found substantial evidence supported a fair argument the ordinance may cause increased use of paper bags, which may have a significant negative impact on the environment, therefore an environmental impact report was required. We agree. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment. We do not resolve the question of the ultimate merits of whether the plastic bag distribution ban should be implemented. All we are saying is that an environmental impact report must be prepared given that it can be fairly argued based on substantial evidence in the record that the ordinance may have a significant environmental impact. We emphasize that the fair argument test sets a low threshold for preparation of an environmental impact report and reflects a preference for resolving doubts in favor of environmental review."

You can read the full 36-page opinion here.

Harbor District Councilwoman Janice Hahn is urging Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck to assign one patrol officer to handle graffiti in San Pedro and Wilmington.

She sent this letter to Beck on Tuesday:

The Sheriff's Department, whose deputies act as courtroom bailiffs for Los Angeles Superior Court, said it is investigating why deputy public information Vania Stuelp was detained and handcuffed for going into the well. Here is the AP story, via the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's Crimescene Blog.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday for the Redondo Beach man accused of killing Cori Desmond, a Torrance woman whose body was found on a San Bernardino snowy mountain road.

Tony Lopez Perez, 35, appeared in San Bernardino County Superior Court Tuesday, which is when the hearing was scheduled, according to Susan Mickey, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors will not present their entire case, just enough evidence to convince a judge to hold Perez for trial.

Desmond, 28, was last seen in Redondo Beach the night before her body was found on Feb. 16.

Perez was arrested eight months later after detectives received tips about him cleaning his car. He told investigators he found Desmond on the street, put her in his car and dumped her in the roadside ditch, but denied killing her.

A sophisticated indoor marijuana farm was discovered in Gardena on Monday afternoon, police said
.
The find in the 17100 block of Figueroa Street was made by Torrance police detectives about 2 p.m.

The farm had about 300 live plants.

More information was expected to be released today<NO1>tuesday.<NO>

A suspect who sped and drove erratically led Hawthorne police officers on a pursuit a few minutes ago.

Not sure yet where and when the chase began, but it traveled in the area of Rosecrans and Crenshaw Boulevards and Marine Avenue, hitting side streets and main thoroughfares alike.

The suspect crashed and was arrested at gunpoint on Cerise Avenue north of 135th Street. He had an unloaded gun in the glove box.

All of the above came from what we heard on the police scanner. Awaiting details from the Hawthorne Police Department.

Here's what City News Service has this morning on Roosevelt Dorn, whose trial was supposed to begin today:

Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor conflict-of-interest charge and has resigned his position.
As part of a plea agreement, the 74-year-old Dorn will be barred from holding public office for the rest of his life. He submitted his resignation as mayor Sunday night, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Dorn's guilty plea came just as jury selection was about to begin in his trial on charges stemming from his acceptance of a $500,000 loan through a city housing program. He was immediately sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

I'm working on a more complete story, with reactions, for later.

Remember when Gary Coleman punched a woman in the eye in Hawthorne when he felt cornered by her bosom as she sought an autograph.

Well, he's busted again. The star of "Diff'rent Strokes" star was arrested in Utah on Sunday on a domestic assault warrant. That's his booking mug.

The Hawthorne story from 1999 is after the jump.

Yeah, so do I. But, we won't.

Citing two California Government Code sections that don't seem to make sense, but a California Vehicle Code section (20012) that could apply, the City of Torrance records administrator sent me a letter denying my public record request for the report regarding the Sept. 26 incident involving Sgt. Michael Mastick.

V.C. Section 20012 says that such reports are confidential to everyone except those with a "proper interest" in information. Apparently, I don't have such an interest.

I had originally sent my request to the Inglewood Police Department, since they were the agency that investigated the incident. However, they sent me to the Torrance Police Department, saying they no longer had the report.

This is all we know for now: Three people, two men and a woman, have been killed in a shooting, possibly inside an apartment building, on Larch Avenue in Lawndale, ABC7 reports.

More in a bit...

According to E!  Online: "The lawyer for the Two and a Half Men star's ex, Sarah Trigger, is denying the 'outrageous' suggestion that her client was behind a death threat against Cryer that has reportedly triggered an FBI investigation."

We reported here about a search for a burglar in North Torrance on Tuesday. The victim, Mark Pendleton, sent me an e-mail with a little bit more information and a thanks for the police and his mail carrier.

Larry,

That's our house.  I'm told our mailman called it in.  My thanks and gratitude to him and the USPS for contributing to watching out for our neighborhood. 

The police did an outstanding job finding me at work.  I was on the scene well before they went inside.

Police said the burglar was described as a black male in his 20s.  Ransacked our entire house.  Still going through the mess to tally what's gone.  Went in through a bedroom window not viewable from the street.

Lived there since 1991.  Saw a chase go into our backyard once but never had any crime come inside.  Alarm system goes in next. 

Mark Pendleton

A couple responsible for committing three robberies in Harbor City struck again early today, this time in Harbor Gateway.

The robbery occurred about 12:45 a.m. at Walgreen's at Carson Street and Western Avenue, Los Angeles police Detective Pat Guerra said.

The couple already was suspected in two crimes at a Walgreens and one at a Radio Shack in Harbor City.

In each crime, the male and female duo poses as customers before committing the crime. In the latest, the man put a candy bar on the counter, asked for some cigarettes and pulled open his coast to reveal a gun.

Just got word that former South Bay plastic surgeon Lawrence Saks was convicted today by a federal jury of 16 counts having to do with his double-billing on procedures.

Full story coming later.

 

From City News Service:

The California Supreme Court refused today to review the case against a former Carson resident convicted of murdering his ex- wife's boyfriend in Downey.
The state's highest court rejected a defense petition asking it to consider the case against Jeffrey Denard Lewis, who was found guilty in February 2008 of first-degree murder in the May 21, 2005, slaying of Da Shun Stafford.
Jurors found true the special circumstance allegation that Lewis was lying in wait before the attack.
Lewis - who had unsuccessfully tried to reconcile with his ex-wife - was wearing a wig and carrying a loaded handgun when he shot Stafford four times, hit him in the head with the gun and stomped on his head.
Lewis was sentenced to a life prison term without the possibility of parole in June 2008.
Last November, a state appeals court panel upheld his conviction

Christine Peilisek at the L.A. Weekly penned a lengthy, in-depth look at the history of the Rodney Alcala case, from his life as a fine-arts student to a perpetual resident on death row. Alcala is currently on trial in Orange County Superior Court for the third time for the murder of a little girl. But this time, he is also being accused of killing four women in Los Angeles in the 1970s, including one whose body was found in an El Segundo apartment laundry room.

Some telling highlights:

"Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy, who hopes during the current trial to put Alcala permanently on death row for Samsoe's 1979 murder and the slayings of four women in the Los Angeles area, says: 'The '70s in California was insane as far as treatment of sexual predators. Rodney Alcala is a poster boy for this. It is a total comedy of outrageous stupidity.'"

"But police in several California and East Coast cities are certain that this well-spoken sexual predator was far more than a child rapist; he is a slippery, brilliant, persuasive serial murderer in the mold of Ted Bundy, the handsome killer who was executed in Florida in 1989. And this time, as they face Rodney Alcala in court, cops and prosecutors believe they have extensive DNA evidence to prove it."

The Orange County Register has been following the trial. Columnist Frank Mickadeit stopped in and wrote for today's editions Alcala trial not for the faint of heart.

Previously here:

Trial underway for alleged serial killer Rodney Alcala 

Jury picked in serial killer case

Serial killer will face it all together

(Photo from the Orange County Register)

The Las Vegas Sun reports that a licensing company for NBA vet Shaquille O'Neal has sued an Arizona company in federal court in Las Vegas for their use of the name Shaqtus Orange Clothing Co. The Cleveland Cavaliers team member says his nickname when he played for the Phoenix Suns was the "The Big Shaqtus." He claims trademark infringement.

Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, issued the following statement today after Erroll Southers decided to withdraw his name from consideration as head of the Transportation Security Administration.

"Erroll Southers would have been an outstanding head of Transportation Security Administration. He should have been quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate after his nomination by President Obama last fall. We understand his decision but are saddened he has chosen to withdraw his name from consideration because of the manner in which the political process was playing out in Washington.

The TSA desperately needs permanent leadership at this crucial time in our nation's war on terrorism. We are grateful that his decision will allow him to remain in Los Angeles as assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence to help keep LAX secure."

After the jump is a story by Art Marroquin back in August when President Obama nominated Southers for the post.

If you wondered what police were up to in north Torrance today, they were looking for a burglar.

Torrance police Sgt. Jeremiah Hart said somebody called the police about 1:30 p.m. and said they saw someone walk to the rear of a home in the 4300 block of 177th Street. They didn't recognize the man as someone who lived there.

Police got there, confirmed someone had broken into the house and conducted a search. The burglar was gone.

Police are trying to identify a man and woman responsible for committing three robberies in Harbor City.

Two of the crimes targeted the same Walgreens drug store. The third hit a Radio Shack, police said.

In each of the crimes, the robbers entered the businesses, posed as customers and walked around the store as if they were shopping.

In the Walgreens' crimes, the man has had a candy bar in his hand and asked the clerk for cigarettes when he approached the counter, Los Angeles police Detective Pat Guerra said.

"When the cashier turns around and faces him, the guy opens up his jacket and displays his gun," Guerra said.

The man and woman escaped with money from the till.

The crimes occurred at:

• 8:08 p.m. Dec. 15 at Walgreen's, 24930 Western Ave.
• 8:50 p.m. Jan. 9 at the same business.
• 6:40 p.m. Jan. 10, at Radio Shack, 1630 W. Sepulveda Blvd.

The man was described as black, 40 to 50 years old, 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall, 150 to 180 pounds. He wore a beanie, a black jacket and tan or gray pants. He had brown eyes.

The woman is black, 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 5 inches tall, 100 to 140 pounds. She wore a green jacket with a fur collar and orange lining.

They possibly rode in a white minivan in the first robbery.

Surveillance cameras took photographs of the robbers. Police hope someone can identify them.

Anyone with information about the crimes was asked to contact Guerra at 310-726-7754.

Officers are searching the area of 4200 177th Street for a subject that is suspected in the possible commission of a residential burglary in the area. There may also be a related vehicle described as a white or tan Hyundai sedan with a black male driver. K-9's are going to be utilized in the search. If you see anything suspicious in the area, or have any information that could relate to this case, please call the Torrance Police Department at 310-618-5641 immediately.

The Department of Defense just announced the death of an Inglewood soldier who died in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips, 31, died Dec. 31, 2009, at Forward Operating Base Methar Lam, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to G Forward Support Company, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Task Force Wildhorse, Forward Operating Base Methar Lam, Afghanistan.

The circumstances surrounding what happened are under investigation.

If anyone knows him, please contact me at 310-543-6655. We are trying to work on a story, but so far do not know how to contact his family or friends.

Last I checked, there were nearly 300 comments (not counting the ones we had to kill)following last week's story on Torrance police Sgt. Michael Mastick, who will not be charged for allegedly causing a collision and bailing - possibly because he had alcohol in his system.

Aside from what follows the article, I've received some responses in my email inbox, too. While most the user comments criticize the decision to not file charges against Mastick, and are overwhelmingly anti-police, the emails are a bit more balanced. For example, Lynda writes:

"Denise, Really, would it have hurt you to write a more positive article about Sgt. Mastick since the charges were dropped instead of perpetuating the hate against police officers?  Shame on you." I also heard from Andrew, who counters some of the comments that this was NOT news: "Denise, Thank you very much for reporting on this issue. I will make sure to never set foot in that city again. Keep up the good work on reporting the real issues and not some stupid puff piece from fox news." What do you think?

If you read my story on the police sting operation in Harbor Regional Park to crack down on men engaging in sexual activity there, I mentioned that police had made seven arrests through Friday. That's when I had to turn my story in.

LAPD Sgt. Randall Barr notified me that police made four more arrests on Saturday, including one who man who was HIV positive and wanted to have unprotected sex.

I'm not sure if the officers will begin their larger operation today as the article says because of the weather. Rain would likely keep the men away on its own.

Photo by Robert Casillas/Daily Breeze.

From City News Service:

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper, who presided over cases ranging from a Winnie the Pooh copyright battle to a lawsuit brought by the family of rapper Notorious B.I.G., died today. She was 69.

Cooper died this morning at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, the court announced.

The cause of death was not given, but the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported Thursday that the jurist was being treatment for lymphoma at St. John's Hospital and had suffered a stroke.

Cooper was a Superior Court commissioner from 1983 to 1990, a Municipal Court judge from 1990 to 1992, and a Superior Court judge from 1992 to 2000.

She was appointed to the bench for the Central District of California by President Bill Clinton in 2000.

She had planned to retire in March, court clerk Terry Nafisi said.

"Our court is devastated by this loss," said Chief Judge Audrey B. Collins of the Central District. "It is hard to measure the extent of this loss to her family, her friends and colleagues on both the state court and our federal bench, to the legal community and the greater Los Angeles community."

Collins said her colleague "was everyone's friend -- warm, caring, generous, and always ready to help with legal or non-legal issues."

"To her chambers staff, she was a legal mentor and a second mother; to her fellow judges, as well as lawyers practicing civil and criminal law, Florence personified the best qualities one could hope for in a federal judge -- intelligence, analytical reasoning and endless patience, combined with fairness, the unwavering ability to recognize and correct injustice to the individual and a passion for justice," Collins said.

"Above all this, she was everything we could hope for in a colleague and a friend -- funny, loyal, someone to count on through the good days and the bad days," the presiding judge said. "Her loss leaves an unfillable void."

Last September, Cooper issued a ruling ending a nearly two-decade battle over who owned the rights to Winnie the Pooh. Cooper decided in favor of The Walt Disney Co. in dismissing a copyright and trademark infringement complaint filed by the estate of Stephen Slesinger, who first commercialized the character.

In 2007, Cooper dismissed a wrongful death suit brought by the family of Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace against the city of Los Angeles, finding the slain rapper's family did not file the claim within the two-year time frame.

"She was a lovely person in addition to being a great judge," said Los Angeles attorney Kelli Sager, who chairs her law firm's media practice. "Whether you won or lost, you felt your side had been carefully considered."

Cooper was also well-liked among the press covering the trials over which she presided.

"She was always helpful to the press in giving decisions that were easily understandable, articulate and to the point," said veteran Associated Press legal reporter Linda Deutsch. "You didn't have to wonder what she was saying."

The judge's awards from the legal community including the Outstanding Jurist Award
from the Los Angeles County Bar Association in 1999.

Cooper was named Judge of the Year by the Criminal Courts Bar Association, the
Century City Bar Association, L.A. Women Lawyers and the Criminal Justice Section of
the L.A. County Bar.

In 2000, she was the recipient of a Golden Mike Award from the Radio and Television
News Broadcasters Association.

In 2005, 2007 and 2008, the Daily Journal named her one of the 100 most influential
people in California.

Cooper had an extensive teaching background and served for many years on the faculty
of the California Judicial College, Berkeley, the California Continuing Judicial Studies Program, National Judicial College and the University of LaVerne College of Law.

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cooper moved with her family to San Francisco in
1952. Her father, who died when she was young, was secretary to the president of the
Canadian Pacific Railway.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

School reporter Douglas Morino reports:

The lockdowns at West High and Victor Elementary have been called off, said Tammy Khan, spokeswoman for Torrance Unified. Students remained in their classrooms for about two hours, Khan said. Schools were dismissed as normal.

From the District Attorney:

NORWALK -- A Norwalk judge sentenced a 34-year-old Carson man to death today for stabbing an elderly couple to death during a robbery in their Cerritos home nearly six years ago.

Before sentencing, Norwalk Superior Court Judge Dewey L. Falcone first denied a defense motion to reduce the jury's recommendation of death for Anthony Deondrea Cain to life in prison without the possibility of parole, said Deputy District Attorney June Chung. She prosecuted the case with DDA Islam Ramadan.

The jury returned the death verdict in November. The same jury earlier convicted Cain, who was related to the couple through marriage, of first-degree murder of Ernestine and Lamar Matthews in the couple's home the 12900 block of Oak Crest Street. The jury also found true the special circumstances of murder during a robbery and multiple murders.

The couple, both 75, had planned to travel on a fund-raising trip to an Indian casino near San Diego on the Feb. 11 morning in 2004 when their bodies were discovered. Ernestine Matthews, a former teacher in the Compton Unified School District, and her husband, a retired parole officer, also were preparing to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary later that year.

Police are looking for a motorist who hit and killed a woman in Harbor Gateway and drove away without stopping.

The driver, in a gray or brown minivan, struck the Long Beach woman about 4 a.m. when she ran onto Normandie Avenue north of 204th Street, Los Angeles police Detective Rodney Jones said.

Charmmaine Ouk, 24, died at the scene.

Police said Ouk was a passenger in a car with three other women and began to feel sick, so her driver pulled over and stopped in an alley. Ouk became disoriented, jumped out of the car and ran from into the traffic lanes, he said.

It was unknown if Ouk was under the influence of drugs, he said.

Jones said the minivan's driver might have believed he or she struck an animal because it happened so fast.

"Hopefully they turn themselves in," Jones said.

Anyone with information about the hit-and-run case should contact Jones at 323-290-6064. 

Denise reports from the courtoom:

A former aerospace worker convicted of dragging a Los Angeles International Airport police officer to his death was sentenced today to life in prison without parole.

William Sadowski, 51, was sentenced in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom after Officer Tommy Scott's colleagues and family members told the judge what an excellent officer he was, as well as a good friend and son.

Scott died April 29, 2005 when stopped to talk to Sadowski, who was walking along Lincoln Boulevard north of the airport.

Scott, 36, got out of his patrol car to talk to Sadowski, who jumped into Scott's car and sped away.

The officer hung on as Sadowski swerved around the road. When he hit a fire hydrant, Scott was decapitated.

Denise was in the courtroom and will have a full story will coming later to dailybreeze.com

A deputy shot a man in the 500 block of Gardena Boulevard on the border of Carson and Harbor Gateway. The shooting occurred about 3:45 p.m.

Sheriff's Sgt. Faye Burgarin said the shooting occurred after a deputy stopped a pedestrian. The circumstances of what happened were not immediately available.

The wounded man was taken to County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

No deputies were hurt.

I actually laughed out loud at this very well-written profile of Los Angeles Public Defender Michael Judge in the Metropolitan News Enterprise. The well-respected criminal defense attorney, who was once head of the Torrance branch, had a "pimp era," during which he wore purple platform shoes with a pink diamond pattern and faux fur coats and drove a Cadillac Coup de Ville "with gangsta walls." Awesome.

Judge overcame a couple serious injuries and a career as the class clown to achieve some serious accomplishments.

 

 

Deputies in patrol cars and helicopters searched for about an hour this afternoon for a man threatening to overdose on drugs and kill himself, according to Carson sheriff Sgt. Michell Hall.

The search centered on the 22500 block of Grace Avenue. The man was not found, and he is not considered to be a danger to anyone but himself, she added.

The Carson sheriff's station has tapped into the "Twitter" social networking site to disseminate important information to the public.

"We believe we have an obligation to get information out to the public by whatever means is available," Sgt. Russell Shapley said. "Traditional media releases oftentimes take too long. By creating a Twitter account, we can avail traffic information, crime updates, Amber Alerts, or query the public for help in locating suspects almost immediately."

To find the Carson account, log on to "www.twitter.com" and follow "Carsonsheriff."

A man suspected of dressing up in a business suit and stealing office workers' wallets was caught because he allegedly stole a caterer's wallet while taking part in a wedding, police said Wednesday.

Glen Dale Collins, 46, of Los Angeles is suspected of committing identity theft crimes with the credit cards and identification cards he obtained, police said.

Investigators found information belonging to 17 potential victims' following Collins' arrest Tuesday evening, Torrance police Lt. Bernard Anderson said.

Before Torrance police arrested Collins, they had dubbed him the "Tuxedo Bandit." An uncle of the bride, Collins was a member of a wedding party held Nov. 7 at a banquet hall at West Coast Catering at The Torrance Womans Club, 1422 Engracia Ave.

It's the repeat peformance of the federal trial that ended with a mistrial for the former South Bay plastic surgeon in November when a jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of conviction. Lawrence Saks is accused of double billing for procedures.

The court clerk said he expects the retrial to wrap-up in about a week.

The Orange County Register is following the trial, which has a South Bay connection because one of Rodney Alcala's alleged victims was found in El Segundo. Here is their story on the trial's opening day.

The anti-capital punishment group Death Penalty Focus said today that California has more than twice the number of people awaiting execution than the infamously capital-punishment-prone state of Texas. Here is what they have to say.

Los Angeles: Investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) are looking for a man who stole a car and sped off with a 4-year-old boy inside early this morning in Granada Hills.

Approximately 30 minutes later, the car was found and the child was reunited with his mother.

The SUV, with the boy in a car seat, had been left running in a driveway in the 10000 block of Gaviota Avenue around 6:15 a.m. According to detectives, the mother of the child went inside the home to get her infant. As she walked to the front door of her home, she saw a man inside her SUV backing out of the driveway and called 9-1-1.

The SUV was equipped with LoJack. After the operator broadcasted the call, several squad cars, also equipped with LoJack, started searching for the vehicle. "They picked up a signal and tracked the vehicle a few blocks from where the car was stolen," said Lieutenant Grey Doyle. The vehicle was found abandoned near Debra Avenue and Mayall Street.

Investigators have few leads and there is no suspect description.

Five suspected gang members were arrested today at the end of a high-speed three-minute chase that began in Hawthorne and ended in Inglewood.

Police officers rammed the black Chevrolet Tahoe from behind and spun it out at the conclusion of the chase on La Cienega Boulevard at Centinela Avenue, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.

The driver and three passengers ran, but were quickly caught. The other was arrested in the Tahoe.

Police officers began chasing the SUV shortly before 11 a.m. after trying to pull it over for a speeding near El Segundo Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.

The SUV had five occupants, including the driver.

Speeds reached 60 mph on surface streets and more than 80 mph once the chase entered the San Diego Freeway and exited onto La Cienega.

Officers rammed the car and brought the chase to an end.

As the four suspects ran, one threw a handgun, which was recovered.

The Tahoe, which had no license plates on it, had been reported stolen Tuesday in the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division jurisdiction.

All five suspects are gang members, Tomatani said.

Arrested were Louie Duran, 29; Jorge Gonzalez, 21, and three teens. 

Four suspected gang members were arrested today at the end of a high-speed three-minute chase that began in Hawthorne and ended on the San Diego Freeway.

Police officers rammed the car from behind and spun it out at the conclusion of the chase near the La Cienega Boulevard and Manchester Avenue offramp, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.

Two suspects ran, but were quickly caught. The other two were arrested in the vehicle.
Police officers began chasing the SUV shortly before 11 a.m. after trying to pull it over for a traffic violation near El Segundo Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.

Speeds reached 50 mph on surface streets and up to 80 mph once the chase entered the northbound freeway.

Police found a gun in the SUV, some marijuana and determined the vehicle had been reported stolen, Tomatani said.

For longer than I've been a courts reporter, the issue of cameras in the court has continued as a hot button issue. Everytime we think we're making some progress, it seems we run into defeat. Just getting still photographs in our local courthouses on mid-level cases is an exercise akin to hoop jumping.

The issue is again taking center stage among one of the state's highest profile cases in recent memory: The Same Sex Marriage Cases.

Here's what the Associated Press has to say:

Gay marriage trial revives camera controversy

By PAUL ELIAS Associated Press Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - While the issue of same-sex marriage is widely expected to work its way to the U.S. Supreme Court over the next few years, another thorny legal question raised in the case has already landed before the high court: cameras in federal courtrooms.

The U.S. Supreme Court could rule as soon as Wednesday on whether to allow court employees to use a camera to record the pivotal trial in federal court here on the constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex marriage.

Though all 50 states allow cameras into some state-level court proceedings, federal courts from the high court on down have for decades generally refused to admit cameras into courtrooms. The chief judge of the Chicago-based U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals went so far as to censure a trial judge in Peoria, Ill., for allowing cameras to record a hearing earlier this year.

Most federal courts say they fear broadcasts will diminish the system's dignity, could unfairly influence rulings and disrupt proceedings. There is also concern that judges, lawyers and witnesses will pander to the camera while potential jurors will shy away from serving out of concern they will be identified.

 

On Sunday Jan. 17, a memorial is planned for Joe Martinez's amazing service dog, Killer. It will be at 3 p.m. in front of the Lighthouse Cafe, 30 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach.

Funds are continuing to be raised to train a new dog for Martinez after Killer was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Donations should be directed to the "Joseph Antonio Martinez for Killer the Service Dog Foundation" at Wells Fargo, 4340 Artesia Blvd., Torrance, CA 90504. Account No. 511400 500 2223348018.

 

A man was arrested Tuesday in Hawthorne as a suspect in a series of street robberies, including one in which the assailant pistol-whipped a victim, police said.

Richard James Cortez III, 30, was pulled over and arrested about 11:45 a.m. near 118th Street and Hawthorne Boulevard, where a victim was punched and robbed, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.

In another attempted crime, Cortez allegedly cut off a pedestrian with his car in the 12100 block of Hawthorne Bolevard. The victim, believing Cortez was reaching for a gun, ran to get away, but fell and suffered minor injuries.

He is also suspected of pistol-whipping and robbing a pedestrian in Lennox.

"Witnesses reported that Cortez attempted to cut off several other motorists and pedestrians in an attempt to rob them prior to the arrival of Hawthorne police," Tomatani said.

The so-called "El Segundo Flasher" has struck for a 10th time, police said Monday.
The man who has repeatedly exposed himself to girls in the city committed a crime Friday afternoon in front of two girls, El Segundo police Sgt. Scott Doukakis said.

The girls were walking at Holly Avenue and Maryland Street when the man called out, "Hey, look at this," and exposed himself, Doukakis said

The incident followed the previous Jan. 2 exposure incident as three girls walked in the 600 block of Eucalyptus Avenue. He has been committing crimes since November 2008, but had not struck in four months.

Witnesses have described his car as either a newer, dark blue four-door model or a full-size, white four-door model. The latest victims described it as silver.

The man is described as white, 20 to 25 years old, 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall and 200 to 220 pounds. He had a muscular build and blond hair in a buzz cut. He has been seen in long- and short-sleeve T-shirts and dark athletic shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 310-524-2216 or 310-524-2263.

In a box that accompanied a Dec. 30 Daily Breeze article about Joe Martinez and the effort to replace his service dog, the bank's address was incorrect. Donations should be directed to the "Joseph Antonio Martinez for Killer the Service Dog Foundation" at Wells Fargo, 4340 Artesia Blvd., Torrance, CA 90504.

Previously: UPDATE: Joe and Killer

Kevin Ott posts on Metblogs an Open Letter to the LAX Cop Who Threatened to Write My Girlfriend A Ticket on Monday. Sometimes, you just gotta vent, I suppose.

 

Came across this interesting 2nd District Court of Appeal opinion today. Without going into the details of the underlying robbery, the justices found that Westside Wilmas member Jacob Anthony Martinez was right that prosecutors did not prove his crime was gang-related. The decision knocked 10 years off his 23-year sentence. Here is the opinion.

Some San Pedro residents have asked about a helicopter search in the area of 22nd and Gaffey streets yesterday afternoon. I was in Hawthorne picking up videos on their big insurance business robbery and uploading them.

For a few hours yesterday afternoon, police were searching for a gang member who ran from officers.

One emailer said police told residents over a loudspeaker to to stay inside, and lock their doors.

Another announcement told someone "You have one minute to drop your weapons and come out with your hands up."

Lt. David McGill said gang officers were trying to arrest a Rancho San Pedro gang member on a battery on a police officer charge. They eventually found him and took him to jail.

Yesterday, attorneys representing both the City of Los Angeles and the Hare Krishnas appreared before the State Supreme Court in San Francisco to argue whether or not Los Angeles International Airport is a public forum for free speech. You can read more in depth about the issue here in my article that ran Tuesday.

I spoke this morning with David Liberman, the Los Angeles attorney who represents the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California. He said he was pleasantly surprised that the seven justices seemed to focus their questions to both sides on the "nitty gritty" issues of the law and the state Constitution, instead of security issues in the wake of 9/11 and even the more recent Christmas Day terrorist scare.

As he and other Supreme Court Court watchers know, the outcome of this decision lies almost entirely with Chief Justice Ronald George, the real wildcard on the seven-justice panel. Associate justices Kathryn Werdegar, Carlos Moreno and Joyce Kennard tend to come down on the side of protecting free speech, while associate justices Ming Chin, Marvin Baxter and Carol Corrigan generally rule more conservatively on such issues.

"It was a lively exchange and I think it's too close to call," Liberman said. "It can go either way."

 

A ruling will come within 90 days. Then the case returns to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an ultimate decision.

Rodney Alcala, who is representing himself, is facing the death penalty for killing an Orange County girl and four women in Los Angeles County - including Charlotte Lamb, whose body was found in an El Segundo apartment building. The Orange County Register reports today that trial should begin Monday.

California corrections officials are proposing a new lethal injection procedure, in an effort to come into compliance with a judge's directive. The Los Angeles Times has the story today.

Also: California's Death Row Inmates

There have been a series of vehicle burglaries since September 2009 all with similar
circumstances. Customers who have purchased Apple Computers from the Apple store in the
Manhattan Beach Village Mall (3200 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Manhattan Beach) have had their
vehicles burglarized and their computers stolen. In many of these crimes, customers have
purchased a computer, put it in their vehicle and then driven to another location leaving their
computer inside the vehicle.

When they return to their vehicle, the victims find that their cars have been burglarized and their computers have been stolen. It is believed that a group of
suspects are monitoring customers as they purchase their computers from the Apple Store
and then following them to their vehicles.

The suspects then follow the victims to anotherr location at which time they commit the burglary when the vehicle is left unattended with the
computers inside. These follow-away vehicle burglaries have occurred in the parking lots of
various retail establishments as well as on the streets of the victims' homes, sometimes at a
considerable distance away from the Apple Store.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department is aggressively investigating this crime series.
Please be vigilant when making a purchase such as this and do not leave expensive goods
unattended in your vehicles even if it is locked. Any suspicious circumstances should be
reported to your local police department immediately.

Police said Tuesday they are working to identify two men who robbed a credit union office in Torrance of $15,000 last week.

The robbery occurred Thursday at USEIT Federal Credit Union at 2409 Arlington Ave., Torrance police Sgt. Jeremiah Hart said.

The robbers entered the credit union through a back door and held up the employees at gunpoint.

No one was hurt in the crime.

Two men suspected of robbing more than a dozen businesses at gunpoint in the South Bay and Los Angeles were arrested after allegedly holding up a pizza restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley, police said Tuesday.
Jamaine Lee Dozier, 20, and Leandre Sykes, 19, both of Los Angeles were taken into custody Monday night when they fled a robbery at Little Caesar's Pizza in Covina, Torrance police Lt. Bernard Anderson said.

Full story coming to dailybreeze.com and Wednesday's print edition.

A man who has exposed himself repeatedly to girls in El Segundo has struck for a ninth time, police said Tuesday.

The latest incident occurred Saturday as three girls walked in the 600 block of Eucalyptus Avenue, El Segundo police Lt. Brian Evanski said.

Full story coming to dailybreeze.com

Previous entry and alternate sketch

Full story coming to dailybreeze.com and Wednesday's print edition.

Police in South Bay cities are looking for couple of men who have pilfered expensive bottles of booze from liquor stores.

The men, so far, have committed 10 crimes in Redondo Beach, and more in Torrance, Hermosa Beach and other cities, Redondo Beach police Lt. John McIntosh said.

If you know who they are, call Redondo Beach police at 310-379-2477.

Full story coming to dailybreeze.com and the Wednesday print edition.

A man who posed as a music industry insider has been arrested on suspicion of bilking a 67-year-old Inglewood man out of thousands of dollars while promising him a career in the limelight.

Robert "Bobby" Yasuyuki Nagao, 40, of Gardena told the victim he worked for Sony Music Group and planned to take him on a concert tour, police said.
It was all an alleged con.

Full story coming to dailybreeze.com and Wednesday's print edition.

All I gotta say this afternoon is there will be so much crime to read about in the paper tomorrow, I deserve a day off.

It's crazy today. It's non-stop reporting and typing.

I got a slew of mug photos of the perps too in robberies, burglaries, fraud cases.

Coming at you soon.

A lot of people don't like reporters. I'm sure you've read some of the nasty comments under our stories and posted on our blogs in recent months.

Yesterday, a woman called to tell me that one of my stories was poorly written and hard to follow. Oh, and my editor is stupid too for allowing it to run.

For whatever reason, the crime blog has been receiving a slew of spam comments in the last week or so. I thought they were real at first and posted some of them. Then, I realized they were spam.

They show up primarily on old entries and contain strange e-mail addresses. They have become an annoyance, filling up my Inbox and the blog comments area.

But what's cool is how they are all positive. They are kind of nice for a change. In fact, they are among the nicest comments I've ever received.

So, whoever is sending them, you can stop now, but I appreciate the good thoughts.

Here's a few:

• "If every editor wrote like you believe me the world would be a better place! this was an excellent read expecting more!"
• "Hello there, cheers for this fantastic post, a really great start to the new year, keep up the excellent work, Brenda. (Cheryl, Tracy and a couple others shared the same sentiment over and over.)
• "I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success in your business. Luz Rued
• "This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment
  
• That is some inspirational stuff. Never knew that opinions could be this varied. Thanks for all the enthusiasm to offer such helpful information here.  Johanna Kalinoski 
• It appears that you have placed a lot of effort into your article and I require more of these on the net these days. I sincerely got a kick out of your post. I don't really have much to say in response, I only wanted to comment to reply wonderful work. Thad Honzell
  

Police and coroner's officials continued Monday to investigate the death of a Yucaipa woman found at the bottom of a San Pedro cliff.

A resident discovered the 24-year-old woman's body about 2:45 p.m. Thursday below homes in the 1400 block of Paseo del Mar, Los Angeles police Detective Jim Perkins said.

Although the coroner and police have not confirmed her name, friends identified her as Brenda Flores, a former San Pedro resident.

Coroner's officials have not determined if the woman died as a result of an accidental fall or if she committed suicide, Perkins said.

The death was not the result of a homicide.

Her car was found parked nearby.

A reputed gang member on parole from prison was arrested Monday on suspicion of attempting to kill a Redondo Beach man.

Armando Joseph Tinajero, 29, of Torrance is suspected of shooting at a bicyclist in the 2400 block of Fisk Lane on Saturday afternoon, Redondo Beach police Lt. Joe Hoffman said.

The intended victim was not hit, Hoffman said.

Tinajero was booked into the Redondo Beach jail on suspicion of attempted murder and a parole violation.

"We've had numerous run-ins with him throughout the last 10 years," Hoffman said. "He most recently served time in prison on a case for having a gun."

Tinajero is a known member of the North Side Redondo gang and has NSR tattooed on his bald scalp.

"It was not a random shooting and we believe there is a connection that has to do with gang activity," Hoffman said.The victim is not believed to be a gang member, but "at some point in history had some sort of ties with North Side Redondo gang."

NPR reports on a Justice Department inspector general report that says U.S. District Court judges and assistant U.S. attorneys receive a lot of threats, but don't always report them. That's dangerous, say the U.S. Marshalls who must protect them.

Gardena police investigators were still searching Monday for suspects in the murder of one man and the wounding of another at a New Year's Day party.

Police believe the shooting was gang-related, and instigated by a fight between partygoers, Lt. Steve Prendergast said.

The shootings occurred about 11:20 p.m. Friday at a party at a business in a complex in the 13800 block of Normandie Avenue, officials said.

At some point, a fight broke out and shots were fired.

Gregory Hegwood, 26, of Los Angeles was pronounced dead at the scene. Patrick Whittington, 26, of Gardena suffered one gunshot wound to his upper body and was taken to a hospital. He is expected to survive, police said.

Anyone with information about this crime should call Gardena Police Department at 310-217-9600.