March 2010 Archives

Several South Bay police agencies have established Facebook pages for users to keep up with the news. The Torrance, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Hawthorne departments are publishing photographs, crime information and crime prevention tips on the social networking Web site.

Facebook users can find the pages at "HawthornePD" or www.facebook.com/hawthornepolice; "Redondo Beach Police" or www.facebook.com/RedondoBeachPolice; "Hermosa Beach Police"; "El Segundo Police Department"; and "Torrance Police Department" or www.facebook.com/TorrancePD.

We had a brief in Saturday's paper and on the Web about a suspicious man who tried to lure a student into a van at 187th Street and Yukon Avenue on Wednesday.

Today, Edison Principal Erin Lahr sent out this update:

"Dear Parents and Guardians,

This letter serves to follow up with information regarding the parent report made to the police last Wednesday and what was reported to the school late on Thursday. The police department looked into the matter and said that the investigation was unfounded and reiterated the importance of being aware of your surroundings and reporting any suspicious activity. As previously stated, this may be a good introduction into a safety discussion with your children.

Make sure students are supervised when walking to and from school, as well as when playing outside.

We are sorry if we unnecessarily alarmed anyone with the previous letter home. But because the safety of our students is always our first concern, we erred on the side of caution. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns."

The Torrance Police Department posted this item on its Web site about a recent crime trend:

"Since the end of SEP '09, there have been 10 Jeep Wranglers stolen including multiple attempts to steal Jeep Wranglers from commercial parking lots during daytime hours Monday through Friday in Torrance.

The most recent occurred WED, March 17th for the second time at the COSTCO, 2751 Skypark. The Del Amo Fashion Center, 3525 Carson, is another location where multiple Jeep Wranglers have been stolen. Check the website for the full crime bulletin. http://www.torranceca.gov/TPD/15237.htm 

We were out today with Torrance police as they conducted a cellphone operation. The story will be up shortly.

Drivers who were talking or texting got tickets.

Just waiting on the total number of tickets issued today.

Just heard that Capt. Mitch Tavera will be the next chief in El Segundo starting April 7.

I'm not sure what happened to Chief David Cummings. We'll try to find out.

*UPDATE: Cummings retired.

From City News Service

A former bookkeeper for the International Longshore and  Warehouse Union Local 26 was sentenced today in Los Angeles federal court to 21 months behind bars and ordered to pay restitution of $121,475 for embezzling union funds.

Rosa Della Porta, 45, of Highland Park, was convicted at trial in Los Angeles federal court one year ago of a single count of embezzling about $108,000 from the union.

As office manager and bookkeeper of ILWU Local 26, Della Porta was responsible for
receiving union dues and making bank deposits. Della Porta received cash from various union
sources, deposited less cash than the union received, then kept the balance, prosecutors
said.

Della Porta embezzled the funds from January 2003 through June 2006, when the union
relieved her of her bookkeeping duties. She was fired from the union in November 2006,
prosecutors said.

ILWU Local 26 represents about 1,000 people who work for 28 industrial companies in the Los Angeles area.

Police were unable to locate the gunman who fired on a Redondo Beach police officer in Lawndale early today.

They ended the search around 1 p.m.

The gunman opened fire on the cop when the officer stopped to check up on him. The man was crouched near a car at Inglewood Avenue and 166th Street. The officer considered that suspicious, Redondo Beach police Lt. Joe Hoffman said.

The guy immediately shot the officer and missed.

The officer fired back. No one is sure if he missed or hit the guy.

If you know who the guy is call the police.

Reader Connie Huante sent over the photo.

If you are a Daily Breeze print version reader and saw the crime charts in the paper today, they are missing some keys words and phrases.

There was some sort of production error. I swear the words were there when I last saw the charts.

So, the charts will be reprinted on Tuesday.

the Los Angeles Police Department just issued this release to announce that DNA resulted in the capture of a man suspected in a 1979 killing.

Los Angeles: On April 9, 1979, Sandra Faith Phillips, 33 years of age, was found dead inside of her West Los Angeles residence. Phillips' death was attributed to strangulation and the apparent motive for the crime was of a sexual nature. Although an extensive investigation was conducted, no viable suspects were identified during the original investigation and the case remained unsolved for over 30 years.

Pursuant to the advances of DNA identification, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department submitted a request to have biological evidence recovered from the Sandra Phillips' crime scene analyzed for the presence of DNA. Subsequently, foreign DNA was tested and genetic profile was uploaded into California's Department of Justice CODIS databank.

In December 2007, cold case detectives received notification that from this submission, a convicted offender, Leonard Alex Dominquez, was identified via a "cold- hit" CODIS match. Detectives learned that in 2007 Dominquez had been arrested for a narcotics offense and pursuant to Prop 69, Dominquez' DNA reference sample was collected, which was then uploaded into the Department of Justice CODIS databank. This "cold-hit" investigative lead caused detectives to re-open the Phillips' murder investigation. After conducting an in-depth investigation, detectives developed additional evidence implicating Dominquez' culpability in this heinous crime.

On March 23, 2010, cold case detectives arrested Leonard Dominquez, near his Los Angeles home pursuant to a Probable Cause arrest warrant.

On March 24, 2010, this cold case investigation was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration.

From the Sheriff's Department:

"On Thursday, March 18, deputies from Lomita Sheriff's Station responded to Mira Catalina Elementary School in Rancho Palos Verdes after a 10-year-old student claimed a male adult attempted to abduct her from the campus. During the course of its investigation, the Sheriff's Department learned that the alleged victim fabricated the entire story.

Reasons for the fabricated story will remain private, but the young girl has expressed remorse for what she did. The Sheriff's Department will be working closely with officials from the Palos Verdes School District and Mira Catalina Elementary School to address all issues associated with this incident. We anticipate that no criminal charges will be filed.

This just in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District:

Story coming in a few:

On Tuesday, March 23, 2010, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Detectives completed a thorough investigation into the attempted abduction of a 10-year-old student at Mira Catalina Elementary School. It has been discovered that the alleged victim's accusation was falsified and that the incident, in fact, did not occur. The District is working closely with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and school administration to address the problem and restore normalcy to the campus. We are relieved that there is closure on this issue, and satisfied our procedures already in place insured the safety of all students. 

The story about former Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Shawn Shelton's conviction for killing 19-year-old Justin James in Louisiana during an apparent sexual assault received about 90 comments on dailybreeze.com.

One stood out. It was from James' mother, Lisa. Here it is:

"My family and I sat through a horrible week of testimony and evidence. It has been four  years and 4 months since this man took my child's life. The trial is over. But my family and I have to live everyday knowing what we heard in that courtroom.

Shawn Shelton didn't show any kind of remorse. My husband and I sat in on the 14 yr old he molested in Nevada -- this was after the death of Justin. No remorse was shown for that kid either. There were MANY kids' pics on a jump drive that belonged to Shawn Shelton. Who are they and where are they?

I just want you to know that we loved our child with everything in us. Justin died for everything he was against. As Christian parents, we pray that one day the hurt won't hurt as bad as it does right now. Yes, I did stay with it and yes I worked very hard. Sometimes police make mistakes, And in this particular case many were made. So yes, I did stay with it. I have two other children that are devastated. I only wish that someone could have detected there was a problem and tried to get him help. All I can see and read is they didn't see a problem to the end.

Unless you were in that courtroom last week, you can not imagine the multitude of this case. I pray that this man will never hurt another child. And I know, no one will ever hurt mine again. 

Here's what's going on in Redondo Beach, according to a report by Redondo Beach police Capt. Jeff Hink:

03-18-10 (Thursday)

Artesia Bl. / Inglewood Av.: A motorcyclist that was stopped for a red light on Artesia Bl. at the intersection of Inglewood Av. was rear ended by another motorist. The driver, who was under the influence of alcohol, exited his vehicle briefly to check on the injured motorcyclist and then staggered back to his vehicle to drive away. The motorcyclist jumped into the vehicle to prevent the other driver from leaving the scene. The vehicle traveled two blocks before the motorcyclist was able to apply the brakes and put the vehicle into park. The driver was subsequently arrested for felony DUI and felony hit and run.

1600 block of Wollacott St.: Two females were walking home from a local bar. They were being followed by two male suspects who were making continual advances towards them. The females entered the garage of their residence and sought the assistance of their male roommates. When the roommates confronted the suspects and told them to leave, one of the suspects struck both roommates on their heads with a skateboard causing laceration to the ear of one roommate and a laceration to the head of the other. The suspects fled the location prior to the officers' arrival.

03-19-10 (Friday)

1400 block of Hawthorne Bl.: A suspect stole a purse from a victim while she was loading groceries into her vehicle. A witness who had observed the theft chased the suspect towards the Bank of America on Hawthorne Bl. The witness caught the suspect and was able to take him to the ground, but the suspect produced a knife and was able to run away again. The witness followed the suspect towards the Target store on Kingsdale Av. Arriving officers were told that the suspect was hiding in the bushes near Target and still had the knife. Officers were able to take the suspect into custody and recover the knife. The suspect, an admitted heroin user from Palm Springs, confessed to the crimes and was arrested for the theft of the purse, assault with a deadly weapon and for being under the influence of a narcotic.

03-20-10 (Saturday)

2500 block of Nelson Av. / Bike Path: The Police Department received a report of a vandalism that had just occurred to a trash can on the bike path. An arriving sergeant detained four suspects who matched the description of the persons responsible for committing the vandalism. A male juvenile in possession of a marker was immediately arrested for the vandalism. Another juvenile, a reported run away, was also arrested. One of the two remaining juveniles was also arrested when she tried to interfere with the officers' investigation.

03-21-10 (Sunday)

400 block of S. PCH: A suspect entered a liquor store, produced a handgun, and demanded that the clerk give him currency from the cash register. The clerk responded by referring to another customer in the store and asked the suspect if he was going to do the crime in front of a police officer. However, the customer was not a police officer. The clerk then asked the suspect if he was going to rob him with a plastic gun. The suspect then left the store without completing the crime, entered a blue Dodge Ram pick- up, and fled the area. As officers were documenting this crime, they received information via their police radios that a suspect and vehicle similar to the Redondo Beach incident had just committed a robbery in Manhattan Beach.

Jurors just convicted Milton Gallardo in the killing of housekeeper Libia Cabrera, 41, in a Manhattan Beach apartment in 2005.

The Torrance Superior Court jury deliberated less than two days before finding Gallardo, 28, OF Hawthorne guilty of murder, rape, sodomy, burglary and arson.

He faces life in prison.

Denise is in court getting all the details and will file a full report on dailybreeze.com soon.

A former South Bay man who ran a prostitute review Web site was sentenced to more than four years in prison in Arizona for trying to hire someone to kill a prostitute.

David Elms, 38, who previously lived in both Torrance and Hawthorne, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.

On Monday, he was sentenced in a Maricopa County courtroom to four and a half years in prison, plus five years probation for his involvement in a high-profile prostitution ring case.

He was already on probation for drugs and weapons convictions from a 2006 incident with a prostitute in Manhattan Beach when he was arrested in Phoenix a year ago.

The founder of TheEroticReview.com had made bail after his arrest, fled and was recaptured in June as he tried to cross the border from Mexico.

Elms launched his Web site in 1999 as a place to review prostitutes.

 One of the prostitutes took exception with the private information Elms posted about her and sued him.

 County Attorney Andrew Thomas said in a statement, "Prostitution exploits women and degrades the community. I thank the Phoenix Police Department and our prosecutors for bringing this case to a proper conclusion."

The Phoenix New Times had this to say: "If he spends time with real pimps and bones up on his PHP code, Elms probably will obtain a doctorate in prostitution management by the time he gets out of prison." 

A man was shot in the head early Monday in an apparently gang-related incident in Inglewood, police said.

Police who received a call about "unknown trouble" found the man about 3 a.m. in the 700 block of South Grevillea Avenue, Inglewood police Lt. Oscar Serrano said.

The man had a single gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a hospital and was reported in critical condition.

His identity was not released.

Police believe the victim was walking along the street when the shooting occurred. The motive appeared to be gang-related, Serrano said.

Anyone with information about the crime was asked to call detectives at 310-412-5246 or the 24-hour anonymous hotline number 888-41-CRIME.

A boy's baseball team helped police capture a man suspected of peeping under stalls in a women's restroom in Torrance, the coach and police said Monday.

Manuel DeJesus Garcia, 33, of Carson was arrested Sunday evening after the 11- and 12-year-old boys on the Red Sox spotted him walking near Walteria Park in Torrance.

"Every one of the boys at the top of their lungs said, 'Coach, there he is!'" said Larry Kruger, whose son is on the team.

Looks like the iPhone problem with GPS is fixed. Several of us in the Daily Breeze office are now back where we belong -- in Torrance.

Last week, we were all in Boulder, Colo.

Let me know if it's the same for you. I'll try the folks at Apple to see if they fixed it, but their media office blew me off Thursday and Friday when I called them about the problem. I wonder how much money their media relations people make to not have to do anything when a reporter calls.

Perhaps they fixed the problem after my Daily Breeze story got the attention of engadget.com, a popular tech site, and a local television station covered it as well. And, lots of people called them to complain.

Anyway, let me know if  your phone works properly again.

larry.altman@dailybreeze.com

Former Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Shawn Shelton was convicted today of drugging and killing a 19-year-old Louisiana man found dead in 2005 in Natchitoches.

Jurors in Natchitoches Parish court took 35 minutes to render the manslaughter verdict.

Shelton, as you might recall, once accused former Chief Ernest Klevesahl and other officers of harrassing him because he was gay. He eventually left the department.

Before long, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in Las Vegas. He was convicted of that crime and sentenced to 35 years to life.

Now he could face an additional 40 years. Prosecutors say the evidence showed Shelton drugged Justin James -- who was straight -- in an effort to sexually assault him. The drug combination killed him.

A story is coming soon to Dailybreeze.com.*

Two Inglewood women were arrested on suspicion of breaking into cars at the Metro Park and Ride lot in Hawthorne, police said Friday.

Police received the burglary report about 3:40 p.m. Thursday. Officers in the Hawthorne police helicopter spotted the women driving away from the lot, Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.

Officers on the ground pulled them over and discovered stolen property in the car. It included a car stereo, a woman's purse and wallet with identification not belonging to the two women, and jewelry.

Police also found multiple shaved keys in the car.

Arrested on suspicion of burglary, attempted burglary, and possession of stolen property, were Cristina Ortega, 33, and Natalie Seidelman, 32.

Police are investigating whether a third suspect escaped.

We'll soon have a sketch of the assailant sought in the attack on a girl yesterday at Mira Catalina Elementary School in Rancho Palos Verdes.

As soon as the Sheriff's Department emails it to me, I'll post it.

Walker Williams, superintendent of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, issued this statement today on the attempted kidnapping at Mira Catalina Elementary School.

"The following information was provided to the District by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department concerning an incident at Mira Catalina Elementary School today.

The victim, a Mira Catalina Elementary School student, was exiting the girls bathroom (southeast side of the campus) when a male grabbed her right arm.  She immediately pulled away and ran to her classroom.  The suspect fled in an unknown direction.  The classroom teacher notified the principal who in turn contacted the Lomita Sheriff's Station and put the school into lock down.  An extensive search of the surrounding area was completed by Lomita Station personnel.

All students are in the process of being released to their parents.
We will continue to work with the Sheriff's Station in their investigation.

Additional staff will be assigned to Mira Catalina to assist with campus supervision.  We will provide additional information when it becomes available."

Mira Catalina Elementary School in Rancho Palos Verdes is on lockdown this afternoon after a man tried to kidnap a 10-year-old female student at the school, sheriff's deputies said.

The victim told deputies that a man grabbed her arm as she was exiting a campus bathroom at about 12:15 p.m. He fled on foot in an unknown direction, and has not been found.

The girl ran into a nearby classroom, said Lt. Vicki Stuckey of the Lomita sheriff's station. The incident occurred on the southeast side of the school, located in the 30500 block of Lucania Drive.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20 to 30 years old and about 5-foot-6 with spiky brown hair. He was wearing a black T-shirt and beige shorts.
The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information should contact the Lomita sheriff's station at 310-539-1661.

A driver who led police on a short chase in Manhattan Beach jumped out of his car and ran into the ocean, where he tried to blend in as a swimmer, police said Wednesday.

The man, however, was quickly plucked from the water by lifeguards and police officers.

A police officer tried to stop the driver when he ran a stop sign in the El Porto area about 7:30 p.m., Manhattan Beach police Lt. Bryan Klatt said.

The driver sped away, leading a short chase that ended when he hit a dead end at 23rd Street near Marine Avenue.

His passengers, a teenage girl and teenage boy, stayed with the car, but the driver ran onto the beach and into the water. He took off his shirt and shoes and tried to act as if he was a swimmer, Klatt said.

Officers and lifeguards kept watch and pulled him from the water. Offices in a police helicopter aided from above.

The three were arrested and taken to jail.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol sought help from Redondo Beach police today when he was concerned about two men following him, officers said.

The men turned out to be Spanish paparrazi trying to get a photograph of the star basketball player with his girlfriend. Gasol and his cheerleader girlfriend are both from Spain.

Gasol, who lives in Redondo Beach, told officers he saw the men following him before he got into his car. They tailed him with such tenacity, he was unsure if he was being stalked or if they were photographers, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.

Gasol called a friend in law enforcement who advised him to pull into the back of the Redondo Beach police station, where he described the car to officers.

Officers spotted the black sedan and pulled it over on Diamond Street near Catalina Avenue. The occupants turned out to be credentialed paparazzi with a Spanish news agency and were allowed to leave, Keenan said.

Gasol was escorted home.

In a brief interview, the men said they were paparazzi with a Spanish news agency. They declined to identify themselves or their agency.

"Maybe he thought we were something else," the older of the pair said. "Maybe he thought we were kidnappers."

Police said the paparazzi said they were trying to get a photograph of Gasol with his girlfriend. Silvia Lopez Castro has been linked to Gasol since last summer and reportedly lives with him in Redondo Beach.

Photo by Charles Bennett/Daily Breeze

A reader asked me Tuesday why the Daily Breeze did not cover the March 10 death of a Mira Costa High School student from Redondo Beach. Another local online media outlet did, although the story did not state how the student died.

Obviously, the sudden death of a 17-year-old boy has affected the Mira Costa student body. Principal Julie Ruisinger e-mailed parents about the boy's death and made counselors available to grieving students and faculty. She did not say how he died.

"At the present, we have very limited information," Ruisinger wrote.

Although I have information from police and the coroner's office about what happened, I didn't write a story. The Daily Breeze doesn't have a rigid policy, but our general practice is to not cover suicides that occur privately. This teen took his own life within his own home.

Sometimes we do publish stories about private suicides in the paper. Many years ago, a Torrance teenager killed himself within days of leading his Little League team to a national victory. I covered the story and even went to the funeral. The story unfortunately brought pain to his family.

I've been thinking about this latest death. There's a part of me that thinks I should write a story because of the impact his loss has had on campus. And there's definitely a story behind why someone so young would take such an action.

But so far, we'll stick to the practice of leaving it alone.

Police searched the Sears store Tuesday at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance following a telephoned bomb threat. Nothing was found.

Shoppers and employees were forced to evacuate shortly after 4 p.m. No other stores at the mall were affected.

Torrance police searched the store with dogs. People were allowed to return about 5:30 p.m.

The Torrance Fire Department, along with police from Santa Monica and Los Angeles International Airport assisted in the search.

Torrance police say this guy followed a woman into the bathroom of McDonald's restaurant at 3880 Pacific Coast Highway and tried to look under the stall door

He ran when she yelled.

The same thing happened Feb. 22.

The suspect in both cases is Latino, about 40 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall. He had brown

eyes, slicked back hair and a large face.

If you know him, call the Torrance Police Department 310-618-5570.

We said a few weeks ago that former Redondo Beach police Sgt. Gene Tomatani had pleaded guilty and would get 90 days jail for stealing money from his own police union. Well, he got formally sentenced today.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- A former sergeant was sentenced today to 90 days in jail and three years probation for embezzling more than $72,000 from the Redondo Beach Police Officers' Association while he was the union's president and
treasurer.

Gene Tomatani, 40, pleaded guilty last month to one count of grand theft by embezzlement. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to participate in a Gamblers Anonymous program for a year.

He paid $75,388.56 in restitution prior to being sentenced, according to
prosecutors.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Norm Shapiro ordered Tomatani to surrender April 20 to
begin serving his three-month jail term.

According to the criminal complaint, filed in December, the theft occurred between May 1,
2004, and May 31, 2008.

His attorney, Vicki Podberesky, said earlier that her client was "taking responsibility for his
actions."

Tomatani was relieved of duty in November 2008 after officials learned about the missing
money through an audit, prosecutors said. He submitted his resignation in October while
administrative hearings were pending.

This is the man police in Anaheim say was shot to death in a struggle  with an off-duty Gardena cop on Sunday. The cop was eating with his 6-year-old daughter at a Del Taco restaurant when the agitated man came in and got into a dispute with the counter help.

The officer stepped in and told him to stop using profanity. The guy then turned on him and began beating him in front of his daughter. The cop eventually pulled his gun and shot the guy dead.

The whole thing is under investigation.

Anaheim police have now identified the man as Charles A. Barrera, 39, of Anaheim. He has a criminal history since 1988 that includes drugs, burglary, robbery and assault.

The officer suffered a broken nose and jaw, and broken ribs in the fight. Gardena police are not identifying him for his and his family's protection.

There's a few minor inaccuracies in this article at The South Los Angeles Report out of USC, but the overall jist is that, because former Inglewood Mayor Roosevelt Dorn retired before pleading guilty to criminal charges, he gets to keep his pension. The report questions whether that's fair. Is it?

By now, you've probably heard that Rodney Alcala was convicted and sentenced to death, again, for the murder of a little Huntington Beach girl and the rape and murders of four Los Angeles County women, including one who was found in an El Segundo apartment laundry room.

The Orange County register is reporting that prosecutors now want the public's help in identifying possible other victims whose photos were uncovered during the investigation. They have posted an album of children who may have also been Alcala's victims.

Hi! Remember us? Yeah, know it's been a while... If you've been following the Daily Breeze in print or online, then you know that the news is just breaking all over the place. Unfortunately, as much as we love to blog, those developing stories have to take priority! Of course this blog is important to us and, hopefully, to you too ... but sometimes, it's just icing on the cake.

So, to get us back (hopefully) in the swing of things, let's start the morning with Gino Oneal Sr. and his son, Gino Oneal Jr. Check out what these guys allegedly did to senior citizens grocery shopping in El Segundo. The story will get updated later today with the court information.

 

The last couple of days have been long and tough, covering the awful story of a baby found dead in a trash can in Redondo Beach.

Police officers worked hard to make an arrest. Reporters worked hard to cover the story.

Those two things sometimes don't mix. News people and police can sometimes butt heads.

But rarely in Redondo Beach. That's why I wanted to publicly thank the Redondo Beach Police Department for consistent excellence in getting the news out and working with us in the media. They did it again Wednesday and Thursday.

Oh sure, our photographer got pushed back a few yards from where he wanted to stand Wednesday and didn't like it, but for the most part, the day went off without a hitch.

It all starts with Sgt. Phil Keenan, the dean of South Bay police public information officers. He was among the first officers on scene Wednesday and actually saw the baby in the garbage. As the day progressed, he provided information and updates about what was happening. It allowed me and TV reporters to quickly relay the information to the public on the Web and television.

Keenan's been doing that for years and his fellow Redondo Beach officers have followed his lead. For whatever reason, Redondo Beach has routinely been the best department at working with the media, and especially the Daily Breeze.

Lt. Joe Hoffman recently took the reins of the detective bureau. I talk to him quite often about cases that develop. He even called me as I drove home Wednesday night to make sure I had everything I needed for my story.

I called him a few times Thursday as I wrote a followup. He never told me to stop calling.

Sometimes you wonder why we don't have followups or much information on homicides and other stories in some cities. That's because some other departments don't follow Redondo Beach's example.

On Wednesday, as I wrote the baby story, a reader sent me an email asking about the two dead bodies found in Carson a couple days earlier. I told him I had nothing to offer. Nobody at the Sheriff's Department responded to my requests for information. It's frustrating so I gave up.

That's just not the way it is with Redondo Beach.

So that's why I wanted to say thanks to the officers in Redondo Beach. They assist the media, we assist them in getting information out, and the public benefits as a result by knowing what's going on and sometimes providing the tips that solve a crime.

And that's what it's really all about.

FROM THE REDONDO BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT:

The Redondo Beach Police Department arrested a former Redondo Beach resident today after identifying her as the person responsible for birthing an infant in a Redondo Beach home over the weekend and then disposing of the infant in a trash can at the residence.

Jessie Lauren Canfield, 24, of Santa Barbara, was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. at her home in Santa Barbara where she currently resides with her sister. Redondo Beach police were called to the scene in the 700 Block of North Irena Ave. at around 9:00 a.m. today, after a trash collector on his regular route, observed the deceased infant inside of the trash container which had been placed curbside for collection. Police arrived at the scene and observed the deceased infant in the trash container.

Investigators working on the case were able to determine that over the weekend a party had taken place at the residence that the trash container belonged to and that Canfield, who was attending the party, was complaining of cramping and other discomfort.

Investigators were able to make contact with Canfield at her Santa Barbara home and verify that she had given birth while at the Redondo Beach home over this past weekend and then disposed of the infant in the trash can. Canfield is a 2004 graduate of Redondo Union High School who now resides in Santa Barbara. She was taken into custody and is being transported to the Redondo Beach jail where she will be held on the charge of murder.

I'm told an arrest is imminent in the case of the baby found dead in a trash can in Redondo Beach. Things are moving quickly in the investigation.

More as soon as we know the details.

We ran this item Wednesday in the paper, but without the photograph.

Manhattan Beach police are trying to identify a forgery suspect who used a counterfeit Ohio driver's license and Social Security number card to withdraw $700 from the victim's bank account.

The crimes occurred at Chase bank branches in Manhattan Beach and Norwalk.
The woman is white, in her 20s to 30s, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, about 165 pounds, with blond, shoulder-length hair and green eyes.

Call Detective Mike Rosenberger at 310-802-5127.

The Los Angeles Times is continuing its look into problems with Los Angeles County's Probation Department. This morning, it reports:

At least 170 Los Angeles County Probation Department employees have committed misconduct -- including cases of excessive force and abuse -- but have so far escaped punishment because there is not enough staff to mete out discipline, officials said Tuesday.

"We have too many cases and not enough staff," interim chief Cal Remington said in an interview with The Times. "I'm not happy with the time it takes to complete an investigation and determine the discipline."

Department investigations have concluded that the employees committed misconduct and should face discipline ranging from written reprimands to terminations, Remington said. Of the 170 employees, most are sworn officers and about half the cases involved allegations of abuse of juvenile probationers. Most of the employees remain on the job, and it was unclear if they ultimately would be punished.

Here's a good one from the Redondo Beach PD significant events report:

Monday 02/15

Two juveniles grabbed victim's iPhone from his table in the food court at the Galleria.

The juveniles fled on foot, with the victim, who happened to be a Deputy District Attorney, following them.  RBPD police officers responded and one juvenile was located at 182^nd and Kingsdale.

Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of the second juvenile inside the mall.  An iPhone was recovered.  Additional investigation tied these juveniles to a telephone theft the day prior, nearby in the city of Torrance. 

*Here's more: 

 

Tuesday 02/16

1452 hrs - An RBPD patrol officer was patrolling in the area of Beryl and Prospect when his "ALPR" (automatic license plate reader) hit on a stolen vehicle.  Both occupants were arrested for unlawfully operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent. 

 

Wednesday 02/17

1142 hrs - 1700 block Esplanade.  Victim returned home to his residence to discover his home had been burglarized, missing was his laptop computer, briefcase, and an iPod.  A review of video surveillance footage revealed that the burglary occurred at 1139 hrs, perpetrated by a black or Hispanic male adult, possibly using lock picks.  Suspect is seen leaving the location with victim's property about three minutes later.  Subsequent investigation indicates that the same suspect may have committed at least one more burglary in the area.

 

Thursday 02/18

1101 hrs - Detectives were in the area of the 1700 Block of  the Esplanade conducting an investigation.  A stolen vehicle arrived in the area during that time at which time detectives began surveilling it.  Patrol units were subsequently summoned and took both occupants into custody.  

 

1447 hrs - Another resident on the 1700 block of the Esplanade reported an attempt burglary at his residence.  The scene was processed for fingerprints.

 

Friday 02/19

0149 hrs - While driving on Pacific Coast Hwy near the intersection with Avenue H, an ALPR (automated license plate reader) equipped patrol unit discovered a stolen vehicle parked in the area.  The reporting agency, Palos Verdes Estates Police, was notified and the vehicle was recovered.

 

Detectives are investigating a reported sexual assault case involving two Narbonne High School students in a restroom at the Harbor City campus.

The students, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy who were already acquainted, allegedly engaged in a sexual encounter at 10 a.m. while classes were in session, police said.

Los Angeles police Lt. David McGill said the case apparently involves two teens engaged in sex. The girl's age could make it a case of statutory rape, however.

The boy was arrested at the school and detained on suspicion of sexual assault.

Police said the investigation has shown the encounter to be an isolated incident between two people.

Police reports will be submitted to the District Attorney's Office juvenile office in Long Beach.

The teen's identities were not released because of their ages.

A 21-year-old suspected gang member accused of gunning down a Narbonne High School football player at a Compton restaurant last May pleaded not guilty today to a murder charge.

Arlon Watson is charged in the May 24, 2009, shooting death of 18-year- old Dannie Farber
Jr., an All-City wide receiver who was shot four times while having dinner with his girlfriend at
Louisiana Fried Chicken in the 1900 block of Rosecrans Avenue.

Watson is due to return to court March 26.

From a City News Service report

Cameron Brown was scheduled for a pretrial hearing today, but it was postponed until March 10 since his defense attorney apparently misscheduled the date.

A quick search with the 2nd District Court of Appeal yielded no results for any appeals of Judge Michael Pastor's decision in January to keep the case going and bail in place.

The Redondo Beach man charged with Cori Desmond's murder appeared in court again Tuesday as the case continues to wind it's way through the justice system.

A San Bernardino Superior Court judge ordered Tony Lopez Perez, 35, back to court on April 8 for a disposition and resetting hearing.

Deputy District Attorney Karen Khim said it is standard to set schedule such a hearing, which will give the attorneys another opportunity to discuss the evidence and any possible pre-trial disposition.

Khim, though, said she doubted a resolution would come prior to trial. She would not discuss what offers, if any, prosecutors have made to Perez.

She added that Perez's defense attorney is still going over the "volumes" of evidence generated during the investigation, and that further DNA test results are still pending.

Perez's attorney did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

Perez is accused of killing the 28-year-old Torrance woman, who he encountered on a street outside his residence early on Feb. 15, 2009.

Based on statements he allegedly gave to investigators, it appears Perez, a restaurant worker and father, strangled Desmond and then dumped her body later that day along a snowy mountain highway near Running Springs.

CITY ATTORNEY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO TOYOTA PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARDS

Consumers Urged to Contact the City Attorney With Information

 

LOS ANGELES - The City Attorney's Complex Litigation Unit announced today that it has launched a preliminary investigation and is seeking additional information from the public into potential public safety hazards caused by sudden unintended acceleration, breaking and steering problems affecting certain models of Toyota and Lexus automobiles. The investigation is being headed by Chief Assistant City Attorney Jeffrey Isaacs, Deputy Chief of the Special Operations and Litigation Division.

 

Members of the public who have been impacted by vehicle malfunctions and have purchased a new or used Toyota or Lexus automobile between January 1, 2000 and the present, and resided within the City of Los Angeles at the time of purchase, are urged to visit the City Attorney's website at www.atty.lacity.org for additional information regarding the inquiry. Consumers can also email the City Attorney at atty.toyotainvestigation@lacity.org.

 

Impacted consumers who purchased a Toyota or Lexus vehicle at a dealership located within the City of Los Angeles, or were injured as a result of an accident involving a Toyota or Lexus vehicle within the City of Los Angeles, are also urged to contact the City Attorney's Office in order to provide information relevant to the investigation. 

 

All information provided by the public will be maintained as confidential by the City Attorney's Office and will be used exclusively for the purposes of this inquiry.

 

According to reports, Toyota has recalled 8.5 million vehicles worldwide, including more than 6 million in the United States, based upon malfunctions with its products that have raised serious safety concerns. About 2 million of those vehicles in the United States have been caught up in two different recalls.

An 86-year-old bicyclist was struck by a car and critically hurt Monday, police said.

The unidentified bicyclist was struck shortly after 1 p.m. in the 2900 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, Torrance police Sgt. Jeremiah Hart said.

The elderly man rode his bike north across the street and was not in a crosswalk when an eastbound car hit him, Hart said.

The bicyclist was reported in critical condition at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

The eastbound lanes on Sepulveda were closed for about an hour for the investigation.
 

I rolled with a photographer a little earlier to the 20700 block of South Fordyce Avenue in Carson on a report of two bodies found in a car. This street is in an industrial area right off the Alameda Corridor at Del Amo Boulevard almost at the Long Beach border.

We got there but couldn't find anyone. I was told they towed the car away with the bodies inside to the coroner's office before we arrived.

I've got calls into the Sheriff's Department's homicide bureau to try to get some information.

The coroner already has two case numbers assigned, meaning there definitely were two bodies.

A man drove up to two children on a Redondo Beach street and offered them a ride, police said Monday.

Officers do not know what the man intended, but considered his actions suspicious, Redondo Beach police Lt. Joe Hoffman said.

The 11-year-old boy and his 9-year-old sister were waiting in front of their home in the 600 block of South Broadway when the man drove up at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Hoffman said.

He said, "Hey do you need a ride. Get in the car," Hoffman said.

The children said "no," ran inside and told their parents. The man drove away.

The father brought the children to the police station about four hours later.

The children told police the car was a small, older reddish car with cracked tinting in the back window.

The man was white and between 43 and 65 years old, with gray shoulder-length hair. He was tanned and unshaven.

There were no other witnesses.