April 2010 Archives

San Pedro resident Joyce Hall sent this e-mail in response to my blog item here and in the print edition about the condition of the alleys in her community.

Hi Larry,

Just read your article in the DB on your ride along.

I agree - I have tried for over 7 years to get our alley repaved. It is always the same story - even though I have papers saying it was going to be done - go figure.

We are on an alley and they are always filling the pot holes and it is a waste of time and money. The trash trucks come down weekly and then the asphalt is broken again.

I live in lower South Shores so we are in the high "rent" district so to speak. Just last week I called to have some graffiti removed from a wall.

Anyway - I agree with you. Thanks."

Police ticketed 58 drivers who ignored "no left turn" signs at a Torrance intersection, officer said Friday.

Torrance officers conducted a special enforcement operation from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Vista Montana and Newton Street, Torrance police Lt. Jon Megeff said.

"The goal of this operation was to educate the public and gain compliance with the left turn restriction from southbound Vista Montana to eastbound Newton," Megeff said.

"The restriction exists to prohibit drivers from using Newton, a residential street that cannot accommodate high volumes of traffic, as a cut-through from Pacific Coast Highway to Hawthorne Boulevard."

The signs instruct drivers that left turns are prohibited between 4 and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

During the operation, 58 drivers were cited on suspicion of failing to obey the no left turn sign, two drivers were cited for being unlicensed, and two vehicles were impounded.

Retired Torrance police Capt. Emilio Paerels sent this e-mail with his insights into the life of former Police Chief Donald Nash, who died Wednesday.

I served at TPD for 30 years from 1973-2003. Over the course of his career as my Chief, Don Nash perfected what Chief Walter Koenig started in the mid to late 1960s: the modernization and professionalization of TPD.

In my view, Nash's contributions tower above those of other Chiefs of Police. This is true in large part due to the quality of the people throughout the organization, but in particular at the Command Staff level. (Nash promoted me to Sergeant in 1981; he retired before I would reach the Command Staff).


Under him, there was structure, organization, and a clear sense of purpose in spite of the absence of any fancy "Mission Statements" or "Vision & Values Statements" that became popular after his departure. We didn't need that kind of "sloganeering" and "rah-rah" under Don Nash. He had an intangible quality; the ability to garner the deep respect of others by his sheer "command presence." When he walked into a room, he immediately, without saying a word, was the focus and center of attention. He indeed was "larger than life." And because of this, he was a motivator.

Former Torrance Police Chief Donald Nash, who served as Torrance's police chief from 1970 to 1991, has died.

Read the obituary.

We just got the photo of Ivan Glen Fay, charged with murder for the killing of Christopher Lee Chorpening.

A man pulled up alongside a 11-year-old walking to school in Torrance on Tuesday and motioned for her to get into his car, police said.

The girl ran home and called police.

The man approached her about 8:40 a.m. as she walked at 181st Street and Doty Avenue, Torrance police Sgt. Jeremiah Hart said.

The man was described as white, 30 to 40 years old, with short wavy blonde hair and a beard.
He was wearing a long sleeve blue shirt.

He drove a shiny black sport utility vehicle, either a GMC or a Chevrolet Tahoe, with gold trim on the front.

Police took a "child annoyance" report and advised the surrounding middle schools of what was reported.

A man shot to death in his Torrance home has been identified as Christopher Lee Chorpening, 51, coroner's officials said.

Chorpening's roommate, Ivan Fay, 61, was held in the slaying that occurred shortly after midnight Saturday in the 16600 block of Ogram Avenue, police said.

Fay was arrested several hours later at Alondra Park.

Coroner's officials said Chorpening died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Not sure how it ended, but I'm told peacefully. More soon. Hopefully. It lasted more than eight hours. (And no, I wasn't still standing there.)

Special weapons team officers have surrounded a house in Harbor Gateway where a man armed with an ax is holed up in his bedroom.

A neighbor said police were called about 8 a.m. to the 21100 block of Denker Avenue when the 23-year-old man broke windows on the neighbor's father's car and house with a piece of wood from a broken fence, the neighbor said.

The man then ran inside ran inside the house, hacked his bedroom door with an ax and barricaded himself inside, Los Angeles police Capt. Rick Wall said.

Neighbors were evacuated.

A SWAT team surrounded the man's house and were calling over a loudspeaker for him to pick up the phone. The standoff continued at 1:30 p.m.

Wall said the barricaded man had mental issues/

The man's family members, sitting in a police car down the street, refused to comment.

I realize Los Angeles has no money and I realize there's no cash to pave even the city's major roadways.

But I was on a ridealong this morning with Los Angeles police officers conducting a truancy sweep in San Pedro. They patrolled streets and drove through plenty of alleys looking for kids who belonged in school.

Some of the the alleys are in terrible shape, full of craters. We were bouncing around so much it was like being on dirt roads. And I'm talking west of Gaffey in the Vista Del Oro neighborhoods. It must cause damage to the residents' cars.

Some of the alleys also were full of overgrown weeds that needed to be cut down and cleaned up.

I realize these were alleys, but it would seem such conditions would make them that much more attractive places for criminals to deal drugs and hang out. I think that's called the "Broken Windows Theory," where allowing small crimes to occur leads to bigger problems. It probably applies to blight too.

I have little doubt residents have complained. I also have little doubt it's something that's at the bottom of the list for repairs.

But I throw this out there as an observation.

By the way, I live on an alley in another South Bay city. It's kept pretty clean and got a slurry seal recently.

Police said Friday they are looking for a gunman who has robbed pedestrians and held up markets in the South Bay and Los Angeles.

The crimes all occurred March 21, beginning when the man walked into a liquor store in the 400 block of South Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach and pulled a gun.

He demanded money, but received none. After the failed attempt, he and a second robber drove away in a blue Dodge pickup truck.

About 50 minutes later, the man held up two women walking at 34th Street and Palm Drive in Hermosa Beach.

The man pointed a gun at the women and took their money.

About 7:30 p.m. that day, the same man robbed a market at gunpoint in the 1200 block of Bellevue Avenue in Los Angeles.

Forty minutes later, he robbed another market in the 3900 block of Figueroa Street in Highland Park.

The man was described as Latino, 19 to 21 years old, 125 to 155 pounds. He was about 5 feet 4 inches tall, 125 to 155 pounds and had a goatee.

He wore the same clothes in each crime. Witnesses described it as dark blue or black beanie, sunglasses, a white Raiders sweatshirt with black trim, blue jeans and white shoes.

The second man, seen only at the Redondo Beach crime, was Latino, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds with a thin build.

Anyone with information regarding the crimes is asked to call Los Angeles police Rampart robbery detectives at 213-484-3627

A video of the suspect is available at www.LAPDtv.org.

Ugly day in Orange County.

I just took a look at the Orange County District Attorney's Office's website to see what news releases were issued today. There's a slew of them, some of which are for sickening crimes:

• A 25-year-old man was charged with raping, torturing, stabbing and murdering an 84-year-old widow asleep in her home.
• Another guy was indicted for an execution-style double murder.
• A teen mother was charged with stabbing her newborn to death immediately after giving birth and sticking the body in the closet.

And that's without two cops getting charged with crimes: One who allegedly put a GPS device on a woman's car so he could show up in places to meet her, and another who allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend with a gun.

The thing involving the elderly woman is horrific.

Read them at your own risk.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office just issued this news release today. Must have been weird when she went places and found him there.

COSTA MESA POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH HIDING GPS DEVICE IN WOMAN'S VEHICLE  WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE

WESTMINSTER - The Orange County District Attorney's Office filed charges today against a Costa Mesa police officer for hiding a Global Positioning System (GPS) device in a woman's vehicle without her knowledge. Aaron Paul Parsons, 30, Costa Mesa, is charged with one misdemeanor count of unlawful use of an electronic tracking device. If convicted, Parsons faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned April 28, 2010, at the West Justice Center in Westminster. The Department and time are to be determined.

Parsons is a police officer with the Costa Mesa Police Department. On March 18, 2010, Parsons is accused of hiding a GPS device in 32-year-old Jane Doe's vehicle. He is accused of tracking her and showing up unexpectedly to places he did not frequent at the same time as the woman.

After several run-ins, Jane Doe became suspicious and checked her car. She found the GPS device, which belonged to the Costa Mesa Police Department, and reported it to police.

Deputy District Attorney Kathleen Roberts of the Family Protection Unit is prosecuting this case. 

From the Associated Press:

The Los Angeles court system is the center of a dispute over a budgetary crisis that threatens its ability to serve the public.

A hearing scheduled for Friday in San Francisco may decide whether $47 million designated for courthouse construction will be diverted to help save hundreds of jobs and keep courtrooms open.

The state judicial council plans to consider the request from Los Angeles presiding Judge Charles W. McCoy Jr. He has already laid off 329 employees and closed 17 courtrooms.

The Administrative Office of the Courts opposes the plan. Its chief financial officer, Stephen Nathan, says an AOC report holds out hope that the state budgetary crisis will ease, providing new funds for the courts.

Just got word that the unidentified man shot in Carson this morning has died. Still no suspects and the investigation is now being handled by homicide detectives.

Carson sheriff deputies are investigating a shooting that occurred just before noon today and left one man injured.

A 911 call at 11:57 a.m. alerted deputies to the shooting near 228th and Figueroa streets, according to Lt. Dwayne Allen.

Deputies cordoned off the area to look for suspects or a suspect and witnesses, Allen said.

The unidentified victim was taken to Gardena Memorial Hospital. Details of his injuries or condition were not immediately available.

We were looking at the photograph of the guy arrested on suspicion of stabbing another guy to death in Torrance on Tuesday and were trying to figure out what he had tattooed on his chest.

We blew it up large on the computer screen and it turned out to be a picture of Jesus. It goes from the center of his chest down almost to his belly button and covers most of his stomach.

Photo by Street Heat Productions for the Breeze

Yesterday morning, in the hallway outside Long Beach Superior Court Judge Joan Comparet-Cassani's courtroom, the most heart-wrenching scene unfolded before my eyes. Just moments before, inside the courtroom, mother Maria Molina tearfully spoke of how much she misses her son, Lionel Molina, who was killed a year and a half ago by a drunk driver in Wilmington when he was 17.

As is always the case, these speeches are hard to hear. It's a constant reminder to me that there are no winners in the criminal justice system. But what happened outside of court drove that point home.

Molina and her family were waiting for the prosecutor in the hallway when she was approached by Marlon Roldan's mother. The two mothers, bonded only by the tragedy, seemingly spoke for the first time. Roldan's mother reached out to Molina, put her hand on her arm, and spoke urgently in Spanish to her. I don't know anything she said, but I didn't have to understand Spanish to know her message was emotional and difficult for Molina to hear. As Molina turned to her son and buried her face in his chest, Roldan's mother continued stroking her arm, speaking through her own cracked voice. Was she offering condolences? Explanations? I don't know. But in a whine, Molina could only respond, "Por que? Por que?"

As I felt my own eyes well up and heart ache for this mother's pain, I told myself there is a reason I come to witness such events. Following my story today on the sentencing hearing, one commenter summed it up succintly:

For more information, contact Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.)

I had difficulty last week getting information about a fatal motorcycle accident on the Harbor Freeway in San Pedro. A reader had driven by and asked me about it.

Nancy Gordon wrote to let us know the motorcyclist killed on the Harbor Freeway last Thursday was her brother, Ronald Howard, 49, of Lakewood.

Here's what she wrote:

"The reader said: 'I said a prayer for the victim and his family. I can't help but to wonder who he was and how it happened.'

Then he asked this: 'Did you guys report on this accident? If so can you share the details with me? I've never seen anything like this before and I can't tell you why I'm so curious about this accident.'

The man killed was my beloved brother Ron Howard. He was missing over the weekend and I was worried sick. Then my worst fear was realized, I just found out yesterday about Ron's tragic death. I am over whelmed with grief.

A bit of history

Ron was born and spent his childhood in Lakewood, California. For the last five years he lived in Long Beach near Jordan where he attended high school. He worked most recently part time for an elderly man as a compassionate and patient caregiver. He also worked fulltime as a security guard for a construction company in South Bay.

Police want to talk to the renters of a Palos Verdes Estates house that went up in flames last week.

No one was home when the suspicious fire broke out about 4 a.m. Friday in the 1400 block of Via Margarita, Palos Verdes Estates police Capt. Mark Velez said.

Fifteen firefighters knocked down the flames in about 30 minutes.

The cause is under investigation, but the blaze has been deemed suspicious.

"Nobody was home and nobody has come back to the house," Velez said.

A parolee who allegedly targets gay men through social networking sites has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and robbing a Hermosa Beach man, police said late Saturday.

 

Angel Pena Ayala, a convicted carjacker who was identified through fingerprints left behind in his victim's apartment, was taken into custody Friday at his Los Angeles home, Hermosa Beach police Sgt. Robert Higgins said.

 

He tried to make an escape, but failed.

 

According to police, Ayala, 24, met the victim at the man's apartment on April 1. There, Ayala pulled a handgun and ordered the victim to put electronic items including his television, computer and a camera into the victim's car.

We had some inquiries today about a fatal crash last night on the Harbor Freeway in San Pedro.

Folks, we tried to get information. I called the South LA CHP station, where I was told that the public affairs officer was out. I left a message and asked for somebody else, but the woman who took my call treated me pretty rudely. No one has called me back.

Apparently there was a death scene that was pretty ugly. According to a reader's email, the crash was on the northbound side of the freeway just beyond the Gaffey entrance. Fire Department records showed a crash at 9:16 p.m. No one was transported to a hospital.

The reader said he went by at 9:30. A dead motorcyclist was lying under a white sheet. His boots were exposed and his bike was lying a few feet away.

A Volkswagen Bug sat an 1/8 mile up the freeway and was pretty smashed up.

"Seeing that left me with a horrible feeling all the way home," the reader said. "I said a prayer for the victim and his family. I can't help but to wonder who he was and how it happened."

Then he asked this: "Did you guys report on this accident? If so can you share the details with me? I've never seen anything like this before and I can't tell you why I'm so curious about this accident."

Best I can do is say the LA Fire Department has records showing an accident at 9:15 p.m. The Coroner's Office said a 49-year-old man died on the northbound Harbor Freeway north of Channel Street. His name was withheld pending notification of relatives.

Reactions to the death of Daryl Gates, the former LAPD police chief:

Harbor District Councilwoman Janice Hahn:

"Though he was always a controversial figure, Chief Gates will be remembered for his 40 years of dedicated service to the LAPD. He can be credited with advancing many innovative policing techniques, but what I will always thank him for is helping hundreds of thousands of young people say no to drugs through his revolutionary DARE program."

Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU/Southern California. Ripston was the first civic leader to call for Gates to resign in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and Gates sometimes referred to her as "Ramona Ripoff":

"Daryl Gates failed to react to a changing Los Angeles and a changing culture in policing. At a time of great unrest in our city, he was a lightning rod for criticism and controversy, and deservedly so, in part because of his penchant for making disturbing, overly broad statements. He inherited a police department with little respect for minority communities or for civil liberties and civil rights, and he continued that legacy throughout his career."

 Los Angeles Police Protective League, President Paul M. Weber:

"Los Angeles has suffered a great loss with the death of Chief Gates. Chief Gates was a truly devoted public servant who committed his life to improving the lives of others in Los Angeles. He was a man of courage and character who had a deep commitment to the rule of law, with a deep pride of the LAPD.

"Chief Gates was a cop's cop, revolutionizing critical policing tactics and changing the face of modern law enforcement around out the world.

"He lived his dream and felt blessed to be part of an organization that he cared so much about. Even after retiring, Chief Gates was an active and steadfast supporter of LAPD officers, making frequent appearances to honor officers for their service - from retirements and funerals to ceremonies and charity events, Chief Gates' presence could always be counted on.

"The men and women of the LAPD join the community in offering our deepest sympathies and prayers to the Gates family as they endure this painful loss."

This just in from the District Attorney's Office.

(Note: The boy's father is from Hawthorne and triggered an investigation at the Hawthorne PD because he said he went there to report his suspicions long before the boy was found dead)

LONG BEACH - A Long Beach couple is expected to be arraigned early next week in connection with the fatal beating of a 2-year-old boy, the District Attorney's Office announced.

Deputy District Attorney Lesley Klein of the Long Beach Branch Office said Hector Ernest, 26 (dob 8/14/83), and Cameo Green, 22 (dob 5/5/87), are due to be arraigned in Department J of Long Beach Superior Court.

Ernest is charged with one count each of murder, assault on a child causing death and child abuse. The complaint also alleges a 2009 conviction of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle (SA069321). Green is charged with one count of child abuse. The complaint further alleges that Green failed to protect the child, resulting in his death.

Green is the boy's biological mother. Ernest is her boyfriend. They are charged in case No. NA085358. The felony complaint was filed for arrest warrant on April 15.

Prosecutors allege that Ernest inflicted the injury that led to the death of Deandre G. on March 20. The boy lived with both defendants at a Long Beach apartment.

Bail for Ernest and Green was recommended at $ 1 million each. If convicted as charged, Green faces a maximum state prison term of 10 years and Ernest faces a maximum term of 25 years to life.

It's just being reported that former LAPD Police Chief Daryl Gates has died at 83.

Police in Hawthorne want to hear from victims of an unreported robbery or assault believed to have occurred on Monday.

Officers said Wednesday that three men they arrested at 3:45 p.m. might have just committed a crime, but none was reported.

"Detectives are asking that anyone who may have witnessed, or been a victim of a street robbery in the area of 140th Street and Ramona Avenue around 3:30 p.m. on April 12, to please contact the Hawthorne Police Department," Hawthorne police Lt. Gary Tomatani said.

A Hawthorne police officer stopped the car when he saw it driving erratically, running stop signs without slowing.

Two of the car's four passengers were on probation, one for robbery and one for assault, and officers found a loaded handgun in the glove compartment. The driver and two of the three passengers were arrested. The fourth passenger, a juvenile, was released.
 
Officers believe the men are linked to an armed street robbery on April 8 at 142nd Street and Hawthorne Boulevard, Tomatani said. The victims were held at gunpoint and robbed of personal property.

The suspects' names and description of the car were not immediately released.

Detectives released photographs today of a man wanted for exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman at the Target store in Manhattan Beach.

The crime occurred about noon March 25 as the woman shopped in the laundry detergent aisle.

According to a police bulletin, the woman told police the man walked past her and said, "You are really pretty."

He returned seconds later, stood in front of her shopping car, dropped his shorts and began masturbating.
She screamed. He ran through the aisles to the doors.

A surveillance camera in the store at Sepulveda Boulevard and Manhattan Beach Boulevard photographed the man. Police have been unable to identify him, and decided to ask for the public's help, Manhattan Beach police Officer Stephanie Martin said.

The man was white, 38 to 40 years old, 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a heavy build. He had medium length brown hair and a mustache.

He wore prescription glasses, a black necklace, and dark shorts. His tan T-shirt contained a silhouette of someone wearing a hat sideways and holding a microphone with his left hand.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Manhattan Beach police Detective Jason Knickerbocker at 310-802-5131. 

From City News Service:

The family of local woman slain in Mexico has asked for advice from Los Angeles County prosecutors about how her apparent murder will be handled, a District Attorney's spokeswoman said today.

Sandi Gibbons said her boss, District Attorney Steve Cooley, met briefly with a sister to Monica Beresford-Redman and introduced her to members of her staff Monday.

"We did meet with one of the victim's sister and her attorney, and they talked with a couple of people on our staff," Gibbons said. "But this is a Mexican murder investigation, and we have no role in the case."

Bruce Beresford-Redman reportedly is in the custody of the U.S. consulate in Merida, the capital of Mexico's Quintana Roo state, about 200 miles west of Cancun on the mainland.

Mexican news agencies report that the former "Survivor" producer is effectively under house arrest and has been told not to leave the nation. He has hired a prominent defense attorney, Eduardo Amerena.

Prosecutors in Cancun say they are awaiting pathology tests and a coroner's report for Monica Beresford-Redman, who owned of a Brazilian restaurant in West Los Angeles. Her corpse was found dumped in a septic tank at the Hotel Moon Palace in Cancun a week ago, on what would have been her 42nd birthday.

Internet gossip sites have reported that the couple had gone with their two small children to Cancun to reconcile after a fight over a six-month affair the TV producer was supposedly having with a casting director.

The slain woman's sisters, Carla and Jeane Burgos, referred to the victim by her maiden name when they issued a statement through an attorney.

"We have asked the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to assist in any way
that they can in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Monica Burgos," the family stated in a release from an attorney that was quoted by the Los Angeles Times.

Monica Beresford-Redman was a native of Brazil.

According to Cancun police, the couple was heard having a fight, with furniture possibly being thrown, on the morning of April 5. The next day, Bruce told police Monica had disappeared on a shopping trip.

Her body was found on April 8, three days later in a cesspool several hundred feet from the room where they were staying at the swanky resort area.

The restaurant owner's sisters reportedly made a statement in Cancun to state prosecutors on Friday, a move that under Mexican law is called filing a charge. But police have not formally informed the producer of any charges, and have not read yet him a formal statement of his rights, according to Mexican news reports.

This is Mark Todd Crain. He grew up in Lawndale. He served in the U.S. Navy and died of sinus cancer on July 31, 1985 at age 25.

He is buried at Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach in one of the three graves that thieves targeted the other day for the memorial plaque atop it. Police say they likely wanted the bronze for the scrap metal, which at best is worth $25.

I talked to Crain's parents today. Look for a story coming soon to dailybreeze.com and the Tuesday print edition for their reaction.

Two stories arrived back-to-back on our wire, City News Service:

MALIBU - Two men were behind bars today after a hidden marijuana plantation was raided in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu, sheriff's officials said.

The illicit growing operation was discovered Sunday in rugged mountains near Las Virgenes and Piuma roads, said Sgt. Kristy Criner of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station.

Sheriff's deputies helped California State Park rangers chase two men who were tending the marijuana plants. A sheriff's department helicopter airlifted rangers, deputies and the two suspected pot farmers out of the mountains, Criner said.

One suspect was injured while running from authorities, but no deputies or park ranger personnel were hurt, Criner said. The plantation was in rugged mountains in Malibu State Park.

The suspects, Arturo Molina, 37, and Victor Magana, 23, were taken into custody and booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station for possession of a firearm and marijuana cultivation.


LOS ANGELES -- Two men were arrested and 60 pounds of marijuana destined for sale on Skid Row sidewalks was seized just hours after the City Attorney announced a gang injunction aimed at gang-affiliated downtown drug dealers, police said today.

"This marijuana was destined for Skid Row," said Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's Central Division detectives. "It is both ironic and tragic that the country's largest recovery area is also the region's biggest drug bazaar."

The arrests were made Wednesday when detectives watched a parking lot at the Bunker Hill Tower apartments, 234 S. Figueroa St., after an anonymous tip. As the tipster predicted, at 4 the predicted gray car drove up with three men inside, Vernon said.

"It didn't take the detectives long to realize they had the right car," Vernon said. "There was so much weed in the car, they could smell it when they approached the driver's window."

The wholesale value of the marijuana was estimated at $24,000. "And that translates into more than 27,000 'nickel' bags and more than $100,000 in profit for the Skid Row drug dealers," he said.

The unlicensed driver, Hector Cabrera, 33, of Riverside, and his front passenger, Fernando
Padilla, 38, of Big Bear, were arrested. An adult passenger in the rear of the car was questioned and released.

The South Bay Bar Association's annual Law Day event, where attorneys are available to answer questions for free, is scheduled for May 1.

Volunteer attorneys will be on hand on the first floor of the Torrance Courthouse, 825 Maple St., from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Attorneys will answer questions on a one-to-one basis in a variety of specialities, including civil, family, probate and estate planning law.

If you were wondering what the thieves got the other day when they took the bronze markers from the graves of three veterans at Pacirfic Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach, it wasn't much.

The cemetery's, John Kirk, said each one weighed about 18 pounds. That put them at $20 to $25 each.

Kirk said a member of the public offered to pay to replace them, but the Veterans Administration will do that.

I asked why the thieves would target only veterans' graves and learned that the cemetery has always used bronze markers for veterans. Most other grave markers are granite.

 About once a week, someone mentions to me or in a user comment the saga of Richard Fine. I have to admit, I hadn't followed his case too closely, despite that I know Fine and worked with him much more extensively in a past job at the Los Angeles Daily Journal. I knew he was jailed for something he had taken a stand on, but I wasn't sure exactly what. And I knew that he feels the confinement is in retaliation for the taxpayer advocate's public outcry over the alleged conflict of interest that arises when Los Angeles Superior Court judges preside over cases involving the county, while, at the same time, being paid by the county.

Our sister paper, the Los Angeles Daily News, has a good summary of Fine's troubles, as well as an update that the U.S. Supreme Court is going to take on the matter.

This is another one for the lowest of the low crimes that anyone could commit.

If you know the sleaze who did this, call the Redondo Beach police.

Full story will be on dailybreeze.com soon.

Thieves broke into Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach and pried off the grave markers of three military veterans, presumably to turn in the bronze plaques as scrap metal for cash, police said Friday.

Cemetery maintenance workers mowing the lawn discovered the thefts Friday, suspecting they occurred sometime overnight Thursday. The bronze plaques were yanked from their cement bases.

"Our guess is that it's going to be for money," Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman said. "I just can't imagine -- It's the worst thing imaginable."

I'll be going to this news conference today to get some info:

I get plenty of critical e-mails and comments every day. This one ranks among the most amusing so I thought I'd share it. It's to do with a blog entry and brief in the paper about an El Camino Village man arrested on suspicion of drug sales a while back. Deputies raided his house, arrested the guy and found pills and pot.

The writer -- "Anonymous" (of course) -- doesn't agree with the facts I was given.

"Larry Altman is a liar. I am a close friend of William and his family and I know that this family is good people. The fact that Mr. Altman has to come up with a figure of 100 pills and a half pound of weed is quite funny. That douche bag must not have anything better to do than make up things to write about. So I wonder, if he lied about that... what else does our local paper lie to us about and if it is not the newspapers, is it law enforcment who is lying? As far as I am concerened I will use the Daily Breeze as toilet paper, with Larry's face on the side up. Croak family keep your heads up. Do not let a bunch of neighbors playing chatty cathy get you down, We are all better than that. We are family nobody else matters but family."

Here's why.

I went out to the neighborhood where Monica Beresford-Redman lived with her husband, Bruce in Rancho Palos Verdes. The wife was found dead in Cancun during a family vacation. The husband was detained by police.

No one was home, of course, when I arrived on Sea Breeze Drive off of Crest Road, but a couple of dogs barked loudly inside.

Here's what I filed:

News about Monica Beresford-Redman's death spread slowly through the couple's Rancho Palos Verdes neighborhood, where few residents contacted Thursday knew them.

Records show the couple bought the house on April 10, 2007 for $2.28 million.
Evelyn Gaul, 82, who recently moved into her house across the street, said she had not come to know the Beresford-Redmans, but often waved when she saw them.

"I just noticed they were an attractive couple," Gaul said. "She was a sexy-looking lady. He was a nice looking fellow too."

Gaul said the couple decorated their home for holidays including Halloween and Christmas, and often entertained. She sometimes saw well-dressed guests arrive, and noticed the couple put out a large amount of garbage at the curb.

On Thursday, the home's door was adorned with a "Happy Easter" sign and a "Welcome" sign in which each letter of the word was on an egg-shaped plank.

Firewood and children's toys, including a tricycle, a riding jeep and a plastic lawnmower, were sitting in the back yard.

The couple's two dogs could be heard barking inside the house. Gaul said she hoped someone was caring for them
.
"It's so sad," Gaul said.

An Inglewood woman has been charged animal cruelty because she allegedly left her dog in her car for hours with the windows closed. The dog had to be put to sleep.

Eloisa Asuncion Zapata, 40, also was charged Tuesday with animal endangerment, the District Attorney's Office said.

A passerby called police Saturday after noticing the dog in distress in the Mitsubishi Mirage car on Robertson Boulevard in West Los Angeles.

Officers broke the windows and found the dog unresponsive. The dog was comatose and had to be euthanized because of heat stroke.

Zapata, who was released on $21,564 bail, is scheduled to be arraigned on April 26 at the Airport courthouse. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison.

Deputy District Attorney Debbie Knaan said the case illustrates how quickly pets can become overheated in a closed car, even when temperatures are in the 70s.
 
Knaan said studies have shown that a healthy dog, whose normal body temperature ranges from 101 to 102.5 degrees, can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 degrees for only a short time. This dog's body temperature was 107.5 degrees when it was taken to the vet, she said.

About 300 students are expected to attend the 4th Annual LAPD Teen Leadership Conference on April 15 at the Crowne Plaza in San Pedro. The program will feature sessions on tolerance, jobs, and teen success stories.

The keynote presentation will feature a discussion on "prejudice and discrimination and the ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles."

Here's more:

Program:

 

0800-0830 - Check-In

 

0830-0900 - Opening Ceremony with Chief of Police Charlie Beck, Councilwoman Janice Hahn and School Board Member Dr. Richard Vladovic, Teen CPAB Co-Chair Christopher Payne. Premiere of Hate Crime Awareness PSA.

 

0910-1145 - Teen Breakout Sessions: 

I.  Team/Community Building focused on Tolerance (Presenters: Fulcrum Adventures)

II. Preparing Teens for Jobs-A Job Readiness Seminar (Presenters: LA Chamber of Commerce, "Hire LA's Youth"/El Camino College)

III.Teens who've Turned - Panel Discussion on teen success stories (Moderator: Dr. Michael Pritchard-www.michaelpritchard.com)

 

0930-1100 - Adult Breakout Session featuring Shawn D. Jackson, Author, Is Rap Music Poison. Shawn D. Jackson is a product of the Hip-Hop culture and a father of three children, as well as a grandfather. Shawn used his experiences as a follower of Hip-Hop, father, 14 year police veteran, and shooting victim to give listeners a first-hand account of the influence rap music and Hip-Hop culture can have in the lives of youth.

 

1200-1245 -Lunch

 

1245 - Keynote Presentation: From Hate to Hope. Presenter: Tim Zaal.

From Hate to Hope is a remarkable true story of the reconciliation of a perpetrator and victim of a hate crime. This presentation examines the roots of prejudice and discrimination and the ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Using a Question and Answer session, Tim engages the audience in a discussion of redemption and the power of forgiveness.

 

1400- Conference concludes.

 

A parolee who filled a shopping cart with liquor and fled a store without paying led police on a high-speed chase through three South Bay cities today, officers said.

Jason Malara, 28, of Harbor City was captured when he abandoned his car near a Torrance liquor store and found himself surrounded by police officers, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.

Malara allegedly took the liquor in a spree at Albertson's at 2115 Artesia Blvd. in Redondo Beach. A witness told police he drove away at 11:20 a.m. in a white Honda.

Police officers found the car at Prospect Avenue and Aviation Boulevard. Malara immediately took off.

*Torrance police just chased someone in a white Honda along Anza Avenue and down Torrance Boulevard.

The guy jumped and ran near Kings Liquor in the 4400 block. The cops got him.

I don't know what he did, but we'll try to find out.


*Actually it was Redondo Beach. I got the info and will post it here shortly.

Members of the Torrance Police Department will serve patrons Thursday at Claim Jumper to raise money for South Bay Special Olympics.

The "Tip a Cop" event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at the restaurant at 24301 Crenshaw Blvd.

The proceeds go directly to the South Bay Special Olympics to support local Olympians.

We often hear lawyers tell reporters they don't want to "try the case in the press" as a reason for not speaking to them. I've never really been sure what that means since lawyers are supposed to be adept at screening jurors for potential bias and triers of the fact are precluded from basing decisions on anything other than what is presented in the courtroom as evidence. Most the time, anyway, the lawyers who are making that claim are the ones who are calling reporters and secretly slipping them tips and documents.

Because, let's be honest, for most attorneys? It's all about the public. The public only knows what's going on in the courtroom because reporters are the only ones who bother to show up and see what's going on. And while attorneys will tell you until they're blue in the face that they are fighting for justice, the truth is, many are really fighting for their next paycheck or accolades from their superiors or high fives from their colleagues. They need reporters to get their names and successes out. We need them to make our stories fair, accurate and balanced. It is a mutually beneficial relationship.

When attorneys stand up in court and tell a judge that their opposition is posturing for the media, it creates a dangerous situation. Judges are vigilante about ensuring the integrity of the judicial process and will do whatever is necessary to protect it from any perceived danger - real or not. Often, the result of this is the issuance of a sealing or gag order from the judge.

Such orders were put in place to keep information out of the public that, if released, would be detrimental to a party. For example, revealing what a witness to a dangerous crime said could jeopardize their safety or releasing trade secrets of a corporation would give competitors an unfair advantage. They are NOT, however, supposed to be used to keep information out of the public eye just because either side doesn't like what that information is.

Hermosa Beach police said today that a man suspected of holding up Sassy's lingerie store on Feb. 3 is in custody.

Jessie Peter Vallez Jr., 50, of Wilmington was arrested in Burbank on Feb. 3. He has been tied to the crime in Hermosa Beach, and is suspected in about 16 other crimes, police said.
Story coming to dailybreeze.com.

In the Sassy crime at 801 Pacific Coast  Highway, Vallez allegedly picked out some merchandise, pulled a gun on an employee, ordered her to the ground and stole money from the cash register and purse.

Police said he has a history of crime dating to the 1970s.