Crime & Courts

Manhattan Beach chief goes green

2008-07-23T23:55:53Z

Manhattan Beach Police Chief Rod Uyeda is going green.

The chief has turned in his 2005 Mercury Marquis with a gas-guzzling V-8 engine and received a 2008 Saturn Aura Hybrid sedan.

City Manager Geoff Dolan said in a statement that Uyeda is serving as an example.
Police throughout the country have begun looking at hybrid vehicles to save money on gasoline.

Manhattan Beach's Green Team works to study the city's current environmentally friendly practices and future practices.

"Though I'd like to believe I'm still a front line crime fighter, in reality I am more of an administrative department head and my days of involving myself in high-speed police chases and being a first responder are basically over," Uyeda said in a statement.

"I will still roll quickly on calls, but the time I save between driving a V-8 and a 4-cylinder hybrid in dense metropolitan city traffic is minimal. Besides, I'm also saving the City some gas money!"

Police arrest West Los Angeles groper

2008-07-23T20:50:51Z

LAPD detectives have arrested a guy who groped women as they walked by him in West Los Angeles. Officers just put this statement out today:

Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested 21-year-old Jose Sarmiento, who had been involved in a rash of sexual assaults, on Monday, July 21, 2008.

The crimes occurred from August 2007 to April 2008. Sarmiento was known to walk or ride a bicycle in the area of West Los Angeles and grab adult female's buttocks and breasts as they walked on the sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Most of the crimes were committed during the day in the residential area of Santa Monica Boulevard and Barrington Avenue.

At this time, there are 15 victims where the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office filed ten counts of sexual battery, two counts of battery, one count of indecent exposure, and one count of peeping. Sarmiento is currently being held on bail and is also awaiting immigration proceedings.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims or witnesses and are asking for anyone with information to call Officer Justin Malcuit or Officer Tim Shumaker of the Operations West Bureau Sexual Assault Detail at 213-473-0404. After hours and on weekends, please call the 24-hour Detective Information Desk at at 1-877-LAW-FULL (529-3855).

Conviction in 35-year-old San Pedro murder upheld

2008-07-23T16:58:41Z

Adolph Laudenberg's conviction for the 1972 rape and murder of Lois "Bonnie" Petrie, 43, was upheld today by an appellate court. Laudenberg, 80, was arrested in September 2003 after confessions he made to two of his daughters-in-law surfaced. A coffee cup with his DNA closed the book on his case and he was convicted by a Long Beach jury in November 2006.

The Harbor City man was also suspected in the murders of several other women in the Harbor Area and the San Francisco Bay Area, but has not been charged for those crimes. Laudenberg, a former taxi driver, was frail and sick in his latter court appearances, including his May 2007 sentencing hearing where he was sent to prison for the rest of his life.

Laudenberg's story was featured a month ago on Dateline, which has a transcript and photographs up at their Web site. The show dubbed him the "The Santa Claus Strangler," although no one ever called him that before.

FBI recalls anniversary of gangster John Dillinger's death

2008-07-23T15:42:53Z

Yesterday was the 74th anniversary of the killing of gangster John Dillinger, the FBI's Public Enemy No. 1 during the early 1930s. He was wanted for bank robberies, shootouts and jailbreaks.

Special Agent Melvin Purvis pursued him.

The FBI sent me a press release about a movie being made about Dillinger and Purvis. Johnny Depp stars as Dillinger. Batman himself, Christian Bale -- who can't seem to get any publicity lately -- plays Purvis. (Unless he's in the slammer, I guess.)

Here's the FBI's report.

And here's Johnny:

Westchester brothers sought for allegedly abducting sons from mothers

2008-07-23T00:12:32Z

These are photos of the Silah brothers of Westchester who are suspected of taking their sons and disappearing. The boys' mothers are frantically trying to find them before the boys are taken to Syria. A full story is coming later tonight.

If you know where George, bottom right, and John Silah, bottom left, are, along with Greg, top right, and his cousins, Zaven and Alex, call the police.

BREAKING NEWS: "Spam King" from the South Bay gets nearly four years in prison

2008-07-22T23:22:21Z

Robert Soloway, a 1997 graduate of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, was sentended in a Seattle federal courtroom this afternoon for charges related to his business of spamming e-mail inboxes with unsolicited messages - including those advertising his own business.

I'll have a full report on the case and sentencing in tomorrow's Daily Breeze. However, I'd like to note that, in the hour or so that I've been writing this story, I've received messages with these subject lines in my e-mail inbox:

Stop Collection Calls
PayPal Security Department
Summer discount on w4tches delivery
Angelina Jolie nude movie
Do you want to enlarge your penis?
Winning notification

Not that I'm against these cases or think that spammers shouldn't be targeted, but I can't help but think that prosecuting spammers is like filling a swimming pool with water - with an eye dropper.

Murder as literature

2008-07-22T22:20:18Z

In keeping with today's serial killer theme, here are some letters that a pop culture jokester wrote to serial killers in California's in the late 1990s, pretending to be a kid who wants to drop out of school, along with their hand-written responses. Then, he writes back a decade later thanking them for their advice.

Besides Charles Manson, who was and remains crazy, and the Night Stalker, who really just wanted pictures of girls in bikinis, most the inmates stepped up to the plate and told him little Billy to stay in school.

Also included are letters and responses to the Hustler's Larry Flynt, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and others.

Here's what's keeping the police busy in Redondo Beach

2008-07-22T18:41:51Z

From the Redondo Beach Police Department's Recent Law Enforcement Events report:

7-16-08 (Wednesday):
At approximately 6 p.m., officers responded to the 2400 block of Hadley Lane regarding a possible drunk driver. Officers learned that witnesses watched a blue Dodge Durango pull away from the curb, knock down a fence across the street, then back into a utility pole. The driver pulled away from the pole, traveled east on Hadley Lane and ran head-first into another utility pole. The witnesses detained the driver and called the police. Investigating officers subsequently arrested the driver for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license.

7-19-08 (Saturday):
Officers responded to numerous complaints of broken windows to cars that were parked in North Redondo over night. More than a dozen windows were broken on several different vehicles sometime during the previous evening. Evidence was collected at a couple of the crime scenes and the investigation is ongoing.

At 9:09 p.m., officers responded to the report of an injury collision at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Diamond Street. Responding officer located one of the drivers, who was riding a motorcyle, pinned underneath the other vehicle involved in the collision. The preliminary investigation revealed that the motorcyclist was traveling N/B PCH and collided with a vehicle that negotiating a left turn from S/B PCH to E/B Diamond Street. The motorcyclist was dragged under the vehicle for approximately fifty feet before the car came to a stop.

The rider of the motorcycle was transported to Harbor General Hospital for treatment, The driver of the car was ultimately arrested for driving under the influence.

HB hit-and-run sentencing postponed a 9th time

2008-07-22T18:25:50Z

Seriously. I wouldn't kid. Ruben Vargas' sentencing hearing was postponed one more time today because the family of the victim, who wanted to be there, were out of town. We've chronicled this saga here, here and here. He's now scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10.

I think it's safe to say now that he's spent more time waiting to be sentenced than he will actually spend behind bars.

Murder as art

2008-07-22T18:16:57Z

The Modesto Bee has a story about a criminal defense attorney who deals with stress by painting oil on canvas portraits of notorious serial killers. Sounds like good times.

BREAKING NEWS: 2 busted in stabbing of LAPD officer in San Pedro

2008-07-22T03:14:32Z

The LAPD just released this statement tonight:

Suspects Arrested in the Unprovoked Attack and Stabbing

of an Off-Duty LAPD Police Officer

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police detained and arrested two suspects in the unprovoked attack and stabbing of an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Police Officer in front of the Crimsin Bar, 345 West 6^th Street in San Pedro.

On July 18, 2008, during the early evening hours, an off-duty police officer was attending a birthday celebration for an acquaintance inside the Crimsin Bar. At 11:00 pm, bar security personnel refused entry to Kareem Valdez and another male due to prior inappropriate conduct inside the pub. This led to a heated argument between Valdez and a member of the security team at the front door of the bar. Valdez left angry and returned with his friends, Abel Ulloa and another male.

The off-duty police officer, who had walked outside to the front of the bar to smoke a cigarette, was unaware of the earlier confrontation. Valdez returned with two friends intending to enter the bar. There was another verbal argument between security and Valdez which quickly turned into a pushing and shoving match with the security member.

]]> As Valdez walked passed the off-duty police officer, Valdez turned back towards him and punched him alongside his face and head. Ulloa and another male joined the fight, while security team members and bar employees went outside to the aid of the off-duty police officer. As Valdez, Ulloa and the other male were separated from the victim and the security member, Ulloa approached the victim and stabbed him in the abdomen. Valdez, Ulloa and the third male suspect walked away from the location.

The proprietor of the Crimsin Bar came to the victim's aid. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital. A quick response by Harbor Area patrol officers and help from witnesses at scene resulted in two of the three suspects being taking into custody at a nearby bar.

Detectives assigned to the Robbery-Homicide Division, Homicide Special Section II, arrested and booked Kareem Valdez, 21 years old and Abel Ulloa, Jr., 28 years old, for Attempt Murder on a Police Officer. Valdez and Ulloa, Jr. were booked at Los Angeles Police Department's Jail Division and each are being held on $1,000,000.00 bail. The third male with Valdez and Ulloa remains outstanding pending further investigation.

Man who claimed he had a bomb at LAX ordered to stand trial

2008-07-22T00:52:05Z

From our friends at City News Service

A 27-year-old man was ordered today to stand trial for allegedly claiming falsely that he had a bomb at Los Angeles International Airport on July 2.

Superior Court Judge Richard Berry found sufficient evidence to require Scott Juhun Lee of
Irvine to proceed to trial on the felony charge.

The phony bomb threat prompted the closure of the upper- and lower-level roads through the
airport near Tom Bradley International Terminal, but a bomb squad searched a bag he was
carrying and found no explosives, authorities said.

"A pedestrian walked up to them (officers) and stated 'I'm a terrorist. I have a bomb in the bag
and I'm going to explode it now,'" Airport police Sgt. Jim Holcombe told reporters on July
2.
]]> him and was immediately taken into custody. He was later identified as Lee.

Nancy Castles, LAX public relations director, said soon afterward that 131 flights arriving at or departing from terminals 3 and 4 and the international terminal suffered delays ranging from 30 minutes to two hours. Those delays affected more than 20,000 passengers.

Lee has remained jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail since his arrest. He is due back at the Airport
Branch Courthouse in Los Angeles on Aug. 4 for arraignment.

BREAKING NEWS: Would-be terrorist's "powerful" apology

2008-07-21T19:30:09Z

Gregory Patterson seemed to be just your normal college kid. In 2005, he was 21 years old and studying liberal arts at California State University, Northridge. He came from a loving family and had no history of violence. Then he met Levar Washington, a former prison inmate who somehow lured Patterson into his terrorist cell and, with others, they plotted violent attacks on local military and Jewish targets.

Patterson was sentenced today to more than 12 years for his terrorist activities and for the armed robberies at 11 gas stations and convenience stores to fund their attack. Before U.S. District Court Judge Cormac Carney handed down his sentence, Patterson gave a tearful apology, which Carney called "very powerful:"

"I praise God. At least I feel like I owe several people a formal apology. I'm thoroughly embarrassed and appalled for my actions, for my offenses, for my crimes.

]]>

"Never in my life before meeting these people did I ever believe in violence, especially harming or targeting innocent civilians. I can't tell you how much I resent my actions. I've offended so many different people and also, what hurts the most, is I've even offended the God I believe in.

"I've misrepresented the religion that I've chosen for myself and my life....

"I'd like to formally apologize to my loving family for all the grief and sorrow I've cause you guys, especially my mother, father and sister. To my sister... I love you.... And I apologize to you for not being a consistent positive role model to you.

"Mom and dad, you taught me values such as tolerance, education, nonviolence. If I can assure you anything right now, (it's that) those values are deeply embedded into my heart more than ever."

Patterson then offered his apology to all branches of the U.S. Government and all the federal and state agencies who were involved in his case for all their hard work in protecting the American people "with extra hours on the street and in the office away from their families because of me and my recklessness.

"I'd also like to make an apology to the Jewish community for the harassment, fears or offenses that my foolishness, misguidance or cowardly actions caused. I also apologize to the Muslim community for any offenses, harassments or hardship I may have caused you all.

"Finally, I want to apologize to the American people in general for breaching your human rights to stability, safety and security and if I could guarantee and promise anything, it's that I will never allow anything like this to happen again.

"I promise to uphold the law, and respect the law."

LAPD arrests sex offender who failed to register -- for 36 years!

2008-07-21T18:50:28Z

The LAPD just sent this one to me:

Sex Offender Arrested, Failed to Register for 36 Years

Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested a sex offender who has failed to register for the past 36 years.

On July 19, 2008 at about 12:20 p.m., Hollenbeck division officers saw a man dressed in a hospital gown walking outside of the USC Medical Center near Boyle Heights.

Officers went to check on the man and discovered that he was Charles Frank McDuffy, 64, who had walked out of the hospital on his own. The officers took McDuffy back to the hospital. During a routine background check, the officers found that McDuffy was a sexual offender and had failed to complete his annual registration.

The last time McDuffy registered was in 1971.

McDuffy was arrested for failing to register as a sexual offender and is being held on $20,000 bail.

BREAKING NEWS (literally): Workers puncture gas main at Carson construction site

2008-07-21T18:32:06Z

Workers using a backhoe at a major construction site in Carson ruptured an underground 8-inch gas line about 10:30 a.m.

Albertoni Street between Avalon Boulevard and Main Street is shut down.

Firefighters are standing by in case of an explosion. Sheriff's deputies are blocking access to the route.

Nearby stores remain open for the moment. Gas Company crews are working to bypass the break so they don't have to shut down service to other businesses, including a hotel, a strip mall, a Starbucks and an Arco service station, County Fire Capt. David Martinez said.

Sounds like a good place to stay away from.......