Recently in Gardena Category

We apparently reported this, but I can't find a link on our Web site. Here's the City News Service pick-up of our story:

A high school football game in Gardena was stopped in the fourth quarter Friday night when a fight broke out in the bleachers and somebody pulled a gun, it was reported Saturday.

Gardena High was losing 36-7 in a game against visiting Narbonne when the brawl broke out in the home stands, the Daily Breeze reported.

With 9:16 left in the fourth quarter, Gardena was preparing to punt when punches started flying in the bleachers. The Daily Breeze reported the fight quickly escalated into a free-for-all.

Both football teams huddled in the center of the field and, minutes later, officials called off the game. Police hustled everyone out of the area.

The game was ended, because authorities felt the spectators and the players were in danger, according to Gardena Coach Ed Lalau.

"That is not how we want to represent ourselves at Gardena High," Lalau told the Daily Breeze. "It's a shame that something like this had to ruin a great evening."

Gardena High celebrated homecoming at halftime, according to the Daily Breeze.

But on the scoreboard at the break, Narbonne was leading 29-0. The visitors then opened the third quarter with 10-play scoring drive to extend their lead.

It was unclear if anyone was seriously hurt.

Our sister paper, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, had a story last week about Ernest Moore, a man with a history of raping older woman who was convicted and sentenced for an attack on a 59-year-old woman in Gardena. Here it is.

Opening statements are underway in a downtown courtroom in the murder trial against Miguel Magallon, who is accused of killing Los Angeles Police Captain Michael Sparkes on a street corner near Gardena in 2004.

So far, Deputy District Attorney Darren Levine has laid out his case against Magallon, who is facing the death penalty. Magallon turned 26 today.

Before the jury was brought in, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy said she had some security concerns. Magallon, it seems, is not behaving himself in jail. Over the weekend, he slashed a jailer who was attempting to save another inmate from being killed by Magallon and another inmate. The deputy was slashed on the hand with some kind of razor that was flushed down the toilet before the cell could be searched. Magallon will spend the trial with one leg shackled, over his attorney's objections - who said Magallon has had no problems during the three weeks it took to pick a jury.

"The defendant hasn't attacked anybody in court ... yet," Kennedy replied, raising the ire of defense attorney Victor Salerno.

Magallon, who appeared in a blue dress shirt and a shaved head, looked back over his shoulder to someone sitting in the packed courtroom audience and smiled.

Opening statements began with Deputy District Attorney Darren Levine telling the jury that, really, the case is pretty simple:

-There's a co-defendant who told the whole story to the police and during a preliminary hearing. Orvis Anthony said they set out to do a robbery and Magallon saw Sparkes riding his bicycle and wanted to "jack" him. Anthony's previous testimony will be read to the jury.

-There's the AK-47 assault rifle, recovered from Anthony's gang "stash" car ouside his Gardena residence. Ballistics, DNA and gunshot residue all tie Magallon to the military-style assault weapon used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

-Before dying, Sparkes fired off 16 rounds from his handgun - hitting Magallon in the torso and "marking him for life," Levine said.

-The jury will also hear Sparkes 911 call, made as he lay bleeding on the ground after the first round of shootings and before being fired on moments later from the same suspects on the car.

"Officer down!" Sparkes yelled. "Help me, Jesus.... Come on man, they had, they killed me."

Sparkes was the head of security at County-Harbor UCLA Medical Center, and was on his way to work on his red Schwin before dawn when he was killed.

Trial will resume this afternoon with Salerno's opening statement, The guilt phase is expected to last until late next week. If convicted, there will be a penalty phase.

A man accused of shooting his father three times in Gardena was charged Tuesday with attempted murder, according to prosecutors.

Albert Almaraz, 35, made his first appearance in Torrance Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon, but his arraignment was postponed until June 9, according to Deputy District Attorney Jodi Link.

He is also facing special allegations that he caused great bodily injury and used a firearm during the shooting Friday at the family's flower shop, Link added.

He remains jailed on more than $2 million bail, Link said.

Michael Norris, said his client was concerned about his father.

"The police believe my client discharged a firearm during the incident," Norris said. "However, in my investigation to this point, I have not been able to locate any witnesses to support that assumption by the police."

Almaraz allegedly shot Robert Almaraz, 67, during a dispute involving family problems at Colors Flowers and Gifts at 1858 Marine Ave., police said.

The elder Almaraz was shot three times and is expected to survive.

The jury announced they were deadlocked and Torrance Superior Court Judge James Brandlin declared a mistrial on Friday in the murder case against Gorgonio Vidaca Gonzalez. My story didn't mak it to dailybreeze.com until this morning, but you can now read it here.

Sarcastically labeling as "amazing coincidences" all the defenses that Gorgonio Vidaca Gonzalez's attorneys presented to the jury, a prosecutor asked the panel last week to think about all the bits of evidence that point to his guilt of first-degree murder. Gonzalez's attorneys want the jury to believe the wrong man is on trial for the 1984 murder near Gardena. Their client is not Salvador Alcantar, who everyone believes is the real killer, they argued.

Roberto Camacho's killer drove a Chevy Impala - the same car Gonzalez drove at the time and had registered in his name, according to Deputy District Attorney Don Syn. Gonzalez's California identification card listed an address in the 1500 block of Steinhart Avenue in Redondo Beach - the same address that "Alcantar" had on record with his El Segundo employer, Syn told the jury.

But to convict Gonzalez would allow the real killer to go free, defense attorney Michael Brush argued to the Torrance Superior Court jury last week. "'Amazing coincidences' do not mean guilt," Brush said.

About 9 a.m. today, the jury was to begin its deliberations. We'll let you know when there's a verdict.

Our last story on the case is here, and a previous blog entry is here.

The jury deliberated a few hours before finding Timothy Burnett guilty of first-degree murder and allegations he used a knife. Here's today's story on the closing arguments. Will have a new story on the verdict later.

John Liu is expected in court today on charges alleging he killed his sister.

Rev. Robert W. Bowman, headmaster at CrossRoad Christian Academy in Gardena, was arrested yesterday at his San Pedro home. Staff writer Vu Nguyen has the story.

Karen Sue Hale's sentencing for one grand theft and four forgery convictions was postponed from today to May 29. The 53-year-old Lawndale woman, wearing blue and bright yellow jail clothes and handcuffs, made a brief courtroom appearance. As she conferred with her attorney, she kept glancing back at the half-dozen or so Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce people who had come to speak or watch the sentencing.

"Karen, keep your eyeballs forward," the bailiff warned her.

Previous entries are found here.