Recently in Weapons Category

No one seemed more annoyed about the delay in sentencing Ricky Sisneros than Sisneros himself. The hold-up seems to be new information received from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation by prosecutors regarding Sisneros' criminal history. Before the 47-year-old can be sentenced, a "priors trial" must be conducted to see if the convictions and prison record attributed to him are, indeed, accurate. The judge must take his history into consideration in deciding penalty - especially if any strikes are involved. The strike issue looks like it will be a point of contention when the two sides get to it at it's new time - next Friday, Jan. 30.

Torrance Superior Court Judge Steven Van Sicklen asked Sisneros if he agreed to the delay. "We're not gonna come back and have something else pop up?" Sisneros asked. He was convicted more than five months ago and now seems eager to know how long he'll spend behind bars. It's not clear what his maximum is for the 10 weapons and drugs convictions, but it did come out in court today that he has 15 convictions dating back to 1980. We had previously only reported on the three that we knew about.

Previously: Did you hear the one about the gang member, the journalist and a bunch of attorneys?

 

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Unannounced searches of Los Angeles County probationers and their homes netted about 100 weapons and $245,000 in illegal drugs and resulted in 132 arrests in the month of December, Supervisor Michael Antonovich announced today.

The DISARM Program -- Developing Increased Safety through Arms Reduction Management -- is aimed at keeping probationers from committing new crimes by subjecting them to spot checks.

Since its inception in February 2000, the program has resulted in 10,446 arrests and the seizure of 4,856 weapons and more than $306 million in illegal drugs.

Ten percent of probationers in the program have been found in violation of the terms of their probation, Antonovich said.

The supervisor pushed for the program's creation in the wake of an attack carried out by white supremacist parolee Buford Furrow, who shot and wounded five people at a Jewish daycare center in Granada Hills before killing a Filipino-American mail carrier on Aug. 10, 1999

A Manhattan Beach dentist is serving three years probation after pleading guilty to carrying a loaded firearm and driving while intoxicated, a court clerk said Thursday.Dr. Steven Oliveira, 47, was scheduled to go on trial Thursday in Torrance Superior Court, but apparently pleaded guilty to the two misdemeanor counts on Dec. 24.

Oliveira was arrested July 10 after he was spotted in the 2400 block of Pine Avenue in Manhattan Beach. He appeared drunk and had a gun in his pocket, according to officers who testified at his preliminary hearing in September. The officers stopped him while he drove his truck, and saw two guns inside. Oliveira appeared drunk and did not comply with the officers. He later failed field sobriety and blood-alcohol content tests.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped a criminal threats charged that stemmed from his telling an officer he was going to "pop" him. He was released after his arrest, and returned at least twice to the police station, demanding his guns back and to see the officer.

I totally have to admit that I always pause a moment when covering a story that involves the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. I mean, just who thought that one agency should regulate all these deadly devices? I know, in their own way, each could wreak havoc on a body, but can we really equate a Marlboro with an AK-47?

Today in the Twitter universe, I found someone who feels just the same way I do. His letter questioning the ATF made me laugh ... but some of his others are freakin' hilarious. I guess I relate because I can be an Angry Letter Writer myself, but this guy takes it a step further.

It began on Dec. 3 when a process server left a subpoena for me at the front desk at the Daily Breeze for Ricky Sisneros' hearing the next morning. Sisneros is a Torrance gang leader who was convicted of being a felon in possession of weapons. I didn't know what the subpoena was about, but my new attorneys at Davis Wright Tremaine sent a letter to Sisneros' attorney, Caree Harper, and the prosecutor informing them I would not be coming to the hearing and the subpoena was improperly served.

The next day, the prosecutor asked Torrance Judge Steven Van Sicklen to contninue the hearing on Sisneros' motion for a new trial because Harper filed a 50-plus page motion the day before. Apparently, the issue of my subpoena was brought up and, since I wasn't there, Harper asked Van Sicklen to issue a body attachment (basically, an arrest warrant) for me. Since the prosecutor had my attorney's letter, the issue was moot and nothing more came of it.

In the coming days, Harper contacted one of my attorneys, Kelli Sager, to see if she would accept service for me. When Sager asked what this was all about, Harper hung up the phone after telling her I had "opened the door" by publishing articles about her client's case.

On Dec. 15, around 7 p.m., as I unloaded my family from a weekend away in my driveway, a baseball-capped figure appeared with a poinsettia, a bottle of champagne and a subpoena. She told me she had a delivery for me and "it was nothing personal." I took the subpoena - but not the plant and booze.

Last week, my attorneys attempted to get from Van Sicklen's courtroom Harper's motion for a new trial, but was told the judge had it in chambers. They were able, however, to get the prosecution's opposition to the motion - and we were finally getting an idea of what the subpoena was about.

Among the contentions in the new trial motion was that Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stodel engaged in prosecutorial misconduct by giving me Sisneros' rap sheet. In his opposition, Stodel included a sworn and signed declaration in which he said I inquired about Sisneros' criminal history and he directed me to the Information (the filing complaint) filed in court in June.

Which is exactly what happened.

 

Trying to make Christmas and New Years a little safer, deputies at the Lennox station will be offering gift cards to people who turn in guns during a promotion next week.

The "Gift for Guns" program gives $100 gift cards to Target, and Ralphs and Food 4 Less supermarkets, in exchange for handguns and rifles. An assault rifle is worth $200.

"The hope is to take guns off the street and make the holidays safer for our communities, Lennox sheriff's Lt. Valentine Rosario said.

The promotion is Tuesday, Dec. 23 and Wednesday, Dec. 24 at Lennox Middle School, 11033 Buford Ave. in Lennox.

The Compton station did this recently and took in 965 weapons.

Ricky Sisneros' sentencing hearing was postponed from today until Dec. 23. He is the gang leader convicted by a jury of having weapons in his possession. Here's some of our previous entries about the case.

Yesterday afternoon, a process server left a subpoena for me to appear at the hearing this morning. According to my attorney, Kelli Sager, I was improperly served because it wasn't handed to me personally and it was not served in compliance with the law that requires five days notice for journalists. When, and if, I am served properly, then we'll have to fight it.

No, it's not clear why Sisneros' attorney, Caree Harper, has subpoenaed me to appear at the hearing.

For now, though, Sager has advised that the subpoena issue is moot until properly served. Since I've learned that no warrant was issued for my arrest for failing to attend the hearing this morning, I now feel safe to go run some errands on my lunch break!

 

Brandon Pettway, a former football coach at Gardena High School, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing today in Torrance Superior Court his drugs and weapons charges. However, his attorney told the judge that he would like to continue the hearing because he believes there appears to be a way to resolve the case. He comes back Jan. 9.

Pettway, who is out of jail on bail, was arrested April 8 after narcotics officers allegedly watched him sell drugs near Purche Avenue Elementary School. According to the police, a search warrant of his home turned up drugs and weapons.

Previously: Gardena HS coach charged for drugs and gun

Ricky Sisneros' sentencing hearing was postponed from today until Oct. 29, according to a court clerk. He was the alleged La Rana gang shot caller convicted of having a bunch o' weapons in his home.

Previously:

Torrance gang leader convicted

Torrance gang leader trial