The Los Angeles Police Department asks for the public's help to find the men who are holding two girls and their aunt for ransom.

Los Angeles: Robbery-Homicide detectives are asking the public's help in finding 2 young girls and their adult aunt who are being held in a coyote extortion case.

On March 10, 2007, the mother of the two girls paid a "coyote" to smuggle her daughters, ages 11 and 12, and their adult aunt and uncle, from El Salvador to the United States. She last spoke to her daughters on April 4, 2007, when they were in Tampico, Mexico. She was informed that the coyotes separated the girls and their aunt from their uncle in Guatemala.

On June 29, 2007, the mother began to receive calls from unknown men who demanded more money to release her daughters. She did not comply since she could not verify whether the callers actually had the girls.

Detectives were able to determine that the calls demanding more money originated from San Diego and Mexico's boarder. In an interview with the girls' uncle in El Salvador, he told detectives that the coyote separated him from the girls and their aunt and he was subsequently detained for 2 months by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when she attempted to enter the U.S.

Anyone with any information about this crime is asked to call Robbery-Homicide Detective D. Jaramillo or Detective D. Maxwell at 213-485-2511. After hours and on weekends, call the 24-hour toll free Detective Information Desk at 1-877-LAW-FULL (529-3855).

Posted by Jason Kandel at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Perhaps after being called "Fuzzball" or "Walking Carpet" one too many times, Chewbacca allegedly snapped. The LAPD's on the hunt for a wookie impersonator who's suspected of inappropriately touching a fake Marilyn Monroe.

Click here or read on below to learn of this tragic tale, told by an unnamed member of our metro desk.

(Note: While the profession of the people involved makes this particularly funny, if the ersatz Chewbacca indeed did this, then it's reprehensible no matter what he was wearing.)

Continue reading "Chewie, Say it Ain't So!" »

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A few weeks back, on a Friday night as the sun was disappearing, officers with the gang unit with the LAPD's West Valley Station sighted a black Ford Expedition driving erratically near 7115 Darby Ave. This guy was all over the place, swerving, jumping curbs, rollin' around like he was Lindsay Lohan or something.

When they pulled him over, the driver turned out to be a 14-year-old kid. He'd borrowed his dad's SUV while the old man was asleep and now found himself in handcuffs, sweating it out as the cops called his pop.

Continue reading "Fun, Fun, Fun, Till the Coppers took the G-Ride Away" »

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Glendale police arrested two Armenian men in connection with the shooting last week at Brand Park. Here's the press release:

"Once again, I take pride in the efforts of the men and women of the Glendale Police Department as I announce the arrests of two individuals we believe to be involved in the egregious shooting at Brand Park,” said Chief Randy G. Adams of the Glendale Police Department. “Our Detectives have been working around the clock to apprehend those responsible for this crime. These acts and those committed by others that take the peace and tranquility out of our neighborhoods will never be tolerated.” The Glendale Police Department have arrested two individuals believed to be involved in the Brand Park shooting that took place on June 26, 2007. Police Detectives along with the Glendale Gang Unit arrested Harutyun Abrahamyan, 21 years old of Pasadena, and Haroutioun Aivazian, 19 years old of Glendale. In the course of the investigation a white SUV, believed to be used during the shooting and a handgun have been recovered. The weapon is currently being examined by our forensic personnel. The investigation is on going and this is just another part of a puzzle we are putting together. The Glendale Police Department continues to ask that anyone with information regarding this incident to call 818-548-4840. It is imperative that anyone who was present in the park on that day, or who may have witnessed any activities that lead up to, during or after the incident, to please contact Detectives. In partnership, it is our goal to not leave any stone unturned and hold all parties responsible to the fullest extent of the law.

Earlier

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A brave woman fought with a would-be robber who hit her in the face with a beer bottle and took her wallet before police arrived, broke it up and arrested the culprit the other day in North Hills. dailynews.com

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The folks at The Smoking Gun dug up the documents of Tara Madden, known to her fans as Syvette Wimberly. Only trouble is, according to the documents, there's already a lady by the name of Kristen Syvette Wimberly. The two went to high school together but lost touch. Now, Kristen Syvette Wimberly says "Syvette Wimberly" is dragging down her good name by appearing in dirty movies.

The actual Ms. Wimberly is suing the 25-year-old Madden and Vivid Video, based over on Cahuenga Blvd.

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In North Hollywood, a 19-year-old Armenian man was fighting for his life today after being shot multiple times at close range by unknown assailants, police said. The man, whose identity was withheld, was shot about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday as he was standing in front of a friend's house in the 12500 block of Burton Street. dailynews.com

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Friday. Click below for the day's crime news. And thanks for reading.

Continue reading "Arrest in Glendale arson, murder-suicide in Palmdale, Gore talks about son's arrest, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If the tale told by our colleague Mr. Dobuzinskis earlier wasn't funny enough, then this piece posted by the fine folks at LA Noir should do the trick.

It seems that four gentlemen allegedy robbed an Chino Hills bank and actually managed to evade deputies. Until they crashed their car. And got caught. By picking a getaway man who wasn't so sympathetic to their criminal enterprise.

For the whole thing, visit: LA Noir or CBS2.

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Christian Science Monitor writes a profile today of Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton. The paper asks how its possible to reform a department with a history of confrontations with the suspects and others, a "warrior style police culture," with the latest example being the May 1 melee that left at least 32 people, including reporters, injured. Bratton says there are too few cops patrolling a sprawling city that allows cops to swoop into neighborhoods in patrol cars only when there's trouble and don't really get an opportunity to get to know its residents. Changing that culture is Bratton's biggest challenge.

The unofficial motto here is, 'too few who for too long have been asked to do too much with too little,' he says.

csmonitor.com

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday. Welcome to the early edition of the crime report. Click below for crime news.

Continue reading "Shooting in Valley, cops check nightclub security, man kills self after pursuit, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two reputed Chatsworth Skinheads gangsters pleaded guilty last week to assault charges stemming from a fight in which they targeted a group of Latinos at Chatsworth Park in March. Zachary Lee Gleed, 19, and Jonathan Thomas Spear, 18, face a year in Los Angeles County Jail when they are sentenced later this month.

What follows is a tale of a little-known crime, this one based on police reports, that highlights the activities of a group of skinheads, active in the northeastern corner of the San Fernando Valley and, police say, are connected to the Aryan Brotherhood, who confronted Latinos, shouted racial slurs and attacked them before police arrived.

Continue reading "Reputed Chatsworth Skinheads plead guilty to attack against Latinos" »

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My colleague Alex Dobuzinskis guest blogs here today. He has been covering a murder trial of John Racz. Here's his post:

She was a soccer mom before the phrase even came into vogue. Ann Mineko Racz disappeared 16 years ago. Now her husband, John Racz of Valencia, is on trial, charged with killing the woman whom friends and family members describe as a devoted mom, always taking her kids to soccer practice or helping out at their schools. The trial is taking place in San Fernando, but it's on hiatus this week.

The couple's three children are expected to testify next week. An important aspect of the case is that despite more than 30 searches, authorities have never found the body of Ann Racz, which contributed to the delay in charging John Racz. Although the Daily News has covered every day of the trial, with so much estimony and legal maneuvering by the two sides we haven't been able to fit all of it in our print articles. Here are some points that got left out:

Continue reading "Behind the scenes of the John Racz murder trial" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I talked today with Los Angeles Police Detective Dave Peteque, in the gang unit at Mission Division. I wanted to know about an arrest of a suspected gang member with a gun from overnight. This kind of story traditionally doesn't make headlines in a newspaper. It's not uncommon. And no one was hurt. But what follows is a narrative as told by Peteque of a slice of life that I hope can shed light on suspected gang crime in the San Fernando Valley:

At 10:30 p.m. July 1, two friends from Barrio Van Nuys, Luis “Mugzy” Serna and Lionel Arechiga, pulled into the parking lot of La Sierra nightclub on Van Nuys Boulevard, a parking lot that police say attracts a lot of shootings and police call outs. The two men got out of their Chevy Blazer, walked over to a van and peeked inside. Police officers, who were patrolling the area, noticed, thought the men were going to break into the van and pulled up. Serna saw the cops, reached under his shirt, allegedly pulled out a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun and tossed it to the ground next to the van.

Continue reading "Accused Barrio Van Nuys gangsters were out of their turf " »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Associated Press ran an interesting piece recently in which experts blame higher homicide rates on everything from more powerful weapons to shifting resources to anti-terror from regular crime fighting. The most interesting suggestion, however, was that immigrants keep crime down, since they want to keep out of the way of the law.

Here's a link to the whole story, via the Miami Herald. Though the story's mainly based on East Coast incidents, Los Angeles, as a major destination for legal and illegal immigration, figures prominently. I'd be interested to hear what people have to say about this....

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Homicides in the city have dropped 20 percent, according to the latest statistics released by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Citywide, police reported 181 homicides between Jan. 1 and June 26, 2007, compared with 225 in the same period last year, statistics show.

Total violent crimes which include, homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assaults, dropped 7 percent, from 14,016 total violent crimes to 13,047 between Jan. 1 and June 26, 2007.

Property crimes dropped 2 percent, from 48,747 last year to 47,827 so far this year, statistics show.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for the day's crime news.

Continue reading "More on LAPD cop arrested in DUI, O.J. in the news, accused racketeer in court, and more ..." »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Los Angeles Police Officer Brian Gossh called the misdemeanor DUI charges he faces "ridiculous," said he doesn't drink and blew 0.00 in a Breathalyzer test. He's considering filing a wrongful arrest lawsuit against the LAPD. dailynews
Updated at 12:20 p.m.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for crime news.

Continue reading "Inmate gets more time for prison-yard fight, Claim alleging racial bias filed against Sheriff's Department, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Glendale gang cops, park rangers, and special enforcement details added patrols around Brand Park this week in the wake of a shooting that left no one injured just before dinnertime Tuesday. Cops said an Armenian man in his 20s wearing a hat and sunglasses fired about five shots from a white SUV after an argument with another group of males at the park on West Mountain Street. There were no reports of injuries, but three bullets struck a car in the path of the shooting. Glendale cops are asking that if anyone has information, to call detectives at (818) 548-3987.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Los Angeles Police Department blog today updates the story of the officer who shot a dog the other night in Sylmar. The officer involved is identified as Landon Summey, a 25-year-old, who has worked for the LAPD for three years. He got bit in the back of the leg before he killed the dog. lapdblog
Earlier

Posted by Jason Kandel at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The stories that usually make news day-to-day fall under an old phrase man bites dog. Well, today read the spin on that, "Dog bites cop - Cop shoots dog." dailynews

The story has elicited a few reader comments. One woman named, Crystal, writes:

As always, pepper spray should have been tried first. I highly doubt this Labrador/Rottie mix bit that idiot hard enough to cause any damage. This cop just isn't capable of thinking before reacting. They were in a poor/minority neighborhood, so what do you expect from them?

Another reader, calling him or herself, oH sHuD UP aLREADY, counters:

And how exactly do you know that pepper spray was not used? Right, the racist behind every tree hysteria rear its foolish head again. BTW, what would you do if a rottie mix was attacking you?....Cry about racism and suggest useless measures to repel the attack, whilst the dog locks onto your hand........

A third reader calling him or herself, Just a thought, writes:

Why was the dog out? Was it sent out to Attack? Keep your dogs on a leash because unleashed dogs are a threat to life and lethal force Can and Will be used.

Thank you for reading. Glad to see the story is getting read. And I enjoy the debate. Because of the ongoing investigation, I wasn't able to get a whole lot more than what I wrote today, but stay tuned.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 04:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Time magazine has this story today about a raging gang war going on in Rio de Janeiro. Over 1,000 cops armed with assault weapons got into a gun battle with gangsters in a one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods, killing 19 suspected crooks, the story says. With the raid, the cops officially break their non-aggression pact with the gangs, after years of giving the traffickers free reign to live in the neighborhoods as long as they don't cause any trouble. The gangs apparently weren't holding up their end of the bargain. time

Posted by Jason Kandel at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for a full plate of crime news.

Continue reading "Does Spector have a complex?, 14-year-old girl arrested for prostitution, oldest inmate could be freed, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for the surreal, the grim, the wacky crime news of the day.

Continue reading "Surreal Hilton news, did Spector kill Clarkson?, murder behind bars, and more ..." »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The photo drew me in. I was reading The Times yesterday and had to see what this was all about. Tattoos completely cover this guy's face. Here's how the story read:

A prison inmate out for a medical appointment wrested a gun from a corrections officer and killed him, then led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen sport utility vehicle before his capture at a fast-food restaurant, authorities said. Curtis Allgier fired a shot in the Arby's that hit no one before a customer grabbed the gun.

Continue reading "Aryan Brotherhood member wears his heart on his face" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 01:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for your morning crime report.

Continue reading "Gang unit audited, more Baca, Hilton news, fighting gangs in Palmdale, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

If you haven't yet, you have to check out The Times' story today on an old unsolved murder case that was recently closed with the arrest of a trucker who ran down and killed freelance photographer Douglas Burrows then fled to Mexico.

Fourteen years ago, freelance photographer Douglas Burrows was broadsided by a 18-wheeler in downtown Los Angeles — a fatal hit-and-run that seemed destined to fade into obscurity.

The alleged truck driver, Rogelio Pereira, fled to Mexico. The Burrows case remained active, but investigators always seemed to be inundated with more immediate — and pressing — cases.

Still, there was one constant: Every year around the anniversary of his son's 1993 death, John Burrows would place a call to detectives at the LAPD's Central Traffic Division to see if investigators had made any progress.

Vacations, promotions, transfers and retirements meant that nearly every time Burrows called, there was somebody new to talk to.

Each time, Burrows insisted on telling the story of his photographer son. He told the officer about Doug's struggle to overcome being born with a cleft pallet, requiring 30 operations to repair.

latimes

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They went out there looking for love but found cold hard handcuffs instead. Fourteen men were arrested in a John's sting on Lankershim Boulevard and Neenach Street, in Sun Valley. This was a case in which undercover female police officers posed as prostitutes on the street and arrested violators who stopped and solicited them for sex. They also got their cars seized by the City Attorney's Office.
lapdblog

Posted by Jason Kandel at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Detectives probe death of body found under freeway overpass, Reseda cold case solved, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for this morning's latest crime news ...

Continue reading "Ongoing Delgadillo saga, thinking how to solve the gang problem, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for a full plate of crime news this morning.

Continue reading "Prank call to police, more on city gang czar, Delgadillo plot thickens" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The lapdblog updates with notes from yesterday's Police Commission meeting:

• There are 434 recruits in the Academy. 65 recruits began classes this month.

• The Inspector General continues working on the recent complaints out of Skid Row, as well as complaints pertaining to the incident at MacArthur Park. The hiring of a new Assistant Inspector General, Susan Hudson, will help with the workload distribution.

• The Department's report, relative to the Quarterly Status Report, Third Quarter, Fiscal Year 2006/07, of various audits conducted by the Department, pursuant to the Annual Audit Plan, was approved.

  Read the rest here.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Valley's most powerful business group is taking a look at crime's toll on the area's bottom line. Veteran LAPD officer turned City Councilman Dennis Zine will discuss safety in the Valley and its impact on business at the Valley Industry & Commerce Association 's monthly newsmaker's breakfast Thursday morning. He's also expected to address the LAPD's reaction to May 1.

Despite continued crime drops across the city, violent crime has held steady in the San Fernando Valley. And last year gang crime jumped 14 percent citywide and 44 percent in the Valley.

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A 30-year-old man was arrested after becoming enraged and firing a hunting rifle, injuring a construction worker, who, he complained, had threatened him, police said today.

Police accuse Jacob Joseph Bellamy of firing a rifle at 3:15 p.m. from his backyard fence in the 107560 block of Variel Avenue in Chatsworth. He fired at four construction workers who were working on a house next door, said Los Angeles Police Detective Mike Fesperman, a homicide supervisor at the Devonshire Division.

dailynews

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Click below for your morning dose of crime news to get your day started.

Continue reading "New gang czar, masked gunman wanted in home invasion, Delgadillo imbroglio, and more" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Bratton's future could be decided today, another lawsuit filed in May Day melee, and new crime blotter with arrests from the Valley" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Stories on the cop beat can be filled with irony. I think I stumbled on one today. This story came after making my routine cop calls to the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Division. When I called Lt. Gary Hallden, who heads detectives there, this morning looking for news, I was surprised to hear this story. It sounded like Hallden, a veteran cop, who's seen his share of the bizarre through the decades, was a little surprised too, but maybe just a tinge, though.

Continue reading "There's a lot of irony on the cop beat" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Los Angeles Police are searching for a man who abducted and sexually assaulted an 8-year-old boy at gunpoint Wednesday, June 13. At around 2 p.m., the boy's babysitter picked him up from Erwin Street Elementary School in Van Nuys. The boy ran ahead of the babysitter and she lost sight of him near the corner of Atoll Avenue and Victory Boulevard.

lapdblog

Posted by Jason Kandel at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Crime blotter -- June 18, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Washington Post today writes a dramatic piece on former Death Row Records rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight, who's not doing to badly even as he claims he's $137 million in debt. The Post leads the story off like this:

Five-star hotel, poolside cabana. Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., dethroned rap mogul, ex-con, self-proclaimed penitent, is kicking back with his crew: Personal assistant. Trusted friend from back in the day. Young Life, a rapper just starting out, stops by for a huddle.

An automatic mister spritzes cool water in the air. The hotel chef pops in for a chat, while a beautiful Brazilian massage therapist serves up complimentary foot rubs. Suge -- pronounced like the first syllable in "sugar" -- unties his blindingly white sneakers, stretching out his 6-foot-3, 315-pound body on a lounge chair.

Rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight Jr. and Death Row Records, the label he co-founded that helped bring gangsta rap to mainstream audiences in the early '90s, have been no strangers to controversy.

Follow the ups and downs of Knight's career, from his time atop the rap music world to the allegations and arrests that led to his label filing for bankruptcy in 2006.

"Everybody here loves Mr. Knight," the masseuse says, after he peels a bill from a fat wad. She hugs him. "He's so generous."

washingtonpost

Posted by Jason Kandel at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After my last tale of supposed redemption went so horribly awry, I wondered whether it was worth the time and effort to look for people gone straight. Jesse Carranza convinced me that it was.

Continue reading "It's Not Always a Dead End" »

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for all the crime news in the area ...

Continue reading "Click here for your daily dose of crime news ..." »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below to read the crime and mayhem stories from around the horn.

Continue reading "Hilton does more time ... What's she eating? ... Goofy Hat bandit hangs it up" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The FBI caught William Vance Turner once, back when they called him The Pershing Square Bandit back in the 1990s. They arrested him again today, saying he'd taken on a new identity: The Goofy Hat Bandit.

Read on to see the whole tale of Turner's arrest...

Continue reading "Hat's Off for Bandit." »

Posted by Brent Hopkins at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The San Francisco Chronicle has this hilarious piece today about jailhouse grub, timely in that it says Paris Hilton is only eating cereal and bread when she could be having a vegan meal, perhaps. Steve Whitmore, the spokesman for Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, finds the bologna sandwich at Twin Towers quite nice. Menu anyone?

The Chronicle writes:

The Los Angeles County jail is no Ritz-Carlton, to be sure. It's not even the Hilton. But contrary to popular belief, food fare in the slammer these days is far from gruel and water. In fact, a whole set of regulations requires meals not only be nourishing but also look good on the plate.

Many California jails, including those in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties, have gone so far as to serve vegan dishes to please their socially conscious inmates. Other jails have a plethora of plans to satisfy diets restricted by religion or health issues.

Some serve fresh, roasted turkey on Thanksgiving, Danish for breakfast and even dessert. One Bay Area county, so desperate to get one of its prisoners to eat, broke down and bought him a Big Mac.

Steve Whitmore, a Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman who has been working double-time handling the press covering the Hilton case, says he's been eating a lot of meals from the socialite's new home -- the downtown Twin Towers jail.

"I think they're really good," said Whitmore, who particularly savors the bologna sandwiches. As far as Hilton: "I'm not going to comment on what individuals in the jail eat or don't eat," he said.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This morning I thought I'd try something different. I'm doing a round-up of all the crime and cop related stories locally, then taking a look at gang stories from around the world to give you a sense of just how widespread this issue is.

Click below for the stories.

Continue reading "Morning police blotter -- June 13, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Sacramento Bee today says part of the blame for the early release of Paris Hilton from Los Angeles County Jail could be attributed to an overcrowded California prison system.

The Bee reports:

As of May 30, Los Angeles County was housing between 1,200 and 1,400 state prison inmates in its overcrowded facilities in which the 26-year-old Hilton is now residing. Tens of thousands of inmates, meanwhile, are getting early releases from the Los Angeles jails that are accommodating those state-sentenced inmates, whom the California prison system otherwise can't house.

sacramentobee.com

Rev. Al Sharpton speaking to media in front of Sherman Block Sheriff's Headquarters Building in Monterey Park Monday, June 11. Rev. Al Sharpton met with Sheriff Lee Baca, to discuss alleged preferential jail treatment for Paris Hilton. (SGVN/Photo by Walt Mancini/LANG)

Posted by Jason Kandel at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So reading all this hoopla over the Paris Hilton roller coaster ride through Los Angeles County's overcrowded jail system has sparked an idea. Could the legacy of the 26-year-old blond celebrity be that her case becomes the one that prompts the powers that be to fix overcrowded conditions at the nation's largest jail system? Unlikely? The Rev. Al Sharpton, who met with Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca on Monday, thinks this case points up a serious bias in the justice system.

dailynews.com

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, meanwhile are expected today to ask for a report on why Hilton was sent home from jail last week. Supervisors Mike Antonovich and Yvonne Brathwaite Burke will ask the Sheriff’s Department to provide a report next week on Hilton’s early release from her 45-day sentence from the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood. Sheriff Lee Baca has denied accusations of favoritism. In fact, he says, Hilton is being treated more harshly than a member of the general public. Not true, say experts. A judge has ordered her back in jail.

UPDATE at 3:11 p.m.: My colleague Troy Anderson writes that the supervisors have called for an investigation into whether Baca's decision to release Paris Hilton from jail early was justified. Also, civil rights leaders are calling on the celebrity heiress to become the spokeswoman for improving medical and mental health care provided to female inmates.

From the Board of Supervisor's Agenda Highlights:

Supervisors Yvonne B. Burke and Michael D. Antonovich request that Board ask sheriff to report on 6/19 on reasons for the premature release of Paris Hilton from jail, including why she was not placed in an appropriate medical facility. APPROVED 4-0

dailynews.com

Earlier officer.com argued that keeping Hilton in custody was a waste of time and money.

Officer.com

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects involved in the slaying of 15-year-old Francisco Garnica. Francisco was shot on Nov. 16, 2006 while walking on the east sidewalk of Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood -- the heart of 18th Street gang territory, cops say. Police say there were 18th Streeters hanging around that fateful night, but that witnesses are too afraid to say anything about the case out of fear of retaliation. Read the story here.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tim Dees, the editor-in-chief of Officer.com, argues that Paris Hilton should be let out of jail. The place is overcrowded with mostly violent felons and this is not the best way to use precious resources, the author argues. While the author does not believe in slacking off on penalties for crimes such as those that Hilton was convicted of -- drunk driving and driving on a suspended license, he does believe in maximizing resources to go "where they'll do the most good." So, he says, let her out, and get her on one of those toilet cleaning crews. Dees writes:

UPDATE: The average cost per day for a female inmate in Los Angeles County is $99.64, but it costs about 10 times as much -- $1,109.78 -- to keep Hilton locked up, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore told the celebrity-news Web site TMZ.com. The cost for Hilton include medical treatment and staff associated with her needs.

... Paris Hilton’s jail sentence is a waste of time and resources, no matter how much she might deserve to be there.

(snip)

Try to imagine the drama that would ensue if Paris was to get stabbed or beaten while in custody, or if she was to contract an illness caused by mold or staph infection. Then imagine the costs of the ensuing civil actions brought by Paris against the sheriff’s department, who would be happy to correct all of the health and safety problems if they had the money and space to do so.

Continue reading "'Get Paris out of jail and assign her to clean public toilets'" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are a couple of national stories that could bode well for death-penalty proponents.

One reports that there's scientific evidence that says executing convicted murderers deters other homicides:

The studies' conclusions drew a philosophical response from a well-known liberal law professor, University of Chicago's Cass Sunstein. A critic of the death penalty, in 2005 he co-authored a paper titled "Is capital punishment morally required?"

"If it's the case that executing murderers prevents the execution of innocents by murderers, then the moral evaluation is not simple," he told The Associated Press. "Abolitionists or others, like me, who are skeptical about the death penalty haven't given adequate consideration to the possibility that innocent life is saved by the death penalty."

Read full text here.

The story makes no mention of the scores of convicted defendants who are later found innocent.

Crime riddle of the day: Is it possible to deter innocent people from killing innocent people they never intended to kill?

A New York Times story says that last week's Supreme Court ruling allowing prosecutors to dismiss jurors who are opposed to the death penalty in capitol punishment cases will increase the number of white, conviction-prone jurors on such cases.
Prosecutors argue that they need jurors who are going to follow the letter of the law and not their own interpretations.

Good point ... They might want to pass that thought along to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, considering all the heat he has been under from both sides of the aisle for dismissing prosecutors, apparently for political reasons.

Posted by Rick Coca at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Homicide detectives were busy this weekend in the San Fernando Valley. Two men were shot and killed. Both cases looked like they were after or during parties. One of them is being tagged by the coroner as gang related. An 18-year-old man was killed in Granada Hills after a party was letting out. A 28-year-old man was killed outside a gas station near an Armenian club in Tujunga. So far there are few details, but you can read the story about the Granada Hills case here and the case in Tujunga here.

Keep reading this blog for further details. And if you have any tips, drop me a line.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cops today identified a man shot and killed on Friday night outside an Armenian nightclub in Tujunga as Armen Tomanyan, 28. Anybody know anything about this gentleman?

Click here to read the story. You can view the updated Valley homicide map by clicking here.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The National Geographic Channel will retell the infamous North Hollywood bank shootout from a decade ago. This was one of the biggest shootouts in U.S. history. Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu in heavy body armor and armed with AK-47s and other weapons injured nine cops and wounded two civilians. The gunmen were killed. If there are cops out there reading this blog that were involved in the shootout and would like to share your experiences, we'd like to hear from you.

Hollywood Reporter via reuters.com

Show starts Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Click here for details.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

UK magazine the Economist reports that crime is down in New York, Chicago and LA despite a national rise. The writer credits police tactics _ employed by Bratton in LA and when he was police commissioner in New York _ for drawing down violence.

The three police forces, though, look increasingly alike when it comes to methods of tackling crime. The new model was pioneered in New York. In the mid-1990s it began to map crimes, allocate officers accordingly (a strategy known as “putting cops on the dots”) and hold local commanders accountable for crime on their turf. Since 2002 it has flooded high-crime areas with newly qualified officers. The cops' methods are sometimes crude—police stops in New York have increased five-fold in the past five years—but highly effective. Crime tends to go down by about a third in the flooded areas, which has a disproportionate impact on the overall tally.

Bratton's mightiest tool has been Compstat, the computer system that tracks high-crime areas. The LAPD uses the data to determine which areas to "flood" with police.

Some critics, like the ACLU, say that focused crackdowns such as those in Skid Row have led to police intimidation.
But that doesn't seem to bother presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani who says that if he wins in 2008, he will use Compstat _ the computer system that tracks high crime areas _ in federal agencies.

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for the full plate of headlines about crime and cops ...

Continue reading "Cops are being shot at more ... juveniles doing more hate crimes ... and the saga of Paris Hilton" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

More than one month after the May Day melee, LAPD Chief William Bratton continues to face tough questions. This week city council members expressed frustration with the department, saying they wanted to hear answers from the top commanders who were in charge at the rally. And next week, Bratton will be sitting on a panel with two reporters hurt during the fracas _ Fox 11's Christina Gonzalez and KPCC reporter Patricia Nazario. Troubling video capturing LAPD officers roughing up Gonzalez has gotten more than 200,000 hits on youtube.
Here's the National Association of Hispanic Journalist description of the panel to be held Friday, June 15 at their annual conference:

On May 1st, 2007, members of the LAPD, taunted by a small group of provocateurs, clashed with and attacked immigration rights protesters and journalists. In the face of rallies, marches and demonstrations to be called by immigration-rights groups in the future, how can we in the media cover these events fairly and accurately considering that many of us are now part of the story? How can the LAPD ensure that the rights of peaceful demonstrators, whatever their immigrant status, will be respected and that journalists will be allowed to do their job without risk of injury? What can the organizers of the marches do to restrain provocateurs? Is there any way that "we can all just get along"?

Moderator, Ysabel Duron, Weekend Anchor, KRON TV4, San Francisco

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 06:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You've got to check all these crime stories. Click below.

Continue reading "Daily crime and mayhem blotter -- June 7, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Immigration officials announced that over the last three months they have arrested 124 gang members in Los Angeles who are in the country illegally. Those arrested now face immigration charges, federal prison and deportation.

The arrests are part of a national effort by local law enforcement and the U.S. Immigration and Cultural Enforcement to track and arrest gang members who are in the country illegally.

Recently federal law officials announced the opening of a regional gang intelligence center in El Salvador. And earlier this year, immigration officials posted agents in the San Fernando Valley to focus on illegal immigrants that are gang members.

Nobody knows for sure how many gang members are illegal immigrants. Gang experts and law enforcement disagree, with experts putting the figure around 10 percent of all Los Angeles gang members.
As if the issue of gangs and immigrants alone weren't sticky enough, the combination has made for some very complicated scenarios. Recently, gang members have been invoking their membership to gain asylum.

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William Bratton were up in D.C. pleading with Congress to approve a bill that would toughen federal penalties for gang-related violence and provide more than $1 billion for anti-gang programs over five years.

Since 2001 more than 4,000 have been killed in gang violence in California, Villaraigosa told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"That's more lives than we lost in Iraq," a statement Villaraigosa's office released said.

Since launching an anti-gang initiative nearly six months ago, gang-related crimes in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley have dropped as much as 30 percent in the first five months of the year.

But critics have said despite the efforts, Villaraigosa has not developed enough intervention programs. The federal legislation would provide some of that needed money but would also federalize some gang street crimes.

Two weeks ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a $48 million anti-gang initiative to treat convicted gang leaders like sex offenders by using satellite tracking devices.

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The FBI and Glendale detectives are interviewing a man suspected of being the "Irreconcilable Differences" bandit at the Glendale Jail in connection with at least 16 bank robberies that have gone down through Los Angeles County and at least one in Westlake Village since December. Police caught him after noon today after being alerted to a bank robbery by silent alarm at a Wells Fargo Bank on Brand Boulevard. He was caught in a MacDonald's parking structure nearby about 12:30 p.m., said Glendale Police spokesman John Balian. His identity was not immediately released. FBI agents believe he is the Irreconcilable Differences Bandit, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair who told a teller during a heist in Beverly Hills that he was going through a divorce and needed help wiring the money.

UPDATE at 3:49 p.m.: The FBI identified the suspect as Alan Freibaum, age 55.

Read the latest story here.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This just in ... An FBI agent is en route to Glendale, I am told, where police think they have a bank robber, dubbed the Irreconcilable Differences Bandit in custody after a heist at a Wells Fargo Bank on Brand Boulevard ... Stay tuned.

dailynews.com

Earlier

Posted by Jason Kandel at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hollywood homicide detectives have just issued this bulletin. They are looking for the public's help to identify and locate the body of a woman who was murdered last month in Hollywood. Their press release follows.

On Friday, June 1, 2007, at approximately 12:30 a.m., patrol officers responded to a call stating that a woman had been shot to death in a home at 8581 Cole Crest Drive, in Hollywood. When police arrived, they found several individuals at the location, all of whom were taken to Hollywood Police Station for questioning.

lapdblog

Posted by Jason Kandel at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for all you wanted to know about Los Angeles crime.

Continue reading "Crime and mayhem blotter -- June 5, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you haven't yet, you've got to pick up a copy of the book "Into the Kill Zone, A Cop's Eye View of Deadly Force" by former Los Angeles Police Officer David Klinger, now a criminology professor at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. In his words, Klinger began the journey of his book years ago when as a young officer in L.A., he killed a man to save his partner's life. His gripping book is told from interviews with unnamed officers who've had to use their weapons in the line of duty and who explain how they feel about what they did.

Continue reading "A review of 'Into the Kill Zone'" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good morning. Got news here. Click below.

Continue reading "Morning blotter -- June 4, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good morning ... All the crime news that's fit to print is after the jump. Click below.

Continue reading "Morning blotter -- June 1, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

LAPDblog updates its Web site with more information about Deputy Chief Michael Hillman heading up the new Critical Incident Management Bureau. (That's Hillman in the photo.)
lapdblog

Earlier

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for a full plate of crime news and assorted mayhem ...

Continue reading "Morning blotter -- May 31, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Legendary Los Angeles Police Detective Jack "Mr. Robbery" Giroud has retired after 51 years on the force. He got a big send off last week at which about 700 friends, family, police, lawyers and others attended.

Among the speakers singing his praises were Chief William Bratton, Judge J.D. Smith, LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell, Chief of Detectives Gary Brennan, Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, former LAPD Chief Daryl Gates and defense attorneys Jonathan Kissel and Anthony Brooklier, among others.

Detective Bret Richards, Giroud's last partner, described him as indispensable.

"He could run circles around a lot of the younger detectives. He could do more on the phone than a lot of detectives could do out there beating the pavement," said Richards, who worked hundreds of cases with Giroud over the last 6 and a half years. "He was so connected to everybody. For me he was like a father figure - like a brother. He was my partner, my best friend, my mentor. He was the guy I looked up to. He never pulled rank on me. He's going to be so missed."

UPDATE at 1:08 p.m.

Giroud called. Here's what he tells me.

"I loved my job. It's a very exciting job. I loved working with the people I was involved with - the victims, my partners, everybody. It's just been great."

He's worked a couple hundred thousand cases in his career. He closed about 70 percent of them over the last seven years. "That's not too bad," he said. "Citywide, for robbery cases, they're in the 30s."

The Sherman Oaks resident says he'll keep teaching robbery and identification techniques for Peace Officer Standards and Training at San Jose State. He'll share the knowledge he's honed since first becoming a robbery detective in 1962 - probably the longest-serving such gumshoe in California.

"Forty five years in robbery is a long time," Giroud says. "It's been a very good ride. It's been very challenging."

Any cops out there reading this blog have any good Giroud tales, we'd love to hear from you.
(Photo above is Giroud, right, with Steve Cooley. Photo below, left, is Giroud with McDonnell. Photo below, right, is Giroud with Gates.)

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Click below for your news on LAPD May Day melee and a bunch of other crime-related news.

Continue reading "Morning blotter -- May 30, 2007" »

Posted by Jason Kandel at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Los Angeles Police Lt. Corina Smith, 41, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the department, saying she was denied a promotion to the rank of captain after a false rumor was circulated that she threatened suicide.

She claimed the rumor led fellow officers to call her "psycho," caused a miscarriage and made her the target of a stalker ... The rumor alleged Smith was despondent over a breakup with a fellow officer 18 years ago when she stood nude on a diving board at the couple's Glendora apartment complex and put a gun to her head, the suit said. Three LAPD internal investigations concluded the rumor was false.

Associated Press via mercurynews.com

Posted by Jason Kandel at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gangs are a big problem in the state and the nation, says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today as he proposed a new anti-gang plan that involves treating gang members with the same harsh measures used against sex offenders and creating a new statewide anti-gang czar. You can watch a video of Governor's plan here.
dailynews.com

Posted by Jason Kandel at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• The alligator hunt ends. Reggie is captured.
  dailynews.com
  
• The View From a Loft blog writes about the swearing in of Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz, who was promoted after the May 1 melee in MacArthur Park, and other officers.
  viewfromaloft
  
• Joel John Roberts, the chief executive officer of People Assisting The Homeless and publisher of L.A.'s Homeless blog writes an op-ed in the Daily News about frustrations over the cat-and-mouse saga of lawsuits between the police and civil-liberties advocades over homelessness.
  dailynews.com
  
• Police identified the woman accused of running a red light yesterday and killing a 70-year-old pedestrian as Julia Elena O'Connor of Canyon Country.
  dailynews.com
  
• In case you missed it, if you've committed a low-level felony, you can book a room for about $3,000 for a weekend stay at club Glendale Jail.
  

Posted by Jason Kandel at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You get three meals, including a choice between meatloaf and chicken ala king for dinner.

Soap, toothpaste and towels are provided.

All you need to bring is comfortable clothing and shoes, one additional clean T-shirt and one additional clean pair of socks.

Sound like a nice weekend getaway?

It's the Glendale Police Department's state-of-the-art pay-to-stay weekender jail, one of several across the state popping up as an alternative to doing hard time in the traditional sense of the phrase. Most are open only to lower-level offenders. Huntington Beach, Torrance, Fullerton and Santa Ana are among the jails with pay-to-stay facilities. A former Orange County Sheriff's assistant chief was recently sentenced to serve time in a pay-and-stay in Montebello. Wonder if he'll raise birds.

Glendale Police spokesman John Balian makes sure there are no false impressions about his department's slammer.

"It's not a Club Med. Even though it's a pay-to-stay program, you're not going to be coming here and sitting on the bench. You're going to be working. Mopping, sweeping, the day-to-day cleaning necessities in the jail."

The menu features one cold meal a day and two hot meals. Breakfast is two pieces of whole wheat bread, orange juice, 2 percent reduced fat milk -- "We don't want 'em to get obese here" -- cereal, a packet of jelly and butter. For lunch you got Oreo cookies, punch, milk, carrots, corn and a country fried steak patty. You get a choice for dinner -- meatloaf or chicken ala king.

A Glendale resident recently paid $3,060 for several weekends to stay in the Glendale facility on a DUI conviction.

How's the chicken ala king?

"You might want to ask him" Balian said.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good morning ... A little crime news with your coffee ...

• No charges were filed against two suspects in the April 26 murder of Marat Manukyan, killed after a beef over "disrespect."
  dailynews.com
  
• Guilty pleas in a case of food stamp fraud ...
  

  The owner of several markets in the “skid row” area of downtown Los Angeles has pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal Food Stamp Program out of more than $6 million by purchasing benefits for 50 cents on the dollar. Tigran Malkhasyan, 42, pleaded guilty to five criminal charges Tuesday morning before United States District Judge S. James Otero. Malkhasyan specifically pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, food stamp fraud, money laundering and making false statements to the United States Department of Agriculture.

  
  U.S. Attorney's Office
  
• USA Today does a profile of Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton as he faces an uphill battle to reform his department and seeks a second term.
  

  Crime and violence are down under Bratton's watch. But gangs still grip neighborhoods with fear in this sprawling city, racial tensions are taut and drug problems fester. And by his own acknowledgement, Bratton still wrestles with one of his biggest tasks: reforming the character and culture of a police department that continues to make headlines for use of force with the public it is there to protect.

  
  usatoday.com
  
• My colleague Rick Coca gets the story on a trench rescue yesterday afternoon. He writes that Los Angeles Police first responded to what proved to be an erroneous call about an assault with a deadly weapon involving men with shovels, were the first emergency workers on scene, but found that two men were buried up to their shoulders in dirt. They got out OK.
  dailynews.com
  lafdblog
  

Posted by Jason Kandel at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nearly half way into 2007 and violent crime in the Valley is flat. Homicides are down 15.2 percent but shootings are up from 117 last year to 128 this year. And be super careful about leaving those laptops and iPods in your car. Theft from vehicles is also up. Overall violent crime in the city is down 7 percent.

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Good morning from the dark corners of the county you live and work in ... Morning report -- May 23, 2007

• The Los Angeles Police Department blog notes the untimely death of one of its Top-10 most wanted gang members. Apparently there was a way out for Rudy Magana, a Compton Tortilla Flats gang member, who took his own life as Sheriffs deputies with the gang unit attempted to arrest him in Long Beach. Magana was wanted for the Jan. 20 shooting death of his sister's former boyfriend. The sister and victim had been arguing over the custody of their son. Magana became angry with the victim and shot and killed him.
  lapdblog
  There is a San Fernando Valley connection. Turns out Magaña had been living with his sister at an apartment in the 9500 block of Van Nuys Boulevard.
  Earlier

• A Ukrainian man was sentenced to life in prison for his part in a kidnapping-for-ransom scheme that resulted in the killing of five people - three from the San Fernando Valley - whose bodies were found in a Northern California reservoir. He didn't get the death penalty because he said the Russian mob threatened to kill him and his family if he didn't take part.
  Associated Press via dailynews.com

• My colleague Alex Dobuzinskis writes about a Santa Clarita man and his wife being sentenced to 22 years in prison for their role in an insurance scam that staged crashes on freeways.
  dailynews.com

• No soup for this guy ... A 21-year-old Palmdale man was arrested at Vons. Apparently he told workers he was going to "pull out his gun and shoot" when he was asked to leave for eating soup from the deli bar. At a Jons market, a woman was arrested for stealing more than $400 in liquor.
  glendalenewspress.com

• Marion "Suge" Knight is back in the news, this time with money woes. From The Smoking Gun ...
  

  ... the bankrupt rap music titan expects to soon downgrade to a $10,000-a-month rental ... While the majority of his monthly nut is listed as "Support," other records indicate that Knight has not been paying court-ordered child support payments (for four children by three women) and is in arrears for $545,681.

  
  thesmokinggun.com

  Posted by Jason Kandel at 07:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here' s one Los Angeles tour that's not for your everyday tourist. Esotouric bus tours tell the story behind some of Los Angeles' most grisly crimes and seedy tales, says AP.

A dismembered wannabe starlet. A girl buried under her family's home. A rattlesnake used as a weapon.
The scenes of those crimes are stops on a series of Southern California bus tours that eschew the usual stars' homes and theme parks to offer passengers a peak at the region's dark side.
"They're aimed at the history geek sort of people," said Kelly Kuvo, who wears a black veil and other vintage accouterments during the trips she leads for tour company Esotouric.
The company's "crime bus" tours plumb the grisly, blood-soaked pasts of now quiet Southern California neighborhoods and nondescript strip malls.

Posted by Rachel Uranga at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everything you wanted to know about homicides in the San Fernando Valley can be found here.

Posted by Jason Kandel at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A man who might have been trying to kill his girlfriend today by leaving her in a parked car on railroad tracks ahead of a speeding Metrolink train was killed instead.
dailynews.com
latimes.com (registration required)

Posted by Jason Kandel at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)