Results tagged “La Rana” from Crime & Courts

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?

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!

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

A jury deliberated about half a day a today before finding Ricky Sam Sisneros, 45, guilty of 10 weapons and drug charges. The jury also found true allegations that the crimes were gang-related. Sisneros returns to Torrance Superior Court Sept. 29 for sentencing.

Prosecutors argued that Sisneros was the "shot caller" of the violent Torrance street gang La Rana. He was under surveillance and arrested after he was seen leaving a home in the 2300 block of Del Amo Boulevard on March 14, 2007.

The defense argued he was not a gang member - let alone a leader - just a drug-addicted old man. The main question was whether or not the guns that were found in the home belonged to him or others.

After a story on the trial ran last week, several people who live in that area contacted me to say there is no La Rana gang. Wrote one 36-year-old Del Amo Boulevard resident:

You called the gang a violent street gang. When was the last time this so called violent street gang was violent? It's been a long time, the area has changed but of course you fail to mention that, or how many many of the residents on this street are good.

[snip]

Some of the residents on the street are harassed by the TPD on a regular basis, I have been pulled over by the TPD about 10-15 times in the last year and a half and have never been given a ticket.

It's always a weird scene when seven or so guns are spread out on the attorney's table, all lined up like good little soldiers. As Ricky Sam Sisneros' trial got underway yesterday, the table was littered with rifles and pistols. However, one was missing, which left the attorneys and investigating officer scrambling around at the end of the day trying to find out what happened to the assualt rifle between Sisneros' last trial and this one. It was eventually found in the court's storage room.

Not available last night, but known now, is Sisneros' criminal history. He has three strikes for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary, according to prosecutors. He also has convictions for possession of a controlled substance and weapons charges.

The hold-out juror in his last trial, by the way, reported to the judge that her car was vandalized in the court parking lot during the trial. While it's never been proven if the vandalism was linked to her role in the trial, the situation prompted Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stodel to ask for extra security in and around the courtroom for this trial. Judge Steven Van Sicklen, though, refused the request.

Van Sicklen's kind of the new guy on the bench at the Torrance Courthouse. However, he already won the heart of one juror when, during a lull in the proceedings, he asked the panel: "For those jurors who watch TV, who do you think is going to win tonight?" A couple wondered aloud what he was talking about - maybe the Dodgers? Until a young woman in the front row asked excitedly: "Are you talking about 'So You Think You Can Dance?'" Then, they shared a very nice moment.