Results tagged “carson” from Crime & Courts
From City News Service:
A state appeals court panel upheld a former Carson resident's conviction for murdering his ex-wife's boyfriend in Downey more than four years ago.
In a 13-page ruling released this week, a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected Jeffrey Denard Lewis' claim that errors were made in his Norwalk Superior Court trial.
Lewis was convicted in February 2008 of first-degree murder in the May 21, 2005, slaying of Da Shun Stafford.
Jurors found true the special circumstance allegation that Lewis was lying in wait before the attack.
Lewis -- who unsuccessfully tried to reconcile with his ex-wife -- was wearing a wig and carrying a loaded handgun when he shot Stafford four times, hit him in the head with the gun and stomped on his head.
The defendant is serving a life prison term without the possibility of parole.
Not sure if we'll have more on this - it stems from Friday's fatal officer-involved shooting in Carson. The burglary suspect shot and killed by Gardena officers is Wilson Victorian, the Associated Press reported Saturday, citing coroner officials.
Here's their brief story:
CARSON, Calif. (AP) - A 59-year-old man shot and killed by Gardena police after a chase into the neighboring city of Carson has been identified.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's office says Wilson Victorian of Compton was pronounced dead at the scene Friday.
Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht says when officers responded to a burglary in progress call at a business, Victorian's truck sped away. After a chase, officers opened fire and Victorian was killed.
Hecht declined to say what precipitated the shooting or to identify the officers involved.
Sheriff's homicide detectives are assisting Gardena police in the investigation. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office is also investigating
Gardena police officers shot and killed a man early this morning on a Carson street, according to the authorities.
News reports stated that the unidentified man led police on a pursuit, but Sheriff's Deputy Aura Sierra said she could not confirm any details about the incident.
The man was shot at 5:52 a.m. in the 200 block of Dominguez Street and pronounced dead at the scene, Sierra said.
No officers were injured, she added.
No one from the Gardena Police Department could be immediately reached for comment.
It seems, based on opening statements, that Miguel Magallon's defense will focus primarily on establishing he didn't have the intent and premeditation needed to commit first-degree murder, nor is their evidence to support the special circumstances allegations. Not too much was mentioned about the drive-by shooting allegation - maybe cause that might be a tough one to refute based on trajectory, coroner and ballistics evidence.
Magallon is also accused of killing during an attempted robbery. That might also be hard to disprove since his co-defendant admitted they were out looking to steal money from someone or somewhere.
Both sides are hitting really hard the last special circumstance: that Magallon killed someone he knew, or should have known, is a peace officer. A lot of evidence will be presented to show that Los Angeles Police Capt. Michael Sparkes was a meticulous officer who abided by his training and police protocols, both on and off duty. This included always carrying his badge where he could get to it quickly, as well as his gun.
Deputy District Attorney Darren Levine and defense attorney Victor Salerno both showed the jury excerpts from a letter Magallon wrote to a friend from jail in October 2004 that was intercepted by sheriff's deputies. In it, Magallon complained about his treatment by jailers: "Like if they knew the pig that got smoked. Yeah, I said it, pig pig pig. Fuck them bitches one less you got to worry about beaten the shit out of innocent people or killen a kid talken bout 'we thought he had a weapon' or shooten somebody in tha back."
Levine points to the letter as proof of Magallon's animous toward police officers, while Salerno said it's typical of young people whose only experience with police officers is negative.
The trial continues today with testimony from Sparkes' firearms trainer, the first emergency responder to the shooting scene, the officer who arrested Anthony minutes later and the reading of Anthony's preliminary hearing transcript. I, unfortunately, won't be there, but will watch to see if City News goes and we'll hopefully put their story up.
Previously: Courtroom Dispatch: Capital murder trial begins in death of County-Harbor UCLA Medical Center top cop
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.
David Roberts, 30, was sentenced to 13 years in state prison today for crashing into and killing Bill Cunha, a homeless man, in Carson on Aug. 12, 2007.
Roberts, who had pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run, tearfully apologized to Cunha's family at the Compton Superior Court hearing. He accepted a hug from Cunha's sister, Sheila Cunha, before he was taken to the court's lock-up. Family members of both men said they'd pray for each other.
Larry was in court and heading back. He'll have a full story later at www.dailybreeze.com.
The woman was traveling south on the Long Beach (710) Freeway at 4:15 a.m. when she lost control of her 1993 Acura Integra, Long Beach police Officer Jackie Bezart said.
The car rolled over and came to rest on its hood on the Sixth Street offramp. No other vehicles were involved.
Long Beach fire paramedics responded and pronounced the driver dead at the scene.
Accident investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash.
The freeway was closed, but has reopened.
The woman's name was not immediately released pending notification of relatives.
Anyone with information about the crash should contact Long Beach Police Department traffic Detectives Sirilo Garcia or David Lauro at 562-570-7355.
Jesus Miguel Sedillo, 22, of Carson, was convicted of killing Manuel Lopez, 17, and Richard Romero, 19, both of Wilmington in two separate shootings in 2006.
Romero was killed on Halloween night as he sat in a car with his sister and cousin. Sedillo wore a wolf mask during the crime.
We'll have a full story later in the Daily Breeze and online at www.dailybreeze.com.
Police in three jurisdictions will conduct sobriety and driver's license checkpoints Friday night. Here they are:
- Redondo Beach: 7:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Saturday on Artesia Boulevard at Aviation Way.
- Carson: 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday on Main Street south of Torrance Boulevard, and on Avalon Boulevard north of Carson Street.
- Gardena: 7:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of El Segundo Boulevard at Halldale Avenue.
The checkpoints are funded through grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Deputies received a call about the dead man at 11:30 a.m.
There was no immediate word on what happened to the guy.
"Hey Larry, it's Mayor Dear. How you doing? I read your article in today's paper. Today'sFriday the 13th.
And just a correction, not so much in this article but the article that came out the day before yesterday. Both in the article and also in the caption underneath the photograph, the man, Mr. Torres, when he was in his house, he was actually on his cell phone with me.
He did speak with his brother briefly. Mostly he spent 25 minutes on the phone with me and I negotiated with him to leave the house. So you can verify that with Capt. Todd Rogers at Carson sheriff's station, and you know the number there, of course.
So ask Capt. Rogers what transpired. I was on the phone with him almost the whole time and I was actually on the phone when he yelled out the window, you know, 'I'm on the phone with the mayor.'
I think you were present at the time when he, when Mr. Torres stated that. The television networks got the information accurate about who actually negotiated him out of the house, but your newspaper really didn't make that very clear. I thought you should have the accurate information on that I know you like to have the facts.
And I hope you have a good day....
(Gives his numbers)
All right Larry, you have a good day and I appreciate if you do any followup articles that you verify with Capt. Rogers, the sequence of events. And so, if you have a followup article, I don't know if you will or not, please state that correctly.
Thanks a lot Larry and have a good day."
Gosalves barricaded himself in his home with his family about 5 p.m. in the 100 block of West 220th Street, deputies said.
Carson sheriff's Sgt. Barry Shapiro said Gosalves got into an argument with another man and shot at him before running into the house.
A sheriff's special weapons team surrounded the house. Gosalves surrendered about 7:30 p.m. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a firearm.
About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
Twitter updates from Larry Altman
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About the Blogger
Denise Nix knew as young as grade school, when she spent every summer working on the camp newspaper, that she wanted to be a journalist. Denise has spent most of the last 12 years of her career in the courtroom. She joined the Daily Breeze in 2001, where she tracks and reports on hundreds of cases at every level of the justice system. And she's never, ever, seen a judge use a gavel.
E-mail Denise at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com.
Twitter updates from Denise Nix
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