Results tagged “police” from Crime & Courts
Rakim Caddell, left, and Oliver Isaiah Robson were arrested today at their Athens area homes.The 21-year-old men are suspected of breaking into three homes last week in the 13400 block of Washington Avenue and the 4200 block of 134th Street in Hawthorne.
Witness accounts and fingerprints found in the homes helped to identify the men.
Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii said one of the men had a victim's ring in his pocket when he was arrested.
I found questions waiting for me when I arrived today. Some residents of Torrance wondered what was up early Saturday morning......
Q. Larry, thought you might shed some light. Last night, there were a few helicopters buzzing around North Torrance (specifically 175th street) from about 3:30 until well after 4 am. Do you know what was going on?
Q. Maybe you can help me. I am trying to find out what happened in my neighborhood (177th Street between Hawthorne and Prairie) last night. A helicopter was circling the area in the middle of the night. We stayed in, but would really like to know what was happening.
A. Here's what Torrance police Lt. Mark Hein told me this morning:
Q. Larry, thought you might shed some light. Last night, there were a few helicopters buzzing around North Torrance (specifically 175th street) from about 3:30 until well after 4 am. Do you know what was going on?
Q. Maybe you can help me. I am trying to find out what happened in my neighborhood (177th Street between Hawthorne and Prairie) last night. A helicopter was circling the area in the middle of the night. We stayed in, but would really like to know what was happening.
A. Here's what Torrance police Lt. Mark Hein told me this morning:
Police responded to a burglary in progress at 3:35 a.m. in the 4000 block of 175th Place. The caller said people with flashlights were looking into cars.
The burglars ran when police arrived. Officers caught one immediately, but another took off running.
Police surrounded the neighborhood. A sheriff's helicopter circled above, and Redondo Beach police arrived with police dogs.
They found the burglary, along with the fact several cars had been broken into in the area.
The suspects were identified as Marco Perez, 22, of Long Beach and a female, Daisey Serrano, 20, also of Long Beach.
They were held on suspicion of burglary.
If you were at Del Amo Fashion Center on Saturday and took photos or cell phone videos of the donnybrook in the Lifestyle Wing, police would like to see them.
Give detectives a call at 310-618-5570.
We'll have more hopefully later today on the "Brawl at the Mall," including the names of the people arrested. The fight apparently began over two women in a dispute over some clothing. I don't know what that means exactly, but we'll try to find out as the day progresses.
By the way, if you have any pictures, send them to me too at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com. I'll post them.
Give detectives a call at 310-618-5570.
We'll have more hopefully later today on the "Brawl at the Mall," including the names of the people arrested. The fight apparently began over two women in a dispute over some clothing. I don't know what that means exactly, but we'll try to find out as the day progresses.
By the way, if you have any pictures, send them to me too at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com. I'll post them.
A former actor on "The Sopranos" was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for a botched burglary in the Bronx in which an accomplice shot and killed an off-duty police officer.Lillo Brancato Jr. was best known for playing Robert DeNiro's son in "A Bronx Tale," but he also played wannabe mobster Matt Bevilacqua in "The Sopranos."
Mob boss Tony Soprano whacked him during his sixth appearance.
Brancato had a local connection. Hermosa Beach police busted him in a drug case before the 2005 shooting.
Here's the story I wrote on Dec. 13, 2005:
The former "Sopranos" actor accused of killing a New York police officer was arrested earlier this year in Hermosa Beach when officers found him under the influence of drugs.
Continue reading 'Sopranos' actor heading to prison had Hermosa Beach connection.
A Redondo Beach police sergeant arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing illegal prescription drugs to sell has been released on bail.
Sgt. Gene Tomatani, on leave pending allegations he embezzled from his police union, posted $30,000 bail and was released from the county jail shortly before midnight, records showed Wednesday.
The District Attorney's Office arrested Tomatani while serving a search warrant at Tomatani's apartment in Torrance.
The fact he has bailed out of jail gives investigators more time to develop a case against him. Tomatani is scheduled to return to court in Los Angeles on Jan. 14.
Investigators are looking into allegations that Tomatani stole possibly tens of thousands of dollars from the Redondo Beach Police Officers Association. He served as the association's president until the discovery late last month.
Sgt. Gene Tomatani, on leave pending allegations he embezzled from his police union, posted $30,000 bail and was released from the county jail shortly before midnight, records showed Wednesday.
The District Attorney's Office arrested Tomatani while serving a search warrant at Tomatani's apartment in Torrance.
The fact he has bailed out of jail gives investigators more time to develop a case against him. Tomatani is scheduled to return to court in Los Angeles on Jan. 14.
Investigators are looking into allegations that Tomatani stole possibly tens of thousands of dollars from the Redondo Beach Police Officers Association. He served as the association's president until the discovery late last month.
Police are searching for two men who robbed a husband and wife at knifepoint and gunpoint as they walked along a Manhattan Beach street last night.
The crime occurred about 8:30 p.m. in the 400 block of John Place, Manhattan Beach police Lt. Tony DiGenova said.
The men drove up in a sport utility vehicle, got out and confronted the couple. One held a knife and the other carried a handgun.
They made off with the couple's property, including jewelry.
No one was hurt.
The crime occurred about 8:30 p.m. in the 400 block of John Place, Manhattan Beach police Lt. Tony DiGenova said.
The men drove up in a sport utility vehicle, got out and confronted the couple. One held a knife and the other carried a handgun.
They made off with the couple's property, including jewelry.
No one was hurt.
Torrance police reacted today to the report that a convicted drug dealer's five-year prison sentencereport that a convicted drug dealer's five-year prison sentence was overturned after prosecutors told a judge that an officer falsified information in an arrest report.
Sgt. Bernard Anderson said police officials learned of the drug case's dismissal when a Los Angeles Times reporter contacted them on Wednesday and told them about the implications of Officer Rehan Nazir's report.
"At this point, the message we want to give out publicly is we're taking this whole incident very seriously," Anderson said. "We are looking into all aspects of it. We are doing all we can to communicate with all parties involved. We are trying to assess the situation."
Anderson said the department was in the early stages of looking into the matter.
"We are putting a lot of resources forth to get an understanding of what was reported to us," Anderson said. "We are taking this very seriously and we are doing everything we can to get our arms around it and figure out what took place and what needs to take place."
Two guys with bandanas over their faces robbed a Sizzler restaurant in Westchester of $3,000.
The crime went down at 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the restaurant at 5856 Manchester Blvd.
The gunmen went behind the counter, pointed guns at the employees and said, "Everyone calm, you are being robbed."
They got the money and took off.
The men were described as black and about 18 years old. One was 5 feet 4 inches tall, 200 pounds, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.
The other was about 6 feet, 160 pounds and wearing a white hooded sweatshirt.
Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch members got this notice sent to them yesterday:
PROWLER ACTIVITY IN THE AREA OF 1700 BLOCK OF HERMOSA AVENUE
There have been two reports of a subject prowling between the residences in the 1700 block of Hermosa Avenue.
On one occasion, the suspect partially entered the bedroom window at approximately 4:00a.m. The victim yelled and frightened him away. On the other occasion, the suspect pushed open the bedroom window at approximately 2:20 a.m. which awakened the female in bed and she yelled frightening the subject away.
The suspect was described in the first incident as a male, Hispanic or dark skinned white, about 5'4" to 5"8" and approximately 175 pounds. The suspect was possibly wearing white sneakers. Anyone with information is requested to call the Hermosa Beach Police Department at (310) 318-0351 and speak to Sgt. Raul Saldana.
All crimes in progress should be reported immediately by calling 911 from your home phone or (310) 524-2750 from your cell phone.
Thanks to the readers who provided this bulletin to us.
It's Harbor Area Monday apparently. I've been typing non-stop all afternoon trying to keep up.
I just finished a story about all kinds of stuff that went down in the Harbor Area today.
Here's what happened. Look for the upcoming story on dailybreeze.com and in the Tuesday print edition.
Police arrested a burglar who jumped through a double-paned window in San Pedro, searched for car thieves in Harbor Gateway, investigated the death of a 19-year-old woman found floating in the ocean off Royal Palms Beach and examined a hand grenade that forced an evacuation of a fire station and bank in San Pedro.
That's all on top of a separeate story updating the two weekend Harbor Area homicides. One suspect surrendered today in one of them. The other remains a mystery.
I just finished a story about all kinds of stuff that went down in the Harbor Area today.
Here's what happened. Look for the upcoming story on dailybreeze.com and in the Tuesday print edition.
Police arrested a burglar who jumped through a double-paned window in San Pedro, searched for car thieves in Harbor Gateway, investigated the death of a 19-year-old woman found floating in the ocean off Royal Palms Beach and examined a hand grenade that forced an evacuation of a fire station and bank in San Pedro.
That's all on top of a separeate story updating the two weekend Harbor Area homicides. One suspect surrendered today in one of them. The other remains a mystery.
If you wondered what the helicopter and all that commotion was earlier around 228th Street and Western Avenue in the Harbor Gateway, here's the answer:Police in both Torrance and Lomita got hits on a LoJack signal from a stolen vehicle.
They tracked it to a 2008 Audi SUV near 228th and Western. When the bad guys inside saw the cops, they tried to run and crashed.
Two guys were detained right away. The driver fled into the neighborhood.
Police from LAPD and Torrance, along with Lomita sheriff's deputies, searched for him and found him a short time ago.
Detectives decided to only keep the driver. He is Kamrin Tyler Kelly, 19, of Downey. He's being booked as we write into the Torrance jail on suspicion of auto theft, hit-and-run, resisting arrest, and obstruction.
Scott Varley's photo shows a Torrance officer talking to some residents. That's not the bad guy.
Probably won't do much with this today, because we don't really cover where this happened but Lennox deputies shot somebody this morning just over the Inglewood border.
No details were available about the shooting that occurred about 5:40 a.m. in the 4900 block of West 99th Street, deputies said.
One person was wounded and taken to a hospital. Deputies were not hurt.
This is all I know so far: Officers trying to catch an armed robbery suspect started following him about 10:30 this morning from an apartment in the 2000 block of Palos Verdes Drive North.
Apparently there was a chase. He abandoned his car and ran into an apartment in the 800 block of West 30th Street. He is refusing to come out.
LAPD tells me that besides being a robbery suspect, the guy is despondent over a breakup.
He is believed to be armed.
Don't know what he's suspected of robbing. We'll get more later hopefully.
Apparently there was a chase. He abandoned his car and ran into an apartment in the 800 block of West 30th Street. He is refusing to come out.
LAPD tells me that besides being a robbery suspect, the guy is despondent over a breakup.
He is believed to be armed.
Don't know what he's suspected of robbing. We'll get more later hopefully.
Coroner's officials examined the body of the man found in a pickup truck parked outside a
Hawthorne church yesterday and have determined him to be a homicide victim.
The cause of death is "Gunshot wound of back," according to Chief Coroner Investigator Craig Harvey.
The victim, who was decomposing, has not been identified. He is white and believed to be in his 40s. The man is currently listed as John Doe No. 171.
I ran the license plate number of the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado yesterday. The DMV told me the vehicle is registered to Mark Lawton Wanamaker. A records search found a 47-year-old man with that name with an address in Santa Rosa, and previous addresses in Redondo Beach and San Pedro. I have no other information than that, and don't know whether he is the victim.
Sheriff's detectives have put out no further information today on the case and haven't returned my messages.
The body was discovered at 118th Place and Felton Avenue about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Hawthorne church yesterday and have determined him to be a homicide victim.The cause of death is "Gunshot wound of back," according to Chief Coroner Investigator Craig Harvey.
The victim, who was decomposing, has not been identified. He is white and believed to be in his 40s. The man is currently listed as John Doe No. 171.
I ran the license plate number of the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado yesterday. The DMV told me the vehicle is registered to Mark Lawton Wanamaker. A records search found a 47-year-old man with that name with an address in Santa Rosa, and previous addresses in Redondo Beach and San Pedro. I have no other information than that, and don't know whether he is the victim.
Sheriff's detectives have put out no further information today on the case and haven't returned my messages.
The body was discovered at 118th Place and Felton Avenue about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
A couple of days ago I wrote about a couple of burglars caught on a nanny cam inside a Playa del Rey home.
A couple of blogs put up the pictures and let me know about them. I stole them and posted them here.
Well, Redondo Beach police caught two men and a woman they believe were involved in a burglary and an attempted burglary that occurred in Redondo Beach last Thursday. Now the trio's been tied to the Playa del Rey crime. I'm working on a story right now.
That's the alleged burglars and their alleged female getaway driver up there.
Do the guys look like these guys below? Police say "Affirmative."
A couple of blogs put up the pictures and let me know about them. I stole them and posted them here.
Well, Redondo Beach police caught two men and a woman they believe were involved in a burglary and an attempted burglary that occurred in Redondo Beach last Thursday. Now the trio's been tied to the Playa del Rey crime. I'm working on a story right now.
That's the alleged burglars and their alleged female getaway driver up there.
Do the guys look like these guys below? Police say "Affirmative."
Not
to sound like an old codger, which I guess I am, but what in the world has life
become? I
used to go to Reseda Park quite a bit as a kid. There was a lake for
fishing, day camp and Indian Guide picnics. It's right in the middle of the San
Fernando Valley, a couple miles from where I grew up and my mom still lives.
used to go to Reseda Park quite a bit as a kid. There was a lake for
fishing, day camp and Indian Guide picnics. It's right in the middle of the San
Fernando Valley, a couple miles from where I grew up and my mom still lives.What
a shame, but I guess the place where I grew up has been destroyed by gangs and
guns too. They kill each other in front of kids playing football. A year or so ago, a guy was shot dead right next to my high school.
This is from the folks at City News Service, which supplies info to the media:
RESEDA (CNS) - Horrified children playing football at the Reseda Park and Recreation Center watched as a 25-year-old man being escorted away from a fight at the park was fatally shot, police said today.
Police and rescue crews were called to the park at Reseda and Victory boulevards at about 10:30 a.m., and found chaos, LAPD officer Sam Park said.
"We don't think this was related to the game, but two groups of people got into a fight of some sort, somebody pulled a gun, and two people were shot,'' Park said.
Two men were found wounded, and both taken to nearby hospitals by city fire paramedics, Parks said. One of them, described only as a 25-year-old, was declared dead shortly afterward.
The other victim had been shot in his hip and was reportedly hospitalized with no death expected, Park said.
Radio station KFWB reported that trauma counselors were called to the youth football game to talk to the children.
Police said a suspicious black SUV had been seen speeding away from the shootings.
Photo by Gene Blevins of the Daily News.
Here's some interesting numbers:
Manhattan Beach has 125 bars, restaurants and retail stores which are
licensed to sell
alcohol; Hermosa Beach has 98 and Redondo Beach has
206. That's a lot of booze.
So, the Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach police departments have received an $85,000 state grant to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.
The grant from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control office will allow officers to train licensed establishments, train patrol officers, and conduct inspections and sting operations to determine if licensed establishments are abiding by state laws.
During the last year, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach police conducted 13 sting operations. They checked 258 businesses. Of those, 24 sold alcohol to minors. Forty people received citations.
Here's a video of police in San Mateo conducting one of these sting operations:
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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Activists are calling for a government probe of four recent shootings.
The Times says Inglewood officials repeatedly have declined to answer questions about the shooting.
If you missed the previous blog entry on this shooting, check out the comment I received. This Times story today answers the question of why reporters are in a role of asking questions after police shootings and why police need to provide answers.