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ALHAMBRA -- A hung jury was declared in the re-trial of two men accused of killing Temple City teenager DeAndre Netter in a drive-by shooting in July 2007.
After four days of deliberations, jurors announced Tuesday they could not reach a unanimous verdict in the murder case against Christopher Gilbert Lopez and Phillip Adrian Guerra, both of Temple City.
The first trial in April was also declared a mistrial when jurors could not reach a verdict.
The two pleaded not guilty in the slaying of Netter, 17, as he walked with his twin brother and another boy in the 5700 block of Golden West Avenue in Temple City.
Netter was struck by gunfire in the upper body about 11 p.m. after eating at a Carl's Jr. restaurant on July 25, 2007. He was taken to Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, where he was pronounced dead.
EL MONTE -- An El Monte teenager died early Sunday after he was allegedly stabbed by a friend during an argument, authorities and neighbors said.
Coroner's officials did not release his name Sunday pending notification of family members outside the country, however a man who identified himself as the teenager's brother said his name was Hugo Negrete, and that the 17-year-old moved to El Monte from Mexico about two years ago.
Eder Castro, 23, who lives in a nearby apartment and was known to neighbors as "Martin," was booked on suspicion of the killing, Lt. David Dolson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
The stabbing was reported just after 3 a.m. in an alley behind an apartment building in the 11100 block of Bonwood Road.
The teen and the suspect had been drinking together prior to the stabbing, Dolson and neighbors said.
"There was some kind of an argument," the lieutenant said. After exchanging blows, "The suspect apparently went to his apartment and retrieved a knife."
Neighbor Martha Leyva said at one point after fighting, Castro and Negrete shook hands as if making up, but Castro then retrieved a knife from his apartment and stabbed Negrete in the chest.
"I screamed to my sister to call 9-1-1," she said.
Dolson said Castro was arrested at his apartment.
A kitchen knife believed to be the murder weapon was found on the roof of the apartment building, he added.
Leyva described Negrete as a "nice guy."
"He would get along together with everybody," she said.
Castro, however, had a short temper and was quick to fight, Leyva added.
The incident did not appear to be gang-related, Dolson said.
Sunday's slaying was the fourth homicide reported in El Monte this year.
*On June 18, Sonny Garcia, 20, was fatally shot at a high school graduation party near Fairview Street and Elrovia Avenue.
*On July 24, Jose Jimenez, 16, was fatally shot by Baldwin Park police officers on Peck Road, just south of the 10 Freeway, after he allegedly pointed a gun at them.
*On Aug. 9, Job Gonzalez-Martinez, 20, was shot to death as he rode his bicycle on Lansdale Avenue near Cogswell Road.
Coroner's officials did not release his name Sunday pending notification of family members outside the country, however a man who identified himself as the teenager's brother said his name was Hugo Negrete, and that the 17-year-old moved to El Monte from Mexico about two years ago.
Eder Castro, 23, who lives in a nearby apartment and was known to neighbors as "Martin," was booked on suspicion of the killing, Lt. David Dolson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
The stabbing was reported just after 3 a.m. in an alley behind an apartment building in the 11100 block of Bonwood Road.
The teen and the suspect had been drinking together prior to the stabbing, Dolson and neighbors said.
"There was some kind of an argument," the lieutenant said. After exchanging blows, "The suspect apparently went to his apartment and retrieved a knife."
Neighbor Martha Leyva said at one point after fighting, Castro and Negrete shook hands as if making up, but Castro then retrieved a knife from his apartment and stabbed Negrete in the chest.
"I screamed to my sister to call 9-1-1," she said.
Dolson said Castro was arrested at his apartment.
A kitchen knife believed to be the murder weapon was found on the roof of the apartment building, he added.
Leyva described Negrete as a "nice guy."
"He would get along together with everybody," she said.
Castro, however, had a short temper and was quick to fight, Leyva added.
The incident did not appear to be gang-related, Dolson said.
Sunday's slaying was the fourth homicide reported in El Monte this year.
*On June 18, Sonny Garcia, 20, was fatally shot at a high school graduation party near Fairview Street and Elrovia Avenue.
*On July 24, Jose Jimenez, 16, was fatally shot by Baldwin Park police officers on Peck Road, just south of the 10 Freeway, after he allegedly pointed a gun at them.
*On Aug. 9, Job Gonzalez-Martinez, 20, was shot to death as he rode his bicycle on Lansdale Avenue near Cogswell Road.
MONTEREY PARK -- A man shot and killed another man late Friday during an argument inside an employment agency, authorities said.
The dead man's name was not released Saturday afternoon pending notification of his family, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Brian Elias said. Sheriff's officials said he was an Asian man in his 30s and believed to be a Monterey Park-area resident.
Monterey Park police officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 200 block of East Garvey Avenue just after 9 p.m., where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the "upper torso" Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Byron Ward said in a written statement.
"It appeared it was some kind of argument between a couple of individuals who frequented the business," Lt. Dan Rosenberg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said. Neither the suspect nor the victim worked at the employment agency.
The apparent victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:31 p.m., Elias said.
The shooter was described only as an Asian man, Rosenberg said, and it was unclear Saturday what the men may have been arguing about.
The lieutenant declined to discuss whether a getaway car was believed to be involved and said detectives were following leads late Saturday.
No further details were available.
The dead man's name was not released Saturday afternoon pending notification of his family, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Brian Elias said. Sheriff's officials said he was an Asian man in his 30s and believed to be a Monterey Park-area resident.
Monterey Park police officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 200 block of East Garvey Avenue just after 9 p.m., where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the "upper torso" Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Byron Ward said in a written statement.
"It appeared it was some kind of argument between a couple of individuals who frequented the business," Lt. Dan Rosenberg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said. Neither the suspect nor the victim worked at the employment agency.
The apparent victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:31 p.m., Elias said.
The shooter was described only as an Asian man, Rosenberg said, and it was unclear Saturday what the men may have been arguing about.
The lieutenant declined to discuss whether a getaway car was believed to be involved and said detectives were following leads late Saturday.
No further details were available.
This comes from the Associated Press:
LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles County grand jury has charged a convicted serial killer with three more murders.
Authorities Thursday said Michael Hughes was indicted last week on charges that he raped,
sodomized and strangled a 15-year-old girl, whose body was found in an Iglewood park in 1986. He has also been charged with killing two women in Los Angeles in 1986 and 1993.
One body was found in a school stairwell.
Authorities say Hughes, 53, was linked to the crimes by DNA evidence.
He pleaded not guilty to the new charges on Tuesday and could face the death penalty if
convicted.
Hughes already is serving a life term without chance of parole for killing four women in 1992
and 1993.
This from the AP. Sirhan lived in Pasadena. His brother Munir maintains the family home near Muir High School:
LOS ANGELES - An attorney for the man who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy said Monday his client was transferred from a prison that houses high-risk offenders to a new facility where his life could be in danger.
Attorney William F. Pepper said Sirhan Sirhan opposed the move from the state prison in Corcoran, which houses high-risk prisoners such as Charles Manson, to Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga.
"Our main concern is for his safety," said Laurie Dusek, an associate of Pepper. "We are not sure that Pleasant Valley has the ability to protect him. He is a target."
Pepper said he has new evidence and wants to reopen Sirhan's case.
Oscar Hidalgo, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said Sirhan, 65, had requested the transfer and wants to stay in Pleasant Valley.
"After discussing his hesitation with prison officials at Pleasant Valley, Sirhan Sirhan indicated he wanted to stay at the new facility after all," Hidalgo said. "He can indicate if he feels unsafe at any point and the department will respond appropriately."
This from Alfred Lee, in court covering the trial of two men accused of shooting Deandre Netter to death in the summer of 2007: Our coverage of the shooting is here.
ALHAMBRA - A friend of murdered Temple City teenager DeAndre Netter testified Monday that he could not see the driver or the shooter during the drive-by shooting.
The 17-year-old friend, identified in court only as "Mike M," had been walking home from a Carl's Jr. with DeAndre and DeAndre's twin brother in the 5700 block of Golden West Avenue in Temple City in July 2007 when DeAndre was shot and killed. DeAndre was 17.
Christopher Gilbert Lopez and Phillip Adrian Guerra, both of Temple City, are facing a re-trial in Netter's murder after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict in April.
Mike recalled seeing a car pull up nearby and being pushed out of the way by one of the Netter twins when shots were fired. But he said he could only see a light emanating from the dashboard when he looked inside the car.
"I tried to (look), but it was really dark," Mike testified. "I just saw a blue light."
WEST COVINA -- A gunman killed one man and wounded his brother during a fight outside a Halloween party early Sunday, authorities said.
Ramiro Limon Jr., 27, of East Los Angeles died at the scene of the shooting, which took place just before 1 a.m. at the intersection of Shadydale Avenue and Roxbury Street, Los Angeles County coroner's officials said.
His brother, 40-year-old Rodrigo Ruiz of East Los Angeles, was shot in the hand, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said. He was hospitalized and is expected to recover.
The shooting occurred as a Halloween house party was winding down, Lopez said.
"The party was breaking up, and apparently a fight ensued between the victims and the suspects," he said.
"During he fight, the (shooter) went to his vehicle and retrieved a handgun and fired several shots, hitting both victims," police said in a written statement.
The shooter, described only as a male Latino, then got into the passenger side of a dark-colored vehicle with a female driver and several other male passengers and fled the scene, Lopez said.
A second suspect was also involved in the fight, but Lopez said it was not clear if that other suspect -- also described only as a male Latino -- fled with the shooter or if they split up.
No further suspect descriptions were available.
Police Sunday afternoon were working to sort through conflicting witness statements.
Authorities believe as many as 50 people attended the party, and detectives were working to interview as many of them as possible.
A man who answered a door near where the shooting took place said the party occurred at his house, but the shooting took place in the street. He declined to comment further.
Mary Dugan, who lives on Roxbury Street, said she arrived home about 1 a.m. -- just minutes after the shooting -- from a Halloween party herself.
She saw a body lying in the street, covered by a white sheet. Her house was blocked off by police crime scene tape, and officers told her she could not return until the morning.
Dugan said she was allowed back in her home about 9:30 a.m.
"They're always having parties over there," she said, but the gatherings had never before erupted in violence.
Ramiro Limon Jr., 27, of East Los Angeles died at the scene of the shooting, which took place just before 1 a.m. at the intersection of Shadydale Avenue and Roxbury Street, Los Angeles County coroner's officials said.
His brother, 40-year-old Rodrigo Ruiz of East Los Angeles, was shot in the hand, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said. He was hospitalized and is expected to recover.
The shooting occurred as a Halloween house party was winding down, Lopez said.
"The party was breaking up, and apparently a fight ensued between the victims and the suspects," he said.
"During he fight, the (shooter) went to his vehicle and retrieved a handgun and fired several shots, hitting both victims," police said in a written statement.
The shooter, described only as a male Latino, then got into the passenger side of a dark-colored vehicle with a female driver and several other male passengers and fled the scene, Lopez said.
A second suspect was also involved in the fight, but Lopez said it was not clear if that other suspect -- also described only as a male Latino -- fled with the shooter or if they split up.
No further suspect descriptions were available.
Police Sunday afternoon were working to sort through conflicting witness statements.
Authorities believe as many as 50 people attended the party, and detectives were working to interview as many of them as possible.
A man who answered a door near where the shooting took place said the party occurred at his house, but the shooting took place in the street. He declined to comment further.
Mary Dugan, who lives on Roxbury Street, said she arrived home about 1 a.m. -- just minutes after the shooting -- from a Halloween party herself.
She saw a body lying in the street, covered by a white sheet. Her house was blocked off by police crime scene tape, and officers told her she could not return until the morning.
Dugan said she was allowed back in her home about 9:30 a.m.
"They're always having parties over there," she said, but the gatherings had never before erupted in violence.
From the Associated Press:
LOS ANGELES -- Authorities say a body has been found in a burning car on
the banks of the Los Angeles River.
Fire officials discovered the body after responding to a report of a car fire early
Saturday in the riverbed near the 710 Freeway in the South Gate neighborhood.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Rubino says due to the severity of the burns,
authorities have been unable to identify the body.
The incident is under investigation.
This tragic story comes courtesy of the Associated Press:
LONG BEACH -- A 16-year-old girl died and two men were wounded after being shot following a football game at a Long Beach high school.
Long Beach police Sgt. Dina Zapalski says it's unclear what led to Friday night's shooting at Wilson High School. Police are searching for a gunman.
The girl died at a hospital.
An 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old man sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
City Councilman Gary DeLong described the girl as "an innocent bystander who was not
involved" in the altercation.
It's unclear if any of the victims were students at the school.
A shooting in West Covina Tuesday night left one woman dead and an unidentified person injured, according to news reports this morning The homicide is the sixth in West Covina this year and 77th in the San Gabriel Valley since January.
Here's what KTLA is reporting this morning:
WEST COVINA -- Police are searching for the gunman who killed a woman in her 20s and wounded another person inside a home in West Covina.
The shooting was reported just before 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 1400 block of East Workman Avenue, near North Lark Ellen Avenue, said West Covina Police Cpl. Rudy Lopez. .
Several neighbors heard gunshots and called police.
Police arrived within one minute and found two gunshot victims, he said.
A woman in her 20s was dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County
coroner.
WHITTIER -- A 45-year-old man was shot to death in broad daylight Sunday in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, officials said.
Authorities responded to a report of "shots fired, person down," about 2:30 p.m. in the 11200 block of Rivera Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Jeff Gordon said in a written statement.
"They arrived to find the male victim lying in a driveway apron suffering from an apparent gunshot wound," the statement said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Gordon said. A motive in the attack was not known.
Sheriff's homicide detectives handling the case could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Coroner's officials did not release the dead man's name Sunday, however Eddie Cabrera, 50, of unincorporated Whittier said the victim was his brother, 45-year-old Kenny Cabrera, and lived in the neighborhood where he was killed.
"He had just come back from church with (our) mom," Eddie Cabrera said.
He was waiting for friends to pick him up and give him a ride to a Los Angeles homeless shelter where he volunteered when he was shot, Eddie Cabrera said.
People in the neighborhood heard about four gunshots, he said.
Eddie Cabrera said his brother was not involved in gangs, and he didn't know of any enemies his brother had.
"He had no problems with anybody," he said. "He had a good heart. If anybody needed help, he was there. He was always looking after my mom."
A crowd of friends and family members gathered at the scene of the shooting late Sunday to light candles and lay flowers in his honor.
Kenny Cabrera was a lifelong Whittier-area resident who attended Pioneer High school, his brother said. He was single and had no children.
Eddie Cabrera said his brother had always been "mechanically inclined," and could work on anything from cars to lawn mowers.
"He liked to work on the computer," he said, and was often fixing broken computers for friends.
"He was very loving of animals too," the brother said, and had a Chihuahua mix.
Eddie Cabrera said his brother is survived by his mother, a twin brother, three older brothers and an older sister.
Authorities responded to a report of "shots fired, person down," about 2:30 p.m. in the 11200 block of Rivera Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Jeff Gordon said in a written statement.
"They arrived to find the male victim lying in a driveway apron suffering from an apparent gunshot wound," the statement said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Gordon said. A motive in the attack was not known.
Sheriff's homicide detectives handling the case could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Coroner's officials did not release the dead man's name Sunday, however Eddie Cabrera, 50, of unincorporated Whittier said the victim was his brother, 45-year-old Kenny Cabrera, and lived in the neighborhood where he was killed.
"He had just come back from church with (our) mom," Eddie Cabrera said.
He was waiting for friends to pick him up and give him a ride to a Los Angeles homeless shelter where he volunteered when he was shot, Eddie Cabrera said.
People in the neighborhood heard about four gunshots, he said.
Eddie Cabrera said his brother was not involved in gangs, and he didn't know of any enemies his brother had.
"He had no problems with anybody," he said. "He had a good heart. If anybody needed help, he was there. He was always looking after my mom."
A crowd of friends and family members gathered at the scene of the shooting late Sunday to light candles and lay flowers in his honor.
Kenny Cabrera was a lifelong Whittier-area resident who attended Pioneer High school, his brother said. He was single and had no children.
Eddie Cabrera said his brother had always been "mechanically inclined," and could work on anything from cars to lawn mowers.
"He liked to work on the computer," he said, and was often fixing broken computers for friends.
"He was very loving of animals too," the brother said, and had a Chihuahua mix.
Eddie Cabrera said his brother is survived by his mother, a twin brother, three older brothers and an older sister.
MONROVIA - Prosecutors have targeted two violent street gangs blamed for several racially motivated shootings and slayings over the past three years as part of a proposed gang injunction, according to court documents obtained Tuesday.
In all 17 suspected members of the mostly Latino Monrovia Nuevo Varrio gang and 21 suspected members of the mostly black Duroc Crips are singled out in the documents.
The injunction is being sought by both the Monrovia City Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles County District Attorney.
"MNV and DuRoc members fire upon one another, upon other gang rivals and upon members of opposite races in the community," according to the complaint, which was filed Oct. 9. "Residents hear shots fired in the night and live in fear of shootings and random violence breaking out at any moment on the street, sidewalks, and local parks in their neighborhood."
Here's the Monrovia Gang Injunction- Complaint.pdf naming several gang members and listing some of the activities they are suspected of being involved with.
A model who was found dead inside her Monrovia apartment in September died of asphyxiation, the Coroner's department said on Tuesday.
The woman's cause of death was determined on Friday after toxicology reports were completed, Los Angeles County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.
Tests found traces of cocaine and GHB in Lee's body.
Lee's boyfriend, Brain Randone, has been charged with torturing and killing Lee inside the couple's Monrovia apartment on Sept. 11.
The 31-year-old Lee starred in adult movies and modeled under the name Felicia Tang.
Randone, 45, holds a bachelor's degree from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and appeared on the 2000 Fox reality show "The Sexiest Bachelor in America.
CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
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