July 2007 Archives

Maribel, a cousin of Richard Herrera, 23, a La Puente man who was gunned down at the Food For Less in Baldwin Park on Saturday left this comment today. I'm quoting it here because I'm sure it goes to the heart of how many family members feel in the aftermath of such a tragedy.

my consin recently died from a gun shoot wound that 2 asian and one black person did they took someone that didn't deserve to die he was only 23 years old this happen in bladwin park food for less on saturday early morning he wasn't a gang member he was a great person love everywhone he didn't deserve to die that way we can't believe he is gone my family is takeing really bad we are a very close family he is the first person in are family to die of a muder someone so kind so loveable so full of life is gone not only did they kill my consin but they also put a hole in are hearts it will never be the same without are consin richard he left behind 2 older bothers 3 younger sisters a mom and dad and all his consins aunts and uncles that are to much to count but i don't understand why my consin had to die this way.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote on a proposed reward in the Hit and Run death of Covina resident Ralph Granado, pictured above with his wife Rose. Granado was killed on his way to work at the County Assessors office on July 20. Tragically a week later his nephew was killed in Whittier when he was struck by a drunken driver.

He was easy to make fun of, and Dan Akroyd did it best, but Tom Snyder was a great interviewer. In his own way, he was an innovator, perfecting talk television with an eclectic variety of guests including Charles Manson, John Lennon and Ayn Rand.
About the only personal note I can add is that Snyder was great entertainment when pulling a midterm all nighter.

Aram has a nice tribute to the genius on his blog this a.m. I'm a Vince Lombardi guy. But, having lived in the Bay Area at the beginning of the 49ers great run in the 1980s. I'm old enough to remember where I was when Dwight Clark made the catch, and I'll never forget how Walsh took a team that was the laughingstock of the NFL and turned it into one of the premier franchises in all professional sports.

Wire services are reporting this morning two East San Gabriel Valley murders overnight. Detectives said a man was shot to death at 10:45 p.m. in the 14700 block of Olive Street in Baldwin Park. Early details are sketchy.
In Rowland Heights, a man was stabbed to death in the 19700 block of Sirius Street. Again details are sketchy.
Neither man's identity was available early Tuesday.

Tony "T" Taylor agreed to plead guilty in the Bad Newz Kennels case. Rumour has it he's mad at Michael Vick for (excuse the pun) throwing him to the dogs after the first search warrants were served in April.

Drive-by shootings apparently. According to this study from a think tank full of beard strokers.

AP ran a story on mydeathspace this morning. It does exactly what it says; provide a listing of dead MySpace-ers. The story includes a refrence to a Covina man, who died in Iraq late last year.
BTW, myspace is an important tool here on the crime desk. We've used it to profile victims, suspects and even sources. Usually, when they get wise they take it private, but that's how it goes.

UPDATE (broken link fixed)

Sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the shooting death of a former LAPD officer, apparently shot to death as he changed a tire late Sunday night. The details of the case initially seem similar to the shooting death of Michael Miller on the Long Beach (710) Freeway on June 12.
The news follows on the heels of a horrific accident that claimed the life of an LAPD motor on the 101 Sunday and the discovery of an LAPD officer whose car had gone off the side of the Ventura (101) Freeway (also Sunday).

Looks like the Times topped a planned weekender on Pasadena violence with news of the double homicide that occurred Friday morning. There are also some references to how Pasadena changed after the 1993 Halloween Homicides. One of the best takes on how the triple murder of three innocent teens changed Pasadena was done by the AP's Deborah Hastings following the 1996 death penalty verdict in the case.
We alluded to the case here
I'm going to write more on the Halloween Homicides during the week.

Mary Gurton is reporting that Covina residents are suspected of being behind the Friday morning double murder in Pasadena. PPD Chief Barney said the homicide highlights the need for a beefed up police presence in Northweest neighborhoods.
At the bottom of her story, Gurton reports a series of search warrants were served Friday in connection with a January murder.

Michael Vick got more bad news Friday as major companies are pulling out of endorsement deals. Fortunately I got this jersey before they pulled it.

Well, my mother told my father, just before hmmm, I was born, "I got a boy child's comin, He's gonna be, he's gonna be a rollin stone, Sure 'nough, he's a rollin stone Sure 'nough, he's a rollin stone"

I was thinking about this Muddy Waters song as photog Raul Roa and I rolled from an accident in Baldwin Park to a bomb scare in Industry this a.m.

Apparently an argument led to a fist fight which led to a shooting which led to the deaths of two men early Friday morning in the 1500 block of Navarro. Don't know if its gang related yet. Detectives are actively pursuing leads in the case this a.m.

Not a lot of details available yet, but two men were apparently shot in Pasadena sometime this morning. The incident occurred near 1539 Navarro. The two were taken to HMH in unknown condition.
We'll update this as info becomes available

Two-man teams working for Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Gil Carrillo caught five homicides throughout the county last night. The cases ranged from drive-by shootings in Lakewood and Temple City to a beating death in Hawthorne. Details about the Temple City shooting are slowly emerging. it was the town's first murder since October. How many other San Gabriel Valley towns share that distinction?
According to investigators, the Hawthorne case was pretty brutal.

Apparently transients were living in a van off and on for several months, according to preliminary reports. John Doe, discovered Wednesday, may have died before Memorial Day, which was the last time anybody took a look inside the vehicle.

Local bank robbery specialists are warning their clients that the recently opened extension of the Foothill (210) Freeway might be more aptly named the California Penal Code 211 Freeway, as it will give bank robbers in the San Gabriel Valley a fast moving road to make their getaways east.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich offered $10,000 reward for information in the hit and run death of Ralph Granado, 55.
I found this link which pays tribute to Granado, a long time employee of the Los Angeles County Assesors Office.

This comment on the Glendora brick throwing teens came in via email this a.m.

Send them all to Baghdad and bring home a equal number of real men..... Marines.
Mike Alerich, Arcadia

Two carloads of guns headed to a Pomona factory to be melted down instead returned to La Habra because the factory was closed for maintenence, according to La Habra police sources.
"They forgot to notify us," said the source, who added that the last load of La Habra weapons made up some of the rebar used in the construction of the Staples Center.

So Lindsay gets popped. That's the mug.
Here's a link to the sheriff's inmate information system. Type in Lindsay Lohan .. .you'll get all the booking information.

A former employee of the Illusions strip club sent an email regarding the 1996 murder of Mohamed Sarekhani. I'm stripping anything identifying. There is some interesting new information on the case, that hasn't been made public.
Sarehkhani was shot to death outside his club on a bright, sunny mid-November day. The case remains unsolved.

Here's most of the (edited) email:

I noticed the article on the fatal shooting of Mohamed "Mo" Sarehkhani in November 1996 and wanted to share some information. I was (an employee) of Illusions at the time Mo was killed and I cant believe after 11 years the police have no leads. The word around town after the shooting was that a local gang was trying to extort money from some of the local businesses in which Illusions was one.

The death of Paul Salazar in Valinda (or is that West Covina?) the other night is getting a close look from Sheriff's homicide detectives. That said, they are keeping a tight lid on information about the shooting, potential suspects and the circumstances.
Salazar was one of two men killed in gang attacks over the weekend. Six others were wounded, according to officials. No arrests have been made in any of the cases.

Maybe the NFL hasn't caught on yet. This jersey is also available for sale.

UPDATE: The real bad newz for Michael Vick is here.

New York, NY -- (Sports Network) - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has ordered Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick not to report to the team's training camp, which starts Thursday.
Goodell noted Vick won't be allowed into training camp until the league completes a review of Vick's indictment.

The NFL pro shop has a great online option to order a personalized jersey. I'm choosing "Sick Vick" as this year's fall fashion accessory.

Above is the preview picture I got when asking for the jersey. I thought about doing this after reading an AOL sports entry on jerseys now banned by the NFL in the wake of the Michael Vick scandal.

Turns out there was a murder in Baldwin Park Friday night, we'll get some details on that. A man was killed and two teens were wounded in the 10:53 p.m. incident.

In Monrovia Friday, a man was shot in the leg and wounded Friday night.

Updated weekend talley: two dead, five wounded.

Disclaimer: These are the ones police actually reported.

By way of comparison, during all of last week six U.S. soldiers in Iraq were wounded in battle and removed from combat, according to icasualities. According to the same site, two U.S. Soldiers were killed by hostile fire over the weekend.

Weekend violence left one man dead and three teens wounded around the east San Gabriel Valley. We'll follow up on these throughout the day. Two of the incidents, including the murder, have West Covina datelines. One of the injured teens was identified by police as a girl.

In East Los Angeles, two brothers are suspected of beating their brother to death following an argument Sunday.

What do a stripper, a bar owner shot to death in broad daylight, and cold case detectives have in common?

They are all part of a story running in tomorrow's paper. The story concerns the 1996 shooting death of Mohamed "Mo" Sarehkhani.

"Mo" owned the Illusions topless bar on Valley Boulevard. A week or so before Thanksgiving 1996, Mo took a bullet that killed him.

Ever since, the stripper has been trying to piece the case together, while cold case detectives from the county Sheriff's department and the El Monte P.D. admit they've been stumped since day one.

There's a lot of interesting characters in the story, including a bouncer who claimed he once wrestled "Andre" the Giant.

The Los Angeles FBI field office unveiled a website at www.labankrobbers.org Friday designed to help the agency catch bank robbers.

This is some of the press release touting the site.

By visiting the site, users can view photos of current bank bandits being sought by the FBI and local law enforcement agencies, many of whom are wanted for robberies in multiple counties. The website contains photos of recent captures, reward information and a list of the FBI’s law enforcement partners. The website also links users to other regional websites that concern bank robbers.

One of the great things about the FBI's bank robbery detail is that they name their suspects. Who can forget the "Landscape Bandit" captured earlier this week. The man earned the name because bank tellers told investigators "he smelled like dirt."

Deputies Thursday raided an indoor hydroponic pot farm in Rowland Heights. The trend continues. The two arrested were apparently Chinese nationals living in Los Angeles but working in Rowland Heights. At least their commute was against traffic.

Two or three years ago, I was on a flight that stopped in Vegas during the NBA season. I happened to sit next to a referee, who told me he had a few days off and was headed home to Vegas for the weekend. After reading this, I wonder if this was him....

LAT this a.m. reports on a two-man team of cat burglars who've taken as much as $7 million in cash and valuables from the rich and famous living large in LA.

LAPD reports that one of its officers shot and killed a pit bull earlier this month. Similar to the Pasadena case without the innocents getting bit.

Speaking of pit bulls, the sick Vick saga continued Thursday with West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd condemning what many thought was a hillbilly tradition.

The Highlanders, our group of weekly newspapers has begun posting police blotters on line. For the most part they are pretty much skeletal outlines of police calls, mostly about a week old. There are some nuggets though.
From the Azusa Herald There's this item: Monday, July 9 5:48 a.m.; contempt of court; 200 block South Azusa Avenue. Don't know what court is on the 200 block of South Azusa Avenue, but if you are in contempt of it at 5:48 a.m. , you must be doing something seriously wrong.
Unfortunately the best stuff we're publishing these days (as far as crime blotters go) is printed in "The Weekly Star', which is a dinosaur and has no online edition.

Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Wilton reports a film of some sort is being shot in Walnut today. He just doesn't know who what where, why or how. That said, detectives from the Walnut/Diamond Bar station are apparently providing security on the set.

Filmmakers routinely contract with local law enforcement for such security. Its an opportunity for the deputies to hobnob with celebs other than Paris.

Appparently the official website of the Association of Los Angeles Sheriffs Deputies is a little too critical of the sheriff's treatment of Paris Hilton during her 23-day spa vacation at the Lynwood Greybar hotel. LAT had the story this a.m.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department likes to be known as Bulldogs, and they are.

But sometimes its hard to get them to the phone. That said, we're trying to get some updated information on the investigation in to the stabbing death of Yanshi "Lucy" Wang.

You may remember Wang was stabbed to death outside a Rosemead apartment and died crying for help in her native Mandarin.

Police believe the killing is linked to another, in which a woman's body was stuffed in a trash can and dumped in Legg Lake.
We've got some video relating to the case on line, including what may be a picture of a suspect.

Some early report of the incident had it as dogs attackign three people in Pasadena. As SGVN metro editor Edward Barrera rightly pointed out in the newsroom : "Pit bulls. NOT dogs."

In any event, the early version of the Pasadena pit bull attack is in.

Speaking of dogs today...

Here's the ESPN starting point in the Michael Vick saga. Good video and audio. They've been on this probably since Vick was QB at VT.

>

NFL has released a statement. It will be interesting to see if Vick gets the star treatment or the Pacman treatment.

A federal grand jury indicted quarterback Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on dog fighting allegations.

. Obviously there are no direct links to the San Gabriel Valley here, but of interest is the proliferation of pro athletes who find themselves in hot water with the authorities time and time again. An interesting book on the criminal subculture of the NFL, titled Pros and Cons was published in the 1990s.

Interestingly, the LAPD reported a dog fighting arrest earlier this year.
By the way, the federal grand jury indictment does call to mind the troubles of Darryl Henley. A former prep star at Damien High School turned dope dealer while playing for the Los Angeles Rams. Henley is now a federal prisoner.

Also interesting is the Lawrence Phillips story -- Baldwin Park prep star turned criminal, and still awaiting sentencing in his latest criminal exploit.

Finally, don't know about dog fighting, but cockfighting used to be big business locally. Several busts in Irwindale and Azusa in the mid 1990s made headlines.

Author James Ellroy will speak at Zocalo in September. Event is free, but reservations are necessary.

Pasadena police are reporting a pit bull attack near Michigan and Mar Vista this a.m. Don't have a lot of details yet, but Pit Bulls have been in the news lately

Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity waste a lot of breath cracking on the liberal media. Sometimes they have a point.

At a press conference this morning at the Sheriff's Headquarters in Monterey Park, I overheard a couple of cameramen for local stations talking about presidential politics with a recognizable reporter from a network affiliate.

One cameraman was talking about a "great article in Harper's on John Edwards." The other cameraman was bragging about borrowing a friend's car and switching all the radio presets to Air America.

Funniest part was the reporter who thought Harper's was Harper's Bazaar.

Sheriff's detectives are set to announce a reward for information in the shooting of a man on the Long Beach (710) Freeway. The shooting occurred on June 12. A 25-year-old man was killed and detectives apparently have very little to work with.

A West Covina couple won some bucks from a relative of the heiress as the result of a 2004 car accident involving Paris Hilton's Mercedes and her cousin Brooke Brinson, who was behind the wheel.

Covina police report they are searching for Robert Felix pictured above.

Listening to the scanner this a.m there appeared to be a proliferation of burglary calls in Diamond Bar. So, I called the local sheriff's station asking about them. I was able to put together a short story about five possible burglaries. No clue as yet if they are related.
What was interesting about the whole process through was a sheriff's sergeant asking me why this story was newsworthy. Isn't it? Don't you care if businesses along a main street are getting ripped off over the weekend? Won't the business owners and their friends be talking about this today and tomorrow?
More importantly, there may be a sophisticated group of theives roaming the area, perhaps getting the information out will prompt law enforcement agencies to compare notes and catch the guys.

Yes, Mirthala Salinas and Antonio Villaraigosa have their troubles, but its not the first time a reporter has fallen for a source in Los Angeles. Actually, the last time a local reporter got caught having a relationship with a source was during the O.J. Simpson criminal trial. The reporter's source, a member of the LAPD, was leaking information to the reporter across the pillow. Both were questioned. Both had to find new jobs.

A specially made jumpsuit. Sheriff Lee Baca told KFWB's Pete Demetriou this morning that "because of Paris Hilton's slight size" there was no jumpsuit that fit her, so one was made for her. I guess that means incoming inmates, (extra large and extra petite) can expect the same treatment?? We'll see.
Meanwhile the Internal Affairs Bureau is on the case.

Got this photo from a reader. Obviously I don't know if this bear actually smelled like dirt, I just assume so.
Here's the note that came with the photo:
Hello

Just read your article In Star News about a bear killed in Bradbury.
I thought I send you this picture I took last Sunday night.

This bear was seen in my back garden, (200 block of N.Bradoaks Ave,
Monrovia), early evening of Sunday, July8th
Since our back yard is on Bradbury/Monrovia border, it is possible
that this maybe the lastmoment of that bear alive.

Local bank tellers who have encountered the Landscape Bandit say he smells like "dirt." And, that's how he earned his moniker, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller says. We've got some photos of the guy up on the website. They are not super clear, but perhaps someone will recognize him from the hat. We'll stay on this one.

Reporter Molly Okeon put together a nice video focusing on the recent Pasadena shootings. The video has some nice elements including excerpts from a meeting between community leaders, police Chief Barney Melekian and the ACLU.
Pasadena has been through this before. Unfortunately it took a lot of killing before things calmed down. The culmination of the last cycle of violence was probably the "Halloween Homicides" in which three young trick-or-treaters were killed by gang members who mistook them for rivals.

A lot of people I talked to today seemed pretty angry about this tagging incident. A story will run in Thursday's paper. In the meantime. here's a photo I took of owner Nathan Mizrahi looking at a wall near the entrance of the house in question. Police say these guys are using technology just like the rest of us. They probably bought the paint on the Internet and they probably post their exploits on YouTube.

Glendora police said Tuesday they are getting fed up with a rise in graffiti. The latest incident involved a break in. Police say tagging crews are rampant, spraying their logos on street signs, curbs and commercial buildings. We'll have more on this in Thursday's paper.

The San Gabriel bank robbery in question is almost two years old, but this guy is still one of LA's most wanted criminals. Looks like the FBI has nicknamed him the Calm Cool bandit.

For the third time in a week, a shooting in Pasadena ends with a trip to the hospital for an unlucky victim and a police search for suspects.