August 2007 Archives

Ebony Huel found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and caught a bullet intended for somebody else, according to a story by Mary Gurton in Friday's Star-News. The story ties up several elements of the case and brings in another link to the proliferation of "Sock on Mexican" attacks that have plagued Pasadena in recent months.
On Thursday, Gurton reported that the Underground Club where Huel was shot, lost its license -- even though it never had one for late night parties to begin with.
BTW, the photo here is by Watchara Phomicinda, a great young photog on our staff.
Finally, conversation on the case continues in the local blogs and beyond

Since putting together a follow up story on the stabbing death of Chris Boo K. Lee, I have received several emails and phone calls from friends and family of Lee's who want to share their memories of Lee.
Here's a sampling from one letter sent Wednesday evening: (I'm keeping the writer anonymous and have edited this slightly)

Hello Frank, regarding your article today about Chris, it is good to know that your doing your job and made those names public. It is unfortunate to hear that the gangmembers that were arrested ... were released for a reason I do not know yet. I am a very close friend of Chris and I can personally tell you that Chris was not a gangmember. ... The last 7 years i have known him he has always been a good student, helpful to his family, and a very loyal friend.

yeah paul used to be my best friend till he became stupid

A man walking his small dog found himself victimized by a loose rottweiler on South San Gabriel near Del Mar Thursday.
Few details are available, but it's the second dog shooting in Pasadena this summer. Apparently this beast weighed more than 100 pounds and was primed to kill. The smaller dog survived the attack with puncture wounds, and was taken to a vet in shock

They are called "Sock on Mexican" attacks, and Pasadena has seen a huge rise in them over the past several months, officials are saying.
So what's gong on? Pasadena police say it's part of a gang initiation rite. The most recent reported attack occurred Tuesday near the AM/PM on Los Robles, Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones said.
Several area bloggers, MALDEF and KNX have their own takes:
Aaron Proctor here.
Pasadena Pundit here. (scroll down several feet)
Urban Onramps here.
MALDEF here.
KNX (with a surprising lack of any attribution) here.
I think ...

So what will it be?

This image released Tuesday Aug. 28, 2007 by the Beijing Public Security Bureau, shown is cartoon figures of 'virtual police'. Police in Beijing said Tuesday they will soon begin patrolling the web using the animated beat cops that pop up on a user's browser and walk, bike or drive across the screen warning them to stay away from illegal Internet content. (AP Photo/Beijing Public Security Bureau, HO)
In my opinion this photo looks more suited for Ruby's Gonzales' Anime blog. Sure looks friendly, so it must be harmless right?

Comments welcome on any answer.

This came from Jan Williams, the mother of Neal and grandmother of Devon and Ian. The three were found dead Aug. 8 inside their Rowland Heights apartment.
Neal Williams' wife, Man-Ling (aka Manling), is facing capital murder charges in connection with the case. She is set to be arraigned Friday morning in West Covina.
Here's what Jan Williams wrote this a.m.:

A memorial service for all three of my handsome boys was held at the SkyRose chapel in Rose Hills on Thursday morning, August 23. The outpouring of support from the community has been deeply appreciated. If we have tried to mourn this terrible blow in private, I'm sure your readers can understand our feelings. I have lost 3 of people who made my life worth living. The Tsang family has also suffered a horrible loss. It is uncomfortable to wear a broken heart on your sleeve for all the world to see. The wound is raw -please let us heal a while in private. JW

We know that Sheriff's HQ people say 10 people were arrested in connection with the stabbing of West Covina resident Boo K. Lee in Rowland Heights on July 31.
What they haven't detailed, and apparently won't tell us, is the names of the 10 arrestees. Sheriff's officials have consistently directed our reporter to their online inmate locator, which coincidentally only locates inmates with a name. The DAs office hasn't been too helpful either; claiming they know nothing about the case.
Either some very dysfunctional byproduct of bureaucracy is at work here, or there is a reason for keeping the names of people who were arrested out of the press.
Is this right? Should we know the names of people arrested on suspicion of anything?
Or would releasing the names of suspected gang members somehow taint the investigation?
Do gang members even read the newspaper?
Even if they don't read newspapers, wouldn't they know if their friends and associates were arrested on murder charges?
These are the questions we been asking in the newsroom all day.
Fortunately...

Arraignment is scheduled Friday for Man-ling (Manling) Tsang Williams, who is charged with capital murder for the slayings of her husband and the couple’s two young sons at the family’s Rowland Heights home. We haven't heard much about this case since her original arraignment was postponed.
Neal Williams' family has been very reluctant to discuss the case and were very private about any funeral. We do know that both families participated in a service of some sort at Rose Hills last week.

First some photos:

Then, the text of Brian Day's story on a hapless Santa, who arrived too early this year.

A would-be burglar was captured early Sunday after he tried to climb into a house through the chimney and became stuck about 10-feet down, officials said.
The suspect, a 32-year-old La Puente man, was booked on suspicion of burglary after firefighters partially dismantled the chimney to free him, said West Covina police Sgt. Dario Aldecoa.cq
A family member living in the home heard faint calls of “help me” and got up to investigate about 4:50 a.m. at a house in the 2100 block of Anson Way, police and fire officials said.

Whittier Daily News reporter Ruby Gonzales put together a nice piece on the rise of the Brown Authority gang in Pico Rivera, which ran in Sunday's paper. The competitor put together a piece of their own that ran today with a look at Brown Authority; it's rise from humble origins, the gangs' ongoing power struggle with Pico Vieja; and ties to the community at large in Pico Rivera.

Durham, North Carolina police picked up a 93-year-old man on suspicion of trafficking in cocaine.
From the story:

Durham police have arrested a 93-year-old man on cocaine-trafficking and related charges.
William C. Tinnen was arrested Thursday during a raid at 204 Teel St., police said in a news release issued today. Police spokeswoman Kammie Michael said she assumed police had a tip that drug activity was taking place there.

In addition to trafficking, Tinnen is charged with possession of cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs. Officers also confiscated three firearms from the house.

Tinnen's bond was set at $200,000.

With a link to Pico Rivera Mayor Ron Belke discussing the impact of the Maria Hicks murder on KABC 790 last monday.

Got this email from Anthony Martinez. He doesn't like my description of Pico Rivera. (BTW, the photo comes from an interesting website take a look

Here's Mr. Martinez's letter:

Main Entry: gritty Pronunciation: 'gri-tE Function: adjective Inflected Form(s): grit·ti·er; -est 1 : containing or resembling grit 2 : courageously persistent : PLUCKY (a gritty heroine) 3 : having strong qualities of tough uncompromising realism

Good Afternoon Sir.

I beg to differ with your description of the City of Pico Rivera. I was raised in The City of Pico Rivera and I am currently living in Whittier near Uptown. Gritty does not come to mind when I think of Pico Rivera. Pleasant...

I have no idea where this happened, but it's a fun surveillance video.
Here's part of the attached story:

Shop owner Gurmukh Singh, 26, decided to take matters into his own hands when two armed robbers entered his Gagi's Market, at 401 S. Warman Ave. on the Westside, shop this week.

Swinging a baseball bat, Singh, chased two armed robbers...

There's not a lot of details available yet. But here's what we know so far:
Shooting death approximately 8 p.m.Thursday in the 4100 block of Maris near Beverly Boulevard. Homicide still on scene at 4 a.m. Friday.

If the Hate Crime DAs are successful in their prosecution of the May stabbing outside Carl's Jr. In Temple City, could federal civil charges be far off for CJ Mitcheltree and his buddies in the "Brown Side" gang?
A group of self-professed supremacists in Temecula just got hit with a huge judgment in a similar case that took place eight years ago.
Food for thought.

Columnist Shirlee Smith has her own take on the aftermath of the Ebony Huel murder in Northwest Pasadena last Friday.
I find the distinction she makes between the "colored" side of town and the "non-colored" side of town a bit simplistic. In fact I'm hard pressed to remember even hearing the "C" word uttered since the early 70s.
That said, the underlying story in this senseless murder isn't about class and race divides, but about economic divides and the fear all parents have about where their teens are at night.
That's my spin.

First, Fred Ortega's story about the bust up of a Mexican drug cartel operating in LA San Berdoo and Riverside counties.
Second, ICE agents rounded up 60 Mexican nationals with ties to San Diego street gangs.
It all adds up to a lot of arrests and potential deportations. (119 to be exact).

Great 9-1-1 call from a cop who believed he was dead!

Got this picture and a couple of others via email. They depict the LAPD pursuit that ended at Rosemead and Colorado Monday night in a fiery collision. (Why is it fiery and not firey?) Anyway thanks to the photog. I appreciate his effort.
Also got a note about the story:

The next time you do a piece about a high-speed chase, include some background about the suspect's upbringing. See, the media seems to believe that publicizing these spectacles is a deterrant. Personally, I don't think these elements ever read the papers or watch the news. By learning what kind of mothers these people had, or if they ever learned right from wrong, the public may be able to comprehend what drives these &**@^%#@.

A post titled "the death of Ebony" has some interesting comments from Pasadena residents who clearly feel strongly about the murder of Ebony Huel. Some of the posters have done admirable work tracking down Ebony and what could be her tracks on the Internet.

This morning, I received two letters regarding Pico Rivera and the murder of Maria Hicks.
The first was a reminder about a similar case that occurred at the end of July:

I was looking to see if you had any information on the shooting that happened on or about July 31, 2007 to Ruben Gomez, 51. He was a real estate broker in Montebello. He was shot in Pico Rivera on Bicentennial Road, just north of where the grandmother was shot.

i read several articles regading this tragedy....then i read your comments and i thought that maybe we should all contact Michael Moore the director, he seems to get into alot of trouble for exposing the truth about the matter.
I have grown up in montebello, with pico rivera just a couple of miles away, and it is so true, it is a shame at the criminal activity going on all around us...

Foothill Cities has an interesting give and take on the effect of gang violence in Pasadena and community reaction to it in the wake of Ebony Huel's death Friday night.

Molly R. Okeon reports that if Ebony Huel had the money to pay the cover charge at the Underground Club on Lincoln Friday night, she might still be alive today.
Okeon's story also details Huel's status as an innocent bystander and victim and the arrest of 19-year-old John Reynolds of Los Angeles.
Reynolds was booked on suspicion of murder, said Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens. He is being held without bail scheduled to be arraigned at Pasadena Superior Court today, officials said.
Meanwhile, the blog Pasadena Pundit ...

Sleepy Diamond Bar apparently has a lot of stuff going on behind closed doors.
The final chapter in the Gregory Eversole/Jason Burke murder/suicide involves a girl, a grow house, an early morning murder where the killer may have entered Eversole's apartment through a doggy door and a suicide in the parking lot of a Nevada casino.
Oh....and there was a note.
Complete story here for now.
I'll update link in the a.m.

Fred Ortega mixes the smell of fresh baked breads and the sounds of illegal slot machines in the Foothill Cities with his piece on slot machines that ran over the weekend.
BTW, Fred took the photo in this entry with his very own phone. ...doesn't look like he had a winner in those reels though.
Tania Chatila answers the age old question "What is the sound of one car crashing?" Cacophony! especially when it crashes into a West Covina piano store.

There appear to be several MySpace sites dedicated to the memory of Ebony Huel. This one has several photos and links to others.

This week's innocent victim is 16-year-old Ebony Huel of Pasadena. Huel was apparently the unintended target of a shooting at a party. A man has been arrested in connection with the killing.
Molly Okeon is following the story today and filed this early report.

Some of what Molly has learned:

A friend said Huel went to Rose City High. The firend said parties for teenagers are often held at the building by a group called "The Underground," though she was unsure of who they were. Friday night's party was attended by about 50 kids for a girl's birthday, she said. Friends described the parties as a place high school students go to dance but no alcohol is served, she said. "They have security," she added. "It's not too crazy. Everybody there knows each other." Marlene Jackson, a friend of Huel's aunt when Huel was a baby, drove all the way from Northridge with her 15-year-old daughter's to see Huel's memorial today. Though she hadn't seen Huel in years, she said she stopped by to see what she looked like as a teenager. Jackson said she used to live nearby in Altadena but moved away three years ago for her daughter's safety. "I would never let my daughter come down here," she said of the area. "This is one of the reasons I moved away."

Pro quarterback Michael Vick has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to federal dog fighting charges, according to CNN and the Roanoke Times.
Vick is going to enter a guilty plea to the felony conspiracy charge next Monday at 10:30 a.m., said Lawrence Woodward, one of Vick's defense attorneys.

"

Mike's accepting full responsibility," Woodward said. "He's going to do everything he can personally and professionally to make this situation right."
Meanwhile the Atlanta Humane society ...

Vick's decision came after his last two co-defendants pleaded guilty Friday and agreed in deals with prosecutors to testify against Vick if they were called to do so at trial. A third co-defendant pleaded guilty in July under similar conditions.

Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones was so happy to report this arrest, he even suggested a headline (very similar to the one above this entry).
Jones said detectives may be able to make this man for five gas station robberies in Pasadena and several others in neighboring communities.
You can bet detectives are quizzing the heck out of the suspect, who was arrested with a plastic gun and a change of clothes in a car that matched the description of a vehicle connected to one of the robberies.

A San Gabriel man, possibly implicated in a Diamond Bar shooting, was found dead in a Primm, Nevada casino parking lot.
Clark County Coroner's officials said the man, identified by posteres here as "j", was Jason Burke, of San Gabriel.
There's some interesting speculation about the case in the comment sections of earlier postings. here.

ICE agents got their woman this weekend.

KABC's Leo Stallworth posted an interesting story on this case. Looks like he had an in with the detectives in the case who gave him most of the information on background (notice the lack of named sources ...there's a lot of "officials said.")
There's also an anonymous comment attached to the story below that seems to indicate there was no suicide note, but a phone call.
I'm definitely making calls Monday on this deal...

Here's the gist of what we'll be reporting tomorrow -- its a twist or wrinkle (whatever you want to call it)

The investigation into the shooting death of a Diamond Bar man led detectives Friday to “Sin City” where they tried to determine if a man who committed suicide there might be linked to the murder, officials said.
Gregory Edward Eversole, 29 was shot to death Wednesday morning inside his apartment in the 21700 Laurel Rim Drive in Diamond Bar, officials said.
The Las Vegas suicide victim, was only identified as a man in his 30s. The man’s identity was not released pending notification of next of kin.

Gang members are gunning down innocent grandmas, and here's what the LA County Sheriff's Department is doing to protect the citizens of the county.
An excerpt:

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a crime for law enforcement or court employees to profit from celebrities misfortunes.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca...

A funeral is scheduled in Pico Rivera today for Maria Hicks. The funeral will be held at St. Francis Xavier on Acacia.
The 57-year-old grandmother was apparently killed by taggers after she followed one who had painted a wall near her home last Friday.
Three people have been arrested, but detectives are on the look out for more.
Today's story on the case is here.

More loose ends:
The John and Ken Show on KFI devoted their 5:30 p.m. segment to the case Wednesday. Callers were asked to talk about times they attempted to stop a crime in their neighborhood. I dont' remember any of the callers saying they had suffered consequences from intervening. John Kobylt was on vacation in Alaska, so it was up to Ken Chiampou to field the three or four callers.
Bill Handel's "Handel on the News" show at 6 a.m. Thursday briefly mentioned the story. That's probably because the Times ran the Hicks story on its front page Thursday ...

Some random loose ends:
A coroner's spokesman Wednesday told reporter Ruby Gonzales that Neal Williams died from "sharp force injuries" which would idicate he was stabbed more than once. I saw a comment on an Internet news group from a person identifying herself as a neighbor who claimed Neal was stabbed 40 times.
The children's bodies have been released to Rose Hills Mortuary as of Wedensday and now the coroner is saying an actual cause fo death determination has been delayed. Any number of things could be read into that including the possibility they were poisoned. (No one has said that)...

The arrests of both suspects in the Deandre Netter murder coupled with the arrests of suspects in the hate crime stabbing of a man outside Carl's Jr. on Las Tunas Drive, gave investigators some room to talk about both cases.
On background they have repeatedly said the cases might be linked. The link became clearer Thursday when a homicide detective said search warrants served on most of the suspects in both cases turned up similar graffiit in all their homes. The graffiti seemed to indicate the teens are all memebrs of a group that called itself "Brown Side."
No one is sure about the origin of the name.
Arraignment for Phillips Guerra and Christopher Lopez, both 18, both charged in Netter's murder, has been scheduled for mid-September. Both waived their speedy trial rights in the case, authorities said.

Following the shooting death of Gregory Edward Eversole, 29, of Diamond Bar, detectives interrogated a woman, who was apparently his girlfriend, authorities said Thursday morning.
The girlfriend, who wasn't identified, is not a suspect in the case, the same detective said. She was released late Wednesday.
In any event, the case was being actively investigated Thursday. No gun was found at the scene of Eversole killing, which some say means the death wasn't a suicide.

Laughing Reporter - video powered by Metacafe
This anchor from a Midwest TV station can't help himself while he reads about two people dying in a horrible accident.
How sick is that?

From the SJ Merc:

NEW YORK - Tim Donaghy left the basketball court as a disgraced former NBA referee in July and left a federal court room Wednesday as an admitted criminal, a conspirator and a gambling addict.

Two more defendants in the federal dog fighting case against Falcons' QB Michael Vick have pleaded guilty. Now the government has given Sick Vick until Friday to take a deal or go to trial.

There is no date set to hold a funeral for Neal, Devon and Ian Williams, friends of the family told me today. That said, there is news of a scholarship set up in all three names at Whittier College. I'll post details later.
The family friend also told me that whatever funeral is held, it will be private.

A parolee who is suspected of molesting his stepdaughter in the parking lot of a Pasadena clinic appeared in court Wednesday. Laughing at the charges against him, the molester, who is not identified, is apparently a very large man.
Yesterday we reported that the encounter was videotaped. Today we can report that several local television stations are asking for a copy of that tape.
How sick is that?

Channel Seven reporter Leo Stallworth mistakenly thought our Dan Abendschein showed up in Diamond Bar as a spectator not a reporter and attempted an interview, Dan said.
Fortunately, Dan set the record straight and Stallworth moved on.
Good thing for us he did, apparently the Channel Seven guy missed a few decent opportunities early Wedneaday to interview real neighbors and spectators on Laurel Rim Drive, but kept leaving the scene just before folks arrived.

The murder of Sev'n Molina by a self-employed cab driver prompted a weird report on Channel 7 Tuesday. The anchor on the 5 p.m. news began reading from a prompter somewhere while a large graphic of a meat cleaver dangled just to his left on screen.
How sick is that?

SGVN reporter Dan Abendschein just returned from the shooting scene in Diamond Bar. He says details surrounding the case remain sketchy. A sheriff's spokesman told Dan the victim, identified as a male adult, had been shot to death.
Unlike the triple in Rowland Heights last week, the Coroner's van made an early appearance and early exit from the scene.
A man who lives in the Diamond Bar apartment where the incident took place, was fairly well known around the neighborhood, but no one could remember his name. They did recall the name of his dog though -"Marley"
One person was possibly taken to the Walnut Station for questioning.

The Whittier Daily news reports that three have been arrested in connection with the murder of Maria Hicks. Deputies are looking for some other bad guy associated with the case.
By the way, as you can see this photo was originally displayed as part of a report on the case done by Channels 2 and 9.

Got a tip from a caller who said that he knows of a La Puente man who reported graffiti vandals on his street, hoping to cash in on a reward program offered by the City Council.
Sheriff's apparently made an arrest in the case and quite possibly earned a conviction, according to the tipster.
But when the good citizen went to claim his reward the City said, "Sorry that happened in Industry."
Apparently the border runs right down the middle of the street.

Things are jumping here this a.m. There's a reported homicide in Diamond Bar near Pathfinder and Diamond Bar Boulevard. No details yet, but detectives are rolling in from Commerce. This one might be another domestic, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Next, A sheriff's captain told the Pico Rivera City Council last night that a "person of interest" had been picked up in connection with the shooting death of a grandmother who confronted taggers.
Finally, Chris Lopez, whose escapdes have been chronicled here, surrendered to authorities to face charges in the July 25, drive-by shooting of Deandre Netter ...
And now I'm on my way to some sort of probation/parole roust nearby ...

From: EBARRERA (formerly of Editor's Corner)
To: FGIRARDOT
Subject: The Vick story gets better
Here's the gist:

Embattled NFL quarterback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a "$63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned.

I really thought there was something incredibly interesting going on in Pasadena all day. After all there was tons of scanner traffic. So after asking ace reporter Molly Okeon to look into it, here's the skinny straight from Molly:

Despite reports from San Gabriel Valley Tribune crime guru Frank Girardot that there was a "stakeout" on South Madison Avenue in Pasadena, Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens told reporter Molly R. Okeon Tuesday afternoon that, in all actuality, police were on the scene of a commercial shoot.
:)

After using a variety of combinations to do some Google searches in the Man-ling (Manling) Williams case, I came across some stories in Chinese that might be of interest.
The first is a straight news story, recaping some of what the neighbors said, and adding some description about the actual crime scene.
The second is more like a feature story from a Chinese perspective on the hazards of mixed marriages.
The links are via Google's translation service, and I can't vouch for the accuracy....

A parolee detectives described as a "dirtbag" was arrested by Pasadena Police Monday night after witnesses claimed he was molesting a young girl.
The molestation apparently took place in a parked car outside the C.H.A.P clinic on North Fair Oaks. Danny Young, 30, is in custody. The little girl and her two sisters were left with their mom after DCS determined they are in no danger, officials said.

Matthew Hicks holds a thirty-year-old picture of his mother Maria
Hicks, 57, and his sister Melinda Wall, Monday, August 13, 2007 in
Pico Rivera. Hicks died Monday after being shot in her Pico Rivera
neighborhood Friday night after catching a male adult in the act of
tagging a wall. Hicks was shot by a back up vehicle after attempting
to follow the tagger with her car. (SGVN Staff Photo by Sarah
Reingewirtz/SWCITY)

I received an email today from a friend of Man-ling (Manling) Williams, who noted the tragedy that befell Neal, Devon and ian Williams extends well beyond immediate family.
Here's the beginning of the well-written and thoughtful letter:

I don't think Man-Ling's friends who were present at the hearing were ignoring you out of malice. I believe it is out of necessity. What could they possibly say? There is no way to justify this. There is no way to explain it away. The pain...

This from the Associated Press in Atlanta Georgia:

ROCHELLE, Ga. -- A woman was arrested after she called local police to help "get her money back" when she was unhappy with the crack cocaine she purchased.

MyDeathSpace has posted entries in the Man-ling(manling) Williams case.
Following the links to both Neal's and Man-ling's sites though I noticed both had been taken down. Too bad.

Local photog Ron Fu has posted some interesting photos he took outside the home of Man-ling and Neal Williams in Rowland Heights.
Man-ling (or Manling) is accused of stabbing her husband with a sword and suffocating her two children with a pillow.
Fu sent me this pic attached to this post for use with the blog. It's Ok, but the stuff he put on Flickr is better.

A friend of mine told me last night that he recently took a job as a bounty hunter.
Actually, they prefer to be called "Bail Enforcement Agents."
Most interesting about the job is that my friend said the application contained a warning that essentially said, neither current nor former journalists could apply.
The guy, my buddy, said he believes its a state law. I haven't researched it, but can't imagine why it would matter.

Here's another take on the case.

Several friends of Man-ling Williams are commenting on various blog entries here, and they want people to know that Williams, who is accused of killing her two sons and her husband last Wednesday in Rowland Heights, is not a bad person in their eyes.
A quick comment on the comments, notice Man-ling's friends use a hyphen in the spelling of her name. Although it seems like everyone else writing about this story has adopted the one word spelling of her name, I'm sticking with the hyphen until further notice.
Interestingly enough many of Man-ling's friends were at her court appearance Friday and instead of approaching us to give another version of the events, they mad-dogged me in court and turned their backs on reporters outside of court.
Here's some comments ...

Got this email Sunday from a self described gadfly in Pico Rivera. Obviously, the stats discussed are anecdotal, but we'll look into this. FYI, I can' tell you how many mornings I've called the Pico Sheriff's station asking what's up and getting the standard, "Everything's perfect here in Pico Rivera" reply from a watch commander.
Here's the email (yes it's short)

What about Pico Rivera, crime has risen steadily over the last four years.
There are no stats or stories just wondering why?

UPDATE: At the request of Edward Barrera (Metro Editor for SGVN) I've had to edit this post and remove some of the more incriminating info about local tv personalities.
Edited post below...

Crown City News is reporting, and SGVN's Brian Day has confirmed, that Phil Guerra, 18, wanted in connection a drive-by shooting in Temple City has turned himself into authorities.
Brian reports that a watch commander at the Temple City Station Friday night told him Guerra showed up at the station on Tuesday.
Sheriff' s homicide promised a heads-up. Guess they forgot. Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau, which handles the press, had no idea Guerra was in custody Friday night.
The inmate locator indicates he's at Men's Central with a $4 million bail on his head.
Chris Lopez ...

A Deputy Public defender let slip in court Friday that Man-ling WIlliams, accused of stabbing her husband with a sword and smothering her children to death with a pillow, allegedly confessed to the crimes.
We've got a story online now to that effect.
Man-ling was allowed to change from the jailhouse issue jumpsuit into a shirt and pants, in anticipation of being photographed.
She appeared pretty emotionless to me, although photog Leo Jarazomb said she appeared distressed and stressed to him. Man-ling Williams spoke in a barly audible monotone, and actually had to go through two hearings, because a court reporter was absent for the first.
Judge Abe Khan ...

The DA's office put out their first press release in the WIlliams murder case. They are charging Man-ling (Manling) Williams with capital murder in the deaths of her husband and two sons, officials said.
The complaint alleges Neal Williams was stabbed to death with a sword and the boys smothered with a pillow.
They are also saying she was lying in wait to kill the boys and committed multiple murder -- all capital crimes that could be punished by death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Arraignment is at 1:30 and I'm headed there now.

First question of the day. How does she spell it? The woman accused of stabbing her husband and murdering her children in Rowland Heights the other day might spell her name Man-Ling (as we do) or Manling( as the Sheriff's Department does) I'm going to settle this once and for all today.
Speaking of spelling. Tim Traeger, new city editor at the Whitter Daily News points out that in our story today we made a slight error

One thing. It's MARIE CALENDER'S, not Calendar's, fyi.

We've had a lot of stories about pot busts in the San Gabriel Valley generally and Rosemead specifically over the past several weeks. Even if Asian organized crime wasn't always involved, it's apparently nothing new.
Here's the caption that ran with this photo in September 1948:

BONFIRE MATERIAL -- Dep. Dwight Smith of Los Angeles Sherrif's squad is shown as he drags a load of marijuana "trees" from roadside patch in Rosemead where the "trees" were found growing. The narcotic weeds later were destroyed in "$20,000 bonfire." Federal agents participated in the "raid" and they reported that some of the weeds were 10 feet high. Apparently they were growing wild near busy street.

Detectives said today it was Man-ling Williams' incriminating statements that led to her arrest on suspicion of killing her two boys and husband.
A memorial service will be held outside their house tonight. Several friends and neighbors are expected to show up.
We learned a lot about Man-ling today, including the fact she was a waitress at Marie Callendar's, while Neal was apparently unemployed, but a doting father, who played baseball with his boys and loved Star Wars.
Neal might have worked as a janitor at Disneyland as a janitor in the past and hemight have sold insurance.
Most of the local television media was out there early. Channel 4 had an especially agressive reporter on scene.
Can't remember her name, but she seemed pretty thorough at the task.
By early afternoon ...

This was posted on Neal Williams' MySpace this a.m. it purports to be a picture of Williams and wife Man-Ling.
The wife is currently booked on felony charges at the Lynwood jail, according to the LASD's inmate locator.

Manling Williams has been booked into the Lynwood jail. The same county jail where Paris Hilton spent her time earlier this summer. The booking sheet indicates it was a felony booking, but little else.
Williams is the mom of two kids who were found dead in their beds. Her husband, Neal WIlliams, 27, had been stabbed to death in the same home, according to witnesses and officials.
Manling apparently told several stories about how she had left the home early in the morning. Neighbors said she told them she couldn't sleep and took a drive around the neighborhood. Cops said she told them she was grocery shopping. ...

Lots of details emerging late in this case. The victims have now been identified as Neal Williams, 27; Devon Williams, 7, and Ian Williams, 3.
Williams wife, Man-ling, is still being questioned by deputies and is now basically a person of interest.
Here's a link to what we think is Neal's MySpace. You'll see Man-ling in his list of friends.
WE may have video of man-ling in a patrol car taken shortly after she reported the murders. That's at SGVN.

It appears that what was originally reported as a stabbing (assault with a deadly weapon) early Wednesday, has turned into a triple homicide in Rowland Heights.
This is what we know. Three people, a man and two small children, are dead. The man was apparently stabbed to death. Authorities aren't saying how the children died. Neighbors near the crime scene just south of Fullerton Road and Colima Road said the children were suffocated or strangled.
A woman, the children's mother and wife of the dead man, is undergoing questioning at the Walnut Sheriff's substation.
The woman told police...

First picture(on left) is Phil Guerra. Second is Chris Lopez. Both are wanted in connection with Deandre Netter shooting.



Photo at bottom of page is of Richie Alexander. He's wanted in connection with the stabbing in May at Carl's Jr.on Las Tunas Drive near the intersection with Golden West Avenue.

Somebody using Alexander's MySpace has been pretty busy posting in recent days.

There are reports this morning about another stabbing in Rowland Heights. Right now most of what we have is from the police scanner and a neighbor who called. Details are sketchy, so we're headed to the scene to get the skinny. We'll update this one later in the day.

This company has an interesting idea for dog lovers everywhere.
I'm thinking about getting one for my dog to chew on while I watch the games.

Another day, another homicide. This time in unincorporated Monrovia.
Detectives have released a limited amount of information regarding the incident, but sources say a man with a shotgun may have been arrested at the scene.

Daniel Eric Davidson and Ronald Joseph Jacobs live in (what KFI's John and Ken call) a clown house on Bonsallo Avenue in Los Angeles.
On Monday, these two were picked up by cops bicycling away from Raging Waters in San Dimas.
What's interesting about the clown house Jacobs and Davidson live in, is its proximity to several schools (take a look at the map). Wasn't Jessica's Law suppossed to keep this from happening?
In light of recent events surrounding pedophile Jack McClellan,

KTLA is reporting that longtime anchor Hal Fishman has died. Fishman, long a fixture at the station, had been ill for several days. He was 75.
This from a KTLA biography:

Hal was been the bearer of good news and bad news to the television viewers of Los Angeles, including the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the visit of Pope John Paul II, and the Sylmar and Northridge earthquakes. Hal also helped to break the Rodney King beating story, among many others.

In case you are wondering (like me) ... Sheriff's detectives report they are still searching for Temple City teens Phillip Adrian Guerra and Christopher Gilbert Lopez, both 18, in connection with the drive-by shooting of Deandre Netter.
Neither boy has been found, but detectives say they believe a break in the case is right around the corner. Another search is on for Richard Alexander, a 17-year-old Temple City youth wanted in connection for a stabbing at Carl's Jr. on Las Tunas near the corner of Golden West.
All three teens are former students at Temple City High School, as was Netter.
Meanwhile,

After a while this gets a little frustrating.... City officials in La Puente are a little ticked that we indicated the shooting of a woman somewhere near the 605 and Valley Boulevard occurred in La Puente.
Sheriff's officials have corrected our geography once again. They say this happened in Bassett, an unincorporated portion of Eastern Los Angeles County.
Just last week we received this email on the very same topic.

Another overnight shooting in Pasadena.

We have the where: La Puente. Half of the who: a woman. Some of the what: a shooting.
The rest is open to interpretation.
Here's the story as we have it so far.

Ruby Gonzales rounds up the story behind a series of robberies targeting the chemicals used to make meth. Apparently recent federal laws have made it harder for meth cookers to get their hands on the key chemicals (besides Drain-o) used to make crank.
The suspicion is that these theives have taken to stealing cars, smashing through the front doors of closed pharmacies and getting the supply of pseudoehpedrine they need for a batch.

Guess those bank cameras really work. here's a collection of photos from the FBI linking some serial bandits to local robberies. The first guy is the "Asian Merchant Bag Bandit" He's wanted for robberies in Arcadia, Temple City, Upland, Norco, Riverside, and Rancho Cucamonga.

Next up, the "Baseball Bandit." He's described as a "Hispanic Male, 5 feet 9, Stocky Build, 26 to 30, 165 to 180 , V or U tattoo on neck" and wanted for robberies in Alhambra, Duarte, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, San Marino, and City of Industry.

A new study found some interesting facts about the differences between users of MySpace and Facebook.
I haven't really considered this element when using either to profile people, but it worth taking a look at.

This anonyous comment was posted under the entry regarding the murder of Paul Salazar and his possible connection to the Robert Whitehead murder.
I'd thought I'd share it, with a caveat about crime reporting. We report the news. If the news is that the Sheriff believes that Salazar is linked to Whithead it's going to be reported. As a crime reporter I don't put commentary in my stories. I just report the news.
That said here's the comment:

So a guy who owns a Chinese takeout has a slot machine. One less place for Tim Donaghy to play I guess.
The funniest thing about this story is that the slot machine was positioned right next to one of those grabber things kids play to get stuffed animals.
Too bad the sheriff didn't remove the grabber machine too. I'd consider taking my boys there if he had. I really hate dishing out quarters for that game.

Got this email this a.m. from a former Temple City resident who is saddened by recent events.
Sharing it here, beacuse I've heard a lot of comments like this over the past week.

lived in Temple City most of my life and it use to be such a nice community to live in. You could take walks in the evening and not worry about getting shot at.

Richard Alexander, 17, is being sought by the Sheriff's Hate Crime Task Force, officials said Thursday.
Deputies suspect the teen was part of a ring that committed several crimes in Arcadia and Temple City.
Authorities are asking anyone who knows Alexander's whereabouts to call the Temple City Sheriff's Station at (626) 285-7171

Detectives now say they are seeking two Temple City teens in connection with the killing of Deandre Netter. The teens have been identified as Phillip Adrian Guerra and Christopher Gilbert Lopez, both 18.
Detectives may have been misled early in the investigation by informants who believed another Temple City teen was behind the drive-by shooting.
I'll put more details up as I learn them.

There was a containment in Temple City last night as deputies went to work in their search for clues in the Deandre Netter homicide.
Got this note from Night Editor Phil Drake:

Turns out that deputies were assisting homicide bureau in serving search warrants at homes. It was regarding a murder ... but would not release details. Sheriff's command post was at lemon and temple.

The bag of potato chips was invented in Monterey Park by Laura Scudder in 1926.

Reporter Bethania Palma is reporting that the Montebello POA claims to be at an impasse in contract negotiations with the city. However, interim City Administrator Randy Narramore, himself a former police officer (actually Chief of the Huntington Park PD), says in the same story that the two sides are still talking.

I recently spoke to a member of the Montebello PD who told me things are going to get uglier before they improve. Apparently the City Council is holding together against the union on this one.

I find that interesting because it was my opinion that politicians in Montebello would have a hard time agreeing on the color of the sky on a clear day.

I got this email this afternoon pointing out a geographical fine point that is sometimes lost on me even though I know these neighborhoods.
Hopefully this clarifies any confusion in some of our reporting on the Paul Salazar Robert Whitehead story.
By the way, thanks for all the comments on the blog. I can't respond to all of them, but I do read all.
Here's the (somewhat edited) email

Dear Mr. Girardot: My parents purchased their home near where the crime against Mr. Whitehead occurred. Channel 9/Los Angeles also interviewed Mr. Whitehead's neighbor, who has lived on Moccasin for over 50 years. The reason I bring this up, every time a news organization reportson this crime, you all list it as occuring in West Valinda. The area this crime was committed is called Bassett, an unincorporated area of La Puente. All mail comes to 91746 at those homes, stamped as a LaPuente address. You also listed Mr. Salazar's home address near Bishop Amat HighSchool. I am a 1970 graduate of Bishop Amat myself. Mr. Salazar's home may be on the border of Valinda/West Covina as your article stated, however his address as well as the High School is La Puente. In the future it would be great if you could acknowledge the cities where this story has taken place. I am sure a lot of people from Bassett would like to extend their condolences to the Whitehead family, but did not realize that it was a family in Bassett, California. By the way Bassett also uses the zip code 91746 as does La Puente for that neighborhood. Just thought you might need this correct information.

LASO detectives believe that Paul Salazar, of Valinda might have been involved in the shooting death of "good neighbor" Robert Whitehead, of Bassett. Whitehead confronted taggers spray painting his neighbor's blockwall only to be shot to death back in 2006.
In June Sheriff's Homicide detectives released the above composite drawings of men connected to Whitehead's murder. They think Salazar, a graduate of Bishop Amat High School, was one of these men.

Salazar, aka "Malo" may also have been connected to the "Puente Trece" street gang, officials said. Whatever he is (or was) connected to, the tentacles of the operation reached into (or out of) Soledad State Prison.
Detectives on the Whitehead case visited someone at the prison last week, before coming to the almost certain conclusion that Salazar was linked to the Whitehead case.

I found an interesting MySpace this a.m. Looks like it might be connected with Deandre Netter, a 17-year-old San Gabriel resident who was killed in a drive-by shooting last week in Temple City. No arrests have been made in the case.