November 2007 Archives

In what is becoming a weekly feature of Crime Scene, I am pleased to present this week's dispatch from ace reporter Tania Chatila.

 

"I drove by that 48 year old guy..cant think of his name. It was really disturbing because you see something that looks like a pile of white something...then you see an ARM hanging out the side. If they pulled him outta the car then why didnt they cover his whole body up? I dont need to be driving around seeing dead bodies with partially covered bodies. I know its not your fault but I needed to vent."

This comes from Arcadia, where officers are hoping they can bargain their way to higher pay and more cops on the beat.

NOVEMBER 24,
A victim came to the station around 2:23 p.m. to file a theft report. She advised that for the past year she has been involved in an on-line relationship with the 21-year-old male Hispanic suspect. They finally decided to meet on November 11 and he asked if she would like to help him save money for their wedding. She agreed to help and gave him her bank debit card with the stipulation that he limit his withdrawals to $200. A few days later the victim discovered that he withdrew $1,000.

No word on whether they've caught this guy. Perhaps he'll claim he used the money to buy an engagement ring.

Below is the web update that will appear on SGVN in a few minutes. There's not much more to report. Manling is still dressed int he Yellow and blue garb which indicates she is in protective custody and may be a danger to herself. Upon entering the courtroom she briefly acknowledged her family then turned away. Throughout William's voice was barely audible when answering questions from Judge Robert Martinez.

She was handcuffed to a courtroom chair for the duration of the hearing and  led away as soon as it finished. Williams did not look back at her family or the family of her deceased husband upon leaving.

[BODY]POMONA — Prosecutors shared evidence Thursday with attorneys for a woman accused of killing her husband and two children and agreed to hold a preliminary hearing in the case on Jan. 28.
The evidence exchange took place minutes before a brief hearing in the Pomona Court for Man-ling Williams, 28, of Rowland Heights.
“There’s a significant amount of discovery,” defense attorney Tom Althaus told Superior Court Judge Robert Martinez.
When asked by Martinez what materials might be contained in the package, Althaus was interrupted by prosecutor Paik Kouch who gave the judge a generic list of its contents.
“There’s a tremendous amount of material,” Kouch said. “There’s a list of additional witness, field reports from investigators and C.S.I. people as well as supplemental reports.”
Neither Kouch nor Althaus revealed the specific contents of the discovery materials.
Williams is accused of stabbing her husband Neal, 27, to death with a sword and of suffocating the couples’ two young boys, Devon, 7, and Ian, 3.
At her initial hearing in the case, Williams' first defense attorney, Kenneth Wenzl, said Williams detailed her involvement in the killings of her husband and sons.
Sheriff’s officials confirmed there was a confession.
Besides the three counts of murder, Williams faces special circumstance allegations of lying in wait prior to the slaying of the children, and three counts of multiple murder.
In addition to her apparent confession, the case against Williams appears to hinge on her shifting story to neighbors and detectives immediately after the bodies were discovered.
At first, she allegedly told neighbors she couldn’t sleep and took a drive. She said she discovered the bodies upon her return home.
“She provided some statements that proved incriminating,” said Sgt. Bill Marsh, lead homicide detective in the case for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Both sides had hoped they could delay a preliminary hearing in the case, but Martinez would not budge and scheduled a Jan. 28 hearing date, with a Jan. 15 status conference.
[

UPDATED 11-29-07 10:43 a.m.

Homicide victim Jason Wei is show here. Wei was shot to death at his restaurant, Osaka Ya, in Arcadia Sunday night. Police have released video and still images of his suspected killer, but apparently have made no arrests.

Wei was a popular sushi chef at the restaurant and several customers have recalled him fondly.

Police are examining several possibilities in the killing, including the possibility he was killed by some arm of the Chinese Mafia.

As of Tuesday evening, police said they aren't ruling out a botched robbery as the cause of Wei's death.

4:07 p.m. UPDATE

A foundation has been set up in Jason Wei’s name at the Arcadia branch of the TomatoBank, at 1317 S. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia.
Make checks payable to the Jason Wei Foundation.
Wei was working behind the sushi bar around 9:20 p.m. when the gunman entered the Arcadia restaurant, located in the Vons Pavilion Shopping Center.
“We just want to help the victim’s family. I think that is all we can do,” said branch manager Helen Wu.
For more information, call the bank at (626) 802-6222.

 

Note I changed the address of the bank after receiving a reader comment about the information. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Irwindale police think they've got a drunk driver on their hands, but turns out it's a man whose been shot and about to die.

Here's the story as we know it so far:

AZUSA - A man died on the side of the 210 Freeway on Tuesday night after suffering a gun shot wound, according to authorities.

An off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer spotted the man weaving back and forth between lanes on the northbound 605 Freeway, according to Irwindale Police Sgt. Mario Camacho.

The car exited at Irwindale Avenue, pulled into a business park, turned around, and then reentered the freeway minutes later, according to Camacho. The off-duty officer followed him the whole time, and could not explain why the main left the freeway, he added.

The Irwindale Police Department pulled the car over on the freeway around the Azusa Avenue exit at 11:17 p.m., and found the driver in the car had suffered a gunshot wound to his upper torso. The driver is described by police as a white male in his 50s.

Officers were surprised to find the wounded man when they pulled the car over.

"Based on the way he was driving, the officers just thought he was drunk," said Camacho.

Fire Department personnel and police officers attempted to provide medical aid to the man while awaiting an ambulance, but the man died on the scene, said Camacho.

Sheriff's Homicide detectives are investigating the crime, and the coroner's office is working to identify the man, said Camacho.

Here's a screen grab from the Osaka Ya video. It shows the unidentified gunman seconds after the murder of Jason Wei.

The entire tape released by police shows the gunman in four different locations at the restaurant including entering through a back door, storming through the kitchen, threatening employees and customers, and takign about $200 in cash from a register.

There is never a clear shot of the gunman's face. There is no sound on the video, but you can clearly see the reaction of one woman at the moment a shot is fired.

This was the scene outside the home where Oscar Garcia was shot Monday nigh tin Baldwin Park. The photo in the foreground depicts Oscar and his four-month-old son Oscar Jr.

Baldwin Park Police have no leads in the case, and say the shooting wasn't gang related.

A resident of Waco Street in Baldwin Park shot some gruesome video in the aftermath of Monday's murder. We just completed reviewing it. Apparently police, sheriff's detectives and coroner's investigators had no idea they were being filmed. If anything, the video is a real world look into real-life CSI.

The video begins with a shot of the victim's body laying on a driveway.

Later on detectives crowd around, while a coroner's investigator apparently checks the victim's pockets, feels for wounds and takes a liver temperature.

The victim is then lifted onto a gurney and another examination is conducted. Most of this was done in plain view of the camera.

The video concludes with a brief look at the victim's family, who have just learned their loved one was shot.

This came in an email. we have zip for details and even less knowledge about the accident.

How come there hasn't been anything in your paper regarding the accident in
Glamis that killed 2 siblings from Glendora and another teenager from Norco?????
This happened on Nov 17 ....they were riding a Yamaha Rhino ATV and were hit by
a train....

Here's a discussion of the accident found via Google

Reports from Whittier indicate one teen was killed and another wounded in a shooting near the intersection of Orange Drive and Redman Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Whittier PD. is handling the case. A car described as a four-door sedan was apparently associated with the shooters.

Police say there are witnesses. It is unclear if the witnesses are cooperating, Whittier PD said.

Whittier homicide detectives will handle the investigation.

10:48 p.m. UPDATE:

Here's the story filed by correspondent Brian Day:

[BYNAME]By Brian Day
<MC>Correspondent
[BODY]WHITTIER — One person was killed and another wounded in a shooting Monday, officials said.
The victims’ names were not available, however they were both described as appearing to be in their late teens, said Whittier police Lt. Wyatt Powell<NO1>cq<NO>.
The shooting occurred about 9:30 p.m. on Orange Drive at Redman Avenue, said Powell.
The victims were standing near the intersection with at least one additional person when a 4-door sedan approached, Powell said.
The car parked to the west of where the group of victims was gathered, exited the vehicle, and opened fire, said Powell.
One of the two struck by gunfire was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. No further details about the deceased were known.
The other victim, a local resident, was taken to the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in unknown condition, Powell said.
Multiple calls reporting the shooting were received, and police interviewed several witnesses, said Powell.
A motive in the shooting remained under investigation late Monday, he added, and a suspect description was not immediately available.
Anyone with information about this crime should contact the Whittier Police Department at (562) 945-8250.

BALDWIN PARK — An unidentified man was shot and killed Monday night in the 13100 block of Waco Street, officials said.
The dead man was a male Hispanic, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Maribel Rizzo, of the sheriff’s Information Bureau.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Baldwin Park police officers set up a brief containment of the area following the shooting but were unable to locate suspects.
The shooting is the third homicide in Baldwin Park in the past 10 days and the 78th in the San Gabriel Valley in 2007.

Looks like this one happened about 8 p.m. on the east side. BPPD is deferring calls to the Sheriff's Department, which hasn't even received a dispatch on the case yet (now 9:08 p.m.) Approximate location is Fairgrove and Mangum streets (almost Bassett turf).

This would make three murders in 10 days in Bolen. Things are getting hot....

Ace crime correspondent Brian Day is on his way to the scene...

Here's what we're reporting in Tuesday's paper:

[BODYRR]<CF12>WEST COVINA</CF> — A West Covina man was shot and killed in a residential neighborhood Saturday, officials said.
The victim, described as a 23-year-old Latino man, was not identified Monday pending notification of his next-of-kin, said Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Fred Corral<NO1>cq<NO>.
Someone phoned police about 9:45 p.m. to report hearing gunshots in the 1400 block of Larkwood Drive, said West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell<NO1>cq<NO>.
Around the same time, another caller reported seeing what appeared to be a dead body out in the street, said Mitchell.
The victim suffered three gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, Mitchell said.
Though police received several conflicting witness accounts, said Mitchell, investigators have no concrete suspect information to work with.
One witness described three suspects in the area at the time of the shooting, Mitchell said, while another reported only seeing one. One witness saw a possible suspect vehicle, while another said there was none, he said.
Mitchell did not immediately know if the shooting was gang related.

The story indicates this is a fairly residential area. I'll get a Google Map up later. Additionally, sources tell me the dead man's identity is Luis Martinez, 23, of West Covina.

This comes from the LAT's Homicide report:

Arcadia: Jason Wei, 42, an Asian-American man, was killed by gunfire during a restaurant robbery at 815 W. Naomi St. in Arcadia at about 9:24 p.m. Nov. 25. Arcadia Police Lt. Larry Goodman said a Latino suspect dressed in dark clothing with a dark beanie came into the Osaka Ya sushi restaurant where Wei worked, and took money from the cash register. The restaurant was still open; a few customers and other employees were inside. Goodman said they offered no resistance, and the suspect simply shot Wei for unknown reasons and fled. He was taken to a nearby Methodist hospital where he died. Arcadia police are looking for information on this case. Det. John Bonoma is at (626) 574-5166.

###

An Arcadia police watch commander whom I spoke to this afternoon couldn't help with further details. He referred all questions to the homicide detectives who are not in the office late on Monday nights.

From Will Bigham at our sister paper, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:

LOS ANGELES - The local water board member charged with falsely claiming to have won the Medal of Honor pleaded not guilty today during an arraignment hearing in a federal court downtown.

Xavier Alvarez, who represents south Pomona on the governing board of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, was charged by federal authorities in September.

Trial was set for Jan. 22. He was appointed a public defender.

Alvarez was tape recorded making the medal claim during the July 23 meeting of the Walnut Valley Water District, where he spoke to the board after being introduced as a guest.

At the meeting, Alvarez said he was wounded multiple times while serving as a Marine during the Vietnam War.

He later admitted he never served in the military.

Alvarez was censured by the Three Valleys board on Oct. 26 for illegally funnelling spousal health benefits to a woman who divorced him in 2002.

Other claims the 49-year-old Pomona native has made about his past appear to be untrue.

He claims to have earned an engineering degree from Cal Poly Pomona, though the school has no record of him ever attending.

He listed his occupation on last November's ballot as "engineer." He has refused to publicly disclose where he works and whether he is employed.

### 

 

At least two Orange County-based blogs are keeping track of the ongoing U.S. Rep. Gary Miller story.

First there's Red County with this entry.

The OCR Buzz Blog posted this.

Finally, here's the Google News roundup on the story that was posted here first. (of course you already knew that)

We get mail every day. Some positive. Some negative. One reader apparently thinks there is a pro-Gary Miller bias here. Here's what she wrote:

I  thougth a good reporter was supposed to present an unbiased opion when reporting a story.  Why are you trying to glorify Gary Miller?  Your articles start out by addressing the issue of the grandchildren and then focus on Gary Miller and his accomplishments.

 Are you not the least bit curious as to why the father of these children is not pursuing finding these children, or on the fact that he has been convicted of spousal and child abuse?  Why would anyone plead guilty of these accusations to just put the relationship behind him?   Gee, does this sound like the Greg Hidel case all over again?  A father with money protects the abuser son, and the one who is actually the victim is the one now in the wrong. 

Seriously, you need to fact find before you continue to report on this story.  Most of your information is obtained by the Gary Miller camp, so actual reporting on your part is less than adequate. 

It is very sad that Elizabeth Miller passed away, but FYI she is the one family member who refused to testify  against Jennifer Lopez.

Truthfully, the only Gary we have any bias toward is Gary the snail.

Here's the text of the press release from Miller's office this afternoon:

Rep. Miller Announces Passing of Daughter

Elizabeth Miller, daughter of Rep. Gary Miller and Cathy Miller, passed away unexpectedly early Saturday morning.  She was 33.

“Elizabeth was full of life—a vibrant and beautiful young woman who embraced everyone she knew,” said Mr. Miller.  “She was the love of my life and will always be missed.  She is in a better place and at peace in God’s arms.”

Elizabeth was born July 17, 1974 and grew up in Diamond Bar, CA with her parents and three brothers.  She attended undergrad at Scripps College in Claremont, CA and earned a Masters of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  It was there she met her future husband, Donald Miller.

Elizabeth and Donald married in August 2005 and settled in Atlanta, GA where they both accepted executive positions at Home Depot’s corporate headquarters.  

Elizabeth is survived by her husband, Donald; parents, Gary and Cathy; and three brothers Matthew, Brian and Loren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 1 at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs in Diamond Bar, CA. 

###

This from the wires:

Thursday, 8:30 a.m. POMONA - A preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set for Manling Tsang Williams, who is charged with capital murder in the slayings of her husband and the couple’s two young sons at the family’s Rowland Heights home. Dept. S, Pomona

OK so since the last post about the NOT "missing" Lincoln Aviator, updates filled with misinformation continue to make their way into the media. For example, Channel 2/9 is reporting this!

So is City News Service (which is where KCBS/KCAL gets their updates from) ...

Hey TV dudes, check the post below ...it clearly shows the NOT "missing" Aviator.............

The initial search for Jennifer Dejongh focused on a "missing" Lincoln Aviator. Up until this morning the sheriff's department was still teling reporters that they were on the lookout for the car. Our sister paper even ran a story with the information.

Just one problem. The Aviator pictured here is the "missing" Aviator. It's been parked in a Whittier driveway since Sunday. Ace reporter Jen McLain snapped this photo Tuesday morning.

Wenesday morning ace reporter Tania Chatila was chatting with deputies at Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau  and this is her report of the exchange:

All the attention in the search for Jennifer Lopez-DeJohng seems to have focused on Las Vegas. Officials are looking to Sin City for signs of Lopez, her husband George Dejohng and her three children Brian, 8, and twins Evan and Christian, 6.

Meanwhile Congressman Gary Miller has been pretty silent about the whole case. There are some serious allegations out there and they are starting to become known. Jude Lopez, Jennifer's father appeared on John and Ken today and laid out his family's side of the story.

Gary Miller also appeared on the show. And apparently there were fireworks, according to the talk show hosts.

Miller's spokesman Scott Toussaint promised the congressman would call here. We're still waiting.

Jennifer Lopez, former Miss Diamond Bar, is now a missing mom. Police say she took her kids rather than give them over the Congressman Gary MIller and disappeared. No one, not even her father knows where -- yet.

There's some interesting developments. The Lincoln Aviator reportedly taken by Lopez (Dejohng) remains on the driveway of a home in Whittier... Sorry FOX 11...Also no amber alert has been issued in the case...again...soory FOX 11

Lopez was never married to Brian Miller, the son of Gary Miller ... No one in her family know where she's gone.

She was recently married to George Dejohng, of Whittier. The two were wed at St. Denis in Diamond Bar.

Here's a recent photo of the pair.

This is a photo from the FOX 11 Website of Jennifer De Jong or Dejongh or Jennifer Lopez and the three missing grandchildren of U.S. Rep Gary Miller.

The sheriff's department apparently released this photo sometime this morning, but now they are unable to find a copy of it -- so for the time being we've borrowed it from FOX.

There is little update this morning in the case that we broke here last night. Authorities are swamped with media requests.

Sheriff's Deputy Oscar Butao said no Amber Alert has been issued in the case and likely will not happen.

"It looks like a custody dispute," he said.  "Most likely they are not going to be in danger."

Channel 11 is also reporting that De Jong's family is blaming Rep. Miller for some of the problem. They claimed Miller is somehow abusing his office to weigh in on this ongoing custody battle between De Jong and Miller's son Matthew.

Miller's office has declined to comment on the case this morning.

This is a photo from the FOX 11 Website of Jennifer De Jong or Dejongh or Jennifer Lopez and the three missing grandchildren of U.S. Rep Gary Miller.

The sheriff's department apparently released this photo sometime this morning, but now they are unable to find a copy of it -- so for the time being we've borrowed it from FOX.

There is little update this morning in the case that we broke here last night. Authorities are swamped with media requests and

"There is an initial investigation going on,' Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokeswoman Dep. Aura Sierra said. "We're waiting for the lead detective to give us more details."

The three children, ages 8, and twin 6 year olds, were reported missing about 1:30 p.m Monday. One of the children is named Brian, officials said. A report indicated it was a parental kidnapping by a "non-custodial mother."

The parents of the children are divorced and there appears to be a custody battle between the two, sheriff's officials said.

Late Monday sheriff's officials had not issued an Amber alert and were unclear if an abduction or violation of a court order had taken place. The mother was identified as Jennifer De Jong also known as Jennifer Lopez, officials said.

Miller, 59, represents the 42nd Congressional District, which includes the communities of Diamond Bar, Brea, Chino and Chino Hills.

The uncle of CJ Mitchelltree took exception to some posts on the blog and questions whether or not CJ Mitchelltree, accused of a hate crime stabbing at Carl's Jr. in Temple City is acturally part of the Brown Side Gang.

Here's Scott Mitcheltree's comment from this blog entry:

As CJ's uncle, why don't you report the WHOLE story instead of making up your own...it's my understanding that "Brown Side" is a Hispanic gang...which CJ is not. Why don't you use your time in a better manner and report the truths instead of making allegations and making up your OWN truth. Obviously, there's nothing worth reporting in Temple City huh? Why don't interview people who know him, his friends, family, etc....

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Reporter Dan Abendschein put together this map of various shooting incidents in Monrovia over the past weekend.

Sources tell us tonight that the Newlywed Bandits have been captured in Las Vegas following a bank robbery and attempted carjacking. Here's a compilation of pictures of the modern day Bonnie and Clyde, Rayceana Racheal Rocha, 20, and Paul Meyercamp, 26. Both are from La Puente. Rocha has been described as a college student at Rio Honda. While Meyercamp has been described as a La Puente gang member. Together the pair is suspected of participating in as many as six bank robberies in the San Gabriel Valley, according to the FBI.

La Noir has a post comparing the Newlywed Bandits to Bonnie and Clyde.

Let's hope Rio Hondo College student Raycene Rocha and La Puente gang member Paul Meyercamp, better known as the "Newlywed Bandits" don't end up like their fictional and nonfictional counterparts.

A comment on a previous entry from someone identifying himself as Luis Estrada's older brother Jose, clarifies some questions about Luis, 14, who along with his father "Pepe" was gunned down in Baldwin Park on Wednesday night.

wAT hIS tROWIN uP IS nOT A gANG ITS a kREW eVRY1 wAS dOING THIS kINDS oF tHINGS nOT nOWING tHAT tHEY cOULD gET iNVOLVED iN bIGGER sTUFF lIKE mY lITTLE bROTHERS dEAD hE dIDNT kNO aNYTHIN aBOUT gANG lIFE N Temper That Was Never His NaMe. R.I.P Little Bro & Dad.

 

I got this e-mail earlier today and thought it would work well posted here:

Do you do your blog via voice-recognition software?  Sometimes your headlines say Bolen Parque and the story says Baldwin Park.  I just wondered if it’s a software glitch or some new nickname I’m unaware of.

Also, FYI, it is Rio Hondo College.  They dropped the “community” long ago.

Here's a photo from a Myspace account paying tribute to shooting victim Luis Estrada, 14, of Baldwin Park.

Estrada and his father were shot to death Wednesday night near their home on Downing Street. Detectives are still looking for the shooters and believe the killing might been gang related.

We're still looking for a MySpace associated with "Temper" from Bolen. I ran across one yesterday that referenced Estrada's passing, but it was private, so there's no reason to post a link here.

If you've read different versions of the story you might realize that there is some confusion about the victim IDs here.

A relative told me "Temper" real name was Pedro and his father was Jose Luis. But students at Baldwin Park  High School knew "Temper" as Luis; and neighbors of the Estrada knew the dad as "Pepe."

We'll be following the story today.  Baldwin Park High School was locked down yesterday, no word on whether that's the case today. We do know there will be extra security at tonight's football game on campus.

Frankie B  was shot to death at Characters Bar  in Pomona Monday night.

Described as a "legendary emero" Frankie B, was apparently picked up last year in a sweep of P-12 on Pomona's southside. he was back out and enjoying a bit of night life when his number came up.

By all accounts, Frankie B was pretty well known and fairly well-connected in the East San Garbiel Valley.

Apparently he once lived in Bassett. but hung out in Pomona. He frequently jogged around the neighborhood and tried to stay fit, according to at least one person who knew him. One rumor has it that Frankie was "in the hat" for several years and knew it.

Anyway, In the Hat has a short posting, with a ton more comments. By way of full disclosure, I once mispent a year of my life hanging out at Characters, shooting pool, tossing darts and swilling beer.

Pomona hosted a celeb this week -- Lindsay Lohan.

Story here:

POMONA - Lindsay Lohan is performing at least part of her court-ordered community service here.

The "Mean Girls" star arrived Wednesday morning at the American Red Cross Blood Services Center near Cal Poly Pomona. She also worked at the center Monday, according to paparazzi reports.

"We're delighted to have her, and she's doing work for our mission," said Teresa Solorio, spokeswoman for the Red Cross center.

Solorio wouldn't elaborate, saying staff were affording the celeb the same privacy as other volunteers.

As part of a plea agreement on misdemeanor drunken driving and cocaine charges, Lohan must complete 10 days of community service, spend one day in jail and finish a drug-treatment program, according to The Associated Press.

The star only one appearance Wednesday, a smoke break late in the afternoon.

A father and son were shot to death near their Baldwin Park home Wednesday night, officials said.

Here's the CBS 2 version from overnight.

Here's the early SGVN  version.

The shooting in the 4000 block of Downing remains under investigation.

Thank you John Doe.

ARCADIA - A City Councilman's home was burglarized over night, police officials said.

The robbery occurred at Councilman John Wuo's Arcadia residence, police said.

Nobody was home at the time.

No further details were immediately available.

Gotta love this photo. It's the Tribune Newsroom, circa 1961. Reporters angered the Irwindale City Council with a series of stories detailing corrpution in the city, which was incorporated in the mid-1950s.

Someone was apparently so mad they threatened the reporters, prompting West Covina to establish a police presence in the newsroom and some reporters to carry their own heat (as OJ would say).

Spend Xmas With the Demon Dog on the James Ellroy Digs L.A. Bus Tour

WHAT: Esotouric presents "James Ellroy Digs L.A."
WHEN: Saturday December 22, 1pm-5pm
COST: $60
WHERE: departing from Arnie Morton's Steakhouse, 735 S Figueroa St., LA
90017

LOS ANGELES- Best-selling crime novelist James Ellroy has built his career
digging deep into the underworld lore of L.A., drawing connections between
his personal experience and the complex real world histories of cops,
killers, victims and journalists.

Now James Ellroy teams up with Esotouric, the eclectic bus adventure company
whose tours reveal L.A.'s secret history, to debut his personal guided tour
through the city that haunts his dreams and inspires his art. Riding shotgun
and curating the experience is Kim Cooper, creator of the 1947project time
travel blog and host of Esotouric's true crime tours, including The Real
Black Dahlia.

Passengers on "James Ellroy Digs L.A." will gather at Arnie Morton's
downtown bar (opened specially for our party), then accompany the author in
a luxurious coach class bus on an uncensored time travel journey to tony
Hancock Park, where he stalked his teenage classmates and later broke into
houses. . . to the Hollywood flats to explore some of the heinous 1950s
murder cases that fascinated him as a youth and continue to feed his
obsessions. . . and out to El Monte, where his mother Geneva was murdered,
the unsolved crime that runs through all his work, from "The Black Dahlia"
to "My Dark Places."

Thanks to some creeps in Finlandia, Norway or some other god-forsaken cold northern sun-less wasteland, Crime Scene was attacked by spammers intent on selling cheap viagra, porn, and a dozen other products unfit for human consumption in a first world country.
Well the attack is over for now...(until the jerks figure another way around the firewall).
Until then, bask in the glory knowing that if you have something to say, Crime Scene is listening.
(offer not valid in Finland, Norway, Sweeden, or Maylaysia)

UPDATED 6:07 p.m. WEDNESDAY 11/28/07

SPAMMERS ARE TRYING TO HIJACK THIS ENTRY TOO ...WE WONT" LET THEM

According to Crime scene sources attorneys for Manling (man-ling) Williams tossed her apartment this afternoon for several hours.
Williams is accused of slashing her husband to death with a sword and smothering her two boys. She will appear in court later this month in Pomona for a preliminary hearing. The assumption here is that her attorneys were looking for any evidence that would dispute the state's case.
Of course there's not much they could find that would cast doubt on the alleged confession Williams made shortly after the murders.

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Victim in last week's shooting has been identified as Osorio Reyes, 26, of La Puente. Police had to notify family in Mexico before releasing his identity.

This from Brian Day on the night cops desk:

Officers responded to the 00 block of East Huntington around 11:51 a.m. in reference to an assault and an attempted robbery that occurred around 7:05 a.m. The victim indicated that he did not report the incident earlier because he had to be at a meeting. He advised that he was walking towards his vehicle when he saw a male African-American suspect going through the trash. The suspect then asked the victim for money, but the victim declined. The suspect then lifted his shirt and the victim saw the grip of a pistol in the suspect's waistband. The suspect demanded the victim's wallet, car keys, and watch. The victim IMMEDIATELY KICKED THE SUSPECT IN THE GROIN, and the suspect struck the victim in the face with a blunt object, possibly the weapon. The suspect then fled the scene on foot.

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The Daily Breeze has info on a Sheriff's deputy busted in Internet predator sting.

So the makeover is complete and all the changes are apparently internal. I couldn't post here all day yesterday and there was a lot going on.
For instance .... a murder suicide in Monrovia that cops forgot to mention.
The brothers of the men accused in the street race killing were arrested.
Then there's the newlywed bandits.
And a plea in the Ebony Huel murder case.

Here's the bad guy taking those innocent puppies (rather brazenly)

All day long I've been watching these babes with the bad plastic surgery opine on the Simpson Robbery trial. So I decided it was time to give Crime Scene a face lift.
Look for a new and improved version (with a few bruises and dark sunglasses for a couple of weeks) debuting (with any luck) tomorrow. In the meantime, Crime Scene will be under the knofe for a few hours later tonight.....

Dear Mr. Girardot,
I am writing to clarify some information posted in your Blog regarding the bus accident in the City of Walnut on 10/26/2007. You make mention in your Blog about the arrival time/response of the Coroner. The reason I am writing is that one of my responsibilities is to try to get the best possible scene response of Coroner personnel and one of the most frequently asked questions I get is “Why does it take the Coroner so long to get there?”
In this particular case, Ms. Meza was pronounced dead at 1455 hours. The Coroner was notified of the death at 1540 hours. The Coroner assigned the call to a Coroner Investigator at 1555 hours. The Coroner Investigator arrived on scene at 1727 hours. The Coroner Investigator completed his scene investigation and departed the scene at 1850 hours.
It should be noted that we have to commute in the same Friday rush-hour traffic as everyone else, which we did in this case. In most cases, our response time is within an hour to most places in Los Angeles County. Traffic, traffic accidents, bad weather, law enforcement activity and other wonders that make Los Angeles the great place that it is hinders our response time to a scene just like everyone else’s drive time home.
Sincerely,

Craig R. Harvey, F-ABMDI
Chief Coroner Investigator & Chief of Operations
Department of Coroner
County of Los Angeles

Ruby Gonzales reports on a slew of dogs nabbed from a pet store near Whittier My big question is this... did the dogs have those chips embedded and will it help find them?
The other question...anyone seen Cruella DeVil? Or Monty Burns?

LA MIRADA - A thief with a penchant for pricey pooches broke into a pet store early Wednesday and dognapped 22 puppies worth about $30,000.
Security video showed the man putting the teacup Yorkshire Terriers, Shih-Tzus, Chihuahuas, Maltese and Pekingese in a trash bag, according to Paul Ro, 50, owner of Puppy Love.
"I'm so afraid these puppies might die soon," Ro said. "They must be stressed out."
The puppies cost between $1,000 to $3,000 and ranged in age from 2 to 3 months.
The thief cleaned out most of the store's canine inventory but missed a 1-year-old Yorkshire terrier, a 7-month-old Maltese and a 3-month-old Pomeranian. The little female Pomeranian was in the last cage in the corner.
"I think this guy had knowledge of dogs," Ro said.
Not content with his furry haul, the dognapper also swiped a $200 pet bed on display.
The store at 14766 Beach Blvd. also sells dog food and accessories, such as handbags to carry one's furry companions, pet beds and canine clothing.

Great story by Molly R. Okeon today regarding Pasadena's 11th homicide this year.

The family of Dora, Robert and Katherine Groce plans to file a $100 million dollar lawsuit against suspected street racers Martin Morones and Robert Canizalez as well as the Nissan corporation.
More To folo

The man wanted in connection with the street race that killed El Monte resident Dora Groce and her two children Robert and Katherine has been captured in Tijuana, Mexico, of all places, officials said Monday.
Morones was picked up by Federales who recognized him as a wanted man. He's on his way back to El Monte to face arraignment on three counts of murder and several other felonies.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's department is holding a press conference Wednesday to talk about street racing. Here's an email from ace cop reporter Ruby Gonzales:

The Sheriff's Department will hold press conference at their Monterey Park office 10 a.m. this Wednesday on street racing. Flier says Baca will join Burke, Molina,CHP capt of South LA, Lynwood Mayor and some Unysis Corporation guy to annouce zero tolerance for street racers and spectators in Lynwood and surrounding county industrial areas. The company kicked in money for a surveillance system (cameras I suppose) to impound cars. I'll fax Trib the flier tonight. The only way this works locally is if we mention the recent local crashes which all happened in Trib area though. The first local fatality was within spitting distance of Pico Rivera.

The early version ... more to follow:
By Dan Abendschein
Staff Writer
BASSETT— Following an argument over how a band should be paid, police said Monday they looking for a man who opened fire in a crowded bar, killing an innocent bystander and wounding four others.
The shooting Saturday night followed a dispute over whether bar patrons should pay extra to hear live music, officials said.
The suspected gunman is described as 6 feet tall, 235 pounds. He is between 35 and 40 years old and was driving a light-colored SUV, said Lt. Dan Rosenberg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.
shooting and killing
Killed was Bernardo Mendoza, 44, of La Puente, who was gunned down even though he had nothing to do with the dispute over paying the band, Rosenberg said..
Mendoza left behind a wife and two children, according to Rosenberg.

My friend Dean Norris has been filming a show for AMC called "Breaking Bad." It's about a guy who learns he has terminal cancer and decides to get into the meth manufacturing business. Dean plays a DEA agent.
Here's a snippet of his training regimen.

View this on LiveDigital
The video comes from a friend of Liya's (apparently William Moo)
This from night editor Kate Kealey

While proofing pages Thursday night, I noticed a familiar face in the Pasadena obits string - Liya "Jessie" Lu. Looks like her memorial service is set for Saturday in Pasadena at 9:45 a.m. at Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church, 73 N. Hill Avenue, according to the obit.

View Larger Map
Here's our updated Pasadena homicide map.
On Thursday night a man was shot to death inthe 700 block of N. Los Robles in Pasadena.
Here's the preliminary story:

PASADENA — An unidentified man was shot to death Thursday night in the 700 block of North Los Robles Avenue, authorities said Friday.
The shooting occurred about 9:55 p.m., according to a press release from the Pasadena Police Department.
After receiving 9-1-1 calls about the shooting, police responded to the scene and found a man lying on the sidewalk. He had been shot several time, according to the press release.
The man’s identity has not been released pending notification of his relatives, police said.
The victim was taken to an unidentified hospital and pronounced dead on arrival, authorities said.
No suspect information was available early Friday.
Anyone with information regarding the killing can call the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4522.

City Councilman Roger Hernandez and his campaign manager Dr. Paz Oliverez have laid out their version of the events surrounding a police visit to Hernandez's home Friday evening.
Hernandez's complaint is here.
Oliverez's complaint is here.">
Both accuse police of falsifying their reports. Both say former Tribune reporter Christina Esparza was in the apartment around the time the argument was reported.
Read for yourself. Compare to the police reports which are here.

An extradition hearing for Isaac Campbell, the man accused of killing his girlfriend and dumping her body in a trash can in the backyard of an Arcadia home, has been postponed until Nov. 30, according to court records in Hennepin County, Mn.
For now Campbell remains in the custody of the Hennepin County Sheriff.