February 2008 Archives

This from Brian Day:

I guess this is what the Pasadena PD was trying to prevent by separating the media from the parents:

Christina Anderson, who is the mother of a student, told KCAL9 her sense of security was

shattered.<QA>

"I’m upset, I’m terrified, rather," she said. "You think you’re sending your kids to school. I

sent him to this school instead of another school in my area thinking this school was a much

better school and then this happens."

Police are continuing to hold several Blair students and teachers as they search the school for a suspected gunman. This standoff began at 9:30 a.m. and is still going at 5:30 p.m.

Is this necessary?

There seems to be some confusion as to what buildings on the Blair campus have been cleared.

  Suspected killer Aaron Raigoza holed up at the Desert Sky Motel and RV park in Yucca Valley. He was captured Thursday and appeared in court Friday to face murder charges. No bail in the case. Apparently Raigoza had written letters to his in-laws after the killing of Ana Acosta, his former wife. Family members described the letters to Tania Chatila. In the letters Aaron apparently said he was sorry he had hurt the family.

Here's what Tania wrote after learning about the letters:

I had a conversation Laura Avina today, the sister of Ana Maria Acosta, who was murdered in front of her parents’ Monterey Park on Feb. 4.

Avina told me that two days after Acosta’s death, her family received two letters in the mail allegedly from Aaron Raigoza — Acosta’s estranged husband and a suspect in her death.

The letters were postmarked on Feb. 5, the day after Acosta was shot, according to Avina.

Avina claims one letter was specifically addressed to Acosta’s mother and the other letter was penned for the rest of the family. She said Raigoza confessed to the murder in both letters, allegedly saying he was sorry for killing Acosta but that "she deserved it."

 

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Two are apparently being detained. A police officer running the command post gave specific instructions to keep "the media" away from parents at the school.

Another officer referred to media as "any of those"  as though we are something to scrape off their shoes.

We still don't know the full extent of the situation.

Students have been evacuated to the football field. Classrooms are still being cleared.

 

 

 

Pasadena police are searching the campus of Blair High School to investigate a report of a person with a gun. A dispatcher says there is a command post set up near the school.

This from Dan Abendschein, working the cop shift this morning:

MONTEREY PARK - A man suspected of killing his estranged wife was arrested in Yucca Valley on Thursday evening, authorities said.

Aaron Raigoza, 34, allegedly shot his wife, Ana Maria Acosta, 32, to death outside her parents' home in the 500 block of South Russell Avenue in Monterey Park earlier this month.

Court documents show that Acosta had three restraining orders against Raigoza dating back to last spring, because of threats on her life.

"I'm going to kill you," Raigoza told Acosta on May 28, 2007 according to court documents. "I'm going to die and you will come with me. You will shed a lot of blood."

Acosta and Raigoza - both employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District - were embroiled in a divorce, which was set for trial on March 8.

Records show that Raigoza was contesting the $1,880 in child support payments he had to pay Acosta each month for their 6- and 7-year-old children.

Raigoza was arrested around 9 p.m., according to Lt. Carrie Mazelin of the Monterey Park police department.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Alhambra Superior Court on Friday morning, she added.

Dan is headed to court for the arraignment this a.m.

 

As you can see Crime Scene is getting remade ... per the LADN guidlines recently discussed on LA Observed.

There will be ads (not content specific -- yet), a better search capability and faster loading pages ...but bear with us because the complete task may take a few days.

Thanks for all your support!

Frank

Here's what we'll be reporting tomorrow:

Six violent sex offenders living in an Altadena group home will be moved out over the next several days, officials said. The move comes after strong public protests from residents of the Meadows.

I don't know much mor ethan this...but we'll stay on top of this story.

On Wednesday, KFI' s John and Ken devoted their 6 p.m. hour to the sex offender clown house in Altadena. The began by taking issue with us for a "wimpy" headline -- "Residents decry halfway house." But also praised reporter Elise Kleeman's story.

A few members of the Altadena Town Council appeared on the show and discussed their opposition to the Sober Living residence for sex offenders in their neighborhood. They also said there's not much they can do without the help of County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, since Altadena is unincorporated.

Antonovich's spokesman Tony Bell called in to discuss the issue as well.

Nobody's heard from state officials nor the management of the house "New Horizions Sober Living", which appears to be branching out into the sex offender housing market.

There are a couple of Altadena blogs discussing the clown house too. They are The Meadows Blog, which originates from the neighborhood where the clown house is located. There's also the Altadena Blog, a more general blog about the unincorporated Los Angeles County community, which has this post on the subject.

An Altadena reader took offense with Thursday's column on the subject. Here what he had to say:

Re "High time to fix the system," in the Feb. 27th Pasadena Star-News:

I assume your piece is just an opinion piece, rather than what most would consider straightforward news. I haven't read your column before, so maybe I'm wrong. The situation of the convicts in Altadena is definitely alarming (I almost bought a house up there in '05) and deserves balanced coverage.

I think your article, & future reporting on this situation, would be more useful without the terrified editorializing. It's fine for you to quote residents, but you ought to trim your outrage. Give your readers facts and let them decide what to think.

E.g., have you done any legwork (phone calls, interviews, research, etc) to discover whether there's any correlation between the "groups of these men living together" and an increase in those areas in similar crimes? Or did you just sit down and bang this column out?

That seems a basic question. Without examining it, your article is half reporting (the residents' reactions) and half fear-mongering (your reaction). So far, fifty percent of your job remains undone. I'm probably not the only reader who wants more from the Star-News.

Regards,

John Sandel

We’ve just confirmed the verdict is being read right now in the trial of Armando Abundis Sr., an Alhambra man accused of murdering a 2-year-old girl in 2005.

 

He is charged with murder and child abuse resulting in death in connection with the slaying of Sarah Angelina Chavez, the grandniece of Abundis’ wife, Frances.

I just got off the phone with the court clerk and she said he’s been found guilty on some of the counts. The hearing is not complete.
We’ll update you when we have more information.

This morning I was reading the Californian, an edition of the North County Times, when a front page (above the fold) correction jumped out at me.

Here's what Romenesko had to say about the bad "joke."

 

Well not really. This one is a motel...Close to Disneyland and Knott's. Nice going California. This information comes from a letter I received today here's the letter:

Frank:
I read your column regarding RSO's in Altadena with interest.  I sent this email to DOJ in November of 2007.  To date I have had no response.
Jim Burton
 
-----Original Message-----
From: jim burton []
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 7:21 PM
To: 'MegansLaw@doj.ca.gov'
Subject: budget motel

To Whom it May Concern;
 
36 of the 62 RSO's living in Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 and according to the CA Attorney General's Meagan's Law Site,  are registered to a budget motel  13420 Firestone Blvd.  One appears to be registered to 13530 Firestone Blvd.
 
I have comments and questions:
 
Questions: 
1.  Is the travelling public made aware by law, law enforcement, or public or private policy that a budget motel near disneyland and knott's berry farm is occupied by 37 Registered Sex Offenders?
2.  Would a California citizen i.e. a man, wife, and 3 small children stay at this motel if this information were presented to them prior to their check-in?
3.  What liability would accrue to state or local governments should a crime occur against one of these kids, or their parents for that matter?
4.  Do you think that an effort should be made to pass legislation that would require these facilities occupied by RSO's  be required to advise the public?
 
Comments:
1.  This motel seems to be in a good location to provide residences to RSO's.  It is a very industrial area and near some restaurants and possible places of employment. 
2.  It seems that it is a matter of time that a serious crime will occurr unless there is some notification of the public that may happen by for a break in their travels and check in to this place.
 
I would appreciate a response
 

Respectfully,
 
 
Jim  Burton
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

I wrote a story in today’s paper about a Valinda home that was boarded up by county officials Wednesday. During my walk through with two dozen other sheriff’s deputies and firefighters, I heard a lot of interesting comments about the home - which, to say the least, was severely run-down.
But one seemed to sum it all up. As promised, I’m not going to name the person behind the quote, but I will say that he was a sheriff’s deputy.
Anyway, here’s what he said:

“Man, I’m going to get my camcorder. It’d be like filming a horror movie in here.”

See (or read) for yourself.

Another shameless plug for that other blog.....

More chatter on the BP chief issue

Just in case you drove by and were wondering,  there was a command post set up in Irwindale near the 210 freeway Wednesday afternoon. Officers received a report of human body parts over the freeway.

It turned out to be tree bark.

Nothing to see here.

Making those round ‘o calls this morning, the Whittier watch commander had this to say about whether anything was going on.

“We have crime on the run. If you give us a day, crime will be completely eradicated in our area and you can take us off your phone list.”

My response:
“Is your refrigerator running too?”

It should come as little surprise that folks in Altadena don’t think a group home for sex offenders makes their neighborhood of $500,000 homes desirable.

Who would?

Just look at the cast of characters living in the halfway house in the 4400 block of Risinghill:

[BULLET]Ernesto Corona Ayala, 51, convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

[BULLET]Gerald Christoph Baca, 56, also convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

[BULLET]Ernest Brian Bradley, 37, convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 and convicted of using force.

[BULLET]John Fitzgerald Carter, 43, convicted of forcible rape.

[BULLET]Cedric Parker, 47, convicted of forcible rape and sexual battery.

[BULLET]Anthony Raymond Rayas, 44, convicted of sodomy and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

As many as 150 people who don’t want this group of unsavory criminals in their neighborhood demanded the removal of the halfway home from their quiet neighborhood Tuesday night.

“Please don’t underestimate us,” Latrell Cottele-Moore, a longtime Meadows resident told the crowd. “We will do whatever is necessary to get them out.”

Their pleas received little more than lip service.

A spokesman for state Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, essentially told the residents there were no easy solutions to the problem.

According to reporter Elise Kleeman, New Beginnings Sober Living, which operates the home, told residents “the matter is being looked into by the company.”

Who knows what that means?

The Sheriff’s Department assured everyone the offenders were all wearing GPS-equipped anklet bracelets.

Translated, that means detectives will know where an offender has been after a crime has been committed.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the bureaucracies and corporations promoting halfway homes for sex offenders can offer little in the way of solutions for a residential neighborhood in an unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County.

What might be surprising though is that clusters of sex offenders are everywhere in the San Gabriel Valley.

Using a simple search of the state’s Megan’s Law Web site, I found groups of these men living together in Azusa, Bassett, Pasadena, Montebello and El Monte. They are everywhere — even Beverly Hills.

In some cases, they are close to schools and churches. In others they live in residential neighborhoods. Plenty live in trailer parks and motels along Garvey Avenue, and Colorado and Whittier boulevards.

Last August, when the state budget crisis was in full swing, there was a possibility that California would stop paying rent for these guys. Then, instead of being housed and sort of monitored, a lot of sex offenders would have been homeless.

Something in our government is broken. You don’t have to look any further than Risinghill Road in Altadena or the Megan’s Law Web site to see it.

CORRECTED: 11:42 A.M. 2/28/07

 

 

Man found shot on the freeway. We're still trying to sort this one out. It happened early a.m. on the 210 in Azusa. We really know nothing right now. Sometimes these turn out to be attempted suicides, sometimes they turn out to be incidents of road rage. Other times they are targeted attacks. We'll find out which one this is....check back

These are the guys who are living in a group home in Altadena. All are charged with sex offenses and all are being monitored electronically. This information comes from the California state Megan's Law web-site

Here they are:

Ernesto Corona Ayala, 51
Lewd or lacivious acts with a child under 14

 

 

Gerald Christoph Baca, 56

Lewd or lacivious acts with a child under 14

 

 

 

Ernest Brian Bradley

288(a) LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS
288(b)(1) LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS W/FORCE

 

 

John Fitzgerald Carter

261(a)(2) RAPE BY FORCE/FEAR/ETC

 

 

Cedric Parker

261(a)(2) RAPE BY FORCE/FEAR/ETC
f243.4 SEXUAL BATTERY

 

 

Anthony Rayas Raymond

286(c)(2) SODOMY WITH FORCE, VIOLENCE, ETC.
288(a) LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS

 

Somehow sheriff's deputies were able to determine that a man who said he was shot in Duarte was actually shot in Altadena.

Last night we reported another Duarte shooting. The victim had taken himself to an area hospital and we were going to fill in the gaps.

TUrns out it didn't happen in Duarte at all or Arcadia or Monrovia. The shooting took place several miles away in Altadena.

Injured was a Latino man. Sheriff's detectives said the shooting was gang related.

 

Busy week for Baldwin Park police and the sheriff's detectives who are handling two cases out of the 80,000-population city this week.

Aside from the triple homicide Monday, authorities this morning are investigating an officer-involved shooting involving BP officers and a man. It happened about 5 a.m. in the 5000 block of Maine Street. The man's condition is unknown at this point, though preliminary wire reports say he is "critically" wounded.

Sheriff's deputies are still out at the scene, and one deputy told me the officers were conducting a search warrant when it happened.

Here's what I just put up on our Web site:

BALDWIN PARK - Police officers conducting a search warrant shot and wounded a man this morning in Baldwin Park, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 5:10 a.m. in the 5000 block of Maine Avenue, said Ed Hernandez, a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
No officers were injured.
Hernandez did not know the condition of the man and had no details as to what prompted the shooting, except that officers had been serving a search warrant.
The sheriff’s department was at the scene this morning investigating.
“When something like this happens,” Hernandez said, “it’s probably because the officers fear they are in safety of their life.”

 

A bunch of angry residents gathered in Altadena to complain about a group home for sex offenders that appeared in their neighborhood, almost overnight.

The gathering Tuesday night was attended by several hundred who want something done. They were told by state and local officials that not much can be done... it's too late.

Here' s an excerpt from a story by Elise Kleeman that will appear in tomorrow's Star-News:

The six men living in a single-family home on Risinghill Road range in age from 28 to 56. Four of them were convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14, including one man who used force and another who sodomized his victim. The others were found guilty of rape by force or fear, with one also convicted of sexual battery.

All are parolees, released early from their terms in state prison and placed in the home by the Pasadena parole office, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Detective Ruby Munshi. They are wearing GPS tracking ankle bracelets, she said.

“There’s so many children in that area, it’s just terrifying,” said Dennis Bridwell, who lives four houses away. “I’ve spoken to so many people that have taken their kids’ drawings out of the windows. Anything that shows there are children there, they’ve hidden them.”

One neighbor who lives about a block and a half down the road said Monday that she longer walks to her friend’s house two blocks away.

“To us, this is just a disaster,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous because she feared for her safety. “We just feel really put upon, just that they haven't given us any warning. This is horribly negligent.”

At the meeting, one husband talked of being afraid to his their wife home alone, a tearful mother said she was no longer able to sleep at night because of her concern for her child and another resident decried the facility as a “revolving door” for parolees, making them difficult to keep track of.

The community learned of their new neighbors when one Meadows resident happened to check the state-run Megan’s Law Web-site. Neither nearby Loma Alta Park nor Odyssey Charter School officials were notified of the new group home, the neighbors said.

Police report a man was shot in the Monrovia Arcadia Duarte area Tuesday night. Very little is currently known. The man was described as a male hispanic. He apparently drove himself to the hospital after being shot.

The wounds were described as "non-life" threatening. This story is developing it's unclear where the shooting occurred. Police are at an undisclosed location searching for evidence.

We will update this as soon as we have more information from the Temple City sheriff's station.

These come from reporter Brian Day:

 

"All I know is two families are devastated. Two good families."

- Anonymous 20-year resident of the street

 

Several neighbors did not recall ever seeing police at the house, or even on the block. (including above "20-year resident."

 

"There's never been trouble. No gangs, no activity like that."

-Anonymous resident

 

Roy Perez was "pretty quiet," and "kept to himself." "He never had any friends."

-Anonymous resident

"He's a little off."(Roy Perez) But the resident added that they had not seen anything that would lead him to believe Roy was capable of this kind of violence.

-Anonymous resident

END BRIAN"S CONTRIBUTION

Comment: I find it interesting that some of these people asked to be anonymous even though they were on television for most of the day.

 

The two guys who held a street race in El Monte that ended in a fiery crash and killed a woman and her two children will be tried on murder charges, officials said.

Pomona Superior Court Judge Charles Horan found sufficient evidence to require Martin Morones, 21, and Robert Canizalez, 19, to proceed to trial on three counts of murder.

Canizalez also is charged with a felony count of witness intimidation.

Both men, who remain jailed, are due back in court for arraignment March 11.

The charges stem from a crash last Oct. 8 that killed 41-year-old Dora Groce and her children, Robert, 8, and Catherine, 4.

I returned Tuesday morning to the Baldwin Park neighborhood where three people were killed, including an infant were killed Monday.

A man accused in the shooting, Roy Perez, 28, of Baldwin Park, is in custody.

The neighborhood was swarming with media, including Univision, Telemundo, Azteca America, KCBS, KCAL, KNBC, and KABC. The FOX 11 van carting Nichelle Turner was already packing their gear to head for the next story.

There are widely varying accounts of what happened. And no one can quite explain the sequence of events that ked to the killings and Perez's arrest.

Brian Day and I listened to the incident as it unfolded on the newsroom scanner. Brian's first words were, "I think this is going to get big. He bolted for the scene and arrived before backup units or the fire department. He reported that upon arrival he saw a man sitting on a porch wailing about his house his neighbors and begging the fire department for help.

Neighbors told a Univision reporter and our Bethania Palma that the man was in fact Perez. We are still trackign that down.

I also heard the story of a man named "Mario." Mario was appraently moving from a house next door to where the shootings occurred. A relative said "Mario" witnessed much of the incident and saw Perez run from home to home in the neighborhood.

"Mario" apparently stayed outside the whole time the incident unfolded. "Mario's" relatives said he wasn't interviewed by the police and was allowed to leave before the investigation had been completed.

As you can see from the picture by Leo Jarzomb, the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner arrived roughly 12 hours after the killings. They are removing one of the three victims.

Perez was booked for murder and held without bail. Fatally wounded were Perez’s mother, Alicia Rivera Perez, 47; along with Dalmy Perez De Mata, 31, and her daughter Briana Mata, said Craig Harvey of the coroner’s office.

 

 

  

 

Trib Photographer Leo Jarzomb was out at the Baldwin Park crime scene this morning. He got photos of the coroner taking the victims away.

Our question here in the newsroom: We understand the nature of crime scenes, but doesn't 15 hours for the coroner to arrive on scene at a triple homicide seem like a long delay? I can't even imagine what that must have been like for family, friends and neighbors overnight.

THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN CORRECTED 2-25-08 11:18 P.M. and again at 11:32 p.m.

 

[BYNAME]By Brian Day and<QA0>
Frank C. Girardot
<MC>Staff Writers
[BODY]BALDWIN PARK — Police arrested a man after a shooting incident Monday night that left two women and a 4-year-old child dead and two other children wounded in two homes in the 14500 block of Rockenbach Street.
The <NO1>man who was arrested <NO>suspect was not identified. The surviving victims were taken to a local hospital, but their conditions were not known, authorities said.
They were described as a 9-year-old and a 14-year-old.
Police responded to a report of shots fired about 7:30 p.m., said Baldwin Park police Capt. Michael Taylor<NO1><NO>. The officers discovered a total of three people fatally wounded and two others who had been shot, Taylor said.
<NO1>Both of the dead children “were very young,” Taylor said.
<NO>The shooter, who was armed with a handgun, apparently went from one house to the other during the rampage, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Dan Rosenberg.
<NO1>“This was a tragic event in a quiet neighborhood,” Taylor said.
<NO>A dispatcher at the Baldwin Park Police Department said all available units had been dispatched to the scene.
The shootings may have stemmed from a family dispute, officials said.
<NO1>“The son shot the mom,” said a man who identified himself as the son-in-law of one shooting victim.
<NO>A call to the Baldwin Park Police Department at 7:28 p.m. indicated that a man had shot his mother.
“The suspect got into an argument with his mom,” Rosenberg said. “He then went next door and shot the neighbors.”
<NO1>Other family members were apparently talking to police detectives following the shooting, authorities said.
<NO>Several officers from the Irwindale Police Department were dispatched to the scene. Additional units from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were called in to handle crowd and media control.
Immediately after the shootings, a man, who appeared to be in his 20s, sat outside the home where the incident took place and cried out:
“In my house. In my house. My neighbor,” the man said, pointing arriving firefighters in the direction of the victims. “Please hurry up. Hurry,” he said. “There might be time to save them.”
Police with automatic rifles patrolled the working class neighborhood in the moments after the shooting as multiple reports of shots fired flooded in from other homes in the neighborhood.
Family members tried to force their way in at the crime scene, but detectives held them back. More than one broke through crime scene tape.
In the aftermath, family members consoled one another.
<NO1>Several had questions that police were unable to immediately answer.
<NO>“Where’s my dad?” one man asked.
[TAG1]brian.day@sgvn.com
frank.girardot@sgvn.com
<MC>(626) 962-8811 Ext. 2718, 2717
http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvcrime

By Brian Day and
Frank C. Girardot
Staff Writers
BALDWIN PARK — Police arrested a man after a shooting incident Monday night that left three people dead and two others wounded in the 14500 block of Rockenbach.
The man who was arrested was not identified. The conditions of the surviving victims was not known. At least one victim was taken to a local hospital, authorities said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department supervising dispatcher Andrea Hawkins told the Associated Press that someone called 911 shortly to report the five gunshot victims.
When authorities arrived at the house, they found three dead at the scene. Hawkins told the AP that a fourth person was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and the fifth had minor injuries.
A dispatcher at the Baldwin Park police department said all available units had been dispatched to the scene.
The shootings may have stemmed from a family dispute, officials said.
“The son shot the mom,” said a man who identified himself as the son-in-law of one shooting victim.
A call to the Baldwin Park Police Department at 7:28 p.m. indicated a man had shot his mother.
Other family members were apparently talking to police detectives following the shooting, authorities said.
Several police officers from the Irwindale police department were dispatched to the scene. Additional units from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department were called in to handle crowd and media control at the crime scene.
Immediately after the shootings, a man, who appeared to be in his 20s, sat outside the home where the incident took place and cried out:
“In my house. In my house. My neighbor,” he pointed arriving firefighters in the direction of the victims. ‘Hurry, hurry. They are in here. There might be time to save them.”
Police with automatic rifles patroled the working class neighborhood in the moments after the shooting as multiple reports of shots fired flooded in from other homes in the neighborhood.
One of those who received gunshot wounds was reportedly a 9-year-old. No information about the victim’s condition was known late Monday.
Family members tried to force their way in to the crime scene as detectives held them back, more than one broke through crime scene tape.
In the aftermath, family members consoled one another with hugs. Several had questions that police were unable to immediately answer.
“Where’s my dad? “ Asked one man.
Others wanted to know which hospital the surviving victims were taken.

 
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Police reported two persons down and a third possibly wounded Monday night Feb. 24 in the 14500 block of Rockenbach Street in Baldwin Park. Quite possibly the shootings stemmed from a family dispute. There is a suspect in custody.

 

Reports of shots fired and several persons (including a 9-year-old) are down. A suspect is in custody and Baldwin Park and Irwindale units are on scene. The BPPD has requested assistance from the Sheriff's Department.

The shootings were reported in the 14500 block of Rockinbach near Maine Street.

There are so many icons that define Los Angeles.

The freeways, the palm trees, the snow-capped mountains, the beach, the Hollywood sign, AM radio.

AM radio?

Think about it. Radio makes a steady and comfortable companion for all those hours spent driving on the freeway looking at palm trees on the way to snow-capped mountains, the beach or Hollywood.

I got my first real inside look at L.A. radio this past week when KFWB set up a studio of sorts in our Pasadena newsroom. Their plan is to give drive-time exposure to stories appearing in the daily paper. It’s a kind of quid pro quo; they get a near exclusive and we get to hear our voices on the radio.

I’ve been a fan of AM radio for more years than I care to count. In the ’70s, my dad bought me a crystal radio Heathkit. I have no idea how it worked, but it received just one station, KGO 810-AM in San Francisco.
I would lie in bed at night listening to what probably was the earliest talk radio in the country. There were some interesting hosts: Al “Jazzbo” Collins, Ira Blue, Ronn Owens.

But it wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles in 1984 that I grew a deep and everlasting appreciation for the AM medium. KABC was the big station at the time, and Michael Jackson (not the singer) was their star. He did something like two hours of local talk followed by a syndicated hour.

Jackson could be infuriating, but at the same time his show made me feel like I was part of something larger as a resident of metropolitan Los Angeles. It was kind of like he was saying, “Welcome to Los Angeles.”

There were other unusual radio shows then, too. Jim Healy comes to mind. His half-hour local sports shows on KMPC and KLAC were punctuated with recordings of sports celebrities that were profane and hilarious.

“Is it true?” was Healy’s great catchphrase. I remember Healy following the question one time with a description of Milton Berle waiting in line at Santa Anita to place a bet. The star was taking advice from a “guy with a hole in his shoe.” I still smile at the picture in my head.

Healy’s half-hour was the ultimate insider’s sports program. It punctuated the whole “Welcome to Los Angeles” theme of local radio back then.

Local radio changed in the ’90s. Rush Limbaugh supplanted Michael Jackson in the mornings. Healy died.
KFI became prominent and John and Ken are the voice of local talk. They made a name covering O.J. Simpson and unsuccessfully trying to get Congressman David Dreier tossed out by the voters.

Beyond that, if their show said anything it’s “Welcome to Los Angeles. Now go home.”

Times change.

Through it all, KFWB has stayed true to its mission — “You give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the world.”

And (for now anyway) the San Gabriel Valley.

This comes from crack crime reporter Brian Day in the SGV newsroom:

Cuauhtemoc Ortiz, 58, of Temple City, plead not guilty Monday to the slaying of an El Monte man in his home early this year, officials said.

Lester Lear, 47, was shot multiple times with a shotgun inside his house, said Detective Richard Ramirez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.

Investigators believe the motive in the shooting was that Ortiz viewed Lear as a rival for the affections of a woman, described as a local woman in her 40s.

Ortiz allegedly also tried to shoot Lear but missed on Jan. 1, officials said, at the same house where Lear was ultimately killed.

Lear is also being investigated by the El Monte Police Department in several other violent incidents that occurred prior to Lear's slaying, said Ramirez. Details on those incidents were not available.

A letter sent to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune newsroom claiming to be from Ortiz expressed concern that an "informant" in his case is not being adequately protected by the police and is in danger of "eminent murder."

"I've never heard of anything of this nature," Ramirez said after being told of the letter.

Ortiz was arrested Jan. 16 several blocks from his Temple City home as he was walking to his car, Ramirez said.

Lear was fatally shot Jan. 4 at his house in the 10000 block of Rose Avenue, said Deputy Rick Pedroza of the Sheriff's Headquarter's Bureau. He was pronounced dead at the scene, he added.

Two very different sides of the story about an incident that happened Saturday evening at a church in Walnut, where the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless was hosting a shelter.

Officials with the advocacy group claim two of their staff members were attacked by a man who came in demanding services, but refusing to give his name.
Colleen Castellano, director of the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless, said the man attacked the staff members with an unknown substance that caused them burns and "mutilation."

Two deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident. Their log tells a very different story.

They claim the man was intoxicated, was arguing with staff members, and was combative, according to Sgt. Randy Lascurain. But deputies Jimmy Osorio and Jesus Hernandez said the guy eventually became cooperative and left the shelter on his own. No police report was filed because staff members at the shelter did not want to make an arrest, Lascurain said.

Castellano said her staff members DID want the man arrested, but the deputies didn't want to help.

"When they arrived, the officer told us we asked for it because we bring these people in, we're enablers," she said. "They escorted the man off the premises and that's it. They didn't do anything."

Guess we'll never know what really happened. The coalition said they won't be filing any sort of complaint because that's not part of "what they do."

 

So this 18-year-old Rio Hondo student goes missing. We write about it ... twice. Her parents are frantic.

Well, there's a happy ending of sorts. The full story, by reporter Tracy Garcia, will appear in tomorrow's paper. But, here's a small advance taste of a real Valentine's tale:

It was major drama earlier this month for 18-year-old Rio Hondo College student Crystal Domingues — her family reported her missing, then apparently hired a private detective who tracked her down. 

The detective found her... at the Irvine home of Rio Hondo professor Muata Kamdibe. Domingues was a former student of his, Kamdibe says, and Domingues and Kamdibe say they are in love. To prove it, they’re getting hitched this weekend in Vegas.

Good luck with the in-laws.